Stock-Based Compensation Plans (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2014

Disclosure Of Compensation Related Costs Sharebased Payments [Abstract]

Allocation of Stock-Based Compensation by Functional Category

The following table details the amount of stock-based compensation that is allocated to functional expense categories (in thousands):

	2014		2013		2012
Operating expense	$	4,208	$	2,755	$	2,415
Brokered natural gas and marketing expense		3,523		1,852		1,765
Exploration expense		4,569		4,025		4,049
General and administrative expense		55,382		55,737		44,541
Termination costs		2,999		¾		¾
Total	$	70,681	$	64,369	$	52,770

Stock Option and SARs Activities

Information with respect to SARs activities is summarized below:

	Shares			Weighted Average Exercise Price
Outstanding at December 31, 2011		4,558,609		$	41.47
Granted		754,471			64.14
Exercised		(1,860,367	)		30.20
Expired/forfeited		(19,351	)		48.00
Outstanding at December 31, 2012		3,433,362			52.52
Granted		470,617			75.82
Exercised		(1,269,323	)		53.24
Expired/forfeited		(52,582	)		53.56
Outstanding at December 31, 2013		2,582,074			56.36
Granted		1,104			81.74
Exercised		(616,563	)		45.45
Expired/forfeited		(66	)		46.44
Outstanding at December 31, 2014		1,966,549		$	59.80

Outstanding SARs

The following table shows information with respect to SARs outstanding and exercisable at December 31, 2014:

	Outstanding						Exercisable
Range of Exercise Prices	Shares		Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life (in years)		Weighted Average Exercise Price		Shares		Weighted Average Exercise Price
$ 31.13–$ 39.99		3,260		0.58	$	38.82		3,260	$	38.82
40.00–49.99		542,206		0.49		46.47		542,206		46.47
50.00–59.99		355,856		1.38		52.35		355,856		52.35
60.00–69.99		614,909		2.33		64.18		422,546		64.21
70.00–79.99		448,418		3.30		75.88		196,064		76.30
80.00–81.15		1,900		3.69		81.15		1,900		81.15
Total		1,966,549		1.87	$	59.80		1,521,832	$	56.64

Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value of SARs

During 2014, we granted SARs to our former executive chairman in conjunction with his retirement from Range as an employee. During 2013 and 2012, we granted SARs to officers, non-officer employees and directors. The weighted average grant date fair value of these SARs, based on our Black-Scholes-Merton assumptions, is shown below:

	2014			2013			2012
Weighted average exercise price per share	$	81.74		$	75.82		$	64.14
Expected annual dividend yield		0.20	%		0.21	%		0.25	%
Expected life in years		4.3			3.7			3.7
Expected volatility		33	%		35	%		45	%
Risk-free interest rate		1.4	%		0.6	%		0.5	%
Weighted average grant date fair value per share	$	23.17		$	20.20		$	21.32

Summary of Performance Share Unit Awards Activity

The following is a summary of our non-vested PSU awards outstanding at December 31, 2014:

	Units			Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value
Outstanding at December 31, 2013		—		$	—
Granted (a)		227,929			86.14
Vested (b)		(92,077	)		86.23
Forfeited		(1,511	)		82.60
Outstanding at December 31, 2014		134,341		$	86.11

^(a) Amounts granted reflect the number of performance units granted. The actual payout of shares may be between zero percent and 150% of the performance units granted depending on the total shareholder return ranking compared to our peer companies at the vesting date.

^(b) Primarily represents PSU awards granted to our prior executive chairman for the 2013 calendar year while he was a Range officer.

Schedule of Share Based Payment Award Performance Stock Awards Valuation Assumptions

The following assumptions were used to estimate the fair value of PSUs granted during the year ended December 31, 2014:

	Year Ended December, 31,  2014
Risk-free interest rate		0.77	%
Expected annual volatility		33	%
Grant date fair value per unit	$	86.14

Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units Outstanding

A summary of the status of our non-vested restricted stock outstanding at December 31, 2014 is summarized below:

	Equity Awards					Liability Awards
	Shares			Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value		Shares			Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value
Outstanding at December 31, 2011		221,609		$	49.64		487,244		$	48.76
Granted		364,082			63.44		380,808			64.06
Vested		(208,802	)		56.73		(438,283	)		52.17
Forfeited		(27,733	)		58.65		(6,291	)		54.54
Outstanding at December 31, 2012		349,156			59.08		423,478			58.91
Granted		402,053			71.26		424,809			75.53
Vested		(315,535	)		62.43		(437,570	)		64.36
Forfeited		(50,611	)		65.29		(21,704	)		57.31
Outstanding at December 31, 2013		385,063			68.24		389,013			71.02
Granted		356,194			84.87		272,052			87.34
Vested		(354,237	)		72.85		(356,413	)		75.52
Forfeited		(26,605	)		75.66		(148	)		77.35
Outstanding at December 31, 2014		360,415		$	79.60		304,504		$	80.33