NOV Inc. - Annual Report: 2021 (Form 10-K)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

(Mark one)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2021

OR

Commission file number 1-12317

NOV INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

7909 Parkwood Circle Drive

Houston, Texas 77036-6565

(Address of principal executive offices)

(713) 346-7500

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.  Yes☒ No☐

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15 (d) of the Act. Yes☐ No☒

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

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).  Yes☒ No☐

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

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to section 13(1) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☒

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

The aggregate market value of voting and non-voting common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of June 30, 2021 was $4.7 billion. As of February 4, 2022, there were 392,665,321 shares of the Company’s common stock ($0.01 par value) outstanding.

Documents Incorporated by Reference

Portions of the Proxy Statement in connection with the 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders are incorporated in Part III of this report.

FORM 10-K

PART I

General

NOV Inc. (“NOV” or the “Company”) is a leading independent equipment and technology provider to the global energy industry. Originally founded in 1862, NOV and its predecessor companies have spent 160 years helping transform oil and gas field development and improving its cost-effectiveness, efficiency, safety, and environmental impact. Over the past few decades, the Company has pioneered and refined key technologies to improve the economic viability of frontier resources, including unconventional and deepwater oil and gas. More recently, by applying its deep expertise and technology, the company has helped advance the transition toward sustainable energy.

NOV’s extensive proprietary technology portfolio supports the industry’s full-field drilling, completion, and production needs. With unmatched cross-segment capabilities, scope, and scale, NOV continues to develop and introduce technologies that further enhance the economics and efficiencies of energy production, with a focus on automation, predictive analytics, and condition-based maintenance.

NOV serves major-diversified, national, and independent service companies, contractors, and energy producers in 61 countries, operating under three segments: Wellbore Technologies, Completion & Production Solutions, and Rig Technologies.

Business Strategy and Competitive Strengths

NOV’s primary business objective is to generate above-average, long-term capital returns and further enhance its position as a leading independent global energy technology and equipment provider by delivering technologies, equipment, and services that help lower the marginal cost and environmental footprint associated with energy development and production from oil, gas, and renewable sources. NOV’s strategy is to capitalize on economies of scale that arise from its position as a leading provider of equipment and technology to the global energy industry; proprietary technology it continues to develop; and core capabilities and competencies it can apply toward advancing the energy transition.  NOV also believes its manufacturing business model is less asset and capital intensive than most other participants in the energy industry.

Leverage NOV’s advantages of size, scope, scale, and market position

NOV’s position as a leading independent global energy technology and equipment provider affords several competitive advantages, including:

Economies of scale in procurement and manufacturing. NOV’s global leadership and footprint, spanning almost every major oil and gas market, provides the Company with economies of scale, enabling development of a unique global supply chain, which allows materials procurement from lower-cost sources. The Company’s global manufacturing footprint and diverse production flexibility also enables NOV to rapidly adapt to demand changes, efficiently leverage manufacturing capacity in high-demand areas, and manufacture goods in lower-cost jurisdictions. NOV’s geographic diversity also reduces potential revenue volatility from shifts in activity location, regional differences in energy prices, and adverse weather events.

Scope and scale for distribution and marketing. With operations in 61 countries, NOV has developed an efficient worldwide distribution network and relationships with virtually every oil and gas producer, service company, and contractor. NOV uses its customer relationships and distribution capabilities to accelerate the commercialization of new products and technologies. NOV also routinely develops technologies for the global marketplace where the Company’s infrastructure allows for quick market penetration and creation of a first-mover advantage with standardized operations around certain products.

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Reputation, experience, and benefits of fleet standardization. NOV believes its reputation and experience make its products a lower-risk purchase for customers. The Company benefits from customer efforts to standardize training, maintenance, and spare parts, resulting in reduced downtime and inventory-stocking requirements, lower training costs, and better safety. Customers may prefer standardized equipment from NOV, a well-capitalized market leader with which they can enter into long-term service agreements that offer big-data analytics and condition monitoring to maximize uptime and reduce the total cost of equipment ownership.

Large installed base of equipment. As a leading original equipment manufacturer (“OEM”) for oil and gas operations, NOV believes it is well positioned to provide aftermarket support for its large base of installed equipment. Most service companies prefer, and many of their customers demand, OEM aftermarket support. Customers frequently encounter higher risk and cost when they purchase and use potentially incompatible products from different vendors, particularly where products must interact through complex interfaces, which are common sources of failures and unplanned costs. Additionally, certain past events have increased the industry’s risk profile with government regulatory bodies, which have shown a strong preference for OEM service contractor critical equipment maintenance.

Digital products and technologies. NOV’s size, scale, and breadth of knowledge provide inherent competitive advantages in technology relative to smaller, less-diversified organizations. NOV’s proficiencies in building capital equipment, control systems, sensors, field instrumentation, and data acquisition systems provide for unique comprehensive digital energy solutions development. Additionally, NOV’s well-established, global field-service infrastructure affords the Company a distinct capability and advantage in the commercialization and support required to deploy digital solutions that must collect, aggregate, and transmit field-level data from complex machinery and equipment in harsh environments. NOV is investing considerable time and resources to develop its Max^TM platform and Max^TM edge devices, which enable large-scale collection, aggregation, and big-data analytics of real-time equipment and process data, both at the edge and in the cloud. While this platform’s initial application was a predictive analytics and condition-based equipment-monitoring solution, it is also the edge-focused backbone of the Company’s data services and software solutions and is used for monitoring, analyzing, and optimizing many of the Company’s manufacturing operations.

Develop proprietary technologies and solutions that assist oil and gas operators in reducing their marginal cost of supply

NOV strives to further develop its substantial technology portfolio and is known for developing innovative customer productivity solutions. The Company is well positioned to introduce breakthrough technologies that enhance efficiencies and address industry needs, to generate strong returns. The Company believes its cross-business-unit expertise uniquely positions NOV to pioneer proprietary technologies across its business lines. For example, NOV’s Wellbore Technologies and Rig Technologies segments jointly introduced closed-loop drilling technologies, which link real-time data from the well bottom to drilling rig controls and use machine learning to drive greater efficiency. NOV works closely with customers to identify needs, and its technical experts use internal capabilities to develop value-added technologies.

Capitalize on and drive end-market fragmentation

Technology and product availability to all industry participants is a key tenet of NOV’s business model. To the extent NOV can provide equipment and technology products that are equal to or better than those developed by service providers, it will prevent any one organization from having a proprietary advantage and therefore drive fragmentation. This fragmentation expands NOV’s customer base and avoids customer concentration in most of its businesses. NOV has resisted the recent trend toward vertical integration, leaving the Company in an attractive and unique position as the largest global independent technology and equipment provider to the oilfield service sector. Governments in certain international markets are pursuing initiatives that drive local content and greater local employment. The Company expects that these actions will likely prompt more local startup enterprises, further expanding demand for NOV’s equipment.

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Leverage core capabilities and competencies to assist customers in efforts to reduce environmental footprint and advance energy transition initiatives

NOV’s engineering expertise, complex global supply chain management, low-cost manufacturing, and large-scale energy infrastructure development support provide unique capabilities to assist customers with energy transition advancement. The Company has pioneered numerous innovations that help reduce emissions, including its recently introduced Ideal eFrac™ equipment, which significantly reduces emissions and lowers costs associated with hydraulic stimulation, and its PowerBlade™ Kinetic Energy Recovery System, which recaptures energy from cranes, winches, and draw-works. NOV is also a leading geothermal equipment and technology provider, offering a broad array of tools and equipment specifically designed for the ultra-harsh conditions associated with geothermal development. Additionally, with expertise in offshore heavy-lift equipment and naval architectural design, the Company is the leading equipment and technology provider for purpose-built vessels used to build, install, and maintain offshore wind towers and turbines. The Company sees promise in development and commercialization of novel products and technologies to improve the efficiencies and economics of land and offshore-based wind, geothermal power generation, and carbon capture and sequestration (See “Energy Transition” below).

Employ a capital-light business model with the ability to quickly scale operations

NOV’s manufacturing facilities require relatively low investment and maintenance expenses versus the sales they enable. NOV manufactures a diverse line of products and improves efficiency by shifting production runs to high-demand or lowest-cost facilities. The Company also benefits from a customer base requiring technically complex equipment for use in extreme environments. Using sophisticated tools to precisely place a wellbore several miles into the earth, and then physically cracking open reservoir rock using large volumes of highly abrasive fluids pumped at extremely high pressures, is incredibly rough on equipment, creating recurring sales opportunities for equipment replacement and aftermarket sales and service.

NOV’s infrastructure leverages the energy industry’s cyclicality. As commodity prices rise, the industry typically enters an expansionary phase, and equipment orders increase. NOV is able to ramp up manufacturing capacity quickly to capture the up-cycle value while meeting customer demand. During down-cycles, the Company’s focus is internal efficiency and technological advancement. NOV’s continuous pursuit of cyclical technological initiatives enhances its ability to drive long-term customer and shareholder value. The Company also outsources non-critical machining operations with lower tolerance requirements during increased activity and brings the machining operations back into Company-owned facilities during down-cycles for lower cost and effective utilization.

Employ a conservative capital structure with ample liquidity to capitalize on volatility associated with the oil and gas industry

NOV maintains a conservative capital structure with an investment-grade credit rating and ample liquidity. The Company carefully manages its capital structure by continuously monitoring cash flow, capital spending, and debt capacity. Maintaining financial strength inspires confidence from customers who make large purchase commitments delivered over multi-year timeframes and who expect NOV to support their equipment with OEM aftermarket parts and services for decades to come. NOV’s strong balance sheet provides flexibility to execute its strategy, including advancing technological offerings, through industry volatility and commodity price cycles. The Company intends to maintain a conservative approach to balance sheet management to preserve operational and strategic flexibility.

