Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2012

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Use of Estimates

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Significant estimates with regard to these financial statements include the fair value determination of acquired assets and liabilities, the estimate of proved oil and gas reserves and related present value estimates of future net cash flows therefrom, assessing asset retirement obligations, and the estimate of income taxes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Oil and Gas Property

Oil and Gas Property

The Company follows the full-cost method of accounting for its oil and gas property. Under this method of accounting, all costs incurred for both successful and unsuccessful exploration and development activities, including salaries, benefits and other internal costs directly identified with these activities, and oil and gas property acquisitions are capitalized. The net book value of oil and gas properties, less related deferred income taxes, may not exceed a calculated “ceiling.” The ceiling limitation is the estimated after-tax future net cash flows from proved oil and gas reserves, discounted at 10 percent per annum and adjusted for cash flow hedges. Estimated future net cash flows are calculated using end-of-period costs and an unweighted arithmetic average of commodity prices in effect on the first day of each of the previous 12 months, held flat for the life of the production, except where prices are defined by contractual arrangements.

Any excess of the net book value of proved oil and gas properties, less related deferred income taxes, over the ceiling is charged to expense and reflected as “Additional depreciation, depletion and amortization” (DD&A) in the accompanying statement of consolidated operations. Such limitations are imposed separately on a country-by-country basis and are tested quarterly. For a discussion of the calculation of estimated future net cash flows, please refer to Note 14—Supplemental Oil and Gas Disclosures in Apache’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for its 2011 fiscal year. At March 31, 2012, the Company recorded a $521 million ($390 million net of tax) non-cash write-down of the carrying value of the Company’s Canadian proved oil and gas properties. Excluding the effects of cash flow hedges in calculating the ceiling limitation, the write-down as of March 31, 2012, would have been $656 million ($491 million net of tax).

Recently Issued Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted

Recently Issued Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted

In December 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2011-11, which increases disclosures about offsetting assets and liabilities. New disclosures are required to enable users of financial statements to understand significant quantitative differences in balance sheets prepared under GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) related to the offsetting of financial instruments. The existing GAAP guidance allowing balance sheet offsetting, including industry-specific guidance, remains unchanged. The guidance in ASU No. 2011-11 is effective for annual and interim reporting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2013. The disclosures should be applied retrospectively for all prior periods presented. The Company does not expect the adoption of this amendment to impact its consolidated financial statements.