Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies (Policy)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Principles Of Consolidation

Principles of Consolidation.    The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Unit Corporation and its subsidiaries. Our investment in limited partnerships is accounted for on the proportionate consolidation method, whereby our share of the partnerships' assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses are included in the appropriate classification in the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

Certain amounts in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for prior periods have been reclassified to conform to current year presentation.

Accounting Estimates

Accounting Estimates.    The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Drilling Contracts

Drilling Contracts.    We recognize revenues and expenses generated from "daywork" drilling contracts as the services are performed, since we do not bear the risk of completion of the well. Under "footage" and "turnkey" contracts, we bear the risk of completion of the well; therefore, revenues and expenses are recognized when the well is substantially completed. Under this method, substantial completion is determined when the well bore reaches the negotiated depth as stated in the contract. The entire amount of a loss, if any, is recorded when the loss is deter-minable. The costs of uncompleted drilling contracts include expenses incurred to date on "footage" or "turnkey" contracts, which are still in process at the end of the period, and are included in other current assets. Typically, any one of these three types of contracts can be used for the drilling of one well which can take from 20 to 90 days. At December 31, 2011, substantially all of our contracts were daywork contracts of which 62 were multi-well and had durations which ranged from six months to three years. These longer term contracts may contain a fixed rate for the duration of the contract or provide for the periodic renegotiation of the rate within a specific range from the existing rate.

Cash Equivalents And Book Overdrafts

Cash Equivalents and Book Overdrafts.    We include as cash equivalents all investments with maturities at date of purchase of three months or less which are readily convertible into known amounts of cash. Book overdrafts are checks that have been issued before the end of the period, but not presented to our bank for payment before the end of the period. At December 31, 2011 and 2010, book overdrafts were $26.5 million and $13.1 million, respectively, and included in accounts payable.

Accounts Receivable

Accounts Receivable.    Accounts receivable are carried on a gross basis, with no discounting, less an allowance for doubtful accounts. We estimate the allowance for doubtful accounts based on existing economic conditions, the financial condition of our customers, and the amount and age of past due accounts. Receivables are considered past due if full payment is not received by the contractual due date. Past due accounts are generally written off against the allowance for doubtful accounts only after all collection attempts have been unsuccessful.

Financial Instruments And Concentrations Of Credit Risk And Non-Performance Risk

Financial Instruments and Concentrations of Credit Risk and Non-performance Risk.    Financial instruments, which potentially subject us to concentrations of credit risk, consist primarily of trade receivables with a variety of oil and natural gas companies. We do not generally require collateral related to receivables. Our credit risk is considered to be limited due to the large number of customers comprising our customer base. Below are the third-party customers that accounted for more than 10% of our segment's revenues:

	2011			2010			2009
	(In thousands)
Drilling:
QEP Resources, Inc.		22	%		28	%		35	%
Oil and Natural Gas:
Valero Energy Corporation		18	%		7	%		5	%
Sunoco Partners Marketing		10	%		8	%		7	%
Mid-Stream:
ONEOK		54	%		53	%		52	%
Gavilon, LLC		19	%		12	%		0	%
ConocoPhillips		7	%		12	%		15	%
Tenaska		1	%		7	%		17	%

We had a concentration of cash of $31.1 million and $23.8 million at December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively with one bank.

The use of derivative transactions also involves the risk that the counterparties will be unable to meet the financial terms of the transactions. We considered this non-performance risk with regard to our counterparties and our own non-performance risk in our derivative valuation at December 31, 2011 and determined there was no material risk at that time. At December 31, 2011, the fair values of the net assets (liabilities) we had with each of the counterparties with respect to all of our commodity derivative transactions are listed in the table below:

	December 31, 2011
	(In millions)
Bank of Montreal	$	18.7
Bank of America, N.A.		6.5
BNP Paribas		6.1
Comerica Bank		1.4
BBVA Compass Bank		1.0
BP Corporation		0.2
Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank, London Branch		0.1
Macquarie Bank		(0.2	)
Total assets (liabilities)	$	33.8

Property And Equipment

Property and Equipment.    Drilling equipment, natural gas gathering and processing equipment, transportation equipment and other property and equipment are carried at cost. Renewals and improvements are capitalized while repairs and maintenance are expensed. Depreciation of drilling equipment is recorded using the units-of-production method based on estimated useful lives starting at 15 years, including a minimum provision of 20% of the active rate when the equipment is idle. We use the composite method of depreciation for drill pipe and collars and calculate the depreciation by footage actually drilled compared to total estimated remaining footage. Depreciation of other property and equipment is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets ranging from 3 to 15 years.

Realization of the carrying value of property and equipment is reviewed for possible impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. Assets are determined to be impaired if a forecast of undiscounted estimated future net operating cash flows directly related to the asset including disposal value if any, is less than the carrying amount of the asset. If any asset is determined to be impaired, the loss is measured as the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset exceeds its fair value. An estimate of fair value is based on the best information available, including prices for similar assets. Changes in such estimates could cause us to reduce the carrying value of property and equipment. No significant impairments were recorded at December 31, 2011, 2010 or 2009.

