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CVR Partners, LP

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FY2020 Annual Report · CVR Partners, LP
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UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
_____________________________________________________________
Form 10-K 

(Mark One)

☑ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT 

OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020

OR

☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT 

OF 1934

For the transition period from                                    to                                     

Commission file number: 001-35120 
_____________________________________________________________

CVR Partners, LP 

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware

(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)

56-2677689

(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)

2277 Plaza Drive, Suite 500, Sugar Land, Texas 77479 
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
(281) 207-3200 
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
_____________________________________________________________

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

Title of Each Class

Trading Symbol(s)

Name of each exchange on which registered

Common units representing limited partner interests

UAN

New York Stock Exchange

          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.

Large accelerated filer

Smaller reporting company

☐

☑

Accelerated filer

Emerging growth company

☑

☐

Non-accelerated filer

☐

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. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control 
over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm prepared or issued its 
audit report.  ☑ 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).    Yes ☐        No ☑

At June 30, 2020, the aggregate market value of the voting common units held by non-affiliates of the registrant was approximately $62.3 million based 
upon  the  closing  price  of  its  common  units  on  the  New  York  Stock  Exchange  Composite  tape.  As  of  February  19,  2021,  there  were  10,692,332  of  the 
registrant’s common units outstanding.

 
 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CVR Partners, LP
Annual Report on Form 10-K

PART I

PART III

Item 1.

Business

5

Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and 
Corporate Governance

Item 1A. Risk Factors

13

Item 11. Executive Compensation

72

81

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments

25

Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial 

98

Owners and Management and Related 
Unitholder Matters

Item 2.

Properties

25

Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related 

100

Transactions, and Director Independence

Item 3.

Legal Proceedings

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures

25

26

Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services

101

PART II

PART IV

Item 5. Market For Registrant’s Common Equity, 

27

Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules

102

Related Unitholder Matters and Issuer 
Purchases of Equity Securities

Item 6.

Selected Financial Data

28

Item 16. Form 10-K Summary

104

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of 

29

Financial Condition and Results of 
Operations

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures 

44

About Market Risk

Item 8.

Financial Statements and Supplementary 
Data

Item 9.

Changes in and Disagreements With 
Accountants on Accounting and Financial 
Disclosure

Item 9A. Controls and Procedures

Item 9B. Other Information

46

71

71

71

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 GLOSSARY OF SELECTED TERMS

The following are definitions of certain terms used in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 

2020 (this “Report”).

Ammonia — Ammonia is a direct application fertilizer and is primarily used as a building block for other nitrogen products 

for industrial applications and finished fertilizer products.

Capacity — Capacity is defined as the throughput a process unit is capable of sustaining, either on a calendar or operating 
day basis. The throughput may be expressed in terms of maximum sustainable, nameplate or economic capacity. The maximum 
sustainable or nameplate capacities may not be the most economical. The economic capacity is the throughput that generally 
provides the greatest economic benefit based on considerations such as feedstock costs, product values, regulatory compliance 
costs and downstream unit constraints.

Catalyst  —  A  substance  that  alters,  accelerates,  or  instigates  chemical  changes,  but  is  neither  produced,  consumed  nor 

altered in the process.

Corn belt — The primary corn producing region of the United States, which includes Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, 

Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio and Wisconsin.

Ethanol — A clear, colorless, flammable oxygenated hydrocarbon. Ethanol is typically produced chemically from ethylene, 
or biologically from fermentation of various sugars from carbohydrates found in agricultural crops and cellulosic residues from 
crops or wood. It is used in the United States as a gasoline octane enhancer and oxygenate.

MMBtu  —  One  million  British  thermal  units,  or  Btu:  a  measure  of  energy.  One  Btu  of  heat  is  required  to  raise  the 

temperature of one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit.

MSCF — One thousand standard cubic feet, a customary gas measurement.

Petroleum coke (pet coke) — A coal-like substance that is produced during the oil refining process.

Product pricing at gate — Product pricing at gate represents net sales less freight revenue divided by product sales volume 

in tons. Product pricing at gate is also referred to as netback.

Southern Plains — Primarily includes Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico.

Spot market — A market in which commodities are bought and sold for cash and delivered immediately. 

Turnaround  —  A  periodically  performed  standard  procedure  to  inspect,  refurbish,  repair,  and  maintain  the  plant  assets. 
This process involves the shutdown and inspection of major processing units and occurs every two to three years. A turnaround 
will typically extend the operating life of a facility and return performance desired operating levels.

UAN — An aqueous solution of urea and ammonium nitrate used as a fertilizer.

Utilization  —  Measurement  of  the  annual  production  of  UAN  and  Ammonia  expressed  as  a  percentage  of  the  plants’ 

nameplate production capacity.

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Important Information Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 
1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), 
including, but not limited to, those under Item 1. Business, Item 1A. Risk Factors and Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of 
Financial  Condition  and  Results  of  Operations.  These  forward  looking  statements  are  subject  to  a  number  of  risks  and  uncertainties, 
many of which are beyond our control. All statements other than statements of historical fact, including without limitation, statements 
regarding future operations, financial position, estimated revenues and losses, growth, capital projects, unit repurchases, impacts of legal 
proceedings,  projected  costs,  prospects,  plans  and  objectives  of  management  are  forward  looking  statements.  The  words  “could,” 
“believe,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “expect,” “may,” “continue,” “predict,” “potential,” “project,” and similar terms and phrases 
are intended to identify forward looking statements.

Although  we  believe  our  assumptions  concerning  future  events  are  reasonable,  a  number  of  risks,  uncertainties  and  other  factors 
could cause actual results and trends to differ materially from those projected or forward looking. Forward looking statements, as well as 
certain  risks,  contingencies,  or  uncertainties  that  may  impact  our  forward  looking  statements,  include,  but  are  not  limited  to,  the 
following:
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our ability to generate distributable cash or make cash distributions on our common units;
the ability of our general partner to modify or revoke our distribution policy at any time;
the volatile nature of our business and the variable nature of our distributions;
the severity, magnitude, duration, and impact of the novel coronavirus 2019 (“COVID-19”) pandemic and of businesses’ and 
governments’ responses to such pandemic on our operations, personnel, commercial activity, and supply and demand across our 
and our customers’ and suppliers’ businesses;
changes in market conditions and market volatility arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, including fertilizer, natural gas, and 
other commodity prices and the impact of such changes on our operating results and financial position;
the cyclical and seasonal nature of our business;
the  impact  of  weather  on  our  business  including  our  ability  to  produce,  market,  sell,  transport  or  deliver  fertilizer  products 
profitably or at all;
the dependence of our operations on a few third-party suppliers, including providers of transportation services, and equipment;
our reliance on, or our ability to procure economically or at all, pet coke we purchase from CVR Energy, Inc. (together with its 
subsidiaries, but excluding the Partnership and its subsidiaries, “CVR Energy”) and other third-party suppliers; 
our reliance on the natural gas, electricity, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur processing, compressed dry air and other products that we 
purchase from third parties;
the supply, availability, and prices of essential raw materials;
our production levels, including the risk of a material decline in those levels, including our ability to upgrade ammonia to UAN;
accidents  or  other  unscheduled  shutdowns  or  interruptions  affecting  our  facilities,  machinery,  or  equipment,  or  those  of  our 
suppliers or customers;
potential operating hazards from accidents, fire, severe weather, tornadoes, floods or other natural disasters; 
our ability to obtain, retain, or renew permits, licenses and authorizations to operate our business;
competition in the nitrogen fertilizer businesses including potential impacts of domestic and global supply and demand; and/or 
domestic or international duties, tariffs, or similar costs;
foreign wheat and coarse grain production, including increases thereto and farm planting acerage;
capital expenditures;
existing and future laws, rulings and regulations, including but not limited to those relating to the environment, climate change, 
and/or  the  transportation  or  production  of  hazardous  chemicals  like  ammonia,  including  potential  liabilities  or  capital 
requirements arising from such laws, rulings, or regulations;
alternative energy or fuel sources and impacts on corn prices (ethanol), and the end-use and application of fertilizers;
risks of terrorism, cybersecurity attacks, the security of chemical manufacturing facilities and other matters beyond our control;
our lack of asset diversification;
our dependence on significant customers and the creditworthiness and performance by counterparties;
our potential loss of transportation cost advantage over our competitors;
risks  associated  with  third  party  operation  of  or  control  over  important  facilities  necessary  for  operation  of  our  nitrogen 
fertilizer facilities;
the  volatile  nature  of  ammonia,  potential  liability  for  accidents  involving  ammonia  including  damage  or  injury  to  persons, 
property, the environment or human health and increased costs related to the transport or production of ammonia;
our  potential  inability  to  successfully  implement  our  business  strategies,  including  the  completion  of  significant  capital 
programs or projects;
our reliance on CVR Energy’s senior management team and conflicts of interest they may face operating each of CVR Partners 
and CVR Energy;
control of our general partner by CVR Energy;
our ability to continue to license the technology used in our operations;
restrictions in our debt agreements;

•

•
•

•
•

•

•
•
•

•
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December 31, 2020 | 3

Table of Contents

•
•
•
•
•
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asset impairments and impacts thereof;
asset usefule life;
realizable inventory value;
the number of investors willing to hold or acquire our common units;
our ability to issue securities or obtain financing;
the possibility of changes in tax and other law, regulations and policies;
ability to qualify for 45Q tax credits;
changes in our treatment as a partnership for U.S. federal income or state tax purposes;
rulings, judgments or settlements in litigation, tax or other legal or regulatory matters;
instability and volatility in the capital and credit markets;
competition with CVR Energy and its affiliates;
transactions and/or conflicts with CVR Energy’s controlling shareholder;
the value of payouts under our equity and non-equity incentive plans; and
our ability to recover under our insurance policies for damages or losses in full or at all.

All  forward  looking  statements  contained  in  this  Report  only  speak  as  of  the  date  of  this  Report.  We  undertake  no  obligation  to 
publicly update or revise any forward looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date of this Report, or to 
reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except to the extent required by law.

December 31, 2020 | 4

Table of Contents

Part I should be read in conjunction with Management’s Discussion and Analysis in Item 7 and our consolidated financial 

statements and related notes thereto in Item 8.

PART I

Item 1.    Business

Overview

CVR Partners, LP (referred to as “CVR Partners” or the “Partnership”) is a Delaware limited partnership formed in 2011 
by CVR Energy, Inc. (together with its subsidiaries, but excluding the Partnership and its subsidiaries, “CVR Energy”) to own, 
operate  and  grow  its  nitrogen  fertilizer  business.  The  Partnership  produces  nitrogen  fertilizer  products  at  two  manufacturing 
facilities, which are located in Coffeyville, Kansas (the “Coffeyville Facility”) and East Dubuque, Illinois (the “East Dubuque 
Facility”). Both facilities manufacture ammonia and are able to further upgrade to other nitrogen fertilizer products, principally 
urea  ammonium  nitrate  (“UAN”).  Nitrogen  fertilizer  is  used  by  farmers  to  improve  the  yield  and  quality  of  their  crops, 
primarily corn and wheat. The Partnership’s products are sold on a wholesale basis in the United States of America. As used in 
these  financial  statements,  references  to  CVR  Partners,  the  Partnership,  “we”,  “us”,  and  “our”  may  refer  to  consolidated 
subsidiaries of CVR Partners or one or both of the facilities, as the context may require. 

Organizational Structure and Related Ownership

The following chart illustrates the organizational structure of the Partnership as of December 31, 2020.

December 31, 2020 | 5

Table of Contents

Facilities

Coffeyville  Facility  -  We  own  and  operate  a  nitrogen  fertilizer  production  facility  in  Coffeyville,  Kansas  that  includes  a 
gasifier complex having a capacity of 89 million standard cubic feet per day of hydrogen, a 1,300 ton per day capacity ammonia 
unit and a 3,000 ton per day capacity UAN unit. The Coffeyville Facility is the only nitrogen fertilizer plant in North America 
that utilizes a pet coke gasification process to produce nitrogen fertilizer. The Coffeyville Facility’s largest raw material used in 
the production of ammonia is pet coke, which it purchases from CVR Energy and third parties. For the years ended December 
31,  2020,  2019,  and  2018,  the  Partnership  purchased  approximately  $18.4  million,  $20.0  million,  and  $13.2  million, 
respectively,  of  pet  coke,  which  equaled  an  average  cost  per  ton  of  $35.25,  $37.47,  and  $28.41,  respectively.  For  the  years 
ended  December  31,  2020,  2019,  and  2018,  we  upgraded  approximately  87%,  90%,  and  93%,  respectively,  of  our  ammonia 
production into UAN, a product that typically generates greater profit per ton than ammonia, however, this did not hold true for 
2020 due to market conditions. We upgrade substantially all of our ammonia production at the Coffeyville Facility into UAN 
and expect to continue to do so when the economics are favorable.

East Dubuque Facility - We own and operate a nitrogen fertilizer production facility in East Dubuque, Illinois that includes 
a  1,075  ton  per  day  capacity  ammonia  unit  and  a  1,100  ton  per  day  capacity  UAN  unit.  The  East  Dubuque  Facility  has  the 
flexibility to vary its product mix enabling it to upgrade a portion of its ammonia production into varying amounts of UAN, 
nitric acid, and liquid and granulated urea, depending on market demand, pricing, and storage availability. The East Dubuque 
Facility’s largest raw material cost used in the production of ammonia is natural gas, which it purchases from third parties. For 
the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, the East Dubuque Facility incurred approximately $22.0 million, $21.5 
million, and $22.5 million for feedstock natural gas, respectively, which equaled an average cost of $2.35, $3.08, and $3.15 per 
MMBtu, respectively.

Commodities

The nitrogen products we produce are globally traded commodities and are subject to price competition. The customers for 
our  products  make  their  purchasing  decisions  principally  on  the  basis  of  delivered  price  and,  to  a  lesser  extent,  on  customer 
service and product quality. The selling prices of our products fluctuate in response to global market conditions and changes in 
supply and demand.

Agriculture 

The three primary forms of nitrogen fertilizer used in the United States of America are ammonia, urea, and UAN. Unlike 
ammonia  and  urea,  UAN  can  be  applied  throughout  the  growing  season  and  can  be  applied  in  tandem  with  pesticides  and 
herbicides,  providing  farmers  with  flexibility  and  cost  savings.  As  a  result  of  these  factors,  UAN  typically  commands  a 
premium price to urea and ammonia, on a nitrogen equivalent basis. However, during 2020, UAN commanded a discount price 
to urea and premium to ammonia, on a nitrogen equivalent basis.

Nutrients  are  depleted  in  soil  over  time  and,  therefore,  must  be  replenished  through  fertilizer  use.  Nitrogen  is  the  most 
quickly depleted nutrient and must be replenished every year, whereas phosphate and potassium can be retained in soil for up to 
three  years.  Plants  require  nitrogen  in  the  largest  amounts,  and  it  accounts  for  approximately  59%  of  primary  fertilizer 
consumption on a nutrient ton basis, per the International Fertilizer Industry Association (“IFIA”).

Demand

Global  demand  for  fertilizers  is  driven  primarily  by  grain  demand  and  prices,  which,  in  turn,  are  driven  by  population 
growth, farmland per capita, dietary changes in the developing world, and increased consumption of bio-fuels. According to the 
IFIA, from 1976 to 2018, global fertilizer demand grew 2% annually. Global fertilizer use, consisting of nitrogen, phosphate, 
and potassium, is projected to increase by 1% through 2023 to meet global food demand according to a study funded by the 
Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. Currently, the developed world uses fertilizer more intensively than 
the  developing  world,  but  sustained  economic  growth  in  emerging  markets  is  increasing  food  demand  and  fertilizer  use.  In 
addition,  populations  in  developing  countries  are  shifting  to  more  protein-rich  diets  as  their  incomes  increase,  with  such 
consumption requiring more grain for animal feed. As an example, China’s wheat and coarse grains production is estimated to 
have increased 35% between 2011 and 2021, but still failed to keep pace with increases in demand, prompting China to grow its 
wheat  and  coarse  grain  imports  by  more  than  1,038%  over  the  same  period,  according  to  the  United  States  Department  of 
Agriculture (“USDA”).

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The United States is the world’s largest exporter of coarse grains, accounting for 32% of world exports and 26% of world 
production for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2020, according to the USDA. A substantial amount of nitrogen is consumed 
in production of these crops to increase yield. Based on Fertecon Limited’s (“Fertecon”) 2020 estimates, the United States is the 
world’s  third  largest  consumer  of  nitrogen  fertilizer  and  the  world’s  largest  importer  of  nitrogen  fertilizer.  Fertecon  is  a 
reputable  agency  which  provides  market  information  and  analysis  on  fertilizers  and  fertilizer  raw  materials  for  fertilizer  and 
related industries, as well as international agencies. Fertecon estimates indicate that the United States represented 11% of total 
global nitrogen fertilizer consumption for 2020, with China and India as the top consumers representing 22% and 17% of total 
global nitrogen fertilizer consumption, respectively. 

North American nitrogen fertilizer producers predominantly use natural gas as their primary feedstock. Over the last five 
years, U.S. oil and natural gas reserves have increased significantly due to, among other factors, advances in extracting shale oil 
and gas, as well as relatively high oil and gas prices. More recently, global demand has slowed with production staying steady 
even as oil and gas prices have declined substantially over the past two years. This has led to significantly reduced natural gas 
and oil prices as compared to historical prices. As a result, North America has become a low-cost region for nitrogen fertilizer 
production.

Raw Material Supply

Coffeyville  Facility  -  During  the  past  five  years,  just  under  60%  of  the  Coffeyville  Facility’s  pet  coke  requirements  on 
average were supplied by CVR Energy’s adjacent Coffeyville, Kansas refinery pursuant to a multi-year agreement. Historically, 
our Coffeyville Facility has obtained the remainder of its pet coke requirements through third-party contracts typically priced at 
a discount to the spot market. In 2020, our supply of pet coke from the Coffeyville refinery declined to approximately 33%, 
generally attributable to increased processing of shale crude oil, which reduced the amount of pet coke produced by the refinery 
and increased the amount of third-party purchases made at spot prices. With increased reliance on third-party pet coke, we have 
contracts with multiple third-party refineries to purchase approximately 275,000 tons of pet coke at a fixed price for delivery at 
different dates through December 2021, which could be delivered primarily by truck, railcar or barge. 

Additionally,  our  Coffeyville  Facility  relies  on  a  third-party  air  separation  plant  at  its  location  that  provides  contract 
volumes of oxygen, nitrogen, and compressed dry air to the Coffeyville Facility gasifiers. The reliability of the air separation 
plant can have a significant impact on our Coffeyville Facility operations. In 2020, to mitigate future impacts, we executed a 
new product supply agreement that provides for a consistent volume of oxygen that will be maintained within tanks provided by 
the  on-site  vendor.  Should  the  oxygen  volume  fall  below  a  specified  level,  the  on-site  vendor  will  provide  excess  oxygen 
through its own mechanism or through third party purchases.

East  Dubuque  Facility  -  Our  East  Dubuque  Facility  uses  natural  gas  to  produce  nitrogen  fertilizer.  Our  East  Dubuque 
Facility  is  generally  able  to  purchase  natural  gas  at  competitive  prices  due  to  its  connection  to  the  Northern  Natural  Gas 
interstate pipeline system, which is within one mile of the facility, and a third-party owned and operated pipeline. The pipelines 
are connected to a third-party distribution system at the Chicago Citygate receipt point and at the Hampshire interconnect from 
which  natural  gas  is  transported  to  our  East  Dubuque  Facility.  As  of  December  31,  2020,  we  had  commitments  to  purchase 
approximately 0.6 million MMBtus of natural gas supply for planned use in our East Dubuque Facility for each of January and 
February  of  2021  at  a  weighted  average  rate  per  MMBtu  of  approximately  $2.60  and  $2.52,  respectively,  exclusive  of 
transportation cost.

Marketing and Distribution

We  primarily  market  UAN  products  to  agricultural  customers  and  ammonia  products  to  agricultural  and  industrial 
customers. UAN and ammonia, including freight, accounted for approximately 65% and 28%, respectively, of total net sales for 
the year ended December 31, 2020.

UAN and ammonia are primarily distributed by truck or railcar. If delivered by truck, products are most commonly sold on 
a free-on-board (“FOB”) shipping point basis, and freight is normally arranged by the customer. We operate a fleet of railcars 
for use in product delivery. If delivered by railcar, products are most commonly sold on a FOB destination point basis, and we 
typically arrange the freight. 

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The nitrogen fertilizer products leave our Coffeyville Facility either in railcars for destinations located principally on the 
Union  Pacific  or  Burlington  Northern  Santa  Fe  railroads  or  in  trucks  for  direct  shipment  to  customers.  Our  East  Dubuque 
Facility primarily sells product to customers located within 200 miles of the facility. In most instances, customers take delivery 
of  nitrogen  products  at  our  East  Dubuque  Facility  and  arrange  to  transport  them  to  their  final  destinations  by  truck. 
Additionally, our East Dubuque Facility has direct access to a barge dock on the Mississippi River, as well as a nearby rail spur 
serviced  by  the  Canadian  National  Railway  Company,  both  of  which  are  used  from  time  to  time  to  sell  and  distribute  its 
products. 

Customers

Retailers and distributors are the main customers for UAN and, more broadly, the industrial and agricultural sectors are the 
primary recipients of our ammonia products. Given the nature of our business, and consistent with industry practice, we sell our 
products on a wholesale basis under a contract or by purchase order. Contracts with customers generally contain fixed pricing 
and  most  have  terms  of  less  than  one  year.  Some  of  our  industrial  sales  include  long-term  purchase  contracts.  For  the  year 
ended December 31, 2020, our top two customers in the aggregate represented 26% of net sales.

Competition

Nitrogen fertilizer production is a global market with competitors in every region of the world. The industry is dominated 
by price considerations which are driven by raw material and transportation costs, currency fluctuations and trade barriers. Our 
business  has  experienced  and  expects  to  continue  to  experience  significant  levels  of  competition  from  domestic  and  foreign 
nitrogen fertilizer producers, many of whom have significantly greater financial and other resources. In the United States during 
the spring and fall fertilizer application periods, farming activities intensify and geographic proximity to these activities is also a 
significant  competitive  advantage  for  domestic  producers.  We  manage  our  manufacturing  and  distribution  operations  to  best 
serve our customers during these critical periods.

Subject  to  location  and  other  considerations  our  major  competitors  generally  include  CF  Industries  Holdings,  Inc., 
including its majority owned subsidiary Terra Nitrogen Company, L.P.; LSB Industries, Inc.; Koch Fertilizer Company, LLC; 
and  Nutrien  Ltd.  (formerly  known  as  Agrium,  Inc.  and  Potash  Corporation  of  Saskatchewan,  Inc.).  Domestic  competition  is 
intense  due  to  customers’  sophisticated  buying  tendencies  and  competitor  strategies  that  focus  on  cost  and  service.  We  also 
encounter competition from producers of fertilizer products manufactured in foreign countries, including the threat of increased 
production capacity. In certain cases, foreign producers of fertilizer who export to the United States may be subsidized by their 
respective governments. 

Seasonality

Because we primarily sell agricultural commodity products, our business is exposed to seasonal fluctuations in demand for 
nitrogen fertilizer products in the agricultural industry. In addition, the demand for fertilizers is affected by the aggregate crop 
planting decisions and fertilizer application rate decisions of individual farmers who make planting decisions based largely on 
the prospective profitability of a harvest. The specific varieties and amounts of fertilizer they apply depend on factors like crop 
prices,  farmers’  current  liquidity,  soil  conditions,  weather  patterns,  and  the  types  of  crops  planted.  We  typically  experience 
higher net sales in the first half of the calendar year, which is referred to as the planting season, and net sales tend to be lower 
during the second half of each calendar year, which is referred to as the fill season. 

Environmental Matters

Our business is subject to extensive and frequently changing federal, state, and local environmental, health, and safety laws 
and regulations governing the emission and release of hazardous substances into the environment, the transportation, storage, 
and  disposal  of  waste,  the  treatment  and  discharge  of  wastewater  and  stormwater,  and  the  storage,  handling,  use,  and 
transportation  of  our  nitrogen  fertilizer  products.  These  laws  and  regulations  and  the  enforcement  thereof  impact  us  by 
imposing:

•
•

•

restrictions on operations or the need to install enhanced or additional controls;
liability  for  the  investigation  and  remediation  of  contaminated  soil  and  groundwater  at  current  and  former 
facilities (if any) and for off-site waste disposal locations; and
specifications for the products we market, primarily UAN and ammonia.

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Our  operations  require  numerous  permits,  licenses,  and  authorizations.  Failure  to  comply  with  these  permits  or 
environmental  laws  and  regulations  could  result  in  fines,  penalties,  or  other  sanctions  or  a  revocation  of  our  permits.  In 
addition, the laws and regulations to which we are subject are often evolving and many of them have or could become more 
stringent or have become subject to more stringent interpretation or enforcement by federal or state agencies. These laws and 
regulations could result in increased capital, operating, and compliance costs.

The Federal Clean Air Act (“CAA”)

The CAA and its implementing regulations, as well as corresponding state laws and regulations governing air emissions, 
affect us both directly and indirectly. Direct impacts may occur through the CAA’s permitting requirements and/or emission 
control requirements relating to specific air pollutants, as well as the requirement to maintain a risk management program to 
help prevent accidental releases of certain regulated substances. The CAA affects the Partnership by extensively regulating the 
air  emissions  of  sulfur  dioxide  (“SO2”),  volatile  organic  compounds,  nitrogen  oxides,  and  other  substances,  including  those 
emitted  by  mobile  sources,  which  are  direct  or  indirect  users  of  our  products.  Some  or  all  of  the  regulations  promulgated 
pursuant  to  the  CAA,  or  any  future  promulgations  of  regulations,  may  require  the  installation  of  controls  or  changes  to  our 
nitrogen fertilizer facilities (collectively referred to as the “Facilities”) to maintain compliance. If new controls or changes to 
operations are needed, the costs could be material. 

The  regulation  of  air  emissions  under  the  CAA  requires  that  we  obtain  various  construction  and  operating  permits  and 
incur capital expenditures for the installation of certain air pollution control devices at our operations. Various standards and 
programs  specific  to  our  operations  have  been  implemented,  such  as  the  National  Emission  Standard  for  Hazardous  Air 
Pollutants, the New Source Performance Standards, and the New Source Review. 

The EPA regulates GHG emissions under the Clean Air Act. In October 2009, the EPA finalized a rule requiring certain 
large  emitters  of  GHGs  to  inventory  and  report  their  GHG  emissions  to  the  EPA.  In  accordance  with  the  rule,  our  Facilities 
monitor  and  report  our  GHG  emissions  to  the  EPA.  In  May  2010,  the  EPA  finalized  the  “Greenhouse  Gas  Tailoring  Rule,” 
which established GHG emissions thresholds that determine when stationary sources, such as the nitrogen fertilizer plants, must 
obtain  permits  under  Prevention  of  Significant  Deterioration  (“PSD”)  and  Title  V  programs  of  the  CAA.  Under  the  rule, 
facilities already subject to the PSD and Title V programs that increase their emissions of GHGs by a significant amount are 
required  to  undergo  PSD  review  and  to  evaluate  and  implement  air  pollution  control  technology,  known  as  “best  available 
control technology,” to reduce GHG emissions. 

The Biden Administration has signaled that it will take steps to address climate change.  On January 27, 2021, the White 
House  issued  its  Executive  Order  on  Tackling  the  Climate  Crisis  at  Home  and  Abroad,  as  well  as  a  formal  notification  re-
accepting entry of the United States into the Paris Agreement.

The EPA’s approach to regulating GHG emissions may change again under future administrations. Therefore, the impact 

on our Facilities due to future GHG regulation is unknown.

Recent Greenhouse Gas Footprint Reduction Efforts

In  October  2020,  the  Partnership  announced  that  it  generated  its  first  carbon  offset  credits  from  voluntary  nitrous  oxide 
abatement at its Coffeyville Facility. The Partnership has similar nitrous oxide abatement efforts at its East Dubuque Facility. 
According  to  the  EPA,  nitrous  oxide  represents  approximately  7%  of  carbon  dioxide-equivalent  (“CO2e”)  emissions  in  the 
United States.

The Partnership previously entered into a Joint Development Agreement with ClimeCo, a pioneer in the development of 
emission-reduction projects for nitric acid plants, to jointly design, install and operate a tertiary abatement system at one of its 
nitric acid plants in Coffeyville. The system was designed to abate 94% of all N2O in the unit while preventing the release of 
approximately 450,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent on an annualized basis. The N2O abatement systems at the East 
Dubuque Facility’s two nitric acid plants have abated, on average, the annual release of approximately 233,000 metric tons of 
CO2e during the past five years. 

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CVR  Partners’  N2O  abatement  projects  are  registered  with  the  Climate  Action  Reserve  (the  “Reserve”),  a  carbon  offset 
registry  for  the  North  American  market.  The  Reserve  employs  high-quality  standards  and  an  independent  third-party 
verification process to issue its carbon credits, known as Climate Reserve Tonnes.

The  Partnership  also  sequesters  carbon  dioxide  that  is  not  utilized  for  urea  production  at  its  Coffeyville  Facility  by 
capturing and purifying the CO2 as part of its manufacturing process and then transferred to its partner, Perdure Petroleum LLC, 
that compresses and ships the CO2 for sequestration through Enhanced Oil Recovery (“EOR”). In January 2021, the Internal 
Revenue Service published final regulations under Section 45Q which provides tax credits to encourage CO2 sequestration.  We 
believe that our process for CO2 sequestration would qualify for tax credits under Section 45Q and intend to pursue a claim of 
those credits starting in 2021.

Combining  our  nitrous  oxide  abatement  and  CO2  sequestration  activities  reduces  our  CO2e  footprint  by  over  1  million 
metric tons per year.  In addition, our Coffeyville Facility is uniquely qualified to produce hydrogen and ammonia that could be 
certified ‘blue’ to a market that is increasingly demanding reduced carbon footprints. These greenhouse gas footprint reduction 
efforts support our core Values of Environment and Continuous Improvement, and our goal of continuing to produce nitrogen 
fertilizers that feed the world’s growing population in the most environmentally responsible way possible.

The Federal Clean Water Act (“CWA”)

The  CWA  and  its  implementing  regulations,  as  well  as  the  corresponding  state  laws  and  regulations  that  govern  the 
discharge  of  pollutants  into  the  water,  affect  the  Partnership.  The  CWA’s  permitting  requirements  establish  discharge 
limitations  that  may  be  based  on  technology  standards,  water  quality  standards,  and  restrictions  on  the  total  maximum  daily 
load of pollutants allowed to enter a particular water body based on its use.  In January 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency (the “EPA”) announced that it is undertaking a plan to review, and update effluent standards for many industries. EPA 
is  prioritizing  those  sectors  that  are  ranked  high  in  point  source  categories  for  total  nitrogen  discharges,  including  fertilizer 
manufacturers.  The EPA’s review eventually could result in different regulations governing the Partnership. In addition, water 
resources are becoming and in the future may become more scarce. The Coffeyville Fertilizer Facility has contracts in place to 
receive water during certain water shortage conditions, but these conditions could change over time depending on the scarcity 
of water.

Comprehensive  Environmental  Response,  Compensation  and  Liability  Act  (“CERCLA”)  and  the  Emergency  Planning 

and Community Right-to-Know Act (“EPCRA”)

The release of hazardous substances or extremely hazardous substances into the environment is subject to release reporting 
requirements under federal and state environmental laws. Our Facilities also periodically experience releases of hazardous and 
extremely  hazardous  substances  from  their  equipment.  From  time  to  time,  the  EPA  has  conducted  inspections  and  issued 
information requests to us with respect to our compliance with reporting requirements under the CERCLA and EPCRA. If we 
fail  to  timely  or  properly  report  a  release,  or  if  a  release  violates  the  law  or  our  permits,  we  could  become  the  subject  of  a 
governmental enforcement action or third-party claims. Government enforcement or third-party claims relating to releases of 
hazardous or extremely hazardous substances could result in significant expenditures and liability.

Environmental Remediation

As is the case with all companies engaged in similar industries, we face potential exposure from future claims and lawsuits 
involving  environmental  matters,  including  soil  and  water  contamination  and  personal  injury  or  property  damage  allegedly 
caused  by  hazardous  substances  that  we  manufactured,  handled,  used,  stored,  transported,  spilled,  disposed  of,  or  released. 
There is no assurance that we will not become involved in future proceedings related to the release of hazardous or extremely 
hazardous substances for which we have potential liability or that, if we were held responsible for damages in any existing or 
future proceedings, such costs would be covered by insurance or would not be material.

Environmental Insurance

We  are  covered  by  CVR  Energy’s  site  pollution  legal  liability  insurance  policy,  which  includes  business  interruption 
coverage. The policy insures any location owned, leased, rented, or operated by the Partnership, including our Facilities. The 
policy insures certain pollution conditions at, or migrating from, a covered location, certain waste transportation and disposal 
activities, and business interruption.

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In addition to the site pollution legal liability insurance policy, we maintain umbrella and excess casualty insurance polices 
which include sudden and accidental pollution coverage policies maintained by CVR Energy. This insurance provides coverage 
due  to  named  perils  for  claims  involving  pollutants  where  the  discharge  is  sudden  and  accidental  and  first  commences  at  a 
specific day and time during the policy period. 

The site pollution legal liability policy and the pollution coverage provided in the casualty insurance policies are subject to 
retentions and deductibles and contain discovery requirements, reporting requirements, exclusions, definitions, conditions, and 
limitations that could apply to a particular pollution claim, and there can be no assurance such claim will be adequately insured 
for all potential damages.

Health, Safety, and Security Matters

We are subject to a number of federal and state laws and regulations related to safety, including the Occupational Safety 
and Health Act (“OSHA”) and comparable state statutes, the purposes of which are to protect the health and safety of workers. 
We  also  are  subject  to  OSHA  Process  Safety  Management  regulations,  which  are  designed  to  prevent  or  minimize  the 
consequences of catastrophic releases of toxic, reactive, flammable, or explosive chemicals.

Our Facilities are subject to the Chemical Facility Anti-terrorism Standards (“CFATS”), a regulatory program designed to 
ensure  facilities  have  security  measures  in  place  to  reduce  the  risk  that  certain  hazardous  chemicals  are  weaponized  by 
terrorists. In addition, the East Dubuque Facility is regulated under the Maritime Transportation Security Act.

We  operate  a  comprehensive  safety,  health,  and  security  program,  with  participation  by  employees,  consultants,  and 
advisors  at  all  levels  of  the  organization.  We  have  developed  comprehensive  safety  programs  aimed  at  preventing  OSHA 
recordable incidents. Despite our efforts to achieve excellence in our safety and health performance, there can be no assurances 
that there will not be accidents resulting in injuries or even fatalities. We routinely audit our programs and seek to continually 
improve our management systems.

Human Capital 

As of December 31, 2020, we had 287 employees across both Facilities and related marketing and logistics operations, all 
of which are located in the U.S. Of these,  94 employees are covered by collective bargaining agreements with various labor 
unions. We may leverage independent contractors, workers to provide flexibility for our business and operating needs. We also 
rely  on  the  services  of  employees  of  CVR  Energy  and  its  subsidiaries  pursuant  to  a  services  agreement  between  us,  CVR 
Energy, and our general partner. We believe that our future success largely depends upon our continued ability to attract and 
retain highly skilled employees.  We are committed to wages and benefits that are competitive with a market-based, pay for 
performance compensation philosophy.

Our  core  Values  define  the  way  we  do  business  every  day.  We  put  safety  first,  care  for  our  environment,  require  high 
business ethics and integrity consistent with our Code of Ethics and Business Conduct, and are proud members  of and good 
neighbors  to  the  communities  where  we  operate.  We  believe  in  continuous  improvement  for  individuals  to  achieve  their 
maximum potential through teamwork, diversity and personal development. Our employees provide the energy behind our core 
Values  to  achieve  excellence  for  all  our  key  stakeholders  –  employees,  communities  and  unitholders.  See  “Management’s 
Discussion and Analysis” in Part II, Item 7 for further discussion on our core Values.

We are an equal opportunity employer and are committed to maintaining a diverse and inclusive work environment free 
from harassment and discrimination regardless of race, religion, color, age, gender, disability, minority, sexual orientation or 
any  other  protected  class.  Our  commitment  to  diversity  and  inclusion  helps  us  attract  and  retain  the  best  talent,  enables 
employees to realize their full potential, and drives high performance through innovation and collaboration. 

We  have  an  unwavering  commitment  to  providing  as  safe  and  healthy  workplace  as  possible  for  all  employees.  We 
accomplish  this  through  strict  compliance  with  applicable  laws  and  regulations  regarding  workplace  safety,  and  maintaining 
robust training and emergency and disaster recovery plans. 

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Available Information

Our website address is www.CVRPartners.com. Our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current 
reports on Form 8-K, and all amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities 
Exchange  Act  of  1934,  as  amended,  are  available  free  of  charge  through  our  website  under  “Investor  Relations,”  as  soon  as 
reasonably  practicable  after  the  electronic  filing  or  furnishing  of  these  reports  is  made  with  the  Securities  and  Exchange 
Commission  (the  “SEC”)  at  www.sec.gov.  In  addition,  our  Corporate  Governance  Guidelines,  Codes  of  Ethics  and  Business 
Conduct,  and  the  charter  of  the  Audit  Committee,  the  Compensation  Committee,  and  the  Environmental,  Health,  and  Safety 
Committee  of  the  Board  of  Directors  of  our  general  partner  are  available  on  our  website.  These  guidelines,  policies,  and 
charters  are  also  available  in  print  without  charge  to  any  unitholder  requesting  them.  We  do  not  intend  for  information 
contained in our website to be part of this Report.

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Item 1A.    Risk Factors

The  following  risks  should  be  considered  together  with  the  other  information  contained  in  this  Report  and  all  of  the 
information set forth in our filings with the SEC. If any of the following risks or uncertainties develops into actual events, our 
business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially adversely affected. References to CVR Partners, the 
Partnership, “we”, “us”, and “our” may refer to consolidated subsidiaries of CVR Partners or one or both of the facilities, as 
the context may require. 

Risks Related to Our Business

The  COVID-19  pandemic,  and  actions  taken  in  response  thereto,  could  materially  adversely  affect  our  business, 

operations, financial condition, liquidity, and results of operations.

The  COVID-19  pandemic  and  actions  of  governments  and  others  in  response  thereto  is  negatively  impacting  worldwide 
economic and commercial activity and financial markets. The COVID-19 pandemic has also resulted in significant business and 
operational disruptions, including closures, supply chain disruptions, travel restrictions, stay-at-home orders, and limitations on 
the availability and effectiveness of the workforce. Further, if general economic conditions continue to remain uncertain for an 
extended  period  of  time,  our  liquidity  and  ability  to  repay  our  outstanding  debt  may  be  harmed.  The  full  impact  of  the 
COVID-19 pandemic is unknown and is rapidly evolving. The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacts our 
business and operations, including the availability and pricing of feedstocks, will depend on the severity, location, and duration 
of the effects and spread of COVID-19, the actions undertaken by national, regional, and local governments and health officials 
to  contain  such  virus  or  remedy  its  effects,  and  if,  how  quickly  and  to  what  extent  economic  conditions  recover  and  normal 
business and operating conditions resume.

Our business is, and nitrogen fertilizer prices are, cyclical and highly volatile, which could have a material adverse effect 

on our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

Demand  for  nitrogen  fertilizer  products  is  dependent  on  fluctuating  demand  for  crop  nutrients  by  the  global  agricultural 
industry. These fluctuations historically have had and could in the future have significant effects on prices across all nitrogen 
fertilizer  products  and,  in  turn,  our  results  of  operations,  financial  condition  and  cash  flows.  Nitrogen  fertilizer  products  are 
commodities, the price of which can be highly volatile. The prices of nitrogen fertilizer products depend on a number of factors, 
including  general  economic  conditions,  cyclical  trends  in  end-user  markets,  supply  and  demand  imbalances,  governmental 
policies,  and  weather  conditions,  which  have  a  greater  relevance  because  of  the  seasonal  nature  of  fertilizer  application.  If 
seasonal  demand  exceeds  the  projections  on  which  we  base  our  production  levels,  customers  may  acquire  nitrogen  fertilizer 
products from competitors, and our profitability may be negatively impacted. If seasonal demand is less than expected, we may 
be  left  with  excess  inventory  that  will  have  to  be  stored  or  liquidated.  The  international  market  for  nitrogen  fertilizers  is 
influenced by such factors as the relative value of the U.S. dollar and its impact upon the cost of importing nitrogen fertilizers, 
foreign  agricultural  policies,  the  existence  of,  or  changes  in,  import  or  foreign  currency  exchange  barriers  in  certain  foreign 
markets,  changes  in  the  hard  currency  demands  of  certain  countries  and  other  regulatory  policies  of  foreign  governments,  as 
well as the laws and policies of the U.S. affecting foreign trade and investment. Supply is affected by available capacity and 
operating rates, raw material costs, government policies and global trade. A decrease in nitrogen fertilizer prices would have a 
material adverse effect on our business, cash flow and ability to make distributions.

Nitrogen fertilizer products and our business face intense competition.

Our  business  is  subject  to  intense  price  competition  from  both  U.S.  and  foreign  sources.  With  little  or  no  product 
differentiation,  customers  make  their  purchasing  decisions  principally  on  the  basis  of  delivered  price  and  availability  of  the 
product.  Increased  global  supply  or  decreases  in  transportation  costs  for  foreign  sources  of  fertilizer  may  put  downward 
pressure on fertilizer prices. We compete with a number of U.S. producers and producers in other countries, including state-
owned  and  government-subsidized  entities  that  may  have  greater  total  resources  and  are  less  dependent  on  earnings  from 
fertilizer  sales,  which  make  them  less  vulnerable  to  industry  downturns  and  better  positioned  to  pursue  new  expansion  and 
development  opportunities.  An  inability  to  compete  successfully  could  result  in  a  loss  of  customers,  which  could  adversely 
affect  our  sales,  profitability  and  cash  flows  and,  therefore,  have  a  material  adverse  effect  on  our  results  of  operations  and 
financial condition.

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Our  business  is  geographically  concentrated  and  is  therefore  subject  to  regional  economic  downturns  and  seasonal 

variations, which may affect our production levels, transportation costs and inventory and working capital levels.

Our sales to agricultural customers are concentrated in the Great Plains and Midwest states, and nitrogen fertilizer demand 
is  seasonal.  Our  quarterly  results  may  vary  significantly  from  one  year  to  the  next  due  largely  to  weather-related  shifts  in 
planting  schedules  and  purchase  patterns.  Because  we  build  inventory  during  low  demand  periods,  the  accumulation  of 
inventory to be available for seasonal sales creates significant seasonal working capital and storage capacity requirements. The 
degree of seasonality can change significantly from year-to-year due to conditions in the agricultural industry and other factors. 
As  a  consequence  of  this  seasonality,  distributions  of  available  cash,  if  any,  may  be  volatile  and  may  vary  quarterly  and 
annually.

Our  sales  volumes  depend  on  significant  customers,  and  the  loss  of  several  significant  customers  may  have  a  material 

adverse impact on our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

We have a significant concentration of customers. Our two largest customers represented approximately 26% of net sales 
for the year ended December 31, 2020. Given the nature of our business, and consistent with industry practice, we do not have 
long-term minimum purchase contracts with our customers. The loss of several of these significant customers, or a significant 
reduction in purchase volume by several of them, could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial 
condition, and cash flows.

Any decline in U.S. agricultural production or limitations on the use of nitrogen fertilizer for agricultural purposes could 
have a material adverse effect on the sales of nitrogen fertilizer, and on our results of operations, financial condition and 
cash flows.

