SCHLUMBERGER LIMITED/NV - Annual Report: 2019 (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, 2019

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 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 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.

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, 2019, the aggregate market value of the common stock of the registrant held by non-affiliates of the registrant was approximately $54.89 billion.

As of December 31, 2019, the number of shares of common stock outstanding was 1,384,515,345.

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 incorporated by reference from, Schlumberger’s definitive proxy statement for its 2020 Annual General Meeting of Stockholders, to be filed by Schlumberger with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) pursuant to Regulation 14A within 120 days after December 31, 2019 (the “2020 Proxy Statement”).

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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 sustainably.  As of December 31, 2019, the Company employed approximately 105,000 people representing over 170 nationalities. Schlumberger, which generates revenue in more than 120 countries, has executive offices in Paris, Houston, London and The Hague.

Schlumberger operates in each of the major oilfield service markets through four segments: Reservoir Characterization, Drilling, Production and Cameron.  Each segment 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 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 Technologies are collectively responsible for driving performance throughout their businesses; overseeing operational processes, resource allocation and personnel; and delivering superior financial results.

The segments are as follows:

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

Drilling – 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 – Consists of the principal Technologies involved in the lifetime production of oil and gas reservoirs and includes Well Services, OneStim^®, Completions, Artificial Lift, and Asset Performance Solutions (“APS”).

APS creates 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 invests its own services and products, and historically, cash in certain cases, 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 includes certain arrangements whereby Schlumberger is only compensated based upon incremental production that it helps deliver above a mutually agreed baseline.  APS represented less than 5% of Schlumberger’s consolidated revenue during each of 2019, 2018 and 2017.

Cameron – 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 & Process Systems.

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Supporting the Technologies 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.

A network of GeoMarket* regions, within each of four major geographic areas of North America, Latin America, Europe/CIS/Africa and Middle East & Asia, 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 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 and products.  Manufacturing and engineering facilities as well as research centers are shared, and the labor force, within certain limitations, 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 and products offered.  While Schlumberger has numerous competitors, both large and small, Schlumberger believes it is an industry leader in providing wireline logging, well production testing, exploration and production software, rig equipment, surface equipment, artificial lift, hydraulic fracturing, cementing, 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.

* Mark of Schlumberger

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 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 can temporarily reduce 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 may result in higher activity in the fourth quarter of each year as clients seek to fully utilize their annual budgets.  Conversely, customer budget constraints may lead to lower demand for our services and products in the fourth quarter of each year.

Customers and Backlog of Orders

For the year ended December 31, 2019, no single customer exceeded 10% of consolidated revenue. Other than the OneSubsea, Drilling Systems and WesternGeco businesses, Schlumberger has no significant backlog due to the nature of its businesses.  The combined backlog of these businesses was $3.0 billion at December 31, 2019 (of which approximately 50% is expected to be recognized as revenue during 2020) and $2.7 billion at December 31, 2018.

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Information About Our Executive Officers

The following table sets forth, as of January 21, 2020, the names and ages of the executive officers of Schlumberger, including all offices and positions held by each for the past five years.

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Available Information

The Schlumberger 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, 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 SEC. Alternatively, you may access these reports at the SEC’s 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. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also materially adversely affect our business, reputation, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and prospects.

Demand for our products and services is substantially dependent on the levels of expenditures by our customers.  The recent oil and gas industry downturn has (and current market conditions have) resulted in reduced demand for oilfield services and lower expenditures by our customers, which have had, and may in the future have, a material adverse impact on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Demand for our products and services depends substantially on 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.  

