Impairment and Other Charges (Notes)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2020

Impairments and Other Charges [Abstract]

The oil and gas industry experienced an unprecedented disruption during 2020 as a result of a combination of factors, including the substantial decline in global demand for oil caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent mitigation efforts. This disruption created a substantial surplus of oil and a decline in oil prices. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil spot prices decreased during the first quarter of 2020 from a high of $63 per barrel in early January of 2020 to approximately $21 per barrel by the end of the first quarter of 2020. Although oil prices recovered moderately to approximately $48 per barrel by the end of December 2020, WTI oil spot prices averaged approximately $43 per barrel during the fourth quarter of 2020 and $39 per barrel during the year 2020, which was approximately 25% and 31%, respectively, less than the average price per barrel during the same periods in 2019. As a result, oil and gas activity declined significantly during 2020, with the global rig count sinking to the lowest level since 1973. The U.S. and international average rig counts dropped 54% and 25%, respectively, during 2020, contributing to a global rig count decline of 38% since December 31, 2019. In the first and second quarters of 2020, we determined these events constituted triggering events that required us to review the recoverability of our long-lived assets and perform an interim goodwill impairment assessment as of March 31, 2020 and May 1, 2020.

We determined the fair value of our long-lived assets based on a discounted cash flow analysis, with the exception of real estate facilities which are classified as held for sale for which fair value was based on third party sales price estimates. We determined the fair value for each reporting unit in our goodwill impairment assessment using both a discounted cash flow analysis and a multiples-based market approach for comparable companies. Given the current volatile market environment, we utilized third-party valuation advisors to assist us with these valuations. These analyses included significant judgment, including management’s short-term and long-term forecast of operating performance, discount rates based on our weighted average cost of capital, revenue growth rates, profitability margins, capital expenditures, the timing of future cash flows based on an eventual recovery of the oil and gas industry, and in the case of long-lived assets, the remaining useful life and service potential of the asset. These impairment assessments incorporate inherent uncertainties, including projected commodity pricing, supply and demand for our services and future market conditions, which are difficult to predict in volatile economic environments and could result in impairment charges in future periods if actual results materially differ from the estimated assumptions utilized in our forecasts. Based upon our impairment assessments, we determined the carrying amount of some of our long-lived assets exceeded their respective fair values. As a result of our goodwill impairment assessments, we determined that the fair value of each reporting unit exceeded its net book value and, therefore, no goodwill impairments were deemed necessary.

As a result of the events described above, we recorded impairments and other charges of approximately $3.8 billion during the year ended December 31, 2020. The following table presents various pre-tax charges we recorded during the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018 which are reflected within "Impairments and other charges" on our consolidated statements of operations.


	Year Ended December 31
Millions of dollars	2020		2019		2018
Long-lived asset impairments	$	2,629	$	1,603	$	—
Inventory costs and write-downs	505		458		—
Severance	384		172		—
Joint ventures	—		154		—
Venezuela investment write-down	—		—		265
Other	281		119		—
Total impairments and other charges	$	3,799	$	2,506	$	265

Of the $3.8 billion of impairments and other charges recorded during the year ended December 31, 2020, approximately $2.4 billion was attributable to our Completion and Production segment and approximately $1.4 billion was attributable to our Drilling and Evaluation segment. Long-lived asset impairments include impairments of property, plant, and equipment, intangible assets, and real estate facilities. The $2.6 billion of long-lived asset impairments during 2020 consisted of the following: $1.0 billion attributable to hydraulic fracturing equipment, the majority of which was located in North America; $297 million related to drilling-related services equipment; $191 million related to right-of-use assets, primarily operating leases; $131 million related to intangible assets; and $394 million associated with other fixed asset impairments. Also included in Long-lived asset impairments is $616 million related to real estate properties, primarily related to a fair value adjustment for a contemplated structured transaction for most of our remaining North America real estate owned assets classified as held for sale, and to approximately 50% of North American facilities being closed, sold, consolidated, or reduced in size during 2020.

For the year ended December 31, 2019, the $1.6 billion of long-lived asset impairments consisted of the following: $759 million attributable to hydraulic fracturing equipment, the majority of which was located in North America; $243 million related to legacy drilling equipment; $215 million related to real estate owned and classified as held for sale; $139 million related to right-of-use assets associated with operating leases; $98 million related to intangible assets; and $148 million of other fixed asset impairments. We also rationalized our portfolio of existing joint ventures and recorded resulting charges within "Joint ventures" in the table above.

Inventory costs and write-downs in the table above primarily represent disposal of excess inventory, including drilling fluids and other chemicals, and write-downs in which some of our inventory cost exceeded its market value.

For the year ended December 31, 2018, the $265 million impairment related to a write-down of all of our remaining investment in Venezuela.

Given the dynamic nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and related market conditions, we cannot reasonably estimate the period that these events will persist or the full extent of the impact they will have on our business. If market conditions continue to deteriorate, including crude oil prices further declining or remaining at low levels for a sustained period, we may record further asset impairments, which may include an impairment of the carrying value of our goodwill.