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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2013
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies  
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation and Nature of Operations

        Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation and its subsidiaries (the Company) are engaged in the development, exploitation, exploration, production and marketing of natural gas, crude oil and, to a lesser extent, NGLs exclusively within the continental United States. The Company also transports, stores, gathers and purchases natural gas for resale. The Company's exploration and development activities are concentrated in areas with known hydrocarbon resources, which are conducive to multi-well, repeatable drilling programs.

        The Company operates in one segment, natural gas and crude oil development, exploitation and exploration. The Company's oil and gas properties are managed as a whole rather than through discrete operating segments or business units. Operational information is tracked by geographic area; however, financial performance is assessed as a single enterprise and not on a geographic basis. Allocation of resources is made on a project basis across the Company's entire portfolio without regard to geographic areas.

        The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries after eliminating all significant intercompany balances and transactions. Certain reclassifications have been made to prior year statements to conform with current year presentation. These reclassifications have no impact on previously reported net income.

        On July 23, 2013, the Board of Directors declared a 2-for-1 split of the Company's common stock in the form of a stock dividend. The stock dividend was distributed on August 14, 2013 to shareholders of record as of August 6, 2013. All common stock accounts and per share data have been retroactively adjusted to give effect to the 2-for-1 split of the Company's common stock.

Significant Acccounting Policies

Cash and Cash Equivalents

        The Company considers all highly liquid short-term investments with a maturity of three months or less and deposits in money market funds that are readily convertible to cash to be cash equivalents. Cash and cash equivalents were primarily concentrated in two financial institutions at December 31, 2013 and in one financial institution at December 31, 2012. The Company periodically assesses the financial condition of its financial institutions and considers any possible credit risk to be minimal.

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

        The Company records an allowance for doubtful accounts for receivables that the Company determines to be uncollectible based on the specific identification method.

Inventories

        Inventories are comprised of natural gas in storage, tubular goods and well equipment and pipeline imbalances. Natural gas in storage, tubular goods and well equipment balances are carried at the lower of average cost or market.

        Natural gas gathering and pipeline operations normally include imbalance arrangements with the pipeline. The volumes of natural gas due to or from the Company under imbalance arrangements are recorded at actual selling or purchase prices, as the case may be, and are adjusted monthly to market prices.

Equity Method Investment

        The Company accounts for its investment in entities over which the Company has significant influence, but not control, using the equity method of accounting. Under the equity method of accounting, the Company records its proportionate share of net earnings, declared dividends and partnership distributions based on the most recently available financial statements of the investee. The Company also evaluates its equity method investments for potential impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that there is an other-than-temporary decline in the value of the investment.

Properties and Equipment

        The Company uses the successful efforts method of accounting for oil and gas producing activities. Under this method, acquisition costs for proved and unproved properties are capitalized when incurred. Exploration costs, including geological and geophysical costs, the costs of carrying and retaining unproved properties and exploratory dry hole drilling costs, are expensed. Development costs, including the costs to drill and equip development wells and successful exploratory drilling costs to locate proved reserves are capitalized.

        Exploratory drilling costs are capitalized when incurred pending the determination of whether a well has found proved reserves. The determination is based on a process which relies on interpretations of available geologic, geophysical, and engineering data. If a well is determined to be successful, the capitalized drilling costs will be reclassified as part of the cost of the well. If a well is determined to be unsuccessful, the capitalized drilling costs will be charged to exploration expense in the period the determination is made. If an exploratory well requires a major capital expenditure before production can begin, the cost of drilling the exploratory well will continue to be carried as an asset pending determination of whether reserves have been found only as long as: (i) the well has found a sufficient quantity of reserves to justify its completion as a producing well if the required capital expenditure is made and (ii) drilling of an additional exploratory well is under way or firmly planned for the near future. If drilling in the area is not under way or firmly planned, or if the well has not found a commercially producible quantity of reserves, the exploratory well is assumed to be impaired and its costs are charged to exploration expense.

        Development costs of proved oil and gas properties, including estimated dismantlement, restoration and abandonment costs and acquisition costs, are depreciated and depleted on a field basis by the units-of-production method using proved developed and proved reserves, respectively. Properties related to gathering and pipeline systems and equipment are depreciated using the straight-line method based on estimated useful lives ranging from 10 to 25 years. Generally pipeline and transmission systems are depreciated over 12 to 25 years, gathering and compression equipment is depreciated over 10 years and storage equipment and facilities are depreciated over 10 to 16 years. Buildings are depreciated on a straight-line basis over 25 to 40 years. Certain other assets are depreciated on a straight-line basis over 3 to 10 years.