Declines, as well as anticipated declines, in oil and gas prices have in the past resulted in, and may in the future result in, lower capital expenditures, project modifications, delays or cancellations, general business disruptions, and delays in payment of, or nonpayment of, amounts that are owed to us.  These effects have had, and may in the future have, a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Historically, oil and natural gas prices have experienced significant volatility and can be affected by a variety of factors, including:

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There can be no assurance that the demand or pricing for oil and natural gas or for our products and services will follow historic patterns or recover meaningfully in the near term.  The oil and gas industry has historically experienced downturns, which have been characterized by diminished demand for our products and services and downward pressure on the prices that we are able to charge.  Sustained market uncertainty can also result in lower demand and pricing for our products and services.  A future downturn or sustained market uncertainty could again result in a reduction in demand for oilfield services and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and prospects.

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 120 countries in which we operate.

Our non-United States operations accounted for approximately 72% of our consolidated revenue in 2019, 68% in 2018 and 74% in 2017.  In addition to the risks addressed elsewhere in this section, our 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 or financial condition.

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, products and data 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 from material violations of applicable laws and regulations.  Any determination that we have violated or are responsible for violations of anti-bribery, trade 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.

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Demand for our products and services could be reduced by existing and future legislation, regulations and public sentiment.

Environmental advocacy groups and regulatory agencies in the European Union, the United States and other regions or countries have been focusing considerable attention on the emissions of carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases 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 reduce future demand for our products and services.  This may, in turn, adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

New or additional legal or regulatory requirements regarding climate change could adversely affect our business, reputation or demand for our stock.  There is also increased focus, including by governmental and non-governmental organizations, investors and other stakeholders, on these and other sustainability matters.  Additionally, some international, national, state and local governments and agencies have 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. 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.  Enactment of additional international, national, state or local legislation or regulations can adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows and could be material.

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, significant 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 us liable for damages without regard to our degree of care or fault. Some environmental laws provide for joint and several strict liability for remediation of spills and releases of hazardous substances, and, as a result, we could be liable for the actions of others.

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, including catastrophic well incidents, which could adversely affect our reputation, 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 operations involve production-related activities, radioactive materials, chemicals, explosives and other equipment and services that are deployed in challenging exploration, development and production environments. Accidents 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, which could materially adversely affect us.  Any catastrophic well incidents, including blowouts at a well site, may expose us to additional liabilities, which could be material.  Generally, we rely on contractual indemnities, releases, and limitations on liability with our customers and insurance to protect us from potential liability related to such events.  However, 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.

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 products and services, maintain market share, and negotiate acceptable contract terms with our customers.  Failure 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, could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

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.

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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 when 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.

Third parties may claim that we have infringed upon their intellectual property rights.

The tools, techniques, methodologies, programs and components we use to provide our services and products 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 business. Royalty payments under licenses from third parties, if available, 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.  Additionally, developing non-infringing technologies would increase our costs.  

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 and technology evolves. In periods of high utilization, it is often more difficult to find and retain qualified individuals. This could increase our costs or have other adverse effects on our operations.

Severe weather may adversely affect our operations.

Our business has been, and in the future will be affected by severe weather in areas where we operate, which could materially impact our operations and financial results  This may entail the evacuation of personnel and stoppage of services. In addition, particularly severe weather affects platforms or structures, which may result in a suspension of activities. Any of these events could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Cyberattacks could have a material adverse impact on our business and results of operation.

We rely heavily on information systems to conduct our business, including systems operated by or under the control of third parties.  Although we devote significant resources to protect our systems and proprietary data, we have experienced and will continue to experience varying degrees of cyber incidents in the normal conduct of 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 adverse impact on our systems after such incidents or attacks do occur.  Breaches or circumvention of our systems, or the systems of third parties, including by ransomware or other attacks,  result in disruptions to our business operations; unauthorized access to (or the loss of Company access to) competitively sensitive, confidential or other critical data or systems; loss of customers; financial losses; regulatory fines; and misuse or corruption of critical data and proprietary information, any of which could be material.

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, and other facilities throughout the world, none of which are individually material.

Item 3. Legal Proceedings.

The information with respect to this Item 3. Legal Proceedings is set forth in Note 15 of the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.

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.

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PART II

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

As of December 31, 2019, there were 25,464 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.”

