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Related Party Transactions
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2019
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]  
Related Party Transactions RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Our most significant related party transactions are transactions that we have entered into with our members and their affiliates. GE and its affiliates have provided and continue to provide a variety of services to us. We also enter into certain transactions with Baker Hughes as provided in the BHGE LLC Agreement.
On September 16, 2019 (the Trigger Date), as a result of the secondary offering and the repurchase of Class B common stock of Baker Hughes and our associated Units, GE's ownership in us was reduced from approximately 50.3% to approximately 36.8%. At December 31, 2019, GE's interest in us was 36.7% and Baker Hughes' interest in us was 63.3%.
Following the Transactions, we have entered into various agreements with GE and its affiliates that govern our relationship with GE including an Intercompany Services Agreement pursuant to which GE and its affiliates and the Company provide certain services to each other. GE provided certain administrative services, GE proprietary technology and use of certain GE trademarks for an annual intercompany services fee of $55 million. Under the terms of the Master Agreement Framework, entered into on November 13, 2018, the annual intercompany services fee of $55 million was reduced by 50% to $27.5 million per year beginning on January 1, 2019. The Intercompany Services Agreement terminated on December 15, 2019 except with respect to certain provisions, including relating to certain tools access.
We sold products and services to GE and its affiliates for $337 million, $363 million and $639 million during the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Purchases from GE and its affiliates were $1,498 million, $1,791 million and $1,512 million during the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.
MASTER AGREEMENT FRAMEWORK
In June 2018, GE announced their intention to pursue an orderly separation from Baker Hughes over time. On November 13, 2018, we entered into a Master Agreement and a series of related ancillary agreements and binding term sheets (which were later negotiated into definitive agreements) with GE and Baker Hughes (collectively, the Master Agreement Framework) designed to further solidify the commercial and technological collaborations between us and GE and to facilitate Baker Hughes ability to transition from operating as a controlled company. In particular, the Master Agreement Framework contemplated long-term agreements between us, Baker Hughes and GE on technology, fulfillment and other key areas to provide greater clarity to customers, employees and members.
Key elements of the Master Agreement Framework include:
Secured long-term collaboration on critical rotating equipment
Under the terms of the Master Agreement Framework, we have defined the parameters for a long-term collaboration and strategic relationship with GE on certain critical rotating equipment products.
On February 28, 2019, we entered into an aero-derivative joint venture (JV) agreement with GE to form a JV relating to the parties’ respective aero-derivative gas turbine products and services. These jet engine aero-derivative products are mainly used in our Turbomachinery & Process Solutions segment. Consequently, on November 1, 2019, we contributed $289 million in certain assets, inventory, cash and service facilities into Aero Products and Services JV, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, and both GE and us jointly control its operations. In addition to the contributions to the JV, we paid $60 million to GE in order to equalize each party's interests in the JV at 50%. The JV has a supply and technology development agreement with GE’s aviation business, which, among other things, revised and extended certain pricing arrangements for applicable aero-derivative products. The Company's interest in the JV is accounted for as an equity method investment.
Additionally, effective May 1, 2019, we closed on the previously announced transfer of our assets, liabilities and employees related to our prior business of developing, designing, engineering, marketing, supplying, installing and servicing certain industrial steam turbine product lines (IST) to GE pursuant to a stock and asset purchase agreement. In addition and in connection with the transfer of the IST business, we made a cash payment of $13 million, in addition to working capital adjustments, to GE at the closing of the transaction.
In parallel, we have also entered into an agreement for the long-term supply and related distribution arrangement with GE for heavy-duty gas turbine technology at the current pricing levels, which became effective at the Trigger Date. Under this agreement, we are appointed as GE's exclusive distributor (with limited exceptions) within the oil and gas industry with respect to the heavy-duty gas turbine units for an initial term of 5 years and associated services (including parts and components) for an initial term of 20 years or the operating service life of the relevant gas turbine, whichever is more. The heavy-duty gas turbine technologies are important components of TPS’ offerings and the long-term agreements provide greater clarity on the commercial approach and customer fulfillment, and will enable us and GE to jointly innovate on leading technology.
Access to GE Digital software & technology
As part of the Master Agreement Framework, we agreed with GE Digital to maintain, subject to certain conditions, our status as the exclusive reseller of GE Digital offerings in the oil & gas space. As part of such agreement, BHGE LLC and GE Digital also revised and extended certain pricing arrangements and established service level obligations. However, these commercial arrangements were further modified pursuant to the Omnibus Agreement, described below, including by modifying the relationship between us and GE Digital to be nonexclusive with respect to digital offerings in the oil and gas space.
