Quarterlytics / Energy / Oil & Gas Exploration & Production / California Resources / FY2015 Annual Report

California Resources
Annual Report 2015

CRC · NYSE Energy
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Ticker CRC
Exchange NYSE
Sector Energy
Industry Oil & Gas Exploration & Production
Employees 5001-10,000
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FY2015 Annual Report · California Resources
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FINANCIAL AND OPERATING 
HIGHLIGHTS

Dollar and share amounts in millions, except per-share amounts as of and for the years ended December 31,

financial Highlights

Revenues  
Income / (loss) Before Income taxes 
net Income / (loss) 
Adjusted net Income / (loss) (a)

epS – Basic and Diluted (b) 
Adjusted epS – Basic and Diluted (b)

net Cash provided by operating Activities 
Capital Investments 
proceeds from Debt, net 
Cash Dividends to occidental 
net Cash provided (used) by Financing Activities

total Assets 
long-term Debt – principal Amount 
Deferred Gain and Issuance Costs, net  
equity / net Investment

Weighted Average Shares outstanding 
Year-end Shares

operational Highlights

production: 
Crude oil (MBbl/d) 
nGls (MBbl/d) 
natural Gas (MMcf/d) 
total (MBoe/d)

Average Realized prices: 
Crude with hedge ($/Bbl) 
Crude without hedge ($/Bbl) 
nGls ($/Bbl) 
natural Gas with hedge ($/Mcf)

Reserves: 
Crude oil (MMBbl) 
nGls (MMBbl) 
natural Gas (Bcf) 
total (MBoe/d)

Acreage (in thousands): 
net Developed 
net undeveloped 
total

Closing Share price

$ 
$ 
$ 
$ 

$ 
$ 

$ 
$ 
$ 

$ 

$ 
$ 
$ 
$ 

2015

2,403 
(5,476 
) 
(3,554 
) 
(311
)

(9.27 
) 
(0.81
)

403 
(401 
) 
379 
— 
352

7,053 
6,043 
491 
(916
)

383.2 
388.2

2015

104 
18 
229 
160

$ 
$ 
$ 
$ 

$ 
$ 

$ 
$ 
$ 
$ 
$ 

$ 
$ 
$ 
$ 

2014

4,173 
(2,421 
) 
(1,434 
) 
650

(3.75 
) 
1.67

2,371 
(2,089 
) 
6,360 
(6,000 
) 
(45
)

12,429 
6,360 
(68 
) 
2,611

381.9 
385.6

2014

99 
19 
246 
159

$ 
$ 
$ 
$ 

49.19 
47.15 
19.62 
2.66

$ 
$ 
$ 
$ 

92.30 
92.30 
47.84 
4.39

466 
59 
715 
644

736 
1,653 
2,389

551 
85 
790 
768

716 
1,691 
2,407

$ 

2.33

$ 

5.51

2013

4,284 
1,447 
869 
869

2.24 
2.24

2,476 
(1,669 
) 
— 
— 
(763
)

$ 
$ 
$ 
$ 

$ 
$ 

$ 
$ 

$ 

$  14,297 
— 
— 
9,989

$ 

— 
—

2013

90 
20 
260 
154

$  104.16 
$  104.16 
50.43 
$ 
3.73
$ 

532 
71 
844 
744

701 
1,604 
2,305

(a) For discussion of, or reconciliation to the most closely-related GAAP measure, see “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Results,” in our Form 10-K. 

(b) On November 30, 2014, the spin-off date from Occidental Petroleum Corporation, 381.4 million shares of our common stock were distributed, of which approximately 18.5% was retained by Occidental. Additional shares were distributed in December to substitute for Occidental stock awards.  
For comparative purposes, and to provide a more meaningful calculation of weighted-average shares outstanding, we have assumed these amounts to be outstanding for each period prior to the spin-off. Adjusted EPS – Basic and Diluted for each year is Adjusted Net Income / (Loss) divided by weighted 
average shares outstanding for each respective year.

All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included in this report that address activities, events or developments that California Resources Corporation (the “Company”) believes will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. The words “believe,” “budget,” “expect,” 
“may,” “estimate,” “will,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “potential,” “intend,” “should,” “would,” “could,” or other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, which are generally not historical in nature. Such statements specifically include our expectations as to our future financial 
position, liquidity, cash flows, results of operations and business prospects, budgets, drilling program, maintenance capital, projected production, projected costs, future operations, hedging activities, future transactions, planned capital investments and other guidance. Such statements are subject 
to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, which may cause actual results to differ materially from those implied or expressed by the forward-looking statements. These include, but are not limited to: commodity price fluctuations; 
the ability of our lenders to limit our borrowing capacity; other liquidity constraints; the effect of our debt on our financial flexibility; limitations on our ability to enter efficient hedging transactions; insufficiency of our operating cash flow to fund planned capital expenditures; inability to maintain 
minimum listing standards; inability to implement our capital investment program; inability to replace reserves; inability to obtain government permits and approvals; restrictions and changes in restrictions imposed by regulations, including those related to our ability to obtain, use, manage or dispose 
of water or use advanced well stimulation techniques like hydraulic fracturing; and other risks are discussed in “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made and the Company undertakes no obligation to 
correct or update any such statements, except as required by applicable law.

2015 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A MESSAGE TO OUR STOCKHOLDERS

Dear Stockholder,

California Resources Corporation accomplished a great deal in our first full year as a stand-

alone company. We demonstrated the quality of our asset base, the commitment of our
management team and operational excellence over the items that were under our control.

Despite the most severe commodity price downturn in nearly 30 years, our focus has not

wavered. We remain committed as always to maximize shareholder returns by safely and
responsibly developing conventional and unconventional assets exclusively in California while
serving as responsible stewards and valued neighbors in the communities in which we operate.

We believe that the competitive advantages of our large underdeveloped resource base, in

conjunction with our financial discipline, will reward investors over time. CRC’s diverse and
low-decline assets provide a stable base and flexibility to manage effectively through short term
events while maintaining and enhancing long term value. Lastly, we believe our management team’s
extensive experience and knowledge of our assets has served stockholders well in this commodity
price downturn.

In 2015, our priorities were to deleverage our balance sheet, protect our base production, and
protect our profit margins amid falling prices. To pursue these goals we held fast to our key tenet of
living within our means and focused our capital investments on CRC’s highest value projects as
determined by our VCI metric. Starting immediately at the Spin-off, we asked our entire workforce to
serve and focus on our operations, which generated exceptional results, including growing our crude
oil production by five percent in 2015 and replacing more than the reserves we produced at a low
replacement cost, excluding the effects of price changes.

We made excellent progress in 2015 on all items under our control, and intend to extend our
success in these items into 2016. Below we review our 2015 accomplishments in more detail, then
highlight the competitive strengths that our assets provide along with our 2016 plan to weather the
downturn.

Fiscal Discipline—Living within our Means

Our top priority remains reducing the debt we have carried since the Spin-off. A key tenet for

CRC is to live within our cash flow. This has been a rare quality in our sector, but living by this
principle has served us well. In 2015, we generated operating cash flow over $400 million, which
covered our capital program, and, excluding residual fourth quarter 2014 capital, allowed us to be
free cash flow positive for the year. We also executed a bond exchange in 2015 that reduced the
outstanding principal on our bonds by about $560 million.

In late 2014, seeing the early phases of the commodity price drop, we swiftly made the decision
to reduce our drilling activity and went from 27 drilling rigs to 3 rigs in January of 2015. Similarly, we
reduced our capital program from $2.1 billion to a $440 million budget for 2015, an 80-percent
reduction and deeper than all our industry peers. Our 2015 actual capital investment totaled
$400 million, showing a 10-percent improvement over our plan. This improvement resulted from
process efficiencies identified by our resourceful workforce and deflationary pressures within the
industry generally. Even with lower-than-planned capital, we drilled more wells than were
contemplated in our capital plan. We focused our capital investments on crude oil projects, mainly
steamfloods and waterfloods, and grew our average daily oil production by five percent over 2014.
We increased our overall production by one percent and achieved a 140-percent organic reserves
replacement rate at a low replacement cost.

We suspended our dividend in 2015 due to the continuing downturn in the commodity prices.

Both the Board of Directors and I feel that it is prudent to do so in the current commodity
environment. We will review this decision when we feel that we can distribute a meaningful and
sustainable dividend. This downturn calls for our management team to focus on near-term liquidity
decisions and weigh our deleveraging opportunities while preserving CRC’s evident long-term value.

Enhance our Margins

Our operation teams have been successful in reducing our operating costs and improving

efficiencies across our operations in 2015. Overall, we were able to reduce our per barrel cash costs
by 13 percent, excluding interest, in 2015. Production costs were reduced by 11 percent to $16.30
per barrel. These cost reductions are not attributable to any one item; rather, they reflect the hard
work and ingenuity of our dedicated employee base that generated numerous ideas during 2015. We
have begun 2016 with a similar focus on costs and expect to reduce our cash costs even further.

To protect our cash flow stream, margins and capital investment program, we launched a
hedging program immediately after our spin-off. We instituted a program utilizing a combination of
floors, swaps and costless collars. We currently have approximately 30 percent of our expected
2016 crude oil volumes protected at above $50 Brent on average. To provide a predictable cash
flow stream, we will continue to add hedges opportunistically and attempt to protect approximately
50 percent of the value of our quarterly production as we move through the year.

Protect our Base

CRC owns and operates an exceptional portfolio of resources and we took great care in 2015 to

protect the value of those assets for the long term. CRC is the largest independent producer in the
state on a gross operated basis. California has five of the top 12 fields in the lower 48 states as
ranked by total production. We operate in four of these fields and all four major basins in the state.
Two of them, the Elk Hills and Wilmington fields, serve as our flagship operations.

Elk Hills serves as a classic example of the characteristics that make our asset base unique and
compelling. It is a large field diversified across many different producing strata and production types.
It is fully integrated with substantial midstream infrastructure, a 550-megawatt power plant and a
state-of-the-art Central Control facility. The field was purchased from the U.S. government and has
been in production for 100 years, yet we continue to find new opportunities. 2015 marked the first
year in its history that Elk Hills did not have a single drilling rig operating—as a result we witnessed
first-hand the field’s modest production decline with no added drilling capital. Elk Hills’ production
response was impressive and exhibited a decline rate that was better than our expectations.

CRC’s Wilmington field in the Los Angeles basin has a long history as well; the THUMS islands
are part of the landscape in Long Beach, and celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2015. CRC has a
unique production sharing contract that benefits the City of Long Beach, the State of California and
CRC through continued field development. Since we started operating the field in 2000, our technical
teams have continued to find new oil resources. As a result, we typically end each year with a larger
inventory of drill locations than we started with, even after the drilling program is complete. We
continue to see evidence that big fields really do get bigger.

Both of these fields, as well as many of our other steamfloods and waterfloods, contribute to the
low-decline nature of our asset base. CRC’s technical teams did an excellent job of maintaining our
base production in 2015 despite the low capital investment. We believe our current corporate decline
is a modest 10-15 percent, closer to the higher end during periods of low capital investment due to
increased downtime. We believe this is a key source of differentiation from our peers in the industry.
We believe that our future investments in steamflood and waterflood fields in our portfolio will help
further moderate our base decline, underpinning our value proposition.

Building a deep inventory

Although our drilling and workover activity is being further reduced for 2016, we are continuing to

build value for the future. Our ongoing geotechnical analysis has produced results on both the
development and exploration fronts. As an example, in 2015 we had a team of geoscientists and
engineers review a small field for opportunities and their work produced a 5-fold increase in reserves
and economic drilling opportunities. This result is indicative of the under-developed nature of
California’s oil and gas resources. We are taking this same approach and applying it across our 137
fields in the state. We are refining and enhancing our life-of-field plans to capture the full potential of
the approximately 40 billion barrels of original oil in place1 across our 2.4 million net acres. California
truly is a world-class hydrocarbon province, and the data supports that conclusion. Today’s
technology will allow CRC to better image, develop, and more efficiently extract value from our
portfolio. 

In our 2015 exploration program, we further delineated several prospects and continued to see

success from a 2014 well. The well was in a structural play that was originally completed in the
deepest reservoir interval in the field and delivered production of several hundred barrels of oil per
day. During the year, we moved up to a second reservoir interval and saw flow rates in excess of
750 barrels of oil per day. This well was completed in a naturally flowing conventional reservoir that
has further behind pipe potential. This example also illustrates the underexplored nature of
California.

Our portfolio has over 125 independent oil and gas prospects, most of which have stacked pay

potential and are directly analogous to either producing fields or some of CRC’s key discoveries. We
have also made discoveries within the California shale reservoirs that provide numerous drilling
opportunities for long-term growth. We believe we hold one of the largest and most diverse sets of
exploration opportunities in the lower 48 states.

Responsible Californians

We live and work in California and know the needs of our communities first hand. We strive to

serve as responsible citizens who promote the economic well-being of the state in a responsible
manner. Our Board, management team and employees share three core values—Character,
Responsibility and Commitment—that define how we conduct business and interact with our
stakeholders.

As you may have heard me say, there are ‘‘hard rights’’ and ‘‘easy wrongs’’ in decision making.

We believe that we have made the hard right decisions that were needed to successfully meet the
challenges of this period. We are following through with a commitment to protecting long-term value.
We continue to focus our efforts on the deleveraging process and steering through this price
downturn toward the value that lies ahead for our shareholders. We continue to receive the support
of our 21-firm bank group in 2016 to weather this cyclical bottom on crude oil.

All Californians have seen the effects of the multi-year drought, and CRC has worked diligently
with state and local agencies to aid California by increasing our water recycling efforts, reducing our
fresh water usage and supplying surplus non-potable water for irrigation and groundwater recharge.
We have made significant investments in each of these areas. In 2015, we recycled approximately
77 percent of our produced water to meet our operational needs. In addition, we supplied more than
2.6 billion gallons of treated reclaimed water for agricultural needs in 2015, setting a company record

1

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) guidelines strictly prohibit us from using the term
‘‘original oil in place’’ in our SEC filings. This term represents an estimate of the total volume of oil stored in a reservoir
prior to production and is not intended to correspond to probable or possible reserves as defined by SEC regulations. By
their nature these estimates are more speculative than proved, probable or possible reserves and subject to greater risk
they will not be realized.

at the height of California’s drought. We are working to increase this important water supply over the
coming years.

Our commitment to California is to provide the state with a safe, secure and reliable supply of
energy. California continues to import the majority of its energy needs, often from places that do not
meet California’s high standards of safety and environmental protection. In 2015, CRC supplied
58 million barrels of oil equivalent, which equates to 122 thousand barrels per day of crude oil and
natural gas liquids and 229 million cubic feet per day of natural gas. We also supplied 462 gross
megawatts of electricity per day through our power plant in Elk Hills, which is enough to power
Anaheim for a year.

Character is shown best by the choices you make in trying times. Given the erosion in crude oil
prices that weighed heavily on our entire industry, we at CRC also have had to make tough choices.
These decisions should position CRC to emerge from this trough in a stronger position to build
long-term value for our investors, employees, suppliers and communities in which we operate.

We recognize that working our way through this challenging period calls for everyone in the
company to make appropriate sacrifices. Therefore, in accordance with our core values, CRC’s
executives have chosen to take a reduction in salary. Unfortunately, we also had to reduce our
staffing levels to match the current low price environment.

We believe that the company’s strong, diverse and low-decline asset base serves us well in our
efforts to navigate through this period. We will continue to build inventory for when we can ramp up
our activity level in a continued fiscally responsible manner that will provide long-term stockholder
value. Our leadership team has been through commodity cycle ups and downs before. We fully
expect the significant reduction in industry-wide capital investment in 2015 and continuing into 2016
will ultimately lead to a rebound in commodity prices and we will be prepared to capitalize.

Todd Stevens

President & CEO

7MAR201617385365

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-K

(cid:1) ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

(cid:1)

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from 

 to 

Commission File Number 001-36478

California Resources Corporation

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)

9200 Oakdale Ave. Los Angeles, California
(Address of principal executive offices)

46-5670947
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)

91311
(Zip Code)

(888) 848-4754
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of Each Class
Common Stock
5% Senior Notes due 2020
51⁄2% Senior Notes due 2021
6% Senior Notes due 2024

Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered
New York Stock Exchange

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 (cid:1) No (cid:1)

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the

Yes (cid:1) No (cid:1)

Act: 

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 (cid:1) No (cid:1)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if
any, every Interactive Date File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the
preceding 12 months (or such shorter period as the registrant was required to submit and post files). 

Yes (cid:1) No (cid:1)

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 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. (cid:1)

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.

Large Accelerated Filer (cid:1)
Non-Accelerated Filer (cid:1)

(cid:1)
Accelerated Filer
Smaller Reporting Company (cid:1)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act)  Yes (cid:1) No (cid:1)

The aggregate market value of the voting common stock held by nonaffiliates of the registrant was approximately
$2.3 billion, computed by reference to the closing price on the New York Stock Exchange composite tape of $6.04 per
share of Common Stock on June 30, 2015. Shares of Common Stock held by each executive officer and director have
been excluded from this computation in that such persons may be deemed to be affiliates. This determination of
potential affiliate status is not a conclusive determination for other purposes.

At January 31, 2016, there were 388,181,900 shares of Common Stock outstanding.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the registrant’s definitive proxy statement to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in
connection with the registrant’s 2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, are incorporated by reference into Part III of this
Form 10-K.

LIST OF OPERATING SUBSIDIARIES

The following is a list of our subsidiaries at December 31, 2015 other than certain subsidiaries

that did not in the aggregate constitute a significant subsidiary.

Name

Jurisdiction of Formation

California Heavy Oil, Inc.
California Resources Coles Levee, LLC
California Resources Coles Levee, L.P.
California Resources Elk Hills, LLC
California Resources Long Beach, Inc.
California Resources Petroleum Corporation
California Resources Production Corporation
California Resources Tidelands, Inc.
California Resources Wilmington, LLC
CRC Construction Services, LLC
CRC Marketing, Inc.
CRC Services, LLC
Elk Hills Power, LLC
Socal Holding, LLC
Southern San Joaquin Production, Inc.
Thums Long Beach Company
Tidelands Oil Production Company

Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Delaware
Texas

2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Business Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Our Business Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Key Characteristics of our Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Portfolio Management and 2016 Capital Budget
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Reserves and Production Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Marketing Arrangements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Regulation of the Oil and Natural Gas Industry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Employees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Available Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Risk Factors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Unresolved Staff Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Our Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Our Reserves and Production Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Determination of Identified Drilling Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Production, Price and Cost History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Productive Wells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Acreage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Participation in Exploratory and Development Wells Being Drilled and Drilling Activity . . .
Delivery Commitments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Our Infrastructure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Legal Proceedings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Mine Safety Disclosures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Executive Officers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases
of Equity Securities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Selected Financial Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations (MD&A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Separation and Spin-off
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Basis of Presentation and Certain Factors Affecting Comparability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Business Environment and Industry Outlook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Seasonality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Balance Sheet Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Statement of Operations Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Liquidity and Capital Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Cash Flow Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Acquisitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2015 Capital Program and 2016 Capital Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Off-Balance-Sheet Arrangements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Lawsuits, Claims, Contingencies and Commitments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Significant Accounting and Disclosure Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Forward-Looking Statements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5
5
5
8
10
12
13
13
15
20
20
21
36
37
37
42
49
52
56
56
57
58
59
59
59
60

61
64

65
65
65
66
67
67
68
69
71
72
76
80
82
82
83
84
84
87
88
89

Part I

Items 1

Item 1A
Item 1B
Item 2

Item 3
Item 4

Part II

Item 5

Item 6
Item 7

Item 7A

3

Item 8

Financial Statements and Supplementary Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

91

91

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm on Consolidated and
Combined Financial Statements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm on Internal Control Over
92
Financial Reporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
93
Consolidated Balance Sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
94
Consolidated and Combined Statements of Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
95
Consolidated and Combined Statements of Comprehensive Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
96
Consolidated and Combined Statements of Equity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
97
Consolidated and Combined Statements of Cash Flows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
98
Notes to Consolidated and Combined Financial Statements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Supplemental Oil and Gas Information (Unaudited) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure . . 142
Controls and Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Other Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143

Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Executive Compensation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related
Stockholder Matters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions and Director Independence . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Principal Accountant Fees and Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

Item 9
Item 9A
Item 9B

Part III

Item 10
Item 11
Item 12

Item 13
Item 14

Part IV

Item 15

Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

4

PART I

Item 1 BUSINESS

In this report, except when the context otherwise requires or where otherwise indicated, (1) all

references to ‘‘CRC,’’ the ‘‘Company,’’ ‘‘we,’’ ‘‘us’’ and ‘‘our’’ refer to California Resources
Corporation and its subsidiaries or the California business, (2) all references to the ‘‘California
business’’ refer to Occidental’s California oil and gas exploration and production operations and
related assets, liabilities and obligations, which we assumed in connection with the spin-off from
Occidental on November 30, 2014 (the Spin-off), and (3) all references to ‘‘Occidental’’ refer to
Occidental Petroleum Corporation, our former parent, and its subsidiaries.

General

We are an independent oil and natural gas exploration and production company operating
properties exclusively within the State of California. We were incorporated in Delaware as a wholly-
owned subsidiary of Occidental on April 23, 2014 and remained a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Occidental until the Spin-off. On November 30, 2014, Occidental distributed shares of our common
stock on a pro rata basis to Occidental stockholders and we became an independent, publicly traded
company, referred to in this annual report as the Spin-off. Occidental retained approximately 18.5%
of our outstanding shares of common stock which it has stated it intends to divest on March 24,
2016.

Business Operations

Our business is focused on conventional and unconventional assets, exclusively in California.

We are the largest oil and gas producer in California on a gross operated basis and we believe we
have established the largest privately-held mineral acreage position in the state, consisting of
approximately 2.4 million net acres spanning the state’s four major oil and gas basins. We produced
on average approximately 160 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day (MBoe/d) net for the year
ended December 31, 2015. As of December 31, 2015, we had net proved reserves of 644 million
barrels of oil equivalent (MMBoe), with approximately 75% proved developed. Oil represented 72%
of our proved reserves. Our aggregate PV-10 value was $5.1 billion. For an explanation of the
non-GAAP financial measure PV-10 and a reconciliation of PV-10 to Standardized Measure, the
most directly comparable GAAP financial measure, see ‘‘Our Reserves and Production Information’’
below.

Much of the global exploration and production industry is challenged at current price levels,

putting pressure on the industry’s ability to generate positive cash flow and access capital. In
response to the sharp price declines that began in the second half of 2014, we significantly reduced
our 2016 planned capital program to $50 million from $401 million in 2015 as described in additional
detail below in ‘‘Portfolio Management and 2016 Capital Budget.’’ The curtailment of the
development of our properties will lead to a decline in our production and possibly our reserves.
Over the long term, a continued decline in our production and reserves would reduce our liquidity
and ability to satisfy our debt obligations by negatively impacting our cash flow from operations and
the value of our assets. In 2015, we emphasized projects and activities that focused on cash flow
generation in the near term and met our investment criteria. We will continue to employ cost saving
measures to more efficiently deploy our capital and to decrease our unit lease operating and general
and administrative expenses. We are also pursuing a number of alternatives to deleverage our
balance sheet and better align our capital structure with the current commodity price environment as

5

described in more detail in ‘‘Item 7—Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition
and Results of Operation—Liquidity and Financial Resources.’’

Our asset base has the capacity in the aggregate to generate positive field-level cash flow in the

current price environment for 2016. In addition, we believe our asset base has the potential,
including the effects of hedging, to remain cash flow neutral after interest payments in 2016. We
focused a substantial majority of our 2015 capital on our mature steamfloods, waterfloods and
capital workovers, all of which offer among the highest investment performance metrics in our
portfolio. Our current drilling inventory comprises a diversified portfolio of oil and natural gas
locations that are economically viable in a variety of operating and commodity price conditions,
including many that would be economically viable even at current pricing. We are deferring these
projects, however, given the capital constraints we have in 2016. We expect that in an improved
commodity price environment, this diversified inventory will allow us to target drilling projects that can
be funded through our internally generated cash flow.

Over the longer term, we develop our capital investment programs by prioritizing life of project

returns to grow our net asset value over the long term, while balancing the short- and long-term
growth potential of each of our assets. We use the Value Creation Index (VCI) metric for project
selection and capital allocation across our portfolio of opportunities. The VCI for each project is
calculated by dividing the net present value of the project’s expected pre-tax cash flow over its life
by the present value of the investments, each using a 10% discount rate. Projects are expected to
meet a VCI of 1.3, meaning that 30% of expected value is created above our cost of capital for
every dollar invested. Our technical teams are consistently working to enhance value by improving
the economics of our inventory through detailed geologic studies as well as application of more
effective and efficient drilling and completion techniques. As a result, we expect many projects that
do not currently meet our investment hurdle today will do so by the time of development. We
regularly monitor internal performance and external factors and adjust our capital investment
program with the objective of creating the most value from our portfolio of drilling opportunities. We
intend to fund our currently limited capital investment program by reinvesting substantially all of our
operating cash flow, while considering any potential deleveraging opportunities.

Approximately 55% of our 2015 production was generated by our world-class Elk Hills and

Wilmington fields, which have produced over 1.9 and 2.9 billion barrels of oil equivalent (Boe) to
date, respectively. The remaining 45% was generated through a combination of conventional
primary, steamflood and waterflood projects as well as unconventional projects. In the last five years,
we grew our total production 4% on a compounded annual basis, from an average of 138 MBoe/d in
2011 to 160 MBoe/d for the year ended December 31, 2015, while the proportionate share of oil
production for the same period grew from 58% to 65%. The growth of our oil production during this
period was approximately 7% compounded annually. Although with our limited capital program for
2016 we expect our production levels to decline, the percentage of our oil production should
continue to increase over time and favorably impact our overall margins as we continue to direct
virtually all of our capital investments toward oil-weighted opportunities to the extent the oil-to-gas
price relationship remains favorable. For example, our steamflood projects provide some of the
highest returns in our portfolio when the oil-to-gas price ratio exceeds five to one. As of
December 31, 2015, the ratio was approximately 20 to one.

6

The following table summarizes certain information concerning our acreage, wells and drilling

activities (as of December 31, 2015, acres and dollars in millions, unless otherwise stated):

San Joaquin Basin
Los Angeles Basin(3)
Ventura Basin
Sacramento Basin

Total

Acreage

Gross

Net

1.9
<0.1
0.3
0.6

2.8

1.6
<0.1
0.3
0.5

2.4

Average
Net
Acreage
Held in Fee
(%)

Producing
Wells,
gross

Average
Working
Interest(1)
(%)

Identified Drilling
Locations(2)

Gross

Net

62%
52%
72%
36%

57%

6,235
1,385
735
712

9,067

91% 19,150 13,000
1,600
89% 1,650
1,250
90% 1,500
900
79% 1,150

88% 23,450 16,750

(1) For our 2015 production, our net revenue interest (NRI) was approximately 79%.
(2) Our total identified drilling locations include approximately 2,600 gross (2,250 net) locations associated with proved
undeveloped reserves as of December 31, 2015. Our total identified drilling locations also include approximately
2,600 gross (2,300 net) injection well locations. Our total identified drilling locations exclude 6,400 gross (5,300 net)
prospective resource drilling locations. Please see ‘‘—Our Reserves and Production Information’’ for more
information regarding the processes and criteria through which we identified our drilling locations.

(3) We currently hold approximately 42,800 gross (34,700 net) acres in the Los Angeles basin. Our Los Angeles basin

operations are concentrated with pad drilling.

In response to the deteriorating price environment that started in the second half of 2014 and

continued in 2015, we significantly reduced our investment and drilling pace. During 2015, we
operated an average of 3 drilling rigs across the state with two located in the San Joaquin basin
(targeting steamflood activities) and one in the Los Angeles basin (targeting waterflood activities).
We drilled 286 gross development wells with 254 wells in the San Joaquin basin and 32 in the
Los Angeles basin. We also drilled 3 exploration wells in the San Joaquin basin.

In 2015, we also reduced our workover rig count from 51 at the beginning of the year to 33 at
the end of the year to focus on projects that meet our investment criteria in the current environment.
With significant operating control of our properties, we have the ability to adjust our drilling and
workover rig count in 2016 based on commodity prices and are monitoring market conditions to
increase or decrease our program accordingly. For example, we reduced our drilling rig count to
zero at the beginning of 2016 in response to further weakness in oil prices.

In the third quarter of 2015, we announced a voluntary retirement program and other employee
actions to align our workforce with our view of the commodity price environment. At the time of our
Spin-off, we had about 2,000 employees. We ended the year with about 1,700 employees,
representing a 15% reduction mainly through attrition and the third quarter employee actions. Since
year end, we have implemented additional actions to reduce our workforce below 1,500 employees.
We do not expect these actions to impact our production outlook; they will, however, reduce our
operating costs and general and administrative expenses, as well as our drilling costs, and enhance
our margins. Also, given the volatile oil price environment and our leverage, we began a hedging
program shortly after the Spin-off to protect our cash flow and capital investment program and
improve our ability to comply with our credit facility covenants in case of further price deterioration.

Our large acreage position contains numerous development and growth opportunities due to its

varied geologic characteristics and multiple stacked pay reservoirs which, in many cases, are
thousands of feet thick. We have a large portfolio of low-risk and low-decline conventional
opportunities in each of our major oil and gas basins with approximately 72% of our proved reserves
associated with conventional opportunities. Conventional reservoirs are capable of natural flow using
primary, steamflood and waterflood recovery methods. In 2015, we targeted our capital investments

7

primarily toward conventional steamflood and waterflood development projects that we expected
would contribute to near-term production and cash flow. We also have a significant portfolio of
unconventional growth opportunities in lower permeability reservoirs that typically utilize established
well stimulation techniques, which are subject to compliance with regulatory requirements. We have
approximately 2,000 net identified drilling locations targeting unconventional reservoirs primarily in
the San Joaquin basin. Prior to the severe price declines, we were focused on higher-value
unconventional production from seven discrete stacked pay horizons within the Monterey formation,
primarily within the upper Monterey. Over the longer term, as project economics improve, we will
seek to duplicate our successful upper Monterey results to develop opportunities in the
unconventional reservoirs of the lower Monterey, Kreyenhagen and Moreno formations, which have
similar geological attributes.

Over the past decade, we have also built a 3D seismic library that covers almost 4,700 square

miles, representing over 90% of the 3D seismic data available in California. We have developed
unique, proprietary stratigraphic and structural models of the subsurface geology and hydrocarbon
potential in each of the four basins in which we operate. In recent years we have tested and
successfully implemented various exploration, drilling, completion and enhanced recovery
technologies to increase recoveries, growth and returns from our portfolio. We intend to continue
building our exploration inventory based on this data set and our experience and have begun
marketing an exploration program to potential partners.

Our Business Strategy

Near-Term Strategy

Much of the global exploration and production industry is challenged at current price levels,

putting pressure on the industry’s ability to generate positive cash flow and access capital. In the
current price and constrained capital environment, we intend to remain financially disciplined and
prudent with our investments to maximize liquidity and remain compliant with our credit facilities in
order to be positioned for an increase in commodity pricing. In response to the sharp price declines
that began in the second half of 2014, we are focused on reducing our costs across our operations
and deleveraging our balance sheet. We significantly reduced our 2016 planned capital program to
$50 million from $401 million in 2015 when we emphasized projects and activities that focused on
cash flow generation in the near term and met our investment criteria. The curtailment of the
development of our properties will lead to a decline in our production and possibly our reserves.
Over the long term, a continued decline in our production and reserves would reduce our liquidity
and ability to satisfy our debt obligations by negatively impacting our cash flow from operations and
the value of our assets. We will continue to employ cost saving measures to more efficiently deploy
our capital and to decrease our unit lease operating and general and administrative expenses. We
are also pursuing a number of alternatives to deleverage our balance sheet and better align our
capital structure with the current commodity price environment.

Our current drilling inventory comprises a diversified portfolio of oil and natural gas locations that
are economically viable in a variety of operating and commodity price conditions, including many that
would be economically viable even at current pricing. We are deferring these projects, however,
given the capital constraints we have in 2016. We expect that in an improved commodity price
environment, this diversified inventory will allow us to target drilling projects that can be funded
through our internally generated cash flow.

8

Long-Term Strategy

We plan to drive long-term shareholder value by applying modern technology to develop our

resource base and increase production. We have significant conventional opportunities to pursue,
which we develop through their life-cycles to increase recovery factors by transitioning them from
primary production to steamfloods, waterfloods and other enhanced recovery mechanisms. In the
current price and constrained capital environment, we intend to remain financially disciplined and
prudent with our investments to maximize liquidity. In a sustained higher price environment, we
intend to direct any additional available and approved capital first to oil projects that provide
long-term stable cash flows with low production declines and high returns, such as steamfloods and
waterfloods. The principal elements of our long-term business strategy include the following:

•

•

•

Focus on high-margin crude oil projects to generate sufficient cash flows to internally
fund our capital budget. We expect the percentage of our oil production to continue to
increase over time and favorably impact our overall margins as we anticipate directing
virtually all of our capital investments towards oil-weighted opportunities in the near future to
the extent the oil-to-gas price relationship remains favorable and capital is available.
Approximately 96% of our identified drilling inventory is associated with oil-rich projects. At
current prices, availability of capital will likely be constrained. In this environment, we intend
to focus on continuing the cost efficiencies we delivered in 2015 and identifying additional
value-creating opportunities in order to maintain self-funding as prices improve. To the extent
we generate any free cash flow, we intend to fund our capital investment program while
considering any deleveraging opportunities.

Increase the share of conventional projects in our production mix to achieve lower
declines and lower base maintenance capital requirements. Our portfolio of assets
includes a large number of steamflood and waterflood projects that have much lower decline
rates than many unconventional projects. When crude oil prices increase, we intend to focus
the greater portion of our capital investments on such projects, which we expect will result in
lower decline rates in our production. Over time, we expect that this strategy will reduce the
capital required to maintain flat crude oil production. We have significant additional lower-risk
conventional opportunities with 21,150 gross (14,750 net) identified drilling locations, 41% of
which are associated with Improved Oil Recovery (IOR) and Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR)
projects. The remaining 59% are associated with primary recovery methods, many of which
we expect will develop into IOR and EOR projects in the future.

Proactive and collaborative approach to safety, environmental protection, and
community relations. We are committed to managing our assets in a manner that
safeguards people and protects the environment, and we seek to proactively engage with
regulatory agencies, communities and other stakeholders to pursue mutually beneficial
outcomes. As a California company, helping our state meet its water needs is a key strategic
focus. Through our investments in water conservation and in recycling of produced water
from oil and gas reservoirs, we are a net water supplier to agriculture. In 2015, our
operations supplied more than 2.6 billion gallons of reclaimed water for irrigation, a 30%
increase from 2014. This water supply to agriculture set a company record and again
exceeded the volume of fresh water we purchased for our operations statewide. We
continue to evaluate measures to further decrease our fresh water use and to expand the
beneficial use of our produced water over the coming years.

•

Continue to identify high-growth unconventional drilling opportunities. Over the longer
term and in a higher oil-price environment, we believe we can generate significant

9

production growth from unconventional reservoirs such as tight sandstones and shales. In
such environment, we would expect to generate sufficient cash flow from our conventional
projects to fund numerous unconventional opportunities in our portfolio. We hold mineral
interests in approximately 1.3 million net acres with unconventional potential and have
identified 2,300 gross (2,000 net) drilling locations on this acreage. As a result of our
increased focus on these reservoirs over the past few years, a significant portion of our
production now comes from unconventional assets. While we have not yet developed
sufficient information to reliably predict success rates across our entire portfolio, our
continued technical reviews of these unconventional projects are allowing us to better
understand performance of these reservoirs in addition to improving our overall cycle time
from project identification to development. As a result of our increased understanding of
these reservoirs, we believe we will be able to direct future available capital more precisely
to higher value projects, allowing us to strategically increase our investment levels in
unconventional drilling over time.

•

•

Apply proven modern technologies to enhance production growth. Over the last
several decades, the oil and gas industry has focused significantly less effort on utilizing
modern development and exploration processes and technologies in California relative to
other prolific U.S. basins. We believe this is largely due to other oil companies’ limited
capital investments in California, concentration on shallow zone thermal projects, or
investments in other assets within their global portfolios. As an independent company
focused exclusively on California, we intend, as capital becomes available, to make
significant use of proven modern technologies in drilling and completing wells, as well as
production methods, which we expect will substantially increase both our cost efficiency and
production over time. We have developed an extensive 3D seismic library covering almost
4,700 square miles in all four of our basins, representing over 90% of the 3D seismic data
available for California, and have tested and successfully implemented various exploration,
drilling, completion, IOR and EOR technologies in the state.

Continued focus on our successful exploration program. As prices improve and
sufficient additional capital becomes available, we intend to significantly increase our
investment in exploration, focusing on both unconventional and conventional opportunities,
primarily in areas that we believe can be quickly developed, such as those adjacent to our
existing properties. In addition, we plan to explore and test new unconventional resource
areas, which, if successful, could result in significant longer-term production growth. We are
also actively pursuing joint venture partnership opportunities to implement our exploration
programs.

Key Characteristics of our Operations

The following are among the key characteristics of our operations:

• Operational control of our diverse asset base provides flexibility over various

commodity price ranges and preserves future value and growth potential in a higher
price environment. Our near 100% operational control of 137 fields in California provides
us flexibility to adapt our investments to various market environments through our ability to
select drilling locations, the timing of our development and the drilling and completion
techniques we use. Our large and diverse acreage position, approximately 60% of which we
hold in fee, allows us to choose among multiple recovery mechanisms, including primary
conventional, steamflood, waterflood and unconventional and to develop various products,
including oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGLs). Approximately 96% of our identified

10

•

•

drilling inventory is associated with oil-rich projects, primarily located in the San Joaquin,
Los Angeles and Ventura basins, and the remaining inventory is associated with natural gas
properties in the Sacramento, San Joaquin and Ventura basins. The variety of recovery
mechanisms and product types available to us, together with our operating control, allows us
to allocate capital in a manner designed to optimize cash flow over a wide range of
commodity prices. The low base decline of our conventional assets allows us to limit
production declines with minimal investment. We believe our low base decline positions us
well to achieve growth in a higher price environment while living within our means.

Relatively favorable margins driven by California’s deficit energy market. We currently
sell all of our crude oil into the California refining markets, which we believe have offered
relatively favorable pricing compared to other U.S. regions. California imports over 60% of its
oil and approximately 90% of its natural gas. A vast majority of the oil is imported via
supertanker, with a minor amount arriving by rail. As a result, California refiners have
typically purchased crude oil at international waterborne-based prices. We believe that the
limited crude transportation infrastructure from other parts of the country to California will
continue contributing to higher realizations than most other United States oil markets for
comparable grades. In addition, we own fee mineral interests on approximately 60% of our
net acreage position. The returns on fee mineral acreage are enhanced because we do not
pay royalties and other lease payments. To further improve our margins, we are
opportunistically pursuing newly opened export markets for our crude oil production.

Largest acreage position in a world-class oil and natural gas province. We believe we
are the largest private oil and natural gas mineral acreage holder in California, with interests
in approximately 2.4 million net acres. California is one of the most prolific oil and natural
gas producing regions in the world and is the third largest oil producing state in the nation. It
has five of the 12 largest fields in the lower 48 states based on proved reserves as of 2009,
and our portfolio includes interests in four of these fields. California is also the nation’s
largest state economy, and the world’s eighth largest, with significant energy demands that
exceed local supply. Our large acreage position with a diverse development portfolio enables
us to pursue the appropriate production strategy for the relevant commodity price
environment without the need to acquire new acreage. For example, in a high natural gas
price environment we can rapidly increase our investments in the Sacramento basin to
generate significant production growth. Our large acreage position also allows us to quickly
deploy the knowledge we gain in our existing operations, together with our seismic data, in
other areas within our portfolio.

• Opportunity rich drilling portfolio. Our drilling inventory at December 31, 2015 consisted
of approximately 23,450 gross identified well locations, including 21,150 gross (14,750 net)
conventional drilling locations and approximately 2,300 gross (2,000 net) unconventional
drilling locations. Our drilling inventory count increased by about 16% from the prior year as
a result of our technical teams’ continued efforts. We have a large inventory of conventional
development opportunities that we expect can provide stable lower-risk production with
attractive returns based on capital availability. In a more favorable, sustained price
environment, we believe we can also achieve long-term production growth through the
development of unconventional reservoirs. In addition, our rich conventional and
unconventional portfolio can provide attractive joint venture partnership opportunities,
including in the current environment.

11

•

Proven operational management and technical teams with extensive experience
operating in California. The members of our operational management and technical teams
have an average of over 25 years’ experience in the oil and natural gas industry, with an
average of over 15 years focused on our California oil and gas operations through multiple
pricing cycles. Our operational management team and technical staff have a proven track
record of applying modern technologies and operating methods to develop our assets and
improve their operating efficiencies. For example, our teams have successfully reduced total
field operating costs by approximately 13% on a per Boe basis in 2015 while increasing
production in a challenging environment. Our teams are continuing to improve efficiencies
across all our operations in 2016.

Portfolio Management and 2016 Capital Budget

We develop our capital investment programs by prioritizing life of project returns to grow our net
asset value over the long term, while balancing the short- and long-term growth potential of each of
our assets. We use the VCI metric for project selection and capital allocation across our portfolio of
opportunities.

We focused a substantial majority of our 2015 capital on our mature steamfloods, waterfloods

and capital workovers, all of which offer among the highest VCIs in our portfolio. We focus on
creating value and are committed to internally fund our capital budget with operating cash flows. Our
low decline assets plus our high level of operational control and absence of long term commitments
give us the flexibility to adjust the level of such capital investments as circumstances warrant. Of the
total $401 million 2015 capital program, approximately $130 million was allocated to drilling wells,
$120 million to facilities and compression expansion, $55 million to workovers, $40 million to
maintenance and occupational health, safety and environmental projects, $15 million to exploration,
$10 million to 3D seismic and the rest to other items.

For 2016, our board of directors approved a capital program of $50 million to maintain the

mechanical integrity of our facilities and systems and operate them safely. In light of current
commodity prices, we have built a dynamic budget for 2016 that adjusts our activity to align
investments with operating cash flows. We will monitor prices and cash flow throughout the year
and, if oil prices improve, may deploy additional available and approved capital focusing initially on a
combination of capital workovers and new wells that meet our investment metrics. Our 2016 capital
investment budget targets maintenance capital in the San Joaquin, Los Angeles and Ventura basins,
and is expected to enhance the mechanical integrity and safety of our systems and infrastructure.
Any capital increases will be directed almost entirely towards oil-weighted production consistent with
our activity in 2015.

In addition, during this period of lower activity levels, we will continue to refine modern

techniques that will enhance the value and growth potential of other parts of our portfolio that will not
be funded in 2016 and will continue to build our inventory of available projects. This will position us
to take advantage of improved market conditions when prices reach more favorable levels.

12

Reserves and Production Information

The table below summarizes our proved reserves and average production as of and for the year

ended December 31, 2015 in each of California’s four major oil and gas basins:

Proved Reserves as of December 31, 2015

Average Net Daily
Production for the
Year Ended
December 31, 2015

Oil
(MMBbl)

NGLs
(MMBbl)

Natural
Gas
(Bcf)

Total
(MMBoe)

Oil
(%)

Proved
Developed
(%)

(MBoe/d)

Oil
(%)

R/P Ratio
(Years)(1)

San Joaquin Basin
Los Angeles Basin
Ventura Basin
Sacramento Basin

Total operations

297
130
39
—

466

56
—
3
—

59

591
11
27
86

715

451
132
47
14

644

66%
98%
83%
—

72%

72%
80%
77%
100%

75%

110
34
9
7

160

58%
100%
67%
—%

65%

11.2
10.6
14.3
5.5

11.1

Note: MMcf refers to millions of barrels; Bcf refers to billion cubic feet of natural gas; MMBoe refers to million barrels of oil

equivalent; and MBoe/d refers to thousands of barrels of oil equivalent per day.

(1) Calculated as total proved reserves as of December 31, 2015 divided by annualized Average Net Daily Production

for the year ended December 31, 2015.

Marketing Arrangements

We market our crude oil, natural gas, NGLs and electricity in accordance with standard energy

industry practices.

Crude Oil. Substantially all of our crude oil production is connected to California markets via
our crude oil gathering pipelines, which are used almost entirely for our production. We generally do
not transport, refine or process the crude oil we produce and do not have any significant long-term
crude oil transportation arrangements in place. California is heavily reliant on imported sources of
energy, with over 60% of oil consumed during 2015 imported from outside the state, mostly from
foreign locations. We currently sell all of our crude oil into the California refining markets, which we
believe have offered relatively favorable pricing compared to other U.S. regions for similar grades.
Since California imports a significant percentage of its crude oil requirements, California refiners
typically purchase crude oil at international waterborne-based prices. Currently, none of our index-
based crude oil sales contracts have terms extending past 90 days. Beginning in late 2015, the U.S.
federal government allowed the export of crude oil. As a result, we are opportunistically pursuing
newly opened export markets for our crude oil production to improve our margins.

Given the volatile oil price environment, as well as our leverage, we began a hedging program

shortly after the Spin-off to protect our cash flows, margins and capital investment program and
improve our ability to comply with our credit facility covenants in case of further price deterioration.
We will continue to be strategic and opportunistic in implementing our hedging program.

Unless otherwise indicated, we use the term ‘‘hedge’’ to describe derivative instruments that are
designed to achieve our hedging program goals, even though they are not necessarily accounted for
as cash flow or fair value hedges. Our existing Brent-based weighted-average oil hedge positions,

13

—
—

—
—

substantially all of which were costless collars, including those entered into in early 2016, are as
follows:

Calls
Barrels per Day
Wtd Avg Ceiling Price per Barrel

Puts
Barrels per Day(a)
Wtd Avg Floor Price per Barrel(a)

Q1 2016 Q2 2016 Q3 2016 Q4 2016

2017

2018

35,500

35,500

$

66.15 $

66.15 $

3,000
74.42 $

3,000
74.42 $

30,000

55.68 $

23,300
57.99

33,800

55,500

28,000

$

51.75 $

50.14 $

50.65 $

3,000
50.00 $

—
— $

Swap
Barrels per Day
Weighted-Average Price per Barrel

—
— $
(a) Q1 2016 averages include puts for 10,000 barrels of oil per day of our March 2016 production at $46 per barrel.

