BKR, §1A diff (2016 → 2017)

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS An investment in our common stock involves various risks. When considering an investment in the Company, one should carefully consider all of the risk factors described below, as well as other information included and incorporated by reference in this annual report. There may be additional risks, uncertainties and matters not listed below, that we are unaware of, or that we currently consider immaterial. Any of these may adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows and, thus, the value of an investment in the Company. Risk Factors Related to Our Business We operate in a highly competitive environment, which may adversely affect our ability to succeed. We operate in a highly competitive environment for marketing oilfield products and services and securing equipment and trained personnel. Our ability to continually provide competitive products and services can impact our ability to defend, maintain or increase prices for our products and services, maintain market share, and negotiate acceptable contract terms with our customers. In order to be competitive, we must provide new BHGE 2017 FORM 10-K | 11 technologies, reliable products and services that perform as expected and that create value for our customers, and successfully recruit, train and retain competent personnel. In addition, our investments in new technologies and properties, plants and equipment may not provide competitive returns. Our ability to defend, maintain or increase prices for our products and services is in part dependent on the industry’s capacity relative to customer demand, and on our ability to differentiate the value delivered by our products and services from our competitors’ products and services. Managing development of competitive technology and new product introductions on a forecasted schedule and at a forecasted cost can impact our financial results. If we are unable to continue to develop and produce competitive technology or deliver it to our clients in a timely and cost-competitive manner in various markets in which we operate, or if competing technology accelerates the obsolescence of any of our products or services, any competitive advantage that we may hold, and in turn, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. The high cost or unavailability of infrastructure, materials, equipment, supplies and personnel, particularly in periods of rapid growth, could adversely affect our ability to execute our operations on a timely basis. Our manufacturing operations are dependent on having sufficient raw materials, component parts and manufacturing capacity available to meet our manufacturing plans at a reasonable cost while minimizing inventories. Our ability to effectively manage our manufacturing operations and meet these goals can have an impact on our business, including our ability to meet our manufacturing plans and revenue goals, control costs, and avoid shortages or over-supply of raw materials and component parts. Raw materials and components of particular concern include steel alloys (including chromium and nickel), titanium, barite, beryllium, copper, lead, tungsten carbide, synthetic and natural diamonds, gels, sand and other proppants, printed circuit boards and other electronic components and hydrocarbon-based chemical feed stocks. Our ability to repair or replace equipment damaged or lost in the well can also impact our ability to service our customers. A lack of manufacturing capacity could result in increased backlog, which may limit our ability to respond to orders with short lead times. People are a key resource to developing, manufacturing and delivering our products and services to our customers around the world. Our ability to manage the recruiting, training, retention and efficient usage of the highly skilled workforce required by our plans and to manage the associated costs could impact our business. A well-trained, motivated workforce has a positive impact on our ability to attract and retain business. Periods of rapid growth present a challenge to us and our industry to recruit, train and retain our employees, while also managing the impact of wage inflation and the limited available qualified labor in the markets where we operate. Likewise, if the economy or markets decline or other changes occur, we may have to reduce utilization of our assets or adjust our workforce to control costs, which may cause us to lose some of our skilled employees. Labor-related actions, including strikes, slowdowns and facility occupations can also have a negative impact on our business. Our business could be impacted by geopolitical and terrorism threats in countries where we or our customers do business and our business operations may be impacted by civil unrest, government expropriations and/or epidemic outbreaks. Geopolitical and terrorism risks continue to grow in a number of key countries where we currently or may in the future do business. Geopolitical and terrorism risks could lead to, among other things, a loss of our investment in the country, impairment of the safety of our employees and impairment of our or our customers’ ability to conduct operations. In addition to other geopolitical and terrorism risks, civil unrest continues to grow in a number of key countries where we do business. Our ability to conduct business operations may be impacted by that civil unrest and our assets in these countries may also be subject to expropriation by governments or other parties involved in civil unrest. Epidemic outbreaks may also impact our business operations by, among other things, restricting travel to protect the health and welfare of our employees and decisions by our customers to curtail or stop operations in impacted areas. BHGE 2017 FORM 10-K | 12 Compliance with and changes in laws could