Through management of its fee mineral and leasehold acreage, the Company’s principal line of business is to explore for, develop, acquire, produce and sell oil, NGL and natural gas. Panhandle’s mineral and leasehold properties and other oil and natural gas interests are all located in the contiguous United States, primarily in Arkansas, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma and Texas, with properties located in several other states. The Company’s oil, NGL and natural gas production is from interests in 6,079 wells located principally in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas. The Company does not operate any wells. Approximately 45% of oil, NGL and natural gas revenues were derived from the sale of natural gas in 2018. Approximately 71% of the Company’s total sales volumes in 2018 were derived from natural gas. Substantially all the Company’s oil, NGL and natural gas production is sold through the operators of the wells. From time to time, the Company sells certain non-material, non-core or small-interest oil and natural gas properties in the normal course of business.

Preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts and disclosures reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Of these estimates and assumptions, management considers the estimation of crude oil, NGL and natural gas reserves to be the most significant. These estimates affect the unaudited standardized measure disclosures, as well as DD&A and impairment calculations. The Company’s Independent Consulting Petroleum Engineer, with assistance from the Company, prepares estimates of crude oil, NGL and natural gas reserves on an annual basis, with a semi-annual update. These estimates are based on available geologic and seismic data, reservoir pressure data, core analysis reports, well logs, analogous reservoir performance history, production data and other available sources of engineering, geological and geophysical information. For DD&A purposes, and as required by the guidelines and definitions established by the SEC, the reserve estimates were based on average individual product prices during the 12-month period prior to September 30, determined as an unweighted arithmetic average of the first-day-of-the-month price for each month within such period, unless prices were defined by contractual arrangements, excluding escalations based upon future conditions. For impairment purposes, projected future crude oil, NGL and natural gas prices as estimated by management are used. Crude oil, NGL and natural gas prices are volatile and largely affected by worldwide production and consumption and are outside the control of management. Management uses projected future crude oil, NGL and natural gas pricing assumptions to prepare estimates of crude oil, NGL and natural gas reserves used in formulating management’s overall operating decisions.

The Company does not operate its oil and natural gas properties and, therefore, receives actual oil, NGL and natural gas sales volumes and prices (in the normal course of business) more than a month later than the information is available to the operators of the wells. This being the case, on wells with greater significance to the Company, the most current available production data is gathered from the appropriate operators, and oil, NGL and natural gas index prices local to each well are used to estimate the accrual of revenue on these wells. Timely obtaining production data on all other wells from the operators is not feasible; therefore, the Company utilizes past production receipts and estimated sales price information to estimate its accrual of revenue on all other wells each quarter. The oil, NGL and natural gas sales revenue accrual can be impacted by many variables including rapid production decline rates, production curtailments by operators, the shut-in of wells with mechanical problems and rapidly changing market prices for oil, NGL and natural gas. These variables could lead to an over or under accrual of oil, NGL and natural gas sales at the end of any particular quarter. Based on past history, the Company’s estimated accrual has been materially accurate.

Cash and cash equivalents consist of all demand deposits and funds invested in short-term investments with original maturities of three months or less.

The Company sells oil, NGL and natural gas to various customers, recognizing revenues as oil, NGL and natural gas is produced and sold. Charges for compression, marketing, gathering and transportation of natural gas are included in lease operating expenses.

The Company uses the sales method of accounting for natural gas imbalances in those circumstances where it has underproduced or overproduced its ownership percentage in a property. Under this method, a receivable or liability is recorded to the extent that an underproduced or overproduced position in a well cannot be recouped through the production of remaining reserves. At September 30, 2018 and 2017, the Company had no material natural gas imbalances.

Substantially all of the Company’s accounts receivable are due from purchasers of oil, NGL and natural gas or operators of the oil and natural gas properties. Oil, NGL and natural gas sales receivables are generally unsecured. This industry concentration has the potential to impact our overall exposure to credit risk, in that the purchasers of our oil, NGL and natural gas and the operators of the properties in which we have an interest may be similarly affected by changes in economic, industry or other conditions. During 2018, 2017 and 2016 the Company did not have any bad debt expense. The Company’s allowance for uncollectible accounts as of the Balance Sheet dates was not material.