Energy Transition

As a leading independent global energy technology and equipment provider, NOV can be a key participant in the world’s transition to a low-carbon future. While oil and gas will remain critical to many parts of the global economy, the transition to clean, carbon-neutral energy sources represents an enormous economic opportunity for organizations that can improve the economic competitiveness of renewable energy. The International Energy Agency estimates that approximately $71 trillion, or $3.4 trillion per year, must be spent by 2040 for global CO2 emissions to decline 50 percent as outlined in the Paris Agreement. NOV is working to develop proprietary solutions to improve project

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execution, drive higher capital returns, and lower levelized costs of energy (“LCOE,” which is a measure of the average net present cost of electricity generation over a source’s lifetime) associated with renewable energy.

Fixed Offshore Wind

NOV has drawn on its expertise in oil and gas jack-up vessel design, robust aftermarket network, and strong reputation in marine equipment design to become the leading global equipment and design provider for offshore wind turbine installation vessels. NOV’s comprehensive offerings include designing and manufacturing critical jacking systems, cranes, and mooring equipment; developing and licensing vessel designs; working closely with shipyards to install and commission equipment on wind installation vessels; and aftermarket parts, service, and repair. The Company expects an upcoming growth period in the global offshore wind installation vessel market, driven primarily by the need for larger vessels required to support the installation of wind turbines with increasingly large rotor diameters, nacelle weights, and hub heights. The vessels required to install modern, heavier nacelles at higher hub heights are similar to those previously designed by NOV and are relatively consistent across global geographies. Additionally, as U.S. fixed offshore wind projects approach final permitting approval, the need for Jones Act-compliant wind installation vessels will become more urgent. As a result, the Company is well-positioned to capture additional orders associated with future newbuild wind installation vessels.

Floating Offshore Wind

The Company believes that the nascent floating offshore wind market presents one of the great renewable resource opportunities of the next decade. NOV is actively developing new products and technologies to support this industry alongside its legacy portfolio, which includes cranes, winches, mooring systems, cable-lay systems, ballasting systems, and chain connectors and tensioners. NOV has developed a patent-pending Tri-Floater semi-submersible floating foundation that requires less steel than competing offerings. NOV is also designing several proprietary lifting and handling tools for streamlined turbine component installation. Today, the floating offshore wind market sits in the pre-commercial development phase, with industry players focused on proofs of concept and mitigating execution risk. NOV is working to become a value-added partner capable of meaningfully reducing project execution risk by leveraging the Company’s broad and growing portfolio of relevant technology, extensive track record of successfully managing complex marine projects, relationships with global shipyards, and robust global supply chain accustomed to stringent quality and traceability.

Onshore Wind

NOV is developing technology to lower onshore wind’s LCOE by economically constructing increasingly tall wind towers. Higher hub heights allow turbines to reach stronger winds, significantly increasing energy capture, lowering energy cost, and expanding the regions where wind projects can be profitably developed. Higher hub heights are also required for larger, more efficient turbines. The combination of larger turbines and steadier, higher winds improves wind farm economics. Consequently, wind turbine size and tower height have been increasing steadily for several years. NOV’s core design and manufacturing competencies for large, industrial capital equipment, including cranes, lifting tools, and rotating machinery, uniquely position NOV to develop fit-for-purpose wind components and installation equipment to facilitate building onshore wind turbines at higher hub heights.

In 2019, NOV acquired a minority interest in Keystone Tower Systems (“KTS”), which has developed a patented tapered spiral-welding process that enables automated wind tower section production. The proprietary process significantly decreases tower section production times and reduces costs. Additionally, the process enables in-field manufacturing operations, which can reduce costs and eliminate many logistical limitations of transporting the larger-diameter sections necessary for tall tower developments. KTS’s first commercial line is currently undergoing testing and commissioning before commercial production commences within NOV’s facility in Pampa, TX.

NOV is developing a fit-for-purpose onshore wind tower erection system. Constructing onshore wind towers currently requires large crawler cranes, which provide advantaged mobility at low and moderate hub heights but are significantly less efficient at high hub heights. NOV’s technology, built upon the intellectual property, control systems, and experience developed through mobile desert and arctic drilling rig design, uses a tower crane in conjunction with a

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unique mobility system. This patent-pending combination creates a structurally-sound, mobile tower crane that is expected to significantly improve the safety, reliability, and efficiency of tall wind tower installation processes.

Geothermal

Today, many of NOV’s oil and gas products are used for drilling geothermal wells which produce steam that turns surface-mounted turbines to generate electricity. NOV’s top drives, blowout preventers, drill pipe, drill pipe inspection and coating, liner hangers, completion tools, drill bits, and full land rig packages have been a critical part of global geothermal development. Further, with geothermal power generation’s recently renewed traction, NOV has developed new proprietary products that address many unique geothermal production challenges and is investigating certain novel geothermal energy forms that could expand the worldwide geothermal power generation market.

Carbon Capture and Sequestration

NOV is positioned to play a meaningful role in the growing carbon capture and sequestration industry. Technology from NOV’s Wellstream Processing business enables CO2-from-hydrocarbon separation, dehydration, and liquification, all vital parts of the carbon capture chain. In addition, the APL business’s turret and mooring systems facilitate the development of offshore carbon re-injection sites.

Lowering the Carbon and Environmental Footprint of the Oil & Gas Industry

NOV is committed to providing products and services that economically reduce carbon intensity and deliver superior performance. The Company has pioneered numerous solutions for improving the industry’s safety and environmental footprint, including NOV’s closed-loop solids control and thermal desorption systems, dual-containment flowline technologies, solar pumping systems, and hydrocarbon leak detection systems, among others. NOV remains committed to reducing emissions and improving industry sustainability.

NOV’s PowerBlade™ Kinetic Energy Recovery System is a regenerative braking technology that utilizes both flywheel energy and lithium-ion battery energy storage to significantly reduce fuel consumption and emissions associated with drilling and hoisting. The PowerBlade™ system captures and regenerates electrical energy that would have previously dissipated as heat when a drawworks, crane, or winch slows and stops. The PowerBlade^TM system then returns this energy when needed.

NOV also recently introduced its Ideal eFrac™ fleet, delivering advanced well stimulation technology to dramatically reduce emissions and decrease ownership cost. The patent-pending Ideal eFrac™ system enhances wellsite safety by reducing complexity and removing personnel from hazardous environments. In addition to lower operating emissions and greater power density, the Ideal eFrac™ system is less disruptive to neighboring communities due to its reduced noise and smaller footprint, requiring 40 percent fewer truckloads for delivery.

Business Segment Overview

NOV executes its business strategy under the following three segments:

Wellbore Technologies provides the critical technologies, equipment, and services required to maximize customer oil and gas drilling efficiencies and economics. The segment contains the following business units:

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Completion & Production Solutions provides critical technologies to optimize the well completion process and production phase of a well’s lifecycle. Completion & Production Solutions business units include:

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Rig Technologies is the global leader in the engineering, manufacturing, and support of advanced drilling equipment packages and related capital equipment for oil and gas wells. The segment also designs, builds, installs, and supports renewable energy equipment and technology, with a focus on wind and solar. Rig Technologies operates two business units:

See Note 16 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for financial information by segment and a geographical revenue and long-lived asset breakout. We have also included a glossary of oilfield terms at the end of Item 1. “Business” of this Annual Report.

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Markets and Competition

The Company’s customers are predominantly service companies, oil and gas companies, and shipyards. Products within Wellbore Technologies and Completion & Production Solutions are sold and rented worldwide through NOV’s sales force and through commissioned representatives.  Substantially all of Rig Technologies’ capital equipment and spare parts sales, and a large portion of smaller pumps and parts sales, are made through NOV’s direct sales force and distribution service centers. Sales to foreign oil companies are often made with or through representative arrangements.

The Company’s competition consists primarily of publicly traded oilfield service and equipment companies and smaller independent equipment manufacturers in the oil and gas, industrial, and renewable energy equipment markets.

The Company’s foreign operations, which include significant operations in the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, Russia, the Far East, Canada and Europe are subject to the risks normally associated with conducting business in foreign countries, including foreign currency exchange risks and uncertain political and economic environments, which may limit or disrupt markets, restrict the movement of funds or result in the deprivation of contract rights or the taking of property without fair compensation. Government-owned petroleum companies located in some of the countries in which the Company operates have adopted policies (or are subject to governmental policies) giving preference to the purchase of goods and services from companies that are majority-owned by local nationals. As a result of such policies, the Company relies on joint ventures, license arrangements, and other business combinations with local nationals in these countries. See Note 16 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for information regarding geographic revenue information.

Influence of Oil and Gas Activity Levels on the Company’s Business

The oil and gas industry has historically experienced significant volatility. Demand for the Company’s products and services depends primarily upon the general level of activity in the oil and gas industry worldwide.  Oil and gas activity is in turn heavily influenced by, among other factors, oil and gas prices worldwide. High levels of drilling and well remediation generally spurs demand for the Company’s products and services. Additionally, high levels of oil and gas activity increase cash flows available for oil and gas companies, drilling contractors, oilfield service companies, and manufacturers of OCTG to invest in equipment that the Company sells.  

