XNYS:LPI Laredo Petroleum Holdings Inc Quarterly Report 10-Q Filing - 3/31/2012

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-Q

For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2012

or

For the transition period from                            to

Commission File Number: 001-35380

Laredo Petroleum Holdings, Inc.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

(918) 513-4570

(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes x  No o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (Section 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).  Yes x  No o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).  Yes o  No x

Number of shares of registrant’s common stock outstanding as of May 8, 2012: 128,168,205

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CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Various statements contained in or incorporated by reference into this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). These forward-looking statements include statements, projections and estimates concerning our operations, performance, business strategy, oil and natural gas reserves, drilling program capital expenditures, liquidity and capital resources, the timing and success of specific projects, outcomes and effects of litigation, claims and disputes, derivative activities and potential financing. Forward-looking statements are generally accompanied by words such as “estimate,” “project,” “predict,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “potential,” “could,” “may,” “foresee,” “plan,” “goal,” “should,” “intend,” “pursue,” “target,” “continue,” “suggest” or other words that convey the uncertainty of future events or outcomes. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance. These statements are based on certain assumptions and analyses made by us in light of our experience and our perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments as well as other factors we believe are appropriate under the circumstances. Among the factors that significantly impact our business and could impact our business in the future are:

·                  the ongoing instability and uncertainty in the U.S. and international financial and consumer markets that is adversely affecting the liquidity available to us and our customers and is adversely affecting the demand for commodities, including crude oil and natural gas;

·                  volatility of oil and natural gas prices;

·                  the possible introduction of regulations that prohibit or restrict our ability to apply hydraulic fracturing to our oil and natural gas wells;

·                  discovery, estimation, development and replacement of oil and natural gas reserves, including our expectations that estimates of our proved reserves will increase;

·                  competition in the oil and gas industry;

·                  availability and costs of drilling and production equipment, labor, and oil and gas processing and other services;

·                  changes in domestic and global demand for oil and natural gas;

·                  the availability of sufficient pipeline and transportation facilities;

·                  uncertainties about the estimates of our oil and natural gas reserves;

·                  changes in the regulatory environment and changes in international, legal, political, administrative or economic conditions;

·                  successful results from our identified drilling locations;

·                  our ability to execute our strategies;

·                  our ability to recruit and retain the qualified personnel necessary to operate our business;

·                  our ability to comply with federal, state and local regulatory requirements;

·                  evolving industry standards and adverse changes in global economic, political and other conditions;

·                  restrictions contained in our debt agreements, including our senior secured credit facility and the indenture governing our senior unsecured notes, as well as debt that could be incurred in the future; and

·                  our ability to generate sufficient cash to service our indebtedness and to generate future profits.

These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those suggested by the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements should, therefore, be considered in light of various factors, including those set forth under “Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Part II, Item 1A. Risk Factors” in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and under “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011 and elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. In light of such risks and uncertainties, we caution you not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this Quarterly Report, or if earlier, as of the date they were made. We do not intend to, and disclaim any obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking statements unless required by securities law.

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PART I

Item 1.                                   Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)

Laredo Petroleum Holdings, Inc.

Consolidated balance sheets

(in thousands, except units and share data)

(Unaudited)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

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Laredo Petroleum Holdings, Inc.

Consolidated statements of operations

(in thousands, except for per share data)

(Unaudited)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

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Laredo Petroleum Holdings, Inc.

Consolidated statement of stockholders’ equity
(in thousands)

(Unaudited)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of this consolidated financial statement.

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Laredo Petroleum Holdings, Inc.

Consolidated statements of cash flows

(in thousands)

(Unaudited)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

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Laredo Petroleum Holdings, Inc.

Condensed notes to the consolidated financial statements

(Unaudited)

A—Organization

Laredo Petroleum Holdings, Inc. (“Laredo Holdings”) together with its subsidiaries, is an independent energy company focused on the exploration, development and acquisition of oil and natural gas properties in the Permian and Mid-Continent regions of the United States. Laredo Holdings was incorporated pursuant to the laws of the State of Delaware on August 12, 2011 for the purposes of a Corporate Reorganization (as defined below) and the initial public offering of its common stock (the “IPO”) on December 20, 2011. As a holding company, Laredo Holdings’ management operations are conducted through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Laredo Petroleum, Inc. (“Laredo”), a Delaware corporation, and Laredo’s subsidiaries, Laredo Petroleum Texas, LLC (“Laredo Texas”), a Texas limited liability company, Laredo Gas Services, LLC (“Laredo Gas”), a Delaware limited liability company, and Laredo Petroleum—Dallas, Inc. (“Laredo Dallas”), a Delaware corporation.

