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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2023
Accounting Policies [Abstract] |
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Nature of Operations. EQT Corporation is a natural gas production company with operations focused in the Appalachian Basin. Principles of Consolidation. The Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of EQT Corporation and all subsidiaries, ventures and partnerships in which EQT Corporation directly or indirectly holds a controlling interest (collectively, the Company). Intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Management evaluates whether an entity is a variable interest entity and whether the Company is the primary beneficiary of that entity or interest; consolidation is required if both criteria are met. The Company records noncontrolling interest in its Consolidated Financial Statements for any non-wholly-owned consolidated subsidiary. See "Equity Method Investments" and "Investments in Equity Securities" for accounting policies for the Company's investments in entities that it does not consolidate. In 2020, the Company entered into a partnership (the Partnership) with a third-party investor (the Investor) to purchase certain mineral rights in the Appalachian Basin. During 2023, the Partnership's assets were distributed pro rata to the Company and the Investor, and the Partnership was dissolved. Prior to the Partnership's dissolution, the Company consolidated the Partnership as management had determined that the Partnership was a variable interest entity, and the Company was the primary beneficiary of the Partnership. Certain of the Company's midstream gathering systems are not wholly owned but are operated by the Company pursuant to a construction, ownership and operation agreement. The Company records the pro rata share of revenues, expenses, assets and liabilities that it is entitled under such agreement in the Company's financial statements. Segments. The Company's operations consist of one reportable segment. The Company has a single, company-wide management team that administers all properties as a whole rather than by discrete operating segments. The Company measures financial performance as a single enterprise and not on an area-by-area basis. Substantially all of the Company's operating revenues, income from operations and assets are generated and located in the United States. Reclassification. Certain previously reported amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation. Use of Estimates. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with United States generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported herein. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Cash and Cash Equivalents. The Company considers all highly-liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents and accounts for such investments at cost. Interest earned on cash equivalents is included as a reduction of interest expense, net. Accounts Receivable. The Company's accounts receivable relates primarily to the sales of natural gas, natural gas liquids (NGLs) and oil and amounts due from joint interest partners. See Note 2 for a discussion of amounts due from contracts with customers. Derivative Instruments. See Note 3 for a discussion of the Company's derivative instruments and Note 4 for a description of the fair value hierarchy and a discussion of the Company's fair value measurements. Property, Plant and Equipment. The following table summarizes the Company's property, plant and equipment.
| December 31,
| 2023 |  | 2022
| (Thousands)
Oil and gas producing properties | $ | 32,510,595 |  |  | $ | 26,890,562 |
Less: Accumulated depreciation and depletion | 10,734,099 |  |  | 9,119,553 |
Net oil and gas producing properties | 21,776,496 |  |  | 17,771,009 |
Other properties, at cost less accumulated depreciation | 1,173,674 |  |  | 396,324 |
Net property, plant and equipment | $ | 22,950,170 |  |  | $ | 18,167,333 |
The Company uses the successful efforts method of accounting for gas, NGLs and oil producing activities. Under this method, the cost of productive wells and related equipment, development dry holes and productive acreage, including productive mineral interests, are capitalized and depleted using the unit-of-production method. These costs include salaries, benefits and other internal costs directly attributable to production activities. The Company capitalized internal costs of approximately $60 million, $51 million and $58 million in 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The Company also capitalized interest expense related to well development of approximately $41 million, $28 million and $18 million in 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Depletion expense is calculated based on actual produced sales volume multiplied by the applicable depletion rate per unit. Depletion rates for leases and wells are each calculated by dividing net capitalized costs by the number of units expected to be produced over the life of the reserves separately. Costs for exploratory dry holes, exploratory geological and geophysical activities and delay rentals as well as other property carrying costs are charged to exploration expense. The Company's producing oil and gas properties had an overall average depletion rate of $0.84, $0.85 and $0.89 per Mcfe for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively. There were no exploratory wells drilled during 2023, 2022 and 2021, and there were no capitalized exploratory well costs for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021. Impairment of Proved Oil and Gas Properties. The carrying values of the Company's proved oil and gas properties are