1.	SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

As of September 30, 2015, Apache’s significant accounting policies are consistent with those discussed in Note 1—Summary of Significant Accounting Policies to the consolidated financial statements contained in Apache’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014.

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. For a discussion of the calculation of estimated future net cash flows, please refer to Note 14—Supplemental Oil and Gas Disclosures to the consolidated financial statements contained in Apache’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014.

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. The following tables present non-cash write-downs of the carrying value of the Company’s proved oil and gas properties by country for the third quarter and first nine months of 2015 and 2014:


	For the Quarter Ended September 30, 2015				For the Quarter Ended September 30, 2014
	Before tax		After tax		Before tax		After tax
	(In millions)

U.S.	$	4,301	$	2,774	$	1,545	$	995
Canada		973		719		—		—
North Sea		447		223		17		7

Total impairment	$	5,721	$	3,716	$	1,562	$	1,002


	For the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2015				For the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2014
	Before tax		After tax		Before tax		After tax
	(In millions)

U.S.	$	13,855	$	8,937	$	1,545	$	995
Canada		3,160		2,347		—		—
North Sea		1,742		871		220		84

Total impairment	$	18,757	$	12,155	$	1,765	$	1,079

Asset Impairments

For the quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2015, the Company recorded asset impairments totaling $367 million in connection with fair value assessments.

Impairments included $210 million on certain gathering, transmission, and processing (GTP) facilities, which were written down to their fair values of $16 million in aggregate. The fair values of the impaired assets were determined using an income approach, which considered internal estimates of future throughput volumes, processing rates, and costs. These assumptions were applied to develop future cash flow projections that were then discounted to estimate fair value, using a discount rate believed to be consistent with those applied by market participants. Apache has classified these non-recurring fair value measurements as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.

In addition, the Company recorded $148 million for the impairment of an equity method investment and $9 million for inventory write-downs. For discussion of the equity method investment impairment, see Note 2—Acquisitions and Divestitures.

New Pronouncements Issued But Not Yet Adopted

In September 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2015-16, which eliminates the requirement that an acquirer in a business combination account for measurement-period adjustments retrospectively. Instead, an acquirer will recognize a measurement-period adjustment during the period in which it determines the amount of the adjustment, including amounts it would have recorded in previous periods if the accounting had been completed at the acquisition date. ASU 2015-16 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016. The Company does not expect the adoption of this amendment to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-11, which simplifies the subsequent measurement of inventory by requiring inventory to be measured at the lower of cost and net realizable value. Entities will continue to apply their existing impairment models to inventories that are accounted for using last-in first-out and the retail inventory method. Under current guidance, net realizable value is one of several calculations an entity needs to make to measure inventory at the lower of cost or market. The guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company does not expect the adoption of this amendment to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-03, which simplifies the presentation of debt issuance costs. The new standard requires debt issuance costs to be presented as a direct deduction from the carrying value of the associated debt liability, whereas they are currently being presented as a component of “deferred charges and other” on the balance sheet. The new standard creates consistency in the way debt issuance costs and debt discounts are presented on the balance sheet and better aligns U.S. GAAP with International Financial Reporting Standards. ASU 2015-03 is effective for annual and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015. The Company will apply the change retrospectively and does not expect the adoption of this amendment to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In May 2014, the FASB and the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) issued a joint revenue recognition standard, ASU 2014-09. The new standard removes inconsistencies in existing standards, changes the way companies recognize revenue from contracts with customers, and increases disclosure requirements. The guidance requires companies to recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in amounts that reflect the consideration to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. In July 2015, the FASB announced a delay in the effective date of the revenue standard by one year. The deferral results in the new revenue standard being effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2017. The standard is required to be adopted using either the full retrospective approach, with all prior periods presented adjusted, or the modified retrospective approach, with a cumulative adjustment to retained earnings on the opening balance sheet. The Company is currently evaluating the level of effort needed to implement the standard, the impact of adopting this standard on its consolidated financial statements, and whether to use the full retrospective approach or the modified retrospective approach.