Fair Value Measurements

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2014

Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or the price paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Fair value measurements are based upon inputs that market participants use in pricing an asset or liability, which are characterized according to a hierarchy that prioritizes those inputs based on the degree to which they are observable. Observable inputs represent market data obtained from independent sources, whereas unobservable inputs reflect a company's own market assumptions, which are used if observable inputs are not reasonably available without undue cost and effort. The three input levels of the fair value hierarchy are as follows:


•	Level 1 – quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in active markets.


•	Level 2 – quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability (e.g., interest rates) and inputs derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data by correlation or other means.


•	Level 3 – unobservable inputs for the asset or liability.

Assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis. The fair value input hierarchy level to which an asset or liability measurement in its entirety falls is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the measurement in its entirety.

The following table presents the Company's assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of September 30, 2014 for each of the fair value hierarchy levels:



	Fair Value Measurement at the End of the Reporting Period Using
	Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)		Fair Value at September 30, 2014
	(in millions)
Recurring fair value measurements
Assets:
Commodity derivatives	$	—	$	185	$	—	$	185
Deferred compensation plan assets	70		—		—		70
Total assets	70		185		—		255
Liabilities:
Commodity derivatives	—		1		—		1
Total liabilities	—		1		—		1
Total recurring fair value measurements	$	70	$	184	$	—	$	254

Commodity derivatives. The Company's commodity derivatives represent oil, natural gas liquids ("NGL") and gas swap contracts, collar contracts and collar contracts with short puts. The asset and liability measurements for the Company's commodity derivative contracts represent Level 2 inputs in the hierarchy. The Company utilizes discounted cash flow and option-pricing models for valuing its commodity derivatives.

The asset and liability values attributable to the Company's commodity derivatives were determined based on inputs that include (i) the contracted notional volumes, (ii) independent active market price quotes, (iii) the applicable estimated credit-adjusted risk-free rate yield curve and (iv) the implied rate of volatility inherent in the collar and collar contracts with short puts, which is based on active and independent market-quoted volatility factors.

Deferred compensation plan assets. The Company's deferred compensation plan assets represent investments in equity and mutual fund securities that are actively traded on major exchanges. These investments are measured based on observable prices on major exchanges. As of September 30, 2014, the significant inputs to these asset values represented Level 1 independent active exchange market price inputs.

Assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis. Certain assets and liabilities are measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis. These assets and liabilities are not measured at fair value on an ongoing basis, but are subject to fair value adjustments in certain circumstances. These assets and liabilities can include inventory, proved and unproved oil and gas properties and other long-lived assets that are written down to fair value when they are impaired or held for sale. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014, the Company recorded charges in other expense in the Company's accompanying consolidated statements of operations of $3 million and $6 million, respectively, to reduce the carrying value of inventory to fair value.

Assets associated with divestitures. Long-lived assets that are classified as held for sale are recorded at the lower of the asset's net carrying amount or estimated fair value less costs to sell. The Hugoton field assets, the Barnett Shale field assets and Pioneer Alaska were classified as held for sale and carried as such until their divestitures in September 2014, September 2014 and April 2014, respectively. Associated therewith, the Company recognized impairment charges during 2014 to reduce the carrying values of the Hugoton field assets, the Barnett Shale field assets and Pioneer Alaska to their sales prices, less costs to sell.

The following table presents the fair value adjustments made by the Company during 2014 related to assets associated with divestitures:



			Fair Value Adjustment
	Sales Value Less Costs to Sell		Three Months Ended September 30, 2014			Nine Months Ended September 30, 2014
	(in millions)
Hugoton field	$	328	$	(34	)	$	(34	)
Barnett Shale field	$	149	$	(46	)	$	(174	)
Pioneer Alaska	$	253	$	—		$	(97	)

See Note C for additional information regarding the Company's divestitures of the Hugoton field assets, the Barnett Shale field assets and Pioneer Alaska.

Financial instruments not carried at fair value. Carrying values and fair values of financial instruments that are not carried at fair value in the consolidated balance sheets as of September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013 are as follows:



	September 30, 2014				December 31, 2013
	Carrying Value		Fair Value		Carrying Value		Fair Value
	(in millions)
Long-term debt	$	2,662	$	3,025	$	2,653	$	3,019

Long-term debt includes the Company's credit facility and the Company's senior notes. The fair value of debt is determined utilizing inputs that are Level 2 measurements in the fair value hierarchy.

Credit facility. The fair value of the Company's credit facility is calculated using a discounted cash flow model based on (i) forecasted contractual interest and fee payments, (ii) forward active market-quoted United States Treasury Bill rates and (iii) the applicable credit-adjustments.

Senior notes. The Company's senior notes represent debt securities that are traded on major exchanges but are not actively traded. The fair values of the Company's senior notes are based on their periodic values as quoted on the major exchanges.

The Company has other financial instruments consisting primarily of cash equivalents, receivables, prepaid expenses, payables and other current assets and liabilities that approximate fair value due to the nature of the instrument and their relatively short maturities. Non-financial assets and liabilities initially measured at fair value include assets acquired and liabilities assumed in a business combination, goodwill and asset retirement obligations.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the fair value of financial instruments (as defined), including financial assets and financial liabilities (collectively, as defined), and the measurements of those instruments as well as disclosures related to the fair value of non-financial assets and liabilities. Such disclosures about the financial instruments, assets, and liabilities would include: (1) the fair value of the required items together with their carrying amounts (as appropriate); (2) for items for which it is not practicable to estimate fair value, disclosure would include: (a) information pertinent to estimating fair value (including, carrying amount, effective interest rate, and maturity, and (b) the reasons why it is not practicable to estimate fair value; (3) significant concentrations of credit risk including: (a) information about the activity, region, or economic characteristics identifying a concentration, (b) the maximum amount of loss the entity is exposed to based on the gross fair value of the related item, (c) policy for requiring collateral or other security and information as to accessing such collateral or security, and (d) the nature and brief description of such collateral or security; (4) quantitative information about market risks and how such risks are managed; (5) for items measured on both a recurring and nonrecurring basis information regarding the inputs used to develop the fair value measurement; and (6) for items presented in the financial statement for which fair value measurement is elected: (a) information necessary to understand the reasons for the election, (b) discussion of the effect of fair value changes on earnings, (c) a description of [similar groups] items for which the election is made and the relation thereof to the balance sheet, the aggregate carrying value of items included in the balance sheet that are not eligible for the election; (7) all other required (as defined) and desired information.

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