ITEM 3.  KEY INFORMATION

Throughout this report, unless the context indicates otherwise, the "Company," "Golar," "Golar LNG," "we," "us," and "our" all refer to Golar LNG Limited or any one or more of its consolidated subsidiaries, including Golar Management Limited, or Golar Management, or to all such entities. References in this Annual Report to "Golar Partners" or the "Partnership" refer, depending on the context, to our affiliate Golar LNG Partners LP (Nasdaq: GMLP) and to any one or more of its subsidiaries. References to "Golar Power" refer to our affiliate Golar Power Limited and to any one or more of its subsidiaries. References to "OneLNG" refer to our joint venture OneLNG S.A. and to any one or more of its subsidiaries. References to "Avenir" refer to our affiliate Avenir LNG Limited (Norwegian OTC: AVENIR) and to any one or more of its subsidiaries. Unless otherwise indicated, all references to "USD" and "$" in this report are to U.S. dollars.

A.      Selected Financial Data

The following selected consolidated financial and other data, which includes our fleet and other operating data, summarizes our historical consolidated financial information. We derived the statements of income (loss) data for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2018 and the balance sheet data as of December 31, 2018 and 2017 from our audited consolidated financial statements included in Item 18 of this Annual Report on Form 20-F, which were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, or U.S. GAAP.

The selected statements of income (loss) data with respect to the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 and the selected balance sheet data as of December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 have been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP not included herein.

The following table should also be read in conjunction with the section of this Annual Report entitled "Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects" and our consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included herein.

Footnotes

(1) Basic loss per share is calculated based on the income available to common shareholders and the weighted average number of our common shares outstanding. Treasury shares are not included in this calculation. The calculation of diluted loss per share assumes the conversion of potentially dilutive instruments.

(2) Restricted cash consists of bank deposits, which may only be used to settle certain pre-arranged loans or lease payments or deposits made in accordance with our contractual obligations under our equity swap facilities, letter of credit facilities in connection with our tolling agreement, and bid or performance bonds for projects we may enter. Short-term deposits represents highly liquid deposits placed with financial institutions, primarily from our consolidated VIEs, which are readily convertible into known amounts of cash with original maturities of less than 12 months.

(3) The total operating days for our fleet is the total number of days in a given period that our vessels were in our possession less the total number of days off-hire. We define days off-hire as days lost to, among other things, operational deficiencies, drydocking for repairs, maintenance or inspection, scheduled lay-up, vessel conversions, equipment breakdowns, special surveys and vessel upgrades, delays due to accidents, crewing strikes, certain vessel detentions or similar problems, or our failure to maintain the vessel in compliance with its specifications and contractual standards or to provide the required crew, or periods of commercial waiting time during which we do not earn charter hire.

(4) Non-U.S. GAAP Financial Measure : The average TCE rate of our fleet is a measure of the average daily revenue performance of a vessel. TCE is calculated only in relation to our vessel operations segment. For time charters, TCE is calculated by dividing total operating revenues (including revenue from the Cool Pool, but excluding liquefaction services revenue and vessel and other management fees), less any voyage and commission expenses, by the number of calendar days minus days for scheduled off-hire. Under a time charter, the charterer pays substantially all of the vessel voyage related expenses. However, we may incur voyage related expenses when positioning or repositioning vessels before or after the period of a time charter, during periods of commercial waiting time or while off-hire during drydocking. TCE rate is a standard shipping industry performance measure used primarily to compare period-to-period changes in an entity's performance despite changes in the mix of charter types (i.e. spot charters, time charters and bareboat charters) under which the vessels may be employed between the periods. We include average daily TCE, a non-U.S. GAAP measure, as we believe it provides additional meaningful information in conjunction with total operating revenues, the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP measure, because it assists our management in making decisions regarding the deployment and use of its vessels and in evaluating their financial performance. Our calculation of TCE may not be comparable to that reported by other entities. The following table reconciles our total operating revenues to average daily TCE: 

(i) "Voyage and commission expenses" is derived from the caption "Voyage, charterhire and commission expenses" and "Voyage, charterhire and commission expenses - collaborative arrangement" less (i) charterhire expenses (net of the effect of the related guarantee obligation) of $nil, $12.4 million and $22.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2018 , 2017 and 2016 , respectively, which arose on the charter-back of the Golar Grand from Golar Partners, and (ii) voyage and commission expenses in relation to the Hilli Episeyo of $1.4 million, $nil and $nil for the years ended December 31, 2018 , 2017 and 2016 , respectively.

(ii) This excludes days when vessels are in lay-up, undergoing dry dock or undergoing conversion.

 

(5) We calculate average daily vessel operating costs by dividing vessel operating costs by the number of calendar days. Calendar days exclude those from vessels chartered in where the vessel operating costs are borne by the legal owner, and those of vessels undergoing conversion.

B.           Capitalization and Indebtedness

Not applicable.

C.            Reasons for the Offer and Use of Proceeds

Not applicable.

D.            Risk Factors

    

The following risks relate principally to our business or to the industry in which we operate. Other risks relate principally to the securities market and ownership of our common shares. Any of these risks, or any additional risks not presently known to us or risks that we currently deem immaterial, could significantly and adversely affect our business, our financial condition, our operating results and the trading price of our common shares. We have categorized the risks we face based on whether they arise from our business activities or from the industry in which we operate and listed these based on management’s assessment of priority. Where relevant, we have grouped together related risks.

Risks arising from our Business Activities

Risks Related to Future FLNG projects

In February 2019, we entered into a 20-year Lease and Operate Agreement with BP Mauritania Investments Ltd (“BP”) for the charter of the FLNG unit, the Gimi , to service the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim field. The Gimi’s conversion to a FLNG is expected to commence in April 2019 and the Gimi is expected to commence operations under the Lease and Operate Agreement in 2022. The estimated cost of Gimi’s conversion is $1.3 billion, which we plan to fund through multiple financing facilities, including a $700 million long term financing facility that is currently in its final stages and that we plan to have available to us during construction. Once the Gimi is accepted under the contract, we anticipate annual contracted revenues less forecasted operating costs of approximately $215 million per year.

There can be no guarantee that the Lease and Operate Agreement will progress favorably or last for the anticipated term. In addition to containing conditions precedent that could prevent performance of the contract altogether, the Lease and Operate Agreement provides both parties with the right to suspend or terminate the agreement under certain circumstances after performance has begun. Should we be unable to meet our obligations under the Lease and Operate Agreement in a manner that gives rise to a right to terminate the agreement by BP, we could be obligated to pay substantial damages to BP which would have a negative impact on our earnings and cash flow and could make it difficult to induce counterparties to contract with us for FLNG conversions in the future.

We have entered into an agreement with Keppel Shipyard Limited, or Keppel, and Black & Veatch Corporation, or Black & Veatch, for the conversion of the Gimi into a FLNG. We have also entered into an agreement for the conversion of the Gandria  into a FLNG. See "Item 4. Information on the Company".

In the event the shipyards do not perform under these agreements and we are unable to enforce certain refund guarantees with third party banks for any reason, in connection with the conversions of the Gimi or the Gandria , we may lose part or all of our investment, which would have a material adverse effect on our results for operations, financial condition and cash flows.

In addition, the conversions are subject to the risk of delay or default by the shipyards caused by, among other things, unforeseen quality or engineering problems, work stoppages or other labor disturbances at the shipyards, bankruptcy of or other financial crises involving the shipyards, weather interference, unanticipated cost increases, delays in receipt of necessary equipment, political, social or economic disturbances, inability to finance the construction of the vessel and inability to obtain the requisite permits or approvals. In accordance with industry practice, in the event the shipyards are unable or unwilling to deliver the vessel, we may not have substantial remedies. Failure to convert, construct or deliver the vessels by the shipyards or any significant delays could increase our expenses and diminish our net income and cash flows.

The highly technical work related to FLNG conversions is only capable of being performed by a limited number of contractors, and due to the new nature of the technology only a very limited number of contractors have relevant experience with FLNG conversions. Accordingly, a change of contractors for any reason would likely result in higher costs and a significant delay to our delivery schedules. In addition, given the novelty of our FLNG conversion projects, the completion of retrofitting our vessels as FLNG vessels could be subject to risks of significant cost overruns. If the shipyard is unable to deliver any converted FLNG vessel on time, we might be unable to perform related charters. Any substantial delay in the conversion of any of our vessels into FLNG vessels could mean we will not be able to satisfy potential employment of the FLNG vessels.

Furthermore, if any future FLNG vessels, once converted, are not able to meet certain performance requirements or perform as intended, we may have to accept reduced charter rates. Alternatively, it may not be possible to charter the converted FLNG vessel at all. Either of these possibilities would have a negative impact, which could be significant, on our cash flows and earnings.

We operate in, or are pursuing projects which could lead to future operations in, areas of the world where there are heightened political and security risks. We identify higher risk countries in which we operate through our experiences, the experiences of our partners and publicly available third party information such as Transparency International, the World Bank and TRACE International, and monitor the specific risks associated with countries in which we operate.

In particular, the operations of Golar Hilli Corp ("Hilli Corp") in Cameroon under the Liquefication Tolling Agreement (“LTA") is subject to higher political and security risks than operations in other areas of the world. Recently, Cameroon has experienced instability in its socio-political environment. Any extreme levels of political instability resulting in changes of governments, internal conflict, unrest and violence, especially from terrorist organizations prevalent in the region, such as Boko Haram, could lead to economic disruptions and shutdowns in industrial activities. In addition, corruption and bribery are a serious concern in the region. The FLNG operations of Hilli Corp in Cameroon will be subject to these risks, which could materially adversely affect our revenues, our ability to perform under the LTA and our financial condition.

In addition, Hilli Corp will maintain insurance coverage for only a portion of the risks incidental to doing business in Cameroon. There also may be certain risks covered by insurance where the policy does not reimburse Hilli Corp for all of the costs related to a loss. For example, any claims covered by insurance will be subject to deductibles, which may be significant. In the event that Hilli Corp incurs business interruption losses with respect to one or more incidents, they could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

Risks Related to Hilli Episeyo

In July 2018, we, Keppel and Black & Veatch completed a sale of 50% of the common units in Golar Hilli LLC ("Hilli LLC"), the disponent owner of the FLNG Hilli Episeyo , to Golar Partners. However, we still hold a significant portion of the outstanding ownership interests in Hilli LLC. The retained interests expose us to risks that we may:

The FLNG Hilli Episeyo commenced commercial operations in June 2018, when under the terms of the LTA by and between Perenco and SNH.