The Company follows the successful efforts method of accounting for oil and natural gas producing activities. Intangible drilling and other costs of successful wells and development dry holes are capitalized and amortized. The costs of exploratory wells are initially capitalized, but charged against income, if and when the well does not reach commercial production levels. Oil and natural gas mineral and leasehold costs are capitalized when incurred.

It is common business practice in the petroleum industry to prepay drilling costs before spudding a well. The Company frequently fulfills these prepayment requirements with cash payments, but at times will utilize letters of credit to meet these obligations. As of September 30, 2018, the Company had no outstanding letters of credit.

When the Company leases its mineral acreage to a third-party company, it retains a royalty interest in any future revenues from the production and sale of oil, NGL or natural gas, and often receives an up-front, non-refundable, cash payment (lease bonus) in addition to the retained royalty interest. A royalty interest does not bear any portion of the cost of drilling, completing or operating a well; these costs are borne by the working interest owners. The Company sometimes leases only a portion of its mineral interest in a tract. The Company retains the right to participate as a working interest owner with the remainder.

The Company recognizes revenue from mineral lease bonus payments when it has received an executed lease agreement with a third-party company transferring the rights to explore for and produce any oil or natural gas they may find within the term of the lease, the payment has been collected, and the Company has no obligation to refund the payment. The Company accounts for its lease bonuses in accordance with the guidance set forth in ASC 932, and it recognizes the lease bonus as a cost recovery with any excess above its cost basis in the mineral being treated as a gain. The excess of lease bonus above the mineral basis is shown in the lease bonuses and rentals line item on the Company’s Statements of Operations.

The Company has entered into fixed swap contracts and costless collar contracts. These instruments are intended to reduce the Company’s exposure to short-term fluctuations in the price of oil and natural gas. Collar contracts set a fixed floor price and a fixed ceiling price and provide payments to the Company if the index price falls below the floor or require payments by the Company if the index price rises above the ceiling. Fixed swap contracts set a fixed price and provide payments to the Company if the index price is below the fixed price, or require payments by the Company if the index price is above the fixed price. These contracts cover only a portion of the Company’s oil and natural gas production and provide only partial price protection against declines in oil and natural gas prices. These derivative instruments expose the Company to risk of financial loss and may limit the benefit of future increases in prices. All of the Company’s derivative contracts at September 30, 2018 and 2017, were with Bank of Oklahoma and are secured under its credit facility with Bank of Oklahoma. The derivative instruments have settled or will settle based on the prices below.

