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SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2020

NOTE 2—SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Use of estimates: The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

On an ongoing basis, the Company evaluates its estimates, including those related to the recoverability of long-lived assets and intangibles, useful lives used in depreciation and amortization, uncollectible accounts receivable, inventory reserve, income taxes, self-insurance liabilities, share-based compensation, contingent liabilities and the incremental borrowing rate for leases. The Company bases its estimates on historical and other pertinent information that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. The accounting estimates used in the preparation of the

consolidated financial statements may change as new events occur, as more experience is acquired, as additional information is obtained and as the Company’s operating environment changes.

Cash and cash equivalents: The Company considers all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents.

Accounts receivable: Accounts receivable are stated at the invoiced amount, or the earned but not yet invoiced amount, net of an allowance for credit losses.

Allowance for credit losses: The Company’s allowance for credit losses primarily relates to trade accounts receivable. The Company treats trade accounts receivable as one portfolio and records an initial allowance calculated as a percentage of revenue recognized based on a combination of historical information and future expectations. Additionally, the Company adjusts this allowance based on specific information in connection with aged receivables. Historically, most bad debt has been incurred where a customer’s financial condition significantly deteriorates, which in some cases leads to bankruptcy. The duration and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic and continued market volatility is highly uncertain, and, as such, the impact on expected losses is subject to significant judgment and may cause variability in the Company’s allowance for credit losses in future periods.

The change in the allowance for credit losses is as follows:


	For the year ended December 31,
	2020		2019		2018
	(in thousands)
Balance at beginning of year	$	5,773	$	5,329	$	2,979
Increase to allowance based on a percent of revenue		1,212		2,641		2,253
Adjustment based on aged receivable analysis		5,161		(88)		(43)
Charge-offs		(3,003)		(2,504)		(23)
Recoveries		14		395		163
Balance at end of year	$	9,157	$	5,773	$	5,329

The Company also has a $3.0 million note receivable resulting from an investment in the fourth quarter of 2020, with no allowance for credit losses as of December 31, 2020. See Note 14 – Related Party Transactions for additional information.

Concentrations of credit and customer risk: Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist principally of cash and cash equivalents and trade accounts receivable. The amounts held in financial institutions periodically exceed the federally insured limit. Management believes that the financial institutions are financially sound and the risk of loss is minimal. The Company minimizes its exposure to counterparty credit risk by performing credit evaluations and ongoing monitoring of the financial stability of its customers. There were no customers that accounted for more than 10% of the Company’s consolidated revenues or receivables for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Inventories: The Company values its inventories at lower of cost or net realizable value. Inventory costs are determined under the weighted-average method. Inventory costs primarily consist of chemicals and materials available for resale and parts and consumables used in operations.

Property and equipment: Property and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation.

Depreciation (and amortization of finance lease assets) is calculated on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful life of each asset as noted below:


Asset Classification		Useful Life (years)
Land		Indefinite
Buildings and leasehold improvements		30 or lease term
Vehicles and equipment		4 - 7 or lease term
Machinery and equipment		2 - 15
Computer equipment and software		3 - 4 or lease term
Office furniture and equipment		7
Disposal wells		7 - 10

Depreciation expense related to the Company’s property and equipment, including amortization of property under finance leases, was $90.2 million, $108.7 million and $120.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Change in depreciable lives of property and equipment: In accordance with its policy, the Company reviews the estimated useful lives and estimated salvage values of its fixed assets on an ongoing basis. A review conducted in the first quarter of 2018, indicated that the economic lives of certain assets were longer than the historic asset lives previously used. This increase was positively supported by effective use, care and custody of the assets. Also, this review indicated increased salvage value estimates for certain assets within vehicles and equipment, which was supported by vehicle sales data, and is expected to continue prospectively. As a result, effective January 1, 2018, the Company changed its estimates of the useful lives of certain assets included in vehicles and equipment and machinery and equipment, and increased salvage value estimates for certain assets within vehicles and equipment, to better reflect the estimated periods and depreciable amounts during which these assets will remain in service.

The average estimated useful lives of the assets impacted in the vehicles and equipment category increased from 6.0 to 8.1 years, while the average estimated useful lives of assets impacted in machinery and equipment increased from 5.5 years to 6.9 years. The impact of the increase of useful lives was to defer and extend out depreciation expense, including lower expense in 2018. The impact of the increase in salvage values was to permanently lower current and future depreciation expense. The fixed assets obtained in 2017 through mergers and acquisitions had consistent useful life and salvage value estimates with the rest of the Company’s fixed assets.