The LTA commits the capacity of two of the four liquefaction trains (Train 1 and Train 2) of the Hilli Episeyo . The remaining half of the Hilli Episeyo’s capacity is not yet contracted. This allows for significant upside in relation to revenues from the Hilli Episeyo however delays in contracting Train 3 and Train 4 capacity could adversely affect our financial performance. Factors which could cause delays in contracting the full capacity include delays in negotiations with potential counterparties, and also include factors outside of our control such as the growth of LNG demand and the price of LNG, affecting when counterparties seek to bring additional production to the market.

FLNG vessels are complex and their operations are technically challenging and subject to mechanical risks and problems. Unforeseen operational problems with the Hilli Episeyo may lead to Hilli LLC experiencing a loss of revenue or higher than anticipated operating expenses or require additional capital expenditures. Any of these results could harm our business, financial condition and ability to make cash distributions to our unitholders.

Pursuant to the terms of the LTA, Golar obtained a letter of credit issued by a financial institution that guarantees certain payments Hilli Corp is required to make under the LTA. The letter of credit was set to expire on December 31, 2018, but it automatically extends for successive one year periods until the tenth anniversary of the acceptance of the Hilli Episeyo to perform the agreed services for the project, unless the financial institution elects to not extend the letter of credit. The financial institution may elect to not extend the letter of credit by giving notice at least ninety days prior to the current December 31, 2019 expiration date or December 31 in any subsequent year. If the letter of credit (i) ceases to be in effect or (ii) the financial institution elects to not extend it, unless replacement security for payment is provided within a certain time, then the LTA may be terminated and Hilli Corp may be liable for a termination fee of up to $300 million. Accordingly, if the financial institution elects at some point in the future to not extend the letter of credit, Hilli Corp's financial condition could be materially and adversely affected.

Risks Related to other projects

We have entered into an agreement with a Croatian project developer, LNG Hrvatska d.o.o., or LNG Hrvatska, to convert the Golar Viking , built in 2005, into a FSRU, sell the converted vessel, and then operate and maintain the FSRU for a minimum of ten years. The conversion will be funded by stage payments from LNG Hrvatska under the agreement. Commencement of the project is subject to certain conditions precedent, including confirmation of project funding, receipt of a Notice to Proceed from LNG Hrvatska and our ability to enter into refinancing on favorable terms for the vessel.

We cannot guarantee that this agreement will progress favorably or that the relevant conditions precedent will be satisfied. Some of the possible risks relating to this transaction include the inability of our counterparties to perform under the agreement, our inability to obtain the necessary refinancing on favorable terms or at all, our inability to deliver the converted vessel in a condition satisfactory to LNG Hrvatska and delays in the conversion of the Golar Viking . Should we be unable to meet our obligations under the agreement, we could be obligated to pay damages to LNG Hrvatska which could have a negative impact on our earnings and cash flow and could make it difficult to induce counterparties to contract with us for FSRU conversions in the future.

Risks associated with our investments in Joint Ventures and Affiliates

As of December 31, 2018, we had an ownership interest of 32.0% (including our 2% general partner interest) in Golar Partners (in addition to 100% of the incentive distribution rights, or IDRs), which we account for under the equity method of accounting.

The aggregate carrying value of our investments in Golar Partners as of December 31, 2018 was $271.2 million, which represents our total interests in the common and general partner units and the IDRs. The common units of Golar Partners are listed on the NASDAQ Global Market, which as of December 31, 2018, had a quoted unit price of $10.80. The estimated fair value of our investments in Golar Partners is calculated with reference to the quoted price of the common units, with adjustments made to reflect the different rights associated with each class of investment. Due to continued decline in the share price, we have impaired the value of our investment as at December 31, 2018, which had a material adverse non-cash impact on our results of operations. Future impairment charges may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations in the period that the impairment charges are recognized.

In addition to the value of our investment, we receive cash distributions from Golar Partners, which amounted to $48.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. Furthermore, we receive management fee income from the provision of services to Golar Partners under each of the management and administrative services agreement and the fleet management agreements, which amounted to $15.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2018.

The value of our investment, the income generated from our investment and the management fee income is subject to a variety of risks, including the risks related to Golar Partners’ business as disclosed in its respective public filings with the SEC. The occurrence of any such risks may negatively affect our financial condition. As of March 15, 2019 Golar Partners had a fleet of 10 vessels, six of which currently operate under medium to long-term charters with a concentrated number of charterers, and an interest in the FLNG Hilli Episeyo which we manage under the management agreements referred to above. Accordingly, a significant risk to Golar Partners is the loss of any of these customers, charters or vessels, including re-chartering its three vessels recently coming off charter, or under certain operational circumstances, a decline in payments under any of the charters, which could have a material adverse effect on its business and its ability to make cash distributions to its unitholders if the vessel was not re-chartered to another customer for an extended period of time.

During July 2018, amendments to the existing margin loan facility, secured by units in Golar Partners, were completed. Although most of the existing terms remain substantially unchanged, the facility will no longer amortize. Previously the dividend cash received from the pledged Partnership units was first used to service the interest on the loan, any excess cash was then used to prepay a portion of the principal. Under the modified agreement, any excess cash after servicing the interest will be returned to us. If certain covenants are breached, we may be required to make further principal repayments ahead of loan maturity in March 2020, which would reduce our available cash flow.

We have a substantial equity investment in Golar Power. In addition to the value of our investment, we expect to receive cash distributions from Golar Power and management fee income from the provision of services to Golar Power under a management and administrative services agreement for the vessels in Golar Power’s fleet. The value of our investment, the income generated from our investment and the management fee income are subject to a variety of risks, including the risks related to Golar Power’s business. In turn, Golar Power’s business is subject to a variety of risks, including, among others, any inability of Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners ("Stonepeak") and us to successfully work together in the shared management of Golar Power, any inability of Golar Power to identify and enter into appropriate projects, any inability of Golar Power to obtain sufficient financing for any project it identifies, any failure of upstream and downstream LNG producing projects connected with Golar Power’s activities, and other industry, regulatory, economic and political risks similar in nature to the risks faced by us.

Golar Power has a 50% interest in a Brazilian corporation, Centrais Eléctricas de Sergipe S.A. ("CELSE"), that was formed for the purpose of constructing and operating a power plant in the State of Sergipe in Brazil, which we refer to as the Sergipe Project. The Sergipe Project is subject to a variety of risks including General Electric’s completion of the Sergipe Project in accordance with the terms of the related EPC contract. Additionally, constructing and operating a power plant is subject to certain risks that include unscheduled plant outages, equipment failure, labor disputes, disruptions in fuel supply, inability to comply with regulatory or permit requirements, natural disasters or terrorist acts, cyber-attacks or other similar occurrences, and inherent risks which may occur as a result of inadequate internal processes, technological flaws, human error or actions of third parties or other external events. The control and management of these risks depend upon adequate development and training of personnel and on the existence of operational procedures, preventative maintenance plans and specific programs supported by quality control systems which reduce, but do not eliminate, the possibility of the occurrence and impact of these risks. The hazards described above, along with other safety hazards associated with our operations, can cause significant personal injury or loss of life, severe damage to and destruction of property, plant and equipment, contamination of, or damage to, the environment and suspension of operations. The occurrence of any one of these events may result in Golar Power,

through its ownership interest in CELSE, being named as a defendant in lawsuits asserting claims for substantial damages, environmental cleanup costs, personal injury and fines and/or penalties.

Also, exchange rate fluctuations between the U.S. Dollar and the Brazilian Real could have an adverse impact on the results of operations of Golar Power with respect to its investments in Brazil, including its investments in the Sergipe Project through CELSE. The principal currency for revenue and operating expenses is Brazilian Real for CELSE. This exposure to foreign currency could lead to fluctuations in Golar Power’s net income and net revenue due to changes in the value of the U.S. Dollar relative to the Brazilian Real.

In October 2018, we invested $24.8 million in Avenir LNG Ltd, a joint venture with Stolt-Nielsen Ltd ("Stolt Nielsen") (an entity affiliated with our director Niels Stolt Nielsen) and Höegh LNG Holdings Ltd ("Höegh"), as part of a combined $182 million commitment for the pursuit of opportunities in small-scale LNG. The value of our investment and the income generated from our investment are subject to a variety of risks, including the risks related to Avenir’s business. In turn, Avenir’s business is subject to a variety of risks, including, among others, any inability of the joint venture partners to successfully work together in the shared management of Avenir, any inability of Avenir to identify and enter into appropriate projects, any inability of Avenir to obtain sufficient financing for any project it identifies, any failure of small-scale LNG projects Avenir has invested in, and other industry, regulatory, economic and political risks similar in nature to the risks faced by us.

We may provide guarantees to certain banks with respect to commercial bank indebtedness of our joint ventures and/or affiliates. Failure by any of our joint ventures and/or affiliate to service their debt requirements and comply with any provisions contained in their commercial loan agreements, including paying scheduled instalments and complying with certain covenants, may lead to an event of default under the related loan agreement. As a result, if our joint ventures and/or affiliates are unable to obtain a waiver or do not have enough cash on hand to repay the outstanding borrowings, the relevant lenders may foreclose their liens on the vessels securing the loans or seek repayment of the loan from us, or both. Either of these possibilities could have a material adverse effect on our business. Further, by virtue of our guarantees with respect to our joint ventures and/or affiliates, this may reduce our ability to gain future credit from certain lenders.

