Item 1. Financial Statements
ITEM 1. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (UNAUDITED)
3
COMSTOCK RESOURCES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
As of
March 31,
2023 December 31,
2022
(Unaudited)
(In thousands)
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents $ 33,677 $ 54,652
Accounts receivable:
Oil and gas sales and gas services
177,751 415,079
Joint interest operations
65,792 76,521
From affiliates
10,592 18,527
Derivative financial instruments 75,490 23,884
Other current assets 59,522 56,324
Total current assets
422,824 644,987
Property and equipment:
Oil and natural gas properties, successful efforts method:
Proved
6,183,336 5,843,409
Unproved
324,773 298,230
Other
30,801 26,475
Accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization
( 1,679,211 ) ( 1,545,459 )
Net property and equipment
4,859,699 4,622,655
Goodwill 335,897 335,897
Operating lease right-of-use assets 82,461 90,716
$ 5,700,881 $ 5,694,255
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
Accounts payable $ 443,501 $ 530,195
Accrued costs 145,779 183,111
Operating leases 39,031 38,411
Derivative financial instruments — 4,420
Total current liabilities
628,311 756,137
Long-term debt 2,154,424 2,152,571
Deferred income taxes 464,914 425,734
Long-term operating leases 43,504 52,385
Reserve for future abandonment costs 29,553 29,114
Total liabilities
3,320,706 3,415,941
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders' equity:
Common stock—$ 0.50 par, 400,000,000 shares authorized, 277,510,165 and 277,517,087 shares issued and outstanding at March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively
138,755 138,759
Additional paid-in capital
1,255,467 1,253,417
Accumulated earnings 985,953 886,138
Total stockholders' equity
2,380,175 2,278,314
$ 5,700,881 $ 5,694,255
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these statements.
4
COMSTOCK RESOURCES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(Unaudited)
Three Months Ended
March 31,
2023 2022
(In thousands, except per share amounts)
Revenues:
Natural gas sales
$ 378,032 $ 522,957
Oil sales
1,942 1,884
Total natural gas and oil sales
379,974 524,841
Gas services 109,604 —
Total revenues 489,578 524,841
Operating expenses:
Production and ad valorem taxes
14,906 13,820
Gathering and transportation
45,574 32,093
Lease operating
34,830 26,186
Exploration
1,775 1,021
Depreciation, depletion and amortization
133,983 106,728
Gas services 101,295 —
General and administrative
12,368 8,223
Gain on sale of assets ( 773 ) ( 2 )
Total operating expenses
343,958 188,069
Operating income 145,620 336,772
Other income (expenses):
Gain (loss) from derivative financial instruments 66,409 ( 437,493 )
Other income 460 4,166
Interest expense
( 38,270 ) ( 46,491 )
Total other income (expenses) 28,599 ( 479,818 )
Income (loss) before income taxes 174,219 ( 143,046 )
(Provision for) benefit from income taxes ( 39,716 ) 31,622
Net income (loss) 134,503 ( 111,424 )
Preferred stock dividends — ( 4,315 )
Net income (loss) available to common stockholders $ 134,503 $ ( 115,739 )
Net income (loss) per share:
Basic
$ 0.49 $ ( 0.50 )
Diluted
$ 0.49 $ ( 0.50 )
Weighted average shares outstanding:
Basic
276,551 231,976
Diluted
276,551 231,976
Dividends per share $ 0.125 $ —
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these statements.
