Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2019

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Cash and Cash Equivalents

(a) Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents are comprised of cash in banks and highly liquid instruments with original maturities of three months or less, primarily consisting of bank time deposits and investments in institutional money market funds. The carrying amounts approximate fair value due to the short-term nature of these items. Cash in bank accounts at times may exceed federally insured limits.

Accounts Receivable

(b) Accounts Receivable

Accounts receivable are carried at estimated net realizable value. Trade credit is generally extended on a short-term basis, and therefore, accounts receivable do not bear interest, although a finance charge may be applied to such receivables that are past due. A valuation allowance is provided for those accounts for which collection is estimated as doubtful and uncollectible accounts are written off and charged against the allowance. In estimating the allowance, management considers, among other things, how recently and how frequently payments have been received and the financial position of the counterparty. The Company did not deem any of its accounts receivables to be uncollectible as of September 30, 2019 or December 31, 2018.

The Company accrues revenue due to timing differences between the delivery of natural gas, NGLs, and crude oil and the receipt of a delivery statement. These revenues are recorded based upon volumetric data from the Company’s records and management’s estimates of the related commodity sales prices and transportation and compression fees.

Property and Equipment

(c) Property and Equipment

Oil and Natural Gas Properties

The Company follows the successful efforts method of accounting for its oil and natural gas operations. Acquisition costs for oil and natural gas properties, costs of drilling and equipping productive wells and costs of unsuccessful development wells are capitalized and amortized on an equivalent unit-of-production basis over the life of the remaining related oil and gas reserves. The estimated future costs of dismantlement, restoration, plugging and abandonment of oil and gas properties and related disposal are capitalized when asset retirement obligations are incurred and amortized as part of depreciation, depletion, amortization and accretion expense (see “Depreciation, Depletion, Amortization and Accretion” below).

Costs incurred to acquire producing and non-producing leaseholds are capitalized. All unproved leasehold acquisition costs are initially capitalized, including the cost of leasing agents, title work and due diligence. If the Company acquires leases in a prospective area, these costs are capitalized as unproved leasehold costs. If no leases are acquired by the Company with respect to the initial costs incurred or the Company discontinues leasing in a prospective area, the costs are charged to exploration expense. Unproved leasehold costs that are determined to have proved oil and gas reserves are transferred to proved leasehold costs.

Upon the sale or retirement of a complete field of a proved property, the cost is eliminated from the property accounts, and the resultant gain or loss is reclassified to the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. Upon the sale of an individual well, the proceeds are credited to accumulated depreciation and depletion within the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. Upon the sale of an entire interest in an unproved property where the property had been assessed for impairment individually, a gain or loss is recognized in the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. Upon the sale of an entire interest in an unproved property where the property had been assessed for impairment on a group basis, no gain or loss is recognized in the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations unless the proceeds exceed the original cost of the property, in which case a gain is recognized in the amount of such excess. If a partial interest in an unproved property is sold, any funds received are accounted for as a reduction of the cost in the interest retained.

A summary of property and equipment including oil and natural gas properties is as follows (in thousands):

	September 30, 2019			December 31, 2018
Oil and natural gas properties:
Unproved	$	520,941		$	482,475
Proved		2,702,202			2,188,233
Gross oil and natural gas properties		3,223,143			2,670,708
Less accumulated depreciation, depletion and    amortization		(1,491,326	)		(1,380,650	)
Oil and natural gas properties, net		1,731,817			1,290,058
Other property and equipment		21,935			14,460
Less accumulated depreciation		(9,586	)		(8,160	)
Other property and equipment, net		12,349			6,300
Property and equipment, net	$	1,744,166		$	1,296,358

Exploration expenses, including geological and geophysical expenses and delay rentals for unevaluated oil and gas properties are charged to expense as incurred. Exploratory drilling costs are initially capitalized as unproved property, and not subject to depletion, but charged to expense if and when the well is determined not to have found proved oil and gas reserves.

Other Property and Equipment

Other property and equipment includes land, buildings, leasehold improvements, vehicles, computer equipment and software, telecommunications equipment, and furniture and fixtures. These items are recorded at cost, or fair value if acquired through a business acquisition.