On July 1, 2011, Laredo Petroleum, LLC (“Laredo LLC”), a Delaware limited liability company, and Laredo completed the acquisition of Broad Oak Energy, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Broad Oak”), for a combination of equity and cash. Prior to the acquisition, Broad Oak was owned by its management and Warburg Pincus Private Equity, L.P. (“Warburg Pincus IX”). On July 19, 2011, Broad Oak’s name was changed to Laredo Petroleum—Dallas Inc.

On December 19, 2011, immediately prior to the IPO, Laredo LLC merged with and into Laredo Holdings, with Laredo Holdings being the surviving entity. Warburg Pincus IX and other affiliates of Warburg Pincus LLC were majority owners of Laredo LLC and are of Laredo Holdings. The preferred units and certain series of restricted units of Laredo LLC were exchanged into shares of common stock of Laredo Holdings based on the pre-offering equity value of such units (the “Corporate Reorganization”). The common stock has one vote per share and a par value of $0.01 per share.

In these notes, the “Company,” when used in the present tense, prospectively or for historical periods since December 19, 2011, refers to Laredo Holdings, Laredo and its subsidiaries collectively, and for historical periods prior to December 19, 2011 refers to Laredo LLC, Laredo and its subsidiaries collectively, unless the context indicates otherwise.

B—Basis of presentation and significant accounting policies

1.  Basis of presentation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements were derived from the historical accounting records of the Company and reflect the historical financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the periods described herein. The Broad Oak acquisition discussed in Note A was accounted for in a manner similar to a pooling of interests and the historical financial statements present the assets and liabilities of Laredo Holdings and its subsidiaries and Broad Oak at historical carrying values and their operations as if they were consolidated for all periods presented. All material intercompany transactions and account balances have been eliminated in the consolidation of accounts. The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). The Company operates oil and natural gas properties as one business segment, which explores, develops and produces oil and natural gas.

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have not been audited by the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, except that the consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2011 is derived from the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements. In the opinion of management, the accompanying consolidated financial statements reflect all necessary adjustments to present fairly the Company’s financial position at March 31, 2012 and the results of its operations and cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011. All such adjustments are of a normal recurring nature.

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Certain disclosures have been condensed or omitted from these unaudited consolidated financial statements. Accordingly, these consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in Laredo Holdings’ Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011 (the “2011 Annual Report”).

2.  Use of estimates in the preparation of interim consolidated financial statements

The preparation of the accompanying consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management of the Company to make estimates and assumptions about future events. These estimates and the underlying assumptions affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Although management believes these estimates are reasonable, actual results could differ from these estimates. The interim results reflected in the unaudited consolidated financial statements are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for other interim periods or for the full year.

Significant estimates include, but are not limited to, estimates of the Company’s reserves of oil and natural gas, future cash flows from oil and natural gas properties, depreciation, depletion and amortization, asset retirement obligations, stock-based compensation, deferred income taxes and fair values of commodity, interest rate derivatives and commodity deferred premiums. As fair value is a market-based measurement, it is determined based on the assumptions that market participants would use. These estimates and assumptions are based on management’s best judgment. Management evaluates its estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis using historical experience and other factors, including the current economic environment. Such estimates and assumptions are adjusted when facts and circumstances dictate. Illiquid credit markets and volatile equity and energy markets have combined to increase the uncertainty inherent in such estimates and assumptions. Management believes its estimates and assumptions to be reasonable under the circumstances. As future events and their effects cannot be determined with precision, actual results could differ from these estimates. Any changes in estimates resulting from future changes in the economic environment will be reflected in the financial statements in future periods.

