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Basis of Presentation, Significant Accounting Polices and Practicies and Recent Accounting Pronouncements | 6 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2013
Accounting Policies [Abstract] |
Basis of Presentation, Significant Accounting Polices and Practicies and Recent Accounting Pronouncements | Basis of Presentation, Significant Accounting Policies and Practices and Recent Accounting Pronouncements Basis of Presentation The accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements of the Company included herein have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). The financial statements reflect all adjustments that are, in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair statement of such information. All such adjustments are of a normal recurring nature. Although the Company believes that the disclosures are adequate to make the information presented not misleading, certain information and footnote disclosures, including a description of significant accounting policies normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("US GAAP"), have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations, except for such significant accounting policies that were adopted during the quarter relating to new business ventures, which are detailed below. Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified or combined to conform to the current year presentation. These reclassifications and combinations had no effect on previously reported results of operations or accumulated deficit. These interim financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s annual consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on November 27, 2012 (the "Form 10-K"). The results of operations for the six months ended March 31, 2013 are not necessarily indicative of the results for any subsequent periods or the entire fiscal year ending September 30, 2013. Principles of Consolidation The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of the Company, its majority-owned subsidiaries, those variable interest entities ("VIEs") where the Company is the primary beneficiary, and it's proportional share of the gross net assets of equity method investments in extractive industries ("Proportionate consolidation"). Intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. Results of operations of acquired companies are included from the dates of acquisition and for VIEs, from the dates that the Company became the primary beneficiary. The Company has elected to account for its investments in extractive industries that it does not control, but over which it can exert significant influence (specifically, the EXCO/HGI Partnership), by using the proportionate consolidation method allowed for equity-method investments in extractive industries, under Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") Topic 932, Extractive Industries. Under this method, the Company consolidates its proportionate share of the assets and liabilities of the equity method investment, using a gross presentation. A variable interest entity is an entity that lacks equity investors or whose equity investors do not have a controlling financial interest in the entity through their equity investments. The entity that has a controlling financial interest in a VIE is referred to as the primary beneficiary and consolidates the VIE. A corporation is deemed to have a controlling financial interest and is the primary beneficiary of a VIE if it has both the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance and an obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits that could potentially be significant to the VIE. The Company, through its subsidiary, Salus, primarily uses VIEs for its securitization activities, in which Salus transfers whole loans into a trust or other vehicle such that the assets are legally isolated from the creditors of Salus. Assets held in a trust can only be used to settle obligations of the trust. The creditors of these trusts typically have no recourse to Salus except in accordance with the obligations under standard representations and warranties. When Salus is the servicer of whole loans held in a securitization trust, Salus has the power to direct the most significant activities of the trust. Salus consolidates a whole-loan securitization trust if it has the power to direct the most significant activities and also holds securities issued by the trust or has other contractual arrangements, other than standard representations and warranties, that could potentially be significant to the trust. Oil and natural gas properties Full Cost Method The accounting for, and disclosure of, oil and natural gas producing activities require that the EXCO/HGI Partnership choose between two GAAP alternatives; the full cost method or the successful efforts method. The EXCO/HGI Partnership chose to use the full cost method of accounting, which involves capitalizing all intangible drilling costs, lease and well equipment and exploration and development costs incurred plus acquired proved and unproved leaseholds. Once the EXCO/HGI Partnership incurs costs, they are recorded in the depletable pool of proved properties or in unproved properties, collectively, the full cost pool. The EXCO/HGI Partnership's unproved property costs, which include unproved oil and natural gas properties, properties under development, and major development projects, collectively totaled $52.9 and $48.5 as of March 31, 2013 and February 14, 2013, respectively, and are not subject to depletion. The EXCO/HGI Partnership reviews its unproved oil and natural gas property costs on a quarterly basis to assess for impairment and transfer unproved costs to proved properties as a result of extensions or discoveries from drilling operations or determination that no proved reserves are attributable to such costs. The EXCO/HGI Partnership expects these costs to be evaluated over approximately four years and transferred to the depletable portion of the full cost pool during that time. The EXCO/HGI