Halliburton 2013 Annual Report Download - page 27

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11
Prices for oil and natural gas are subject to large fluctuations in response to relatively minor changes in the supply of
and demand for oil and natural gas, market uncertainty, and a variety of other economic factors that are beyond our control. Any
prolonged reduction in oil and natural gas prices will depress the immediate levels of exploration, development, and production
activity which could have a material adverse effect on our business, consolidated results of operations, and consolidated financial
condition. Even the perception of longer-term lower oil and natural gas prices by oil and natural gas companies can similarly
reduce or defer major expenditures given the long-term nature of many large-scale development projects. Factors affecting the
prices of oil and natural gas include:
- the level of supply and demand for oil and natural gas, especially demand for natural gas in the United States;
- governmental regulations, including the policies of governments regarding the exploration for and production and
development of their oil and natural gas reserves;
- weather conditions and natural disasters;
- worldwide political, military, and economic conditions;
- the level of oil production by non-OPEC countries and the available excess production capacity within OPEC;
- oil refining capacity and shifts in end-customer preferences toward fuel efficiency and the use of natural gas;
- the cost of producing and delivering oil and natural gas; and
- potential acceleration of the development of alternative fuels.
Our business is dependent on capital spending by our customers, and reductions in capital spending could have a
material adverse effect on our business, consolidated results of operations, and consolidated financial condition.
Our business is directly affected by changes in capital expenditures by our customers, and reductions in their capital
spending could reduce demand for our services and products and have a material adverse effect on our business, consolidated
results of operations, and consolidated financial condition. Some of the items that may impact our customer's capital spending
include:
- oil and natural gas prices, including volatility of oil and natural gas prices and expectations regarding future prices;
- the inability of our customers to access capital on economically advantageous terms;
- the consolidation of our customers;
- customer personnel changes; and
- adverse developments in the business or operations of our customers, including write-downs of reserves and
borrowing base reductions under customer credit facilities.
Our business could be materially and adversely affected by severe or unseasonable weather where we have
operations.
Our business could be materially and adversely affected by severe weather, particularly in the Gulf of Mexico, Russia,
and the North Sea. Some experts believe global climate change could increase the frequency and severity of extreme weather
conditions. Repercussions of severe or unseasonable weather conditions may include:
- evacuation of personnel and curtailment of services;
- weather-related damage to offshore drilling rigs resulting in suspension of operations;
- weather-related damage to our facilities and project work sites;
- inability to deliver materials to jobsites in accordance with contract schedules;
- decreases in demand for natural gas during unseasonably warm winters; and
- loss of productivity.
Changes in or interpretation of tax law and currency/repatriation control could impact the determination of our
income tax liabilities for a tax year.
We have operations in approximately 80 countries. Consequently, we are subject to the jurisdiction of a significant
number of taxing authorities. The income earned in these various jurisdictions is taxed on differing bases, including net income
actually earned, net income deemed earned, and revenue-based tax withholding. The final determination of our income tax
liabilities involves the interpretation of local tax laws, tax treaties, and related authorities in each jurisdiction, as well as the
significant use of estimates and assumptions regarding the scope of future operations and results achieved and the timing and
nature of income earned and expenditures incurred. Changes in the operating environment, including changes in or interpretation
of tax law and currency/repatriation controls, could impact the determination of our income tax liabilities for a tax year.