UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-K

 

Commission File Number 001-32657

NABORS INDUSTRIES LTD.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

(441) 292-1510

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934:

 

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934:
None.

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.  YES þ     NO o

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.  YES o     NO þ

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  YES þ     NO o

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Website, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months. YES þ NO o

 

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.  þ

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company. See definition of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

 

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).  YES o     NO þ

 

The aggregate market value of the 228,620,332 common shares, par value $.001 per share, held by non-affiliates of the registrant, based upon the closing price of our common shares as of the last business day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter, June 30, 2009, of $15.58 per share as reported on the New York Stock Exchange, was $3,561,904,773. Common shares held by each officer and director and by each person who owns 5% or more of the outstanding common shares have been excluded in that such persons may be deemed affiliates. This determination of affiliate status is not necessarily a conclusive determination for other purposes.

 

The number of common shares, par value $.001 per share, outstanding as of February 24, 2010 was 284,669,913.

 

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (to the extent indicated herein)

 

Specified portions of the 2010 Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders and the definitive Proxy
Statement to be distributed in connection with the 2010 annual meeting of shareholders (Part III).

 

 

NABORS INDUSTRIES LTD.

 

Form 10-K Annual Report

 

For the Year Ended December 31, 2009

 

Table of Contents

 

Our internet address is www.nabors.com. We make available free of charge through our website our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). In addition, a glossary of drilling terms used in this document and documents relating to our corporate governance (such as committee charters, governance guidelines and other internal policies) can be found on our website. The SEC maintains an internet site (www.sec.gov) that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC.

 

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

 

We often discuss expectations regarding our future markets, demand for our products and services, and our performance in our annual and quarterly reports, press releases, and other written and oral statements. Statements that relate to matters that are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”) and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”). These “forward-looking statements” are based on an analysis of currently available competitive, financial and economic data and our operating plans. They are inherently uncertain and investors should recognize that events and actual results could turn out to be significantly different from our expectations. By way of illustration, when used in this document, words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “expect,” “plan,” “intend,” “estimate,” “project,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “may,” “predict” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements.

 

You should consider the following key factors when evaluating these forward-looking statements:

 

 

Our businesses depend, to a large degree, on the level of spending by oil and gas companies for exploration, development and production activities. Therefore, a sustained increase or decrease in the price of natural gas or oil, which could have a material impact on exploration, development and production activities, could also materially affect our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

 

The above description of risks and uncertainties is by no means all-inclusive, but is designed to highlight what we believe are important factors to consider. For a more detailed description of risk factors, please refer to Part I, Item 1A. — Risk Factors.

 

Unless the context requires otherwise, references in this report to “we,” “us,” “our,” “the Company,” or “Nabors” means Nabors Industries Ltd. and, where the context requires, includes our subsidiaries.

 

 

Introduction

 

Nabors is the largest land drilling contractor in the world, with approximately 542 actively marketed land drilling rigs. We conduct oil, gas and geothermal land drilling operations in the U.S. Lower 48 states, Alaska, Canada, South America, Mexico, the Caribbean, the Middle East, the Far East, Russia and Africa. We are also one of the largest land well-servicing and workover contractors in the United States and Canada. We actively market approximately 558 rigs for land workover and well-servicing work in the United States, primarily in the southwestern and western United States, and actively market approximately 172 land workover and well-servicing rigs in Canada. Nabors is a leading provider of offshore platform workover and drilling rigs, and actively markets 40 platform, 13 jack-up and 3 barge rigs in the United States and multiple international markets. These rigs provide well-servicing, workover and drilling services. We have a 51% ownership interest in a joint venture in Saudi Arabia, which owns and actively markets 9 rigs in addition to the rigs we lease to the joint venture. We also offer a wide range of ancillary well-site services, including engineering, transportation, construction, maintenance, well logging, directional drilling, rig instrumentation, data collection and other support services in select domestic and international markets. We provide logistics services for onshore drilling in Canada using helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. We manufacture and lease or sell top drives for a broad range of drilling applications, directional drilling systems, rig instrumentation and data collection equipment, pipeline handling equipment and rig reporting software. We also invest in oil and gas exploration, development and production activities and have 49-50% ownership interests in joint ventures in the U.S., Canada and International areas.

 

Nabors was formed as a Bermuda exempt company on December 11, 2001. Through predecessors and acquired entities, Nabors has been continuously operating in the drilling sector since the early 1900s. Our principal executive offices are located at Mintflower Place, 8 Par-La-Ville Road, Hamilton, HM08, Bermuda. Our phone number at our principal executive offices is (441) 292-1510.

 

Our Fleet of Rigs

 

 

Special-purpose drilling rigs used to perform workover services consist of a mobile carrier, which includes an engine, drawworks and a mast, together with other standard drilling accessories and specialized equipment for servicing wells. These rigs are specially designed for major repairs and modifications of oil and gas wells, including standard drilling functions. A well-servicing rig is specially designed for periodic maintenance of oil and gas wells for which service is required to maximize the productive life of the wells. The primary function of a well-servicing rig is to act as a hoist so that pipe, sucker rods and down-hole equipment can be run into and out of a well, although they also can perform standard drilling functions. Because of size and cost considerations, these specially designed rigs are used for these operations rather than the larger drilling rigs typically used for the initial drilling job.

 

Land-based drilling rigs are moved between well sites and between geographic areas of operations by using our fleet of cranes, loaders and transport vehicles or those from a third-party service vendor. Well-servicing rigs are generally self-propelled; heavier capacity workover rigs are either self-propelled or trailer-mounted and include auxiliary equipment, which is either transported on trailers or moved with trucks.

 

 

Additional information regarding the geographic markets in which we operate and our business segments can be found in Note 21 — Segment Information in Part II, Item 8. — Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

 

Customers: Types of Drilling Contracts

 

Our customers include major oil and gas companies, foreign national oil and gas companies and independent oil and gas companies. No customer accounted for more than 10% of our consolidated revenues in 2009 or 2008.

 

On land in the U.S. Lower 48 states and Canada, we have historically been contracted on a single-well basis, with extensions subject to mutual agreement on pricing and other significant terms. Beginning in late 2004, as a result of increasing demand for drilling services, our customers started entering into longer term contracts with durations ranging from one to three years. Under these contracts, our rigs are committed to one customer over that term. Most of our recent contracts for newly constructed rigs have three-year terms. Contracts relating to offshore drilling and land drilling in Alaska and international markets generally provide for longer terms, usually from one to five years. Offshore workover projects are often on a single-well basis. We generally are awarded drilling contracts through competitive bidding, although we occasionally enter into contracts by direct negotiation. Most of our single-well contracts are subject to termination by the customer on short notice, but some can be firm for a number of wells or a period of time, and may provide for early termination compensation in certain circumstances. Contract terms and rates differ depending on a variety of factors, including competitive conditions, the geographical area, the geological formation to be drilled, the equipment and services to be supplied, the on-site drilling conditions and the anticipated duration of the work to be performed.

 

In recent years, all of our drilling contracts have been daywork contracts. A daywork contract generally provides for a basic rate per day when drilling (the dayrate for our providing a rig and crew) and for lower rates when the rig is moving, or when drilling operations are interrupted or restricted by equipment

breakdowns, adverse weather conditions or other conditions beyond our control. In addition, daywork contracts may provide for a lump sum fee for the mobilization and demobilization of the rig, which in most cases approximates our incurred costs. A daywork contract differs from a footage contract (in which the drilling contractor is paid on the basis of a rate per foot drilled) and a turnkey contract (in which the drilling contractor is paid for drilling a well to a specified depth for a fixed price).

 

Well-Servicing and Workover Services

 

Although some wells in the United States flow oil to the surface without mechanical assistance, most are in mature production areas that require pumping or some other form of artificial lift. Pumping oil wells characteristically require more maintenance than flowing wells because of the operation of the mechanical pumping equipment.