Partnership has not recorded any impairments of undeveloped properties for the period from inception to March 31, 2013. Capitalization of Interest When the EXCO/HGI Partnership acquires significant amounts of undeveloped acreage, it capitalizes interest on the acquisition costs in accordance with FASB ASC Subtopic 835-20, Capitalization of Interest. When the unproved property costs are moved to proved developed and undeveloped oil and natural gas properties, or the properties are sold, the EXCO/HGI Partnership will cease capitalizing interest. Depletion The EXCO/HGI Partnership calculates depletion using the unit-of-production method. Under this method, the sum of the full cost pool, excluding the book value of unproved properties, and all estimated future development costs are divided by the total estimated quantities of proved reserves. This rate is applied to the EXCO/HGI Partnership's total production for the quarter, and the appropriate expense is recorded. The EXCO/HGI Partnership capitalizes the portion of general and administrative costs, including share-based compensation, that is attributable to its exploration, exploitation and development activities. Sales, dispositions and other oil and natural gas property retirements are accounted for as adjustments to the full cost pool, with no recognition of gain or loss, unless the disposition would significantly alter the amortization rate and/or the relationship between capitalized costs and Proved Reserves. Ceiling Test Exemption Pursuant to Rule 4-10(c)(4) of Regulation S-X, the EXCO/HGI Partnership was required to compute its ceiling test using the simple average spot price for the trailing twelve month period for oil and natural gas as of March 31, 2013. The computation resulted in the carrying costs of the EXCO/HGI Partnership's unamortized proved oil and natural gas properties exceeding the March 31, 2013 ceiling test limitation by approximately $234.0. As a result of a temporary exemption received from the SEC to exclude the acquisition of the EXCO/HGI Partnership's conventional oil and natural gas properties from the ceiling test, the need to recognize impairment for the quarter ended March 31, 2013 was eliminated. The EXCO/HGI Partnership's pricing for these acquisitions are based on models which incorporate, among other things, market prices based on New York Mercantile Exchange ("NYMEX") futures. The ceiling test requires companies using the full cost accounting method to price period ending proved reserves using the simple average spot price for the trailing twelve month period, which may not be indicative of actual market values. Given the short passage of time between closing of these acquisitions and the required ceiling test computation, HGI requested, and received, an exemption from the SEC to exclude the acquisition of these oil and natural gas properties from the ceiling test assessments for a period of twelve months following the corresponding acquisition dates. The request for exemption was made because the EXCO/HGI Partnership believes the fair value of the aforementioned acquisitions can be demonstrated beyond a reasonable doubt to exceed their unamortized costs. The EXCO/HGI Partnership's expectation of future prices is principally based on NYMEX futures contracts, adjusted for basis differentials, for a period of five years. After a five year period the EXCO/HGI Partnership has elected to use flat pricing as the NYMEX futures contracts become more thinly traded. Generally, the flat price used for the sixth year through the economic life of the property is management's internal long-term price estimate, which is, in part, based on an extension of the NYMEX pricing. The EXCO/HGI Partnership believes the NYMEX futures contracts reflect an independent proxy for fair value. Management's internal valuation model demonstrated that the fair value of these acquired oil and natural gas properties clearly exceeded the calculated ceiling test limitation as of March 31, 2013 beyond a reasonable doubt. The EXCO/HGI Partnership recognizes that, due to the volatility associated with oil and natural gas prices, a downward trend in market prices could occur. If such a case were to occur and is deemed to be other than a temporary trend, the EXCO/HGI Partnership would assess these acquisitions for impairment during the requested exemption period. Further, if the EXCO/HGI Partnership cannot demonstrate that fair value exceeds the calculated ceiling test limitation during the requested exemption periods prior to issuance of its financial statements, the EXCO/HGI Partnership will recognize impairment related to these acquisitions. The ceiling test calculation is based upon estimates of proved reserves. There are numerous uncertainties inherent in estimating quantities of proved reserves, in projecting the future rates of production and in the timing of development activities. The accuracy of any reserve estimate is a function of the quality of available data and of engineering and geological interpretation and judgment. Results of drilling, testing and production subsequent to the date of the estimate may justify revision of such estimate. Accordingly, reserve estimates are often different from the quantities of oil and natural gas that are ultimately recovered. Gas gathering assets Gas gathering assets are capitalized at cost and depreciated on a straight line basis over their estimated useful lives of up to 14 years. Deferred abandonment and asset retirement obligations The EXCO/HGI Partnership applies FASB ASC 410-20, Asset Retirement and Environmental Obligations ("ASC 410-20"), to account for estimated future plugging and abandonment costs. ASC 410-20 requires legal obligations associated with the retirement of long-lived assets to be recognized at their estimated fair value at the time that the obligations are incurred. Upon initial recognition of a liability, that cost is capitalized as part of the related long-lived asset and allocated to expense over the useful life of the asset. The EXCO/HGI Partnership's asset retirement obligations