Quarterlytics / Basic Materials / Oil & Gas Integrated / Cimarex Energy Co.

Cimarex Energy Co.

xec · NYSE Basic Materials
Claim this profile
Ticker xec
Exchange NYSE
Sector Basic Materials
Industry Oil & Gas Integrated
Employees 501-1000
← All annual reports
FY2020 Annual Report · Cimarex Energy Co.
Sign in to download
Loading PDF…
1700 LINCOLN STREET

SUITE 3700

DENVER, COLORADO  80203-4537

www.cimarex.com

CIMAREX ENERGY CO. (NYSE: XEC) is an oil and gas exploration and 

CORPORATE I NFORMATI ON

production company with operations mainly located in Texas, New Mexico

and Oklahoma. We pride ourselves on having strong technical teams with the

common goal of adding shareholder value through drilling and production.

The cornerstone to our approach is detailed pre- and post-drill economic

evaluation of after-tax rate-of-return on

DENVER

invested capital. We continually strive to

maximize our cash flow from producing

M I D - C O N T I N E N T

TULSA

properties for reinvestment and provide

P E R M I A N

MIDLAND

cash returns to our shareholders through

dividends and debt reduction.

E&D CAPITAL 
INVESTMENT
(Millions of Dollars)

0
7
5

,

1

2
4
2

,

1

5
4
5

0
2
0
2

8
1
0
2

9
1
0
2

NET CASH PROVIDED
BY OPERATING 
ACTIVITIES (Millions of Dollars)

2020 TOTAL CAPITAL 
INVESTMENT ($577 MILLION)

1
5
5

,

1

4
4
3

,

1

8
1
0
2

9
1
0
2

4
0
9

0
2
0
2

7%

93%

(cid:31) PERMIAN (cid:31) MID-CONTINENT

Cimarex Energy Co. common stock trades on the

New York Stock Exchange under the symbol XEC. 

Corporate Headquarters
1700 Lincoln Street, Suite 3700

Denver, Colorado 80203-4537

Tel: (303) 295-3995 Fax: (303) 295-3494

Website
www.cimarex.com

Stock Transfer Agent
Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company

1 State Street, 30th Floor

New York, New York 10004

Tel: (888) 509-5580

Communications regarding transfers, lost certificates,

duplicate mailings or changes of address should be

directed to our transfer agent.

Independent Registered Public 

Accounting Firm
KPMG LLP

Independent Reservoir Engineers
DeGolyer and MacNaughton

The information in this report and Chairman's letter should be read in conjunction with the attached Annual Report on Form 10-K and 2021 proxy statement.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
PE RFORMANCE S UMMA RY

YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31,

2020                2019                2018

FINANCIAL (IN MILLIONS, EXCEPT PER SHARE DATA)

Oil, Gas & NGL sales
Net (loss) income
        Net (loss) income per diluted share
Net cash provided by operating activities 

$1,512.7          $2,321.9          $2,297.6
(1,967.5)            (124.6)              791.9
(19.73)              (1.33)                8.32
904.2            1,344.0            1,551.0

E&D capital investment

545               1,242               1,570

Total assets
Debt (principal)
Stockholders’ equity

OPERATIONAL

Proved reserves:
        Oil (MMBbls)
        NGL (MMBbls)
        Gas (Bcf)
        Total (MMBOE)
        Proved developed (MMBOE)

Daily production:
        Oil (Bbls)
        NGL (Bbls)
        Gas (MMcf)
        Total (BOE)

Realized price:
        Oil (per Bbl)
        NGL (per Bbl)
        Gas (per Mcf)

YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31,

2020                2019                2018
4,622.0            7,140.0            6,062.1
2,000.0            2,000.0            1,500.0
1,553.5            3,576.1            3,329.8

YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31,

2020                2019                2018

144.1               169.8               146.5
159.8               194.5               179.4
1,363               1,532               1,591
531.0               619.6               591.2
447.2               531.7               501.0

76,740             86,200             67,699
69,819             77,408             60,258
636                  689                  564
252,491           278,480           221,946

$   35.59          $   52.77          $   56.61
$   10.53          $   13.55          $   22.28
$     1.05          $     1.11          $     1.99

          
       
        
                        
       
          
       
          
       
                                                
M Y   F E L L O W   S H A R E H O L D E R S ,

I began last year’s letter with the words “Great
companies adapt to challenging conditions.”  Little did
I know how pertinent these words would become.

The tremendous challenges of 2020 feel surreal in

hindsight. We were (and are) in the midst of a global
pandemic and had to contend with the dual challenges
of protecting employee health and managing our field
efforts without interruption. We experienced an oil
price collapse unlike any we had seen, as OPEC+
members entered into a competition for market share.
Nationally, we witnessed protests and riots over racial
justice and inequality. We also lived though one of the
most polarized national elections in memory. At
times, it seemed like 2020 was a year without hope.
Nonetheless, our organization persevered and adapted
to each challenge.

At Cimarex in 2020, it was a humbling experience
to be a member of a team that gave it everything they
had. During the spring and summer, we had daily 
executive team crisis calls, in which we addressed the
challenges of falling prices, falling margins, employee
health, and managing a capital investment program
amidst tremendous uncertainty. We had bi-weekly calls
with our Board of Directors, during which we apprised
them of our progress and sought their counsel. Among
our challenges, was preserving our balance sheet and
our financial flexibility. It has long been a core part 
of Cimarex’s strategy and values that, in a cyclic com-
modity business, flexibility is the coin of the realm. In
recent years, we have resisted entering into long-term
marketing commitments that would have required
minimum volume commitments, nor were we willing
to enter into long-term vendor obligations that would
have required us to maintain minimum activity levels.
Although these types of arrangements may occasionally
look attractive, experience has taught us that markets
can change rapidly and these “sunny day” commitments
can quickly become albatrosses around one’s neck.
This approach paid off handsomely in 2020. 

We entered the year without undue long-term 
commitments and, as such, we were able to make daily
decisions based solely upon the best incremental 
economics. It was a daily scramble. As prices collapsed,
our organization scrubbed our cost structure to make
sure that we were producing the most profitable wells
in our portfolio. We continued to produce profitable
wells at the nadir of pricing, and shut-in those wells
that were cash flow negative. We released contractors
and redeployed employees to fill those roles. We 
renegotiated vendor pricing. We reengineered our
drilling and completion designs. We saved costs
everywhere we could without sacrificing safety.

But we didn’t stop there. We also sought to 
increase value. As we have discussed through the year,
we learned that we could relax our well spacing and
enhance our economic returns. Our reservoir engineers
looked at our program with fresh eyes, often with the
aid of machine learning. We reconfigured our develop-
ment drilling programs to allow ourselves to invest less
and create more value. It was a remarkable testimony
to the power of a learning organization.

We also fully adopted the demands of Shale 3.0 
in 2020. The E&P industry has a poor track record of
managing through the boom and bust cycles of our
business. In recent years, many of you, our investors,
have called us out for it. In 2020, Cimarex announced
that, going forward, we would seek to invest a reduced
portion of our cash flow (70%-80%), moderate our
growth, and seek to return cash to our shareholders in
the form of dividends, debt reduction, and or share
buybacks. We have the capacity to generate significant
free cash after our dividend, and our plan for 2021
and beyond is designed to do so. We recently increased
our ordinary dividend 23% to $1.08 per share per
annum and are on track to significantly reduce our
net debt over the coming years.  

We finished 2020 with total capital investments 

of $577 million. This was down considerably from our
anticipated $1.25 billion to $1.35 billion range, driven
downward as an adaptation to the conditions we faced.
Total company production (oil, gas, natural gas liquids)
averaged 252,500 barrels of oil equivalent per day
(BOEPD). Our total oil production averaged 76,700
barrels of oil per day (BOPD). Owing to the financial
discipline we exercised, we generated $279 million of
free cash flow after the payment of our dividend and
we exited the year with $273 million cash on hand. 

Cimarex enters 2021 stronger than we have ever

been. We have tremendous asset quality, organizational
capability, and financial strength and flexibility. We
used the challenges of 2020 to become a better organi-
zation. We were inspired during the year by a Peggy
Noonan column that explored the theme of “not 
coming back from hell empty handed.” We used this
inspiration to challenge our organization to capture
the experiences and learnings from 2020 in order to
become a better company. For example, we examined
our own work processes, and asked ourselves if our
experience with remote work could be formalized
where it is a benefit, and abandoned where it is a 
hindrance. We examined our headcount and organi-
zational structure to find efficiencies and increase our
effectiveness. We revisited the progress we made in
decomposing our cost structure in search of ways to

PRODUCTION

(MBOE/d)

2018

2019

2020

RESERVES

(MMBOE)

222

278

252    

2018

2019

2020

(cid:31) OIL (cid:31) NGLS   (cid:31) GAS

(cid:31) OIL (cid:31) NGLS   (cid:31) GAS

591

620

531 

make the savings permanent. Our organizational 

life, growth in prosperity, increased life expectancy

response to this challenge was amazing and I can

and better health, cleaner environments in modern

promise you, our shareholders, that Cimarex will not

economies, and a lifeline for the desperately poor as a

“come back from hell empty handed.”

way out of generational poverty. We also understand

The latter half of 2020 also saw a wave of consoli-

the responsibility we have in meeting the needs of the

dation in our sector. There were many CEO to CEO

energy transition. We must continue to provide our

conversations regarding consolidation during the year.

products in the cleanest manner possible. But make no

Cimarex participated in many of them. Our Board

mistake about it — worldwide demand for oil and gas

carefully considered our options. We agree with the

will continue for decades. The American producer

market place that there may be significant economies

leads the way in providing products that are produced

of scale in consolidation, and that it may provide the

responsibly. We are proud of our role in providing fuel

opportunity for a lower sustainable cost structure. As

for the engines of progress.

our Board considered our options, we deployed a simple

In closing, I want to thank you, our owners, for

test — Is the consolidated company fundamentally a

your support and confidence. We have a lot of work

better enterprise? Is it more nimble and better able to

ahead of us, and our commitment to you is unwavering.

compete amidst the evolving challenges we face?

I also want to express my personal appreciation for our

Although we remain open to any option that creates 

Board of Directors, whose guiding hand, deep curiosity,

a better company, at this point in time our Board and

and high expectations has made our organization

management team have concluded that Cimarex’s

stronger. And finally, I want to express deep apprecia-

owners and stakeholders are best served if we remain

tion to our employees, who bring a sense of dedication

independent. However, we will not use size and scale

and belonging that drives each of us to work harder,

as an excuse for not achieving top-tier performance.

question our assumptions, and seek to add value to

Period. We will be top-tier in asset performance, 

our shareholder, our communities, and our nation.

top-tier in organizational performance, top-tier in 

We are excited for 2021 and the years ahead. Our

environmental performance, and top-tier in financial

optimism is a product of our asset quality, cost structure

performance. Anything short of that is unacceptable.

and organization giving us deep confidence that we

I would like to offer a few words on environmental

are well positioned for the road ahead.

Sincerely,

performance. In 2020, Cimarex set ambitious goals 

for flaring reduction and methane intensity reduction.

We tied these goals to executive compensation. As I

said last year, lowering our emissions has become a 

top focus of our engineering efforts and our brightest

minds are at work on the problem. I am delighted to

say that our organization far surpassed our 2020 goals

for flaring reduction and methane intensity. We have

set even more ambitious goals for 2021. Furthermore,

we are working on setting aggressive, multi-year goals

for flaring and greenhouse gas reductions and expect

to announce them in the coming year. We understand

and embrace the challenges ahead of us in ensuring

that the oil and gas sector has a voice in energy policy.

The world needs the products we produce. We

provide abundant, affordable energy to the developed

and developing economies of the world. We make 

mobility possible. The availability of abundant, afford-

able energy has coincided with a growth in quality of

THOMAS E. JORDEN

Chairman of the Board, 

President and 

Chief Executive Officer

March 2, 2021

M Y   F E L L O W   S H A R E H O L D E R S ,

I began last year’s letter with the words “Great

But we didn’t stop there. We also sought to 

companies adapt to challenging conditions.”  Little did

increase value. As we have discussed through the year,

I know how pertinent these words would become.

we learned that we could relax our well spacing and

The tremendous challenges of 2020 feel surreal in

enhance our economic returns. Our reservoir engineers

hindsight. We were (and are) in the midst of a global

looked at our program with fresh eyes, often with the

pandemic and had to contend with the dual challenges

aid of machine learning. We reconfigured our develop-

of protecting employee health and managing our field

ment drilling programs to allow ourselves to invest less

efforts without interruption. We experienced an oil

price collapse unlike any we had seen, as OPEC+

and create more value. It was a remarkable testimony

to the power of a learning organization.

members entered into a competition for market share.

We also fully adopted the demands of Shale 3.0 

Nationally, we witnessed protests and riots over racial

in 2020. The E&P industry has a poor track record of

justice and inequality. We also lived though one of the

managing through the boom and bust cycles of our

most polarized national elections in memory. At

business. In recent years, many of you, our investors,

times, it seemed like 2020 was a year without hope.

have called us out for it. In 2020, Cimarex announced

Nonetheless, our organization persevered and adapted

that, going forward, we would seek to invest a reduced

to each challenge.

portion of our cash flow (70%-80%), moderate our

At Cimarex in 2020, it was a humbling experience

growth, and seek to return cash to our shareholders in

to be a member of a team that gave it everything they

the form of dividends, debt reduction, and or share

had. During the spring and summer, we had daily 

buybacks. We have the capacity to generate significant

executive team crisis calls, in which we addressed the

free cash after our dividend, and our plan for 2021

challenges of falling prices, falling margins, employee

and beyond is designed to do so. We recently increased

health, and managing a capital investment program

our ordinary dividend 23% to $1.08 per share per

amidst tremendous uncertainty. We had bi-weekly calls

annum and are on track to significantly reduce our

with our Board of Directors, during which we apprised

net debt over the coming years.  

them of our progress and sought their counsel. Among

We finished 2020 with total capital investments 

our challenges, was preserving our balance sheet and

of $577 million. This was down considerably from our

our financial flexibility. It has long been a core part 

anticipated $1.25 billion to $1.35 billion range, driven

of Cimarex’s strategy and values that, in a cyclic com-

downward as an adaptation to the conditions we faced.

modity business, flexibility is the coin of the realm. In

Total company production (oil, gas, natural gas liquids)

recent years, we have resisted entering into long-term

averaged 252,500 barrels of oil equivalent per day

marketing commitments that would have required

(BOEPD). Our total oil production averaged 76,700

minimum volume commitments, nor were we willing

barrels of oil per day (BOPD). Owing to the financial

to enter into long-term vendor obligations that would

discipline we exercised, we generated $279 million of

have required us to maintain minimum activity levels.

free cash flow after the payment of our dividend and

Although these types of arrangements may occasionally

we exited the year with $273 million cash on hand. 

look attractive, experience has taught us that markets

Cimarex enters 2021 stronger than we have ever

can change rapidly and these “sunny day” commitments

been. We have tremendous asset quality, organizational

can quickly become albatrosses around one’s neck.

capability, and financial strength and flexibility. We

This approach paid off handsomely in 2020. 

used the challenges of 2020 to become a better organi-

We entered the year without undue long-term 

zation. We were inspired during the year by a Peggy

commitments and, as such, we were able to make daily

Noonan column that explored the theme of “not 

decisions based solely upon the best incremental 

coming back from hell empty handed.” We used this

economics. It was a daily scramble. As prices collapsed,

inspiration to challenge our organization to capture

our organization scrubbed our cost structure to make

the experiences and learnings from 2020 in order to

sure that we were producing the most profitable wells

become a better company. For example, we examined

in our portfolio. We continued to produce profitable

our own work processes, and asked ourselves if our

wells at the nadir of pricing, and shut-in those wells

experience with remote work could be formalized

that were cash flow negative. We released contractors

where it is a benefit, and abandoned where it is a 

and redeployed employees to fill those roles. We 

renegotiated vendor pricing. We reengineered our

drilling and completion designs. We saved costs

everywhere we could without sacrificing safety.

hindrance. We examined our headcount and organi-

zational structure to find efficiencies and increase our

effectiveness. We revisited the progress we made in

decomposing our cost structure in search of ways to

PRODUCTION
(MBOE/d)

2018

2019

2020

RESERVES
(MMBOE)

222

278

252    

2018

2019

2020

(cid:31) OIL (cid:31) NGLS   (cid:31) GAS

(cid:31) OIL (cid:31) NGLS   (cid:31) GAS

591

620

531 

make the savings permanent. Our organizational 
response to this challenge was amazing and I can
promise you, our shareholders, that Cimarex will not
“come back from hell empty handed.”

The latter half of 2020 also saw a wave of consoli-

dation in our sector. There were many CEO to CEO
conversations regarding consolidation during the year.
Cimarex participated in many of them. Our Board
carefully considered our options. We agree with the
market place that there may be significant economies
of scale in consolidation, and that it may provide the
opportunity for a lower sustainable cost structure. As
our Board considered our options, we deployed a simple
test — Is the consolidated company fundamentally a
better enterprise? Is it more nimble and better able to
compete amidst the evolving challenges we face?
Although we remain open to any option that creates 
a better company, at this point in time our Board and
management team have concluded that Cimarex’s
owners and stakeholders are best served if we remain
independent. However, we will not use size and scale
as an excuse for not achieving top-tier performance.
Period. We will be top-tier in asset performance, 
top-tier in organizational performance, top-tier in 
environmental performance, and top-tier in financial
performance. Anything short of that is unacceptable.

I would like to offer a few words on environmental

performance. In 2020, Cimarex set ambitious goals 
for flaring reduction and methane intensity reduction.
We tied these goals to executive compensation. As I
said last year, lowering our emissions has become a 
top focus of our engineering efforts and our brightest
minds are at work on the problem. I am delighted to
say that our organization far surpassed our 2020 goals
for flaring reduction and methane intensity. We have
set even more ambitious goals for 2021. Furthermore,
we are working on setting aggressive, multi-year goals
for flaring and greenhouse gas reductions and expect
to announce them in the coming year. We understand
and embrace the challenges ahead of us in ensuring
that the oil and gas sector has a voice in energy policy.
The world needs the products we produce. We
provide abundant, affordable energy to the developed
and developing economies of the world. We make 
mobility possible. The availability of abundant, afford-
able energy has coincided with a growth in quality of

life, growth in prosperity, increased life expectancy
and better health, cleaner environments in modern
economies, and a lifeline for the desperately poor as a
way out of generational poverty. We also understand
the responsibility we have in meeting the needs of the
energy transition. We must continue to provide our
products in the cleanest manner possible. But make no
mistake about it — worldwide demand for oil and gas
will continue for decades. The American producer
leads the way in providing products that are produced
responsibly. We are proud of our role in providing fuel
for the engines of progress.

In closing, I want to thank you, our owners, for
your support and confidence. We have a lot of work
ahead of us, and our commitment to you is unwavering.
I also want to express my personal appreciation for our
Board of Directors, whose guiding hand, deep curiosity,
and high expectations has made our organization
stronger. And finally, I want to express deep apprecia-
tion to our employees, who bring a sense of dedication
and belonging that drives each of us to work harder,
question our assumptions, and seek to add value to
our shareholder, our communities, and our nation.

We are excited for 2021 and the years ahead. Our
optimism is a product of our asset quality, cost structure
and organization giving us deep confidence that we
are well positioned for the road ahead.

Sincerely,

THOMAS E. JORDEN
Chairman of the Board, 

President and 

Chief Executive Officer
March 2, 2021

MANAGEMENT

Board of Directors

THOMAS E. JORDEN – CHAIRMAN 

JOSEPH R. ALBI 

PAUL N. ECKLEY  2,3,4

HANS HELMERICH 2,3,4

KATHLEEN A. HOGENSON 1,3,4

HAROLD R. LOGAN, JR.– LEAD DIRECTOR 1,3,4

FLOYD R. PRICE 2,3,4

MONROE W. ROBERTSON 1,3,4

LISA A. STEWART 2,3,4

FRANCES M. VALLEJO 1,3,4

1 MEMBER OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE

2 MEMBER OF THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE

3 MEMBER OF THE NOMINATING AND

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE

4 MEMBER OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL, 
HEALTH AND SAFETY COMMITTEE

Executive Officers

THOMAS E. JORDEN
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER 

G. MARK BURFORD
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT 
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

CHRISTOPHER H. CLASON
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT 
CHIEF HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER

STEPHEN P. BELL
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT – BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

JOHN A. LAMBUTH
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT – EXPLORATION

FRANCIS B. BARRON
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT 
GENERAL COUNSEL AND CORPORATE SECRETARY

THOMAS F. McCOY
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT – PRODUCTION

GARY R. ABBOTT
VICE PRESIDENT – CORPORATE ENGINEERING

BLAKE A. SIRGO
VICE PRESIDENT – OPERATIONS

Corporate Officers

WAYNE C. CHANG
VICE PRESIDENT – MARKETING AND MIDSTREAM

MICHAEL D. DeSHAZER
VICE PRESIDENT – PERMIAN BUSINESS UNIT

TIMOTHY A. FICKER
VICE PRESIDENT 
CONTROLLER AND CHIEF ACCOUNTING OFFICER

STEPHEN A. FLAHERTY
VICE PRESIDENT – GOVERNMENT AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

PHILIP G. JOHNSON
VICE PRESIDENT – PRODUCTION

DARREN J. LAY
VICE PRESIDENT – BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Investor Contact

MEGAN P. HAYS
VICE PRESIDENT – INVESTOR RELATIONS

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-K

(Mark One)

☒ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from _______________ to _______________

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020
OR

Commission file number 001-31446 
CIMAREX ENERGY CO.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)

1700 Lincoln Street, Suite 3700 Denver Colorado
(Address of principal executive offices)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

(303) 295-3995 
(Registrant’s telephone number)

45-0466694
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)

80203
(Zip Code)

Title of each class
Common Stock ($0.01 par value)

  Trading Symbol(s)

XEC

Name of each exchange on which registered
New York Stock Exchange

Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. 

Yes ☒	 No ☐

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. 

Yes ☐	 No ☒

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 ☒	 No ☐

Indicate  by  check  mark  whether  the  registrant  has  submitted  electronically  every  Interactive  Data  File  required  to  be 
submitted  pursuant  to  Rule  405  of  Regulation  S-T  (§  232.405  of  this  chapter)  during  the  preceding  12  months  (or  for  such 
shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒	 No ☐

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

Large accelerated filer ☒

Accelerated filer  ☐

Non-accelerated filer ☐

Smaller reporting company  ☐

Emerging Growth Company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition 
period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange 
Act. 

☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the 
effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) 
by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.    

              ☒
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes ☐	 No ☒
Aggregate  market  value  of  the  voting  stock  held  by  non-affiliates  of  Cimarex  Energy  Co.  as  of  June  30,  2020  was 

approximately $2.75 billion.

Number of shares of Cimarex Energy Co. common stock outstanding as of January 31, 2021 was 102,807,656.

Documents  Incorporated  by  Reference:  Portions  of  the  Registrant’s  Proxy  Statement  for  its  2021  Annual  Meeting  of 

Stockholders are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Form 10-K.

 
 
 
 
 
                
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS
DESCRIPTION

Item

Glossary

Part I

1. & 2. Business and Properties.........................................................................................................

1A. Risk Factors...........................................................................................................................

1B. Unresolved Staff Comments..................................................................................................

3. Legal Proceedings..................................................................................................................

4. Mine Safety Disclosures........................................................................................................

Part II

5. Market  for  Registrant’s  Common  Equity,  Related  Stockholder  Matters  and  Issuer 
Purchases of Equity Securities...............................................................................................

6. Selected Financial Data..........................................................................................................

7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk...............................................

8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data......................................................................
9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure

9A. Controls and Procedures........................................................................................................

9B. Other Information..................................................................................................................

Part III

10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.....................................................

11. Executive Compensation.......................................................................................................
12. Security  Ownership  of  Certain  Beneficial  Owners  and  Management  and  Related 
Stockholder Matters...............................................................................................................

13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence......................

14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services................................................................................

15. Exhibit and Financial Statement Schedules...........................................................................
16. Form 10-K Summary.............................................................................................................

Part IV

Page

7

19

34

34

34

35

37

38

62

64

111

111

115

116

118

118

118

118

119
125

2

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
GLOSSARY

Bbls—Barrels (of oil or natural gas liquids)

Bcf—Billion cubic feet (of natural gas)

BOE—Barrels of oil equivalent

GAAP—Generally accepted accounting principles in the U.S.

Gross Acres or Gross Wells—The total acres or wells in which a working interest is owned.

MBbls—Thousand barrels

MBOE—Thousand barrels of oil equivalent

Mcf—Thousand cubic feet

MMBbls—Million barrels

MMBtu—Million British thermal units

MMBOE—Million barrels of oil equivalent

MMcf—Million cubic feet

Net Acres or Net Wells—The sum of the fractional working interest owned in gross acres or gross wells expressed 
in whole numbers and fractions of whole numbers.

Net Production—Gross production multiplied by net revenue interest

NGL or NGLs—Natural gas liquids

PUD—Proved undeveloped

Tcf—Trillion cubic feet

Energy equivalent is determined using the ratio of one barrel of crude oil, condensate, or NGL to six Mcf of natural 
gas.

3

PART I

CAUTIONARY INFORMATION ABOUT FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Throughout this Form 10-K, we make statements that may be deemed “forward-looking” statements within 
the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.  
In particular, in our Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, we 
provide projections of our 2021 capital expenditures.  All statements, other than statements of historical facts, that 
address  activities,  events,  outcomes,  and  other  matters  that  Cimarex  plans,  expects,  intends,  assumes,  believes, 
budgets, predicts, forecasts, projects, estimates, or anticipates (and other similar expressions) will, should, or may 
occur in the future are forward-looking statements.  These forward-looking statements are based on management’s 
current  belief,  based  on  currently  available  information,  as  to  the  outcome  and  timing  of  future  events.    When 
considering forward-looking statements, you should keep in mind the risk factors and other cautionary statements in 
this Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020.  All the risks disclosed in this Form 10-K may be amplified 
by  the  COVID-19  pandemic  and  its  unpredictable  nature.    Forward-looking  statements  include  statements  with 
respect to, among other things:

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

Fluctuations  in  the  price  we  receive  for  our  oil,  gas,  and  NGL  production,  including  local  market  price 
differentials, which may be exacerbated by the demand destruction resulting from the highly transmissible 
and pathogenic coronavirus known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that 
causes the disease known as COVID-19;

Disruptions to the availability of workers and contractors due to illness and stay-at-home orders related to 
the COVID-19 pandemic;

Cost and availability of gathering, pipeline, refining, transportation and other midstream and downstream 
activities and our ability to sell oil, gas, and NGLs, which may be negatively impacted by the COVID-19 
pandemic and other risks and lead to a lack of any available markets;

Availability of supply chains and critical equipment and supplies, which may be negatively impacted by the 
COVID-19 pandemic and other risks;

Higher  than  expected  costs  and  expenses,  including  the  availability  and  cost  of  services  and  materials, 
which may be negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic;

Compliance with environmental and other regulations, including new regulations that may result from the 
recent change in federal and state administrations and legislatures;

Legislative  or  regulatory  changes,  including  initiatives  related  to  hydraulic  fracturing,  emissions,  and 
disposal  of  produced  water,  which  may  be  negatively  impacted  by  the  recent  change  in  Presidential 
administration or legislatures;

The ability to receive drilling and other permits or approvals and rights-of-way in a timely manner (or at 
all), which may be negatively impacted by the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on regulatory employees 
who process and approve permits, other approvals and rights-of-way and which may be restricted by new 
Presidential and Secretarial orders and regulation and legislation;

Reductions  in  the  quantity  of  oil,  gas,  and  NGLs  sold  and  prices  received  because  of  decreased  demand 
and/or  curtailments  in  production  relating  to  mechanical,  transportation,  storage,  capacity,  marketing, 
weather, the COVID-19 pandemic, or other problems;

Declines in the SEC PV10 value of our oil and gas properties resulting in full cost ceiling test impairments 
to the carrying values of our oil and gas properties;

The effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting;

4

 
•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

Success of the company’s risk management activities;

Availability of financing and access to capital markets;

Estimates of proved reserves, exploitation potential, or exploration prospect size;

Greater than expected production decline rates;

Timing and amount of future production of oil, gas, and NGLs;

Cybersecurity threats, technology system failures, and data security issues;

The inability to transport, process, and store oil and gas; 

Hedging  activities  and  the  viability  of  our  hedging  counterparties,  many  of  whom  have  been  negatively 
impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic;

Economic and competitive conditions;

Lack of available insurance;

Cash flow and anticipated liquidity;

Continuing  compliance  with  the  financial  covenant  contained  in  our  amended  and  restated  credit 
agreement;

The loss of certain federal income tax deductions; 

Litigation;

Environmental liabilities;

New federal regulations regarding species or habitats;

Exploration and development opportunities that we pursue may not result in economic, productive oil and 
gas properties;

Drilling of wells;

Development drilling and testing results;

Performance of acquired properties and newly drilled wells;

Ability  to  obtain  industry  partners  to  jointly  explore  certain  prospects,  and  the  willingness  and  ability  of 
those partners to meet capital obligations when requested;

Unexpected future capital expenditures;

Amount, nature, and timing of capital expenditures;

Proving up undeveloped acreage and maintaining production on leases;

Unforeseen liabilities associated with acquisitions and dispositions;

Establishing valuation allowances against our net deferred tax assets;

5

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

Potential payments for failing to meet minimum oil, gas, NGL, or water delivery or sales commitments;

Increased financing costs due to a significant increase in interest rates;

Risks associated with concentration of operations in one major geographic area;

Availability and cost of capital;

Title to properties;

Ability to complete property sales or other transactions; and

Other  factors  discussed  in  the  company’s  reports  filed  with  the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission 
(“SEC”).

We caution you that these forward-looking statements are subject to all of the risks and uncertainties, many 
of which are beyond our control, incident to the exploration for and development, production, and sale of oil, gas, 
and NGLs.

These risks include, but are not limited to, commodity price volatility, demand, capacity, inflation, lack of 
availability  of  goods  and  services,  environmental  risks,  drilling  and  other  operating  risks,  regulatory  changes,  the 
uncertainty  inherent  in  estimating  proved  oil  and  gas  reserves  and  in  projecting  future  rates  of  production, 
production type curves, well spacing, timing of development expenditures, and other risks described herein.  Many 
of these risks can be exacerbated by epidemics and pandemics including the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Reservoir engineering is a subjective process of estimating underground accumulations of oil and gas that 
cannot be measured in an exact way.  The accuracy of any reserve estimate depends on the quality of available data 
and the interpretation of such data by our engineers.  As a result, estimates made by different engineers often vary 
from  one  another.    In  addition,  the  results  of  drilling,  testing,  and  production  activities  may  justify  revisions  of 
estimates that were made previously. If significant, such revisions could change the timing of future production and 
development drilling.  Accordingly, reserve estimates are generally different from the quantities of oil and gas that 
are ultimately recovered.

Risk  factors  related  to  acquisitions,  including  our  acquisition  of  Resolute  Energy  Corporation  in  2019, 
include, among others: unknown liabilities related to the acquired properties or entities; the risk that problems may 
arise  in  successfully  integrating  the  businesses  of  the  companies,  which  may  result  in  the  combined  company  not 
operating as effectively and efficiently as expected; the risk that the combined company may be unable to achieve 
synergies  or  other  anticipated  benefits  of  the  transaction;  or  it  may  take  longer  than  expected  to  achieve  those 
synergies  or  benefits,  and  other  important  factors,  such  as  expenses  related  to  integration,  that  could  cause  actual 
results to differ materially from those projected.

Should  one  or  more  of  the  risks  or  uncertainties  described  above  or  elsewhere  in  this  Annual  Report  on 
Form  10-K  for  the  year  ended  December  31,  2020  cause  our  underlying  assumptions  to  be  incorrect,  our  actual 
results and plans could differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements.

All forward-looking statements, express or implied, included in or incorporated by reference into this Form 
10-K  and  attributable  to  Cimarex  are  qualified  in  their  entirety  by  this  cautionary  statement.    This  cautionary 
statement should also be considered in connection with any subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements 
that Cimarex or persons acting on its behalf may issue. Cimarex does not undertake any obligation to update any 
forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of filing this Form 10-K with the SEC, 
except as required by law.

6

ITEMS 1 AND 2.  BUSINESS AND PROPERTIES

General

Cimarex Energy Co., a Delaware corporation formed in 2002, is an independent oil and gas exploration and 
production  company.    Our  operations  are  located  entirely  within  the  United  States  of  America,  mainly  in  Texas, 
New Mexico, and Oklahoma.  Currently our operations are focused in two main areas: the Permian Basin and the 
Mid-Continent.    Our  Permian  Basin  region  encompasses  west  Texas  and  southeast  New  Mexico.    Our  Mid-
Continent region consists of Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle.  On our website — www.cimarex.com — you will 
find  our  annual  reports,  proxy  statements,  and  all  of  our  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission  (“SEC”)  filings, 
which we make available free of charge.  Information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into 
this Annual Report.  Throughout this Form 10-K we use the terms “Cimarex,” “company,” “we,” “our,” and “us” to 
refer to Cimarex Energy Co. and its subsidiaries.

Our  principal  business  objective  is  to  increase  shareholder  value  through  the  profitable  growth  of  our 
proved reserves and production while seeking to minimize our impact on the communities in which we operate for 
the  long-term.    Our  strategy  centers  on  maximizing  cash  flow  from  producing  properties  for  reinvestment  in 
exploration  and  development  activities  and  for  providing  cash  returns  to  shareholders  through  dividends  and  debt 
reduction.    We  consider  merger  and  acquisition  opportunities  that  enhance  our  competitive  position  and  we 
occasionally divest non-strategic assets.  Key elements to our approach include:

• Maintaining a strong financial position;

•

•

•

•

Investing in a diversified portfolio of drilling opportunities;

Evaluating projects based on rate-of-return and rank investment decisions;

Tracking  predicted  versus  actual  results  in  a  centralized  exploration  management  system  to  provide 
feedback to improve results;

Attracting  quality  employees  and  maintaining  integrated  teams  of  geoscientists,  landmen,  and 
engineers; and

• Maximizing profitability.

Conservative use of leverage has long been the key to our financial strategy.  We believe that low leverage 
coupled  with  strong  full-cycle  returns  enables  us  to  better  withstand  volatility  in  commodity  prices  and  provide 
competitive  returns  and  growth  to  shareholders.    See  Item  5  Market  for  Registrant’s  Common  Equity,  Related 
Stockholder  Matters  and  Issuer  Purchases  of  Equity  Securities  —  Stock  Performance  Graph  and  Item  6  Selected 
Financial Data for additional financial and operating information for fiscal years 2016 - 2020.

7

 
 
 
 
Proved Oil and Gas Reserves

Our  December  31,  2020  total  proved  reserves  decreased  14%  from  prior  year-end.    Proved  undeveloped 
reserves as a percentage of total proved reserves increased to 16% from 14% a year ago.  During 2020, we added 
56.6 MMBOE of new reserves through extensions and discoveries and had net negative revisions that totaled 52.4 
MMBOE.    These  revisions  consisted  primarily  of  70.3  MMBOE  in  downward  price  revisions  and  10.0  MMBOE 
associated with the removal of PUD reserves whose development will likely be delayed beyond five years of initial 
disclosure, partially offset by 30.7 MMBOE in positive revisions related to decreases in operating expenses.  The 
change in our proved reserves is as follows:

Reserves at December 31, 2019..............................................................................................................
Revisions of previous estimates.........................................................................................................
Extensions and discoveries.................................................................................................................
Production...........................................................................................................................................
Sales of reserves.................................................................................................................................
Reserves at December 31, 2020..............................................................................................................

A breakdown by commodity of our proved oil and gas reserves follows:

Proved 
Reserves
(MBOE)

619,595 
(52,430) 
56,575 
(92,412) 
(307) 
531,021 

December 31,

2020

2019

2018

Proved reserves:

Gas (MMcf).......................................................................................
Oil (MBbls).......................................................................................
NGL (MBbls)....................................................................................
Total (MBOE).................................................................................
Percent developed................................................................................

  1,362,842 
  144,063 
  159,818 
  531,021 

  1,532,145 
  169,770 
  194,468 
  619,595 

  1,591,321 
  146,538 
  179,436 
  591,195 

 84 %

 86 %

 85 %

The following table summarizes our estimated proved oil and gas reserves by region as of December 31, 

2020.

Mid-Continent...................................
Permian Basin...................................
Other.................................................

Gas
(MMcf)

570,578 
790,750 
1,514 
1,362,842 

Oil
(MBbls)

NGL
(MBbls)

Total
(MBOE)

17,491 
126,327 
245 
144,063 

56,130 
103,606 
82 
159,818 

168,717 
361,725 
579 
531,021 

% of
Total Proved
Reserves

 32 %
 68 %
 — %
 100 %

See  SUPPLEMENTAL  INFORMATION  ON  OIL  AND  GAS  PRODUCING  ACTIVITIES 

(UNAUDITED) in Item 8 for further information regarding our reserves.

8

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Production Volumes, Prices, and Costs

All  of  our  oil  and  gas  assets  are  located  in  the  United  States  of  America.    We  have  varying  levels  of 
ownership interests in our properties consisting of working, royalty, and overriding royalty interests.  Operated wells 
account for approximately 87% of our proved reserves.  

Our 2020 production volumes totaled 252.5 MBOE per day, a 9% decrease from 2019, and were comprised 
of 42% gas, 30% oil, and 28% NGLs.  The following table presents our total and average daily production volumes 
by region.

Years Ended December 31,
2020

Total Production Volumes

Average Daily Production Volumes

Gas
(MMcf)

Oil
(MBbls)

NGL
(MBbls)

Total
(MBOE)

Gas
(MMcf)

Oil
(MBbls)

NGL
(MBbls)

Total
(MBOE)

Permian Basin..................
Mid-Continent..................
Other................................
Total company................

 148,227 
  84,016 
382 
 232,625 

  24,810 
  3,219 
58 
  28,087 

  17,831 
  7,700 
23 
  25,554 

  67,345 
  24,922 
145 
  92,412 

  405.0 
  229.6 
1.0 
  635.6 

67.8 
8.8 
0.1 
76.7 

48.7 
21.0 
0.1 
69.8 

  184.0 
68.1 
0.4 
  252.5 

2019

Permian Basin..................
Mid-Continent..................
Other................................
Total company................

 145,612 
 105,515 
440 
 251,567 

  26,376 
  5,033 
54 
  31,463 

  18,973 
  9,263 
18 
  28,254 

  69,618 
  31,882 
145 
 101,645 

  398.9 
  289.1 
1.2 
  689.2 

72.3 
13.8 
0.1 
86.2 

52.0 
25.4 
  — 
77.4 

  190.8 
87.3 
0.4 
  278.5 

2018

Permian Basin..................
Mid-Continent..................
Other................................
Total company................

  92,593 
 112,697 
547 
 205,837 

  19,104 
  5,530 
76 
  24,710 

  11,499 
  10,474 
21 
  21,994 

  46,035 
  34,787 
188 
  81,010 

  253.7 
  308.8 
1.4 
  563.9 

52.3 
15.2 
0.2 
67.7 

31.5 
28.7 
0.1 
60.3 

  126.1 
95.3 
0.5 
  221.9 

9

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
At December 31, 2020, we had three fields that contained 15% or more of our total proved reserves.  These 
fields were Watonga-Chickasha in the Cana area of the Mid-Continent, Dixieland in the Permian Basin in Reeves 
County,  Texas,  and  Ford  West  in  the  Permian  Basin  in  Culberson  County,  Texas.    At  December  31,  2020,  the 
Watonga-Chickasha, Dixieland, and Ford West fields contained approximately 29%, 22%, and 16%, respectively, of 
our total proved reserves.  At December 31, 2019, these same three fields contained 15% or more of our total proved 
reserves.  At December 31, 2018, we had two fields that contained 15% or more of our total proved reserves, the 
Watonga-Chickasha and Ford West fields.  Production for these fields is presented in the following table.

Years Ended December 31,
2020

Total Production Volumes

Average Daily Production Volumes

Gas
(MMcf)

Oil
(MBbls)

NGL
(MBbls)

Total
(MBOE)

Gas
(MMcf)

Oil
(MBbls)

NGL
(MBbls)

Total
(MBOE)

Watonga-Chickasha..........
Dixieland...........................
Ford West..........................

  70,434 
  45,463 
  42,832 

  2,917 
  8,478 
  4,485 

  7,201 
  5,397 
  5,095 

  21,858 
  21,453 
  16,719 

  192.4 
  124.2 
  117.0 

2019

Watonga-Chickasha..........
Dixieland...........................
Ford West..........................

  90,148 
  42,658 
  41,087 

  4,643 
  8,938 
  5,042 

  8,689 
  5,934 
  5,212 

  28,357 
  21,982 
  17,102 

  247.0 
  116.9 
  112.6 

2018

Watonga-Chickasha..........
Dixieland...........................
Ford West..........................

  96,043 
  11,940 
  30,976 

  5,072 
  2,902 
  3,777 

  9,809 
  1,538 
  3,823 

  30,889 
  6,430 
  12,763 

  263.1 
32.7 
84.9 

8.0 
23.2 
12.3 

12.7 
24.5 
13.8 

13.9 
7.9 
10.3 

19.7 
14.7 
13.9 

23.8 
16.3 
14.3 

26.9 
4.2 
10.5 

59.7 
58.6 
45.7 

77.7 
60.2 
46.9 

84.6 
17.6 
35.0 

10

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The  following  table  presents  the  average  commodity  prices  received  and  production  cost  per  unit  of 

production by region. 

Years Ended December 31,
2020

Permian Basin........................................................
$ 
Mid-Continent........................................................ $ 
Other......................................................................
$ 
Total company...................................................... $ 

2019

Permian Basin........................................................
$ 
Mid-Continent........................................................ $ 
Other......................................................................
$ 
Total company...................................................... $ 

2018

Permian Basin........................................................
$ 
Mid-Continent........................................................ $ 
Other......................................................................
$ 
Total company...................................................... $ 

Acquisitions and Divestitures

Average Realized Price

Gas
(per Mcf)

Oil
(per Bbl)

NGL
(per Bbl)

Production 
Cost (per BOE)

0.69  $ 
1.67  $ 
1.98  $ 
1.05  $ 

0.49  $ 
1.95  $ 
2.44  $ 
1.11  $ 

1.69  $ 
2.23  $ 
2.97  $ 
1.99  $ 

35.66  $ 
34.97  $ 
41.15  $ 
35.59  $ 

9.64  $ 
12.60  $ 
9.42  $ 
10.53  $ 

52.55  $ 
53.89  $ 
56.52  $ 
52.77  $ 

12.62  $ 
15.47  $ 
15.70  $ 
13.55  $ 

54.95  $ 
62.31  $ 
58.40  $ 
56.61  $ 

22.84  $ 
21.67  $ 
26.46  $ 
22.28  $ 

3.14 
2.92 
6.13 
3.09 

3.47 
3.04 
9.59 
3.34 

4.37 
2.69 
7.63 
3.66 

We  consider  property  acquisitions,  divestitures,  and  occasional  mergers  to  enhance  our  competitive 
position.  Moreover, sales of non-strategic assets are a source of liquidity that we can use to supplement funding of 
capital expenditures and acquisitions of strategic assets. 

On September 30, 2020, we closed on the sale of certain water infrastructure assets in Eddy County, New 
Mexico, for which we received net cash proceeds of $68.7 million during 2020, as adjusted for customary closing 
adjustments and transaction costs.  See Note 13 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information on 
this divestiture.  

On  March  1,  2019,  we  completed  the  acquisition  of  Resolute  Energy  Corporation  (“Resolute”),  an 
independent  oil  and  gas  company  focused  on  the  acquisition  and  development  of  unconventional  oil  and  gas 
properties in the Delaware Basin area of the Permian Basin of west Texas.  This acquisition expanded our footprint 
in  Reeves  County,  Texas  on  acreage  complementary  to  our  existing  Reeves  County  position.    We  paid 
$325.7 million in cash and issued common and preferred stock valued at an aggregate of $494.6 million, for total 
consideration transferred of $820.3 million.  In addition, we assumed $870.0 million of Resolute’s long-term debt, 
which we immediately repaid.  See Note 13 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information on this 
acquisition.  

11

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Exploration and Development Overview

Cimarex has one reportable segment, exploration and production.  Our exploration and production activities 
take  place  primarily  in  two  areas:  the  Permian  Basin  and  the  Mid-Continent.    Almost  all  of  our  exploration  and 
development (“E&D”) capital is allocated between these two areas.  

A summary of our 2020 exploration and development activity and capital investments is as follows:

Gross 
Productive 
Wells 
Completed

Net
Productive 
Wells 
Completed

Capital 
Investment

(in thousands)

Exploration and development:

Permian Basin................................................................................... $ 
Mid-Continent...................................................................................
Other..................................................................................................

Saltwater disposal/Midstream..............................................................
Total capital investment....................................................................... $ 

503,304 
40,825 
727 
544,856 
32,297 
577,153 

92 
57 
— 
149 

48.1 
2.9 
— 
51.0 

The Permian Basin encompasses west Texas and southeast New Mexico.  Cimarex’s Permian Basin efforts 
are  located  in  the  western  half  of  the  Permian  Basin  known  as  the  Delaware  Basin.    In  2020,  our  development 
activity  primarily  focused  on  the  Wolfcamp  shale  formation  in  Culberson  and  Reeves  Counties  in  Texas  and  Lea 
and Eddy Counties in New Mexico.  The Wolfcamp is being developed with horizontal wells primarily using two-
mile laterals.  

The  Permian  Basin  produced  184.0  MBOE  per  day  in  2020,  which  was  73%  of  our  total  company 
production.    Total  production  from  the  region  decreased  3%  in  2020  from  2019.    In  2020,  we  invested 
$503.3 million, or 92%, of our total E&D investment, in the Permian Basin.

12

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Our  Mid-Continent  region  consists  of  Oklahoma  and  the  Texas  Panhandle.    Our  activity  in  2020  in  the 

Mid-Continent was focused in the Woodford shale and the Meramec horizon, both in Oklahoma.

During 2020, production from the Mid-Continent averaged 68.1 MBOE per day, or 27% of total company 
production.  Total production from the region decreased 22% in 2020 as compared to 2019.  In 2020, we invested 
$40.8 million, or 8% of our total E&D investment, in the Mid-Continent.

Drilling Activity

In 2020, we completed or participated in the completion of 149 gross (51.0 net) productive wells, of which 
we operated 61 gross (47.6 net) wells.  At year-end, we were in the process of drilling or participating in 10 gross 
(4.3 net) wells and there were 77 gross (39.6 net) wells waiting on completion.  

We  completed  the  following  number  of  development  wells  in  the  years  indicated  in  the  table  below.  

During these years, we completed no exploratory wells. 

2020

Wells Completed

2019

2018

Gross

Net

Gross

Net

Gross

Net

Development

Productive...........
Dry......................
Total....................

149 
2 
151 

51.0 
1.5 
52.5 

289 
2 
291 

90.2 
1.9 
92.1 

349 
— 
349 

122.1 
— 
122.1 

At December 31, 2020, we owned an interest in 10,061 gross (2,765 net) productive oil and gas wells.  We 

had working interests in the following number of productive wells by region as of December 31, 2020:

Mid-Continent............................................................
Permian Basin............................................................
Other...........................................................................

