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Commitments and Contingencies
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2019
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Processing, Transportation and Salt Water Disposal Commitments
Firm Commitments    
From time to time, the Company enters into agreements with third parties whereby the Company commits to deliver anticipated natural gas and oil production from certain portions of its acreage for transportation, processing, fractionation, sales and, in the case of salt water, disposal. The Company paid approximately $5.0 million and $4.0 million for deliveries under these agreements during the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Certain of these agreements contain minimum volume commitments. If the Company does not meet the volume commitments under these agreements, it will be required to pay certain deficiency fees. If the Company ceased operations in the areas subject to these agreements at March 31, 2019, the total deficiencies required to be paid by the Company under these agreements would be approximately $152.6 million, in addition to the commitments described below.
Future Commitments
In late 2017, the Company entered into a fixed-fee natural gas liquids (“NGL”) transportation and fractionation agreement whereby the Company committed to deliver its NGL production at the tailgate of the Black River cryogenic natural gas processing plant in Eddy County, New Mexico (the “Black River Processing Plant”). The Company is committed to deliver a minimum amount of NGLs to the counterparty upon construction and completion of a pipeline expansion and a fractionation facility by the counterparty, which is currently expected to be completed in 2020. The Company has no rights to compel the counterparty to construct this pipeline extension or fractionation facility. If the counterparty does not construct the pipeline extension and fractionation facility, then the Company does not have any minimum volume commitments under the agreement. If the counterparty constructs the pipeline extension and fractionation facility on or prior to February 28, 2021, then the Company will have a commitment to deliver a minimum amount of NGLs for seven years following the completion of the pipeline extension and fractionation facility. If the Company does not meet its NGL volume commitment in any quarter during the seven-year commitment period, it will be required to pay a deficiency fee per gallon of NGL deficiency. Should the pipeline extension and fractionation facility be completed on or prior to February 28, 2021, the minimum contractual obligation during the seven-year period would be approximately $132.3 million.
In April 2018, the Company also entered into a 16-year, fixed-fee natural gas transportation agreement that begins on October 1, 2019, whereby the Company committed to deliver a portion of the residue gas production at the tailgate of the Black River Processing Plant to transport through the counterparty’s pipeline. The Company will owe the fees to transport the committed volume whether or not the committed volume is transported through the counterparty’s pipeline. The minimum contractual obligation at March 31, 2019 was approximately $56.8 million.
In May 2018, the Company also entered into a 10-year, fixed-fee natural gas sales agreement whereby the Company committed to deliver residue gas through the counterparty’s pipeline to the Texas Gulf Coast beginning on the in-service date of such pipeline, which is expected to be operational in late 2019. If the Company does not meet the volume commitment specified in the natural gas sales agreement, it may be required to pay a deficiency fee per MMBtu of natural gas deficiency. The minimum contractual obligation at March 31, 2019 was approximately $202.3 million.
Delaware Basin — San Mateo
In February 2017, the Company dedicated its current and future leasehold interests in the Rustler Breaks and Wolf asset areas pursuant to 15-year, fixed-fee natural gas, oil and salt water gathering agreements and salt water disposal agreements with subsidiaries of San Mateo I. In addition, the Company dedicated its current and future leasehold interests in the Rustler Breaks asset area pursuant to a 15-year, fixed-fee natural gas processing agreement (collectively with the gathering and salt water disposal agreements, the “Operational Agreements”). San Mateo I provides the Company with firm service under each of the Operational Agreements in exchange for certain minimum volume commitments. The minimum contractual obligation under the Operational Agreements at March 31, 2019 was approximately $205.8 million.
In connection with the February 2019 formation of San Mateo II, the Company dedicated to San Mateo II acreage in the Greater Stebbins Area and the Stateline asset area pursuant to 15-year, fixed-fee agreements for oil, natural gas and salt water gathering, natural gas processing and salt water disposal (collectively, the “San Mateo II Operational Agreements”). San Mateo II will provide the Company with firm service under each of the San Mateo II Operational Agreements in exchange for certain minimum volume commitments. The minimum contractual obligation under the San Mateo II Operational Agreements at inception was approximately $363.8 million and begins in 2020.
Legal Proceedings
The Company is a party to several legal proceedings encountered in the ordinary course of its business. While the ultimate outcome and impact on the Company cannot be predicted with certainty, in the opinion of management, it is remote that these legal proceedings will have a material adverse impact on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.