BASIS OF PRESENTATION	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2014
BASIS OF PRESENTATION
BASIS OF PRESENTATION	NOTE A BASIS OF PRESENTATION The accompanying financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America for interim financial information and the instructions to Form 10-Q. Accordingly, they do not include all of the financial information and footnotes required by generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements. References to “we,” “us,” “our,” “its,” or the “Company” refer to TGC Industries, Inc. and our subsidiaries. CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES A discussion of our critical accounting policies can be found in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013. There have been no material changes to these policies (including critical accounting estimates and assumptions or judgments affecting the application of those estimates and assumptions) during the quarter ended March 31, 2014. Certain policies have been paraphrased herein for convenience. REVENUE RECOGNITION Seismic Surveys The Company provides seismic data acquisition survey services to its customers under general service agreements which define certain obligations for the Company and for its customers. The Company typically enters into a supplemental agreement setting forth the terms of each project, which may be cancelled by either party upon 30 days’ advance written notice. These supplemental agreements are either “turnkey” agreements providing for a fixed fee to be paid for each unit of seismic data acquired or “term” agreements providing for a fixed hourly, daily, or monthly fee during the term of the project. Under both types of agreements, the Company recognizes revenues when services have been performed and revenue is realizable. Services are defined as the commencement of data acquisition. Revenues are deemed realizable when earned according to the terms of the contracts. Under turnkey agreements, the total number of units of seismic data to be gathered is set forth in the agreement. Revenue under turnkey agreements is recognized on a per unit of seismic data acquired rate as services are performed. Revenue under term agreements is recognized on a per unit of time worked rate as services are performed based on the time worked rate provided in the term agreement. In the event of a cancelled contract, revenue is recognized and the client is billed for services performed to the date of contract cancellation. When it becomes evident that the estimates of total costs to be incurred on a contract will exceed the total estimates of revenue to be earned, an estimated loss is recognized in the period in which the loss is identifiable. The asset “Cost and estimated earnings in excess of billings on uncompleted contracts” represents cost incurred on turnkey agreements in excess of billings on those agreements. The liability “Billings in excess of costs and estimated earnings on uncompleted contracts” represents billings on turnkey agreements in excess of cost on those agreements. ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME Comprehensive income is a measure of income which includes both net income and other comprehensive income or loss. Other comprehensive income or loss results from items deferred from recognition in the statement of earnings, which consists solely of foreign currency translation adjustments. Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) is presented on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet as a part of shareholders’ equity. In addition, the Company reports comprehensive income and its components in a separate statement of comprehensive income. Foreign currency translation income or loss represents changes in foreign currency rates used to translate the assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses of the Company’s international subsidiary from the local currency. These changes in foreign currency rates may never be realized or may only be partially realized upon the ultimate disposition, if any, of the international subsidiary. The Company’s foreign investment is considered permanent in nature as the Company has no plans to divest it. RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS In July 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Accounting Standard Update No. 2013-11, Income Taxes (Topic 740) - Presentation of an Unrecognized Tax Benefit When a Net Operating Loss Carryforward, a Similar Tax Loss, or a Tax Credit Carryforward Exists (“ASU 2013-11”). ASU 2013-11 clarifies the balance sheet presentation of an unrecognized tax benefit and was issued to resolve the diversity in practice that had developed in the absence any specific U.S. GAAP. ASU 2013-11 is applicable to all entities that have an unrecognized tax benefit due to a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, of a tax credit carryforward. ASU 2013-11 is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2013, and does not create any new disclosure requirements. The Company adopted ASU 2013-11 on January 1, 2014, and it did not have a significant effect on its consolidated financial statements.

NOTE A

BASIS OF PRESENTATION

The accompanying financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America for interim financial information and the instructions to Form 10-Q. Accordingly, they do not include all of the financial information and footnotes required by generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements. References to “we,” “us,” “our,” “its,” or the “Company” refer to TGC Industries, Inc. and our subsidiaries.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES

A discussion of our critical accounting policies can be found in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013. There have been no material changes to these policies (including critical accounting estimates and assumptions or judgments affecting the application of those estimates and assumptions) during the quarter ended March 31, 2014. Certain policies have been paraphrased herein for convenience.

REVENUE RECOGNITION

Seismic Surveys

The Company provides seismic data acquisition survey services to its customers under general service agreements which define certain obligations for the Company and for its customers. The Company typically enters into a supplemental agreement setting forth the terms of each project, which may be cancelled by either party upon 30 days’ advance written notice. These supplemental agreements are either “turnkey” agreements providing for a fixed fee to be paid for each unit of seismic data acquired or “term” agreements providing for a fixed hourly, daily, or monthly fee during the term of the project. Under both types of agreements, the Company recognizes revenues when services have been performed and revenue is realizable. Services are defined as the commencement of data acquisition. Revenues are deemed realizable when earned according to the terms of the contracts. Under turnkey agreements, the total number of units of seismic data to be gathered is set forth in the agreement. Revenue under turnkey agreements is recognized on a per unit of seismic data acquired rate as services are performed. Revenue under term agreements is recognized on a per unit of time worked rate as services are performed based on the time worked rate provided in the term agreement. In the event of a cancelled contract, revenue is recognized and the client is billed for services performed to the date of contract cancellation. When it becomes evident that the estimates of total costs to be incurred on a contract will exceed the total estimates of revenue to be earned, an estimated loss is recognized in the period in which the loss is identifiable. The asset “Cost and estimated earnings in excess of billings on uncompleted contracts” represents cost incurred on turnkey agreements in excess of billings on those agreements. The liability “Billings in excess of costs and estimated earnings on uncompleted contracts” represents billings on turnkey agreements in excess of cost on those agreements.

ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

Comprehensive income is a measure of income which includes both net income and other comprehensive income or loss. Other comprehensive income or loss results from items deferred from recognition in the statement of earnings, which consists solely of foreign currency translation adjustments. Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) is presented on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet as a part of shareholders’ equity. In addition, the Company reports comprehensive income and its components in a separate statement of comprehensive income.

Foreign currency translation income or loss represents changes in foreign currency rates used to translate the assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses of the Company’s international subsidiary from the local currency. These changes in foreign currency rates may never be realized or may only be partially realized upon the ultimate disposition, if any, of the international subsidiary. The Company’s foreign investment is considered permanent in nature as the Company has no plans to divest it.

RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

In July 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Accounting Standard Update No. 2013-11, Income Taxes (Topic 740) - Presentation of an Unrecognized Tax Benefit When a Net Operating Loss Carryforward, a Similar Tax Loss, or a Tax Credit Carryforward Exists (“ASU 2013-11”). ASU 2013-11 clarifies the balance sheet presentation of an unrecognized tax benefit and was issued to resolve the diversity in practice that had developed in the absence any specific U.S. GAAP. ASU 2013-11 is applicable to all entities that have an unrecognized tax benefit due to a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, of a tax credit carryforward. ASU 2013-11 is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2013, and does not create any new disclosure requirements. The Company adopted ASU 2013-11 on January 1, 2014, and it did not have a significant effect on its consolidated financial statements.