        Costs of retired, sold or abandoned properties that make up a part of an amortization base (partial field) are charged to accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization if the units-of-production rate is not significantly affected. Accordingly, a gain or loss, if any, is recognized only when a group of proved properties (entire field) that make up the amortization base has been retired, abandoned or sold.

        The Company evaluates its proved oil and gas properties for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate an asset's carrying amount may not be recoverable. The Company compares expected undiscounted future cash flows to the net book value of the asset. If the future undiscounted expected cash flows, based on estimates of future natural gas and crude oil prices, operating costs and anticipated production from proved reserves and risk-adjusted probable and possible reserves, are lower than the net book value of the asset, the capitalized cost is reduced to fair value. Commodity pricing is estimated by using a combination of assumptions management uses in its budgeting and forecasting process as well as historical and current prices adjusted for geographical location and quality differentials, as well as other factors that management believes will impact realizable prices. Fair value is calculated by discounting the future cash flows. The discount factor used is based on rates utilized by market participants that are commensurate with the risks inherent in the development and production of the underlying natural gas and crude oil.

        Unproved oil and gas properties are assessed periodically for impairment on an aggregate basis through periodic updates to the Company's undeveloped acreage amortization based on past drilling and exploration experience, the Company's expectation of converting leases to held by production and average property lives. Average property lives are determined on a geographical basis and based on the estimated life of unproved property leasehold rights. During 2013, 2012 and 2011, amortization associated with the Company's unproved properties was $53.6 million, $18.1 million and $32.5 million, respectively, and is included in depreciation, depletion, and amortization in the Consolidated Statement of Operations.

Asset Retirement Obligations

        The Company records the fair value of a liability for an asset retirement obligation in the period in which it is incurred if a reasonable estimate of fair value can be made. The associated asset retirement cost is capitalized as part of the carrying amount of the long-lived asset. The asset retirement costs are depreciated using the units-of-production method over the asset's useful life. The majority of the asset retirement obligations recorded by the Company relate to the plugging and abandonment of oil and gas wells. However, liabilities are also recorded for meter stations, pipelines, processing plants and compressors. At December 31, 2013, there were no assets legally restricted for purposes of settling asset retirement obligations.

        Additional retirement obligations increase the liability associated with new oil and gas wells and other facilities as these obligations are incurred. Accretion expense is included in depreciation, depletion and amortization expense in the Consolidated Statement of Operations.

Derivative and Hedging Activities

        The Company enters into derivative contracts, such as swaps or collars, as a hedging strategy to manage commodity price risk associated with its production or other contractual commitments. All hedge transactions are subject to the Company's risk management policy which does not permit speculative trading activities. Gains or losses on these hedging activities are generally recognized over the period that its production or other underlying commitment is hedged as an offset to the specific hedged item. Cash flows related to any recognized gains or losses associated with these hedges are reported as cash flows from operations. If a hedge is terminated prior to expected maturity, gains or losses are deferred and included in income in the same period that the underlying production or other contractual commitment is delivered. Unrealized gains or losses associated with any derivative contract not considered a hedge are recognized currently in the results of operations.

        When the designated item associated with a derivative instrument matures or is sold, extinguished or terminated, derivative gains or losses are recognized as part of the gain or loss on the sale or settlement of the underlying item. When a derivative instrument is associated with an anticipated transaction that is no longer expected to occur or if the hedge is no longer effective, the gain or loss on the derivative is recognized currently in the results of operations to the extent the market value changes in the derivative have not been offset by the effects of the price changes on the hedged item since the inception of the hedge.

Revenue Recognition

        Natural gas and crude oil sales result from interests in oil and gas properties owned by the Company. Sales of natural gas and crude oil are recognized when the product is delivered and title transfers to the purchaser. Payment is generally received one to three months after the sale has occurred.

        Producer Gas Imbalances.    The Company applies the sales method of accounting for natural gas revenue. Under this method, revenues are recognized based on the actual volume of natural gas sold to purchasers. Natural gas production operations may include joint owners who take more or less than the production volumes entitled to them on certain properties. Production volume is monitored to minimize these natural gas imbalances. A natural gas imbalance liability is recorded if the Company's excess takes of natural gas exceed its estimated remaining proved developed reserves for these properties at the actual price realized upon the gas sale.

        Brokered Natural Gas.    Revenues and expenses related to brokering natural gas are reported gross as part of operating revenues and operating expenses in accordance with applicable accounting standards. The Company buys and sells natural gas utilizing separate purchase and sale transactions, typically with separate counterparties, whereby the Company and/or the counterparty takes title to the natural gas purchased or sold.

Income Taxes

        The Company follows the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recorded for the estimated future tax consequences attributable to the differences between the financial carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax basis. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using the tax rate in effect for the year in which those temporary differences are expected to reverse. The effect of a change in tax rates on deferred tax assets and liabilities is recognized in the year of the enacted rate change. A valuation allowance is established to reduce deferred tax assets if it is more likely than not that the related tax benefits will not be realized.

        The Company is required to make judgments, including estimating reserves for potential adverse outcomes regarding tax positions that the Company has taken. The Company accounts for uncertainty in income taxes using a recognition and measurement threshold for tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. The tax benefit from an uncertain tax position is recognized when it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities based on technical merits of the position. The amount of the tax benefit recognized is the largest amount of the benefit that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. The effective tax rate and the tax basis of assets and liabilities reflect management's estimates of the ultimate outcome of various tax uncertainties.

        The Company recognizes accrued interest related to uncertain tax positions in interest expense and other and accrued penalties related to such positions in general and administrative expense in the Consolidated Statement of Operations.

Stock-Based Compensation

        The Company accounts for stock-based compensation under the fair value method of accounting. Under the fair value method, compensation cost is measured at the grant date for equity-classified awards and remeasured each reporting period for liability-classified awards based on the fair value of an award and is recognized over the service period, which is generally the vesting period. To calculate fair value, the Company uses either a binomial or Black-Scholes valuation model depending on the specific provisions of the award. Stock-based compensation cost for all types of awards is included in general and administrative expense in the Consolidated Statement of Operations.

        The tax benefit for stock-based compensation is included as both a cash inflow from financing activities and a cash outflow from operating activities in the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows. The Company recognizes a tax benefit only to the extent it reduces the Company's income taxes payable.

Environmental Matters

        Environmental expenditures are expensed or capitalized, as appropriate, depending on their future economic benefit. Expenditures that relate to an existing condition caused by past operations, and that do not have future economic benefit are expensed. Liabilities related to future costs are recorded on an undiscounted basis when environmental assessments and/or remediation activities are probable and the costs can be reasonably estimated. Any insurance recoveries are recorded as assets when received.

Credit and Concentration Risk

        Substantially all of the Company's accounts receivable result from the sale of natural gas and crude oil and joint interest billings to third parties in the oil and gas industry. This concentration of purchasers and joint interest owners may impact the Company's overall credit risk, either positively or negatively, in that these entities may be similarly affected by changes in economic or other conditions. The Company does not anticipate any material impact on its financial results due to non-performance by the third parties.

        During the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, four customers accounted for approximately 21%, 16%, 14% and 11% and three customers accounted for approximately 18%, 12% and 10%, respectively, of the Company's total sales. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company did not have any one customer account for greater than 10% of the Company's total sales. The Company does not believe that the loss of any of these customers would have a material adverse effect because alternative customers are readily available.

Use of Estimates

        In preparing financial statements, the Company follows accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. These principles require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. The most significant estimates pertain to proved natural gas and crude oil reserves and related cash flow estimates which are used to compute depreciation, depletion and amortization and impairments of proved oil and gas properties. Other significant estimates include natural gas and crude oil revenues and expenses, fair value of derivative instruments, estimates of expenses related to legal, environmental and other contingencies, asset retirement obligations, postretirement obligations, stock-based compensation and deferred income taxes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

        Effective January 1, 2013, the Company adopted the amended disclosure requirements prescribed in ASU No. 2011-11, "Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities" and ASU No. 2013-01, "Clarifying the Scope of Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities." This guidance impacted the disclosures associated with the Company's commodity derivatives (Note 6) and did not impact its consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

        Effective January 1, 2013, the Company adopted the amended disclosure requirements prescribed in ASU No. 2013-02, "Reporting of Amounts Reclassified Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income." This guidance impacted the Company's disclosures associated with items reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income / (loss) (Note 15) and did not impact its consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.