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SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2019

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Apache and its subsidiaries after elimination of intercompany balances and transactions. The Company’s undivided interests in oil and gas exploration and production ventures and partnerships are proportionately consolidated.

The Company consolidates all other investments in which, either through direct or indirect ownership, Apache has more than a 50 percent voting interest or controls the financial and operating decisions. Noncontrolling interests represent third-party ownership in the net assets of a consolidated Apache subsidiary and are reflected separately in the Company’s financial statements. Sinopec International Petroleum Exploration and Production Corporation (Sinopec) owns a one-third minority participation in Apache’s Egypt oil and gas business as a noncontrolling interest, which is reflected as a separate component of equity in Apache’s consolidated balance sheet.

Additionally, third-party investors own a minority interest of approximately 21 percent of Altus Midstream Company (ALTM), which is reflected as a separate noncontrolling interest component of equity in Apache’s consolidated balance sheet. Apache consolidates the activities of ALTM, which qualifies as a variable interest entity (VIE) under GAAP. Apache has concluded that it is the primary beneficiary of the VIE, as defined in the accounting standards, since Apache has the power, through its ownership, to direct those activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of ALTM and the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits that could be potentially significant to ALTM. This conclusion was based on a qualitative analysis that considered ALTM’s governance structure, the commercial agreements between ALTM, Altus Midstream LP (collectively with ALTM, Altus), and Apache, and the voting rights established between the members, which provide Apache with the ability to control the operations of Altus. On June 12, 2019, Altus Midstream LP issued and sold Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Units (the Preferred Units) through a private offering that admitted additional limited partners with separate rights for the Preferred Unit holders. For further details on the terms of the Preferred Units and rights of the holders, refer to Note 12—Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest - Altus.

Investments in which Apache holds less than 50 percent of the voting interest are typically accounted for under the equity method of accounting, with the balance recorded separately as “Equity method interests” in Apache’s consolidated balance sheet and results of operations recorded as a component of “Other” under “Revenues and Other” in the Company’s statement of consolidated operations.

Use of Estimates

Preparation of financial statements in conformity with 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, the assessment of asset retirement obligations, the estimates of fair value for long-lived assets, and the estimate of income taxes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Fair Value Measurements

Certain assets and liabilities are reported at fair value on a recurring basis in Apache’s consolidated balance sheet. Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 820-10-35, “Fair Value Measurement” (ASC 820), provides a hierarchy that prioritizes and defines the types of inputs used to measure fair value. The fair value hierarchy gives the highest priority to Level 1 inputs, which consist of unadjusted quoted prices for identical instruments in active markets. Level 2 inputs consist of quoted prices for similar instruments. Level 3 valuations are derived from inputs that are significant and unobservable; hence, these valuations have the lowest priority.

The valuation techniques that may be used to measure fair value include a market approach, an income approach, and a cost approach. A market approach uses prices and other relevant information generated by market transactions involving identical or comparable assets or liabilities. An income approach uses valuation techniques to convert future amounts to a single present amount based on current market expectations, including present value techniques, option-pricing models, and the excess earnings method. The cost approach is based on the amount that currently would be required to replace the service capacity of an asset (replacement cost).

Oil and Gas Property

The Company follows the successful efforts method of accounting for its oil and gas property. Under this method of accounting, exploration costs such as exploratory geological and geophysical costs, delay rentals, and exploration overhead are expensed as incurred. All costs related to production, general corporate overhead, and similar activities are expensed as incurred. If an exploratory well provides evidence to justify potential development of reserves, drilling costs associated with the well are initially capitalized, or suspended, pending a determination as to whether a commercially sufficient quantity of proved reserves can be attributed to the area as a result of drilling. This determination may take longer than one year in certain areas depending on, among other things, the amount of hydrocarbons discovered, the outcome of planned geological and engineering studies, the need for additional appraisal drilling activities to determine whether the discovery is sufficient to support an economic development plan, and government sanctioning of development activities in certain international locations. At the end of each quarter, management reviews the status of all suspended exploratory well costs in light of ongoing exploration activities; in particular, whether the Company is making sufficient progress in its ongoing exploration and appraisal efforts or, in the case of discoveries requiring government sanctioning, whether development negotiations are underway and proceeding as planned. If management determines that future appraisal drilling or development activities are unlikely to occur, associated suspended exploratory well costs are expensed.

Acquisition costs of unproved properties are assessed for impairment at least annually and are transferred to proved oil and gas properties to the extent the costs are associated with successful exploration activities. Significant undeveloped leases are assessed individually for impairment based on the Company’s current exploration plans. Unproved oil and gas properties with individually insignificant lease acquisition costs are amortized on a group basis over the average lease term at rates that provide for full amortization of unsuccessful leases upon lease expiration or abandonment. Costs of expired or abandoned leases are charged to exploration expense, while costs of productive leases are transferred to proved oil and gas properties. Costs of maintaining and retaining unproved properties, as well as amortization of individually insignificant leases and impairment of unsuccessful leases, are included in exploration costs in the statement of consolidated operations.