5
COMSTOCK RESOURCES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
(Unaudited)
Common
Shares
Common
Stock-
Par Value Additional
Paid-in
Capital Accumulated
Earnings (Deficit) Total
(In thousands)
Balance at January 1, 2022 232,925 $ 116,462 $ 1,100,359 $ ( 204,042 ) $ 1,012,779
Stock-based compensation
( 5 ) ( 2 ) 1,479 — 1,477
Net loss — — — ( 111,424 ) ( 111,424 )
Payment of preferred stock dividends — — — ( 4,315 ) ( 4,315 )
Balance at March 31, 2022 232,920 $ 116,460 $ 1,101,838 $ ( 319,781 ) $ 898,517
Balance at January 1, 2023 277,517 $ 138,759 $ 1,253,417 $ 886,138 $ 2,278,314
Stock-based compensation
( 7 ) ( 4 ) 2,050 — 2,046
Net income — — — 134,503 134,503
Payment of common stock dividends
— — — ( 34,688 ) ( 34,688 )
Balance at March 31, 2023 277,510 $ 138,755 $ 1,255,467 $ 985,953 $ 2,380,175
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these statements.
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COMSTOCK RESOURCES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Unaudited)
Three Months Ended March 31,
2023 2022
(In thousands)
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income (loss) $ 134,503 $ ( 111,424 )
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities:
Deferred income taxes
39,180 ( 24,788 )
Gain on sale of assets ( 773 ) ( 2 )
Depreciation, depletion and amortization
133,983 106,728
(Gain) loss on derivative financial instruments ( 66,409 ) 437,493
Cash settlements of derivative financial instruments
10,383 ( 117,186 )
Amortization of debt discount and issuance costs
1,997 4,225
Stock-based compensation
2,046 1,495
Decrease in accounts receivable 255,992 28,125
(Increase) decrease in other current assets ( 1,514 ) 2,985
Decrease in accounts payable and accrued expenses ( 123,024 ) ( 42,033 )
Net cash provided by operating activities 386,364 285,618
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Capital expenditures and acquisitions
( 370,953 ) ( 213,277 )
Prepaid drilling costs
( 1,684 ) ( 1,579 )
Proceeds from sales of assets
130 45
Net cash used for investing activities ( 372,507 ) ( 214,811 )
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Borrowings on bank credit facility
— 95,000
Repayments of bank credit facility
— ( 180,000 )
Preferred stock dividends paid
— ( 4,315 )
Common stock dividends paid ( 34,688 ) —
Debt and stock issuance costs
( 144 ) —
Income tax withholdings on equity awards
— ( 18 )
Net cash used for financing activities ( 34,832 ) ( 89,333 )
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents ( 20,975 ) ( 18,526 )
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period
54,652 30,663
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period
$ 33,677 $ 12,137
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these statements.
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COMSTOCK RESOURCES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
March 31, 2023
(Unaudited)
(1) SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES –
Basis of Presentation
These unaudited consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Comstock Resources, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries (collectively, "Comstock" or the "Company"). In management's opinion, the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements contain all adjustments necessary to present fairly the financial position of Comstock as of March 31, 2023, and the related results of operations and cash flows for the periods being presented. Net income and comprehensive income are the same in all periods presented. All adjustments are of a normal recurring nature unless otherwise disclosed.
The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Certain information and disclosures normally included in annual financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States have been omitted pursuant to those rules and regulations, although Comstock believes that the disclosures made are adequate to make the information presented not misleading. These unaudited consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes thereto included in Comstock's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022. The results of operations for the period through March 31, 2023 are not necessarily an indication of the results expected for the full year.
Other Current Assets
Other current assets at March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022 consisted of the following:
As of
March 31,
2023 December 31, 2022
(In thousands)
Pipe and well equipment inventory $ 40,170 $ 34,819
Production tax refunds receivable 15,236 11,156
Prepaid expenses 2,543 2,455
Prepaid drilling costs 598 4,265
Accrued proceeds from sale of oil and gas properties 975 3,118
Other — 511
$ 59,522 $ 56,324
Property and Equipment
The Company follows the successful efforts method of accounting for its oil and natural gas properties. Costs incurred to acquire oil and gas leases and to drill and complete developmental wells are capitalized.
