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Employee Benefits (Tables)
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2021
Retirement Benefits [Abstract]  
Plan Obligation, Plan Assets, Amounts Recognized in Financial Statements and Underlying Actuarial and Other Assumptions Information concerning the pension obligation, plan assets, amounts recognized in our financial statements, and underlying actuarial and other assumptions are as follows:
U.S. PlansNon-U.S. Plans
 December 31,December 31,
 2021202020212020
 (In thousands)
Change in benefit obligation:    
Benefit obligation at beginning of period$215,618 $194,897 $112,764 $95,265 
Service cost— 187 1,984 1,861 
Interest cost5,588 6,621 1,247 1,656 
Participant contributions— — 267 242 
Benefits paid(8,614)(8,170)(5,524)(5,255)
Plan amendments — — — — 
Settlements — — (284)(1,018)
Other events— — — 9,183 
Actuarial (gain) loss(3,965)22,083 (4,230)5,326 
Exchange rate (gain) loss— — (3,318)5,504 
Benefit obligation at end of period208,627 215,618 102,906 112,764 
Change in plan assets:    
Fair value at beginning of period147,328 131,980 69,286 52,680 
Return on plan assets16,975 19,653 6,474 7,501 
Employer contributions10,250 3,865 5,598 5,502 
Participant contributions— — 267 242 
Benefits paid(8,614)(8,170)(5,524)(5,255)
Settlements — — (284)(1,018)
Other events— — — 6,952 
Exchange rate (gain) loss— — (1,293)2,682 
Fair value at end of period165,939 147,328 74,524 69,286 
Funded status at end of period$(42,688)$(68,290)$(28,382)$(43,478)
Amounts recognized on balance sheet:    
Current liabilities$— $— $(2,750)$(2,945)
Noncurrent liabilities(42,688)(68,290)(25,632)(40,533)
$(42,688)$(68,290)$(28,382)$(43,478)
Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss:    
Prior service costs$— $— $2,347 $2,754 
Net actuarial loss54,983 68,407 12,353 21,112 
Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss$54,983 $68,407 $14,700 $23,866 
Accumulated benefit obligations$208,627 $215,618 $96,349 $106,525 
Information concerning the plan obligation, the funded status and amounts recognized in our financial statements and underlying actuarial and other assumptions are as follows:
 December 31,
 20212020
 (In thousands)
Change in benefit obligation:  
Benefit obligation at beginning of period$26,169 $23,979 
Service cost338 291 
Interest cost648 789 
Benefits and expenses paid (premiums)(1,230)(921)
Actuarial (gain) loss(658)2,031 
Plan amendments— — 
Benefit obligation at end of period25,267 26,169 
Change in plan assets (1):
  
Fair value at beginning of period— — 
Employer contributions1,230 921 
Benefits paid(1,230)(921)
Fair value at end of period— — 
Funded status at end of year$(25,267)$(26,169)
___________________________________________
(1)Shell Chemicals has committed to a future cash payment related to retiree medical expenses based on a specified dollar amount per employee, if certain contractual commitments are met. We have recorded an asset of approximately $3.0 million and $4.4 million as our estimate of the present value of this commitment as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
 December 31,
 20212020
 (In thousands)
Amounts recognized in the balance sheet:  
Current liabilities$(1,537)$(1,443)
Noncurrent liabilities(23,730)(24,726)
 $(25,267)$(26,169)
Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss:  
Prior service cost$(5,760)$(7,507)
Net actuarial loss$9,344 $10,977 
 $3,584 $3,470 
Estimated Future Benefit Payments The following employer contributions and benefit payments, which reflect expected future service, as appropriate, are expected to be paid:
U.S. Plans Non-U.S. Plans
 (In thousands)
Employer Contributions
2022 Employer contributions$— $4,661 
Benefit Payments
2022$8,800 $5,576 
20239,074 4,728 
20249,339 5,041 
20259,643 5,969 
20269,897 6,830 
Years 2026-203053,665 31,959 
Total Benefit Payments$100,418 $60,103 
The following employer contributions and benefit payments, which reflect expected future service, as appropriate, are expected to be paid:
Retiree Medical Plan
 (In thousands)
Employer Contributions
2022 Employer contributions$1,559 
Benefit Payments
2022$1,559 
20231,521 
20241,505 
20251,515 
20261,473 
Years 2026-20307,219 
Total Benefit Payments$14,792 
Components of Net Periodic Pension Costs Net periodic pension costs consist of the following components:
U.S. Plans Non-U.S. Plans
 Years Ended December 31,Years Ended December 31,
 202120202019202120202019
 (In thousands)
Service cost benefits earned during the period$— $187 $2,671 $1,984 $1,861 $1,491 
Interest on prior year’s projected benefit obligation5,588 6,621 7,781 1,247 1,656 2,112 
Expected return on plan assets(9,931)(9,106)(10,065)(3,427)(2,731)(2,520)
One-time settlement costs— — — 32 143 56 
Amortization of prior service costs— — — 236 17 34 
Amortization of net actuarial loss2,416 1,634 3,487 904 1,050 419 
Net periodic pension costs$(1,927)$(664)$3,874 $976 $1,996 $1,592 
Net periodic benefit costs consist of the following components:
 Years Ended December 31,
 202120202019
 (In thousands)
Service cost$338 $291 $290 
Interest cost648 789 941 
Amortization of prior service cost(1,747)(1,747)(1,747)
Amortization of net actuarial loss975 887 621 
Net periodic benefit costs$214 $220 $105 
Weighted Average Assumptions used to Determine Benefit Obligation and Net Periodic Benefit Cost Discount rates are determined annually and are based on rates of return of high-quality long-term fixed income securities currently available and expected to be available during the maturity of the pension benefits.
