Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities
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Dec. 31, 2014
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Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities |
Note 6 - Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities
Objectives and strategies for using derivative instruments
The Company is exposed to fluctuations in oil and natural gas prices received for its production. Consequently, the Company believes it is prudent to manage the variability in cash flows on a portion of its oil and natural gas production. The Company utilizes a mix of collars, swaps, puts, calls and similar derivative financial instruments to manage fluctuations in cash flows resulting from changes in commodity prices. The Company does not use these instruments for speculative or trading purposes.
Counterparty risk and offsetting
The use of derivative instruments exposes the Company to the risk that a counterparty will be unable to meet its commitments. While the Company monitors counterparty creditworthiness on an ongoing basis, it cannot predict sudden changes in counterparties’ creditworthiness. In addition, even if such changes are not sudden, the Company may be limited in its ability to mitigate an increase in counterparty credit risk. Should one of these counterparties not perform, the Company may not realize the benefit of some of its derivative instruments under lower commodity prices while continuing to be obligated under higher commodity price contracts subject to any right of offset under the agreements. Counterparty credit risk is considered when determining the fair value of a derivative instrument; see Note 7 for additional information regarding fair value.
The Company executes commodity derivative contracts under master agreements that have netting provisions that provide for offsetting payables against receivables. In general, if a party to a derivative transaction incurs an event of default, as defined in the applicable agreement, the other party will have the right to demand the posting of collateral, demand a cash payment transfer or terminate the arrangement.
Financial statement presentation and settlements
Settlements of the Company’s derivative instruments are based on the difference between the contract price or prices specified in the derivative instrument and a benchmark price, such as the NYMEX price. To determine the fair value of the Company’s derivative instruments, the Company utilizes present value methods that include assumptions about commodity prices based on those observed in underlying markets. See Note 7 for additional information regarding fair value.
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments
The Company elected not to designate its derivative contracts as accounting hedges for contracts executed subsequent to December 31, 2012. Consequently, the Company records its derivative contracts at fair value in the consolidated balance sheet and records changes in fair value as a gain or loss on derivative contracts in the consolidated statement of operations. Cash settlements are also recorded as gain or loss on derivative contracts in the consolidated statement of operations.
The following table reflects the fair value of the Company’s derivative instruments for the periods presented:
As previously discussed, the Company’s derivative contracts are subject to master netting arrangements. The Company’s policy is to present the fair value of derivative contracts on a net basis in the consolidated balance sheet. The following presents the impact of this presentation to the Company’s recognized assets and liabilities for the periods indicated:
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments under ASC 815
For the periods indicated, the Company recorded the following related to its derivatives in the consolidated statement of operations as gain or loss on derivative contracts:
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments under ASC 815
The Company’s derivative contracts executed prior to December 31, 2012 were designated as accounting hedges. The table below presents the effect of the Company’s derivative financial instruments on the consolidated statements of operations as an increase to oil and natural gas sales:
Derivative positions
Listed in the tables below are the outstanding oil and natural gas derivative contracts as of December 31, 2014:
Subsequent to December 31, 2014, the Company restructured its portfolio of benchmark West Texas Intermediate oil hedges for 2015 and separately entered into new swap arrangements. The Company converted all of its three-way collars and put spreads into new swap contracts with fixed swap prices that received a premium to prevailing swap price levels at the time to reflect the value of the monetized put spreads embedded in the converted non-swap structures. Following the restructuring transaction and addition of new swap contracts, we currently have an average of 4,165 barrels of oil per day hedged at a weighted average swap price of $70.89 per barrel for calendar year 2015.
In addition, the Company recently entered into basis differential swaps that provide for a fixed price spread between the Midland and NYMEX prices for West Texas Intermediate oil. The Company hedged an average of approximately 4,120 barrels of oil per day from March 2015 to December 2015 at a weighted average Midland swap spread of ($2.39) per barrel.
The following derivative contracts for oil were executed subsequent to December 31, 2014:
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