VLO 3.31.12 10Q
Table of Contents

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-Q
(Mark One)
R
QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2012
OR
o
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
 
For the transition period from _______________ to _______________
Commission file number 1-13175
VALERO ENERGY CORPORATION
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware
 
74-1828067
(State or other jurisdiction of
 
(I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)
 
Identification No.)
One Valero Way
San Antonio, Texas
(Address of principal executive offices)
78249
(Zip Code)
(210) 345-2000
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code) 
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 R No o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes R No o

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 the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer R
Accelerated filer o
Non-accelerated filer o
Smaller reporting company o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).
Yes o No R
The number of shares of the registrant’s only class of common stock, $0.01 par value, outstanding as of April 30, 2012 was 552,872,012.
 
 
 
 
 



VALERO ENERGY CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
INDEX
 
 
 
Page
 
 
March 31, 2012 and 2011
March 31, 2012 and 2011
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 





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Table of Contents

PART I – FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item 1. Financial Statements

VALERO ENERGY CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Millions of Dollars, Except Par Value)
 
 
March 31,
2012
 
December 31,
2011
 
(Unaudited)
 
 
ASSETS
 
 
 
Current assets:
 
 
 
Cash and temporary cash investments
$
1,559

 
$
1,024

Receivables, net
7,418

 
8,706

Inventories
6,145

 
5,623

Income taxes receivable
226

 
212

Deferred income taxes
358

 
283

Prepaid expenses and other
118

 
124

Total current assets
15,824

 
15,972

Property, plant and equipment, at cost
32,253

 
32,253

Accumulated depreciation
(7,098
)
 
(7,076
)
Property, plant and equipment, net
25,155

 
25,177

Intangible assets, net
227

 
227

Deferred charges and other assets, net
1,428

 
1,407

Total assets
$
42,634

 
$
42,783

LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
 
 
 
Current liabilities:
 
 
 
Current portion of debt and capital lease obligations
$
1,143

 
$
1,009

Accounts payable
9,941

 
9,472

Accrued expenses
483

 
595

Taxes other than income taxes
1,294

 
1,264

Income taxes payable
26

 
119

Deferred income taxes
189

 
249

Total current liabilities
13,076

 
12,708

Debt and capital lease obligations, less current portion
6,460

 
6,732

Deferred income taxes
5,210

 
5,017

Other long-term liabilities
1,896

 
1,881

Commitments and contingencies

 

Equity:
 
 
 
Valero Energy Corporation stockholders’ equity:
 
 
 
Common stock, $0.01 par value; 1,200,000,000 shares authorized;
   673,501,593 and 673,501,593 shares issued
7

 
7

Additional paid-in capital
7,479

 
7,486

Treasury stock, at cost; 120,526,015 and 116,689,450 common shares
(6,542
)
 
(6,475
)
Retained earnings
14,794

 
15,309

Accumulated other comprehensive income
221

 
96

Total Valero Energy Corporation stockholders’ equity
15,959

 
16,423

Noncontrolling interest
33

 
22

Total equity
15,992

 
16,445

Total liabilities and equity
$
42,634

 
$
42,783

See Condensed Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.



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VALERO ENERGY CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
(Millions of Dollars, Except Per Share Amounts)
(Unaudited)
 
Three Months Ended March 31,
 
2012
 
2011
Operating revenues (a)
$
35,167

 
$
26,308

Costs and expenses:
 
 
 
Cost of sales
33,035

 
24,568

Operating expenses:
 
 
 
Refining
964

 
744

Retail
166

 
162

Ethanol
87

 
95

General and administrative expenses
164

 
130

Depreciation and amortization expense
384

 
365

Asset impairment loss
611

 

Total costs and expenses
35,411

 
26,064

Operating income (loss)
(244
)
 
244

Other income, net
6

 
17

Interest and debt expense, net of capitalized interest
(99
)
 
(117
)
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income tax expense
(337
)
 
144

Income tax expense
95

 
40

Income (loss) from continuing operations
(432
)
 
104

Loss from discontinued operations, net of income taxes

 
(6
)
Net income (loss)
(432
)
 
98

Less: Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests

 

Net income (loss) attributable to Valero Energy Corporation stockholders
$
(432
)
 
$
98

Net income (loss) attributable to Valero Energy Corporation stockholders:
 
 
 
Continuing operations
$
(432
)
 
$
104

Discontinued operations

 
(6
)
Total
$
(432
)
 
$
98

Earnings per common share:
 
 
 
Continuing operations
$
(0.78
)
 
$
0.18

Discontinued operations

 
(0.01
)
Total
$
(0.78
)
 
$
0.17

Weighted-average common shares outstanding (in millions)
551

 
566

Earnings per common share – assuming dilution:
 
 
 
Continuing operations
$
(0.78
)
 
$
0.18

Discontinued operations

 
(0.01
)
Total
$
(0.78
)
 
$
0.17

Weighted-average common shares outstanding –
assuming dilution (in millions)
551

 
573

Dividends per common share
$
0.15

 
$
0.05

Supplemental information:
 
 
 
(a) Includes excise taxes on sales by our U.S. retail system
$
234

 
$
214

See Condensed Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.



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VALERO ENERGY CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
(Millions of Dollars)
(Unaudited)

 
Three Months Ended March 31,
 
2012
 
2011
Comprehensive income (loss)
$
(307
)
 
$
189

See Condensed Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.



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VALERO ENERGY CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Millions of Dollars)
(Unaudited)

 
Three Months Ended March 31,
 
2012
 
2011
Cash flows from operating activities:
 
 
 
Net income (loss)
$
(432
)
 
$
98

Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by
  operating activities:
 
 
 
Depreciation and amortization expense
384

 
365

Asset impairment loss
611

 

Noncash interest expense and other income, net
7

 
7

Stock-based compensation expense
10

 
12

Deferred income tax expense (benefit)
61

 
(44
)
Changes in current assets and current liabilities
1,063

 
1,603

Changes in deferred charges and credits and other operating activities, net

 
17

Net cash provided by operating activities
1,704

 
2,058

Cash flows from investing activities:
 
 
 
Capital expenditures
(726
)
 
(438
)
Deferred turnaround and catalyst costs
(158
)
 
(299
)
Advance payment related to acquisition of Pembroke Refinery

 
(37
)
Other investing activities, net
10

 
(9
)
Net cash used in investing activities
(874
)
 
(783
)
Cash flows from financing activities:
 
 
 
Non-bank debt:
 
 
 
Repayments

 
(510
)
Accounts receivable sales program:
 
 
 
Repayments
(150
)
 

Purchase of common stock for treasury
(106
)
 

Proceeds from the exercise of stock options
9

 
21

Common stock dividends
(83
)
 
(28
)
Contributions from noncontrolling interest
11

 

Other financing activities, net

 
5

Net cash used in financing activities
(319
)
 
(512
)
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash
24

 
36

Net increase in cash and temporary cash investments
535

 
799

Cash and temporary cash investments at beginning of period
1,024

 
3,334

Cash and temporary cash investments at end of period
$
1,559

 
$
4,133


See Condensed Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.



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VALERO ENERGY CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS


1.
BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Basis of Presentation
General
As used in this report, the terms “Valero,” “we,” “us,” or “our” may refer to Valero Energy Corporation, one or more of its consolidated subsidiaries, or all of them taken as a whole.
These unaudited financial statements have been prepared in accordance with United States (U.S.) generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and notes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. All such adjustments are of a normal recurring nature unless disclosed otherwise. Financial information for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011 included in these Condensed Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements is derived from our unaudited financial statements. Operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2012 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2012.

The balance sheet as of December 31, 2011 has been derived from our audited financial statements as of that date. For further information, refer to our financial statements and notes thereto included in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011.
Significant Accounting Policies
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates. On an ongoing basis, we review our estimates based on currently available information. Changes in facts and circumstances may result in revised estimates.

Comprehensive Income
Effective January 1, 2012, we adopted the provisions of Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Topic 220, “Comprehensive Income,” and have elected to present the total for comprehensive income in a statement that is separate from the statement of income but placed directly after the statement of income.

Comprehensive income (loss) for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011 of $(307) million and $189 million, respectively, differs from net income (loss) of $(432) million and $98 million, respectively, primarily due to the foreign currency translation adjustments recorded in the respective quarter related to our investments in subsidiaries in Canada and the United Kingdom (U.K.).

Fair Value Measurements
Effective January 1, 2012, we adopted the provisions of ASC Topic 820, “Fair Value Measurement,” which clarified the application of existing fair value measurement requirements and changed certain fair value measurement and disclosure requirements. The adoption of these provisions did not affect our financial position or results of operations as these requirements only affected disclosures as reflected in Note 12.





