ConocoPhillips - 10-Q quarterly report FY

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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes  X     No      

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes         No    X  

The registrant had 1,490,817,631 shares of common stock, $.01 par value, outstanding at September 30, 2008.

 

The interim-period financial information presented in the financial statements included in this report is unaudited and includes all known accruals and adjustments, in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair presentation of the consolidated financial position of ConocoPhillips and its results of operations and cash flows for such periods. All such adjustments are of a normal and recurring nature. To enhance your understanding of these interim financial statements, see the consolidated financial statements and notes included in our 2007 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

SFAS No. 157
Effective January 1, 2008, we implemented Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 157, “Fair Value Measurements,” which defines fair value, establishes a framework for its measurement and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. We elected to implement this Statement with the one-year deferral permitted by FASB Staff Position (FSP) 157-2 for nonfinancial assets and nonfinancial liabilities measured at fair value, except those that are recognized or disclosed on a recurring basis (at least annually). The deferral applies to nonfinancial assets and liabilities measured at fair value in a business combination; impaired properties, plants and equipment; intangible assets and goodwill; and initial recognition of asset retirement obligations and restructuring costs for which we use fair value. We do not expect any significant impact to our consolidated financial statements when we implement SFAS No. 157 for these assets and liabilities.

Due to our election under FSP 157-2, for 2008, SFAS No. 157 applies to commodity and foreign currency derivative contracts and certain nonqualified deferred compensation and retirement plan assets that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis in periods subsequent to initial recognition. The implementation of SFAS No. 157 did not cause a change in the method of calculating fair value of assets or liabilities, with the exception of incorporating the impact of our nonperformance risk on derivative liabilities—which was not material. The primary impact from adoption was additional disclosures.

SFAS No. 157 requires disclosures that categorize assets and liabilities measured at fair value into one of three different levels depending on the observability of the inputs employed in the measurement. Level 1 inputs are quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. Level 2 inputs are observable inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly through market-corroborated inputs. Level 3 inputs are unobservable inputs for the asset or liability reflecting significant modifications to observable related market data or our assumptions about pricing by market participants.

We value our exchange-cleared derivatives using unadjusted closing prices provided by the exchange as of the balance sheet date, and these are classified as Level 1 in the fair value hierarchy. Over the counter (OTC) financial swaps and physical commodity purchase and sale contracts are generally valued using quotations provided by brokers and price index developers such as Platts and Oil Price Information Service. These are classified as Level 2. In certain less liquid markets or for longer-term contracts, forward prices are not as readily available. In these circumstances, OTC swaps and physical commodity purchase and sale contracts are valued using internally developed methodologies that consider historical relationships among various commodities that result in management’s best estimate of fair value. These contracts are classified as Level 3.

Exchange-cleared financial options are valued using exchange closing prices and are classified as Level 1. Financial OTC and physical commodity options are valued using industry-standard models that consider various assumptions, including quoted forward prices for commodities, time value, volatility factors, and

contractual prices for the underlying instruments, as well as other relevant economic measures. The degree to which these inputs are observable in the forward markets determines whether the option is classified as Level 2 or 3.

As permitted under SFAS No. 157, we use a mid-market pricing convention (the mid-point price between bid and ask prices). When appropriate, valuations are adjusted to reflect credit considerations, generally based on available market evidence.

The fair value hierarchy for our financial assets and liabilities accounted for at fair value on a recurring basis at September 30, 2008, was:

The derivative values above are based on analysis of each contract as the fundamental unit of account as required by SFAS No. 157; therefore, derivative assets and liabilities with the same counterparty are not netted where the legal right of offset exists, which is different than the net presentation basis in Note 13—Financial Instruments and Derivative Contracts. Gains or losses from contracts in one level may be offset by gains or losses on contracts in another level or by changes in values of physical contracts or positions that are not reflected in the table above.

Changes in the fair value of net commodity derivatives classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy during the three- and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2008, were:

The amount of total gains (losses) for the three- and nine-month periods included in earnings attributable to the change in unrealized gains (losses) relating to assets and liabilities held at September 30, 2008, were:

Gains and losses, realized and unrealized, included in earnings for the three- and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2008, were:

SFAS No. 159
In February 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 159, “The Fair Value Option for Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities—Including an amendment of FASB Statement No. 115.” This Statement permits the election to carry financial instruments and certain other items similar to financial instruments at fair value on the balance sheet, with all changes in fair value reported in earnings. By electing the fair value option in conjunction with a derivative, an entity can achieve an accounting result similar to a fair value hedge without having to comply with complex hedge accounting rules. We adopted this Statement effective January 1, 2008, but did not make a fair value election at that time or during the first nine months of 2008 for any financial instruments not already carried at fair value in accordance with other accounting standards. Accordingly, the adoption of SFAS No. 159 did not impact our consolidated financial statements.

