Weatherford International plc (WFRD)
SIC breadcrumb: Manufacturing > Industrial And Commercial Machinery And Computer Equipment > SIC 3533 Oil & Gas Field Machinery & Equipment
SEC company page: https://www.sec.gov/edgar/browse/?CIK=1603923. Latest filing source: 0001603923-26-000014.
Informational only - descriptive public-record data, not investment advice.
Business
Read WFRD's verbatim Item 1 Business section from its latest 10-K: Business.
Risk Factors
Read WFRD's verbatim Item 1A Risk Factors from its latest 10-K: Risk Factors.
Selected Fundamentals
| Metric | Value | Unit | FY | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 4,918,000,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-04 |
| Net income | 431,000,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-04 |
| Assets | 5,197,000,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-04 |
Financials
Annual standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2026-02-04. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0001603923.json. Derived margins, ratios, and free cash flow are computed from the extracted annual SEC facts.
| Metric | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 5,744,000,000 | 4,954,000,000 | 3,685,000,000 | 3,645,000,000 | 4,331,000,000 | 5,135,000,000 | 5,513,000,000 | 4,918,000,000 | |||||
| Net income | -3,392,000,000 | -2,813,000,000 | -2,811,000,000 | 3,661,000,000 | -1,921,000,000 | -450,000,000 | 26,000,000 | 417,000,000 | 506,000,000 | 431,000,000 | |||
| Operating income | -2,245,000,000 | -2,170,000,000 | -2,084,000,000 | -1,182,000,000 | -1,486,000,000 | 116,000,000 | 412,000,000 | 820,000,000 | 938,000,000 | 756,000,000 | |||
| Diluted EPS | -0.45 | -0.75 | -2.55 | -3.82 | -27.44 | -6.43 | 0.36 | 5.66 | 6.75 | 5.93 | |||
| Operating cash flow | -304,000,000 | -388,000,000 | -242,000,000 | -747,000,000 | 210,000,000 | 322,000,000 | 349,000,000 | 832,000,000 | 792,000,000 | 676,000,000 | |||
| Capital expenditures | 204,000,000 | 225,000,000 | 186,000,000 | 250,000,000 | 154,000,000 | 85,000,000 | 132,000,000 | 209,000,000 | 299,000,000 | 226,000,000 | |||
| Dividends paid | 0.00 | 0.00 | 36,000,000 | 72,000,000 | |||||||||
| Share buybacks | 0.00 | 0.00 | 99,000,000 | 101,000,000 | |||||||||
| Assets | 12,664,000,000 | 9,747,000,000 | 6,601,000,000 | 7,293,000,000 | 5,434,000,000 | 4,774,000,000 | 4,720,000,000 | 5,068,000,000 | 5,159,000,000 | 5,197,000,000 | |||
| Liabilities | 10,596,000,000 | 10,318,000,000 | 10,267,000,000 | 4,377,000,000 | 4,497,000,000 | 4,278,000,000 | 4,169,000,000 | 4,146,000,000 | 3,876,000,000 | 3,501,000,000 | |||
| Stockholders' equity | 2,012,000,000 | -626,000,000 | -3,705,000,000 | 2,931,000,000 | 907,000,000 | 472,000,000 | 535,000,000 | 924,000,000 | 1,285,000,000 | 1,699,000,000 | |||
| Cash and cash equivalents | 1,037,000,000 | 613,000,000 | 602,000,000 | 618,000,000 | 1,118,000,000 | 951,000,000 | 910,000,000 | 958,000,000 | 916,000,000 | 987,000,000 | |||
| Free cash flow | -508,000,000 | -613,000,000 | -428,000,000 | -997,000,000 | 56,000,000 | 237,000,000 | 217,000,000 | 623,000,000 | 493,000,000 | 450,000,000 |
Ratios
| Metric | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net margin | -48.94% | 73.90% | -52.13% | -12.35% | 0.60% | 8.12% | 9.18% | 8.76% | |||||
| Operating margin | -36.28% | -23.86% | -40.33% | 3.18% | 9.51% | 15.97% | 17.01% | 15.37% | |||||
| Return on equity | -168.59% | 124.91% | -211.80% | -95.34% | 4.86% | 45.13% | 39.38% | 25.37% | |||||
| Return on assets | -26.78% | -28.86% | -42.58% | 50.20% | -35.35% | -9.43% | 0.55% | 8.23% | 9.81% | 8.29% | |||
| Liabilities / equity | 5.27 | 1.49 | 4.96 | 9.06 | 7.79 | 4.49 | 3.02 | 2.06 | |||||
| Current ratio | 2.02 | 1.74 | 1.50 | 2.02 | 2.33 | 2.19 | 2.07 | 1.79 | 2.01 | 2.19 |
Industry Peer Context
Net margin peer context
Operating margin peer context
ROE peer context
ROA peer context
Financial Bridges
Free cash flow = operating cash flow - capital expenditures
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts FY 2025. Operating cash flow: accession 0001603923-26-000014; concept NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities; source concepts us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities | Capital expenditures: accession 0001603923-26-000014; concept PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment; source concepts us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment | Free cash flow: accession 0001603923-26-000014; concept NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities - PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment; source concepts us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities; us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment
Financial Charts
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001603923-26-000014; filed 2026-02-04. Concept: RevenueFromContractWithCustomerIncludingAssessedTax. Source concepts: us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerIncludingAssessedTax.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001603923-26-000014; filed 2026-02-04. Concept: NetIncomeLoss. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetIncomeLoss.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001603923-26-000014; filed 2026-02-04. Concept: OperatingIncomeLoss. Source concepts: us-gaap:OperatingIncomeLoss.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001603923-26-000014; filed 2026-02-04. Concept: EarningsPerShareDiluted. Source concepts: us-gaap:EarningsPerShareDiluted.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001603923-26-000014; filed 2026-02-04. Concept: NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001603923-26-000014; filed 2026-02-04. Concept: PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment. Source concepts: us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001603923-26-000014; filed 2026-02-04. Concept: PaymentsOfDividendsCommonStock. Source concepts: us-gaap:PaymentsOfDividendsCommonStock.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001603923-26-000014; filed 2026-02-04. Concept: PaymentsForRepurchaseOfCommonStock. Source concepts: us-gaap:PaymentsForRepurchaseOfCommonStock.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001603923-26-000014; filed 2026-02-04. Concept: Assets. Source concepts: us-gaap:Assets.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001603923-26-000014; filed 2026-02-04. Concept: Liabilities. Source concepts: us-gaap:Liabilities.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001603923-26-000014; filed 2026-02-04. Concept: StockholdersEquity. Source concepts: us-gaap:StockholdersEquity.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001603923-26-000014; filed 2026-02-04. Concept: CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue. Source concepts: us-gaap:CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001603923-26-000014; filed 2026-02-04. Concept: NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities - PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities; us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment.
Quarterly
Quarterly standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2026-07-22. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0001603923.json.
| Quarter | End Date | Revenue | Net Income | Diluted EPS | Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-Q3 | 2022-09-30 | 0.39 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q1 | 2023-03-31 | 0.97 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q2 | 2023-06-30 | 1.12 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q3 | 2023-09-30 | 1,313,000,000 | 123,000,000 | 1.66 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2023-Q4 | 2023-12-31 | 1,362,000,000 | 140,000,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2024-Q1 | 2024-03-31 | 1,358,000,000 | 112,000,000 | 1.50 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2024-Q2 | 2024-06-30 | 1,405,000,000 | 125,000,000 | 1.66 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2024-Q3 | 2024-09-30 | 1,409,000,000 | 157,000,000 | 2.06 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2024-Q4 | 2024-12-31 | 1,341,000,000 | 112,000,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2025-Q1 | 2025-03-31 | 1,193,000,000 | 76,000,000 | 1.03 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2025-Q2 | 2025-06-30 | 1,204,000,000 | 136,000,000 | 1.87 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2025-Q3 | 2025-09-30 | 1,232,000,000 | 81,000,000 | 1.12 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2025-Q4 | 2025-12-31 | 1,289,000,000 | 138,000,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2026-Q1 | 2026-03-31 | 1,152,000,000 | 108,000,000 | 1.49 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2026-Q2 | 2026-06-30 | 1,105,000,000 | 39,000,000 | 0.55 | reported discrete quarter |
Quarterly Charts
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2026 ended 2026-06-30; accession 0001603923-26-000085; filed 2026-07-22. Concept: RevenueFromContractWithCustomerIncludingAssessedTax. Source concepts: us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerIncludingAssessedTax.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2026 ended 2026-06-30; accession 0001603923-26-000085; filed 2026-07-22. Concept: NetIncomeLoss. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetIncomeLoss.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2026 ended 2026-06-30; accession 0001603923-26-000085; filed 2026-07-22. Concept: EarningsPerShareDiluted. Source concepts: us-gaap:EarningsPerShareDiluted.
Macro Cross-References
- CPIAUCSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items in U.S. City Average
- UNRATE - Unemployment Rate
- FEDFUNDS - Federal Funds Effective Rate
- CES0500000003 - Average Hourly Earnings of All Employees, Total Private
- DFEDTARU - Federal Funds Target Range - Upper Limit
- DFEDTARL - Federal Funds Target Range - Lower Limit
- DGS3MO - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 3-Month Constant Maturity
- DGS2 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 2-Year Constant Maturity
- DGS10 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 10-Year Constant Maturity
- DGS30 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 30-Year Constant Maturity
- T10Y2Y - 10-Year Treasury Constant Maturity Minus 2-Year Treasury Constant Maturity
- CPILFESL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items Less Food and Energy
- CPIUFDSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Food
- CPIENGSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Energy
- CUSR0000SAH1 - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Shelter
- PCEPI - Personal Consumption Expenditures: Chain-type Price Index
- PCEPILFE - Personal Consumption Expenditures Excluding Food and Energy: Chain-type Price Index
- PPIACO - Producer Price Index by Commodity: All Commodities
- T10YIE - 10-Year Breakeven Inflation Rate
- U6RATE - Total Unemployed, Plus All Marginally Attached Workers Plus Total Employed Part Time for Economic Reasons
- PAYEMS - All Employees, Total Nonfarm
- CIVPART - Labor Force Participation Rate
- EMRATIO - Employment-Population Ratio
- UNEMPLOY - Unemployed
- CE16OV - Employment Level
- ICSA - Initial Claims
- JTSJOL - Job Openings: Total Nonfarm
- JTSQUR - Quits: Total Nonfarm
- GDPC1 - Real Gross Domestic Product
- A191RL1Q225SBEA - Real Gross Domestic Product: Percent Change from Preceding Period
- INDPRO - Industrial Production: Total Index
- TCU - Capacity Utilization: Total Index
- HOUST - New Privately-Owned Housing Units Started: Total Units
- PERMIT - New Privately-Owned Housing Units Authorized in Permit-Issuing Places: Total Units
- RSAFS - Advance Retail Sales: Retail Trade
- PCE - Personal Consumption Expenditures
- DSPIC96 - Real Disposable Personal Income
- PSAVERT - Personal Saving Rate
- M2SL - M2
- BOPGSTB - U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services: Balance
- MSPUS - Median Sales Price of Houses Sold for the United States
- HSN1F - New One Family Houses Sold: United States
- RHORUSQ156N - Homeownership Rate in the United States
- TTLCONS - Total Construction Spending: Total Construction in the United States
- RRVRUSQ156N - Rental Vacancy Rate in the United States
- TOTALSL - Total Consumer Credit Owned and Securitized
- REVOLSL - Revolving Consumer Credit Owned and Securitized
- DRCCLACBS - Delinquency Rate on Credit Card Loans, All Commercial Banks
- GDP - Gross Domestic Product
- GPDI - Gross Private Domestic Investment
- GCE - Government Consumption Expenditures and Gross Investment
- PCEC - Personal Consumption Expenditures
- NETEXP - Net Exports of Goods and Services
- GFDEBTN - Federal Debt: Total Public Debt
- GFDEGDQ188S - Federal Debt: Total Public Debt as Percent of Gross Domestic Product
- FYFSD - Federal Surplus or Deficit
- FGRECPT - Federal Government Current Receipts
- FGEXPND - Federal Government: Current Expenditures
- MANEMP - All Employees, Manufacturing
- USCONS - All Employees, Construction
- USTRADE - All Employees, Retail Trade
- USFIRE - All Employees, Financial Activities
- USGOVT - All Employees, Government
- AWHAETP - Average Weekly Hours of All Employees, Total Private
- DGORDER - Manufacturers' New Orders: Durable Goods
- NEWORDER - Manufacturers' New Orders: Nondefense Capital Goods Excluding Aircraft
- BUSINV - Total Business Inventories
- EXPGS - Exports of Goods and Services
- IMPGS - Imports of Goods and Services
- IR - Import Price Index (End Use): All Commodities
- PPIFIS - Producer Price Index by Commodity: Final Demand
Latest quarter (10-Q)
Latest 10-Q source: 0001603923-26-000085.
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
As used in this item, “Weatherford,” “the Company,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Weatherford International plc, a public limited company organized under the laws of Ireland, and its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis. The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto included in “Item 1. Financial Statements.” Our discussion includes various forward-looking statements about our markets, the demand for our products and services and our future results. These statements include assumptions, certain risks and uncertainties. For information about these assumptions, risks and uncertainties, refer to the section “Forward-Looking Statements” and the section “PART II - OTHER INFORMATION - Item 1A. Risk Factors.”
Recent Developments
The Company plans to hold two shareholder meetings on September 3, 2026 to consider a proposal to redomesticate the parent company from Ireland to the United States as a Delaware corporation (“Redomestication”), following an earlier Texas redomestication proposal that, despite receiving over 60% support, did not receive the requisite shareholder approval. The proposed Redomestication is subject to customary conditions, including shareholder approval and sanction by the High Court of Ireland, and is expected to be completed during the fourth quarter of 2026.
On May 31, 2026, the Company entered into a definitive merger agreement to acquire NCS Multistage Holdings, Inc., which will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Weatherford upon closing (“Proposed Transaction”). The transaction consideration consists of Weatherford ordinary shares or a combination of ordinary shares and cash, subject to certain limitations, adjustments and proration provisions. This merger is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals, and is expected to close in the second half of 2026.
Business
Weatherford is a leading global energy services company providing equipment and services used in the drilling, evaluation, well construction, completion, production, intervention and responsible abandonment of wells in the oil and natural gas exploration and production industry as well as new energy platforms.
We conduct business in approximately 75 countries, answering the challenges of the energy industry with 302 operating locations including manufacturing, research and development, service, and training facilities. Our operational performance is reviewed and managed across the life cycle of the wellbore, and we report in three segments (1) Drilling and Evaluation, (2) Well Construction and Completions, and (3) Production and Intervention.
Drilling and Evaluation (“DRE”) offers a suite of services including managed pressure drilling, drilling services, wireline and drilling fluids. DRE offerings range from early well planning to reservoir management through innovative tools and expert engineering to optimize reservoir access and productivity.
Well Construction and Completions (“WCC”) offers products and services for well integrity assurance across the full life cycle of the well. The primary offerings are tubular running services, cementation products, completions, liner hangers and well services. WCC deploys conventional to advanced technologies, providing safe and efficient services in any environment during the well construction phase.
Production and Intervention (“PRI”) offers a suite of reservoir stimulation designs, and engineering capabilities that isolate zones and unlock reserves in conventional and unconventional wells, deep water, and aging reservoirs. The primary offerings are intervention services & drilling tools, artificial lift, digital solutions, sub-sea intervention and pressure pumping services in select markets.
18
Table of Contents
Industry Trends
Demand for our industry’s products and services is driven by many factors, including commodity prices, the number of oil and gas rigs and wells drilled, depth and drilling conditions of wells, number of well completions, age of existing wells, reservoir depletion, regulatory environment, and the level of workover activity worldwide.
Lower oil and natural gas prices and lower rig count generally correlate to lower exploration and production spending, and higher oil and natural gas prices and higher rig count generally correlate to higher exploration and production spending. Therefore, our financial results can be significantly affected by oil and natural gas prices as well as rig counts. As shown in the following tables, as of three and six months ended June 30, 2026, the average WTI oil price and average Brent crude oil price were higher compared to three and six months ended June 30, 2025 while the average Henry Hub natural gas prices were lower than during the three months ended June 30, 2025 and higher than during the six months ended June 30, 2025. Average rig counts decreased during the three and six months ended June 30, 2026 compared to the three and six months ended June 30, 2025. Oil prices have experienced increased volatility and upward pressure in response to the ongoing geopolitical conflict involving Iran, the U.S. and Israel (“Iran Conflict”). Despite higher oil prices driven by the Iran Conflict, it has adversely impacted exploration and production spending in the Middle East resulting in disruption of global energy supplies and adversely affecting global supply chains, energy markets and overall macroeconomic conditions.
Developments in global trade policy, tariffs, geopolitical conflicts, sanctions, and regulation have affected and may continue to affect our industry. In February 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that certain tariffs were unlawful and affirmed that jurisdiction for tariff-related matters resided with the Court of International Trade; however, uncertainty persists as new tariffs have been introduced under alternative authorities. We have filed claims for refunds of certain tariffs and have begun receiving approvals and cash receipts, while continuing to prepare and submit additional claims as further guidance becomes available. Separately, certain tariffs implemented in 2026 have been challenged or modified, and we continue to monitor these developments, which are not currently expected to have a material impact on our results.
The table below shows the average oil and natural gas prices for West Texas Intermediate (“WTI”), Brent North Sea (“Brent”) crude oil and Henry Hub natural gas.
| Three Months Ended | Six Months Ended | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 30, | June 30, | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2026 | 2025 | 2026 | 2025 | ||||||||||||||||
| Oil price - WTI (1) | $ | 95.75 | $ | 64.63 | $ | 83.87 | $ | 68.23 | |||||||||||
| Oil price - Brent (1) | $ | 103.28 | $ | 68.01 | $ | 91.74 | $ | 71.91 | |||||||||||
| Natural gas price - Henry Hub (2) | $ | 2.95 | $ | 3.19 | $ | 3.87 | $ | 3.67 | |||||||||||
| (1) Oil price measured in dollars per barrel (rounded to the nearest $0.01) | |||||||||||||||||||
| (2) Natural gas price measured in dollars per million British thermal units (rounded to the nearest $0.01) |
The table below shows historical average rig counts based on the weekly Baker Hughes Company rig count information.
| Three Months Ended | Six Months Ended | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 30, | June 30, | |||||||||||||
| 2026 | 2025 | 2026 | 2025 | |||||||||||
| North America | 704 | 699 | 726 | 751 | ||||||||||
| International (1) | 1,056 | 1,078 | 1,070 | 1,087 | ||||||||||
| Worldwide | 1,760 | 1,777 | 1,796 | 1,838 | ||||||||||
| (1) Prior period international rig count figures were retroactively adjusted by Baker Hughes in the third quarter of 2025. |
19
Iran Conflict
The Iran Conflict, which began in February 2026, has and could continue to significantly disrupt the global oil and gas supply-demand balance, increase commodity price volatility and heighten uncertainty in regional operating conditions. We continue to evaluate our operations and business exposure, with a priority on the safety and well‑being of our employees, operating in compliance with applicable laws and sanctions, and performing under existing contracts with customers in the region. Disruptions to transportation routes, higher logistics and insurance costs, and changes in customer activity levels or project timing could continue to affect our operating results, liquidity, and cash flows, particularly if conditions persist or escalate. While the situation remains fluid, adverse impacts can continue in future periods. We will continue to monitor developments and, to the extent possible, mitigate potential impacts on our business and financial position.
Russia Ukraine Conflict
In February 2022, the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine (“Russia Ukraine Conflict”) began and in response we evaluated, and continue to evaluate, our operations, with the priority being centered on the safety and well-being of our employees in the impacted regions, as well as operating in full compliance with applicable international laws and sanctions.
Revenues in Russia were just under 10% and 9% of our total revenues for the three and six months ended June 30, 2026, respectively, compared to 7% of our total revenue for both the three and six months ended June 30, 2025. The increase in Russia revenues as a percentage of consolidated results year over year was driven by revenue decreases in the Middle East/North Africa/Asia region as a result of the Iran Conflict and the strengthening of the Ruble against the U.S. dollar. As of June 30, 2026, our Russia operations included $118 million in cash, $178 million in other current assets, $105 million in property, plant and equipment, net and other non-current assets, and $90 million in liabilities. As of December 31, 2025, our Russia operations included $107 million in cash, $152 million in other current assets, $91 million in property, plant and equipment, net and other non-current assets, and $80 million in liabilities.
We continue to closely monitor and evaluate the developments in Russia as well as any changes in international laws and sanctions. We believe that operational complexity will increase over time and therefore continually evaluate these potential impacts on our business. As such, we continue to actively evaluate various options, strategies and contingencies with respect to our business in Russia, including, but not limited to:
•continuing the business in compliance with applicable laws and sanctions;
•evaluating the continued use or change in products, equipment and service offerings we currently provide in
Russia;
•curtailing or winding down our activities over time;
•potentially divesting some or all of our assets or businesses in Russia, which could include the option of re-entering the country if and when sanctions or applicable laws would allow for the same; and
•potential nationalization of the business.
20
Latest 10-K MD&A
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
As used in this item, “Weatherford”, “the Company,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Weatherford International plc, a public limited company organized under the laws of Ireland, and its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis.
The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the earlier section “Item 1. Business” and our Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto included later in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.” Our discussion includes various forward-looking statements about our markets, the demand for our products and services and our future results. These statements include certain risks and uncertainties. For information about these risks and uncertainties, refer to the section entitled “Forward-Looking Statements” and the section entitled “Item 1A. Risk Factors.” The following section generally discusses our financial condition and results of operations for fiscal year ended December 31, 2025 compared to fiscal year ended December 31, 2024. Please refer to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 filed with the SEC on February 6, 2025, for a discussion regarding our financial condition and results of operations for fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 as compared to fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.
Industry Trends
Demand for our industry’s products and services is driven by many factors, including commodity prices, the number of oil and gas rigs and wells drilled, depth and drilling conditions of wells, number of well completions, age of existing wells, reservoir depletion, regulatory environment, and the level of workover activity worldwide.
Lower oil and natural gas prices and lower rig count generally correlate to lower exploration and production spending, and higher oil and natural gas prices and higher rig count generally correlate to higher exploration and production spending. Therefore, our financial results are significantly affected by oil and natural gas prices as well as rig counts. As shown in the following tables, as of December 31, 2025 oil prices and rig counts were notably lower than at December 31, 2024. The drop in oil prices and rig counts since December 31, 2024 has coincided with reduced activity levels across our industry. Henry Hub natural gas prices increased as of December 31, 2025 compared to December 31, 2024, driven by both U.S. domestic gas demand and investment decisions on adding new export liquified natural gas capacity. Gas production additions, largely driven by positive liquified natural gas sentiment ahead of actual capacity additions, were sourced from a backlog of drilled but uncompleted wells and deferred start-ups.
The table below shows the average oil and natural gas prices for West Texas Intermediate (“WTI”) and Brent North Sea (“Brent”) crude oil and Henry Hub (“HH”) natural gas.
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | |||||
| Oil price - WTI (1) | $ | 65.46 | $ | 76.55 | ||
| Oil price - Brent (1) | $ | 69.10 | $ | 80.53 | ||
| Natural Gas price - HH (2) | $ | 3.53 | $ | 2.19 | ||
| (1) Oil price measured in dollars per barrel (rounded to the nearest $0.01) | ||||||
| (2) Natural gas price measured in dollars per million British thermal units (Btu), or MMBtu |
Weatherford International plc – 2025 Form 10-K | 25
Table of Contents Item 7 | MD&A
The table below shows historical average rig counts based on the weekly Baker Hughes Company rig count information.
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | |||
| North America | 738 | 786 | ||
| International (1) | 1,080 | 1,162 | ||
| Worldwide | 1,818 | 1,948 | ||
| (1) Prior period international rig count figures were retroactively adjusted by Baker Hughes in the third quarter of 2025. |
In addition, there may be future impacts and effects on our industry in areas relating to global trade policy and tariffs, global conflicts and resulting sanctions, environmental regulation and others. As tariffs and trade policies continue to develop, the Company actively monitors for changes and adjusts operations to mitigate impacts. While they created some degree of margin dilution, tariffs did not have a material impact on the Company during the year ended December 31, 2025.
Consolidated Statements of Operations - Operating Income Summary
Revenues totaled $4,918 million in 2025, a decrease of $595 million, or 11% compared to 2024. Year-over-year in 2025, product revenues decreased 9% and service revenues decreased 12%. DRE, PRI and WCC were responsible for 52%, 19% and 17% of the decrease in revenues, respectively, with the remaining decrease from lower activity in integrated services and projects. Geographically, each region saw a decrease in revenue, with Latin America responsible for 83% of the decline, North America 11%, Europe/Sub-Sahara Africa/Russia 5% and Middle East/North Africa/Asia 1%. Year-over-year revenue decreases were primarily caused by a softening of the overall market which drove a decline in activity across segments and geographies.
Operating income of $756 million in the twelve months ended December 31, 2025, decreased 19% compared to $938 million in the twelve months ended December 31, 2024, primarily due to the decline in revenue, with a partial offset from lower cost of products and services, lower selling general, administrative and research and development costs and a gain on the sale of our pressure pumping business in Argentina. Cost of products and services of $3.38 billion decreased $221 million, or 6%, in 2025 compared to 2024, primarily due to the decline in product sales and a reduction in headcount leading to lower personnel costs. Our cost of products and services as a percentage of revenues was 69% in 2025 compared to 65% in 2024. The higher cost ratio was primarily due to fixed costs decreasing at a slower rate than revenues.
Selling, general, administrative and research and development costs of $772 million decreased $142 million primarily due to a decline in amortization expense and a reduction in headcount leading to lower personnel costs. These costs as a percentage of revenues were 16% in 2025, an improvement compared to 17% in 2024.
Gain on sale of business was $70 million in 2025 due to the sale of our pressure pumping business in Argentina during the second quarter of 2025. No sale of business occurred in 2024.
Restructuring charges were $58 million in 2025 and $42 million in 2024. The increase was driven by reductions to facility footprint and headcount as part of optimization and efficiency initiatives implemented in light of softening market conditions. See “Note 4 – Restructuring Charges” for additional information.
Other charges, net were $18 million in 2025 and $14 million in 2024. Other charges, net primarily included fees to third-party financial institutions related to collections of certain receivables from our largest customer in Mexico and other miscellaneous items. Other charges, net increased primarily due to acquisition and divestiture related expenditures offset by lower fees related to collections of certain receivables from our largest customer in Mexico in 2025.
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Consolidated Statements of Operations - Non-Operating Summary
Interest Expense, Net
Interest expense, net was primarily the result of the interest on our outstanding long-term debt (see “Note 9 – Borrowings and Other Debt Obligations” to our Consolidated Financial Statements for additional details) offset by interest income. Interest expense, net, of $91 million in 2025, decreased $11 million, or 11%, compared to 2024 primarily from lower interest expense due to a reduction in our outstanding long-term debt. This was partly offset by a decline in interest income due to a reduction in our cash holdings in Argentina upon the execution of multiple Blue Chip Swaps (defined below). See “Note 18 – Blue Chip Swap Securities - Argentina” to our Consolidated Financial Statements for additional details.
Extinguishment of Debt and Bond Redemption Premium
The loss on extinguishment of debt was for charges on unamortized debt issuance costs and bond redemption premiums, both upon the early redemption of debt. During 2025, we issued $1.2 billion in aggregate principal on our 2033 Senior Notes and we repaid $1.36 billion in principal of our 2030 Senior Notes. As such, we recognized a $39 million loss, comprised of an $8 million loss on extinguishment of debt and $31 million bond redemption premium. During 2024, we repaid in full our 6.5% Senior Secured Notes due 2028 (“2028 Senior Secured Notes”) and $4 million in principal of our 2030 Senior Notes, resulting in a bond redemption premium of $9 million. During 2023, we repaid the remaining $125 million in principal on our Exit Notes and made $243 million in repayments and repurchases of our 2028 Senior Secured Notes, and incurred a $5 million bond redemption premium.
Loss on Blue Chip Swap Securities
An indirect foreign exchange mechanism known as the Blue Chip Swap (“BCS”) allows entities to remit U.S. dollars from operations in Argentina. During each of the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, we entered into a series of BCS securities transactions that resulted in a “Loss on Blue Chip Swap Securities” of $2 million and $10 million, respectively. See “Note 18 – Blue Chip Swap Securities - Argentina” to our Consolidated Financial Statements for additional details.
Other Expense, Net
Other expense, net, was primarily comprised of foreign exchange losses, letter of credit fees and other financing charges. Other expense, net, of $70 million was $8 million lower in 2025 as compared to 2024, which was primarily attributable to lower foreign currency losses. Foreign currency losses totaled $45 million and $56 million in 2025 and 2024, respectively, with decrease in 2025 primarily due to lower foreign currency losses in the Mexican Peso.
Income Taxes
We provide for income taxes based on the laws and rates in effect in the countries in which operations are conducted, or in which we or our subsidiaries are considered resident for income tax purposes. The relationship between our pre-tax income or loss from continuing operations and our income tax benefit or provision varies from period to period as a result of various factors, which include changes in total pre-tax income or loss, the jurisdictions in which our income is earned, the tax laws in those jurisdictions, the impacts of tax planning activities and the resolution of tax audits. Our effective rate differs from the Irish statutory tax rate as the majority of our operations are taxed in jurisdictions with different tax rates. In addition, we are unable to recognize tax benefit on certain losses.
We record deferred tax assets for net operating losses and temporary differences between the book and tax basis of assets and liabilities that are expected to produce tax deductions in future periods. The realizability of the deferred tax assets is dependent upon judgments and assumptions inherent in the determination of future taxable income, including factors such as future operating conditions (particularly as related to prevailing oil prices and market demand for our products and services). The Company concluded it was not able to realize the benefit of certain deferred tax assets and has established a valuation allowance. Continued performance improvement in certain jurisdictions could result in a change in our realization of deferred tax asset assessment in the near future, which would release valuation allowance.
The income tax provision and respective effective tax rate was $97 million and 18% and $189 million and 26% for 2025 and 2024, respectively.
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Our income tax provisions in 2025 and 2024 are primarily driven by income in certain jurisdictions, deemed profit countries and withholding taxes on intercompany and third-party transactions that do not directly correlate to ordinary income or loss. Impairments and other charges recognized did not result in significant tax benefit as a result of being attributed to a non-income tax jurisdiction or our inability to forecast realization of the tax benefit of such losses.
For the year ended December 31, 2025, income tax expense was lower than 2024, primarily driven by the release of $70 million in benefits from previously uncertain tax positions due audit settlements and lapses in the statute of limitations, partially offset by a decrease in the amount of valuation allowance releases as compared to 2024.
We are continuously under tax examination in various jurisdictions. We cannot predict the timing or outcome regarding resolution of these tax examinations or if they will have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.
Weatherford International plc – 2025 Form 10-K | 28
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Results of Operations by Segment
| Year Ended December 31, 2025 | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reportable Segments | All | ||||||||||||||
| (Dollars in millions) | DRE | WCC | PRI | Other | Total | ||||||||||
| Revenue | $ | 1,371 | $ | 1,875 | $ | 1,340 | $ | 332 | $ | 4,918 | |||||
| Direct Costs(a) | (876) | (1,127) | (913) | ||||||||||||
| Other Expense(b) | (186) | (233) | (170) | ||||||||||||
| DRE Segment Adjusted EBITDA | 309 | 309 | |||||||||||||
| WCC Segment Adjusted EBITDA | 515 | 515 | |||||||||||||
| PRI Segment Adjusted EBITDA | 257 | 257 | |||||||||||||
| All Other | 42 | ||||||||||||||
| Corporate | (56) | ||||||||||||||
| Depreciation and Amortization | (267) | ||||||||||||||
| Share-based Compensation Expense (c) | (38) | ||||||||||||||
| Gain on Sale of Business | 70 | ||||||||||||||
| Restructuring Charges | (58) | ||||||||||||||
| Other Charges, Net | (18) | ||||||||||||||
| Operating Income | $ | 756 |
(a)Segment cost of sales and direct operating costs.
(b)Segment selling, general and administrative and research and development costs.
(c)See “Note 14 – Share-Based Compensation” for additional information.
| Year Ended December 31, 2024 | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reportable Segments | All | ||||||||||||||
| (Dollars in millions) | DRE | WCC | PRI | Other | Total | ||||||||||
| Revenue | $ | 1,682 | $ | 1,976 | $ | 1,452 | $ | 403 | $ | 5,513 | |||||
| Direct Costs(a) | (1,007) | (1,174) | (955) | ||||||||||||
| Other Expense(b) | (208) | (238) | (178) | ||||||||||||
| DRE Segment Adjusted EBITDA | 467 | 467 | |||||||||||||
| WCC Segment Adjusted EBITDA | 564 | 564 | |||||||||||||
| PRI Segment Adjusted EBITDA | 319 | 319 | |||||||||||||
| All Other | 84 | ||||||||||||||
| Corporate | (52) | ||||||||||||||
| Depreciation and Amortization | (343) | ||||||||||||||
| Share-based Compensation Expense (c) | (45) | ||||||||||||||
| Restructuring Charges | (42) | ||||||||||||||
| Other Charges, Net | (14) | ||||||||||||||
| Operating Income | $ | 938 |
(a)Segment cost of sales and direct operating costs.
