Contingencies |
12 Months Ended |
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Dec. 31, 2020 | |
| Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] | |
| Contingencies | CONTINGENCIES Litigation and Regulatory Proceedings
The Company is involved in a number of litigation and regulatory proceedings that may result in material liabilities, including those described below. Many of these proceedings are in early stages, and many of them seek or may seek damages and penalties, the amount of which is indeterminate. The Company's total accrued liabilities in respect of litigation and regulatory proceedings is determined on a case-by-case basis and represents an estimate of probable losses after considering, among other factors, the progress of each case or proceeding, its experience and the experience of others in similar cases or proceedings, and the opinions and views of legal counsel. Significant judgment is required in making these estimates and their final liabilities may ultimately be materially different.
The Company, along with a number of other oil and gas companies, has been named as a defendant in two separate complaints, one filed by the State of Louisiana and the Parish of Cameron in the 38th Judicial District Court for the Parish of Cameron on February 9, 2016 and the other filed by the State of Louisiana and the District Attorney for the 15th Judicial District
of the State of Louisiana in the 15th Judicial District Court for the Parish of Vermilion on July 29, 2016 (together, the "Complaints"). The Complaints allege that certain of the defendants’ operations violated the State and Local Coastal Resources Management Act of 1978, as amended, and the rules, regulations, orders and ordinances adopted thereunder (the "CZM Laws") by causing substantial damage to land and waterbodies located in the coastal zone of the relevant Parish. The plaintiffs seek damages and other appropriate relief under the CZM Laws, including the payment of costs necessary to clear, re-vegetate, detoxify and otherwise restore the affected coastal zone of the relevant Parish to its original condition, actual restoration of such coastal zone to its original condition, and the payment of reasonable attorney fees and legal expenses and interest. The United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana issued orders remanding the cases to their respective state court, and the defendants have appealed the remand orders to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.
In July 2019, Pigeon Land Company, Inc., a successor in interest to certain of the Company's legacy Louisiana properties, filed an action against the Company and a number of other oil and gas companies in the 16th Judicial District Court for the Parish of Iberia in Louisiana. The suit alleged negligence, strict liability and various violations of Louisiana statutes relating to property damage in connection with the historic development of the Company's Louisiana properties and sought unspecified damages (including punitive damages), an injunction to return the affected property to its original condition, and the payment of reasonable attorney fees and legal expenses and interest. This matter was voluntarily dismissed without prejudice on December 8, 2020.
In September 2019, a stockholder of Mammoth Energy filed a derivative action on behalf of Mammoth Energy against members of Mammoth Energy’s board of directors, including a director designated by the Company, and its significant stockholders, including the Company, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma. In January 2020, plaintiffs consolidated actions against the same defendants in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware. The consolidated and amended complaint alleges, among other things, that the Company breached its fiduciary duties and misappropriated information as a controlling shareholder of Mammoth Energy in connection with Mammoth Energy’s activities in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria and the Company's secondary offering of Mammoth Energy common stock in June 2018. The complaint seeks unspecified damages, the payment of reasonable attorney fees and legal expenses and interest and to force Mammoth Energy and its board of directors to make specified corporate governance reforms.
In October 2019, Kelsie Wagner, in her capacity as trustee of various trusts and on behalf of the trusts and other similarly situated royalty owners, filed an action against us in the District Court of Grady County, Oklahoma. The suit alleged that the Company underpaid royalty owners and seeks unspecified damages for violations of the Oklahoma Production Revenue Standards Act and fraud. This matter is settled in principal and a voluntary dismissal without prejudice is anticipated.
In March 2020, Robert F. Woodley, individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated, filed a federal securities class action against the Company, David M. Wood, Keri Crowell and Quentin R. Hicks in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. The complaint alleges that the Company made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company’s business and operations in violation of the federal securities laws and seeks unspecified damages, the payment of reasonable attorneys’ fees, expert fees and other costs, pre-judgment and post-judgment interest, and such other and further relief that may be deemed just and proper.
In June 2020, Sam L. Carter, derivatively on behalf of the Company, filed an action against certain of our current and former executive officers and directors in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware. The complaint alleged that the defendants breached their fiduciary duties to the Company in connection with certain alleged materially false and misleading statements regarding our business and operations in violation of the federal securities laws. The complaint sought to recover unspecified damages from the defendants, the implementation of specified corporate governance reforms, reasonable attorneys’ and experts’ fees, costs and expenses, and such other relief as may be deemed just and proper. The complaint was voluntarily dismissed without prejudice on October 6, 2020.