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, 2014 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 January 21, 2016, the Schlumberger Board of Directors approved a $10 billion share repurchase program for Schlumberger common stock.  

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Schlumberger’s common stock repurchase program activity for the three months ended December 31, 2019 was as follows:

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.

During 2018, Schlumberger adopted ASU No. 2016-02, Leases. Prior year amounts reflected in the table above have not been adjusted and continue to be reflected in accordance with Schlumberger’s historical accounting.  Refer to Note 14 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further details.

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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.

This section of this Form 10-K generally discusses 2019 and 2018 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2019 and 2018.  Discussions of 2017 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2018 and 2017 that are not included in this Form 10-K can be found in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Part II, Item 7 of Schlumberger’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018.

2019 Executive Overview

Schlumberger full-year 2019 revenue of $32.9 billion was essentially flat with 2018. International revenue, however,  grew in the high single-digits as anticipated.  

In the oil markets, sentiment was stable and positive for the first four months of 2019, with the Brent oil price moving from $55 per barrel at the beginning of the year to a high of $75 per barrel in late April.  OECD crude and product stocks continued to increase through much of 2019, reversing a trend that persisted throughout the first half of 2018. Internationally, activity and investment continued to strengthen, particularly offshore.

Activity in North America land was strong in the first half of 2019 but slowed in the second half of the year as a combination of  budget exhaustion and cash flow constraints impacted our customers. Although the slowing activity in the second half of the year was consistent with the trend experienced in 2018, activity dropped earlier and steeper in the second half of 2019 as compared to the previous year.

By midyear, concerns of a recession in the United States and indications of well supplied global oil markets pushed the oil price to its low point for the year. These concerns abated over the latter part of the year as oil demand indicators trended positively. Though trade conflicts persisted, they did not create a significant drag on oil markets for the balance of the year.

The attacks on Saudi Arabia oil infrastructure in September 2019 caused a price increase of only $7 per barrel, and the price of Brent crude retreated to pre-attack levels over the course of the following week, demonstrating that the markets were well supplied. In December 2019, OPEC+ agreed to further production cuts in 2020 to alleviate the projected oversupply.

Global natural gas pricing was consistent with well-supplied markets during 2019. Liquified natural gas (LNG) supply capacity increased by an estimated 10% during 2019, and consequently LNG prices in Asia and Europe were less than half the prices seen in 2018.

Domestically, US Henry Hub natural gas prices showed continued weakness during 2019 as North American gas production increased. Prices averaged $2.56 per million British thermal units (“mmbtu”) for the year, with the peak of $4.25 per mmbtu occurring in March. The price fell to its lowest point of $1.75 per mmbtu in December.

Schlumberger financial performance in 2019 was primarily driven by the international markets. Full-year 2019 international revenue of $21.8 billion increased 7% over 2018, again outpacing North America revenue and continuing a trend which began in the third quarter of 2018.  This strong international performance was the result of increased activity on the part of operators, as they continued to invest in longer-term resource development following a sustained period of underinvestment and declining production.

In contrast, after two years of strong growth, North American revenue fell sharply by 10% to $10.8 billion.  This decrease was largely driven by the land market weakness affecting the OneStim pressure pumping business, as customers reached their budget limits earlier in the year and remained highly disciplined on capital spend.

Additionally, during the fourth quarter of 2019, Schlumberger completed two major milestones: the formation of the Sensia joint venture and the divestiture of the Drilling Tools business. Together these two transactions resulted in Schlumberger receiving net cash proceeds of $586 million.

From a macro perspective, the year ended with sentiment regarding 2020 oil demand growth turning positive as uncertainty reduced following the progress made toward a US-China trade deal. The fall in the North America production growth estimate of between 400,000 to 800,000 barrels-per-day should continue to support the thesis for international investment. The recent escalation of geopolitical risk should set the floor for the oil price going forward. In the near term, Schlumberger expects the OPEC+ production cuts agreed upon in December 2019 to limit investment and activity, particularly in the Middle East and Russia, during the first half of 2020. As the year progresses, the effect of slowing North America production growth is likely to cause tightness in the market and further stimulate international operators to increase their investments in the second half of the year and beyond.