be costly and could affect operating results. In addition, government disruptions could negatively impact our ability to conduct our business. We have operations in the United States and in more than 120 countries that can be impacted by expected and unexpected changes in the legal and business environments in which we operate. Compliance-related issues could also limit our ability to do business in certain countries and impact our earnings. Changes that could impact the legal environment include new legislation, new regulations, new policies, investigations and legal proceedings and new interpretations of existing legal rules and regulations, in particular, changes in export control laws or exchange control laws, additional restrictions on doing business in countries subject to sanctions, and changes in laws in countries where we operate. In addition, changes and uncertainty in the political environments in which our businesses operate can have a material effect on the laws, rules, and regulations that affect our operations. Government disruptions may also delay or halt the granting and renewal of permits, licenses and other items required by us and our customers to conduct our business. The continued success of our global business and operations depends, in part, on our ability to continue to anticipate and effectively manage these and other political, legal and regulatory risks. Increased cybersecurity requirements, vulnerabilities, threats and more sophisticated and targeted computer crime could pose risks to our systems, networks, products, solutions, services and data. Increased global cybersecurity vulnerabilities, threats and more sophisticated and targeted cyber-related attacks pose risks to our systems, networks, products, solutions, services and data. Cybersecurity attacks also pose risks to our customers’, partners’, suppliers’ and third-party service providers’ products, systems and networks and the confidentiality, availability and integrity of our and our customers’ data. While we attempt to mitigate these risks, we remain vulnerable to additional known or unknown threats. Given our global footprint, the large number of customers with which we do business, and the increasing sophistication of cyber attacks, a cyber attack could occur and persist for an extended period of time without detection. We expect that any investigation of a cyber attack would be inherently unpredictable and that it would take time before the completion of any investigation and before there is availability of full and reliable information. During such time we would not necessarily know the extent of the harm or how best to remediate it, and certain errors or actions could be repeated or compounded before they are discovered and remediated, all or any of which would further increase the costs and consequences of a cyber attack. We also may have access to sensitive, confidential or personal data or information in certain of our businesses that is subject to privacy and security laws, regulations and customer-imposed controls. Despite our efforts to protect sensitive, confidential or personal data or information, we may be vulnerable to material security breaches, theft, misplaced or lost data, programming errors, employee errors and/or malfeasance that could potentially lead to the compromising of sensitive, confidential or personal data or information, improper use of our systems, software solutions or networks, unauthorized access, use, disclosure, modification or destruction of information, defective products, production downtimes and operational disruptions. In addition, a cyber-related attack could adversely impact our operating results and result in other negative consequences, including damage to our reputation or competitiveness, remediation or increased protection costs, litigation or regulatory action. Our failure to comply with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and other similar laws could have a negative impact on our ongoing operations. Our ability to comply with the FCPA, the U.K. Bribery Act and various other anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws depends on the success of our ongoing compliance program, including our ability to successfully manage our agents and business partners, and supervise, train and retain competent employees. Our compliance program depends on the efforts of our employees to comply with applicable law and our internal policies. We could be subject to sanctions and civil and criminal prosecution, as well as fines and penalties, in the event of a finding of a violation of any of these laws by us or any of our employees. Anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism financing laws could have significant adverse consequences for us. We maintain an enterprise-wide program designed to enable us to comply with all applicable anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism financing laws and regulations, including the Bank Secrecy Act and the Patriot Act. This program includes policies, procedures, processes and other internal controls designed to identify, monitor, manage and mitigate the risk of money laundering or terrorist financing posed by our products, services, customers and geographic locale. These controls establish procedures and processes to detect and report suspicious BHGE 2017 FORM 10-K | 13 transactions, perform customer due diligence, respond to requests from law enforcement, and meet all recordkeeping and reporting requirements related to particular transactions involving currency or monetary instruments. We cannot be sure our programs and controls are or will remain effective to ensure our compliance with all applicable anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism financing laws and regulations, and our failure to comply could subject us to significant sanctions, fines, penalties