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Trade Accounts Receivable
 6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2011
Trade Accounts Receivable  
Trade Accounts Receivable

Note 3—Trade Accounts Receivable

 

We review all outstanding accounts receivable balances on a monthly basis and record a reserve for amounts that we expect will not be fully recovered. We do not apply actual balances against the reserve until we have exhausted substantially all collection efforts. At June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, substantially all of our accounts receivable (net of allowance for doubtful accounts) were less than 60 days past their scheduled invoice date. Our allowance for doubtful accounts receivable totaled approximately $6 million and $5 million at June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, respectively. Although we consider our allowance for doubtful accounts receivable to be adequate, actual amounts could vary significantly from estimated amounts.

 

At June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, we had received approximately $190 million and $197 million, respectively, of advance cash payments from third parties to mitigate credit risk. In addition, we enter into netting arrangements (contractual agreements that allow us and the counterparty to offset receivables and payables between the two) that cover a significant part of our transactions and also serve to mitigate credit risk.