See additional discussion on the current worldwide economic environment and related oil and gas activity levels in Item 1A. “Risk Factors” and Item 7. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”

Seasonal Nature of the Company’s Business

Historically, activity levels of some of the Company’s segments have followed seasonal trends to some degree.  Extremely harsh winter weather can reduce oilfield operations in far northern or high-altitude locations, including parts of Colorado, Canada, Russia and China, and the annual thaw (or “breakup”) in Canada makes some unimproved roads inaccessible to heavy equipment during part of each second quarter.  Both situations temporarily reduce demand for the Company’s products and services in the effected geographic area, although revenues generally recover once conditions improve.  Fluctuations in customer’s activity levels caused by national or customary holiday seasons and annual budgetary cycles can also affect their spending levels with the Company, leading to both temporary local decreases and increases in sales.  Over the past few years, the Company has seen a more pronounced level of spending during the fourth quarter, and a decline in the first quarter, in certain of its businesses, which it believes is related to annual budgetary cycles. While the Company anticipates that the seasonal and other trends described above may continue, there can be no guarantee that spending by the Company’s customers will continue to follow patterns seen in the past.

Research and New Product Development and Intellectual Property

The Company believes that it has been a leader in the development of new technology and equipment to enhance the safety and productivity of drilling and well servicing processes and that its sales and earnings have been dependent, in part, upon the successful introduction of new or improved products. It also invests in new technologies related to its non-oil and gas business as well as renewable energy-related technologies. Through its internal development

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programs and certain acquisitions, the Company has assembled an extensive array of technologies protected by a substantial number of trademarks, for both goods and services, patents, trade secrets, and other proprietary rights.

As of December 31, 2021, the Company held a substantial number of granted patents and pending patent applications worldwide, including U.S. patents and U.S. patent applications as well as patents and patent applications in a variety of other countries. Expiration dates of such patents range from 2022 to 2042. Additionally, the Company maintains a substantial number of trademarks for both goods and services and maintains a number of trade secrets.

Although the Company believes that this intellectual property has value, competitive products with different designs have been successfully developed and marketed by others. The Company considers the quality and timely delivery of its products, the service it provides to its customers, and the technical knowledge and skills of its personnel to be as important as its intellectual property in its ability to compete. While the Company stresses the importance of its research and development programs, the technical challenges and market uncertainties associated with the development and successful introduction of new products are such that there can be no assurance that the Company will realize future revenue from new products.

Manufacturing and Service Locations

The manufacturing processes for the Company’s products generally consist of machining, welding and fabrication, heat treating, assembly of manufactured and purchased components, and testing. Most equipment is manufactured primarily from alloy steel. The availability and price of alloy steel castings, forgings, purchased components, and bar stock is critical to the production and timing of shipments.

Wellbore Technologies designs, manufactures, rents, and sells a variety of equipment and technologies used to perform drilling operations, and offers services that optimize their performance, including: solids control and waste management equipment and services, drilling fluids, premium drillpipe, wired pipe, drilling optimization services, tubular inspection and coating services, instrumentation, downhole tools, and drill bits.  Primary facilities are located in Houston, Conroe, Navasota, and Cedar Park, Texas; Veracruz, Mexico; Nisku, Canada; and Dubai, UAE.

Completion & Production Solutions designs, manufactures, and integrates technologies for well completions, oil and gas production, and industrial markets. This includes equipment and technologies needed for hydraulic fracture stimulation, including pressure pumping trucks, blenders, sanders, hydration units, injection units, flowline, and manifolds; well intervention, including coiled tubing units, coiled tubing, and wireline units and tools; cementing products for pumping, mixing, transport, and storage; onshore production, including fluid processing, composite pipe, surface transfer and progressive cavity pumps, and artificial lift systems; and offshore production, including integrated production systems and subsea production technologies. Primary facilities are located in Houston, and Fort Worth, Texas; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Senai, Malaysia; Qingdau, Shandong, China; Kalundborg, Denmark; Superporto du Acu, Brazil; Manchester, England; Dammam, Saudi Arabia; Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK; and Mt. Union, Pennsylvania.

Rig Technologies provides drilling rig components, complete land drilling rigs, and offshore drilling equipment packages. Primary manufacturing and service facilities are located in Houston, Texas; Dubai, UAE; New Iberia, Louisiana; Stavanger and Kristiansand, Norway; Mexicali, Mexico; Pune, India; and Singapore.

Raw Materials

The Company believes that materials and components used in its operations are generally available from multiple sources. The prices paid by the Company for its raw materials may be affected by, among other things, energy, steel, and other commodity prices; tariffs and duties on imported materials; and foreign currency exchange rates. The Company has experienced rising, declining, and stable prices for milled steel and standard grades in line with broader economic activity and has generally seen specialty alloy prices continue to rise, driven primarily by escalation in the price of the alloying agents. The Company has generally been successful in its effort to mitigate the financial impact of higher raw materials costs on its operations by applying surcharges to, and adjusting prices on, the products it sells. Higher prices and lower availability of steel and other raw materials the Company uses in its business may adversely impact future periods.

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Backlog

The Company monitors its backlog of orders to guide its planning. Backlog includes orders which typically require more than three months to manufacture and deliver.

Backlog measurements are based on written orders that are firm but may be defaulted upon by the customer in some instances. Most require reimbursement to the Company for costs incurred in such an event. There can be no assurance that the backlog amounts will ultimately be realized as revenue, or that the Company will earn a profit on backlog work. Backlog for Completion & Production Solutions at December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019 was $1.3 billion, $0.7 billion and $1.3 billion, respectively. Backlog for Rig Technologies at December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, was $2.8 billion, $2.7 billion and $3.0 billion, respectively.  

Human Capital

NOV’s 27,043 global, diverse employees use their skill and expertise to provide the products and services that help our customers operate safely, efficiently, sustainably, and competitively. NOV’s team designs and manufactures a broad array of equipment and technology, from some of the heaviest, largest, and most complex mobile machines on earth (on and offshore drilling rigs, wind turbine installation ships, and FPSOs) to very small precision sensors and measuring devices.  

NOV’s employee base includes:  

Thirty-five percent of NOV employees work in the United States, 24% in Europe, 14% in Latin America, 11% in the Asia Pacific region, 10% in the Middle East and Africa, 4% in Canada and 2% in China.  The Company’s 552 physical locations include various size manufacturing plants, research facilities, machine shops, office buildings, warehouses, and distribution centers where between 20 to 1,100 people work and repair shops, rental tool bases, sales offices and other small locations where between 5 to 200 people work.  Many NOV employees travel to work at customer locations, including onshore and offshore drilling sites, shipyards, and other industrial locations where equipment needs installation, commissioning, service, or repair, or where customers need training or technical support.

NOV’s success depends on these dedicated, skilled hardworking employees.  The Company strongly believes that safeguarding and supporting the health, safety, diversity, respect, skills, career satisfaction and wellbeing of NOV’s employees are critical to the success of the business. The Company’s Human Resources and Health Safety and Environmental organizations provide policies, oversight, monitoring, resources, training, and assistance companywide that are designed to foster a culture that embraces this belief.  

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Safety

Protecting the health and safety of all stakeholders is a core value. NOV maintains comprehensive monitoring and tracking of reportable injuries, reviewed each quarter by our operating Segment Presidents with the CEO, CFO, and Chief HSE Officer (including significant injuries, root cause analysis, and remediation measures).  Successful safety programs and campaigns are also shared across the Company’s operations, including:

Health and wellbeing

The Company offers locally competitive health benefits, paid holidays and time off, and retirement benefits to our employees.  In the US this includes health, vision and dental insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, a 401(k)-retirement savings plan, an employee assistance program, and a wellness program. The Company suspended its 401(k)-retirement savings plan during the pandemic but began reinstating the plan during the fourth quarter of 2021.

During the COVID-19 pandemic NOV implemented programs tailored to each location that may include, among other things, working from home, virtual meetings, social distancing, masking, contact tracing and quarantining, facility and machine sanitizing, staggered work shifts, and staggered workdays.

Diversity and inclusion

NOV is committed to maintaining a diverse workforce, individual inclusion, and equal opportunities.  The Company believes an employee base with different education, training, and life experiences (gender, age, religion, race, ethnicity, cultural background, sexual orientation, language, education, abilities, perspectives, etc.) can lead to more innovative and creative business solutions, more informed decision-making, greater employee engagement, and better retention and recruitment of top talent.

In support of this commitment, NOV has communicated a Diversity and Inclusion Statement from the CEO to our employees and has implemented training programs covering the Company’s Code of Conduct and Business Ethics, Unconscious Bias, and Harassment in the Workplace.

Across NOV’s global workforce, women make up 15% of all employees, 22% of salaried employees, 20% of the C-Suite and hold 20% of the Company’s Board of Directors seats.

Career satisfaction and skills

NOV tracks and monitors data on the employee experience including hiring, turnover, and promotion trends.  The Company also obtains employee feedback through ‘pulse’ surveys which measure employee satisfaction across several areas.  Human resources managers and business managers across the Company review this information to identify areas for improvement and create remediation strategies.

The Company invests in opportunities for employee education, growth, and development, providing comprehensive training opportunities in technical, managerial, and soft skills.  Some programs include: Powering Excellence designed for current and potential business leaders, Supervisor Training and Resources (STAR) and Leading Self and Others designed for new managers, as well as many other courses through the Company’s dedicated Technical Training Centers based in Houston, Singapore, UAE, Norway, UK, and South America.

Available Information

The Company’s principal executive offices are located at 7909 Parkwood Circle Drive, Houston, Texas 77036. Its telephone number is (713) 346-7500. Further information about the Company’s products and services can be found

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on its website at:  www.nov.com.  The Company’s common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “NOV”. The Company’s annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and all related amendments are available free of charge on the Investor Relations portion of the Company’s website, www.nov.com/investor, as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed with, or furnished to, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).  The Company’s Code of Ethics is also posted on its website. The information posted on the Company’s website is not incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

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You should carefully consider the risks described below, in addition to other information contained or incorporated by reference herein. Realization of any of the following risks could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations.

