Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Asset Retirement Obligations

v3.7.0.1
Asset Retirement Obligations
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2017
Asset Retirement Obligation Disclosure [Abstract]  
Asset Retirement Obligations

4.  Asset Retirement Obligations

Our ARO primarily represents the estimated present value of the amount we will incur to plug, abandon and remediate our producing properties at the end of their productive lives.  

A summary of the changes to our ARO is as follows (in thousands):  

 

Balance, December 31, 2016

$

334,438

 

Liabilities settled

 

(36,021

)

Accretion of discount

 

8,560

 

Revisions of estimated liabilities (1)

 

10,883

 

Balance, June 30, 2017

 

317,860

 

Less current portion

 

52,432

 

Long-term

$

265,428

 

 

 

(1)

Revisions were primarily related to changes from sustained casing pressure at four fields.  Wells that experience sustained casing pressure require more days and greater work scope to complete the abandonment project.