reviewed for impairment when events or circumstances indicate that the remaining carrying value may not be recoverable. To determine whether impairment of the Company's oil and gas properties has occurred, the Company compares the estimated expected undiscounted future cash flows to the carrying values of those properties. Estimated future cash flows are based on proved and, if determined reasonable by management, risk-adjusted probable reserves and assumptions generally consistent with the assumptions used by the Company for internal planning and budgeting purposes, including, among other things, the intended use of the asset, anticipated production from reserves, future market prices for natural gas, NGLs and oil adjusted for basis differentials, future operating costs and inflation. Proved oil and gas properties that have carrying amounts in excess of estimated future undiscounted cash flows are written down to fair value, which is estimated by discounting the estimated future cash flows using discount rates and other assumptions that marketplace participants would use in their fair value estimates. There were no indicators of impairment to the Company's material asset groups identified during 2023, 2022 and 2021. Impairment and Expiration of Leases. Capitalized costs of unproved oil and gas properties are evaluated for recoverability on a prospective basis at least annually. Indicators of potential impairment include changes due to economic factors, potential shifts in business strategy and historical experience. The likelihood of an impairment of unproved oil and gas properties increases as the expiration of a lease term approaches and drilling activity has not commenced. The Company recognizes impairment if the Company does not have the intent to drill on the leased property prior to expiration of the lease or does not have the intent and ability to extend, renew, trade or sell the lease prior to expiration. For the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, the Company recorded $109.4 million, $176.6 million and $311.8 million, respectively, for impairment and expiration of leases. The Company's unproved properties had a net book value of approximately $2,039 million and $1,748 million as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Equity Method Investments. The Company applies the equity method of accounting to its investments in entities that the Company does not have the power to direct the activities that most significantly affect those entities' economic performance but does have the ability to exercise significant influence over. The Company evaluates its equity method investments for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the investment's fair value is less than its carrying value. The recognition of an impairment loss is required if the impairment is considered other than temporary. As of December 31, 2023, the Company held a 31% ownership interest in Laurel Mountain Midstream, LLC (LMM), which owns gathering assets that are operated by The Williams Companies, Inc., and an approximate 15.43% ownership interest in WATT Fuel Cell Corporation (WATT), a developer and manufacturer of solid oxide fuel cell stacks and systems that operate on common, readily available fuels such as propane and natural gas. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the carrying value of the Company's equity method investments was $56.6 million and $66.4 million, respectively, and was presented in other assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company's pro-rata share of income/loss from the Company's equity method investments is recorded in (income) loss from investments in the Statements of Consolidated Operations. Investments in Equity Securities. As of December 31, 2023, the Company held an investment in a fund (the Investment Fund) that invests in companies that develop technology and operating solutions for exploration and production companies. The Company does not have the ability to exercise significant influence over the Investment Fund and, as such, accounts for its interests in the Investment Fund as an investment in equity security. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the fair value of the Company's investment in the Investment Fund was $36.1 million and $31.2 million, respectively, and was presented in other assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company computes the fair value of the Company's investment in the Investment Fund using, as a practical expedient, the net asset value provided in the financial statements received from fund managers. Changes in the fair value of the Company's investment in the Investment Fund are recorded in (income) loss from investments in the Statements of Consolidated Operations. Dividends received on the Company's investment in the Investment Fund are recorded in dividend and other income in the Statements of Consolidated Operations. During 2022, the Company sold all of its then-owned shares of common stock of Equitrans Midstream Corporation (Equitrans Midstream). Prior to the Company's sale of Equitrans Midstream's common stock, the Company accounted for its investment in Equitrans Midstream as an investment in equity security. Changes in the fair value of the Company's investment in Equitrans Midstream were recorded in (income) loss from investments in the Statements of Consolidated Operations. Dividends received on the Company's investment in Equitrans Midstream were recorded in dividend and other income in the Statements of Consolidated Operations. Contract Asset. See Note 5 for discussion of the Company's contract asset and impairment thereof. Other Current Liabilities. The following table summarizes the Company's other current liabilities.