1,000
61.25 $

1,000
61.25 $

—
— $

—
— $

$

Natural Gas. California imports approximately 90% of the natural gas consumed in the state.
We have firm transportation capacity contracts to access markets where necessary. These contracts
are required to facilitate deliveries. We sell virtually all of our natural gas production under
individually negotiated contracts using market-based pricing on a monthly or shorter basis.

NGLs. We process substantially all of our NGLs through our processing plants, which
facilitates access to third party delivery points near the Elk Hills field. We currently have pipeline
capacity contracts to transport 20,000 barrels per day of NGLs to market. We sell virtually all of our
NGLs using index-based pricing. Our NGLs are generally sold pursuant to one-year contracts that
are renewed annually.

Electricity. We provide part of the electrical output of our Elk Hills power plant to reduce Elk

Hills field operating costs and increase reliability and sell the excess to the grid and to others under
contract.

Our Principal Customers

We sell our crude oil, natural gas and NGLs production to marketers, California refineries and
other purchasers that have access to transportation and storage facilities. Our marketing of crude oil,
natural gas and NGLs can be affected by factors that are beyond our control, and which cannot be
accurately predicted.

For the year ended December 31, 2015, Phillips 66 Company, Tesoro Refining & Marketing
Company LLC and Valero Marketing & Supply Company each accounted for more than 10%, and,
collectively, 61% of our revenue. For the years ended 2014 and 2013, ConocoPhillips/Phillips 66
Company and Tesoro Refining & Marketing Company LLC each accounted for more than 10%, and,
collectively, 45% and 42% of our revenue, respectively.

Title to Properties

As is customary in the oil and natural gas industry, we initially conduct a high level review of the

title to our properties at the time of acquisition. Individual properties may be subject to ordinary
course burdens that we believe do not materially interfere with the use or affect the value of our
properties. Such burdens on properties may include customary royalty interests, liens incident to

14

operating agreements and for current taxes, obligations or duties under applicable laws,
development obligations, or net profits interests, among others. Prior to the commencement of
drilling operations on those properties, we conduct a more thorough title examination and perform
curative work with respect to significant defects. We generally will not commence drilling operations
on a property until we have cured known title defects that are material to the project. In addition, our
properties have been pledged as collateral to secure our credit facilities.

Competition

We have many competitors, some of which are larger and better funded, may be willing to

accept greater risks or have special competencies. See ‘‘Risk Factors.’’

Regulation of the Oil and Natural Gas Industry

Our operations are subject to complex and stringent federal, state, local and other laws and

regulations relating to the exploration and development of our properties, the production,
transportation, and sale of our products, and the services we provide.

Regulation of Exploration and Production

California has regulations governing:

•
oil and natural gas production including well spacing or density, on private and state lands;
• methods of constructing, drilling and completing wells, including well stimulation techniques

•

•

•

•
•

•
•

such as hydraulic fracturing and acid matrix stimulation;
design, construction, operation and maintenance of facilities, such as natural gas processing
plants, power plants, compressors and pipelines;
improved or enhanced recovery techniques such as fluid injection for waterflooding or
steamflooding;
sourcing and disposal of water used in the drilling, completion, stimulation and enhanced
recovery processes;
imposition of taxes and fees with respect to our properties and operations;
the conservation of oil and natural gas, including provisions for the unitization or pooling of
oil and natural gas properties;
posting of bonds or other financial assurance to drill or operate wells and facilities; and
occupational health, safety and environmental matters and the transportation and sale of our
products as described below.

The Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR) of the Department of

Conservation is the state’s primary regulator of the oil and natural gas industry on private and state
lands, with additional oversight from the State Lands Commission’s administration of state surface
and mineral interests. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) of the U.S. Department of the Interior
exercises similar jurisdiction on federal lands in California. In addition, specific aspects of our
operations, such as occupational health, safety, air or water quality, labor, marketing and taxation,
are regulated by other federal, state or local agencies. Collectively, the effect of these regulations is
to limit the amount of oil and natural gas that we can produce from our wells and to limit the number
of wells or the locations at which we can drill.

15

For example, in 2013, California adopted Senate Bill 4 (SB 4), which mandates further regulation

of certain well stimulation techniques, including hydraulic fracturing and acid matrix stimulation.
Among other things, SB 4 requires:

•
•

additional permitting of defined well stimulation treatments;
prior notification to proximate property owners or lessees of proposed stimulation treatments,
and pre- and post-stimulation groundwater sampling as requested by the owner or lessee;

• monitoring of groundwater quality in areas where well stimulation treatments occur, or

concurrence that monitoring is not warranted due to a lack of protected water as defined by
SB 4; and
public disclosure of fluids used and other stimulation data, including data that may be
considered proprietary or trade secret.

•

SB 4 also required state agencies to prepare an environmental impact report and scientific

studies regarding well stimulation, which were published in 2015. Various state agencies are
reviewing these studies to determine whether any additional regulation is warranted. In 2015, the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the BLM adopted or proposed additional federal
regulations on certain well stimulation operations. The implementation of well stimulation regulations
and associated studies and reports have delayed and increased the cost of certain operations, and
additional regulations may further increase costs and cause additional delays.

In addition, the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) and analogous state laws regulate the injection

of produced water, steam, natural gas or carbon dioxide into underground reservoirs for enhanced
oil recovery or disposal. The state has issued permits for injection wells for decades under these
laws. In 2015, the state imposed deadlines for obtaining confirmation from the EPA of aquifer
exemptions under the SDWA to continue injecting and disposing produced water in certain fields. If
the state or EPA were to rescind existing aquifer exemptions or permits for injection wells, reject
new exemptions or permits or otherwise change the existing underground injection program, then
our ability to inject produced water could be curtailed and our development and production activities
could be negatively affected.

Finally, certain local governments have proposed or adopted ordinances that purport within their

jurisdictions to regulate drilling activities in general, or stimulation and completion activities in
particular, or to ban such activities outright. None of the adopted local ordinances is expected to
materially impact our current or expected future operations. If new or more stringent federal, state, or
local restrictions are adopted in areas where we operate, we could incur potentially significant added
costs, experience delays or curtailment of our exploration or production activities and potentially be
precluded from drilling wells or injecting fluids. Our competitors in the California oil and natural gas
industry are generally subject to the same laws and regulations that affect our operations.

Regulation of Health, Safety and Environmental Matters

Numerous federal, state, local, and other laws and regulations that govern health and safety, the

release or discharge of materials, land use or environmental protection may restrict the use of our
properties and operations, increase our costs or lower demand for or restrict the use of our products
and services. Applicable federal health, safety and environmental laws include, but are not limited to,
the Occupational Safety and Health Act, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Safe Drinking Water Act,
Oil Pollution Act, Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act, Pipeline Safety Improvement Act, Pipeline Safety,
Regulatory Certainty, and Job Creation Act, Endangered Species Act, Migratory Bird Treaty Act,
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, Resource Conservation

16

and Recovery Act and National Environmental Policy Act. California imposes additional laws that are
analogous to, and often more stringent than, such federal laws. These laws and regulations:

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

require various permits and approvals before drilling, workovers, production, underground
fluid injection, or waste disposal commences, or before facilities are constructed or put into
operation;
require the installation of sophisticated safety and pollution control equipment to prevent or
reduce releases or discharges of regulated materials to air, land, surface water or ground
water;
restrict the use, types or sources of water, energy, land surface, habitat or other natural
resources, require conservation and reclamation measures, and impose energy efficiency or
renewable energy standards;
restrict the types, quantities, and concentrations of regulated materials, including oil, natural
gas, produced water or wastes, that can be released or discharged into the environment, or
any other uses of those materials resulting from drilling, production, processing, power
generation or transportation activities;
limit or prohibit operations on lands lying within coastal, wilderness, wetlands, groundwater
recharge, endangered species habitat, and other protected areas;
establish standards for the closure, abandonment, cleanup or restoration of former
operations, such as plugging of abandoned wells and decommissioning of facilities;
impose substantial liabilities for unauthorized releases or discharges of regulated materials
into the environment with respect to our current or former properties and operations and
other locations where such materials or wastes generated by us or our predecessors were
released or discharged;
require comprehensive environmental analyses, recordkeeping and reports with respect to
operations affecting federal, state and private lands or leases;
impose taxes or fees with respect to the foregoing matters;

•
• may expose us to litigation by governmental authorities, special interest groups and other

claimants; and

• may restrict our rate of oil, NGLs, natural gas and electricity production.

Federal, state and local agencies may assert overlapping authority to regulate in these areas. In
addition, certain of these laws and regulations may apply retroactively and may impose strict or joint
and several liability on us for events or conditions over which we and our predecessors had no
control, without regard to fault, legality of the original activities, or ownership or control by third
parties.

Federal, state and local governments frequently revise health, safety and environmental laws

and regulations, and any changes that result in delays or more stringent permitting, materials
handling, engineering, disposal, cleanup and restoration requirements for the oil and gas industry
could have a significant impact on our capital investments and operating costs. Failure to comply
with existing or new laws and regulations may result in the assessment of administrative, civil or
criminal fines and penalties and liability for non-compliance, costs of corrective action, installation of
pollution control equipment, cleanup and restoration, compensation for personal injury, property
damage or other losses, and the imposition of injunctive or declaratory relief that may delay, modify
or prevent development, construction or operations. Releases, discharges or other accidents may
occur in the course of our operations and may result in significant costs and liabilities, including
governmental or third-party claims for personal injury or damage to property or natural resources.

17

Regulation of Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions

A number of international, federal, state, and regional efforts seek to prevent or mitigate the
effects of climate change or to track or reduce GHG emissions associated with industrial activity,
including operations of the oil and natural gas production sector and those who use our products as
a source of energy. The EPA has adopted regulations to restrict GHG emissions from certain mobile
sources, require certain operations, including onshore and offshore oil and natural gas production
facilities, to monitor and report GHG emissions on an annual basis, and incorporate measures to
reduce GHG emissions in permits for certain facilities.

In 2006, California adopted Assembly Bill 32 (AB 32), which established a statewide

‘‘cap-and-trade’’ program for GHG emissions. Under the program, which commenced in 2012, the
California Air Resources Board (CARB) set a statewide maximum limit on total GHG emissions, and
this cap declines annually through 2020. CARB requires us, and other businesses in the oil and
natural gas production sector, to report GHG emissions. We are required to obtain allowances or
qualifying offset credits for each metric ton of GHGs emitted from our operations and from the sale
of certain products to customers for use in California. The state grants a portion of the allowance,
but we must make up any shortfall by purchasing additional allowances from either the state or a
third party. The availability of allowances will decline over time, and the cost to acquire such
allowances may increase. The cap-and-trade program currently expires in 2020. California Senate
bills in 2014 and 2015 proposed to extend the program to 2050. Although those bills were not
adopted, similar legislation may be proposed in the future.

In 2015, the California cap-and-trade program began to cover emissions from the sale of
propane and liquid transportation fuels for use in the state. Producers or marketers of propane and
refiners of liquid transportation fuels will be responsible for retiring allowances equivalent to the
metric tons of carbon dioxide estimated to be produced from the combustion of the propane and
transportation fuels they market for use in California. Under AB 32, CARB has also imposed a ‘‘low
carbon fuel’’ standard, which requires refiners to reduce the carbon content of transportation fuels
they market in California by 10% by 2020. In 2015, California enacted SB 350, which established
goals to derive 50% of California’s electricity from renewable sources and to double the energy
efficiency of buildings in the state by 2030. The Governor’s stated goal to reduce petroleum use in
cars and trucks by 50% from current levels was not enacted by the Legislature, but may be the
subject of additional regulations by CARB. At the United Nations Climate Conference in Paris in
December 2015, California’s Governor announced that the state is seeking to create a western
regional electricity market and to incorporate certain U.S. states, Canadian provinces and cities in
other countries into California’s cap-and-trade program. These programs and policies, as well as
federal and California subsidies and tax incentives for the development and construction of
alternative energy-fueled power generation and transportation, may reduce demand for our products
and services or require further controls on, or modifications to, our operations.

If we are unable to recover or pass through a significant portion of our costs related to

complying with climate change regulations, these regulations could materially affect our operations
and financial condition. To the extent financial markets view climate change and GHG emissions as
a financial risk, this could negatively impact our cost of, and access to, capital. Future legislation or
regulations adopted to address climate change could also make our products more or less desirable
than competing sources of energy.

18

Regulation of Transportation and Sale of Our Products

Our sales prices of oil, NGLs and natural gas in the United States are set by the market and are

not presently regulated. In late 2015, the U.S. federal government lifted restrictions on the export of
domestically produced oil, which will allow the sale of our oil production in additional markets, and
may affect the prices we realize.

Interstate transportation rates for oil, natural gas and NGLs are regulated by the Federal Energy

Regulatory Commission (FERC). The FERC has established an indexing system for such
transportation, which allows pipelines to take an annual inflation-based rate increase. We are not
able to determine the effect, if any, these regulations have on us, but, other factors being equal, the
regulations may, over time, tend to increase transportation costs, which may affect our margins.

Market Manipulation and Market Transparency Regulations

Under the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the FERC possesses regulatory oversight over natural gas

and power markets to prevent market manipulation. The Federal Trade Commission has similar
regulatory oversight of oil markets to prevent market manipulation. The Commodity Futures Trading
Commission (CFTC) also holds authority over the physical and futures energy commodities market
pursuant to the Commodity Exchange Act. We are required to observe these laws and related
regulations when we engage in physical purchases and sales of oil, NGLs and natural gas and when
we engage in hedging activity. These agencies hold substantial enforcement authority, including the
ability to assess civil penalties of up to $1 million per day per violation, to order disgorgement of
profits and to recommend criminal penalties. We could also be subject to related third-party damage
claims for violation of these laws brought by, among others, sellers, royalty owners and taxing
authorities. In addition, the FERC has issued market transparency rules for natural gas and power
that affect some of our operations and impose reporting and other obligations on us.

Natural Gas Gathering Regulations

Section 1(b) of the federal Natural Gas Act exempts natural gas gathering facilities from the
jurisdiction of the FERC. We own certain natural gas pipelines that we believe meet the traditional
tests that FERC has used to establish a pipeline’s status as a gathering line not subject to FERC
jurisdiction. The distinction between FERC-regulated transmission facilities and federally unregulated
gathering facilities is, however, the subject of ongoing litigation, and is otherwise subject to potential
change.

In addition to the federal and state laws described above under the heading ‘‘Business—
Regulation of Health, Safety and Environmental Matters,’’ our natural gas gathering operations are
subject to state statutes designed to prohibit discrimination favoring producers or sources of supply.
The regulations may restrict those with whom we contract to gather natural gas. In addition, our
natural gas gathering operations could become subject to more stringent application of state or
federal regulation of rates and services, though we do not believe any such action would affect us
materially differently than our competitors.

Regulation of Power Sales and Transmission

The FERC regulates the sale of electricity at wholesale and the transmission of electricity under

the Federal Power Act. The FERC’s jurisdiction includes, among other things, authority over the
rates, charges and other terms for the sale of electricity at wholesale by public utilities and for
transmission services. In most cases, the FERC does not set rates for the sale of electricity at

19

wholesale by generating companies (such as our subsidiary) that qualify for market-based rate
authority, which allows companies to negotiate market rates. In order to be eligible for market-based
rate authority, and to maintain exemptions from certain FERC regulations, our subsidiary has been
granted market-based rate authorization from the FERC.

Employees

Our future success will depend partially on our ability to attract, retain and motivate qualified
employees. We also utilize the services of independent contractors to perform drilling, well work,
operations, construction and other services, including construction contractors whose workforce is
often represented by labor unions. Approximately 85 of our employees are represented by labor
unions. We have not experienced any strikes or work stoppages by our employees in the past
36 years or longer.

In the third quarter of 2015, we announced a voluntary retirement program and other employee
actions to align our workforce with our view of the price environment. At the time of the Spin-off, we
had about 2,000 employees. As of December 31, 2015, we had approximately 1,700 employees,
representing a 15% reduction mainly through attrition and the third quarter employee actions. Since
year end, we have implemented additional actions to reduce our workforce below 1,500 employees.

Effective January 1, 2015, we adopted the California Resources Corporation 2014 Employee
Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP). The ESPP provides our employees the ability to purchase shares of
our common stock at a price equal to 85% of the closing price of a share of our common stock as of
the first or last day of each fiscal quarter, whichever amount is less. At January 1, 2016, over 50%
of our employees had elected to participate in the plan.

Available Information

We make the following information available free of charge on our website at www.crc.com:

•

Forms 10-K, 10-Q, 8-K and amendments to these forms as soon as reasonably practicable
after they are electronically filed with, or furnished to, the Securities and Exchange
Commission (SEC);

• Other SEC filings including Forms 3, 4, 5 and 10; and
•

Corporate governance information, including our corporate governance guidelines, board-
committee charters and code of business conduct (see Part III, Item 10, of this report for
further information).

Information contained on our website is not part of this report.

20

ITEM 1A RISK FACTORS

RISK FACTORS

We are subject to certain risks and hazards due to the nature of the business activities we

conduct. The risks discussed below, any of which could materially and adversely affect our business,
financial condition, cash flows and results of operations, are not the only risks we face. We may
experience additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or, as a result of
developments occurring in the future, conditions that we currently deem to be immaterial may
ultimately materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, cash flows and results of
operations.

Risks Related to Our Business and Industry

Commodity pricing can fluctuate widely and strongly affects our results of operations,
financial condition, cash flow and ability to grow.

Our financial results, financial condition, cash flow and ability to grow correlate closely to the

prices we obtain for our products. Since 2014, global energy commodity prices have declined
significantly. For example, Brent crude prices declined from over $110 per barrel in June 2014 to
below $30 per barrel in January 2016. Continued low prices for our products or further price
decreases could have several negative effects described in greater detail below, including:

•

•
•

•

reduced cash flow, decreased funds available for capital investments as well as costs
incurred to reduce our labor force and otherwise adjust our cost structure;
reduced proved oil and gas reserves and related cash flows;
further impairments of our oil and gas properties such as we experienced in 2014 and 2015;
and
reduced borrowing base capacity under our credit facility as oil and gas reserves values fall,
with the potential for a reduction of our liquidity, mandatory loan repayments and default and
foreclosure by our banks on our secured assets.

Product prices can fluctuate widely and are affected by a variety of factors, including changes in

consumption patterns, inventory levels, global and local economic conditions, the actions of OPEC
and other significant producers and governments, actual or threatened production and refining
disruptions, currency exchange rates, worldwide drilling and exploration activities, the effects of
conservation, weather, geophysical and technical limitations, refining and processing disruptions,
transportation bottlenecks and other matters affecting the supply and demand dynamics for our
products; technological advances and regional market conditions; transportation capacity and costs
in producing areas; and the effect of changes in these variables on market perceptions. These and
other factors make it impossible to predict realized prices reliably. While our hedging activities
provide some protection for a significant portion of our 2016 production, they may not adequately
protect us from commodity price fluctuations and we may be unable to enter into acceptable
additional hedges.

The sustained downturn in the price of crude oil since 2014 has affected, and may further
materially and adversely affect, our financial position, the quantities of natural gas and oil reserves
that we can economically produce, our cash flow available for interest payments, operational
expenses and capital investments, our need to post cash collateral or provide letters of credit, our
relationships with, or ability to attract, counterparties to our transactions, including hedging

21

transactions, our ability to access funds under our revolving credit facility and through the capital
markets and the price we could obtain for asset sales or other monetization transactions.

Our lenders can limit our borrowing capabilities, which may materially impact our ability to
use or access capital, worsening any reduction in our cash flows and limiting our business
activities.

On February 23, 2016, we amended our credit facilities which reduced our borrowing base to
$2.3 billion and the lenders’ revolving facility commitments to $1.6 billion. At January 31, 2016, we
had approximately $1.7 billion of outstanding debt under our revolving credit and term loan facilities,
resulting in approximately $560 million of availability, under the new $2.3 billion borrowing base. We
may need to depend on our revolving credit facility for a portion of our future capital or operating
needs. Our ability to borrow under our revolving credit facility will be further limited by our ability to
comply with its covenants, including quarterly financial covenants.

As amended, our financial performance covenants through December 31, 2016 comprise an
obligation to achieve (i) a cumulative minimum EBITDAX during 2016 of $55 million through the first
quarter, $130 million through the second quarter, $190 million through the third quarter and
$250 million through the fourth quarter and (ii) a trailing twelve-month minimum interest coverage
ratio of 2.00:1.00 as of the end of the first quarter of 2016, 1.50:1.00 as of the end of the second
quarter, 1.25:1.00 as of the end of the third quarter, and 0.70:1.00 as of the end of the fourth
quarter. As of the end of the first quarter of 2017, the minimum interest coverage ratio will revert
back to 2.00:1.00. We will not be subject to a maximum first lien senior secured leverage ratio for
2016. The amendment also suspends the requirement for us to comply with a trailing twelve-month
maximum first lien senior secured leverage ratio of 2.25:1.00 until the end of the first quarter of
2017. Compliance with the first-lien senior secured leverage and the interest expense ratios in the
first quarter of 2017 would require prices significantly higher than current prices.

Except as otherwise agreed with our lenders for specific transactions, our credit facilities as
amended require us to apply 100% of the proceeds from certain asset monetizations to repay loans
outstanding under the credit facilities, except that we will be permitted to use up to 40% of proceeds
from non-borrowing base asset sales to repurchase our notes to the extent available at a significant
minimum discount to par as specified in the amended facilities. Subject to compliance with our
indentures, our amended facilities permit us to incur additional indebtedness to repurchase our notes
to the extent available at a significant minimum discount to par, as specified in the amended
facilities, as follows: (i) up to $1 billion, which may be secured by liens that are junior to the liens
securing our credit facilities, provided that at least 60% of the proceeds from the new debt is used
first to repay loans outstanding under the credit facilities, and (ii) up to $200 million, which may be
secured by first-priority liens on our non-borrowing base properties. The amended credit facilities
also permit us to incur up to an additional $50 million of non-credit facility indebtedness, which,
subject to compliance with our indentures, may be secured; and the proceeds of which must be
applied to repay loans outstanding under the credit facilities. All of the foregoing prepayments will be
applied first to our term loan and second to our revolving loans after the term loan has been fully
repaid (with a corresponding reduction to the lenders’ revolving loan commitments). Our amended
facilities also require us to apply cash on hand in excess of $150 million to repay amounts
outstanding under our revolving credit facility. Further, we are restricted from (i) paying dividends or
making other distributions to common stockholders and (ii) making capital investments exceeding
$100 million during 2016.

The amendment also imposed a semi-annual borrowing base redetermination each May 1 and

November 1, commencing May 1, 2016. The borrowing base will be based upon a number of

22

factors, including commodity prices and reserves levels. Increases in our borrowing base requires
approval of at least 80% of our revolving lenders, as measured by exposure, while decreases
require a two-thirds approval. We and the lenders (requiring a request from the lenders holding
two-thirds of the revolving commitments and outstanding loans), each may request a special
redetermination once in any period between three consecutive scheduled redeterminations. Upon a
redetermination, our borrowing base could further be substantially reduced, and in the event the
amount outstanding under the revolving credit facility at any time exceeds the borrowing base at
such time, we may be required to repay a portion of our outstanding borrowings. In that event, we
may not have sufficient funds to make such repayments and may be unable to arrange new
financing or sell sufficient assets and could default under our credit facilities. If we are able to take
action sufficient to refund a repayment obligation it may significantly affect our business or financial
results. Any reduction in our borrowing base could limit our access to capital to fund our capital
program, other obligations and business activities.

Substantially all of the restrictions imposed by the recent amendment to the credit facilities, other
than the requirement for semi-annual borrowing base redeterminations, may terminate in the future if
we are able to comply with the financial performance covenants as they existed prior to giving effect
to the amendment. If we were to breach any of our credit facility covenants, our lenders would be
permitted to accelerate the principal amount due under the credit facilities and foreclose on the
assets securing them. If payment were accelerated under our credit facilities, it would result in a
default under our outstanding notes and permit acceleration and foreclosure on the assets securing
the secured notes.

Continued reduced commodity prices and lower operating cash flows, coupled with
substantial interest payments, would severely constrain our liquidity.

The primary source of liquidity and capital resources to fund our capital program and other
obligations is cash flow from operations and borrowings under our revolving credit facility. As noted
above, our borrowing capacity is limited. At current price levels, we estimate that our capital budget
for 2016 will be approximately $50 million.

Further price declines would further reduce our cash flows from operations and may limit our
access to borrowing capacity or cause default under our revolving credit facility as discussed above.
If we are unable to achieve improved liquidity through additional financing, asset monetizations,
restructuring of our debt obligations or otherwise, cash flow from operations and expected available
credit capacity may not be sufficient to meet our commitments over the next twelve months.

We continue to evaluate asset monetization transactions and other alternatives to manage our
debt capital structure. We cannot assure that any of these efforts will be successful or will result in
sufficient cost reductions or additional cash flows or the timing of any such cost reductions or
additional cash flows. We recently completed an exchange of newly-issued second lien secured
notes for outstanding senior unsecured notes that may deplete a significant portion of our net
operating losses such that we may not have sufficient net operating losses available to offset future
gains. Additionally, if the current conditions persist, we expect our production levels would decrease
as we intend to continue to limit our capital program, which would further reduce cash flow.

23

We have significant indebtedness and may incur more debt. Higher levels of indebtedness
could make us more vulnerable to economic downturns and adverse developments in our
business or otherwise limit our operational flexibility.

As of December 31, 2015, we had $6.1 billion of consolidated indebtedness comprised of senior

unsecured notes, second lien secured notes and secured credit facility borrowings. At January 31,
2016, we had approximately $1.7 billion of outstanding debt under our revolving credit and term loan
facilities, resulting in approximately $560 million of availability, under our $2.3 billion borrowing base
in effect as of February 2016 and subject to compliance with our quarterly financial covenants.

In addition, the indentures governing our outstanding notes and our credit agreement permit us

to incur significant additional indebtedness as well as certain defined obligations, unrestricted by
debt incurrence or lien covenants, or that do not constitute indebtedness.

Indebtedness outstanding under our credit facilities bears interest at a variable rate, therefore a
rise in interest rates will generate greater interest expense if and to the extent we do not purchase
interest rate hedges.

Our level of indebtedness may have several important consequences, including, without

limitation:

•
•

•

•

jeopardizing our ability to continue executing our business plans;
increasing our vulnerability to adverse changes in our business and to general economic and
industry conditions, and putting us at a disadvantage against competitors that have lower
fixed obligations and more cash flow to devote to their businesses;
limiting our ability to obtain additional financing for working capital, capital investments and
general corporate and other purposes or increasing the cost of that capital; and
limiting our flexibility to operate our business, react to competitive pressures and adverse
regulatory changes and engage in certain transactions that might otherwise be beneficial to
us.

The covenants under the credit agreement and note indentures may limit, among other things,

our ability to:

•
incur indebtedness;
• make investments;
• make restricted payments;
•
•
•
•

create liens on certain assets forming the borrowing base for our credit facilities;
sell assets that constitute borrowing base collateral;
engage in mergers or acquisitions; and
release collateral.

Our ability to meet our debt obligations and other financial needs will depend on our future
performance, which will be affected by market, financial, business, economic, regulatory and other
factors. If our cash flow is not sufficient to service our debt, we may be required to refinance debt,
sell assets or sell additional equity on terms that may be unattractive if it can be done at all. Further,
our failure to comply with the financial and other restrictive covenants relating to our indebtedness
could result in a default under that indebtedness. Any of these factors could result in a material
adverse effect on our business, financial condition, cash flows or results of operations and a default
on our indebtedness could result in acceleration of all of our debt and foreclosure of assets subject
to our secured credit facilities and secured notes.

24

If we fail to comply with the continued listing standards of the New York Stock Exchange
(NYSE), it may result in a delisting of our common stock from the NYSE.

Our common stock is listed on the NYSE. Continued listing is subject to compliance with a
number of listing standards. We were recently notified by the NYSE that we were out of compliance
with minimum standards because the average closing price of our common stock as reported on the
consolidated tape was less than $1.00 over a consecutive 30 trading-day period. NYSE rules provide
issuers six months from NYSE notification of a deficiency to cure noncompliance with the stock price
listing standard before the NYSE begins suspension and delisting procedures. An issuer can regain
compliance at any time during the six-month cure period if, on the last trading day of any calendar
month during the cure period, the company has a closing stock price of at least $1.00 and an
average closing stock price of at least $1.00 over the 30 trading-day period ending on the last
trading day of that month. Additionally, if our common stock trades at a price below $0.16 per share
at any time, the NYSE has advised that they may immediately suspend the trading of our common
stock and initiate delisting procedures without an opportunity to cure the listing deficiency.

Subject to board approval, we intend to seek stockholder approval to effect a reverse stock split

not later than our Annual Meeting in May. There can be no assurance that stockholders will grant
approval or that the deficiency will be cured by subsequent trading prices. Any delisting of our
common stock from the NYSE could result in even further reductions in our stock price, would
substantially limit the liquidity of our common stock, and would materially adversely affect our ability
to raise capital or pursue strategic restructuring, refinancing or other transactions on acceptable
terms, or at all. Any delisting from the NYSE could also have other negative results, including the
potential loss of investor confidence.

Our business requires substantial capital investments. We may be unable to fund these
investments through operating cash flow or obtain any needed additional capital on
satisfactory terms or at all, which could lead to a decline in our oil and gas reserves or
production. Our capital investment program is also susceptible to risks that could materially
affect its implementation.

The oil and gas industry is capital intensive. We make and expect to continue to make

substantial capital investments for the development and exploration of oil and gas reserves. 
We invested $401 million of capital during the year ended December 31, 2015, funded by our
operating cash flow and were able to minimize production declines. At current price levels, we plan
to invest approximately $50 million under our 2016 capital program, which will be funded primarily
through cash flow from operations and borrowings under our revolving credit facility. The new
amendment to our credit facilities does not permit us to incur capital expenditures in 2016 in excess
of $100 million. We expect our planned reductions in capital investment in 2016 to cause our
production to decline, and they will begin to reduce our cash flows and possibly our reserves.

Our ability to deploy capital as planned over the long term depends on a number of variables,
including: (i) commodity prices and market access; (ii) regulatory and third-party approvals; (iii) our
ability to timely drill wells due to technical factors and contract terms; (iv) the availability of capital,
equipment, services and personnel and (v) drilling and completion costs and results. Because of
these and other potential variables, we may be unable to deploy capital in the manner planned and
actual development activities may materially differ from those presently anticipated.

25

Estimates of proved reserves and related future net cash flows are not precise. The actual
quantities of our proved reserves and future net cash flows may prove to be lower than
estimated.

Many uncertainties exist in estimating quantities of proved reserves and related future net cash

flows. Our estimates are based on various assumptions, which may ultimately prove to be
inaccurate.

During the course of 2015, we experienced significant and extended price declines from 2014,

which impacted the quantity of reserves we reported as of December 31, 2015. The unweighted
arithmetic average first-day-of-the-month price for Brent oil decreased from $101.30 per barrel for
2014 to $55.57 per barrel for 2015. As a result we experienced negative price related revisions to
our proved reserves at December 31, 2015 of 153 MMBoe. Generally, lower prices adversely affect
the quantity of our reserves as those reserves expected to be produced in later years, which tend to
be costlier on a per unit basis, become uneconomic. In addition, a portion of our proved
undeveloped reserves may no longer meet the economic producibility criteria under the rules or may
be removed due to a lower amount of capital available to develop these projects within the
SEC-mandated five-year limit. For example, in 2015 we recategorized 69 million barrels of proved
undeveloped reserves as unproved reserves as a result of these constraints and a significant
reduction in pricing for 2016 from 2015 may require us to impair or recategorize reserves again in
2017. Our production-sharing contracts in Long Beach tend to partially offset these effects because
our share of production and reserves from these contracts increases as prices decline. Cost
reduction and efficiency efforts also offset a portion of the price-related loss of reserves quantities as
some of the barrels that would have become uneconomic in later years remain economic, a portion
of the proved undeveloped reserves that would otherwise be removed from the reserves quantities
become economic and we expect to drill more wells with the same amount of capital. We can give
no guarantee, however, that we will ultimately be able to continue to realize reductions and
efficiencies as we seek to produce our reserves. If the SEC prices for the December 31, 2015
reserves determination were about $10 lower than those actually used, we believe our reserves
quantities may have been lower by less than 15%. This estimate does not reflect the effect of further
cost savings that we expect to achieve in 2016.

In addition, our reserves information represents estimates prepared by internal engineers.

Although over 80% of these estimates were audited by our independent petroleum engineers, Ryder
Scott Company, L.P., we cannot guarantee that the estimates are accurate. Reserves estimation is a
partially subjective process of estimating accumulations of oil and natural gas. Estimates of
economically recoverable oil and natural gas reserves and of future net cash flows depend upon a
number of variables and assumptions, including:

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

historical production from the area compared with production from similar areas;
the quality, quantity and interpretation of available relevant data;
commodity prices;
production and operating costs;
ad valorem, excise and income taxes;
development costs;
the effects of government regulations; and
future workover and remedial costs.

Misunderstanding of the variables, inaccurate assumptions, changed circumstances or new

information could require us to make significant negative reserves revisions.

26

We currently expect improved recovery, extensions and discoveries to be our main sources for

reserves additions, but factors such as geology, government regulations and permits and the
effectiveness of development plans are partially or fully outside management’s control and could
cause unforeseen results. Any material inaccuracies in these reserves estimates or underlying
assumptions could materially affect the quantities and net present value of our reserves, which could
adversely affect our business and results of operations.

Risks related to our acquisition and disposition activities could negatively impact our
financial condition and results of operations.

Our disposition activities carry risks that (i) we may not be able to realize reasonable prices for
assets we sell; (ii) we may be required to retain liabilities that are greater than desired or anticipated;
and (iii) we may lose synergies among elements of our business. Our acquisition activities carry
risks that we may: (i) not fully realize anticipated benefits due to less-than-expected reserves or
production or changed circumstances, such as the recent deterioration of oil and natural gas prices;
(ii) bear unexpected integration costs or experience other integration difficulties; (iii) experience
share price declines based on the market’s evaluation of the activity or (iv) assume liabilities that are
greater than anticipated.

In connection with our acquisitions, we are often only able to perform limited due diligence.
Successful acquisitions of oil and gas properties require an assessment of a number of factors,
including estimates of recoverable reserves, the timing for recovering the reserves, exploration
potential, future commodity prices, operating costs and potential environmental, regulatory and other
liabilities. Such assessments are inexact and incomplete, and we may be unable to make these
assessments with a high degree of accuracy.

Unless we replace crude oil and natural gas reserves, our future reserves and production will
decline.

Our total proved reserves decline as reserves are produced unless we conduct successful

exploration and development activities or acquire properties containing proved reserves, or both. Our
reduced expected capital investment in 2016 may result in a future decline in our reserves. To the
extent cash flow from operations and external sources of capital remain limited or become
unavailable, our ability to make the necessary long-term capital investments needed to maintain or
expand our asset base of crude oil and natural gas reserves may be impaired. We may not be
successful in developing, exploring for or acquiring additional reserves. We also may not be
successful in raising funds to acquire additional reserves. Over the long term, a continuing decline in
our production and reserves would reduce our liquidity and ability to satisfy our debt obligations by
negatively affecting our cash flow from operations and the value of our assets.

Our business is highly regulated and governmental authorities can delay or deny permits and
approvals or change legal requirements governing our operations, including hydraulic
fracturing and other well stimulation, enhanced production techniques and fluid disposal, that
could increase costs, restrict operations and delay our implementation of, or cause us to
change, our business strategy.

Our operations are subject to complex and stringent federal, state, local and other laws and

regulations relating to the exploration and development of our properties, the production,
transportation and sale of our products, and the services we provide. See the section of our Annual
Report on Form 10-K entitled ‘‘Business-Regulation of the Oil and Natural Gas Industry’’ for a
description of laws and regulations that affect our business. To operate in compliance with these

27

laws and regulations, we must obtain and maintain permits, approvals and certificates from federal,
state and local governmental authorities. Failure to comply with these laws and regulations may
result in the assessment of administrative, civil and criminal fines and penalties and liability for
noncompliance, costs of corrective action, cleanup or restoration, compensation for personal injury,
property damage or other losses, and the imposition of injunctive or declaratory relief restricting or
limiting our operations. Under certain environmental laws and regulations, we could be subject to
strict or joint and several liability for the removal or remediation of contamination, including on
properties over which we and our predecessors had no control, without regard to fault, legality of the
original activities, or ownership or control by third parties.

Our customers, including refineries and utilities, are also highly regulated. For example, the
recent release of natural gas from a utility’s Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility in California
may result in new regulations that could affect the demand or availability of storage for natural gas,
add seasonal volatility, or otherwise affect the prices we receive from customers.

Costs of compliance may increase and operational delays or restrictions may occur as existing
laws and regulations are revised or reinterpreted, or as new laws and regulations become applicable
to our operations. Certain government agencies have adopted or proposed new or more stringent
requirements for permitting, well construction, public disclosure or environmental review of, or
restrictions on, certain oil and gas operations, including drilling, completion, well stimulation,
enhanced production techniques, fluid disposal, water recycling and reuse, remediation and closure
and decommissioning of our facilities. Such new requirements or restrictions or resulting litigation
could result in potentially significant added costs to comply, delay or curtail our exploration,
development, or production activities, and preclude us from drilling or stimulating wells, which could
impair our expected production over the longer term.

Tax law changes may adversely affect our operations.

In California, there have been proposals for tax increases for the past several years including a

severance tax as high as 12.5% of the value of petroleum production in California. Although the
proposals have not become law, campaigns by various interest groups could lead to future oil and
gas severance taxes. The imposition of such a tax could severely reduce our profit margins and
cash flow and could ultimately result in lower oil and natural gas production, which may reduce our
capital investments and growth plans.

In addition, President Obama’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2017 recommended the

elimination of certain federal income tax preferences currently available to oil and gas exploration
and production companies as well as new taxes, all of which could harm us. The elimination of tax
preferences includes (i) the repeal of the percentage depletion allowance for oil and gas properties,
(ii) the elimination of expensing intangible drilling costs, (iii) an increase in the amortization period
from two years to seven years for geological and geophysical costs paid or incurred by independent
producers and (iv) repealing the domestic manufacturing deduction for income derived from the
production of oil and gas in the United States.

The new taxes on oil companies proposed by President Obama include (i) a $10.25 per Boe tax

and (ii) a reinstatement of the Superfund excise tax. If enacted, the new oil tax would be collected
on domestically produced crude oil. The oil tax would be phased in over a five-year period beginning
October 1, 2016. The reinstatement of the Superfund excise tax would be for taxable years
beginning after December 31, 2016 through December 31, 2026.

28

Drilling for and producing oil and natural gas carry significant operational and financial risk
and uncertainty.

Unless we conduct successful development and exploration activities or acquire properties
containing proved reserves, our proved reserves will decline as those reserves are produced. Our
decisions to explore, develop, purchase or otherwise exploit prospects or properties will depend in
part on the evaluation of geophysical, geologic, engineering, production and other technical data, the
analysis of which is often inconclusive or subject to varying interpretations. Our cost of drilling,
completing, equipping and operating wells is also often uncertain. Overruns in budgeted investments
are a common risk that can make a particular project uneconomical or less economical than
forecast. We bear the risks of equipment failures, accidents, environmental hazards, adverse
weather conditions, permitting or construction delays, title disputes, surface access disputes,
disappointing drilling results or reservoir performance, including response to improved recovery or
enhanced recovery efforts, and other associated risks.

Our producing properties are located exclusively in California, making us vulnerable to risks
associated with having operations concentrated in this geographic area.

Our operations are geographically concentrated exclusively in California. Because of this
geographic concentration, the success and profitability of our operations may be disproportionately
exposed to the effect of regional events. These include local price fluctuations, changes in state or
regional laws and regulations affecting our operations, and other regional supply and demand
factors, including gathering, pipeline, marine and rail transportation capacity constraints,
infrastructure capacity and availability of rigs, equipment, oil field services, supplies and labor. The
concentration of our operations in California and limited local storage options also increase our
exposure to events such as natural disasters, mechanical failures, industrial accidents or labor
difficulties. Any one of these events has the potential to cause producing wells to be shut-in, delay
operations and growth plans, decrease cash flows, increase operating and capital costs, prevent
development of lease inventory before expiration and limit access to markets for our products. For
example, we experienced higher discounts to index prices in the early part of 2015, which reflected
the result of local refinery and pipeline events and local price posting mechanisms.

Federal and state legislation and regulatory initiatives relating to hydraulic fracturing and
other well stimulation techniques could cause us to incur increased costs and experience
additional operating restrictions or delays.

Hydraulic fracturing involves the injection of fluid under pressure into underground rock

formations containing oil and natural gas to create or enlarge fractures to stimulate production by
allowing fluids to flow more freely into the oil and gas well. In 2013 California adopted SB 4, which
mandated further regulation of certain well stimulation techniques, including hydraulic fracturing and
acid matrix stimulation. Among other things, SB 4 requires operators to obtain specific well
stimulation permits, notify proximate property owners or lessees of proposed stimulation treatments,
disclose the fluids used and other stimulation data and implement groundwater monitoring and water
management plans. In addition, the EPA and the BLM adopted or proposed additional federal
regulations in 2015 on certain well stimulation operations. The implementation of federal and state
well stimulation regulations and associated studies and reports have delayed and increased the cost
of certain operations, and additional regulations may further increase costs and cause additional
delays.

In addition, certain local governments have proposed or adopted ordinances that purport, within

their jurisdictions, to regulate certain drilling activities in general, or well stimulation or completion

29

activities in particular, including hydraulic fracturing, or to ban such activities outright. If new or more
stringent federal, state, or local legal restrictions relating to the hydraulic fracturing process are
adopted in areas where we operate, we could incur potentially significant added costs to comply with
such requirements, experience delays or curtailment in the pursuit of exploration, development, or
production activities, and perhaps even be precluded from drilling wells.

Restrictions on our ability to obtain, use, manage or dispose of water may have an adverse
effect on our operations.

Water management is an essential component of our operations. We treat and re-use water for

a substantial portion of our needs related to activities such as steamflooding, waterflooding, pressure
management, well completion and stimulation, including limited hydraulic fracturing, and we provide
reclaimed water for agricultural use in certain areas. We also use supplied water from various local
and regional sources, particularly for power plants and to support operations like steam injection in
certain fields. Due to severe drought in California, some local and regional water districts and the
state government are implementing regulations and policies that restrict water usage and increase
the cost of water.

Existing laws and regulations restrict our ability and increase our cost to manage and dispose of

water and other fluids. The federal Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act and analogous
state laws impose restrictions and strict controls on the discharge of and injection of fluids, including
produced water. We must obtain permits or waivers for certain surface discharges and subsurface
injection, as well as for construction activities that may affect regulated water resources. Certain
government agencies have investigated and continue to study whether the discharge or injection of
produced water could affect water quality or induce ground movement or seismicity, which may
result in additional regulations under federal and state laws. Our enhanced production operations or
fluid disposal could give rise to litigation over claims related to alleged damage to the environment or
private or public property. The laws, regulations, policies and attendant liabilities relating to the use,
disposal and injection of water and other fluids could increase our costs and negatively affect our
development and production activities.

We may not drill our identified sites at the times we scheduled or at all and sites we decide
to drill may not yield crude oil or natural gas in economically producible quantities.

We have specifically identified locations for drilling over the next several years. These drilling
locations represent a significant part of our long-term growth strategy. Our ability to profitably drill
and develop these locations depends on a number of variables, including crude oil and natural gas
prices, the availability of capital, costs, drilling results, regulatory approvals, available transportation
capacity and other factors. If future drilling results in these projects do not establish sufficient
reserves to achieve an economic return, we may curtail drilling or development of these projects.
The risk profile for our exploration and prospective drilling locations is higher than for other locations
because we have less geologic and production data and drilling history, in particular for our
prospective resource locations, which are in unproven geologic plays. We make assumptions about
the consistency and accuracy of data when we identify these locations that may prove inaccurate.
We cannot guarantee that these prospective drilling locations or any other drilling locations we have
identified will ever be drilled or if we will be able to produce crude oil or natural gas from these
drilling locations. In addition, some of our leases could expire if we do not establish production in the
leased acreage. The combined net acreage covered by leases expiring in the next three years
represented 19% of our total net undeveloped acreage at December 31, 2015. Our actual drilling
activities may materially differ from those presently identified.

30

Part of our strategy involves exploratory drilling, including drilling in new or emerging plays.
Our drilling results are uncertain, and the value of our undeveloped acreage may decline if
drilling is unsuccessful.

Investment in exploration carries inherent operational and financial risk and its results are
unpredictable. The results of our exploratory drilling in new or emerging plays are more uncertain
than drilling results in areas that are developed and have established production, and we may
increase the proportion of our drilling in new or emerging plays over time. We may not find
commercial amounts of oil or natural gas, in which case the value of our undeveloped acreage may
decline and could be impaired.

One of our important assets is our acreage in the Monterey shale play in the San Joaquin,
Los Angeles and Ventura basins. The geology of the Monterey shale is highly complex and not
uniform due to localized and varied faulting and changes in structure and rock characteristics. As a
result, it differs from other shale plays that can be developed in part on the basis of their uniformity.
Instead, individual Monterey shale drilling sites may need to be more fully understood and may
require a more precise development approach, which could affect our ability, the timing or the cost
to develop this asset.

Our Area of Mutual Interest (AMI) Agreement may limit our ability to operate outside of
California.

In connection with the Spin-off, we entered into an AMI Agreement, which provides Occidental
with the right to acquire a 51% interest in, and rights with respect to, certain oil and gas properties
we acquire in the United States, other than in the State of California, for five years following the
completion of the Spin-off. If we were to change our current strategy of focusing exclusively on
opportunities in California, the AMI Agreement could adversely affect our ability to pursue
opportunities outside of California during the five years following the Spin-off.

The enactment of derivatives legislation, and the promulgation of regulations pursuant
thereto, could have an adverse effect on our ability to use derivative instruments to reduce
the effect of commodity-price, interest-rate and other risks associated with our business.

