Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | (2) Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Principles of Consolidation The accompanying consolidated financial statements, prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), include the accounts of the Company and its majority-owned direct and indirect subsidiaries. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. The ownership interests of noncontrolling investors in the Company’s subsidiaries are recorded as noncontrolling interests. CVR Energy has not recognized any other comprehensive income for the periods ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018. CVR Partners is considered a VIE. As the 100% owner of the general partner of CVR Partners, the Company has the sole ability to direct the activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of the partnership and is considered to be the primary beneficiary. In January 2019, following the CVRR Unit Purchase, CVR Refining was no longer considered a VIE and is accounted for as a wholly-owned subsidiary. Investments in entities over which the Company has significant influence, but not control, are accounted for using the equity method of accounting. Income from equity method investments represents CVR Energy’s proportionate share of net income generated by the equity method investees and is recorded in Other income, net on the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Operations. Reclassifications Certain reclassifications have been made within the consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 to conform with current presentation. Catalyst inventory with a value of $17 million as of December 31, 2019 was reclassified in the first quarter of 2020 to Other long-term assets to conform to current presentation. Use of Estimates The consolidated financial statements are prepared in conformity with GAAP, which requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts and disclosure of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Estimates are reviewed on an ongoing basis, based on currently available information. Changes in facts and circumstances may result in revised estimates, and actual results could differ from those estimates. Cash and Cash Equivalents Cash and cash equivalents include cash on hand and on deposit, investments in highly liquid money market accounts, and debt instruments with original maturities of three months or less. Restricted Cash Restricted cash consists of cash that must be maintained in a commercial escrow account pending resolution of certain litigation matters and is discussed further in Note 11 (“Commitments and Contingencies”). Accounts Receivable, net Accounts receivable, net primarily consist of customer accounts receivable recorded at the invoiced amounts and generally do not bear interest. Also included within accounts receivable of the Nitrogen Fertilizer Segment are unbilled fixed price contracts which is discussed further within Note 7 (“Revenue”). Allowances for doubtful accounts are generally recorded when it becomes probable the receivable will not be collected and is booked to bad debt expense. The largest concentration of credit for any one customer was approximately 11% and 11% of the net accounts receivable balance at December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. During the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company had nominal bad debt expense, and during the year ended December 31, 2018, a recovery was recognized of $1 million related to bad debt expense previously written off. Inventories Inventories consist primarily of domestic and foreign crude oil, blending stock and components, work-in-progress, fertilizer products, and refined fuels and by-products. All inventories are valued at the lower of GAAP First-In, First-Out (“FIFO”) cost, or net realizable value. The Petroleum Segment’s unfinished and finished products inventory values were determined using the ability-to-bear methodology. Other inventories in the Petroleum and Nitrogen Fertilizer Segments, including other raw materials, spare parts, and supplies, are valued at the lower of moving-average cost, which approximates FIFO, or net realizable value. The cost of inventories includes inbound freight costs. The carrying amounts of the Petroleum Segment’s inventories exceeded their net realizable value (market value) by $58 million resulting in the recognition of a lower of cost or net realizable value adjustment as of March 31, 2020. The $58 million loss represents the difference between the carrying value of the Petroleum Segment’s inventories accounted for using the FIFO method and selling prices for refined products subsequent to March 31, 2020. No adjustment was necessary as of December 31, 2020 or December 31, 2019. Inventories consisted of the following: December 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 Finished goods $ 133 $ 177 Raw materials 83 112 In-process inventories 16 18 Parts and supplies 66 66 Total Inventories $ 298 $ 373 At December 31, 2020 and 2019, inventories related to the Nitrogen Fertilizer Segment included depreciation of approximately $2 million and $5 million, respectively. Property, Plant and Equipment, net Additions to property, plant and equipment, including capitalized interest and certain costs allocable to construction and property purchases, are recorded at cost. Expenditures for improvements that increase economic benefit or returns and/or extend useful life are capitalized. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the various classes of depreciable assets. The lives used in computing depreciation for significant asset classes are as follows: Asset Range of Useful Lives, in Years Land and improvements 10 to 30 Buildings and improvements 1 to 30 Machinery and equipment 2 to 30 Furniture and fixtures 3 to 10 Right-of-use (“ROU”) finance leases 3 to 18 Other 5 to 30 Property, plant and equipment, net consisted of the following: December 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 Machinery and equipment $ 3,881 $ 3,805 Buildings and improvements 88 87 ROU finance leases 80 81 Land and improvements 47 46 Furniture and fixtures 38 35 Construction in progress 100 95 Other 15 14 4,249 4,163 Less: Accumulated depreciation 2,009 1,827 Total Property, plant and equipment, net $ 2,240 $ 2,336 Leasehold improvements and assets held under finance leases are depreciated or amortized on the straight-line method over the shorter of the contractual lease term or the estimated useful life of the asset. Expenditures for routine maintenance and repair costs are expensed when incurred. Such expenses are reported in Direct operating expenses (exclusive of depreciation and amortization) in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Operations. On May 21, 2019, a subsidiary of CVR Energy sold its crude oil storage terminal located in Cushing, Oklahoma and related assets (the "Terminal"). As part of this transaction, the Company received cash consideration of $43 million for the Terminal and related crude oil inventories resulting in a recognition of a gain on sale of $10 million. The carrying value of the inventory sold as part of this transaction has been presented on a net basis, with the proceeds on sale, within the net cash used in investing section of the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. As of December 31, 2020, the Company had not identified the existence of an impairment indicator for its long-lived asset groups as outlined under Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 360, Property, Plant, and Equipment . Leases At inception, the Company determines whether an arrangement is a lease and the appropriate lease classification. Operating leases are included as operating lease ROU assets within Other long-term assets and lease liabilities within Other current liabilities and Other long-term liabilities on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Finance leases are included as ROU finance leases within Property, plant, and equipment, net, and finance lease liabilities within Note payable and finance lease obligations and Long-term debt and finance lease obligations, net of current portion on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Leases with an initial expected term of 12 months or less are considered short-term and are not recorded on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company recognizes lease expense for these leases on a straight-line basis over the expected lease term. ROU assets represent the Company’s right to use an underlying asset for the lease term, and lease liabilities represent the obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. ROU assets and liabilities are recognized at the commencement date based on the present value of minimum lease payments over the lease term. The lease term is modified to reflect options to extend or terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain we will exercise such option. The depreciable life of assets and leasehold improvements is limited by the expected lease term, unless there is a transfer of title or purchase option reasonably certain of exercise, in which case the depreciation policy in the “Property, Plant and Equipment, net” section above is applicable. The periodic lease payments are treated as payments of the lease obligation and interest is recorded as interest expense. Deferred Financing Costs Lender and other third-party costs associated with debt issuances are deferred and amortized to interest expense and other financing costs using the effective-interest method over the life of the debt. Deferred financing costs related to line-of-credit arrangements are amortized using the straight-line method through the maturity date of the facility. The deferred financing costs are included net within Long-term debt and finance lease obligations, net of current portion and in Other long-term liabilities for the line-of-credit arrangements where no debt balance exists. Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and Goodwill Long-lived assets (excluding goodwill, intangible assets with indefinite lives, and deferred tax assets) are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset to estimated undiscounted future net cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. If the carrying amount of an asset exceeds its estimated undiscounted future net cash flows, an impairment charge is recognized for the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset exceeds their fair value. Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of their carrying value or fair value less cost to sell. Goodwill represents the excess of the cost of an acquired entity over the fair value of the assets acquired less liabilities assumed. Intangible assets are assets that lack physical substance (excluding financial assets). Goodwill acquired in a business combination and intangible assets with indefinite useful lives are not amortized, while intangible assets with finite useful lives are amortized. Goodwill and intangible assets not subject to amortization are tested for impairment annually or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate the asset might be impaired. The Company uses November 1 of each year as its annual valuation date for its goodwill impairment test. One of the reporting units associated with our Nitrogen Fertilizer Segment’s Coffeyville, Kansas facility (the “Coffeyville Facility”) had a goodwill balance of $41 million at December 31, 2019. During the second quarter of 2020, following the completion of the spring planting season, the market pricing for ammonia and UAN, the Nitrogen Fertilizer Segment’s two primary products, experienced significant pricing declines driven by updated market expectations around supply and demand fundamentals which were