Commitments and contingencies	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2019
Commitments And Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments And Contingencies	12. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES: Litigation Matters Pending Claims – Ultra Resources Indebtedness On April 29, 2016, the Company and its subsidiaries filed voluntary petitions under chapter 11 of title 11 of the U.S. Code in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas (the “Bankruptcy Court”). Our chapter 11 cases were jointly administered under the caption In re Ultra Petroleum Corp., et al, Case No. 16-32202 (MI) (Bankr. S.D. Tex.). On March 14, 2017, the Bankruptcy Court confirmed our Debtors’ Second Amended Joint Chapter 11 Plan of Reorganization (the “Plan”) and on April 12, 2017, we emerged from bankruptcy. The Plan provides for the treatment of claims against our bankruptcy estates, including claims for prepetition liabilities that have not otherwise been satisfied or addressed before we emerged from chapter 11 proceedings. The claims resolution process associated with our chapter 11 proceedings is on-going, and we expect it to continue for an indefinite period of time. Our chapter 11 filings constituted events of default under Ultra Resources’ prepetition debt agreements. During our bankruptcy proceedings, many holders of this indebtedness filed proofs of claim with the Bankruptcy Court, asserting claims for the outstanding balance of the indebtedness, unpaid prepetition interest, unpaid postpetition interest (including interest at the default rates under the prepetition debt agreements), make-whole amounts, and other fees and obligations allegedly arising under the prepetition debt agreements. As previously disclosed, in connection with our emergence from bankruptcy and in accordance with the Plan, all of our obligations with respect to Ultra Resources prepetition indebtedness and the associated debt agreements were cancelled, except to the limited extent expressly set forth in the Plan, and the holders of claims related to the indebtedness received payment in full of allowed claims (including with respect to outstanding principal, unpaid prepetition interest, and certain other prepetition fees and obligations arising under the debt agreements). In connection with the confirmation and consummation of the Plan, we entered into a stipulation with the claimants pursuant to which we agreed to establish and fund a $400.0 million reserve account after the Company’s emergence from bankruptcy, pending resolution of make-whole and postpetition interest claims. On April 14, 2017, we funded the account. Following our emergence from bankruptcy, we continued to dispute the claims made by holders of the Ultra Resources’ indebtedness for certain make-whole amounts and postpetition interest at the default rates provided for in the debt agreements. On September 22, 2017, the Bankruptcy Court denied the Company’s objection to the pending make-whole and postpetition interest claims. On October 6, 2017, the Bankruptcy Court entered an order requiring the Company to distribute amounts attributable to the disputed claims to the applicable parties. Pursuant to the order, on October 12, 2017, the Company distributed $399.0 million from the reserve fund to the parties asserting the make-whole and postpetition interest claims and $1.3 million (the balance remaining after distributions to the parties asserting claims) was returned to the Company. The disbursement of $399.0 million was comprised of $223.8 million representing the fees owed under the make-whole claims and $175.2 million representing postpetition interest at the default rate. The Company appealed the court order denying its objections to these claims to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (the “Appellate Court”). During the fourth quarter of 2018, the Company entered into settlement agreements (collectively, the “Settlement Agreements”) with holders of certain claims related to Ultra Resources’ prepetition indebtedness (the “Claimants”) pursuant to which the parties agreed to settle the pending disputes between the Claimants and the Company. Under the terms of the Settlement Agreements, the Claimants collectively agreed to pay approximately $16.4 million to the Company. On January 17, 2019, the Appellate Court issued an opinion vacating the order of the Bankruptcy Court denying the Company’s objection to the asserted make-whole and post-petition interest claims and remanding the matter and those determinations to the Bankruptcy Court for further reconsideration. As of June 30, 2019, there were approximately $260 million of claims subject to the Appellate Court decision. On January 31, 2019, the holders of these claims filed a petition for rehearing en banc. It is not possible to determine the ultimate disposition of these matters at this time. Royalties On April 19, 2016, the Company received a preliminary determination notice from the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Office of Natural Resources Revenue (“ONRR”) asserting that the Company’s allocation of certain processing costs and plant fuel use at certain processing plants were impermissibly charged as deductions in the determination of royalties owed under federal oil and gas leases. ONRR also filed a proof of claim in our bankruptcy proceedings asserting approximately $35.1 million in claims related to these matters. We disputed the preliminary determination and the proof of claim. In August 2019, the Company and ONRR agreed in principle to a resolution agreement whereby the Company agreed to pay $12.4 million through installment payments over 60 months, with interest accruing at the applicable federal rate and payable with the final installment payment. This obligation has been recorded to Other operating expense, net on the condensed consolidated statement of operations as of June 30, 2019, and the first installment payments is due in September 2019. Both the Company and ONRR will issue full releases in connection with the audit period. The releases will not be an admission of liability as to any of the matters settled. Other Claims During the quarter ended June 30, 2019, the Company settled and funded a dispute related to a net profits interest in certain of its operated leases in the Pinedale field. This settlement resulted in a payment of $3.5 million. The Company had previously accrued for this item; therefore, no additional expense was recognized during the quarter. Additionally, the Company agreed in principle the settlement of a separate overriding royalty interest dispute and has recognized an expense of $1.5 million as an estimate of the historical claims. We are also party to various disputes with respect to certain overriding royalty and net profits interests in certain of our operated leases in the Pinedale field. At this time, no determination of the outcome of these claims can be made, and we cannot reasonably estimate the potential impact of these claims. We are defending these cases vigorously, and we expect these claims to be resolved in our chapter 11 proceedings. In addition, we are currently involved in various routine disputes and allegations incidental to our business operations. While it is not possible to determine the ultimate disposition of these matters, we believe the Company has adequately reserved for such items where it has been determined that a liability is probable and is reasonably estimable. Additionally, we believe that resolution of all such additional pending or threatened litigation is not likely to have a material adverse effect on our financial position or results of operations.