 

 

Oil and Gas Investments

 

Through our wholly owned Ramshorn business unit, we invest in oil and gas exploration, development and production operations in the United States, Canada and internationally. In addition, in 2006, we entered into an agreement with First Reserve Corporation to form select joint ventures to invest in oil and gas exploration opportunities worldwide. During 2007, three joint ventures were formed for operations in the United States, Canada and International areas. We hold a 50% ownership interest in the Canadian entity and 49.7% ownership interests in the U.S. and international entities. We account for these investments using the equity method of accounting. Each joint venture pursues development and exploration projects with both existing Nabors customers and other operators in a variety of forms, including operated and non-operated working interests, joint ventures, farm-outs and acquisitions. Our Ramshorn business unit through both wholly

owned and joint venture operations is focused on the exploration for and the acquisition, development and production of natural gas, oil and natural gas liquids in Alaska, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Texas, Utah and Wyoming. Outside of the United States, we and our joint ventures own or have interests in the Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia and in Colombia.

 

Additional information about recent activities for this segment can be found in Part II, Item 7. — Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Oil and Gas.

 

Other Services

 

Canrig Drilling Technology Ltd., our drilling technologies and well services subsidiary, manufactures top drives, which are installed on both onshore and offshore drilling rigs. We market our top drives throughout the world. During the last three years, approximately 41% of our top drive sales were made to other Nabors companies. We also rent top drives and catwalks, and provide installation, repair and maintenance services to our customers. We also offer rig instrumentation equipment, including proprietary RIGWATCH^tm software and computerized equipment that monitors a rig’s real-time performance. Our directional drilling system, ROCKIT^tm, is experiencing high growth in the marketplace. In addition, we specialize in daily reporting software for drilling operations, making this data available through the internet. We also provide mudlogging services. Canrig Drilling Technology Canada Ltd., one of our Canadian subsidiaries, manufactures catwalks which are installed on both onshore and offshore drilling rigs. During the last three years, approximately 63% of our equipment sales were made to other Nabors companies. Ryan Energy Technologies, Inc., another one of our subsidiaries, manufactures and sells directional drilling and rig instrumentation equipment and provides data collection services to oil and gas exploration and service companies. Nabors has a 50% ownership interest in Peak Oilfield Service Company, a general partnership with a subsidiary of Cook Inlet Region, Inc., a leading Alaskan native corporation. Peak Oilfield Service Company provides heavy equipment to move drilling rigs, water, other fluids and construction materials, primarily on Alaska’s North Slope and in the Cook Inlet region. The partnership also provides construction and maintenance for ice roads, pads, facilities, equipment, drill sites and pipelines. Nabors also has a 50% membership interest in Alaska Interstate Construction, L.L.C., a general contractor involved in the construction of roads, bridges, dams, drill sites and other facility sites, as well as the provision of mining support in Alaska; the other member of Alaska Interstate Construction, L.L.C. is a subsidiary of Cook Inlet Region, Inc. Revenues are derived from services to companies engaged in mining and public works. Nabors Blue Sky Ltd. leases aircraft used for logistics services for onshore drilling in Canada using helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.

 

Our Employees

 

As of December 31, 2009, Nabors employed approximately 18,390 persons, of whom approximately 3,148 were employed by unconsolidated affiliates. We believe our relationship with our employees is generally good.

 

Some rig employees in Argentina and Australia are represented by collective bargaining units.

 

Seasonality

 

Our Canadian and Alaskan drilling and workover operations are subject to seasonal variations as a result of weather conditions and generally experience reduced levels of activity and financial results during the second quarter of each year. Global warming could lengthen these periods of reduced activity, but we cannot currently estimate to what degree. Seasonality does not materially impact the remaining portions of our business. Our overall financial results reflect the seasonal variations experienced in our Canadian and Alaskan operations.

 

Research and Development

 

Research and development constitutes a growing part of our overall business. The effective use of technology is critical to maintaining our competitive position within the drilling industry. We expect to continue developing technology internally and acquiring technology through strategic acquisitions.

Industry/Competitive Conditions

 

To a large degree, Nabors’ businesses depend on the level of capital spending by oil and gas companies for exploration, development and production activities. A sustained increase or decrease in the price of natural gas or oil could have a material impact on exploration, development and production activities by our customers and could materially affect our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. See Part I, Item 1A. — Risk Factors — Fluctuations in oil and natural gas prices could adversely affect drilling activity and our revenues, cash flows and profitability.

 

Our industry remains competitive. Historically, the number of available rigs has exceeded demand in many of our markets. The land drilling, workover and well-servicing market is generally more competitive than the offshore market due to the larger number of rigs and market participants. From 2005 through most of 2008, demand was strong for drilling services driven by a sustained increase in the level of commodity prices; supply of and demand for land drilling services were in balance in the United States and international markets, with demand actually exceeding supply in some of our markets. This resulted in an increase in rates being charged for rigs across our North American, Offshore and International markets. In late 2008, falling oil prices and the declines in natural gas prices forced a curtailment of drilling-related expenditures by many companies and resulted in an oversupply of rigs in the markets where we operate. During 2009, this continued decline in drilling and related activity impacted our key markets. Although many rigs can be readily moved from one region to another in response to changes in levels of activity and many of the total available contracts are currently awarded on a bid basis, competition increases based on the price and supply of existing and new rigs across all of our markets.

 

In all of our geographic markets, we believe price and the availability and condition of equipment are the most significant factors in determining which drilling contractor is awarded a job. Other factors include the availability of trained personnel possessing the required specialized skills; the overall quality of service and safety record; and the ability to offer ancillary services. Increasingly, the ability to deliver rigs with new technology and features is becoming a competitive factor. In international markets, experience in operating in certain environments, as well as customer alliances have been factors in the selection of Nabors.

 

Certain competitors are present in more than one of Nabors’ operating regions, although no one competitor operates in all of these areas. In the U.S. Lower 48 states, we compete with Helmerich and Payne, Inc. and Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc., and several hundred other competitors with national, regional or local rig operations. In domestic land workover and well-servicing, we compete with Basic Energy Services, Inc., Key Energy Services, Inc., Complete Energy Services and with numerous other competitors having smaller regional or local rig operations. In Canada and Offshore, we compete with many firms of varying size, several of which have more significant operations in those areas than Nabors. Internationally, we compete directly with various contractors at each location where we operate. We believe that the market for land drilling, workover and well-servicing contracts will continue to be competitive for the foreseeable future.

 

Our other operating segments represent a relatively smaller part of our business, and we have numerous competitors in each area. Our Canrig Drilling Technology Ltd. subsidiary is one of the four major manufacturers of top drives. Its largest competitors in that market are National Oilwell Varco, Tesco and MH Pyramid. Its largest competitors in the manufacture of rig instrumentation systems are Pason and National Oilwell Varco’s Totco subsidiary. Mudlogging services are provided by a number of entities that serve the oil and gas industry on a regional basis. In the U.S. Lower 48 states, there are hundreds of rig transportation companies in each of our operating regions. In Alaska, Peak Oilfield Service principally competes with Alaska Petroleum Contractors for road, pad and pipeline maintenance, and is one of many drill site and road construction companies, the largest of which is VECO Corporation, and Alaska Interstate Construction principally competes with Granite Construction Company, NANA and Pah River Construction for the construction of roads, bridges, dams, drill sites and other facility sites.

 

Our Business Strategy

 

Since 1987, with the installation of our current management team, we have adhered to a consistent strategy aimed at positioning Nabors to grow and prosper in times of good market conditions and to mitigate

adverse effects during periods of poor market conditions. We have maintained a financial posture that allows us to capitalize on market weakness and strength by adding to our business base, thereby enhancing our upside potential. The principal elements of our strategy have been to:

 

 

Our business strategy is designed to allow us to grow and remain profitable in any market environment. The major developments in our business in recent years illustrate our implementation of this strategy and its continuing success. Beginning in 2005, we took advantage of the robust rig market in the United States and internationally to obtain a high volume of contracts for newly constructed rigs. A large proportion of these rigs are subject to long-term contracts with creditworthy customers with the most significant impact occurring in our International operations. This will not only expand our operations with the latest state-of-the-art rigs, which should better weather downturns in market activity, but eventually replace the oldest and least capable rigs in our existing fleet. However, this positive trend in the rig market slowed in the fourth quarter of 2008 and throughout much of 2009, due to the continued steady decline in natural gas and oil prices. As a result of lower commodity prices, many of our customers’ drilling programs were reduced and the demand for additional rigs was substantially reduced. Although we expect market conditions to remain challenging during 2010, we believe the deployment of our newer and higher margin rigs under long-term contracts will enhance our competitive position when market conditions improve.