3.  Accounts receivable

The Company sells oil and natural gas to various customers and participates with other parties in the drilling, completion and operation of oil and natural gas wells. Joint interest and oil and natural gas sales receivables related to these operations are generally unsecured. Accounts receivable for joint interest billings are recorded as amounts billed to customers less an allowance for doubtful accounts. Amounts are considered past due after 30 days. The Company determines joint interest operations accounts receivable allowances based on management’s assessment of the creditworthiness of the joint interest owners and as the operator in the majority of its wells the ability to realize the receivables through netting of anticipated future production revenues. The Company maintains an allowance for doubtful accounts for estimated losses inherent in its accounts receivable portfolio. In establishing the required allowance, management considers historical losses, current receivables aging, and existing industry and national economic data. The Company reviews its allowance for doubtful accounts quarterly. Past due balances over 90 days and over a specified amount are reviewed individually for collectability. Account balances are charged off against the allowance after all means of collection have been exhausted and the potential for recovery is remote.

Accounts receivable consist of the following components as of March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011:

(1)                                  Accounts receivable for joint operations are presented net of an allowance for doubtful accounts of approximately $0.1 million at each of March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011.

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4.  Derivative financial instruments

The Company uses derivative financial instruments to reduce exposure to fluctuations in the prices of oil and natural gas. By removing a significant portion of the price volatility associated with future production, the Company expects to mitigate, but not eliminate, the potential effects of variability in cash flows from operations due to fluctuations in commodity prices. These transactions are primarily in the form of collars, swaps, puts and basis swaps. In addition, the Company enters into derivative contracts in the form of interest rate derivatives to minimize the effects of fluctuations in interest rates.

Derivative instruments are recorded at fair value and are included on the consolidated balance sheets as assets or liabilities. The Company netted the fair value of derivative instruments by counterparty in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets where the right of offset exists. The Company determines the fair value of its derivative financial instruments utilizing pricing models for significantly similar instruments. Inputs to the pricing models include publicly available prices and forward price curves generated from a compilation of data gathered from third parties.

The Company’s derivatives were not designated as hedges for financial statement purposes for any of the periods presented. Accordingly, the changes in fair value are recognized in the consolidated statements of operations in the period of change. Realized and unrealized gains and losses on derivatives are included in cash flows from operating activities (see Note F).

5.  Other current assets and liabilities

Other current assets consist of the following components as of March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011:

Other current liabilities consist of the following components as of March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011:

6.  Property and equipment

The following table sets forth the Company’s property and equipment: 

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For the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011, depletion expense was $19.65 per barrel of oil equivalent (“BOE”) and $16.59 per BOE, respectively.

7.  Deferred loan costs

Loan origination fees are stated at cost, net of amortization, which are amortized over the life of the respective debt agreements on a basis that represents the effective interest method. The Company capitalized zero and $10.2 million of deferred loan costs in the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. The Company had total deferred loan costs of $22.4 million and $23.5 million, net of accumulated amortization of $5.5 million and $4.4 million, as of March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011, respectively.

During the three months ended March 31, 2011, the Company wrote off approximately $3.2 million in deferred loan costs as a result of the retirement of debt and changes in the borrowing base of the Senior Secured Credit Facility (as defined in Note C). No deferred loan costs were written off in the three months ended March 31, 2012.

Future amortization expense of deferred loan costs at March 31, 2012 is as follows:

8.  Asset retirement obligations

Asset retirement obligations associated with the retirement of tangible long-lived assets are recognized as a liability in the period in which they are incurred and become determinable. The associated asset retirement costs are part of the carrying amount of the long-lived asset. Subsequently, the asset retirement cost included in the carrying amount of the related long-lived asset is charged to expense through the depletion of the asset. Changes in the liability due to the passage of time are recognized as an increase in the carrying amount of the liability and as corresponding accretion expense. See Note G for fair value disclosures related to the Company’s asset retirement obligations.

The Company is obligated by contractual and regulatory requirements to remove certain pipeline and gas gathering assets and perform other remediation of the sites where such pipeline and gas gathering assets are located upon the retirement of those assets. However, the fair value of the asset retirement obligation cannot currently be reasonably estimated because the settlement dates are indeterminate. The Company will record an asset retirement obligation for pipeline and gas gathering assets in the periods in which settlement dates are reasonably determinable.

The following reconciles the Company’s asset retirement obligations liability as of March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011:

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9.  Fair value measurements

The carrying amounts reported in the consolidated balance sheets for cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, prepaid expenses, accounts payable, undistributed revenue and royalties, and other accrued liabilities approximate their fair values. See Note C for fair value disclosures related to the Company’s debt obligations. The Company carries its derivative financial instruments at fair value. See Note F and Note G for details regarding the fair value of the Company’s derivative financial instruments.