	Production volume
Contract period	covered per month	Index	Contract price
Natural gas costless collars
January - December 2018	40,000 Mmbtu	NYMEX Henry Hub	$2.75 floor / $3.35 ceiling
January - December 2018	40,000 Mmbtu	NYMEX Henry Hub	$2.75 floor / $3.30 ceiling
April - December 2018	50,000 Mmbtu	NYMEX Henry Hub	$2.80 floor / $3.15 ceiling
Natural gas fixed price swaps
January - December 2018	50,000 Mmbtu	NYMEX Henry Hub	$3.080
April - December 2018	40,000 Mmbtu	NYMEX Henry Hub	$2.910
July - December 2018	100,000 Mmbtu	NYMEX Henry Hub	$2.835
July - December 2018	100,000 Mmbtu	NYMEX Henry Hub	$2.925
July - December 2018	50,000 Mmbtu	NYMEX Henry Hub	$2.988
July 2018 - March 2019	50,000 Mmbtu	NYMEX Henry Hub	$3.065
January - July 2019	100,000 Mmbtu	NYMEX Henry Hub	$2.867
Oil costless collars
January - December 2018	2,000 Bbls	NYMEX WTI	$47.50 floor / $52.50 ceiling
January - December 2018	2,000 Bbls	NYMEX WTI	$48.00 floor / $53.25 ceiling
January - December 2018	2,000 Bbls	NYMEX WTI	$50.00 floor / $55.75 ceiling
July - December 2018	3,000 Bbls	NYMEX WTI	$50.00 floor / $58.00 ceiling
January - June 2019	2,000 Bbls	NYMEX WTI	$55.00 floor / $63.45 ceiling
January - December 2019	1,000 Bbls	NYMEX WTI	$50.00 floor / $60.00 ceiling
January - December 2019	2,000 Bbls	NYMEX WTI	$60.00 floor / $69.25 ceiling
July - December 2019	3,000 Bbls	NYMEX WTI	$60.00 floor / $70.75 ceiling
January - June 2020	2,000 Bbls	NYMEX WTI	$60.00 floor / $67.00 ceiling
Oil fixed price swaps
January - December 2018	3,000 Bbls	NYMEX WTI	$50.72
January - December 2018	2,000 Bbls	NYMEX WTI	$52.02
April - December 2018	4,000 Bbls	NYMEX WTI	$54.14
July - December 2018	2,000 Bbls	NYMEX WTI	$58.20
January - June 2019	2,000 Bbls	NYMEX WTI	$59.69
January - June 2019	2,000 Bbls	NYMEX WTI	$57.15
January - June 2019	3,000 Bbls	NYMEX WTI	$58.02
January - December 2019	1,000 Bbls	NYMEX WTI	$56.15
January - December 2019	2,000 Bbls	NYMEX WTI	$56.71
January - December 2019	1,000 Bbls	NYMEX WTI	$58.56
July - December 2019	2,000 Bbls	NYMEX WTI	$56.85

Derivative contracts in place as of September 30, 2017

	Production volume
Contract period	covered per month	Index	Contract price
Natural gas costless collars
January - December 2017	50,000 Mmbtu	NYMEX Henry Hub	$2.80 floor / $3.47 ceiling
January - December 2017	50,000 Mmbtu	NYMEX Henry Hub	$3.00 floor / $3.35 ceiling
April - December 2017	50,000 Mmbtu	NYMEX Henry Hub	$2.80 floor / $3.35 ceiling
April - December 2017	50,000 Mmbtu	NYMEX Henry Hub	$2.75 floor / $3.35 ceiling
April - December 2017	30,000 Mmbtu	NYMEX Henry Hub	$3.00 floor / $3.65 ceiling
May - December 2017	50,000 Mmbtu	NYMEX Henry Hub	$3.00 floor / $3.60 ceiling
May - December 2017	50,000 Mmbtu	NYMEX Henry Hub	$3.20 floor / $3.65 ceiling
January - March 2018	100,000 Mmbtu	NYMEX Henry Hub	$3.50 floor / $3.95 ceiling
January - March 2018	150,000 Mmbtu	NYMEX Henry Hub	$3.40 floor / $3.95 ceiling
January - December 2018	40,000 Mmbtu	NYMEX Henry Hub	$2.75 floor / $3.35 ceiling
January - December 2018	40,000 Mmbtu	NYMEX Henry Hub	$2.75 floor / $3.30 ceiling
Natural gas fixed price swaps
January - December 2017	25,000 Mmbtu	NYMEX Henry Hub	$3.100
April - December 2017	50,000 Mmbtu	NYMEX Henry Hub	$3.070
April - December 2017	50,000 Mmbtu	NYMEX Henry Hub	$3.210
April - December 2017	30,000 Mmbtu	NYMEX Henry Hub	$3.300
July - December 2017	50,000 Mmbtu	NYMEX Henry Hub	$3.510
August - December 2017	100,000 Mmbtu	NYMEX Henry Hub	$3.095
January - March 2018	50,000 Mmbtu	NYMEX Henry Hub	$3.700
January - March 2018	75,000 Mmbtu	NYMEX Henry Hub	$3.575
January - March 2018	100,000 Mmbtu	NYMEX Henry Hub	$3.520
January - December 2018	50,000 Mmbtu	NYMEX Henry Hub	$3.080
Oil costless collars
January - December 2017	3,000 Bbls	NYMEX WTI	$50.00 floor / $55.00 ceiling
January - December 2017	3,000 Bbls	NYMEX WTI	$52.00 floor / $58.00 ceiling
January - December 2017	3,000 Bbls	NYMEX WTI	$53.00 floor / $57.75 ceiling
April - December 2017	2,000 Bbls	NYMEX WTI	$50.00 floor / $57.50 ceiling
July - December 2017	5,000 Bbls	NYMEX WTI	$45.00 floor / $56.25 ceiling
January - June 2018	2,000 Bbls	NYMEX WTI	$47.50 floor / $52.75 ceiling
January - December 2018	2,000 Bbls	NYMEX WTI	$47.50 floor / $52.50 ceiling
January - December 2018	2,000 Bbls	NYMEX WTI	$48.00 floor / $53.25 ceiling
Oil fixed price swaps
January - December 2017	3,000 Bbls	NYMEX WTI	$53.89
April - December 2017	2,000 Bbls	NYMEX WTI	$54.20
January - March 2018	4,000 Bbls	NYMEX WTI	$54.00
January - June 2018	4,000 Bbls	NYMEX WTI	$51.25
January - December 2018	3,000 Bbls	NYMEX WTI	$50.72
January - December 2018	2,000 Bbls	NYMEX WTI	$52.02

