Basis of Presentation (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2014

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Consolidation Principles

Consolidation Principles

The terms “Abraxas,” “Abraxas Petroleum,” “we,” “us,” “our” or the “Company” refer to Abraxas Petroleum Corporation and all of its subsidiaries, including Raven Drilling, LLC (“Raven Drilling”) and a wholly-owned foreign subsidiary, Canadian Abraxas Petroleum, ULC (“Canadian Abraxas”).

Canadian Abraxas’ assets and liabilities are translated to U.S. dollars at period-end exchange rates.  Income and expense items are translated at average rates of exchange prevailing during the period.  Translation adjustments are accumulated as a separate component of stockholders’ equity.

Rig Accounting

Rig Accounting

In accordance with SEC Regulation S-X, no income is to be recognized in connection with contractual drilling services performed in connection with properties in which the Company or its affiliates holds an ownership, or other economic interest. Any income not recognized as a result of this limitation is to be credited to the full cost pool and recognized through lower amortization as reserves are produced.

Use of Estimates

Use of Estimates

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

Stock-based Compensation and Option Plans

Restricted stock awards are awards of common stock that are subject to restrictions on transfer and to a risk of forfeiture if the awardee terminates employment with the Company prior to the lapse of the restrictions. The fair value of such stock was determined using the closing price on the grant date and compensation expense is recorded over the applicable vesting periods.

The Company currently utilizes a standard option-pricing model (i.e., Black-Scholes) to measure the fair value of stock options granted to employees and directors.

Oil and Gas Properties

Oil and Gas Properties

The Company follows the full cost method of accounting for oil and gas properties.  Under this method, all direct costs and certain indirect costs associated with the acquisition of properties and successful, as well as unsuccessful, exploration and development activities are capitalized. Depreciation, depletion, and amortization of capitalized oil and gas properties and estimated future development costs, excluding unproved properties, are based on the unit-of-production method based on proved reserves.  Net capitalized costs of oil and gas properties, less related deferred taxes, are limited by country, to the lower of the unamortized capitalized cost or the cost ceiling. The ceiling cost is calculated as PV-10, plus the cost of properties not being amortized, if any, plus the lower of cost or estimated fair value of unproved properties included in the costs being amortized, if any, less related income taxes. We calculate the projected income tax effect using the “short-cut” method for the cost ceiling test calculation. Costs in excess of the cost ceiling are charged to proved property impairment expense.  No gain or loss is recognized upon sale or disposition of oil and gas properties, except where the sale or disposition causes a significant change in the relationship between capitalized cost and the estimated quantity of proved reserves. We apply the full cost ceiling test on a quarterly basis on the date of the latest balance sheet presented.

Restoration, Removal and Environmental Liabilities

Restoration, Removal and Environmental Liabilities

The Company is subject to extensive Federal, provincial, state and local environmental laws and regulations. These laws regulate the discharge of materials into the environment and may require the Company to remove or mitigate the environmental effects of the disposal or release of petroleum substances at various sites.  Environmental expenditures are expensed or capitalized depending on their future economic benefit.  Expenditures that relate to an existing condition caused by past operations and that have no future economic benefit are expensed.

Liabilities for expenditures of a non-capital nature are recorded when environmental assessments and/or remediation is probable, and the costs can be reasonably estimated. Such liabilities are generally undiscounted unless the timing of cash payments for the liability or component are fixed or reliably determinable.

The Company accounts for asset retirement obligations based on the guidance of ASC 410 which addresses accounting and reporting for obligations associated with the retirement of tangible long-lived assets and the associated asset retirement costs. ASC 410 requires that the fair value of a liability for an asset's retirement obligation be recorded in the period in which it is incurred and the corresponding cost capitalized by increasing the carrying amount of the related long-lived asset. The liability is accreted to its then present value each period, and the capitalized cost is depreciated over the estimated useful life of the related asset. For all periods presented, we have included estimated future costs of abandonment and dismantlement in our full cost amortization base and amortize these costs as a component of our depletion expense in the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements.