The success of our acquisition of Marathon Oil will depend on, among other things, our ability to integrate Marathon Oil with our business in a manner that facilitates development opportunities and realizes expected synergies. We may encounter difficulties in integrating our and Marathon Oil’s businesses and realizing the expected benefits and synergies of the acquisition of Marathon Oil. If we are not able to successfully achieve our objectives, the anticipated benefits of the acquisition of Marathon Oil may not be realized fully, or at all, or may take longer to realize than expected.
Prior to the completion of our acquisition of Marathon Oil, each of ConocoPhillips and Marathon Oil operated as an independent public company. There can be no assurances that Marathon Oil’s business can be integrated successfully into ours. It is possible that the integration process could result in the loss of commercial and vendor partners; the disruption of our, Marathon Oil’s or both companies’ ongoing businesses; inconsistencies in standards, controls, procedures and policies; unexpected integration issues; higher than expected integration costs; and an overall post-completion integration process that takes longer than originally anticipated. We will be required to devote management attention and resources to integrating Marathon Oil’s business practices and operations.
An inability to realize the full extent of the anticipated benefits of the acquisition of Marathon Oil, as well as any delays encountered in the integration process, could have an adverse effect upon our revenues, level of expenses and operating results, which may adversely affect the value of our common stock.
In addition, the actual integration may result in additional and unforeseen expenses, and the anticipated benefits of the integration plan may not be realized. There are numerous processes, policies, procedures, operations and technologies and systems that must be integrated in connection with our acquisition of Marathon Oil and the integration of Marathon Oil’s business. Any efficiencies related to the integration of Marathon Oil’s business may not offset incremental transaction and acquisition-related costs in the near term or at all. If we are not able to adequately address integration challenges, we may be unable to successfully integrate operations or realize the anticipated benefits of the acquisition.