In connection with the IPO of Golar Partners, we entered into an Omnibus Agreement with Golar Partners governing, among other things, when we and Golar Partners may compete against each other as well as rights of first offer on certain FSRUs and LNG carriers. Under the Omnibus Agreement, Golar Partners and its subsidiaries agreed to grant a right of first offer on any proposed sale, transfer or other disposition of any vessel it may own. Likewise, we agreed to grant a similar right of first offer to Golar Partners for any vessel under a charter for five or more years that we may own. These rights of first offer will not apply to a (a) sale, transfer or other disposition of vessels between any affiliated subsidiaries, or pursuant to the terms of any current or future charter or other agreement with a charter party or (b) merger with or into, or sale of substantially all of the assets to, an unaffiliated third-party. In addition, the Omnibus Agreement provides for certain indemnities to Golar Partners in connection with the assets transferred from us.

Risks Related to the Financing of our Business

Our business is capital intensive, and therefore we are exposed to several key financing risks, relating both to our ability to secure sufficient financing to meet existing obligations and future projects and also the impact financing terms and covenants could have on our business.

In order to fund future FLNG vessel and FSRU retrofitting projects, liquefaction projects, newbuilding programs, vessel acquisitions, increased working capital levels or other capital expenditures, we may be required to use cash from operations, incur additional borrowings, raise capital through the sale of debt or additional equity securities or complete sales of our interests in our vessel owning subsidiaries operating under long-term charters to Golar Partners. Our ability to do so may be limited by our financial condition at the time of such financing or offering, as well as by adverse market conditions resulting from, among other things, general economic conditions and contingencies and uncertainties that are beyond our control. In addition, our use of cash from operations may reduce the amount of cash available for dividend distributions. Our failure to

obtain funds for future capital expenditures could impact our results of operations, financial condition and our ability to pay dividends. Furthermore, our ability to access capital, overall economic conditions and our ability to secure charters on a timely basis could limit our ability to fund our growth and capital expenditures. If we are successful in issuing equity in order to raise capital, the issuance of additional equity securities would dilute your equity interest in us and reduce any pro rata dividend payments without a commensurate increase in cash allocated to dividends, if any. Even if we are successful in obtaining bank financing, paying debt service would limit cash available for working capital and increasing our indebtedness could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows, financial condition and ability to pay dividends.

A pre-condition of the Golar Tundra lease financing with CMBL of $140.1million, which is secured on the vessel, is for the FSRU to be employed under an effective charter. Under the terms of our sale and lease back facility for the Golar Tundra , by virtue of our prior termination of the WAGL charter, we are required to find a replacement charter by June 30, 2019, or we could be required to refinance the FSRU. We are currently exploring our refinancing options, including extension of the lenders’ deadline for satisfaction of such. While we believe we will be able to refinance or extend the lenders' deadline, failure to do so could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, cash flows, financial condition and ability to pay dividends. However, included within our debt obligation is an amount of $121.7 million relating to the Golar Tundra VIE's loan, which we are required to consolidate into our financial results.

LIBOR has historically been volatile, with the spread between LIBOR and the prime lending rate widening significantly at times. These conditions are the result of the disruptions in the international credit markets. Because the interest rates borne by our outstanding indebtedness fluctuate with changes in LIBOR, if this volatility were to occur, it would affect the amount of interest payable on our debt, which in turn, could have an adverse effect on our profitability, earnings and cash flow.

Furthermore, interest in most financing agreements in our industry has been based on published LIBOR rates. Recently, however, there is uncertainty relating to the LIBOR calculation process, which may result in the phasing out of LIBOR in the future. As a result, lenders have insisted on provisions that entitle the lenders, in their discretion, to replace published LIBOR as the base for the interest calculation with their cost-of-funds rate. If we are required to agree to such a provision in future financing agreements, our lending costs could increase significantly, which would have an adverse effect on our profitability, earnings and cash flow.

As of December 31, 2018, we had total outstanding debt of $2.6 billion, of which $0.8 billion was exposed to a floating interest rate based on LIBOR, which has been volatile recently and could affect the amount of interest payable on our debt. In order to manage our exposure to interest rate fluctuations, we use interest rate swaps to effectively fix a part of our floating rate debt obligations. As of December 31, 2018, we have interest rate swaps with a notional amount of $950 million representing 125.8% of our total floating rate debt. While we are economically hedged, we do not apply hedge accounting and therefore interest rate swaps mark-to-market valuations may adversely affect our results. Entering into swaps and derivative transactions is inherently risky and presents various possibilities for incurring significant expenses. The derivative strategies that we employ currently and in the future may not be successful or effective, and we could, as a result, incur substantial additional interest costs or losses.

    

In the future, our financial condition could be materially adversely affected to the extent we do not hedge our exposure to interest rate fluctuations under loans that have been advanced at a floating rate. Any hedging activities we engage in may not effectively manage our interest rate exposure or have the desired impact on our financial conditions or results of operations.

We have floating rate debt, the interest rate of which is determined based on the London Interbank Offered Rate (‘‘LIBOR’’). LIBOR and other ‘‘benchmark’’ rates are subject to ongoing national and international regulatory scrutiny and reform. For example, on July 27, 2017, the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority announced that it will no longer persuade or compel banks to submit rates for the calculation of the LIBOR rates after 2021 (the ‘‘FCA Announcement’’). The Alternative Reference Rate Committee, a committee convened by the Federal Reserve that includes major market participants, has proposed an alternative rate to replace U.S. Dollar LIBOR: the Secured Overnight Financing Rate, or “SOFR.”

We are unable to predict the effect of the FCA Announcement or other reforms, whether currently enacted or enacted in the future. They may result in the phasing out of LIBOR as a reference rate. The impact of such transition away from LIBOR could be significant for us because of the number of our financing arrangements that are linked to LIBOR and our substantial

indebtedness. The outcome of reforms may result in increased interest expense to us, may affect our ability to incur debt on terms acceptable to us and may result in increased costs related to amending our existing debt instruments, which could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

A large portion of our cash flow from operations is used to repay the principal and interest on our debt agreements. As of December 31, 2018, our net indebtedness (including loan debt, net of restricted cash and short-term deposits and net of cash and cash equivalents) was $1.9 billion and our ratio of net indebtedness to total capital (comprising net indebtedness plus shareholders' equity) was 0.52.

Our consolidated debt could increase substantially. We will likely continue to have the ability to incur additional debt. Our level of debt could have important consequences to us, including:

Our ability to service our indebtedness will depend upon, among other things, our future financial and operating performance, which will be affected by prevailing economic conditions and financial, business, regulatory and other factors, some of which are beyond our control, as well as the interest rates applicable to our outstanding indebtedness. If our operating income is not sufficient to service our indebtedness, we will be forced to take actions, such as reducing or delaying our business activities, acquisitions, investments or capital expenditures, selling assets, restructuring or refinancing our debt or seeking additional equity capital. We may not be able to effect any of these remedies on satisfactory terms, or at all. In addition, a lack of liquidity in the debt and equity markets could hinder our ability to refinance our debt or obtain additional financing on favorable terms in the future.

By virtue of the sale and leaseback transactions we have entered into with certain affiliates of Chinese financial institutions that are determined to be lessor VIEs, where we are deemed to be the primary beneficiary, we are required by United States generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") to consolidate these lessor VIEs into our financial results. Although consolidated into our results, we have no control over the funding arrangements negotiated by these lessor VIEs such as interest rates, maturity and repayment profiles. In consolidating these lessor VIEs into our financial results, we must make assumptions regarding the debt amortization profile and the interest rate to be applied against the lessor VIEs’ debt principal. Our estimates are therefore dependent upon the timeliness of receipt and accuracy of financial information provided by these lessor VIE entities. For additional detail refer to note 5 "Variable Interest Entities" of our Consolidated Financial Statements included herein. As of December 31, 2018, we consolidated lessor VIEs in connection with the lease financing transactions for eight of our vessels. For descriptions of our current financing arrangements including those of our lessor VIEs, please read "Item 5. Operating and Financial Review-B. Liquidity and Capital Resources-Borrowing Activities." The funding arrangements negotiated by these lessor VIEs could adversely affect our financial accounting results.

Our obligations under our financing arrangements are secured by certain of our vessels and guaranteed by our subsidiaries holding the interests in our vessels. Our loan agreements impose, and future financial obligations may impose, operating and financial restrictions on us. These restrictions may require the consent of our lenders, or may prevent or otherwise limit our ability to, among other things:

Our loan agreements and lease financing arrangements also require us to maintain specific financial levels and ratios, including minimum amounts of available cash, minimum ratios of current assets to current liabilities (excluding current portion of long-term debt), minimum levels of stockholders’ equity and maximum loan amounts to value. If we were to fail to maintain these levels and ratios without obtaining a waiver of covenant compliance or modification to our covenants, we would be in default of our loans and lease financing agreements, which, unless waived by our lenders, could provide our lenders with the right to require us to increase the minimum value held by us under our equity and liquidity covenants, increase our interest payments, pay down our indebtedness to a level where we are in compliance with our loan covenants, sell vessels in our fleet or reclassify our indebtedness as current liabilities and could allow our lenders to accelerate our indebtedness and foreclose their liens on our vessels, which could result in the loss of our vessels. If our indebtedness is accelerated, we may not be able to refinance our debt or obtain additional financing, which would impair our ability to continue to conduct our business.

Moreover, in connection with any waivers and/or amendments to our loan and lease agreements, our lenders may impose additional operating and financial restrictions on us and/or modify the terms of our existing loan and lease agreements.

Because of the presence of cross-default provisions in certain of our and Golar Partners’ loan and lease agreements that cover both us and Golar Partners, a default by us or Golar Partners under a loan or lease agreement and the refusal of any one lender or lessor to grant or extend a waiver could result in the acceleration of our indebtedness under our other loan and lease agreements even if our or Golar Partners’ other lenders or lessors have waived covenant defaults under the respective agreements. A cross-default provision means that if we or Golar Partners default on one loan or lease, we would then default on our other loans containing a cross-default provision.

As described under note 30 of our audited consolidated financial statements filed with our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2018, during 2003 we entered into six UK tax leases. Under the terms of the leasing arrangements, the benefits are derived primarily from the tax depreciation assumed to be available to the lessors as a result of their investment in the vessels. As is typical in these leasing arrangements, as the lessee we are obligated to maintain the lessor’s after-tax margin. Accordingly, in the event of any adverse tax changes or a successful challenge by the UK Tax Authorities (''HMRC'') with regard to the initial tax basis of the transactions, or in relation to the 2010 lease restructurings, or in the event of an early termination of the Methane Princess lease, we may be required to make additional payments principally to the UK vessel lessor, which could adversely affect our earnings or financial position. We would be required to return all, or a portion of, or in certain circumstances significantly more than, the upfront cash benefits that we received in respect of our lease financing transactions, including the 2010 restructurings and subsequent termination transactions. The gross cash benefit we received upfront on these leases amounted to approximately £41 million (before deduction of fees).

Of these six leases we have since terminated five, with one lease remaining, the Methane Princess lease. Pursuant to the deconsolidation of Golar Partners in 2012, Golar Partners is no longer considered a controlled entity, but an affiliate and therefore as at December 31, 2018, the capital lease obligation relating to this remaining UK tax lease is not included on our consolidated balance sheet. However, under the indemnity provisions of the Omnibus Agreement or the respective share purchase agreements, we have agreed to indemnify Golar Partners in the event of any tax liabilities in excess of scheduled or final scheduled amounts arising from the Methane Princess leasing arrangements and termination thereof.

HMRC has been challenging the use of similar lease structures and has been engaged in litigation of a test case for some years. In August 2015, following an appeal to the Court of Appeal by the HMRC which set aside previous judgments in favor of the tax payer, the First Tier Tribunal (a UK court) ruled in favor of HMRC. The tax payer in this particular ruling has the election to appeal the court's decision, but no appeal has been filed. The judgments of the First Tier Tribunal do not create binding precedent for other UK court decisions and therefore the ruling in favor of HMRC is not binding in the context of

our structures. Further, we consider there to be differences in the fact pattern and structure of this case from our 2003 leasing arrangements and therefore it is not necessarily indicative of any outcome should HMRC challenge us. We remain confident that our fact pattern is sufficiently different to succeed if we are challenged by HMRC. HMRC have written to our lessor to indicate that they believe our lease may be similar to the case noted above. We have reviewed the details of the case and the basis of the judgment with our legal and tax advisers to ascertain what impact, if any, the judgment may have on us and the possible range of exposure has been estimated at approximately £nil to £115 million. We are currently in conversation with HMRC on this matter, as well as continuing to present the factual background of Golar's position, and are progressing the possibility of bringing this inquiry to a mutually satisfactory conclusion. Given the complexity of these discussions, it is impossible to quantify the reasonably possible loss, however we continue to estimate the possible range of exposures as set out above.

As a result of holding an equity swap, which we refer to as our Total Return Swap, in our own securities, as of March 15, 2019 , we are exposed to the movement in our share price in respect of 3.0 million shares under the equity swap. Should the price of our shares fall materially below the level at which the shares were acquired, the equity swap mark-to-market valuations could adversely affect our results. In addition, the equity swap has a credit arrangement, whereby we are required to provide cash collateral equal to 20% of the initial acquisition price and to subsequently post additional cash collateral that corresponds to any further unrealized loss. As of December 31, 2018, cash collateral of $82.9 million has been provided and is reflected in "restricted cash" in our Consolidated Balance Sheet. In the event the share price declines, the cash collateral requirements could adversely affect our liquidity and financial position.

Risks Related to Revenue

The market for LNG transportation and regasification services in which we operate is competitive, especially with respect to the negotiation of long-term charters. Competition arises primarily from other vessel owners, some of whom have substantially greater resources than we do. Furthermore, new competitors with greater resources could enter the market for LNG carriers or FSRUs and operate larger fleets through consolidations, acquisitions or the purchase of new vessels, and may be able to offer lower charter rates and more modern fleets. If we are not able to compete successfully, our earnings could be adversely affected. Competition may also prevent us from achieving our goal of profitably expanding into other areas of the LNG industry.

One of our principal objectives is to enter into additional medium or long-term, fixed-rate time charters for our LNG carriers and FSRUs. The process of obtaining new long-term time charters is highly competitive and generally involves an intensive screening process and competitive bids, and often extends for several months. LNG carrier or FSRU time charters are awarded based upon a variety of factors relating to the vessel operator, including but not limited to:

We expect substantial competition for providing floating storage and regasification services and marine transportation services for potential LNG projects from a number of experienced companies, including state-sponsored entities and major energy companies. Many of these competitors have significantly greater financial resources and larger and more versatile fleets than we and the Cool Pool do. We anticipate that an increasing number of marine transportation companies, including many with

strong reputations and extensive resources and experience, will enter the FSRU market and LNG transportation market. This increased competition may cause greater price competition for time charters. As a result of these factors, we and the Cool Pool may be unable to expand our relationships with existing customers or obtain new customers on a profitable basis, if at all, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and ability to make cash distributions.

As of March 15, 2019 , we had seven LNG carriers and one FSRU operating in the spot market within the Cool Pool. Please see "Item 4. Information on the Company-B. Business Overview" for further detail. The spot market refers to charters for periods of up to twelve months. Spot/short-term charters expose the Cool Pool to the volatility in spot charter rates, which can be significant. In contrast, medium to long-term time charters generally provide reliable revenues, but they also limit the portion of our fleet available to the spot/short-term market during an upswing in the LNG industry cycle, when spot/short-term market voyages might be more profitable. The charter rates payable in the spot market are uncertain and volatile and will depend upon, among other things, economic conditions in the LNG market.

If the Cool Pool is unable to find profitable employment or re-deploy ours or any of the other Cool Pool participants' vessels, we will not receive any revenues from the Cool Pool, but we may be required to pay expenses necessary to maintain that vessel in proper operating condition. A sustained decline in charter or spot rates or a failure by the Cool Pool to successfully charter its participating vessels could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and our ability to meet our financing obligations.

Risks Related to Our Operations

Our vessels and their cargoes are at risk of being damaged or lost because of events such as marine disasters, acts of piracy, environmental accidents, bad weather, mechanical failures, grounding, fire, explosions and collisions, human error, national emergency and war and terrorism. Incidents such as these have historically affected companies in our industry, and such an event or accident involving any of our vessels could result in any of the following:

Any of these circumstances or events could increase our costs or lower our revenues. In particular:

Our vessel operating expenses and dry-dock capital expenditures depend on a variety of factors, including crew costs, provisions, deck and engine stores and spares, lubricating oil, insurance, maintenance and repairs and shipyard costs, many of which are beyond our control and affect the entire shipping industry. Also, while we do not bear the cost of fuel (bunkers) under our time charters, fuel is a significant, if not the largest, expense in our operations when our vessels are operating under voyage charters, are idle during periods of commercial waiting time or when positioning or repositioning before or after a time charter. The price and supply of fuel is unpredictable and fluctuates based on events outside of our control, including geopolitical developments, supply and demand for oil and gas, actions by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC, and other oil and gas producers, war and unrest in oil producing countries and regions, regional productions patterns and environmental concerns. Fuel costs may fluctuate significantly, and if costs rise, they could materially and adversely affect our results of operations.

A material decrease in the supply of technically skilled officers or an inability to attract and retain such qualified officers could impair our ability to operate, or increase the cost of crewing our vessels, which would materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. In particular FLNGs require a technically skilled officer staff with specialized training. If we are unable to employ technically skilled staff and crew, we will not be able to adequately staff our vessels particularly as we take delivery of our converted FLNG vessels.

Significant demands are placed on our management as a result of our growth. As we expand our operations, we must manage and monitor our operations, control costs and maintain quality and control. In addition, the provision of management services to our affiliates, Golar Partners and Golar Power, including the supervision of vessel conversions to FSRUs or FLNGs, has increased the complexity of our business and placed additional demands on our management. Our success depends, to a significant extent, upon the abilities and the efforts of our senior executives. While we believe that we have an experienced management team, the loss or unavailability of one or more of our senior executives for any extended period of time could have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

We may operate in a number of countries throughout the world, including countries known to have a reputation for corruption. We are committed to doing business in accordance with applicable anti-corruption laws and have adopted a code of business conduct and ethics which is consistent and in full compliance with the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 (“FCPA”), and the Bribery Act 2010 of the United Kingdom (“UK Bribery Act”). We are subject, however, to the risk that we, our affiliated entities or our or their respective officers, directors, employees and agents may take actions determined to be in violation of such anti-corruption laws, including the FCPA and the UK Bribery Act. Any such violation could result in substantial fines, sanctions, civil and/or criminal penalties, curtailment of operations in certain jurisdictions, and might adversely affect our business, results of operations or financial condition. In addition, actual or alleged violations could damage our reputation and ability to do business. Furthermore, detecting, investigating, and resolving actual or alleged violations is expensive and can consume significant time and attention of our senior management.

In order to effectively compete in some foreign jurisdictions, we utilize local agents and/or establish entities with local operators or strategic partners. All of these activities may involve interaction by our agents with government officials. Even though some of our agents or partners may not themselves be subject to the FCPA, the UK Bribery Act, or other anti-bribery laws to which we may be subject, if our agents or partners make improper payments to government officials or other persons in connection with engagements or partnerships with us, we could be investigated and potentially found liable for violation of such anti-bribery laws and could incur civil and criminal penalties and other sanctions, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

We rely on information technology systems and networks, the majority of which are provided by Golar Management, in our operations and the administration of our business. Our business operations could be targeted by individuals or groups seeking to sabotage or disrupt our information technology systems and networks, or to steal data. A successful cyber-attack could materially disrupt our operations, including the safety of our operations, and the availability of our vessels and facilities or lead to unauthorized release of information or alteration of information in our systems. Any such attack or other breach of our information technology systems could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

We are subject to laws, directives, and regulations relating to the collection, use, retention, disclosure, security and transfer of personal data. These laws, directives, and regulations, and their interpretation and enforcement continue to evolve and may be inconsistent from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. For example, the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”), which regulates the use of personally identifiable information, went into effect in the European Union (“EU”) on May 25, 2018, applies globally to all of our activities conducted from an establishment in the EU, to related products and services that we offer to EU customers and to non-EU customers which offer services in the EU. Complying with the GDPR and similar emerging and changing privacy and data protection requirements may cause us to incur substantial costs or require us to change our business practices. Noncompliance with our legal obligations relating to privacy and data protection could result in penalties, fines, legal proceedings by governmental entities or others, loss of reputation, legal claims by individuals and customers and significant legal and financial exposure and could affect our ability to retain and attract customers.

Changes in the nature of cyber-threats and/or changes to industry standards and regulations might require us to adopt additional procedures for monitoring cybersecurity, which could require additional expenses and/or capital expenditures. However, the impact of such regulations is hard to predict at this time.

Changing laws, regulations and standards could create greater reporting obligations and compliance requirements on companies such as ours. Whilst the regulatory environment continues to evolve, we have invested in, and intend to continue to invest in, reasonably necessary resources to comply with evolving standards and maintain high standards of corporate governance and public disclosure. Recent examples of increased regulation include the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015 and the GDPR. The GDPR, for instance, broadens the scope of personal privacy laws to protect the rights of European Union citizens and requires organizations to report on data breaches within 72 hours and be bound by more stringent rules for obtaining the consent of individuals on how their data can be used.

Non-compliance with such regulation could result in governmental or other regulatory claims or significant fines that could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, and ability to pay distributions.

We have entered into, and in the future may enter into, contracts, charter contracts, newbuilding contracts, vessel conversion contracts, credit facilities with banks, sale and leaseback contracts, interest rate swaps, foreign currency swaps and equity swaps. Such agreements subject us to counterparty risks. The ability of each of our counterparties to perform its obligations under a contract with us will depend on a number of factors that are beyond our control and may include, among other things, general economic conditions and the overall financial condition of the counterparty. Should a counterparty fail to honor its obligations under agreements with us, we could sustain significant losses, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flow.

We may be, from time to time, involved in various litigation matters. These matters may include, among other things, contract disputes, personal injury claims, environmental claims or proceedings, asbestos and other toxic tort claims, employment matters, governmental claims for taxes or duties and other litigation that arises in the ordinary course of our business.

Although we always intend to defend such matters vigorously, we cannot predict with certainty the outcome or effect of any claim or other litigation matter, and the ultimate outcome of any litigation or the potential costs to resolve them may have a material adverse effect on us. Insurance may not be applicable or sufficient in all cases and/or insurers may not remain solvent, which may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition. Please read "Item 8 Financial Information-Legal Proceedings and Claims."

We provide pension plans for certain of our current and former marine employees. Members do not contribute to the plans and they are closed to any new members. As of December 31, 2018, one of the plans is underfunded by $35.4 million. We may need to increase our contributions in order to meet the schemes' liabilities as they fall due, or, to reduce the deficit. Such contributions could have a material and adverse effect on our cash flows and financial condition.

Vessel values can fluctuate substantially over time due to a number of different factors, including:

As our vessels age, the expenses associated with maintaining and operating them are expected to increase, which could have an adverse effect on our business and operations if we do not maintain sufficient cash reserves for maintenance and replacement capital expenditures. Moreover, the cost of a replacement vessel would be significant.

During the period a vessel is subject to a charter, we will not be permitted to sell it to take advantage of increases in vessel values without the charterers’ agreement. If a charter terminates, we may be unable to re-deploy the affected vessels at attractive rates and, rather than continue to incur costs to maintain and finance them, we may seek to dispose of them. When vessel values are low, we may not be able to dispose of vessels at a reasonable price when we wish to sell vessels, and conversely, when vessel values are elevated, we may not be able to acquire additional vessels at attractive prices when we wish to acquire additional vessels, which could adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flow, financial condition and ability to make distributions to shareholders. Please refer to "Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects-B. Liquidity and Capital Resources-Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates-Vessel Market Values" for further information.

Our principal currency for our operations and financing is the U.S. dollar. We generate the majority of our revenues in the U.S. dollar. Apart from the U.S. dollar, we incur a portion of capital, operating and administrative expenses in multiple currencies.

Due to a portion of our expenses being incurred in currencies other than the U.S. dollar, our expenses may, from time to time, increase relative to our revenues as a result of fluctuations in exchange rates, particularly between the U.S. dollar and the Euro, the British Pound, and the Norwegian Kroner, which could affect the amount of net income that we report in future periods. We use financial derivatives to hedge some of our currency exposure. Our use of financial derivatives involves certain risks, including the risk that losses on a hedged position could exceed the nominal amount invested in the instrument and the risk that the counterparty to the derivative transaction may be unable or unwilling to satisfy its contractual obligations, which could have an adverse effect on our results.

The charter rates, asset value and operational life of an LNG carrier are determined by a number of factors, including the vessel’s efficiency, operational flexibility and physical life. Efficiency is reflected in unit freight costs, which are driven by the size of the vessel, its fuel economy and the rate at which LNG in the cargo tanks naturally evaporates. Flexibility is primarily driven by the size of the vessel and includes the ability to enter harbors, utilize related docking facilities and pass through canals and straits. Physical life is related to the original design and construction, the ongoing maintenance and the impact of operational stresses on the vessel. LNG carrier designs are continually evolving. At such time, as newer designs are developed and accepted in the market, these newer vessels may be more efficient or more flexible or have longer physical lives than our vessels. Competition from these more technologically advanced LNG carriers compared to our existing vessels could adversely affect our ability to charter or re-charter our these vessels and the charter hire rates we will be able to secure when we seek to charter or re-charter these vessels, and could also reduce the resale value of these vessels. This could adversely affect our revenues and cash flows, including cash available for dividends to our shareholders, as well as our ability to obtain debt financing for LNG carriers with older technology whose market values have experienced a significant decline.

Customers, and in particular those in the LNG industry, have a high and increasing focus on quality and compliance standards with their suppliers across the entire value chain, including the shipping and transportation segment. Our continuous compliance with these standards and quality requirements is vital for our operations. Related risks could materialize in multiple ways, including a sudden and unexpected breach in quality and/or compliance concerning one or more vessels and/or a continuous decrease in the quality concerning one or more LNG carriers occurring over time. Moreover, continuously increasing requirements from LNG industry constituents can further challenge our ability to meet the standards. Any noncompliance by us, either suddenly or over a period of time, on one or more LNG carriers, or an increase in requirements by our charterers above and beyond what we deliver, may have a material adverse effect on our future performance, results of operations, cash flows and financial position.

Risks Related to Our Industry

Due to the nature of our business, our performance is subject to the development of the LNG industry, adverse changes or developments in the LNG carrier, FSRU, and FLNG, the LNG industry as a whole or in the offshore energy infrastructure business financial condition, results of operations and ability to pay dividends to shareholders. Specific industry risks include:

Our business strategy focuses on expansion in the LNG shipping sector, the floating storage and regasification sector and the floating liquefaction sector. While global LNG demand has continued to rise, the rate of its growth has fluctuated for several reasons, including the global economic downturn and continued economic uncertainty, fluctuations in the price of natural gas and other sources of energy, the continued increase in natural gas production from unconventional sources, including hydraulic fracturing, in regions such as North America and the highly complex and capital intensive nature of new and expanded LNG projects, including liquefaction projects. Accordingly, our results of operations and financial condition depend on continued world and regional demand for LNG, LNG carriers, FSRUs and FLNGs, which could be negatively affected by a number of factors, including but not limited to:

Reduced demand for LNG or LNG liquefaction, storage, shipping or regasification, or any reduction or limitation in LNG production capacity, could have a material adverse effect on prevailing charter rates or the market value of our vessels, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

A complete LNG project includes production, liquefaction, regasification, storage and distribution facilities and LNG carriers. Existing LNG projects and infrastructure are limited, and new or expanded LNG projects are highly complex and capital intensive, with new projects often costing several billion dollars. Many factors could negatively affect continued development of LNG infrastructure and related alternatives, including floating liquefaction, storage and regasification, or disrupt the supply of LNG, including:

Most shipping requirements for new LNG projects continue to be provided on a multi-year basis, though the level of spot voyages and short-term time charters of less than 12 months in duration has grown in the past few years. If the number of vessels available in the short-term or spot charter market continues to expand and results in reduced opportunities to secure multi-year charters for our vessels, we may only be able to enter into short-term time charters upon expiration or early termination of our current charters. As a result, our revenues and cash flows may become more volatile. In addition, an active short-term or spot charter market may require us to enter into charters based on changing market prices, as opposed to contracts based on fixed rates, which could result in a decrease in our revenues and cash flows, including cash available for dividends to our shareholders, especially if we enter into charters during periods when charter rates are depressed.

Although no vessels operated by us have called on ports located in countries in violation of sanctions and embargoes imposed by the U.S. government or countries identified by the U.S. government as state sponsors of terrorism, in the future our vessels may call on ports in these countries from time to time on our charterers’ instructions. The U.S. sanctions and embargo laws and regulations vary in their application, as they do not all apply to the same covered persons or proscribe the same activities, and such sanctions and embargo laws and regulations may be amended or strengthened over time.

U.S. sanctions against Russia include “sectoral sanctions,” which target specific industries. Transactions with companies designated under the Sectoral Sanctions Identifications List (“SSI List”) are not prohibited in all cases. Under the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control’s (OFAC) 50 percent rule, a company owned 50 percent or more by an SSI-Listed entity is also to be treated as an SSI-Listed entity.

One of our charter counterparties, a major oil and gas company, may be deemed to be designated an SSI by virtue of the 50 percent rule described above. Although the charter counterparty does not appear on either of OFAC’s list of U.S. Specially

Designated Nationals List (“SDN List”) or the SSI List, certain companies with more than 50 percent ownership in this charter counterparty may be identified as an SSI-Listed entity subject to Directive 4 of OFAC’s Ukraine/Russia-related sanctions. Such charter counterparty may thus also be subject to Directive 4.

Directive 4 prohibits U.S. persons from engaging in any activity involving the provision, exportation, or reexportation, directly or indirectly, of goods, services (except for financial services), and technology in support of exploration or production for deepwater, Arctic offshore, or shale projects that, among other things, have the potential to produce oil in the Russian federation and that involve a Directive 4 SSI-Listed entity or their property or interests in property, or that are initiated after January 29, 2018 and have the potential to produce oil in any location and a Directive 4 SSI-Listed entity or their property or interests in property has a 33 percent or greater interest or ownership of a majority of the voting interests. Although the sectoral sanctions do not directly apply to non-U.S. persons, Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (“CAATSA”) prohibits, among other things, non-U.S. persons from facilitating “significant transactions” for or on behalf of SDNs and SSI-Listed entities, as well as entities owned 50 percent or more by such entities.