 

Acquisitions and Divestitures

 

We have grown from a land drilling business centered in the U.S. Lower 48 states, Canada and Alaska to an international business with operations on land and offshore in many of the major oil, gas and geothermal markets in the world. At the beginning of 1990, our fleet consisted of 44 actively marketed land drilling rigs in Canada, Alaska and in various international markets. Today, our worldwide fleet of actively marketed rigs consists of approximately 542 land drilling rigs, approximately 558 rigs for land workover and well-servicing work in the United States and 172 rigs for land workover and well-servicing work in Canada, 40 offshore platform rigs, 13 jack-up units, 3 barge rigs and a large component of trucks and fluid hauling vehicles. This growth was fueled in part by strategic acquisitions. Although Nabors continues to examine opportunities, there can be no assurance that attractive rigs or other acquisition opportunities will continue to be available, that the pricing will be economical or that we will be successful in making such acquisitions in the future.

 

On January 3, 2006, we completed an acquisition of 1183011 Alberta Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Airborne Energy Solutions Ltd., through the purchase of all common shares outstanding for cash for a total purchase price of Cdn.$41.7 million (U.S. $35.8 million). In addition, we assumed debt, net of working capital, totaling approximately Cdn.$10.0 million (U.S. $8.6 million). On this date, Nabors Blue Sky Ltd. (formerly 1183011 Alberta Ltd.) owned 42 helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft and owned and operated a fleet of heliportable well-service equipment. The purchase price was allocated based on final valuations of the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed as of the acquisition date and resulted in goodwill of approximately U.S. $18.8 million. During 2008 and 2009, the results of our impairment tests of goodwill and

intangible assets indicated a permanent impairment to goodwill and to an intangible asset of Nabors Blue Sky Ltd. As such, the goodwill has been fully impaired as of December 31, 2009. See Note 2 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in Part II, Item 8 — Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

 

On May 31, 2006, we completed an acquisition of Pragma Drilling Equipment Ltd.’s business, which manufactures catwalks, iron roughnecks and other related oilfield equipment, through an asset purchase consisting primarily of intellectual property for a total purchase price of Cdn.$46.1 million (U.S. $41.5 million). The purchase price has been allocated based on final valuations of the fair market value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed as of the acquisition date and resulted in goodwill of approximately U.S. $10.5 million.

 

On August 8, 2007, we sold our Sea Mar business which had previously been included in Other Operating Segments. The assets included 20 offshore supply vessels and related assets, including a right under a vessel construction contract. The operating results of this business for all periods presented are accounted for as a discontinued operation in the accompanying audited consolidated statements of income (loss).

 

From time to time, we may sell a subsidiary or group of assets outside of our core markets or business, if it is economically advantageous for us to do so.

 

Environmental Compliance

 

Nabors does not currently anticipate that compliance with currently applicable environmental regulations and controls will significantly change its competitive position, capital spending or earnings during 2010. Nabors believes it is in material compliance with applicable environmental rules and regulations, and the cost of such compliance is not material to the business or financial condition of Nabors. For a more detailed description of the environmental laws and regulations applicable to Nabors’ operations, see Part I, Item 1A. — Risk Factors — Changes to or noncompliance with governmental regulation or exposure to environmental liabilities could adversely affect Nabors’ results of operations.

 

 

In addition to the other information set forth elsewhere in this report, the following factors should be carefully considered when evaluating Nabors. The risks described below are not the only ones facing Nabors. Additional risks not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also impair our business operations.

 

Our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially adversely affected by any of these risks.

 

Uncertain or negative global economic conditions could continue to adversely affect our results of operations

 

The recent and substantial volatility and extended declines in oil and natural gas prices in response to a weakened global economic environment has adversely affected our results of operations. In addition, economic conditions have resulted in substantial uncertainty in the capital markets and both access to and terms of available financing. Many of our customers have curtailed their drilling programs, which, in many cases, has resulted in a decrease in demand for drilling rigs and a reduction in dayrates and utilization. Additionally, some customers have terminated drilling contracts prior to the expiration of their terms. A prolonged period of lower oil and natural gas prices could continue to impact our industry and our business, including our future operating results and the ability to recover our assets, including goodwill, at their stated values. In addition, some of our customers could experience an inability to pay suppliers, including us, in the event they are unable to access the capital markets to fund their business operations. Likewise, our suppliers may be unable to sustain their current level of operations, fulfill their commitments and/or fund future operations and obligations. Each of these could adversely affect our operations.

Fluctuations in oil and natural gas prices could adversely affect drilling activity and our revenues, cash flows and profitability

 

Our operations depend on the level of spending by oil and gas companies for exploration, development and production activities. Both short-term and long-term trends in oil and natural gas prices affect these levels. Oil and natural gas prices, as well as the level of drilling, exploration and production activity, can be highly volatile. Worldwide military, political and economic events, including initiatives by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, affect both the demand for, and the supply of, oil and natural gas. Weather conditions, governmental regulation (both in the United States and elsewhere), levels of consumer demand, the availability of pipeline capacity, and other factors beyond our control may also affect the supply of and demand for oil and natural gas. Recent volatility and the effects of recent declines in oil and natural gas prices are likely to continue in the near future, especially given the general contraction in the world’s economy that began during 2008. We believe that any prolonged suppression of oil and natural gas prices could continue to depress the level of exploration and production activity. Lower oil and natural gas prices have also caused some of our customers to seek to terminate, renegotiate or fail to honor our drilling contracts and affected the fair market value of our rig fleet, which in turn has resulted in impairments of our assets. A prolonged period of lower oil and natural gas prices could affect our ability to retain skilled rig personnel and affect our ability to access capital to finance and grow our business. There can be no assurances as to the future level of demand for our services or future conditions in the oil and natural gas and oilfield services industries.

 

We have a substantial amount of debt outstanding

 

As of December 31, 2009, we had long-term debt outstanding of approximately $3.9 billion, including $.2 million in current maturities and $1.6 billion in long-term debt that matures in May 2011, and cash and cash equivalents and investments of $1.2 billion, including $100.9 million of long-term investments and other receivables. Long-term investments and other receivables include $92.5 million in oil and gas financing receivables. Our ability to service our debt obligations depends in large part upon the level of cash flows generated by our subsidiaries’ operations and our access to capital markets. If our 0.94% senior exchangeable notes were exchanged before their maturity in May 2011, the required cash payment could have a significant impact on our level of cash and cash equivalents and investments available to meet our other cash obligations. We calculate our leverage in relation to our capital (i.e., shareholders’ equity) utilizing two commonly used ratios:

 

 

At December 31, 2009, our gross funded debt to capital ratio was 0.41:1 and our net funded debt to capital ratio was 0.33:1.

 

As a holding company, we depend on our subsidiaries to meet our financial obligations

 

We are a holding company with no significant assets other than the stock of our subsidiaries. In order to meet our financial needs, we rely exclusively on repayments of interest and principal on intercompany loans that we have made to our operating subsidiaries and income from dividends and other cash flow from our subsidiaries. There can be no assurance that our operating subsidiaries will generate sufficient net income to pay us dividends or sufficient cash flow to make payments of interest and principal to us. In addition, from time to time, our operating subsidiaries may enter into financing arrangements that contractually restrict or prohibit these types of upstream payments to us. There can also be adverse tax consequences associated with paying dividends.

Our access to borrowing capacity could be affected by the recent instability in the global financial markets

 

Our ability to access capital markets or to otherwise obtain sufficient financing is enhanced by our senior unsecured debt ratings as provided by Fitch Ratings, Moody’s Investor Service and Standard & Poor’s, which are currently “BBB+,” “Baa1” and “BBB+”, respectively, and our historical ability to access those markets as needed. Standard & Poor’s recently affirmed its “BBB+” credit rating on Nabors, but revised its outlook to negative from stable in early 2009 due primarily to worsening industry conditions. A credit downgrade may impact our future ability to access credit markets, which is important for purposes of both meeting our financial obligations and funding capital requirements to finance and grow our businesses.

