Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Basis of Accounting, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Presentation. In the opinion of management, the unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements of the Company as of September 30, 2023 and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 include all adjustments and accruals, consisting only of normal, recurring adjustments and accruals necessary for a fair presentation of the results for the interim periods in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States ("GAAP"). The operating results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 are not indicative of results for a full year.

Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP have been condensed or omitted in accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEC. These unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements should be read together with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022. Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current period financial statement presentation. These reclassifications had an immaterial effect on the previously reported total assets, total liabilities, stockholders’ equity, results of operations or cash flows.

Consolidation, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Principles of consolidation. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries since their acquisition or formation. All material intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated. Certain reclassifications have been made to prior period amounts to conform to the current period’s presentation.

Use of Estimates, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Use of estimates in the preparation of financial statements. Preparation of the Company's consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Depletion of crude oil and natural gas properties is determined using estimates of proved crude oil, NGL and natural gas reserves and evaluations for impairment of proved and unproved crude oil and natural gas properties, in part, is determined using estimates of proved and risk adjusted probable and possible crude oil, NGL and natural gas reserves. There are numerous uncertainties inherent in the estimation of quantities of proved, probable and possible reserves and in the projection of future rates of production and the timing of development expenditures. Similarly, evaluations for impairment of proved crude oil and natural gas properties are subject to numerous uncertainties including, among others, estimates of future recoverable reserves, commodity price outlooks and future undiscounted and discounted net cash flows. In addition, evaluations for impairment of unproved crude oil and natural gas properties on a project-by-project basis are also subject to numerous uncertainties including, among others, estimates of future recoverable reserves, results of exploration activities, commodity price outlooks, planned future sales or expirations of all or a portion of such projects. Other items subject to such estimates and assumptions include, but are not limited to, the carrying value of crude oil and natural gas properties, asset retirement obligations, equity-based compensation, fair value of derivatives and estimates of income taxes. Actual results could differ from the estimates and assumptions utilized.

Cash and Cash Equivalents, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Cash and cash equivalents. The Company’s cash and cash equivalents include depository accounts held by banks with original issuance maturities of 90 days or less. The Company’s cash and cash equivalents are generally held in financial institutions in amounts that may exceed the insurance limits of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. However, management believes that the Company’s counterparty risks are minimal based on the reputation and history of the institutions selected.

Accounts Receivable [Policy Text Block]

Accounts receivable. As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the Company’s accounts receivables primarily consist of amounts due from the sale of crude oil, NGL and natural gas of $116.3 million and $81.6 million, respectively, and are based on estimates of sales volumes and realized prices the Company anticipates it will receive, joint interest receivables of $6.5 million and $2.2 million, respectively, current U.S. federal income tax receivables of $3.2 million and $3.2 million, respectively, zero and $4.9 million, respectively, related to receivables from electric power infrastructure installed throughout Flat Top by the Company that it was reimbursed for, and receivables related to settlements of derivative contracts of zero and $4.7 million, respectively. The Company’s share of crude oil, NGL and natural gas production is sold to various purchasers who must be prequalified under the Company’s credit risk policies and procedures. The Company’s credit risk related to collecting accounts receivables is mitigated by using credit and other financial criteria to evaluate the credit standing of the entity obligated to make payment on the accounts receivable, and where appropriate, the Company obtains assurances of payment, such as a guarantee by the parent company of the counterparty or other credit support.

The Company adopted ASU 2016-13 and the subsequent applicable modifications to the rule on January 1, 2023. Accounts receivable are stated at amounts due from purchasers or joint interest owners, net of an allowance for expected losses as estimated by the Company when collection is doubtful. For receivables from joint interest owners, the Company typically has the ability to withhold future revenue disbursements to recover any non-payment of joint interest billings. Accounts receivable from purchasers or joint interest owners outstanding longer than the contractual payment terms are considered past due. The Company determines its allowance for each type of receivable by considering a number of factors, including the length of time accounts receivable are past due, the Company’s previous loss history, the debtor’s current ability to pay its obligation to the Company, the condition of the general economy and the industry as a whole. The Company writes off specific accounts receivable when they become uncollectible, and payments subsequently received on such receivables are credited to the allowance for expected losses. As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the Company had no allowance for credit losses related to accounts receivable.

