SLB, §1A diff (2019 → 2020)

Item 1A. Risk Factors. The following discussion of risk factors known to us contains important information for the understanding of our “forward-looking statements,” which are discussed immediately following Item 7A. of this Form 10-K and elsewhere. These risk factors should also be read in conjunction with Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, and the Consolidated Financial Statements and related notes included in this Form 10-K. We urge you to consider carefully the risks described below, which discuss the material factors that make an investment in our securities speculative or risky, as well as in other reports and materials that we file with the SEC and the other information included or incorporated by reference in this Form 10-K. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also materially adversely affect our business, reputation, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and prospects. Business and Operational Risks Demand for our products and services is substantially dependent on the levels of expenditures by our customers. The current significant oil and gas industry downturn has resulted in reduced demand for oilfield services and lower expenditures by our customers, which has had, and may continue to have, a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Demand for our products and services depends substantially on expenditures by our customers for the exploration, development and production of oil and natural gas reserves. These expenditures are generally dependent on our customers’ views of future oil and natural gas prices, as well as their ability to access capital. These expenditures are also sensitive to our customers’ views of future economic growth and the resulting impact on demand for oil and natural gas. The continued low oil and gas prices have also caused a reduction in cash flows for our customers, which has had a significant adverse effect on the financial condition of some of our customers. This has resulted in, and may continue to result in, lower capital expenditures, project modifications, delays or cancellations, general business disruptions, and delays in payment of, or nonpayment of, amounts that are owed to us. These effects have had, and may continue to have, a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Historically, oil and natural gas prices have experienced significant volatility and can be affected by a variety of factors, including: • changes in the supply of and demand for hydrocarbons, which are affected by general economic and business conditions, as well as increased demand for (and availability of) alternative energy sources and electric vehicles; • the ability or willingness of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and 10 other oil producing countries, including Russia, Mexico and Kazakhstan (“OPEC+”), to set and maintain production levels for oil; • oil and gas production levels in the United States and by other non-OPEC+ countries; • changes in the level of demand resulting from actual or threatened public health emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, or from other events affecting the level of economic activity; • political and economic uncertainty and geopolitical unrest; • the level of excess production capacity; • the level of global oil and gas exploration and production activity; • the level of global oil and natural gas inventories; • access to potential resources; • governmental policies and subsidies; • the costs of exploring for, producing and delivering oil and gas; • speculation as to the future price of oil and the speculative trading of oil and natural gas futures contracts; • government initiatives to promote the use of renewable energy sources and public sentiment regarding alternatives to oil and gas; • technological advances affecting energy consumption; and • weather conditions. The oil and gas industry has historically been extremely cyclical. However, there can be no assurance that the demand or pricing for oil and natural gas or for our products and services will follow historic patterns or recover meaningfully in the near or medium term. Continued or worsening conditions in the oil and gas industry generally may have a further material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and prospects. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly reduced demand for our services, and has had, and is likely to continue to have, a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, including actions taken by businesses and governments to contain the spread of the virus, have resulted in a significant and swift reduction in international and US economic activity. In our industry, geopolitical events that increased the supply of low-priced oil to the global market occurred at the same time that demand weakened due to the worldwide effects of the pandemic, leading to a collapse in oil prices in March 2020. These events together adversely affected the demand for oil and natural gas, as well as for our services and products, and caused significant volatility and disruption of the global financial markets. Other effects of the pandemic have included, and may continue to include, adverse revenue and net income effects; disruptions to our operations, including suspension or deferral of drilling activities; customer shutdowns of oil and gas exploration and production; downward revisions to customer budgets; limitations on access to sources of liquidity; employee impacts from illness, school closures and other community response measures; workforce reductions in response to activity declines; and temporary closures of our facilities or the facilities of our customers and suppliers. This period of extreme economic disruption, low oil prices and reduced demand for our products and services has had, and is likely to continue to have, a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. The extent to which our operating and financial results will continue to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic will depend on various factors and consequences beyond our control, such as the duration and scope of the pandemic; additional actions by businesses and governments in response to the pandemic; and the speed and effectiveness of responses to combat the virus, including vaccine development and distribution. COVID-19, and the volatile regional and global economic conditions stemming from the pandemic, could also aggravate our other risk factors described in this Form 10-K. A significant portion of our revenue is derived from our non-US operations, which exposes us to risks inherent in doing business in the more than 120 countries in which we generate revenue. Our non-US operations accounted for approximately 81% of our consolidated revenue in 2020, 72% in 2019 and 68% in 2018. In addition to the risks addressed elsewhere in this section, our operations in countries other than the United States are subject to various risks, including: • uncertain or volatile political, social and economic conditions; • exposure to expropriation, nationalization, deprivation or confiscation of our assets or the assets of our customers, or other governmental actions; • social unrest, acts of terrorism, war or other armed conflict; • public health crises and other catastrophic events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic; • confiscatory taxation or other adverse tax policies; • theft of, or lack of sufficient legal protection for, proprietary technology and other intellectual property; • deprivation of contract rights; • trade and economic sanctions or other