Gas

Oil

Gross

Net

Gross

Net

3,876 
705 
103 
4,684 

1,449 
310 
3 
1,762 

869 
4,495 
13 
5,377 

175 
827 
1 
1,003 

13

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Acreage

The following table sets forth the gross and net acres of both developed and undeveloped leases held by 

Cimarex as of December 31, 2020.  

Undeveloped

Acreage

Developed

Total

Gross

Net

Gross

Net

Gross

Net

Mid-Continent

Kansas............................
Oklahoma.......................
Texas..............................

Permian Basin

New Mexico...................
Texas..............................

Other

Arizona...........................
California........................
Colorado.........................
Gulf of Mexico...............
Nevada............................
New Mexico...................
Texas..............................
Utah................................
Wyoming........................
Other...............................

16,822 
156,179 
22,544 
195,545 

123,460 
45,962 
169,422 

16,782 
47,624 
9,317 
73,723 

49,306 
26,971 
76,277 

— 
774,542 
108,536 
883,078 

175,144 
222,445 
397,589 

  2,097,841 
383,487 
38,092 
20,000 
  1,007,167 
  1,640,153 
6,487 
66,380 
79,640 
235,647 
  5,574,894 
  5,939,861 

  2,097,841 
383,487 
18,767 
11,000 
  1,007,167 
  1,634,459 
2,616 
58,933 
18,557 
182,286 
  5,415,113 
  5,565,113 

17,212 
— 
43,459 
26,345 
440 
18,538 
10,831 
42,458 
51,947 
21,770 
233,000 
  1,513,667 

— 
306,849 
52,676 
359,525 

16,822 
930,721 
131,080 
  1,078,623 

298,604 
268,407 
567,011 

16,782 
354,473 
61,993 
433,248 

169,412 
161,204 
330,616 

120,106 
134,233 
254,339 

17,207 
— 
1,642 
6,381 
1 
2,436 
4,866 
1,445 
3,980 
4,827 
42,785 
656,649 

  2,115,053 
383,487 
81,551 
46,345 
  1,007,607 
  1,658,691 
17,318 
108,838 
131,587 
257,417 
  5,807,894 
  7,453,528 

  2,115,048 
383,487 
20,409 
17,381 
  1,007,168 
  1,636,895 
7,482 
60,378 
22,537 
187,113 
  5,457,898 
  6,221,762 

The table below summarizes by year and region our undeveloped acreage expirations in the next five years.  

In most cases, the drilling of a commercial well will hold the acreage beyond the expiration.

2021

2022

Acreage

2023

2024

2025

Gross
8,074 
  10,835 
 124,148 
 143,057 

Net
6,583 
4,878 
 120,590 
 132,051 

Gross
  3,101 
  4,394 
 34,413 
 41,908 

Net
  1,946 
  1,978 
 31,592 
 35,516 

Gross
  1,233 
960 
  6,840 
  9,033 

Net
465 
960 
  5,729 
  7,154 

Gross

420 
40 
  1,302 
  1,762 

Net
330 
40 
  1,241 
  1,611 

Gross
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 

Net
  — 
  — 
  — 
  — 

 2.4 

 2.4 

 0.7 

 0.6 

 0.2 

 0.1 

 — 

 — 

 — 

 — 

Mid-Continent....
Permian Basin....
Other...................

% of total 
undeveloped 
acreage................

At December 31, 2020, we had no proved undeveloped reserves booked on undeveloped acreage that were 

scheduled for development beyond the expiration dates of the undeveloped acreage.

14

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Title to Oil and Gas Properties

We  undertake  title  examination  and  perform  curative  work  at  the  time  we  lease  undeveloped  acreage, 
prepare for the drilling of a prospect, or acquire proved properties.  We believe title to our properties is good and 
defensible, and is in accordance with industry standards.  Nevertheless, we are involved in title disputes from time to 
time that result in litigation.  Our oil and gas properties are subject to customary royalty interests, liens incidental to 
operating agreements, tax liens, and other burdens and minor encumbrances, easements, and restrictions.

Competition

The  oil  and  gas  industry  is  highly  competitive,  particularly  for  prospective  undeveloped  leases  and 
purchases of proved reserves.  There is also competition for rigs and related equipment used to drill for and produce 
oil and gas, however, to a lesser extent in the current market environment.  Our competitive position also is highly 
dependent on our ability to recruit and retain geological, geophysical, and engineering expertise.  We compete for 
prospects,  proved  reserves,  oil-field  services,  and  qualified  oil  and  gas  professionals  with  major  and  diversified 
energy  companies  and  other  independent  operators  that  have  larger  financial,  human,  and  technological  resources 
than we do.

We  compete  with  integrated,  independent,  and  other  energy  companies  for  the  sale  and  transportation  of 
our oil, gas, and NGLs to marketing companies and end users.  The oil and gas industry competes with other energy 
industries  that  supply  fuel  and  power  to  industrial,  commercial,  and  residential  consumers.    Many  of  these 
competitors have greater financial and human resources than we do.  The effect of these competitive factors cannot 
be predicted.

Proved Reserves Estimation Procedures

Proved oil and gas reserve quantities are based on estimates prepared by Cimarex in accordance with the 
SEC’s rules for reporting oil and gas reserves.  Our reserve definitions conform with definitions of Rule 4-10(a) (1)-
(32) of Regulation S-X of the SEC.  All of our reserve estimates are maintained by our internal Corporate Reservoir 
Engineering group, which is comprised of engineers and engineering technicians.  The objectives and management 
of this group are separate from and independent of the exploration and production functions of the company.  The 
primary objective of our Corporate Reservoir Engineering group is to maintain accurate forecasts on all properties of 
the  company  through  ongoing  monitoring  and  timely  updates  of  operating  and  economic  parameters  (production 
forecasts,  prices  and  regional  differentials,  operating  expenses,  ownership,  etc.)  in  accordance  with  guidelines 
established by the SEC.  This separation of function and responsibility is a key internal control.

Cimarex engineers are responsible for estimates of proved reserves.  Corporate engineers interact with the 
exploration and production departments to ensure all available engineering and geologic data is taken into account 
prior  to  establishing  or  revising  an  estimate.    After  preparing  the  reserves  update,  the  corporate  engineers  review 
their recommendations with the Vice President of Corporate Engineering.  After approval from the Vice President of 
Corporate Engineering, the revisions are entered into our reserves database by the engineering technician.

During  the  course  of  the  year,  the  Vice  President  of  Corporate  Engineering  presents  summary  reserves 
information  to  senior  management  and  to  our  Board  of  Directors  for  their  review.    From  time  to  time,  the  Vice 
President of Corporate Engineering also will confer with senior management, including the Chief Executive Officer, 
regarding  specific  reserves-related  issues.    In  addition,  Corporate  Reservoir  Engineering  maintains  a  set  of  basic 
guidelines  and  procedures  to  ensure  that  critical  checks  and  reviews  of  the  reserves  database  are  performed  on  a 
regular basis.

Together, these internal controls are designed to promote a comprehensive, objective, and accurate reserves 
estimation  process.    As  an  additional  confirmation  of  the  reasonableness  of  our  internal  estimates,  DeGolyer  and 
MacNaughton, an independent petroleum engineering consulting firm, performed an independent evaluation of our 
estimated net reserves representing greater than 80% of the total future net revenue discounted at 10% attributable to 
the total interests owned by Cimarex as of December 31, 2020.  The individual primarily responsible for overseeing 

15

the review is a Senior Vice President with DeGolyer and MacNaughton and a Registered Professional Engineer in 
the State of Texas with over 10 years of experience in oil and gas reservoir studies and reserves evaluations.

The technical employee primarily responsible for overseeing the oil and gas reserves estimation process is 
Cimarex’s Vice President of Corporate Engineering.  This individual graduated from the Colorado School of Mines 
with a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering and has more than 26 years of practical experience in oil and gas 
reservoir evaluation.  He has been directly involved in the annual reserves reporting process of Cimarex since 2002 
and has served in his current role for the past 16 years.

Marketing

Our oil and gas production is sold under an assortment of short-term and long-term arrangements at market-
responsive  prices.    We  sell  our  oil  at  prices  tied  to  NYMEX  pricing  with  customary  adjustments  for  quality  and 
location.  Our gas sales are tied to either monthly or daily index pricing and we sell the majority of our NGLs at 
prices tied to monthly index prices less an applicable transportation and fractionation cost.

We  sell  our  oil,  gas,  and  NGLs  to  a  broad  portfolio  of  customers,  including  major  energy  companies, 
pipeline  companies,  local  distribution  companies,  and  other  end-users.    In  2020,  we  made  sales  to  two  customers 
that each amounted to 10% or more of our consolidated revenues for 2020.  Sales to those two customers accounted 
for 26% and 23%, respectively, of our consolidated revenues for 2020.  If any one of our major customers were to 
stop  purchasing  our  production,  we  believe  there  are  a  number  of  other  purchasers  to  whom  we  could  sell  our 
production.  If multiple significant customers were to discontinue purchasing our production, we believe there could 
be some initial challenges, but we have ample alternative markets to handle any sales disruption.

We  regularly  monitor  the  credit  worthiness  of  all  our  customers  and  may  require  parent  company 
guarantees,  letters  of  credit,  or  prepayments  when  deemed  necessary.    Historically,  losses  associated  with 
uncollectible receivables have not been significant.

Government Regulation

Oil  and  gas  production  and  transportation  is  subject  to  extensive  federal,  state,  and  local  laws  and 
regulations.  Compliance with existing laws often is difficult and costly, but has not had a significant adverse effect 
on our operations or financial condition.  In recent years, we have been most directly impacted by federal and state 
environmental regulations and energy conservation rules.  We are also impacted by federal and state regulation of 
pipelines and other oil and gas transportation systems.

The  states  in  which  we  conduct  operations  establish  requirements  for  drilling  permits,  the  method  of 
developing fields, the size of well spacing units, drilling density within productive formations and the unitization or 
pooling  of  properties.    In  addition,  state  conservation  laws  include  requirements  for  waste  prevention,  establish 
limits on the maximum rate of production from wells, generally prohibit the venting or flaring of natural gas, and 
impose certain requirements regarding the ratability of production.

Environmental Regulation.  Various federal, state, and local laws regulating the discharge of materials into 
the environment, or otherwise relating to the protection of the environment, directly impact oil and gas exploration, 
development,  and  production  operations,  which  consequently  impact  our  operations  and  costs.    These  laws  and 
regulations  govern,  among  other  things,  emissions  into  the  atmosphere,  discharges  of  pollutants  into  waters, 
underground injection of waste water, the generation, storage, transportation, and disposal of waste materials, and 
protection  of  public  health,  natural  resources,  and  wildlife.    These  laws  and  regulations  may  impose  substantial 
liabilities  for  noncompliance  and  for  any  contamination  resulting  from  our  operations  and  may  require  the 
suspension or cessation of operations in affected areas.

Cimarex  is  committed  to  environmental  protection  and  believes  we  are  in  material  compliance  with 
applicable  environmental  laws  and  regulations.    We  obtain  permits  for  our  facilities  and  operations  in  accordance 
with the applicable laws and regulations.  There are no known issues that have a significant adverse effect on the 

16

permitting process or permit compliance status of any of our facilities or operations.  Expenditures are required to 
comply  with  environmental  regulations.    These  costs  are  a  normal,  recurring  expense  of  operations  and  not  an 
extraordinary cost of compliance with current government regulations.

We do not anticipate that we will be required under current environmental laws and regulations to expend 
amounts that will have a material adverse effect on our financial position or operations.  However, due to continuing 
changes in these laws and regulations, we are unable to predict with any reasonable degree of certainty any potential 
delays in development plans that could arise, or our future costs of complying with governmental requirements.  We 
maintain levels of insurance customary in the industry to limit our financial exposure in the event of a substantial 
environmental claim resulting from sudden, unanticipated and accidental discharges of oil, produced water, or other 
substances as well as additional coverage for certain other pollution events.

Gas  Gathering  and  Transportation.    The  Federal  Energy  Regulatory  Commission  (“FERC”)  requires 
interstate  gas  pipelines  to  provide  open  access  transportation.    FERC  also  enforces  the  prohibition  of  market 
manipulation by any entity, and the facilitation of the sale or transportation of natural gas in interstate commerce.  
Interstate  pipelines  have  implemented  these  requirements,  providing  us  with  additional  market  access  and  more 
fairly  applied  transportation  services  and  rates.    FERC  continues  to  review  and  modify  its  open  access  and  other 
regulations applicable to interstate pipelines.

Under  the  Natural  Gas  Policy  Act  (“NGPA”),  natural  gas  gathering  facilities  are  expressly  exempt  from 
FERC jurisdiction.  What constitutes “gathering” under the NGPA has evolved through FERC decisions and judicial 
review  of  such  decisions.    We  believe  that  our  gathering  systems  meet  the  test  for  non-jurisdictional  “gathering” 
systems under the NGPA and that our facilities are not subject to federal regulations.  Although exempt from FERC 
oversight,  our  natural  gas  gathering  systems  and  services  may  receive  regulatory  scrutiny  by  state  and  federal 
agencies regarding the safety and operating aspects of the transportation and storage activities of these facilities.

In  addition  to  using  our  own  gathering  facilities,  we  may  use  third-party  gathering  services  or  interstate 

transmission facilities (owned and operated by interstate pipelines) to ship our gas to markets.

Additional proposals and proceedings that might affect the oil and gas industry are pending before the U.S. 
Congress,  FERC,  Bureau  of  Land  Management  (“BLM”),  U.S.  Environmental  Protection  Agency  (“EPA”),  state 
legislatures,  state  agencies,  local  governments,  and  the  courts.    We  cannot  predict  when  or  whether  any  such 
proposals may become effective and what effect they will have on our operations.  

We do not anticipate that compliance with existing federal, state, and local laws, rules, or regulations will 

have a material adverse effect upon our capital expenditures, earnings, or competitive position.

Federal and State Income and Other Local Taxation

Cimarex and the petroleum industry in general are affected by both federal and state income tax laws, as 
well as other local tax regulations involving ad valorem, personal property, franchise, severance, and other excise 
taxes.    We  have  considered  the  effects  of  these  provisions  on  our  operations  and  do  not  anticipate  that  they  will 
cause any material undisclosed impact on our capital expenditures, earnings, or competitive position.

Human Capital Resources

As  of  December  31,  2020,  Cimarex  employed  747  highly  talented  and  committed  individuals  across  our 
field  operations  and  business  offices.    Our  employee  base  was  reduced  in  2020  by  approximately  24%  from 
December 31, 2019 as a result of a voluntary early retirement incentive program we offered to employees who met 
certain eligibility criteria in the first quarter of 2020 and an involuntary reduction in workforce program we carried 
out in the third quarter of 2020.  These programs were initiated to ensure the size of our workforce is consistent with 
our expected future activity levels. 

17

Fostering a healthy culture built upon transparency, trust, collaboration, and results is an area of emphasis 

for Cimarex leadership.  Key areas of Cimarex Human Capital focus are:

Health and Safety

The health and safety of every Cimarex employee is our top priority.  In 2020, Cimarex hired a third-party 
to  conduct  an  extensive  safety  assessment  so  that  we  could  determine  key  areas  of  focus  and  improvement.    The 
assessment  results  have  helped  us  direct  our  efforts  to  improve  our  safety  record  from  positive  to  “best  in  class”.  
We  created  an  Executive  Safety  Council  made  up  of  senior  operational  leadership  to  take  action  and  continue 
building our safety culture.  Throughout COVID-19, Cimarex has implemented policies and practices to keep our 
offices and field operations free from transmission of the virus.  The Cimarex COVID-19 task force was formed in 
February 2020 and meets weekly to actively manage decisions and communication.  We have provided significant 
remote  work  flexibility  and  extensive  use  of  video  conferencing  technology,  have  eliminated  in-person  group 
gatherings,  limited  all  business-related  travel  to  essential  only,  and  have  implemented  office  and  field  employee 
protocols requiring masks, physical distancing, and cleaning. 

Leadership Development, Succession Planning, and Talent Management

The CEO and Chief Human Resources Officer are critically focused on the next generation of Cimarex’s 
senior leadership.  Formal and informal development, mentoring, and coaching of high potential staff is a recognized 
role  for  all  of  our  executive  leaders.    We  also  expose  our  Board  of  Directors  to  Cimarex’s  high  potential  future 
leaders which facilitates more informed discussions during our annual succession planning.  We consistently refresh 
our  talent  base  with  a  robust  college  internship  and  full-time  recruiting  program.    We  continued  our  full  scale 
college recruiting program in 2020 during the COVID-19 downturn and enabled all of our interns to work and be 
mentored remotely. 

Compensation and Benefits

Cimarex’s compensation programs are intended to attract, retain, and motivate top talent and reward great 
results with top pay.  We align short and long-term incentives of our executives and the broader workforce with both 
company results and shareholder interests.  Cimarex also provides top-notch health care and retirement benefits so 
that our employees can focus on excellence in their work.  For example, Cimarex contributes more than 90% of the 
total cost of employee health care benefits.

Diversity and Inclusion

Cimarex is working to become more diverse and inclusive so that every employee can contribute to their 
fullest potential and can confidently share ideas that drive value.  Through a thorough regular pay equity analysis we 
ensure  that  all  employees  are  paid  equitably.    The  Cimarex  Board  of  Directors  contains  diverse  backgrounds  and 
perspectives, in addition to gender and ethnic diversity.  Female employees constitute 29% of our total workforce 
and  in  2019,  female  leaders  at  Cimarex  initiated  a  women’s  network  which  expanded  in  2020  and  now  includes 
formal mentoring.  We currently are defining 2021 objectives to improve our hiring, development, and promotion of 
ethnic minorities.

Executive Officers of the Registrant

See  Part  III,  Item  10,  Directors,  Executive  Officers  and  Corporate  Governance  for  information  regarding 

our executive officers as of February 23, 2021.

18

ITEM 1A.  RISK FACTORS  

The following risks and uncertainties, together with other information set forth in this Form 10-K for the 
year  ended  December  31,  2020,  should  be  carefully  considered  by  current  and  future  investors  in  our  securities.  
These risks and uncertainties are not the only ones we face.  There are unknown risks and uncertainties, or risks we 
currently deem immaterial, that also may impair our business operations or financial condition, which in turn could 
negatively  impact  the  value  of  our  securities.    While  many  of  the  risks  below  relate  to  the  COVID-19  pandemic, 
given the unpredictable and unprecedented nature of the pandemic, it is impossible to identify all potential risks and 
estimate the ultimate adverse impact on our business.  The COVID-19 pandemic, and mutations of the virus or other 
outbreaks of communicable diseases, may amplify the risks disclosed in this Form 10-K.  These risk factors speak 
only as of the filing date of this Form 10-K and are subject to change without notice as we cannot predict all risks 
relating to this quickly evolving set of events.

Outbreaks  of  communicable  diseases  could  adversely  affect  our  business,  financial  condition,  and  results  of 
operations.

Global or national health concerns, including a widespread outbreak of contagious diseases, can negatively 
impact the global economy, reduce demand and lower pricing for oil, gas, and NGLs, lead to operational disruptions 
and limit our ability to execute our business plan, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial 
condition, and results of operations.  For example, the current COVID-19 pandemic, including the measures being 
taken  to  address  and  limit  its  spread,  have  adversely  affected  the  economies  and  financial  markets  of  many 
countries, resulting in an economic downturn that has negatively impacted, and may continue to negatively impact, 
global  demand  and  prices  for  oil,  gas,  and  NGLs.    If  the  COVID-19  outbreak  worsens,  we  also  may  experience 
further  disruptions  to  the  commodities  markets,  as  well  as  disruptions  to  the  equipment  supply  chains  and  the 
availability of our workforce as well as the workforces of contractors and regulators, any of which could adversely 
affect  our  ability  to  conduct  our  business  and  operations.    The  numerous  uncertainties  regarding  the  COVID-19 
pandemic, such as the ultimate geographic spread, duration, and severity of the outbreak, the impact of mutations of 
the virus, and governmental restrictions and business closures, prevent us from being able to fully assess potential 
impacts  on  our  business  and  operations.    However,  these  uncertainties  could  materially  and  adversely  affect  our 
business, financial condition, and results of operations.

The  adoption  of  climate  change  legislation  or  regulations  restricting  emission  of  greenhouse  gases,  investor 
pressure  concerning  climate-related  disclosures,  and  lawsuits  could  result  in  increased  operating  costs  and 
reduced demand for the oil and gas we produce as well as reductions in the availability of capital.

Studies  have found that emission of certain gases, commonly referred to as greenhouse gases (“GHGs”), 
impact  the  earth’s  climate.    The  U.S.  Congress  and  various  states  have  been  evaluating,  and  in  some  cases 
implementing,  climate-related  legislation  and  other  regulatory  initiatives  that  restrict  emissions  of  GHGs.    On 
January  20,  2021,  President  Biden’s  first  day  in  office,  he  signed  an  executive  order  on  climate  action  and 
reconvened an interagency working group to establish interim and final social costs of three GHGs: carbon dioxide, 
nitrous oxide, and methane.  Carbon dioxide is released during the combustion of fossil fuels, including oil, natural 
gas,  and  NGLs,  and  methane  is  a  primary  component  of  natural  gas.    The  Biden  administration  stated  it  will  use 
updated social cost figures to inform federal regulations and major agency actions and to justify aggressive climate 
action as the United States moves toward a “100% clean energy” economy with net-zero GHG emissions.  These 
actions could result in increased costs and reduced demand for our products.  Also on January 20, 2021, the Acting 
Secretary of the Interior issued an order suspending for 60 days the authority for Department Bureaus and Offices to, 
among other things, grant rights-of-way or easements, which are necessary for pipelines and roads used in oil, gas, 
and  NGL  production,  and  to  issue  new  permits  to  drill.    During  this  60-day  period,  these  permits,  which  were 
typically approved at the regional office level, can only be approved by the Secretary of Interior, Deputy Secretary, 
Solicitor,  or  various  Assistant  Secretaries.    These  new  requirements  may  lead  to  delays  in  obtaining  approvals 
necessary for our operations.

19

In  December  2009,  the  EPA  published  its  findings  that  emissions  of  GHGs  present  an  endangerment  to 
public health and the environment because emissions of such gases are contributing to the warming of the earth’s 
atmosphere  and  other  climatic  changes.    Based  on  these  findings,  the  EPA  adopted  regulations  under  existing 
provisions of the Federal Clean Air Act that establish Prevention of Significant Deterioration (“PSD”) and Title V 
permit reviews for GHG emissions from certain large stationary sources.  Facilities required to obtain PSD and/or 
Title  V  permits  under  EPA’s  GHG  Tailoring  Rule  for  their  GHG  emissions  also  may  be  required  to  meet  “Best 
Available Control Technology” standards that will be established by the states or, in some cases, by the EPA on a 
case-by-case basis.  The EPA has also adopted rules requiring the monitoring and reporting of GHG emissions from 
specified sources in the United States, including, among others, certain oil and gas production facilities on an annual 
basis,  which  includes  certain  of  our  operations.    In  recent  proposed  rulemaking,  EPA  is  widening  the  scope  of 
annual  GHG  reporting  to  include  not  only  activities  associated  with  completion  and  workover  of  gas  wells  with 
hydraulic  fracturing  and  activities  associated  with  oil  and  gas  production  operations,  but  also  completions  and 
workovers of oil wells with hydraulic fracturing, gathering and boosting systems, and transmission pipelines.

While the U.S. Congress has considered legislation to reduce emissions of GHGs in recent years, it has not 
adopted any significant GHG legislation.  This is expected to change with the Democratic Party now in control of 
the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the office of the President.  In the absence of federal GHG legislation, 
a number of state and regional efforts have emerged, aimed at tracking and/or reducing GHG emissions through cap-
and-trade  programs,  which  typically  require  major  sources  of  GHG  emissions,  such  as  electric  power  plants,  to 
acquire and surrender emission allowances in return for emitting GHGs.  Any future laws or regulations that require 
reporting  of,  or  otherwise  limit  emissions  of,  GHGs  from  our  equipment  and  operations  could  require  us  to  both 
develop  and  implement  new  practices  aimed  at  reducing  GHG  emissions,  such  as  emissions  control  technologies, 
and monitor and report GHG emissions associated with our operations, any of which could increase our operating 
costs  and  could  adversely  affect  demand  for  the  oil  and  gas  that  we  produce.    At  this  time,  it  is  not  possible  to 
quantify the impact of such future laws and regulations on our business.

Several  policy  makers  and  political  candidates  have  made,  or  expressed  support  for,  a  variety  of  more 
comprehensive proposals, such as cap-and-trade or carbon tax programs, as well as the more sweeping “green new 
deal” resolutions the U.S. Congress introduced in early 2019.  As generally proposed, the “green new deal” includes 
(i) a cap-and-trade program capping overall GHG emissions on an economy-wide basis and requiring major sources 
of GHG emissions or major fuel producers to acquire and surrender emission allowances and (ii) a carbon tax, which 
would impose taxes based on emissions from our operations and the downstream uses of our products.  The “green 
new deal” calls for a 10-year national mobilization effort to, among other things, transition 100% of the U.S. power 
demand  to  zero-emission  sources  and  overhaul  the  U.S.  transportation  systems  so  that  GHG  emissions  are 
eliminated  as  much  as  is  technologically  feasible.  The  enactment  of  any  such  legislation  would  have  a  material 
adverse effect on our business and operations. 

We are subject to various climate-related risks. 

The following is a summary of potential climate-related risks that could adversely affect us:

Transition  Risks.    Transition  risks  are  related  to  the  transition  to  a  lower-carbon  economy  and  include 

policy and legal, technology, and market risks.

Policy and Legal Risks.  Policy risks include actions that seek to lessen activities that contribute to adverse 
effects of climate change or to promote adaptation to climate change.  These policy actions could be accelerated by 
the recent change from a Republican to a Democratic party in control of Congress and the Presidency.  Examples of 
policy  actions  that  would  increase  the  costs  of  our  operations  or  lower  demand  for  our  oil  and  gas  include 
implementing  carbon-pricing  mechanisms,  shifting  energy  use  toward  lower  emission  sources,  adopting  energy-
efficiency  solutions,  encouraging  greater  water  efficiency  measures,  and  promoting  more  sustainable  land-use 
practices.    Policy  actions  also  may  include  restrictions  or  bans  on  oil  and  gas  activities,  like  the  January  2021 
Presidential  and  Secretarial  orders,  and  the  potential  banning  of  hydraulic  fracturing,  which  could  lead  to  write-
downs or impairments of our assets.  Legal risks include potential lawsuits claiming failure to mitigate impacts of 
climate change, failure to adapt to climate change, and the insufficiency of disclosure around material financial risks.  

20

Furthermore, claims have been made against certain energy companies alleging that GHG emissions from oil, gas, 
and NGL operations constitute a public nuisance under federal and state law.  Private individuals or public entities 
also  could  attempt  to  enforce  environmental  laws  and  regulations  against  us  and  could  seek  personal  injury  and 
property damages or other remedies.  While we are currently not a party to any such litigation, unfavorable rulings 
against  us  in  any  such  case  could  significantly  impact  our  operations  and  could  have  an  adverse  impact  on  our 
financial condition.

Technology  Risks.    Technological  improvements  or  innovations  that  support  the  transition  to  a  lower-
carbon, more energy efficient economic system may have a significant impact on Cimarex.  The development and 
use of emerging technologies in renewable energy, battery storage, and energy efficiency may lower demand for oil 
and gas, resulting in lower prices and revenues, and higher costs.  In addition, many automobile manufacturers have 
announced  plans  to  shift  production  from  internal  combustion  engine  to  electric  powered  vehicles,  and  states  and 
foreign countries have announced bans on sales of internal combustion engine vehicles beginning as early as 2025, 
which would reduce demand for oil.

Market Risks.  Markets could be affected by climate change through shifts in supply and demand for certain 
commodities, especially carbon-intensive commodities such as oil and gas and other products dependent on oil and 
gas.  Lower demand for our oil and gas production could result in lower prices and lower revenues.  Market risk also 
may take the form of limited access to capital as investors shift investments to less carbon-intensive industries and 
alternative  energy  industries.    In  addition,  investment  advisers,  banks,  and  certain  sovereign  wealth,  pension,  and 
endowment funds recently have been promoting divestment of investments in fossil fuel companies and pressuring 
lenders  to  limit  funding  to  companies  engaged  in  the  extraction,  production,  and  sale  of  oil  and  gas.    In  October 
2020, JP Morgan Chase & Co. announced that it was adopting a financing commitment that is aligned to the goals of 
the  Paris  climate  accord  of  2015  (the  “Paris  Agreement”).    Other  banks  have  made  climate-related  pledges  for 
various causes, such as stopping the financing of Arctic drilling and coal companies.  These initiatives by activists 
and banks, including certain banks in our credit facility, could interfere with our business activities, operations, and 
ability to access capital.  

Reputation  Risk.    Climate  change  is  a  potential  source  of  reputational  risk,  which  is  tied  to  changing 
customer  or  community  perceptions  of  an  organization’s  contribution  to,  or  detraction  from,  the  transition  to  a 
lower-carbon economy.  These changing perceptions could lower demand for our oil and gas production, resulting in 
lower prices and lower revenues as consumers avoid carbon-intensive industries,  and could also pressure banks and 
investment managers to shift investments and reduce lending as described above.

Physical  Risks.    Potential  physical  risks  resulting  from  climate  change  may  be  event  driven  (including 
increased  severity  of  extreme  weather  events,  such  as  hurricanes,  droughts,  or  floods)  or  longer-term  shifts  in 
climate  patterns  that  may  cause  sea  level  rise  or  chronic  heat  waves.  Potential  physical  risks  may  cause  direct 
damage  to  assets  and  indirect  impacts  such  as  supply  chain  disruption  and  also  could  include  changes  in  water 
availability,  sourcing,  and  quality,  which  could  impact  drilling  and  completions  operations.    These  physical  risks 
could cause increased costs, production disruptions, lower revenues, and substantially increase the cost or limit the 
availability of insurance.

Our  hydraulic  fracturing  activities  are  subject  to  risks  that  could  negatively  impact  our  operations  and 
profitability.

We use hydraulic fracturing for the completion of almost all of our wells.  Hydraulic fracturing is a process 
that involves pumping fluid and proppant at high pressure into a hydrocarbon bearing formation to create and hold 
open fractures.  Those fractures enable gas or oil to move through the formation’s pores to the well bore.  Typically, 
the  fluid  used  in  this  process  is  primarily  water.    In  areas  where  hydraulic  fracturing  is  necessary  for  successful 
development,  the  demand  for  water  may  exceed  the  supply.    A  lack  of  readily  available  water  or  a  significant 
increase in the cost of water could cause delays or increased completion costs.

21

Certain federal agencies have asserted regulatory authority over aspects of the hydraulic fracturing process.  
The EPA, for example, has issued regulations under the federal Clean Air Act establishing performance standards 
for oil and gas activities, including standards for the capture of air emissions released during hydraulic fracturing.  In 
2016, the EPA finalized regulations that prohibit the discharge of wastewater from hydraulic fracturing operations to 
publicly owned wastewater treatment plants and issued a report finding that certain aspects of hydraulic fracturing, 
such  as  water  withdrawals  and  wastewater  management  practices,  could  impact  water  resources.    The  BLM 
previously finalized regulations to regulate hydraulic fracturing on federal lands but subsequently issued a repeal of 
those regulations in 2017.  States in which we operate also have adopted, or have stated intentions to adopt, laws or 
regulations  that  mandate  further  restrictions  on  hydraulic  fracturing,  such  as  imposing  more  stringent  permitting, 
disclosure and well-construction requirements on hydraulic fracturing operations and establishing standards for the 
capture of air emissions released during hydraulic fracturing.  In addition to states, local land use restrictions, such 
as city ordinances, may restrict drilling in general or hydraulic fracturing in particular.

Moreover,  as  stated  above,  policy  makers  have  proposed  implementing  stricter  restrictions  on  hydraulic 
fracturing,  including  banning  the  process  outright.    For  example,  it  is  expected  that  the  Biden  administration  will 
attempt to limit or prohibit hydraulic fracturing on federal lands, which would adversely impact our operations in the 
Permian  Basin,  as  well  as  other  areas  where  we  operate  under  federal  leases.    As  of  December  31,  2020, 
approximately  3%  of  our  total  net  leasehold  resides  on  federal  lands,  and  approximately  31%  of  our  total  net 
leasehold  in  the  Permian  Basin  is  located  on  federal  lands.    Although  it  is  not  possible  at  this  time  to  predict  the 
outcome of any restrictive proposals, any new restrictions on hydraulic fracturing that may be imposed in areas in 
which  we  conduct  business  could  potentially  result  in  increased  compliance  costs,  delays  or  cessation  in 
development or other restrictions on our operations.

Any  of  the  above  factors  could  have  a  material  adverse  effect  on  our  financial  position,  results  of 
operations,  or  cash  flows  and  could  make  it  more  difficult,  costly  or  impossible  for  us  to  perform  hydraulic 
fracturing  to  stimulate  production  from  future  wells.    Restrictions  on  hydraulic  fracturing  also  could  reduce  the 
amount of oil and gas that we are ultimately able to produce from our reserves

Oil,  gas,  and  NGL  prices  fluctuate  due  to  a  number  of  factors  beyond  our  control,  creating  a  component  of 
uncertainty  in  our  development  plans  and  overall  operations.    Declines  in  prices  adversely  affect  our  financial 
results and rate of growth in proved reserves and production.

Oil,  gas,  and  NGL  markets  are  volatile.  We  cannot  predict  future  prices.  The  prices  we  receive  for  our 
production heavily influence our revenue, profitability, access to capital, and future rate of growth.  The prices we 
receive  depend  on  numerous  factors  beyond  our  control.  These  factors  include,  but  are  not  limited  to,  changes  in 
domestic and global supply and demand for oil, gas, and NGLs, the level of domestic and global oil, gas, and NGL 
exploration  and  production  activity,  pipeline  capacity  constraints  limiting  takeaway  and  increasing  basis 
differentials, geopolitical instability, the actions of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (“OPEC”) 
and other cooperating countries, global or national health concerns including the outbreak of pandemic or contagious 
diseases  such  as  COVID-19,  weather  conditions,  technological  advances  affecting  energy  consumption, 
governmental regulations and taxes, changes in administrations and legislative control at federal and state levels, and 
the  price  and  technological  advancement  of  alternative  fuels.    Demand  for  oil,  gas,  and  NGLs  has  severely 
diminished  because  of  the  COVID-19  pandemic,  and  the  resulting  restrictions  on  and  closure  of  factories  and 
businesses, significant travel restrictions and stay-at-home orders, causing lower commodity prices.  Oil prices also 
can  decrease  if  OPEC  increases  supply,  as  it  did  in  the  first  quarter  of  2020  at  a  time  when  global  demand  was 
decreasing.  If any of these conditions persist, our financial results could be adversely affected by the reduction in 
production revenues, and our inability to collect amounts owed by purchasers of our production. 

Our  proved  oil  and  gas  reserves  and  production  volumes  will  decrease  unless  we  replace  those  reserves 
with new discoveries or acquisitions.  Accordingly, for the foreseeable future, we expect to make capital investments 
for  the  exploration  and  development  of  new  oil  and  gas  reserves.    Historically,  we  have  paid  for  these  types  of 
capital  expenditures  with  cash  flow  provided  by  our  production  operations,  our  revolving  credit  facility,  and 
proceeds from the sale of senior notes or equity.  Low commodity prices reduce our cash flow, and the amount of oil 
and  gas  that  we  can  economically  produce  and  may  cause  us  to  curtail,  delay,  or  defer  certain  exploration  and 

22

development projects.  Moreover, low commodity prices may impact our ability to raise additional debt or equity 
capital to fund acquisitions.

If commodity prices remain at current levels or decline further, we will be required to take additional write-downs 
of the carrying value of our oil and gas properties.

Accounting  rules  require  that  we  periodically  review  the  carrying  value  of  our  oil  and  gas  properties  for 
possible  impairment.    We  recognized  ceiling  test  impairments  totaling  $1.64  billion  during  the  year  ended  
December  31,  2020  and  $618.7  million  during  the  year  ended  December  31,  2019.    The  impairments  resulted 
primarily from the impact of decreases in the trailing twelve-month average prices for oil, gas, and NGLs utilized in 
determining  the  estimated  future  net  cash  flows  from  proved  reserves.    If  commodity  pricing  conditions  stay  at 
current  levels  or  decline  further,  we  may  incur  further  ceiling  test  impairments  in  future  quarters.    Because  the 
ceiling  calculation  uses  trailing  twelve-month  average  commodity  prices,  the  effect  of  declining  prices  is  a  lower 
ceiling  value  each  quarter.    This  results  in  ongoing  impairments  each  quarter  until  prices  stabilize  or  improve.  
Impairment  charges  do  not  affect  cash  flow  from  operating  activities,  but  do  adversely  affect  our  net  income  and 
various components of our balance sheet.

Ineffective internal controls could impact our business and financial results.

Our internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements because of its inherent 
limitations,  including  the  possibility  of  human  error,  the  circumvention  or  overriding  of  controls,  or  fraud.    Even 
effective internal controls can provide only reasonable assurance with respect to the preparation and fair presentation 
of  financial  statements.    If  we  fail  to  maintain  the  adequacy  of  our  internal  controls,  including  any  failure  to 
implement required new or improved controls, or if we experience difficulties in their implementation, our business 
and financial results could be harmed, and we could fail to meet our financial reporting obligations.

U.S. or global financial markets may impact our business and financial condition.

A credit crisis or other turmoil in the U.S. or global financial system may have a negative impact on our 
business and our financial condition.  Our ability to access the capital markets may be restricted at a time when we 
would like, or need, to raise financing.  This could have an impact on our flexibility to react to changing economic 
and  business  conditions.    Deteriorating  economic  conditions,  including  those  resulting  from  the  COVID-19 
pandemic, could have a negative impact on our lenders, our hedging counterparties, the purchasers of our oil and gas 
production, and the working interest owners in properties we operate, causing them to fail to meet their obligations 
to us.

Failure to economically replace oil and gas reserves could negatively affect our financial results and future rate 
of growth; exploration and development involves numerous risks.

In order to replace the reserves depleted by production and to maintain or increase our total proved reserves 
and overall production levels, we must either locate and develop new oil and gas reserves or acquire proved reserves 
from others.  This requires significant capital expenditures and can impose reinvestment risk for us, as we may not 
be  able  to  continue  to  replace  our  reserves  economically.    While  we  occasionally  may  seek  to  acquire  proved 
reserves, our main business strategy is to grow through exploration and drilling. Without successful exploration and 
development,  our  reserves,  production,  and  revenues  could  decline  rapidly,  which  would  negatively  impact  the 
results of our operations.

Exploration  and  development  involves  numerous  risks,  including  new  governmental  regulations  and  the 
risk  that  we  will  not  discover  any  commercially  productive  oil  or  gas  reservoirs.    Additionally,  it  can  be 
unprofitable,  not  only  from  drilling  dry  holes  but  also  from  drilling  productive  wells  that  do  not  return  a  profit 
because of insufficient reserves or declines in commodity prices.

23

Our  drilling  operations  may  be  curtailed,  delayed,  or  canceled  for  many  reasons.    Factors,  in  addition  to 
those  enumerated  above,  include  unforeseen  poor  drilling  conditions,  title  problems,  unexpected  pressure 
irregularities, equipment failures, accidents, adverse weather conditions, and the cost of, or shortages or delays in the 
availability of, drilling and completion services could negatively impact our drilling operations.

Our proved reserve estimates may be inaccurate and future net cash flows are uncertain.

Estimates  of  total  proved  oil  and  gas  reserves  (consisting  of  proved  developed  and  proved  undeveloped 
reserves)  and  associated  future  net  cash  flow  depend  on  a  number  of  variables  and  assumptions.    Refer  to 
CAUTIONARY  INFORMATION  ABOUT  FORWARD-LOOKING  STATEMENTS  in  Part  I  of  this  report.  
Among  others,  changes  in  any  of  the  following  factors  may  cause  actual  results  to  vary  considerably  from  our 
estimates:

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

oil, gas, and NGL prices;

timing of development expenditures;

amount of required capital expenditures and associated economics;

recovery efficiencies, decline rates, drainage areas, and reservoir limits;

anticipated reservoir and production characteristics and interpretations of geologic and geophysical data;

production rates, reservoir pressure, unexpected water encroachment, and other subsurface conditions;

governmental regulation;

access to assets restricted by local government action;

operating costs;

property, severance, excise, and other taxes incidental to oil and gas operations;

workover and remediation costs; and

federal and state income taxes.

Our proved oil and gas reserve estimates are prepared by Cimarex engineers in accordance with guidelines 
established  by  the  SEC.    DeGolyer  and  MacNaughton,  an  independent  petroleum  engineering  consulting  firm, 
performed an independent evaluation of our estimated net reserves representing greater than 80% of the total future 
net revenue discounted at 10%, as of December 31, 2020.

The cash flow amounts referred to in this filing should not be construed as the current market value of our 
proved reserves.  In accordance with SEC guidelines, the estimated discounted net cash flow from proved reserves is 
based  on  the  average  of  the  previous  twelve  months’  first-day-of-the-month  prices  and  costs  as  of  the  date  of  the 
estimate, whereas actual future prices and costs may be materially different.

24

The inability to obtain rights-of-way from federal agencies may lead to our inability to transport our oil, gas, and 
NGLs from drilled wells for which we have spent drilling and completion capital and deprive us of revenues from 
sales of those products.

The inability for us or our third party gatherers to obtain rights-of-way to build gathering lines to move our 
produced oil, gas, and NGLs from our wells to markets could prevent us from receiving production revenues after 
expending  capital  on  drilling  and  completing  those  wells.    This  is  of  particular  concern  on  federal  lands  for  the 
reasons  noted  above  in,  “The  adoption  of  climate  change  legislation  or  regulations  restricting  emission  of 
greenhouse gases, investor pressure concerning climate-related disclosures, and lawsuits could result in increased 
operating  costs  and  reduced  demand  for  the  oil  and  gas  we  produce  as  well  as  reductions  in  the  availability  of 
capital.”  The  Biden  administration’s  restrictions  may  lead  to  delays  in  obtaining  approvals  necessary  for  our 
operations and lead to losses.

We may be subject to information technology system failures, network disruptions, and breaches in data security 
and our business, financial position, results of operations, and cash flows could be negatively affected by such 
security threats and disruptions.

As  an  oil  and  gas  producer,  we  face  various  cybersecurity  threats.    Cyberattacks  are  becoming  more 
sophisticated  and  include,  but  are  not  limited  to,  malicious  software,  attempts  to  gain  unauthorized  access  to  data 
and systems, and other electronic security breaches that could lead to disruptions in critical systems, unauthorized 
release of confidential or otherwise protected information, and corruption of data, and “ransomware” attacks where 
data  is  locked  unless  a  payment  is  made,  any  of  which  could  have  an  adverse  effect  on  our  reputation,  business, 
financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows.  While we have not suffered any material losses relating to 
such attacks, there can be no assurance that we will not suffer such losses in the future.

We rely heavily on our information systems, and the availability and integrity of these systems are essential 
for  us  to  conduct  our  business  and  operations.    In  addition  to  cyberattacks,  other  information  system  failures  and 
network  disruptions  could  have  a  material  adverse  effect  on  our  ability  to  conduct  our  business.    We  could 
experience  system  failures  due  to  power  or  telecommunications  failures,  human  error,  natural  disasters,  fire, 
sabotage, hardware or software malfunction or defects, computer viruses, intentional acts of vandalism or terrorism 
and similar acts or occurrences.  Such system failures could result in the unanticipated disruption of our operations, 
communications,  or  processing  of  transactions,  as  well  as  loss  of,  or  damage  to,  sensitive  information,  facilities, 
infrastructure and systems essential to our business and operations, the failure to meet regulatory standards and the 
reporting  of  our  financial  results,  and  other  disruptions  to  our  operations,  which,  in  turn,  could  have  a  material 
adverse effect on our business, financial position, results of operations, and cash flows.

A  cyberattack  involving  our  information  systems  and  related  infrastructure,  or  those  of  our  business 
associates, could disrupt our business and negatively impact our operations in a variety of ways, including but not 
limited to:

•

•

•

•

•

unauthorized  access  to  seismic  data,  reserves  information,  or  other  strategic  or  proprietary  information 
could have a negative impact on our ability to compete for oil and gas resources;

data  corruption  or  operational  disruption  of  production-related  infrastructure  could  result  in  a  loss  of 
production, or an accidental discharge;

a cyberattack on a vendor or service provider could result in supply chain disruptions, which could delay or 
halt our major development projects;

a  cyberattack  on  third-party  gathering,  pipeline,  or  rail  transportation  systems  could  delay  or  prevent  us 
from transporting and marketing our production, resulting in a loss of revenues; and

a cyberattack on our accounting or accounts payable systems could expose us to liability to employees and 
third parties if their personal identifying information is obtained.

25

These events could damage our reputation and lead to monetary losses, or a loss of business, which could 

have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows.

While  management  has  taken  steps  to  address  these  concerns  by  implementing  network  security  and 
internal  control  measures  to  monitor  and  mitigate  security  threats  and  to  increase  security  for  our  information, 
facilities, and infrastructure, our implementation of such procedures and controls may result in increased costs, and 
there can be no assurance that a system failure or data security breach will not occur and have a material adverse 
effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. In addition, as cybersecurity threats continue to 
evolve, we may be required to expend additional resources to continue to modify or enhance our protective measures 
or to investigate or remediate any cybersecurity or information technology infrastructure vulnerabilities.  With large 
numbers  of  employees  (industry-wide  and  at  Cimarex)  working  remotely  during  the  COVID-19  pandemic,  there 
may be heightened vulnerability to cyberattacks. 

Our business depends on oil and gas pipeline and transportation facilities, some of which are owned by others.

In addition to the existence of adequate markets, our oil and gas production depends in large part on the 
proximity and capacity of pipeline systems, as well as storage, processing, transportation, and fractionation facilities, 
most of which are owned by third parties.  Oil, refined products, and gas storage reached historically high levels due 
to reduced demand from the COVID-19 pandemic, which places price pressure across all commodities.  We do not 
anticipate the inability to transport our commodities; however, should that occur, our production could be curtailed, 
which would impact drilling plans.  Curtailments of production could lead to payment being required where we fail 
to deliver oil, gas, and NGLs to meet minimum volume commitments.  These availability and capacity issues are 
more likely to occur in remote areas with less established infrastructure, such as our Delaware Basin area where we 
have  significant  oil  and  gas  production.    Any  of  these  availability  or  capacity  issues,  whether  resulting  from  the 
COVID-19  pandemic,  construction  delays,  government  restrictions,  such  as  occurred  with  the  revocation  of  the 
permit  for  the  Keystone  XL  Pipeline  on  the  first  day  of  the  Biden  administration,  weather,  fire,  or  other  reasons, 
could negatively affect our operations and revenues.

Commodity price derivative transactions may limit our potential gains and involve other risks.

