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Supplementary Information For Oil And Gas Producing Activities
12 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2016
Supplementary Information For Oil And Gas Producing Activities Unaudited [Abstract]  
Supplementary Information for Oil and Gas Producing Activities (unaudited, except for Capitalized Costs Relating to Oil and Gas Producing Activities)
Supplementary Information for Oil and Gas Producing Activities (unaudited, except for Capitalized Costs Relating to Oil and Gas Producing Activities)
The Company follows authoritative guidance related to oil and gas exploration and production activities that aligns the reserve estimation and disclosure requirements with the requirements of the SEC Modernization of Oil and Gas Reporting rule, which the Company also follows. The SEC rules require companies to value their year-end reserves using an unweighted arithmetic average of the first day of the month oil and gas prices for each month within the twelve month period prior to the end of the reporting period.
The following supplementary information is presented in accordance with the authoritative guidance regarding disclosures about oil and gas producing activities and related SEC accounting rules. All monetary amounts are expressed in U.S. dollars.
Capitalized Costs Relating to Oil and Gas Producing Activities
 
At September 30
 
2016
 
2015
 
(Thousands)
Proved Properties(1)
$
4,554,929

 
$
4,473,721

Unproved Properties
135,285

 
176,327

 
4,690,214

 
4,650,048

Less — Accumulated Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization
3,657,239

 
2,572,348

 
$
1,032,975

 
$
2,077,700

 
(1)
Includes asset retirement costs of $63.6 million and $113.3 million at September 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively.
Costs related to unproved properties are excluded from amortization until proved reserves are found or it is determined that the unproved properties are impaired. All costs related to unproved properties are reviewed quarterly to determine if impairment has occurred. The amount of any impairment is transferred to the pool of capitalized costs being amortized. Although the timing of the ultimate evaluation or disposition of the unproved properties cannot be determined, the Company expects the majority of its acquisition costs associated with unproved properties to be transferred into the amortization base by 2021. It expects the majority of its development and exploration costs associated with unproved properties to be transferred into the amortization base by 2017. Following is a summary of costs excluded from amortization at September 30, 2016:
 
Total as of
September 30,
2016
 
Year Costs Incurred
 
 
2016
 
2015
 
2014
 
Prior
 
(Thousands)
Acquisition Costs
$
55,193

 
$

 
$

 
$
7,057

 
$
48,136

Development Costs
52,780

 
40,597

 
7,911

 
1,436

 
2,836

Exploration Costs
26,822

 
17,340

 
9,482

 

 

Capitalized Interest
490

 
339

 
151

 

 

 
$
135,285

 
$
58,276

 
$
17,544

 
$
8,493

 
$
50,972


Costs Incurred in Oil and Gas Property Acquisition, Exploration and Development Activities
 
Year Ended September 30
 
2016
 
2015
 
2014
 
(Thousands)
United States
 
Property Acquisition Costs:
 
 
 
 
 
Proved
$
1,342

 
$
1,767

 
$
18,213

Unproved
2,165

 
19,998

 
7,884

Exploration Costs(1)
27,561

 
53,222

 
71,850

Development Costs(2)
219,386

 
454,605

 
490,164

Asset Retirement Costs
(49,653
)
 
37,595

 
(4,946
)
 
$
200,801

 
$
567,187

 
$
583,165

 
(1)
Amounts for 2016, 2015 and 2014 include capitalized interest of $0.3 million, $0.4 million and $0.7 million, respectively.
(2)
Amounts for 2016, 2015 and 2014 include capitalized interest of $0.2 million, $0.5 million and $0.7 million, respectively.
For the years ended September 30, 2016, 2015 and 2014, the Company spent $92.8 million, $161.8 million and $179.9 million, respectively, developing proved undeveloped reserves.
Results of Operations for Producing Activities
 
Year Ended September 30
 
2016
 
2015
 
2014
United States
(Thousands, except per Mcfe amounts)
Operating Revenues:
 
 
 