(b)Segment selling, general and administrative and research and development costs.
(c)See “Note 14 – Share-Based Compensation” for additional information.
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| Year Ended December 31, 2023 | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reportable Segments | All | ||||||||||||||
| (Dollars in millions) | DRE | WCC | PRI | Other | Total | ||||||||||
| Revenue | $ | 1,536 | $ | 1,800 | $ | 1,472 | $ | 327 | $ | 5,135 | |||||
| Direct Costs(a) | (920) | (1,091) | (953) | ||||||||||||
| Other Expense(b) | (194) | (254) | (196) | ||||||||||||
| DRE Segment Adjusted EBITDA | 422 | 422 | |||||||||||||
| WCC Segment Adjusted EBITDA | 455 | 455 | |||||||||||||
| PRI Segment Adjusted EBITDA | 323 | 323 | |||||||||||||
| All Other | 38 | ||||||||||||||
| Corporate | (52) | ||||||||||||||
| Depreciation and Amortization | (327) | ||||||||||||||
| Share-based Compensation Expense (c) | (35) | ||||||||||||||
| Gain on Sale of Business | 2 | ||||||||||||||
| Restructuring Charges | (16) | ||||||||||||||
| Other Credits, Net | 10 | ||||||||||||||
| Operating Income | $ | 820 |
(a)Segment cost of sales and direct operating costs.
(b)Segment selling, general and administrative and research and development costs.
(c)See “Note 14 – Share-Based Compensation” for additional information.
Weatherford International plc – 2025 Form 10-K | 30
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DRE Results
2025 vs 2024
| Twelve Months Ended | Variance | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in Millions) | Dec 31, 2025 | Dec 31, 2024 | $ | % or bps | |||||||||||
| Revenue | $ | 1,371 | $ | 1,682 | $ | (311) | (18) | % | |||||||
| Direct Costs | (876) | (1,007) | 131 | 13 | % | ||||||||||
| Other Expense | (186) | (208) | 22 | 11 | % | ||||||||||
| Segment Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 309 | $ | 467 | $ | (158) | (34) | % | |||||||
| Segment Adj EBITDA Margin | 22.5 | % | 27.8 | % | n/m | (523) | bps |
DRE revenues of $1.4 billion in 2025 decreased by $311 million or 18% compared to 2024 with approximately 50% of the decrease from lower activity in drilling-related services and approximately 25% of the decrease attributable to a decline in activity for managed pressure drilling. Geographically, approximately 85% of the revenue decrease was from the Latin America region primarily due to a decline in activity in Mexico.
DRE segment adjusted EBITDA of $309 million in 2025 decreased by $158 million or 34% compared to 2024. DRE segment adjusted EBITDA margin was 22.5% in 2025 compared to 27.8% in 2024. The year-over-year decrease in segment adjusted EBITDA was primarily due to a decline in activity in Latin America. Both direct costs and other expense generally decreased in line with the decrease in activity. However, the rate of decrease in direct costs and other expense was lower than the rate of decrease in revenue, contributing to the decrease in margin.
WCC Results
2025 vs 2024
| Twelve Months Ended | Variance | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in Millions) | Dec 31, 2025 | Dec 31, 2024 | $ | % or bps | |||||||||||
| Revenue | $ | 1,875 | $ | 1,976 | $ | (101) | (5) | % | |||||||
| Direct Costs | (1,127) | (1,174) | 47 | 4 | % | ||||||||||
| Other Expense | (233) | (238) | 5 | 2 | % | ||||||||||
| Segment Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 515 | $ | 564 | $ | (49) | (9) | % | |||||||
| Segment Adj EBITDA Margin | 27.5 | % | 28.5 | % | n/m | (108) | bps |
WCC revenues of $1.9 billion in 2025 decreased by $101 million or 5% compared to 2024 with approximately 70% of the decrease from lower activity in cementation products and approximately 30% of the decrease attributable to a decline in activity for completions. Geographically, approximately 65% of the decrease was from Latin America due to a decline in activity in Mexico and approximately 30% of the decrease was from the Europe/Sub-Sahara Africa/Russia region. The remainder of the decrease was driven by North America, but mostly offset by a revenue increase of $18 million in the Middle East/North Africa/Asia region.
WCC segment adjusted EBITDA of $515 million in 2025 decreased by $49 million or 9% compared to 2024. WCC segment adjusted EBITDA margin was 27.5% in 2025 compared to 28.5% in 2024. The year-over-year decrease in segment adjusted EBITDA was primarily due to a decline in activity in cementation products across geographies and a decline in completions in the Latin America and Europe/Sub-Sahara Africa/Russia regions. The declines were partly offset by liner hanger activity in the Middle East/North Africa/Asia region. Both direct costs and other expense generally decreased in line with the decrease in activity. However, the rate of decrease in direct costs and other expense was lower than the rate of decrease in revenue, contributing to the decrease in margin.
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PRI Results
2025 vs 2024
| Twelve Months Ended | Variance | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in Millions) | Dec 31, 2025 | Dec 31, 2024 | $ | % or bps | |||||||||||
| Revenue | $ | 1,340 | $ | 1,452 | $ | (112) | (8) | % | |||||||
| Direct Costs | (913) | (955) | 42 | 4 | % | ||||||||||
| Other Expense | (170) | (178) | 8 | 4 | % | ||||||||||
| Segment Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 257 | $ | 319 | $ | (62) | (19) | % | |||||||
| Segment Adj EBITDA Margin | 19.2 | % | 22.0 | % | n/m | (279) | bps |
PRI revenues of $1.3 billion in 2025 decreased by $112 million or 8% compared to 2024 with approximately 65% of the decrease from lower activity in intervention services and drilling tools and approximately 45% of the decrease attributable to a decline in activity for pressure pumping. The sale of our pressure pumping business in Argentina in the second quarter was the primary contributor to the decline in pressure pumping activity. The decrease in revenue was partly offset by a revenue increase of $15 million from sub-sea intervention activity. Geographically, approximately 80% of the revenue decrease was from the Latin America region.
PRI segment adjusted EBITDA of $257 million in 2025 decreased by $62 million or 19% compared to 2024. PRI segment adjusted EBITDA margin was 19.2% in 2025 compared to 22.0% in 2024. The year-over-year decrease in segment adjusted EBITDA was primarily due to a decline in activity in intervention services and drilling tools across all geographies and a decline in pressure pumping, primarily in the Latin America region. Both direct costs and other expense generally decreased in line with the decrease in activity. However, the rate of decrease in direct costs and other expense was lower than the rate of decrease in revenue, contributing to the decrease in margin.
All Other Results
All other includes results from non-core business activities that do not individually meet the criteria for segment reporting, including integrated services and projects, which includes pass through services and project management services. All other revenues of $332 million, decreased $71 million or 18%, in 2025 compared to 2024 due to a decline in international activity for integrated services and projects.
Corporate
Corporate was a net expense of $56 million in 2025, which was slightly up compared to the net expense of $52 million in 2024.
Depreciation and Amortization
Depreciation and amortization expense in 2025 was $267 million, a decrease of $76 million compared to 2024 primarily due to certain intangible assets reaching full amortization in the fourth quarter of 2024. See “Note 2 – Segment Information”, “Note 6 – Property, Plant and Equipment, Net” and “Note 7 – Intangible Assets, Net” for additional information.
Share-based Compensation
We record share-based compensation expense in “Selling, General and Administrative” on the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations. We recognized $38 million in 2025 and $45 million in 2024. The year-over-year decrease was primarily due to the vesting of previously granted equity awards, resulting in a lower number of unvested awards subject to expense recognition. See “Note 14 – Share-Based Compensation” for additional information.
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Outlook
Growth and spending in the energy services industry is highly dependent on many external factors. These include but are not limited to; the impact from geopolitical conflicts; our customers’ capital expenditures; environmental, social and governance and other sustainability policies and initiatives; world economic, political, trade, and weather conditions; the price of oil, natural gas, and alternatives; member-country quota compliance within the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and the expanded alliance (OPEC+); non-OPEC+ investments and project timing. Imbalance across geographies driven by geopolitical conflicts, investment variances and demand growth alignment with supply stability are driving a greater focus on energy markets balance. In the short term, we see continued focus on capital discipline and efficiencies across all geographies, which we expect to result in muted activity for our services and products, particularly in the first half of 2026, as our customers regulate activity timing and services spending, relative to macro-driven factors listed above. We expect activity to improve in the second half of 2026, resulting in a full year that is slightly lower to in line with 2025.
We remain constructive on our activity profile over the next several years, as we expect positive macroeconomic conditions coupled with our focus on technology adoption and market penetration, to provide a pathway to multi-year energy demand expansion. The mix of customer spending related to regional and operating environment factors (short-cycle vs. long-cycle projects, offshore vs onshore, reservoir and well development cycles) may also influence the timing, type, and intensity of demand for products and services within our portfolio. We continue to closely monitor macroeconomic conditions, potential supply chain disruptions, inflationary factors, and other labor and logistical constraints that could impact our operations and results. Unpredictable developments—such as the potential opening of Venezuela to foreign oil companies—may increase activity levels in the mid to long term.
Our customers continue to face challenges in balancing the cost of extraction activities with securing desired rates of production while achieving acceptable rates of return on investment. These challenges increase our customers’ requirements for technologies that improve productivity and efficiency and pressure us to deliver our products and services at competitive rates. Over the long-term, we expect demand for oil and natural gas exploration and production as well as new energy platforms to continue to require more advanced technology from the energy service industry. Weatherford delivers innovative energy services that integrate proven technologies with advanced digitization to create sustainable offerings for maximized value and return on investment. We continue to expand our product and services offerings across the well cycle, including well construction and completions remote monitoring, and predictive analytics. We believe we are well positioned to satisfy our customers’ needs, but the level of improvement in our businesses in the future will continue to depend heavily on pricing, volume of work, our ability to offer cost efficient, innovative and effective technology solutions, and our success in gaining market share in new and existing markets.
We continue to follow our long-term strategy, aimed at achieving sustainable profitability and cash flow generation in our businesses, servicing our customers and creating value for our shareholders. Our long-term success will be determined by our ability to effectively manage the cyclicality of our industry, including growth during up-cycles and potential prolonged industry downturns, our ability to respond to industry changes and demands, while managing through risks we may be exposed to, and ultimately our ability to generate consistent positive cash flow and positive returns on invested capital.
Weatherford International plc – 2025 Form 10-K | 33
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Liquidity and Capital Resources
At December 31, 2025, we had cash and cash equivalents of $987 million and $55 million in restricted cash, compared to $916 million of cash and cash equivalents and $59 million of restricted cash at December 31, 2024. The following table summarizes cash provided by (used in) each type of business activity in the periods presented:
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Dollars in millions) | 2025 | 2024 | |||
| Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities | $ | 676 | $ | 792 | |
| Net Cash Used in Investing Activities | (145) | (293) | |||
| Net Cash Used in Financing Activities | (474) | (511) |
Operating Activities
Cash provided by operating activities was $676 million in 2025 and $792 million in 2024. The primary operating source of cash in each year was collections related to our sales of products and services, partly offset by operating spend. The year-over-year decrease was primarily due to a decrease in collections as a result of decreased revenue, partially offset by lower employee costs and an increase in cash proceeds from factoring arrangements (see “Liquidity and Capital Resources - Accounts Receivable Factoring” below).
Investing Activities
Cash used in investing activities in 2025 was $145 million. The primary uses of cash in investing activities were for capital expenditures of $226 million and the purchase of Blue Chip Swap securities in Argentina for $117 million (see “Note 18 – Blue Chip Swap Securities - Argentina”). The uses of cash were partially offset by Blue Chip Swap proceeds of $115 million and $97 million of proceeds received from the sale of our pressure pumping business in Argentina (see “Note 2 – Segment Information”).
Cash used in investing activities in 2024 was $293 million. The uses of cash in investing activities were for capital expenditures of $299 million, business acquisitions net of cash acquired of $51 million and the purchase of Blue Chip Swap securities in Argentina for $50 million (see “Note 18 – Blue Chip Swap Securities - Argentina”). The uses of cash were offset by proceeds from sale of investments of $41 million from our marketable securities in Argentina, Blue Chip Swap proceeds of $40 million and $31 million in proceeds from the disposition of assets.
Financing Activities
Cash used in financing activities in 2025 was $474 million. The primary uses of cash in financing activities were for repayments and repurchases of long-term debt of $1.4 billion (see “Note 9 – Borrowings and Other Debt Obligations”), $101 million for share repurchases (see “Note 15 – Shareholders’ Equity”), $72 million for dividend payments (see “Note 15 – Shareholders’ Equity”), bond redemption premium of $31 million resulting from early redemptions, distributions to noncontrolling interests of $29 million, $21 million in tax remittances on equity awards and $18 million in debt issuance costs. The uses of cash were offset by $1.2 billion in proceeds from the issuance of our 2033 Senior Notes.
Cash used in financing activities in 2024 was $511 million. The primary uses of cash in financing activities were for repayments and repurchases of long-term debt of $287 million (see “Note 9 – Borrowings and Other Debt Obligations”), $99 million for share repurchases (see “Note 15 – Shareholders’ Equity”), $36 million for dividend payments (see “Note 15 – Shareholders’ Equity”) and distributions to noncontrolling interests of $39 million. In addition, we paid $31 million in tax remittances on equity awards. The remaining financing cash uses were primarily for bond redemption premiums and contingent considerations.
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Sources of Liquidity
Our sources of available liquidity include cash generated by our operations, cash and cash equivalent balances, and periodic accounts receivable factoring. From time to time, we may enter into transactions to dispose of businesses or capital assets that no longer fit our long-term strategy. We historically have accessed banks for short-term loans and the capital markets for debt and equity offerings. Based upon current and anticipated levels of operations and collections, we expect to have sufficient cash from operations and cash on hand to fund our cash requirements (discussed below) and financial obligations, both in the short-term and long-term.
Cash Requirements
Our cash requirements will continue to include payments for principal and interest on our long-term debt, capital expenditures, payments on our finance and operating leases, payments for short-term working capital needs, operating costs, shareholder returns and restructuring payments. We expect to utilize cash in our capital allocation framework, which includes investments in technology and infrastructure upgrades, and in strategic mergers and acquisitions. Our cash requirements also include personnel costs including awards under our employee incentive programs and other amounts to settle litigation related matters. In addition, we have derivative financial instruments where we have notional amounts that do not generally represent cash amounts exchanged by the parties and are calculated based on the terms of the derivative instrument, however, in the event of a related default, we could potentially be required to pay. See further discussion below under “Derivative Financial Instruments” and in “Note 11 – Derivative Financial Instruments.”
As of December 31, 2025, we had outstanding debt of $236 million in aggregate principal amount for our 2030 Senior Notes and $1.2 billion in aggregate principal amount for our 2033 Senior Notes. We expect $103 million in interest payments annually in 2026 and $101 million each year thereafter until the maturity of our 2030 and 2033 Senior Notes. See “Note 9 – Borrowings and Other Debt Obligations” for additional information.
Our capital spend is expected to be 3-5% of revenue over a 12 to 18 months rolling period and our 2026 capital spend is projected to fall within the same framework. Our payments on our operating and finance leases in 2026 are expected to be approximately $91 million, and $232 million in the years thereafter. See “Note 8 – Leases” for additional information.
Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash are held by subsidiaries outside of Ireland. At December 31, 2025 we had approximately $31 million of our cash and cash equivalents that cannot be immediately repatriated from various countries due to country central bank controls or other regulations. Repatriation of those cash balances might result in incremental taxes or losses similar to the Argentine Blue Chip Swap “BCS” transactions executed (see “Note 18 – Blue Chip Swap Securities - Argentina”), which may contribute to a decrease in cash and cash equivalents. As we continue to conduct business in countries with cash that cannot be immediately repatriated, we may consider infrequent transactions like the BCS transaction in the future to safeguard our cash from exposure to the effects of inflation and currency devaluation.
Ratings Services’ Credit Ratings
Our credit ratings at December 31, 2025 were upgraded since December 31, 2024 as follows:
•Moody's Investors Service upgraded our Corporate Family Rating from ‘Ba3’ to ‘Ba2;’ with a positive outlook
•Standard and Poor upgraded our issuer credit ratings from ‘BB-’ to ‘BB;’ with a stable outlook
•Fitch Ratings upgraded our issuer credit ratings from ‘BB-’ to ‘BB;’ with a stable outlook
Customer Receivables
We may experience delays or defaults in customer payments due to, among other reasons, a weaker economic environment, reductions in our customers’ cash flow from operations, our customers’ inability to access credit markets or reach acceptable financing terms, as well as unsettled political and/or social conditions. Allowances have been recorded for receivables believed to be uncollectible, including amounts for the resolution of potential credit and other collection issues such as disputed invoices. Adjustments to the allowance are made depending on how potential issues are resolved and the financial condition of our customers. In addition, our customers are primarily in fossil fuel-related industries and broad declines in demand for or pricing of oil or natural gas might impact the collections of our customer receivables.
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As of December 31, 2025, and December 31, 2024, Mexico accounted for 27% and 31% of our total net accounts receivables, respectively, of which our largest customer in the country accounted for 24% and 26% of our total net outstanding accounts receivables, respectively. Our largest customer in Mexico has a history of making late payments and, in more recent periods, has utilized third-party financial institutions to pay certain of our receivables. The balances due are not in dispute, however, additional or continued delays in customer payments in the future could differ from historical practice and management’s current expectations; and delays or failures to pay or defaults, if any, could negatively impact the future results of the Company.
During the twelve months ended December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024 we paid an immaterial amount of fees to third-party financial institutions related to collections of certain receivables from our largest customer in Mexico. Pursuant to such arrangements, we received $93 million during the twelve months ended December 31, 2025 and $484 million during the twelve months ended December 31, 2024.
Accounts Receivable Factoring
From time to time, we participate in factoring arrangements to sell accounts receivable to third-party financial institutions for cash proceeds net of discounts and hold-back. During 2025 and 2024, we sold accounts receivable balances of $250 million and $111 million, respectively, and received cash proceeds of $247 million and $110 million, respectively, at the time of factoring. These proceeds are included as operating cash flows in our Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.
Derivative Financial Instruments
We enter into foreign currency forward contracts to mitigate the risk of fluctuating exchange rates on future cash flows denominated in a foreign currency. The amounts will fluctuate, depending on exchange rate volatility, the volume of our foreign currency transactions, and our decisions to hedge. During the fourth quarters of 2024 and 2023, we entered into credit default swaps (“CDS”), further described below. The notional amounts of our foreign currency forward contracts and the CDS do not generally represent cash amounts exchanged by the parties and are calculated based on the terms of the derivative instrument. See also “Note 11 – Derivative Financial Instruments” for additional information.
Credit Default Swap
During the fourth quarter of 2024, we entered into a CDS with a third-party financial institution terminating in September of 2026 related to a secured loan between that third-party financial institution and our largest customer in Mexico. The secured loan was utilized by this customer to pay certain of our outstanding receivables and accordingly, in the fourth quarter of 2024, we received $25 million. The fair value of the derivative was not material as of December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024. Under the CDS terms, within five business days upon notification of default, we could be required to pay the then outstanding notional balance net of recoveries. As of December 31, 2025, we had a notional balance of $14 million outstanding under the CDS and as of December 31, 2024 we had a notional balance of $25 million outstanding. Management expects the total notional balance under the CDS to be nil by December 31, 2026.
A CDS was entered into during the fourth quarter of 2023 with the same parties for similar reasons as in the fourth quarter of 2024, and accordingly, in the first quarter of 2024, we received $142 million. The agreement was terminated in the third quarter of 2024, extinguishing the remaining notional balance.
Guarantees
Our 2030 Senior Notes were issued by Weatherford International Ltd., a Bermuda exempted company (“Weatherford Bermuda”), and guaranteed by the Company and other subsidiary guarantors party thereto. On December 1, 2022, the indenture related to our 2030 Senior Notes was amended and supplemented to add Weatherford International, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Weatherford Delaware”) as co-issuer and co-obligor, and concurrently released the guarantee of Weatherford Delaware.
Our 2033 Senior Notes were issued by Weatherford Bermuda and guaranteed by the Company and other subsidiary guarantors party thereto. On October 24, 2025, the indenture related to our 2033 Senior Notes was amended and supplemented to add Weatherford Delaware as co-issuer and co-obligor, and concurrently released the guarantee of Weatherford Delaware. See “Note 9 – Borrowings and Other Debt Obligations” for additional information.
Weatherford International plc – 2025 Form 10-K | 36
Table of Contents Item 7 | MD&A
Credit Agreement, Letters of Credit and Surety Bonds
Weatherford Bermuda, Weatherford Delaware, Weatherford Canada Ltd. (“Weatherford Canada”) and WOFS International Finance GmbH (“Weatherford Switzerland”), together as borrowers, and the Company as parent, have an amended and restated credit agreement (the “Credit Agreement”). The Credit Agreement is guaranteed by the Company and certain of our subsidiaries and secured by substantially all of the personal property of the Company and those subsidiaries. At December 31, 2025, the Credit Agreement allowed for a total commitment amount of $1 billion, maturing on the earlier of (a) September 18, 2030 and (b) to the extent that more than $200 million of 2030 Senior Notes or Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness in respect thereof is outstanding on such date, the date that is 91 days prior to the stated maturity date of the Senior Notes or any Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness in respect thereof. Financial covenants in the Credit Agreement include a $250 million minimum liquidity covenant (which may increase up to $400 million dependent on the nature of transactions we may decide to enter into), a minimum interest coverage ratio of 2.50 to 1.00, a maximum total net leverage ratio of 3.50 to 1.00, and a maximum secured net leverage ratio of 1.50 to 1.00.
On September 18, 2025, we amended the Credit Agreement to (i) allow for an increase in total commitment amount from $720 million to $1 billion comprised of $600 million to be used either for revolving loans or financial letters of credit and $400 million to be used for performance letters of credit, (ii) extend the maturity date to the earlier of September 18, 2030 or January 29, 2030 if more than $200 million of 2030 Senior Notes or Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness are outstanding on that date and (iii) include an accordion feature that will allow for further increases of commitments up to $1.15 billion.
As of December 31, 2025, under the Credit Agreement we had zero borrowings, $7 million in financial letters of credit and $245 million in performance letters of credit outstanding. Additionally as of December 31, 2025, we had $207 million letters of credit under various uncommitted bi-lateral facilities ($47 million of which was cash collateral held and recorded in “Restricted Cash” on the Consolidated Balance Sheets).
As of December 31, 2024, under the Credit Agreement we had zero borrowings, $12 million in financial letters of credit and $279 million in performance letters of credit outstanding. Additionally as of December 31, 2024, we had $91 million of letters of credit under various uncommitted bi-lateral facilities ($49 million of which was cash collateral held and recorded in “Restricted Cash” on the Consolidated Balance Sheets).
We utilize surety bonds as part of our customary business practice in certain regions, primarily Latin America. As of December 31, 2025, we had $629 million of surety bonds outstanding. A breach of certain contractual or performance obligations under our outstanding letters of credit or surety bonds could result in beneficiaries calling such instruments, which could reduce our available liquidity if we are unable to mitigate the issue.
Critical Accounting Estimates
Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operation is based upon our Consolidated Financial Statements. We prepare these consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). As such, we are required to make certain estimates, judgments and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the periods presented. We base our estimates on historical experience and available information and various other assumptions we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. On an on-going basis, we evaluate our estimates, however, actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. The accounting policies we believe require management’s most difficult, subjective or complex judgments and are the most critical to our reporting of results of operations and financial position are as follows:
Weatherford International plc – 2025 Form 10-K | 37
Table of Contents Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Long-Lived Assets
Long-lived assets, which include property, plant and equipment (“PP&E”), definite-lived intangibles and operating lease assets, comprise a significant amount of our assets. The carrying value of our long-lived assets at December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024 was approximately $1.5 billion. The cost of the long-lived assets is then amortized over their expected useful life or their respective lease terms, if applicable. A change in the estimated useful lives of our long-lived assets would have an impact on our results of operations. We estimate the useful lives of our long-lived assets over their respective lease terms, if applicable, or as follows:
| Assets | Estimated Useful Lives |
|---|---|
| Buildings and Leasehold Improvements | 10 – 40 years |
| Rental and Service Equipment | 3 – 10 years |
| Machinery and Other | 2 – 12 years |
| Intangible Assets | 5 – 10 years |
In estimating the useful lives of our PP&E, we rely primarily on our actual experience with the same or similar assets. The useful lives of our intangible assets are determined by the years over which we expect the assets to generate a benefit based on legal, contractual or regulatory terms.
Long-lived assets to be held and used by us are reviewed to determine whether any events or changes in circumstances, known as triggering events, indicate that we may not be able to recover the carrying amount of the asset group. Triggering events include, but are not limited to, reduced or expected sustained decreases in cash flows generated by an asset group, negative changes in industry conditions (such as global rig count, commodity prices, and the global economy), a significant change in the long-lived assets’ use or physical condition, the introduction of competing technologies, and legal and regulatory challenges. The Company groups individual assets at the lowest level of identifiable cash flows and, if impairment triggers are present, performs an undiscounted cash flow analysis to identify asset groups that may not be recoverable. If the undiscounted cash flows do not exceed the carrying value of the long-lived asset group, the asset group is not recoverable, and impairment is recognized to the extent the carrying amount exceeds the estimated fair value of the asset group. A fair value assessment is performed on asset groups identified as not being recoverable using a discounted cash flow analysis or Level 3 fair value analysis, to determine if an impairment has occurred. The discounted cash flow analysis consists of estimating the future cash flows that are directly associated with, and are expected to arise from, the use and eventual disposition of the asset group over its remaining useful life. These estimated discounted cash flows are inherently subjective and include significant assumptions, specifically the forecasted revenue, forecasted operating margins, and the discount rate assumptions and require estimates based upon historical experience and future expectations. The fair value of the asset group is measured using market prices, or in the absence of market prices, is based on an estimate of discounted cash flows. Cash flows are discounted at an interest rate commensurate with our weighted average cost of capital for a similar asset.
If an impairment has occurred, the Company recognizes a loss for the difference between the carrying amount and the fair value of the asset group.
We group long-lived assets by product line. We have long-lived assets, such as facilities, utilized by multiple operating divisions that do not have identifiable cash flows and impairment testing for these long-lived assets is based on the consolidated entity. We did not recognize long-lived assets impairments during 2025, 2024 and 2023.
Management cannot predict the occurrence of future impairment-triggering events, so we continue to assess whether indicators of impairment to long-lived assets exist due to the current business conditions in the energy services industry.
Income Taxes
We take into account the differences between the financial statement treatment and tax treatment of certain transactions. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect of a change in tax rates is recognized as income or expense in the period that includes the enactment date. See “Note 17 – Income Taxes” for detailed discussion of results.
Weatherford International plc – 2025 Form 10-K | 38
Table of Contents Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
We recognize the impact of an uncertain tax position taken or expected to be taken on an income tax return in the financial statements at the largest amount that is more likely than not to be sustained upon examination by the relevant taxing authority.
We operate in approximately 75 countries through hundreds of legal entities. As a result, we are subject to numerous tax laws in the jurisdictions, and tax agreements and treaties among the various taxing authorities. Our operations in these jurisdictions in which we operate are taxed on various bases: income before taxes, deemed profits (which is generally determined using a percentage of revenues rather than profits), withholding taxes based on revenue, and other alternative minimum taxes. The calculation of our tax liabilities involves consideration of uncertainties in the application and interpretation of complex tax regulations in a multitude of jurisdictions across our global operations. We recognize potential liabilities and record tax liabilities for anticipated tax audit issues in the tax jurisdictions based on our estimate of whether, and the extent to which, additional taxes will be due. The tax liabilities are reflected net of realized tax loss carryforwards. We adjust these reserves upon specific events; however, due to the complexity of some of these uncertainties, the ultimate resolution may result in a payment that is different from our current estimate of the tax liabilities.
If our estimate of tax liabilities proves to be less than the ultimate assessment, an additional charge to expense would result. If payment of these amounts ultimately proves to be less than the recorded amounts, the reversal of the liabilities would result in tax benefits being recognized in the period when the contingency has been resolved and the liabilities are no longer necessary. Changes in tax laws, regulations, agreements and treaties, foreign currency exchange restrictions or our level of operations or profitability in each taxing jurisdiction could have an impact upon the amount of income taxes that we provide during any given year.
Effective January 1, 2024, Ireland enacted tax legislation that models the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (“OECD”) reform plans focused on global profit allocation and implementing a global minimum tax rate of at least 15% for large multinational corporations on a jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction basis, known as “Pillar Two.” This did not materially increase taxes in 2025 and 2024 and is not expected to materially increase future taxes.
Valuation Allowance for Deferred Tax Assets
We record a valuation allowance to reduce the carrying value of our deferred tax assets when it is more likely than not that a portion or all of the deferred tax assets will expire before realization of the benefit. The ultimate realization of the deferred tax assets depends on the ability to generate sufficient taxable income of the appropriate character and in the related jurisdiction in the future. In evaluating our ability to recover our deferred tax assets, we consider the available positive and negative evidence, including our past operating results, the existence of cumulative losses in the most recent years and our forecast of near-term future taxable income and various tax planning strategies.
When the likelihood of the realization of existing deferred tax assets changes, adjustments to the valuation allowance are charged to our income tax provision in the period in which the determination is made. The Company concluded it was not able to realize the benefits of certain of its deferred tax assets and has established a valuation allowance. Our valuation allowance on our deferred tax assets was $1.1 billion as of December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024.
Forward-Looking Statements
This report contains various statements relating to future financial performance and results, business strategy, plans, goals and objectives, including certain projections, business trends, our shareholder returns program and other statements that are not historical facts. These statements constitute forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “budget,” “strategy,” “plan,” “guidance,” “outlook,” “may,” “should,” “could,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words.
Forward-looking statements reflect our beliefs and expectations based on current estimates and projections. While we believe these expectations, and the estimates and projections on which they are based, are reasonable and were made in good faith, these statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, our actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what we have expressed or forecasted in the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included herein are only made as of the date of this report, or if earlier, as of the date they were made, and we undertake no obligation to correct, update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except to the extent required under federal securities laws. The following, together with disclosures under “Part I – Item 1A. Risk Factors”, sets
Weatherford International plc – 2025 Form 10-K | 39
Table of Contents Forward-Looking Statements
forth certain risks and uncertainties relating to our forward-looking statements that may cause actual results to be materially different from our present expectations or projections:
•global political, economic and market conditions, political disturbances, war or other global conflicts, terrorist attacks, changes in global trade policies, tariffs and sanctions, weak local economic conditions and international currency fluctuations (including the Russia Ukraine Conflict, conflicts in the Middle East and instability in Latin America);
•general global economic repercussions related to U.S. and global inflationary pressures and potential recessionary concerns;
•failure to ensure on-going compliance with current and future laws and government regulations, including but not limited to those related to the Russia Ukraine Conflict, and environmental and tax and accounting laws, rules and regulations;
•changes in, and the administration of, treaties, laws, and regulations, including in response to issues related to the Russia Ukraine Conflict and conflicts in the Middle East or Latin America, such as nationalization of assets, and the potential for such issues to exacerbate other risks and uncertainties listed or referenced;
•increases in the prices and lead times, and the lack of availability of our procured products and services, including due to macroeconomic and geopolitical conditions such as tariffs and changes in trade policies;
•our ability to timely collect from customers;
•cybersecurity incidents, as our reliance on digital technologies increases, those digital technologies may become more vulnerable and/or experience a higher rate of cybersecurity attacks, intrusions or incidents in the current environment of remote connectivity, as well as increased geopolitical conflicts and tensions, including as a result of the Russia Ukraine Conflict;
•our ability to comply with, and respond to, climate change, environmental, social and governance and other “sustainability” initiatives and future legislative and regulatory measures both globally and in the specific geographic regions in which we and our customers operate;
•our ability to effectively and timely address the need to conduct our operations and provide services to our customers more sustainably and with a lower carbon footprint;
•the price and price volatility of, and demand for, oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids;
•member-country quota compliance within the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries;
•our ability to realize expected revenues and profitability levels from current and future contracts;
•our ability to generate cash flow from operations to fund our operations;
•our ability to effectively and timely adapt our technology portfolio, products and services to remain competitive, and to address and participate in changes to the market demands, including for the transition to alternate sources of energy such as geothermal, carbon capture and responsible abandonment, and including our digitalization efforts and our incorporation of artificial intelligence tools;
•our ability to realize cost savings and business enhancements from our revenue and cost improvement efforts;
•our ability to effectively execute our capital allocation framework;
•our ability to attract, motivate and retain employees, including key personnel;
•our ability to access the capital markets on terms that are commercially acceptable to the Company;
•our ability to manage our workforce, supply chain challenges and disruptions, business processes, information technology systems and technological innovation and commercialization, including the impact of our enterprise resource planning system implementation, organization restructure, business enhancements, improvement efforts and the cost and support reduction plans;
•our ability to return capital to shareholders, including those related to the timing and amounts (including any plans or commitments in respect thereof) of any dividends and share repurchases;
•our ability to service our debt obligations;
•potential non-cash asset impairment charges for long-lived assets, intangible assets or other assets;
•adverse weather conditions in certain regions of our operations; and
•public health issues such as pandemics.
