C. Significant Accounting Policies

The consolidated financial statements of the Company have been prepared on the historical cost basis except for the revaluation of certain financial instruments.

(a) Distinction between current and non-current assets and liabilities

The Company classifies its assets as current when it expects to realize the asset, or intends to sell or consume it, in its normal operating cycle. Inventory and construction work-in-progress are classified as current while the time when these assets are sold or consumed might be longer than twelve months. Financial assets are classified as current when they are realized within twelve months. Liabilities are classified as current when they are expected to be settled within less than twelve months and the Company does not have an unconditional right to defer settlement of the liability for at least 12 months after the reporting period. All other assets and liabilities are classified as non-current.

(b) Consolidation

The Company’s consolidated financial statements include the financial statements of all controlled subsidiaries.

In determining under IFRS 10 whether the Company controls an investee, the Company assesses whether it has i) power over the investee, ii) exposure or rights to variable returns from its involvement, and iii) the ability to use power over investees to affect the amount of return. To determine whether the Company has power over the investee, multiple contractual elements are analyzed, among which i) voting rights of the Company at the General Meeting, ii) voting rights of the Company at Board level and iii) the power of the Company to appoint, reassign or remove other key management personnel.

For investees whereby such contractual elements are not conclusive because all decisions about the relevant activities are taken on a mutual consent basis, the main deciding feature resides then in the deadlock clause existing in shareholders’ agreements. In case a deadlock situation arises at the Board of Directors of an entity, whereby the Board is unable to conclude on a decision, the deadlock clause of the shareholders’ agreements generally stipulates whether a substantive right is granted to the Company or to all the partners in the entity to buy its shares through a compensation mechanism that is fair enough for the Company or one of the partners to acquire these shares. In case such a substantive right resides with the Company, the entity will be defined under IFRS 10 as controlled by the Company. In case no such substantive right is held by any of the shareholders through the deadlock clause, the entity will be defined as a joint arrangement.

Subsidiaries:

Subsidiaries are all entities over which the group has control. The group controls an entity when the group is exposed to, or has rights to, variable returns from its involvement with the entity and has the ability to affect those returns through its power over the entity. Subsidiaries are consolidated using the full consolidation method.

All reciprocal transactions between two controlled subsidiaries, with no profit or loss impact at consolidation level, are fully eliminated for the preparation of the consolidated financial statements.

Interests in joint ventures:

The Company has applied IFRS 11 ’Joint Arrangements’ to all joint arrangements. Under IFRS 11 investment in joint arrangements are classified as either joint operations or joint ventures depending on the contractual rights and obligations of each investor. In determining under IFRS 11 the classification of a joint arrangement, the Company assessed that all joint arrangements were structured through private limited liability companies incorporated in various jurisdictions. As a result, assets and liabilities held in these separate vehicles were those of the separate vehicles and not those of the shareholders of these limited liability companies. Shareholders had therefore no direct rights to the assets, nor primary obligations for liabilities of these vehicles. The Company has considered the nature of its joint arrangements and determined them to be joint ventures. Joint ventures are accounted for using the equity method.

Investments in associates:

Associates are all entities over which the Company has significant influence. Significant influence is the power to participate in the financial and operating policy decisions of the investee, but it is not control over those policies. Investments in associates are accounted for using the equity method.

When losses of an equity-accounted entity are greater than the value of the Company’s net investment in that entity, these losses are not recognized unless the Company has a constructive obligation to fund the entity. The share of the negative net equity of these is first accounted for against the loans held by the owner towards the equity-accounted company that forms part of the net investment. Any excess is accounted for under provisions.

Reciprocal transactions carried out between a subsidiary and an equity-accounted entity, are not eliminated for the preparation of the consolidated financial statements. Only transactions leading to an internal profit (e.g. for dividends or internal margin on asset sale) are eliminated applying the percentage owned in the equity-accounted entity.

The financial statements of the subsidiaries, associates and joint ventures are prepared for the same reporting period as the Company and the accounting policies are in line with those of the Company.

(c) Non-derivative financial assets

The Company’s financial assets consist of finance lease receivables, loans to joint ventures and associates and trade and other receivables. The accounting policy on trade and other receivables is described separately.