U.S. PlansNon-U.S. Plans
 December 31,December 31,
 2021202020212020
Weighted average assumptions used to determine benefit obligations:    
Discount rate2.91 %2.66 %1.66 %1.13 %
Rates of increase in salary compensation levelN/A3.00 %3.03 %2.73 %
Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets7.00 %7.00 %4.96 %4.93 %
Weighted average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost:    
Discount rate2.66 %3.45 %1.13 %1.79 %
Rates of increase in salary compensation levelN/A3.00 %2.73 %2.96 %
Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets7.00 %7.00 %4.93 %5.24 %
 December 31,
 20212020
Weighted average assumptions used to determine benefit obligations:  
Measurement date12/31/202112/31/2020
Discount rate2.86 %2.55 %
Rates of increase in salary compensation levelN/AN/A
Weighted average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost:  
Discount rate2.55 %3.34 %
Rates of increase in salary compensation levelN/AN/A
Expected long-term rate of return on plan assetsN/AN/A
Pension Plan Asset Allocations by Asset Category Our Pension Plan asset allocations at December 31, 2021 and 2020 by asset category are as follows:
U.S. PlansNon-U.S. Plans
Target AllocationPercentage of Plan
Assets
at December 31,		Target AllocationPercentage of Plan
Assets
at December 31,
202120212020202120212020
Equity 50.0 %72.2 %68.1 %45.0 %38.6 %36.2 %
Debt35.0 27.8 31.9 — 44.3 50.9 
Other15.0 — — 55.0 17.1 12.9 
Total100.0 %100.0 %100.0 %100.0 %100.0 %100.0 %
Fair Values of Pension Plan Assets by Asset Category
A summary of total investments for our pension plan assets measured at fair value is presented below. See Note 9 Fair Value Measurements, Financial Instruments, and Credit Risk to the consolidated financial statements for a detailed description of fair value measurements and the hierarchy established for Level 1, 2, and 3 valuation inputs.
 Pension Plan Assets Fair Value Measurements at December 31, 2021
 TotalQuoted Prices
In Active Markets
Identical Assets
(Level 1)
Significant
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)(1)
Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)
 (In thousands)
Cash and Cash Equivalents$4,798 $1,545 $3,253 $— 
Equity $148,518 $77,509 $71,009 $— 
Debt79,136 9,386 69,750 — 
Other8,011 — — 8,011 
Total$240,463 $88,440 $144,012 $8,011 
___________________________________________
(1)Included are plan assets of $79.0 million, which are comprised of $42.3 million and $36.7 million in equity and debt, respectively, valued using the net asset value practical expedient measuring the fair value of investments in certain entities that calculate net asset value per share (or its equivalent).
 Pension Plan Assets Fair Value Measurements at December 31, 2020
 TotalQuoted Prices
In Active Markets
Identical Assets
(Level 1)
Significant
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)(1)
Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)
 (In thousands)
Equity$125,359 $62,790 $62,569 $— 
Debt82,253 14,063 68,190 — 
Other9,002 984 — 8,018 
Total$216,614 $77,837 $130,759 $8,018 
___________________________________________
(1)Included are plan assets of $70.4 million, which are comprised of $37.5 million and $32.9 million in equity and debt, respectively, valued using the net asset value practical expedient measuring the fair value of investments in certain entities that calculate net asset value per share (or its equivalent).
Assumed Health Care Cost Trend Rates
 December 31,
 20212020
Assumed Pre-65 health care cost trend rates:  
Health care cost trend rate assumed for next year6.50 %7.00 %
Rate to which the cost trend rate is assumed to decline (the ultimate trend rate)4.50 %4.50 %
Year that the rate reaches the ultimate trend rate20262026
 December 31,
 20212020
Assumed Post-65 health care cost trend rates:  
Health care cost trend rate assumed for next yearN/AN/A
Rate to which the cost trend rate is assumed to decline (the ultimate trend rate)N/AN/A
Year that the rate reaches the ultimate trend rateN/AN/A