v3.26.1
Commitments and Contingencies
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2026
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies Commitments and Contingencies
We are the subject of, or a party to, a number of pending or threatened legal actions, contingencies and commitments involving a variety of matters, including laws and regulations relating to the environment. Some of these matters are discussed below. For matters for which we have not recorded a liability, we are unable to estimate a range of possible loss because the issues involved have not been fully developed through pleadings, discovery or court proceedings. However, the ultimate resolution of some of these contingencies could, individually or in the aggregate, be material.
Environmental Matters
We are subject to federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations relating to the environment. These laws generally provide for control of pollutants released into the environment and require responsible parties to undertake remediation of hazardous waste disposal sites and certain other locations including presently or formerly owned or operated retail marketing sites. Penalties may be imposed for noncompliance.
Accrued liabilities for remediation totaled $371 million and $355 million at March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, respectively. It is not presently possible to estimate the ultimate amount of all remediation costs that might be incurred or the penalties, if any, that may be imposed. Receivables for recoverable costs from certain states, under programs to assist companies in clean-up efforts related to underground storage tanks at presently or formerly owned or operated retail marketing sites, were $4 million at both March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025.
We are involved in environmental enforcement matters arising in the ordinary course of business. While the outcome and impact on us cannot be predicted with certainty, management believes the resolution of these environmental matters will not, individually or collectively, have a material adverse effect on our consolidated results of operations, financial position or cash flows.
Climate Change Litigation
Governmental and other entities in various states have filed climate-related lawsuits against a number of energy companies, including MPC. Although each suit is separate and unique, the lawsuits generally allege defendants made knowing misrepresentations about knowingly concealing or failing to warn of the impacts of their petroleum products which led to increased demand and worsened climate change. Plaintiffs are seeking unspecified damages and abatement under various tort theories, as well as breaches of consumer protection and unfair trade statutes. We are currently subject to such proceedings in federal or state courts in Delaware and Oregon. The pending cases are: Delaware ex rel. Jennings v. BP America Inc., et al.,
(Del. Super. Ct.) (date instituted September 10, 2020); and County of Multnomah v. Exxon Mobil Corp., et al., (Or. Cir. Ct.) (date instituted June 22, 2023).
Similar lawsuits may be filed in other jurisdictions. At this early stage, the ultimate outcome of these matters remains uncertain, and neither the likelihood of an unfavorable outcome nor the ultimate liability, if any, can be determined.
Other Legal Proceedings
Tesoro High Plains Pipeline
In July 2020, Tesoro High Plains Pipeline Company, LLC (“THPP”), a subsidiary of MPLX, received a Notification of Trespass Determination from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (“BIA”) relating to a portion of the Tesoro High Plains Pipeline. The notification demanded the immediate cessation of pipeline operations and assessed trespass damages of approximately $187 million. After subsequent appeal proceedings and in compliance with a new order issued by the BIA, THPP paid approximately $4 million in assessed trespass damages and ceased use of the portion of the pipeline that crosses the property at issue. In March 2021, the BIA issued an order purporting to vacate the BIA’s prior orders related to THPP’s alleged trespass and directed the Regional Director of the BIA to reconsider the issue of THPP’s alleged trespass and issue a new order. In April 2021, THPP filed a lawsuit in the District of North Dakota against the United States of America, the U.S. Department of the Interior and the BIA (collectively, the “U.S. Government Parties”) challenging the March 2021 order purporting to vacate all previous orders related to THPP’s alleged trespass. The case will proceed on the merits of THPP’s challenge to the March 2021 order purporting to vacate all previous orders related to THPP’s alleged trespass.
We are also a party to a number of other lawsuits and other proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business. While the ultimate outcome and impact to us cannot be predicted with certainty, we believe that the resolution of these other lawsuits and proceedings will not, individually or collectively, have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
Guarantees
We have provided certain guarantees, direct and indirect, of the indebtedness of other companies. Under the terms of most of these guarantee arrangements, we would be required to perform should the guaranteed party fail to fulfill its obligations under the specified arrangements. In addition to these financial guarantees, we also have various performance guarantees related to specific agreements.
Guarantees related to indebtedness of equity method investees
LOOP and LOCAP
MPC and MPLX hold interests in an offshore oil port, LOOP, and MPLX holds an interest in a crude oil pipeline system, LOCAP. Both LOOP and LOCAP have secured various project financings with throughput and deficiency agreements. Under the agreements, MPC, as a shipper, is required to advance funds if the investees are unable to service their debt. Any such advances are considered prepayments of future transportation charges. The duration of the agreements varies but tends to follow the terms of the underlying debt, which extend through 2040. Our maximum potential undiscounted payments under these agreements for the debt principal totaled $210 million as of March 31, 2026.
Dakota Access Pipeline
MPLX holds a 9.19 percent indirect interest in a joint venture (“Dakota Access”), which owns and operates the Dakota Access Pipeline and Energy Transfer Crude Oil Pipeline projects (collectively, the “Bakken Pipeline system”). In 2020, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (the “D.D.C.”) ordered the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (“Army Corps”), which granted permits and an easement for the Bakken Pipeline system, to prepare an environmental impact statement (“EIS”) relating to an easement under Lake Oahe in North Dakota. The D.D.C. later vacated the easement. The Army Corps issued the final EIS in late 2025 and recommended the continued operation of the pipeline. The Army Corps may issue a Record of Decision now that the final EIS has been issued. New litigation may be filed now that the final EIS has been issued.
MPLX has entered into a Contingent Equity Contribution Agreement whereby it, along with the other joint venture owners in the Bakken Pipeline system, has agreed to make equity contributions to the joint venture upon certain events occurring, such as a vacatur of the easement resulting in a shutdown of the pipeline, to allow the entities that own and operate the Bakken Pipeline system to satisfy their senior note payment obligations.
If the vacatur of the easement results in a temporary shutdown of the pipeline, MPLX would have to contribute its 9.19 percent pro rata share of funds required to pay interest accruing on the notes and any portion of the principal that matures while the pipeline is shut down. MPLX also expects to contribute its 9.19 percent pro rata share of any costs to remediate any deficiencies to reinstate the easement and/or return the pipeline into operation. If the vacatur of the easement results in a permanent shutdown of the pipeline, MPLX would have to contribute its 9.19 percent pro rata share of the cost to redeem the bonds (including the 1 percent redemption premium required pursuant to the indenture governing the notes) and any accrued and unpaid interest. As of March 31, 2026, our maximum potential undiscounted payments under the Contingent Equity Contribution Agreement were approximately $78 million.
Other guarantees
We have entered into other guarantees with maximum potential undiscounted payments totaling $185 million as of March 31, 2026, which primarily consist of a commitment to indemnify a joint venture member for our pro rata share of any payments made under a performance guarantee for construction of a pipeline by an equity method investee, a commitment to contribute cash to an equity method investee for certain catastrophic events in lieu of procuring insurance coverage, a commitment to pay a termination fee on a supply agreement if terminated during the initial term, a commitment to fund a share of the bonds issued by a government entity for construction of public utilities in the event that other industrial users of the facility default on their utility payments and leases of assets containing general lease indemnities and guaranteed residual values.
Contractual Commitments and Contingencies
Certain natural gas processing and gathering arrangements require us to construct natural gas processing plants, natural gas gathering pipelines and NGL pipelines and contain certain fees and charges if specified construction milestones are not achieved for reasons other than force majeure. In certain cases, certain producer customers may have the right to cancel the processing arrangements if there are significant delays that are not due to force majeure.