at $
8.5
billion plus interest.
The government of Venezuela sought annulment of the award, which
automatically stayed enforcement of the award.
Annulment proceedings are underway.
In 2014, ConocoPhillips filed a separate and independent
arbitration under the rules of the ICC against
PDVSA under the contracts that had established the
Petrozuata and Hamaca projects.
The ICC Tribunal issued
an award in April 2018, finding that PDVSA owed ConocoPhillips
approximately $
2
agreements in connection with the expropriation of the
projects and other pre-expropriation fiscal
measures.
In
August 2018, ConocoPhillips entered into a settlement with PDVSA to recover the full amount of this ICC
award, plus interest through the payment period, including initial payments totaling approximately
$500 million within a period of 90 days from the time of signing of the settlement agreement. The balance of
the settlement is to be paid quarterly over a period of four and a half years.
To date, ConocoPhillips has
received approximately $
754
million.
Per the settlement, PDVSA recognized the ICC award
as a judgment in
various jurisdictions, and ConocoPhillips agreed
to suspend its legal enforcement actions.
ConocoPhillips sent
notices of default to PDVSA on October 14 and November
12, 2019, and to date PDVSA failed to cure its
breach.
As a result, ConocoPhillips has resumed legal enforcement
actions.
ConocoPhillips has ensured that
the settlement and any actions taken in enforcement
thereof meet all appropriate U.S. regulatory
requirements,
including those related to any applicable sanctions
imposed by the U.S. against Venezuela.
In 2016, ConocoPhillips filed a separate and independent
arbitration under the rules of the ICC against
PDVSA under the contracts that had established the
Corocoro project.
On August 2, 2019, the ICC Tribunal
awarded ConocoPhillips approximately $
55
million under the Corocoro contracts.
ConocoPhillips is seeking
recognition and enforcement of the award in various
jurisdictions.
ConocoPhillips has ensured that all the
actions related to the award meet all appropriate
U.S. regulatory requirements, including those related
to any
applicable sanctions imposed by the U.S. against
Venezuela.
The Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR) has conducted
audits of ConocoPhillips’ payment of
royalties on federal lands and has issued multiple
orders to pay additional royalties to the federal
government.
ConocoPhillips has appealed these orders and strongly
objects to the ONRR claims.
The appeals are pending
with the Interior Board of Land Appeals, except
for one order that is the subject of a lawsuit
ConocoPhillips
filed in 2016 in New Mexico federal court after
its appeal was denied by the Interior Board
of Land Appeals.
Beginning in 2017, cities, counties, and state governments
in California, New York, Washington,
Rhode
Island, Maryland and Hawaii, as well as the Pacific
Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Association, Inc., have
filed lawsuits against oil and gas companies,
including ConocoPhillips, seeking compensatory
damages and
equitable relief to abate alleged climate change impacts.
ConocoPhillips is vigorously defending against
these
lawsuits.
The lawsuits brought by the Cities of San Francisco,
Oakland and New York were dismissed by
federal district courts.
The New York dismissal remains on appeal.
The Ninth Circuit ruled that the San
Francisco and Oakland cases (and other California
cases) should proceed in state court, with that
decision
subject to appeal.
Lawsuits filed by the cities and counties in California,
Washington, and Hawaii are
currently stayed pending resolution of the Ninth Circuit
appeals.
Lawsuits filed in Maryland and Rhode Island
are proceeding in state court while rulings in those
matters, on the issue of whether the
matters should proceed
in state or federal court, are on appeal.
Several Louisiana parishes have filed lawsuits against
oil and gas companies, including ConocoPhillips,
seeking compensatory damages in connection
with historical oil and gas operations in Louisiana.
The lawsuits
are stayed pending an appeal with the Fifth Circuit
on the issue of whether they will proceed in federal
or state
court.
ConocoPhillips will vigorously defend against
these lawsuits.
In 2016, ConocoPhillips, through its subsidiary, The Louisiana Land and Exploration
Company LLC,
submitted claims as the largest private wetlands owner in Louisiana
within the settlement claims
administration process related to the oil spill
in the Gulf of Mexico in April 2010.
In July 2020, the claims
administrator issued an award to the company which,
after fees and expenses, totaled approximately
$
90
million.