Kodiak Oil & Gas Corp | 2013 | FY | 3


Oil and Gas Properties

The Company follows the full cost method of accounting for oil and gas operations whereby all costs related to the exploration and development of oil and gas properties are initially capitalized into a single cost center (“full cost pool”). Such costs include land acquisition costs, geological and geophysical expenses, carrying charges on non-producing properties, costs of drilling directly related to acquisition and exploration activities. Proceeds from property sales are generally credited to the full cost pool, with no gain or loss recognized, unless such a sale would significantly alter the relationship between capitalized costs and the proved reserves attributable to these costs. A significant alteration would typically involve a sale of 25% or more of the proved reserves related to a single full cost pool.

Depletion of capitalized costs of oil and gas properties is computed using the units-of-production method based upon estimated proved oil and gas reserves as determined by the Company’s engineers and prepared by independent petroleum engineers. For this purpose, Kodiak converts its petroleum products and reserves to a common unit of measure. For depletion and depreciation purposes, relative volumes of oil and gas production and reserves are converted at the energy equivalent rate of six thousand cubic feet of natural gas to one barrel of crude oil. Costs included in the depletion base to be amortized include (a) all proved capitalized costs, less accumulated depletion, (b) estimated future development cost to be incurred in developing proved reserves; and (c) estimated dismantlement and abandonment costs, net of estimated salvage values, that have not been included as capitalized costs because they have not yet been capitalized as asset retirement costs. The costs of unproved properties are withheld from the depletion base until it is determined whether or not proved reserves can be assigned to the properties. The properties are reviewed quarterly for impairment. When proved reserves are assigned or the property is considered to be impaired, the cost of the property or the amount of the impairment is added to costs subject to depletion calculations.

Estimated reserve quantities and future net cash flows have the most significant impact on the Company. These estimates are also used in the quarterly calculations of depletion, depreciation and impairment of the Company’s proved properties. Estimating accumulations of gas and oil is complex and is not exact because of the numerous uncertainties inherent in the process. For additional discussion on the process used to estimate oil and gas quantities please refer to Note 15 - Supplemental Oil and Gas Reserve Information (Unaudited).


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