COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES |
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Sep. 30, 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES |
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES Commitments
Firm Transportation and Gathering Agreements
The Company has contractual commitments with midstream and pipeline companies for future gathering and transportation of natural gas from the Company's producing wells to downstream markets. Under certain of these agreements, the Company has minimum daily volume commitments. The Company is also obligated under certain of these arrangements to pay a demand charge for firm capacity rights on pipeline systems regardless of the amount of pipeline capacity utilized by the Company. If the Company does not utilize the capacity, it often can release it to other counterparties, thus reducing the cost of these commitments. Working interest owners and royalty interest owners, where appropriate, will be responsible for their proportionate share of these costs. Commitments related to future firm transportation and gathering agreements are not recorded as obligations in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets; however, costs associated with utilized future firm transportation and gathering agreements are reflected in the Company's estimates of proved reserves.
A summary of these commitments at September 30, 2024, are set forth in the table below (in thousands):
Future Firm Sales Commitments
The Company has entered into various firm sales contracts to deliver and sell natural gas. The Company expects to fulfill its delivery commitments primarily with production from proved developed reserves. The Company's operated production has generally been sufficient to satisfy its delivery commitments during the periods presented, and it expects its operated production will continue to be the primary means of fulfilling its future commitments. However, where the Company's operated production is not sufficient to satisfy its delivery commitments, it can and may use spot market purchases to satisfy the commitments.
A summary of these volume commitments at September 30, 2024, are set forth in the table below (MMBtu per day):
Other Operational Commitments
The Company entered into various contractual commitments to purchase inventory and other material to be used in future activities. The Company's commitment to purchase these materials spans 2024, with approximately $5.5 million remaining.
Contingencies
The Company is involved in a number of litigation and regulatory proceedings 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. In accordance with ASC Topic 450, Contingencies, an accrual is recorded for a material loss contingency when its occurrence is probable and damages are reasonably estimable based on the anticipated most likely outcome or the minimum amount within a range of possible outcomes.
Litigation and Regulatory Proceedings
The Company, along with other oil and gas companies, have been named as a defendant in a number of lawsuits where Plaintiffs assert their respective leases are limited to the Utica/Marcellus shale geological formations and allege that Defendants have willfully trespassed and illegally produced oil, natural gas, and other hydrocarbon products beyond these respective formations. They also allege that Defendants engaged in conversion and were unjustly enriched. Plaintiffs seek the full value of any production from below the Utica/Marcellus shale formations, unspecified damages from the diminution of value to their mineral estate, unspecified punitive damages, and the payment of reasonable attorney fees, legal expenses, and interest. On April 27, 2021, the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas approved a settlement agreement in which the plaintiffs fully released the Company from all claims that accrued and any damages related to the period before the effective date of the Company’s Chapter 11 plan, which occurred on May 17, 2021. The plaintiffs are continuing to pursue alleged damages after May 17, 2021.
The Company received Notice and Finding of Violations ("NOV/FOVs") from the United States Environmental Protection Agency ("USEPA") alleging violations of the Clean Air Act at 17 locations in Ohio between 2013 and 2019. On January 22, 2020, the Company entered a Consent Decree with the Department of Justice and USEPA addressing Gulfport's failure to capture and control air emissions from storage vessels and to comply with associated inspection, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements. During the process of terminating the Consent Decree, the Company was informed that there were untimely repairs on a number of locations subject to the Company's Consent Decree that failed to comply with Subpart OOOO or Permit to Install and Operate Applications. On July 31, the Company received a NOV/FOV from USEPA related to the alleged untimely repairs. While these repairs have been completed, resolution of the matter may result in monetary sanctions exceeding $300,000. The Company also received a Demand for Stipulated Penalties for Certain Instances of Alleged Non-Compliance with Consent Decree Requirements from the United States Department of Justice ("USDOJ") on September 5, 2024. The Company paid a $97,500 penalty to resolve the USDOJ demand for stipulated penalties.
In November 2020, Robert T. Stephenson and Sandra J. Bass, as the Successor Co-Trustees of the Robert L. Stephenson Living Trust, dated January 28, 2004, and express trust; and Norma E. Stephenson, Trustee of the Norma E. Stephenson Living Trust, dated July 29, 1991, and express trust filed an action against the Company in the District Court of Grady County in the State of Oklahoma. In June 2021 the case was removed to the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma. The parties have engaged in discovery and a trial has been set for Summer 2025. The complaint alleges that the Company has failed to comply with a Letter Agreement from April 1979 granting an overriding royalty interest covering 16 sections (approximately 10,240 acres). The plaintiffs seek quiet title, declaratory judgment, breach of contract, specific performance, and damages under the Oklahoma Production Revenue Standards Act. Given the nature of this matter, the Company is unable to reasonably estimate the total possible loss or ranges of loss. The Company believes it has strong defenses to these claims and intends to vigorously defend this matter; however, an adverse decision could have a material effect on the Company, its financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
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. Gulfport and its subsidiaries have implemented various policies, programs, procedures, training and audits to reduce and mitigate environmental risks. The Company conducts periodic reviews, on a company-wide basis, to assess changes in its 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, it may, among other things, exclude a property from the transaction, require the seller to remediate the property to its satisfaction in an acquisition or agree to assume liability for the remediation of the property.
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.
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