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SUPPLEMENTAL CASH FLOW INFORMATION
The statement of cash flows for the year
ended December 31, 2002 does not reflect the following non-cash
transactions: the $2.5 million of seismic data acquisitions, the
acquisition $0.5 million in oil and natural gas properties through
the issuance of common stock, and the $0.6 million reduction of
oil and natural gas properties for the amount of insurance recoveries
expected to be received related to difficulties encountered in the
drilling of a well.
FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS
The Company's recorded financial instruments
consist of cash, receivables, payables and long-term debt. The carrying
amount of cash, receivables and payables approximates fair value
because of the short-term nature of these items. The carrying amount
of bank debt approximates fair value as this borrowing bears interest
at floating market interest rates. The fair value of the Subordinated
Notes payable and the RMG note at December 31, 2002 was $32.6 million
and $5.6 million, respectively. Fair values for the Subordinated
Notes payable and the RMG note were determined based upon interest
rates available to the Company at December 31, 2002 with similar
terms.
STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION
The Company accounts for employee stock-based
compensation using the intrinsic value method prescribed by Accounting
Principles Board (APB) Opinion No. 25, "Accounting for Stock Issued
to Employees" and related interpretations. Under this method, the
Company records no compensation expense for stock options granted
when the exercise price of those options is equal to or greater
than the market price of the Company's common stock on the date
of grant. Repriced options are accounted for as compensatory options
using variable accounting treatment. Under variable plan accounting,
compensation expense is adjusted for increases or decreases in the
fair market value of the Company's common stock. Variable plan accounting
is applied to the repriced options until the options are exercised,
forfeited, or expire unexercised.
DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS AND HEDGING ACTIVITIES
In June 1998, the Financial Accounting Standards
Board ("FASB") issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standards
("SFAS") No. 133 "Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging
Activities". This statement, as amended by SFAS No. 137 and SFAS
No. 138, establishes standards of accounting for and disclosures
of derivative instruments and hedging activities. This statement
requires all derivative instruments to be carried on the balance
sheet at fair value with changes in a derivative instrument's fair
value recognized currently in earnings unless specific hedge accounting
criteria are met. SFAS No. 133 was effective for the Company beginning
January 1, 2001 and was adopted by the Company on that date. In
accordance with the current transition provisions of SFAS No. 133,
the Company recorded a cumulative effect transition adjustment of
$2.0 million (net of related tax expense of $1.1 million) in accumulated
other comprehensive income to recognize the fair value of its derivatives
designated as cash flow hedging instruments at the date of adoption.
Upon entering into a derivative contract,
the Company designates the derivative instruments as a hedge of
the variability of cash flow to be received (cash flow hedge). Changes
in the fair value of a cash flow hedge are recorded in other comprehensive
income to the extent that the derivative is effective in offsetting
changes in the fair value of the hedged item. Any ineffectiveness
in the relationship between the cash flow hedge and the hedged item
is recognized currently in income. Gains and losses accumulated
in other comprehensive income associated with the cash flow hedge
are recognized in earnings as oil and natural gas revenues when
the forecasted transaction occurs. All of the Company's derivative
instruments at January 1, 2001, December 31, 2001 and December 31,
2002 were designated and effective as cash flow hedges except for
its positions with an affiliate of Enron Corp. discussed in Note
12.
When hedge accounting is discontinued because
it is probable that a forecasted transaction will not occur, the
derivative will continue to be carried on the balance sheet at its
fair value and gains and losses that were accumulated in other comprehensive
income will be recognized in earnings immediately. In all other
situations in which hedge accounting is discontinued, the derivative
will be carried at fair value on the balance sheet with future changes
in its fair value recognized in future earnings.
The Company typically uses fixed rate swaps
and costless collars to hedge its exposure to material changes in
the price of natural gas and oil. The Company formally documents
all relationships between hedging instruments and hedged items,
as well as its risk management objectives and strategy for undertaking
various hedge transactions. This process includes linking all derivatives
that are designated cash flow hedges to forecasted transactions.
The Company also formally assesses, both at the hedge's inception
and on an ongoing basis, whether the derivatives that are used in
hedging transactions are highly effective in offsetting changes
in cash flows of hedged transactions.
F-11
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