We have a 24 percent interest in West2East Pipeline LLC (West2East), a company holding a 100 percent interest in Rockies Express Pipeline LLC (Rockies Express). West2East is a VIE, but we are not the primary beneficiary. We use the equity method of accounting for our investment. In 2007, we issued a guarantee for 24 percent of the $2 billion in credit facilities of Rockies Express. In addition, we have a guarantee for 24 percent of $600 million of Floating Rate Notes due 2009 issued by Rockies Express. At September 30, 2008, the book value of our investment in West2East was $246 million. See Note 11—Guarantees, for additional information.

We have a 30 percent ownership interest with a 50 percent governance interest in the OOO Naryanmarneftegaz (NMNG) joint venture to develop resources in the Timan-Pechora province of Russia. The NMNG joint venture is a VIE because we and our related party, OAO LUKOIL, have disproportionate interests. We are not the primary beneficiary of the VIE and we use the equity method of accounting for this investment. At September 30, 2008, the book value of our investment in the venture was $1,995 million.

Inventories consisted of the following:

Inventories valued on the last-in, first-out (LIFO) basis totaled $5,497 million and $2,974 million at September 30, 2008, and December 31, 2007, respectively. The remaining inventories were valued under various methods, including first-in, first-out and weighted average. The excess of current replacement cost over LIFO cost of inventories amounted to $7,022 million and $6,668 million at September 30, 2008, and December 31, 2007, respectively.

Noncurrent assets and noncurrent liabilities classified as current assets and current liabilities under the “held for sale” provisions of SFAS No. 144, “Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets,” totaled $1,092 million and $159 million, respectively, at December 31, 2007.During the first nine months of 2008, a portion of these held-for-sale assets were sold, and additional assets met the held-for-sale criteria. As a result, at September 30, 2008, we classified $1,039 million of noncurrent assets as “Prepaid expenses and other current assets” on our consolidated balance sheet and we classified $272 million of noncurrent liabilities as current liabilities, consisting of $145 million in “Accrued income and other taxes” and $127 million in “Other accruals.” Contingent upon necessary regulatory approvals and negotiation of final contract terms, we expect the majority of these assets to be sold by the end of 2008, with the remainder to be sold in 2009.

The major classes of noncurrent assets and noncurrent liabilities held for sale and classified as current were:

LUKOIL
Our ownership interest in LUKOIL was 20 percent at September 30, 2008, based on 851 million shares authorized and issued. For financial reporting under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, treasury shares held by LUKOIL are not considered outstanding for determining our equity-method ownership interest in LUKOIL. Our ownership interest, based on estimated shares outstanding, was also 20 percent at September 30, 2008, compared with 20.6 percent at December 31, 2007.

At September 30, 2008, the book value of our ordinary share investment in LUKOIL was $12,864 million. Our share of the net assets of LUKOIL was estimated to be $10,393 million. The majority of this basis difference of $2,471 million is being amortized on a unit-of-production basis.

At September 30, 2008, the closing price of LUKOIL shares (ADRs) on the London Stock Exchange was $58.80 per share, down $39.80 per share, or 40 percent, from June 30, 2008. The aggregate market value of our LUKOIL investment at September 30 was, therefore, $10,003 million, or $2,861 million below the $12,864 million book value of our LUKOIL investment. Book value includes $7.5 billion of share acquisition costs, along with undistributed equity earnings and basis difference amortization. We evaluated the decrease in market value below book value of our LUKOIL investment and concluded the decline did not meet the other-than-temporary impairment recognition guidance of Accounting Principles Board Opinion No. 18, “The Equity Method of Accounting for Investments in Common Stock.” In reaching this conclusion, we considered: 1) the lack of deterioration in LUKOIL’s financial condition and near-term prospects during the quarter; 2) general oil and gas industry downward stock price trends during the quarter, as well as the historical volatility of oil and gas commodity prices, which often create short-term volatility in energy industry stock prices; 3) the intent and ability of ConocoPhillips to retain its investment in LUKOIL; 4) the short length of time book value has been less than market value; and 5) non-energy-related factors impacting the U.S. and Russian financial markets during the quarter.