Many of these factors are macro-economic in nature and are, therefore, beyond our control. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, affect us in ways or to an extent that we currently do not expect or consider to be significant, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, our actual results, performance or achievements may vary materially from those described in this report as anticipated, believed, estimated, expected, intended, planned or projected.
Finally, our future results will depend upon various other risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, those detailed in our current and past filings with the SEC under the Exchange Act and the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
Weatherford International plc – 2025 Form 10-K | 40
Table of Contents Forward-Looking Statements
MD&A history
Prior-year 10-K MD&A spans are extracted from SEC filings with the same bounded parser used for the latest filing. The latest 10-K appears above; prior years are below.
FY 2024 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0001603923-25-000050.
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
As used in this item, “Weatherford”, “the Company,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Weatherford International plc, a public limited company organized under the laws of Ireland, and its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis.
The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the earlier section “Item 1. Business” and our Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto included later in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.” Our discussion includes various forward-looking statements about our markets, the demand for our products and services and our future results. These statements include certain risks and uncertainties. For information about these risks and uncertainties, refer to the section entitled “Forward-Looking Statements” and the section entitled “Item 1A. Risk Factors.” The following section generally discusses our financial condition and results of operations for fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 compared to fiscal year ended December 31, 2023. Please refer to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 filed with the SEC on February 7, 2024, for a discussion regarding our financial condition and results of operations for fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to fiscal year ended December 31, 2022.
Industry Trends
Demand for our industry’s products and services is driven by many factors, including commodity prices, the number of oil and gas rigs and wells drilled, depth and drilling conditions of wells, number of well completions, age of existing wells, reservoir depletion, regulatory environment, and the level of workover activity worldwide.
Lower oil and natural gas prices and lower rig count generally correlate to lower exploration and production spending, and higher oil and natural gas prices and higher rig count generally correlate to higher exploration and production spending. Therefore, our financial results are significantly affected by oil and natural gas prices as well as rig counts.
The table below shows the average oil and natural gas prices for West Texas Intermediate (“WTI”) and Brent North Sea (“Brent”) crude oil and Henry Hub (“HH”) natural gas.
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | |||||
| Oil price - WTI (1) | $ | 76.55 | $ | 77.64 | ||
| Oil price - Brent (1) | $ | 80.53 | $ | 82.47 | ||
| Natural Gas price - HH (2) | $ | 2.19 | $ | 2.54 | ||
| (1) Oil price measured in dollars per barrel (rounded to the nearest $0.01) | ||||||
| (2) Natural gas price measured in dollars per million British thermal units (Btu), or MMBtu |
The table below shows historical average rig counts based on the weekly Baker Hughes Company rig count information.
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | |||
| North America | 786 | 864 | ||
| International | 948 | 948 | ||
| Worldwide | 1,734 | 1,812 |
In addition, there may be future impacts and effects on our industry relating to the new U.S. Presidential administration and Congress in areas relating to global trade policy and tariffs, global conflicts and resulting sanctions, environmental regulation and others. The Company continues to monitor these developments, but the impact and timing of these changes on our business is uncertain.
Weatherford International plc – 2024 Form 10-K | 26
Table of Contents Item 7 | MD&A
Consolidated Statements of Operations - Operating Income Summary
Revenues totaled $5.51 billion in 2024, an increase of $378 million, or 7% compared to 2023. Year-over-year in 2024, product revenues increased 8% and service revenues increased 7%. WCC and DRE contributed to 47% and 39% of the increase in revenues, respectively, with the remainder from higher activity in integrated services and projects. This was partially offset by a decrease from PRI. Geographically, growth in 2024 was led by improvements in the Middle East/North Africa/Asia, Europe/Sub-Sahara Africa/Russia and Latin America regions which contributed to 81%, 23% and 2% of the increase, respectively, partly offset by a revenue decline in North America. Approximately 90% of our revenue increase in 2024 was due to increased customer demand including as a result of business acquisitions during the year, with the remainder primarily from pricing and market share improvements.
Average oil prices in 2024 decreased 1% for West Texas Intermediate crude oil and decreased 2% for Brent North Sea crude oil compared to 2023. Henry Hub natural gas prices decreased 14% compared to 2023. Global rig counts decreased 4% compared to 2023 with North America rig count decreasing by 9% and international rig count remaining flat. The year-over-year decrease in average oil and natural gas prices and the decrease in the North America rig count reflects the lower market demand and oversupply of natural gas in the region.
Operating income of $938 million in the twelve months ended December 31, 2024, increased 14% compared to $820 million in the twelve months ended December 31, 2023, primarily driven by improved operational efficiencies from increased resource utilization, in addition to cost reduction initiatives implemented by the Company in the second half of 2024 and the impact of lower employee incentive compensation. Cost of products and services of $3.61 billion increased $210 million, or 6%, in 2024 compared to 2023, to support the increased overall activity across our segments. Our cost of products and services as a percentage of revenues was 65% in 2024, an improvement compared to 66% in 2023.
Selling, general, administrative and research and development costs of $914 million decreased $2 million driven by a decrease in the cost of employee incentive programs. This was offset by an increase in research and development investment in newer technologies and an increase in overhead to support organization growth. These costs as a percentage of revenues were 17% in 2024, an improvement compared to 18% in 2023.
Other charges of $56 million increased $52 million in 2024 compared to 2023, primarily due to an increase in severance and restructuring costs, and fees to third-party financial institutions related to collections of certain receivables from our largest customer in Mexico.
Consolidated Statements of Operations - Non-Operating Summary
Interest Expense, Net
Interest expense, net primarily represented for each year, the interest on our outstanding long-term debt (see “Note 8 – Borrowings and Other Debt Obligations” to our Consolidated Financial Statements for additional details) offset by interest income. Interest expense, net, of $102 million in 2024, decreased $21 million, or 17%, compared to 2023 primarily after the early and full repayment of our 6.5% Senior Secured Notes maturing September 15, 2028 in 2024.
Loss on Blue Chip Swap Securities
An indirect foreign exchange mechanism known as the Blue Chip Swap (“BCS”) allows entities to remit U.S. dollars from operations in Argentina. During each of the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, we entered into a series of BCS securities transactions that resulted in a “Loss on Blue Chip Swap Securities” of $10 million and $57 million, respectively. See “Note 17 – Blue Chip Swap Securities - Argentina” to our Consolidated Financial Statements for additional details.
Other Expense, Net
Other expense, net, is primarily comprised of foreign exchange losses, letter of credit fees, other financing charges and bond redemption fees. Other expense, net, was $47 million lower in 2024 as compared to 2023, which was primarily attributable to lower foreign currency losses. Foreign currency losses totaled $56 million and $116 million in 2024 and 2023, respectively, and was primarily driven by losses on the Argentine Peso.
Weatherford International plc – 2024 Form 10-K | 27
Table of Contents Item 7 | MD&A
Income Taxes
We provide for income taxes based on the laws and rates in effect in the countries in which operations are conducted, or in which we or our subsidiaries are considered resident for income tax purposes. The relationship between our pre-tax income or loss from continuing operations and our income tax benefit or provision varies from period to period as a result of various factors, which include changes in total pre-tax income or loss, the jurisdictions in which our income is earned, the tax laws in those jurisdictions, the impacts of tax planning activities and the resolution of tax audits. Our effective rate differs from the Irish statutory tax rate as the majority of our operations are taxed in jurisdictions with different tax rates. In addition, we are unable to recognize tax benefit on certain losses.
We record deferred tax assets for net operating losses and temporary differences between the book and tax basis of assets and liabilities that are expected to produce tax deductions in future periods. The realizability of the deferred tax assets is dependent upon judgments and assumptions inherent in the determination of future taxable income, including factors such as future operating conditions (particularly as related to prevailing oil prices and market demand for our products and services). The Company concluded it was not able to realize the benefit of certain deferred tax assets and has established a valuation allowance. Continued performance improvement in certain jurisdictions could result in a change in our realization of deferred tax asset assessment in the near future, which would release valuation allowance.
The income tax provision and respective effective tax rate was $189 million and 26% and $57 million and 11% for 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Our income tax provisions in 2024 and 2023 are primarily driven by income in certain jurisdictions, deemed profit countries and withholding taxes on intercompany and third-party transactions that do not directly correlate to ordinary income or loss. Impairments and other charges recognized do not result in significant tax benefit as a result of being attributed to a non-income tax jurisdiction or our inability to forecast realization of the tax benefit of such losses.
For the year ended December 31, 2024, income tax expense was higher than 2023, primarily driven by increased activity and operating profits, profit mix in various jurisdictions that we operate, and lower valuation allowance releases. During the year ended December 31, 2023, income tax expense was lower by $115 million, due to the release of valuation allowances and the recognition of benefits from previously uncertain tax positions. Those benefits were offset by the establishment of valuation allowance of approximately $50 million against the sale of Blue Chip Swap securities and currency devaluation in Argentina (see Note 17 – Blue Chip Swap Securities - Argentina).
We are continuously under tax examination in various jurisdictions. We cannot predict the timing or outcome regarding resolution of these tax examinations or if they will have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. As of December 31, 2024, we anticipate that it is reasonably possible that the amount of our uncertain tax positions of $201 million may decrease by up to $31 million in the next twelve months due to expiration of statutes of limitations, settlements and/or conclusions of tax examinations.
Weatherford International plc – 2024 Form 10-K | 28
Table of Contents Item 7 | MD&A
Results of Operations by Segment
| Year Ended December 31, 2024 | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reportable Segments | All | ||||||||||||||
| (Dollars in millions) | DRE | WCC | PRI | Other | Total | ||||||||||
| Revenue | $ | 1,682 | $ | 1,976 | $ | 1,452 | $ | 403 | $ | 5,513 | |||||
| Direct Costs(a) | (1,007) | (1,174) | (955) | ||||||||||||
| Other Expense(b) | (208) | (238) | (178) | ||||||||||||
| DRE Segment Adjusted EBITDA | 467 | 467 | |||||||||||||
| WCC Segment Adjusted EBITDA | 564 | 564 | |||||||||||||
| PRI Segment Adjusted EBITDA | 319 | 319 | |||||||||||||
| All Other | 84 | ||||||||||||||
| Corporate | (52) | ||||||||||||||
| Depreciation and Amortization | (343) | ||||||||||||||
| Share-based Compensation Expense (c) | (45) | ||||||||||||||
| Other Credits (Charges) | (56) | ||||||||||||||
| Operating Income | $ | 938 |
(a)Segment cost of sales and direct operating costs.
(b)Segment selling, general and administrative and research and development costs.
(c)See “Note 13 – Share-Based Compensation” for additional information.
| Year Ended December 31, 2023 | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reportable Segments | All | ||||||||||||||
| (Dollars in millions) | DRE | WCC | PRI | Other | Total | ||||||||||
| Revenue | $ | 1,536 | $ | 1,800 | $ | 1,472 | $ | 327 | $ | 5,135 | |||||
| Direct Costs(a) | (920) | (1,091) | (953) | ||||||||||||
| Other Expense(b) | (194) | (254) | (196) | ||||||||||||
| DRE Segment Adjusted EBITDA | 422 | 422 | |||||||||||||
| WCC Segment Adjusted EBITDA | 455 | 455 | |||||||||||||
| PRI Segment Adjusted EBITDA | 323 | 323 | |||||||||||||
| All Other | 38 | ||||||||||||||
| Corporate | (52) | ||||||||||||||
| Depreciation and Amortization | (327) | ||||||||||||||
| Share-based Compensation Expense (c) | (35) | ||||||||||||||
| Other Credits (Charges) | (4) | ||||||||||||||
| Operating Income | $ | 820 |
(a)Segment cost of sales and direct operating costs.
(b)Segment selling, general and administrative and research and development costs.
(c)See “Note 13 – Share-Based Compensation” for additional information.
Weatherford International plc – 2024 Form 10-K | 29
Table of Contents Item 7 | MD&A
Weatherford International plc – 2024 Form 10-K | 30
Table of Contents Item 7 | MD&A
| Year Ended December 31, 2022 | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reportable Segments | All | ||||||||||||||
| (Dollars in millions) | DRE | WCC | PRI | Other | Total | ||||||||||
| Revenue | $ | 1,328 | $ | 1,521 | $ | 1,395 | $ | 87 | $ | 4,331 | |||||
| Direct Costs(a) | (833) | (995) | (950) | ||||||||||||
| Other Expense(b) | (171) | (227) | (184) | ||||||||||||
| DRE Segment Adjusted EBITDA | 324 | 324 | |||||||||||||
| WCC Segment Adjusted EBITDA | 299 | 299 | |||||||||||||
| PRI Segment Adjusted EBITDA | 261 | 261 | |||||||||||||
| All Other | 1 | ||||||||||||||
| Corporate | (68) | ||||||||||||||
| Depreciation and Amortization | (349) | ||||||||||||||
| Share-based Compensation Expense (c) | (25) | ||||||||||||||
| Other Credits (Charges) | (31) | ||||||||||||||
| Operating Income | $ | 412 |
(a)Segment cost of sales and direct operating costs.
(b)Segment selling, general and administrative and research and development costs.
(c)See “Note 13 – Share-Based Compensation” for additional information.
Weatherford International plc – 2024 Form 10-K | 31
Table of Contents Item 7 | MD&A
DRE Results
2024 vs 2023
| Twelve Months Ended | Variance | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in Millions) | Dec 31, 2024 | Dec 31, 2023 | $ | % or bps | |||||||||||
| Revenue | $ | 1,682 | $ | 1,536 | $ | 146 | 10 | % | |||||||
| Direct Costs | (1,007) | (920) | (87) | (9) | % | ||||||||||
| Other Expense | (208) | (194) | (14) | (7) | % | ||||||||||
| Segment Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 467 | $ | 422 | $ | 45 | 11 | % | |||||||
| Segment Adj EBITDA Margin | 27.8 | % | 27.5 | % | n/m | 29 | bps |
DRE revenues of $1.7 billion in 2024 increased by $146 million or 10% compared to 2023 with approximately 70% of the increase from wireline activity as a result of business acquisitions during the year and approximately 30% from drilling related services activity. Geographically, the Middle East/North Africa/Asia and Europe/Sub-Sahara Africa/Russia regions contributed approximately 50% and 30%, respectively, to the regions with revenue growth, offset by lower activity in the Latin America region.
DRE segment adjusted EBITDA of $467 million in 2024 increased by $45 million or 11% compared to 2023. DRE segment adjusted EBITDA margin was 27.8% in 2024 compared to 27.5% in 2023. The year-over-year improvement in segment adjusted EBITDA was primarily due to higher managed pressure drilling and wireline activity. This was partly offset by lower activity in Latin America. Both direct costs and other expense generally increased in line with the increase in activity. However, the rate of increase in direct costs and other expense was lower than the rate of increase in revenue, contributing to the slight increase in margin.
2023 vs 2022
| Twelve Months Ended | Variance | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in Millions) | Dec 31, 2023 | Dec 31, 2022 | $ | % or bps | |||||||||||
| Revenue | $ | 1,536 | $ | 1,328 | $ | 208 | 16 | % | |||||||
| Direct Costs | (920) | (833) | (87) | (10) | % | ||||||||||
| Other Expense | (194) | (171) | (23) | (13) | % | ||||||||||
| Segment Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 422 | $ | 324 | $ | 98 | 30 | % | |||||||
| Segment Adj EBITDA Margin | 27.5 | % | 24.4 | % | n/m | 308 | bps |
DRE revenues of $1.5 billion in 2023 increased by $208 million or 16% compared to 2022 due to higher demand and activity with approximately 70% of the increase from drilling-related services. Geographically, approximately 55% of the overall revenue growth came from Latin America and approximately 25% from the Middle East/North Africa/Asia regions.
DRE segment adjusted EBITDA of $422 million in 2023 increased by $98 million or 30% compared to 2022. DRE segment adjusted EBITDA margin was 27.5% in 2023 compared to 24.4% in 2022. The rate of increase in direct costs and other expense was lower than the rate of increase in revenue, contributing to the increase in margin.
Weatherford International plc – 2024 Form 10-K | 32
Table of Contents Item 7 | MD&A
WCC Results
2024 vs 2023
| Twelve Months Ended | Variance | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in Millions) | Dec 31, 2024 | Dec 31, 2023 | $ | % or bps | |||||||||||
| Revenue | $ | 1,976 | $ | 1,800 | $ | 176 | 10 | % | |||||||
| Direct Costs | (1,174) | (1,091) | (83) | (8) | % | ||||||||||
| Other Expense | (238) | (254) | 16 | 6 | % | ||||||||||
| Segment Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 564 | $ | 455 | $ | 109 | 24 | % | |||||||
| Segment Adj EBITDA Margin | 28.5 | % | 25.3 | % | n/m | 326 | bps |
WCC revenues of $2.0 billion in 2024 increased by $176 million or 10% compared to 2023 due to higher demand and activity with approximately 50% of the increase from completions and approximately 30% from liner hangers, partly offset by a decrease in cementation products activity. Geographically, international regions drove revenue growth with the Middle East/North Africa/Asia region contributing approximately 80% of the international revenue growth, partly offset by a decline in North America.
WCC segment adjusted EBITDA of $564 million in 2024 increased by $109 million or 24% compared to 2023. WCC segment adjusted EBITDA margin was 28.5% in 2024 compared to 25.3% in 2023. The year-over-year improvement in segment adjusted EBITDA was primarily due to an increase of overall activity in the Middle East/North Africa/Asia region and improved margin fall through in major product lines across all geographies. Direct costs generally increased in line with the increase in activity. However, the rate of increase in direct costs was lower than the rate of increase in revenue, contributing to the increase in margin. Other expense also contributed to the increase in margin as expenses declined year-over-year due to a reduction in selling, general and administrative costs.
2023 vs 2022
| Twelve Months Ended | Variance | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in Millions) | Dec 31, 2023 | Dec 31, 2022 | $ | % or bps | |||||||||||
| Revenue | $ | 1,800 | $ | 1,521 | $ | 279 | 18 | % | |||||||
| Direct Costs | (1,091) | (995) | (96) | (10) | % | ||||||||||
| Other Expense | (254) | (227) | (27) | (12) | % | ||||||||||
| Segment Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 455 | $ | 299 | $ | 156 | 52 | % | |||||||
| Segment Adj EBITDA Margin | 25.3 | % | 19.7 | % | n/m | 562 | bps |
WCC revenues of $1.8 billion in 2023 increased by $279 million or 18% compared to 2022 due to higher demand and activity with approximately 75% of the increase from completions and cementation products. Geographically, international regions contributed to approximately all of the overall revenue growth with 50% from the Middle East/North Africa/Asia. Latin America along with Europe/Sub-Sahara Africa/Russia equally contributed to the remaining overall revenue growth.
WCC segment adjusted EBITDA of $455 million in 2023 increased by $156 million or 52% compared to 2022. WCC segment adjusted EBITDA margin was 25.3% in 2023 compared to 19.7% in 2022. Additionally, the rate of increase in direct costs and other expense was lower than the rate of increase in revenue, contributing to the increase in margin.
Weatherford International plc – 2024 Form 10-K | 33
Table of Contents Item 7 | MD&A
PRI Results
2024 vs 2023
| Twelve Months Ended | Variance | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in Millions) | Dec 31, 2024 | Dec 31, 2023 | $ | % or bps | |||||||||||
| Revenue | $ | 1,452 | $ | 1,472 | $ | (20) | (1) | % | |||||||
| Direct Costs | (955) | (953) | (2) | — | % | ||||||||||
| Other Expense | (178) | (196) | 18 | 9 | % | ||||||||||
| Segment Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 319 | $ | 323 | $ | (4) | (1) | % | |||||||
| Segment Adj EBITDA Margin | 22.0 | % | 21.9 | % | n/m | 3 | bps |
PRI revenues of $1.5 billion in 2024 decreased by $20 million or 1% compared to 2023 due to lower demand and activity. Of the product lines with year-over-year revenue decline, approximately 65% of the decrease was from pressure pumping. This was partly offset by a revenue increase in intervention services and drilling tools due to increased activity mainly after business acquisitions during 2024. Geographically, the North America and Latin America regions had approximately 50% and 30%, respectively, of the decrease for regions with a revenue decline. This was partly offset by a revenue increase in the Europe/Sub-Sahara Africa/Russia region.
PRI segment adjusted EBITDA of $319 million in 2024 decreased by $4 million or 1% compared to 2023. PRI segment adjusted EBITDA margin was 22.0% in 2024 compared to 21.9% in 2023. The year-over-year decline in segment adjusted EBITDA was primarily due to drop in international pressure pumping activity as well as lower digital solutions activity and margin fall through. This was partly offset by higher margin artificial lift activity. Direct costs were essentially flat year-over-year, while other expense declined year-over-year due to a reduction in selling, general and administrative costs. The decrease in costs partly offset the decrease in revenue, which contributed to the slight increase in margin.
2023 vs 2022
| Twelve Months Ended | Variance | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in Millions) | Dec 31, 2023 | Dec 31, 2022 | $ | % or bps | |||||||||||
| Revenue | $ | 1,472 | $ | 1,395 | $ | 77 | 6 | % | |||||||
| Direct Costs | (953) | (950) | (3) | — | % | ||||||||||
| Other Expense | (196) | (184) | (12) | (7) | % | ||||||||||
| Segment Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 323 | $ | 261 | $ | 62 | 24 | % | |||||||
| Segment Adj EBITDA Margin | 21.9 | % | 18.7 | % | n/m | 323 | bps |
PRI revenues of $1.5 billion in 2023 increased by $77 million or 6% compared to 2022 due to higher demand and activity with approximately 75% of the increase from pressure pumping and intervention services and drilling tools. Geographically, international regions contributed approximately all of the overall revenue growth with approximately half from Latin America and half from the Middle East/North Africa/Asia. The increase was offset by a revenue decline in North America.
PRI segment adjusted EBITDA of $323 million in 2023 increased by $62 million or 24% compared to 2022. PRI segment adjusted EBITDA margin was 21.9% in 2023 compared to 18.7% in 2022. Direct costs were essentially flat year-over-year, however revenue more than offset the slightly higher rate of increase in other expense, contributing to the increase in margin.
All Other Results
All other includes results from non-core business activities that do not individually meet the criteria for segment reporting, including integrated services and projects, which includes pass through services and project management services. All other revenues of $403 million, increased $76 million or 23%, in 2024 compared to 2023, primarily due to higher international integrated services and projects resulting in project efficiencies.
Corporate
Corporate was a net expense of $52 million in 2024, which was flat compared to 2023.
Weatherford International plc – 2024 Form 10-K | 34
Table of Contents Item 7 | MD&A
Depreciation and Amortization
Depreciation and amortization expense in 2024 was $343 million, an increase of $16 million compared to 2023 primarily due to a larger asset base from an increase in our capital expenditures and acquisitions. See “Note 2 – Segment Information”, “Note 5 – Property, Plant and Equipment, Net”, “Note 6 – Intangible Assets, Net” and “Note 18 – Acquisitions” for additional information.
Share-based Compensation
We record share-based compensation expense in “Selling, General and Administrative” on the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations. We recognized $45 million in 2024 and $35 million in 2023. The increase was primarily attributable to the cost of performance share units. See “Note 13 – Share-Based Compensation” for additional information.
Outlook
Growth and spending in the energy services industry is highly dependent on many external factors. These include but are not limited to; the impact from geopolitical conflicts; our customers’ capital expenditures; environmental, social and governance and other sustainability policies and initiatives; world economic, political, trade, and weather conditions; the price of oil, natural gas, and alternatives; and, member-country quota compliance within the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and the expanded alliance (OPEC+); non-OPEC+ investments and project timing. Imbalance across geographies driven by geopolitical conflicts, investment variances and supply disruptions are driving a greater focus on energy security and resiliency, which in turn is creating a shift towards national oil companies and diversification across multiple energy sources (oil, gas, coal, renewables, etc.) to meet domestic and global demand. In the short term, we see increased focus on capital discipline and efficiencies, particularly in our Latin American and North American regions, which we expect to negatively impact demand for our services and products in 2025, as our customers regulate activity timing and services spending, relative to macro-driven factors listed above. We also expect a decline in activity in Russia in 2025. However, we remain constructive on our activity profile over the next several years, as we expect positive macroeconomic conditions coupled with our focus on technology adoption and market penetration, to provide a pathway to multi-year energy demand expansion. The mix of customer spending related to regional and operating environment factors (short-cycle vs. long-cycle projects, offshore vs onshore, reservoir and well development cycles) may also influence the timing, type, and intensity of demand for products and services within our portfolio. We continue to closely monitor macroeconomic conditions, potential supply chain disruptions, inflationary factors, and other labor and logistical constraints that could impact our operations and results.
Our customers continue to face challenges in balancing the cost of extraction activities with securing desired rates of production while achieving acceptable rates of return on investment. These challenges increase our customers’ requirements for technologies that improve productivity and efficiency and pressure us to deliver our products and services at competitive rates. Over the long-term, we expect demand for oil and natural gas exploration and production industry as well as new energy platforms to continue to require more advanced technology from the energy service industry. Weatherford delivers innovative energy services that integrate proven technologies with advanced digitization to create sustainable offerings for maximized value and return on investment. We continue to expand our product and services offerings across the well cycle, including well construction and completions remote monitoring, and predictive analytics. Our resiliency continued to show in our performance through 2024, allowing us to also make improvements on our capital structure through debt reduction. We believe we are well positioned to satisfy our customers’ needs, but the level of improvement in our businesses in the future will continue to depend heavily on pricing, volume of work, our ability to offer cost efficient, innovative and effective technology solutions, and our success in gaining market share in new and existing markets.
We continue to follow our long-term strategy, aimed at achieving sustainable profitability and cash flow generation in our businesses, servicing our customers and creating value for our shareholders. Our long-term success will be determined by our ability to effectively manage the cyclicality of our industry, including growth during up-cycles and potential prolonged industry downturns, our ability to respond to industry changes and demands, while managing through risks we may be exposed to, and ultimately our ability to generate consistent positive cash flow and positive returns on invested capital.
Weatherford International plc – 2024 Form 10-K | 35
Table of Contents Item 7 | MD&A
Liquidity and Capital Resources
At December 31, 2024, we had cash and cash equivalents of $916 million and $59 million in restricted cash, compared to $958 million of cash and cash equivalents and $105 million of restricted cash at December 31, 2023. The following table summarizes cash provided by (used in) each type of business activity in the periods presented:
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Dollars in millions) | 2024 | 2023 | |||
| Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities | $ | 792 | $ | 832 | |
| Net Cash Used in Investing Activities | (293) | (289) | |||
| Net Cash Used in Financing Activities | (511) | (514) |
Operating Activities
Cash provided by operating activities in 2024 was $792 million. The primary operating source of cash was from higher operating income and collections, partly offset by operating spend. The year-over-year decrease was driven by spend on payments to suppliers.
Cash provided by operating activities in 2023 was $832 million. The primary source of cash was from heightened collections activity from our largest customer in Mexico.
Investing Activities
Cash used in investing activities in 2024 was $293 million. The uses of cash in investing activities were for capital expenditures of $299 million, business acquisitions net of cash acquired of $51 million (see “Note 18 – Acquisitions”) and the purchase of Blue Chip Swap securities in Argentina for $50 million (see “Note 17 – Blue Chip Swap Securities - Argentina”). The uses of cash were offset by Blue Chip Swap proceeds of $40 million, $31 million in proceeds from the disposition of assets and $36 million of other investing activities that primarily consisted of sales of short-term investments.
Cash used in investing activities in 2023 was $289 million. The primary uses of cash in investing activities were for capital expenditures of $209 million, the purchase of Blue Chip Swap securities in Argentina for $110 million (see “Note 17 – Blue Chip Swap Securities - Argentina”), and $47 million of other investing activities that primarily consisted of purchases of short-term investments. The uses of cash were offset by Blue Chip Swap proceeds of $53 million and $28 million in proceeds from the disposition of assets.
Financing Activities
Cash used in financing activities in 2024 was $511 million. The primary uses of cash in financing activities were for repayments and repurchases of long-term debt of $287 million (see “Note 8 – Borrowings and Other Debt Obligations”), $99 million for share repurchases (see “Note 14 – Shareholders’ Equity”), $36 million for dividend payments (see “Note 14 – Shareholders’ Equity”) and distributions to noncontrolling interests of $39 million. In addition, we paid $31 million in tax remittances on equity awards. The tax remittances were lower than the same period of the prior year due to a decrease in the quantity of shares vesting. The remaining financing cash uses were primarily for bond redemption premiums and contingent considerations (see “Note 18 – Acquisitions”).
Cash used in financing activities in 2023 was $514 million. The primary uses of cash in financing activities were for repayments and repurchases of long-term debt of $386 million (see “Note 8 – Borrowings and Other Debt Obligations”) and $56 million in tax remittances on equity awards. Additionally, we paid distributions to noncontrolling interests of $52 million. The remaining financing cash uses were primarily for financing fees paid on the Credit Agreement and bond redemption premiums.
Weatherford International plc – 2024 Form 10-K | 36
Table of Contents Item 7 | MD&A
Sources of Liquidity
Our sources of available liquidity include cash generated by our operations, cash and cash equivalent balances, and periodic accounts receivable factoring. From time to time, we may enter into transactions to dispose of businesses or capital assets that no longer fit our long-term strategy. We historically have accessed banks for short-term loans and the capital markets for debt and equity offerings. Based upon current and anticipated levels of operations and collections, we expect to have sufficient cash from operations and cash on hand to fund our cash requirements (discussed below) and financial obligations, both in the short-term and long-term.
Cash Requirements
Our cash requirements will continue to include payments for principal and interest on our long-term debt, capital expenditures, payments on our finance and operating leases, payments for short-term working capital needs, operating costs, shareholder returns and restructuring payments. We expect to utilize cash in our capital allocation framework, which includes investments in technology and infrastructure upgrades, and in strategic mergers and acquisitions. Our cash requirements also include personnel costs including awards under our employee incentive programs and other amounts to settle litigation related matters. In addition, we have derivative financial instruments where we have notional amounts that do not generally represent cash amounts exchanged by the parties and are calculated based on the terms of the derivative instrument, however, in the event of a related default, we could potentially be required to pay. See further discussion below under “Derivative Financial Instruments” and in “Note 10 – Derivative Financial Instruments.”
As of December 31, 2024, we had outstanding debt of $1.6 billion in aggregate principal amount for our 2030 Senior Notes. We expect $138 million in interest payments annually in 2025 and each year thereafter until the maturity of our 2030 Senior Notes. See “Note 8 – Borrowings and Other Debt Obligations” for additional information.
Our capital spend is expected to be 3-5% of revenue over a 12 to 18 months rolling period and our 2025 capital spend is projected to fall within the same framework. Our payments on our operating and finance leases in 2025 are expected to be approximately $73 million and $220 million in the years thereafter. See “Note 7 – Leases” for additional information.
Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash are held by subsidiaries outside of Ireland. At December 31, 2024 we had approximately $127 million of our cash and cash equivalents that cannot be immediately repatriated from various countries due to country central bank controls or other regulations. Repatriation of those cash balances might result in incremental taxes or losses similar to the Argentine Blue Chip Swap “BCS” transactions executed (see “Note 17 – Blue Chip Swap Securities - Argentina”), which may contribute to a decrease in cash and cash equivalents that cannot be immediately repatriated. As we continue to conduct business in Argentina and in other countries with cash that cannot be immediately repatriated, we may consider infrequent transactions like the BCS transaction in the future to safeguard our cash from exposure to the effects of inflation and currency devaluation.