The Company filed a lawsuit against Stingray Pressure Pumping LLC, a subsidiary of Mammoth Energy (“Stingray”), for breach of contract and to terminate the Master Services Agreement for pressure pumping services, effective as of October 1, 2014, as amended (the “Master Services Agreement”), between Stingray and the Company. In March 2020, Stingray filed a counterclaim against the Company in the Superior Court of the State of Delaware. The counterclaim alleges that the Company has breached the Master Services Agreement. The counterclaim seeks actual damages, and Stingray filed claims in the Chapter 11 proceedings totaling $43.4 million related to breach of contract damages, attorneys' fees and interest.
In April 2020, Bryon Lefort, individually and on behalf of similarly situated individuals, filed an action against the Company in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio Eastern Division. The complaint alleges that the Company violated the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”), the Ohio Wage Act and the Ohio Prompt Pay Act by classifying the plaintiffs as independent contractors and paying them a daily rate with no overtime compensation for hours worked in excess of 40 hours per week. The complaint seeks to recover unpaid regular and overtime wages, liquidated damages in an amount equal
to six of all unpaid overtime compensation, the payment of reasonable attorney fees and legal expenses and pre-judgment and post-judgment interest, and such other damages that may be owed to the workers.
In August 2020, Muskie filed an action against the Company in the Superior Court of the State of Delaware for breach of contract. The complaint alleges that the Company breached its obligation to purchase a certain amount of proppant sand each month or make designated shortfall payments under the Sand Supply Agreement, effective October 1, 2014, as amended (the “Sand Supply Agreement”), between Muskie and the Company, and seeks payment of unpaid shortfall payments, and Muskie filed a claim in the Chapter 11 proceedings for $3.4 million.
SEC Investigation
The SEC has commenced an investigation with respect to certain actions by former Company management, including alleged improper personal use of Company assets, and potential violations by former management and the Company of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 in connection with such actions. On February 24, 2021, without admitting or denying any of findings contained in the order, Gulfport resolved the SEC investigation through an administrative order that Gulfport violated Sections 13(a), 13(b)(2)(A), 13(b)(2)(B) and 14(a) of the Exchange Act and Rules 12b-20, 13a-1, 14a-3 and 14a-9. Under the administrative order and pursuant to Section 21C of the Exchange Act, Gulfport agreed to cease and desist from committing or causing any violations and any future violations of Sections 13(a), 13(b)(2)(A), 13(b)(2)(B) and 14(a) of the Exchange Act and Rules 12b-20, 13a-1, 14a-3 and 14a-9 thereunder. Based on the company’s extensive cooperation and prompt remedial efforts, the SEC did not impose a monetary penalty.
Business Operations
The Company is involved in various lawsuits and disputes incidental to its business operations, including commercial disputes, personal injury claims, royalty claims, property damage claims and contract actions.
Environmental Contingencies
The nature of the oil and gas business carries with it certain environmental risks for Gulfport and its subsidiaries. They have implemented various policies, programs, procedures, training and audits to reduce and mitigate such environmental risks. They conduct periodic reviews, on a company-wide basis, to assess changes in their environmental risk profile. Environmental reserves are established for environmental liabilities for which economic losses are probable and reasonably estimable. The Company manages its exposure to environmental liabilities in acquisitions by using an evaluation process that seeks to identify pre-existing contamination or compliance concerns and address the potential liability. Depending on the extent of an identified environmental concern, they may, among other things, exclude a property from the transaction, require the seller to remediate the property to their satisfaction in an acquisition or agree to assume liability for the remediation of the property.
The Company received several Finding of Violation ("FOVs") from the USEPA alleging violations of the Clean Air Act in Ohio. The Company entered into a settlement with the Department of Justice and USEPA agreeing to pay $1.7 million and invest in improvements at 17 well pads. The settlement was filed with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio in January 2020 and was fully paid in October 2020.
Other Matters
Based on management’s current assessment, they are of the opinion that no pending or threatened lawsuit or dispute relating to its business operations is likely to have a material adverse effect on their future consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows. The final resolution of such matters could exceed amounts accrued, however, and actual results could differ materially from management’s estimates.
Concentration of Credit Risk
Gulfport operates in the oil and natural gas industry principally in the states of Ohio and Oklahoma with sales to refineries, re-sellers such as marketers, and other end users. While certain of these customers are affected by periodic downturns in the economy in general or in their specific segment of the oil and gas industry, Gulfport believes that its level of credit-related losses due to such economic fluctuations has been immaterial and will continue to be immaterial to the Company’s results of operations in the long term.
The Company maintains cash balances at several banks. Accounts at each institution are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. At December 31, 2020, Gulfport held no cash in excess of insured limits in these banks. During the year ended December 31, 2020, one customer accounted for approximately 12% of the Company's total sales. During the year ended December 31, 2019, one customer accounted for approximately 14% of the Company's total sales. During the year ended December 31, 2018, two customers accounted for approximately 17% and 10% of the Company's total sales. The Company does not believe that the loss of any of these customers would have a material adverse effect on its natural gas, oil and condensate and NGL sales as alternative customers are readily available.
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