4. FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2016

Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]

4. FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

Certain financial instruments are reported at fair value on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.  Under fair value measurement accounting guidance, fair value is defined as the amount that would be received from the sale of an asset or paid for the transfer of a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants, i.e., an exit price.  To estimate an exit price, a three-level hierarchy is used.  The fair value hierarchy prioritizes the inputs, which refer broadly to assumptions market participants would use in pricing an asset or a liability, into three levels.  The Company uses a market valuation approach based on available inputs and the following methods and assumptions to measure the fair values of its assets and liabilities, which may or may not be observable in the market.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments (other than Commodity Derivatives, see below) – The carrying values of financial instruments, excluding commodity derivatives, comprising current assets and current liabilities approximate fair values due to the short-term maturities of these instruments and are considered Level 1.

Derivatives – The fair values of the Company’s commodity derivatives are considered Level 2 as their fair values are based on third-party pricing models which utilize inputs that are either readily available in the public market, such as natural gas and oil forward curves and discount rates, or can be corroborated from active markets or broker quotes.  These values are then compared to the values given by the Company’s counterparties for reasonableness.  The Company is able to value the assets and liabilities based on observable market data for similar instruments, which results in the Company using market prices and implied volatility factors related to changes in the forward curves.  Derivatives are also subject to the risk that counterparties will be unable to meet their obligations.  Because the Company’s commodity derivative counterparty was Société Générale at March 31, 2016, the Company has not considered non-performance risk in the valuation of its derivatives.

Financial assets are considered Level 3 when their fair values are determined using pricing models, discounted cash flow methodologies or similar techniques, and at least one significant model assumption or input is unobservable.

	Fair value measurements at March 31, 2016
			Significant
	Quoted prices		other		Significant
	in active		observable		unobservable
	markets		inputs		inputs
	(Level 1)		(Level 2)		(Level 3)		Total
Assets:
Commodity derivatives – oil	$	-	$	2,735,087	$	-	$	2,735,087
Commodity derivatives – gas		-		205,325		-		205,325
Total assets	$	-	$	2,940,412	$	-	$	2,940,412

	Fair value measurements at December 31, 2015
			Significant
	Quoted prices		other		Significant
	in active		observable		unobservable
	markets		inputs		inputs
	(Level 1)		(Level 2)		(Level 3)		Total
Assets:
Commodity derivatives – oil	$	-	$	3,442,693	$	-	$	3,442,693
Commodity derivatives – gas		-		285,895		-		285,895
Total assets	$	-	$	3,728,588	$	-	$	3,728,588

Derivative instruments listed above include swaps, reverse swaps and three-way collars.  For additional information on the Company’s derivative instruments and derivative liabilities, see Note 5 – Commodity Derivative Instruments.

Debt – The Company’s debt is recorded at the carrying amount on its Consolidated Balance Sheets.  For further discussion of the Company’s debt, please see Note 9 – Debt and Interest Expense.  The carrying amount of floating-rate debt approximates fair value because the interest rates are variable and reflective of market rates.

Asset Retirement Obligations (“AROs”) – The Company estimates the fair value of AROs based on discounted cash flow projections using numerous estimates, assumptions and judgments regarding such factors as the existence of a legal obligation for an ARO, amounts and timing of settlements, the credit-adjusted risk-free rate to be used and inflation rates.