Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Fair Value Measurements

v3.20.4
Fair Value Measurements
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]  
Fair Value Measurements FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS
The Company records certain financial and non-financial assets and liabilities on the balance sheet at fair value. Fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability (exit price) in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Market or observable inputs are the preferred sources of values, followed by assumptions based on hypothetical transactions in the absence of market inputs. Fair value measurements are classified and disclosed in one of the following categories:
Level 1 – Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities.
Level 2 – Quoted prices in active markets for similar assets and liabilities, quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active and model-derived valuations whose inputs are observable or whose significant value drivers are observable.
Level 3 – Significant inputs to the valuation model are unobservable.
Valuation techniques that maximize the use of observable inputs are favored. Financial assets and liabilities are classified in their entirety based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement requires judgment and may affect the placement of assets and liabilities within the levels of the fair value hierarchy. Reclassifications of fair value between Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy, if applicable, are made at the end of each quarter.
Financial assets and liabilities
The following tables summarize the Company’s financial assets and liabilities by valuation level as of December 31, 2020 and 2019:
  December 31, 2020
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3
(In thousands)
Assets:
Derivative Instruments
$ —  $ 27,468  $ — 
       Contingent consideration arrangement $ —  $ —  $ 6,200 
Total assets $ —  $ 27,468  $ 6,200 
Liabilities:
Derivative Instruments
$ —  $ 48,245  $ — 
December 31, 2019
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3
(In thousands)
Assets:
Derivative Instruments $ —  $ 126,764  $ — 
Liabilities:
Derivative Instruments
$ —  $ 53,438  $ — 
The Company estimates the fair value of all derivative instruments using industry-standard models that considered various assumptions including current market and contractual prices for the underlying instruments, implied volatility, time value, nonperformance risk, as well as other relevant economic measures. Substantially all of these inputs are observable in the marketplace throughout the full term of the instrument and can be supported by observable data.
As discussed in Note 3, the water infrastructure sale included a contingent consideration arrangement. As of December 31, 2020, the fair value of the contingent consideration was $6.2 million, of which $1.1 million is included in prepaid expenses and other assets and $5.1 million is included in other assets in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. The fair value of the contingent consideration arrangement is calculated using discounted cash flow techniques and is based on internal estimates of the Company's future development program and water production levels. Given the unobservable nature of the inputs, the fair value measurement of the contingent consideration arrangement is deemed to use Level 3 inputs. The Company has elected the fair value option for this contingent consideration arrangement and, therefore, records changes in fair value in earnings. As a result of a reduction in the future anticipated contingent consideration since the acquisition date, the Company recognized a loss of $16.6 million on changes in fair value of the contingent consideration during the year ended December 31, 2020, which is included in other expense (income) in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations. Settlements under the contingent consideration arrangement totaled $0.3 million during the year ended December 31, 2020.
Non-financial assets and liabilities
The initial measurement of asset retirement obligations at fair value is calculated using discounted cash flow techniques and based on internal estimates of future retirement costs associated with oil and gas properties. Given the unobservable nature of the inputs, including plugging costs and reserve lives, the initial measurement of the asset retirement obligation liability is deemed to use Level 3 inputs. See Note 4 for further discussion of the Company’s asset retirement obligations. Asset retirement obligations incurred during the year ended December 31, 2020 were approximately $2.4 million.
The Company did not record any other than temporary impairments on its equity method investments during the year ended December 31, 2020, however the Company recorded impairments on its investments during the year ended December 31, 2019. Due to the unobservable nature of the inputs, the fair value of the Company's investment in Grizzly as of December 31, 2019 was estimated using assumptions that represent Level 3 inputs. The fair value of the Company's investment in Mammoth Energy as of December 31, 2019 was estimated using Level 1 inputs, as the price per share was a quoted price in an active market for identical Mammoth Energy common shares.
Fair value of other financial instruments
The carrying amounts on the accompanying consolidated balance sheet for cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable and accrued liabilities, and current debt are carried at cost, which approximates market value due to their short-term nature. Long-term debt related to the Company's construction loan is carried at cost, which approximates market value based on the borrowing rates currently available to the Company with similar terms and maturities. See Note 6 for fair value of Company's long-term debt.