Contingencies	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2013
Contingencies	16. Contingencies In 2009, Schlumberger learned that United States officials began a grand jury investigation and an associated regulatory inquiry, both related to certain historical Schlumberger operations in specified countries that are subject to United States trade and economic sanctions. Governmental agencies and authorities have a broad range of civil and criminal penalties that they may seek to impose for violations of trade and economic sanction laws including, but not limited to, disgorgement, fines, penalties and modifications to business practices. In recent years, these agencies and authorities have obtained a wide range of penalties in settlements with companies arising from trade and economic sanction investigations, including in some cases fines and other penalties in the tens and hundreds of millions of dollars. Schlumberger is cooperating with the governmental authorities and cannot currently predict the outcome or estimate the possible impact of the ultimate resolution of these matters. On April 20, 2010, a fire and explosion occurred onboard the semisubmersible drilling rig Deepwater Horizon, owned by Transocean Ltd. and under contract to a subsidiary of BP plc. Pursuant to a contract between M-I SWACO and BP, M-I SWACO provided certain services under the direction of BP. A number of legal actions, certain of which named an M-I SWACO entity as a defendant, were filed in connection with the Deepwater Horizon incident. Many of these claims were consolidated into multidistrict litigation in federal court (the “MDL”). During the first quarter of 2013, the federal court entered its order dismissing all claims against M-I SWACO that were consolidated as part of the MDL. Schlumberger and its subsidiaries are party to various other legal proceedings from time to time. A liability is accrued when a loss is both probable and can be reasonably estimated. Management believes that the probability of a material loss is remote. However, litigation is inherently uncertain and it is not possible to predict the ultimate disposition of these proceedings.

16. Contingencies

In 2009, Schlumberger learned that United States officials began a grand jury investigation and an associated regulatory inquiry, both related to certain historical Schlumberger operations in specified countries that are subject to United States trade and economic sanctions. Governmental agencies and authorities have a broad range of civil and criminal penalties that they may seek to impose for violations of trade and economic sanction laws including, but not limited to, disgorgement, fines, penalties and modifications to business practices. In recent years, these agencies and authorities have obtained a wide range of penalties in settlements with companies arising from trade and economic sanction investigations, including in some cases fines and other penalties in the tens and hundreds of millions of dollars. Schlumberger is cooperating with the governmental authorities and cannot currently predict the outcome or estimate the possible impact of the ultimate resolution of these matters.

On April 20, 2010, a fire and explosion occurred onboard the semisubmersible drilling rig Deepwater Horizon, owned by Transocean Ltd. and under contract to a subsidiary of BP plc. Pursuant to a contract between M-I SWACO and BP, M-I SWACO provided certain services under the direction of BP. A number of legal actions, certain of which named an M-I SWACO entity as a defendant, were filed in connection with the Deepwater Horizon incident. Many of these claims were consolidated into multidistrict litigation in federal court (the “MDL”). During the first quarter of 2013, the federal court entered its order dismissing all claims against M-I SWACO that were consolidated as part of the MDL.

Schlumberger and its subsidiaries are party to various other legal proceedings from time to time. A liability is accrued when a loss is both probable and can be reasonably estimated. Management believes that the probability of a material loss is remote. However, litigation is inherently uncertain and it is not possible to predict the ultimate disposition of these proceedings.