We from time to time market our own production where feasible with a combination of market-sensitive pricing and forwardfixed pricing. We utilize forward pricing to take advantage of anomalies in the futures market and to hedge a portion of our production deliverability at prices exceeding forecast. All of these hedging transactions provide for financial rather than physical settlement. For a discussion of these matters, our hedging policy and recent hedging positions, see “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates—Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities,” “Qualitative and Quantitative Disclosures About Market Risk—Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities,” and “Item 1A. Risk Factors—We may continue to hedge the price risks associated with our production. Our hedge transactions may result in our making cash payments or prevent us from benefiting to the fullest extent possible from increases in prices for natural gas and oil.”

Competition and Technological Changes

We encounter competition from other natural gas and oil companies in all areas of our operations, including the acquisition of exploratory prospects and proven properties. Many of our competitors are large, well-established companies that have been engaged in the natural gas and oil business for much longer than we have and possess substantially larger operating staffs and greater capital resources than we do. We may not be able to conduct our operations, evaluate and select suitable properties and consummate transactions successfully in this highly competitive environment.

The natural gas and oil industry is characterized by rapid and significant technological advancements and introductions of new products and services using new technologies. If one or more of the technologies we use now or in the future were to become obsolete or if we are unable to use the most advanced commercially available technology, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.

Regulation

Natural gas and oil operations are subject to various federal, state, local and international environmental regulations that may change from time to time, including regulations governing natural gas and oil production, federal and state regulations governing environmental quality and pollution control and state limits on allowable rates of production by well or proration unit. These regulations may affect the amount of natural gas and oil available for sale, the availability of adequate pipeline and other regulated transportation and processing facilities and the marketing of competitive fuels. For example, a productive natural gas well may be “shut-in” because of an oversupply of natural gas or lack of an available natural gas pipeline in the areas in which we may conduct operations. State and federal regulations generally are intended to prevent waste of natural gas and oil, protect rights to produce natural gas and oil between owners in a common reservoir, control the amount of natural gas and oil produced by assigning allowable rates of production and control contamination of the environment. Pipelines are subject to the jurisdiction of various federal, state and local agencies. We are also subject to changing and extensive tax laws, the effects of which cannot be predicted.

The following discussion summarizes the regulation of the United States oil and gas industry. We believe we are in substantial compliance with the various statutes, rules, regulations and governmental orders to which our operations may be subject, although we cannot assure you that this is or will remain the case. Moreover, those statutes, rules, regulations and government orders may be changed or reinterpreted from time to time in response to economic or political conditions, and any such changes or reinterpretations could materially adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. The following discussion is not intended to constitute a complete discussion of the various statutes, rules, regulations and governmental orders to which our operations may be subject.

Regulation of Natural Gas and Oil Exploration and Production