Revenue Recognition

(d) Revenue Recognition

Product Revenue

The Company’s revenues are primarily derived from the sale of natural gas and oil production, as well as the sale of NGLs that are extracted from the natural gas. Sales of natural gas, NGLs, and oil are recognized when the Company satisfies a performance obligation by transferring control of a product to a customer. Payment is generally received one month after the sale has occurred.

Natural Gas

Under the Company’s natural gas sales contracts, the Company delivers natural gas to the purchaser at an agreed upon delivery point. Natural gas is transported from the wellhead to delivery points specified under sales contracts. To deliver natural gas to these points, the Company uses third parties to gather, compress, process and transport the natural gas.  The Company maintains control of the natural gas during gathering, compression, processing, and transportation. The Company’s sales contracts provide that it receives a specific index price adjusted for pricing differentials. The Company transfers control of the product at the delivery point and recognizes revenue based on the contract price. The costs to gather, compress, process and transport the natural gas are recorded as transportation, gathering and compression expense.

NGLs

The Company sells NGLs directly to the NGLs purchaser. For these NGLs, the sales contracts provide that the Company deliver the product to the purchaser at an agreed upon delivery point and that the Company receives a specific index price adjusted for pricing differentials and certain downstream costs incurred by third parties.  The Company transfers control of the product to the purchaser at the delivery point and recognizes revenue based on the contract price. The costs to process and transport NGLs prior to the delivery point are recorded as transportation, gathering and compression expense.

Oil

Under the Company’s oil sales contracts, the Company generally sells oil to the purchaser from storage tanks at central stabilization facilities and well pads and collects a contractually agreed upon index price, net of pricing differentials and certain costs incurred by third parties. The Company transfers control of the product from the central stabilization facilities and well pads to the purchaser and recognizes revenue based on the contract price.

Marketing Revenue

Brokered natural gas and marketing revenues are derived from activities to purchase and sell third-party natural gas and to market excess firm transportation capacity to third parties. The Company retains control of the purchased natural gas and NGLs prior to delivery to the purchaser. The Company has concluded that it is the principal in these arrangements and therefore the Company recognizes revenue on a gross basis, with costs to purchase and transport natural gas presented as brokered natural gas and marketing expense. Contracts to sell third-party natural gas are generally subject to similar terms as contracts to sell the Company’s produced natural gas and NGLs.  The Company satisfies performance obligations to the purchaser by transferring control of the product at the delivery point and recognizes revenue based on the price received from the purchaser.

Disaggregation of Revenue

The following table illustrates the revenue disaggregated by type for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018:

	Three Months Ended September 30,				Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2019		2018		2019		2018
Revenues (in thousands)
Natural gas sales	$	87,841	$	65,756	$	264,030	$	178,648
NGL sales		20,200		25,074		60,841		63,520
Oil sales		44,980		36,349		103,407		98,452
Brokered natural gas and marketing revenue		10,228		2,944		31,747		3,318
Other revenue		46		—		307		—
Total revenues	$	163,295	$	130,123	$	460,332	$	343,938

Transaction Price Allocated to Remaining Performance Obligations

A significant number of the Company’s product sales are short-term in nature with a contract term of one year or less.  For those contracts, the Company has utilized the practical expedient allowed in the revenue accounting standard that exempts the Company from disclosure of the transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations if the performance obligations are part of a contract that has an original expected duration of one year or less.

For any product sales that have a contract term greater than one year, the Company has also utilized the practical expedient that states that it is not required to disclose the transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations if the variable consideration is allocated entirely to a wholly unsatisfied performance obligation.  Under these product sales contracts, each unit of product generally represents a separate performance obligation; therefore, future volumes are wholly unsatisfied, and disclosure of the transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations is not required.  Currently, any product sales that have a contractual term greater than one year have no long-term fixed considerations.

Contract Balances

Under the Company’s sales contracts, customers are invoiced once performance obligations have been satisfied, at which point payment is unconditional.  Accordingly, the Company’s product sales contracts do not give rise to contract assets or liabilities.  Accounts receivable attributable to the Company’s revenue contracts with customers was $57.2 million and $94.1 million at September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively.