8
Exploratory well costs are initially capitalized as proved property in the consolidated balance sheets but charged to exploration expense if and when the well is determined not to have found commercial proved oil and gas reserves. The changes in capitalized exploratory well costs are as follows:
Three Months Ended
March 31, Three Months Ended
March 31,
2023 2022
(In thousands)
Beginning capitalized exploratory well costs $ 867 $ 6,966
Additions to exploratory well costs pending the determination of proved reserves 29,690 11,557
Ending capitalized exploratory well costs $ 30,557 $ 18,523
As of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the Company had no exploratory wells for which costs have been capitalized for a period greater than one year.
The Company assesses the need for an impairment of the capitalized costs for its proved oil and gas properties on a property basis. No impairments were recognized to adjust the carrying value of the Company's proved oil and gas properties during any of the periods presented. Unproved oil and gas properties are also periodically assessed and any impairment in value is charged to expense. The costs related to unproved properties are transferred to proved oil and gas properties and amortized on an equivalent unit-of-production basis when they are reflected in proved oil and natural gas reserves.
The Company determines the fair values of its oil and gas properties using a discounted cash flow model and proved and risk-adjusted probable oil and natural gas reserves. Undrilled acreage can also be valued based on sales transactions in comparable areas. Significant Level 3 assumptions associated with the calculation of discounted future cash flows included in the cash flow model include management's outlook for oil and natural gas prices, production costs, capital expenditures, and future production as well as estimated proved oil and gas reserves and risk-adjusted probable oil and natural gas reserves. Management's oil and natural gas price outlook is developed based on third-party longer-term price forecasts as of each measurement date. The expected future net cash flows are discounted using an appropriate discount rate in determining a property's fair value.
It is reasonably possible that the Company's estimates of undiscounted future net cash flows attributable to its oil and gas properties may change in the future. The primary factors that may affect estimates of future cash flows include future adjustments, both positive and negative, to proved and appropriate risk-adjusted probable oil and gas reserves, results of future drilling activities, future prices for oil and natural gas, and increases or decreases in production and capital costs. As a result of these changes, there may be future impairments in the carrying values of these or other properties.
Goodwill
The Company had goodwill of $ 335.9 million as of March 31, 2023 that was recorded in 2018. The Company is not required to amortize goodwill as a charge to earnings; however, the Company is required to conduct an annual review of goodwill for impairment. The Company performs an annual assessment of goodwill on October 1 of each year and performs interim assessments if indicators of impairment are present. If the carrying value of goodwill exceeds the fair value, an impairment charge would be recorded for the difference between fair value and carrying value.
Leases
The Company has right-of-use lease assets of $ 82.5 million related to its corporate office, certain office equipment, vehicles and a hydraulic fracturing fleet used to complete natural gas wells with corresponding short-term and long-term liabilities. The value of the lease assets and liabilities are determined based upon discounted future minimum cash flows contained within each of the respective contracts. The Company determines if contracts contain a lease at inception of the contract. To the extent that contract terms representing a lease are identified, leases are identified as being either an operating lease or a finance-type lease. Comstock currently has no finance-type leases. Right-of-use lease assets representing the Company's right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and the related lease liabilities represent our obligation to make lease payments under the terms of the contracts. Short-term leases that have an initial term of one year or less are not capitalized; however, amounts paid for those leases are included as part of its lease cost disclosures. Short-term lease costs exclude expenses related to leases with a lease term of one month or less. Leases for the right to explore for and develop oil and natural gas reserves and the related rights to use the land associated with those leases are reflected as oil and gas properties.
9
Comstock contracts for a variety of equipment used in its oil and natural gas exploration and development activities. Contract terms for this equipment vary broadly, including the contract duration, pricing, scope of services included along with the equipment, cancellation terms, and rights of substitution, among others. The Company's drilling and completion operations routinely change due to changes in commodity prices, demand for oil and natural gas, and the overall operating and economic environment. Accordingly, Comstock manages the terms of its contracts for drilling rigs and completion equipment so as to allow for maximum flexibility in responding to these changing conditions. The Company is currently utilizing a natural gas powered hydraulic fracturing fleet, which has been leased with a three year term. The Company's other hydraulic fracturing fleet contracts are on terms less than one year and include rights of substitution. The Company's drilling rig contracts are presently either for periods of less than one year, or they are on terms that provide for cancellation with 45 days advance notice without a specified expiration date. The Company has elected not to recognize right-of-use lease assets for contracts less than one year. The costs associated with drilling and completion operations are accounted for under the successful efforts method, which generally require that these costs be capitalized as part of our proved oil and natural gas properties on our balance sheet unless they are incurred on exploration wells that are unsuccessful, in which case they are charged to exploration expense.