Although we believe that we have been in compliance with all applicable sanctions and embargo laws and regulations, and intend to maintain such compliance, there can be no assurance that we will be in compliance in the future, particularly as the scope of certain laws may be unclear and may be subject to changing interpretations. Any such violation could result in fines, penalties or other sanctions that could severely impact our ability to access U.S. capital markets and conduct our business, and could result in some investors deciding, or being required, to divest their interest, or not to invest, in us. In addition, certain institutional investors may have investment policies or restrictions that prevent them from holding securities of companies that have contracts with U.S. embargoed countries or countries identified by the U.S. government as state sponsors of terrorism and certain financial institutions may have policies against lending or extending credit to companies that have contracts with U.S. embargoed countries or countries identified by the U.S. government as state sponsors of terrorism. The determination by these investors not to invest in, or to divest from, our common shares or the determination by these financial institutions not to offer financing may adversely affect the price at which our common shares trade. Moreover, our charterers may violate applicable sanctions and embargo laws and regulations as a result of actions that do not involve us or our vessels, and those violations could in turn negatively affect our reputation. In addition, our reputation and the market for our securities may be adversely affected if we engage in certain other activities, such as entering into charters with individuals or entities in countries subject to U.S. sanctions and embargo laws that are not controlled by the governments of those countries, or engaging in operations associated with those countries pursuant to contracts with third parties that are unrelated to those countries or entities controlled by their governments. Investor perception of the value of our common shares may be adversely affected by the consequences of war, the effects of terrorism, civil unrest and governmental actions in these and surrounding countries.

If we are in default on certain kinds of obligations, such as those to our lenders, crew members, suppliers of goods and services to our vessels or shippers of cargo, these parties may be entitled to a maritime lien against one or more of our vessels. In many jurisdictions, a maritime lien holder may enforce its lien by arresting a vessel through foreclosure proceedings. In a few jurisdictions, claimants could try to assert “sister ship” liability against one vessel in our fleet for claims relating to another of our vessels. The arrest or attachment of one or more of our vessels could interrupt our cash flow and require us to pay to have the arrest lifted. Under some of our present charters, if the vessel is arrested or detained (for as few as 14 days in the case of one of our charters) as a result of a claim against us, we may be in default of our charter and the charterer may terminate the charter. This would negatively impact our revenues and reduce our cash available for distribution to unitholders.

We anticipate a significant number of the port calls made by our vessels will continue to involve the loading or discharging

of LNG in ports in the Asia Pacific region. As a result, any negative changes in economic conditions in any Asia Pacific country, particularly in China, may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations, as well as our future prospects. Before the global economic financial crisis that began in 2008, China had one of the world's fastest growing economies in terms of gross domestic product, or GDP, which had a significant impact on shipping demand. The quarterly year-over-year growth rate of China's GDP was approximately 6.5% for the year ended December 31, 2018, as compared to approximately 6.9% for the year ended December 31, 2017, and continues to remain below pre-2008 levels. We cannot assure you that the Chinese economy will not experience a significant contraction in the future.

Although state-owned enterprises still account for a substantial portion of the Chinese industrial output, in general, the Chinese government is reducing the level of direct control that it exercises over the economy through state plans and other measures.

There is an increasing level of freedom and autonomy in areas such as allocation of resources, production, pricing and management and a gradual shift in emphasis to a "market economy" and enterprise reform. Limited price reforms were undertaken with the result that prices for certain commodities are principally determined by market forces. Many of the reforms are unprecedented or experimental and may be subject to revision, change or abolition based upon the outcome of such experiments. If the Chinese government does not continue to pursue a policy of economic reform, the level of imports to and exports from China could be adversely affected by changes to these economic reforms by the Chinese government, as well as by changes in political, economic and social conditions or other relevant policies of the Chinese government, such as changes in laws, regulations or export and import restrictions. Notwithstanding economic reform, the Chinese government may adopt policies that favor domestic companies and may hinder our ability to compete with them effectively. For example, China imposes a tax for non-resident international transportation enterprises engaged in the provision of services of passengers or cargo, among other items, in and out of China using their own, chartered or leased vessels. The regulation may subject international transportation companies to Chinese enterprise income tax on profits generated from international transportation services passing through Chinese ports. This tax or similar regulations, such as the recently promoted environmental taxes on coal, by China may result in an increase in the cost of raw materials imported to China and the risks associated with importing raw materials to China, as well as a decrease in any raw materials shipped from our charterers to China. This could have an adverse impact on our charterers’ business, operating results and financial condition and could thereby affect their ability to make timely charter hire payments to us and to renew and increase the number of their time charters with us. Moreover, an economic slowdown in the economies of the European Union and other Asian countries may further adversely affect economic growth in China and elsewhere.

In addition, concerns regarding the possibility of sovereign debt defaults by European Union member countries, including Greece, have in the past disrupted financial markets throughout the world, and may lead to weaker consumer demand in the European Union, the United States, and other parts of the world. The possibility of sovereign debt defaults by European Union member countries, including Greece, and the possibility of market reforms to float the Chinese renminbi, either of which development could weaken the Euro against the Chinese renminbi, could adversely affect consumer demand in the European Union. Moreover, the revaluation of the renminbi may negatively impact the United States' demand for imported goods, many of which are shipped from China. Future weak economic conditions could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition and our ability to pay dividends to our stockholders. Our business, financial condition, results of operations, ability to pay dividends as well as our future prospects, will likely be materially and adversely affected by another economic downturn in any of the aforementioned countries and regions.

We conduct most of our operations outside of the United States, and our business, results of operations, cash flows, financial condition and ability to pay dividends, if any, in the future may be adversely affected by changing economic, political and government conditions in the countries and regions where our vessels are employed or registered. Moreover, we operate in a sector of the economy that is likely to be adversely impacted by the effects of political conflicts, including the current political instability in the Middle East and the South China Sea region and other geographic countries and areas, geopolitical events such as the withdrawal of the U.K. from the European Union, or “Brexit,” terrorist or other attacks, and war (or threatened war) or international hostilities. Terrorist attacks and the continuing response of the United States and others to these attacks, as well as the threat of future terrorist attacks around the world, continues to cause uncertainty in the world’s financial markets and may impact our business, operating results and financial condition. Continuing conflict and recent developments in the Middle East, and the presence of U.S. or similar forces in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and various other regions, may lead to additional acts of terrorism and armed conflict around the world, which may contribute to further economic instability in the global financial markets. These uncertainties could also adversely affect our ability to obtain additional financing on terms acceptable to us or at all. Any of these occurrences could have a material adverse impact on our operating results, revenues and costs.

Further, governments may turn to trade barriers to protect their domestic industries against foreign imports, thereby depressing shipping demand. In particular, leaders in the United States have indicated that the United States may seek to implement more protective trade measures. President Trump was elected on a platform promoting trade protectionism. The results of the presidential election have thus created significant uncertainty about the future relationship between the United States, China and other exporting countries, including with respect to trade policies, treaties, government regulations and tariffs. For example, on January 23, 2017, President Trump signed an executive order withdrawing the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a global trade agreement intended to include the United States, Canada, Mexico, Peru and a number of Asian countries. In March 2018, President Trump announced tariffs on imported steel and aluminum into the United States that could have a negative impact on international trade generally. Most recently, in January 2019, the United States announced sanctions against Venezuela, which may have an effect on its oil output and in turn affect global oil supply. Protectionist

developments, or the perception that they may occur, may have a material adverse effect on global economic conditions, and may significantly reduce global trade. Moreover, increasing trade protectionism may cause an increase in (a) the cost of goods exported from regions globally, (b) the length of time required to transport goods and (c) the risks associated with exporting goods. Such increases may significantly affect the quantity of goods to be shipped, shipping time schedules, voyage costs and other associated costs, which could have an adverse impact on the shipping industry, and therefore, our charterers and their business, operating results and financial condition and could thereby affect their ability to make timely charter hire payments to us and to renew and increase the number of their time charters with us. This could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and our ability to pay any cash distributions to our stockholders.

In June 2016, a majority of voters in the U.K. elected to withdraw from the EU in a national referendum, and in March 2017, the government of the U.K. formally initiated the process. The referendum was advisory, and the terms of any withdrawal are subject to a negotiation period that could last at least two years after the March 2017 initiation. There is currently no agreement in place regarding the withdrawal, creating significant uncertainty about the future relationship between the U.K. and the EU, including with respect to the laws and regulations that will apply as the U.K. determines which EU‑derived laws to replace or replicate in the event of a withdrawal. The referendum has also given rise to calls for the governments of other EU member states to consider withdrawal. These developments, or the perception that any of them could occur, have had and may continue to have a material adverse effect on global economic conditions and the stability of global financial markets, and may significantly reduce global market liquidity and restrict the ability of key market participants to operate in certain financial markets. Any of these factors could depress economic activity and restrict our access to capital, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and on our consolidated financial position, results of operations and our ability to pay distributions. Additionally, Brexit, or similar events in other jurisdictions, could impact global markets, including foreign exchange and securities markets; any resulting changes in currency exchange rates, tariffs, treaties and other regulatory matters could in turn adversely impact our business and operations.

Risks Related to Industry Regulation

Our industry is subject to a number of regulations, particularly in relation to Health and Safety, environmental protection and maritime conduct. Changes to these regulations could impact our business, our financial position and our operations. In particular:

The International Maritime Organization ("IMO") has imposed updated guidelines on ballast water management systems specifying the maximum amount of viable organisms allowed to be discharged from a vessel’s ballast water. Depending on the date of the IOPP renewal survey, existing vessels must comply with the updated D-2 standard on or after September 8, 2019. For most vessels, compliance with the D-2 standard will involve installing on-board systems to treat ballast water and eliminate unwanted organisms. The costs of compliance to the updated guidelines may be substantial and adversely affect our revenues and profitability.

