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Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2016

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, 2016 and 2015 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, 2016 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2016.

The balance sheet as of December 31, 2015 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, 2015.

Reclassifications

Certain amounts reported as of December 31, 2015 have been reclassified in order to conform to the 2016 presentation, including the retrospective adoption of certain amendments to the Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) effective January 1, 2016. The adoption of the amendments to ASC Subtopic 835-30, “Interest–Imputation of Interest,” resulted in the reclassification of certain debt issuance costs from “deferred charges and other assets, net” to “debt and capital lease obligations, less current portion.” The adoption of the amendments to ASC Topic 740, “Income Taxes” resulted in the reclassification of current deferred income tax assets and current deferred income tax liabilities to noncurrent deferred income tax liabilities. The following table presents our previously reported balance sheet line items retrospectively adjusted for the adoption of these pronouncements (in millions):



	December 31, 2015
	Previously Reported		Reclassifications			Currently Reported
Assets
Current deferred income taxes	$	74	$	(74	)	$	—
Deferred charges and other assets, net	2,668		(42		)	2,626
Liabilities
Current deferred income taxes	366		(366		)	—
Debt and capital lease obligations, less current portion	7,250		(42		)	7,208
Deferred income taxes	6,768		292			7,060

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.

Principles of Consolidation

In February 2015, the provisions of ASC Topic 810, “Consolidation,” were amended to improve consolidation guidance for certain types of legal entities. The guidance modifies the evaluation of whether limited partnerships and similar legal entities are variable interest entities (VIEs) or voting interest entities, eliminates the presumption that a general partner should consolidate a limited partnership, affects the consolidation analysis of reporting entities that are involved with VIEs, particularly those that have fee arrangements and related party relationships. These provisions are effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within those annual periods. With the adoption of this guidance effective January 1, 2016, we have determined that Valero Energy Partners LP (VLP) is a VIE. Since we previously consolidated the financial statements of VLP, the adoption of this guidance did not affect our financial position or results of operations. See Note 8 for disclosures related to our consolidated VIEs.

Debt Issuance Costs

In April 2015, the provisions of ASC Subtopic 835-30, “Interest–Imputation of Interest,” were amended to simplify the presentation of debt issuance costs. The guidance requires that debt issuance costs related to a note be reported in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the face amount of that note, consistent with debt discounts, and that amortization of debt issuance costs be reported as interest expense. In August 2015, these provisions were further amended with guidance from the Securities and Exchange Commission staff that they would not object to an entity deferring and presenting debt issuance costs related to a line-of-credit arrangement as an asset and subsequently amortizing the deferred debt issuance costs ratably over the term of the line-of-credit arrangement, regardless of whether there are any outstanding borrowings on the line-of-credit arrangement. These provisions are to be applied retrospectively and are effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within those annual periods. The adoption of this guidance effective January 1, 2016 did not materially affect our financial position and did not affect our results of operations because we already reported the amortization of debt issuance costs as interest expense. See “Basis of Presentation–Reclassifications” above for the reclassified presentation in our balance sheet. Debt issuance costs associated with our line-of-credit arrangements will continue to be reported in the balance sheet as “deferred charges and other assets, net.”

Fair Value Measurements

In May 2015, the provisions of ASC Topic 820, “Fair Value Measurements,” were amended to remove the requirement to categorize within the fair value hierarchy all investments for which fair value is measured using the net asset value per share practical expedient. The guidance also removes the requirement to make certain disclosures for all investments that are eligible to be measured using the net asset value per share practical expedient and limits those disclosures to investments for which the entity has elected to measure the fair value using that practical expedient. These provisions are to be applied retrospectively and are effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within those annual periods. The adoption of this guidance effective January 1, 2016 did not affect our financial position or results of operations, but will result in revised annual disclosures related to the fair value presentation of certain assets of our defined benefit pension plans for which fair value is measured using net asset value per share as a practical expedient. In accordance with the new guidance, these investments will no longer be categorized within the fair value hierarchy. Changes to prior period disclosures will be applied retrospectively in accordance with the guidance.

Business Combinations

In September 2015, the provisions of ASC Topic 805, “Business Combinations,” were amended to simplify the accounting and reporting of adjustments made to provisional amounts recognized in a business combination. The amendment requires that an acquirer (i) record, in the same period’s financial statements, the effect on earnings of changes in depreciation, amortization, or other income effects, if any, as a result of the change to the provisional amounts, calculated as if the accounting had been completed at the acquisition date and (ii) present separately on the statement of income or disclose in the notes the portion of the amount recorded in current-period earnings by line item that would have been recorded in previous reporting periods if the adjustment to the provisional amounts had been recognized as of the acquisition date. These provisions are effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within those annual periods, and should be applied prospectively to adjustments made to provisional amounts that occur after the effective date. The adoption of this guidance effective January 1, 2016 did not affect our financial position or results of operations; however, it may result in changes to the manner in which adjustments to provisional amounts recognized in a future business combination, if any, are presented in our financial statements.