restrictions imposed by the European Union, the United States or other regions or countries; • exposure under the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”), the U.K. Bribery Act or similar anti-bribery and anti-corruption legislation; • unexpected changes in legal and regulatory requirements, including changes in interpretation or enforcement of existing laws; • restrictions on the repatriation of income or capital; • currency exchange controls; • inflation; and • currency exchange rate fluctuations and devaluations. Severe weather, including extreme weather conditions associated with climate change, has in the past and may in the future adversely affect our operations and financial results. Our business has been, and in the future will be, affected by severe weather in areas where we operate, which could materially affect our operations and financial results. Extreme weather conditions such as hurricanes, flooding and landslides have in the past resulted in, and may in the future result in, the evacuation of personnel, stoppage of services and activity disruptions at our facilities, in our supply chain, or at well-sites. Particularly severe weather events affecting platforms or structures may result in a suspension of activities. In addition, impacts of climate change, such as sea level rise, coastal storm surge, inland flooding from intense rainfall and hurricane-strength winds may damage our facilities. Any such extreme weather-related events may result in increased operating costs or decreases in revenue which could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Legal and Regulatory Risks Our operations require us to comply with numerous laws and regulations, violations of which could have a material adverse effect on our operations, financial condition or cash flows. Our operations are subject to international, regional, national, and local laws and regulations in every place where we operate, relating to matters such as environmental protection, health and safety, labor and employment, import/export controls, currency exchange, bribery and corruption, data privacy and cybersecurity, intellectual property, immigration, and taxation. These laws and regulations are complex, frequently change, and have tended to become more stringent over time. In the event the scope of these laws and regulations expands in the future, the incremental cost of compliance could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows. Our international operations are subject to anti-corruption and anti-bribery laws and regulations, such as the FCPA, the U.K. Bribery Act and other similar laws. We are also subject to trade control regulations and trade sanctions laws that restrict the movement of certain goods to, and certain operations in, various countries or with certain persons. Our ability to transfer people, products and data among certain countries is subject to maintaining required licenses and complying with these laws and regulations. The internal controls, policies and procedures, and employee training and compliance programs we have implemented to deter prohibited practices may not be effective in preventing employees, contractors or agents from violating or circumventing such internal policies or from material violations of applicable laws and regulations. Any determination that we have violated or are responsible for violations of anti-bribery, trade control, trade sanctions or anti-corruption laws could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition. Violations of international and US laws and regulations or the loss of any required licenses may result in fines and penalties, criminal sanctions, administrative remedies or restrictions on business conduct, and could have a material adverse effect on our business, operations and financial condition. In addition, any major violations could have a significant effect on our reputation and consequently on our ability to win future business and maintain existing customer and supplier relationships. Demand for our products and services could be reduced by existing and future legislation, regulations and public sentiment. Regulatory agencies and environmental advocacy groups in the European Union, the United States and other regions or countries have been focusing considerable attention on the emissions of carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases and their role in climate change. There is also increased focus, including by governments and our customers, investors and other stakeholders, on these and other sustainability and energy transition matters. Existing or future legislation and regulations related to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change, as well as initiatives by governments, non-governmental organizations, and companies to conserve energy or promote the use of alternative energy sources, and negative attitudes toward or perceptions of fossil fuel products and their relationship to the environment, may significantly curtail demand for and production of oil and gas in areas of the world where our customers operate, and thus reduce future demand for our products and services. This may, in turn, adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Our business, reputation and demand for our stock could be negatively affected if we do not (or are perceived to not) act responsibly with respect to sustainability matters. Environmental compliance costs and liabilities arising as a result of environmental laws and regulations could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. We are subject to numerous laws and regulations relating to environmental protection, including those governing air emissions, water discharges and waste management, as well as the importation and use of hazardous materials, radioactive materials, chemicals and explosives. We incur, and expect to continue to incur, significant capital and operating costs to comply with environmental laws and regulations. The technical requirements of these laws and regulations are becoming increasingly complex, stringent and expensive to implement. These laws sometimes provide for “strict liability” for remediation costs, damages to natural resources or threats to public health and safety. Strict liability can render us liable for damages without regard to our degree of care or fault. Some environmental laws provide for joint and several strict liability for remediation of spills and releases of hazardous substances, and, as a result, we could be liable for the actions of others. We use and generate hazardous substances and wastes in our operations. In addition, many of our current and former properties are, or have been, used for industrial purposes. Accordingly, we could become subject to material liabilities relating to the investigation and cleanup of potentially contaminated properties, and to claims alleging personal injury or property damage as the result of exposures to, or releases of, hazardous substances. In addition, stricter enforcement or changing interpretations of existing laws and regulations, the enactment of new laws and regulations, the discovery of previously unknown contamination or the imposition of new or increased requirements could require us to incur costs or become the basis for new or increased liabilities that could have a material adverse effect on our business, operations and financial condition. We could be subject to substantial liability claims, including well incidents, which could adversely affect our reputation, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. The technical complexities of our operations expose us to a wide range of