To  limit  our  exposure  to  price  risk,  we  enter  into  derivative  agreements  from  time  to  time.    Commodity 
price derivatives limit volatility and increase the predictability of a portion of our cash flow.  These transactions also 
limit our potential gains when oil and gas prices exceed the prices established by the derivatives.

In  certain  circumstances,  derivative  transactions  may  expose  us  to  the  risk  of  financial  loss,  including 

instances in which:

•

•

•

the counterparties to our derivative agreements fail to perform;

there is a sudden unexpected event that materially increases oil and gas prices; or

there is a widening of price basis differentials between delivery points for our production and the delivery 
point assumed in the derivative agreement.

Because  we  account  for  derivative  contracts  under  mark-to-market  accounting,  during  periods  we  have 
derivative  transactions  in  place,  we  expect  continued  volatility  in  derivative  gains  and  losses  on  our  statement  of 
operations as changes occur in the relevant price indexes.

26

Competition  in  our  industry  is  intense  and  many  of  our  competitors  have  greater  financial  and  technological 
resources.

We operate in the competitive area of oil and gas exploration and production.  Many of our competitors are 
large, well-established companies that have larger operating staffs and greater capital resources.  These competitors 
may be willing to pay more for exploratory prospects and productive oil and gas properties.  They may also be able 
to define, evaluate, bid for, and purchase a greater number of properties and prospects than our financial or human 
resources permit.

Because our activity is concentrated in areas of heavy industry competition, there is heightened demand for 
personnel, equipment, power, services, facilities, and resources, resulting in higher costs than in other areas.  Such 
intense  competition  also  could  result  in  delays  in  securing,  or  the  inability  to  secure,  the  personnel,  equipment, 
power, services, resources, or facilities necessary for our development activities, which could negatively impact our 
production volumes. In remote areas vendors also can charge higher rates due to the inability to attract employees to 
those areas and the vendors’ ability to deploy their resources in easier-to-access areas.

Our  business  involves  many  operating  risks  that  may  result  in  substantial  losses  for  which  insurance  may  be 
unavailable or inadequate.

Our  operations  are  subject  to  hazards  and  risks  inherent  in  drilling  for  oil  and  gas,  such  as  fires,  natural 
disasters,  explosions,  formations  with  abnormal  pressures,  casing  collapses,  uncontrollable  flows  of  underground 
gas,  blowouts,  surface  cratering,  pipeline  ruptures,  and  cement  failures.    Other  risks  include  theft,  vandalism,  and 
environmental hazards such as gas leaks, oil and produced water spills, and discharges of toxic gases.  Any of these 
risks can cause substantial losses or costs resulting from:

•

•

•

•

•

•

injury or loss of life;

damage to, loss of, or destruction of, property and equipment;

pollution and other environmental damages;

regulatory investigations, civil litigation, and penalties;

damage to our reputation; and

suspension of our operations.

In addition, our liability for environmental hazards may include conditions created by the previous owners 

of properties that we purchase or lease.

We  maintain  insurance  coverage  against  some,  but  not  all,  potential  losses.    We  do  not  believe  that 
insurance coverage for all losses or damages that could occur is available at a reasonable cost.  Losses could occur 
for uninsurable or uninsured risks, or in amounts in excess of our existing insurance coverage.  The occurrence of an 
event that is not fully covered by our insurance could harm our financial condition and results of operations.  The 
cost of insurance may increase, and the availability of insurance may decrease, as a result of climate change or other 
factors.

We may not be able to generate enough cash flow to meet our debt obligations.

As  of  December  31,  2020,  our  long-term  debt  consisted  of  $750  million  of  4.375%  senior  notes  due  in 
2024, $750 million of 3.90% senior notes due in 2027, and $500 million of 4.375% senior notes due in 2029.  In 
addition to interest expense and principal on our long-term debt, we have demands on our cash resources including, 
among others, capital expenditures, operating expenses, and contractual commitments.

27

Our ability to pay the principal and interest on our long-term debt and to satisfy our other liabilities will 
depend  upon  future  performance  and  our  ability  to  repay  or  refinance  our  debt  as  it  becomes  due.    Our  future 
operating performance and ability to refinance will be affected by economic and capital market conditions, results of 
operations,  and  other  factors,  many  of  which  are  beyond  our  control.    The  current  COVID-19  pandemic  initially 
resulted in limited availability of public debt markets.  Our ability to meet our debt service obligations also may be 
impacted  by  changes  in  prevailing  interest  rates,  as  borrowing  under  our  existing  revolving  credit  facility  bears 
interest at floating rates.

We may not generate sufficient cash flow from operations.  Without sufficient cash flow, there may not be 
adequate future sources of capital to enable us to service our indebtedness or to fund our other liquidity needs.  Our 
cash  flow  has  been  impacted  by  the  reduced  commodity  prices  and  lower  production  resulting  from  diminished 
demand caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.  If we are unable to service our indebtedness and fund our operating 
costs, we will be forced to adopt alternative strategies that may include:

•

•

•

•

reducing or delaying capital expenditures;

seeking additional debt financing or equity capital;

selling assets; or

restructuring or refinancing debt.

We may be unable to complete any such strategies on satisfactory terms, if at all.  Our inability to generate 
sufficient cash flows to satisfy our debt obligations or contractual commitments, or to refinance our indebtedness on 
commercially  reasonable  terms,  would  materially  and  adversely  affect  our  financial  condition  and  results  of 
operations.

The  instruments  governing  our  indebtedness  contain  various  covenants  limiting  the  discretion  of  our 
management in operating our business.

The  indenture  governing  our  senior  notes  and  our  credit  agreement  contain  various  restrictive  covenants 
that may limit management’s discretion in certain respects.  In particular, these agreements may limit our ability to, 
among other things:

•

•

create certain liens; or

consolidate, merge, or transfer all, or substantially all, of our assets and our restricted subsidiaries.

In  addition,  our  revolving  credit  agreement  requires  us  to  maintain  a  total  debt-to-capitalization  ratio  (as 
defined  in  the  credit  agreement)  of  not  more  than  65%.    While  we  were  in  compliance  with  this  covenant  at 
December 31, 2020, net losses in the future driven by ceiling test impairments could cause us to exceed this ratio.

If  we  fail  to  comply  with  the  restrictions  in  the  indenture  governing  our  senior  notes  or  the  agreement 
governing our credit facility or any other subsequent financing agreements, a default may allow the creditors, if the 
agreements  so  provide,  to  accelerate  the  related  indebtedness  as  well  as  any  other  indebtedness  to  which  a  cross-
acceleration or cross-default provision applies. In addition, lenders may be able to terminate any commitments they 
had made to make available further funds.

28

Certain  federal  income  tax  deductions  currently  available  with  respect  to  oil  and  gas  exploration  and 
development may be limited or eliminated as a result of future legislation.

On December 22, 2017, the United States enacted H.R.1, commonly referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs 
Act  or  U.S.  Tax  Reform.  H.R.1,  among  other  things,  includes  changes  to  U.S.  federal  tax  rates,  imposes  new 
limitations  on  the  utilization  of  net  operating  losses  and  the  deductibility  of  interest  and  executive  compensation, 
allows  for  the  expensing  of  capital  expenditures,  and  eliminates  the  corporate  Alternative  Minimum  Tax.    In 
addition, various proposals have been made recommending the elimination of certain key U.S. federal income tax 
incentives  currently  available  to  oil  and  gas  exploration  and  production  companies.    While  the  tax  law  changes 
approved  in  December  2017  did  not  eliminate  any  of  these  incentives,  new  legislation  may  be  introduced  in 
Congress which would implement many of these proposals.  These changes include, but are not limited to: (i) the 
repeal of the percentage depletion allowance for oil and gas properties; (ii) the elimination of current deductions for 
intangible drilling and development costs; and (iii) an extension of the amortization period for certain geological and 
geophysical  expenditures.    It  is  unclear,  however,  whether  any  such  changes  will  be  enacted  or  how  soon  such 
changes could be effective.

The passage of this legislation or any other similar change in U.S. federal income tax law could eliminate 
or  postpone  certain  tax  deductions  that  are  currently  available  with  respect  to  oil  and  gas  exploration  and 
development, and any such change could have an adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations, and 
cash flows, including the payment of cash taxes earlier than expected.

We are involved in various legal proceedings, the outcome of which could have an adverse effect on our liquidity.

In  the  normal  course  of  business,  we  are  involved  with  various  lawsuits  and  related  disputed  claims, 
including  but  not  limited  to  claims  concerning  title,  validity  of  leases,  royalty  payments,  environmental  issues, 
personal injuries, labor issues, and contractual issues.  Although we currently believe the resolution of these lawsuits 
and claims, individually or in the aggregate, would not have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or 
results  of  operations,  our  assessment  of  our  current  litigation  and  other  legal  proceedings  could  change  with  the 
discovery of facts not presently known to us or as a result of determinations by judges, juries, or other finders of fact 
that are not in accord with our evaluation of the possible liability or outcome of such proceedings.  Therefore, there 
can be no assurance that outcomes of future legal proceedings would not have an adverse effect on our liquidity and 
capital resources.

We  are  subject  to  complex  laws  and  regulations  that  can  adversely  affect  the  cost,  manner,  and  feasibility  of 
doing business. 

As an owner, lessee, or operator of oil and gas properties, we are subject to various complex, stringent, and 
constantly evolving environmental laws and regulations.  Our operations inherently create the risk of environmental 
liability to the government and private parties stemming from our use, generation, handling, and disposal of water 
and  waste  materials,  as  well  as  the  release  of  hydrocarbons  or  other  substances  into  the  air,  soil,  or  water.    The 
environmental  laws  and  regulations  to  which  we  are  subject  impose  numerous  obligations  applicable  to  our 
operations,  including:  the  acquisition  of  permits  before  conducting  regulated  activities  associated  with  drilling  for 
and producing oil and gas; the restriction of types, quantities, and concentration of materials that can be released into 
the  environment;  the  limitation  or  prohibition  of  drilling  activities  on  certain  lands  lying  within  wilderness, 
wetlands, waters of the United States, and other protected areas; the application of specific health and safety criteria 
addressing worker protection; and the imposition of substantial liabilities for pollution resulting from our operations.  
Numerous  governmental  authorities,  such  as  the  EPA  and  analogous  state  agencies  have  the  power  to  enforce 
compliance  with  these  laws  and  regulations  and  the  permits  issued  under  them.    Such  enforcement  actions  often 
involve taking difficult and costly compliance measures or corrective actions.  Failure to comply with these laws and 
regulations  may  result  in  the  assessment  of  sanctions,  including  administrative,  civil,  or  criminal  penalties,  the 
imposition of investigatory or remedial obligations, and the issuance of orders limiting or prohibiting some or all of 
our operations.  In addition, we may experience delays in obtaining, or be unable to obtain, required permits (for the 
reasons  described  elsewhere  in  these  Risk  Factors),  which  may  delay  or  interrupt  our  operations  and  limit  our 
growth and revenue.  These permits and other regulatory approvals also may be negatively impacted by COVID-19 

29

restrictions on regulatory employees responsible for regulatory approvals.

Liabilities  under  certain  environmental  laws  can  be  joint  and  several  and  may  in  some  cases  be  imposed 
regardless of fault on our part such as where we own a working interest in a property operated by another party.  We 
also  could  be  held  liable  for  damages  or  remediating  lands  or  facilities  previously  owned  or  operated  by  others 
regardless of whether such contamination resulted from our own actions and regardless if we were in compliance 
with all applicable law at the time.  Further, claims for damages to persons or property, including natural resources, 
may result from the environmental, health, and safety impacts of our operations.  Because these environmental risks 
generally  are  not  fully  insurable  and  can  result  in  substantial  costs,  such  liabilities  could  have  a  material  adverse 
effect on both our financial condition and operations.

Our  financial  condition  and  results  of  operations  may  be  materially  adversely  affected  if  we  incur  costs  and 
liabilities due to a failure to comply with environmental regulations or a release of hazardous substances into the 
environment.

Our operations are subject to environmental laws and regulations relating to the management and release of 
hazardous  substances,  pollutants,  solid  and  hazardous  wastes,  and  petroleum  hydrocarbons.    These  laws  generally 
regulate  the  generation,  storage,  treatment,  discharge,  transportation,  and  disposal  of  pollutants  and  solid  and 
hazardous  waste  and  may  impose  strict  and,  in  some  cases,  joint  and  several  liability  for  the  investigation  and 
remediation of affected areas where hazardous substances may have been released or disposed.  The most significant 
of these environmental laws are as follows:

•

•

•

•

•

•

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, as amended, referred to as 
“CERCLA”  or  the  “Superfund  law,”  and  comparable  state  laws,  which  imposes  liability  on  generators, 
transporters,  and  arrangers  of  hazardous  substances  at  sites  where  hazardous  substance  releases  have 
occurred or are threatening to occur;

The  Oil  Pollution  Act  of  1990  (“OPA”),  under  which  owners  and  operators  of  onshore  facilities  and 
pipelines, lessees or permittees of an area in which an offshore facility is located, and owners and operators 
of vessels are liable for removal costs and damages that result from a discharge of oil into navigable waters 
of the United States; 

The  Resource  Conservation  and  Recovery  Act  (“RCRA”),  as  amended,  and  comparable  state  statutes, 
which governs the treatment, storage, and disposal of solid waste; 

The  Federal  Water  Pollution  Control  Act,  as  amended,  also  known  as  the  Clean  Water  Act  (“CWA”), 
which governs the discharge of pollutants, including natural gas wastes, into federal and state waters; 

The  Safe  Drinking  Water  Act  (“SDWA”),  which  governs  the  disposal  of  wastewater  in  underground 
injection wells; and 

The Clean Air Act (“CAA”) which governs the emission of pollutants into the air.

We believe we are in substantial compliance with the above requirements and related state and local laws 
and  regulations.    We  also  believe  we  hold  all  necessary  and  up-to-date  permits,  registrations,  and  other 
authorizations required under such laws and regulations.  Although the current costs of managing our wastes as they 
presently  are  classified  are  reflected  in  our  budget,  any  legislative  or  regulatory  reclassification  of  oil  and  gas 
exploration  and  production  wastes  could  increase  our  costs  to  manage  and  dispose  of  such  wastes  and  have  a 
material adverse effect on our financial condition and operations.

30

Federal  regulatory  initiatives  relating  to  the  protection  of  threatened  or  endangered  species  could  result  in 
increased costs and additional operating restrictions or delays.

The  Federal  Endangered  Species  Act  (“ESA”)  was  established  to  protect  endangered  and  threatened 
species.    Pursuant  to  the  ESA,  if  a  species  is  listed  as  threatened  or  endangered,  restrictions  may  be  imposed  on 
activities  adversely  affecting  that  species’  habitat.    The  U.S.  Fish  and  Wildlife  Service  (“FWS”)  may  designate 
critical habitat and suitable habitat areas it believes are necessary for survival of a threatened or endangered species.  
A critical habitat or suitable habitat designation could result in further material restrictions to federal land use and 
may  materially  delay  or  prohibit  land  access  for  oil  and  gas  development.    Similar  protections  are  offered  to 
migratory birds under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.  We conduct operations on federal oil and gas leases in areas 
where  certain  species  are  currently  listed  as  threatened  or  endangered,  or  could  be  listed  as  such,  under  the  ESA.  
Operations  in  areas  where  threatened  or  endangered  species  or  their  habitat  are  known  to  exist  may  require  us  to 
incur increased costs to implement mitigation or protective measures and also may restrict or preclude our drilling 
activities in those areas or during certain seasons, such as breeding and nesting seasons.  

On March 27, 2014, the FWS announced the listing of the lesser prairie chicken, whose habitat is over a 
five-state  region,  including  Texas,  New  Mexico,  and  Oklahoma,  where  we  conduct  operations,  as  a  threatened 
species  under  the  ESA.    Listing  of  the  lesser  prairie  chicken  as  a  threatened  species  imposes  restrictions  on 
disturbances to critical habitat by landowners and drilling companies that would harass, harm, or otherwise result in 
a  “taking”  of  this  species.    However,  the  FWS  also  announced  a  final  rule  that  will  limit  regulatory  impacts  on 
landowners and businesses from the listing if those landowners and businesses have entered into certain range-wide 
conservation  planning  agreements,  such  as  those  developed  by  the  Western  Association  of  Fish  and  Wildlife 
Agencies  (“WAFWA”),  pursuant  to  which  such  parties  agreed  to  take  steps  to  protect  the  lesser  prairie  chicken’s 
habitat  and  to  pay  a  mitigation  fee  if  its  actions  harm  the  lesser  prairie  chicken’s  habitat.    We  entered  into  a 
voluntary  Candidate  Conservation  Agreement  (“CCA”)  with  the  WAFWA,  whereby  we  agreed  to  take  certain 
actions and limit certain activities, such as limiting drilling on certain portions of our acreage during nesting seasons, 
in an effort to protect the lesser prairie chicken.  

On February 9, 2018, the FWS announced the listing of the Texas Hornshell, a freshwater mussel species in 
areas including New Mexico and Texas where we operate in the Permian Basin, as an endangered species.  In March 
2018, we entered into a CCA concerning voluntary conservation actions with respect to the Texas Hornshell.  

Participating in CCAs could result in increased costs to us from species protection measures, time delays or 
limitations on drilling activities, which costs, delays, or limitations may be significant.  Listing petitions continue to 
be filed with the FWS which could impact our operations.  Many non-governmental organizations (“NGOs”) work 
closely  with  the  FWS  regarding  the  listing  of  many  species,  including  species  with  broad  and  even  nationwide 
ranges.  The listing of the Mexican Long Nosed bat, whose habitat includes the Permian Basin where we operate, 
and  the  Dunes  Sagebrush  Lizard  in  the  Permian  Basin,  are  examples  of  the  NGOs’  influence  on  ESA  listing 
decisions.  

On December 1 2020, the FWS announced the petitioning of the Peppered Chub to be listed as endangered 
or  threatened  under  the  ESA.    The  Peppered  Chub  is  a  freshwater  fish  that  historically  was  found  in  the  South 
Canadian,  Cimarron,  and  Arkansas  rivers  within  New  Mexico,  Texas,  Oklahoma,  and  Kansas.    Cimarex  has 
operations near the South Canadian river in Oklahoma that could be impacted if the Peppered Chub is either listed as 
threatened or endangered under the ESA or if the FWS declares the basins of the South Canadian river to be critical 
habitat.  The increase in endangered species listings, such as the Peppered Chub, may limit our ability to explore for 
or produce oil and gas in certain areas and increase our costs.

31

We  have  been  an  early  entrant  into  new  or  emerging  resource  plays.    As  a  result,  our  drilling  results  in  these 
areas are uncertain.  The value of our undeveloped acreage may decline and we may incur impairment charges if 
drilling results are unsuccessful.

New or emerging oil and gas resource plays have limited or no production history.  Consequently, in those 
new areas it is difficult to predict our future drilling costs and results, so our drilling, completing, and operating costs 
may be higher than initially expected and our production may be lower than initially expected.  The value of our 
undeveloped acreage also may decline if our results are unsuccessful, and, as a result, we may have to impair the 
carrying value of our undeveloped acreage.  

Many of our properties are in areas that may have been partially depleted or drained by offset wells and certain of 
our wells may be adversely affected by actions other operators may take when drilling, completing, or operating 
wells that they own.

Many  of  our  properties  are  in  areas  that  may  have  been  partially  depleted  or  drained  by  earlier  offset 
drilling.    We  have  no  control  over  offsetting  operators,  who  could  take  actions,  such  as  drilling  and  completing 
additional  wells,  which  could  adversely  affect  our  operations.  When  a  new  well  is  completed  and  produced,  the 
pressure differential in the vicinity of the wellbore causes the migration of reservoir fluids toward the new wellbore 
(and  potentially  away  from  existing  wellbores),  which  could  cause  a  depletion  of  our  proved  reserves  and  may 
inhibit  our  ability  to  further  develop  our  proved  reserves.    The  possibility  for  these  impacts  may  increase  with 
respect to wells that we shut in as a response to lower commodity prices or the lack of pipeline and storage capacity 
such as occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic.  In addition, completion operations and other activities conducted 
on  other  nearby  wells  could  cause  us,  in  order  to  protect  our  existing  wells,  to  shut  in  production  for  indefinite 
periods of time.  Shutting in our wells and damage to our wells from offset completions could result in increased 
costs and could adversely affect the reserves and re-commenced production from such shut in wells. 

Our  limited  ability  to  influence  operations  and  associated  costs  on  non-operated  properties  could  result  in 
economic losses that are partially beyond our control.

For  the  year  ended  December  31,  2020,  other  companies  operated  approximately  12%  of  our  net 
production.  Our success in properties operated by others depends upon a number of factors outside of our control.  
These  factors  include  timing  and  amount  of  capital  expenditures,  the  operator’s  expertise  and  financial  resources, 
approval  of  other  participants  in  drilling  wells,  selection  of  technology,  and  maintenance  of  safety  and 
environmental  standards.    Our  dependence  on  the  operator  and  other  working  interest  owners  for  these  projects 
could prevent the realization of our targeted returns on capital in drilling or acquisition activities.

Our  acquisition  activities  may  not  be  successful,  which  may  hinder  our  replacement  of  reserves  and  adversely 
affect our results of operations.

The successful acquisition of properties requires an assessment of several factors, including:

•

•

•

•

geological risks and recoverable reserves;

future oil and gas prices and their appropriate market differentials;

operating costs; and

potential environmental risks and other liabilities.

The  accuracy  of  these  assessments  is  inherently  uncertain.    In  connection  with  these  assessments,  we 
perform a review of the subject properties we believe to be generally consistent with industry practices.  Our review 
will  not  reveal  all  existing  or  potential  problems  nor  will  it  permit  us  to  become  sufficiently  familiar  with  the 
properties to fully assess their deficiencies and capabilities.  Inspections will not likely be performed on every well 
or  facility,  and  structural  and  environmental  problems  are  not  necessarily  observable  even  when  an  inspection  is 

32

undertaken.    Furthermore,  the  seller  may  be  unwilling  or  unable,  such  as  in  a  corporate  acquisition  like  our 
acquisition of Resolute, to provide effective contractual protection against all or part of the identified problems. 

On March 1, 2019, we completed the acquisition of Resolute.  There can be no assurance that we will be 
able  to  successfully  develop  Resolute’s  assets  or  otherwise  realize  the  expected  benefits  of  the  acquisition  of 
Resolute.  In addition, our business may be negatively impacted if Resolute has liabilities that were not disclosed. 

We may lose leases if production is not established within the time periods specified in the leases or if we do not 
maintain production in paying quantities.

We could lose leases under certain circumstances if we do not maintain production in paying quantities or 
meet  other  lease  requirements,  and  the  amounts  we  spent  for  those  leases  could  be  lost.    As  we  shut  in  wells  in 
response  to  lower  commodity  prices  or  a  lack  of  pipeline  and  storage  capacity  as  a  result  of  the  COVID-19 
pandemic,  we  may  face  claims  that  we  are  not  complying  with  lease  provisions.    As  noted  above,  the  Biden 
administration  also  may  impose  new  restrictions  and  regulations  affecting  our  ability  to  drill,  conduct  hydraulic 
fracturing operations, and obtain necessary rights-of-way on federal lands, which could, in turn, result in the loss of 
federal leases.  The combined net acreage expiring in the next three years represents approximately 3.1% of our total 
net undeveloped acreage at December 31, 2020. At that date, we had leases representing 132,051 net acres expiring 
in 2021, 35,516 net acres expiring in 2022, and 7,154 net acres expiring in 2023.  Our actual drilling activities may 
materially differ from those presently identified, which could adversely affect our business.

Our  disposition  activities  may  be  subject  to  factors  beyond  our  control,  and  in  certain  cases  we  may  retain 
unforeseen liabilities for certain matters.

We  regularly  sell  non-strategic  assets  in  order  to  increase  capital  resources  available  for  other  strategic 
assets and to create organizational and operational efficiencies.  We also occasionally sell interests in strategic assets 
for  the  purpose  of  accelerating  the  development  of  and  increasing  efficiencies  in  such  strategic  assets.    Various 
factors  could  materially  affect  our  ability  to  dispose  of  such  assets,  including  the  approvals  of  governmental 
agencies  or  third  parties,  and  the  availability  of  purchasers  willing  to  acquire  the  assets  with  terms  we  deem 
acceptable.

Sellers at times retain certain liabilities or agree to indemnify buyers for certain matters related to the sold 
assets.  The magnitude of any such retained liability or indemnification obligation is difficult to quantify at the time 
of the transaction and ultimately could be material.  Also, as is typical in divestiture transactions, third parties may 
be unwilling to release us from guarantees or other credit support provided prior to the sale of the divested assets.  
As a result, after a divestiture, we may remain secondarily liable for the obligations guaranteed or supported to the 
extent that the buyer of the assets fails to perform these obligations.  In addition, with respect to offshore assets, if 
purchasers  declare  bankruptcy,  the  United  States  Department  of  Interior  may  pursue  former  owners  for 
decommissioning  expenses,  which  can  be  substantial.    See  Note  8  to  the  Consolidated  Financial  Statements  for 
further discussion regarding our asset retirement obligations.  

Competition for experienced technical personnel may negatively impact our operations.

Our  exploratory  and  development  drilling  success  depends,  in  part,  on  our  ability  to  attract  and  retain 
experienced professional personnel.  The loss of any key executives or other key personnel could have a material 
adverse  effect  on  our  operations.    As  we  continue  to  develop  our  asset  base  and  the  scope  of  our  operations,  our 
future profitability will depend on our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel, particularly individuals with a 
strong background in geology, geophysics, engineering, and operations.

33

ITEM 1B.  UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None.

ITEM 3.  LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

The  information  set  forth  under  the  heading  “Litigation”  in  Note  10  to  the  Consolidated  Financial 

Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K, is incorporated by reference in response to this item. 

ITEM 4.  MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

Not applicable.

34

 
PART II

ITEM 5.  MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS 
AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

Our $0.01 par value common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) under the symbol 
XEC.  A cash dividend was paid to our common stockholders in each quarter of 2020.  Future dividend payments 
will depend on the company’s level of earnings, financial requirements, and other factors considered relevant by the 
Board of Directors.

The closing price of Cimarex stock as reported on the NYSE on January 29, 2021, was $42.18.  At January 
31,  2021,  Cimarex’s  102,807,656  shares  of  outstanding  common  stock  were  held  by  approximately  1,174 
stockholders of record.

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

The  following  table  sets  forth  information  regarding  repurchases  of  our  common  stock  during  the  year 
ended December 31, 2020.  The shares repurchased represent shares of our common stock that employees elected to 
surrender to satisfy their tax withholding obligations upon the vesting of shares of restricted stock.  Cimarex does 
not consider this a share buyback program.

Total number of 
shares 
purchased

Average price 
paid per share

Total number of 
shares purchased as 
part of publicly 
announced plans or 
programs

Maximum number 
of shares that may 
yet be purchased 
under the plans or 
programs

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 
— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 
— 

— 

Period

January 1-31, 2020....................................

February 1-29, 2020..................................

March 1-31, 2020......................................

April 1-30, 2020........................................

May 1-31, 2020.........................................

June 1-30, 2020.........................................

—  $ 

— 

12,199 

1,160 

— 

— 

— 

— 

13.56 

20.53 

— 

— 

July 1-31, 2020..........................................

94,245 

24.57 

August 1-31, 2020.....................................

September 1-30, 2020................................

October 1-31, 2020....................................

November 1-30, 2020................................
December 1-31, 2020................................
Total......................................................

— 

— 

— 

1,468 
52,620 

161,692  $ 

— 

— 

— 

31.25 
36.21 

26.73 

35

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Stock Performance Graph

The following graph shows the cumulative five-year total return on Cimarex Energy Co.’s common stock 
relative to the cumulative total returns of the S&P 500 index, the Dow Jones US Exploration & Production index, 
and the S&P Oil & Gas Exploration & Production index.  The graph tracks the performance of a $100 investment in 
our common stock and in each of the indexes (with the reinvestment of all dividends) from December 31, 2015 to 
December 31, 2020.  The stock price performance included in this graph is not necessarily indicative of future stock 
price performance.

COMPARISON OF FIVE-YEAR CUMULATIVE TOTAL RETURN*
Among Cimarex Energy Co., the S&P 500 Index,
the Dow Jones US Exploration & Production Index, and the S&P Oil & Gas Exploration & Production Index

* $100 invested on 12/31/15 in stock or index, including reinvestment of dividends.  Fiscal year ending December 
31.

A tabular presentation of the data in the above graph is provided below.

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

Cimarex Energy Co..................................... $  100.00  $  152.64  $  137.42  $  69.88  $  60.39  $  44.43 
S&P 500...................................................... $  100.00  $  111.96  $  136.40  $  130.42  $  171.49  $  203.04 
Dow Jones US Exploration & Production.. $  100.00  $  124.48  $  126.10  $  103.69  $  115.51  $  76.64 
S&P Oil & Gas Exploration & Production. $  100.00  $  132.86  $  124.48  $  100.20  $  112.25  $  72.49 

36

Cimarex Energy Co.S&P 500Dow Jones US Exploration & ProductionS&P Oil & Gas Exploration & Production12/1512/1612/1712/1812/1912/20$0$25$50$75$100$125$150$175$200$225 
ITEM 6.  SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

The selected financial data set forth below should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial 

Statements and accompanying notes thereto provided in Item 8 of this report.

Years Ended December 31,

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

(in thousands, except per share amounts)

Operating results:

Oil, gas, and NGL sales.......................... $ 1,512,688  $ 2,321,921  $ 2,297,645  $ 1,874,003  $ 1,221,218 
Total revenues (1).................................. $ 1,558,595  $ 2,362,969  $ 2,339,017  $ 1,918,249  $ 1,257,345 
Net (loss) income (2).............................. $ (1,967,458)  $  (124,619)  $  791,851  $  494,329  $  (408,803) 

Earnings (loss) per common share:

Basic....................................................... $ 
Diluted.................................................... $ 

(19.73)  $ 
(19.73)  $ 

(1.33)  $ 
(1.33)  $ 

8.32  $ 
8.32  $ 

5.19  $ 
5.19  $ 

(4.38) 
(4.38) 

Cash dividends declared per common 
share............................................................ $ 

0.88  $ 

0.80  $ 

0.68  $ 

0.32  $ 

0.32 

Cash flow data:

Net cash provided by operating 
activities................................................. $  904,167  $ 1,343,966  $ 1,550,994  $ 1,096,564  $  625,849 
Net cash used by investing activities..... $  (578,875)  $ (1,577,882)  $ (1,085,618)  $ (1,265,897)  $  (692,410) 
Net cash used by financing activities..... $  (146,869)  $  (472,028)  $ 
(59,945) 

(65,244)  $ 

(83,009)  $ 

December 31,

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

(in thousands, except proved reserves amounts)

Balance sheet data:

Cash and cash equivalents (3)................ $  273,145  $ 
94,722  $  800,666  $  400,534  $  652,876 
Oil and gas properties, net (2) (3).......... $ 3,436,669  $ 5,210,698  $ 3,715,330  $ 3,241,530  $ 2,354,267 
Goodwill (3)........................................... $ 
—  $  716,865  $  620,232  $  620,232  $  620,232 
Total assets (2) (3).................................. $ 4,621,989  $ 7,140,029  $ 6,062,084  $ 5,042,639  $ 4,237,724 
Deferred income tax (asset) liability...... $ 
(55,835) 
Long-term obligations:

(20,472)  $  338,424  $  334,473  $  101,618  $ 

Long-term debt (principal) (4).......... $ 2,000,000  $ 2,000,000  $ 1,500,000  $ 1,500,000  $ 1,500,000 
Operating and finance leases (5)....... $  154,436  $  202,921  $ 
— 
Other................................................. $  229,794  $  197,056  $  200,564  $  206,249  $  184,444 
Redeemable preferred stock (3)............. $ 
— 
Stockholders’ equity (2)......................... $ 1,553,454  $ 3,576,141  $ 3,329,786  $ 2,568,278  $ 2,042,989 

36,781  $ 

81,620  $ 

—  $ 

—  $ 

—  $ 

—  $ 

Proved Reserves:

Oil (MBbls)............................................
Gas (Bcf)................................................
NGL (MBbls).........................................
Total (MBOE)........................................

144,063 
1,363 
159,818 
531,021 

169,770 
1,532 
194,468 
619,595 

146,538 
1,591 
179,436 
591,195 

137,238 
1,608 
153,860 
559,037 

105,878 
1,471 
130,633 
481,748 

37

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
________________________________________
(1)  Effective January 1, 2018, we adopted the provisions of Accounting Standards Codification 606, Revenue from 
Contracts with Customers (“ASC 606”), utilizing the modified retrospective approach.  Because we utilized the 
modified  retrospective  approach,  there  was  no  impact  to  prior  periods’  reported  amounts.    Application  of 
ASC 606 has no impact on our net income or cash flows from operations; however, certain costs classified as 
Transportation,  processing,  and  other  operating  in  the  Consolidated  Statements  of  Operations  and 
Comprehensive Income (Loss) under prior accounting standards are now reflected as deductions from revenue. 

(2)  During  2020,  2019,  and  2016,  we  recorded  non-cash  full  cost  ceiling  test  impairments  of  our  oil  and  gas 

properties totaling $1.64 billion, $618.7 million, and $757.7 million, respectively.

(3)  We  acquired  Resolute  Energy  Corporation  on  March  1,  2019.    Consideration  for  this  acquisition  included 
$284.4  million  in  cash,  net  of  cash  acquired,  and  $81.6  million  in  preferred  stock.    The  final  purchase  price 
allocation  included  $1.72  billion  to  oil  and  gas  properties  and  $94.2  million  to  goodwill.    We  concluded  that 
goodwill was fully impaired at March 31, 2020 and recorded a $714.4 million impairment at that time.  During 
2020,  we  repurchased  some  of  the  preferred  stock.    See  Notes  1,  2,  and  13  to  the  Consolidated  Financial 
Statements for further information regarding goodwill, the preferred stock, and the acquisition.  

(4)  On March 8, 2019, we issued $500.0 million aggregate principal amount of 4.375% senior unsecured notes due 
March  15,  2029  at  99.862%  of  par  to  yield  4.392%  per  annum.    See  Note  3  to  the  Consolidated  Financial 
Statements for further information regarding our debt.  

(5)  Effective  January  1,  2019,  we  began  accounting  for  leases  in  accordance  with  Accounting  Standards  Update 
2016-02, Leases (“Topic 842”), which requires lessees to recognize lease liabilities and right-of-use assets on 
the  balance  sheet  for  contracts  that  provide  lessees  with  the  right  to  control  the  use  of  identified  assets  for 
periods of greater than 12 months.  Prior to January 1, 2019, we accounted for leases in accordance with ASC 
Topic 840, Leases, under which operating leases were not recorded on the balance sheet.  See Note 10 to the 
Consolidated  Financial  Statements  for  further  information  regarding  our  leases  and  their  financial  statement 
impacts.  

ITEM  7.    MANAGEMENT’S  DISCUSSION  AND  ANALYSIS  OF  FINANCIAL  CONDITION  AND 
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The  following  discussion  and  analysis  should  be  read  in  conjunction  with  our  Consolidated  Financial 
Statements  included  in  Item  8  of  this  report  and  also  with  RISK  FACTORS  in  Item  1A  of  this  report.    This 
discussion  also  includes  forward-looking  statements.    Refer  to  CAUTIONARY  INFORMATION  ABOUT 
FORWARD-LOOKING  STATEMENTS  in  Part  I  of  this  report  for  important  information  about  these  types  of 
statements.    Discussion  and  analysis  regarding  2020  and  2019  is  provided  below.    For  discussion  and  analysis 
regarding 2018, see Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our 
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 as previously filed with the SEC.

OVERVIEW

Cimarex  is  an  independent  oil  and  gas  exploration  and  production  company.    Our  operations  are  located 
entirely  within  the  United  States  of  America,  mainly  in  Texas,  New  Mexico,  and  Oklahoma.    Currently  our 
operations  are  focused  in  two  main  areas:  the  Permian  Basin  and  the  Mid-Continent.    Our  Permian  Basin  region 
encompasses  west  Texas  and  southeast  New  Mexico.    Our  Mid-Continent  region  consists  of  Oklahoma  and  the 
Texas Panhandle.

Our  principal  business  objective  is  to  increase  shareholder  value  through  the  profitable  growth  of  our 
proved reserves and production while seeking to minimize our impact on the communities in which we operate for 
the  long-term.    Our  strategy  centers  on  maximizing  cash  flow  from  producing  properties  for  reinvestment  in 
exploration  and  development  activities  and  for  providing  cash  returns  to  shareholders  through  dividends  and  debt 
reduction.    We  consider  merger  and  acquisition  opportunities  that  enhance  our  competitive  position  and  we 
occasionally divest non-strategic assets.

38

On  March  1,  2019,  we  completed  the  acquisition  of  Resolute  Energy  Corporation  (“Resolute”),  an 
independent  oil  and  gas  company  focused  on  the  acquisition  and  development  of  unconventional  oil  and  gas 
properties  in  the  Delaware  Basin  area  of  the  Permian  Basin  of  west  Texas.    See  Note  13  to  the  Consolidated 
Financial Statements for more information on the acquisition.

We believe that detailed technical analysis, operational focus, and a disciplined capital investment process 
mitigate  risk  and  position  us  to  continue  to  achieve  profitable  increases  in  proved  reserves  and  production.    Our 
drilling  inventory  and  limited  long-term  commitments  provide  the  flexibility  to  respond  quickly  to  industry 
volatility.  Our investments are generally funded with cash flow provided by operating activities together with cash 
on  hand,  bank  borrowings,  sales  of  non-strategic  assets,  and,  from  time  to  time,  public  financing  based  on  our 
monitoring of capital markets and our balance sheet.

In  the  first  quarter  of  2020,  the  highly  transmissible  and  pathogenic  coronavirus  known  as  severe  acute 
respiratory  syndrome  coronavirus  2  (SARS-CoV-2)  that  causes  the  disease  known  as  COVID-19  began  to  spread 
globally.  In February 2020, we created a multi-disciplinary task force to address the potential impacts of COVID-19 
on our employees and operations.  The task force developed health and safety protocols to protect employees and 
augmented our business interruption plans to address potential impacts on our business from COVID-19.

Market Conditions

The  oil  and  gas  industry  is  cyclical  and  commodity  prices  can  fluctuate  significantly.    We  expect  this 
volatility  to  persist.    Commodity  prices  are  affected  by  many  factors  outside  of  our  control,  including  changes  in 
market supply and demand, inventory storage levels, weather conditions, and other factors.  Local market prices for 
oil and gas can be impacted by pipeline capacity constraints limiting takeaway and increasing basis differentials.  

The  reduction  in  economic  activity  from  the  COVID-19  pandemic  resulted  in  unprecedented  demand 
destruction and inventory increases for oil and natural gas liquids.  In addition, in early March 2020, members of the 
Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (“OPEC”) and other countries failed to reach an agreement on 
oil  production  limits  and  Saudi  Arabia  unilaterally  reduced  the  sales  price  of  its  oil  and  announced  that  it  would 
increase its oil production.  As a result of these actions and the COVID-19 pandemic, WTI oil prices dropped from 
an average of $57.53 per barrel in January 2020 to $16.70 per barrel in April 2020.  Since April 2020, average WTI 
oil  prices  have  risen  to  $47.07  per  barrel  in  December  2020.    The  oil  price  improvement  and  or  stabilization  has 
coincided  with  some  recovery  of  global  economic  activity,  lower  supply  from  major  oil  producing  countries,  and 
moderating inventory levels.

In response to the decline in oil prices in the second quarter 2020, we took immediate steps to reduce our 
capital investment, including releasing all but one drilling rig by mid-May and deferring well completion activity.  
This resulted in a reduction in exploration, development, and acquisition capital expenditures from $255.9 million in 
the first quarter of 2020 to $83.8 million in the second quarter of 2020, $80.5 million in the third quarter of 2020, 
and $136.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2020.  As a result, total exploration, development, and acquisition capital 
expenditures  for  2020  were  $556.7  million.    This  level  of  capital  expenditures  was  less  than  our  cash  flow  from 
operating activities, which has allowed us to build our cash balance and not incur any incremental borrowings this 
year.  With the subsequent improvement in oil prices, we exited 2020 running five drilling rigs and completing wells 
with one completion crew.  

39

The table below presents average NYMEX prices and our company-wide average realized prices and basis 
differentials for 2020 and 2019.  The average NYMEX and realized prices have declined for all products, while the 
average basis differentials have improved.  

Years Ended December 31,

2020

2019

Variance 
Between
2020 / 2019

Average NYMEX price
$ 
Oil — per barrel.................................................................................
Gas — per Mcf................................................................................... $ 

39.40  $ 
2.08  $ 

57.03 
2.63 

(31)%
(21)%

Average realized price
$ 
Oil — per barrel.................................................................................
Gas — per Mcf................................................................................... $ 
$ 
NGL — per barrel..............................................................................

35.59  $ 
1.05  $ 
10.53  $ 

52.77 
1.11 
13.55 

(33)%
(5)%
(22)%

Average price differential
Oil — per barrel.................................................................................

$ 

Gas — per Mcf................................................................................... $ 

(3.81)  $ 

(1.03)  $ 

(4.26) 

(1.52) 

11%

32%

The average price differentials that we realized in our two primary areas of operation are shown in the table 

below for the periods indicated. 

2020
Oil

Year

Average Price Differentials
Third 
Quarter

Fourth 
Quarter

Second 
Quarter

First 
Quarter

Permian Basin.................................................. $ 
$ 
Mid-Continent.................................................
$ 
Total Company............................................

(3.74)  $ 
(4.43)  $ 
(3.81)  $ 

(2.79)  $ 
(0.99)  $ 
(2.57)  $ 

(2.71)  $ 
(5.06)  $ 
(2.99)  $ 

(8.12)  $ 
(9.53)  $ 
(8.28)  $ 

(2.00) 
(2.02) 
(1.99) 

Gas

Permian Basin.................................................. $ 
$ 
Mid-Continent.................................................
$ 
Total Company............................................

(1.39)  $ 
(0.41)  $ 
(1.03)  $ 

(1.34)  $ 
(0.36)  $ 
(0.98)  $ 

(1.15)  $ 
(0.31)  $ 
(0.84)  $ 

(1.09)  $ 
(0.31)  $ 
(0.80)  $ 

(1.85) 
(0.57) 
(1.40) 

2019
Oil

Permian Basin.................................................. $ 
$ 
Mid-Continent.................................................
$ 
Total Company............................................

(4.48)  $ 
(3.14)  $ 
(4.26)  $ 

(2.18)  $ 
(2.05)  $ 
(2.16)  $ 

(3.76)  $ 
(3.72)  $ 
(3.74)  $ 

(5.80)  $ 
(4.39)  $ 
(5.58)  $ 

(6.90) 
(2.17) 
(6.03) 

Gas

Permian Basin.................................................. $ 
$ 
Mid-Continent.................................................
$ 
Total Company............................................

(2.14)  $ 
(0.68)  $ 
(1.52)  $ 

(1.67)  $ 
(0.74)  $ 
(1.31)  $ 

(1.83)  $ 
(0.66)  $ 
(1.35)  $ 

(3.10)  $ 
(0.86)  $ 
(2.14)  $ 

(1.91) 
(0.46) 
(1.24) 

40

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Pipeline expansion projects in the Permian Basin and reduced drilling activity and production have eased 
take  away  constraints  and  improved  price  differentials.    However,  if  pipeline  projects  are  delayed,  production 
increases  faster  than  capacity  increases,  or  the  basin  experiences  pipeline  disruptions  or  other  constraints, 
differentials  could  potentially  worsen.    Our  revenue,  profitability,  and  future  growth  are  highly  dependent  on  the 
prices we receive for our oil and gas production and can be adversely affected by realized price decreases.  

Summary  of  Operating  and  Financial  Results  for  the  year  ended  December  31,  2020  as  compared  to  the  year 
ended December 31, 2019

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

Total daily production volumes decreased 9% to 252.5 MBOE per day.

Oil volumes decreased 11% to 76.7 MBbls per day.

Gas volumes decreased 8% to 635.6 MMcf per day.

NGL volumes decreased 10% to 69.8 MBbls per day.

Total production revenue decreased 35% to $1.51 billion.

Year-end proved reserves decreased 14% to 531.0 MMBOE, as compared to 619.6 MMBOE at year-
end 2019.

Exploration and development capital investments were $544.9 million, as compared to $1.24 billion in 
2019.

Cash flow provided by operating activities decreased 33% to $904.2 million.

Net loss of $1.97 billion ($19.73 per diluted share) as compared to a net loss of $124.6 million ($1.33 
per diluted share) in 2019. 

All of the above results were impacted by the demand destruction and lower prices in 2020 that occurred 

primarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Further discussion of these results is provided below.  

41

Proved Reserves

Our proved reserves by region at December 31, 2020 and 2019 were as follows:

Permian Basin....................................................................
Mid-Continent....................................................................
Other...................................................................................

Permian Basin....................................................................
Mid-Continent....................................................................
Other...................................................................................

December 31, 2020

Gas
(MMcf)
790,750 
570,578 
1,514 
  1,362,842 

Oil
(MBbls)
126,327 
17,491 
245 
144,063 

NGL
(MBbls)
103,606 
56,130 
82 
159,818 

Total
(MBOE)

361,725 
168,717 
579 
531,021 

December 31, 2019

Gas
(MMcf)
870,208 
660,161 
1,776 
  1,532,145 

Oil
(MBbls)
147,662 
21,848 
260 
169,770 

NGL
(MBbls)
130,007 
64,377 
84 
194,468 

Total
(MBOE)

422,703 
196,252 
640 
619,595 

Year-end  2020  proved  reserves  decreased  approximately  14%  to  531.0  MMBOE,  compared  to  619.6 
MMBOE at year-end 2019.  At December 31, 2020, proved gas reserves were 1.36 Tcf, proved oil reserves were 
144.1 MMBbls, and proved NGL reserves were 159.8 MMBbls.  Reserves in the Permian Basin accounted for 68% 
of our total proved reserves with nearly all of the remainder in our Mid-Continent region.  See SUPPLEMENTAL 
INFORMATION  ON  OIL  AND  GAS  PRODUCING  ACTIVITIES  (UNAUDITED)  in  Item  8  for  a  more 
detailed discussion regarding year-over-year changes in our proved reserves.

The process of estimating quantities of oil, gas, and NGL reserves is complex.  Judgment and interpretation 
are required in the evaluation of all available geological, geophysical, engineering, and economic data.  Although 
every  reasonable  effort  is  made  to  ensure  that  our  reserve  estimates  represent  the  most  accurate  assessments 
possible, subjective decisions and available data for our various fields make these estimates generally less precise 
than  other  estimates  included  in  financial  statement  disclosures.    See  Proved  Reserves  Estimation  Procedures  in 
Items 1 and 2 for a discussion of our reserve estimation process and Item 1A RISK FACTORS, which includes a 
discussion of factors that affect our proved reserves estimates.

42

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Revenues

Our  revenues  are  derived  from  sales  of  our  oil,  gas,  and  NGL  production.    Increases  or  decreases  in  our 
revenues,  profitability,  and  future  production  growth  are  highly  dependent  on  the  commodity  prices  we  receive.  
Prices  are  market  driven  and  we  expect  that  future  prices  will  continue  to  fluctuate  due  to  supply  and  demand 
factors, availability of transportation, seasonality, and geopolitical, economic, and other factors.  

