Benicia Refinery
We evaluated the Benicia Refinery for potential impairment as of December 31, 2013 due to its actual operating and cash flow results during 2013 and its forecasted results over the next five years. We developed cash flows expected to be generated by the refinery, considering the probability of both current disposition of the refinery and realization through operations, using various scenarios of forecasted throughput volumes and refined product margins, with refined product margins based on our expectation of future margins coupled with historical margins realized by the refinery. The undiscounted cash flows exceeded the carrying amount of the refinery as of December 31, 2013; therefore, we concluded that the refinery was not impaired.
Aruba Refinery
In March 2012, we suspended the operations of the Aruba Refinery because of its inability to generate positive cash flows on a sustained basis subsequent to its restart in January 2011 and the sensitivity of its profitability to sour crude oil differentials, which had narrowed significantly in the fourth quarter of 2011. Shortly thereafter, we received a non-binding offer to purchase the refinery for $350 million, plus working capital as of the closing date. Because of our decision to suspend operations and the possibility of selling the refinery, we evaluated the refinery for potential impairment as of March 31, 2012 and concluded that it was impaired. We recognized an asset impairment loss of $595 million in March 2012. We did not, however, classify the Aruba Refinery as “held for sale” in our balance sheet because all of the accounting criteria required for that classification had not been met.
In September 2012, we decided to reorganize the Aruba Refinery into a crude oil and refined products terminal in response to the withdrawal of the non-binding offer to purchase the refinery. We bifurcated the idled crude oil processing units and related infrastructure (refining assets) from the terminal assets and evaluated the refining assets for potential impairment as of September 30, 2012. We concluded that the refining assets were impaired and recognized an asset impairment loss of $308 million that was recorded in September 2012. We also recognized an asset impairment loss of $25 million related to materials and supplies inventories that supported the refining operations, resulting in a total asset impairment loss of $333 million in September 2012 related to the Aruba Refinery. The terminal assets were not impaired.
We have continued to maintain the refining assets to allow them to be restarted and do not consider them to be abandoned. Therefore, we have not reflected the Aruba Refinery as a discontinued operation in our financial statements. It is possible, however, that we may abandon these assets in the future. Should we ultimately decide to abandon these assets, we may be required under our land lease agreement with the Government of Aruba to dismantle and remove the abandoned assets, which would require us to recognize an asset retirement obligation that would be immediately charged to expense. We do not expect these amounts to be material to our financial position or results of operations.
Cancelled Capital Projects
During 2012, we wrote down the carrying value of equipment associated with permanently cancelled capital projects at several of our refineries and recognized asset impairment losses of $65 million.
Retail Stores
During 2012, we evaluated certain of our convenience stores operated by our former retail segment for potential impairment and concluded that they were impaired, and we wrote down the carrying values of these stores to their estimated fair values and recognized asset impairment losses of $21 million.