Concentration of Credit Risk

(e) Concentration of Credit Risk

The Company’s principal exposures to credit risk are through the sale of its oil and natural gas production and related products and services, joint interest owner receivables and receivables resulting from commodity derivative contracts. The inability or failure of the Company’s significant customers or counterparties to meet their obligations or their insolvency or liquidation may adversely affect the Company’s financial results. The following table summarizes the Company’s concentration of receivables, net of allowances (if any), by product or service as of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 (in thousands):

	September 30, 2019		December 31, 2018
Receivables by product or service:
Sale of oil and natural gas and related products    and services	$	57,245	$	94,107
Joint interest owners		16,305		24,830
Derivatives		366		372
Other		3,238		23
Total	$	77,154	$	119,332

Oil and natural gas customers include pipelines, distribution companies, producers, gas marketers and industrial users primarily located in the States of Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. As a general policy, collateral is not required for receivables, but customers’ financial condition and creditworthiness are evaluated regularly. By using derivative instruments that are not traded on an exchange to hedge exposures to changes in commodity prices, the Company exposes itself to the credit risk of the counterparties to these derivative instruments. Credit risk is the potential failure of the counterparty to perform under the terms of the derivative contract. When the fair value of a derivative contract is positive, the counterparty is expected to owe the Company, which creates credit risk. To minimize the credit risk in derivative instruments, the Company’s policy is to enter into derivative contracts only with counterparties that are creditworthy financial institutions deemed by management as competent and competitive market-makers. Additionally, the Company uses master netting agreements to minimize credit risk exposure. The creditworthiness of the Company’s counterparties is subject to periodic review. Such counterparties are not required to provide credit support to the Company. The fair value of the Company’s unsettled commodity derivative contracts was a net asset position of $28.1 million and $5.7 million at September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively. Other than as provided by its revolving credit facility, the Company is not required to provide credit support or collateral to any of its counterparties under the Company’s derivative contracts. As of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018, the Company did not have past-due receivables from or payables to any of such counterparties.

Depreciation, Depletion, Amortization, and Accretion

(f) Depreciation, Depletion, Amortization and Accretion

Oil and Natural Gas Properties

Depreciation, depletion, amortization and accretion (“DD&A”) of capitalized costs of proved oil and natural gas properties is computed using the unit-of-production method on a field level basis using total estimated proved reserves. The reserve base used to calculate DD&A for leasehold acquisition costs and the cost to acquire proved properties is the sum of proved developed reserves and proved undeveloped reserves. The reserve base used to calculate DD&A for drilling, completion and well equipment costs, which include development costs and successful exploration drilling costs, includes only proved developed reserves. DD&A expense relating to proved oil and natural gas properties, including accretion expense, totaled approximately $44.9 million and $34.0 million for the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively, and $112.4 million and $97.3 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively, and is included in depreciation, depletion, amortization and accretion expense in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Other Property and Equipment

Depreciation with respect to other property and equipment is calculated using straight-line methods based on expected lives of the individual assets or groups of assets ranging from five to 40 years. Depreciation totaled approximately $0.6 million and $0.4 million for the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively, and $1.6 million and $1.4 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively. This amount is included in depreciation, depletion, amortization and accretion expense in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

(g) Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

The Company reviews its long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. If it is determined that an asset’s estimated future cash flows will not be sufficient to recover its carrying amount, an impairment charge will be recorded to reduce the carrying amount for that asset to its estimated fair value if such carrying amount exceeds the fair value.

The review for impairment of the Company’s oil and gas properties is performed by determining whether the historical cost of proved and unproved properties less the applicable accumulated DD&A and abandonment is less than the estimated expected undiscounted future cash flows. The expected future cash flows are estimated based on the Company’s plans to continue to produce and develop proved reserves and a risk-adjusted portion of probable reserves. Expected future cash flow from the sale of production of reserves is calculated based on estimated future prices. The Company estimates prices based upon current contracts in place, adjusted for basis differentials and market-related information, including published futures prices. The estimated future level of production is based on assumptions surrounding future prices and costs, field decline rates, market demand and supply and the economic and regulatory climates. If the carrying value exceeds the expected future cash flows, an impairment loss is recognized for the difference between the estimated fair market value (as determined by discounted future cash flows) and the carrying value of the assets.  There were no impairments of proved properties for the three or nine months ended September 30, 2019 or the three or nine months ended September 30, 2018.