Commitments and contingencies

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2019

Commitments And Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

12. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES:

Litigation Matters

Pending Claims – Ultra Resources Indebtedness

On April 29, 2016, the Company and its subsidiaries filed voluntary petitions under chapter 11 of title 11 of the U.S. Code in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas (the “Bankruptcy Court”). Our chapter 11 cases were jointly administered under the caption In re Ultra Petroleum Corp., et al, Case No. 16-32202 (MI) (Bankr. S.D. Tex.). On March 14, 2017, the Bankruptcy Court confirmed our Debtors’ Second Amended Joint Chapter 11 Plan of Reorganization (the “Plan”) and on April 12, 2017, we emerged from bankruptcy.

The Plan provides for the treatment of claims against our bankruptcy estates, including claims for prepetition liabilities that have not otherwise been satisfied or addressed before we emerged from chapter 11 proceedings. The claims resolution process associated with our chapter 11 proceedings is on-going, and we expect it to continue for an indefinite period of time.

Our chapter 11 filings constituted events of default under Ultra Resources’ prepetition debt agreements. During our bankruptcy proceedings, many holders of this indebtedness filed proofs of claim with the Bankruptcy Court, asserting claims for the outstanding balance of the indebtedness, unpaid prepetition interest, unpaid postpetition interest (including interest at the default rates under the prepetition debt agreements), make-whole amounts, and other fees and obligations allegedly arising under the prepetition debt agreements. As previously disclosed, in connection with our emergence from bankruptcy and in accordance with the Plan, all of our obligations with respect to Ultra Resources prepetition indebtedness and the associated debt agreements were cancelled, except to the limited extent expressly set forth in the Plan, and the holders of claims related to the indebtedness received payment in full of allowed claims (including with respect to outstanding principal, unpaid prepetition interest, and certain other prepetition fees and obligations arising under the debt agreements). In connection with the confirmation and consummation of the Plan, we entered into a stipulation with the claimants pursuant to which we agreed to establish and fund a $400.0 million reserve account after the Company’s emergence from bankruptcy, pending resolution of make-whole and postpetition interest claims. On April 14, 2017, we funded the account. Following our emergence from bankruptcy, we continued to dispute the claims made by holders of the Ultra Resources’ indebtedness for certain make-whole amounts and postpetition interest at the default rates provided for in the debt agreements.

