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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

Form 10-K

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For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021

or

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For the transition period from                      to

Commission File Number 1-32414

W&T OFFSHORE, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

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(713) 626-8525

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

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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.

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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 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  ☑

The aggregate market value of the registrant’s common stock held by non-affiliates was approximately $453,247,467 based on the closing sale price of $4.85 per share as reported by the New York Stock Exchange on June 30, 2021.

The number of shares of the registrant’s common stock outstanding on February 28, 2022 was 143,012,124.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the registrant’s Proxy Statement relating to the Annual Meeting of Shareholders, to be filed within 120 days of the end of the fiscal year covered by this report, are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Form 10-K.

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W&T OFFSHORE, INC.

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CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Annual Report on Form 10-K (“Form 10-K”) contains 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. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included in this report, regarding our strategy, future operations, financial position, estimated revenues and losses, projected costs, prospects, plans and objectives of management are forward-looking statements. 

These forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. If the risks or uncertainties materialize or the assumptions prove incorrect, our results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and assumptions.

All statements, other than statements of historical fact included in this report are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, such as those statements that address activities, events or developments that we expect, believe or anticipate will or may occur in the future.

These statements are based on certain assumptions and analyses made by us in light of our experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors we believe are appropriate under the circumstances. Known material risks that may affect our financial condition and results of operations are discussed in Item 1A, Risk Factors, and market risks are discussed in Item 7A, Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk, of this Form 10-K and may be discussed or updated from time to time in subsequent reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. We assume no obligation, nor do we intend, to update these forward-looking statements, unless required by law. Unless the context requires otherwise, references in this Form 10-K to “W&T,” “we,” “us,” “our” and the “Company” refer to W&T Offshore, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries.

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GLOSSARY OF OIL AND NATURAL GAS TERMS

The following are abbreviations and definitions of terms commonly used in the oil and natural gas industry that may be used in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Acquisitions. Refers to acquisitions, mergers or exercise of preferential rights of purchase.

Bbl. One stock tank barrel or 42 U.S. gallons liquid volume.

Bcf. Billion cubic feet, typically used to describe the volume of a gas.

Bcfe. One billion cubic feet equivalent, determined using an energy-equivalent ratio of six Mcf of natural gas to one barrel of crude oil, condensate or natural gas liquids.

Boe. Barrel of oil equivalent.

Boe/d. Barrel of oil equivalent per day.

BOEM. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. The agency is responsible for managing development of the nation’s offshore resources in an environmentally and economically responsible way.

BSEE. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement. The agency is responsible for enforcement of safety and environmental regulations.

Conventional shelf well. A well drilled in water depths less than 500 feet.

Deep shelf well. A well drilled on the outer continental shelf to subsurface depths greater than 15,000 feet and water depths of less than 500 feet.

Deepwater. Water depths greater than 500 feet in the Gulf of Mexico.

Deterministic estimate. Refers to a method of estimation whereby a single value for each parameter in the reserves calculation is used in the reserves estimation procedure.

Developed reserves. Oil and natural gas reserves of any category that can be expected to be recovered: (i) through existing wells with existing equipment and operating methods or in which the cost of the required equipment is relatively minor compared to the cost of a new well; and (ii) through installed extraction equipment and infrastructure operational at the time of the reserves estimate if the extraction is by means not involving a well.

Development project. A project by which petroleum resources are brought to the status of economically producible. As examples, the development of a single reservoir or field, an incremental development in a producing field, or the integrated development of a group of several fields and associated facilities with a common ownership may constitute a development project.

Development well. A well drilled within the proved area of an oil or natural gas reservoir to the depth of a stratigraphic horizon known to be productive.

Dry hole. A well that proves to be incapable of producing either oil or natural gas in sufficient quantities to justify completion as an oil or natural gas well.

Economically producible. Refers to a resource which generates revenue that exceeds, or is reasonably expected to exceed, the costs of the operation.

Exploratory well. A well drilled to find a new field or to find a new reservoir in a field previously found to be productive of oil or natural gas in another reservoir. Generally, an exploratory well is any well that is not a development well, an extension well, a service well, or a stratigraphic test well.

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Extension well. A well drilled to extend the limits of a known reservoir.

Field. An area consisting of a single reservoir or multiple reservoirs all grouped on or related to the same individual geological structural feature and/or stratigraphic condition.

Gross acres or gross wells. The total acres or wells, as the case may be, in which a working interest is owned.

MBbls. One thousand barrels of crude oil or other liquid hydrocarbons.

MBoe. One thousand barrels of oil equivalent.

Mcf. One thousand cubic feet, typically used to describe the volume of a gas.

Mcfe. One thousand cubic feet equivalent, determined using the energy-equivalent ratio of six Mcf of natural gas to one barrel of crude oil or other hydrocarbon.

Mcfe/d. One thousand cubic feet equivalent per day.

MMBbls. One million barrels of crude oil or other liquid hydrocarbons.

MMBoe. One million barrels of oil equivalent.

MMBtu. One million British thermal units.

MMcf. One million cubic feet, typically used to describe the volume of a gas.

MMcfe. One million cubic feet equivalent, determined using an energy-equivalent ratio of six Mcf of natural gas to one barrel of crude oil condensate or natural gas liquids.

Net acres or net wells. The sum of the fractional working interests owned in gross acres or gross wells, as the case may be.

NGLs. Natural gas liquids. Hydrocarbons which can be extracted from wet natural gas and become liquid under various combinations of pressure and temperature. NGLs consist primarily of ethane, propane, butane and natural gasoline.

NYMEX. The New York Mercantile Exchange.

NYMEX Henry Hub.  Henry Hub is the major exchange for pricing natural gas futures on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Also, referred to as the Henry Hub Index.

Oil. Crude oil and condensate.

OCS. Outer continental shelf.

OCS block. A unit of defined area for purposes of management of offshore petroleum exploration and production by the BOEM.

ONRR. Office of Natural Resources Revenue. The agency assumed the functions of the former Minerals Revenue Management Program, which had been renamed to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement.

Probabilistic estimate. Refers to a method of estimation whereby the full range of values that could reasonably occur for each unknown parameter in the reserves estimation procedure is used to generate a full range of possible outcomes and their associated probabilities of occurrence.

Productive well. A well that is found to have economically producible hydrocarbons.

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Proved properties. Properties with proved reserves.

Proved reserves. Those quantities of oil and natural gas, which, by analysis of geoscience 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. As used in this definition, “existing economic conditions” include prices and costs at which economic production from a reservoir is to be determined. The price shall be the average price during the 12-month period prior to the ending date of the period covered by the report, determined as an unweighted arithmetic average of the first-day-of-the-month price for each month within such period, unless prices are defined by contractual arrangements, excluding escalations based upon future conditions. The SEC provides a complete definition of proved reserves in Rule 4-10(a)(22) of Regulation S-X.