 

We operate in a highly competitive industry with excess drilling capacity, which may adversely affect our results of operations

 

The oilfield services industry is very competitive. Contract drilling companies compete primarily on a regional basis, and competition may vary significantly from region to region at any particular time. Many drilling, workover and well-servicing rigs can be moved from one region to another in response to changes in levels of activity and market conditions, which may result in an oversupply of rigs in an area. In many markets in which we operate, the number of rigs available for use exceeds the demand for rigs, resulting in price competition. Most drilling and workover contracts are awarded on the basis of competitive bids, which also results in price competition. The land drilling market generally is more competitive than the offshore drilling market because there are larger numbers of rigs and competitors.

 

The nature of our operations presents inherent risks of loss that, if not insured or indemnified against, could adversely affect our results of operations

 

Our operations are subject to many hazards inherent in the drilling, workover and well-servicing industries, including blowouts, cratering, explosions, fires, loss of well control, loss of hole, damaged or lost drilling equipment and damage or loss from inclement weather or natural disasters. Any of these hazards could result in personal injury or death, damage to or destruction of equipment and facilities, suspension of operations, environmental damage and damage to the property of others. Our offshore operations are also subject to the hazards of marine operations including capsizing, grounding, collision, damage from hurricanes and heavy weather or sea conditions and unsound ocean bottom conditions. In addition, our international operations are subject to risks of war, civil disturbances or other political events. Generally, drilling contracts provide for the division of responsibilities between a drilling company and its customer, and we seek to obtain indemnification from our customers by contract for some of these risks. To the extent that we are unable to transfer these risks to customers by contract or indemnification agreements, we seek protection through insurance. However, there is no assurance that our insurance or indemnification agreements will adequately protect us against liability from all of the consequences of the hazards described above. The occurrence of an event not fully insured or indemnified against, or the failure or inability of a customer or insurer to meet its indemnification or insurance obligations, could result in substantial losses. In addition, there can be no assurance that insurance will be available to cover any or all of these risks. Even if available, insurance may be inadequate or insurance premiums or other costs may rise significantly in the future making insurance prohibitively expensive. We expect to continue to face upward pressure in our insurance renewals; our premiums and deductibles may be higher, and some insurance coverage may either be unavailable or more expensive than it has been in the past. Moreover, our insurance coverage generally provides that we assume a portion of the risk in the form of a deductible. We may choose to increase the levels of deductibles (and thus assume a greater degree of risk) from time to time in order to minimize our overall costs.

 

Future price declines may result in a writedown of our oil and gas asset carrying values

 

We follow the successful-efforts method of accounting for our consolidated subsidiaries’ oil and gas activities. Under the successful-efforts method, lease acquisition costs and all development costs are capitalized. Our provision for depletion is based on these capitalized costs and is determined on a property-by-property basis using the units-of-production method. Proved property acquisition costs are

amortized over total proved reserves. Costs of wells and related equipment and facilities are amortized over the life of proved developed reserves. Proved oil and gas properties are reviewed when circumstances suggest the need for such a review and are written down to their estimated fair value, if required. Unproved properties are reviewed periodically to determine if there has been impairment of the carrying value; any impairment is expensed in that period. The estimated fair value of our proved reserves generally declines when there is a significant and sustained decline in oil and natural gas prices. During 2009, 2008 and 2007, our impairment tests on the oil and gas-related assets of our wholly owned Ramshorn business unit resulted in impairment charges of $205.9 million, $21.5 million and $41.0 million, respectively. Any sustained further decline in oil and natural gas prices or reserve quantities could require further writedown of the value of our proved oil and gas properties if the estimated fair value of these properties falls below their net book value.

 

Our unconsolidated oil and gas joint ventures, which we account for under the equity method of accounting, utilize the full-cost method of accounting for costs related to oil and natural gas properties. Under this method, all of these costs (for both productive and nonproductive properties) are capitalized and amortized on an aggregate basis over the estimated lives of the properties using the units-of-production method. However, these capitalized costs are subject to a ceiling test which limits the costs to the aggregate of (i) the present value of future net revenues attributable to proved oil and natural gas reserves, discounted at 10%, plus (ii) the lower of cost or market value of unproved properties. The full-cost ceiling was evaluated at December 31, 2009 using the 12-month average price, whereas during 2008 and 2007, the full-cost ceiling was evaluated using year-end prices. During 2009 and 2008, our unconsolidated oil and gas joint ventures recorded full-cost ceiling test writedowns, of which $237.1 million and $228.3 million, respectively, represented our proportionate share. During 2007, our joint ventures did not record full-cost ceiling test writedowns. Any sustained further decline in oil and natural gas prices, or other factors, without other mitigating circumstances, could cause other future writedowns of capitalized costs and asset impairments that could adversely affect our results of operations.

 

The profitability of our operations outside the United States could be adversely affected by war, civil disturbance, or political or economic turmoil, fluctuation in currency exchange rates and local import and export controls

 

We derive a significant portion of our business from international markets, including major operations in Canada, South America, Mexico, the Caribbean, the Middle East, the Far East, Russia and Africa. These operations are subject to various risks, including the risk of war, civil disturbances and governmental activities that may limit or disrupt markets, restrict the movement of funds or result in the deprivation of contract rights or the taking of property without fair compensation. In certain countries, our operations may be subject to the additional risk of fluctuating currency values and exchange controls, such as the recent foreign currency devaluation in Venezuela. In the international markets where we operate, we are subject to various laws and regulations that govern the operation and taxation of our business and the import and export of our equipment from country to country, the imposition, application and interpretation of which can prove to be uncertain.

 

The loss of key executives could reduce our competitiveness and prospects for future success

 

The successful execution of our strategies central to our future success will depend, in part, on a few of our key executive officers. We have entered into employment agreements with our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Eugene M. Isenberg and our Deputy Chairman, President and Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Anthony G. Petrello, with terms through March 30, 2013. If either Mr. Isenberg’s or Mr. Petrello’s employment is terminated in the event of death or disability, or without cause or in the event of a change in control, significant cash payments up to $100 million and $50 million, respectively, would be made by the Company. We do not carry significant amounts of key man insurance. The loss of Mr. Isenberg or Mr. Petrello could have an adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations.

Changes to or noncompliance with governmental regulation or exposure to environmental liabilities could adversely affect our results of operations

 

The drilling of oil and gas wells is subject to various federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations. Our cost of compliance with these laws, rules and regulations may be substantial. For example, federal law imposes on “responsible parties” a variety of regulations related to the prevention of oil spills, and liability for damages from such spills. As an owner and operator of onshore and offshore rigs and transportation equipment, we may be deemed to be a responsible party under federal law. In addition, our well-servicing, workover and production services operations routinely involve the handling of significant amounts of waste materials, some of which are classified as hazardous substances. Various state and federal laws govern the containment and disposal of hazardous substances, oilfield waste and other waste materials, the use of underground storage tanks and the use of underground injection wells.

 

We employ personnel responsible for monitoring environmental compliance and arranging for remedial actions that may be required from time to time and also use consultants to advise on and assist with our environmental compliance efforts. Liabilities are recorded when the need for environmental assessments and/or remedial efforts become known or probable and the cost can be reasonably estimated.

 

The scope of laws protecting the environment has expanded, particularly outside the U.S., and this trend is expected to continue. The violation of environmental laws and regulations can lead to the imposition of administrative, civil or criminal penalties, remedial obligations, and in some cases injunctive relief. Violations may also result in liabilities for personal injuries, property damage and other costs and claims. We generally require customers to assume responsibility for environmental liabilities. However, we are not always successful in allocating all of these risks to customers, and there is no assurance that customers who assume the risks will be financially able to bear them.

 

Under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, also known as CERCLA or Superfund, and similar state laws and regulations, liability for release of a hazardous substance into the environment can be imposed jointly on the entire group of responsible parties or separately on any one of the responsible parties, without regard to fault or the legality of the original conduct of any party that contributed to the release. Liability under CERCLA may include costs of cleaning up the hazardous substances that have been released into the environment and damages to natural resources.