Conditions in the U.S. agricultural industry significantly impact our operating results. The U.S. agricultural industry can be 
affected  by  a  number  of  factors,  including  weather  patterns  and  field  conditions,  current  and  projected  grain  inventories  and 
prices, domestic and international population changes, demand for U.S. agricultural products, U.S., state and foreign policies 
regarding  trade  in  agricultural  products,  and  changes  in  governmental  regulations  and  incentives  for  corn-based  ethanol 
production that could affect future ethanol demand and production.

State and federal governmental policies, including farm and biofuel subsidies and commodity support programs, as well as 
the prices of fertilizer products, may also directly or indirectly influence the number of acres planted, the mix of crops planted 
and the use of fertilizers for particular agricultural applications. Developments in crop technology could also reduce the use of 
chemical fertilizers and adversely affect the demand for nitrogen fertilizer. Unfavorable state and federal governmental policies 
could  negatively  affect  nitrogen  fertilizer  prices  and  therefore  have  a  material  adverse  effect  on  our  results  of  operations, 
financial condition and cash flows.

We are subject to cybersecurity risks and other cyber incidents resulting in disruption to our business.

We  depend  on  internal  and  third-party  information  technology  systems  to  manage  and  support  our  operations,  and  we 
collect,  process,  and  retain  sensitive  and  confidential  customer  information  in  the  normal  course  of  business.  Despite  the 
security  measures  we  have  in  place  and  any  additional  measures  we  may  implement  in  the  future,  our  facilities  and  these 
systems could be vulnerable to security breaches, computer viruses, lost or misplaced data, programming errors, human errors, 
acts of vandalism, or other events. Any disruption of these systems or security breach or event resulting in the misappropriation, 
loss or other unauthorized disclosure of confidential information, whether by us directly or our third-party service providers, 
could  damage  our  reputation,  expose  us  to  the  risks  of  litigation  and  liability,  disrupt  our  business,  or  otherwise  affect  our 
results of operations.  

Risks Related to Our Plant Operations

Failure by CVR Energy’s Coffeyville refinery to continue to supply us with pet coke could negatively impact our results of 

operations.

Unlike our competitors, whose primary costs are related to the purchase of natural gas and whose costs are therefore largely 
variable, our Coffeyville Facility uses a pet coke gasification process to produce nitrogen fertilizer. Our profitability is directly 
affected  by  the  price  and  availability  of  pet  coke  obtained  from  CVR  Energy’s  Coffeyville  refinery  pursuant  to  a  long-term 
agreement. Our Coffeyville Facility has obtained the majority of its pet coke from CVR Energy’s Coffeyville refinery over the 
past five years, although this percentage has decreased to 33% in 2020. However, should CVR Energy’s Coffeyville refinery 

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fail to perform in accordance with the existing agreement or to the extent pet coke from CVR Energy’s Coffeyville refinery is 
insufficient,  we  would  need  to  purchase  pet  coke  from  third  parties  on  the  open  market,  which  could  negatively  impact  our 
results of operations to the extent third-party pet coke is unavailable or available only at higher prices. Currently, we purchase 
100%  of  the  pet  coke  CVR  Energy’s  Coffeyville  refinery  produces.  However,  we  are  still  required  to  procure  additional  pet 
coke from third parties to maintain our production rates. We are currently party to pet coke supply agreements with multiple 
third-party refineries to provide a significant amount of pet coke at fixed prices. The terms of these agreements currently end in 
December 2021. 

The market for natural gas has been volatile, and fluctuations in natural gas prices could affect our competitive position. 

Low natural gas prices benefit our competitors that rely on natural gas as their primary feedstock and disproportionately 
impact  our  operations  at  our  Coffeyville  Fertilizer  Facility  by  making  us  less  competitive  with  natural  gas-based  nitrogen 
fertilizer manufacturers. Continued low natural gas prices could result in nitrogen fertilizer pricing drops and impair the ability 
of the Coffeyville Facility to compete with other nitrogen fertilizer producers who use natural gas as their primary feedstock, 
which,  therefore,  would  have  a  material  adverse  impact  on  our  results  of  operations,  financial  condition  and  ability  to  make 
cash distributions.

The  East  Dubuque  Facility  uses  natural  gas  as  its  primary  feedstock,  and  as  such,  the  profitability  of  operating  the  East 
Dubuque  Facility  is  significantly  dependent  on  the  cost  of  natural  gas.  An  increase  in  natural  gas  prices  could  make  it  less 
competitive with producers who do not use natural gas as their primary feedstock. In addition, an increase in natural gas prices 
in the U.S. relative to prices of natural gas paid by foreign nitrogen fertilizer producers may negatively affect our competitive 
position in the corn belt, and such changes could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition 
and cash flows.

We expect to purchase a portion of our natural gas for use in the East Dubuque Facility on the spot market. As a result, we 
remain susceptible to fluctuations in the price of natural gas in general and in local markets in particular. We may use fixed 
supply, fixed price forward purchase contracts to lock in pricing for a portion of its natural gas requirements, but we may not be 
able to enter into such agreements on acceptable terms or at all. Without forward purchase contracts for the supply of natural 
gas, we would need to purchase natural gas on the spot market, which would impair its ability to hedge exposure to risk from 
fluctuations in natural gas prices. If we enter into forward purchase contracts for natural gas, and natural gas prices decrease, 
then its cost of sales could be higher than it would have been in the absence of the forward purchase contracts.

Any interruption in the supply of natural gas to our East Dubuque Facility could have a material adverse effect on our 

results of operations and financial condition.

Our East Dubuque Facility depends on the availability of natural gas. We have two agreements for pipeline transportation 
of natural gas with expiration dates in 2021 and 2022. We typically purchase natural gas from third parties on a spot basis and, 
from time to time, may enter into fixed-price forward purchase contracts. Upon expiration of the agreements, we may be unable 
to  extend  the  service  under  the  terms  of  the  existing  agreements  or  renew  the  agreements  on  satisfactory  terms,  or  at  all, 
necessitating construction of a new connection that could be costly and disruptive. Any disruption in the supply of natural gas 
to our East Dubuque Facility could restrict our ability to continue to make products at the facility and have a material adverse 
effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

If licensed technology were no longer available, our business may be adversely affected.

We have licensed, and may in the future license, a combination of patent, trade secret, and other intellectual property rights 
of third parties for use in our plant operations. If our use of technology on which our operations rely were to be terminated or 
face infringement claims, licenses to alternative technology may not be available, or may only be available on terms that are not 
commercially reasonable or acceptable,	or in the case of infringement, may result in substantial costs, all of which could have a 
material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. 

Compliance  with  and  changes  in  environmental  laws  and  regulations,  including  those  related  to  climate  change,  could 

require us to make substantial capital expenditures and adversely affect our performance.

Our operations are subject to extensive federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations relating to the protection 
of the environment, including those governing the emission or discharge of pollutants into the environment, product use and 
specifications  and  the  generation,  treatment,  storage,  transportation,  disposal  and  remediation  of  solid  and  hazardous  wastes. 
Violations  of  applicable  environmental  laws  and  regulations,  or  of  the  conditions  of  permits  issued  thereunder,  can  result  in 

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substantial  penalties,  injunctive  orders  compelling  installation  of  additional  controls,  civil  and  criminal  sanctions,  operating 
restrictions,  injunctive  relief,  permit  revocations  and/or  facility  shutdowns,  which  may  have  a  material  adverse  effect  on  our 
ability to operate our facilities and accordingly our financial performance.  

In  addition,  new  environmental  laws  and  regulations,  new  interpretations  of  existing  laws  and  regulations,  or  increased 
governmental enforcement of laws and regulations could require us to make additional unforeseen expenditures. It is unclear 
the  impact  of  the  new  federal  administration  will  have  on  the  laws  and  regulations  applicable  to  us,  however,  measures  to 
address  climate  change  and  reduce  GHG  emissions  (including  carbon  dioxide,  methane  and  nitrous  oxides)  are  in  various 
phases of discussion or implementation and could affect our operations by requiring increased operating and capital costs and/
or increasing taxes on GHG emissions. If we are unable to maintain sales of our products at a price that reflects such increased 
costs or have to increase the prices of our products because of such increased costs, there could be a material adverse effect on 
our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

End user demand for our products may also be adversely impacted by climate change legislation and other changes to or 
new interpretations of environmental laws, due to increased costs or application restrictions. From time to time, various state 
legislatures  have  proposed  bans  or  other  limitations  on  fertilizer  products.  Decreased  demand  for  our  products  may  have  a 
material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

Our  operations  are  dependent  on  third-party  suppliers,  which  could  have  a  material  adverse  effect  on  our  results  of 

operations, financial condition and cash flows.

Operations  of  our  Coffeyville  Facility  depend  in  large  part  on  the  performance  of  third-party  suppliers,  including  the 
adjacent third-party air separation plant and a third-party electric service provider under a contract through June 30, 2029. Our 
East  Dubuque  Facility  operations  also  depend  in  large  part  on  the  performance  of  third-party  suppliers,  including  for  the 
purchase of electricity, which we purchase under a utility service agreement that terminates on June 1, 2022 and will continue 
year-to-year thereafter unless either party provides 12-month advance written notice of termination. Should these, or any of our 
other third-party suppliers fail to perform in accordance with existing contractual arrangements, or should we lose the service of 
any third-party suppliers, our operations (or a portion thereof) could be forced to halt. Alternative sources of supply could be 
difficult  to  obtain.  Any  shutdown  of  our  operations  (or  a  portion  thereof),  even  for  a  limited  period,  could  have  a  material 
adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and ability to make cash distributions.

We  rely  on  third-party  providers  of  transportation  services  and  equipment,  which  subjects  us  to  risks  and  uncertainties 
beyond our control and that may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and ability 
to make distributions.

Our  business  also  relies  on  third-party  railroad,  trucking,  and  barge  companies  to  ship  finished  products  to  customers. 
These  transportation  services  are  subject  to  various  hazards,  including  extreme  weather  conditions,  work  stoppages,  delays, 
spills,  derailments  and  other  accidents,  and  other  operating  hazards.  Further,  the  limited  number  of  towing  companies  and 
barges available for ammonia transport may also impact the availability of transportation for our products. These transportation 
operations, equipment and services are also subject to environmental, safety and other regulatory oversight. Due to concerns 
related  to  terrorism  or  accidents,  local,  state  and  federal  governments  could  implement  new  regulations  affecting  the 
transportation of our finished products. In addition, new regulations could be implemented affecting the equipment used to ship 
our  finished  products.  Any  delay  in  our  ability  to  ship  our  finished  products  as  a  result  of  these  transportation  companies’ 
failure  to  operate  properly,  the  implementation  of  new  and  more  stringent  regulatory  requirements  affecting  transportation 
operations or equipment, or significant increases in the cost of these services or equipment could have a material adverse effect 
on our results of operations, financial condition and ability to make cash distributions.

Any  liability  for  accidents  involving  ammonia  or  other  products  we  produce  or  transport  that  cause  severe  damage  to 
property or injury to the environment and human health could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, 
financial condition and ability to make cash distributions. 

Our business manufactures, processes, stores, handles, distributes and transports ammonia, which can be very volatile and 
extremely  hazardous.  Major  accidents  or  releases  involving  ammonia  could  cause  severe  damage  or  injury  to  property,  the 
environment  and  human  health,  as  well  as  a  possible  disruption  of  supplies  and  markets.  Such  an  event  could  result  in  civil 
lawsuits, fines, penalties and regulatory enforcement proceedings, all of which could lead to significant liabilities. Any damage 
or injury to persons, equipment, or property or other disruption of our ability to produce or distribute products could result in a 
significant decrease in operating revenues and significant additional costs to replace or repair and insure our assets, which could 
have  a  material  adverse  effect  on  our  results  of  operations,  financial  condition  and  ability  to  make  cash  distributions.  Our 

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facilities periodically experience minor releases of ammonia related to leaks from our facilities’ equipment. Similar events may 
occur in the future.

In addition, we may incur significant losses or increased costs relating to the operation of railcars used for the purpose of 
carrying various products, including ammonia. Due to the dangerous and potentially hazardous nature of the cargo, in particular 
ammonia, a railcar accident may result in fires, explosions, and releases of material which could lead to sudden, severe damage 
or injury to property, the environment, and human health. In the event of contamination, under environmental law, we may be 
held responsible even if we are not at fault, and we complied with the laws and regulations in effect at the time of the accident. 
Litigation arising from accidents involving ammonia and other products we produce or transport may result in us being named 
as a defendant in lawsuits asserting claims for substantial damages, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of 
operations, financial condition and ability to make cash distributions.

We could incur significant costs in cleaning up contamination.

We handle hazardous substances which may result in spills, discharges or other releases of hazardous substances into the 
environment. Past or future spills related to or migrating from any of our current or former operations and solid or hazardous 
waste disposal, may give rise to liability (including for personal injury, property damage, penalties, strict liability, and potential 
cleanup responsibility) to governmental entities or private parties under federal, state or local environmental laws, as well as 
under common law. For example, we could be held strictly liable under CERCLA, and similar state statutes, for past or future 
spills  without  regard  to  fault  or  whether  our  actions  were  in  compliance  with  the  law  at  the  time  of  the  spills,  including  in 
connection  with  contamination  associated  with  our  current  and  former  facilities,  and  facilities  to  which  we  transported  or 
arranged  for  the  transportation  of  wastes  or  byproducts  containing  hazardous  substances  for  treatment,  storage,  or  disposal. 
Such liability could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows and may not 
be covered by insurance.

We  have  assumed  the  previous  owner’s  responsibilities  under  certain  administrative  orders  under  the  Resource 
Conservation  and  Recovery  Act  (“RCRA”)  related  to  contamination  that  migrated  from  CVR  Energy’s  Coffeyville  refinery 
onto the nitrogen fertilizer plant property while the previous owner owned and operated the properties. We continue to work 
with the applicable governmental authorities to implement remediation of these sites on a timely basis.

We may be unable to obtain or renew permits or approvals necessary for our operations, which could inhibit our ability to 

do business.

Our business holds numerous environmental and other governmental permits and approvals authorizing operations at our 
facilities and future expansion of our operations is predicated upon the ability to secure approvals therefore. A decision by a 
government agency to deny or delay issuing a new or renewed material permit or approval, or to revoke or substantially modify 
an existing permit or approval, could have a material adverse effect on our ability to continue operations and on our financial 
condition, results of operations and cash flows.

New regulations concerning the transportation, storage and handling of hazardous chemicals, risks of terrorism, and the 

security of chemical manufacturing facilities could result in higher operating and/or capital costs.

Targets such as chemical manufacturing facilities may be at greater risk of future terrorist attacks than other targets in the 
U.S.  As  a  result,  the  chemical  industry  has  initiatives  relating  to  the  security  of  chemical  industry  facilities  and  the 
transportation of hazardous chemicals in the U.S., and the costs of compliance therewith may have a material adverse effect on 
our financial condition. 

Our facilities face significant risks due to physical damage hazards, environmental liability risk exposure, and unplanned 
or  emergency  partial  or  total  plant  shutdowns  which  could  cause  property  damage  and  a  material  decline  in  production 
which are not fully insured. 

If  any  of  our  plants,  logistics  assets,  or  key  suppliers  sustain  a  catastrophic  loss  and  operations  are  shutdown  or 
significantly  impaired,  it  would  have  a  material  adverse  impact  on  our  operations,  financial  condition  and  cash  flows.	
Operations at our plant could be curtailed, limited or completely shut down for an extended period of time as the result of one 
or more unforeseen events and circumstances, which may not be within our control, including: major unplanned maintenance 
requirements;  catastrophic  events  caused  by  mechanical  breakdown,  electrical  injury,  pressure  vessel  rupture,  explosion, 
contamination, fire, or natural disasters, including floods, windstorms, and other similar events; labor supply shortages or labor 
difficulties  that  result  in  a  work  stoppage  or  slowdown;  cessation  or  suspension  of  a  plant  or  specific  operations  dictated  by 

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environmental authorities; acts of terrorism or other deliberate malicious acts; and an event or incident involving a large clean-
up, decontamination, or the imposition of laws and ordinances regulating the cost and schedule of demolition or reconstruction, 
which can cause significant delays in restoring property to its pre-event condition.

We  are  insured  under  casualty,  environmental,  property  and  business  interruption  insurance  policies.  The  property  and 
business  interruption  policies  insure  our  real  and  personal  property.  These  policies  are  subject  to  limits,  sub-limits,  retention 
(financial and time-based), and deductibles. There is potential for a common occurrence to impact both our Coffeyville Facility 
and CVR Energy’s Coffeyville refinery in which case the insurance limits and applicable sub-limits would apply to all damages 
combined.  The  application  of  these  and  other  policy  conditions  could  materially  impact  insurance  recoveries  and  potentially 
cause us to assume losses which could impair earnings.

There is finite capacity in the commercial insurance industry engaged in underwriting energy industry risk, and there are 
risks associated with the commercial insurance industry reducing capacity, changing the scope of insurance coverage offered, 
and  substantially  increasing  premiums,  deductibles,  or  retainers,  and/or  waiting  periods,  resulting  from  highly  adverse  loss 
experience or other financial circumstances. Factors that impact insurance cost and availability include, but are not limited to: 
losses in our industry and other industries, natural disasters, specific losses incurred by us, and low or inadequate investment 
returns  earned  by  the  insurance  industry.  If  the  supply  of  commercial  insurance  is  curtailed  due  to  highly  adverse  financial 
results,  we  may  not  be  able  to  continue  our  present  limits  of  insurance  coverage  or  obtain  sufficient  insurance  capacity  to 
adequately insure our risks for property damage or business interruption.

We are subject to strict laws and regulations regarding employee and process safety, and failure to comply with these laws 

and regulations could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and profitability.

We are subject to the requirements of OSHA and comparable state statutes that regulate the protection of the health and 
safety of workers, the proper design, operation, and maintenance of our equipment, and require us to provide information about 
hazardous  materials  used  in  our  operations.  Failure  to  comply  with  these  requirements  may  result  in  significant  fines  or 
compliance costs, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

A significant portion of our workforce is unionized, and we are subject to the risk of labor disputes and adverse employee 

relations, which may disrupt our business and increase our costs.

As  of  December  31,  2020,  approximately  33%  of  our  employees  were  represented  by  labor  unions  under  collective 
bargaining  agreements.  We  may  not  be  able  to  renegotiate  our  collective  bargaining  agreements  when  they  expire  on 
satisfactory terms or at all. A failure to do so may increase our costs. In addition, our existing labor agreements may not prevent 
a  strike  or  work  stoppage  at  any  of  our  facilities  in  the  future,  and  any  work  stoppage  could  negatively  affect  our  results  of 
operations, financial condition and cash flows.

Risks Related to Our Capital Structure

Instability and volatility in the capital, credit, and commodity markets in the global economy could negatively impact our 

business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Our  business,  financial  condition  and  results  of  operations  could  be  negatively  impacted  by  difficult  conditions  and 
volatility in the capital, credit, and commodities markets and in the global economy. For example: there can be no assurance 
that funds under our credit facilities will be available or sufficient, and in such a case, we may not be able to successfully obtain 
additional financing on favorable terms, or at all; market volatility could exert downward pressure on our common units, which 
may make it more difficult for us to raise additional capital and thereby limit our ability to grow, which could in turn cause our 
unit price to drop; or customers experiencing financial difficulties may fail to meet their financial obligations when due because 
of bankruptcy, lack of liquidity, operational failure or other reasons could result in decreased sales and earnings for us.

Our level of indebtedness may affect our ability to operate our business and may have a material adverse effect on our 

financial condition and results of operations.

We have incurred significant indebtedness, and we may be able to incur significant additional indebtedness in the future. If 
new  indebtedness  is  added  to  our  current  indebtedness,  the  risks  described  below  could  increase.  Our  level  of  indebtedness 
could have important consequences, such as: (i) limiting our ability to obtain additional financing to fund our working capital 
needs, capital expenditures, debt service requirements, acquisitions, or other purposes; (ii) requiring us to utilize a significant 
portion of our cash flows to service our indebtedness, thereby reducing available cash and our ability to make distributions on 

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our common units; (iii) limiting our ability to use operating cash flow in other areas of the business because we must dedicate a 
substantial portion of additional funds to service debt; (iv) limiting our ability to compete with other companies who are not as 
highly leveraged, as we may be less capable of responding to adverse economic and industry conditions; (v) limiting our ability 
to make certain payments on debt that is subordinated or secured on a junior basis; (vi) restricting the way in which we conduct 
business because of financial and operating covenants, including regarding the ability of subsidiaries to pay dividends or make 
other  distributions;  (vii)  limiting  our  ability  to  enter  into  certain  transactions  with  our  affiliates;  (viii)  limiting  our  ability  to 
designate our subsidiaries as unrestricted subsidiaries; (ix) exposing us to potential events of default (if not cured or waived) 
under financial and operating covenants contained in our or our respective subsidiaries’ debt instruments; and (x) limiting our 
ability to react to changing market conditions.

Further, we are and will be subject to covenants contained in agreements governing present and future indebtedness. These 
covenants  include,  and  will  likely  include,  restrictions  on  certain  payments  (including  restrictions  on  distributions  to  our 
unitholders),  the  granting  of  liens,  the  incurrence  of  additional  indebtedness,  asset  sales,  transactions  with  affiliates,  and 
mergers  and  consolidations.  Any  failure  to  comply  with  these  covenants  could  result  in  a  default  under  our  current  credit 
agreements or debt instruments or future credit agreements.

We may not be able to generate sufficient cash to service all of our indebtedness and may be forced to take other actions to 

satisfy our debt obligations that may not be successful.

Our  ability  to  satisfy  debt  obligations  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, 
many of which are beyond our control; and our future ability to obtain other financing. We cannot offer any assurance that our 
business will generate sufficient cash flow from operations or that we will be able to draw funds under our ABL Credit Facility 
or  from  other  sources  of  financing,  in  an  amount  sufficient  to  fund  our  respective  liquidity  needs.  If  cash  flows  and  capital 
resources are insufficient to service our indebtedness, we could face substantial liquidity problems and may be forced to reduce 
or  delay  capital  expenditures,  sell  assets,  seek  additional  capital,  restructure  or  refinance  indebtedness,  or  seek  bankruptcy 
protection. These alternative measures may not be successful and may not permit us to meet scheduled debt service and other 
obligations. Our ability to restructure or refinance debt will depend on the condition of the capital markets and our financial 
condition  at  such  time.  Any  refinancing  of  debt  could  be  at  higher  interest  rates  and  may  require  us  to  comply  with  more 
onerous covenants, which could further restrict business operations, and the terms of existing or future debt agreements may 
restrict us from adopting some of these alternatives.

Further,  our  ABL  Credit  Facility  bears  interest  at  variable  rates  and  other  debt  we  incur  could  likewise  be  variable-rate 
debt.  If  market  interest  rates  increase,  variable-rate  debt  will  create  higher  debt  service  requirements,  which  could  adversely 
affect  our  ability  to  fund  our  liquidity  needs,  capital  investments,  and  distributions  to  our  unitholders.  We  may  enter  into 
agreements limiting our exposure to higher interest rates, but any such agreements may not offer complete protection from this 
risk.

Mr. Carl C. Icahn exerts significant influence over the Partnership through his controlling ownership of CVR Energy, 

and his interests may conflict with the interests of the Partnership and our unitholders.

Mr.  Carl  C.  Icahn  indirectly  controls  approximately  71%  of  the  voting  power  of  CVR  Energy’s  common  stock  and,  by 
virtue of such ownership, is able to control the Partnership through CVR Energy’s ownership of our general partner and its sole 
member,  including:  the  election  and  appointment  of  directors;  business  strategy  and  policies;  mergers  or  other  business 
combinations;  acquisition  or  disposition  of  assets;  future  issuances  of  common  stock,  common  units,  or  other  securities; 
incurrence of debt or obtaining other sources of financing; and the payment of distributions on our common units. The existence 
of  a  controlling  stockholder  may  have  the  effect  of  making  it  difficult  for,  or  may  discourage  or  delay,  a  third-party  from 
seeking to acquire a majority of our common units, which may adversely affect the market price of such common units.

Further,  Mr.  Icahn’s  interests  may  not  always  be  consistent  with  the  Partnership’s  interests  or  with  the  interests  of  our 
common  unitholders.  Mr.  Icahn  and  entities  controlled  by  him  may  also  pursue  acquisitions  or  business  opportunities  in 
industries in which we compete, and there is no requirement that any additional business opportunities be presented to us. We 
also have and may in the future enter into transactions to purchase goods or services with affiliates of Mr. Icahn. To the extent 
that  conflicts  of  interest  may  arise  between  us  and  Mr.  Icahn  and  his  affiliates,  those  conflicts  may  be  resolved  in  a  manner 
adverse to us and our common unitholders.

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Risks Related to Our Limited Partnership Structure

We may not have sufficient “available cash” to pay any quarterly distribution on common units or the Board may elect to 

distribute less than all of our available cash.

The  current  policy  of  the  board  of  directors  of  our  general  partner  (“Board”)  is  to  distribute  an  amount  equal  to  the 
available cash generated by our business each quarter to our common unitholders. As a result of its cash distribution policy, we 
will likely need to rely primarily upon external financing sources, including commercial bank borrowings and the issuance of 
debt and equity securities, to fund acquisitions and expansion capital expenditures, and our growth, if any, may not be as robust 
as that of businesses that reinvest available cash to expand ongoing operations. We may not have sufficient available cash each 
quarter to enable the payment of distributions to common unitholders. Furthermore, the partnership agreement does not require 
us to pay distributions on a quarterly basis or otherwise. As such, the Board may modify or revoke its cash distribution policy at 
any time at its discretion, including in such a manner that would result in an elimination of cash distributions regardless of the 
amount of available cash our business generates.

To the extent we issue additional units in connection with any acquisitions or expansion capital expenditures or as in-kind 
distributions,  current  unitholders  would  experience  dilution  and  the  payment  of  distributions  on  those  additional  units  may 
decrease  the  amount  we  distribute  in  respect  of  its  outstanding  units.  Under  our  partnership  agreement,  we  are  authorized  to 
issue an unlimited number of additional interests without a vote of the common unitholders. The issuance by us of additional 
common units or other equity interests of equal or senior rank would reduce the proportionate ownership interest of common 
unitholders  immediately  prior  to  the  issuance.  As  a  result  of  the  issuance  of  common  units,  the  following  may  occur:  the 
amount of cash distributions on each common unit may decrease; the ratio of our taxable income to distributions may increase; 
the  relative  voting  strength  of  each  previously  outstanding  common  unit  will  be  diminished;  and  the  market  price  of  the 
common units may decline. In addition, our partnership agreement does not prohibit the issuance by our subsidiaries of equity 
interests, which may effectively rank senior to the common units. The incurrence of additional commercial borrowings or other 
debt to finance its growth strategy would result in increased interest expense, which, in turn, would reduce the available cash we 
have to distribute to unitholders.

Our partnership agreement has limited our general partner’s liability, replaces default fiduciary duties, and restricts the 
remedies  available  to  common  unitholders  for  actions  that,  without  these  limitations  and  reductions,  might  otherwise 
constitute breaches of fiduciary duty.

As permitted under Delaware law, our partnership agreement, which applies to and binds common unitholders, limits the 
liability and replaces the fiduciary duties of our general partner, while also restricting the remedies available to our common 
unitholders  for  actions  that,  without  these  limitations  and  reductions,  might  constitute  breaches  of  fiduciary  duty.  The 
partnership agreement contains provisions that replace the standards to which our general partner would otherwise be held by 
state fiduciary duty law. For example: (i) the partnership agreement permits our general partner to make a number of decisions 
in its individual capacity, as opposed to its capacity as general partner, which entitles our general partner to consider only the 
interests and factors that it desires and means that it has no duty or obligation to give any consideration to any interest of, or 
factors affecting, any limited partner; (ii) the partnership agreement provides that our general partner will not have any liability 
to  unitholders  for  decisions  made  in  its  capacity  as  general  partner  so  long  as  it  acted  in  good  faith,  meaning  it  believed  the 
decision was in our best interest; (iii) the partnership agreement provides that our general partner and the officers and directors 
of its general partner will not be liable for monetary damages to common unitholders, including us, for any acts or omissions 
unless  there  has  been  a  final  and  non-appealable  judgment  entered  by  a  court  of  competent  jurisdiction  determining  that  the 
general  partner  or  its  officers  or  directors  acted  in  bad  faith  or  engaged  in  fraud  or  willful  misconduct,  or  in  the  case  of  a 
criminal  matter,  acted  with  knowledge  that  the  conduct  was  criminal;  (iv)  the  partnership  agreement  generally  provides  that 
affiliated transactions and resolutions of conflicts of interest not approved by the conflicts committee of the board of directors 
of its general partner and not involving a vote of unitholders must be on terms no less favorable to us than those generally being 
provided to or available from unrelated third parties or be “fair and reasonable” to us, as determined by its general partner in 
good  faith,  and  that,  in  determining  whether  a  transaction  or  resolution  is  “fair  and  reasonable,”  the  general  partner  may 
consider  the  totality  of  the  relationships  between  the  parties  involved,  including  other  transactions  that  may  be  particularly 
advantageous  or  beneficial  to  affiliated  parties,  including  us;  and  (v)  the  partnership  agreement  provides  that  in  resolving 
conflicts of interest, it will be presumed that in making its decision, the general partner or its conflicts committee acted in good 
faith, and in any proceeding brought by or on behalf of any holder of common units, the person bringing or prosecuting such 
proceeding will have the burden of overcoming such presumption.

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Our  general  partner,  an  indirect  wholly-owned  subsidiary  of  CVR  Energy,  has  fiduciary  duties  to  CVR  Energy  and  its 
stockholders,  and  the  interests  of  CVR  Energy  and  its  stockholders  may  differ  significantly  from,  or  conflict  with,  the 
interests of our public common unitholders.

Our general partner is responsible for managing us. Although our general partner has fiduciary duties to manage us in a 
manner  that  is  in  our  best  interests,  the  fiduciary  duties  are  specifically  limited  by  the  express  terms  of  our  partnership 
agreement, and the directors and officers of our general partner also have fiduciary duties to manage our general partner in a 
manner beneficial to CVR Energy and its stockholders. The interests of CVR Energy and its stockholders may conflict with, the 
interests  of  our  public  common  unitholders.  In  resolving  these  conflicts,  our  general  partner  may  favor  its  own  interests,  the 
interests  of  CVR  Services,  its  sole  member,  or  the  interests  of  CVR  Energy  and  holders  of  CVR  Energy’s  common  stock, 
including  its  majority  stockholder,  an  affiliate  of  Icahn  Enterprises  L.P.,  over  our  interests  and  those  of  our  common 
unitholders..

The potential conflicts of interest include, among others, the following: (i) neither our partnership agreement nor any other 
agreement requires the owners of our general partner, including CVR Energy, to pursue a business strategy that favors us and 
the affiliates of our general partner, including CVR Energy, have fiduciary duties to make decisions in their own best interests 
and  in  the  best  interest  of  holders  of  CVR  Energy’s  common  stock,  which  may  be  contrary  to  our  interests  (ii)  our  general 
partner is allowed to take into account the interests of parties other than us or our common unitholders, such as its owners or 
CVR Energy, in resolving conflicts of interest, which has the effect of limiting its fiduciary duty to our common unitholders; 
(iii) our general partner has limited its liability and reduced its fiduciary duties under our partnership agreement and has also 
restricted the remedies available to our common unitholders for actions that, without the limitations, might constitute breaches 
of  fiduciary  duty;  (iv)  the  Board  determines  the  amount  and  timing  of  asset  purchases  and  sales,  capital  expenditures, 
borrowings, repayment of indebtedness, and issuances of additional partnership interests, each of which can affect the amount 
of cash that is available for distribution to our common unitholders; (v) our partnership agreement does not restrict our general 
partner  from  causing  us  to  pay  it  or  its  affiliates  for  any  services  rendered  to  us  or  entering  into  additional  contractual 
arrangements with any of these entities on our behalf and there is no limitation on the amounts that can be paid; (vi) our general 
partner controls the enforcement of obligations owed to us by it and its affiliates, and decides whether to retain separate counsel 
or  others  to  perform  services  for  us;  (vii)  our  general  partner  determines  which  costs  incurred  by  it  and  its  affiliates  are 
reimbursable by us; and (viii) certain of the executive officers of our general partner also serve as executive officers of CVR 
Energy, including our executive chairman, who will face conflicts of interest when making decisions which may benefit either 
us or CVR Energy. Additionally, the compensation of such executive officers is set by CVR Energy, and we have no control 
over the amount paid to such officers. 

CVR  Energy  has  the  power  to  elect  all  of  the  members  of  the  Board.  Our  general  partner  has  control  over  all  decisions 
related to our operations. Our public common unitholders do not have an ability to influence any operating decisions and will 
not  be  able  to  prevent  us  from  entering  into  any  transactions.  Certain  subsidiaries  of  CVR  Energy  perform  certain  corporate 
services for us, including finance, accounting, legal, information technology, auditing, and cash management activities, and we 
could be impacted by any failure of those entities to adequately perform these services.

If at any time our general partner and its affiliates own more than 80% of the common units, our general partner will have 
the right, which it may assign to any of its affiliates or to us, but not the obligation, to acquire all, but not less than all, of the 
common units held by public common unitholders at a price not less than their then-current market price, as calculated pursuant 
to the terms of our partnership agreement. As a result, each holder of our common units may be required to sell such holder’s 
common units at an undesirable time or price and may not receive any return on investment, and may also incur a tax liability 
upon a sale of its common units. Our general partner is not obligated to obtain a fairness opinion regarding the value of the 
common units to be repurchased by it upon exercise of the call right. There is no restriction in our partnership agreement that 
prevents our general partner from issuing additional common units and then exercising its call right. Our general partner may 
use its own discretion, free of fiduciary duty restrictions, in determining whether to exercise this right..

Our general partner may transfer its general partner interest in us to a third-party, including in a merger or in a sale of all or 
substantially  all  of  its  assets  without  the  consent  of  our  common  unitholders.  The  new  equity  owner  of  our  general  partner 
would then be in a position to replace the board of directors and the officers of our general partner with its own choices and to 
influence their decisions. If control of our general partner were transferred to an unrelated third-party, the new owner would 
have no interest in CVR Energy and CVR Energy could, upon 90 days’ notice, terminate the services agreement  pursuant to 
which it provides us with the services of its senior management team. 

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As  a  publicly  traded  partnership  we  qualify  for  certain  exemptions  from  many  of  the  NYSE’s  corporate  governance 

requirements.

As a publicly traded partnership, we qualify for certain exemptions from the NYSE’s corporate governance requirements, 
which  include  the  requirements  that  (i)  a  majority  of  the  Board  consist  of  independent  directors  and  (ii)  the  Board  have  a 
nominating/corporate governance committee and compensation committee that are composed entirely of independent directors. 
Our general partner’s board of directors has not and does not currently intend to establish a nominating/corporate governance 
committee and we could avail ourselves of the additional exemptions available to publicly traded partnerships at any time in the 
future.  Accordingly,  common  unitholders  do  not  have  the  same  protections  afforded  to  equity  holders  of  companies  that  are 
subject to all of the corporate governance requirements of the NYSE.

Our public common unitholders have limited voting rights and are not entitled to elect our general partner or our general 

partner’s directors and do not have sufficient voting power to remove our general partner without CVR Energy’s consent.

Unlike the holders of common stock in a corporation, our common unitholders have only limited voting rights on matters 
affecting  our  business  and,  therefore,  limited  ability  to  influence  management’s  decisions.  Our  common  unit  holders  do  not 
choose the Members of the Board do not elect directors or participate in other matters routinely conducted at annual meetings of 
stockholders, and have no practical ability to remove our general partner without the consent of CVR Energy. As a result of 
these  limitations,  the  price  at  which  the  common  units  will  trade  could  be  diminished.  Our  partnership  agreement  restricts 
common unitholders’ voting rights by providing that any units held by a person that owns 20% or more of any class of units 
then outstanding, other than our general partner, its affiliates, their transferees, and persons who acquired such units with the 
prior approval of the Board, may not vote on any matter. Our partnership agreement also contains provisions limiting the ability 
of common unitholders to call meetings or to acquire information about our operations, and to influence the manner or direction 
of management.

Common unitholders may have liability to repay distributions.

In the event that: (i) we make distributions to our common unitholders when our nonrecourse liabilities exceed the sum of 
(a) the fair market value of our assets not subject to recourse liability and (b) the excess of the fair market value of our assets 
subject to recourse liability over such liability, or a distribution causes such a result, and (ii) a common unitholder knows at the 
time of the distribution of such circumstances, such common unitholder will be liable for a period of three years from the time 
of  the  impermissible  distribution  to  repay  the  distribution  under  Section  17-607  of  the  Delaware  Act.  Likewise,  upon  the 
winding  up  of  the  partnership,  in  the  event  that  (i)  we  do  not  distribute  assets  in  the  following  order:  (a)  to  creditors  in 
satisfaction of their liabilities; (b) to partners and former partners in satisfaction of liabilities for distributions owed under our 
partnership agreement; (c) to partners for the return of their contribution; and finally (d) to the partners in the proportions in 
which  the  partners  share  in  distributions;  and  (ii)  a  common  unitholder  knows  at  the  time  of  such  circumstances,  then  such 
common unitholder will be liable for a period of three years from the impermissible distribution to repay the distribution under 
Section 17-807 of the Delaware Act.

Tax Risks Related to Common Unitholders

If  the  IRS  were  to  treat  us  as  a  corporation  for  U.S.  federal  income  tax  purposes  or  we  become  subject  to  entity-level 
taxation  for  state  tax  purposes,  our  cash  available  for  distribution  to  our  common  unitholders  would  be  substantially 
reduced, likely causing a substantial reduction in the value of our common units.

The anticipated after-tax economic benefit of an investment in our common units depends largely on our being treated as a 
partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Despite the fact that we are organized as a limited partnership under Delaware 
law,  we  would  be  treated  as  a  corporation  for  U.S.  federal  income  tax  purposes  unless  we  satisfy  a  “qualifying  income” 
requirement. Based upon our current operations, we believe we satisfy the qualifying income requirement. Although we have 
received favorable private letter rulings from the IRS with respect to certain of our operations, no ruling has been or will be 
requested regarding our treatment as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Failing to meet the qualifying income 
requirement  or  a  change  in  current  law  (which  could  be  retroactive)  could  cause  us  to  be  treated  as  a  corporation  for  U.S. 
federal  income  tax  purposes  or  otherwise  subject  us  to  taxation  at  the  corporate  tax  rate  and  distributions  to  our  common 
unitholders would generally be taxed again as corporate distributions, and no income, gains, losses, or deductions would flow 
through  to  our  common  unitholders.  Because  a  tax  would  be  imposed  upon  us  as  a  corporation,  our  cash  available  for 
distribution to our common unitholders would be substantially reduced and result in a material reduction in the anticipated cash 
flow and after-tax return to our common unitholders, likely causing a substantial reduction in the value of our common units. At 
the state level, several states have been evaluating ways to subject partnerships to entity-level taxation through the imposition of 

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state  income,  franchise,  or  other  forms  of  taxation.  We  currently  own  assets  and  conduct  business  in  several  states,  many  of 
which impose a margin or franchise tax. In the future, we may expand our operations. Imposition of a similar tax on us in other 
jurisdictions that we may expand to could substantially reduce our cash available for distribution to our common unitholders.

If the IRS makes audit adjustments to our income tax returns for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017, it may 
assess and collect any taxes (including any applicable penalties and interest) resulting from such audit adjustments directly 
from us, in which case our cash available for distribution to our common unitholders might be substantially reduced and 
our  current  and  former  common  unitholders  may  be  required  to  indemnify  us  for  any  taxes  (including  any  applicable 
penalties and interest) resulting from such audit adjustments that were paid on such common unitholders’ behalf.

For  tax  years  beginning  after  December  31,  2017,  the  IRS  (and  some  states)  may  assess  and  collect  from  us  taxes 
(including any applicable penalties and interest) resulting from audit adjustments to our income tax returns. Our general partner 
may elect to either pay the taxes (including any applicable penalties and interest) directly to the IRS or, if we are eligible, issue 
a  revised  information  statement  to  each  common  unitholder  and  former  common  unitholder  with  respect  to  an  audited  and 
adjusted return. There can be no assurance that such an election to allocate the audit adjustment and tax payment obligation to 
our  current  and  former  common  unitholders  will  be  practical,  permissible,  or  effective  in  all  circumstances.  As  a  result,  our 
current common unitholders may bear some or all of the tax liability resulting from such audit adjustment, even if they did not 
own common units in us during the tax year under audit. If, as a result of any such audit adjustment, we are required to make 
payments of taxes, penalties, and interest, our cash available for distribution to our common unitholders might be substantially 
reduced  and  our  current  and  former  unitholders  may  be  required  to  indemnify  us  for  any  taxes  (including  any  applicable 
penalties and interest) resulting from such audit adjustments that were paid on such unitholders behalf.

Our  unitholders  are  required  to  pay  income  taxes  on  their  share  of  our  taxable  income  even  if  they  do  not  receive  any 

cash distributions from us.

A unitholder’s allocable share of our taxable income will be taxable to it, which may require the unitholder to pay federal 
income  taxes  and,  in  some  cases,  state  and  local  income  taxes,  even  if  the  unitholder  receives  no  cash  distributions  or  cash 
distributions from us that are less than the actual tax liability that results from that income. For example, if we sell assets and 
use the proceeds to repay existing debt or fund capital expenditures, you may be allocated taxable income and gain resulting 
from the sale, and our cash available for distribution would not increase. Similarly, taking advantage of opportunities to reduce 
our existing debt, such as debt exchanges, debt repurchases, or modifications of our existing debt could result in “cancellation 
of  indebtedness  income”  being  allocated  to  our  common  unitholders  as  taxable  income  without  any  increase  in  our  cash 
available for distribution. 

Common unitholders may be subject to limitation on their ability to deduct interest expense incurred by us.

In  general,  we  are  entitled  to  a  deduction  for  interest  paid  or  accrued  on  indebtedness  properly  allocable  to  our  trade  or 
business during our taxable year. However, for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017, our deduction for “business 
interest” is limited to the sum of our business interest income and 30% of our “adjusted taxable income.” For the purposes of 
this  limitation,  our  adjusted  taxable  income  is  computed  without  regard  to  any  business  interest  expense  or  business  interest 
income,  and  in  the  case  of  taxable  years  beginning  before  January  1,  2022,  any  deduction  allowable  for  depreciation, 
amortization, or depletion.

On  March  27,  2020,  the  Coronavirus  Aid,  Relieve  and  Economic  Security  (“CARES”)  Act  was  signed  into  law.  The 
CARES Act, among other things, increased the limitation on the deductibility of business interest to 50% of adjusted taxable 
income  for  partnerships  in  taxable  year  December  31,  2020.  The  CARES  Act  also  allows  taxpayers  to  elect  to  compute  the 
limitation on business interest expense for taxable year December 31, 2020 by using its adjusted taxable income from taxable 
year December 31, 2019.

Non-U.S. common unitholders will be subject to U.S. taxes and withholding with respect to their income and gain from 

owning our common units.

Non-U.S. common unitholders are generally taxed and subject to income tax filing requirements by the United States on 
income effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business (“effectively connected income”). Income allocated to our common 
unitholders and any gain from the sale of our common units will generally be considered to be “effectively connected” with a 
U.S. trade or business. As a result, distributions to a Non-U.S. common unitholder will be subject to withholding at the highest 
applicable effective tax rate, and a Non-U.S. common unitholder who sells or otherwise disposes of a common unit will also be 
subject to U.S. federal income tax on the gain realized from the sale or disposition of that common unit.

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The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act imposes a withholding obligation of 10% of the amount realized upon a Non-U.S. common 
witholder’s sale or exchange of an interest in a partnership that is engaged in a U.S. trade or business, effective January 1, 2022 
per final Regulations. Non-U.S. common unitholders should consult a tax advisor before investing in our common units.