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VALERO ENERGY CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

New Accounting Pronouncements
In December 2011, the provisions of ASC Topic 210, “Balance Sheet,” were amended to require an entity to disclose information about offsetting and related arrangements to enable users of its financial statements to understand the effect of these arrangements on its financial position. The guidance requires entities to disclose both gross information and net information about both instruments and transactions eligible for offset in the balance sheet and instruments and transactions subject to an agreement similar to a master netting arrangement. These provisions are effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning on January 1, 2013. The adoption of this guidance effective January 1, 2013 will not affect our financial position or results of operations, but may result in additional disclosures.

2.
ACQUISITIONS

The acquired refining and marketing businesses discussed below involve the production and marketing of refined petroleum products. These acquisitions are consistent with our general business strategy and complement our existing refining and marketing network.

Meraux Acquisition
On October 1, 2011, we acquired the Meraux Refinery and related logistics assets from Murphy Oil Corporation for an initial payment of $586 million, which was funded from available cash. In the fourth quarter of 2011, we recorded an adjustment related to inventories acquired that reduced the purchase price to $547 million. The assets acquired and liabilities assumed in this acquisition were recognized at their acquisition-date estimated fair values, as disclosed in Note 2 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011, and no adjustments to those estimated amounts have been made during the three months ended March 31, 2012. We are, however, awaiting the completion of an independent appraisal and other evaluations of the fair values of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed.

Pembroke Acquisition
On August 1, 2011, we acquired 100 percent of the outstanding shares of Chevron Limited from a subsidiary of Chevron Corporation (Chevron), and we subsequently changed the name of Chevron Limited to Valero Energy Ltd. On the acquisition date, we initially paid $1.8 billion from available cash, of which $1.1 billion was for working capital. In the fourth quarter of 2011, we recorded adjustments to working capital (primarily inventory), resulting in an adjusted purchase price of $1.7 billion. The assets acquired and liabilities assumed in this acquisition were recognized at their acquisition-date estimated fair values, as disclosed in Note 2 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011, and no adjustments to those estimated amounts have been made during the three months ended March 31, 2012. We are, however, awaiting the completion of an independent appraisal and other evaluations of the fair values of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed. This acquisition is referred to as the Pembroke Acquisition.




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VALERO ENERGY CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

3.
IMPAIRMENT

In March 2012, we decided to suspend the operations of the Aruba Refinery by the end of March. Our decision was based on the refinery’s inability to generate positive cash flows on a sustained basis subsequent to its restart in January 2011 and the sensitivity of its profitability to sour crude oil differentials, which narrowed significantly in the fourth quarter of 2011. We considered the use of alternative feedstocks or configuration changes that might improve the refinery’s cash flows and we also considered a temporary or permanent shutdown of the refinery facilities. We ultimately decided to shut down the refinery and to maintain it in a state that would allow for operations to be resumed.

On March 28, 2012, we received a non-binding indication of interest from an unrelated interested party to purchase the Aruba Refinery for $350 million, plus working capital as of the closing date, subject to completion of due diligence and further negotiations. The due diligence process is currently ongoing and no final agreement has been reached to sell the refinery. We have accepted this offer, subject to the finalization of the purchase and sale agreement. The Aruba Refinery is classified as “held and used” because all of the accounting criteria required for “held for sale” classification have not been met.

Because of our decision to suspend the operations of the Aruba Refinery and the possibility that we may sell the refinery, we evaluated the refinery for potential impairment and concluded that the Aruba Refinery was impaired as of March 31, 2012. As a result, we were required to determine the fair value of the Aruba Refinery and to write down its carrying value to that amount. We determined that the best measure of the refinery’s fair value as of March 31, 2012 was the $350 million offer described above, which was based on the interested party’s specific knowledge of the refinery, experience in the refining and marketing industry, and extensive knowledge of the current economic factors of our business. The carrying value of the Aruba Refinery’s long-lived assets as of March 31, 2012 was $945 million; therefore, we recognized an asset impairment loss of $595 million.

There is no certainty that we will sell the refinery to the interested party, or to any other party, and if we ultimately sell the refinery, there is no certainty that we will sell it for $350 million. In addition, should we be unable to sell the refinery, we may have to recognize an additional asset impairment loss.




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VALERO ENERGY CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

4.
INVENTORIES

Inventories consisted of the following (in millions):
 
March 31,
2012
 
December 31,
2011
Refinery feedstocks
$
2,730

 
$
2,474

Refined products and blendstocks
2,862

 
2,633

Ethanol feedstocks and products
236

 
195

Convenience store merchandise
98

 
103

Materials and supplies
219

 
218

Inventories
$
6,145

 
$
5,623


As of March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011, the replacement cost (market value) of last in, first out (LIFO) inventories exceeded their LIFO carrying amounts by approximately $8.7 billion and $6.8 billion, respectively.

5.
DEBT
Non-Bank Debt
In March 2012, we exercised the call provisions on our Series 1997 5.6%, Series 1998 5.6%, Series 1999 5.7%, Series 2001 6.65%, and Series 1997A 5.45% industrial revenue bonds, which were redeemed on May 3, 2012 for $108 million, or 100 percent of their outstanding stated values.

In April 2012, we made scheduled debt repayments of $4 million  related to our Series 1997A 5.45% industrial revenue bonds and $750 million related to our 6.875% notes.

During the three months ended March 31, 2011, the following activity occurred:
in February 2011, we made a scheduled debt repayment of $210 million related to our 6.75% senior notes; and
in February 2011, we paid $300 million to acquire the Gulf Opportunity Zone Revenue Bonds Series 2010 (GO Zone Bonds), which were subject to mandatory tender. We expect to hold the GO Zone Bonds for our own account until conditions permit the remarketing of these bonds at an interest rate acceptable to us.

Bank Debt and Credit Facilities
We have a $3 billion revolving credit facility (the Revolver) that has a maturity date of December 2016. The Revolver has certain restrictive covenants, including a maximum debt-to-capitalization ratio of 60 percent. As of March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011, our debt-to-capitalization ratios, calculated in accordance with the terms of the Revolver, were 27 percent and 29 percent, respectively. We believe that we will remain in compliance with this covenant.



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VALERO ENERGY CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

In addition to the Revolver, one of our Canadian subsidiaries has a committed revolving credit facility under which it may borrow and obtain letters of credit up to C$115 million.

During the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011, we had no borrowings or repayments under our Revolver or the Canadian revolving credit facility. As of March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011, we had no borrowings outstanding under the Revolver or the Canadian revolving credit facility.

We had outstanding letters of credit under our committed lines of credit as follows (in millions):
 
 
 
 
 
 
Amounts Outstanding
 
 
Borrowing
Capacity
 
Expiration
 
March 31,
2012
 
December 31,
2011
 Letter of credit facilities
 
$
500

 
June 2012
 
$
500

 
$
300

 Revolver
 
$
3,000

 
December 2016
 
$
153

 
$
119

 Canadian revolving credit facility
 
C$
115

 
December 2012
 
C$
20

 
C$
20


As of March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011, we had $456 million and $391 million, respectively, of letters of credit outstanding under our uncommitted short-term bank credit facilities.

Accounts Receivable Sales Facility
We have an accounts receivable sales facility with a group of third-party entities and financial institutions to sell on a revolving basis up to $1 billion of eligible trade receivables. The facility matures in June 2012. Proceeds from the sale of receivables under this facility are reflected as debt. Changes in the amounts outstanding under our accounts receivable sales facility were as follows (in millions):
 
Three Months Ended March 31,
 
2012
 
2011
Balance as of beginning of period
$
250

 
$
100

Proceeds from the sale of receivables

 

Repayments
(150
)
 

Balance as of end of period
$
100

 
$
100


In late April 2012, we sold $850 million of eligible receivables to the third-party entities and financial institutions under this facility, and we repaid $500 million on May 4, 2012.

Capitalized Interest
For the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011, capitalized interest was $52 million and $27 million, respectively.




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VALERO ENERGY CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

6.
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Environmental Matters
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began regulating greenhouse gases on January 2, 2011, under the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (Clean Air Act). Any new construction or material expansions will require that, among other things, a greenhouse gas permit be issued at either or both the state or federal level in accordance with the Clean Air Act and regulations, and we will be required to undertake a technology review to determine appropriate controls to be implemented with the project in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The determination would be on a case by case basis, and the EPA has provided only general guidance on which controls will be required.