expected to continue into the second half of 2020. Additionally, significant uncertainty remained as to the nature and extent of impacts to be seen on the overall demand for corn and soybean given reduced ethanol production and broader economic conditions which may negatively impact demand. Therefore in connection with the preparation of the financial statements for the three months ended June 30, 2020, given the pricing declines experienced in the second quarter of 2020, further muting of our near-term economic recovery assumptions, and market price performance of CVR Partners’ common units, the Company concluded an impairment indicator was present and a triggering event under ASC Topic 350, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other , had occurred as of June 30, 2020. Significant assumptions inherent in the valuation methodologies for goodwill are employed and include, but are not limited to, prospective financial information, growth rates, discount rates, inflationary factors, and cost of capital. Based on the interim quantitative analysis, it was determined that the estimated fair value of the Coffeyville Facility reporting unit did not exceed its carrying value. As a result, the Company recorded a full, non-cash impairment charge of $41 million during the year ended December 31, 2020. As there is no goodwill balance at December 31, 2020, no annual impairment review was performed. The Company performed its annual impairment review of goodwill for 2019 and 2018 associated with CVR Partners’ Coffeyville, Kansas Nitrogen Fertilizer (the “Coffeyville Fertilizer Facility”) reporting unit and concluded there were no impairments. For the period ended December 31, 2019, no events or circumstances were identified which would trigger the performance of a quantitative analysis after reviewing all qualitative factors impacting the reporting unit including improved market conditions, financial results, and financial forecasts from those used in the fair value analysis at December 31, 2018. For the period ended December 31, 2018, the fair value of the Coffeyville Fertilizer Facility exceeded its carrying value by approximately 36% based upon the results of the reporting unit’s goodwill impairment test. Loss Contingencies In the ordinary course of business, the Company may become party to lawsuits, administrative proceedings, and governmental investigations, including environmental, regulatory, and other matters. The outcome of these matters cannot always be predicted accurately, but the Company accrues liabilities for these matters if the Company has determined that it is probable a loss has been incurred and the loss can be reasonably estimated. Environmental, Health & Safety (“EHS”) Matters The Petroleum and Nitrogen Fertilizer Segments are subject to various federal, state, and local environmental, health, and safety rules and regulations. Liabilities related to future remediation costs of past environmental contamination of properties are recognized when the related costs are considered probable and can be reasonably estimated. Estimates of these costs are based upon currently available facts, internal and third-party assessments of contamination, available remediation technology, site-specific costs, and currently enacted laws and regulations. In reporting environmental liabilities, no offset is made for potential recoveries. Loss contingency accruals, including those for environmental remediation, are subject to revision as further information develops or circumstances change and such accruals can take into account the legal liability of other parties. Management periodically reviews and, as appropriate, revises its environmental accruals. Environmental expenditures for capital assets are capitalized at the time of the expenditure when such costs provide future economic benefits. Revenue Recognition The Company recognizes revenue based on consideration specified in contracts or agreements with customers when performance obligations are satisfied by transferring control over products or services to a customer. The Company’s revenue recognition patterns are described below by reportable segment. • Petroleum Segment - The vast majority of Petroleum Segment contracts contain pricing that is based on the market price for the product at the time of delivery. Obligations to deliver product volumes are typically satisfied and revenue is recognized when control of the product transfers to customers. Concurrent with the transfer of control, the right to payment for the delivered product is received, the customer accepts the product, and the customer has significant risks and rewards of ownership of the product. Payment terms require customers to pay shortly after delivery and do not contain significant financing components. Any pass-through finished goods delivery costs reimbursed by customers are reported in Net sales, while an offsetting expense is included in Cost of materials and other. Non-monetary product exchanges and certain buy/sell transactions which are entered into in the normal course of business are included on a net cost basis in Cost of materials and other on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. • Nitrogen Fertilizer Segment - Revenue is recognized based on consideration specified in contracts or agreements with customers when performance obligations are satisfied by transferring control over products or services to a customer. The adoption of ASC Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers , resulted in the recognition of deferred revenue and related receivables, on a gross basis, associated with contracts that guarantee a price and supply of nitrogen fertilizer products in quantities expected to be delivered in the normal course of business. Other considerations - For both segments, excise and other taxes collected from customers and remitted to governmental authorities are excluded from reported