Industry Environment and Operations Related

We are dependent upon the level of activity in the oil and gas industry, which is volatile and has caused, and may cause future, fluctuations in our operating results.

The oil and gas industry historically has experienced significant volatility. Demand for our products and services depends primarily upon the number of oil rigs in operation, the number of oil and gas wells being drilled, the depth and drilling conditions of these wells, the volume of production, the number of well completions, capital expenditures of other oilfield service companies and the level of workover activity. Drilling and workover activity can fluctuate significantly in a short period, particularly in the United States and Canada. The willingness of oil and gas operators to make capital expenditures to explore for and produce oil and natural gas and the willingness of oilfield service companies to invest in capital equipment will continue to be influenced by numerous factors over which we have no control, including the:

Expectations for future oil and gas prices cause many shifts in the strategies and expenditure levels of oil and gas companies, drilling contractors, and other service companies, particularly with respect to decisions to purchase major capital equipment of the type we manufacture. Oil and gas prices, which are determined by the marketplace, may remain below a range that is acceptable to certain of our customers, which could continue the reduced demand for our products and have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

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There are risks associated with certain contracts for our equipment.

As of December 31, 2021, we had a backlog of capital equipment to be manufactured, assembled, tested and delivered by Completion & Production Solutions and Rig Technologies in the amount of $1.3 billion and $2.8 billion, respectively. The following factors, in addition to others not listed, could reduce our margins on these contracts, adversely impact completion of these contracts, adversely affect our position in the market or subject us to contractual penalties:

The Company’s existing contracts for rig and production equipment generally carry significant down payment and progress billing terms favorable to the ultimate completion of these projects and the majority do not allow customers to cancel projects for convenience. However, unfavorable market conditions or financial difficulties experienced by our customers may result in cancellation of contracts or the delay or abandonment of projects. Any such developments could have a material adverse effect on our operating results and financial condition.

Competition in our industry, including the introduction of new products and technologies by our competitors, as well as the expiration of the intellectual property rights protecting our products and technologies, could ultimately lead to lower revenue and earnings.

The oilfield products and services industry is highly competitive. We compete with national, regional and foreign competitors in each of our current major product lines. Certain of these competitors may have greater financial, technical, manufacturing and marketing resources than us, and may be in a better competitive position. The following can each affect our revenue and earnings:

We are a leader in the development of new technology and equipment to enhance the safety and productivity of drilling and well servicing processes.  If we are unable to maintain our technology leadership position, it could adversely affect our competitive advantage for certain products and services.  Our revenues and operating results have been dependent, in part, upon the successful introduction of new or improved products. Through our internal development programs and acquisitions, we have assembled an array of technologies protected by a substantial number of trade and service marks, patents, trade secrets, and other proprietary rights, which expire after a prescribed duration, some at varying times in the near future. The expiration of these rights could have a material adverse effect on our operating results.

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Furthermore, while the Company stresses the importance of its research and development programs, the technical challenges and market uncertainties associated with the development and successful introduction of new products are such that there can be no assurance that the Company will realize future revenue from new products.

The tools, techniques, methodologies, programs and components we use to provide our services may infringe upon the intellectual property rights of others. Infringement claims generally result in significant legal and other costs and may distract management from running our core business. Royalty payments under licenses from third parties, if available, would increase our costs. Additionally, developing non-infringing technologies would increase our costs. If a license were not available, we might not be able to continue providing a particular service or product, which could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

In addition, certain foreign jurisdictions and government-owned petroleum companies located in some of the countries in which we operate have adopted policies or regulations which may give local nationals in these countries competitive advantages. Actions taken by our competitors and changes in local policies, preferences or regulations could impact our ability to compete in certain markets and adversely affect our financial results.

A significant portion of our revenue is derived from our non-United States operations, which exposes us to risks inherent in doing business in each of the 61 countries in which we operate.

Approximately 68% of our revenues in 2021 were derived from operations outside the United States (based on revenue destination). Our foreign operations include significant operations in every oil producing region in the world. Our revenues and operations are subject to the risks normally associated with conducting business in foreign countries, including:

The COVID-19 pandemic and related economic repercussions have had, and are expected to continue to have, a significant impact on our business, and depending on the duration of the pandemic and its effect on the oil and gas industry, could have a material adverse effect on our business, liquidity, consolidated results of operations and consolidated financial condition.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company may be exposed to additional liabilities and risks. The COVID-19 pandemic and related economic repercussions have created significant volatility, uncertainty, and turmoil in the oil and gas industry over the last two years.

In 2020, oil demand significantly deteriorated because of the virus outbreak and corresponding governmental regulations implemented around the world to mitigate the spread of the virus. Physical markets became distressed as spot prices were negatively impacted by a lack of available storage capacity. The COVID-19 virus continued to spread during 2020, extending depressed demand, uncertainty and additional spending reductions by the entire oil and gas industry. During 2021, as COVID-19 curtailment efforts lessened in severity in certain geographies and the global

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economy began to re-open, oil demand rebounded to approximately pre-pandemic levels. Driven by improved demand and reduced global supply, oil and gas prices have recovered to levels that incentivize re-investment.

The forced shutdown of economic activity directly affected our business and has exacerbated the potential negative impact from many of the risks described in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, including those relating to our customers’ capital spending and sharply reduced oil and natural gas prices. Demand for our products and services declined as our customers continued to revise their capital budgets downwards and swiftly adjusted their operations in response to lower commodity prices. Energy prices rebounded during 2021, but numerous COVID-19 related problems have persisted, especially as first the Delta and then the Omicron variants occurred in late 2021 and early 2022. The consequences of continued COVID-19 disruption included:

A worsening of the virus or its variants could result in further mitigation efforts and a reduction in demand for oil and gas and our services and products.

Given the nature, scale, and scope of the above-described events we are not able to identify all potential risks to our business, however, we believe that the well-known impacts described above, and other potential impacts include, but are not limited to, the following:

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Cybersecurity risks and threats could adversely affect our business.

We rely heavily on information systems to conduct our business. Any failure, interruption, or breach in security of our information systems, or information systems owned by others that we use and rely on, could result in failures or disruptions in our customer relationship management, general ledger systems and other systems. While we have policies and procedures designed to prevent or limit the effect of the failure, interruption or security breach of our information systems, there can be no assurance that any such failures, interruptions or security breaches will not occur or, if they do occur, that any breach or interruption will be sufficiently limited. The occurrence of any failures, interruptions or security breaches of our information systems could damage our reputation, result in a loss of our intellectual property or other proprietary information, including customer data, result in a loss of customer business, subject us to additional regulatory scrutiny, or expose us to civil litigation and possible financial liability, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our financial position or results of operations.

We may suffer business disruption from direct or indirect cyber-attacks. These take many forms, including ransomware directed at us, our vendors or our customers. For example, our operations were affected by the well-publicized shutdown of the Kronos Company’s cloud-based employee work time keeping system, to which certain of our operations subscribe for recording hours worked.  Our Human Resources and Operations management were able to quickly implement alternate procedures until the Kronos system was restored. We suffered no material loss due to the outage, and our employee data was not compromised. As with virtually all other large companies, we receive numerous phishing efforts, and other attempted cyber-attacks such as efforts to hack our systems or use distributed denial-of-service attacks. These cyber-security risks have not resulted in any material adverse interruption in our business to date but pose an ongoing threat of material interruption to our business activities.

Our ability to hire and retain qualified personnel at competitive cost could materially affect our operations and growth potential.

Many of the products we sell, and related services that we provide, are complex and technologically advanced, which enable them to perform in challenging conditions. Our ability to succeed is, in part, dependent on our success in attracting and retaining qualified personnel to provide service and to design, manufacture, use, install and commission our products. A significant increase in wages paid by competitors, both within and outside the energy industry, for such highly skilled personnel could result in insufficient availability of skilled labor or increase our labor costs, or both. If the supply of skilled labor is constrained or our costs increase, our margins could decrease, and our growth potential could be impaired.

Severe or unseasonable weather conditions may adversely affect our operations.

Our business may be materially and adversely affected by severe weather conditions in areas where we operate. Many experts believe global climate change could increase the frequency and severity of extreme weather conditions.  Repercussions of severe or unseasonable weather conditions may entail the evacuation of personnel and stoppage of services; inability to deliver material to jobsites in accordance with contract schedules; decreases in demand for oil and natural gas during unseasonably warm winters; and loss of productivity. In addition, if particularly severe weather affects platforms or structures, this may result in a suspension of activities. Any of these events could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

An impairment of goodwill or other indefinite lived intangible assets could reduce our earnings.

The Company has approximately $1.5 billion of goodwill and $0.5 billion of other intangible assets with indefinite lives as of December 31, 2021. Generally accepted accounting principles require the Company to test goodwill and other indefinite lived intangible assets for impairment on an annual basis or whenever events or circumstances indicate they might be impaired. Events or circumstances which could indicate a potential impairment include (but are not limited to) a significant sustained reduction in worldwide oil and gas prices or drilling; a significant sustained reduction in profitability or cash flow of oil and gas companies or drilling contractors; a significant sustained reduction in capital investment by other oilfield service companies; or a significant increase in worldwide inventories of oil or gas. The timing and magnitude of any goodwill impairment charge, which could be material, would depend on the timing and severity of the event or events triggering the charge and would require a high degree of management judgement. If we were to determine that any of our remaining balance of goodwill or other indefinite lived intangible assets was

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impaired, we would record an immediate charge to earnings with a corresponding reduction in stockholders’ equity; resulting in a possible increase in balance sheet leverage as measured by debt to total capitalization.