Furthermore, United States regulations are currently changing. Although the 2013 Vessel General Permit (“VGP”) program and U.S. National Invasive Species Act (“NISA”) are currently in effect to regulate ballast discharge, exchange and installation, the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act (“VIDA”), which was signed into law on December 4, 2018, requires that the U.S. Coast Guard develop implementation, compliance, and enforcement regulations regarding ballast water within two years. The new regulations could require the installation of new equipment, which may cause us to incur substantial costs.

Our operations are affected by extensive and changing international, national and local environmental protection laws, regulations, treaties and conventions in force in international waters, the jurisdictional waters of the countries in which our vessels operate, as well as the countries of our vessels’ registration, including those governing response to and liability for oil spills, discharges to air and water, and the handling and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes. In some cases, these laws and regulations require us to obtain governmental permits and authorizations before we may conduct certain activities.

National laws generally provide for a LNG carrier or offshore LNG facility owner or operator to bear strict liability for pollution, subject to a right to limit liability under applicable national or international regimes for limitation of liability. The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships of 1973, as modified by the Protocol of 1978 relating thereto, collectively referred to as MARPOL 73/78 (“MARPOL”), which regulates air emissions, oil pollution and other discharges to the environment, can affect our operations. In addition, our LNG vessels may become subject to the International Convention on Liability and Compensation for Damage in Connection with the Carriage of Hazardous and Noxious Substances by Sea, or the HNS, adopted in 1996 and subsequently amended by the April 2010 Protocol, which is discussed further below.

Laws that apply to our operations change from time to time. For example, in June 2015 the IMO formally adopted the International Code of Safety for Ships using Gases or Low flashpoint Fuels, or the IGF Code, which is designed to minimize the risks involved with ships using low flashpoint fuels, including LNG. Compliance with the IGF Code is mandatory under the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea of 1974 (“SOLAS”) through adopted amendments incorporating the IGF Code into SOLAS. The IGF Code and the amendments to SOLAS became effective January 1, 2017.

Further legislation, or amendments to existing legislation, applicable to international and national maritime trade are expected over the coming years in areas such as ship recycling, sewage systems, emission control (including emissions of greenhouse gases), and ballast treatment and handling. Such legislation or regulations may require additional capital expenditures or operating expenses (such as increased costs for low-sulfur fuel) in order for us to maintain our vessels’ compliance with international and/or national regulations.

In addition, due to concern over the risk of climate change, a number of countries, the United States, the EU and the IMO have adopted, or are considering the adoption of, regulatory frameworks to reduce greenhouse gas emission from vessel emissions. These regulatory measures may include, among others, adoption of cap and trade regimes, carbon taxes, increased efficiency standards, and incentives or mandates for renewable energy. These could have a negative impact on our business if such laws, regulations, treaties or international agreements reduce the worldwide demand for oil and gas.

Failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations may result in administrative and civil penalties, criminal sanctions or the suspension or termination of our operations, including, in certain instances, seizure or detention of our vessels. Such legislation or regulations may require additional capital expenditures or operating expenses. Please see "Item 4. Information on the Company-B. Business Overview-Environmental and Other Regulations" below for a more detailed discussion on these topics.

Due to concern over the risk of climate change, a number of countries and the IMO have adopted, or are considering the adoption of, regulatory frameworks to reduce greenhouse gas emission from vessel emissions. These regulatory measures may include, among others, adoption of cap and trade regimes, carbon taxes, increased efficiency standards, and incentives or mandates for renewable energy. Also, a treaty may be adopted in the future that requires the adoption of restrictions on shipping emissions. Compliance with changes in laws and regulations relating to climate change could increase our costs of operating and maintaining our vessels and could require us to make significant financial expenditures that we cannot predict with certainty at this time.

Adverse effects upon the oil and gas industry relating to climate change, including growing public concern about the environmental impact of climate change, may also have an effect on demand for our services. For example, increased regulation of greenhouse gases or other concerns relating to climate change may reduce the demand for oil and gas in the future or create greater incentives for use of alternative energy sources. Any long-term material adverse effect on the oil and gas industry could have a significant financial and operational adverse impact on our business that we cannot predict with certainty at this time. Please read “Item 4. Information on the Company-B. Business Overview-Environmental and Other Regulations” below for a more detailed discussion.

The hull and machinery of every large, oceangoing commercial vessel must be classed by a classification society authorized by its country of registry. The classification society certifies that a vessel is safe and seaworthy in accordance with the applicable rules and regulations of the country of registry of the vessel and SOLAS. The American Bureau of Shipping and Det Norske Veritas are all members of the International Association of Classification Societies. All of our vessels have been awarded ISM certification or are in the process of being certified and are currently “in class” other than two LNG carriers, the Gimi and the

Gandria. The Gimi has entered into the shipyard for her conversion into a FLNG vessel , whereas the Gandria is in lay-up and proposed to be converted into a FLNG vessel.

As part of the certification process, a vessel must undergo annual surveys, intermediate surveys and special surveys. In lieu of a special survey, a vessel’s machinery may be on a continuous survey cycle, under which the machinery would be surveyed periodically over a five-year period. Each of the vessels in our existing fleet is on a planned maintenance system approval, and as such the classification society attends on board once every year to verify that the maintenance of the equipment on board is done correctly. Each of the vessels in our existing fleet is required to be qualified within its respective classification society for dry-docking once every five years subject to an intermediate underwater survey done using an approved diving company in the presence of a surveyor from the classification society.

If any vessel does not maintain its class or fails any annual survey, intermediate survey or special survey, the vessel will be unable to trade between ports and will be unemployable. We would lose revenue while the vessel was off-hire and incur costs of compliance. This would negatively impact our revenues and reduce our cash available for distributions to our shareholders.

Risks Related to Our Common Shares

We are a holding company whose assets mainly comprise equity interests in our subsidiaries and other quoted and non-quoted companies and our interest in our affiliates. As a result, should we decide to pay dividends, we would be dependent on the performance of our operating subsidiaries and other investments. If we were not able to receive sufficient funds from our subsidiaries and other investments, including from the sale of our investment interests, we would not be able to pay dividends unless we obtain funds from other sources. We may not be able to obtain the necessary funds from other sources on terms acceptable to us.

    

In some quarters, our results may be below analysts’ or investors’ expectations. If this occurs, the price of our common stock could decline. Important factors that could cause our revenue and operating results to fluctuate from quarter to quarter include, but are not limited to:

    

Most of these factors are not within our control, and the occurrence of one or more of them may cause our operating results to vary widely.

Historically, the market prices of securities of shipping companies have experienced fluctuations that often have been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating results of those companies. Our common shares have traded on The Nasdaq Global Select Market, or Nasdaq, since December 12, 2002 under the symbol "GLNG." We cannot assure you that an active and liquid public market for our common shares will continue. The market price for our common shares has historically fluctuated over a wide range. In 2018, the closing market price of our common shares on Nasdaq ranged from a low of $21.36 on December 20, 2018 to a high of $34.74 per share on May 21, 2018. As of March 15, 2019 , the closing market price of our common shares on Nasdaq was $21.81 per share. The market price of our common shares may continue to fluctuate significantly in response to many factors such as actual or anticipated fluctuations in our quarterly or annual results and those of other public companies in our industry, the suspension of our dividend payments, mergers and strategic alliances in the shipping industry, market conditions in the LNG shipping industry, developments in our FLNG investments, shortfalls in our operating results

from levels forecast by securities analysts, announcements concerning us or our competitors, the general state of the securities market, and other factors, many of which are beyond our control. The market for common shares in this industry may be equally volatile. Therefore, we cannot assure our shareholders that they will be able to sell any of our common shares that they may have purchased at a price greater than or equal to the original purchase price.

Additionally, sales of a substantial number of our common shares in the public market, or the perception that these sales could occur, may depress the market price for our common shares. These sales could also impair our ability to raise additional capital through the sale of our equity securities in the future.

We may issue additional common shares or other equity securities in the future in connection with, among other things, vessel conversions, future vessel acquisitions, repayment of outstanding indebtedness or our equity incentive plan, in each case without shareholder approval in a number of circumstances.

Our issuance of additional common shares or other equity securities would have the following effects:

Because we are a Bermuda company, the rights of holders of our common shares will be governed by Bermuda law and our memorandum of association and bye-laws. The rights of shareholders under Bermuda law may differ from the rights of shareholders in other jurisdictions, including with respect to, among other things, rights related to interested directors, amalgamations, mergers and acquisitions, takeovers, the exculpation and indemnification of directors and shareholder lawsuits.

Among these differences is a Bermuda law provision that permits a company to exempt a director from liability for any negligence, default, or breach of a fiduciary duty except for liability resulting directly from that director’s fraud or dishonesty.  Our bye-laws provide that no director or officer shall be liable to us or our shareholders unless the director’s or officer’s liability results from that person’s fraud or dishonesty. Our bye-laws also require us to indemnify a director or officer against any losses incurred by that director or officer resulting from their negligence or breach of duty, except where such losses are the result of fraud or dishonesty.  Accordingly, we carry directors’ and officers’ insurance to protect against such a risk.

In addition, under Bermuda law, the directors of a Bermuda company owe their duties to that company and not to the shareholders. Bermuda law does not, generally, permit shareholders of a Bermuda company to bring an action for a wrongdoing against the company or its directors, but rather the company itself is generally the proper plaintiff in an action against the directors for a breach of their fiduciary duties. Moreover, class actions and derivative actions are generally not available to shareholders under Bermuda law. These provisions of Bermuda law and our bye-laws, as well as other provisions not discussed here, may differ from the law of jurisdictions with which shareholders may be more familiar and may substantially limit or prohibit a shareholder's ability to bring suit against our directors or in the name of the company. The Bermuda courts, however, would ordinarily be expected to permit a shareholder to commence an action in the name of a company to remedy a wrong to the company where the act complained of is alleged to be beyond the corporate power of the company or illegal, or would result in the violation of the company’s memorandum of association or bye-laws. Furthermore, consideration would be given by a Bermuda court to acts that are alleged to constitute a fraud against minority shareholders or, for instance, where an act requires the approval of a greater percentage of the company’s shareholders than that which actually approved it.