revenues. Cost Classifications Cost of materials and other includes cost of crude oil, other feedstocks, blendstocks, purchased refined products, purchased ammonia, purchased hydrogen, pet coke expenses, Renewable Identification Number (“RIN”) expenses, derivative gains or losses, and freight and distribution costs. Direct operating expenses (exclusive of depreciation and amortization) consist primarily of energy and other utility costs, direct costs of labor, including applicable share-based compensation expense, property taxes, plant-related maintenance services, including turnaround, and environmental and safety compliance costs, as well as catalyst and chemical costs. Selling, general and administrative expenses (exclusive of depreciation and amortization) consist primarily of labor and other direct expenses associated with the Company’s corporate activities, including accounting, finance, information technology, human resources, legal, and other related administrative functions. For the Company’s Nitrogen Fertilizer Segment, each of these financial statement line items are also impacted by changes in inventory balances. Derivatives and Fair Value of Financial Instruments The Petroleum Segment uses futures contracts, swaps, and forward contracts primarily to reduce exposure to changes in crude oil and finished goods product prices to provide economic hedges of inventory positions. These derivative instruments do not qualify as hedges for hedge accounting purposes under ASC Topic 815, Derivatives and Hedging , and accordingly are recorded at fair value at the end of each reporting period based on quoted market prices. The Nitrogen Fertilizer Segment may enter into forward contracts with fixed delivery prices to purchase portions of its natural gas requirements. These natural gas contracts are not treated as derivatives under normal purchase and normal sale exclusions. Accordingly, the fair value of these contracts are not recorded at the end of each reporting period. Refer to Note 8 (“Derivative Financial Instruments, Investments and Fair Value Measurements”) for further discussion of the Company’s derivative activity. Other financial instruments consisting of cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, accounts receivable, and accounts payable are carried at cost, which approximates fair value, as a result of the short-term nature of the instruments. Refer to Note 8 (“Derivative Financial Instruments, Investments and Fair Value Measurements”) for further fair value disclosures. Turnaround Expenses Turnarounds represent major maintenance activities that require the shutdown of significant parts of a plant to perform necessary inspection, cleaning, repairs, and replacements of assets. Costs incurred for routine repairs and maintenance or unplanned outages at our facilities are expensed as incurred. Planned turnaround activities for the Petroleum Segment vary in frequency dependent on refinery units, but generally occur every four two Petroleum Segment - Effective January 1, 2019, the Company revised its accounting policy method for the costs of planned major maintenance activities (turnarounds) specific to the Petroleum Segment from being expensed as incurred (the direct-expense method) to the deferral method. Under the deferral method, the costs of turnarounds are deferred and amortized on a straight-line basis over a four-year period of time, which represents the estimated time until the next turnaround occurs. The new method of accounting for turnarounds is considered preferable as it is more consistent with the accounting policy of our peer companies and better reflects the economic substance of the benefits earned from turnaround expenditures. The related Consolidated Statements of Operations, Consolidated Statements of Changes in Equity, and Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the year ended December 31, 2018 have been recast to reflect our new accounting policy. Turnaround costs, and related accumulated amortization, are included in the Consolidated Balance Sheets as Other long-term assets. The amortization expense related to turnaround costs is included in Depreciation and amortization in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. During the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018, the Petroleum Segment capitalized $155 million, $38 million, and $8 million, respectively. Nitrogen Fertilizer Segment - The Nitrogen Fertilizer Segment follows the direct-expense method of accounting for turnaround activities. Costs associated with these turnaround activities were included in Direct operating expenses (exclusive of depreciation and amortization) in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. During the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018, the Nitrogen Fertilizer Segment incurred turnaround expenses of $1 million, $10 million, and $6 million, respectively. The following presents the financial statement line items impacted by the Petroleum Segment turnaround accounting change for each of the periods presented within these consolidated financial statements. Effect of Turnaround Accounting on Consolidated Statement of Operations and Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows for the Year Ended December 31, 2018 Year Ended December 31, 2018 (in millions) As Previously Reported Effect of Turnaround Accounting Change As Stated Consolidated Statement of Operations Direct operating expenses $ 523 $ (6) $ 517 Depreciation and amortization 202 61 263 Income tax expense (benefit) 89 (10) 79 Net income (loss) $ 411 $ (45) $ 366 Less: Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest 122 (15) 107 Net income (loss) attributable to CVR Energy stockholders $ 289 $ (30) $ 259 Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows Net cash provided by operating activities $ 620 $ 8 $ 628 Net cash used by investing activities $ (100) $ (8) $ (108) Share-Based