Income Taxes

In November 2015, the provisions of ASC Topic 740, “Income Taxes,” were amended to simplify the presentation of deferred income taxes. The amendments require that deferred tax liabilities and assets be classified as noncurrent in a classified balance sheet. The amendments are effective for financial statements for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those annual periods, with early adoption permitted as of the beginning of any interim or annual period. The amendments may be applied either prospectively to all deferred tax liabilities and assets or retrospectively to all periods presented. Entities applying the guidance retrospectively should disclose in the first interim and first annual period of adoption the nature of and reason for the change in accounting principle and quantitative information about the effects of the accounting change on prior periods. Effective January 1, 2016, we adopted this guidance on a retrospective basis, but such adoption did not materially affect our financial position and it did not impact our results of operations. Upon adoption, our current deferred income tax assets of $74 million and current deferred income tax liabilities of $366 million as of December 31, 2015 were reclassified to noncurrent deferred income tax liabilities. See “Basis of Presentation–Reclassifications” above for the reclassified presentation. Adoption of this guidance simplifies the future presentation of our deferred income tax assets and liabilities.

Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted

In May 2014, the ASC was amended and a new accounting standard, ASC Topic 606, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers,” was issued to clarify the principles for recognizing revenue. The standard is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim reporting periods within those annual periods. We are currently evaluating the effect that adopting this standard will have on our financial statements and related disclosures.

In July 2015, the provisions of ASC Topic 330, “Inventory” were amended to simplify the measurement of inventory measured using the first-in, first-out or average cost methods. These provisions are to be applied prospectively and are effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those annual periods, with early adoption permitted. The adoption of this guidance effective January 1, 2017 will not affect our financial position or results of operations.

In January 2016, the provisions of ASC Subtopic 825-10, “Financial Instruments–Overall,” were amended to enhance the reporting model for financial instruments regarding certain aspects of recognition, measurement, presentation, and disclosure. These provisions are effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those annual periods. We are currently evaluating the effect that adopting this standard will have on our financial statements and related disclosures.

In February 2016, the ASC was amended and a new accounting standard, ASC Topic 842, “Leases,” was issued to increase the transparency and comparability among organizations by recognizing lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements. The new standard is effective for public companies for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim reporting periods within those annual periods, with early adoption permitted. We are currently evaluating the effect that adopting this standard will have on our financial statements and related disclosures.

In March 2016, the provisions of ASC Topic 718, “Compensation–Stock Compensation,” were amended to simplify the accounting and reporting for employee share-based payments. These amendments involve several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including accounting for income taxes as it pertains to the timing of when excess tax benefits are recognized and to the recognition of excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies in the statements of income, forfeitures, minimum statutory tax withholding requirements, as well as classification of excess tax benefits and employee taxes paid on the statement of cash flows. These provisions are effective for public companies for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those annual periods, with early adoption permitted. An entity that elects early adoption must adopt all of the amendments in the same period. The amendments provide specific transition and disclosure guidance for each provision. We are currently evaluating the effect that adopting this standard will have on our financial statements and related disclosures.

Variable interest entities

We also have financial interests in other entities in which we hold a 50 percent ownership interest, which is a significant variable interest. These entities were determined to be VIEs because the entities’ contractual arrangements transfer the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact their economic performance or reduce the exposure to operational variability and risk of loss created by the entity that otherwise would be held exclusively by the equity owners. Furthermore, we determined we were the primary beneficiary of these VIEs because (a) certain contractual arrangements (exclusive of our ownership rights) provide us with the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of these entities and (b) our 50 percent ownership interests provide us with significant economic rights and obligations.

In the normal course of business, we have financial interests in certain entities that have been determined to be VIEs. We consolidate a VIE when we have a variable interest in an entity for which we are the primary beneficiary such that we have (a) the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance and (b) the obligation to absorb losses of or the right to receive benefits from the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE. In order to make this determination, we evaluated our contractual arrangements with the VIEs, including arrangements for the use of assets, purchases of products and services, debt, equity, or management of operating activities.

In the event of certain conditions, the debt agreement provides us (as lender) with certain power to direct the activities that most significantly impact DGD’s economic performance. Because the loan agreement conveys such power to us and is separate from our ownership rights, DGD was determined to be a VIE. For this reason and because we hold a 50 percent ownership interest that provides us with significant economic rights and obligations, we determined we are the primary beneficiary of DGD.

VLP was determined to be a VIE because the public limited partners of VLP (i.e., parties other than entities under common control with the general partner) lack the power to direct the activities of VLP that most significantly impact its economic performance since they do not have substantive kick-out rights over the general partner or substantive participating rights in VLP. Furthermore, we determined that we are the primary beneficiary of VLP because (a) we are the single decision maker as our general partner interest provides us with the sole power to direct the activities that most significantly impact VLP’s economic performance and (b) our 65.7 percent limited partner interest and 2 percent general partner interest provide us with significant economic rights and obligations.

Offsetting fair value amounts of commodity derivative contracts

We have elected to offset the fair value amounts recognized for multiple similar derivative contracts executed with the same counterparty, including any related cash collateral assets or obligations as shown below; however, fair value amounts by hierarchy level are presented in the tables below on a gross basis. We have no derivative contracts that are subject to master netting arrangements that are reflected gross on the balance sheet.

Derivatives

We are exposed to market risks primarily related to the volatility in the price of commodities and foreign currency exchange rates. We enter into derivative instruments to manage some of these risks, including derivative instruments related to the various commodities we purchase or produce, and foreign currency exchange and purchase contracts, as described below under “Risk Management Activities by Type of Risk.” These derivative instruments are recorded as either assets or liabilities measured at their fair values (see Note 11), as summarized below under “Fair Values of Derivative Instruments.” In addition, the effect of these derivative instruments on our income is summarized below under “Effect of Derivative Instruments on Income.”

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 into 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.

Derivative instruments collateral requirements

We do not require any collateral or other security to support derivative instruments into which we enter.