Production  volumes  and  realized  prices  were  lower  for  all  products  during  the  year  ended  December  31, 
2020 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2019.  Subsequent to the first quarter of 2020, we reduced our 
drilling and completion activities and curtailed or shut in production in certain areas as a result of the unprecedented 
demand  destruction  and  resulting  severe  price  decreases  for  oil  stemming  from  the  COVID-19  pandemic.    Prices 
improved in the latter part of the year.  The following table shows our production revenues by product for 2020 and 
2019 as well as the change in revenues due to changes in prices and volumes.

Production Revenue 
(in thousands)
Oil sales......................
Gas sales.....................
NGL sales...................

Years Ended
December 31,

Variance Between
2020 / 2019

Price / Volume Variance

Price

Volume

Total

2020

2019
$  999,682  $ 1,660,210  $ (660,528) 
(34,844) 
  (113,861) 
$ 1,512,688  $ 2,321,921  $ (809,233) 

243,932 
269,074 

278,776 
382,935 

 (40) % $ (482,534)  $ (177,994)  $ (660,528) 
(34,844) 
(20,886)   
 (12) %  
 (30) %  
(36,689)    (113,861) 
 (35) % $ (573,664)  $ (235,569)  $ (809,233) 

(13,958)   
(77,172)   

43

 
 
 
 
 
The table below presents our production volumes by commodity, our average realized commodity prices, 
and  certain  major  U.S.  index  prices.    The  sale  of  our  Permian  Basin  oil  production  is  typically  tied  to  the  WTI 
Midland  benchmark  price  and  the  sale  of  our  Mid-Continent  oil  production  is  typically  tied  to  the  WTI  Cushing 
benchmark  price.    During  2020  and  2019,  88%  and  84%,  respectively,  of  our  oil  production  was  in  the  Permian 
Basin.  Our realized prices do not include settlements of commodity derivative contracts.

Years Ended
December 31,

2020

2019

Variance Between
2020 / 2019

Oil
Total volume — MBbls....................................................
Total volume — MBbls per day.......................................

Percentage of total production..........................................
Average realized price — per barrel................................. $  35.59 
Average WTI Midland price — per barrel.......................
$  39.71 
Average WTI Cushing price — per barrel.......................
$  39.40 

 30 %

$  52.77 
$  55.53 
$  57.03 

$ 
$ 
$ 

(17.18) 
(15.82) 
(17.63) 

  28,087 

  31,463 

76.7 

86.2 

 31 %

(3,376) 

(9.5) 

Gas
Total volume — MMcf....................................................
Total volume — MMcf per day........................................
Percentage of total production..........................................
Average realized price — per Mcf...................................
Average Henry Hub price — per Mcf..............................

  232,625 
635.6 

  251,567 
689.2 

(18,942) 
(53.6) 

 42 %

 41 %

$ 
$ 

1.05 
2.08 

$ 
$ 

1.11 
2.63 

$ 
$ 

(0.06) 
(0.55) 

 (11) %

 (11) %

 (33) %
 (28) %
 (31) %

 (8) %
 (8) %

 (5) %
 (21) %

NGL
Total volume — MBbls....................................................
Total volume — MBbls per day.......................................
Percentage of total production..........................................
Average realized price — per barrel................................. $  10.53 

  25,554 
69.8 

 28 %

  28,254 
77.4 

 28 %

(2,700) 
(7.6) 

 (10) %
 (10) %

$  13.55 

$ 

(3.02) 

 (22) %

Total
Total production — MBOE..............................................
Total production — MBOE per day.................................

  92,412 
252.5 
Average realized price — per BOE.................................. $  16.37 

  101,645 
278.5 
$  22.84 

(9,233) 
(26.0) 
(6.47) 

$ 

 (9) %
 (9) %
 (28) %

Our  2020  daily  production  volumes  were  252.5  MBOE,  a  9%  decrease  from  2019.    This  decrease  is  the 
result of our intentional reduction in capital spending and curtailing and shutting in production in certain areas due to 
the demand destruction caused primarily by the COVID-19 pandemic.  See Production Volumes, Prices, and Costs 
and Exploration and Development Overview in Items 1 and 2 of this report for production information by region 
and a discussion of our drilling activities.

44

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Other Revenues

Gas gathering and other is revenue earned when we transport, process, and market some third-party gas that 
is associated with our equity gas.  Gas marketing is comprised of the fees we earn when we act as agent under short-
term  sales  and  supply  agreements  and  market  and  sell  gas  for  other  working  interest  owners,  net  of  the  related 
expenses.    Gas  marketing  also  includes  net  pipeline  settlements  incurred  as  a  result  of  these  activities.    The  table 
below reflects revenues from third-party gas gathering and other and our net marketing margin for marketing other 
working interest owners’ gas for the periods indicated.

Gas Gathering and Marketing Revenues (in thousands)
Gas gathering and other...................................................................... $ 
Gas marketing....................................................................................
$ 

Years Ended December 31,

2020

2019

Variance
Between
2020 / 2019

47,842  $ 
(1,935)  $ 

42,454  $ 
(1,406)  $ 

5,388 
(529) 

Fluctuations  in  revenues  from  gas  gathering  and  gas  marketing  activities  are  primarily  a  function  of 

increases and decreases in volumes, commodity prices, and gathering rate charges.

Operating Costs and Expenses

Costs associated with producing oil and gas are substantial.  Among other factors, some of these costs vary 
with commodity prices, some trend with the volume of production, some are a function of the number of wells we 
own, some depend on the prices charged by service companies, and some fluctuate based on a combination of the 
foregoing. 

Total operating costs and expenses of $3.84 billion in 2020 were 55% higher than the $2.48 billion incurred 
in  2019.    The  primary  reasons  for  the  increase  were:  (i)  the  $1.64  billion  in  ceiling  test  impairments  incurred  in 
2020, which was $1.02 billion greater than the ceiling test impairment incurred in 2019 and (ii) the $714.4 million 
impairment  of  goodwill  incurred  during  2020,  partially  offset  by  (iii)  the  $186.2  million  decrease  in  depreciation, 
depletion,  and  amortization  in  2020.    The  following  table  shows  our  operating  costs  and  expenses  for  the  years 
indicated and a discussion of the operating costs and expenses follows.

Operating Costs and Expenses
(in thousands, except per BOE)

Years Ended December 31,

2020

2019

Variance
Between
2020 / 2019

Per BOE

2020

2019

Impairment of oil and gas properties......................... $ 1,638,329  $  618,693  $ 1,019,636 
Depreciation, depletion, and amortization................
Asset retirement obligation.......................................
Impairment of goodwill.............................................
Production.................................................................

N/A
(186,219)  $  7.53  $  8.68 
6,067  $  0.16  $  0.08 
714,447 
N/A
N/A
(54,617)  $  3.09  $  3.34 

695,954 
14,653 
714,447 
285,324 

882,173 
8,586 
— 
339,941 

N/A

Transportation, processing, and other operating.......
Gas gathering and other.............................................
Taxes other than income............................................
General and administrative........................................
Stock-based compensation........................................
Loss on derivative instruments, net...........................
Other operating expense, net.....................................

213,366 
23,591 
79,699 
111,005 
29,895 
35,534 
839 

238,259 
23,294 
148,953 
95,843 
26,398 
76,850 
19,305 

(24,893)  $  2.31  $  2.34 
297  $  0.26  $  0.23 
(69,254)  $  0.86  $  1.47 
15,162  $  1.20  $  0.94 
3,497  $  0.32  $  0.26 
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

(41,316) 
(18,466) 
$ 3,842,636  $ 2,478,295  $ 1,364,341 

45

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Impairment of Oil and Gas Properties

We  use  the  full  cost  method  of  accounting  for  our  oil  and  gas  operations.    Under  this  method,  we  are 
required to perform quarterly ceiling test calculations to test our oil and gas properties for possible impairment.  If 
the net capitalized cost of our oil and gas properties, as adjusted for income taxes, exceeds the ceiling limitation, the 
excess is charged to expense.  The ceiling limitation is equal to the sum of: (i) the present value discounted at 10% 
of estimated future net revenues from proved reserves, (ii) the cost of properties not being amortized, and (iii) the 
lower of cost or estimated fair value of unproven properties included in the costs being amortized, as adjusted for 
income  taxes.    We  currently  do  not  have  any  unproven  properties  that  are  being  amortized.    Estimated  future  net 
revenues  are  determined  based  on  trailing  twelve-month  average  commodity  prices  and  estimated  proved  reserve 
quantities, operating costs, and capital expenditures.

The  quarterly  ceiling  test  is  primarily  impacted  by  commodity  prices,  changes  in  estimated  reserve 
quantities, reserves produced, overall exploration and development costs, depletion expense, and deferred taxes.  If 
pricing conditions decline, or if there is a negative impact on one or more of the other components of the calculation, 
we may incur a full cost ceiling test impairment.  The calculated ceiling limitation is not intended to be indicative of 
the  fair  market  value  of  our  proved  reserves  or  future  results.    Impairment  charges  do  not  affect  cash  flow  from 
operating  activities,  but  do  adversely  affect  our  net  income  and  various  components  of  our  balance  sheet.    Any 
impairment of oil and gas properties is not reversible at a later date. 

During  2020,  we  recognized  ceiling  test  impairments  totaling  $1.64  billion.    The  impairments  resulted 
primarily  from  the  impact  of  decreases  in  the  12-month  average  trailing  prices  for  oil,  gas,  and  NGLs  as  well  as 
significant basis differentials utilized in determining the estimated future net cash flows from proved reserves.  We 
may recognize additional ceiling test impairments in the future. 

Depreciation, Depletion, and Amortization

Depreciation, depletion, and amortization (“DD&A”) consisted of the following for the periods indicated:

DD&A Expense (in thousands, except per BOE)
Depletion............................................................
Depreciation.......................................................

2020
625,481  $ 
70,473 
695,954  $ 

$ 

$ 

2019
817,099  $ 
65,074 
882,173  $ 

2019

2020
(191,618)  $  6.77  $  8.04 
0.64 
(186,219)  $  7.53  $  8.68 

5,399 

0.76 

Years Ended December 31,

Per BOE

Variance
Between
2020 / 2019

Depletion  of  our  producing  properties  is  computed  using  the  units-of-production  method.    The  economic 
life of each producing well depends upon the estimated proved reserves for that well, which in turn depend upon the 
assumed realized sales price for future production.  Therefore, fluctuations in oil and gas prices will impact the level 
of  proved  reserves  used  in  the  calculation.    Higher  prices  generally  have  the  effect  of  increasing  reserves,  which 
reduces  depletion  expense.    Conversely,  lower  prices  generally  have  the  effect  of  decreasing  reserves,  which 
increases  depletion  expense.    The  cost  of  replacing  production  also  impacts  our  depletion  expense.    In  addition, 
changes in estimates of reserve quantities, estimates of operating and future development costs, reclassifications of 
properties from unproved to proved, and impairments of oil and gas properties will also impact depletion expense.  
Our  depletion  expense  decreased  during  2020  as  compared  to  2019  primarily  due  to  a  decrease  in  our  depletable 
basis  mostly  resulting  from  ceiling  test  impairments  recognized  at  December  31,  2019,  March  31,  2020,  June  30, 
2020,  and  September  30,  2020.    In  addition,  our  depletion  expense  decreased  as  a  result  of  a  decrease  in  our 
production  resulting  from  a  reduction  in  drilling  and  completion  activity  subsequent  to  the  first  quarter  2020  and 
curtailment  or  shut  in  of  production  in  certain  areas  stemming  from  the  demand  destruction  caused  by  the 
COVID-19  pandemic.    These  causes  for  decreased  depletion  expense  were  partially  offset  by  a  decrease  in  our 
reserves, primarily due to a decrease in the trailing twelve month prices used to calculate reserves, which increased 
depletion expense.  

46

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Fixed assets consist primarily of gas gathering and plant facilities, water infrastructure, vehicles, airplanes, 
office furniture, and computer equipment and software.  These items are recorded at cost and are depreciated on the 
straight-line method based on expected lives of the individual assets, which range from 3 to 30 years.  Also included 
in our depreciation expense is the depreciation of the right-of-use asset associated with our finance lease gathering 
system.    The  increase  in  depreciation  expense  during  2020  as  compared  to  2019  is  primarily  due  to  increased 
depreciation  on  our  gathering  and  plant  facilities  due  to  ongoing  expenditures  on  this  infrastructure  and  projects 
being placed into service.   

Asset Retirement Obligation

Asset  retirement  obligation  expense  is  typically  primarily  comprised  of  accretion  expense.    In  periods 
subsequent to the initial measurement of an asset retirement obligation liability at present value, a period-to-period 
increase in the carrying amount of the liability is recognized as accretion expense, which represents the effect of the 
passage of time on the amount of the liability.  Also included in asset retirement obligation expense are gains and 
losses recognized on the settlement of asset retirement obligation liabilities.  Accretion expense for the year ended 
December  31,  2020,  also  included  $4.9  million  to  increase  our  estimated  asset  retirement  obligation  liability  to 
decommission certain offshore properties in the Gulf of Mexico in which we were a prior lessee.  As a result of the 
current  lessee  defaulting  on  its  obligation  to  decommission  the  properties,  in  2018  the  Bureau  of  Safety  and 
Environmental Enforcement ordered us and other prior lessees to decommission all wells, pipelines, platforms, and 
facilities related to the properties.  

Impairment of Goodwill

We  concluded  that  goodwill  was  impaired  at  March  31,  2020  and  expensed  the  entire  balance  of 
$714.4  million  at  that  time.    See  Note  1  to  the  Consolidated  Financial  Statements  for  additional  information 
regarding the impairment of goodwill.

Production

Production  expense  generally  consists  of  costs  for  labor,  equipment,  maintenance,  saltwater  disposal, 
compression,  power,  treating,  and  miscellaneous  other  costs  (lease  operating  expense).    Production  expense  also 
includes well workover activity necessary to maintain production from existing wells.  Production expense consisted 
of lease operating expense and workover expense as follows:

Production Expense (in thousands, except per BOE)
Lease operating expense....................................
Workover expense..............................................

2020
244,397  $ 
40,927 
285,324  $ 

$ 

$ 

2019
273,092  $ 
66,849 
339,941  $ 

2019

2020
(28,695)  $  2.65  $  2.68 
0.66 
(25,922)   
(54,617)  $  3.09  $  3.34 

0.44 

Years Ended December 31,

Per BOE

Variance
Between
2020 / 2019

Lease  operating  expense  decreased  11%,  or  $28.7  million,  in  2020  compared  to  2019.    The  decrease  is 
primarily related to the reduction in activity and our cost saving efforts such as our initiative to reduce the use of 
outside  labor,  our  voluntary  early  retirement  incentive  program  and  involuntary  reduction  in  workforce,  delaying 
non-essential work, shutting in wells, and decreasing drilling and completion, which has led to fewer wells coming 
online.  

Workover  expense  decreased  39%,  or  $25.9  million,  during  2020  as  compared  to  2019.    We  had  fewer 
workover  projects  during  2020  as  compared  to  2019  as  a  result  of  a  concerted  effort  to  reduce  activity  and  delay 
non-essential work.  

47

 
 
 
 
 
 
Transportation, Processing, and Other Operating

Transportation,  processing,  and  other  operating  costs  principally  consist  of  expenditures  to  prepare  and 
transport production from the wellhead, including gathering, fuel, compression, and processing costs.  Costs vary by 
region  and  will  fluctuate  with  increases  or  decreases  in  production  volumes,  contractual  fees,  and  changes  in  fuel 
and compression costs, and the structure of sales contracts.  If the sales contract transfers control of the product at 
the wellhead, transportation and processing costs are included as a reduction in the revenue we record and are not 
included  in  transportation,  processing,  and  other  operating  costs.    Transportation,  processing,  and  other  operating 
costs in 2020 were 10%, or $24.9 million, lower than in 2019 primarily due to a decrease in production volumes.  

Gas Gathering and Other

Gas  gathering  and  other  includes  costs  associated  with  operating  our  gas  gathering  and  processing 
infrastructure,  including  product  costs  and  operating  and  maintenance  expenses.    A  portion  of  these  costs  are 
reclassified to Transportation, processing, and other expense and Production expense in order to reflect an allocation 
of the costs incurred to operate our gas gathering facilities as a cost of transporting our equity share of gas produced 
and operating our wells.  Gas gathering and other in 2020 was minimally higher than in 2019. 

Taxes Other than Income

Taxes  other  than  income  consist  of  production  (or  severance)  taxes,  ad  valorem  taxes,  and  other 
taxes.    State  and  local  taxing  authorities  assess  these  taxes,  with  production  taxes  being  based  on  the  volume  or 
value of production and ad valorem taxes being based on the value of properties.  The following table presents taxes 
other than income for the years indicated.  

Taxes Other than Income (in thousands)
Production........................................................................................
Ad valorem.......................................................................................
Other.................................................................................................

Years Ended December 31,

2020
$  64,075 
14,500 
1,124 
$  79,699 

2019
$  111,819 
36,291 
843 
$  148,953 

Variance
Between
2020 / 2019

$ 

$ 

(47,744) 
(21,791) 
281 
(69,254) 

Taxes other than income as a percentage of production revenue.....

 5.3 %

 6.4 %

Taxes other than income decreased 46%, or $69.3 million, in 2020 as compared to 2019.  Production taxes 
make up the majority of our taxes other than income and they decreased primarily due to decreases in oil and NGL 
prices.    Ad  valorem  taxes  also  decreased  primarily  due  to  decreased  valuations  based  on  decreased  commodity 
prices.  Other taxes other than income are comprised of franchise and consumer use and sales taxes. 

48

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
General and Administrative

General and administrative (“G&A”) expense consists primarily of salaries and related benefits, office rent, 
legal and consulting fees, systems costs, and other administrative costs incurred.  Our G&A expense is reported net 
of amounts reimbursed to us by working interest owners of the oil and gas properties we operate and net of amounts 
capitalized pursuant to the full cost method of accounting.  The amount of expense capitalized varies and depends on 
whether the cost incurred can be directly identified with acquisition, exploration, and development activities.  The 
percentage of gross G&A capitalized was 34% and 44% during 2020 and 2019, respectively.  In response to low oil 
prices  and  demand  destruction  in  2020,  we  reduced  our  acquisition,  exploration,  and  development  activities  and, 
therefore, the percentage of gross G&A capitalized decreased from 2019.  The table below shows our G&A costs. 

General and Administrative Expense (in thousands)
Gross G&A......................................................................................... $ 
Less amounts capitalized to oil and gas properties............................
G&A expense.....................................................................................

$ 

2020
168,815  $ 
(57,810)   
111,005  $ 

2019
170,757  $ 
(74,914)   
95,843  $ 

Years Ended December 31,

Variance
Between
2020 / 2019

(1,942) 
17,104 
15,162 

G&A expense increased 16%, or $15.2 million, in 2020 as compared to 2019.  This increase is primarily 
due  to  $28.7  million  in  severance  expense,  none  of  which  was  capitalized,  associated  with  the  voluntary  early 
retirement incentive program that we offered to employees who met certain eligibility criteria in the first quarter of 
2020 and the involuntary reduction in workforce program that we carried out in the third quarter of 2020.  These 
programs  reduced  our  headcount  by  approximately  24%  from  December  31,  2019  and  we  expect  G&A  expense 
related  to  salaries  and  wages  to  be  lower  in  future  periods  as  a  result.    The  increase  in  G&A  expense  due  to  the 
severance  expense  was  partially  offset  by  decreases  in  salaries  and  wages,  health  insurance,  annual  bonus, 
consulting, and travel expenses.  

Stock-based Compensation

Stock-based  compensation  expense  consists  of  charges  resulting  from  the  amortization  of  the  cost  of 
restricted stock and stock option awards, net of amounts capitalized to oil and gas properties.  We have recognized 
stock-based compensation cost as follows:

Stock-based Compensation Expense (in thousands)
Restricted stock awards:

Performance stock awards.............................................................
Service-based stock awards...........................................................

$ 

Stock option awards...........................................................................
Total stock-based compensation cost.................................................
Less amounts capitalized to oil and gas properties............................
Stock-based compensation expense...................................................

$ 

Years Ended December 31,

2020

2019

Variance
Between
2020 / 2019

17,338  $ 
26,014 
43,352 
1,460 
44,812 
(14,917)   
29,895  $ 

21,590  $ 
25,611 
47,201 
1,903 
49,104 
(22,706)   
26,398  $ 

(4,252) 
403 
(3,849) 
(443) 
(4,292) 
7,789 
3,497 

Periodic stock-based compensation expense will fluctuate based on the grant date fair value of awards, the 
number of awards, the requisite service period of the awards, employee forfeitures, and the timing of the awards.  
Our accounting policy is to account for forfeitures in compensation cost when they occur.  The amount capitalized to 
oil and gas properties decreased as a percentage of total stock-based compensation cost in 2020 as compared to 2019 
due  to  reduced  acquisition,  exploration,  and  development  activities  in  2020  as  a  result  of  the  low  oil  prices  and 
demand destruction experienced in 2020 stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and OPEC and other countries’ 
actions.  The decreased capitalization caused the overall stock-based compensation expense to increase.   

49

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Loss on Derivative Instruments, Net

Net  gains  and  losses  on  our  derivative  instruments  are  a  function  of  fluctuations  in  the  underlying 
commodity  index  prices  as  compared  to  the  contracted  prices  and  the  monthly  cash  settlements  (if  any)  of  the 
instruments.  We have elected not to designate our derivatives as hedging instruments for accounting purposes and, 
therefore, we do not apply hedge accounting treatment to our derivative instruments.  Consequently, changes in the 
fair  value  of  our  derivative  instruments  and  cash  settlements  on  the  instruments  are  included  as  a  component  of 
operating costs and expenses as either a net gain or loss on derivative instruments.  Cash settlements of our contracts 
are included in cash flows from operating activities in our statements of cash flows.  The following table presents the 
components  of  “Loss  on  derivative  instruments,  net”  for  the  years  indicated.    See  Note  4  to  the  Consolidated 
Financial Statements for additional information regarding our derivative instruments. 

Loss on Derivative Instruments, Net (in thousands)
Decrease (increase) in fair value of derivative instruments, net:

Gas contracts.................................................................................. $ 
Oil contracts...................................................................................

Cash (receipts) payments on derivative instruments, net:

Gas contracts..................................................................................
Oil contracts...................................................................................

Loss on derivative instruments, net.................................................... $ 

Years Ended December 31,

2020

2019

Variance
Between
2020 / 2019

56,475  $ 
98,306 
154,781 

(13,114)  $ 
76,833 
63,719 

69,589 
21,473 
91,062 

(15,476)   
(103,771)   
(119,247)   
35,534  $ 

(40,114)   
53,245 
13,131 
76,850  $ 

24,638 
(157,016) 
(132,378) 
(41,316) 

Other Operating Expense, Net

Other  operating  expense,  net  decreased  $18.5  million  in  2020  as  compared  to  2019.    This  expense  is 
typically comprised primarily of litigation settlements and allowance for credit losses adjustments.  Other operating 
expense,  net  in  2019  included  $10.0  million  in  litigation  settlements  and  $8.4  million  in  acquisition-related  costs 
incurred to effect the Resolute acquisition.  The acquisition-related costs consisted primarily of advisory and legal 
fees.  

Other Income and Expense

Other Income and Expense (in thousands)
Interest expense..................................................................................
Capitalized interest.............................................................................
Loss on early extinguishment of debt................................................
Other, net............................................................................................

Years Ended December 31,

2020

2019

Variance
Between
2020 / 2019

$ 

$ 

92,914  $ 
(50,030)   

— 
(540)   
42,344  $ 

93,386  $ 
(56,232)   
4,250 
(5,741)   
35,663  $ 

(472) 
6,202 
(4,250) 
5,201 
6,681 

The majority of our interest expense relates to interest on the borrowings under our senior unsecured notes, 
with  such  interest  totaling  $83.9  million  and  $79.9  million  during  2020  and  2019,  respectively.    Also  included  in 
interest expense is interest expense on our Credit Facility borrowings, the amortization of debt issuance costs and 
discounts,  interest  expense  on  our  finance  lease,  and  miscellaneous  interest  expense.    See  LIQUIDITY  AND 
CAPITAL  RESOURCES  Long-Term  Debt  below  for  further  information  regarding  our  debt.    The  $4.3  million 

50

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
loss on early extinguishment of debt incurred during 2019 was associated with the $600.0 million of 8.5% senior 
notes due May 1, 2020 that we acquired with Resolute on March 1, 2019 and elected to immediately repay. 

We  capitalize  interest  on  non-producing  leasehold  costs,  the  in-progress  costs  of  drilling  and  completing 
wells, and constructing midstream assets.  Capitalized interest will fluctuate based primarily on the amount of costs 
subject to interest capitalization and based on the rates applicable to borrowings outstanding during the period.  The 
amount  of  costs  subject  to  interest  capitalization  was  lower  in  2020  as  compared  to  2019,  primarily  due  to  the 
decrease in the balance of non-producing leasehold costs as a result of transfers to proved properties as well as due 
to  a  decrease  in  the  in-progress  costs  of  drilling  and  completing  wells  and  constructing  midstream  assets  due  to 
decreased activity in 2020.    

Other, net includes interest income of $0.7 million and $3.3 million in 2020 and 2019, respectively.  The 
decrease in interest income in 2020 is primarily due to the decrease in our investable cash balance after acquiring 
Resolute on March 1, 2019.  Other components of Other, net include miscellaneous income and expense items that 
vary  from  period  to  period,  including  gain  or  loss  related  to  the  sale  or  value  of  oil  and  gas  well  equipment  and 
supplies,  gain  or  loss  on  miscellaneous  fixed  asset  sales,  and  income  and  expense  associated  with  other  non-
operating activities.

Income Tax Benefit

The components of our provision for income taxes and our combined federal and state effective income tax 

rates were as follows:

Income Tax Benefit (in thousands)
Current tax (benefit) expense.............................................................
Deferred tax benefit............................................................................

Years Ended December 31,

2020

2019

Variance
Between
2020 / 2019

(31) 
$ 
  (358,896) 
$  (358,927) 

$ 

532 
(26,902) 
$  (26,370) 

$ 

$ 

(563) 
(331,994) 
(332,557) 

Combined federal and state effective income tax rate.......................

 15.4 %

 17.5 %

Our combined federal and state effective tax rates, as shown above, differ from the statutory rate primarily 
due  to  state  income  taxes,  non-deductible  expenses,  changes  in  tax  laws  and  tax  rates  enacted  in  the  period,  and 
changes  in  valuation  allowances.    See  Note  9  to  the  Consolidated  Financial  Statements  for  further  information 
regarding our income taxes. 

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

Overview

With the volatility in commodity prices and recognizing the U.S. oil volume growth impact on the overall 
world oil supply and demand balance, we have adjusted our approach to our reinvestment rates to target 70 to 80% 
of operating cash flow.  With this investment approach, we will have 20 to 30% of cash flow available to increase 
cash  on  our  balance  sheet,  which  we  plan  to  initially  target  to  reduce  debt  and  continue  to  fund  and  increase  our 
regular common stock cash dividend.

We strive to maintain an adequate liquidity level to address volatility and risk.  Sources of liquidity include 
our cash flow from operations, cash on hand, available borrowing capacity under our revolving credit facility, and 
proceeds from sales of non-strategic assets.

51

 
 
 
 
Our  liquidity  is  highly  dependent  on  the  prices  we  receive  for  the  oil,  gas,  and  NGLs  we  produce.    The 
prices  we  receive  are  determined  by  prevailing  market  conditions  and  greatly  influence  our  revenue,  cash  flow, 
profitability, access to capital, and future rate of growth.  See RESULTS OF OPERATIONS Revenues above for 
further information regarding the impact realized prices have had on our 2020 earnings.

We  address  volatility  in  commodity  prices  primarily  by  maintaining  flexibility  in  our  capital  investment 
program.  We have a balanced and abundant drilling inventory and limited long-term commitments, which enable us 
to respond quickly to industry volatility.  In response to the decline in oil prices in the second quarter of 2020, we 
took immediate steps to reduce our capital investment, including releasing all but one drilling rig by mid-May 2020 
and  deferring  well  completion  activity.    As  a  result,  total  exploration,  development,  and  acquisition  capital 
expenditures  for  2020  were  $556.7  million.    This  level  of  capital  expenditures  was  less  than  our  cash  flow  from 
operating activities, which has allowed us to build our cash balance and not incur any incremental borrowings this 
year.  With the subsequent improvement in oil prices, we exited 2020 running five drilling rigs and completing wells 
with  one  completion  crew.    See  Capital  Expenditures  below  for  information  regarding  our  2020  capital 
expenditures and our projected 2021 expenditures.

We  periodically  use  derivative  instruments  to  mitigate  volatility  in  commodity  prices.    At  December  31, 
2020, we had derivative contracts covering a portion of our 2021 and 2022 production.  Depending on changes in oil 
and  gas  futures  markets  and  management’s  view  of  underlying  supply  and  demand  trends,  we  may  increase  or 
decrease  our  derivative  positions  from  current  levels.    See  Note  4  to  the  Consolidated  Financial  Statements  for 
information regarding our derivative instruments.

Cash and cash equivalents at December 31, 2020 were $273.1 million.  At December 31, 2020, our long-
term  debt  consisted  of  $2.0  billion  of  senior  unsecured  notes,  with  $750  million  4.375%  notes  due  in  2024, 
$750 million 3.90% notes due in 2027, and $500 million 4.375% notes due in 2029.  At December 31, 2020, we had 
no borrowings and $2.5 million in letters of credit outstanding under our credit facility, leaving an unused borrowing 
availability of $1.248 billion.  See Long-Term Debt below for more information regarding our debt.

In  December  2020,  we  paid  $43.0  million  to  repurchase  55%  of  the  outstanding  shares  of  our  preferred 
stock and we may, from time to time, seek to repurchase additional shares of our outstanding preferred stock through 
cash  repurchases  and/or  exchanges  for  equity  securities,  privately  negotiated  transactions,  or  otherwise.    Such 
activities,  if  any,  will  depend  on  prevailing  market  conditions,  our  liquidity  requirements,  contractual  restrictions, 
and  other  factors.    See  Note  2  to  the  Consolidated  Financial  Statements  for  information  regarding  our  preferred 
stock.

We expect our operating cash flow and other capital resources to be adequate to meet our needs for planned 

capital expenditures, working capital, debt service, and dividends declared for the next twelve months.

Analysis of Cash Flow Changes

The  following  table  presents  the  totals  of  the  major  cash  flow  classification  categories  from  our 

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the periods indicated.

(in thousands)
Net cash provided by operating activities................................................................ $ 
Net cash used by investing activities.......................................................................
$ 
Net cash used by financing activities....................................................................... $ 

2020
904,167  $ 
(578,875)  $ 
(146,869)  $ 

2019
1,343,966 
(1,577,882) 
(472,028) 

Years Ended December 31,

52

 
Net cash provided by operating activities in 2020 was $904.2 million, down $439.8 million, or 33%, from 
$1.34 billion in 2019.  The decrease resulted primarily from a decrease in revenues due to the price collapses and 
demand destruction seen in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and actions of OPEC and other countries.  
This  decrease  was  partially  offset  by:  (i)  increased  cash  inflows  for  settlements  of  derivative  instruments,  (ii) 
decreased overall operating expenses (e.g. production, taxes other than income, and transportation, processing, and 
other operating expenses) primarily as a result of decreased activity, production, and revenues, and (iii) a decreased 
investment  in  working  capital.    See  RESULTS  OF  OPERATIONS  above  for  more  information  regarding  the 
changes in revenue and operating expenses.

Net cash used by investing activities was $578.9 million and $1.58 billion in 2020 and 2019, respectively.  
The majority of our cash flows used by investing activities are for oil and gas capital expenditures, which totaled 
$594.8  million  and  $1.25  billion  in  2020  and  2019,  respectively.    Our  2020  oil  and  gas  capital  expenditures 
decreased as compared to 2019 due to deliberate actions taken by us to reduce our capital investment in response to 
the decline in oil prices and demand experienced in 2020.  Net cash used by investing activities also includes net 
cash  outflows  for  oil  and  gas  property  acquisitions,  which  were  minimal  in  2020  at  $11.9  million,  but  in  2019 
included  the  $325.7  million  cash  portion  of  the  consideration  paid  for  the  Resolute  acquisition,  net  of  the 
$41.2  million  in  cash  acquired  with  Resolute.    Our  other  capital  expenditures,  which  are  primarily  for  midstream 
assets, were $44.3 million and $73.7 million in 2020 and 2019, respectively, with 2020 decreasing due to the overall 
decrease in capital investments in 2020.  Included in net cash used by investing activities are proceeds from other 
asset sales, which are generally for the divestiture of non-strategic oil and gas properties and totaled $72.1 million 
and  $30.0  million  in  2020  and  2019,  respectively.    Proceeds  from  other  asset  sales  in  2020  included  net  cash 
proceeds of $68.7 million from the sale of certain water infrastructure assets in Eddy County, New Mexico.  

Net  cash  used  by  financing  activities  was  $146.9  million  and  $472.0  million  in  2020  and  2019, 
respectively.  During 2020, we paid $43.0 million to repurchase some of our outstanding preferred stock.  During 
2020,  we  borrowed  and  repaid  an  aggregate  of  $172.0  million  on  our  credit  facility  to  meet  cash  requirements  as 
needed.    During  2020,  we  amended  our  credit  facility,  paying  $1.5  million  in  financing  costs.    During  2019,  we 
issued $500.0 million aggregate principal amount of 4.375% senior unsecured notes due March 15, 2029 at 99.862% 
of par for proceeds of $499.3 million, paying $4.6 million in underwriting fees and financing costs.  Additionally in 
2019, we borrowed and repaid an aggregate of $2.12 billion on our credit facility to assist in funding the Resolute 
acquisition and thereafter to meet cash requirements as needed.  In connection with the acquisition of Resolute, we 
assumed $870.0 million in principal amount of long-term debt that we immediately repaid, incurring a redemption 
fee of $4.3 million.  During 2019, we amended our credit facility, paying $3.0 million in financing costs.  Net cash 
used by financing activities during both years included: (i) the payment of dividends, (ii) the payment of income tax 
withholdings made on behalf of our employees upon the net settlement of equity-classified stock awards, and (iii) 
finance  lease  payments.    During  2020  and  2019,  we  declared  cash  dividends  on  both  our  common  and  preferred 
stock  quarterly,  paying  them  in  the  quarter  following  declaration.    During  2020,  we  paid  one  $0.20  per  share 
dividend and three $0.22 per share dividends on our common stock and four $20.3125 per share dividends on our 
preferred  stock,  totaling  $93.0  million.    During  2019,  we  paid  one  $0.18  per  share  dividend  and  three  $0.20  per 
share  dividends  on  our  common  stock  and  three  $20.3125  per  share  dividends  on  our  preferred  stock,  totaling 
$81.7  million.    Future  dividend  payments  will  depend  on  our  level  of  earnings,  financial  requirements,  and  other 
factors  considered  relevant  by  our  Board  of  Directors.    We  paid  employee  income  tax  withholdings  on  the  net 
settlement of equity-classified stock awards totaling $4.5 million and $5.2 million in 2020 and 2019, respectively.  
We paid finance lease payments of $4.8 million and $3.9 million in 2020 and 2019, respectively. 

53

Capital Expenditures

The following table presents capitalized expenditures for oil and gas property acquisition, exploration, and 

development activities.  

(in thousands)
Acquisitions:

Proved.....................................................................................................................
Unproved.................................................................................................................

$ 

Exploration and development:

Land and seismic.....................................................................................................
Exploration and development..................................................................................

Years Ended December 31,

2020

2019

11,878  $ 
— 
11,878 

695,450 
1,025,376 
1,720,826 

48,468 
496,388 
544,856 

60,175 
1,181,605 
1,241,780 

Total acquisition, exploration, and development capital expenditures........................ $ 

556,734  $  2,962,606 

Amounts  in  the  table  above  are  presented  on  an  accrual  basis.    Oil  and  gas  capital  expenditures  and 

acquisitions of oil and gas properties in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows reflect activities on a cash basis.

On March 1, 2019, we completed the acquisition of Resolute.  The fair value of the proved and unproved 

properties recorded in the purchase price allocation for this acquisition was $1.72 billion.

Our  2020  total  capital  expenditures  were  originally  forecast  to  range  from  $1.25-$1.35  billion,  with  the 
majority expected to be invested in the Permian Basin.  In response to the decline in oil prices in the second quarter 
2020, we took immediate steps to reduce our capital investment, including releasing all but one drilling rig by mid-
May and deferring well completion activity.  This resulted in total acquisition, exploration, and development capital 
expenditures  for  2020  of  $556.7  million.    Approximately  92%  of  our  2020  exploration  and  development 
expenditures  were  in  the  Permian  Basin  and  8%  were  in  the  Mid-Continent.    During  2020,  we  completed  or 
participated in the completion of 149 gross (51.0 net) productive wells, of which we operated 61 gross (47.6 net) 
wells.    With  the  subsequent  improvement  in  oil  prices,  we  exited  2020  running  five  drilling  rigs  and  completing 
wells with one completion crew.  See Items 1 and 2 of this report for further information regarding our oil and gas 
properties. 

In 2020, the level of our capital expenditures was less than our cash flow from operating activities, which 
allowed us to build our cash balance and not incur any incremental borrowings.  We intend to fund our 2021 capital 
investment program with cash flow from operating activities and potential sales of non-strategic assets.  The timing 
of capital expenditures and the receipt of cash flows do not necessarily match, which may cause us to borrow and 
repay  funds  under  our  credit  facility  from  time-to-time.    Based  on  current  economic  conditions,  our  2021  total 
capital expenditures are projected to range from $650 million to $750 million.  This includes drilling and completion 
capital of approximately $500 million to $600 million, investments in saltwater disposal/midstream infrastructure of 
approximately  $40  million,  and  investments  in  other,  including  capitalized  G&A  and  non-producing  leasehold,  of 
approximately  $110  million.    Over  90%  of  our  planned  2021  drilling  and  completion  capital  is  expected  to  be 
invested  in  the  Permian  Basin,  with  the  remainder  in  the  Mid-Continent.    We  regularly  review  our  capital 
expenditures throughout the year and will adjust our investments based on increases or decreases in our cash flow.  
See Long-Term Debt—Bank Debt below for further information regarding our credit facility.

54

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
We  have  made,  and  will  continue  to  make,  expenditures  to  comply  with  environmental  and  safety 
regulations and requirements.  These costs are considered a normal recurring cost of our ongoing operations.  While 
we expect pending legislation and regulations to increase the cost of business, we do not anticipate that we will be 
required to expend amounts that will have a material adverse effect on our financial position or operations, nor are 
we aware of any pending legislative or regulatory changes that would have a material impact.  However, compliance 
with new legislation and regulations could increase our costs and negatively affect demand for oil or gas and result 
in a material adverse effect on our financial position or operations.  See Item 1A RISK FACTORS for a description 
of  risks  related  to  current  and  potential  future  environmental  and  safety  regulations  and  requirements  that  could 
adversely affect our operations and financial condition.

Long-Term Debt

Long-term debt at December 31, 2020 and 2019 consisted of the following:

(in thousands)

Principal

December 31, 2020

Unamortized 
Debt
Issuance Costs 
and Discounts (1)

Long-term
Debt, net

Principal

December 31, 2019

Unamortized 
Debt
Issuance Costs 
and Discounts (1)

Long-term
Debt, net

4.375% notes due 
2024..........................
3.90% notes due 
2027..........................
4.375% notes due 
2029..........................

$  750,000  $ 

(2,672)  $  747,328  $  750,000  $ 

(3,535)  $  746,465 

750,000 

(5,541)   

744,459 

750,000 

(6,289)   

743,711 

500,000 

(4,488)   

495,512 

500,000 

(4,930)   

495,070 

Total long-term debt.

$ 2,000,000  $ 

(12,701)  $ 1,987,299  $ 2,000,000  $ 

(14,754)  $ 1,985,246 

 ________________________________________
(1) The 4.375% notes due 2024 were issued at par, therefore, the amounts shown in the table are for unamortized 
debt issuance costs only.  At December 31, 2020, the unamortized debt issuance costs and discount related to 
the  3.90%  notes  due  2027  were  $4.3  million  and  $1.3  million,  respectively.    At  December  31,  2020,  the 
unamortized debt issuance costs and discount related to the 4.375% notes due 2029 were $3.9 million and $0.6 
million, respectively.  At December 31, 2019, the unamortized debt issuance costs and discount related to the 
3.90%  notes  due  2027  were  $4.8  million  and  $1.5  million,  respectively.    At    December  31,  2019,  the 
unamortized  debt  issuance  costs  and  discount  related  to  the  4.375%  notes  due  2029  were  $4.3  million  and 
$0.6 million, respectively.

Bank Debt

On June 3, 2020, we entered into the First Amendment to Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (the 
“First  Amendment”)  dated  as  of  February  5,  2019  for  our  senior  unsecured  revolving  credit  facility  (“Credit 
Facility”).    The  Credit  Facility  has  aggregate  commitments  of  $1.25  billion  with  an  option  for  us  to  increase  the 
aggregate commitments to $1.5 billion, and matures on February 5, 2024.  There is no borrowing base subject to the 
discretion of the lenders based on the value of our proved reserves under the Credit Facility.  The First Amendment, 
among other things: (i) allows up to $3.5 billion of non-cash impairment charge add-backs to Shareholders’ Equity 
for  covenant  calculation  purposes,  (ii)  institutes  traditional  anti-cash  hoarding  provisions  (if  borrowings  are 
outstanding under the Credit Facility) at a consolidated cash threshold of $175.0 million, (iii) reduces the priority 
lien  debt  basket  from  15%  of  Consolidated  Net  Tangible  Assets  (as  defined  in  the  credit  agreement)  to  a 
$50.0  million  cap,  and  (iv)  adds  an  acknowledgement  and  consent  to  European  Union  bail-in  legislation.    As  of 
December 31, 2020, we had no bank borrowings outstanding under the Credit Facility, but did have letters of credit 
of  $2.5  million  outstanding,  leaving  an  unused  borrowing  availability  of  $1.248  billion.    During  the  year  ended 
December  31,  2020,  we  borrowed  and  repaid  an  aggregate  of  $172.0  million  on  the  Credit  Facility  to  meet  cash 
requirements as needed.  

55

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
At our option, borrowings under the Credit Facility may bear interest at either (a) LIBOR (or an alternate 
rate  determined  by  the  administrative  agent  for  the  Credit  Facility  in  accordance  with  the  Credit  Facility  when 
LIBOR is no longer available) plus 1.125 - 2.0% based on the credit rating for our senior unsecured long-term debt, 
or (b) a base rate (as defined in the credit agreement) plus 0.125 - 1.0%, based on the credit rating for our senior 
unsecured  long-term  debt.    Unused  borrowings  are  subject  to  a  commitment  fee  of  0.125  -  0.35%,  based  on  the 
credit rating for our senior unsecured long-term debt.

The Credit Facility contains representations, warranties, covenants, and events of default that are customary 
for investment grade, senior unsecured bank credit agreements, including a financial covenant for the maintenance 
of  a  defined  total  debt-to-capitalization  ratio  of  no  greater  than  65%.    As  of  December  31,  2020,  we  were  in 
compliance with all of the financial and non-financial covenants.

At December 31, 2020 and 2019, we had $4.3 million and $4.0 million, respectively, of unamortized debt 
issuance costs associated with our Credit Facility, which were recorded as assets and included in “Other assets” in 
our Consolidated Balance Sheets.  During the year ended December 31, 2020, we incurred $1.5 million in fees paid 
to the lenders and third-party costs for the First Amendment.  The debt issuance costs are being amortized to interest 
expense ratably over the life of the Credit Facility.

Senior Notes

On March 8, 2019, we issued $500 million aggregate principal amount of 4.375% senior unsecured notes at 
99.862% of par to yield 4.392% per annum.  The notes are due March 15, 2029 and interest is payable semiannually 
on  March  15  and  September  15.    The  effective  interest  rate  on  these  notes,  including  the  amortization  of  debt 
issuance costs and discount, is 4.50%.

In  April  2017,  we  issued  $750  million  aggregate  principal  amount  of  3.90%  senior  unsecured  notes  at 
99.748% of par to yield 3.93% per annum.  These notes are due May 15, 2027 and interest is payable semiannually 
on May 15 and November 15.  The effective interest rate on these notes, including the amortization of debt issuance 
costs and discount, is 4.01%. 

In June 2014, we issued $750 million aggregate principal amount of 4.375% senior unsecured notes at par.  
These notes are due June 1, 2024 and interest is payable semiannually on June 1 and December 1.  The effective 
interest rate on these notes, including the amortization of debt issuance costs, is 4.50%.

Our senior unsecured notes are governed by indentures containing certain covenants, events of default, and 

other restrictive provisions with which we were in compliance as of December 31, 2020. 

56

Working Capital Analysis

At  December  31,  2020,  we  had  a  working  capital  deficit  of  $2.9  million,  a  change  of  $134.2  million,  or 
98% from a working capital deficit of $137.1 million at December 31, 2019.  Our working capital deficit decreased 
primarily as a result of the following:

Working Capital Increases

•

•

•

Cash and cash equivalents increased by $178.4 million as a result of maintaining capital expenditures 
at a level below our cash flows from operations in order to increase cash on our balance sheet, which 
we plan to use to initially target debt reduction and continue to fund and increase our regular common 
stock cash dividend.

Operations-related accounts payable and accrued liabilities decreased by $153.4 million, primarily due 
to decreases in: (i) revenue payable due to declines in revenues, (ii) taxes other than income accruals 
due  to  decreased  prices  causing  lower  production  and  ad  valorem  taxes,  (iii)  trade  accounts  payable 
due to decreased activity, and (iv) current asset retirement obligations due to changes in the estimated 
timing of retirement activities.  

Exploration and development and midstream capital accruals decreased by $66.6 million as a result of 
our decision to reduce capital expenditures in response to the decline in oil prices and demand.

Working Capital Decreases

•

•

•

A  decrease  of  $139.8  million  from  a  net  current  derivative  asset  to  a  net  current  derivative  liability.  
The fair value of derivative instruments fluctuates based on changes in the underlying price indices as 
compared to the contracted prices included in the derivative instruments.  

Accounts receivable decreased by $116.1 million, primarily due to declines in prices lowering our oil 
and gas sales receivable.

Oil and gas well equipment and supplies decreased by $10.7 million.

Accounts receivable are a major component of our working capital and include amounts due from a diverse 
group of companies comprised of major energy companies, pipeline companies, local distribution companies, and 
other  end-users.    We  conduct  credit  analyses  prior  to  making  any  sales  to  new  customers  or  increasing  credit  for 
existing  customers  and  may  require  parent  company  guarantees,  letters  of  credit,  or  prepayments  when  deemed 
necessary.  For properties we operate, we have the right to realize amounts due to us from non-operators by netting 
the non-operators’ share of production revenues from those properties.  We routinely assess the recoverability of all 
material  accounts  receivable  and  accrue  a  reserve  to  the  allowance  for  credit  losses  based  on  our  estimation  of 
expected losses over the life of the receivables.  Historically, losses associated with uncollectible receivables have 
not  been  significant.    However,  most  of  our  accounts  receivable  balances  are  uncollateralized  and  result  from 
transactions with other companies in the oil and gas industry.  Concentration of customers may impact our overall 
credit risk because our customers may be similarly affected by changes in economic or other conditions within the 
industry, such as those currently impacting the industry as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and low commodity 
prices.