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Based on these factors, the expectation is for the 2020 exploration and production capex spending growth rate in the international markets to be in the mid-single-digit range. Schlumberger therefore expects its international portfolio revenue to grow at the same pace or higher, excluding the effects of the businesses transferred to the Sensia joint venture and the businesses divested in the Drilling Tools transaction. The businesses included in these transactions accounted for approximately 2% of Schlumberger’s global revenue in 2019. International revenue growth will be more heavily weighted to the second half of the year with increasing offshore activity, improving activity mix from the early deepwater growth cycle, and increasing exploration work toward the end of the year and into 2021.

In North America, Schlumberger is continuing to scale-to-fit its organization and portfolio by repurposing or exiting underperforming business units, focusing on asset-light operations, and expanding its technology access business models. Schlumberger is cautiously optimistic that the high-grading of its portfolio will promote margin expansion and the improvement of returns in the North America land market.

Fourth Quarter 2019 Results

Fourth quarter revenue of $8.2 billion was 4% lower sequentially. International revenue of $5.7 billion grew 2% sequentially. However, North America revenue of $2.5 billion dropped 14% sequentially due to customer budget exhaustion and cash flow constraints.

Sequential international growth was led by the Middle East & Asia area, where revenue increased 5%. Latin America revenue grew 1%, while revenue in the Europe/CIS/Africa area only declined 2% given the mild winter slowdown of activity in the Northern Hemisphere.

The fourth quarter of 2019 delivered the first sequential growth in international margin in any fourth quarter since 2014. Schlumberger is therefore confident that it has turned the corner, particularly as it has experienced sequential international margin growth in each of the last three quarters. Meanwhile in North America land, margin compression from lower activity was minimized by implementing a scale-to-fit strategy, acting decisively in reducing capacity, and restructuring operations to protect margins.

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Reservoir Characterization

Fourth-quarter revenue of $1.6 billion decreased 1% sequentially following the end of the summer campaigns for Wireline and Testing activity in the North Sea and Russia, where the mild winter did not significantly disrupt activity.

Reservoir Characterization pretax operating margin of 22% increased 59 basis points (“bps”) sequentially primarily driven by increased high-margin SIS digital software sales.

Drilling

Fourth-quarter revenue of $2.4 billion decreased 1% sequentially primarily due to the end of the summer drilling campaign in Russia and lower drilling activity in North America land.

Drilling pretax operating margin of 12% was flat sequentially as margin improvements from drilling projects in the Middle East were offset by the seasonally lower margins in Russia and lower drilling margins in North America land.

Production

Fourth-quarter revenue of $2.9 billion declined 9% sequentially driven by lower activity and pricing for OneStim in North America land due to expected customer budget limitations and cash flow constraints.  Schlumberger continued to right-size its hydraulic fracturing capacity by stacking more fleets in light of lower demand.

Production pretax operating margin of 9% contracted by 32 bps sequentially due to the lower OneStim activity, partially offset by strength in international margins from higher activity.  

Cameron

Fourth-quarter revenue of $1.4 billion increased 2% sequentially from higher OneSubsea, Surface Systems, and Drilling Systems revenue primarily in the international markets. Valves & Process Systems was lower sequentially due to the reduced North America land activity and as a result of contributing the Valves & Process Systems measurement business to the Sensia joint venture, which closed on October 1,  2019.

Cameron pretax operating margin of 9% contracted by 359 bps sequentially, driven largely by reduced margins in the OneSubsea project portfolio.

Full-Year 2019 Results

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Full-year 2019 revenue of $32.9 billion was essentially flat year-on-year with North America revenue decreasing 10% and international revenue increasing 7%. The international results were underpinned by increased investment levels. In contrast, the North America results reflect a slowing production growth rate on land as operators maintained capital discipline and reduced drilling and hydraulic fracturing activity.