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the Dodd-Frank Act),

enacted in 2010, establishes federal oversight and regulation of the over-the-counter (OTC)
derivatives market and entities, like us, that participate in that market. Among other things, the
Dodd-Frank Act required the CFTC to promulgate a range of rules and regulations applicable to
OTC derivatives transactions, and these rules may affect both the size of positions that we may
enter and the ability or willingness of counterparties to trade opposite us, potentially increasing costs
for transactions. Moreover, such changes could materially reduce our hedging opportunities which
could negatively affect our revenues and cash flow during periods of low commodity prices. While
many Dodd-Frank Act regulations are already in effect, the rulemaking and implementation process
is ongoing, and the ultimate effect of the adopted rules and regulations and any future rules and
regulations on our business remains uncertain.

In addition, the European Union and other non-U.S. jurisdictions are implementing regulations

with respect to the derivatives market. To the extent we transact with counterparties in foreign
jurisdictions or counterparties with other businesses that subject them to regulation in foreign
jurisdictions, we may become subject to or otherwise impacted by such regulations. At this time, the
impact of such regulations is not clear.

31

Our commodity-price risk-management and trading activities may prevent us from fully
benefiting from price increases and may expose us to other risks.

Our current commodity-price risk-management activities may prevent us from realizing the full

benefits of price increases above the levels stated in the derivative instruments used to manage
price risk. In addition, our commodity-price risk-management and trading activities may expose us to
the risk of financial loss in certain circumstances, including instances in which the following occur:

•
•

•

•

a change in price basis differentials;
the counterparties to our hedging or other price-risk management contracts fail to perform
under those arrangements;
an event materially impacts oil and natural gas prices in the opposite direction of our
derivative positions; and
our production is materially less than the notional volumes.

Concerns about climate change and other air quality issues may affect our operations or
results.

Concerns about climate change and regulation of greenhouse gases (GHGs) may affect our
business in many ways, including increasing the costs to provide our products and services, and
reducing demand for, and consumption of, our products and services. In addition, legislative and
regulatory responses to climate change may increase our operating costs. California has led other
states in adopting GHG emission reduction requirements as well as mandates for renewable fuel
sources. In 2006, California adopted AB 32, which established a statewide cap on GHG emissions,
including on the oil and natural gas production industry, and a ‘‘cap-and-trade’’ program. Since 2012,
California Air Resources Board (CARB) regulations have required us to obtain GHG emissions
allowances corresponding to reported GHG emissions from operations and, starting in 2015, from
the sale of certain products to customers for use in California. In 2015, we incurred approximately
$21 million for mandatory GHG emissions allowances in California, and costs of such allowances per
metric ton of GHG emissions are expected to increase in the future as CARB reduces the number of
available allowances, increases their targeted price and covers more operations and products in the
program.

The EPA has also adopted regulations requiring the reporting of GHG emissions from certain
onshore oil and natural gas production facilities on an annual basis. In 2015, the EPA expanded the
scope of the GHG monitoring and reporting rule to include gathering and compression facilities as
well as completions and workovers from wells that have undergone hydraulic fracturing. The EPA
also proposed regulations in 2015 that would require emission controls for methane from certain
equipment and processes in the oil and natural gas source category, including production,
processing, transmission and storage activities. These additional regulations could increase our
costs.

In addition, other current and proposed international agreements and federal and state laws,
regulations and policies seek to restrict or reduce the use of petroleum products in transportation
fuels and electricity generation, impose additional taxes and costs on producers and consumers of
petroleum products and require or subsidize the use of renewable energy, which could increase our
costs and reduce demand for our products and services.

Federal and state regulatory agencies can impose administrative, civil and/or criminal penalties

for non-compliance with air permits or other requirements of the federal Clean Air Act and
associated state laws and regulations. In addition, California air quality laws and regulations,

32

particularly in Southern and Central California where most of our operations are located, are in many
instances more stringent than analogous federal laws and regulations. As these requirements
become more stringent, we may be unable to implement them in a cost-effective manner. As a result
of existing and future air quality initiatives, we could face risks of increased costs and taxes, an
inability to execute projects and reduced demand for our products and services.

We may incur substantial losses and be subject to substantial liability claims as a result of
catastrophic events. We may not be insured for, or our insurance may be inadequate to
protect us against, these risks.

We are not fully insured against all risks. Our oil and gas exploration and production activities,

including well stimulation and completion activities, are subject to operating risks associated with
drilling for and producing oil and natural gas, such as fires, explosions, releases, discharges,
equipment failures and industrial accidents. Other catastrophic events such as earthquakes, floods,
mudslides, wildfires, droughts, terrorist attacks and other events that cause operations to cease or
be curtailed may negatively affect our business and the communities in which we operate. We may
be unable to obtain, or may elect not to obtain, insurance for certain risks if we believe that the cost
of available insurance is excessive relative to the risks presented.

Cyber attacks could affect us significantly.

Cyber attacks on businesses have escalated in recent years. We rely on electronic systems and

networks to communicate, control and manage our operations and prepare our financial
management and reporting information. If we were to experience an attack and our security
measures failed, the potential consequences to our business and the communities in which we
operate could be significant.

Risks Related to the Spin-off

In connection with our separation from Occidental, we agreed to indemnify Occidental for
certain liabilities, including those related to the operation of our business while it was still
owned by Occidental, and Occidental agreed to indemnify us for certain liabilities, which
indemnities may not be adequate.

Pursuant to agreements with Occidental, Occidental has indemnified us for certain liabilities, and

we agreed to indemnify Occidental for certain liabilities, in each case for uncapped amounts.
Indemnity payments that we may be required to provide Occidental may be significant and could
negatively impact our business, particularly indemnity payments relating to our actions that could
impact the tax-free nature of the Spin-off. Third parties could also seek to hold us responsible for
liabilities that Occidental has agreed to retain. Further, there can be no assurance that the indemnity
from Occidental will be sufficient or timely to protect us against the full effect of such liabilities.

Our Tax Sharing Agreement with Occidental may limit our ability to take certain actions,
including strategic transactions, and may require us to indemnify Occidental for significant
tax liabilities.

Under the Tax Sharing Agreement between Occidental and CRC, we have agreed to take

certain actions or refrain from taking certain actions to ensure that the Spin-off and certain
transactions taken in preparation for, or in connection with, the Spin-off qualify for tax-free status
under the relevant provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the ‘‘Code’’). We
have also made various other covenants in the Tax Sharing Agreement intended to ensure the

33

tax-free status of the Spin-off. These covenants restrict our ability to sell assets outside the ordinary
course of business, to issue or sell additional common stock or other securities (including securities
convertible into our common stock), or to enter into certain other corporate transactions. For
example, for a period of two years after the final disposition of the securities retained by Occidental
after the Spin-off, absent approval by Occidental, we may not enter into any transaction that would
be reasonably likely to cause us to undergo either a 30% or greater change in the ownership of our
voting stock or a 30% or greater change in the ownership (measured by vote or value) of all classes
of our stock.

We have agreed to indemnify Occidental for (a) taxes incurred as a result of the failure of the
Spin-off or certain transactions undertaken in preparation for, or in connection with, the Spin-off to
qualify as tax-free transactions under the relevant provisions of the Code to the extent caused by
(i) our breach of certain tax-related representations or covenants made in connection with the
Spin-off, (ii) actions, failures to act and omissions inconsistent with such representations and
covenants and (iii) certain permitted transactions, and (b) any finally determined increases of our
liability for separate tax items included in combined or consolidated Occidental returns. We also
have agreed to pay 50% of any taxes arising from the Spin-off or related transactions to the extent
that the tax is not attributable to the fault of either party. In addition, we have agreed to indemnify
Occidental and its remaining subsidiaries against claims and liabilities relating to the past operation
of our business.

We could have significant tax liabilities for periods during which Occidental operated our
business.

For any tax periods (or portion thereof) in which Occidental owned at least 80% of the total
voting power and value of our common stock, we and our subsidiaries were included in Occidental’s
consolidated group for federal income tax purposes. In addition, we or one or more of our
subsidiaries may be included in the combined, consolidated or unitary tax returns of Occidental or
one or more of its subsidiaries for state or local income tax purposes. Under the Tax Sharing
Agreement, we will be responsible for any increase in Occidental’s federal or state tax liability for
any period in which we or any of our subsidiaries are combined or consolidated with Occidental if
such increase results from audit adjustments attributable to our business. By virtue of Occidental’s
controlling ownership and the Tax Sharing Agreement, Occidental will effectively control all of our tax
decisions in connection with any consolidated, combined or unitary income tax returns in which we
(or any of our subsidiaries) are included. The Tax Sharing Agreement provides that Occidental will
have sole authority to respond to and conduct all tax proceedings (including tax audits) relating to
us, to prepare and file all consolidated, combined or unitary income tax returns in which we are
included on our behalf (including the making of any tax elections). This arrangement may result in
conflicts of interest between Occidental and us. For example, under the Tax Sharing Agreement,
Occidental will be able to choose to contest, compromise or settle any adjustment or deficiency
proposed by the relevant taxing authority in a manner that may be beneficial to Occidental and
detrimental to us.

Moreover, notwithstanding the Tax Sharing Agreement, federal law provides that each member
of a consolidated group is liable for the group’s entire tax obligation. Thus, to the extent Occidental
or other members of Occidental’s consolidated group fail to make any federal income tax payments
required by law, we could be liable for the shortfall with respect to periods in which we were a
member of Occidental’s consolidated group. Similar principles may apply for foreign, state or local
income tax purposes where Occidental or its subsidiaries have filed combined, consolidated or
unitary returns that include us.

34

We could have significant tax liabilities if the Spin-off, and certain transactions in preparation
therefore, are not tax-free.

In certain circumstances, if the Spin-off is determined to be taxable for U.S. federal income tax

purposes, we could incur significant liabilities under the Tax Sharing Agreement between us and
Occidental. Occidental received a private letter ruling from the Internal Revenue Service (the IRS) to
the effect that certain aspects of the transactions that were undertaken in preparation for, or in
connection with, the Spin-off would not cause the distribution to be taxable to Occidental or its
affiliates. Occidental also received opinions from tax counsel that (i) certain transactions that were
undertaken in preparation for, or in connection with, the Spin-off would not be taxable to Occidental
or its affiliates for federal income tax purposes and (ii) the Spin-off generally qualified as a tax-free
transaction under Sections 355, 361 and/or 368(a)(1)(D) of the Code. The private letter ruling relied
and the opinions relied on facts, assumptions, representations and undertakings from Occidental and
us regarding the past and future conduct of the companies’ respective businesses and other matters.
If any of these facts, assumptions, representations, or undertakings are, or become, incorrect or not
otherwise satisfied, Occidental may not be able to rely on the private letter ruling or the opinions of
its tax advisor and could be subject to significant tax liabilities. In addition, an opinion of counsel is
not binding upon the IRS, so, notwithstanding the opinions of Occidental’s tax advisor, the IRS could
conclude upon audit that the Spin-off is taxable in full or in part. The IRS may determine that the
Spin-off is taxable for other reasons, including as a result of certain significant changes in the stock
ownership of Occidental or us after the Spin-off.

Several members of our board of directors and management may have actual or potential
conflicts of interest because of their ownership of shares of common stock of Occidental and
the overlap of one member of our board of directors with the board of directors of
Occidental.

Several members of our board of directors and management own common stock of Occidental
or options to purchase common stock of Occidental, because of their current or prior relationships
with Occidental, which create, or appear to create, potential conflicts of interest when our directors
and executive officers are faced with decisions that could have different implications for Occidental
and us. In addition, our board and the board of directors of Occidental have one member in
common, which could create actual or potential conflicts of interest.

The Spin-off may expose us to potential liabilities arising out of federal and state fraudulent
transfer or fraudulent conveyance laws and legal dividend requirements.

The Spin-off is subject to review under various federal and state fraudulent transfer or fraudulent
conveyance laws. Under these laws, if a court in a lawsuit by an unpaid creditor or an entity vested
with the power of such creditor (including a trustee or debtor-in-possession in a bankruptcy by us or
Occidental or any of our respective subsidiaries) were to determine that Occidental or any of its
subsidiaries did not receive fair consideration or reasonably equivalent value for distributing our
common stock or taking other action as part of the Spin-off, or that we or any of our subsidiaries did
not receive fair consideration or reasonably equivalent value for incurring indebtedness, including the
new debt incurred by us in connection with the Spin-off, transferring assets or taking other action as
part of the Spin-off and, at the time of such action, we, Occidental or any of our respective
subsidiaries (i) was insolvent or would be rendered insolvent, (ii) had unreasonably small capital with
which to carry on its business and all business in which it intended to engage or (iii) intended to
incur, or believed it would incur, debts beyond its ability to repay such debts as they would mature,
then such court could void the Spin-off as a constructive fraudulent transfer. The court could impose
a number of different remedies, including voiding our liens and claims against Occidental, or

35

providing Occidental with a claim for money damages against us in an amount equal to the
difference between the consideration received by Occidental and the fair market value of our
company at the time of the Spin-off.

The measures of insolvency for purposes of fraudulent transfer or fraudulent conveyance laws

vary depending upon the governing law. Generally, an entity would be considered insolvent if:

•

•

•

the sum of its debts, including contingent liabilities, were greater than the fair value of all its
assets;
the present fair saleable value of its assets were less than the amount that would be
required to pay its probable liability on its existing debts, including contingent liabilities, as
they become absolute and mature; or
it could not pay its debts as they become due.

No assurance can be given as to what standard a court would apply to determine insolvency or
that a court would determine that we, Occidental or any of our respective subsidiaries were solvent
at the time of or after giving effect to the Spin-off, including the distribution of our common stock.

Under the Separation and Distribution Agreement between Occidental and us, from and after the
Spin-off, we and Occidental each is responsible for the debts, liabilities and other obligations related
to the business or businesses which it owns and operates following the consummation of the
Spin-off, and we and Occidental and each assumed and retained certain liabilities for the operation
of our respective businesses prior to the Spin-off and certain liabilities related to the Spin-off.
Although we do not expect to be liable for any such obligations not expressly assumed by us
pursuant to the Separation and Distribution Agreement, it is possible that a court would disregard the
allocation agreed to between the parties, and require that we assume responsibility for obligations
allocated to Occidental, particularly if Occidental were to refuse or were unable to pay or perform the
subject allocated obligations.

The agreements between us and Occidental were not made on an arm’s-length basis.

The agreements we entered into with Occidental in connection with the Spin-off, were negotiated

while we were still a wholly-owned subsidiary of Occidental. Accordingly, during the period in which
the terms of those agreements were negotiated, we did not have an independent board of directors
or a management team independent of Occidental. As a result, the terms of those agreements may
be unfavorable and may not reflect terms that would have resulted from arm’s-length negotiations
between unaffiliated third parties. The terms relate to, among other things, the allocation of assets,
liabilities, rights and other obligations between Occidental and us.

ITEM 1B Unresolved Staff Comments

We have no unresolved SEC staff comments at December 31, 2015.

36

ITEM 2 PROPERTIES

Our Operations

Our Areas of Operation

California is one of the most prolific oil and natural gas producing regions in the world and is the
third largest oil producing state in the nation. According to DOGGR, cumulative California production
from all four basins in which we operate is 35 billion barrels of oil equivalent (BBoe), including
approximately 19 BBoe in the San Joaquin basin, 10 BBoe in Los Angeles basin, 4 BBoe in Ventura
basin and 10 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of natural gas in Sacramento basin. Additionally, Kern County has
been one of the top two largest oil producing counties in the lower 48 states for a number of years.
California imports more than 60% of its oil, mostly from foreign locations, and 90% of its natural gas.
Because of limited crude transportation infrastructure from other parts of the country to California, the
California market is generally isolated from the rest of the nation, which we believe have offered
relatively favorable pricing compared to other U.S. regions for similar grades. Our operations include
137 fields with 9,067 gross active wellbores as of December 31, 2015. We believe we are the largest
private oil and natural gas mineral acreage holder in California, with interests in approximately
2.4 million net acres. Approximately 60% of our total net mineral interest position is held in fee. A
majority of our interests are in producing properties located in reservoirs characterized by what we
believe to be long-lived production profiles with repeatable development opportunities.

4MAR201600204043

37

In 2015, we drilled 283 net development wells, of which more than 80% were producers and the

rest were injectors and disposal wells. Our 2015 development drilling capital was approximately
$130 million. Our 2015 total oil and gas capital of $370 million also included investments in facilities
and compression expansion, workovers and exploration. In 2015 we produced 58 MMBoe. Our
capital program, along with positive performance-related revisions of 45 MMBoe, added 81 MMBoe
of proved reserves in 2015 representing a 140% organic reserves replacement ratio. For further
information on reserves replacement ratio, see ‘‘PV-10, Standardized Measure and Reserves
Replacement Ratio’’ section below.

San Joaquin Basin

We actively operate and are developing 45 fields in this inland basin in the southern part of
California’s central valley, which consists of conventional primary, IOR, EOR and unconventional
project types with approximately 1.6 million net acres, approximately 62% of which we hold in fee.
Approximately 70% of our estimated proved reserves as of December 31, 2015 and 69% of our
average daily net production for the year ended December 31, 2015 came from the San Joaquin
basin.

According to DOGGR, approximately 74% of California’s daily oil production for 2014 was
produced in the San Joaquin basin. Commercial petroleum development began in the basin in the
1800s. Rapid discovery of many of the largest oil accumulations followed during the next several
decades, including the Elk Hills field. We have been redeveloping this field and building our
expertise to use in other fields across the state. According to the U.S. Geological Survey as of 2012,
the San Joaquin basin contained three of the 10 largest oil fields in the United States based on
cumulative production and proved reserves. We have been successfully developing steamfloods in
our Kern Front operations, which are located next to the giant Kern River field, and in the northwest
portion of the Lost Hills field. Starting in the 1980s, reserves additions occurred in the Monterey
formation on the west side of the basin and in our new conventional field discoveries. The basin
contains multiple stacked formations throughout its areal extent, and we believe that the San
Joaquin basin provides an appealing inventory of existing field re-development opportunities, as well
as new play discovery and unconventional play potential. The complex stratigraphy and structure in
the San Joaquin basin has allowed continuing discoveries of stratigraphic and structural traps. We
believe our extensive 3D seismic library, which covers nearly 3,000 square miles in the San Joaquin
basin, covering approximately 50% of our San Joaquin acreage, will give us a competitive advantage
in further exploring this basin. In 2015, we acquired 250 square miles of high-quality 3D seismic data
to aid our future exploration and development of the asset.

We have established a large ownership interest in several of the largest existing oil fields in the

San Joaquin basin, including Elk Hills, our largest producing field, as well as the Buena Vista and
Kettleman North Dome fields.

Elk Hills

Elk Hills is one of the largest fields in the continental United States based on proved reserves
and has produced over 1.9 BBoe to date. During the year ended December 31, 2015, we produced
60 MBoe/d on average from our Elk Hills properties, or approximately 38% of our total average daily
production. Of our total Elk Hills production, 65% is liquids. We also operate efficient natural gas
processing facilities, including a state-of-the-art cryogenic gas plant, with a combined capacity of
over 540 MMcf/d. Additionally, we generate sufficient electricity to operate the field and sell excess
power to the grid and to others through contractual agreements. A portion of our excess power is
subject to a five-year contract with a local utility, which includes a minimum capacity payment,
thereby providing us with rates that are generally better than we could receive from sales to the grid.

38

Our operations at Elk Hills possess a state-of-the-art central control facility and remote automation
control on over 95% of our wells.

Los Angeles Basin

We actively operate and are developing 10 fields in this urban, coastal basin which consists of
conventional primary, IOR, EOR and unconventional project types, approximately half of which we
hold in fee. Approximately 20% of our estimated proved reserves as of December 31, 2015 and 21%
of our average daily net production for the year ended December 31, 2015 were located in the Los
Angeles basin.

The basin is a northwest-trending plain about 50 miles long and 20 miles wide. Most of the
significant discoveries in the Los Angeles basin date back to the 1920s. The Los Angeles basin has
one of the highest concentrations per acre of crude oil in the world with 68 fields in an area of about
0.3 million acres. The basin contains multiple stacked formations throughout its depths, and we
believe that the Los Angeles basin provides a considerable inventory of existing field re-development
opportunities as well as new play discovery potential. Large active oil fields include the Wilmington
and Huntington Beach fields, where we have significant operations as described further below.

Wilmington Oil Field

The Wilmington field located in Long Beach is the third largest field in the United States and has

produced over 2.9 BBoe to date. During the year ended December 31, 2015, we produced
approximately 35 MBoe/d gross on average, or 90% of the Wilmington field’s daily production from
all producers for the year. We operate in this field on behalf of the State of California and the City of
Long Beach. Our net production in 2015 of approximately 28 MBoe/d equated to approximately 18%
of our total average daily production. Most of our Wilmington production is covered under a set of
contracts similar to production-sharing contracts under which we recover the total capital and
operating costs and receive our share of profits. The field is developed by applying waterflood
methods of oil recovery. Our waterflood operations have attractive margins and returns in the current
price environment and extend the productive life of our reservoirs beyond the economic life expected
for primary development.

Ventura Basin

We actively operate and are developing 29 fields in this central California coastal basin which

consists of primary conventional, IOR, EOR and unconventional project types. We currently hold
approximately 0.3 million net acres in the Ventura basin, approximately 72% of which we hold in fee.
Approximately 7% of our estimated proved reserves as of December 31, 2015 and approximately
6% of our average daily net production for the year ended December 31, 2015 were located in the
Ventura basin.

The Ventura basin is the onshore part of a structural feature and its offshore extension is the

modern Santa Barbara basin. All of the sedimentary section is productive at various locations, and
most reservoirs are sandstones with favorable porosity and permeability. The basin contains multiple
stacked formations throughout its depths, and we believe that the Ventura basin provides an
appealing inventory of existing field re-development opportunities, as well as new play exploration
potential.

39

Sacramento Basin

We actively operate and are developing 53 fields in this inland basin in the northern part of
California’s central valley, primarily consisting of dry gas production. We currently hold approximately
0.5 million net acres in the Sacramento basin, approximately 36% of which we hold in fee. We
believe our significant acreage position in the Sacramento basin gives us the option for future
development and rapid production growth in an attractive natural gas price environment.
Approximately 2% of our estimated proved reserves as of December 31, 2015 and approximately
4% of our average daily net production for the year ended December 31, 2015 were located in the
Sacramento basin.

The Sacramento basin is a deep, thick sequence of sedimentary deposits within an elongated
northwest-trending basin covering about 7.7 million acres. Exploration in the basin started in 1918.

Conventional Reservoir Recovery Methods

We determine which development method to use based on reservoir characteristics, reserves

potential and expected returns. We seek to optimize the potential of our conventional assets by
progressively using primary recovery methods, which may include some well stimulation techniques,
IOR methods like waterflooding and EOR methods such as steamflooding, using both vertical and
horizontal drilling. All of these techniques are proven technologies we have used extensively in
California.

Primary Recovery

Primary recovery is a reservoir drive mechanism that utilizes the natural energy of the reservoir
and is the first technique we use to develop a reservoir. Primary recovery is achieved by drilling and
producing wells without supplementing the natural energy of the reservoir. Our successful
exploration program continues to provide us with primary recovery opportunities in new reservoirs or
through extensions of existing fields. Our conventional development programs create future
opportunities to convert these reservoirs to steamfloods or waterfloods after their primary production
phase.

Waterfloods

Some of our fields have been partially produced and no longer have sufficient energy to drive oil

to our producing wellbores. Waterflooding is a well understood process that has been used in
California for over 50 years to re-introduce energy to the reservoir through water injection and to
sweep oil to producing wellbores. This process has been known to increase recovery factors to
approximately double those experienced under primary recovery methods. Our waterflood operations
have attractive margins and returns in the current price environment. These operations typically have
low and predictable production declines and allow us to extend the productive life of a reservoir and
significantly increase our incremental recovery after primary recovery. As a result, investments in
waterfloods can yield attractive returns in a low price environment. We use waterfloods extensively in
the San Joaquin, Los Angeles and Ventura basins where they have allowed us to reduce production
decline or modestly grow our production from mature fields such as Elk Hills and Wilmington.

Steamfloods

Some of our fields contain heavy, thick oil. Steamfloods work by injecting steam into the

reservoir to heat the oil, decreasing its viscosity, or thinning the oil, allowing it to flow more easily to
the producing wellbores. Steamflooding is a well understood process that has been used in

40

California since the early 1960s. This process has been known to increase recovery factors from
approximately 10% under primary recovery methods to up to approximately 75%. Thermal
operations are most effective in shallow reservoirs containing heavy, viscous oil. The steamflood
process is generally characterized by low capital investment with attractive margins and returns even
in a low oil price environment as long as the oil-to-gas price ratio is in excess of five. The economics
of steamflooding are largely a function of the ratio between oil and natural gas prices. After drilling,
these operations typically ramp up production over one to two years as the steam continues to
influence the oil production, and then exhibit a plateau for several months, with a subsequent low,
predictable oil production decline rate of 5 to 10% per year. This gradual decline allows us to extend
the productive life of a reservoir and significantly increase our incremental recovery after primary
depletion. We use steamfloods extensively in the San Joaquin basin, where they have allowed us to
grow our production from mature fields such as Kern Front and Lost Hills, among others.

Unconventional Reservoir Potential

We believe our undeveloped unconventional acreage has the potential to provide significant
long-term production growth. In total, we hold mineral interests in approximately 1.3 million net acres
with unconventional potential and have identified over 2,300 gross (2,000 net) unconventional drilling
locations on this acreage. As a result of focusing more on these reservoirs over the past few years,
approximately 33% of our 2015 production was from unconventional reservoirs, an increase of
approximately 125% since the acquisition of our Elk Hills field properties in 1998. As of
December 31, 2015, we had proved reserves of 180 MMBoe associated with our unconventional
properties, approximately 25% of which were proved undeveloped reserves.

We hold significant interests in the Monterey formation, which is divided into upper and lower
intervals. We have successfully produced from seven discrete stacked pay horizons within the upper
Monterey. The lower Monterey is believed to be the principal source rock within the Monterey.

In a higher price environment, we plan to apply the knowledge acquired from our successes in

the upper Monterey to other unconventional reservoirs in the San Joaquin basin such as the
Kreyenhagen and Moreno formations. The Kreyenhagen and Moreno formations are hydrocarbon
source rocks that have generated oil and gas, and we believe they offer similar development
opportunities to the upper Monterey and other resource play reservoirs onshore U.S. The lower
Monterey has an extremely limited production history compared to the upper Monterey, and
therefore very limited knowledge exists regarding its potential. For example, only about 25 wells
have tested the lower Monterey to date. However, we believe we will be able to apply knowledge we
gain from the upper Monterey in the lower Monterey as well.

Exploration Program

We have a successful exploration program in both conventional and unconventional plays under
which discoveries are quickly developed into producing fields. We believe our experienced technical
staff, proprietary geological models, leading acreage position and extensive 3D seismic library give
us a strong competitive advantage. Our interpretation of this seismic data, covering a large portion of
our prospective acreage, and our extensive knowledge of California geology and producing fields,
has resulted in a large inventory of low-risk exploratory projects in proven play trends. As of
December 31, 2015, our drilling inventory included 9,800 gross (4,800 net) exploration drilling
locations in proven reservoirs, the majority of which are located near existing producing fields.
Additionally, we have identified 6,400 gross (5,300 net) prospective resource drilling locations in the
lower Monterey, Kreyenhagen and Moreno unconventional reservoirs.

41

In 2015, we completed three conventional exploration projects all of which successfully

encountered hydrocarbons. Within an existing producing field, one of our exploration wells, which
was drilled in late 2014, encountered multiple, stacked conventional oil reservoirs. Over the course
of 2015, we conducted operations to isolate and individually test two of the reservoir intervals with
significant behind pipe pay remaining uphole. In those flow tests, the deepest reservoir interval
flowed at peak daily rates of approximately 200 barrels of oil per day and was flowed on pump for
six months. The second reservoir interval flowed naturally at peak daily rates in excess of 750
barrels of oil per day and 1.5 MMcf of natural gas per day. We believe there may be multiple
analogous prospects in this underexplored play trend that could extend for over 20 miles.

Within the San Joaquin basin we drilled three exploration wells that successfully demonstrated
and delineated the presence of a heavy oil accumulation. In the Sacramento Basin, we drilled one
well to test a 50 square mile four-way closure that was mapped on our proprietary 2D seismic data.
This conventional exploration well encountered multiple stacked gas bearing reservoirs.

We continue to develop our understanding and knowledge of the significant prospective

resources in the exploration shale reservoirs. In 2015, we completed the acquisition of approximately
200 square miles of proprietary 3D seismic data around the Kettleman North Dome field that will aid
with reservoir characterization and fracture analysis. In addition, we undertook reservoir analyses
incorporating proprietary log and core data to further advance our understanding of exploration shale
reservoirs. We completed four workovers in existing wellbores and drilled one new well undertaking
zonal completions to assess the expected performance of individual zones of interest and identify
landing zones for future horizontal development.

Our Reserves and Production Information

Reserves Data

The information with respect to our estimated reserves presented below has been prepared in

accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEC.

Reserves Presentation

Proved oil, NGLs and natural gas reserves were estimated using the unweighted arithmetic

average of the first-day-of-the-month price for each month within the year, unless prices were
defined by contractual arrangements. Oil, NGLs and natural gas prices used for this purpose were
based on posted benchmark prices and adjusted for price differentials including gravity, quality and
transportation costs. For the 2015 disclosures, the calculated average Brent oil price was $55.57 per
barrel and the average NYMEX gas price was $2.59 per Mcf. The average realized prices used for
the 2015 disclosures were $50.54 per barrel for oil, $20.07 per barrel for NGLs and $2.55 per Mcf
for natural gas.

During the course of 2015, we experienced significant and extended price declines from 2014,

which impacted the quantity of reserves we reported as of December 31, 2015. The unweighted
arithmetic average first-day-of-the-month price for Brent oil decreased from $101.30 per barrel for
2014 to $55.57 for 2015. As a result, we experienced negative price related revisions to our proved
reserves at December 31, 2015. Generally, lower prices adversely impact the quantity of our
reserves as those reserves may no longer meet the economic producibility criteria under the rules or
may be removed due to a lower amount of capital available to develop these projects within the
SEC-mandated five-year limit. However, our production-sharing contracts in Long Beach tend to
partially offset these effects because our share of production and reserves from these contracts
increases as prices decline. Further, during the course of the year we implemented significant cost

42

reduction and efficiency steps, which reduced our total field operating costs by over 13% on a per
Boe basis, and drilling costs by approximately 10%. These cost reductions, as well as efficiency
efforts, offset a portion of the price-related loss of reserves quantities as some of the barrels that
would become uneconomic in later years remain economic, a portion of the proved undeveloped
reserves that would otherwise be removed from the reserves quantities become economic and we
expect to drill more wells with the same amount of capital. We expect further costs savings to be
achieved in 2016 but cannot assure that our expectations will be realized.

During the latter part of 2015, and into early 2016, oil prices continued to decline. If prices
remain at or near current levels for the rest of 2016, or if they decline further, the prices used to
determine our year-end 2016 reserves estimates could be significantly lower than those used for
year-end 2015. Under such circumstances, we may experience further negative price-related
revisions to our proved reserves at year-end 2016. If the SEC prices for the December 31, 2015
reserves determination were about $10 lower than those actually used, we believe our reserves
quantities may have been lower by less than 15%. This estimate does not reflect the effect of further
cost savings that we expect to achieve in 2016. If the SEC prices for the December 31, 2015
reserves determination were about $10 higher than those actually used, we believe our reserves
quantities may have been higher by over 10%.

The following tables summarize our estimated proved reserves and related PV-10 and
Standardized Measure at December 31, 2015. Reserves are stated net of applicable royalties.
Estimated reserves include our economic interests under arrangements similar to production-sharing
contracts relating to the Wilmington field in Long Beach.

San Joaquin Los Angeles

As of December 31, 2015
Ventura
Basin

Sacramento
Basin

Basin

Proved developed reserves:

Oil (MMBbl)
NGLs (MMBbl)
Natural Gas (Bcf)

Total (MMBoe)(1)(2)

Proved undeveloped reserves:

Oil (MMBbl)
NGLs (MMBbl)
Natural Gas (Bcf)

Total (MMBoe)(2)

Total proved reserves:

Oil (MMBbl)
NGLs (MMBbl)
Natural Gas (Bcf)

Total (MMBoe)(2)

Basin

205
45
456

326

92
11
135

125

297
56
591

451

103
—
9

105

27
—
2

27

130
—
11

132

30
2
24

36

9
1
3

11

39
3
27

47

—
—
86

14

—
—
—

—

—
—
86

14

Total

338
47
575

481

128
12
140

163

466
59
715

644

(1) Approximately 16% of proved developed oil reserves, 9% of proved developed NGLs reserves, 14% of proved

developed natural gas reserves and 15% of total proved developed reserves are non-producing.

(2) Natural gas volumes have been converted to Boe based on the equivalence of energy content between six Mcf of
gas and one Bbl of oil. Barrels of oil equivalence does not necessarily result in price equivalence. The price of
natural gas on a barrel of oil equivalent basis is currently substantially lower than the corresponding price for oil and
has been similarly lower for a number of years. For example, in 2015, the average prices of Brent oil and NYMEX
natural gas were $53.64 per Bbl and $2.75 per Mcf, respectively, resulting in an oil-to-gas price ratio of
approximately 20 to 1.

43

PV-10, Standardized Measure and Reserves Replacement Ratio

PV-10 of proved reserves(1)
Present value of future income taxes discounted at 10%

Standardized measure of discounted future net cash flows

At December 31,
2015
($ in millions)
5,059
(1,035)

$

$

4,024

Organic reserves replacement ratio(2)

140%
(1) PV-10 is a non-GAAP financial measure and represents the year-end present value of estimated future cash inflows
from proved oil and natural gas reserves, less future development and production costs, discounted at 10% per
annum to reflect the timing of future cash flows and using SEC prescribed pricing assumptions for the period. PV-10
differs from Standardized Measure because Standardized Measure includes the effects of future income taxes on
future net cash flows. Neither PV-10 nor Standardized Measure should be construed as the fair value of our oil and
natural gas reserves. PV-10 and Standardized Measure are used by the industry and by our management as an
asset value measure to compare against our past reserves bases and the reserves bases of other business entities
because the pricing, cost environment and discount assumptions are prescribed by the SEC and are comparable.
PV-10 further facilitates the comparisons to other companies as it is not dependent on the tax paying status of the
entity.

(2) The organic reserves replacement ratio is calculated for a specified period using the proved oil-equivalent additions

from extensions and discoveries, improved recovery and performance-related provisions, divided by oil-equivalent
production. Approximately 48% of the additions for 2015 were proved undeveloped. There is no guarantee that
historical sources of reserves additions will continue as many factors fully or partially outside management’s control,
including commodity prices, availability of capital and the underlying geology affect reserves additions. Management
uses this measure to gauge the results of its capital allocation. The measure is limited in that reserves may be
added and produced based on costs incurred in separate periods and other oil and gas producers may use different
replacement ratios affecting comparability.

44

Proved Reserves Additions

We added 36 MMBoe resulting from our capital program, 45 MMBoe due to positive

performance revisions and 6 MMBoe as a result of property acquisitions. These additions were offset
by 153 MMBoe of negative revisions for volumes that became uneconomic due to lower prices. The
price revisions incorporated the positive effect of lower operating costs also caused by the lower
commodity price environment. In a higher price environment, many of the volumes that became
uneconomic this year could again become economic and be added back to the reserves base. The
components of the changes to our proved reserves during the year ended December 31, 2015 were
as follows:

San Joaquin Los Angeles

Basin

Basin

Ventura
Basin

Sacramento
Basin

Total

Extensions and discoveries:

Oil (MMBbl)
NGLs (MMBbl)
Natural Gas (Bcf)

Total (MMBoe)

Improved recovery:

Oil (MMBbl)
NGLs (MMBbl)
Natural Gas (Bcf)

Total (MMBoe)

Total reserves additions from capital
program

Revisions related to performance:

Oil (MMBbl)
NGLs (MMBbl)
Natural Gas (Bcf)

Total (MMBoe)

Revisions related to price changes:

Oil (MMBbl)
NGLs (MMBbl)
Natural Gas (Bcf)

Total (MMBoe)

Acquisitions:
Oil (MMBbl)
NGLs (MMBbl)
Natural Gas (Bcf)

Total (MMBoe)

8
2
27

15

3
—
—

3

18

5
(20)
42

(8)

(40)
(3)
(44)

(50)

4
1
8

6

12
—
1

12

—
—
—

—

12

50
—
3

51

(83)
—
(8)

(85)

—
—
—

—

5
—
—

5

—
—
—

—

5

(1)
—
1

(1)

(11)
—
(7)

(12)

—
—
—

—

—
—
6

1

—
—
—

—

1

—
—
19

3

—
—
(39)

(6)

—
—
—

—

25
2
34

33

3
—
—

3

36

54
(20)
65

45

(134)
(3)
(98)

(153)

4
1
8

6

Our ability to add reserves, other than through acquisitions, depends on the success of improved

recovery, extension and discovery projects, each of which depends on reservoir characteristics,
technology improvements and oil and natural gas prices, as well as capital and operating costs.
Many of these factors are outside management’s control, and will affect whether the historical
sources of proved reserves additions continue to provide reserves at similar levels.

45

Extensions and Discoveries

We added 33 MMBoe of proved reserves from extensions and discoveries, which generally
result from exploration, exploitation and development programs. The extensions and discovery
additions were associated with the continued successful drilling primarily in San Joaquin,
Los Angeles, and Ventura basins.

Improved Recovery

In 2015, we added proved reserves of 3 MMBoe from improved recovery through proven IOR
and EOR methods. The improved recovery additions in 2015 were associated with the continued
development of thermal and water flood properties in the San Joaquin basin. The types of
conventional IOR and EOR development methods we use can be applied through existing wells,
though additional drilling is frequently required to fully optimize the development configuration.

Revisions of Previous Estimates

Revisions related to performance—Performance related revisions can include upward or
downward changes to previous proved reserves estimates due to the evaluation or interpretation of
geologic, production decline or operating performance data. In 2015, our positive performance
related revisions of 45 MMBoe resulted primarily from better than expected reservoir performance,
combined with lower development capital than previously estimated. These positive revisions came
from the San Joaquin and Los Angeles basins.

Revisions related to price changes—In addition, product price changes affect proved reserves

we record. For example, higher prices generally increase the economically recoverable reserves in
all of our operations, because the extra margin extends their expected lives and renders more
projects economic. Partially offsetting this effect, higher prices decrease our share of proved cost
recovery reserves under arrangements similar to production-sharing contracts at our Long Beach
operations because less oil is required to recover costs. Conversely, when prices drop, we
experience the opposite effects. Total net negative price revisions in 2015 were 153 MMBoe. The
price revisions incorporated the positive effect of lower operating costs also caused by the lower
commodity price environment.

46

Proved Undeveloped Reserves

In 2015, we had proved undeveloped reserves additions of 25 MMBoe from extensions and
discoveries and 3 MMBoe from improved recovery, primarily in the San Joaquin and Los Angeles
basins and 11 MMBoe from performance-related revisions, offset by 69 MMBoe of negative revisions
due to lower prices. We transferred 24 MMBoe of proved undeveloped reserves to the proved
developed category as a result of the 2015 development program, almost all of which was in the
San Joaquin basin. As a result, we converted approximately 16% of our beginning-of-year proved
undeveloped reserves, adjusted for price changes, to proved developed reserves during the year,
investing approximately $90 million of drilling capital. The total changes to our proved undeveloped
reserves during the year ended December 31, 2015 were as follows:

San Joaquin Los Angeles

Basin

Basin

Ventura
Basin

Sacramento
Basin

Total

Improved recovery:

Oil (MMBbl)
NGLs (MMBbl)
Natural Gas (Bcf)

Total (MMBoe)

Extensions and discoveries:

Oil (MMBbl)
NGLs (MMBbl)
Natural Gas (Bcf)

Total (MMBoe)

Revisions related to performance:

Oil (MMBbl)
NGLs (MMBbl)
Natural Gas (Bcf)

Total (MMBoe)

Revisions related to price changes:

Oil (MMBbl)
NGLs (MMBbl)
Natural Gas (Bcf)

Total (MMBoe)

Acquisitions:
Oil (MMBbl)
NGLs (MMBbl)
Natural Gas (Bcf)

Total (MMBoe)

Transfers to proved developed
reserves:

Oil (MMBbl)
NGLs (MMBbl)
Natural Gas (Bcf)

Total (MMBoe)

—
—
—

—

9
—
1

9

20
—
1

20

(39)
—
(5)

(40)

—
—
—

—

(2)
—
—

(2)

—
—
—

—

3
—
4

4

(4)
—
(2)

(4)

(4)
—
(8)

(6)

—
—
—

—

—
—
—

—

—
—
—

—

—
—
2

—

—
—
—

—

—
—
(8)

(1)

—
—
—

—

—
—
—

—

3
—
—

3

19
2
26

25

19
(8)
1

11

(55)
(3)
(65)

(69)

1
—
1

1

(23)
—
(6)

(24)

3
—
—

3

7
2
19

12

3
(8)
2

(5)

(12)
(3)
(44)

(22)

1
—
1

1

(21)
—
(6)

(22)

47

Our year-end development plans and associated proved undeveloped reserves are consistent
with SEC guidelines for development within five years. Global oversupply continues to suppress oil
and gas prices significantly. Prolonged or further declines in commodity prices could require us to
reduce expected capital spending over the next five years, potentially impacting either the quantity or
the development timing of proved undeveloped reserves.

Reserves Evaluation and Review Process

Our estimates of proved reserves and associated future net cash flows as of December 31,
2015 were made by our technical personnel, such as reservoir engineers and geoscientists, with the
assistance of operational and financial personnel and are the responsibility of management. The
estimation of proved reserves is based on the requirement of reasonable certainty of economic
producibility and management’s funding commitments to develop the reserves. Reserves volumes
are estimated by forecasts of production rates, operating costs and capital investments. Price
differentials between specified benchmark prices and realized prices and specifics of each operating
agreement are then used to estimate the net reserves. Production rate forecasts are derived using a
number of methods, including estimates from decline-curve analysis, type-curve analysis, material
balance calculations that take into account the volumes of substances replacing the volumes
produced and associated reservoir pressure changes, seismic analysis and computer simulations of
reservoir performance. These field-tested technologies have demonstrated reasonably certain results
with consistency and repeatability in the formations being evaluated or in analogous formations.
Operating and capital costs are forecast using the current cost environment applied to expectations
of future operating and development activities related to the proved reserves.

Net proved developed reserves are those volumes that are expected to be recovered through
existing wells with existing equipment and operating methods, for which the incremental cost of any
additional required investment is relatively minor. Net proved undeveloped reserves are those
volumes that are expected to be recovered from new wells on undrilled acreage, or from existing
wells where a relatively major expenditure is required.

Our Vice President, Reserves and Corporate Development has primary responsibility for
overseeing the preparation of our reserves estimates. She has over 15 years of experience as an
energy sector engineer including as a Senior Reservoir Engineer with Ryder Scott Company, L.P.
(Ryder Scott). She is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) for which she served
as past chair of the U.S. Registration Committee. She holds a Master of Business Administration
from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a Master of Engineering in Petroleum Engineering
from the University of Houston and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Florida. She is also
a registered engineer in the state of Texas.

We have an Oil and Gas Reserves Review Committee (Reserves Committee), consisting of
senior corporate officers, which reviewed and approved our oil and natural gas reserves for 2015.
The Reserves Committee reports to the Audit Committee during the year.

Audits of Reserves Estimates

Ryder Scott was engaged to provide an independent audit of our 2015 reserves estimates for
fields that comprise at least 80% of our total proved reserves. Previously, Ryder Scott conducted
process reviews of our properties on behalf of our former parent. The primary technical engineer
responsible for our audit has 25 years of petroleum engineering experience, 20 of which have been
in the estimation and evaluation of reserves. He serves on the Ryder Scott Board of Directors, is an

48

advising member of SPE’s Oil and Gas Reserves Committee and a registered Professional Engineer
in the state of Texas.

The 2015 reserves audit included a detailed review of 80% of our total proved reserves. Ryder

Scott examined the assumptions underlying our reserves estimates, adequacy and quality of our
work product, and estimates of future production rates, net revenues, and the present value of such
net revenues. Ryder Scott also examined the appropriateness of the methodologies employed to
estimate our reserves as well as their categorization, using the definitions set forth by the SEC. As
part of their process, Ryder Scott developed their own independent estimates of reserves for those
fields that they audited. When compared on a field-by-field basis, some of our estimates were
greater and some were less than the estimates of Ryder Scott. Given the inherent uncertainties and
judgments in estimating proved reserves, differences between our and Ryder Scott’s estimates are
to be expected. The aggregate difference between our estimates and Ryder Scott’s was less than
10%, which was within SPE’s acceptable tolerance.

In the conduct of the reserves audit, Ryder Scott did not independently verify the accuracy and
completeness of information and data furnished by us with respect to ownership interests, crude oil
and natural gas production, well test data, historical costs of operation and development, product
prices, or any agreements relating to current and future operations of the fields and sales of
production. However, if anything came to Ryder Scott’s attention which brought into question the
validity or sufficiency of any such information or data, Ryder Scott would not rely on such information
or data until it had resolved its questions relating thereto or had independently verified such
information or data.

Ryder Scott determined that our estimates of reserves have been prepared in accordance with

the definitions and regulations of the SEC as well as the Standards Pertaining to the Estimating and
Auditing of Oil and Gas Reserves Information promulgated by the SPE, including the criteria of
‘‘reasonable certainty,’’ as it pertains to expectations about the recoverability of reserves in future
years, under existing economic and operating conditions. Ryder Scott issued an unqualified audit
opinion on our proved reserves at December 31, 2015. Ryder Scott’s report is attached as an exhibit
to this Form 10-K.