See additional discussion on “Goodwill and Other Indefinite – Lived Intangible Assets” in Critical Accounting Estimates of Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”

We have expanded and grown our businesses through acquisitions and continue to pursue a growth strategy but we cannot assure that attractive acquisitions will be available to us at reasonable prices or at all.

We cannot assure that we will successfully integrate the operations and assets of any acquired business with our own or that our management will be able to effectively manage any new lines of business. Any inability on the part of management to integrate and manage acquired businesses and their assumed liabilities could adversely affect our business and financial performance. In addition, we may need to incur substantial indebtedness to finance future acquisitions. We cannot assure that we will be able to obtain this financing on terms acceptable to us or at all. Future acquisitions may result in increased depreciation and amortization expense, increased interest expense, increased financial leverage or decreased operating income for the Company, any of which could cause our business to suffer.

The adoption of any future federal, state, or local laws or implementing regulations imposing reporting obligations on, or limiting or banning, the hydraulic fracturing process could make it more difficult to complete natural gas and oil wells and could have a material adverse effect on our business, consolidated results of operations and consolidated financial condition.

Various federal and state legislative and regulatory initiatives, as well as actions in other countries, have been or could be undertaken which could result in additional requirements or restrictions being imposed on hydraulic fracturing operations. For example, legislation and/or regulations have been adopted in many U.S. states that require additional disclosure regarding chemicals used in the hydraulic fracturing process but that generally include protections for proprietary information. Legislation, regulations and/or policies have also been adopted at the state level that impose other types of requirements on hydraulic fracturing operations (such as limits on operations in the event of certain levels of seismic activity). Additional legislation and/or regulations are being considered at the state and local level that could impose further chemical disclosure or other regulatory requirements (such as prohibitions on hydraulic fracturing operations in certain areas) that could affect our operations. Four states (New York, Maryland, Washington, and Vermont) have banned the use of high-volume hydraulic fracturing. Oregon has adopted a five-year moratorium and Colorado has enacted legislation providing local governments with regulatory authority over hydraulic fracturing operations. Local jurisdictions in some states have adopted ordinances that restrict or in certain cases prohibit the use of hydraulic fracturing, although many of these ordinances have been challenged and some have been overturned. In addition, governmental authorities in various foreign countries where we have provided or may provide hydraulic fracturing services have imposed or are considering imposing various restrictions or conditions that may affect hydraulic fracturing operations. The adoption of any future federal, state, local, or foreign laws or regulations imposing reporting obligations on, or limiting or banning, the hydraulic fracturing process could make it more difficult to complete natural gas and oil wells and could have a material adverse effect on our business, consolidated results of operations, and consolidated financial condition.

Legal and Regulatory Related

Our failure to comply with existing or future U.S. and foreign laws and regulations could have a material adverse effect on our business and our results of operations.

Our ability to comply with various complex U.S. and foreign laws and regulations, such as the FCPA, the U.K. Bribery Act and other foreign anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws, various trade control regulations, and human rights and anti-slavery legislation is dependent on the success of our ongoing compliance program, including our ability to continue to effectively supervise and train our employees to deter prohibited practices. These various laws and regulations can change frequently and significantly.  We may become involved in a governmental investigation even if the Company has complied with these laws. If we fail to comply with applicable laws and regulation, we could be subject to investigations, sanctions, and civil and criminal prosecution as well as fines and penalties, which could have a material adverse effect on our reputation and our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. In addition, government disruptions could negatively impact our ability to conduct our business. Supply chain

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restrictions such as the U.K. Modern Slavery Act and other similar legislation could also materially affect our supply chain, cost of production, and ability to manufacture our products.

We are also required to comply with various complex U.S. and foreign tax laws, regulations and treaties.  These laws, regulations and treaties can change frequently and significantly, and it is reasonable to expect changes in the future.  If we fail to comply with any of these tax laws, regulations or treaties, we could be subject to, among other things, civil and criminal prosecution, fines, penalties and confiscation of our assets, which could disrupt our ability to provide our products and services to our customers. Any of these events could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Further, in some instances, direct or indirect consumers of our products and services, entities providing financing for purchases of our products and services or members of the supply chain for our products and services may become involved in governmental investigations, internal investigations, political or other enforcement matters. In such circumstances, such investigations may adversely impact the ability of consumers of our products, entities providing financial support to such consumers or entities in the supply chain to timely perform their business plans or to timely perform under agreements with us. The Company could also become involved in investigations of consumers of our products at significant cost to the Company.

Focus and attention by advocacy groups and regulatory agencies on climate change and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the United States and the European Union has accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Investors, customers, governance pundits and government officials have increased focus on sustainability, stakeholder governance and the energy transition. As a result, there has been increased promotion of alternative energy sources and increased negative attitudes or perceptions of fossil fuels. The combination of these factors may significantly reduce demand for production of oil and gas and for our products and services. Furthermore, we face increased reputational risk and demand for our stock could be negatively impacted based on societal perceptions of our industry sector and our response to sustainability issues.

We could be adversely affected if we fail to comply with any of the numerous federal, state and local laws, regulations and policies that govern environmental protection, zoning and other matters applicable to our businesses.

Our businesses are subject to numerous federal, state and local laws, regulations and policies governing environmental protection, zoning and other matters. These laws and regulations have changed frequently in the past and it is reasonable to expect additional changes in the future. If existing regulatory requirements change, we may be required to make significant unanticipated capital and operating expenditures. We cannot assure you that our operations will continue to comply with future laws and regulations. Governmental authorities may seek to impose fines and penalties on us or to revoke or deny the issuance or renewal of operating permits for failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations. Under these circumstances, we might be required to reduce or cease operations or conduct site remediation or other corrective action which could adversely impact our operations and financial condition.

Our businesses expose us to potential environmental, product or personal injury liability.

Our businesses expose us to the risk that harmful substances may escape into the environment or a product could fail to perform or cause personal injury, or individuals may assert claims due to exposure to chemicals, harmful substances, environmental conditions any of which could result in:

Our current and past activities, as well as the activities of our former divisions and subsidiaries, could result in our facing substantial environmental, regulatory, personnel injury, class action, mass tort and other litigation and liabilities. These could include the costs of cleanup of contaminated sites and site closure obligations. These liabilities could also be imposed on the basis of one or more of the following theories:

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We may not have adequate insurance for potential environmental, product or personal injury liabilities.

While we maintain liability insurance, this insurance is subject to coverage limits. In addition, certain policies do not provide coverage for damages resulting from environmental contamination or may exclude coverage for other reasons. We face the following risks with respect to our insurance coverage:

Even a partially uninsured claim, if successful and of significant size, could have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial statements.

The adoption of climate change legislation, restrictions on emissions of greenhouse gases, or other environmental regulations could increase our operating costs or reduce demand for our products.

Environmental advocacy groups and regulatory agencies in the United States and other countries have been focusing considerable attention on the emissions of carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases and their potential role in climate change. The adoption of laws and regulations to implement controls of greenhouse gases, including the imposition of fees or taxes, could adversely impact our operations and financial condition. For example, oil and natural gas exploration and production may decline as a result of environmental requirements, including land use policies responsive to environmental concerns. State, national, and international governments and agencies in areas in which we conduct business continue to evaluate, and in some instances adopt, climate-related legislation and other regulatory initiatives that would restrict emissions of greenhouse gases. The President of the United States has issued Executive Orders seeking to adopt new regulations and policies to address climate change and to suspend, revise, or rescind prior agency actions that the administration identified as conflicting with its climate policies. These include Executive Orders requiring a review of current U.S. federal lands leasing and permitting practices, as well as a temporary halt of new leasing of U.S. federal lands and offshore waters available for oil and gas exploration. The Executive Orders halting the leasing of U.S. federal lands were challenged in court and remain subject to litigation. As a result of the review of leasing and permitting practices, the U.S. Department of the Interior has recommended increasing the royalty rate payable to the U.S. government by operators, as well as bonding requirements and emissions requirements for operators. Some form of these recommendations may become applicable to operations on U.S. federal leases, which could have a negative effect on exploration and production of oil and natural gas given the increased costs associated with any such changes. In February 2021, the United States formally re-joined the Paris Agreement. The Paris Agreement requires countries to review and “represent a progression” in their intended nationally determined contributions, which set greenhouse gases emission reduction goals, every five years. Though we are closely following developments in this area and changes in the regulatory landscape in the United States, we cannot predict how or when those challenges may ultimately impact our business. Because our business depends on the level of activity in the oil and natural gas industry, existing or future laws, regulations, treaties, or international agreements related to greenhouse gases and climate change, including incentives to conserve energy or use alternative energy sources, may reduce demand for oil and natural gas and could have a negative impact on our business. Likewise, such restrictions may result in additional compliance obligations with respect to the release, capture, sequestration, and use of carbon dioxide. The efforts we have taken, and may undertake in the future, to respond to these evolving or new regulations and to environmental initiatives of customers, investors, and others may increase our costs. These and other environmental requirements could have a material adverse effect on our business, consolidated results of operations, and consolidated financial condition.

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Local content requirements imposed in certain jurisdictions may increase the complexity of our operations and impact the demand for our services.