and reputational harm, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Changes in tax laws or tax rates, adverse positions taken by taxing authorities and tax audits could impact operating results. Changes in tax laws or tax rates, changes in interpretation of tax laws, the resolution of tax assessments or audits by various tax authorities, and the ability to fully utilize tax loss carryforwards and tax credits could impact our operating results, including additional valuation allowances for deferred tax assets. In addition, we may periodically restructure our legal entity organization. If taxing authorities were to disagree with our tax positions in connection with any such restructurings, our effective tax rate could be materially impacted. Our tax filings for various periods will be subject to audit by the tax authorities in most jurisdictions where we conduct business. For example, tax assessments have been received from various taxing authorities and are currently at varying stages of appeals and/or litigation regarding these matters. These audits may result in assessment of additional taxes that are resolved with the authorities or through the courts. We believe these assessments may occasionally be based on erroneous and even arbitrary interpretations of local tax law. Resolution of any tax matter involves uncertainties and there are no assurances that the outcomes will be favorable. Our operations involve a variety of operating hazards and risks that could cause losses. The products that we manufacture and the services that we provide are complex, and the failure of our equipment to operate properly or to meet specifications may greatly increase our customers’ costs. In addition, many of these products are used in inherently hazardous industries, such as the offshore oilfield business. These hazards include blowouts, explosions, nuclear-related events, fires, collisions, capsizings and severe weather conditions. These hazards could result in personal injury and loss of life, severe damage to or destruction of property and equipment, pollution or environmental damage and suspension of operations, as well as adversely affect our brand and reputation which is a key asset to our business. We may incur substantial liabilities or losses as a result of these hazards. While we maintain insurance protection against some of these risks, and seek to obtain indemnity agreements from our customers requiring the customers to hold us harmless from some of these risks, our insurance and contractual indemnity protection may not be sufficient or effective to protect us under all circumstances or against all risks. The occurrence of a significant event, against which we were not fully insured or indemnified or the failure of a customer to meet its indemnification obligations to us, could materially and adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. Compliance with, and rulings and litigation in connection with, environmental regulations and the environmental impacts of our or our customers’ operations may adversely affect our business and operating results. We and our business are impacted by material changes in environmental laws, regulations, rulings and litigation. Our expectations regarding our compliance with environmental laws and regulations and our expenditures to comply with environmental laws and regulations, including (without limitation) our capital expenditures for environmental control equipment, are only our forecasts regarding these matters. These forecasts may be substantially different from actual results, which may be affected by factors such as: changes in law that impose restrictions on air emissions, wastewater management, waste disposal, hydraulic fracturing, or wetland and land use practices; more stringent enforcement of existing environmental laws and regulations; a change in our share of any remediation costs or other unexpected, adverse outcomes with respect to sites where we have been named as a potentially responsible party, including (without limitation) Superfund sites; the discovery of other sites where additional expenditures may be required to comply with environmental legal obligations; and the accidental discharge of hazardous materials. International, national, and state governments and agencies continue to evaluate and promulgate legislation and regulations that are focused on restricting emissions commonly referred to as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In the United States, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has taken steps to regulate GHG emissions as air pollutants under the U.S. Clean Air Act of 1970, as amended. The EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule requires monitoring and reporting of GHG emissions from, among others, certain mobile and stationary GHG emission sources in the oil and natural gas industry, which in turn may include data from certain of BHGE 2017 FORM 10-K | 14 our wellsite equipment and operations. In addition, the U.S. government has proposed rules in the past setting GHG emission standards for, or otherwise aimed at reducing GHG emissions from, the oil and natural gas industry. Caps on carbon emissions, including in the United States, have been and may continue to be established and the cost of such caps could disproportionately affect the fossil-fuel energy sector. We are unable to predict whether the proposed changes in laws or regulations ultimately will occur or what they ultimately will require, and accordingly, we are unable to assess the potential financial or operational impact they may have on our business. Other developments focused on restricting GHG emissions include the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which includes the Paris Agreement and the Kyoto Protocol; the European Union Emission Trading System; the United Kingdom’s CRC