1. Significant Accounting Policies

Description of Business

CARBO Ceramics Inc. (the “Company”) was formed in 1987 and is a manufacturer of ceramic proppants and also produces resin-coated ceramic proppants. The Company has production plants in: New Iberia, Louisiana; Eufaula, Alabama; McIntyre, Georgia; Toomsboro, Georgia; Millen, Georgia; and Kopeysk, Russia; and a sand processing facility in Marshfield, Wisconsin. The Company predominantly sells its proppant products through pumping service companies that perform hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas companies. Finished goods inventories are stored at the plant sites and various domestic and international remote distribution facilities. The Company also provides the industry’s most widely used hydraulic fracture simulation software FracPro^®, as well as hydraulic fracture design and consulting services. In addition, the Company provides a broad range of technologies for spill prevention, containment and countermeasures.

In late 2014 and early 2015, a severe decline in oil and natural gas prices led to a significant decline in oil and natural gas industry drilling activities and capital spending. Beginning in the three month period ended March 31, 2015, the Company implemented a number of initiatives to preserve cash and lower costs, including: reducing workforce across the organization, lowering production output levels in order to align with lower demand, limiting capital expenditures and reducing dividends. As a result of these measures, the Company temporarily idled production and furloughed employees at the Toomsboro and Millen, Georgia manufacturing plants for approximately 90 days and mothballed the manufacturing plant in McIntyre, Georgia. The manufacturing plant at Luoyang, China was shut down and is not expected to reopen. The Company incurred severance costs of $9,497 during 2015 as a result of these actions.

Temporarily idled facilities are expected to remain closed for a short period of time, generally less than one year. Mothballed facilities are expected to remain closed for one year or longer. The accounting treatment is the same for both temporarily idled and mothballed facilities, except that mothballed assets are evaluated for possible impairment while temporarily idled assets are not necessarily assessed for impairment. The Company continues to depreciate both temporarily idled and mothballed assets.

Production resumed at both of the temporarily idled facilities during the second quarter of 2015 at reduced levels. The facility in Toomsboro, Georgia is the Company’s largest manufacturing facility consisting of four production lines. During the course of 2015, the Toomsboro plant produced product on one to three of the four production lines. The Company again idled the Millen, Georgia facility during the fourth quarter of 2015. The plant in McIntyre, Georgia resumed production at low output levels in late 2015 but will again be mothballed during the first half of 2016. The Company continues to assess liquidity needs and manage cash flows and, if industry conditions do not improve and/or demand for its products does not otherwise increase, the Company would expect to temporarily idle all or a portion of our currently active facilities in the short term. Given continuing uncertainties with regards to the length of the industry downturn, the Company is evaluating alternative sources of capital, including modifications to its existing credit arrangement, although there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to obtain such financing or modifications on favorable terms, or at all. As a result of the steps the Company has taken to enhance its liquidity, the Company currently believes that cash on hand, cash flow from operations, borrowing capacity under its credit facility and cash flow from other liquidity-generating transactions will enable the Company to meet its working capital, capital expenditure, debt service and other funding requirements for the remainder of the year.

Additionally, the Company suspended completion of two large construction projects until such time that market conditions improve enough to warrant completion. The two suspended projects include the second production line at Millen, Georgia and the second phase of the retrofit of an existing plant with the new KRYPTOSPHERE^® technology. As of December 31, 2015, the value of the temporarily suspended assets relating to these two projects totaled approximately 85% of the Company’s total construction in progress and both projects are over 90% complete.

Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of CARBO Ceramics Inc. and its operating subsidiaries. All significant intercompany transactions have been eliminated.