Lease costs recognized during the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022 were as follows:
Three Months Ended March 31,
2023 2022
(In thousands)
Operating lease cost included in general and administrative expense $ 445 $ 435
Operating lease cost included in lease operating expense 508 270
Operating lease cost included in oil and natural gas properties 9,450 —
Variable lease cost (completion costs included in oil and natural gas properties) 1,761 —
Short-term lease cost (drilling rig costs included in oil and natural gas properties) 29,392 11,035
$ 41,556 $ 11,740
Cash payments for operating leases associated with right-of-use assets included in cash provided by operating activities were $ 1.0 million and $ 0.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Cash payments for operating leases associated with right-of-use assets included in cash used for investing activities were $ 40.6 million and $ 11.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
As of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the operating leases had a weighted-average term of 2.0 years and 2.2 years, respectively, and the weighted-average discount rate used to determine the present value of future operating lease payments was 3.6 % and 3.5 %, respectively. As of March 31, 2023, the Company also had expected future payments for contracted drilling services of $ 148.7 million.
As of March 31, 2023, expected future payments related to contracts that contain operating leases were as follows:
(In thousands)
April 1 to December 31, 2023 $ 30,753
2024 41,238
2025 13,650
2026 158
2027 17
Total lease payments
85,816
Imputed interest ( 3,281 )
Total lease liability $ 82,535
10
Accrued Costs
Accrued costs at March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022 consisted of the following:
As of
March 31,
2023 December 31, 2022
(In thousands)
Accrued drilling costs $ 53,429 $ 54,438
Accrued income and other taxes 36,776 31,256
Accrued transportation costs 28,135 28,357
Accrued interest payable 19,697 54,867
Accrued employee compensation 5,023 11,308
Accrued lease operating expenses 2,324 2,412
Other 395 473
$ 145,779 $ 183,111
Reserve for Future Abandonment Costs
Comstock's asset retirement obligations relate to future plugging and abandonment expenses on its oil and gas properties and disposal of other facilities. The following table summarizes the changes in Comstock's total estimated liability for such obligations during the periods presented:
Three Months Ended
March 31,
2023 2022
(In thousands)
Reserve for future abandonment costs at beginning of period $ 29,114 $ 25,673
New wells placed on production
30 381
Accretion expense
409 362
Reserve for future abandonment costs at end of period $ 29,553 $ 26,416
Derivative Financial Instruments and Hedging Activities
All of the Company's derivative financial instruments are used for risk management purposes and, by policy, none are held for trading or speculative purposes. Comstock minimizes credit risk to counterparties of its derivative financial instruments through formal credit policies, monitoring procedures, and diversification. The Company is not required to provide any credit support to its counterparties other than cross collateralization with the assets securing its bank credit facility. None of the Company's derivative financial instruments involve payment or receipt of premiums. The Company classifies the fair value amounts of derivative financial instruments as net current or noncurrent assets or liabilities, whichever the case may be, by commodity contract. None of the Company's derivative contracts were designated as cash flow hedges. All of Comstock's natural gas derivative financial instruments are tied to the Henry Hub-NYMEX price index.
