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Commitments and Contingencies
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2018
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies
(9) Commitments and Contingencies

There have been no material changes in the Company’s commitments and contingencies disclosed in the 2017 Form 10-K. In the ordinary course of business, the Company may become party to lawsuits, administrative proceedings and governmental investigations, including environmental, regulatory and other matters. The outcome of these matters cannot always be predicted accurately, but the Company accrues liabilities for these matters if the Company has determined that it is probable a loss has been incurred and the loss can be reasonably estimated. While it is not possible to predict the outcome of such proceedings, if one or more of them were decided against us, the Company believes there would be no material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

Crude Oil Supply Agreement

On August 31, 2012, Coffeyville Resources Refining and Marketing, LLC (“CRRM”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CVR Refining, and Vitol Inc. (“Vitol”) entered into an Amended and Restated Crude Oil Supply Agreement (as amended, the “Vitol Agreement”). Under the Vitol Agreement, Vitol supplies the petroleum business with crude oil and intermediation logistics, which helps to reduce CVR Refining’s inventory position and mitigate crude oil pricing risk. The Vitol Agreement will automatically renew for successive one-year terms (each such term, a “Renewal Term”) unless either party provides the other with notice of nonrenewal at least 180 days prior to the expiration of any Renewal Term. The Vitol Agreement currently extends through December 31, 2019.

Renewable Fuel Standards

CVR Refining is subject to the Renewable Fuel Standard (“RFS”) of the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”), which requires refiners to either blend “renewable fuels” in with their transportation fuels or purchase renewable fuel credits, known as renewable identification numbers (“RINs”), in lieu of blending. Due to mandates in the RFS requiring increasing volumes of renewable fuels to replace petroleum products in the U.S. transportation fuel market, there may be a decrease in demand for petroleum products. CVR Refining is not able to blend the substantial majority of its transportation fuels and has to purchase RINs on the open market, as well as waiver credits for cellulosic biofuels from the EPA, in order to comply with the RFS.

The price of RINs has been extremely volatile over several years. The cost of RINs is dependent upon a variety of factors, which include the availability of RINs for purchase, the price at which RINs can be purchased, transportation fuel production levels, the mix of the petroleum business’ petroleum products, as well as the fuel blending performed at its refineries and downstream terminals, all of which can vary significantly from period to period.

The net cost of RINs for the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 was $20 million and $64 million, respectively. The net cost of RINs for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 was $47 million and $164 million, respectively. The net costs of RINs was a reduction to cost of materials and other in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. RINs expense includes the purchased cost of RINs, the impact of recognizing CVR Refining’s uncommitted biofuel blending obligation at fair value based on market prices at each reporting date and is reduced by the valuation change of RINs purchases in excess of CVR Refining’s RFS obligation as of the reporting date. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018, the net cost of RINs was favorably impacted by a reduction in CVR Refining’s RFS obligation and reduced market pricing. As of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, CVR Refining’s biofuel blending obligation was approximately $7 million and $28 million, respectively, which was recorded in other current liabilities on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. CVR Refining recorded a RINs asset within prepaid and other current assets in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet of $4 million, representing excess RINs primarily due to a reduction in its RFS obligation during the first quarter of 2018.

Litigation

The U.S. Attorney's office for the Southern District of New York contacted CVR Energy in September 2017 seeking production of information pertaining to CVR Refining's, CVR Energy's and Mr. Carl C. Icahn's activities relating to the Renewable Fuel Standard ("RFS") and Mr. Icahn's former role as an advisor to the President. CVR Energy is cooperating with the request and provided information in response to the subpoena. The U.S. Attorney's office has not made any claims or allegations against CVR Energy or Mr. Icahn. CVR Energy maintains a strong compliance program and, while no assurances can be made, CVR Energy does not believe this inquiry will have a material impact on its business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

On August 21, 2018, CRRM received a letter from the United States Department of Justice (“DOJ”) on behalf of the EPA and Kansas Department of Health and Environment (“KDHE”) alleging violations of the Clean Air Act (“CAA”) and a 2012 Consent Decree between CRRM, the United States (on behalf of EPA) and KDHE at CRRM’s Coffeyville refinery. In September 2018, CRRM executed a tolling agreement with the DOJ and KDHE extending time for negotiation regarding the agencies’ allegations through March 31, 2019. At this time the Company cannot reasonably estimate the potential penalties, costs, fines or other expenditures that may result from this matter or any subsequent enforcement or litigation relating thereto and, therefore, the Company cannot determine if the ultimate outcome of this matter will have a material impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

In 2018, CVR Partners submitted a business interruption claim for losses under its insurance policies, related to damage and resulting reduced equipment production rates experienced during the second half of 2017 and early 2018. At this time, the Company cannot estimate either the outcome of this claim or the timing of any potential recoveries.

In September 2018, the Kansas Court of Appeals upheld property tax determinations by the Kansas Board of Tax Appeals in connection with CVR Partners’ dispute with Montgomery County, Kansas over prior year property tax payments as previously disclosed. CVR Partners continues to monitor this matter.

Affiliate Pension Obligations

Prior to the exchange offer discussed in Note 1, Mr. Carl C. Icahn, through certain affiliates, owned approximately 82% of the Company’s capital stock. Applicable pension and tax laws make each member of a “controlled group” of entities, generally defined as entities in which there is at least an 80% common ownership interest, jointly and severally liable for certain pension plan obligations of any member of the controlled group. These pension obligations include ongoing contributions to fund the plan, as well as liability for any unfunded liabilities that may exist at the time the plan is terminated. As a result of the historical ownership interest in CVR Energy by Mr. Icahn’s affiliates (prior to the exchange offer), the Company was subject to the pension liabilities of all entities in which Mr. Icahn had a direct or indirect ownership interest of at least 80%. Two such entities, ACF Industries LLC (“ACF”) and Federal-Mogul, are the sponsors of several pension plans. As members of the controlled group, CVR Energy would be liable for any failure of ACF and Federal-Mogul to make ongoing pension contributions or to pay the unfunded liabilities upon a termination of their respective pension plans. The unfunded plan balances for these sponsors was $435 million and $424 million as of June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively. These results are based on the information provided by Mr. Icahn’s affiliates based on information from the plans’ actuaries. As of September 30, 2018, and following the exchange offer, Mr. Icahn’s affiliates own approximately 71% of the Company’s capital stock and, therefore the Company is no longer considered to be liable for the aforementioned pension obligations of the controlled group. On October 1, 2018, Federal-Mogul was sold by Mr. Icahn’s affiliates to a third party.