PV-10. A term used in the industry that is not a defined term in generally accepted accounting principles. We define PV-10 as the present value of estimated future net revenues of estimated proved reserves as calculated by our independent petroleum consultant using a discount rate of 10%. This amount includes projected revenues, estimated production costs and estimated future development costs. PV-10 excludes cash flows for asset retirement obligations, general and administrative expenses, derivatives, debt service and income taxes.

Reasonable certainty. When deterministic methods are used, reasonable certainty means a high degree of confidence that the quantities of hydrocarbons will be recovered. When probabilistic methods are used, reasonable certainty means at least a 90% probability that the quantities of hydrocarbons actually recovered will equal or exceed the estimate. A high degree of confidence exists if the quantity is much more likely to be achieved than not, and, as changes due to increased availability of geoscience, engineering, and economic data are made to estimated ultimate recovery with time, reasonably certain estimated ultimate recovery is much more likely to increase or remain constant than to decrease.

Recompletion. The completion for production of an existing well bore in another formation from that which the well has been previously completed.

Reliable technology. A grouping of one or more technologies (including computational methods) that has been field tested and has been demonstrated to provide reasonably certain results with consistency and repeatability in the formation being evaluated or in an analogous formation.

Reserves. Estimated remaining quantities of oil, natural gas and related substances anticipated to be economically producible, as of a given date, by application of development projects to known accumulations. In addition, there must exist, or there must be a reasonable expectation that there will exist, the legal right to produce or a revenue interest in the production, installed means of delivering the oil, natural gas or related substances to market, and all permits and financing required to implement the project.

Reservoir. A porous and permeable underground formation containing a natural accumulation of producible oil and/or natural gas that is confined by impermeable rock or water barriers and is individual and separate from other reserves.

Sub-salt. A geological layer lying below the salt layer.

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Undeveloped reserves. Oil and natural gas reserves of any category that are expected to be recovered from new wells on undrilled acreage, or from existing wells where a relatively major expenditure is required for recompletion. Reserves on undrilled acreage shall be limited to those directly offsetting development spacing areas that are reasonably certain of production when drilled, unless evidence using reliable technology exists that establishes reasonable certainty of economic production at greater distances. Undrilled locations can be classified as having undeveloped reserves only if a development plan has been adopted indicating that they are scheduled to be drilled within five years, unless the specific circumstances justify a longer time. Under no circumstances shall estimates for undeveloped reserves be attributable to any acreage for which an application of fluid injection or other improved recovery technique is contemplated, unless such techniques have been proved effective by actual projects in the same reservoir or an analogous reservoir, or by other evidence using reliable technology establishing reasonable certainty.

Unproved properties. Properties with no proved reserves.

WTI. West Texas Intermediate grade crude oil. A light crude oil produced in the United States with an American Petroleum Institute (“API”) gravity of approximately 38-40 and the sulfur content is approximately 0.3%.

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PART I

Item 1. Business

W&T Offshore, Inc. is an independent oil and natural gas producer, active in the exploration, development and acquisition of oil and natural gas properties in the Gulf of Mexico. W&T Offshore, Inc. is a Texas corporation originally organized as a Nevada corporation in 1988, and successor by merger to W&T Oil Properties, Inc., a Louisiana corporation organized in 1983.

Since our founding in 1983 by our Chairman and CEO, Tracy Krohn, we have continually grown our footprint in the Gulf of Mexico through acquisitions, exploration and development. We currently hold working interests in 43 offshore producing fields in federal and state waters. Our acreage, well, production and reserves information is described in more detail under Part I Item 2, Properties, in this Form 10-K. Our working interests in fields, leases, structures and equipment are primarily owned by W&T Offshore, Inc. and our wholly-owned subsidiaries, Aquasition LLC (“A-I LLC”), Aquasition II LLC (“A-II LLC”), and W&T Energy VI, LLC, Delaware limited liability companies and through our proportionately consolidated interest in Monza Energy, LLC (“Monza”), as described in more detail in Financial Statements and Supplementary Data – Note 5 – Joint Venture Drilling Program under Part II, Item 8 in this Form 10-K.

We have developed significant technical expertise in finding and developing properties in the Gulf of Mexico with production rates which provide the best opportunity to achieve a rapid return on our invested capital. We have leveraged our experience in the conventional shelf to develop higher impact capital projects in the Gulf of Mexico in both the deepwater and the deep shelf. We have acquired rights to explore and develop new prospects and existing oil and natural gas properties in both the deepwater and the deep shelf, while at the same time continuing our focus on the conventional shelf. Our drilling efforts in recent years have included the deepwater of the Gulf of Mexico.

Business Strategy

Our goal is to pursue risk-adjusted, high rate of return projects and develop oil and natural gas resources that allow us to grow our production, reserves and cash flow in a capital efficient manner, thus enhancing the value of our assets. We intend to execute the following elements of our business strategy in order to achieve this goal:

Our focus is on making profitable investments while operating within cash flow, maintaining sufficient liquidity, achieving prudent cost reductions and fulfilling our contractual, legal and financial obligations. Over time, we expect to de-lever through free cash flow generated by our producing asset base, organic growth opportunities and acquisitions. We continually monitor current and forecasted commodity prices to assess if changes are needed to our plans.

Market Trends

In managing our business, we are focused on optimizing production and increasing reserves in a profitable and prudent manner, while managing cash flows to meet our obligations and investment needs. Our cash flows are materially impacted by the prices of commodities we produce (crude oil, natural gas and the natural gas liquids (“NGLs”)). In addition, the prices of goods and services used in our business can vary and impact our cash flows.

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During 2021, commodity prices experienced significant improvement, particularly crude oil prices, due to a confluence of factors that have provided positive developments to the overall pricing environment when compared to 2020. With some exceptions, pandemic-related travel restrictions have gradually eased as governments continue to have increasing access to vaccines that help reduce the spread of COVID-19. As restrictions continue to abate, there is renewed emphasis on improving economic activity to pre-pandemic levels while managing the risk of a resurgence in COVID-19. Meanwhile, commodity prices demonstrated resiliency during the year. Producers continued to show restraint in increasing their capital expenditures even as prices increased, thereby causing a muted response in supply as demand for commodities increased. Additionally, OPEC Plus remained committed to modest increases in production during the year as the global economy recovered.‌

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While the current outlook for commodity prices is favorable and our operations are no longer significantly impacted by confinement restrictions, the risk of disruption to our operations continues as the emergence of a new variant of COVID-19 could adversely impact our operations, or commodity prices could significantly decline from current levels. The ongoing COVID-19 outbreak continues to evolve and, during the fourth quarter of 2021, a new variant emerged, the Omicron variant. It is difficult to assess if it will cause meaningful disruptions in economic activity across the world and if there will be any significant impacts in demand for energy.

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The recent invasion of parts of Ukraine by Russia, and the impact of world sanctions against Russia and the potential for retaliatory acts from Russia, are world events that can result in potential commodities and securities market disruptions that could affect world oil and natural gas markets and the volatility of oil and gas commodity prices and thus impact the Company’s business, stock trading price and availability of capital. Additionally, while OPEC Plus remained committed to steady and predictable production increases throughout 2021, it is difficult to determine whether it will change its production output policy or whether its members will remain committed to the production quotas set by the organization as a result of these events.

