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Capitalized Exploratory Well Costs
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016
Extractive Industries [Abstract]  
Capitalized Exploratory Well Costs
CAPITALIZED EXPLORATORY WELL COSTS
The following summarizes the changes in capitalized exploratory well costs for each of the last three years ended December 31, 2016, 2015, and 2014. Additions pending the determination of proved reserves excludes amounts capitalized and subsequently charged to expense within the same year.
 
 
2016
 
2015
 
2014
 
 
(In millions)
Balance at January 1
 
$
245

 
$
849

 
$
630

Additions pending determination of proved reserves
 
249

 
382

 
622

Divestitures and other
 
—

 
(557
)
 
(54
)
Reclassifications to proved properties
 
(211
)
 
(369
)
 
(207
)
Charged to exploration expense
 
(19
)
 
(60
)
 
(142
)
Balance at December 31(1)
 
$
264

 
$
245

 
$
849

(1) Includes $49 million of assets that were held for sale in Australia at December 31, 2014.
The following provides an aging of capitalized exploratory well costs and the number of projects for which exploratory well costs have been capitalized for a period greater than one year since the completion of drilling:
 
 
2016
 
2015
 
2014
 
 
(In millions)
Exploratory well costs capitalized for a period of one year or less
 
$
119

 
$
184

 
$
504

Exploratory well costs capitalized for a period greater than one year
 
145

 
61

 
345

Balance at December 31(1)
 
$
264

 
$
245

 
$
849

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Number of projects with exploratory well costs capitalized for a period greater than one year
 
3

 
2

 
18

(1) Includes $49 million of assets that were held for sale in Australia at December 31, 2014.
The following summarizes a further aging by geographic area of those exploratory well costs that have been capitalized for a period greater than one year since the completion of drilling at December 31, 2016:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2013 and
 
 
Total
 
2015
 
2014
 
Prior
 
 
North Sea
 
$
113

 
$
53

 
$
58

 
$
2

Other International
 
32

 
28

 
3

 
1

 
 
$
145

 
$
81

 
$
61

 
$
3


Projects with suspended exploratory well costs capitalized for a period greater than one year since the completion of drilling are those identified by management as exhibiting sufficient quantities of hydrocarbons to justify potential development. Management is actively pursuing efforts to assess whether reserves can be attributed to these projects.
Suspended exploratory well costs capitalized for a period greater than one year since the completion of drilling at December 31, 2016 primarily relate to the Seagull and Corona discoveries in the North Sea. In Seagull, appraisal work continues as the Company interprets the multi-azimuth 3-D survey acquired in late 2015. The survey will be used to create a development plan to be submitted to the Oil and Gas Authority in the U.K. in 2017. The suspended exploratory well costs related to the Corona discovery are pending development plan approval. In December 2016, the Company submitted the full field development plan to the Oil and Gas Authority in the U.K. Remaining activities required to classify the associated reserves as proved include approval of development plans and project sanctioning.
The remaining capitalized well costs in excess of one year relate to exploratory drilling in Suriname. The suspended exploratory well costs for the Block 53 Popokai well are pending the results of the Block 53 Kolibrie exploratory well. The Company plans to drill Kolibrie in 2017.