Determination of Identified Drilling Locations

Proven Drilling Locations

Based on our reserves report as of December 31, 2015, we have approximately 2,600 gross
(2,250 net) drilling locations attributable to our proved undeveloped reserves. We use production
data and experience gained from our development programs to identify and prioritize this proven
drilling inventory. These drilling locations are included in our inventory only after they have been
evaluated technically and are deemed to be drillable within a five-year time frame. As a result of
rigorous technical evaluation of geologic and engineering data, it can be estimated with reasonable
certainty that reserves from these locations will be commercially recoverable in accordance with SEC
guidelines. Management considers the availability of local infrastructure, drilling support assets, state
and local regulations and other factors it deems relevant in determining such locations.

Unproven Drilling Locations

We have also identified a multi-year inventory of 11,100 gross (9,700 net) drilling locations that

are not associated with proved undeveloped reserves but are specifically identified on a field-by-field
basis considering the applicable geologic, engineering and production data. We analyze past field

49

development practices and identify analogous drilling opportunities taking into consideration historical
production performance, estimated drilling and completion costs, spacing and other performance
factors. These drilling locations primarily include (i) infill drilling locations, (ii) additional locations due
to field extensions or (iii) potential IOR and EOR project expansions, some of which are currently in
the pilot phase across our properties, but have yet to be moved to the proven category. We believe
the assumptions and data used to estimate these drilling locations are consistent with established
industry practices with well spacing selected based on the type of recovery process we are using.

Exploration Drilling Locations

Our portfolio of prospective drilling locations contains approximately 9,800 gross (4,800 net)
unrisked exploration drilling locations in proven reservoirs, the majority of which are located near
existing producing fields. We use internally generated information and proprietary geologic models
consisting of data from analog plays, 3D seismic data, open hole and mud log data, cores, and
reservoir engineering data to help define the extent of the targeted intervals and the potential ability
of such intervals to produce commercial quantities of hydrocarbons. Information used to identify
exploration locations includes both our own proprietary data, as well as industry data available in the
public domain. After defining the potential areal extent of an exploration prospect, we identify our
exploration drilling locations within the prospect by applying the well spacing historically utilized for
the applicable type of recovery process used in adjacent fields.

Prospective Resource Drilling Locations

In addition, we have approximately 6,400 gross (5,300 net) unrisked prospective resource drilling

locations identified in the lower Monterey, Kreyenhagen and Moreno unconventional reservoirs
based on screening criteria that contain geologic and economic considerations and limited
production information. Prospective play areas are defined by geologic data consisting of well
cuttings, hydrocarbon shows, open-hole well logs, geochemical data, available 3D or 2D seismic
data and formation pressure data, where available. Information used to identify our prospective
locations includes both our own proprietary data, as well as industry data available in the public
domain. Prospective resource drilling locations were based on an assumption of 80-acre spacing per
well throughout the prospective area for each resource play.

Well Spacing Determination

Our well spacing determinations in the above categories of identified well locations are based on

actual operational spacing within our existing producing fields, which we believe are reasonable for
the particular recovery process employed (i.e., primary, waterflood or EOR). Due to the significant
vertical thickness and multiple stacked reservoirs usually encountered by our drilling wells, typical
well spacing is generally less than 20 acres and often 10 acres or less in the majority of our fields
unless specified differently above. These parameters also meet the general well spacing restrictions
imposed on certain oil and gas fields in California.

Drilling Schedule

Our identified drilling locations have been scheduled as part of our current multi-year drilling
schedule or are expected to be scheduled in the future. However, we may not drill our identified
sites at the times scheduled or at all. We view the risk profile for our exploration drilling locations
and our prospective resource drilling locations as being higher than for our other drilling locations
due to relatively less available geologic and production data and drilling history, in particular with
respect to our prospective resource locations, which are in unproven geologic plays. We make

50

assumptions about the consistency and accuracy of data when we identify these locations that may
prove inaccurate.

Our ability to profitably drill and develop our identified drilling locations depends on a number of

variables, including crude oil and natural gas prices, capital availability, costs, drilling results,
regulatory approvals, available transportation capacity and other factors. If future drilling results in
these projects do not establish sufficient reserves to achieve an economic return, we may curtail
drilling or development of these projects. For a discussion of the risks associated with our drilling
program, see ‘‘Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Business and Industry.’’

With our limited capital budget for 2016, including no exploration, many of the identified drilling
locations may be uneconomic at current prices. The table below sets forth our total gross identified
drilling locations as of December 31, 2015, excluding our prospective drilling locations from new
resource plays.

Proven Drilling Locations

Total Identified Drilling Locations

Oil and
Natural Gas Wells

Injection
Wells

Oil and
Natural Gas Wells

Injection
Wells

San Joaquin Basin

Primary Conventional
Steamflood
Waterflood
Unconventional

San Joaquin Basin subtotal

Los Angeles Basin

Primary Conventional
Steamflood
Waterflood
Unconventional

Los Angeles Basin subtotal

Ventura Basin

Primary Conventional
Steamflood
Waterflood
Unconventional

Ventura Basin subtotal

Sacramento Basin

Primary Conventional

Sacramento Basin subtotal

Total Identified Drilling Locations

10,300
3,700
1,200
1,850

17,050

—
1,000
750
350

2,100

50
—
1,200
—

1,250

950
250
100
100

1,400

1,150

1,150

—
—
400
—

400

—
—
100
—

100

—

—

20,850

2,600

—
300
50
—

350

—
—
100
—

100

—
—
50
—

50

—

—

500

200
1,150
150
250

1,750

—
—
250
—

250

50
—
50
—

100

1

1

2,101

51

Production, Price and Cost History

Oil, NGLs and natural gas are commodities; therefore, the price that we receive for our
production is largely a function of market supply and demand. Product prices are affected by a
variety of factors, including changes in consumption patterns, inventory levels, global and local
economic conditions, the actions of OPEC and other significant producers and governments, actual
or threatened production and refining disruptions, currency exchange rates, worldwide drilling and
exploration activities, the effects of conservation, weather, geophysical and technical limitations,
refining and processing disruptions, transportation bottlenecks and other matters affecting the supply
and demand dynamics for our products, technological advances and regional market conditions;
transportation capacity and costs in producing areas; and the effect of changes in these variables on
market perceptions. Given the volatile oil price environment, as well as our leverage, we began a
hedging program shortly after the Spin-off to protect our cash flow and capital investment program
and improve our ability to comply with our credit facility covenants in case of further price
deterioration.

Fixed and Variable Costs

Our total production costs consist of variable costs that tend to vary depending on production
levels, and fixed costs that do not vary with changes in production levels or well counts, especially in
the short term. The substantial majority of our near-term fixed costs become variable over the longer
term because we manage them based on the field’s stage of life and operating characteristics. For
example, portions of labor and material costs, energy, workovers and maintenance expenditures
correlate to well count, production and activity levels. Portions of these same costs can be relatively
fixed over the near term; however, they are managed down as fields mature in a manner that
correlates to production and commodity price levels. While a certain amount of costs for facilities,
surface support, surveillance and related maintenance can be regarded as fixed in the early phases
of a program, as the production from a certain area matures, well count increases and daily per well
production drops, such support costs can be reduced and consolidated over a larger number of
wells, reducing costs per operating well. Further, many of our other costs, such as property taxes
and oilfield services, are variable and will respond to activity levels and tend to correlate with
commodity prices. Overall, we believe less than one-third of our operating costs are fixed over the
life cycle of our fields. We actively manage our fields to optimize production and costs. If we see
growth in a field we increase capacities, and similarly if a field is reaching the end of its economic
life we would manage the costs while it remains economically viable to produce.

52

The following table sets forth information regarding production, realized and benchmark prices,

and costs for oil and gas producing activities for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and
2013. For additional information on price calculations, see information set forth in ‘‘Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.’’

Production Data:
Oil (MBbl/d)
NGLs (MBbl/d)
Natural gas (MMcf/d)
Average daily combined production (MBoe/d)
Total combined production (MMBoe)

Average realized prices:
Oil prices with hedge ($/Bbl)
Oil prices without hedge ($/Bbl)
NGLs prices ($/Bbl)
Natural gas prices ($/Mcf)

Average Benchmark prices:
Brent oil ($/Bbl)
WTI oil ($/Bbl)
NYMEX gas ($/Mcf)

Average costs per Boe:(a)
Production costs
General and administrative expense, as adjusted(b)
Other operating expenses, as adjusted(c)
Depreciation, depletion and amortization
Taxes other than on income

Year Ended December 31,
2013
2014
2015

104
18
229
160
58

99
19
246
159
58

90
20
260
154
56

49.19 $
47.15 $
19.62 $
2.66 $

92.30 $
92.30 $
47.84 $
4.39 $

104.16
104.16
50.43
3.73

53.64 $
48.80 $
2.75 $

99.51 $
93.00 $
4.34 $

108.76
97.97
3.66

16.30 $
1.00 $
0.36 $
16.72 $
2.67 $

18.23 $
2.31 $
0.55 $
20.40 $
3.50 $

17.56
2.35
0.60
20.11
3.05

$
$
$
$

$
$
$

$
$
$
$
$

(a) For 2015 and 2014, the amount excludes asset impairment charges of $4.9 billion and $3.4 billion, respectively.
(b) For 2015, the amount excludes unusual and infrequent costs of $0.31 per Boe related to early retirement and

severance costs. For 2014, the amount excludes unusual and infrequent costs of $0.10 per Boe related to Spin-off
and transition related costs.

(c) For 2015, the amount excludes unusual and infrequent costs related to the write-down of certain assets and rig

termination charges of $1.42 per Boe. For 2014, the amount excludes unusual and infrequent costs related to rig
termination charges and Spin-off and transition related costs of $0.97 per Boe.

53

The following table sets forth information regarding production, realized prices and production
costs for our largest two fields, Elk Hills and Wilmington, for the years ended December 31, 2015,
2014 and 2013:

Production data:
Oil (MBbl/d)
NGLs (MBbl/d)
Natural gas (MMcf/d)(a)
Average realized prices:(b)

Oil (MBbl/d)
NGLs (MBbl/d)
Natural gas (MMcf/d)(a)
Production costs per Boe

2015

Elk Hills
2014

2013

2015

Wilmington
2014

2013

24
15
123

25
16
136

26
18
145

28
—
1

25
—
—

22
—
—

$
$
$
$

52.78 $
20.12 $
2.67 $
11.11 $

97.27 $
48.68 $
4.47 $
14.31 $

106.32 $
49.62 $
3.67 $
12.34 $

45.50 $
— $
2.05 $
21.87 $

90.37 $
— $
— $
28.98 $

103.29
—
—
31.56

(a) Natural gas volumes have been converted to Boe based on the equivalence of energy content between six Mcf of

natural gas to one Bbl of oil. Barrels of oil equivalence does not necessarily result in price equivalence. The price of
natural gas on a barrel of oil equivalent basis is currently substantially lower than the corresponding price for oil and
has been similarly lower for a number of years. For example, in 2015, the average prices of Brent oil and NYMEX
natural gas were $53.64 per Bbl and $2.75 per Mcf, respectively, resulting in an oil-to-gas price ratio of
approximately 20 to 1.

(b) Excludes the effect of hedges.

54

The following table sets forth our reserves and production by basin and recovery mechanism:

Total Proved Reserves

MMBoe

Oil (%)

Average Net Daily
Production(MBoe/d)

Year ended December
31, 2015

San Joaquin Basin

Primary Conventional
Waterfloods
Steamfloods(a)
Unconventional

San Joaquin Basin subtotal

Los Angeles Basin

Primary Conventional
Waterfloods
Steamfloods
Unconventional

Los Angeles Basin subtotal

Ventura Basin

Primary Conventional
Waterfloods
Steamfloods
Unconventional

Ventura Basin subtotal

Sacramento Basin

Primary Conventional

Sacramento Basin subtotal

62
60
149
180

451

1
131
—
—

132

16
31
—
—

47

14

14

69%
78%
100%
33%

66%

100%
98%
—%
—%

98%

75%
84%
—%
—%

83%

—%

—%

19
8
31
52

110

1
33
—
—

34

5
4
—
—

9

7

7

Total

644

72%

160

(a)

Includes reserves and production from gas injection of 35% and 9%, respectively.

55

Productive Wells

As of December 31, 2015, we had a total of 9,067 gross (8,123 net) producing wells,

approximately 91% of which were oil wells. Our average working interest in our producing wells is
approximately 90%. Many of our oil wells produce associated natural gas and some of our natural
gas wells also produce condensate and NGLs.

The following table sets forth our productive oil and natural gas wells (both producing and
capable of production) as of December 31, 2015, excluding wells that have been idle for more than
five years:

San Joaquin
Basin

Los Angeles
Basin

Ventura
Basin

Sacramento
Basin

Total

Oil

8,124
7,222

(963)
(742)

1,752
1,654

(56)
(51)

1,099
1,091

(61)
(59)

—
—

— 10,975
— 9,967

(1,080)
(852)

189
161

8
8
(a) Numbers in parentheses indicate the number of wells with multiple completions.
(b) The total number of wells in which interests are owned.
(c)

Includes fractional interests.

— 1,273
— 1,183

(92)
(78)

—
—

—
—

(58)
(56)

1,470
1,352

(150)
(134)

Gross(a)(b)
Net(a)(c)
Natural Gas
Gross(a)(b)
Net(a)(c)

Acreage

The following table sets forth certain information regarding the total developed and undeveloped

acreage in which we owned an interest as of December 31, 2015, of which approximately 60% is
held in fee. Of the remaining portion that is leased, approximately 40% was held by production at
December 31, 2015.

Developed(a)
Gross(b)
Net(c)

Undeveloped(d)

Gross(b)
Net(c)

San Joaquin
Basin

Los Angeles
Basin

Ventura
Basin

Sacramento
Basin

Total

436
398

1,418
1,159

(in thousands)

25
20

18
14

71
69

231
193

268
249

373
287

800
736

2,040
1,653

(a) Acres spaced or assigned to productive wells.
(b) Total acres in which we hold an interest.
(c) Sum of fractional interests owned based on working interests or interests under arrangements similar to production-

sharing contracts.

(d) Acres on which wells have not been drilled or completed to a point that would permit the production of commercial

quantities of oil and natural gas, regardless of whether the acreage contains proved reserves.

56

Work programs are designed to ensure that the exploration potential of any leased property is
fully evaluated before expiration. In some instances, we may relinquish leased acreage in advance
of the contractual expiration date if the evaluation process is complete and there is no longer a
business basis for leasing that acreage. In cases where we determine we want to take the additional
time required to fully evaluate acreage, we have generally been successful in obtaining extensions.
The combined net acreage covered by leases expiring in the next three years represents 19% of our
total net undeveloped acreage at December 31, 2015 and these expirations would not have a
material adverse impact on us. Historically, we have not dedicated any significant portion of our
capital program to prevent lease expirations and do not expect we will need to do so in the future.

Participation in Exploratory and Development Wells Being Drilled

The following table sets forth our participation in exploratory and development wells being drilled

as of December 31, 2015.

San Joaquin
Basin

Los Angeles
Basin

Ventura
Basin

Sacramento
Basin

Total

Exploratory and development wells

Gross
Net

10
10

1
1

—
—

—
—

11
11

At December 31, 2015, we were producing from eight steamfloods and 42 waterfloods. We
currently do not have any ongoing material capital investments in these projects. All of the significant
steamflood projects were located in the San Joaquin basin. Twenty-five waterflood projects were
located in the Los Angeles basin and 17 in the San Joaquin basin.

57

Drilling Activity

The following table describes our drilling activity for the periods indicated. The information should

not be considered indicative of future performance, nor should it be assumed that there is
necessarily any correlation among the number of productive wells drilled, quantities of reserves
found or economic value. Productive wells are those that produce, or are capable of producing,
commercial quantities of hydrocarbons, regardless of whether they produce a reasonable rate of
return. Net wells represent the sum of fractional interests in wells in which we own an interest.

San Joaquin Los Angeles

Basin

Basin

Ventura
Basin

Sacramento
Basin

Total

2015
Oil

Exploratory
Development

Natural Gas

Exploratory
Development

Dry

Exploratory
Development

2014
Oil

Exploratory
Development

Natural Gas

Exploratory
Development

Dry

Exploratory
Development

2013
Oil

Exploratory
Development

Natural Gas

Exploratory
Development

Dry

Exploratory
Development

3.0
254.0

—
29.1

—
—

—
—

—
—

—
—

2.0
775.2

—
170.2

—
—

8.0
2.3

—
—

—
0.9

2.0
543.1

—
125.7

—
—

5.0
2.5

—
—

—
0.9

—
—

—
—

—
—

1.7
20.3

—
—

2.0
—

—
18.8

—
—

1.0
—

—
—

—
—

—
—

—
—

—
3.0

1.0
—

—
—

—
7.7

1.0
—

3.0
283.1

—
—

—
—

3.7
965.7

—
3.0

11.0
3.2

2.0
687.6

—
7.7

7.0
3.4

Delivery Commitments

We have made short-term commitments to certain refineries and other buyers to deliver oil,
natural gas and NGLs. As of December 31, 2015, we had 30- to 90-day oil delivery commitments
ranging from 21 MBbls/d to 41 MBbls/d, gas contracts for 2 Bcf of natural gas under 30-day
contracts and 2 Bcf of natural gas under 90-day contracts, and NGL commitments for 1 MMBbls of
NGLs through March 2016. These are index-based contracts with prices set at the time of delivery.
We have significantly more production capacity than the amounts committed and have the ability to
secure additional volumes in case of a shortfall. None of the commitments in any given year is
expected to have a material impact on our financial statements.

58

Our Infrastructure

We own infrastructure that is integral to and significantly complements our operations. Our Elk
Hills cryogenic gas plant has a capacity of 200 MMcf/d of wellhead gas bringing our total Elk Hills
processing capacity to over 540 MMcf/d. We also own and operate a system of natural gas
processing facilities in the Ventura basin that are capable of processing equity wellhead gas from the
surrounding areas. Our natural gas processing facilities are interconnected via pipelines to nearby
third-party rail and trucking facilities, with access to certain North American NGLs markets. In
addition, we have truck rack facilities coupled with a battery of pressurized storage tanks at our Elk
Hills natural gas processing facility for NGL sales to third parties.

We generate all of our electricity needs at our Elk Hills operations, which utilizes approximately a
third of our wholly-owned 550 megawatt combined-cycle power plant located adjacent to our Elk Hills
processing facilities, and sell the excess. We also operate a 46 megawatt cogeneration facility at Elk
Hills that provides resource diversity and additional reliability to support field operations. Within our
Long Beach operations, we operate a 45 megawatt power generating facility that provides over 40%
of the Long Beach operation’s electricity requirements, reducing operating costs. These power
facilities are integrated with our operations to improve their reliability and performance.

We own an extensive network of over 20,000 miles of oil and gas gathering lines. These
gathering lines are dedicated almost entirely to collect our oil and gas production and are in close
proximity to field specific facilities such as tank settings or central processing sites. These lines
provide a variety of services, including connecting our producing wells to gathering networks, natural
gas collection and compression systems, lines for water treating and injection services, steam supply
for our thermal properties, and water lines that deliver treated water for agriculture. Nearly all of our
oil is then transported through third party pipelines with flexibility to ship to various parties. In
addition, virtually all of our natural gas production interconnects with major third-party natural gas
pipeline systems. As a result of these connections, we typically have the ability to access multiple
delivery points to improve the prices we obtain for our oil and natural gas production.

ITEM 3 Legal Proceedings

For information regarding legal proceedings, see the information under the caption, ‘‘Lawsuits,
Claims, Commitments and Contingencies’’ in the MD&A section of this report and in Note 7 of our
Financial Statements.

ITEM 4 Mine Safety Disclosures

Not applicable.

59

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

Executive officers are appointed annually by the Board of Directors. The following table sets

forth our current executive officers:

Name

Positions Held with CRC and Predecessor and Employment Age at
History

February 29, 2016

William E. Albrecht Executive Chairman since 2014; Occidental Vice President
2008 to 2014; Oxy Oil & Gas, Americas President 2012 to
2014; Oxy Oil & Gas, USA President 2008 to 2012.

Todd A. Stevens

Marshall D. Smith

Robert A. Barnes

Frank E. Komin

Shawn M. Kerns

Roy Pineci

President, Chief Executive Officer and Director since 2014;
Occidental Vice President—Corporate Development 2012 to
2014; Oxy Oil & Gas Vice President—California Operations
2008 to 2012; Occidental Vice President—Acquisitions and
Corporate Finance 2004 to 2012.

Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
since 2014; Ultra Petroleum Corp. Chief Financial Officer 2005
to 2014; Ultra Petroleum Corp. Senior Vice President 2011 to
2014.

Executive Vice President—Northern Operations since 2014;
Occidental of Elk Hills President and General Manager 2012 to
2014; Oxy Permian CO2 Operations Manager 2011 to 2012,
Occidental Argentina Deputy General Manager and Senior Vice
President, Operations 2010 to 2011; Occidental Argentina Vice
President, Operations 2007 to 2010.

Executive Vice President—Southern Operations since 2014;
OXY Long Beach President and General Manager 2001 to
2014; Oxy THUMS President and General Manager 2001 to
2009.

Executive Vice President—Corporate Development since 2014;
Vintage Production California President and General Manager
2012 to 2014; Occidental of Elk Hills General Manager 2010 to
2012; Occidental of Elk Hills Asset Development Manager 2008
to 2010.

Executive Vice President—Finance since 2014; Occidental Vice
President and Controller 2008 to 2014; Occidental Oil and Gas
Senior Vice President 2007 to 2008.

Michael L. Preston

Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate
Secretary since 2014; Occidental Oil and Gas Vice President
and General Counsel 2001 to 2014.

Charles F. Weiss

Executive Vice President—Public Affairs since 2014; Occidental
Vice President, Health, Environment and Safety 2007 to 2014.

Darren Williams

Executive Vice President—Exploration since 2014; Marathon
Upstream Gabon Limited President and Africa Exploration
Manager 2013 to 2014; Marathon Oil Oklahoma Subsurface
Manager 2010 to 2013; Marathon Oil Gulf of Mexico
Exploration and Appraisal Manager 2008 to 2010.

64

49

56

59

61

45

53

51

52

44

Mr. Albrecht will transition from Executive Chairman to a non-executive Chairman role effective
with the May 4, 2016 meeting of the Board of Directors. In addition, Mr. Komin will retire during 2016
and Mr. Barnes will assume his responsibilities with respect to our Southern Operations.

60

PART II

ITEM 5 MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER

MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

Market Information for Common Stock

Our common stock began trading ‘‘regular way’’ on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)
under the symbol ‘‘CRC’’ on December 1, 2014. Prior to that date there was no public trading
market for our common stock. The following schedule sets forth the high and low sales price per
share of our common stock as reported on the NYSE for the periods indicated:

First Quarter
Second Quarter
Third Quarter
Fourth Quarter(a)

$
$
$
$

7.87 $
9.87 $
6.05 $
5.15 $

3.75
6.00
2.26
1.76 $

(a) For 2014, this period covers the month ended December 31, 2014.

Holders of Record

N/A
N/A
N/A

Stock Price

2015

2014

High

Low

High

Low

N/A
N/A
N/A

7.37 $

5.29

CRC common stock was held by approximately 25,840 stockholders of record at December 31,

2015, and by approximately 175,000 additional stockholders whose shares were held for them in
street name or nominee accounts.

Dividend Policy

In 2015, we paid quarterly dividends of $0.01 per share for the first three quarters of the year.

No dividends were paid in 2014.

In November 2015, our Board of Directors suspended the payment of our quarterly dividend of
$0.01 per share. This decision is consistent with the Company’s broader initiatives to cut costs and
reduce overall debt levels. The payment of future cash dividends, if any, will be at the discretion of
our Board of Directors and will depend upon, among other things, our financial condition, results of
operations, capital requirements and development expenditures, future business prospects and any
restrictions imposed by future debt instruments. See the ‘‘Liquidity and Capital Resources—Credit
Facilities’’ section below for a description of limitations on paying dividends in our credit facilities.

Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans

Our stock-based compensation plans were approved by our sole stockholder prior to the
Spin-off. A description of the plans can be found in Note 11 of our Financial Statements. The
aggregate number of shares of our common stock authorized for issuance under stock-based
compensation plans for our employees and non-employee directors is 30 million, of which
approximately 8.7 million had been issued through December 31, 2015. If approved at our 2016
Annual Meeting, the number of shares authorized for grant under such plans would increase to
57 million.

61

The following is a summary of the securities available for issuance under such plans:

a) Number of securities to be issued
upon exercise of outstanding
options, warrants and rights

b) Weighted-average exercise price of
outstanding options, warrants and
rights

12,621,340(3)

$7.02(1)

c) Number of securities remaining

available for future issuance under
equity compensation plans
(excluding securities in column (a))
9,772,308(2)(3)

(1) Exercise price applies only to approximately 11.5 million options included in column (a) and not to any other

(2)

awards.
Includes 2.9 million shares subject to rights to purchase common stock under our 2014 Employee Stock Purchase
Plan (ESPP) at 85% of the lower of the market price at (i) the start of a quarter and (ii) the end of a quarter. Shares
first became subject to purchase at the end of the first quarter of 2015. The number of securities remaining
available for future issuance under our ESPP, as reported above, excludes 568,457 shares of our common stock
which were issued during 2015 in settlement of ESPP option exercises for the final purchase period, which
concluded on December 31, 2015.

(3) Does not include awards issued in 2015 (7.2 million shares based on maximum payout or 4.5 million shares based

on target payout) currently treated as cash-settled awards that are intended to be share-settled awards subject to
shareholder approval of our 2014 Long-Term Incentive Plan at our annual meeting in May 2016.

62

Performance Graph

The following graph compares the cumulative total return to stockholders on our common stock

relative to the cumulative total returns of the S&P 500 and Dow Jones U.S. Exploration and
Production indexes (with reinvestment of all dividends). The graph assumes $100 was invested in
our common stock and in each index on December 1, 2014, the date our common stock began
trading on the NYSE, and its relative performance is tracked through December 31, 2015. The
returns shown are based on historical results and are not intended to suggest future performance.

COMPARISON OF 1 YEAR CUMULATIVE TOTAL RETURN*
Among California Resources Corp., the S&P 500 Index,
the Dow Jones US Exploration & Production Index and Peer Group

$120

$100

$80

$60

$40

$20

$0
12/1/14

12/14

California Resources Corp

S&P 500

Dow Jones US Exploration & Production

Peer Group

12/15

4MAR201600204312

*$100 invested on 12/1/14 in stock or 11/30/14 in index, including reinvestment of dividends.
Fisal year ending December 31.

This performance graph shall not be deemed ‘‘soliciting material’’ or to be ‘‘filed’’ with the SEC for purposes of

Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (Exchange Act), or otherwise subject to the liabilities under
that Section, and shall not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any filing of CRC under the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended, or the Exchange Act except to the extent that we specifically request it be treated as soliciting material or
specifically incorporate it by reference.

63

ITEM 6 SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

Prior to the Spin-off on November 30, 2014, financial data was derived from the California
business of Occidental. All financial information presented after the Spin-off represents CRC’s
consolidated results of operations, financial position and cash flows. Accordingly:

•

•

The selected statement of operations and cash flows data for the year ended December 31,
2015 consists of the stand-alone consolidated results of California Resources Corporation
post Spin-off. For the year ended December 31, 2014 the statement of operations and cash
flows data includes the consolidated results for the month ended December 31, 2014 and
the combined results of the California business prior to the Spin-off. The selected statement
of operations data for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011 consists entirely
of the combined results of the California business.

The selected balance sheet data at December 31, 2015 and 2014 consists of the
consolidated balances of California Resources Corporation, while the selected balance sheet
data at December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011 consists of the combined balances of the
California business.

2015

2014

Year Ended December 31,
2013
(in millions)

2012

2011

Statement of Operations Data
Revenues
Income / (loss) before income taxes
Net income / (loss)

Per common share

Basic
Diluted

$
$
$

$
$

2,403
$
(5,476) $
(3,554) $

4,173
$
(2,421) $
(1,434) $

(9.27) $
(9.27) $

(3.75) $
(3.75) $

4,284
1,447
869

2.24
2.24

$
$
$

$
$

4,073
1,181
699

1.80
1.80

$
$
$

$
$

3,934
1,641
971

2.50
2.50

Statement of Cash Flows Data
Net cash provided by operating

activities

$
$
Capital investments
$
Acquisitions
Borrowings, net of costs
$
Spin-off related dividends to Occidental $
(Distributions to) contributions from

Occidental, net

Dividends per Common Share

$

$

$
403
(401) $
(141) $
$
379
— $

$
2,371
(2,089) $
(288) $
6,290
$
(6,000) $

$
2,476
(1,669) $
(48) $
— $
— $

$
2,223
(2,331) $
(427) $
— $
— $

2,456
(2,164)
(1,405)
—
—

— $

(335) $

(763) $

532

$

1,106

0.03

$

— $

— $

— $

—

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

As of December 31,

(in millions)

Balance Sheet Data
Total current assets
Property, plant and equipment, net
Total assets
Total current liabilities
Long-term debt—principal amount
Deferred gain and issuance costs, net
Other long-term liabilities
Equity

$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$

497
$
6,312
$
7,053
$
605
$
6,043
$
491
$
$
830
(916) $

701
11,685
12,429
922
6,360

$
$
$
$
$
(68) $
$
549
$
2,611

254 $
14,008 $
14,297 $
689 $
— $
— $
497 $
9,989 $

245 $
13,499 $
13,764 $
551 $
— $
— $
511 $
9,860 $

195
11,778
11,989
664
—
—
454
8,624

The selected financial data presented above should be read in conjunction with ‘‘Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations’’ and the consolidated and
combined financial statements and accompanying notes included elsewhere in this Form 10-K.

64

ITEM 7 MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Except when the context otherwise requires or where otherwise indicated, (1) all references to

‘‘CRC,’’ the ‘‘Company,’’ ‘‘we,’’ ‘‘us’’ and ‘‘our’’ refer to California Resources Corporation and its
subsidiaries or the California business, (2) all references to the ‘‘California business’’ refer to
Occidental’s California oil and gas exploration and production operations and related assets,
liabilities and obligations, which we have assumed in connection with the spin-off from Occidental on
November 30, 2014 (the ‘‘Spin-off’’), and (3) all references to ‘‘Occidental’’ refer to Occidental
Petroleum Corporation, our former parent, and its subsidiaries.

The Separation and Spin-off

We are an independent oil and natural gas exploration and production company operating
properties exclusively within the State of California. We were incorporated in Delaware as a wholly-
owned subsidiary of Occidental on April 23, 2014 and remained a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Occidental until the Spin-off. On November 30, 2014, Occidental distributed shares of our common
stock on a pro rata basis to Occidental stockholders and we became an independent, publicly traded
company. Occidental retained approximately 18.5% of our outstanding shares of common stock
which it has stated it intends to divest on March 24, 2016.

Basis of Presentation and Certain Factors Affecting Comparability

Until the Spin-off, the accompanying financial statements were derived from the consolidated
financial statements and accounting records of Occidental and were presented on a combined basis
for the pre-Spin-off periods. These financial statements reflect the historical results of operations,
financial position and cash flows of the California business. All financial information presented after
the Spin-off consists of the stand-alone consolidated results of operations, financial position and
cash flows of CRC. We account for our share of oil and gas exploration and production ventures, in
which we have a direct working interest, by reporting our proportionate share of assets, liabilities,
revenues, costs and cash flows within the relevant lines on the balance sheets and statements of
operations and cash flows.

The statements of operations for periods prior to the Spin-off include expense allocations for
certain corporate functions and centrally-located activities historically performed by Occidental. These
functions include executive oversight, accounting, treasury, tax, financial reporting, finance, internal
audit, legal, risk management, information technology, government relations, public relations, investor
relations, human resources, procurement, engineering, drilling, exploration, marketing, ethics and
compliance, and certain other shared services. These allocations were based primarily on specific
identification of time or activities associated with us, employee headcount or our relative size
compared to Occidental. Our management believes the assumptions underlying the financial
statements, including the assumptions regarding allocating expenses from Occidental, are
reasonable. However, the financial statements for the pre-Spin-off periods may not include all of the
actual expenses that would have been incurred, may include duplicative costs and may not reflect
our results of operations, financial position and cash flows had we operated as a stand-alone public
company during the periods presented. Actual costs that would have been incurred if we had been a
stand-alone company prior to the Spin-off would depend on multiple factors, including organizational
structure and strategic and operating decisions.

65

Prior to the Spin-off, we participated in Occidental’s centralized treasury management program
and did not incur any debt. Excess cash generated by our business was distributed to Occidental,
and likewise our cash needs were provided by Occidental, in the form of contributions.

Had we been a stand-alone company for the full year 2014, and had the same level of debt
throughout the year as we did on December 31, 2014, of approximately $6.4 billion, we would have
incurred $314 million, of interest expense, on a pro-forma basis, for the year ended December 31,
2014, compared to the $72 million pre-tax interest expense reported in our statement of operations
for the year then ended.

Business Environment and Industry Outlook

Our operating results and those of the oil and gas industry as a whole are heavily influenced by
commodity prices. Oil and gas index prices and differentials may fluctuate significantly, generally as
a result of changes in supply and demand and other market-related variables. These and other
factors make it impossible to predict realized prices reliably. Much of the global exploration and
production industry is challenged at current price levels, putting pressure on the industry’s ability to
generate positive cash flow and access capital.

We respond to economic conditions primarily by adjusting our capital investments to be in line
with current economic conditions, including adjusting the size and allocation of our capital program,
aligning the size of our work force with the level of activity, continuing to drive efficiencies and cost
savings in the organization and working with our suppliers and service providers to adjust the cost of
goods and services to current market conditions. The changes in our capital program will negatively
impact our production levels and cash flows.

We will also continue to be strategic and opportunistic in implementing our hedging program.
Our objective is to protect against the cyclical nature of commodity prices to protect our cash flows,
margins and capital investment program and improve our ability to comply with our credit facility
covenants in case of further price deterioration. We executed hedges for 2016 using Brent-based
costless collars, representing annualized average production of 30,600 barrels of oil per day and a
weighted-average price of $50.88 per barrel, but can give no assurance that they will be adequate to
accomplish our hedging program objectives.

We currently sell all of our crude oil into the California refining markets, which we believe have

offered relatively favorable pricing compared to other U.S. regions for similar grades. California
imports over 60% of its oil and approximately 90% of its natural gas. A vast majority of the oil is
imported via supertanker, with a minor amount arriving by rail. As a result, California refiners have
typically purchased crude oil at international waterborne-based prices. We believe that the limited
crude transportation infrastructure from other parts of the country to California will continue
contributing to higher realizations than most other U.S. oil markets for comparable grades. Beginning
in late 2015, the U.S. federal government allowed the export of crude oil. As a result, we are
opportunistically pursuing newly opened export markets for our crude oil production to improve our
margins. Due to much lower levels of natural gas production compared to our oil production, the
changes in natural gas prices have a significantly lower impact on our operating results. Lower
natural gas prices generally have a positive effect on our steamflood projects, which use natural gas
to generate the steam being injected. Average oil prices were significantly lower in 2015 than 2014,
caused by a steep decline in prices that started in the last half of 2014 and continued into 2015.
Average Brent oil prices were $99.51 per barrel in 2014 and $53.64 per barrel in 2015, ending 2015
at $37.28. Our realized price for crude oil, taking into account our hedges, as a percentage of Brent

66

prices was approximately 92% and 93% for 2015 and 2014, respectively. In the early part of 2016,
oil prices have averaged below the year-end 2015 level.

The following table presents the average daily Brent oil, WTI oil and NYMEX gas prices for each

of the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013:

Brent oil ($/Bbl)
WTI oil ($/Bbl)
NYMEX gas ($/Mcf)

2015

2014

2013

$
$
$

53.64 $
48.80 $
2.75 $

99.51 $
93.00 $
4.34 $

108.76
97.97
3.66

Oil prices and differentials will continue to be affected by a variety of factors, including changes

in consumption patterns, inventory levels, global and local economic conditions, the actions of OPEC
and other significant producers and governments, actual or threatened production and refining
disruptions, currency exchange rates, worldwide drilling and exploration activities, the effects of
conservation, weather, geophysical and technical limitations, refining and processing disruptions,
transportation bottlenecks and other matters affecting the supply and demand dynamics for our
products, technological advances and regional market conditions; transportation capacity and costs
in producing areas; and the effect of changes in these variables on market perceptions.

Prices and differentials for natural gas liquids (NGLs) are related to the supply and demand for
the products making up these liquids. Some of them more typically correlate to the price of oil while
others are affected by natural gas prices as well as the demand for certain chemical products for
which they are used as feedstock. In addition, infrastructure constraints magnify the pricing volatility.

Natural gas prices and differentials are strongly affected by local supply and demand

fundamentals, as well as availability of transportation capacity from producing areas.

Our earnings are also affected by the performance of our processing and power generation
assets. We process our wet gas to extract NGLs and other natural gas byproducts. We then deliver
dry gas to pipelines and separately sell the NGLs. The efficiency with which we extract liquids from
the wet gas stream affects our operating results. Additionally, we provide part of the electricity output
from our Elk Hills power plant to reduce Elk Hills field operating costs and increase reliability and sell
the excess to the grid and to others under contract. Further, energy costs, primarily in the form of
electricity, and the cost of natural gas used to generate steam can also impact the level of our
earnings.

Seasonality

While certain aspects of our operations are affected by seasonal factors, such as electricity

costs, overall, seasonality is not a material driver of changes in our quarterly earnings during the
year.

Income Taxes

Deferred tax assets, net of deferred tax liabilities of $454 million, were approximately
$258 million at December 31, 2015. The current portion of the net deferred tax assets was
$59 million, which was reported in other current assets, and the noncurrent portion of $199 million
was reported in other assets. The realization of deferred tax assets is assessed periodically based
on several factors, including our expectation of sufficient future income and reversal of taxable
temporary differences. In the fourth quarter of 2015, we recorded a valuation allowance, net of the

67

federal benefit for the state-related portion, of $294 million against a portion of our deferred tax
assets, which we do not believe are more likely than not realizable due to the decline in commodity
prices.

As further explained in the ‘‘Liquidity and Capital Resources’’ section below, in December 2015,
we executed an exchange whereby we issued second-lien secured notes in exchange for a portion
of our unsecured notes. As a result of this debt exchange, we recognized cancellation of debt
income of $1.39 billion in 2015, including $830 million of original issue discount, which represented
the excess of the face value of the newly-issued notes over their fair value. The original issue
discount will be deducted in our tax returns over a seven-year period. The tax gain exceeded our
operating loss for the year. We expect to utilize our existing net operating loss (NOL) carryforwards
from 2014 as well as our anticipated 2016 NOLs to offset the current tax liability resulting from this
gain. As a result, the related $310 million of current federal and state tax provision has been
reported in other long-term liabilities in the accompanying balance sheets. We expect this amount to
become a deferred tax liability in 2016 as the anticipated losses are incurred.

The following table sets forth the calculation of our effective income tax rate for each of the

years ended December 31 (in millions):

2015

2014

2013

Pre-tax income / (loss)
Income tax (expense) / benefit

Net income / (loss)

Effective tax rate

Operations

$ (5,476) $ (2,421) $ 1,447
(578)

1,922

987

$ (3,554) $ (1,434) $

869

35%

41%

40%

We conduct our operations through fee interests, land leases and other contractual

arrangements. We believe we are the largest private oil and natural gas mineral acreage holder in
California, with interests in approximately 2.4 million net acres, approximately 60% of which we hold
in fee. Our oil and gas leases have a primary term ranging from one to ten years, which is extended
through the end of production once it commences. We also own a network of strategically placed
infrastructure that is integrated with our operations, including gas plants, oil and gas gathering
systems, a power plant and other related assets to maximize the value generated from our
production.

Our share of production and reserves from operations in the Wilmington field is subject to
contractual arrangements similar to production-sharing contracts that are in effect through the
economic life of the assets. Under such contracts we are obligated to fund all capital and production
costs. We record a share of production and reserves to recover such capital and production costs
and an additional share for profit. Our portion of the production represents volumes: (1) to recover
our partners’ share of capital and production costs that we incur on their behalf, (2) for our share of
contractually defined base production and (3) for our share of production in excess of contractually
defined base production for each period. We realize our share of capital and production costs, and
generate returns, through our defined share of production from (2) and (3) above. These contracts
do not transfer any right of ownership to us and reserves reported from these arrangements are
based on our economic interest as defined in the contracts. Our share of production and reserves
from these contracts decreases when product prices rise and increases when prices decline,
however, our net economic benefit is greater when product prices are higher. These contracts
represented approximately 17% of our production for the year ended December 31, 2015.

68

Results

Results for the year ended December 31, 2015 were a net loss of $3.6 billion, compared with a

net loss of $1.4 billion for the year ended December 31, 2014. The net loss in 2015 reflected
after-tax items including a $2.9 billion non-cash impairment charge for proved and unproved
properties in the fourth quarter of 2015, approximately $42 million in write-down of certain other
assets, $40 million in early retirement and severance costs, $7 million in rig termination and other
costs and $5 million in debt transactions costs, net, partially offset by $34 million in hedge-related
gains. Additionally, the net loss for 2015 included a $294 million net tax charge for the valuation
allowance on our deferred tax assets. The net loss for 2015, excluding these items, was $311 million
as reflected in the table below.

The net loss in 2014 largely reflected a $2.0 billion non-cash after-tax impairment charge for

proved and unproved properties in the fourth quarter of 2014 and approximately $64 million in
after-tax charges for rig terminations, other price-related charges and Spin-off and transition related
costs. There were no similar charges or costs in 2013. Net income for 2014, excluding these
charges, was $650 million as reflected in the table below.

The table below reconciles net income / (loss) to adjusted net income and lists unusual and

infrequent items affecting earnings for each year (in millions):

Adjusted net income / (loss)
Unusual and infrequent items:

Asset impairments
Write-down of certain other assets
Early retirement and severance costs
Rig terminations and other costs
Debt transactions
Non-cash hedge-related gains
Spin-off and transition related costs
Valuation allowance for deferred tax assets
Tax effects of these items and related adjustments

2015

2014

2013

$

(311) $

650

$

869

(4,852)
(71)
(67)
(11)
(8)
52
—
(294)
2,008

(3,402)

—
(52)

—
(55)

1,425

—

—
—

—
—

—

Net income / (loss)

$

(3,554) $

(1,434) $

869

Our results of operations can include the effects of significant, unusual or infrequent transactions

and events affecting earnings that vary widely and unpredictably in nature, timing, amount and
frequency. Therefore, management uses a measure called adjusted net income / (loss), which
excludes those items. This measure is not meant to disassociate items from management’s
performance, but rather is meant to provide useful information to investors interested in comparing
our earnings performance between periods. Reported earnings are considered representative of
management’s performance over the long term. Adjusted net income / (loss) is not considered to be
an alternative to income / (loss) reported in accordance with United States generally accepted
accounting principles (GAAP).

Adjusted results for 2015, compared to 2014, reflected significantly lower realized product prices

in 2015 and higher interest expense, partially offset by the benefits of higher oil production, lower
production costs, depreciation, depletion and amortization (DD&A), exploration expense and ad
valorem tax expense. Production costs decreased in 2015 as a result of various efficiency and cost
cutting measures implemented across our operations, including lower well maintenance and

69

workovers, well servicing efficiency, surface operations, reduced energy use through efficiencies,
employee reductions, including early retirements, as well as lower prices for injectants, such as
natural gas, and electricity. Adjusted general and administrative expenses also decreased in 2015 as
a result of efficiency and cost-cutting measures implemented during the year and lower employee-
related costs.

Adjusted results for 2014, compared to 2013, benefited from higher oil production and higher

realized natural gas prices, which were more than offset by lower realized oil prices and lower
realized NGL prices and volumes, and higher production costs, depreciation rates, property taxes,
general and administrative costs and interest expenses. In addition, unit production costs increased
mainly due to higher natural gas and other energy costs, and expenses for surface operations and
maintenance.

The following table sets forth our average production volumes of oil, NGLs and natural gas per

day for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2015:

Oil (MBbl/d)

San Joaquin Basin
Los Angeles Basin
Ventura Basin
Sacramento Basin

Total

NGLs (MBbl/d)

San Joaquin Basin
Los Angeles Basin
Ventura Basin
Sacramento Basin

Total

Natural gas (MMcf/d)
San Joaquin Basin
Los Angeles Basin
Ventura Basin
Sacramento Basin

Total

Total Production (MBoe/d)(a)

2015

2014

2013

64
34
6
—

104

17
—
1
—

18

172
2
11
44

229

160

64
29
6
—

99

18
—
1
—

19

180
1
11
54

246

159

58
26
6
—

90

19
—
1
—

20

182
2
11
65

260

154

Note:MBbl/d refers to thousands of barrels per day; MMcf/d refers to millions of cubic feet per day; MBoe/d refers to

thousands of barrels of oil equivalent per day.

(a) Natural gas volumes have been converted to Boe based on the equivalence of energy content between six Mcf of

natural gas and one barrel of oil. Barrels of oil equivalence does not necessarily result in price equivalence. The
price of natural gas on a barrel of oil equivalent basis is currently substantially lower than the corresponding price
for oil and has been similarly lower for a number of years. For example, for the year ended December 31, 2015, the
average prices of Brent oil and NYMEX natural gas were $53.64 per barrel and $2.75 per Mcf, respectively,
resulting in an oil-to-gas price ratio of approximately 20 to 1.

Daily oil and gas production volumes averaged 160,000 Boe for the year ended December 31,

2015, compared with 159,000 Boe for the year ended December 31, 2014. Average daily oil
production increased by 5,000 barrels, or by five pecent, while daily NGL production decreased by
1,000 barrels and natural gas production decreased by 17 MMcf. The increase in oil production and

70

decline in NGL and natural gas production reflected our emphasis on higher margin oil drilling and
reduction of drilling capital for natural gas. Oil and total production for 2015 were both at record
levels.

Daily oil and gas production volumes averaged 159,000 Boe for the year ended December 31,

2014, compared with 154,000 Boe for the year ended December 31, 2013. Average daily oil
production increased by 9,000 barrels, or by ten percent, while daily NGL production decreased by
1,000 barrels and natural gas production decreased by 14 MMcf. The increase in oil production and
decline in NGL and natural gas production reflected our emphasis on higher margin oil drilling and
reduction of drilling capital for natural gas.

