My understanding was that that the two were split apart originally to mitigate the risk incurred by ETP for projects like the Bakken pipeline. Failure to complete a huge project like the "Bakken" could have spelled disaster for the company if the project was not completed to fruition. Knowing the companies are being made "whole" is certainly a sign of a more prosperous future as the profits from these huge projects become a huge recurring annual annuity.
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