Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2015

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Cash and Cash Equivalents, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Cash and cash equivalents—Interest-bearing deposits that are highly liquid investments and have a maturity of three months or less when purchased are included in cash and cash equivalents. Management has designated cash reserves of $40,011 as of March 31, 2015, to be utilized for the settlement of certain unsecured claims, including disputed unsecured claims, and other bankruptcy related costs related to the Company’s recent emergence from bankruptcy. Such cash reserves, which are considered restricted cash due to management’s intent regarding these funds, are included in restricted cash in the current assets section of the condensed consolidated balance sheet based on management’s estimate of when these funds are likely to be disbursed. Such restricted cash reserves will be subject to adjustment based upon the settlement of claims and other bankruptcy related costs and changes in estimates of future funding requirements. Additionally, restricted cash as of March 31, 2015 includes $77,999 of legally restricted cash relating to the OIN Term Loan (as defined in Note 5, “Debt,”). The OIN Term Loan stipulates that if annual aggregate cash proceeds of OIN asset sales exceed $5,000, cash proceeds from each such sale are required to be reinvested in vessels within twelve months of such sale or be used to prepay the principal balance outstanding of the OIN Term Loan. Activity relating to restricted cash is reflected in investing activities in the condensed consolidated statements of cash flow.

Accounting for Debt Financing Costs [Policy Text Block]

Deferred finance charges—Finance charges incurred in the arrangement of debt are deferred and amortized to interest expense on either an effective interest method or straight-line basis over the life of the related debt.

Unamortized deferred finance charges of $45,809 and $48,186 relating to the Exit Financing Facilities are included in other assets on the consolidated balance sheets as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively. Interest expense relating to the amortization of deferred financing charges amounted to $2,377 for the three months ended March 31, 2015.

For the three months ended March 31, 2014, there was no interest expense relating to the amortization of deferred financing charges for pre-petition debt of the Company as amortization had ceased upon the commencement of the Company’s Chapter 11 cases.

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

Concentration of Credit Risk—Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk are voyage receivables due from charterers and pools in which the Company participates. During the three month periods ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company did not have any individual customers who accounted for 10% or more of its revenues apart from the pools in which it participates. The pools in which the Company participates accounted for 80% and 77% of consolidated voyage receivables at March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively.

Income Tax, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Income Taxes—The Company’s quarterly income tax (provision)/benefit and its corresponding annual effective tax rate are based on expected income, statutory tax rates and tax planning opportunities available in the various jurisdictions in which the Company operates. For interim financial reporting, except in circumstances as described in the following paragraph, the Company estimates the annual effective tax rate based on projected taxable income for the full year and records a quarterly tax provision in accordance with the expected annual effective tax rate. As the year progresses, the Company refines the estimates of the year’s taxable income as new information becomes available, including year-to-date financial results. This continual estimation process often results in a change to our expected annual effective tax rate for the year. When this occurs, the Company adjusts the income tax provision during the quarter in which the change in estimate occurs so that the year-to-date income tax provision reflects the expected annual effective tax rate. Significant judgment is required in determining the Company’s annual effective tax rate and in evaluating the Company’s tax positions.

When the result of the expected annual effective tax rate is not deemed reliable, as was the case for the first quarter of 2014, and distorts the income tax provision for an interim period, the Company calculates the income tax provision or benefit using the cut-off method which results in an income tax provision or benefit based solely on the year-to-date pretax income or loss as adjusted for permanent differences on a pro rata basis.

New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Recently Adopted Accounting Standards

In April 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-08, Presentation of Financial Statements (ASC 205) and Property Plant and Equipment (ASC 360), which amends the criteria for reporting discontinued operations. The amendments require that only disposals that represent a strategic shift that has (or will have) a major effect on the entity’s operations and financial results would qualify as discontinued operations. Therefore disposals of small groups of assets that are recurring in nature are less likely to qualify for discontinued operations presentation as a result of the amendments. In addition, the new guidance expands the disclosure requirements for disposals that meet the definition of a discontinued operation and requires entities to disclose information about disposals of individually significant components that do not meet the definition of discontinued operations. The amendments are effective for public companies for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2014. The Company’s adoption of this new accounting guidance on January 1, 2015 had no impact on its condensed consolidated financial statements.

New Accounting Standards [Policy Text Block]

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (ASC 606) to provide a single, comprehensive revenue recognition model for all contracts with customers to improve comparability within industries, across industries, and across capital markets. The revenue standard contains principles that an entity will apply to determine the measurement and timing of when it is recognized. The underlying principle is that an entity will recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers at an amount that the entity expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. The revenue standard is effective for the first interim period within annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016 for public companies and early adoption is not permitted. The requirements of this standard include a significant increase in required disclosures. Management is analyzing the impact of the adoption of this guidance on the Company’s consolidated financial statements, including assessing changes that might be necessary to information technology systems, processes and internal controls to capture new data and address changes in financial reporting.

In August 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-15, Disclosure of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern (ASC 205), which explicitly requires management to assess an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern and disclose going concern uncertainties in connection with each annual and interim period. The new standard requires management to assess if there is substantial doubt about an entity’s ability to continue to meet its obligations within one year after the reporting date based upon management’s consideration of relevant conditions that are known (and reasonably knowable) at the issuance date. The new standard defines substantial doubt and provides example indicators. Disclosures will be required if conditions give rise to substantial doubt. However, management will need to assess if its plans will alleviate substantial doubt to determine the specific disclosures. The new standard will be effective for all entities in the first annual period ending after December 15, 2016. Earlier application is permitted. Management does not expect the adoption of this accounting standard to have any impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-03, Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs (ASC 835), which amends the requirement to recognize debt issuance costs as deferred charges. The amendment requires that debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented on the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying cost of that debt liability, consistent with debt discounts. The amendments are effective for public companies for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015. The Company expects to adopt this new accounting standard on January 1, 2016. Based on the Company’s current unamortized debt issuance costs the impact of the retrospective adoption on its March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014  balance sheets would be reductions of both other assets and long-term debt by $45,809 and $48,186, respectively.