10.  Compensation awards

For stock-based compensation awards, compensation expense is recognized in “Stock-based compensation” in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations over the awards’ vesting periods based on their grant date fair value. The Company utilizes the closing stock price on the date of grant to determine the fair value of service vesting restricted stock awards and a Black-Scholes pricing model to determine the fair values of service vesting restricted stock option awards. See Note D for further discussion of the restricted stock awards and restricted stock option awards.

For performance unit awards issued to management with a combination of market and service vesting criteria, a third-party prepared Monte Carlo simulation is utilized in order to determine the fair value. These awards are accounted for as liability awards as they will be settled in cash. The liability is included in “Other noncurrent liabilities” in the March 31, 2012 consolidated balance sheet. Compensation expense for these awards amounted to $0.5 million in the three months ended March 31, 2012 and is recognized in “General and administrative” in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations.

11.  Impairment of long-lived assets

Impairment losses are recorded on property and equipment used in operations and other long-lived assets when indicators of impairment are present and the undiscounted cash flows estimated to be generated by those assets are less than the assets’ carrying amount. Impairment is measured based on the excess of the carrying amount over the fair value of the asset. During the three months ended March 31, 2011, the Company recorded a $0.2 million write-down of materials and supplies. Other than the aforementioned write-down, for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011, the Company did not record any additional impairment to property and equipment used in operations or other long-lived assets.

12.  Environmental

The Company is subject to extensive federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations. These laws, which are often changing, regulate the discharge of materials into the environment and may require the Company to remove or mitigate the environmental effects of the disposal or release of petroleum or chemical substances at various sites. Environmental expenditures are expensed. Expenditures that relate to an existing condition caused by past operations and that have no future economic benefits are expensed. Liabilities for expenditures of a non-capital nature are recorded when environmental assessment or remediation is probable and the costs can be reasonably estimated. Such liabilities are generally undiscounted unless the timing of cash payments is fixed and readily determinable. Management believes no materially significant liabilities of this nature existed at March 31, 2012 or December 31, 2011.

13.  Related party transactions

The following table summarizes the net oil and natural gas sales (oil and natural gas sales less production taxes) received from the Company’s related party and included in the consolidated statements of operations for the periods presented:

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The following table summarizes the amounts included in oil and natural gas sales receivable in the consolidated balance sheets for the periods presented:

(1)                                  The Company has a gas gathering and processing arrangement with affiliates of Targa Resources, Inc. (“Targa”). Warburg Pincus IX, a majority stockholder of Laredo Holdings, and other affiliates of Warburg Pincus LLC hold investment interests in Targa. One of Laredo Holdings’ directors is on the board of directors of affiliates of Targa.

C—Debt

1.  Interest expense

The following amounts have been incurred and charged to interest expense for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011:

The following table presents the weighted average interest rates and the weighted average outstanding debt balances for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011:

(1)                                  Laredo’s Second Lien Term Loan Agreement was entered into on July 7, 2010 and was paid-in-full and terminated on January 20, 2011.

(2)                                  The Broad Oak revolving credit facility was paid-in-full and terminated on July 1, 2011.

(3)                                  Interest rates presented are annual rates which have been prorated to reflect the portion of the year for which they have been applied.

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2.  2019 Notes

On January 20, 2011, Laredo completed an offering of $350 million 91/2% Senior Notes due 2019 (the “January Notes”) and on October 19, 2011, Laredo completed an offering of an additional $200 million 91/2% Senior Notes due 2019 (the “October 2011 Notes” and together with the January Notes, the “2019 Notes”). The 2019 Notes will mature on February 15, 2019 and bear an interest rate of 9.5% per annum payable semi-annually, in cash, in arrears on February 15 and August 15 of each year. The 2019 Notes are fully and unconditionally guaranteed, jointly and severally on a senior unsecured basis, by Laredo Holdings and (other than Laredo) its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Guarantors”).

In connection with the issuance of the 2019 Notes, Laredo and the Guarantors entered into registration rights agreements with the initial purchasers of the 2019 Notes, pursuant to which Laredo and the Guarantors agreed to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and use commercially reasonable efforts to cause to become effective a registration statement with respect to an offer to exchange the 2019 Notes for substantially identical notes (other than with respect to restrictions on transfer or to any increase in annual interest rate) registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The offer to exchange the 2019 Notes for substantially identical notes registered under the Securities Act was consummated on January 13, 2012.

3.  Senior secured credit facility

Laredo’s $1.0 billion revolving Third Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (as amended, the “Senior Secured Credit Facility”), which matures July 1, 2016, had a borrowing base of $712.5 million with $230.0 million outstanding and was subject to an interest rate of approximately 2.25% at March 31, 2012. The Senior Secured Credit Facility contains both financial and non-financial covenants and the Company was in compliance with these covenants at March 31, 2012.

Additionally, the Senior Secured Credit Facility provides for the issuance of letters of credit, limited to the lesser of total capacity or $20.0 million. At March 31, 2012, Laredo had one letter of credit outstanding totaling $0.03 million under the Senior Secured Credit Facility.

Subsequent to March 31, 2012, the Senior Secured Credit Facility was amended to allow for the issuance of an additional $500 million in aggregate principal amount of senior unsecured notes. The Company paid down the Senior Secured Credit Facility using the proceeds from the offering of the 2022 Notes (as defined below) and the borrowing base increased to $785.0 million pursuant to an amendment to the Senior Secured Credit Facility. See Note N for additional discussion of the 2022 Notes offering and the borrowing base increase.

4.  Fair value of debt

The Company has not elected to account for its debt instruments at fair value. The following table presents the carrying amount and fair value of the Company’s debt instruments at March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011:

(1)                                  The carrying value of the 2019 Notes includes the October 2011 Notes unamortized bond premium of approximately $1.9 million and $2.0 million as of March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011, respectively.

At March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011, the fair value of the debt outstanding on the 2019 Notes was determined using the March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011 quoted market price (Level 1), respectively, and the fair value of the outstanding debt on the Senior Secured Credit Facility was estimated utilizing pricing models for similar instruments (Level 2). See Note G for information about fair value hierarchy levels.

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D—Stock-based compensation

In November 2011, the Board of Directors of Laredo Holdings and its stockholders approved a Long-Term Incentive Plan (the “LTIP”), which provides for the granting of incentive awards in the form of stock options, restricted stock awards and other awards. The LTIP provides for the issuance of 10.0 million shares.

The Company recognizes the fair value of stock-based payments to employees and directors as a charge against earnings. The Company recognizes stock-based payment expense over the requisite service period. Laredo Holdings’ stock-based payment awards are accounted for as equity instruments. Stock-based compensation is included in “Stock-based compensation” in the consolidated statements of operations.

Restricted stock awards

All restricted shares are treated as issued and outstanding in the accompanying consolidated financial statements. See Note K for additional information regarding the treatment of restricted shares for purposes of calculating net income per share. If an employee terminates employment prior to the restriction lapse date, the awarded shares are forfeited and cancelled and are no longer considered issued and outstanding. Restricted stock awards converted in the Corporate Reorganization vested 20% at the grant date and then vest 20% annually thereafter. The restricted stock awards granted under the LTIP vest 33%, 33% and 34% per year beginning on the first anniversary date of the grant. The following table reflects the outstanding restricted stock awards for the three months ended March 31, 2012:

Restricted stock option awards

Restricted stock options granted under the LTIP vest and are exercisable in four equal installments on each of the first four anniversaries of the date of the grant. The following table reflects the stock option award activity for the three months ended March 31, 2012:

The Company used the Black-Scholes option pricing model to determine the fair value of restricted stock options and is recognizing the associated expense on a straight-line basis over the four year requisite service period of the awards. Determining the fair value of equity-based awards requires judgment, including estimating the expected term that stock options will be outstanding prior to exercise, and the associated volatility.

The assumptions used to estimate the fair value of options granted on February 3, 2012 are as follows:

(1)           U.S. Treasury yields as of the grant date were utilized for the risk-free interest rate assumption, matching the treasury yield terms to the expected life of the option.

(2)           As the Company has no historical exercise history, expected option life assumptions were developed using the simplified method in accordance with GAAP.

(3)           The Company utilized a peer historical look-back, weighted with the Company’s own volatility since the IPO, to develop the expected volatility.