57

Dividends

A quarterly cash dividend has been paid on our common stock every quarter since the first quarter of 2006.  
During  2020,  our  Board  of  Directors  declared  four  cash  dividends  of  $0.22  per  common  share,  totaling 
approximately  $90.0  million.    During  2020,  our  Board  of  Directors  declared  four  cash  dividends  of  $20.3125  per 
preferred  share,  totaling  approximately  $4.9  million.    Future  dividend  payments  will  depend  on  our  level  of 
earnings, financial requirements, and other factors considered relevant by our Board of Directors.  See Note 2 to the 
Consolidated Financial Statements for further information regarding our stock.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

We  may  enter  into  off-balance  sheet  arrangements  and  transactions  that  can  give  rise  to  material  off-
balance  sheet  obligations.    As  of  December  31,  2020,  our  material  off-balance  sheet  arrangements  consisted  of 
operating lease agreements for equipment used in connection with our exploration and development activities with 
lease  terms  at  commencement  of  12  months  or  less.    As  an  accounting  policy,  we  have  elected  not  to  apply  the 
recognition requirements of Topic 842 to these leases.  As such, we have not recorded any lease liabilities associated 
with these leases.

Contractual Obligations and Material Commitments

At December 31, 2020, we had the following contractual obligations and material commitments:

Contractual obligations
(in thousands)

Total

1/1/21 - 
12/31/21

1/1/22 - 
12/31/23

1/1/24 - 
12/31/25

1/1/26 and 
Thereafter

Payments Due by Period

Long-term debt - principal (1) $ 2,000,000   
Long-term debt - interest (1)..

490,967   

Operating leases (2)................
Unconditional purchase 
obligations (3)........................

Derivative liabilities...............
Asset retirement obligation 
(4)...........................................

Other long-term liabilities (5)

$ 

—   

$ 

—   

$  750,000   

$ 1,250,000   

81,868   

  167,875   

  118,656   

101,749   

27,255   

31,736   

23,687   

18,903   

7,854   

163,147   

  145,398   

6,167   

17,749   

4,882   

—   

122,568   

19,071   

—   

—   

177,867   

49,318   

12,272   

4,460   

—  (4)  

—  (4)  

—  (4)

11,028   

10,324   

23,506   

$ 3,001,951   

$  279,107   

$  234,555   

$  907,549   

$ 1,415,145   

 ________________________________________
(1) The  interest  payments  presented  above  include  the  accrued  interest  payable  on  our  long-term  debt  as  of 
December 31, 2020 as well as future payments calculated using the long-term debt’s fixed rates, stated maturity 
dates, and principal amounts outstanding as of December 31, 2020.  See Note 3 to the Consolidated Financial 
Statements for additional information regarding our debt.

(2) Operating  leases  include  the  estimated  remaining  contractual  payments  under  lease  agreements  as  of 
December  31,  2020.    These  lease  agreements  are  primarily  comprised  of  leases  for  commercial  real  estate, 
which consists primarily of office space, and compressor equipment.

(3) Of the total unconditional purchase obligations, $2.3 million represents obligations for the purchase of sand for 
well  completions  and  $16.6  million  represents  obligations  for  firm  transportation  agreements  for  gas  pipeline 
capacity. 

(4) We have excluded the presentation of the timing of the cash flows associated with our $165.6 million long-term 
asset retirement obligations because we cannot make a reasonably reliable estimate of the future period of cash 
settlement.    The  long-term  asset  retirement  obligation  is  included  in  the  total  asset  retirement  obligation 
presented. 

(5) Other long-term liabilities include contractual obligations associated with our employee supplemental savings 
plan,  gas  balancing  liabilities,  and  other  miscellaneous  liabilities.    All  of  these  liabilities  are  accrued  on  our 

58

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Consolidated Balance Sheet.  The current portion associated with these long-term liabilities is also presented in 
the table above.

The  following  discusses  various  commercial  commitments  that  we  have  made  that  may  include  potential 
future cash payments if we fail to meet various performance obligations.  These are not reflected in the table above, 
unless otherwise noted.

At  December  31,  2020,  we  had  estimated  commitments  of  approximately:  (i)  $224.2  million  to  finish 
drilling, completing, or performing other work on wells and various other infrastructure projects in progress and (ii) 
$4.3 million to finish midstream construction in progress.

At December 31, 2020, we had firm sales contracts to deliver approximately 470.3 Bcf of gas over the next 
10.5 years.  If we do not deliver this gas, our estimated financial commitment, calculated using the January 2021 
index  prices,  would  be  approximately  $908.1  million.    The  value  of  this  commitment  will  fluctuate  due  to  price 
volatility and actual volumes delivered.  However, we believe no material financial commitment will be due based 
on  our  current  proved  reserves  and  production  levels  and  our  ability  to  make  market  purchases  to  fulfill  these 
volumetric obligations.

In connection with gas gathering and processing agreements, we have volume commitments over the next 
8.0  years.    If  we  do  not  deliver  the  committed  gas  or  NGLs,  as  applicable,  the  estimated  maximum  amount  that 
would  be  payable  under  these  commitments,  calculated  as  of  December  31,  2020,  would  be  approximately 
$640.7  million.    However,  we  believe  no  material  financial  commitment  will  be  due  based  on  our  current  proved 
reserves and production levels from which we can fulfill these volumetric obligations.

We  have  minimum  volume  delivery  commitments  associated  with  agreements  to  reimburse  connection 
costs to various pipelines.  If we do not deliver this gas or oil, as applicable, the estimated maximum amount that 
would  be  payable  under  these  commitments,  calculated  as  of  December  31,  2020,  would  be  approximately 
$104.7 million.  Of this total, we have accrued a liability of $4.3 million representing the estimated amount we will 
have to pay due to insufficient forecasted volumes at particular connection points.  This accrual is reflected in the 
table above in Other long-term liabilities.

We have minimum volume water delivery commitments associated with a water services agreement, which 
ends in 2030, that was entered into in connection with the sale of certain water infrastructure assets in Eddy County, 
New Mexico (see Note 13 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information regarding this sale).  If 
the water volumes are not delivered by us or third parties, the estimated maximum amount that would be payable by 
us under this commitment, calculated as of December 31, 2020, would be approximately $64.1 million.  However, 
we  believe  no  material  financial  commitment  will  be  due  based  on  our  forecasted  volumes  of  water  delivery  and 
potential delivery of water volumes by third parties.

All of the noted commitments were routine and made in the ordinary course of our business.

Taking into account current commodity prices and anticipated levels of production, we believe that our net 

cash flow generated from operations and our other capital resources will be adequate to meet future obligations.

59

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES

Discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operation are based on our Consolidated 
Financial Statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the 
United  States  of  America.    The  preparation  of  these  financial  statements  requires  us  to  make  estimates  and 
judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses.  We analyze and base our 
estimates  on  historical  experience  and  various  other  assumptions  that  we  believe  to  be  reasonable  under  the 
circumstances.  Changes in facts and circumstances or additional information may result in revised estimates, and 
actual results may differ from these estimates.

Our significant accounting policies are described in Note 1 to our Consolidated Financial Statements.  We 
have identified the following policies as being of particular importance to the portrayal of our financial position and 
results of operations and which require the application of significant judgment by management.

Oil and Gas Reserves

The  process  of  estimating  quantities  of  oil  and  gas  reserves  is  complex,  requiring  judgment  and 
interpretation in the evaluation of all available geological, geophysical, engineering and economic data.  The data for 
a  given  field  may  also  change  substantially  over  time  due  to  numerous  factors  including,  but  not  limited  to, 
additional  development  activity,  evolving  production  history,  and  continual  reassessment  of  the  viability  of 
production  under  varying  economic  conditions.    As  a  result,  material  revisions  to  existing  reserve  estimates  may 
occur from time to time.  Although every reasonable effort is made to ensure that our reserve estimates represent the 
most  accurate  assessments  possible,  subjective  decisions  and  available  data  for  our  various  fields  make  these 
estimates generally less precise than other estimates included in financial statement disclosures.

At year-end 2020, 16% of our total proved reserves are categorized as proved undeveloped reserves.  Our 

engineers review and revise these reserve estimates regularly, as new information becomes available.

We  use  the  units-of-production  method  to  amortize  the  cost  associated  with  our  oil  and  gas  properties.  
Changes  in  estimates  of  reserve  quantities  and  commodity  prices  will  cause  corresponding  changes  in  depletion 
expense,  or  in  some  cases,  a  full  cost  ceiling  impairment  charge.    See  Full  Cost  Accounting  below  for  further 
information regarding the ceiling limitation calculation.  See SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION ON OIL AND 
GAS PRODUCING ACTIVITIES (UNAUDITED) in Item 8 for additional reserve data.

Full Cost Accounting

We use the full cost method of accounting for our oil and gas operations.  All costs associated with property 
acquisition, exploration, and development activities are capitalized.  Exploration and development costs include dry 
hole costs, geological and geophysical costs, direct overhead related to exploration and development activities, and 
other costs incurred for the purpose of finding oil and gas reserves.  Salaries and benefits paid to employees directly 
involved in the acquisition, exploration, and development of properties, as well as other internal costs that can be 
directly identified with acquisition, exploration, and development activities, are also capitalized.  Under the full cost 
method  of  accounting,  no  gain  or  loss  is  recognized  upon  the  disposition  of  oil  and  gas  properties  unless  such 
disposition would significantly  alter the relationship between capitalized costs and proved reserves.  Expenditures 
for maintenance and repairs are charged to production expense in the period incurred.

Under the full cost method of accounting, we are required to perform quarterly ceiling test calculations to 
test our oil and gas properties for possible impairment.  If the net capitalized cost of our oil and gas properties, as 
adjusted for income taxes, exceeds the ceiling limitation, the excess is charged to expense.  The ceiling limitation is 
equal to the sum of: (i) the present value discounted at 10% of estimated future net revenues from proved reserves, 
(ii)  the  cost  of  properties  not  being  amortized,  and  (iii)  the  lower  of  cost  or  estimated  fair  value  of  unproven 
properties  included  in  the  costs  being  amortized,  as  adjusted  for  income  taxes.    We  currently  do  not  have  any 
unproven  properties  that  are  being  amortized.    Estimated  future  net  revenues  are  determined  based  on  trailing 

60

twelve-month  average  commodity  prices  and  estimated  proved  reserve  quantities,  operating  costs,  and  capital 
expenditures.

The  quarterly  ceiling  test  is  primarily  impacted  by  commodity  prices,  changes  in  estimated  reserve 
quantities, reserves produced, overall exploration and development costs, depletion expense, and deferred taxes.  If 
pricing conditions decline, or if there is a negative impact on one or more of the other components of the calculation, 
we may incur a full cost ceiling test impairment.  The calculated ceiling limitation is not intended to be indicative of 
the  fair  market  value  of  our  proved  reserves  or  future  results.    Impairment  charges  do  not  affect  cash  flow  from 
operating  activities,  but  do  adversely  affect  our  net  income  and  various  components  of  our  balance  sheet.    Any 
impairment of oil and gas properties is not reversible at a later date.

Depletion  of  proved  oil  and  gas  properties  is  computed  on  the  units-of-production  method,  whereby 
capitalized costs, including future development costs and asset retirement costs, are amortized over total estimated 
proved reserves.  Changes in our estimate of proved reserve quantities and impairment of oil and gas properties will 
cause corresponding changes in depletion expense in periods subsequent to these changes.

The  capitalized  costs  of  unproved  properties,  including  those  in  wells  in  progress,  are  excluded  from  the 
costs being amortized.  We do not have major development projects that are excluded from costs being amortized.  
On a quarterly basis, we evaluate excluded costs for inclusion in the costs to be amortized.  Significant unproved 
properties  are  evaluated  individually.    Unproved  properties  that  are  not  considered  individually  significant  are 
aggregated for evaluation purposes and related costs are transferred to the costs to be amortized quarterly based on 
the application of historical factors.

Income Taxes

Our  oil  and  gas  exploration  and  production  operations  are  subject  to  taxation  on  income  in  numerous 
jurisdictions.  We record deferred tax assets and liabilities to account for the expected future tax consequences of 
events  that  have  been  recognized  in  our  financial  statements  and  our  tax  returns.    We  routinely  assess  the 
realizability  of  our  deferred  tax  assets.    Numerous  judgments  and  assumptions  are  inherent  in  this  assessment, 
including  the  determination  of  future  taxable  income,  which  is  affected  by  factors  such  as  future  operating 
conditions (particularly as related to prevailing oil and gas prices) and changing tax laws.  If we conclude that it is 
more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized, the tax asset would be 
reduced by a valuation allowance.

We  regularly  assess  and,  if  required,  establish  accruals  for  tax  contingencies  that  could  result  from 
assessments of additional tax by taxing jurisdictions where the company operates.  See Note 9 to the Consolidated 
Financial Statements for additional information regarding our income taxes.

61

ITEM 7A.  QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

We are exposed to market risk including the risk of loss arising from adverse changes in commodity prices 

and interest rates.

Price Fluctuations

Our major market risk is pricing applicable to our oil, gas, and NGL production.  The prices we receive for 
our production are based on prevailing market conditions and are influenced by many factors that are beyond our 
control.    Pricing  for  oil,  gas,  and  NGL  production  has  been  volatile  and  unpredictable.    During  2020,  our  total 
production revenue was comprised of 66% oil sales, 16% gas sales, and 18% NGL sales.  The following table shows 
how hypothetical changes in the realized prices we receive for our commodity sales may have impacted revenue for 
the period indicated.  See MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION 
AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS—Market Conditions for further information regarding prices.

Oil..................................................................................................... ± $1.00 per barrel
Gas...................................................................................................
NGL.................................................................................................

± $0.10 per Mcf
± $1.00 per barrel

Change in Realized Price

Impact on Revenue

Year Ended
December 31, 2020

(in thousands)

± $28,087
± $23,263
± $25,554
± $76,904

We periodically enter into financial derivative contracts to hedge a portion of our price risk associated with 
our future oil and gas production.  At December 31, 2020, we had oil and gas derivatives covering a portion of our 
2021 and 2022 production, which were recorded as current and non-current assets and liabilities on our Consolidated 
Balance Sheet.  At December 31, 2020, our oil and gas derivatives had a gross asset fair value of $9.2 million and a 
gross  liability  fair  value  of  $163.1  million.    See  Note  4  to  the  Consolidated  Financial  Statements  for  additional 
information regarding our derivative instruments.

While these contracts limit the downside risk of adverse price movements, they may also limit future cash 
flow  from  favorable  price  movements.    The  following  table  shows  how  a  hypothetical  ±  10%  change  in  the 
underlying forward prices used to calculate the fair value of our derivatives may have impacted the fair value as of  
December 31, 2020.

Change in Forward Price

December 31, 2020

Impact on Fair Value

(in thousands)

Oil................................................................................................
Oil................................................................................................
Gas...............................................................................................
Gas...............................................................................................

-10%
+10%
-10%
+10%

$ 
$ 
$ 
$ 

71,853 
(74,237) 
23,760 
(24,515) 

62

Interest Rate Risk

At December 31, 2020, our long-term debt consisted of $750 million of 4.375% senior unsecured notes that 
mature  on  June  1,  2024,  $750  million  of  3.90%  senior  unsecured  notes  that  mature  on  May  15,  2027,  and 
$500 million of 4.375% senior unsecured notes that mature on March 15, 2029.  Because all of our outstanding long-
term  debt  is  at  a  fixed  rate,  we  consider  our  interest  rate  exposure  to  be  minimal.    See  Note  3  and  Note  5  to  the 
Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information regarding our debt.

63

ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

CIMAREX ENERGY CO.

INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTAL SCHEDULES

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.....................................................................

Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2020 and 2019...........................................................
Consolidated  Statements  of  Operations  and  Comprehensive  Income  (Loss)  for  the  years  ended 
December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018 ........................................................................................................

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018........
Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 
2018...........................................................................................................................................................

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Note 1 — Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies..........................

Note 2 — Capital Stock.....................................................................................................................

Note 3 — Long-Term Debt................................................................................................................

Note 4 — Derivative Instruments......................................................................................................

Note 5 — Fair Value Measurements.................................................................................................

Note 6 — Stock-Based and Other Compensation..............................................................................

Note 7 — Earnings (Loss) per Share.................................................................................................

Note 8 — Asset Retirement Obligations...........................................................................................

Note 9 — Income Taxes....................................................................................................................

Note 10 — Commitments and Contingencies...................................................................................

Note 11 — Related Party Transactions..............................................................................................

Note 12 — Supplemental Cash Flow Information............................................................................

Note 13 — Acquisitions and Divestitures.........................................................................................

Supplemental Information to Consolidated Financial Statements

Supplemental Information on Oil and Gas Producing Activities (Unaudited)..................................

Supplemental Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited)........................................................................

Page

65

67

68

69

70

71

76

78

80

85

86

91

92

93

95

100

100

101

104

110

All other supplemental information and schedules have been omitted because they are not applicable or the 

information required is shown in the consolidated financial statements or related notes thereto.

64

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Stockholders and Board of Directors Cimarex Energy Co.:

Opinion on the Consolidated Financial Statements

We  have  audited  the  accompanying  consolidated  balance  sheets  of  Cimarex  Energy  Co.  and  subsidiaries  (the 
Company) as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the related consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive 
income  (loss),  stockholders’  equity,  and  cash  flows  for  each  of  the  years  in  the  three-year  period  ended 
December 31, 2020, and the related notes (collectively, the consolidated financial statements). In our opinion, the 
consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of   
December 31, 2020 and 2019, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the years in the three-
year period ended December 31, 2020, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United 
States)  (PCAOB),  the  Company’s  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  as  of  December  31,  2020,  based  on 
criteria  established  in  Internal  Control  –  Integrated  Framework  (2013)  issued  by  the  Committee  of  Sponsoring 
Organizations  of  the  Treadway  Commission,  and  our  report  dated  February  23,  2021  expressed  an  unqualified 
opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

Change in Accounting Principle

As discussed in Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company has changed its method of accounting 
for leases as of January 1, 2019 due to the adoption of Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards 
Codification Topic 842, Leases.

Basis for Opinion

These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is 
to  express  an  opinion  on  these  consolidated  financial  statements  based  on  our  audits.  We  are  a  public  accounting 
firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with 
the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission 
and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and 
perform  the  audit  to  obtain  reasonable  assurance  about  whether  the  consolidated  financial  statements  are  free  of 
material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks 
of  material  misstatement  of  the  consolidated  financial  statements,  whether  due  to  error  or  fraud,  and  performing 
procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the 
amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting 
principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the 
consolidated financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Critical Audit Matter

The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the consolidated 
financial  statements  that  was  communicated  or  required  to  be  communicated  to  the  audit  committee  and  that:  (1) 
relates  to  accounts  or  disclosures  that  are  material  to  the  consolidated  financial  statements  and  (2)  involved  our 
especially  challenging,  subjective,  or  complex  judgments.  The  communication  of  a  critical  audit  matter  does  not 
alter  in  any  way  our  opinion  on  the  consolidated  financial  statements,  taken  as  a  whole,  and  we  are  not,  by 
communicating  the  critical  audit  matter  below,  providing  a  separate  opinion  on  the  critical  audit  matter  or  on  the 
accounts or disclosures to which it relates.

65

Impact of estimated oil and gas reserves related to proved oil and gas properties on depletion expense and 
the ceiling test calculation

As discussed in Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company calculates depletion expense for 
its  proved  oil  and  gas  properties  using  the  units-of-production  method  whereby  capitalized  costs,  including 
estimated  future  development  costs  and  asset  retirement  costs,  are  amortized  over  total  estimated  proved 
reserves.  The  Company  is  required  to  perform  a  ceiling  test  calculation  on  a  quarterly  basis,  and  the 
applicable  ceiling  limitation  is  equal  to  the  sum  of:  (1)  the  present  value  discounted  at  10%  of  estimated 
future net revenues from proved reserves, (2) the cost of properties not being amortized, and (3) the lower of 
cost  or  estimated  fair  value  of  unproven  properties  included  in  the  costs  being  amortized,  as  adjusted  for 
income taxes. If the net capitalized cost of oil and gas properties, as adjusted for income taxes, exceeds the 
ceiling  limitation,  the  excess  is  charged  to  expense.  For  the  year  ended  December  31,  2020,  the  Company 
recorded depletion expense related to proved oil and gas properties of $625.5 million and recorded ceiling test 
impairments  of  $1,638.3  million.  The  Company’s  internal  Corporate  Reservoir  Engineering  group  prepares 
estimates  of  the  Company’s  proved  oil  and  gas  reserves.  The  Company  also  engages  an  independent 
petroleum engineering consulting firm to perform an independent evaluation of a portion of those proved oil 
and gas reserve estimates.

We identified the impact of the estimate of proved oil and gas reserves used in the determination of depletion 
expense  and  the  ceiling  test  calculation  as  a  critical  audit  matter.  There  is  a  high  degree  of  subjectivity  in 
evaluating  the  estimate  of  proved  oil  and  gas  reserves  as  auditor  judgment  was  required  to  evaluate  the 
assumptions  used  by  the  Company  related  to  forecasts  of  production,  future  operating  costs  and  future 
development costs, and oil and gas prices inclusive of market differentials.

The following are the primary procedures we performed to address this critical audit matter. We evaluated the 
design and tested the operating effectiveness of certain internal controls related to the process for estimating 
oil  and  gas  reserves  for  proved  oil  and  gas  properties,  including  controls  over  the  development  of  the 
forecasts  of  production,  future  operating  costs  and  future  development  costs,  and  oil  and  gas  prices.  We 
evaluated (1) the professional qualifications of the internal Corporate Reservoir Engineering group as well as 
the engineer assigned to the Company by the independent petroleum engineering consulting firm engaged by 
the  Company,  (2)  the  knowledge,  skills,  and  ability  of  the  Company’s  internal  Corporate  Reservoir 
Engineering group and the independent petroleum engineering consulting firm and the engineer assigned to 
the  Company  and  (3)  the  objectivity  of  the  independent  petroleum  engineering  consulting  firm  and  the 
engineer assigned to the Company. We assessed the methodology used by the Company’s internal Corporate 
Reservoir  Engineering  group  to  estimate  proved  oil  and  gas  reserves  and  the  methodology  used  by  the 
independent petroleum engineering consulting firm to evaluate those reserve estimates for consistency with 
industry and regulatory standards. We evaluated the assumptions of forecasts of production, future operating 
costs and future development costs used by the Company’s internal Corporate Reservoir Engineering group 
by comparing them to the Company’s historical actual results. We evaluated the oil and gas prices used by the 
Company’s internal Corporate Reservoir Engineering group by comparing them to publicly available prices 
and tested the relevant market differentials. We read the findings of the Company’s independent petroleum 
engineering  consulting  firm  in  connection  with  our  evaluation  of  the  Company’s  reserve  estimates.  We 
analyzed the depletion expense calculation for compliance with regulatory standards, and recalculated it. We 
also  analyzed  the  ceiling  test  impairment  calculation  for  compliance  with  regulatory  standards.  In  addition, 
we  performed  a  calculation  of  the  ceiling  test  impairment  and  compared  our  results  with  the  Company’s 
results.

/s/ KPMG LLP

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2002.

Denver, Colorado 
February 23, 2021

66

CIMAREX ENERGY CO.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(in thousands, except share and per share information)

December 31,

2020

2019

Current assets:

Assets

Cash and cash equivalents......................................................................................................... $ 
Accounts receivable, net of allowance:

273,145  $ 

94,722 

Trade....................................................................................................................................
Oil and gas sales..................................................................................................................
Gas gathering, processing, and marketing...........................................................................
Oil and gas well equipment and supplies..................................................................................
Derivative instruments...............................................................................................................
Prepaid expenses........................................................................................................................
Other current assets...................................................................................................................
Total current assets.........................................................................................................

Oil and gas properties at cost, using the full cost method of accounting:

Proved properties.......................................................................................................................
Unproved properties and properties under development, not being amortized.........................

Less—accumulated depreciation, depletion, amortization, and impairment.............................
Net oil and gas properties...............................................................................................
Fixed assets, net of accumulated depreciation of $455,815 and $389,458, respectively...............
Goodwill.........................................................................................................................................
Derivative instruments....................................................................................................................
Deferred income taxes....................................................................................................................
Other assets.....................................................................................................................................

49,650 
271,141 
11,694 
37,150 
6,848 
7,113 
597 
657,338 

57,879 
384,707 
5,998 
47,893 
17,944 
10,759 
1,584 
621,486 

  21,281,840 
1,142,183 
  22,424,023 
  (18,987,354) 
3,436,669 
436,101 
— 
2,342 
20,472 
69,067 

  20,678,334 
1,255,908 
  21,934,242 
  (16,723,544) 
5,210,698 
519,291 
716,865 
580 
— 
71,109 
$  4,621,989  $  7,140,029 

Liabilities, Redeemable Preferred Stock, and Stockholders’ Equity

Current liabilities:

Accounts payable:

Trade.................................................................................................................................... $ 
Gas gathering, processing, and marketing...........................................................................

21,902  $ 
22,388 

36,280 
12,740 

Accrued liabilities:

Exploration and development..............................................................................................
Taxes other than income......................................................................................................
Other....................................................................................................................................
Derivative instruments...............................................................................................................
Revenue payable........................................................................................................................
Operating leases.........................................................................................................................
Total current liabilities....................................................................................................

Long-term debt:

Principal.....................................................................................................................................
Less—unamortized debt issuance costs and discounts..............................................................
Long-term debt, net........................................................................................................
Deferred income taxes....................................................................................................................
Asset retirement obligation.............................................................................................................
Derivative instruments....................................................................................................................
Operating leases..............................................................................................................................
Other liabilities...............................................................................................................................
Total liabilities................................................................................................................

Commitments and contingencies (Note 10)
Redeemable  preferred  stock  -  8.125%  Series  A  Cumulative  Perpetual  Convertible  Preferred 
Stock, $0.01 par value, 28,165 shares authorized and issued and 62,500 shares authorized and 
issued, respectively (Note 2)..........................................................................................................
Stockholders’ equity:

Common  stock,  $0.01  par  value,  200,000,000  shares  authorized,  102,866,806  and 
102,144,577 shares issued, respectively....................................................................................
Additional paid-in capital..........................................................................................................
(Accumulated deficit) retained earnings....................................................................................
Total stockholders’ equity..............................................................................................

50,014 
29,051 
201,784 
145,398 
130,637 
59,051 
660,225 

2,000,000 
(12,701) 
1,987,299 
— 
165,595 
17,749 
134,705 
66,181 
3,031,754 

112,228 
54,446 
252,304 
16,681 
207,939 
66,003 
758,621 

2,000,000 
(14,754) 
1,985,246 
338,424 
154,045 
1,018 
184,172 
60,742 
3,482,268 

36,781 

81,620 

1,029 
3,211,562 
(1,659,137) 
1,553,454 

1,021 
3,243,325 
331,795 
3,576,141 
$  4,621,989  $  7,140,029 

See accompanying notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

67

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CIMAREX ENERGY CO.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)
(in thousands, except per share information)

Revenues:

Oil sales......................................................................... $ 
Gas and NGL sales........................................................
Gas gathering and other.................................................
Gas marketing...............................................................

Costs and expenses:

Impairment of oil and gas properties.............................
Depreciation, depletion, and amortization....................
Asset retirement obligation...........................................
Impairment of goodwill.................................................
Production.....................................................................
Transportation, processing, and other operating...........
Gas gathering and other.................................................
Taxes other than income...............................................
General and administrative............................................
Stock-based compensation............................................
Loss (gain) on derivative instruments, net....................
Other operating expense, net.........................................

Operating (loss) income...........................................

Other (income) and expense:

Interest expense.............................................................
Capitalized interest........................................................
Loss on early extinguishment of debt...........................
Other, net.......................................................................
(Loss) income before income tax.............................
Income tax (benefit) expense.............................................

Net (loss) income..................................................... $ 

Years Ended December 31,

2020

2019

2018

999,682  $ 
513,006 
47,842 
(1,935)   

1,660,210  $ 
661,711 
42,454 
(1,406)   

1,558,595 

2,362,969 

1,638,329 
695,954 
14,653 
714,447 
285,324 
213,366 
23,591 
79,699 
111,005 
29,895 
35,534 
839 
3,842,636 
(2,284,041)   

92,914 
(50,030)   

— 
(540)   
(2,326,385)   
(358,927)   
(1,967,458)  $ 

618,693 
882,173 
8,586 
— 
339,941 
238,259 
23,294 
148,953 
95,843 
26,398 
76,850 
19,305 
2,478,295 
(115,326)   

93,386 
(56,232)   
4,250 
(5,741)   
(150,989)   
(26,370)   
(124,619)  $ 

1,398,813 
898,832 
41,180 
192 
2,339,017 

— 
590,473 
7,142 
— 
296,189 
211,463 
28,327 
125,169 
77,843 
22,895 
(85,959) 
18,507 
1,292,049 
1,046,968 

68,224 
(20,855) 
— 
(22,908) 
1,022,507 
230,656 
791,851 

Earnings (loss) per share to common stockholders:

Basic.............................................................................. $ 
Diluted........................................................................... $ 

(19.73)  $ 
(19.73)  $ 

(1.33)  $ 
(1.33)  $ 

8.32 
8.32 

Comprehensive (loss) income:

Net (loss) income.......................................................... $ 
Other comprehensive (loss) income:

Change in fair value of investments, net of tax of 
$0, $(222), and $(425), respectively........................
Total comprehensive (loss) income......................... $ 

(1,967,458)  $ 

(124,619)  $ 

791,851 

— 

(1,967,458)  $ 

(755)   
(125,374)  $ 

(1,444) 
790,407 

See accompanying notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

68

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CIMAREX ENERGY CO.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(in thousands)

Cash flows from operating activities:

Net (loss) income................................................................ $ 
Adjustments to reconcile net (loss) income to net cash 
provided by operating activities:

Years Ended December 31,

2020

2019

2018

(1,967,458)  $ 

(124,619)  $ 

791,851 

Impairment of oil and gas properties.............................

1,638,329 

Depreciation, depletion, and amortization.....................

Asset retirement obligation............................................

Impairment of goodwill.................................................

695,954 

14,653 

714,447 

618,693 

882,173 

8,586 

— 

Deferred income taxes...................................................

(358,896)   

(26,902)   

Stock-based compensation.............................................

Loss (gain) on derivative instruments, net.....................

Settlements on derivative instruments...........................

Loss on early extinguishment of debt............................

Changes in non-current assets and liabilities.................

Other, net.......................................................................

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:

Accounts receivable.......................................................

Other current assets........................................................

29,895 

35,534 

119,247 

— 

7,189 

15,305 

116,492 

5,134 

26,398 

76,850 

(13,131)   

4,250 

(2,797)   

14,639 

65,128 

(739)   

Accounts payable and other current liabilities...............

(161,658)   

(184,563)   

— 

590,473 

7,142 

— 

233,280 

22,895 

(85,959) 

(24,429) 

— 

(1,779) 

105 

5,421 

(1,957) 

13,951 

Net cash provided by operating activities.................

904,167 

1,343,966 

1,550,994 

Cash flows from investing activities:

Oil and gas capital expenditures..........................................
Acquisition of oil and gas properties...................................

Other capital expenditures...................................................

Sales of oil and gas assets...................................................

Sales of other assets.............................................................

(594,796)   
(11,878)   

(44,302)   

69,983 

2,118 

(1,245,457)   
(288,781)   

(1,540,305) 
(26,278) 

(73,693)   

(103,459) 

28,945 

1,104 

580,652 

3,772 

Net cash used by investing activities.........................

(578,875)   

(1,577,882)   

(1,085,618) 

Cash flows from financing activities:

Borrowings of long-term debt.............................................

172,000 

2,619,310 

Repayments of long-term debt............................................
Financing, underwriting, and debt redemption fees............
Finance lease payments.......................................................

Dividends paid....................................................................

Repurchase of redeemable preferred stock.........................
Employee withholding taxes paid upon the net settlement 
of equity-classified stock awards........................................

(172,000)   
(1,566)   

(2,990,000)   
(11,798)   

(4,842)   

(92,976)   

(43,029)   

(3,869)   

(81,709)   

— 

— 

— 
(100) 

— 

(55,243) 

— 

(4,456)   

(5,229)   

(12,142) 

Proceeds from exercise of stock options.............................

— 

Net cash used by financing activities........................

(146,869)   

Net change in cash and cash equivalents...................

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period...................

178,423 

94,722 

1,267 

(472,028)   

(705,944)   

800,666 

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period............................. $ 

273,145  $ 

94,722  $ 

2,241 

(65,244) 

400,132 

400,534 

800,666 

See accompanying notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

69

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CIMAREX ENERGY CO. 
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY 
(in thousands, except per share information)

Balance, December 31, 2017.....................

  95,437  $  954  $  2,764,384  $ 

(199,259)  $ 

2,199  $  2,568,278 

Common Stock

Shares

Amount

Additional 
Paid-in 
Capital

Retained
Earnings 
(Accumulated 
Deficit)

Accumulated
Other 
Comprehensive 
Income (Loss)

Total 
Stockholders’ 
Equity

Balance, December 31, 2018.....................

  95,756 

958 

  2,785,188 

542,885 

755 

  3,329,786 

Dividends paid on stock awards 
subsequently forfeited..........................
Dividends declared on common stock 
($0.68 per share)...................................

Net income...........................................
Unrealized change in fair value of 
investments, net of tax..........................

— 

  — 

34 

18 

— 

— 

  — 

  — 

— 

  — 

(15,196) 

— 

— 

(6) 

Issuance of restricted stock awards......

593 

6 

Common stock reacquired and retired.
Restricted stock forfeited or canceled 
and retired.............................................

Exercise of stock options......................

Stock-based compensation...................

(139) 

  — 

(12,142) 

(168) 

(2) 

33 

— 

  — 

  — 

2 

2,241 

45,871 

(49,725) 

791,851 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

Dividends paid on stock awards 
subsequently forfeited..........................
Dividends declared on common stock 
($0.80 per share)...................................
Dividends declared on redeemable 
preferred stock ($81.25 per share)........

Net loss.................................................
Issuance of stock for Resolute Energy 
acquisition (Note 13)............................
Unrealized change in fair value of 
investments, net of tax..........................

Issuance of restricted stock awards......

Common stock reacquired and retired.
Restricted stock forfeited or canceled 
and retired.............................................

Exercise of stock options......................

Stock-based compensation...................

— 

  — 

— 

  — 

— 

— 

  — 

  — 

8 

61 

— 

— 

18 

(81,411) 

(5,078) 

(124,619) 

5,652 

56 

412,959 

— 

  — 

946 

(105) 

(133) 

9 

(1) 

(1) 

29 

— 

  — 

  — 

— 

(9) 

(5,228) 

1 

1,267 

49,078 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

Balance, December 31, 2019.....................

  102,145 

  1,021 

  3,243,325 

331,795 

Dividends paid on stock awards 
subsequently forfeited..........................
Dividends declared on common stock 
($0.88 per share)...................................
Dividends declared on redeemable 
preferred stock ($81.25 per share)........
Return from repurchase of redeemable 
preferred stock......................................

Net loss.................................................

— 

  — 

32 

124 

— 

  — 

(67,658) 

(22,329) 

— 

  — 

(3,592) 

(1,269) 

— 

— 

  — 

  — 

1,810 

— 

(13) 

(4,454) 

3 

— 

(1,967,458) 

— 

— 

— 

— 

Issuance of restricted stock awards......

1,159 

Common stock reacquired and retired.
Restricted stock forfeited or canceled 
and retired.............................................

(162) 

(275) 

13 

(2) 

(3) 

Stock-based compensation...................

— 

  — 

42,109 

— 

— 

— 

52 

(64,921) 

791,851 

(1,444) 

(1,444) 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

(12,142) 

— 

2,241 

45,871 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

(755) 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

26 

(81,350) 

(5,078) 

(124,619) 

413,015 

(755) 

— 

(5,229) 

— 

1,267 

49,078 

  3,576,141 

156 

(89,987) 

(4,861) 

1,810 

  (1,967,458) 

— 

(4,456) 

— 

42,109 

Balance, December 31, 2020.....................

  102,867  $ 1,029  $  3,211,562  $  (1,659,137)  $ 

—  $  1,553,454 

See accompanying notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

70

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CIMAREX ENERGY CO.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

1. BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Cimarex  Energy  Co.,  a  Delaware  corporation,  is  an  independent  oil  and  gas  exploration  and  production 
company.  Our operations are located entirely within the United States of America, mainly in Texas, New Mexico, 
and Oklahoma.

Basis of Presentation

Our  Consolidated  Financial  Statements  have  been  prepared  in  accordance  with  accounting  principles 
generally  accepted  in  the  United  States  of  America,  or  GAAP.    Our  significant  accounting  policies  are  discussed 
below.    The  accounts  of  Cimarex  and  its  subsidiaries  are  presented  in  the  accompanying  Consolidated  Financial 
Statements.  All intercompany accounts and transactions were eliminated in consolidation.  Certain amounts in the 
prior year financial statements have been reclassified to conform to the 2020 financial statement presentation.  

Segment Information

We have determined that our business is comprised of only one segment because our gathering, processing, 

and marketing activities are ancillary to our oil and gas production operations.

Use of Estimates

The  preparation  of  our  financial  statements  in  conformity  with  GAAP  requires  us  to  make  estimates  and 
judgments  that  affect  the  reported  amounts  of  assets,  liabilities,  revenues,  and  expenses.    Areas  of  significance 
requiring  the  use  of  management’s  judgments  include  the  estimation  of  proved  oil  and  gas  reserves  used  in 
calculating depletion, the estimation of future net revenues used in computing ceiling test limitations, the estimation 
of future abandonment obligations used in recording asset retirement obligations, and the assessment of goodwill.  
Estimates  and  judgments  also  are  required  in  determining  allowances  for  credit  losses,  impairments  of  unproved 
properties  and  other  assets,  valuation  of  deferred  tax  assets,  fair  value  measurements,  lease  liabilities,  and 
contingencies.  We analyze our estimates and base them on historical experience and various other assumptions that 
we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances.  Actual results may differ from these estimates under different 
assumptions or conditions.

The  process  of  estimating  quantities  of  oil  and  gas  reserves  is  complex,  requiring  judgment  and 
interpretation in the evaluation of all available geological, geophysical, engineering, and economic data.  The data 
for a given field may also change substantially over time as a result of numerous factors including, but not limited 
to,  additional  development  activity,  evolving  production  history,  and  continual  reassessment  of  the  viability  of 
production  under  varying  economic  conditions.    As  a  result,  material  revisions  to  existing  reserve  estimates  may 
occur from time to time.  Although every reasonable effort is made to ensure that our reserve estimates represent the 
most  accurate  assessments  possible,  subjective  decisions,  and  available  data  for  our  various  fields  make  these 
estimates generally less precise than other estimates included in financial statement disclosures.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash  and  cash  equivalents  consist  of  cash  in  banks  and  investments  readily  convertible  into  cash,  which 
have  original  maturities  of  three  months  or  less.    Cash  equivalents  are  stated  at  cost,  which  approximates  market 
value.

Oil and Gas Well Equipment and Supplies

Our oil and gas well equipment and supplies are valued at the lower of cost and net realizable value, where 
net  realizable  value  is  based  on  estimated  selling  prices  in  the  ordinary  course  of  business,  less  reasonably 

71

 
CIMAREX ENERGY CO.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

predictable costs of completion, disposal, and transportation.  Declines in the price of oil and gas well equipment 
and supplies in future periods could cause us to recognize impairments on these assets.  An impairment would not 
affect cash flow from operating activities, but would adversely affect our net income and stockholders’ equity.

Oil and Gas Properties

We use the full cost method of accounting for our oil and gas operations.  All costs associated with property 
acquisition, exploration, and development activities are capitalized.  Exploration and development costs include dry 
hole costs, geological and geophysical costs, direct overhead related to exploration and development activities, and 
other costs incurred for the purpose of finding oil and gas reserves.  Salaries and benefits paid to employees directly 
involved in the acquisition, exploration, and development of properties, as well as other internal costs that can be 
directly identified with acquisition, exploration and development activities, are also capitalized.  Under the full cost 
method  of  accounting,  no  gain  or  loss  is  recognized  upon  the  disposition  of  oil  and  gas  properties  unless  such 
disposition would significantly alter the relationship between capitalized costs and proved reserves.  Expenditures 
for maintenance and repairs are charged to production expense in the period incurred.

Under the full cost method of accounting, we are required to perform quarterly ceiling test calculations to 
test our oil and gas properties for possible impairment.  If the net capitalized cost of our oil and gas properties, as 
adjusted for income taxes, exceeds the ceiling limitation, the excess is charged to expense.  The ceiling limitation is 
equal to the sum of: (i) the present value discounted at 10% of estimated future net revenues from proved reserves, 
(ii)  the  cost  of  properties  not  being  amortized,  and  (iii)  the  lower  of  cost  or  estimated  fair  value  of  unproven 
properties  included  in  the  costs  being  amortized,  as  adjusted  for  income  taxes.    We  currently  do  not  have  any 
unproven  properties  that  are  being  amortized.    Estimated  future  net  revenues  are  determined  based  on  trailing 
twelve-month  average  commodity  prices  and  estimated  proved  reserve  quantities,  operating  costs,  and  capital 
expenditures.

During  the  years  ended  December  31,  2020  and  2019,  we  recognized  ceiling  test  impairments  totaling 
$1.64 billion and $618.7 million, respectively.  The impairments resulted primarily from the impact of decreases in 
the 12-month average trailing prices for oil, natural gas, and NGLs as well as significant basis differentials utilized 
in  determining  the  estimated  future  net  cash  flows  from  proved  reserves.    We  did  not  recognize  a  ceiling  test 
impairment during the year ended December 31, 2018 because the net capitalized cost of our oil and gas properties, 
as adjusted for income taxes, did not exceed the ceiling limitation.  The quarterly ceiling test is primarily impacted 
by  commodity  prices,  changes  in  estimated  reserve  quantities,  reserves  produced,  overall  exploration  and 
development  costs,  depletion  expense,  and  deferred  taxes.    If  pricing  conditions  decline,  or  if  there  is  a  negative 
impact on one or more of the other components of the calculation, we may incur full cost ceiling test impairments in 
future  quarters.    The  calculated  ceiling  limitation  is  not  intended  to  be  indicative  of  the  fair  market  value  of  our 
proved  reserves  or  future  results.    Impairment  charges  do  not  affect  cash  flow  from  operating  activities,  but  do 
adversely  affect  our  net  income  and  various  components  of  our  balance  sheet.    Any  impairment  of  oil  and  gas 
properties is not reversible at a later date. 

Depletion  of  proved  oil  and  gas  properties  is  computed  on  the  units-of-production  method,  whereby 
capitalized costs, including future development costs and asset retirement costs, are amortized over total estimated 
proved reserves.  Changes in our estimate of proved reserve quantities and impairment of oil and gas properties will 
cause corresponding changes in depletion expense in periods subsequent to these changes.

The  capitalized  costs  of  unproved  properties,  including  those  in  wells  in  progress,  are  excluded  from  the 
costs being amortized.  We do not have major development projects that are excluded from costs being amortized.  
On a quarterly basis, we evaluate excluded costs for inclusion in the costs to be amortized.  Significant unproved 
properties  are  evaluated  individually.    Unproved  properties  that  are  not  considered  individually  significant  are 
aggregated for evaluation purposes and related costs are transferred to the costs to be amortized quarterly based on 
the application of historical factors.

72

 
CIMAREX ENERGY CO.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Fixed Assets

Fixed assets consist primarily of gas gathering and plant facilities, water infrastructure, vehicles, airplanes, 
office furniture, and computer equipment and software.  These items are recorded at cost and are depreciated on the 
straight-line method based on expected lives of the individual assets, which range from 3 to 30 years.  Also included 
in Fixed assets are operating lease right-of-use assets.  See Note 10 for additional information regarding our leases.

Goodwill

Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price of business combinations over the fair value of the net 
assets acquired and is tested for impairment at least annually.  In performing the goodwill test, we compare the fair 
value of our reporting unit with its carrying amount.  If the carrying amount of the reporting unit exceeds its fair 
value,  an  impairment  charge  is  recognized  in  the  amount  of  this  excess,  limited  to  the  total  amount  of  goodwill 
allocated  to  that  reporting  unit.    We  evaluate  our  goodwill  for  impairment  in  the  fourth  quarter  of  each  year  and 
whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the possibility that goodwill may be impaired.  Based upon 
our assessment as of October 31, 2019, goodwill was not impaired.  However, during the three months ended March 
31,  2020  the  company’s  market  capitalization  declined  significantly,  caused  by  macroeconomic  and  geopolitical 
conditions  including  the  collapse  of  oil  prices  driven  by  surplus  supply  and  decreased  demand  caused  by  the 
COVID-19 pandemic.  In addition, the uncertainty related to oil demand significantly impacted our investment and 
operating decisions.  As a result, we concluded that a triggering event had occurred and we performed an interim 
quantitative  impairment  test  for  goodwill  as  of  March  31,  2020.    As  a  result  of  that  quantitative  impairment  test, 
which utilized quoted market prices for our common stock as a basis for determining the fair value of our reporting 
unit, we concluded that goodwill was fully impaired at March 31, 2020.

The  following  table  reflects  components  of  the  change  in  the  carrying  amount  of  goodwill  for  the  year 

ended December 31, 2020:

(in thousands)

Goodwill balance at January 1, 2020.......................................................................................... $ 

Resolute acquisition purchase price adjustments (Note 13)...................................................

Impairment.............................................................................................................................

Goodwill balance at December 31, 2020.................................................................................... $ 

Year Ended
December 31, 2020

716,865 

(2,418) 

(714,447) 

— 

Revenue Recognition

Oil, Gas, and NGL Sales

Revenue  is  recognized  from  the  sales  of  oil,  gas,  and  NGLs  when  the  customer  obtains  control  of  the 
product, when we have no further obligations to perform related to the sale, and when collectability is probable.  All 
of  our  sales  of  oil,  gas,  and  NGLs  are  made  under  contracts  with  customers,  which  typically  include  variable 
consideration  based  on  monthly  pricing  tied  to  local  indices  and  monthly  volumes  delivered.    The  nature  of  our 
contracts  with  customers  does  not  require  us  to  constrain  that  variable  consideration  or  to  estimate  the  amount  of 
transaction price attributable to future performance obligations for accounting purposes.  As of December 31, 2020, 
we had open contracts with customers with terms of one month to multiple years, as well as “evergreen” contracts 
that renew on a periodic basis if not canceled by us or the customer.  Performance obligations under our contracts 
with  customers  are  typically  satisfied  at  a  point-in-time  through  monthly  delivery  of  oil,  gas,  and/or  NGLs.    Our 
contracts with customers typically require payment within one month of delivery.

