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Contingencies and Commitments
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2024
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Contingencies and Commitments Contingencies and Commitments
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 contingencies when we determine that an unfavorable outcome is probable and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. While there is at least a reasonable possibility 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.
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 3 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 approximately AUD $790 million excluding interest and costs. 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 and reserved its decision. Pursuant to an application by Santos to adopt the Panel’s report, the Court then held an adoption hearing in February and March 2024 at which Fluor contended 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. The Court also reserved its decision at the close of the adoption hearing. We await the Court’s decisions on Fluor’s application to set aside the reference and Santos’s application to adopt the Panel’s report.
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 for an extension of the NTTA’s President George Bush Turnpike highway (“Project”), which was completed 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 in relation to retaining walls along the Project. In November 2024, the jury issued a $280 million verdict in favor of NTTA. The NTTA has moved to enter the verdict as a judgment which could include pre-judgment interest for a currently indeterminable amount. PLC has opposed the NTTA’s motion and the court has not yet issued a decision on that motion. The Company believes that the jury verdict does not accurately reflect the evidence at trial and is evaluating all options to set aside or reduce the verdict and, if necessary, appeal any final judgment if and when the court enters a judgment. The designs in question were performed by subcontractors to PLC, and these subcontractors owe contractual duties to defend and indemnify PLC from liability arising from their work. Fluor believes that the subcontractors breached those duties, and Fluor and its joint venture partner are vigorously pursuing these rights against them. Separately, the Company believes that it is entitled to coverage for its ultimate share of any residual liability for this matter under its professional liability insurance, subject to self-insured retention and other customary policy terms. The applicable accounting standards require the jury verdict to be measured independently from the expected and entitled recoveries, which resulted in the recognition of a charge of $116 million within equity method earnings during the fourth quarter of 2024 but without any offsetting recovery for the indemnity duties owed to PLC by the subcontractors.