COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2019

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

NOTE 16 COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Purchase Commitments

Equipment, parts and supplies are ordered in advance to promote efficient construction and capital improvement progress. At September 30, 2019, we had purchase commitments for equipment, parts and supplies of approximately $13.7 million.

Guarantee Arrangements

In the normal course of our business, we enter into agreements with financial institutions to provide letters of credit and surety bonds in connection with certain commitments entered into by us. We are contingently liable to these financial institutions in respect of such letters of credit and bonds and have agreed to indemnify the financial institutions for any payments made by them in respect of such letters of credit and bonds. None of these off-balance sheet arrangements either has, or is likely to have, a material effect on our consolidated financial statements.

Lease Obligations

At September 30, 2019, we were leasing our corporate office headquarters near downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma. We also lease other office space and equipment for use in operations.

Future minimum rental payments required under operating leases having initial or remaining non-cancelable lease terms in excess of a year at September 30, 2019 (in thousands) are as follows:



Fiscal Year	Amount
2020	$	27,396
2021	13,969
2022	11,343
2023	10,556
2024	10,124
Thereafter	12,373
Total	$	85,761

Total rent expense was $15.5 million, $13.7 million and $14.0 million for fiscal years 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. The future minimum lease payments for our Tulsa corporate office is a material portion of the amounts shown in the table above. This lease agreement commenced on May 30, 2003 and has subsequently been amended, most recently on March 12, 2018. The agreement will expire on January 31, 2025; however, we have two three-year renewal options.

Contingencies

We are party to legal proceedings and regulatory actions from time to time, including a number of cases which are currently pending. We maintain insurance against certain business risks subject to certain deductibles. With the exception of the matters discussed below, none of these legal actions are expected to have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, cash flows or results of operations.

During the ordinary course of our business, contingencies arise resulting from an existing condition, situation or set of circumstances involving an uncertainty as to the realization of a possible gain or loss contingency. We account for gain contingencies in accordance with the provisions of ASC 450, Contingencies, and, therefore, we do not record gain contingencies or recognize income until realized. The property and equipment of our Venezuelan subsidiary was seized by the Venezuelan government on June 30, 2010. HPIDC, our wholly-owned subsidiary and the parent company of our Venezuelan subsidiary, has a lawsuit pending in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. and PDVSA Petroleo, S.A., seeking damages for the taking of their Venezuelan drilling business in violation of international law. While there exists the possibility of realizing a recovery, we are currently unable to determine the timing or amounts we may receive, if any, or the likelihood of recovery. No contingent gains were recognized in our Consolidated Financial Statements during the fiscal years ended September 30, 2019, 2018 and 2017.

In January 2018, an employee of HPIDC suffered personal injury and subsequently brought a lawsuit against the operator and H&P. Pursuant to the terms of the drilling contract between HPIDC and the operator, HPIDC indemnified the operator in the lawsuit, subject to certain limitations. H&P has settled this matter on behalf of itself and the operator with $21.0 million of the settlement amount to be paid by the Company. The settlement was paid out during the year ended September 30, 2019. While we believe we had meritorious defenses to the matter, we determined that settlement was a reasonable alternative to the uncertainty and expense associated with a jury trial.

In October 2017, an employee of HPIDC suffered personal injury and subsequently brought a lawsuit against the operator. Pursuant to the terms of the drilling contract between HPIDC and the operator, HPIDC indemnified the operator in the lawsuit, subject to certain limitations. Settlement discussions related to this lawsuit remain ongoing. As of September 30, 2019, we have accrued $9.5 million for this lawsuit. Although no assurance can be given, we believe, based on our experiences to date and taking into account established reserves and insurance, that the ultimate resolution of such items will not have a material adverse impact on our financial condition, cash flows, or results of operations.