When property and equipment components are disposed of, the cost and the related accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts and any resulting gain or loss is generally reflected in operations. For dispositions of drill pipe and drill collars, an average cost for the appropriate feet of drill pipe and drill collars is removed from the asset account and charged to accumulated depreciation and proceeds, if any, are credited to accumulated depreciation.

We record an asset and a liability equal to the present value of the expected future asset retirement obligation (ARO) associated with our oil and gas properties. The ARO asset is depreciated in a manner consistent with the depreciation of the underlying physical asset. We measure changes in the liability due to passage of time by accreting an interest charge. This amount is recognized as an increase in the carrying amount of the liability and as a corresponding accretion expense.

Goodwill

Goodwill.    Goodwill represents the excess of the cost of acquisitions over the fair value of the net assets acquired. Goodwill is not amortized, but an impairment test is performed at least annually to determine whether the fair value has decreased and is performed additionally when events indicate an impairment may have occurred. Goodwill is all related to our contract drilling segment, and accordingly, the impairment test is generally based on the estimated discounted future net cash flows of our drilling segment, utilizing discount rates and other factors in determining the fair value of our drilling segment. No goodwill impairment was recorded for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010, or 2009. There were no additions to goodwill in 2011, 2010 or 2009. Goodwill of $5.7 million is deductible for tax purposes.

Intangible Assets

Intangible Assets.    Intangible assets are capitalized and amortized over the estimated period benefited. Such amounts are reviewed for possible impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. No intangible asset impairment was recorded for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 or 2009. Amortization of $1.2 million, $2.6 million and $3.7 million was recorded in 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively. Accumulated amortization for 2011 and 2010 was $16.1 million and $14.9 million, respectively. Amortization of $1.2 million and $0.7 million is expected to be recorded in 2012 and 2013, respectively.

Oil And Natural Gas Operations

Oil and Natural Gas Operations.     We account for our oil and natural gas exploration and development activities using the full cost method of accounting prescribed by the SEC. Accordingly, all productive and non-productive costs incurred in connection with the acquisition, exploration and development of our oil and natural gas reserves, including directly related overhead costs and related asset retirement costs, are capitalized and amortized on a units-of-production method based on proved oil and natural gas reserves. Directly related overhead costs of $15.6 million, $13.4 million and $13.2 million were capitalized in 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively. Independent petroleum engineers annually audit our internal evaluation of our reserves. The average rates used for depreciation, depletion and amortization (DD&A) were $15.06, $11.94 and $11.22 per Boe in 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively. The calculation of DD&A includes estimated future expenditures to be incurred in developing proved reserves and estimated dismantlement and abandonment costs, net of estimated salvage values. Our undeveloped leasehold properties totaling $185.6 million are excluded from the DD&A calculation.

No gains or losses are recognized on the sale, conveyance or other disposition of oil and natural gas properties unless a significant reserve amount is involved.

Revenue from the sale of oil and natural gas is recognized when title passes, net of royalties.

Under the full cost rules, at the end of each quarter, we review the carrying value of our oil and natural gas properties. The full cost ceiling is based principally on the estimated future discounted net cash flows from our oil and natural gas properties discounted at 10%. Starting December 31, 2009, companies like us that use full cost accounting moved from using the commodity prices existing on the last day of the period to that of the unweighted arithmetic average of the commodity prices existing on the first day of each of the 12 months before the end of the reporting period to calculate discounted future revenues, unless prices were otherwise determined under contractual arrangements. In the event the unamortized cost of oil and natural gas properties being amortized exceeds the full cost ceiling, as defined by the SEC, the excess is charged to expense in the period during which such excess occurs, even if prices are depressed for only a short period of time. Once incurred, a write-down of oil and natural gas properties is not reversible.

We recorded a non-cash ceiling test write-down of $281.2 million pre-tax ($175.1 million, net of tax) during the quarter ending March 31, 2009. This write-down resulted from the reduction in commodity prices existing at the end of the first quarter of 2009 as compared to at the end of 2008. Derivative instruments qualifying as cash flow hedges were included in determining the limitation on the capitalized costs in our March 31, 2009 ceiling test calculation. The effect of including those hedges was a $197.9 million pre-tax increase in the discounted net cash flow of our oil and natural gas properties. Our qualifying cash flow hedges as of March 31, 2009, which consisted of swaps and collars, covered 2009 production of 30.3 Bcfe and 2010 production of 33.2 Bcfe.

At December 31, 2010 and December 31, 2011, using the existing 12-month average commodity prices, including the discounted value of our commodity hedges, we were not required to record a ceiling test write-down. However, if there are declines in the 12-month average prices, including the discounted value of our commodity hedges, we may be required to record a write-down in future periods. Our qualifying cash flow hedges used in the ceiling test determination at December 31, 2011, consisted of swaps covering 5.0 MMBoe in 2012 and 0.7 MMBoe in 2013. The effect of those hedges on the December 31, 2011 ceiling test was a $22.1 million pre-tax increase in the discounted net cash flows of our oil and natural gas properties. Even without the impact of those hedges, we would not have been required to take a write-down for the quarter. Our oil and natural gas hedging is discussed in Note 13 of the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements.

