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LAWSUITS, CLAIMS, COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2024
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] |
LAWSUITS, CLAIMS, COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES |
NOTE 13 - LAWSUITS, CLAIMS, COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
LEGAL MATTERS Occidental or certain of its subsidiaries are involved, in the normal course of business, in lawsuits, claims and other legal proceedings that seek, among other things, compensation for alleged personal injury, breach of contract, property damage or other losses, punitive damages, civil penalties, or injunctive or declaratory relief. Occidental or certain of its subsidiaries also are involved in proceedings under CERCLA and similar federal, regional, state, provincial, tribal, local and international environmental laws. These environmental proceedings seek funding or performance of remediation and, in some cases, compensation for alleged property damage, natural resource damages, punitive damages, civil penalties, injunctive relief and government oversight costs. Usually Occidental or such subsidiaries are among many companies in these environmental proceedings and have to date been successful in sharing remediation costs with other financially sound companies. Further, some lawsuits, claims and legal proceedings involve acquired or disposed assets with respect to which a third party or Occidental or its subsidiary retains liability or indemnifies the other party for conditions that existed prior to the transaction. In accordance with applicable accounting guidance, Occidental or its subsidiaries accrue reserves for outstanding lawsuits, claims and proceedings when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the liability can be reasonably estimated. Other than reserves for the environmental remediation and tax matters discussed below, reserves for matters that satisfied these criteria as of December 31, 2024 and 2023 were not material to Occidental’s Consolidated Balance Sheets. If unfavorable outcomes of these matters were to occur, future results of operations or cash flows for any particular quarterly or annual period could be materially adversely affected. Occidental’s estimates are based on information known about the legal matters and its experience in contesting, litigating and settling similar matters. Occidental will reassess the probability and estimability of contingent losses as new information becomes available. DIAMOND ALKALI SUPERFUND SITE LITIGATION Alden Leeds Litigation In December 2022, the EPA and the DOJ filed a proposed Consent Decree in the Alden Leeds litigation seeking court approval to settle with 85 parties for a total of $150 million for cleanup costs associated with OU2 and OU4. In January 2024, the DOJ filed a proposed Amended Consent Decree in which it excluded three companies from the proposed settlement, among other changes, followed by a motion to approve the Amended Consent Decree. In December 2024, the District Court approved the Amended Consent Decree. In its order approving the Amended Consent Decree, the District Court accepted the EPA’s revised determination that OxyChem was liable for approximately 85% of cleanup costs associated with OU2 and OU4. OxyChem has appealed the District Court’s ruling because OxyChem believes it is incorrect for several reasons including, but not limited to, the fact that the District Court failed to address the impact of several recent Supreme Court rulings that curtail EPA authority and limit judicial deference to EPA actions. OxyChem filed its Notice of Appeal in February 2025. As a result of the District Court’s approval of the Amended Consent Decree, OxyChem increased the non-current environmental remediation liability related to OU2 and OU4 by $925 million. This charge is included in asset impairments and other charges in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. This charge represents the additional share of the total estimated remediation costs which OxyChem may incur as a result of the assignment by the District Court of 85% of the responsibility for OU2 and OU4. These costs have not been discounted as the timing and amount of the payments are not fixed or reliably determinable. Associated with this charge, OxyChem reduced the amount of its reasonably possible additional loss by approximately $0.9 billion. It is expected that the cash outlay for remediation costs will be expended over ten to twenty years, or more. The proposed settlement does not address the liability of entities that were excluded from the settlement for the DASS, including OU2, OU3, OU4 or natural resource damages, or the liability of any settling party with respect to OU3 or natural resource damages. While the remedies for OU2 and OU4 are expected to take ten to twenty years to complete, the EPA may seek to order OxyChem to perform a substantial majority or all of the remediation work and provide additional financial assurance. It is uncertain when or to what extent the EPA may take action to compel OxyChem to perform further remediation in OU2 or OU4 or the amount of financial assurance the EPA could attempt to require OxyChem to post. Contribution and Cost Recovery Actions In June 2018, OxyChem filed a complaint under CERCLA in U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey against numerous potentially responsible parties seeking contribution and cost recovery of amounts incurred or to be incurred to comply with the AOC and the OU2 ROD, or to perform other remediation activities related to the DASS (2018 Contribution Action). Subject to all its defenses, OxyChem is designing the interim remedy for OU4 in compliance with a Unilateral Administrative Order issued by EPA in the first quarter of 2023. Because OxyChem is incurring costs to implement the OU4 Unilateral Administrative Order, OxyChem brought a cost recovery action under CERCLA in March 2023 in the District Court against multiple parties (2023 Cost Recovery Action). The 2018 Contribution Action and the 2023 Cost Recovery Action were stayed pending the outcome of the Alden Leeds litigation. OxyChem does not know when the Court will lift the stay in those matters. As stated above, OxyChem has filed its Notice of Intent to appeal the settlement and Amended Consent Decree in the Alden Leeds litigation. In the 2018 Contribution Action and 2023 Cost Recovery Action, OxyChem also intends to defend and prosecute vigorously its right to seek contribution and cost recovery from all potentially responsible parties to pay remediation costs in the DASS and to seek a judicial allocation of responsibility under CERCLA. If not reversed on appeal, the approved Amended Consent Decree could bar OxyChem from pursuing contribution against the settling parties for remediation costs OxyChem has incurred or may incur in the future to design and