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Commitments and Contingencies | 6 Months Ended
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Jun. 30, 2023
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] |
Commitments and Contingencies | Commitments and Contingencies We and certain of our subsidiaries are subject to litigation, claims and other commitments and contingencies, including matters arising in the ordinary course of business, of which the asserted value may be significant. We record accruals in the financial statements for pending legal matters when we determine that an unfavorable outcome is probable and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. While it is reasonably possible that a loss may be incurred in any of the matters identified below, including a loss in excess of amounts accrued, management is unable to estimate the possible loss or range of loss or has determined such amounts to be immaterial. At present, except as set forth below, we do not expect that the ultimate resolution of any open matters will have a material adverse effect on our financial position or results of operations. However, legal proceedings and regulatory and governmental matters are subject to inherent uncertainties, and unfavorable rulings or other events could occur. Unfavorable outcomes could involve substantial monetary damages, fines, penalties and other expenditures. An unfavorable outcome might result in a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations or financial position. We might also enter into an agreement to settle one or more such matters if we determine such settlement is in the best interests of our stakeholders, and any such settlement could include substantial payments. The following disclosures for commitments and contingencies have been updated since the matter was presented in the 2022 10-K. Fluor Australia Ltd., our wholly-owned subsidiary (“Fluor Australia”), completed a cost reimbursable engineering, procurement and construction management services project for Santos Ltd. (“Santos”) involving a large network of natural gas gathering and processing facilities in Queensland, Australia. On December 13, 2016, Santos filed an action in Queensland Supreme Court (the “Court”) against Fluor Australia, asserting various causes of action and seeking damages and/or a refund of contract proceeds paid of AUD $1.47 billion. Santos has joined Fluor to the matter on the basis of a parent company guarantee issued for the project. In March 2023, a panel of three referees appointed by the Court (the "Panel”) issued a draft, non-binding report setting forth recommendations to the Court regarding liability and damages in the lawsuit. After consideration of further submissions by the parties, the Panel finalized its report on July 14, 2023. The Panel’s report has no legal effect unless it is adopted by the Court through an adoption hearing, and the Court can accept or reject, in whole or in part, the Panel’s recommendations. In the final report, the Panel recommended judgment for Fluor on one of Santos’s damages claims that Santos contends has an approximate value of AUD $700 million, and recommended judgment for Santos on other claims that the Panel valued at AUD $790 million. While the project contract contains a liability cap of approximately AUD $236 million, the Panel found that the liability cap did not apply to Santos’s claims. Fluor has made an application to have the Court set aside the reference to the Panel and the Panel’s recommendations on several procedural and substantive grounds, including in relation to apparent bias of the referees, a failure to comply with the order which established the reference to the Panel and a lack of procedural fairness. In July 2023, the Court held oral argument on that application. We do not expect a decision until after the Court holds an adoption hearing, which is scheduled for February 2024. At any adoption hearing, Fluor will contend that the Court should not adopt the Panel’s recommendation based on numerous grounds, including the Panel’s failure to apply the project’s liability cap. Since September 2018, eleven separate purported shareholders' derivative actions were filed against current and former members of the Board of Directors, as well as certain of Fluor’s current and former executives. Fluor is named as a nominal defendant in the actions. These derivative actions purport to assert claims on behalf of Fluor and make substantially the same factual allegations as the securities class action matter which was resolved in 2022, as previously disclosed in our 2022 10-K, and seek various forms of monetary and injunctive relief. These actions are pending in Texas state court (District Court for Dallas County), the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, and the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware. Certain of these actions were consolidated, and all of these matters are currently stayed. The parties have reached an agreement for a global settlement of these matters. The settlement was subject to court approval, with preliminary approval granted in July 2023, and a final approval hearing scheduled for September 2023. There have been no substantive changes to the disclosures for the following commitments and contingencies since the matter was presented in the 2022 10-K. Fluor Limited, our wholly-owned subsidiary (“Fluor Limited”), and Fluor Arabia Limited, a partially-owned subsidiary (“Fluor Arabia”), completed cost reimbursable engineering, procurement and construction management services for Sadara Chemical Company (“Sadara”) involving a large petrochemical facility in Jubail, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. On August 23, 2019, Fluor Limited and Fluor Arabia Limited commenced arbitration proceedings against Sadara after it refused to pay invoices totaling approximately $100 million due under the contracts. As part of the arbitration proceedings, Sadara has asserted various counterclaims for damages and/or a refund of contract proceeds paid totaling $574 million against Fluor Limited and Fluor Arabia Limited. Various wholly-owned subsidiaries of Fluor, in conjunction with a partner, TECHINT, (“Fluor/TECHINT”) performed engineering, procurement and construction management services on a cost reimbursable basis for Barrick Gold Corporation involving a gold mine and ore processing facility on a site straddling the border between Argentina and Chile. In 2013 Barrick terminated the Fluor/TECHINT agreements for convenience and not due to the performance of Fluor/TECHINT. On August 12, 2016, Barrick filed a notice of arbitration against Fluor/TECHINT, demanding damages and/or a refund of contract proceeds paid of not less than $250 million under various claims relating to Fluor/TECHINT’s alleged performance. Proceedings were suspended while the parties explored a possible settlement. In August 2019, Barrick drew down $36 million of letters of credit from Fluor/TECHINT ($24 million from Fluor and $12 million from TECHINT). Thereafter, Barrick proceeded to reactivate the arbitration. Barrick and Fluor/TECHINT exchanged detailed statements of claim and counterclaim pursuant to which Barrick's claim against Fluor/TECHINT totaled $364 million net of amounts acknowledged to be due to Fluor/TECHINT. Fluor Enterprises Inc., our wholly-owned subsidiary, (“Fluor”) in conjunction with a partner, Balfour Beatty Infrastructure, Inc., (“Balfour”) formed a joint venture known as Prairie Link Constructors JV (“PLC”) and, through it, contracted with the North Texas Tollway Authority (“NTTA”) to provide design and build services in relation to the extension of the NTTA’s President George Bush Turnpike highway (“Project”). PLC completed the Project in 2012. In October 2022, the NTTA served PLC, Fluor and Balfour with a petition, filed at Dallas County Court, demanding damages of an unquantified amount under various claims relating to alleged breaches of contract and or negligence. In its initial disclosures as part of the litigation, the NTTA stated that its damages are expected to exceed $100 million and that damages will be calculated by experts and provided in the normal course of the litigation. We have answered the petition and asserted claims for, among other things, indemnity from subcontractors. Other Matters In February 2020, we announced that the SEC is conducting an investigation and requested documents and information related to projects for which we recorded charges in the second quarter of 2019. In April 2020 and January 2022, Fluor received subpoenas from the U.S. DOJ seeking documents and information related to the second quarter 2019 charges; certain of the projects associated with those charges; and certain project accounting, financial reporting and governance matters. In May 2023, the DOJ advised that it had closed its investigation and does not intend to bring charges. The SEC investigation remains unresolved, and we have continued to cooperate and engage with the SEC including discussions with the SEC regarding the potential resolution of its investigation. Based upon our assessment in the fourth quarter of 2022, we recorded an accrual related to this matter, although no assurance can be given as to the ultimate outcome of the matter, and we are not able to predict whether any legal, regulatory or reputational impacts of any allegations or resolution of the matter will have a material impact on our results.

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