BASIS OF PRESENTATION (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2020 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for future periods.

The Consolidated Balance Sheet at December 31, 2019 has been derived from the Audited Consolidated Financial Statements at that date but does not include all disclosures required by GAAP. This Form 10-Q report should be read in conjunction with CONSOL Energy Inc.'s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019.

Basis of Consolidation

Basis of Consolidation

The Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of CONSOL Energy Inc. and its wholly-owned and majority-owned and/or controlled subsidiaries. The portion of these entities that is not owned by the Company is presented as non-controlling interest. All significant intercompany transactions and accounts have been eliminated in consolidation.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In March 2020, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2020-04 - Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848) - Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting. The amendments in this Update provide optional guidance for a limited period of time to ease the potential burden in accounting for (or recognizing the effects of) reference rate reform on financial reporting. In response to concerns about structural risks of interbank offered rates (IBORs), and, particularly, the risk of cessation of the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), regulators in several jurisdictions around the world have undertaken reference rate reform initiatives to identify alternative reference rates that are more observable or transaction based and less susceptible to manipulation. This Update also provides optional expedients and exceptions for applying GAAP to contracts, hedging relationships, and other transactions affected by reference rate reform if certain criteria are met. The amendments in this Update apply only to contracts, hedging relationships, and other transactions that reference LIBOR or another reference rate expected to be discontinued because of reference rate reform. The amendments in this Update are effective for all entities as of March 12, 2020 through December 31, 2022. An entity may elect to apply the amendments for contract modifications by Topic or Industry Subtopic as of any date from the beginning of an interim period that includes or is subsequent to March 12, 2020, or prospectively from a date within an interim period that includes or is subsequent to March 12, 2020, up to the date that the financial statements are available to be issued. Once elected for a Topic or an Industry Subtopic, the amendments in this Update must be applied prospectively for all eligible contract modifications for that Topic or Industry Subtopic. Management has elected to apply this Update subsequent to March 12, 2020. Management is currently evaluating the impact of this guidance, but does not expect this update to have a material impact on the Company's financial statements.

In January 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-01 - Investments - Equity Securities (Topic 321), Investments - Equity Method and Joint Ventures (Topic 323), and Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815). The amendments in this Update clarify certain interactions between the guidance to account for certain equity securities under Topic 321, the guidance to account for investments under the equity method of accounting in Topic 323, and the guidance in Topic 815, which could change how an entity accounts for an equity security under the measurement alternative or a forward contract or purchased option to purchase securities that, upon settlement of the forward contract or exercise of the purchased option, would be accounted for under the equity method of accounting or the fair value option in accordance with Topic 825, Financial Instruments. These amendments improve current GAAP by reducing diversity in practice and increasing comparability of the accounting for these interactions. The amendments in this Update are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. Management does not expect this update to have a material impact on the Company's financial statements.

In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-12 - Income Taxes (Topic 740) to reduce the complexity of accounting for income taxes while maintaining or improving the usefulness of the information provided to users of financial statements. The amendments in Update 2019-12 will remove the following exceptions: (1) the exception to the incremental approach for intra-period tax allocation; (2) exceptions to accounting for basis differences when there are ownership changes in foreign investments; and (3) the exception to the general methodology for calculating income taxes in an interim period when a year-to-date loss exceeds the anticipated loss for the year. The amendments in Update 2019-12 will also simplify the accounting for income taxes in the areas of franchise tax, step up in the tax basis of goodwill associated with a business combination, allocation of current and deferred tax expense to a legal entity that is not subject to tax in its separate financial statements, and presentation of the effect of an enacted change in tax laws or rates in the annual effective tax rate computation in the interim period that includes the enactment date. The Update adds minor codification improvements for income taxes related to employee stock ownership plans and investments in qualified affordable housing projects accounted for using the equity method. These changes will be effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. Management does not expect this update to have a material impact on the Company's financial statements.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-15 - Intangibles - Goodwill and Other - Internal Use Software (Subtopic 350-40) to help entities evaluate the accounting for fees paid by a customer in a cloud computing arrangement (hosting arrangement) by providing guidance for determining when the arrangement includes a software license. The amendments in Update 2018-15 align the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract with the requirements of capitalizing implementation costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use software. These changes are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within those fiscal years. CONSOL Energy adopted this guidance during the three months ended March 31, 2020, and there was no material impact on the Company's financial statements.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-14 - Compensation - Retirement Benefits - Defined Benefit Plans - General (Subtopic 715-20) to improve the effectiveness of disclosures in the notes to the financial statements by facilitating clear communication of the information required by GAAP. The amendments modify the disclosure requirements for employers that sponsor defined benefit pension or other postretirement plans. These changes will be effective for fiscal years ending after December 15, 2020, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Management is currently evaluating the impact this guidance may have on the Company’s financial statements.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-13 - Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820) to improve the effectiveness of disclosures in the notes to the financial statements by facilitating clear communication of the information required by GAAP. The amendments modify the disclosure requirements on fair value measurements including the consideration of costs and benefits. These changes are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within those fiscal years. CONSOL Energy adopted this guidance during the three months ended March 31, 2020, and there was no material impact on the Company's financial statements.

