SCHLUMBERGER LIMITED/NV - Annual Report: 2016 (Form 10-K)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-K

(Mark One)

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016

OR

For the transition period from __________ to __________

Commission File Number 1-4601

Schlumberger N.V.

(Schlumberger Limited)

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Registrant’s telephone number in the United States, including area code, is: (713) 513-2000

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 and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted 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 and post such files.) YES ☑ NO ☐

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of the registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. ☐

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

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). YES ☐ NO ☑

As of June 30, 2016, the aggregate market value of the common stock of the registrant held by non-affiliates of the registrant was approximately $109.9 billion.

As of December 31, 2016, the number of shares of common stock outstanding was 1,391,475,510.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Certain information required to be furnished pursuant to Part III of this Form 10-K is set forth in, and is hereby incorporated by reference herein from, Schlumberger’s definitive proxy statement for its 2017 Annual General Meeting of Stockholders, to be filed by Schlumberger with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Regulation 14A within 120 days after December 31, 2016 (the “2017 Proxy Statement”).

SCHLUMBERGER LIMITED

Table of Contents

Form 10-K

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PART I

Item 1. Business.

All references in this report to “Registrant,” “Company,” “Schlumberger,” “we” or “our” are to Schlumberger Limited (Schlumberger N.V., incorporated in Curaçao) and its consolidated subsidiaries.

Founded in 1926, Schlumberger is the world’s leading provider of technology for reservoir characterization, drilling, production and processing to the oil and gas industry. Having invented wireline logging as a technique for obtaining downhole data in oil and gas wells, today Schlumberger supplies the industry’s most comprehensive range of products and services, from exploration through production, and integrated pore-to-pipeline solutions that optimize hydrocarbon recovery to deliver reservoir performance. As of December 31, 2016, the Company employed approximately 100,000 people of over 140 nationalities operating in more than 85 countries. Schlumberger has principal executive offices in Paris, Houston, London and The Hague.

On April 1, 2016, Schlumberger acquired all of the outstanding shares of Cameron International Corporation (“Cameron”), a leading provider of flow equipment products, systems and services to the oil and gas industry worldwide. The acquisition is expected to create technology-driven growth by integrating Schlumberger reservoir and well technologies with Cameron wellhead and surface equipment, flow control and processing technology. The combination of the two complementary technology portfolios provides the industry’s most comprehensive range of products and services, from exploration to production and integrated pore-to-pipeline solutions that optimize hydrocarbon recovery to deliver reservoir performance.  In connection with this transaction, Schlumberger issued 138 million shares of its common stock, valued at approximately $9.9 billion as of the acquisition date, and paid cash of $2.8 billion.

Schlumberger operates in each of the major oilfield service markets, managing its business through four Groups: Reservoir Characterization, Drilling, Production and Cameron.  Each Group consists of a number of technology-based service and product lines, or Technologies.  These Technologies cover the entire life cycle of the reservoir and correspond to a number of markets in which Schlumberger holds leading positions. The role of the Groups and Technologies is to support Schlumberger in providing the best possible service to customers and to ensure that Schlumberger remains at the forefront of technology development and services integration.  The Groups and Technologies are collectively responsible for driving excellence in execution throughout their businesses; overseeing operational processes, resource allocation and personnel; and delivering superior financial results.

The Groups are as follows:

Reservoir Characterization Group – Consists of the principal Technologies involved in finding and defining hydrocarbon resources.  These include WesternGeco^®, Wireline, Testing & Process, Software Integrated Solutions (SIS) and Integrated Services Management (ISM).

Drilling Group – Consists of the principal Technologies involved in the drilling and positioning of oil and gas wells and comprises Bits & Drilling Tools, M-I SWACO^®, Drilling & Measurements, Land Rigs and Integrated Drilling Services (IDS).

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Production Group – Consists of the principal Technologies involved in the lifetime production of oil and gas reservoirs and includes Well Services, Completions, Artificial Lift, Integrated Production Services (IPS) and Schlumberger Production Management (SPM).

SPM commercial arrangements create alignment between Schlumberger and the asset holder and/or the operator whereby Schlumberger receives remuneration in line with its value creation.  These projects are generally focused on developing and co-managing production of customer assets under long-term agreements.  Schlumberger manages approximately 235,000 barrels per day of oil equivalent on behalf of its clients. Schlumberger will invest its own services and products, and in some cases cash, into the field development activities and operations.  Although in certain arrangements Schlumberger is paid for a portion of the services or products it provides, generally Schlumberger will not be paid at the time of providing its services or upon delivery of its products.  Instead, Schlumberger is generally compensated based upon cash flow generated or on a fee-per-barrel basis.  This may include certain arrangements whereby Schlumberger is only compensated based upon incremental production that it helps deliver above a mutually agreed baseline.

Cameron Group – Consists of the principal Technologies involved in pressure and flow control for drilling and intervention rigs, oil and gas wells and production facilities, and includes OneSubsea^®, Surface Systems, Drilling Systems, and Valves & Measurement.

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Supporting the Groups is a global network of research and engineering centers. Through this organization, Schlumberger is committed to advanced technology programs that enhance oilfield efficiency, lower finding and producing costs, improve productivity, maximize reserve recovery and increase asset value while accomplishing these goals in a safe and environmentally sound manner.

Schlumberger’s business is also reported through four geographic Areas: North America, Latin America, Europe/CIS/Africa and Middle East & Asia. Within these Areas, a network of GeoMarket* regions provides logistical, technical and commercial coordination.

The GeoMarket structure offers customers a single point of contact at the local level for field operations and brings together geographically focused teams to meet local needs and deliver customized solutions. The Areas and GeoMarkets are responsible for providing the most efficient and cost effective support possible to the operations.

Schlumberger primarily uses its own personnel to market its offerings. The customer base, business risks and opportunities for growth are essentially uniform across all services. Manufacturing and engineering facilities as well as research centers are shared, and the labor force is interchangeable. Technological innovation, quality of service and price differentiation are the principal methods of competition, which vary geographically with respect to the different services offered. While Schlumberger has numerous competitors, both large and small, Schlumberger believes that it is an industry leader in providing geophysical equipment and  services, wireline logging, well production testing, exploration and production software, surface equipment, artificial lift, coiled-tubing services, drilling and completion fluids, solids control and waste management, drilling pressure control, drill bits, measurement-while-drilling, logging-while-drilling, directional-drilling services and surface data (mud) logging.