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Our margins in 2021 decreased from 2020 primarily due to realized derivative gains in 2020 compared to realized derivative losses in 2021, partially offset by higher average realized commodity prices in 2021 compared to 2020. We measure margins using net (loss) income before net interest expense; income tax (benefit) expense; depreciation, depletion, amortization and accretion; unrealized commodity derivative gain or loss; amortization of derivative premiums; bad debt reserve; gain on debt transaction; release of restricted funds; litigation; and other (“Adjusted EBITDA”) as a percent of revenue, which is a not a financial measurement under generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”).

Our total production decreased 9.6% in 2021 from the prior year. Our proved reserves increased by 13.2 million barrels of oil equivalent (“MMBoe”) in 2021, primarily due to the significant increase in commodity prices in 2021 as compared to 2020.

We continually monitor current and forecasted commodity prices to assess what changes, if any, should be made to our 2022 plans. See Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Liquidity and Capital Resources under Part II, Item 7 in this Form 10-K for additional information.

Competition

The oil and natural gas industry is highly competitive. We also face increasing indirect competition from alternative energy sources, including wind, solar, and electric power. We currently operate in the Gulf of Mexico and compete for the acquisition of oil and natural gas properties and lease sales primarily on the basis of price for such properties. We compete with numerous entities, including major domestic and foreign oil companies, other independent oil and natural gas companies and individual producers and operators. Many of these competitors are large, well established companies that have financial and other resources substantially greater than ours and greater ability to provide the extensive regulatory financial assurances required for offshore properties. Our ability to acquire additional oil and natural gas properties, acquire additional leases and to discover reserves in the future will depend upon our ability to evaluate and select suitable properties, finance investments and consummate transactions in a highly competitive environment.

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Oil and Natural Gas Marketing and Delivery Commitments

We sell our crude oil, NGLs and natural gas to third-party customers. We are not dependent upon, or contractually limited to, any one customer or small group of customers. However, in 2021, approximately 34% of our revenues were received from BP Products North America, 14% from Chevron-Texaco and 11% from Williams Field Services, with no other customer comprising greater than 10% of our 2021 revenues. Given the commoditized nature of the products we produce and market and the location of our production in the Gulf of Mexico, we believe the loss of any of the customers above would not result in a material adverse effect on our ability to market future oil and natural gas, as replacement customers could be obtained in a relatively short period of time on terms, conditions, and pricing substantially similar to those currently existing. We do not have any agreements which obligate us to deliver a fixed volume of physical products to customers.

Compliance with Government Regulations

Various aspects of our oil and natural gas operations are subject to extensive and continually changing regulations as legislation affecting the oil and natural gas industry is under constant review for amendment or expansion. Numerous departments and agencies, both federal and state, are authorized by statute to issue, and have issued, rules and regulations binding upon the oil and natural gas industry and its individual members. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (“BOEM”) and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (“BSEE”), both agencies under the U.S. Department of the Interior (“DOI”), have adopted regulations pursuant to the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (“OCSLA”) that apply to our operations on federal leases in the Gulf of Mexico.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) regulates the transportation and sale for resale of natural gas in interstate commerce pursuant to the Natural Gas Act of 1938 (“NGA”) and the Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978 (“NGPA”). In 1989, Congress enacted the Natural Gas Wellhead Decontrol Act, which removed all remaining price and non-price controls affecting wellhead sales of natural gas, effective January 1, 1993. Sales by producers of natural gas and all sales of crude oil, condensate and NGLs can currently be made at uncontrolled market prices. The FERC also regulates rates and service conditions for the interstate transportation of liquids, including crude oil, condensate and NGLs, under various statutes.

The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”), the FERC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) hold statutory authority to monitor certain segments of the physical and futures energy commodities markets. These agencies have imposed broad regulations prohibiting fraud and manipulation of such markets. We are required to observe the market related regulations enforced by these agencies with regard to our physical sales of crude oil or other energy commodities, and any related hedging activities that we undertake. Any violation of the FTC, FERC, and CFTC prohibitions on market manipulation can result in substantial civil penalties amounting to over $1.0 million per violation per day.

These departments and agencies have substantial enforcement authority and the ability to grant and suspend operations, and to levy substantial penalties for non-compliance. Failure to comply with such regulations, as interpreted and enforced, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Federal leases. Most of our offshore operations are conducted on federal oil and natural gas leases in the OCS waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The DOI has delegated its authority to issue federal leases granted under the OCSLA to the BOEM, which has adopted and implemented regulations relating to the issuance and operation of oil and natural gas leases on the OCS. These leases are awarded by the BOEM based on competitive bidding and contain relatively standardized terms. These leases require compliance with the BOEM, the BSEE, and other government agency regulations and orders that are subject to interpretation and change. The BSEE also regulates the plugging and abandonment of wells located on the OCS and, following cessation of operations, the removal or appropriate abandonment of all production facilities, structures and pipelines on the OCS (collectively, these activities are referred to as “decommissioning”), while the BOEM governs financial assurance requirements associated with those decommissioning obligations.

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President Biden has made tackling climate change, including the restriction or elimination of future greenhouse gases (“GHGs”), a priority in his administration. The Biden Administration has already adopted several executive orders and is expected to pursue additional orders and pursue legislation, regulations or other regulatory initiatives in support of this regulatory agenda. Notably, President Biden issued an executive order in January 2021 suspending new leasing activities for oil and gas exploration and production on federal lands and offshore waters pending review and reconsideration of federal oil and gas permitting and leasing practices. The suspension of these federal leasing activities prompted legal action by several states against the Biden Administration, resulting in issuance of a nationwide preliminary injunction by a federal district court in June 2021, effectively halting implementation of the leasing suspension. Subsequent federal litigation, however has impeded the most recent federal oil and gas lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico requiring the DOI to conduct a new environmental analysis that takes into consideration such climate effects before holding another sale. In November 2021, the DOI released its report on federal oil and gas leasing and permitting practices. The report includes recommendations in respect to offshore sector, including adjusting royalty rates to ensure that the full value of the tracts being leased are captured, strengthening financial assurance coverage amounts that are required by operators, establishing a “fitness to operate” criteria that companies would need to meet in respect of safety, environmental and financial responsibilities in order to operate on the OCS. Several of the report recommendations require action by the Congress and cannot be implemented unilaterally by the Biden Administration. We continue to conduct our operations on our existing leases in the OCS; however, uncertainty on future Biden Administration actions with regard to offshore oil and gas activities on the OCS together with the issuance of any future executive orders or adoption and implementation of laws, rules or initiatives that further restrict, delay or result in cancellation of existing oil and gas activities on the OCS could have a material adverse effect on our business and operations.

