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Basis of presentation and significant accounting policies (Policies)
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2021
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Basis of presentation The accompanying consolidated financial statements were derived from the historical accounting records of the Company and reflect the historical financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the periods described herein. The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP"). All material intercompany transactions and account balances have been eliminated in the consolidation of accounts.
Use of estimates in the preparation of consolidated financial statements The preparation of the accompanying consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions about future events. These estimates and the underlying assumptions affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Although management believes these estimates are reasonable, actual results could differ.Significant estimates include, but are not limited to, (i) volumes of the Company's reserves of oil, natural gas liquids ("NGL") and natural gas, (ii) future cash flows from oil and natural gas properties, (iii) depletion, depreciation and amortization, (iv) impairments, (v) asset retirement obligations, (vi) equity-based compensation, (vii) deferred income taxes, (viii) fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in an acquisition, (ix) fair values of derivatives and deferred premiums and (x) contingent assets or liabilities. As fair value is a market-based measurement, it is determined based on the assumptions that would be used by market participants. These estimates and assumptions are based on management's best judgment. Management evaluates its estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis using historical experience and other factors, including the current economic environment. Such estimates and assumptions are adjusted when facts and circumstances dictate. Illiquid credit markets and volatile equity and energy markets may increase the uncertainty inherent in such estimates and assumptions. Management believes its estimates and assumptions to be reasonable under the circumstances. As future events and their effects cannot be determined with precision, actual values and results could differ from these estimates. Any changes in estimates resulting from future changes in the economic environment will be reflected in the financial statements in future periods.
Cash and cash equivalents The Company defines cash and cash equivalents to include cash on hand, cash in bank accounts and highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less. The Company maintains cash and cash equivalents in bank deposit accounts and money market funds that may not be federally insured. The Company has not experienced any losses in such accounts and believes it is not exposed to any significant credit risk on such accounts.
Accounts receivable The Company sells its produced oil, NGL and natural gas and purchased oil to various customers and participates with other parties in the development and operation of oil and natural gas properties. The Company maintains an allowance for expected credit losses inherent in its accounts receivable portfolio. In establishing the required allowance, management considers significant factors such as historical losses, current receivables aging, the debtors' current ability to pay its obligation to the Company and existing industry and economic data. Account balances are charged off against the allowance after all means of collection have been exhausted and the potential for recovery is remote, and payments subsequently received on such balances are credited to the allowance. See Note 14 for discussion regarding the Company's exposure to credit risk.
Derivatives Derivatives are recorded at fair value and are presented on a net basis in "Derivatives" on the consolidated balance sheets as assets and/or liabilities. The Company records the fair value of derivatives, net by counterparty where the right of offset exists. The Company determines the fair value of its derivatives using fair value hierarchy level inputs to its valuation techniques. The Company's derivatives were not designated as hedges for accounting purposes, and the Company does not enter into such instruments for speculative trading purposes. Accordingly, the changes in fair value are recognized in "Gain (loss) on derivatives, net" under "Non-operating income (expense)" on the consolidated statements of operations.
Oil and natural gas properties
The Company uses the full cost method of accounting for its oil and natural gas properties. Under this method, all acquisition, exploration and development costs, including certain employee-related costs, incurred for the purpose of acquiring, exploring for or developing oil and natural gas properties, are capitalized and, once evaluated, depleted on a composite unit-of-production method based on estimates of proved oil, NGL and natural gas reserves. The depletion base includes estimated future development costs and dismantlement, restoration and abandonment costs, net of estimated salvage values. Capitalized costs include the cost of drilling and equipping productive wells, dry hole costs, lease acquisition costs, delay rentals and other costs related to such activities. Costs, including employee-related costs, associated with production and general corporate activities are expensed in the period incurred.
The Company excludes unevaluated property acquisition costs and exploration costs from the depletion calculation until it is determined whether or not proved reserves can be assigned to the properties. The Company capitalizes a portion of its interest costs to its unevaluated properties and such costs become subject to depletion when proved reserves can be assigned to the associated properties. All items classified as unevaluated properties are assessed on a quarterly basis for possible impairment. The assessment includes consideration of the following factors, among others: intent to drill, remaining lease term, geological and geophysical evaluations, drilling results and activity, the assignment of proved reserves and the economic viability of development if proved reserves are assigned. During any period in which these factors indicate an impairment, the cumulative drilling incurred capital expenditures to date for such property and all or a portion of the associated leasehold costs are transferred to the full cost pool and are then subject to depletion.