Tax-exempt entities face unique tax issues from owning our common units that may result in adverse tax consequences.

Investment in our common units by tax-exempt entities, such as employee benefit plans and individual retirement accounts, 
raises  unique  issues.  For  example,  virtually  all  of  our  income  allocated  to  organizations  that  are  exempt  from  U.S.  federal 
income tax will be unrelated business taxable income and will be taxable. Further, with respect to taxable years beginning after 
December  31,  2017,  a  tax-exempt  entity  with  more  than  one  unrelated  trade  or  business  (including  by  attribution  from 
investment in a partnership such as ours that is engaged in one or more unrelated trade or business) is required to compute the 
unrelated business taxable income of such tax-exempt entity separately with respect to each such trade or business (including 
for purposes of determining any net operating loss deduction). As a result, for years beginning after December 31, 2017, it may 
not  be  possible  for  tax-exempt  entities  to  utilize  losses  from  an  investment  in  our  partnership  to  offset  unrelated  business 
taxable income from another unrelated trade or business and vice versa.  

The IRS may challenge our treatment of each purchaser of our common units as having the same tax benefits without 

regard to the common units actually purchased, which could adversely affect the value of our common units.

Because  we  cannot  match  transferors  and  transferees  of  common  units,  we  have  adopted  certain  methods  for  allocating 
depreciation and amortization deductions that may not conform to all aspects of existing Treasury Regulations. A successful 
IRS  challenge  to  the  use  of  these  methods  could  adversely  affect  the  amount  of  tax  benefits  available  to  our  common 
unitholders. It also could affect the timing of these tax benefits or the amount of gain from any sale of common units and could 
have a negative impact on the value of our common units or result in audit adjustments to a common unitholder’s tax returns.

Our proration methods may be challenged by the IRS, which could change the allocation of items of income, gain, loss, 

and deduction among our common unitholders.

We generally (i) prorate our items of income, gain, loss, and deduction between transferors and transferees of our common 
units; and (ii) allocate certain deductions for depreciation of capital additions, gain or loss realized on a sale or other disposition 
of our assets, and, in the discretion of the general partner, any other extraordinary item of income, gain, loss, or deduction, each 
month based upon the ownership of our units on the first day of each month (the “Allocation Date”), instead of on the basis of 
the date a particular common unit is transferred. Treasury Regulations allow a similar monthly simplifying convention, but such 
regulations do not specifically authorize all aspects of our proration method. If the IRS were to challenge our proration method, 
we may be required to change the allocation of items of income, gain, loss, and deduction among our common unitholders.

  IRS  challenge  of  certain  valuation  methodologies  we  have  adopted  to  determine  a  unitholder’s  allocations  of  income, 

gain, loss, and deduction, could adversely affect the value of our common units.

In determining the items of income, gain, loss, and deduction allocable to our unitholders, we must routinely determine the 
fair market value of our assets and allocate any unrealized gain or loss attributable to our assets to the capital accounts of our 
unitholders.  The  IRS  may  challenge  our  valuation  methods  and  allocations.  A  successful  IRS  challenge  to  these  methods  or 
allocations could adversely affect the amount of taxable income or loss being allocated to our unitholders, the amount of taxable 
gain  from  our  unitholders’  sale  of  common  units,  and  the  value  of  the  common  units  or  result  in  audit  adjustments  to  our 
unitholders’ tax returns without the benefit of additional deductions.

Our common unitholders will likely be subject to state and local taxes, as well as income tax return filing requirements, in 

jurisdictions where they do not live as a result of investing in our common units.

In addition to U.S. federal income taxes, our common unitholders may be subject to other taxes, including foreign, state, 
and  local  taxes,  unincorporated  business  taxes,  and  estate,  inheritance,  or  intangible  taxes  that  are  imposed  by  the  various 
jurisdictions  in  which  we  conduct  business  or  own  property  now  or  in  the  future,  even  if  they  do  not  live  in  any  of  those 
jurisdictions, will likely be required to file foreign, state, and local income tax returns and pay state and local income taxes in 
some or all of these various jurisdictions, and may be subject to penalties for failure to comply with those requirements. 

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General Risks Related to the Partnership

The acquisition and expansion strategy of our business involves significant risks that could have a material adverse effect 

on our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

From time to time, we may consider pursuing acquisitions and expansion projects (“Expansion Projects”) to continue to 
grow  and  increase  profitability.  However,  we  may  not  be  able  to  consummate  such  Expansion  Projects  due  to  intense 
competition  for  suitable  acquisition  targets;  the  potential  unavailability  of  financial  resources  necessary;  difficulties  in 
identifying suitable Expansion Projects or in completing them on sufficiently favorable terms; and the failure to obtain requisite 
regulatory approvals. In addition, any Expansion Projects may entail significant transaction costs and risks associated with entry 
into new markets and lines of business, including but not limited to, new regulatory obligations and risks.

In the case of an acquisition, integration of acquired entities can involve significant difficulties, such as: disruption of the 
ongoing operations; failure to achieve cost savings or other financial or operating objectives contributing to the accretive nature 
of an acquisition; strain on operational and managerial controls, procedures and management; difficulties in the integration and 
retention  of  customers  or  personnel;  assumption  of  unknown  material  liabilities  or  regulatory  non-compliance  issues; 
amortization of acquired assets, which would reduce future reported earnings; and possible adverse short-term effects on our 
cash flows or operating results.

When considering potential Expansion Projects, will also consider impact on our tax treatment as a partnership for federal 
income tax purposes. If we are unable to conclude that the activities of the Expansion Project would not affect our treatment as 
a  partnership  for  federal  income  tax  purposes,  we  may  elect  to  seek  a  ruling  from  the  Internal  Revenue  Service  (“IRS”). 
Seeking  such  a  ruling  could  be  costly  or,  in  the  case  of  competitive  acquisitions,  place  the  business  in  a  competitive 
disadvantage compared to other potential acquirers who do not seek such a ruling. If we are unable to conclude that an activity 
would not affect our treatment as a partnership for federal income tax purposes and are unable or unwilling to obtain an IRS 
ruling,  we  may  choose  to  acquire  such  business  or  develop  such  expansion  project  in  a  corporate  subsidiary,  which  would 
subject  the  income  related  to  such  activity  to  entity-level  taxation,  which  would  reduce  the  amount  of  cash  available  for 
distribution to our common unitholders and could likely cause a substantial reduction in the value of our common units.

Internally generated cash flows and other sources of liquidity may not be adequate for our capital needs.

Our business is capital intensive and working capital needs may vary significantly over relatively short periods of time. For 
instance, nitrogen fertilizer demand volatility can significantly impact working capital on a week-to-week and month-to-month 
basis. If we cannot generate adequate cash flow or otherwise secure sufficient liquidity to meet our working capital needs or 
support our short-term and long-term capital requirements, we may be unable to meet our debt obligations, pursue our business 
strategies,  or  comply  with  certain  environmental  standards,  which  would  have  a  material  adverse  effect  on  our  business  and 
results of operations.

Item 1B.    Unresolved Staff Comments

None.

Item 2.    Properties

Refer to Item 1, “Facilities” for more information on our core business properties. CVR Energy also leases property for our 

executive and marketing offices in Sugar Land, Texas and Kansas City, Kansas, respectively.

Item 3.    Legal Proceedings

In  the  ordinary  course  of  business,  we  may  become  party  to  lawsuits,  administrative  proceedings,  and  governmental 
investigations, including environmental, regulatory, and other matters. Large, and sometimes unspecified, damages or penalties 
may  be  sought  from  us  in  some  matters  and  certain  matters  may  require  years  to  resolve.  Although  we  cannot  provide 
assurance,  we  believe  that  an  adverse  resolution  of  the  matters  described  below  would  not  have  a  material  impact  on  our 
liquidity,  consolidated  financial  position,  or  consolidated  results  of  operations.  Refer  to  Note  2  (“Summary  of  Significant 
Accounting Policies”), Loss Contingencies, in Part II, Item 8 for further discussion on current litigation matters.

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Item 4.    Mine Safety Disclosures.

Not applicable.

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PART II

Item 5.    Market For Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Unitholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity 
Securities

Performance Graph

The  performance  graph  below  compares  the  cumulative  total  return  of  the  Partnership’s  common  units  to  (a)  the 
cumulative  total  return  of  the  S&P  500  Composite  Index  and  (b)  a  composite  peer  group  (“Peer  Group”)  consisting  of  The 
Mosaic Company, CF Industries Holdings, Inc., Intrepid Potash, Inc., and Arcadia Biosciences, Inc.  The graph assumes that 
the value of the investment in common units and each index was $100 on December 31, 2015 and that all distributions were 
reinvested.  Investment is weighted on the basis of market capitalization.

The unit price performance shown on the graph is not necessarily indicative of future price performance. Information used 
in the graph was obtained from Yahoo! Finance (finance.yahoo.com). The performance graph above is furnished and not filed 
for purposes of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act. The performance graph is not soliciting material subject to Regulation 
14A. 

Market Information

CVR  Partners’  common  units  are  listed  under  the  symbol  “UAN”  on  the  New  York  Stock  Exchange  (“NYSE”).  The 

Partnership has 32 holders of record of the outstanding units as of December 31, 2020.

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CVR PartnersS&P 500Peer Group12/31/1512/31/1612/31/1712/31/1812/31/1912/31/20$0$50$100$150$200Table of Contents

Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer

Repurchases of the Partnership’s common units during the three months ended December 31, 2020 were as follows:

Period

Total Number of 
Units Purchased

Average Price paid 
per Unit

October 1 to October 31, 2020

November 1 to November 30, 2020 (2)

December 1 to December 31, 2020

Total

—  $ 

60,000 

333,777 

393,777 

— 

8.32 

12.88 

Total Number of Units 
Purchased as Part of 
Publicly Announced 
Plans or Programs

Approximate Dollar 
Value of Units that May 
Yet Be Purchased Under 
the Plans or Programs (1)

—  $ 

60,000 

333,777 

393,777 

7,723,222 

7,223,883 

2,924,400 

(1) On May 6, 2020, the Board, on behalf of the Partnership, authorized the Partnership to repurchase up to $10 million of the Partnership’s 
common units. Repurchases may be made through open market transactions, block trades, privately negotiated transactions, or otherwise 
in accordance with applicable securities laws. Through December 31, 2020, the Partnership has repurchased $7.1 million of its common 
units under this authorization and $2.9 million of authority may yet be used to purchase common units.

(2) On  November  23,  2020,  a  10-to-1  reverse  common  unit  split  occurred.  From  November  1,  2020  through  November  23,  2020,  the 
Partnership repurchased 416,000 common units.  The units summarized above reflect common unit repurchases on a split-adjusted basis. 
No changes to the unit repurchase authorization occurred during the period as a result of the reverse split. 

Equity Compensation Plan

The  CVR  Partners  Long-Term  Incentive  Plan  (“LTIP”)  provides  for  the  grant  of  options,  unit  appreciation  rights, 
distribution  equivalent  rights,  restricted  units,  phantom  units  and  other  unit-based  awards,  each  in  respect  of  common  units. 
Individuals  who  are  eligible  to  receive  awards  under  the  CVR  Partners  LTIP  include  employees,  officers,  consultants  and 
directors  of  CVR  Partners  and  the  general  partner  and  their  respective  subsidiaries  and  parents.  A  maximum  of  500,000 
common units are issuable under the CVR Partners LTIP.

The  table  below  contains  information  about  securities  authorized  for  issuance  under  the  CVR  Partners  LTIP  as  of 

December 31, 2020. 

Plan Category

Equity compensation plans approved by security 
holders:

CVR Partners, LP Long-Term Incentive Plan

Equity compensation plans not approved by 
security holders:

None

Total

Number of Securities to 
be Issued Upon Exercise 
of Outstanding Options, 
Warrants, and Rights

Weighted-Average 
Exercise Price of 
Outstanding Options, 
Warrants and Rights

Number of Securities 
Remaining Available for 
Future Issuance Under 
Equity Compensation 
Plans 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

482,022  (1)

—   

482,022   

(1) Represents units that remain available for future issuance pursuant to the CVR Partners LTIP in connection with awards of options, unit 

appreciation rights, distribution equivalent rights, restricted units, and phantom units. 

Item 6.    Selected Financial Data

Not applicable.

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Item 7.    Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The  following  discussion  and  analysis  of  our  financial  condition,  results  of  operations  and  cash  flow  should  be  read  in 
conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and related notes and with the statistical information and financial data 
included  elsewhere  in  this  Report.  References  to  CVR  Partners,  the  Partnership,  “we”,  “us”,  and  “our”  may  refer  to 
consolidated subsidiaries of CVR Partners or one or both of the facilities, as the context may require.

This discussion and analysis covers the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 and discusses year-to-year comparisons 
between such periods. The discussions of the year ended December 31, 2018 and year-to-year comparisons between the years 
ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 that are not included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K can be found in “Management’s 
Discussion  and  Analysis  of  Financial  Condition  and  Results  of  Operations”  in  Part  II,  Item  7  of  the  Partnership’s  Annual 
Report  on  Form  10-K  for  the  fiscal  year  ended  December  31,  2019  filed  on  February  20,  2020,  and  such  discussions  are 
incorporated by reference into this Report.

Reflected  in  this  discussion  and  analysis  is  how  management  views  the  Partnership’s  current  financial  condition  and 
results  of  operations  along  with  key  external  variables  and  management  actions  that  may  impact  the  Partnership. 
Understanding  significant  external  variables,  such  as  market  conditions,  weather,  and  seasonal  trends,  among  others,  and 
management  actions  taken  to  manage  the  Partnership,  address  external  variables,  among  others,  which  will  increase  users’ 
understanding of the Partnership, its financial condition and results of operations. This discussion may contain forward looking 
statements that reflect our plans, estimates and beliefs. Our actual results could differ materially from those discussed in the 
forward  looking  statements.  Factors  that  could  cause  or  contribute  to  such  differences  include,  but  are  not  limited  to  those 
discussed below and elsewhere in this Report.

Strategy and Goals

Mission and Core Values

Our  Mission  is  to  be  a  top  tier  North  American  nitrogen-based  fertilizer  company  as  measured  by  safe  and  reliable 

operations, superior performance and profitable growth. The foundation of how we operate is built on five core Values:

•

•

•

•

•

Safety - We always put safety first. The protection of our employees, contractors and communities is paramount. We 
have an unwavering commitment to safety above all else. If it’s not safe, then we don’t do it.

Environment  -  We  care  for  our  environment.  Complying  with  all  regulations  and  minimizing  any  environmental 
impact  from  our  operations  is  essential.  We  understand  our  obligation  to  the  environment  and  that  it’s  our  duty  to 
protect it.

Integrity  -  We  require  high  business  ethics.  We  comply  with  the  law  and  practice  sound  corporate  governance.  We 
only conduct business one way—the right way with integrity.

Corporate  Citizenship  -  We  are  proud  members  of  the  communities  where  we  operate.  We  are  good  neighbors  and 
know that it’s a privilege we can’t take for granted. We seek to make a positive economic and social impact through 
our financial donations and the contributions of time, knowledge and talent of our employees to the places where we 
live and work.

Continuous  Improvement  -  We  believe  in  both  individual  and  team  success.  We  foster  accountability  under  a 
performance-driven  culture  that  supports  creative  thinking,  teamwork,  diversity  and  personal  development  so  that 
employees  can  realize  their  maximum  potential.  We  use  defined  work  practices  for  consistency,  efficiency  and  to 
create value across the organization.

Our core Values are driven by our people, inform the way we do business each and every day and enhance our ability to 

accomplish our mission and related strategic objectives.

December 31, 2020 | 29

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Strategic Objectives

We have outlined the following strategic objectives to drive the accomplishment of our mission:

Safety  -  We  aim  to  achieve  continuous  improvement  in  all  environmental,  health,  and  safety  areas  through  ensuring  our 
people’s commitment to environmental, health and safety comes first, the refinement of existing policies, continuous training, 
and enhanced monitoring procedures. 

Reliability  -  Our  goal  is  to  achieve  industry-leading  utilization  rates  at  both  of  our  Facilities  through  safe  and  reliable 
operations. We are focusing on improvements in day-to-day plant operations, identifying alternative sources for plant inputs to 
reduce lost time due to third-party operational constraints, and optimizing our commercial and marketing functions to maintain 
plant operations at their highest level.

Market Capture - We continuously evaluate opportunities to improve the facilities’ realized pricing at the gate and reduce 

variable costs incurred in production to maximize our capture of market opportunities. 

Financial Discipline - We strive to be efficient as possible by maintaining low operating costs and disciplined deployment 

of capital.

Achievements 

We successfully executed a number of achievements in support of our strategic objectives shown below through the date of 

this filing despite the challenges experienced by the industry during 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic:

Safety

Reliability

Market 
Capture

Financial 
Discipline

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

Operated all facilities and corporate offices safely and reliably 
and maintained financial discipline amid COVID-19 pandemic.
Maintained high asset reliability and a combined utilization rate 
of 98% at both facilities through the fourth quarter of 2020.
Achieved record shipments of ammonia from the East Dubuque 
Facility during April 2020.
Reduced lost profit opportunities by approximately $13.7 
million compared to 2019.
Generated first carbon offset credits related to N2O abatement 
and continued sequestration of CO2 for enhanced crude oil 
recovery at the Coffeyville Facility.

Reduced operating and SG&A expenses by over 12% in 2020 
as compared to 2019.
Reduced capital spending by $9 million compared to initial 
spending plans.
Amended and extended the ABL Credit Agreement during the 
third quarter of 2020.
Completed Messer contract renewal with favorable conditions 
including new backup oxygen tank.
Repurchased $7.1 million of CVR Partners common units 
during 2020.

Industry Factors and Market Conditions

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

Within the nitrogen fertilizer business, earnings and cash flows from operations are primarily affected by the relationship 
between  nitrogen  fertilizer  product  prices,  utilization,  and  operating  costs  and  expenses,  including  pet  coke  and  natural  gas 
feedstock costs.

December 31, 2020 | 30

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The price at which nitrogen fertilizer products are ultimately sold depends on numerous factors, including the global supply 
and  demand  for  nitrogen  fertilizer  products  which,  in  turn,  depends  on,  among  other  factors,  world  grain  demand  and 
production  levels,  changes  in  world  population,  the  cost  and  availability  of  fertilizer  transportation  infrastructure,  weather 
conditions, the availability of imports, and the extent of government intervention in agriculture markets.

Nitrogen fertilizer prices are also affected by local factors, including local market conditions and the operating levels of 
competing  facilities.  An  expansion  or  upgrade  of  competitors’  facilities,  new  facility  development,  political  and  economic 
developments, and other factors are likely to continue to play an important role in nitrogen fertilizer industry economics. These 
factors can impact, among other things, the level of inventories in the market, resulting in price volatility and a reduction in 
product margins. Moreover, the industry typically experiences seasonal fluctuations in demand for nitrogen fertilizer products.

General Business Environment

In  March  2020,  the  World  Health  Organization  categorized  COVID-19  as  a  pandemic,  and  the  President  of  the  United 
States declared the COVID-19 outbreak a national emergency. The COVID-19 pandemic and actions taken by governments and 
others  in  response  thereto  has  and  continues  to  negatively  impact  the  worldwide  economy,  financial  markets,  and  the 
agricultural  industry.  The  COVID-19  pandemic  has  resulted  in  significant  business  and  operational  disruptions,  including 
business closures in the restaurant and food supply industries, among others, liquidity strains, demand destruction, as well as 
supply chain challenges, travel restrictions, stay-at-home orders, and limitations on the availability of the workforce, including 
farmers  in  the  agricultural  industry.  As  a  result,  the  global  demand  for  liquid  transportation  fuels,  including  ethanol  (the 
production of which is a significant driver of demand for fertilizer), has declined, causing many refineries and plants to reduce 
production or idle, evidenced by a decline in the fourth quarter 2020 average ethanol production of 10% compared to the fourth 
quarter of 2019. Given recent market conditions, the processing of sweet crude oil, including at the crude oil refinery owned 
and operated by Coffeyville Resources Refining & Marketing, LLC (“CRRM”), an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of CVR 
Energy, has increased compared to 2019 resulting in lower sour crude oil being processed and pet coke being produced. As a 
result, increased costs may continue to be incurred by the Partnership in future periods to source feedstocks, such as pet coke. 
Concerns  over  the  negative  effects  of  the  COVID-19  pandemic  on  economic  and  business  prospects  across  the  world  have 
contributed  to  increased  market  and  grain  price  volatility,  and  uncertainty  in  food  supply  demands,  and  have  diminished 
expectations for the global economy. These factors may precipitate a prolonged economic slowdown and recession, which may 
lead to some decline in demand for the Partnership’s products in the first quarter of 2021 and beyond.

The  Partnership  believes  the  general  business  environment  in  which  it  operates  will  continue  to  remain  volatile  during 
2021, driven by uncertainty around the availability and prices of its feedstocks and the demand for its products. As a result, the 
Partnership anticipates its future operating results and current and long-term financial condition may be negatively impacted. 
Due to the rapidly evolving situation, the uncertainty of its duration, and the timing of recovery, the Partnership is not able at 
this time to predict the extent to which these events may have a material, or any, effect on its financial or operational results in 
future periods.

Goodwill and Long-Lived Assets

As of December 31, 2019, the Partnership had a goodwill balance of $41.0 million associated with our Coffeyville Facility 
reporting unit for which the estimated fair value had been in excess of carrying value based on our 2018 and 2019 assessments. 
As a result of lower expectations for market conditions in the fertilizer industry, the market performance of the Partnership’s 
common units, a qualitative analysis, and additional risks associated with the business, the Partnership concluded a triggering 
event had occurred that required an interim quantitative impairment assessment of goodwill for this reporting unit during the 
second  quarter  of  2020.  The  results  of  the  impairment  test  indicated  that  the  carrying  amount  of  the  Coffeyville  Facility 
reporting  unit  exceeded  the  estimated  fair  value  of  the  reporting  unit,  and  a  full  impairment  of  the  asset  was  required. 
Significant  assumptions  inherent  in  the  valuation  methodologies  for  goodwill  include,  but  are  not  limited  to,  prospective 
financial information, growth rates, discount rates, inflationary factors, and cost of capital. To evaluate the sensitivity of the fair 
value calculations for the reporting unit, the Partnership applied a hypothetical 1% favorable change in the weighted average 
cost of capital, and separately, increased the revenue projections by  10%, holding gross margins steady. The results of these 
sensitivity  analyses  confirmed  the  need  to  record  a  non-cash  impairment  charge  of  $41.0  million  during  2020.  There  is  no 
goodwill remaining as of December 31, 2020.

With the adverse economic impacts discussed above and the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a 
heightened risk that amounts recognized, including other long-lived assets, may not be recoverable. While our assessment in 
2020  did  not  identify  the  existence  of  an  impairment  indicator  for  our  long-lived  asset  groups,  we  continue  to  monitor  the 

December 31, 2020 | 31

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current environment, including the duration and breadth of the impacts that the pandemic will have on demand for our fertilizer 
products, to assess whether qualitative factors indicate a quantitative assessment is required. If a quantitative test is performed, 
the extent to which the recoverability of our long-lived assets could be impaired is unknown. Such impairment could have a 
significant  adverse  impact  on  our  results  of  operations;  however,  an  impairment  would  have  no  impact  on  our  financial 
condition or liquidity.

Market Conditions

While there is risk of shorter-term volatility given the inherent nature of the commodity cycle and the impacts of the global 
COVID-19  pandemic,  the  Partnership  believes  the  long-term  fundamentals  for  the  U.S.  nitrogen  fertilizer  industry  remain 
intact.  The  Partnership  views  the  anticipated  combination  of  (i)  increasing  global  population,  (ii)  decreasing  arable  land  per 
capita, (iii) continued evolution to more protein-based diets in developing countries, (iv) sustained use of corn as feedstock for 
the  domestic  production  of  ethanol,  and  (v)  positioning  at  the  lower  end  of  the  global  cost  curve  should  provide  a  solid 
foundation for nitrogen fertilizer producers in the U.S. over the longer term.

While  weather  conditions  in  2020  exhibited  normal  patterns,  weather  significantly  impacted  the  timing  of  the  planting 
season  for  corn  and  soybeans  in  2019.  Due  to  excessive  wet  conditions,  crops  were  planted  later  than  normal  in  the  spring 
which led to a late harvest of these crops in the fall of 2019. As a result, the ammonia application season in the fall of 2019 was 
shortened.  This  created  a  surplus  of  ammonia  inventory  in  the  market  during  the  winter  of  2019  leading  into  2020.  UAN 
continues  to  be  impacted  by  the  imposition  of  import  duties  on  UAN  product  by  the  European  Union  (the  “EU”).  This  has 
resulted in shifts in UAN trade flows for product that had previously been shipped to the EU. In 2020, natural gas prices across 
the  world  declined  significantly  as  compared  to  2019;  however,  since  the  summer  of  2020,  forward  market  prices  indicate 
significantly higher prices for 2021 versus historically low prices in 2020. Natural gas is the primary feedstock for production 
of nitrogen fertilizers. As a result of these factors, in the fourth quarter of 2020, the Partnership has started to see an uptrend in 
pricing related to these products, with the expectation that product prices will continue to see an uptrend into the first quarter of 
2021.

Corn  and  soybean  are  two  major  crops  planted  by  farmers  in  North  America.  Corn  crops  result  in  the  depletion  of  the 
amount of nitrogen and ammonia within the soil in which it is grown, which in turn, results in the need for these nutrients to be 
replenished after each growing cycle. Unlike corn, soybeans are able to obtain their own nitrogen through a process known as 
“N fixation.” As such, upon harvesting of soybeans, the soil retains a certain amount of nitrogen which results in lower demand 
for nitrogen fertilizer for the following corn planting cycle. Due to these factors, nitrogen fertilizer consumers generally operate 
a balanced corn-soybean rotational planting cycle as evident through the chart presented below for 2020, 2019 and 2018. 

The relationship between the total acres planted for both corn and soybean has a direct impact on the overall demand for 
nitrogen products. As the number of corn acres increases, the market and demand for nitrogen also increases. Correspondingly, 
as the number of soybean acres increases, the market and demand for nitrogen decreases. Additionally, an estimated 8 billion 
pounds  of  soybean  oil  is  expected  to  go  towards  producing  cleaner  biodiesel  in  2020  and  2021.  Multiple  refiners  have 
announced biodiesel expansion projects for 2021 and beyond, which will only increase the demand and capacity for soybeans. 
Due to the uncertainty of how these factors will truly affect the soybean market, it is not yet known how the nitrogen business 
will be impacted. 

Ethanol is blended with gasoline to meet renewable fuel standard requirements and for its octane value. Ethanol production 
has historically consumed approximately 35% of the U.S. corn crop, so demand for corn generally rises and falls with ethanol 
demand. There has been a decline in ethanol demand in 2020 due to decreased demand for transportation fuels as a result of the 
COVID-19  pandemic.  However,  the  lower  ethanol  demand  did  not  alter  the  spring  2020  planting  decisions  by  farmers  as 
evidenced in the charts below.

December 31, 2020 | 32

 
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(1)
(2)

Information used within this chart was obtained from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (“EIA”).
Information  used  within  this  chart  was  obtained  from  the  United  States  Department  of  Agriculture  (“USDA”),  National  Agricultural 
Statistics Services.

The 2020 USDA reports on corn and soybean acres planted indicated farmers planted approximately 91.0 million acres of 
corn, representing an increase of 1.4% in corn acres planted as compared to 89.7 million corn acres in 2019. Planted soybean 
acres are estimated to be 83.1 million acres, representing a 9.2% increase in soybean acres planted as compared to 76.1 million 
soybean  acres  in  2019.  Since  the  summer  of  2020,  adverse  weather  conditions  in  parts  of  the  Midwest  caused  the  USDA  to 
lower estimated crop yields, particularly for corn. Further, higher demand for soybeans and corn and lower grain inventories 
have led to a rally in crop prices for 2020 and 2021 and significantly improved farmer economics. As a result, we experienced 
strong  demand  for  ammonia  for  fall  application  and  fertilizer  crop  inputs  for  the  spring  of  2021.  Prices  for  natural  gas,  the 
primary input for nitrogen fertilizer production, rose in the fourth quarter of 2020 in the U.S. and rose even more significantly 
in international markets. The increase in natural gas prices in the U.S. has been more than offset by higher product pricing, and 
the competitiveness of U.S. nitrogen producers has improved considerably. 

The tables below show relevant market indicators by month through December 31, 2020:

(1)

Information used within these charts was obtained from various third-party sources including Green Markets (a Bloomberg Company), 
Pace Petroleum Coke Quarterly, and the EIA, amongst others.

December 31, 2020 | 33

Barrels per day(in thousands)U.S. Plant Production of Fuel Ethanol (1)964.50Fuel Ethanol2020201920186008001,0001,200Corn and Soybean Grown Acres (2)52%54%50%48%46%50%CornSoybean20202019201850%100%$ (per ton)Ammonia and UAN Market Pricing (1)$272$369$168Ammonia — Southern PlainsAmmonia — Corn beltUAN — Corn belt202020192018200400600Natural Gas ($ per MMBtu)Pet Coke ($ per ton)Natural Gas and Pet Coke Market Pricing (1)$2.58$45.04Natural Gas NYMEXPet Coke2020201920181234520406080 
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Results of Operations

The following should be read in conjunction with the information outlined within the previous sections of this Part II, Item 

7, the financial statements, and related notes thereto in Part II, Item 8 of this Report.

The charts presented below summarize our ammonia utilization rates on a consolidated basis and at each of our Facilities. 
Utilization  is  an  important  measure  used  by  management  to  assess  operational  output  at  each  of  the  Partnership’s  facilities. 
Utilization is calculated as actual tons produced divided by capacity adjusted for planned maintenance and turnarounds.

The presentation of our utilization is on a two-year rolling average which takes into account the impact of our planned and 
unplanned outages on any specific period. We believe the two-year rolling average is a more useful presentation of the long-
term utilization performance of our Facilities.

Utilization  is  presented  solely  on  ammonia  production  rather  than  each  nitrogen  product  as  it  provides  a  comparative 
baseline  against  industry  peers  and  eliminates  the  disparity  of  facility  configurations  for  upgrade  of  ammonia  into  other 
nitrogen  products.  With  efforts  primarily  focused  on  ammonia  upgrade  capabilities,  we  believe  this  measure  provides  a 
meaningful view of how well we operate.

On a consolidated basis, utilization increased 2% to 95% for the two years ended December 31, 2020 compared to the two 
years  ended  December  31,  2019.  This  increase  was  primarily  a  result  of  ammonia  storage  capacity  constraints  at  the  East 
Dubuque Facility in the first quarter of 2019 due to inclement weather impacting customers’ ability to apply ammonia and the 
turnaround at the East Dubuque Facility in the fourth quarter of 2019.

Sales and Pricing per Ton - Two of our key operating metrics are total sales for ammonia and UAN along with the product 
pricing per ton realized at the gate. Total sales for ammonia and UAN were favorable due to strong demand during the spring 
application coupled with heavy fill orders from the summer through year end caused by higher crop prices increasing farmer 
demand. Additionally, higher total utilization for 2020 increased the total products available for sale for ammonia and UAN. 
This increase in production is coupled with an increased draw of ammonia and UAN inventory for 2020. Product pricing at gate 
represents  net  sales  less  freight  revenue  divided  by  product  sales  volume  in  tons  and  is  shown  in  order  to  provide  a  pricing 
measure comparable across the fertilizer industry.

December 31, 2020 | 34

Two Years Ended December 31,% of CapacityConsolidated Ammonia Utilization95%93%2020201980%90%100%Two Years Ended December 31,% of CapacityAmmonia Utilization - by Facility95%91%95%94%EDNFCRNF2020201980%90%100%Table of Contents

Production  Volumes  -  Gross  tons  produced  for  ammonia  represent  the  total  ammonia  produced,  including  ammonia 
produced, that was upgraded into other fertilizer products. Net tons available for sale represent the ammonia available for sale 
that was not upgraded into other fertilizer products. The table below presents these metrics for the years ended December 31, 
2020, 2019, and 2018.

(in thousands of tons)

Ammonia (gross produced)

Ammonia (net available for sale)

UAN

Year Ended December 31,

2020

2019

2018

852 

303 

1,303 

766 

223 

1,255 

794 

246 

1,276 

Feedstock  -  Our  Coffeyville  Facility  utilizes  a  pet  coke  gasification  process  to  produce  nitrogen  fertilizer.  Our  East 
Dubuque Facility uses natural gas in its production of ammonia. The table below presents these feedstocks for both facilities for 
the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018.

Pet coke used in production (thousand tons)

Pet coke (dollars per ton)
Natural gas used in production (thousands of MMBtu) (1)

Natural gas used in production (dollars per MMBtu) (1)

Natural gas in cost of materials and other (thousands of MMBtu) (1)

Natural gas in cost of materials and other (dollars per MMBtu) (1)

Year Ended December 31,

2020

2019

2018

523 
35.25  $ 
8,611 
2.31  $ 
9,349 
2.35  $ 

535 
37.47  $ 
6,856 

2.88  $ 

6,961 

3.08  $ 

463 

28.41 
7,933 

3.28 

7,122 

3.15 

$ 

$ 

$ 

(1) The feedstock natural gas shown above does not include natural gas used for fuel. The cost of natural gas used for fuel is included in 

Direct operating expenses (exclusive of depreciation and amortization). 

Financial Highlights

Overview - For the year ended December 31, 2020, the Partnership’s operating loss and net loss were $34.9 million and 
$98.2 million, respectively, a $62.3 million decrease in operating income and a $63.2 million increase in net loss, respectively, 
compared  to  the  year  ended  December  31,  2019  driven  primarily  by  lower  net  sales  and  the  recognition  of  a  non-cash 
impairment charge of $41.0 million driven primarily by the lower pricing environment observed in 2020. These impacts were 
offset by higher sales volumes and reductions to operating expense.

December 31, 2020 | 35

Ammonia Sales TonsUAN Sales TonsSales (thousand tons)3322412021,3121,2611,289AmmoniaUAN2020201920181502002503003501,0001,1001,2001,3001,400Ammonia PriceUAN PriceProduct Pricing at Gate ($ per ton)$284$392$328$152$199$173AmmoniaUAN202020192018250300350400450125150175200225 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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(1) See “Non-GAAP Reconciliations” section below for reconciliations of the non-GAAP measures shown above.

Net Sales - Net sales decreased by $54.2 million to $350.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the 
year  ended  December  31,  2019.  This  decrease  was  primarily  due  to  unfavorable  pricing  conditions  which  contributed  $99.0 
million  in  lower  revenues  offset  with  increased  sales  volumes  contributing  $45.8  million  as  compared  to  the  year  ended 
December 31, 2019. For the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, net sales included $33.3 million and $33.4 million in 
freight revenue, respectively, and $10.1 million and $7.6 million in other revenue, respectively.

The following table demonstrates the impact of changes in sales volumes and pricing for the primary components of net 
sales, excluding urea products, freight, and other revenue, for the year ended December 31, 2020 as compared to the year ended 
December 31, 2019.

(in thousands)
UAN
Ammonia

Price
 Variance

Volume
 Variance

$ 

(63,047)  $ 

(35,999)   

10,109 

35,649 

The  decrease  in  UAN  and  ammonia  sales  pricing  for  the  year  ended  December  31,  2020  compared  to  the  year  ended 
December 31, 2019 was primarily attributable to competitive pricing pressures seen throughout the domestic and international 
markets.  For  UAN,  a  softening  natural  gas  market,  which  is  the  typical  feedstock  for  nitrogen  plants,  shifting  trade  flows  in 
UAN due to the imposition of import duties on UAN in the EU contributed to lower prices. Additionally, lower corn prices due 
to decreased demand for corn for ethanol blending further contributed to lower UAN prices. For ammonia, lower natural gas 
and  corn  prices  and  reduced  demand  for  industrial  uses  of  ammonia  contributed  to  lower  prices.  The  increase  in  UAN  and 
ammonia sales volumes for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019 was primarily 
attributable to strong demand during the 2020 spring application period coupled with heavy fill orders beginning in the summer 

December 31, 2020 | 36

$ (in millions)Net Sales$350.0$404.2$351.1202020192018300350400$ (in millions)Operating (Loss) Income$(34.9)$27.4$6.3202020192018(40)(30)(20)(10)0102030$ (in millions)Net Loss$(98.2)$(35.0)$(50.0)202020192018(100)(80)(60)(40)(20)0$ (in millions)EBITDA (1)$41.4$107.5$84.1202020192018406080100120 
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of 2020 through year end. Additionally, higher crop prices in the second half of 2020 led to greater farmer demand, which was 
also aided by favorable weather conditions for application.

(1) Exclusive of depreciation and amortization expense.

Cost  of  Materials  and  Other  -  Cost  of  materials  and  other  for  the  year  ended  December  31,  2020  was  $91.1  million, 
compared  to  $94.1  million  for  the  year  ended  December  31,  2019.  The  $3.0  million  decrease  was  comprised  primarily  of  a 
$1.6  million  decrease  in  pet  coke  costs  at  our  Coffeyville  Facility  due  to  lower  purchases  of  pet  coke  from  the  Coffeyville 
Refinery,  a  decrease  in  freight  expenses  and  distribution  costs  of  $1.4  million  due  to  higher  2019  freight  charges  on  sales 
agreements, a decrease in other feedstocks purchases of $1.2 million due to lower purchases of hydrogen and nitrogen, and a 
decrease related to a draw in our ammonia and UAN inventories contributing $0.6 million driven by higher crop prices leading 
to greater farmer demand coupled with favorable weather for application through year end, offset by an increase in purchases of 
third-party ammonia at the Coffeyville Facility contributing $1.8 million.

Direct Operating Expenses (exclusive of depreciation and amortization) - For the year ended December 31, 2020, direct 
operating expenses (exclusive of depreciation and amortization) were $157.9 million as compared to $173.6 million for the year 
ended December 31, 2019. The $15.7 million decrease was primarily due to decreased turnaround costs of $9.1 million relating 
to the 2019 turnaround for our East Dubuque Facility and a decrease in $1.3 million of repairs and maintenance cost for brick 
replacement at our Coffeyville Facility with no similar activity in 2020. Utility costs decreased by $3.0 million due to the lower 
cost of natural gas resulting from favorable market conditions and lower electricity costs at our Coffeyville Facility due to rate 
reductions achieved in 2020. Other reductions to operating expense in 2020 reflect the impact of cost reduction efforts put in 
place to address the general business environment. 

Depreciation and Amortization Expense - Depreciation and amortization expense decreased $3.7 million for the year ended 
December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019, as a result of accelerated depreciation of certain assets that 

December 31, 2020 | 37

$ (in millions)Cost of Materials and Other$91.1$94.1$88.5202020192018708090100$ (in millions)Direct Operating Expenses (1)$157.9$173.6$159.3202020192018125150175200$ (in millions)Depreciation and Amortization$76.1$79.8$71.620202019201860708090$ (in millions)Selling, General and Administrative Expenses,and Other$18.8$29.2$25.42020201920181015202530Table of Contents

were  removed  following  the  2019  turnaround  at  the  East  Dubuque  Facility,  coupled  with  additions  to  property,  plant,  and 
equipment during the current year.

Selling,  General,  and  Administrative  Expenses,  and  Other  -  Selling,  general  and  administrative  expenses  and  other 
decreased approximately $10.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019. 
The decrease was primarily related to a reduced amount of asset write offs in 2020 compared to 2019 contributing $2.8 million, 
coupled  with  decreased  personnel  costs  and  management  fees  of  $7.2  million  driven  by  lower  allocated  expense  from  CVR 
Energy, including stock-based compensation expense as a result of lower market prices for CVR Energy share and Partnership 
units during 2020.

Non-GAAP Measures

Our management uses certain non-GAAP performance measures, and reconciliations to those measures, to evaluate current 
and past performance and prospects for the future to supplement our GAAP financial information presented in accordance with 
U.S. GAAP. These non-GAAP financial measures are important factors in assessing our operating results and profitability and 
include the performance and liquidity measures defined below.

Effective January 1, 2020, the Partnership no longer presents the non-GAAP performance measure of Adjusted EBITDA, 
as management no longer relies on this financial measure when evaluating the Partnership’s performance and does not believe it 
enhances the users understanding of its financial statements in a useful manner. 

The following are non-GAAP measures we present for the year ended December 31, 2020:

EBITDA  -  Net  income  (loss)  before  (i)  interest  expense,  net,  (ii)  income  tax  expense  (benefit)  and  (iii)  depreciation  and 

amortization expense.

Reconciliation  of  Net  Cash  Provided  By  Operating  Activities  to  EBITDA  -  Net  cash  provided  by  operating  activities 
reduced by (i) interest expense, net, (ii) income tax expense (benefit), (iii) change in working capital, and (iv) other non-cash 
adjustments.

Available Cash for Distribution - EBITDA for the quarter excluding non-cash income or expense items (if any), for which 
adjustment  is  deemed  necessary  or  appropriate  by  the  board  of  directors  (the  “Board”)  of  our  general  partner  in  its  sole 
discretion, less (i) reserves for maintenance capital expenditures, debt service and other contractual obligations, and (ii) reserves 
for future operating or capital needs (if any), in each case, that the Board deems necessary or appropriate in its sole discretion. 
Available cash for distribution may be increased by the release of previously established cash reserves, if any, and other excess 
cash, at the discretion of the Board.

We present these measures because we believe they may help investors, analysts, lenders, and ratings agencies analyze our 
results  of  operations  and  liquidity  in  conjunction  with  our  U.S.  GAAP  results,  including,  but  not  limited  to,  our  operating 
performance as compared to other publicly traded companies in the fertilizer industry, without regard to historical cost basis or 
financing  methods,  and  our  ability  to  incur  and  service  debt  and  fund  capital  expenditures.  Non-GAAP  measures  have 
important  limitations  as  analytical  tools,  because  they  exclude  some,  but  not  all,  items  that  affect  net  earnings  and  operating 
income.  These  measures  should  not  be  considered  substitutes  for  their  most  directly  comparable  U.S.  GAAP  financial 
measures.  Refer  to  the  “Non-GAAP  Reconciliations”  included  herein  for  reconciliation  of  these  amounts.  Due  to  rounding, 
numbers presented within this section may not add or equal to numbers or totals presented elsewhere within this document.

Factors Affecting Comparability of Our Financial Results

Our historical results of operations for the periods presented may not be comparable with prior periods or to our results of 

operations in the future for the reasons discussed below.

Major Scheduled Turnaround Activities

Overall,  our  results  are  negatively  impacted  by  lost  production  during  downtime  that  results  in  lost  sales  and  certain 
reduced variable expenses included in Cost of materials and other and Direct operating expenses (exclusive of depreciation and 
amortization).  The  year  ended  December  31,  2020  had  no  planned  turnarounds.  The  effects  of  the  planned,  full  facility 

December 31, 2020 | 38

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turnarounds completed during the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, exclusive of the impacts due to lost production 
during the turnaround downtime, are shown below: 

Facility

Related Period

Turnaround Downtime

Turnaround Expense
(in thousands)

Estimated Lost Production
(in tons of Ammonia)

East Dubuque

Coffeyville

2019 - 3rd/4th Quarter

2018 - 2nd Quarter

32 days

15 days

9,842 

6,399 

33,706 

21,450 

Goodwill Impairment

As of December 31, 2019, the Partnership had a goodwill balance of $41.0 million associated with our Coffeyville Facility 
reporting unit for which the estimated fair value had been in excess of carrying value based on our 2018 and 2019 assessments. 
As a result of lower expectations for market conditions in the fertilizer industry, the market performance of the Partnership’s 
common units, a qualitative analysis, and additional risks associated with the business, the Partnership concluded a triggering 
event had occurred that required an interim quantitative impairment assessment of goodwill for this reporting unit as of June 30, 
2020. Significant assumptions inherent in the valuation methodologies for goodwill include, but are not limited to, prospective 
financial information, growth rates, discount rates, inflationary factors, and cost of capital. The results of the impairment test 
indicated that the carrying amount of the Coffeyville Facility reporting unit exceeded the estimated fair value of the reporting 
unit, and a full impairment of the asset was required. No such charge was recognized during 2019.