Costs to develop proved reserves, including the costs of all development wells and related equipment used in the production of crude oil and natural gas, are capitalized. Depreciation of the cost of proved oil and gas properties is calculated using the unit-of-production (UOP) method. The UOP calculation multiplies the percentage of estimated proved reserves produced each quarter by the carrying value of associated proved oil and gas properties. The reserve base used to calculate depreciation for leasehold acquisition costs and the cost to acquire proved properties is the sum of proved developed reserves and proved undeveloped reserves. The reserve base used to calculate the depreciation for capitalized well costs is the sum of proved developed reserves only. Estimated future dismantlement, restoration and abandonment costs, net of salvage values, are included in the depreciable cost.

Oil and gas properties are grouped for depreciation in accordance with ASC 932 “Extractive Activities—Oil and Gas.” The basis for grouping is a reasonable aggregation of properties with a common geological structural feature or stratigraphic condition, such as a reservoir or field.

When circumstances indicate that the carrying value of proved oil and gas properties may not be recoverable, the Company compares unamortized capitalized costs to the expected undiscounted pre-tax future cash flows for the associated assets grouped at the lowest level for which identifiable cash flows are independent of cash flows of other assets. If the expected undiscounted pre-tax future cash flows, based on Apache’s estimate of future crude oil and natural gas prices, operating costs, anticipated production from proved reserves and other relevant data, are lower than the unamortized capitalized cost, the capitalized cost is reduced to fair value. Fair value is generally estimated using the income approach described in ASC 820. If applicable, the Company utilizes prices and other relevant information generated by market transactions involving assets and liabilities that are identical or comparable to the item being measured as the basis for determining fair value. The expected future cash flows used for impairment reviews and related fair value calculations are typically based on judgmental assessments of future production volumes, commodity prices, operating costs, and capital investment plans, considering all available information at the date of review.

The following table represents non-cash impairments of the carrying value of the Company’s proved and unproved property and equipment for the third quarters and first nine months of 2019 and 2018:



	For the Quarter Ended September 30,				For the Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2019		2018		2019		2018
	(In millions)
Oil and Gas Property:
Proved	$	—	$	—	$	86	$	—
Unproved	12		49		223		86

Proved properties impaired during the first nine months of 2019 related to assets held for sale at June 30, 2019 with an aggregate fair value of $379 million.

On the statement of consolidated operations, unproved leasehold impairments are typically recorded as a component of “Exploration” expense; however, in the first nine months of 2019, unproved impairments of $149 million were recorded in “Impairments” in connection with an agreement to sell certain non-core leasehold properties in Oklahoma and Texas. In the third quarter and first nine months of 2018, unproved impairments of $10 million were recorded in “Impairments” in connection with an agreement to sell certain unproved properties in the North Sea.

Gains and losses on divestitures of the Company’s oil and gas properties are recognized in the statement of consolidated operations

Revenue Recognition

There have been no significant changes to the Company’s contracts with customers during the nine months ended September 30, 2019. Apache recognizes revenue from its contracts with customers from the sale of its crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids (NGLs) production as well as volumes purchased from third parties. Each unit of quantity represents a single performance obligation that is satisfied at a point in time as control of the product has been transferred to the customer.

The contracted price is variable and is determined based on market-indexed prices adjusted for quality, transportation, and other market-reflective differentials. Sales proceeds related to third-party purchased volumes are considered revenue from a contract with a customer. Proceeds for these volumes totaled $30 million and $124 million for the third quarters of 2019 and 2018, respectively, and $71 million and $326 million for the first nine months of 2019 and 2018, respectively. Associated purchase costs for these volumes totaled $23 million and $109 million for the third quarters of 2019 and 2018, respectively, and $60 million and $308 million for the first nine months of 2019 and 2018, respectively. Proceeds and costs are both recorded as “Other” under “Revenues and Other” in the Company’s statement of consolidated operations.

The following table represents revenues from customers and non-customers for the third quarters and first nine months of 2019 and 2018:



	For the Quarter Ended September 30,				For the Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2019		2018		2019		2018
	(In millions)
Revenues from customers	$	1,361	$	1,902	$	4,414	$	5,437
Revenues from non-customers	107		198		347		534

Payment from contracts with customers is typically received on a short-term basis after physical delivery of the product. Receivables from contracts with customers, net of allowance for doubtful accounts, totaled $919 million and $1.0 billion as of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively.

