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Contingencies, Commitments, and Accrued Environmental Costs | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2024
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] |
Contingencies, Commitments, and Accrued Environmental Costs | Note 9—Contingencies, Commitments and Accrued Environmental Costs A number of lawsuits involving a variety of claims arising in the ordinary course of business have been filed against ConocoPhillips. We also may be required to remove or mitigate the effects on the environment of the placement, storage, disposal or release of certain chemical, mineral and petroleum substances at various active and inactive sites. We regularly assess the need for accounting recognition or disclosure of these contingencies. In the case of all known contingencies (other than those related to income taxes), we accrue a liability when the loss is probable and the amount is reasonably estimable. If a range of amounts can be reasonably estimated and no amount within the range is a better estimate than any other amount, then the low end of the range is accrued. We do not reduce these liabilities for potential insurance or third-party recoveries. We accrue receivables for insurance or other third-party recoveries when applicable. With respect to income tax-related contingencies, we use a cumulative probability-weighted loss accrual in cases where sustaining a tax position is less than certain. Based on currently available information, we believe it is remote that future costs related to known contingent liability exposures will exceed current accruals by an amount that would have a material adverse impact on our consolidated financial statements. As we learn new facts concerning contingencies, we reassess our position both with respect to accrued liabilities and other potential exposures. Estimates particularly sensitive to future changes include contingent liabilities recorded for environmental remediation, tax and legal matters. Estimated future environmental remediation costs are subject to change due to such factors as the uncertain magnitude of cleanup costs, the unknown time and extent of such remedial actions that may be required, and the determination of our liability in proportion to that of other responsible parties. Estimated future costs related to tax and legal matters are subject to change as events evolve and as additional information becomes available during the administrative and litigation processes. Environmental We are subject to international, federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations and record accruals for environmental liabilities based on management’s best estimates. These estimates are based on currently available facts, existing technology, and presently enacted laws and regulations, taking into account stakeholder and business considerations. When measuring environmental liabilities, we also consider our prior experience in remediation of contaminated sites, other companies’ cleanup experience, and data released by the U.S. EPA or other organizations. We consider unasserted claims in our determination of environmental liabilities, and we accrue them in the period they are both probable and reasonably estimable. Although liability of those potentially responsible for environmental remediation costs is generally joint and several for federal sites and frequently so for other sites, we are usually only one of many companies cited at a particular site. Due to the joint and several liabilities, we could be responsible for all cleanup costs related to any site at which we have been designated as a potentially responsible party. We have been successful to date in sharing cleanup costs with other financially sound companies. Many of the sites at which we are potentially responsible are still under investigation by the EPA or the agency concerned. Prior to actual cleanup, those potentially responsible normally assess the site conditions, apportion responsibility and determine the appropriate remediation. In some instances, we may have no liability or may attain a settlement of liability. Where it appears that other potentially responsible parties may be financially unable to bear their proportional share, we consider this inability in estimating our potential liability, and we adjust our accruals accordingly. As a result of various acquisitions in the past, we assumed certain environmental obligations. Some of these environmental obligations are mitigated by indemnifications made by others for our benefit, and some of the indemnifications are subject to dollar limits and time limits. We are currently participating in environmental assessments and cleanups at numerous CERCLA and other comparable state and international sites. After an assessment of environmental exposures for cleanup and other costs, we make accruals on an undiscounted basis (except those acquired in a purchase business combination, which we record on a discounted basis) for planned investigation and remediation activities for sites where it is probable future costs will be incurred and these costs can be reasonably estimated. We have not reduced these accruals for possible insurance recoveries. For remediation activities in the U.S. and Canada, our consolidated balance sheet included a total environmental accrual of $184 million at both March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023. We expect to incur a substantial amount of these expenditures within the next 30 years. In the future, we may be involved in additional environmental assessments, cleanups and proceedings. Litigation and Other Contingencies We are subject to various lawsuits and claims including, but not limited to, matters involving oil and gas royalty and severance tax payments, gas measurement and valuation methods, contract disputes, environmental damages, climate change, personal injury, and property damage. Our primary exposures for such matters relate to alleged royalty and tax underpayments on certain federal, state and privately owned properties, claims of alleged environmental contamination and damages from historic operations and climate change. We will continue to defend ourselves vigorously in these matters. Our legal organization applies its knowledge, experience and professional judgment to the specific characteristics of our cases, employing a litigation management process to manage and monitor the legal proceedings against us. Our process facilitates the early evaluation and quantification of potential exposures in individual cases. This process also enables us to track those cases that have been scheduled for trial and/or mediation. Based on professional judgment and experience in using these litigation management tools and available information about current developments in all our cases, our legal organization regularly assesses the adequacy of current accruals and determines if adjustment of existing accruals, or establishment of new accruals, is required. We have contingent liabilities resulting from throughput agreements with pipeline and processing companies not associated with financing arrangements. Under these agreements, we may be required to provide any such company with additional funds through advances and penalties for fees related to throughput capacity not utilized. In addition, at March 31, 2024, we had performance obligations secured by letters of credit of $369 million (issued as direct bank letters of credit) related to various purchase