Other key agreements
• We agreed with GE to maintain current operations and pricing levels with regards to Control upgrade services we offer through our Digital Solutions segment division for the 4 years commencing on the Trigger Date.
• In 2019, GE transferred to us certain UK pension liabilities related to our oil and gas businesses and certain specified former oil and gas businesses of GE. The assets associated with these liabilities were also transferred on a fully funded basis. No liabilities associated with GE’s broad-based U.S. defined benefit pension plan were transferred to us.
• The Tax Matters Agreement with GE that was negotiated at the time of the Transactions will remain substantially in place and both companies retain the ability to monetize certain tax benefits.
• Under the terms of the Master Agreement Framework, the annual intercompany services fee of $55 million that we agreed to pay GE as part of the Transactions was reduced by 50% to $27.5 million per year beginning on January 1, 2019. The Intercompany Services Agreement terminated on December 15, 2019 except with respect to certain tools access.
OMNIBUS AGREEMENT
On July 31, 2019, we entered into an Omnibus Agreement, a general framework agreement that addresses certain outstanding matters under existing long-term commercial agreements between us and GE. The Omnibus Agreement contains provisions regarding, among other things, (i) the repayment of certain outstanding amounts mutually owed by the parties, (ii) certain employee and assets transfers (including the allocation of costs and expenses associated therewith), and (iii) certain matters related to three international joint ventures.
Material terms agreed to between the parties include:
i.
Provision of certain transition services by each of BHGE LLC and GE, including providing for the development and use of certain service related intellectual property at the end of the transition period and the management of certain data and information for future business needs;
ii.
Sale of certain digital business assets of BHGE LLC to GE for consideration of $50 million, which closed on September 3, 2019;
iii.
Modification of certain sales arrangements between the parties and the ability of each party to directly market offerings of its digital business to customers in the oil and gas industry;
iv.
Research and development efforts and the purchase of products and services related to aero-derivative turbines;
v.
Supply and distribution terms for certain trailer-mounted gas turbine generator-based engine units and related parts and services; and
vi.
Repayment by us to GE of amounts due under the promissory note (see Other Related Party discussion below), net of certain costs and tax adjustments;
OTHER RELATED PARTY
In connection with the Transactions, on July 3, 2017, we executed a promissory note with GE (which was amended and restated on July 31, 2019 in connection with the entry into the Omnibus Agreement referenced above) that represents certain cash that we are holding on GE's behalf due to the restricted nature of the cash. The restriction arises as the majority of the cash cannot be released, transferred or otherwise converted into a non-restricted market currency due to the lack of market liquidity, capital controls or similar monetary or exchange limitations by a Government entity of the jurisdiction in which such cash is situated.  There is no maturity date on the promissory note, but we remain obligated to repay GE, therefore, this obligation is reflected as short-term borrowings. As of December 31, 2019, of the $273 million due to GE, $162 million was held in the form of cash and $111 million was held in the form of investment securities. As of December 31, 2018, of the $896 million due to GE, $747 million was held in the form of cash and $149 million was held in the form of investment securities. A corresponding liability is reported in short-term borrowings in the consolidated and combined statements of financial position.
The Company has $536 million and $538 million of accounts payable at December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively, for goods and services provided by GE in the ordinary course of business; this excludes any liability associated with our participation in the trade payables accelerated payment program (see below). The Company has $495 million and $653 million of current receivables at December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively, for goods and services provided to GE in the ordinary course of business. Additionally, the Company has $75 million and $93 million of current receivables at December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively, from Baker Hughes.
We also provide guarantees to GE Capital on behalf of some customers who have entered into financing arrangements with GE Capital.
TRADE PAYABLES ACCELERATED PAYMENT PROGRAM
Prior to our separation from GE, our North American operations participated in supply chain finance programs funded through GE Capital. Invoices were settled with suppliers per our payment terms to obtain cash discounts. GE Capital provided funding for invoices eligible for a cash discount. Our liability associated with the GE Capital funded participation in the accounts payable programs was $38 million and $471 million as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively.
As a result of separation, our participation in this program ended, and we have begun transitioning to a program administered by a third party. Under these supply chain finance programs, our suppliers are given the opportunity to sell receivables from us to participating financial institutions at their sole discretion. A third party administers the program. Our responsibility is limited to making payment on the terms originally negotiated with our supplier, regardless of whether the supplier sells its receivable to a financial institution. The range of payment terms we negotiate with our suppliers is consistent, irrespective of whether a supplier participates in the program. These liabilities continue to be presented as accounts payable in our consolidated statements of financial position and reflected as cash flow from operating activities when settled.