Furthermore, the EPA is currently developing refinery-specific greenhouse gas regulations and performance standards that are expected to impose, on new and existing operations, greenhouse gas emission limits and/or technology requirements. These control requirements may affect a wide range of refinery operations but have not yet been delineated. Any such controls, however, could result in material increased compliance costs, additional operating restrictions for our business, and an increase in the cost of the products we produce, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations, and liquidity.

Certain states and foreign governments have pursued regulation of greenhouse gases independent of the EPA. For example, the California Global Warming Solutions Act, also known as AB 32, directs the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to develop and issue regulations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in California to 1990 levels by 2020. The CARB has issued a variety of regulations aimed at reaching this goal, including a Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) as well as a statewide cap-and-trade program.
The LCFS was scheduled to become effective in 2011, but rulings by the U.S. District Court stayed enforcement of the LCFS until certain legal challenges to the LCFS were resolved. Most notably, the court determined that the LCFS violates the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution to the extent that the standard discriminates against out-of-state crude oils and corn ethanol. CARB appealed the lower court’s ruling to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (Ninth Circuit Court).
The Ninth Circuit Court lifted the stay on April 23, 2012. We anticipate that the Ninth Circuit Court will hear arguments on the merits of the appeal this year, with a final ruling sometime thereafter.
A California statewide cap-and-trade program will begin in late 2012. Initially, the program will apply only to stationary sources of greenhouse gases (e.g., refinery and power plant greenhouse gas emissions). Greenhouse gas emissions from fuels that we sell in California will be covered by the program beginning in 2015. We anticipate that free allocations of credits will be available in the early years of the program to cover most of our stationary emissions, but we expect that compliance costs will increase significantly beginning in 2015, when transportation fuels are included in the program.
Complying with AB 32, including the LCFS and the cap-and-trade program, could result in material increased compliance costs for us, increased capital expenditures, increased operating costs, and additional operating restrictions for our business, resulting in an increase in the cost of, and decreases in the demand for, the products we produce. To the degree we are unable to recover these increased costs, these matters could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations, and liquidity.




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VALERO ENERGY CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

In the first quarter of 2012, CARB adopted amendments to its Clean Fuels Outlet (CFO) Regulation. CARB states that the CFO Regulation is intended to provide outlets of clean fuel to meet the needs of alternative fuel vehicles. We understand that CARB is preparing to submit the CFO Regulation to the State Office of Administrative Law for approval. The regulation would require major refiners and importers of gasoline, including Valero, to install clean fuel outlets at five percent of California’s retail stations for hydrogen fueling and electric vehicle charging. We expect this regulation to be challenged, but we could be required to make significant capital expenditures if the regulation is implemented as presently adopted.

The EPA has disapproved certain permitting programs of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) that historically have streamlined the environmental permitting process in Texas. For example, the EPA disapproved the TCEQ pollution control standard permit, thus requiring conventional permitting for future pollution control equipment. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals recently overturned the EPA’s disapproval and sent it back to the EPA to re-evaluate the decision. Litigation is pending from industry groups and others against the EPA for each of these actions. The EPA has also objected to numerous Title V permits in Texas and other states, including permits at our Port Arthur, Corpus Christi East, and McKee Refineries. Environmental activist groups have filed a notice of intent to sue the EPA, seeking to require the EPA to assume control of these permits from the TCEQ. All of these developments have created substantial uncertainty regarding existing and future permitting. Because of this uncertainty, we are unable to determine the costs or effects of the EPA’s actions on our permitting activity. But the EPA’s disruption of the Texas permitting system could result in material increased compliance costs for us, increased capital expenditures, increased operating costs, and additional operating restrictions for our business, resulting in an increase in the cost of, and decreases in the demand for, the products we produce, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations, and liquidity.

Tax Matters
We are subject to extensive tax liabilities imposed by multiple jurisdictions, including income taxes, transactional taxes (excise/duty, sales/use, and value-added taxes), payroll taxes, franchise taxes, withholding taxes, and ad valorem taxes. New tax laws and regulations and changes in existing tax laws and regulations are continuously being enacted or proposed that could result in increased expenditures for tax liabilities in the future. Many of these liabilities are subject to periodic audits by the respective taxing authority. Subsequent changes to our tax liabilities as a result of these audits may subject us to interest and penalties.

As of March 31, 2012, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has ongoing tax audits related to our U.S. federal tax returns from 2002 through 2009. We have received Revenue Agent Reports on our tax years for 2002 through 2007 and we are vigorously contesting the tax positions and assertions from the IRS. Although we believe our tax liabilities are fairly stated and properly reflected in our financial statements, should the IRS eventually prevail, it could result in a material amount of our deferred tax liabilities being reclassified to current liabilities which could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity.
Litigation Matters
We are party to claims and legal proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business. We have not recorded a loss contingency liability with respect to some of these matters because we have determined that it is remote that a loss has been incurred.  For other matters, we have recorded a loss contingency liability where we have determined that it is probable that a loss has been incurred and that the loss is reasonably estimable.  These loss contingency liabilities are not material to our financial position. We re-evaluate and update our loss contingency liabilities as matters progress over time, and we believe that any changes to the recorded



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VALERO ENERGY CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

liabilities will not be material to our financial position or results of operations.

7.
EQUITY

The following is a reconciliation of the beginning and ending balances (in millions) of equity attributable to our stockholders, equity attributable to the noncontrolling interest, and total equity for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011:
 
 
2012
 
2011
 
 
Valero
Stockholders
Equity
 
Non-
controlling
Interest
 
Total
Equity
 
Valero
Stockholders
Equity
 
Non-
controlling
Interest
 
Total
Equity
Balance at beginning of
period
 
$
16,423

 
$
22

 
$
16,445

 
$
15,025

 
$

 
$
15,025

Net income (loss)
 
(432
)
 

 
(432
)
 
98

 

 
98

Dividends
 
(83
)
 

 
(83
)
 
(28
)
 

 
(28
)
Stock-based compensation expense
 
10

 

 
10

 
12

 

 
12

Tax deduction in excess of stock-based compensation expense
 
2

 

 
2

 
5

 

 
5

Transactions in connection with stock-based compensation plans:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Stock issuances
 
9

 

 
9

 
21

 

 
21

Stock repurchases
 
(95
)
 

 
(95
)
 

 

 

Contributions from noncontrolling interest
 

 
11

 
11

 

 

 

Other comprehensive income
 
125

 

 
125

 
91

 

 
91

Balance at end of period
 
$
15,959

 
$
33

 
$
15,992

 
$
15,224

 
$

 
$
15,224


The noncontrolling interest relates to the ownership interest in Diamond Green Diesel Holdings LLC that is owned by a party unrelated to us.




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VALERO ENERGY CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

Share Activity
Activity in the number of shares of common stock and treasury stock was as follows (in millions) for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011:
 
2012
 
2011
 
Common
Stock
 
Treasury
Stock
 
Common
Stock
 
Treasury
Stock
Balance as of beginning of period
673

 
(117
)
 
673

 
(105
)
Transactions in connection with
stock-based compensation plans:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Stock issuances

 
1

 

 
2

Stock purchases

 
(5
)
 

 

Balance as of end of period
673

 
(121
)
 
673

 
(103
)

Common Stock Dividends
On May 3, 2012, our board of directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.15 per common share payable on June 20, 2012 to holders of record at the close of business on May 23, 2012.

8.
EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS

The components of net periodic benefit cost related to our defined benefit plans were as follows (in millions) for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011:
 
Pension Plans
 
Other Postretirement
Benefit Plans
 
2012
 
2011
 
2012
 
2011
Service cost
$
35

 
$
23

 
$
3

 
$
3

Interest cost
23

 
21

 
5

 
6

Expected return on plan assets
(31
)
 
(28
)
 

 

Amortization of:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Prior service cost (credit)
1

 
1

 
(5
)
 
(6
)
Net loss
8

 
3

 

 

Net periodic benefit cost
$
36

 
$
20

 
$
3

 
$
3


Our anticipated contributions to our pension plans during 2012 have not changed from amounts previously disclosed in our financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2011. There were no significant contributions made to our pension plans during the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011.