Energy Efficiency and ESOS schemes; and, in the United States, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, the Western Climate Action Initiative, and various state programs implementing the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (known as Assembly Bill 32). Current or future legislation, regulations and developments, including those related to climate change, may curtail production and demand for hydrocarbons such as oil and natural gas in areas of the world where our customers operate, by shifting demand towards relatively lower carbon energy sources such as wind, solar and other renewables. Many governments are providing tax advantages and other subsidies and promoting technological research to support renewable energy sources, or are mandating the use of renewable fuels or technologies. These governmental initiatives, as well as increased societal awareness of climate change impacts, have also resulted in increased investor and consumer demand for renewable energy. Any resulting reduction in demand for oil and natural gas could adversely affect future demand for our services and products, which may in turn adversely affect future results of operations. Uninsured claims and litigation against us could adversely impact our operating results. We could be impacted by the outcome of pending litigation, as well as unexpected litigation or proceedings. While we have insurance coverage against operating hazards, including product liability claims and personal injury claims related to our products, to the extent deemed prudent by our management and to the extent insurance is available; no assurance can be given that the nature and amount of that insurance will be sufficient to fully indemnify us against liabilities arising out of pending and future claims and litigation. This insurance has deductibles or self-insured retentions and contains certain coverage exclusions. The insurance does not cover damages from breach of contract by us or based on alleged fraud or deceptive trade practices. In addition, the following risks apply with respect to our insurance coverage: • we may not be able to continue to obtain insurance on commercially reasonable terms; • we may be faced with types of liabilities that will not be covered by our insurance; • our insurance carriers may not be able to meet their obligations under the policies; or • the dollar amount of any liabilities may exceed our policy limits. Control of oil and natural gas reserves by state-owned oil companies may impact the demand for our services and products and create additional risks in our operations. Much of the world’s oil and natural gas reserves are controlled by state-owned oil companies. State-owned oil companies may require their contractors to meet local content requirements or other local standards, such as conducting our operations through joint ventures with local partners that could be difficult or undesirable for us to meet. The failure to meet the local content requirements and other local standards may adversely impact our operations in those countries. In addition, our ability to work with state-owned oil companies is subject to our ability to negotiate and agree upon acceptable contract terms. Providing services on an integrated or turnkey basis could require us to assume additional risks. Many state-owned oil companies and other operators may require integrated contracts or turnkey contracts and we may choose to provide services outside our core business. Providing services on an integrated or turnkey basis may subject us to additional risks, such as costs associated with unexpected delays or difficulties in drilling or completion operations and risks associated with subcontracting arrangements. BHGE 2017 FORM 10-K | 15 Some of our customers require bids in the form of long-term, fixed pricing contracts. Some of our customers require bids for contracts in the form of long-term, fixed pricing contracts that may require us to provide integrated project management services outside our normal discrete business and to act as project managers, as well as service providers, and may require us to assume additional risks associated with cost over-runs. These customers may provide us with inaccurate information in relation to their reserves. The estimation of reserves is a process that involves subjective judgment about likely location and volume, and estimates that prove inaccurate may result in cost over-runs, delays, and project losses for us or our customers, which may adversely impact our business. Providing services on an integrated basis may also require us to assume additional risks associated with operating cost inflation, labor availability and productivity, supplier pricing and performance, and potential claims for liquidated damages. We typically rely on third-party subcontractors and equipment providers to assist us with the completion of these types of contracts. To the extent that we cannot engage subcontractors or acquire equipment or materials in a timely manner and on reasonable terms, our ability to complete a project in accordance with stated deadlines or at a profit may be impaired. If the amount we are required to pay for these goods and services exceeds the amount we have estimated in bidding for fixed-price work, we could experience losses in the performance of these contracts. These delays and additional costs may be substantial and we may be required to compensate our customers for these delays. This may reduce the profit to be realized or result in a loss on a project or harm to our relationships with our customers. The credit risks of having a concentrated customer base in the energy industry could result in losses. Having a concentration of customers in the energy industry may impact our overall exposure to credit risk as our customers may be similarly affected by prolonged