The Company has elected not to complete the documentation requirements necessary to permit these derivative contracts to be accounted for as cash flow hedges. The Company’s fair value of derivative contracts was a net liability of $3,414,016 as of September 30, 2018, and a net asset of $516,159 as of September 30, 2017. Realized and unrealized gains and (losses) are recorded in gains (losses) on derivative contracts on the Company’s Statement of Operations. The portion of the gain (loss) on derivatives settled in cash for 2018, 2017 and 2016 was $1,001,893 (net paid), $305,410 (net received) and $4,552,680 (net received), respectively.

The fair value amounts recognized for the Company’s derivative contracts executed with the same counterparty under a master netting arrangement may be offset. The Company has the choice to offset or not, but that choice must be applied consistently. A master netting arrangement exists if the reporting entity has multiple contracts with a single counterparty that are subject to a contractual agreement that provides for the net settlement of all contracts through a single payment in a single currency in the event of default on, or termination of, any one contract. Offsetting the fair values recognized for the derivative contracts outstanding with a single counterparty results in the net fair value of the transactions being reported as an asset or a liability in the Balance Sheets. The following table summarizes and reconciles the Company's derivative contracts’ fair values at a gross level back to net fair value presentation on the Company's Balance Sheets at September 30, 2018, and September 30, 2017. The Company has offset all amounts subject to master netting agreements in the Company's Balance Sheets at September 30, 2018, and September 30, 2017.

	9/30/2018								9/30/2017
	Fair Value								Fair Value
	Commodity Contracts								Commodity Contracts
	Current Assets			Current Liabilities			Non-Current Liabilities		Current Assets			Current Liabilities			Non-Current Assets			Non-Current Liabilities
Gross amounts recognized	$	42,150		$	3,106,196		$	349,970	$	735,702		$	190,778		$	9,439		$	38,204
Offsetting adjustments		(42,150	)		(42,150	)		-		(190,778	)		(190,778	)		(9,439	)		(9,439	)
Net presentation on Balance Sheets	$	-		$	3,064,046		$	349,970	$	544,924		$	-		$	-		$	28,765

The fair value of derivative assets and derivative liabilities is adjusted for credit risk. The impact of credit risk was immaterial for all periods presented.

Fair value is defined as the amount that would be received from the sale of an asset or paid for the transfer of a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants, i.e., an exit price. To estimate an exit price, a three-level hierarchy is used. The fair value hierarchy prioritizes the inputs, which refer broadly to assumptions market participants would use in pricing an asset or a liability, into three levels.

The Company uses an option pricing valuation model for option derivative contracts that considers various inputs including: future prices, time value, volatility factors, counterparty credit risk and current market and contractual prices for the underlying instruments. The values calculated are then compared to the values given by counterparties for reasonableness.