Decommissioning and financial assurance requirements. The BOEM requires that lessees demonstrate financial strength and reliability according to its regulations and provide acceptable financial assurances to assure satisfaction of lease obligations, including decommissioning activities on the OCS. In 2016, the BOEM under the Obama Administration issued Notice to Lessees and Operators 2016-N01 (the “2016 NTL”) to clarify the procedures and guidelines that BOEM Regional Directors use to determine if and when additional financial assurances may be required for OCS leases, rights of way (“ROWs”) and rights of use and easement (“RUEs”). The 2016 NTL was not fully implemented as the BOEM under the Trump Administration rescinded the 2016 NTL in 2020. In October 2020, BOEM published jointly with BSEE a proposed rule that sought to clarify and provide greater transparency to decommissioning and related financial assurance requirements imposed on record title owners and operating rights owners of interests in federal OCS leases and RUE and ROW grant holders conducting operations on the federal OCS.

Consistent with the November 2021 DOI leasing report recommendations and in response to President Biden’s January 2021 executive order, the Biden Administration could pursue more stringent decommissioning and financial assurance requirements that could increase our operating costs. In the federal government’s most recent list of potential regulatory actions for 2022, the BSEE lists its plans to propose rules finalizing the policies and procedures concerning compliance with OCS oil and gas decommissioning obligations originally proposed under the Trump Administration. In addition, BOEM lists its plans to propose a new rule in respect of financial assurance. The BOEM has the authority to issue liability orders in the future, including if it determines there is a substantial risk of nonperformance of the interest holder’s decommissioning liabilities. See Risk Factors under Part I, Item 1A, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in Part II, Item 7 and Financial Statements and Supplementary Data under Part II, Item 8 in this Form 10-K for more discussion on decommissioning and financial assurance requirements.

Reporting of decommissioning expenditures. Under applicable BSEE regulations, lessees operating on the OCS and conducting decommissioning activities are required to submit summaries of actual expenditures for decommissioning of subject wells, platforms, and other facilities. The BSEE has reported that it uses this summary information to better estimate future decommissioning costs, and the BOEM typically relies upon the BSEE’s estimates to set the amount of required bonds or other forms of financial security in order to minimize the government’s perceived risk of potential decommissioning liability.

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Regulation and transportation of natural gas. Our sales of natural gas are affected by the availability, terms and cost of transportation. The price and terms for access to pipeline transportation are subject to extensive regulation. The FERC has undertaken various initiatives to increase competition within the natural gas industry. As a result of initiatives like FERC Order No. 636, issued in 1992, the interstate natural gas transportation and marketing system allows non-pipeline natural gas sellers, including producers, to effectively compete with interstate pipelines for sales to local distribution companies and large industrial and commercial customers. The most significant provisions of Order No. 636 require that interstate pipelines provide firm and interruptible transportation service on an open access basis that is equal for all natural gas supplies. In many instances, the effect of Order No. 636 and related initiatives have been to substantially reduce or eliminate the interstate pipelines’ traditional role as wholesalers of natural gas in favor of providing only storage and transportation services. The rates for such storage and transportation services are subject to FERC ratemaking authority, and FERC exercises its authority either by applying cost-of-service principles or granting market based rates. Similarly, the natural gas pipeline industry is subject to state regulations, which may change from time to time.

The OCSLA, which is administered by the BOEM and the FERC, requires that all pipelines operating on or across the OCS provide open access, non-discriminatory transportation service. One of the FERC’s principal goals in carrying out OCSLA’s mandate is to increase transparency in the OCS market, to provide producers and shippers assurance of open access service on pipelines located on the OCS, and to provide non-discriminatory rates and conditions of service on such pipelines. The BOEM issued a final rule, effective August 2008, which implements a hotline, alternative dispute resolution procedures, and complaint procedures for resolving claims of having been denied open and nondiscriminatory access to pipelines on the OCS.

In 2007, the FERC issued rules (“Order 704”) requiring that any market participant, including a producer such as us, that engages in wholesale sales or purchases of natural gas that equal or exceed 2.2 million British thermal units (“MMBtu”) during a calendar year must annually report such sales and purchases to the FERC to the extent such transactions utilize, contribute to, or may contribute to the formation of price indices. It is the responsibility of the reporting entity to determine which individual transactions should be reported based on the guidance of Order 704. Order 704 also requires market participants to indicate whether they report prices to any index publishers, and if so, whether their reporting complies with FERC’s policy statement on price reporting. These rules are intended to increase the transparency of the wholesale natural gas markets and to assist the FERC in monitoring such markets and in detecting market manipulation.

Additional proposals and proceedings that might affect the natural gas industry are pending before Congress, the FERC, state legislatures, state commissions and the courts. The natural gas industry historically has been very heavily regulated. As a result, there is no assurance that the less stringent regulatory approach pursued by the FERC, Congress and the states will continue.

While these federal and state regulations for the most part affect us only indirectly, they are intended to enhance competition in natural gas markets. We cannot predict what further action the FERC, the BOEM or state regulators will take on these matters. However, we do not believe that any such action taken will affect us differently, in any material way, than other natural gas producers with which we compete.

Oil and NGLs transportation rates. Other than as described above, our sales of liquids, which include crude oil, condensate and NGLs, are not currently regulated and are transacted at market prices. In a number of instances, however, the ability to transport and sell such products is dependent on pipelines whose rates, terms and conditions of service are subject to FERC jurisdiction. The price we receive from the sale of crude oil and NGLs is affected by the cost of transporting those products to market. Interstate transportation rates for crude oil, condensate, NGLs and other products are regulated by the FERC. In general, interstate crude oil, condensate and NGL pipeline rates must be cost-based, although settlement rates agreed to by all shippers are permitted and market based rates may be permitted in certain circumstances. The FERC has established an indexing system for such transportation, which generally allows such pipelines to take an annual inflation-based rate increase.

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In other instances, the ability to transport and sell such products is dependent on pipelines whose rates, terms and conditions of service are subject to regulation by state regulatory bodies under state statutes and regulations. As it relates to intrastate crude oil, condensate and NGL pipelines, state regulation is generally less rigorous than the federal regulation of interstate pipelines. State agencies have generally not investigated or challenged existing or proposed rates in the absence of shipper complaints or protests, which are infrequent and are usually resolved informally. We do not believe that the regulatory decisions or activities relating to interstate or intrastate crude oil, condensate or NGL pipelines will affect us in a way that materially differs from the way they affect other crude oil, condensate and NGL producers or marketers.

Regulation of oil and natural gas exploration and production. Our exploration and production operations are subject to various types of regulation at the federal, state and local levels. Such regulations include requiring permits, bonds and pollution liability insurance for the drilling of wells, regulating the location of wells, the method of drilling, casing, operating, plugging and abandoning, and governing the surface use and restoration of properties upon which wells are drilled. Many states also have statutes or regulations addressing conservation of oil and gas resources, including provisions for the unitization or pooling of oil and natural gas properties, the establishment of maximum rates of production from oil and natural gas wells and the regulation of spacing of such wells.

Hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico can have a significant impact on oil and gas operations on the OCS. The effects from past hurricanes have included structural damage to fixed production facilities, semi-submersibles and jack-up drilling rigs. Damage can occur both above the water line and to subsea infrastructure. The BOEM and the BSEE continue to be concerned about the loss of these facilities and rigs as well as the potential for catastrophic damage to key infrastructure and the resultant pollution from future storms. In an effort to reduce the potential for future damage, the BOEM and the BSEE have periodically issued guidance aimed at improving platform survivability by taking into account environmental and oceanic conditions in the design of platforms and related structures.

Compliance with Environmental Regulations

General. We are subject to complex and stringent federal, state and local environmental laws. These laws, among other things, govern the issuance of permits to conduct exploration, drilling and production operations, the amounts and types of materials that may be released into the environment and the discharge and disposal of waste materials and, to the extent waste materials are transported and disposed of in onshore facilities, remediation of any releases of those waste materials from such facilities. Numerous governmental agencies issue rules and regulations to implement and enforce such laws, which are often costly to comply with, and a failure to comply may result in substantial administrative, civil and criminal penalties, the imposition of investigatory, remedial and corrective action obligations or the incurrence of capital expenditures, the occurrence of restrictions, delays or cancellations in the permitting, or development or expansion of projects and the issuance of orders enjoining some or all of our operations in affected areas. Certain environmental laws, such as the federal Oil Pollution Act of 1990, as amended (“OPA”) impose strict joint and several liability for environmental contamination, such as may arise in the event of an accidental spill on the OCS, rendering a person liable for environmental damage and cleanup costs without regard to negligence or fault on the part of such person. The regulatory burden on the oil and gas industry increases our cost of doing business and consequently affects our profitability. The cost of remediation, reclamation and decommissioning, including abandonment of wells, platforms and other facilities in the Gulf of Mexico is significant. These costs are considered a normal, recurring cost of our on-going operations. Our competitors are subject to the same laws and regulations.

Hazardous Substances and Wastes. The federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, as amended, (“CERCLA”) imposes liability, without regard to fault, on certain classes of persons that are considered to be responsible for the release of a “hazardous substance” into the environment. These persons include the current or former owner or operator of the disposal site or sites where the release occurred and companies that disposed or arranged for the disposal of hazardous substances. Under CERCLA, such persons are subject to strict joint and several liability for the cost of investigating and cleaning up hazardous substances that have been released into the environment, for damages to natural resources and for the cost of certain health studies.

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The federal Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (“RCRA”), regulates the generation, transportation, storage, treatment and disposal of non-hazardous and hazardous wastes and can require cleanup of hazardous waste disposal sites. RCRA currently excludes drilling fluids, produced waters and certain other wastes associated with the exploration, development or production of oil and natural gas from regulation as “hazardous waste”, and the disposal of such oil and natural gas exploration, development and production wastes is regulated under less onerous non-hazardous waste requirements, usually under state law.

Standards have been developed under RCRA and/or state laws for worker protection from exposure to Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (“NORM”), treatment, storage, and disposal of NORM and NORM waste, and management of NORM-contaminated piping valves, containers and tanks. Historically, we have not incurred any material expenditures in connection with our compliance with the existing RCRA and applicable state laws related to NORM waste.

Air Emissions and Climate Change. Air emissions from our operations are subject to the federal Clean Air Act, as amended (“CAA”), and comparable state and local requirements. We may be required to incur certain capital expenditures in the future for air pollution control equipment in connection with obtaining and maintaining operating permits and approvals for air emissions. For example, in 2015, the EPA issued a final rule under the CAA lowering the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (“NAAQS”) for ground level ozone from 75 to 70 parts per billion. Since that time, the EPA issued area designations with respect to ground-level ozone and, in December 2020, published notice of a final action to retain the 2015 ozone NAAQS without revision on a going-forward basis. However, several groups have filed litigation over this December 2020 final action, and the Biden Administration has announced plans to reconsider the December 2020 final action in favor of a more stringent ground-level ozone NAAQS.

The threat of climate change continues to attract considerable public, governmental and scientific attention in the United States and in foreign countries. As a result, numerous proposals have been made at the international, national, regional and state levels of government to monitor and limit existing emissions of GHG as well as to restrict or eliminate such future emissions. These efforts have included consideration of cap-and-trade programs, carbon taxes, GHG reporting and tracking programs and regulations that directly limit GHG emissions from certain sources. In the United States, no comprehensive climate change legislation has been implemented at the federal level. Under the Biden Administration, however, the EPA has adopted regulations under the existing CAA that, among other things, impose preconstruction and operating permit requirements on certain large stationary sources, require the monitoring and annual reporting of GHG emissions from certain petroleum and natural gas system sources, and implement New Source Performance Standards directing the reduction of methane from certain new, modified or reconstructed facilities in the oil and natural gas sector. Compliance with these rules or other similar rules implemented in the future could result in increased compliance costs on our operations. In November 2021, the EPA also issued a proposed rule that would more stringently regulate methane emissions from crude oil and natural gas sources. The EPA plans to issue a supplemental proposal enhancing this proposed rulemaking in 2022 with the goal of issuing a final rule by the end of 2022. Additionally, state implementation of revised air emission standards could result in stricter permitting requirements, delaying, limiting or prohibiting our ability to obtain such permits and result in increased expenditures for pollution control equipment, the costs of which could be significant.

At the international level, there exists numerous conventions and non-binding commitments of participating nations with goals of limiting their GHG emissions and fossil fuel subsidies. These include the United Nations-sponsored “Paris Agreement,” to which President Biden recommitted the Unites States, thereby requiring the United States to determine its emissions reduction goals every five years after 2020. The international community also gathered in Glasgow in November 2021 at the 26th Conference of the Parties (“COP26”), at which the United States and European Union jointly announced the launch of a Global Methane Pledge, an initiative which over 100 counties joined, committing to a collective goal of reducing global methane emissions by at least 30 percent from 2020 levels by 2030, including “all feasible reductions” in the energy sector. The impacts of these orders, pledges, agreements and any legislation or regulation promulgated to fulfill the United States’ commitments under the Paris Agreement, COP26, or other international conventions cannot be predicted at this time.

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Governmental, scientific and public concern over the threat of climate change arising from GHG emissions has resulted in increasing federal political risk regarding climate change. Litigation risks are also increasing, as a number of cities, local governments and other plaintiffs have sought to bring suit against oil and natural gas companies in state or federal court, alleging, among other things, that such companies created public nuisances by producing fuels that contributed to global warming effects, such as rising sea levels and therefore are responsible for roadway and infrastructure damages as a result, or alleging that the companies have been aware of the adverse effects of climate change for some time but defrauded their investors or customers by failing to adequately disclose those impacts. We are not currently a defendant in any of these lawsuits but could be named in actions making similar allegations.