Concentration Risk, Credit Risk, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Concentration of credit risk. The Company is subject to credit risk resulting from the concentration of its crude oil and natural gas receivables with significant purchasers. For the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and the year ended December 31, 2022, sales to the Company’s two largest purchasers accounted for approximately 96% and 94%, respectively, of the Company’s total crude oil, NGL and natural gas sales revenues. The Company generally does not require collateral and does not believe the loss of these particular purchasers would materially impact its operating results, as crude oil and natural gas are fungible products with well-established markets and numerous purchasers in various regions.

Inventory, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Inventory. Inventory is comprised primarily of crude oil and natural gas drilling and completion or repair items such as pumps, tubing, casing, vessels, operating supplies and ordinary maintenance materials and parts. The materials and supplies inventory is primarily acquired for use in future drilling and completion or repair operations and is carried at the lower of cost or net realizable value, on a weighted average cost basis. Valuation allowances for materials and supplies inventories are recorded as reductions to the carrying values of the materials and supplies inventories in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet and as charges to other expense in the consolidated statements of operations. The Company’s materials and supplies inventory as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022 is $15.1 million and $13.3 million, respectively, and the Company has not recognized any valuation allowance to date.

Prepaid Expense [Policy Text Block]

Prepaid expenses. Prepaid expenses are comprised primarily of prepaid insurance costs that will be amortized over the life of the policies, caliche that will be used on future locations and roads in our development areas, tubulars and proppant that the Company has prepaid the suppliers to guarantee their availability when needed for our current drilling program, a deposit on a small property acquisition that is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2023, prepaid agency fees and software maintenance fees that will be amortized over the life of the contracts. Prepaid expenses as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022 are $1.7 million and $4.1 million, respectively.

Industry-Specific Policies, Oil and Gas [Policy Text Block]

Crude oil and natural gas properties. The Company utilizes the successful efforts method of accounting for its crude oil and natural gas properties. Under this method, all costs associated with productive wells and nonproductive development wells are capitalized while nonproductive exploration costs and geological and geophysical expenditures are expensed.

The Company does not carry the costs of drilling an exploratory well as an asset in its consolidated balance sheet 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.

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 predict 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 are being pursued constantly. Consequently, the Company’s assessment of suspended exploratory well costs is continuous until a decision can be made that the project has found sufficient proved reserves to sanction the project or is noncommercial and is charged to exploration and abandonment expense. See Note 6 for additional information.

The capitalized costs of proved properties are depleted using the unit-of-production method based on proved reserves for leasehold costs and proved developed reserves for drilling, completion and other crude oil and natural gas property costs. Costs of unproved leasehold costs are excluded from depletion until proved reserves are established or, if unsuccessful, impairment is determined.

Proceeds from the sales of individual properties are credited to proved or unproved crude oil and natural gas properties, as the case may be, if doing so does not materially impact the depletion rate of an 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.

The Company performs assessments of its long-lived assets to be held and used, including proved crude oil and natural gas properties accounted for under the successful efforts method of accounting, whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying value of those assets may not be recoverable. An impairment loss is indicated if the sum of the expected future cash flows is less than the carrying amount of the assets. In these circumstances, the Company recognizes an impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the estimated fair value of the assets.

Unproved crude oil and natural gas properties are periodically assessed for impairment on a project-by-project basis. These impairment assessments are affected by the estimates of future recoverable reserves, results of exploration activities, commodity price outlooks, planned future sales or expirations of all or a portion of such projects. If the estimated future net cash flows attributable to such projects are not expected to be sufficient to fully recover the costs invested in each project, the Company will recognize an impairment charge at that time.

