Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2013

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

1. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

As of March 31, 2013, Apache’s significant accounting policies are consistent with those discussed in Note 1—Summary of Significant Accounting Policies of its consolidated financial statements contained in Apache’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012.

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

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 designated 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 2012 fiscal year. For the three months ended March 31, 2013, the Company recorded a $65 million ($42 million net of tax) non-cash write-down of the carrying value of the Company’s Argentinian proved oil and gas properties. For the three months ended 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.

New Pronouncements Issued But Not Yet Adopted

In February 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2013-04, which increases disclosures for certain liability arrangements. The guidance requires an entity that is joint and severally liable to measure the obligation as the sum of the amount the entity has agreed with co-obligors to pay and any additional amount it expects to pay on behalf of one or more co-obligors. Required disclosures include a description of the nature of the arrangement, how the liability arose, the relationship with co-obligors and the terms and conditions of the arrangement. ASU No. 2013-04 is effective for annual and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2013. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting this amendment on its consolidated financial statements; however, any changes will be applied retrospectively to all prior periods presented.