Finance lease receivables are non-derivative financial assets with fixed or determined payments that are not quoted in an active market.

Loans to joint ventures and associates relate primarily to interest-bearing loans to joint ventures. These financial assets are initially measured at fair value plus transaction costs (if any) and subsequently measured at amortized cost.

The Company classifies its financial assets at amortized cost only if both of the following criteria are met:

The asset is held within a business model whose objective is to collect the contractual cash flows; and
The contractual terms give rise to cash flows that are solely payments of principal and interest.

Financial assets are derecognized when the contractual rights to the cash flows from the financial asset expire or have been transferred and the Company has transferred substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership.

(d) Borrowings (bank and other loans) and lease liabilities

Borrowings are recognized on settlement date, being the date on which cash is paid or received. They are initially recognized at fair value, net of transaction costs incurred (transaction price), subsequently measured at amortized cost and classified as current liabilities unless the Company has an unconditional right to defer settlement of the liability for at least twelve months after the statement of financial position date.

Borrowing costs that are directly attributable to the acquisition, construction or production of a qualifying asset are capitalized into the cost of the asset in the period in which they are incurred. Otherwise, borrowing costs are recognized as an expense in the period in which they are incurred.

Borrowings are derecognized when the Company either discharges the borrowing by paying the creditor or is legally released from primary responsibility for the borrowing either by process of law or by the creditor.

Lease liabilities, arising from lease contracts in which the Company is the lessee, are initially measured at the net present value of the following:

Fixed lease payments (including in-substance fixed payments), less any lease incentives receivable;
Variable lease payments that are based on an index or a rate;
Amounts expected to be payable under residual value guarantees;
The exercise price of a purchase option if the Company is reasonably certain to exercise that option; and
Payments of penalties for terminating the lease, if the lease term reflects the Company exercising that option.

The lease payments are discounted using the interest rate implicit in the lease, if that rate can be determined, or the Company’s incremental borrowing rate.

Each lease payment is allocated between the lease liability and finance cost. Finance cost is charged to the consolidated income statement over the lease period so as to produce a constant periodic rate of interest on the remaining balance of the liability for each period.

(e) Foreign currency transactions and derivative financial instruments

Foreign currency transactions are translated into the functional currency, the US dollar, at the exchange rate applicable on the transaction date. At the closing date, monetary assets and liabilities stated in foreign currencies are translated into the functional currency at the exchange rate prevailing on that date. Resulting exchange gains or losses are directly recorded in the income statement. At the closing date, non-monetary assets and liabilities stated in foreign currency remain translated into the functional currency using the exchange rate at the date of the transaction.

Translation of foreign currency income statements of subsidiaries (except for foreign operations in hyperinflationary economies) into US dollars is converted at the average exchange rate prevailing during the year. Statements of financial position are translated at the exchange rate at the closing date. Differences arising in the translation of financial statements of foreign subsidiaries are recorded in other comprehensive income as foreign currency translation reserve. On consolidation, exchange differences arising from the translation of the net investment in foreign entities, and borrowings of such investments, are taken to Company equity.

Derivative financial instruments held by the Company are aimed at hedging risks associated with market risk fluctuations. The Company uses primarily forward currency contracts and interest rate swaps to hedge foreign currency risk and interest rate risk. Further information about the financial risk management objectives and policies is included in note 4.3.29 Financial Instruments − Fair Values and Risk Management.

A derivative instrument (cash flow hedge) qualifies for hedge accounting when all relevant criteria are met. A cash flow hedge aims at reducing risks incurred by variations in the value of future cash flows that may impact net income. In order for a derivative to be eligible for hedge accounting, the following criteria must be met:

There is an economic relationship between the hedging instrument and the hedged item.
The effect of credit risk does not dominate the value changes resulting from that economic relationship.
The hedge ratio of the hedging relationship is the same as that used for risk management purposes.

All derivative instruments are recorded and disclosed in the statement of financial position at fair value. Purchases and sales of derivatives are accounted for at trade date. Where a portion of a financial derivative is expected to be realized within twelve months of the reporting date, that portion is presented as current; the remainder of the financial derivative as non-current.