The change in the estimated useful lives of fixed assets and change in salvage value estimates was implemented on a prospective basis starting January 1, 2018. Excluding fixed assets attained through mergers and acquisitions during 2017, the impact of the change in useful life estimate of fixed assets purchased on or before December 31, 2017, was to reduce and defer depreciation expense by $12.6 million during the year ended December 31, 2018. Also, the increase in estimated vehicle salvage value produced a permanent depreciation expense reduction of $3.9 million during the year ended December 31, 2018. For the year ended December 31, 2018, the changes in useful life estimate and increased salvage value produced an increase to net income of $10.9 million (including the impact of noncontrolling interests) and increased both basic and diluted earnings per share attributable to our stockholders by $0.15.

Business Combinations: The Company records business combinations using the acquisition method of accounting. Under the acquisition method of accounting, identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed are recorded at their acquisition-date fair values. The excess of the purchase price over the estimated fair value is recorded as goodwill. Changes in the estimated fair values of net assets recorded for acquisitions prior to the finalization of more detailed analysis, but not to exceed one year from the date of acquisition, will adjust the amount of the purchase price allocable to goodwill. Measurement period adjustments are reflected in the period in which they occur.

Goodwill and other intangible assets: Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price of acquisitions over the fair value of the net assets acquired. Goodwill and other intangible assets not subject to amortization are tested for impairment annually or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the asset might be impaired. Intangible assets with finite useful lives are amortized either on a straight-line basis over the asset’s estimated useful life or on a basis that reflects the pattern in which the economic benefits of the intangible assets are realized.

Impairment of goodwill, long-lived assets and intangible assets: Long-lived assets, such as property and equipment and finite-lived intangible assets, are evaluated for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that its carrying value may not be recoverable. Recoverability is measured by a comparison of its carrying amount to the estimated undiscounted cash flows to be generated by those assets. If the undiscounted cash flows are less than the carrying amount, the Company records impairment losses for the excess of its carrying value over the estimated fair value. The development of future cash flows and the estimate of fair value represent its best estimates based on industry trends and reference to market transactions and are subject to variability. The Company considers the factors within the fair value analysis to be Level 3 inputs within the fair value hierarchy. See Note 4—Impairments and Other Costs for further discussion.

The Company conducts its annual goodwill impairment tests in the fourth quarter of each year, and whenever impairment indicators arise, by examining relevant events and circumstances which could have a negative impact on its goodwill such as macroeconomic conditions, industry and market conditions, cost factors that have a negative effect on earnings and cash flows, overall financial performance, acquisitions and divestitures and other relevant entity-specific events. If a qualitative assessment indicates that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, the Company is required to perform a quantitative impairment test for goodwill comparing the reporting unit’s carrying value to its fair value. The Company’s reporting units are based on its organizational and reporting structure. In determining fair values for the reporting units, the Company relies primarily on the income and market approaches for valuation. In the income approach, the Company discounts predicted future cash flows using a weighted-average cost of capital calculation based on publicly-traded peer companies. In the market approach, valuation multiples are developed from both publicly-traded peer companies as well as other company transactions. The cost approach, when used, considers replacement cost as the primary indicator of value.

If the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, goodwill impairment is calculated by subtracting the fair value of the reporting unit from the carrying value. Application of the goodwill impairment test requires judgment, including the identification of reporting units, allocation of assets (including goodwill) and liabilities to reporting units and determining the fair value. The determination of reporting unit fair value relies upon certain estimates and assumptions that are complex and are affected by numerous factors, including the general economic environment and levels of exploration and production (“E&P”) activity of oil and gas companies, the Company’s financial performance and trends and the Company’s strategies and business plans, among others. Unanticipated changes, including immaterial revisions, to these assumptions, could result in a provision for impairment in a future period. Given the nature of these evaluations and their application to specific assets and time frames, it is not possible to reasonably quantify the impact of changes in these assumptions. See Note 4—Impairments and Other Costs for further discussion.

Asset retirement obligations: The asset retirement obligation (“ARO”) liability reflects the present value of estimated costs of plugging, site reclamation and similar activities associated with the Company’s saltwater disposal wells. The Company utilizes current retirement costs to estimate the expected cash outflows for retirement obligations. The Company also estimates the productive life of the disposal wells, a credit-adjusted risk-free discount rate and an inflation factor in order to determine the current present value of this obligation. The Company’s ARO liabilities are included in accrued expenses and other current liabilities and other long-term liabilities as of December 31, 2020, and 2019.