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VALERO ENERGY CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

9.
EARNINGS PER COMMON SHARE

Earnings per common share from continuing operations were computed as follows (dollars and shares in millions, except per share amounts) for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011:
 
2012
 
2011
 
Restricted 
Stock
 
Common
Stock 
 
Restricted
Stock 
 
 Common
Stock
Earnings per common share from
continuing operations:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net income (loss) attributable to Valero stockholders
from continuing operations
 
 
$
(432
)
 
 
 
$
104

Less dividends paid:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Common stock
 
 
83

 
 
 
28

Nonvested restricted stock
 
 

 
 
 

Undistributed earnings (loss)
 
 
$
(515
)
 
 
 
$
76

Weighted-average common shares outstanding
3

 
551

 
3

 
566

Earnings per common share from
continuing operations:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Distributed earnings
$
0.15

 
$
0.15

 
$
0.05

 
$
0.05

Undistributed earnings

 
(0.93
)
 
0.13

 
0.13

Total earnings per common share from
continuing operations
$
0.15

 
$
(0.78
)
 
$
0.18

 
$
0.18

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Earnings per common share from
continuing operations – assuming dilution:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net income (loss) attributable to Valero stockholders
from continuing operations
 
 
$
(432
)
 
 
 
$
104

Weighted-average common shares outstanding
 
 
551

 
 
 
566

Common equivalent shares:
 
 

 
 
 
 
Stock options
 
 

 
 
 
5

Performance awards and
unvested restricted stock
 
 

 
 
 
2

Weighted-average common shares outstanding –
assuming dilution
 
 
551

 
 
 
573

Earnings per common share from
continuing operations – assuming dilution
 
 
$
(0.78
)
 
 
 
$
0.18


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 



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VALERO ENERGY CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

The following table reflects potentially dilutive securities (in millions) that were excluded from the calculation of “earnings per common share from continuing operations – assuming dilution” as the effect of including such securities would have been antidilutive. These potentially dilutive securities included common equivalent shares (primarily stock options), which were excluded due to the loss from continuing operations for three months ended March 31, 2012, and stock options for which the exercise prices were greater than the average market price of our common shares during each respective reporting period.

 
2012
 
2011
Common equivalent shares
6

 

Stock options
6

 
6


10.
SEGMENT INFORMATION

The following table reflects activity related to continuing operations (in millions):
 
 
Refining
 
Retail
 
Ethanol
 
Corporate
 
Total
Three months ended March 31, 2012:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Operating revenues from external
  customers
 
$
31,150

 
$
2,935

 
$
1,082

 
$

 
$
35,167

Intersegment revenues
 
2,255

 

 
14

 

 
2,269

Operating income (loss)
 
(119
)
 
40

 
9

 
(174
)
 
(244
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Three months ended March 31, 2011:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Operating revenues from external
  customers
 
22,562

 
2,684

 
1,062

 

 
26,308

Intersegment revenues
 
1,997

 

 
48

 

 
2,045

Operating income (loss)
 
276

 
66

 
44

 
(142
)
 
244


Total assets by reportable segment were as follows (in millions):

 
March 31,
2012
 
December 31,
2011
Refining
$
37,600

 
$
38,164

Retail
2,049

 
1,999

Ethanol
982

 
943

Corporate
2,003

 
1,677

Total assets
$
42,634

 
$
42,783





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VALERO ENERGY CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

11.
SUPPLEMENTAL CASH FLOW INFORMATION

In order to determine net cash provided by operating activities, net income is adjusted by, among other things, changes in current assets and current liabilities as follows (in millions) for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011:
 
2012
 
2011
Decrease (increase) in current assets:
 
 
 
Receivables, net
$
1,319

 
$
(1,258
)
Inventories
(471
)
 
622

Income taxes receivable
(14
)
 
(25
)
Prepaid expenses and other
6

 
10

Increase (decrease) in current liabilities:
 
 
 
Accounts payable
410

 
2,143

Accrued expenses
(100
)
 
174

Taxes other than income taxes
9

 
(160
)
Income taxes payable
(96
)
 
97

Changes in current assets and current liabilities
$
1,063

 
$
1,603


The above changes in current assets and current liabilities differ from changes between amounts reflected in the applicable balance sheets for the respective periods for the following reasons:
the amounts shown above exclude changes in cash and temporary cash investments, deferred income taxes, and current portion of debt and capital lease obligations, as well as the effect of certain noncash investing and financing activities discussed below;
amounts accrued for capital expenditures and deferred turnaround and catalyst costs are reflected in investing activities when such amounts are paid;
amounts accrued for common stock purchases in the open market that are not settled as of the balance sheet date are reflected in financing activities when the purchases are settled and paid; and
certain differences between balance sheet changes and the changes reflected above result from translating foreign currency denominated balances at the applicable exchange rates as of each balance sheet date.
There were no significant noncash investing or financing activities for the three months ended March 31, 2012 or 2011.

Cash flows related to interest and income taxes were as follows (in millions) for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011:
 
2012
 
2011
Interest paid in excess of amount capitalized
$
45

 
$
77

Income taxes paid, net
142

 
3




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VALERO ENERGY CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

12.
FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

General
GAAP requires that certain financial instruments, such as derivative instruments, be recognized at their fair values in our balance sheets. However, other financial instruments, such as debt obligations, are not required to be recognized at their fair values, but GAAP provides an option to elect fair value accounting for these instruments. GAAP requires the disclosure of the fair values of all financial instruments, regardless of whether they are recognized at their fair values or carrying amounts in our balance sheets. For financial instruments recognized at fair value, GAAP requires the disclosure of their fair values by type of instrument, along with other information, including changes in the fair values of certain financial instruments recognized in income or other comprehensive income, and this information is provided below under “Recurring Fair Value Measurements.” For financial instruments not recognized at fair value, the disclosure of their fair values is provided below under “Other Financial Instruments.”

Nonfinancial assets, such as property, plant and equipment, and nonfinancial liabilities are recognized at their carrying amounts in our balance sheets. GAAP does not permit nonfinancial assets and liabilities to be remeasured at their fair values. However, GAAP requires the remeasurement of such assets and liabilities to their fair values upon the occurrence of certain events, such as the impairment of property, plant and equipment. In addition, if such an event occurs, GAAP requires the disclosure of the fair value of the asset or liability along with other information, including the gain or loss recognized in income in the period the remeasurement occurred. This information is provided below under “Nonrecurring Fair Value Measurements.”

GAAP provides a framework for measuring fair value and establishes a three-level fair value hierarchy that prioritizes inputs to valuation techniques based on the degree to which objective prices in external active markets are available to measure fair value. Following is a description of each of the levels of the fair value hierarchy.
Level 1 - Observable inputs, such as unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
Level 2 - Inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly. These include quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets and quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active.
Level 3 - Unobservable inputs for the asset or liability for which there is little, if any, market activity at the measurement date. Unobservable inputs reflect our own assumptions about what market participants would use to price the asset or liability. The inputs are developed based on the best information available in the circumstances, which might include occasional market quotes or sales of similar instruments or our own financial data such as internally developed pricing models, discounted cash flow methodologies, as well as instruments for which the fair value determination requires significant judgment.

The financial instruments and nonfinancial assets and liabilities included in our disclosure of recurring and nonrecurring fair value measurements are categorized according to the fair value hierarchy based on the inputs used to measure their fair values.




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VALERO ENERGY CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

Recurring Fair Value Measurements
The tables below present information (in millions) about our financial instruments recognized at their fair values in our balance sheets categorized according to the fair value hierarchy of the inputs utilized by us to determine the fair values as of March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011.
Cash collateral deposits of $199 million and $136 million with brokers under master netting arrangements are included in the fair value of the commodity derivatives reflected in Level 1 as of March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011, respectively. Certain of our commodity derivative contracts under master netting arrangements include both asset and liability positions. We have elected to offset the fair value amounts recognized for multiple similar derivative instruments executed with the same counterparty, including any related cash collateral asset or obligation under the column “Netting Adjustments” below; however, fair value amounts by hierarchy level are presented on a gross basis in the tables below.

