Income Taxes

The income tax provision relating to continuing operations consists of the following:



	Three Months Ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
(millions)	2015			2014			2015			2014
Current	$	(45	)	$	120		$	64		$	213
Deferred	69			37			(244		)	61
Total Income Tax (Benefit) Provision	$	24		$	157		$	(180	)	$	274
Effective Tax Rate	(9.3		)%	27.2		%	30.4		%	25.3		%

At the end of each interim period, we apply our best estimate of our effective tax rate (ETR) expected to be applicable for the full year, which can result in interim ETR fluctuations. Our ETR for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 varied as compared with the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014 primarily as a result of a tax benefit. In the case of a pre-tax loss, our favorable permanent differences, such as income from equity method investees and increased earnings in our foreign jurisdictions with rates that vary from the US statutory rate, have the effect of increasing the tax benefit which, in turn, increases the ETR.

In our major tax jurisdictions, the earliest years remaining open to examination are as follows: US – 2012, Equatorial Guinea – 2010 and Israel – 2010.