The change in asset retirement obligations is as follows:


	For the year ended December 31,
	2020		2019

	(in thousands)
Balance at December 31, 2019	$	1,527	$	1,898
Accretion expense, included in depreciation and amortization expense		121		115
Disposals, included in depreciation and amortization expense		(272)		—
Payments		(377)		(486)
Balance at December 31, 2020	$	999	$	1,527

In addition to the obligations described above, the Company may be obligated to remove facilities or perform other remediation upon retirement of certain other assets. However, the fair value of the asset retirement obligation cannot currently be reasonably estimated because the settlement dates are indeterminable. If applicable, the Company will record an asset retirement obligation for these assets in the periods in which settlement dates are reasonably determinable.

Self-insurance: The Company self-insures, through deductibles and retentions, up to certain levels for losses related to general liability, workers’ compensation and employer’s liability, vehicle liability, and effective June 1, 2020, health insurance. The Company’s exposure (i.e. the retention or deductible) per occurrence is $2.0 million for general liability, $1.0 million for workers’ compensation and employer’s liability, $2.0 million for vehicle liability and $0.2 million for health insurance. We also have an excess loss policy over these coverages with a limit of $100.0 million in the aggregate. Management regularly reviews its estimates of reported and unreported claims and provide for losses through reserves. As of December 31, 2020, the Company estimated the range of exposure to be from $12.9 million to $14.9 million for worker’s compensation and vehicle liability claims and have recorded liabilities of $13.9 million, which represents management’s best estimate of probable loss related to these claims. Additionally, accrued health insurance and accrued general liabilities were $1.7 million and $0.5 million as of December 31, 2020, respectively. These liabilities are included in accrued insurance and other long-term liabilities depending on whether they are short or long-term in nature.

Defined Contribution Plan: The Company sponsors a defined contribution 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan (the “401(k) Plan”) for the benefit of substantially all employees of the Company. The 401(k) Plan allows eligible employees to make tax-deferred contributions, not to exceed annual limits established by the Internal Revenue Service. The Company formerly matched contributions of 100% of employee contributions, up to 4% of compensation with immediate vesting for existing employees. The vesting schedule for new hires is 25% for the first year, 50% for the second year, 75% for the third year and 100% for the fourth year.

During the year ended December 31, 2020, due to worsening economic conditions, the Company suspended the match to the 401(k) Plan and incurred no match expense in 2020. The Company’s contributions to the 401(k) Plan were $4.2 million and $3.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Payroll Tax Deferral: During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company took advantage of the employer payroll tax deferral provision in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act and has deferred the payment of $6.0 million of payroll taxes as of December 31, 2020. The amounts being deferred during 2020, must be repaid half by December 31, 2021, and half by December 31, 2022. The deferral is split evenly between accrued salaries and benefits and other long-term liabilities on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2020.

Revenue recognition: The Company follows ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606). See Note 5—Revenue for further detail on applying this standard. The Company uses the five step process to recognize revenue which entails (i) identifying contracts with customers; (ii) identifying the performance obligations in each contract; (iii) determining the transaction price; (iv) allocating the transaction price to the performance obligations; and (v) recognizing revenue as we satisfy performance obligations. The Company only applies the five-step model to contracts when it is probable that the Company will collect the consideration it is entitled to in exchange for the goods or services transferred to the customer. Revenue from the Company’s Water Services and Water Infrastructure segments is typically recognized over the course of time, whereas revenue from the Company’s Chemicals segment is typically recognized upon change in control. Revenue generated by each of the Company’s revenue streams are outlined as follows:

Water Services and Water Infrastructure—The Company provides water-related services to customers, including the sourcing and transfer of water, the containment of fluids, measuring and monitoring of water, the filtering and treatment of fluids, well testing and handling, transportation and recycling or disposal of fluids. Revenue is primarily based on a per-barrel price or other throughput metrics as specified in the contract. The Company recognizes revenue as services are performed.

The Company’s agreements with its customers are often referred to as “price sheets” and sometimes provide pricing for multiple services. However, these agreements generally do not authorize the performance of specific services or provide for guaranteed throughput amounts. As customers are free to choose which services, if any, to use based on the Company’s price sheet, the Company prices its separate services on the basis of their standalone selling prices. Customer agreements generally do not provide for performance-, cancellation-, termination-, or refund-type provisions. Services based on price sheets with customers are generally performed under separately-issued “work orders” or “field tickets” as services are requested. Of the Company’s Water Services and Water Infrastructure service lines, only sourcing and transfer of water are consistently provided as part of the same arrangement. In these instances, revenue for both sourcing and transfer are recognized concurrently when delivered. Additionally, asset rentals are recognized on a straight-line basis.

