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5. PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT
At December 31, 2002 and 2003, property
and equipment consisted of the following:

Oil and natural gas properties not subject
to amortization consist of the cost of unevaluated leaseholds, seismic
costs associated with specific unevaluated properties, exploratory
wells in progress, and secondary recovery projects before the assignment
of proved reserves. These unproved costs are reviewed periodically
by management for impairment, with the impairment provision included
in the cost of oil and natural gas properties subject to amortization.
Factors considered by management in its impairment assessment include
drilling results by the Company and other operators, the terms of
oil and natural gas leases not held by production, production response
to secondary recovery activities and available funds for exploration
and development. Of the $32.9 million of unproved property costs
at December 31, 2003 being excluded from the amortizable base, $5.3
million, $5.4 million and $7.2 million were incurred in 2001, 2002
and 2003, respectively, and $15.0 million was incurred in prior
years. These costs are primarily seismic and lease acquisition costs.
The Company expects it will complete its evaluation of the properties
representing the majority of these costs within the next two to
five years.
6. INCOME TAXES
All of the Company's income is derived
from domestic activities. Actual income tax expense differs from
income tax expense computed by applying the U.S. federal statutory
corporate rate of 35% to pretax income as follows:

Deferred income tax provisions result
from temporary differences in the recognition of income and expenses
for financial reporting purposes and for tax purposes. At December
31, 2002 and 2003, the tax effects of these temporary differences
resulted principally from the following:
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