Additionally, our access to capital may be impacted by climate change policies. Stockholders and bondholders currently invested in fossil fuel energy companies such as ours but concerned about the potential effects of climate change may elect in the future to shift some or all of their investments into non-fossil fuel energy related sectors. Institutional lenders who provide financing to fossil-fuel energy companies also have become more attentive to sustainable lending practices that favor “clean” power sources, such as wind and solar, making those sources more attractive, and some of them may elect not to provide funding for fossil fuel energy companies. Many of the largest U.S. banks have made “net zero” carbon emission commitments and have announced that they will be assessing financed emissions across their portfolios and are taking steps to quantify and reduce those emissions. These and other developments in the financial sector could lead to some lenders and investors restricting access to capital for or divesting from certain industries or companies, including the oil and natural gas sector, or requiring that borrowers take additional steps to reduce their GHG emissions. Additionally, there is the possibility that financial institutions will be pressured or required to adopt policies that limit funding for fossil fuel energy companies.

The OCSLA authorized the DOI to regulate activities authorized by the BOEM in the Central and Western Gulf of Mexico. The EPA has air quality jurisdiction over all other parts of the OCS. Under the OCSLA, DOI is limited to regulating offshore emissions of criteria and their precursor – pollutants to the extent they significantly affect the air quality of any state. BSEE conducts field inspections of emission sources installed on offshore platforms that have the potential to emit regulated air pollutants. The agency also reviews BOEM-mandated monitoring and reporting of air emission sources for compliance with approved plan emission limits. BSEE may initiate measures to control and bring into compliance those operations determined to be in violation of applicable regulations or plan conditions by issuing Incidents of Noncompliance (“INC”) or recommending further enforcement action against potential violators.

Water Discharges. The primary federal law for oil spill liability is the OPA which amends and augments oil spill provisions of the federal Water Pollution Control Act (the “Clean Water Act”). OPA imposes certain duties and liabilities on “responsible parties” related to the prevention of oil spills and damages resulting from such spills in or threatening United States waters, including the OCS or adjoining shorelines. A liable “responsible party” includes the owner or operator of an onshore facility, vessel or pipeline that is a source of an oil discharge or that poses the substantial threat of discharge or, in the case of offshore facilities, the lessee or permittee of the area in which a discharging facility is located. OPA assigns joint and several, strict liability, without regard to fault, to each liable party for all containment and oil removal costs and a variety of public and private damages including, but not limited to, the costs of responding to oil and natural resource release related damages and economic damages suffered by persons adversely affected by an oil spill. Although defenses exist to the liability imposed by OPA, they are limited. In January 2018, the BOEM raised OPA’s damages liability cap to $137.7 million; however, a party cannot take advantage of liability limits if the spill was caused by gross negligence or willful misconduct, resulted from violation of a federal safety, construction or operating regulation, or if the party failed to report a spill or cooperate fully in the cleanup. OPA requires owners and operators of offshore oil production facilities to establish and maintain evidence of financial responsibility to cover costs that could be incurred in responding to an oil spill, and to prepare and submit for approval oil spill response plans. These oil spill response plans must detail the action to be taken in the event of a spill; identify contracted spill response equipment, materials, and trained personnel; and identify the time necessary to deploy these resources in the event of a spill. In addition, OPA currently requires a minimum financial responsibility demonstration of between $35.0 million and $150.0 million for companies operating on the OCS. We are currently required to demonstrate, on an annual basis, that we have ready access to $35.0 million that can be used to respond to an oil spill from our facilities on the OCS.

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The Clean Water Act and comparable state laws impose restrictions and strict controls regarding the monitoring and discharge of pollutants, including produced waters and other natural gas wastes, into federal and state waters. The discharge of pollutants into regulated waters is prohibited, except in accordance with the terms of a permit issued by the EPA or an analogous state agency. The EPA has also adopted regulations requiring certain onshore oil and natural gas exploration and production facilities to obtain individual permits or coverage under general permits for storm water discharges. The treatment of wastewater or developing and implementing storm water pollution prevention plans, as well as for monitoring and sampling the storm water runoff from our onshore gas processing plant have compliance costs. Pursuant to these laws and regulations, we may be required to obtain and maintain approvals or permits for the discharge of wastewater or storm water and are required to develop and implement spill prevention, control and countermeasure plans, also referred to as “SPCC plans,” in connection with on-site storage of significant quantities of oil. Our Board of Directors reviews our Clean Water Act compliance metrics on a quarterly basis.

Marine Protected Areas and Endangered and Threatened Species. Executive Order 13158, issued in May 2000, directs federal agencies to safeguard existing Marine Protected Areas (“MPAs”) in the United States and establish new MPAs. The order requires federal agencies to avoid harm to MPAs to the extent permitted by law and to the maximum extent practicable. It also directs the EPA to propose new regulations under the Clean Water Act to ensure appropriate levels of protection for the marine environment. In addition, Federal Lease Stipulations include regulations regarding the taking of lives of protected marine species (sea turtles, marine mammals, Gulf sturgeon and other listed marine species).

Certain flora and fauna that have been officially classified as “threatened” or “endangered” are protected by the federal Endangered Species Act, as amended (“ESA”). This law prohibits any activities that could “take” a protected plant or animal or reduce or degrade its habitat area. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (“USFWS”) under former President Trump issued a final rule in January 2021, which notably clarifies that criminal liability under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (“MBTA”) will apply only to actions “directed at” migratory birds, its nests, or its eggs; however, in October 2021, the USFWS under the Biden Administration revoked the Trump Administration’s rule on incidental take and published an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking to codify a general prohibition on incidental take while establishing a process to regulate or permit exceptions to such a prohibition. Additionally, the USFWS may make determinations on the listing of species as threatened or endangered under the ESA and litigation with respect to the listing or non-listing of certain species may result in more fulsome protections for non-protected or lesser-protected species. We conduct operations on leases in areas where certain species that are listed as threatened or endangered are known to exist and where other species that potentially could be listed as threatened or endangered under the ESA may exist.

Other federal statutes that provide protection to animal and plant species and which may apply to our operations include, but are not necessarily limited to, the National Environmental Policy Act, the Coastal Zone Management Act, the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act, the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the National Historic Preservation Act. These laws and related implementing regulations may require the acquisition of a permit or other authorization before construction or drilling commences and may limit or prohibit construction, drilling and other activities on certain lands lying within wilderness or wetlands. These and other protected areas may require certain mitigation measures to avoid harm to wildlife, and such laws and regulations may impose substantial liabilities for pollution resulting from our operations.

The leases and permits required for our various operations are subject to revocation, modification and renewal by issuing authorities. Moreover, applicable leasing and permitting programs may be subject to legislative, regulatory or executive actions to delay or suspend the issuance of leases and permits.

Financial Information

We operate our business as a single segment. See Financial Statements and Supplementary Data under Part II, Item 8 in this Form 10-K for our financial information.

