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DISPOSITIONS AND ACQUISITIONS DISPOSITIONS AND ACQUISITIONS
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017
Dispositions And Acquisitions [Abstract]  
DISPOSITIONS AND ACQUISITIONS
DISPOSITIONS
TF Holdings Limited - Discontinued Operations. FCX had a 70 percent interest in TF Holdings Limited (TFHL), which owns 80 percent of Tenke Fungurume Mining S.A. (TFM or Tenke) located in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). On November 16, 2016, FCX completed the sale of its interest in TFHL to China Molybdenum Co., Ltd. (CMOC) for $2.65 billion in cash (before closing adjustments) and contingent consideration of up to $120 million in cash, consisting of $60 million if the average copper price exceeds $3.50 per pound and $60 million if the average cobalt price exceeds $20 per pound, both during calendar years 2018 and 2019. One-half of the proceeds from this transaction was used to repay borrowings under FCX’s unsecured bank term loan. The contingent consideration is considered a derivative, and the fair value will be adjusted through December 31, 2019. The fair value of the contingent consideration derivative (included in other assets in the consolidated balance sheets) was $74 million at December 31, 2017, and $13 million at December 31, 2016. Gains resulting from changes in the fair value of the contingent consideration derivative ($61 million in 2017 and $13 million in 2016) are included in net income (loss) from discontinued operations and primarily resulted from higher cobalt prices. Future changes in the fair value of the contingent consideration derivative will continue to be recorded in discontinued operations.
 
In October 2016, La Générale des Carrières et des Mines (Gécamines), which is wholly owned by the DRC government and holds a 20 percent non-dilutable interest in TFM, filed an arbitration proceeding with the International Chamber of Commerce International Court of Arbitration challenging the sale of TFHL. In January 2017, a settlement agreement was entered into with Gécamines that resolved all claims brought by Gécamines against FCX, including the arbitration proceeding. The parties to the settlement are FCX, CMOC, Lundin Mining Corporation, TFHL, TFM, BHR Newwood Investment Management Limited and Gécamines. The settlement resulted in a charge of $33 million to the 2016 loss on disposal.

In accordance with accounting guidance, FCX reported the results of operations of TFHL as discontinued operations in the consolidated statements of operations because the disposal represents a strategic shift that had a major effect on operations. The consolidated statements of comprehensive income (loss) were not impacted by discontinued operations as TFHL did not have any other comprehensive income (loss), and the consolidated statements of cash flows are reported on a combined basis without separately presenting discontinued operations.

Net income (loss) from discontinued operations in the consolidated statements of operations consists of the following:
 
Years Ended December 31,
 
 
2017
 
2016
 
2015
 
Revenuesa
$
13

 
$
959

 
$
1,270

 
Costs and expenses:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Production and delivery costs

 
833

 
852

 
Depreciation, depletion and amortization


80

b 
257

 
Interest expense allocated from parentc

 
39

 
28

 
Other costs and expenses, net

 
10

 
26

 
Income (loss) before income taxes and net gain (loss) on disposal
13

 
(3
)
 
107

 
Net gain (loss) on disposal
57

d 
(198
)
e 

 
Net income (loss) before income taxes
70

 
(201
)
 
107

 
(Provision for) benefit from income taxes
(4
)
 
8

 
(16
)
 
Net income (loss) from discontinued operations
$
66

 
$
(193
)
 
$
91

 
a.
In accordance with accounting guidance, amounts are net of recognition (eliminations) of intercompany sales totaling $13 million in 2017, $(157) million in 2016 and $(114) million in 2015.
b.
In accordance with accounting guidance, depreciation, depletion and amortization was not recognized subsequent to classification as assets held for sale, which occurred in May 2016.
c.
In accordance with accounting guidance, interest associated with FCX’s unsecured bank term loan that was required to be repaid as a result of the sale of TFHL has been allocated to discontinued operations.
d.
Includes a gain of $61 million associated with the change in the fair value of contingent consideration.
e.
Includes a charge of $33 million associated with the settlement agreement entered into with Gécamines, partly offset by a gain of $13 million for the fair value of contingent consideration.

Cash flows from discontinued operations included in the consolidated statements of cash flows follow:
 
Years Ended December 31,
 
 
2016
 
2015
Net cash provided by operating activities
 
$
241

 
$
217

Net cash used in investing activities
 
(73
)
 
(253
)
Net cash used in financing activities
 
(123
)
 
(82
)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
 
$
45

 
$
(118
)


Oil and Gas Operations. On July 31, 2017, FM O&G sold certain property interests in the Gulf of Mexico Shelf for cash consideration of $62 million (before closing adjustments from the April 1, 2017, effective date). On March 17, 2017, FM O&G sold property interests in the Madden area in central Wyoming for cash consideration of $17.5 million, before closing adjustments. Under the full cost accounting rules, the sales resulted in the recognition of gains of $49 million in 2017 because the reserves associated with these properties were significant to the full cost pool.

