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Provisions
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018
Other Provisions, Contingent Liabilities And Contingent Assets [Abstract]  
Provisions
Provisions
 
 
 
 
 
 
$ million

 
 
Decommissioning

Environmental

Litigation and claims

Other

Total

At 1 January 2018
 
16,100

1,516

3,334

2,994

23,944

Exchange adjustments
 
(135
)
(9
)
(3
)
(84
)
(231
)
Acquisitions
 
295

12

24

5

336

Increase (decrease) in existing provisions
 
137

428

1,492

1,303

3,360

Write-back of unused provisions
 
(2
)
(115
)
(21
)
(255
)
(393
)
Unwinding of discount
 
162

22

9

17

210

Change in discount ratea
 
(2,377
)
(38
)
(31
)
(17
)
(2,463
)
Utilization
 
(9
)
(245
)
(1,034
)
(528
)
(1,816
)
Reclassified to other payables
 
(270
)
(4
)
(2,051
)
(37
)
(2,362
)
Deletions
 
(288
)
—

(1
)
—

(289
)
At 31 December 2018
 
13,613

1,567

1,718

3,398

20,296

Of which – current
 
257

300

798

1,209

2,564

– non-current
 
13,356

1,267

920

2,189

17,732

Of which – Gulf of Mexico oil spillb
 
—

—

345

—

345

a 
Includes the impact of changing from a real to nominal discount rate. See Note 1 for further information.
b 
Further information on the financial impacts of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill is provided in Note 2.
The decommissioning provision comprises the future cost of decommissioning oil and natural gas wells, facilities and related pipelines. The environmental provision includes provisions for costs related to the control, abatement, clean-up or elimination of environmental pollution relating to soil, groundwater, surface water and sediment contamination. The litigation and claims category includes provisions for matters related to, for example, commercial disputes, product liability, and allegations of exposures of third parties to toxic substances. Included within the other category at 31 December 2018 are provisions for deferred employee compensation of $338 million (2017 $391 million).
For information on significant estimates and judgements made in relation to provisions, see Provisions and contingencies within Note 1.