 
Fair Value Measurements Using
 
 
 
 
 
Quoted
Prices in
Active
Markets
(Level 1)
 
Significant
Other
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)
 
Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)
 
Netting
Adjustments
 
Total
Fair Value
as of
March 31,
2012
Assets:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Commodity derivative contracts
$
2,310

 
$
162

 
$

 
$
(2,302
)
 
$
170

Physical purchase contracts

 
(36
)
 

 

 
(36
)
Investments of certain benefit plans
89

 

 
11

 

 
100

Foreign currency contracts
1

 

 

 

 
1

Other investments

 

 

 

 

Liabilities:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Commodity derivative contracts
2,145

 
165

 

 
(2,302
)
 
8

Biofuels blending obligation
3

 

 

 

 
3

Obligations of certain benefit plans
36

 

 

 

 
36

Foreign currency contracts
3

 

 

 

 
3





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VALERO ENERGY CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

 
Fair Value Measurements Using
 
 
 
 
 
Quoted
Prices in
Active
Markets
(Level 1)
 
Significant
Other
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)
 
Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)
 
Netting
Adjustments
 
Total
Fair Value
as of
December 31,
2011
Assets:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Commodity derivative contracts
$
2,038

 
$
78

 
$

 
$
(1,940
)
 
$
176

Physical purchase contracts

 
(2
)
 

 

 
(2
)
Investments of certain benefit plans
84

 

 
11

 

 
95

Other investments

 

 

 

 

Liabilities:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Commodity derivative contracts
1,864

 
101

 

 
(1,940
)
 
25

Obligations of certain benefit plans
34

 

 

 

 
34

Foreign currency contracts
3

 

 

 

 
3


A description of our financial instruments and the valuation methods used to measure those instruments at fair value are as follows:
Commodity derivative contracts consist primarily of exchange-traded futures and swaps, and as disclosed in Note 13, some of these contracts are designated as hedging instruments. These contracts are measured at fair value using the market approach. Exchange-traded futures are valued based on quoted prices from the exchange and are categorized in Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy. Swaps are priced using third-party broker quotes, industry pricing services, and exchange-traded curves, with appropriate consideration of counterparty credit risk, but because they have contractual terms that are not identical to exchange-traded futures instruments with a comparable market price, these financial instruments are categorized in Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.
Physical purchase contracts to purchase inventories represent the fair value of firm commitments to purchase crude oil feedstocks and the fair value of fixed-price corn purchase contracts, and as disclosed in Note 13, some of these contracts are designated as hedging instruments. The fair values of these firm commitments and purchase contracts are measured using a market approach based on quoted prices from the commodity exchange, but because these commitments have contractual terms that are not identical to exchange-traded futures instruments with a comparable market price, they are categorized in Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.
Investments of certain benefit plans consist of investment securities held by trusts for the purpose of satisfying a portion of our obligations under certain U.S. nonqualified benefit plans. The assets categorized in Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy are measured at fair value using a market approach based on quoted prices from national securities exchanges. The assets categorized in Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy represent insurance contracts, the fair value of which is provided by the insurer. Obligations of certain benefit plans relate to certain U.S. nonqualified defined contribution plans under which our obligations to eligible employees are equal to the fair value of the assets held by those plans.
Foreign currency contracts consist of foreign currency exchange and purchase contracts entered into by our international operations to manage our exposure to exchange rate fluctuations on transactions



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VALERO ENERGY CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

denominated in currencies other than the local (functional) currencies of those operations. These contracts are valued based on quoted prices from the exchange and are categorized in Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy.
Other investments consist of (i) equity securities of private companies over which we do not exercise significant influence nor whose financial statements are consolidated into our financial statements and (ii) debt securities of a private company whose financial statements are not consolidated into our financial statements. We have elected to account for these investments at their fair values. These investments are categorized in Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy as the fair values of these investments are determined using the income approach based on internally developed analyses.
Our biofuels blending obligation represents a liability for the purchase of RINs and RTFCs, as defined and described in Note 13 under “Compliance Program Price Risk,” to satisfy our obligation to blend biofuels into the products we produce. Our obligation is based on our deficiency in RINs and RTFCs and the price of these instruments as of the balance sheet date. Our obligation is categorized in Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy and is measured at fair value using the market approach based on quoted prices from an independent pricing service.

The following is a reconciliation of the beginning and ending balances (in millions) for fair value measurements developed using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011.
 
2012
 
2011
 
Investments
of Certain
Benefit
Plans
 
Other
Investments
 
Investments
of Certain
Benefit
Plans
 
Other
Investments
Balance as of beginning of period
$
11

 
$

 
$
10

 
$

Purchases

 

 

 
6

Total gains (losses) included in income

 

 
1

 
(6
)
Transfers in and/or out of Level 3

 

 

 

Balance as of end of period
$
11

 
$

 
$
11

 
$

The amount of total gains (losses)
included in income attributable to
the change in unrealized gains (losses)
relating to assets still held at
end of period
$

 
$

 
$
1

 
$
(6
)




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VALERO ENERGY CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

Nonrecurring Fair Value Measurements
The table below presents the fair value (in millions) of our nonfinancial assets measured on a nonrecurring basis during the three months ended March 31, 2012 and categorized according to the fair value hierarchy of the inputs utilized by us to determine the fair values as of March 31, 2012.
 
Fair Value Measurements Using
 
 
 
 
 
Quoted
Prices in
Active
Markets
(Level 1)
 
Significant
Other
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)
 
Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)
 
Total
Fair Value
as of
March 31,
2012
 
Total Loss
Recognized
During the
Three Months
Ended
March 31, 2012
Assets:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Long-lived assets of the Aruba Refinery
$

 
$

 
$
350

 
$
350

 
$
595

Cancelled capital project

 

 
2

 
2

 
16


As discussed in Note 3, we concluded that the Aruba Refinery was impaired as of March 31, 2012. As a result, we were required to determine the fair value of the Aruba Refinery and to write down its carrying value to that amount. We determined that the best measure of the refinery’s fair value as of March 31, 2012 was the $350 million offer received and accepted, subject to the finalization of the purchase and sale agreement. We believe this offer represents what a market participant would pay us for the assets in their highest and best use, as more fully discussed in Note 3. The fair value of the Aruba Refinery was measured using the market approach and is categorized in Level 3 within the fair value hierarchy. The carrying value of the Aruba Refinery’s long-lived assets as of March 31, 2012 was $945 million; therefore, we recognized an asset impairment loss of $595 million during the three months ended March 31, 2012.

We recognized an asset impairment loss of $16 million during the three months ended March 31, 2012 related to equipment associated with a capital project that was cancelled permanently in 2009. We had written down the carrying value of this equipment to fair value in 2009, but we have been unable to sell the equipment. As a result, we wrote down the carrying amount of the equipment to scrap value.

There were no liabilities that were measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis during the three months ended March 31, 2012. There were no assets or liabilities that were measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis during the three months ended March 31, 2011.





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VALERO ENERGY CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

Other Financial Instruments
Financial instruments that we recognize in our balance sheets at their carrying amounts include cash and temporary cash investments, receivables, payables, debt and capital lease obligations. The fair values of these financial instruments approximate their carrying amounts, except for debt as shown in the table below (in millions):

 
March 31,
2012
 
December 31,
2011
Carrying amount (excluding capital leases)
$
7,554

 
$
7,690

Fair value
8,653

 
9,298


The fair value of our debt is determined primarily using the market approach based on quoted prices in active markets (Level 1).

13.
PRICE RISK MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES
We are exposed to market risks related to the volatility in the price of commodities, the price of financial instruments associated with governmental and regulatory compliance programs, interest rates, and foreign currency exchange rates, and we enter into derivative instruments to manage some of these risks. We also enter into derivative instruments to manage the price risk on other contractual derivatives into which we have entered. The only types of derivative instruments we enter into are those related to the various commodities we purchase or produce, financial instruments we must purchase to maintain compliance with various governmental and regulatory programs, interest rate swaps, and foreign currency exchange and purchase contracts, as described below. All derivative instruments are recorded as either assets or liabilities measured at their fair values (see Note 12).
When we enter into a derivative instrument, it is designated as a fair value hedge, a cash flow hedge, an economic hedge, or a trading derivative. The gain or loss on a derivative instrument designated and qualifying as a fair value hedge, as well as the offsetting loss or gain on the hedged item attributable to the hedged risk, is recognized currently in income in the same period. The effective portion of the gain or loss on a derivative instrument designated and qualifying as a cash flow hedge is initially reported as a component of other comprehensive income and is then recorded in income in the period or periods during which the hedged forecasted transaction affects income. The ineffective portion of the gain or loss on the cash flow derivative instrument, if any, is recognized in income as incurred. For our economic hedges (derivative instruments not designated as fair value or cash flow hedges) and for derivative instruments entered into by us for trading purposes, the derivative instrument is recorded at fair value and changes in the fair value of the derivative instrument are recognized currently in income. The cash flow effects of all of our derivative instruments are reflected in operating activities in our statements of cash flows for all periods presented.




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VALERO ENERGY CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

Commodity Price Risk
We are exposed to market risks related to the volatility in the price of crude oil, refined products (primarily gasoline and distillate), grain (primarily corn), and natural gas used in our operations. To reduce the impact of price volatility on our results of operations and cash flows, we use commodity derivative instruments, including futures, swaps, and options. We use the futures markets for the available liquidity, which provides greater flexibility in transacting our hedging and trading operations. We use swaps primarily to manage our price exposure. Our positions in commodity derivative instruments are monitored and managed on a daily basis by a risk control group to ensure compliance with our stated risk management policy that has been approved by our board of directors.

For risk management purposes, we use fair value hedges, cash flow hedges, and economic hedges. In addition to the use of derivative instruments to manage commodity price risk, we also enter into certain commodity derivative instruments for trading purposes. Our objective for entering into each type of hedge or trading derivative is described below.

