Commitments and Contingencies Contractual Commitments Commercial Agreements with MRD Operating The Partnership has entered into 15 -year processing, gathering and residue gas and NGL transportation agreements with MRD Operating. The processing agreement contains a specified daily minimum volume threshold for MRD Operating, which increased to 460,000 MMBtu/d effective July 1, 2016. On July 1, 2026, MRD Operatings daily minimum volume threshold will decrease to 345,000 MMBtu/d through May 31, 2030, and will then decrease to 115,000 MMBtu/d effective June 1, 2030 through the remainder of the initial term ending October 1, 2030. Any volumes of gas delivered up to the applicable daily minimum volume threshold are charged the firm fixed-commitment fee and any volumes delivered in excess of such threshold are charged the interruptible-service fixed fee. MRD Operating must pay a deficiency payment based on the firm-commitment fixed fee with respect to a particular quarterly period if the cumulative minimum volume commitment as of the end of such period exceeds the sum of (i) the cumulative volumes processed under the processing agreement as of the end of such period plus (ii) volumes corresponding to deficiency payments incurred prior to such period. MRD Operating may utilize these deficiency payments as a credit for fees owed to the Partnership only to the extent it has delivered the total minimum volume commitment under the processing agreement within the initial 15 -year term of the agreement. Additionally, all volumes delivered by MRD Operating in excess of the minimum volume commitment in a quarterly period apply against and reduce, on a one -for-one basis, the cumulative minimum volume commitment used to calculate deficiency payments for future quarterly periods. The processing agreement also requires MRD Operating to reimburse a portion of the Partnerships electricity expenses for electric compression at the processing plants. The gathering agreement provides for the gathering of MRD Operatings processable natu