The following table sets forth the average realized prices for our products:

Oil prices with hedge ($ per Bbl)

Oil prices without hedge ($ per Bbl)
NGLs prices ($ per Bbl)
Gas prices with hedge ($ per Mcf)

2015

2014

2013

$

$
$
$

49.19 $

92.30 $

104.16

47.15 $
19.62 $
2.66 $

92.30 $
47.84 $
4.39 $

104.16
50.43
3.73

The following table presents our average realized prices as a percentage of Brent, WTI and

NYMEX for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2015:

Oil with hedge as a percentage of Brent

Oil without hedge as a percentage of Brent
Oil without hedge as a percentage of WTI
Gas with hedge as a percentage of NYMEX

Balance Sheet Analysis

2015

2014

2013

92%

88%
97%
97%

93%

93%
99%
101%

96%

96%
106%
102%

The changes in our balance sheet as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, are discussed below:

Cash and cash equivalents
Trade receivables, net
Inventories
Other current assets
Property, plant and equipment, net
Other assets
Current maturities of long-term debt
Accounts payable
Accrued liabilities
Current income taxes
Long-term debt—principal amount
Deferred gain and financing costs, net
Deferred income taxes
Other long-term liabilities
Equity

71

2015

2014

(in millions)

12
200
58
227
6,312
244
100
257
222
26
6,043
491

$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
— $
830
$
(916) $

14
308
71
308
11,685
43
—
588
334
—
6,360
(68)
2,055
549
2,611

$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$

See ‘‘Liquidity and Capital Resources’’ for discussion of changes in our cash and cash

equivalents and long-term debt.

The decrease in trade receivables was largely the result of lower product prices and lower oil
volumes for the fourth quarter of 2015, compared to the same period of 2014. The decrease in other
current assets reflected lower greenhouse gas emission and other assets, partially offset by
increases in the market value of our derivative assets. The decrease in property, plant, and
equipment, net reflected the impairment charge for proved and unproved properties and additional
DD&A incurred in 2015, partially offset by capital investments. The increase in other assets was due
to the noncurrent portion of net deferred tax assets that resulted from our asset impairment charge
for the year.

The decrease in accounts payable reflected lower capital investments and operating costs in the

last quarter of 2015 compared with the same period in 2014. The decrease in accrued liabilities at
year end 2015 compared to 2014 reflected lower greenhouse gas emission liabilities and accrued
interest, in both cases largely due to the timing of payments. The elimination of the deferred income
tax liability resulted from the impairment charges, partially offset by tax depreciation of our property,
plant and equipment. The impairment charges resulted in the recognition of a net deferred tax asset.
Other long-term liabilities increased as a result of additional taxes resulting from the December 2015
debt exchange, partially offset by lower asset retirement obligations. The decrease in equity primarily
reflected our current-year net loss.

Statement of Operations Analysis

The following table presents the results of our operations, including the unusual and infrequent

items discussed in the ‘‘Results’’ section above:

Oil and natural gas sales(a)
Other revenue
Production costs
General and administrative expenses
Depreciation, depletion and amortization
Asset impairments
Taxes other than on income
Exploration expense
Interest and debt expense, net
Other expenses
Income tax (expense) / benefit

Net income / (loss)

EBITDAX(b)

Effective tax rate

2015

$ 2,294
109
(951)
(354)
(1,004)
(4,852)
(180)
(36)
(326)
(176)
1,922

2014
(in millions)
$ 4,023
150
(1,057)
(302)
(1,198)
(3,402)
(217)
(139)
(72)
(207)
987

2013

$ 4,139
145
(986)
(266)
(1,144)
—
(185)
(116)
—
(140)
(578)

$ (3,554) $ (1,434) $

869

$

906

$ 2,548

$ 2,733

35%

41%

40%

Includes related-party sales for 2014 and 2013.

(a)
(b) We define EBITDAX consistent with our Credit Facilities as earnings before interest expense; income taxes;

depreciation, depletion and amortization; exploration expense; and certain other non-cash items and unusual,
infrequent charges. Our management believes EBITDAX provides useful information in assessing our financial
condition, results of operations and cash flows and is widely used by the industry and investment community. The
amounts included in the calculation of EBITDAX were computed in accordance with GAAP. This measure is a
material component of our financial covenants under our Credit Facilities and is provided in addition to, and not as
an alternative for, income and liquidity measures calculated in accordance with GAAP. Certain items excluded from

72

EBITDAX are significant components in understanding and assessing a company’s financial performance, such as a
company’s cost of capital and tax structure, as well as the historic cost of depreciable and depletable assets.
EBITDAX should be read in conjunction with the information contained in our financial statements prepared in
accordance with GAAP.

The following table presents a reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measure of EBITDAX to the GAAP financial
measure of net income / (loss) (in millions):

2015

2014

2013

Net income / (loss)
Interest expense
Income tax expense / (benefit)
Asset impairments
Depreciation, depletion and amortization
Exploration expense
Other non-cash items
Unusual and infrequent charges(a)

$

$

(3,554)
326
(1,922)
4,852
1,004
36
59
105

$

(1,434)
72
(987)
3,402
1,198
139
51
107

EBITDAX

$

906

$

2,548

$

869
—
578
—
1,144
116
26
—

2,733

(a) For 2015, includes early retirement and severance costs, hedge related gains, debt related items and rig

termination costs. For 2014, includes rig terminations and other price-related costs, and Spin-off and transition
related costs.

The following represents key metrics of our oil and gas operations, excluding certain corporate
items and asset impairments, on a per Boe basis for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and
2013:

Production costs
General and administrative expense, as adjusted(a)
Other operating expenses, as adjusted(b)
Depreciation, depletion and amortization
Taxes other than on income

2015

2014

2013

$
$
$
$
$

16.30 $
1.00 $
0.36 $
16.72 $
2.67 $

18.23 $
1.47 $
0.55 $
20.40 $
3.50 $

17.56
1.46
0.60
20.11
3.05

(a) For 2015, the amount excludes unusual and infrequent costs of $0.31 per Boe related to early retirement and

severance costs associated with field personnel. For 2014, the amount excludes unusual and infrequent costs of
$0.10 per Boe related to Spin-off and transition related costs.

(b) For 2015, the amount excludes unusual and infrequent costs related to the write-down of certain assets and rig

termination charges of $1.42 per Boe. For 2014, the amount excludes unusual and infrequent costs related to rig
termination charges and Spin-off and transition related costs of $0.97 per Boe.

The following table presents the reconciliation of general and administrative expenses to

adjusted general and administrative expenses (in millions):

General and administrative expenses

Early retirement and severance costs

Adjusted general and administrative expenses

2015

2014

2013

$

$

354
(67)

287

$

$

302
—

302

$

$

266
—

266

73

Year Ended December 31, 2015 vs. 2014

Oil and natural gas sales decreased 43%, or $1.7 billion, in 2015 compared to 2014, primarily

due to an approximately $1.55 billion negative impact from lower oil prices, $190 million from lower
NGL prices and volumes and $180 million from lower natural gas prices and volumes. The lower oil
prices resulted from a significant decrease in benchmark prices generally, as well as higher
differentials to those benchmark prices in 2015, mainly caused by local refinery and pipeline events.
The decrease was partially offset by an approximately $70 million positive effect of higher oil
volumes and a gain of approximately $130 million from hedge-related activity, of which $50 million
was non-cash. Average oil production increased by 5% or 5,000 barrels per day to 104,000 barrels
per day in the year ended 2015 compared to the prior year. NGL production decreased by 5% to
18,000 barrels per day and natural gas production decreased by 7% to 229 MMcf per day.

Other revenue in 2015, primarily attributable to sales from our Elk Hills power plant, decreased

27%, or $41 million, due to lower prices for power sold by our Elk Hills power plant.

Production costs decreased 10%, or $106 million, to $16.30 per Boe in 2015, compared to

$18.23 per Boe in 2014, an 11% reduction on a Boe basis. The decrease was driven by cost
reductions across the board, particularly in well maintenance and workovers, well servicing
efficiency, surface operations, reduced energy use through efficiencies and employee reductions,
including early retirements, and was aided by lower natural gas and electricity prices.

Adjusted general and administrative expenses, which excludes voluntary retirement and

employee reduction costs, decreased 5%, or $15 million, in 2015 compared to 2014, largely due to
our cost reduction efforts and lower stock-based compensation costs resulting from a lower year-end
stock price. The non-cash portion of adjusted G&A, comprising equity compensation and pension
costs, was approximately $35 million and $30 million for 2015 and 2014, respectively.

DD&A expense decreased 16%, or $194 million, in 2015 compared to 2014, almost all of which
was due to a lower DD&A rate resulting from the 2014 impairment charges, partially offset by higher
2015 production.

At year end 2015, we performed impairment tests with respect to our proved and unproved
properties triggered by the sharp drop in oil prices in the fourth quarter of 2015. As a result, in the
fourth quarter of 2015, we recorded pre-tax asset impairment charges of $4.9 billion on proved and
unproved properties throughout our asset base. The impairment charge was related to certain
properties in the San Joaquin, Los Angeles and Ventura basins, as well as our gas properties in the
Sacramento basin. Approximately $100 million of the charge was related to unproved acreage. We
evaluate our properties, in part, based on year-end forward price curves, as well as assessing
projects we determined we would not pursue in the foreseeable future given the current
environment. To the extent prices recover to levels above the year-end forward price curves, we
would expect a substantial portion of these assets would ultimately become economic in an
improved price environment.

Taxes other than on income decreased 17%, or $37 million, in 2015 compared to 2014, primarily

due to a $25 million decrease in property taxes and a $10 million decrease in greenhouse gas
emissions costs.

Exploration expense decreased 74%, or $103 million, in 2015 compared to 2014, consistent with

our reduced exploration activity.

74

The increase in interest and debt expense, net, of $254 million in 2015 compared to 2014,

resulted from the debt incurred in connection with the Spin-off in the fourth quarter of 2014.

Other expenses decreased 15%, or $31 million, in 2015 compared to 2014, reflecting lower

natural gas costs for our Elk Hills power plant and lower rig termination costs.

Provision for income taxes showed a benefit of $1.9 billion in 2015, which reflected a pre-tax

loss of approximately $5.5 billion, compared to a benefit of $987 million in 2014, which reflected a
pre-tax loss of approximately $2.4 billion. The 2015 benefit was net of a $294 million charge related
to a valuation allowance, which resulted in a lower effective tax rate in 2015.

Year Ended December 31, 2014 vs. 2013

Oil and natural gas sales decreased 3%, or $116 million, in 2014 compared to 2013. Lower oil

prices, which declined significantly in the second half of 2014, contributed $377 million to this
decrease, lower natural gas volumes contributed $71 million and lower NGL prices and volumes
contributed $54 million. Partially offsetting these decreases were $318 million related to higher oil
volumes and $61 million related to higher natural gas prices. Crude oil production increased by
9,000 Boe/d while our NGL and natural gas production decreased by 1,000 Boe/d and 14 MMcf/d, or
approximately 2,000 Boe/d, respectively. The lower NGL and natural gas production reflects our
planned shift in our capital toward higher margin oil projects.

Other revenue in 2014, attributable to sales from our Elk Hills power plant, was consistent with

2013.

Production costs increased by 7%, or $71 million, to $18.23 per Boe in 2014, compared to
$17.56 per Boe in 2013. Of this increase, $32 million was due to higher volumes and $31 million
due to higher costs for natural gas used in our steamflood operations and higher energy costs and
expenses for surface operations and maintenance. In the fourth quarter we started an aggressive
cost containment program and have seen costs start to decline in December.

General and administrative expenses increased 12%, or $36 million, in 2014 compared to 2013,

mostly due to higher employee related costs and costs related to the Spin-off.

DD&A expense increased 5%, or $54 million, in 2014 compared to 2013. Of this increase,
$22 million was attributable to higher volumes and $32 million resulted from a higher DD&A rate,
due to additional capital investments.

At year end 2014, we performed impairment tests with respect to our proved and unproved

properties as a result of significant declines in oil prices largely during the last half of 2014. As a
result, in the fourth quarter of 2014, we recorded pre-tax asset impairment charges of $3.4 billion on
proved and unproved properties throughout our asset base. The impairment charge was related to
certain properties in the San Joaquin and Los Angeles basins and a portion of our assets in the
Ventura basin, as well as our gas properties in the Sacramento basin. Approximately $650 million of
the charge was related to unproved acreage. We evaluate our properties, in part, based on year-end
forward price curves, as well as assessing projects we determined we would not pursue in the
foreseeable future given the current environment. To the extent prices recover to levels above the
year-end forward price curves, we would expect a substantial portion of these assets would
ultimately become economic in an improved price environment.

75

Taxes other than on income increased 17%, or $32 million, in 2014 compared to 2013, reflecting

higher property taxes largely due to a refund received in 2013, which reduced that year’s property
taxes.

Exploration expense increased 20%, or $23 million, in 2014 compared to 2013, mostly due to

higher dry hole expenses in the San Joaquin basin, including $12 million of other charges.

Interest expense in 2014 was $72 million, due to our debt incurred in connection with the

Spin-off of approximately $6.4 billion in the fourth quarter of 2014.

Other expenses increased 48%, or $67, million in 2014 compared to 2013, and included rig

termination costs of $33 million and $35 million for Spin-off, transition and other related items.

Provision for income taxes showed a benefit of $987 million in 2014, reflecting the pre-tax loss

of approximately $2.4 billion and a slight increase in the effective tax rate compared to 2013.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

The primary source of liquidity and capital resources to fund our capital program and other

obligations has been cash flow from operations. Operating cash flows, however, are largely
dependent on oil and natural gas prices and differentials, sales volumes and costs. Oil and natural
gas prices declined significantly during fiscal year 2015 and have declined even further through fiscal
2016 to date. The price of Brent crude oil dropped below $28 per barrel at one point in
January 2016. These lower commodity prices have negatively impacted revenues, earnings and
cash flows, and sustained low oil and natural gas prices will have a material and adverse effect on
our liquidity position.

Much of the global exploration and production industry is challenged at current price levels,

putting pressure on the industry’s ability to generate positive cash flow and access capital. If
commodity prices were to prevail through the year at about current levels, we may need to depend
on our revolving credit facility for a portion of our cash needs for the year. Our ability to borrow
under our revolving credit facility is limited by our ability to comply with its covenants, including
quarterly financial covenants, and by our borrowing base. Effective February 2016, the borrowing
base under our credit facilities was $2.3 billion. As of January 31, 2016, after giving effect to the
February borrowing base redetermination, we would have had approximately $560 million of
available borrowing capacity under our revolving credit facility, subject to further limitations in order
for us to remain compliant with our financial covenants.

If prices for our products remain stable or increase, we expect our needs for our annual interest

payments, operational expenses, capital investments and other obligations for the next twelve
months will be met by cash generated from operations and, if necessary, borrowings under our
revolving credit facility, while remaining compliant with our financial covenants. However, further
price declines would reduce our cash flows from operations over such period and may limit our
access to borrowing capacity or cause a default under our revolving credit facility, which would give
our lenders the ability to foreclose on our secured assets. If we experience further commodity price
declines, and are unable to achieve improved liquidity through additional financing, asset
monetizations, restructuring of our debt obligations or otherwise, cash and expected available credit
capacity may not be sufficient to meet our commitments over the next twelve months.

In addition, in response to commodity price declines, we reduced our fiscal year 2016 capital
budget to a current planned amount of $50 million compared to 2015 actual capital expenditures of

76

$401 million, consistent with our continued intent to reduce our capital program from 2015 levels to a
level consistent with our expected operating cash flow. The curtailment of the development of our
properties will lead to a decline in our production and possibly reserves. Over the long term, a
continued decline in our production and reserves would reduce our liquidity and ability to satisfy our
debt obligations by negatively impacting our cash flow from operations and the value of our assets.
We are pursuing certain transactions that, if consummated, may provide us with additional capital
beyond our operating cash flows; however, we cannot assure that any of these transactions will be
completed.

We have taken a number of other steps to better align our cost structure with the current price
environment. In the fourth quarter of 2015, we reduced our total workforce to approximately 1,700
employees through early retirements and other employee actions. In February 2016, we
implemented additional employee actions to reduce our workforce to below 1,500 employees. In
addition, the management team accepted a 10% reduction in their salaries. We also substantially
reduced our matching contributions to employees’ 401(k) plans and suspended our retirement
contributions to other non-qualified plans. As a result, in 2016, we expect to meaningfully reduce our
production costs and general and administrative expense below 2015 levels. We expect that these
measures will help offset the cash flow effects of prolonged low or deteriorating commodity prices to
some extent.

We are also pursuing a number of alternatives to deleverage our balance sheet and better align

our capital structure with the current commodity price environment. Potential transactions may
include a combination of asset monetizations, joint ventures and other deleveraging opportunities,
such as capital market alternatives. The asset monetization opportunities we are pursuing primarily
involve our midstream and power assets. We may from time to time seek to pay down, retire or
purchase our outstanding debt using cash or exchanging for other debt or equity securities, in open
market purchases, privately negotiated transactions or otherwise. Such repurchases or exchanges, if
any, will depend on available funds, prevailing market conditions, our liquidity requirements,
contractual restriction in our revolving credit agreement and other factors. The amounts involved may
be material. We can give no assurance that any of these efforts will be successful or provide
sufficient capital or deleveraging.

As discussed above, we have Brent-based crude oil hedges in place for 2016, representing
average production of 44,700 barrels per day at a weighted-average price of $50.75 per barrel for
the first half of 2016 and 15,500 barrels per day at a weighted-average price of $50.59 per barrel for
the second half of 2016, but can give no assurance they will be adequate to accomplish our hedging
program objectives. In addition, we entered into a Brent-based swap during the year for 1,000
barrels per day of our July through December 2016 crude oil production at $61.25 per barrel.

Credit Facilities

We have a credit agreement effective through September 2019 that provides for (i) a senior term

loan facility (the Term Loan Facility) and (ii) a senior revolving loan facility (the Revolving Credit
Facility and, together with the Term Loan Facility, the Credit Facilities). All borrowings under these
facilities are subject to certain customary conditions. During the third quarter of 2015, our corporate
ratings from Moody’s Investors Service (Moody’s) and Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services (S&P)
were downgraded, resulting in the imposition under our Credit Facilities of a borrowing base and a
grant of security on a first-lien basis. On February 23, 2016, we received 100% bank approval to
amend our Credit Facilities. Effective with the amendment, the borrowing base under our Credit
Facilities was reduced to $2.3 billion and the Revolving Credit Facility commitments were reduced to
$1.6 billion.

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The Revolving Credit Facility includes a sub-limit of $400 million for the issuance of letters of

credit. We are required to repay the Term Loan Facility in $25 million quarterly installments
beginning on March 31, 2016. As of December 31, 2015, we had $739 million outstanding under our
Revolving Credit Facility and $1.0 billion outstanding under the Term Loan Facility.

As amended, our financial performance covenants through December 31, 2016 comprise an
obligation to achieve (i) a cumulative minimum EBITDAX during 2016 of $55 million through the first
quarter, $130 million through the second quarter, $190 million through the third quarter and
$250 million through the fourth quarter and (ii) a trailing twelve-month minimum interest coverage
ratio of 2.00:1.00 as of the end of the first quarter of 2016, 1.50:1.00 as of the end of the second
quarter, 1.25:1.00 as of the end of the third quarter and 0.70:1.00 as of the end of the fourth quarter.
As of the end of the first quarter of 2017, the minimum interest coverage ratio will revert back to
2.00:1.00. We will not be subject to a maximum first lien senior secured leverage ratio for 2016. The
amendment also suspends the requirement for us to comply with a trailing twelve-month maximum
first lien senior secured leverage ratio of 2.25:1.00 until the end of the first quarter of 2017. If we
continue to experience low commodity prices for our products and we are unable to execute on one
of the strategic alternatives discussed above to manage our capital structure and address liquidity
concerns prior to the first quarter of 2017, we may not be able to comply with the financial
covenants under our Revolving Credit Facility applicable in 2017.

Except as otherwise agreed with our lenders for specific transactions, our Credit Facilities as
amended require us to apply 100% of the proceeds from certain asset monetizations to repay loans
outstanding under the Credit Facilities, except that we will be permitted to use up to 40% of
proceeds from non-borrowing base asset sales to repurchase our notes to the extent available at a
significant minimum discount to par, as specified in the amended facilities. Subject to compliance
with our indentures, our amended facilities permit us to incur additional indebtedness to repurchase
our notes to the extent available at a significant minimum discount to par, as specified in the
amended facilities, as follows: (i) up to $1 billion, which may be secured by liens that are junior to
the liens securing our Credit Facilities, provided that at least 60% of the proceeds from the new debt
is used first to repay loans outstanding under the Credit Facilities, and (ii) up to $200 million, which
may be secured by first-priority liens on our non-borrowing base properties. The amended Credit
Facilities also permit us to incur up to an additional $50 million of non-Credit Facility indebtedness,
which, subject to compliance with our indentures, may be secured; and the proceeds of which must
be applied to repay loans outstanding under the Credit Facilities. All of the foregoing prepayments
will be applied first to our Term Loan Facility and second to our Revolving Credit Facility after the
Term Loan Facility has been fully repaid (with a corresponding reduction to the lenders’ Revolving
Credit Facility commitments). Our amended facilities also require us to apply cash on hand in excess
of $150 million to repay amounts outstanding under our Revolving Credit Facility. Further, we are
restricted from (i) paying dividends or making other distributions to common stockholders and
(ii) making capital investments exceeding $100 million during 2016.

The amendment also imposed a semi-annual borrowing base redetermination each May 1 and

November 1, commencing May 1, 2016. The borrowing base will be based upon a number of
factors, including commodity prices and reserves levels. Increases in our borrowing base requires
approval of at least 80% of our revolving lenders, as measured by exposure, while decreases
require a two-thirds approval. We and the lenders (requiring a request from the lenders holding 2/3
of the commitments and outstanding loans), each may request a special redetermination once in any
period between three consecutive scheduled redeterminations. We will be permitted to have
collateral released when both (i) our credit ratings are at least Baa3 from Moody’s and BBB(cid:3) from
S&P, in each case with a stable or better outlook, and (ii) certain permitted liens securing other debt
are released.

78

Borrowings under the Credit Facilities bear interest, at our election, at either a LIBOR rate or an

alternate base rate (ABR) (equal to the greatest of (i) the administrative agent’s prime rate, (ii) the
one-month LIBOR rate plus 1.00% and (iii) the federal funds effective rate plus 0.50%), in each case
plus an applicable margin. This applicable margin is based, while our total leverage ratio exceeds
3.00:1.00, on our borrowing base utilization and effective February 2016 will vary from (a) in the
case of LIBOR loans, 2.50% to 3.50% and (b) in the case of ABR loans, 1.50% to 2.50%. The
unused portion of the Revolving Credit Facility, as it may be limited by the borrowing base, is subject
to a commitment fee equal to 0.50% per annum. We also pay customary fees and expenses under
the Credit Facilities. Interest on ABR loans is payable quarterly in arrears. Interest on LIBOR loans
is payable at the end of each LIBOR period, but not less than quarterly.

Effective February 2016, all obligations under the Credit Facilities are guaranteed jointly and
severally by all of our material wholly-owned subsidiaries. The assets and liabilities of subsidiaries
not guaranteeing the debt are de minimis.

Substantially all of the restrictions imposed by the recent amendment to the Credit Facilities,
other than the requirement for semi-annual borrowing base redeterminations, may terminate in the
future if we are able to comply with the financial performance covenants as they existed prior to
giving effect to the recent amendment. If we were to breach any of our Credit Facility covenants, our
lenders would be permitted to accelerate the principal amount due under the Credit Facilities and
foreclose on the assets securing them. If payment were accelerated under our Credit Facilities, it
would also result in a default under our outstanding notes and permit acceleration and foreclosure
on the assets securing the secured notes.

Senior Notes

On October 1, 2014, we issued $5.00 billion in aggregate principal amount of our senior

unsecured notes, comprising $1.00 billion of 5% senior unsecured notes due January 15, 2020 (the
2020 notes), $1.75 billion of 5 1/2% senior unsecured notes due September 15, 2021 (the 2021
notes) and $2.25 billion of 6% senior unsecured notes due November 15, 2024 (the 2024 notes and
together with the 2020 notes and the 2021 notes, the unsecured notes). The unsecured notes were
issued at par and are fully and unconditionally guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by all of our
material subsidiaries. We used the net proceeds from the issuance of the unsecured notes to make
a $4.95 billion cash distribution to Occidental in October 2014.

In December 2015, we exchanged $534 million, $921 million and $1,358 million in aggregate

principal amount of the 2020 notes, the 2021 notes, and the 2024 notes, respectively, for
$2.25 billion in aggregate principal amount of newly issued 8% senior secured second lien notes due
December 15, 2022 (the 2022 notes). We recorded a deferred gain of approximately $560 million on
the debt exchange, which will be amortized using the effective interest rate method over the term of
the 2022 notes. Additionally, we incurred approximately $28 million in third party costs which were
fully expensed in 2015. The newly-issued second lien notes are secured on a second-lien basis,
subject to the terms of an intercreditor agreement and collateral trust agreement by a lien on the
same collateral used to secure our obligations under our Credit Facilities.

In December 2015, we repurchased approximately $33 million in principal amount of the 2020

notes for $12 million in cash.

We will pay interest semiannually in cash in arrears on January 15 and July 15 for the 2020
notes, on March 15 and September 15 for the 2021 notes and on May 15 and November 15 for the

79

2024 notes. We will pay interest on the 2022 notes semiannually in cash in arrears on June 15 and
December 15, beginning on June 15, 2016.

The indentures governing the senior unsecured notes and the second-lien secured notes each
include covenants that, among other things, limit our and our restricted subsidiaries’ ability to incur
debt secured by liens. The indentures also restrict our ability to merge or consolidate with, or
transfer all or substantially all of our assets to, another entity. These covenants are subject to a
number of important qualifications and limitations that are set forth in the indenture. The covenants
are not, however, directly linked to measures of our financial performance. In addition, if we
experience a ‘‘change of control triggering event’’ (as defined in the indentures) with respect to a
series of notes, we will be required, unless we have exercised our right to redeem the notes of such
series, to offer to purchase the notes of such series at a purchase price equal to 101% of their
principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest. The indenture governing our second-lien secured
notes also restricts our ability to sell certain assets and to release collateral from liens securing the
second-lien secured notes.

Spin-off Related Distributions to Occidental

We used the net proceeds from the private placement of our notes in 2014 to make a

$4.95 billion cash distribution to Occidental in October 2014. See ‘‘—Senior Notes’’ for more details
regarding the terms of our senior notes. On November 25, 2014, we borrowed $1.0 billion under our
Term Loan Facility and $50 million under a Revolving Credit Facility to make a $1.05 billion cash
distribution to Occidental on November 26, 2014.

Cash Flow Analysis

Net cash flows provided by operating activities
Net cash flows used in investing activities
Net cash flows provided by (used in) financing activities
EBITDAX(a)

2015

2014
(in millions)

2013

$
$
$
$

403 $
(757)$
352 $
906 $

2,371 $
(2,312)$
(45)$
2,548 $

2,476
(1,713)
(763)
2,733

(a) We define EBITDAX consistent with our Credit Facilities as earnings before interest expense; income taxes;

depreciation, depletion and amortization; exploration expense; and certain other non-cash items and unusual,
infrequent charges. Our management believes EBITDAX provides useful information in assessing our financial
condition, results of operations and cash flows and is widely used by the industry and investment community. The
amounts included in the calculation of EBITDAX were computed in accordance with GAAP. This measure is a
material component of our financial covenants under our Credit Facilities and is provided in addition to, and not as
an alternative for, income and liquidity measures calculated in accordance with GAAP. Certain items excluded from
EBITDAX are significant components in understanding and assessing a company’s financial performance, such as a
company’s cost of capital and tax structure, as well as the historic cost of depreciable and depletable assets.
EBITDAX should be read in conjunction with the information contained in our financial statements prepared in
accordance with GAAP.

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The following table sets forth a reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measure of EBITDAX to the GAAP measure of
net cash provided by operating activities:

Net cash provided by operating activities

$

403 $

2,371 $

2,476

2015

2014

2013

(in millions)

Interest expense

Current income taxes

Cash exploration expenses

Changes in operating assets and liabilities

Other, net

EBITDAX

Year Ended December 31, 2015 vs. 2014

326

—

27

147

3

72

165

38

(143)

45

—

318

44

(103)

(2)

$

906 $

2,548 $

2,733

Our operating cash flows in 2015 decreased by $2.0 billion from $2.4 billion in 2014 to

$403 million in 2015. The decrease reflected approximately $1.8 billion in lower sales primarily due
to lower oil prices and lower NGL and natural gas prices and volumes and $360 million of higher
interest payments, partially offset by lower operating costs. Additionally, changes in working capital
resulted in an approximate $290 million reduction in operating cash due to lower operating costs
resulting in lower year-end 2015 payables, lower accruals for payroll and bonuses in line with our
reduced workforce, partially offset by lower receivables from customers due to lower year-end 2015
product prices. Further, the 2014 positive working capital reflected the effect of higher operating,
general and administrative and other costs and related higher accruals from the previous year-end,
in line with a higher level of activity.

Our cash flows used in investing activities decreased by approximately $1.6 billion from

$2.3 billion in 2014 to $757 million in 2015. The decrease reflected reduced capital investments of
$1.7 billion and lower acquisition costs of approximately $140 million, partially offset by
approximately $200 million in 2014 capital investments paid in 2015.

Our net cash flows from financing activities changed from $45 million used in 2014 to

$352 million provided in 2015. The change is primarily due to 2015 net proceeds from the revolving
credit facility of $379 million, largely to fund the working capital uses to pay for the fourth quarter
2014 capital investments and $8 million from the issuance of common stock, partially offset by 2015
debt repurchase and amendment costs of $23 million and $12 million in cash dividends paid.

Year Ended December 31, 2014 vs. 2013

Our operating cash flows in 2014 decreased by $105 million from $2.5 billion in 2013 to

$2.4 billion in 2014. The decrease reflected approximately $110 million in lower sales due to lower
oil and NGL prices partially offset by higher oil volumes and gas prices, higher interest expense of
$70 million, higher production costs of approximately $70 million, higher taxes other than on income
of $30 million, higher general and administrative costs of $40 million, partially offset by lower income
taxes of $150 million and working capital changes of $40 million in 2014 compared to 2013.

Our cash flows used in investing activities in 2014 increased by approximately $600 million, to

$2.3 billion, compared to $1.7 billion in 2013. The increase mainly consisted of approximately
$420 million of higher capital investments and higher acquisition costs of $240 million, partially offset
by an approximately $70 million increase in capital accruals. For 2013, the capital accrual amount
was not material.

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Our net cash flows used in financing activities decreased by approximately $720 million in 2014,

compared to 2013, and reflected the dividend distribution of $6.0 billion to Occidental prior to the
Spin-off, proceeds of approximately $6.3 billion of debt, net of $70 million of debt issuance costs,
and lower excess cash distributions to Occidental prior to the Spin-off.

Acquisitions

During the year ended December 31, 2015, we paid approximately $140 million to acquire
certain producing and non-producing oil and gas properties, primarily in the San Joaquin basin. Our
asset acquisition and disposition program contemplates transactions designed to upgrade our
portfolio, focusing on strategic bolt-on properties that complement our existing positions.

During the year ended December 31, 2014, we paid approximately $290 million to acquire
certain producing and nonproducing oil and gas properties, including oil and gas properties in the
Ventura Basin purchased for approximately $200 million in the fourth quarter of 2014.

During the year ended December 31, 2013, we paid approximately $50 million to acquire certain
oil and gas properties. An acquisition in the San Joaquin basin also included an obligation to invest
at least $250 million on exploration and development activities over a period of five years from the
date of acquisition. We currently plan to invest this amount in capital during that period. Any
deficiency in meeting this capital investment obligation would need to be paid in cash at the end of
the five-year period. Through December 31, 2015, we have already fulfilled approximately 30% of
this obligation.

2015 Capital Program and 2016 Capital Budget

In 2015, we invested approximately $400 million of capital, predominantly targeting projects in

the San Joaquin, Los Angeles and Ventura basins, as compared to approximately $2.1 billion in
2014. Virtually all of our 2015 capital was directed towards oil-weighted production consistent with
2014. Of the 2015 capital program, approximately $130 million was allocated to drilling wells,
$120 million to facilities and compression expansion, $55 million to workovers, $40 million to
maintenance and occupational health, safety and environmental projects, $15 million to exploration,
$10 million to 3D seismic and the rest to other items.

The table below sets forth our 2015 capital investments for the year ended December 31, 2015

(in millions):

$

Basin:

San Joaquin
Los Angeles
Ventura
Sacramento

Basin Total

Exploration and Other

Conventional

Primary

Waterflood Steamflood

Total

Unconventional
Primary

Other

Total Capital
Investments

47 $
—
18
—

65

—

16 $
95
8
—

119

—

142 $
—
2
—

144

—

205 $
95
28
—

328

—

25 $
—
—
—

25

—

— $
—
—
—

—

48

230
95
28
—

353

48

401

Total

$

65 $

119 $

144 $

328 $

25 $

48 $

We focused a substantial majority of our 2015 capital on our mature steamfloods, waterfloods

and capital workovers, all of which offer among the highest VCIs in our portfolio. We focus on
creating value and are committed to internally fund our capital budget with operating cash flows. Our

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low decline assets plus our high level of operational control and absence of long term commitments
give us the flexibility to adjust the level of such capital investments as circumstances warrant. For
2016, the Board has approved a capital program of $50 million to maintain the mechanical integrity
of our facilities and systems and operate them safely. In light of current commodity prices, we have
built a dynamic budget for 2016 that adjusts our activity to align investments with operating cash
flows. We will monitor prices and cash flow throughout the year and, if oil prices improve, may
deploy additional available and approved capital focusing initially on a combination of capital
workovers and new wells that meet our VCI investment metrics.

Off-Balance-Sheet Arrangements

We have no material off-balance-sheet arrangements other than those noted below.

Leases

We, or certain of our subsidiaries, have entered into various operating lease agreements, mainly
for field equipment, office space and office equipment. We lease assets when leasing offers greater
operating flexibility. Lease payments are generally expensed as part of production costs or selling,
general and administrative expenses. For more information, see ‘‘Contractual Obligations.’’

Contractual Obligations

The table below summarizes and cross-references our contractual obligations as of
December 31, 2015. This summary indicates on- and off-balance-sheet obligations as of
December 31, 2015.

On-Balance Sheet
Long-term debt—principal amount
(Note 5)(a)
Other long-term liabilities(b)

Off-Balance Sheet
Operating leases
Purchase obligations(c)

Total

Payments Due by Year

Total

2016

2017 and 2019 and 2021 and
thereafter
2020

2018
(in millions)

$

6,143 $
159

100 $
7

200 $
17

1,872 $
21

3,971
114

125
346

13
67

31
235

23
34

58
10

$

6,773 $

187 $

483 $

1,950 $

4,153

(a) Excludes interest on the debt. As of December 31, 2015, interest on long-term debt totaling $2.2 billion is payable

in the following years (in millions): 2016—$348 million, 2017 and 2018—$687 million, 2019 and 2020—$616 million,
2021 and thereafter—$592 million. The calculation of interest payable on the variable interest debt assumes the
interest rate at December 31, 2015 to be the applicable interest rate for the entire term. In performing the
calculation, the Revolving Credit Facility borrowings outstanding at December 31, 2015 of $739 million were
assumed to be outstanding for the entire term of the agreement.
Includes obligations under postretirement benefit and deferred compensation plans, as well as certain accrued
liabilities.

(b)

(c) Amounts include payments, which will become due under long-term agreements to purchase goods and services
used in the normal course of business to secure pipeline capacity, drilling rigs and services. These amounts were
significantly reduced as a result of rig contract terminations in 2014. Long-term purchase contracts are discounted
using a discount rate of 5.7%.

83

Lawsuits, Claims, Contingencies and Commitments

We, or certain of our subsidiaries, are involved, in the normal course of business, in lawsuits,

environmental and other claims and other contingencies that seek, among other things,
compensation for alleged personal injury, breach of contract, property damage or other losses,
punitive damages, civil penalties, or injunctive or declaratory relief. We accrue reserves for currently
outstanding lawsuits, claims and proceedings when it is probable that a liability has been incurred
and the liability can be reasonably estimated. Reserves balances at December 31, 2015 and 2014
were not material to our balance sheets as of such dates. We also evaluate the amount of
reasonably possible losses that we could incur as a result of these matters. We believe that
reasonably possible losses that we could incur in excess of reserves accrued on our balance sheet
would not be material to our consolidated financial position or results of operations.

We, our subsidiaries, or both, have indemnified various parties against specific liabilities those
parties might incur in the future in connection with the Spin-off, purchases and other transactions
that they have entered into with us. These indemnities include indemnities made to Occidental
against certain tax-related liabilities that may be incurred by Occidental relating to the Spin-off and
liabilities related to operation of our business while it was still owned by Occidental. As of
December 31, 2015, we are not aware of material indemnity claims pending or threatened against
the Company.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

The process of preparing financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting

principles requires management to select appropriate accounting policies and to make informed
estimates and judgments regarding certain items and transactions. Changes in facts and
circumstances or discovery of new information may result in revised estimates and judgments, and
actual results may differ from these estimates upon settlement. We consider the following to be our
most critical accounting policies and estimates that involve management’s judgment and that could
result in a material impact on the financial statements due to the levels of subjectivity and judgment.

Oil and Gas Properties

The carrying value of our property, plant and equipment (PP&E) represents the cost incurred to
acquire or develop the asset, including any asset retirement obligations, net of accumulated DD&A
and any impairment charges. For assets acquired, initial PP&E cost is based on fair values at the
acquisition date.

We use the successful efforts method to account for our oil and gas properties. Under this
method, we capitalize costs of acquiring properties, costs of drilling successful exploration wells and
development costs. The costs of exploratory wells are initially capitalized pending a determination of
whether we find proved reserves. If we find proved reserves, the costs of exploratory wells remain
capitalized. Otherwise, we charge the costs of the related wells to expense. In some cases, we
cannot determine whether we have found proved reserves at the completion of exploration drilling,
and must conduct additional testing and evaluation of the wells. We generally expense the costs of
such exploratory wells if we do not determine we have found proved reserves within a 12-month
period after drilling is complete.

We determine depreciation and depletion of oil and gas producing properties by the

unit-of-production method. We amortize acquisition costs over total proved reserves and capitalized
development and successful exploration costs over proved developed reserves.

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Proved oil and gas reserves and production volumes are used as the basis for recording

depreciation and depletion of oil and gas producing properties. Proved reserves are those quantities
of oil and gas which, by analysis of geoscience and engineering data, can be estimated with
reasonable certainty to be economically producible—from a given date forward, from known
reservoirs, and under existing economic conditions, operating methods, and government
regulations—regardless of whether deterministic or probabilistic methods are used for the estimation.
We have no proved oil and gas reserves for which the determination of economic producibility is
subject to the completion of major additional capital investments.

Several factors could change our proved oil and gas reserves. For example, we receive a share

of production from certain arrangements in the Wilmington field similar to production-sharing
contracts to recover costs and generally an additional share for profit. Our share of production and
reserves from these contracts decreases when product prices rise and increases when prices
decline. Overall, our net economic benefit from these contracts is greater at higher product prices. In
other cases, particularly with long-lived properties, lower product prices may lead to a situation
where production of a portion of proved reserves becomes uneconomical. For such properties,
higher product prices typically result in additional reserves becoming economical. Estimation of
future production and development costs is also subject to change partially due to factors beyond
our control, such as energy costs and inflation or deflation of oil field service costs. These factors, in
turn, could lead to changes in the quantity of proved reserves. Additional factors that could result in
a change of proved reserves include production decline rates and operating performance differing
from those estimated when the proved reserves were initially recorded.

Additionally, we perform impairment tests with respect to our proved properties when product

prices decline other than temporarily, reserves estimates change significantly, other significant
events occur or management’s plans change with respect to these properties in a manner that may
impact our ability to realize the recorded asset amounts. Impairment tests incorporate a number of
assumptions involving expectations of undiscounted future cash flows, which can change significantly
over time. These assumptions include estimates of future product prices, which we base on forward
price curves and, when applicable, contractual prices, estimates of oil and gas reserves and
estimates of future expected operating and development costs. Apart from the effect of product
prices, we believe our approach to interpreting technical data regarding proved oil and gas reserves
makes it more likely that future proved reserves revisions will be positive rather than negative.

The most significant ongoing financial statement effect from a change in our oil and gas
reserves or impairment of the carrying value of our proved properties would be to the DD&A rate.
For example, a 5% increase or decrease in the amount of oil and gas reserves would change the
DD&A rate by approximately $1.00 per barrel, which would increase or decrease pre-tax income /
(loss) by approximately $37 million annually based on production rates for the year ended
December 31, 2015.

A portion of the carrying value of our oil and gas properties is attributable to unproved

properties. At December 31, 2015, the net capitalized costs attributable to unproved properties were
approximately $300 million. While exploration and development work progresses, the unproved
amounts are not subject to DD&A until they are classified as proved properties. However, if the
exploration and development work were to be unsuccessful, or management decided not to pursue
development of these properties as a result of lower commodity prices, higher development and
operating costs, contractual conditions or other factors, the capitalized costs of the related properties
would be expensed. The timing of any write-downs of these unproved properties, if warranted,
depends upon management’s plans, the nature, timing and extent of future exploration and
development activities and their results. We believe our current plans and exploration and

85

development efforts will allow us to realize the carrying value of our unproved property balance at
December 31, 2015.

At year end 2015, we performed impairment tests with respect to our proved and unproved
properties triggered by the sharp drop in oil prices in the fourth quarter of 2015. As a result, in the
fourth quarter of 2015, we recorded pre-tax asset impairment charges of $4.9 billion on certain
proved and unproved properties throughout our asset base. Approximately $100 million of the
charge was related to unproved acreage. As a result of the impairment, we expect our 2016 DD&A
rate to decrease by approximately $7.50 per barrel.

At year end 2014, we performed impairment tests with respect to our proved and unproved

properties as a result of significant declines in oil prices largely during the last half of 2014. As a
result, in the fourth quarter of 2014, we recorded pre-tax asset impairment charges of $3.4 billion on
certain proved and unproved properties throughout our asset base. Approximately $650 million of the
charge was related to unproved acreage.

We evaluate our properties, in part, based on year-end forward price curves, as well as

assessing projects we determined we would not pursue in the foreseeable future given the current
environment. To the extent prices recover to levels above the year-end forward price curves, we
would expect a substantial portion of these assets would ultimately become economic in an
improved price environment.

Fair Value Measurements

We have categorized our assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value in a three-level fair

value hierarchy, based on the inputs to the valuation techniques: Level 1—using quoted prices in
active markets for the assets or liabilities; Level 2—using observable inputs other than quoted prices
for the assets or liabilities; and Level 3—using unobservable inputs. Transfers between levels, if any,
are recognized at the end of each reporting period. We primarily apply the market approach for
recurring fair value measurement, maximize our use of observable inputs and minimize use of
unobservable inputs. We generally use an income approach to measure fair value when observable
inputs are unavailable. This approach utilizes management’s judgments regarding expectations of
projected cash flows and discounts those cash flows using a risk-adjusted discount rate.

The most significant items on our balance sheet that would be affected by recurring fair value

measurements are derivatives. Based on year-end 2015 amounts on the balance sheet for
derivatives, a 10% increase or decrease in their fair value would affect pre-tax earnings by
approximately $9 million.

Other Loss Contingencies

In the normal course of business, we are involved in lawsuits, claims and other environmental
and legal proceedings and audits. We accrue reserves for these matters when it is probable that a
liability has been incurred and the liability can be reasonably estimated. In addition, we disclose, if
material, in aggregate, our exposure to loss in excess of the amount recorded on the balance sheet
for these matters if it is reasonably possible that an additional material loss may be incurred. We
review our loss contingencies on an ongoing basis.

Loss contingencies are based on judgments made by management with respect to the likely
outcome of these matters and are adjusted as appropriate. Management’s judgments could change
based on new information, changes in, or interpretations of, laws or regulations, changes in

86

management’s plans or intentions, opinions regarding the outcome of legal proceedings, or other
factors. See ‘‘—Lawsuits, Claims, Contingencies and Commitments’’ for additional information.

Significant Accounting and Disclosure Changes

In November 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued rules requiring that

deferred income tax liabilities and assets be classified as noncurrent in a classified balance sheet.
These new rules will be effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2016
and can be applied either retrospectively or prospectively with earlier application permitted. While we
are evaluating any potential impact of these rules, we currently believe the effect of the new rules
will not have a material impact on our financial statements.

In September 2015, the FASB issued rules that require an acquirer in a business combination
account for measurement-period adjustments during the period in which it determines the amount of
the adjustment, rather than retrospectively. These new rules will be effective for annual and interim
periods beginning after December 15, 2015 and must be applied prospectively. We do not expect
these new rules to have a material impact on our financial statements.

In August 2015, the FASB issued rules to defer the effective date of its new revenue recognition
rules to annual and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017. Earlier application
is permitted only as of annual and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016.
While we are evaluating any potential impact of these rules, we currently believe the effect of the
new rules will not have a material impact on our financial statements.

In July 2015, the FASB issued rules to simplify the accounting for employee benefit plans by

removing the requirement for plan investments to be disaggregated by class. Under the new
guidance, a plan will disaggregate its investments measured using fair value only by general type
(e.g., common stocks, corporate bonds, mutual funds). These new rules will be effective for fiscal
years beginning after December 15, 2015 and must be applied retrospectively with earlier application
permitted. We do not expect these disclosure changes to have a material impact on our financial
statements.

In July 2015, the FASB issued rules requiring entities to measure inventory within the scope of
these rules at the lower of cost and net realizable value. These new rules will be effective for fiscal
years beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within those fiscal years, and
must be applied prospectively with earlier application permitted. We do not expect these new rules to
have a significant impact on our financial statements.

In May 2015, the FASB issued rules to remove the requirements to categorize within the fair
value hierarchy all investments for which the fair value is measured using the net asset value (NAV)
per share practical expedient, as well as limiting the requirements for related disclosures. These
rules will be effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2015 with early
adoption of the rules permitted. We do not expect the disclosure changes to have a significant
impact on our financial statements.