Insurance Recovery

During  the  fourth  quarter  of  2018,  the  Partnership  recognized  a  $6.1  million  business  interruption  insurance  recovery 
associated  with  an  outage  at  the  Coffeyville  Facility  during  2017.  The  recovery  is  recorded  in  Other  income,  net.  No  such 
income was recognized in 2020 or 2019.

Non-GAAP Reconciliations

Reconciliation of Net Loss to EBITDA

(in thousands)

Net loss

Add:

Interest expense, net

Income tax expense (benefit) 

Depreciation and amortization

EBITDA

Year Ended December 31,

2020

2019

2018

$ 

(98,181)  $ 

(34,969)  $ 

(50,027) 

63,428 

30 

76,077 
41,354  $ 

62,636 

(18)   

79,839 
107,488  $ 

62,588 

(46) 

71,575 
84,090 

$ 

Reconciliation of Net Cash Provided By Operating Activities to EBITDA

(in thousands)

Net cash provided by operating activities
Non-cash items:

Goodwill impairment

Other

Adjustments:

Interest expense, net

Income tax expense (benefit)

Change in assets and liabilities

EBITDA

Year Ended December 31,

2020

2019

2018

$ 

19,740  $ 

39,157  $ 

32,234 

(40,969)   

(6,630)   

— 

— 

(10,503)   

(8,430) 

63,428 

30 

5,755 

62,636 

(18)   

16,216 

$ 

41,354  $ 

107,488  $ 

62,588 

(46) 

(2,256) 

84,090 

December 31, 2020 | 39

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Reconciliation of EBITDA to Available Cash for Distribution

(in thousands)

EBITDA
Non-cash items:

Goodwill impairment

Current reserves for amounts related to:

Debt service

Maintenance capital expenditures

Common units repurchased

Other (reserves for) / releases of amounts reserved for:

Future turnarounds

Repayment of current portion of long-term debt

Recapture of prior negative available cash

Future operating needs

Major scheduled expenditures

Previously established cash reserves

Available cash for distribution (1) (2)

Year Ended December 31,

2020

2019

2018

$ 

41,354  $ 

107,488  $ 

84,090 

40,969 

— 

— 

(59,995)   

(11,649)   

(7,076)   

(4,500)   

(2,240)   

(5,917)   

(5,308)   

2,567 

— 

(59,997)   

(18,247)   

(59,372) 

(14,870) 

— 

— 

— 

— 

(28,000)   

— 

25,433 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

$ 

(11,795)  $ 

26,677  $ 

9,848 

Common units outstanding 

11,195 

11,328 

11,328 

(1) Amount  represents  the  cumulative  available  cash  based  on  full  year  results.  However,  available  cash  for  distribution  is  calculated 

quarterly, with distributions (if any) being paid in the period following declaration.

(2) The  Partnership  paid  no  cash  distributions  for  the  fourth  quarter  of  2019  or  the  first  three  quarters  of  2020.  No  distributions  were 

declared for the fourth quarter of 2020.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Our principal source of liquidity has historically been and continues to be cash from operations, which can include cash 
advances  from  customers  resulting  from  prepay  contracts.  Our  principal  uses  of  cash  are  for  working  capital,  capital 
expenditures, funding our debt service obligations, and paying distributions to our unitholders, as further discussed below.

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in a significant and swift reduction in U.S. economic activity. These 
effects have caused significant volatility and disruption of the financial markets, and we have observed adverse impacts to our 
business and financial performance, of which the nature and extent of such impacts remains uncertain. This period of extreme 
economic disruption, including business closures in the restaurant and food supply industries, idling of ethanol facilities, and 
limitations on the availability of the workforce, including farmers in the agricultural industry, may continue to have an impact 
on our business, results of operations, and access to sources of liquidity. In view of the uncertainty of the depth and extent of 
the contraction in the U.S. economy and potential impact on the demand for our fertilizer products, we took proactive actions in 
2020  to  address  the  impacts  we  may  experience  in  our  results  of  operations,  liquidity,  and  financial  condition,  including  the 
following:

•

•

•

The deferment of the Coffeyville Facility turnaround from the fall of 2020 to the summer of 2021, enabled by certain 
maintenance we proactively performed during the first quarter of 2020, and the East Dubuque Facility turnaround from 
2021 to 2022;

A  reduction  in  the  amount  of  maintenance  capital  expenditures  in  2020  to  only  include  those  projects  which  are  a 
priority to support continuing safe and reliable operations, or which we consider are critical to support future activities; 
and

The amendment of the ABL Credit Agreement extending its term to September 30, 2022, optimizing the borrowing 
capacity and fee structure, and revising certain provisions to provide an improved credit facility for the Partnership. 

December 31, 2020 | 40

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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When paired with the actions outlined above and prudently managing our operating costs and capital expenditures in 2021, 
we believe that our cash from operations and existing cash and cash equivalents, along with borrowings, as necessary, under the 
ABL Credit Agreement, formerly the AB Credit Facility, will be sufficient to satisfy anticipated cash requirements associated 
with  our  existing  operations  for  at  least  the  next  12  months.  However,  our  future  capital  expenditures  and  other  cash 
requirements  could  be  higher  than  we  currently  expect  as  a  result  of  various  factors.  Additionally,  our  ability  to  generate 
sufficient  cash  from  our  operating  activities  and  secure  additional  financing  depends  on  our  future  performance,  which  is 
subject to general economic, political, financial, competitive, and other factors, some of which may be beyond our control.

Depending on the needs of our business, contractual limitations, and market conditions, we may from time to time seek to 
issue  equity  securities,  incur  additional  debt,  issue  debt  securities,  or  otherwise  refinance  our  existing  debt.  There  can  be  no 
assurance that we will seek to do any of the foregoing or that we will be able to do any of the foregoing on terms acceptable to 
us or at all. 

We do not have any “off-balance sheet arrangements” as such term is defined within the rules and regulations of the SEC.

Cash and Other Liquidity

As of December 31, 2020, we had cash and cash equivalents of $30.6 million, including $7.6 million of customer advances. 
Combined  with  $20.1  million  available  under  our  ABL  Credit  Agreement,  we  had  total  liquidity  of  $50.7  million  as  of 
December 31, 2020. As of December 31, 2019, we had $37.0 million in cash and cash equivalents, including $9.1 million of 
customer advances. 

(in thousands)

9.25% Senior Notes, due June 2023

6.50% Senior Notes, due April 2021, net of current portion (1)

Unamortized discount and debt issuance costs

Total long-term debt

Current portion of long-term debt (1)

December 31,

2020

2019

$ 

645,000  $ 

— 

(11,058)   

633,942 

2,240 

645,000 

2,240 

(14,834) 

632,406 

— 

Total long-term debt, including current portion

$ 

636,182  $ 

632,406 

(1) The 6.50% Notes, due April 2021, mature within 12 months, and, therefore, the outstanding balance of $2.2 million has been classified 

as short-term debt as of December 31, 2020.

The  Partnership  and  its  subsidiaries  were  in  compliance  with  all  applicable  covenants  under  their  respective  debt 

instruments as of December 31, 2020. Refer to Note 5 (“Long-Term Debt”) in Part II, Item 8 for further information.

Capital Spending

We  divide  capital  spending  needs  into  two  categories:  maintenance  and  growth.  Maintenance  capital  spending  includes 
non-discretionary  maintenance  projects  and  projects  required  to  comply  with  environmental,  health,  and  safety  regulations. 
Growth capital projects generally involve an expansion of existing capacity and/or a reduction in direct operating expenses. We 
undertake growth capital spending based on the expected return on incremental capital employed. 

Our total capital expenditures for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, along with our estimated expenditures for 

2021 are as follows:

(in thousands)

Maintenance capital

Growth capital

Total capital expenditures

Year Ended December 31,

2020

2019

Estimated

2021

$ 

$ 

11,651  $ 

4,780 

16,431  $ 

18,247 

2,027 

20,274 

$18,000 - 20,000

5,000 -   6,000

$23,000 - 26,000

December 31, 2020 | 41

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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In light of the changing environment and proactive maintenance performed during several outages at the third-party owned 
and operated air separation unit at our Coffeyville Facility during the first quarter of 2020, we moved our turnaround from the 
previously  planned  timeframe  of  the  fall  of  2020  to  the  fall  of  2021,  with  an  estimated  cost  of  $7  to  $9  million.  We  will 
continue to monitor market conditions and make adjustments, if needed, to our current capital spending or turnaround plans. 
Our estimated capital expenditures are subject to change due to unanticipated changes in the cost, scope, and completion time 
for capital projects. For example, we may experience unexpected changes in labor or equipment costs necessary to comply with 
government regulations or to complete projects that sustain or improve the profitability of the nitrogen fertilizer facilities. We 
may also accelerate or defer some capital expenditures from time to time. 

Distributions to Unitholders

The current policy of the Board is to distribute all Available Cash the Partnership generated on a quarterly basis. Available 
Cash for each quarter will be determined by the Board following the end of such quarter. Available Cash for each quarter is 
calculated as EBITDA for the quarter excluding non-cash income or expense items (if any), for which adjustment is deemed 
necessary or appropriate by the Board in its sole discretion, less (i) reserves for maintenance capital expenditures, debt service 
and other contractual obligations, and (ii) reserves for future operating or capital needs (if any), in each case, that the Board 
deems  necessary  or  appropriate  in  its  sole  discretion.  Available  cash  for  distribution  may  be  increased  by  the  release  of 
previously established cash reserves, if any, and other excess cash, at the discretion of the Board.

The Partnership did not pay distributions for the year ended December 31, 2020 or December 31, 2018. During the year 
ended December 31, 2019, the Partnership paid distributions totaling $4.00 per common unit on a split-adjusted basis, or $45.3 
million. Of these distributions, CVR Energy received $15.6 million.

Capital Structure

On  May  6,  2020,  the  Board,  on  behalf  of  the  Partnership,  authorized  a  unit  repurchase  program  (the  “Unit  Repurchase 
Program”). The Unit Repurchase Program enables the Partnership to repurchase up to $10 million of the Partnership’s common 
units.  Repurchases  under  the  Unit  Repurchase  Program  may  be  made  from  time-to-time  through  open  market  transactions, 
block  trades,  privately  negotiated  transactions,  or  otherwise  in  accordance  with  applicable  securities  laws.  The  timing,  price, 
and  amount  of  repurchases  (if  any)  will  be  made  at  the  discretion  of  management  of  our  general  partner  and  are  subject  to 
market conditions, as well as corporate, regulatory, and other considerations.  

On November 2, 2020, the Partnership announced that the Board had approved a 1-for-10 reverse split of the Partnership’s 
common units that was completed on November 23, 2020, pursuant to which each ten common units of the Partnership were 
converted into one common unit of the Partnership (the “Reverse Unit Split”). In accordance with the Partnership’s Agreement 
of  Limited  Partnership,  as  amended  (the  “Partnership  Agreement”),  following  the  Reverse  Unit  Split,  any  fractional  units  of 
record holders were rounded up or down, as applicable, to the nearest whole common unit, with any fraction equal to or above 
0.5 common units rounding up to the next higher common unit. Following the Reverse Unit Split, the number of common units 
outstanding  decreased  from  approximately  111  million  common  units  to  approximately  11  million  common  units,  with 
proportionate  adjustments  to  the  common  units  under  the  Partnership’s  long-term  incentive  plan  and  outstanding  awards 
thereunder. See Note 1 (“Organization and Nature of Business”) in Part II, Item 8 for a discussion regarding the delisting of the 
NYSE.

During the year ended December 31, 2020, on a split-adjusted basis, the Partnership repurchased 623,177 common units on 
the open market in accordance with a unit repurchase agreement under Rules 10b5-1 and 10b-18 of the Exchange Act at a cost 
of  $7.1  million,  inclusive  of  transaction  costs,  or  an  average  price  of  $11.35  per  common  unit.  At  December  31,  2020,  the 
Partnership  had  $2.9  million  in  authority  remaining  under  the  Unit  Repurchase  Program.  On  February  22,  2021,  the  Board 
authorized  an  additional  $10  million  for  the  Unit  Repurchase  Program.  This  Unit  Repurchase  Program  does  not  obligate  the 
Partnership to acquire any common units and may be cancelled, terminated, extended or increased by the Board at any time.

December 31, 2020 | 42

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Cash Flows

The following table sets forth our cash flows for the periods indicated below:

(in thousands)

Net cash provided by (used in):

Operating activities

Investing activities

Financing activities

Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents

Operating Activities

Year Ended December 31,

2020

2019

2018

$ 

$ 

19,740  $ 

39,157  $ 

(18,550)   

(7,625)   

(18,529)   

(45,410)   

32,234 

(19,631) 

— 

(6,435)  $ 

(24,782)  $ 

12,603 

The  change  in  net  cash  flows  from  operating  activities  for  the  year  ended  December  31,  2020  as  compared  to  the  year 
ended  December  31,  2019  is  primarily  due  to  unfavorable  changes  in  operating  results,  excluding  non-cash  items,  of  $29.9 
million, partially offset by favorable changes in working capital of $10.7 million, and unfavorable changes in non-current assets 
and liabilities of $0.2 million. 

Investing Activities

The  change  in  net  cash  used  in  investing  activities  for  the  year  ended  December  31,  2020  compared  to  the  year  ended 
December 31, 2019 was primarily attributed to the increase in capital expenditures of $0.2 million, related to growth spending 
on the Coffeyville Facility’s urea capacity upgrade project in the current period and maintenance spending on the East Dubuque 
Facility’s reactor conversion revamp in the prior period, partially offset by a decrease in cash outflows of  $0.3 million from the 
purchase of land during the year ended December 31, 2019 with no corresponding amounts paid in 2020, and a decrease in cash 
inflows of $0.1 million from proceeds on the sale of assets.

Financing Activities

The  change  in  net  cash  used  in  financing  activities  for  the  year  ended  December  31,  2020  compared  to  the  year  ended 
December 31, 2019 was the result of cash distributions paid to unitholders of $45.3 million during 2019 compared to cash used 
for  repurchase  of  common  units  of  $7.1  million  and  payment  of  deferred  financing  costs  of  $0.4  million  related  to  the  ABL 
Credit Agreement amendment entered into during 2020. 

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Refer  to  Note  2  (“Summary  of  Significant  Accounting  Policies”)  in  Part  II,  Item  8  for  a  discussion  of  recent  accounting 

pronouncements applicable to the Partnership.

Critical Accounting Estimates

We  prepare  our  consolidated  financial  statements  in  accordance  with  GAAP  requiring  management  to  make  judgments, 
assumptions,  and  estimates  based  on  the  best  available  information  at  the  time.  Accounting  estimates  are  considered  to  be 
critical if (1) the nature of the estimates and assumptions is material due to the levels of subjectivity and judgment necessary to 
account  for  highly  uncertain  matters  or  the  susceptibility  of  such  matters  to  change;  and  (2)  the  impact  of  the  estimates  and 
assumptions  on  financial  condition  or  operating  performance  is  material.  Actual  results  could  differ  from  the  estimates  and 
assumptions used.

Inventory Valuation

The  cost  of  our  fertilizer  product  inventories  is  determined  under  the  first-in,  first-out  (FIFO)  method.  Our  FIFO 
inventories are carried at the lower of cost or net realizable value. We compare the estimated realizable value of inventories to 
their  cost  by  product  at  each  of  our  facilities.  Depending  on  inventory  levels,  the  per-ton  realizable  value  of  our  fertilizer 
products  is  estimated  using  pricing  on  in-transit  orders,  pricing  for  open,  fixed-price  orders  that  have  not  shipped,  and,  if 

December 31, 2020 | 43

 
 
 
 
 
 
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volumes  remain  unaccounted  for,  current  management  pricing  estimates  for  fertilizer  products.  Management’s  estimate  for 
current pricing reflects up-to-date pricing in each facility’s market as of the end of each reporting period. Reductions to selling 
prices  for  unreimbursed  freight  costs  are  included  to  arrive  at  net  realizable  value,  as  applicable.  During  the  year  ended 
December  31,  2020,  we  recognized  a  loss  on  inventory  to  reflect  net  realizable  value  of  $0.7  million.  For  the  years  ended 
December  31,  2019  and  2018,  there  was  no  adjustment.  Due  to  the  amount  and  variability  in  volume  of  fertilizer  product 
inventories  maintained,  changes  in  production  costs,  and  the  volatility  of  market  pricing  for  fertilizer  products,  losses 
recognized to reflect fertilizer product inventories at the lower of cost or net realizable value could have a material impact on 
the Partnership’s results of operations.

 Impairment of Long-lived Assets and Goodwill

Long-lived assets used in operations are assessed for impairment whenever changes in facts and circumstances indicate a 
possible significant deterioration in future expected cash flows. If the sum of the undiscounted expected future cash flows of an 
asset group is less than the carrying value, including applicable liabilities, the carrying value is written down to its estimated 
fair  value.  Individual  assets  are  grouped  for  impairment  purposes  based  on  a  judgmental  assessment  of  the  lowest  level  for 
which there are identifiable cash flows that are largely independent of the cash flows of other assets (for example, at a fertilizer 
facility level). 

The  Partnership  tests  goodwill  for  impairment  annually  on  November  1  of  each  year,  or  more  frequently  if  events  or 
changes  in  circumstances  indicate  the  asset  might  be  impaired.  One  of  our  reporting  units,  the  Coffeyville  Facility,  had  a 
goodwill  balance  of  $41.0  million  at  December  31,  2019.  During  the  second  quarter  of  2020,  following  completion  of  the 
spring planting season, the market pricing for ammonia and UAN, which are the facility’s two primary products, experienced 
significant  pricing  declines  driven  by  updated  market  expectations  around  supply  and  demand  fundamentals  which  were 
expected to continue into the second half of 2020. Additionally, significant uncertainty remained as to the nature and extent of 
impacts  to  be  seen  on  the  overall  demand  for  corn  and  soybean  given  reduced  ethanol  production  and  broader  economic 
conditions which had negatively impacted demand. Therefore, in connection with the preparation of the financial statements for 
the three months ended June 30, 2020, given the pricing declines experienced in the second quarter of 2020, further muting of 
our  near-term  economic  recovery  assumptions,  including  management’s  revised  forecasts  for  product  pricing  in  2020  and 
beyond,  and  market  price  performance  of  our  common  units,  we  concluded  an  impairment  indicator  was  present  and  a 
triggering event under Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 350, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other, had occurred 
as of June 30, 2020 and an interim quantitative impairment assessment was performed. Significant assumptions inherent in the 
valuation methodologies for goodwill included, but are not limited to, prospective financial information, growth rates, discount 
rates, inflationary factors, and cost of capital. Based on the interim quantitative analysis, it was determined that the estimated 
fair  value  of  the  Coffeyville  Facility  reporting  unit  did  not  exceed  its  carrying  value.  As  a  result,  we  recorded  a  non-cash 
impairment charge of $41.0 million during 2020. There is no goodwill remaining as of December 31, 2020.

We  performed  our  annual  impairment  reviews  of  goodwill  for  2019  and  2018,  on  November  1  of  each  such  year  and 
concluded  no  impairments.  For  the  period  ended  December  31,  2019,  we  performed  a  qualitative  assessment  and  concluded 
there were no events or circumstances which would trigger the performance of a quantitative analysis after reviewing all factors 
impacting  the  Coffeyville  Facility  reporting  unit,  including  improved  market  conditions  and  financial  results  in  2019  as 
compared to the financial forecasts from those used in the fair value analysis at December 31, 2018, where the estimated fair 
value of the Coffeyville Facility reporting unit exceeded its carrying value by approximately 36% based upon the results of our 
quantitative goodwill impairment test.

Item 7A.    Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

Commodity Price Risk

We are exposed to significant market risk due to potential changes in prices for fertilizer products and natural gas. Natural 
gas is the primary raw material used in the production of various nitrogen-based products manufactured at our East Dubuque 
Facility. We have commitments to purchase natural gas for use in our East Dubuque Facility at the spot market and through 
short-term, fixed supply, fixed price, and index price purchase contracts. 

In the normal course of business, we produce nitrogen-based fertilizer products throughout the year to supply the needs of 
our customers during the high-delivery-volume spring and fall seasons. The value of fertilizer product inventory is subject to 

December 31, 2020 | 44

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market  risk  due  to  fluctuations  in  the  relevant  commodity  prices.  Prices  of  nitrogen  fertilizer  products  can  be  volatile.  We 
believe that market prices of nitrogen products are affected by changes in grain prices and demand, natural gas prices, and other 
factors. In the opinion of our management, there is no derivative financial instrument that correlates effectively with, and has a 
trading volume sufficient to hedge, our firm commitments and forecasted commodity sales transactions.

December 31, 2020 | 45

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Item 8.    Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

The Board of Directors of CVR GP, LLC
The Unitholders of CVR Partners, LP
The General Partner of CVR Partners, LP:

Opinion on the financial statements 

We  have  audited  the  accompanying  consolidated  balance  sheets  of  CVR  Partners,  LP  (a  Delaware  limited  partnership)  and 
subsidiaries (the “Partnership”) as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the related consolidated statements of operations, partners’ 
capital, and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2020, and the related notes (collectively 
referred  to  as  the  “financial  statements”).  In  our  opinion,  the  financial  statements  present  fairly,  in  all  material  respects,  the 
financial position of the Partnership as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for 
each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2020, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in 
the United States of America. 

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) 
(“PCAOB”), the Partnership’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020, based on criteria established in 
the  2013  Internal  Control-Integrated  Framework  issued  by  the  Committee  of  Sponsoring  Organizations  of  the  Treadway 
Commission (“COSO”), and our report dated February 23, 2021 expressed an unqualified opinion.

Basis for opinion 

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Partnership’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion 
on the Partnership’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and 
are  required  to  be  independent  with  respect  to  the  Partnership  in  accordance  with  the  U.S.  federal  securities  laws  and  the 
applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB. 

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the 
audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to 
error  or  fraud.  Our  audits  included  performing  procedures  to  assess  the  risks  of  material  misstatement  of  the  financial 
statements,  whether  due  to  error  or  fraud,  and  performing  procedures  that  respond  to  those  risks.  Such  procedures  included 
examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included 
evaluating  the  accounting  principles  used  and  significant  estimates  made  by  management,  as  well  as  evaluating  the  overall 
presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Critical audit matter

The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the financial statements that 
was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that 
are  material  to  the  financial  statements  and  (2)  involved  our  especially  challenging,  subjective,  or  complex  judgments.  The 
communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the financial statements, taken as a whole, and 
we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the 
accounts or disclosures to which it relates. 

Goodwill Impairment Assessment 

As described in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements, annually or as facts or circumstances may dictate, management 
performs a valuation of the Coffeyville Facility reporting unit to determine if a goodwill impairment exists. During the second 
quarter of 2020 following the completion of the spring planting season and observation of certain market and other conditions 
described in Note 2, the Partnership concluded a triggering event occurred and performed an interim quantitative impairment 
assessment.  The  identification  of  a  triggering  event  and  the  determination  of  the  fair  value  of  the  reporting  unit  required 
management  to  make  significant  estimates  and  develop  assumptions  related  to  cash  flow  forecasts  using  estimates  of  future 
nitrogen fertilizer product pricing, volumes to be sold, costs to be incurred for key process inputs and other operating expenses 

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as well as estimating appropriate discount rates and growth rates for future periods. Changes in these assumptions could have 
had a significant impact on the identification of a triggering event as well as the reporting unit’s estimated fair value. As a result 
of  the  quantitative  impairment  assessment,  a  full  goodwill  impairment  of  $41.0  million  was  recorded  during  the  year  ended 
December 31, 2020.

We  identified  the  goodwill  impairment  assessment  of  the  Coffeyville  Facility  reporting  unit  as  a  critical  audit  matter.  The 
principal consideration for our determination that the goodwill impairment assessment is a critical audit matter was the degree 
of complexity and subjectivity inherent in determining management’s estimates.

Our  audit  procedures  related  to  the  Coffeyville  Facility  reporting  unit’s  goodwill  impairment  assessment  included  the 
following, among others:

• We tested the design and operating effectiveness of management’s processes and controls over the identification of a 

triggering event and the fair value assessment of the Coffeyville reporting unit.

• We  evaluated  the  reasonableness  of  a  triggering  event  by  considering  the  current  market  conditions  following  the 
completion of the spring planting season as well as the economic uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.

• We  evaluated  the  reasonableness  of  future  nitrogen  fertilizer  pricing  assumptions  by  comparing  the  prices  used  by 
management to current industry and economic trends considering the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as 
comparing those prices to the historical performance of the Coffeyville reporting unit, performed sensitivity analyses 
to  evaluate  the  change  in  the  fair  value  estimates  that  would  result  from  changes  in  those  price  assumptions,  and 
recalculated management’s estimates.

• We compared forecasted sales volumes and expenses to historical operating results.

• We  utilized  valuation  professionals  with  specialized  skills  and  knowledge  to  assist  in  evaluating  the  Coffeyville 
Facility’s  discounted  cash  flow  model  and  guideline  public  company  methods  and  certain  significant  assumptions, 
including the discount rate, terminal growth rate, and cost of capital.

• We evaluated whether the assumptions used were consistent with evidence obtained in other areas of the audit.

/s/ GRANT THORNTON LLP

We have served as the Partnership’s auditor since 2013. 

Houston, Texas
February 23, 2021

December 31, 2020 | 47

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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

The Board of Directors of CVR GP, LLC
The Unitholders of CVR Partners, LP
The General Partner of CVR Partners, LP:

Opinion on internal control over financial reporting

We  have  audited  the  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  of  CVR  Partners,  LP  (a  Delaware  limited  partnership)  and 
subsidiaries (the “Partnership”) as of December 31, 2020, based on criteria established in the 2013 Internal Control-Integrated 
Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”). In our opinion, the 
Partnership  maintained,  in  all  material  respects,  effective  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  as  of  December  31,  2020, 
based on criteria established in the 2013 Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued by COSO.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) 
(“PCAOB”), the consolidated financial statements of the Partnership as of and for the year ended December 31, 2020, and our 
report dated February 23, 2021 expressed an unqualified opinion on those financial statements.

Basis for opinion

The  Partnership’s  management  is  responsible  for  maintaining  effective  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  and  for  its 
assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management’s Report 
on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Partnership’s internal control 
over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be 
independent  with  respect  to  the  Partnership  in  accordance  with  the  U.S.  federal  securities  laws  and  the  applicable  rules  and 
regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB. 

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the 
audit  to  obtain  reasonable  assurance  about  whether  effective  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  was  maintained  in  all 
material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk 
that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the 
assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit 
provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Definition and limitations of internal control over financial reporting

A  company’s  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  is  a  process  designed  to  provide  reasonable  assurance  regarding  the 
reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally 
accepted  accounting  principles.  A  company’s  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  includes  those  policies  and  procedures 
that  (1)  pertain  to  the  maintenance  of  records  that,  in  reasonable  detail,  accurately  and  fairly  reflect  the  transactions  and 
dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit 
preparation  of  financial  statements  in  accordance  with  generally  accepted  accounting  principles,  and  that  receipts  and 
expenditures  of  the  company  are  being  made  only  in  accordance  with  authorizations  of  management  and  directors  of  the 
company;  and  (3)  provide  reasonable  assurance  regarding  prevention  or  timely  detection  of  unauthorized  acquisition,  use,  or 
disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because  of  its  inherent  limitations,  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  may  not  prevent  or  detect  misstatements.  Also, 
projections  of  any  evaluation  of  effectiveness  to  future  periods  are  subject  to  the  risk  that  controls  may  become  inadequate 
because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

/s/ GRANT THORNTON LLP

Houston, Texas
February 23, 2021 

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CVR Partners, LP and Subsidiaries

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS 

(in thousands)

Current assets:

Cash and cash equivalents

Accounts receivable

Inventories

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

Total current assets

Property, plant, and equipment, net

Goodwill

Other long-term assets

Total assets

ASSETS

December 31,

2020

2019

$ 

30,559  $ 

36,896 

42,349 

8,410 

118,214 

897,847 

— 

16,819 

36,994 

34,264 

48,296 

5,406 

124,960 

951,959 

40,969 

20,067 

$ 

1,032,880  $ 

1,137,955 

LIABILITIES AND PARTNERS’ CAPITAL

Current liabilities:

Current portion of long-term debt

Accounts payable

Accounts payable to affiliates

Deferred revenue

Other current liabilities

Total current liabilities

Long-term liabilities:

Long-term debt, net of current portion

Other long-term liabilities

Total long-term liabilities

Commitments and contingencies (See Note 8)

Partners’ capital:

Common unitholders, 10,705,710 and 11,328,297 units issued and outstanding as 

of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively

General partner interest

Total partners’ capital

Total liabilities and partners’ capital

$ 

2,240  $ 

19,544 

5,217 

30,631 

18,709 

76,341 

633,942 

8,356 

642,298 

314,240 
1 

314,241 

— 

21,069 

2,578 

27,841 

24,043 

75,531 

632,406 

10,474 

642,880 

419,543 
1 

419,544 

$ 

1,032,880  $ 

1,137,955 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

December 31, 2020 | 49

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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CVR Partners, LP and Subsidiaries

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS 

(in thousands, except per unit data)

Net sales

Operating costs and expenses:

Cost of materials and other

Direct operating expenses (exclusive of depreciation and amortization)

Depreciation and amortization

Cost of sales

Selling, general and administrative expenses

Loss on asset disposals

Goodwill impairment

Operating (loss) income

Other (expense) income:

Interest expense, net

Other income, net

Loss before income taxes

Income tax expense (benefit)

Net loss

Net loss per common unit - basic and diluted

Distributions declared per common unit

Weighted-average common units outstanding:

Basic and Diluted

Year Ended December 31,

2020

2019

2018

$ 

349,953  $ 

404,177  $ 

351,082 

91,117 

157,916 

76,077 

325,110 

18,174 

582 

40,969 

94,103 

173,629 

79,839 

347,571 

25,829 

3,397 

— 

(34,882)   

27,380 

88,461 

159,319 

71,575 

319,355 

25,023 

390 

— 

6,314 

(63,428)   

(62,636)   

(62,588) 

159 

269 

6,201 

(98,151)   

(34,987)   

(50,073) 

30 

(18)   

(46) 

(98,181)  $ 

(34,969)  $ 

(50,027) 

(8.77)  $ 

(3.09)  $ 

— 

4.00 

(4.42) 

— 

$ 

$ 

11,195 

11,328 

11,328 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

December 31, 2020 | 50

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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CVR Partners, LP and Subsidiaries

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF PARTNERS’ CAPITAL 

(in thousands, except unit data)

Balance at December 31, 2017

Net loss

Balance at December 31, 2018

Cash distributions to common unitholders – Affiliates

Cash distributions to common unitholders – Non-affiliates

Net loss

Balance at December 31, 2019

Net loss

Repurchase of common units

Fractional unit impact of reverse unit split

Other

Balance at December 31, 2020

Common Units

Issued

Amount

General
Partner
Interest

Total Partners’ 
Capital

11,328,297  $ 

549,852  $ 

1  $ 

549,853 

— 

11,328,297 

— 

— 

— 

11,328,297 

— 

(623,177) 

590 

— 

(50,027) 

499,825 

(15,568) 

(29,745) 

(34,969) 

419,543 

(98,181) 

(7,076) 

— 

(46) 

— 

1 

— 

— 

— 

1 

— 

— 

— 

— 

(50,027) 

499,826 

(15,568) 

(29,745) 

(34,969) 

419,544 

(98,181) 

(7,076) 

— 

(46) 

10,705,710  $ 

314,240  $ 

1  $ 

314,241 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

December 31, 2020 | 51

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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CVR Partners, LP and Subsidiaries

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS 

(in thousands)

Cash flows from operating activities:

Net loss

Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities:

Depreciation and amortization

Amortization of deferred financing costs and original issue discount

Goodwill impairment

Loss on asset disposals

Share-based compensation

Other adjustments

Changes in assets and liabilities:

Accounts receivable

Inventories

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

Accounts payable

Deferred revenue

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities

Other long-term assets and liabilities

Net cash provided by operating activities

Cash flows from investing activities:

Capital expenditures

Proceeds from the sale of assets

Net cash used in investing activities

Cash flows from financing activities:

Repurchase of common units

Cash distributions to common unitholders – Affiliates

Cash distribution to common unitholders – Non-affiliates

Payment of deferred financing costs

Other financing activities

Net cash used in financing activities

Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period

Cash and cash equivalents, end of period

Year Ended December 31,

2020

2019

2018

$ 

(98,181)  $ 

(34,969)  $ 

(50,027) 

76,077 

4,049 

40,969 

582 

1,035 

964 

2,892 

538 

(4,514) 

(1,635) 

(1,612) 

(1,726) 

302 

19,740 

(18,598) 

48 

(18,550) 

(7,076) 

— 

— 

(448) 

(101) 

(7,625) 

(6,435) 

36,994 

79,839 

3,666 

— 

3,397 

3,445 

(5) 

936 

9,914 

1,582 

(8,077) 

(14,575) 

(6,542) 

546 

39,157 

(18,656) 

127 

(18,529) 

— 

(15,568) 

(29,745) 

— 

(97) 

(45,410) 

(24,782) 

61,776 

$ 

30,559  $ 

36,994  $ 

71,575 

3,333 

— 

390 

3,017 

1,690 

(6,698) 

(8,670) 

(1,196) 

5,215 

10,828 

1,367 

1,410 

32,234 

(19,806) 

175 

(19,631) 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

12,603 

49,173 

61,776 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

December 31, 2020 | 52

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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CVR Partners, LP and Subsidiaries
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(1) Organization and Nature of Business 

CVR Partners, LP (“CVR Partners” or the “Partnership”) is a Delaware limited partnership formed by CVR Energy, Inc. 
(together with its subsidiaries, but excluding the Partnership and its subsidiaries, “CVR Energy”) to own, operate and grow its 
nitrogen  fertilizer  business.  The  Partnership  produces  nitrogen  fertilizer  products  at  two  manufacturing  facilities,  which  are 
located  in  Coffeyville,  Kansas  (the  “Coffeyville  Facility”)  and  East  Dubuque,  Illinois  (the  “East  Dubuque  Facility”).  Both 
facilities manufacture ammonia and are able to further upgrade to other nitrogen fertilizer products, principally urea ammonium 
nitrate (“UAN”). Nitrogen fertilizer is used by farmers to improve the yield and quality of their crops, primarily corn and wheat. 
The Partnership’s products are sold on a wholesale basis in the United States of America. As used in these financial statements, 
references to CVR Partners, the Partnership, “we”, “us”, and “our” may refer to consolidated subsidiaries of CVR Partners or 
one or both of the facilities, as the context may require. 

NYSE Listing Requirements and Reverse Unit Split

The Partnership’s common units are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) under the symbol “UAN.” On 
April 20, 2020, the average closing price of the Partnership’s common units over a 30 consecutive trading-day period fell below 
$1.00 per common unit, resulting in noncompliance with the continued listing standards in Section 802.01C of the NYSE Listed 
Company Manual. The Partnership received written notification of this noncompliance from the NYSE on April 22, 2020, and 
had until January 1, 2021 to regain compliance or be subject to the NYSE’s suspension and delisting procedures.

On  November  2,  2020,  the  Partnership  announced  that  the  board  of  directors  of  its  general  partner  (the  “Board”)  had 
approved a 1-for-10 reverse split of the Partnership’s common units that was completed on November 23, 2020, pursuant to 
which each ten common units of the Partnership were converted into one common unit of the Partnership (the “Reverse Unit 
Split”).  In  accordance  with  the  Partnership’s  Agreement  of  Limited  Partnership,  as  amended  (the  “Partnership  Agreement”), 
following the Reverse Unit Split, any fractional units of record holders were rounded up or down, as applicable, to the nearest 
whole  common  unit,  with  any  fraction  equal  to  or  above  0.5  common  units  rounding  up  to  the  next  higher  common  unit. 
Following the Reverse Unit Split, the number of common units outstanding decreased from approximately 111 million common 
units to approximately 11 million common units, with proportionate adjustments to the common units under the Partnership’s 
long-term incentive plan and outstanding awards thereunder.

The  Partnership’s  common  units  began  trading  on  a  split-adjusted  basis  when  markets  opened  on  November  24,  2020, 
under the symbol “UAN” and a new CUSIP number. As of November 30, 2020, the Reverse Unit Split enabled the Partnership 
to regain compliance with NYSE listing requirements ahead of the January 1, 2021 deadline. All references to common units 
and  per  unit  amounts  in  the  consolidated  financial  statements  and  notes  related  thereto  have  been  retrospectively  adjusted  to 
reflect the effect of the Reverse Unit Split for all periods presented. 

Interest Holders

As of December 31, 2020, public common unit holders held approximately 64% of the Partnership’s outstanding limited 
partner interests; CVR Services, LLC (“CVR Services”) (formerly Coffeyville Resources, LLC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of 
CVR  Energy,  held  approximately  36%  of  the  Partnership’s  outstanding  limited  partner  interests;  and  CVR  GP,  LLC  (“CVR 
GP”  or  the  “general  partner”),  a  wholly  owned  subsidiary  of  CVR  Energy,  held  100%  of  the  Partnership’s  general  partner 
interest. As of December 31, 2020, Icahn Enterprises L.P. (“IEP”) and its affiliates owned approximately 71% of the common 
stock of CVR Energy.

Unit Repurchase Program

On  May  6,  2020,  the  Board,  on  behalf  of  the  Partnership,  authorized  a  unit  repurchase  program  (the  “Unit  Repurchase 
Program”). The Unit Repurchase Program enables the Partnership to repurchase up to $10 million of the Partnership’s common 
units.  Repurchases  under  the  Unit  Repurchase  Program  may  be  made  from  time-to-time  through  open  market  transactions, 
block  trades,  privately  negotiated  transactions,  or  otherwise  in  accordance  with  applicable  securities  laws.  The  timing,  price, 
and  amount  of  repurchases  (if  any)  will  be  made  at  the  discretion  of  management  of  our  general  partner  and  are  subject  to 
market  conditions,  as  well  as  corporate,  regulatory,  and  other  considerations.  During  the  year  ended  December  31,  2020, 
adjusted to reflect the impact of the Reverse Unit Split, the Partnership repurchased 623,177 common units on the open market 

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CVR Partners, LP and Subsidiaries

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)

in  accordance  with  a  repurchase  agreement  under  Rules  10b5-1  and  10b-18  of  the  Exchange  Act  at  a  cost  of  $7.1  million, 
inclusive  of  transaction  costs,  or  an  average  price  of  $11.35  per  common  unit.  At  December  31,  2020,  the  Partnership  had 
$2.9  million  in  authority  remaining  under  the  Unit  Repurchase  Program.  On  February  22,  2021,  the  Board  authorized  an 
additional $10 million for the Unit Repurchase Program. This Unit Repurchase Program does not obligate the Partnership to 
acquire any common units and may be cancelled or terminated by the Board at any time.

Management and Operations

The  Partnership,  including  CVR  GP,  is  led  by  the  Board,  and  its  committees  and  managed  by  the  general  partner’s 
executive  officers,  CVR  Services  (as  sole  member  of  the  general  partner),  and  certain  officers  of  CVR  Energy  and  its 
subsidiaries,  pursuant  to  the  Partnership  Agreement,  as  well  as  a  number  of  agreements  between  the  Partnership,  CVR  GP, 
CVR  Energy,  and  certain  of  their  respective  subsidiaries,  including  a  service  agreement.  See  Note  9  (“Related  Party 
Transactions”) for further discussion. Common unitholders have limited voting rights on matters affecting the Partnership and 
have no right to elect the general partner’s directors or officers, whether on an annual or continuing basis or otherwise. 

Subsequent Events

The  Partnership  evaluated  subsequent  events,  if  any,  that  would  require  an  adjustment  to  the  Partnership’s  consolidated 
financial statements or require disclosure in the notes to the consolidated financial statements through the date of issuance of 
these  consolidated  financial  statements.  Where  applicable,  the  notes  to  these  consolidated  financial  statements  have  been 
updated to discuss all significant subsequent events which have occurred.

(2) Summary of Significant Accounting Policies 

Principles of Consolidation

The  accompanying  consolidated  financial  statements,  prepared  in  accordance  with  U.S.  generally  accepted  accounting 
principles (“GAAP”) and in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), 
include the accounts of CVR Partners and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been 
eliminated.

Reclassifications

Certain  reclassifications  have  been  made  within  the  consolidated  financial  statements  for  the  years  ended  December  31, 
2019 and 2018 to conform with current presentation. Catalyst inventory with a value of $5.6 million as of December 31, 2019 
was reclassified in the first quarter of 2020 to Other long-term assets to conform to current presentation.

Use of Estimates

The  consolidated  financial  statements  are  prepared  in  conformity  with  GAAP,  which  requires  management  to  make 
estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts and disclosure of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial 
statements  and  the  reported  amounts  of  revenues  and  expenses  during  the  reporting  period.  Estimates  are  reviewed  on  an 
ongoing basis, based on currently available information. Changes in facts and circumstances may result in revised estimates and 
actual results could differ from those estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include cash on hand and on deposit, investments in highly liquid money market accounts, and 

debt instruments with original maturities of three months or less. 

Accounts Receivable, net

Accounts receivable, net primarily consist of customer accounts receivable recorded at the invoiced amounts and generally 
do  not  bear  interest.  Also  included  within  Accounts  Receivable  are  unbilled  fixed  price  contracts  which  is  discussed  further 
within Note 6 (“Revenue”).

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CVR Partners, LP and Subsidiaries

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)

Allowances for doubtful accounts are generally recorded when it becomes probable the receivable will not be collected and 
is booked to bad debt expense. The largest concentration of credit for any one customer was approximately 20% and 18% of the 
net  accounts  receivable  balance  at  December  31,  2020  and  2019,  respectively.  Bad  debt  expense  was  $0.1  million  and  $0.1 
million for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. A recovery was recognized during the year ended 2018 
of $1.1 million related to bad debt expense previously written off.

Inventories

Inventories consist of fertilizer products which are valued at the lower of FIFO cost, or net realizable value. Inventories 
also include raw materials (primarily gauze, natural gas, and pet coke) and parts and supplies that are valued at the lower of 
moving-average cost, which approximates FIFO, or net realizable value. The cost of inventories includes inbound freight costs. 

Inventories consisted of the following:

(in thousands)

Finished goods

Raw materials

Parts, supplies and other

   Total Inventories

December 31,

2020

2019

$ 

$ 

9,815  $ 

152 

32,382 

42,349  $ 

17,612 

243 

30,441 

48,296 

At  December  31,  2020  and  2019,  inventories  included  depreciation  of  approximately  $2.0  million  and  $4.5  million, 

respectively.