Ratings Services’ Credit Ratings
Our credit ratings at December 31, 2024 were upgraded since December 31, 2023 and outlook maintained, as follows:
•Standard and Poor (“S&P) and Fitch Ratings (“Fitch”) upgraded our issuer credit ratings from ‘B+’ to ‘BB-’, S&P maintained a positive outlook and Fitch maintained a stable outlook
•Moody's Investors Service (Moody's) upgraded several of our ratings including the Corporate Family Rating from B1 to Ba3; Moody’s maintained a positive outlook
Customer Receivables
We may experience delays or defaults in customer payments due to, among other reasons, a weaker economic environment, reductions in our customers’ cash flow from operations, our customers’ inability to access credit markets or reach acceptable financing terms, as well as unsettled political and/or social conditions. Allowances have been recorded for receivables believed to be uncollectible, including amounts for the resolution of potential credit and other collection issues such as disputed invoices. Adjustments to the allowance are made depending on how potential issues are resolved and the financial condition of our customers. In addition, our customers are primarily in fossil fuel-related industries and broad declines in demand for or pricing of oil or natural gas might impact the collections of our customer receivables.
Weatherford International plc – 2024 Form 10-K | 37
Table of Contents Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
As of December 31, 2024, and December 31, 2023, Mexico accounted for 31% and 27% of our total net accounts receivables, respectively, of which our largest customer in the country accounted for 26% and 22% of our total net outstanding accounts receivables, respectively. Our largest customer in Mexico has a history of making late payments and, in more recent periods, has utilized third-party financial institutions to pay certain of our receivables. The balances due are not in dispute, however, additional or continued delays in customer payments in the future could differ from historical practice and management’s current expectations; and delays or failures to pay or defaults, if any, could negatively impact the future results of the Company.
During the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 we paid an immaterial amount of fees to third-party financial institutions related to collections of certain receivables from our largest customer in Mexico. Pursuant to such arrangements, we received $484 million during the twelve months ended December 31, 2024.
Accounts Receivable Factoring
From time to time, we participate in factoring arrangements to sell accounts receivable to third-party financial institutions for cash proceeds net of discounts and hold-back. During 2024 and 2023, we sold accounts receivable balances of $111 million and $210 million, respectively, and received cash proceeds of $110 million and $202 million, respectively, at the time of factoring. These proceeds are included as operating cash flows in our Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.
Derivative Financial Instruments
We enter into foreign currency forward contracts to mitigate the risk of future cash flows denominated in a foreign currency. The amounts will fluctuate, depending on exchange rate volatility, the volume of our foreign currency transactions, and our decisions to hedge. During the fourth quarters of 2024 and 2023, we entered into credit default swaps (“CDS”), further described below. The notional amounts of our foreign currency forward contracts and the CDS do not generally represent cash amounts exchanged by the parties and are calculated based on the terms of the derivative instrument. See also “Note 10 – Derivative Financial Instruments” for additional information.
Credit Default Swap
During the fourth quarter of 2024, we entered into a CDS with a third-party financial institution terminating in September of 2026 related to a secured loan between that third-party financial institution and our largest customer in Mexico. The secured loan was utilized by this customer to pay certain of our outstanding receivables and accordingly, in the fourth quarter of 2024, we received $25 million. The fair value of the derivative was not material as of December 31, 2024. Under the CDS terms, within 5 business days upon notification of default, we could be required to pay the then outstanding notional balance net of recoveries. As of December 31, 2024 we had a notional balance of $25 million outstanding under the CDS. Management expects the total notional balance under the CDS to decrease to $14 million and nil by December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2026.
A CDS was entered into during the fourth quarter of 2023 with the same parties for similar reasons as in the fourth quarter of 2024, and accordingly, in the fourth quarter of 2023 and January of 2024, we received $140 million and $142 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2023, we had a notional balance of $130 million outstanding under the CDS, which increased to $260 million in January of 2024, following the receipt of the $142 million payment. The agreement was modified in the second quarter of 2024 to reduce the notional balance, and then terminated in the third quarter of 2024, extinguishing the remaining notional balance.
Guarantees
Our 2028 Senior Secured Notes were issued by Weatherford International Ltd., a Bermuda exempted company (“Weatherford Bermuda”), and guaranteed by the Company and Weatherford International, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Weatherford Delaware”) and other subsidiary guarantors party thereto. The remaining principal of our 2028 Senior Secured Notes was redeemed and paid in full on May 23, 2024.
Our 2030 Senior Notes were issued by Weatherford Bermuda and guaranteed by the Company and other subsidiary guarantors party thereto. On December 1, 2022, the indenture related to our 2030 Senior Notes was amended and supplemented to add Weatherford Delaware as co-issuer and co-obligor, and concurrently released the guarantee of Weatherford Delaware.
Weatherford International plc – 2024 Form 10-K | 38
Table of Contents Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Credit Agreement, Letters of Credit and Surety Bonds
Weatherford Bermuda, Weatherford Delaware, Weatherford Canada Ltd. (“Weatherford Canada”) and WOFS International Finance GmbH (“Weatherford Switzerland”), together as borrowers, and the Company as parent, have an amended and restated credit agreement (the “Credit Agreement”). The Credit Agreement is guaranteed by the Company and certain of our subsidiaries and secured by substantially all of the personal property of the Company and those subsidiaries. At December 31, 2024, the Credit Agreement allowed for a total commitment amount of $720 million, maturing on October 24, 2028. Financial covenants in the Credit Agreement include a $250 million minimum liquidity covenant (which may increase up to $400 million dependent on the nature of transactions we may decide to enter into), a minimum interest coverage ratio of 2.50 to 1.00, a maximum total net leverage ratio of 3.50 to 1.00, and a maximum secured net leverage ratio of 1.50 to 1.00.
On April 22, 2024, additional lenders joined the Credit Agreement, providing an increase in total commitments from $550 million to $680 million (performance letters of credit increased from $250 million to $309 million and borrowings or additional performance or financial letters of credit increased from $300 million to $371 million). On June 6, 2024, an additional lender joined the Credit Agreement, providing an increase in total commitments from $680 million to $720 million (performance letters of credit increased to $327 million and revolving loan borrowings or additional performance or financial letters of credit increased to $393 million). In addition, we amended the Credit Agreement to allow for future increases in total commitments of up to $1 billion.
As of December 31, 2024, we had zero borrowings outstanding under the Credit Agreement, and $382 million of letters of credit outstanding, consisting of the $291 million ($279 million for performance letters of credit and $12 million for financial letters of credit) under the Credit Agreement and another $91 million under various uncommitted bi-lateral facilities (of which there was $49 million in cash collateral held and recorded in “Restricted Cash” on the Consolidated Balance Sheets).
As of December 31, 2023, we had zero borrowings outstanding under the Credit Agreement, and $376 million of letters of credit outstanding, consisting of the $270 million ($218 million for performance letters of credit and $52 million for financial letters of credit) under the Credit Agreement and another $106 million under various uncommitted bi-lateral facilities (of which there was $101 million in cash collateral held and recorded in “Restricted Cash” on the Consolidated Balance Sheets).
We utilize surety bonds as part of our customary business practice in certain regions, primarily Latin America. As of December 31, 2024, we had $520 million of surety bonds outstanding. A breach of certain contractual or performance obligations under our outstanding letters of credit or surety bonds could result in beneficiaries calling such instruments, which could reduce our available liquidity if we are unable to mitigate the issue.
Critical Accounting Estimates
Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operation is based upon our Consolidated Financial Statements. We prepare these consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). As such, we are required to make certain estimates, judgments and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the periods presented. We base our estimates on historical experience and available information and various other assumptions we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. On an on-going basis, we evaluate our estimates; however, actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. The accounting policies we believe require management’s most difficult, subjective or complex judgments and are the most critical to our reporting of results of operations and financial position are as follows:
Weatherford International plc – 2024 Form 10-K | 39
Table of Contents Forward-Looking Statements
Long-Lived Assets
Long-lived assets, which include property, plant and equipment (“PP&E”), definite-lived intangibles and operating lease assets, comprise a significant amount of our assets. The carrying value of our long-lived assets at December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023 was approximately $1.5 billion. The cost of the long-lived assets is then amortized over its expected useful life or their respective lease terms, if applicable. A change in the estimated useful lives of our long-lived assets would have an impact on our results of operations. We estimate the useful lives of our long-lived assets over their respective lease terms, if applicable, or as follows:
| Assets | Estimated Useful Lives |
|---|---|
| Buildings and Leasehold Improvements | 10 – 40 years |
| Rental and Service Equipment | 3 – 10 years |
| Machinery and Other | 2 – 12 years |
| Intangible Assets | 5 – 10 years |
In estimating the useful lives of our PP&E, we rely primarily on our actual experience with the same or similar assets. The useful lives of our intangible assets are determined by the years over which we expect the assets to generate a benefit based on legal, contractual or regulatory terms.
Long-lived assets to be held and used by us are reviewed to determine whether any events or changes in circumstances, known as triggering events, indicate that we may not be able to recover the carrying amount of the asset group. Triggering events include, but are not limited to, reduced or expected sustained decreases in cash flows generated by an asset group, negative changes in industry conditions (such as global rig count, commodity prices, and the global economy), a significant change in the long-lived assets’ use or physical condition, the introduction of competing technologies, and legal and regulatory challenges. The Company groups individual assets at the lowest level of identifiable cash flows and, if impairment triggers are present, performs an undiscounted cash flow analysis to identify asset groups that may not be recoverable. If the undiscounted cash flows do not exceed the carrying value of the long-lived asset group, the asset group is not recoverable, and impairment is recognized to the extent the carrying amount exceeds the estimated fair value of the asset group. A fair value assessment is performed on asset groups identified as not being recoverable using a discounted cash flow analysis or Level 3 fair value analysis, to determine if an impairment has occurred. The discounted cash flow analysis consists of estimating the future cash flows that are directly associated with, and are expected to arise from, the use and eventual disposition of the asset group over its remaining useful life. These estimated discounted cash flows are inherently subjective and includes significant assumptions, specifically the forecasted revenue, forecasted operating margins, and the discount rate assumptions and require estimates based upon historical experience and future expectations. The fair value of the asset group is measured using market prices, or in the absence of market prices, is based on an estimate of discounted cash flows. Cash flows are discounted at an interest rate commensurate with our weighted average cost of capital for a similar asset.
If an impairment has occurred, the Company recognizes a loss for the difference between the carrying amount and the fair value of the asset group.
We group long-lived assets by product line. We have long-lived assets, such as facilities, utilized by multiple operating divisions that do not have identifiable cash flows and impairment testing for these long-lived assets is based on the consolidated entity. We did not recognize long-lived assets impairments during 2024, 2023 and 2022.
Management cannot predict the occurrence of future impairment-triggering events, so we continue to assess whether indicators of impairment to long-lived assets exist due to the current business conditions in the energy services industry.
Income Taxes
We take into account the differences between the financial statement treatment and tax treatment of certain transactions. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect of a change in tax rates is recognized as income or expense in the period that includes the enactment date. See “Note 16 – Income Taxes” for detailed discussion of results.
Weatherford International plc – 2024 Form 10-K | 40
Table of Contents Forward-Looking Statements
We recognize the impact of an uncertain tax position taken or expected to be taken on an income tax return in the financial statements at the largest amount that is more likely than not to be sustained upon examination by the relevant taxing authority.
We operate in approximately 75 countries through hundreds of legal entities. As a result, we are subject to numerous tax laws in the jurisdictions, and tax agreements and treaties among the various taxing authorities. Our operations in these jurisdictions in which we operate are taxed on various bases: income before taxes, deemed profits (which is generally determined using a percentage of revenues rather than profits), withholding taxes based on revenue, and other alternative minimum taxes. The calculation of our tax liabilities involves consideration of uncertainties in the application and interpretation of complex tax regulations in a multitude of jurisdictions across our global operations. We recognize potential liabilities and record tax liabilities for anticipated tax audit issues in the tax jurisdictions based on our estimate of whether, and the extent to which, additional taxes will be due. The tax liabilities are reflected net of realized tax loss carryforwards. We adjust these reserves upon specific events; however, due to the complexity of some of these uncertainties, the ultimate resolution may result in a payment that is different from our current estimate of the tax liabilities.
If our estimate of tax liabilities proves to be less than the ultimate assessment, an additional charge to expense would result. If payment of these amounts ultimately proves to be less than the recorded amounts, the reversal of the liabilities would result in tax benefits being recognized in the period when the contingency has been resolved and the liabilities are no longer necessary. Changes in tax laws, regulations, agreements and treaties, foreign currency exchange restrictions or our level of operations or profitability in each taxing jurisdiction could have an impact upon the amount of income taxes that we provide during any given year.
In December 2023, Ireland enacted tax legislation that models the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (“OECD”) reform plans focused on global profit allocation and implementing a global minimum tax rate of at least 15% for large multinational corporations on a jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction basis, known as “Pillar Two.” This did not materially increase taxes in 2024 and is not expected to materially increase future taxes, however, as future legislation is enacted to implement the accord in other jurisdictions in which we have operations, it could materially increase the amount of taxes we owe, thereby negatively affecting our results of operations and our cash flows from operations.
Valuation Allowance for Deferred Tax Assets
We record a valuation allowance to reduce the carrying value of our deferred tax assets when it is more likely than not that a portion or all of the deferred tax assets will expire before realization of the benefit. The ultimate realization of the deferred tax assets depends on the ability to generate sufficient taxable income of the appropriate character and in the related jurisdiction in the future. In evaluating our ability to recover our deferred tax assets, we consider the available positive and negative evidence, including our past operating results, the existence of cumulative losses in the most recent years and our forecast of near-term future taxable income and various tax planning strategies.
When the likelihood of the realization of existing deferred tax assets changes, adjustments to the valuation allowance are charged to our income tax provision in the period in which the determination is made. The Company concluded it was not able to realize the benefits of certain of its deferred tax assets and has established a valuation allowance. Our valuation allowance on our deferred tax assets was $1.1 billion and $1.3 billion as of December 31, 2024, and December 31, 2023, respectively.
Forward-Looking Statements
This report contains various statements relating to future financial performance and results, business strategy, plans, goals and objectives, including certain projections, business trends, our shareholder returns program and other statements that are not historical facts. These statements constitute forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “budget,” “strategy,” “plan,” “guidance,” “outlook,” “may,” “should,” “could,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words.
Forward-looking statements reflect our beliefs and expectations based on current estimates and projections. While we believe these expectations, and the estimates and projections on which they are based, are reasonable and were made in good faith, these statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, our actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what we have expressed or forecasted in the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included herein are only made as of the date of this report, or if earlier, as of the date they were made, and we undertake no obligation to correct,
Weatherford International plc – 2024 Form 10-K | 41
Table of Contents Item 8 | Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except to the extent required under federal securities laws. The following, together with disclosures under “Part I – Item 1A. Risk Factors”, sets forth certain risks and uncertainties relating to our forward-looking statements that may cause actual results to be materially different from our present expectations or projections:
•global political, economic and market conditions, political disturbances, war, terrorist attacks, changes in global trade policies and tariffs, sanctions, weak local economic conditions and international currency fluctuations (including the Russia Ukraine Conflict and conflicts in the Middle East);
•general global economic repercussions related to U.S. and global inflationary pressures and potential recessionary concerns;
•failure to ensure on-going compliance with current and future laws and government regulations, including but not limited to those related to the Russia Ukraine Conflict, and environmental and tax and accounting laws, rules and regulations;
•changes in, and the administration of, treaties, laws, and regulations, including in response to issues related to the Russia Ukraine Conflict such as nationalization of assets, and the potential for such issues to exacerbate other risks and uncertainties listed or referenced;
•cybersecurity incidents, as our reliance on digital technologies increases, those digital technologies may become more vulnerable and/or experience a higher rate of cybersecurity attacks, intrusions or incidents in the current environment of remote connectivity, as well as increased geopolitical conflicts and tensions, including as a result of the Russia Ukraine Conflict;
•our ability to comply with, and respond to, climate change, environmental, social and governance and other “sustainability” initiatives and future legislative and regulatory measures both globally and in the specific geographic regions in which we and our customers operate;
•our ability to effectively and timely address the need to conduct our operations and provide services to our customers more sustainably and with a lower carbon footprint;
•risks associated with disease outbreaks and other public health issues, including a pandemic, their impact on the global economy and our business, customers, suppliers and other partners;
•further spread and potential for a resurgence of a pandemic in a given geographic region and related disruptions to our business, employees, customers, suppliers and other partners and additional regulatory measures or voluntary actions that may be put in place to limit the spread of a pandemic, including vaccination requirements and the associated availability of vaccines, restrictions on business operations or social distancing requirements, and the duration and efficacy of such restrictions;
•the price and price volatility of, and demand for, oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids;
•member-country quota compliance within the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries;
•our ability to realize expected revenues and profitability levels from current and future contracts;
•our ability to generate cash flow from operations to fund our operations;
•our ability to effectively and timely adapt our technology portfolio, products and services to remain competitive, and to address and participate in changes to the market demands, including for the transition to alternate sources of energy such as geothermal, carbon capture and responsible abandonment, including our digitalization efforts;
•increases in the prices and lead times, and the lack of availability of our procured products and services;
•our ability to timely collect from customers;
•our ability to realize cost savings and business enhancements from our revenue and cost improvement efforts;
•our ability to effectively execute our capital allocation framework;
•our ability to attract, motivate and retain employees, including key personnel;
•our ability to access the capital markets on terms that are commercially acceptable to the Company;
•our ability to manage our workforce, supply chain challenges and disruptions, business processes, information technology systems and technological innovation and commercialization, including the impact of our organization restructure, business enhancements, improvement efforts and the cost and support reduction plans;
•our ability to return capital to shareholders, including those related to the timing and amounts (including any plans or commitments in respect thereof) of any dividends and share repurchases;
•our ability to service our debt obligations;
•potential non-cash asset impairment charges for long-lived assets, intangible assets or other assets; and
•adverse weather conditions in certain regions of our operations
Many of these factors are macro-economic in nature and are, therefore, beyond our control. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, affect us in ways or to an extent that we currently do not expect or consider to be significant, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, our actual results, performance or achievements may vary materially from those described in this report as anticipated, believed, estimated, expected, intended, planned or projected.
Weatherford International plc – 2024 Form 10-K | 42
Table of Contents
Finally, our future results will depend upon various other risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, those detailed in our current and past filings with the SEC under the Exchange Act and the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
FY 2023 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0001603923-24-000043.
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
As used in this item, “Weatherford”, “the Company,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Weatherford International plc, a public limited company organized under the laws of Ireland, and its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis.
The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the earlier section “Item 1. Business” and our Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto included later in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.” Our discussion includes various forward-looking statements about our markets, the demand for our products and services and our future results. These statements include certain risks and uncertainties. For information about these risks and uncertainties, refer to the section entitled “Forward-Looking Statements” and the section entitled “Item 1A. Risk Factors.”
Industry Trends
Demand for our industry’s products and services is driven by many factors, including commodity prices, the number of oil and gas rigs and wells drilled, depth and drilling conditions of wells, number of well completions, age of existing wells, reservoir depletion, regulatory environment, and the level of workover activity worldwide.
Lower oil and natural gas prices and lower rig count generally correlate to lower exploration and production spending, and higher oil and natural gas prices and higher rig count generally correlate to higher exploration and production spending. Therefore, our financial results are significantly affected by oil and natural gas prices as well as rig counts.
The table below shows the average oil and natural gas prices for West Texas Intermediate (“WTI”) and Brent North Sea (“Brent”) crude oil and Henry Hub (“HH”) natural gas.
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |||||||
| Oil price - WTI (1) | $ | 77.64 | $ | 94.79 | $ | 67.99 | |||
| Oil price - Brent (1) | $ | 82.47 | $ | 100.78 | $ | 70.68 | |||
| Natural Gas price - HH (2) | $ | 2.54 | $ | 6.42 | $ | 3.91 | |||
| (1) Oil price measured in dollars per barrel (rounded to the nearest $0.01) | |||||||||
| (2) Natural gas price measured in dollars per million British thermal units (Btu), or MMBtu |
The table below shows historical average rig counts based on the weekly Baker Hughes Company rig count information.
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||
| North America | 864 | 898 | 610 | |||
| International | 948 | 851 | 755 | |||
| Worldwide | 1,812 | 1,749 | 1,365 |
Consolidated Statements of Operations - Operating Income Summary
2023 vs 2022
Revenues totaled $5.14 billion in 2023, an increase of $804 million, or 19% compared to 2022. The year-over-year improvement was due to increased activity across all reporting segments. Customer demand is primarily driven by changes in oil and natural gas prices and rig counts. Revenues in 2023 reflect a 18% increase in service revenues and a 20% increase in product revenues. WCC, DRE, and PRI contributed to 35%, 26%, and 10% of the increase in revenues, respectively, with the remainder from higher activity in integrated services and projects. Geographically, growth in 2023 was led by improvements in the Middle East/North Africa/Asia, Latin America and Europe/Sub-Sahara Africa/Russia, which contributed to 51%, 40%, and 13% of the increase, respectively, partly offset by a revenue decline in North America. Approximately 80% of our revenue increase in 2023 was due to increased customer demand, with the remainder from pricing and market share improvements, and operational focus. Average oil prices in 2023 decreased 18% for both West Texas Intermediate crude oil and Brent North Sea crude oil compared to
Weatherford International plc – 2023 Form 10-K | 26
Table of Contents Item 7 | MD&A
2022. Henry Hub natural gas prices decreased 60% compared to 2022. Global rig counts increased 4% compared to 2022. International revenues (outside of North America, see “Note 3 – Revenue” to our Consolidated Financial Statements) led the increase in 2023, observable in the 11% increase of international rig counts for the same periods.
Cost of products and services of $3.40 billion increased $375 million, or 12%, in 2023 compared to 2022, to support the increased overall activity across our segments. Approximately 80% of our increase in 2023 was attributable to cost increases necessary to meet increased demand, with a large portion of the remainder from a shift in service and product mix and the rest due to inflation in the cost of labor and materials. Our cost of products and services as a percentage of revenues was 66% in 2023, an improvement compared to 70% in 2022, reflecting improved utilization on a more efficient operating cost structure, and pricing improvements to customers to offset impacts from supply chain disruptions and inflation. Additionally, lower inventory charges contributed to the lower cost structure as a percentage of revenues.
Selling, general, administrative and research and development costs of $916 million increased $48 million, or 6%. The increase primarily reflects an increase in research and development investment in newer technologies and an increase in overhead to support organization growth. These costs as a percentage of revenues were 18% in 2023, an improvement compared to 20% in 2022, reflecting our focus on cost control initiatives.
2022 vs 2021
Revenues totaled $4.33 billion in 2022, an increase of $686 million, or 19% compared to 2021. The year-over-year improvement was due to increased activity across all reporting segments. Revenues in 2022 reflect a 15% increase in service revenues and a 26% increase in product revenues. The year-over-year improvement was due to increased activity across all reporting segments with PRI, DRE and WCC contributing 39%, 38%, and 24% of the increase in revenues, respectively. Geographically, growth in 2022 was led by improvements in Latin America, the Middle East/North Africa/Asia, and North America, which contributed to 36%, 30%, and 30% of the increase, respectively. Approximately 70% of our revenue increase in 2022 was due to increased customer demand with remainder from pricing and market share improvements, and operational focus. Customer demand is primarily driven by changes in oil and natural gas prices and rig counts. Average oil prices in 2022 increased 39% for West Texas Intermediate crude oil and 43% for Brent North Sea crude oil compared to 2021. Henry Hub natural gas prices increased 64% compared to 2021. Global rig counts increased 28% compared to 2021. Service and product quality excellence allowed us to benefit from a robust market with customers focusing on delivering energy supply with minimal disruption, globally. Imbalance across geographies driven by geopolitical conflicts, investment variances and supply disruptions caused a greater focus on energy security, globally. Our operational initiatives, put in place over the past couple of years, enabled us to regain share in a few product lines and geographies, as well as improve pricing through differentiation.
Cost of products and services of $3.02 billion increased $304 million, or 11% compared to 2021, to support the increased overall activity across our segments. Approximately 70% of this increase is attributable to cost increases necessary to meet increased demand for our products and services. The remainder of the increase was primarily due to inflation of wages and to a lesser extent higher cost of materials. Our cost of products and services as a percentage of revenues was 70% in 2022, an improvement compared to 75% in 2021, reflecting improved utilization on a more efficient operating cost structure, and pricing improvements to customers to offset impacts from supply chain disruptions and inflation. Additionally, higher gains on asset sales and lower inventory charges contributed to the lower cost structure as a percentage of revenues.
Selling, general, administrative and research and development costs in 2022 of $868 million increased $45 million, or 5%, when compared to 2021 to keep up with increased activity and demand across our segments. These costs as a percentage of revenues were 20% in 2022, an improvement compared to 23% in 2021, reflecting our focus on cost control initiatives.
Weatherford International plc – 2023 Form 10-K | 27
Table of Contents Item 7 | MD&A
Consolidated Statements of Operations - Non-Operating Summary
Interest Expense, Net
Interest expense, net primarily represented for each year, the interest on our outstanding long-term debt (see “Note 8 – Borrowings and Other Debt Obligations” to our Consolidated Financial Statements for additional details) offset by interest income. Interest expense, net, of $123 million in 2023, decreased $56 million, or 31%, compared to 2022 primarily due to the early repayments of principal on our 11.00% Exit Notes maturing on December 1, 2024, fully repaid in 2023, early repayments and repurchases of principal on our 6.5% Senior Secured Notes maturing September 15, 2028, and an increase in interest income. Interest expense, net, of $179 million in 2022, decreased $81 million, or 31%, compared to $260 million in 2021 primarily due to the early repayments of principal amounts on our 11.00% Exit Notes maturing on December 1, 2024, having fully repaid in 2021 on our 8.75% Senior Secured Notes maturing on September 1, 2024, and an increase in interest income.
Loss on Blue Chip Swap Securities
An indirect foreign exchange mechanism known as the Blue Chip Swap (“BCS”) allows entities to remit U.S. dollars from operations in Argentina. During the second quarter of 2023, we entered into a series of BCS securities transactions that resulted in a “Loss on Blue Chip Swap Securities” of $57 million. See “Note 17 – Blue Chip Swap Securities - Argentina” to our Consolidated Financial Statements for additional details.
Loss on Extinguishment of Debt and Bond Redemption Premium
During 2023, we repaid the remaining $125 million in principal on our Exit Notes and made $243 million in repayments and repurchases of our 6.5% Senior Secured Notes, and incurred a $5 million bond redemption premium. During 2022, we repaid $175 million in principal on our Exit Notes and incurred a $5 million bond redemption premium. During 2021, we repaid in full our 2024 Senior Secured Notes, repaid $200 million of Exit Notes, and refinanced $1.6 billion of Exit Notes. As such, we recognized a $170 million loss, comprised of a $39 million loss on extinguishment of debt and a $131 million bond redemption premium. See “Note 8 – Borrowings and Other Debt Obligations” for additional details.
Other Expense, Net
Other expense, net, of $129 million in 2023 increased $39 million compared to 2022 expense of $90 million primarily attributable to currency losses on the Argentine Peso. Other expense, net, in 2022 increased by $61 million compared to the 2021 expense of $29 million primarily attributable to currency losses in the Argentine Peso and the Russian Ruble.
When economically advantageous, we enter into foreign currency forward contracts to mitigate the risk of future cash flows denominated in a foreign currency. Additionally, we enter into certain short-term investments which partially offset these foreign exchange losses.
Income Taxes
We provide for income taxes based on the laws and rates in effect in the countries in which operations are conducted, or in which we or our subsidiaries are considered resident for income tax purposes. The relationship between our pre-tax income or loss from continuing operations and our income tax benefit or provision varies from period to period as a result of various factors, which include changes in total pre-tax income or loss, the jurisdictions in which our income is earned, the tax laws in those jurisdictions, the impacts of tax planning activities and the resolution of tax audits. Our effective rate differs from the Irish statutory tax rate as the majority of our operations are taxed in jurisdictions with different tax rates. In addition, we are unable to recognize tax benefit on certain losses.
We record deferred tax assets for net operating losses and temporary differences between the book and tax basis of assets and liabilities that are expected to produce tax deductions in future periods. The realizability of the deferred tax assets is dependent upon judgments and assumptions inherent in the determination of future taxable income, including factors such as future operating conditions (particularly as related to prevailing oil prices and market demand for our products and services). The Company concluded it was not able to realize the benefit of certain deferred tax assets and has established a valuation allowance. Continued performance improvement in certain jurisdictions could result in a change in our realization of deferred tax asset assessment in the near future, which would release valuation allowance.
Weatherford International plc – 2023 Form 10-K | 28
Table of Contents Item 7 | MD&A
The income tax provision and respective effective tax rate was $57 million and 11%, $87 million and 63%, and $86 million and (25)% for 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Our income tax provisions in 2023 and 2022 are primarily driven by income in certain jurisdictions, deemed profit countries and withholding taxes on intercompany and third-party transactions that do not directly correlate to ordinary income or loss. Impairments and other charges recognized do not result in significant tax benefit as a result of being attributed to a non-income tax jurisdiction or our inability to forecast realization of the tax benefit of such losses.
For the year ended December 31, 2023, income tax expense was lower by $93 million, due to the release of valuation allowances where deferred tax assets are now considered more likely than not to be realized in the future, and $22 million due to the recognition of a benefit from previously uncertain tax positions throughout the year. Those benefits were offset by the establishment of valuation allowance of approximately $50 million against the sale of Blue Chip Swap securities and currency devaluation in Argentina (see Note 17 – Blue Chip Swap Securities - Argentina). During the year ended December 31, 2022, income tax expense was lower by $35 million, due to the release of valuation allowances and $27 million, due to the recognition of a benefit from previously uncertain tax positions.
We are continuously under tax examination in various jurisdictions. We cannot predict the timing or outcome regarding resolution of these tax examinations or if they will have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. As of December 31, 2023, we anticipate that it is reasonably possible that the amount of our uncertain tax positions of $203 million may decrease by up to $13 million in the next twelve months due to expiration of statutes of limitations, settlements and/or conclusions of tax examinations.
Weatherford International plc – 2023 Form 10-K | 29
Table of Contents Item 7 | MD&A
Results of Operations by Segment
| Favorable | Favorable | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Unfavorable) | (Unfavorable) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Year Ended December 31, | $ | % or bps | $ | % or bps | |||||||||||||||
| (Dollars in millions) | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2023 vs 2022 | 2022 vs 2021 | ||||||||||||||
| Revenues: | |||||||||||||||||||
| DRE Revenues | $ | 1,536 | $ | 1,328 | $ | 1,066 | $ | 208 | 16% | $ | 262 | 25% | |||||||
| WCC Revenues | 1,800 | 1,521 | 1,353 | 279 | 18% | 168 | 12% | ||||||||||||
| PRI Revenues | 1,472 | 1,395 | 1,127 | 77 | 6% | 268 | 24% | ||||||||||||
| All Other | 327 | 87 | 99 | 240 | 276% | (12) | (12)% | ||||||||||||
| Total Revenues | 5,135 | 4,331 | 3,645 | 804 | 19% | 686 | 19% | ||||||||||||
| Operating Income: | |||||||||||||||||||
| DRE Segment Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 422 | $ | 324 | $ | 186 | $ | 98 | 30% | $ | 138 | 74% | |||||||
| WCC Segment Adjusted EBITDA | 455 | 299 | 256 | 156 | 52% | 43 | 17% | ||||||||||||
| PRI Segment Adjusted EBITDA | 323 | 261 | 191 | 62 | 24% | 70 | 37% | ||||||||||||
| All Other | 38 | 1 | 6 | 37 | 3700% | (5) | (83)% | ||||||||||||
| Corporate | (52) | (68) | (68) | 16 | 24% | — | —% | ||||||||||||
| Depreciation and Amortization | (327) | (349) | (440) | 22 | 6% | 91 | 21% | ||||||||||||
| Share-based Compensation | (35) | (25) | (25) | (10) | (40)% | — | —% | ||||||||||||
| Other Credits (Charges) | (4) | (31) | 10 | 27 | 87% | (41) | (410)% | ||||||||||||
| Operating Income (Loss) | $ | 820 | $ | 412 | $ | 116 | $ | 408 | 99% | $ | 296 | 255% | |||||||
| Margins: | |||||||||||||||||||
| DRE Segment Adjusted EBITDA Margin | 27.5 | % | 24.4 | % | 17.4 | % | n/m | 308 | bps | n/m | 695 | bps | |||||||
| WCC Segment Adjusted EBITDA Margin | 25.3 | % | 19.7 | % | 18.9 | % | n/m | 562 | bps | n/m | 74 | bps | |||||||
| PRI Segment Adjusted EBITDA Margin | 21.9 | % | 18.7 | % | 16.9 | % | n/m | 323 | bps | n/m | 176 | bps |
Weatherford International plc – 2023 Form 10-K | 30
Table of Contents Item 7 | MD&A
DRE Results
2023 vs 2022
DRE revenues of $1.5 billion in 2023 increased by $208 million or 16% compared to 2022 due to higher demand and activity with approximately 70% of the increase from drilling-related services. Geographically, approximately 55% of the overall revenue growth came from Latin America and approximately 25% from the Middle East/North Africa/Asia regions.