Changes in fair value of derivatives designated as cash flow hedge relationships are recognized as follows:

The effective portion of the gain or loss of the hedging instrument is recorded directly in other comprehensive income, and the ineffective portion of the gain or loss on the hedging instrument is recorded in the income statement. The gain or loss which is deferred in equity, is reclassified to the net income in the period(s) in which the specified hedged transaction affects the income statement.
The changes in fair value of derivative financial instruments that do not qualify as hedging in accounting standards are directly recorded in the income statement.

The sources of hedge ineffectiveness are:

The non-occurrence of the hedged item;
The change in the principal terms of the hedged item;
The severe deterioration of the credit risk of the Company and, or the derivative counterparty.

When measuring the fair value of a financial instrument, the Company uses market observable data as much as possible. Fair values are categorized into different levels in a fair value hierarchy based on the inputs used in the valuation techniques. Further information about the fair value measurement of financial derivatives is included in note 4.3.29 Financial Instruments − Fair Values and Risk Management.

(f) Provisions

Provisions are recognized if and only if the following criteria are simultaneously met:

The Company has an ongoing obligation (legal or constructive) as a result of a past event.
It is probable that an outflow of resources embodying economic benefits will be required to settle the obligation.
The amount of the obligation can be reliably estimated; provisions are measured according to the risk assessment or the exposed charge, based upon best-known facts.

Demobilization provisions relate to estimated costs for demobilization of leased facilities at the end of the respective lease period or operating life.

Warranty provisions relate to the Company’s obligations to replace or repair defective items that become apparent within an agreed period starting from final acceptance of the delivered system. Such warranties are provided to customers on most Turnkey sales. These provisions are estimated on a statistical basis regarding the Company’s past experience or on an individual basis in the case of any warranty claim already identified. These provisions are classified as current by nature as it coincides with the production cycle of the Company.

R estructuring provision is recognized by the Company when it has an obligation to restructure based upon a detailed formal plan for the restructuring and has raised a valid expectation in those affected that it will carry out the restructuring by starting to implement that plan or announcing its main features to those affected by it. The restructuring provision only includes the direct expenditures arising from the restructuring, which are those that are both necessarily incurred by the restructuring and not associated with the ongoing activities of the entity. In the case of an offer made to encourage voluntary redundancy, the termination benefits are measured based on the number of employees expected to accept the offer. Benefits falling due more than 12 months after the end of the reporting period are discounted to present value.

Other provisions include provisions like commercial claims, regulatory fines related to operations and local content penalty. In relation to local content penalty, Brazilian oil and gas contracts typically include local content requirements. These requirements are issued by the Agência Nacional do Petróleo, Gás Natural e Biocombustíveis (ANP) to the winning concessionaire/consortia of auctioned Brazilian exploratory blocks or areas at the end of the bidding round, with the intention to strengthen the domestic Brazilian market and expand local employment. The owning concessionaire/consortia normally contractually passes such requirements on to, among other suppliers, the company delivering the FPSO. For the Company’s Brazilian contracts, the Company assesses the execution strategy and may decide that execution of the project in locations other than Brazil is more beneficial. Such a decision takes into account factors such as optimization of overall cost of delivery, quality and timeliness. As a result, following the chosen execution strategy, the Company may expect to not meet entirely the agreed local content requirements. In such circumstances, the expected penalty to be paid, as a result of not meeting the local content requirements, is determined based on management’s best estimate and recognized as provision during the construction period. The corresponding cost is expensed over the construction period of the asset.

(g) Property, plant and equipment

Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and accumulated impairment losses. Historical cost includes expenditure that is directly attributable to the acquisition of such items. The capital value of a facility to be leased and operated for a client is the sum of external costs (such as shipyards, subcontractors and suppliers), internal costs (design, engineering, construction supervision, etc.), third party financial costs including interest paid during construction and attributable overhead.

Subsequent costs are included in an assets’ carrying amount or recognized as a separate asset, as appropriate, only when it is probable that future economic benefits associated with the item will flow to the Company and the cost of the item can be measured reliably. The costs of assets include the initial estimate of costs of demobilization of the asset net of reimbursement expected to be received by the client. Costs related to major overhaul which meet the criteria for capitalization are included in the asset’s carrying amount. All other repairs and maintenance are charged to the income statement during the financial period in which they are incurred.

