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REDEMABLE NONCONTROLLING INTEREST - ALTUS
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2023
Equity [Abstract]  
REDEMABLE NONCONTROLLING INTEREST - ALTUS REDEEMABLE NONCONTROLLING INTEREST — ALTUS
Preferred Units Issuance
On June 12, 2019, Altus Midstream LP issued and sold Preferred Units for an aggregate issue price of $625 million in a private offering exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act. Altus Midstream LP received approximately $611 million in cash proceeds from the sale after deducting transaction costs and discounts to certain purchasers.
Classification
Prior to the deconsolidation of Altus on February 22, 2022, at December 31, 2021, the carrying amount of the Preferred Units was recorded as “Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest — Altus Preferred Unit Limited Partners” and classified as temporary equity on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet based on the terms of the Preferred Units, including the redemption rights with respect thereto.
Measurement
Altus applied a two-step approach to subsequent measurement of the redeemable noncontrolling interest related to the Preferred Units by first allocating a portion of the net income of Altus Midstream LP in accordance with the terms of the partnership agreement. An additional adjustment to the carrying value of the Preferred Unit redeemable noncontrolling interest at each period end was recorded, if applicable. The amount of such adjustment was determined based upon the accreted value method to reflect the passage of time until the Preferred Units were exchangeable at the option of the holder. Accordingly, prior to the deconsolidation of Altus on February 22, 2022, the Company recorded a net loss attributable to Altus Preferred Unit limited partners totaling $70 million and net income attributable to Altus Preferred Unit limited partners totaling $162 million during 2022 and 2021, respectivelyCAPITAL STOCK
Common Stock Outstanding
The following table provides changes to the Company’s common shares outstanding for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021:
For the Year Ended December 31,
202320222021
Balance, beginning of year311,559,149 346,930,765 377,482,630 
Shares issued for stock-based compensation plans:
Treasury shares issued2,016 1,996 3,133 
Common shares issued725,914 791,381 649,231 
Treasury shares acquired(8,711,178)(36,164,993)(31,204,229)
Balance, end of year303,575,901 311,559,149 346,930,765 
Net Income per Common Share
The following table provides a reconciliation of the components of basic and diluted net income per common share for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021:
 202320222021
 IncomeSharesPer ShareIncomeSharesPer Share
Income
SharesPer Share
 (In millions, except per share amounts)
Basic:
Income attributable to common stock
$2,855 308 $9.26 $3,674 332 $11.05 $973 374 $2.60 
Effect of Dilutive Securities:
Stock compensation awards
$— 1 $(0.01)$— 1 $(0.03)$— 1 $(0.01)
Diluted:
Income attributable to common stock
$2,855 309 $9.25 $3,674 333 $11.02 $973 375 $2.59 
The diluted EPS calculation excludes options and restricted shares that were anti-dilutive totaling 1.9 million, 2.4 million, and 3.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively.
Stock Repurchase Program
During 2018, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized the purchase of up to 40 million shares of the Company’s common stock. During the fourth quarter of 2021, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized the purchase of an additional 40 million shares of the Company’s common stock. During the third quarter of 2022, the Company's Board of Directors further authorized the purchase of an additional 40 million shares of the Company's common stock.
During 2023, the Company repurchased 8.7 million shares at an average price of $37.81 per share, and as of December 31, 2023, the Company had remaining authorization to repurchase 43.9 million shares. During 2022, the Company repurchased 36.2 million shares at an average price of $39.34 per share. During 2021, the Company repurchased 31.2 million shares at an average price of $27.14 per share.
Subsequent to year-end 2023 and through the date of this filing on February 22, 2024, the Company repurchased 3.0 million shares at an average price of $33.27 per share. As of February 22, 2024, the Company had remaining authorization to repurchase up to 40.9 million shares.
The Company is not obligated to acquire any additional shares. Shares may be purchased either in the open market or through privately held negotiated transactions.
