MRO » Topics » Open Commodity Derivative Positions as of December 31, 2008 and Sensitivity Analysis

These excerpts taken from the MRO 10-K filed Feb 27, 2009.

Open Commodity Derivative Positions as of December 31, 2008 and Sensitivity Analysis

At December 31, 2008, our E&P segment held open derivative contracts to mitigate the price risk on natural gas held in storage or purchased to be marketed with our own natural gas production in amounts that were in line with normal levels of activity. At December 31, 2008, we had no significant open derivative contracts related to our future sales of liquid hydrocarbons and natural gas and therefore remained substantially exposed to market prices of these commodities.

The OSM segment holds crude oil options which were purchased by Western for a three year period (January 2007 to December 2009). The premiums for the purchased put options had been partially offset through the sale of call options for the same three-year period, resulting in a net premium liability. Payment of the net premium liability is deferred until the settlement of the option contracts. As of December 31, 2008, the following put and call options were outstanding:

 

Option Expiration Date    2009

Option Contract Volumes (Barrels per day):

  

Put options purchased

     20,000

Call options sold

     15,000

Average Exercise Price (Dollars per barrel):

  

Put options

   $ 50.50

Call options

   $ 90.50

In the first quarter of 2009, we sold derivative instruments at an average exercise price of $50.50 which effectively offset the open put options for the remainder of 2009.

At December 31, 2008, the number of open derivative contracts held by our RM&T segment was lower than in previous periods. Starting in the second quarter of 2008, we decreased our use of derivatives to mitigate crude oil price risk between the time that domestic spot crude oil purchases are priced and when they are actually refined into salable petroleum products. Instead, we are addressing this price risk through other means, including changes in contractual terms and crude oil acquisition practices.

Additionally, in previous periods, certain contracts in our RM&T segment for the purchase or sale of commodities were not qualified or designated as normal purchase or normal sales under generally accepted accounting principles and therefore were accounted for as derivative instruments. During the second quarter of 2008, as we decreased our use of derivatives, we began to designate such contracts for the normal purchase and normal sale exclusion.

 

70


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

Sensitivity analysis of the incremental effects on income from operations (“IFO”) of hypothetical 10 percent and 25 percent changes in commodity prices for open commodity derivative instruments as of December 31, 2008, is provided in the following table. The direction of the price change used in calculating the sensitivity amount for each commodity reflects that which would result in the largest incremental decrease in IFO when applied to the commodity derivative instruments used to hedge that commodity.

 

     Incremental
Decrease in IFO

Assuming a
Hypothetical
Price Change of
(a)
 
(In millions)            10%                     25%          

Commodity Derivative Instruments(b)

    

Crude oil

   $ 16 (d)   $ 15 (d)

Natural gas

         21 (c)         53 (c)

Refined products

     6 (d)     15 (d)

(a)

We remain at risk for possible changes in the market value of commodity derivative instruments; however, such risk should be mitigated by price changes in the underlying physical commodity. Effects of these offsets are not reflected in the sensitivity analysis. Amounts reflect hypothetical 10 percent and 25 percent changes in closing commodity prices for each open contract position at December 31, 2008. Included in the natural gas impacts above were $21 million and $53 million for hypothetical price changes of 10 percent and 25 percent related to the U.K. natural gas contracts accounted for as derivative instruments. We evaluate our portfolio of commodity derivative instruments on an ongoing basis and add or revise strategies in anticipation of changes in market conditions and in risk profiles. Changes to the portfolio after December 31, 2008, would cause future IFO effects to differ from those presented above.

(b)

The number of net open contracts for the E&P segment varied throughout 2008, from a low of 3 contracts on October 1, 2008, to a high of 472 contracts on January 29, 2008, and averaged 181 for the year. The number of net open contracts for the RM&T segment varied throughout 2008, from a low of 13 contracts on May 16, 2008, to a high of 15,599 contracts on March 17, 2008, and averaged 3,019 for the year. The number of net open contracts for the OSM segment varied throughout 2008, from a low of 12,775 contracts on December 31, 2008, to a high of 24,500 contracts on January 1, 2008, and averaged 18,646 for the year. The commodity derivative instruments used and positions taken will vary and, because of these variations in the composition of the portfolio over time, the number of open contracts by itself cannot be used to predict future income effects.