At October 29, 2008, the closing price of LUKOIL shares on the London Stock Exchange was $33.01 per share, 44 percent lower than at September 30, 2008. We will continue to closely monitor the relationship between the carrying value and market value of our LUKOIL investment. Should we determine in the future there has been a loss in the carrying value of our investment that is other than temporary, we would record a noncash impairment of our investment, calculated as the total difference between carrying value and market value as of the end of the reporting period.

Loans to Related Parties
As part of our normal ongoing business operations and consistent with industry practice, we invest and enter into numerous agreements with other parties to pursue business opportunities, which share costs and apportion risks among the parties as governed by the agreements. Included in such activity are loans made to certain affiliated companies. The long-term portion of these loans are included in the “Loans and advances—related parties” balance sheet line item, while the short-term portion is included in “Accounts and notes receivable—related parties.” Significant loans to affiliated companies at September 30, 2008, included the following:

The company’s investment in properties, plants and equipment (PP&E), with accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization (Accum. DD&A), was:

Suspended Wells
The company’s capitalized cost of suspended wells at September 30, 2008, was $685 million, an increase of $96 million from $589 million at year-end 2007. For the category of exploratory well costs capitalized for a period greater than one year as of December 31, 2007, $12 million was charged to dry hole expense during the first nine months of 2008.

Expropriated Assets
In the second quarter of 2007, we recorded a noncash impairment, including allocable goodwill, of $4,588 million before-tax ($4,512 million after-tax) related to our investments in the Petrozuata and Hamaca heavy-oil ventures and the offshore Corocoro oil development project in Venezuela. See Note 13—Impairments, in our 2007 Annual Report on Form 10-K, for additional information.

Other Impairments
We recognized the following net impairments:

During the third quarter and nine-month period of 2008, property impairments were primarily associated with changes in asset retirement obligations for properties at the end of their economic life. In addition, the nine-month period also includes amounts related to planned asset dispositions.

During the third quarter and nine-month period of 2007, we recorded property impairments for:

In addition and in accordance with SFAS No. 144, “Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets,” the nine-month period of 2007 included a $128 million gain for the subsequent increase in the fair value of certain assets impaired in the prior year to reflect finalized sales agreements. This gain was netted with write-downs into the “Impairments” line of the consolidated income statement.

In January 2008, we reduced our Floating Rate Five-Year Term Note due 2011 from $3 billion to $2 billion, with a subsequent reduction in June 2008 to $1.5 billion. In March 2008, we redeemed our $300 million 7.125% Debentures due 2028 at a premium of $8 million, plus accrued interest.

In May 2008, we issued notes consisting of $400 million of 4.40% Notes due 2013, $500 million of 5.20% Notes due 2018 and $600 million of 5.90% Notes due 2038. The proceeds from the offering were used to reduce commercial paper and for general corporate purposes.

At September 30, 2008, we had a $7.35 billion revolving credit facility, which expires in September 2012. The facility was reduced from $7.5 billion due to the bankruptcy of Lehman Commercial Paper Inc., one of the revolver participants. The facility may be used as direct bank borrowings, as support for the ConocoPhillips $7.35 billion commercial paper program, as support for the ConocoPhillips Qatar Funding Ltd. $1.5 billion commercial paper program, or as support for issuances of letters of credit totaling up to $750 million. At September 30, 2008, and December 31, 2007, we had no outstanding borrowings under the credit facility, but $40 million and $41 million, respectively, in letters of credit had been issued. Under the combined commercial paper programs, $1,519 million of commercial paper was outstanding at September 30, 2008, compared with $725 million at December 31, 2007.

Also at September 30, 2008, we classified $2,469 million of short-term debt as long-term debt, based on our ability and intent to refinance the obligations on a long-term basis under our revolving credit facility.

On October 1, 2008, we entered into a $2.5 billion 364-day bank facility to provide additional support to temporarily expand our commercial paper program to $9.85 billion. We expanded our commercial paper program to ensure adequate liquidity after the initial funding of our transaction with Origin Energy. For additional information, see Note 21—Joint Venture with Origin Energy.

On January 3, 2007, we closed on a business venture with EnCana Corporation. As part of this transaction, we are obligated to contribute $7.5 billion, plus interest, over a ten-year period, which began in 2007, to the upstream business venture, FCCL Oil Sands Partnership, which was formed as a result of the transaction.