When significant parts of an item of property, plant and equipment have different useful lives, those components are accounted for as separate line items of property, plant and equipment. The depreciation charge is calculated based on future anticipated economic benefits, e.g. based on the unit of production method or on a straight-line basis as follows:

Converted tankers 10-20 years (included in vessels and floating equipment);
Floating equipment 3-15 years (included in vessels and floating equipment);
Buildings 30-50 years;
Other assets 2-20 years;
Land is not depreciated.

Useful lives and methods of depreciation are reviewed at least annually and adjusted if appropriate.

The assets’ residual values are reviewed and adjusted, if appropriate, at each statement of financial position date. An asset’s carrying amount is written down immediately to its recoverable amount if the asset’s carrying amount is higher than its estimated recoverable amount.

Gains and losses arising on disposals or retirement of assets are determined by comparing any sales proceeds and the carrying amount of the asset. These are reflected in the income statement in the period that the asset is disposed of or retired.

Right-of-use assets related to the Company’s lease contracts in which the Company is a lessee are included in Property, plant and equipment. Right-of-use assets and corresponding liabilities are recognized when the leased asset is available for use by the Company. Right-of-use assets are measured at cost comprising the following:

The amount of the initial measurement of the lease liability;
Any lease payments made at or before the commencement date;
Any initial direct costs; and
Restoration costs.

The right-of-use asset is depreciated over the shorter of the asset‘s useful life and the lease term on a straight-line basis.

Payments associated with short-term leases and leases of low-value assets are recognized on a straight-line basis as an expense in profit or loss. Short-term leases are leases with a lease term of 12 months or less.

(h) Intangible assets

Goodwill represents the excess of the cost of an acquisition over the fair value of the Company’s share of the net identifiable assets of the acquired subsidiary at the date of the acquisition, less accumulated impairment.

Goodwill is allocated to cash-generating units (CGUs) for the purpose of the annual impairment testing.

Patents are recognized at historical cost and patents acquired in a business combination are recognized at fair value at the acquisition date when intangible assets criteria are met and amortized on a straight-line basis over their useful life, generally over fifteen years.

Research costs are expensed when incurred. In compliance with IAS 38, development costs are capitalized if all of the following criteria are met:

The projects are clearly defined.
The Company is able to reliably measure expenditures incurred by each project during its development.
The Company is able to demonstrate the technical feasibility of the project.
The Company has the financial and technical resources available to achieve the project.
The Company can demonstrate its intention to complete, to use or to commercialize products resulting from the project.
The Company is able to demonstrate the existence of a market for the output of the intangible asset, or, if it is used internally, the usefulness of the intangible asset.

When capitalized, development costs are carried at cost less any accumulated amortization. Amortization begins when the project is complete and available for use. It is amortized over the period of expected future benefit, which is generally between three and five years.

(i) Assets (or disposal groups) held for sale

The Company classifies assets or disposal groups as being held for sale when their carrying amount will be recovered principally through a sale transaction rather than through continuing use.

(j) Inventories

Inventories are valued at the lower of cost and net realizable value. Cost is determined using the first-in first-out method. Net realizable value is the estimated selling price in the ordinary course of business, less the estimated cost of completion and selling expenses. Inventories comprise semi-finished, finished products and the Company’s Fast4Ward^® Multi Purpose Floater (’MPF’) valued at cost including attributable overheads and spare parts stated at the lower of purchase price or market value. MPFs under construction are accounted for as inventories until they are allocated to awarded projects.

(k) Trade and other receivables

Trade receivables are amounts due from customers for goods sold or services performed in the ordinary course of business. They are generally due for settlement within a maximum of 90 days and are therefore all classified as current. Trade receivables are recognized initially at fair value. The Company holds the trade receivables with the objective to collect the contractual cash flows and therefore measures them subsequently at amortized cost using the effective interest method. The Company applies the simplified approach in measuring expected credit losses for trade receivables.

Other receivables are recognized initially at fair value and subsequently measured at amortized cost, using the effective interest rate method. Interest income, together with gains and losses when the receivables are derecognized or impaired, is recognized in the income statement.