implement the remedies in OU2 and OU4, including claims OxyChem asserted in the 2018 Contribution Action. As a result, OxyChem has reduced its receivable from other potentially responsible parties by $84 million. This charge is included in other operating and non-operating expense in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. MAXUS LITIGATION A portion of estimated environmental remediation liabilities relate to the former DSCC. When OxyChem acquired DSCC in 1986, Maxus agreed to indemnify OxyChem for a number of environmental sites, including the DASS. In June 2016, Maxus and several affiliated companies filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. In June 2017, the Bankruptcy Court approved a Plan of Liquidation to liquidate Maxus and create the Maxus Liquidating Trust for the benefit of Maxus’ creditors, including OxyChem, to satisfy claims by OxyChem and other creditors for past and future remediation and other costs. In April 2023, the claims pending in the Bankruptcy Court were resolved. Under the settlement, which became final in August 2023, OxyChem has now received settlement proceeds of approximately $350 million. ANDES ARBITRATION In April 2024, Andes and the Occidental entities named in the pending actions related to the Andes Arbitration executed a confidential final settlement in which the parties agreed to dismiss all pending legal actions. The settlement resulted in a gain of $182 million, net of taxes, which was included in operating cash flows from discontinued operations. TAX MATTERS AND OTHER DISPUTES During the course of its operations, Occidental is subject to audit by tax authorities for varying periods in various federal, state, local and international tax jurisdictions. Tax years through 2021 for U.S. federal income tax purposes have been audited by the IRS pursuant to its Compliance Assurance Program and subsequent taxable years are currently under review. Tax years through 2018 have been audited for state income tax purposes. There are no outstanding significant audit matters in international jurisdictions. During the course of tax audits, disputes have arisen and other disputes may arise as to facts and matters of law. For Anadarko, its taxable years through 2014 and tax year 2016 for U.S. federal tax purposes have been audited and closed by the IRS. Tax years 2015 and 2017 through 2019 have been audited by the IRS but remain open pending the outcome of the Tronox U.S. Tax Court litigation discussed below. Tax years through 2010 have been audited for state income tax purposes. There are no outstanding significant audit matters in international jurisdictions. As stated above, during the course of tax audits, disputes have arisen and other disputes may arise as to facts and matters of law. Other than the dispute discussed below, Occidental believes that the resolution of these outstanding tax disputes would not have a material adverse effect on its consolidated financial position or results of operations. Anadarko received an $881 million tentative refund in 2016 related to its $5.2 billion Tronox Adversary Proceeding settlement payment in 2015. In September 2018, Anadarko received a statutory notice of deficiency from the IRS disallowing the net operating loss carryback and rejecting Anadarko’s refund claim. Anadarko disagreed and, in November 2018, filed a petition with the U.S. Tax Court to dispute the disallowance. Trial was held in May 2023. The parties filed post-trial briefs throughout 2023 and 2024. Closing arguments were held in May 2024. The Tax Court may issue an opinion at any time. If the Tax Court opines that all or a portion of the original $5.2 billion deduction is not deductible, a computation phase will commence where the parties will compute the tax amount to be included in the Tax Court’s decision. Once the parties submit their computation, the Tax Court judge will formally enter the decision reflecting the computed tax amount. To pursue an appeal of the Tax Court’s decision, any tax due as a result of the Tax Court’s decision must be fully bonded or paid within 90 days of the decision’s entry. If Anadarko does not pursue an appeal, the IRS will assess any resulting tax deficiency, including interest, and issue a notice demanding payment thereof. In accordance with ASC 740’s guidance on the accounting for uncertain tax positions, Occidental has recorded no tax benefit on the tentative cash tax refund of $881 million. Additionally, Occidental has recorded no tax benefit on approximately $500 million of additional cash tax benefits realized from the utilization of tax attributes generated as a result of the deduction of the $5.2 billion Tronox Adversary Proceeding settlement payment in 2015. If the payment is ultimately determined not to be deductible, Occidental would be required to repay the tentative refund received, plus other cash benefits received related to the $5.2 billion deduction, plus interest, which as of December 31, 2024 totaled approximately $2.1 billion. As a result, should Occidental not ultimately prevail on the issue, there would be no additional tax expense recorded relative to this position for financial statement purposes other than future interest. However, in that event, as of December 31, 2024, Occidental would be required to repay approximately $1.4 billion in federal and state taxes and accrued interest of $760 million. A liability for the taxes and interest is included in deferred credits and other liabilities - other. INDEMNITIES TO THIRD PARTIES Occidental, its subsidiaries, or both, have indemnified various parties against specified liabilities those parties might incur in the future in connection with purchases and other transactions that they have entered into with Occidental or its subsidiaries. These indemnities usually are contingent upon the other party incurring liabilities that reach specified thresholds. As of December 31, 2024, Occidental is not aware of circumstances that it believes would reasonably be expected to lead to indemnity claims that would result in payments materially in excess of reserves. PURCHASE OBLIGATIONS AND COMMITMENTS Occidental, its subsidiaries, or both, have entered into agreements providing for future payments, primarily to secure terminal, pipeline and processing capacity, CO 2, drilling rigs and services, electrical power, non-lease components, steam and certain chemical raw materials. Occidental has certain other commitments under contracts, guarantees and joint ventures, including purchase commitments for goods and services at market-related prices and certain other contingent liabilities. The amounts that will be paid for such outstanding off-balance sheet purchase obligations as of December 31, 2024 are $3.4 billion in 2025, $4.4 billion in 2026 and 2027, $2.6 billion in 2028 and 2029 and $2.4 billion in 2030 and thereafter.

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