primarily represent the present value of the estimated amount it will incur to plug, abandon and remediate proved producing properties at the end of their productive lives, in accordance with applicable state laws. The EXCO/HGI Partnership's asset retirement obligations are determined using discounted cash flow methodologies based on inputs that are not readily available in public markets. The EXCO/HGI Partnership has no assets that are legally restricted for purposes of settling asset retirement obligations. Revenue recognition and gas imbalances The EXCO/HGI Partnership uses the sales method of accounting for oil and natural gas revenues. Under the sales method, revenues are recognized based on actual volumes of oil and natural gas sold to purchasers. Gas imbalances at March 31, 2013 were not significant. Gathering and transportation The EXCO/HGI Partnership generally sells oil and natural gas under two types of agreements which are common in the industry. Both types of agreements include a transportation charge. One is a net-back arrangement, under which the EXCO/HGI Partnership sells oil or natural gas at the wellhead and collects a price, net of the transportation incurred by the purchaser. In this case, The EXCO/HGI Partnership records sales at the price received from the purchaser, net of the transportation costs. Under the other arrangement, the EXCO/HGI Partnership sells oil or natural gas at a specific delivery point, pays transportation to a third party and receives proceeds from the purchaser with no transportation deduction. In this case, the EXCO/HGI Partnership records the transportation cost as gathering and transportation expense. Due to these two distinct selling arrangements, The EXCO/HGI Partnership's computed realized prices, before the impact of derivative financial instruments, includes revenues which are reported under two separate bases. Overhead reimbursement fees The EXCO/HGI Partnership has classified fees from overhead charges billed to working interest owners, including itself, as a reduction of general and administrative expenses in the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. The EXCO/HGI Partnership's share of these charges was $0.6 and was classified as oil and natural gas production costs. Environmental costs Environmental costs that relate to current operations are expensed as incurred. Remediation costs that relate to an existing condition caused by past operations are accrued when it is probable that those costs will be incurred and can be reasonably estimated based upon evaluations of currently available facts related to each site. Recent Accounting Pronouncements Presentation of Comprehensive Income In June 2011, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2011-05, "Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Presentation of Comprehensive Income," which amends current comprehensive income guidance. This accounting update eliminates the option to present the components of other comprehensive income as part of the statement of shareholders’ equity. Instead, comprehensive income must be reported in either a single continuous statement of comprehensive income which contains two sections, net income and other comprehensive income, or in two separate but consecutive statements. The guidance requiring disclosure of the income statement location where gains and losses reclassified out of comprehensive income are included was deferred in December 2011. In November 2012, the FASB clarified its position on the reclassification disclosures, allowing disclosure of reclassification adjustments on the face of the comprehensive income statement or in the notes to the financial statements. The accounting guidance requiring a comprehensive income statement is now effective for the Company. The Company has implemented all required disclosures. Impairment Testing Also effective October 1, 2012, the Company implemented new guidance intended to simplify how the Company tests for impairments of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets. The guidance will allow the Company to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is necessary to perform the two-step quantitative impairment tests for goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets. The Company will no longer be required to calculate, respectively for goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets, the fair value of a reporting unit, or the fair value of an indefinite-lived intangible asset, unless the Company determines, based on a qualitative assessment, that it is more likely than not that its fair value is less than its carrying amount. The Company will apply this new guidance upon its annual impairment analysis of its goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets, in August 2013. The Company does not expect the adoption of this guidance to have a significant impact on its consolidated financial statements. Offsetting Assets and Liabilities In December 2011, the FASB issued amended disclosure requirements for offsetting financial assets and financial liabilities to allow investors to better compare financial statements prepared under US GAAP with financial statements prepared under International Financial Reporting Standards. The new standards are effective for us beginning in the first quarter of our fiscal year ending September 30, 2014. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this new accounting guidance on the disclosures included in its consolidated financial statements.

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- Definition The entire disclosure for the basis of presentation and significant accounting policies concepts. Basis of presentation describes the underlying basis used to prepare the financial statements (for example, US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, Other Comprehensive Basis of Accounting, IFRS). Accounting policies describe all significant accounting policies of the reporting entity. + References No definition available. + Details
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