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Significant Accounting Policies | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2020
Accounting Policies [Abstract] |
Significant Accounting Policies | Note A – Significant Accounting Polices NATURE OF BUSINESS – Murphy Oil Corporation is an international oil and natural gas company that conducts its business through various operating subsidiaries. The Company primarily produces oil and natural gas in the United States and Canada and conducts oil and natural gas exploration activities worldwide. The Company sold its Malaysian assets in 2019 and they are reported as discontinued operations. PRINCIPLES OF CONSOLIDATION – The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Murphy Oil Corporation and all majority-owned subsidiaries. Undivided interests in oil and natural gas joint ventures are consolidated on a proportionate basis. Investments in affiliates in which the Company owns from 20% to 50% are accounted for by the equity method. Beginning in the fourth quarter of 2018, Murphy reports 100% of the sales volume, revenues, costs, assets and liabilities including the 20% noncontrolling interest (NCI), of MP GOM in accordance with accounting for noncontrolling interest as prescribed by ASC 810-10-45. Other investments are generally carried at cost. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. REVENUE RECOGNITION – Revenues from sales of crude oil, natural gas liquids and natural gas are recorded when deliveries have occurred and legal ownership of the commodity transfers to the customer; the amount of revenue recognized reflects the consideration expected in exchange for those commodities. The Company measures revenue based on consideration specified in a contract and excludes taxes and other amounts collected on behalf of third parties. Revenues from the production of oil and natural gas properties in which Murphy shares in the undivided interest with other producers are recognized based on the actual volumes sold by the Company during the period. Natural gas imbalances occur when the Company’s actual natural gas sales volumes differ from its proportional share of production from the well. The company follows the sales method of accounting for these natural gas imbalances. The Company records a liability for natural gas imbalances when it has sold more than its working interest of natural gas production and the estimated remaining reserves make it doubtful that partners can recoup their share of production from the field. At December 31, 2020 and 2019, the liabilities for natural gas balancing were immaterial. Gains and losses on asset disposals or retirements are included in net income/(loss) as a component of revenues. CASH EQUIVALENTS – Short-term investments, which include government securities and other instruments with government securities as collateral, that are highly liquid and have a maturity of three months or less from the date of purchase are classified as cash equivalents. MARKETABLE SECURITIES – The Company classifies investments in marketable securities as available-for-sale or held-to-maturity. The Company does not have any investments classified as trading securities. Available-for-sale securities are carried at fair value with the unrealized gain or loss, net of tax, reported in other comprehensive loss. Held-to-maturity securities are recorded at amortized cost. Premiums and discounts are amortized or accreted into earnings over the life of the related available-for-sale or held-to-maturity security. Dividend and interest income is recognized when earned. Unrealized losses considered to be other than temporary are recognized in earnings. The cost of securities sold is based on the specific identification method. The fair value of investment securities is determined by available market prices. ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE – At December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company’s accounts receivable primarily consisted of amounts owed to the Company by customers for sales of crude oil and natural gas and operating costs related to joint venture partners working interest share. The allowance for doubtful accounts is the Company’s best estimate of the amount of probable credit losses on these receivables. The Company reviews this allowance for adequacy at least quarterly and bases its assessment on a combination of current information about its customers, joint venture partners, and historical write-off experience. Any trade accounts receivable balances written off are charged against the allowance for doubtful accounts. The Company has not experienced any significant credit-related losses in the past three years. INVENTORIES – Amounts included in the Consolidated Balance Sheets include unsold crude oil production and materials and supplies associated with oil and natural gas production operations. Unsold crude oil production is carried in inventory at the lower of cost (applied on a first-in, first-out basis and includes costs incurred to bring the inventory to its existing condition), or market. Materials and supplies inventories are valued at the lower of average cost or estimated market value and generally consist of tubulars and other drilling equipment. PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT – The Company uses the successful efforts method to account for exploration and development expenditures. Leasehold acquisition costs are capitalized. If proved reserves are found on undeveloped property, the leasehold cost is transferred to proved properties. Costs of undeveloped leases associated with unproved properties are expensed over the life of the leases. Exploratory well costs are capitalized pending determination about whether proved reserves have been found. In certain cases, a determination of whether a drilled exploratory well has found proved reserves cannot be made immediately. This is generally due to the need for major capital expenditure to produce and/or evacuate the hydrocarbon(s) found. The determination of whether to make such capital expenditure is usually dependent on whether further exploratory or appraisal wells find a sufficient quantity of additional reserves. The Company continues to capitalize exploratory well costs in Property, Plant and Equipment when the well has found a sufficient quantity of reserves to justify its completion as a producing well and the Company is making sufficient progress assessing the reserves and the economic and operating viability of the project. The Company reevaluates its capitalized drilling costs at least annually to ascertain whether drilling costs continue to qualify for ongoing capitalization. Other exploratory costs, including geological and geophysical costs, are charged to expense as incurred. Development costs, including unsuccessful development wells, are capitalized. Interest is capitalized on significant development projects that are expected to take one year or more to complete. Oil and natural gas properties are evaluated by field for potential impairment. Other properties are evaluated for impairment on a specific asset basis or in groups of similar assets as applicable. An impairment is recognized when there are indications that the estimated undiscounted future net cash flows of an asset are less than its carrying value. If an impairment occurs, the carrying value of the impaired asset is reduced to fair value. In 2020, declines in future oil and natural gas prices (principally driven by reduced commodity demand in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and increased supply in the first quarter of 2020 from foreign oil producers) led to impairments in certain of the Company’s U.S. Offshore and Other Foreign properties and assets. In 2020, the Company recognized pretax noncash impairment charges of $1,206.3 million to reduce the carrying values at select properties. There were no impairments in 2019. As a result of management’s assessments during 2018, the Company recognized a pretax, noncash impairment charge of $20.0 million at select Midland properties. See also Note G for further discussion of impairment charges. The Company records a liability for asset retirement obligations (ARO) equal to the fair value of the estimated cost to retire an asset. The ARO liability is initially recorded in the period in which the obligation meets the definition of a liability, which is generally when a well is drilled or the asset is placed in service. The ARO liability is estimated by the Company’s engineers using existing regulatory requirements and anticipated future inflation rates. When the liability is initially recorded, the Company increases the carrying amount of the related long-lived asset by an amount equal to the original liability. The liability is increased over time to reflect the change in its present value, and the capitalized cost is depreciated over the useful life of the related long-lived asset. The Company reevaluates the adequacy of its recorded ARO liability at least annually. Actual costs of asset retirements such as dismantling oil and natural gas production facilities and site restoration are charged against the related liability. See Note I. Any difference between costs incurred upon settlement of an asset retirement obligation and the recorded liability is recognized as a gain or loss in the Company’s earnings. Depreciation and depletion of producing oil and natural gas properties are recorded based on units of production. Unit rates are computed for unamortized development drilling and completion costs using proved developed reserves and acquisition costs are amortized over proved reserves. Proved reserves are estimated by the Company’s engineers and are subject to future revisions based on the availability of additional information. CAPITALIZED INTEREST– Interest associated with borrowings from third parties is capitalized on significant oil and natural gas development projects when the expected development period extends for one year or more. Interest capitalized is credited in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and is added to the cost of the underlying asset for the development project in Property, plant and equipment in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Capitalized interest is amortized over the useful life of the asset in the same manner as other development costs. LEASES - At inception, contracts are assessed for the presence of a lease according to criteria laid out by ASC 842. If a lease is present, further criteria is assessed to determine if the lease should be classified as an operating or finance lease. Operating leases are presented on the Consolidated Balance Sheet as Operating lease assets with the corresponding lease liabilities presented in Operating lease liabilities and Non-current operating lease liabilities. Finance lease assets (related to Brunei) are presented on the Consolidated Balance Sheet within Assets held for sale with the corresponding liabilities presented in Current maturities of long-term debt and Long-term debt. Generally, lease liabilities are recognized at commencement and based on the present value of the future minimum lease payments to be made over the lease term. Lease assets are then recognized based on the value of the lease liabilities. Where implicit lease rates are not determinable, the minimum lease payments are discounted using the Company’s collateralized incremental borrowing rates. Operating leases are expensed according to their nature and recognized in Lease operating expenses, Selling and general expenses or capitalized in the Consolidated Financial Statements. Finance leases are depreciated with the relevant expenses recognized in Depreciation, depletion, and amortization and Interest expense, net on the Consolidated Statement of Operations. ENVIRONMENTAL LIABILITIES – A liability for environmental matters is established when it is probable that an environmental obligation exists and the cost can be reasonably estimated. If there is a range of reasonably estimated costs, the most likely amount will be recorded, or if no amount is most likely, the minimum of the range is used. Related expenditures are charged against the liability. Environmental remediation liabilities have not been discounted for the time value of future expected payments. Environmental expenditures that have future economic benefit are capitalized. INCOME TAXES – The Company accounts for income taxes using the asset and liability method. Under this method, income taxes are provided for amounts currently payable and for amounts deferred as tax assets and liabilities based on differences between the financial statement carrying amounts and the tax basis of existing assets and liabilities. Deferred income taxes are measured using the enacted tax rates that are assumed will be in effect when the differences reverse. The Company routinely assesses the realizability of deferred tax assets based on available evidence including assumptions of future taxable income, tax planning strategies and other pertinent factors. A deferred tax asset valuation allowance is recorded when evidence indicates that it is more likely than not that all or a portion of these deferred tax assets will not be realized in a future period. On December 22, 2017 the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (2017 Tax Act) was enacted which triggered the transitional tax on a deemed repatriation of all past foreign earnings (see Note J) and a provision for this impact has been recorded. Deferred tax liabilities are recorded for relevant withholding taxes when undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries are not considered indefinitely invested. Under present law, the Company would incur a 5% withholding tax on any earnings repatriated from Canada to the U.S. The accounting rules for income tax uncertainties permit recognition of income tax benefits only when they are more likely than not to be realized. The Company includes potential penalties and interest for uncertain income tax positions in income tax expense. FOREIGN CURRENCY – Local currency is the functional currency used for recording operations in Canada and former refining and marketing activities in the United Kingdom. The U.S. dollar is the functional currency used to record all other operations. Exchange gains or losses from transactions in a currency other than the functional currency are included in earnings as part of Interest and other income (loss). Gains or losses from translating foreign functional currencies into U.S. dollars are included in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss in Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity. DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS AND HEDGING ACTIVITIES – The fair value of a derivative instrument is recognized as an asset or liability in the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets. Upon entering into a derivative contract, the Company may designate the derivative as either a fair value hedge or a cash flow hedge or decide that the contract is not a hedge for accounting purposes, and thenceforth, recognize changes in the fair value of the contract in earnings. The Company documents the relationship between the derivative instrument designated as a hedge and the hedged items as well as its objective for risk management and strategy for the use of the hedging instrument to manage the risk. Derivative instruments designated as fair value or cash flow hedges are linked to specific assets and liabilities or to specific firm commitments or forecasted transactions. The Company assesses at inception and on an ongoing basis whether a derivative instrument accounted for as a hedge is highly effective in offsetting changes in the fair value or cash flows of the hedged item. A derivative that is not a highly effective hedge does not qualify for hedge accounting. The change in the fair value of a qualifying fair value hedge is recorded in earnings along with the gain or loss on the hedged item. The effective portion of the change in the fair value of a qualifying cash flow hedge is recorded in Accumulated other comprehensive loss in the Consolidated Balance Sheets until the hedged item is recognized currently in earnings. If a derivative instrument no longer qualifies as a cash flow hedge and the underlying forecasted transaction is no longer probable of occurring, hedge accounting is discontinued, and the gain or loss recorded in Accumulated other comprehensive loss is recognized immediately in earnings. FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS– The Company carries certain assets and liabilities at fair value in its Consolidated Balance Sheets. Fair value is determined using various techniques depending on the availability of observable inputs. Level 1 inputs include quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. Level 2 inputs include observable inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1. Level 3 inputs are unobservable inputs which reflect assumptions about pricing by market participants. See Note Q. STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION Equity-Settled Awards – The fair value of awarded stock options, restricted stock units and other stock-based compensation that are settled with Company shares is determined based on a combination of management assumptions and the market value of the Company’s common stock. The Company uses the Black-Scholes option pricing model for computing the fair value of equity- settled stock options. The primary assumptions made by management include the expected life of the stock option award and the expected volatility of Murphy’s common stock price. The Company uses both historical data and current information to support its assumptions. Stock option expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the respective vesting period of two or three years. The Company uses a Monte Carlo valuation model to determine the fair value of performance-based restricted stock units that are equity settled and expense is recognized over the three-year vesting period. The fair value of time-lapse restricted stock units is determined based on the price of Company stock on the date of grant and expense is recognized over the vesting period. The Company estimates the number of stock options and performance-based restricted stock units that will not vest and adjusts its compensation expense accordingly. Differences between estimated and actual vested amounts are accounted for as an adjustment to expense when known. Cash-Settled Awards – The Company accounts for stock appreciation rights (SAR), cash-settled restricted stock units (CRSU) and phantom stock units as liability awards. Expense associated with these awards are recognized over the vesting period based on the latest available estimate of the fair value of the awards, which is generally determined using a Black-Scholes method for SAR, a Monte Carlo method for performance-based CRSU, and the period-end price of the Company’s common stock for time-based CRSU and phantom units. When SAR are exercised and when CRSU and phantom units settle, the Company adjusts previously recorded expense to the final amounts paid out in cash for these awards. See Note K. PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFIT PLANS – The Company recognizes the funded status (the difference between the fair value of plan assets and the projected benefit obligation) of its defined benefit and other postretirement benefit plans in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Changes in the funded status which have not yet been recognized in the Consolidated Statement of Operations are recorded net of tax in Accumulated other comprehensive loss. The remaining amounts in Accumulated other comprehensive loss include net actuarial losses and prior service (cost) credit. See Note L. NET INCOME (LOSS) PER COMMON SHARE – Basic income (loss) per common share is computed by dividing net income (loss) for each reporting period by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted income (loss) per common share is computed by dividing net income (loss) for each reporting period by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period plus the effects of all potentially dilutive common shares. Dilutive securities are not included in the computation of diluted income (loss) per share when a net loss occurs as the inclusion would have the effect of reducing the diluted loss per share. USE OF ESTIMATES – In preparing the financial statements of the Company in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), management has made a number of estimates and assumptions related to the reporting of assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. Actual results may differ from the estimates.

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