The Company had the following oil and natural gas price derivative financial instruments at March 31, 2023:
Future Production Period
Nine Months Ending December 31, 2023
Natural Gas Collar Contracts:
Volume (MMBtu) 107,425,000
Average Price per MMBtu:
Average Ceiling $ 10.22
Average Floor $ 3.00
11
The classification of derivative financial instruments of assets or liabilities, consists of the following:
As of
Type Consolidated Balance Sheet Location March 31,
2023 December 31, 2022
(In thousands)
Asset Derivative Financial Instruments:
Natural gas price derivatives Derivative Financial Instruments – current $ 75,490 $ 23,884
$ 75,490 $ 23,884
Liability Derivative Financial Instruments:
Natural gas price derivatives Derivative Financial Instruments – current $ — $ 4,420
$ — $ 4,420
The Company recognized cash settlements and changes in the fair value of its derivative financial instruments as a single component of other income (expenses). Gains and losses related to cash settlements and changes in the fair value recognized on the Company's derivative contracts recognized in the consolidated statement of operations were as follows:
Gain (Loss) on Derivatives
Recognized in Earnings Three Months Ended
March 31,
2023 2022
(In thousands)
Natural gas price derivatives $ 66,409 $ ( 437,493 )
$ 66,409 $ ( 437,493 )
Stock-Based Compensation
Comstock accounts for employee stock-based compensation under the fair value method. Compensation cost is measured at the grant date based on the fair value of the award and is recognized over the award vesting period and included in general and administrative expenses for awards of restricted stock and performance stock units ("PSUs") to the Company's employees and directors. The Company recognized $ 2.0 million and $ 1.5 million of stock-based compensation expense within general and administrative expenses related to awards of restricted stock and PSUs to its employees and directors during the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
As of March 31, 2023, Comstock had 959,136 shares of unvested restricted stock outstanding at a weighted average grant date fair value of $ 13.30 per share. Total unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested restricted stock grants of $ 8.8 million as of March 31, 2023 is expected to be recognized over a period of 2.1 years.
As of March 31, 2023, Comstock had 552,126 PSUs outstanding with a weighted average grant date fair value of $ 14.76 per unit. The number of shares of common stock to be issued related to the PSUs is based on the Company's stock price performance as compared to its peers which could result in the issuance of anywhere from zero to 1,104,252 shares of common stock. Total unrecognized compensation cost related to these grants of $ 4.7 million as of March 31, 2023 is expected to be recognized over a period of 2.0 years.
Revenue Recognition
Comstock produces natural gas and oil and reports revenues separately for each of these two primary products in its statements of operations. Revenues are recognized upon the transfer of produced volumes to the Company's customers, who take control of the volumes and receive all the benefits of ownership upon delivery at designated sales points.
Gas services revenues represent sales of natural gas purchased for resale and fees received for gathering and treating services provided to unaffiliated third parties and certain natural gas wells operated by the Company. Revenues are recognized upon completion of the gathering and treating of contracted natural gas volumes and delivery of purchased natural gas volumes to the Company's customers. Profits and losses earned in the gathering and treating of natural gas produced by the Company's natural gas wells are eliminated in consolidation. Revenues and expenses associated with natural gas purchased for resale are presented on a gross basis in the Company's consolidated statements of operations as the Company acts as the principal in the transaction by assuming the risks and rewards from ownership of the natural gas volumes purchased and the responsibility to deliver the natural gas volumes to their sales point.
12
All natural gas and oil and gas services revenues are subject to contracts that have commercial substance, contain specific pricing terms, and define the enforceable rights and obligations of both parties. These contracts typically provide for cash settlement within 25 days following each production month and are cancellable upon 30 days' notice by either party for oil and vary for natural gas based upon the terms set out in the confirmations between both parties. Prices for sales of natural gas and oil are generally based upon terms that are common in the oil and gas industry, including index or spot prices, location and quality differentials, as well as market supply and demand conditions. As a result, prices for natural gas and oil routinely fluctuate based on changes in these factors. Prices for gathering and treating services are generally fixed in nature but can vary due to the quality of the gas being treated. Each unit of production (barrel of crude oil and thousand cubic feet of natural gas) represents a separate performance obligation under the Company's contracts since each unit has economic benefit on its own and each is priced separately according to the terms of the contracts.