Sales of oil and natural gas properties, whether or not being depleted currently, are accounted for as adjustments of capitalized costs, with no gain or loss recognized, unless such adjustments would significantly alter the relationship between capitalized costs and proved reserves of oil, NGL and natural gas.The full cost ceiling is based principally on the estimated future net cash flows from proved oil, NGL and natural gas reserves, which exclude the effect of the Company's commodity derivative transactions, discounted at 10%. SEC guidelines require companies to use the unweighted arithmetic average first-day-of-the-month price for each month within the 12-month period prior to the end of the reporting period before differentials ("Benchmark Prices"). The Benchmark Prices are then adjusted for quality, certain transportation fees, geographical differentials, marketing bonuses or deductions and other factors affecting the price received at the delivery point ("Realized Prices") without giving effect to the Company's commodity derivative transactions. The Realized Prices are utilized to calculate the estimated future net cash flows in the full cost ceiling calculation. Significant inputs included in the calculation of discounted cash flows used in the impairment analysis include the Company's estimate of operating and development costs, anticipated production of proved reserves and other relevant data. In the event the unamortized cost of evaluated oil and natural gas properties being depleted exceeds the full cost ceiling, as defined by the SEC, the excess is expensed in the period such excess occurs. Once incurred, a write-down of oil and natural gas properties is not reversible.
Leases
The Company recognizes operating lease right-of-use assets and operating lease liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets for operating leases with an initial term greater than 12 months.
The Company determines whether a contract is or contains a lease at inception of the contract, based on answers to a series of questions that address whether an identified asset exists and whether the Company has the right to obtain substantially all of the benefit of the asset and to control its use over the full term of the agreement. When available, the Company uses the rate implicit in the lease to discount lease payments to present value; however, most of the Company's leases do not provide a readily determinable implicit rate. In such cases, the Company is required to use its incremental borrowing rate ("IBR"). The Company determines its IBR using both a "credit notching" approach and a "recovery method" approach. The results of these approaches are then weighted equally and averaged in order to determine the concluded IBR. This concluded IBR is utilized to discount the lease payments based on information available at lease commencement. There are no material residual value guarantees, nor any restrictions or covenants included in the Company's lease agreements.
Mineral leases, including oil and natural gas leases granting the right to explore for those natural resources and rights to use the land in which those natural resources are contained, are not included in the scope of Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") 842, Leases.
The Company has recognized operating lease right-of-use assets and operating lease liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets for leases of commercial real estate with lease terms extending into 2027 and drilling, completion, production and other equipment leases with lease terms extending into 2022. The Company has various other drilling, completion and production equipment leases on a short-term basis which are reflected in short-term lease costs.
The Company's lease costs include those that are recognized in net income (loss) during the period and capitalized as part of the cost of another asset in accordance with other GAAP.
The lease costs related to drilling, completion and production activities are reflected at the Company's net ownership, which is consistent with the principals of proportional consolidation, and lease commitments are reflected on a gross basis. As of
December 31, 2021, the Company had an average working interest of 96% in wells associated with Laredo's active drilling program over the next 12 months.
Certain of the Company's leases include provisions for variable payments. These variable payments are typically determined based on a measure of throughput, actual days or another measure of usage. For our drilling rigs, the variable lease costs include the payments that depend on the performance or usage of the underlying asset, the costs to move and the costs to repair the drilling rigs. For certain of our commercial office buildings, utilities and common area, the variable lease costs are the variable maintenance charges. For our equipment leases, the variable lease costs are the amounts incurred under our contracts that are beyond the minimum rental fee, inclusive of maintenance.
The Company subleases certain office space to third parties but remains the primary obligor under the head lease. The lease terms on those subleases each contain renewal options that do not extend past the term of the head lease. The subleases do not contain residual value guarantees. Sublease income is recognized based on the contract terms and is included as a reduction of lease expense under the head lease.
Certain of the Company's operating lease right-of-use asset classes include options to renew on a month-to-month basis. The Company considers contract-based, asset-based, market-based and entity-based factors to determine the term over which it is reasonably certain to extend the lease in determining its right-of-use assets and liabilities.
The Company's material leases do not include options to purchase the leased property.