DRE segment adjusted EBITDA of $422 million in 2023 increased by $98 million or 30% compared to 2022. DRE segment adjusted EBITDA margin was 27.5% in 2023 compared to 24.4% in 2022.
2022 vs 2021
DRE revenues of $1.3 billion in 2022, increased by $262 million or 25% compared to 2021 due to higher demand and activity with approximately 70% of the increase from managed pressure drilling and drilling services. Geographically, approximately half of the overall revenue growth came from Latin America and 35% from the Middle East/North Africa/Asia regions.
DRE segment adjusted EBITDA of $324 million in 2022 increased by $138 million or 74% compared to 2021. DRE segment adjusted EBITDA margin was 24.4% in 2022 compared to 17.4% in 2021.
WCC Results
2023 vs 2022
WCC revenues of $1.8 billion in 2023 increased by $279 million or 18% compared to 2022 due to higher demand and activity with approximately 75% of the increase from completions and cementation products. Geographically, international regions contributed to approximately all of the overall revenue growth with 50% from the Middle East/North Africa/Asia. Latin America along with Europe/Sub-Sahara Africa/Russia equally contributed to the remaining overall revenue growth.
WCC segment adjusted EBITDA of $455 million in 2023 increased by $156 million or 52% compared to 2022. WCC segment adjusted EBITDA margin was 25.3% in 2023 compared to 19.7% in 2022.
2022 vs 2021
WCC revenues of $1.5 billion in 2022 increased by $168 million or 12% compared to 2021 due to higher demand and activity with approximately 55% of the increase from cementation products. Geographically, approximately half of the overall revenue growth came from the Middle East/North Africa/Asia with North America and Latin America contributing equally to remaining overall revenue growth. The increase was offset by a revenue decline in Europe/Sub-Sahara Africa/Russia.
WCC segment adjusted EBITDA of $299 million in 2022 increased by $43 million or 17% compared to 2021. WCC segment adjusted EBITDA margin was 19.7% in 2022 compared to 18.9% in 2021.
PRI Results
2023 vs 2022
PRI revenues of $1.5 billion in 2023 increased by $77 million or 6% compared to 2022 due to higher demand and activity with approximately 75% of the increase from pressure pumping and intervention services and drilling tools. Geographically, international regions contributed approximately all of the overall revenue growth with approximately half from Latin America and half from the Middle East/North Africa/Asia. The increase was offset by a revenue decline in North America.
PRI segment adjusted EBITDA of $323 million in 2023 increased by $62 million or 24% compared to 2022. PRI segment adjusted EBITDA margin was 21.9% in 2023 compared to 18.7% in 2022.
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Table of Contents Item 7 | MD&A
2022 vs 2021
PRI revenues of $1.4 billion in 2022, increased by $268 million or 24% compared to 2021 due to higher demand and activity across all PRI product lines with approximately 75% of the increase from artificial lift and pressure pumping. Geographically, approximately 45% of the revenue growth came from North America and approximately 45% of the growth was contributed equally by Europe/Sub-Sahara Africa/Russia and Latin America.
PRI segment adjusted EBITDA of $261 million in 2022 increased by $70 million or 37% compared to 2021. PRI segment adjusted EBITDA margin was 18.7% in 2022 compared to 16.9% in 2021.
All Other Results
All other includes results from non-core business activities that do not individually meet the criteria for segment reporting, including integrated services and projects, which includes pass through services and project management services.
All other revenues of $327 million, increased $240 million or 276%, in 2023 compared to 2022, primarily due to higher activity related to integrated services and projects in the Middle East/North Africa/Asia and Latin America. All other revenues of $87 million, decreased $12 million or 12% in 2022 compared to 2021, primarily due to product line discontinuations and lower revenues from integrated services and projects.
Corporate
Corporate was a net expense of $52 million in 2023, a decrease of $16 million or 24% compared to 2022, primarily due to lower litigation expense in 2023. Corporate was a net expense of $68 million in 2022 and 2021 and included the impact of litigation expense or other one-time items.
Depreciation and Amortization
Depreciation and amortization expense in 2023 was $327 million, a decrease of $22 million compared to 2022, and in 2022 was $349 million, a decrease of $91 million compared to 2021. The decrease in both periods was primarily attributed to a lower asset base, offset by an increase in our capital expenditures as demand increased. See “Note 2 – Segment Information”, “Note 7 – Property, Plant and Equipment, Net”, and “Note 8 – Intangible Assets, Net” for additional information.
Share-based Compensation
We record share-based compensation expense in “Selling, General and Administrative” on the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations. We recognized $35 million in 2023 and $25 million in each of 2022, and 2021. The increase was primarily attributable to the cost of performance share units. See “Note 13 – Share-Based Compensation” for additional information.
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Outlook
Growth and spending in the energy services industry is highly dependent on many external factors. These include but are not limited to; the impact from geopolitical conflicts; global response to any ongoing pandemics; our customers’ capital expenditures; environmental, social and governance and other sustainability initiatives; world economic, political and weather conditions; the price of oil and natural gas; and, member-country quota compliance within the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and the expanded alliance. Imbalance across geographies driven by geopolitical conflicts, investment variances and supply disruptions are driving a greater focus on energy security, which in turn is creating a shift towards national oil companies. We expect continued improvements in our customer activity levels and generally positive macroeconomic conditions, all of which are expected to continue to provide a pathway to a multi-year energy demand expansion. We continue to closely monitor macroeconomic conditions, potential supply chain disruptions, inflationary factors, and other labor and logistical constraints that could impact our operations and results.
Our customers continue to face challenges in balancing the cost of extraction activities with securing desired rates of production while achieving acceptable rates of return on investment. These challenges increase our customers’ requirements for technologies that improve productivity and efficiency and pressure us to deliver our products and services at competitive rates. Over the long-term, we expect demand for oil and natural gas exploration and production industry as well as new energy platforms to continue to require more advanced technology from the energy service industry. Weatherford delivers innovative energy services that integrate proven technologies with advanced digitalization to create sustainable offerings for maximized value and return on investment. There was substantial negative impact on the global economy and demand leftover in 2021 from the COVID-19 pandemic, which carried at a lesser extent into 2022 which also included inflationary pressures, logistical delays and service and supply shortages. We managed to face these challenges by evolving our offerings, increasing the breadth of our digital portfolio and enhancing our applications to offer more fully integrated digital energy services solutions. We also increased our offerings of automated well construction and remote monitoring and predictive analytics related to our product offerings. Our resiliency continued to show in our performance through 2023, allowing us to also make improvements on our capital structure through debt reduction. We believe we are well positioned to satisfy our customers’ needs, but the level of improvement in our businesses in the future will continue to depend heavily on pricing, volume of work, our ability to offer cost efficient, innovative and effective technology solutions, and our success in gaining market share in new and existing markets.
Our company performance, industry conditions and related perception, could make it more difficult to obtain our targeted cost reduction benefits and to recruit, motivate and retain employees, including key personnel. The implementation of new or escalation of existing sanctions imposed against countries in which we operate, including any further escalation of sanctions and other events around the Russia Ukraine Conflict, including increased exposure to cyberattacks, increasing investor and government focus on sustainability initiatives, supply chain challenges and disruptions, and the cyclicality of the energy industry may negatively impact demand for our products and services. The Russia Ukraine Conflict, or other future geopolitical conflicts, could also have the effect of heightening many other risks disclosed in our public filings, any of which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Such risks include, but are not limited to, adverse effects on global macroeconomic conditions; increased volatility in the price and demand of oil and natural gas, increased exposure to cyberattacks; limitations in our ability to implement and execute our business strategy; risks to employees and contractors that we have in the region; disruptions in global supply chains; exposure to foreign currency fluctuations; potential nationalizations and assets seizures in Russia or elsewhere; constraints or disruption in the capital markets and our sources of liquidity; our potential inability to service our remaining performance obligations and potential contractual breaches and litigation.
We continue to follow our long-term strategy, aimed at achieving sustainable profitability and cash flow generation in our businesses, servicing our customers and creating value for our shareholders. Our long-term success will be determined by our ability to effectively manage the cyclicality of our industry, including growth during up-cycles and potential prolonged industry downturns, our ability to respond to industry changes and demands, while managing through risks we may be exposed to, and ultimately our ability to generate consistent positive cash flow and positive returns on invested capital.
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Liquidity and Capital Resources
At December 31, 2023, we had cash and cash equivalents of $958 million and $105 million in restricted cash, compared to $910 million of cash and cash equivalents and $202 million of restricted cash at December 31, 2022. The following table summarizes cash provided by (used in) each type of business activity in the periods presented:
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Dollars in millions) | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |||||
| Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities | $ | 832 | $ | 349 | $ | 322 | ||
| Net Cash Used in Investing Activities | (289) | (54) | (83) | |||||
| Net Cash Used in Financing Activities | (514) | (248) | (403) |
Operating Activities
The primary source of cash provided by operating activities was attributed to operating income and collections, which offset operating spend, including cash interest.
Cash provided by operating activities in 2023 was $832 million. Heightened collections activity attributed to the increase year-over-year. During the fourth quarter of 2023, we entered into a credit default swap with a third-party financial institution related to a secured loan between that third-party financial institution and our largest customer in Mexico. The secured loan was utilized by this customer to pay us $140 million of certain of our outstanding receivables, increasing our net cash provided by operating activities. See further discussion below under “Derivative Financial Instruments” and in “Note 10 – Derivative Financial Instruments”.
Cash provided by operating activities was $349 million in 2022 and $322 million in 2021. The primary sources of cash from operating activities were from higher operating income as well as effective working capital management, partially offset by interest payments.
Investing Activities
Cash used in investing activities in 2023 was $289 million. The primary uses of cash in investing activities were for capital expenditures of $209 million, the purchase of Blue Chip Swap securities in Argentina for $110 million (see Note 17 – Blue Chip Swap Securities - Argentina), and $51 million of other investing activities. The uses of cash were offset by Blue Chip Swap proceeds of $53 million and $28 million in proceeds from the disposition of assets.
Cash used in investing activities in 2022 was $54 million. The primary uses of cash in investing activities were for capital expenditures of $132 million, partially offset by proceeds from the sale of assets of $82 million.
Cash used in investing activities in 2021 was $83 million. The primary uses of cash in investing activities were for capital expenditures of $85 million and investments in marketable securities in Argentina of $39 million. The primary source of cash from investing activities was $41 million of proceeds from asset dispositions.
Financing Activities
Cash used in financing activities in 2023 was $514 million. The primary uses of cash in financing activities were for repayments and repurchases of long-term debt of $386 million (see “Note 8 – Borrowings and Other Debt Obligations”) and $56 million in tax remittances on equity awards vested. The tax remittances were higher than the same period of the prior year due to an increase in both the share price and the quantity of shares vested. Additionally, we paid distributions to noncontrolling interests of $52 million. The remaining financing cash uses were primarily for financing fees paid on the Credit Agreement.
Cash used in financing activities in 2022 was $248 million. The primary uses of cash in financing activities were repayments of long-term debt of $198 million which included finance leases, a repurchase of $8 million of our 2028 Senior Secured Notes and a $175 million early redemption of our Exit Notes. Additionally, we paid distributions to noncontrolling interests of $30 million. The remaining financing cash uses were primarily for financing fees paid on the Credit Agreement.
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Cash used in financing activities in 2021 was $403 million. The primary uses of cash in financing activities were repayments of long-term debt of $2.3 billion associated with the partial redemption of our Exit Notes and full redemption of our 2024 Senior Secured Notes as well as finance lease obligations. Other primary uses of cash from financing activities were $131 million in bond redemption premium payments as a result of the early redemptions and $28 million, primarily for $21 million in distributions to noncontrolling interests that were settled in cash (as certain distributions in the year were settled in other noncash methods). The primary sources of cash from financing activities were net proceeds of $2.1 billion from the issuance of our 2030 Senior Notes and 2028 Senior Secured Notes.
Sources of Liquidity
Our sources of available liquidity include cash generated by our operations, cash and cash equivalent balances, and periodic accounts receivable factoring. From time to time, we may enter into transactions to dispose of businesses or capital assets that no longer fit our long-term strategy. We historically have accessed banks for short-term loans and the capital markets for debt and equity offerings. Based upon current and anticipated levels of operations and our recent refinancing transactions, we expect to have sufficient cash from operations and cash on hand to fund our cash requirements (discussed below) and financial obligations, both in the short-term and long-term.
Cash Requirements
Our cash requirements will continue to include payments for principal and interest on our long-term debt, capital expenditures, payments on our finance and operating leases, payments for short-term working capital needs, operating costs and restructuring payments. As business activity continues to rise, we expect to continue to utilize cash on capital assets and working capital growth. Our cash requirements also include personnel costs including awards under our employee incentive programs and other amounts to settle litigation related matters. In addition, we have derivative financial instruments where we have notional amounts that do not generally represent cash amounts exchanged by the parties and are calculated based on the terms of the derivative instrument, however, in the event of a related default, we could potentially be required to pay. See further discussion below under “Derivative Financial Instruments” and in “Note 10 – Derivative Financial Instruments”.
As of December 31, 2023, we had outstanding debt of $248 million in aggregate principal amount for our 2028 Senior Secured Notes and $1.6 billion in aggregate principal amount for our 2030 Senior Notes. After the January 2024 repurchases of our 2028 Senior Secured Notes, we expect $144 million in interest payments annually in 2024 and each year thereafter until the maturity of our 2028 Senior Secured Notes and 2030 Senior Notes. See “Note 8 – Borrowings and Other Debt Obligations” for additional information.
We have laid out a plan that envisions a capital spend that is 3-5% of revenue over a 12 to 18 months rolling period and our 2024 capital spend is projected to fall within the same framework. Our payments on our operating and finance leases in 2024 are expected to be approximately $79 million and $254 million in the years thereafter. See “Note 7 – Leases” for additional information.
Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash are held by subsidiaries outside of Ireland. At December 31, 2023 we had approximately $92 million of our cash and cash equivalents that cannot be immediately repatriated from various countries due to country central bank controls or other regulations. Repatriation of those cash balances might result in incremental taxes or losses similar to the Argentine Blue Chip Swap “BCS” transactions executed in 2023 (see “Note 17 – Blue Chip Swap Securities - Argentina”), which may contribute to a decrease in cash and cash equivalents that cannot be immediately repatriated. As we continue to conduct business in Argentina and in other countries with cash that cannot be immediately repatriated, we may consider infrequent transactions like the BCS transaction in the future to safeguard our cash from exposure to the effects of inflation and currency devaluation.
Ratings Services’ Credit Ratings
Our credit ratings at December 31, 2023 were upgraded, maintained, or newly initiated since December 31, 2022 as follows:
•Standard and Poor (“S&P”) upgraded our issuer credit rating from ‘B’ to ‘B+’. The outlook was upgraded from stable to positive.
•Moody's Investors Service (Moody's) maintained all ratings since December 31, 2022 with the exception of an upgrade to its Corporate Family Rating to B1 from B2. The outlook was upgraded from stable to positive.
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•Fitch Ratings (“Fitch”) initiated a credit rating of ‘B+’ with Stable Outlook.
Customer Receivables
We may experience delayed customer payments and payment defaults due to, among other reasons, a weaker economic environment, reductions in our customers’ cash flow from operations, our customers’ inability to access credit markets, as well as unsettled political conditions. Allowances have been recorded for receivables believed to be uncollectible, including amounts for the resolution of potential credit and other collection issues such as disputed invoices. Adjustments to the allowance are made depending on how potential issues are resolved and the financial condition of our customers. See “Note 1 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” and “Item 1A. Risk Factors” for additional information. In addition, our customers are primarily in fossil fuel-related industries and broad declines might impact the collections of our customer receivables.
Accounts Receivable Factoring and Monetization
From time to time, we participate in factoring arrangements to sell accounts receivable to third-party financial institutions for cash proceeds net of discount and hold-back. During 2023, 2022, and 2021 we sold accounts receivable balances of $210 million, $96 million, and $100 million, respectively, and received cash proceeds of $202 million, $93 million, and $85 million, respectively, at the time of factoring. During 2022, we also entered into a short-term monetization transaction on accounts receivable balances of $77 million and received cash proceeds of $75 million. These factoring and monetization proceeds are included as operating cash flows in our Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.
Derivative Financial Instruments
We enter into foreign currency forward contracts to mitigate the risk of future cash flows denominated in a foreign currency. The amounts will fluctuate, depending on exchange rate volatility, the volume of our foreign currency transactions, and our decisions to hedge. During the fourth quarter of 2023, we entered into a credit default swap, further described below. The notional amounts of our foreign currency forward contracts and the credit default swap do not generally represent cash amounts exchanged by the parties and are calculated based on the terms of the derivative instrument. See also “Note 10 – Derivative Financial Instruments” for additional information.
Credit Default Swap
During the fourth quarter of 2023, we entered into a credit default swap (“CDS”) with a third-party financial institution terminating in February of 2026 related to a secured loan between that third-party financial institution and our largest customer in Mexico. The secured loan was utilized by this customer to pay certain of our outstanding receivables and accordingly, in the fourth quarter of 2023 and January of 2024, we received $140 million and $142 million, respectively.
Under the CDS terms, within five business days upon notification of default, we could be required to pay the then outstanding notional balance net of recoveries. As of December 31, 2023, we had a notional balance of $130 million outstanding under the CDS, which increased to $260 million in January of 2024, following the receipt of the $142 million payment. Management expects the total notional balance under the CDS to decrease to $161 million, $54 million and nil by December 31, 2024, December 31, 2025 and March 31, 2026, respectively. The fair value of this derivative was not material as of December 31, 2023.
As of the date of this report, we are not aware of any events of default under the loan agreement between that third-party financial institution and our largest customer in Mexico.
Guarantees
Our Exit Notes and 2028 Senior Secured Notes were issued by Weatherford International Ltd., a Bermuda exempted company (“Weatherford Bermuda”), and guaranteed by the Company and Weatherford International, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Weatherford Delaware”) and other subsidiary guarantors party thereto. Our Exit Notes were fully repaid in 2023.
Our 2030 Senior Notes were originally issued by Weatherford Bermuda and guaranteed by the Company and Weatherford Delaware and other subsidiary guarantors party thereto. On December 1, 2022, the indenture related to our 2030 Senior Notes was amended and supplemented to add Weatherford Delaware as co-issuer and co-obligor, and concurrently releases the guarantee of Weatherford Delaware.
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Credit Agreement, Letters of Credit and Surety Bonds
Weatherford Bermuda, Weatherford Delaware, Weatherford Canada Ltd. (“Weatherford Canada”) and WOFS International Finance GmbH (“Weatherford Switzerland”), together as borrowers, and the Company as parent, have an amended and restated credit agreement (the “Credit Agreement”). The Credit Agreement is guaranteed by the Company and certain of our subsidiaries and secured by substantially all of the personal property of the Company and those subsidiaries. At December 31, 2023, the Credit Agreement allowed for a total commitment amount of $550 million, maturing on the earlier of October 24, 2028 and 91 days prior to the maturity of the 2028 Senior Secured Notes. Financial covenants in the Credit Agreement include a $250 million minimum liquidity covenant (which may increase up to $400 million dependent on the nature of transactions we may decide to enter into), a minimum interest coverage ratio of 2.50 to 1.00, a maximum total net leverage ratio of 3.50 to 1.00, and a maximum secured net leverage ratio of 1.50 to 1.00.
On March 24, 2023, we amended the Credit Agreement to permit unlimited prepayments and other redemptions of indebtedness subject to (i) the ratio of funded debt (net of unrestricted cash in excess of $400 million) to consolidated adjusted EBITDA as defined in the Credit Agreement, not exceeding 2.50 to 1.00, (ii) no default or event of default existing and (iii) aggregate proforma liquidity in the event of a debt reduction equaling or exceeding $300 million.
On October 24, 2023, we amended the Credit Agreement to, among other things, (i) allow for an increase in total commitment amount from $400 million to $550 million ($250 million for performance letters of credit and $300 million for either borrowings or additional performance or financial letters of credit), (ii) extend maturity to October 24, 2028, subject to certain conditions, (iii) allow for dividends, share buybacks, and acquisitions which combined with other permitted transactions, are not to exceed a total net leverage ratio of 2.00 to 1.00 and an aggregate liquidity not less than $400 million, (iv) remove the minimum book value of assets requirement, (v) add Weatherford Switzerland as a borrower, and (vi) modify certain pricing provisions and eliminate secured overnight financing rate exposure to certain letters of credit. The amendment also gives the ability to request an increase in total commitments by up to $200 million, upon satisfaction of certain conditions. We further amended the Credit Agreement on December 20, 2023, to permit a certain specified swap transaction.
As of December 31, 2023, we had zero borrowings outstanding under the Credit Agreement, and $376 million of letters of credit outstanding, consisting of the $270 million ($218 million for performance letters of credit and $52 million for financial letters of credit) under the Credit Agreement and another $106 million under various uncommitted bi-lateral facilities (of which there was $101 million in cash collateral held and recorded in “Restricted Cash” on the Consolidated Balance Sheets).
As of December 31, 2022, we had $395 million of letters of credit outstanding, consisting of the $195 million under the Credit Agreement and another $200 million under various uncommitted bi-lateral facilities (of which there was $199 million in cash collateral held and recorded in “Restricted Cash” on the Consolidated Balance Sheets).
In Latin America we utilize surety bonds as part of our customary business practice. As of December 31, 2023, we had $594 million of surety bonds outstanding. Any of our outstanding letters of credit or surety bonds could be called by the beneficiaries should we breach certain contractual or performance obligations and could reduce our available liquidity if we are unable to mitigate the issue.
Critical Accounting Estimates
Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operation is based upon our Consolidated Financial Statements. We prepare these consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). As such, we are required to make certain estimates, judgments and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the periods presented. We base our estimates on historical experience and available information and various other assumptions we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. On an on-going basis, we evaluate our estimates; however, actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. The accounting policies we believe require management’s most difficult, subjective or complex judgments and are the most critical to our reporting of results of operations and financial position are as follows:
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Long-Lived Assets
Long-lived assets, which include property, plant and equipment (“PP&E”), definite-lived intangibles and operating lease assets, comprise a significant amount of our assets. The carrying value of our long-lived assets at December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022 was approximately $1.5 billion. The cost of the long-lived assets is then amortized over its expected useful life or their respective lease terms, if applicable. A change in the estimated useful lives of our long-lived assets would have an impact on our results of operations. We estimate the useful lives of our long-lived assets over their respective lease terms, if applicable, or as follows:
| Assets | Estimated Useful Lives |
|---|---|
| Buildings and Leasehold Improvements | 10 – 40 years |
| Rental and Service Equipment | 3 – 10 years |
| Machinery and Other | 2 – 12 years |
| Intangible Assets | 5 – 10 years |
In estimating the useful lives of our PP&E, we rely primarily on our actual experience with the same or similar assets. The useful lives of our intangible assets are determined by the years over which we expect the assets to generate a benefit based on legal, contractual or regulatory terms.
Long-lived assets to be held and used by us are reviewed to determine whether any events or changes in circumstances, known as triggering events, indicate that we may not be able to recover the carrying amount of the asset group. Triggering events include, but are not limited to, reduced or expected sustained decreases in cash flows generated by an asset group, negative changes in industry conditions (such as global rig count, commodity prices, and the global economy), a significant change in the long-lived assets’ use or physical condition, the introduction of competing technologies, and legal and regulatory challenges. The Company groups individual assets at the lowest level of identifiable cash flows and, if impairment triggers are present, performs an undiscounted cash flow analysis to identify asset groups that may not be recoverable. If the undiscounted cash flows do not exceed the carrying value of the long-lived asset group, the asset group is not recoverable, and impairment is recognized to the extent the carrying amount exceeds the estimated fair value of the asset group. A fair value assessment is performed on asset groups identified as not being recoverable using a discounted cash flow analysis or Level 3 fair value analysis, to determine if an impairment has occurred. The discounted cash flow analysis consists of estimating the future cash flows that are directly associated with, and are expected to arise from, the use and eventual disposition of the asset group over its remaining useful life. These estimated discounted cash flows are inherently subjective and includes significant assumptions, specifically the forecasted revenue, forecasted operating margins, and the discount rate assumptions and require estimates based upon historical experience and future expectations. The fair value of the asset group is measured using market prices, or in the absence of market prices, is based on an estimate of discounted cash flows. Cash flows are discounted at an interest rate commensurate with our weighted average cost of capital for a similar asset.
If an impairment has occurred, the Company recognizes a loss for the difference between the carrying amount and the fair value of the asset group.
We group long-lived assets by product line. We have long-lived assets, such as facilities, utilized by multiple operating divisions that do not have identifiable cash flows and impairment testing for these long-lived assets is based on the consolidated entity. We did not recognize long-lived assets impairments during 2023, 2022 and 2021.
Management cannot predict the occurrence of future impairment-triggering events, so we continue to assess whether indicators of impairment to long-lived assets exist due to the current business conditions in the energy services industry.
Income Taxes
We take into account the differences between the financial statement treatment and tax treatment of certain transactions. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect of a change in tax rates is recognized as income or expense in the period that includes the enactment date. See “Note 16 – Income Taxes” for detailed discussion of results.
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We recognize the impact of an uncertain tax position taken or expected to be taken on an income tax return in the financial statements at the largest amount that is more likely than not to be sustained upon examination by the relevant taxing authority.
We operate in approximately 75 countries through hundreds of legal entities. As a result, we are subject to numerous tax laws in the jurisdictions, and tax agreements and treaties among the various taxing authorities. Our operations in these jurisdictions in which we operate are taxed on various bases: income before taxes, deemed profits (which is generally determined using a percentage of revenues rather than profits), withholding taxes based on revenue, and other alternative minimum taxes. The calculation of our tax liabilities involves consideration of uncertainties in the application and interpretation of complex tax regulations in a multitude of jurisdictions across our global operations. We recognize potential liabilities and record tax liabilities for anticipated tax audit issues in the tax jurisdictions based on our estimate of whether, and the extent to which, additional taxes will be due. The tax liabilities are reflected net of realized tax loss carryforwards. We adjust these reserves upon specific events; however, due to the complexity of some of these uncertainties, the ultimate resolution may result in a payment that is different from our current estimate of the tax liabilities.
If our estimate of tax liabilities proves to be less than the ultimate assessment, an additional charge to expense would result. If payment of these amounts ultimately proves to be less than the recorded amounts, the reversal of the liabilities would result in tax benefits being recognized in the period when the contingency has been resolved and the liabilities are no longer necessary. Changes in tax laws, regulations, agreements and treaties, foreign currency exchange restrictions or our level of operations or profitability in each taxing jurisdiction could have an impact upon the amount of income taxes that we provide during any given year.
In December 2023, Ireland enacted tax legislation that models the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (“OECD”) reform plans focused on global profit allocation and implementing a global minimum tax rate of at least 15% for large multinational corporations on a jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction basis, known as “Pillar Two.” This is not expected to materially increase the taxes we owe, however, if future legislation is enacted to implement the accord in other jurisdictions in which we have operations, it could materially increase the amount of taxes we owe, thereby negatively affecting our results of operations and our cash flows from operations.
Valuation Allowance for Deferred Tax Assets
We record a valuation allowance to reduce the carrying value of our deferred tax assets when it is more likely than not that a portion or all of the deferred tax assets will expire before realization of the benefit. The ultimate realization of the deferred tax assets depends on the ability to generate sufficient taxable income of the appropriate character and in the related jurisdiction in the future. In evaluating our ability to recover our deferred tax assets, we consider the available positive and negative evidence, including our past operating results, the existence of cumulative losses in the most recent years and our forecast of near-term future taxable income and various tax planning strategies.
When the likelihood of the realization of existing deferred tax assets changes, adjustments to the valuation allowance are charged to our income tax provision in the period in which the determination is made. The Company concluded it was not able to realize the benefits of certain of its deferred tax assets and has established a valuation allowance. Our valuation allowance on our deferred tax assets was $1.3 billion and $1.3 billion as of December 31, 2023, and December 31, 2022, respectively.
Forward-Looking Statements
This report contains various statements relating to future financial performance and results, business strategy, plans, goals and objectives, including certain projections, business trends and other statements that are not historical facts. These statements constitute forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “budget,” “strategy,” “plan,” “guidance,” “outlook,” “may,” “should,” “could,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words.
Forward-looking statements reflect our beliefs and expectations based on current estimates and projections. While we believe these expectations, and the estimates and projections on which they are based, are reasonable and were made in good faith, these statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, our actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what we have expressed or forecasted in the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included herein are only made as of the date of this report, or if earlier, as of the date they were made, and we undertake no obligation to correct,
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update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except to the extent required under federal securities laws. The following, together with disclosures under “Part I – Item 1A. Risk Factors”, sets forth certain risks and uncertainties relating to our forward-looking statements that may cause actual results to be materially different from our present expectations or projections:
•global political, economic and market conditions, political disturbances, war, terrorist attacks, changes in global trade policies, weak local economic conditions and international currency fluctuations (including the Russia Ukraine Conflict);
•general global economic repercussions related to U.S. and global inflationary pressures and potential recessionary concerns;
•failure to ensure on-going compliance with current and future laws and government regulations, including but not limited to those related to the Russia Ukraine Conflict, and environmental and tax and accounting laws, rules and regulations;
•changes in, and the administration of, treaties, laws, and regulations, including in response to issues related to the Russia Ukraine Conflict such as nationalization of assets, and the potential for such issues to exacerbate other risks we face, including those related to the other risks and uncertainties listed or referenced;
•cybersecurity incidents, as our reliance on digital technologies increases, those digital technologies may become more vulnerable and/or experience a higher rate of cybersecurity attacks, intrusions or incidents in the current environment of remote connectivity, as well as increased geopolitical conflicts and tensions, including as a result of the Russia Ukraine Conflict;
•our ability to comply with, and respond to, climate change, environmental, social and governance and other “sustainability” initiatives and future legislative and regulatory measures both globally and in the specific geographic regions in which we and our customers operate;
•our ability to effectively and timely address the need to conduct our operations and provision of services to our customers more sustainably and with a lower carbon footprint;
•risks associated with disease outbreaks and other public health issues, including a pandemic, their impact on the global economy and the business of our company, customers, suppliers and other partners;
•further spread and potential for a resurgence of a pandemic in a given geographic region and related disruptions to our business, employees, customers, suppliers and other partners and additional regulatory measures or voluntary actions that may be put in place to limit the spread of a pandemic, including vaccination requirements and the associated availability of vaccines, restrictions on business operations or social distancing requirements, and the duration and efficacy of such restrictions;
•the price and price volatility of, and demand for, oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids;
•member-country quota compliance within the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries;
•our ability to realize expected revenues and profitability levels from current and future contracts;
•our ability to generate cash flow from operations to fund our operations;
•our ability to effectively and timely adapt our technology portfolio, products and services to address and participate in changes to the market demands for the transition to alternate sources of energy such as geothermal, carbon capture and responsible abandonment, including our digitalization efforts;
•increases in the prices and lack of availability of our procured products and services;
•our ability to timely collect from customers;
•our ability to realize cost savings and business enhancements from our revenue and cost improvement efforts;
•our ability to attract, motivate and retain employees, including key personnel;
•our ability to access to capital markets on terms that are commercially acceptable to the Company;
•our ability to manage our workforce, supply chain challenges and disruptions, business processes, information technology systems and technological innovation and commercialization, including the impact of our organization restructure, business enhancements, improvement efforts and the cost and support reduction plans;
•our ability to service our debt obligations;
•potential non-cash asset impairment charges for long-lived assets, intangible assets or other assets; and
•adverse weather conditions in certain regions of our operations
Many of these factors are macro-economic in nature and are, therefore, beyond our control. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, affect us in ways or to an extent that we currently do not expect or consider to be significant, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, our actual results, performance or achievements may vary materially from those described in this report as anticipated, believed, estimated, expected, intended, planned or projected.
Finally, our future results will depend upon various other risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, those detailed in our current and past filings with the SEC under the Exchange Act and the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
Weatherford International plc – 2023 Form 10-K | 40
Table of Contents Forward-Looking Statements
FY 2022 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0001603923-23-000068.
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
As used in this item, “Weatherford”, “the Company,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Weatherford International plc, a public limited company organized under the laws of Ireland, and its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis.
The following discussion should be read in conjunction with our Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto included in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.” Our discussion includes various forward-looking statements about our markets, the demand for our products and services and our future results. These statements include certain risks and uncertainties. For information about these risks and uncertainties, refer to the section entitled “Forward-Looking Statements” and the section entitled “Item 1A. Risk Factors.”