Fair Value Hedges
Fair value hedges are used to hedge price volatility in certain refining inventories and firm commitments to purchase inventories. The level of activity for our fair value hedges is based on the level of our operating inventories, and generally represents the amount by which our inventories differ from our previous year-end LIFO inventory levels.
As of March 31, 2012, we had the following outstanding commodity derivative instruments that were entered into to hedge crude oil and refined product inventories and commodity derivative instruments related to the physical purchase of crude oil and refined products at a fixed price. The information presents the notional volume of outstanding contracts by type of instrument and year of maturity (volumes in thousands of barrels).

 
 
Notional
Contract
Volumes by
Year of
Maturity
Derivative Instrument
 
2012
Crude oil and refined products:
 
 
Futures – long
 
10,670

Futures – short
 
33,088

Physical contracts - long
 
22,418




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VALERO ENERGY CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

Cash Flow Hedges
Cash flow hedges are used to hedge price volatility in certain forecasted feedstock and refined product purchases, refined product sales, and natural gas purchases. The objective of our cash flow hedges is to lock in the price of forecasted feedstock, product or natural gas purchases or refined product sales at existing market prices that we deem favorable.

As of March 31, 2012, we had the following outstanding commodity derivative instruments that were entered into to hedge forecasted purchases or sales of crude oil and refined products. The information presents the notional volume of outstanding contracts by type of instrument and year of maturity (volumes in thousands of barrels).

 
 
Notional
Contract
Volumes by
Year of
Maturity
Derivative Instrument
 
2012
Crude oil and refined products:
 
 
Swaps – long
 
5,961

Swaps – short
 
5,961

Futures – long
 
34,601

Futures – short
 
32,112

Physical contracts – short
 
2,489





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VALERO ENERGY CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

Economic Hedges
Economic hedges represent commodity derivative instruments that are not designated as fair value or cash flow hedges and are used to manage price volatility in certain (i) refinery feedstock, refined product, and corn inventories, (ii) forecasted refinery feedstock, refined product, and corn purchases, and refined product sales, and (iii) fixed-price corn purchase contracts. Our objective for entering into economic hedges is consistent with the objectives discussed above for fair value hedges and cash flow hedges. However, the economic hedges are not designated as a fair value hedge or a cash flow hedge for accounting purposes, usually due to the difficulty of establishing the required documentation at the date that the derivative instrument is entered into that would allow us to achieve “hedge deferral accounting.”
As of March 31, 2012, we had the following outstanding commodity derivative instruments that were entered into as economic hedges and commodity derivative instruments related to the physical purchase of corn at a fixed price. The information presents the notional volume of outstanding contracts by type of instrument and year of maturity (volumes in thousands of barrels, except those identified as corn contracts that are presented in thousands of bushels).

 
 
Notional Contract Volumes by
Year of Maturity
Derivative Instrument
 
2012
 
2013
Crude oil and refined products:
 
 
 
 
Swaps – long
 
51,124

 

Swaps – short
 
48,424

 

Futures – long
 
55,939

 

Futures – short
 
56,511

 

Options – long
 
2

 

Corn:
 
 
 
 
Futures – long
 
14,670

 
50

Futures – short
 
40,330

 
2,180

Physical contracts – long
 
16,759

 
2,121




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VALERO ENERGY CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

Trading Derivatives
Our objective in entering into commodity derivative instruments for trading purposes is to take advantage of existing market conditions related to future results of operations and cash flows.

As of March 31, 2012, we had the following outstanding commodity derivative instruments that were entered into for trading purposes. The information presents the notional volume of outstanding contracts by type of instrument and year of maturity (volumes represent thousands of barrels, except those identified as natural gas contracts that are presented in billions of British thermal units and corn contracts that are presented in thousands of bushels).

 
 
Notional Contract Volumes by
Year of Maturity
Derivative Instrument
 
2012
 
2013
Crude oil and refined products:
 
 
 
 
Swaps – long
 
14,799

 
13,070

Swaps – short
 
14,659

 
13,190

Futures – long
 
72,215

 
8,050

Futures – short
 
74,651

 
5,550

Options – long
 
2,615

 

Options – short
 
2,500

 

Natural gas:
 
 
 
 
Futures – short
 
650

 

Corn:
 
 
 
 
Swaps - long
 
8,795

 

Swaps - short
 
9,085

 

Futures – long
 
7,720

 

Futures – short
 
7,720

 


Compliance Program Price Risk
We are exposed to market risks related to the volatility in the price of financial instruments associated with various governmental and regulatory compliance programs that we must purchase in the open market to comply with these programs. These programs are described below.

Obligation to Blend Biofuels
We are obligated to blend biofuels into the products we produce in most of the countries in which we operate, and these countries set annual quotas for the percentage of biofuels that must be blended into the motor fuels consumed in these countries. As a producer of motor fuels from petroleum, we are obligated to blend biofuels into the products we produce at a rate that is at least equal to the applicable quota. To the degree we are unable to blend at the applicable rate in the U.S. and the U.K., we must purchase Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) in the U.S. and Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation certificates (RTFCs) in the U.K., and as such, we are exposed to the volatility in the market price of these financial instruments. We have not entered into derivative instruments to manage this risk, but we purchase RINs and RTFCs when the price of



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VALERO ENERGY CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

these instruments is deemed favorable. For the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011, the cost of meeting our obligations under these compliance programs was $67 million and $56 million, respectively, and these amounts are reflected in cost of sales.

Maintaining Minimum Inventory Quantities
In the U.K., we are required to maintain a minimum quantity of crude oil and refined products as a reserve against shortages or interruptions in the supply of these products. To the degree we decide not to physically hold the minimum quantity of crude oil and refined products, we must purchase Compulsory Stock Obligation (CSO) tickets from other suppliers of refined products in the U.K. or other European Union (EU) member countries, and we make economic decisions as to the cost of maintaining certain quantities of crude oil and refined products versus the cost of purchasing CSO tickets. We have not entered into derivative instruments to manage the price volatility of CSO tickets. For the three months ended March 31, 2012, the cost of purchasing CSO tickets to help meet our obligations under this compliance program was $2 million, and this amount was reflected in cost of sales. We had no obligations under this compliance program prior to completing the Pembroke Acquisition in 2011.

Emission Allowances
Our Pembroke Refinery is subject to a maximum amount of carbon dioxide that it can emit each year under the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. Under this cap-and-trade program, we purchase emission allowances on the open market for the difference between the amount of carbon dioxide emitted and the maximum amount allowed under the program. Therefore, we are exposed to the volatility in the market price of these allowances. For the three months ended March 31, 2012, the cost of meeting our obligation under this compliance program was $1 million, and this amount is reflected in refining operating expenses. We had no obligations under this compliance program prior to completing the Pembroke Acquisition in 2011.

We enter into derivative instruments (futures) to reduce the impact of this risk on our results of operations and cash flows. Our positions in these derivative instruments are monitored and managed on a daily basis by a risk control group to ensure compliance with our stated risk management policy that has been approved by our board of directors. As of March 31, 2012, we had purchased futures contracts – long for 55,000 metric tons of EU emission allowances that were entered into as economic hedges. As of March 31, 2012, the fair value of these futures contracts was immaterial and therefore not separately presented in the table below under “Fair Values of Derivative Instruments.” For the three months ended March 31, 2012, the loss recognized in income on these derivative instruments designated as economic hedges was also immaterial and therefore not separately presented in the table below under “Effect of Derivative Instruments on Income and Other Comprehensive Income.”
Interest Rate Risk
Our primary market risk exposure for changes in interest rates relates to our debt obligations. We manage our exposure to changing interest rates through the use of a combination of fixed-rate and floating-rate debt. In addition, at times we have used interest rate swap agreements to manage our fixed to floating interest rate position by converting certain fixed-rate debt to floating-rate debt. We had no interest rate derivative instruments outstanding as of March 31, 2012 or December 31, 2011, or during the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011.

Foreign Currency Risk
We are exposed to exchange rate fluctuations on transactions entered into by our international operations



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VALERO ENERGY CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

that are denominated in currencies other than the local (functional) currencies of those operations. To manage our exposure to these exchange rate fluctuations, we use foreign currency exchange and purchase contracts. These contracts are not designated as hedging instruments for accounting purposes, and therefore they are classified as economic hedges. As of March 31, 2012, we had commitments to purchase $565 million of U.S. dollars and C$65 million of Canadian dollars. The majority of these commitments matured on or before April 30, 2012.
Fair Values of Derivative Instruments
The following tables provide information about the fair values of our derivative instruments as of March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011 (in millions) and the line items in the balance sheets in which the fair values are reflected. See Note 12 for additional information related to the fair values of our derivative instruments.