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Seasonality and Inflation

Seasonality. Generally, the demand for and price of natural gas increases during the winter months and decreases during the summer months. However, these seasonal fluctuations are somewhat reduced because during the summer, pipeline companies, utilities, local distribution companies and industrial users purchase and place into storage facilities a portion of their anticipated winter requirements of natural gas. As utilities continue to switch from coal to natural gas, some of this seasonality has been reduced as natural gas is used for both heating and cooling. In addition, the demand for oil is higher in the winter months, but does not fluctuate seasonally as much as natural gas. Seasonal weather changes affect our operations. Tropical storms and hurricanes occur in the Gulf of Mexico during the summer and fall, which can require us to evacuate personnel and shut in production until a storm subsides. Also, periodic storms during the winter often impede our ability to safely load, unload and transport personnel and equipment, which delays the installation of production facilities, thereby delaying production and sales of our oil and natural gas.

Inflation. Although inflation in the United States has been relatively low in recent years, it rose significantly in the second half of 2021. This is believed to be the result of the economic impact from the COVID-19 pandemic, including the global supply chain disruptions, among other factors. For 2021, our realized prices for crude oil increased 71.5%, NGLs increased 171.6% and natural gas increased 89.0% from 2020. Historically, our operating costs have moved directionally with the price of crude oil, NGLs and natural gas, as these commodities affect the demand for these goods and services, but the timing of such increases and decreases may lag behind changes in commodity prices. However, global, industry-wide supply chain disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have also resulted in shortages in labor, materials and services which have resulted in inflationary cost increases for labor, materials and services and could continue to cause costs to increase as well as scarcity of certain products and raw materials. We are experiencing some inflationary pressure for certain costs, including employees and vendors, although such cost increases did not materially impact our 2021 financial condition or results of operations, and we currently do not expect them to materially impact our 2022 financial results or operations. However, to the extent elevated inflation remains, we may experience further cost increases for our operations, including natural gas purchases and oilfield services and equipment as increasing oil, natural gas and NGL prices increase drilling activity in our areas of operations, as well as increased labor costs. An increase in oil, natural gas and NGL prices may cause the costs of materials and services to rise. We cannot predict any future trends in the rate of inflation and a significant increase in inflation, to the extent we are unable to recover higher costs through higher commodity prices and revenues, would negatively impact our business, financial condition and results of operation.

Human Capital Resources

People are our most valuable asset, and we strive to provide a work environment that attracts and retains the top talent in the industry, reflects our core values and demonstrates our core values to the communities in which we operate.

As of December 31, 2021, our personnel base consisted of 323 of our employees and over 330 individuals who are employees of third parties that provide skilled labor in support of our field operations. This combined workforce conducts our business in Texas, Alabama and the Gulf of Mexico. Our workforce in Texas is primarily composed of our corporate employees, including our executive officers, drilling and production managers, technical engineers and administrative and support staff. Our employees in Alabama and the Gulf of Mexico are primarily composed of skilled labor who conduct our field operations and manage third party personnel used in support of our field operations. We focus on certain measures and objectives when managing our workforce that are material in understanding our business, which are summarized below:

Health and Safety. Our highest priorities are the safety of all personnel and protection of the environment. To drive a culture of personnel safety in our operations, we operate under a comprehensive Safety and Environmental Management System (“SEMS”). Our 2021 total recordable incident rate (“TRIR”) for employees was 0.32, which is far below the industry average for the Gulf of Mexico of 1.01. Our Health, Safety and Environmental (“HS&E”) group is comprised of a Vice President, and Environmental, Safety and Regulatory Managers and 9 staff personnel. The Department works with field personnel to create and regularly review safety policies and procedures, in an effort to support continuous improvement of our SEMS .Our Board of Directors reviews our material safety metrics on a quarterly basis.

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As a company identified by the Federal Government as essential to the critical infrastructure of the United States, we have continuously operated during the COVID-19 pandemic. To provide our personnel with a physically safer work environment and mitigate the risks associated with the transmission of COVID-19, we implement policies requiring mandatory face masks and social distancing in all work environments, conduct daily temperature screening at all locations and COVID-19 testing for field project crews.

Recruitment and Compensation. We pride ourselves on providing an attractive compensation and benefits program that allows our employees to view working at W&T as more than where they work, but a place where they may grow and develop. Our ability to succeed depends on recruiting and retaining top talent in the industry. We believe employees choose W&T in part due to our professional advancement opportunities, on the job training, engaging culture and competitive compensation and benefits.

As part of our compensation philosophy, we believe we must offer and maintain market competitive total rewards programs in order to attract and retain superior talent. These programs not only include base wages and incentives in support of our pay for performance culture, but also health and retirement benefits. We focus many programs on employee wellness. We believe these solutions help the overall health and wellness of our employees and help us successfully manage healthcare and prescription drug costs for our employee population. Global, industry-wide supply chain disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in shortages in labor, which have resulted in inflationary cost increases for labor and could continue to cause costs to increase. If these conditions continue, it could result in increased wages to retain existing employees and impact what we offer prospective employees in the future in order to remain competitive.

Diversity and Inclusion. The key to our past and future successes is promoting a workforce culture that embraces integrity, honesty and transparency to those with whom we interact, and fosters a trusting and respectful work environment that embraces changes and moves us forward in an innovative and positive way.

Our policies and practices support diversity of thought, perspective, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and expression, race, ethnicity, culture and professional experience. From recent graduates to experienced hires, we seek to attract and develop top talent to continue building a unique blend of cultures, backgrounds, skills and beliefs that mirrors the world we live in. The tables below present, by category of employee, the gender and ethnicity composition of our employees as of December 31, 2021:

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Website Access to Company Reports

We file Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, other reports and amendments to those reports with the SEC. Our reports filed with the SEC are available free of charge to the general public through our website at www.wtoffshore.com. These reports are accessible on our website as soon as reasonably practicable after being filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. This Form 10-K and our other filings can also be obtained by contacting: Investor Relations, W&T Offshore, Inc., 5718 Westheimer Road, Suite 700, Houston, Texas 77057 or by calling (713) 297-8024. Information on our website is not a part of this Form 10-K.

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Item 1A. Risk Factors

In addition to risks and uncertainties in the ordinary course of business that are common to all businesses, important factors that are specific to us and our industry could materially impact our future performance and results of operations. We have provided below a list of known material risk factors that should be reviewed when considering buying or selling our securities. These are not all the risks we face, and other factors currently considered immaterial or unknown to us may impact our future operations.

Market and Competitive Risks

Crude oil, natural gas and NGL prices can fluctuate widely due to a number of factors that are beyond our control. Depressed oil, natural gas or NGL prices adversely affects our business, financial condition, cash flow, liquidity or results of operations and could affect our ability to fund future capital expenditures needed to find and replace reserves, meet our financial commitments and to implement our business strategy.

