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Oil and natural gas properties | 9 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2013
Oil and Gas Property [Abstract] |
Oil and natural gas properties | Oil and natural gas properties The Company uses the full-cost method of accounting for its oil and natural gas production activities. Under this method, all costs incurred in the acquisition, exploration and development of oil and natural gas properties are capitalized and amortized on the units-of-production method based on total proved reserves. Any conveyances of properties, including gains or losses on abandonments of properties, are generally treated as adjustments to the cost of the properties with no gain or loss recognized. Capitalized costs are subject to a "ceiling test" that limits such costs to the aggregate of the present value of future net cash flows from proved reserves discounted at 10 percent, as mandated under the rules of the SEC, plus the cost of unproved properties not subject to amortization, less applicable income taxes. Proved reserves and associated future cash flows are determined based on SEC Defined Prices. If capitalized costs, less accumulated amortization and related deferred income taxes, exceed the full-cost ceiling at the end of any quarter, a permanent noncash write-down is required to be charged to earnings in that quarter regardless of subsequent price changes. The Company's capitalized costs under the full-cost method of accounting exceeded the full-cost ceiling at September 30, 2012, largely the result of lower SEC Defined Prices, primarily lower natural gas prices. Accordingly, the Company was required to write down its oil and natural gas producing properties. The noncash write-down amounted to $160.1 million ($100.9 million after tax) for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012. The Company hedged a portion of its oil and natural gas production and the effects of the cash flow hedges were used in determining the full-cost ceiling at September 30, 2012. The Company would have recognized an additional write-down of its oil and natural gas properties of $19.5 million ($12.3 million after tax) at September 30, 2012, if the effects of cash flow hedges had not been considered in calculating the full-cost ceiling. For more information on the Company's cash flow hedges, see Note 14. At September 30, 2013, the Company's full-cost ceiling exceeded the Company's capitalized costs. However, there is risk that lower SEC Defined Prices, market differentials, changes in estimates of proved reserve quantities, unsuccessful results of exploration and development efforts or changes in operating and development costs could result in additional future noncash write-downs of the Company's oil and natural gas properties.

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- Definition The entire disclosure for oil and gas enterprises that follow the full cost method of accounting for investments in oil and gas properties. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 10 -Paragraph c -Subparagraph 7 -Article 4 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 932 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.4-10.(c)(7)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27015464&loc=d3e511914-122862 + Details
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