 
 
Natural Gas (includes revenues from sales to affiliates of $2 (2016) and $1 (2015 and 2014) and transfers to operations of $1,765, $1,946 and $2,145, respectively)
$
282,619

 
$
350,673

 
$
515,080

Oil, Condensate and Other Liquids
103,533

 
156,048

 
298,179

Total Operating Revenues(1)
386,152

 
506,721

 
813,259

Production/Lifting Costs
153,914

 
167,800

 
165,534

Franchise/Ad Valorem Taxes
13,794

 
20,167

 
20,765

Purchased Emission Allowance Expense
700

 
3,089

 

Accretion Expense
6,663

 
6,186

 
6,192

Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization ($0.85, $1.49 and $1.82 per Mcfe of production)
136,579

 
234,480

 
291,651

Impairment of Oil and Gas Producing Properties
948,307

 
1,126,257

 

Income Tax Expense (Benefit)
(368,940
)
 
(444,393
)
 
140,484

Results of Operations for Producing Activities (excluding corporate overheads and interest charges)
$
(504,865
)
 
$
(606,865
)
 
$
188,633

 
(1)
Exclusive of hedging gains and losses. See further discussion in Note G — Financial Instruments.
Reserve Quantity Information
The Company's proved oil and gas reserve estimates are prepared by the Company's reservoir engineers who meet the qualifications of Reserve Estimator per the "Standards Pertaining to the Estimating and Auditing of Oil and Gas Reserve Information" promulgated by the Society of Petroleum Engineers as of February 19, 2007. The Company maintains comprehensive internal reserve guidelines and a continuing education program designed to keep its staff up to date with current SEC regulations and guidance.
The Company's Vice President of Reservoir Engineering is the primary technical person responsible for overseeing the Company's reserve estimation process and engaging and overseeing the third party reserve audit. His qualifications include a Bachelor of Science Degree in Petroleum Engineering and over 30 years of Petroleum Engineering experience with both major and independent oil and gas companies. He has maintained oversight of the Company's reserve estimation process for the past thirteen years. He is a member of the Society of Petroleum Evaluation Engineers and a Registered Professional Engineer in the State of Texas.
The Company maintains a system of internal controls over the reserve estimation process. Management reviews the price, heat content, lease operating cost and future investment assumptions used in the economic model to determine the reserves. The Vice President of Reservoir Engineering reviews and approves all new reserve assignments and significant reserve revisions. Access to the Reserve database is restricted. Significant changes to the reserve report are reviewed by senior management on a quarterly basis. Periodically, the Company's internal audit department assesses the design of these controls and performs testing to determine the effectiveness of such controls.
All of the Company's reserve estimates are audited annually by Netherland, Sewell and Associates, Inc. (NSAI). Since 1961, NSAI has evaluated gas and oil properties and independently certified petroleum reserve quantities in the United States and internationally under the Texas Board of Professional Engineers Registration No. F-002699. The primary technical persons (employed by NSAI) that are responsible for leading the audit include a professional engineer registered with the State of Texas (consulting at NSAI since 2004 and with over 5 years of prior industry experience in petroleum engineering) and a professional geoscientist registered in the State of Texas (consulting at NSAI since 2008 and with over 11 years of prior industry experience in petroleum geosciences). NSAI was satisfied with the methods and procedures used by the Company to prepare its reserve estimates at September 30, 2016 and did not identify any problems which would cause it to take exception to those estimates.
The reliable technologies that were utilized in estimating the reserves include wire line open-hole log data, performance data, log cross sections, core data, 2D and 3D seismic data and statistical analysis. The statistical method utilized production performance from both the Company's and competitors’ wells. Geophysical data includes data from the Company's wells, published documents and state data-sites, and 2D and 3D seismic data. These were used to confirm continuity of the formation.
 