Reservoir Characterization

Full-year 2019 revenue of $6.3 billion increased 2% year-on-year primarily driven by increased international activity.

Year-on-year, pretax operating margin decreased 79 bps to 21%.

Drilling

Full-year 2019 revenue of $9.7 billion increased 5% year-on-year primarily due to higher demand for drilling services, largely in the international markets that benefited Drilling & Measurements, M-I SWACO, and Integrated Drilling Services.

Year-on-year, pretax operating margin decreased 89 bps to 13% despite higher revenue as margins were affected by competitive pricing and higher costs associated with a number of integrated contracts internationally.

Production

Full-year 2019 revenue of $12.0 billion decreased 3% year-on-year with most of the revenue decline attributable to lower OneStim activity in North America as customers reduced spending due to higher cost of capital, lower borrowing capacity and expectation of better returns from their shareholders.

Year-on-year, pretax operating margin decreased 20 bps to 8% primarily due to reduced profitability in OneStim in North America.

Cameron

Full-year 2019 revenue of $5.3 billion decreased 3% year-on-year due to lower revenue for OneSubsea and Valves & Process Systems.

Year-on-year, pretax operating margin decreased 35 bps to 11%.

Interest and Other Income

Interest & other income consisted of the following:

The decrease in interest income in 2019 compared to 2018 is primarily attributable to lower cash and short-term investment balances.

The decrease in earnings from equity income is associated with Schlumberger’s equity investments in rig-and seismic-related businesses.

Interest Expense

Interest expense of $609 million in 2019 increased $34 million compared to 2018.  This increase is primarily due to an increase in the weighted average debt balance during 2019 as compared to 2018.

Other

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

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Income Taxes

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 generally decreases.  Conversely, when the percentage of pretax earnings generated outside of North America decreases, the Schlumberger effective tax rate generally increases.

The Schlumberger effective tax rate was 3% in 2019 as compared to 17% in 2018.  The lower effective tax rate was almost entirely due to the charges and credits described in Note 3 to the Consolidated Financial Statements, which primarily related to non-deductible goodwill.

Charges and Credits

Schlumberger recorded significant charges and credits during 2019 and 2018. 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 2019 charges and credits, of which the $247 million gain on the formation of the Sensia joint venture is classified in Gain on formation of Sensia in the Consolidated Statement of Income (Loss), while the $13.15 billion of charges are classified in Impairments & other.

A significant portion of the third-quarter impairment charges were recorded effective August 31, 2019.  Accordingly, the 2019 results reflect a $108 million reduction in depreciation and amortization expense for the last four months of 2019.  Approximately $84 million of this amount relates to the Production segment.  The remaining $24 million is reflected in the “Corporate & other” line item.

The following is a summary of the 2018 charges and credits, of which the $215 million gain on the sale of the marine seismic acquisition business is classified in Gain on sale of business in the Consolidated Statement of Income (Loss), while the $356 million of charges are classified in Impairments & other.

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Liquidity and Capital Resources

Schlumberger had total Cash and Short-term investments of $2.2 billion and $2.8 billion at December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively.  Total debt was $15.3 billion and $16.1 billion at December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

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

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Key liquidity events during 2019 and 2018 included:

The following table summarizes the activity under this share repurchase program during 2019 and 2018:

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Schlumberger’s international defined benefit pension plans were a combined 97% funded at both December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018 based on their projected benefit obligations.

Schlumberger expects to contribute approximately $20 million to its postretirement benefit plans in 2020, subject to market and business conditions.

As of December 31, 2019, Schlumberger had $2.2 billion of cash and short-term investments on hand. Schlumberger also has separate committed credit facility agreements aggregating $6.5 billion with commercial banks, of which $4.3 billion was available and unused as of December 31, 2019.  The $6.5 billion of committed credit facility agreements support commercial paper programs. Schlumberger believes these amounts are sufficient to meet future business requirements for at least the next 12 months.