It's also worth noting that under Bermuda law, our directors and officers are required to disclose to our board any material interests they have in any contract entered into by our company or any of its subsidiaries with third parties. Our directors and officers are also required to disclose their material interests in any corporation or other entity which is party to a material contract with our company or any of its subsidiaries. A director who has disclosed his or her interests in accordance with Bermuda law may participate in any meeting of our board, and may vote on the approval of a material contract, notwithstanding that he or she has a material interest.

We, and most of our subsidiaries, are incorporated in jurisdictions outside the U.S. and substantially all of our assets and those of our subsidiaries are located outside the U.S. In addition, most of our directors and officers are non-residents of the U.S., and all or a substantial portion of the assets of these non-residents are located outside the U.S. As a result, it may be difficult or impossible for U.S. investors to serve process within the U.S. upon us, our subsidiaries, or our directors and officers, or to enforce a judgment against us for civil liabilities in U.S. courts. In addition, you should not assume that courts in the countries in which we or our subsidiaries are incorporated or where our or our subsidiaries'’ assets are located would enforce judgments of U.S. courts obtained in actions against us or our subsidiaries based upon the civil liability provisions of applicable U.S. federal and state securities laws, or would enforce, in original actions, liabilities against us or our subsidiaries based on those laws.

Tax Risks

Tax laws, treaties and regulations are highly complex and subject to interpretation. Consequently, we and our subsidiaries are subject to changing laws, treaties and regulations in and between the countries in which we operate. Our tax expense is based on our interpretation of the tax laws in effect at the time the expense was incurred. A change in tax laws, treaties or regulations, or in the interpretation thereof, could result in a materially higher tax expense or a higher effective tax rate on our earnings. Such changes may include measures enacted in response to the ongoing initiatives in relation to fiscal legislation at an international level such as the Action Plan on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting of the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development.

A foreign corporation will be treated as a "passive foreign investment company," or PFIC, for U.S. federal income tax purposes if either (1) at least 75% of its gross income during the taxable year consists of certain types of "passive income" or (2) at least 50% of the average value of the corporation's assets during such taxable year produce or are held for the production of those types of "passive income." For purposes of these tests, "passive income" includes dividends, interest, and gains from the sale or exchange of investment property and rents and royalties other than rents and royalties which are received from unrelated parties in connection with the active conduct of a trade or business. For purposes of these tests, income derived from the performance of services does not constitute "passive income." U.S. shareholders of a PFIC are subject to a disadvantageous U.S. federal income tax regime with respect to the income derived by the PFIC, the distributions they receive from the PFIC and the gain, if any, they derive from the sale or other disposition of their shares in the PFIC.

Based on our current and expected future method of operation, we do not believe that we will be a PFIC with respect to any taxable year. In this regard, we intend to treat the gross income we derive or are deemed to derive from our time chartering activities as services income, rather than rental income. Accordingly, we believe that our income from our time chartering activities does not constitute "passive income," and the assets that we own and operate in connection with the production of that income do not constitute passive assets.

There is, however, no direct legal authority under the PFIC rules addressing our method of operation. We believe there is substantial legal authority supporting our position consisting of case law and United States Internal Revenue Service, or IRS, pronouncements concerning the characterization of income derived from time charters and voyage charters as services income for other tax purposes. However, we note that there is also authority which characterizes time charter income as rental income rather than services income for other tax purposes. Accordingly, no assurance can be given that the IRS or a court of law will accept our position, and there is a risk that the IRS or a court of law could determine that we are a PFIC. Moreover, no assurance can be given that we would not constitute a PFIC for any future taxable year if there were to be changes in the nature and extent of our operations.

If the IRS were to find that we are or have been a PFIC for any taxable year, our U.S. shareholders will face adverse U.S. tax consequences and certain information reporting requirements. Under the PFIC rules, unless those shareholders make a certain election available (which election could itself have adverse consequences for such shareholders), such shareholders would be liable to pay U.S. federal income tax at the then prevailing income tax rates on ordinary income plus interest upon excess distributions and upon any gain from the disposition of our common shares, as if the excess distribution or gain had been

recognized ratably over the shareholder's holding period of our common shares. Please see the section of this annual report entitled "Taxation" under "Item 10. Additional Information-E. Taxation" for a more comprehensive discussion of the U.S. federal income tax consequences if we were to be treated as a PFIC.

Under the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986 as amended, or the Code, 50% of the gross shipping income of a vessel owning or chartering corporation, such as ourselves and our subsidiaries, that is attributable to transportation that begins or ends, but that does not both begin and end, in the United States, may be subject to a 4% U.S. federal income tax without allowance for deduction, unless that corporation qualifies for exemption from tax under Section 883 of the Code and the applicable Treasury Regulations recently promulgated thereunder.

We expect that we and each of our subsidiaries will qualify for this statutory tax exemption and we will take this position for U.S. federal income tax return reporting purposes. However, there are factual circumstances beyond our control that could cause us to lose the benefit of this tax exemption and thereby become subject to U.S. federal income tax on our U.S. source income. Therefore, we can give no assurances that this tax exemption will apply to us or to any of our subsidiaries.

If we or our subsidiaries are not entitled to exemption under Section 883 of the Code for any taxable year, we or our subsidiaries could be subject for those years to an effective 4% U.S. federal income tax on the gross shipping income we or our subsidiaries derive during the year that are attributable to the transport of cargoes to or from the United States. The imposition of this tax would have a negative effect on our business and would result in decreased earnings available for distribution to our shareholders. Please see “Item 10. Additional Information-E. Taxation" for further information.

At the present time, there is no Bermuda income or profits tax, withholding tax, capital gains tax, capital transfer tax, estate duty or inheritance tax payable by us or by our shareholders in respect of our shares. We have obtained an assurance from the Minister of Finance of Bermuda under the Exempted Undertakings Tax Protection Act 1966 that, in the event that any legislation is enacted in Bermuda imposing any tax computed on profits or income, or computed on any capital asset, gain or appreciation or any tax in the nature of estate duty or inheritance tax, such tax shall not, until March 31, 2035, be applicable to us or to any of our operations or to our shares, debentures or other obligations except insofar as such tax applies to persons ordinarily resident in Bermuda or is payable by us in respect of real property owned or leased by us in Bermuda. We cannot assure you that a future Minister would honor that assurance, which is not legally binding, or that after such date we would not be subject to any such tax. If we were to become subject to taxation in Bermuda, our results of operations could be adversely affected.

On December 5, 2017, following an assessment of the tax policies of various countries by the Code of Conduct Group for Business Taxation of the European Union (the “COCG”), the Council of the European Union approved and published Council conclusions containing a list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes (the “Conclusions”). Although at that time not considered “non-cooperative jurisdictions,” certain countries, including Bermuda, were listed as having “tax regimes that facilitate offshore structures which attract profits without real economic activity.” In connection with the Conclusions, and to avoid being placed on the list of “non-cooperative jurisdictions,” the government of Bermuda, among others, committed to addressing COCG proposals relating to economic substance for entities doing business in or through their respective jurisdictions and to pass legislation to implement any appropriate changes by the end of 2018. The Economic Substance Act 2018 and the Economic Substance Regulations 2018 of Bermuda (the “Economic Substance Act” and the “Economic Substance Regulations”, respectively) became operative on December 31, 2018. The Economic Substance Act applies to every registered entity in Bermuda that engages in a relevant activity and requires that every such entity shall maintain a substantial economic presence in Bermuda. A relevant activity for the purposes of the Economic Substance Act is banking business, insurance business, fund management business, financing business, leasing business, headquarters business, shipping business, distribution and service centre business, intellectual property holding business and conducting business as a holding entity, which may include a pure equity holding entity. The Economic Substance Act provides that a registered entity that carries on a relevant activity complies with economic substance requirements if (a) it is directed and managed in Bermuda, (b) its core income-generating activities (as may be prescribed) are undertaken in Bermuda with respect to the relevant activity, (c) it maintains adequate physical presence in Bermuda, (d) it has adequate full time employees in Bermuda with suitable qualifications and (e) it incurs adequate operating expenditure in Bermuda in relation to the relevant activity.

A registered entity that carries on a relevant activity is obliged under the Economic Substance Act to file a declaration in the prescribed form (the “Declaration”) with the Registrar of Companies (the “Registrar”) on an annual basis. The Economic Substance Regulations provide that minimum economic substance requirements shall apply in relation to an entity if the entity is a pure equity holding entity which only holds or manages equity participations, and earns passive income from dividends, distributions, capital gains and other incidental income only. The minimum economic substance requirements include a) compliance with applicable corporate governance requirements set forth in the Bermuda Companies Act 1981 including keeping records of account, books and papers and financial statements and b) submission of an annual economic substance declaration form. Additionally, the Economic Substance Regulations provide that a pure equity holding entity complies with economic substance requirements where it also has adequate employees for holding and managing equity participations, and adequate premises in Bermuda.

Certain of our subsidiaries may from time to time be organized other jurisdictions identified by the COCG based on global standards set by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development with the objective of preventing low-tax jurisdictions from attracting profits from certain activities. These jurisdictions, including the Marshall Islands, have also enacted economic substance laws and regulations which we may be obligated to comply with. If we fail to comply with our obligations under the Economic Substance Act or any similar law applicable to us in any other jurisdiction, we could be subject to financial penalties and spontaneous disclosure of information to foreign tax officials in related jurisdictions and may be struck from the register of companies in Bermuda or such other jurisdiction. Any of these actions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

On March 12, 2019, Bermuda was placed by the EU on its list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes due to an issue with Bermuda's economic substance legislation which was not resolved in time for the EU's deadline. At present, the impact of being included on the list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes is unclear. While Bermuda has now amended its legislation which the Bermuda Government has stated has addressed this issue and expects to be removed from the list of non-cooperative jurisdictions at the EU's Economic and Financial Affairs Council's next meeting which is scheduled for May 2019, there can be no assurance that Bermuda will be removed from such list. If Bermuda is not removed from the list and sanctions or other financial, tax or regulatory measures were applied by European Member States to countries on the list or further economic substance requirements were imposed by Bermuda, our business could be harmed.