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Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

INCOME TAXES

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INCOME TAXES
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2013
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract] Ìý
Income Taxes
NOTE 14 - INCOME TAXES
Our 2013 estimated annual effective tax rate before discrete items is approximately 5.0 percent. This estimated annual effective tax rate differs from the U.S. statutory rate of 35 percent primarily due to deductions for percentage depletion in excess of cost depletion related to U.S. operations, income not subject to tax and foreign taxes and benefits derived from operations outside the United States, which are taxed at rates lower than the U.S. statutory rate of 35 percent. There were discrete items booked in the first half of 2013 of approximately $13.7 million. These adjustments relate primarily to deferred tax balances, which include the amendments of prior year income tax returns and the reversal of a previously recorded valuation allowance for which it was determined the benefit of the associated deferred tax asset is realizable.