The total outstanding commercial paper borrowings were $2.2 billion as of December 31, 2019 and $2.4 billion as of December 31, 2018.  

Summary of Contractual Obligations

Refer to Note 17, 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 13, Income Taxes, of the Consolidated Financial Statements, included in the Schlumberger Consolidated Balance Sheet at December 31, 2019 is approximately $1.3 billion of liabilities associated with uncertain tax positions in the over 100 tax 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.

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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 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.

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.  Adjustments to the allowance may be required in future periods depending on how such potential issues are resolved, or if the financial condition of Schlumberger’s customers were to deteriorate resulting in an impairment of their ability to make payments.

As a large multinational company with a long history of operating in a cyclical industry, Schlumberger has extensive experience in working with its customers during difficult times to manage its accounts receivable.  During weak economic environments or when there is an extended period of weakness in oil and gas prices, Schlumberger typically experiences delays in the payment of its receivables.  However, except for a $469 million accounts receivable write-off during the fourth quarter of 2017 as a result of the political and economic conditions in Venezuela, Schlumberger has not had material write-offs due to uncollectible accounts receivable over the recent industry downturn.  Schlumberger generates revenue in more than 120 countries.  As of December 31, 2019, only three of those countries individually accounted for greater than 5% of Schlumberger’s net receivables balance, of which only one (the United States) accounted for greater than 10% of such receivables.

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 or more 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 a quantitative 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 based on that difference.

Schlumberger has the option to bypass the qualitative assessment for any reporting unit in any period and proceed directly to performing the quantitative goodwill impairment test.

During 2019, Schlumberger recorded an $8.8 billion goodwill impairment charge.  Refer to Note 3 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for details regarding the facts and circumstances that led to this impairment and how the fair value of each reporting unit was estimated, including the significant assumptions used and other details.

Long-lived assets, including fixed assets, intangible assets and investments in APS 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.

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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 that 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.

Revenue Recognition for Certain Long-lived Construction-type Contracts

Schlumberger recognizes revenue for certain long-term construction-type contracts over time.  These contracts involve significant design and engineering efforts in order to satisfy custom designs for customer-specific applications.  Under this 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.  Approximately 5% of Schlumberger’s revenue in each of 2019 and 2018, respectively, was recognized under this method.

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.

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, 2019 and 2018 was $568 million and $601 million, respectively.  Such costs are charged to Cost of services 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, surveys are primarily analyzed for impairment on a survey-by-survey basis.

Pension and Postretirement Benefits

Schlumberger’s pension and postretirement benefit obligations are described in detail in Note 17 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:

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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, 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 6.60% in 2019 and 7.25% in 2018. The weighted average expected rate of return on plan assets for the international pension plans was 7.22% in 2019 and 7.40% in 2018. 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 2019 postretirement medical expense and the postretirement medical liability at December 31, 2019 was 7.50%, graded to 4.5% over the next twelve years.   

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

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 generates revenue in more than 120 countries. Schlumberger’s functional currency is primarily the US dollar. Approximately 78% of Schlumberger’s revenue in 2019 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, 2019 market rates would decrease the unrealized value of Schlumberger’s forward contracts by $8 million.  Conversely, a 10% depreciation in the US dollar from the December 31, 2019 market rates would increase the unrealized value of Schlumberger’s forward contracts by $9 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.

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At December 31, 2019, contracts were outstanding for the US dollar equivalent of $7.7 billion in various foreign currencies, of which $3.0 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, 2019, Schlumberger had fixed rate debt aggregating approximately $12.9 billion and variable rate debt aggregating approximately $2.4 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. Short-term investments, which totaled approximately $1.0 billion at December 31, 2019, 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 3.0% in 2019.

The following table reflects the carrying amounts of Schlumberger’s debt at December 31, 2019 by year of maturity: