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Description of Operations and Significant Accounting Policies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2022
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
Description of Operations and Significant Accounting Policies
1. Description of Operations and Significant Accounting Policies
Nature of Operations:
PrimeEnergy Resources Corporation (“PERC”), a Delaware corporation, was organized in March 1973 and is engaged in the development, acquisition and production of oil and natural gas properties. PrimeEnergy Resources Corporation and its subsidiaries are herein referred to as the “Company.” The Company owns leasehold, mineral and royalty interests in producing and
non-producing
oil and gas properties across the United States, primarily in Oklahoma, and Texas. The Company operates approximately 630 active wells and owns
non-operating
interests and royalties in approximately 800 additional wells. Additionally, the Company provides well-servicing support operations, site-preparation and construction services for oil and gas drilling and reworking operations, both in connection with the Company’s activities and providing contract services for third parties. The Company is publicly traded on the NASDAQ under the symbol “PNRG.” PERC owns Eastern Oil Well Service Company (“EOWSC”) and EOWS Midland Company (“EMID”) which perform oil and gas field servicing. PERC also owns Prime Operating Company (“POC”), which serves as operator for most of the producing oil and gas properties owned by the Company and affiliated entities. The markets for the Company’s products are highly competitive, as oil and gas are commodity products and prices depend upon numerous factors beyond the control of the Company, such as economic, political and regulatory developments and competition from alternative energy sources.
Consolidation and Presentation:
The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of PrimeEnergy Resources Corporation, its subsidiaries and the Partnerships, using the full consolidation method for those partnerships which are controlled by the Company. The Company’s reserve estimates are based on the full consolidation method. DD&A expense and evaluation of impairment may differ from the Partnership as the Company’s cost basis for the Partnership interests acquired may be different than the cost basis at the Partnership level for properties acquired by the Partnership. All significant intercompany balances and transactions are eliminated in preparing the consolidated financial statements.
Reclassifications:
Certain reclassifications have been made to prior year statements to conform with the current year
presentation. These reclassifications have no impact on net income and no material impact on any other financial statement captions.
Subsequent Events:
Subsequent events have been evaluated through the date that the consolidated financial statements were issued. During this period, there were no material subsequent items requiring disclosure, other than as stated in Footnote 4, to these consolidated financial statements.
Use of Estimates:
The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles 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 consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
 
Estimates of oil and gas reserves, as determined by independent petroleum engineers, are continually subject to revision based on price, production history and other factors. Depletion expense, which is computed based on the units of production method, could be significantly impacted by changes in such estimates. Additionally, U.S. generally accepted accounting principles require that if the expected future undiscounted cash flows from an asset are less than its carrying cost, that asset must be written down to its fair market value. As the fair market value of an oil and gas property will usually be significantly less than the total undiscounted future net revenues expected from that asset, slight changes in the estimates used to determine future net revenues from an asset could lead to the necessity of recording a significant impairment of that asset.
Oil and gas properties:
The Company utilizes the successful efforts method of accounting for its oil and gas properties. Under this method, all costs associated with productive wells and nonproductive development wells are capitalized while nonproductive explorat
ion costs an
d geological and geophysical expenditures are expensed. Oil and gas leasehold acquisition costs are capitalized when incurred and included as unproved oil and gas properties in the consolidated balance sheets. The Company does not carry the costs of drilling an exploratory well as an asset in its consolidated balance sheets following the completion of drilling unless both of the following conditions are met: (i) the well has found a sufficient quantity of reserves to justify its completion as a producing well and (ii) the Company is making sufficient progress assessing the reserves and the economic and operating viability of the project. The Company’s exploratory wells include extension wells that extend the limits of a known reservoir. Due to the capital intensive nature and the geographical location of certain projects, it may take an extended period of time to evaluate the future potential of an exploration project and the economics associated with making a determination on its commercial viability. In these instances, the project’s feasibility is not contingent upon price improvements or advances in technology, but rather the Company’s ongoing efforts and expenditures related to accurately predicting the hydrocarbon recoverability based on well information, gaining access to other companies’ production data in the area, transportation or processing facilities, and/or getting partner approval to drill additional appraisal wells. These activities are ongoing and being pursued constantly. Consequently, the Company’s assessment of suspended exploratory/extension well costs is continuous until a decision can be made that the project has found sufficient proved reserves to sanction the project or is determined to be noncommercial and is charged to exploration and abandonments expense. As of December 31, 2022, the Company had no such suspended well costs.
The capitalized costs of proved properties are depleted using the
unit-of-production
method based on proved reserves. Costs of significant nonproducing properties, wells in the process of being drilled and
in-process
development projects are excluded from depletion until the related project is completed and proved reserves are established or, if unsuccessful, abandonments expense is recognized. Proceeds from the sales of individual properties and the capitalized costs of individual properties sold or abandoned are credited and charged, respectively, to accumulated depletion, depreciation and amortization, if doing so does not materially impact the depletion rate of its amortization base. Generally, no gain or loss is recorded until an entire amortization base is sold. However, gain or loss is recorded from the sale of less than an entire amortization base if the disposition is significant enough to materially impact the depletion rate of the remaining properties in the amortization base.
Field and office Equipment:
Depreciation of all other equipment is determined under the straight-line method using various rates based on useful lives generally ranging from 5 to 10 years. The cost of assets and related accumulated depreciation is removed from the accounts when such assets are disposed of, and any related gains or losses are reflected in current earnings.
 