In April 2015, the FASB issued rules that require debt issuance costs related to a recognized
debt liability to be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of
that debt liability, consistent with the presentation of debt discounts. We early adopted the new rule
in the first quarter of 2015 and retrospectively reclassified unamortized debt issuance costs of
$68 million at December 31, 2014. The amount was previously reflected in other assets.

87

ITEM 7A QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

Commodity Price Risk

General

Our results are sensitive to fluctuations in oil, NGL and gas prices. We expect that in 2016 price
changes at current levels of production and prices, including the impact of existing hedges, will affect
our pre-tax annual income and cash flows by approximately $21 million for each $1 per barrel
change in Brent oil prices. If natural gas prices varied by $0.50 per Mcf, it would have an estimated
effect on our pre-tax annual income and cash flows of approximately $12 million. A $1 change in
NGL prices will result in a $3 million pre-tax annual effect. These price-change sensitivities include
the impact on income of volume changes under arrangements similar to production-sharing
contracts. If production and price levels change in the future, the sensitivity of our results to prices
also will change.

Derivatives

As discussed above, we executed Brent-based crude oil hedges for 2016 using costless collars,
representing annualized average production of 30,100 barrels per day and a weighted-average floor
price of $50.71. Offsetting these hedges, we have calls for annualized averages of 19,300 barrels
per day at a weighted-average ceiling price of $66.79 per barrel, 30,000 barrels per day at a
weighted-average ceiling price of $55.68 per barrel and 23,300 barrels per day at a weighted-
average ceiling price of $57.99 per barrel for our 2016, 2017 and 2018 oil production, respectively.
In addition, we entered into a swap during the year for 1,000 barrels per day of our July through
December 2016 crude oil production at $61.25 per barrel.

As of December 31, 2015, we had derivatives of $86 million carried at fair value, as determined

from prices provided by external sources other than those actively quoted, all of which mature in
2016.

Credit Risk

Our credit risk relates primarily to trade receivables and derivative financial instruments. Credit
exposure for each customer is monitored for outstanding balances and current activity. For derivative
swaps and options entered into as part of our hedging program, we are subject to counterparty
credit risk to the extent the counterparty is unable to meet its settlement commitments. We actively
manage this credit risk by selecting counterparties that we believe to be financially strong and
continuing to monitor their financial health. Concentration of credit risk is regularly reviewed to
ensure that counterparty credit risk is adequately diversified.

As of December 31, 2015, the substantial majority of the credit exposures related to our
business was with investment grade counterparties. We believe exposure to credit-related losses
related to our business at December 31, 2015 was not material and losses associated with credit
risk have been insignificant for all years presented.

Concentration of Credit Risk

Through July 2014, substantially all of our products were sold through Occidental’s marketing

subsidiaries at market prices and were settled at the time of sale to those entities. Beginning
August 2014, we began marketing our own products directly to third parties. For the years ended

88

December 31, 2014 and 2013, sales through Occidental subsidiaries accounted for approximately
65% and 97% of our net sales, respectively. For the year ended December 31, 2015, Phillips 66
Company, Tesoro Refining & Marketing Company LLC and Valero Marketing & Supply Company
each accounted for more than 10%, and collectively 61% of our revenue. For the years ended 2014
and 2013, ConocoPhillips/Phillips 66 Company and Tesoro Refining & Marketing Company LLC
each accounted for more than 10%, and collectively 45% and 42% of our revenue, respectively.

Interest Rate Risk

Prior to the Spin-off, we had no interest rate risk exposure as we did not have any debt. As of
December 31, 2015, we had borrowings of $1 billion outstanding under our Term Loan Facility and
approximately $739 million outstanding under our Revolving Credit Facility both of which carry
variable interest rates. A one-eighth percent change in the interest rates on these outstanding
borrowings under our Term Loan Facility and Revolving Credit Facility would result in an
approximately $2.2 million change in annual interest expense.

The following table shows our fixed- and variable-rate debt as of December 31, 2015:

Year of Maturity

2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
Thereafter

Total

Weighted-average interest rate

Fair Value

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

$

$

$

U.S. Dollar
Fixed-Rate
Debt

U.S. Dollar
Variable-Rate
Debt
(amounts in millions)
$

— $
—
—
—
433
3,971

100
100
100
1,439
—
—

Total

100
100
100
1,439
433
3,971

6,143

4,404

$

1,739

$

6.83%

2.75%

5.67%

1,895

$

1,739

$

3,634

The information in this report includes ‘‘forward-looking statements.’’ The factors identified in this
cautionary statement are important factors (but not necessarily all of the important factors) that could
cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statement made
by us, or on our behalf. You can typically identify ‘‘forward-looking statements’’ by the use of
forward-looking words such as ‘‘aim,’’ ‘‘anticipate,’’ ‘‘believe,’’ ‘‘budget,’’ ‘‘continue,’’ ‘‘could,’’ ‘‘effort,’’
‘‘estimate,’’ ‘‘expect,’’ ‘‘forecast,’’ ‘‘goal,’’ ‘‘guidance,’’ ‘‘intend,’’ ‘‘likely,’’ ‘‘may,’’ ‘‘might,’’ ‘‘objective,’’
‘‘outlook,’’ ‘‘plan,’’ ‘‘potential,’’ ‘‘predict,’’ ‘‘project,’’ ‘‘seek,’’ ‘‘should,’’ ‘‘target, ‘‘will’’ or ‘‘would’’ and
other similar words that convey the prospective nature of events or outcomes generally indicate
forward-looking statements. Such statements specifically include statements regarding our future
financial position, liquidity, cash flows, results of operations and business prospects, budgets, drilling
program, maintenance capital, future operations, hedging activities, planned capital investments,
projected production, projected costs, plans and objectives of management for future operations and
possible future strategic transactions. For any such forward-looking statement that includes a
statement of the assumptions or bases underlying such forward-looking statement, we caution that,
while we believe such assumptions or bases to be reasonable and make them in good faith,

89

assumed facts or bases almost always vary from actual results, sometimes materially. When
considering forward-looking statements, you should keep in mind the risk factors and other
cautionary statements described under the heading ‘‘Risk Factors’’ included in this report.

The following are important factors we have identified that could cause actual results to differ

materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statement made by, or on behalf of, our
company:

•
•
•
•
•

•
•
•
•
•

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

commodity pricing;
the ability of our lenders to limit our borrowing capacity;
other constraints on liquidity such as any inability to monetize assets;
the effect of our outstanding debt on our financial flexibility;
limits on our ability to hedge against price decreases and the effects of hedging on our
ability to benefit from price increases;
insufficiency of our operating cash flow to fund planned capital investments;
inability to comply with minimum listing standards;
inability to implement our capital investment program profitably or at all;
inability to replace reserves;
regulations or changes in regulations and inability to comply or to obtain government permits
and approvals;
tax law changes;
uncertainties associated with drilling for and producing oil and natural gas;
competition for and costs of oilfield equipment, services, qualified personnel and acquisitions;
the subjective nature of estimates of proved reserves and related future net cash flows;
risks related to our disposition and acquisition activities;
concentration of operations in a single geographic area;
restrictions on our ability to obtain, use, manage or dispose of water;
inability to drill identified locations when planned or at all;
concerns about climate change and other air quality issues;
catastrophic events for which we may be uninsured or underinsured;
effects of litigation;
cyber attacks;
operational issues that restrict market access; and
uncertainties related to the Spin-off and the agreements related thereto.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak

only as of the date hereof. Unless legally required, we undertake no responsibility to publicly release
any revision of our forward-looking statements after the date they are made.

Should one or more of the risks or uncertainties described in this report occur, or should
underlying assumptions prove incorrect, our actual results and plans could differ materially from
those expressed in any forward-looking statements.

All forward-looking statements, expressed or implied, included in this report are expressly
qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. This cautionary statement should also be
considered in connection with any subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements that we or
persons acting on our behalf may issue.

90

ITEM 8 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM ON CONSOLIDATED
AND COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

To the Board of Directors and Stockholders
California Resources Corporation:

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of California Resources
Corporation and subsidiaries (the Company) as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, and the related
consolidated and combined statements of operations, comprehensive income, equity and cash flows
for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2015. These consolidated and
combined financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our
responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated and combined financial statements
based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting

Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to
obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material
misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and
disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles
used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial
statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the consolidated and combined financial statements referred to above present

fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of California Resources Corporation and
subsidiaries as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, and the results of their operations and their cash
flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2015 in conformity with
U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting
Oversight Board (United States), California Resources Corporation’s internal control over financial
reporting as of December 31, 2015, based on criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated
Framework issued in 2013 by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway
Commission (COSO), and our report dated February 29, 2016 expressed an unqualified opinion on
the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

/s/ KPMG LLP

Los Angeles, California
February 29, 2016

91

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM ON INTERNAL
CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING

To the Board of Directors and Stockholders
California Resources Corporation:

We have audited California Resources Corporation’s (the Company) internal control over
financial reporting as of December 31, 2015, based on criteria established in Internal Control—
Integrated Framework issued in 2013 by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the
Treadway Commission (COSO). California Resources Corporation’s management is responsible for
maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the
effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management’s
Annual Assessment of and Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is
to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting

Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to
obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was
maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control
over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and
evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our
audit also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the
circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable

assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements
for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s
internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the
maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and
dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are
recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally
accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made
only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide
reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or
disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or

detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are
subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that
the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

In our opinion, California Resources Corporation maintained, in all material respects, effective
internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2015, based on criteria established in
Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued in 2013 by the Committee of Sponsoring
Organizations of the Treadway Commission.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting

Oversight Board (United States), the consolidated balance sheets of California Resources
Corporation and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, and the related consolidated and
combined statements of operations, comprehensive income, stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for
each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2015, and our report dated
February 29, 2016 expressed an unqualified opinion on those consolidated and combined financial
statements.

Los Angeles, California
February 29, 2016

/s/ KPMG LLP

92

CALIFORNIA RESOURCES CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
Consolidated Balance Sheets
As of December 31, 2015 and 2014
(in millions)

CURRENT ASSETS

Cash and cash equivalents
Trade receivables, net
Inventories
Other current assets

Total current assets

PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT

Accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization

OTHER ASSETS

TOTAL ASSETS

CURRENT LIABILITIES

Current maturities of long-term debt
Accounts payable
Accrued liabilities
Current income taxes

Total current liabilities

LONG-TERM DEBT—PRINCIPAL AMOUNT
DEFERRED GAIN AND ISSUANCE COSTS, NET
DEFERRED INCOME TAXES
OTHER LONG-TERM LIABILITIES
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
EQUITY

Preferred stock—no shares outstanding at December 31, 2015 or 2014

(200 million shares authorized at $0.01 par value)

Common stock (2.0 billion shares authorized at $0.01 par value)

Outstanding shares (2015—388,180,479 shares and 2014—385,639,582
shares)

Additional paid-in capital
Accumulated deficit
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)

Total equity

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY

2015

2014

$

12 $

200
58
227

497

14
308
71
308

701

$

$

20,996
(14,684)

20,536
(8,851)

6,312

11,685

244

43

7,053 $

12,429

100 $
257
222
26

605

6,043
491
—
830

—
588
334
—

922

6,360
(68)
2,055
549

4
4,778
(5,683)
(15)

4
4,748
(2,117)
(24)

(916)

2,611

$

7,053 $

12,429

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

93

CALIFORNIA RESOURCES CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
Consolidated and Combined Statements of Operations
For the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013
(in millions)

REVENUES

Oil and natural gas sales to third parties
Oil and natural gas sales to related parties
Other revenue

COSTS AND OTHER DEDUCTIONS

Production costs
General and administrative expenses
Depreciation, depletion and amortization
Asset impairments
Taxes other than on income
Exploration expense
Interest and debt expense, net
Other expenses

2015

2014

2013

$

2,294 $
—
109

1,406 $
2,617
150

2,403

4,173

951
354
1,004
4,852
180
36
326
176

7,879

1,057
302
1,198
3,402
217
139
72
207

6,594

85
4,054
145

4,284

986
266
1,144
—
185
116
—
140

2,837

INCOME / (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAXES
Income tax (expense) / benefit

NET INCOME / (LOSS)

(5,476)
1,922

(2,421)
987

1,447
(578)

$

(3,554)$

(1,434)$

869

Net income / (loss) per share of common stock
Basic
Diluted

Dividends per common share

$
$

$

(9.27)$
(9.27)$

0.03 $

(3.75)$
(3.75)$

— $

2.24
2.24

—

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated and combined financial statements.

94

CALIFORNIA RESOURCES CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
Consolidated and Combined Statements of Comprehensive Income
For the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013
(in millions)

Net income / (loss)
Other comprehensive income (loss) items:

Unrealized (losses) gains on derivatives(a)
Pension and postretirement (losses) gains(b)
Reclassification to income of realized losses (gains) on

derivatives(c)

Reclassification to income of realized losses (gains) on

pensions(d)

Other comprehensive income, net of tax

Comprehensive income / (loss)

2015

2014

2013

$

(3,554)$

(1,434)$

869

—
(2)

—

11

9

(2)
(1)

3

—

—

$

(3,545)$

(1,434)$

(2)
27

(2)

—

23

892

(a) Net of tax of zero, $1 and $1 in 2015, 2014, and 2013, respectively.
(b) Net of tax of $1, $1 and $(16) in 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively. See Note 14, Retirement and Postretirement

Benefit Plans, for additional information.

(c) Net of tax of zero, $(2) and $1 in 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively.
(d) Net of tax of $(7) for 2015 and zero for 2014 and 2013, respectively. See Note 14, Retirement and Postretirement

Benefit Plans, for additional information.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated and combined financial statements.

95

CALIFORNIA RESOURCES CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
Consolidated and Combined Statements of Equity
For the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013
(in millions)

Common
Stock

Additional
Paid-in
Capital

Accumulated
Other

Net Parent
Accumulated Comprehensive Company
Investment
Income (Loss)

Deficit

Total
Equity/Net
Investment

Balance, December 31, 2012

$

Net income / (loss)
Other comprehensive
income, net of tax

Net distributions to

Occidental

Balance, December 31, 2013

$

Net income / (loss)(a)
Net contributions from

Occidental(b)

Dividend to Occidental
Issuance of common stock at

Spin-off

Reclassification of net parent
company investment to
additional paid-in capital

— $
—

—

—

— $
—

—
—

4

—

— $
—

—

—

— $
—

—
—

—

4,748

— $
—

—

—

(47) $
—

9,907 $
869

23

—

—

(763)

— $

(2,117)

(24) $
—

10,013 $
683

—
—

—

—

—
—

—

—

56
(6,000)

(4)

(4,748)

9,860
869

23

(763)

9,989
(1,434)

56
(6,000)

—

—

Balance, December 31, 2014

$

4 $

4,748 $

(2,117) $

(24) $

— $

2,611

Net income / (loss)
Other comprehensive
income, net of tax

Dividends on common stock
Issuance of common stock

and other, net

—

—
—

—

—

—
—

30

(3,554)

—
(12)

—

—

9
—

—

—

—
—

—

Balance, December 31, 2015

$

4 $

4,778 $

(5,683) $

(15) $

— $

(3,554)

9
(12)

30

(916)

(a) Net income of $683 million related to operations from January 1, 2014 through the spin-off date of November 30,
2014 was included in Net Parent Company Investment. The net loss of $2,117 million for the month ended
December 31, 2014 reflected our accumulated deficit as of that date as a stand-alone company.

(b) Net contributions from Occidental include non-cash contributions of approximately $400 million, predominantly trade

receivables, partially offset by $335 million in cash distributions to Occidental.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated and combined financial statements.

96

CALIFORNIA RESOURCES CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
Consolidated and Combined Statements of Cash Flows
For the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013
(in millions)

CASH FLOW FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES

Net income / (loss)
Adjustments to reconcile net income / (loss) to net cash

provided by operating activities:
Depreciation, depletion and amortization
Asset impairments
Deferred income tax expense / (benefit)
Other noncash tax provision
Other noncash charges to income, net
Dry hole expenses

Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net:

(Increase) decrease in receivables, net
(Increase) decrease in inventories
(Increase) decrease in other current assets
Increase (decrease) in accounts payable and accrued

liabilities

Net cash provided by operating activities

CASH FLOW FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES

Capital investments
Changes in capital investment accruals
Acquisitions and other

Net cash used by investing activities

CASH FLOW FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES

Proceeds from revolving credit facility
Repayments of revolving credit facility
Issuance of senior notes
Issuance of term loan
Debt issuance costs
Debt repurchase and amendment costs
Issuance of common stock
Cash dividends paid
(Distributions to) contributions from Occidental, net
Dividends to Occidental

Net cash provided (used) by financing activities

(Decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of year

2015

2014

2013

$

(3,554)$

(1,434)$

869

1,004
4,852
(2,258)
310
187
9

47
—
18

(212)

403

(401)
(205)
(151)

(757)

2,035
(1,656)
—
—
—
(23)
8
(12)
—
—

352

(2)
14

12 $

1,198
3,402
(1,152)
—
113
101

146
2
(133)

128

2,371

(2,089)
69
(292)

(2,312)

515
(155)
5,000
1,000
(70)
—
—
—
(335)
(6,000)

(45)

14
—

14 $

1,144
—
260
—
29
72

(8)
8
2

100

2,476

(1,669)
—
(44)

(1,713)

—
—
—
—

—
—
—
(763)
—

(763)

—
—

—

Cash and cash equivalents—end of year

$

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated and combined financial statements.

97

CALIFORNIA RESOURCES CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

Notes to Consolidated and Combined Financial Statements

NOTE 1 THE SPIN-OFF, SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND OTHER

The Separation and Spin-off

We are an independent oil and natural gas exploration and production company operating
properties exclusively within the State of California. We were incorporated in Delaware as a wholly-
owned subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum Corporation (Occidental) on April 23, 2014, and remained
a wholly-owned subsidiary of Occidental until the spin-off on November 30, 2014 (the Spin-off). Prior
to the Spin-off, all material existing assets, operations and liabilities of the California business were
consolidated under us. On November 30, 2014, Occidental distributed shares of our common stock
on a pro rata basis to Occidental stockholders and we became an independent, publicly traded
company. Occidental retained approximately 18.5% of our outstanding shares of common stock
which it has stated it intends to divest on March 24, 2016.

Except when the context otherwise requires or where otherwise indicated, (1) all references to

‘‘CRC,’’ the ‘‘Company,’’ ‘‘we,’’ ‘‘us’’ and ‘‘our’’ refer to California Resources Corporation and its
subsidiaries or the California business, (2) all references to the ‘‘California business’’ refer to
Occidental’s California oil and gas exploration and production operations and related assets,
liabilities and obligations, which we have assumed in connection with the Spin-off, and (3) all
references to ‘‘Occidental’’ refer to Occidental Petroleum Corporation, our former parent, and its
subsidiaries.

Basis of Presentation

Until the Spin-off, the accompanying financial statements were derived from the consolidated
financial statements and accounting records of Occidental and were presented on a combined basis
for the pre-Spin-off periods. These financial statements reflect the historical results of operations,
financial position and cash flows of the California business. All financial information presented after
the Spin-off consists of the stand-alone consolidated results of operations, financial position and
cash flows of CRC. We account for our share of oil and gas exploration and production ventures, in
which we have a direct working interest, by reporting our proportionate share of assets, liabilities,
revenues, costs and cash flows within the relevant lines on the balance sheets and statements of
operations and cash flows.

The statements of operations for periods prior to the Spin-off include expense allocations for
certain corporate functions and centrally-located activities historically performed by Occidental. These
functions include executive oversight, accounting, treasury, tax, financial reporting, finance, internal
audit, legal, risk management, information technology, government relations, public relations, investor
relations, human resources, procurement, engineering, drilling, exploration, marketing, ethics and
compliance, and certain other shared services. These allocations were based primarily on specific
identification of time or activities associated with us, employee headcount or our relative size
compared to Occidental. Our management believes the assumptions underlying the financial
statements, including the assumptions regarding allocating expenses from Occidental, are
reasonable. However, the financial statements for the pre-Spin-off periods may not include all of the
actual expenses that would have been incurred, may include duplicative costs and may not reflect
our results of operations, financial position and cash flows had we operated as a stand-alone public
company during the periods presented. Actual costs that would have been incurred if we had been a

98

stand-alone company prior to the Spin-off would depend on multiple factors, including organizational
structure and strategic and operating decisions.

The assets and liabilities in the consolidated and combined financial statements are presented
on a historical cost basis. We have eliminated all of our significant intercompany transactions and
accounts. Prior to the Spin-off, we participated in Occidental’s centralized treasury management
program and had not incurred any debt. Additionally, excess cash generated by our business was
distributed to Occidental, and likewise our cash needs were provided by Occidental, in the form of
contributions.

All financial information represents the financial position, results of operations and cash flows of

CRC, as follows:

• Our consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income, cash flows, and changes
in equity for the year ended December 31, 2015 consist of the stand-alone consolidated
results of CRC post Spin-off.

• Our consolidated and combined statements of operations, comprehensive income and cash
flows for the year ended December 31, 2014 consist of the consolidated results for the
month ended December 31, 2014 and the combined results of the California business prior
to the Spin-off. Our statements of income, comprehensive income and cash flows for the
years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012 consist entirely of the combined results of the
California business.

• Our consolidated balance sheets at December 31, 2015 and 2014 consist of the

consolidated balances of CRC post Spin-off.

• Our consolidated and combined statement of changes in equity for the year ended

December 31, 2014 consists of both the California business prior to the Spin-off and the
consolidated activity for CRC subsequent to the Spin-off. Our statements of changes in
equity for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012 consists entirely of the combined
activity of the California business.

Had we been a stand-alone company for the full year 2014, and had the same level of debt
throughout the year as we did on December 31, 2014, of approximately $6.4 billion, we would have
incurred $314 million of interest expense, on a pro-forma basis, for the year ended December 31,
2014, compared to the $72 million pre-tax interest expense reported in our statement of operations
for the year then ended.

Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to the 2015 presentation. In 2015,
we changed the classification of certain employee-related costs between general and administrative
expenses and production costs to better align these costs with the functions performed by those
employees. Prior period amounts have been changed to conform to the current year classification.

Risks and Uncertainties

The process of preparing financial statements in conformity with United States generally
accepted accounting principles requires management to make informed estimates and judgments
regarding certain types of financial statement balances and disclosures. Such estimates primarily
relate to unsettled transactions and events as of the date of the financial statements and judgments
on expected outcomes as well as the materiality of transactions and balances. Changes in facts and
circumstances or discovery of new information relating to such transactions and events may result in
revised estimates and judgments and actual results may differ from estimates upon settlement.

99

Management believes that these estimates and judgments provide a reasonable basis for the fair
presentation of our financial statements.

Revenue Recognition

We recognize revenue from oil and natural gas production when title has passed from us to the
transportation company or the customer, as applicable. We recognize our share of revenues net of
any royalties and other third-party share.

Net Parent Company Investment

Prior to the Spin-off, our balance sheets included net parent company investment, which

represented Occidental’s historical investment in us, our accumulated net income and the net effect
of transactions with, and allocations from, Occidental.

Inventories

Materials and supplies are valued at weighted-average cost and are reviewed periodically for
obsolescence. Finished goods include oil and natural gas products, which are valued at the lower of
cost or market.

Property, Plant and Equipment

The carrying value of our property, plant and equipment (PP&E) represents the cost incurred to
acquire or develop the asset, including any asset retirement obligations and capitalized interest, net
of accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization (DD&A) and any impairment charges. For
assets acquired, PP&E cost is based on fair values at the acquisition date. Asset retirement
obligations are capitalized and amortized over the lives of the related assets.

We use the successful efforts method to account for our oil and gas properties. Under this
method, we capitalize costs of acquiring properties, costs of drilling successful exploration wells and
development costs. The costs of exploratory wells are initially capitalized pending a determination of
whether we find proved reserves. If we find proved reserves, the costs of exploratory wells remain
capitalized. Otherwise, we charge the costs of the related wells to expense. In some cases, we
cannot determine whether we have found proved reserves at the completion of exploration drilling,
and must conduct additional testing and evaluation of the wells. We generally expense the costs of
such exploratory wells if we do not determine we have found proved reserves within a 12-month
period after drilling is complete.

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The following table summarizes the activity of capitalized exploratory well costs for the years

ended December 31:

Balance—Beginning of Year
Additions to capitalized exploratory well costs pending the

$

determination of proved reserves

Reclassification to property, plant and equipment based

on the determination of proved reserves

Capitalized exploratory well costs charged to expense

Balance—End of Year

$

2015

2014
(in millions)

4 $

18 $

16

(5)
(9)

6 $

3

(8)
(9)

4 $

2013

18

46

(31)
(15)

18

We expense annual lease rentals, the costs of injection used in production and exploration

geological, geophysical and seismic costs as incurred. Cost of maintenance and repairs are
expensed as incurred, except that the costs of replacements that expand capacity or add proven oil
and gas reserves are capitalized.

We determine depreciation and depletion of oil and gas producing properties by the

unit-of-production method. We amortize acquisition costs over total proved reserves, and capitalized
development and successful exploration costs over proved developed reserves. Substantially all of
our total depreciation, depletion and amortization expense relates to production costs.

Proved oil and gas reserves and production volumes are used as the basis for recording

depreciation and depletion of oil and gas properties. Proved reserves are those quantities of oil and
natural gas which, by analysis of geoscience and engineering data, can be estimated with
reasonable certainty to be economically producible—from a given date forward, from known
reservoirs, and under existing economic conditions, operating methods, and government
regulations—prior to the time at which contracts providing the right to operate expire, unless
evidence indicates that renewal is reasonably certain, regardless of whether deterministic or
probabilistic methods are used for the estimation. We have no proved oil and gas reserves for which
the determination of economic producibility is subject to the completion of major additional capital
investments.

Our gas plant and power plant assets are depreciated over the estimated useful lives of the

assets, using the straight-line method, with expected initial useful lives of the assets ranging from
two to 30 years. Other non-producing property and equipment is depreciated using the straight-line
method based on expected initial lives of the individual assets or group of assets ranging from two
to 20 years.

We perform impairment tests with respect to proved properties when product prices decline other

than temporarily, reserves estimates change significantly, other significant events occur or
management’s plans change with respect to these properties in a manner that may impact our ability
to realize the recorded asset amounts. Impairment tests incorporate a number of assumptions
involving expectations of undiscounted future cash flows, which can change significantly over time.
These assumptions include estimates of future product prices, which we base on forward price
curves and, when applicable, contractual prices, estimates of oil and gas reserves and estimates of
future expected operating and development costs. Any impairment loss would be calculated as the
excess of the asset’s net book value over its estimated fair value. We recognize any impairment loss
on proved properties by adjusting the carrying amount of the asset.

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A portion of the carrying value of our oil and gas properties is attributable to unproved

properties. At December 31, 2015, the net capitalized costs attributable to unproved properties were
approximately $300 million. The unproved amounts are not subject to DD&A until they are classified
as proved properties. As exploration and development work progresses, if reserves on these
properties are proved, capitalized costs attributable to the properties become subject to DD&A. If the
exploration and development work were to be unsuccessful, or management decided not to pursue
development of these properties as a result of lower commodity prices, higher development and
operating costs, contractual conditions or other factors, the capitalized costs of the related properties
would be expensed. The timing of any write-downs of these unproved properties, if warranted,
depends upon management’s plans, the nature, timing and extent of future exploration and
development activities and their results. We recognize any impairment loss on unproved properties
by providing a valuation allowance.

At year end 2015, we performed impairment tests with respect to our proved and unproved
properties triggered by the sharp drop in oil prices in the fourth quarter of 2015. As a result, in the
fourth quarter of 2015, we recorded pre-tax asset impairment charges of $4.9 billion on certain
proved and unproved properties throughout our asset base. Approximately $100 million of the
charge was related to unproved acreage.

At year end 2014, we performed impairment tests with respect to our proved and unproved

properties as a result of significant declines in oil prices largely during the last half of 2014. As a
result, in the fourth quarter of 2014, we recorded pre-tax asset impairment charges of $3.4 billion on
certain proved and unproved properties throughout our asset base. Approximately $650 million of the
charge was related to unproved properties.

We evaluate our properties, in part, based on year-end forward price curves, as well as

assessing projects we determined we would not pursue in the foreseeable future given the current
environment.

Asset Retirement Obligations

We recognize the fair value of asset retirement obligations in the period in which a determination
is made that a legal obligation exists to dismantle an asset and reclaim or remediate the property at
the end of its useful life and the cost of the obligation can be reasonably estimated. The liability
amounts are based on future retirement cost estimates and incorporate many assumptions such as
time to abandonment, technological changes, future inflation rates and the risk-adjusted discount
rate. When the liability is initially recorded, we capitalize the cost by increasing the related PP&E
balances. If the estimated future cost of the asset retirement obligation changes, we record an
adjustment to both the asset retirement obligation and PP&E. Over time, the liability is increased and
expense is recognized for accretion, and the capitalized cost is depreciated over the useful life of the
asset.

At certain of our facilities, we have identified asset retirement obligations that are related mainly
to plant and field decommissioning, including plugging and abandonment of wells. In certain cases,
we do not know or cannot estimate when we may settle these obligations and, therefore, we cannot
reasonably estimate the fair value of these liabilities. We will recognize these asset retirement
obligations in the periods in which sufficient information becomes available to reasonably estimate
their fair values. Additionally, for certain plants, we do not have a legal obligation to decommission
them and accordingly we have not recorded a liability.

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The following table summarizes the activity of the asset retirement obligation, of which
$343 million and $397 million is included in other long-term liabilities, with the remaining current
portion in accrued liabilities at December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

Beginning balance
Liabilities incurred—capitalized to PP&E
Liabilities settled and paid
Accretion expense
Acquisitions, disposition and other—changes in PP&E
Revisions to estimated cash flows—changes in PP&E

Ending balance

Derivative Instruments

For the years ended
December 31,
2014
2015

(in millions)

$

$

415 $
7
(18)
20
—
(67)

357 $

415
19
(29)
22
22
(34)

415

All of our current derivatives are carried at fair value and on a net basis when a legal right of
offset exists with the same counterparty. Fair value gains and losses from derivative instruments are
recognized in earnings in the current period and are reported on a net basis in the statements of
operations.

Unless otherwise indicated, we use the term ‘‘hedge’’ to describe derivative instruments that are
designed to achieve our hedging program goals, even though they are not necessarily accounted for
as cash flow or fair value hedges.

Stock-Based Incentive Plans

We have stockholder approved stock-based incentive plans for certain employees and directors

that are more fully described in Note 11. A summary of our accounting policy for awards issued
under our plans is as follows.

The fair value of stock options is measured on the grant date using the Black-Scholes option

valuation model and expensed on a straight-line basis over the vesting period. The model uses
various assumptions, based on management’s estimates at the time of grant, which impact the
calculation of fair value and ultimately the amount of expense recognized over the vesting period of
the stock option award. The expected life of stock options is calculated based on the simplified
method and represents the period of time that options granted are expected to be held prior to
exercise. In the absence of adequate stock price history of our common stock, the volatility factor is
based on the average volatilities of the stocks of a select group of peer companies. The risk-free
interest rate is the implied yield available on zero coupon (U.S. Treasury Strip) T-notes at the grant
date with a remaining term approximating the expected life. The dividend yield is the expected
annual dividend yield over the expected life, expressed as a percentage of the stock price on the
grant date. Of the required assumptions, the expected life of the stock option award and the
expected volatility have the most significant impact on the fair value calculation. Estimates of fair
value are not intended to, and may not, accurately predict the value ultimately realized by employees
who receive the awards, and the ultimate value may not be indicative of the reasonableness of the
original estimates of fair value made by us.

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The performance targets under the 2015 Performance Stock Unit (PSU) awards are based 50%

on achievement of specified VCI results and 50% on total shareholder return (TSR) relative to a
selected peer group of companies over specified multi-year performance periods. The fair values of
the VCI-based portions of the PSU awards are initially determined on the grant date based on an
estimated performance achievement at the target level, and subsequently adjusted, as applicable,
based on the VCI results. The fair values of the TSR-based portions of the PSUs are initially
determined on the grant date, and subsequently for cash-settled awards, using a Monte Carlo
simulation model based on applicable assumptions. The volatility is derived from corresponding peer
group companies, which we used in the absence of adequate stock price history for our common
stock. The expected life is based on the vesting period of the award. The risk-free rate is the implied
yield available on zero coupon (U.S. Treasury Strip) T-notes at the time of grant and subsequent
measurement periods with a remaining term equal to the remaining term of the awards. The dividend
yield is the expected annual dividend yield over the term, expressed as a percentage of the stock
price on the valuation date. Estimates of fair value are not intended to and may not accurately
predict the value ultimately realized by the employees who receive the awards, and the ultimate
value may not be indicative of the reasonableness of the original estimates of fair value made by us.

For cash- and stock-settled restricted stock units (RSU), compensation value is initially
measured on the grant date using the quoted market price of our common stock. Compensation
expense for RSU and PSU awards is recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service
periods, adjusted for estimated forfeitures. Compensation expense for the cash-settled portion of the
awards is adjusted cumulatively for changes in the value of the underlying stock on a quarterly
basis. For PSU awards, compensation expense for the cash-settled portion of the awards and
related dividends is also adjusted quarterly on a cumulative basis for any changes in the number of
share equivalents expected to be paid based on the relevant performance criteria. All such
performance or stock-price-related changes are recognized in periodic compensation expense. The
stock-settled portion of these awards is expensed using the initially measured compensation value.

Earnings Per Share

Our instruments containing rights to nonforfeitable dividends granted in stock-based awards are
considered participating securities prior to vesting and, therefore, have been deducted from earnings
in computing basic and diluted earnings per share (EPS) under the two-class method.

Basic EPS was computed by dividing net income attributable to common stock, net of income
allocated to participating securities, by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding
during each period, net of treasury shares, if any, and including vested but unissued shares and
share units. The computation of diluted EPS reflects the additional dilutive effect of stock options
and unvested stock awards.

We compute EPS using the two-class method required for participating securities. Undistributed

earnings allocated to participating securities are subtracted from net income in determining net
income attributable to common stockholders. Restricted stock awards are considered participating
securities because holders of such shares have non-forfeitable dividend rights in the event of our
declaration of a dividend for common shares.

The denominator of basic EPS is the sum of the daily weighted-average number of common
shares outstanding during the periods presented and vested stock awards that have not yet been
issued as common stock. The denominator of diluted EPS is based on the basic shares outstanding,
adjusted for the effect of outstanding option awards, to the extent they are dilutive.

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Retirement and Postretirement Benefit Plans

Prior to the Spin-off, a majority of our employees participated in postretirement benefit plans
sponsored by Occidental, which included participants from other Occidental subsidiaries. These
plans had an insignificant amount of assets and were substantially funded as benefits were paid. We
recognized a liability in the accompanying balance sheets for the employees of the California
operations. The related postretirement expenses were allocated to us from Occidental based on the
employees of the California business. Following the Spin-off, all of our employees participate in
postretirement benefit plans sponsored by us. These plans are funded as benefits are paid.

For defined benefit pension and postretirement plans that are sponsored by us, we recognize

the net overfunded or underfunded amounts in the financial statements using a December 31
measurement date.

We determine our defined benefit pension and postretirement benefit plan obligations based on

various assumptions and discount rates. The discount rate assumptions used are meant to reflect
the interest rate at which the obligations could effectively be settled on the measurement date. We
estimate the rate of return on assets with regard to current market factors but within the context of
historical returns.

Pension plan assets are measured at fair value. Common stock, preferred stock, publicly
registered mutual funds, U.S. government securities and corporate bonds are valued using quoted
market prices in active markets when available. When quoted market prices are not available, these
investments are valued using pricing models with observable inputs from both active and non-active
markets. Common and collective trusts are valued at the fund units’ net asset value (NAV) provided
by the issuer, which represents the quoted price in a non-active market. Short-term investment funds
are valued at the fund units’ NAV provided by the issuer.

Actuarial gains and losses that have not yet been recognized through income are recorded in
accumulated OCI within equity, net of taxes, until they are amortized as a component of net periodic
benefit cost.

Fair Value Measurements

We have categorized our assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value in a three-level fair

value hierarchy, based on the inputs to the valuation techniques: Level 1—using quoted prices in
active markets for the assets or liabilities; Level 2—using observable inputs other than quoted prices
for the assets or liabilities; and Level 3—using unobservable inputs. Transfers between levels, if any,
are recognized at the end of each reporting period. We apply the market approach for certain
recurring fair value measurements, maximize our use of observable inputs and minimize use of
unobservable inputs. We generally use an income approach to measure fair value when observable
inputs are unavailable. This approach utilizes management’s judgments regarding expectations of
projected cash flows and discounts those cash flows using a risk-adjusted discount rate.

Commodity derivatives are carried at fair value. We utilize the mid-point between bid and ask

prices for valuing these instruments. In addition to using market data in determining these fair
values, we make assumptions about the risks inherent in the inputs to the valuation technique. Our
commodity derivatives comprise Over-the-Counter (OTC) bilateral financial commodity contracts,
which are generally valued using industry-standard models that consider various inputs, including
quoted forward prices for commodities, time value, volatility factors, credit risk and current market
and contracted prices for the underlying instruments, as well as other relevant economic measures.
Substantially all of these inputs are observable data or are supported by observable prices at which
transactions are executed in the marketplace. We classify these measurements as Level 2.

105

Income Taxes

Until the Spin-off, our taxable income was historically included in the consolidated U.S. federal
income tax returns of Occidental and in a number of their consolidated state income tax returns. In
the accompanying financial statements, our provision for income taxes through the Spin-off is
computed as if we were a stand-alone tax-paying entity.

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the estimated future tax consequences
attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of assets and liabilities
and their tax bases. Deferred tax assets are recorded when it is more likely than not that they will be
realized. We periodically assess our deferred tax assets and reduce such assets by a valuation
allowance if we deem it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will
not be realized.

Other Current Assets

Other current assets at December 31, 2015 included amounts due from joint interest partners of

approximately $40 million, net deferred tax assets of approximately $59 million, and $87 million in
derivatives from commodities contracts. At December 31, 2014 other current assets included
amounts due from joint interest partners of approximately $120 million, greenhouse gas emission
assets of $65 million and deferred tax assets of $61 million.

Other Assets

Other assets at December 31, 2015 included $199 million of net deferred tax assets.

Accrued Liabilities

Accrued liabilities at December 31, 2015 included accrued employee-related costs of

approximately $105 million and interest payable of approximately $40 million. At December 31, 2014
accrued liabilities included accrued employee-related costs of approximately $95 million, interest
payable of approximately $70 million, and greenhouse gas emission liabilities of approximately
$65 million.

Supplemental Cash Flow Information

We have not made United States federal and state income tax payments in 2015 due to the
taxable loss we incurred. Up until the Spin-off, our share of Occidental’s tax payments or refunds
were paid or received, as applicable, by our parent. Such amounts paid on our behalf during the
years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 were approximately $165 million and $318 million,
respectively. We also paid taxes other than on income, consisting mostly of property taxes, of
approximately $154 million, $183 million and $185 million during the years ended December 31,
2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively. Interest paid totaled approximately $359 million, $3 million and
zero, respectively, for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013.

In 2014, Occidental transferred to us certain assets, liabilities and accruals, of which the most
significant consisted of outstanding trade receivables of approximately $400 million. These non-cash
transfers and the corresponding net contribution to us from Occidental were excluded from net cash
provided by operating activities and cash flow from financing activities.

106

Major Customers

For the year ended December 31, 2015, Phillips 66 Company, Tesoro Refining & Marketing
Company LLC and Valero Marketing & Supply Company each accounted for more than 10%, and
collectively 61% of our revenue. For the years ended 2014 and 2013, ConocoPhillips/Phillips 66
Company and Tesoro Refining & Marketing Company LLC each accounted for more than 10%, and
collectively 45% and 42% of our revenue, respectively.

NOTE 2 ACCOUNTING AND DISCLOSURE CHANGES

Recently Issued and Adopted Accounting and Disclosure Changes

In November 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued rules requiring that

deferred income tax liabilities and assets be classified as noncurrent in a classified balance sheet.
These new rules will be effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2016
and can be applied either retrospectively or prospectively with earlier application permitted. While we
are evaluating any potential impact of these rules, we currently believe the effect of the new rules
will not have a material impact on our financial statements.

In September 2015, the FASB issued rules that require an acquirer in a business combination
account for measurement-period adjustments during the period in which it determines the amount of
the adjustment, rather than retrospectively. These new rules will be effective for annual and interim
periods beginning after December 15, 2015 and must be applied prospectively. We do not expect
these new rules to have a material impact on our financial statements.

In August 2015, the FASB issued rules to defer the effective date of its new revenue recognition
rules to annual and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017. Earlier application
is permitted only as of annual and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016.
While we are evaluating any potential impact of these rules, we currently believe the effect of the
new rules will not have a material impact on our financial statements.

In July 2015, the FASB issued rules to simplify the accounting for employee benefit plans by

removing the requirement for plan investments to be disaggregated by class. Under the new
guidance, a plan will disaggregate its investments measured using fair value only by general type
(e.g., common stocks, corporate bonds, mutual funds). These new rules will be effective for fiscal
years beginning after December 15, 2015 and must be applied retrospectively with earlier application
permitted. We do not expect these disclosure changes to have a material impact on our financial
statements.

In July 2015, the FASB issued rules requiring entities to measure inventory at the lower of cost
and net realizable value. These new rules will be effective for annual and interim periods beginning
after December 15, 2016 and must be applied prospectively with earlier application permitted. We do
not expect these new rules to have a material impact on our financial statements.

In May 2015, the FASB issued rules to remove the requirements to categorize within the fair

value hierarchy all investments for which the fair value is measured using the NAV per share
practical expedient, as well as limiting the requirements for related disclosures. These rules will be
effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2015 with early adoption of
the rules permitted. We do not expect the disclosure changes to have a significant impact on our
financial statements.

107

In April 2015, the FASB issued rules that require debt issuance costs related to a recognized
debt liability to be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of
that debt liability, consistent with the presentation of debt discounts. We early adopted the new rule
in the first quarter of 2015 and retrospectively reclassified unamortized debt issuance costs of
$68 million at December 31, 2014. The amount was previously reflected in other assets.

NOTE 3 ACQUISITIONS

2015

During the year ended December 31, 2015, we paid approximately $140 million to acquire
certain producing and non-producing oil and gas properties, primarily in the San Joaquin basin. Our
asset acquisition and disposition program contemplates transactions designed to upgrade our
portfolio on a cash neutral basis.

2014

During the year ended December 31, 2014, we paid approximately $290 million to acquire
certain producing and non-producing oil and gas properties, including oil and gas properties in the
Ventura basin purchased for approximately $200 million in the fourth quarter of 2014.

2013

During the year ended December 31, 2013, we paid approximately $50 million to acquire certain
oil and gas properties, including an acquisition in the San Joaquin basin, which obligates us to invest
at least $250 million on exploration and development activities over a period of five years from the
date of acquisition. We currently plan to invest this amount during that period. Any deficiency in
meeting this capital investment obligation would need to be paid in cash at the end of the five-year
period. Through December 31, 2015, we have already fulfilled approximately 30% of this obligation.

NOTE 4 INVENTORIES

Inventories consisted of the following:

Materials and supplies
Finished goods

Total

Balance at December 31,

2015

2014

$

$

(in millions)
55 $
3

58 $

66
5

71

108

NOTE 5 DEBT

Debt consisted of the following:

Secured First Lien Bank Debt

Revolving Credit Facility
Term Loan Facility

Senior Secured Second Lien Notes

8% Notes Due 2022
Senior Unsecured Notes
5% Notes Due 2020
51⁄2% Notes Due 2021
6% Notes Due 2024

Total Debt—Principal Amount

Less Current Maturities of Long-Term Debt

Long-Term Debt—Principal Amount

December 31,
2014
2015

(in millions)

$

739 $

1,000

360
1,000

2,250

—

433
829
892

6,143
(100)

$

6,043 $

1,000
1,750
2,250

6,360
—

6,360

At December 31, 2015 deferred gain and issuance costs, net, of $491 million consisted of
$560 million of deferred gains offset by $69 million of deferred issuance costs. The December 31,
2014 balance of $68 million consisted of deferred issuance costs.

Credit Facilities

We have a credit agreement effective through September 2019 that provides for (i) a senior term

loan facility (the Term Loan Facility) and (ii) a senior revolving loan facility (the Revolving Credit
Facility and, together with the Term Loan Facility, the Credit Facilities). All borrowings under these
facilities are subject to certain customary conditions. We amended the Credit Facilities effective as of
November 2015 and February 2016, to change certain of our financial and other covenants, incurring
costs of $11 million and $8 million, respectively. During the third quarter of 2015, our corporate
ratings from Moody’s Investors Service (Moody’s) and Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services (S&P)
were downgraded, resulting in the imposition under our Credit Facilities of a borrowing base and the
requirement to grant security on a first-lien basis. On February 23, 2016, we received 100% bank
approval to amend our Credit Facilities. Effective with the amendment, the borrowing base under our
Credit Facilities was reduced to $2.3 billion and the lenders’ revolving facility commitments were
reduced to $1.6 billion.

The Revolving Credit Facility includes a sub-limit of $400 million for the issuance of letters of

credit. We are required to repay the Term Loan Facility in $25 million quarterly installments
beginning on March 31, 2016. As of December 31, 2015, we had $739 million outstanding
borrowings under our Revolving Credit Facility and $1.0 billion under the Term Loan Facility.

Borrowings under the Credit Facilities bear interest, at our election, at either a LIBOR rate or an

alternate base rate (ABR) (equal to the greatest of (i) the administrative agent’s prime rate, (ii) the
one-month LIBOR rate plus 1.00% and (iii) the federal funds effective rate plus 0.50%), in each case
plus an applicable margin. This applicable margin is based, while our total leverage ratio exceeds
3.00:1.00, on our borrowing base utilization and effective February 2016 will vary from (a) in the
case of LIBOR loans, 2.50% to 3.50% and (b) in the case of ABR loans, 1.50% to 2.50%. The
unused portion of the Revolving Credit Facility, as it may be limited by the borrowing base, is subject

109

to a commitment fee equal to 0.50% per annum. We also pay customary fees and expenses under
the Credit Facilities. Interest on ABR loans is payable quarterly in arrears. Interest on LIBOR loans
is payable at the end of each LIBOR period, but not less than quarterly.