Oilfield Chemical Product Sales—The Company develops, manufactures and markets a full suite of chemicals utilized in hydraulic fracturing, stimulation, cementing and well completions, including polymers that create viscosity, crosslinkers, friction reducers, surfactants, buffers, breakers and other chemical technologies, to leading pressure pumping service companies in the U.S. The Company also provides production chemicals solutions, which are applied to underperforming wells in order to enhance well performance and reduce production costs through the use of production treating chemicals, corrosion and scale monitoring, chemical inventory management, well failure analysis and lab services.

Oilfield Chemicals products are generally sold under sales agreements based upon purchase orders or contracts with customers that do not include right of return provisions or other significant post-delivery obligations. The Company’s products are produced in a standard manufacturing operation, even if produced to the customer’s specifications. The prices of products are fixed and determinable and are established in price lists or customer purchase orders. The Company recognizes revenue from product sales when title passes to the customer, the customer assumes risks and rewards of ownership, collectability is reasonably assured and delivery occurs as directed by the customer.

Equity-based compensation: The Company accounts for equity-based awards for restricted stock awards, restricted stock units, and stock-settled appreciation awards by measuring the awards at the date of grant and recognizing the grant-date fair value as an expense using either straight-line or accelerated attribution, depending on the specific terms of the award agreements over the requisite service period, which is usually equivalent to the vesting period. The Company expenses awards with graded-vesting service conditions on a straight-line basis and accounts for forfeitures as they occur. The Company accounts for performance share units by remeasuring the awards at the end of each reporting period based on the period-end closing share price, factoring in the percentage expected to vest, and the percentage of the service period completed.

Fair value measurements: The Company measures certain assets and liabilities pursuant to accounting guidance, which establishes a three-tier fair value hierarchy and prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value. Level 1 inputs are unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. Level 2 inputs are quoted prices or other market data for similar assets and liabilities in active markets, or inputs that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly through market corroboration, for substantially the full term of the asset or liability. Level 3 inputs are unobservable inputs based upon the Company’s own judgment and assumptions used to measure assets and liabilities at fair value. See Note 13—Fair Value Measurement for further discussion.

Income taxes: Select Inc. is subject to U.S. federal, foreign and state income taxes as a corporation. SES Holdings and its subsidiaries, with the exception of certain corporate subsidiaries, are treated as flow-through entities for U.S. federal income tax purposes and as such, are generally not subject to U.S. federal income tax at the entity level. Rather, the tax liability with respect to their taxable income is passed through to their members or partners. Select Inc. recognizes a tax liability on its allocable share of SES Holdings’ taxable income. The state of Texas includes in its tax system a franchise tax applicable to the Company and an accrual for franchise taxes is included in the financial statements when appropriate.

The Company and its subsidiaries account for income taxes under the asset and liability method. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the estimated future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax basis.

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled pursuant to the provisions of Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 740, Income Taxes. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rate is recognized in earnings in the period that includes the enactment date. Valuation allowances are established when necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to the amounts more likely than not to be realized.

The determination of the provision for income taxes requires significant judgment, use of estimates and the interpretation and application of complex tax laws. Significant judgment is required in assessing the timing and amounts of deductible and taxable items and the probability of sustaining uncertain tax positions. The benefits of uncertain tax positions are recorded in the Company’s financial statements only after determining a more likely than not probability that the uncertain tax positions will withstand challenge, if any, from taxing authorities. When facts and circumstances change, the Company reassesses these probabilities and records any changes through the provision for income taxes. The Company recognizes interest and penalties relating to uncertain tax provisions as a component of tax expense. The Company identified no material uncertain tax positions as of December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018. See Note 15—Income Taxes for further discussion.

Recent accounting pronouncements: In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, which amends GAAP by introducing a new impairment model for financial instruments that is based on expected credit losses rather than incurred credit losses. The new impairment model applies to most financial assets, including trade accounts receivable. The amendments are effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019, and require a modified retrospective transition approach. After reviewing the new standard and reexamining current and prior year bad debt expense from trade receivables, as well as updating future expectations, the adoption of the new standard in the first quarter of 2020 did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements.

In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-12, “Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes” (“ASU 2019-12”), which simplifies the accounting for income taxes by removing certain exceptions to the general principles in Topic 740 and also clarifies and amends existing guidance to improve consistent application. We adopted ASU 2019-12 in the third quarter of 2020 and elected all aspects of this standard as of the beginning of 2020. The adoption did not have a material impact to the Company’s financial statements.