Property, Plant and Equipment, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Other property and equipment, net. Other property and equipment is recorded at cost. The carrying values of other property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation of $847,000 and $696,000 as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively, are as follows (in thousands):

	September 30, 2023		December 31, 2022
Land	$	2,139	$	2,139
Transportation equipment		648		691
Buildings		534		544
Leasehold improvements		213		206
Field equipment		4		6
Furniture and fixtures		1		1
Total other property and equipment, net	$	3,539	$	3,587

Other property and equipment are depreciated over their estimated useful life on a straight-line basis. Land is not depreciated. Transportation equipment is generally depreciated over five years, buildings are generally depreciated over forty years, field equipment is generally depreciated over seven years and furniture and fixtures is generally depreciated over five years. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the lesser of their estimated useful lives or the underlying terms of the associated leases.

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 such assets are considered to be impaired, the impairment to be recorded is measured by the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset exceeds its estimated fair value. The estimated fair value is determined using either a discounted future cash flow model or another appropriate fair value method.

Other Non-current Assets, Aid-in-Construction Assets, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Aid-in-construction assets. As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the Company had aid-in-construction assets totaling $5.6 million and $6.1 million, respectively, included in other noncurrent assets. The Company is receiving and will continue to receive payments based on gross system throughput, including any third-party natural gas that is potentially tied into the Flat Top gathering system in the future. The contract calls for future aid-in-construction fundings if expansions of the system are necessary as determined in the sole discretion of the Company.

Lessee, Leases [Policy Text Block]

Leases. The Company enters into leases for drilling rigs, storage tanks, equipment and buildings and recognizes lease expense on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Lease right-of-use assets and liabilities are initially recorded on the lease commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. As most of the Company’s lease contracts do not provide an implicit discount rate, the Company uses its incremental borrowing rate, which is determined based on information available at the commencement date of a lease. Leases may include renewal, purchase or termination options that can extend or shorten the term of a lease. The exercise of those options is at the Company’s sole discretion and is evaluated at inception and throughout the contract to determine if a modification of the lease term is required. Leases with an initial term of 12 months or less are generally not recorded as lease right-of-use assets and liabilities. See Note 10 for additional information.

Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Current liabilities. Current maturities of long-term debt, accounts payable, accrued liabilities and derivative liabilities included in current liabilities as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022 totaled approximately $294.6 million and $266.1 million, respectively, including current maturities of long-term debt, accrued capital expenditures, trade accounts payable, revenues and royalties payable, derivative liabilities and accruals for operating and general and administrative expenses, interest expense, operating leases, dividends and dividend equivalents and other miscellaneous items.

Debt, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Debt issuance costs and original issue discount. The Company has paid a total of $46.1 million in debt issuance costs, $26.4 million of which was incurred during the nine months ended September 30, 2023 primarily related to the completion of the Term Loan Credit Agreement and amendments to the Prior Credit Agreement. Amortization based on the straight-line method over the terms of the Term Loan Credit Agreement, Prior Credit Agreement, 10.000% Senior Notes and 10.625% Senior Notes which approximates the effective interest method was $9.4 million and $3.3 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively. In addition, the Company realized a total of $64.8 million in original issue discounts on the issuance of its Term Loan Credit Agreement, 10.000% Senior Notes and 10.625% Senior Notes that is being amortized over the life of the agreements which approximates the effective interest method and was $12.7 million and $4.6 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively. All unamortized debt issuance costs and discounts as of the termination of the Prior Credit Agreement and redemption of the 10.000% Senior Notes and 10.625% Senior Notes during September 2023 were charged to expense and included in loss on extinguishment of debt in the accompanying consolidated financial statements. See Note 7 for more information. As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the remaining net debt issuance costs and discounts related to the Term Loan Credit Agreement are netted against the outstanding long-term debt on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets in accordance with GAAP.