Comstock has elected to exclude all taxes from the measurement of transaction prices, and its revenues are reported net of royalties and exclude revenue interests owned by others because the Company acts as an agent when selling crude oil and natural gas, on behalf of royalty owners and working interest owners. Revenue is recorded in the month of production based on an estimate of the Company's share of volumes produced and prices realized. Gas services revenue is recorded in the month the services are performed or purchased gas is sold based on an estimate of natural gas volumes and contract prices. The Company recognizes any differences between estimates and actual amounts received in the month when payment is received. Historically, differences between estimated revenues and actual revenue received have not been significant. The amount of natural gas or oil sold may differ from the amount to which the Company is entitled based on its revenue interests in the properties. The Company did not have any significant imbalance positions at March 31, 2023 or December 31, 2022.
The Company recognized accounts receivable of $ 177.8 million and $ 415.1 million as of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively, from purchasers for contracts where performance obligations have been satisfied and an unconditional right to consideration exists.
Credit Losses
Substantially all of the Company's accounts receivable are due from either purchasers of natural gas and oil or participants in natural gas and oil wells for which the Company serves as the operator. Generally, operators of natural gas and oil wells have the right to offset future revenues against unpaid charges related to operated wells. Natural gas and oil sales are generally unsecured. Comstock assesses the collectability of its receivables based upon their age, the credit quality of the purchaser or participant and the potential for revenue offset. The Company has not had any significant credit losses in the past and believes its accounts receivable are fully collectible. Accordingly, no allowance for doubtful accounts has been recorded for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022.
Income Taxes
Deferred income taxes are provided to reflect the future tax consequences or benefits of differences between the tax basis of assets and liabilities and their reported amounts in the financial statements using enacted tax rates.
In recording deferred income tax assets, the Company considers whether it is more likely than not that its deferred income tax assets will be realized in the future. The ultimate realization of deferred income tax assets is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income during the periods in which those deferred income tax assets would be deductible. The Company believes that after considering all the available objective evidence, historical and prospective, with greater weight given to historical evidence, management is not able to determine that it is more likely than not that all of its deferred tax assets will be realized. As a result, the Company established valuation allowances for its deferred tax assets and U.S. federal and state net operating loss carryforwards that are not expected to be utilized due to the uncertainty of generating taxable income prior to the expiration of the carryforward periods. The Company will continue to assess the valuation allowances against deferred tax assets considering all available information obtained in future periods.
13
The following is an analysis of the consolidated income tax provision (benefit):
Three Months Ended
March 31,
2023 2022
(In thousands)
Current - Federal $ — $ ( 3,961 )
Current - State 536 ( 2,460 )
Deferred - Federal 36,765 ( 13,424 )
Deferred - State 2,415 ( 11,777 )
$ 39,716 $ ( 31,622 )
The difference between the federal statutory rate of 21% and the effective tax rate is due to the following:
Three Months Ended
March 31,
2023 2022
Tax at statutory rate 21.0 % 21.0 %
Tax effect of:
Valuation allowance on deferred tax assets 0.5 ( 3.6 )
State income taxes, net of federal benefit
1.0 4.6
Nondeductible stock-based compensation
0.4 0.1
Effective tax rate 22.9 % 22.1 %
The Company's federal income tax returns for the years subsequent to December 31, 2018 remain subject to examination. The Company's income tax returns in major state income tax jurisdictions remain subject to examination for various periods subsequent to December 31, 2019. The Company is currently under examination with the state of Louisiana and believes that its significant filing positions are highly certain and that all of its other significant income tax filing positions and deductions would be sustained under audit or the final resolution would not have a material effect on the consolidated financial statements. Therefore, the Company has not established any significant reserves for uncertain tax positions.