(c)

Price increase.

(d)

Price decrease.

Open Commodity Derivative Positions as of December 31, 2008 and Sensitivity Analysis

At December 31, 2008, our E&P segment held open derivative contracts to mitigate the price risk on natural gas held in storage or purchased to be marketed with our own natural gas production in amounts that were in line with normal levels of activity. At December 31, 2008, we had no significant open derivative contracts related to our future sales of liquid hydrocarbons and natural gas and therefore remained substantially exposed to market prices of these commodities.

The OSM segment holds crude oil options which were purchased by Western for a three year period (January 2007 to December 2009). The premiums for the purchased put options had been partially offset through the sale of call options for the same three-year period, resulting in a net premium liability. Payment of the net premium liability is deferred until the settlement of the option contracts. As of December 31, 2008, the following put and call options were outstanding:

 

Option Expiration Date    2009

Option Contract Volumes (Barrels per day):

  

Put options purchased

     20,000

Call options sold

     15,000

Average Exercise Price (Dollars per barrel):

  

Put options

   $ 50.50

Call options

   $ 90.50

In the first quarter of 2009, we sold derivative instruments at an average exercise price of $50.50 which effectively offset the open put options for the remainder of 2009.

At December 31, 2008, the number of open derivative contracts held by our RM&T segment was lower than in previous periods. Starting in the second quarter of 2008, we decreased our use of derivatives to mitigate crude oil price risk between the time that domestic spot crude oil purchases are priced and when they are actually refined into salable petroleum products. Instead, we are addressing this price risk through other means, including changes in contractual terms and crude oil acquisition practices.

Additionally, in previous periods, certain contracts in our RM&T segment for the purchase or sale of commodities were not qualified or designated as normal purchase or normal sales under generally accepted accounting principles and therefore were accounted for as derivative instruments. During the second quarter of 2008, as we decreased our use of derivatives, we began to designate such contracts for the normal purchase and normal sale exclusion.

 

70


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

Sensitivity analysis of the incremental effects on income from operations (“IFO”) of hypothetical 10 percent and 25 percent changes in commodity prices for open commodity derivative instruments as of December 31, 2008, is provided in the following table. The direction of the price change used in calculating the sensitivity amount for each commodity reflects that which would result in the largest incremental decrease in IFO when applied to the commodity derivative instruments used to hedge that commodity.

 

     Incremental
Decrease in IFO

Assuming a
Hypothetical
Price Change of
(a)
 
(In millions)            10%                     25%          

Commodity Derivative Instruments(b)

    

Crude oil

   $ 16 (d)   $ 15 (d)

Natural gas

         21 (c)         53 (c)

Refined products

     6 (d)     15 (d)

(a)

We remain at risk for possible changes in the market value of commodity derivative instruments; however, such risk should be mitigated by price changes in the underlying physical commodity. Effects of these offsets are not reflected in the sensitivity analysis. Amounts reflect hypothetical 10 percent and 25 percent changes in closing commodity prices for each open contract position at December 31, 2008. Included in the natural gas impacts above were $21 million and $53 million for hypothetical price changes of 10 percent and 25 percent related to the U.K. natural gas contracts accounted for as derivative instruments. We evaluate our portfolio of commodity derivative instruments on an ongoing basis and add or revise strategies in anticipation of changes in market conditions and in risk profiles. Changes to the portfolio after December 31, 2008, would cause future IFO effects to differ from those presented above.

(b)

The number of net open contracts for the E&P segment varied throughout 2008, from a low of 3 contracts on October 1, 2008, to a high of 472 contracts on January 29, 2008, and averaged 181 for the year. The number of net open contracts for the RM&T segment varied throughout 2008, from a low of 13 contracts on May 16, 2008, to a high of 15,599 contracts on March 17, 2008, and averaged 3,019 for the year. The number of net open contracts for the OSM segment varied throughout 2008, from a low of 12,775 contracts on December 31, 2008, to a high of 24,500 contracts on January 1, 2008, and averaged 18,646 for the year. The commodity derivative instruments used and positions taken will vary and, because of these variations in the composition of the portfolio over time, the number of open contracts by itself cannot be used to predict future income effects.

(c)

Price increase.

(d)

Price decrease.

EXCERPTS ON THIS PAGE:

10-K (2 sections)
Feb 27, 2009
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