Asset Retirement Obligation [Policy Text Block]

Asset retirement obligations. The Company records a liability for the fair value of an asset retirement obligation in the period in which the associated asset is acquired or placed into service if a reasonable estimate of fair value can be made. Asset retirement obligations are generally capitalized as part of the carrying value of the long-lived asset to which it relates. Conditional asset retirement obligations meet the definition of liabilities and are recorded when incurred and when fair value can be reasonably estimated. See Note 8 for additional information.

Revenue from Contract with Customer [Policy Text Block]

Revenue recognition. The Company follows FASB ASC 606, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers,” (“ASC 606”) whereby the Company recognizes revenues from the sales of crude oil, NGL and natural gas to its purchasers and presents them disaggregated on the Company’s consolidated statements of operations.

The Company enters into contracts with purchasers to sell its crude oil, NGL and natural gas production. Revenue on these contracts is recognized in accordance with the five-step revenue recognition model prescribed in ASC 606. Specifically, revenue is recognized when the Company’s performance obligations under these contracts are satisfied, which generally occurs with the transfer of control of the crude oil and natural gas to the purchaser. Control is generally considered transferred when the following criteria are met: (i) transfer of physical custody, (ii) transfer of title, (iii) transfer of risk of loss and (iv) relinquishment of any repurchase rights or other similar rights. Given the nature of the products sold, revenue is recognized at a point in time based on the amount of consideration the Company expects to receive in accordance with the price specified in the contract. Consideration under the crude oil and natural gas marketing contracts is typically received from the purchaser one to two months after the date of sale. As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the Company had receivables related to contracts with purchasers of approximately $116.3 million and $81.6 million, respectively.

Crude Oil Contracts. The Company’s crude oil marketing contracts transfer physical custody and title at or near the wellhead, which is generally when control of the crude oil has been transferred to the purchaser. The crude oil produced is sold under contracts using market-based pricing which is then adjusted for the differentials based upon delivery location and crude oil quality. Since the differentials are incurred after the transfer of control of the crude oil, the differentials are included in crude oil sales on the consolidated statements of operations as they represent part of the transaction price of the contract.

Natural Gas Contracts. The majority of the Company’s natural gas is sold at the lease location, which is generally when control of the natural gas has been transferred to the purchaser. The natural gas is sold under (i) percentage of proceeds processing contracts or (ii) a hybrid of percentage of proceeds and fee-based contracts. Under the majority of the Company’s contracts, the purchaser gathers the natural gas in the field where it is produced and transports it to natural gas processing plants where NGL products are extracted. The NGL products and remaining residue natural gas are then sold by the purchaser. Under percentage of proceeds and hybrid percentage of proceeds and fee-based contracts, the Company receives a percentage of the value for the extracted liquids and the residue natural gas. Since control of the natural gas transfers upstream of the transportation and processing activities, revenue is recognized as the net amount received from the purchaser.

The Company does not disclose the value of unsatisfied performance obligations under its contracts with customers as it applies the practical exemption in accordance with ASC 606. The exemption, as described in ASC 606-10-50-14(a), applies to variable consideration that is recognized as control of the product is transferred to the customer. Since each unit of product represents a separate performance obligation, future volumes are wholly unsatisfied and disclosure of the transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations is not required.

Derivatives, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Derivatives. All the Company’s derivatives are accounted for as non-hedge derivatives and are recorded at estimated fair value in the consolidated balance sheets. All changes in the fair values of its derivative contracts are recorded as gains or losses in the earnings of the periods in which they occur. The Company enters into derivatives under master netting arrangements, which, in an event of default, allows the Company to offset payables to and receivables from the defaulting counterparty. The Company classifies the fair value amounts of derivative assets and liabilities executed under master netting arrangements as net current or noncurrent derivative assets or net current or noncurrent derivative liabilities, whichever the case may be, by commodity and counterparty.