GENERAL

Intellectual Property

Schlumberger owns and controls a variety of intellectual property, including but not limited to patents, proprietary information and software tools and applications that, in the aggregate, are material to Schlumberger’s business. While Schlumberger seeks and holds numerous patents covering various products and processes, no particular patent or group of patents is considered material to Schlumberger’s business.

Seasonality

Seasonal changes in weather and significant weather events can temporarily affect the delivery of oilfield services. For example, the spring thaw in Canada and consequent road restrictions can affect activity levels, while the winter months in the North Sea, Russia and China can produce severe weather conditions that typically result in temporarily reduced levels of activity. In addition, hurricanes and typhoons can disrupt coastal and offshore operations. Furthermore, customer spending patterns for multiclient data, software and other oilfield services and products generally result in higher activity in the fourth quarter of each year as clients seek to utilize their annual budgets.

Customers and Backlog of Orders

For the year ended December 31, 2016, no single customer exceeded 10% of consolidated revenue. Other than WesternGeco, and the OneSubsea and Drilling Systems businesses acquired in the Cameron transaction, Schlumberger has no significant backlog due to the

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nature of its businesses. The WesternGeco backlog was $0.8 billion at December 31, 2016 (the vast majority of which is expected to be recognized as revenue in 2017) and $1.1 billion at December 31, 2015.  The combined backlog of the OneSubsea and Drilling Systems businesses was $3.1 billion at December 31, 2016, of which approximately 60% is expected to be recognized as revenue during 2017.

Financial Information

Financial information by business segment and geographic area for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 is provided in Note 17 of the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Executive Officers of Schlumberger

The following table sets forth, as of January 25, 2017, the names and ages of the executive officers of Schlumberger, including all offices and positions held by each for at least the past five years.

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Available Information

The Schlumberger Internet website is www.slb.com. Schlumberger uses its Investor Relations website, www.slb.com/ir, as a routine channel for distribution of important information, including news releases, analyst presentations, and financial information. Schlumberger makes available free of charge through its Investor Relations website at www.slb.com/ir access to its Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, its Proxy Statements and Forms 3, 4 and 5 filed on behalf of directors and executive officers, and amendments to each of those reports, as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Alternatively, you may access these reports at the SEC’s Internet website at www.sec.gov.  Copies are also available, without charge, from Schlumberger Investor Relations, 5599 San Felipe, 17^th Floor, Houston, Texas 77056.  Unless expressly noted, the information on our website or any other website is not incorporated by reference in this Form 10-K and should not be considered part of this Form 10-K or any other filing Schlumberger makes with the SEC.

Item 1A. Risk Factors.

The following discussion of risk factors known to us contains important information for the understanding of our “forward-looking statements,” which are discussed immediately following Item 7A. of this Form 10-K and elsewhere. These risk factors should also be read in conjunction with Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, and the Consolidated Financial Statements and related notes included in this Form 10-K.

We urge you to consider carefully the risks described below, as well as in other reports and materials that we file with the SEC and the other information included or incorporated by reference in this Form 10-K. If any of the risks described below or elsewhere in this Form 10-K were to materialize, our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows or prospects could be materially adversely affected. In such case, the trading price of our common stock could decline and you could lose part or all of your investment. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also materially adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Demand for the majority of our services is substantially dependent on the levels of expenditures by our customers.  The current significant oil and gas industry downturn has resulted in reduced demand for oilfield services, which has had, and may continue to have, a material adverse impact on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. If these conditions worsen or oil and gas prices do not improve, it could have a further material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Demand for the majority of our services depends substantially on the level of expenditures by our customers for the exploration, development and production of oil and natural gas reserves. These expenditures are generally dependent on our customers’ views of future oil and natural gas prices and are sensitive to our customers’ views of future economic growth and the resulting impact on demand for oil and natural gas.  Since 2014, oil and gas prices have declined significantly, resulting in lower expenditures by our customers.  As a result, many of our customers have reduced or delayed their oil and gas exploration and production spending, reducing the demand for our products and services and exerting downward pressure on the prices that we charge.  These conditions have had, and may continue to have, an adverse impact on our financial condition.  

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The continued low oil and gas prices have caused a reduction in cash flows for our customers, which has had a significant adverse effect on the financial condition of some of our customers. This has resulted, in and may continue to result in, project modifications, delays and cancellations, general business disruptions, and delays in payment of, or nonpayment of, amounts that are owed to us. These effects could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

The prices for oil and natural gas have historically been volatile and can be affected by a variety of factors, including:

There can be no assurance that the demand or pricing for oil and natural gas will follow historic patterns or recover meaningfully in the near term.  Continued or worsening conditions in the oil and gas industry could have a further material adverse affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

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 over 85 countries in which we operate.

Our non-United States operations accounted for approximately 80% of our consolidated revenue in 2016, 76% in 2015 and 71% in 2014. Operations in countries other than the United States are subject to various risks, including:

Our failure to comply with complex US and foreign laws and regulations could have a material adverse effect on our operations.

We are subject to complex US and foreign laws and regulations, such as the FCPA, the U.K. Bribery Act and various other anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws.  We are also subject to trade control regulations and trade sanctions laws that restrict the movement of certain goods to, and certain operations in, various countries or with certain persons.  Our ability to transfer people and products among certain countries is subject to maintaining required licenses and complying with these laws and regulations. The internal controls, policies and procedures, and employee training and compliance programs we have implemented to deter prohibited practices may not be effective in preventing employees, contractors or agents from violating or circumventing such internal policies or violating applicable laws and regulations.  Any determination that we have violated or are responsible for violations of anti-bribery, trade

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control, trade sanctions or anti-corruption laws could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition.  Violations of international and US laws and regulations or the loss of any required licenses may result in fines and penalties, criminal sanctions, administrative remedies or restrictions on business conduct, and could have a material adverse effect on our reputation and our business, operating results and financial condition.

Environmental compliance costs and liabilities could reduce our earnings and cash available for operations.