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E—Income taxes

Deferred income taxes reflect the net tax effects of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes.

The Company is subject to corporate income taxes and the Texas margin tax. Income tax expense for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011 consisted of the following:

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Income tax expense differed from amounts computed by applying the federal income tax rate of 34% to pre-tax loss from operations as a result of the following:

Significant components of the Company’s deferred tax assets as of March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011 are as follows:

Net deferred tax assets and liabilities were classified in the consolidated balance sheets as follows:

The Company had federal net operating loss carry-forwards totaling approximately $526.1 million and state net operating loss carry-forwards totaling approximately $173.8 million at March 31, 2012. These carry-forwards begin expiring in 2026. The Company maintains a valuation allowance to reduce certain deferred tax assets to amounts that are more likely than not to be realized. At March 31, 2012, a $0.6 million valuation allowance has been recorded against the state of Louisiana deferred tax asset and a $0.03 million valuation allowance has been recorded against the Company’s charitable contribution carry-forward. The Company believes the federal and state of Oklahoma net operating loss carry-forwards are fully realizable. The Company considered all available evidence, both positive and negative, in determining whether, based on the weight of that evidence, a valuation allowance was needed. Such consideration included estimated future projected earnings based on existing reserves and projected future cash flows from its oil and natural gas reserves (including the timing of those cash flows), the reversal of deferred tax liabilities recorded at March 31, 2012 and the Company’s ability to capitalize intangible drilling costs, rather than expensing these costs, in order to prevent an operating loss carry-forward from expiring unused.

The Company’s income tax returns for the years 2008 through 2010 remain open and subject to examination by federal tax authorities and/or the tax authorities in Oklahoma, Texas and Louisiana which are the jurisdictions where the Company has or had operations. Additionally, the statute of limitations for examination of federal net operating loss carryovers typically does not begin to run until the year the attribute is utilized in a tax return. In evaluating its current tax positions in order to identify any material uncertain tax positions, the Company

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developed a policy in identifying uncertain tax positions that considers support for each tax position, industry standards, tax return disclosures and schedules, and the significance of each position. The Company had no material adjustments to its unrecognized tax benefits during the three months ended March 31, 2012.

F—Derivative financial instruments

1.  Commodity derivatives

The Company engages in derivative transactions such as collars, swaps, puts and basis swaps to hedge price risks due to unfavorable changes in oil and natural gas prices related to its oil and natural gas production. As of March 31, 2012, the Company had 52 open derivative contracts with financial institutions, none of which were designated as hedges, which extend from April 2012 to December 2015. The contracts are recorded at fair value on the balance sheet and any realized and unrealized gains and losses are recognized in current year earnings.

Each collar transaction has an established price floor and ceiling. When the settlement price is below the price floor established by these collars, the Company receives an amount from its counterparty equal to the difference between the settlement price and the price floor multiplied by the hedged contract volume. When the settlement price is above the price ceiling established by these collars, the Company pays its counterparty an amount equal to the difference between the settlement price and the price ceiling multiplied by the hedged contract volume.

Each swap or put transaction has an established fixed price. When the settlement price is above the fixed price, the Company pays its counterparty an amount equal to the difference between the settlement price and the fixed price multiplied by the hedged contract volume. When the settlement price is below the fixed price, the counterparty pays the Company an amount equal to the difference between the settlement price and the fixed price multiplied by the hedged contract volume.

Each basis swap transaction has an established fixed differential between the NYMEX gas futures and West Texas WAHA (“WAHA”) index gas price. When the NYMEX futures settlement price less the fixed WAHA differential is greater than the actual WAHA price, the difference multiplied by the hedged contract volume is paid to the Company by the counterparty. When the difference between the NYMEX futures settlement price less the fixed WAHA differential is less than the actual WAHA price, the Company pays the counterparty an amount equal to the difference multiplied by the hedged contract volume.

During the three months ended March 31, 2012, the Company entered into additional commodity contracts to hedge a portion of its estimated future production. The following table summarizes information about these additional commodity derivative contracts. When aggregating multiple contracts, the weighted average contract price is disclosed.

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The following table summarizes open positions as of March 31, 2012, and represents, as of such date, derivatives in place through December 31, 2015, on annual production volumes: