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Income Taxes
 3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2019
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Income Taxes Note 11. Income Taxes
Income tax expense (benefit) consists of the following:
 
Three Months Ended March 31,
(millions, except percentages)
2019
 
2018
Current
$
16

 
$
126

Deferred
(100
)
 
(157
)
Total Income Tax Benefit
$
(84
)
 
$
(31
)
Effective Tax Rate
22.5
%
 
(5.7
)%

Effective Tax Rate (ETR) At the end of each interim period, we apply a forecasted annualized ETR to current period earnings or loss before tax, which can produce interim ETR fluctuations. The ETR for first quarter 2019 varied as compared with 2018, primarily due to a $145 million discrete tax benefit recorded in first quarter 2018 as a result of the intent of the US Department of the Treasury and Internal Revenue Service to issue additional regulatory guidance associated with Tax Reform Legislation and the transition tax (toll tax). In addition, first quarter 2018 includes foreign taxes on a gain related to the divestiture of a 7.5% interest in the Tamar field, offshore Israel.
In our major tax jurisdictions, the earliest years remaining open to examination are as follows: US – 2014, Israel – 2015 (2013 with respect to Israel Oil Profits Tax) and Equatorial Guinea – 2013.