An Alternative Asset Capitalization Policy
The alternative that I would suggest is simply that any controllable equipment be capitalized based on its vintage. This would better reflect what the assets of the producers are. The assets that are controllable are those that can be physically identified, separable and reused. Well heads, tubing, downhold pumps, pump jacks etc. What wouldn’t be capitalized in this is the intangible work that is done. The drilling, cementing, casing, fracing etc. These costs would be expensed as they are unrecoverable.
Now most people will bring in the argument that the property is worth so much more than its uncontrollable equipment. I say lets hope so. The fact that the property is worth more is a reflection of the market, and we are talking about the book value of the assets of the firm. When we are talking about the book value of the firm we are also determining the method of the profits and other attributes of the producers. Lets not confuse book value with market value like the SEC and public accounting firms have.
By letting the costs of the intangibles flow to the income statement in the current period, as our methodology would do. The producer will be profitable / unprofitable based on their level of activity. They are going to need higher levels of revenue in order to participate in the exploration and development process when it has an immediate hit to earnings. And with the decentralized production model enabling the price maker strategy, higher prices and higher revenues is what producers will have. Astute readers will realize that the producer will have few assets and probable losses and invoke the going concern questions from the public accountants. Certainly those that are unable to produce any value through development of their drilling and completion activities. These producers who can not generate value will be subject to immediate harsh criticism. This will be in sharp contrast to the party just beginning under the current methodology. Those that can’t build value will have difficulty with this methodology. I also think the motivation to overproduce in oil and natural gas will also be rectified.
The question is therefore what is the purpose of the current methodology of bloated balance sheets? Building up the costs of the assets on the books based on every conceivable cost within the producer. Allocating all of those costs to the reserves that are established. And then, only recognizing the asset costs of the reserves that are produced in the current year. It hides a lot of fudge. No costs are being recognized so everyone is making big profits. Allegedly. Yet they also have no cash. Perpetually having to beg, borrow and steal to keep afloat. Show me another industry where the book value is so consistent with or exceeds the market value of the firm. There is none. Companies like Apple have $750 billion market caps and $20 billion in assets. The difference has been expensed to offset the revenues and earnings. That’s what a mature business does. Recognizes its costs and gets rid of them. In oil and gas they collect their costs like they're ancient artifacts, only to be relinquished in the next millennia.
There is very good news in changing this accounting methodology when the Preliminary Specification is implemented. The capital costs of the past number of years and decades. That are sitting on the balance sheets of the producers. Will be moved to the income statements based on the above noted procedure. This will enable the investors to capture these values in after tax dollars. Recall that this altered methodology works hand in hand with the decentralized production model. Ensuring that no production is produced unprofitably. Making the producers price makers. Therefore recognizing that these past costs will need to be factored into the prices needed to make the producers profitable. This change in methodology will also convert these bloated balance sheets into healthy bank balances in the producer firms.
I'm sure thats another trillion or two of value added to our value proposition in comparison to the status quo bureaucracy.
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