Contingencies |
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Mar. 31, 2025 | |||||||
Contingencies | |||||||
Contingencies | (14) Contingencies
In June 2018, the Company received a Notice of Violation (“NOV”) from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) Region III for alleged violations of the federal Clean Air Act and the West Virginia State Implementation Plan. The NOV alleges that combustion devices at these facilities did not meet applicable air permitting requirements. Separately, in June 2018, the Company received an information request from the EPA Region III pursuant to Section 114(a) of the Clean Air Act relating to the facilities that were inspected in September 2017 as well as additional Antero Resources facilities for the purpose of determining if the additional facilities have the same alleged compliance issues that were identified during the September 2017 inspections. Subsequently, the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (“WVDEP”) and the EPA Region V (covering Ohio facilities) each conducted its own inspections, and the Company has separately received NOVs from WVDEP and EPA Region V related to similar issues being investigated by the EPA Region III. The Company continues to negotiate with the EPA and WVDEP to resolve the issues alleged in the NOVs and the information request. The Company’s operations at these facilities are not suspended, and management does not expect these matters to have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.
The Company is subject to production taxes in the states in which it operates. The Company’s production tax filings in West Virginia for 2018 to 2020 tax years were subject to audit by the State of West Virginia. All assessments received in conjunction with this audit were recorded in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive net loss during the year ended December 31, 2024; however, the Company has filed an appeal with regard to such assessments. At this time, the Company believes the outcome of this matter will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s unaudited condensed consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
The Company is party to various other legal proceedings and claims in the ordinary course of its business. The Company believes that certain of these matters will be covered by insurance and that the outcome of other matters will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s unaudited condensed consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows. In addition, pending litigation against the Company and other similarly situated peer operators could have an impact on the methods for determining the amount of permitted post-production costs and types of costs that have been, and may be, deducted from royalty payments, among other things. While the amounts claimed could be material, the Company is unable to predict with certainty the ultimate outcome of such claims and proceedings. In a class action lawsuit to which the Company is a party, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia certified certain questions to the West Virginia Supreme Court (the “WVSC”). The WVSC answered the certified questions in November 2024, the effect of which would have broadened the scope of products for which the Company would owe royalties and would have also limited the amount of post-production costs the Company would be allowed to deduct from royalty payments made under certain of its leases. In December 2024, Antero petitioned the WVSC for rehearing on these certified questions, which stayed the issuance of the mandate required for the November 2024 opinion to take effect. The petition for rehearing was granted by the WVSC on December 31, 2024. Oral argument on the matter was held before the WVSC on April 22, 2025, and we are currently awaiting a ruling. Rulings were recently received in two other cases to which the Company is a party, and where the plaintiffs alleged, and the court found, that certain post-production costs may not be deducted: a non-class action lawsuit in West Virginia and a class action lawsuit in Ohio. In each case, the alleged damages were not material. The Company continues to analyze how these decisions may impact other cases to which the Company is a party. At this time, the Company cannot predict how the foregoing issues may ultimately be resolved, and therefore is also unable to estimate any potential damages, if any, that may result. The Company accrues for litigation, claims and proceedings when liability is both probable and the amount can be reasonably estimated, and does not currently have any material amounts accrued with respect to its pending litigation matters.
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