When an impairment charge is recognized it represents a significant Level 3 measurement in the fair value hierarchy. The primary input used is the Company’s forecasted discount net cash flows.

The determination of oil and natural gas reserve estimates is a subjective process, and the accuracy of any reserve estimate depends on the quality of available data and the application of engineering and geological interpretation and judgment. Estimates of economically recoverable reserves and future net cash flows depend on a number of variable factors and assumptions that are difficult to predict and may vary considerably from actual results.

Unproved oil and natural gas properties are periodically assessed for impairment by considering future drilling and exploration plans, results of exploration activities, commodity price outlooks, planned future sales and expiration of all or a portion of the properties. An impairment charge is recorded if conditions indicate the Company will not explore the acreage prior to expiration of the applicable leases. The Company recorded impairment charges of unproved oil and gas properties related to lease expirations of approximately $14.1 million and $7.0 million for the three months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively, and $36.2 million and $20.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively. These costs are included in exploration expense in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Income Taxes

(h) Income Taxes

The Company accounts for income taxes under the liability method as set out in the FASB’s Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 740 “Income Taxes.” Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax basis and operating loss and tax credit carry-forwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance when, in the opinion of management, it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized.

ASC Topic 740 further provides that a tax benefit from an uncertain tax position may be recognized when it is more likely than not (i.e. a likelihood greater than 50 percent) that the position will be sustained upon examination, including resolutions of any related appeals or litigation processes, based on the technical merits. Income tax positions must meet a more-likely-than-not recognition threshold at the effective date to be recognized upon the adoption of the uncertain tax position guidance and in subsequent periods. This interpretation also provides guidance on measurement, derecognition, classification, interest and penalties, accounting in interim periods, disclosure and transition. The Company has not recorded a reserve for any uncertain tax positions to date.

The Company applies Topic 740’s intra-period income tax allocation rules using the with and without approach, to allocate income tax expense (benefit) among continuing operations, discontinued operations, other comprehensive income (loss), and additional paid-in capital as required.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

(i) Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The Company has established a hierarchy to measure its financial instruments at fair value, which requires it to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value. The hierarchy defines three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value:

Level 1—Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical, unrestricted assets and liabilities that the reporting entity has the ability to access at the measurement date.

Level 2—Inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the asset and liability or can be corroborated with observable market data for substantially the entire contractual term of the asset or liability.  The Company’s valuation models are primarily industry-standard models that consider various inputs including: (i) quoted forward prices for commodities, (ii) time value, (iii) current market and contractual prices for the underlying instruments and (iv) volatility factors, as well as other relevant economic measures.

Level 3—Unobservable inputs that reflect the entity’s own assumptions about the assumption market participants would use in the pricing of the asset or liability and are consequently not based on market activity but rather through particular valuation techniques.

Valuation techniques that maximize the use of observable inputs are favored. Assets and liabilities are classified in their entirety based on the lowest priority level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement requires judgment and may affect the placement of assets and liabilities within the levels of the fair value hierarchy.

Derivative Financial Instruments

(j) Derivative Financial Instruments

The Company uses derivative financial instruments to reduce exposure to fluctuations in the prices of the energy commodities it sells.

Derivatives are recorded at fair value and are included on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as current and noncurrent assets and liabilities. Derivatives are classified as current or noncurrent based on the contractual expiration date. Derivatives with expiration dates within the next 12 months are classified as current. The Company netted the fair value of derivatives by counterparty in the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets where the right to offset exists. The Company’s derivative instruments were not designated as hedges for accounting purposes for any of the periods presented. Accordingly, the changes in fair value are recognized in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations in the period of change. Gains and losses on derivatives are included in cash flows from operating activities. Premiums for options are included in cash flows from operating activities.

The valuation of the Company’s derivative financial instruments represents a Level 2 measurement in the fair value hierarchy.