changes in economic and industry conditions. Some of our customers may experience extreme financial distress as a result of falling commodity prices and may be forced to seek protection under applicable bankruptcy laws, which may affect our ability to recover any amounts due from such customers. Furthermore, countries that rely heavily upon income from hydrocarbon exports have been and may in the future be negatively and significantly affected by a drop in oil prices, which could affect our ability to collect from our customers in these countries, particularly national oil companies. Laws in some jurisdictions in which we will operate could make collection difficult or time consuming. We will perform ongoing credit evaluations of our customers and do not expect to require collateral in support of our trade receivables. While we maintain reserves for potential credit losses, we cannot assure such reserves will be sufficient to meet write-offs of uncollectible receivables or that our losses from such receivables will be consistent with our expectations. Additionally, in the event of a bankruptcy of any of our customers, we may be treated as an unsecured creditor and may collect substantially less, or none, of the amounts owed to us by such customer. Our backlog is subject to modification, termination or reduction of orders, which could negatively impact our sales. Our backlog is comprised of unfilled customer orders for products and product services (expected life of contract sales for product services). Our backlog can be significantly affected by the timing of orders for large projects. Although modifications and terminations of orders may be partially offset by cancellation fees, customers can, and sometimes do, terminate or modify orders. Our failure to replace canceled orders could negatively impact our sales and results of operations. The total dollar amount of the Company’s backlog as of December 31, 2017 was $21,022 million. We may not be able to satisfy technical requirements, testing requirements or other specifications required under our service contracts and equipment purchase agreements. Our products are used in deepwater and other harsh environments and severe service applications. Our contracts with customers and customer requests for bids typically set forth detailed specifications or technical requirements for our products and services, which may also include extensive testing requirements. We anticipate that such testing requirements will become more common in our contracts. In addition, recent scrutiny of the offshore drilling industry has resulted in more stringent technical specifications for our products and more comprehensive testing requirements for our products to ensure compliance with such specifications. We cannot provide assurance that our products will be able to satisfy the specifications or that we will be able to perform the full-scale testing necessary to prove that the product specifications are satisfied in future contract bids or under existing contracts, or that the costs of modifications to our products to satisfy the specifications and testing will not adversely affect our results of operations. If our products are unable to satisfy such requirements, or we are unable BHGE 2017 FORM 10-K | 16 to perform any required full-scale testing, our customers may cancel their contracts and/or seek new suppliers, and our business, results of operations, cash flows or financial position may be adversely affected. Currency fluctuations or devaluations may impact our operating results. Fluctuations or devaluations in foreign currencies relative to the U.S. dollar can impact our revenue and our costs of doing business, as well as the costs of doing business of our customers. Most of our products and services are sold through contracts denominated in U.S. dollars or local currency indexed to U.S. dollars, however, some of our revenue, local expenses and manufacturing costs are incurred in local currencies and therefore changes in the exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and foreign currencies can increase or decrease our revenue and expenses reported in U.S. dollars or revenue and expenses of our customers and, consequently, may impact the ability of our customers to satisfy their payment obligations and our results of operations. Changes in economic and/or market conditions may impact our ability to borrow and/or cost of borrowing. The condition of the capital markets and equity markets in general can affect the price of our common stock and our ability to obtain financing, if necessary. If our credit rating is ever downgraded, it could increase borrowing costs under credit facilities and commercial paper programs, as well as increase the cost of renewing or obtaining, or make it more difficult to renew, obtain or issue new debt financing. An inability to protect our intellectual property rights could adversely affect our business. There can be no assurance that the steps we take to obtain, maintain and protect our intellectual property rights will be completely adequate. Our intellectual property rights may fail to provide us with significant competitive advantages, particularly in foreign jurisdictions where we have not invested in an intellectual property portfolio or that do not have, or do not enforce, strong intellectual property rights. The weakening of protection of our trademarks, patents and other intellectual property rights could also adversely affect our business. We are a party to a number of licenses that give us rights to intellectual property that is necessary or useful to our business, including from GE following the Transactions. Our success depends in part on the ability of our licensors to obtain, maintain and sufficiently enforce the licensed intellectual property rights we have commercialized. Without protection for the intellectual