v3.25.2
Note 9 - Commitments and Contingencies
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2025
Notes to Financial Statements  
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Text Block]

(9)

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

 

Currency Devaluation and Fluctuation Risk

 

Due to our international operations, we are exposed to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations against the U.S. dollar. For some of our international contracts, a portion of the revenue and local expenses are incurred in local currencies with the result that we are at risk for changes in the exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and foreign currencies. To minimize the financial impact of these items, we attempt to contract a significant majority of our services in U.S. dollars. In addition, we attempt to minimize the financial impact of these risks by matching the currency of our operating costs with the currency of our revenue streams when considered appropriate. We continually monitor the currency exchange risks associated with all contracts not denominated in U.S. dollars. In recent years, laws impacting our operations in certain African countries require our customers to pay us onshore in local currency rather than offshore in U.S. dollars, leading to heightened currency risk and bureaucratic barriers to the repatriation of cash. We are working to mitigate this additional foreign currency risk with a focus on reducing cash balances denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Despite our efforts to mitigate currency risk, we may report significant realized and unrealized currency-related losses in our statements of operations. In the three months ended June 30, 2025, we entered into derivative contracts to assist us in managing our foreign currency risk. See Note (10) - “Fair Value Measurements” and Note (12) - “Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities” for activity and disclosure related to our foreign currency derivative contracts.

 

Legal Proceedings

 

In 2009, Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA), the national oil company of Venezuela, took possession of our assets and operations in Venezuela. In connection with this expropriation, we fully wrote-down our Venezuelan assets and initiated international arbitration. In 2019, we converted our final international award into a U.S. federal court judgement, which we perfected pursuant to a writ of attachment against PDV Holding, Inc. (PDVH), the parent company of CITGO Petroleum Corporation. The Delaware district court ordered a public sale of the PDVH shares to satisfy the various judgments against Venezuela in Crystallex International Corp. v. Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, No. 17-mc-151-LPS (D. Del.). On July 2, 2025, the court appointed Special Master filed its final recommendation for the winning bid in the sale, which included listing us as the second Attached Judgment Holder with an amount of judgement, including interest, of approximately $77.8 million as of June 30, 2025. A hearing for the court to finalize the sale process is scheduled for August 18, 2025.

 

The approval and closing of any sale of the PDVH shares and the collection of our judgement, if at all, are highly uncertain and present significant practical and legal challenges, including, without limitation, claims filed by PDVSA, PDVH, and a group of PDVSA bondholders disputing the sale. We can provide no assurances regarding the timing or ultimate outcome of this case. As of June 30, 2025, no amount had been recorded in our financial statements related to this gain contingency.

 

In addition to the foregoing, we are named defendants or parties in certain lawsuits, claims or proceedings incidental to our business and involved from time to time as parties to governmental investigations or proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business. Although the outcome of such lawsuits or other proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty and the amount of any liability or gain that could arise with respect to such lawsuits or other proceedings cannot be predicted accurately, we do not expect these matters to have a material adverse effect on our financial position, operating results or cash flows.