As amended, our financial performance covenants through December 31, 2016 comprise an
obligation to achieve (i) a cumulative minimum EBITDAX during 2016 of $55 million through the first
quarter, $130 million through the second quarter, $190 million through the third quarter and
$250 million through the fourth quarter and (ii) a trailing twelve-month minimum interest coverage
ratio of 2.00:1.00 as of the end of the first quarter, 1.50:1.00 as of the end of the second quarter,
1.25:1.00 as of the end of the third quarter and 0.70:1.00 as of the end of the fourth quarter. As of
the end of the first quarter of 2017, the minimum interest coverage ratio will revert back to 2.00:1.00.
We will not be subject to a maximum first lien senior secured leverage ratio for 2016. The
amendment also suspends the requirement for us to comply with a trailing twelve-month maximum
first lien senior secured leverage ratio of 2.25:1.00 until the end of the first quarter of 2017.

Except as otherwise agreed with our lenders for specific transactions, our Credit Facilities as
amended require us to apply 100% of the proceeds from certain asset monetizations to repay loans
outstanding under the Credit Facilities, except that we will be permitted to use up to 40% of
proceeds from non-borrowing base asset sales to repurchase our notes to the extent available at a
significant minimum discount to par, as specified in the amended facilities. Subject to compliance
with our indentures, our amended facilities permit us to incur additional indebtedness to repurchase
our notes to the extent available at a significant minimum discount to par, as specified in the
amended facilities, as follows: (i) up to $1 billion, which may be secured by liens that are junior to
the liens securing our Credit Facilities, provided that at least 60% of the proceeds from the new debt
is used first to repay loans outstanding under the Credit Facilities, and (ii) up to $200 million, which
may be secured by first-priority liens on our non-borrowing base properties. The amended Credit
Facilities also permit us to incur up to an additional $50 million of non-Credit Facility indebtedness,
which, subject to compliance with our indentures, may be secured; and the proceeds of which must
be applied to repay loans outstanding under the Credit Facilities. All of the foregoing prepayments
will be applied first to our Term Loan Facility and second to our Revolving Credit Facility after the
Term Loan Facility has been fully repaid (with a corresponding reduction to the lenders’ Revolving
Credit Facility commitments). Our amended facilities also require us to apply cash on hand in excess
of $150 million to repay amounts outstanding under our Revolving Credit Facility. Further, we are
restricted from (i) paying dividends or making other distributions to common stockholders and
(ii) making capital investments exceeding $100 million during 2016.

The amendment also imposed a semi-annual borrowing base redetermination each May 1 and

November 1, commencing May 1, 2016. The borrowing base will be based upon a number of
factors, including commodity prices and reserves levels. Increases in our borrowing base requires
approval of at least 80% of our revolving lenders, as measured by exposure, while decreases
require a two-thirds approval. We and the lenders (requiring a request from the lenders holding  2⁄3 of
the revolving commitments and outstanding loans), each may request a special redetermination once
in any period between three consecutive scheduled redeterminations. We will be permitted to have
collateral released when both (i) our credit ratings are at least Baa3 from Moody’s and BBB(cid:3) from
S&P, in each case with a stable or better outlook, and (ii) certain permitted liens securing other debt
are released.

Effective February 2016, all obligations under the Credit Facilities are guaranteed jointly and

severally by all of our material wholly-owned material subsidiaries. The assets and liabilities of
subsidiaries not guaranteeing the debt are de minimis.

110

Substantially all of the restrictions imposed by the recent amendment to the Credit Facilities,

other than the requirement for semiannual borrowing base redeterminations, may terminate in the
future if we are able to comply with the financial covenants as they existed prior to giving effect to
the amendment. If we were to breach any of our Credit Facility covenants, our lenders would be
permitted to accelerate the principal amount due under the Credit Facilities and foreclose on the
assets securing the facilities. If payment were accelerated under our Credit Facilities, it would result
in a default under our outstanding notes and permit acceleration and foreclosure on the assets
securing the secured notes.

At December 31, 2015, we were in compliance with the financial and other covenants under our

Credit Facilities as they existed at that time.

Senior Notes

On October 1, 2014, we issued $5.00 billion in aggregate principal amount of our senior
unsecured notes, including $1.00 billion of 5% senior unsecured notes due January 15, 2020 (the
2020 notes), $1.75 billion of 51⁄2% senior unsecured notes due September 15, 2021 (the 2021 notes)
and $2.25 billion of 6% senior unsecured notes due November 15, 2024 (the 2024 notes and
together with the 2020 notes and the 2021 notes, the unsecured notes). The unsecured notes were
issued at par and are fully and unconditionally guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by all of our
material subsidiaries. We used the net proceeds from the issuance of the unsecured notes to make
a $4.95 billion cash distribution to Occidental in October 2014.

In December 2015, we exchanged $534 million, $921 million and $1,358 million in aggregate

principal amount of the 2020 notes, the 2021 notes, and the 2024 notes, respectively, for
$2.25 billion in aggregate principal amount of newly issued 8% senior secured second lien notes due
December 15, 2022 (the 2022 notes). We recorded a deferred gain of approximately $560 million on
the debt exchange, which will be amortized using the effective interest rate method over the term of
the 2022 notes. Additionally, we incurred approximately $28 million in third-party costs which were
fully expensed in 2015. The newly-issued second lien notes are secured on a second-priority basis,
subject to the terms of an intercreditor agreement and collateral trust agreement by a lien on the
same collateral used to secure our obligations under our Credit Facilities.

In December 2015, we repurchased approximately $33 million in principal amount of the 2020

notes for $12 million in cash.

We will pay interest semiannually in cash in arrears on January 15 and July 15 for the 2020
notes, on March 15 and September 15 for the 2021 notes and on May 15 and November 15 for the
2024 notes. We will pay interest on the 2022 notes semiannually in cash in arrears on June 15 and
December 15, beginning on June 15, 2016.

The indentures governing the senior unsecured notes and the second lien secured notes each
include covenants that, among other things, limit our and our restricted subsidiaries’ ability to incur
debt secured by liens. The indentures also restrict our ability to merge or consolidate with, or
transfer all or substantially all of our assets to, another entity. These covenants are subject to a
number of important qualifications and limitations that are set forth in the indenture. The covenants
are not, however, directly linked to measures of our financial performance. In addition, if we
experience a ‘‘change of control triggering event’’ (as defined in the indentures) with respect to a
series of notes, we will be required, unless we have exercised our right to redeem the notes of such
series, to offer to purchase the notes of such series at a purchase price equal to 101% of their
principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest. The indenture governing our second-lien secured
notes also restricts our ability to sell certain assets and to release collateral from liens securing the
second-lien secured notes.

111

Principal maturities of long-term debt outstanding at December 31, 2015 are as follows (in

millions):

2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
Thereafter

Total

$

$

100
100
100
1,439
433
3,971

6,143

We estimate the fair value of fixed-rate debt, which is classified as Level 1, based on prices from
known market transactions for our instruments. The estimated fair value of our debt at December 31,
2015 and 2014, including the fair value of the variable rate portion, which we believe approximates
the carrying value, was approximately $3.6 billion and $5.6 billion, respectively, compared to a
carrying value of approximately $6.1 billion and $6.4 billion. A one-eighth percent change in the
variable interest rates on the borrowings under our Term Loan Facility and Revolving Credit Facility
on December 31, 2015, would result in a $2.2 million change in annual interest expense. In 2014,
we incurred $70 million in debt issuance costs related to the notes and the Credit Facility which we
are amortizing using the effective interest rate method over the respective term of each instrument.

As of December 31, 2015 and 2014, we had letters of credit in the aggregate amount of

approximately $70 million (including $49 million under the Revolving Credit Facility) and $25 million,
respectively, which were issued to support ordinary course marketing, regulatory and other matters.

NOTE 6 LEASE COMMITMENTS

We have entered into various operating lease agreements, mainly for office space, office
equipment and field equipment. We lease assets when leasing offers greater operating flexibility.
Lease payments are generally expensed as part of production costs or general and administrative
expenses. At December 31, 2015, future net minimum lease payments for noncancelable operating
leases (excluding oil and natural gas and other mineral leases, utilities, taxes, insurance and
maintenance expense) totaled:

2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
Thereafter

Total minimum lease payments

Amount
(in millions)
13
$
16
15
14
9
58

$

125

Rental expense for operating leases was $11 million in 2015, $10 million in 2014 and $11 million

in 2013.

112

NOTE 7 LAWSUITS, CLAIMS, COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

We, or certain of our subsidiaries, are involved, in the normal course of business, in lawsuits,

environmental and other claims and other contingencies that seek, among other things,
compensation for alleged personal injury, breach of contract, property damage or other losses,
punitive damages, civil penalties, or injunctive or declaratory relief. We accrue reserves for currently
outstanding lawsuits, claims and proceedings when it is probable that a liability has been incurred
and the liability can be reasonably estimated. Reserves balances at December 31, 2015 and 2014
were not material to our balance sheets as of such dates. We also evaluate the amount of
reasonably possible losses that we could incur as a result of these matters. We believe that
reasonably possible losses that we could incur in excess of reserves accrued on our balance sheet
would not be material to our consolidated financial position or results of operations.

We have certain commitments under contracts, including purchase commitments for goods and

services. At December 31, 2015, total purchase obligations on a discounted basis were
approximately $346 million, which included approximately $67 million, $51 million, $184 million,
$27 million and $7 million that will be paid in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively. Of the
2016 amount, a substantial majority consists of payments due for transportation commitments in the
ordinary course of business and rigs that were idled in 2014. Also included in the purchase
obligations are commitments for major fixed and determinable capital investments, which were
approximately $7 million during 2016 and $183 million thereafter.

We, our subsidiaries, or both, have indemnified various parties against specific liabilities those
parties might incur in the future in connection with the Spin-off, purchases and other transactions
that they have entered into with us. These indemnities include indemnities made to Occidental
against certain tax-related liabilities that may be incurred by Occidental relating to the Spin-off and
liabilities related to operation of our business while it was still owned by Occidental. As of
December 31, 2015, we are not aware of material indemnity claims pending or threatened against
the Company.

NOTE 8 DERIVATIVES

As part of our hedging program, we entered into a number of costless collars during the year

which resulted in our hedge positions as of December 31, 2015 as follows:

•

•

Brent-based puts for our first half 2016 oil production of 30,500 barrels per day with a
weighted-average floor price of $52.38 per barrel and 3,000 barrels for the second half 2016
at $50.00 per barrel.

Brent-based calls for our first half 2016 oil production of 35,500 barrels per day at a
weighted-average ceiling price of $66.15 per barrel and 3,000 barrels for the second half
2016 at $74.42 per barrel.

In addition, we entered into a Brent-based swap during the year for 1,000 barrels per day of our

July through December 2016 crude oil production at $61.25 per barrel.

113

Subsequent to December 31, 2015 we executed additional costless collars resulting in our

current Brent-based crude oil hedge positions as follows:

Calls
Barrels per Day
Wtd Avg Ceiling Price per Barrel

Puts
Barrels per Day
Wtd Avg Floor Price per Barrel

Swap
Barrels per Day
Weighted-Average Price per Barrel

Q1 2016 Q2 2016 Q3 2016 Q4 2016

2017

2018

35,500

35,500

$

66.15 $

66.15 $

3,000
74.42 $

3,000
74.42 $

30,000

55.68 $

23,300
57.99

33,800

55,500

28,000

$

51.75 $

50.14 $

50.65 $

3,000
50.00 $

—
— $

—
— $

1,000
61.25 $

1,000
61.25 $

$

—
— $

—
— $

—
—

—
—

For our third and fourth quarter 2015 natural gas production, we had hedged 40,000 million
British thermal units (MMBtu) per day at an average index-based price of $3.01 per MMBtu and
20,000 MMBtu per day at weighted-average floors and ceilings of $2.80 and $3.17 per MMBtu,
respectively. The initial value of these hedges was not material.

For our fourth quarter 2015 oil production, we had hedged 40,000 barrels per day at weighted-
average Brent-based floors and ceilings of $61.25 and $73.88 per barrel, respectively. For our third
quarter 2015 oil production, we had hedged 70,000 barrels per day at weighted-average Brent-based
floors of $52.14 per barrel and 30,000 barrels per day at Brent-based ceilings of $72.12 per barrel.
The initial value of our third and fourth quarter 2015 oil hedges was not material.

From January through June 2015 we had purchased options for 100,000 barrels of our crude oil

production per day, at $50 per barrel Brent and sold options for 30,000 barrels per day for March
through June 2015 at $75 per barrel Brent. The initial intrinsic and time values were deferred and
subsequent changes were included in the net derivative losses reported in net sales. The initial
intrinsic value, which was accounted for as a cash flow hedge, was insignificant.

For the first quarter of 2014 we had hedged 50 MMcf per day of our natural gas production,
which qualified as cash-flow hedges. The weighted-average strike price of these swaps was $4.30
per Mcf.

We will continue to be strategic and opportunistic in implementing our hedging program. Our

objective is to protect against the cyclical nature of commodity prices to protect our cash flows,
margins and capital investment program and improve our ability to comply with our credit facility
covenants in case of further price deterioration.

The after-tax gains and losses recognized in, and reclassified to income from, Accumulated
Other Comprehensive Income (AOCI), for derivative instruments classified as cash-flow hedges for
the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, and the ending AOCI balances for each
period were not material. For the year ended December 31, 2015, we recognized approximately
$52 million of non-cash derivative gains from marking these contracts to market, which were
included in revenues. The amount of the ineffective portion of cash-flow hedges was immaterial for
the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013. Refer to Note 1 for our accounting policy on
derivatives.

114

There were no fair value hedges as of and during the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014

and 2013.

Fair Value of Derivatives

Our commodity derivatives are measured at fair value using industry-standard models with
various inputs, including quoted forward prices. The initial gross and net fair value of our 2014 put
options was approximately $24 million, which approximated the time value of the instruments, and
was included in other current assets as of December 31, 2014.

The following table presents the gross and net fair values of our outstanding derivatives as of

December 31, 2015 (in millions):

December 31, 2015

Asset Derivatives
Balance Sheet
Location

Fair Value

Liability Derivatives
Balance Sheet
Location

Fair Value

Commodity contracts

Other current assets

Total gross and net fair

value

$

$

87 Accrued Liabilities

87

$

$

(1)

(1)

NOTE 9 FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

Fair Values—Recurring

The following tables present assets and liabilities accounted for at fair value on a recurring basis

as of December 31, 2015 and 2014 (in millions):

Level 1

Level 2

Collateral

Total

December 31, 2015
Level 3

Assets:

Commodity derivative instruments,

other current assets

Liabilities:

Commodity derivative instruments,

accrued liabilities

$

$

— $

87

$

— $

— $

87

— $

(1) $

— $

— $

(1)

Assets:

Commodity derivative instruments,

Level 1

December 31, 2014
Level 3

Level 2

Collateral

Total

other current assets

$

— $

24

$

— $

— $

24

Fair Values—Nonrecurring

At year end 2015, we performed impairment tests with respect to our proved and unproved
properties triggered by the sharp drop in oil prices in the fourth quarter of 2015. As a result, in the
fourth quarter of 2015, we recorded pre-tax asset impairment charges of $4.9 billion on certain
proved and unproved properties throughout our asset base. Approximately $100 million of the
charge was related to unproved acreage. We evaluate our properties, in part, based on year-end

115

forward price curves, as well as assessing projects we determined we would not pursue in the
foreseeable future given the current environment.

As a result of impairment testing in the fourth quarter of 2014, we recorded pre-tax charges of

$3.4 billion, of which $2.7 billion was for certain proved properties throughout our asset base to
reduce these assets to their estimated fair values.

The fair values of the proved properties held and used were determined as of the date of the
assessment using discounted cash flow models based on management’s expectations for the future.
Inputs included estimates of future oil and natural gas production, prices based on recent commodity
forward price curves as of the date of the estimate, estimated operating and development costs, and
a risk-adjusted discount rate.

Financial Instruments Fair Value

The carrying amounts of cash and other on-balance sheet financial instruments, other than

fixed-rate debt, approximate fair value.

NOTE 10 INCOME TAXES

Income / (loss) before income taxes was $(5,476) million, $(2,421) million and $1,447 million for

the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively. The provision / (benefit) for
federal, state and local income taxes consists of the following:

For the years ended December 31,

United States
Federal

State
and Local
(in millions)

Total

2015

Current
Deferred

2014

Current
Deferred

2013

Current
Deferred

$

$

$

$

$

$

255
(1,961)

$

(1,706) $

$

66
(840)

(774) $

227
222

449

$

$

$

81
(297)

(216) $

$

99
(312)

(213) $

91
38

129

$

$

336
(2,258)

(1,922)

165
(1,152)

(987)

318
260

578

116

The following reconciliation of the United States federal statutory income tax rate to our effective

tax rate is stated as a percentage of pre-tax income or loss:

For the years ended
December 31,
2014

2015

2013

United States federal statutory tax rate
State income taxes, net of federal provision
Valuation allowance
Other

Effective tax rate

35%
5
(5)
—

35%

35%
6
—
—

41%

35%
6
—
(1)

40%

The tax effects of temporary differences resulting in deferred income taxes at December 31,

2015 and 2014 were as follows:

Long-term debt
Property, plant and equipment

differences

Postretirement benefit accruals
Deferred compensation and benefits
Asset retirement obligations
Federal effect of state income taxes
Net operating loss carryforward
All other

Subtotal

Valuation allowance

2015

2014

Deferred Tax Deferred Tax Deferred Tax Deferred Tax

Assets

Liabilities

Assets

Liabilities

$

608

$

(in millions)
— $

— $

—

132
41
75
156
28
7
47

1,094
(382)

(427)
—
—
—
(24)
—
(3)

(454)
—

—
39
62
184
68
64
27

444
—

444

$

(2,437)
—
—
—
—
—
(1)

(2,438)
—

(2,438)

Total net deferred taxes

$

712

$

(454) $

The current portion of deferred tax assets was $59 million and $61 million as of December 31,
2015 and 2014, respectively, which was reported in other current assets. The noncurrent portion of
total deferred tax assets was reported in other assets as of December 31, 2015.

We evaluate our deferred tax assets to determine if a valuation allowance is required to reduce
our deferred tax assets to an amount expected to be realized. We expect to realize a portion of our
deferred tax assets through carryback to a prior income year and reversals of taxable temporary
differences. The amount of the deferred tax assets considered realizable could however be adjusted
if estimates change. In the fourth quarter of 2015, we recorded a valuation allowance, net of the
federal benefit for the state-related portion, of $294 million against our deferred tax assets, which we
do not believe are more likely than not to be realized.

As a result of the debt exchange in December 2015, we recognized cancellation of debt income

of $1.39 billion in 2015, including $830 million of original issue discount, which represented the
excess of the face value of the newly issued notes over their fair value. The original issue discount
will be deducted in our tax returns over a seven-year period. The tax gain exceeded our operating

117

loss for the year. We expect to utilize our existing net operating loss (NOL) carryforwards from 2014
as well as our anticipated 2016 NOLs to offset the current tax liability resulting from this gain. As a
result, the related $310 million of current federal and state tax provision has been reported in other
long-term liabilities in the accompanying balance sheets. We expect this amount to become a
deferred tax liability in 2016 as the anticipated losses are incurred.

Prior to the Spin-off date, we were included in the Occidental income tax returns for all
applicable years. There could be a settlement between us and Occidental under the tax sharing
agreement related to income taxes for the periods prior to the Spin-off. The income tax provision
was calculated as if we filed separate tax returns for all periods presented prior to the Spin-off.
There were no amounts due to Occidental as of December 31, 2015 and 2014.

We have no liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits as of December 31, 2015 and 2014. We

believe there will not be material changes to our unrecognized tax benefits within the next
12 months. We recognize interest and penalties, if any, related to uncertain tax positions in the
income tax provision. There were no amounts of interest and penalties related to uncertain tax
positions during the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013.

As of December 31, 2015, we had approximately $40 million of U.S. federal net operating losses

and $106 million of California net operating losses. The net operating loss carryforwards resulted
from acquisitions in prior years. The U.S. federal net operating losses begin expiring in 2017 and the
California net operating losses begin expiring in 2026. The acquired net operating loss carryforward
is subject to an annual limitation as a result of these acquisitions and no financial statement benefit
has been recognized for a portion of the net operating loss carryforward.

Our tax returns for the one-month period December 2014 are subject to examination by U.S.

federal and California tax authorities. Under the tax sharing agreement, Occidental controls tax
examinations for the periods in which we were included in a consolidated or combined income tax
return filed by Occidental.

NOTE 11 STOCK COMPENSATION

General

Prior to the Spin-off, our employees participated in Occidental’s stock-based incentive plans
under which, if they were eligible, they received Occidental stock awards. Effective on the Spin-off
date of November 30, 2014, our employees and non-employee directors began participating in our
long-term incentive plan.

Our incentive plan authorizes the Compensation Committee of our Board of Directors to grant up

to a total of 25 million shares in the form of stock options, stock appreciation rights, stock awards,
performance awards and cash awards, among others, to our employees, non-employee directors
and other plan participants. If approved at our 2016 Annual Meeting, the number of shares
authorized for grant under our incentive plan will increase to 47 million.

In connection with the Spin-off, unvested share-based compensation awards granted to our
employees under Occidental’s stock-based incentive plans and held by grantees as of November 30,
2014 were replaced with substitute awards based on CRC common shares. These substitute awards
were intended to generally preserve the value of the original Occidental award determined as of
November 30, 2014. Original and remaining vesting periods of Occidental awards were unaffected
by the substitution. There were approximately 650 employees affected by the substitution of awards.

118

The substitution of awards did not cause us to recognize incremental compensation expense. These
substitute awards reduced the maximum number of shares of our common stock available for
delivery under our incentive plan.

During 2015 and 2014, non-employee directors were granted restricted stock units (RSU)
awards of approximately 153,750 shares and 74,600 shares of restricted stock, respectively, which
fully vest and convert into shares one year from the date of grant. Compensation expense for these
awards that will be recognized during the vesting period was measured using the quoted market
price of our common stock on the grant date.

Compensation expense for stock-based awards for the year ended December 31, 2015 and the

month ended December 31, 2014 was approximately $34 million and $1 million, respectively. Prior to
the Spin-off, Occidental allocated certain costs to us which included compensation costs for stock-
based awards of Occidental stock. Using the same allocation method for all allocated costs used by
Occidental, we estimate the stock compensation expense allocated to us was approximately
$26 million, and $33 million for January 1, 2014 through November 30, 2014, and total year 2013,
respectively.

For the year ended December 31, 2015, we recognized income tax expense of approximately
$2 million and made cash payments of $10 million for the cash-settled portion of our awards vested
in 2015. As the stock compensation expenses prior to the Spin-off costs were allocated to us, it was
not practical to calculate the tax expense/benefit or cash payments for those years.

As of December 31, 2015, unrecognized compensation expense for all our unvested stock-based
incentive awards, based on the year-end value of our common stock, was $53 million. This expense
is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 1.94 years.

Restricted Stock Units

Certain employees are awarded RSUs which are in the form of, or equivalent in value to, actual

shares of CRC common stock. Depending on their terms, RSUs are settled in cash or stock at the
time of vesting. These awards vest ratably over three years, or at the end of two or three years,
following the date of grant. For a substantial majority of the RSUs, declared dividend equivalents, if
any, are paid during the vesting period.

The following summarizes our RSU activity for the year ended December 31, 2015:

Unvested at January 1
Granted
Vested
Forfeited

Unvested at December 31

Cash-Settled

Stock-Settled

RSUs
(000’s)

Weighted-
Average Grant
Date Fair Value

RSUs
(000’s)

Weighted-
Average Grant-
Date Fair Value

$
4,548
7,497
$
(1,883) $
(1,122) $

9,040

$

7.37
4.20
7.23
5.12

5.05

2,773

$
— $
(1,176) $
(276) $

1,321

$

7.84
—
7.67
7.99

7.94

119

Performance Stock Unit Awards

Certain executives are awarded Performance Stock Unit (PSU) awards that vest at the end of a

three-year period following the grant date if performance targets are certified as being met. In August
2015, PSU awards were granted that have payouts ranging from 0 to 200 percent of the target
award that would settle, once certified, fully in cash. The 2015 PSU awards will convert to stock-
settled if approval for additional shares is granted under our long-term incentive plan at the 2016
Annual Meeting. Dividend equivalents, if any, declared during the vesting period are accumulated
and paid upon certification, for the number of vested shares.

The performance targets under the 2015 PSU awards are based 50% on achievement of

specified VCI results and 50% on TSR relative to a selected peer group of companies over specified
multi-year performance periods.

The fair values of the VCI-based portions of the PSU awards are initially determined on the

grant date based on an estimated performance achievement at the target level.

A summary of our unvested PSU awards as of December 31, 2015, and changes during the

year ended December 31, 2015, is presented below:

Unvested at January 1
Granted
Vested
Forfeited

Unvested at December 31

Cash-Settled

Stock-Settled

PSUs
(000’s)

Weighted-
Average Grant
Date Fair Value

PSUs
(000’s)

Weighted-
Average Grant-
Date Fair Value

2,864

— $
$
— $
(78) $

2,786

$

—
4.20
—
4.20

4.20

3,890

$
— $
(670) $
— $

3,220

$

7.65
—
7.03
—

7.78

The grant date and December 31, 2015 assumptions used in the Monte Carlo valuation for the

TSR-based portion of the PSU awards granted during 2015 were as follows:

Risk-free interest rate
Dividend yield
Volatility factor
Expected life (years)
Fair value of underlying CRC stock

Stock Options

December 31,
2015

Grant Date

1.18%
—
50.50%
2.5
2.33

$

1.06%
0.95%
43.63%
2.9
4.20

$

We granted stock options to certain executives under our long-term incentive plan. The options

permit purchase of our common stock at exercise prices no less than the fair market value of the
stock on the date the options were granted. The options have terms of seven years and vest ratably,
with one-third vesting and becoming exercisable on each anniversary date following the date of
grant.

120

The following table summarizes our option activity during the year ended December 31, 2015:

Weighted- Weighted-
Average
Average
Grant-Date
Exercise
Fair Value
Price

Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value

Options
(000’s)

Beginning balance, January 1
Granted
Exercised
Forfeited
Expired or Canceled

Ending balance, December 31

Exercisable at December 31

8,481
3,208

$
$
— $
(174) $
— $

11,515

2,918

$

$

8.11
4.20

$
$
— $
$
— $

8.11

1.98
1.50

$
$
— $
$
— $

1.98

7.02

7.98

$

$

1.85

1.96

$

$

—
—
—
—
—

—

—

The grant date assumptions used in the Black-Scholes valuation for options granted during 2015

and 2014 were as follows:

Exercise price per share
Expected life (in years)
Expected volatility
Risk-free interest rate
Dividend yield
Grant date fair value of stock option awards granted

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

2015

2014

$

$

4.20
4.5
44.7%
1.56%
0.95%
1.50

$

$

8.11
4.5
35.4%
1.40%
0.50%
1.98

Effective January 1, 2015, we adopted the California Resources Corporation 2014 Employee
Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP). The ESPP provides our employees the ability to purchase shares of
our common stock at a price equal to 85% of the closing price of a share of our common stock as of
the first or last day of each offering period (a fiscal quarter), whichever amount is less.

The maximum number of shares of our common stock which may be issued pursuant to the
ESPP is subject to certain annual limits and has a cumulative limit of 5 million shares, subject to
adjustment pursuant to the terms of the ESPP. If approved at our 2016 Annual Meeting, the number
of shares authorized for issuance under our ESPP will increase to 10 million. For the year ended
December 31, 2015, we issued approximately 2.1 million shares of common stock in connection with
the ESPP. As of January 1, 2016, over 50% of our employees had elected to participate in the plan.

121

NOTE 12 EQUITY

The following is a summary of common stock issuances:

Balance, December 31, 2013

Issued

Balance, December 31, 2014

Issued

Balance, December 31, 2015

Preferred Stock

Common
Stock
(in 000’s)
—
385,640

385,640
2,540

388,180

In November 2014, our board of directors authorized 200 million shares of preferred stock with a

par value of $0.01 per share. At December 31, 2015 and 2014, we had no outstanding shares of
preferred stock.

ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME / (LOSS)

Accumulated other comprehensive loss consisted of pension and post-retirement losses of

$15 million and $24 million, at December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

NOTE 13 EARNINGS PER SHARE

On December 1, 2014, the Spin-off date, 381.4 million shares of our common stock were
distributed, of which approximately 18.5% was retained by Occidental and will be divested on
March 24, 2016. For comparative purposes, and to provide a more meaningful calculation of
weighted-average shares outstanding, we have assumed this amount to be outstanding as of the
beginning of each period prior to the Spin-off. In addition, we have assumed the vested stock
awards granted in December 2014 were also outstanding for each of the periods presented prior to
the Spin-off, resulting in a weighted-average basic share count of 381.8 million shares for those
periods. The effect of stock options granted in August 2015 and December 2014 was anti-dilutive for
the periods presented. For the year ended December 31, 2015, we issued approximately 2.1 million
shares of common stock in connection with our employee stock purchase plan. The effect of the
stock purchase plan was anti-dilutive for the year ended December 31, 2015.

122

The following table presents the calculation of basic and diluted EPS for the years ended

December 31:

2015

2014

2013

(in millions, except per-share amounts)

Basic EPS calculation
Net income / (loss)
Net income / (loss) allocated to participating securities

Net income / (loss) available to common stockholders

Weighted-average common shares outstanding—basic

Basic EPS

Diluted EPS calculation
Net income / (loss)
Net income / (loss) allocated to participating securities

Net income / (loss) available to common stockholders

Weighted-average common shares outstanding—basic
Dilutive effect of potentially dilutive securities

Weighted-average common shares outstanding—diluted

$

$

$

$

$

(3,554)$
—

(1,434)$
—

(3,554)$

(1,434)$

383.2

381.9

(9.27)$

(3.75)$

(3,554)$
—

(1,434)$
—

(3,554)$

(1,434)$

383.2
—

383.2

381.9
—

381.9

Diluted EPS

$

(9.27)$

(3.75)$

869
(14)

855

381.8

2.24

869
(14)

855

381.8
—

381.8

2.24

NOTE 14 RETIREMENT AND POSTRETIREMENT BENEFIT PLANS

We have various benefit plans for our salaried and union and nonunion hourly employees.

Defined Contribution Plans

All of our employees were eligible to participate in one or more of the defined contribution
retirement or savings plans that provide for periodic contributions by us, our subsidiaries or, prior to
the Spin-off, by Occidental, based on plan-specific criteria, such as base pay, age, level and
employee contributions. Certain salaried employees participated in supplemental plans that restored
benefits lost due to governmental limitations on qualified plan benefits. The accrued liabilities for the
supplemental plans were $32 million and $27 million as of December 31, 2015 and 2014,
respectively, and we expensed $39 million in 2015, $29 million in 2014 and $34 million in 2013
under the provisions of these defined contribution plans. In February 2016, we substantially reduced
our contributions to these defined contribution plans.

Defined Benefit Plans

Participation in defined benefit pension plans sponsored by us is limited. During 2015,

approximately 260 employees, including union and certain nonunion employees who joined us from
acquired operations with grandfathered benefits, accrued benefits under these plans. Effective
December 31, 2015, the plans were amended such that participants other than union employees no
longer earn benefits for service after December 31, 2015.

Pension costs for the defined benefit pension plans, determined by independent actuarial

valuations, are generally funded by payments to trust funds, which are administered by independent
trustees.

123

Postretirement and Other Benefit Plans

We provided postretirement medical and dental benefits and life insurance coverage for our
former employees and their eligible dependents through Occidental-sponsored plans prior to the
Spin-off, and provide them through CRC-sponsored plans following the Spin-off. The benefits were
generally funded as they were paid during the year.

Obligations and Funded Status

The following tables show the amounts recognized in our balance sheets related to pension and
postretirement benefit plans, as well as plans that we or our subsidiaries sponsor, and their funding
status, obligations and plan asset fair values (in millions):

Amounts recognized in the balance sheet:

Accrued liabilities
Other long-term liabilities

AOCI included the following after-tax balances:

Net loss (gain)

Changes in the benefit obligation:
Benefit obligation—beginning of year

Service cost—benefits earned during the

period

Interest cost on projected benefit obligation
Curtailment (gain) loss
Actuarial loss (gain)
Benefits paid

Benefit obligation—end of year

Changes in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets—beginning of year

Actual return on plan assets
Employer contributions
Benefits paid

Fair value of plan assets—end of year

Unfunded status:

Pension Benefits

Postretirement Benefits

As of December 31,

2015

2014

2015

2014

$

$

$

— $
(27)

(27)$

— $
(21)

(21)$

(1)$

(70)

(71)$

—
(68)

(68)

19 $

22 $

(4)$

2

Pension Benefits
2014
2015

Postretirement Benefits

2015

2014

$

108 $

103 $

68 $

4
4
(12)
24
(45)

4
4
—
6
(9)

5
3
5
(10)
—

83 $

108 $

71 $

87 $
1
13
(45)

56 $

(27)$

91 $
5
—
(9)

87 $

— $
—
—
—

— $

(21)$

(71)$

(68)

63

4
2
—
(1)
—

68

—
—
—
—

—

$

$

$

$

124

The following table sets forth the accumulated and projected benefit obligations and fair values

of assets of the defined benefit pension plans:

Accumulated Benefit
Obligation in Excess of
Plan Assets

Plan Assets in Excess
of Accumulated Benefit
Obligation

2015

As of December 31,
2015
2014

2014

Projected Benefit Obligation
Accumulated Benefit Obligation
Fair Value of Plan Assets

$
$
$

83 $
81 $
56 $

(in millions)
31 $
26 $
19 $

— $
— $
— $

77
62
68

We do not expect any plan assets to be returned during 2016.

COMPONENTS OF NET PERIODIC BENEFIT COST

The following table sets forth the components of net periodic benefit costs:

Pension
Benefits
2014

2013

2015

Postretirement
Benefits
2014

2013

2015

(in millions)

Net periodic benefit costs:

Service cost—benefits earned during

the period

$

4 $

4 $

5 $

5 $

4 $

Interest cost on projected benefit

obligation

Expected return on plan assets
Recognized actuarial loss
Settlement cost
Curtailment loss

4
(5)
3
18
—

4
(6)
2
2
—

3
(4)
4
2
—

3
—
—
—
5

2
—
1
—
—

Net periodic benefit cost

$

24 $

6 $

10 $

13 $

7 $

5

3
—
2
—
—

10

The estimated net loss and prior service credit for the defined benefit pension plans that will be

amortized from AOCI into net periodic benefit cost over the next fiscal year are $3 million and
$1 million, respectively. We do not expect to have any estimated net loss or prior service cost for the
defined benefit postretirement plans that will be amortized from AOCI into net periodic benefit cost
over the next fiscal year.

125

The following table sets forth the weighted-average assumptions used to determine our benefit

obligations and net periodic benefit cost:

Benefit Obligation Assumptions:

Discount rate
Rate of compensation increase

Net Periodic Benefit Cost Assumptions:

Discount rate
Assumed long term rate of return on assets
Rate of compensation increase

Pension Benefits

Postretirement Benefits

For the years ended
December 31,

2015

2014

2015

2014

3.99%
4.00%

3.82%
6.50%
4.00%

3.82%
4.00%

4.45%
6.50%
4.00%

4.81%
—

4.44%
—
—

4.44%
—

4.75%
—
—

For pension plans and postretirement benefit plans that we or our subsidiaries sponsor, we

based the discount rate on the Aon/Hewitt AA Above Median yield curve in both 2015 and 2014.
The weighted-average rate of increase in future compensation levels is consistent with our past and
anticipated future compensation increases for employees participating in retirement plans that
determine benefits using compensation. The assumed long-term rate of return on assets is
estimated with regard to current market factors but within the context of historical returns for the
asset mix that exists at year end.

Effective in 2015, we adopted the Society of Actuaries MP-2015 Mortality Improvement Scale,
which updated the Society of Actuaries Adjusted RP-2014 mortality assumptions that private defined
benefit pension plans in the United States use in the actuarial valuations that determine a plan
sponsor’s pension and postretirement obligations. In 2014, we utilized the Society of Actuaries
Adjusted RP-2014 Mortality Table reflecting the MP-2014 Mortality Improvement Scale. The changes
in the mortality assumptions resulted in a decrease of less than $1 million and $1 million in the
pension and postretirement benefit obligations, respectively, at December 31, 2015.

The postretirement benefit obligation was determined by application of the terms of medical and

dental benefits and life insurance coverage, including the effect of established maximums on
covered costs, together with relevant actuarial assumptions and healthcare cost trend rates projected
at an assumed U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) increase of 1.60% and 1.79% as of December 31,
2015 and 2014, respectively. Under the terms of our postretirement plans, participants other than
certain union employees pay for all medical cost increases in excess of increases in the CPI. For
those union employees, we projected that healthcare cost trend rates would decrease 0.25 percent
per year from 7.5% in 2015 until they reach 5.0% in 2025, and remain at 5.0% thereafter. A
1-percent increase or a 1-percent decrease in these assumed healthcare cost trend rates would
result in an increase of $5 million or a reduction of $4 million, respectively, in the postretirement
benefit obligation as of December 31, 2015. The annual service and interest costs would not be
materially affected by these changes.

The actuarial assumptions used could change in the near term as a result of changes in

expected future trends and other factors that, depending on the nature of the changes, could cause
increases or decreases in the plan assets and liabilities.

126

Fair Value of Pension Plan Assets

We employ a total return investment approach that uses a diversified blend of equity and fixed-

income investments to optimize the long-term return of plan assets at a prudent level of risk. The
investments were monitored by Occidental’s Investment Committee in its role as fiduciary through
November 30, 2014, and by our Investment Committee thereafter. Equity investments were
diversified across United States and non-United States stocks, as well as differing styles and market
capitalizations. Other asset classes, such as private equity and real estate, may have been used
with the goals of enhancing long-term returns and improving portfolio diversification. The target
allocation of plan assets was 65% equity securities and 35% debt securities. Investment
performance was measured and monitored on an ongoing basis through quarterly investment
portfolio and manager guideline compliance reviews, annual liability measurements and periodic
studies.

The fair values of our pension plan assets by asset category are as follows (in millions):

Asset Class:
Commingled funds:
Fixed income
U.S. equity
International equity

Mutual funds:
Bond funds
Blend funds
Value funds
Growth funds

Guaranteed deposit account

Total pension plan assets

Asset Class:
Commingled funds:
Fixed income
U.S. equity
International equity

Mutual funds:
Bond funds
Blend funds
Value funds
Growth funds

Guaranteed deposit account

Total pension plan assets

Fair Value Measurements at
December 31, 2015 Using

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Total

$

— $
—
—

4
2
1
2
—

15 $
16
10

—
—
—
—
—

— $
—
—

—
—
—
—
6

15
16
10

4
2
1
2
6

$

9 $

41 $

6 $

56

Fair Value Measurements at
December 31, 2014 Using

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Total

$

— $
—
—

5
2
2
3
—

20 $
31
17

—
—
—
—
—

— $
—
—

—
—
—
—
7

20
31
17

5
2
2
3
7

$

12 $

68 $

7 $

87

127

The activity during the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, for the assets using Level 3
fair value measurements was insignificant. We expect to contribute $8 million to our defined benefit
pension plans during 2016.

Estimated future benefit payments, which reflect expected future service, as appropriate, are as

follows:

For the years ended December 31,

2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021 - 2025

Pension
Benefits

Postretirement
Benefits

(in millions)
22 $
8 $
9 $
6 $
6 $
25 $

1
3
3
3
4
22

$
$
$
$
$
$

NOTE 15 RELATED-PARTY TRANSACTIONS

During 2014 and 2013, we entered into the following related-party transactions:

Sales(a)
Allocated costs for services provided by affiliates
Purchases

2014

2013

(in millions)
2,706 $
126 $
175 $

4,174
146
164

$
$
$

(a) Amounts include related-party sales from our Elk Hills power plant of $89 million and $120 million during 2014 and

2013, respectively. These sales are included in other revenue in the statements of operations.

Through July 2014, substantially all of our products were sold through Occidental’s marketing
subsidiaries at market prices and were settled at the time of sale to those entities. Beginning August
2014, we started marketing our own products directly to third parties. For the years ended
December 31, 2014 and 2013, sales to Occidental subsidiaries accounted for approximately 65%
and 97% of our net sales, respectively.

The statements of operations for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, include
expense allocations for certain corporate functions and centrally-located activities performed by
Occidental prior to the Spin-off. These functions include executive oversight, accounting, treasury,
tax, financial reporting, internal audit, legal, risk management, information technology, government
relations, public relations, investor relations, human resources, procurement, engineering, drilling,
exploration, finance, marketing, ethics and compliance, and certain other shared services. Charges
from Occidental for these services were generally reflected in general and administrative expenses
and also include employee-related costs such as salaries, bonuses and stock compensation costs.

Purchases from related parties reflected products purchased at market prices from Occidental’s

subsidiaries and used in our operations. These purchases are included in production costs. There
were no related-party receivable or payable balances at December 31, 2015 and 2014.

128

Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited)

2015

2014

Quarter

First

Second

Third

Second
(in millions, except per share amounts)

Fourth

First

Third

Fourth

Revenues

Gross profit

Net income /
(loss)(a)

Net income / (loss)

per share(b):
Basic

Diluted

$

$

$

$

$

577 $

634 $

626 $

566 $

1,121 $

1,140 $

1,092 $

335 $

392 $

380 $

345 $

857 $

870 $

821 $

820

568

(100)$

(68)$

(104)$ (3,282)$

223 $

246 $

188 $ (2,091)

(0.26)$

(0.18)$

(0.27)$

(8.54)$

0.57 $

0.63 $

0.48 $

(5.47)

(0.26)$

(0.18)$

(0.27)$

(8.54)$

0.57 $

0.63 $

0.48 $

(5.47)

(a) For the second quarter of 2015, amount included non-cash after-tax charges consisting of $10 million in hedge-
related losses and $6 million in early retirement and severance costs. For the third quarter of 2015, amount
included non-cash after-tax gains of $36 million for hedges, offset by $42 million in early retirement and severance
costs. For the fourth quarter of 2015, amount included unusual and infrequent after-tax charges consisting of
$2.9 billion of asset impairments for proved and unproved properties, $42 million in write-down of certain other
assets, $5 million in debt transaction costs and $3 million in rig termination and other costs, partially offset by
$14 million in non-cash hedge-related gains and other. The fourth quarter of 2015 also included a $294 million
deferred tax valuation allowance. For the fourth quarter of 2014, amount included unusual and infrequent after-tax
charges consisting of $2.0 billion of asset impairments, $31 million of rig termination and other price-related costs,
and $33 million of Spin-off and transition related costs.

(b) For comparative purposes, and to provide a more meaningful calculation for weighted-average shares, we assumed
the shares distributed to Occidental stockholders in conjunction with the Spin-off were outstanding at the beginning
of each period prior to the Spin-off.

129

SUPPLEMENTAL OIL AND GAS INFORMATION (UNAUDITED)

The following tables set forth our net interests in quantities of proved developed and

undeveloped reserves of oil (including condensate), natural gas liquids (NGLs) and natural gas and
changes in such quantities. Reserves are stated net of applicable royalties. Estimated reserves
include our economic interests under arrangements similar to production-sharing contracts (PSCs)
relating to the Wilmington field in Long Beach. All of our proved reserves are located within the state
of California.

OIL RESERVES

San

Los

Joaquin Angeles Ventura Sacramento

Basin(a)
Basin
(in millions of barrels (MMBbl))

Basin

PROVED DEVELOPED AND UNDEVELOPED RESERVES
Balance at December 31, 2012

Revisions of previous estimates
Improved recovery
Extensions and discoveries
Acquisitions
Sales of proved reserves
Production

Balance at December 31, 2013

Revisions of previous estimates
Improved recovery
Extensions and discoveries
Acquisitions
Sales of proved reserves
Production

Balance at December 31, 2014

Revisions of previous estimates
Improved recovery
Extensions and discoveries
Acquisitions
Sales of proved reserves
Production

Balance at December 31, 2015

PROVED DEVELOPED RESERVES
December 31, 2012

December 31, 2013

December 31, 2014

December 31, 2015(b)

PROVED UNDEVELOPED RESERVES

December 31, 2012

December 31, 2013

December 31, 2014

December 31, 2015

Basin

312
(8)
49
—
—
—
(21)

332
(41)
70
1
1
—
(23)

340
(35)
3
8
4
—
(23)

297

221

226

229

205

91

106

111

92

138
3
24
—
—
—
(10)

155
8
11
—
—
—
(11)

163
(33)
—
12
—
—
(12)

130

104

109

124

103

34

46

39

27

47
(3)
3
—
—
—
(2)

45
(4)
4
—
5
—
(2)

48
(12)
—
5
—
—
(2)

39

30

28

34

30

17

17

14

9

—
—
—
—
—
—
—

—
—
—
—
—
—
—

—
—
—
—
—
—
—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

Total

497
(8)
76
—
—
—
(33)

532
(37)
85
1
6
—
(36)

551
(80)
3
25
4
—
(37)

466

355

363

387

338

142

169

164

128

(a)

Includes proved reserves related to economic arrangements similar to PSCs of 103 MMBbl, 116 MMBbl, 102
MMBbl and 98 MMBbl at December 31, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

(b) Approximately 16% of the proved developed reserves at December 31, 2015 are nonproducing.