We are subject to increasingly stringent laws and regulations relating to importation and use of hazardous materials, radioactive materials, chemicals and explosives and to environmental protection, including laws and regulations governing air emissions, hydraulic fracturing, water discharges and waste management. We incur, and expect to continue to incur, capital and operating costs to comply with environmental laws and regulations. The technical requirements of these laws and regulations are becoming increasingly complex, stringent and expensive to implement. These laws may provide for “strict liability” for remediation costs, damages to natural resources or threats to public health and safety. Strict liability can render a party liable for damages without regard to negligence or fault on the part of the party. Some environmental laws provide for joint and several strict liability for remediation of spills and releases of hazardous substances.

We use and generate hazardous substances and wastes in our operations. In addition, many of our current and former properties are, or have been, used for industrial purposes. Accordingly, we could become subject to material liabilities relating to the investigation and cleanup of potentially contaminated properties, and to claims alleging personal injury or property damage as the result of exposures to, or releases of, hazardous substances. In addition, stricter enforcement of existing laws and regulations, new laws and regulations, the discovery of previously unknown contamination or the imposition of new or increased requirements could require us to incur costs or become the basis for new or increased liabilities that could reduce our earnings and our cash available for operations.

We could be subject to substantial liability claims, which could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

The technical complexities of our operations expose us to a wide range of significant health, safety and environmental risks. Our offerings involve production-related activities, radioactive materials, chemicals, explosives and other equipment and services that are deployed in challenging exploration, development and production environments. An accident involving these services or equipment, or a failure of a product, could cause personal injury, loss of life, damage to or destruction of property, equipment or the environment, or suspension of operations. Our insurance may not protect us against liability for certain kinds of events, including events involving pollution, or against losses resulting from business interruption. Moreover, we may not be able to maintain insurance at levels of risk coverage or policy limits that we deem adequate. Any damages caused by our services or products that are not covered by insurance, or are in excess of policy limits or subject to substantial deductibles, could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Demand for our products and services could be reduced by existing and future legislation or regulations.

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 gasses and their potential role in climate change.  Existing or future legislation and regulations related to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change, as well as government initiatives to conserve energy or promote the use of alternative energy sources, may significantly curtail demand for and production of fossil fuels such as oil and gas in areas of the world where our customers operate and thus adversely affect future demand for our services. This may, in turn, adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Some international, national, state and local governments and agencies have also adopted laws and regulations or are evaluating proposed legislation and regulations that are focused on the extraction of shale gas or oil using hydraulic fracturing. Hydraulic fracturing is a stimulation treatment routinely performed on oil and gas wells in low-permeability reservoirs. Specially engineered fluids are pumped at high pressure and rate into the reservoir interval to be treated, causing cracks in the target formation. Proppant, such as sand of a particular size, is mixed with the treatment fluid to keep the cracks open when the treatment is complete. Future hydraulic fracturing-related legislation or regulations could limit or ban hydraulic fracturing, or lead to operational delays and increased costs, and therefore reduce demand for our pressure pumping services. If such additional international, national, state or local legislation or regulations are enacted, it could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

If we are unable to maintain technology leadership, this could adversely affect any competitive advantage we hold.

The oilfield service industry is highly competitive.  Our ability to continually provide competitive technology and services can impact our ability to defend, maintain or increase prices for our services, maintain market share, and negotiate acceptable contract terms with our customers.  If we are unable to continue to develop and produce competitive technology or deliver it to our clients in a timely and cost-competitive manner in the various markets we serve, it could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

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Limitations on our ability to protect our intellectual property rights, including our trade secrets, could cause a loss in revenue and any competitive advantage we hold.

Some of our products or services, and the processes we use to produce or provide them, have been granted patent protection, have patent applications pending or are trade secrets. Our business may be adversely affected if our patents are unenforceable, the claims allowed under our patents are not sufficient to protect our technology, our patent applications are denied or our trade secrets are not adequately protected. Our competitors may be able to develop technology independently that is similar to ours without infringing on our patents or gaining access to our trade secrets, which could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

We may be subject to litigation if another party claims that we have infringed upon its intellectual property rights.

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.

Failure to obtain and retain skilled technical personnel could impede our operations.

We require highly skilled personnel to operate and provide technical services and support for our business. Competition for the personnel required for our businesses intensifies as activity increases. In periods of high utilization it may become more difficult to find and retain qualified individuals. This could increase our costs or have other adverse effects on our operations.

Severe weather conditions may adversely affect our operations.

Our business may be materially affected by severe weather conditions in areas where we operate. This may entail the evacuation of personnel and stoppage of services. 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.

Cybersecurity risks and threats could adversely affect our business.

We rely heavily on information systems to conduct our business.  There can be no assurance that the systems we have designed to prevent or limit the effects of cyber incidents or attacks will be sufficient to prevent or detect such incidents or attacks, or to avoid a material impact on our systems when such incidents or attacks do occur.  If our systems for protecting against cybersecurity risks are circumvented or breached, this could result in the loss of our intellectual property or other proprietary information, including customer data, and disruption of our business operations.

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.

None.

Item 2. Properties.

Schlumberger owns or leases numerous manufacturing facilities, administrative offices, service centers, research centers, data processing centers, mines, ore, drilling fluid and production chemical processing centers, sales offices and warehouses throughout the world. Schlumberger views its principal manufacturing, mining and processing facilities, research centers and data processing centers as its “principal owned or leased facilities.”

The following sets forth Schlumberger’s principal owned or leased facilities:

Beijing, China; Beziers and Clamart, France; Fuchinobe, Japan; Kleppestø and Stavanger, Norway; Singapore; Abingdon and Cambridge, United Kingdom; Moscow, Russia; Johor, Malaysia; and within the United States: Boston, Massachusetts; Houston, Katy, Rosharon and Sugar Land, Texas; Berwick, Louisiana; Battle Mountain, Nevada and Greybull, Wyoming.

Item 3. Legal Proceedings.

The information with respect to this Item 3. Legal Proceedings is set forth in Note 16 of the Consolidated Financial Statements.

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Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.

The barite and bentonite mining operations of M-I LLC, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary, are subject to regulation by the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration under the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977. Information concerning mine safety violations or other regulatory matters required by section 1503(a) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and Item 104 of Regulation S-K is included in Exhibit 95 to this Form 10-K.

PART II

Item 5. Market for Schlumberger’s Common Stock, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.

As of December 31, 2016, there were 26,201 stockholders of record. The principal United States market for Schlumberger’s common stock is the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), where it is traded under the symbol “SLB,” although it is traded on other exchanges in and outside the United States, including the Euronext Paris, the London Stock Exchange and the SIX Swiss Exchange.