As indicated in Note 12, we net fair value amounts recognized for multiple similar derivative instruments executed with the same counterparty under master netting arrangements. The tables below, however, are presented on a gross asset and gross liability basis, which results in the reflection of certain assets in liability accounts and certain liabilities in asset accounts. In addition, in Note 12, we included cash collateral on deposit with or received from brokers in the fair value of the commodity derivatives; these cash amounts are not reflected in the tables below.

 
Balance Sheet
Location
 
March 31, 2012
 
 
Asset
Derivatives  
 
Liability
Derivatives  
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments
 
 
 
 
 
Commodity contracts:
 
 
 
 
 
Futures
Receivables, net
 
$
161

 
$
188

Swaps
Receivables, net
 
89

 
83

Swaps
Accrued expenses
 
4

 
3

Total
 
 
$
254

 
$
274

 
 
 
 
 
 
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments
 
 
 
 
 
Commodity contracts:
 
 
 
 
 
Futures
Receivables, net
 
$
1,949

 
$
1,957

Swaps
Receivables, net
 
46

 
48

Swaps
Prepaid expenses and other
 
1

 

Swaps
Accrued expenses
 
22

 
31

Options
Receivables, net
 
1

 

Physical purchase contracts
Inventories
 

 
36

Foreign currency contracts
Receivables, net
 
1

 

Foreign currency contracts
Accrued expenses
 

 
3

Total
 
 
$
2,020

 
$
2,075

Total derivatives
 
 
$
2,274

 
$
2,349




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VALERO ENERGY CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

 
Balance Sheet
Location
 
December 31, 2011
 
 
Asset
Derivatives  
 
Liability
Derivatives  
Derivatives designated as
hedging instruments
 
 
 
 
 
Commodity contracts:
 
 
 
 
 
Futures
Receivables, net
 
$
264

 
$
240

Swaps
Accrued expenses
 
36

 
46

Total
 
 
$
300

 
$
286

 
 
 
 
 
 
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments
 
 
 
 
 
Commodity contracts:
 
 
 
 
 
Futures
Receivables, net
 
$
1,636

 
$
1,624

Swaps
Prepaid expenses and other
 
4

 
2

Swaps
Accrued expenses
 
38

 
51

Options
Receivables, net
 
2

 

Options
Accrued expenses
 

 
2

Physical purchase contracts
Inventories
 

 
2

Foreign currency contracts
Accrued expenses
 

 
3

Total
 
 
$
1,680

 
$
1,684

Total derivatives
 
 
$
1,980

 
$
1,970

Market and Counterparty Risk
Our price risk management activities involve the receipt or payment of fixed price commitments into the future. These transactions give rise to market risk, which is the risk that future changes in market conditions may make an instrument less valuable. We closely monitor and manage our exposure to market risk on a daily basis in accordance with policies approved by our board of directors. Market risks are monitored by a risk control group to ensure compliance with our stated risk management policy. Concentrations of customers in the refining industry may impact our overall exposure to counterparty risk because these customers may be similarly affected by changes in economic or other conditions. In addition, financial services companies are the counterparties in certain of our price risk management activities, and such financial services companies may be adversely affected by periods of uncertainty and illiquidity in the credit and capital markets.
As of March 31, 2012, we had net receivables related to derivative instruments of $1 million from counterparties in the refining industry and no amounts from counterparties in the financial services industry. As of December 31, 2011, we had net receivables related to derivative instruments of $2 million from counterparties in the refining industry and no amounts from counterparties in the financial services industry. These amounts represent the aggregate amount payable to us by companies in those industries, reduced by payables from us to those companies under master netting arrangements that allow for the setoff of amounts receivable from and payable to the same party. We do not require any collateral or other security to support derivative instruments into which we enter. We also do not have any derivative instruments that require us to maintain a minimum investment-grade credit rating.



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VALERO ENERGY CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

Effect of Derivative Instruments on Income and Other Comprehensive Income
The following tables provide information about the gain or loss recognized in income and other comprehensive income on our derivative instruments and the line items in the financial statements in which such gains and losses are reflected (in millions).

Derivatives in Fair Value
Hedging Relationships
 
Location of Gain (Loss)
Recognized in Income
on Derivatives
 
Three Months Ended March 31,
 
 
2012
 
2011
Commodity contracts:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Loss recognized in
income on derivatives
 
Cost of sales
 
$
(267
)
 
$
(91
)
Gain recognized in
income on hedged item
 
Cost of sales
 
228

 
86

Loss recognized in
income on derivatives
(ineffective portion)
 
Cost of sales
 
(39
)
 
(5
)

For fair value hedges, no component of the derivative instruments’ gains or losses was excluded from the assessment of hedge effectiveness for three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011. No amounts were recognized in income for hedged firm commitments that no longer qualify as fair value hedges for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011.

Derivatives in Cash Flow
Hedging Relationships
 
Location of Gain (Loss)
Recognized in Income
 on Derivatives
 
Three Months Ended March 31,
 
 
2012
 
2011
Commodity contracts:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Gain recognized in
OCI on derivatives
(effective portion)
 
 
 
$
47

 
$

Gain reclassified from
accumulated OCI into
income (effective portion)
 
Cost of sales
 
48

 

Loss recognized in
income on derivatives
(ineffective portion)
 
Cost of sales
 
(5
)
 





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VALERO ENERGY CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

For cash flow hedges, no component of the derivative instruments’ gains or losses was excluded from the assessment of hedge effectiveness for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011. For the three months ended March 31, 2012, cash flow hedges primarily related to forward sales of gasoline and distillates, and associated forward purchases of crude oil, with $19 million of cumulative after-tax gains on cash flow hedges remaining in accumulated other comprehensive income. We estimate that $19 million of the deferred gains as of March 31, 2012 will be reclassified into cost of sales over the next nine months as a result of hedged transactions that are forecasted to occur. For the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011, there were no amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income into income as a result of the discontinuance of cash flow hedge accounting.

Derivatives Designated as
Economic Hedges and Other
Derivative Instruments
 
Location of Gain (Loss)
Recognized in
 Income on Derivatives
 
Three Months Ended March 31,
 
2012
 
2011
Commodity contracts
 
Cost of sales
 
$
(151
)
 
$
(299
)
Foreign currency contracts
 
Cost of sales
 
(23
)
 
(14
)
Total
 
 
 
$
(174
)
 
$
(313
)

The loss of $299 million on commodity contracts for the three months ended March 31, 2011 includes a $542 million loss related to forward sales of refined product.

Trading Derivatives
 
Location of Gain (Loss)
Recognized in Income
on Derivatives
 
Three Months Ended March 31,
 
 
2012
 
2011
Commodity contracts
 
Cost of sales
 
$
(4
)
 
$
6





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Item 2.
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT FOR THE PURPOSE OF SAFE HARBOR PROVISIONS OF THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995
This Form 10-Q, including without limitation our discussion below under the heading “OVERVIEW AND OUTLOOK,” includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. You can identify our forward-looking statements by the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “expect,” “plan,” “intend,” “estimate,” “project,” “projection,” “predict,” “budget,” “forecast,” “goal,” “guidance,” “target,” “could,” “should,” “may,” and similar expressions.

These forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements regarding:

future refining margins, including gasoline and distillate margins;
future retail margins, including gasoline, diesel, home heating oil, and convenience store merchandise margins;
future ethanol margins;
expectations regarding feedstock costs, including crude oil differentials, and operating expenses;
anticipated levels of crude oil and refined product inventories;
our anticipated level of capital investments, including deferred refinery turnaround and catalyst costs and capital expenditures for environmental and other purposes, and the effect of those capital investments on our results of operations;
anticipated trends in the supply of and demand for crude oil and other feedstocks and refined products globally and in the regions where we operate;
expectations regarding environmental, tax, and other regulatory initiatives; and
the effect of general economic and other conditions on refining, retail, and ethanol industry fundamentals.