The following table provides fair value measurement information for financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis.

	Fair Value Measurement at September 30, 2018
	Quoted Prices in Active Markets		Significant Other Observable Inputs			Significant Unobservable Inputs		Total Fair
	(Level 1)		(Level 2)			(Level 3)		Value
Financial Assets (Liabilities):
Derivative Contracts - Swaps	$	-	$	(2,317,069	)	$	-	$	(2,317,069	)
Derivative Contracts - Collars	$	-	$	(1,096,947	)	$	-	$	(1,096,947	)

	Fair Value Measurement at September 30, 2017
	Quoted Prices in Active Markets		Significant Other Observable Inputs		Significant Unobservable Inputs		Total Fair
	(Level 1)		(Level 2)		(Level 3)		Value
Financial Assets (Liabilities):
Derivative Contracts - Swaps	$	-	$	364,606	$	-	$	364,606
Derivative Contracts - Collars	$	-	$	-	$	151,553	$	151,553

A reconciliation of the Company’s derivative contracts classified as Level 3 measurements is presented below.

	Derivatives
Net Asset (Liability) Balance of Level 3 as of October 1, 2017	$	151,553
Total gains or (losses):
Included in earnings		(877,307	)
Included in other comprehensive income (loss)		-
Purchases, issuances and settlements		(371,193	)
Transfers in and out of Level 3 (i)		1,096,947
Net Asset (Liability) Balance of Level 3 as of September 30, 2018	$	-

(i)	During the fourth quarter of 2018, we transferred $1,096,947 of derivative collars out of Level 3 hierarchy, into Level 2 hierarchy as a result of our ability to obtain volatility inputs from direct observable sources.

The following table presents impairments associated with certain assets that have been measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis within Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy.

	Year Ended September 30,
	2018				2017				2016
	Fair Value		Impairment		Fair Value		Impairment		Fair Value		Impairment

Producing Properties (a)	$	-	$	-	$	567,077	$	662,990	$	9,877,905	$	12,001,271

(a)

At the end of each quarter, the Company assessed the carrying value of its producing properties for impairment. This assessment utilized estimates of future cash flows or fair value (selling price) less cost to sell if the property is held for sale. Significant judgments and assumptions in these assessments include estimates of future oil, NGL and natural gas prices using a forward NYMEX curve adjusted for projected inflation, locational basis differentials, drilling plans, expected capital costs and an applicable discount rate commensurate with risk of the underlying cash flow estimates. These assessments identified certain properties with carrying value in excess of their calculated fair values.

At September 30, 2018, and September 30, 2017, the carrying values of cash and cash equivalents, receivables, and payables are considered to be representative of their respective fair values due to the short term maturities of those instruments. Financial instruments include long-term debt, which the valuation is classified as Level 2 as the carrying amount of the Company’s revolving credit facility approximates fair value because the interest rates are reflective of market rates. The estimated current market interest rates are based primarily on interest rates currently being offered on borrowings of similar amounts and terms. In addition, no valuation input adjustments were considered necessary relating to nonperformance risk for the debt agreements.

Depreciation, depletion and amortization of the costs of producing oil and natural gas properties are generally computed using the unit-of-production method primarily on an individual property basis using proved or proved developed reserves, as applicable, as estimated by the Company’s Independent Consulting Petroleum Engineer. The Company’s capitalized costs of drilling and equipping all development wells, and those exploratory wells that have found proved reserves, are amortized on a unit-of-production basis over the remaining life of associated proved developed reserves. Lease costs are amortized on a unit-of-production basis over the remaining life of associated total proved reserves. Depreciation of furniture and fixtures is computed using the straight-line method over estimated productive lives of five to eight years.