Common Stock, Market Prices and Dividends Declared per Share

Quarterly high and low prices for Schlumberger’s common stock as reported by the NYSE (composite transactions), together with dividends declared per share in each quarter of 2016 and 2015, were as follows:

There are no legal restrictions on the payment of dividends or ownership or voting of such shares, except as to shares held as treasury stock. Under current legislation, stockholders are not subject to any Curaçao withholding or other Curaçao taxes attributable to the ownership of such shares.

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The following graph compares the cumulative total stockholder return on Schlumberger common stock with the cumulative total return on the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index (“S&P 500 Index”) and the cumulative total return on the Philadelphia Oil Service Index. It assumes $100 was invested on December 31, 2011 in Schlumberger common stock, in the S&P 500 Index and in the Philadelphia Oil Service Index, as well as the reinvestment of dividends on the last day of the month of payment. The stockholder return set forth below is not necessarily indicative of future performance. The following graph and related information shall not be deemed “soliciting material” or to be “filed” with the SEC, nor shall such information be incorporated by reference into any future filing under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, except to the extent that Schlumberger specifically incorporates it by reference into such filing.

Comparison of Five-Year Cumulative Total Return Among

Schlumberger Common Stock, the S&P 500 Index and the

Philadelphia Oil Service Index

Share Repurchases

On July 18, 2013, the Schlumberger Board of Directors (the “Board”) approved a $10 billion share repurchase program for Schlumberger common stock, to be completed at the latest by June 30, 2018.

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Schlumberger’s common stock repurchase program activity for the three months ended December 31, 2016 was as follows:

In connection with the exercise of stock options under Schlumberger’s stock incentive plans, Schlumberger routinely receives shares of its common stock from optionholders in consideration of the exercise price of the stock options. Schlumberger does not view these transactions as requiring disclosure under this Item 5 as the number of shares of Schlumberger common stock received from optionholders is not material.

On January 21, 2016, the Board approved a new $10 billion share repurchase program for Schlumberger common stock.  This new program will take effect once the remaining $0.6 billion authorized to be repurchased under the July 18, 2013 program is exhausted.

Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities

None.

Item 6. Selected Financial Data.

The following selected consolidated financial data should be read in conjunction with both “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this Form 10-K in order to understand factors, such as business combinations and charges and credits, which may affect the comparability of the Selected Financial Data:

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Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

The following discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements relating to our plans, strategies, objectives, expectations, intentions and resources. Such forward-looking statements should be read in conjunction with our disclosures under “Item 1A. Risk Factors” of this Form 10-K.

2016 Executive Overview

On April 1, 2016, Schlumberger completed its acquisition of Cameron, combining their complementary portfolios into a pore-to-pipeline products and services offering for the world’s oil and gas industry.  The transaction enables the creation of technology-driven growth by integrating Schlumberger reservoir and well technology with Cameron wellhead and surface equipment, flow control and processing technology.

Schlumberger revenue of $27.8 billion in 2016 represented a decrease of 22% from 2015, despite three quarters of activity from the acquired Cameron Group, which contributed $4.2 billion in revenue.  Excluding the Cameron Group, revenue declined 34%.  This revenue drop was due to continued weakness in exploration and production spending as a result of the deepest and longest industry crisis in more than 30 years.

The year began with Brent crude prices experiencing the sharpest fall in 30 years to $26 per barrel in January 2016, thus continuing the downturn that the oil and gas industry endured during the previous year.

Given two successive years of investment cuts, oil supply growth slowed significantly despite record OPEC production. Non-OPEC production fell sharply, largely due to a significant drop in US light tight oil production. However, robust global demand enabled the oil markets to tighten and draw down on the vast accumulation of crude and product stocks by mid-year.

The year’s end was marked by OPEC and certain non-OPEC countries, including Russia, agreeing to cut production by a combined 1.7 million barrels per day.  These agreements are expected to accelerate the drawdown of stocks in 2017 and have subsequently spurred a recovery in oil prices, which reached $55 per barrel at the end of 2016.

In the natural gas markets, US production declined during 2016 as a result of the drop in gas drilling activity, while demand growth was robust throughout the year. Low gas prices during most of 2016 encouraged the power sector to continue to favor gas over coal. The year was also marked by the start-up of the Sabine Pass liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant in Texas, which exported its first shipment in early 2016, thus starting a trend that should make the US the third largest exporter of LNG by the end of 2020.

Europe continued to see modest demand growth due in part to coal plant retirements. Gas prices, however, fell to a seven-year low as supplies from Russia, Norway and North Africa reached record highs. The Asian markets continued to be in slow growth mode, albeit with slight improvements in China. Nonetheless, oversupply persisted as Australian LNG exports ramped up, driving LNG prices down even further from the already low-levels of 2015. The global outlook for LNG is largely unchanged, with continued oversupply and low prices.

Schlumberger’s financial performance in 2016 was severely impacted by the significant decrease in land-based activity, particularly in North America where the average land rig count dropped 46% as compared to the previous year. Supply overcapacity in the land market remained high for most of 2016, resulting in pricing pressure across a broad range of oilfield services.  As a result, North America revenue, excluding the impact of the Cameron Group, declined 48% due to a decrease in US land revenue of 52%.  Including the Cameron Group, North America revenue decreased 32%.  Internationally, revenue declined 28%, excluding the impact of Cameron (17% including the Cameron Group) due to customer budget cuts, activity disruptions and a shift in revenue mix that impacted Schlumberger’s results in most basins and market segments around the world.  Revenue in the Europe, CIS & Africa Area decreased due to lower demand for exploration and development-related products and services as E&P budgets were reduced, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa.  In Latin America, revenue declined due to customer budget constraints across the Area and, more specifically, in Venezuela where operations were scaled back to align with collections.  Middle East & Asia revenue decreased primarily due to reduced activity in Asia-Pacific countries, while robust activity in the Middle East was more than offset by pricing concessions.

Since the start of this downturn, and as it deepened during 2016, Schlumberger has navigated the commercial landscape by balancing pricing concessions and market share and also by proactively removing significant costs through workforce reductions, internal efficiency improvements and strong supply chain management. As a result, Schlumberger has delivered superior financial results by maintaining pretax operating margins well above 10% and delivering sufficient free cash flow to cover a range of strategic capital investments, as well as our ongoing dividend commitments.