Capitalization of Interest:
Interest costs related to financing major oil and gas projects in progress are capitalized until the projects are evaluated or until the projects are substantially complete and ready for their intended use if the projects are evaluated and successful.
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets:
The Company reviews long-lived assets, including oil and gas properties, for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amounts may not be recovered. If the carrying amounts are not expected to be recovered by undiscounted cash flows, the assets are impaired, and an impairment loss is recorded. The amount of impairment is based on the estimated fair value of the assets determined by discounting anticipated future net cash flows.
Fair Value:
The Company follows the authoritative guidance that establishes a formal framework for measuring fair values of assets and liabilities in financial statements that are already required by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles to be measured at fair value. The guidance defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date (exit price). The transaction is based on a hypothetical transaction in the principal or most advantageous market considered from the perspective of the market participant that holds the asset or owes the liability.
The Company utilizes market data or assumptions that market participants who are independent, knowledgeable and willing and able to transact would use in pricing the asset or liability, including assumptions about risk and the risks inherent in the inputs to the valuation technique. These inputs can be readily observable, market corroborated or generally unobservable. The Company attempts to utilize valuation techniques that maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. The Company is able to classify fair value balances based on the observability of those inputs. The guidance establishes a formal fair value hierarchy based on the inputs used to measure fair value. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to Level 1 inputs, which consist of unadjusted quoted prices for identical instruments in active markets. Level 2 inputs consist of quoted prices for similar instruments. Level 3 valuations are derived from inputs that are significant and unobservable; hence, these valuations have the lowest priority.
Revenue recognition:
The majority of the Company’s production is operated by third party operators where we elect to market our products under the joint operating agreements. Accordingly, we receive our proportionate share of revenue proceeds for production sold by the operator under the operator’s marketing agreements. The Company recognizes revenue and any costs indicated by the operator in the related production period.
The Company recognizes revenue related to production from properties operated by the Company when control of the promised goods or services is transferred to customers at an amount that reflects the consideration to which the Company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services.
Oil sales.
The Company recognizes oil sales revenue when (i) control/custody transfers to the purchaser and (ii) the agreed-upon index price, net of any price differentials, is fixed and determinable. Any costs incurred prior to the transfer of control to the customer, such as gathering and transportation costs, are recognized as oil and gas production costs.
NGL and gas sales
. Under the majority of the Company’s gas processing contracts, gas is delivered to a midstream processing entity and the Company recognizes revenue when the products are delivered to the midstream gathering or processing entity at a specified index price, net of downstream gathering and processing fees.
 
Asset Retirement Obligation:
The asset retirement obligation primarily represents the estimated present value of the amount the Company will incur to plug, abandon and remediate producing properties at the end of their productive lives, in accordance with applicable state laws. The Company determined its asset retirement obligation by calculating the present value of estimated cash flows related to the liability. The asset retirement obligation is recorded as a liability at its estimated present value at its inception, with an offsetting increase to producing properties. Periodic accretion of discount of the estimated liability is recorded as an expense in the statements of income.
Income Taxes:
The Company follows the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recorded for the estimated future tax consequences attributable to the 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 the tax rate in effect for the year in which those temporary differences are expected to turn around. The effect of a change in tax rates on deferred tax assets and liabilities is recognized in the year of the enacted rate change. A valuation allowance is established to reduce deferred tax assets if it is more likely than not that the related tax benefits will not be realized. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, The Company had no valuation allowance.
The Company is required to make judgments, including estimating reserves for potential adverse outcomes regarding tax positions that the Company has taken. The Company accounts for uncertainty in income taxes using a recognition and measurement threshold for tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. The effective tax rate and the tax basis of assets and liabilities reflect management’s estimates of the ultimate outcome of various tax uncertainties.
General and Administrative Expenses:
General and administrative expenses represent cost and expenses associated with the operation of the Company.
Earnings Per Common Share:
Basic earnings per share are computed by dividing earnings available to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per share reflect per share amounts that would have resulted if dilutive potential common stock had been converted to common stock in gain periods.
Statements of Cash Flows:
For purposes of the consolidated statements of cash flows, the Company considers short-term, highly liquid investments with original maturities of less than ninety days to be cash equivalents.
Concentration of Credit Risk:
The Company maintains significant banking relationships with financial institutions in the State of Texas. The Company limits its risk by periodically evaluating the relative credit standing of these financial institutions. The Company’s oil and gas production purchasers consist primarily of independent marketers and major gas pipeline companies.
Hedging:
The Company periodically enters into oil and gas financial instruments to manage its exposure to oil and gas price volatility. The oil and gas reference prices upon which the price hedging instruments are based reflect
 
various market indices that have a high degree of historical correlation with actual prices received by the Company.
The financial instruments are accounted for in accordance with applicable accounting standards for derivative instruments and hedging activities. Such standards require that applicable derivative instruments be measured at fair market value and recognized as assets or liabilities in the balance sheet. The accounting for changes in the fair value of a derivative depends on the intended use of the derivative and the resulting designation is generally established at the inception of a derivative. For derivatives designated as cash flow hedges and meeting applicable effectiveness guidelines, changes in fair value, to the extent effective, are recognized in other comprehensive income until the hedged item is recognized in earnings. Hedge effectiveness is measured at least quarterly based on the relative changes in fair value between the derivative contract and the hedged item over time. Any change in fair value of a derivative resulting from ineffectiveness or an excluded component of the gain/loss is recognized immediately in the statements of income.