property rights we license, other companies might be able to offer substantially identical products for sale, which could adversely affect our competitive business position and harm our business products. Also, there can be no assurances that we will be able to obtain or renew from third parties the licenses to use intellectual property rights we need in the future, and there is no assurance that such licenses can be obtained on reasonable terms. Specifically we are a party to several agreements with GE which provide for intellectual property rights to use and access. Access and use of intellectual property created solely or collaboratively with GE is an important part of our operations. We would be adversely affected in the event these agreements were terminated without the right to continue such access as we might continue to improve current products and services or develop new ones. We may be subject to litigation if another party claims that we have infringed upon its intellectual property rights. The tools, techniques, methodologies, programs and components we use to provide our products and services may infringe upon the intellectual property rights of others or be challenged on that basis. Regardless of the merits, infringement claims may result in significant legal and other costs and may distract management from running our core business. Resolving such claims could increase our costs, including through royalty payments to acquire licenses, if available, from third parties and through the development of non-infringing technologies. If a license to resolve a claim were not available, we might not be able to continue providing a particular service or product, which could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Risk Factors Related to the Worldwide Oil and Natural Gas Industry Volatility of oil and natural gas prices can adversely affect demand for our products and services. Prices of oil and gas products are set on a commodity basis. As a result, the volatility in oil and natural gas prices can impact our customers’ activity levels and spending for our products and services. Current energy prices are important contributors to cash flow for our customers and their ability to fund exploration and development activities. Although oil prices have risen over the past year, this increase follows a decline through most of 2016, BHGE 2017 FORM 10-K | 17 and uncertainty remains about the trajectory of oil prices going forward. Expectations about future prices and price volatility are important for determining future spending levels. Lower oil and natural gas prices generally lead to decreased spending by our customers. While higher oil and natural gas prices generally lead to increased spending by our customers, sustained high energy prices can be an impediment to economic growth, and can therefore negatively impact spending by our customers. Our customers also take into account the volatility of energy prices and other risk factors by requiring higher returns for individual projects if there is higher perceived risk. Any of these factors could affect the demand for oil and natural gas and could have a material effect on our results of operations. Demand for oil and natural gas is subject to factors beyond our control, which may adversely affect our operating results. Changes in the global economy could impact our customers’ spending levels and our revenue and operating results. Demand for oil and natural gas, as well as the demand for our services and products, is highly correlated with global economic growth, and in particular by the economic growth of countries such as the U.S., India, China, and developing countries in Asia and the Middle East, which are either significant users of oil and natural gas or whose economies are experiencing the most rapid economic growth compared to the global average. Weakness or deterioration of the global economy or credit markets could reduce our customers’ spending levels and reduce our revenue and operating results. Incremental weakness in global economic activity, particularly in China, India, Europe, the Middle East and developing countries in Asia, could reduce demand for oil and natural gas and result in lower oil and natural gas prices. Incremental strength in global economic activity in such areas will create more demand for oil and natural gas and support higher oil and natural gas prices. A prolonged reduction in oil and natural gas prices may require us to record additional asset impairments. Such a potential impairment charge could have a material adverse impact on our operating results. Requirements and voluntary initiatives to reduce emissions, as well as increased climate change awareness, are likely to result in increased costs for the oil and gas industry to curb emissions and could have an adverse impact on demand for oil and natural gas. International, national, and state governments, agencies and bodies continue to evaluate and promulgate regulations and voluntary initiatives that are focused on restricting GHG emissions. These requirements and initiatives are likely to become more stringent over time and to result in increased costs for the oil and gas industry to curb GHG emissions. In addition, these developments may curtail production and demand for hydrocarbons such as oil and natural gas by shifting demand towards and investment in relatively lower carbon energy sources such as wind, solar and other renewables. The renewable energy industry is developing enhanced technologies and becoming more competitive with fossil-fuel energy. If renewable energy becomes more competitive than fossil-fuel energy, particularly during periods of higher oil and natural gas prices, it could have a material effect on our results of operations. Please see the section entitled "Risk Factors Related to Our Business-Compliance