| December 31,
| 2023 |  | 2022
| (Thousands)
Accrued interest payable | $ | 80,520 |  |  | $ | 88,484 |
Accrued taxes other than income | 62,391 |  |  | 84,755 |
Current portion of lease liabilities | 46,380 |  |  | 35,449 |
Current portion of long-term capacity contracts | 43,233 |  |  | 39,589 |
Accrued incentive compensation | 24,542 |  |  | 50,894 |
Other accrued liabilities | 28,457 |  |  | 42,320 |
Total other current liabilities | $ | 285,523 |  |  | $ | 341,491 |
Unamortized Debt Discount and Issuance Expense. Discounts and expenses incurred with the issuance of debt are amortized over the life of the debt. These amounts are presented as a reduction of debt in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. See Note 8. Income Taxes. The Company files a consolidated U.S. federal income tax return and uses the asset and liability method to account for income taxes. The provision for income taxes represents amounts paid or estimated to be payable net of amounts refunded or estimated to be refunded for the current year and the change in deferred taxes exclusive of amounts recorded in other comprehensive loss. Any refinements to prior year taxes made in the current year due to new information are reflected as adjustments in the current period. Separate income taxes are calculated for items charged or credited directly to shareholders' equity. Deferred tax assets and liabilities arise from temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of the Company's assets and liabilities and are recognized using enacted tax rates for the effect of such temporary differences. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance if it is more likely than not that a portion or all of the deferred tax asset will not be realized. When evaluating whether or not a valuation allowance should be established, the Company exercises judgment on whether it is more likely than not (a likelihood of more than 50%) that a portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. To determine whether a valuation allowance is needed, the Company considers all available evidence, both positive and negative, including carrybacks, tax planning strategies, reversals of deferred tax assets and liabilities and forecasted future taxable income. In accounting for uncertainty of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return, the Company uses a recognition threshold and measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement. The recognition threshold requires the Company to determine whether it is more likely than not that a tax position will be sustained upon examination, including resolution of any related appeals or litigation processes, based on the technical merits of the position. If it is more likely than not that a tax position will be sustained, the Company measures and recognizes the tax position at the largest amount of benefit that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. To determine the amount of financial statement benefit recorded for uncertain tax positions, the Company considers the amounts and probabilities of outcomes that could be realized upon ultimate settlement of an uncertain tax position using facts, circumstances and information available at the reporting date. The Company recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits in income tax expense. See Note 7. Insurance. The Company maintains insurance to cover traditional insurable risks such as general liability, workers compensation, auto liability, environmental liability, property damage, business interruption, fiduciary liability, director and officers' liability and other risks. These policies may be subject to deductible or retention amounts, coverage limitations and exclusions. The Company was previously self-insured for certain material losses related to general liability, workers compensation and environmental liability; however, the Company now maintains insurance for such losses arising on or after November 12, 2020. Reserves are estimated based on analyses of historical data and actuarial estimates, where applicable, and are not discounted. The recorded reserves represent estimates of the ultimate cost of claims incurred as of the balance sheet date. The liabilities are reviewed by the Company quarterly and by independent actuaries, where applicable, annually to ensure appropriateness. Asset Retirement Obligations. The Company accrues a liability for asset retirement obligations based on an estimate of the amount and timing of settlement. For oil and gas wells, the fair value of the Company's plugging and abandonment obligations is recorded at the time the obligation is incurred, which is typically at the time the well is spud. Upon initial recognition of an asset retirement obligation, the Company increases the carrying amount of the long-lived asset by the same amount as the liability. Over time, the liabilities are accreted for the change in their present value through charges to depreciation and depletion expense. The initial capitalized costs are depleted over the useful lives of the related assets. The Company's