 

Changes in U.S. federal and state environmental regulations may also negatively impact oil and natural gas exploration and production companies, which in turn could have an adverse effect on us. For example, legislation has been proposed from time to time in the U.S. Congress that would reclassify some oil and natural gas production wastes as hazardous wastes, which would make the reclassified wastes subject to more stringent handling, disposal and clean-up requirements. Also, regulators in the United States and other jurisdictions in which we operate are increasingly focused on restricting the emission of carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases that may contribute to warming of the Earth’s atmosphere, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, also known as the “Kyoto Protocol” (an internationally applied protocol of which the United States is not a participating member), the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative in the Northeastern United States, the Western Regional Climate Action Initiative in the Western United States, and the 2007 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Massachusetts, et al. v. EPA that greenhouse gases are an “air pollutant” under the federal Clean Air Act and thus subject to future regulation. The enactment of such hazardous waste legislation or future or more stringent regulation of greenhouse gases could dramatically increase operating costs for oil and natural gas companies and could reduce the market for our services by making many wells and/or oilfields uneconomical to operate.

 

The U.S. Oil Pollution Act of 1990, as amended, contains provisions specifying responsibility for removal costs and damages resulting from discharges of oil into navigable waters or onto the adjoining shorelines. In addition, the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act provides the federal government with broad discretion in regulating the leasing of offshore oil and gas production sites.

Because our option, warrant and convertible securities holders have a considerable number of common shares available for issuance and resale, significant issuances or resales in the future could adversely affect the market price of our common shares

 

As of February 24, 2010, we had 800,000,000 authorized common shares, of which 284,669,913 shares were outstanding. In addition, 40,641,861 common shares were reserved for issuance pursuant to option and employee benefit plans, and 78,013,925 shares were reserved for issuance upon conversion or repurchase of outstanding senior exchangeable notes. The sale, or availability for sale, of substantial amounts of our common shares in the public market, whether directly by us or resulting from the exercise of warrants or options (and, where applicable, sales pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act) or the conversion into common shares, or repurchase of debentures and notes using common shares, would be dilutive to existing security holders, could adversely affect the prevailing market price of our common shares and could impair our ability to raise additional capital through the sale of equity securities.

 

Provisions in our organizational documents and executive contracts may deter a change of control transaction and decrease the likelihood of a shareholder receiving a change of control premium

 

Our Board of Directors is divided into three classes, with each class serving a staggered three-year term. In addition, the Board of Directors has the authority to issue a significant number of common shares and up to 25,000,000 preferred shares and to determine the price, rights (including voting rights), conversion ratios, preferences and privileges of the preferred shares, in each case without any vote or action by the holders of our common shares. Although we have no current plans to issue preferred shares, our classified Board, as well as its ability to issue preferred shares, may discourage, delay or prevent changes in control of Nabors that are not supported by the Board, thereby preventing some of our shareholders from realizing a premium on their shares. In addition, the requirement in the indenture for our 0.94% senior exchangeable notes due 2011 to pay a make-whole premium in the form of an increase in the exchange rate in certain circumstances could have the effect of making a change in control of Nabors more expensive.

 

We have employment agreements with our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Eugene M. Isenberg, and our Deputy Chairman, President and Chief Operating Officer, Anthony G. Petrello. These agreements have change-in-control provisions that could result in significant cash payments to Messrs. Isenberg and Petrello.

 

We may have additional tax liabilities

 

We are subject to income taxes in the United States and numerous other jurisdictions. Significant judgment is required in determining our worldwide provision for income taxes. In the ordinary course of our business, there are many transactions and calculations where the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. We are regularly under audit by tax authorities. Although we believe our tax estimates are reasonable, the final determination of tax audits and any related litigation could be materially different than what is reflected in income tax provisions and accruals. An audit or litigation could materially affect our financial position, income tax provision, net income, or cash flows in the period or periods challenged. It is also possible that future changes to tax laws (including tax treaties) could impact our ability to realize the tax savings recorded to date.

 

On September 14, 2006, Nabors Drilling International Limited, one of our wholly owned Bermuda subsidiaries (“NDIL”), received a Notice of Assessment (the “Notice”) from Mexico’s federal tax authorities in connection with the audit of NDIL’s Mexican branch for 2003. The Notice proposes to deny depreciation expense deductions relating to drilling rigs operating in Mexico in 2003. The Notice also proposes to deny a deduction for payments made to an affiliated company for the procurement of labor services in Mexico. The amount assessed was approximately $19.8 million (including interest and penalties). Nabors and its tax advisors previously concluded that the deductions were appropriate and more recently that the government’s position lacks merit. NDIL’s Mexican branch took similar deductions for depreciation and labor expenses from 2004 to 2008. On June 30, 2009, the government proposed similar assessments against the Mexican branch of another wholly owned Bermuda subsidiary, Nabors Drilling International II Ltd. (“NDIL II”) for 2006. We anticipate that a similar assessment will eventually be proposed against NDIL for 2004 through 2008 and against NDIL II for 2007 to 2009. We believe that the potential assessments will range from $6 million to

$26 million per year for the period from 2004 to 2009, and in the aggregate, would be approximately $90 million to $95 million. Although we believe that any assessments related to the 2004 to 2009 years would also lack merit, a reserve has been recorded in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). If these additional assessments were to be made and we ultimately did not prevail, we would be required to recognize additional tax for the amount of the aggregate over the current reserve.

 

Proposed tax legislation could mitigate or eliminate the benefits of our 2002 reorganization as a Bermuda company

 

Various bills have been introduced in Congress that could reduce or eliminate the tax benefits associated with our reorganization as a Bermuda company. Legislation enacted by Congress in 2004 provides that a corporation that reorganized in a foreign jurisdiction on or after March 4, 2003 be treated as a domestic corporation for United States federal income tax purposes. Nabors’ reorganization was completed June 24, 2002. There have been and we expect that there may continue to be legislation proposed by Congress from time to time which, if enacted, could limit or eliminate the tax benefits associated with our reorganization.

 

Because we cannot predict whether legislation will ultimately be adopted, no assurance can be given that the tax benefits associated with our reorganization will ultimately accrue to the benefit of the Company and its shareholders. It is possible that future changes to the tax laws (including tax treaties) could impact our ability to realize the tax savings recorded to date, as well as future tax savings, resulting from our reorganization.

 

Legal proceedings could affect our financial condition and results of operations

 

We are subject to legal proceedings and governmental investigations from time to time that include employment, tort, intellectual property and other claims, and purported class action and shareholder derivative actions. We are also subject to complaints and allegations from former, current or prospective employees from time to time, alleging violations of employment-related laws. Lawsuits or claims could result in decisions against us that could have an adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations.

 

Our financial results could be affected by changes in the value of our investment portfolio

 

We invest our excess cash in a variety of investment vehicles, some of which are subject to market fluctuations resulting from a variety of economic factors or factors associated with a particular investment, including without limitation, overall declines in the equity markets, currency and interest rate fluctuations, volatility in the credit markets, exposures related to concentrations of investments in a particular fund or investment, exposures related to hedges of financial positions, and the performance of a particular fund or investment managers. As a result, events or developments that negatively affect the value of our investments could have an adverse effect on our results of operations.

 

We do not currently intend to pay dividends

 

We have not paid any cash dividends on our common shares since 1982 and have no current intention to do so. However, we can give no assurance that we will not reevaluate our position on dividends in the future.

 

 

Not applicable.

 

 

Many of the international drilling rigs and some of the Alaska rigs in our fleet are supported by mobile camps which house the drilling crews and a significant inventory of spare parts and supplies. In addition, we own various trucks, forklifts, cranes, earth-moving and other construction and transportation equipment, including various helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft and heliportable well-service equipment, which are used to support drilling and logistics operations.