Concentration of Credit Risk, Accounts Receivable and Other Receivables

The Company performs periodic credit evaluations of its customers’ financial condition and generally does not require collateral. Receivables are generally due within 30 days. The majority of the Company’s receivables are from customers in the petroleum pressure pumping industry. The Company establishes an allowance for doubtful accounts based on its assessment of collectability risk and periodically evaluates the balance in the allowance based on a review of trade accounts receivable. Trade accounts receivable are periodically reviewed for collectability based on customers’ past credit history and current financial condition, and the allowance is adjusted if necessary. Credit losses historically have been insignificant. The allowance for doubtful accounts at December 31, 2015 and 2014 was $2,688 and $1,842, respectively. Other receivables were $300 and $1,084 as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, of which related mainly to miscellaneous receivables in the United States.

Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all highly liquid investments with a maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. The carrying amounts reported in the balance sheet for cash equivalents approximate fair value.

Inventories

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost (weighted average) or market. Finished goods inventories include costs of materials, plant labor and overhead incurred in the production of the Company’s products and costs to transfer finished goods to distribution centers. The Company evaluates the carrying value of its inventories relative to market value generally on a geographic by-country basis. As needed, more specific reviews within a particular country are made on a product group basis.

Due to increasing competition in the China proppant market, the Company evaluated the carrying values of its inventories in China and concluded that market prices had fallen below carrying costs. Consequently, the Company recognized $4,546 and $5,363 lower of cost or market adjustments in cost of sales in 2015 and 2014, respectively, to adjust finished goods and raw materials carrying values to the lower market prices.

Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost. Repair and maintenance costs are expensed as incurred. Depreciation is computed on the straight-line method for financial reporting purposes using the following estimated useful lives:


Buildings and improvements			15 to 30 years
Machinery and equipment			3 to 30 years
Land-use rights			30 years

The Company holds approximately 4,618 acres of land and leasehold interests containing kaolin reserves near its plants in Georgia and Alabama. The Company also holds approximately 313 acres of land and leasehold interests containing sand reserves near its sand processing facility in Marshfield, Wisconsin. The capitalized costs of land and mineral rights as well as costs incurred to develop such property are amortized using the units-of-production method based on estimated total tons of these reserves.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and Intangible Assets

Long-lived assets to be held and used and intangible assets that are subject to amortization are reviewed for impairment whenever events or circumstances indicate their carrying amounts might not be recoverable. Recoverability is assessed by comparing the undiscounted expected future cash flows from the assets with their carrying amount. If the carrying amount exceeds the sum of the undiscounted future cash flows an impairment loss is recorded. The impairment loss is measured by comparing the fair value of the assets with their carrying amounts. Intangible assets that are not subject to amortization are tested for impairment at least annually by comparing their fair value with the carrying amount and recording an impairment loss for any excess of carrying amount over fair value. Fair values are generally determined based on discounted expected future cash flows or appraised values, as appropriate. For additional information on the Company’s long-lived assets and intangible assets impairment assessment, please refer to Note 4 – Impairment of Long-Lived Assets.

Manufacturing Production Levels Below Normal Capacity

As a result of the Company substantially reducing manufacturing production levels, including by idling and mothballing certain facilities, the component of the Company’s accounting policy for inventory relating to operating at production levels below normal capacity was triggered and resulted in certain production costs being expensed instead of being capitalized into inventory. The Company expenses fixed production overhead amounts in excess of amounts that would have been allocated to each unit of production at normal production levels. For the year ended December 31, 2015, the Company expensed $33,724 in production costs. There were no such costs in the prior year periods.

Capitalized Software

The Company capitalizes certain software costs, after technological feasibility has been established, which are amortized utilizing the straight-line method over the economic lives of the related products, generally not to exceed five years.

Goodwill

Goodwill represents the excess of the cost of companies acquired over the fair value of their net assets at the date of acquisition. Goodwill relating to each of the Company’s reporting units is tested for impairment annually, during the fourth quarter, as well as when an event, or change in circumstances, indicates an impairment is more likely than not to have occurred. For additional information on the Company’s goodwill impairment assessment, please refer to Note 4 – Impairment of Long-Lived Assets.