 Property, Plant and Equipment, net

Additions  to  property,  plant  and  equipment,  including  capitalized  interest  and  certain  costs  allocable  to  construction  and 
property  purchases,  are  recorded  at  cost.  Expenditures  for  improvements  that  increase  economic  benefit  or  returns  and/
or extend useful life are capitalized. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of 
the various classes of depreciable assets. The lives used in computing depreciation for significant asset classes are as follows:

Asset

Land and improvements

Buildings and improvements

Automotive equipment
Machinery and equipment

Other

Range of Useful
Lives, in Years

10 to 30

3 to 30

5 to 30
2 to 30

3 to 10

Property, plant and equipment, net consisted of the following:

(in thousands)

Machinery and equipment

Buildings and improvements

Automotive equipment

Land and improvements

Construction in progress

Other

Less: Accumulated depreciation

     Total Property, plant and equipment, net

December 31,

2020
1,388,735  $ 
17,598 

$ 

16,608 

14,132 

12,098 

1,721 

1,450,892 

553,045 

$ 

897,847  $ 

2019
1,378,651 

17,221 

16,691 

14,075 

5,198 

1,752 

1,433,588 

481,629 

951,959 

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Leasehold improvements and assets held under finance leases are depreciated or amortized on the straight-line method over 
the shorter of the contractual lease term or the estimated useful life of the asset. Expenditures for routine maintenance and repair 
costs  are  expensed  when  incurred.  Such  expenses  are  reported  in  Direct  operating  expenses  (exclusive  of  depreciation  and 
amortization) in the Partnership’s Consolidated Statements of Operations.

As of December 31, 2020, the Partnership had not identified the existence of an impairment indicator for our long-lived 

asset groups as outlined under Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 360, Property, Plant, and Equipment.

Leases

At  inception,  the  Partnership  determines  whether  an  arrangement  is  a  lease  and  the  appropriate  lease  classification. 
Operating leases are included as operating lease right-of-use (“ROU”) assets within Other long-term assets and lease liabilities 
within Other current liabilities and Other long-term liabilities on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Finance leases are included 
as ROU finance leases within Property, plant, and equipment, net, and finance lease liabilities within Other current liabilities 
and  Long-term  debt,  net  of  current  portion  on  our  Consolidated  Balance  Sheets.  Leases  with  an  initial  expected  term  of  12 
months or less are considered short-term and are not recorded on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Partnership recognizes 
lease expense for these leases on a straight-line basis over the expected lease term. 

ROU assets represent the Partnership’s right to use an underlying asset for the lease term, and lease liabilities represent the 
obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. ROU assets and liabilities are recognized at the commencement date 
based  on  the  present  value  of  minimum  lease  payments  over  the  lease  term.  The  lease  term  is  modified  to  reflect  options  to 
extend  or  terminate  the  lease  when  it  is  reasonably  certain  we  will  exercise  such  option.  The  depreciable  life  of  assets  and 
leasehold improvements is limited by the expected lease term, unless there is a transfer of title or purchase option reasonably 
certain  of  exercise,  in  which  case  the  depreciation  policy  in  the  “Property,  Plant  and  Equipment,  net”  section  above  is 
applicable.  The  periodic  lease  payments  are  treated  as  payments  of  the  lease  obligation  and  interest  is  recorded  as  interest 
expense. 

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and Goodwill

Long-lived assets used in operations are assessed for impairment whenever changes in facts and circumstances indicate a 
possible significant deterioration in future expected cash flows. If the sum of the undiscounted expected future cash flows of an 
asset group is less than the carrying value, including applicable liabilities, the carrying value is written down to its estimated 
fair  value.  Individual  assets  are  grouped  for  impairment  purposes  based  on  a  judgmental  assessment  of  the  lowest  level  for 
which there are identifiable cash flows that are largely independent of the cash flows of other assets (for example, at a fertilizer 
facility level). 

The  Partnership  tests  goodwill  for  impairment  annually  impairment  annually  on  November  1  of  each  year,  or  more 
frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate the asset might be impaired. One of the Partnership’s reporting units, 
the  Coffeyville  Facility,  had  a  goodwill  balance  of  $41.0  million  at  December  31,  2019.  During  the  second  quarter  of  2020, 
following  completion  of  the  spring  planting  season,  the  market  pricing  for  ammonia  and  UAN,  which  are  the  facility’s  two 
primary products, experienced significant pricing declines driven by updated market expectations around supply and demand 
fundamentals which were expected to continue into the second half of 2020. Additionally, significant uncertainty remained as 
to the nature and extent of impacts to be seen on the overall demand for corn and soybean given reduced ethanol production and 
broader  economic  conditions  which  had  negatively  impacted  demand.  Therefore,  in  connection  with  the  preparation  of  the 
financial statements for the three months ended June 30, 2020, given the pricing declines experienced in the second quarter of 
2020,  further  muting  of  the  Partnership’s  near-term  economic  recovery  assumptions,  including  revised  forecasts  for  product 
pricing in 2020 and beyond, and market price performance of the Partnership’s common units, the Partnership concluded an 
impairment indicator was present and a triggering event under ASC Topic 350, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other, had occurred 
as of June 30, 2020 and an interim quantitative impairment assessment was performed. Significant assumptions inherent in the 
valuation methodologies for goodwill included, but are not limited to, prospective financial information, growth rates, discount 
rates, inflationary factors, and cost of capital. Based on the interim quantitative analysis, it was determined that the estimated 
fair value of the Coffeyville Facility reporting unit did not exceed its carrying value. As a result, the Partnership recorded a full 
non-cash impairment charge of $41.0 million during the three months ended June 30, 2020. There was no goodwill remaining 
as of December 31, 2020.

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The Partnership performed the annual impairment reviews of goodwill for 2019 and 2018 and concluded no impairments. 
For  the  period  ended  December  31,  2019,  the  Partnership  performed  a  qualitative  assessment  and  concluded  there  were  no 
events or circumstances which would trigger the performance of a quantitative analysis after reviewing all factors impacting the 
Coffeyville Facility, including improved market conditions and financial results in 2019 as compared to the financial forecasts 
from  those  used  in  the  fair  value  analysis  at  December  31,  2018  where  the  estimated  fair  value  of  the  Coffeyville  Facility 
reporting  unit  exceeded  its  carrying  value  by  approximately  36%  based  upon  the  results  of  the  Partnership’s  quantitative 
goodwill impairment test.

Loss Contingencies

In  the  ordinary  course  of  business,  CVR  Partners  may  become  party  to  lawsuits,  administrative  proceedings,  and 
governmental  investigations,  including  environmental,  regulatory,  and  other  matters.  The  outcome  of  these  matters  cannot 
always be predicted accurately, but the Partnership accrues liabilities for these matters if the Partnership has determined that it 
is probable a loss has been incurred and the loss can be reasonably estimated. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, there are no 
matters or contingencies that require recognition or disclosure.

The  Partnership  is  subject  to  various  stringent  federal,  state,  and  local  environmental,  health,  and  safety  rules  and 
regulations.  Liabilities  related  to  future  remediation  costs  of  past  environmental  contamination  of  properties  are  recognized 
when  the  related  costs  are  considered  probable  and  can  be  reasonably  estimated.  Estimates  of  these  costs  are  based  upon 
currently available facts, internal and third-party assessments of contamination, available remediation technology, site-specific 
costs,  and  currently  enacted  laws  and  regulations.  In  reporting  environmental  liabilities,  no  offset  is  made  for  potential 
recoveries.  Loss  contingency  accruals,  including  those  for  environmental  remediation,  are  subject  to  revision  as  further 
information  develops  or  circumstances  change  and  such  accruals  can  take  into  account  the  legal  liability  of  other  parties. 
Management  periodically  reviews  and,  as  appropriate,  revises  its  environmental  accruals.  Environmental  expenditures  for 
capital  assets  are  capitalized  at  the  time  of  the  expenditure  when  such  costs  provide  future  economic  benefits.  As  of 
December  31,  2020  and  2019,  no  liabilities  have  been  recognized  for  environmental  remediation  matters  as  no  matters  have 
been identified that are considered to be probable or estimable.

Revenue Recognition

The  Partnership  recognizes  revenue  based  on  consideration  specified  in  contracts  or  agreements  with  customers  when 
performance  obligations  are  satisfied  by  transferring  control  over  products  or  services  to  a  customer.  The  adoption  of  ASC 
Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, resulted in the recognition of deferred revenue and related receivables, on 
a gross basis, associated with contracts that guarantee a price and supply of nitrogen fertilizer products in quantities expected to 
be delivered in the normal course of business. 

Other accounting policies relevant to revenue include:

•

•

•

Revenue transactions that pass control at customers’ designated facilities;

Non-monetary product exchanges which are entered into in the normal course of business are included on a net cost 
basis in operating expenses on the Consolidated Statements of Operations; and

Pass-through  finished  goods  delivery  costs  reimbursed  by  customers  are  reported  in  net  sales,  while  an  offsetting 
expense is included in cost of materials and other.

Other  considerations  -  Excise  and  other  taxes  collected  from  customers  and  remitted  to  governmental  authorities  are 

excluded from reported revenues.

Cost Classifications

Cost of materials and other consist primarily of freight and distribution expenses, feedstock expenses, purchased ammonia, 
and  purchased  hydrogen.  Direct  operating  expenses  (exclusive  of  depreciation  and  amortization)  consist  primarily  of  energy 
and  other  utility  costs,  direct  costs  of  labor,  property  taxes,  plant-related  maintenance  services,  including  turnaround,  and 
environmental and safety compliance costs, as well as catalyst and chemical costs. Each of these financial statement line items 
are also impacted by changes in inventory balances. Direct operating expenses also include allocated share-based compensation 
from  CVR  Energy  and  its  subsidiaries,  as  discussed  in  Note  7  (“Share-Based  Compensation”).  Selling,  general  and 

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administrative  expenses  consist  primarily  of  legal  expenses,  treasury,  accounting,  marketing,  human  resources,  information 
technology, and maintaining the corporate and administrative offices in Texas and Kansas. 

Share-Based Compensation

The  Partnership  accounts  for  share-based  compensation  in  accordance  with  ASC  Topic  718,  Compensation  —  Stock 
Compensation (“ASC 718”). Currently, all of the Partnership’s share-based compensation awards are liability-classified and are 
measured at fair value at the end of each reporting period based on the applicable closing unit price. Compensation expense will 
fluctuate based on changes in the applicable unit price value and expense reversals resulting from employee terminations prior 
to award vesting. See Note 7 (“Share-Based Compensation”) for further discussion.

Income Taxes

CVR Partners accounts for income taxes utilizing the asset and liability approach. Under this method, deferred tax assets 
and  liabilities  are  recognized  for  the  anticipated  future  tax  consequences  attributable  to  differences  between  the  financial 
statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax basis. Deferred amounts are measured using 
enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the year those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or 
settled.  The  effect  on  deferred  tax  assets  and  liabilities  of  a  change  in  tax  rates  is  recognized  in  income  in  the  period  that 
includes the enactment date.

Allocation of Costs

CVR  Energy  and  its  subsidiaries  provide  a  variety  of  services  to  the  Partnership,  including  employee  benefits  provided 
through  CVR  Energy’s  benefit  plans,  administrative  services  provided  by  CVR  Energy’s  employees  and  management, 
insurance, and office space leased by CVR Energy. As such, the accompanying consolidated financial statements include costs 
that have been incurred by CVR Energy on behalf of the Partnership. These amounts incurred by CVR Energy are then billed or 
allocated to the Partnership and are classified on the Consolidated Statements of Operations as either Direct operating expenses 
(exclusive  of  depreciation  and  amortization)  or  as  Selling,  general  and  administrative  expenses.  See  Note  9  (“Related  Party 
Transactions”) for a detailed discussion of the billing procedures and the basis for calculating the charges for specific products 
and services.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements - Adoption of Credit Losses Standard

In June 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standard Update (“ASU”) 2016-13, 
Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326). The ASU replaces the incurred loss model with a current expected credit 
loss model for more timely recognition of expected impairment losses for most financial assets and certain other instruments 
that are not measured at fair value through net income. Effective January 1, 2020, we adopted this ASU with no material impact 
on the Partnership’s consolidated financial position or results of operations.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements - Adoption of Fair Value Measurement Standard

In  August  2018,  the  FASB  issued  ASU  2018-13,  Fair  Value  Measurement  (Topic  820).  The  ASU  eliminates  such 
disclosures  as  the  amount  of  and  reasons  for  transfers  between  Level  1  and  Level  2  of  the  fair  value  hierarchy.  Certain 
disclosures are required to be applied on a retrospective basis and others on a prospective basis. Effective January 1, 2020, we 
adopted this ASU with no material impact on the Partnership’s disclosures.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements - New Accounting Standards Issued But Not Yet Implemented

In  December  2019,  the  FASB  issued  ASU  2019-12,  Income  Taxes  (Topic  740).  The  ASU  simplifies  the  accounting  for 
income  taxes  by  removing  certain  exceptions  to  the  general  principles  in  Topic  740  and  modifies  other  areas  of  the  topic  to 
clarify the application of GAAP. Certain amendments within the standard are required to be applied on a retrospective basis and 
others  on  a  prospective  basis.  This  standard  is  effective  for  the  Partnership  beginning  January  1,  2021,  with  early  adoption 
permitted.  The  Partnership  is  evaluating  the  effect  of  adopting  this  new  accounting  guidance  on  its  consolidated  financial 

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statements,  but  does  not  currently  expect  adoption  will  have  a  material  impact  on  the  Partnership’s  consolidated  financial 
position or results of operations. The Partnership does not intend to early adopt this ASU.

In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848). This ASU was issued because, by the 
end of 2021, banks will no longer be required to report information that is used to determine London Interbank Offered Rate 
(“LIBOR”), which is used globally by all types of entities. As a result, LIBOR could be discontinued, as well as other interest 
rates used globally. ASU 2020-04 provides companies with optional expedients for contract modifications under Topics 310, 
470, 842, and 815-15, excluded components of certain hedging relationships, fair value hedges, and cash flow hedges, as well 
as certain exceptions, which are intended to help ease the potential accounting burden associated with transitioning away from 
these reference rates. Companies can apply the ASU immediately. However, the guidance will only be available for a limited 
time  (generally  through  December  31,  2022).  The  Partnership  is  currently  evaluating  the  impact  that  adopting  this  new 
accounting standard will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In October 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-10, Codification Improvements. The ASU amends various sections of the 
codification  in  the  Boards  ongoing  efforts  to  simplify  and  improve  guidance.  This  standard  is  effective  for  the  Partnership 
beginning  January  1,  2021,  with  early  adoption  permitted.  The  Partnership  is  evaluating  the  effect  of  adopting  this  new 
accounting guidance on its consolidated financial statements, but does not currently expect adoption will have a material impact 
on the Partnership’s consolidated financial position or results of operations. The Partnership does not intend to early adopt this 
ASU.

(3) Leases

Lease Overview

We lease railcars and certain facilities to support the Partnership’s operations. Most leases include one or more options to 
renew, with renewal terms that can extend the lease term from one to 20 years or more. The exercise of lease renewal options is 
at  our  sole  discretion.  Certain  leases  also  include  options  to  purchase  the  leased  property.  Certain  of  our  lease  agreements 
include rental payments which are adjusted periodically for factors such as inflation. Our lease agreements do not contain any 
material  residual  value  guarantees  or  material  restrictive  covenants.  Additionally,  we  do  not  have  any  lessor  or  sub-leasing 
arrangements. 

Balance Sheet Summary at December 31, 2020 and 2019

The  following  tables  summarize  the  ROU  asset  and  lease  liability  balances  for  the  Partnership’s  operating  and  finance 

leases at December 31, 2020 and 2019:

(in thousands)

Operating Leases:
ROU asset, net

Railcars

Real estate and other

Lease liability

Railcars

Real estate and other

Finance Leases:

ROU asset, net

Real estate and other

Lease liability

Real estate and other

December 31,

2020

2019

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

7,327  $ 

3,040 

7,696  $ 

867 

101  $ 

105  $ 

10,826 

2,581 

11,088 

228 

201 

205 

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Lease Expense Summary for the Year Ended December 31, 2020 and 2019

We recognize lease expense on a straight-line basis over the lease term. For the year ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, 

we recognized lease expense comprised of the following components:

(in thousands)

Operating lease expense

Finance lease expense:

Amortization of ROU asset

Interest expense on lease liability

Year Ended December 31,

2020

2019

4,113  $ 

3,122 

101  $ 

6 

322 

10 

$ 

$ 

Short-term lease expense, recognized within Direct operating expenses (exclusive of depreciation and amortization), was 

$0.4 million and $0.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

Lease Terms and Discount Rates 

The  following  outlines  the  remaining  lease  terms  and  discount  rates  used  in  the  measurement  of  the  Partnership’s  ROU 

assets and liabilities:

Weighted-average remaining lease term (years)

Operating Leases

Finance Leases

Weighted-average discount rate

Operating Leases

Finance Leases

Maturities of Lease Liabilities

Year Ended December 31,

2020

2019

2.9

1.3

 5.1 %

 4.0 %

3.4

2.3

 5.1 %

 3.9 %

The following summarizes the remaining minimum lease payments through maturity of the Partnership’s ROU assets and 

liabilities at December 31, 2020:

(in thousands)

2021
2022

2023

2024

2025

Thereafter

Total lease payments 

Less: imputed interest

Total lease liability

Operating Leases

Finance Leases

$ 

$ 

3,672  $ 
3,236 

1,367 

684 

263 

— 

9,222 

(659)   

8,563  $ 

107 
— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

107 

(2) 

105 

On  July  31,  2020,  the  Partnership  and  Messer  LLC  (“Messer”)  entered  into  an  On-Site  Product  Supply  Agreement  (the 
“Messer Agreement”). Under the Messer Agreement, among other obligations, Messer is obligated to supply and make certain 
capital improvements during the term of the Messer Agreement, and the Partnership is obligated to take as available and pay 
for,  oxygen,  nitrogen,  and  compressed  dry  air  from  Messer’s  facility.  This  arrangement  for  the  Partnership’s  purchase  of 
oxygen, nitrogen, and dry air from Messer does not meet the definition of a lease under FASB ASC Topic 842, Leases, (“Topic 
842”), as the Partnership does not expect to receive substantially all of the output of Messer’s on-site production from its air 
separation unit over the life of the Messer Agreement. The Messer Agreement also obligates Messer to install a new oxygen 

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storage vessel and related equipment to be used solely by the Coffeyville Facility. The arrangement for the use of the oxygen 
storage vessel and related equipment meets the definition of a lease under Topic 842, as the Partnership will receive all output 
associated with the vessel. Based on terms outlined in the Messer Agreement, the Partnership expects the lease of the oxygen 
storage vessel to be classified as a financing lease with an amount between $20 and $25 million being capitalized upon lease 
commencement when the oxygen storage vessel is placed in service.

(4) Other Current Liabilities 

Other current liabilities were as follows:

(in thousands)

Personnel accruals

Operating lease liabilities

Accrued interest

Sales incentives

Share-based compensation

Prepaid revenue contracts

Other accrued expenses and liabilities

   Total other current liabilities

December 31,

2020

2019

$ 

7,475  $ 

3,309 

2,506 

2,215 

442 

197 

2,565 

8,187 

3,523 

2,518 

1,614 

5,011 

277 

2,913 

$ 

18,709  $ 

24,043 

Other  current  liabilities  include  amounts  accrued  by  the  Partnership  and  owed  to  CVR  Energy  and  its  affiliates  of 
$5.4 million at December 31, 2019. The Partnership had no separate affiliate liabilities owed to CVR Energy and its affiliates at 
December 31, 2020, as allocation of affiliate accruals is part of the amount charged to the Partnership under the new Corporate 
Master Service Agreement, which became effective January 1, 2020 (the “Corporate MSA”). Refer to Note 9 (“Related Party 
Transactions”) for additional discussion.

(5) Long-Term Debt 

Long-term debt consists of the following:

(in thousands)
9.25% Senior Secured Notes, due June 2023 (1)(2)

6.50% Senior Notes, due April 2021, net of current portion (3)

Unamortized discount and debt issuance costs (4)

Total long-term debt

Current portion of long-term debt (3)

December 31,

2020

2019

$ 

645,000  $ 

—  $ 

(11,058)   

633,942 
2,240 

645,000 

2,240 

(14,834) 

632,406 
— 

632,406 

Total long-term debt, including current portion

$ 

636,182  $ 

(1) This debt was issued at a $16.1 million discount which is being amortized, as interest expense, over the remaining term of the debt. Debt 

issuance costs associated with this debt totaled $9.4 million.

(2) The estimated fair value of total long-term debt outstanding was approximately $645.7 million and $673.8 million as of December 31, 
2020 and 2019, respectively. This estimate of fair value is a Level 2 measurement as it was determined by quotations obtained from a 
broker-dealer who makes a market in these and similar securities.

(3) The  6.50%  Senior  Notes,  due  April  2021,  mature  within  12  months,  and,  therefore,  the  outstanding  balance  of $2.2  million  has  been 

classified as short-term as of December 31, 2020.

(4) For the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018, amortization of the discount on debt and amortization of deferred financing 

costs reported as Interest expense, net totaled approximately $3.8 million, $3.4 million, and $3.1 million, respectively.

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Credit Agreements

(in thousands)
ABL Credit Agreement (1)(2)

Amount 
borrowed as of 
December 31, 
2020

Outstanding 
Letters of 
Credit

Available 
capacity as of 
December 31, 
2020

Total Capacity

Maturity Date

$ 

20,146  $ 

—  $ 

—  $ 

20,146  September 30, 2022

(1) At the option of the borrowers, loans under the ABL Credit Agreement initially bear interest at an annual rate equal to (i) 1.00% plus a 
base rate, Thereafter, loans will bear interest (i) at such rates if our quarterly excess availability is greater than 50% and (ii) 1.50% plus a 
base rate, otherwise.

(2) The  ABL  Credit  Agreement  was  amended  on  September  29,  2020  to,  among  other  things,  reduce  the  commitments  thereunder  to 
$35 million and extended the maturity date to September 30, 2022. Deferred financing costs of $0.4 million were capitalized related to 
this amendment and will be amortized from Prepaid  expenses and  other current  assets and Other long-term assets over  the remaining 
term of the ABL Credit Agreement. Amortization expense was $0.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018.

9.25% Senior Secured Notes due 2023

On June 10, 2016, CVR Partners and CVR Nitrogen Finance Corporation (“CVR Nitrogen Finance”), an indirect wholly-
owned  subsidiary  of  CVR  Partners  (together  the  “2023  Notes  Issuers”),  certain  subsidiary  guarantors  named  therein  and 
Wilmington  Trust,  National  Association,  as  trustee  and  as  collateral  trustee,  completed  a  private  offering  of  $645  million 
aggregate principal amount of 9.25% Senior Secured Notes due 2023 (the “2023 Notes”). The 2023 Notes mature on June 15, 
2023, unless earlier redeemed or repurchased by the issuers. Interest on the 2023 Notes is payable semi-annually in arrears on 
June 15 and December 15 of each year. The 2023 Notes are guaranteed on a senior secured basis by all of the Partnership’s 
existing subsidiaries.

On or after June 15, 2019, the 2023 Notes Issuers may on any one or more occasions, redeem all or part of the 2023 Notes 
at the redemption prices set forth below expressed as a percentage of the principal amount of the 2023 Notes plus accrued and 
unpaid interest to the applicable redemption date.

12-month period beginning June 15,

2020

2021 and thereafter

Percentage

102.313%

100%

The 2023 Notes contain customary covenants for a financing of this type that, among other things, restrict CVR Partners’ 
ability  and  the  ability  of  certain  of  its  subsidiaries  to:  (i)  sell  assets;  (ii)  pay  distributions  on,  redeem  or  repurchase  the 
Partnership’s  units  or  redeem  or  repurchase  its  subordinated  debt;  (iii)  make  investments;  (iv)  incur  or  guarantee  additional 
indebtedness  or  issue  preferred  units;  (v)  create  or  incur  certain  liens;  (vi)  enter  into  agreements  that  restrict  distributions  or 
other  payments  from  the  Partnerships’  restricted  subsidiaries  to  the  Partnership;  (vii)  consolidate,  merge  or  transfer  all  or 
substantially all of the Partnerships’ assets; (viii) engage in transactions with affiliates; and (ix) create unrestricted subsidiaries. 
In addition, the indenture contains customary events of default, the occurrence of which would result in or permit the trustee or 
the holders of at least 25% of the 2023 Notes to cause the acceleration of the 2023 Notes, in addition to the pursuit of other 
available remedies.

ABL Credit Agreement

On September 29, 2020, CVR Partners amended the ABL Credit Agreement, a senior secured asset based revolving credit 
facility (the “ABL Credit Facility”) with a group of lenders and UBS AG (“UBS”), as administrative agent and collateral agent. 
The ABL Credit Amendment amended the aggregate principal amount of availability of up to $35 million with an incremental 
facility, which permits an increase in borrowings of up to $25 million in the aggregate subject to additional lender commitments 
and certain other conditions. The ABL Credit Amendment is scheduled to mature on September 30, 2022.

The Partnership is in compliance with all covenants of the 9.25% Senior Secured Notes, the 6.50% Senior Notes, and the 

ABL Credit Agreement as of December 31, 2020.

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(6) Revenue

CVR Partners, LP and Subsidiaries

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)

The following table presents the Partnership’s revenue, disaggregated by major product:

(in thousands)
Ammonia

UAN 

Urea products

Net sales, exclusive of freight and other

Freight revenue

Other revenue

Net sales

Year Ended December 31,

2020

2019

2018

$ 

94,117  $ 

94,467  $ 

198,258 

14,115 

306,490 

33,329 

10,134 

251,199 

17,430 

363,096 

33,436 

7,645 

$ 

349,953  $ 

404,177  $ 

66,254 

222,329 

20,633 

309,216 

33,567 

8,299 

351,082 

The Partnership sells its products on a wholesale basis under a contract or by purchase order. The Partnership’s contracts 
with customers generally contain fixed pricing and most have terms of less than one year. The Partnership recognizes revenue 
at the point in time at which the customer obtains control of the product, which is generally upon delivery and acceptance by the 
customer.  The  customer  acceptance  point  is  stated  in  the  contract  and  may  be  at  one  of  the  Partnership’s  manufacturing 
facilities,  at  one  of  the  Partnership’s  off-site  loading  facilities,  or  at  the  customer’s  designated  facility.  Freight  revenue 
recognized by the Partnership represents the pass-through finished goods delivery costs incurred prior to customer acceptance 
and is reimbursed by customers. An offsetting expense for freight is included in Cost of materials and other. Qualifying taxes 
collected from customers and remitted to governmental authorities are not included in reported revenues. 

Depending on the product sold and the type of contract, payments from customers are generally either due prior to delivery 

or within 15 to 30 days of product delivery. 

The Partnership generally provides no warranty other than the implicit promise that goods delivered are free of liens and 
encumbrances and meet the agreed upon specifications. Product returns are rare, and as such, the Partnership does not record a 
specific warranty reserve or consider activities related to such warranty, if any, to be a separate performance obligation.

The Partnership has an immaterial amount of variable consideration for contracts with an original duration of less than a 
year.  A  small  portion  of  the  Partnership’s  revenue  includes  contracts  extending  beyond  one  year,  some  of  which  contain 
variable pricing in which the majority of the variability is attributed to the market-based pricing. The Partnership’s contracts do 
not contain a significant financing component.

The  Partnership  has  an  immaterial  amount  of  fee-based  revenue,  included  in  other  revenue  in  the  table  above,  that  is 

recognized based on the net amount of the proceeds received.

Transaction Price - Allocation to Remaining Performance Obligations

As  of  December  31,  2020,  the  Partnership  had  approximately  $6.1  million  of  remaining  performance  obligations  for 
contracts with an original expected duration of more than one year. The Partnership expects to recognize approximately $3.5 
million of these performance obligations as revenue by the end of 2021, an additional $2.3 million in 2022, and the remaining 
balance  thereafter.  The  Partnership  has  elected  to  not  disclose  the  amount  of  transaction  price  allocated  to  remaining 
performance obligations for contracts with an original expected duration of less than one year. The Partnership has elected to 
not disclose variable consideration allocated to wholly unsatisfied performance obligations that are based on market prices that 
have not yet been determined.

Contract Balances

The Partnership’s deferred revenue is a contract liability that primarily relates to nitrogen fertilizer sales contracts requiring 
customer  prepayment  prior  to  product  delivery  to  guarantee  a  price  and  supply  of  nitrogen  fertilizer.  Deferred  revenue  is 
recorded  at  the  point  in  time  in  which  a  prepaid  contract  is  legally  enforceable  and  the  associated  right  to  consideration  is 
unconditional  prior  to  transferring  product  to  the  customer.  An  associated  receivable  is  recorded  for  uncollected  prepaid 

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contract  amounts.  Contracts  requiring  prepayment  are  generally  short-term  in  nature  and,  as  discussed  above,  revenue  is 
recognized at the point in time in which the customer obtains control of the product.

A summary of the deferred revenue activity during the year ended December 31, 2020 is presented below:

(in thousands)

Balance at December 31, 2019

Add:

New prepay contracts entered into during the period (1)

Less:

Revenue recognized that was included in the contract liability balance at the beginning of the period

Revenue recognized related to contracts entered into during the period

Other changes

Balance at December 31, 2020

(1)

Includes $33.4 million where payment associated with prepaid contracts was collected.  

Major Customers

$ 

27,841 

56,490 

(27,060) 

(26,141) 

(499) 

30,631 

$ 

CVR Partners has two customers who comprised 26%, 28%, and 20% of net sales for the years ended December 31, 2020, 

2019, and 2018, respectively.

(7) Share-Based Compensation 

CVR Partners’ Phantom Unit Awards

CVR Partners has a Long-Term Incentive Plan (“LTIP”) which permits the granting of options, stock and unit appreciation 
rights (“SARs”), restricted shares, restricted stock units, phantom units, unit awards, substitute awards, other unit-based awards, 
cash awards, dividend and distribution equivalent rights, share awards, and performance awards (including performance share 
units, performance units, and performance-based restricted stock). As of December 31, 2020, only phantom unit awards under 
the  LTIP  remained  outstanding.  Individuals  who  are  eligible  to  receive  awards  and  grants  under  the  LTIP  include  CVR 
Energy’s and the Partnership’s employees, officers, consultants, advisors, and directors. 

A  summary  of  phantom  unit  award  activity  and  changes  under  the  LTIP  during  the  year  ended  December  31,  2020  is 

presented below:

(in thousands, except per unit data)

Non-vested at December 31, 2019

Granted

Vested

Forfeited

Weighted-
Average
Grant Date
Fair Value

Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value

Units

155,707  $ 

30.71  $ 

4,827 

444,385 

(62,594)   

(18,617)   

12.12 

31.31 

31.23 

Non-vested at December 31, 2020

518,881  $ 

14.70  $ 

8,312 

Unrecognized  compensation  expense  associated  with  the  phantom  units  at  December  31,  2020  was  approximately  $7.4 
million, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 2.8 years. Compensation expense recorded for 
the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018 related to awards under the CVR Partners LTIP was approximately $0.6 
million, $2.3 million, and $1.9 million, respectively. 

As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Partnership had a liability of $0.9 million and $1.2 million, respectively, for cash 
settled non-vested phantom unit awards and associated distribution equivalent rights. For the years ended December 31, 2020, 
2019,  and  2018,  the  Partnership  paid  cash  of  $0.8  million,  $1.7  million,  and  $1.7  million,  respectively,  to  settle  liability-
classified awards upon vesting. 

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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)

Incentive Unit Awards — CVR Energy

CVR Energy grants awards of incentive units and dividend and distribution equivalent rights to certain of its employees 
and those of its subsidiaries, including CVR GP, who provide shared services for CVR Energy and its subsidiaries, including 
the Partnership. Costs related to these incentive unit awards are allocated to the Partnership based on time spent on Partnership 
business.  Total  compensation  expense  allocated  to  the  Partnership  for  the  years  ended  December  31,  2020,  2019,  and  2018 
related to the incentive units was $0.4 million, $1.0 million and $0.5 million, respectively.

The Partnership had no separate liabilities related to these incentive unit awards as of December 31, 2020, as the allocation 
of compensation expense for incentive unit awards is part of the amount charged to the Partnership under the Corporate MSA. 
The Partnership had a liability of $1.4 million as of December 31, 2019, which is recorded in Other current liabilities. For the 
years  ended  December  31,  2020  and  2018,  the  Partnership  made  reimbursements  to  CVR  Energy  of  $2.2  million  and  $0.8 
million,  respectively,  and  no  reimbursements  for  the  year  ended  December  31,  2019  related  to  its  allocated  portion  of  CVR 
Energy’s  incentive  unit  awards  payments.  See  Note  9  (“Related  Party  Transactions”)  for  further  discussion  of  the  Corporate 
MSA. 

Performance Unit Awards

In connection with an employment agreement with the Partnership’s Executive Chairman dated November 1, 2017, CVR 
Energy entered into a performance unit award agreement (the “2017 Performance Unit Award Agreement”) on November 1, 
2017, with our Executive Chairman representing the right to receive upon vesting, a cash payment equal to $10.0 million if the 
average closing price of CVR Energy’s common stock over the 30 day trading period from January 4, 2022 to February 15, 
2022 is equal to or greater than $60 per share. There were no compensation costs recognized for the years ended December 31, 
2020  and  2019  under  the  2017  Performance  Unit  Award  Agreement.  Compensation  costs  recognized  for  the  year  ended 
December  31,  2018  were  $0.4  million.  Under  the  2017  Performance  Unit  Award  Agreement,  as  of  December  31,  2020,  the 
Partnership  had  no  outstanding  liability,  and  an  outstanding  liability  of  $0.4  million  as  of  December  31,  2019,  which  was 
recorded in Other current liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. At December 31, 2020, there was approximately $2.3 
million of total unrecognized compensation costs related to the 2017 Performance Unit Award Agreement.

Other Benefit Plans

CVR Energy sponsors and administers two defined contribution 401(k) plans, the CVR Energy 401(k) Plan and the CVR 
Energy 401(k) Plan for Represented Employees (the “Plans”), in which employees of the general partner, CVR Partners and its 
subsidiaries  may  participate.  Participants  in  the  Plans  may  elect  to  contribute  a  designated  percentage  of  their  eligible 
compensation in accordance with the Plans, subject to statutory limits. CVR Partners provides a matching contribution of 100% 
of the first 6% of eligible compensation contributed by participants. Participants in both Plans are immediately vested in their 
individual contributions. The Plans provide for a three-year vesting schedule for the Partnership’s matching contributions and 
contain  a  provision  to  count  service  with  predecessor  organizations.  The  Partnership’s  contributions  under  the  Plans  were 
approximately  $1.9  million,  $1.8  million,  and  $1.8  million  for  the  years  ended  December  31,  2020,  2019,  and  2018, 
respectively. Effective January 1, 2021, the matching contributions for the Plans have been suspended.

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(8) Commitments 

Supply Commitments

The  minimum  required  payments  for  unconditional  purchase  obligations,  including  the  natural  gas  purchases  outlined 

below, are as follows:

(in thousands)

Year Ending December 31,

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

Thereafter

Unconditional
Purchase 
Obligations

$ 

$ 

36,132 

11,207 

9,540 

5,006 

5,006 

33,244 

100,135 

Supply Commitments - The Partnership is a party to various supply agreements with both related and third parties which 
commit  the  Partnership  to  purchase  minimum  volumes  of  hydrogen,  oxygen,  nitrogen,  pet  coke,  and  natural  gas  to  run  its 
plants’ operations. 

The Partnership is also party to a natural gas supply agreement with various third-parties. Natural gas expense for the years 
ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018 totaled approximately $32.4 million, $33.1 million, and $42.4 million, respectively, 
and is included in Cost of materials and other and Direct operating expenses (exclusive of depreciation and amortization).

The Partnership entered into the Coffeyville Master Service Agreement (“Coffeyville MSA”) with Coffeyville Resources 
Refining & Marketing, LLC, an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of CVR Energy (“CRRM”), pursuant to which, it agrees to 
pay a monthly fee for pet coke purchases. The Partnership’s Coffeyville Facility obtains a significant amount (60% on average 
during  last  five  years,  33%  in  2020)  of  the  pet  coke  it  needs  from  the  Coffeyville  MSA.  Any  remaining  pet  coke  needs  are 
required to be purchased from various third parties. The price paid pursuant to the Coffeyville MSA is based on the lesser of a 
pet coke price derived from the price received for UAN (the “UAN-based Price”) or a pet coke price index. The UAN-based 
Price begins with a pet coke price of $25 per ton based on a price per ton for UAN that excludes transportation cost (“netback 
price”) of $205 per ton, and adjusts up or down $0.50 per ton for every $1.00 change in the netback price. The UAN-based 
price has a ceiling of $40 per ton and a floor of $5 per ton. See Note 9 (“Related Party Transactions”) for further discussion of 
the Coffeyville MSA.

Pursuant  to  the  Coffeyville  MSA,  the  Partnership  agreed,  with  respect  to  the  Coffeyville  Facility,  to  pay  CRRM  for 
hydrogen purchases. The committed hydrogen volume pricing is based on a monthly fixed fee (based on the fixed and capital 
charges associated with producing the committed volume) and a monthly variable fee (based on the natural gas price associated 
with hydrogen actually received). In the event the Coffeyville Facility fails to take delivery of the full committed volume in a 
month, the Partnership remains obligated to pay CRRM for the monthly fixed fee and the monthly variable fee based upon the 
actual  hydrogen  volume  received,  if  any.  In  the  event  CRRM  fails  to  deliver  any  portion  of  the  committed  volume  for  the 
applicable  month  for  any  reason  other  than  planned  repairs  and  maintenance,  the  Partnership  will  be  entitled  to  a  pro-rata 
reduction of the monthly fixed fee. See Note 9 (“Related Party Transactions”) for further discussion.

The Partnership, with respect to the  Coffeyville Facility, is also party to the Messer Agreement, pursuant to which, it is 
required  to  take  as  available  and  pay  for  the  supply  of  oxygen  and  nitrogen  to  the  plant.  This  agreement  was  renewed  and 
commenced  in  July  2020  for  an  initial  term  of  15  years  with  annual  renewals  thereafter.  Expenses  associated  with  this 
agreement  are  included  in  Direct  operating  expenses  (exclusive  of  depreciation  and  amortization),  and,  for  the  years  ended 
December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018, totaled approximately $4.2 million, $4.2 million, and $3.8 million, respectively.

In  addition  to  the  related  party  Coffeyville  MSA,  the  Coffeyville  Facility  has  pet  coke  supply  agreements  with  multiple 
third-party refineries to purchase approximately 275,000 tons of pet coke at a fixed price for delivery at different dates through 
December 2021. The Coffeyville Facility has historically purchased third-party pet coke based on spot purchases and supply 

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agreements in place at the time. The delivered cost of third-party pet coke purchases is included in Cost of materials and other 
and  totaled  approximately  $17.9  million,  $10.3  million,  and  $4.8  million  for  the  years  ended  December  31,  2020,  2019,  and 
2018, respectively.

During 2019, the Partnership, with respect to the East Dubuque Facility, entered into a utility service agreement with a new 
third-party energy cooperative. The new utility service agreement does not contain purchase commitments. The cost of utilities, 
including natural gas purchases, is included in Direct operating expenses (exclusive of depreciation and amortization). Prior to 
entering  into  the  new  utility  service  agreement,  the  East  Dubuque  Facility  had  a  utility  service  agreement  with  a  third-party 
energy cooperative which included certain charges on a take-or-pay basis and amounts associated with this agreement totaled 
approximately $3.7 million and $10.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

(9) Related Party Transactions 

Limited Partnership Agreement

The Partnership’s general partner manages the Partnership’s operations and activities as specified in CVR Partners’ limited 
partnership agreement. The general partner of the Partnership, CVR GP, is managed by its board of directors. The partnership 
agreement  provides  that  the  Partnership  will  reimburse  CVR  GP  for  all  direct  and  indirect  expenses  it  incurs  or  payments  it 
makes on behalf of the Partnership, including salary, bonus, incentive compensation, and other amounts paid to any person to 
perform services for the Partnership or for its general partner in connection with operating the Partnership. 

Omnibus Agreement

We are party to an omnibus agreement with CVR Energy and our general partner, pursuant to which we have agreed that 
CVR  Energy  will  have  a  preferential  right  to  acquire  any  assets  or  group  of  assets  that  do  not  constitute  assets  used  in  a 
fertilizer  restricted  business.  In  determining  whether  to  exercise  any  preferential  right  under  the  omnibus  agreement,  CVR 
Energy will be permitted to act in its sole discretion, without any fiduciary obligation to us or the unitholders whatsoever. These 
obligations will continue so long as CVR Energy owns at least 50% of our general partner. There was no activity reported under 
this agreement during the years ended 2020, 2019, and 2018.

Coffeyville MSA

Effective January 1, 2020, the Conflicts Committee of the Board and the audit committee of CVR Energy approved, and 
CRNF and CRRM entered into the Coffeyville MSA which is comprised of various supply and service agreements effectively 
replacing, on substantially equivalent terms, other related party agreements in place during 2019 and 2018 as (the “Replaced 
Coffeyville Agreements”). In addition to affirming the terms and services described in the Replaced Coffeyville Agreements 
and  resetting  the  durations  thereof,  as  applicable,  commencing  January  1,  2020,  the  Coffeyville  MSA  provides  for  monthly 
payments,  subject  to  netting,  for  all  goods  and  services  supplied  under  the  Coffeyville  MSA.  The  Coffeyville  MSA  will 
continue in effect until terminated in writing, in whole or in part, by either party, or until terminated automatically in the event a 
party falls out of common control with the other party. The Coffeyville MSA provides the following services:

•

•

•

•

Cross Easements - Both CRNF and CRRM can access and utilize each other’s land in certain circumstances in order to 
operate their respective businesses.  

Hydrogen Purchase and Sale - CRRM agrees to sell and deliver a committed hydrogen volume of 90,000 mscf per 
month  to  CRNF  and  CRNF  agrees  to  purchase  and  receive  the  committed  volume.  CRNF  also  has  the  option  to 
purchase excess volume from CRRM, if available.

Raw Water and Facilities Sharing - CRNF and CRRM are each owners of an undivided one-half interest in and to the 
water  rights  and  agree  to  (i)  allocate  raw  water  resources  between  CVR  Energy’s  Coffeyville  Refinery  and  our 
Coffeyville Facility and (ii) provide for the management of the water intake system which draws raw water from the 
Verdigris River for both our Coffeyville Facility and CVR Energy’s Coffeyville Refinery.

Coke Supply - Our Coffeyville Facility purchases pet coke from CVR Energy’s Coffeyville Refinery which provides 
that  CRRM  must  deliver,  and  the  Coffeyville  Facility  must  purchase,  during  each  calendar  year  an  annual  required 
amount of pet coke equal to the lesser of (i) 100 percent of the pet coke or (ii) 500,000 tons of pet coke. If during a 

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calendar  month,  more  than  41,667  tons  of  pet  coke  is  produced  and  available  for  purchase,  then  the  Coffeyville 
Facility will have the option to purchase the excess at the purchase price provided for in the agreement. If the option is 
declined, CRRM may sell the excess to a third-party.

•

Feedstock  and  Shared  Services  -  CRNF  and  CRRM  provide  feedstock  and  other  services  to  one  another.  These 
feedstocks and services are utilized in the respective production processes of CRRM’s Coffeyville Refinery and our 
Coffeyville Facility. Feedstocks provided under the agreement include, among others, hydrogen, high-pressure steam, 
nitrogen, instrument air, oxygen, and natural gas.

•

Lease - CRNF leases certain office and laboratory space from CRRM.

Corporate MSA

Also effective January 1, 2020, the Conflicts Committee of the Board and the audit committee of CVR Energy approved, 
and  the  parties  entered  into  the  Corporate  MSA  between  CVR  Services  and  certain  of  its  affiliates,  including  CVR  Energy, 
CVR  GP  and  the  Partnership  and  its  subsidiaries,  which  is  comprised  of  various  management  and  service  agreements 
effectively  replacing  other  related  party  agreements,  on  substantially  equivalent  terms,  in  place  for  2019  and  2018  as  (the 
“Replaced  Corporate  Agreements”).  In  addition  to  affirming  the  terms  and  services  described  in  the  Replaced  Corporate 
Agreements and resetting the durations thereof, as applicable, commencing January 1, 2020, the Corporate MSA provides for 
payment  by  each  service  recipient  under  the  Corporate  MSA  of  a  monthly  fee  for  goods  and  services  supplied  under  the 
Corporate MSA, subject to netting and an annual true up, as well as pass-through of any direct costs incurred on behalf of a 
service recipient without markup. 