Nabors and its subsidiaries own or lease executive and administrative office space in Hamilton, Bermuda (principal executive office); Anchorage, Alaska; Romance, Arkansas; New Iberia and Youngsville, Louisiana; Bakersfield, Coalinga, Rancho Dominguez-Compton and Ventura, California; Duson, Houma, Lafayette, Minden, New Iberia, Shreveport and Youngsville, Louisiana; Laurel, Mississippi; Alice, Andrews, Big Lake, Big Spring, Breckenridge, Bridgeport, Bryan, Corpus Christi, Crane, Cresson, Crosby, Decator, Denver City, El Campo, Fairfield, Fort Stockton, Haslet, Hillsboro, Houston, Iraan, Kilgore, La Grange, Longview, Magnolia, Midland, Mission, Monohans, Nacogdoches, Odessa, Ozona, Palestine, San Angelo, Snyder, Sonora, Three Rivers and Victoria, Texas; Roosevelt, Utah; Casper, Wyoming; El Reno, Enid, Hartshorne, Lindsay, Oklahoma City, Pocola and Weatherford, Oklahoma; Baker, Billings and Plentywood, Montana; Belfield and Williston, North Dakota; Carlsbad, Eunice and Hobbs, New Mexico; Denver, Fort Lupton, Fruita and Grand Junction, Colorado; Casper and Rock Springs, Wyoming; Mendoza, Argentina; Victoria, Australia; Santa Cruz, Bolivia; Alberta, Brooks, Clairmont, Drayton Valley, Leduc, Lloydminster, Nisku, Slave Lake and Whitecourt, Canada; Bogota, Colombia; Quito, Ecuador; Mumbai, India; Dubai, U.A.E.; Dhahran, Saudi Arabia; Hassi-Messaoud, Algeria; Atyrau and East Ahmadi, Kazakhstan; Ahmadi, Kuwait; Tripoli, Libya; CD Del Carmen, Mexico; Azaira and Muscat, Oman; Guanghan, Peoples Republic of China; Doha, Qatar; Luanda, Republic of Angola; Port Gentil, Republic of Gabon; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Pointe Noire, Congo; Moscow, Russia; Ploeisti, Romania; Maracaibo, Venezuela; Perth, Western Australia; and Sana’a, Yemen. We also own or lease a number of facilities and storage yards used in support of operations in each of our geographic markets.

 

Nabors and its subsidiaries own certain mineral interests in connection with their investing and operating activities.

 

Additional information about our properties can be found in Notes 2 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and 8 — Property, Plant and Equipment (each, under the caption Property, Plant and Equipment) and 15 — Commitments and Contingencies (under the caption Operating Leases) in Part II, Item 8. — Financial Statements and Supplementary Data. The revenues and property, plant and equipment by geographic area for the years ended December 31, 2009, 2008 and 2007, can be found in Note 21 — Segment Information. A description of our rig fleet is included under the caption Introduction in Part I, Item 1. — Business.

 

Management believes that our existing equipment and facilities are adequate to support our current level of operations as well as an expansion of drilling operations in those geographical areas where we may expand.

 

 

Nabors and its subsidiaries are defendants or otherwise involved in a number of lawsuits in the ordinary course of business. We estimate the range of our liability related to pending litigation when we believe the amount and range of loss can be estimated. We record our best estimate of a loss when the loss is considered probable. When a liability is probable and there is a range of estimated loss with no best estimate in the range, we record the minimum estimated liability related to the lawsuits or claims. As additional information becomes available, we assess the potential liability related to our pending litigation and claims and revise our estimates. Due to uncertainties related to the resolution of lawsuits and claims, the ultimate outcome may differ from our estimates. In the opinion of management and based on liability accruals provided, our ultimate exposure with respect to these pending lawsuits and claims is not expected to have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position or cash flows, although they could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations for a particular reporting period.

 

On July 5, 2007, we received an inquiry from the U.S. Department of Justice relating to its investigation of one of one of our vendors and compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. The inquiry relates to transactions with and involving Panalpina, which provides freight-forwarding and customs-clearance services to some of our affiliates. To date, the inquiry has focused on transactions in Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, Algeria and Nigeria. The Audit Committee of our Board of Directors engaged outside counsel to review some of our transactions with this vendor. The Audit Committee has received periodic updates at its regularly scheduled meetings and the Chairman of the Audit Committee has received updates between meetings as circumstances warrant. The investigation includes a review of certain amounts paid to and by Panalpina in connection with

obtaining permits for the temporary importation of equipment and clearance of goods and materials through customs. Both the SEC and the Department of Justice have been advised of the Company’s investigation. The ultimate outcome of this investigation or the effect of implementing any further measures that may be necessary to ensure full compliance with applicable laws cannot be determined at this time.

 

A court in Algeria entered a judgment of approximately $19.7 million against us related to alleged customs infractions in 2009. We believe we did not receive proper notice of the judicial proceedings, and that the amount of the judgment is excessive. We have asserted the lack of legally required notice as a basis for challenging the judgment on appeal to the Algeria Supreme Court. Based upon our understanding of applicable law and precedent, we believe that this challenge will be successful. We do not believe that a loss is probable and have not accrued any amounts related to this matter. However, the ultimate resolution and the timing thereof are uncertain. If the Company is ultimately required to pay a fine or judgment related to this matter, the amount of the loss could range from approximately $140,000 to $19.7 million.

 

 

Not applicable.

 

 

STOCK PERFORMANCE GRAPH

 

The following graph illustrates comparisons of five-year cumulative total returns among Nabors, the S&P 500 Index and the Dow Jones Oil Equipment and Services Index. Total return assumes $100 invested on December 31, 2004 in shares of Nabors, the S&P 500 Index, and the Dow Jones Oil Equipment and Services Index. It also assumes reinvestment of dividends and is calculated at the end of each calendar year, December 31, 2005 — 2009.

 

 

 

 

Our common shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “NBR”. At February 24, 2010, there were approximately 1,774 shareholders of record. We have not paid any cash dividends on our common shares since 1982 and currently have no intentions to do so. However, we can give no assurance that we will not reevaluate our position on dividends in the future.

 

The following table sets forth the reported high and low sales prices of our common shares as reported on the New York Stock Exchange for the periods indicated.

 

 

The following table provides information relating to Nabors’ repurchase of common shares during the three months ended December 31, 2009:

 

 

 

 

See Part III, Item 12. for a description of securities authorized for issuance under equity compensation plans.

 

II. Dividend Policy

 

See Part I, Item 1A. — Risk Factors — We do not currently intend to pay dividends.

III. Shareholder Matters

 

Bermuda has exchange controls which apply to residents in respect of the Bermudian dollar. As an exempt company, Nabors is considered to be nonresident for such controls; consequently, there are no Bermuda governmental restrictions on our ability to make transfers and carry out transactions in all other currencies, including currency of the United States.

 

There is no reciprocal tax treaty between Bermuda and the United States regarding withholding taxes. Under existing Bermuda law there is no Bermuda income or withholding tax on dividends paid by Nabors to its shareholders. Furthermore, no Bermuda tax is levied on the sale or transfer (including by gift and/or on the death of the shareholder) of Nabors common shares (other than by shareholders resident in Bermuda).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Management Overview

 

The following Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations is intended to help the reader understand the results of our operations and our financial condition. This information is provided as a supplement to, and should be read in conjunction with, our consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes thereto.

 

Nabors is the largest land drilling contractor in the world, with approximately 542 actively marketed land drilling rigs. We conduct oil, gas and geothermal land drilling operations in the U.S. Lower 48 states, Alaska, Canada, South America, Mexico, the Caribbean, the Middle East, the Far East, Russia and Africa. We are also one of the largest land well-servicing and workover contractors in the United States and Canada. We actively market approximately 558 rigs for land workover and well-servicing work in the United States, primarily in the southwestern and western United States, and approximately 172 rigs for land workover and well-servicing work in Canada. Nabors is a leading provider of offshore platform workover and drilling rigs, and actively markets 40 platform, 13 jack-up and 3 barge rigs in the United States and multiple international markets. These rigs provide well-servicing, workover and drilling services. We have a 51% ownership interest in a joint venture in Saudi Arabia, which owns and actively markets 9 rigs in addition to the rigs we lease to the joint venture. We also offer a wide range of ancillary well-site services, including engineering, transportation, construction, maintenance, well logging, directional drilling, rig instrumentation, data collection and other support services in select domestic and international markets. We provide logistics services for onshore drilling in Canada using helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. We manufacture and lease or sell top drives for a broad range of drilling applications, directional drilling systems, rig instrumentation and data collection equipment, pipeline handling equipment and rig reporting software. We also invest in oil and gas exploration, development and production activities in the U.S., Canada and international areas through both our wholly owned subsidiaries and our separate joint venture entities. We hold a 50% ownership interest in our Canadian entity and 49.7% ownership interests in our U.S. and International entities. Each joint venture pursues development and exploration projects with our existing customers and with other operators in a variety of forms, including operated and non-operated working interests, joint ventures, farm-outs and acquisitions.