Quarterly principal and interest payments of $237 million began in the second quarter of 2007, and will continue until the balance is paid. Of the principal obligation amount, approximately $617 million is short-term and is included in the “Accounts payable—related parties” line on our September 30, 2008, consolidated balance sheet. The principal portion of these payments, which totaled $442 million in the first nine months of 2008, is included in the “Other” line in the financing activities section of our consolidated statement of cash flows. Interest accrues at a fixed annual rate of 5.3 percent on the unpaid principal balance. Fifty percent of the quarterly interest payment is reflected as a capital contribution and is included in the “Capital expenditures and investments” line on our consolidated statement of cash flows.

At September 30, 2008, we were liable for certain contingent obligations under various contractual arrangements as described below. We recognize a liability, at inception, for the fair value of our obligation as a guarantor for newly issued or modified guarantees. Unless the carrying amount of the liability is noted below, we have not recognized a liability either because the guarantees were issued prior to December 31, 2002, or because the fair value of the obligation is immaterial.

Indemnifications
Over the years, we have entered into various agreements to sell ownership interests in certain corporations and joint ventures and have sold several assets, including downstream and midstream assets, certain exploration and production assets, and downstream retail and wholesale sites that gave rise to qualifying indemnifications. Agreements associated with these sales include indemnifications for taxes, environmental liabilities, permits and licenses, employee claims, real estate indemnity against tenant defaults, and litigation. The terms of these indemnifications vary greatly. The majority of these indemnifications are related to environmental issues, the term is generally indefinite and the maximum amount of future payments is generally unlimited. The carrying amount recorded for these indemnifications at September 30, 2008, was $454 million. We amortize the indemnification liability over the relevant time period, if one exists, based on the facts and circumstances surrounding each type of indemnity. In cases where the indemnification term is indefinite, we will reverse the liability when we have information the liability is essentially relieved or amortize the liability over an appropriate time period as the fair value of our indemnification exposure declines. Although it is reasonably possible future payments may exceed amounts recorded, due to the nature of the indemnifications, it is not possible to make a reasonable estimate of the maximum potential amount of future payments. Included in the carrying amount recorded were $253 million of environmental accruals for known contamination that is included in asset retirement obligations and accrued environmental costs at September 30, 2008. For additional information about environmental liabilities, see Note 12—Contingencies and Commitments.

In the case of all known non-income-tax-related contingencies, we accrue a liability when the loss is probable and the amount is reasonably estimable. If a range of amounts can be reasonably estimated and no amount within the range is a better estimate than any other amount, then the minimum of the range is accrued. We do not reduce these liabilities for potential insurance or third-party recoveries. If applicable, we accrue receivables for probable insurance or other third-party recoveries. In the case of income-tax-related contingencies, we adopted FIN 48, effective January 1, 2007. FIN 48 requires a cumulative probability-weighted loss accrual in cases where sustaining a tax position is less than certain.

Based on currently available information, we believe it is remote that future costs related to known contingent liability exposures will exceed current accruals by an amount that would have a material adverse impact on our consolidated financial statements. As we learn new facts concerning contingencies, we reassess our position both with respect to accrued liabilities and other potential exposures. Estimates that are particularly sensitive to future changes include contingent liabilities recorded for environmental remediation, tax and legal matters. Estimated future environmental remediation costs are subject to change due to such factors as the uncertain magnitude of cleanup costs, the unknown time and extent of such remedial actions that may be required, and the determination of our liability in proportion to that of other responsible parties. Estimated future costs related to tax and legal matters are subject to change as events evolve and as additional information becomes available during the administrative and litigation processes.

Environmental
We are subject to federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations. These may result in obligations to remove or mitigate the effects on the environment of the placement, storage, disposal or release of certain chemical, mineral and petroleum substances at various sites. When we prepare our consolidated financial statements, we record accruals for environmental liabilities based on management’s best estimates, using all information that is available at the time. We measure estimates and base liabilities on currently available facts, existing technology, and presently enacted laws and regulations, taking into account stakeholder and business considerations. When measuring environmental liabilities, we also consider our prior experience in remediation of contaminated sites, other companies’ cleanup experience, and data released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or other organizations. We consider unasserted claims in our determination of environmental liabilities and we accrue them in the period that they are both probable and reasonably estimable.

