Commitments and Contingencies |
12 Months Ended | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Dec. 31, 2019 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Commitments and Contingencies | COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
We have various contractual obligations which are recorded as liabilities in our Consolidated Financial Statements. Other items, such as certain purchase commitments and other executed contracts which do not meet the definition of a liability as of December 31, 2019, are not recognized as liabilities but require disclosures in our Consolidated Financial Statements.
LNG Terminal Commitments and Contingencies
Obligations under EPC Contracts
SPL has a lump sum turnkey contract with Bechtel Oil, Gas and Chemicals, Inc. (“Bechtel”) for the engineering, procurement and construction of Train 6 of the SPL Project. The EPC contract price for Train 6 of the SPL Project is approximately $2.5 billion, reflecting amounts incurred under change orders through December 31, 2019, and including estimated costs for an optional third marine berth. As of December 31, 2019, we have incurred $1.1 billion under this contract.
CCL has a lump sum turnkey contract with Bechtel for the engineering, procurement and construction of Train 3 of the CCL Project. The EPC contract price for Train 3 of the CCL Project is approximately $2.4 billion, reflecting amounts incurred under change orders through December 31, 2019. As of December 31, 2019, we have incurred $2.0 billion under this contract.
SPL and CCL have the right to terminate its respective EPC contracts for its convenience, in which case Bechtel will be paid (1) the portion of the contract price for the work performed, (2) costs reasonably incurred by Bechtel on account of such termination and demobilization and (3) a lump sum of up to $30 million depending on the termination date.
Obligations under SPAs
SPL and CCL have third-party SPAs which obligate SPL and CCL, respectively, to purchase and liquefy sufficient quantities of natural gas to deliver contracted volumes of LNG to the customers’ vessels, subject to completion of construction of applicable specified Trains of the SPL Project or the CCL Project. In addition, our integrated marketing function has third-party SPAs which obligate us to deliver contracted volumes of LNG to the customers’ vessels or to the customers at their LNG receiving terminals.
Obligations under LNG TUAs
SPLNG has third-party TUAs with Total and Chevron U.S.A. Inc. to provide berthing for LNG vessels and for the unloading, storage and regasification of LNG at the Sabine Pass LNG terminal.
Obligations under Natural Gas Supply, Transportation and Storage Service Agreements
SPL, CCL and CCL Stage III have physical natural gas supply contracts to secure natural gas feedstock for the SPL Project, the CCL Project and potential future development of Corpus Christi Stage 3, respectively. The remaining terms of these contracts range up to 15 years, some of which commence upon the satisfaction of certain events or states of affairs. As of December 31, 2019, SPL, CCL and CCL Stage III have secured up to approximately 3,850 TBtu, 2,999 TBtu and 2,361 TBtu, respectively, of natural gas feedstock through natural gas supply contracts, a portion of which are considered purchase obligations if the certain events or states of affairs are satisfied.
Additionally, SPL and CCL have natural gas transportation and storage service agreements for the SPL Project and the CCL Project, respectively. The initial terms of the natural gas transportation agreements range up to 20 years for the SPL Project and the CCL Project, with renewal options for certain contracts, and commence upon the occurrence of conditions precedent. The initial term of the natural gas storage service agreements for the SPL Project ranges up to 10 years and the initial term of the natural gas storage service agreements for the CCL Project ranges up to five years.
As of December 31, 2019, the obligations of SPL, CCL and CCL Stage III under natural gas supply, transportation and storage service agreements for contracts in which conditions precedent were met were as follows (in millions):
Restricted Net Assets
At December 31, 2019, our restricted net assets of consolidated subsidiaries were approximately $1.3 billion.
Other Commitments
In the ordinary course of business, we have entered into certain multi-year licensing and service agreements, none of which are considered material to our financial position.
Environmental and Regulatory Matters
Our LNG terminals and pipelines are subject to extensive regulation under federal, state and local statutes, rules, regulations and laws. These laws require that we engage in consultations with appropriate federal and state agencies and that we obtain and maintain applicable permits and other authorizations. Failure to comply with such laws could result in legal proceedings, which may include substantial penalties. We believe that, based on currently known information, compliance with these laws and regulations will not have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.
Legal Proceedings
We may in the future be involved as a party to various legal proceedings, which are incidental to the ordinary course of business. We regularly analyze current information and, as necessary, provide accruals for probable liabilities on the eventual disposition of these matters.