73

 
 
 
CIMAREX ENERGY CO.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Our  gas  is  sold  under  various  contracts.    Under  these  contracts  the  gas  and  its  components,  including 
residue gas and NGLs, may be sold to a single purchaser or separate purchasers.  Regardless of the contract, we are 
compensated for the value of the residue gas and NGLs at current market prices for each product.  Depending on the 
specific  contract  terms,  certain  gathering,  treating,  transportation,  processing,  and  other  charges  may  be  deducted 
against  the  prices  we  receive  for  the  products.    Our  oil  typically  is  sold  at  specific  delivery  points  under  contract 
terms that are common in our industry.  

Gas Gathering

When  we  transport,  process,  and/or  market  third-party  gas  associated  with  our  equity  gas,  we  recognize 

revenue for the fees charged to third-parties for such services.

Gas Marketing

When we market and sell gas for other working interest owners, we act as agent under short-term sales and 
supply  agreements  and  may  earn  a  fee  for  such  services.    Revenues  from  such  services  are  recognized  as  gas  is 
delivered.

Gas Imbalances

Revenue from the sale of gas is recorded on the basis of gas actually sold by or for us.  If our aggregate 
sales volumes for a well are greater (or less) than our proportionate share of production from the well, a liability (or 
receivable) is established to the extent there are insufficient proved reserves available to make-up the overproduced 
(or underproduced) imbalance.  Imbalances have not been significant in the periods presented.

General and Administrative Expenses

General and administrative expenses are reported net of amounts reimbursed to us by other working interest 
owners of the oil and gas properties we operate and net of amounts capitalized pursuant to the full cost method of 
accounting.  General and administrative expense for the year ended December 31, 2020 included $28.7 million in 
severance  expense  associated  with  the  voluntary  early  retirement  incentive  program  that  we  offered  to  employees 
who met certain eligibility criteria in the first quarter of 2020 and the involuntary reduction in workforce program 
that we carried out in the third quarter of 2020.  All of the expense for these programs was recognized in 2020.  The 
remaining liability for these programs at December 31, 2020 is $11.3 million.  The majority of this amount will be 
paid out in 2021, with the final payments expected to be made in 2022.  

Derivatives

Our derivative contracts are recorded on the balance sheet at fair value.  Our firm sales contracts qualify for 
the  normal  purchase  and  normal  sale  exception.    Contracts  that  qualify  for  this  treatment  do  not  require  mark-to-
market accounting treatment.  See Note 4 for additional information regarding our derivative instruments.

Income Taxes

We record deferred tax assets and liabilities to account for the expected future tax consequences of events 
that  have  been  recognized  in  the  financial  statements  and  tax  returns.    We  classify  all  deferred  tax  assets  and 
liabilities as non-current.  We routinely assess the realizability of our deferred tax assets.  Numerous judgments and 
assumptions are inherent in this assessment, including the determination of future taxable income, which is affected 
by factors such as future operating conditions (particularly as related to prevailing oil and gas prices) and changing 
tax laws.  If we conclude that it is more likely than not that some or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized, 
the tax asset is reduced by a valuation allowance.  We regularly assess and, if required, establish accruals for tax 

74

 
CIMAREX ENERGY CO.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

contingencies  that  could  result  from  assessments  of  additional  tax  by  taxing  jurisdictions  where  the  company 
operates.  See Note 9 for additional information regarding our income taxes.

Contingencies

A  provision  for  contingencies  is  charged  to  expense  when  the  loss  is  probable  and  the  cost  can  be 
reasonably estimated.  Determining when expenses should be recorded for these contingencies and the appropriate 
amounts  for  accrual  is  a  complex  estimation  process  that  includes  subjective  judgment.    In  many  cases,  this 
judgment is based on interpretation of laws and regulations, which can be interpreted differently by regulators and/or 
courts of law.  We closely monitor known and potential legal, environmental, and other contingencies and determine 
when  we  should  record  losses  for  these  items  based  on  information  available  to  us.    See  Note  10  for  additional 
information regarding our contingencies.

Asset Retirement Obligations

We  recognize  the  present  value  of  the  fair  value  of  liabilities  for  retirement  obligations  associated  with 
tangible  long-lived  assets  in  the  period  in  which  there  is  a  legal  obligation  associated  with  the  retirement  of  such 
assets  and  the  amount  can  be  reasonably  estimated.    The  liability  includes  costs  related  to  the  plugging  and 
abandonment of wells, the removal of facilities and equipment, and site restorations.  The associated asset retirement 
costs  are  capitalized  as  part  of  the  carrying  amount  of  the  long-lived  asset  and  are  depleted  or  depreciated  as 
applicable.  Subsequent to initial measurement at present value, a period-to-period increase in the carrying amount 
of the liability is recognized as accretion expense, which represents the effect of the passage of time on the amount 
of the liability.  If the fair value of a recorded asset retirement obligation changes, a revision is recorded to both the 
asset  retirement  obligation  and  the  asset  retirement  capitalized  cost.    The  current  portion  of  our  asset  retirement 
obligations is recorded in “Accrued liabilities — Other” in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets and cash 
payments  for  settlements  of  retirement  obligations  are  classified  as  cash  used  in  operating  activities  in  the 
accompanying Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.  See Note 8 for additional information regarding our asset 
retirement obligations.

Stock-based Compensation

We  grant  various  types  of  stock-based  awards  including  equity-classified  awards  such  as  stock  options, 
restricted  stock  (including  awards  with  service-based  vesting  and  market  condition-based  vesting  provisions), 
restricted  stock  units,  and  liability-classified  awards  such  as  cash-settled  phantom  stock.    We  recognize 
compensation  cost  related  to  equity-classified  awards  based  on  the  estimated  grant  date  fair  value  of  the  awards.  
The grant date fair value of stock option awards is determined using the Black-Scholes option pricing model.  The 
grant date fair value of service-based restricted stock and units is the closing market price of our common stock on 
the grant date.  The grant date fair value of the market condition-based restricted stock incorporates the effect of the 
market  condition  using  a  multiple  probability  simulation  model.    Compensation  cost  related  to  equity-classified 
awards is recognized ratably over the applicable vesting period.  We recognize compensation cost related to liability-
classified  awards  over  the  applicable  vesting  period  based  on  an  estimated  fair  value  that  is  remeasured  each 
reporting  period  using  a  multiple  probability  simulation  model.    To  the  extent  compensation  cost  relates  to 
employees  directly  involved  in  oil  and  gas  acquisition,  exploration,  and  development  activities,  such  amounts  are 
capitalized to oil and gas properties.  Amounts not capitalized to oil and gas properties are recognized as stock-based 
compensation expense.  See Note 6 for additional information regarding our stock-based compensation.

75

 
CIMAREX ENERGY CO.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Earnings (Loss) per Share

We calculate earnings (loss) per share recognizing that unvested share-based payment awards that contain 
non-forfeitable  rights  to  dividends  or  dividend  equivalents  are  “participating  securities”  and,  therefore,  should  be 
included in computing earnings per share using the two-class earnings allocation method.  The two-class method is 
an earnings allocation formula that determines earnings per share for each class of common stock and participating 
security  according  to  dividends  declared  (or  accumulated)  and  participation  rights  in  undistributed  earnings.    Our 
unvested  share-based  payment  awards,  consisting  of  restricted  stock  and  units,  qualify  as  participating  securities.  
Our participating securities do not have a contractual obligation to share in the losses of the entity and, therefore, net 
losses are not allocated to them.  See Note 7 for additional information regarding our earnings per share.

Lease Accounting

In  February  2016,  the  Financial  Accounting  Standards  Board  (“FASB”)  issued  Accounting  Standards 
Update  (“ASU”)  2016-02,  Leases  (“Topic  842”).    The  FASB  subsequently  issued  various  ASUs  that  provided 
additional implementation guidance.  Topic 842 requires lessees to recognize lease liabilities and right-of-use assets 
on  the  balance  sheet  for  contracts  that  provide  lessees  with  the  right  to  control  the  use  of  identified  assets  for  a 
period of time.  The scope of Topic 842 excludes leases to explore for or use minerals, oil, natural gas, and similar 
nonregenerative  resources.    We  adopted  Topic  842  effective  January  1,  2019,  using  the  modified  retrospective 
method  applied  to  all  leases  that  existed  on  that  date,  which  resulted  in  the  recognition  of  lease  liabilities  of 
$276.9 million and right-of-use assets of $265.0 million.  In connection with adoption we made use of the following 
practical expedients, which are provided in Topic 842:

•

•

•

•

a  package  of  practical  expedients  to  not  reassess:  1)  whether  expired  or  existing  contracts  are  or 
contain  a  lease,  2)  lease  classification  for  expired  or  existing  leases,  and  3)  initial  direct  costs  for 
existing leases;

an election not to apply the recognition requirements in Topic 842 to short-term leases (a lease that at 
commencement date has a lease term of 12 months or less and does not contain a purchase option that 
the company is reasonably certain to exercise);

a  practical  expedient  that  permits  combining  lease  and  nonlease  components  in  a  contract  and 
accounting for the combination as a lease (elected by asset class); and

a practical expedient to not reassess certain land easements in existence prior to January 1, 2019.

2. CAPITAL STOCK

Authorized capital stock consists of 200 million shares of common stock and 15 million shares of preferred 
stock.    At  December  31,  2020,  there  were  102.9  million  shares  of  common  stock  and  28.2  thousand  shares  of 
preferred stock outstanding.  

Redeemable Preferred Stocks

In February 2019, our Board of Directors created a new series of preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share, 
designated  as  8.125%  Series  A  Cumulative  Perpetual  Convertible  Preferred  Stock  (the  “Preferred  Stock”)  and 
authorized  62.5  thousand  shares.    In  March  2019,  in  conjunction  with  the  Resolute  acquisition  (see  Note  13),  we 
issued all of these shares of Preferred Stock.  Prior to this issuance, we had not issued any preferred stock.  

Holders of the Preferred Stock are entitled to receive, when, as, and if declared by the Board out of funds of 
Cimarex  legally  available  for  payment,  cumulative  cash  dividends  at  the  annual  rate  of  8.125%  of  each  share’s 
liquidation preference of $1,000.  Dividends on the Preferred Stock are payable quarterly in arrears and accumulate 

76

 
CIMAREX ENERGY CO.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

from  the  most  recent  date  as  to  which  dividends  have  been  paid.    In  the  event  of  any  liquidation,  winding  up,  or 
dissolution  of  Cimarex,  whether  voluntary  or  involuntary,  each  holder  will  be  entitled  to  receive  in  respect  of  its 
shares  and  to  be  paid  out  of  the  assets  of  Cimarex  legally  available  for  distribution  to  its  stockholders,  after 
satisfaction of liabilities to Cimarex’s creditors and any senior stock (of which there is currently none) and before 
any payment or distribution is made to holders of junior stock (including common stock), the liquidation preference 
of $1,000 per share, with the total liquidation preference at December 31, 2020 being $28.2 million in the aggregate.  
Each holder has the right at any time, at its option, to convert any or all of such holder’s shares of Preferred Stock at 
an initial conversion rate of 8.0421 shares of fully paid and nonassessable shares of our common stock and $471.40 
in cash per share of Preferred Stock.  The initial conversion rate of 8.0421 adjusts upon the occurrence of certain 
events, including the payment of cash dividends to common shareholders, and is 8.38732 as of December 31, 2020.  
Additionally, at any time on or after October 15, 2021, we shall have the right, at our option, if the closing sale price 
of our common stock meets certain criteria, to elect to cause all, and not part, of the outstanding shares of Preferred 
Stock  to  be  automatically  converted  into  that  number  of  shares  of  Cimarex  common  stock  for  each  share  of 
Preferred Stock equal to the conversion rate in effect on the mandatory conversion date as such terms are defined in 
the Certificate of Designations for the Preferred Stock and $471.40 in cash per share of Preferred Stock.  We also 
have the right at any time to repurchase shares of Preferred Stock through privately negotiated transactions.  As a 
result of the cash redemption features included in the Preferred Stock conversion option, with such conversion not 
solely within our control, the instruments are classified as “Redeemable preferred stock” in temporary equity on the 
Consolidated Balance Sheets. 

In December 2020, we repurchased 34.3 thousand shares of Preferred Stock, leaving 28.2 thousand shares 
of 8.125% Series A Cumulative Perpetual Convertible Preferred Stock authorized and issued at December 31, 2020.  
The book value of the repurchased shares exceeded the aggregate amount Cimarex paid to repurchase the shares by 
$1.8 million.  That amount has been treated as a return from the holders of the Preferred Stock and recorded as an 
increase  to  additional  paid-in  capital  (similar  to  the  treatment  of  dividends  declared,  which  are  recorded  as  a 
reduction of additional paid-in capital).  

Dividends

Common Stock

A quarterly cash dividend has been paid on our common stock every quarter since the first quarter of 2006.  
In  each  quarter  of  2020,  a  $0.22  per  common  share  dividend  was  declared.    In  each  quarter  of  2019  a  $0.20  per 
common share dividend was declared.  A dividend of $0.18 per common share was declared in both the third and 
fourth quarters of 2018 and a dividend of $0.16 per common share was declared in both the first and second quarters 
of  2018.    Dividends  are  paid  in  the  quarter  following  the  quarter  of  declaration.    At  December  31,  2020,  we  had 
dividends  payable  to  common  stockholders  of  $22.9  million  that  was  included  in  “Accrued  liabilities  —  Other”.  
Dividends declared are recorded as a reduction of retained earnings to the extent retained earnings are available at 
the  close  of  the  period  prior  to  the  date  of  the  declared  dividend.    Dividends  in  excess  of  retained  earnings  are 
recorded  as  a  reduction  of  additional  paid-in  capital.    Nonforfeitable  dividends  paid  on  stock  awards  that 
subsequently  forfeit  are  reclassified  out  of  retained  earnings  or  additional  paid-in  capital,  as  applicable,  to 
compensation expense in the period in which the stock award forfeitures occur.  Dividends accrued and unpaid on 
performance stock awards that are canceled upon completion of the vesting period due to the market condition not 
being met, are reversed out of retained earnings or additional paid-in capital, as applicable, in the period in which the 
stock  award  cancellations  occur.    Future  dividend  payments  will  depend  on  our  level  of  earnings,  financial 
requirements, and other factors considered relevant by our Board of Directors. 

77

 
CIMAREX ENERGY CO.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Preferred Stock

In each quarter of 2020 and 2019 our Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $20.3125 per share of 
Preferred Stock.  Dividends are paid in the quarter following the quarter of declaration.  At December 31, 2020, we 
had dividends payable to preferred stockholders of $0.6 million that was included in “Accrued liabilities — Other”.

3. LONG-TERM DEBT

Long-term debt at December 31, 2020 and 2019 consisted of the following:

December 31, 2020

Unamortized
Debt
Issuance Costs 
and Discounts (1)

Principal

Long-term
Debt, net

Principal

December 31, 2019

Unamortized
Debt
Issuance Costs 
and Discounts (1)

Long-term
Debt, net

$  750,000  $ 

(2,672)  $  747,328  $  750,000  $ 

(3,535)  $  746,465 

750,000 

(5,541)   

744,459 

750,000 

(6,289)   

743,711 

500,000 
$ 2,000,000  $ 

(4,488)   
(12,701)  $ 1,987,299  $ 2,000,000  $ 

500,000 

495,512 

495,070 
(4,930)   
(14,754)  $ 1,985,246 

(in thousands)
4.375% notes due 
2024..........................
3.90% notes due 
2027..........................
4.375% notes due 
2029..........................
Total long-term debt.

________________________________________
(1) The 4.375% notes due 2024 were issued at par, therefore, the amounts shown in the table are for unamortized 
debt issuance costs only.  At December 31, 2020, the unamortized debt issuance costs and discount related to 
the  3.90%  notes  due  2027  were  $4.3  million  and  $1.3  million,  respectively.    At  December  31,  2020,  the 
unamortized debt issuance costs and discount related to the 4.375% notes due 2029 were $3.9 million and $0.6 
million, respectively.  At December 31, 2019, the unamortized debt issuance costs and discount related to the 
3.90%  notes  due  2027  were  $4.8  million  and  $1.5  million,  respectively.    At    December  31,  2019,  the 
unamortized  debt  issuance  costs  and  discount  related  to  the  4.375%  notes  due  2029  were  $4.3  million  and 
$0.6 million, respectively.

Bank Debt

On June 3, 2020, we entered into the First Amendment to Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (the 
“First  Amendment”)  dated  as  of  February  5,  2019  for  our  senior  unsecured  revolving  credit  facility  (“Credit 
Facility”).    The  Credit  Facility  has  aggregate  commitments  of  $1.25  billion  with  an  option  for  us  to  increase  the 
aggregate commitments to $1.5 billion, and matures on February 5, 2024.  There is no borrowing base subject to the 
discretion of the lenders based on the value of our proved reserves under the Credit Facility.  The First Amendment, 
among other things: (i) allows up to $3.5 billion of non-cash impairment charge add-backs to Shareholders’ Equity 
for  covenant  calculation  purposes,  (ii)  institutes  traditional  anti-cash  hoarding  provisions  (if  borrowings  are 
outstanding under the Credit Facility) at a consolidated cash threshold of $175.0 million, (iii) reduces the priority 
lien  debt  basket  from  15%  of  Consolidated  Net  Tangible  Assets  (as  defined  in  the  credit  agreement)  to  a 
$50.0  million  cap,  and  (iv)  adds  an  acknowledgement  and  consent  to  European  Union  bail-in  legislation.    As  of 
December 31, 2020, we had no bank borrowings outstanding under the Credit Facility, but did have letters of credit 
of  $2.5  million  outstanding,  leaving  an  unused  borrowing  availability  of  $1.248  billion.    During  the  year  ended 
December  31,  2020,  we  borrowed  and  repaid  an  aggregate  of  $172.0  million  on  the  Credit  Facility  to  meet  cash 
requirements as needed.  

78

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CIMAREX ENERGY CO.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

At our option, borrowings under the Credit Facility may bear interest at either (a) LIBOR (or an alternate 
rate  determined  by  the  administrative  agent  for  the  Credit  Facility  in  accordance  with  the  Credit  Facility  when 
LIBOR is no longer available) plus 1.125 - 2.0% based on the credit rating for our senior unsecured long-term debt, 
or (b) a base rate (as defined in the credit agreement) plus 0.125 - 1.0%, based on the credit rating for our senior 
unsecured  long-term  debt.    Unused  borrowings  are  subject  to  a  commitment  fee  of  0.125  -  0.35%,  based  on  the 
credit rating for our senior unsecured long-term debt.

The Credit Facility contains representations, warranties, covenants, and events of default that are customary 
for investment grade, senior unsecured bank credit agreements, including a financial covenant for the maintenance 
of  a  defined  total  debt-to-capitalization  ratio  of  no  greater  than  65%.    As  of  December  31,  2020,  we  were  in 
compliance with all of the financial covenants.

At December 31, 2020 and 2019, we had $4.3 million and $4.0 million, respectively, of unamortized debt 
issuance costs associated with our Credit Facility, which were recorded as assets and included in “Other assets” in 
our Consolidated Balance Sheets.  During the year ended December 31, 2020, we incurred $1.5 million in fees paid 
to the lenders and third-party costs for the First Amendment.  The debt issuance costs are being amortized to interest 
expense ratably over the life of the Credit Facility.  

Senior Notes

On March 8, 2019, we issued $500.0 million aggregate principal amount of 4.375% senior unsecured notes 
at  99.862%  of  par  to  yield  4.392%  per  annum.    The  notes  are  due  March  15,  2029  and  interest  is  payable 
semiannually on March 15 and September 15.  The effective interest rate on these notes, including the amortization 
of debt issuance costs and discount, is 4.50%.

In  April  2017,  we  issued  $750.0  million  aggregate  principal  amount  of  3.90%  senior  unsecured  notes  at 
99.748% of par to yield 3.93% per annum.  These notes are due May 15, 2027 and interest is payable semiannually 
on May 15 and November 15.  The effective interest rate on these notes, including the amortization of debt issuance 
costs and discount, is 4.01%. 

In  June  2014,  we  issued  $750.0  million  aggregate  principal  amount  of  4.375%  senior  unsecured  notes  at 
par.    These  notes  are  due  June  1,  2024  and  interest  is  payable  semiannually  on  June  1  and  December  1.    The 
effective interest rate on these notes, including the amortization of debt issuance costs, is 4.50%.

Our senior unsecured notes are governed by indentures containing certain covenants, events of default, and 

other restrictive provisions with which we were in compliance as of December 31, 2020. 

79

 
CIMAREX ENERGY CO.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

4. DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS

We  periodically  use  derivative  instruments  to  mitigate  volatility  in  commodity  prices.    While  the  use  of 
these instruments limits the downside risk of adverse price changes, their use may also limit future cash flow from 
favorable  price  changes.    Depending  on  changes  in  oil  and  gas  futures  markets  and  management’s  view  of 
underlying supply and demand trends, we may increase or decrease our derivative positions from current levels.

As  of  December  31,  2020,  we  have  entered  into  oil  and  gas  collars,  oil  basis  swaps,  and  oil  “roll 
differential” swaps.  Under our collars, we receive the difference between the published index price and a floor price 
if the index price is below the floor price or we pay the difference between the ceiling price and the index price if the 
index price is above the ceiling price.  No amounts are paid or received if the index price is between the floor and 
the  ceiling  prices.    By  using  a  collar,  we  have  fixed  the  minimum  and  maximum  prices  we  can  receive  on  the 
underlying production.  Our basis swaps are settled based on the difference between a published index price plus or 
minus a fixed differential, as applicable, and the applicable local index price under which the underlying production 
is sold.  By using a basis swap, we have fixed the differential between the published index price and certain of our 
physical pricing points.  For our Permian oil production, the basis swaps fix the price differential between the WTI 
NYMEX  (Cushing,  Oklahoma)  price  and  the  WTI  Midland  price.    For  our  Permian  and  Mid-Continent  gas 
production, the contract prices in our collars are consistent with the index prices used to sell our production.  Our 
roll differential swaps are settled based on the difference between the monthly roll differential and a fixed price per 
Bbl.    The  monthly  roll  differential  is  calculated  as  the  sum  of  2/3  of  the  difference  in  the  WTI  NYMEX  closing 
settlement price for the first nearby month futures contract minus the second nearby month futures contract and 1/3 
of the difference in the WTI NYMEX calendar month average price and the physical crude oil delivery month price.  
The following tables summarize our outstanding derivative contracts as of December 31, 2020:

Oil Collars
2021:

WTI (1)

Volume (Bbls)...............................
Weighted Avg Price - Floor..........
Weighted Avg Price - Ceiling.......

2022:

WTI (1)

Volume (Bbls)...............................
Weighted Avg Price - Floor..........
Weighted Avg Price - Ceiling.......

First
Quarter

Second
Quarter

Third
Quarter

Fourth
Quarter

Total

  3,600,000 
$ 
$ 

38.06  $ 
46.45  $ 

  3,094,000 

  3,680,000 

  3,680,000 

34.62  $ 
43.28  $ 

34.65  $ 
44.37  $ 

 14,054,000 
35.52 
44.66 

34.65  $ 
44.37  $ 

  2,340,000 
$ 
$ 

37.31  $ 
48.41  $ 

  1,729,000 

920,000 

38.16  $ 
49.56  $ 

40.00  $ 
49.19  $ 

— 
—  $ 
—  $ 

  4,989,000 
38.10 
48.95 

________________________________________
(1)  The index price for these collars is West Texas Intermediate (“WTI”) as quoted on the New York Mercantile 

Exchange (“NYMEX”).

80

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CIMAREX ENERGY CO.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Gas Collars
2021:

PEPL (1)

First
Quarter

Second
Quarter

Third
Quarter

Fourth
Quarter

Total

Volume (MMBtu)..........................
Weighted Avg Price - Floor..........
Weighted Avg Price - Ceiling.......

  9,000,000 
$ 
$ 

1.83  $ 
2.23  $ 

1.89  $ 
2.28  $ 

2.00  $ 
2.42  $ 

9,100,000 

8,280,000 

8,280,000 

Perm EP (2)

Volume (MMBtu)..........................
Weighted Avg Price - Floor..........
Weighted Avg Price - Ceiling.......

Waha (3)

Volume (MMBtu)..........................
Weighted Avg Price - Floor..........
Weighted Avg Price - Ceiling.......

2022:

PEPL (1)

Volume (MMBtu)..........................
Weighted Avg Price - Floor..........
Weighted Avg Price - Ceiling.......

Perm EP (2)

Volume (MMBtu)..........................
Weighted Avg Price - Floor..........
Weighted Avg Price - Ceiling.......

Waha (3)

Volume (MMBtu)..........................
Weighted Avg Price - Floor..........
Weighted Avg Price - Ceiling.......

$ 
$ 

$ 
$ 

$ 
$ 

$ 
$ 

$ 
$ 

6,300,000 

7,280,000 

6,440,000 

6,440,000 

1.50  $ 
1.79  $ 

1.62  $ 
1.92  $ 

1.86  $ 
2.22  $ 

8,100,000 

9,100,000 

8,280,000 

8,280,000 

1.52  $ 
1.83  $ 

1.61  $ 
1.93  $ 

1.82  $ 
2.17  $ 

 34,660,000 
1.93 
2.33 

2.00  $ 
2.42  $ 

 26,460,000 
1.71 
2.03 

1.86  $ 
2.22  $ 

 33,760,000 
1.69 
2.03 

1.82  $ 
2.17  $ 

5,400,000 

1,820,000 

2.13  $ 
2.55  $ 

2.40  $ 
2.86  $ 

3,600,000 

1,820,000 

2.13  $ 
2.53  $ 

2.40  $ 
2.88  $ 

5,400,000 

1,820,000 

1.98  $ 
2.39  $ 

2.40  $ 
2.86  $ 

— 
—  $ 
—  $ 

— 
—  $ 
—  $ 

— 
—  $ 
—  $ 

— 
—  $ 
—  $ 

7,220,000 
2.20 
2.63 

— 
—  $ 
—  $ 

5,420,000 
2.22 
2.65 

— 
—  $ 
—  $ 

7,220,000 
2.09 
2.50 

________________________________________
(1) The  index  price  for  these  collars  is  Panhandle  Eastern  Pipe  Line,  Tex/OK  Mid-Continent  Index  (“PEPL”)  as

quoted in Platt’s Inside FERC.

(2) The index price for these collars is El Paso Natural Gas Company, Permian Basin Index (“Perm EP”) as quoted

in Platt’s Inside FERC.

(3) The index price for these collars is Waha West Texas Natural Gas Index (“Waha”) as quoted in Platt’s Inside

FERC.

81

CIMAREX ENERGY CO.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Oil Basis Swaps

2021:

WTI Midland (1)

Volume (Bbls)...............................
Weighted Avg Differential (2)......

2022:

WTI Midland (1)

Volume (Bbls)...............................
Weighted Avg Differential (2)......

First
Quarter

Second
Quarter

Third
Quarter

Fourth
Quarter

Total

  2,790,000 
$ 

0.03  $ 

  3,003,000 

  3,220,000 

  3,220,000 

(0.02)  $ 

(0.08)  $ 

(0.08)  $ 

 12,233,000 
(0.04) 

  1,980,000 
$ 

0.25  $ 

  1,365,000 

644,000 

0.31  $ 

0.38  $ 

— 
—  $ 

  3,989,000 
0.29 

________________________________________
(1) The index price we pay under these basis swaps is WTI Midland as quoted by Argus Americas Crude.
(2) The  index  price  we  receive  under  these  basis  swaps  is  WTI  as  quoted  on  the  NYMEX  plus  or  minus,  as 

applicable, the weighted average differential shown in the table.

Oil Roll Differential Swaps

First
Quarter

Second
Quarter

Third
Quarter

Fourth
Quarter

Total

2021:

WTI (1)

Volume (Bbls)...............................
Weighted Avg Price......................

2022:

WTI (1)

Volume (Bbls)...............................
Weighted Avg Price......................

630,000 

  1,001,000 

  1,656,000 

  1,656,000 

$ 

(0.24)  $ 

(0.22)  $ 

(0.10)  $ 

(0.10)  $ 

  4,943,000 
(0.14) 

  1,620,000 
$ 

(0.10)  $ 

  1,001,000 

644,000 

(0.01)  $ 

0.10  $ 

— 
—  $ 

  3,265,000 
(0.03) 

________________________________________
(1) The index price used to determine the settlement “roll” is WTI as quoted on the NYMEX.

82

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CIMAREX ENERGY CO.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Derivative Gains and Losses

Net  gains  and  losses  on  our  derivative  instruments  are  a  function  of  fluctuations  in  the  underlying 
commodity  index  prices  as  compared  to  the  contracted  prices  and  the  monthly  cash  settlements  (if  any)  of  the 
instruments.  We have elected not to designate our derivatives as hedging instruments for accounting purposes and, 
therefore, we do not apply hedge accounting treatment to our derivative instruments.  Consequently, changes in the 
fair  value  of  our  derivative  instruments  and  cash  settlements  on  the  instruments  are  included  as  a  component  of 
operating costs and expenses as either a net gain or loss on derivative instruments.  Cash settlements of our contracts 
are included in cash flows from operating activities in our statements of cash flows.  The following table presents the 
components of “Loss (gain) on derivative instruments, net” for the periods indicated.

(in thousands)
Decrease (increase) in fair value of derivative instruments, net:

Gas contracts.................................................................................. $ 
Oil contracts...................................................................................

Cash (receipts) payments on derivative instruments, net:

Gas contracts..................................................................................
Oil contracts...................................................................................

Loss (gain) on derivative instruments, net.........................................

$ 

Years Ended December 31,

2020

2019

2018

56,475  $ 
98,306 
154,781 

(13,114)  $ 
76,833 
63,719 

15,742 
(126,130) 
(110,388) 

(15,476)   
(103,771)   
(119,247)   
35,534  $ 

(40,114)   
53,245 
13,131 
76,850  $ 

(13,794) 
38,223 
24,429 
(85,959) 

83

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CIMAREX ENERGY CO.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Derivative Fair Value

Our  derivative  contracts  are  carried  at  their  fair  value  on  our  balance  sheet  using  Level  2  inputs  and  are 
subject to master netting arrangements, which allow us to offset recognized asset and liability fair value amounts on 
contracts  with  the  same  counterparty.    Our  accounting  policy  is  to  not  offset  asset  and  liability  positions  in  our 
balance sheets.

The  following  tables  present  the  amounts  and  classifications  of  our  derivative  assets  and  liabilities  as  of 
December 31, 2020 and 2019, as well as the potential effect of netting arrangements on our recognized derivative 
asset and liability amounts.

$ 

Balance Sheet Location

(in thousands)
Oil contracts....................... Current assets — Derivative instruments....................
Gas contracts...................... Current assets — Derivative instruments....................
Gas contracts...................... Non-current assets — Derivative instruments.............
Oil contracts....................... Current liabilities — Derivative instruments...............
Gas contracts...................... Current liabilities — Derivative instruments...............
Oil contracts....................... Non-current liabilities — Derivative instruments.......
Gas contracts...................... Non-current liabilities — Derivative instruments.......
Total gross amounts presented in the balance sheet....................................................
Less: gross amounts not offset in the balance sheet................................................
Net amount................................................................................................................... $ 

Balance Sheet Location

(in thousands)
Oil contracts........................ Current assets — Derivative instruments.................... $ 
Gas contracts....................... Current assets — Derivative instruments....................
Oil contracts........................ Non-current assets — Derivative instruments............
Oil contracts........................ Current liabilities — Derivative instruments..............
Oil contracts........................ Non-current liabilities — Derivative instruments.......
Gas contracts....................... Non-current liabilities — Derivative instruments.......
Total gross amounts presented in the balance sheet....................................................
Less: gross amounts not offset in the balance sheet................................................
Net amount................................................................................................................... $ 

December 31, 2020

Asset

Liability

5,425  $ 
1,423 
2,342 
— 
— 
— 
— 
9,190 
(8,863)   
327  $ 

— 
— 
— 
106,507 
38,891 
12,526 
5,223 
163,147 
(8,863) 
154,284 

December 31, 2019

Asset

Liability

1,624  $ 
16,320 
580 
— 
— 
— 
18,524 
(9,865)   
8,659  $ 

— 
— 
— 
16,681 
824 
194 
17,699 
(9,865) 
7,834 

We  are  exposed  to  financial  risks  associated  with  our  derivative  contracts  from  non-performance  by  our 
counterparties.    We  mitigate  our  exposure  to  any  single  counterparty  by  contracting  with  a  number  of  financial 
institutions, each of which has a high credit rating and is a member of our bank credit facility.  Our member banks 
do not require us to post collateral for our derivative liability positions, nor do we require our counterparties to post 
collateral  for  our  benefit.    In  the  future  we  may  enter  into  derivative  instruments  with  counterparties  outside  our 
bank group to obtain competitive terms and to spread counterparty risk.

84

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CIMAREX ENERGY CO.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

5. FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

Fair  value  is  the  price  that  would  be  received  to  sell  an  asset  or  paid  to  transfer  a  liability  in  an  orderly 
transaction between market participants at the measurement date.  Authoritative accounting guidance has established 
a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value.  This hierarchy 
consists  of  three  broad  levels.    Level  1  inputs  are  the  highest  priority  and  consist  of  unadjusted  quoted  prices  in 
active markets for identical assets and liabilities.  Level 2 inputs are other than quoted prices that are observable for 
the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly.  Level 3 inputs are unobservable.

The  following  table  provides  fair  value  measurement  information  for  certain  assets  and  liabilities  as  of 

December 31, 2020 and 2019.

(in thousands)
Financial Assets (Liabilities):

December 31, 2020

December 31, 2019

Book Value

Fair Value

Book Value

Fair Value

4.375% Notes due 2024.......................................
3.90% Notes due 2027.........................................
4.375% Notes due 2029.......................................
Derivative instruments — assets..........................
Derivative instruments — liabilities....................

$ 
$ 
$ 
$ 
$ 

(750,000)  $ 
(750,000)  $ 
(500,000)  $ 
9,190  $ 
(163,147)  $ 

(818,025)  $ 
(826,575)  $ 
(567,250)  $ 
9,190  $ 
(163,147)  $ 

(750,000)  $ 
(750,000)  $ 
(500,000)  $ 
18,524  $ 
(17,699)  $ 

(792,225) 
(778,050) 
(530,400) 
18,524 
(17,699) 

Assessing the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement requires judgment, including 
the  consideration  of  factors  specific  to  the  asset  or  liability.    The  fair  value  (Level  1)  of  our  fixed  rate  notes  was 
based  on  quoted  market  prices.    The  fair  value  of  our  derivative  instruments  (Level  2)  was  estimated  using 
discounted cash flow and option pricing models.  These models use certain observable variables including forward 
prices, volatility curves, interest rates, and credit ratings and spreads.  The fair value estimates are adjusted relative 
to  non-performance  risk  as  appropriate.    See  Note  4  for  further  information  on  the  fair  value  of  our  derivative 
instruments.

Other Financial Instruments

The  carrying  amounts  of  our  cash,  cash  equivalents,  accounts  receivable,  accounts  payable,  and  accrued 
liabilities  approximate  fair  value  because  of  the  short-term  maturities  and/or  liquid  nature  of  these  assets  and 
liabilities.  Included in “Accrued liabilities — Other” at December 31, 2020 are: (i) accrued operating expenses (e.g. 
production,  transportation,  and  midstream  expenses)  of  approximately  $67.4  million  and  (ii)  accrued  general  and 
administrative costs of approximately $46.8 million, which consisted primarily of $34.1 million in regular payroll-
related  costs  and  $11.3  million  in  voluntary  early  retirement  incentive  program  and  involuntary  reduction  in 
workforce  severance  accruals.    Included  in  “Accrued  liabilities  —  Other”  at  December  31,  2019  are:  (i)  accrued 
operating expenses (e.g. production, transportation, and midstream expenses) of approximately $74.7 million and (ii) 
accrued general and administrative costs, primarily payroll-related, of approximately $43.3 million.  

Most  of  our  accounts  receivable  balances  are  uncollateralized  and  result  from  transactions  with  other 
companies in the oil and gas industry.  Concentration of customers may impact our overall credit risk because our 
customers may be similarly affected by changes in economic or other conditions within the industry.  We conduct 
credit  analyses  prior  to  making  any  sales  to  new  customers  or  increasing  credit  for  existing  customers  and  may 
require  parent  company  guarantees,  letters  of  credit,  or  prepayments  when  deemed  necessary.    For  properties  we 
operate, we have the right to realize amounts due to us from non-operators by netting the non-operators’ share of 
production revenues from those properties.  

85

 
 
 
 
 
 
CIMAREX ENERGY CO.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

We  routinely  assess  the  recoverability  of  all  material  accounts  receivable  and  accrue  a  reserve  to  the 
allowance  for  credit  losses  based  on  our  estimation  of  expected  losses  over  the  life  of  the  receivables.    At 
December 31, 2020 and 2019, the allowance for credit losses totaled $2.6 million and $3.6 million, respectively.

Major Customers

In each of the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018, we made sales to two customers that each 
amounted  to  10%  or  more  of  our  consolidated  revenues  for  the  respective  year.    Sales  to  those  two  customers 
accounted for 26% and 23%, respectively, of our consolidated revenues in 2020, 29% and 25%, respectively, of our 
consolidated revenues in 2019, and 21% and 23%, respectively, of our consolidated revenues in 2018.

If any one of our major customers were to stop purchasing our production, we believe there are a number of 
other  purchasers  to  whom  we  could  sell  our  production.    If  multiple  significant  customers  were  to  discontinue 
purchasing  our  production,  we  believe  there  could  be  some  initial  challenges,  but  we  have  ample  alternative  
markets to handle any sales disruption.

6. STOCK-BASED AND OTHER COMPENSATION

Equity Incentive Plan

Our  2019  Equity  Incentive  Plan  (the  “2019  Plan”)  was  approved  by  stockholders  in  May  2019.  
Outstanding  awards  under  previous  plans  were  not  impacted,  but  no  additional  awards  will  be  made  under  the 
previous plans.  A total of 6.3 million shares of common stock may be issued under the 2019 Plan, including shares 
available from the previous plans.  The 2019 Plan provides for grants of options, stock appreciation rights, restricted 
stock, restricted stock units, performance stock units, cash awards, and other stock-based awards.

Stock-based Compensation Cost

We  have  recognized  stock-based  compensation  cost  as  shown  below.    Historical  amounts  may  not  be 

representative of future amounts as the value of future awards may vary from historical amounts.

(in thousands)

Restricted stock awards:

Performance stock awards.............................................................
Service-based stock awards...........................................................

$ 

Stock option awards...........................................................................

Total stock-based compensation cost.................................................

Years Ended December 31,

2020

2019

2018

17,338  $ 
26,014 
43,352 

1,460 

44,812 

21,590  $ 
25,611 
47,201 

1,903 

49,104 

23,083 
20,385 
43,468 

2,456 

45,924 

Less amounts capitalized to oil and gas properties............................

(14,917)   

(22,706)   

(23,029) 

Stock-based compensation expense...................................................

$ 

29,895  $ 

26,398  $ 

22,895 

Periodic stock-based compensation expense will fluctuate based on the grant date fair value of awards, the 
number of awards, the requisite service period of the awards, employee forfeitures, and the timing of the awards.  
Our  accounting  policy  is  to  account  for  forfeitures  in  compensation  cost  when  they  occur.    To  the  extent 
compensation cost relates to employees directly involved in oil and gas acquisition, exploration, and development 
activities, such amounts are capitalized to oil and gas properties.  The amount capitalized to oil and gas properties 
decreased  as  a  percentage  of  total  stock-based  compensation  cost  in  2020  as  compared  to  2019  and  2018  due  to 
reduced  acquisition,  exploration,  and  development  activities  in  2020  as  a  result  of  the  low  oil  prices  and  demand 

86

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CIMAREX ENERGY CO.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

destruction experienced in 2020 stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and OPEC and other countries’ actions.  
The decreased capitalization caused the overall stock-based compensation expense to increase.  

Restricted Stock

The following table provides information about restricted stock awards granted during the last three years.

Years Ended December 31,

2020

2019

2018

Number
of Shares

Weighted
Average
Grant Date
Fair Value

Number
of Shares

Weighted
Average
Grant Date
Fair Value

Number
of Shares

Weighted
Average
Grant Date
Fair Value

Performance stock awards.........

  311,974  $ 

29.84 

  264,393  $ 

47.66 

  123,533  $ 

Service-based stock awards.......
Total restricted stock awards.....

  846,918  $ 
  1,158,892  $ 

35.54 
34.01 

  681,988  $ 
  946,381  $ 

45.88 
46.38 

  469,438  $ 
  592,971  $ 

90.26 

81.29 
83.16 

Performance  stock  awards  are  granted  to  eligible  executives  and  are  subject  to  service  and  market 
condition-based  vesting  determined  by  our  stock  price  performance  relative  to  defined  peer  groups’  stock  price 
performance.  The performance stock awards granted in 2018 and 2019 are equity-classified awards and after three 
years of continued service, an executive will be entitled to vest in 0% to 200% of the award depending on our stock 
price performance, with the vested amount paid in shares.  For the performance stock awards granted in 2020, after 
three years of continued service, an executive will be entitled to vest in 0% to 200% of the award depending on our 
stock price performance, with the vested amount up to 100% paid in shares and any vested amount above 100% paid 
in cash.  The share-settled portion of these awards are equity-classified awards and the cash-settled portion of these 
awards are liability-classified awards.  

We  recognize  compensation  cost  related  to  the  equity-classified  portion  of  performance  stock  awards 
ratably  over  the  applicable  vesting  period  based  on  the  estimated  grant  date  fair  value  of  the  awards,  which  is 
calculated  using  a  multiple  probability  simulation  model  incorporating  the  effect  of  the  market  condition.    We 
recognize  compensation  cost  related  to  the  liability-classified  portion  of  performance  stock  awards  over  the 
applicable vesting period based on an estimated fair value that is remeasured each reporting period using a multiple 
probability simulation model incorporating the effect of the market condition.  In accordance with Internal Revenue 
Code Section 162(m), certain of the amounts awarded may not be deductible for tax purposes. 

Service-based stock awards are granted to eligible employees and non-employee directors and have vesting 
schedules ranging from one to five years.  The majority of our service-based stock awards cliff vest five years from 
the grant date.  We recognize compensation cost for the service-based stock awards based upon the grant date fair 
value  of  the  award,  which  is  the  closing  market  price  of  our  common  stock  on  the  grant  date.    Such  costs  are 
recognized ratably over the applicable vesting period.

87

 
 
 
CIMAREX ENERGY CO.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The following table provides information on restricted stock activity during the year.

Outstanding as of January 1, 2020.............................

Vested....................................................................

Granted..................................................................

Canceled (1)...........................................................

Forfeited.................................................................

Outstanding as of December 31, 2020.......................

Service-based

Performance
(subject to market conditions)

Number of
Shares

1,639,069  $ 

(237,616)  $ 

846,918  $ 

—  $ 

(155,450)  $ 

2,092,921  $ 

Weighted
Average
Grant Date
Fair Value

74.51 

94.23 

35.54 

— 

78.43 

56.21 

Number of
Shares

664,977  $ 

(205,746)  $ 

311,974  $ 

(119,521)  $ 

—  $ 

Weighted
Average
Grant Date
Fair Value

72.99 

82.83 

29.84 

89.46 

— 

651,684  $ 

46.20 

________________________________________
(1)  These  performance  shares  were  canceled  since  the  market  condition  was  not  satisfied  as  of  the  end  of  the 

performance period.   

The total vest date market value of restricted stock that vested during the years ended December 31, 2020, 

2019, and 2018 was $12.0 million, $15.1 million, and $34.1 million, respectively.

Unrecognized  compensation  cost  related  to  equity-classified  unvested  restricted  stock  at  December  31, 
2020  was  approximately  $84.2  million.    We  expect  to  recognize  this  cost  over  a  weighted  average  period  of  2.6 
years.  As of December 31, 2020, the fair value of the unvested liability-classified performance stock awards was 
$3.5  million  and  the  associated  vested  liability  was  $70  thousand.    The  vested  liability  is  included  in  “Other 
liabilities”.  

Restricted Units

As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, we had 8,838 restricted units outstanding.  These represent restricted 
units held by a non-employee director who has elected to defer payment of common stock represented by the units 
until termination of his service on the Board of Directors.

Stock Options

Options  outstanding  as  of  December  31,  2020  expire  seven  years  from  the  grant  date  and  have  service-
based vesting whereby the awards vest in increments of one-third, generally on each of the first three anniversary 
dates of the grant.  The exercise price for an option under the 2019 Plan and the plan in effect immediately prior to 
the 2019 Plan, is at least equal to the closing price of our common stock on the date of grant.  The previous plans 
provided that all grants have an exercise price of the average of the high and low prices of our common stock on the 
date of grant.

We recognize compensation cost related to options based on the estimated grant date fair value of the award 
and  it  is  recognized  ratably  over  the  applicable  vesting  period.    We  estimate  the  grant  date  fair  value  using  the 
Black-Scholes  option  pricing  model.    Expected  volatilities  are  based  on  the  historical  volatility  of  our  common 
stock.  We also use historical data to estimate the expected years until exercise.  We use U.S. Treasury bond rates in 
effect at the grant date for our risk-free interest rates.   

88

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CIMAREX ENERGY CO.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The following  table provides information regarding options granted during the last three years, including 

the assumptions used to determine the fair value of those options.

Years Ended December 31,

2020

2019

Options granted....................................................................................

  194,900 

  132,900 

Weighted average grant date fair value............................................... $ 

Weighted average exercise price......................................................... $ 

Total fair value (in thousands)............................................................. $ 

12.61 

34.06 

2,458 

$ 

$ 

$ 

12.14 

42.78 

1,613 

$ 

$ 

$ 

Expected years until exercise...............................................................

Expected stock volatility......................................................................

Dividend yield.....................................................................................

Risk-free interest rate...........................................................................

4.9

 53.9 %

 2.6 %

 0.4 %

4.9

 37.1 %

 1.9 %

 1.4 %

2018

92,050 

26.71 

83.28 

2,458 

5.0

 34.7 %

 0.9 %

 2.7 %

The following table provides information regarding outstanding stock options as of December 31, 2020 and 

changes during the year.

Outstanding as of January 1, 2020.............................
Exercised................................................................
Granted..................................................................
Canceled................................................................
Forfeited.................................................................
Outstanding as of December 31, 2020.......................
Exercisable as of December 31, 2020........................

Number of 
Options

495,538  $ 
—  $ 
194,900  $ 
(107,025)  $ 
(36,036)  $ 
547,377  $ 
271,827  $ 

Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price

Weighted
Average
Remaining
Term

Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value
(in thousands)

87.17 
— 
34.06 
94.29 
55.69 
68.94 
99.38 

4.6 years
3.0 years

$ 
$ 

711 
— 

The  following  table  provides  information  regarding  options  exercised  and  the  grant  date  fair  value  of 

options vested.

(in thousands)

Years Ended December 31,

2020

2019

2018

Cash received from option exercises.................................................. $ 
Intrinsic value of options exercised.................................................... $ 

—  $ 

—  $ 

1,267  $ 

425  $ 

Grant date fair value of options vested............................................... $ 

1,855  $ 

2,262  $ 

2,241 

1,030 

2,547 

89

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CIMAREX ENERGY CO.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The following table provides information regarding non-vested stock options as of December 31, 2020 and 

changes during the year.