Although liability of those potentially responsible for environmental remediation costs is generally joint and several for federal sites and frequently so for state sites, we are usually only one of many companies cited at a particular site. Due to the joint and several liabilities, we could be responsible for all of the cleanup costs related to any site at which we have been designated as a potentially responsible party. If we were solely responsible, the costs, in some cases, could be material to our, or one of our segments’, results of operations, capital resources or liquidity. However, settlements and costs incurred in matters that previously have been resolved have not been material to our results of operations or financial condition. We have been successful to date in sharing cleanup costs with other financially sound companies. Many of the sites at which we are potentially responsible are still under investigation by the EPA or the state agencies concerned. Prior to actual cleanup, those potentially responsible normally assess the site conditions, apportion responsibility and determine the appropriate remediation. In some instances, we may have no liability or may attain a settlement of liability. Where it appears that other potentially responsible parties may be financially unable to bear their proportional share, we consider this inability in estimating our potential liability and we adjust our accruals accordingly.

As a result of various acquisitions in the past, we assumed certain environmental obligations. Some of these environmental obligations are mitigated by indemnifications made by others for our benefit and some of the indemnifications are subject to dollar limits and time limits. We have not recorded accruals for any potential contingent liabilities that we expect to be funded by the prior owners under these indemnifications.

We are currently participating in environmental assessments and cleanups at numerous federal Superfund and comparable state sites. After an assessment of environmental exposures for cleanup and other costs, we make accruals on an undiscounted basis (except for those acquired in a purchase business combination, which we record on a discounted basis) for planned investigation and remediation activities for sites where it is probable that future costs will be incurred and these costs can be reasonably estimated. At September 30, 2008, our balance sheet included a total environmental accrual of $1,028 million, compared with $1,089 million at December 31, 2007. We expect to incur the majority of these expenditures within the next 30 years. We have not reduced these accruals for possible insurance recoveries. In the future, we may be involved in additional environmental assessments, cleanups and proceedings.

Legal Proceedings
Our legal organization applies its knowledge, experience, and professional judgment to the specific characteristics of our cases, employing a litigation management process to manage and monitor the legal proceedings against us. Our process facilitates the early evaluation and quantification of potential exposures in individual cases. This process also enables us to track those cases which have been scheduled for trial, as well as the pace of settlement discussions in individual matters. Based on professional judgment and experience in using these litigation management tools and available information about current developments in all our cases, our legal organization believes there is a remote likelihood future costs related to known contingent liability exposures will exceed current accruals by an amount that would have a material adverse impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Other Contingencies
We have contingent liabilities resulting from throughput agreements with pipeline and processing companies not associated with financing arrangements. Under these agreements, we may be required to provide any such company with additional funds through advances and penalties for fees related to throughput capacity not utilized. In addition, at September 30, 2008, we had performance obligations secured by letters of credit of $2,213 million (of which $40 million was issued under the provisions of our revolving credit facility, and the remainder was issued as direct bank letters of credit) and various purchase commitments for materials, supplies, services and items of permanent investment incident to the ordinary conduct of business.

Derivative assets and liabilities were:

In the preceding table, the 2008 derivative assets appear net of $224 million of obligations to return cash collateral, and the 2008 derivative liabilities appear net of $32 million of rights to reclaim cash collateral. These derivative assets and liabilities appear as prepaid expenses and other current assets, other assets, other accruals, or other liabilities and deferred credits on the balance sheet.

ConocoPhillips’ comprehensive income was as follows:

Accumulated other comprehensive income in the equity section of the balance sheet included:

During the first nine months of 2008, we contributed $357 million to our domestic qualified and nonqualified plans and $123 million to our international benefit plans. We currently expect to contribute a total of $470 million to our domestic plans and $182 million to our international plans in 2008.

Significant transactions with related parties were:

We have organized our reporting structure based on the grouping of similar products and services, resulting in six operating segments:

Corporate and Other includes general corporate overhead, most interest income and expense, restructuring charges, and various other corporate activities. Corporate assets include all cash and cash equivalents. We evaluate performance and allocate resources based on net income. Intersegment sales are at prices that approximate market.

Our effective tax rate for both the third quarter and first nine months of 2008 was 45 percent, compared with 42 percent and 53 percent for the same two periods of 2007. The change in the effective tax rate for the third quarter of 2008, versus the third quarter of 2007, was primarily due to a tax rate decrease enacted in Germany in the third quarter of 2007. The change in the effective tax rate for the nine months of 2008, compared with the same period of 2007, was primarily due to the impact of the expropriation of our oil interests in Venezuela on 2007 results (see the “Expropriated Assets” section of Note 13—Impairments, in our 2007 Annual Report on Form 10-K, for additional information), partially offset by the impact of a higher proportion of income in higher tax-rate jurisdictions in 2008. The effective tax rate in excess of the domestic federal statutory rate of 35 percent was primarily due to the impact of foreign taxes.

