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Financial and Operating Results

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

 

Note 17 — Guarantees

At December 31, 2006, we were liable for certain contingent obligations under various contractual arrangements as described below. We recognize a liability, at inception, for the fair value of our obligation as a guarantor for newly issued or modified guarantees. Unless the carrying amount of the liability is noted, we have not recognized a liability either because the guarantees were issued prior to December 31, 2002, or because the fair value of the obligation is immaterial.

 

Construction Completion Guarantees

  • In June 2006, we issued a guarantee for 24 percent of the $2 billion in credit facilities of Rockies Express Pipeline LLC (Rockies Express), which will be used to construct a natural gas pipeline across a portion of the United States. The maximum potential amount of future payments to third-party lenders under the guarantee is estimated to be $480 million, which could become payable if the credit facility is fully utilized and Rockies Express fails to meet its obligations
    under the credit agreement. It is anticipated that construction completion will be achieved mid-2009, and refinancing will take place at that time, making the debt non-recourse. At December 31, 2006, the carrying value of the guarantee to third-party lenders was $11 million. For additional information, see Note 7 — Variable Interest Entities (VIEs).
  • In December 2005, we issued a construction completion guarantee for 30 percent of the $4.0 billion in loan facilities of Qatargas 3, which will be used to construct an LNG train in Qatar. Of the $4.0 billion in loan facilities, ConocoPhillips has committed to provide $1.2 billion. The maximum potential amount of future payments to third-party lenders under the guarantee is estimated to be $850 million, which could become payable if the full debt financing is utilized and completion of the Qatargas 3 project is not achieved. The project financing will be non-recourse upon certified completion, which is expected by December 31, 2009. At December 31, 2006, the carrying value of the guarantee to the third-party lenders was $11 million. For additional information, see Note 10 — Investments, Loans and Long-Term Receivables.

 

Guarantees of Joint-Venture Debt

  • At December 31, 2006, we had guarantees outstanding for our portion of joint-venture debt obligations, which have terms of up to 18 years. The maximum potential amount of future payments under the guarantees is approximately $140 million. Payment would be required if a joint venture defaults on its debt obligations.

 

Other Guarantees

  • The Merey Sweeny, L.P. (MSLP) joint-venture project agreement requires the partners in the venture to pay cash calls to cover operating expenses in the event the venture does not have enough cash to cover operating expenses after setting aside the amount required for debt service over the next 18 years. Although there is no maximum limit stated in the agreement, the intent is to cover short-term cash deficiencies should they occur. Our maximum potential future payments under the agreement are currently estimated to be $100 million, assuming such a shortfall exists at some point in the future due to an extended operational disruption.
  • In February 2003, we entered into two agreements establishing separate guarantee facilities of $50 million each for two LNG ships. Subject to the terms of each such facility, we will be required to make payments should the charter revenue generated by the respective ship fall below certain specified minimum thresholds, and we will receive payments to the extent that such revenues exceed those thresholds. The net maximum future payments that we may have to make over the 20-year terms of the two agreements could be up to $100 million in total. To the extent we receive any such payments, our actual gross payments over the 20 years could exceed that amount. In the event either ship is sold or a total loss occurs, we also may have recourse to the sales or insurance proceeds to recoup payments made under the guarantee facilities. See Note 7 — Variable Interest Entities (VIEs), for additional information.
  • We have other guarantees with maximum future potential payment amounts totaling $370 million, which consist primarily of dealer and jobber loan guarantees to support our marketing business, a guarantee to fund the short-term cash liquidity deficits of a lubricants joint venture, three small construction completion guarantees, a guarantee associated with a pending lawsuit, guarantees of the lease payment obligations of a joint venture, and a guarantee of the residual value of leased aircraft. The carrying amount recorded for these other guarantees, at December 31, 2006, was $50 million. These guarantees generally extend up to 15 years and payment would be required only if the dealer, jobber or lessee goes into default, if the lubricants joint venture has cash liquidity issues, if construction projects are not completed, if guaranteed parties default on lease payments, or if an adverse decision occurs in the pending lawsuit.

 

Indemnifications

Over the years, we have entered into various agreements to sell ownership interests in certain corporations and joint ventures and have sold several assets, including downstream and midstream assets, certain exploration and production assets, and downstream retail and wholesale sites, giving rise to qualifying indemnifications. Agreements associated with these sales include indemnifications for taxes, environmental liabilities, permits and licenses, employee claims, real estate indemnity against tenant defaults, and litigation. The terms of these indemnifications vary greatly. The majority of these indemnifications are related to environmental issues, the term is generally indefinite and the maximum amount of future payments is generally unlimited. The carrying amount recorded for these indemnifications at December 31, 2006, was $426 million. We amortize the indemnification liability over the relevant time period, if one exists, based on the facts and circumstances surrounding each type of indemnity. In cases where the indemnification term is indefinite, we will reverse the liability when we have information the liability is essentially relieved or amortize the liability over an appropriate time period as the fair value of our indemnification exposure declines. Although it is reasonably possible future payments may exceed amounts recorded, due to the nature of the indemnifications, it is not possible to make a reasonable estimate of the maximum potential amount of future payments. Included in the carrying amount recorded were $325 million of environmental accruals for known contamination that is included in asset retirement obligations and accrued environmental costs at December 31, 2006. For additional information about environmental liabilities, see Note 18 — Contingencies and Commitments.