| Exploratory Well Costs [Text Block] |
15. Exploratory Well Costs
EOG's net changes in capitalized exploratory well costs for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010 are presented below (in thousands):
| | 2012 | | 2011 | | 2010 | | | | | | | | Balance at January 1 | $ | 61,111 | $ | 99,801 | $ | 118,459 | | Additions Pending the Determination of Proved Reserves | | 73,332 | | 31,271 | | 94,090 | | Reclassifications to Proved Properties | | (69,462) | | (29,227) | | (93,333) | | Costs Charged to Expense (1) | | (17,115) | | (42,178) | | (20,267) | | Foreign Currency Translations | | 1,250 | | 1,444 | | 852 | Balance at December 31 | $ | 49,116 | $ | 61,111 | $ | 99,801 |
(1) Includes capitalized exploratory well costs charged to either dry hole costs or impairments.
The following table provides an aging of capitalized exploratory well costs at December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010 (in thousands, except well count):
| | 2012 | | | 2011 | | | 2010 | | | | | | | | | | | | Capitalized exploratory well costs that have been capitalized for a period less than one year | $ | 28,319 | | $ | 17,009 | | $ | 43,408 | | Capitalized exploratory well costs that have been capitalized for a period greater than one year | | 20,797 | (1) | | 44,102 | (2) | | 56,393 | (3) | | Total | $ | 49,116 | | $ | 61,111 | | $ | 99,801 | | Number of exploratory wells that have been capitalized for a period greater than one year | | 1 | | | 4 | | | 4 | |
| (1) | Consists of costs related to an outside operated, offshore Central North Sea natural gas project in the United Kingdom (U.K.). In the Central North Sea Columbus project, a revised field development plan was submitted to the U.K. Department of Energy and Climate Change during the third quarter of 2012. The project participants are currently negotiating commercial agreements. |
| (2) | Consists of costs related to an outside operated, offshore Central North Sea project in the United Kingdom (U.K.) ($20 million), an East Irish Sea project in the U.K. ($9 million), a project in the Sichuan Basin, Sichuan Province, China ($9 million), and a shale project in British Columbia, Canada (B.C.) ($6 million). |
| (3) | Consists of costs related to an outside operated, offshore Central North Sea project in the U.K. ($21 million), an East Irish Sea project in the U.K. ($9 million), a project in the Sichuan Basin, Sichuan Province, China ($20 million), and a shale project in B.C. ($6 million). |
|