Gas MMcf
 
U. S.
 
 
 
Appalachian
Region
 
West Coast
Region
 
Total
Company
Proved Developed and Undeveloped Reserves:
 
 
 
 
 
September 30, 2013
1,238,738

  
60,777

 
1,299,515

Extensions and Discoveries
446,821

(1)

 
446,821

Revisions of Previous Estimates
43,690

  
1,358

 
45,048

Production
(139,097
)
(2)
(3,210
)
 
(142,307
)
Purchases of Minerals in Place
33,986

 

 
33,986

Sale of Minerals in Place
(76
)
 
(103
)
 
(179
)
September 30, 2014
1,624,062

  
58,822

 
1,682,884

Extensions and Discoveries
633,360

(1)

 
633,360

Revisions of Previous Estimates
(28,124
)
  
(6,317
)
 
(34,441
)
Production
(136,404
)
(2)
(3,159
)
 
(139,563
)
Sale of Minerals in Place
(112
)
 

 
(112
)
September 30, 2015
2,092,782

  
49,346

 
2,142,128

Extensions and Discoveries
185,347

(1)

 
185,347

Revisions of Previous Estimates
(245,029
)
  
(3,132
)
 
(248,161
)
Production
(140,457
)
(2)
(3,090
)
 
(143,547
)
Sale of Minerals in Place
(261,192
)
 

 
(261,192
)
September 30, 2016
1,631,451

  
43,124

 
1,674,575

Proved Developed Reserves:
 
 
 
 


September 30, 2013
807,055

  
59,862

 
866,917

September 30, 2014
1,119,901

  
57,907

 
1,177,808

September 30, 2015
1,267,498

  
49,346

 
1,316,844

September 30, 2016
1,089,492

  
43,124

 
1,132,616

Proved Undeveloped Reserves:
 
 
 
 


September 30, 2013
431,683

  
915

 
432,598

September 30, 2014
504,161

  
915

 
505,076

September 30, 2015
825,284

  

 
825,284

September 30, 2016
541,959

  

 
541,959

 
(1)
Extensions and discoveries include 442 Bcf (during 2014), 598 Bcf (during 2015) and 179 Bcf (during 2016), of Marcellus Shale gas in the Appalachian Region.
(2)
Production includes 131,590 MMcf (during 2014), 130,291 MMcf (during 2015) and 135,598 MMcf (during 2016), from Marcellus Shale fields (which exceed 15% of total reserves).
 
Oil Mbbl
 
U. S.
 
 
 
Appalachian
Region
 
West Coast
Region
 
Total
Company
Proved Developed and Undeveloped Reserves:
 
 
 
 
 
September 30, 2013
283

 
41,315

 
41,598

Extensions and Discoveries
18

 
1,521

 
1,539

Revisions of Previous Estimates
(17
)
 
(1,677
)
 
(1,694
)
Production
(31
)
 
(3,005
)
 
(3,036
)
Purchases of Minerals in Place

 
83

 
83

Sales of Minerals in Place

 
(13
)
 
(13
)
September 30, 2014
253

 
38,224

 
38,477

Extensions and Discoveries

 
533

 
533

Revisions of Previous Estimates
(3
)
 
(2,251
)
 
(2,254
)
Production
(30
)
 
(3,004
)
 
(3,034
)
September 30, 2015
220

 
33,502

 
33,722

Extensions and Discoveries

 
530

 
530

Revisions of Previous Estimates
(46
)
 
(2,201
)
 
(2,247
)
Production
(28
)
 
(2,895
)
 
(2,923
)
Sales of Minerals in Place
(73
)
 

 
(73
)
September 30, 2016
73

 
28,936

 
29,009

Proved Developed Reserves:
 
 
 
 

September 30, 2013
283

 
38,082

 
38,365

September 30, 2014
253

 
37,002

 
37,255

September 30, 2015
220

 
33,150

 
33,370

September 30, 2016
73

 
28,698

 
28,771

Proved Undeveloped Reserves:
 
