Commitments and Contingencies

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2021

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Commitments and ContingenciesLegal actions. The Company is a party to various proceedings and claims incidental to its business. While many of these matters involve inherent uncertainty, the Company believes that the amount of the liability, if any, ultimately incurred with respect to these proceedings and claims will not have a material adverse effect on the Company's consolidated financial position as a whole or on its liquidity, capital resources or future annual results of operations. The Company records reserves for contingencies when information available indicates that a loss is probable and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated.

Indemnifications. The Company has agreed to indemnify its directors and certain of its officers, employees and agents with respect to claims and damages arising from acts or omissions taken in such capacity, as well as with respect to certain litigation.

Environmental. Environmental expenditures that relate to an existing condition caused by past operations and that have no future economic benefits are expensed. Environmental expenditures that extend the life of the related property or mitigate or prevent future environmental contamination are capitalized. Liabilities for expenditures that will not qualify for capitalization are recorded when environmental assessment and/or remediation is probable and the costs can be reasonably estimated. Such liabilities are undiscounted unless the timing of cash payments for the liability is fixed or reliably determinable. Environmental liabilities normally involve estimates that are subject to revision until settlement or the remediation occurs.

Firm purchase, gathering, processing, transportation, fractionation and storage commitments. From time to time, the Company enters into, and as of September 30, 2021 was a party to, take-or-pay agreements, which include contractual commitments (i) to purchase sand, water and diesel for use in the Company's drilling and completion operations, (ii) with midstream service companies and pipeline carriers for future gathering, processing, transportation, fractionation and storage and (iii) with oilfield services companies that provide drilling and pressure pumping services. These commitments are normal and customary for the Company's business activities.

Obligations following divestitures. In connection with its divestiture transactions, the Company may retain certain liabilities and provide the purchaser certain indemnifications, subject to defined limitations, which may apply to identified pre-closing matters, including matters of litigation, environmental contingencies, royalties and income taxes. Also associated with its divestiture transactions, the Company has issued and received guarantees to facilitate the transfer of contractual obligations, such as firm transportation agreements or gathering and processing arrangements. The Company does not recognize a liability if the fair value of the obligation is immaterial and the likelihood of making payments under these guarantees is remote.

South Texas Divestiture. In conjunction with the South Texas Divestiture, the Company transferred its long-term midstream agreements and associated minimum volume commitments ("MVC's") to the buyer. However, the Company retained the obligation to pay 100 percent of any deficiency fees associated with the MVC's from January 2019 through July 2022. The buyer is required to reimburse the Company for 18 percent of the deficiency fees paid by the Company from January 2019 through July 2022; such reimbursement will be paid by the buyer in installments beginning in 2023 through 2025. Assuming 100 percent of the MVC's are paid as deficiency fees, the maximum amount of future payments for this obligation would be approximately $260 million as of September 30, 2021. As of September 30, 2021, the Company's estimated deficiency fee obligation of $198 million is included in other current liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets. The deficiency fee receivable from the buyer of $77 million is included in noncurrent other assets in the consolidated balance sheets. The Company has credit support for the deficiency fee receivable of up to $100 million.

Raton transportation commitments. In July 2018, the Company completed the sale of its gas field assets in the Raton Basin to an unaffiliated third party and transferred certain gas transportation commitments, which extend through 2032, to the buyer for which the Company has provided a guarantee. Assuming 100 percent of the remaining commitments are paid by the Company under its guarantee, the maximum amount of future payments would be approximately $72 million as of September 30, 2021. The Company has received credit support for the commitments of up to $50 million. The Company paid $2 million in gas transportation fees associated with the transferred commitment for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and was fully reimbursed.

West Eagle Ford Shale commitments. In April 2018, the Company completed the sale of its West Eagle Ford Shale gas and liquids field to an unaffiliated third party and transferred certain gas and liquids transportation commitments, which extend through 2022, to the buyer for which the Company has provided a guarantee. Assuming 100 percent of the remaining commitments are paid by the Company under its guarantee, the maximum amount of future payments would be approximately $16 million as of September 30, 2021. The Company has received credit support for the commitments of up to $17 million.

Certain contractual obligations were retained by the Company after some divestitures, including the aforementioned South Texas Divestiture. These contractual obligations are primarily related to firm transportation and storage agreements in which the Company is unlikely to realize any benefit. The estimated obligations are included in other current or noncurrent liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets. The changes in contract obligations are as follows:


	Nine Months Ended September 30, 2021
	(in millions)
Beginning contract obligations	$	360

Liabilities settled	(159)
Accretion of discount	6
Changes in estimate (a)	(2)
Ending contract obligations	$	205

______________________

(a)Represents differences between estimated and actual liabilities settled.