Non-producing oil and natural gas properties include non-producing minerals, which had a net book value of $8,025,015 and $3,079,008 at September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively, consisting of perpetual ownership of mineral interests in several states, with 91% of the acreage in Arkansas, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma and Texas. As mentioned, these mineral rights are perpetual and have been accumulated over the 92-year life of the Company. There are approximately 198,360 net acres of non-producing minerals in more than 6,749 tracts owned by the Company. An average tract contains approximately 29 acres, and the average cost per acre is $62. Since inception, the Company has continually generated an interest in several thousand oil and natural gas wells using its ownership of the fee mineral acres as an ownership basis. There continues to be significant drilling and leasing activity on these mineral interests each year. Non-producing minerals are being amortized straight-line over a 33-year period. These assets are considered a long-term investment by the Company, as they do not expire (as do oil and natural gas leases). Given the above, management concluded that a long-term amortization was appropriate and that 33 years, based on past history and experience, was an appropriate period. Due to the fact that the minerals consist of a large number of properties, whose costs are not individually significant, and because virtually all are in the Company’s core operating areas, the minerals are being amortized on an aggregate basis.

The Company recognizes impairment losses for long-lived assets when indicators of impairment are present and the undiscounted cash flows are not sufficient to recover the assets’ carrying amount. The impairment loss is measured by comparing the fair value of the asset to its carrying amount. Fair values are based on discounted cash flow as estimated by the Company or fair value (sales price) less cost to sell if the property is held for sale. The Company's estimate of fair value of its oil and natural gas properties at September 30, 2018, is based on the best information available as of that date, including estimates of forward oil, NGL and natural gas prices and costs. The Company’s oil and natural gas properties were reviewed for impairment on a field-by-field basis, resulting in the recognition of impairment provisions of $0, $662,990 and $12,001,271 for 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. A further reduction in oil, NGL and natural gas prices or a decline in reserve volumes may lead to additional impairment in future periods that may be material to the Company.

During the 2018 fiscal year, the Company sold 324 non-core marginal wells for $1,085,137 and recorded a loss on the sales of $660,597. The total net book value that was removed from the Balance Sheets due to these sales was approximately $1.7 million. The loss on sales was included in the Loss (gain) on asset sales and other line of the Statements of Operations. All of the wells included in the Assets held for sale line item on the Balance Sheets at September 30, 2017, were sold during the first quarter of 2018.

During the 2018 fiscal year, the Company acquired mineral acreage in the cores of the Bakken in North Dakota and the STACK and SCOOP plays in Oklahoma. The Company acquired a total of 4,306 net mineral acres for $11.3 million or an average of approximately $2,600 per net mineral acre. These mineral purchases were accounted for as asset acquisitions.

During 2018, 2017 and 2016, interest of $89,023, $168,351 and $24,929, respectively, was included in the Company’s capital expenditures. Interest of $1,748,101, $1,275,138 and $1,344,619, respectively, was charged to expense during those periods. Interest is capitalized using a weighted average interest rate based on the Company’s outstanding borrowings. These capitalized costs are included with intangible drilling costs and amortized using the unit-of-production method.

The Company owns interests in oil and natural gas properties, which may require expenditures to plug and abandon the wells upon the end of their economic lives. The fair value of legal obligations to retire and remove long-lived assets is recorded in the period in which the obligation is incurred (typically when the asset is installed at the production location). When the liability is initially recorded, this cost is capitalized by increasing the carrying amount of the related properties and equipment. Over time the liability is increased for the change in its present value, and the capitalized cost in properties and equipment is depreciated over the useful life of the remaining asset. The Company does not have any assets restricted for the purpose of settling the asset retirement obligations.

The following table shows the activity for the years ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, relating to the Company’s asset retirement obligations:

As the Company is directly involved in the extraction and use of natural resources, it is subject to various federal, state and local provisions regarding environmental and ecological matters. Compliance with these laws may necessitate significant capital outlays. The Company does not believe the existence of current environmental laws, or interpretations thereof, will materially hinder or adversely affect the Company’s business operations; however, there can be no assurances of future effects on the Company of new laws or interpretations thereof. Since the Company does not operate any wells where it owns an interest, actual compliance with environmental laws is controlled by the well operators, with Panhandle being responsible for its proportionate share of the costs involved. Panhandle carries liability and pollution control insurance. However, all risks are not insured due to the availability and cost of insurance.

Environmental liabilities, which historically have not been material, are recognized when it is probable that a loss has been incurred and the amount of that loss is reasonably estimable. Environmental liabilities, when accrued, are based upon estimates of expected future costs. At September 30, 2018 and 2017, there were no such costs accrued.

Earnings (loss) per share is calculated using net income (loss) divided by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding, plus unissued, vested directors’ deferred compensation shares during the period.

The Company recognizes current compensation costs for its Deferred Compensation Plan for Non-Employee Directors (the “Plan”). Compensation cost is recognized for the requisite directors’ fees as earned and unissued stock is recorded to each director’s account based on the fair market value of the stock at the date earned. The Plan provides that only upon retirement, termination or death of the director or upon a change in control of the Company, the shares accrued under the Plan may be issued to the director.

In accordance with guidance on accounting for employee stock ownership plans, the Company records the fair market value of the stock contributed into its ESOP as expense.

Restricted stock awards to officers provide for cliff vesting at the end of three years from the date of the awards. These restricted stock awards can be granted based on service time only (non-performance based) or subject to certain share price performance standards (performance based). Restricted stock awards to the non-employee directors provide for quarterly vesting during the calendar year of the award. The fair value of the awards on the grant date is ratably expensed over the vesting period in accordance with accounting guidance.

The estimation of amounts of income tax to be recorded by the Company involves interpretation of complex tax laws and regulations, as well as the completion of complex calculations, including the determination of the Company’s percentage depletion deduction. Although the Company’s management believes its tax accruals are adequate, differences may occur in the future depending on the resolution of pending and new tax regulations. Deferred income taxes are computed using the liability method and are provided on all temporary differences between the financial basis and the tax basis of the Company’s assets and liabilities.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was enacted on December 22, 2017. The Act reduces the U.S. federal corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%, requires companies to pay a one-time transition tax on earnings of certain foreign subsidiaries that were previously tax deferred and creates new taxes on certain foreign sourced earnings. As of September 30, 2018, we have completed our estimates accounting for the tax effects of enactment of the Act. Based on these estimates, we recognized an amount which is included as a component of income tax expense (benefit) from continuing operations.

We remeasured certain deferred tax assets and liabilities based on the rates at which they are expected to reverse in the future, which is generally 21%. The amount recorded related to the remeasurement of our deferred tax balance was $12,464,000 income tax benefit.

The Company has a year end of September 30. Because this differs from a calendar year end, we have calculated the current year’s federal tax provision using a blended rate of 24.53% to adjust for one quarter of our fiscal year being under the old rate of 35% and the remaining three quarters being under the new rate of 21%. The impact of using a blended rate versus the old rate in the current year resulted in a federal tax benefit of $198,581.

The Company’s provision for income taxes differs from the statutory rate primarily due to estimated federal and state benefits generated from estimated excess federal and Oklahoma percentage depletion, which are permanent tax benefits. Excess percentage depletion, both federal and Oklahoma, can only be taken in the amount that it exceeds cost depletion which is calculated on a unit-of-production basis.

Both excess federal percentage depletion, which is limited to certain production volumes and by certain income levels, and excess Oklahoma percentage depletion, which has no limitation on production volume, reduce estimated taxable income or add to estimated taxable loss projected for any year. Federal and Oklahoma excess percentage depletion, when a provision for income taxes is expected for the year, decreases the effective tax rate, while the effect is to increase the effective tax rate when a benefit for income taxes is expected for the year. The benefits of federal and Oklahoma excess percentage depletion and excess tax benefits and deficiencies of stock based compensation are not directly related to the amount of pre-tax income (loss) recorded in a period. Accordingly, in periods where a recorded pre-tax income or loss is relatively small, the proportional effect of these items on the effective tax rate may be significant. The effective tax rate for the year ended September 30, 2018, was a 672% benefit as compared to a 16% provision for the year ended September 30, 2017.