Under  the  Corporate  MSA,  CVR  GP  and  the  Partnership  and  its  subsidiaries  obtain  certain  management  and  other 

professional services from CVR Services, including the following, among others:

•

•

•

services  from  CVR  Services’  employees  in  capacities  equivalent  to  the  capacities  of  corporate  executive  officers, 
except that those who serve in such capacities under the agreement will serve the Partnership on a shared, part-time 
basis only, unless the Partnership and CVR Services agree otherwise;

administrative  and  professional  services,  including  legal,  accounting,  SOX  compliance,  financial  reporting,  human 
resources,  information  technology,  communications,  insurance,  tax,  credit,  finance,  corporate  compliance,  enterprise 
risk management, consulting, and government and regulatory affairs;

recommendations on capital raising activities to the board of directors of the general partner, including the issuance of 
debt or equity interests, the entry into credit facilities, and other capital market transactions;

• managing or overseeing litigation and administrative or regulatory proceedings, investigations and other reviews in the 
ordinary  course  of  business  or  operations,  establishing  appropriate  insurance  policies  for  the  Partnership,  and 
providing safety and environmental advice;

•

recommending the payment of distributions; and

• managing or providing advice for other projects, including acquisitions, as may be agreed by the general partner and 

CVR Services from time to time.

•

permitting the use of the CVR Energy and CVR Partners trademarks by CVR GP and the Partnership at no cost.

For services performed in connection with the services agreement, the Partnership recognized personnel costs, excluding 
amounts related to share based compensation (refer to Note 7 (“Share-Based Compensation”)), of $6.6 million, $7.3 million, 
and $6.6 million, respectively, for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018. 

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Related Party Activity

Activity associated with the Partnership’s related party arrangements for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 

2018 is summarized below:

(in thousands)

Sales to related parties (1)

Purchases from related parties (2)

Prepaid expenses (3)

Due to related parties (4)

Year Ended December 31,

2020

2019

2018

$ 

993  $ 

119  $ 

22,365 

30,876 

371 

27,315 

December 31,

2020

2019

$ 

—  $ 

1,446 

249 

7,826

(1) Sales to related parties, included in Net sales, consist primarily of sales of feedstocks and services to CRRM under the Coffeyville MSA.
(2) Purchases  from  related  parties,  included  in  Cost  of  materials  and  other,  Direct  operating  expenses  (exclusive  of  depreciation  and 
amortization),  and  Selling,  general  and  administrative  expenses,  consist  primarily  of  pet  coke  and  hydrogen  purchased  from  CRRM 
under the Coffeyville MSA.

(3) Prepaid  expenses,  included  in  Prepaid  expenses  and  other  current  assets,  are  amounts  paid  for  feedstocks  and  services  provided  by 

CRRM under the Coffeyville MSA.

(4) Due  to  related  parties,  included  in  Accounts  payable  to  affiliates,  Other  current  liabilities,  and  Other  long-term  liabilities,  consist 
primarily of amounts payable for feedstocks and other supplies and services provided by CRRM and CVR Services under the Coffeyville 
MSA and Corporate MSA.

Environmental Agreement

Our Coffeyville Facility is a party to an environmental agreement with CRRM which provides for certain indemnification 
and access rights in connection with environmental matters affecting CVR Energy’s Coffeyville refinery and our Coffeyville 
Facility. To the extent that liability arises from environmental contamination that is caused by CRRM but is also commingled 
with environmental contamination caused by our Coffeyville Facility, CRRM may elect, in its sole discretion and at its own 
cost  and  expense,  to  perform  government  mandated  environmental  activities  relating  to  such  liability,  subject  to  certain 
conditions and provided that CRRM will not waive any rights to indemnification or compensation otherwise provided for in the 
agreement. No liability under this agreement was recorded as of December 31, 2020 and 2019.

Terminal and Operating Agreement

Our  Coffeyville  Facility  entered  into  a  lease  and  operating  agreement  with  Coffeyville  Resources  Terminal,  LLC,  an 
indirect wholly owned subsidiary of CVR Energy (“CRT”), under which it leases the premises located at Phillipsburg, Kansas 
to  be  utilized  as  a  UAN  terminal.  The  initial  term  of  the  agreement  will  expire  in  May  2032,  provided,  however,  we  may 
terminate the lease at any time during the initial term by providing 180 days prior written notice. In addition, this agreement 
will automatically renew for successive five-year terms, provided that we may terminate the agreement during any renewal term 
with at least 180 days written notice. We will pay CRT $1.00 per year for rent, $4.00 per ton of UAN placed into the terminal, 
and $4.00 per ton of UAN taken out of the terminal. 

Property Exchange

On October 18, 2019, the Conflicts Committee of the Board and on October 22, 2019, the audit committee of CVR Energy, 
each  agreed  to  authorize  the  exchange  of  certain  parcels  of  property  owned  by  subsidiaries  of  CVR  Energy  with  an  equal 
number of parcels owned by subsidiaries of CVR Partners, all located in Coffeyville, Kansas (the “Property Exchange”). On 
February 19, 2020, a subsidiary of CVR Energy and a subsidiary of CVR Partners executed the Property Exchange agreement. 
This  Property  Exchange  will  enable  each  such  subsidiary  to  create  a  more  usable,  contiguous  parcel  of  land  near  its  own 
operating footprint. CVR Energy and the Partnership accounted for this transaction in accordance with the ASC Topic 805-50, 
Business  Combinations  (“  Topic  805-50”),  guidance  on  transferring  assets  between  entities  under  common  control.  This 
transaction had a net impact to the Partnership’s partners’ capital of less than $0.1 million.

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CVR Partners, LP and Subsidiaries

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)

Distributions to CVR Partners’ Unitholders

The Board has a policy for the Partnership to distribute all available cash generated on a quarterly basis. Cash distributions 
are  made  to  the  common  unitholders  of  record  on  the  applicable  record  date,  generally  within  60  days  after  the  end  of  each 
quarter. Available cash for each quarter is determined by the Board following the end of such quarter.

Distributions,  if  any,  including  the  payment,  amount,  and  timing  thereof,  are  subject  to  change  at  the  discretion  of  the 
Board. There were no distributions declared or paid by the Partnership during the year ended December 31, 2020 related to the 
fourth quarter of 2019 or the first, second, and third quarters of 2020. No distributions were declared for the fourth quarter of 
2020.

The  Partnership  paid  distributions  totaling  $4.00  per  common  unit  on  a  split-adjusted  basis,  or  $45.3  million  during  the 
year  ended  December  31,  2019.  Of  these  distributed  amounts,  CVR  Energy  received  $15.6  million.  During  the  year  ended 
December 31, 2018, the Partnership did not pay distributions.

(10) Supplemental Cash Flow Information 

Cash flows related to income taxes, interest, leases, and capital expenditures included in accounts payable are as follows:

(in thousands)

Supplemental disclosures:

Cash paid for income taxes, net of refunds

Cash paid for interest

Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities (1):

Operating cash flows from operating leases

Operating cash flows from finance leases

Financing cash flows from finance leases

Non-cash investing and financing activities:

Year Ended December 31,

2020

2019

2018

$ 

69  $ 

40  $ 

59,850 

60,057 

26 

60,168 

4,117 

6 

100 

4,019 

20 

321 

Change in capital expenditures included in accounts payable

$ 

(2,167)  $ 

1,618  $ 

(1,031) 

(1) The lease standard was adopted on January 1, 2019 on a prospective basis. Therefore, only 2020 and 2019 are applicable to be included 

within the table above.

December 31, 2020 | 70

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Item 9.    Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure

None.

Item 9A.    Controls and Procedures

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures. 

As of December 31, 2020, the Partnership has evaluated, under the direction of the Executive Chairman, Chief Executive 
Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer, the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures, as 
defined in Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(e). There are inherent limitations to the effectiveness of any system of disclosure controls 
and procedures, including the possibility of human error and the circumvention or overriding of the controls and procedures. 
Accordingly, even effective disclosure controls and procedures can only provide reasonable assurance of achieving their control 
objectives. Based upon, and as of the date of that evaluation, the Partnership’s Executive Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, 
Chief  Financial  Officer  and  Chief  Accounting  Officer  concluded  that  disclosure  controls  and  procedures  were  effective  to 
provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed in the reports filed or submitted under the Exchange Act 
is  accurately  recorded,  processed,  summarized  and  reported  within  the  time  periods  specified  in  the  SEC’s  rules  and  forms. 
Such information is accumulated and communicated to the Partnership’s management, including the Executive Chairman, Chief 
Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer, as appropriate, to allow accurate and timely decisions 
regarding required disclosure.

Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting.    

The  Partnership’s  management  is  responsible  for  establishing  and  maintaining  adequate  internal  control  over  financial 
reporting,  as  such  term  is  defined  in  Exchange  Act  Rule  13a-15(f).  Because  of  its  inherent  limitations,  internal  control  over 
financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are 
subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with 
the policies or procedures may deteriorate. Under the supervision and with the participation of management, we conducted an 
evaluation  of  the  effectiveness  of  its  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  based  on  the  framework  in  the  2013  Internal 
Control  —  Integrated  Framework  issued  by  the  Committee  of  Sponsoring  Organizations  of  the  Treadway  Commission 
(“COSO”). Based on that evaluation, the Partnership’s Executive Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer 
and Chief Accounting Officer have concluded that internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 
2020.  The  Partnership’s  independent  registered  public  accounting  firm,  that  audited  the  consolidated  financial  statements 
included  herein  under  Item  8,  has  issued  a  report  on  the  effectiveness  of  the  Partnership’s  internal  control  over  financial 
reporting. This report can be found under Item 8.

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting.    

There have been no changes in the Partnership’s internal control over financial reporting required by Rule 13a-15 of the 
Exchange Act that occurred during the fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2020 that materially affected or is reasonably likely 
to  materially  affect,  the  Partnership’s  internal  control  over  financial  reporting.  Despite  many  of  our  employees  working  in  a 
remote environment due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have not experienced any material impact to our internal controls over 
financial reporting. We are continually monitoring and assessing the COVID-19 pandemic to determine any potential impact on 
the design and operating effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting.

Item 9B.    Other Information

None.

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Item 10.    Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance

Management of CVR Partners, LP 

PART III

As a publicly traded partnership, we are managed by our general partner, CVR GP, LLC, either directly by its board of 
directors (the “Board”), by its executive officers (who are appointed by the Board) or by its sole member, CVR Services, an 
indirect wholly owned subsidiary of CVR Energy, subject to the terms and conditions specified in our partnership agreement. 
Limited partners are not entitled to directly or indirectly participate in our management or operation. Neither our general partner 
nor the members of its Board are elected by our unitholders, and none are subject to re-election on a regular basis in the future.

Actions by our general partner that are made in its individual capacity are made by CVR Services as the sole member of 
our  general  partner  and  not  by  the  Board.  Our  partnership  agreement  contains  various  provisions  which  replace  default 
fiduciary  duties  with  more  limited  contractual  corporate  governance  standards.  Whenever  our  general  partner  makes  a 
determination or takes or declines to take an action in its individual, rather than representative, capacity, it is entitled to make 
such  determination  or  to  take  or  decline  to  take  such  action  free  of  any  fiduciary  duty  or  obligation  whatsoever  to  us,  any 
limited  partner  or  assignee,  and  it  is  not  required  to  act  in  good  faith  or  pursuant  to  any  other  standard  imposed  by  our 
partnership agreement or under Delaware law or any other law. Examples include the exercise or assignment of its call right or 
its registration rights, its voting rights with respect to the units it owns and its determination whether or not to consent to any 
merger or consolidation of the Partnership. Our general partner is liable, as a general partner, for all of our debts (to the extent 
not  paid  from  our  assets),  except  for  indebtedness  or  other  obligations  that  are  made  expressly  non-recourse  to  it.  Our  debt 
instruments are non-recourse to our general partner. Our general partner therefore may cause us to incur indebtedness or other 
obligations that are non-recourse to it.

The Board

During  2020,  the  Board  consisted  of  three  directors  affirmatively  determined  by  the  Board  to  be  independent,  non-
employee  directors  (Donna  R.  Ecton,  Frank  M.  Muller,  Jr.  and  Peter  K.  Shea);  three  non-employee  directors  who  are  also 
officers of Icahn Enterprises L.P. (“IEP”) (Johnathan Frates, Andrew Langham and Hunter C. Gary); as well as two directors 
who  are  also  executive  officers  of  our  general  partner  (David  L.  Lamp,  our  Executive  Chairman,  and  Mark  A.  Pytosh,  our 
President  and  Chief  Executive  Officer).  The  Board  is  led  by  its  Chairman  of  the  Board,  Mr.  Lamp.  As  required  by  our 
Corporate Governance Guidelines, the Board oversees the business of the Partnership, including its fundamental financial and 
business strategies and major corporate actions, significant risks facing the Partnership and its risk management activities and 
the  Partnership’s  Environmental,  Social  and  Governance  (“ESG”)  initiatives.  The  Board  also  periodically  evaluates  its 
composition,  including  the  skill  sets,  diversity,  leadership  structure,  background  and  experience  of  its  directors.  The  Board 
believes  its  current  structure  and  composition  is  best  for  the  Partnership  and  its  unitholders  at  this  time.  All  actions  of  the 
Board,  other  than  any  matters  delegated  to  a  committee,  will  require  approval  by  majority  vote  of  the  directors,  with  each 
director having one vote. The directors of our general partner hold office until the earlier of their death, resignation or removal. 
The  Board  met  four  times  in  2020  and  acted  three  times  by  written  consent.  All  of  the  directors  who  served  during  2020 
attended at least 75% of the total meetings of the Board and each of the committees on which such director served during their 
respective tenure except for Mr. Langham who attended all of the meetings of the committees on which he served and at least 
50% of the total meetings of the Board.

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The  following  table  sets  forth  the  names,  positions,  ages,  and  a  description  of  the  backgrounds,  experience,  and 

qualifications of our directors, as of February 22, 2021:

Name, Position and Age

David L. Lamp
Executive Chairman and 
Chairman of the Board 
Age 63

Current Public Company Directorships:  
CVR Partners (2018 to Current)
CVR Energy (2018 to Current)

Mark A. Pytosh
President and Chief Executive Officer 
and Director
Age 56

Current Public Company Directorships:  
CVR Partners (2011 to Current)

Principal Occupation, Experience and Qualifications
Mr. Lamp has served as Executive Chairman of our general partner since January 2018, 
Chairman  of  the  Board  since  2018,  as  Chief  Executive  Officer  and  President  of  CVR 
Energy since December 2017, and as a Director of CVR Energy, since January 2018. Mr. 
Lamp has more than 40 years of technical, commercial and operational experience in the 
refining and chemical industries. He previously served as President and Chief Operating 
Officer  of  Western  Refining,  Inc.,  from  2016  until  its  sale  to  Andeavor  in  2017;  as 
President and Chief Executive Officer and a Director of the general partner of Northern 
Tier  Energy,  L.P.  from  2013  until  its  merger  with  Western  Refining  in  2016;  and  as  a 
Director of CVR Refining, LP, from January 2018 to February 2019. Mr. Lamp serves on 
the Board of Directors of the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers Association 
and  is  a  past  Chairman.    Mr.  Lamp  graduated  from  Michigan  State  University  with  a 
Bachelor  of  Science  in  Chemical  Engineering.  We  believe  Mr.  Lamp's  extensive 
knowledge  and  experience  in  the  refining  and  chemical  industries,  as  well  as  his 
significant background serving in key executive roles at public and private companies and 
strong leadership skills make him well qualified to serve as our director.

Former Public Company Directorships: CVR Refining (2018 to 2019) and Northern Tier 
Energy, LP (2013 to 2016) 

Mr.  Pytosh  has  served  as  Chief  Executive  Officer  and  President  of  our  general  partner 
since  May  2014,  as  our  director  since  2011,  and  as  Executive  Vice  President  of  CVR 
Energy  since  October  2014.  Previously,  Mr.  Pytosh  served  as  Executive  Vice  President 
and  Chief  Financial  Officer  for  Alberta,  Canada-based  Tervita  Corporation,  an 
environmental and energy services company, from 2010 to 2014; as Senior Vice President 
and  Chief  Financial  Officer  for  Covanta  Energy  Corporation,  which  owns  and  operates 
energy  from  waste  power  facilities,  biomass  power  facilities  and  independent  power 
plants  in  the  United  States,  Europe  and  Asia,  from  2006  to  2010;  and  held  various 
positions  with  Waste  Services,  Inc.,  an  integrated  solid  waste  services  company  that 
operates  in  the  United  States  and  Canada  from  2004  to  2006,  including  Executive  Vice 
President, from 2004 to 2006, and Chief Financial Officer, from 2005 to 2006. Mr. Pytosh 
has  served  as  a  director  of  the  University  of  Illinois  Foundation  since  2007  and  the 
Fertilizer  Institute  since  2015.  Mr.  Pytosh  received  a  Bachelor  of  Science  degree  in 
chemistry  from  the  University  of  Illinois,  Urbana-Champaign.  His  extensive  experience 
with  public  entities  in  the  energy  industry,  leadership  skills  and  strong  financial 
background make him well qualified to serve as our director.

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Donna R. Ecton
Director
Age 73

Current Public Company Directorships:
CVR Partners (2008 to Current)

Jonathan Frates  
Director  
Age 38

Current Public Company Directorships: 
CVR Partners (2016 to Current) 
CVR Energy (2016 to Current) 
Viskase Companies, Inc. (2016 to Current)
SandRidge Energy, Inc. (2018 to Current) 
Herc Holdings Inc. (2019 to Current) 
Vivus Inc. (2020 to Current)

Ms.  Ecton  has  served  as  our  director  since  2008.  Ms.  Ecton  is  chairman  and  chief 
executive officer of EEI Inc which she founded in 1998. EEI is a management consulting 
practice which provides private equity and sub debt firms with turnaround assistance, due 
diligence  through  market/operational  assessments  of  companies  being  considered  for 
acquisition,  as  well  as  mentoring  and  coaching  for  executive  officers.  Prior  to  this,  she 
served on the board of directors of PETsMART where she was asked to take over the role 
of  Chief  Operating  Officer.  Other  operating  experience  includes  serving  as  chief 
executive officer of Business Mail Express, Inc., Van Houten North America and Andes 
Candies, Inc.  Ms. Ecton has also served as a corporate officer of Nutri/System, Inc. and 
Campbell Soup Company, as well as running the upper Manhattan middle-market lending 
business and the midtown Manhattan banks for Citibank, N.A. Ms. Ecton has previously 
served as a member of the following boards of directors: Mellon Bank Corporation and 
Mellon  Bank  N.A.,  Mellon  PSFS,  H&R  Block,  Inc.,  Tandy  Corporation,  Barnes  Group 
Inc.,  Vencor,  Inc.,  Body  Central  Corp.,  and  KAR  Auction  Services,  Inc.  Ms.  Ecton  has 
also  served  as  a  board  member  or  chairman  of  numerous  privately  held  companies  and 
non-profit organizations. Ms. Ecton earned her MBA from the Harvard Graduate School 
of Business Administration, and received her BA in economics from Wellesley College, 
graduating as a Durant Scholar. Ms. Ecton was elected and served on the Harvard Board 
of  Overseers,  and  as  president  of  the  Harvard  Business  School  Association’s  Executive 
Council.  She  also  served  on  the  Business  Advisory  Council  of  the  Carnegie  Mellon 
Graduate School of Industrial Administration.  Ms. Ecton is a member of the Council on 
Foreign  Relations.  We  believe  Ms.  Ecton's  significant  background  as  both  an  executive 
officer and director of public companies and extensive experience in finance is an asset to 
our Board. Her knowledge and experience, as well as risk oversight expertise, provide the 
audit  committee  with  valuable  perspective  in  managing  the  relationship  with  our 
independent accountants and in the performance of financial auditing oversight. 

Former Public Company Directorships: Body Central Corp (2011 to 2014); KAR 
Auction Services, Inc. (2013 to 2019); Mellon Bank Corporation and Mellon Bank N.A., 
Mellon PSFS; H&R Block, Inc.; Tandy Corporation; Barnes Group Inc.; Vencor, Inc.; 
and PetSmart, Inc.

Mr. Frates has served as our director since 2016. Mr. Frates has been a Managing Director 
at  IEP,  a  diversified  holding  company  engaged  in  a  variety  of  businesses,  including 
investment,  automotive,  energy,  food  packaging,  metals,  real  estate  and  home  fashion, 
since  June  2018.  From  November  2015  to  June  2018,  Mr.  Frates  served  as  a  Portfolio 
Company  Associate  at  Icahn  Enterprises.  Prior  to  joining  Icahn  Enterprises,  Mr.  Frates 
served as a Senior Business Analyst at First Acceptance Corp. and as an Associate at its 
holding company, Diamond A Ford Corp. Mr. Frates began his career as an Investment 
Banking  Analyst  at  Wachovia  Securities  LLC.  Mr.  Frates  has  served  as:  a  director  of 
Vivus,  Inc.,  a  biopharmaceutical  company,  since  December  2020;  a  director  of  Herc 
Holdings  Inc.,  an  international  provider  of  equipment  rental  and  services,  since  August 
2019; Chairman of the Board of Directors of SandRidge Energy, Inc., an oil and natural 
gas company with a principal focus on exploration and production activities, since June 
2018; a director of Viskase Companies, Inc., a meat casing company, since March 2016, 
and  Chairman  of  its  Board  of  Directors  since  October  2019;  and  a  director  of  CVR 
Energy  since  March  2016.  Mr.  Frates  has  also  been  a  member  of  the  Executive 
Committee  of  ACF  Industries  LLC,  a  railcar  manufacturing  company,  since  September 
2018.    Mr.  Frates  was  previously:  a  director  of  Ferrous  Resources  Limited,  an  iron  ore 
mining company with operations in Brazil, from December 2016 to July 2019; a director 
of American Railcar Industries, Inc., a railcar manufacturing company, from March 2016 
to December 2018; and a director of the general partner of CVR Refining, LP from March 
2016 to February 2019. Ferrous Resources, American Railcar Industries, ACF Industries, 
Viskase  Companies,  CVR  Energy,  and  CVR  Refining  are  each  indirectly  controlled  by 
Carl  C.  Icahn.  Mr.  Icahn  also  has  a  non-controlling  interest  in  Herc  Holdings  and 
SandRidge Energy through the ownership of securities. Mr. Frates received a BBA from 
Southern Methodist University and an MBA from Columbia Business School. Mr. Frates' 
significant board experience and broad financial background make him qualified to serve 
as our director.   

Former  Public  Company  Directorships:  Ferrous  Resources  Limited  (2016  to  2019); 
American Railcar Industries, Inc. (2016 to 2018); and CVR Refining (2016 to 2019)

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Hunter C. Gary 
Director   
Age 46   

Current Public Company Directorships:  
CVR Partners (2018 to Current) 
CVR Energy (2018 to Current) 
The Pep Boys - Manny, Moe & Jack (2016 
to Current)
Vivus Inc. (2020 to Current)
Conduent Inc. (2020 to Current)

Mr. Gary has served as our director since 2018. Mr. Gary has served as Senior Managing 
Director IEP and has been employed by IEP since November 2010.  At IEP, Mr. Gary is 
responsible for monitoring portfolio company operations, implementing operational value 
enhancement  and  leading  operational  activities  in  areas  including,  technology,  merger 
integration,  supply  chain,  organization  transformation,  real  estate,  recruiting,  business 
process  outsourcing,  SG&A  cost  reduction,  strategic  IT  projects,  and  executive 
compensation. At IEP, Mr. Gary has served in various roles, including President of IEP’s 
Real  Estate  segment  since  November  2013  and  head  of  IEP’s  Information  Technology 
and  Cybersecurity  group  since  September  2015.  Mr.  Gary  has  served  as  President  and 
Chief Executive Officer of Cadus Corporation, a company engaged in the acquisition of 
real estate for renovation or construction and resale, from March 2014 to June 2018.  Prior 
to  both  IEP  and  Cadus,  Mr.  Gary  had  been  employed  by  Icahn  Associates  Corporation 
(IA)  an  affiliate  of  IEP,  in  various  roles  since  June  2003,  most  recently  as  the  Chief 
Operating  Officer  of  Icahn  Sourcing  LLC,  a  group  purchasing  organization  focused  on 
leveraging  the  aggregated  spend  of  its  collective  members.    Mr.  Gary  also  served  in  a 
public governmental capacity from 2004 to 2008 as an elected City Council Member and 
Vice Mayor of Indian Creek Village in Florida.  From 1997 to 2002, Mr. Gary worked, 
most recently as a Managing Director, at Kaufhof Warenhaus AG, a former subsidiary of 
the Metro Group, which was acquired by Hudson’s Bay Company. Mr. Gary has been a 
director of: Vivus since December 2020; Conduent Inc. since 2020; CVR Energy, since 
September 2018; Icahn Automotive Group LLC (IAG); The Pep Boys - Manny, Moe & 
Jack (PBYS), an automotive parts installer and retailer, since February 2016; PSC Metals 
Inc.  (PSC),  a  metal  recycling  company,  since  May  2012;  and  WestPoint  Home  LLC 
(WPH), a home textiles manufacturer, since June 2007. Mr. Gary has also been a member 
of  the  Executive  Committee  of  ACF  Industries  LLC  since  July  2015.  Mr.  Gary  was 
previously a director of: Herbalife Nutrition Ltd. (HLF), a nutrition company, from April 
2014  to  January  2021;  Ferrous  Resources  Limited,  an  iron  ore  mining  company,  from 
June  2015  to  August  2019;  the  general  partner  of  CVR  Refining  L.P.  from  September 
2018 to February 2019; Tropicana Entertainment Inc.(TEI), a company that is primarily 
engaged in the business of owning and operating casinos and resorts, from March 2010 to 
October  2018;  Cadus  from  February  2014  to  June  2018;  XO  Holdings,  a    provider  of 
telecom services, from September 2011 to January 2018; IEH Auto Parts LLC (IEHAP), a 
distributor of automotive aftermarket parts, from June 2015 to May 2017; Federal-Mogul 
Holdings  Corporation  (FDML),  a  supplier  of  automotive  powertrain  and  safety 
components,  from  October  2012  to  February  2016;  Voltari  Corporation  (VLTC),  a 
company in the business of acquiring, financing and leasing commercial real properties, 
from October 2007 to September 2015; American Railcar Industries, Inc. (ARI), a railcar 
manufacturing company, from January 2008 to June 2015; and Viskase Companies from 
August 2012 to June 2015.  Each of ACF, ARI, Cadus, CVR Energy, CVR Refining, LP, 
IAG, Ferrous Resources, FDML, IEHAP, IA, IEP, PBYS, PSC, TEI, Viskase Companies, 
Vivus, VLTC, WPH, and XO are, or previously were, controlled indirectly controlled by 
Carl C. Icahn.  Mr. Icahn also has or had a non-controlling interest in HLF and Conduent 
through  the  ownership  of  securities.  Mr.  Gary  received  his  Bachelor  of  Science  degree 
with  senior  honors  from  Georgetown  University  as  well  as  a  certificate  of  executive 
development  from  Columbia  Graduate  School  of  Business.  Mr.  Gary’s  extensive 
experience  in  operations  and  oversight  matters  for  a  variety  of  company  and  service  on 
other public company boards, enable him to advise our Board on a range of matters and 
qualified to serve as our director.

Former  Public  Company  Directorships:  Herbalife  Ltd.  (2014  to  2021);  Ferrous 
Resources  Limited  (2015  to  2019);  CVR  Refining  (2018  to  2019);  Federal-Mogul 
Holdings LLC (formerly known as Federal-Mogul Holdings Corporation) (2012 to 2016); 
Voltari  Corporation  (2007  to  2015);  American  Railcar  Industries,  Inc.  (2008  to  2015); 
Viskase  Companies  Inc.  (2012  to  2015);  Tropicana  Entertainment  Inc.  (2010  to  2018); 
Cadus Inc. (2014 to 2018); and XO Holdings (2011 to 2018)

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Andrew Langham
Director
Age 47

Current Public Company Directorships:    
CVR Partners (2015 to Current) 
Welbilt, Inc. (2016 to Current)
Cheniere Energy, Inc. (2017 to Current)
Herc Holdings, Inc. (2020 to Current)
Occidental Petroleum Corporation (2020 
to Current)

Frank M. Muller, Jr.
Director
Age 78

Current Public Company Directorships:    
CVR Partners (2008 to Current)

Mr.  Langham  has  served  as  our  director  since  2015.  Mr.  Langham  has  been  General 
Counsel  of  IEP  since  2014.  From  2005  to  2014,  Mr.  Langham  was  Assistant  General 
Counsel  of  Icahn  Enterprises.  Prior  to  joining  Icahn  Enterprises,  Mr.  Langham  was  an 
associate  at  Latham  &  Watkins  LLP  focusing  on  corporate  finance,  mergers  and 
acquisitions,  and  general  corporate  matters.  Mr.  Langham  has  been  a  director  of:  Herc 
Holdings,  Inc.  since  April  2020;  Occidental  Petroleum  Corporation,  an  oil  and  gas 
exploration  and  production  company,  since  March  2020;  Cheniere  Energy,  Inc.,  a 
developer  of  natural  gas  liquefaction  and  export  facilities  and  related  pipelines,  since 
2017; and Welbilt, Inc., a  commercial  foodservice equipment  manufacturer, since 2016. 
Mr. Langham was previously a director of: CVR Energy, from 2014 to 2017; the general 
partner  of  CVR  Refining,  LP  from  2014  to  2019;  Freeport-McMoRan  Inc.,  a  leading 
international  mining  company,  from  2015  to  2018;  and  Newell  Brands  Inc.,  a  global 
marketer  of  consumer  and  commercial  products,  in  2018.  CVR  Energy  and  CVR 
Refining,  LP  are  each  indirectly  controlled  by  Carl  C.  Icahn.  Mr.  Icahn  also  has  non-
controlling interests in Herc Holdings, Occidental, Cheniere, Welbilt, Freeport-McMoRan 
and  Newell  Brands  through  the  ownership  of  securities.  Mr.  Langham  received  a  B.A. 
from  Whitman  College,  and  a  J.D.  from  the  University  of  Washington.  We  believe  that 
Mr. Langham’s extensive legal experience with mergers and acquisitions, as well as his 
board experience qualify him as a director. 

Former  Public  Company  Directorships:  CVR  Refining  (2014  to  2019);  Freeport-
McMoRan Inc. (2015 to 2018); Newell Brands Inc. (2018); CVR Energy (2014 to 2017)

Mr. Muller has served as our director since 2008. Mr. Muller is currently the President of 
Toby  Enterprises,  which  he  founded  in  1999  to  invest  in  startup  companies,  and  the 
Chairman of Topaz Technologies, LTD., a software engineering company. Until August 
2009,  Mr.  Muller  served  as  Chairman  and  Chief  Executive  Officer  of  the  technology 
design and manufacturing from TenX Technology, Inc., which he founded in 1985. Mr. 
Muller  was  a  Senior  Vice  President  of  the  Coastal  Corporation  from  1989  to  2001, 
focusing  on  business  acquisitions  and  joint  ventures,  and  General  Manager  of  the 
Kensington Company, Ltd. From 1984 to 1989. Mr. Muller started his business career in 
the  oil  and  chemical  industries  with  PepsiCo,  Inc.  and  Agrico  Chemical  Company.  Mr. 
Muller served in the United States Army from 1965 to 1973.  Mr. Muller received a BS 
and MBA from Texas A&M University. Mr. Muller's experience in the chemical industry 
and expertise in developing and growing new businesses make him qualified to serve as 
our director.

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Peter K. Shea
Director
Age 69

Current Public Company Directorships:    
CVR Partners (2014 to Current) 
Viskase Companies, Inc. (2006 to Current)

Mr. Shea has been our director since 2014. Mr. Shea has served as an operating partner of 
Snow Phipps, a private equity firm, since 2013. Mr. Shea served as an operating advisor 
for OMERS Private Equity from 2011 to 2016. He has been a director of Decopac, Inc. 
since 2017 and currently serves as Chairman of its Board of Directors. He has served as a 
director  of  Viskase  Companies  since  October  2006;  FeraDyne  Outdoors,  LLC,  a 
privately-held  manufacturer  of  sporting  goods  products,  and  as  its  Chairman  from  May 
2014 to February 2019; Teasdale Foods Inc., a privately-held provider of Hispanic food 
products,  and    as  its  Chairman  from  November  2014  to  February  2019;  and  currently 
Chairman  of  DecoPac  Inc.,  a  privately-held  supplier  of  bakery  goods,  since  September 
2017.  Mr.  Shea  previously  served  as  a  director  of  Trump  Entertainment  Resorts  from 
January 2017 to June 2017; Voltari Corporation from September 2015 to July 2019, and 
as  its  Chairman  from  September  2015  to  July  2019;  Give  and  Go  Prepared  Foods,  a 
bakery  manufacturer  from  January  2012  to  July  2016;  Sitel  Worldwide  Corporation,  a 
customer care solutions provider, from November 2011 to April 2015; Hennessy Capital 
Acquisition  Company  I  from  January  2014  to  February  2015,  Hennessy  Capital 
Acquisition Company II from July 2016 to February 2017, Hennessy Capital Acquisition 
Company  III  from  July  2017  to  October  2018,  and  Hennessy  Capital  Acquisition 
Company  IV  from  February  2019  to  December  2020,  all  four  of  which  were  special 
purpose acquisition companies; and CTI Foods,  from May 2010 to July 2013. Mr. Shea 
was  President  of  Icahn  Enterprises  G.P.  Inc.  and  Head  of  Icahn  Associates  Portfolio 
Operations  from  October  2006  to  June  2009.  He  was  previously  on  the  Boards  of 
Roncadin Gmbh, Premium Standard Farms, Sabert Company, and New Energy Company 
of  Indiana.    Mr.  Shea  was  Chairman,  Chief  Executive  Officer,  President  or  Managing 
Director of H.J. Heinz in Europe, R&R Foods in Europe, John Morrell & Company and 
Grupo Polymer United SA.   Previously, he was Head of Global Corporate Development 
for  United  Brands  Company,  a  Fortune  50  Company.  Mr.  Shea  began  his  career  with 
General Foods Corporation. He has an M.B.A. from the University of Southern California 
and  a  B.B.A.  from  Iona  College.  We  believe  Mr.  Shea's  broad  executive,  financial  and 
operational experience, combined with his extensive board experience will be an asset to 
our board and qualify him to serve as our director.

Former  Public  Company  Directorships:  Hennessy  Capital  lV  (2019  to  2020);  Voltari 
Corporation  (2015  to  2019);  Sitel  Worldwide  Corporation  (2011  to  2015);  Trump 
Entertainment  Resorts  (2016  to  2017);  Hennessy  Capital  I  (2014  to  2015);  Hennessy 
Capital  II  (2016  to  2017);  Hennessy  Capital  III  (2017  to  2018);  American  Railcar 
Industries, Inc. (2006 to 2009); and XO Holdings (2006 to 2009)

Director Independence & Controlled Company Exemptions 

To  be  considered  independent  under  NYSE  listing  standards,  our  Board  must  determine  that  a  director  has  no  material 
relationship with us other than as a director. The standards specify the criteria by which the independence of directors will be 
determined, including guidelines for directors and their immediate family members with respect to employment or affiliation 
with us or with our independent public accountants. The Board has affirmatively determined that each of Ms. Ecton and Messrs. 
Muller and Shea meet the independence standards established by the NYSE and the Exchange Act for membership on an audit 
committee and are non-employee directors, as defined by the rules and regulations of the NYSE, the SEC, and our Corporate 
Governance Guidelines.

As a publicly traded partnership, we qualify for, and rely on, certain exemptions from the NYSE’s corporate governance 

requirements, including the following:

•
•
•

A majority of our directors are not required to be (and are not) independent;
Our Board has not and does not currently intend to establish a nominating/corporate governance committee; and   
The  Compensation  Committee  of  our  Board  does  not  need  to  be  (and  is  not)  composed  entirely  of  independent 
directors.

 As a result, unitholders do not have the same protections afforded to equity holders of companies that are subject to all of 

the corporate governance requirements of the NYSE.

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Board Committees 

Our Board has five standing committees appointed by the Board: the Audit Committee; the Compensation Committee; the 
Environmental  Health  &  Safety  (“EH&S”)  Committee;  the  Conflicts  Committee;  and  the  Special  Committee.  Any  standing 
committee  with  a  written  charter  reviews  the  adequacy  of  such  charter,  at  least  annually,  in  addition  to  evaluating  its 
performance  and  reporting  to  the  Board  on  such  evaluation.  These  charters  are  available  free  of  charge  on  our  website  at 
www.CVRPartners.com  or  in  print  without  charge  to  any  unitholder  requesting  them  by  sending  a  written  request  to  our 
Secretary at the address listed under “Communications with Directors” below.

Audit Committee

Members:
Donna R. Ecton, Chair (1)(3)
Frank M. Muller, Jr. (2)(3)
Peter K. Shea (2)(3)

Meetings in 2020: 4

(1)Audit Committee Financial Expert
(2)Financially Literate
(3)Independent, Non-Employee 
Director

Primary Responsibilities:

Ø	 Appoints,  compensates,  oversees  and  evaluates  the  performance  of  the 
independent  auditors,  including  approval  of  all  services  to  be  performed  by  and  the 
independence of the independent auditor.

Ø	 Reviews  with  management,  our  internal  auditors  and  independent  auditors  the 
adequacy,  quality  and  integrity  of  the  Partnership’s  internal  controls,  the  fair 
presentation  and  accuracy  of  the  Partnership’s  financial  statements  and  disclosures, 
audit  reports  and  management’s  responses  thereto,  and  the  Partnership’s  critical 
accounting policies and practices.

Ø	 Oversees  and  evaluates  the  performance,  responsibilities,  budget  and  staffing  of 
the internal audit function including its senior audit executive. 

Ø	 Establishes  procedures  for  and  oversees  handling  of  complaints  regarding 
accounting,  internal  accounting  controls  or  auditing  matters  and  the  confidential 
submission of concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters.

Ø	 Monitors  and  periodically  reviews  the  Partnership’s  compliance  with  applicable 
laws,  major  litigation,  regulatory  compliance,  risk  management,  insurance  coverage 
and any policies, practices or mitigation activities relating thereto.

Ø	 Reviews  and  discusses  with  management  potential  significant  risks  to  the 
Partnership  and  risk  mitigation  efforts  including  relating  to  information  technology 
and cybersecurity controls.

Ø	Assists the Board in its oversight of the governance portions of the Partnership’s 
ESG initiatives including the Partnership’s governance practices and reputation, Code 
of Ethics and Business Conduct, anti-bribery and anti-corruption programs and of the 
overall risks relating to such ESG initiatives.

Ø	 Reviews  and  discusses  with  management  and  Grant  Thornton  LLP,  our 
independent registered accounting firm, the audited financial statements contained in 
this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Ø	Received written disclosures and the letter from Grant Thornton LLP required by 
applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.

Ø	 Based  on  the  reviews  and  discussions  referred  to  above,  recommended  to  the 
Board that the audited financial statements be included in this Annual Report on Form 
10-K, for filing with the SEC.

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Compensation Committee

Members:

Frank M. Muller, Jr., Chair
Andrew Langham

Meetings in 2020: 2

Acted by Written Consent in 2020: 3

EH&S Committee

Members:

Peter K. Shea, Chair
Donna R. Ecton 
Frank M. Muller, Jr. 
Mark A. Pytosh 

Meetings in 2020: 1

Ø	 Reviews,  amends,  modifies,  adopts  and  oversees  the  incentive  compensation 
plans, equity-based compensation plans, qualified retirement plans, health and welfare 
plans,  deferred  compensation  plans,  and  any  other  benefit  plans,  programs  or 
arrangements sponsored or maintained by the Partnership or its general partner.

Ø	Evaluates the performance of our executive officers and, in connection therewith, 
reviews and determines, or recommends to the Board, the annual salary, bonus, equity-
based compensation, and other compensation, incentives and benefits of our executive 
officers (other than compensation and benefits provided by one of its affiliates).

Ø	Reviews and approves any employment, consulting, change in control, severance 
or termination, or other compensation agreements or arrangements with our executive 
officers. 

Ø	 Reviews  and  makes  recommendations  to  the  Board  with  respect  to  the 
compensation of non-employee directors or any plans or programs relating thereto.

Ø	 Reviews  and  discusses 
the 
Compensation Discussion and Analysis and recommends to the Board their inclusion 
in the Partnership’s Annual Reports on Form 10-K.

the  Compensation  Committee  Report  and 

Ø	 Assists  the  Board  in  assessing  any  risks  to  the  Partnership  associated  with 
compensation practices and policies.

Ø	Assists the Board in its oversight of the social portions of the Partnership’s ESG 
initiatives  including  diversity,  inclusion  and  human  rights  strategies,  commitments, 
and reporting.

Ø	 Based  on  the  reviews  and  discussions  referred  to  above,  recommended  to  the 
Board that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, the Compensation Committee 
Report, and other disclosures relating to the Compensation Committee be included in 
this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Ø	Oversees the establishment and administration of environmental, health and safety 
policies, programs, procedures, and initiatives.

Ø	Assists the Board in its oversight of risk relating to environmental, health, safety, 
and security matters. 

Ø	Assists the Board in its oversight of the environmental, health, safety, and security 
the  Partnership’s 
portions  of 
environmental, health, safety and security risks, opportunities, policies and reporting, 
including those related to climate change and sustainability.

the  Partnership’s  ESG 

initiatives 

including 

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Conflicts Committee

Members:

Donna R. Ecton, Chair (1) 
Frank M. Muller, Jr. (1)

Meetings in 2020: 1

(1) Independent, Non-Employee 
Director

Special Committee

Members:

Jonathan Frates
David L. Lamp
Andrew Langham

Acted by Written Consent in 2020: 5

Ø	 As  requested  by  the  Board,  investigates,  reviews,  evaluates  and  acts  upon  any 
potential conflicts of interest between our general partner or its affiliates, on the one 
hand, and us or any public unitholder, on the other, the approvals of which (if any) are 
conclusively  deemed  to  be  fair  and  reasonable  to  the  Partnership  and  its  common 
unitholders.

Ø	 As  requested  by  the  Board,  determines  whether  the  resolution  of  a  conflict  of 
interest is in the best interests of the Partnership.

Ø	 Carries  out  any  other  duties  delegated  by  the  Board  that  relate  to  potential 
conflicts of interest.

Ø	 Has  the  sole  authority  to  retain,  compensate,  direct,  oversee,  and  terminate  any 
counsel  or  other  advisers,  including  consultants,  attorneys,  independent  accountants 
and  other  service  providers,  to  assist  in  the  evaluation  of  conflicts  matters  and  to 
approve such consultants’ fees and other retention terms.

Ø	Approvals are conclusively deemed to be fair and reasonable to the Partnership, 
approved by all of the Partnership’s partners and not a breach by the General Partner 

Ø	Evaluates and approves matters arising during the intervals between meetings of 
the  Board  that  did  not  warrant  convening  a  special  meeting  of  the  Board  but  should 
not be postponed until the next scheduled meeting of that Board.

Ø	Exercises approval authority delegated to it by the Board.

Meetings of Independent or Non-Management Directors and Executive Sessions

To promote open discussion among independent and non-management directors, we schedule regular executive sessions in 
which our independent or non-management directors meet without management participation. During 2020, three of our eight 
directors were independent, and six of our eight directors were non-management. Our independent directors met during eight 
executive sessions in 2020. Ms. Ecton presided over the executive sessions held by our independent directors. 

