|
|
|
|
|
          |
|
|
|
|
|
 Notes 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 >  3 DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS-SYNTHETIC FUEL Our synthetic fuel operations consisted of four coal-based synthetic fuel production facilities (the "Facilities"). Because tax credits under Section 45K of the Internal Revenue Code are not available for the production and sale of synthetic fuel produced from coal after calendar year-end 2007, and because we estimated that high oil prices during 2007 would result in the phase-out of a significant portion of the tax credits available for synthetic fuel produced and sold in 2007, on November 3, 2007, we shut down the Facilities and permanently ceased production of synthetic fuel. Accordingly, we now report this business as a discontinued operation. The tax credits available under the Internal Revenue Code for the production and sale of synthetic fuels were established by Congress to encourage the development of alternative domestic energy sources. Congress deemed that the incentives provided by the tax credits would not be necessary if the price of oil increased beyond certain thresholds as prices would then provide a more natural market for these alternative fuels. As a result, the tax credits available under the Internal Revenue Code for the production and sale of synthetic fuel in any given calendar year were phased out if the Reference Price of a barrel of oil for that year fell within a specified range. The Reference Price of a barrel of oil is an estimate of the annual average wellhead price per barrel of domestic crude oil and was determined for each calendar year by the Secretary of the Treasury by April 1 of the following year. The price range within which the credit was phased out was set in 1980 and was adjusted annually for inflation. In 2007, the Reference Price phase-out range was $56.78 to $71.27. Because the Reference Price of a barrel of oil for 2007 was within that range, at $66.52, there was a 67.2 percent reduction of the tax credits available for synthetic fuel produced and sold in 2007. Income from discontinued operations of $3 million in 2008, primarily reflected the recognition in 2008 of additional tax credits as a result of the determination by the Secretary of the Treasury in 2008 of the Reference Price of a barrel of oil for 2007, partially offset by obligations based on the amount of additional tax credits. The determination resulted in a 67.2 percent reduction of tax credits for the 2007 fiscal year, compared to the reduction of 70.7 percent that had been estimated and recorded in the 2007 fiscal year. The following tables provide additional income statement and balance sheet information relating to the discontinued synthetic fuel operations. Income Statement Summary Balance Sheet Summary > Back to top of page |
|