Fair Value Measurements
The Company holds or has held certain financial assets and liabilities that are required to be measured at fair value. These include cash and cash equivalents held in bank accounts and derivative financial instruments. Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. A three-level hierarchy is followed for disclosure to show the extent and level of judgment used to estimate fair value measurements:
Level 1 — Inputs used to measure fair value are unadjusted quoted prices that are available in active markets for the identical assets or liabilities as of the reporting date.
Level 2 — Inputs used to measure fair value, other than quoted prices included in Level 1, are either directly or indirectly observable as of the reporting date through correlation with market data, including quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets and quoted prices in markets that are not active. Level 2 also includes assets and liabilities that are valued using models or other pricing methodologies that do not require significant judgment since the input assumptions used in the models, such as interest rates and volatility factors, are corroborated by readily observable data from actively quoted markets for substantially the full term of the financial instrument.
Level 3 — Inputs used to measure fair value are unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and reflect the use of significant management judgment. These values are generally determined using pricing models for which the assumptions utilize management's estimates of market participant assumptions.
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Fair Values – Reported
The following presents the carrying amounts and the fair values of the Company's financial instruments as of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022:
As of
March 31, 2023 December 31, 2022
Carrying Value Fair Value Carrying Value Fair Value
Assets: (In thousands)
Commodity-based derivatives (1)
$ 75,490 $ 75,490 $ 23,884 $ 23,884
Liabilities:
Commodity-based derivatives (1)
$ — $ — $ 4,420 $ 4,420
6.75 % senior notes due 2029 (2)
$ 1,229,639 $ 1,101,492 $ 1,229,836 $ 1,129,029
5.875 % senior notes due 2030 (2)
$ 965,000 $ 822,663 $ 965,000 $ 846,788
_____________________________
(1) The Company's commodity-based derivatives are classified as Level 2 and measured at fair value using third party pricing services and other active markets or broker quotes that are readily available in the public markets.
(2) The fair value of the Company's fixed rate debt was based on quoted prices as of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively, a Level 1 measurement.
Earnings Per Share
Unvested restricted stock containing non-forfeitable rights to dividends are included in common stock outstanding and are considered to be participating securities and included in the computation of basic and diluted earnings per share pursuant to the two-class method. At March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, 959,136 and 966,058 shares of restricted stock, respectively, are included in common stock outstanding as such shares have a non-forfeitable right to participate in any dividends that might be declared and have the right to vote on matters submitted to the Company's stockholders.
Weighted average shares of unvested restricted stock outstanding were as follows:
Three Months Ended
March 31,
2023 2022
(In thousands)
Unvested restricted stock 960 947
PSUs represent the right to receive a number of shares of the Company's common stock that may range from zero to up to two times the number of PSUs granted on the award date based on the achievement of certain performance measures during a performance period. The number of potentially dilutive shares related to PSUs is based on the number of shares, if any, which would be issuable at the end of the respective period, assuming that date was the end of the performance period. The treasury stock method is used to measure the dilutive effect of PSUs.
Weighted average unearned PSUs outstanding were as follows:
Three Months Ended
March 31,
2023 2022
(In thousands, except per unit amounts)
Weighted average PSUs 548 1,050
Weighted average grant date fair value per unit $ 14.76 $ 8.11
15
Basic and diluted income (loss) per share for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022 were determined as follows:
Three Months Ended March 31,
2023 2022
Income Shares Per Share Loss Shares Per Share
(In thousands, except per share amounts)
Net income (loss) attributable to common stock $ 134,503 $ ( 115,739 )
Income allocable to unvested restricted shares ( 345 ) —
Basic income (loss) attributable to common stock 134,158 276,551 $ 0.49 ( 115,739 ) 231,976 $ ( 0.50 )
Diluted income (loss) attributable to common stock $ 134,158 276,551 $ 0.49 $ ( 115,739 ) 231,976 $ ( 0.50 )
None of the Company's participating securities participate in losses and as such are excluded from the computation of basic earnings per share during periods of net losses.
