Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Hedging Activities

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Hedging Activities
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2015
General Discussion of Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities [Abstract]  
Hedging Activities
HEDGING ACTIVITIES
Oil and Natural Gas Price Hedging Activities
The Company seeks to reduce its exposure to unfavorable changes in oil and natural gas prices, which are subject to significant and often volatile fluctuation, by entering into fixed price swaps, swaptions and basis swaps. These contracts allow the Company to predict with greater certainty the effective oil and natural gas prices to be received for hedged production and benefit operating cash flows and earnings when market prices are less than the fixed prices provided in the contracts. However, the Company will not benefit from market prices that are higher than the fixed prices in the contracts for hedged production
The Company records all derivative contracts at fair value. All derivative contracts are marked to market each quarter end and are included in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets as derivative assets and liabilities.
During 2014 and 2015, the Company entered into fixed price swap contracts for 2014 through 2019 with five financial institutions. The Company’s fixed price swap and swaption contracts are tied to the commodity prices on Argus and NYMEX. The Company will receive the fixed price amount stated in the contract and pay to its counterparty the current market price as listed on Argus for Louisiana Light Sweet Crude for oil, the NYMEX West Texas Intermediate for oil, the NYMEX Henry Hub for natural gas and Mont Belvieu for propane. At September 30, 2015, the Company had the following fixed price swaps and swaptions in place:
 
 
Daily Volume
(Bbls/day)
 
Weighted
Average Price
October 2015 - June 2016
2,500

 
$
62.38

 
Daily Volume (MMBtu/day)
 
Weighted
Average Price
October 2015
322,500

 
$
3.79

November 2015 - December 2015
282,500

 
$
3.91

January 2016 - March 2016
377,500

 
$
3.63

April 2016
367,500

 
$
3.62

May 2016 - December 2016
297,500

 
$
3.52

January 2017 - June 2017
182,500

 
$
3.59

July 2017 - December 2017
120,000

 
$
3.40

January 2018 - December 2018
70,000

 
$
3.35

January 2019 - March 2019
20,000

 
$
3.37


 
Daily Volume
(Gal/day)
 
Weighted
Average Price
October 2015 - December 2016
42,000

 
$
0.48



In addition, the Company has entered into natural gas basis swap positions, which settle on the pricing index to basis differential of MichCon to the NYMEX Henry Hub natural gas price. As of September 30, 2015, the Company's natural gas basis swap positions were as follows:
 
Daily Volume (MMBtu/day)
 
Hedged Differential
October 2015
40,000

 
$
0.02

November 2015 - March 2016
70,000

 
$
0.11

April 2016 - December 2016
40,000

 
$
0.02


At September 30, 2015 the fair value of derivative assets and liabilities related to the fixed price swaps, swaptions and basis swaps was as follows:
 
 
(In thousands)
Short-term derivative instruments - asset
$
116,100

Long-term derivative instruments - asset
$
51,171

Short-term derivative instruments - liability
$
2,351

Long-term derivative instruments - liability
$
3,208



All fixed price swaps, swaptions and basis swaps have been executed in connection with the Company's oil and natural gas price hedging program. For fixed price swaps, swaptions and basis swaps qualifying as cash flow hedges pursuant to FASB ASC 815, the realized contract price is included in oil and gas sales in the period for which the underlying production was hedged. For those contracts which are not designated as cash flow hedges changes in the fair value are classified as revenues on the Company's consolidated statements of operations.

For derivatives designated as cash flow hedges and meeting the effectiveness guidelines of FASB ASC 815, changes in fair value are recognized in accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income until the hedged item is recognized in earnings. The Company had no cash flow hedges in place for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014, as all fixed price swaps, swaptions and basis swaps had either been deemed ineffective at their inception or had been accounted for using the mark-to-market accounting method.

At September 30, 2015, no amounts related to fixed price swaps, swaptions or basis swaps remain in accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income.
The Company recognized a gain of $62.2 million and $58.9 million due to the change in fair value of derivative instruments for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, respectively, which is included in oil and condensate and gas sales in the consolidated statements of operations. The Company recognized a gain of $29.5 million and $23.0 million due to the change in fair value of derivative instruments for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014, respectively, which is included in oil and condensate and gas sales in the consolidated statements of operations.