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Commitments and Contingencies | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2016
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] |
Commitments and Contingencies | Note 6 - Commitments and Contingencies Commitments There were no material changes in commitments during the first three months of 2016, except as discussed below. Please refer to Note 6 - Commitments and Contingencies in the Company’s 2015 Form 10-K for additional discussion. During the first quarter of 2016, the Company renegotiated the terms of certain drilling rig contracts to provide increased flexibility with regard to the timing of activity and payment. For the three months ended March 31, 2016, and 2015, the Company incurred $5.0 million and $3.2 million, respectively, of expense related to the early termination of drilling rig contracts or fees incurred for rigs placed on standby, which are recorded in the other operating expenses line item in the accompanying statements of operations. During the first quarter of 2016, the Company entered into amendments to certain oil gathering and gas gathering agreements related to its outside-operated Eagle Ford shale assets, neither of which previously had a minimum volume commitment, in order to obtain more favorable rates and terms. Under these amended agreements, as of March 31, 2016, the Company is now committed to deliver 303 Bcf of natural gas and 40 MMBbl of oil through 2034. In the event that the Company delivers no product under these amended agreements, the Company’s aggregate undiscounted deficiency payments would be approximately $351.2 million at March 31, 2016; however, because of the Company’s partial ownership interest in the gathering systems used to provide the services under these agreements, the Company is entitled to receive its share of operating income generated by the systems, and thus would expect to receive approximately $247.9 million if the $351.2 million shortfall payment was required. During the first quarter of 2016, the Company also entered into an amendment to a gas gathering agreement related to its operated Eagle Ford shale assets, which reduced the Company’s volume commitment amount as of December 31, 2015, by 829 Bcf, and reduced the aggregate undiscounted deficiency payments by $118.2 million through 2021. As of March 31, 2016, the Company has total gathering, processing, and transportation throughput commitments with various third parties that require delivery of a minimum amount of 1,624 Bcf of natural gas, 75 MMBbl of crude oil, and 14 MMBbl of natural gas liquids through 2034. If the Company delivers no product, the aggregate undiscounted deficiency payments total approximately $1.1 billion through 2034, prior to considering the $247.9 million of operating income the Company would expect to receive if certain payments were required as outlined above. As of the filing date of this report, the Company does not expect to incur any material shortfalls with regard to its gathering, processing, and transportation throughput commitments. Contingencies The Company is subject to litigation and claims arising in the ordinary course of business. The Company accrues for such items when a liability is both probable and the amount can be reasonably estimated. In the opinion of management, the expected results of any pending litigation and claims will not have a material effect on the results of operations, the financial position, or the cash flows of the Company. The Company is subject to routine severance, royalty and joint interest audits from regulatory authorities, non-operators and others, as the case may be, and records accruals for estimated exposure when a claim is deemed probable and estimable. Additionally, the Company is subject to various possible contingencies that arise from third party interpretations of the Company’s contracts or otherwise affecting the oil and natural gas industry. Such contingencies include differing interpretations as to the prices at which oil and natural gas sales may be made, the prices that royalty owners are paid for production from their leases, allowable costs under joint interest arrangements, and other matters. As of March 31, 2016, the Company had $4.4 million accrued for estimated exposure related to claims for payment of royalties on certain Federal and Indian leases. Although the Company believes that it has properly estimated its potential exposure with respect to these claims based on various contracts, laws and regulations, administrative rulings, and interpretations thereof, adjustments could be required as new interpretations and regulations arise.

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