In December 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 141 (Revised), “Business Combinations” (SFAS No. 141(R)). This Statement will apply to all transactions in which an entity obtains control of one or more other businesses. In general, SFAS No. 141(R) requires the acquiring entity in a business combination to recognize the fair value of all the assets acquired and liabilities assumed in the transaction; establishes the acquisition date as the fair value measurement point; and modifies the disclosure requirements. This Statement applies prospectively to business combinations for which the acquisition date is on or after January 1, 2009. However, starting January 1, 2009, accounting for changes in valuation allowances for acquired deferred tax assets and the resolution of uncertain tax positions for prior business combinations will impact tax expense instead of impacting goodwill. We are currently evaluating the changes provided for in this Statement.

Also in December 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 160, “Noncontrolling Interests in Consolidated Financial Statements—an amendment of ARB No. 51,” which changes the classification of noncontrolling interests, sometimes called minority interests, in the consolidated financial statements. Additionally, this Statement establishes a single method of accounting for changes in a parent company’s ownership interest that do not result in deconsolidation and requires a parent company to recognize a gain or loss when a subsidiary is deconsolidated. This Statement is effective January 1, 2009, and will be applied prospectively with the

exception of the presentation and disclosure requirements, which must be applied retrospectively for all periods presented. We are currently evaluating the impact of this Statement on our consolidated financial statements.

In March 2008, the FASB issued SFAS No. 161, “Disclosures about Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities—an amendment of FASB No. 133.” This Statement expands the annual and interim disclosure requirements of SFAS No. 133, “Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities,” for derivative instruments within the scope of that Statement. We must adopt SFAS No. 161 no later than January 1, 2009, but it will not have any impact on our consolidated financial statements, other than the additional disclosures.

In October 2008, we closed on a transaction with Origin Energy (Origin), an integrated Australian energy company, to create a long-term Australasian natural gas business. The 50/50 joint venture will focus on coalbed methane production from the Bowen and Surat basins in Queensland, Australia, and liquefied natural gas (LNG) processing and export sales.

With this transaction, we have gained access to a leading coalbed methane resource in Australia and will enhance our LNG position with the expected creation of an additional LNG hub serving the Asia Pacific markets.

Under the terms of the transaction, we paid US$5 billion at closing. In addition, we will carry Origin for AU$1.15 billion related to their initial share of joint venture funding requirements, when incurred. We have committed to make up to four additional payments of US$500 million each, expected within the next decade, when each of four expected LNG trains are approved by the joint venture for development, for a total possible cash acquisition investment of approximately US$8 billion at current exchange rates. We funded our initial upfront payment by issuing approximately $4.9 billion of commercial paper and with cash on hand.

We have various cross guarantees among ConocoPhillips, ConocoPhillips Company, ConocoPhillips Australia Funding Company, ConocoPhillips Canada Funding Company I, and ConocoPhillips Canada Funding Company II, with respect to publicly held debt securities. ConocoPhillips Company is wholly owned by ConocoPhillips. ConocoPhillips Australia Funding Company is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of ConocoPhillips Company. ConocoPhillips Canada Funding Company I and ConocoPhillips Canada Funding Company II are indirect, wholly owned subsidiaries of ConocoPhillips. ConocoPhillips and ConocoPhillips Company have fully and unconditionally guaranteed the payment obligations of ConocoPhillips Australia Funding Company, ConocoPhillips Canada Funding Company I, and ConocoPhillips Canada Funding Company II, with respect to their publicly held debt securities. Similarly, ConocoPhillips has fully and unconditionally guaranteed the payment obligations of ConocoPhillips Company with respect to its publicly held debt securities. In addition, ConocoPhillips Company has fully and unconditionally guaranteed the payment obligations of ConocoPhillips with respect to its publicly held debt securities. All guarantees are joint and several. The following condensed consolidating financial information presents the results of operations, financial position and cash flows for:

This condensed consolidating financial information should be read in conjunction with the accompanying consolidated financial statements and notes. Certain previously reported amounts appearing on the 2007 income statements have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation.