Derivative Activities

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2014

Derivative Instruments And Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

Derivative Activities

(10) DERIVATIVE ACTIVITIES

We use commodity-based derivative contracts to manage exposure to commodity price fluctuations. We do not enter into these arrangements for speculative or trading purposes. We do not utilize complex derivatives as we typically utilize commodity swap or collar contracts to (1) reduce the effect of price volatility of the commodities we produce and sell and (2) support our annual capital budget and expenditure plans. Their fair value, represented by the estimated amount that would be realized upon termination, based on a comparison of the contract price and a reference price, generally NYMEX, approximated a net unrealized pre-tax gain of $401.7 million at December 31, 2014. These contracts expire monthly through December 2016. The following table sets forth the derivative volumes by year as of December 31, 2014:

Period	Contract Type	Volume Hedged	Weighted Average Hedge Price
Natural Gas
2015	Collars	145,000 Mmbtu/day	$4.07–$4.56
2015	Swaps	412,390 Mmbtu/day	$4.15
2016	Swaps	120,000 Mmbtu/day	$4.15
Crude Oil
2015	Swaps	9,626 bbls/day	$90.57
2016	Swaps	1,000 bbls/day	$91.43
NGLs (C3 - Propane)
2015	Swaps	2,245 bbls/day	$0.95/gallon

NGLs (C5 - Natural Gasoline)
2015-First Quarter	Swaps	500 bbls/day	$2.14/gallon

Every derivative instrument is required to be recorded on the balance sheet as either an asset or a liability measured at its fair value. Through February 28, 2013, changes in the fair value of our derivatives that qualified for hedge accounting were recorded as a component of AOCI in the stockholders’ equity section of the accompanying consolidated balance sheets, which were later transferred to natural gas, NGLs and oil sales when the underlying physical transaction occurred and the hedging contract was settled. Due to the discontinuance of hedge accounting in early 2013, all remaining AOCI hedging gains were transferred to earnings in 2014. See additional discussion below regarding the discontinuance of hedge accounting. If the derivative does not qualify as a hedge or is not designated as a hedge, changes in fair value of these non-hedge derivatives are recognized in earnings in derivative fair value income or loss.

For those derivative instruments that qualified for hedge accounting, settled transaction gains and losses were determined monthly and were included as increases or decreases to natural gas, NGLs and oil sales in the period the hedged production was sold. Through February 28, 2013, we had elected to designate our commodity instruments that qualified for hedge accounting as cash flow hedges. Natural gas, NGLs and oil sales include $10.2 million of gains in 2014 compared to $116.5 million in 2013 and $236.3 million in 2012 related to settled hedging transactions. Any ineffectiveness associated with these hedge derivatives are reflected in derivative fair value income or loss in the accompanying consolidated statements of income. The ineffective portion is calculated as the difference between the changes in fair value of the derivative and the estimated change in future cash flows from the item hedged. Derivative fair value for the year ended December 31, 2014 includes no ineffective gains or losses compared to ineffective loss of $2.9 million in the year ended December 31, 2013 and gains of $1.1 million in the year ended December 31, 2012.

Discontinuance of Hedge Accounting

Effective March 1, 2013, we elected to de-designate all commodity contracts that were previously designated as cash flow hedges and elected to discontinue hedge accounting prospectively. AOCI included gains of $103.6 million ($63.2 million after tax) as of February 28, 2013. As a result of discontinuing hedge accounting, the marked-to-market values included in AOCI as of the de-designation date were frozen and were reclassified into earnings in natural gas, NGLs and oil sales in future periods as the underlying hedged transactions occurred. As of December 31, 2014, all frozen values have been reclassified to earnings.     

With the election to de-designate hedging instruments, all of our derivative instruments continue to be recorded at fair value with all changes in fair value recognized immediately in earnings rather than in AOCI. These marked-to-market adjustments will produce a degree of earnings volatility that can be significant from period to period, but such adjustments will have no cash flow impact relative to changes in market prices. The impact to cash flow occurs upon settlement of the underlying contract.

Basis Swap Contracts

At December 31, 2014, we had natural gas basis swap contracts that are not designated for hedge accounting, which lock in the differential between NYMEX and certain of our physical pricing points in Appalachia. These contracts are for 35,164 Mmbtu/day and settle monthly through October 2015. The fair value of these contracts was a gain of $1.7 million on December 31, 2014.

Derivative assets and liabilities

The combined fair value of derivatives included in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 is summarized below. As of December 31, 2014, we are conducting derivative activities with fifteen financial institutions, of which all but one are secured lenders in our bank credit facility. We believe all of these institutions are acceptable credit risks. At times, such risks may be concentrated with certain counterparties. The credit worthiness of our counterparties is subject to periodic review. The assets and liabilities are netted where derivatives with both gain and loss positions are held by a single counterparty and we have master netting arrangements (in thousands).

		December 31, 2014
		Gross Amounts of Recognized Assets		Gross Amounts Offset in the Balance Sheet			Net Amounts of Assets Presented in the Balance Sheet
Derivative assets:
Natural gas	–swaps	$	198,740	$	¾		$	198,740
	–collars		57,460		¾			57,460
	–basis swaps		2,442		(755	)		1,687
Crude oil	–swaps		128,578		¾			128,578
NGLs	–C3 swaps		14,727		¾			14,727
	–C5 swaps		2,171		¾			2,171
		$	404,118	$	(755	)	$	403,363

		December 31, 2014
		Gross Amounts of Recognized (Liabilities)			Gross Amounts Offset in the Balance Sheet		Net Amounts of (Liabilities) Presented in the Balance Sheet
Derivative (liabilities):
Natural gas	–basis swaps	$	(755	)	$	755	$	−
		$	(755	)	$	755	$	−

		December 31, 2013
		Gross Amounts of Recognized Assets		Gross Amounts Offset in the Balance Sheet			Net Amounts of Assets Presented in the Balance Sheet
Derivative assets:
Natural gas	–swaps	$	4,240	$	(1,218	)	$	3,022
	–collars		16,057		(7,671	)		8,386
	–basis swaps		7,686		(7,686	)		¾
Crude oil	–swaps		3,567		(1,321	)		2,246
NGLs	–C3 swaps		826		(826	)		¾
	–C4 swaps		863		(863	)		¾
	–C5 swaps		121		(121	)		¾
		$	33,360	$	(19,706	)	$	13,654

		December 31, 2013
		Gross Amounts of Recognized (Liabilities)			Gross Amounts Offset in the Balance Sheet		Net Amounts of (Liabilities) Presented in the Balance Sheet
Derivative (liabilities):
Natural gas	–swaps	$	(4,790	)	$	1,218	$	(3,572	)
	–collars		(13,345	)		7,671		(5,674	)
	–basis swaps		(3,756	)		7,686		3,930
Crude oil	–swaps		(4,711	)		1,321		(3,390	)
	–collars		(398	)		¾		(398	)
NGLs	–C3 swaps		(18,172	)		826		(17,346	)
	–C4 swaps		(757	)		863		106
	–C5 swaps		¾			121		121
		$	(45,929	)	$	19,706	$	(26,223	)

The effects of our cash flow hedges (or those derivatives that qualified for hedge accounting) on AOCI in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets is summarized below (in thousands):

	Year Ended December 31,
	Change in Hedge Derivative Fair Value					Realized Gain Reclassified from OCI Into Revenue (a)
	2014		2013			2014			2013
Swaps	$	¾	$	125		$	4,544		$	15,171
Collars		¾		(7,015	)		5,678			105,272
Income taxes		¾		2,687			(3,986	)		(46,973	)
	$	¾	$	(4,203	)	$	6,236		$	73,470

^(a) For gains upon contract settlement, the reduction in AOCI is offset by an increase in natural gas, NGLs and oil sales. For losses upon contract settlement, the increase in AOCI is offset by a decrease in natural gas, NGLs and oil sales.

The effects of our non-hedge derivatives (or those derivatives that do not qualify or are not designated for hedge accounting) and the ineffective portion of our hedge derivatives on our consolidated statements of income are summarized below (in thousands):

	Year Ended December 31,
	Gain (Loss) Recognized in Income (Non-hedge Derivatives)									Gain (Loss) Recognized in Income (Ineffective Portion)								Derivative Fair Value Income (Loss)
	2014			2013			2012			2014		2013			2012			2014			2013			2012
Swaps	$	367,484		$	(48,492	)	$	11,601		$	¾	$	(2,034	)	$	(657	)	$	367,484		$	(50,526	)	$	10,944
Re-purchased swaps		¾			1,323			9,313			¾		¾			¾			¾			1,323			9,313
Collars		42,836			(15,166	)		5,126			¾		(896	)		1,782			42,836			(16,062	)		6,908
Call options		¾			¾			13,178			¾		¾			—			¾			¾			13,178
Put options		¾			¾			(30	)		¾		¾			—			¾			¾			(30	)
Basis swaps		(26,800	)		3,440			1,124			¾		¾			—			(26,800	)		3,440			1,124
Total	$	383,520		$	(58,895	)	$	40,312		$	¾	$	(2,930	)	$	1,125		$	383,520		$	(61,825	)	$	41,437