significant health, safety and environmental risks. Our operations involve production-related activities, radioactive materials, chemicals, explosives and other equipment and services that are deployed in challenging exploration, development and production environments. Accidents or acts of malfeasance involving these services or equipment, or a failure of a product (including as a result of a cyberattack), could cause personal injury, loss of life, damage to or destruction of property, equipment or the environment, or suspension of operations, which could materially adversely affect us. Any well incidents, including blowouts at a well site, may expose us to additional liabilities, which could be material. Generally, we rely on contractual indemnities, releases, and limitations on liability with our customers and insurance to protect us from potential liability related to such events. However, our insurance may not protect us against liability for certain kinds of events, including events involving pollution, or against losses resulting from business interruption. Moreover, we may not be able to maintain insurance at levels of risk coverage or policy limits that we deem adequate. Any damages caused by our services or products that are not covered by insurance or are in excess of policy limits or subject to substantial deductibles, could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Intellectual Property and Technology Risks If we are unable to maintain technology leadership, this could adversely affect any competitive advantage we hold. The oilfield services industry is highly competitive. Our business may be adversely affected if we fail to continue to develop and produce competitive technologies in response to changes in the market, customer requirements and technology trends (including trends in favor of emissions-reducing technologies), or if we fail to deliver such technologies to our customers in a timely and cost-competitive manner in the various markets we serve. If we are unable to maintain technology leadership in our industry, our ability to maintain market share, defend, maintain or increase prices for our products and services, and negotiate acceptable contract terms with our customers could be adversely affected. Furthermore, if our equipment or proprietary technologies become obsolete, the value of our intellectual property may be reduced, which could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Limitations on our ability to obtain, maintain, protect or enforce our intellectual property rights, including our trade secrets, could cause a loss in revenue and any competitive advantage we hold. There can be no assurance that the steps we take to obtain, maintain, protect and enforce our intellectual property rights will be adequate. Some of our products or services, and the processes we use to produce or provide them, have been granted patent protection, have patent applications pending, or are trade secrets. Our business may be adversely affected when our patents are unenforceable, the claims allowed under our patents are not sufficient to protect our technology, our patent applications are denied, or our trade secrets are not adequately protected. Patent protection on some types of technology, such as software or machine learning processes, may not be available in certain countries in which we operate. Our competitors may also be able to develop technology independently that is similar to ours without infringing on our patents or gaining access to our trade secrets, which could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Third parties may claim that we have infringed upon, misappropriated or otherwise violated their intellectual property rights. The tools, techniques, methodologies, programs and components we use to provide our services and products may infringe upon, misappropriate or otherwise violate the intellectual property rights of others or be challenged on that basis. Regardless of the merits, any such claims generally result in significant legal and other costs, including reputational harm, and may distract management from running our 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 replacement 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. Failure to obtain and retain skilled technical personnel could impede our operations. We require highly skilled personnel to operate and provide technical services and support for our business. Competition for the personnel required for our businesses intensifies as activity increases and technology evolves. In periods of high utilization, it is often more difficult to find and retain qualified individuals. This could increase our costs or have other material adverse effects on our operations. Our operations are subject to cyber incidents that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. We are increasingly dependent on digital technologies and services to conduct our business. We use these technologies for internal purposes, including data storage, processing and transmissions, as well as in our interactions with our business associates, such as customers and suppliers. In addition, we develop software and other digital products and services that store, retrieve, manipulate and manage our customers’ information and data, external data, and our own data. Our digital technologies and services, and those of our business associates, are subject to the risk of cyberattacks and, given the nature of such attacks, some incidents can remain undetected for a period of time despite efforts to detect and respond to them in a timely manner. There can be no assurance that the systems we have designed to prevent or limit the effects of cyber incidents or attacks will be sufficient to prevent or detect material consequences arising from such incidents or attacks, or to avoid a material adverse impact on our systems after such incidents or attacks do occur. We have experienced and will continue to experience varying degrees of cyber incidents in the normal conduct of our business, including attacks resulting from phishing emails and ransomware infections. Even if we successfully defend our own digital technologies and services, we also rely on third-party business associates, with whom we may share data and services, to defend their digital technologies and services against attack. We could suffer significant damage to our reputation if a cyber incident or attack were to allow unauthorized access to or modification of our customers’ data, other external data, or our own data, or if the services we provide to our customers were disrupted, or if our digital products or services were reported to have or were perceived as having security vulnerabilities. This could lead to fewer customers using our digital products and services, which could have a material adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, if our systems, or our third-party business associates’ systems, for protecting against cybersecurity risks prove to be insufficient, we could be adversely affected by, among other things, loss of or damage to intellectual property, proprietary or confidential information, or customer, supplier, or employee data; interruption of our business operations; increased legal and regulatory exposure and costs; and increased costs required to prevent, respond to, or mitigate cybersecurity attacks. These risks could harm our reputation and our relationships with our employees, business associates and other third parties, and may result in claims against us. The occurrence of any of these risks could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Item 1B.