On December 30, 2016, FM O&G completed the sale of its onshore California oil and gas properties to Sentinel Peak Resources California LLC (Sentinel) for cash consideration of $592 million (before closing adjustments from the July 1, 2016, effective date) and contingent consideration of up to $150 million, consisting of $50 million per year for 2018, 2019 and 2020 if the price of Brent crude oil averages over $70 per barrel in each of these calendar years. The contingent consideration is considered a derivative, and the fair value will be adjusted through the year 2020. The fair value of the contingent consideration derivative (included in other assets in the consolidated balance sheets) was $34 million at December 31, 2017, and $33 million at December 31, 2016. Future changes in the fair value of the contingent consideration derivative will continue to be recorded in operating income. Sentinel assumed abandonment obligations associated with the properties.

On December 15, 2016, FM O&G completed the sale of its Deepwater Gulf of Mexico (GOM) oil and gas properties to Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (Anadarko) for cash consideration of $2.0 billion (before closing adjustments from the August 1, 2016, effective date) and up to $150 million in contingent payments. The contingent payments were recorded under the loss recovery approach, whereby contingent gains are recorded up to the amount of any loss on the sale, and reduced the loss on the sale in 2016. The contingent payments were included in other current assets ($24 million) and other assets ($126 million) at December 31, 2017, and in other assets ($150 million) at December 31, 2016, in the consolidated balance sheets. The contingent payments will be received over time as Anadarko realizes future cash flows in connection with a third-party production handling agreement for an offshore platform. Anadarko assumed abandonment obligations associated with these properties. A portion of the proceeds from this transaction was used to repay FCX’s remaining outstanding borrowings under its unsecured bank term loan.

Under the full cost accounting rules, the sales of the Deepwater GOM and onshore California oil and gas properties required gain (loss) recognition (net loss of $9 million in 2016, which was net of $150 million for contingent payments associated with the Deepwater GOM sale and $33 million for the fair value of contingent consideration from the onshore California sale) because of their significance to the full cost pool.

In connection with the sale of the Deepwater GOM oil and gas properties, FM O&G entered into an agreement to amend the terms of the Plains Offshore Preferred Stock that was reported as redeemable noncontrolling interest on FCX’s financial statements. The amendment provided FM O&G the right to call these securities for $582 million. FM O&G exercised this option in December 2016 and recorded a $199 million gain on redemption to retained earnings.

On July 25, 2016, FM O&G sold its Haynesville shale assets for cash consideration of $87 million, before closing adjustments. On June 17, 2016, FM O&G sold certain oil and gas royalty interests to Black Stone Minerals, L.P. for cash consideration of $102 million, before closing adjustments. Under the full cost accounting rules, the proceeds from these transactions were recorded as a reduction of capitalized oil and gas properties, with no gain or loss recognition in 2016 because the reserves were not significant to the full cost pool.

Morenci. On May 31, 2016, FCX sold a 13 percent undivided interest in its Morenci unincorporated joint venture to SMM Morenci, Inc. for $1.0 billion in cash. FCX recorded a $576 million gain on the transaction and used losses to offset cash taxes on the transaction. A portion of the proceeds from the transaction was used to repay borrowings under FCX’s unsecured bank term loan and revolving credit facility.

The Morenci unincorporated joint venture was owned 85 percent by FCX and 15 percent by Sumitomo. As a result of the transaction, the unincorporated joint venture is owned 72 percent by FCX, 15 percent by Sumitomo and 13 percent by SMM Morenci, Inc.

Timok. On May 2, 2016, FMC sold an interest in the Timok exploration project in Serbia to Global Reservoir Minerals Inc. (now known as Nevsun Resources, Ltd.) for consideration of $135 million in cash and contingent consideration of up to $107 million payable to FCX in stages upon achievement of defined development milestones. As a result of this transaction, FCX recorded a gain of $133 million in 2016, and no amounts were recorded for contingent consideration under the loss recovery approach. A portion of the proceeds from the transaction was used to repay borrowings under FCX’s unsecured bank term loan.

Assets Held for Sale. Freeport Cobalt includes the large-scale cobalt refinery in Kokkola, Finland, and the related sales and marketing business, in which FCX owns an effective 56 percent interest. Kisanfu is a copper and cobalt exploration project, located near Tenke, in which FCX owns a 100 percent interest. As a result of the sale of TFHL, FCX expects to sell its interest in Freeport Cobalt and Kisanfu, and the assets and liabilities of Freeport Cobalt and Kisanfu are classified as held for sale in the consolidated balance sheets. A $110 million estimated loss on disposal was included in net gain on sales of assets in 2016 in the consolidated statements of operations. FCX continues to market the Freeport Cobalt and Kisanfu assets and evaluate the fair value of these assets. During 2017, the fair value evaluations resulted in an increase to the estimated fair value less costs to sell of $13 million (included in net gain on sales of assets in the consolidated statements of operations).