Commitments and Contingencies
We are the subject of, or a party to, a number of pending or threatened legal actions, contingencies and commitments involving a variety of matters, including laws and regulations relating to the environment. Some of these matters are discussed below. For matters for which we have not recorded an accrued liability, we are unable to estimate a range of possible loss because the issues involved have not been fully developed through pleadings and discovery. However, the ultimate resolution of some of these contingencies could, individually or in the aggregate, be material.
Environmental matters – We are subject to federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations relating to the environment. These laws generally provide for control of pollutants released into the environment and require responsible parties to undertake remediation of hazardous waste disposal sites and certain other locations including presently or formerly owned or operated retail marketing sites. Penalties may be imposed for noncompliance.
At both December 31, 2013 and 2012, accrued liabilities for remediation totaled $123 million. It is not presently possible to estimate the ultimate amount of all remediation costs that might be incurred or the penalties if any that may be imposed. Receivables for recoverable costs from certain states, under programs to assist companies in clean-up efforts related to underground storage tanks at presently or formerly owned or operated retail marketing sites, were $51 million at both December 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012.
We are involved in a number of environmental enforcement matters arising in the ordinary course of business. While the outcome and impact on us cannot be predicted with certainty, management believes the resolution of these environmental matters will not, individually or collectively, have a material adverse effect on our consolidated results of operations, financial position or cash flows.
Lawsuits – In May 2007, the Kentucky attorney general filed a lawsuit against us and Marathon Oil in state court in Franklin County, Kentucky for alleged violations of Kentucky’s emergency pricing and consumer protection laws following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. The lawsuit alleges that we overcharged customers by $89 million during September and October 2005. The complaint seeks disgorgement of these sums, as well as penalties, under Kentucky’s emergency pricing and consumer protection laws. We are vigorously defending this litigation. We believe that this is the first lawsuit for damages and injunctive relief under the Kentucky emergency pricing laws to progress this far and it contains many novel issues. In May 2011, the Kentucky attorney general amended his complaint to include a request for immediate injunctive relief as well as unspecified damages and penalties related to our wholesale gasoline pricing in April and May 2011 under statewide price controls that were activated by the Kentucky governor on April 26, 2011 and which have since expired. The court denied the attorney general’s request for immediate injunctive relief, and the remainder of the 2011 claims likely will be resolved along with those dating from 2005. If the lawsuit is resolved unfavorably in its entirety, it could materially impact our consolidated results of operations, financial position or cash flows. However, management does not believe the ultimate resolution of this litigation will have a material adverse effect.
We are a defendant in a number of other lawsuits and other proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business. While the ultimate outcome and impact to us cannot be predicted with certainty, we believe that the resolution of these other lawsuits and proceedings will not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
Guarantees – We have provided certain guarantees, direct and indirect, of the indebtedness of other companies. Under the terms of most of these guarantee arrangements, we would be required to perform should the guaranteed party fail to fulfill its obligations under the specified arrangements. In addition to these financial guarantees, we also have various performance guarantees related to specific agreements.
Guarantees related to indebtedness of equity method investees – We hold interests in an offshore oil port, LOOP, and a crude oil pipeline system, LOCAP LLC. Both LOOP and LOCAP LLC have secured various financings by assigning certain of their rights under throughput and deficiency agreements that they have entered into with us. Under the agreements, we are required to advance funds if the investees are unable to service their debt. Any such advances are considered prepayments of future transportation charges. The duration of the agreements follow the terms of the underlying debt obligations, some of which extend through 2037. Our maximum potential undiscounted payments under these agreements for the debt principal totaled $172 million as of December 31, 2013.
We hold an interest in a refined products pipeline through our investment in Centennial, and have guaranteed the payment of Centennial’s principal, interest and prepayment costs, if applicable, under a Master Shelf Agreement, which is scheduled to expire in 2024. The guarantee arose in order for Centennial to obtain adequate financing. Our maximum potential undiscounted payments under this agreement for debt principal totaled $42 million as of December 31, 2013.
We hold an interest in a ethanol production facility through our investment in TAME and through our participation as a lender under TAME's revolving credit agreement, have agreed to reimburse the bank for 50 percent of any amounts drawn on a letter of credit that has been issued to secure TAME's repayment of the tax exempt bonds. The credit agreement expires in 2018. Our maximum potential undiscounted payments under this arrangement were $25 million at December 31, 2013.
Marathon Oil indemnifications – In conjunction with the Spinoff, we have entered into arrangements with Marathon Oil providing indemnities and guarantees with recorded values of $2 million as of December 31, 2013, which consist of unrecognized tax benefits related to MPC, its consolidated subsidiaries and the RM&T Business operations prior to the Spinoff which are not already reflected in the unrecognized tax benefits described in Note 12, and other contingent liabilities Marathon Oil may incur related to taxes. Furthermore, the separation and distribution agreement and other agreements with Marathon Oil to effect the Spinoff provide for cross-indemnities between Marathon Oil and us. In general, Marathon Oil is required to indemnify us for any liabilities relating to Marathon Oil’s historical oil and gas exploration and production operations, oil sands mining operations and integrated gas operations, and we are required to indemnify Marathon Oil for any liabilities relating to Marathon Oil’s historical refining, marketing and transportation operations. The terms of these indemnifications are indefinite and the amounts are not capped.
Other guarantees – We have entered into other guarantees with maximum potential undiscounted payments totaling $122 million as of December 31, 2013, which primarily consist of a commitment to contribute cash to an equity method investee for certain catastrophic events, up to $50 million per event, in lieu of procuring insurance coverage, an indemnity to the co-lenders associated with an equity method investee’s credit agreement, and leases of assets containing general lease indemnities and guaranteed residual values.
General guarantees associated with dispositions – Over the years, we have sold various assets in the normal course of our business. Certain of the related agreements contain performance and general guarantees, including guarantees regarding inaccuracies in representations, warranties, covenants and agreements, and environmental and general indemnifications that require us to perform upon the occurrence of a triggering event or condition. These guarantees and indemnifications are part of the normal course of selling assets. We are typically not able to calculate the maximum potential amount of future payments that could be made under such contractual provisions because of the variability inherent in the guarantees and indemnities. Most often, the nature of the guarantees and indemnities is such that there is no appropriate method for quantifying the exposure because the underlying triggering event has little or no past experience upon which a reasonable prediction of the outcome can be based.
Contractual commitments – At December 31, 2013 and 2012, our contractual commitments to acquire property, plant and equipment and advance funds to equity method investees totaled $1.7 billion and $1.4 billion, respectively. The contractual commitments at December 31, 2013 includes $700 million of contingent consideration associated with the acquisition of the Galveston Bay Refinery and Related Assets and $892 million for contributions to North Dakota Pipeline. The contractual commitments at December 31, 2012 included both the base purchase price and the $700 million contingent consideration associated with the acquisition of the Galveston Bay Refinery and Related Assets. See Note 5.