The Company’s credit risk related to derivatives is a counterparties’ failure to perform under derivative contracts owed to the Company. The Company uses credit and other financial criteria to evaluate the credit standing of, and to select, counterparties to its derivative instruments. Although the Company does not obtain collateral or otherwise secure the fair value of its derivative instruments, associated credit risk is mitigated by the Company’s credit risk policies and procedures.

The Company has entered into International Swap Dealers Association Master Agreements (“ISDA Agreements”) with each of its derivative counterparties. The terms of the ISDA Agreements provide the Company and the counterparties with rights of set off upon the occurrence of defined acts of default by either the Company or a counterparty to a derivative, whereby the party not in default may set off all derivative liabilities owed to the defaulting party against all derivative asset receivables from the defaulting party. See Note 5 for additional information.

Income Tax, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Income taxes. The provision for income taxes is determined using the asset and liability approach of accounting for income taxes. Under this approach, deferred income taxes reflect the net tax effects of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the carrying amounts for income tax purposes and net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. The amount of deferred taxes on these temporary differences is determined using the tax rates that are expected to apply to the period when the asset is realized or the liability is settled, as applicable, based on tax rates and laws in the respective tax jurisdiction enacted as of the balance sheet date.

The Company reviews its deferred tax assets for recoverability and establishes a valuation allowance based on projected future taxable income, applicable tax strategies and the expected timing of the reversals of existing temporary differences. A valuation allowance is provided when it is more likely than not (likelihood of greater than 50 percent) that some portion or all the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The Company has not established a valuation allowance as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022.

Tax benefits from an uncertain tax positions are recognized only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained upon examination by the taxing authorities, based upon the technical merits of the position. If all or a portion of the unrecognized tax benefit is sustained upon examination by the taxing authorities, the tax benefit will be recognized as a reduction to the Company’s deferred tax liability and will affect the Company’s effective tax rate in the period it is recognized. See Note 13 for additional information.

Tax-related interest charges are recorded as interest expense and any tax-related penalties as other expense in the consolidated statements of operations of which there have been none to date.

The Company is also subject to Texas Margin Tax. The Company realized no current Texas Margin Tax in the accompanying consolidated financial statements as we do not anticipate owing any Texas Margin Tax for the periods presented.

Share-Based Payment Arrangement [Policy Text Block]

Stock-based compensation. Stock-based compensation expense for stock option awards is measured at the grant date or modification date, as applicable, using the fair value of the award, and is recorded, net of forfeitures, on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period of the respective award. The fair value of stock option awards is determined on the grant date or modification date, as applicable, using a Black-Scholes option valuation model with the following inputs; (i) the grant date’s closing stock price, (ii) the exercise price of the stock options, (iii) the expected term of the stock option, (iv) the estimated risk-free adjusted interest rate for the duration of the option’s expected term, (v) the expected annual dividend yield on the underlying stock and (vi) the expected volatility over the option’s expected term.

Stock-based compensation for restricted stock awarded to outside directors, employee members of the Board and certain other employees is measured at the grant date using the fair value of the award and is recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period of the respective award.

Segment Reporting, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Segments. Based on the Company’s organizational structure, the Company has one operating segment, which is crude oil and natural gas development, exploration and production. In addition, the Company has a single, company-wide management team that allocates capital resources to maximize profitability and measures financial performance as a single enterprise.

New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Recently adopted accounting pronouncements. In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, “Financial Instruments – Credit Losses”. This update affects entities holding financial assets and net investment in leases that are not accounted for at fair value through net income. The amendments affect loans, debt securities, trade receivables, net investment in leases, off-balance sheet credit exposures, reinsurance receivables, and any other financial assets not excluded from the scope that have the contractual right to receive cash. The Company adopted this update effective January 1, 2023. The adoption of this update did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or liquidity since it does not have a history of credit losses.

New accounting pronouncements not yet adopted. The Company considers the applicability and the impact of all ASUs. ASUs were assessed and determined to be either not applicable, the effects of adoption are not expected to be material or are clarifications of ASUs previously disclosed.