Common Stock Dividend
The Company’s Board of Directors approved an increase in APA’s quarterly dividend from $0.025 per share to $0.0625 per share in the third quarter of 2021 and approved a further increase to $0.125 per share in the fourth quarter of 2021. During the third quarter of 2022, the Company’s Board of Directors approved another increase to its quarterly dividend to $0.25 per share, representing a return to pre-Covid-19 dividend levels. For the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, the Company declared common stock dividends totaling $1.00 per share, $0.75 per share, and $0.2375 per share, respectively.
Stock Compensation Plans
The Company maintains several stock-based compensation plans, which include stock options, restricted stock, and conditional restricted stock unit plans. In 2021, pursuant to the Holding Company Reorganization, Apache’s outstanding common shares were converted into equivalent corresponding shares of APA. APA assumed sponsorship of all stock compensation plans. All cash-settled awards previously indexed to Apache’s stock price were subsequently indexed to APA’s stock price, and all unvested stock-settled awards will be settled in APA stock upon vesting.
On May 12, 2016, the Company’s shareholders approved the 2016 Omnibus Compensation Plan (the 2016 Plan), which is used to provide eligible employees with equity-based incentives by granting incentive stock options, non-qualified stock options, performance awards, restricted stock awards, restricted stock units, stock appreciation rights, cash awards, or any combination of the foregoing. As of December 31, 2023, 9.4 million shares were authorized and available for grant under the 2016 Plan. Previously approved plans remain in effect solely for the purpose of governing grants still outstanding that were issued prior to approval of the 2016 Plan. All new grants are issued from the 2016 Plan. In 2018, the Company began issuing cash-settled awards (phantom units) under the restricted stock and conditional restricted stock unit plans. The phantom units represent a hypothetical interest in the Company’s stock and, once vested, are settled in cash.
Costs related to the plans are capitalized or expensed to “Lease operating expenses,” “Exploration,” or “General and administrative” in the Company’s statement of consolidated operations based on the nature of each employee’s activities. The following table summarizes the Company’s stock-settled and cash-settled compensation costs for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021:
For the Year Ended December 31,
202320222021
 (In millions)
Stock-settled and cash-settled compensation expensed:
Lease operating expenses
$27 $82 $39 
Exploration
7 29 10 
General and administrative
50 193 108 
Total stock-settled and cash-settled compensation expensed
84 304 157 
Stock-settled and cash-settled compensation capitalized13 44 18 
Total stock-settled and cash-settled compensation costs$97 $348 $175 
Stock Options
As of December 31, 2023, the Company had outstanding options to purchase shares of its common stock under the 2016 Plan and the 2011 Omnibus Equity Compensation Plan (the 2011 Plan and, with the 2016 Plan, the Omnibus Plans). The Omnibus Plans were submitted to and approved by the Company’s shareholders. New shares of common stock will be issued for employee stock option exercises. Under the Omnibus Plans, the exercise price of each option equals the closing price of APA’s common stock on the date of grant. Options granted become exercisable ratably over a three-year period and expire 10 years after granted.
The following table summarizes stock option activity for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021:
 202320222021
 Shares
Under Option
Weighted Average
Exercise Price
Shares
Under Option
Weighted Average
Exercise Price
Shares
Under Option
Weighted Average
Exercise Price
(In thousands, except exercise price amounts)
Outstanding, beginning of year2,078 $57.71 3,012 $63.79 3,537 $72.10 
Exercised(12)42.38 (99)42.09 — — 
Forfeited— — (2)49.10 — — 
Expired(601)80.53 (833)81.56 (525)119.83 
Outstanding, end of year(1)
1,465 48.48 2,078 57.71 3,012 63.79 
Expected to vest— — — — — — 
Exercisable, end of year(1)
1,465 48.48 2,078 57.71 3,012 63.79 
(1)As of December 31, 2023, options exercisable and outstanding had a weighted average remaining contractual life of 3.1 years and aggregate intrinsic value of $33,000.
During the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, there were no options issued and 12,183, 98,646, and no options, respectively, exercised.
Restricted Stock Units and Restricted Stock Phantom Units
The Company has restricted stock unit and restricted stock phantom unit plans for eligible employees, including officers. The value of the stock-settled restricted stock unit awards is established by the market price on the date of grant and is recorded as compensation expense ratably over the vesting terms. The restricted stock phantom unit awards represent a hypothetical interest in either the Company’s common stock or, prior to the BCP Business Combination, in ALTM’s common stock, as applicable, and, once vested, are settled in cash. Compensation expense related to the cash-settled awards is recorded as a liability and remeasured at the end of each reporting period over the applicable vesting term.
For the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, compensation costs charged to expense for the restricted stock units and restricted stock phantom units was $73 million, $153 million, and $95 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, capitalized compensation costs for the restricted stock units and restricted stock phantom units were $11 million, $22 million, and $15 million, respectively.
The following table summarizes stock-settled restricted stock unit activity for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021:
202320222021
UnitsWeighted
Average  Grant-Date  Fair Value		UnitsWeighted
Average  Grant-Date  Fair Value		UnitsWeighted
Average  Grant-Date  Fair Value
(In thousands, except per share amounts)
Non-vested, beginning of year1,885 $23.08 2,073 $19.98 1,552 $28.43 
Granted661 41.60 847 29.90 1,506 16.46 
Vested(3)
(975)23.31 (978)22.39 (857)29.13 
Forfeited(69)32.44 (57)23.49 (128)19.78 
Expired
(22)27.81 — — — — 
Non-vested, end of year(1)(2)
1,480 30.69 1,885 23.08 2,073 19.98 
(1)As of December 31, 2023, there was $15 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to 1,479,880 unvested stock-settled restricted stock units.
(2)As of December 31, 2023, the weighted-average remaining life of unvested stock-settled restricted stock units is approximately 0.6 years.
(3)The grant date fair values of the stock-settled awards vested during 2023, 2022, and 2021 were approximately $23 million, $22 million, and $25 million, respectively.
The following table summarizes cash-settled restricted stock phantom unit activity for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021:
For the Year Ended December 31,

202320222021
(In thousands)
Non-vested, beginning of year5,709 6,402 4,423 
Adjustment from ALTM transaction(1)
— 143 — 
Granted(2)
1,972 2,568 4,441 
Vested(2,851)(2,970)(2,049)
Forfeited(340)(434)(413)
Expired
(12)— — 
Non-vested, end of year(3)
4,478 5,709 6,402 
(1)Following the BCP Business Combination, certain employees were granted restricted stock phantom units based on APA’s common stock price to replace the equivalent value in restricted stock phantom units based on ALTM’s common stock price.
(2)Restricted stock phantom units granted during 2023, 2022, and 2021 included 1,972,116, 2,512,602, and 4,375,546 awards, respectively, based on the per-share market price of APA common stock. Restricted stock phantom units granted during 2022 and 2021 included 55,546 and 65,327 awards, respectively, based on the per-share market price of ALTM common stock prior to the deconsolidation of Altus on February 22, 2022.
(3)The outstanding liability for the unvested cash-settled restricted stock phantom units that had not been recognized as of December 31, 2023 was approximately $54 million.
In January 2024, the Company awarded 819,836 restricted stock units and 2,356,255 restricted stock phantom units based on APA’s weighted-average per-share market price of $33.73 under the 2016 Plan to eligible employees. Total compensation cost for the restricted stock units and the restricted stock phantom units, absent any forfeitures, is estimated to be $28 million and $80 million, respectively, and was calculated based on the per-share fair market value of a share of the Company’s common stock as of the grant date. Compensation cost will be recognized over a three-year vesting period for both plans. The restricted stock phantom units will be classified as a liability and remeasured at the end of each reporting period based on the change in fair value of one share of the Company’s common stock, a Level 1 fair value measurement.
Performance Program
To provide long-term incentives for the Company’s employees to deliver competitive shareholder returns, the Company makes annual grants of cash-settled conditional restricted stock phantom units to eligible employees. APA has a performance program for certain eligible employees with payout for a portion of the shares based upon measurement of total shareholder return (TSR) of APA common stock as compared to a designated peer group during a three-year performance period. Payout for the remaining portion of the shares is based on performance and financial objectives as defined in the plan. The overall results of the objectives are calculated at the end of the award’s stated performance period and, if a payout is warranted, applied to the target number of restricted stock units awarded. The performance shares will immediately vest 50 percent at the end of the three-year performance period, with the remaining 50 percent vesting at the end of the following year. Grants from the performance programs outstanding at December 31, 2023, are as described below:
•In January 2020, the Company’s Board of Directors approved the 2020 Performance Program, pursuant to the 2016 Plan. Eligible employees received initial cash-settled conditional phantom units totaling 1,687,307 units. A total of 999,896 phantom units were outstanding as of December 31, 2023. The results for the performance period yielded a payout of 155 percent of target.
•In January 2021, the Company’s Board of Directors approved the 2021 Performance Program, pursuant to the 2016 Plan. Eligible employees received the initial cash-settled conditional phantom units totaling 1,959,856 units. A total of 1,803,083 phantom units were outstanding as of December 31, 2023. The results for the performance period yielded a payout of 118 percent of target.
•In January 2022, the Company’s Board of Directors approved the 2022 Performance Program, pursuant to the 2016 Plan. Eligible employees received the initial cash-settled conditional phantom units totaling 1,093,034 units. The actual number of phantom units awarded will be between zero and 200 percent of target. A total of 1,040,100 phantom units were outstanding as of December 31, 2023, from which a minimum of zero to a maximum of 2,080,200 units could be awarded.
•In January 2023, the Company’s Board of Directors approved the 2023 Performance Program, pursuant to the 2016 Plan. Eligible employees received the initial cash-settled conditional phantom units totaling 822,200 units. The actual number of phantom units awarded will be between zero and 200 percent of target. A total of 784,977 phantom units were outstanding as of December 31, 2023, from which a minimum of zero to a maximum of 1,569,954 units could be awarded.
Compensation expense related to the conditional cash-settled awards is recorded as a liability and remeasured at the end of each reporting period over the applicable vesting term. Compensation costs charged to expense under the cash-settled performance programs were expenses of $2 million, $143 million, and $57 million during 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively. Capitalized compensation costs under the cash-settled performance programs were expenses of approximately $100 thousand, $21 million, and $3 million during 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively.
The following table summarizes cash-settled conditional restricted stock phantom unit activity for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021:
For the Year Ended December 31,
202320222021
 (In thousands)
Non-vested, beginning of year4,835 4,531 3,417 
Granted1,536 1,676 1,782 
Vested(1,593)(656)(76)
Forfeited(99)(106)(240)
Expired(50)(610)(352)
Non-vested, end of year(1)
4,629 4,835 4,531 
(1)As of December 31, 2023, the outstanding liability for the unvested cash-settled conditional restricted stock phantom units that had not been recognized was approximately $24 million.
In January 2024, the Company’s Board of Directors approved the 2024 Performance Program, pursuant to the 2016 Plan. A portion of the award is based upon measurement of TSR similar to prior year awards, and the remaining portion of the award is based on performance and financial objectives as defined in the 2024 Performance Program. Eligible employees received conditional phantom units and cash incentives. The conditional phantom units totaled 644,399 units, with the ultimate units to be awarded ranging from zero to a maximum of 1,288,798 units. These phantom units represent a hypothetical interest in the Company’s common stock, and, once vested, are settled in cash. These phantom units will be classified as a liability and remeasured at the end of each reporting period based on the change in fair value of one share of the Company’s common stock, a Level 1 fair value measurement. The cash incentives totaled $14 million, with the ultimate payout ranging from zero to $28 million. Final payout of the awards will be determined at the end of a three-year performance period.