6.  COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Abandonment funding

As part of securing the first of two five-year extensions to the Etame field production license to which we are entitled from the government of Gabon, we agreed to a cash funding arrangement for the eventual abandonment of all offshore wells, platforms and facilities on the Etame Marin block. The agreement was finalized in the first quarter of 2014 (effective as of 2011) providing for annual funding over a period of ten years in amounts equal to 12.14% of the total abandonment estimate for the first seven years and 5.0% per year for the last three years of the production license. The amounts paid will be reimbursed through the cost account and are non-refundable. The abandonment estimate used for this purpose is approximately $61.1 million ($19.0 million net to VAALCO) on an undiscounted basis. Through September 30, 2017,  $27.4 million ($8.5 million net to VAALCO) on an undiscounted basis has been funded. This cash funding is reflected under “Other noncurrent assets” as “Abandonment funding” on our condensed consolidated balance sheets. Future changes to the anticipated abandonment cost estimate could change our asset retirement obligation and the amount of future abandonment funding payments.

Audits

We are subject to periodic routine audits by various government agencies in Gabon, including audits of our petroleum cost account, customs, taxes and other operational matters, as well as audits by other members of the contractor group under our joint operating agreements. 

In 2016, the government of Gabon conducted an audit of our operations in Gabon, covering the years 2013 through 2014. We received the findings from this audit and responded to the audit findings in January 2017.  Since providing our response, there have been changes in the Gabonese officials responsible for the audit.  We are currently working with the newly appointed representatives to resolve the audit findings.  We do not anticipate that the ultimate outcome of this audit will have a material effect on our financial condition, results of operations or liquidity.

As of December 31, 2016, we had accrued $1.0 million net to VAALCO in “Accrued liabilities and other” on our condensed consolidated balance sheet for certain payroll taxes in Gabon which were not paid pertaining to labor provided to us over a number of years by a third-party contractor. While the payroll taxes were for individuals who were not our employees, we could be deemed liable for these expenses as the end user of the services provided. These liabilities were substantially resolved at the accrued amount in January 2017.

At September 30, 2017, we had accrued $1.0 million net to VAALCO in “Accrued liabilities and other” on our condensed consolidated balance sheet for potential fees which may result from certain regulatory audits. 

Rig commitment

In 2014, we entered into a long-term contract for the Constellation II drilling rig that was under a long-term contract for the multi-well development drilling campaign offshore Gabon. The campaign included the drilling of development wells and workovers of existing wells in the Etame Marin block. We began demobilization in January 2016 and released the drilling rig in February 2016, prior to the original July 2016 contract termination date, because we no longer intended to drill any wells in 2016 on our Etame Marin block offshore Gabon. In June 2016, we reached an agreement with the drilling contractor for us to pay $5.1 million net to VAALCO’s interest for unused rig days under the contract. We paid this amount, plus the demobilization charges, in seven equal monthly installments, which began in July 2016 and ended in January 2017. The related expense was reported in the “Other operating expense” line item in our condensed consolidated statement of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016.