Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Asset Retirement Obligations

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Asset Retirement Obligations
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2019
Asset Retirement Obligations [Abstract]  
Asset Retirement Obligations 13. ASSET RETIREMENT OBLIGATIONS

The following table summarizes the changes in the Company’s asset retirement obligations:

(in thousands)

Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019

Year Ended December 31, 2018

Beginning balance

$

14,816

$

20,163

Accretion

601

1,180

Additions

292

—

Revisions

—

(6,527)

Ending balance

$

15,709

$

14,816

Accretion is recorded in the line item “Depreciation, depletion and amortization” on the Company’s condensed consolidated statements of operations.

The Company is required under the Etame PSC to conduct regular abandonment studies to update the estimated costs to abandon the offshore wells, platforms and facilities on the Etame Marin block. In 2018, the Company recorded a downward revision of $6.5 million to the ARO liability as a result of a change in the expected timing of the abandonment costs when the period of exploitation under the Etame PSC was extended to at least September 16, 2028 as discussed further in Note 7. The most recently completed abandonment study was in November 2018. In September 2019, the Company recorded $0.3 million in additions associated with the spudding of the Etame 9P appraisal wellbore at the Etame field in conjunction with commencement of its 2019/2020 drilling campaign.