Communications with Directors

Unitholders  and  other  interested  parties  wishing  to  communicate  with  our  Board  may  send  a  written  communication 

addressed to:

CVR Partners, LP 
2277 Plaza Drive, Suite 500 
Sugar Land, Texas 77479 
Attention: Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

Our  General  Counsel  will  forward  all  appropriate  communications  directly  to  our  Board  or  to  any  individual  director  or 
directors, depending upon the facts and circumstances outlined in the communication. Any unitholder or other interested party 
who  is  interested  in  contacting  only  the  independent  directors  or  non-management  directors  as  a  group  or  the  director  who 
presides over the meetings of the independent directors or non-management directors may also send written communications to 
the contact above and should state for whom the communication is intended.

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Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

During 2020, the Compensation Committee was comprised of Messrs. Muller and Langham. None of the members of the 
Compensation Committee during 2020 has, at any time, been an officer or employee of the Partnership or our general partner 
and none has any relationship requiring disclosure under Item 404 of Regulation S-K under the Exchange Act. No interlocking 
relationship exists between the Board or Compensation Committee and the board of directors or compensation committee of 
any other company.

Corporate Governance Guidelines and Codes of Ethics

Our Corporate Governance Guidelines, as well as our Code of Ethics and Business Conduct, which applies to all of our 
directors,  officers,  and  employees  (and  which  includes  additional  provisions  that  apply  to  our  principal  executive  officer, 
principal  financial  officer,  principal  accounting  officer,  and  other  persons  performing  similar  functions)  are  available  free  of 
charge on our website at www.CVRPartners.com. These documents are also available in print without charge to any unitholder 
requesting them. We intend to disclose any changes in or waivers from our Code of Ethics and Business Conduct by posting 
such information on our website or by filing a Form 8-K with the SEC.

Executive Officers

While the Board provides high-level strategy and guidance for the Partnership, our day-to-day activities are carried out by 
our executive officers. Our executive officers are appointed by the Board and act within the authorities granted by the Board 
and our organizational documents. Limited partners are not entitled to appoint our executive officers or directly or indirectly 
participate  in  our  management  or  operations.  In  this  report,  we  refer  to  the  executive  officers  of  our  general  partner  as  “our 
executive officers.” The following table sets forth the names, positions, ages, background, experience and qualifications (as of 
February 22, 2021) of the executive officers of our general partner, other than Messrs. Lamp and Pytosh, who are listed under 
“The Board” above.

Name

Tracy D. Jackson
Age:  51

Executive Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer (since 2018)

Melissa M. Buhrig
Age: 45

Executive Vice President,
General Counsel and Secretary 
(since 2018)

Principal Occupation, Experience and Qualifications
Ms. Jackson has served as our Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer 
since May 2018. Prior to joining CVR Energy, Ms. Jackson held various positions 
at  Tesoro  Corporation  and  Tesoro  Logistics  LP  including  Vice  President  and 
Controller from March 2015 to October 2016, Vice President of Financial Planning 
and Analytics from September 2013 to March 2015, Vice President of Finance and 
Treasurer  from  October  2010  to  September  2013,  and  Vice  President  of  Internal 
Audit from May 2007 to September 2010. Ms. Jackson obtained her undergraduate 
Bachelor  of  Business  Administration  and  Accounting  in  1993  and  a  Master  of 
Business Administration in May 2012 from the University of Texas at San Antonio. 
Ms.  Jackson  is  a  Certified  Public  Accountant,  a  Certified  Internal  Auditor  and 
Certified Information Systems Auditor.

Ms.  Buhrig  has  served  as  our  Executive  Vice  President,  General  Counsel  and 
Secretary  since  July  2018.  Prior  to  joining  CVR  Energy,  Ms.  Buhrig  served  as 
Executive  Vice  President,  General  Counsel  and  Secretary  of  Delek  US  Holdings, 
Inc. and the general partner of Delek Logistics Partners, LP from October 2017 to 
June  2018  and  held  various  positions  with  Western  Refining,  Inc.  (“WNR”)  from 
November  2005  until  June  2017  including  Senior  Vice  President  -  Services  and 
Compliance  Officer  from  August  2016  until  WNR’s  acquisition  by  Andeavor  in 
July  2017,  and  Executive  Vice  President,  General  Counsel,  Secretary  and 
Compliance  Officer  of  the  general  partner  of  Northern  Tier  Energy,  LP  (a  WNR 
affiliate) from March 2014 until August 2016. Ms. Buhrig received a Bachelor of 
Arts in Political Science from the University of Michigan and a Juris Doctor with 
honors from the University of Miami School of Law.

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Matthew W. Bley
Age: 39

Chief Accounting Officer and
Corporate Controller (since 2018)

Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports

Mr.  Bley  has  served  as  our  Chief  Accounting  Officer  and  Corporate  Controller 
since May 2018. Prior to joining CVR Energy, Mr. Bley held the roles of Assistant 
Controller  of  reporting  from  March  2015  to  April  2018,  Senior  Manager  of 
Financial  Reporting  from  September  2013  to  March  2015  and  Manager  of 
Accounting  Research  from  May  2012  to  September  2013  for  Andeavor  (formerly 
Tesoro). Mr. Bley received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a 
Master  of  Science  in  Accounting  from  Trinity  University  in  2004  and  2005, 
respectively.  In  addition,  he  received  a  Master  of  Business  Administration  from 
Baylor University and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires our officers and directors and each person who owns more than 10% of our 
outstanding common units, to file reports of their common unit ownership and changes in their ownership of our common units 
with the SEC. Based solely on our review of the copies of such reports furnished to us or such representations, as appropriate, 
to our knowledge, all of our executive officers and directors, and other persons who owned more than 10% of our outstanding 
common units, fully complied with the reporting requirements of Section 16(a) during 2020.

Item 11.    Executive Compensation 

Compensation Discussion and Analysis

The  following  discussion  and  analysis  of  compensation  arrangements  (the  “Compensation  Discussion  and  Analysis”)  of 
our  named  executive  officers  (defined  below)  for  2020  should  be  read  together  with  the  compensation  tables  and  related 
disclosures  set  forth  below.  This  discussion  contains  forward  looking  statements  that  are  based  on  our  current  plans, 
considerations, expectations, and determinations regarding future compensation actions. Our actual compensation actions may 
differ materially from the currently planned programs and payouts summarized in this discussion.

Named Executive Officers

The “named executive officers” in this Form 10-K are as follows:

(1) David L. Lamp, our Executive Chairman;

(2) Mark A. Pytosh, our President and Chief Executive Officer;

(3) Tracy D. Jackson, our Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer;  

(4) The  next  two  most  highly  compensated  individuals  who  were  serving  as  executive  officers  at  the  end  of  the  last 
completed fiscal year (Melissa M. Buhrig, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary; and Matthew W. 
Bley, Chief Accounting Officer and Corporate Controller). 

As of January 1, 2020, neither the Partnership nor our general partner directly employed our named executive officers. All 
of  our  named  executive  officers  are  employed  by  CVR  Services,  a  wholly-owned  subsidiary  of  CVR  Energy,  and  all  of  our 
named executive officers divide their time between working for us and working for CVR Energy and its other subsidiaries. 

The approximate weighted-average percentages of the amount of time that the named executive officers dedicated to the 
management of our business in 2020 were as follows: David L. Lamp (10%); Mark A. Pytosh (60%); Tracy D. Jackson (18%); 
Melissa  M.  Buhrig  (20%);  and  Matthew  W.  Bley  (20%).  These  numbers  are  weighted  because  the  named  executive  officers 
may spend a different percentage of their time dedicated to our business each quarter. The remainder of their time, if any, was 
spent working for CVR Energy and its other subsidiaries.  

Our named executive officers provide services to us under a Corporate Master Service Agreement (the “Corporate MSA”) 
between CVR Services and certain of its affiliates, including CVR Energy, CVR GP and the Partnership and its subsidiaries,  
effective January 1, 2020, which was approved by the Conflicts Committee of the Board. Under the Corporate MSA: 

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•

CVR  Services  makes  available  to  our  General  Partner  the  services  of  certain  CVR  Energy  executive  officers  and 
employees, some of whom serve as executive officers of our General Partner; 

• We, our General Partner and our operating subsidiaries, as the case may be, are obligated to reimburse CVR Services 
for  any  portion  of  the  costs  that  CVR  Services  incurs  in  providing  compensation  and  benefits  to  such  CVR  Energy 
executive  officers  and  employees  while  they  are  providing  services  to  us,  as  well  as  our  allocated  portion  of 
performance-based  performance  plans,  incentive  units  and  performance  units  issued  by  CVR  Energy  and  its 
Subsidiaries to those employees providing services to us under the Corporate MSA; and

• We pay CVR Services a monthly fee for goods and services supplied under the Corporate MSA, subject to netting and 
an annual true up, as well as pass-through of any direct costs incurred on behalf of a service recipient without markup. 

Either  CVR  Services  or  our  General  Partner  may  terminate  the  Corporate  MSA  upon  at  least  90  days’  notice.  For  more 
information  on  the  Corporate  MSA,  see  “Certain  Relationships  and  Related  Transactions,  and  Director  Independence  - 
Agreements with CVR Energy.”

Compensation Philosophy, Objectives and Processes  

Our Compensation Committee approves compensation only for Mr. Pytosh (other than 40% of his base salary and annual 
bonus  and  equity-based  incentives  attributable  to  his  service  to  CVR  Energy  and  its  subsidiaries,  which  are  set  by  the 
Compensation  Committee  of  the  board  of  directors  of  CVR  Energy  (the  “CVI  Compensation  Committee”)).  Although  our 
Compensation Committee generally engages in discussions with the CVI Compensation Committee regarding compensation for 
our named executive officers and the performance of such named executive officers, it does not determine the compensation of 
those named executive officers other than Mr. Pytosh, and has no control over and does not establish or direct the compensation 
policies  or  practices  of  CVR  Energy.  Accordingly,  while  the  compensation  philosophies,  objectives  and  processes  described 
below are generally applicable to both the Partnership and CVR Energy, the remainder of this Compensation Discussion and 
Analysis discusses CVR Partners’ compensation programs in which references to our named executive officers refer solely to 
Mr. Pytosh, except where otherwise indicated.

In  establishing  named  executive  officer  compensation,  our  Compensation  Committee  (and  the  CVI  Compensation 
Committee) generally seeks to compensate named executive officers in a way that meaningfully aligns their interests with the 
interests of our unitholders, including:

•

•

•

Incentivizing important business priorities such as safety, reliability, environmental performance and earnings growth;

Aligning the named executive officers’ interests with those of our unitholders and stakeholders, including providing 
long-term economic benefits to the unitholders;

Providing competitive financial incentives in the form of salary, bonuses and benefits with the goal of retaining and 
attracting talented and highly motivated executive officers; and

• Maintaining  a  compensation  program  whereby  the  named  executive  officers,  through  exceptional  performance  and 
equity-based incentive awards, have the opportunity to realize economic rewards commensurate with appropriate gains 
of other unitholders and stakeholders.

The  Compensation  Committee  takes  these  main  objectives  into  consideration  when  creating  its  compensation  programs, 
setting  each  element  of  compensation  under  those  programs,  and  determining  the  proper  mix  of  the  various  compensation 
elements. Named executive officer compensation will generally include a mix of fixed elements, intended to provide stability, 
as well as variable elements, which align pay and performance, incentivizing and rewarding our named executive officers in 
years where the Partnership achieves superior results.

The  Compensation  Committee  also  generally  considers,  among  other  factors,  the  success  and  performance  of  the 
Partnership,  the  contributions  of  named  executive  officers  to  such  success  and  performance,  and  the  current  economic 
conditions and industry environment in which the Partnership operates. From time to time, the Compensation Committee may 
utilize various tools in evaluating and establishing named executive officer compensation, including their own common sense, 
knowledge and experience, as well as some or all of the following:

•

Input  from  Board  members  or  management.  The  Compensation  Committee  may  from  time  to  time  ask  that  certain 
members  of  the  Board  and/or  management  provide  information  and  recommendations  relating  to  named  executive 
officer compensation. Such information typically includes the named executive officers’ roles and responsibilities, job 

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performance, the Partnership’s performance generally and among the industry, and such other information as may be 
requested by the Compensation Committee. 

• Market data and peer comparisons. The Compensation Committee may utilize market data derived from the executive 
pay practices and levels of industry companies supplemented with broad-based compensation survey data, survey data 
from the energy, refining and processing industries that influence the competitive market for executive compensation 
levels and/or from companies comparable to the Company in terms of size and scale. 

•

The analysis, judgment and expertise of an independent compensation consultant. The Compensation Committee may 
engage  an  independent  outside  compensation  consultant  periodically  to  provide  a  comprehensive  analysis  and 
recommendations regarding named executive officer compensation. 

Our Compensation Committee periodically evaluates and considers risks of our compensation policies and practices and 
those  of  CVR  Energy  as  generally  applicable  to  employees,  including  our  named  executive  officers.  Our  Compensation 
Committee believes that neither our policies and practices nor the policies and practices of CVR Energy encourage excessive or 
unnecessary risk-taking, and are not reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on us. In reaching this conclusion, our 
Compensation  Committee  reviewed  and  discussed  the  design  features,  characteristics,  and  performance  metrics  of  our 
compensation programs, approval mechanisms for compensation, and observed the following factors, among others, which the 
Compensation Committee believes reduces risks associated with our and CVR Energy’s compensation policies and practices:  

•

•

•

•

Our compensation policies and practices are centrally designed and administered; 

Our compensation is balanced among (i) fixed components like salary and benefits, and (ii) variable annual incentives 
tied to a mix of financial and operational performance, and (iii) long-term incentives;

The Compensation Committee has discretion to adjust annual or performance-based awards when appropriate based on 
our interests and the interests of our unitholders; and

Certain elements of our compensation contain claw-back provisions.

Compensation Process for 2020

In setting named executive officer compensation for 2020, while the Compensation Committee considered the philosophies 
and  objectives  described  above,  it  did  not  engage  an  independent  compensation  consultant.  Instead,  the  Compensation 
Committee  considered  input  from  management  including  the  Executive  Chairman  and  utilized  the  directors’  own  common 
sense,  knowledge  and  experience  in  assessing  reasonableness  of  compensation  and  ensuring  compensation  levels  remain 
competitive  in  the  marketplace.  The  Compensation  Committee  further  considered  the  structure  it  utilized  for  2019 
compensation,  determined  that  no  material  changes  to  such  structure  was  appropriate  at  this  time,  and  elected  to  keep  the 
structure of 2020 compensation generally consistent with the previous year.  

2020 Named Executive Officer Compensation - CVR Partners 

Compensation Elements.  As with 2019, the three primary components of CVR Partners’ compensation program for 2020 
included base salary, an annual performance-based cash bonus, and an annual equity-based incentive award vesting ratably over 
three  years.  The  Compensation  Committee  has  not  adopted  any  formal  or  informal  policies  or  guidelines  for  allocating 
compensation between long-term and current compensation.

Base Salary.  Base salaries are set at a level intended to enable CVR Partners to hire and retain executives and to enhance 
the executive’s motivation in a highly competitive and dynamic environment. Rather than establishing compensation solely on a 
formula-driven basis, decisions by our Compensation Committee are made using an approach that considers several important 
factors in developing compensation levels. In determining base salary levels, the Compensation Committee takes into account 
the  following  factors:  (i)  CVR  Partners’  financial  and  operational  performance  for  the  year;  (ii)  the  previous  years’ 
compensation level for each executive; (iii) recommendations of the Executive Chairman based on individual responsibilities 
and performance, (iv) the directors’ own common sense, knowledge, experience and views of the skills necessary for long-term 
performance; (v) whether individual base salaries reflect responsibility levels and are reasonable, competitive and fair; and (vi) 
each  named  executive  officer’s  commitment  and  ability  to  strategically  meet  business  challenges,  achieve  financial  results, 
promote legal and ethical compliance, lead their own business or business team for which they are responsible and diligently 
and effectively respond to immediate needs of the volatile industry and business environment. In February 2020, considering 
the factors set forth above, the Compensation Committee established 2020 base salary for Mr. Pytosh of $340,549, making Mr. 
Pytosh’s total 2020 base salary, including time dedicated to CVR Energy, $567,582. 

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Annual Performance-Based Bonus. During 2020, the Compensation Committee evaluated the metrics included in CVR 
Partners’ annual performance-based bonus program for 2019 (the “2019 UAN Plan”) and the Partnership’s Mission and Values 
described in Management’s Discussion and Analysis above, and further considered the Compensation Committee’s objectives 
of  rewarding  employees  (including  named  executive  officers)  for  measured  performance,  aligning  employees’  interests  with 
those  of  its  unitholders,  encouraging  employees  to  focus  on  targeted  performance,  and  providing  employees  with  the 
opportunity  to  earn  additional  compensation  based  on  their  and  the  Partnership’s  performance.  In  February  2020,  the 
Compensation  Committee  considered  these  factors  and,  following  consultation  with  Mr.  Lamp,  established  the  2020  CVR 
Partners,  LP  Performance-Based  Bonus  Plan  (the  “2020  UAN  Plan”),  which  applies  to  all  eligible  employees  of  the 
Partnership’s  subsidiaries  (including  Mr.  Pytosh),  and  contains  terms  generally  equivalent  to  the  2019  UAN  Plan,  subject  to 
adjustment of the definition of the Adjusted EBITDA Threshold under the 2020 UAN Plan to reflect an increase in turnaround 
reserve from $7 million to $8 million.

The 2020 UAN Plan includes a target bonus percentage for each participant, with possible payout between 0% and 150% 
of  target  based  on  achievement  under  the  measures  set  forth  in  the  2020  UAN  Plan.  In  setting  Mr.  Pytosh’s  target  bonus 
percentage for 2020, the Compensation Committee considered his bonus target for 2019, the total cash compensation to which 
Mr.  Pytosh  may  be  eligible  in  2020,  the  expected  ratio  of  salary  to  bonus  and  the  Compensation  Committee’s  belief  that  a 
significant portion of its named executive officers’ compensation should be at risk based on individual and entity performance, 
and elected to keep his bonus target for 2020 the same as 2019, at 135% of base salary.

Payout  under  the  2020  UAN  Plan  was  dependent  first  on  achievement  of  an  Adjusted  EBITDA  threshold  of  at  least 
$83  million,  and  following  achievement  thereof,  based  upon  the  achievement  of  the  Partnership  under  the  performance 
measures  specified  below,  followed  by  an  adjustment  based  on  employees’  individual  performance.  These  performance 
measures,  including  the  threshold,  target  and  maximum  performance  goals  for  each  such  performance  measure,  were 
determined by the Compensation Committee based on its discussions with management including the Executive Chairman and 
the Directors’ knowledge and experience, and were selected with the goals of enforcing the Partnership’s Mission and Values, 
optimizing operations, maintaining financial stability and providing a safe and environmentally responsible workplace intended 
to maximize CVR Partners’ overall performance resulting in increased unitholder value. The Partnership performance measures 
in the 2020 UAN Plan were substantially the same as the 2019 UAN Plan, and included the following: 

Environmental Health & Safety (“EH&S”) Measures (25%)

Three measures evenly weighted (33-1/3% each), including Total Recordable Incident Rate (“TRIR”), Process Safety Tier 

I Incident Rate (“PSIR”), and Environmental Events (“EE”), with achievement determined based on the following:

Percentage Change (over the prior year)
Increase in Incident Rate or Incidents
0%
Decrease > 0% and < 3%
Decrease of 3%
Decrease > 3% and < 10%
Decrease of 10% or more, or if TRIR is maintained at or 
below 1.0, PSIR at or below 0.2 and EE at or below 20

Bonus Achievement
Zero
50% of Target Percentage (Threshold)
Linear Interpolation between Threshold and Target
Target Percentage
Linear Interpolation between Target and Maximum

150% of Target (Maximum)

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Financial Measures (75%) 

Four measures evenly weighted (25% each), including Reliability, Equipment Utilization, Operating Expenses and Return 

on Capital Employed (“ROCE”), with achievement determined based on the following:

Reliability
Greater than 8.0%
8%
6.01% to 7.99%
6%
5.0% to 5.99%
Less than 5.0%

Equipment Utilization
Less than 95%
95%
95.01% to 99.99%
100%
100.01% to 104.99%
Greater than 105%

Operating Expense
Greater than 103%
103%
100.1% to 102.99%
100%
95% to 99.99%
Less than 95%

ROCE (Ranking vs. Peer Group)
First (highest)
Second
Third
Fourth
Fifth
Sixth
Seventh

Bonus Achievement
Zero
50% of Target Percentage (Threshold)
Linear Interpolation between Threshold and Target
Target Percentage
Linear Interpolation between Target and Maximum
150% of Target (Maximum)

Bonus Achievement
Zero
50% of Target Percentage (Threshold)
Linear Interpolation between Threshold and Target
Target Percentage
Linear Interpolation between Target and Maximum
150% of Target (Maximum)

Bonus Achievement
Zero
50% of Target Percentage (Threshold)
Linear Interpolation between Threshold and Target
Target Percentage
Linear Interpolation between Target and Maximum
150% of Target (Maximum)

Bonus Achievement
150% of Target (Maximum)
125% of Target Percentage 
112.5% of Target Percentage
Target Percentage (100%)
75% of Target Percentage
50% of Target Percentage (Minimum) 
Zero

The Peer Group utilized in the 2020 UAN Plan for determination of ROCE was selected by the Compensation Committee 
based  on  discussions  with  the  Executive  Chairman  and  the  Chief  Executive  Officer  and  the  Directors’  knowledge  of  the 
fertilizer industry, and was intended to include companies in the fertilizer industry with similar operations to the Partnership and 
those with which the Partnership competes for executive talent. The Compensation Committee elected to keep the Peer Group 
for  2020  the  same  as  2019,  including  CF  Industries  Holdings,  Inc.;  LSB  Industries,  Inc.;  Nutrien  Ltd.;  The  Andersons,  Inc.; 
Green Plains Partners LP; and Flotek Industries Inc.

In February 2021, the Compensation Committee evaluated the performance of the Partnership under the 2020 UAN Plan. 
The Compensation Committee determined that the Partnership had achieved Adjusted EBITDA under the 2020 UAN Plan of 
$88  million,  in  excess  of  the  Adjusted  EBITDA  Threshold  of  $83  million,  and  thereafter  determined  that  the  Partnership’s 
achievement of the metrics under the 2020 UAN Plan resulted in payout of 116% of target, based on the following:

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Measure

2020 Actual

Bonus Achievement

EH&S:

TRIR

PSIR

EE

Increase of 17%

Increase of 267%

Less than 20

Overall EH&S

Financial: Reliability

Equipment Utilization

Operating Expenses

2.5%

105.0%

95.0%

ROCE

7% (Fourth)

Overall Financial

 0  %

 0  %

 150  %

 50 %

 150  %

 150  %

 150  %

 100  %

 138 %

In February 2021, the Compensation Committee approved payout to Mr. Pytosh under the 2020 UAN Plan of $535,700, 
approximately 116% of his respective target annual bonus based on his base salary for the Partnership. The CVI Compensation 
Committee awarded no payout to Mr. Pytosh under the 2020 performance-based bonus plan for CVR Energy (the “2020 CVI 
Plan”).

Equity-Based  Incentive  Awards.  The  Compensation  Committee  believes  equity-based  compensation  is  one  of  the  most 
crucial  elements  of  its  compensation  program.  The  amount  of  equity  awards  is  made  after  consideration  of  various  relevant 
factors including the named executives’ overall compensation package, the compensation philosophies and objectives described 
above, the Partnership’s interest in rewarding long-term performance of, and in retaining, its named executive officers and the 
ability to generate greater future value if the value of CVR Partners increases for all of its unitholders. CVR Partners established 
its long-term incentive plan in March 2011 (the “CVR Partners LTIP”) in connection with the completion of its initial public 
offering in April 2011. The Compensation Committee may elect to make grants of restricted units, options, phantom units or 
other  equity-based  awards  under  the  CVR  Partners  LTIP  in  its  discretion  or  may  recommend  grants  to  the  Board  for  its 
approval,  as  determined  by  the  Compensation  Committee  in  its  discretion.  Effective  December  2020,  the  Compensation 
Committee awarded to Mr. Pytosh 93,288 phantom units of the Partnership, as part of his 2021 compensation, which phantom 
units vest ratably over three years, subject to the terms and conditions of the award agreement.    

Perquisites. The total value of all perquisites and personal benefits provided to each of its named executive officers in 2020 

was less than $10,000.

Benefits. During 2020, all the named executive officers participated in the health benefits, welfare and retirement plans of 

CVR Energy.

Other Forms of Compensation. Mr. Lamp has provisions in his employment agreements with CVR Energy that provide 
for severance benefits in the event a termination of his employment under certain circumstances. These severance provisions 
are  described  below  in  “Change-in-Control  and  Termination  Payments.”  In  September  2018,  Messrs.  Pytosh  and  Bley  and 
Mses. Jackson and Buhrig became subject to a Change in Control Severance Plan (the “CVI Severance Plan”) which provides 
for  severance  benefits  in  the  event  of  a  termination  of  his  or  her  employment  under  certain  circumstances.  These  severance 
provisions are described below in “Change-in-Control and Termination Payments.” 

2020 Named Executive Officer Compensation - CVR Energy 

The objectives, considerations and process utilized by the CVI Compensation Committee in general, as well as in setting 
2020  compensation  for  named  executive  officers  of  CVR  Energy  was  virtually  identical  to  the  objectives,  considerations, 
process, and structure used by the Compensation Committee. Related to 2020, the CVI Compensation Committee approved:

•

2020  Compensation  Structure.  Compensation  structure  consistent  with  the  compensation  structure  approved  by  the 
Compensation  Committee  including  a  mix  of  base  salary,  performance-based  bonus  compensation,  and  long-term 
incentives;

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•

•

•

2020  Base  Salaries.  Base  salaries  for  Messrs.  Lamp,  Pytosh  (as  to  40%  of  his  base  salary),  and  Bley  and  Mses. 
Jackson and Buhrig, of $1,000,000; $227,033; $289,626; $470,459; and $538,125, respectively; 

2020 Equity-Based Incentive Awards. Incentive units in connection with the long-term incentive plan of CVR Energy 
(the  “CVI  LTIP”)  granted  December  2019  for  Messrs.  Lamp,  Pytosh,  and  Bley  and  Mses.  Jackson  and  Buhrig  of 
32,737; 9,620; 3,688; 11,960; and 13,422, respectively, which vest in one-third increments each December following 
the date of award, subject to the terms and conditions of the award agreement; 

2020 Performance-Based Bonus Plan. The 2020 CVI Plan, including target payouts as a percentage of base salary of 
150%  for  Mr.  Lamp,  135%  for  Mr.  Pytosh,  120%  for  each  of  Mses.  Jackson  and  Buhrig  and  60%  for  Mr.  Bley, 
contained terms and performance measures substantially similar to the performance-based bonus plan of CVI for 2019 
(the  “2019  CVI  Plan”)  and  the  2020  UAN  Plan  subject  to  adjustment  of  Adjusted  EBITDA  and  Adjusted  EBITDA 
Threshold to reflect changed inventory accounting treatment. The peer group in the 2020 CVI Plan is the same as the 
2019 CVI Plan, and included six publicly traded petroleum refining and marketing companies the CVI Compensation 
Committee considered to be similar to CVR Energy with respect to operations and also competitive with CVR Energy 
for  executive  talent  (Valero  Energy  Corp.;  Marathon  Petroleum  Corp.;  PBF  Energy  Inc.;  Delek  US  Holdings,  Inc.; 
HollyFrontier Corp.; Par Pacific Holdings, Inc.). In February 2021, the CVI Compensation Committee evaluated the 
performance  metrics  contained  in  the  2020  CVI  Plan  and  determined  that,  due  to  market  conditions  including  the 
significant  impact  of  the  COVID-19  pandemic  on  the  refining  industry,  CVR  Energy  did  not  meet  the  Adjusted 
EBITDA  threshold  contained  in  the  2020  CVI  Plan.  As  a  result,  the  CVI  Compensation  Committee  awarded  no 
payouts  to  the  named  executive  officers  under  the  2020  CVI  Plan.  However,  based  on  individual  performance, 
significant  achievements  and  related  factors,  the  CVI  Compensation  Committee  approved  discretionary  bonuses  to 
Messrs. Pytosh and Bley and to Mses. Jackson and Buhrig, of $21,000, $7,700, $19,600, and $25,500, respectively.

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Compensation Committee Report

The  Compensation  Committee  of  our  general  partner  has  reviewed  and  discussed  the  Compensation  Discussion  and 
Analysis with management. Based on this review and discussion, the Compensation Committee recommended to the Board that 
the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in this Report.

Compensation Committee

Frank M. Muller, Jr. (Chair)

Andrew Langham

February 23, 2021

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Summary Compensation Table

The following table sets forth the compensation paid to the named executive officers during the years ended December 31, 
2020, 2019, and 2018. All compensation paid to such named executive officers is reflected in the table, not only the portion of 
compensation attributable to services performed for our business.

Name and Principal Position

Year

Salary
(1)

Bonus
(2)

Stock Awards 
(3)

Non-Equity 
Incentive Plan 
Compensation 
(1, 4)

All Other 
Compensation
(5)

Total

David L. Lamp, Executive Chairman

2020

$ 

1,000,000  $ 

—  $ 

2,144,005  $ 

—  $ 

20,801  $ 

3,164,806 

Mark A. Pytosh, President and Chief 
Executive Officer

Tracy D. Jackson, Executive Vice 
President and Chief Financial Officer

Melissa M. Buhrig, Executive Vice 
President, General Counsel and 
Secretary

Matthew W. Bley, Chief Accounting 
Officer and Corporate Controller

2019

2018

1,000,000 

1,000,000 

— 

— 

1,500,000 

1,770,000 

1,500,035 

1,875,000 

20,364 

20,064 

4,290,364 

4,395,099 

2020

$ 

567,582  $ 

21,000  $ 

1,772,104  $ 

535,700  $ 

19,511  $ 

2,915,897 

2019

2018

551,050 

535,000 

457,300 

1,102,000 

310,500 

1,070,011 

818,000 

799,500 

20,364 

17,742 

2,948,714 

2,732,753 

2020

$ 

470,459  $ 

19,600  $ 

807,565  $ 

—  $ 

18,390  $ 

1,316,014 

2019

2018

456,756 

272,715 

200,800 

548,000 

96,400 

1,044,019 

621,300 

412,400 

17,865 

91,901 

1,844,721 

1,917,435 

2020

$ 

538,125  $ 

25,500  $ 

923,340  $ 

—  $ 

17,941  $ 

1,504,906 

2019

2018

512,500 

230,769 

236,100 

615,000 

125,800 

1,500,039 

737,000 

349,000 

99,410 

2,200,010 

301,934 

2,507,542 

2020

$ 

289,626  $ 

7,700  $ 

248,697  $ 

—  $ 

17,561  $ 

563,584 

2019

2018

281,190 

185,098 

96,100 

38,000 

169,000 

340,015 

189,200 

130,500 

17,044 

119,138 

752,534 

812,751 

(1) For 2018, amounts in the “Salary” and “Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation” columns for Mses. Jackson and Buhrig and Mr. Bley 
were prorated for the year in which their employment commenced based on their start dates in May 2018, July 2018 and April 2018, 
respectively.

(2) Amounts in this column include the discretionary bonus amount, if any, paid based on individual performance, significant achievements 

and related factors.

(3) Amounts  in  this  column  reflect  the  aggregate  grant  date  fair  value,  as  calculated  in  accordance  with  Financial  Accounting  Standards 
Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718, Compensation—Stock Compensation (“ASC 718”), of incentive units granted to 
each named executive officer during the periods specified in connection with the CVI LTIP, and for Mr. Pytosh, incentive units granted 
in connection with the CVI LTIP plus phantom units granted under the CVR Partners LTIP, except that, for 2018 for Mses. Jackson and 
Buhrig  and  Mr.  Bley,  this  amount  also  includes  incentive  awards  made  in  connection  with  their  hire  of  $522,003,  $900,017,  and 
$175,001, respectively.

(4) Amounts in this column reflect: (a) for 2020, for Mr. Pytosh, amounts earned under the 2020 UAN Plan, which are expected to be paid 
in March 2021; and (b) for 2019 and 2018, amounts earned under the applicable performance-based bonus plans for CVR Energy and, 
with respect to Mr. Pytosh, also for the Partnership. 

(5) Amounts in this column for 2020 include the following: (a) a company contribution under the CVR Energy 401(k) plan of $17,100 for 
each of Messrs. Lamp, Pytosh, and Bley and Mses. Jackson and Buhrig; and (b) a company contribution under the CVR Energy basic 
life insurance program of $3,701 for Mr. Lamp, $2,411 for Mr. Pytosh, $1,290 for Ms. Jackson, $841 for Ms. Buhrig, and $461 for Mr. 
Bley. Amounts in this column for 2019 include the following: (a) a company contribution under the CVR Energy 401(k) plan of $16,800 
for each of Messrs. Lamp, Pytosh, and Bley and Ms. Jackson, and $8,577 for Ms. Buhrig; (b) a company contribution under the CVR 
Energy basic life insurance program of $3,564 for Messrs. Lamp and Pytosh, $1,065 for Ms. Jackson, $540 for Ms. Buhrig, and $244 for 
Mr. Bley; and (c) a company relocation contribution of $90,293 for Ms. Buhrig. Amounts in this column for 2018 include the following: 
(a)  a  company  contribution  under  the  CVR  Energy  401(k)  plan  of  $16,500  for  each  of  Messrs.  Lamp,  and  Pytosh  and  Ms.  Jackson; 
$9,423 for Ms. Buhrig and $11,106 for Mr. Bley; (b) a company contribution under the CVR Energy basic life insurance program of 
$3,564  for  Mr.  Lamp,  $1,242  for  Mr.  Pytosh,  $401  for  Ms.  Jackson,  $228  for  Ms.  Buhrig,  and  $141  for  Mr.  Bley;  and  (c)  $75,000, 
$292,282  and  $107,891  in  relocation  expenses  for  Mses.  Jackson  and  Buhrig  and  Mr.  Bley,  respectively,  which  includes  moving 
expenses and other relocation services and payments including a related tax gross-up of $114,788 and $34,261 for Ms. Buhrig and Mr. 
Bley, respectively. 

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As described in more detail in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, named executive officers, including Mr. Pytosh, 
are  employed  by  CVR  Services  and  dedicated  only  a  portion  of  their  time  to  our  business  in  2020.  Mr.  Pytosh  dedicated  a 
portion of his time to CVR Energy and its subsidiaries during 2020. 

The  following  table  outlines  2020  compensation  paid  or  granted  to  the  named  executive  officers  who  are  employed  by 
CVR Services and was attributable to their service to our business, based on the approximate percentage of time that each of 
them  dedicated  to  our  business  during  2020,  including  the  Stock  Award  and  Non-Equity  Incentive  Compensation  for  Mr. 
Pytosh granted to him by the Compensation Committee.

Name

$ 

David L. Lamp
Mark A. Pytosh
Tracy D. Jackson
Melissa M. Buhrig
Matthew W. Bley

Salary
100,000  $ 
340,549 
84,683 
107,625 
57,925 

1,123,188 
145,362 
184,668 
49,739 

—  $ 

535,700 
— 
— 
— 

Other

2,080 
11,707 
3,310 
3,588 
3,512 

Non-Equity 
Incentive 
Compensation

Stock Awards 
(1)
214,401  $ 

(1) Amounts in these columns reflect the attributable grant date fair value, as calculated in accordance with ASC 718, of (i) certain incentive 
units awarded to Messrs. Lamp, Pytosh, and Bley and Mses. Jackson and Buhrig by CVR Energy during 2020; and (ii) phantom units 
awarded to Mr. Pytosh under the CVR Partners LTIP during 2020. 

Grants of Plan-Based Awards

The  following  table  sets  forth  information  concerning  amounts  that  could  have  been  earned  by  our  named  executive 
officers under the 2020 UAN Plan and the 2020 CVI Plan, as well granted under the CVR Partners LTIP and the CVI LTIP, as 
applicable, during 2020.

Estimated Future Payouts Under
Non-Equity Incentive Plan Awards (1)

Name

Bonus Plan / 
Award Type

Grant Date

Threshold (3)

Target

Maximum

Estimated Future Payouts 
under Equity Incentive 
Plan Awards (2)

Number
of Shares of
Stock or Units

Grant Date 
Fair Value

David L. Lamp

2020 CVI Plan

n/a

Incentive Units

12/9/20

Mark A. Pytosh

2020 CVI Plan

2020 UAN Plan

Incentive Units

Phantom Units

2020 CVI Plan

Tracy D. Jackson

n/a

n/a

12/9/20

12/9/20

n/a

Melissa M. Buhrig

2020 CVI Plan

n/a

Incentive Units

12/9/20

Incentive Units

12/9/20

Matthew W. Bley

2020 CVI Plan

n/a

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

62,250  $ 

1,500,000  $ 

2,250,000 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

134,168  $ 

2,144,005 

12,720  $ 

306,495  $ 

459,743 

19,079 

459,741 

689,612 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

40,608  $ 

648,916 

93,288 

1,123,188 

23,429  $ 

564,551  $ 

846,827 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

50,536  $ 

807,565 

26,799  $ 

645,750  $ 

968,625 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

57,781  $ 

923,340 

7,212  $ 

173,776  $ 

260,664 

— 

— 

Incentive Units

12/9/20

— 

— 

— 

15,563  $ 

248,697 

(1) Amounts in these columns reflect amounts that could have been earned by the named executive officers under the 2020 UAN Plan (with 
respect to Mr. Pytosh) or under the 2020 CVI Plan (with respect to Messrs. Lamp, Pytosh, and Bley and Mses. Jackson and Buhrig) in 
respect  of  2020  performance  with  respect  to  each  performance  measure,  excluding  the  impact  of  any  individual  discretionary 
performance adjustments. The performance measures and related goals for 2020 are set by the Compensation Committee and the CVI 
Compensation Committee, as applicable, as described in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis.”

(2) Amounts  in  these  columns  reflect  the  number  of  and  grant  date  fair  value,  as  calculated  in  accordance  with  ASC  718,  of  (i)  certain 
incentive units awarded to Messrs. Lamp, Pytosh, and Bley and Mses. Jackson and Buhrig by CVR Energy under the CVI LTIP during 
2020; and (ii) phantom units awarded to Mr. Pytosh under the CVR Partners LTIP during 2020. 

(3) For  the  2020  CVI  Plan  and  the  2020  UAN  Plan,  ‘Threshold’  represents  the  minimum  payout  under  the 2020  CVI  Plan  and  the  2020 
UAN Plan, as applicable, assuming CVR Energy and the Partnership, as applicable, have satisfied the Adjusted EBITDA Threshold and 

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have achieved performance under one of the EH&S measures equal to the prior year performance, resulting in a payout of 50% of the 
8.33%  measure  value,  or  4.16%  of  total  target  payout.  For  more  information  and  full  description  of  the 2020  CVI  Plan  and  the  2020 
UAN  Plan,  see  “Compensation  Discussion  and  Analysis.”  However,  in  certain  circumstances,  including  in  the  event  the  Adjusted 
EBITDA threshold is not achieved, the named executive officers may receive payout that is less than the Threshold or zero.

Employment Agreements 

Employment Agreements with CVR Partners. None of our named executive officers have an employment agreement with 

the Partnership, the General Partner or their subsidiaries. 

Employment  Agreements  with  CVR  Energy.  None  of  our  named  executive  officers  have  an  employment  agreement  with 
CVR  Energy  or  its  subsidiaries  other  than  Mr.  Lamp.  On  November  1,  2017,  CVR  Energy  entered  into  an  employment 
agreement with Mr. Lamp, as chief executive officer of CVR Energy, effective January 1, 2018. The agreement has a four-year 
term continuing through December 31, 2021, unless otherwise terminated by CVR Energy or Mr. Lamp. Mr. Lamp receives an 
annual base salary of $1,000,000 and is also eligible to receive a performance-based annual cash bonus with a target payment 
equal to 150% of his annual base salary, to be based upon individual and/or company performance criteria as established by the 
CVI Compensation Committee. In addition, Mr. Lamp is entitled to participate in such health, insurance, retirement and other 
employee benefit plans and programs of CVR Energy as in effect from time to time on the same basis as other senior executives 
of CVR Energy. Mr. Lamp is also eligible to receive annually performance units pursuant to the CVI LTIP having an aggregate 
value of $1.5 million, or such other form of award as may be agreed upon by Mr. Lamp and the CVI Compensation Committee. 
Mr.  Lamp  is  also  eligible  to  receive  an  incentive  payment  of  $10  million  (the  “Incentive  Payment”)  payable  if  either  the 
conditions set forth in the employment agreement or the conditions set forth in a separate Performance Unit Award Agreement 
(“PU Award Agreement”) are fulfilled. The Incentive Payment becomes payable: (a) under the employment agreement, if on or 
prior to December 31, 2021, either (i) a transaction is consummated which constitutes a change in control (as defined in the 
employment agreement), or (ii) the Board approves a transaction which, if consummated, would constitute a change in control 
and such transaction is consummated on or prior to December 31, 2022; or (b) under the PU Award Agreement, the average 
closing  price  of  CVR  Energy’s  common  stock  over  the  30-trading  day  period  beginning  on  January  4,  2022  and  ending  on 
February  15,  2022  is  equal  to  or  greater  than  $60.00  per  share  (subject  to  any  equitable  adjustments  required  to  account  for 
splits, dividends, combinations, acquisitions, dispositions, recapitalizations and the like). Payment of the Incentive Payment is 
conditioned upon Mr. Lamp remaining employed with CVR Energy through December 30, 2021 (unless terminated by CVR 
Energy without cause or by Mr. Lamp for good reason (as defined in the employment agreement) on or after the satisfaction of 
the foregoing conditions and prior to December 30, 2021). Subject to the foregoing conditions, the Incentive Payment will, if it 
becomes payable, be paid within 30 days. For the avoidance of doubt, Mr. Lamp will not under any circumstance be entitled to 
receive  more  than  one  Incentive  Payment  and  if  he  becomes  entitled  to  the  Incentive  Payment  under  the  terms  of  the 
employment  agreement,  Mr.  Lamp  will  immediately  forfeit  any  right  to  payments  under  the  PU  Award  Agreement.  The 
employment  agreement  requires  Mr.  Lamp  to  abide  by  a  perpetual  restrictive  covenant  relating  to  non-disclosure  and  non-
disparagement and also includes covenants relating to non-solicitation and non-competition that govern during his employment 
and thereafter for the period severance is paid and, if no severance is paid, for six months following termination of employment. 
In addition, Mr. Lamp’s employment agreement provides for certain severance payments that may be due following termination 
of  his  employment  under  certain  circumstances,  which  are  described  below  under  “Change-in-Control  and  Termination 
Payments.” The description of these agreements are qualified in their entirety by the text of such agreements, each as referenced 
as an exhibit to this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

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Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year End

The  following  table  sets  forth  information  concerning  outstanding  equity  awards  granted  pursuant  to  the  CVR  Partners 
LTIP that were held by certain of the named executive officers as of December 31, 2020, as well as outstanding incentive unit 
awards made by CVR Energy pursuant to the CVI LTIP and for which the Partnership will share in the expense. This table also 
includes incentive unit awards made by CVR Energy to Mr. Pytosh for which the Partnership does not share in the expense. All 
of the outstanding shares or units reflected below are subject to accelerated vesting under certain circumstances as described in 
more detail in the section titled “Change-in-Control and Termination Payments” below.

