In August 2020, we sold our North Louisiana assets and retained certain gathering, transportation and processing obligations which extend into 2030. These are contracts where we will not realize any future benefit. The estimated obligations are included in current and long-term divestiture contract obligation in our consolidated balance sheets. In first three months 2022, we recorded accretion expense of $11.0 million compared to $13.0 million in the same period of the prior year. The estimated discounted divestiture contract obligation was $398.9 million at March 31, 2022.

In second quarter 2020, we negotiated capacity releases on certain transportation pipelines in Pennsylvania effective May 31, 2020 and extending through the remainder of the contract. The estimated remaining discounted obligation for these transportation capacity releases as of March 31, 2022 was $6.8 million.

The following summarizes our exit and termination costs for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021 (in thousands):


	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2022		2021
Severance costs	$	—	$	509
Transportation contract capacity releases (accretion of discount)		161		210
Divestiture contract obligation (accretion of discount)		10,954		12,995
	$	11,115	$	13,714

The following details the accrued exit and termination cost liability activity for the three months ended March 31, 2022 (in thousands):


	Exit Costs (1)			Termination Costs
Balance at December 31, 2021	$	423,742		$	10
Accretion of discount		11,115			—
Payments		(29,115	)		—
Balance at March 31, 2022	$	405,742		$	10


(1)	Includes the divestiture contract obligation and the transportation contract capacity release obligation.