Parallax and Related Litigation
In 2015, our wholly owned subsidiary, Cheniere LNG Terminals, LLC (“CLNGT”), entered into discussions with Parallax Enterprises, LLC (“Parallax Enterprises”) regarding the potential joint development of two liquefaction plants in Louisiana (the “Potential Liquefaction Transactions”). While the parties negotiated regarding the Potential Liquefaction Transactions, CLNGT loaned Parallax Enterprises approximately $46 million, as reflected in a secured note dated April 23, 2015, as amended on June 30, 2015, September 30, 2015 and November 4, 2015 (the “Secured Note”). The Secured Note was secured by all assets of Parallax Enterprises and its subsidiary entities. On June 30, 2015, Parallax Enterprises’ parent entity, Parallax Energy LLC (“Parallax Energy”), executed a Pledge and Guarantee Agreement further securing repayment of the Secured Note by providing a parent guaranty and a pledge of all of the equity of Parallax Enterprises in satisfaction of the Secured Note (the “Pledge Agreement”). CLNGT and Parallax Enterprises never executed a definitive agreement to pursue the Potential Liquefaction Transactions. The Secured Note matured on December 11, 2015, and Parallax Enterprises failed to make payment. On February 3, 2016, CLNGT filed an action against Parallax Energy, Parallax Enterprises and certain of Parallax Enterprises’ subsidiary entities, styled Cause No. 4:16-cv-00286, Cheniere LNG Terminals, LLC v. Parallax Energy LLC, et al., in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas (the “Texas Federal Suit”). CLNGT asserted claims in the Texas Federal Suit for (1) recovery of all amounts due under the Secured Note and (2) declaratory relief establishing that CLNGT is entitled to enforce its rights under the
Secured Note and Pledge Agreement in accordance with each instrument’s terms and that CLNGT has no obligations of any sort to Parallax Enterprises concerning the Potential Liquefaction Transactions. On March 11, 2016, Parallax Enterprises and the other defendants in the Texas Federal Suit moved to dismiss the suit for lack of subject matter jurisdiction. On August 2, 2016, the court denied the defendants’ motion to dismiss without prejudice and permitted the parties to pursue jurisdictional discovery.
On March 11, 2016, Parallax Enterprises filed a suit against us and CLNGT styled Civil Action No. 62-810, Parallax Enterprises LLP v. Cheniere Energy, Inc. and Cheniere LNG Terminals, LLC, in the 25th Judicial District Court of Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana (the “Louisiana Suit”), wherein Parallax Enterprises asserted claims for breach of contract, fraudulent inducement, negligent misrepresentation, detrimental reliance, unjust enrichment and violation of the Louisiana Unfair Trade Practices Act. Parallax Enterprises predicated its claims in the Louisiana Suit on an allegation that we and CLNGT breached a purported agreement to jointly develop the Potential Liquefaction Transactions. Parallax Enterprises sought $400 million in alleged economic damages and rescission of the Secured Note. On April 15, 2016, we and CLNGT removed the Louisiana Suit to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, which subsequently transferred the Louisiana Suit to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, where it was assigned Civil Action No. 4:16-cv-01628 and transferred to the same judge presiding over the Texas Federal Suit for coordinated handling. On August 22, 2016, Parallax Enterprises voluntarily dismissed all claims asserted against CLNGT and us in the Louisiana Suit without prejudice to refiling.
On July 27, 2017, the Parallax entities named as defendants in the Texas Federal Suit reurged their motion to dismiss and simultaneously filed counterclaims against CLNGT and third party claims against us for breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, promissory estoppel, quantum meruit and fraudulent inducement of the Secured Note and Pledge Agreement, based on substantially the same factual allegations Parallax Enterprises made in the Louisiana Suit. These Parallax entities also simultaneously filed an action styled Cause No. 2017-49685, Parallax Enterprises, LLC, et al. v. Cheniere Energy, Inc., et al., in the 61st District Court of Harris County, Texas (the “Texas State Suit”), which asserts substantially the same claims these entities asserted in the Texas Federal Suit. On July 31, 2017, CLNGT withdrew its opposition to the dismissal of the Texas Federal Suit without prejudice on jurisdictional grounds and the federal court subsequently dismissed the Texas Federal Suit without prejudice. We and CLNGT simultaneously filed an answer and counterclaims in the Texas State Suit, asserting the same claims CLNGT had previously asserted in the Texas Federal Suit. Additionally, CLNGT filed third party claims against Parallax principals Martin Houston, Christopher Bowen Daniels, Howard Candelet and Mark Evans, as well as Tellurian Investments, Inc., Driftwood LNG, LLC, Driftwood LNG Pipeline LLC and Tellurian Services LLC, formerly known as Parallax Services LLC, including claims for tortious interference with CLNGT’s collateral rights under the Secured Note and Pledge Agreement, fraudulent transfer, conspiracy/aiding and abetting.
On February 15, 2019, we filed an action with CLNGT against Charif Souki, our former Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, styled, Cause No. 2019-11529, Cheniere Energy, Inc. and Cheniere LNG Terminals, LLC v. Charif Souki, in the 55th District Court of Harris County, Texas, which asserts claims of breach of fiduciary duties, fraudulent transfer, tortious interference with CLNGT’s collateral rights under the Secured Note and Pledge Agreement and conspiracy/aiding and abetting. On April 29, 2019, the court consolidated the Souki matter with the earlier filed pending case against Parallax, Tellurian and the individual defendants in the Texas State Suit.
On January 30, 2020, the parties filed an Agreed Motion to Dismiss and all claims were dismissed with prejudice.
The resolution of the foregoing litigation did not have a material adverse impact on our financial results.
On January 10, 2020, a purported shareholder of Cheniere filed a shareholder derivative action in state court in Houston, Texas. The complaint names as defendants ten of our current directors. The plaintiff alleges that those directors breached their fiduciary duties by abandoning a proposed joint-development arrangement with Parallax in 2015, which later was the subject of a separate lawsuit by Parallax discussed above. According to the complaint, the directors’ alleged breach of their fiduciary duties caused us to incur legal fees in the Parallax action and also exposed us to a potential damages award in the Parallax lawsuit. On January 30, 2020, Parallax voluntarily dismissed with prejudice all claims against us. We do not expect that the resolution of the foregoing litigation will have a material adverse impact on our financial results.
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