130

NGL RESERVES

PROVED DEVELOPED AND UNDEVELOPED
RESERVES
Balance at December 31, 2012

Revisions of previous estimates
Improved recovery
Extensions and discoveries
Acquisitions
Sales of proved reserves
Production

Balance at December 31, 2013

Revisions of previous estimates
Improved recovery
Extensions and discoveries
Acquisitions
Sales of proved reserves
Production

Balance at December 31, 2014

Revisions of previous estimates
Improved recovery
Extensions and discoveries
Acquisitions
Sales of proved reserves
Production

Balance at December 31, 2015

PROVED DEVELOPED RESERVES

December 31, 2012

December 31, 2013

December 31, 2014

December 31, 2015(a)

PROVED UNDEVELOPED RESERVES

December 31, 2012

December 31, 2013

December 31, 2014

December 31, 2015

San

Los

Joaquin Angeles Ventura Sacramento

Basin

Basin

Basin
(in MMBbl)

Basin

Total

58
13
4
—
—
—
(7)

68
8
13
—
—
—
(7)

82
(23)
—
2
1
—
(6)

56

42

47

62

45

16

21

20

11

—
—
—
—
—
—
—

—
—
—
—
—
—
—

—
—
—
—
—
—
—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

3
—
—
—
—
—
—

3
—
—
—
—
—
—

3
—
—
—
—
—
—

3

1

1

2

2

2

2

1

1

—
—
—
—
—
—
—

—
—
—
—
—
—
—

—
—
—
—
—
—
—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

61
13
4
—
—
—
(7)

71
8
13
—
—
—
(7)

85
(23)
—
2
1
—
(6)

59

43

48

64

47

18

23

21

12

(a) Approximately 9% of the proved developed reserves at December 31, 2015 are nonproducing.

131

NATURAL GAS RESERVES

PROVED DEVELOPED AND UNDEVELOPED
RESERVES
Balance at December 31, 2012

Revisions of previous estimates
Improved recovery
Extensions and discoveries
Acquisitions
Sales of proved reserves
Production

Balance at December 31, 2013

Revisions of previous estimates
Improved recovery
Extensions and discoveries
Acquisitions
Sales of proved reserves
Production

Balance at December 31, 2014

Revisions of previous estimates
Improved recovery
Extensions and discoveries
Acquisitions
Sales of proved reserves
Production

Balance at December 31, 2015

PROVED DEVELOPED RESERVES

December 31, 2012

December 31, 2013

December 31, 2014

December 31, 2015(a)

PROVED UNDEVELOPED RESERVES

December 31, 2012

December 31, 2013

December 31, 2014

December 31, 2015

San

Los

Joaquin Angeles Ventura Sacramento

Basin

Basin
Basin
(in billions of cubic feet (Bcf))

Basin

Total

694
(4)
47
—
—
—
(66)

671
(91)
107
—
—
—
(66)

621
(2)
—
27
8
—
(63)

591

475

455

458

456

219

216

163

135

18
(4)
3
—
—
—
(1)

16
—
—
—
—
—
—

16
(5)
—
1
—
—
(1)

11

13

9

11

9

5

7

5

2

36
(1)
2
—
—
—
(4)

33
4
2
—
2
—
(4)

37
(6)
—
—
—
—
(4)

27

26

22

28

24

10

11

9

3

186
(38)
—
—
—
—
(24)

124
7
5
—
—
—
(20)

116
(20)
—
6
—
—
(16)

86

154

117

110

86

32

7

6

—

934
(47)
52
—
—
—
(95)

844
(80)
114
—
2
—
(90)

790
(33)
—
34
8
—
(84)

715

668

603

607

575

266

241

183

140

(a) Approximately 14% of the proved developed reserves at December 31, 2015 are nonproducing.

132

TOTAL RESERVES

PROVED DEVELOPED AND UNDEVELOPED
RESERVES
Balance at December 31, 2012

Revisions of previous estimates
Improved recovery
Extensions and discoveries
Acquisitions
Sales of proved reserves
Production

Balance at December 31, 2013

Revisions of previous estimates
Improved recovery
Extensions and discoveries
Acquisitions
Sales of proved reserves
Production

Balance at December 31, 2014

Revisions of previous estimates
Improved recovery
Extensions and discoveries
Acquisitions
Sales of proved reserves
Production

Balance at December 31, 2015

PROVED DEVELOPED RESERVES

December 31, 2012

December 31, 2013

December 31, 2014

December 31, 2015(c)

PROVED UNDEVELOPED RESERVES

December 31, 2012

December 31, 2013

December 31, 2014

December 31, 2015

San

Los

Joaquin Angeles Ventura Sacramento

Basin

Basin

Basin

Basin

Total

(in MMBoe(a))

486
4
61
—
—
—
(40)

511
(48)
101
1
1
—
(41)

525
(58)
3
15
6
—
(40)

451

341

349

367

326

145

162

158

125

141
2
25
—
—
—
(10)

158
8
11
—
—
—
(11)

166
(34)
—
12
—
—
(12)

132

105

110

126

105

36

48

40

27

58
(3)
3
—
—
—
(3)

55
(3)
4
—
5
—
(3)

58
(13)
—
5
—
—
(3)

47

38

35

41

36

20

20

17

11

29
(6)
—
—
—
—
(3)

20
1
1
—
—
—
(3)

19
(3)
—
1
—
—
(3)

14

24

20

18

14

5

—

1

—

714
(3)
89
—
—
—
(56)

744
(42)
117
1
6
—
(58)

768
(108)
3
33
6
—
(58)

644

508

514

552

481

206

230

216

163

(a) Natural gas volumes have been converted to Boe based on the equivalence of energy content between six Mcf of

natural gas and one Bbl of oil. Barrels of oil equivalence does not necessarily result in price equivalence. The price
of natural gas on a barrel of oil equivalent basis is currently substantially lower than the corresponding price for oil
and has been similarly lower for a number of years. For example, in 2015, the average prices of Brent oil and
NYMEX natural gas were $53.64 per Bbl and $2.75 per Mcf, respectively, resulting in an oil-to-gas price ratio of
approximately 20 to 1.
Includes proved reserves related to economic arrangements similar to PSCs of 103 MMBbl, 116 MMBbl, 102
MMBbl and 98 MMBbl at December 31, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012 respectively.

(b)

(c) Approximately 15% of the proved developed reserves at December 31, 2015 are nonproducing.

133

CAPITALIZED COSTS

Capitalized costs relating to oil and gas producing activities and related accumulated

depreciation, depletion and amortization were as follows:

December 31, 2015
Proved properties
Unproved properties
Total capitalized costs(a)

San

Los

Joaquin Angeles Ventura Sacramento

Basin

Basin

Basin
(in millions)

Basin

Total

$ 15,549 $

544

2,071 $
106

1,352 $
172

16,093

2,177

1,524

374 $ 19,346
1,111
289

663

20,457

Accumulated depreciation, depletion and

amortization(b)

(11,166)

(1,491)

(1,208)

(603)

(14,468)

Net capitalized costs

$

4,927 $

686 $

316 $

60 $

5,989

December 31, 2014
Proved properties
Unproved properties
Total capitalized costs(a)

$ 15,362 $

469

1,982 $
106

1,353 $
113

15,831

2,088

1,466

326 $ 19,023
1,011
323

649

20,034

Accumulated depreciation, depletion and

amortization(b)

(6,846)

(826)

(495)

(497)

(8,664)

Net capitalized costs

$

8,985 $

1,262 $

971 $

152 $ 11,370

December 31, 2013
Proved properties
Unproved properties
Total capitalized costs(a)

$ 15,120 $

589

2,487 $
105

1,479 $
95

15,709

2,592

1,574

542 $ 19,628
899
110

652

20,527

Accumulated depreciation, depletion and

amortization(b)

(5,764)

(571)

(346)

(146)

(6,827)

Net capitalized costs

$

9,945 $

2,021 $

1,228 $

506 $ 13,700

(a)
(b)

Includes acquisition costs, development costs and asset retirement obligations.
Includes accumulated valuation allowance for total unproved properties of $819 million, $715 million and $27 million
at December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively.

134

COSTS INCURRED

Costs incurred relating to oil and gas activities that included capital investments, exploration

(whether expensed or capitalized), acquisitions and asset retirement obligations and excluded
corporate items were as follows:

San

Los

Joaquin Angeles Ventura Sacramento

Basin

Basin

Basin
(in millions)

Basin

Total

FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31,

2015
Property acquisition costs

Proved properties
Unproved properties

Exploration costs
Development costs(a)

Costs incurred

FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31,

2014
Property acquisition costs

Proved properties
Unproved properties

Exploration costs
Development costs

$

$

$

73 $
65
36
191

365 $

79 $
21
105
1,356

Costs incurred

$

1,561 $

FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31,

2013
Property acquisition costs

Proved properties
Unproved properties

Exploration costs
Development costs

Costs incurred

$

14 $
23
127
1,078

$

1,242 $

2 $
—
—
89

91 $

3 $
—
—
495

498 $

1 $
9
—
371

381 $

2 $
—
4
10

16 $

128 $
81
14
99

322 $

— $
1
1
110

112 $

(a) Total development costs includes a $62 million reduction in asset retirement obligations.

— $
—
3
—

3 $

77
65
43
290

475

— $
—
5
12

17 $

210
102
124
1,962

2,398

5 $
—
3
15

23 $

20
33
131
1,574

1,758

135

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Our oil and gas producing activities, which exclude items such as asset dispositions and

corporate overhead, were as follows:

FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2015

Revenues(a)
Production costs(b)
General and administrative expenses(c)
Other operating expenses(d)
Depreciation, depletion and amortization
Taxes other than on income
Asset impairments(e)
Exploration expenses

Pretax income / (loss)
Income tax benefit

Results of operations

FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2014

Revenues(a)
Production costs(b)
General and administrative expenses(c)
Other operating expenses(d)
Depreciation, depletion and amortization
Taxes other than on income
Asset impairments(e)
Exploration expenses(f)

Pretax income / (loss)
Income tax benefit

Results of operations

FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2013

Revenues(a)
Production costs(b)
General and administrative expenses
Other operating expenses
Depreciation, depletion and amortization
Taxes other than on income
Exploration expenses

Pretax income / (loss)
Income tax expense / (benefit)

San

Los

Joaquin Angeles Ventura Sacramento

Basin

Basin

Basin
(in millions)

Basin

Total

$

1,518 $
564
28
15
808
97
3,554
30

582 $
278
21
2
100
45
571
—

126 $
85
7
2
48
13
613
3

47 $
24
2
2
20
1
114
3

2,273
951
58
21
976
156
4,852
36

(3,578)
(1,458)

(435)
(177)

(645)
(263)

(119)
(48)

(4,777)
(1,946)

$ (2,120) $

(258) $

(382) $

(71) $ (2,831)

$

$

$

2,735 $
596
37
21
875
140
1,266
104

(304)
(124)

956 $
342
31
2
148
49
1,110
—

(726)
(296)

244 $
92
9
3
79
8
437
9

(393)
(161)

88 $
27
8
4
81
6
589
5

4,023
1,057
85
30
1,183
203
3,402
118

(632)
(258)

(2,055)
(839)

(180) $

(430) $

(232) $

(374) $ (1,216)

2,823 $
565
37
21
851
109
94

1,146
456

968 $
315
28
8
108
43
1

465
185

259 $
78
7
3
73
9
13

76
30

89 $
28
10
2
97
10
8

(66)
(26)

4,139
986
82
34
1,129
171
116

1,621
645

Results of operations

$

690 $

280 $

46 $

(40) $

976

(a) Revenues are net of royalty payments.
(b) Production costs are the costs incurred in lifting the oil and natural gas to the surface and include gathering,

processing, field storage and insurance on proved properties, but do not include DD&A, royalties, income taxes and
general and administrative expenses.

(c) For 2015, the amounts exclude unusual and infrequent costs related to early retirement and severance costs

associated with personnel totaling $18 million. For 2014, the amounts exclude unusual and infrequent costs related
to Spin-off and transition related costs totaling $6 million.

(d) For 2015, the amounts exclude unusual and infrequent costs related to write down of certain assets and rig

termination charges totaling $82 million. For 2014, the amounts exclude unusual and infrequent costs related to rig
termination charges and Spin-off and transition related costs totaling $55 million.

(e) At year end 2015 and 2014, we recorded pre-tax asset impairment charges of $4.9 billion and $3.4 billion,

respectively, on certain proved and unproved properties in the San Joaquin, Los Angeles, Ventura and Sacramento
basins.

(f) Excludes $21 million of unusual and infrequent costs related to dry holes and seismic charges.

136

RESULTS PER UNIT OF PRODUCTION

FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2015
Revenue from each barrel of oil equivalent

($/Boe)(a)(b)
Production costs
General and administrative expenses(c)
Other operating expenses(d)
Depreciation, depletion and amortization
Taxes other than on income
Asset impairments(e)
Exploration expenses

Pretax income / (loss)
Income tax benefit

Results of operations

FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2014
Revenue from each barrel of oil equivalent

($/Boe)(a)(b)
Production costs
General and administrative expenses(c)
Other operating expenses(d)
Depreciation, depletion and amortization
Taxes other than on income
Asset impairments(e)
Exploration expenses

Pretax income / (loss)
Income tax benefit

Results of operations

FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2013
Revenue from each barrel of oil equivalent

($/Boe)(a)(b)
Production costs
General and administrative expenses
Other operating expenses
Depreciation, depletion and amortization
Taxes other than on income
Exploration expenses

Pretax income / (loss)
Income tax expense / (benefit)

San

Los

Joaquin Angeles Ventura Sacramento

Basin

Basin

Basin
(in millions)

Basin

Total

$

37.88 $
14.08
0.70
0.37
20.16
2.42
88.69
0.75

47.76 $
22.81
1.72
0.16
8.21
3.69
46.85
—

36.98 $
24.95
2.05
0.59
14.09
3.82
179.92
0.88

17.44 $
8.91
0.74
0.74
7.42
0.37
42.30
1.11

38.95
16.30
1.00
0.36
16.72
2.67
83.14
0.62

(89.29)
(36.39)

(35.68)
(14.52)

(189.32)
(77.19)

(44.15)
(17.81)

(81.86)
(33.35)

$ (52.90) $ (21.16) $ (112.13) $

(26.34) $ (48.51)

$

67.32 $
14.66
0.91
0.52
21.52
3.44
31.14
2.56

88.96 $
31.82
2.88
0.19
13.77
4.56
103.29
—

75.73 $
28.68
2.79
0.93
24.52
2.48
135.63
2.79

26.11 $
7.92
2.37
1.19
24.04
1.78
174.78
1.48

69.40
18.23
1.47
0.55
20.40
3.50
58.66
2.03

(7.43)
(3.05)

(67.55)
(27.55)

(122.09)
(49.97)

(187.45)
(76.85)

(35.44)
(14.47)

$

(4.38) $ (40.00) $ (72.12) $

(110.60) $ (20.97)

$

71.86 $ 101.17 $
14.38
0.94
0.53
21.66
2.77
2.39

32.93
2.93
0.83
11.29
4.49
0.10

29.19
11.61

48.60
19.34

79.28 $
23.75
2.14
0.92
22.34
2.75
3.98

23.40
9.18

22.09 $
7.02
2.48
0.50
24.08
2.48
1.99

(16.46)
(6.45)

73.72
17.56
1.46
0.60
20.11
3.05
2.07

28.87
11.49

Results of operations

$

17.58 $

29.26 $

14.22 $

(10.01) $

17.38

(a) Natural gas volumes have been converted to Boe based on the equivalence of energy content between six Mcf of

natural gas and one barrel of oil. Barrels of oil equivalence does not necessarily result in price equivalence. The
price of natural gas on a barrel of oil equivalent basis is currently substantially lower than the corresponding price
for oil and has been similarly lower for a number of years. For example, in 2015, the average prices of Brent oil and
NYMEX natural gas were $53.64 per Bbl and $2.75 per Mcf, respectively, resulting in an oil-to-gas price ratio of
approximately 20 to 1.

(b) Revenues are net of royalty payments.
(c) For 2015, the amounts exclude unusual and infrequent costs related to early retirement and severance costs

associated with field personnel totaling $0.31 per Boe. For 2014, the amounts exclude unusual and infrequent costs
related to Spin-off and transition related costs totaling $0.10 per Boe.

(d) For 2015, the amounts exclude unusual and infrequent costs related to the write-down of certain assets and rig

termination charges of totaling $1.42 per Boe. For 2014, the amounts exclude unusual and infrequent costs related
to rig termination charges and Spin-off and transition related costs totaling $0.97 per Boe.

(e) At year end 2015 and 2014, we recorded pre-tax asset impairment charges of $4.9 billion and $3.4 billion, respectively,

on certain proved and unproved properties in the San Joaquin, Los Angeles, Ventura and Sacramento basins.

137

STANDARDIZED MEASURE, INCLUDING YEAR-TO-YEAR CHANGES THEREIN, OF
DISCONTED FUTURE NET CASH FLOWS

For purposes of the following disclosures, future cash flows were computed by applying to our
proved oil and gas reserves the unweighted arithmetic average of the first-day-of-the-month price for
each month within the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively. The realized
prices used to calculate future cash flows vary by producing area and market conditions. Future
operating and capital costs were forecast using the current cost environment applied to expectations
of future operating and development activities. Future income tax expenses were computed by
applying, generally, year-end statutory tax rates (adjusted for permanent differences, tax credits and
allowances) to the estimated net future pre-tax cash flows, after allowing for the tax basis of the
assets. The discount was computed by application of a 10-percent discount factor. The calculations
assumed the continuation of existing economic, operating and contractual conditions at
December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013. Such assumptions, which are prescribed by regulation, have
not always proven accurate in the past. Other valid assumptions would give rise to substantially
different results.

Standardized Measure of Discounted Future Net Cash Flows

AT DECEMBER 31, 2015
Future cash inflows
Future costs

Production costs(a)
Development costs(b)
Future income tax expense

Future net cash flows
Ten percent discount factor

Standardized measure of discounted future net cash flows

AT DECEMBER 31, 2014
Future cash inflows
Future costs

Production costs(a)
Development costs(b)
Future income tax expense

Future net cash flows
Ten percent discount factor

Standardized measure of discounted future net cash flows

AT DECEMBER 31, 2013
Future cash inflows
Future costs

Production costs(a)
Development costs(b)
Future income tax expense

Future net cash flows
Ten percent discount factor

Total
(in millions)

$

26,477

$

$

$

$

(13,458)
(3,502)
(1,858)

7,659
(3,635)

4,024

59,709

(22,906)
(4,858)
(10,322)

21,623
(10,795)

10,828

60,884

(29,523)
(6,327)
(8,213)

16,821
(7,598)

Standardized measure of discounted future net cash flows

$

9,223

(a)
(b)

Includes general and administrative expenses and taxes other than on income.
Includes asset retirement costs.

138

Changes in the Standardized Measure of Discounted Future Net Cash Flows From Proved
Reserves Quantities

For the years ended
December 31,
2014
(in millions)

2015

2013

Beginning of year

$

10,828 $

9,223 $

9,073

Sales and transfers of oil and natural gas produced, net of

production costs and other operating expenses

(1,038)

(2,658)

(3,082)

Net change in prices received per Bbl, production costs and

other operating expenses

(12,362)

567

575

Extensions, discoveries and improved recovery, net of future

production and development costs

Change in estimated future development costs
Revisions of quantity estimates
Previously estimated development costs incurred during the

period

Accretion of discount
Net change in income taxes
Purchases and sales of reserves in place, net
Changes in production rates and other

Net change

End of year

292
792
(872)

394
1,474
4,228
45
243

(6,804)

2,593
75
(925)

1,440
1,324
(468)
125
(468)

1,605

1,914
(688)
(62)

1,185
1,292
(95)
4
(893)

150

$

4,024 $

10,828 $

9,223

139

OIL, NGL and NATURAL GAS PRODUCTION PER DAY

The following table set forth the production volumes of oil, NGLs and natural gas per day for

each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2015:

Oil (MBbl/d)

San Joaquin Basin(b)
Los Angeles Basin(c)
Ventura Basin
Sacramento Basin

Total

NGLs (MBbl/d)

San Joaquin Basin(b)
Los Angeles Basin
Ventura Basin
Sacramento Basin

Total

Natural gas (MMcf/d)
San Joaquin Basin(b)
Los Angeles Basin(c)
Ventura Basin
Sacramento Basin

Total

Total Production (MBoe/d)(a)

2015

2014

2013

64
34
6
—

104

17
—
1
—

18

172
2
11
44

229

160

64
29
6
—

99

18
—
1
—

19

180
1
11
54

246

159

58
26
6
—

90

19
—
1
—

20

182
2
11
65

260

154

(a) Natural gas volumes have been converted to Boe based on the equivalence of energy content between six Mcf of

natural gas and one barrel of oil. Barrels of oil equivalence does not necessarily result in price equivalence. The
price of natural gas on a barrel of oil equivalent basis is currently substantially lower than the corresponding price
for oil and has been similarly lower for a number of years. For example, in 2015, the average prices of Brent oil and
NYMEX natural gas were $53.64 per Bbl and $2.75 per Mcf, respectively, resulting in an oil-to-gas price ratio of
approximately 20 to 1.
Includes daily production from Elk Hills field of 24 MBbl oil, 15 MBbl NGLs and 123 MMcf natural gas in 2015; 25
MBbl oil, 16 MBbl NGLs and 136 MMcf natural gas in 2014; and 26 MBbl oil, 18 MBbl NGLs and 145 MMcf natural
gas in 2013.
Includes daily production from Wilmington field of 28 MBbl Oil and 1 MMcf natural gas in 2015; 25 MBbl Oil in
2014; and 22 MBbl Oil in 2013.

(b)

(c)

140

Schedule II—Valuation and Qualifying Accounts
(in millions)

Balance at

Charged to
Beginning of Costs and
Expenses

Period

Charged
to Other
Accounts

Deductions(a)

Balance at End
of Period

2015

Deferred tax valuation

allowance(b)

Other asset valuation

allowance

$

$

Environmental reserves $

2014

Other asset valuation

allowance

$

Environmental reserves $

2013

— $

294 $

88 $

10 $

8 $

— $

8 $

58 $

— $

10 $

1 $

— $

— $

— $

— $

— $

— $

(1)$

— $

(1)$

Environmental reserves $

11 $

1 $

— $

(4)$

382

68

7

10

8

8

(a) Consists of payments.
(b) Our 2015 deferred tax liabilities were net of $88 million, which represented the federal benefit for the state-related

portion of the deferred tax valuation allowance.

141

ITEM 9 CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND

FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE

None.

ITEM 9A CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

Management’s Annual Assessment of and Report on Internal Control Over Financial
Reporting

The management of California Resources Corporation and its subsidiaries (CRC) is responsible
for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. CRC’s system of
internal control over financial reporting is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the
reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of consolidated financial statements for external
purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. CRC’s internal control over
financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that: (i) pertain to the maintenance of
records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of
CRC’s assets; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to
permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles, and that CRC’s receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with
authorizations of CRC’s management and directors; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding
prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of CRC’s assets that
could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or

detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are
subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that
the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

Management has assessed the effectiveness of CRC’s internal control system as of
December 31, 2015, based on the criteria for effective internal control over financial reporting
described in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued in 2013 by the Committee of Sponsoring
Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). Based on this assessment, management
believes that, as of December 31, 2015, CRC’s system of internal control over financial reporting is
effective.

CRC’s independent auditors, KPMG LLP, have issued an audit report on CRC’s internal control

over financial reporting, which is set forth in Item 8.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Our management, with the participation of our chief executive officer (CEO) and chief financial
officer (CFO), has evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined
in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
(Exchange Act)), as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Based on
that evaluation, our CEO and CFO have concluded that, as of December 31, 2015, our disclosure
controls and procedures are effective and are designed to provide reasonable assurance that
information we are required to disclose in reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is
recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and
forms of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and that such information is accumulated

142

and communicated to our management, including our CEO and CFO, as appropriate, to allow timely
decisions regarding required disclosure.

Changes in Internal Control

There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in

Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) of the Exchange Act) identified in management’s evaluation pursuant
to Rules 13a-15(d) or 15d-15(d) of the Exchange Act during our fourth fiscal quarter that materially
affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

Limitations on Effectiveness of Controls and Procedures

In designing and evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures, management recognizes

that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only
reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives.

ITEM 9B OTHER INFORMATION

On February 26, 2016, we were notified by New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) that we do not

presently satisfy the NYSE’s continued listing criteria under Section 802.01C of the NYSE Listed
Company Manual because the average closing price of our common stock was less than $1.00 over
a consecutive 30 trading-day period as of February 24, 2016.

We plan to notify the NYSE of our intent to cure the deficiency and return to compliance with the

NYSE continued listing requirements. We can regain compliance if, during the six-month period
following receipt of the NYSE notice, on the last trading-day of any calendar month, our common
stock has a closing share price of at least $1.00 and an average closing share price of at least
$1.00 over the 30 trading-day period ending on the last trading day of that month. We plan to seek
stockholder approval for a reverse stock split at our May 2016 annual meeting in order to regain
compliance.

Under NYSE rules, our common stock will continue to be traded on the NYSE during this period,

subject to our compliance with other applicable continued listing requirements.

The NYSE notification does not affect our business operations, SEC reporting requirements or

debt obligations.

PART III

ITEM 10 DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to our Proxy Statement for the

2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(SEC) within 120 days of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015 where it appears under the
caption ‘‘Corporate Governance—General Overview,’’ ‘‘—Our Board of Directors,’’ ‘‘—Committees of
the Board—Audit Committee,’’ ‘‘Stock Ownership Information—Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership
Reporting Compliance’’ and ‘‘Stockholder Proposals and Other Company Information—Stockholder
Proposals and Director Nominations.’’ The list of our executive officers and related information under
‘‘Executive Officers’’ set forth in Part I of this Annual Report on Form 10-K is incorporated by
reference herein.

143

Our board of directors has adopted a code of business conduct applicable to all officers,

directors and employees, which is available on our website (www.crc.com). We intend to satisfy the
disclosure requirement under Item 5.05 of Form 8-K regarding amendment to, or waiver from, a
provision of our code of business conduct by posting such information on our website at the address
specified above.

ITEM 11 EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to our Proxy Statement for the

2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the SEC within 120 days of the fiscal year
ended December 31, 2015 where it appears under the caption ‘‘Compensation Discussion and
Analysis’’ and ‘‘Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation.’’ Pursuant to the rules
and regulations under the Exchange Act, the information under the caption ‘‘Compensation
Discussion and Analysis—Compensation Committee Report’’ shall not be deemed to be ‘‘soliciting
material,’’ or to be ‘‘filed’’ with the SEC, or subject to Regulation 14A or 14C under the Exchange
Act or to the liabilities under Section 18 of the Exchange Act, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by
reference into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933.

ITEM 12 SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT

AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS

The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to our Proxy Statement for the

2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the SEC within 120 days of the fiscal year
ended December 31, 2015 where it appears under the caption ‘‘Stock Ownership Information—
Security Ownership of Directors, Management and Certain Beneficial Holders.’’ See also the
information under ‘‘Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans’’ in Part II,
Item 5 of this report.

ITEM 13 CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS AND DIRECTOR

INDEPENDENCE

The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to our Proxy Statement for the

2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the SEC within 120 days of the fiscal year
ended December 31, 2015 where it appears under the caption ‘‘Certain Relationships and Related
Transactions’’ (except under the subheading ‘‘—Policies and Procedures’’) and ‘‘Corporate
Governance—Director Independence Determinations.’’

ITEM 14 PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES

The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to our Proxy Statement for the

2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the SEC within 120 days of the fiscal year
ended December 31, 2015 where it appears under the caption ‘‘Proposals Requiring Your Vote—
Proposal 2: Ratification of the Appointment of the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.’’

144

PART IV

ITEM 15 EXHIBITS

The agreements included as exhibits to this report are included to provide information about their

terms and not to provide any other factual or disclosure information about us or the other parties to
the agreements. The agreements contain representations and warranties by each of the parties to
the applicable agreement that were made solely for the benefit of the other agreement parties and:

•

•

should not be treated as categorical statements of fact, but rather as a way of allocating the
risk among the parties if those statements prove to be inaccurate;

have been qualified by disclosures that were made to the other party in connection with the
negotiation of the applicable agreement, which disclosures are not necessarily reflected in
the agreement;

• may apply standards of materiality in a way that is different from the way investors may view

materiality; and

•

were made only as of the date of the applicable agreement or such other date or dates as
may be specified in the agreement and are subject to more recent developments.

(a) (1) and (2). Financial Statements

Reference is made to Item 8 of the Table of Contents of this report where these documents are

listed.

(a) (3). Exhibits

Exhibit
Number

Exhibit Description

2.1

3.1

3.2

4.1

4.2

Separation and Distribution Agreement between Occidental Petroleum Corporation and
California Resources Corporation (filed as Exhibit 2.1 to Registrant’s Current Report on
Form 8-K filed December 1, 2014 and incorporated herein by reference).

Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of California Resources Corporation
(filed as Exhibit 4.1 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-8 filed
November 26, 2014 and incorporated herein by reference).

Amended and Restated Bylaws of California Resources Corporation (filed as
Exhibit 3.2 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed November 10, 2015
and incorporated herein by reference).

Stockholder’s and Registration Rights Agreement (filed as Exhibit 10.1 to Registrant’s
Current Report on Form 8-K filed December 1, 2014 and incorporated herein by
reference).

Indenture, dated October 1, 2014, by and among California Resources Corporation, the
Guarantors and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association (filed as Exhibit 4.2 to
Amendment No. 4 to the Registrant’s Information Statement on Form 10 filed
October 8, 2014 and incorporated herein by reference).

145

Exhibit
Number

4.3

4.4

4.5

4.6

4.7

4.8

4.9

4.10

10.1

10.2

10.3

Exhibit Description

Indenture, dated December 15, 2015, by and among California Resources Corporation,
the Guarantors and the Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A. (filed as
Exhibit 4.1 to Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed December 18, 2015 and
incorporated therein by reference).

Guarantor Supplemental Indenture dated as of March 5, 2015, among California
Resources Corporation, CRC Construction Services, LLC, certain other guarantors and
Wells Fargo Bank, National Association (filed as Exhibit 4.2 to Registrant’s Registration
Statement on Form S-4 filed March 12, 2015 and incorporated herein by reference).

Assumption Agreement dated as of March 6, 2015, among CRC Construction
Services, LLC and JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent for lenders
(filed as Exhibit 10.31 to Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-4 filed
March 12, 2015 and incorporated herein by reference).

Registration Rights Agreement, dated October 1, 2014, by and among California
Resources Corporation, the Guarantors and the Initial Purchasers (filed as Exhibit 4.3
to Amendment No. 4 to the Registrant’s Information Statement on Form 10 filed
October 8, 2014 and incorporated herein by reference).

Form of 5% Senior Note due 2020 (included in Exhibit 4.2).

Form of 51⁄2% Senior Note due 2021 (included in Exhibit 4.2).

Form of 6% Senior Note due 2024 (included in Exhibit 4.2).

Form of 8% Senior Secured Second Lien Note due 2022 (included in Exhibit 4.1).

Credit Agreement, dated as of September 24, 2014, among California Resources
Corporation, the Lenders and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. as Administrative Agent, a
Swingline Lender and a Letter of Credit Issuer and Bank of America, N.A. as
Syndication Agent, a Swingline Lender and a Letter of Credit Issuer (filed as
Exhibit 10.25 to Amendment No. 5 to the Company’s Registration Statement on
Form 10 filed October 14, 2014, and incorporated herein by reference).

First Amendment to Credit Agreement, dated as of February 25, 2015, among
California Resources Corporation, the Lenders and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. as
Administrative Agent, a Swingline Lender and a Letter of Credit Issuer and Bank of
America, N.A. as Syndication Agent, a Swingline Lender and a Letter of Credit Issuer
(filed as Exhibit 10.35 to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed
February 27, 2015, and incorporated herein by reference).

Second Amendment to Credit Agreement, dated November 2, 2015, among California
Resources Corporation, the Lenders and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. as
Administrative Agent, a Swingline Lender and a Letter of Credit Issuer and Bank of
America, N.A. as Syndication Agent, a Swingline Lender and a Letter of Credit Issuer
(filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed
November 6, 2015, and incorporated herein by reference).

146

Exhibit
Number

10.4

10.5

10.6

10.7

10.8

10.9

10.10

10.11

10.12

10.13

Exhibit Description

Third Amendment to Credit Agreement, dated February 23, 2016, among California
Resources Corporation and JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent, a
Swingline Lender and a Letter of Credit Issuer and Bank of America, N.A. as
Syndication Agent, a Swingline Lender and a Letter of Credit Issuer (filed as
Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed February 23, 2016,
and incorporated herein by reference).

Transition Services Agreement between Occidental Petroleum Corporation and
California Resources Corporation (filed as Exhibit 10.4 to Registrant’s Current Report
on Form 8-K filed December 1, 2014 and incorporated herein by reference).

Tax Sharing Agreement between Occidental Petroleum Corporation and California
Resources Corporation (filed as Exhibit 10.2 to Registrant’s Current Report on
Form 8-K filed December 1, 2014 and incorporated herein by reference).

Employee Matters Agreement between Occidental Petroleum Corporation and
California Resources Corporation (filed as Exhibit 10.3 to Registrant’s Current Report
on Form 8-K filed December 1, 2014 and incorporated herein by reference).

Intellectual Property License Agreement between Occidental Petroleum Corporation
and California Resources Corporation (filed as Exhibit 10.7 to Registrant’s Current
Report on Form 8-K filed December 1, 2014 and incorporated herein by reference).

Area of Mutual Interest Agreement between Occidental Petroleum Corporation and
California Resources Corporation (filed as Exhibit 10.5 to Registrant’s Current Report
on Form 8-K filed December 1, 2014 and incorporated herein by reference).

Agreement for Implementation of an Optimized Waterflood Program for the Long Beach
Unit, dated November 5, 1991, by and among the State of California, by and through
the State Lands Commission, the City of Long Beach, Atlantic Richfield Company and
ARCO Long Beach, Inc. (filed as Exhibit 10.10 to Amendment No. 2 to the Company’s
Registration Statement on Form 10 filed August 20, 2014, and incorporated herein by
reference).

Amendment to the Agreement for Implementation of an Optimized Waterflood Program
for the Long Beach Unit, dated January 16, 2009, by and among the State of
California, by and through the State Lands Commission, the City of Long Beach, and
Oxy Long Beach, Inc. (filed as Exhibit 10.11 to Amendment No. 2 to the Company’s
Registration Statement on Form 10 filed August 20, 2014, and incorporated herein by
reference).

Contractors’ Agreement, by and between the City of Long Beach, Humble Oil &
Refining Company, Shell Oil Company, Socony Mobil Oil Company, Inc., Texaco, Inc.,
Union Oil Company of California, Pauley Petroleum, Inc., Allied Chemical Corporation,
Richfield Oil Corporation and Standard Oil Company of California (filed as Exhibit 10.12
to Amendment No. 2 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10 filed
August 20, 2014, and incorporated herein by reference).

Confidentiality and Trade Secret Protection Agreement by and between Occidental
Petroleum Corporation and California Resources Corporation, dated November 24,
2014 (filed as Exhibit 10.6 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on
December 1, 2014, and incorporated herein by reference).

147

Exhibit
Number

Exhibit Description

10.14

10.15

10.16

10.17

10.18*

10.19

10.20

10.21

10.22*

10.23

10.24

10.25

10.26

The following are management contracts and compensatory plans required to be
identified specifically as responsive to Item 601(b)(10)(iii)(A) of Regulation S-K pursuant
to Item 15(b) of Form 10-K.

California Resources Corporation Long-Term Incentive Plan Performance Stock Unit
Award Terms and Conditions (filed as Exhibit 10.2 to the Registrant’s Current Report
on Form 10-Q filed November 6, 2015, and incorporated herein by reference).

California Resources Corporation Long-Term Incentive Plan Restricted Stock Unit
Award Terms and Conditions (filed as Exhibit 10.3 to the Registrant’s Current Report
Form 10-Q filed November 6, 2015, and incorporated herein by reference).

California Resources Corporation Long-Term Incentive Plan Nonstatutory Stock Option
Award Terms and Conditions (filed as Exhibit 10.4 to the Registrant’s Current Report
Form 10-Q filed November 6, 2015, and incorporated herein by reference).

California Resources Corporation Supplemental Savings Plan (filed as Exhibit 10.1 to
the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on December 2, 2014, and
incorporated herein by reference).

First Amendment to California Resources Corporation Supplemental Savings Plan.

California Resources Corporation Supplemental Retirement Plan II (filed as Exhibit 10.3
to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on December 2, 2014, and
incorporated herein by reference).

California Resources Corporation Deferred Compensation Plan (filed as Exhibit 10.2 to
the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on December 2, 2014, and
incorporated herein by reference).

California Resources Corporation Long-Term Incentive Plan (filed as Exhibit 4.3 to the
Registrant’s related Registration Statement on Form S-8 filed November 26, 2014 and
incorporated herein by reference).

Acknowledgment of Amendment to Long-Term Incentive Award Terms and Conditions
with William E. Albrecht

Form of Nonstatutory Stock Option Award Terms and Conditions (filed as Exhibit 10.6
to Amendment No. 3 to the Registrant’s Information Statement on Form 10 filed
September 22, 2014 and incorporated herein by reference).

Form of Restricted Stock Incentive Award Terms and Conditions (Not Performance-
Based) (filed as Exhibit 10.8 to Amendment No. 3 to the Registrant’s Information
Statement on Form 10 filed September 22, 2014 and incorporated herein by reference).

Form of Restricted Stock Incentive Award Terms and Conditions (Performance-Based)
(filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed February 10,
2015, and incorporated herein by reference).

Form of Restricted Stock Unit Award for Non-Employee Directors Grant Agreement
(filed as Exhibit 10.9 to Amendment No. 3 to the Registrant’s Information Statement on
Form 10 filed September 22, 2014 and incorporated herein by reference).

148

Exhibit
Number

10.27

10.28

10.29

10.30

10.31

10.32

10.33

10.34

10.35

10.36

10.37

12*

21*

23.1*

23.2*

Exhibit Description

Form of Long-Term Incentive Award Terms and Conditions (Cash-based, Equity, and
Cash-settled Award) (filed as Exhibit 10.10 to Amendment No. 3 to the Registrant’s
Information Statement on Form 10 filed September 22, 2014 and incorporated herein
by reference).

Form of Restricted Stock Incentive Award Terms and Conditions (Replacement Award-
Performance-Based) (filed as Exhibit 10.11 to Amendment No. 3 to the Registrant’s
Information Statement on Form 10 filed September 22, 2014 and incorporated herein
by reference).

Form of Restricted Stock Incentive Award Terms and Conditions (Replacement
Award-Not Performance-Based) (filed as Exhibit 10.12 to Amendment No. 3 to the
Registrant’s Information Statement on Form 10 filed September 22, 2014 and
incorporated herein by reference).

Form of Phantom Share Unit Award Terms and Conditions (Replacement Award) (filed
as Exhibit 10.13 to Amendment No. 3 to the Registrant’s Information Statement on
Form 10 filed September 22, 2014 and incorporated herein by reference).

Form of Indemnification Agreements (filed as Exhibit 10.14 to Amendment No. 3
Registrant’s Information Statement on Form 10 filed September 22, 2014 and
incorporated herein by reference).

California Resources Corporation 2014 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (filed as
Exhibit 4.3 to the Registrant’s related Registration Statement on Form S-8 filed
November 26, 2014 and incorporated herein by reference).

Form of Retention Letter Assignment and Assumption Agreement (filed as Exhibit 10.20
to Amendment No. 3 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10 filed
September 22, 2014, and incorporated herein by reference).

Bonus Acknowledgement Agreement between Occidental Petroleum Corporation and
William E. Albrecht (filed as Exhibit 10.21 to Amendment No. 3 to the Company’s
Registration Statement on Form 10 filed September 22, 2014, and incorporated herein
by reference).

Retention and Separation Arrangement with Todd A. Stevens (filed as Exhibit 10.22 to
Amendment No. 3 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10 filed
September 22, 2014, and incorporated herein by reference).

Retention and Separation Arrangement with William E. Albrecht (filed as Exhibit 10.23
to Amendment No. 3 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10 filed
September 22, 2014, and incorporated herein by reference).

Retention and Separation Arrangement with Robert A. Barnes (filed as Exhibit 10.24 to
Amendment No. 3 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10 filed
September 22, 2014, and incorporated herein by reference).

Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges.

List of Subsidiaries of California Resources Corporation.

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.

Consent of Independent Petroleum Engineers.

149

Exhibit
Number

31.1*

31.2*

32.1*

99.1*

Exhibit Description

Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of 2002.

Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of 2002.

Certifications of Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer pursuant to
Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

Ryder Scott Company Estimated Future Reserves Attributable to Certain Leasehold
and Royalty Interests as of December 31, 2015.

101.INS*

XBRL Instance Document.

101.SCH*

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document.

101.CAL*

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document.

101.LAB*

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Labels Linkbase Document.

101.PRE*

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document.

101.DEF*

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document.

*—Filed herewith.

150

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the

registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized.

February 29, 2016

By:

/s/ Todd A. Stevens

CALIFORNIA RESOURCES CORPORATION

Todd A. Stevens
President
and Chief Executive Officer

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been
signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the
dates indicated.

/s/ Todd A. Stevens

Todd A. Stevens

/s/ Marshall D. Smith

Marshall D. Smith

/s/ Roy Pineci

Roy Pineci

/s/ William E. Albrecht

William E. Albrecht

/s/ Justin A. Gannon

Justin A. Gannon

/s/ Ronald L. Havner

Ronald L. Havner

/s/ Catherine Kehr

Catherine Kehr

/s/ Harold M. Korell

Harold M. Korell

/s/ Richard W. Moncrief

Richard W. Moncrief

/s/ Avedick B. Poladian

Avedick B. Poladian

/s/ Robert V. Sinnott

Robert V. Sinnott

/s/ Timothy J. Sloan

Timothy J. Sloan

Title

Date

President,
Chief Executive Officer and Director

February 29, 2016

Senior Executive Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer

February 29, 2016

Executive Vice President—Finance and
Principal Accounting Officer

February 29, 2016

Executive Chairman of the Board

February 29, 2016

Director

February 29, 2016

Director

February 29, 2016

Director

February 29, 2016

Director

February 29, 2016

Director

February 29, 2016

Director

February 29, 2016

Director

February 29, 2016

Director

February 29, 2016

151

EXHIBIT INDEX

EXHIBITS

10.18

10.22

12

21

23.1

23.2

31.1

31.2

32.1

99.1

First Amendment to California Resources Corporation Supplemental Savings Plan.

Acknowledgment of Amendment to Long-Term Incentive Award Terms and Conditions
with William E. Albrecht.

Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges.

List of Subsidiaries of California Resources Corporation.

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.

Consent of Independent Petroleum Engineers.

Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of 2002.

Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act
of 2002.

Certifications of Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer pursuant to
Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

Ryder Scott Company Estimated Future Reserves Attributable to Certain Leasehold and
Royalty Interests as of December 31, 2015.

101.INS

XBRL Instance Document.

101.SCH XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document.

101.CAL

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document.

101.LAB

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Labels Linkbase Document.

101.PRE XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document.

101.DEF XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document.

152

annual Meeting
California Resources Corporation’s annual meeting 

of stockholders will be held at 11:00 a.m. on May 4, 

2016, at the Bakersfield Marriott at the Convention 

Center, 801 truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield, CA 93301.

investor relations Contact
Company financial information, public disclosures 

and other information are available through our 

website at www.crc.com. We will promptly deliver 

free of charge, upon request, an annual report 

Officers

Todd A. Stevens 

president,  

Chief executive Officer  

and Director

Marshall D. Smith 

Board of Directors

William E. Albrecht

executive Chairman  

of the Board, California 

Resources Corporation 

Senior executive Vice president  

Justin A. Gannon

and Chief Financial Officer

Former Regional Managing 

Robert A. Barnes 

executive Vice president,  

northern Operations

partner, Grant thornton LLp

Ronald L. Havner, Jr.

Chairman of the Board, 

Shawn M. Kerns 

president and Chief executive 

executive Vice president,  

Officer, public Storage

on Form 10-K to any stockholder requesting a 

Corporate Development

copy. Requests should be directed to our Investor 

Relations team at our corporate headquarters 

address or sent to ir@crc.com.

Dividend information
We have suspended our dividend until further notice. 

payment of future dividends, if any, will be at the 

discretion of our board of directors.

auditors
KpMG LLp, Los Angeles, California

transfer agent & registrar 
American Stock transfer and trust Company, LLC 

Shareholder Services 

6201 15th Avenue, Brooklyn, nY 11219 

(866) 659-2647 

crc@amstock.com 

www.amstock.com

Stock exchange listing
California Resources Corporation’s common stock  

is listed on the new York Stock exchange (nYSe). 

the symbol is CRC.

Frank E. Komin 
executive Vice president,  

Southern Operations

Catherine A. Kehr

Former Senior Vice president 

and Director, Capital Research 

Company, the Capital Group 

Roy Pineci 

Companies

executive Vice president,  

Finance

Harold M. Korell

Michael L. Preston 

executive Vice president,  

General Counsel and  

Corporate Secretary

Charles F. Weiss 

Lead Independent Director; 

Former Chairman of the Board, 

Southwestern energy Company

Richard W. Moncrief

president and Chairman 

executive Vice president,  

of the Board, Moncrief Oil 

public Affairs

International, Inc.

Darren Williams 

executive Vice president,  

exploration

Avedick B. Poladian

executive Vice president and 

Chief Operating Officer,  

Lowe enterprises, Inc.

Robert V. Sinnott

president, Chief executive 
Officer and Chief Investment 

Officer, Kayne Anderson  

Capital Advisors, L.p.

Timothy J. Sloan

president and Chief Operating 

Officer, Wells Fargo & Company 

Todd A. Stevens

president, Chief executive 

Officer and Director, California 

Resources Corporation

UFCW®

 888

This Annual Report is printed on Forest Stewardship  
Council®-certified paper that contains wood from  
well-managed forests and other responsible sources.

2015Corporate Headquarters
9200 Oakdale Avenue, 9th Floor 

Los Angeles, California 91311 

(888) 848-4754

Northern Operations
11109 River Run Boulevard 

Bakersfield, California 93311

(661) 412-5000

Southern Operations
111 W. Ocean Boulevard, Suite 800

Long Beach, California 90802

(562) 624-3400

crc.com