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After nine quarters of unprecedented activity decline, the business environment stabilized in the third quarter of 2016 and revenue increased slightly in the fourth quarter, suggesting that the bottom of this cycle has been reached.

Schlumberger expects the growth in E&P investments in 2017 to be led initially by land operators in North America.  E&P spending surveys currently indicate that 2017 E&P investments in North America will increase by approximately 30%, which should lead to both higher activity and a recovery in service industry pricing.

Schlumberger expects the 2017 recovery in the international markets to proceed more slowly than in North America. This will likely lead to a third successive year of underinvestment, with a continued low rate of new project approvals and an accelerating production decline in the aging production base.  These factors taken together are increasing the likelihood of a significant supply deficit in the medium term, which can only be avoided by a broad-based global increase in E&P spending, which is expected to start unfolding in the later parts of 2017 and leading into 2018.

Fourth Quarter 2016 Results

Fourth-quarter revenue of $7.1 billion increased 1% sequentially.  This increase was primarily driven by the Production Group, which grew 5% due to increased hydraulic fracturing activity in the Middle East and in North America land.

Fourth-quarter pretax operating margin was essentially flat sequentially at 11.4% as margin improvements in the Production and Drilling Groups were balanced by contractions in the Cameron and Reservoir Characterization Groups.

Reservoir Characterization Group

Fourth-quarter revenue of $1.7 billion increased 1% sequentially due to the ramp-up in Testing & Process activity in Kuwait and increased software license and maintenance sales. These effects were slightly offset by the seasonal decrease in Wireline activity in Norway and Russia.

Pretax operating margin of 19% decreased 49 basis points (bps) sequentially as the increased contribution from software and maintenance sales was more than offset by the decline in high-margin Wireline activities.

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Drilling Group

Fourth-quarter revenue of $2.0 billion was flat sequentially as the continued strong directional drilling activity in North America land was offset by lower drilling activity in the International Areas. The improvement in North America revenue primarily came from increased uptake of Drilling & Measurements, Bits & Drilling Tools technologies. The lower revenue in the International Areas was primarily due to completed Drilling & Measurement projects, while the winter slowdown in Russia and Norway affected Drilling & Measurements and M-I SWACO activity.

Pretax operating margin of 12% expanded 81 bps sequentially despite revenue being flat. This was largely due to pricing improvements from greater uptake of drilling technologies on increasing activity on land in the US, which mainly affected Drilling & Measurements and Bits & Drilling Tools.

Production Group

Fourth-quarter revenue of $2.2 billion increased 5% sequentially as a result of strong fracturing activity on unconventional resource developments on land in the Middle East, mainly in Saudi Arabia, and in North America where the land rig count and fracturing stage count increased.  Revenue on land in the US increased both on volume and on a modest pricing recovery.

Pretax operating margin of 6% increased 134 bps sequentially on increased activity, which drove efficiency and better operational execution in the Middle East. The modest pricing recovery on land in the US also contributed to the margin expansion.

Cameron Group

Fourth-quarter revenue of $1.3 billion was flat sequentially. Among the Group’s businesses, OneSubsea reported an 11% sequential increase from strong project activity and execution, while Surface Systems posted strong sales in the Middle East. These increases, however, were offset by a decline in revenue in Drilling Systems driven by a declining backlog and lower bookings. Valves & Measurement was also lower following the prior quarter’s strong international shipments.

Pretax operating margin of 14% declined 207 bps sequentially due to the drop in high-margin Drilling Systems project volume.

Full-Year 2016 Results

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Full-year 2016 revenue of $27.8 billion decreased 22% year-on-year.  This included nine months of activity from the acquired Cameron Group, which contributed $4.2 billion of revenue.  

Full-year 2016 revenue from the Reservoir Characterization and Production Groups declined by 31% and 29%, respectively, as a result of lower demand for exploration- and development-related products and services as E&P budgets were further reduced.  Drilling Group revenue fell 37% due to the rig count decline in both North America and internationally.

Full-year 2016 pretax operating income margin decreased 658 bps to 12% as a result of the overall decline in activity and pervasive pricing concessions.  The margin decrease was highest in the Reservoir Characterization Group, which contracted by 710 bps to 18%.  Drilling Group pretax operating margin fell 710 bps to 12%, while the Production Group decreased 669 bps to 6%.  The Cameron Group posted a pretax margin of 16%.

Reservoir Characterization Group

Full-year 2016 revenue of $6.7 billion decreased 31% year-on-year primarily due to sustained cuts in exploration and discretionary spending.

Year-on-year, pretax operating margin decreased 710 bps to 18% due to reduced high-margin Wireline and Testing Services activities.

Drilling Group

Full-year 2016 revenue of $8.6 billion decreased 37% year-on-year primarily due to the severe drop in rig count in both North America and internationally combined with pricing pressure that mainly affected Drilling & Measurements and M-I SWACO activity.

Year-on-year, pretax operating margin decreased 710 bps to 12% primarily due to the significant decline in higher-margin activities of Drilling & Measurements combined with pricing weakness.

Production Group

Full-year 2016 revenue of $8.7 billion decreased 29% year-on-year with most of the decrease attributable to a decline in North America, particularly on Well Services pressure pumping technologies driven by activity declines and pricing pressure as the land rig count declined dramatically.

Year-on-year, pretax operating margin decreased 669 bps to 6% as a result of lower activity and increasing pricing pressure, which continued to impact North America land.

Cameron Group

Cameron Group contributed nine-month revenue of $4.2 billion and pretax operating margin of 16%.  Revenue was impacted by a declining project backlog as well as a further slowdown in North America land activity, which also affected the short-cycle businesses of the Valves & Measurement and Surface product lines.

Pretax operating margin of 16% was driven by strong project execution and manufacturing efficiency in OneSubsea and overall cost control across the Group.

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Full-Year 2015 Results

Full-year 2015 revenue of $35.5 billion decreased 27% year-on-year.  This decrease was primarily due to customer budget cuts and pricing concessions as customers responded to lower commodity prices.  Revenue was also impacted by the fall of certain currencies against the US dollar, which accounted for approximately 20% of the revenue decline.

Full-year 2015 revenue from the Reservoir Characterization and Drilling Groups declined by 27% and 25%, respectively, as a result of lower demand as E&P budgets were reduced due to lower commodity prices.  Production Group revenue fell by 29% due to activity reductions and pricing pressure as the land rig count dropped drastically in North America.

