Investment in Oil and Gas Properties

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2016

Extractive Industries [Abstract]

Investment in Oil and Gas Properties

Investment in Oil and Gas Properties

Under the full cost method of accounting, we compare, at the end of each financial reporting period, the present value of estimated future net cash flows from proved reserves (adjusted for hedges and excluding cash flows related to estimated abandonment costs) to the net capitalized costs of proved oil and gas properties, net of related deferred taxes. We refer to this comparison as a ceiling test. If the net capitalized costs of proved oil and gas properties exceed the estimated discounted future net cash flows from proved reserves, we are required to write down the value of our oil and gas properties to the value of the discounted cash flows. At March 31, 2016, our ceiling test computation resulted in a write-down of our U.S. oil and gas properties of $128.9 million based on twelve-month average prices, net of applicable differentials, of $46.72 per Bbl of oil, $2.01 per Mcf of natural gas and $13.65 per Bbl of natural gas liquids ("NGLs"), as compared to December 31, 2015 twelve-month average prices, net of applicable differentials, of $51.16 per Bbl of oil, $2.19 per Mcf of natural gas and $16.40 per Bbl of NGLs. At March 31, 2016, the write-down of oil and gas properties also included $0.3 million related to our Canadian oil and gas properties, which were deemed to be fully impaired at the end of 2015. The write-down at March 31, 2016 was decreased by $23 million as a result of hedges.