Fair Value Measurements

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2012

Fair Value Measurements [Abstract]

Fair Value Measurements

13. Fair Value Measurements

Fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or the amount paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants (an exit price) at the measurement date. Fair value is a market based measurement considered from the perspective of a market participant. Basic uses market data or assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, including assumptions about risk and the risks inherent in the inputs to the valuation. These inputs can be readily observable, market corroborated, or unobservable. If observable prices or inputs are not available, unobservable prices or inputs are used to estimate the current fair value, often using an internal valuation model. These valuation techniques involve some level of management estimation and judgment, the degree of which is dependent on the item being valued. Basic primarily applies a market approach for recurring fair value measurements using the best available information while utilizing valuation techniques that maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs.

There is a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs used to measure fair value. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurement) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurement). Basic classifies fair value balances based on the observability of those inputs. The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are as follows:

Level 1—Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that Basic has the ability to access. Active markets are those in which transactions for the asset or liability occur in sufficient frequency and volume to provide pricing information on an ongoing basis.

Level 2—Inputs are other than quoted prices in active markets included in Level 1, which are either directly or indirectly observable. These inputs are either directly observable in the marketplace or indirectly observable through corroboration with market data for substantially the full contractual term of the asset or liability being measured.

Level 3—Inputs reflect management's best estimate of what market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability at the measurement date. Consideration is given to the risk inherent in the valuation technique and the risk inherent in the inputs to the model.

In valuing certain assets and liabilities, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. For disclosure purposes, assets and liabilities are classified in their entirety in the fair value hierarchy level based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the overall fair value measurement. Basic's assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement requires judgment and may affect the placement within the fair value hierarchy levels.

Basic's asset retirement obligation related to its salt water disposal sites, brine water wells, gravel pits and land farm sites, each of which is subject to rules and regulations regarding usage and eventual closure, is measured using primarily Level 3 inputs. The significant unobservable inputs to this fair value measurement include estimates of plugging, abandonment and remediation costs, inflation rate and well life. The inputs are calculated based on historical data as well as current estimated costs. The fair value is calculated by taking the present value of the expected cash flow at the time of the closure of the site. The following table reflects the changes in the fair value of the liability during the three months ended March 31, 2012 (in thousands):

	Asset Retirement Obligation
Balance, December 31, 2011	$	1,845
Additional asset retirement obligation		11
Accretion expense		28
Settlements		(75	)
Balance, March 31, 2012	$	1,809