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Fair Value Measurements
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2020
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]  
Fair Value Measurements Fair Value Measurements
In accordance with the FASB’s authoritative guidance on fair value measurements, the Company’s financial assets and liabilities are measured at fair value on a recurring basis. The Company’s financial instruments, including certain cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable and other payables, are carried at cost, which approximates their respective fair market values due to their short-term maturities. The Company recognizes its non-financial assets and liabilities, such as asset retirement obligations (“ARO”) and oil and gas and other properties, at fair value on a non-recurring basis.
As defined in the authoritative guidance, fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date (exit price). To estimate fair value, the Company utilizes market data or assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, including assumptions about risk and the risks inherent in the inputs to the valuation technique. These inputs can be readily observable, market corroborated or generally unobservable.
The authoritative guidance establishes a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs used to measure fair value. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (“Level 1” measurements) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (“Level 3” measurements). The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are as follows:
Level 1 — Unadjusted quoted prices are available in active markets for identical assets or liabilities as of the reporting date. Active markets are those in which transactions for the asset or liability occur in sufficient frequency and volume to provide pricing information on an ongoing basis.
Level 2 — Pricing inputs, other than unadjusted quoted prices in active markets included in Level 1, are either directly or indirectly observable as of the reporting date. Level 2 includes those financial instruments that are valued using models or other valuation methodologies. These models are primarily industry-standard models that consider various assumptions, including quoted forward prices for commodities, time value, volatility factors and current market and contractual prices for the underlying instruments, as well as other relevant economic measures. Substantially all of these assumptions are observable in
the marketplace throughout the full term of the instrument and can be derived from observable data or are supported by observable levels at which transactions are executed in the marketplace.
Level 3 — Pricing inputs are generally unobservable from objective sources, requiring internally developed valuation methodologies that result in management’s best estimate of fair value.
Financial Assets and Liabilities
Financial assets and liabilities are classified in their entirety based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The Company’s assessment of the significance of a particular input requires judgment and may affect the valuation of fair value assets and liabilities and their placement within the fair value hierarchy levels.
The following tables set forth by level, within the fair value hierarchy, the Company’s financial assets and liabilities that were accounted for at fair value on a recurring basis:
Fair value at September 30, 2020
Level 1Level 2Level 3Total
(In thousands)
Assets:
Money market funds$14,005 $— $— $14,005 
Commodity derivative instruments (see Note 8)
— 200 — 200 
Total assets$14,005 $200 $— $14,205 

 Fair value at December 31, 2019
 Level 1Level 2Level 3Total
 (In thousands)
Assets:
Money market funds$146 $— $— $146 
Commodity derivative instruments (see Note 8)
— 1,174 — 1,174 
Total assets$146 $1,174 $— $1,320 
Liabilities:
Commodity derivative instruments (see Note 8)
$— $19,815 $— $19,815 
Total liabilities$— $19,815 $— $19,815 
The Company’s money market funds represent cash equivalents backed by the assets of high-quality major banks and financial institutions and are included in cash and cash equivalents on the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company identifies the money market funds as Level 1 instruments because the money market funds have daily liquidity, quoted prices for the underlying investments can be obtained, and there are active markets for the underlying investments.
The Level 2 instruments presented in the tables above consist of commodity derivative instruments (see Note 8 — Derivative Instruments). The fair values of the Company’s commodity derivative instruments are based upon a third-party preparer’s calculation using mark-to-market valuation reports provided by the Company’s counterparties for monthly settlement purposes to determine the valuation of its derivative instruments. The Company has the third-party preparer evaluate other readily available market prices for its derivative contracts, as there is an active market for these contracts. The third-party preparer performs its independent valuation using a moment matching method similar to Turnbull-Wakeman for Asian options. The significant inputs used are commodity prices, volatility, skew, discount rate and the contract terms of the derivative instruments. The Company does not have access to the specific proprietary valuation models or inputs used by its counterparties or third-party preparer. The Company compares the third-party preparer’s valuation to counterparty valuation statements, investigating any significant differences, and analyzes monthly valuation changes in relation to movements in forward commodity price curves. The determination of the fair value for derivative instruments also incorporates a credit adjustment for non-performance risk, as required by GAAP. The Company calculates the credit adjustment for derivatives in a net asset position using current credit default swap values for each counterparty. The credit adjustment for derivatives in a net liability position is based on the market credit spread of the Company or similarly rated public issuers. The Company recorded an adjustment to reduce the fair value of its net derivative asset by a de minimis amount at September 30, 2020 and its net derivative liability by $0.5 million at December 31, 2019.
Non-Financial Assets and Liabilities
The fair value of the Company’s non-financial assets measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis is determined using valuation techniques that include Level 3 inputs.
Asset retirement obligations. The initial measurement of ARO at fair value is recorded in the period in which the liability is incurred. Fair value is determined by calculating the present value of estimated future cash flows related to the liability. Estimating the future ARO requires management to make estimates and judgments regarding the timing and existence of a liability, as well as what constitutes adequate restoration when considering current regulatory requirements. Inherent in the fair value calculation are numerous assumptions and judgments, including the ultimate costs, inflation factors, credit-adjusted discount rates, timing of settlement and changes in the legal, regulatory, environmental and political environments.
Oil and gas and other properties. The Company records its properties at fair value when acquired in a business combination or upon impairment for proved oil and gas properties and other properties. Fair value is determined using a discounted cash flow model. The inputs used are subject to management’s judgment and expertise and include, but are not limited to, estimates of crude oil and natural gas proved reserves, future commodity pricing, future rates of production, estimates of operating and development costs, risk-adjusted discount rates and estimates of throughput volumes for the Company’s midstream assets. These inputs are classified as Level 3 inputs, except the underlying commodity price assumptions are based on NYMEX forward strip prices (Level 1) and adjusted for price differentials. As a result of the significant decline in expected future commodity prices in the first quarter of 2020, the Company reviewed its properties for impairment as of March 31, 2020. The underlying future commodity prices included in the Company’s estimated future cash flows of its proved oil and gas properties were determined using NYMEX forward strip prices as of March 31, 2020 for five years, escalating 2.5% per year thereafter. The estimated future cash flows also included a 2.5% inflation factor applied to the future operating and development costs after five years and every year thereafter. The estimated future cash flows for the Company’s proved oil and gas properties and midstream assets were discounted at market-based weighted average costs of capital of 12.7% and 10.4%, respectively (see Note 9 — Property, Plant and Equipment).