Number of 
Options

Weighted
Average
Grant Date
Fair Value

Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price

Non-vested as of January 1, 2020........................................................

208,255  $ 

Vested..............................................................................................

Granted............................................................................................

Forfeited..........................................................................................

(91,569)  $ 

194,900  $ 

(36,036)  $ 

17.60  $ 

20.26  $ 

12.61  $ 

16.74  $ 

58.47 

66.47 

34.06 

55.69 

Non-vested as of December 31, 2020..................................................

275,550 

As of December 31, 2020, there was $3.2 million of unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested 

stock options.  We expect to recognize that cost over a weighted average period of 2.2 years.

Other Compensation

We maintain and sponsor a contributory 401(k) plan for our employees.  Employer contributions related to 
the  plan  were  $8.2  million,  $8.7  million,  and  $13.1  million  for  2020,  2019,  and  2018,  respectively.    Employer 
discretionary contributions were included in the 2018 amount.  No such employer discretionary contributions were 
accrued for 2020 or 2019.

90

 
 
 
 
 
 
CIMAREX ENERGY CO.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

7. EARNINGS (LOSS) PER SHARE

The calculations of basic and diluted net earnings (loss) per common share under the two-class method are 

presented below.  Earnings (loss) per share are based on actual figures rather than the rounded figures presented.

(in thousands, except per share information)
Net loss................................................................................................
Plus: return from repurchase of redeemable preferred stock...............
Less: dividends attributable to participating securities (1)..................
Less: redeemable preferred stock dividends........................................
Basic loss per share
Loss available to common stockholders..............................................
Effects of dilutive securities
Dilutive securities (2)..........................................................................
Diluted loss per share
Loss available to common stockholders and assumed conversions....

(in thousands, except per share information)
Net loss................................................................................................
Less: dividends attributable to participating securities (1)..................
Less: redeemable preferred stock dividends........................................
Basic loss per share
Loss available to common stockholders..............................................
Effects of dilutive securities
Dilutive securities (2)..........................................................................
Diluted loss per share
Loss available to common stockholders and assumed conversions....

Year Ended December 31, 2020

Shares 
(Denominator)

Per-Share 
Amount

Income 
(Numerator)
$  (1,967,458) 
1,810 
(1,808) 
(4,861) 

(1,972,317)   

99,952  $ 

(19.73) 

— 

— 

$  (1,972,317)   

99,952  $ 

(19.73) 

Year Ended December 31, 2019

Income 
(Numerator)

Shares 
(Denominator)

Per-Share 
Amount

$ 

(124,619) 
(1,519) 
(5,078) 

(131,216)   

98,789  $ 

(1.33) 

— 

— 

$ 

(131,216)   

98,789  $ 

(1.33) 

Year Ended December 31, 2018

$ 

(in thousands, except per share information)
Net income..........................................................................................
Less: dividends and net income attributable to participating 
securities..............................................................................................
Basic earnings per share
Income available to common stockholders.........................................
Effects of dilutive securities
Dilutive securities (2)..........................................................................
Diluted earnings per share
Income available to common stockholders and assumed conversions $ 

Income 
(Numerator)

Shares 
(Denominator)

Per-Share 
Amount

791,851 

(11,087) 

780,764 

93,793  $ 

8.32 

3 

27 

780,767 

93,820  $ 

8.32 

91

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CIMAREX ENERGY CO.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

________________________________________
(1) Participating  securities  do  not  have  a  contractual  obligation  to  share  in  the  losses  of  the  entity,  therefore,  net 

losses are not attributable to participating securities. 

(2) Inclusion  of  certain  potential  common  shares  would  have  an  anti-dilutive  effect,  therefore,  these  shares  were 
excluded from the calculations of diluted earnings (loss) per share.  Excluded from the calculation for the year 
ended  December  31,  2020  were  547.4  thousand  potential  common  shares  from  the  assumed  exercise  of 
employee stock options, 512.4 thousand potential common shares from the assumed conversion of the Preferred 
Stock, and 8.8 thousand potential common shares from the assumed vesting of incremental shares of unvested 
restricted  stock  units.    Excluded  from  the  calculation  for  the  year  ended  December  31,  2019  were  491.1 
thousand  potential  common  shares  from  the  assumed  exercise  of  employee  stock  options,  426.4  thousand 
potential  common  shares  from  the  assumed  conversion  of  the  Preferred  Stock,  and  37.4  thousand  potential 
common shares from the assumed vesting of incremental shares of unvested restricted stock awards.  Excluded 
from the calculation for the year ended December 31, 2018 were 392.8 thousand potential common shares from 
assumed exercise of employee stock options.  See Note 2 for further information regarding our Preferred Stock 
and Note 6 for further information regarding our stock awards. 

8. ASSET RETIREMENT OBLIGATIONS

The following table reflects the components of the change in the carrying amount of the asset retirement 

obligation for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019.

(in thousands)
Asset retirement obligation at January 1,....................................................................
Liabilities incurred..................................................................................................
Liability settlements and disposals..........................................................................
Accretion expense...................................................................................................
Revisions of estimated liabilities.............................................................................
Asset retirement obligation at December 31,...............................................................
Less current obligation................................................................................................
Long-term asset retirement obligation......................................................................... $ 

$ 

2020
181,869  $ 
4,491 
(21,922)   
7,485 
5,944 
177,867 
12,272 
165,595  $ 

2019
166,904 
21,511 
(19,595) 
7,499 
5,550 
181,869 
27,824 
154,045 

Liabilities  incurred  during  the  year  ended  December  31,  2019  included  $9.4  million  for  the  Resolute 

acquisition.

92

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CIMAREX ENERGY CO.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

9. INCOME TAXES

The components of our provision for income taxes were as follows:

(in thousands)
Current taxes:

Federal benefit...............................................................................
State expense.................................................................................

$ 

Years Ended December 31,

2020

2019

2018

(198)  $ 
167 
(31)   

—  $ 
532 
532 

(3,007) 
383 
(2,624) 

Deferred taxes:

Federal (benefit) expense...............................................................
State (benefit) expense...................................................................

(323,597)   
(35,299)   
(358,896)   
(358,927)  $ 

(24,055)   
(2,847)   
(26,902)   
(26,370)  $ 

211,717 
21,563 
233,280 
230,656 

$ 

Federal  income  tax  expense  (benefit)  for  the  years  presented  differs  from  the  amounts  that  would  be 
provided  by  applying  the  U.S.  federal  income  tax  rate,  primarily  due  to  the  effect  of  state  income  taxes,  non-
deductible expenses, changes in tax laws and tax rates enacted in the period, and changes in valuation allowances.  
Reconciliations of the income tax (benefit) expense calculated at the federal statutory rate of 21% to the total income 
tax (benefit) expense are as follows:

Years Ended December 31,

(in thousands)
Provision at statutory rate................................................................... $ 
Effect of state taxes............................................................................
Acquisition-related costs....................................................................
Tax credits and other permanent differences.....................................
Change in valuation allowance, net....................................................
Stock-based compensation.................................................................
Goodwill impairment.........................................................................
Income tax (benefit) expense.............................................................

$ 

2020
(488,541)  $ 
(29,467)   

— 
1,365 
(4,221)   
11,903 
150,034 
(358,927)  $ 

2019
(31,708)  $ 
(1,717)   
1,318 
2,548 
— 
3,189 
— 
(26,370)  $ 

2018
214,726 
18,795 
— 
1,583 
(1,376) 
(3,072) 
— 
230,656 

93

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CIMAREX ENERGY CO.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The components of net deferred taxes are as follows:

(in thousands)
Assets:

Stock-based compensation and other accrued amounts..........................................
Net operating loss and other carryforwards, net of valuation allowance................
Credit carryforward, net of valuation allowance.....................................................

$ 

December 31,

2020

2019

59,659  $ 
456,613 
4,223 
520,495 

31,521 
454,743 
3,936 
490,200 

Liabilities:

Property, plant and equipment................................................................................
Net deferred tax assets (liabilities)..............................................................................

(500,023)   
20,472  $ 

(828,624) 
(338,424) 

$ 

On  March  1,  2019,  we  completed  the  acquisition  of  Resolute.    For  federal  income  tax  purposes,  the 
acquisition  was  a  tax-free  merger  whereby  Cimarex  acquired  carryover  tax  basis  in  Resolute’s  tax  assets  and 
liabilities.  See Note 13 for more information regarding the purchase price allocation.  The net deferred tax liability 
recorded  in  connection  with  the  acquisition  includes  certain  deferred  tax  assets  net  of  valuation  allowances.    The 
acquired  tax  attributes  include  federal  net  operating  loss,  capital  loss,  and  enhanced  oil  recovery  tax  credit 
carryforwards.

Since  the  acquisition  resulted  in  a  greater  than  50%  ownership  change  in  Resolute,  the  tax  attributes 
Cimarex  acquired  from  Resolute  are  subject  to  limitation  pursuant  to  Section  382  of  the  Internal  Revenue  Code.  
Our ability to utilize the Resolute net operating losses (“NOLs”) and other tax attributes acquired is limited to an 
annual  amount  calculated  at  acquisition  plus  any  net  unrealized  built-in  gains  recognized  within  five  years  of  the 
ownership  change.    The  annual  limitation  amount  is  $19.6  million.    The  estimated  net  unrealized  built-in  gain  at 
December  31,  2019  of  $253.9  million  was  increased  to  $291.0  million  at  December  31,  2020,  pursuant  to  filed 
returns and changes in estimates.  As of December 31, 2019, the acquired Resolute federal NOLs were reduced by a 
$57.6 million valuation allowance.  As a result of the increase in the estimated net unrealized built-in gain and the 
utilization of $13.5 million of Resolute’s Section 382 limited tax attributes in Cimarex’s 2019 federal income tax 
return,  the  valuation  allowance  was  reduced  to  $34.0  million  at  December  31,  2020.    A  full  valuation  allowance 
remains  on  the  Resolute  acquired  capital  loss  carryforward  of  $67.2  million  and  enhanced  oil  recovery  credit 
carryforwards of $4.0 million to reflect the expected tax effect of the Section 382 limitation.  The Resolute federal 
NOLs will begin to expire in 2033.

At  December  31,  2020,  we  had  a  U.S.  net  tax  operating  loss  carryforward  (including  Resolute)  of 
approximately  $1.997  billion,  $1.773  billion  of  which  is  subject  to  expiration  in  years  2032  through  2037  and 
$224.4 million of which is not subject to expiration.  We believe that the carryforward, net of valuation allowance, 
will  be  utilized  before  it  expires.    At  December  31,  2020,  we  recorded  a  $1.7  million  increase  to  the  valuation 
allowance  related  to  state  net  operating  losses.    The  total  valuation  allowance  on  state  net  operating  losses  at 
December 31, 2020 was $120.7 million since it is not more likely than not that these additional state net operating 
losses  will  be  utilized  before  they  expire.  We  also  had  enhanced  oil  recovery  and  marginal  well  credits  of 
$4.2 million at December 31, 2020.

When assessing the need for a valuation allowance against a deferred tax asset, both positive and negative 
evidence is considered when determining the ability to utilize our deferred tax assets.  Based on our estimate of the 
timing of future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, our estimate of future taxable income exclusive 
of  reversing  temporary  differences  and  carryforwards,  the  length  of  time  before  the  deferred  tax  assets  associated 
with  the  net  operating  loss  carryovers  begin  to  expire,  and  tax  planning  strategies  that  could  be  implemented  to 
accelerate taxable amounts to utilize expiring carryovers, we believe it is more likely than not that the benefit from 

94

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CIMAREX ENERGY CO.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

the deferred tax asset recorded in the financial statements will be realized.  We will continue to assess all available 
positive  and  negative  evidence  to  estimate  whether  sufficient  future  taxable  income  will  be  generated  in  order  to 
utilize the deferred tax assets.  Additional valuation allowances may be required in future periods if additional losses 
are incurred or other circumstances change.

At December 31, 2020 and 2019, we had no unrecognized tax benefits that would impact our effective rate 
and  we  have  made  no  provisions  for  interest  or  penalties  related  to  uncertain  tax  positions.    The  tax  years  2017 
through 2019 remain open to examination by the Internal Revenue Service of the United States.  We file tax returns 
with various state taxing authorities which remain open to examination for tax years 2016 through 2019.  We do not 
anticipate the need for any significant income tax payments in the near term.

10. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Lease Commitments

Effective January 1, 2019, we began accounting for leases in accordance with Topic 842, which requires 
lessees  to  recognize  lease  liabilities  and  right-of-use  assets  on  the  balance  sheet  for  contracts  that  provide  lessees 
with the right to control the use of identified assets for periods of greater than 12 months.  Prior to January 1, 2019, 
we accounted for leases in accordance with ASC Topic 840, Leases, under which operating leases were not recorded 
on the balance sheet.

Real Estate Leases

We have operating leases for office space in various locations that provide us the right to control the use of 
the  specified  office  space  over  the  term  of  the  contract.    These  leases  require  us  to  make  monthly  “base  rent” 
payments, as well as “additional payments” for our share of operating expenses and taxes incurred by the landlord.  
At our option, the terms of these leases can be renewed for varying periods, and in some cases may be terminated 
early at our option.  As of December 31, 2020, these leases had remaining lease terms ranging from 3.4 to 5.7 years.  
These leases do not contain residual value guarantees, options to purchase the underlying office space, or terms or 
covenants  that  impose  restrictions  on  our  ability  to  pay  dividends,  incur  debt,  or  enter  into  additional  leases.    We 
have no subleases of office space.

Lease liabilities associated with our real estate leases were recorded at the present value of the estimated 

future lease payments, after considering the following:

•

•

•

•

“Base rent” payments are considered fixed lease payments, while “additional payments” are considered 
variable lease payments.

At  commencement  of  each  real  estate  lease  we  were  not  reasonably  certain  to  exercise  the  option  to 
renew or terminate such lease.

The discount rate used to calculate each lease liability was based on our incremental borrowing rate, 
which was estimated utilizing trading metrics for our senior unsecured notes as adjusted using relevant 
market factors to develop a synthetic secured yield curve.

As an accounting policy we have elected not to separate nonlease components from lease components 
for our real estate class of assets.

• Where applicable, we determined that the effect of accounting for the right to use land separately from 

other lease components would be insignificant.

95

 
CIMAREX ENERGY CO.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Production-Related Leases

We  have  operating  leases  for  equipment  used  in  connection  with  our  oil  and  gas  production  operations, 
including well-head compressors, pipeline compressors, and artificial lift mechanisms.  These leases provide us the 
right to control the use of explicitly or implicitly identified equipment during the term of the contract.  These leases 
often  include  an  “evergreen”  provision  that  allows  the  contract  term  to  continue  on  a  month-to-month  basis 
following expiration of the initial term stated in the contract.  As of December 31, 2020, these leases had remaining 
lease  terms  ranging  from  one  month  to  10.4  years.    These  leases  require  us  to  make  monthly  payments  of  fixed 
amounts,  which  cover  the  cost  of  renting  the  equipment  and,  in  some  cases,  the  cost  of  maintaining  the  leased 
equipment.  These leases do not typically require us to make variable lease payments.  These leases do not contain 
residual  value  guarantees,  options  to  purchase  the  underlying  equipment,  or  terms  or  covenants  that  impose 
restrictions  on  our  ability  to  pay  dividends,  incur  debt,  or  enter  into  additional  leases.    We  have  no  subleases  of 
production-related equipment.

Lease liabilities associated with our production-related operating leases were recorded at the present value 

of the estimated future lease payments, after considering the following:

•

•

•

For leases with an evergreen provision, the term of the lease was determined to be the noncancellable 
period in the contract plus the period beyond the noncancellable period that we believe it is reasonably 
certain we will need the equipment for operational purposes, limited to the point in time at which both 
we and the lessor each have the right to terminate the lease without permission from the other party 
with no more than an insignificant penalty.

The discount rate used to calculate each lease liability was based on our incremental borrowing rate, 
which was estimated utilizing trading metrics for our senior unsecured notes as adjusted using relevant 
market factors to develop a synthetic secured yield curve.

As an accounting policy, we have elected not to separate nonlease components from lease components 
for our production-related class of assets.

We  have  one  finance  lease,  which  results  from  a  gathering  agreement  (the  “Gathering  Agreement”)  on  a 
gathering  system.    Under  terms  of  the  Gathering  Agreement,  we  have  the  option  to  acquire  a  portion  of  the 
underlying gathering system upon termination of the Gathering Agreement.  We make monthly payments under the 
Gathering  Agreement  based  on  the  volume  of  oil  gathered  and  a  gathering  rate  per  barrel,  which  is  adjusted 
periodically.  As of December 31, 2020, this lease had a remaining term of 4.7 years.

Exploration and Development-Related Leases

We  have  operating  leases  for  equipment  used  in  connection  with  our  exploration  and  development 
activities, including drilling rigs, pressure pumping equipment, directional drilling tools, well-control devices, and 
various pieces of support equipment.  These leases provide us the right to control the use of explicitly or implicitly 
identified equipment during the term of the contract.  As of December 31, 2020, these leases had remaining lease 
terms of 12 months or less.  These leases typically require us to make payments in amounts based on the usage of 
the underlying equipment.  These leases do not contain residual value guarantees, options to purchase the underlying 
equipment, or terms or covenants that impose restrictions on our ability to pay dividends, incur debt, or enter into 
additional leases.  We have no subleases of exploration and development-related equipment.

As  an  accounting  policy,  we  have  elected  not  to  apply  the  recognition  requirements  of  Topic  842  to  our 
exploration  and  development-related  class  of  assets  with  lease  terms  at  commencement  of  12  months  or  less.    As 
such, we have not recorded any lease liabilities associated with our exploration and development-related leases.  In 
addition, as an accounting policy we have elected not to separate nonlease components from lease components for 
our exploration and development-related class of assets.

96

 
CIMAREX ENERGY CO.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Balance Sheet Presentation

The following tables present the amounts and classifications of our estimated right-of-use assets, net and 

lease liabilities as of December 31, 2020 and 2019:

(in thousands)
Operating lease right-of-use assets....... Non-current assets — Fixed assets, net.........
Finance lease right-of-use asset............ Non-current assets — Other assets................
Total right-of-use assets...................................................................................................

Balance Sheet Location

(in thousands)
Operating lease liabilities — current.... Current liabilities — Operating leases...........
Operating lease liabilities — non-
current................................................... Non-current liabilities — Operating leases....

Balance Sheet Location

December 31,

2020

2019

$  185,118  $  240,263 
24,849 
$  210,170  $  265,112 

25,052 

December 31,

2020
59,051  $ 

2019
66,003 

$ 

134,705 

184,172 

Current liabilities — Accrued liabilities — 
7,328 
Other..............................................................
Finance lease liability — current..........
Finance lease liability — non-current... Non-current liabilities — Other liabilities.....
18,749 
Total lease liabilities......................................................................................................... $  220,586  $  276,252 

7,099 
19,731 

Lease Cost and Cash Flows

The following table summarizes estimated total lease cost, which includes amounts recognized in income 

and amounts capitalized for the indicated periods:

(in thousands)
Finance lease cost:

Years Ended December 31,

2020

2019

Amortization of right-of-use asset............................................................................
Interest on lease liability...........................................................................................

$ 

5,286  $ 
1,663 

4,385 
1,719 

Operating lease cost:

Production expense (1)..............................................................................................
Transportation, processing, and other operating (1).................................................
Gas gathering and other expense (1).........................................................................
General and administrative expense (2)....................................................................
Short-term lease cost (3)..............................................................................................
Total lease cost............................................................................................................

$ 

19,914 
21,386 
991 
12,701 
235,840 
297,781  $ 

20,965 
17,264 
5,607 
12,421 
539,110 
601,471 

________________________________________
(1) Operating lease cost in the table above is composed of costs incurred under production-related leases.  These 
costs are included in the indicated captions on the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive 
Income (Loss).

(2) Operating lease cost in the table above is composed of costs incurred under real estate leases.  A majority of 
these  costs  are  included  in  the  indicated  caption  on  the  Consolidated  Statements  of  Operations  and 
Comprehensive  Income  (Loss).    A  portion  of  these  costs  are  capitalized  as  part  of  proved  properties  on  the 

97

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CIMAREX ENERGY CO.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Consolidated Balance Sheets.  These costs include variable lease costs of $3.2 million and $3.1 million for the 
years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

(3)  Short-term lease cost in the table above is composed of costs incurred under leases with terms of 12 months or 
less  for  right-of-use  assets  used  in  exploration  and  development  activities.    Payments  under  such  leases  are 
typically based on usage of the underlying right-of-use asset and, therefore, are also variable lease costs.  These 
costs are capitalized as part of proved properties on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

The following table summarizes estimated cash paid for our leases for the indicated periods: 

(in thousands)
Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities:

Years Ended December 31,

2020

2019

Financing cash outflows from finance lease.............................................................
Operating cash outflows from operating leases........................................................

$ 
$ 

4,842  $ 
53,066  $ 

3,869 
54,044 

Cash paid for short-term leases and variable lease payments:

Operating cash outflows from operating leases........................................................
$ 
Investing cash outflows from operating leases.......................................................... $ 

3,169  $ 
235,024  $ 

3,103 
551,325 

During  the  years  ended  December  31,  2020  and  2019,  we  recognized  $42.7  million  and  $91.7  million, 

respectively, in right-of-use assets in connection with new operating leases entered into during the period.

The following table presents the weighted-average remaining lease terms and discount rates of our leases as 

of the indicated dates:

December 31,

2020

2019

Weighted-average remaining lease term (in years):

Finance lease.............................................................................................................
Operating leases........................................................................................................

4.7
3.9

5.9
4.1

Weighted-average discount rate:

Finance lease.............................................................................................................
Operating leases........................................................................................................

 6.3 %
 5.0 %

 5.7 %
 3.9 %

98

 
CIMAREX ENERGY CO.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Lease Liability Maturity Analysis

The  following  table  reflects  the  undiscounted  future  cash  flows  utilized  in  the  calculation  of  the  lease 

liabilities recorded at December 31, 2020:

$ 

(in thousands)
January 1, 2021 — December 31, 2021...........................................
January 1, 2022 — December 31, 2022...........................................
January 1, 2023 — December 31, 2023...........................................
January 1, 2024 — December 31, 2024...........................................
January 1, 2025 — December 31, 2025...........................................
Remaining periods............................................................................
Total undiscounted future cash flows...............................................
Less effects of discounting...............................................................
Lease liabilities recognized............................................................... $ 

December 31, 2020

Operating Leases

Finance Lease

67,330  $ 
61,595 
41,567 
21,259 
8,438 
14,695 
214,884 
(21,128)   
193,756  $ 

7,618 
6,666 
6,340 
6,015 
3,829 
— 
30,468 
(3,638) 
26,830 

Other Commitments

At  December  31,  2020,  we  had  estimated  commitments  of  approximately:  (i)  $224.2  million  to  finish 
drilling, completing, or performing other work on wells and various other infrastructure projects in progress and (ii) 
$4.3 million to finish midstream construction in progress.

At December 31, 2020, we had firm sales contracts to deliver approximately 470.3 Bcf of gas over the next 
10.5 years.  If we do not deliver this gas, our estimated financial commitment, calculated using the January 2021 
index  prices,  would  be  approximately  $908.1  million.    The  value  of  this  commitment  will  fluctuate  due  to  price 
volatility and actual volumes delivered.

In connection with gas gathering and processing agreements, we have volume commitments over the next 
8.0  years.    If  we  do  not  deliver  the  committed  gas  or  NGLs,  as  applicable,  the  estimated  maximum  amount  that 
would  be  payable  under  these  commitments,  calculated  as  of  December  31,  2020,  would  be  approximately 
$640.7 million.

We  have  minimum  volume  delivery  commitments  associated  with  agreements  to  reimburse  connection 
costs to various pipelines.  If we do not deliver this gas or oil, as applicable, the estimated maximum amount that 
would  be  payable  under  these  commitments,  calculated  as  of  December  31,  2020,  would  be  approximately 
$104.7 million.  Of this total, we have accrued a liability of $4.3 million representing the estimated amount we will 
have to pay due to insufficient forecasted volumes at particular connection points.

At December 31, 2020, we have various firm transportation agreements for gas pipeline capacity with end 
dates  ranging  from  2021  -  2025  under  which  we  will  have  to  pay  an  estimated  $16.6  million  over  the  remaining 
terms of the agreements.  

We have minimum volume water delivery commitments associated with a water services agreement, which 
ends in 2030, that was entered into in connection with the sale of certain water infrastructure assets in Eddy County, 
New Mexico (see Note 13).  If we do not deliver the water volumes, the estimated maximum amount that would be 
payable under this commitment, calculated as of December 31, 2020, would be approximately $64.1 million.  

All of the noted commitments were routine and made in the ordinary course of our business.

99

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CIMAREX ENERGY CO.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Litigation

In  the  ordinary  course  of  business,  we  are  involved  with  various  litigation  matters.    When  a  loss 
contingency exists, we assess whether it is probable that an asset has been impaired or a liability has been incurred 
and,  if  so,  we  determine  if  the  amount  of  loss  can  be  reasonably  estimated,  all  in  accordance  with  authoritative 
accounting guidance, and adjust our accruals accordingly.  Though some of the related claims may be significant, we 
believe  the  resolution  of  them,  individually  or  in  the  aggregate,  would  not  have  a  material  adverse  effect  on  our 
financial condition or results of operations after consideration of current accruals.

11. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

Helmerich  &  Payne,  Inc.  (“H&P”)  provides  contract  drilling  services  to  Cimarex.    Cimarex  incurred 
drilling costs of approximately $24.9 million, $72.8 million, and $80.1 million related to these services during the 
years  ended  December  31,  2020,  2019,  and  2018,  respectively.    The  amounts  incurred  in  the  years  ended 
December 31, 2020 and 2019 are included in the short-term lease costs disclosed in Note 10.  Hans Helmerich, a 
director of Cimarex, is Chairman of the Board of Directors of H&P.

12. SUPPLEMENTAL CASH FLOW INFORMATION

(in thousands)
Cash paid during the period for:

Years Ended December 31,

2020

2019

2018

Interest expense (net of capitalized amounts of $48,306, 
$49,944, and $19,969, respectively) (1)........................................
Income taxes..................................................................................
Cash received for income tax refunds................................................

$ 
$ 
$ 

41,407  $ 
300  $ 
2,118  $ 

50,601  $ 
1,364  $ 
2,033  $ 

45,357 
— 
760 

 ________________________________________
(1) The year ended December 31, 2019 includes $17.6 million in interest paid upon the redemption of Resolute’s 

senior notes and credit facility on March 1, 2019.

100

 
 
 
 
 
CIMAREX ENERGY CO.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

13. ACQUISITIONS AND DIVESTITURES

On  August  31,  2018,  we  closed  on  the  divestiture  of  oil  and  gas  properties  principally  located  in  Ward 
County, Texas for which we received $534.6 million in net cash proceeds in 2018, as adjusted for customary closing 
adjustments to reflect an effective date of April 1, 2018 and transaction costs.  This divestiture did not significantly 
alter  the  relationship  between  capitalized  costs  and  proved  reserves,  therefore,  in  accordance  with  the  full  cost 
method of accounting, no gain or loss was recognized. 

On September 30, 2020, we closed on the sale of certain water infrastructure assets in Eddy County, New 
Mexico, for which we received net cash proceeds of $68.7 million during 2020, as adjusted for customary closing 
adjustments and transaction costs.  We will be entitled to additional future cash payments from the buyer upon the 
delivery of certain rights-of-way and if water volumes delivered by Cimarex or third parties meet certain thresholds 
during the 10 years following the date of sale.  See Note 10 for more information on this sale.  

On March 1, 2019, we completed the acquisition of Resolute Energy Corporation, an independent oil and 
gas company focused on the acquisition and development of unconventional oil and gas properties in the Delaware 
Basin  area  of  the  Permian  Basin  of  west  Texas.    The  principal  factors  considered  by  management  in  making  this 
acquisition  included:  (i)  our  expectation  that  Resolute’s  assets’  returns  would  be  competitive  with  those  in  our 
existing portfolio, (ii) the opportunity to apply our experience and learnings from already operating in this area to 
generating  productivity  gains  from  Resolute’s  properties,  (iii)  the  ability  to  increase  our  acreage  position  in  the 
Delaware Basin, and (iv) the expectation that the acquisition would be financially accretive.

We acquired 100% of the outstanding common shares and voting interests of Resolute in a cash and stock 
transaction.  The acquisition date fair value of the consideration transferred totaled $820.3 million, which consisted 
of  cash,  common  stock,  and  a  newly  created  series  of  preferred  stock  (see  Note  2  for  more  information  on  the 
preferred stock) as follows:

(in thousands)
Cash.......................................................................................................................................
Common stock (5,652 shares issued)....................................................................................
Preferred stock (63 shares issued).........................................................................................

Fair Value of 
Consideration Transferred
325,677 
$ 
413,015 
81,620 
820,312 

$ 

The fair value of the common stock issued as part of the consideration was determined on the basis of the 
closing market price of Cimarex common stock on the acquisition date.  The fair value of the preferred stock issued 
as part of the consideration was determined using a multiple probability simulation model.

101

 
 
 
CIMAREX ENERGY CO.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Purchase Price Allocation

The Resolute acquisition has been accounted for as a business combination, using the acquisition method.  
The  following  table  presents  the  allocation  of  the  Resolute  purchase  price  to  the  identifiable  assets  acquired  and 
liabilities assumed based on the fair values at the acquisition date, with any excess of the purchase price over the 
estimated  fair  value  of  the  identifiable  net  assets  acquired  recorded  to  goodwill.    The  table  also  presents  the 
adjustments made to the purchase price allocation during the 12-month period following the acquisition date.  The 
purchase  price  allocation  was  finalized  during  the  three  months  ended  March  31,  2020.    The  most  significant 
adjustment was made to reduce the fair value of the unproved oil and gas properties acquired by $30.3 million based 
on the finalization of the quantity of acres acquired.  The tax effect of this adjustment reduced the related deferred 
income taxes by $6.9 million.  The completion of the final Resolute tax returns provided the underlying tax basis of 
Resolute’s assets and liabilities and net operating losses and resulted in a reduction of the deferred tax liability of 
$24.4 million.  The remaining adjustments were related to finalization of working capital balances.  The offset to all 
of the adjustments was goodwill.  

The following table sets forth the purchase price allocation:

(in thousands)
Cash............................................................................ $ 
Accounts receivable...................................................
Other current assets....................................................
Proved oil and gas properties.....................................
Unproved oil and gas properties.................................
Fixed assets................................................................
Goodwill.....................................................................
Other assets................................................................
Current liabilities........................................................
Long-term debt...........................................................
Deferred income taxes................................................
Asset retirement obligation........................................
Total identifiable net assets........................................

$ 

March 1, 2019

Adjustments

March 1, 2020

41,236  $ 
50,739 
13,280 
692,600 
1,054,200 
5,355 
107,341 
142 

(202,735)   
(870,000)   
(62,409)   
(9,437)   
820,312  $ 

—  $ 

11,521 
(1,176)   
— 

(30,314)   
(32)   
(13,126)   

— 
1,790 
— 
31,337 
— 
—  $ 

41,236 
62,260 
12,104 
692,600 
1,023,886 
5,323 
94,215 
142 
(200,945) 
(870,000) 
(31,072) 
(9,437) 
820,312 

In connection with the acquisition, we assumed, and immediately repaid, $870.0 million principal amount 
of long-term debt consisting of $600.0 million of senior notes and $270.0 million of credit facility borrowings.  On 
March  1,  2019,  we  repaid  Resolute’s  credit  facility  borrowings,  delivered  a  notice  of  optional  redemption  of 
Resolute’s  senior  notes  for  an  April  1,  2019  redemption  date,  and  irrevocably  deposited  with  a  trustee  the  full 
amount of funds to repay the aggregate outstanding senior notes principal balance plus accrued and unpaid interest, 
incurring a $4.3 million loss on early extinguishment of debt.  The cash consideration transferred and the repayment 
of  Resolute’s  long-term  debt  were  funded  using  cash  on  hand  and  borrowings  on  our  Credit  Facility.    We 
subsequently repaid the borrowings on our Credit Facility using the net proceeds from the March 8, 2019 issuance of 
$500.0 million aggregate principal amount of 4.375% senior unsecured notes.

Goodwill  of  $94.2  million  was  recognized  in  the  purchase  price  allocation  principally  as  a  result  of 
recording  net  deferred  tax  liabilities  arising  from  the  difference  between  the  tax  basis  and  the  purchase  price 
allocated  to  Resolute’s  assets  and  liabilities,  and  anticipated  opportunities  for  cost  savings  through  administrative 
and  operational  synergies.    We  concluded  that  goodwill  was  impaired  at  March  31,  2020  (see  Note  1  for  more 
information regarding the goodwill impairment).

102

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CIMAREX ENERGY CO.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Acquisition-related costs incurred were $11.4 million, with $8.4 million expensed in 2019 and $3.0 million 
expensed  in  2018.    These  costs,  which  were  comprised  primarily  of  advisory  and  legal  fees,  are  included  in  the 
“Other operating expense, net” line item on our Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income 
(Loss).

Pro Forma Financial Information (Unaudited)

The results of Resolute’s operations have been included in our consolidated financial statements since the 
March  1,  2019  acquisition  date.    The  following  supplemental  pro  forma  information  for  the  years  ended 
December 31, 2019 and 2018 has been prepared to give effect to the Resolute acquisition as if it had occurred on 
January 1, 2018.  The information below reflects pro forma adjustments based on available information and certain 
assumptions that we believe are reasonable, including (i) the depletion of the combined company’s proved oil and 
gas  properties,  (ii)  the  capitalization  of  interest  expense,  and  (iii)  the  estimated  tax  impacts  of  the  pro  forma 
adjustments.    Additionally,  pro  forma  earnings  were  adjusted  to  exclude  acquisition-related  costs  incurred  by 
Cimarex and Resolute.  The pro forma results of operations do not include any cost savings or other synergies that 
may result from the acquisition or any estimated costs that have been or will be incurred by Cimarex to integrate the 
Resolute assets.  The pro forma financial data has not been adjusted to reflect any other acquisitions or dispositions 
made during the periods presented as their results were not deemed material.

The  pro  forma  information  is  not  necessarily  indicative  of  the  results  that  might  have  occurred  had  the 
transaction actually taken place on January 1, 2018 and is not intended to be a projection of future results.  Future 
results may vary significantly from the results reflected in the following pro forma information because of normal 
production  declines,  changes  in  commodity  prices,  future  acquisitions  and  divestitures,  future  development  and 
exploration activities, and other factors.

Years Ended December 31,

(in thousands, except per share information)
Revenue...................................................................................................................... $  2,416,105  $  2,667,561 
Net (loss) income.......................................................................................................
872,140 
Net (loss) income per common share:

(139,553)  $ 

2019

2018

$ 

$ 
Basic........................................................................................................................
Diluted..................................................................................................................... $ 

(1.47)  $ 
(1.47)  $ 

8.65 
8.65 

103

 
 
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION ON OIL AND GAS PRODUCING ACTIVITIES (UNAUDITED)

CIMAREX ENERGY CO.

Oil and Gas Reserve Information—Proved reserve quantities are based on estimates prepared by Cimarex 

in accordance with guidelines established by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).

Reserve definitions comply with definitions of Rule 4-10(a) (1)-(32) of Regulation S-X of the SEC.  All of 
our reserve estimates are maintained by our internal Corporate Reservoir Engineering group, which is comprised of 
engineers  and  engineering  technicians.    The  objectives  and  management  of  this  group  are  separate  from  and 
independent  of  the  exploration  and  production  functions  of  our  company.    The  technical  employee  primarily 
responsible  for  overseeing  the  reserve  estimation  process  is  our  Vice  President  of  Corporate  Engineering.    This 
individual graduated from the Colorado School of Mines with a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering and has 
more than 26 years of practical experience in reserve evaluation.  He has been directly involved in the annual reserve 
reporting process of Cimarex since 2002 and has served in his current role for the past 16 years.

DeGolyer  and  MacNaughton,  an  independent  petroleum  engineering  consulting  firm,  performed  an 
independent evaluation of our estimated net reserves representing greater than 80% of the total future net revenue 
discounted at 10% attributable to the total interests owned by Cimarex as of December 31, 2020.  The individual 
primarily responsible for overseeing the evaluation is a Senior Vice President with DeGolyer and MacNaughton and 
a Registered Professional Engineer in the State of Texas with over 10 years of experience in oil and gas reservoir 
studies and reserves evaluations.

Proved  reserves  are  those  quantities  of  oil,  gas,  and  NGLs  which,  by  analysis  of  geosciences  and 
engineering  data,  can  be  estimated  with  reasonable  certainty  to  be  economically  producible—from  a  given  date 
forward,  from  known  reservoirs,  and  under  existing  economic  conditions,  operating  methods,  and  government 
regulations—prior to the time at which contracts providing the right to operate expire, unless evidence indicates that 
renewal  is  reasonably  certain,  regardless  of  whether  deterministic  or  probabilistic  methods  are  used  for  the 
estimation.    The  project  to  extract  the  hydrocarbons  must  have  commenced  or  the  operator  must  be  reasonably 
certain that it will commence the project within a reasonable time.

There are numerous uncertainties inherent in estimating quantities of proved reserves and projecting future 
rates of production and the timing of development expenditures.  The estimation of our proved reserves employs one 
or  more  of  the  following:  production  trend  extrapolation,  analogy,  volumetric  assessment,  and  material  balance 
analysis.  Techniques including review of production and pressure histories, analysis of electric logs and fluid tests, 
and interpretations of geologic and geophysical data are also involved in this estimation process.

The following table summarizes the trailing twelve-month index prices used in the reserves estimates for 
2020, 2019, and 2018.  These prices are prior to adjustments for fixed and determinable amounts under provisions in 
existing contracts, location, grade, and quality.

Gas price per Mcf...................................................................................... $ 
Oil price per Bbl........................................................................................ $ 

1.99  $ 
39.54  $ 

2.58  $ 
55.67  $ 

3.10 
65.56 

December 31,

2020

2019

2018

104

 
 
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION ON OIL AND GAS PRODUCING ACTIVITIES (UNAUDITED)

CIMAREX ENERGY CO.

The following table sets forth our estimates of our proved, proved developed, and proved undeveloped oil, 
gas, and NGL reserves as of December 31, 2020, 2019, 2018, and 2017 and changes in our proved reserves for the 
years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018.  All of our proved reserves are located entirely within the United 
States of America.  

Gas
(MMcf)

Oil
(MBbls)

NGL
(MBbls)

Total
(MBOE)

Total proved reserves:

December 31, 2017.......................................................
Revisions of previous estimates...............................
Extensions and discoveries.......................................
Purchases of reserves................................................
Production................................................................
Sales of reserves.......................................................
December 31, 2018.......................................................
Revisions of previous estimates...............................
Extensions and discoveries.......................................
Purchases of reserves................................................
Production................................................................
Sales of reserves.......................................................
December 31, 2019.......................................................
Revisions of previous estimates...............................
Extensions and discoveries.......................................
Purchases of reserves................................................
Production................................................................
Sales of reserves.......................................................
December 31, 2020.......................................................

  1,607,635 

137,238 

(132,577)   
342,810 
3 

(205,837)   
(20,713)   

  1,591,321 

(180,632)   
247,406 
129,435 
(251,567)   
(3,818)   

  1,532,145 

(43,504)   
107,322 
— 

(232,625)   
(496)   

(4,348)   
53,763 
— 

(24,710)   
(15,405)   
146,538 

(8,516)   
41,193 
22,628 
(31,463)   
(610)   

169,770 
(19,692)   
22,269 
— 

(28,087)   
(197)   

153,860 
3,777 
47,614 
— 

(21,994)   
(3,821)   

179,436 
(12,038)   
36,834 
18,818 
(28,254)   
(328)   

194,468 
(25,488)   
16,419 
— 

(25,554)   
(27)   

  1,362,842 

144,063 

159,818 

Proved developed reserves:

December 31, 2017........................................................
December 31, 2018........................................................
December 31, 2019........................................................
December 31, 2020........................................................

  1,334,510 
  1,398,729 
  1,358,329 
  1,190,907 

Proved undeveloped reserves:

December 31, 2017........................................................
December 31, 2018........................................................
December 31, 2019........................................................
December 31, 2020........................................................

273,125 
192,592 
173,816 
171,935 

114,116 
116,339 
138,783 
112,785 

23,122 
30,199 
30,987 
31,278 

126,227 
151,566 
166,552 
135,901 

27,633 
27,870 
27,916 
23,917 

559,037 
(22,667) 
158,512 
1 
(81,010) 
(22,678) 
591,195 
(50,661) 
119,261 
63,019 
(101,645) 
(1,574) 
619,595 
(52,430) 
56,575 
— 
(92,412) 
(307) 
531,021 

462,761 
501,027 
531,722 
447,170 

96,276 
90,168 
87,873 
83,851 

Year-end  2020  proved  reserves  decreased  approximately  14%  from  year-end  2019  proved  reserves,  to 
531.0  MMBOE.    Proved  gas  reserves  were  1.36  Tcf,  proved  oil  reserves  were  144.1  MMBbls,  and  proved  NGL 
reserves were 159.8 MMBbls.  Our reserves in the Permian Basin accounted for 68% of total proved reserves, with 
nearly all of the remainder in the Mid-Continent.

During 2020, we added 56.6 MMBOE of proved reserves through extensions and discoveries, primarily in 
the Permian Basin where we added 47.8 MMBOE, with the remaining 8.8 MMBOE in additions being in the Mid-
Continent.  We had net negative revisions of 52.4 MMBOE, which consisted of 70.3 MMBOE in downward price 

105

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION ON OIL AND GAS PRODUCING ACTIVITIES (UNAUDITED)

CIMAREX ENERGY CO.

revisions,  10.0  MMBOE  associated  with  the  removal  of  PUD  reserves  whose  development  will  likely  be  delayed 
beyond  five  years  of  initial  disclosure,  and  2.8  MMBOE  in  net  negative  technical  revisions  primarily  related  to 
offset  completion  impacts.    These  negative  revisions  were  partially  offset  by  30.7  MMBOE  in  positive  revisions 
related to decreases in operating expenses.  

During 2019, we added 119.3 MMBOE of proved reserves through extensions and discoveries, primarily in 
the  Permian  Basin  and  Mid-Continent  where  we  added  99.9  MMBOE  and  19.4  MMBOE,  respectively.  
Additionally, we added 63.0 MMBOE from purchases of reserves, primarily through the Resolute acquisition (see 
Note 13 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information on the acquisition).  We had net negative 
revisions of 50.7 MMBOE, which consisted of 47.2 MMBOE in downward price revisions and 7.0 MMBOE related 
to  increases  in  operating  expenses.    In  addition,  13.6  MMBOE  was  associated  with  the  removal  of  PUD  reserves 
whose  development  will  likely  be  delayed  beyond  five  years  of  initial  disclosure.    These  negative  revisions  were 
partially  offset  by  net  positive  technical  revisions  of  17.1  MMBOE  primarily  related  to  better  than  expected 
performance from wells with initial production in late 2018 and positive adjustments to PUD reserves converted to 
proved developed reserves during 2019.

During 2018, we added 158.5 MMBOE of proved reserves through extensions and discoveries, primarily in 
the  Permian  Basin  and  Mid-Continent  where  we  added  120.3  MMBOE  and  38.0  MMBOE,  respectively.    In 
addition, we had net negative revisions of 22.7 MMBOE.  The revisions included decreases of 38.6 MMBOE for the 
removal of PUD reserves whose development will likely be delayed beyond five years of initial disclosure and 7.7 
MMBOE  related  to  increases  in  operating  expenses.    These  decreases  were  partially  offset  by  increases  of  2.7 
MMBOE  in  price-related  revisions  and  20.9  MMBOE  of  net  technical  revisions.    The  majority  of  the  technical 
revisions  were  related  to  better  than  expected  performance  from  wells  with  initial  production  in  late  2017  and 
positive adjustments to PUD reserves converted to proved developed reserves during 2018.

At  December  31,  2020,  we  had  PUD  reserves  of  83.9  MMBOE,  down  4.0  MMBOE,  or  5%,  from  87.9 
MMBOE of PUD reserves at December 31, 2019.  Changes in our PUD reserves during 2020 are summarized in the 
table below.

PUD reserves at December 31, 2019........................................................................................................
Converted to developed........................................................................................................................
Additions..............................................................................................................................................
Net revisions.........................................................................................................................................
PUD reserves at December 31, 2020........................................................................................................

PUD Reserves
(MMBOE)

87.9 
(30.5) 
40.5 
(14.0) 
83.9 

During 2020, we invested $154.9 million to develop and convert 35% of our 2019 PUD reserves to proved 
developed  reserves.    During  2019,  we  invested  $399.5  million  to  develop  and  convert  66%  of  our  2018  PUD 
reserves to proved developed reserves.  During 2018, we invested $264.5 million to develop and convert 30% of our 
2017 PUD reserves to proved developed reserves.

During 2020, our 40.5 MMBOE of PUD reserve additions consisted of 33.8 MMBOE added in the Permian 
Basin  and  6.7  MMBOE  added  in  Mid-Continent.    At  December  31,  2020,  90%  of  our  PUD  reserves  were  in  the 
Permian Basin, while the remainder were in our western Oklahoma Cana area.  During 2020, we had net negative 
PUD reserve revisions of 14.0 MMBOE.  Of this total, 10.0 MMBOE was for the removal of PUD reserves whose 
development will likely be delayed beyond five years of initial disclosure and the majority of the remainder was due 
to  downward  price  revisions.    We  have  no  PUD  reserves  that  have  remained  undeveloped  for  five  years  or  more 
after initial disclosure and we have no PUD reserves whose scheduled development is beyond five years of initial 
disclosure.

106

 
 
 
 
 
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION ON OIL AND GAS PRODUCING ACTIVITIES (UNAUDITED)

CIMAREX ENERGY CO.

Costs Incurred—The following table sets forth our costs incurred for property acquisition, exploration, and 

development activities.

(in thousands)
Acquisition of properties

Proved............................................................................................ $ 
Unproved.......................................................................................
Exploration.........................................................................................
Development.......................................................................................

$ 

Years Ended December 31,

2020

2019

2018

695,450  $ 

62 
11,878  $ 
102,666 
1,083,230 
46,946 
6,341 
2,321 
1,522 
1,487,453 
1,181,605 
496,388 
556,734  $  2,962,606  $  1,596,522 

Aggregate  Capitalized  Costs—The  table  below  reflects  the  aggregate  capitalized  costs  relating  to  our  oil 

and gas producing activities at December 31, 2020.

(in thousands)
Proved properties............................................................................................................................. $ 
Unproved properties and properties under development, not being amortized...............................

Less—accumulated depreciation, depletion, amortization, and impairment...................................
Net oil and gas properties................................................................................................................

December 31, 2020
21,281,840 
1,142,183 
22,424,023 
(18,987,354) 
3,436,669 

$ 

Costs  Not  Being  Amortized—The  following  table  summarizes  oil  and  gas  property  costs  not  being 

amortized at December 31, 2020, by year that the costs were incurred.

