CJ 2017 Annual Report

business interruption and damage to, or destruction of property, equipment and the environment. For example, transportation of heavy equipment creates the potential for our trucks to become involved in roadway accidents, which in turn could result in personal injury or property damages lawsuits being filed against us. In addition, our hydraulic fracturing and well completion services could become a source of spills or releases of fluids, including chemicals used during hydraulic fracturing activities, at the site where such services are performed, or could result in the discharge of such fluids into underground formations that were not targeted for fracturing or well completion activities, such as potable aquifers. These risks could expose us to substantial liability for personal injury, wrongful death, property damage, loss of oil and natural gas production, pollution and other environmental damages and could result in a variety of claims, losses and remedial obligations that could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations. The existence, frequency and severity of such incidents will affect operating costs, insurability and relationships with customers, employees and regulators. In particular, our customers may elect not to purchase our services if they view our safety record as unacceptable, which could cause us to lose customers and substantial revenue. Our operational personnel have experienced accidents which have, in some instances, resulted in serious injuries. Our safety procedures may not always prevent such damages. Our insurance coverage may be inadequate to cover our liabilities. In addition, we may not be able to maintain adequate insurance in the future at rates we consider reasonable and commercially justifiable or on terms as favorable as our current arrangements. The occurrence of a significant uninsured claim, a claim in excess of the insurance coverage limits maintained by us or a claim at a time when we are not able to obtain liability insurance could have a material adverse effect on our ability to conduct normal business operations and on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Unsatisfactory safety performance may negatively affect our customer relationships and, to the extent we fail to retain existing customers or attract new customers, adversely impact our revenues. Our ability to retain existing customers and attract new business is dependent on many factors, including our ability to demonstrate that we can reliably and safely operate our business in a manner that is consistent with applicable laws, rules and permits, which legal requirements are subject to change. Existing and potential customers consider the safety record of their third-party service providers to be of high importance in their decision to engage such providers. If one or more accidents were to occur at one of our operating sites, the affected customer may seek to terminate or cancel its use of our facilities or services and may be less likely to continue to use our services, which could cause us to lose substantial revenues. Furthermore, our ability to attract new customers may be impaired if they elect not to engage us because they view our safety record as unacceptable. In addition, it is possible that we will experience multiple or particularly severe accidents in the future, causing our safety record to deteriorate. This may be more likely as we continue to grow, if we experience high employee turnover or labor shortage, or hire inexperienced personnel to bolster our staffing needs. We may be unable to employ a sufficient number of key employees, technical personnel and other skilled and qualified workers. The delivery of our services and products requires personnel with specialized skills and experience who can perform physically demanding work. As a result of the volatility in the energy service industry and the demanding nature of the work, workers may choose to pursue employment in fields that offer a different work environment. Our ability to be productive and profitable will depend upon our ability to employ and retain skilled workers. In addition, our ability to expand our operations depends in part on our ability to increase the size of our skilled labor force. At times, demand for skilled workers in our geographic area of operations is high, and the supply is limited. A significant increase in the wages paid by competing employers could result in a reduction of our skilled labor force, increases in the wage rates that we pay, or both. If either of these events were to occur, our capacity and profitability could be diminished, and our growth potential could be impaired. We depend heavily on the efforts of our executive officers, managers and other key employees to manage our operations. The unexpected loss or unavailability of key members of management or technical personnel may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, prospects or results of operations. Weather conditions could materially impair our business. Our operations may be adversely affected by severe weather events and natural disasters. Furthermore, our customers’ operations may be adversely affected by seasonal weather conditions. For example, prolonged periods of drought, hurricanes, tropical storms, heavy snow, ice or rain may result in customer delays and other disruptions to our services. Repercussions of severe weather conditions may include: • curtailment of services; 24