with, and rulings and litigation in connection with, environmental regulations and the environmental impacts of our or our customers’ operations may adversely affect our business and operating results." Supply of oil and natural gas is subject to factors beyond our control, which may adversely affect our operating results. Productive capacity for oil and natural gas is dependent on our customers’ decisions to develop and produce oil and natural gas reserves and on the regulatory environment in which our customers and we operate. The ability to produce oil and natural gas can be affected by the number and productivity of new wells drilled and completed, as well as the rate of production and resulting depletion of existing wells. Advanced technologies, such as horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, improve total recovery but also result in a more rapid production decline and may become subject to more stringent regulation, particularly on the state or local level, in the future. Productive capacity in excess of demand (“spare productive capacity”) is also an important factor influencing energy prices and spending by oil and natural gas exploration companies. Spare productive capacity and oil and natural gas storage inventory levels are an indicator of the relative balance between supply and demand. High or increasing storage, inventories, or spare productive capacity generally indicate that supply is exceeding demand and that energy prices are likely to soften. Low or decreasing storage, inventories, or spare productive capacity are generally an indicator that demand is growing faster than supply and that energy prices are likely to rise. BHGE 2017 FORM 10-K | 18 Access to prospects is also important to our customers, but such access may be limited because host governments do not allow access to the reserves. Government regulations and the costs incurred by oil and natural gas exploration companies to conform to and comply with government regulations may also limit the quantity of oil and natural gas that may be economically produced. Supply can also be impacted by the degree to which individual OPEC nations and other large oil and natural gas producing countries, including, but not limited to, Norway and Russia, are willing and able to control production and exports of oil, to decrease or increase supply and to support their targeted oil price while meeting their market share objectives. Any of these factors could affect the supply of oil and natural gas and could have a material effect on our results of operations. Our customers’ activity levels and spending for our products and services and ability to pay amounts owed us could be impacted by the reduction of their cash flow and the ability of our customers to access equity or credit markets. Our customers’ access to capital is dependent on their ability to access the funds necessary to develop economically attractive projects based upon their expectations of future energy prices, required investments and resulting returns. Limited access to external sources of funding has caused and may continue to cause customers to reduce their capital spending plans to levels supported by internally generated cash flow. In addition, a reduction of cash flow resulting from declines in commodity prices, a reduction in borrowing bases under reserve-based credit facilities or the lack of available debt or equity financing may impact the ability of our customers to pay amounts owed to us and could cause us to increase our reserve for doubtful accounts. Seasonal and weather conditions could adversely affect demand for our services and operations. Variation from normal weather patterns, such as cooler or warmer summers and winters, can have a significant impact on demand for our services and operations. Adverse weather conditions, such as hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico, may interrupt or curtail our operations, or our customers’ operations, cause supply disruptions and result in a loss of revenue and damage to our equipment and facilities, which may or may not be insured. For example, extreme winter conditions in Canada, Russia or the North Sea may interrupt or curtail our operations, or our customers’ operations, in those areas and result in a loss of revenue. Risk Factors Related to the Transactions We may experience challenges relating to the ongoing integration of Baker Hughes Incorporated and GE O&G that may result in a decline in the anticipated benefits of the Transactions. The Transactions involved the combination of two businesses that previously operated as independent businesses. The Company has been and will continue to be required to devote management attention and resources to integrating its business practices and operations. If we experience difficulties with the integration process, the anticipated benefits of the Transactions may not be realized fully or at all, may take longer to realize than expected, or be offset by the decrease in business from certain customers. These integration matters could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition or other prospects on an ongoing basis. We have incurred and will continue to incur transaction-related and restructuring costs in connection with the Transactions and the integration of the two businesses. We have incurred transaction-related and restructuring costs in connection with the Transactions and will continue to incur such costs in connection with the integration of the businesses of Baker Hughes Incorporated and GE O&G. There are many systems that must be successfully integrated, including information management, purchasing, accounting and finance, sales, billing, payroll and benefits, fixed asset and lease administration systems and regulatory compliance. We are still assessing the magnitude of these costs and, therefore, are not able