Equinor ASA – Annual report – 31 December 2021
Industry: oil and gas
2 Significant accounting policies (extract)
Leases
A lease is defined as a contract that conveys the right to control the use of an identified asset for a period of time in exchange for consideration. As a lessee, each contract that meets the definition of a lease is recognised in the Consolidated balance sheet. At the date at which the underlying asset is made available for Equinor, the present value of future lease payments is recognised as a lease liability. A corresponding right-of-use (RoU) asset is recognised, including also lease payments and direct costs incurred at or before the commencement date. Future lease payments are reflected as interest expense and a reduction of lease liabilities. The RoU assets are depreciated over the shorter of each contract’s term and the assets’ useful life.
The present value of fixed lease payments (or variable lease payments, if the payment depends on an index or a rate) is calculated using the interest rate implicit in the lease, or if that rate cannot be readily determined, Equinor’s incremental borrowing rate, for the noncancellable period Equinor has the right to use the underlying asset. Extension options are included in the lease term if they are considered reasonably certain to be exercised.
Short term leases (12 months or less) and leases of low value assets are not reflected in the Consolidated balance sheet but are expensed or (if appropriate) capitalised as incurred, depending on the activity in which the leased asset is used.
Many of Equinor’s lease contracts, such as rig and vessel leases, involve several additional services and components, including personnel cost, maintenance, drilling related activities, and other items. For a number of these contracts, the additional services represent a not inconsiderable portion of the total contract value. Non-lease components within lease contracts are accounted for separately for all underlying classes of assets and reflected in the relevant expense category or (if appropriate) capitalised as incurred, depending on the activity involved.
Where all partners in a licence are considered to share the primary responsibility for lease payments under a contract, the related lease liability and RoU asset will be recognised net by Equinor, on the basis of Equinor’s participation interest in the licence. When Equinor is considered to have the primary responsibility for the full external lease payments, the lease liability is recognised gross (100%). Equinor derecognises a portion of the RoU asset equal to the non-operator’s interests in the lease, and replace it with a corresponding financial lease receivable, if a financial sublease is considered to exist between Equinor and the licence. A financial sublease will typically exist where Equinor enters into a contract in its own name, has the primary responsibility for the external lease payments, the underlying asset will only be used on one specific licence, and the costs and risks related to the use of the asset are carried by that specific licence.
Accounting judgement regarding leases
In the oil and gas industry, where activity frequently is carried out through joint arrangements or similar arrangements, the application of IFRS 16 requires evaluations of whether the joint arrangement or its operator is the lessee in each lease agreement and consequently whether such contracts should be reflected gross (100%) in the operator’s financial statements, or according to each joint operation partner’s proportionate share of the lease.
In many cases where an operator is the sole signatory to a lease contract of an asset to be used in the activities of a specific joint operation, the operator does so implicitly or explicitly on behalf of the joint arrangement. In certain jurisdictions, and importantly for Equinor as this includes the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS), the concessions granted by the authorities establish both a right and an obligation for the operator to enter into necessary agreements in the name of the joint operations (licences).
As is the customary norm in upstream activities operated through joint arrangements, the operator will manage the lease, pay the lessor, and subsequently re-bill the partners for their share of the lease costs. In each such instance, it is necessary to determine whether the operator is the sole lessee in the external lease arrangement, and if so, whether the billings to partners may represent sub-leases, or whether it is in fact the joint arrangement which is the lessee, with each participant accounting for its proportionate share of the lease. Depending on facts and circumstances in each case, the conclusions reached may vary between contracts and legal jurisdictions.
23 Leases
Equinor leases certain assets, notably drilling rigs, transportation vessels, storages and office facilities for operational activities. Equinor is mostly a lessee and the use of leases serves operational purposes rather than as a tool for financing.
Certain leases, such as land bases, supply vessels, helicopters and office buildings are entered into by Equinor for subsequent allocation of costs to licences operated by Equinor. These lease liabilities are recognized on a gross basis in the balance sheet, income statement and statement of cash flows when Equinor is considered to have the primary responsibility for the full lease payments. Lease liabilities related to assets dedicated to specific licences, where each licence participants are considered to have the primary responsibility for lease payments, are reflected net of partner share. This would typically involve drilling rigs dedicated to specific licences on the Norwegian continental shelf.
Information related to lease payments and lease liabilities
Payments related to short term leases are mainly related to drilling rigs and transportation vessels, for which a significant portion of the lease costs have been included in the cost of other assets, such as rigs used in exploration or development activities. Variable lease expense and lease expense related to leases of low value assets are not significant.
Equinor recognised revenues of USD 272 million in 2021 and USD 252 million in 2020 related to lease costs recovered from licence partners related to lease contracts being recognised gross by Equinor. In addition, Equinor received repayments of USD 4 million in 2021 and USD 29 million in 2020 related to finance subleases. At year-end 2021 and 2020 total finance sublease receivables were USD 104 million and USD 38 million respectively, which are included in the line items Prepayments and financial receivables and Trade and other receivables in the Consolidated balance sheet.
Commitments relating to lease contracts which had not yet commenced at year-end are included within Other commitments in note 24 Other commitments, contingent liabilities and contingent assets.
A maturity profile based on undiscounted contractual cash flows for lease liabilities is disclosed in note 6 Financial risk and capital management.
Non-current lease liabilities maturity profile
Information related to Right of use assets
1) USD 320 million in 2021 and USD 359 million in 2020 of the depreciation cost have been allocated to activities being capitalised. See note 11 Property, plant and equipment.
The Right of use assets are included within the line item Property, plant and equipment in the Consolidated balance sheet. See also note 11 Property, plant and equipment.
24 Other commitments, contingent liabilities and contingent assets (extract)
The table below also includes USD 2.022 billion as the non-lease components of lease agreements reflected in the accounts according to IFRS 16, as well as leases not yet commenced. Leases not commenced include one rig to be used on the NCS and an increased number of vessels supporting the growing LPG and LNG business. For commenced leases, please refer to note 23 Leases.
Nominal minimum other long-term commitments at 31 December 2021:
6 Financial risk and capital management (extract) The table below shows a maturity profile, based on undiscounted contractual cash flows, for Equinor’s financial liabilities.
Accounts examples 