Revenue Recognition

Revenue from proppant sales is recognized when title passes to the customer, generally upon delivery. Revenue from consulting and geotechnical services is recognized at the time service is performed. Revenue from the sale of fracture simulation software is recognized when title passes to the customer at time of shipment. Revenue from the sale of spill prevention services is recognized at the time service is performed. Revenue from the sale of containment goods is recognized at the time goods are delivered.

Shipping and Handling Costs

Shipping and handling costs are classified as cost of sales. Shipping costs consist of transportation costs to deliver products to customers. Handling costs include labor and overhead to maintain finished goods inventory and operate distribution facilities.

Cost of Start-Up Activities

Start-up activities, including organization costs, are expensed as incurred. Start-up costs for 2015 related to the start-up of the first phase of a retrofit of an existing plant to produce KRYPTOSPHERE^® products. Start-up costs for 2014 related to the start-up of the new manufacturing facility in Millen, Georgia. There were no start-up costs during 2013.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Research and Development Costs

Research and development costs are charged to operations when incurred and are included in Selling, General and Administrative expenses. The amounts incurred in 2015, 2014 and 2013 were $7,047, $10,855 and $8,416, respectively.

Foreign Subsidiaries

Financial statements of the Company’s foreign subsidiaries are translated using current exchange rates for assets and liabilities; average exchange rates for the period for revenues, expenses, gains and losses; and historical exchange rates for equity accounts. Resulting translation adjustments are included in, and the only component of, Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss as a separate component of shareholders’ equity. For additional information on the Company’s Cumulative Translation Adjustment, please refer to Note 18 – Foreign Currencies.

New Accounting Pronouncements

In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-17, “Income Taxes (Topic 740) – Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes,” (“ASU 2015-17”) which requires that deferred tax liabilities and assets be classified as noncurrent in the balance sheet. ASU 2015-17 will be effective for the interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016 with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the potential impact, if any, of adopting this new guidance on the consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-14, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) – Deferral of the Effective Date,” which revises the effective date of ASU No. 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606),” (“ASU 2014-09”) to interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017 with early adoption permitted no earlier than interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016. In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, which amends current revenue guidance. The core principle of the guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The Company is currently evaluating the potential impact, if any, of adopting this new guidance on the consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-11, “Inventory (Topic 330),”(“ASU 2015-11”) which amends and simplifies the measurement of inventory. The main provisions of the standard require that inventory be measured at the lower of cost and net realizable value. Prior to the issuance of the standard, inventory was measured at the lower of cost or market (where market was defined as replacement cost, with a ceiling of net realizable value and floor of net realizable value less a normal profit margin). ASU 2015-11 will be effective for the interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016 with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the potential impact, if any, of adopting this new guidance on the consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-03, “Interest – Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30),”(“ASU 2015-03”) which amends and simplifies the presentation of debt issuance costs. The main provisions of the standard require that debt issuance costs related to a recognized liability be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability, and amortization of the debt issuance costs must be reported as interest expense. ASU 2015-03 will be effective for the interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015 with early adoption permitted. The new standard must be applied on a retroactive basis, and the Company will be required to comply with the applicable disclosures for a change in accounting principle. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-15, “Presentation and Subsequent Measurement of Debt Issuance Costs Associated with Line-of-Credit Arrangements – Amendments to SEC Paragraphs Pursuant to Staff Announcement at June 18, 2015 EITF Meeting (SEC Update)”, which clarified that the SEC staff will not object to an entity presenting the costs of securing line-of-credit arrangements as an asset. The adoption of ASU 2015-03 is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

In April 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-08, “Presentation of Financial Statements (Topic 205) and Property, Plant, and Equipment (Topic 360): Reporting Discontinued Operations and Disclosures of Disposals of Components of an Entity,”(“ASU 2014-08”) which amends the reporting requirements of discontinued operations. The main provisions of the guidance require that a disposal of a component of an entity is required to be reported in discontinued operations if the disposal represents a strategic shift that has or will have a major effect on an entity’s operations and financial results. The Company adopted this guidance as of January 1, 2015. The adoption did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows.