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Commitments and Contingencies
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2021
Commitments And Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies

11. Commitments and Contingencies

Various claims have been filed against us in the ordinary course of business, including claims by offshore workers alleging personal injuries. With respect to each claim or exposure, we have made an assessment, in accordance with GAAP, of the probability that the resolution of the matter would ultimately result in a loss. When we determine that an unfavorable resolution of a matter is probable and such amount of loss can be determined, we record a liability for the amount of the estimated loss at the time that both of these criteria are met. Our management believes that we have recorded adequate accruals for any liabilities that may reasonably be expected to result from these claims.

Asbestos Litigation

We are one of several unrelated defendants in lawsuits filed in Louisiana state courts alleging that defendants manufactured, distributed or utilized drilling mud containing asbestos and, in our case, allowed such drilling mud to have been utilized aboard our drilling rigs. The plaintiffs seek, among other things, an award of unspecified compensatory and punitive damages. The manufacture and use of asbestos-containing drilling mud had already ceased before we acquired any of the drilling rigs addressed in these lawsuits. We believe that we are not liable for the damages asserted in the lawsuits pursuant to the terms of our 1989 asset purchase agreement with Diamond M Corporation. We are unable to estimate our potential exposure, if any, to these lawsuits at this time but do not believe that our ultimate liability, if any, resulting from this litigation will have a material effect on our consolidated financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

Non-Income Tax and Related Claims

We have received assessments related to, or otherwise have exposure to, non-income tax items such as sales-and-use tax, value-added tax, ad valorem tax, custom duties, and other similar taxes in various taxing jurisdictions. We have determined that we have a probable loss for these taxes and the related penalties and interest and, accordingly, have recorded a $15.3 million and $13.5 million liability at June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. We intend to defend these matters vigorously; however, the ultimate outcome of these assessments and exposures could result in additional taxes, interest and penalties for which the fully assessed amounts would have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. In addition, to defend against these assessments through all applicable proceedings, including any necessary judicial appeals, we could be required to post appeal bonds or other forms of guarantees, some of which may require cash collateral for up to the full amount of the guarantees. If we are required to post cash collateral to support any such guarantees, we intend to utilize a combination of cash on hand and availability under our Exit Revolving Credit Agreement, which could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity.

Other Litigation

We have been named in various other claims, lawsuits or threatened actions that are incidental to the ordinary course of our business, including a claim by one of our customers in Brazil, Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. (or Petrobras) that it will seek to recover from its contractors, including us, any taxes, penalties, interest and fees that it must pay to the Brazilian tax authorities for our applicable portion of withholding taxes related to Petrobras’ charter agreements with its contractors. We intend to defend these matters vigorously; however, litigation is inherently unpredictable, and the ultimate outcome or effect of any claim, lawsuit or action cannot be predicted with certainty. As a result, there can be no assurance as to the ultimate outcome of any litigation matter. Any claims against us, whether meritorious or not, could cause us to incur significant costs and expenses and require significant amounts of management and operational time and resources. In the opinion of our management, no such pending or known threatened claims, actions or proceedings against us are expected to have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

Personal Injury Claims

Under our primary insurance policies, our deductibles for marine liability insurance coverage with respect to personal injury claims, which primarily result from Jones Act liability in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, are $5.0 million for the first occurrence and vary in amounts ranging between $5.0 million and, if aggregate claims exceed certain

thresholds, up to $100.0 million for each subsequent occurrence, depending on the nature, severity and frequency of claims that might arise during the policy year.

The Jones Act is a federal law that permits seamen to seek compensation for certain injuries during the course of their employment on a vessel and governs the liability of vessel operators and marine employers for the work-related injury or death of an employee. We engage outside consultants to assist us in estimating our aggregate liability for personal injury claims based on our historical losses and utilizing various actuarial models. We allocate a portion of the aggregate liability to “Accrued liabilities” based on an estimate of claims expected to be paid within the next twelve months with the residual recorded as “Other liabilities.” At June 30, 2021 our estimated liability for personal injury claims was $14.7 million, of which $5.2 million and $9.5 million were recorded in “Accrued liabilities” and “Other liabilities,” respectively, in our unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. At December 31, 2020 our estimated liability for personal injury claims was $14.7 million, of which $5.9 million and $8.8 million were recorded in “Accrued liabilities” and “Other liabilities,” respectively, in our Consolidated Balance Sheets. The eventual settlement or adjudication of these claims could differ materially from our estimated amounts due to uncertainties such as:

 

the severity and volume of personal injuries claimed;

 

the unpredictability of legal jurisdictions where the claims will ultimately be litigated;

 

inconsistent court decisions; and

 

the risks and lack of predictability inherent in personal injury litigation.

Letters of Credit and Other

We were contingently liable as of June 30, 2021 in the aggregate amount of $26.9 million under certain customs, performance, tax and VAT bonds and letters of credit. Agreements relating to approximately $20.8 million of these tax and customs bonds can require collateral at any time, while the remaining agreements, aggregating $6.1 million, cannot require collateral except in events of default.  At June 30, 2021, we had made aggregate collateral deposits of $19.6 million with respect to other bonds and letters of credit, including a $6.0 million financial letter of credit, which was issued in 2020 under the prepetition RCF in support of a previously issued surety bond and was drawn on by the beneficiary in January 2021, converted to an adjusted base rate loan under the prepetition RCF and then paid down as part of the settlement of the debt at emergence.  These deposits were recorded in “Prepaid expenses and other current assets” in our unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets at June 30, 2021.