A growing number of nations are requiring equipment providers and contractors to meet local content requirements or other local standards. To meet many of these local content and other requirements, we are required to attract and retain qualified local personnel.  If we are unable to do so because the supply of qualified local personnel is constrained for any reason, the growth and profitability of our business may be adversely affected.   In addition, our ability to work in certain jurisdictions is sometimes subject to our ability to successfully negotiate and agree upon acceptable joint venture agreements. The failure to reach acceptable agreements could adversely impact the Company’s operations in certain countries. Additionally, we may share control of joint ventures with unaffiliated third parties. Differences in views, and disagreements, among joint venture parties may result in delayed decision making and disputes on important issues. In some instances, we could suffer a material adverse effect to the results of our joint ventures and our consolidated results of operations.

The Company could be subject to changes in its tax rates, the adoption of new tax legislation, tax audits, or exposure to additional tax liabilities that could have a material adverse effect on our business, consolidated results of operations, and consolidated financial condition.

We are subject to taxes in the U.S. and numerous jurisdictions where we operate and our subsidiaries are organized. Due to economic and political conditions, tax rates in the U.S. and other jurisdictions may be subject to significant change. In addition, our tax returns are subject to examination by the U.S. and other tax authorities and governmental bodies. We regularly assess the likelihood of an adverse outcome resulting from these examinations to determine the adequacy of our provision for taxes. There can be no assurance as to the outcome of the examinations. An increase in tax rates, particularly in the U.S., changes in our ability to realize our deferred tax assets, or adverse outcomes resulting from examinations of our tax returns could have a material adverse effect on our business, consolidated results of operations, and consolidated financial condition.

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GLOSSARY OF OILFIELD TERMS

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Overview of Oil and Gas Well-Construction Processes

The well-construction process starts with an oil and gas operator and its contractors designating a suitable drilling site and placing a drilling rig at the location.  The rig’s crew assembles the drill stem, which consists of drillpipe joints, specialized drilling components known as downhole tools, and a drill bit at the end.  Modern rigs typically power the drill bit through a drilling motor, which is attached to the bottom of the drill stem and provides rotational force directly to the bit, or a top drive, a device suspended from the derrick that turns the entire drill stem.  The evolution of drilling motors and top drives has facilitated operators’ abilities to drill directionally and horizontally as opposed to being limited to the traditional vertical trajectory.  The Company sells and rents drilling motors, agitators, drill bits, downhole tools and drill pipe through Wellbore Technologies, and sells top drives through Rig Technologies.

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Heavy drilling fluids, or “drilling muds,” are pumped down the drill stem and forced out through jets in the bit. The drilling mud returns to the surface through the space between the borehole wall and the drill stem, carrying with it the rock cuttings drilled out by the bit. The cuttings are removed from the mud by a solids control system (which can include shakers, centrifuges, and other specialized equipment) and disposed of in an environmentally sound manner. The solids control system permits the mud, which is often comprised of expensive compounds, to be continuously reused and re-circulated back into the hole.  Rig Technologies sells the large “mud pumps” that are used to pump drilling mud through the drill stem, down, and back up the hole. Wellbore Technologies sells and rents solids control equipment and provides solids control, waste management and drilling fluids services.

Many operators internally coat the drill stem to improve its hydraulic efficiency and protect it from the corrosive fluids sometimes encountered during drilling; have hard-facing alloys applied to drillpipe joints, collars, and other components to protect tool joints and casing against wear; and inspect and assess the integrity of the drillpipe from time to time.  Wellbore Technologies manufactures and sells drillpipe and provides coating, “hardfacing,” and drillpipe inspection and repair.  As hole depth increases, additional joints of drillpipe are continuously added to the drill stem. When the bit becomes dull or the equipment at the bottom of the drill stem – including the drilling motors – otherwise requires servicing, the entire drill stem is pulled out of the hole and disassembled by disconnecting the joints of drillpipe. These are set aside or “racked,” the old bit is replaced or service is performed, and the drill stem is reassembled and lowered back into the hole (a process called “tripping”). During drilling and tripping operations, joints of drillpipe must be screwed together and tightened (“made up”), and loosened and unscrewed (“spun out”), a process that can create a considerable amount of stress on the pipe connections while also being quite time consuming.  Rig Technologies provides drilling equipment to manipulate and maneuver the drillpipe in an efficient and safe manner, and Wellbore Technologies manufactures premium connections that are designed to reduce failure downhole and improve the rate of connection on the rig floor. When the hole has reached a specified depth, all the drillpipe is pulled out of the hole, and larger-diameter pipe known as casing is lowered into the hole and permanently cemented in place to protect against collapse and contamination of the hole. The casing is typically inspected before it is lowered into the hole, another service provided by Wellbore Technologies.  Hole openers from Wellbore Technologies, which mount above the drill bits in the drill stem, open the tolerance of the hole to allow for easier and faster casing installation. Completion & Production Solutions manufactures cement mixing and pumping equipment that is used to cement the casing in place. The rig’s hoisting system raises and lowers the drill stem while drilling or tripping, and lowers casing into the wellbore. A conventional hoisting system is a block-and-tackle mechanism that works within the drilling rig’s derrick. The mechanism is lifted by a series of pulleys that are attached to the drawworks at the base of the derrick. Rig Technologies sells and installs drawworks and pipe hoisting-systems.

During the course of normal drilling operations, the drill stem passes through different geological formations that exhibit varying pressure characteristics. If this pressure is not contained, oil, gas, and/or water would flow out of these formations to the surface. Containing reservoir pressures is accomplished primarily by the circulation of heavy drilling muds and secondarily by blowout preventers (“BOPs”), should the mud prove inadequate.  Drilling muds are carefully designed to exhibit certain qualities that optimize the drilling process. In addition to containing formation pressure, they must provide power to the drilling motor; carry drilled solids to the surface; protect the drilled formations from being damaged; and cool the drill bit. Achieving these objectives often requires a formulation specific to a given well, requires a high level of cleanliness for better bottomhole assembly, and can involve the use of expensive chemicals as well as natural materials, such as certain types of clay. The fluid itself is often oil or more expensive synthetic mud. Given the cost, it is highly desirable to reuse as much of the drilling mud as possible. Solids control equipment such as shale shakers, centrifuges, cuttings dryers, and mud cleaners help accomplish this objective. Wellbore Technologies provides drilling fluids and rents, sells, operates, and services solids control equipment.  Rig Technologies manufactures pumps that power the flow of the mud and fluid downhole and back to the surface. Drilling muds are formulated based on expected drilling conditions. However, as the hole is drilled, the drill stem may encounter a high-pressure zone where the mud density is inadequate to maintain sufficient pressure. Should efforts to “weight up” the mud to contain such a pressure kick fail, a blowout could result, whereby reservoir fluids would flow uncontrolled into the well. A series of BOPs are positioned at the top of the well and, when activated, form tight seals that prevent the escape of fluids to the surface. Conventional BOPs prevent normal rig operations when closed so the BOPs are activated only if drilling mud and normal well control procedures cannot safely contain the pressure.  Rig Technologies engineers and manufactures BOPs.

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The operations of the rig and the condition of the drilling mud are closely monitored by various sensors, which measure operating parameters such as the weight on the rig’s hook, the incidence of pressure kicks, the operation of the drilling mud pumps, weight on bit, etc. Wellbore Technologies sells and rents drilling rig instrumentation packages that perform these monitoring functions as well as additional sensors that continuously collect downhole data that can be transmitted back to the surface via wired drill pipe.  Wellbore Technologies’ also offers drilling optimization and automation software and services that utilize this downhole data to maximize drilling performance by mitigating vibrations, dynamic and impact loading, and stick-slip, which ensures longer bit runs, and reduces the number of necessary trips.

During drilling operations, the drilling rig and related equipment and tools are subject to severe stresses, pressures, and temperatures, as well as a corrosive environment, and require regular repair and maintenance. Rig Technologies supplies spare parts and can dispatch field service engineers with the expertise to quickly repair and maintain equipment, minimizing down time.

Once a well has been drilled, cased, and cemented, and the operator determines hydrocarbons are present in commercial quantities, the well is then completed, and sometimes stimulated.  After the casing is cemented in place, the well undergoes one of several completion processes to open the bottom of the wellbore and allow hydrocarbons to flow from the reservoir and up the well to the surface.  The most commonly used technique is known as perforation.  The perforating process entails lowering a string of shaped charges to the desired depth in the well using an electric wireline unit and firing the charges to perforate the casing or liner.  Wireline units are also used to perform logging operations and other intervention services.  At this point, the operator may decide, based on well design and flow rate, to further enhance production by stimulating the well.  Unconventional wells almost always require stimulation through multi-stage hydraulic fracturing, a process by which a fluid or slurry is pumped down the well by large pumping units.  This causes the underground formation to crack or fracture, opening up space for hydrocarbons to flow more freely out of tight rock formations.  A proppant is suspended in the fluid and lodges in the cracks, propping them open and allowing hydrocarbons to flow after the fluid is gone.  A coiled tubing unit is often used to drill out bridge plugs that isolate the many stages needed to stimulate a horizontal well.  A coiled tubing unit utilizes a large continuous length of steel tubing to enter and traverse long laterals and perform completion and well remediation operations.  As drilling laterals have lengthened in recent years, many operators are electing to use larger high-specification well service rigs to assist in several phases of the completion phase by conveying tools downhole and drilling out completion plugs.  Workover rigs are similar to drilling rigs in their capabilities to handle tubing but are usually smaller and somewhat less sophisticated. Completion & Production Solutions provides the essential equipment necessary for the entirety of the completion and stimulation process, designing and manufacturing coiled tubing units, wireline units, pressure pumping equipment, completion tools, snubbing units, nitrogen units, and treating iron.  In addition, the well completion process creates a large amount of wear and tear on the equipment used, which creates healthy demand for Completion & Production Solutions’ aftermarket services.  The use of coiled tubing and wireline equipment typically requires the use of a BOP to ensure safety during operations. Completion & Production Solutions manufactures this well control equipment. Due to the corrosive nature of many produced fluids, production tubing is often inspected and coated, services offered by Wellbore Technologies.  Increasingly, operators choose to use corrosion-resistant composite materials or alloys in the process, which are also sold by Completion & Production Solutions.