Inventory The Company has the following types of inventory: (i) materials and supplies inventory used in production activities of oil and natural gas properties and midstream service assets, (ii) frac pit water inventory used in developing oil and natural gas properties and (iii) line-fill in third-party pipelines, which is the minimum volume of product in a pipeline system that enables the system to operate, and is generally not available to be withdrawn from the pipeline until the expiration of the transportation contract. All inventory is carried at the lower of cost or net realizable value ("NRV"), with cost determined using the weighted-average cost method, and is included in "Other current assets" and "Other noncurrent assets, net" on the consolidated balance sheets. The NRV for materials and supplies inventory and frac pit water inventory is estimated utilizing a replacement cost approach (Level 2). The NRV for line-fill in third-party pipelines is estimated utilizing a quoted market price adjusted for regional price differentials (Level 2).
Debt issuance costs Debt issuance costs, which are recorded at cost, net of amortization, are amortized over the life of the respective debt agreements utilizing the straight-line method.
Asset retirement obligations
Asset retirement obligations associated with the retirement of tangible long-lived assets are recognized as a liability in the period in which they are incurred and become determinable. The associated asset retirement costs are part of the carrying amount of the long-lived asset. Subsequently, the asset retirement cost included in the carrying amount of the related long-lived asset is expensed through depletion, or for midstream service assets through depreciation. Changes in the liability due to the passage of time are recognized as an increase in the carrying amount of the liability and accretion expense.
The fair value of additions to the asset retirement obligation liability is measured using valuation techniques consistent with the income approach, which converts future cash flows into a single discounted amount. Significant inputs to the valuation include: (i) estimated plug and abandonment or removal and remediation cost per well or midstream service asset based on Company experience, if any, in accordance with applicable state laws, (ii) estimated remaining life per well or midstream service asset, (iii) future inflation factors and (iv) the Company's average credit-adjusted risk-free rate. Inherent in the fair value calculation of asset retirement obligations are numerous assumptions and judgments including, in addition to those noted above, the ultimate settlement of these amounts, the ultimate timing of such settlement and changes in technology, regulatory, political, environmental, safety and public relations matters. To the extent future revisions to these assumptions impact the fair value of the existing asset retirement obligation liability, an adjustment will be made to the asset balance.
The Company is obligated by contractual and regulatory requirements to remove certain midstream service assets and perform other remediation of the sites where such midstream service assets are located upon the retirement of those assets. However, the fair value of the asset retirement obligation cannot currently be reasonably estimated because the settlement dates are indeterminate. The Company will record an asset retirement obligation for midstream service assets in the periods in which settlement dates are reasonably determinable.
Fair value measurements The carrying amounts reported on the consolidated balance sheets for cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable, accrued capital expenditures, undistributed revenue and royalties and other accrued assets and liabilities approximate their fair values.
The Company has categorized its assets and liabilities measured at fair value, based on the priority of inputs to the valuation techniques, into a three-level fair value hierarchy. The fair value hierarchy gives the highest priority to quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3).
Assets and liabilities recorded at fair value on the consolidated balance sheets are categorized based on inputs to the valuation techniques as follows: 
Level 1—
Assets and liabilities recorded at fair value for which values are based on unadjusted quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in an active market that management has the ability to access. Active markets are considered to be those in which transactions for the assets or liabilities occur in sufficient frequency and volume to provide pricing information on an ongoing basis.
Level 2—Assets and liabilities recorded at fair value for which values are based on quoted prices in markets that are not active or model inputs that are observable either directly or indirectly for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities. Substantially all of these inputs are observable in the marketplace throughout the full term of the price risk management instrument and can be derived from observable data or supported by observable levels at which transactions are executed in the marketplace.
Level 3—Assets and liabilities recorded at fair value for which values are based on prices or valuation techniques that require inputs that are both unobservable and significant to the overall fair value measurement. Unobservable inputs are not corroborated by market data. These inputs reflect management's own assumptions about the assumptions a market participant would use in pricing the asset or liability.
Treasury stock Treasury stock is recorded at cost, which includes incremental direct transaction costs, and is retired upon acquisition as a result of (i) stock exchanged to satisfy tax withholding that arises upon the lapse of restrictions on share-settled equity-based awards at the awardee's election or (ii) stock exchanged for the cost of exercise of stock options at the awardee's election.
Revenue recognition
Oil, NGL and natural gas sales and sales of purchased oil are generally recognized at the point in time that control of the product is transferred to the customer. Midstream service revenues are recognized over time as the customer benefits from services when provided.
Oil sales and sales of purchased oil
Under its oil sales contracts, the Company sells produced or purchased oil at the delivery point specified in the contract and collects an agreed-upon index price, net of pricing differentials. The delivery point may be at the wellhead, the inlet of the purchaser's pipeline or nominated pipeline or the Company's truck unloading facility. At the delivery point, the purchaser typically takes custody, title and risk of loss of the product and, therefore, control as defined under ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, typically passes at the delivery point. The Company recognizes revenue at the net price received when control transfers to the purchaser.
The Company engages in transactions in which it sells oil at the lease and subsequently repurchases the same volume of oil from that customer at a downstream delivery point under a separate agreement ("Repurchase Agreement") for use in the sale to the final customer. The commercial reasoning for such transactions may vary. Where a Repurchase Agreement exists, the Company must evaluate whether the customer obtains control of the oil at the lease and therefore whether it is appropriate to recognize revenue for the lease sale. Where the Company has an obligation or a right to repurchase the oil, the customer
does not obtain control of the oil because it is limited in its ability to direct the use of, and obtain substantially all of the remaining benefits from the oil even though it may have physical possession of the oil. If the Company repurchases the oil for less than the original selling price, such a transaction will be classified as a lease. If the Company repurchases the oil for equal to or more than the original selling price, then the transaction represents a financing arrangement unless there is only a short passage of time between the sale and repurchase, in which case any excess amount paid represents an expense associated with the sale of oil to the final customer. The Company recognizes such repurchase expense and any transportation expenses incurred for the delivery of the oil to the final customer in the "Transportation and marketing expenses" line item in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.
In certain situations, the Company enters into purchase and sale transactions of oil inventory with the same counterparty in contemplation with one another, and these transactions are presented on the consolidated statements of operations on a net basis in accordance with ASC 845, Nonmonetary Transactions. The following table presents the net effect of these transactions for the periods presented:
 Years ended December 31,
(in thousands)202120202019
Sales of purchased oil inventory$327,839 $17,026 $— 
Purchased oil inventory326,625 16,918 — 
Net effect on earnings(1)
$1,214 $108 $— 
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(1)Amounts presented are recorded in "Sales of purchased oil" in the consolidated statements of operations.
Under certain of its customer contracts, the Company is subject to contractual penalties if it fails to deliver contractual minimum volumes to its customers. Such amounts are recorded as a reduction to the transaction price as these amounts do not represent payments to the customer for distinct goods or services and instead relate specifically to the failure to perform under the specific customer contract. Such amounts are recorded as a reduction to the transaction price when payment is determined as probable, typically when such a deficiency occurs.
NGL and natural gas sales
Under its natural gas processing contracts, the Company delivers produced natural gas to a midstream processing entity at the wellhead or the inlet of the processing entity's system. The processing entity processes the natural gas, sells the resulting NGL and residue gas to third parties and pays the Company for the NGL and residue gas with deductions that may include gathering, compression, processing and transportation fees. In these scenarios, the Company evaluates whether it is the principal or the agent in the transaction. For existing contracts, the Company has concluded that it is the agent in the ultimate sale to the third party and the midstream processing entity is the principal and that the Company has transferred control of unprocessed natural gas to the midstream processing entity; therefore, the Company recognizes revenue based on the net amount of the proceeds received from the midstream processing entity who represents the Company's customer. If for future contracts the Company was to conclude that it was the principal with the ultimate third party being the customer, the Company would recognize revenue for those contracts on a gross basis, with gathering, compression, processing, and transportation fees presented as an expense.
Midstream service revenues
Revenue from oil throughput agreements is recognized based on a rate per barrel for volumes transported. Under the Company's oil throughput agreements, a volumetric deduction is taken from customer oil as a pipeline loss allowance. While these amounts represent non-cash consideration under ASC 606, such deductions are immaterial. Revenue from natural gas throughput agreements is recognized based on a rate per MMbtu for volumes transported. Revenue from water delivery, recycling and takeaway is recognized based on the volumes of water for which the services are provided at the applicable contractual rate.
Imbalances
The Company recognizes revenue for all oil, NGL and natural gas sold to purchasers regardless of whether the sales are proportionate to the Company's ownership interest in the property. Production imbalances are recognized as a liability to the extent an imbalance on a specific property exceeds the Company's share of remaining proved oil, NGL and natural gas reserves. The Company is also subject to natural gas pipeline imbalances, which are recorded as accounts receivable or payable at values consistent with contractual arrangements with the owner of the pipeline. The Company did not have any producer or pipeline imbalance positions as of December 31, 2021 or 2020.