Asset Retirement Obligation

(k) Asset Retirement Obligation

The Company recognizes a legal liability for its asset retirement obligations (“ARO”) in accordance with ASC Topic 410, “Asset Retirement and Environmental Obligations,” associated with the retirement of a tangible long-lived asset, in the period in which it is incurred or becomes determinable, with an associated increase in the carrying amount of the related long-lived asset. The cost of the tangible asset, including the initially recognized asset retirement cost, is depreciated over the useful life of the asset and accretion expense is recognized over time as the discounted liability is accreted to its expected settlement value. The Company measures the fair value of its ARO using expected future cash outflows for abandonment discounted back to the date that the abandonment obligation was measured using an estimated credit adjusted rate.

Estimating the future ARO requires management to make estimates and judgments based on historical information regarding timing and existence of a liability, as well as what constitutes adequate restoration.  Inherent in the fair value calculation are numerous assumptions and judgments including the ultimate costs, inflation factors, credit adjusted discount rates, timing of settlement and changes in the legal, regulatory, environmental and political environments. To the extent future revisions to these assumptions impact the fair value of the existing ARO liability, a corresponding adjustment is made to the related asset.

The following table sets forth the changes in the Company’s ARO liability for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 (in thousands):

	Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019
Asset retirement obligations, beginning of period	$	7,110
Accretion		1,688
Additional liabilities incurred		267
Obligation for wells acquired		20,188
Obligation for wells drilled		445
Liabilities settled via plugging		(387	)
Less: current ARO portion (accrued liabilities)		(2,142	)
Asset retirement obligations, end of period	$	27,169

The inputs used to determine such fair value are primarily based upon costs incurred historically for similar work, as well as estimates from independent third parties for costs that would be incurred to restore leased property to the contractually stipulated condition. Additions to ARO represent a significant nonrecurring Level 3 measurement.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

(l) Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

The Company does not have any off-balance sheet arrangements.

Segment Reporting

(m) Segment Reporting

The Company operates in one industry segment: the oil and natural gas exploration and production industry in the United States. All of its operations are conducted in one geographic area of the United States. All revenues are derived from customers located in the United States.

Debt Issuance Costs

(n) Debt Issuance Costs

The expenditures related to issuing debt are capitalized and reported as a reduction of the Company’s debt balance in the accompanying balance sheets. These costs are amortized over the expected life of the related instruments using the effective interest rate method. When debt is retired before maturity or modifications significantly change the cash flows, related unamortized costs are expensed.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

(o) Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Recently Adopted

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842).” The new standard provides guidance to increase transparency and comparability among organizations and industries by recognizing lease assets and liabilities on the balance sheet and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements. Entities are required to recognize all leases in the statement of financial position as assets and liabilities regardless of the leases’ classification. These requirements are effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within that reporting period with early adoption permitted. In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-11, “Leases: Targeted Improvements.” The update provided an optional transition method of adoption that permitted entities to initially apply the new leases standard at the adoption date and recognize a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings in the period of adoption. Under the optional transition method, comparative financial information and disclosures are not required. The update also provided transition practical expedients. The standard required disclosures of the nature, maturity and value of an entity's lease liabilities and elections made by the entity. In March 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-01, “Leases: Codification Improvements,” which, among other things, clarified interim disclosure requirements in the year of ASU 2016-02 adoption.

The Company adopted these standards effective January 1, 2019 using the optional transition method of adoption. The Company implemented a third-party-sponsored lease accounting information system to facilitate the accounting and financial reporting requirements, and implemented processes and controls to review new contracts and modifications to existing contracts that contain lease components for appropriate accounting treatment.  See Note 7 – Leases for the disclosures required by the standards.

Leases

As discussed in Note 3—Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, the Company adopted ASU 2016-02, ASU 2018-11 and ASU 2019-01 “Leases (Topic 842)” on January 1, 2019 using the optional transition method of adoption.  The Company elected a package of practical expedients that together allows an entity to not reassess (i) whether a contract is or contains a lease, (ii) lease classification, and (iii) initial direct costs.  In addition, the Company elected the following practical expedients for all asset classes: (i) to not reassess certain land easements, (ii) to not apply the recognition requirements under the standard to short-term leases, and (iii) to combine and account for lease and nonlease contract components as a lease, which requires the capitalization of fixed nonlease payments on January 1, 2019 or lease effective date and recognition of variable nonlease payments as variable lease expense.