to provide estimates of these costs. The costs related to restructuring have been included as a liability in the purchase price allocation or expensed as incurred, depending on the nature of the restructuring activity. Moreover, many of the expenses that will be incurred, by their nature, are difficult to estimate accurately. These expenses could, particularly in the near term, reduce the cost synergies that we achieve from the elimination of duplicative expenses and the realization of BHGE 2017 FORM 10-K | 19 economies of scale and cost synergies related to the integration of the businesses following the completion of the Transactions, and accordingly, any net synergies may not be achieved in the near term or at all. These integration expenses may result in us taking significant charges against earnings following the completion of the Transactions. We are a “controlled company” within the meaning of the NYSE rules and, as a result, qualify for, and are relying on, exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements. As a result, our stockholders do not have the same protections afforded to stockholders of companies that are subject to such requirements. The interests of GE as a controlling stockholder may differ from the interests of other stockholders of the Company. Through its ownership of a majority of the Company’s voting power and the provisions set forth in the Company Charter, the Company Bylaws and the Stockholders Agreement, GE has the ability to designate and elect a majority of the Company’s directors. As a result of GE’s ownership of a majority of the voting power of common stock, the Company is a “controlled company” as defined in NYSE listing rules and, therefore, is not subject to NYSE requirements that would otherwise require the Company to have (i) a majority of independent directors, (ii) a nominating committee composed solely of independent directors, (iii) the compensation of its executive officers determined by a majority of the independent directors or a compensation committee composed solely of independent directors, and (iv) director nominees selected, or recommended for the board’s selection, either by a majority of the independent directors or a nominating committee composed solely of independent directors. Under the Stockholders Agreement, our Board will generally have four directors not designated by GE and five directors designated by GE. GE also has control over certain matters submitted to stockholders for approval, including changes in capital structure, transactions requiring stockholder approval under Delaware law and corporate governance, subject to the terms of the Stockholders Agreement relating to GE’s agreement to vote in favor of director nominees not designated by GE and to proposals by GE to acquire all of the shares of common stock held by non-GE stockholders. GE may have different interests than other holders of Class A common stock. Among other things, GE’s control could delay, defer, or prevent a sale of the Company that the Company’s other stockholders support, or, conversely, this control could result in the consummation of such a transaction that other stockholders do not support. This concentrated control could discourage a potential investor from seeking to acquire Class A common stock and, as a result, might harm the market price of that Class A common stock. Given GE’s ownership of the majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Company and the interactions that have and will take place between the Company and GE through the GE Store and otherwise, the success of the Company depends in part on the reputation and success of GE. If we were to cease being a majority-owned subsidiary of GE in the future, such a separation could adversely affect our business and profitability. Uncertainty about the likelihood of any such separation could also adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. As a subsidiary of GE, we market many of our products and services using the “GE” brand name and logo. We believe that the association with GE provides many benefits, including: a strong brand, broad research and development capabilities, elevated status with suppliers and customers, and established relationships with regulators. Although GE has licensed to us the right to use certain “GE” marks in its corporate name and in the products and services of our business in connection with certain oil and gas activities and other discrete oil and gas segments, that right to use these marks would be lost if the license were to expire or otherwise terminate. In addition, if we were to cease being a majority-owned subsidiary of GE, or there were otherwise a meaningful change in the relationships between GE and the Company, such an event(s) could adversely affect, among other things, our ability to attract and retain customers. Among other things, we may be required to provide more favorable pricing and other terms to our customers and take other action to maintain our relationship with existing, and attract new, customers, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. For example, although GE would be subject to certain non-compete restrictions for a period of time following the Company no longer being a majority-owned subsidiary of GE, in the absence of an agreement regulating the go-to-market strategy and the reciprocal commercial and technical support between GE and the Company, GE may attempt to compete with us with respect to certain technologies and customer projects where we have adjacent or overlapping presence (e.g., steam turbines and gas turbines). Furthermore, we may BHGE 2017 FORM 10-K | 20 lose cost synergies, joint investment and R&D opportunities, and access to customers, in fields where we and GE currently collaborate as per the terms of the Channel Agreement (e.g. additive manufacturing; digital). ITEM 1B.