Supplementary Information with Respect to the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
Cash payments made for interest and income taxes and other non-cash investing activities for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, were as follows:
Three Months Ended
March 31,
2023 2022
(In thousands)
Cash payments for:
Interest payments $ 71,443 $ 75,928
Income tax payments $ 184 $ —
Non-cash investing activities include:
Increase (decrease) in accrued capital expenditures $ ( 1,009 ) $ 14,499
Liabilities assumed in exchange for right-of-use lease assets $ 1,417 $ 1,089
(2) LONG-TERM DEBT
At March 31, 2023, long-term debt was comprised of the following:
(In thousands)
6.75 % Senior Notes due 2029:
Principal $ 1,223,880
Premium, net of amortization 5,759
5.875 % Senior Notes due 2030:
Principal 965,000
Bank Credit Facility:
Principal
—
Debt issuance costs, net of amortization ( 40,215 )
$ 2,154,424
As of March 31, 2023, the Company had no borrowings outstanding under the bank credit facility. Aggregate commitments under the bank credit facility are $ 1.5 billion, which matures on November 15, 2027. Borrowings under the bank credit facility are subject to a borrowing base, which is currently set at $ 2.0 billion. The borrowing base is re-determined on a semi-annual basis and upon the occurrence of certain other events. Borrowings under the bank credit facility are secured by substantially all of the assets of the Company and its subsidiaries and bear interest at the Company's option, at either SOFR plus 1.75 % to 2.75 % or an alternate base rate plus 0.75 % to 1.75 %, in each case depending on the utilization of the borrowing base. The Company also pays a commitment fee of 0.375 % to 0.5 % on the unused portion of the borrowing base. The bank credit facility places certain restrictions upon the Company's and its subsidiaries' ability to, among other things, incur additional indebtedness, pay cash dividends, repurchase common stock, make certain loans, investments and divestitures and redeem the
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senior notes. The only financial covenants are the maintenance of a leverage ratio of less than 3.5 to 1.0 and an adjusted current ratio of at least 1.0 to 1.0. The Company was in compliance with the covenants as of March 31, 2023.
(3) CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK
On November 30, 2022, all of the outstanding shares of the Series B Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock were converted into 43,750,000 shares of common stock.
(4) COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
In July 2022, the Company entered into a hydraulic fracturing services agreement for exclusive use of a natural gas powered hydraulic fracturing fleet. The term of the agreement is three years and the minimum commitment under this agreement is $ 19.2 million per year. The Company expects to take delivery of the fleet in the second quarter of 2023.
In December 2022, the Company entered into agreements for three new drilling rigs with a three year term and a minimum annual commitment of $ 12.2 million per drilling rig. Comstock expects to take delivery of two of the rigs in the second half of 2023 and the third rig in early 2024.
From time to time, the Company is involved in certain litigation that arises in the normal course of its operations. The Company records a loss contingency for these matters when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. The Company does not believe the resolution of these matters will have a material effect on the Company's financial position, results of operations or cash flows and no material amounts are accrued relative to these matters at March 31, 2023 or 2022.
(5) RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Comstock operates oil and gas properties held by partnerships owned by its majority stockholder. The Company charges the partnerships for the costs incurred to drill, complete and produce wells, as well as drilling and operating overhead fees. Comstock also provides natural gas marketing services to the partnerships, including evaluating potential markets and providing hedging services, in return for a fee equal to $ 0.02 per Mcf for natural gas marketed. The Company received $ 224 thousand and $ 194 thousand for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, for drilling, operating and marketing services provided to the partnerships. The fees received for the services are reflected as a reduction of general and administrative expenses in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.
In connection with the operation of the wells, the Company had a $ 10.6 million and $ 18.5 million receivable from the partnerships at March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively.
(6) SUBSEQUENT EVENT
On May 1, 2023, the board of directors of the Company authorized a dividend of $ 0.125 per share to be paid to common stockholders of record on June 1, 2023.
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Text extracted from the filing as submitted to EDGAR. Formatting, tables and exhibits are simplified for reading; the original document is authoritative for anything you rely on.