Consolidated Statements of Operations - Operating Income Summary
2022 vs 2021
Revenues totaled $4.33 billion in 2022, an increase of $686 million, or 19% compared to 2021. The year-over-year improvement was due to increased activity across all reporting segments. This activity increase was the result of increased customer demand, market share improvements, pricing improvements and operational focus. Revenues in 2022 reflect a 15% increase in service revenues and a 26% increase in product revenues. The revenue increase was led by the Drilling and Evaluation (“DRE”) and Production and Intervention (“PRI”) segments, and geographically, by improvements in Latin America, the Middle East/North Africa/Asia and the North America regions. Service and product quality excellence allowed us to benefit from a robust market with customers focusing on delivering energy supply with minimal disruption, globally. Imbalance across geographies driven by geopolitical conflicts, investment variances and supply disruptions caused a greater focus on energy security, globally. Our operational initiatives, put in place over the past couple of years, enabled us to regain share in a few product lines and geographies, as well as improve pricing through differentiation.
Cost of products and services of $3.02 billion increased $304 million, or 11%, compared to 2021, to support the increased overall activity across our segments. Our cost of products and services as a percentage of revenues was 69.7% in 2022, an improvement compared to 74.5% in 2021, reflecting improved utilization on a more efficient operating cost structure, and pricing improvements to customers to offset impacts from supply chain disruptions and inflation. Additionally, higher gains on asset sales and lower inventory charges contributed to the lower cost structure as a percentage of revenues.
Selling, general, administrative and research and development costs of $868 million increased $45 million, or 5%, to keep up with increased activity and demand across our segments. These costs as a percentage of revenues were 20.0% in 2022, an improvement compared to 22.6% in 2021, reflecting our focus on cost control initiatives.
Operating income of $412 million improved 255% in 2022 compared to 2021, due to reasons noted above.
2021 vs 2020
Revenues totaled $3.65 billion in 2021, a decline of 1% compared to 2020. We experienced significant declines in activity after the start of the pandemic in March of 2020 and although revenues are slightly lower in 2021, our revenues in 2021 reflect the ongoing recovery in business activity. Revenues in 2021 reflect a 5% increase in service revenues, which was offset by a 10% decline in product revenues. The revenue increases were related to higher demand for DRE and PRI businesses, primarily for managed pressure drilling, wireline, intervention and pressure pumping services. These improvements were partially offset by lower demand for products from our Well Construction and Completions (“WCC”), primarily for cementation products and liner hangers, and a decline in demand for the artificial lift within our PRI business.
Cost of products and services of $2.72 billion decreased $91 million, or 3%, compared to 2020, primarily due to cost improvement initiatives that were implemented during 2020 and early 2021. Our costs declined despite higher service activity and increased cost for supplies and logistics. Our cost of products and services as a percentage of revenues was 74.5% in 2021, an improvement compared to 76.2% in 2020, reflecting our cost initiative improvements and operational efficiency gains.
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Table of Contents Item 7 | MD&A
Selling, general, administrative and research and development costs in 2021 of $823 million decreased $111 million, or 12%, when compared to 2020 due to cost improvement initiatives to reduce overhead and corporate costs that were implemented during 2020 and early 2021. These costs as a percentage of revenues were 22.6% in 2021, an improvement compared to 25.3% in 2020, reflecting our cost initiative improvements.
Operating income of $116 million improved $1.6 billion in 2021 compared to 2020, due to reasons noted above.
Consolidated Statements of Operations - Non-Operating Summary
Interest Expense, Net
Interest expense, net primarily represented for each year, the interest on our outstanding long-term debt (see “Note 10 – Borrowings and Other Debt Obligations” to our Consolidated Financial Statements for additional details). Interest expense, net, of $179 million in 2022, decreased $81 million, or 31%, compared to 2021 primarily due to the early repayments of principal amounts on our 11.00% Senior Notes maturing on December 1, 2024. Interest expense, net, of $260 million in 2021, increased $9 million compared to $251 million in 2020 due to a combination of the various notes we carried and the interest on their outstanding principal.
Loss on Extinguishment of Debt and Bond Redemption Premium
The loss on extinguishment of debt was related to charges on unamortized debt issuance costs and bond redemption premiums, both upon the early redemption of debt. During 2022, we repaid $175 million in principal on our Exit Notes and incurred a $5 million bond redemption premium. During 2021, we repaid in full our 2024 Senior Secured Notes, repaid $200 million of Exit Notes, and refinanced $1.6 billion of Exit Notes. As such, we recognized a $170 million loss, comprised of a $39 million loss on extinguishment of debt and a $131 million bond redemption premium. See “Note 10 – Borrowings and Other Debt Obligations” for additional details.
Loss on Termination of ABL Credit Agreement
During 2020, we recorded a $15 million charge upon the termination of our senior secured asset-based lending agreement related to unamortized deferred debt issuance costs.
Other Expense, Net
Other expense, net is primarily comprised of letter of credit fees, other financing charges and foreign exchange losses, primarily attributed to currency losses in countries with no or limited markets to hedge. Other expense, net, of $90 million in 2022 increased $61 million compared to 2021 expense of $29 million primarily attributable to currency losses in the Argentinian Peso, Russian Ruble and various other currencies. When economically advantageous, we enter into foreign currency forward contracts to mitigate the risk of future cash flows denominated in a foreign currency. Additionally, we enter into certain short-term investments which partially offset our foreign exchange losses, and certain of those amounts are recorded in “Interest Expense, Net”.
Other expense, net, in 2021 decreased $24 million compared to the 2020 expense of $53 million due to lower currency volatility, as there had been significant volatility following the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
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Table of Contents Item 7 | MD&A
Income Taxes
We provide for income taxes based on the laws and rates in effect in the countries in which operations are conducted, or in which we or our subsidiaries are considered resident for income tax purposes. The relationship between our pre-tax income or loss from continuing operations and our income tax benefit or provision varies from period to period as a result of various factors, which include changes in total pre-tax income or loss, the jurisdictions in which our income is earned, the tax laws in those jurisdictions, the impacts of tax planning activities and the resolution of tax audits. On September 26, 2019, our parent company ceased to be a Swiss tax resident and became an Irish tax resident subject to tax under the Irish tax regime. As a result, our effective rate differs from the Irish statutory tax rate as the majority of our operations are taxed in jurisdictions with different tax rates. In addition, we are unable to recognize tax benefit on our losses.
We record deferred tax assets for net operating losses and temporary differences between the book and tax basis of assets and liabilities that are expected to produce tax deductions in future periods. The realizability of the deferred tax assets is dependent upon judgments and assumptions inherent in the determination of future taxable income, including factors such as future operation conditions (particularly as related to prevailing oil prices and market demand for our products and services). The Company concluded it was not able to realize the benefit of its deferred tax assets and has established a valuation allowance. Continued performance improvement in certain jurisdictions could result in a change in our realization of deferred tax asset assessment in the near future, which would release valuation allowance.
The income tax provision and respective effective tax rate was $87 million and 63%, $86 million and (25)%, and $85 million and (5)%, for 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
Our income tax provisions in 2022 and 2021 are primarily driven by income in certain jurisdictions, deemed profit countries and withholding taxes on intercompany and third-party transactions that do not directly correlate to ordinary income or loss. Impairments and other charges recognized do not result in significant tax benefit as a result of our inability to forecast realization of the tax benefit of such losses.
We are continuously under tax examination in various jurisdictions. We cannot predict the timing or outcome regarding resolution of these tax examinations or if they will have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. As of December 31, 2022, we anticipate that it is reasonably possible that the amount of our uncertain tax positions of $191 million may decrease by up to $4 million in the next twelve months due to expiration of statutes of limitations, settlements and/or conclusions of tax examinations.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries have enacted tax relief measures to provide aid and economic stimulus to companies impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, there were no material tax impacts to our financial statements as it relates to COVID-19 tax relief measures.
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Table of Contents Item 7 | MD&A
Outlook
Growth and spending in the energy services industry is highly dependent on many external factors. These include but are not limited to; the impact from geopolitical conflicts; global response to any ongoing pandemics; our customers’ capital expenditures; environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) initiatives; world economic, political and weather conditions; the price of oil and natural gas; and, member-country quota compliance within the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and the expanded alliance. Imbalance across geographies driven by geopolitical conflicts, investment variances and supply disruptions is driving a greater focus on energy security, which in turn is creating a shift towards national oil companies. We expect continued improvements in our customer activity levels and generally positive macroeconomic conditions that may offset inflationary pressures and potential recessionary concerns, all of which are expected to continue to provide a pathway to a multi-year energy demand expansion. We continue to closely monitor the recessionary concerns in the global market, ongoing supply chain disruptions, escalating costs, logistical constraints and travel restrictions.
Our customers continue to face challenges in balancing the cost of extraction activities with securing desired rates of production while achieving acceptable rates of return on investment. These challenges increase our customers’ requirements for technologies that improve productivity and efficiency and pressures us to deliver our products and services at competitive rates. Over the long-term, we expect demand for oil and natural gas exploration and production industry as well as new energy platforms to continue to require more advanced technology from the energy service industry. Weatherford delivers innovative energy services that integrate proven technologies with advanced digitalization to create sustainable offerings for maximized value and return on investment. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was substantial negative impact on the global economy and demand in our industry in 2021 and 2021, with impacts carrying into 2022, including inflationary pressures, logistical delays and service and supply shortages. We managed to face these challenges by evolving our offerings, increasing the breadth of our digital portfolio and enhancing our applications to offer more fully integrated digital energy services solutions. We also increased our offerings of automated well construction and remote monitoring and predictive analytics related to our product offerings. As such, we believe we are well positioned to satisfy our customers’ needs, but the level of improvement in our businesses in the future will continue to depend heavily on pricing, volume of work, our ability to offer cost efficient, innovative and effective technology solutions, and our success in gaining market share in new and existing markets.
Our company performance, industry conditions and related perception, could make it more difficult to obtain our targeted cost reduction benefits and to recruit, motivate and retain employees, including key personnel. The implementation of new or escalation of existing sanctions imposed against countries in which we operate, including any further escalation of sanctions and other events around the Russia Ukraine Conflict, including increased exposure to cyber-attacks, increasing investor and government focus on ESG factors, supply chain challenges and disruptions, and the cyclicality of the energy industry may negatively impact demand for our products and services. The Russia Ukraine Conflict, or other future geopolitical conflicts, could also have the effect of heightening many other risks disclosed in our public filings, any of which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Such risks include, but are not limited to, adverse effects on global macroeconomic conditions; increased volatility in the price and demand of oil and natural gas, increased exposure to cyberattacks; limitations in our ability to implement and execute our business strategy; risks to employees and contractors that we have in the region; disruptions in global supply chains; exposure to foreign currency fluctuations; potential nationalizations and assets seizures in Russia or elsewhere; constraints or disruption in the capital markets and our sources of liquidity; our potential inability to service our remaining performance obligations and potential contractual breaches and litigation.
We continue to follow our long-term strategy, aimed at achieving sustainable profitability and cash flow generation in our businesses, servicing our customers and creating value for our shareholders. Our long-term success will be determined by our ability to effectively manage the cyclicality of our industry, including growth during up-cycles and potential prolonged industry downturns, our ability to respond to industry changes and demands, while managing through risks we may be exposed to, and ultimately our ability to generate consistent positive cash flow and positive returns on invested capital.
Weatherford International plc – 2022 Form 10-K | 25
Table of Contents Item 7 | MD&A
Oil and Natural Gas Prices
The table below shows the average oil and natural gas prices for West Texas Intermediate (“WTI”) and Brent North Sea (“Brent”) crude oil and Henry Hub (“HH”) natural gas.
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |||||||
| Oil price - WTI (1) | $ | 94.79 | $ | 67.99 | $ | 39.23 | |||
| Oil price - Brent (1) | $ | 100.78 | $ | 70.68 | $ | 41.76 | |||
| Natural Gas price - HH (2) | $ | 6.42 | $ | 3.91 | $ | 2.04 | |||
| (1) Oil price measured in dollars per barrel (rounded to the nearest $0.01); average WTI and Brent as of January 31, 2023 was $78.08 and $82.44 respectively. | |||||||||
| (2) Natural gas price measured in dollars per million British thermal units (Btu), or MMBtu; average HH as of January 31, 2023 was $3.27. |
Commodity prices increased during 2022 due to demand outpacing supply as demand recovery built toward pre-pandemic levels with increased vaccination rates and increased global economic activity. WTI and Brent average oil prices for 2022 were approximately 39% and 43% higher than 2021, respectively, and natural gas prices increased by 64% over the same period.
Rig Count
Rig count is an indicator of the level of spending for the exploration and production of oil and natural gas reserves. The table below shows historical average rig counts based on the weekly Baker Hughes Company rig count information.
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||
| North America | 898 | 610 | 522 | |||
| International | 851 | 755 | 825 | |||
| Worldwide | 1,749 | 1,365 | 1,347 |
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Table of Contents Item 7 | MD&A
Segment Results of Operations
| Favorable | Favorable | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Unfavorable) | (Unfavorable) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Year Ended December 31, | $ | % or bps | $ | % or bps | |||||||||||||||
| (Dollars in millions) | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2022 vs 2021 | 2021 vs 2020 | ||||||||||||||
| Revenues: | |||||||||||||||||||
| Drilling and Evaluation (“DRE”) | $ | 1,328 | $ | 1,066 | $ | 1,044 | $ | 262 | 25% | $ | 22 | 2% | |||||||
| Well Construction and Completions (“WCC”) | 1,521 | 1,353 | 1,414 | 168 | 12% | (61) | (4)% | ||||||||||||
| Production and Intervention (“PRI”) | 1,395 | 1,127 | 1,106 | 268 | 24% | 21 | 2% | ||||||||||||
| Segment Revenues | 4,244 | 3,546 | 3,564 | 698 | 20% | (18) | (1)% | ||||||||||||
| All Other | 87 | 99 | 121 | (12) | (12)% | (22) | (18)% | ||||||||||||
| Total Revenues | 4,331 | 3,645 | 3,685 | 686 | 19% | (40) | (1)% | ||||||||||||
| Segment Adjusted EBITDA: | |||||||||||||||||||
| Drilling and Evaluation | $ | 324 | $ | 186 | $ | 132 | $ | 138 | 74% | $ | 54 | 41% | |||||||
| Well Construction and Completions | 299 | 256 | 273 | 43 | 17% | (17) | (6)% | ||||||||||||
| Production and Intervention | 261 | 191 | 154 | 70 | 37% | 37 | 24% | ||||||||||||
| Segment Adjusted EBITDA | 884 | 633 | 559 | 251 | 40% | 74 | 13% | ||||||||||||
| Corporate and Other | (67) | (62) | (100) | (5) | (8)% | 38 | 38% | ||||||||||||
| Depreciation and Amortization | (349) | (440) | (503) | 91 | 21% | 63 | 13% | ||||||||||||
| Shared-based Compensation Expense | (25) | (25) | — | — | —% | (25) | n/m | ||||||||||||
| Other Adjustments : | |||||||||||||||||||
| Goodwill and Long-Lived Assets Impairment | — | — | (1,053) | — | —% | 1,053 | 100% | ||||||||||||
| Restructuring Charges | (22) | — | (206) | (22) | —% | 206 | 100% | ||||||||||||
| Other (Charges) Credits | (9) | 10 | (183) | (19) | (190)% | 193 | 105% | ||||||||||||
| Other Adjustments | $ | (31) | $ | 10 | $ | (1,442) | $ | (41) | (410)% | $ | 1,452 | 101% | |||||||
| Operating Income (Loss) | $ | 412 | $ | 116 | $ | (1,486) | $ | 296 | 255% | $ | 1,602 | 108% | |||||||
| Segment Adjusted EBITDA Margins[1]: | |||||||||||||||||||
| Drilling and Evaluation | 24.4 | % | 17.4 | % | 12.6 | % | n/m | 700 | bps | n/m | 480 | bps | |||||||
| Well Construction and Completions | 19.7 | % | 18.9 | % | 19.3 | % | n/m | 80 | bps | n/m | (40) | bps | |||||||
| Production and Intervention | 18.7 | % | 16.9 | % | 13.9 | % | n/m | 180 | bps | n/m | 300 | bps | |||||||
| Segment Adjusted EBITDA | 20.8 | % | 17.9 | % | 15.7 | % | n/m | 290 | bps | n/m | 220 | bps | |||||||
| [1] bps calculates off rounding in this table |
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Table of Contents Item 7 | MD&A
Segment Revenues
2022 vs 2021
Revenues totaled $4.3 billion in 2022, an increase of 19% compared to 2021, and the primary drivers were discussed in the above consolidated section. The breakdown by segment revenues is as follows:
DRE revenues of $1.3 billion in 2022, increased 25% compared to 2021 due to higher demand and activity across all DRE product lines, and led primarily by managed pressure drilling and drilling services. Improvement in DRE was across all regions, and led primarily by the Latin America, North America and Middle East North Africa/Asia regions.
WCC revenues of $1.5 billion in 2022, increased 12% compared to 2021 due to higher demand and activity across all WCC product lines, and led primarily by cementation products. Improvement in WCC was across all regions and led primarily by the Middle East North Africa/Asia, Latin America and North America regions.
PRI revenues of $1.4 billion in 2022, increased 24% compared to 2021 due to higher demand and activity across all PRI product lines, and led primarily by artificial lift and pressure pumping. Improvement in PRI was across all regions.
2021 vs 2020
Revenues totaled $3.65 billion in 2021, a decline of 1% compared to 2020, and the primary drivers were discussed in the above consolidated section. The breakdown by segment revenues is as follows:
DRE revenues of $1.1 billion in 2021, increased 2% compared to 2020 primarily due to higher demand for managed pressure drilling and wireline products and services, partially offset by a decline in drilling services and drilling fluids. The decline in drilling services revenue reflects the exit of certain drilling services in North America in the fourth quarter of 2020.
WCC revenues of $1.4 billion in 2021 decreased 4% compared to 2020 primarily due to lower activity for cementation products, liner hangers and tubular running services. Internationally we experienced lower well construction and completions activity in the Middle East North Africa/Asia region, which was partially offset by higher activity in the North America and Latin America regions.
PRI revenues of $1.1 billion in 2021, increased 2% compared to 2020 primarily due to higher demand for pressure pumping, intervention services and drilling tools, and digital solutions, partially offset by a decline in demand for artificial lift services.
Segment Adjusted EBITDA
2022 vs 2021
Segment adjusted EBITDA was $884 million in 2022, an increase of 40% compared to 2021, reflecting improved utilization on a more efficient operating cost structure, pricing improvements to customers to offset impacts from supply chain disruptions and inflation, and a proactive focus on higher margin offerings. This is reflected in our segments as follows:
DRE segment adjusted EBITDA of $324 million in 2022, increased 74% compared to 2021 primarily due to higher demand across all DRE product lines and contract pricing improvements, led by the Latin America and the Middle East North Africa/Asia regions, increase in services versus product mix, and a higher adoption of our technology offerings.
WCC segment adjusted EBITDA of $299 million in 2022, increased 17% compared to 2021 primarily due to higher demand for cementation products. The year-over-year segment adjusted EBITDA improvement was driven by pricing and increased activity levels in the North America and Latin America regions.
PRI segment adjusted EBITDA of $261 million in 2022, increased 37% compared to 2021 primarily due to higher demand for artificial lift and pressure pumping services. The year-over-year segment adjusted EBITDA improvement was driven by increased activity levels across all regions.
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Table of Contents Item 7 | MD&A
2021 vs 2020
Segment adjusted EBITDA was $633 million in 2021, an increase of 13% compared to 2020, which is reflected in our segments as follows:
DRE segment adjusted EBITDA of $186 million in 2021, increased 41% compared to 2020 primarily due to higher demand for managed pressure drilling and wireline and lower operating costs as a result of cost improvement initiatives that were implemented during 2020 and early 2021, partially offset by a decline in drilling fluids. Positively impacting DRE segment adjusted EBITDA was the exit of certain drilling services in North America in the fourth quarter of 2020. The year-over-year segment adjusted EBITDA improvement was driven by increased activity levels, increase in services versus product mix, higher adoption of our technology offerings and greater demand for services globally.
WCC segment adjusted EBITDA of $256 million in 2021, decreased 6% compared to 2020 primarily due to lower activity for cementation products, liner hangers and tubular running services, which was partially offset by improvements in completions margins and cost efficiencies as a result of initiatives implemented during 2020 and early 2021. Internationally we experienced lower well construction and completions activity in the Middle East North Africa/Asia and Europe/Sub-Sahara Africa/Russia regions, which was partially offset by higher margin activity in North America and Latin America.
PRI segment adjusted EBITDA of $191 million in 2021, increased 24% compared to 2020 primarily due to higher demand for intervention services & drilling tools, pressure pumping and software services, and lower operating costs as a result of cost improvement initiatives that were implemented during 2020 and early 2021, partially offset by a decline in artificial lift services. The year-over-year segment adjusted EBITDA improvement was driven by increased activity levels, increase in services versus product mix, and a higher adoption of our technology offerings.
Corporate and Other
Corporate and other primarily includes corporate and other expenses (overhead support and centrally managed or shared facilities costs) and all other businesses that do not individually meet the criteria for segment reporting. Corporate and other expense of $67 million in 2022 increased slightly over the 2021 expense of $62 million, primarily due to lower profit on other businesses that did not individually meet the criteria for segment reporting (due to timing of certain projects). Corporate and other expense in 2021 improved $38 million compared to the 2020 expense of $100 million primarily due to losses incurred in other businesses that did not individually meet the criteria for segment reporting in 2020, as they were negatively impacted by COVID-19.
Depreciation and Amortization
Depreciation and amortization expense of $349 million decreased $91 million in 2022 compared to 2021 primarily from a lower asset base. Depreciation and amortization expense of $440 million decreased $63 million in 2021 compared to 2020 primarily due to the decrease in carrying value of assets after impairments taken in 2020. See “Note 2 – Segment Information”, “Note 7 – Property, Plant and Equipment, Net”, and “Note 8 – Intangible Assets, Net” for additional information.
Shared-based Compensation
We record shared-based compensation expense in “Selling, General and Administrative” on the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations. We recognized $25 million in each of 2022 and 2021, and an immaterial amount during 2020. The changes between years were from a combination of additional awards granted and changes in our share price. See “Note 15 – Share-Based Compensation” for additional information.
Other Adjustments
Other adjustments include goodwill and long-lived asset impairments, restructuring charges, and other charges (credits), as applicable to the periods presented. See “Note 4 – Goodwill and Long-Lived Assets Impairment”, “Note 5 – Restructuring Charges” and “Note 6 – Inventories, Net” for additional information.
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Table of Contents Item 7 | MD&A
Liquidity and Capital Resources
At December 31, 2022, we had cash and cash equivalents of $910 million and $202 million in restricted cash, compared to $951 million of cash and cash equivalents and $162 million of restricted cash at December 31, 2021. The following table summarizes cash provided by (used in) each type of business activity in the periods presented:
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Dollars in millions) | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |||||
| Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities | $ | 349 | $ | 322 | $ | 210 | ||
| Net Cash Used in Investing Activities | (54) | (83) | (75) | |||||
| Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities | (248) | (403) | 348 |
Operating Activities
Cash provided by operating activities in 2022 was $349 million, and in 2021 was $322 million. The primary sources of cash from operating activities were from higher operating income as well as effective working capital management, partially offset by interest payments.
Cash provided by operating activities was $210 million during 2020. The primary sources of cash from operating activities were collections on our accounts receivables, partially offset by interest payments.
Investing Activities
Cash used in investing activities in 2022 was $54 million. The primary uses of cash from investing activities were capital expenditures of $132 million, partially offset by proceeds from the sale of assets of $82 million.
Cash used in investing activities in 2021 was $83 million. The primary uses of cash from investing activities were for capital expenditures of $85 million and investments in marketable securities in Argentina of $39 million. The primary source of cash from investing activities was $41 million of proceeds from asset dispositions. The amount we spend for capital expenditures varies each year and is based on the types of contracts we enter, our asset availability and our expectations with respect to activity levels.
Cash used in investing activities in 2020 was $75 million. The primary uses of cash from investing activities were for capital expenditures of $154 million. The primary sources of cash from investing activities were $22 million from asset dispositions and $50 million from the maturity of our Angolan government bonds.
Financing Activities
Cash used in financing activities in 2022 was $248 million. The primary uses of cash from financing activities were for repayments of long-term debt of $198 million, which included finance leases, a repurchase of $8 million of our 2028 Senior Secured Notes and a $175 million early redemption of our Exit Notes. Additionally, we paid dividends to noncontrolling interests of $30 million. The remaining financing cash uses were primarily for financing fees paid on the Credit Agreement.
Cash used in financing activities in 2021 was $403 million. The primary uses of cash from financing activities were repayments of long-term debt of $2.3 billion associated with the partial redemption of our Exit Notes and full redemption of our 2024 Senior Secured Notes as well as finance lease obligations. Other primary uses of cash from financing activities were $131 million in bond redemption premium payments as a result of the early redemptions and $28 million, primarily for $21 million in dividends to noncontrolling interests that were settled in cash (as certain dividends in the year were settled in other noncash methods). The primary sources of cash from financing activities were net proceeds of $2.1 billion from the issuance of our 2030 Senior Notes and 2028 Senior Secured Notes.
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Table of Contents Item 7 | MD&A
Cash provided by financing activities in 2020 was $348 million, primarily sourced from borrowings of long-term debt of $453 million related to the net proceeds from the issuance of our 2024 Senior Secured Notes. The primary uses of cash from financing activities were $24 million of deferred consideration for the 2018 acquisition of our Qatari joint venture $27 million repayments of short-term debt, and $28 million for dividends to noncontrolling interests. The remaining uses were primarily for financing fees paid on the Credit Agreement at the time.
See “10 – Borrowings and Other Debt Obligations” for additional information.
Sources of Liquidity
Our sources of available liquidity include cash generated by our operations, cash and cash equivalent balances, and periodic accounts receivable factoring. From time to time, we may enter into transactions to dispose of businesses or capital assets that no longer fit our long-term strategy. We historically have accessed banks for short-term loans and the capital markets for debt and equity offerings. Based upon current and anticipated levels of operations and our recent refinancing transactions, we expect to have sufficient cash from operations and cash on hand to fund our cash requirements (discussed below) and financial obligations, both in the short-term and long-term.
Cash Requirements
Our cash requirements will continue to include payments for principal and interest on our long-term debt, capital expenditures, payments on our finance and operating leases, payments for short-term working capital needs, operating costs and restructuring payments. As business activity continues to rise, we expect to continue to utilize cash on capital assets and working capital growth. Our cash requirements also include personnel costs including awards under our employee incentive programs and other amounts to settle litigation related matters.
As of December 31, 2022, we had outstanding debt of $125 million in aggregate principal amount for our Exit Notes maturing on December 1, 2024, $482 million in aggregate principal amount for our 2028 Senior Secured Notes and $1.6 billion in aggregate principal amount for our 2030 Senior Notes. For these notes, we expect $182 million in interest payments annually in 2023 and 2024 and approximately $169 million in interest payments, annually beginning in 2025, until the maturity of these obligations. Subsequent to year-end 2022 we paid down an additional $20 million in aggregate principal amount of our Exit Notes and $11 million on our 2028 Senior Secured Notes. See “Note 10 – Borrowings and Other Debt Obligations” for additional information.
Our capital spending for 2023 is projected to be between $200 million to $230 million. Our payments on our operating and finance leases in 2023 are expected to be approximately $73 million and $247 million in the years thereafter. See “Note 9 – Leases” for additional information.
Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash are held by subsidiaries outside of Ireland. At December 31, 2022 we had approximately $177 million of our cash and cash equivalents that cannot be immediately repatriated from various countries due to country central bank controls or other regulations. Based on the nature of our structure, other than the restrictions noted above, we foresee we will be able to redeploy cash with minimal to no incremental tax.
Ratings Services’ Credit Ratings
Our credit ratings at December 31, 2022 were maintained or improved since December 31, 2021:
•Standard and Poor’s (“S&P”) upgraded our corporate family and senior unsecured notes ratings from B- to B, and upgraded our senior secured notes and Credit Agreement ratings from B+ to BB-. The outlook was maintained at stable.
•Moody’s Investors Service (“Moody’s”) maintained our corporate family rating at B2, our senior unsecured notes rating at B3, and our senior secured notes and Credit Agreement ratings at Ba3. The outlook was upgraded from negative to stable.
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Table of Contents Item 7 | MD&A
Customer Receivables
We may experience delayed customer payments and payment defaults due to, among other reasons, a weaker economic environment, reductions in our customers’ cash flow from operations, our customers’ inability to access credit markets, as well as unsettled political conditions. Allowances have been recorded for receivables believed to be uncollectible, including amounts for the resolution of potential credit and other collection issues such as disputed invoices. Adjustments to the allowance are made depending on how potential issues are resolved and the financial condition of our customers. See “Note 1 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” for additional information. In addition, our customers are primarily in fossil fuel-related industries and broad declines might impact the collections of our customer receivables.
Accounts Receivable Factoring and Monetization
From time to time, we participate in factoring arrangements to sell accounts receivable to third-party financial institutions for cash proceeds net of discount and hold-back. During 2022, we sold accounts receivable balances of $96 million and received cash proceeds of $93 million. During 2021, we sold accounts receivable balances of $100 million and received cash proceeds of $85 million. During 2020, we sold accounts receivable of $90 million and received cash proceeds of $79 million.
Additionally, during 2022, we entered into a short-term monetization transaction on accounts receivable balances of $77 million and received cash proceeds of $75 million.
The above factoring and monetization proceeds are included as operating cash flows in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. These transactions are uncommitted and thus we cannot assure they will be available as a future source of liquidity.
Derivative Instruments
We enter into foreign currency forward contracts to mitigate the risk of future cash flows denominated in a foreign currency. The amounts will fluctuate, depending on exchange rate volatility, the volume of our foreign currency transactions, and our decisions to hedge. At December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, we had outstanding foreign currency forward contracts with notional amounts aggregating to $147 million and $349 million, respectively. The total estimated fair value of these contracts and amounts owed associated with closed contracts resulted in an immaterial net asset and net liability as of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively. See “Note 1 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” and “Note 12 – Derivative Instruments” for additional information.
Guarantees
Our Exit Notes and 2028 Senior Secured Notes were issued by Weatherford International Ltd., a Bermuda exempted company (“Weatherford Bermuda”), and guaranteed by the Company and Weatherford International, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Weatherford Delaware”) and other subsidiary guarantors party thereto.
Our 2030 Senior Notes were originally issued by Weatherford Bermuda and guaranteed by the Company and Weatherford Delaware and other subsidiary guarantors party thereto. On December 1, 2022, the indenture related to our 2030 Senior Notes was amended and supplemented to add Weatherford Delaware as co-issuer and co-obligor, and concurrently releases the guarantee of Weatherford Delaware.
Credit Agreement, Letters of Credit and Surety Bonds
We had a senior secured letter of credit agreement dated as of December 13, 2019 (the “LC Agreement”) in an aggregate amount of $215 million maturing on May 29, 2024, which was used by the Company and certain of its subsidiaries for the issuance of bid and performance letters of credit.
On October 17, 2022, we amended our LC Agreement (as amended and restated, the “Credit Agreement”) to assign the administrative agent role to Wells Fargo Bank National Association and to provide for a $370 million revolving credit agreement, comprised of $280 million for bid and performance letters of credit, and $90 million for revolving loans and bid, performance and financial letters of credit. The current revolving loan capacity is $45 million.
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Table of Contents Item 7 | MD&A
The maturity date under the Credit Agreement is October 17, 2026; provided, that if more than $50 million of our Exit Notes are outstanding on such date, the maturity date will be August 30, 2024. The Credit Agreement also has (i) a minimum liquidity covenant of $250 million, (ii) a minimum interest coverage ratio of 2.00 to 1.00 for the testing period ended September 30, 2022 and 2.50 to 1.00 for each testing period thereafter and (iii) a maximum ratio of funded debt (net of unrestricted cash in excess of $400 million) to consolidated adjusted EBITDA of 4.00 to 1.00 for each testing period ending prior to June 30, 2023 and 3.50 to 1.00 for each testing period thereafter. The obligations under the Credit Agreement, as with our prior LC Agreement, are guaranteed by the Company and certain of our subsidiaries and secured by substantially all of the personal property of the Company and these subsidiaries.
On November 22, 2022, we amended our Credit Agreement to include (i) Weatherford Canada Ltd. as a borrower, and (ii) increased the total commitment to $400 million. On January 6, 2023, we further amended the Credit Agreement to clarify certain definitions related to fees associated with certain letters of credit. The material terms of the Credit Agreement are otherwise unchanged.
At December 31, 2022, we had approximately $195 million in outstanding letters of credit under the Credit Agreement and availability of $160 million.
As of December 31, 2022, we had $395 million of letters of credit outstanding, consisting of the $195 million mentioned above under the Credit Agreement and another $200 million under various uncommitted bi-lateral facilities (of which there was $199 million in cash collateral held and recorded in “Restricted Cash” on the Consolidated Balance Sheets).