(in thousands)
2020.................................................................................................................................................
2019.................................................................................................................................................
2018.................................................................................................................................................
2017 and prior..................................................................................................................................

December 31, 2020
197,861 
$ 
827,418 
65,770 
51,134 
1,142,183 

$ 

Of  the  costs  not  being  amortized,  $151.4  million  (13%)  relates  to  unevaluated  wells  in  progress  and 
$98.3 million (9%) is capitalized interest.  The remaining $892.5 million (78%) is for land and seismic expenditures, 
most of which were for costs invested in Permian Basin ($852.6 million) and Mid-Continent ($39.3 million).  The 
majority  of  the  Permian  Basin  balance  stems  from  the  Resolute  acquisition.    On  a  quarterly  basis,  we  evaluate 
excluded  costs  for  inclusion  in  the  costs  to  be  amortized.    Significant  unproved  properties  are  evaluated 
individually.    Unproved  properties  that  are  not  considered  individually  significant  are  aggregated  for  evaluation 
purposes and related costs are transferred to the costs to be amortized quarterly based on the application of historical 
factors.  We expect to include these costs in the amortization computation as we continue with our exploration and 
development plans.

107

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION ON OIL AND GAS PRODUCING ACTIVITIES (UNAUDITED)

CIMAREX ENERGY CO.

Oil and Gas Operations—The following table contains direct revenue and cost information relating to our 
oil and gas exploration and production activities for the periods indicated.  We have no long-term supply or purchase 
agreements with governments or authorities in which we act as producer.  Income tax expense related to our oil and 
gas operations is computed using the effective tax rate for the period, with the 2020 effective tax rate adjusted to 
remove the goodwill impairment not deductible for tax purposes and the change in valuation allowance.

Years Ended December 31,

(in thousands, except per BOE)
Oil, gas, and NGL revenues from production....................................
Less operating costs and income taxes:

Impairment of oil and gas properties...............................................
Depletion.........................................................................................
Asset retirement obligation..............................................................
Production........................................................................................
Transportation, processing, and other operating.............................
Taxes other than income..................................................................
Income tax (benefit) expense...........................................................

Results of operations from oil and gas producing activities..............
Depletion rate per BOE......................................................................

2020

2019
$  1,512,688  $  2,321,921  $  2,297,645 

2018

1,638,329 
625,481 
14,653 
285,324 
213,366 
79,699 
(295,716)   
2,561,136 
$  (1,048,448)  $ 
6.77  $ 
$ 

618,693 
817,099 
8,586 
339,941 
238,259 
148,953 
26,318 
2,197,849 

124,072  $ 
8.04  $ 

— 
538,919 
7,142 
296,189 
211,463 
125,169 
252,840 
1,431,722 
865,923 
6.65 

Standardized Measure of Future Net Cash Flows—The Standardized Measure of Discounted Future Net 
Cash  Flows  Relating  to  Proved  Oil  and  Gas  Reserves  (“Standardized  Measure”)  is  calculated  in  accordance  with 
guidance  provided  by  the  FASB.    The  Standardized  Measure  does  not  purport,  nor  should  it  be  interpreted,  to 
present the fair value of a company’s proved oil and gas reserves.  Fair value would require, among other things, 
consideration of expected future economic and operating conditions, varying price and cost assumptions, and risks 
inherent in reserve estimates.

Under  the  Standardized  Measure,  future  cash  inflows  are  based  upon  the  forecasted  future  production  of 
year-end  proved  reserves.    Future  cash  inflows  are  then  reduced  by  estimated  future  production  and  development 
costs to determine net pre-tax cash flow.  Future income taxes are computed by applying the statutory tax rate to the 
excess of pre-tax cash flow over our tax basis in the associated oil and gas properties.  Tax credits and permanent 
differences  are  also  considered  in  the  future  income  tax  calculation.    Future  net  cash  flow  after  income  taxes  is 
discounted using a 10% annual discount rate to arrive at the Standardized Measure.

The following summary sets forth our Standardized Measure.

December 31,

2020

(in thousands)
2019
Future cash inflows............................................................................
$  7,167,623  $ 11,726,488  $ 14,050,367 
Future production costs......................................................................
(4,889,601) 
Future development costs...................................................................
(1,017,318) 
Future income tax expenses...............................................................
(1,303,762) 
Future net cash flows.........................................................................
6,839,686 
(2,824,499) 
10% annual discount for estimated timing of cash flows...................
Standardized measure of discounted future net cash flows................ $  2,252,519  $  3,629,026  $  4,015,187 

(4,619,438)   
(814,397)   
(578,675)   
5,713,978 
(2,084,952)   

(3,193,242)   
(525,714)   
(66,555)   

3,382,112 
(1,129,593)   

2018

108

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION ON OIL AND GAS PRODUCING ACTIVITIES (UNAUDITED)

CIMAREX ENERGY CO.

The  estimates  of  cash  flows  shown  above  are  based  upon  the  unweighted  trailing  twelve-month  average 
first-day-of-the-month benchmark prices.  See table above under Oil and Gas Reserve Information for prices used 
in  determining  the  Standardized  Measure.    Prices  are  market  driven  and  will  fluctuate  due  to  supply  and  demand 
factors, seasonality, and geopolitical, economic, and other factors.

The following are the principal sources of change in the Standardized Measure.

Years Ended December 31,

2018

2020

(934,299)   

(1,594,768)   

(1,465,206)   

2019
$  3,629,026  $  4,015,187  $  3,285,001 
(1,660,649) 

(in thousands)
Standardized measure, beginning of period.......................................
Sales, net of production costs.............................................................
Net change in sales prices and in production costs related to future 
production...........................................................................................
Extensions and discoveries, net of future production and 
1,738,993 
development costs..............................................................................
194,523 
Changes in estimated future development costs.................................
335,954 
Previously estimated development costs incurred during the period.
96,783 
Revisions of quantity estimates..........................................................
372,482 
Accretion of discount.........................................................................
(284,186) 
Change in income taxes......................................................................
— 
Purchases of reserves in place............................................................
(300,592) 
Sales of reserves in place....................................................................
Change in production rates and other.................................................
(140,300) 
Standardized measure, end of period.................................................. $  2,252,519  $  3,629,026  $  4,015,187 

261,090 
130,440 
306,225 
(273,738)   
394,835 
283,764 
— 
(3,838)   
(75,780)   

758,685 
35,940 
640,292 
(304,217)   
473,919 
404,681 
568,897 
(18,330)   
(84,037)   

(1,267,223)   

377,178 

109

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CIMAREX ENERGY CO.

SUPPLEMENTAL QUARTERLY FINANCIAL DATA (UNAUDITED)

The  tables  below  summarize  our  quarterly  financial  data  for  2020  and  2019.    The  sum  of  the  individual 
quarterly earnings (loss) per common share amounts may not agree with year-to-date earnings (loss) per common 
share amounts because each quarter’s computation is based on the number of shares outstanding at the end of the 
applicable quarter using the two-class method.

Quarter

2020

First

Second

Third

Fourth

(in thousands, except per share data)
Revenues................................................................... $ 
Expenses, net............................................................
Net (loss) income...................................................... $ 
Earnings (loss) per share to common stockholders:
Basic.....................................................................
$ 
Diluted.................................................................. $ 

472,830  $ 

249,383  $ 

1,247,112 
(774,282)  $ 

1,174,530 
(925,147)  $ 

401,659  $ 
694,399 
(292,740)  $ 

434,723 
410,012 
24,711 

(7.77)  $ 
(7.77)  $ 

(9.28)  $ 
(9.28)  $ 

(2.94)  $ 
(2.94)  $ 

0.25 
0.25 

Quarter

2019

First

Second

Third

Fourth

(in thousands, except per share data)
Revenues................................................................... $ 
Expenses, net............................................................
Net income (loss)...................................................... $ 
Earnings (loss) per share to common stockholders:
Basic.....................................................................
$ 
Diluted.................................................................. $ 

576,957  $ 
550,641 

26,316  $ 

546,463  $ 
437,154 
109,309  $ 

582,305  $ 
458,458 
123,847  $ 

657,244 
1,041,335 
(384,091) 

0.26  $ 
0.26  $ 

1.07  $ 
1.07  $ 

1.21  $ 
1.21  $ 

(3.87) 
(3.87) 

110

ITEM  9.    CHANGES  IN  AND  DISAGREEMENTS  WITH  ACCOUNTANTS  ON  ACCOUNTING  AND 
FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE

None.

ITEM 9A.  CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

EVALUATION OF DISCLOSURE CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

Cimarex’s  management,  under  the  supervision  and  with  the  participation  of  the  Chief  Executive  Officer 
(“CEO”) and Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”), has evaluated the effectiveness of Cimarex’s disclosure controls and 
procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“Exchange Act”)) 
as of December 31, 2020.  Based on that evaluation, the CEO and CFO concluded that the disclosure controls and 
procedures are effective in providing reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed in reports filed 
or  submitted  under  the  Exchange  Act  is  recorded,  processed,  summarized,  and  reported  within  the  time  periods 
required  by  the  U.S.  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission’s  rules  and  forms  and  that  such  information  is 
accumulated and communicated to management, including the CEO and CFO, to allow timely decisions regarding 
required disclosures.  

MANAGEMENT’S REPORT ON INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING

Cimarex’s  management  is  responsible  for  establishing  and  maintaining  adequate  internal  control  over 
financial  reporting  (as  defined  in  Rule  13a-15(f)  under  the  Exchange  Act).    The  Company’s  internal  control  over 
financial reporting is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the 
preparation  of  financial  statements  for  external  purposes  in  accordance  with  accounting  principles  generally 
accepted  in  the  United  States  of  America.    The  Company’s  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  also  includes 
those policies and procedures that:

(1)  pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect transactions 

and dispositions of assets;

(2)  provide  reasonable  assurance  that  transactions  are  recorded  as  necessary  to  permit  preparation  of 
consolidated  financial  statements  for  external  purposes  in  accordance  with  generally  accepted 
accounting  principles,  and  that  receipts  and  expenditures  are  being  made  only  in  accordance  with 
authorizations of management and directors; and

(3)  provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, 

or disposition of assets that could have a material effect on the consolidated financial statements.

Because  of  inherent  limitations,  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  may  not  prevent  or  detect 
misstatements.  Also, projections of any evaluation of the effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that 
controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies 
or procedures may deteriorate.

As  of  December  31,  2020,  Cimarex’s  management  assessed  the  effectiveness  of  internal  control  over 
financial reporting based on the criteria set forth in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the 
Committee  of  Sponsoring  Organizations  of  the  Treadway  Commission  (COSO).    Based  on  that  assessment, 
management concluded that the internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2020.

The Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, KPMG LLP, that audited the consolidated 
financial  statements  included  in  Item  8  of  this  Form  10-K  has  also  audited  the  Company’s  internal  control  over 
financial reporting as of December 31, 2020 and has issued an attestation report.  KPMG LLP’s attestation report on 
the Company’s internal control over financial reporting is included later in this Item 9A of this Form 10-K.  

111

CHANGES IN INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING

There was no change in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during our most recent 
fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2020 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our 
internal control over financial reporting.

112

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Stockholders and Board of Directors 
Cimarex Energy Co.:

Opinion on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

We have audited Cimarex Energy Co. and subsidiaries’ (the Company) internal control over financial reporting as of 
December 31, 2020, based on criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the 
Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. In our opinion, the Company maintained, in 
all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020, based on criteria 
established  in  Internal  Control  –  Integrated  Framework  (2013)  issued  by  the  Committee  of  Sponsoring 
Organizations of the Treadway Commission.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United 
States) (PCAOB), the consolidated balance sheets of the Company as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the related 
consolidated  statements  of  operations  and  comprehensive  income  (loss),  stockholders’  equity,  and  cash  flows  for 
each  of  the  years  in  the  three-year  period  ended  December  31,  2020,  and  the  related  notes  (collectively,  the 
consolidated  financial  statements),  and  our  report  dated  February  23,  2021  expressed  an  unqualified  opinion  on 
those consolidated financial statements.

Basis for Opinion

The  Company’s  management  is  responsible  for  maintaining  effective  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  and 
for  its  assessment  of  the  effectiveness  of  internal  control  over  financial  reporting,  included  in  the  accompanying 
Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on 
the  Company’s  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  based  on  our  audit.  We  are  a  public  accounting  firm 
registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the 
U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and 
the PCAOB.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and 
perform  the  audit  to  obtain  reasonable  assurance  about  whether  effective  internal  control  over  financial  reporting 
was maintained in all material respects. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an 
understanding  of  internal  control  over  financial  reporting,  assessing  the  risk  that  a  material  weakness  exists,  and 
testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audit 
also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that 
our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Definition and Limitations of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

A  company’s  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  is  a  process  designed  to  provide  reasonable  assurance 
regarding  the  reliability  of  financial  reporting  and  the  preparation  of  financial  statements  for  external  purposes  in 
accordance  with  generally  accepted  accounting  principles.  A  company’s  internal  control  over  financial  reporting 
includes  those  policies  and  procedures  that  (1)  pertain  to  the  maintenance  of  records  that,  in  reasonable  detail, 
accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable 
assurance  that  transactions  are  recorded  as  necessary  to  permit  preparation  of  financial  statements  in  accordance 
with  generally  accepted  accounting  principles,  and  that  receipts  and  expenditures  of  the  company  are  being  made 
only  in  accordance  with  authorizations  of  management  and  directors  of  the  company;  and  (3)  provide  reasonable 
assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s 
assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

113

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. 
Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become 
inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may 
deteriorate.

/s/ KPMG LLP

Denver, Colorado
February 23, 2021

114

ITEM 9B.  OTHER INFORMATION

None.

115

PART III

ITEM 10.  DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Information concerning the directors of Cimarex required under this item is incorporated by reference from 
the  Cimarex  Energy  Co.  definitive  Proxy  Statement  for  the  May  12,  2021  Annual  Meeting  of  Shareholders.    The 
Proxy Statement will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission no later than 120 days subsequent to 
December 31, 2020.  The executive officers of Cimarex as of February 23, 2021 were:

Name
Thomas E. Jorden..........
Stephen P. Bell...............
G. Mark Burford............
Francis B. Barron...........
John A. Lambuth............
Christopher H. Clason....
Thomas F. McCoy.........
Blake A. Sirgo................
Gary R. Abbott...............
Timothy A. Ficker..........

Office

Executive Vice President — Business Development
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Senior Vice President — General Counsel
Executive Vice President — Exploration
Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer
Senior Vice President — Production

Age
63 Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, and President
66
53
58
58
54
58
38 Vice President — Operations 
48 Vice President — Corporate Engineering
53 Vice President — Controller, Chief Accounting Officer, and Assistant Secretary

There  are  no  family  relationships  by  blood,  marriage,  or  adoption  among  any  of  the  above  executive 
officers.    All  executive  officers  are  elected  annually  by  the  board  of  directors  to  serve  for  one  year  or  until  a 
successor is elected and qualified.  There is no arrangement or understanding between any of the officers and any 
other person pursuant to which the officer was selected as an executive officer.

THOMAS E. JORDEN was elected Chairman of the Board effective August 14, 2012 after being named 
President and Chief Executive Officer effective September 30, 2011.  Since December 8, 2003, Mr. Jorden served as 
Executive Vice President of Exploration and had served in a similar capacity since September 30, 2002.  Prior to 
September  2002,  Mr.  Jorden  was  with  Key  Production  Company,  Inc.,  where  he  served  as  Vice  President  of 
Exploration (October 1999 to September 2002) and Chief Geophysicist (November 1993 to September 1999).  Prior 
to joining Key, Mr. Jorden was with Union Pacific Resources.

STEPHEN P. BELL was named Executive Vice President, Business Development effective September 13, 
2012.  Since September 2002, Mr. Bell served as Senior Vice President of Business Development and Land.  Prior 
to its merger with Cimarex, Mr. Bell was with Key Production Company, Inc. since February 1994.  In September 
1999, he was appointed Senior Vice President, Business Development and Land.  From February 1994 to September 
1999, he served as Vice President, Land.

G. MARK BURFORD  was named Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in March 2019. Mr. 
Burford was appointed Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in September 2015 and Vice President, Capital 
Markets and Planning in December 2010. Mr. Burford joined Cimarex in April 2005 as Director of Capital Markets. 
Prior  to  joining  Cimarex,  he  was  Director  of  Investor  Relations  for  Whiting  Petroleum  and  Tom  Brown.  His 
experience  also  includes  equity  research  with  Petrie  Parkman  &  Co.,  an  investment  banking  firm,  and  public 
accounting.

116

FRANCIS  B.  BARRON  joined  Cimarex  as  Senior  Vice  President,  General  Counsel  in  July  2013.    From 
February 2004 until July 2013, Mr. Barron served in various capacities at Bill Barrett Corporation, a publicly traded, 
Denver-based  oil  and  gas  exploration  and  development  company,  including  as  Executive  Vice  President,  General 
Counsel, and Secretary.  He also served as Chief Financial Officer from November 2006 until March 2007.  Prior to 
February 2004, Mr. Barron was a partner at the Denver, Colorado office of the law firm of Patton Boggs LLP as 
well  as  a  partner  at  Bearman  Talesnick  &  Clowdus  Professional  Corporation.    Mr.  Barron’s  practice  included 
corporate, securities, and business law for publicly traded oil and gas companies.

JOHN A. LAMBUTH was named Executive Vice President of Exploration in February 2020.  He served as 
Senior  Vice  President  of  Exploration  from  December  2015  until  February  2020.    He  previously  served  as  Vice 
President  of  Exploration  beginning  September  2012  and  Chief  Geophysicist,  a  position  he  held  since  joining 
Cimarex  in  2004.    Mr.  Lambuth  began  his  career  in  1985  with  Shell  Oil  Co.,  where  he  held  various  positions  in 
exploration and in research and development.  Immediately prior to joining Cimarex, he spent three years as onshore 
Exploration Manager of El Paso Energy Company.

CHRISTOPHER H. CLASON was named Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer in 
February 2020.  Mr. Clason joined Cimarex as Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer in April 2019.  
From  February  2016  until  April  2019,  Mr.  Clason  was  Director  of  MBA  Career  Management  and  Employer 
Relations at the Marriott School of Business at Brigham Young University.  Prior to his work in higher education, he 
was Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at ProBuild LLC, a Devonshire Investors company.  
From  2001  until  2014,  Mr.  Clason  held  various  global  HR  executive  leadership  roles  at  Honeywell  International, 
including  Vice  President  Human  Resources  and  Communications  at  Honeywell  Aerospace.    His  background 
includes extensive international experience at Citigroup and early career work at Chevron.

THOMAS F. McCOY was named Senior Vice President of Production in February 2020.  He previously 
served as Vice President of Production beginning in August 2013.  He joined Cimarex as Gulf Coast Engineering 
Manager in 2003, and later served as Chief Reservoir Engineer and as Mid-Continent Exploration Manager.  Prior to 
joining  Cimarex,  Mr.  McCoy  was  with  Vintage  Petroleum  Company  and  began  his  career  in  1987  with  Phillips 
Petroleum Company.  Mr. McCoy holds a B.S. and M.S. in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Tulsa.

BLAKE A. SIRGO was named Vice President of Operations in February 2020.  He previously served as 
Vice  President  Operations  Resources  from  November  2018  to  February  2020,  Permian  Division  Production 
Manager from 2016 to November 2018, and in various engineering and production manager positions since joining 
Cimarex in 2008.  Mr. Sirgo began his career in 2005 with Occidental Petroleum as a facilities engineer.  Mr. Sirgo 
holds a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas.

GARY R. ABBOTT was named Vice President of Corporate Engineering March 1, 2005.  Since January 
2002,  Mr.  Abbott  served  as  manager,  Corporate  Reservoir  Engineering.    From  April  1999  to  January  2002,  Mr. 
Abbott was a senior engineer with Key Production Company, Inc.

TIMOTHY A. FICKER was appointed Vice President, Controller, Chief Accounting Officer, and Assistant 
Secretary in December 2016 to be effective in February 2017 and previously served as the Company’s Controller 
since September 2016.  Prior to joining Cimarex, he was the Chief Financial Officer of Alcova Management LLC, 
Venoco, Inc., and Infinity Energy Resources Inc.  Mr. Ficker previously served as an audit partner in KPMG LLP’s 
energy audit practice in Denver and as an audit partner for Arthur Andersen LLP, where he served clients primarily 
in the energy industry. 

117

ITEM 11.  EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Information required under this item is incorporated by reference from the Cimarex Energy Co. definitive 
Proxy Statement for the May 12, 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.  The Proxy Statement will be filed with the 
Securities and Exchange Commission no later than 120 days subsequent to December 31, 2020.

ITEM 12.  SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND 
RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS

The  following  table  sets  forth  information  with  respect  to  the  equity  compensation  plans  available  to 

directors, officers, and employees of the company at December 31, 2020:

Plan Category
Equity compensation plans approved by security 
holders.......................................................................
Equity compensation plans not approved by 
security holders.........................................................
Total.....................................................................

(a)
Number of securities
to be issued upon
exercise of
outstanding options,
warrants, and rights

(b)
Weighted-average
exercise price of
outstanding options,
warrants, and rights

(c)
Number of securities
remaining available
for future issuance
under equity
compensation plans
(excluding securities 
reflected in column (a))

547,377  $ 

— 
547,377  $ 

68.94 

— 
68.94 

1,674,858 

— 
1,674,858 

The remaining information required under this item is incorporated by reference from the Cimarex Energy 
Co. definitive Proxy Statement for the May 12, 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.  The Proxy Statement will be 
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission no later than 120 days subsequent to December 31, 2020.

ITEM  13. 
INDEPENDENCE

  CERTAIN  RELATIONSHIPS  AND  RELATED  TRANSACTIONS,  AND  DIRECTOR 

Information required under this item is incorporated by reference from the Cimarex Energy Co. definitive 
Proxy Statement for the May 12, 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.  The Proxy Statement will be filed with the 
Securities and Exchange Commission no later than 120 days subsequent to December 31, 2020.

ITEM 14.  PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES

Information required under this item is incorporated by reference from the Cimarex Energy Co. definitive 
Proxy Statement for the May 12, 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.  The Proxy Statement will be filed with the 
Securities and Exchange Commission no later than 120 days subsequent to December 31, 2020.

118

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ITEM 15.  EXHIBIT AND  FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES

PART IV

(a) (1) The following financial statements are included in Item 8 to this 10-K:

  Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2020 and 2019............................................

  Consolidated  Statements  of  Operations  and  Comprehensive  Income  (Loss)  for  the  years 
ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018...............................................................................
  Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 
2018............................................................................................................................................
  Consolidated  Statements  of  Stockholders’  Equity  for  the  years  ended  December  31,  2020, 
2019, and 2018...........................................................................................................................
  Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements..............................................................................

Page

67

68

69

70
71

(2) Financial statement schedules—None

(3) Exhibits:

Exhibits  not  incorporated  by  reference  to  a  prior  filing  are  designated  by  an  asterisk  (*)  and  are  filed 
herewith;  all  exhibits  not  so  designated  are  incorporated  by  reference  to  a  prior  SEC  filing  as  indicated.    All 
management contracts or compensatory plans or arrangements are designated by a plus sign (+).

Exhibit

Title

2.1 Agreement and Plan of Merger dated as of November 18, 2018, by and among Cimarex Energy Co., 
CR Sub 1 Inc., CR Sub 2 LLC and Resolute Energy Corporation (filed as Exhibit 2.1 to Registrant’s 
Form 8-K (Commission File No. 001-31446) dated November 20, 2018 and incorporated herein by 
reference). 

3.1 Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Cimarex Energy Co. (filed as Exhibit 3.1 to 
Registrant’s  Form  8-K  (Commission  File  No.  001-31446)  dated  June  7,  2005  and  incorporated 
herein by reference).

3.2 Amended and Restated By-laws of Cimarex Energy Co. dated November 11, 2015 (filed as Exhibits 
3.1  and  3.2  to  the  Current  Report  on  Form  8-K  filed  on  November  12,  2015  (Commission  File 
No. 001-31446) and incorporated herein by reference).

4.1 Specimen  Certificate  of  Cimarex  Energy  Co.  common  stock  (filed  as  Exhibit  4.3  to  Registration 
Statement on Form S-3 filed September 17, 2012 (Registration No. 333-183939) and incorporated 
herein by reference).

4.2 Debt Securities Indenture dated as of April 5, 2012, by and among Cimarex Energy Co. and U.S. 
Bank  National  Association,  as  trustee  included  as  Exhibit  4.1  to  Registrant’s  Current  Report  on 
Form  8-K  filed  on  April  5,  2012  (Commission  File  No.  001-31446)  and  incorporated  herein  by 
reference.

4.3 First  Supplemental  Indenture  dated  as  of  April  5,  2012,  by  and  among  Cimarex  Energy  Co.,  the 
Subsidiary  Guarantors  party  thereto  and  U.S.  Bank  National  Association,  as  trustee  included  as 
Exhibit  4.2  to  Registrant’s  Current  Report  on  Form  8-K  filed  on  April  5,  2012  (Commission  File 
No. 001-31446) and incorporated herein by reference.

119

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Exhibit

Title

4.4 Form of 5.875% Senior Notes due 2022 included in Exhibit 4.2 to the Registrant’s Current Report 
on Form 8-K filed on April 5, 2012 (Commission File No. 001-31446) and incorporated herein by 
reference.

4.5 Indenture dated as of June 4, 2014, by and between Cimarex Energy Co. and U.S. Bank National 
Association, as trustee included as Exhibit 4.1 to Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on 
June 4, 2014 (Commission File No. 001-31446) and incorporated herein by reference.

4.6 First  Supplemental  Indenture  dated  as  of  June  4,  2014,  by  and  among  Cimarex  Energy  Co.,  the 
Subsidiary  Guarantors  party  thereto  and  U.S.  Bank  National  Association,  as  trustee  included  as 
Exhibit 4.2 to Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on June 4, 2014 (Commission File No. 
001-31446) and incorporated herein by reference.

4.7 Form of 4.375% Senior Notes due 2024 included in Exhibit 4.2 to the Registrant’s Current Report 
on Form 8-K filed on June 4, 2014 (Commission File No. 001-31446) and incorporated herein by 
reference.

4.8 Form  of  Indenture  by  and  among  Cimarex  Energy  Co.  and  U.S.  Bank  National  Association,  as 
trustee  (filed  as  Exhibit  4.7  to  Registration  Statement  on  Form  S-3  filed  September  21,  2015 
(Registration No. 333-183939) and incorporated herein by reference).

4.9 Indenture dated as of April 10, 2017, by and between Cimarex Energy Co. and U.S. Bank National 
Association, as trustee included as Exhibit 4.1 to Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on 
April 10, 2017 (Commission File No. 001-31446) and incorporated herein by reference.

4.10 First Supplemental Indenture dated as of April 10, 2017, by and between Cimarex Energy Co. and 
U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee included as Exhibit 4.2 to Registrant’s Current Report on 
Form  8-K  filed  on  April  10,  2017  (Commission  File  No.  001-31446)  and  incorporated  herein  by 
reference.

4.11 Form of 3.90% Senior Notes due 2027 included in Exhibit 4.2 to the Registrant’s Current Report on 
Form  8-K  filed  on  April  10,  2017  (Commission  File  No.  001-31446)  and  incorporated  herein  by 
reference.

4.12 Certificate of Designations of 8⅛% Series A Cumulative Perpetual Convertible Preferred Stock of 
Cimarex Energy Co., dated February 28, 2019 (filed on March 1, 2019 as Exhibit 3.1 to the Current 
Report on Form 8-K (Commission File No. 001-31446) and incorporated herein by reference).

4.13 Second  Supplemental  Indenture  dated  as  of  March  8,  2019,  by  and  between  Cimarex  Energy  Co. 
and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee (filed on March 8, 2019 as Exhibit 4.2 to the Current 
Report on Form 8-K (Commission File No. 001-31446) and incorporated herein by reference).

4.14 Form of 4.375% Senior Notes due 2029 (filed on March 8, 2019 as Exhibit 4.3 to the Current Report 

on Form 8-K (Commission File No. 001-31446) and incorporated herein by reference).

4.15 Description of Registrant’s Securities  *

10.1 Credit  Agreement  dated  as  of  July  14,  2011,  among  Cimarex,  the  Administrative  Agent,  the  Co-
Syndication  Agents,  the  Co-Documentation  Agents  and  the  Lenders  filed  on  July  18,  2011 
(Commission File No. 001-31446) as Exhibit 10.l to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K 
and incorporated herein by reference.

120

Exhibit

Title

10.2 First Amendment to Credit Agreement dated as of July 19, 2012, among Cimarex, the Guarantors, 
the Administrative Agent, and the Lenders filed on May 5, 2014 (Commission File No. 001-31446) 
as  Exhibit  10.1  to  the  Registrant’s  Current  Report  on  Form  8-K  and  incorporated  herein  by 
reference.

10.3 Second Amendment to Credit Agreement dated as of May 1, 2014, among Cimarex, the Guarantors, 
the Administrative Agent, and the Lenders filed on May 5, 2014 (Commission File No. 001-31446) 
as  Exhibit  10.2  to  the  Registrant’s  Current  Report  on  Form  8-K  and  incorporated  herein  by 
reference.

10.4 Amended and Restated 2002 Stock Incentive Plan of Cimarex Energy Co. effective January 1, 2009 
(filed as Exhibit 10.16 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008 
filed on February 27, 2009 (Commission File No. 001-31446) and incorporated herein by reference).  
+

10.5 2011  Equity  Incentive  Plan  adopted  May  18,  2011  (filed  as  Appendix  A  to  the  Definitive  Proxy 
Statement 14-A filed on March 23, 2011 (Commission File No. 001-31446) and incorporated herein 
by reference).  +

10.6 Form  of  Notice  of  Grant  of  Award  of  Performance  Stock  and  Award  Agreement  (filed  as 
Exhibit  10.2  to  Registrant’s  Quarterly  Report  on  Form  10-Q  for  the  quarter  ended  June  30,  2011 
filed on August 4, 2011 (Commission File no. 001-31446) and incorporated herein by reference).  +

10.7 Form  of  Notice  of  Grant  of  Restricted  Stock  and  Award  Agreement  (filed  as  Exhibit  10.3  to 
Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2011 filed on August 4, 
2011 (Commission File no. 001-31446) and incorporated herein by reference).  +

10.8 Form of Notice of Grant of Nonqualified Stock Option and Award Agreement (filed as Exhibit 10.4 
to  Registrant’s  Quarterly  Report  on  Form  10-Q  for  the  quarter  ended  June  30,  2011  filed  on 
August 4, 2011 (Commission File no. 001-31446) and incorporated herein by reference).  +

10.9 Form of Notice of Grant and Award Agreement (Other Stock Award with performance conditions) 
(filed as Exhibit 10.15 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013 
filed on February 26, 2014 (Commission File No. 001-31446) and incorporated herein by reference).  
+

10.10 2014  Equity  Incentive  Plan  adopted  May  15,  2014  (filed  as  Appendix  A  to  the  Definitive  Proxy 
Statement 14-A filed on April 1, 2014 (Commission File No. 001-31446) and incorporated herein by 
reference.  +

10.11 Form of Notice of Grant of Restricted Stock (Director) and Award Agreement (filed as Exhibit 10.1 
to  Registrant’s  Quarterly  Report  on  Form  10-Q  for  the  quarter  ended  June  30,  2014  filed  on 
August 6, 2014 (Commission File No. 001-31446) and incorporated herein by reference).  +

10.12 Form of Notice of Grant of Nonqualified Stock Option and Award Agreement (filed as Exhibit 10.2 
to  Registrant’s  Quarterly  Report  on  Form  10-Q  for  the  quarter  ended  June  30,  2014  filed  on 
August 6, 2014 (Commission File No. 001-31446) and incorporated herein by reference).  +

10.13 Form  of  Notice  of  Grant  of  Restricted  Stock  and  Award  Agreement  (filed  as  Exhibit  10.3  to 
Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2014 filed on August 6, 
2014 (Commission File No. 001-31446) and incorporated herein by reference).  +

121

Exhibit

Title

10.14 Form of Notice of Grant of Restricted Stock and Award Agreement (Performance Award) (filed as 
Exhibit  10.4  to  Registrant’s  Quarterly  Report  on  Form  10-Q  for  the  quarter  ended  June  30,  2014 
filed on August 6, 2014 (Commission File No. 001-31446) and incorporated herein by reference).  +

10.15 Form of Notice of Grant of Restricted Stock and Award Agreement (Performance Award) (filed as 
Exhibit 10.23 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014 filed on 
February 25, 2015 (Commission File No. 001-31446) and incorporated herein by reference).  +

10.16 Deferred  Compensation  Plan  for  Nonemployee  Directors  adopted  May  19,  2004,  as  amended  and 
restated effective January 1, 2009 (filed as Exhibit 10.18 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the 
year ended December 31, 2008 filed on February 27, 2009 (Commission File No. 001-31446) and 
incorporated herein by reference).  +

10.17 Cimarex Energy Co. Supplemental Savings Plan (amended and restated, effective January 1, 2009) 
(filed as Exhibit 10.19 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008 
filed on February 27, 2009 (Commission File No. 001-31446) and incorporated herein by reference).  
+

10.18 Cimarex Energy Co. Change in Control Severance Plan dated effective April 1, 2005, amended and 
restated effective January 1, 2009 (filed as Exhibit 10.20 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the 
year ended December 31, 2008 filed on February 27, 2009 (Commission File No. 001-31446) and 
incorporated herein by reference).  +

10.19 Amendment  to  Cimarex  Energy  Co.  Change  in  Control  Severance  Plan  dated  effective  March  19, 
2013  (filed  as  Exhibit  10.1  to  the  Current  Report  on  Form  8-K  filed  on  March  20,  2013 
(Commission File No. 001-31446) and incorporated herein by reference).  +

10.20 Form of Indemnification Agreement between Cimarex Energy Co. and each of its executive officers 
and  directors  (filed  as  Exhibit  10.20  to  the  Annual  Report  on  Form  10-K  for  the  year  ended 
December 31, 2012 filed on February 26, 2013 (Commission File No. 001-31446) and incorporated 
herein by reference).  +

10.21 Credit Agreement Dated as of October 16, 2015, by and among Cimarex, the Administrative Agent, 
the Syndication Agent, the Documentation Agents, and the Lenders (filed on October 19, 2015 as 
Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K (Commission File No. 001-31446) and 
incorporated herein by reference).

10.22 Form of Notice of Grant of Restricted Stock (Director) and Award Agreement (filed as Exhibit 10.2 
to  Registrant’s  Form  8-K  (Commission  File  No.  001-31446)  dated  November  2,  2015  and 
incorporated herein by reference).  +

10.23 Form of Notice of Grant of Restricted Stock (Director) and Award Agreement (filed as Exhibit 10.1 
to  Registrant’s  Quarterly  Report  on  Form  10-Q  filed  on  August  9,  2017  (Commission  File  No. 
001-31446) and incorporated herein by reference).  +

10.24 Purchase  and  Sale  Agreement  dated  May  23,  2018  between  Cimarex  Energy  Co.,  Prize  Energy 
Resources,  Inc.,  and  Magnum  Hunter  Production,  Inc.  (collectively,  as  “Seller”)  and  Callon 
Petroleum  Operating  Company  as  Buyer  (filed  as  Exhibit  10.1  to  Registrant’s  Current  Report  on 
Form  8-K  filed  on  May  24,  2018  (Commission  File  No.  001-31446)  and  incorporated  herein  by 
reference).

122

Exhibit

Title

10.25 Form of Notice of Grant of Restricted Stock and Award Agreement (Performance Award) (filed as 
Exhibit 10.35 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 filed on 
February 20, 2019 (Commission File No. 001-31446) and incorporated herein by reference).  +

10.26 Amended and Restated Credit Agreement Dated as of February 5, 2019, by and among Cimarex, as 
Borrower,  the  Administrative  Agent,  the  Syndication  Agent,  the  Co-Documentation  Agents,  the 
Lenders, and the Lead Arrangers and Bookrunners (filed on February 7, 2019 as Exhibit 10.1 to the 
Current  Report  on  Form  8-K  (Commission  File  No.  001-31446)  and  incorporated  herein  by 
reference).

10.27 Voting  Agreement,  dated  as  of  November  18,  2018,  by  and  among  Cimarex  Energy  Co.  and 
Monarch  Alternative  Capital  LP,  MDRA  GP  LP  and  Monarch  GP  LLC  (filed  as  Exhibit  10.1  to 
Registrant’s  Form  8-K  (Commission  File  No.  001-31446)  dated  November  20,  2018  and 
incorporated herein by reference).

10.28 Voting  Agreement,  dated  as  of  November  18,  2018,  by  and  among  Cimarex  Energy  Co.,  John  C. 
Goff  and  certain  other  related  entities  thereto  (filed  as  Exhibit  10.2  to  Registrant’s  Form  8-K 
(Commission File No. 001-31446) dated November 20, 2018 and incorporated herein by reference).

10.29 Voting  Agreement,  dated  as  of  November  18,  2018,  by  and  among  Cimarex  Energy  Co.  and  RR 
Advisors, LLC (filed as Exhibit 10.3 to Registrant’s Form 8-K (Commission File No. 001-31446) 
dated November 20, 2018 and incorporated herein by reference).

10.30 Voting Agreement, dated as of November 18, 2018, by and among Cimarex Energy Co. and Richard 
Betz  (filed  as  Exhibit  10.4  to  Registrant’s  Form  8-K  (Commission  File  No.  001-31446)  dated 
November 20, 2018 and incorporated herein by reference).

10.31 Voting  Agreement,  dated  as  of  November  18,  2018,  by  and  among  Cimarex  Energy  Co.  and 
Nicholas  J.  Sutton  (filed  as  Exhibit  10.5  to  Registrant’s  Form  8-K  (Commission  File  No. 
001-31446) dated November 20, 2018 and incorporated herein by reference).

10.32 Voting  Agreement,  dated  as  of  November  18,  2018,  by  and  among  Cimarex  Energy  Co.  and 
Theodore Gazulis (filed as Exhibit 10.6 to Registrant’s Form 8-K (Commission File No. 001-31446) 
dated November 20, 2018 and incorporated herein by reference).

10.33 Amended  and  Restated  Credit  Agreement,  dated  February  5,  2019,  among  the  Company,  as 
borrower,  JPMorgan  Chase  Bank,  N.A.,  as  administrative  agent,  Wells  Fargo  Bank,  N.A.,  as 
syndication  agent,  the  co-documentation  agents  party  thereto,  J.P.  Morgan  Chase  Bank,  N.A.  and 
Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, as lead arrangers and bookrunners, and the lenders party thereto. (filed 
as  Exhibit  10.1  to  the  Current  Report  on  Form  8-K  filed  February  7,  2019  (Commission  File  No. 
001-31446) and incorporated herein by reference).

10.34 Form  of  Notice  of  Grant  of  Restricted  Stock  (Director)  and  Award  Agreement  (filed  on  May  29, 
2019  as  Exhibit  10.2  to  the  Current  Report  on  Form  8-K  (Commission  File  No.  001-31446)  and 
incorporated herein by reference).  +

10.35 2019 Equity Incentive Plan (filed on May 30, 2019 as Exhibit 99.1 to the Registration Statement on 

Form S-8 (Commission File No. 001-31446) and incorporated herein by reference).  +

10.36 Form  of  Notice  of  Grant  of  Restricted  Stock  and  Award  Agreement  (filed  on  August  5,  2019  as 
Exhibit  10.4  to  the  Quarterly  Report  on  Form  10-Q  (Commission  File  No.  001-31446)  and 
incorporated herein by reference).  +

123

Exhibit

Title

10.37 Form of Notice of Grant of Nonqualified Stock Option and Award Agreement (filed on August 5, 
2019 as Exhibit 10.5 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (Commission File No. 001-31446) and 
incorporated herein by reference).  +

10.38 Director Emeritus Agreement dated September 30, 2019 between Cimarex Energy Co. and Michael 
J.  Sullivan  (filed  on  September  23,  2019  as  Exhibit  10.1  to  the  Current  Report  on  Form  8-K 
(Commission File No. 001-31446) and incorporated herein by reference).  +

10.39 Form of Severance Compensation Agreement (filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 
8-K filed March 13, 2020 (Commission File No. 001-31446) and incorporated herein by reference).  
+ 

10.40 Form of Notice of Grant of Performance Stock Units and Award Agreement (Performance Award) 
(filed as Exhibit 10.2 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed March 13, 2020 (Commission File 
No. 001-31446) and incorporated herein by reference).  + 

10.41 Form  of  Amendment  to  Severance  Compensation  Agreement  (filed  as  Exhibit  10.2  to  the  Current 
Report  on  Form  8-K/A  filed  May  12,  2020  (Commission  File  No.  001-31446)  and  incorporated 
herein by reference).  +

10.42 First  Amendment  to  Amended  and  Restated  Credit  Agreement,  dated  June  3,  2020,  among  the 
Company,  as  borrower,  JPMorgan  Chase  Bank,  N.A.,  as  administrative  agent,  Wells  Fargo  Bank, 
N.A.,  as  syndication  agent,  the  co-documentation  agents  party  thereto,  J.P.  Morgan  Chase  Bank, 
N.A.  and  Wells  Fargo  Securities,  LLC,  as  lead  arrangers  and  bookrunners,  and  the  lenders  party 
thereto. (filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K/A filed June 4, 2020 (Commission 
File No. 001-31446) and incorporated herein by reference).

10.43 Succession Agreement dated July 1, 2020 between Cimarex Energy Co. and Joseph R. Albi (filed as 
Exhibit  10.1  to  the  Current  Report  on  Form  8-K/A  filed  July  2,  2020  (Commission  File  No. 
001-31446) and incorporated herein by reference).  +

10.44 Form of Notice of Grant of Performance Stock Units and Award Agreement (Performance Award).  

+ *

14.1 Revised  Code  of  Business  Conduct  and  Ethics  for  Directors,  Officers,  and  Employees  dated 
August  30,  2016  (filed  as  Exhibit  14.1  and  14.2  to  the  Current  Report  on  Form  8-K  filed 
September 1, 2016 (Commission File No. 001-31446) and incorporated herein by reference).

21.1 Significant subsidiaries of the Registrant.  *

23.1 Consent of KPMG LLP.  *

23.2 Consent of DeGolyer and MacNaughton.  *

24.1 Power of Attorney of directors of the Registrant.  *

31.1 Certification  of  Thomas  E.  Jorden,  Chief  Executive  Officer  of  Cimarex  Energy  Co.,  pursuant  to 

Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.  *

124

Exhibit

Title

31.2 Certification  of  G.  Mark  Burford,  Chief  Financial  Officer  of  Cimarex  Energy  Co.,  pursuant  to 

Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.  *

32.1 Certification  of  Thomas  E.  Jorden,  Chief  Executive  Officer  of  Cimarex  Energy  Co.,  pursuant  to 

Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.  *

32.2 Certification  of  G.  Mark  Burford,  Chief  Financial  Officer  of  Cimarex  Energy  Co.,  pursuant  to 

Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.  *

99.1 Letter  dated  January  20,  2021  from  DeGolyer  and  MacNaughton,  independent  petroleum 
engineering  consulting  firm,  reporting  the  results  of  its  audit  of  Cimarex  reserves  as  of 
December 31, 2020 of certain selected properties.  *

101.INS XBRL  Instance  Document  -  the  instance  document  does  not  appear  in  the  Interactive  Data  File

because its XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document. 

101.SCH Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document.

101.CAL Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document.

101.LAB Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document.

101.PRE Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document.

101.DEF Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document.

104 Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101)

125

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant 

has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

Date: February 23, 2021

CIMAREX ENERGY CO.

By:

/s/ Thomas E. Jorden
Thomas E. Jorden
Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, and 
President

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by 

the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

Signature

Title

Date

/s/ Thomas E. Jorden

Chairman of the Board, Director, Chief Executive Officer,

Thomas E. Jorden

and President (Principal Executive Officer)

February 23, 2021

/s/ G. Mark Burford

Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

G. Mark Burford

(Principal Financial Officer)

February 23, 2021

/s/ Timothy A. Ficker

Vice President, Controller, Chief Accounting Officer

Timothy A. Ficker

(Principal Accounting Officer)

February 23, 2021

*

Attorney-in-Fact

Director

Joseph R. Albi

*

Attorney-in-Fact

Director

Paul N. Eckley

*

Attorney-in-Fact

Director

Hans Helmerich

*

Attorney-in-Fact

Director

Kathleen A. Hogenson

*

Attorney-in-Fact

Director

Harold R. Logan, Jr.

126

February 23, 2021

February 23, 2021

February 23, 2021

February 23, 2021

February 23, 2021

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*

Attorney-in-Fact

Director

Floyd R. Price

*

Attorney-in-Fact

Director

Monroe W. Robertson

*

Attorney-in-Fact

Director

Lisa A. Stewart

*

Attorney-in-Fact

Director

Frances M. Vallejo

*By:

/s/ G. Mark Burford Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial Officer)
G. Mark Burford 
Attorney-in-Fact

February 23, 2021

February 23, 2021

February 23, 2021

February 23, 2021

February 23, 2021

127

CIMAREX ENERGY CO. (NYSE: XEC) is an oil and gas exploration and 

CORPORATE I NFORMATI ON

production company with operations mainly located in Texas, New Mexico

and Oklahoma. We pride ourselves on having strong technical teams with the

common goal of adding shareholder value through drilling and production.

The cornerstone to our approach is detailed pre- and post-drill economic

evaluation of after-tax rate-of-return on

DENVER

invested capital. We continually strive to

maximize our cash flow from producing

M I D - C O N T I N E N T

TULSA

properties for reinvestment and provide

P E R M I A N

MIDLAND

cash returns to our shareholders through

dividends and debt reduction.

E&D CAPITAL 
INVESTMENT
(Millions of Dollars)

0
7
5

,

1

2
4
2

,

1

5
4
5

0
2
0
2

8
1
0
2

9
1
0
2

NET CASH PROVIDED
BY OPERATING 
ACTIVITIES (Millions of Dollars)

2020 TOTAL CAPITAL 
INVESTMENT ($577 MILLION)

1
5
5

,

1

4
4
3

,

1

8
1
0
2

9
1
0
2

4
0
9

0
2
0
2

7%

93%

(cid:31) PERMIAN (cid:31) MID-CONTINENT

Cimarex Energy Co. common stock trades on the

New York Stock Exchange under the symbol XEC. 

Corporate Headquarters
1700 Lincoln Street, Suite 3700

Denver, Colorado 80203-4537

Tel: (303) 295-3995 Fax: (303) 295-3494

Website
www.cimarex.com

Stock Transfer Agent
Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company

1 State Street, 30th Floor

New York, New York 10004

Tel: (888) 509-5580

Communications regarding transfers, lost certificates,

duplicate mailings or changes of address should be

directed to our transfer agent.

Independent Registered Public 

Accounting Firm
KPMG LLP

Independent Reservoir Engineers
DeGolyer and MacNaughton

The information in this report and Chairman's letter should be read in conjunction with the attached Annual Report on Form 10-K and 2021 proxy statement.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1700 LINCOLN STREET

SUITE 3700

DENVER, COLORADO  80203-4537

www.cimarex.com