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Commitments and Contingencies
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2025
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies
(12) Commitments and Contingencies

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 there have been no material changes in the Company’s commitments and contingencies from those disclosed in the 2024 Form 10-K, recent developments are discussed below.

Crude Oil Supply Agreement

The Petroleum Segment has a crude oil supply agreement with Gunvor USA LLC (“Gunvor”), which commenced on January 1, 2024 (as amended, the “Gunvor Crude Oil Supply Agreement”), pursuant to which Gunvor supplies the Petroleum Segment with certain crude oil and intermediation logistics helping to reduce the amount of inventory held at certain locations and mitigate crude oil pricing risk. Volumes contracted under this agreement, as a percentage of the total crude oil purchases (in barrels), were approximately 6% and 21% for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024. The Gunvor Crude Oil Supply Agreement, which currently extends through January 31, 2026, is subject to automatic one-year renewals following the expiration of the initial term in the absence of either party providing 180 days’ notice of termination.

45Q Transaction

Under the agreements entered into in connection with the 45Q Transaction, the Company’s indirect subsidiary, Coffeyville Resources Nitrogen Fertilizer, LLC (“CRNF”), is obligated to meet certain minimum quantities of carbon oxide supply each year during the term of the agreement and is subject to fees of up to $15 million per year (reduced pro rata for partial years) to the unaffiliated third-party investors, subject to an overall $45 million cap, if these minimum quantities are not delivered. CVR Partners issued a guarantee to the unaffiliated third-party investors and certain of their affiliates involved in the 45Q Transaction of the payment and performance obligations of CRNF and CVR-CapturePoint Parent, LLC (“CVRP JV”), which include the aforementioned fees. This guarantee has no impacts on the accounting records of CVR Partners unless the parties fail to comply with the terms of the 45Q Transaction contracts.

Renewable Fuel Standard

Coffeyville Resources Refining & Marketing, LLC (“CRRM”) and Wynnewood Refining Company, LLC (“WRC”, and together with CRRM, the “obligated-party subsidiaries”) are subject to the RFS implemented by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (the “EPA”), which, absent any exemption or waiver, requires obligated parties to blend a certain amount of renewable fuels, called a Renewable Volume Obligation (“RVO”), into their transportation fuels or purchase RINs, in lieu of blending. The Petroleum Segment’s obligated-party subsidiaries are not able to blend the majority of their transportation fuels with renewable fuels and, unless their RFS obligations are waived or exempted, must either purchase RINs from third parties including its affiliate or obtain waiver credits for cellulosic biofuels in order to comply with the RFS.

For the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, the Company recognized, net of RINs sales, an expense of $123 million and a benefit of $51 million, respectively, for the compliance of the obligated-party subsidiaries with the RFS for the applicable period (based on the 2020 through 2025 renewable volume obligation (“RVO”), excluding the impacts of any exemptions or waivers to which the Company’s obligated-party subsidiaries may be entitled). The costs to comply with the RFS obligation through purchasing of RINs not otherwise reduced by blending of ethanol, biodiesel, or renewable diesel are
included within Cost of materials and other in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. At each reporting period, to the extent RINs purchased and generated through blending are less than the RFS obligation (excluding the impact of exemptions or waivers to which the Company may be entitled), the remaining position is valued using RIN market prices at period end for each specific or closest vintage year. As of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, the Company’s obligated-party subsidiaries’ RFS positions were approximately $438 million and $323 million, respectively, and are recorded in Other current liabilities in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Litigation

Call Option Coverage Cases – The appeal filed in the Texas First Court of Appeals by the Company and certain of its affiliates (the “Call Defendants”) of the entry of summary judgment by the lower court in the declaratory judgment action (the “Texas Case”) filed by the Company’s primary and excess insurers (the “Insurers”) seeking determination that the Insurers owe no indemnity coverage under policies with coverage limits of $50 million for the August 2022 settlement by the Call Defendants of the consolidated lawsuits filed by purported former unitholders of CVR Refining, LP on behalf of themselves and an alleged class of similarly situated unitholders has been fully briefed, though no decision has yet been issued. The Delaware action filed by the Call Defendants against the Insurers seeking recovery of all amounts paid in connection with the August 2022 settlement remains pending. While both cases remain pending, the Company does not expect the outcome of these lawsuits to have a material adverse impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

Renewable Fuel Standard – In March 2025, the Supreme Court of the United States (“SCOTUS”) heard oral argument related to challenges filed by WRC and other small refineries to the EPA’s denial (the “2022 Denials”) of certain petitions for small refinery hardship exemptions under the RFS. The question before SCOTUS was whether venue for those challenges lies exclusively in the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit (“D.C. Circuit”) because the agency’s 2022 denials were “nationally applicable” or, alternatively, were “based on a determination of nationwide scope or effect” under 42 U.S.C. 7607(b)(1). A ruling from SCOTUS is expected in the second quarter of 2025. While we believe venue was proper in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (“Fifth Circuit”), should SCOTUS determine venue lies exclusively in the D.C. Circuit, we expect the November 2023 Fifth Circuit decision vacating the EPA’s 2022 Denials of WRC’s exemption petitions for the 2017 to 2021 compliance years, would be vacated. In that case, we expect that WRC would become subject to the July 2024 decision of the D.C. Circuit which ruled in favor of similarly situated small refineries also challenging the 2022 Denials. The D.C. Circuit held that the 2022 Denials were arbitrary and capricious, vacating such denials and remanding the petitions back to the EPA. Under that ruling, the EPA’s denial of WRC’s exemption petitions for the 2017 to 2021 compliance years would once again be vacated and remanded to the agency. Also in March 2025, the Fifth Circuit granted WRC’s unopposed motion to stay its 2023 compliance obligations under the RFS in connection with the lawsuit filed by WRC against the EPA in the Fifth Circuit challenging the EPA’s January 2025 denial of WRC’s petition seeking exemption for the 2023 compliance year. As these matters are in various stages, the Company cannot yet determine at this time the outcomes of these matters. While we intend to prosecute these actions vigorously, if these matters are ultimately concluded in a manner adverse to WRC, they could have a material effect on the Company’s financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

Guaranty Dispute – In April 2025, a subsidiary of CVR Energy filed an amended complaint in the Superior Court of the State of Delaware disputing the validity of an alleged guaranty claimed by Exxon Mobil Corporation (“XOM”) to have been issued in its favor in 1993 by a subsidiary of CVR Energy, under which XOM has demanded that such subsidiary defend and indemnify it against claims by numerous property owners in Louisiana alleging contamination from historic well operations. As this matter remains in its early stages, the Company cannot yet determine whether its outcome will have a material adverse impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

Environmental, Health, and Safety (“EHS”) Matters

Environmental Accruals - As of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, environmental accruals, which also include estimated costs for future remediation efforts at certain Petroleum Segment sites, totaled approximately $4 million and $3 million, respectively. These amounts are reflected in Other current liabilities and Other long-term liabilities depending on when the Company expects to expend such amounts. Additional remediation and compliance activities are in various stages of evaluation and discussion with regulatory agencies. As these activities progress and additional information becomes available, our environmental accruals may be revised to reflect updated estimates.