Background and Basis of Presentation

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

Background and Basis of Presentation [Abstract]

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements Disclosure [Text Block]

Background and Basis of Presentation

Based in Columbus, Ohio, Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc., (which may be referred to as “MSC” or the “Company”) serves global industrial markets through a broad range of thermoset technologies, specialty products and technical support for customers in a diverse range of applications and industries. The Company's business is organized based on the products offered and the markets served. At September 30, 2012, the Company had two reportable segments: Epoxy, Phenolic and Coating Resins and Forest Products Resins.

The Company's direct parent is Momentive Specialty Chemicals Holdings LLC (“MSC Holdings”), a holding company and wholly owned subsidiary of Momentive Performance Materials Holdings LLC (“Momentive Holdings”), the ultimate parent entity of MSC. On October 1, 2010, MSC Holdings and Momentive Performance Materials Holdings Inc. (“MPM Holdings”), the parent company of Momentive Performance Materials Inc. (“MPM”), became subsidiaries of Momentive Holdings. This transaction is referred to as the “Momentive Combination.” Momentive Holdings is controlled by investment funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Management Holdings, L.P. (together with Apollo Global Management, LLC and its subsidiaries, “Apollo”). Apollo may also be referred to as the Company's owner.

During the first quarter of 2012, the Company recorded an out of period loss of approximately $3 related to the disposal of long-lived assets. As a result of this adjustment, the Company’s Loss from continuing operations before income tax increased by $3 and Net income decreased by $2 for the nine months ended September 30, 2012. Of the $3 increase to Loss from continuing operations before income tax, approximately $1 and $2 should have been recorded in the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. Management does not believe that this out of period error is material to the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for the nine months ended September 30, 2012, or to any prior periods. Additionally, the Company revised the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2011 to correct for the classification of dividends of $9 received from an unconsolidated affiliate that were originally included in investing activities but have now been properly classified in operating activities. Footnotes contained herein have been revised, where applicable, for the revision discussed above.

Basis of Presentation—The unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of the Company, its majority-owned subsidiaries in which minority shareholders hold no substantive participating rights and variable interest entities (“VIEs”) in which the Company is the primary beneficiary. Intercompany accounts and transactions are eliminated in consolidation. In the opinion of management, all adjustments consisting of normal, recurring adjustments considered necessary for a fair statement have been included. Results for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results for the entire year.

Year-end condensed consolidated balance sheet data was derived from audited financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

Pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission, certain information and disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America have been condensed or omitted. These unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the audited Consolidated Financial Statements and the accompanying notes included in the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K.