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Variable Interest Entities
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016
Variable Interest Entities  
Variable Interest Entities

Note 5—Variable Interest Entities

Consolidated variable interest entities—Angola Deepwater Drilling Company Limited (“ADDCL”), a consolidated Cayman Islands company, is a joint venture company formed to own and operate certain drilling units.  We determined that ADDCL met the criteria of a variable interest entity for accounting purposes because its equity at risk was insufficient to permit it to carry on its activities without additional subordinated financial support from us.  We also determined, in each case, that we were the primary beneficiary for accounting purposes since (a) we had the power to direct the construction, marketing and operating activities, which are the activities that most significantly impact each entity’s economic performance, and (b) we had the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive a majority of the benefits that could be potentially significant to the variable interest entity.  As a result, we consolidate ADDCL in our consolidated financial statements, we eliminate intercompany transactions, and we present the interests that are not owned by us as noncontrolling interest on our consolidated balance sheets.  The carrying amounts associated with ADDCL, after eliminating the effect of intercompany transactions, were as follows (in millions):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Years ended December 31, 

 

 

 

2016

    

2015

 

Assets

 

$

787

 

$

849

 

Liabilities

 

 

25

 

 

46

 

Net carrying amount

 

$

762

 

$

803

 

 

Transocean Drilling Services Offshore Inc. (“TDSOI”), a consolidated British Virgin Islands company, was also a variable interest entity for which we were the primary beneficiary.  In July 2016, we completed the repurchase of the noncontrolling interest in TDSOI, and as a result, TDSOI became our wholly owned subsidiary and has been excluded from the above carrying amounts.  At December 31, 2015, the net carrying amount of TDSOI, after eliminating the effect of intercompany transactions, was $295 million, including assets of $298 million and liabilities of $3 million.  See Note 14—Noncontrolling Interest.

Unconsolidated variable interest entities—We previously held notes receivable, originally issued to us in connection with the sale of two drilling units, which represented a variable interest in the issuer.  In the year ended December 31, 2014, we received aggregate cash proceeds of $98 million from the issuer and recognized a gain of $7 million, recorded in other income, associated with the prepayment of the notes and liquidation of our variable interest.