Apache has concluded that disaggregating revenue by geographic area and by product appropriately depicts how the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows are affected by economic factors

Leases

The lease liability reflected in the table above represents the Company’s fixed minimum payments that are settled in accordance with the lease terms. Actual lease payments during the period may also include variable lease components such as common area maintenance, usage-based sales taxes and rate differentials, or other similar costs that are not determinable at the inception of the lease.

Leases

On January 1, 2019, Apache adopted ASU 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842),” which requires lessees to recognize separate right-of-use (ROU) assets and lease liabilities for most leases classified as operating leases under previous GAAP. Prior to adoption, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued transition guidance permitting an entity the option to not evaluate under ASU 2016-02 those existing or expired land easements that were not previously accounted for as leases, as well as an option to apply the provisions of the new standard at its adoption date instead of the earliest comparative period presented in the financial statements. Apache elected both transitional practical expedients. Under these transition options, comparative reporting was not required, and the provisions of the standard were applied prospectively to leases in effect at the date of adoption.

As allowed under the standard, the Company also applied practical expedients to carry forward its historical assessments of whether existing agreements contain a lease, classification of existing lease agreements, and treatment of initial direct lease costs. Apache also elected to exclude short-term leases (those with terms of 12 months or less) from the balance sheet presentation and accounts for non-lease and lease components as a single lease component for all asset classes. Short-term lease expense was not material for the third quarter and first nine months of 2019.

The Company determines if an arrangement is an operating or finance lease at the inception of each contract. If the contract is classified as an operating lease, Apache records an ROU asset and corresponding liability reflecting the total remaining present value of fixed lease payments over the expected term of the lease agreement. The expected term of the lease may include options to extend or terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain that the Company will exercise that option. If the Company’s lease does not provide an implicit rate in the contract, the Company uses its incremental borrowing rate when calculating the present value. In the normal course of business, Apache enters into various lease agreements for real estate, drilling rigs, vessels, aircraft, and equipment related to its exploration and development activities, which are typically classified as operating leases under the provisions of the standard. ROU assets are reflected within “Deferred charges and other” within “Other” assets on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet, and the associated operating lease liabilities are reflected within “Other current liabilities” and “Other” within “Deferred Credits and Other Noncurrent Liabilities,” as applicable.

Operating lease expense associated with ROU assets is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Lease expense is reflected on the statement of consolidated operations commensurate with the leased activities and nature of the services performed. Gross fixed operating lease expense, inclusive of amounts billable to partners and other working interest owners, was $53 million and $167 million for the third quarter and first nine months of 2019, respectively.

In addition, the Company periodically enters into finance leases that are similar to those leases classified as capital leases under previous GAAP. Finance lease assets are included in “Other” within “Property and Equipment” on the consolidated balance sheet, and the associated finance lease liabilities are reflected within “Current debt” and “Long-term debt,” as applicable. Prior periods include the reclassification of $39 million finance lease obligations from “Other” within “Deferred Credits and Other Noncurrent Liabilities” to “Long-term debt” on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet to conform with this presentation. There was no material impact to the Company’s statement of consolidated operations and statement of consolidated cash flows for its treatment of finance leases

New Pronouncements Issued But Not Yet Adopted

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, “Financial Instruments—Credit Losses.” The standard changes the impairment model for trade receivables, held-to-maturity debt securities, net investments in leases, loans, and other financial assets measured at amortized cost. The ASU requires the use of a new forward-looking “expected loss” model compared to the current “incurred loss” model, resulting in accelerated recognition of credit losses. This update is effective for the Company beginning in the first quarter of 2020, with early adoption permitted. The Company is in the process of finalizing its project plan for the implementation of the ASU and continues to evaluate and monitor standard setting activity. The Company does not believe the adoption and implementation of this ASU will have a material impact on its financial statements.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-13, “Disclosure Framework: Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement,” which changes the disclosure requirements for fair value measurements by removing, adding, and modifying certain disclosures. ASU 2018-13 is effective for financial statements issued for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019, and interim periods within those annual periods. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adoption of this ASU on its related disclosures and does not expect it to have a material impact on its financial statements.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-14, “Disclosure Framework: Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Defined Benefit Plans,” which eliminates, modifies, and adds disclosure requirements for defined benefit plans. The ASU is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years ending after December 15, 2020. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adoption of this ASU on its related disclosures and does not expect it to have a material impact on its financial statements.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-15, “Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That is a Service Contract.” This pronouncement clarifies the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs in cloud computing arrangements and aligns them with the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use software. This pronouncement is effective for fiscal years, and for interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption is permitted, including adoption in any interim period for which financial statements have not been issued. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adoption of this ASU on its consolidated financial statements and does not expect it to have a material impact.