 
 
 


September 30, 2013

 
3,233

 
3,233

September 30, 2014

 
1,222

 
1,222

September 30, 2015

 
352

 
352

September 30, 2016

 
238

 
238


The Company’s proved undeveloped (PUD) reserves decreased from 827 Bcfe at September 30, 2015 to 543 Bcfe at September 30, 2016. PUD reserves in the Marcellus Shale decreased from 825 Bcfe at September 30, 2015 to 542 Bcfe at September 30, 2016. The Company’s total PUD reserves were 29% of total proved reserves at September 30, 2016, down from 35% of total proved reserves at September 30, 2015.
The Company’s PUD reserves increased from 512 Bcfe at September 30, 2014 to 827 Bcfe at September 30, 2015. PUD reserves in the Marcellus Shale increased from 504 Bcfe at September 30, 2014 to 825 Bcfe at September 30, 2015. The Company’s total PUD reserves were 35% of total proved reserves at September 30, 2015, up from 27% of total proved reserves at September 30, 2014.
The decrease in PUD reserves in 2016 of 284 Bcfe is a result of 102 Bcfe in new PUD reserve additions (103 Bcfe from the Marcellus Shale), offset by sales of 166 Bcfe associated with a joint development agreement (JDA) that Seneca entered into in December 2015, 14 Bcfe in downward revisions to remaining PUD reserves, 110 Bcfe in PUD conversions to developed reserves and 96 Bcfe in PUD reserves removed. The PUD reserves removed were primarily in the Marcellus Shale (74 Bcfe) and were due to several factors including schedule changes, lower performance expectations and lower natural gas pricing. Geneseo Shale PUD reserves of 23 Bcfe were removed solely due to lower gas pricing as they were uneconomic at trailing twelve month pricing.
The increase in PUD reserves in 2015 of 315 Bcfe was a result of 496 Bcfe in new PUD reserve additions (494 Bcfe from the Marcellus Shale), 26 Bcfe in upward revisions to remaining PUD reserves, offset by 168 Bcfe in PUD conversions to developed reserves and 39 Bcfe in PUD reserves removed. The PUD reserves removed were primarily in the Marcellus Shale (37 Bcfe) in Tioga County, where the Company had no near term plans to develop these reserves as it employed capital elsewhere. An additional 2 Bcfe (279 Mbbl) of PUD reserves were removed at the Midway Sunset field in the Tulare reservoir as the Company had no near term plans to develop these reserves as it employed capital elsewhere.
The Company invested $93 million (includes $36 million of drilling carry costs for a JDA partner that were later reimbursed) during the year ended September 30, 2016 to convert 92 Bcfe (110 Bcfe including revisions) of PUD reserves to developed reserves. This represents 11% of the net PUD reserves recorded at September 30, 2015. In 2016, the majority of Seneca's planned PUD reserves development was funded by a JDA partner, which reduced Seneca's working interest, as discussed in Note A — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies under the heading “Property, Plant and Equipment.” In fiscal 2016, the Company developed 31 (or 28%) of its gross Marcellus Shale wells that were recorded at September 30, 2015. The majority of these wells were included in the JDA.  Including the impact of JDA sales, the Company developed 207 Bcfe (or 25%) of its net PUD reserves recorded at September 30, 2015. In addition, as stated above, the sales associated with the JDA further decreased PUD reserves.  The Company anticipates further PUD reserves sales associated with the JDA in fiscal 2017 as it develops the last group of wells included in the JDA.
The Company invested $162 million during the year ended September 30, 2015 to convert 168 Bcfe (184 Bcfe including revisions) of September 30, 2014 PUD reserves to proved developed reserves. This represented 33% of the PUD reserves booked at September 30, 2014.
In 2017, the Company estimates that it will invest approximately $124 million to develop its PUD reserves. The Company is committed to developing its PUD reserves within five years as required by the SEC’s final rule on Modernization of Oil and Gas Reporting. Since that rule, and over the last five years, the Company developed 33% of its beginning year PUD reserves in fiscal 2012, 39% of its beginning year PUD reserves in fiscal 2013, 51% of its beginning year PUD reserves in fiscal 2014, 33% of its beginning year PUD reserves in fiscal 2015 and 25% of its beginning year PUD reserves in fiscal 2016.
At September 30, 2016, the Company does not have a material concentration of proved undeveloped reserves that have been on the books for more than five years at the corporate level, country level or field level. All of the Company’s proved reserves are in the United States.
Standardized Measure of Discounted Future Net Cash Flows Relating to Proved Oil and Gas Reserves
The Company cautions that the following presentation of the standardized measure of discounted future net cash flows is intended to be neither a measure of the fair market value of the Company’s oil and gas properties, nor an estimate of the present value of actual future cash flows to be obtained as a result of their development and production. It is based upon subjective estimates of proved reserves only and attributes no value to categories of reserves other than proved reserves, such as probable or possible reserves, or to unproved acreage. Furthermore, in accordance with the SEC’s final rule on Modernization of Oil and Gas Reporting, it is based on the unweighted arithmetic average of the first day of the month oil and gas prices for each month within the twelve-month period prior to the end of the reporting period and costs adjusted only for existing contractual changes. It assumes an arbitrary discount rate of 10%. Thus, it gives no effect to future price and cost changes certain to occur under widely fluctuating political and economic conditions.
The standardized measure is intended instead to provide a means for comparing the value of the Company’s proved reserves at a given time with those of other oil- and gas-producing companies than is provided by a simple comparison of raw proved reserve quantities.
 