The threshold for recognizing the financial statement effect of a tax position is when it is more likely than not, based on the technical merits, that the position will be sustained by a taxing authority. Recognized tax positions are initially and subsequently measured as the largest amount of tax benefit that is more likely than not to be realized upon ultimate settlement with a taxing authority. The Company files income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction and various state jurisdictions. Subject to statutory exceptions that allow for a possible extension of the assessment period, the Company is no longer subject to U.S. federal, state, and local income tax examinations for fiscal years prior to 2015.

The Company includes interest assessed by the taxing authorities in interest expense and penalties related to income taxes in general and administrative expense on its Statements of Operations. For fiscal September 30, 2018, 2017 and 2016, the Company’s interest and penalties was not material. The Company does not believe it has any significant uncertain tax positions.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-01, which changed the definition of a business. The new guidance requires an entity to first evaluate whether substantially all of the fair value of the gross assets acquired is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or a group of similar identifiable assets. If that threshold is met, the set of assets and activities is not a business. If it’s not met, the entity evaluates whether the set meets the definition of a business. The new definition requires a business to include at least one substantive process and narrows the definition of outputs by more closely aligning it with how outputs are described in the new revenue recognition guidance. The new guidance is effective for public business entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those years. The ASU was applied prospectively to transactions occurring within the period of adoption. Early adoption is permitted, including for interim or annual periods for which the financial statements have not been issued or made available for issuance. The Company early adopted ASU 2017-01 during the third quarter ended June 30, 2018.

In February 2016, the FASB issued its new lease accounting guidance in ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). Under the new guidance, lessees will be required to recognize the following for all leases (with the exception of short-term leases) at the commencement date: 1) a lease liability, which is a lessee’s obligation to make lease payments arising from a lease, measured on a discounted basis; and 2) a right-of-use asset, which is an asset that represents the lessee’s right to use, or control the use of, a specified asset for the lease term. The new lease guidance simplified the accounting for sale and leaseback transactions primarily because lessees must recognize lease assets and lease liabilities. Lessees will no longer be provided with a source of off-balance sheet financing. The guidance is effective for us beginning October 1, 2019, including interim periods within the fiscal year. Early application is permitted for all public business entities upon issuance. Lessees (for capital and operating leases) and lessors (for sales-type, direct financing, and operating leases) must apply a modified retrospective transition approach for leases existing at, or entered into after, the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented in the financial statements. The modified retrospective approach would not require any transition accounting for leases that expired before the earliest comparative period presented. Lessees and lessors may not apply a full retrospective transition approach. We are assessing the potential impact that this update will have on our financial statements.

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-01, Financial Instruments – Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities. The new guidance is intended to improve the recognition and measurement of financial instruments. The new guidance is effective for us beginning October 1, 2018, including interim periods within the fiscal year. This update is not expected to have a material impact on our financial statements.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which will supersede nearly all existing revenue recognition guidance under GAAP. The standard’s core principle is that a company will recognize revenue when it transfers promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services.

Subsequent to the issuance of ASU 2014-09, the FASB issued various clarifications and interpretive guidance to assist entities with implementation efforts, including guidance pertaining to the presentation of revenues on a gross basis (revenues presented separately from associated expenses) versus a net basis.

The standard is effective for us beginning October 1, 2018. The standard allows for either “full retrospective” adoption, meaning the standard is applied to all of the periods presented, or “modified retrospective” adoption, meaning the standard is applied only to the most current period presented in the financial statements and utilizes a cumulative effect adjustment to retained earnings in the period of adoption to account for prior period effects rather than restating previously reported results. Panhandle intends to use the modified retrospective method upon adoption.

The Company has completed its evaluation of the impact of the new standard and related interpretive guidance on its financial statements, accounting policies, internal controls, and disclosures. Based on our assessments, the standard is not expected to have a material effect on the timing or measurement of the Company's revenue recognition or its financial position, results of operations, net income, or cash flows, but is expected to have an impact on the Company's revenue-related disclosures and internal controls over financial reporting.

Other accounting standards that have been issued or proposed by the FASB, or other standards-setting bodies, that do not require adoption until a future date are not expected to have a material impact on the financial statements upon adoption.