Retirement and Postretirement Benefit Plans

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2021

Retirement Benefits [Abstract]

Retirement and Postretirement Benefit Plans

NOTE 10 - RETIREMENT AND POSTRETIREMENT BENEFIT PLANS

Occidental has various defined contribution and defined benefit plans for its salaried, domestic union and non-union hourly and certain 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 and six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020:

	Three months ended June 30,				Six months ended June 30,
millions	2021		2020		2021		2020
Net gains related to pension settlement and curtailment(a)	$	4	$	120	$	10	$	134
Net periodic benefit costs related to pension special termination benefits (a)	$	—	$	2	$	—	$	18
Net periodic benefit costs (gains) related to pension benefits excluding settlement, curtailment and special termination benefits	$	(3)	$	13	$	(8)	$	24
Net periodic benefit costs related to postretirement benefits	$	18	$	18	$	38	$	38
Contributions to qualified and supplemental pension plans	$	5	$	11	$	152	$	102

(a) Net gains related to settlement and curtailment and costs of special termination benefits for the three and six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 primarily related to a separation program and the freezing of benefit accruals for Anadarko employees.

The increase in 2021 contributions was 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.