Once the well has been stimulated, it is usually ready to be capped with a production wellhead and linked up to a gathering system where it can begin producing and generating cash flow for the operator.  This process is significantly more involved offshore, where pipes are often required to reach thousands of feet from the wellhead back to the surface, contending with tides, debris, and weather.  The development of flexible pipe solved many of the issues associated with linking offshore wells back to their respective FPSOs, which serve as gathering hubs, sometimes in some of the most remote areas of the world.  Completion & Production Solutions manufactures flexible subsea pipe in addition to offering turret mooring systems and topside process modules for FPSOs.

Natural decline rates set in as a well ages, and workover procedures and other services may be necessary to extend its life and increase its production rate.  Over time, downhole equipment, casing, or tubing may need to be serviced or replaced.  When producing wells require anything from routine maintenance to major modifications and repair, a well servicing rig is typically needed.  Workover rigs are used to disassemble the wellhead, tubing and other completion components of an existing well in order to stimulate or remediate the well. As a well continues to mature, its natural reservoir pressure may no longer be enough to force fluids to the surface.  Artificial lift equipment is then typically installed, which adds energy to the fluid column in a wellbore using one of several types of pumps.  In addition to reduced pressure, the water cut of a well’s production tends to increase as the well ages,

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which typically requires the addition of water treatment and separation equipment.  The Company offers a comprehensive range of workover rigs through Rig Technologies. Tubing and sucker rods removed from a well during a well remediation operation are often inspected to determine their suitability to be reused in the well, a service Wellbore Technologies provides.  Completion & Production Solutions offers several types of artificial lift and related support systems as well as integrated systems that provide water treatment, separation, hydrate inhibition, and gas processing.

None.

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The Company owned or leased approximately 552 facilities worldwide as of December 31, 2021, including the following principal manufacturing, service, distribution and administrative facilities:

*Building owned but land leased.

We own or lease approximately 306 repair and manufacturing facilities that refurbish and manufacture new equipment and parts, 109 service centers that provide inspection and equipment rental and 137 engineering, sales and administration facilities.

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See Note 12 – Commitments and Contingencies (Part IV, Item 15 of this Form 10-K) for further discussion.

Information regarding mine safety and other regulatory actions at our mines is included in Exhibit 95 to this Form 10-K.

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PART II

Market Information

Our common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol “NOV”. As of February 4, 2022, there were 2,280 holders of record of our common stock. Many stockholders choose to own shares through brokerage accounts and other intermediaries rather than as holders of record (excluding individual participants in securities positions listing) so the actual number of stockholders is unknown but significantly higher.

Cash dividends were declared for $0.05 per share in the fourth quarter of 2021, aggregating to $20 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. In 2020, cash dividends declared were $0.05 per share in the first quarter of 2020, aggregating to $19 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. The declaration and payment of future dividends is at the discretion of the Company’s Board of Directors and will be dependent upon the Company’s results of operations, financial condition, capital requirements, future outlook and other factors deemed relevant by the Company’s Board of Directors.

The information relating to our equity compensation plans required by Item 5. “Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities” is incorporated by reference to such information as set forth in Item 12. “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters” contained herein.

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PERFORMANCE GRAPH

The graph below compares the cumulative total shareholder return on our common stock to the S&P 500 Index and the S&P Oil & Gas Equipment & Services Index. The total shareholder return assumes $100 invested on December 31, 2016 in NOV Inc., the S&P Oil & Gas Equipment Select Index, the S&P 500 Index and the S&P Oil & Gas Equipment & Services Index. It also assumes reinvestment of all dividends. The results shown in the graph below are not necessarily indicative of future performance.

This information shall not be deemed to be ‘‘soliciting material’’ or to be ‘‘filed’’ with the Commission or subject to Regulation 14A (17 CFR 240.14a-1-240.14a-104), other than as provided in Item 201(e) of Regulation S-K, or to the liabilities of section 18 of the Exchange Act (15 U.S.C. 78r).

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Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers

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General Overview

The Company is a leading independent provider of equipment and technology to the upstream oil and gas industry. With operations in approximately 552 locations across six continents, NOV designs, manufactures and services a comprehensive line of drilling, well servicing and offshore construction equipment; sells and rents drilling motors, specialized downhole tools, and rig instrumentation; performs inspection and internal coating of oilfield tubular products; provides drill cuttings separation, management and disposal systems and services; and provides expendables and spare parts used in conjunction with the Company’s large installed base of equipment. NOV also manufactures coiled tubing and high-pressure fiberglass and composite tubing and sells and rents advanced in-line inspection equipment to makers of oil country tubular goods. More recently, by applying its deep knowledge in technology, the Company has helped advance the transition toward sustainable energy. The Company has a long tradition of pioneering innovations which improve the cost-effectiveness, efficiency, safety, and environmental impact of oil and gas operations.

NOV’s revenue and operating results are principally directly related to the level of worldwide oil and gas drilling and production activities and the profitability and cash flow of oil and gas companies and drilling contractors, which in turn are affected by current and anticipated prices of oil and gas. Oil and gas prices have been and are likely to continue to be volatile. See Item 1A. “Risk Factors”. The Company conducts its operations through three business segments: Wellbore Technologies, Completion & Production Solutions and Rig Technologies. See Item 1. “Business”, for a discussion of each of these business segments.

Unless indicated otherwise, results of operations are presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”). Certain reclassifications have been made to the prior year financial statements to conform with the 2021 presentation. The Company discloses Adjusted EBITDA (defined as Operating Profit excluding Depreciation, Amortization, and, when applicable, Other Items (as defined below under “Executive Summary”)) in its periodic earnings press releases and other public disclosures to provide investors additional information about the results of ongoing operations. See Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Reconciliations in Results of Operations for an explanation of our use of non-GAAP financial measures and reconciliations to their corresponding measures calculated in accordance with GAAP.

Operating Environment Overview

NOV’s results are dependent on, among other things, the level of worldwide oil and gas drilling, well remediation activity, the price of crude oil and natural gas, capital spending by exploration and production companies and drilling contractors, worldwide oil and gas inventory levels and, to a lesser degree, the level of investment in wind, solar and geothermal energy products. Key industry indicators for the past three years include the following:

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The following table details the U.S., Canadian, and international rig activity and West Texas Intermediate Oil prices for the past nine quarters ended December 31, 2021 on a quarterly basis:

Source: Rig count: Baker Hughes, Inc. (www.bakerhughes.com); West Texas Intermediate Crude Price, Natural Gas Price: US Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration (www.eia.doe.gov).

The average price per barrel of West Texas Intermediate Crude was $67.99 in 2021, an increase of 73% over the average price for 2020 of $39.33 per barrel. The average natural gas price in 2021 was $3.88 per mmbtu, an increase of 93% percent compared to the 2020 average of $2.01 per mmbtu. Average rig activity worldwide increased 1 percent for the full year in 2021 compared to 2020. The average crude oil price for the fourth quarter of 2021 was $77.45 per barrel, and natural gas was $4.74 per mmbtu.

At February 4, 2022, there were 831 rigs actively drilling in North America, compared to the fourth quarter average of 720 rigs, an increase of 15 percent. The price for West Texas Intermediate Crude Oil was $92.31 per barrel at February 4, 2022, an increase of 19 percent from the fourth quarter of 2021 average. The price for natural gas was $4.57 per mmbtu at February 4, 2022, a decrease of four percent from the fourth quarter of 2021 average.

The Company is also becoming increasingly engaged with energy transition related opportunities and is currently involved in projects related to wind energy, solar, geothermal power, rare earth metal extraction, biogas production, and carbon sequestration. Additionally, the Company is investing in developing technologies and solutions that will support other energy transition related industry verticals. Management expects to see continued growth in these areas as low carbon power becomes a larger portion of the global energy supply.

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

NOV Inc. generated revenue of $5.52 billion in 2021, which was lower from the prior year as the Company entered the year with lower order backlog resulting from sharply lower oil and gas prices and industry activity during 2020. While industry activity began a slow recovery during 2021, the average 2021 worldwide rig count (as measured by Baker Hughes) did not increase significantly when compared to 2020.

For the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company reported an operating loss of $134 million compared to an operating loss of $2,425 million in 2020, and a net loss attributable to the Company of $250 million, or $0.65 per share compared to a net loss of $2,542 million or $6.62 per share during 2020.  

For the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2021, revenue was $1.52 billion, a $176 million or 13 percent increase compared to the third quarter of 2021. The Company reported a net loss of $40 million, or $0.10 per fully diluted share, an improvement of $29 million, or $0.08 per fully diluted share, from the third quarter of 2021.  Compared to the fourth quarter of 2020, revenue increased $190 million or 14 percent, and net loss improved $307 million.

During the fourth quarter of 2021, third quarter of 2021, and fourth quarter of 2020, pre-tax other items: goodwill, intangible and long-lived asset impairment charges, inventory charges, severance accruals, and other charges and credits (collectively “Other Items”), were $9 million, $24 million, and $236 million, respectively. Excluding the Other Items from all periods, fourth quarter 2021 Adjusted EBITDA was $69 million, compared to $56 million in the third quarter of 2021 and $17 million in the fourth quarter of 2020.