 

The majority of our business is conducted through our various Contract Drilling operating segments, which include our drilling, workover and well-servicing operations, on land and offshore. Our oil and gas exploration, development and production operations are included in our Oil and Gas operating segment. Our operating segments engaged in drilling technology and top drive manufacturing, directional drilling, rig instrumentation and software, and construction and logistics operations are aggregated in our Other Operating Segments.

 

Our businesses depend, to a large degree, on the level of spending by oil and gas companies for exploration, development and production activities. Therefore, a sustained increase or decrease in the price of natural gas or oil, which could have a material impact on exploration, development and production activities, could also materially affect our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

 

The magnitude of customer spending on new and existing wells is the primary driver of our business. The primary determinate of customer spending is their cash flow and earnings which are largely driven by natural gas prices in our U.S. Lower 48 Land Drilling and Canadian Drilling operations, while oil prices are the primary determinate in our Alaskan, International, U.S. Offshore (Gulf of Mexico), Canadian Well-servicing

and U.S. Land Well-servicing operations. The following table sets forth natural gas and oil price data per Bloomberg for the last three years:

 

 

Beginning in the fourth quarter of 2008, there was a significant reduction in the demand for natural gas and oil that was caused, at least in part, by the significant deterioration of the global economic environment including the extreme volatility in the capital and credit markets. Weaker demand throughout 2009 has resulted in sustained lower natural gas and oil prices. The price of natural gas reached a low for 2009 of $1.83 per mcf during September and while showing improvement remains depressed, having averaged $3.77 per mcf during the second half of 2009. The significant drop in the price of oil reached a low for 2009 of $33.98 per barrel in February with continuous recovery throughout 2009, averaging $72.08 per barrel during the second half of 2009. These reduced prices for natural gas and oil have led to a sharp decline in the demand for drilling and workover services. Continued fluctuations in the demand for gas and oil, among other factors including supply, could contribute to continued price volatility which may continue to affect demand for our services and could materially affect our future financial results.

 

Operating revenues and Earnings (losses) from unconsolidated affiliates for the year ended December 31, 2009 totaled $3.5 billion, representing a decrease of $1.8 billion, or 34% as compared to the year ended December 31, 2008. Adjusted income derived from operating activities and net income (loss) attributable to Nabors for the year ended December 31, 2009 totaled $356.2 million and $(85.5) million ($(.30) per diluted share), respectively, representing decreases of 66% and 118%, respectively, compared to the year ended December 31, 2008. Operating revenues and Earnings (losses) from unconsolidated affiliates for the year ended December 31, 2008 totaled $5.3 billion, representing an increase of $325.5 million, or 7% as compared to the year ended December 31, 2007. Adjusted income derived from operating activities and net income (loss) attributable to Nabors for the year ended December 31, 2008 totaled $1.1 billion and $475.7 million ($1.65 per diluted share), respectively, representing decreases of 16% and 45%, respectively, compared to the year ended December 31, 2007.

 

During 2009 and 2008, our operating results were negatively impacted as a result of charges arising from oil and gas full-cost ceiling test writedowns and other impairments. Earnings (losses) from unconsolidated affiliates includes $(237.1) million and $(228.3) million, respectively, for the years ended December 31, 2009 and 2008, representing our proportionate share of full-cost ceiling test writedowns from our unconsolidated oil and gas joint ventures which utilize the full-cost method of accounting. During 2009, our joint ventures used a 12-month average price in the ceiling test calculation as required by the revised SEC rules whereas during 2008, the ceiling test calculation used the single-day, year-end commodity price that, at December 31, 2008, was near its low point for that year. The full-cost ceiling test writedowns are included in our Oil and Gas operating segment results.

 

During 2009 and 2008, our operating results were also negatively impacted as a result of our impairments and other charges of $339.1 million and $176.1 million, respectively. During 2009, impairments and other charges included recognition of other-than-temporary impairments of $54.3 million relating to our available-for-sale securities, and impairments of $64.2 million to long-lived assets that were retired from our U.S. Offshore, Alaska, Canada and International contract drilling segments. Additionally, we recorded impairment charges of $205.9 million and $21.5 million, respectively, to our wholly owned Ramshorn business unit under application of the successful-efforts method of accounting for some of our oil and gas-related assets during the years ended December 31, 2009 and 2008. During 2008, impairments and other charges included goodwill and intangible asset impairments totaling $154.6 million recorded by our Canada Well-servicing and Drilling operating segment and Nabors Blue Sky Ltd., one of our Canadian subsidiaries reported in Other

Operating Segments. We recognized these goodwill and intangible asset impairments to reduce the carrying value of these assets to their estimated fair value. We consider these writedowns necessary because of the duration of the industry downturn in Canada and the lack of certainty regarding eventual recovery. These impairments and other charges are reflected separately as impairments and other charges in our consolidated statements of income (loss) for the years ended December 31, 2009 and 2008.

 

Excluding these charges, our operating results were lower than the previous year results primarily due to the continuing weak environment in our U.S. Lower 48 Land Drilling, U.S. Land Well-servicing, Canada and U.S. Offshore operations where activity levels and demand for our drilling rigs have decreased substantially in response to uncertainty in the financial markets and commodity price deterioration. Operating results have been further negatively impacted by higher levels of depreciation expense due to our increased capital expenditures in recent years.

 

Our operating results for 2010 are expected to approximate levels realized during 2009 given our current expectation of the continuation of lower commodity prices during 2010 and the related impact on drilling and well-servicing activity and dayrates. We expect the decrease in drilling activity and dayrates to continue to adversely impact our U.S. Lower 48 Land Drilling and our U.S. Land Well-servicing operations for 2010, as compared to 2009, because the number of working rigs and average dayrates have declined. We expect our International operations to decrease slightly during 2010 as a result of lower drilling activity and utilization partially offset by the deployment of new and incremental rigs under long-term contracts and the renewal of multi-year contracts. Although rig count is expected to be lower overall, the reductions are primarily comprised of lower yielding assets, leaving higher margin contracts in place partially offset by certain contracts rolling over at lower current market rates. Our investments in new and upgraded rigs over the past five years have resulted in long-term contracts which we expect will enhance our competitive position when market conditions improve.

 

The following tables set forth certain information with respect to our reportable segments and rig activity:

 

 

 

 

Segment Results of Operations

 

Contract Drilling

 

Our Contract Drilling operating segments contain one or more of the following operations: drilling, workover and well-servicing, on land and offshore.

 

U.S. Lower 48 Land Drilling.  The results of operations for this reportable segment are as follows:

 

 

Operating results decreased from 2008 to 2009 primarily due to a decline in drilling activity, driven by lower natural gas prices beginning in the fourth quarter of 2008 and diminished demand as customers released rigs and delayed drilling projects in response to the significant drop in natural gas prices and the tightening of the credit markets. Operating results were further negatively impacted by higher depreciation expense related to capital expansion projects completed in recent years.

 

The increase in operating results from 2007 to 2008 was due to overall year-over-year increases in rig activity and increases in average dayrates, driven by higher natural gas prices throughout 2007 and most of 2008. This increase was only partially offset by higher operating costs and an increase in depreciation expense related to capital expansion projects.

 

U.S. Land Well-servicing.  The results of operations for this reportable segment are as follows:

 

 

Operating results decreased from 2008 to 2009 primarily due to lower rig utilization and price erosion, driven by lower customer demand for our services due to relatively lower oil prices caused by the U.S. economic recession and reduced end product demand. Operating results were further negatively impacted by higher depreciation expense related to capital expansion projects completed in recent years.

 

Operating revenues and Earnings from unconsolidated affiliates increased from 2007 to 2008 primarily as a result of higher average dayrates year-over-year, driven by high oil prices during 2007 and the majority of

2008 as well as market expansion. Higher average dayrates were partially offset by lower rig utilization. Adjusted income derived from operating activities decreased from 2007 to 2008 despite higher revenues due primarily to higher depreciation expense related to capital expansion projects and, to a lesser extent, higher operating costs.

 

U.S. Offshore.  The results of operations for this reportable segment are as follows:

 

 

The decrease in operating results from 2008 to 2009 primarily resulted from lower average dayrates and utilization for the SuperSundowner^tm platform rigs, workover jack-up rigs, barge drilling and workover rigs, and Sundowner^® platform rigs, partially offset by higher utilization of our MODS^® rigs inclusive of a significant term contract for a MODS^® rig deployed in January 2009.

