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Divestitures
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Discontinued Operations and Disposal Groups [Abstract]  
Divestitures
Divestitures

Sale of Gulf of Mexico and Gulf Coast Properties

On February 25, 2014, the Company sold subsidiaries that owned the Company’s Gulf of Mexico and Gulf Coast oil and natural gas properties (the “Gulf Properties”) to Fieldwood Energy, LLC (“Fieldwood”) for approximately $702.6 million, net of working capital adjustments and post-closing adjustments, and the Fieldwood’s assumption of approximately $366.0 million of related asset retirement obligations. This transaction did not result in a significant alteration of the relationship between the Company’s capitalized costs and proved reserves and, accordingly, the Company recorded the proceeds as a reduction of its full cost pool with no gain or loss on the sale. See Note 14 for discussion of Fieldwood’s related party affiliation with the Company.

In accordance with the terms of the sale, the Company agreed to guarantee on behalf of Fieldwood certain plugging and abandonment obligations associated with the Gulf Properties for a period of up to one year from the date of closing. The Company recorded a liability equal to the fair value of these guarantees, or $9.4 million, at the time the transaction closed. As of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the fair value of the guarantees was approximately $4.8 million and $5.1 million, respectively. See Note 4 for additional discussion of the determination of the guarantees’ fair value. The guarantees do not include a limit on the potential future payments for which the Company could be obligated; however, Fieldwood has agreed to indemnify the Company for any costs it may incur as a result of the guarantees and to use its best efforts to pay any amounts sought from the Company by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management that may arise prior to the expiration of the guarantees. The Company has not incurred any costs as a result of this guarantee, which, as of February 25, 2015, it was permitted to terminate under the terms of the agreement with Fieldwood. The Company submitted a request for release of the guarantee to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on March 31, 2015. Additionally, Fieldwood maintained, for a period of up to one year from the closing date, restricted deposits held in escrow for plugging and abandonment obligations associated with the Gulf Properties. During the three-month period ended March 31, 2015, the Company received its share of such deposits, net of any amounts payable to Fieldwood, or $12.0 million, in accordance with the terms of the sale.

The following table presents revenues and expenses, including direct operating expenses, depletion, accretion of asset retirement obligations and general and administrative expenses, for the Gulf Properties included in the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations for the three-month period ended March 31, 2014 (in thousands):
 
Three Months Ended March 31, 2014 (1)
Revenues
$
90,920

Expenses
$
63,674

____________________
(1)
Includes revenues and expenses through February 25, 2014, the date of the sale.