Year Ended September 30
 
2016
 
2015
 
2014
 
(Thousands)
United States
 
 
 
 
 
Future Cash Inflows
$
3,768,463

 
$
6,916,775

 
$
10,001,545

Less:
 
 
 
 
 
Future Production Costs
1,994,916

 
2,854,142

 
2,795,657

Future Development Costs
375,152

 
761,922

 
790,033

Future Income Tax Expense at Applicable Statutory Rate
303,397

 
1,117,433

 
2,434,370

Future Net Cash Flows
1,094,998

 
2,183,278

 
3,981,485

Less:
 
 
 
 
 
10% Annual Discount for Estimated Timing of Cash Flows
452,470

 
860,244

 
1,914,607

Standardized Measure of Discounted Future Net Cash Flows
$
642,528

 
$
1,323,034

 
$
2,066,878


The principal sources of change in the standardized measure of discounted future net cash flows were as follows:
 
Year Ended September 30
 
2016
 
2015
 
2014
 
(Thousands)
United States
 
 
 
 
 
Standardized Measure of Discounted Future
 
 
 
 
 
Net Cash Flows at Beginning of Year
$
1,323,034

 
$
2,066,878

 
$
1,966,366

Sales, Net of Production Costs
(218,444
)
 
(318,753
)
 
(626,960
)
Net Changes in Prices, Net of Production Costs
(1,066,593
)
 
(1,752,843
)
 
(38,723
)
Extensions and Discoveries
47,742

 
266,159

 
381,008

Changes in Estimated Future Development Costs
143,752

 
164,510

 
68,731

Purchases of Minerals in Place

 

 
34,705

Sales of Minerals in Place
(95,849
)
 
(1
)
 
(691
)
Previously Estimated Development Costs Incurred
92,840

 
161,833

 
179,502

Net Change in Income Taxes at Applicable Statutory Rate
387,739

 
545,442

 
(231,807
)
Revisions of Previous Quantity Estimates
6,202

 
(16,573
)
 
55,184

Accretion of Discount and Other
22,105

 
206,382

 
279,563

Standardized Measure of Discounted Future Net Cash Flows at End of Year
$
642,528

 
$
1,323,034

 
$
2,066,878