Significant judgments
The Company engages in various types of transactions in which unaffiliated midstream entities process the Company's liquids-rich natural gas and, in some scenarios, subsequently market resulting NGL and residue gas to third-party customers on the Company's behalf. These types of transactions require judgment to determine whether the Company is the principal or the agent in the contract and, as a result, whether revenues are recorded gross or net. For existing contracts, the Company has determined that it serves as the agent in the sale of products under certain natural gas processing and marketing agreements with unaffiliated midstream entities in accordance with the control model in ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. As a result, the Company presents revenue on a net basis for amounts expected to be received from third-party customers through the marketing process, with expenses and deductions incurred subsequent to control of the product(s) transferring to the unaffiliated midstream entity being netted against revenue.
Transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations
A significant number of the Company's product sales are short-term in nature with a contract term of one year or less. For those contracts, the Company has utilized the practical expedient in ASC 606-10-50-14 that exempts the Company from disclosure of the transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations if the performance obligation is part of a contract that has an original expected duration of one year or less.
For the Company's product sales that have a contract term greater than one year and for its Midstream Services, the Company has utilized the practical expedient in ASC 606-10-50-14A that states that it is not required to disclose the transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations if the variable consideration is allocated entirely to a wholly unsatisfied performance obligation. Under the Company's product sales contracts, each unit of product generally represents a separate performance obligation; therefore, future volumes are wholly unsatisfied. Under the Midstream Services contracts each unit of service represents a separate performance obligation and therefore performance obligations in respect of future services are wholly unsatisfied.
Contract balances
Under the Company's customer contracts, invoicing occurs once the Company's performance obligations have been satisfied, at which point payment is unconditional. Accordingly, the Company's contracts do not give rise to contract assets or liabilities under ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers.
Prior-period performance obligations
For sales of oil, NGL, natural gas and purchased oil, the Company records revenue in the month production is delivered to the purchaser. However, settlement statements and payment may not be received for 30 to 90 days after the date production is delivered and, as a result, the Company is required to estimate the amount of production that was delivered to the purchaser and the price that will be received for the sale of the product. The Company records the differences between estimates and the actual amounts received for product sales once payment is received from the purchaser. Such differences have historically not been significant. The Company uses knowledge of its properties, its properties' historical performance, spot market prices and other factors as the basis for these estimates. For the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, revenue recognized related to performance obligations satisfied in prior reporting periods was not material.
Fees received for the operation of jointly-owned oil and natural gas properties The Company receives fees for the operation of jointly-owned oil and natural gas properties and records such reimbursements as a reduction of general and administrative expenses.
Compensation awards Equity-based compensation expense is included in "General and administrative" on the consolidated statements of operations, and includes expense for (i) restricted stock awards, stock option awards, performance share awards and the outperformance share award, which are accounted for as equity awards and are generally based on the awards' grant date or modification date fair value less an expected forfeiture rate and (ii) performance unit awards and phantom unit awards, which are accounted for as liability awards and are re-measured at each quarterly reporting period until settlement. The Company capitalizes a portion of equity-based compensation for employees who are directly involved in the acquisition, exploration and development of its oil and natural gas properties into the full cost pool. Capitalized equity-based compensation is included in "Evaluated properties" on the consolidated balance sheets.
Restricted stock awards
All service vesting restricted stock awards are treated as issued and outstanding in the consolidated financial statements. Per the award agreement terms, if employment is terminated prior to the restriction lapse date for reasons other than death or disability, the restricted stock awards are forfeited and canceled and are no longer considered issued and outstanding. If the termination of employment is by reason of death or disability, all of the holder's restricted stock will automatically vest. Restricted stock awards granted to employees vest in a variety of schedules that mainly include (i) 33%, 33% and 34% vesting per year beginning on the first anniversary of the grant date and (ii) full vesting on the first anniversary of the grant date. Restricted stock awards granted to non-employee directors vest immediately on the grant date.
Income taxes Income taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases and operating losses and tax credit carryforwards. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income (loss) in the period that includes the enactment date. The Company evaluates uncertain tax positions for recognition and measurement in the consolidated financial statements. To recognize a tax position, the Company determines whether it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained upon examination, including resolution of any related appeals or litigation, based on the technical merits of the position. A tax position that meets the more-likely-than-not threshold is measured to determine the amount of benefit to be recognized in the consolidated financial statements. The amount of tax benefit recognized with respect to any tax position is measured as the largest amount of benefit that is greater than 50 percent likely of being realized upon settlement.
Recently issued or adopted accounting pronouncements The Company considered the applicability and impact of all accounting standard updates ("ASU") issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") to the Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") and has determined there are no ASUs that are not yet adopted and meaningful to disclose as of December 31, 2021. Additionally, the Company did not adopt any new ASUs during the year ended December 31, 2021.