Potential liabilities arising from equipment malfunctions, equipment misuse, personal injuries, and natural disasters could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, or cash flows.
Although such occurrences are rare, the industries in which we operate or have operated expose us to potential liabilities arising from, among other events, equipment malfunctions, equipment misuse, personal injuries, and natural disasters, any of which may result in hazardous situations, including uncontrollable flows of gas or well fluids, fires, and explosions.
Insurance may generally not be available in the future or, if such insurance is available, premiums may not be commercially justifiable. Our ability to secure insurance will also be dependent on the insurance market’s then available capacity for risk of the type represented by us. If we incur substantial liability the consequences of which are not covered by insurance or are in excess of policy limits, or if we were to incur liability at a time when we are not able to obtain liability insurance, such liabilities could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, or cash flows.
See “—Uninsured claims and litigation against us, including intellectual property litigation, could adversely impact our financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows.”
Existing or future laws and regulations relating to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change may adversely affect our business.
Climate change continues to attract considerable public and scientific attention. As a result, numerous laws, regulations, and proposals have been made and are likely to continue to be made at the international, national, regional, and state levels of government to monitor and limit emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases. These efforts have included cap-and-trade programs, carbon taxes, greenhouse gas reporting and tracking programs that directly limit greenhouse gas emissions from certain sources. Such existing or future laws, regulations, and proposals concerning the release of greenhouse gases or that concern climate change (including laws, regulations, and proposals that seek to mitigate the effects of climate change) may adversely impact demand for the equipment, systems, and services we design, market, and sell. For example, oil and natural gas exploration and production may decline as a result of such laws, regulations, and proposals and as a consequence demand for our equipment, systems, and services may also decline. In addition, such laws, regulations, and proposals may also result in more onerous obligations with respect to our operations, including the facilities where we manufacture our equipment and systems. Such decline in demand for our equipment, systems, and services and such onerous obligations in respect of our operations may adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows. Finally, it should be noted that increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the Earth’s atmosphere may lead to more extreme climate related events that have significant physical effects, such as increased frequency and severity of storms, floods, droughts, and other extreme climatic events; if any such effects were to occur in areas where we are conducting projects, they could have an adverse effect on our operations or the operations of our customers.
See “—Our failure to timely deliver our backlog could affect future sales, profitability, and relationships with our customers” and “—Seasonal and weather conditions could adversely affect demand for our services and operations.”
Uninsured claims and litigation against us, including intellectual property litigation, could adversely impact our financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows.
We could be impacted by the outcome of pending litigation, as well as unexpected litigation or proceedings. We are expected to secure insurance coverage against operating hazards, including product liability claims and personal injury claims related to our products or operating environments in which our employees operate. However, our insurance policies are expected to be subject to exclusions, limitations, and other conditions and may not apply in all cases, for example where willful wrongdoing on our part is alleged. Additionally, the nature and amount of that insurance may not be sufficient to fully indemnify us against liabilities arising out of pending and future claims and litigation. Additionally, in individual circumstances, certain proceedings or cases may also lead to our formal or informal exclusion from tenders or the revocation or loss of business licenses or permits. Our financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows could be adversely affected by unexpected claims not covered by insurance.
See “—Potential liabilities arising from equipment malfunctions, equipment misuse, personal injuries, and natural disasters could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, or cash flows.”