Commitments and Contingencies

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2011

Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies

11. Commitments and Contingencies

Uinta Crude Oil Sales Contract

        The Company is a party to a crude oil sales contract through June 30, 2013 with a refiner for the purchase of a minimum of 5,000 Bbl/D of its Uinta light crude oil. Pricing under the contract, which includes transportation and gravity adjustments, is at a fixed percentage of WTI. Gross oil production from the Company's Uinta properties averaged approximately 3,500 Bbl/D in the first six months of 2011. Due to the possibility of refinery constraints in the Utah region, it is possible that the loss of the Company's crude oil sales customer in Utah could impact the marketability of a portion of the Company's Utah crude oil volumes. See Item 1A. Risk Factors of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010 filed with the SEC on March 1, 2011.

E. Texas Gathering System

        In July 2009, the Company closed on the financing of its E. Texas gas gathering system for $18.4 million in cash. The Company entered into concurrent long-term gas gathering agreements for the E. Texas production, which contained an embedded lease. The transaction was treated as a financing obligation. Accordingly, the $16.7 million net book value of the property is being depreciated over the remaining useful life of the asset and the cash received of $18.4 million was recorded as a financing obligation. A portion of the payments under the agreements are recorded as gathering expense and a portion as interest expense, with the balance being recorded as a reduction to the financing obligation. There are no minimum payments required under these agreements. For the three months ended June 30, 2011 and 2010, the Company incurred $1.4 million and $1.5 million, respectively, under the agreements. For the six months ended June 30, 2011 and 2010, the Company incurred $3.1 million and $2.6 million, respectively, under the agreements.

Carry and Earning Agreement

        On January 14, 2011, the Company entered into an amendment relating to certain contractual obligations to a third party co-owner of certain Piceance assets in Colorado. The amendment waives the $0.2 million penalty for each well not spud by February 2011. The Company is obligated to pay the first $4.5 million of costs incurred by such third party in connection with the construction, on behalf of both the Company and such third party, of either an extension of an existing access road or a new access road. If by December 31, 2012 (which date may, under certain circumstances, be extended until December 31, 2014), the Company has not expended $9.0 million ($4.5 million of which would otherwise be such third party's responsibility) in road construction costs, then it will be obligated to pay the third party 50% of the difference between $12.0 million and the actual amount expended on road construction as of such date. In addition, the amendment extends the date by which the Company must complete its drilling obligations on the North Parachute property to January 31, 2020.

Legal Matters

        COGCC Order—On April 21, 2011, the Company received a proposed Order Finding Violation from the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission ("COGCC") alleging that certain releases in late 2007 from a lined reserve pit located on a well pad in western Colorado violated COGCC regulations. Shortly thereafter, the Company entered into negotiations with the COGCC. While the Company denies that it violated any COGCC regulations in connection with the releases, on June 27, 2011, the COGCC approved and the Company later signed an Administrative Order on Consent under which the Company will pay $100,000, and fund a mutually acceptable public project in the amount of $73,000, in full satisfaction of the matter. The Company recorded these amounts in the second quarter of 2011.

        BLM Settlement—On March 28, 2011, the Company entered into a settlement agreement with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) resolving all claims by the BLM that the Company did not comply with BLM regulations relating to the operation and position of certain valves, and the submission of related site facility diagrams, in its Uinta operations. The settlement agreement confirmed that the Company promptly remediated the alleged noncompliance upon learning of it, and cooperated with the BLM's investigation, and that there is no evidence of any senior Company management knowledge of the alleged noncompliance, or of any environmental harm or loss of oil or royalty revenue resulting from such alleged noncompliance. The Company paid a $2.1 million civil penalty to the BLM under the settlement agreement in April 2011.

        Royalty Payments—Certain of the Company's royalty payment calculations are being disputed. The Company believes that its royalty calculations are in accordance with applicable leases and other agreements. However, the disputed amounts that the Company may be required to pay are up to approximately $7 million.

        Other—The Company is involved in various other lawsuits, claims and inquiries, most of which are routine to the nature of its business. In the opinion of management, the resolution of these matters will not have a material effect on its financial position, results of operations or operating cash flows.

Environmental Matters

        The Company has no material accrued environmental liabilities for its sites, including sites in which governmental agencies have designated the Company as a potentially responsible party, because it is not probable that a loss will be incurred and the minimum cost and/or amount of loss cannot be reasonably estimated. However, due to of the uncertainties associated with environmental assessment and remediation activities, future expense to remediate the currently identified sites, and sites identified in the future, if any, could be incurred. Management believes, based upon current site assessments, that the ultimate resolution of any matters will not result in material costs incurred.