I. CONTINGENCIES

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2014

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Text Block]

1. Certain Legal Proceedings

From time to time, the Company is party to various legal proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business. While the outcome of lawsuits cannot be predicted with certainty, the Company is not currently a party to any proceeding that it believes, if determined in a manner adverse to the Company, could have a potential material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows.

On July 9, 2014, Nabors Drilling USA, L.P. and other Nabors entities and Exploration and other Yuma entities were named in a lawsuit filed in the District Court of Harris County, Texas, in the 80^th Judicial District, concerning the death of an employee of Timco Services during the drilling of the Crosby 12-1 well. The Company has tendered its defense to its liability insurance carriers who are responding. Management believes that the Company has adequate insurance to meet this potential claim.

2. Environmental Remediation Contingencies

As of September 30, 2014, there were no known environmental or other regulatory matters related to the Company’s operations that were reasonably expected to result in a material liability to the Company. The Company’s operations are subject to numerous laws and regulations governing the discharge of materials into the environment or otherwise relating to environmental protection.

Exploration has been named as one of 97 defendants in a matter entitled Board of Commissioners of the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority – East, Individually and As the Board Governing the Orleans Levee District, the Lake Borgne Basin Levee District, and the East Jefferson Levee District v. Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, LLC, et al., Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans, State of Louisiana, No. 13-6911, Division “J” - 5, now removed as Civil Action No. 13-5410, before the United Stated District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana. Plaintiff filed the suit on July 24, 2013 seeking damages and injunctive relief arising out of defendants’ drilling, exploration, and production activities from the early 1900s to the present day in coastal areas east of the Mississippi River in Southeast Louisiana.

The suit alleges that defendants’ activities have caused “removal, erosion, and submergence” of coastal lands resulting in significant reduction or loss of the protection such lands afforded against hurricanes and tropical storms. Plaintiff alleges that it now faces increased costs to maintain and operate the man-made hurricane protection system and may reach the point where that system no longer adequately protects populated areas.

Plaintiff lists hundreds of wells, pipelines, and dredging events as possible sources of the alleged land loss. Exploration is named in association with 11 wells, four rights-of-way, and one dredging permit. The suit does not specify any deficiency or harm caused by any individual activity or facility.

Although the suit references various federal statutes as sources of standards of care, plaintiff claims that all causes of action arise under state law: negligence, strict liability, natural servitude of drain, public nuisance, private nuisance, and as third-party beneficiary under breach of contract.

The Company has tendered its defense to its liability insurance carriers who are responding. At this time, the Company cannot predict the outcome of this case or, in management’s opinion, assess any potential liability; therefore no liability has been recorded on the Company’s books.