(11)   Derivative Instruments

(a)Commodity Derivative Positions

The Company periodically enters into natural gas, NGLs, and oil derivative contracts with counterparties to hedge the price risk associated with its production.  These derivatives are not entered into for trading purposes.  To the extent that changes occur in the market prices of natural gas, NGLs, and oil, the Company is exposed to market risk on these open contracts.  This market risk exposure is generally offset by the change in market prices of natural gas, NGLs, and oil recognized upon the ultimate sale of the Company’s production.

The Company was party to various fixed price commodity swap contracts that settled during the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2019.  The Company enters into these swap contracts when management believes that favorable future sales prices for the Company’s production can be secured.  Under these swap agreements, when actual commodity prices upon settlement exceed the fixed price provided by the swap contracts, the Company pays the difference to the counterparty.  When actual commodity prices upon settlement are less than the contractually provided fixed price, the Company receives the difference from the counterparty.    In addition, the Company has entered into basis swap contracts in order to hedge the difference between the New York Mercantile Exchange (“NYMEX”) index price and a local index price.

The Company also entered into NGL contracts, which establish a contractual price for the settlement month as a fixed percentage of the West Texas Intermediate Crude Oil index (“WTI”) price for the settlement month.  When the percentage of the contractual price is above the contracted percentage, the Company pays the difference to the counterparty.  When it is below the contracted percentage, the Company receives the difference from the counterparty.

 

In addition, the Company has entered into natural gas collar contracts, which establish ceiling and floor prices for the sale of notional volumes of natural gas as specified in the collar contracts.  Under these contracts, the Company pays the difference between the ceiling price and the published index price in the event the published index price is above the ceiling price.  When the published index price is below the floor price, the Company receives the difference between the floor price and the published index price.  No amounts are paid or received if the index price is between the floor and the ceiling prices.  The index prices in our collars are consistent with the index prices used to sell our production. 

The Company’s derivative contracts have not been designated as hedges for accounting purposes; therefore, all gains and losses are recognized in the Company’s statements of operations.

As of March 31, 2019, the Company’s fixed price natural gas and NGL swap positions from April 1, 2019 through December 31, 2023 were as follows (abbreviations in the table refer to the index to which the swap position is tied, as follows: NYMEX=Henry Hub; Argus Propane ARA=European Propane CIF ARA Argus; Argus Propane FEI=Argus Propane Far East Index):

 

As of March 31, 2019, the Company had entered into NGL contracts totaling 500 Bbls/day of propane for April 1, 2019 through March 31, 2020 that fix the Mont Belvieu Propane index price at 50% of WTI.

As of March 31, 2019, the Company’s fixed price natural gas collar positions from April 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019 were as follows (abbreviations in the table refer to the index to which the collar position is tied, as follows (NYMEX=Henry Hub):

 

 

An initial premium of $13 million was paid at the inception of natural gas collar contracts with one counterparty, and is recorded as a derivative asset measured at fair value.

 

(b)Marketing Derivatives

In 2017, due to delay of the in-service date for a pipeline on which the Company is to be an anchor shipper, the Company realized it would not be able to fulfill its delivery obligations under a 2018 natural gas sales contract.  In order to acquire gas to fulfill its delivery obligations, the Company entered into several natural gas purchase agreements with index-based pricing to purchase gas for resale under this sales contract.  Subsequently, the Company and the counterparty to the sales contract came to an agreement that the Company’s delivery obligations under the contract would not begin until the earlier of (1) the in-service date of the pipeline and (2) January 1, 2019.  Consequently, in December 2017, the Company entered into natural gas sales agreements with index-based pricing to resell the purchased gas for delivery during the period from February to October 2018.  The natural gas that it had purchased for January was sold on the spot market during January. 

The Company determined that these gas purchase and sales agreements should be accounted for as derivatives and measured at fair value at the end of each period.  For the three months ended March 31, 2018, the Company recognized a fair value gain of $94 million. 

(c)Summary

The following table presents a summary of the fair values of the Company’s derivative instruments and where such values are recorded in the consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2018 and March 31, 2019.  None of the Company’s derivative instruments are designated as hedges for accounting purposes.

 

The following table presents the gross values of recognized derivative assets and liabilities, the amounts offset under master netting arrangements with counterparties, and the resulting net amounts presented in the consolidated balance sheets as of the dates presented, all at fair value (in thousands):

 

The following is a summary of derivative fair value gains and losses and where such values are recorded in the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations (in thousands):

 

The fair value of derivative instruments was determined using Level 2 inputs.