Guarantees and Contingencies	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Commitments And Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Guarantees and Contingencies	9. Guarantees and Contingencies The Corporation is subject to loss contingencies with respect to various claims, lawsuits and other proceedings. The Corporation cannot predict with certainty if, how or when such claims, lawsuits and proceedings will be resolved or what the eventual relief, if any, may be. Numerous issues may need to be resolved, including through lengthy discovery, conciliation and/or arbitration proceedings, or litigation before a loss or range of loss can be reasonably estimated. Subject to the foregoing, in management’s opinion, based upon currently known facts and circumstances, the outcome of such lawsuits, claims and proceedings is not expected to have a material adverse effect on the financial condition of the Corporation. However, the Corporation could incur judgments, enter into settlements or revise its opinion regarding the outcome of certain matters, and such developments could have a material adverse effect on its results of operations in the period in which the amounts are accrued and its cash flows in the period in which the amounts are paid. In July 2004, HOVENSA LLC (HOVENSA), a 50/50 joint venture between the Corporation’s subsidiary, Hess Oil Virgin Islands Corp. (HOVIC), and a subsidiary of Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA), and HOVIC each received a letter from the Commissioner of the Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources and Natural Resources Trustees, advising of the Trustee’s intention to bring suit against HOVIC and HOVENSA under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA). The letter alleges that HOVIC and HOVENSA are potentially responsible for damages to natural resources arising from releases of hazardous substances from the HOVENSA refinery, which had been operated by HOVIC until October 1998. An action was filed on May 5, 2005 in the District Court of the Virgin Islands against HOVENSA, HOVIC and other companies that operated industrial facilities on the south shore of St. Croix asserting that the defendants are liable under CERCLA and territorial statutory and common law for damages to natural resources. In 2014 HOVIC, HOVENSA and the government of the U.S. Virgin Islands entered into a settlement agreement pursuant to which HOVENSA paid $3.5 million and agreed to pay the government of the U.S. Virgin Islands an additional $40 million no later than December 31, 2014. HOVENSA was unable to make this additional payment because the U.S. Virgin Islands legislature did not approve a proposed operating agreement required to complete a proposed sale of HOVENSA, which would have provided funds to make the settlement payment. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, the U.S. Virgin Islands government was granted a first lien on HOVENSA’s assets to secure the settlement payment, and in January 2015 the government commenced a foreclosure action to enforce this lien. HOVENSA intends to defend this action and is also actively pursuing a sale of its terminal assets to satisfy its obligations, including its obligations to the government; however, it is possible that any such sale may not be completed before HOVENSA exhausts its available funds to continue current activities and it may be required to commence bankruptcy proceedings. The Registrant does not believe the resolution of the foreclosure proceeding or a HOVENSA bankruptcy will have a material adverse effect on its financial condition. In February 2015, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) issued a notice of determination to terminate the HOVENSA pension plan. HOVENSA had been in negotiations with the PBGC to make additional contributions to the plan with proceeds from a proposed sale of HOVENSA, which was not completed for the reasons described above. The Registrant does not believe that the resolution of this matter will have a material adverse effect on its financial condition. The Corporation is from time to time involved in other judicial and administrative proceedings, including proceedings relating to other environmental matters. The Corporation cannot predict with certainty if, how or when such proceedings will be resolved or what the eventual relief, if any, may be, particularly for proceedings that are in their early stages of development or where plaintiffs seek indeterminate damages. Numerous issues may need to be resolved, including through potentially lengthy discovery and determination of important factual matters before a loss or range of loss can be reasonably estimated for any proceeding. Subject to the foregoing, in management’s opinion, based upon currently known facts and circumstances, the outcome of such proceedings is not expected to have a material adverse effect on the financial condition, results of operations or cash flows of the Corporation.

9. Guarantees and Contingencies

The Corporation is subject to loss contingencies with respect to various claims, lawsuits and other proceedings. The Corporation cannot predict with certainty if, how or when such claims, lawsuits and proceedings will be resolved or what the eventual relief, if any, may be. Numerous issues may need to be resolved, including through lengthy discovery, conciliation and/or arbitration proceedings, or litigation before a loss or range of loss can be reasonably estimated. Subject to the foregoing, in management’s opinion, based upon currently known facts and circumstances, the outcome of such lawsuits, claims and proceedings is not expected to have a material adverse effect on the financial condition of the Corporation. However, the Corporation could incur judgments, enter into settlements or revise its opinion regarding the outcome of certain matters, and such developments could have a material adverse effect on its results of operations in the period in which the amounts are accrued and its cash flows in the period in which the amounts are paid.

In July 2004, HOVENSA LLC (HOVENSA), a 50/50 joint venture between the Corporation’s subsidiary, Hess Oil Virgin Islands Corp. (HOVIC), and a subsidiary of Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA), and HOVIC each received a letter from the Commissioner of the Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources and Natural Resources Trustees, advising of the Trustee’s intention to bring suit against HOVIC and HOVENSA under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA). The letter alleges that HOVIC and HOVENSA are potentially responsible for damages to natural resources arising from releases of hazardous substances from the HOVENSA refinery, which had been operated by HOVIC until October 1998. An action was filed on May 5, 2005 in the District Court of the Virgin Islands against HOVENSA, HOVIC and other companies that operated industrial facilities on the south shore of St. Croix asserting that the defendants are liable under CERCLA and territorial statutory and common law for damages to natural resources. In 2014 HOVIC, HOVENSA and the government of the U.S. Virgin Islands entered into a settlement agreement pursuant to which HOVENSA paid $3.5 million and agreed to pay the government of the U.S. Virgin Islands an additional $40 million no later than December 31, 2014. HOVENSA was unable to make this additional payment because the U.S. Virgin Islands legislature did not approve a proposed operating agreement required to complete a proposed sale of HOVENSA, which would have provided funds to make the settlement payment. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, the U.S. Virgin Islands government was granted a first lien on HOVENSA’s assets to secure the settlement payment, and in January 2015 the government commenced a foreclosure action to enforce this lien. HOVENSA intends to defend this action and is also actively pursuing a sale of its terminal assets to satisfy its obligations, including its obligations to the government; however, it is possible that any such sale may not be completed before HOVENSA exhausts its available funds to continue current activities and it may be required to commence bankruptcy proceedings. The Registrant does not believe the resolution of the foreclosure proceeding or a HOVENSA bankruptcy will have a material adverse effect on its financial condition.

In February 2015, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) issued a notice of determination to terminate the HOVENSA pension plan. HOVENSA had been in negotiations with the PBGC to make additional contributions to the plan with proceeds from a proposed sale of HOVENSA, which was not completed for the reasons described above. The Registrant does not believe that the resolution of this matter will have a material adverse effect on its financial condition.

The Corporation is from time to time involved in other judicial and administrative proceedings, including proceedings relating to other environmental matters. The Corporation cannot predict with certainty if, how or when such proceedings will be resolved or what the eventual relief, if any, may be, particularly for proceedings that are in their early stages of development or where plaintiffs seek indeterminate damages. Numerous issues may need to be resolved, including through potentially lengthy discovery and determination of important factual matters before a loss or range of loss can be reasonably estimated for any proceeding. Subject to the foregoing, in management’s opinion, based upon currently known facts and circumstances, the outcome of such proceedings is not expected to have a material adverse effect on the financial condition, results of operations or cash flows of the Corporation.