Full-year 2015 pretax operating income margin decreased 342 bps to 18% as a result of the overall decline in activity combined with the pricing pressure which most notably impacted the businesses in North America.

Reservoir Characterization Group

Full-year 2015 revenue of $9.7 billion was 27% lower than the same period last year primarily due to sustained customer cuts in exploration and discretionary spending that impacted all Technologies.

Year-on-year, pretax operating margin decreased 295 bps to 25% as a result of an unfavorable overall revenue mix reflecting the decline in high-margin exploration activity as well as lower high-margin multiclient and software sales.

Drilling Group

Full-year 2015 revenue of $13.6 billion was 25% lower than the previous year primarily due to the severe drop in rig count in North America, reduced activity levels and service pricing concessions internationally.  Unfavorable currency effects in Russia and Venezuela also contributed to the decline.

Year-on-year, pretax operating margin decreased 228 bps to 19%, primarily due to a decrease in higher-margin activities of Drilling & Measurements as well as pricing concessions.  Despite the revenue decline, prompt action on cost management and the benefit of a local cost structure that minimized the impact of unfavorable currency effects on pretax operating income helped limit the operating margin decline.

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Production Group

Full-year 2015 revenue of $12.3 billion decreased 29% year-on-year, with approximately two-thirds of the decline attributable to Well Services pressure pumping technologies as a result of activity reductions and pricing pressure as the land rig count declined dramatically in North America.

Year-on-year, pretax operating margin declined 531 bps to 13% as lower activity and increasing pricing pressure continued in North America land.  

Interest and Other Income

Interest & other income consisted of the following:

The increase in interest income in 2016 as compared to 2015 and 2014 is primarily attributable to the higher cash and short-term investment balances as a result of the issuance of $6.0 billion of Senior Notes during the fourth quarter of 2015.

The decrease in earnings of equity method investments primarily reflects the effects of the downturn in the oil and gas industry, which has negatively impacted the majority of Schlumberger’s investments in affiliates, particularly those in North America.  The decrease in 2016 also reflects the fact that Schlumberger stopped recording equity income from the OneSubsea joint venture in April 2016 as a result of Schlumberger’s acquisition of Cameron.

Interest Expense

Interest expense of $570 million in 2016 increased by $224 million compared to 2015 primarily due to the issuance of $6.0 billion of Senior Notes during the fourth quarter of 2015 and the impact of the $3.0 billion of debt assumed in the acquisition of Cameron.

Interest expense of $346 million in 2015 decreased by $23 million compared to 2014, as the impact of a higher weighted average debt balance of approximately $0.5 billion was more than offset by a 30 bps decrease in the weighted average borrowing rates from 2.8% in 2014 to 2.5% in 2015.

Other

Research & engineering and General & administrative expenses, as a percentage of Revenue, were as follows:

Although Research & engineering and General & administrative costs have either increased or remained flat as a percentage of Revenue in 2016 as compared to 2015, they have decreased in absolute dollar terms as a result of cost control measures that have been implemented, offset in part by the impact of the Cameron acquisition.

Income Taxes

The Schlumberger effective tax rate was 14.6% in 2016, 25.9% in 2015, and 25.2% in 2014.

The Schlumberger effective tax rate is sensitive to the geographic mix of earnings. When the percentage of pretax earnings generated outside of North America increases, the Schlumberger effective tax rate will generally decrease. Conversely, when the percentage of pretax earnings generated outside of North America decreases, the Schlumberger effective tax rate will generally increase.

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The effective tax rate for each of 2016, 2015 and 2014 was significantly impacted by the charges and credits described in Note 3 to the Consolidated Financial Statements because they were only partially tax effective.  Excluding the impact of these charges and credits, the effective tax rate was 15.9% in 2016, 20.2% in 2015 and 21.9% in 2014.  The decrease in the effective tax rate, excluding the impact of charges and credits, was primarily attributable to a change in the geographic mix of earnings and the favorable resolution of tax examinations in certain jurisdictions.

It is expected that the effective tax rate will gradually increase over the course of 2017 as a result of the expected improvement in activity in North America.

Charges and Credits

Schlumberger recorded significant charges and credits in continuing operations during 2016, 2015 and 2014. These charges and credits, which are summarized below, are more fully described in Note 3 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

The following is a summary of the 2016 charges and credits, of which $3.172 billion were classified as Impairments & other and $648 million were classified as Merger & integration in the Consolidated Statement of Income:

The following is a summary of the 2015 charges and credits, all of which were classified as Impairments & other in the Consolidated Statement of Income:

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The following is a summary of the 2014 charges and credits, all of which were classified as Impairments & other in the Consolidated Statement of Income:

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Schlumberger had total Cash, Short-term investments and Fixed income investments, held to maturity of $9.5 billion, $13.5 billion and $7.9 billion at December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively.  Total debt was $19.6 billion, $19.0 billion and $13.3 billion at December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

Details of the components of liquidity as well as changes in liquidity follows:

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Key liquidity events during 2016, 2015 and 2014 included:

In order to partially fund the purchase of the 138 million shares of common stock from Schlumberger Limited that were transferred to Cameron stockholders, SHC issued $6 billion of notes during the fourth quarter of 2015 consisting of the following:

The following table summarizes the activity under this share repurchase program during 2016, 2015 and 2014:

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On January 21, 2016, the Board approved a new $10 billion share repurchase program for Schlumberger common stock.  This new program will take effect once the remaining $0.6 billion authorized to be repurchased under the July 18, 2013 program is exhausted.

On January 15, 2015, Schlumberger announced that the Board approved a 25% increase in the quarterly dividend, to $0.50 per share.

Schlumberger’s international defined benefit pension plans were a combined 92% funded at December 31, 2016 based on the projected benefit obligation. This compares to 93% funded at December 31, 2015.

Schlumberger expects to contribute approximately $200 million to its postretirement benefit plans in 2017, subject to market and business conditions.

In April 2016, Schlumberger announced that it would reduce its activity in Venezuela to align operations with cash collections as a result of insufficient payments received in recent quarters and a lack of progress in establishing new mechanisms that address past and future accounts receivable.  Schlumberger continues to experience delays in payment from its national oil company customer in Venezuela.  Venezuela represented less than 5% of Schlumberger’s consolidated revenue for each of the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014.  Schlumberger’s net receivable balance in Venezuela as of December 31, 2016 was approximately $1.2 billion.

Although accounts receivable collections improved during the fourth quarter of 2016, Schlumberger continues to experience payment delays from many of its customers.  This is attributable to the impact of lower oil and gas prices on the industry.  In this regard, Ecuador now represents approximately 12% of Schlumberger’s accounts receivable balance at December 31, 2016.

Schlumberger operates in more than 85 countries.  At December 31, 2016, only five of those countries individually accounted for greater than 5% of Schlumberger’s accounts receivable balances, of which only three (the United States, Ecuador and Venezuela) accounted for greater than 10%.

Schlumberger maintains a €5.0 billion Guaranteed Euro Medium Term Note program.  This program provides for the issuance of various types of debt instruments such as fixed or floating rate notes in Euro, US dollar or other currencies.  Schlumberger has issued €0.5 billion 1.50% Guaranteed Notes due 2019 under this program.

As of December 31, 2016, Schlumberger had $9.3 billion of cash and short-term investments on hand. Schlumberger also has separate committed debt facility agreements aggregating $6.6 billion with commercial banks, of which $4.0 billion was available and unused as of December 31, 2016. The $6.6 billion of committed debt facility agreements included $6.3 billion of committed facilities which support commercial paper programs. Schlumberger believes that these amounts are sufficient to meet future business requirements for at least the next 12 months.

The total outstanding commercial paper borrowings were $2.571 billion as of December 31, 2016 and $2.383 billion as of December 31, 2015.  

Summary of Contractual Obligations

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Refer to Note 18, Pension and Other Benefit Plans, of the Consolidated Financial Statements for details regarding Schlumberger’s pension and other postretirement benefit obligations.

As discussed in Note 14, Income Taxes, of the Consolidated Financial Statements, included in the Schlumberger Consolidated Balance Sheet at December 31, 2016 is approximately $1.4 billion of liabilities associated with uncertain tax positions in the over 100 jurisdictions in which Schlumberger conducts business. Due to the uncertain and complex application of tax regulations, combined with the difficulty in predicting when tax audits throughout the world may be concluded, Schlumberger cannot make reliable estimates of the timing of cash outflows relating to these liabilities.

Schlumberger has outstanding letters of credit/guarantees that relate to business performance bonds, custom/excise tax commitments, facility lease/rental obligations, etc. These were entered into in the ordinary course of business and are customary practices in the various countries where Schlumberger operates.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

The preparation of financial statements and related disclosures in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires Schlumberger to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses. The following accounting policies involve “critical accounting estimates” because they are particularly dependent on estimates and assumptions made by Schlumberger about matters that are inherently uncertain.

Schlumberger bases its estimates on historical experience and on various assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.

Multiclient Seismic Data

Schlumberger capitalizes the costs associated with obtaining multiclient seismic data. The carrying value of the multiclient seismic data library at December 31, 2016 and 2015 was $1.07 billion and $1.03 billion, respectively. Such costs are charged to Cost of revenue based on the percentage of the total costs to the estimated total revenue that Schlumberger expects to receive from the sales of such data. However, under no circumstances will an individual survey carry a net book value greater than a 4-year, straight-line amortized value.

The carrying value of surveys is reviewed for impairment annually as well as when an event or change in circumstance indicates an impairment may have occurred. Adjustments to the carrying value are recorded when it is determined that estimated future revenues, which involve significant judgment on the part of Schlumberger, would not be sufficient to recover the carrying value of the surveys. Significant adverse changes in Schlumberger’s estimated future cash flows could result in impairment charges in a future period. For purposes of performing the annual impairment test of the multiclient library, larger surveys (which are typically prefunded by customers) are analyzed for impairment on a survey-by-survey basis and smaller surveys are analyzed based on two pools of surveys: United States and non-United States. The United States and non-United States pools were determined to be the most appropriate level at which to perform the impairment review based upon a number of factors, including (i) various macroeconomic factors that influence the ability to successfully market surveys, and (ii) the focus of the sales force and related costs.

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

Schlumberger maintains an allowance for doubtful accounts in order to record accounts receivable at their net realizable value. Judgment is involved in recording and making adjustments to this reserve. Allowances have been recorded for receivables believed to be uncollectible, including amounts for the resolution of potential credit and other collection issues such as disputed invoices. Depending on how such potential issues are resolved, or if the financial condition of Schlumberger customers were to deteriorate resulting in an impairment of their ability to make payments, adjustments to the allowance may be required.

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Goodwill, Intangible Assets and Long-Lived Assets

Schlumberger records the excess of purchase price over the fair value of the tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed as goodwill. The goodwill relating to each of Schlumberger’s reporting units is tested for impairment annually as well as when an event, or change in circumstances, indicates an impairment may have occurred.

Under generally accepted accounting principles, Schlumberger has the option to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events or circumstances leads to a determination that it is more likely than not that the fair value of one of its reporting units is greater than its carrying amount. If, after assessing the totality of events or circumstances, Schlumberger determines it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is greater than its carrying amount, there is no need to perform any further testing. However, if Schlumberger concludes otherwise, then it is required to perform the first step of a two-step impairment test by calculating the fair value of the reporting unit and comparing the fair value with the carrying amount of the reporting unit. If the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying value, an impairment loss is recorded to the extent that the implied fair value of the goodwill of the reporting unit is less than its carrying value.

Schlumberger has the option to bypass the qualitative assessment for any reporting unit in any period and proceed directly to performing the first step of the two-step goodwill impairment test.

For purposes of performing the impairment test for goodwill, Schlumberger’s reporting units are its four Groups: Reservoir Characterization, Drilling, Production and Cameron. Schlumberger elected to perform the qualitative assessment described above for purposes of its annual goodwill impairment test in 2016. Based on this assessment, Schlumberger concluded that it was more likely than not that the fair value of each of its reporting units was greater than its carrying amount. Accordingly, no further testing was required.

Long-lived assets, including fixed assets, intangible assets and investments in SPM projects, are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. In reviewing for impairment, the carrying value of such assets is compared to the estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected from the use of the assets and their eventual disposition. If such cash flows are not sufficient to support the asset’s recorded value, an impairment charge is recognized to reduce the carrying value of the long-lived asset to its estimated fair value. The determination of future cash flows as well as the estimated fair value of long-lived assets involves significant estimates on the part of management. If there is a material change in economic conditions or other circumstances influencing the estimate of future cash flows or fair value, Schlumberger could be required to recognize impairment charges in the future.

