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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2018
Accounting Policies [Abstract] |
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | Summary of Significant Accounting Policies General The company’s Consolidated Financial Statements are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. These require the use of estimates and assumptions that affect the assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses reported in the financial statements, as well as amounts included in the notes thereto, including discussion and disclosure of contingent liabilities. Although the company uses its best estimates and judgments, actual results could differ from these estimates as circumstances change and additional information becomes known. Subsidiary and Affiliated Companies The Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of controlled subsidiary companies more than 50 percent-owned and any variable-interest entities in which the company is the primary beneficiary. Undivided interests in oil and gas joint ventures and certain other assets are consolidated on a proportionate basis. Investments in and advances to affiliates in which the company has a substantial ownership interest of approximately 20 percent to 50 percent, or for which the company exercises significant influence but not control over policy decisions, are accounted for by the equity method. Investments in affiliates are assessed for possible impairment when events indicate that the fair value of the investment may be below the company’s carrying value. When such a condition is deemed to be other than temporary, the carrying value of the investment is written down to its fair value, and the amount of the write-down is included in net income. In making the determination as to whether a decline is other than temporary, the company considers such factors as the duration and extent of the decline, the investee’s financial performance, and the company’s ability and intention to retain its investment for a period that will be sufficient to allow for any anticipated recovery in the investment’s market value. The new cost basis of investments in these equity investees is not changed for subsequent recoveries in fair value. Differences between the company’s carrying value of an equity investment and its underlying equity in the net assets of the affiliate are assigned to the extent practicable to specific assets and liabilities based on the company’s analysis of the various factors giving rise to the difference. When appropriate, the company’s share of the affiliate’s reported earnings is adjusted quarterly to reflect the difference between these allocated values and the affiliate’s historical book values. Noncontrolling Interests Ownership interests in the company’s subsidiaries held by parties other than the parent are presented separately from the parent’s equity on the Consolidated Balance Sheet. The amount of consolidated net income attributable to the parent and the noncontrolling interests are both presented on the face of the Consolidated Statement of Income and Consolidated Statement of Equity. Fair Value Measurements The three levels of the fair value hierarchy of inputs the company uses to measure the fair value of an asset or a liability are as follows. Level 1 inputs are quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. Level 2 inputs are inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are directly or indirectly observable for the asset or liability. Level 3 inputs are inputs that are not observable in the market. Derivatives The majority of the company’s activity in derivative commodity instruments is intended to manage the financial risk posed by physical transactions. For some of this derivative activity, generally limited to large, discrete or infrequently occurring transactions, the company may elect to apply fair value or cash flow hedge accounting. For other similar derivative instruments, generally because of the short-term nature of the contracts or their limited use, the company does not apply hedge accounting, and changes in the fair value of those contracts are reflected in current income. For the company’s commodity trading activity, gains and losses from derivative instruments are reported in current income. The company may enter into interest rate swaps from time to time as part of its overall strategy to manage the interest rate risk on its debt. Interest rate swaps related to a portion of the company’s fixed-rate debt, if any, may be accounted for as fair value hedges. Interest rate swaps related to floating-rate debt, if any, are recorded at fair value on the balance sheet with resulting gains and losses reflected in income. Where Chevron is a party to master netting arrangements, fair value receivable and payable amounts recognized for derivative instruments executed with the same counterparty are generally offset on the balance sheet. Short-Term Investments All short-term investments are classified as available for sale and are in highly liquid debt securities. Those investments that are part of the company’s cash management portfolio and have original maturities of three months or less are reported as “Cash equivalents.” Bank time deposits with maturities greater than 90 days are reported as “Time deposits.” The balance of short-term investments is reported as “Marketable securities” and is marked-to-market, with any unrealized gains or losses included in “Other comprehensive