(l) Impairment of finance lease receivables

For finance lease receivables the Company assumes that the credit risk has not increased significantly since the initial recognition if the finance lease receivable is determined to have a low credit risk at the reporting date (i.e. the Company applies the low credit risk simplification). As a result, if the finance lease receivable is determined to have a low credit risk at the reporting date, the Company recognizes a 12-month expected credit loss.

(m) Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents consist of cash in bank and in hand fulfilling the following criteria: a maturity of usually less than three months, highly liquid, a fixed exchange value and an extremely low risk of loss of value.

(n) Share capital

Ordinary shares and protective preference shares are classified as equity. Incremental costs directly attributable to the issue of new shares are shown in equity as a deduction, net of tax, from the proceeds.

(o) Income tax

The tax expense for the period comprises current and deferred tax. Tax is recognized in the income statement, except to the extent that it relates to items recognized in other comprehensive income or directly in equity. In this case the associated tax is also recognized in other comprehensive income or directly in equity.

Income tax expenses comprise corporate income tax due in countries of incorporation of the Company’s main subsidiaries and levied on actual profits. Income tax expense also includes the corporate income taxes which are levied on a deemed profit basis and revenue basis (withholding taxes in the scope of IAS 12). This presentation adequately reflects the Company’s global tax burden.

(p) Deferred income tax

Deferred income tax is recognized using the liability method, on temporary differences arising between the tax bases of assets and liabilities and their carrying amounts in the financial statements. Deferred tax is determined using tax rates and laws that have been enacted or substantially enacted by the statement of financial position date and are expected to apply when the related deferred tax asset is realized or the deferred tax liability is settled.

Deferred tax assets are recognized only to the extent that it is probable that future taxable profit will be available against which the temporary differences can be utilized. Deferred tax is provided for on temporary differences arising on investments in subsidiaries and associates, except where the timing of the reversal of the temporary difference is controlled by the Company and it is probable that the temporary difference will not reverse in the foreseeable future.

(q) Employee benefits

Pension obligations: the Company operates various pension schemes that are generally funded through payments determined by periodic actuarial calculations to insurance companies or are defined as multi-employer plans. The Company has both defined benefit and defined contribution plans:

A defined benefit plan is a pension plan that defines an amount of pension benefit that an employee will receive on retirement, usually dependent on one or more factors such as age, years of service and compensation.
A defined contribution plan is a pension plan under which the Company pays fixed contributions to public or private pension insurance plans on a mandatory, contractual or voluntary basis. The Company has no legal or constructive obligation to pay further contributions if the fund does not hold sufficient assets to pay all employees the benefits relating to employee service in the current and prior periods. The contributions to defined contribution plans and multi-employer plans are recognized as an expense in the income statement as incurred.

The liability recognized in the statement of financial position in respect of defined benefit pension plans is the present value of the defined benefit obligation at the statement of financial position date less the fair value of the plan assets, together with adjustments for unrecognized actuarial gains and losses and past service costs. The defined benefit obligation is calculated periodically by independent actuaries using the projected unit credit method. The present value of the defined benefit obligation is determined by discounting the estimated future cash outflows using interest rates on high-quality corporate bonds that have maturity dates approximating the terms of the Company’s obligations.

The expense recognized within the EBIT comprises the current service cost and the effects of any change, reduction or winding up of the plan. The accretion impact on actuarial debt and interest income on plan assets are recognized under the net financing cost.

Cumulative actuarial gains and losses arising from experience adjustments and changes in actuarial assumptions are recognized immediately in comprehensive income.

Share-based payments: within the Company there are four types of share-based payment plans that qualify as equity settled:

Restricted Share Unit (RSU);
Short-term Incentive Program of Bonus Shares and Matching Shares;
Value Creation Stake (VCS); and
Ownership Shares.

The estimated total amount to be expensed over the vesting period related to share based payments is determined by (i) reference to the fair value of the instruments determined at the grant date, and (ii) non-market vesting conditions included in assumptions about the number of shares that the employee will ultimately receive. Main assumptions for estimates are revised at statement of financial position date. Total cost for the period is charged or credited to the income statement, with a corresponding adjustment to equity.

When equity instruments vest, the Company issues new shares, unless the Company has Treasury shares in stock.

Any cancellation of matching shares will lead to an accelerated expense recognition of the total fair value, with a corresponding adjustment to equity.

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