NATURAL GAS AND OIL PROPERTIES

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Industries Disclosures [Abstract]

The Company utilizes the full cost method of accounting for costs related to the development, exploration and acquisition of natural gas and oil properties. Under this method, all such costs (productive and nonproductive), including salaries, benefits and other internal costs directly attributable to these activities, are capitalized on a country-by-country basis and amortized over the estimated lives of the properties using the units-of-production method. These capitalized costs are subject to a ceiling test that limits such pooled costs, net of applicable deferred taxes, to the aggregate of the present value of future net revenues attributable to proved natural gas, oil and NGL reserves discounted at 10% (standardized measure). Any costs in excess of the ceiling are written off as a non-cash expense. The expense may not be reversed in future periods, even though higher natural gas, oil and NGL prices may subsequently increase the ceiling. Companies using the full cost method are required to use the average quoted price from the first day of each month from the previous 12 months, including the impact of derivatives designated for hedge accounting, to calculate the ceiling value of their reserves. The Company had no hedge positions that were designated for hedge accounting as of September 30, 2023. Prices used to calculate the ceiling value of reserves were as follows:


	September 30, 2023		September 30, 2022
Natural gas (per MMBtu)	$	3.42	$	6.13
Oil (per Bbl)	$	78.54	$	91.71
NGLs (per Bbl)	$	22.24	$	37.33

Using the average quoted prices above, adjusted for market differentials, the Company’s net book value of its United States natural gas and oil properties did not exceed the ceiling amount at September 30, 2023. Decreases in market prices as well as changes in production rates, levels of reserves, evaluation of costs excluded from amortization, future development costs and production costs could result in future non-cash ceiling test impairments to the Company’s natural gas and oil properties. Given the fall in commodity prices during 2023, the Company expects some non-cash impairment of its assets will likely occur as early as the fourth quarter of 2023.

In June 2023, the Company sold non-core natural gas and oil properties in Appalachia for approximately $123 million in cash, subject to customary post-closing adjustments. The cash proceeds were used to pay down the Company’s revolving credit facility and were recorded as a reduction to its natural gas and oil properties.