We based our forward-looking statements on our current expectations, estimates, and projections about ourselves and our industry. We caution that these statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that we cannot predict. In addition, we based many of these forward-looking statements on assumptions about future events that may prove to be inaccurate. Accordingly, our actual results may differ materially from the future performance that we have expressed or forecast in the forward-looking statements. Differences between actual results and any future performance suggested in these forward-looking statements could result from a variety of factors, including the following:

acts of terrorism aimed at either our facilities or other facilities that could impair our ability to produce or transport refined products or receive feedstocks;
political and economic conditions in nations that produce crude oil or consume refined products;
demand for, and supplies of, refined products such as gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel, home heating oil, petrochemicals, and ethanol;
demand for, and supplies of, crude oil and other feedstocks;
the ability of the members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to agree on and to maintain crude oil price and production controls;
the level of consumer demand, including seasonal fluctuations;
refinery overcapacity or undercapacity;
our ability to successfully integrate any acquired businesses into our operations;
the actions taken by competitors, including both pricing and adjustments to refining capacity in response to market conditions;



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the level of competitors’ imports into markets that we supply;
accidents, unscheduled shutdowns, or other catastrophes affecting our refineries, machinery, pipelines, equipment, and information systems, or those of our suppliers or customers;
changes in the cost or availability of transportation for feedstocks and refined products;
the price, availability, and acceptance of alternative fuels and alternative-fuel vehicles;
the levels of government subsidies for ethanol and other alternative fuels;
delay of, cancellation of, or failure to implement planned capital projects and realize the various assumptions and benefits projected for such projects or cost overruns in constructing such planned capital projects;
earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, and irregular weather, which can unforeseeably affect the price or availability of natural gas, crude oil, grain and other feedstocks, and refined products and ethanol;
rulings, judgments, or settlements in litigation or other legal or regulatory matters, including unexpected environmental remediation costs, in excess of any reserves or insurance coverage;
legislative or regulatory action, including the introduction or enactment of legislation or rulemakings by governmental authorities, including tax and environmental regulations, such as those to be implemented under the California Global Warming Solutions Act (also known as AB 32) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) regulation of greenhouse gases, which may adversely affect our business or operations;
changes in the credit ratings assigned to our debt securities and trade credit;
changes in currency exchange rates, including the value of the Canadian dollar, the pound sterling, and the euro relative to the United States (U.S.) dollar; and
overall economic conditions, including the stability and liquidity of financial markets.
Any one of these factors, or a combination of these factors, could materially affect our future results of operations and whether any forward-looking statements ultimately prove to be accurate. Our forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results and future performance may differ materially from those suggested in any forward-looking statements. We do not intend to update these statements unless we are required by the securities laws to do so.

All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the foregoing. We undertake no obligation to publicly release any revisions to any such forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this report or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.




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OVERVIEW AND OUTLOOK

Overview
For the first quarter of 2012, we reported a net loss attributable to Valero stockholders from continuing operations of $432 million, or $0.78 per share, compared to net income attributable to Valero stockholders from continuing operations of $104 million, or $0.18 per share, for the first quarter of 2011.

The results for the first quarter of 2012, however, were significantly impacted by a $611 million asset impairment loss ($605 million after taxes, or $1.09 per share), primarily related to our Aruba Refinery, which is discussed below. In addition, the results for the first quarter of 2011 were significantly impacted by a $542 million loss ($352 million after taxes, or $0.62 per share) on commodity derivative contracts related to the forward sales of refined product. These contracts were closed and realized in the first quarter of 2011. Excluding these significant items, net income attributable to Valero stockholders from continuing operations was $173 million ($0.31 per share) for the first quarter of 2012 compared to $456 million ($0.80 per share) for the first quarter of 2011.

The decline in net income attributable to Valero stockholders from continuing operations in the first quarter of 2012 as compared to the first quarter of 2011 was primarily due to a decrease in operating income attributable to the refining business segment as outlined in the following table (in millions):

 
 
Three Months Ended March 31,
 
 
2012
 
2011
 
Change
Operating income (loss) by business segment:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Refining
 
$
(119
)
 
$
276

 
$
(395
)
Retail
 
40

 
66

 
(26
)
Ethanol
 
9

 
44

 
(35
)
Corporate
 
(174
)
 
(142
)
 
(32
)
Total
 
$
(244
)
 
$
244

 
$
(488
)

Excluding the impacts of the $611 million asset impairment loss in the first quarter of 2012 and the $542 million loss on commodity derivative contracts in the first quarter of 2011 described above, total company operating income for the first quarter of 2012 and the first quarter of 2011 would have been $367 million and $786 million, respectively, and our refining segment operating income would have been $492 million and $818 million, respectively, for the same periods.

Refining segment operating income declined primarily due to lower sour crude oil differentials (which is the difference between the price of sweet crude oil and the price of sour crude oil) and lower margins for other products such as petrochemical feedstocks and petroleum coke, partially offset by improved gasoline and distillate margins for most of our refining regions. In addition, we continued to benefit from the favorable difference between the price of sweet crude oils sourced from the inland U.S., such as West Texas Intermediate (WTI), versus the price of benchmark sweet crude oils, such as Louisiana Light Sweet (LLS) and Brent crude oils. Historically, the price of WTI-type crude oil has closely approximated LLS and Brent crude oils. Due to the significant development of crude oil reserves within the U.S. Mid-Continent region and increased deliveries of crude oil from Canada into the U.S. Mid-Continent region, the increased supply of WTI-type crude oil resulted in WTI-type crude oil being priced at a significant discount to LLS and Brent crude oils during the first quarter of 2012 and 2011. This discount was wider in the first quarter of 2012 compared to the first quarter of 2011, which contributed to the improved gasoline and distillate margins described above.
In March 2012, we decided to suspend the operations of the Aruba Refinery by the end of March. Our decision



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was based on the refinery’s inability to generate positive cash flows on a sustained basis subsequent to its restart in January 2011 and the sensitivity of its profitability to sour crude oil differentials, which narrowed significantly in the fourth quarter of 2011. On March 28, 2012, we received a non-binding indication of interest from an unrelated interested party to purchase the Aruba Refinery for $350 million, plus working capital as of the closing date, subject to completion of due diligence and further negotiations. We have accepted this offer, subject to the finalization of the purchase and sale agreement. Because of our decision to suspend the operations of the Aruba Refinery and the possibility that we may sell the refinery, we evaluated the refinery for potential impairment as of March 31, 2012 and recognized an asset impairment loss of $595 million, which is discussed in Note 3 of Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

Outlook
The benefit we experienced in our refining business throughout 2011 and the first quarter of 2012 from processing discounted WTI-type crude oils may decline as various crude oil pipeline and logistics projects are completed in coming months. These projects will allow sweet crude oils from the inland U.S. to be transported to the U.S. Gulf Coast region, which is expected to result in a narrowing of the price differential of WTI-priced crude oils relative to Brent-priced crude oil. As a result, the margins for refined products for refiners that process WTI-priced crude oils may decline. In addition, the U.S. and worldwide refining business continues to experience capacity rationalization, particularly in Europe, the U.S. East Coast, and the Caribbean, where declining product margins have negatively impacted refineries in those regions. Refineries in those regions have closed, such as the Aruba Refinery discussed above, and others may close in coming months. However, some of these refineries may continue to be operated for political and other reasons, which could have a negative impact on refined product margins. As a result of these matters, we expect energy markets and margins to be volatile in the near to mid-term.




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RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following tables highlight our results of operations, our operating performance, and market prices that directly impact our operations. The narrative following these tables provides an analysis of our results of operations.
Financial Highlights (a) (b)
(millions of dollars, except per share amounts)
 
Three Months Ended March 31,
 
2012
 
2011
 
Change
Operating revenues
$
35,167

 
$
26,308

 
$
8,859

Costs and expenses:
 
 
 
 
 
Cost of sales (c)
33,035

 
24,568

 
8,467

Operating expenses:
 
 
 
 
 
Refining
964

 
744

 
220

Retail
166

 
162

 
4

Ethanol
87

 
95

 
(8
)
General and administrative expenses
164

 
130

 
34

Depreciation and amortization expense:
 
 
 
 
 
Refining
337

 
316

 
21

Retail
27

 
28

 
(1
)
Ethanol
10

 
9

 
1

Corporate
10

 
12

 
(2
)
Asset impairment loss (d)
611

 

 
611

Total costs and expenses
35,411

 
26,064

 
9,347

Operating income (loss)
(244
)
 
244

 
(488
)
Other income, net
6

 
17

 
(11
)
Interest and debt expense, net of capitalized interest
(99
)
 
(117
)
 
18

Income (loss) from continuing operations
before income tax expense
(337
)
 
144

 
(481
)
Income tax expense
95

 
40

 
55

Income (loss) from continuing operations
(432
)
 
104

 
(536
)
Income (loss) from discontinued operations,
net of income taxes

 
(6
)
 
6

Net income (loss)
(432
)
 
98

 
(530
)
Less: Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests

 

 

Net income (loss) attributable to Valero stockholders
$
(432
)
 
$
98

 
$
(530
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net income (loss) attributable to Valero stockholders:
 
 
 
 
 
Continuing operations
$
(432
)
 
$
104