commitments for materials, supplies, commercial activities and services incident to the ordinary conduct of business. In 2007, ConocoPhillips was unable to reach agreement with respect to the empresa mixta structure mandated by the Venezuelan government’s Nationalization Decree. As a result, Venezuela’s national oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA), or its affiliates, directly assumed control over ConocoPhillips’ interests in the Petrozuata and Hamaca heavy oil ventures and the offshore Corocoro development project. In response to this expropriation, ConocoPhillips initiated international arbitration on November 2, 2007, with the ICSID. On September 3, 2013, an ICSID arbitration tribunal ("Tribunal") held that Venezuela unlawfully expropriated ConocoPhillips’ significant oil investments in June 2007. On January 17, 2017, the Tribunal reconfirmed the decision that the expropriation was unlawful. In March 2019, the Tribunal unanimously ordered the government of Venezuela to pay ConocoPhillips approximately $8.7 billion in compensation for the government’s unlawful expropriation of the company’s investments in Venezuela in 2007. On August 29, 2019, the Tribunal issued a decision rectifying the award and reducing it by approximately $227 million. The award now stands at $8.5 billion plus interest. The government of Venezuela sought annulment of the award, which automatically stayed enforcement of the award. On September 29, 2021, the ICSID annulment committee lifted the stay of enforcement of the award. The annulment proceedings are underway. In 2014, ConocoPhillips filed a separate and independent arbitration under the rules of the ICC against PDVSA under the contracts that had established the Petrozuata and Hamaca projects. The ICC Tribunal issued an award in April 2018, finding that PDVSA owed ConocoPhillips approximately $2 billion under their agreements in connection with the expropriation of the projects and other pre-expropriation fiscal measures. In August 2018, ConocoPhillips entered into a settlement with PDVSA to recover the full amount of this ICC award, plus interest through the payment period, including initial payments totaling approximately $500 million within a period of 90 days from the time of signing the settlement agreement. The balance of the settlement was to be paid quarterly over a period of four and a half years. Per the settlement, PDVSA recognized the ICC award as a judgment in various jurisdictions, and ConocoPhillips agreed to suspend its legal enforcement actions. ConocoPhillips sent notices of default to PDVSA on October 14 and November 12, 2019, and to date PDVSA has failed to cure its breach. As a result, ConocoPhillips has resumed legal enforcement actions. To date, ConocoPhillips has received approximately $777 million in connection with the ICC award. ConocoPhillips has ensured that the settlement and any actions taken in enforcement thereof meet all appropriate U.S. regulatory requirements, including those related to any applicable sanctions imposed by the U.S. against Venezuela. In 2016, ConocoPhillips filed a separate and independent arbitration under the rules of the ICC against PDVSA under the contracts that had established the Corocoro Project. On August 2, 2019, the ICC Tribunal awarded ConocoPhillips approximately $33 million plus interest under the Corocoro contracts. ConocoPhillips is seeking recognition and enforcement of the award in various jurisdictions. ConocoPhillips has ensured that all the actions related to the award meet all appropriate U.S. regulatory requirements, including those related to any applicable sanctions imposed by the U.S. against Venezuela. Beginning in 2017, governmental and other entities in several states/territories in the U.S. have filed lawsuits against oil and gas companies, including ConocoPhillips, seeking compensatory damages and equitable relief to abate alleged climate change impacts. Additional lawsuits with similar allegations are expected to be filed. The legal and factual issues are unprecedented, therefore, there is significant uncertainty about the scope of the claims and alleged damages and any potential impact on the Company’s financial condition. ConocoPhillips believes these lawsuits are factually and legally meritless and are an inappropriate vehicle to address the challenges associated with climate change and will vigorously defend against such lawsuits. Several Louisiana parishes and the State of Louisiana have filed numerous lawsuits under Louisiana’s State and Local Coastal Resources Management Act (SLCRMA) against oil and gas companies, including ConocoPhillips, seeking compensatory damages for contamination and erosion of the Louisiana coastline allegedly caused by historical oil and gas operations. ConocoPhillips entities are defendants in 22 of the lawsuits and will vigorously defend against them. On October 17, 2022, the Fifth Circuit affirmed remand of the lead case to state court and the subsequent request for rehearing was denied. On February 27, 2023, the Supreme Court denied a certiorari petition from the defendants regarding the Fifth Circuit ruling. Accordingly, the federal district courts have issued remands to state court. Because Plaintiffs’ SLCRMA theories are unprecedented, there is uncertainty about these claims (both as to scope and damages) and we continue to evaluate our exposure in these lawsuits. In October 2020, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) ordered the prior owners of Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lease P-0166, including ConocoPhillips, to decommission the lease facilities, including two offshore platforms located near Carpinteria, California. This order was sent after the current owner of OCS Lease P-0166 relinquished the lease and abandoned the lease platforms and facilities. BSEE’s order to ConocoPhillips is premised on its connection to Phillips Petroleum Company, a legacy company of ConocoPhillips, which held a historical 25 percent interest in this lease and operated these facilities but sold its interest approximately 30 years ago. ConocoPhillips continues to evaluate its exposure in this matter. In July 2021, a federal securities class action was filed against Concho, certain of Concho’s officers, and ConocoPhillips as Concho’s successor in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas. On October 21, 2021, the court issued an order appointing Utah Retirement Systems and the Construction Laborers Pension Trust for Southern California as lead plaintiffs (Lead Plaintiffs). On January 7, 2022, the Lead Plaintiffs filed their consolidated complaint alleging that Concho made materially false and misleading statements regarding its business and operations in violation of the federal securities laws and seeking unspecified damages, attorneys’ fees, costs, equitable/injunctive relief, and such other relief that may be deemed appropriate. The defendants filed a motion to dismiss the consolidated complaint on March 8, 2022. On June 23, 2023, the court denied defendants’ motion as to most defendants including Concho/ConocoPhillips. We believe the allegations in the action are without merit and are vigorously defending this litigation. ConocoPhillips is involved in pending disputes with commercial counterparties relating to the propriety of its force majeure notices following Winter Storm Uri in 2021. We believe these claims are without merit and are vigorously defending them.

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