asset retirement obligations related to the abandonment of oil and gas producing facilities include reclaiming well pads, reclaiming water impoundments, plugging wells and dismantling related structures. Estimates are based on historical experience of plugging and abandoning wells and reclaiming or disposing other assets and estimated remaining lives of the wells and assets. The Company is under no legal or contractual obligation to restore or dismantle its midstream assets upon abandonment. In addition, the Company is responsible for the operation and maintenance of its midstream assets and intends to continue such operation and maintenance so long as supply and demand for natural gas exists. As the Company expects supply and demand for natural gas to exist into the foreseeable future, the Company has not recorded asset retirement obligations for its midstream assets. The following table presents a reconciliation of the beginning and ending carrying amounts of the Company's asset retirement obligations included in other liabilities and credits in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
| December 31,
| 2023 |  | 2022
| (Thousands)
Balance at January 1 | $ | 732,803 |  |  | $ | 661,334 |
Accretion expense | 47,700 |  |  | 36,613 |
Liabilities incurred | 10,515 |  |  | 34,363 |
Liabilities settled | (33,938) |  |  | (19,055) |
Liabilities assumed in acquisitions | 64,424 |  |  | — |
Liabilities removed in divestitures | (6,480) |  |  | (697) |
Change in estimates (a) | 96,033 |  |  | 20,245 |
Balance at December 31 | $ | 911,057 |  |  | $ | 732,803 |
(a)During 2023, the Company recorded changes in estimates attributable primarily to inflation on estimated plugging costs. The Company does not have any assets that are legally restricted for purposes of settling these obligations. The Company operates in several states that have implemented expanded requirements resulting in the Company's use of additional materials during the plugging process, which has increased the estimated cost for plugging horizontal and conventional wells. Revenue Recognition. For information on revenue recognition from contracts with customers and gains and losses on derivative commodity instruments see Notes 2 and 3, respectively. Transportation and Processing. Costs incurred to gather, process and transport gas produced by the Company to market sales points are recorded as transportation and processing costs in the Statements of Consolidated Operations. The Company markets some transportation for resale. These costs, which are not incurred to transport gas produced by the Company, are reflected as a deduction from net marketing services and other revenues. Share-based Compensation. See Note 10 for a discussion of the Company's share-based compensation plans. Provision for Doubtful Accounts. Reserves for uncollectible accounts are recorded in selling, general and administrative expense in the Statements of Consolidated Operations. Judgment is required to assess the ultimate realization of the Company's accounts receivable. Reserves are based on historical experience, current and expected economic trends and specific information about customer accounts, such as the customer's creditworthiness. Other Operating Expenses. The following table summarizes the Company's other operating expenses.
| Years Ended December 31,
| 2023 |  | 2022 |  | 2021
| (Thousands)
Transactions | $ | 56,263 |  |  | $ | 14,185 |  |  | $ | 57,430 |
Energy transition initiatives | 12,244 |  |  | 11,985 |  |  | — |
Changes in legal and environmental reserves, including settlements | 9,342 |  |  | 30,394 |  |  | 5,175 |
Other | 6,194 |  |  | 767 |  |  | 7,458 |
Total other operating expenses | $ | 84,043 |  |  | $ | 57,331 |  |  | $ | 70,063 |
Defined Contribution Plan and Other Postretirement Benefits Plan. The Company recognized expense related to its defined contribution plan of $9.0 million, $7.8 million and $7.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively. In addition, the Company sponsors an other postretirement benefits plan. Income Per Share. Basic income per share is computed by dividing net income (loss) attributable to EQT Corporation by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted income per share is computed by dividing the sum of net income (loss) attributable to EQT Corporation plus the applicable numerator adjustments by the weighted average number of common shares and potentially dilutive securities, net of shares assumed to be repurchased using the treasury stock method. Potentially dilutive securities arise from the assumed conversion of outstanding stock options and other share-based awards as well as, prior to the Redemption (defined in Note 8), the Convertible Notes (defined in Note 8). Purchases of treasury shares are calculated using the average share price of EQT Corporation common stock during the period. Prior to the Redemption, the Company used the if-converted method to calculate the impact of the Convertible Notes on diluted income per share. The table below provides the computation for basic and diluted income per share.