David L. Lamp

Mark A. Pytosh

Tracy D. Jackson

Melissa M. Buhrig

Matthew W. Bley

Name

Award Type

Grant Date (1)

Incentive Units

Incentive Units

Incentive Units

Phantom Units

Incentive Units

Phantom Units

Incentive Units

Phantom Units

Incentive Units

Incentive Units

Incentive Units

Incentive Units

Incentive Units

Incentive Units

Incentive Units

Incentive Units

Incentive Units

Incentive Units

12/14/18

12/13/19

12/09/20

12/14/18

12/14/18

12/13/19

12/13/19

12/09/20

12/09/20

12/14/18

12/13/19

12/09/20

12/14/18

12/13/19

12/09/20

12/14/18

12/13/19

12/09/20

Equity Awards That Have Not Vested

Number of 
Shares or 
Units

Market Value 
of Shares or 
Units (2)

13,217 

(3) $ 

253,106 

21,824 

(3)

351,366 

134,168 

(3) $ 

1,999,103 

5,661 

3,771 

12,795 

6,413 

93,288 

40,608 

$ 

113,333 

72,215 

204,976 

103,249 

1,494,474 

605,059 

4,599 

(3) $ 

88,071 

7,973 

50,536 

(3)

(3)

128,365 

752,986 

5,287 

(3) $ 

101,246 

8,948 

57,781 

(3)

(3)

1,454 

(3) $ 

2,458 

15,563 

(3)

(3)

144,063 

860,937 

27,844 

39,574 

231,889 

(1) The incentive or phantom units generally vest in one-third annual increments in December of each of the three years following the Grant 

Date, subject to the terms of the applicable award agreement.

(2) This column represents the number of unvested units outstanding on December 31, 2020, multiplied by: (a) for incentive units issued on 
December 9, 2020, $14.90 (equal to the December 31, 2020, closing price of CVR Energy common stock (the “CVI Closing Price”)); (b) 
for  incentive  units  issued  on  December  13,  2019,  $16.10  (equal  to  the  CVI  Closing  Price  plus  $1.20  in  accrued  dividends);  (c)  for 
incentive units issued on December 14, 2018, $19.15 (equal to the CVI Closing Price plus $4.25 in accrued dividends); (d) for phantom 
units  issued  on  December  9,  2020,  $16.02  (equal  to  the  December  31,  2020  closing  price  of  Partnership  common  units  (the  “UAN 
Closing Price”)); (e) for phantom units issued on December 13, 2019, $16.02 (equal to the UAN Closing Price); and (f) for phantom 
units issued on December 14, 2018, $20.02 (equal to the UAN Closing Price, plus $4.00 in accrued distributions which has been adjusted 
to reflect the Reverse Unit Split).

(3) The  Partnership  will  share  in  its  prorated  share  of  the  costs  associated  with  these  awards  based  on  the  percentage  of  time  that  the 

executive dedicates to our business during the vesting term.

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Equity Awards Vested During Fiscal Year 2020

This table reflects the portion of phantom units granted pursuant to the CVR Partners LTIP as well as incentive unit awards 
made  by  CVR  Energy  for  which  the  Partnership  shared  in  the  expense  that  vested  during  2020.  This  table  also  includes 
incentive unit awards made to Mr. Pytosh by CVR Energy that vested during 2020.

Name

David L. Lamp

Mark A. Pytosh

Tracy D. Jackson

Melissa M. Buhrig

Matthew W. Bley

Award Type

Incentive Units

Incentive Units

Incentive Units

Phantom Units

Incentive Units

Phantom Units

Incentive Units

Phantom Units

Incentive Units

Incentive Units

Incentive Units

Incentive Units

Incentive Units

Incentive Units

Incentive Units

Incentive Units

Incentive Units

Equity Awards

Number of Shares or Units 
Acquired on Vesting

Value Realized 
on Vesting

13,217  $ 

10,913 

10,999  $ 

261,697 

181,047 

143,207 

(1)

(2)

(3)

6,167 

3,771 

5,662 

3,207 

6,398 

99,905  (4)(5)

74,666 

(1)

88,780  (4)(5)

53,204 

65,324 

10,229  $ 

123,362 

4,600 

3,987 

13,357  $ 

5,287 

4,474 

4,023  $ 

1,454 

1,230 

91,080 

66,144 

161,085 

104,683 

74,224 

50,569 

28,789 

20,406 

(2)

(6)

(7)

(1)

(2)

(7)

(1)

(2)

(8)

(1)

(2)

(1) For incentive units for Messrs. Lamp, Pytosh, and Bley and Mses. Jackson and Buhrig that vested during fiscal year 2020, the amount 
reflected  includes  a  per  unit  value  equal  to  (i)  the  average  closing  price  of  CVR  Energy’s  common  stock  in  accordance  with  the 
agreement, and (ii) $4.25 in accrued dividends.

(2) For incentive units for Messrs. Lamp, Pytosh, and Bley and Mses. Jackson and Buhrig that vested during fiscal year 2020, the amount 
reflected  includes  a  per  unit  value  equal  to  (i)  the  average  closing  price  of  CVR  Energy’s  common  stock  in  accordance  with  the 
agreement, and (ii) $1.20 in accrued dividends

(3) For incentive units for Mr. Pytosh that vested during fiscal year 2020, the amount reflected includes a per unit value equal to (i) the fair 

market value of CVR Refining’s common units in accordance with the agreement, and (ii) accrued distributions of $2.52 per unit.

(4) For phantom units that vested during fiscal year 2020, the amount reflected includes a per unit value equal to (i) the average closing price 

of CVR Partners’ common units in accordance with the agreement, and (ii) accrued distributions of $4.00 per unit.

(5) Accrued distributions have been adjusted to reflect the Reverse Unit Split.
(6) For phantom units that vested during fiscal year 2020, the amount reflected includes a per unit value equal to the average closing price of 

CVR Partners’ common units in accordance with the agreement. 

(7) For incentive units for Mses. Jackson and Buhrig that vested during fiscal year 2020, the amount reflected includes a per unit value equal 
to (i) the fair market value of CVR Refining’s common units in accordance with the agreement, and (ii) accrued distributions of $1.56 
per unit.

(8) For incentive units that vested during fiscal year 2020, the amount reflected includes a per unit value equal to (i) the fair market value of 

CVR Refining’s common units in accordance with the agreement, and (ii) accrued distributions of $2.07 per unit.

Reimbursement of Expenses of Our General Partner

Our General Partner and its affiliates are reimbursed for expenses incurred on our behalf under the Corporate MSA. See 
“Certain  Relationships  and  Related  Transactions,  and  Director  Independence  -  Agreements  with  CVR  Energy  and  its 
Subsidiaries”. These expenses include the costs of employee, officer and director compensation and benefits properly allocable 
to us, and all other expenses necessary or appropriate to the conduct of our business and allocable to us. These expenses also 
include costs incurred by CVR Energy or its affiliates in rendering corporate staff and support services to us pursuant to the 
Corporate  MSA,  including  a  pro-rata  portion  of  the  compensation  of  CVR  Energy’s  executive  officers  who  provide 

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management  services  to  us  based  on  the  amount  of  time  such  executive  officers  devote  to  our  business.  For  the  year  ended 
December  31,  2020,  the  total  amount  paid  to  our  general  partner  and  its  affiliates  (including  amounts  paid  to  CVR  Energy 
pursuant to the Corporate MSA) was approximately $12.6 million.

Our partnership agreement provides that our general partner determines which of its affiliates’ expenses are allocable to us 
and the Corporate MSA provides that CVR Energy invoice us monthly for services provided thereunder. Our General Partner 
may dispute the costs that CVR Energy charges us under the Corporate MSA, but we are not entitled to a refund of any disputed 
cost unless it is determined not to be a reasonable cost incurred by CVR Energy in connection with services it provided.

Change-in-Control and Termination Payments

Certain  of  our  named  executive  officers  are  entitled  to  severance  and  other  benefits  from  CVR  Energy  following  the 

termination of their employment under certain circumstances. 

David L. Lamp. Under his employment agreement, if Mr. Lamp’s employment is terminated due to death or disability, or 
by CVR Energy without cause and not in connection with a change in control, he (or his estate, in the event of termination due 
to death) is entitled to: (a) any accrued but unpaid amounts, plus (b) salary continuation for the lesser of six months and the 
remainder  of  the  term  of  the  employment  agreement  (such  period,  the  “Lamp  Post-Employment  Period”),  plus  (c)  a  pro-rata 
bonus  for  the  year  in  which  termination  occurs  based  on  actual  results.  For  terminations  due  to  disability,  Mr.  Lamp  is  also 
entitled to disability benefits. If Mr. Lamp’s employment is terminated either by CVR Energy without cause or by Mr. Lamp 
for good reason (as these terms are defined in his employment agreement) within the one year following a change in control (as 
defined in his employment agreement) or in specified circumstances prior to and in connection with a change in control, Mr. 
Lamp will receive the Incentive Payment within 30 days following the consummation of the change in control. Mr. Lamp does 
not  receive  any  payments  or  benefits  in  the  event  of  retirement  other  than  benefits  accrued  prior  to  such  termination.  As  a 
condition to receiving these severance payments and benefits, Mr. Lamp must execute, deliver and not revoke a general release 
of claims and abide by restrictive covenants relating to non-solicitation and non-competition during Mr. Lamp’s employment 
term, and thereafter during the period he receives severance payments or supplemental disability payments, as applicable, or for 
six months following the end of the term (if no severance or disability payments are payable), as well as a perpetual restrictive 
covenant  relating  to  non-disclosure  and  non-disparagement  and  covenants  relating  to  non-solicitation  and  noncompetition.  If 
any payments or distributions due to Mr. Lamp under his employment agreement would be subject to the excise tax imposed 
under Section 4999 of the Code, then such payments or distributions will be “cut back” only if that reduction would be more 
beneficial to him on an after-tax basis than if there was no reduction.  

Other  Named  Executive  Officers.  Mses.  Jackson  and  Buhrig  and  Messrs.  Pytosh,  and  Bley  do  not  have  employment 
agreements.  However,  under  the  CVI  Severance  Plan,  Mses.  Jackson  and  Buhrig  and  Messrs.  Pytosh  and  Bley  are  generally 
eligible for certain payments in the event of their involuntary termination (other than for cause, as defined in the CVI Severance 
Plan) or their resignation for good reason (as defined in the CVI Severance Plan), in each case, within the 120 days preceding or 
the 24 months following a change in control (as defined in the CVI Severance Plan) including any amounts accrued prior to 
termination,  plus  a  lump  sum  payment  equal  to  twelve  months  of  base  salary  plus  the  average  annual  bonus  paid  during  the 
preceding  three  years  (or  target  in  the  event  of  no  bonus  history).  They  are  also  entitled  to  acceleration  of  unvested  equity 
awards. These payouts are subject to various conditions including the execution of a release agreement, a perpetual restrictive 
covenant relating to non-disclosure and non-disparagement and covenants relating to non-solicitation and non-competition for a 
period of 12 months. 

The amounts of potential post-employment payments and benefits in the table below assume that the triggering event took 
place on December 31, 2020. Pursuant to the Corporate MSA, we are responsible for the payment of our proportionate share of 
the “CVI Severance Plan” and other benefits costs following the termination of employment of the named executive officers 
that are employed by CVR Services.

December 31, 2020 | 95

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Cash Severance

Benefit Continuation

Death

Disability Retirement

Termination without 
Cause or with Good 
Reason (4)

(1)

(2)

Death

Disability Retirement

Termination without 
Cause or with Good 
Reason (4)

(1)

(2)

David L. Lamp (3) $  693,101  $  693,101  $  193,101  $  693,101  $ 10,000,000  $ 

—  $ 

—  $ 

—  $ 

—  $ 

Mark A. Pytosh

Tracy D. Jackson

Melissa M. Buhrig  

Matthew W. Bley

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

  1,608,132 

  1,035,010 

  1,183,875 

463,402 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

(1) Severance  payments  and  benefits  in  the  event  of  termination  without  cause  or  resignation  for  good  reason  not  in  connection  with  a 

change in control.

(2) Severance payments and benefits in the event of termination without cause or resignation for good reason in connection with a change in 

control.

(3) For Mr. Lamp, payments upon (a) death, disability, or termination without cause or resignation for good reason not in connection with a 
change in control include: (i) base salary payable for six months under his employment agreement, plus (ii) a pro-rata bonus under the 
applicable  bonus  plan  based  on  actual  achievement,  plus  (iii)  Accrued  Amounts  (as  defined  in  his  employment  agreement),  and  (b) 
termination without cause or resignation for good reason in connection with a change in control includes payout of the incentive payment 
set forth under his employment agreement.    

(4) For all named executive officers other than Mr. Lamp, payments in the termination without cause or with good reason column include, 
under the CVI Severance Plan, a lump sum of twelve months’ base pay plus the average of the preceding three years’ annual bonus (or 
current target in the absence of three-year bonus history). 

Certain of our named executive officers have received incentive unit awards under the CVI LTIP, as well as phantom unit 
awards under the CVR Partners LTIP, each of which generally represents the right to receive, upon vesting, a cash payment 
equal  to  (i)  the  number  of  units  times  the  average  closing  price  of  a  common  share  of  CVR  Energy  or  a  common  unit  of 
Partnership for the ten trading days preceding vesting, plus (ii) the per unit cash value of all dividends declared and paid by 
CVR  Energy  or  distributions  declared  and  paid  by  the  Partnership,  as  applicable,  from  the  grant  date  to  and  including  the 
vesting date. These awards generally provide for acceleration upon certain termination events, as follows:   

•

If the incentive units or phantom units, as applicable, are cancelled or if such named executive officer (a) is terminated 
other than for cause or (b) is terminated due to death or disability, then the portion of the award scheduled to vest in 
the year in which such event occurs becomes immediately vested and the remaining portion is forfeited. If such named 
executive officer is terminated other than for cause or resigns for good reason in connection with a change in control 
all unvested awards accelerate.  

The  following  table  reflects  the  value  of  accelerated  vesting  of  the  unvested  incentive  units  and  phantom  units,  as 
applicable,  held  by  the  named  executive  officers  assuming  the  triggering  event  took  place  on  December  31,  2020.  For  the 
purposes of phantom units awarded, the value is based on the 20-day average closing price for the Partnership common units 
for the 20 trading days preceding December 31, 2020, or $13.80 per unit. For the purposes of the incentive units awarded in 
December 2020, the value is based on the 20-day average closing price for the CVR Energy common stock for the 20-trading 
days preceding December 31, 2020, or $15.19 per share.

Value of Accelerated Vesting of Restricted Stock Unit and Incentive Unit Awards

David L. Lamp

Mark A. Pytosh

Tracy D. Jackson

Melissa M. Buhrig

Matthew W. Bley

Death

Disability

Retirement

Termination without Cause or with 
Good Reason

(1)

(2)

$ 

—  $ 

—  $ 

—  $ 

—  $ 

2,652,646 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

2,359,964 

987,725 

1,127,131 

304,955 

(1) Termination without cause or resignation for good reason not in connection with a change in control.
(2) Termination without cause or resignation for good reason in connection with a change in control.

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Pay Ratio

For  2020,  we  conducted  separate  comparisons  of  the  median  employee’s  total  annual  compensation  to  the  total  annual 
compensation of each of our Principal Executive Officers (“PEOs”): Mr. Lamp, our Executive Chairman, and Mr. Pytosh, our 
President and Chief Executive Officer.  

We  estimate  that  the  median  of  the  annual  total  compensation  of  all  our  employees  and  our  consolidated  subsidiaries 
(except our PEOs) was $126,523 for 2020. The annual total compensation of Messrs. Pytosh and Lamp, our PEOs for 2020, as 
reported in the Summary Compensation Table included in this Item 11, was $2,011,144 and $316,481, respectively, for 2020 
(as  adjusted  to  reflect  the  compensation  attributable  to  their  respective  service  to  the  Partnership).  These  totals  and  the  pay 
ratios described below are reasonable estimates calculated in a manner consistent with Item 402(u) of Regulation S-K.

Based on this information, we estimate that the ratio of the annual total compensation of each of our PEOs to the median of 
the annual total compensation of all employees for 2020 was: (i) 16 to 1, with respect to Mr. Pytosh; and (ii) 3 to 1, with respect 
to Mr. Lamp.

To  identify  the  median  of  the  annual  total  compensation  of  all  our  employees,  as  well  as  to  determine  the  annual  total 
compensation  of  our  median  employee  and  our  PEOs,  we  used  the  following  methodology  and  made  the  following  material 
assumptions, adjustments, and estimates:

(1) We  determined  that,  as  of  December  31,  2020,  the  employee  population  of  the  Partnership  and  its  consolidated 
subsidiaries  consisted  of  314  individuals,  not  including  Messrs.  Pytosh  and  Lamp  which  are  employed  by  CVR 
Services.

(2) To  identify  the  “median  employee”  from  the  employee  population,  we  compared  the  amount  of  annual  total 
compensation  of  such  employees  for  2020  determined  in  accordance  with  the  requirements  of  Item  402(c)(2)(x)  of 
Regulation  S-K,  which  consisted  of  salary,  bonus,  non-equity  incentive  plan  compensation  and  other  compensation. 
We “annualized” the compensation of our full-time and part-time permanent employees as of December 31, 2020 to 
adjust for the portion of the year that the employee did not work, if applicable. We did not make any cost-of-living 
adjustments in identifying the “median employee.”

(3) Once  we  identified  our  median  employee,  we  included  the  elements  of  such  employee’s  compensation  for  2020 
determined  in  accordance  with  the  requirements  of  Item  402(c)(2)(x)  of  Regulation  S-K,  resulting  in  annual  total 
compensation of $126,523. With respect to the annual total compensation of our PEOs, we used the amounts reported 
in the “Total” column of our 2020 Summary Compensation Table included in this Item 11, which was calculated in 
accordance with the same requirements of Item 402(c)(2)(x) of Regulation S-K, as adjusted to reflect the portion of 
such  amount  attributable  to  our  PEOs  respective  service  to  the  Partnership  as  further  described  in  the  table 
immediately following our 2020 Summary Compensation Table.

Compensation of Directors

Directors  of  our  General  Partner  who  are  not  officers,  employees,  or  directors  of  CVR  Energy  or  its  affiliates  receive 
compensation  for  their  services.  This  compensation  is  designed  to  attract  and  retain  nationally  recognized,  highly  qualified 
directors  to  lead  the  Partnership  and  to  be  demonstrably  fair  to  both  the  Partnership  and  such  directors,  taking  into 
consideration, among other things, the time commitments required for service on the Board and its committees. 

In  December  2019,  the  Board  considered  these  goals  and  the  compensation  paid  to  such  directors  for  2019,  and  upon 
recommendation of the Compensation Committee, elected to keep such compensation for 2020 the same as 2019. During 2020, 
independent  directors  received  an  annual  director  fee  of  $35,000.  The  Audit  Committee  chair  received  an  additional  fee  of 
$15,000 per year, while independent directors serving on the Audit Committee received an additional fee of $7,500 per year. 
The Compensation Committee chair received an additional fee of $8,000 per year, while independent directors serving on the 
Compensation  Committee  received  an  additional  fee  of  $5,000  per  year.  The  chair  of  the  EH&S  Committee  received  an 
additional fee of $8,000 per year, while independent directors serving on the EH&S Committee received an additional fee of 
$5,000  per  year.  In  addition,  independent  directors  are  reimbursed  for  out-of-pocket  expenses  in  connection  with  attending 
meetings  of  the  board  of  directors  (and  committees  thereof)  of  our  general  partner  and  for  other  director-related  education 
expenses. Each member of the Committee is eligible to receive an additional $1,500 per meeting for all meetings in excess of 
the following threshold:

December 31, 2020 | 97

Table of Contents

Board/Committee Meeting

Threshold Per Year

Board

Audit Committee

Compensation Committee

EH&S Committee

6

12

6

6

The following table sets forth the compensation earned by or paid to each independent director of our General Partner who 

are not officers, employees, or directors of CVR Energy or its affiliates for the year ended December 31, 2020. 

Name

Donna R. Ecton

Frank M. Muller, Jr. 

Peter K. Shea

Fees Earned or Paid 
in Cash (1)

Unit Awards

Total Compensation

$ 

56,085  $ 

—  $ 

55,500 

52,832 

— 

— 

56,085 

55,500 

52,832 

(1) Amounts  reflected  in  this  column  include  annual  retainer  fees,  additional  fees  for  service  as  committee  members,  including  the  chair 

positions, and reimbursements for out-of -pocket expenses during 2020.

Item 12.    Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Unitholder Matters

SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT

The following table presents information regarding beneficial ownership of our common units as of February 22, 2021 by:

• our general partner;

• each of our general partner’s directors;

• each of our named executive officers;

• each unitholder known by us to beneficially hold five percent or more of our outstanding units; and

• all of our general partner’s executive officers and directors as a group.

Beneficial  ownership  is  determined  under  the  rules  of  the  SEC  and  generally  includes  voting  or  investment  power  with 
respect to securities. Unless indicated below, to our knowledge, the persons and entities named in the table have sole voting and 
sole  investment  power  with  respect  to  all  common  units  beneficially  owned,  subject  to  community  property  laws  where 
applicable. The business address for each of our beneficial owners is c/o CVR Partners, LP, 2277 Plaza Drive, Suite 500, Sugar 
Land, Texas 77479.

December 31, 2020 | 98

 
 
 
 
 
 
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Name of Beneficial Owner

CVR Services, LLC (2)

Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (3)

Barclays Bank Plc (4)

CVR GP, LLC (5)

Donna R. Ecton

Jonathan Frates

Hunter C. Gary

David L. Lamp

Andrew Langham

Frank M. Muller, Jr.

Mark A. Pytosh 

Peter K. Shea 

Matthew W. Bley

Melissa M. Buhrig

Tracy D. Jackson

Common Units
Beneficially Owned (1)

Number

Percent

3,892,000 

1,064,951 

910,460 

— 

1,250 

— 

— 

— 

— 

3,512 

20,593 

59 

— 

— 

— 

 36.4 %

 9.6 %

 8.2 %

 — 

*

 — 

 — 

 — 

 — 

 — 

 — 

 — 

*

*

*

*

All directors and executive officers of our general partner as a group (11 persons) (6)

25,414 

Less than 1%

*
(1) Numbers in this column reflect common unit ownership following the Partnership’s November 23, 2020 reverse unit split of the issued 
and outstanding common units representing limited partner interests in the Partnership, whereby each 10 outstanding common units were 
combined, converted, and changed into one common unit.

(2) CVR Services is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of CVR Energy, with an address at 2277 Plaza Drive, Suite 500, Sugar Land, TX 
77479.  CVR  Energy  may  be  deemed  to  have  direct  beneficial  ownership  of  the  common  units  held  by  CVR  Services  by  virtue  of  its 
control of CVR Services. The directors of CVR Energy are Patricia A. Agnello, SungHwan Cho, Jaffrey A. Firestone, Jonathan Frates, 
Hunter C. Gary, David L. Lamp, Stephen Mongillo, and James M. Strock.

(3) Beneficial ownership information is based on a Schedule 13G/A filed with the SEC on February 11, 2021 by Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. 
with an address of 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282. Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. has shared voting power with respect to 
1,064,951 units and shared dispositive power of 1,064,951 units.

(4)   Beneficial ownership information is based on a Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on February 11, 2021 by Barclays Plc with an address 
of 1 Churchill Place, London, X0 E14 5HP. Barclays Bank Plc has sole voting power with respect to 910,460 units and sole dispositive 
power with respect to 910,460 units.

(5)   CVR GP, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CVR Services, is our general partner and manages and operates CVR Partners and has a 

non-economic general partner interest with an address at 2277 Plaza Drive, Suite 500, Sugar Land, TX 77479.

(6)   The number of common units owned by all of the directors and executive officers of our general partner, as a group, reflects the sum of 
(i)  the  20,593  common  units  owned  by  Mr.  Pytosh,  (ii)  the  1,250  common  units  owned  by  Ms.  Ecton,  (iii)  the  3,512  common  units 
owned by Mr. Muller, and (iv) the 59 common units owned by Mr. Shea.

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Item 13.    Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence

CVR  Services  owns  (i)  3,892,000  common  units,  representing  approximately  36%  of  our  outstanding  units,  and  (ii)  our 

general partner with its non-economic general partner interest (which does not entitle it to receive distributions). 

Agreements with CVR Services and Its Subsidiaries 

CVR GP and the Partnership and its subsidiaries are party to, or otherwise subject to certain agreements with CVR Services 
and  its  subsidiaries,  including  CRRM,  that  govern  the  business  relations  among  each  party.  The  Partnership  is  party  to  the 
Limited  Partnership  Agreement,  the  Corporate  MSA,  and  the  Omnibus  Agreement.  Our  Coffeyville  Facility  is  party  to  the 
Coffeyville  MSA,  the  Terminal  and  Operating  Agreement,  and  the  Environmental  Agreement.  Further,  some  of  these 
agreements were not the result of arm’s-length negotiations and the terms of these agreements are not necessarily at least as 
favorable to the parties to these agreements as terms which could have been obtained from unaffiliated third parties.  Refer to 
Note 9 (“Related Party Transactions”) of Part II, Item 8 for additional information related to these agreements. Refer also to 
Part IV, Item 15 of this Report for the filed agreements.

Agreements with IEP

Insight Portfolio Group 

Insight  Portfolio  Group  LLC  (“Insight  Portfolio  Group”)  is  an  entity  formed  and  controlled  by  Mr.  Icahn  in  order  to 
maximize the potential buying power of a group of entities with which Mr. Icahn has a relationship in negotiating with a wide 
range  of  suppliers  of  goods,  services,  and  tangible  and  intangible  property  at  negotiated  rates.  For  2020  and  2019,  the 
Partnership  did  not  pay  any  fees  to  Insight  Portfolio  Group.  However,  we  indirectly  received  services  from  certain  of  CVR 
Energy’s  negotiated  agreements  with  third  parties,  certain  of  which  were  initiated  through  the  Insight  Portfolio  Group.  On 
January 23, 2020, CVR Energy assigned its minority equity interests to a third party, terminated its agreement, and is no longer 
expected to transact with, the Insight Portfolio Group.

Conflicts of Interest

Conflicts of interest exist and may arise in the future as a result of the relationships between our general partner and its 
affiliates (including IEP, CVR Services, CVR Energy, and CVR Refining), on the one hand, and us and our public unitholders, 
on the other hand. Conflicts may arise as a result of (i) the overlap of directors and officers between our general partner and 
CVR Energy, which may result in conflicting obligations by these officers and directors, and (ii) duties of our general partner to 
act for the benefit of CVR Energy and its stockholders, which may conflict with our interests and the interests of our public 
unitholders. The directors and officers of our general partner have fiduciary duties to manage our general partner in a manner 
beneficial to CVR Services, its owner, and the stockholders of CVR Energy, its indirect parent. At the same time, our general 
partner has a contractual duty under our partnership agreement to manage us in a manner that is in our best interests.

Whenever a conflict arises between our general partner, on the one hand, and CVR Services or any other public unitholder, 
on the other, our general partner will resolve that conflict. Our partnership agreement contains provisions that replace default 
fiduciary duties with contractual corporate governance standards as set forth therein. 

Related Party Transaction Policy

Our  Board  has  adopted  a  Related  Party  Transaction  Policy,  which  is  designed  to  monitor  and  ensure  the  proper  review, 
approval,  ratification,  and  disclosure  of  related  party  transactions  involving  us.  This  policy  applies  to  any  transaction, 
arrangement, or relationship (or any series of similar or related transactions, arrangements, or relationships) in which we are a 
participant,  and  the  amount  involved  exceeds  $120,000,  and  in  which  any  related  party  had  or  will  have  a  direct  or  indirect 
material interest. At the discretion of the Board, a proposed related party transaction may generally be reviewed by the Board in 
its  entirety  or  by  a  “conflicts  committee”  meeting  the  definitional  requirements  for  such  a  committee  under  our  partnership 
agreement. After appropriate review, the Board or the Conflicts Committee may approve or ratify a related party transaction if 
such  transaction  is  consistent  with  the  Related  Party  Transaction  Policy  and  is  on  terms  that,  taken  as  a  whole,  are  no  less 
favorable  to  us  than  could  be  obtained  in  an  arm’s-length  transaction  with  an  unrelated  third-party,  unless  the  Board  or  the 
Conflicts Committee otherwise determines that the transaction is not in our best interests. Related party transactions involving 

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compensation  will  be  approved  by  the  Board  in  its  entirety  or  by  the  Compensation  Committee  of  the  Board  in  lieu  of  the 
Conflicts Committee.

On October 18, 2019, the Conflicts Committee of the Board and on October 22, 2019, the audit committee of CVR Energy, 
each  agreed  to  authorize  the  exchange  of  certain  parcels  of  property  owned  by  a  subsidiary  of  CVR  Energy  with  an  equal 
number of parcels owned by a subsidiary of CVR Partners, all located in Coffeyville, Kansas (the “Property Exchange”). On 
February 19, 2020, a subsidiary of CVR Energy and a subsidiary of CVR Partners executed the Property Exchange agreement 
effectuating the same. This Property Exchange will enable each such subsidiary to create a more usable, contiguous parcel of 
land near its own operating footprint. CVR Energy and the Partnership accounted for this transaction in accordance with the 
Topic 805-50 guidance on transferring assets between entities under common control. This transaction had a net impact to the 
Partnership’s partners’ capital of approximately $0.1 million.

Director Independence

The NYSE does not require a listed publicly traded partnership, such as ours, to have a majority of independent directors 
on  the  Board  of  our  general  partner.  The  Board  consists  of  eight  directors,  three  of  whom  the  Board  has  affirmatively 
determined  are  independent  in  accordance  with  the  rules  of  the  NYSE.  For  a  discussion  of  the  independence  of  the  Board, 
please see Part III, Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.

Item 14.    Principal Accounting Fees and Services

Grant  Thornton  LLP  (“Grant  Thornton”)  has  served  as  the  Partnership’s  independent  public  registered  accounting  firm 
since  August  2013.  The  Audit  Committee  has  not  selected  the  independent  registered  public  accounting  firm  to  conduct  the 
audit of our books and records for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2021.

The charter of the Audit Committee of the Board, which is available on our website at www.cvrpartners.com, requires the 
Audit Committee to pre-approve all audit services and non-audit services (other than de-minimis non-audit services as defined 
by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002) to be provided by our independent registered public accounting firm. The Audit Committee 
has a pre-approval policy with respect to services that may be performed by the independent auditors. The Audit Committee 
pre-approved all fees incurred in fiscal year 2020.

The  following  table  represents  fees  billed  and  expected  to  be  billed  for  professional  services  and  other  services  in  the 

following categories and amounts by Grant Thornton for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019:

(in thousands)

Audit fees (1)

Audit-related fees

Tax fees

All other fees

Total

Year Ended December 31,

2020

2019

$ 

654  $ 

654 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

$ 

654  $ 

654 

(1) Represents the aggregate fees for professional services rendered for the annual audit of the Partnership’s financial statements, the annual 
audit  of  the  effectiveness  of  the  Partnership’s  internal  control  over  financial  reporting,  comfort  letters,  consents,  and  consultations  on 
financial  accounting  and  reporting  standards  arising  during  the  course  of  the  audits  and  reviews.  Also  includes  the  review  of  the 
consolidated financial statements included in the Partnership’s quarterly reports on Form 10-Q.

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Item 15.    Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules

(a)(1) Financial Statements - See Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

PART IV

(a)(2) Financial Statement Schedules - All schedules for which provision is made in the applicable accounting regulations 
of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) are not required under the related instructions or are inapplicable and 
therefore have been omitted.

(a)(3) Exhibits

Exhibit 
Number

Exhibit Description

3.1**

3.2**

4.1**

4.2**

4.3**

4.4**

4.5**

4.6**

10.3**

10.3.1**

10.3.2**

10.7**

10.8**

Third Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement of CVR GP, LLC, dated April 13, 2011 
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.4 of the Form 10-K filed on February 24, 2012).

Composite copy of the Second Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of CVR Partners, LP 
(as amended by Amendment No. 1 referenced in Exhibit 3.4 above) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 
of the Form 10-Q filed on April 26, 2018).

Description of Common Units (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of the Form 10-K filed on February 
20, 2020).

Specimen certificate for the common units (incorporated by reference to Appendix A to the Prospectus 
contained within the Form S-1/A filed on March 17, 2011).

Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of April 13, 2011, by and between CVR 
Partners, LP and Coffeyville Resources, LLC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.6 of the Form 8-K/A 
filed by CVR Energy, Inc. on May 23, 2011 (Commission File No. 001-33492)).

Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of August 9, 2015, by and among CVR Partners, LP, Coffeyville 
Resources, LLC, Rentech Nitrogen Holdings, Inc., and DSHC, LLC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 
of the Form 8-K filed on August 13, 2015).

Indenture, dated June 10, 2016, by and among CVR Partners, LP, CVR Nitrogen Finance Corporation, the 
Guarantors (as defined therein) and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as Trustee and Collateral Trustee 
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of the Form 8-K filed on June 16, 2016).

Form of 9.250% Senior Secured Note due 2023 (included within the Indenture filed as Exhibit 4.4 and 
incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of the Form 8-K filed on June 16, 2016).

Environmental Agreement, dated as of October 25, 2007, by and between Coffeyville Resources Refining & 
Marketing, LLC and Coffeyville Resources Nitrogen Fertilizers, LLC (incorporated by reference to 
Exhibit 10.7 of the Form 10-Q filed by CVR Energy, Inc. on December 6, 2007 (Commission File No. 
001-33492)).

Supplement to Environmental Agreement, dated as of February 15, 2008, by and between Coffeyville 
Resources Refining & Marketing, LLC and Coffeyville Resources Nitrogen Fertilizers, LLC (incorporated by 
reference to Exhibit 10.17.1 of the Form 10-K filed by CVR Energy, Inc. on March 28, 2008 (Commission 
File No. 001-33492)).

Second Supplement to Environmental Agreement, dated as of July 23, 2008, by and between Coffeyville 
Resources Refining & Marketing, LLC and Coffeyville Resources Nitrogen Fertilizers, LLC (incorporated by 
reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Form 10-Q filed by CVR Energy, Inc. on August 14, 2008 (Commission File 
No. 001-33492)).

Amended and Restated Omnibus Agreement, dated as of April 13, 2011, among CVR Energy, Inc., 
CVR GP, LLC and CVR Partners, LP (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the Form 8-K/A filed by 
CVR Energy, Inc. on May 23, 2011 (Commission File No. 001-33492)).

Amended and Restated Contribution, Conveyance and Assumption Agreement, dated as of April 7, 2011, 
among Coffeyville Resources, LLC, CVR GP, LLC, Coffeyville Acquisition III LLC, CVR Special GP, LLC 
and CVR Partners, LP (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Form 8-K/A filed by CVR 
Energy, Inc. on May 23, 2011 (Commission File No. 001-33492)).

December 31, 2020 | 102

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10.11**

10.13**

10.14**

10.15**+

10.15.1**+

10.15.2**+

10.15.3**+

10.16**+

10.17**+

10.18**

10.19**+

10.20**

10.21**

10.22**

10.23**

10.24**

Lease and Operating Agreement, dated as of May 4, 2012, by and between Coffeyville Resources 
Terminal, LLC and Coffeyville Resources Nitrogen Fertilizers, LLC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 
of the Form 10-Q filed on August 2, 2012).

Master Service Agreement among Coffeyville Resources Refining & Marketing, LLC and Coffeyville 
Resources Nitrogen Fertilizers, LLC, dated February 19, 2020 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.13 of 
the Form 10-K filed on February 20, 2020).

Master Service Agreement among CVR Services, LLC and subsidiaries of CVR Energy, dated February 19, 
2020 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.14 of the Form 10-K filed on February 20, 2020).

CVR Partners, LP Long-Term Incentive Plan (adopted March 16, 2011) (incorporated by reference to 
Exhibit 10.1 to the Form S-8 filed on April 12, 2011).

Form of Employee Phantom Unit Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.17.5 of the Form 10-K 
filed on February 20, 2015).

Form of CVR Partners, LP Long-Term Incentive Plan Employee Phantom Unit Agreement (Executive) 
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.15.2 of the Form 10-K filed on February 20, 2020).

Form of CVR Partners, LP Long-Term Incentive Plan Employee Phantom Unit Agreement (incorporated by 
reference to Exhibit 10.15.3 of the Form 10-K filed on February 20, 2020).

Employment Agreement, dated as of November 1, 2017, by and between CVR Energy, Inc. and David L. 
Lamp (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.20 to the Partnership’s Form 10-K filed on February 23, 2018 
(Commission File No. 001-35120)).

Performance Unit Award Agreement, dated as of November 1, 2017, by and between CVR Energy, Inc. and 
David L. Lamp (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.22 to the Partnership’s Form 10-K filed on 
February 23, 2018 (Commission File No. 001-35120)).

Form of Indemnification Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.26 of the Form 10-K filed on 
February 24, 2012).

CVR Energy, Inc. Change in Control and Severance Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of CVR 
Energy, Inc.’s Form 10-Q filed on October 25, 2018).

Collateral Trust Agreement, dated as of June 10, 2016, among CVR Partners, LP, CVR Nitrogen Finance 
Corporation, the Guarantors (as defined therein) and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as Trustee and 
Collateral Trustee (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Form 8-K filed on June 16, 2016).

Parity Lien Security Agreement, dated as of June 10, 2016, among CVR Partners, LP, CVR Nitrogen Finance 
Corporation, the Guarantors (as defined therein) and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as Trustee and 
Collateral Trustee (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the Form 8-K filed on June 16, 2016).

AB Credit Agreement, dated as of September 30, 2016, among CVR Partners, LP, CVR Nitrogen, LP, East 
Dubuque Nitrogen Fertilizers, LLC, Coffeyville Resources Nitrogen Fertilizers, LLC, CVR Nitrogen 
Holdings, LLC, CVR Nitrogen Finance Corporation, CVR Nitrogen GP, LLC, certain of their affiliates from 
time to time party thereto, the lenders from time to time party thereto, UBS AG, Stamford Branch, as 
administrative agent and collateral agent (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Form 8-K filed on 
October 6, 2016).

Security Agreement, dated as of September 30, 2016, among CVR Partners, LP, CVR Nitrogen, LP, East 
Dubuque Nitrogen Fertilizers, LLC, Coffeyville Resources Nitrogen Fertilizers, LLC, CVR Nitrogen 
Holdings, LLC, CVR Nitrogen Finance Corporation, CVR Nitrogen GP, LLC, certain of their affiliates from 
time to time party thereto, and UBS AG, Stamford Branch, as administrative agent and collateral agent 
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the Form 8-K filed on October 6, 2016).

Intercreditor Agreement, dated as of September 30, 2016, among CVR Partners, LP, CVR Nitrogen, LP, East 
Dubuque Nitrogen Fertilizers, LLC, Coffeyville Resources Nitrogen Fertilizers, LLC, CVR Nitrogen 
Holdings, LLC, CVR Nitrogen Finance Corporation, CVR Nitrogen GP, LLC, certain of their affiliates from 
time to time party thereto, UBS AG, Stamford Branch, as administrative agent and collateral agent for the 
secured parties, Wilmington Trust, National Association, as trustee and collateral trustee for the secured parties 
in respect of the outstanding senior secured notes and other parity lien obligations and other parity lien 
representative from time to time party thereto (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 of the Form 8-K filed 
on October 6, 2016).

10.25**+

CVR Partners, LP 2019 Performance-Based Bonus Plan, approved March 19, 2019 (incorporated by reference 
to Exhibit 10.2 of the Form 10-Q filed on April 25, 2019).

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10.26**+

10.27*+

21.1**

23.1*

31.1*

31.2*

31.3*

31.4*

32.1†

101*

CVR Partners, LP 2020 Performance-Based Bonus Plan, approved February 19, 2020 (incorporated by 
reference to Exhibit 10.26 of the Form 10-K filed on February 20, 2020).

CVR Partners, LP 2021 Performance-Based Bonus Plan, approved February 19, 2021.

List of Subsidiaries of CVR Partners, LP (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 21.1 of the Form 10-K filed on 
February 21, 2017).

Consent of Grant Thornton LLP.

Rule 13a-14(a) or 15(d)-14(a) Certification of Executive Chairman.

Rule 13a-14(a) or 15(d)-14(a) Certification of President and Chief Executive Officer.

Rule 13a-14(a) or 15(d)-14(a) Certification of Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.

Rule 13a-14(a) or 15(d)-14(a) Certification of Chief Accounting Officer and Corporate Controller.

Section 1350 Certification of Executive Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Executive Vice 
President and Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer and Corporate Controller.

The following financial information for CVR Partners, LP’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended 
December  31,  2020,  formatted 
includes: 
(1) Consolidated Balance Sheets, (2) Consolidated Statements of Operations, (3) Consolidated Statements of 
Comprehensive Income (Loss), (4) Consolidated Statement of Partners’ Capital, (5)  Consolidated Statements 
of Cash Flows and (6) the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, tagged as blocks of text.

in  XBRL  (“Extensible  Business  Reporting  Language”) 

104*

Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101).

* 
** 
† 
+ 

Filed herewith.
Previously filed.
Furnished herewith.
Denotes management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.

PLEASE  NOTE:  Pursuant  to  the  rules  and  regulations  of  the  SEC,  we  may  file  or  incorporate  by  reference  agreements 
referenced as exhibits to the reports that we file with or furnish to the SEC. The agreements are filed to provide investors with 
information regarding their respective terms. The agreements are not intended to provide any other factual information about 
the  Partnership  or  its  business  or  operations.  In  particular,  the  assertions  embodied  in  any  representations,  warranties  and 
covenants contained in the agreements may be subject to qualifications with respect to knowledge and materiality different from 
those  applicable  to  investors  and  may  be  qualified  by  information  in  confidential  disclosure  schedules  not  included  with  the 
exhibits.  These  disclosure  schedules  may  contain  information  that  modifies,  qualifies  and  creates  exceptions  to  the 
representations,  warranties  and  covenants  set  forth  in  the  agreements.  Moreover,  certain  representations,  warranties  and 
covenants in the agreements may have been used for the purpose of allocating risk between the parties, rather than establishing 
matters as facts. In addition, information concerning the subject matter of the representations, warranties and covenants may 
have changed after the date of the respective agreement, which subsequent information may or may not be fully reflected in the 
Partnership’s public disclosures. Accordingly, investors should not rely on the representations, warranties and covenants in the 
agreements as characterizations of the actual state of facts about the Partnership or its business or operations on the date hereof.

Item 16.    Form 10-K Summary

None.

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Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused 

this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

SIGNATURES

CVR Partners, LP
By: CVR GP, LLC, its general partner

By:

/s/ MARK A. PYTOSH
Mark A. Pytosh
President and Chief Executive Officer

Date: February 23, 2021 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this Report had been signed below by the following 

persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacity and on the dates indicated.

Signature

Title

Date

/s/ DAVID L. LAMP

David L. Lamp

/s/ MARK A. PYTOSH

Mark A. Pytosh

/s/ TRACY D. JACKSON

Tracy D. Jackson

/s/ MATTHEW W. BLEY

Matthew W. Bley

/s/ DONNA R. ECTON

Donna R. Ecton

/s/ JONATHAN FRATES
Jonathan Frates

/s/ ANDREW LANGHAM
Andrew Langham

/s/ FRANK M. MULLER, JR.

Frank M. Muller, Jr.

/s/ HUNTER C. GARY

Hunter C. Gary

/s/ PETER K. SHEA

Peter K. Shea

Chairman of the Board of Directors, Executive Chairman
(Principal Executive Officer)

February 23, 2021

Director, President and Chief Executive Officer
(Principal Executive Officer)

February 23, 2021

Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial Officer)

February 23, 2021

Chief Accounting Officer and Corporate Controller  
(Principal Accounting Officer)

February 23, 2021

Director

Director

Director

Director

Director

Director

February 23, 2021

February 23, 2021

February 23, 2021

February 23, 2021

February 23, 2021

February 23, 2021

December 31, 2020 | 105