On September 22, 2017, the Bankruptcy Court denied the Company’s objection to the pending make-whole and postpetition interest claims. On October 6, 2017, the Bankruptcy Court entered an order requiring the Company to distribute amounts attributable to the disputed claims to the applicable parties. Pursuant to the order, on October 12, 2017, the Company distributed $399.0 million from the reserve fund to the parties asserting the make-whole and postpetition interest claims and $1.3 million (the balance remaining after distributions to the parties asserting claims) was returned to the Company. The disbursement of $399.0 million was comprised of $223.8 million representing the fees owed under the make-whole claims and $175.2 million representing postpetition interest at the default rate. The Company appealed the court order denying its objections to these claims to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (the “Appellate Court”).

During the fourth quarter of 2018, the Company entered into settlement agreements (collectively, the “Settlement Agreements”) with holders of certain claims related to Ultra Resources’ prepetition indebtedness (the “Claimants”) pursuant to which the parties agreed to settle the pending disputes between the Claimants and the Company. Under the terms of the Settlement Agreements, the Claimants collectively agreed to pay approximately $16.4 million to the Company.

On January 17, 2019, the Appellate Court issued an opinion vacating the order of the Bankruptcy Court denying the Company’s objection to the asserted make-whole and post-petition interest claims and remanding the matter and those determinations to the Bankruptcy Court for further reconsideration. As of June 30, 2019, there were approximately $260 million of claims subject to the Appellate Court decision. On January 31, 2019, the holders of these claims filed a petition for rehearing en banc. It is not possible to determine the ultimate disposition of these matters at this time.

Royalties

On April 19, 2016, the Company received a preliminary determination notice from the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Office of Natural Resources Revenue (“ONRR”) asserting that the Company’s allocation of certain processing costs and plant fuel use at certain processing plants were impermissibly charged as deductions in the determination of royalties owed under federal oil and gas leases. ONRR also filed a proof of claim in our bankruptcy proceedings asserting approximately $35.1 million in claims related to these matters. We disputed the preliminary determination and the proof of claim. In August 2019, the Company and ONRR agreed in principle to a resolution agreement whereby the Company agreed to pay $12.4 million through installment payments over 60 months, with interest accruing at the applicable federal rate and payable with the final installment payment. This obligation has been recorded to Other operating expense, net on the condensed consolidated statement of operations as of June 30, 2019, and the first installment payments is due in September 2019. Both the Company and ONRR will issue full releases in connection with the audit period. The releases will not be an admission of liability as to any of the matters settled.

Other Claims

During the quarter ended June 30, 2019, the Company settled and funded a dispute related to a net profits interest in certain of its operated leases in the Pinedale field. This settlement resulted in a payment of $3.5 million. The Company had previously accrued for this item; therefore, no additional expense was recognized during the quarter. Additionally, the Company agreed in principle the settlement of a separate overriding royalty interest dispute and has recognized an expense of $1.5 million as an estimate of the historical claims.

We are also party to various disputes with respect to certain overriding royalty and net profits interests in certain of our operated leases in the Pinedale field. At this time, no determination of the outcome of these claims can be made, and we cannot reasonably estimate the potential impact of these claims. We are defending these cases vigorously, and we expect these claims to be resolved in our chapter 11 proceedings. In addition, we are currently involved in various routine disputes and allegations incidental to our business operations. While it is not possible to determine the ultimate disposition of these matters, we believe the Company has adequately reserved for such items where it has been determined that a liability is probable and is reasonably estimable. Additionally, we believe that resolution of all such additional pending or threatened litigation is not likely to have a material adverse effect on our financial position or results of operations.