In Latin America we utilize surety bonds as part of our customary business practice. As of December 31, 2022, we had $415 million of surety bonds outstanding. Any of our outstanding letters of credit or surety bonds could be called by the beneficiaries should we breach certain contractual or performance obligations and could reduce our available liquidity if we are unable mitigate the issue.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operation is based upon our Consolidated Financial Statements. We prepare these consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). As such, we are required to make certain estimates, judgments and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the periods presented. We base our estimates on historical experience and available information and various other assumptions we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. On an on-going basis, we evaluate our estimates; however, actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. The accounting policies we believe require management’s most difficult, subjective or complex judgments and are the most critical to our reporting of results of operations and financial position are as follows:
Long-Lived Assets
Long-lived assets, which include property, plant and equipment (“PP&E”), definite-lived intangibles and operating lease assets, comprise a significant amount of our assets. The carrying value of our long-lived assets at December 31, 2022 and 2021 was approximately $1.5 billion and $1.8 billion, respectively. The cost of the long-lived assets is then amortized over its expected useful life. A change in the estimated useful lives of our long-lived assets would have an impact on our results of operations. We estimate the useful lives of our long-lived asset groups as follows:
| Asset Category | Estimated Useful Lives |
|---|---|
| Buildings and Leasehold Improvements | 10 – 40 years or lease term |
| Rental and Service Equipment | 3 – 10 years |
| Machinery and Other | 2 – 12 years |
| Intangible Assets | 5 – 10 years |
In estimating the useful lives of our PP&E, we rely primarily on our actual experience with the same or similar assets. The useful lives of our intangible assets are determined by the years over which we expect the assets to generate a benefit based on legal, contractual or regulatory terms.
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Table of Contents Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Long-lived assets to be held and used by us are reviewed to determine whether any events or changes in circumstances, known as triggering events, indicate that we may not be able to recover the carrying amount of the asset or asset group. Triggering events include, but are not limited to, reduced or expected sustained decreases in cash flows generated by an asset or asset group, negative changes in industry conditions (such as global rig count, commodity prices, and the global economy), a significant change in the long-lived assets’ use or physical condition, the introduction of competing technologies, and legal and regulatory challenges. The Company groups individual assets at the lowest level of identifiable cash flows and, if impairment triggers are present, performs an undiscounted cash flow analysis to identify assets or asset groups that may not be recoverable. If the undiscounted cash flows do not exceed the carrying value of the long-lived asset group, the asset group is not recoverable and impairment is recognized to the extent the carrying amount exceeds the estimated fair value of the asset group. A fair value assessment is performed on assets or asset groups identified as not being recoverable using a discounted cash flow analysis or Level 3 fair value analysis, to determine if an impairment has occurred. The discounted cash flow analysis consists of estimating the future cash flows that are directly associated with, and are expected to arise from, the use and eventual disposition of the asset over its remaining useful life. These estimated discounted cash flows are inherently subjective and includes significant assumptions, specifically the forecasted revenue, forecasted operating margins, and the discount rate assumptions and require estimates based upon historical experience and future expectations. The fair value of the asset or asset group is measured using market prices, or in the absence of market prices, is based on an estimate of discounted cash flows. Cash flows are discounted at an interest rate commensurate with our weighted average cost of capital for a similar asset.
If an impairment has occurred, the Company recognizes a loss for the difference between the carrying amount and the fair value of the asset or asset group.
We generally group long-lived assets by product line. We have long-lived assets, such as facilities, utilized by multiple operating divisions that do not have identifiable cash flows and impairment testing for these long-lived assets is based on the consolidated entity. We did not recognize long-lived assets impairments during 2022 and 2021.
During 2020, the unprecedented global economic and industry conditions resulting from the decline in demand and impact from the COVID-19 pandemic were identified as impairment indicators. As a result, we performed quarterly impairment assessments of our asset groups, which include PP&E, definite-lived intangible assets, goodwill and operating lease assets. Based on our impairment tests, we determined the carrying amount of certain long-lived asset groups exceeded their respective fair values and we recognized of long-lived asset impairments as further described in “Note 4 – Goodwill and Long-Lived Assets Impairment”.
Management cannot predict the occurrence of future impairment-triggering events, so we continue to assess whether indicators of impairment to long-lived assets exist due to the current business conditions in the energy services industry.
Income Taxes
We take into account the differences between the financial statement treatment and tax treatment of certain transactions. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect of a change in tax rates is recognized as income or expense in the period that includes the enactment date. See “Note 18 – Income Taxes” for detailed discussion of results.
We recognize the impact of an uncertain tax position taken or expected to be taken on an income tax return in the financial statements at the largest amount that is more likely than not to be sustained upon examination by the relevant taxing authority.
We operate in approximately 75 countries through hundreds of legal entities. As a result, we are subject to numerous tax laws in the jurisdictions, and tax agreements and treaties among the various taxing authorities. Our operations in these jurisdictions in which we operate are taxed on various bases: income before taxes, deemed profits (which is generally determined using a percentage of revenues rather than profits), withholding taxes based on revenue, and other alternative minimum taxes. The calculation of our tax liabilities involves consideration of uncertainties in the application and interpretation of complex tax regulations in a multitude of jurisdictions across our global operations. We recognize potential liabilities and record tax liabilities for anticipated tax audit issues in the tax jurisdictions based on our estimate of whether, and the extent to which, additional taxes will be due. The tax liabilities are reflected net of realized tax loss carryforwards. We adjust these reserves upon specific events; however, due to the complexity of some of these uncertainties, the ultimate resolution may result in a payment that is different from our current estimate of the tax liabilities.
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Table of Contents Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
If our estimate of tax liabilities proves to be less than the ultimate assessment, an additional charge to expense would result. If payment of these amounts ultimately proves to be less than the recorded amounts, the reversal of the liabilities would result in tax benefits being recognized in the period when the contingency has been resolved and the liabilities are no longer necessary. Changes in tax laws, regulations, agreements and treaties, foreign currency exchange restrictions or our level of operations or profitability in each taxing jurisdiction could have an impact upon the amount of income taxes that we provide during any given year.
Valuation Allowance for Deferred Tax Assets
We record a valuation allowance to reduce the carrying value of our deferred tax assets when it is more likely than not that a portion or all of the deferred tax assets will expire before realization of the benefit. The ultimate realization of the deferred tax assets depends on the ability to generate sufficient taxable income of the appropriate character and in the related jurisdiction in the future. In evaluating our ability to recover our deferred tax assets, we consider the available positive and negative evidence, including our past operating results, the existence of cumulative losses in the most recent years and our forecast of near-term future taxable income and various tax planning strategies.
When the likelihood of the realization of existing deferred tax assets changes, adjustments to the valuation allowance are charged to our income tax provision in the period in which the determination is made. The Company concluded it was not able to realize the benefits of all of its deferred tax assets and has established a valuation allowance. Our valuation allowance on our deferred tax assets was $1.3 billion and $1.5 billion as of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively.
Forward-Looking Statements
This report contains various statements relating to future financial performance and results, business strategy, plans, goals and objectives, including certain projections, business trends and other statements that are not historical facts. These statements constitute forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “budget,” “strategy,” “plan,” “guidance,” “outlook,” “may,” “should,” “could,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words.
Forward-looking statements reflect our beliefs and expectations based on current estimates and projections. While we believe these expectations, and the estimates and projections on which they are based, are reasonable and were made in good faith, these statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, our actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what we have expressed or forecasted in the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included herein are only made as of the date of this report, or if earlier, as of the date they were made, and we undertake no obligation to correct, update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except to the extent required under federal securities laws. The following, together with disclosures under “Part I – Item 1A. Risk Factors”, sets forth certain risks and uncertainties relating to our forward-looking statements that may cause actual results to be materially different from our present expectations or projections:
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Table of Contents Forward-Looking Statements
•global political, economic and market conditions, political disturbances, war, terrorist attacks, changes in global trade policies, weak local economic conditions and international currency fluctuations (including the Russia Ukraine Conflict);
•general global economic repercussions related to U.S. and global inflationary pressures and potential recessionary concerns;
•failure to ensure on-going compliance with current and future laws and government regulations, including but not limited to those related to the Russia Ukraine Conflict, and environmental and tax and accounting laws, rules and regulations.
•changes in, and the administration of, treaties, laws, and regulations, including in response to issues related to the Russia Ukraine Conflict and the potential for such issues to exacerbate other risks we face, including those related to the other risks and uncertainties listed or referenced;
•cybersecurity incidents, as our reliance on digital technologies increases, those digital technologies may become more vulnerable and/or experience a higher rate of cybersecurity attacks, intrusions or incidents in the current environment of remote connectivity, as well as increased geopolitical conflicts and tensions, including as a result of the Russia Ukraine Conflict;
•our ability to comply with, and respond to, climate change, environmental, social and governance and other “sustainability” initiatives and future legislative and regulatory measures both globally and in the specific geographic regions in which we and our customers operate;
•our ability to effectively and timely address the need to conduct our operations and provision of services to our customers more sustainably and with a lower carbon footprint;
•risks associated with disease outbreaks and other public health issues, including the COVID-19 pandemic, their impact on the global economy and the business of our company, customers, suppliers and other partners;
•further spread and potential for a resurgence of a pandemic in a given geographic region and related disruptions to our business, employees, customers, suppliers and other partners and additional regulatory measures or voluntary actions that may be put in place to limit the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, including vaccination requirements and the associated availability of vaccines, restrictions on business operations or social distancing requirements, and the duration and efficacy of such restrictions;
•the price and price volatility of, and demand for, oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids;
•member-country quota compliance within the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries;
•our ability to realize expected revenues and profitability levels from current and future contracts;
•our ability to generate cash flow from operations to fund our operations;
•our ability to effectively and timely adapt our technology portfolio, products and services to address and participate in changes to the market demands for the transition to alternate sources of energy such as geothermal, carbon capture and responsible abandonment, including our digitalization efforts;
•increases in the prices and lack of availability of our procured products and services;
•our ability to timely collect from customers;
•our ability to realize cost savings and business enhancements from our revenue and cost improvement efforts;
•our ability to attract, motivate and retain employees, including key personnel;
•our ability to access to capital markets on terms that are commercially acceptable to the Company;
•our ability to manage our workforce, supply chain challenges and disruptions, business processes, information technology systems and technological innovation and commercialization, including the impact of our organization restructure, business enhancements, improvement efforts and the cost and support reduction plans;
•our ability to service our debt obligations;
•potential non-cash asset impairment charges for long-lived assets, intangible assets or other assets; and
•adverse weather conditions in certain regions of our operations
Many of these factors are macro-economic in nature and are, therefore, beyond our control. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, affect us in ways or to an extent that we currently do not expect or consider to be significant, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, our actual results, performance or achievements may vary materially from those described in this report as anticipated, believed, estimated, expected, intended, planned or projected.
Finally, our future results will depend upon various other risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, those detailed in our current and past filings with the SEC under the Exchange Act and the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
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Table of Contents Forward-Looking Statements
FY 2021 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0001603923-22-000051.
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
As used in this item, “Weatherford”, “the Company,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Weatherford International plc, a public limited company organized under the laws of Ireland, and its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis.
The following discussion should be read in conjunction with our Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto included in “Item 8. – Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.” Our discussion includes various forward-looking statements about our markets, the demand for our products and services and our future results. These statements include certain risks and uncertainties. For information about these risks and uncertainties, refer to the section entitled “Forward-Looking Statements” and the section entitled “Item 1A. – Risk Factors.” As described in “Note 1 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” references to “Predecessor” relate to the Consolidated Statements of Operations for the period from January 1, 2019 through and including the adjustments from the application of Fresh Start Accounting on December 13, 2019 (“Predecessor Period”). References to “Successor” relate to the Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 and for the period from December 14, 2019 through December 31, 2019 (“2021 Successor Period, 2020 Successor Period and 2019 Successor Period”, respectively) and are not comparable to the Consolidated Financial Statements of the Predecessor Period as indicated by the “black line” division in the financials and footnote tables, which emphasizes the lack of comparability between amounts presented.
References and comparisons to results for the year ended December 31, 2019 relate to the combined Successor and Predecessor Period (“2019 Combined Period”) as the 18 days of the Successor Period is not a significant period of time impacting the combined results.
Consolidated Revenues, Expenses and Operating Income Overview
2021 vs 2020
Revenues totaled $3.65 billion in 2021, a decline of 1% compared to 2020. We experienced significant declines in activity after the start of the pandemic in March of 2020 and although revenues are slightly lower in 2021, our revenues in 2021 reflect the ongoing recovery in business activity. Revenues in 2021 reflect a 5% increase in service revenues, which was offset by a 10% decline in product revenues. The revenue increases were related to higher demand for Drilling and Evaluation (“DRE”) and Production and Intervention (“PRI”) businesses, primarily for managed pressure drilling, wireline, intervention and pressure pumping services. These improvements were partially offset by lower demand for products from our Well Construction and Completions (“WCC”), primarily for cementation products and liner hangers, and a decline in demand for the artificial lift within our PRI business.
Cost of services and products of $2.72 billion decreased $91 million, or 3%, compared to 2020, primarily due to cost improvement initiatives that were implemented during 2020 and early 2021. Our costs declined despite higher service activity and increased cost for supplies and logistics. Our cost of products and services as a percentage of revenues was 74.5% in 2021, an improvement compared to 76.2% in 2020, reflecting our cost initiative improvements and operational efficiency gains.
Selling, general, administrative and research and development costs of $823 million decreased $111 million, or 12%, due to cost improvement initiatives to reduce overhead and corporate costs that were implemented during 2020 and early 2021. These costs as a percentage of revenues were 22.6% in 2021, an improvement compared to 25.3% in 2020, reflecting our cost initiative improvements.
Operating income of $116 million improved $1.6 billion in 2021 compared to 2020, primarily from the absence of impairment and restructuring charges, the decline in cost of services and products as well as the decline in selling, general and administrative, corporate, and research and development expense. The improvement in operating income was driven by increased service activity levels, increased service versus product mix, higher adoption of our technology offerings and increased demand in our DRE and PRI businesses primarily for managed pressure drilling, wireline, intervention, pressure pumping services. Our exit of certain drilling services in North America in the fourth quarter of 2020 also positively contributed to the improvement.
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Table of Contents Item 7 | MD&A
2020 vs 2019 Combined Period
Revenues totaled $3.7 billion in 2020, a decline of 29% compared to the 2019 Combined Period, as the unprecedented global health and economic crisis sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted industry activity. The lower demand for oil and gas together with uncertainty around the extent and timing for an economic recovery, caused significant reductions to the capital spending plans of exploration and production companies. Our revenue decline was predominantly driven by lower activity levels impacting all our product line segments, with revenue declines of 29% in DRE, 37% in PRI and 15% in WCC. Revenue declined in North America as a result of lower demand for our products and services in the United States, but was also impacted by declines in activity internationally, primarily in Latin America, the Middle East, North Africa and Russia. The pandemic had an immediate negative impact beginning in the second quarter of 2020 in the North America while taking longer to significantly impact our business internationally.
Operating loss of $1.5 billion worsened 26% in 2020 compared to the 2019 Combined Period, primarily from the decline in business demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic, long-lived assets impairment charges, goodwill impairment, and inventory charges.
Business Outlook
We expect continued improvements in our customer activity levels with the relaxing of COVID-19 restrictions globally and improved macroeconomic conditions generally, all of which are expected to provide a measured pathway to energy demand recovery in 2022. We believe that industry activity will continue to recover and our 2022 consolidated revenues are anticipated to increase by high single to low double digits above 2021.
We continue to closely monitor the ongoing global impacts surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, including operational and manufacturing disruptions, escalating costs, logistical constraints and travel restrictions. The energy services industry growth is highly dependent on many external factors, such as the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, our customers’ capital expenditures, environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) driven changes, world economic and political conditions, the price of oil and natural gas, member-country quota compliance within the OPEC+, weather conditions and other factors.
COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts
We continue to experience impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, including inflationary pressures and delays and supply shortages when sourcing raw materials and services as everyone manages through the challenges around reopening and returning to work. Shipping and other logistic activities are experiencing tight availability for carriers, containers and shipping materials, exacerbating the delays and lack of availability of key components. In addition, we continue to experience certain customer restrictions that prevent access to their sites, community measures to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus, and changes to our policies that have both restricted and changed the way our employees work.
We strive to continuously improve crew rotations and management practices to minimize our employees’ risk of exposure to the COVID-19 virus while at customer facilities. We are also constantly refining and updating our identification and management of COVID-19 cases through the development of updated protocols, advanced testing and response procedures consistent with the latest guidance, from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization. Faced with these challenges in 2020 and 2021, we evolved our product and services offerings, increasing the breadth of our digital portfolio and enhancing our applications to offer more fully integrated digital energy services solutions. We also increased our offerings of automated well construction and remote monitoring and predictive analytics related to our product offerings.
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Table of Contents Item 7 | MD&A
Opportunities and Challenges
As production decline rates persist and reservoir productivity complexities increase, our customers continue to face challenges in balancing the cost of extraction activities with securing desired rates of production while achieving acceptable rates of return on investment. These challenges increase our customers’ requirements for technologies that improve productivity and efficiency and pressures us to deliver our products and services at competitive rates. In addition, as consolidation of the energy services industry continues due to market conditions, there has been an increased demand for companies to provide specialized products, services and technologies. We believe we are well positioned to satisfy our customers’ needs, but the level of improvement in our businesses in the future will depend heavily on pricing, volume of work, our ability to offer technology solutions to more efficiently extract oil and gas while controlling costs, and our success in penetrating new and existing markets with our newly developed technologies. Over the long-term, we expect the world’s demand for energy to continue to rise and require more advanced technology from the energy service industry. We remain focused on delivering innovative and cost-efficient solutions for customers to assist them in achieving their operational, safety and environmental objectives.
Our challenges also include market conditions that could make it more difficult to obtain our targeted cost reduction benefits and to recruit, motivate and retain employees, including key personnel. Increasing investor and government focus on ESG factors, the cyclicality of the energy industry and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic may negatively impact demand for our products and services. We are following our long-term strategy aimed at achieving sustainable profitability in our businesses, servicing our customers and creating value for our shareholders. Our long-term success will be determined by our ability to manage effectively the cyclicality of our industry, including potential prolonged industry downturns, our ability to respond to industry demands in periods of over-supply or uncertain oil prices, and ultimately to generate consistent positive cash flow and positive returns on the invested capital.
Exchange Listing
On June 1, 2021, NASDAQ approved our application for the listing of our ordinary shares. In connection with the listing, we became subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act. Our ordinary shares began trading on The Nasdaq Global Select Market on June 2, 2021 under the ticker symbol “WFRD”.
Industry Trends
The level of spending in the energy industry is heavily influenced by the current and expected future prices of oil and natural gas, but is also impacted by ESG initiatives and ongoing supply chain shortages. These factors result in an increase or decrease in demand for our products and services. Rig count is an indicator of the level of spending for the exploration and production of oil and natural gas reserves.
The table below shows the average oil and natural gas prices for West Texas Intermediate (“WTI”) and Brent North Sea (“Brent”) crude oil and Henry Hub natural gas during years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019. Commodity prices increased during 2021 due to demand outpacing supply as demand recovery built toward pre-pandemic levels with increased vaccination rates and global economic activity. Average oil prices for 2021 were approximately 73% higher than the average oil prices for 2020 and natural gas prices increased by 92% over the same period.
| Years Ended | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12/31/2021 | 12/31/2020 | 12/31/2019 | ||
| Oil price - WTI (1) | $67.99 | $39.23 | $56.98 | |
| Oil price - Brent (1) | $70.68 | $41.76 | $64.36 | |
| Natural Gas price - Henry Hub (2) | $3.91 | $2.04 | $2.57 | |
| (1) Oil price measured in dollars per barrel (rounded to the nearest $0.01) | ||||
| (2) Natural gas price measured in dollars per million British thermal units (Btu), or MMBtu |
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Table of Contents Item 7 | MD&A
North America and International average rig counts were well below pre-pandemic levels. The historical average rig counts based on the weekly Baker Hughes Company rig count information were as follows:
| Years Ended | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12/31/2021 | 12/31/2020 | 12/31/2019 | ||||
| North America | 610 | 522 | 1,077 | |||
| International | 755 | 825 | 1,098 | |||
| Worldwide | 1,365 | 1,347 | 2,175 |
As of December 31, 2021, the North America and International Rig counts totaled 676 and 834, respectively.
Significant Financing Transactions
For additional details on the recap provided below, see “Note 2 – Emergence from Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Proceedings”, “Note 3 – Fresh Start Accounting”, “Note 13 – Borrowings and Other Debt Obligations” and “Loss on Extinguishment of Debt and Bond Redemption Premium” on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
2030 Senior Notes Issuance and Exit Notes Partial Redemption
On October 27, 2021, we issued the 2030 Senior Notes with an aggregate principal amount of $1.6 billion and a stated interest rate of 8.625% per annum due in 2030. We redeemed $1.6 billion in principal amount of our Exit Notes plus interest with net proceeds from the 2030 Senior Notes and cash on hand. We paid and recognized a $103 million bond redemption premium and recognized a $2 million noncash loss on extinguishment of debt related to the unamortized debt issuance costs.
In addition, on October 20, 2021, we redeemed $200 million of our Exit Notes and paid a bond redemption premium of $6 million.
Subsequent to the partial redemption, $300 million in aggregate principal of our Exit Notes remains unpaid.
2028 Senior Secured Notes Issuance and 2024 Senior Secured Notes Redemption
On September 30, 2021, we issued the 2028 Senior Secured Notes with an aggregate principal amount of $500 million and a stated interest rate of 6.5% per annum due in 2028. We repaid our 2024 Senior Secured Notes with net proceeds from the issuance of the 2028 Senior Secured Notes and cash on hand. We paid and recognized a $22 million bond redemption premium and recognized a $37 million noncash loss on extinguishment of debt related to the unamortized debt issuance costs and original issue discount.
2024 Senior Secured Notes Issuance in 2020
On August 28, 2020, we issued the 2024 Senior Secured Notes with an aggregate principal amount of $500 million and a stated interest rate of 8.75% per annum due 2024 and repaid in full on September 30, 2021 with the issuance of the 2028 Senior Secured Notes and cash on hand.
LC Credit Agreement
We have a senior secured letter of credit agreement (the “LC Credit Agreement”) in an aggregate amount of $215 million maturing on May 29, 2024, which is used by the Company and certain of its subsidiaries for the issuance of bid and performance letters of credit. We amended certain provisions and covenants of our LC Credit Agreement on September 20, 2021.
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2019 Emergence from Bankruptcy Proceedings and Fresh Start Accounting
On July 1, 2019 (the “Petition Date”), Weatherford and two of our subsidiaries (collectively, the “Weatherford Parties” ) commenced voluntary reorganization proceedings (the “Cases”), including under Chapter 11 of Title 11 (“Chapter 11”) of the United States Bankruptcy Code in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas (the “Bankruptcy Court”), with ancillary proceedings filed in Ireland and Bermuda. The plan of reorganization (as amended, the “Plan”), together with the schemes of arrangement in Ireland and Bermuda, became effective on December 13, 2019 (the “Effective Date”) and the Weatherford Parties emerged from Chapter 11 and adopted fresh start accounting (“Fresh Start Accounting”), which reflected all our assets and liabilities at fair value. These events resulted in several financing activities, later discussed under the caption “Liquidity and Capital Resources”. For additional details regarding the Chapter 11, see “Note 2 – Emergence from Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Proceedings” and “Note 3 – Fresh Start Accounting”.
Our emergence from bankruptcy and the adoption of Fresh Start Accounting resulted in a new reporting entity, referred to herein as the “Successor,” for financial reporting purposes. To facilitate discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations, we refer to the reorganized Weatherford Parties as the Successor for periods subsequent to December 13, 2019 and as the “Predecessor” for periods on or prior to December 13, 2019. As a result of the adoption of Fresh Start Accounting and the effects of the implementation of the Plan, our consolidated financial statements subsequent to December 13, 2019 are not comparable to our consolidated financial statements on or prior to December 13, 2019, and as such, “Black-line” financial statements are presented to distinguish between the Predecessor and Successor companies.
Reportable Segments
The Company's chief operating decision maker (“CODM”), our chief executive officer, regularly reviews information to make operating decisions, allocate resources and assess performance of the business. During the fourth quarter of 2021, the CODM changed the information regularly reviewed to be aligned with how we offer our services and technologies in relation to the well life cycle and we have realigned our reportable segments to reflect the change. We now have three reportable segments: (1) Drilling and Evaluation (2) Well Construction and Completions, and (3) Production and Intervention. Previously we had two geographic based reportable segments, Western Hemisphere and Eastern Hemisphere.
Total revenues are from external customers and segment revenues are specific to our three reportable segments and all other revenues are specific to our non-operating segment revenues. Revenues are further described in “Note 5 – Revenues.”
Additionally, we have changed our primary measure of segment profitability to segment adjusted EBITDA, which is based on segment earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, share-based compensation expense and other adjustments. Research and development expenses are included in segment adjusted EBITDA. Corporate and other includes business activities related to all other segments (profit and loss), corporate and other expenses (overhead support and centrally managed or shared facilities costs) that do not individually meet the criteria for segment reporting. We have revised our segment reporting to reflect our current management approach and recast prior periods to conform to the current segment presentation.
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Segment Results of Operations
The following table shows our consolidated results of operations and financial information for the referenced periods. The 2021, 2020 and 2019 Successor Periods are distinct reporting periods from the 2019 Predecessor Period as a result of our emergence from bankruptcy on December 13, 2019. We have combined results (“2019 Combined Period”) for the 2019 Successor and Predecessor Periods which are not presented according to generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”) and no comparable GAAP measure is presented, however, management believes that providing the combined financial information may be useful for making certain year-to-date comparisons.
| Successor | Predecessor | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Favorable | Favorable | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Year | Year | 12/14/19 | 01/01/19 | (Unfavorable) | (Unfavorable) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ended | Ended | through | through | $ | % | $ | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Dollars in millions) | 12/31/21 | 12/31/20 | 12/31/19 | 12/13/19 | 2019 Combined | 2021 vs 2020 | 2020 vs 2019 Combined | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Revenues: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Drilling and Evaluation | $ | 1,066 | $ | 1,044 | $ | 67 | $ | 1,407 | $ | 1,474 | $ | 22 | 2 | % | $ | (430) | (29) | % | ||||||||||||
| Well Construction and Completions | 1,353 | 1,414 | 90 | 1,583 | 1,673 | (61) | (4) | % | (259) | (15) | % | |||||||||||||||||||
| Production and Intervention | 1,127 | 1,106 | 86 | 1,673 | 1,759 | 21 | 2 | % | (653) | (37) | % | |||||||||||||||||||
| Segment Revenues | 3,546 | 3,564 | 243 | 4,663 | 4,906 | (18) | (1) | % | (1,342) | (27) | % | |||||||||||||||||||
| All Other | 99 | 121 | 18 | 291 | 309 | (22) | (18) | % | (188) | (61) | % | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total Revenues | 3,645 | 3,685 | 261 | 4,954 | 5,215 | (40) | (1) | % | (1,530) | (29) | % | |||||||||||||||||||
| Segment Adjusted EBITDA: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Drilling and Evaluation | $ | 186 | $ | 132 | $ | (3) | $ | 219 | $ | 216 | $ | 54 | 41 | % | $ | (84) | (39) | % | ||||||||||||
| Well Construction and Completions | 256 | 273 | 19 | 225 | 244 | (17) | (6) | % | 29 | 12 | % | |||||||||||||||||||
| Production and Intervention | 191 | 154 | 20 | 216 | 236 | 37 | 24 | % | (82) | (35) | % | |||||||||||||||||||
| Segment Adjusted EBITDA | 633 | 559 | 36 | 660 | 696 | 74 | 13 | % | (137) | (20) | % | |||||||||||||||||||
| Corporate and Other | (62) | (100) | (1) | (104) | (105) | 38 | 38 | % | 5 | 5 | % | |||||||||||||||||||
| Depreciation and Amortization | (440) | (503) | (34) | (447) | (481) | 63 | 13 | % | (22) | (5) | % | |||||||||||||||||||
| Shared-based Compensation Expense | (25) | — | — | (24) | (24) | (25) | n/m | 24 | 100 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Other Adjustments | 10 | (1,442) | — | (1,267) | (1,267) | 1,452 | 101 | % | (175) | (14) | % | |||||||||||||||||||
| Operating Income (Loss) | $ | 116 | $ | (1,486) | $ | 1 | $ | (1,182) | $ | (1,181) | $ | 1,602 | 108 | % | $ | (305) | (26) | % |
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Segment Revenues
2021 vs 2020
Revenues totaled $3.65 billion in 2021, a decline of 1% compared to 2020 and reflected in our segment revenues as follows:
DRE revenues of $1.1 billion in 2021, increased 2% compared to 2020 primarily due to higher demand for managed pressure drilling and and wireline services and products, partially offset by a decline in drilling services and drilling fluids. The year-over-year improvement was driven by increased activity levels, an increase in services versus product mix, and higher adoption of our technology offerings internationally. The decline in drilling services revenue reflects the exit of certain drilling services in North America in the fourth quarter of 2020.
WCC revenues of $1.4 billion in 2021, decreased 4% compared to 2020 primarily due to lower activity for cementation products, liner hangers and tubular running services. Internationally we experienced lower well construction and completions activity in the Middle East and Russia, which was partially offset by higher activity in North America and Latin America.
PRI revenues of $1.1 billion in 2021, increased 2% compared to 2020 primarily due to higher demand for pressure pumping, intervention services & drilling tools, and production automation & software, partially offset by a decline in demand for artificial lift services. The year-over-year improvement was driven by increased activity levels, increase in services versus product mix, higher adoption of our technology offerings and greater demand for our services.
2020 vs 2019 Combined Period
Revenues totaled $3.7 billion in 2020, a decline of 29% compared to the 2019 Combined Period, as the unprecedented global health and economic crisis sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted industry activity. The lower demand for oil and gas together with uncertainty around the extent and timing for an economic recovery, caused significant reductions to the capital spending plans of exploration and production companies. The impact was seen across all segment divisions, with revenue declines of 29% in DRE, 37% in PRI and 15% in WCC. Revenue declined in North America as a result of lower demand for our products and services in the United States, but was also impacted by declines in activity internationally, primarily in Latin America, the Middle East, North Africa and Russia. The pandemic had an immediate negative impact beginning in the second quarter of 2020 in North America while taking longer to significantly impact our business internationally.
Segment Adjusted EBITDA
2021 vs 2020
Segment adjusted EBITDA was $633 million in 2021, an increase of 13% compared to 2020 which is reflected in our segments as follows:
DRE segment adjusted EBITDA of $186 million in 2021, increased 41% compared to 2020 primarily due to higher demand for managed pressure drilling and wireline services and products and lower operating costs as a result of cost improvement initiatives that were implemented during 2020 and early 2021, partially offset by a decline in drilling fluids. Positively impacting DRE segment adjusted EBITDA was the exit of certain drilling services in North America in the fourth quarter of 2020. The year-over-year segment adjusted EBITDA improvement was driven by increased activity levels, increase in services versus product mix, higher adoption of our technology offerings and greater demand for services globally.
WCC segment adjusted EBITDA of $256 million in 2021, decreased 6% compared to 2020 primarily due to lower activity for cementation products, liner hangers and tubular running services, which was partially offset by improvements in completions margins and cost efficiencies as a result of initiatives implemented during 2020 and early 2021. Internationally we experienced lower well construction and completions activity in the Middle East and Russia resulting in decrease segment profit, which was partially offset by higher margin activity in North America and Latin America.
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PRI segment adjusted EBITDA of $191 million in 2021, increased 24% compared to 2020 primarily due to to higher demand for intervention services & drilling tools, pressure pumping and production automation & software services, and lower operating costs as a result of cost improvement initiatives that were implemented during 2020 and early 2021, partially offset by a decline in artificial lift services. The year-over-year segment adjusted EBITDA improvement was driven by increased activity levels, increase in services versus product mix, higher adoption of our technology offerings and greater demand for services and products.
2020 vs 2019 Combined Period
Operating loss of $1.5 billion worsened 26% in 2020 compared to the 2019 Combined Period, primarily from the decline in business demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic, long-lived assets impairment charges, goodwill impairment, and inventory charges.
Successor segment adjusted EBITDA was $559 million in 2020, a decrease of 20% compared to the 2019 Combined Period, driven primarily from the decline in business demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic in DRE of 39% and PRI of 35%, partially offset by a 12% increase in WCC. Segment adjusted EBITDA declined in North America as a result of lower demand for our products and services in the United States, but was also impacted by declines in activity internationally, primarily in Latin America, the Middle East, North Africa and Russia. The pandemic had an immediate negative impact beginning in the second quarter of 2020 in North America while taking longer to significantly impact our business internationally.
Depreciation and Amortization
Depreciation and amortization decreased in 2021 compared to 2020 due to the decrease in carrying value of assets after impairments taken in 2020. The increase in depreciation and amortization in 2020 compared to the 2019 Combined Period was due to the initial increase in carrying value of assets after a fair value adjustment at fresh start, coming out of bankruptcy on December 13, 2019.
Shared-based Compensation
We record shared-based compensation in “Selling, General and Administrative” on the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations. We recognized $25 million, an immaterial amount and zero in the 2021, 2020 and 2019 Successor Periods, respectively. During the 2019 Predecessor Period, we recognized $46 million, of which $24 million was recorded in “Selling, General and Administrative” and the remainder in“Other Charges (Credits), Net” to include $24 million related to the acceleration of share-based compensation at Fresh Start offset by $2 million in terminated executive forfeitures.
Other Adjustments
Other adjustments include goodwill and long-lived asset impairments, restructuring charges, prepetition charges, gain on sale of businesses and other charges and credits, net as applicable to the periods presented. See “ Note 6 – Impairments and Other Charges, Net”, “Note 7 – Long-Lived Assets Impairment”, “Note 11 – Goodwill and Intangibles, Net”, “ Note 8 – Restructuring Charges”, and “Note 2 – Emergence from Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Proceedings” for additional information. In the 2020 Successor and 2019 Predecessor Periods, the segment adjusted EBITDA of Well Construction and Completions includes $12 million and $15 million, respectively, of gains on sales of operational assets.
Non-Operating Expenses
Reorganization Items
Reorganization items in the 2019 Predecessor Period were directly related to bankruptcy and included the $4.3 billion gain on settlement of liabilities subject to compromise, $1.4 billion gain on revaluation of the Company’s assets and liabilities, and $346 million of charges for debt issuance write-offs, debt discount write-offs, backstop commitment fees, DIP financing fees and professional fees related to bankruptcy matters.
Reorganization items in the 2020 and 2019 Successor Periods totaled $9 million and $4 million, respectively.
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Interest Expense, Net
Interest expense, net was $260 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, and primarily represented interest on our Exit Notes and 2024 Senior Secured Notes, and a portion from our 2028 Senior Secured Notes and 2030 Senior Notes, newly issued later in the year. The $251 million of interest expense, net for year ended December 31, 2020 primarily represented interest on our Exit Notes and later in the year, the 2024 Senior Secured Notes.
The $12 million for the 2019 Successor Period represented interest expense on our Exit Notes and the $362 million for the 2019 Predecessor Period represented a half year of interest expense on the Predecessor’s debt. Upon filing for Chapter 11 cases, which began July 1, 2019, we no longer recognized interest expense on Predecessor debt in accordance with ASC 852.
See “Note 13 – Borrowings and Other Debt Obligations” to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further details.
Loss on Extinguishment of Debt and Bond Redemption Premium
During 2021, we repaid and refinanced certain of our debt obligations and recognized a $170 million loss on extinguishment of debt and bond redemption premium for the repayment of our 2024 Senior Secured Notes, the repayment of $200 million of Exit Notes and the refinancing of $1.6 billion of Exit Notes. This loss was comprised of a $39 million loss on extinguishment of debt related to unamortized debt issuance costs and discount and a $131 million bond redemption premium on the early redemption of debt, which is presented as “Loss on Extinguishment of Debt and Bond Redemption Premium” on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. See “Note 13 – Borrowings and Other Debt Obligations” for additional details.
Loss on Termination of ABL Credit Agreement
On December 13, 2019, we entered into a senior secured asset-based lending agreement in an aggregate amount of $450 million (the “ABL Credit Agreement”) which was terminated on August 28, 2020. Upon its termination, we recorded $15 million of noncash “Loss on Termination of ABL Credit Agreement” on our Consolidated Financial Statements related to unamortized deferred debt issuance costs.
Other Expense, Net
Other expense, net was $29 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to $53 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. Other expense is comprised of letter of credit fees, other financing charges and foreign exchange losses, primarily attributed to currency losses in countries with no or limited markets to hedge. The year-over-year improvement was primarily due to lower currency volatility in 2021 compared to the significant volatility in the same period in the prior year following the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Successor other expense was $53 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to Predecessor other expense of $26 million in 2019. Other expense was primarily driven by foreign currency exchange losses of $34 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to $14 million for the 2019 Combined Period. The unfavorable change primarily relates to the weakening of foreign currencies following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Other expense also includes letter of credit fees and other financing fees.
In 2019, other expense was primarily driven by foreign currency exchange losses, letter of credit fees, other financing fees and non-service periodic pension and other post-retirement benefit expenses. Foreign exchange losses are typically due to the strengthening U.S. dollar compared to our foreign denominated operations.
Income Taxes
We provide for income taxes based on the laws and rates in effect in the countries in which operations are conducted, or in which we or our subsidiaries are considered resident for income tax purposes. The relationship between our pre-tax income or loss from continuing operations and our income tax benefit or provision varies from period to period as a result of various factors, which include changes in total pre-tax income or loss, the jurisdictions in which our income is earned, the tax laws in those jurisdictions, the impacts of tax planning activities and the resolution of tax audits. On September 26, 2019, our parent company ceased to be a Swiss tax resident and became an Irish tax resident subject to tax under the Irish tax regime. As a result, our effective rate differs from the Irish statutory tax rate as the majority of our operations are taxed in jurisdictions with different tax rates. In addition, we are unable to recognize tax benefit on our losses.
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We record deferred tax assets for net operating losses and temporary differences between the book and tax basis of assets and liabilities that are expected to produce tax deductions in future periods. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income during the periods in which those deferred tax assets would be deductible. The Company assesses the realizability of its deferred tax assets each period by considering whether it is more likely than not that all or a portion of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The Company considers all available evidence (both positive and negative) when determining whether a valuation allowance is required, with emphasis on our past operating results, the existence of cumulative losses in the most recent years and our forecast of near-term taxable income. The Company evaluates possible sources of taxable income that may be available to realize the benefit of deferred tax assets, including projected future taxable income, the reversal of existing temporary differences, taxable income in carryback years and available tax planning strategies, and the impact of Fresh Start Accounting in making this assessment. The realizability of the deferred tax assets is dependent upon judgments and assumptions inherent in the determination of future taxable income, including factors such as future operation conditions (particularly as related to prevailing oil prices and market demand for our products and services). The Company concluded it was not able to realize the benefit of its deferred tax assets and has established a valuation allowance. Continued performance improvement in certain jurisdictions could result in a change in our realization of deferred tax asset assessment in the near future, which would release valuation allowance.
The income tax provision and respective effective tax rate was $86 million and (25)%, $85 million and (5)%, $9 million and (60)%, and $135 million and 3%, for the 2021, 2020, 2019 Successor Periods and 2019 Predecessor Period, respectively.
Our income tax provisions in 2021 and 2020 are primarily driven by income in certain jurisdictions, deemed profit countries and withholding taxes on intercompany and third-party transactions that do not directly correlate to ordinary income or loss. Impairments and other charges recognized do not result in significant tax benefit as a result of our inability to forecast realization of the tax benefit of such losses.
Our results for the 2019 Predecessor period include $32 million of tax expense related to the Fresh Start Accounting impacts and $14 million of tax benefit primarily related to goodwill and other asset impairments and write-downs. We also recognized $4.3 billion gain on Settlement of Liabilities Subject to Compromise as a result of the bankruptcy (See “Note 3 – Fresh Start Accounting”) with no tax impact due to it being attributed to Bermuda, which has no income tax regime, and the U.S., which resulted in the reduction of our U.S. unbenefited net operating losses carryforward under the operative tax statute and applicable regulations offset by the release of a similar amount of valuation allowance. Prepetition charges (charges prior to Petition Date) and reorganization items (charges after Petition Date) had no significant tax impact.
We are continuously under tax examination in various jurisdictions. We cannot predict the timing or outcome regarding resolution of these tax examinations or if they will have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. As of December 31, 2021, we anticipate that it is reasonably possible that the amount of our uncertain tax positions of $235 million may decrease by up to $1 million in the next twelve months due to expiration of statutes of limitations, settlements and/or conclusions of tax examinations.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries have enacted tax relief measures to provide aid and economic stimulus to companies impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. For the Successor years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, there were no material tax impacts to our financial statements as it relates to COVID-19 tax relief measures.
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Liquidity and Capital Resources
At December 31, 2021, we had total cash and cash equivalents plus restricted cash of $1.1 billion, of which $162 million was restricted cash, compared to $1.3 billion at December 31, 2020, of which $167 million was restricted cash. The following table summarizes cash provided by (used in) each type of business activity in the periods presented:
| Successor | Predecessor | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| From | From | ||||||||||||
| Year | Year | 12/14/2019 | 1/1/2019 | ||||||||||
| Ended | Ended | through | through | ||||||||||
| (Dollars in millions) | 12/31/2021 | 12/31/2020 | 12/31/2019 | 12/13/2019 | |||||||||
| Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities | $ | 322 | $ | 210 | $ | 61 | $ | (747) | |||||
| Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities | (83) | (75) | (14) | 149 | |||||||||
| Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities | (403) | 348 | (2) | 749 |
Operating Activities
Cash provided by operating activities in 2021 was $322 million. The primary sources of cash from operating activities were from higher operating income and lower accounts payable spend partially offset by higher interest payments.
Cash provided by operating activities was $210 million and $61 million during the 2020 and 2019 Successor Periods. The primary sources of cash from operating activities were collections on our accounts receivables, partially offset by payments for interest and severance.
Cash used in operating activities was $747 million in the 2019 Predecessor Period. The primary uses of cash from operating activities were driven by working capital needs, payments for debt interest, and severance and other restructuring and transformation costs. In addition, there were also payments for reorganization items and prepetition charges primarily for professional and other fees related to the Cases as well as payments for retention and certain bonuses.
Investing Activities
Cash used in investing activities in 2021 was $83 million. The primary uses of cash from investing activities were for capital expenditures of $85 million and investments in marketable securities in Argentina of $39 million. The primary source of cash from investing activities was $41 million of proceeds from asset dispositions. The amount we spend for capital expenditures varies each year and is based on the types of contracts into which we enter, our asset availability and our expectations with respect to activity levels.
Cash used in investing activities in 2020 was $75 million. The primary uses of cash from investing activities were for capital expenditures of $154 million. The primary sources of cash from investing activities were $22 million from asset dispositions and $50 million from the maturity of our Angolan government bonds.
Cash used in investing activities in the 2019 Successor Period was $14 million primarily for capital expenditures of $20 million.
Cash provided by investing activities in the 2019 Predecessor Period was $149 million. The primary uses of cash from investing activities were for capital expenditures of $250 million and $13 million to acquire intellectual property and other intangibles. The primary sources of cash from investing activities were $328 million of proceeds from divestitures (from our rigs, laboratory services and surface data logging businesses) and $84 million from asset dispositions.
Financing Activities
Cash used in financing activities in 2021 was $403 million. The primary uses of cash from financing activities were repayments of long-term debt of $2.3 billion associated with the partial redemption of our Exit Notes and full redemption of our 2024 Senior Secured Notes as well as finance lease obligations. Other primary uses of cash from financing activities were $131 million in bond redemption premium payments as a result of the early redemptions and $28 million primarily for dividends to
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noncontrolling interests. The primary sources of cash from financing activities were net proceeds of $2.1 billion from the issuance of our 2030 Senior Notes and 2028 Senior Secured Notes.
Cash provided by financing activities in 2020 was $348 million, primarily sourced from borrowings of long-term debt of $453 million related to the net proceeds from the issuance of our 2024 Senior Secured Notes. The primary uses of cash from financing activities were $24 million of deferred consideration for the 2018 acquisition of our Qatari joint venture $27 million repayments of short-term debt and $45 million primarily for dividends to noncontrolling interests.
Cash provided by financing activities was $749 million during the 2019 Predecessor Period. The primary sources of cash from financing activities were net proceeds of $1.6 billion on our Exit Notes issued upon emergence and $1.5 billion on the DIP Credit Agreement issued between the petition date and emergence. The primary uses of cash from financing activities were (i) the $1.5 billion repayment in full of the DIP Credit Agreement upon emergence (ii) net short-term debt repayments of $347 million primarily from the borrowings and repayments of our Predecessor Revolving Credit Agreements, including the repayment of our 364-Day Credit Agreement (iii) long-term debt repayments of $318 million related to our Predecessor Term Loan Agreement and financed leases and (iv) $137 million in DIP financing fees and payments on a backstop agreement.
For additional details on our financing activities see Significant Financing Transactions section, “Note 2 – Emergence from Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Proceedings” and “Note 13 – Borrowings and Other Debt Obligations”
Sources of Liquidity
Our sources of available liquidity include cash generated by our operations, cash and cash equivalent balances, and accounts receivable factoring. From time to time, we may enter into transactions to dispose of businesses or capital assets that no longer fit our long-term strategy. We historically have accessed banks for short-term loans and the capital markets for debt and equity offerings. Based upon current and anticipated levels of operations and our recent refinancing transactions, we expect to have sufficient cash from operations and cash on hand to fund our cash requirements (discussed below) and financial obligations, both in the short-term and long-term.
Our total cash and cash equivalents plus restricted cash of $1.1 billion remain our primary source of funds to manage any liquidity event risks. An agreement for a new corporate revolving credit facility at terms and conditions acceptable to us would further enhance our liquidity.
LC Credit Agreement
We have a LC Credit Agreement in an aggregate amount of $215 million maturing on May 29, 2024, which is used by the Company and certain of its subsidiaries for the issuance of bid and performance letters of credit.
On September 20, 2021, certain provisions and covenants of the LC Credit Agreement were amended as follows:
•Permit the borrowing of up to an additional $400 million of secured indebtedness under an asset-based lending facility or a revolving credit facility upon compliance with certain conditions;
•Removed the minimum secured liquidity requirement;
•Increased the minimum aggregate liquidity requirement from $175 million to $300 million;
•Decreased the minimum aggregate book value of certain pledged assets requirement from $1.25 billion to $1 billion; and
•Increased the ability to redeem debt to $500 million subject to a minimum aggregate liquidity of $400 million at the time of redemption.
The outstanding amount of each letter of credit under the LC Credit Agreement bears interest at London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) plus an applicable margin of 350 basis points per annum. We expect LIBOR to continue to be published until June 2023, and expect to transition to an alternative to LIBOR prior to that termination date. The LC Credit Agreement currently contains provisions allowing the Administrative Agent to replace LIBOR with an alternate benchmark rate (including any mathematical or other adjustments to the benchmark (if any) incorporated therein) that has been broadly accepted by the syndicated loan market in the United States in lieu of LIBOR. The LC Credit Agreement includes (i) a 12.5 basis point per annum fronting fee on the outstanding amount of each such letter of credit and (ii) an unused commitment fee in respect of the unutilized commitments at a rate of 50 basis point per annum on the average daily unused commitments under the LC Credit Agreement.
The LC Credit Agreement is secured by substantially all the personal assets and properties of certain subsidiaries of the Company (including a first lien on the priority collateral for the LC Credit Agreement and a second lien on the priority collateral
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for Senior Secured Notes, in each case, subject to permitted liens). The LC Credit Agreement is also guaranteed on an unsecured basis by certain other subsidiaries of the Company.
Ratings Services’ Credit Ratings
Our credit ratings at December 31, 2021 were maintained or improved since December 31, 2020:
•Moody’s Investors Service (“Moody’s”) maintained our corporate family rating at B2, our senior unsecured notes rating at B3, and our senior secured notes and LC Credit Agreement ratings at Ba3. The outlook was upgraded from negative to stable.
•Standard and Poor’s (“S&P”) upgraded our corporate family and senior unsecured notes ratings from CCC to B-, and upgraded our senior secured notes and LC Credit Agreement ratings from B- to B+. The outlook was upgraded from negative to stable.
Cash Requirements
Our cash requirements will continue to include payments for capital expenditures, payments for short-term working capital needs, interest payments on our long-term debt, repayment on finance leases, operating costs associated with our business and restructuring payments. During 2020, we accumulated working capital due to the sharp decrease in demand from the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, operating cash flow benefited from the monetization of working capital accumulated in 2020. As business activity rises to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels we expect that we will utilize cash to invest in capital assets and inventory. Our cash requirements may also include awards under our employee incentive programs and other amounts to settle litigation related matters.
As of December 31, 2021, we had outstanding debt $300 million in aggregate principal amount maturing on December 1, 2024 for our Exit Notes, $500 million in aggregate principal amount for our 2028 Senior Secured Notes and $1.6 billion in aggregate principal amount of the 2030 Senior Notes. Please see “Note 13 – Borrowings and Other Obligations” for additional details.
Our capital spending for 2022 is projected to be between $175 million to $225 million. Capital expenditures are expected to be used primarily to support the ongoing activities and commitments in our core business. We expect to make $215 million in interest payments in 2022 and approximately $204 million in interest payments annually until the maturity of our long-term debt obligations. Our payments on operating leases and operating purchase obligations in the upcoming year are expected to be approximately $74 million and $177 million, respectively. See “Note 12 – Leases” for details of our lease obligations by year.
Cash and cash equivalents plus restricted cash of $162 million (which primarily includes $158 million in cash collateral on our letters of credit) totaled $1.1 billion at December 31, 2021 and are held by subsidiaries outside of Ireland. At December 31, 2021 we had approximately $167 million of our cash and cash equivalents that cannot be immediately repatriated from various countries due to country central bank controls or other regulations. Based on the nature of our structure, other than the restrictions noted above, we foresee we will be able to redeploy cash with minimal to no incremental tax.
Customer Receivable
We may experience delayed customer payments and payment defaults due to, among other reasons, a weaker economic environment, reductions in our customers’ cash flow from operations, our customers’ inability to access credit markets, as well as unsettled political conditions.
Accounts Receivable Factoring
From time to time, we participate in factoring arrangements to sell accounts receivable to third-party financial institutions for cash proceeds net of discount and hold-back. The programs we factor under are uncommitted and thus we cannot assure they will be available as a source of liquidity. During the 2021 Successor Period, we sold accounts receivable balances of $100 million and received cash proceeds of $85 million. During the 2020 Successor Period, we sold accounts receivable balances of $90 million and received cash proceeds of $79 million. During the 2019 Combined Period, we sold accounts receivable of $206 million and received cash proceeds of $193 million. Our factoring transactions were recognized as sales, and the proceeds are included as operating cash flows in our Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.
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Table of Contents Item 7 | MD&A
Derivative Instruments
We enter into contracts to hedge our exposure to currency fluctuations in various foreign currencies. At December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, we had outstanding foreign currency forward contracts with notional amounts aggregating to $349 million and $337 million, respectively. The notional amounts of our foreign currency forward contracts do not generally represent amounts exchanged by the parties and thus are not a measure of the cash requirements related to these contracts or of any possible loss exposure. The amounts actually exchanged at maturity are calculated by reference to the notional amounts and by other terms of the derivative contracts, such as exchange rates. Our foreign currency derivatives are not designated as hedges under ASC 815, and the changes in fair value of the contracts are recorded in each period in “Other Income (Expense), Net” on the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations. See “Note 15 – Derivative Instruments” for additional information.
Guarantees
Weatherford International plc, the ultimate parent of the Weatherford group, guarantees the obligations of its subsidiaries – Weatherford International Ltd., a Bermuda exempted company (“Weatherford Bermuda”), and Weatherford International, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Weatherford Delaware”), including the notes and credit facilities listed below.
Our Exit Notes, 2024 Senior Secured Notes (before repayment in 2021), 2028 Senior Secured Notes and 2030 Senior Notes were issued by Weatherford Bermuda and guaranteed by Weatherford International plc and Weatherford Delaware and other subsidiary guarantors party thereto.
Letters of Credit and Surety Bonds
As of December 31, 2021, we had $342 million of letters of credit outstanding, consisting of $181 million under the LC Credit Agreement and $161 million under various uncommitted facilities (of which there was $158 million in cash collateral held and recorded in “Restricted Cash” on the Consolidated Balance Sheets).
In Latin America we utilize surety bonds as part of our customary business practice. As of December 31, 2021, we had surety bonds outstanding of $293 million. Any of our outstanding letters of credit or surety bonds could be called by the beneficiaries should we breach certain contractual or performance obligations. If the beneficiaries were to call the letters of credit under our LC Credit Agreement or surety bonds, our available liquidity would be reduced by the amount called.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operation is based upon our Consolidated Financial Statements. We prepare these consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP. As such, we are required to make certain estimates, judgments and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the periods presented. We base our estimates on historical experience and available information and various other assumptions we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. On an on-going basis, we evaluate our estimates; however, actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. The accounting policies we believe require management’s most difficult, subjective or complex judgments and are the most critical to our reporting of results of operations and financial position are as follows:
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Table of Contents Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Long-Lived Assets
Long-lived assets, which include property, plant and equipment (“PP&E”), definite-lived intangibles and right of use assets, comprise a significant amount of our assets. The carrying value of our long-lived assets at December 31, 2021 and 2020 was approximately $1.8 billion and $2.2 billion, respectively. The cost of the long-lived assets is then amortized over its expected useful life. A change in the estimated useful lives of our long-lived assets would have an impact on our results of operations. We estimate the useful lives of our long-lived asset groups as follows:
| Asset Category | Estimated Useful Lives |
|---|---|
| Buildings and Leasehold Improvements | 10 – 40 years or lease term |
| Rental and Service Equipment | 3 – 10 years |
| Machinery and Other | 2 – 12 years |
| Intangible Assets | 5 – 10 years |
In estimating the useful lives of our PP&E, we rely primarily on our actual experience with the same or similar assets. The useful lives of our intangible assets are determined by the years over which we expect the assets to generate a benefit based on legal, contractual or regulatory terms.
Long-lived assets to be held and used by us are reviewed to determine whether any events or changes in circumstances, known as triggering events, indicate that we may not be able to recover the carrying amount of the asset or asset group. Triggering events include, but are not limited to, reduced or expected sustained decreases in cash flows generated by an asset or asset group, negative changes in industry conditions (such as global rig count, commodity prices, and the global economy), a significant change in the long-lived assets’ use or physical condition, the introduction of competing technologies, and legal and regulatory challenges. The Company groups individual assets at the lowest level of identifiable cash flows and, if impairment triggers are present, performs an undiscounted cash flow analysis to identify assets or asset groups that may not be recoverable. If the undiscounted cash flows do not exceed the carrying value of the long-lived asset group, the asset group is not recoverable and impairment is recognized to the extent the carrying amount exceeds the estimated fair value of the asset group. A fair value assessment is performed on assets or asset groups identified as not being recoverable using a discounted cash flow analysis to determine if an impairment has occurred. If an impairment has occurred, the Company recognizes a loss for the difference between the carrying amount and the fair value of the asset or asset group. The discounted cash flow analysis consists of estimating the future cash flows that are directly associated with, and are expected to arise from, the use and eventual disposition of the asset over its remaining useful life. These estimated discounted cash flows are inherently subjective and includes significant assumptions, specifically the forecasted revenue, forecasted operating margins, and the discount rate assumptions and require estimates based upon historical experience and future expectations. The fair value of the asset or asset group is measured using market prices, or in the absence of market prices, is based on an estimate of discounted cash flows. Cash flows are discounted at an interest rate commensurate with our weighted average cost of capital for a similar asset.
We generally group operating assets by product line of the respective region. We have long-lived assets, such as facilities, utilized by multiple operating divisions that do not have identifiable cash flows and impairment testing for these long-lived assets is based on the consolidated entity.
The unprecedented global economic and industry conditions resulting from the decline in demand and impact from the COVID-19 pandemic were identified as impairment indicators. As a result, we performed impairment assessments quarterly in 2020 through analysis of the undiscounted cash flow of our asset groups, which include property, plant and equipment, definite-lived intangible assets, goodwill and right of use assets. As of March 31, 2020, and as of June 30, 2020, we identified that impairment occurred in certain asset groups and with the assistance of third-party valuation advisors we determined the fair value of those asset groups. Based on our impairment tests, we determined the carrying amount of certain long-lived asset groups exceeded their respective fair values and we recognized of long-lived asset impairments in “Impairments and Other Charges” on the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations during the year ended December 31, 2020. See “Note 7 – Long-Lived Assets Impairment”, “Note 11 – Goodwill and Intangibles, Net” and “Note 14 – Fair Value of Financial Instruments, Assets and Other Assets” for additional information regarding the impairment and the fair value determination used in the impairment calculation.
The fair values of our long-lived assets were determined using discounted cash flow or Level 3 fair value analyses. The unobservable inputs to the income approach included the estimated discounted future cash flows by asset group and significant
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Table of Contents Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
assumptions, specifically the forecasted revenue, forecasted operating margins, and discount rate assumptions used to determine the fair value of certain asset groups.
The 2019 impairments were due to the sustained downturn in the energy services industry that resulted in us having to reassess our disposal groups for our land drilling rigs. The change in our expectations of the market’s recovery, in addition to successive negative operating cash flows in certain disposal asset groups represented an indicator that those assets will no longer be recoverable over their remaining useful lives. The Level 3 fair values of the long-lived assets were determined using a combination of the market approach and the income approach. The market approach considered market sales values for similar assets. The unobservable inputs to the income approach included the assets’ estimated future cash flows and estimates of discount rates commensurate with the assets’ risks. See “Note 14 – Fair Value of Financial Instruments, Assets and Other Assets” for additional information regarding the fair value determination used in the impairment calculation.
The decline and its impact on demand represent a significant adverse change in the business climate and an indication that some of our long-lived assets may not be recoverable. Based on the impairment indicators noted we performed an analysis of our long-lived assets in 2020 and 2019 and recorded long-lived and other asset impairment charges to adjust to fair value. See “Note 7 – Long-Lived Assets Impairment” for additional information regarding the long-lived assets impairment.
Management cannot predict the occurrence of future impairment-triggering events, so we continue to assess whether indicators of impairment to long-lived assets exist due to the current business conditions in the energy services industry.
Income Taxes
We take into account the differences between the financial statement treatment and tax treatment of certain transactions. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect of a change in tax rates is recognized as income or expense in the period that includes the enactment date. See “Note 21 – Income Taxes” for detailed discussion of results.
We recognize the impact of an uncertain tax position taken or expected to be taken on an income tax return in the financial statements at the largest amount that is more likely than not to be sustained upon examination by the relevant taxing authority.
We operate in approximately 75 countries through hundreds of legal entities. As a result, we are subject to numerous tax laws in the jurisdictions, and tax agreements and treaties among the various taxing authorities. Our operations in these jurisdictions in which we operate are taxed on various bases: income before taxes, deemed profits (which is generally determined using a percentage of revenues rather than profits), withholding taxes based on revenue, and other alternative minimum taxes. The calculation of our tax liabilities involves consideration of uncertainties in the application and interpretation of complex tax regulations in a multitude of jurisdictions across our global operations. We recognize potential liabilities and record tax liabilities for anticipated tax audit issues in the tax jurisdictions based on our estimate of whether, and the extent to which, additional taxes will be due. The tax liabilities are reflected net of realized tax loss carryforwards. We adjust these reserves upon specific events; however, due to the complexity of some of these uncertainties, the ultimate resolution may result in a payment that is different from our current estimate of the tax liabilities.
If our estimate of tax liabilities proves to be less than the ultimate assessment, an additional charge to expense would result. If payment of these amounts ultimately proves to be less than the recorded amounts, the reversal of the liabilities would result in tax benefits being recognized in the period when the contingency has been resolved and the liabilities are no longer necessary. Changes in tax laws, regulations, agreements and treaties, foreign currency exchange restrictions or our level of operations or profitability in each taxing jurisdiction could have an impact upon the amount of income taxes that we provide during any given year.
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Table of Contents Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Valuation Allowance for Deferred Tax Assets
We record a valuation allowance to reduce the carrying value of our deferred tax assets when it is more likely than not that a portion or all of the deferred tax assets will expire before realization of the benefit. The ultimate realization of the deferred tax assets depends on the ability to generate sufficient taxable income of the appropriate character and in the related jurisdiction in the future. In evaluating our ability to recover our deferred tax assets, we consider the available positive and negative evidence, including our past operating results, the existence of cumulative losses in the most recent years and our forecast of near-term future taxable income. The assessment requires significant judgment.
We have considered various tax planning strategies that we would implement, if necessary, to enable the realization of our deferred tax assets; however, when the likelihood of the realization of existing deferred tax assets changes, adjustments to the valuation allowance are charged to our income tax provision in the period in which the determination is made. The Company concluded it was not able to realize the benefits of its deferred tax assets and has established a valuation allowance. Our valuation allowance on our deferred tax assets was $1.4 billion at December 31, 2021.
Inventory Reserves
Inventory represents a significant component of current assets and is stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value using either the first-in, first-out (“FIFO”) or average cost method. To maintain a book value that is the lower of cost or net realizable value, we maintain reserves for excess, slow moving and obsolete inventory. To determine these reserve amounts, we review inventory quantities on hand, future product demand, market conditions, production requirements and technological obsolescence. This review requires us to make judgments regarding potential future outcomes. Our estimates included assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting impact to our business forecast. Our assessment of our inventory specifically identified inventory in which we could not forecast demand and excess and obsolete inventory. At December 31, 2021, inventory reserves of $159 million represented 19% of gross inventory and at December 31, 2020 inventory reserves of $119 million represented 14% of gross inventory. We believe that our inventory reserves as of December 31, 2021 are adequate to properly state inventory at the lower of cost or net realizable value. See “Note 9 – Inventories, Net” for further details.
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Table of Contents Forward-Looking Statements
Forward-Looking Statements
This report contains various statements relating to future financial performance and results, business strategy, plans, goals and objectives, including certain projections, business trends and other statements that are not historical facts. These statements constitute forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “budget,” “strategy,” “plan,” “guidance,” “outlook,” “may,” “should,” “could,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words.
Forward-looking statements reflect our beliefs and expectations based on current estimates and projections. While we believe these expectations, and the estimates and projections on which they are based, are reasonable and were made in good faith, these statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, our actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what we have expressed or forecasted in the forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to correct, update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except to the extent required under federal securities laws. The following, together with disclosures under “Part I – Item 1A. – Risk Factors”, sets forth certain risks and uncertainties relating to our forward-looking statements that may cause actual results to be materially different from our present expectations or projections:
•risks associated with disease outbreaks and other public health issues, including COVID-19, their impact on the global economy and the business of our company, customers, suppliers and other partners, changes in, and the administration of, treaties, laws, and regulations, including in response to such issues and the potential for such issues to exacerbate other risks we face, including those related to the factors listed or referenced below;
•further spread and potential for a resurgence of COVID-19 in a given geographic region and related disruptions to our business, employees, customers, suppliers and other partners and additional regulatory measures or voluntary actions that may be put in place to limit the spread of COVID-19, including vaccination requirements and the associated availability of vaccines, restrictions on business operations or social distancing requirements, and the duration and efficacy of such restrictions;
•the price and price volatility of, and demand for, oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids;
•member-country quota compliance within the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (“OPEC”);
•our ability to realize expected revenues and profitability levels from current and future contracts;
•our ability to generate cash flow from operations to fund our operations;
•our ability to comply with, and respond to, climate change, environmental, social and governance and other “sustainability” initiatives and future legislative and regulatory measures both globally and in the specific geographic regions in which we and our customers operate;
•our ability to effectively and timely address the need to conduct our operations and provision of services to our customers more sustainably and with a lower carbon footprint;
•our ability to effectively and timely adapt our technology portfolio, products and services to address and participate in changes to the market demands for the transition to alternate sources of energy such as geothermal, carbon capture and responsible abandonment, including our digitalization efforts;
•global political, economic and market conditions, political disturbances, war, terrorist attacks, changes in global trade policies, weak local economic conditions and international currency fluctuations;
•increases in the prices and lack of availability of our procured products and services;
•our ability to timely collect from customers;
•our ability to realize cost savings and business enhancements from our revenue and cost improvement efforts;
•our ability to attract, motivate and retain employees, including key personnel;
•our ability to access to capital markets on terms that are commercially acceptable to the Company;
•our ability to manage our workforce, supply chain and business processes, information technology systems and technological innovation and commercialization, including the impact of our organization restructure, business enhancements, improvement efforts and the cost and support reduction plans;
•our ability to service our debt obligations;
•potential non-cash asset impairment charges for long-lived assets, intangible assets or other assets;
•adverse weather conditions in certain regions of our operations; and
•failure to ensure on-going compliance with current and future laws and government regulations, including but not limited to environmental and tax and accounting laws, rules and regulations.
Many of these factors are macro-economic in nature and are, therefore, beyond our control. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, affect us in ways or to an extent that we currently do not expect or consider to be significant, or
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Table of Contents Forward-Looking Statements
should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, our actual results, performance or achievements may vary materially from those described in this annual report as anticipated, believed, estimated, expected, intended, planned or projected.
Finally, our future results will depend upon various other risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, those detailed in our other filings with the SEC under the Exchange Act and the Securities Act of 1933 (as amended, the “Securities Act”). For additional information regarding risks and uncertainties, see our other filings with the SEC.