Our contract drilling segment provides drilling services for our exploration and production segment. Depending on their timing some of the drilling services performed on our properties are also deemed to be associated with the acquisition of an ownership interest in the property. Revenues and expenses for such services are eliminated in our income statement, with any profit recognized as a reduction in our investment in our oil and natural gas properties. The contracts for these services are issued under the same conditions and rates as the contracts entered into with unrelated third parties. We eliminated revenue of $52.2 million, $40.1 million and $15.0 million for 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively from our contract drilling segment and eliminated the associated operating expense of $32.6 million, $31.0 million and $13.7 million during 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively, yielding $19.6 million, $9.1 million and $1.3 million during 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively, as a reduction to the carrying value of our oil and natural gas properties.

Gas Gathering And Processing Revenue

Gas Gathering and Processing Revenue.    Our gathering and processing segment recognizes revenue from the gathering and processing of natural gas and NGLs in the period the service is provided based on contractual terms.

Insurance

Insurance.    We are self-insured for certain losses relating to workers' compensation, control of well and employee medical benefits. Insured policies for other coverage contain deductibles or retentions per occurrence that range from $50,000 to $1.5 million. We have purchased stop-loss coverage in order to limit, to the extent feasible, per occurrence and aggregate exposure to certain types of claims. However, there is no assurance that the insurance coverage will adequately protect us against liability from all potential consequences. We have elected to use an ERISA governed occupational injury benefit plan to cover all Texas drilling operations in lieu of covering them under Texas Workers' Compensation. If insurance coverage becomes more expensive, we may choose to self-insure, decrease our limits, raise our deductibles or any combination of these rather than pay higher premiums.

Hedging Activities

Hedging Activities.    All derivatives are recognized on the balance sheet and measured at fair value. If a derivative is designated as a cash flow hedge, we measure the effectiveness of the hedge, or the degree that the gain (loss) for the hedging instrument offsets the loss (gain) on the hedged item, at each reporting period. The effective portion of the gain (loss) on the derivative instrument is recognized in other comprehensive income as a component of equity and subsequently reclassified into earnings when the forecasted transaction affects earnings. The ineffective portion of a derivative's change in fair value is required to be recognized in earnings immediately. Derivatives that do not qualify for hedge treatment are recorded at fair value with gains (losses) recognized in earnings in the period of change.

We document our risk management strategy and hedge effectiveness at the inception of and during the term of each hedge.

Limited Partnerships

Limited Partnerships.    Unit Petroleum Company is a general partner in 16 oil and natural gas limited partnerships sold privately and publicly. Some of our officers, directors and employees own the interests in most of these partnerships. We share in each partnership's revenues and costs in accordance with formulas set out in each of the limited partnership agreement. The partnerships also reimburse us for certain administrative costs incurred on behalf of the partnerships.

Income Taxes

Income Taxes.    Measurement of current and deferred income tax liabilities and assets is based on provisions of enacted tax law; the effects of future changes in tax laws or rates are not included in the measurement. Valuation allowances are established where necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized. Income tax expense is the tax payable for the year and the change during that year in deferred tax assets and liabilities.

The accounting for uncertainty in income taxes prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a return. Guidance is also provided on de-recognition, classification, interest and penalties, accounting in interim periods, disclosure and transition. We have no unrecognized tax benefits and we do not expect any significant changes in unrecognized tax benefits in the next twelve months.

Natural Gas Balancing

Natural Gas Balancing.    We use the sales method for recording natural gas sales. This method allows for recognition of revenue, which may be more or less than its share of pro-rata production from certain wells. We estimate our December 31, 2011 balancing position to be approximately 3.4 Bcf on under-produced properties and approximately 3.3 Bcf on over-produced properties. We have recorded a receivable of $1.5 million on certain wells where we estimate that insufficient reserves are available for us to recover the under-production from future production volumes. We have also recorded a liability of $3.3 million on certain properties where we believe there are insufficient reserves available to allow the under-produced owners to recover their under-production from future production volumes. Our policy is to expense the pro-rata share of lease operating costs from all wells as incurred. Such expenses relating to the balancing position on wells in which we have imbalances are not material.

Employee And Director Stock Based Compensation

Employee and Director Stock Based Compensation.    We recognize in our financial statements the cost of employee services received in exchange for awards of equity instruments based on the grant date fair value of those awards. The amount of our equity compensation cost relating to employees directly involved in our oil and natural gas segment is capitalized to our oil and natural gas properties. Amounts not capitalized to our oil and natural gas properties are recognized in general and administrative expense and operating costs of our business segments. We utilize the Black-Scholes option pricing model to measure the fair value of stock options and stock appreciation rights (SARs). The value of our restricted stock grants is based on the closing stock price on the date of the grants.