Compensation The Company accounts for share-based compensation in accordance with ASC Topic 718, Compensation — Stock Compensation (“ASC 718”). Currently, all of the Company’s share-based compensation awards, including those issued by CVR Refining and CVR Partners, are liability-classified and are measured at fair value at the end of each reporting period based on the applicable closing unit price. Compensation expense will fluctuate based on changes in the applicable share or unit prices and expense reversals resulting from employee terminations prior to award vesting. Additionally, the Company has issued certain performance unit awards. The fair value of these performance unit awards is recognized as compensation expense only if the attainment of the performance conditions is considered probable. Uncertainties involved in this estimate include continued employment requirements and whether or not the performance conditions will be attained. The performance objectives are set in accordance with approved levels of the business plan for the fiscal year during the performance cycle and, therefore, are considered reasonably possible of being achieved. If this assumption proves not to be true and the awards do not vest, compensation expense recognized during the performance cycle will be reversed. See Note 9 (“Share-Based Compensation”) for further discussion. Income Taxes Income taxes are accounted for utilizing the asset and liability approach. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the anticipated future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax basis. Deferred amounts are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the year those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. In assessing the realizability of the deferred income tax assets, including net operating loss and state tax credit carryforwards, management considers whether it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The ultimate realization of deferred income tax assets is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income during the periods in which those temporary differences become deductible. Management considers the scheduled reversal of deferred income tax liabilities, projected future taxable income, and tax planning strategies in making this assessment. Further, the Company recognizes interest expense (income) and penalties on uncertain tax positions and income tax deficiencies (refunds) in Income tax (benefit) expense. Earnings Per Share There were no dilutive awards outstanding during the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018. Recent Accounting Pronouncements - Adoption of Credit Losses Standard In June 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standard Update (“ASU”) 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326). The ASU replaces the incurred loss model with a current expected credit loss model for more timely recognition of expected impairment losses for most financial assets and certain other instruments that are not measured at fair value through net income. Effective January 1, 2020, we adopted this ASU with no material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position or results of operations. Recent Accounting Pronouncements - Adoption of Fair Value Measurement Standard In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820). The ASU eliminates such disclosures as the amount of, and reasons for, transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy. Certain disclosures are required to be applied on a retrospective basis and others on a prospective basis. Effective January 1, 2020, we adopted this ASU with no material impact on the Company’s disclosures. Recent Accounting Pronouncements - New Accounting Standards Issued But Not Yet Implemented In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740). The ASU simplifies the accounting for income taxes by removing certain exceptions to the general principles in Topic 740 and modifies other areas of the topic to clarify the application of GAAP. Certain amendments within the standard are required to be applied on a retrospective basis and others on a prospective basis. This standard is effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2021, with early adoption permitted. The Company is evaluating the effect of adopting this new accounting guidance on its consolidated financial statements, but does not currently expect adoption will have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position or results of operations. The Company does not intend to early adopt this ASU. In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848). This ASU was issued because, by the end of 2021, banks will no longer be required to report information that is used to determine London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”), which is used globally by all types of entities. As a result, LIBOR could be discontinued, as well as other interest rates used globally. ASU 2020-04 provides companies with optional expedients for contract modifications under Topics 310, 470, 842, and 815-15, excluded components of certain hedging relationships, fair value hedges, and cash flow hedges, as well as certain exceptions, which are intended to help ease the potential accounting burden associated with transitioning away from these reference rates. Companies can apply the ASU immediately. However, the guidance will only be available for a limited time (generally through December 31, 2022). The Company is currently evaluating the impact that adopting this new accounting standard will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. or results of operations. In October 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-10, Codification Improvements. The ASU amends various sections of the codification in the Boards ongoing efforts to simplify and improve guidance. This standard is effective for the Company |