 

The increase in operating results from 2007 to 2008 primarily resulted from higher average dayrates and increased drilling activity driven by high oil prices during the majority of 2008, especially in the Sundowner and Super Sundowner platform workover and re-drilling rigs and the MASE^® platform drilling rigs. The increase in 2008 was partially offset by higher operating costs and increased depreciation expense relating to new rigs added to the fleet in early 2007.

 

Alaska.  The results of operations for this reportable segment are as follows:

 

 

The increases in operating results from 2008 to 2009 and from 2007 to 2008 were primarily due to increases in average dayrates and drilling activity. Although drilling activity levels decreased slightly during 2009, operating results reflect the higher average margins as a result of the addition of some high specification rig work. Drilling activity levels increased in 2008 as a result of the deployment and utilization of rigs added to the fleet in late 2007 under long-term contracts. The increases during 2009 and 2008 have been partially offset by higher operating costs and increased depreciation expense as well as increased labor and repairs and maintenance costs in 2009 and 2008 as compared to prior years.

Canada.  The results of operations for this reportable segment are as follows:

 

 

Operating results decreased from 2008 to 2009 primarily as a result of an overall decrease in drilling and well-servicing activity due to lower natural gas prices driving a significant decline of customer demand for drilling and well-servicing operations. Our operating results for 2009 were further negatively impacted by the economic uncertainty in the Canadian drilling market and financial market instability. The Canadian dollar began 2009 in a weak position versus the U.S. dollar, during a period of time when drilling and well-servicing activity was typically at its seasonal peak, which also had an overall negative impact on operating results. These decreases in operating results were partially offset by cost reductions in direct costs, general and administrative expenses and depreciation.

 

The decrease in operating results from 2007 to 2008 resulted from year-over-year decreases in drilling and well-servicing activity and decreases in average dayrates for drilling and well-servicing operations as a result of economic uncertainty and Alberta’s tight labor market which led to a number of projects being delayed. Our operating results were further negatively impacted by proposed changes to the Alberta royalty and tax regime causing customers to assess the impact of such changes. The strengthening of the Canadian dollar versus the U.S. dollar during 2007 and throughout the majority of 2008 positively impacted operating results, but negatively impacted demand for our services as much of our customers’ revenue is denominated in U.S. dollars while their costs are denominated in Canadian dollars. Additionally, operating results were negatively impacted by increased operating expenses, including depreciation expense related to capital expansion projects.

 

International.  The results of operations for this reportable segment are as follows:

 

 

The decrease in operating results from 2008 to 2009 resulted primarily from year-over-year decreases in average dayrates and lower utilization of rigs in Mexico, Libya, Argentina and Colombia, driven by weakening customer demand for drilling services stemming from the drop in oil prices in the fourth quarter of 2008 which continued throughout 2009. Operating results were further negatively impacted by higher depreciation expense related to capital expansion projects completed in recent years. These decreases were partially offset by higher average dayrates from two jack-up rigs deployed in Saudi Arabia, increases in average dayrates for our new and incremental rigs added and deployed during 2008 and a start-up floating, drilling, production, storage and offloading vessel off the coast of the Republic of the Congo.

 

The increase in operating results from 2007 to 2008 primarily resulted from year-over-year increases in average dayrates and drilling activities, reflecting strong customer demand for drilling services, stemming from

sustained higher oil prices throughout 2007. Operating results during 2007 and most of 2008 were also positively impacted by an expansion of our rig fleet and continuing renewal of existing multi-year contracts at higher average dayrates. These increases were partially offset by increased operating expenses, including depreciation expense related to capital expenditures for new and refurbished rigs deployed throughout 2007 and 2008.

 

Oil and Gas.  The results of operations for this reportable segment are as follows:

 

 

Our operating results decreased from 2008 to 2009 primarily as a result of full-cost ceiling test writedowns recorded during 2009 by our unconsolidated joint ventures. During 2009, our U.S., international and Canadian oil and gas joint ventures recorded full-cost ceiling test writedowns, of which our proportionate share totaled $237.1 million. These writedowns resulted from the application of the full-cost method of accounting for costs related to oil and natural gas properties. The full-cost ceiling test limits the carrying value of the capitalized cost of the properties to the present value of future net revenues attributable to proved oil and natural gas reserves, discounted at 10%, plus the lower of cost or market value of unproved properties. The full-cost ceiling test was evaluated using the 12-month average commodity price as required by the revised SEC rules.

 

Operating results further decreased from 2008 to 2009 due to declines in natural gas prices and production volumes from our Ramshorn and joint venture operations. Additionally, operating results for 2008 included a $12.3 million gain recorded on the sale of leasehold interests.

 

Our operating results decreased from 2007 to 2008 as a result of full-cost ceiling test writedowns recorded during 2008 by our unconsolidated oil and gas joint ventures. During 2008, our U.S., international and Canadian oil and gas joint ventures recorded full-cost ceiling test writedowns, of which our proportionate share totaled $228.3 million. The full-cost ceiling test was determined using the single-day, year-end price as required by SEC rules at the time.

 

Additionally during 2008, our proportionate share of losses from our unconsolidated oil and gas joint ventures included $10.0 million of depletion charges from lower-than-expected performance of certain oil and gas developmental wells and $5.8 million of mark-to-market unrealized losses from derivative instruments representing forward gas sales through swaps and price floor guarantees utilizing puts. Beginning in May 2008 our U.S. joint venture began to apply hedge accounting to its forward contracts to minimize the volatility in reported earnings caused by market price fluctuations of the underlying hedged commodities. These losses were partially offset by income from our production volumes and oil and gas production sales as a result of higher oil and natural gas prices throughout most of 2008 and a $12.3 million gain on the sale of leasehold interests in 2008.

Other Operating Segments

 

These operations include our drilling technology and top-drive manufacturing, directional drilling, rig instrumentation and software, and construction and logistics operations. The results of operations for these operating segments are as follows:

 

 

The decreases in operating results from 2008 to 2009 primarily resulted from (i) lower demand in the U.S. and Canadian drilling markets for rig instrumentation and data collection services from oil and gas exploration companies, (ii) decreases in customer demand for our construction and logistics services in Alaska and (iii) decreased capital equipment unit volumes and lower service and rental activity as a result of the slowdown in the oil and gas industry.

 

The increase in operating results from 2007 to 2008 primarily resulted from year-over-year increases in third-party sales and higher margins on top drives occasioned by the strengthening of the oil drilling market, increased equipment sales, increased market share in Canada and increased demand in the U.S. directional drilling market. Results were also improved in 2008 due to increases in customer demand for our construction and logistics services in Alaska.

 

Discontinued Operations

 

In 2007, we sold our Sea Mar business which had previously been included in Other Operating Segments to an unrelated third party. The assets included 20 offshore supply vessels and some related assets, including rights under a vessel construction contract. We have not had any continuing involvement subsequent to the sale of this business and have accounted for the Sea Mar business as discontinued operations in the accompanying audited consolidated statements of income (loss). Our condensed statement of income from discontinued operations related to the Sea Mar business for the year ended December 31, 2007 was as follows:

 

 

OTHER FINANCIAL INFORMATION

 

General and administrative expenses

 

 

General and administrative expenses decreased from 2008 to 2009 primarily as a result of significant decreases in wage-related expenses and other cost-reduction efforts across all business units, partially offset by an increase of approximately $61.2 million in stock compensation expense. During 2009, share-based compensation expense included $72.1 million of compensation expense related to previously granted restricted stock and option awards held by Messrs. Isenberg and Petrello that was unrecognized as of April 1, 2009. The recognition of this expense resulted from provisions of their respective new employment agreements that

effectively eliminated the risk of forfeiture of such awards. There is no remaining unrecognized expense related to their outstanding restricted stock and option awards. General and administrative expenses as a percentage of operating revenues increased primarily due to lower revenues.

 

General and administrative expenses increased from 2007 to 2008 primarily as a result of increases in wages and wage-related expenses for a majority of our operating segments compared to each prior year, which resulted from an increase in the number of employees required to support higher activity levels. The increase was also driven by higher compensation expense, primarily resulting from higher bonuses and non-cash compensation expenses recorded for restricted stock awards during 2007 and 2008.

 

Depreciation and amortization, and depletion expense