BP » Topics » (c) Oil and natural gas reserves differences

This excerpt taken from the BP 20-F filed Mar 6, 2007.
(c) Oil and natural gas reserves differences
The group’s past practice was to use the UK accounting rules contained in the Statement of Recommended Practice ‘Accounting for Oil and Gas Exploration, Development, Production and Decommissioning Activities’ (SORP) for estimating oil and natural gas reserves for accounting and reporting purposes. These rules are different in certain respects from the corresponding SEC rules. In particular, the SEC requires the use of year-end prices, whereas under SORP the group used long-term planning prices. The consequential difference in reserves volumes resulted in different charges for depreciation, depletion and amortization (DD&A) between IFRS and US GAAP.
     At the end of 2006, the group adopted the SEC rules for estimating oil and natural gas reserves for IFRS accounting and reporting purposes and the charge for DD&A was calculated on this basis for the last three months of the year. This is a change in accounting estimate and the impact of the change is applied prospectively. Differences in charges for DD&A between IFRS and US GAAP will continue due to the difference in net book values of the underlying oil and natural gas properties.

     The adjustments to profit for the year and to BP shareholders’ equity to accord with US GAAP are summarized below.

Increase (decrease) in caption heading         $ million  







  2006   2005   2004  







Gain on sale of businesses and fixed assets (198 )    
Depreciation, depletion and amortization 201   (20 ) (48 )
Taxation (156 ) 9   18  
Profit for the year (243 ) 11   30  







       
      $ million  





  2006   2005  





Property, plant and equipment (331 ) 68  
Deferred tax liabilities (129 ) 27  
BP shareholders’ equity (202 ) 41  





US GAAP requires the unit-of-production depreciation calculation to be based on development expenditure incurred to date and proved developed reserves. Where production commences before all development wells are drilled, a portion of the development costs incurred to date is excluded from the calculation. For the group’s portfolio of fields there is no material difference between the group’s charge for unit-of-production depreciation determined on an IFRS basis and on a US GAAP basis.

 

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53 US GAAP reconciliation continued

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