income.” Inventories Crude oil, petroleum products and chemicals inventories are generally stated at cost, using a last-in, first-out method. In the aggregate, these costs are below market. “Materials, supplies and other” inventories are primarily stated at cost or net realizable value. Properties, Plant and Equipment The successful efforts method is used for crude oil and natural gas exploration and production activities. All costs for development wells, related plant and equipment, proved mineral interests in crude oil and natural gas properties, and related asset retirement obligation (ARO) assets are capitalized. Costs of exploratory wells are capitalized pending determination of whether the wells found proved reserves. Costs of wells that are assigned proved reserves remain capitalized. Costs also are capitalized for exploratory wells that have found crude oil and natural gas reserves even if the reserves cannot be classified as proved when the drilling is completed, provided the exploratory well has found a sufficient quantity of reserves to justify its completion as a producing well and the company is making sufficient progress assessing the reserves and the economic and operating viability of the project. All other exploratory wells and costs are expensed. Refer to Note 20, beginning on page 79, for additional discussion of accounting for suspended exploratory well costs. Long-lived assets to be held and used, including proved crude oil and natural gas properties, are assessed for possible impairment by comparing their carrying values with their associated undiscounted, future net cash flows. Events that can trigger assessments for possible impairments include write-downs of proved reserves based on field performance, significant decreases in the market value of an asset (including changes to the commodity price forecast), significant change in the extent or manner of use of or a physical change in an asset, and a more-likely-than-not expectation that a long-lived asset or asset group will be sold or otherwise disposed of significantly sooner than the end of its previously estimated useful life. Impaired assets are written down to their estimated fair values, generally their discounted, future net cash flows. For proved crude oil and natural gas properties, the company performs impairment reviews on a country, concession, PSC, development area or field basis, as appropriate. In Downstream, impairment reviews are performed on the basis of a refinery, a plant, a marketing/lubricants area or distribution area, as appropriate. Impairment amounts are recorded as incremental “Depreciation, depletion and amortization” expense. Long-lived assets that are held for sale are evaluated for possible impairment by comparing the carrying value of the asset with its fair value less the cost to sell. If the net book value exceeds the fair value less cost to sell, the asset is considered impaired and adjusted to the lower value. Refer to Note 8, beginning on page 63, relating to fair value measurements. The fair value of a liability for an ARO is recorded as an asset and a liability when there is a legal obligation associated with the retirement of a long-lived asset and the amount can be reasonably estimated. Refer also to Note 2 4, on page 88, relating to AROs. Depreciation and depletion of all capitalized costs of proved crude oil and natural gas producing properties, except mineral interests, are expensed using the unit-of-production method, generally by individual field, as the proved developed reserves are produced. Depletion expenses for capitalized costs of proved mineral interests are recognized using the unit-of-production method by individual field as the related proved reserves are produced. Impairments of capitalized costs of unproved mineral interests are expensed. The capitalized costs of all other plant and equipment are depreciated or amortized over their estimated useful lives. In general, the declining-balance method is used to depreciate plant and equipment in the United States; the straight-line method is generally used to depreciate international plant and equipment and to amortize all capitalized leased assets. Gains or losses are not recognized for normal retirements of properties, plant and equipment subject to composite group amortization or depreciation. Gains or losses from abnormal retirements are recorded as expenses, and from sales as “Other income.” Expenditures for maintenance (including those for planned major maintenance projects), repairs and minor renewals to maintain facilities in operating condition are generally expensed as incurred. Major replacements and renewals are capitalized. Goodwill Goodwill resulting from a business combination is not subject to amortization. The company tests such goodwill at the reporting unit level for impairment annually at December 31, or more frequently if an event occurs or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of the reporting unit below its carrying amount. Environmental Expenditures Environmental expenditures that relate to ongoing operations or to conditions caused by past operations are expensed. Expenditures that create future benefits or contribute to future revenue generation are capitalized. Liabilities related to future remediation costs are recorded when environmental assessments or cleanups or both are probable and the costs can be reasonably estimated. For crude oil, natural gas and mineral-producing properties, a liability for an ARO is made in accordance with accounting standards for asset retirement and environmental obligations. Refer to Note 2 4, on page 88, for a discussion of the company’s AROs. For federal Superfund sites and analogous sites under state laws, the company records a liability for its designated share of the probable and estimable costs, and probable amounts for other potentially responsible parties when mandated by the regulatory agencies because the other parties are not able to pay their respective shares. The gross amount of environmental liabilities is based on the company’s best estimate of future costs using currently available technology and applying current regulations and the company’s own internal environmental policies. Future amounts are not discounted. Recoveries or reimbursements are recorded as assets when receipt is reasonably assured. Currency Translation The U.S. dollar is the functional currency for substantially all of the company’s consolidated operations and those of its equity affiliates. For those operations, all gains and losses from currency remeasurement are included in current period income. The cumulative translation effects for those few entities, both consolidated and affiliated, using functional currencies other than the U.S. dollar are included in “Currency translation adjustment” on the Consolidated Statement of Equity. Revenue Recognition The company accounts for each delivery order of crude oil, natural gas, petroleum and chemical products as a separate performance obligation. Revenue is recognized when the performance obligation is satisfied, which typically occurs at the point in time when control of the product transfers to the customer. Payment is generally due within 30 days of delivery. The company accounts for delivery transportation as a fulfillment cost, not a separate performance obligation, and recognizes these costs as an operating expense in the period when revenue for the related commodity is recognized. Revenue is measured as the amount the company expects to receive in exchange for transferring commodities to the customer. The company’s commodity sales are typically based on prevailing market-based prices and may include discounts and allowances. Until market prices become known under terms of the company’s contracts, the transaction price included in revenue is based on the company’s estimate of the most likely outcome. Discounts and allowances are estimated using a combination of historical and recent data trends. When deliveries contain multiple products, an observable standalone selling price is generally used to measure revenue for each product. The company includes estimates in the transaction price only to the extent that a significant reversal of revenue is not probable in subsequent periods. Excise, value-added and similar taxes assessed by a governmental authority on a revenue-producing transaction between a seller and a customer are presented on a net basis in "Taxes other than on income" on the Consolidated Statement of Income, on page 50. Purchases and sales of inventory with the same counterparty that are entered into in contemplation of one another (including buy/sell arrangements) are combined and recorded on a net basis and reported in “Purchased crude oil and products” on the Consolidated Statement of Income. Prior to the adoption of ASC 606 on January 1, 2018, revenues associated with sales of crude oil, natural gas, petroleum and chemicals products, and all other sources were recorded when title passed to the customer, net of royalties, discounts and allowances, as applicable. Revenues from natural gas production from properties in which Chevron has an interest with other producers were generally recognized using the entitlement method. Excise, value-added and similar taxes assessed by a governmental authority on a revenue-producing transaction between a seller and a customer were presented on a gross basis on the Consolidated Statement of Income. Stock Options and Other Share-Based Compensation The company issues stock options and other share-based compensation to certain employees. For equity awards, such as stock options, total compensation cost is based on the grant date fair value, and for liability awards, such as stock appreciation rights, total compensation cost is based on the settlement value. The company recognizes stock-based compensation expense for all awards over the service period required to earn the award, which is the shorter of the vesting period or the time period in which an employee becomes eligible to retain the award at retirement. The company’s Long-Term Incentive Plan (LTIP) awards include stock options and stock appreciation rights, which have graded vesting provisions by which one-third of each award vests on each of the first, second and third anniversaries of the date of grant. In addition, performance shares granted under the company's LTIP will vest at the end of the three-year performance period. For awards granted under the company's LTIP beginning in 2017, stock options and stock appreciation rights have graded vesting by which one third of each award vests annually on each January 31 on or after the first anniversary of the grant date. Standard restricted stock unit awards have cliff vesting by which the total award will vest on January 31 on or after the fifth anniversary of the grant date, subject to adjustment upon termination pursuant to the satisfaction of certain criteria. The company amortizes these awards on a straight-line basis.

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