Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.

We are exposed to market risks from adverse changes in commodity prices, foreign exchange rates, interest rates, and production costs. We monitor and manage these exposures as part of our overall risk management program. Our risk management program focuses on the unpredictability of financial markets and seeks to reduce the potentially adverse effects that volatility in these markets may have on our operating results. We maintain risk management policies that principally use derivative financial instruments to reduce significant, unanticipated fluctuations in earnings and cash flows that may arise from variations in commodity prices, foreign currency exchange rates, and interest rates. See Note 1, Background and Basis of Presentation, and Note 11, Financial Instruments, to the consolidated financial statements for details of our market risk management policies and the financial instruments used to hedge those exposures.

By policy, we do not engage in speculative or leveraged transactions, nor do we hold or issue financial instruments for trading purposes.

Effect of Hypothetical 10% Fluctuation in Market Prices:

The potential gain or loss on the fair value of our outstanding commodity contracts, foreign exchange contracts, cross-currency, and swap contracts, assuming a hypothetical 10% fluctuation in commodity prices, currency rates, and swap rates, would be (in millions):

It should be noted that any change in the fair value of the contracts, real or hypothetical, would be significantly offset by an inverse change in the value of the underlying hedged items. In relation to foreign currency contracts, this hypothetical calculation assumes that each exchange rate would change in the same direction relative to the U.S. dollar. Our utilization of financial instruments in managing market risk exposures described above is consistent with the prior year. Changes in our portfolio of financial instruments are a function of our results of operations, debt repayment and debt issuances, market effects on debt and foreign currency, and our acquisition and divestiture activities.