Earnings per Share

Earnings per Share

Basic earnings per share are computed by dividing net income attributable to CONSOL Energy Inc. shareholders by the weighted average shares outstanding during the reporting period. Dilutive earnings per share are computed similarly to basic earnings per share, except that the weighted average shares outstanding are increased to include additional shares from restricted stock units and performance share units, if dilutive. The number of additional shares is calculated by assuming that outstanding restricted stock units and performance share units were released, and that the proceeds from such activities were used to acquire shares of common stock at the average market price during the reporting period.

Revenue Recognition

CONSOL Energy's coal revenue is generally recognized when title passes to the customer and the price is fixed and determinable. The Company has determined that each ton of coal represents a separate and distinct performance obligation. The Company's coal supply contracts and other sales and operating revenue contracts vary in length from short-term to long-term contracts and do not typically have significant financing components.

The estimated transaction price from each of the Company's contracts is based on the total amount of consideration to which the Company expects to be entitled under the contract. Included in the transaction price for certain coal supply contracts is the impact of variable consideration, including quality price adjustments, handling services, per ton price fluctuations based on certain coal sales price indices and anticipated payments in lieu of shipments. The estimated transaction price for each contract is allocated to the Company's performance obligations based on relative stand-alone selling prices determined at contract inception.

Coal Revenue

Revenues are generally recognized when title passes to the customers and the price is fixed and determinable. Generally, title passes when coal is loaded at the central preparation facility and, on occasion, at terminal locations or other customer destinations. The Company's coal contract revenue per ton is fixed and determinable and adjusted for nominal quality adjustments. Some coal contracts also contain positive electric power price-related adjustments, which represent market-driven price adjustments, wherein no additional value is exchanged, in addition to a fixed base price per ton. The Company’s coal contracts generally do not allow for retroactive adjustments to pricing after title to the coal has passed.

Some of the Company's contracts span multiple years and have annual pricing modifications, based upon market-driven or inflationary adjustments, where no additional value is exchanged. Management believes that the invoice price is the most appropriate rate at which to recognize revenue.

While CONSOL Energy does, from time to time, experience costs of obtaining coal customer contracts with amortization periods greater than one year, those costs are generally immaterial to the Company's net income. At March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the Company did not have any capitalized costs to obtain customer contracts on its Consolidated Balance Sheets. As of and for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company has not recognized any amortization of previously existing capitalized costs of obtaining customer contracts. Further, the Company has not recognized any revenue in the current period that is not a result of current period performance.

Terminal Revenue

Terminal revenues are attributable to the Company's CONSOL Marine Terminal and include revenues earned from providing receipt and unloading of coal from rail cars, transporting coal from the receipt point to temporary storage or stockpile facilities located at the Terminal, stockpiling, blending, weighing, sampling, redelivery, and loading of coal onto vessels. Revenues for these services are generally earned on a rateable basis, and performance obligations are considered fulfilled as the services are performed.

The CONSOL Marine Terminal does not normally experience material costs of obtaining customer contracts with amortization periods greater than one year. At March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the Company did not have any capitalized costs to obtain customer contracts on its Consolidated Balance Sheets. As of and for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company has not recognized any amortization of previously existing capitalized costs of obtaining Terminal customer contracts. Further, the Company has not recognized any revenue in the current period that is not a result of current period performance.

Freight Revenue

Some of CONSOL Energy's coal contracts require that the Company sell its coal at locations other than its central preparation plant. The cost to transport the Company's coal to the ultimate sales point is passed through to the Company's customers and CONSOL Energy recognizes the freight revenue equal to the transportation costs when title of the coal passes to the customer.