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Contingencies, Commitments, and Accrued Environmental Costs | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2025
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 U.S. 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 federal Superfund 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 total accrued environmental costs of $210 million at March 31, 2025 compared with $206 million at December 31, 2024. 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, 2025, we had performance obligations secured by letters of credit of $284 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, the government of Venezuela expropriated ConocoPhillips’ interests in the Petrozuata and Hamaca heavy oil ventures, as well as the offshore Corocoro development project. In response, ConocoPhillips initiated international arbitration proceedings before the ICSID. In March 2019, an ICSID tribunal unanimously ordered the government of Venezuela to pay ConocoPhillips approximately $8.7 billion (later reduced to $8.5 billion) plus interest for the unlawful expropriation of the projects. On January 22, 2025, an ICSID annulment committee dismissed Venezuela’s application to annul the tribunal’s decision and upheld the $8.5 billion award plus interest in full. Separate arbitrations before the ICC resulted in additional awards against Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA) and three of its affiliates, including an award for approximately $2 billion plus interest, for the Hamaca and Petrozuata projects, and a $33 million award, for the Corocoro project, plus interest. Cumulatively, as of March 31, 2025, the company has received approximately $789 million in connection with the first ICC award. Collection actions for all three awards are ongoing. ConocoPhillips has ensured that all actions related to these arbitration awards 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 several of the lawsuits and will vigorously defend against them. 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 while assessing options for early resolution. 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 Resources Inc. (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. On April 7, 2025, the court certified a class. 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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