Segment Performance

Wellbore Technologies

Wellbore Technologies generated revenues of $576 million in the fourth quarter of 2021, an increase of 14 percent from the third quarter of 2021 and an increase of 54 percent from the fourth quarter of 2020. The increase in revenues resulted from increased drilling activity levels in North America partially offset by declines in international and offshore markets. Operating profit, which included $(1) million in Other Items, was $50 million. Adjusted EBITDA increased $11 million sequentially and $76 million from the prior year to $88 million, or 15.3 percent of sales.

Completion & Production Solutions

Completion & Production Solutions generated revenues of $549 million in the fourth quarter of 2021, an increase of 15 percent from the third quarter of 2021 and an increase of 1 percent from the fourth quarter of 2020. Continued COVID-19 related operational challenges negatively impacted margin flow-through during the quarter. Operating loss, which included $2 million in Other Items, was $16 million. Adjusted EBITDA increased $7 million sequentially and decreased $26 million from the prior year to $2 million, or 0.4 percent of sales.

New orders booked improved 29 percent sequentially to $495 million, representing a book-to-bill of 159 percent when compared to the $311 million of orders shipped from backlog. Backlog for capital equipment orders for Completion & Production Solutions at December 31, 2021 was $1,287 million, an increase of $592 million, or 85 percent from backlog of $695 million at December 31, 2020.

Rig Technologies

Rig Technologies generated revenues of $431 million in the fourth quarter of 2021, an increase of 11 percent from the third quarter of 2021 and a decrease of 1 percent from the fourth quarter of 2020. Increasing offshore drilling activity levels resulting in lower capital equipment backlog contributed to the increase in revenues in the fourth quarter of 2021 when compared to the third quarter of 2021. Operating profit, which included $3 million in Other Items, was $1 million. Adjusted EBITDA decreased $4 million sequentially and increased $2 million from the prior year to $21 million, or 4.9 percent of sales.

New orders booked during the quarter totaled $191 million, representing a book-to-bill of 102 percent when compared to the $188 million of orders shipped from backlog. At December 31, 2021, backlog for capital equipment orders for Rig Technologies was $2,767 million, an increase of $98 million, or 4 percent, from backlog of $2,669 million at December 31, 2020.

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Oil & Gas Equipment and Services Market and Outlook

During 2020, the COVID-19 outbreak rapidly spread across the world, driving sharp demand destruction for crude oil as countries took measures that curtailed economic activity to slow the spread of the outbreak. Companies across the industry responded with severe capital spending budget cuts, curtailed production, cost reductions, personnel layoffs, facility closures and bankruptcy filings. Towards the end of 2020 and into 2021, commodity prices stabilized and began to recover resulting in improving industry activity levels in North America.

Throughout 2021, greater availability of COVID-19 vaccines resulted in the gradual reopening of certain economies around the world. Pent-up consumer and industrial demand combined with government economic stimulus programs are serving to amplify the global recovery, improve economic activity, and drive higher demand for oil and gas, which management believes is setting the stage for a global recovery in drilling activity. During 2021, oil and gas drilling activity levels increased in every major region of the world, reflecting this growing demand. However, supply chain disruptions and inflationary challenges are significant and have continued into 2022.

Despite near-term disruptions from ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks, pandemic related supply chain disruptions, and inflationary forces, management is optimistic that improving market fundamentals and the actions NOV has taken to position its business for the future will drive growth and improve profitability for the Company. NOV remains committed to improving organizational efficiencies while focusing on the development and commercialization of innovative products and services, including environmentally friendly technologies, that are responsive to the longer-term needs of NOV’s customers. We believe this strategy will further advance the Company’s competitive position, regardless of the market.

Results of Operations

The following table summarizes the Company’s revenue and operating profit (loss) by operating segment (in millions):

Years Ended December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020

Wellbore Technologies

Revenue from Wellbore Technologies for the year ended December 31, 2021 was $1,959 million, an increase of $92 million (5%) compared to the year ended December 31, 2020. 

Operating profit from Wellbore Technologies was $74 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, an increase of $932 million compared to the year ended December 31, 2020. Operating profit percentage for 2021 was 3.8 percent compared to an operating loss percentage of -46 percent in 2020.

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Other Items included in operating loss for Wellbore Technologies were $30 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 and $849 million for the year ended December 31, 2020.

Completion & Production Solutions

Revenue from Completion & Production Solutions for the year ended December 31, 2021 was $1,963 million, a decrease of $470 million (-19%) compared to the year ended December 31, 2020. 

Operating loss from Completion & Production Solutions was $65 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to an operating loss of $977 million for 2020, an improvement of $912 million. Operating loss percentage for 2021 was -3.3 percent compared to -40.2 percent in 2020.

Included in operating loss are Other Items related to impairment charges, inventory charges, severance accruals and other charges and credits. Other items included in operating loss for Completion & Production Solutions was zero for the year ended December 31, 2021 and $1,132 million for the year ended December 31, 2020.

The Completion & Production Solutions segment monitors its capital equipment backlog to plan its business. New orders are added to backlog only when the Company receives a firm written order for major completion and production components or a signed contract related to a construction project. The capital equipment backlog was $1,287 million at December 31, 2021, an increase of $592 million, or 85 percent from backlog of $695 million at December 31, 2020.  Although numerous factors can affect the timing of revenue out of backlog (including, but not limited to, customer change orders and supplier accelerations or delays), the Company reasonably expects approximately $1,125 million of revenue out of backlog in 2022 and approximately $162 million of revenue out of backlog in 2023 and thereafter. At December 31, 2021, approximately 68 percent of the capital equipment backlog was for offshore products and approximately 79 percent of the capital equipment backlog was destined for international markets.

Rig Technologies

Revenue from Rig Technologies for the year ended December 31, 2021 was $1,739 million, a decrease of $180 million (-9%) compared to the year ended December 31, 2020.

Operating profit from Rig Technologies was $43 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, an improvement of $405 million compared to 2020. Operating profit percentage for 2021 was 2.5 percent compared to -18.9 percent in 2020.

Included in operating profit are Other Items related to severance and facility closures, and asset write-downs. Other Items included in operating profit for Rig Technologies were $20 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 and $402 million for the year ended December 31, 2020.

The Rig Technologies segment monitors its capital equipment backlog to plan its business. New orders are added to backlog only when the Company receives a firm written order for major drilling rig components or a signed contract related to a construction project. The capital equipment backlog was $2,767 million at December 31, 2021, an increase of $98 million, or 4 percent, from backlog of $2,669 million at December 31, 2020.  Although numerous factors can affect the timing of revenue out of backlog (including, but not limited to, customer change orders and supplier accelerations or delays), the Company reasonably expects approximately $692 million of revenue out of backlog in 2022 and the remaining in 2023 and thereafter. At December 31, 2021, approximately 31 percent of the capital equipment backlog was for offshore products and approximately 92 percent of the capital equipment backlog was destined for international markets.

Eliminations and corporate costs

Eliminations and corporate costs were $186 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to $228 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. This change is primarily due to a decrease in intersegment sales. Sales from one segment to another generally are priced at estimated equivalent commercial selling prices; however, segments originating an external sale are credited with the full profit to the Company. Eliminations and corporate costs include intercompany transactions conducted between the three reporting segments that are eliminated in consolidation, as well as corporate costs not allocated to the segments. Intercompany transactions within each reporting segment are eliminated within each reporting segment.

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Other income (expense), net

Other income (expense), net was expense of $23 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to expense of $17 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase in expense was primarily due to higher foreign exchange losses for 2021.

Provision for income taxes

The effective tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2021 was -6.5 percent, compared to 8.7 percent for 2020. For the year ended December 31, 2021 the effective tax rate was negatively impacted by current year losses in certain jurisdictions with no tax benefit, partially offset by favorable adjustments related to utilization of losses and tax credits for prior year tax returns. For the year ended December 31, 2020 the effective tax rate was negatively impacted by the impairment of nondeductible goodwill and the establishment of additional valuation allowance for current year losses and other tax attributes, partially offset by the release of valuation allowance as a result of (a) the carryback of $591 million of U.S. net operating losses from 2019 to 2014 as a result of the CARES Act and (b) the filing of an amended US tax return to deduct foreign tax credits and carryback the resulting $287 million U.S. net operating loss from 2016 to 2014.

Results of Operations in 2020 Compared to 2019

Information related to the comparison of our operating results between the years 2020 and 2019 is included in "Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" of our 2020 Form 10-K filed with the SEC and is incorporated by reference into this annual report on Form 10-K.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Reconciliations

This Form 10-K contains certain non-GAAP financial measures that management believes are useful tools for internal use and the investment community in evaluating NOV’s overall financial performance. These non-GAAP financial measures are broadly used to value and compare companies in the oilfield services and equipment industry. Not all companies define these measures in the same way. In addition, these non-GAAP financial measures are not a substitute for financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP and should therefore be considered only as supplemental to such GAAP financial measures.

The Company defines Adjusted EBITDA as Operating Profit excluding Depreciation, Amortization and, when applicable, Other Items.  Management believes this is important information to provide because it is used by management to evaluate the Company’s operational performance and trends between periods and manage the business.  Management also believes this information may be useful to investors and analysts to gain a better understanding of the Company’s results of ongoing operations.  Adjusted EBITDA is not intended to replace GAAP financial measures, such as Net Income.

Other items consist of charges and credits related to (in millions):

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The following tables set forth the reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to its most directly comparable GAAP financial measures (in millions):