20. Financial assets

Accounting policy

At initial recognition, OMV classifies its financial assets as subsequently measured at amortized cost, fair value through other comprehensive income (FVOCI), or fair value through profit or loss (FVTPL). The classification depends on both the Group’s business model for managing the financial assets and the contractual cash flow characteristics of the financial assets. All regular way trades are recognized and derecognized on the trade date, i.e., the date that the Group commits to purchasing or selling the asset.

Debt instruments are mainly measured at amortized cost and to a small extent at fair value.

OMV recognizes allowances for expected credit losses (ECLs) for all financial assets measured at amortized costs. The ECL calculation is based on the external or internal credit ratings of the counterparty and associated probabilities of default or based on a probability-weighted amount that was determined by evaluating a range of possible outcomes in one specific case. Available forward-looking information is considered, if it has a material impact on the amount of the valuation allowance recognized.

ECLs are recognized in two stages. Where there has not been a significant increase in the credit risk since initial recognition, credit losses are measured at twelve-month ECLs. The twelve-month ECL is the credit loss that could result from default events that are possible within the next twelve months. The Group considers a financial asset to have low credit risk when its credit risk rating is equivalent to the definition of “investment grade”.

Where there has been a significant increase in the credit risk since initial recognition, a loss allowance is required for the lifetime ECL, i.e., the expected credit losses resulting from possible default events over the expected life of a financial asset. For this assessment, OMV considers all reasonable and supportable information that is available without undue cost or effort. Furthermore, OMV assumes that the credit risk on a financial asset has significantly increased if it is more than 30 days past due. If credit quality improves for a lifetime ECL asset, OMV reverts to recognizing allowances on a twelve-month ECL basis. A financial asset is considered to be in default when the financial asset is 90 days past due, unless there is reasonable and supportable information demonstrating that a more lagging default criterion is appropriate. A financial asset is written off when there is no reasonable expectation that the contractual cash flows will be recovered.

For trade receivables and contract assets from contracts with customers, a simplified approach is adopted, where the impairment losses are recognized at an amount equal to lifetime expected credit losses. If there are credit insurances or securities held against the balances outstanding, the ECL calculation is based on the probability of default of the insurer/securer for the insured/secured element of the outstanding balance and for the remaining amount on the probability of default of the counterparty.

Non-derivative financial assets classified as at fair value through profit or loss (FVTPL) include trade receivables from sales contracts with provisional pricing and investment funds because the contractual cash flows do not solely represent payments of principal and interest on the principal amount outstanding. Furthermore, this measurement category includes portfolios of trade receivables held with an intention to sell them. These assets are measured at fair value, with any gains or losses arising on remeasurement recognized in profit or loss.

Equity instruments are either measured at fair value through profit or loss (FVTPL) or at fair value through OCI (FVOCI). OMV decided irrevocably to classify as investments at FVOCI the majority of its non-listed equity investments, which are held for strategic purposes and not trading.

OMV derecognizes a financial asset when the contractual rights to the cash flows from the asset expire, or when it transfers the financial asset and substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership of the asset to another party.

Significant estimates: recoverability and fair value measurement of financial assets

The management periodically assesses the receivable related to expenditure recoverable from the Romanian State regarding obligations for decommissioning and restoration costs in OMV Petrom SA. The assessment process takes into consideration aspects such as the history of amounts claimed, documentation process-related requirements, potential litigation, and arbitration proceedings.

The investments in the Russian entities JSC GAZPROM YRGM Development (YRGM) and OJSC Severneftegazprom (SNGP) are accounted for at fair value through profit or loss according to IFRS 9 since their deconsolidation was triggered by the Russian war on Ukraine.

On December 19, 2023, the Russian President signed a decree regarding the Yuzhno-Russkoye field. According to this decree, OMV’s shareholdings in Russian entities and consequently its interests in the gas field are to be transferred to new Russian companies. Those companies will ultimately be held by the insurance company JSC SOGAZ and Gazprom. The proceeds from the transfer of the OMV interest to JSC SOGAZ are to be paid into a Russian special account. This decree equals a unilateral and irreversible expropriation by seizing the interests of OMV in return for compensation that will be determined by Russia and placed in accounts that will eventually be under Russian control. On July 1, 2024, the Russian government established the new companies. According to the public records, the shares attributable to OMV interest have not been transferred to SOGAZ until year-end 2024. Based on these developments and the unchanged situation with regard to the Russian war on Ukraine, OMV considers its investments in YRGM and SNGP to have a fair value of nil as of December 31, 2024 (2023: nil).

OMV has a contractual position toward Gazprom from the redetermination of the reserves of the Yuzhno Russkoye gas field, which was taken over as part of the acquisition of the participation in this field in 2017. According to this agreement, the volume of gas reserves in the Yuzhno Russkoye field is contractually defined and if the reserves are higher or lower than what was assumed in the agreement, either OMV could be obligated to compensate Gazprom (but would have profited in the future from higher sales volumes) or Gazprom could be obligated to compensate OMV. The payment for the reserve redetermination is linked to the actual amount of the gas reserves.

Based on the reserves determined by an independent expert, who was appointed according to the swap agreement, OMV would be entitled to compensation. In the current difficult political and legal environment in Russia, however, at this stage OMV does not expect this contractual position to be recoverable and measures this asset with a value of zero (2023: nil).