Retirement and Postretirement Benefit Plans

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Retirement Benefits [Abstract]

Retirement and Postretirement Benefit Plans

NOTE 10 - RETIREMENT AND POSTRETIREMENT BENEFIT PLANS

Occidental has various defined benefit pension plans for certain domestic union, non-union hourly and foreign national employees. In addition, Occidental also provides medical and other benefits for certain active, retired and disabled employees and their eligible dependents.

The following table contains a summary of Occidental's retirement and postretirement benefits plan costs for the three months ended March 31, 2021, and 2020:

	Three months ended March 31,
millions	2021		2020
Net gains related to pension settlement and curtailment(a)	$	6	$	14
Net periodic benefit costs related to pension special termination benefits (a)	$	—	$	16
Net periodic benefit costs (gains) related to pension benefits excluding   settlement, curtailment and special termination benefits	$	(5)	$	12
Net periodic benefit costs related to postretirement benefits	$	20	$	20
Contributions to qualified and supplemental pension plans	$	147	$	91

(a) Net gains related to settlement and curtailment and costs of special termination benefits for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020 primarily relate to a separation program and the freezing of benefit accruals for Anadarko employees.

The increase in 2021 contributions is primarily due to distributions related to the separation program and freezing of benefit accruals described above and for contributions which were previously deferred in 2020 under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.