Income Taxes

Schlumberger conducts business in more than 100 tax jurisdictions, a number of which have tax laws that are not fully defined and are evolving. Schlumberger’s tax filings are subject to regular audits by the tax authorities. These audits may result in assessments for additional taxes that are resolved with the authorities or, potentially, through the courts. Schlumberger recognizes the impact of a tax position in its financial statements if that position is more likely than not of being sustained on audit, based on the technical merits of the position.  Tax liabilities are recorded based on estimates of additional taxes which will be due upon the conclusion of these audits. Estimates of these tax liabilities are made based upon prior experience and are updated in light of changes in facts and circumstances. However, due to the uncertain and complex application of tax regulations, the ultimate resolution of audits may result in liabilities that could be materially different from these estimates. In such an event, Schlumberger will record additional tax expense or tax benefit in the period in which such resolution occurs.

Percentage-of-Completion Revenue Recognition

Schlumberger uses the percentage-of-completion method to account for certain long-term construction-type contracts, primarily in the Cameron Group.  These contracts involve significant design and engineering efforts in order to satisfy custom designs for customer-specific applications.  Under the percentage-of-completion method, revenue is recognized as work progresses on each contract. Progress is measured by the ratio of actual costs incurred to date on the project in relation to total estimated project costs.

The estimate of total project costs has a significant impact on both the amount of revenue recognized as well as the related profit on a project.  Revenue and profits on contracts can also be significantly affected by change orders and claims.  Profits are recognized based on the estimated project profit multiplied by the percentage complete.  Due to the nature of these projects, adjustments to estimates of contract revenue and total contract costs are often required as work progresses.  Any expected losses on a project are recorded in full in the period in which they become probable.

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Approximately 6% of Schlumberger’s revenue in 2016 was recognized under the percentage-of-completion method.

Pension and Postretirement Benefits

Schlumberger’s pension and postretirement benefit obligations are described in detail in Note 18 to the Consolidated Financial Statements. The obligations and related costs are calculated using actuarial concepts, which include critical assumptions related to the discount rate, expected rate of return on plan assets and medical cost trend rates. These assumptions are important elements of expense and/or liability measurement and are updated on an annual basis, or upon the occurrence of significant events.

The discount rate that Schlumberger uses reflects the prevailing market rate of a portfolio of high-quality debt instruments with maturities matching the expected timing of payment of the related benefit obligations. The following summarizes the discount rates utilized by Schlumberger for its various pension and postretirement benefit plans:

The expected rate of return for Schlumberger’s retirement benefit plans represents the average rate of return expected to be earned on plan assets over the period that benefits included in the benefit obligation are expected to be paid. The expected rate of return for Schlumberger’s United States pension plans has been determined based upon expected rates of return for the investment portfolio, with consideration given to the distribution of investments by asset class and historical rates of return for each individual asset class. The weighted average expected rate of return on plan assets for the United States pension plans was 7.25% in both 2016 and 2015. The weighted average expected rate of return on plan assets for the international pension plans was 7.40% in both 2016 and 2015. A lower expected rate of return would increase pension expense.

Schlumberger’s medical cost trend rate assumptions are developed based on historical cost data, the near-term outlook and an assessment of likely long-term trends. The overall medical cost trend rate assumption utilized to determine the 2016 postretirement medical expense was 7.50% graded to 5.0% over the next ten years. The overall medical trend rate assumption utilized to determine the postretirement medical liability at December 31, 2016 was 7.25% graded to 5.0% over the next ten years.

The following illustrates the sensitivity to changes in certain assumptions, holding all other assumptions constant, for Schlumberger’s United States and international pension plan:

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The following illustrates the sensitivity to changes in certain assumptions, holding all other assumptions constant, for Schlumberger’s United States postretirement medical plans:

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.

Schlumberger is subject to market risks primarily associated with changes in foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates.

As a multinational company, Schlumberger operates in more than 85 countries. Schlumberger’s functional currency is primarily the US dollar. Approximately 77% of Schlumberger’s revenue in 2016 was denominated in US dollars. However, outside the United States, a significant portion of Schlumberger’s expenses is incurred in foreign currencies. Therefore, when the US dollar weakens in relation to the foreign currencies of the countries in which Schlumberger conducts business, the US dollar-reported expenses will increase.

Schlumberger maintains a foreign-currency risk management strategy that uses derivative instruments to manage the impact of changes in foreign exchange rates on its earnings.  Schlumberger enters into foreign currency forward contracts to provide a hedge against currency fluctuations on certain monetary assets and liabilities, and certain expenses denominated in currencies other than the functional currency.

A 10% appreciation in the US dollar from the December 31, 2016 market rates would increase the unrealized value of Schlumberger’s forward contracts by $47 million.  Conversely, a 10% depreciation in the US dollar from the December 31, 2016 market rates would decrease the unrealized value of Schlumberger’s forward contracts by $57 million.  In either scenario, the gain or loss on the forward contract would be offset by the gain or loss on the underlying transaction, and therefore, would have no impact on future earnings.

At December 31, 2016, contracts were outstanding for the US dollar equivalent of $5.5 billion in various foreign currencies of which $1.1 billion related to hedges of debt balances denominated in currencies other than the functional currency.

Schlumberger is subject to interest rate risk on its debt and its investment portfolio. Schlumberger maintains an interest rate risk management strategy that uses a mix of variable and fixed rate debt combined with its investment portfolio and occasionally interest rate swaps to mitigate the exposure to changes in interest rates. At December 31, 2016, Schlumberger had fixed rate debt aggregating approximately $14.7 billion and variable rate debt aggregating approximately $4.9 billion, before considering the effects of cross currency swaps.

Schlumberger’s exposure to interest rate risk associated with its debt is also partially mitigated by its investment portfolio. Both Short-term investments and Fixed income investments, held to maturity, which totaled approximately $6.6 billion at December 31, 2016, are comprised primarily of money market funds, time deposits, certificates of deposit, commercial paper, bonds and notes, substantially all of which are denominated in US dollars. The average return on investments was 0.9% in 2016.

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The following table reflects the carrying amounts of Schlumberger’s debt at December 31, 2016 by year of maturity: