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COMMITTMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES | 9 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2018
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] |
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES | COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES Plugging and Abandonment Funds In connection with the Company’s acquisition in 1997 of the remaining 50% interest in its WCBB properties, the Company assumed the seller’s (Chevron) obligation to contribute approximately $18,000 per month through March 2004 to a plugging and abandonment trust and the obligation to plug a minimum of 20 wells per year for 20 years commencing March 11, 1997. Beginning in 2009, the Company could access the trust for use in plugging and abandonment charges associated with the property, although it has not yet done so. As of September 30, 2018, the plugging and abandonment trust totaled approximately $3.1 million. At September 30, 2018, the Company had plugged 555 wells at WCBB since it began its plugging program in 1997, which management believes fulfills its minimum plugging obligation. Operating Leases The Company leases office facilities under non-cancellable operating leases exceeding one year. Future minimum lease commitments under these leases at September 30, 2018 were as follows:
|  | (In thousands)
Remaining 2018 |  | $ | 39 |
2019 |  | 144 |
2020 |  | 90 |
2021 |  | 38 |
Total |  | $ | 311 |
Firm Transportation and Sales Commitments The Company had approximately 2,659,000 MMBtu per day of firm sales contracted with third parties. The table below presents these commitments at September 30, 2018 as follows:
|  | (MMBtu per day)
Remaining 2018 |  | 590,000 |
2019 |  | 659,000 |
2020 |  | 526,000 |
2021 |  | 372,000 |
2022 |  | 272,000 |
Thereafter |  | 240,000 |
Total |  | 2,659,000 |
The Company also had approximately $3.6 billion of firm transportation contracted with third parties. The table below presents these commitments at September 30, 2018 as follows:
|  | (In thousands)
Remaining 2018 |  | $ | 62,012 |
2019 |  | 251,644 |
2020 |  | 247,581 |
2021 |  | 246,620 |
2022 |  | 246,620 |
Thereafter |  | 2,511,853 |
Total |  | $ | 3,566,330 |
Other Commitments Effective October 1, 2014, the Company entered into a Sand Supply Agreement with Muskie Proppant LLC (“Muskie”), a subsidiary of Mammoth Energy. Effective August 3, 2018, the Company extended the agreement through December 31, 2021. Pursuant to this agreement, as amended, the Company has agreed to purchase annual and monthly amounts of proppant sand subject to exceptions specified in the agreement at agreed pricing plus agreed costs and expenses. Failure by either Muskie or the Company to deliver or accept the minimum monthly amount results in damages calculated per ton based on the difference between the monthly obligation amount and the amount actually delivered or accepted, as applicable. The Company incurred $1.3 million and $1.5 million in non-utilization fees under this agreement during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018, respectively. The Company did not incur any non-utilization fees during the nine months ended September 30, 2017. Effective October 1, 2014, the Company entered into an Amended and Restated Master Services Agreement for pressure pumping services with Stingray Pressure Pumping LLC (“Stingray Pressure”), a subsidiary of Mammoth Energy. Pursuant to this agreement, as amended effective July 1, 2018, Stingray Pressure has agreed to provide hydraulic fracturing, stimulation and related completion and rework services to the Company and the Company has agreed to pay Stingray Pressure a monthly service fee plus the associated costs of the services provided. The Company has the right to suspend services of one crew and only one crew at any point in time without payment, fee or other obligation associated with the suspended crew, given appropriate notification of suspension. Future minimum commitments under these agreements at September 30, 2018 are $154.2 million. Litigation In two separate complaints, one filed by the State of Louisiana and the Parish of Cameron in the 38th Judicial District Court for the Parish of Cameron on February 9, 2016 and the other filed by the State of Louisiana and the District Attorney for the 15th Judicial District of the State of Louisiana in the 15th Judicial District Court for the Parish of Vermilion on July 29, 2016, the Company was named as a defendant, among 26 oil and gas companies, in the Cameron Parish complaint and among more than 40 oil and gas companies in the Vermilion Parish complaint, or the Complaints. The Complaints were filed under the State and Local Coastal Resources Management Act of 1978, as amended, and the rules, regulations, orders and ordinances adopted thereunder, which the Company referred to collectively as the CZM Laws, and allege that certain of the defendants’ oil and gas exploration, production and transportation operations associated with the development of the East Hackberry and West Hackberry oil and gas fields, in the case of the Cameron Parish complaint, and the Tigre Lagoon and Lac Blanc oil and gas fields, in the case of the Vermilion Parish complaint, were conducted in violation of the CZM Laws. The Complaints allege that such activities caused substantial damage to land and waterbodies located in the coastal zone of the relevant Parish, including due to defendants’ design, construction and use of waste pits and the alleged failure to properly close the waste pits and to clear, re-vegetate, detoxify and return the property affected to its original condition, as well as the defendants’ alleged discharge of waste into the coastal zone. The Complaints also allege that the defendants’ oil and gas activities have resulted in the dredging of numerous canals, which had a direct and significant impact on the state coastal waters within the relevant Parish and that the defendants, among other things, failed to design, construct and maintain these canals using the best practical techniques to prevent bank slumping, erosion and saltwater intrusion and to minimize the potential for inland movement of storm-generated surges, which activities allegedly have resulted in the erosion of marshes and the degradation of terrestrial and aquatic life therein. The Complaints also allege that the defendants failed to re-vegetate, refill, clean, detoxify and otherwise restore these canals to their original condition. In these two petitions, the plaintiffs seek damages and other appropriate relief under the CZM Laws, including the payment of costs necessary to clear, re-vegetate, detoxify and otherwise restore the affected coastal zone of the relevant Parish to its original condition, actual restoration of such coastal zone to its original condition, and the payment of reasonable attorney fees and legal expenses and pre-judgment and post judgment interest. The Company was served with the Cameron complaint in early May 2016 and with the Vermilion complaint in early September 2016. The Louisiana Attorney General and the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources intervened in both the Cameron Parish suit and the Vermilion Parish suit. Shortly after the Complaints were filed, certain defendants removed the cases to the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. In both cases, the plaintiffs filed motions to remand the lawsuits to state court, which were ultimately granted by the district courts. However, on May 23, 2018, a group of defendants again removed the Cameron Parish and Vermilion Parish lawsuits to federal court. In response, the plaintiffs again filed motions to remand the cases to state court. The removing defendants have opposed plaintiffs’ motions to remand. The motions to remand remain pending, and further action in the cases will be stayed until the courts rule on the motions to remand. Also, shortly after the May 23, 2018 removal, the removing defendants filed motions with the United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (the “MDL Panel”) requesting that the Cameron Parish and Vermilion Parish lawsuits be consolidated with 40 similar lawsuits so that pre-trial proceedings in the cases could be coordinated. The MDL Panel denied the motion to consolidate the lawsuits. Due to the procedural posture of lawsuits, the cases are still in their early stages and the parties have conducted very little discovery. As a result, the Company has not had the opportunity to evaluate the applicability of the allegations made in plaintiffs' complaints to the Company's operations and management cannot determine the amount of loss, if any, that may result. In addition, due to the nature of the Company’s business, it is, from time to time, involved in routine litigation or subject to disputes or claims related to its business activities, including workers’ compensation claims and employment related disputes. In the opinion of the Company’s management, none of the pending litigation, disputes or claims against the Company, if decided adversely, will have a material adverse effect on its financial condition, cash flows or results of operations.

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