| Years Ended December 31,
| 2023 |  | 2022 |  | 2021
| (Thousands, except per share amounts)
Net income (loss) attributable to EQT Corporation – Basic income (loss) available to shareholders | $ | 1,735,232 |  |  | $ | 1,770,965 |  |  | $ | (1,142,747) |
Add back: Interest expense on Convertible Notes, net of tax (a) | 7,551 |  |  | 8,019 |  |  | — |
Diluted income (loss) available to shareholders | $ | 1,742,783 |  |  | $ | 1,778,984 |  |  | $ | (1,142,747) |
Weighted average common stock outstanding – Basic | 380,902 |  |  | 370,048 |  |  | 323,196 |
Options, restricted stock, performance awards and stock appreciation rights (a) | 5,232 |  |  | 5,731 |  |  | — |
Convertible Notes (a) | 27,090 |  |  | 30,716 |  |  | — |
Weighted average common stock outstanding – Diluted | 413,224 |  |  | 406,495 |  |  | 323,196 |
Income (loss) per share of common stock attributable to EQT Corporation: |  |  |  |  |
Basic | $ | 4.56 |  |  | $ | 4.79 |  |  | $ | (3.54) |
Diluted | $ | 4.22 |  |  | $ | 4.38 |  |  | $ | (3.54) |
(a)In periods when the Company reports a net loss, all options, restricted stock, performance awards and stock appreciation rights are excluded from the calculation of diluted weighted average shares outstanding because of their anti-dilutive effect on loss per share. As a result, for the year ended December 31, 2021, all such securities of 8.2 million were excluded from potentially dilutive securities because of their anti-dilutive effect on loss per share. The Company uses the if-converted method to calculate the impact of the Convertible Notes on diluted income (loss) per share. For the year ended December 31, 2021, such if-converted securities of approximately 33.3 million were excluded from potentially dilutive securities because of their anti-dilutive effect on loss per share. Supplemental Cash Flow Information. The following table summarizes net cash paid for interest and income taxes and non-cash activity included in the Statements of Consolidated Cash Flows.
| Years Ended December 31,
| 2023 |  | 2022 |  | 2021
| (Thousands)
Cash paid during the year for: |  |  |  |  |
Interest, net of amount capitalized | $ | 213,141 |  |  | $ | 236,797 |  |  | $ | 280,511 |
Income taxes, net | 13,350 |  |  | 20,773 |  |  | 19,155 |
Non-cash activity during the period for: |  |  |  |  |
Equity issued as consideration for acquisitions (Note 6) | $ | 2,152,631 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 1,925,405 |
Issuance of common stock for Convertible Notes settlement | 122,830 |  |  | 63 |  |  | — |
Increase in asset retirement costs and obligations | 106,548 |  |  | 54,608 |  |  | 15,961 |
Increase in right-of-use assets and lease liabilities, net | 45,774 |  |  | 23,356 |  |  | 20,834 |
Dissolution of consolidated variable interest entity | 25,227 |  |  | — |  |  | — |
Capitalization of non-cash equity share-based compensation | 6,287 |  |  | 5,406 |  |  | 4,994 |
Recently Issued Accounting Standards In November 2023, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures to improve reportable segment disclosure requirements, primarily through the requirement of enhanced disclosure of significant segment expenses. In addition, this ASU enhances interim disclosure requirements, clarifies circumstances in which an entity can disclose multiple segment measures of profit or loss and provides new segment disclosure requirements for entities with a single reportable segment. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023 and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024, and early adoption is permitted. The Company does not expect adoption of ASU 2023-07 to have a material impact on its financial statements and related disclosures. In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, Income Taxes: Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures to improve its income tax disclosure requirements. Under this ASU, public business entities must annually (1) disclose specific categories in the rate reconciliation and (2) provide additional information for reconciling items that meet a quantitative threshold. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024, and early adoption is permitted. The Company does not expect adoption of ASU 2023-09 to have a material impact on its financial statements and related disclosures. Subsequent Events. The Company has evaluated subsequent events through the date of the financial statement issuance.

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