The price we receive for our crude oil, NGLs and natural gas production directly affects our revenues, profitability, access to capital, ability to produce these commodities economically and future rate of growth. Historically, oil, NGLs and natural gas prices have been volatile and subject to wide price fluctuations in response to domestic and global changes in supply and demand, economic and legal forces, events and uncertainties, and numerous other factors beyond our control, including:

These factors and the volatility of the energy markets, which we expect to continue, make it extremely difficult to predict future commodity prices with any certainty.

If crude oil, NGLs and natural gas prices decrease from their current levels, we may be required to further reduce the estimated volumes and future value associated with our total proved reserves or record impairments to the carrying values of our oil and natural gas properties.

Lower future crude oil, NGLs and natural gas prices may reduce our estimates of the proved reserve volumes that may be economically recovered, which would reduce the total volumes and future value of our proved reserves. Under

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the full cost method of accounting for oil and gas producing activities, a ceiling test is performed at the end of each quarter to determine if our oil and gas properties have been impaired. Capitalized costs of oil and gas properties are generally limited to the present value of future net revenues of proved reserves based on the average price of the 12-month period prior to the ending date of each quarterly assessment using the unweighted arithmetic average of the first-day-of-the-month price for each month within such period. Impairments of our oil and gas properties are more likely to occur during prolonged periods of depressed crude oil, NGL and natural gas pricing. While we have not recorded an impairment of our oil and gas properties during the year-ended December 31, 2021, any further decreases in commodity pricing could cause an impairment, which would result in a non-cash charge to earnings.

Commodity derivative positions may limit our potential gains.

In order to manage our exposure to price risk in the marketing of our oil and natural gas, we have entered, and may continue to enter, into oil and natural gas price commodity derivative positions with respect to a portion of our expected future production. See Financial Statements and Supplementary Data– Note 10 – Derivative Financial Instruments under Part II, Item 8 in this Form 10-K for additional information on our derivative contracts and transactions. We may enter into more derivative contracts in the future. While these commodity derivative positions are intended to reduce the effects of crude oil and natural gas price volatility, they may also limit future income if crude oil and natural gas prices were to rise substantially over the price established by such positions. In addition, such transactions may expose us to the risk of financial loss in certain circumstances, including instances in which there is a widening of price differentials between delivery points for our production and the delivery points assumed in the hedge arrangements or the counterparties to the derivative contracts fail to perform under the terms of the contracts.

Competition for oil and natural gas properties and prospects is intense; some of our competitors have larger financial, technical and personnel resources that may give them an advantage in evaluating and obtaining properties and prospects.

We operate in a highly competitive environment for reviewing prospects, acquiring properties, marketing oil, NGLs and natural gas and securing trained personnel. Many of our competitors have financial resources that allow them to obtain substantially greater technical expertise and personnel than we have. We actively compete with other companies in our industry when acquiring new leases or oil and natural gas properties. For example, new leases acquired from the BOEM are acquired through a “sealed bid” process and are generally awarded to the highest bidder. Our competitors may be able to evaluate, bid for and purchase a greater number of properties and prospects than our financial or personnel resources permit. Our competitors may also be able to pay more to acquire productive oil and natural gas properties and exploratory prospects than we are able or willing to pay or finance. Finally, companies with larger financial resources may have a significant advantage in terms of meeting any potential new bonding requirements. If we are unable to compete successfully in these areas in the future, our future revenues and growth may be diminished or restricted.

Market conditions or operational impediments may hinder our access to oil and natural gas markets or delay our production. The marketability of our production depends mostly upon the availability, proximity, and capacity of oil and natural gas gathering systems, pipelines and processing facilities, which in some cases are owned by third parties.

Market conditions or the unavailability of satisfactory oil and natural gas transportation arrangements may hinder our access to oil and natural gas markets or delay our production. The availability of a ready market for our oil and natural gas production depends on a number of factors, including the demand for and supply of oil and natural gas and the proximity of reserves to pipelines and terminal facilities. Our ability to market our production depends substantially on the availability and capacity of gathering systems, pipelines and processing facilities, which in some cases are owned and operated by third parties.

We depend upon third-party pipelines that provide delivery options from our facilities. Because we do not own or operate these pipelines, their continued operation is not within our control. These pipelines may become unavailable for a number of reasons, including testing, maintenance, capacity constraints, accidents, government regulation, weather-related events or other third-party actions. If any of these third-party pipelines become partially or fully unavailable to

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transport crude oil and natural gas, or if the gas quality specification for the natural gas pipelines changes so as to restrict our ability to transport natural gas on those pipelines, our revenues could be adversely affected.

A portion of our oil and natural gas is processed for sale on platforms owned by third parties with no economic interest in our wells and no other processing facilities would be available to process such oil and natural gas without significant investment by us. In addition, third-party platforms could be damaged or destroyed by hurricanes which could reduce or eliminate our ability to market our production. As of December 31, 2021, four fields, accounting for approximately 0.3 MMBoe (or 2.5%) of our 2021 production, are tied back to separate, third-party owned platforms. There can be no assurance that the owners of such platforms will continue to process our oil and natural gas production.

We may be required to shut in wells because of a reduction in demand for our production or because of inadequacy or unavailability of pipelines, gathering system capacity or processing facilities. If that were to occur, then we would be unable to realize revenue from those wells until arrangements were made to process or deliver our production to market. We have, in the past, been required to shut in wells when hurricanes have caused or threatened damage to pipelines, gathering stations, and production facilities. In addition, certain third-party pipelines have submitted requests in the past to increase the fees they charge us to use these pipelines. These increased fees, if approved, could adversely impact our revenues or increase our operating costs, either of which would adversely impact our operating profits, cash flows and reserves.

Operating Risks

Relatively short production periods for our Gulf of Mexico properties based on proved reserves subject us to high reserve replacement needs and require significant capital expenditures to replace our proved reserves at a faster rate than companies whose proved reserves have longer production periods. If we are not able to obtain new oil and gas leases or replace reserves, we will not be able to sustain production at current levels, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.

Our future success depends largely upon our ability to find, develop or acquire additional oil and natural gas reserves that are economically recoverable in order to replace or grow our produced proved reserves. Producing oil and natural gas reserves are generally characterized by declining production rates that vary depending upon reservoir characteristics and other factors. High production rates generally result in recovery of a relatively higher percentage of reserves during the initial few years of production. All of our current production is from the Gulf of Mexico. Proved reserves in the Gulf of Mexico generally have shorter reserve lives than proved reserves in many other producing regions of the United States in part due to the difference in rules related to booking proved undeveloped reserves between conventional and unconventional basins. Our independent petroleum consultant estimates that 27.3% of our total proved reserves as of December 31, 2021 will be depleted within three years. As a result, our need to replace proved reserves and production from new investments is relatively greater than that of producers who recover lower percentages of their proved reserves over a similar time period, such as those producers who have a larger portion of their proved reserves in areas other than the Gulf of Mexico. Historically, we have funded our capital expenditures and acquisitions with cash on hand, cash provided by operating activities, capital markets securities offerings and bank borrowings. The capital markets we have historically accessed may be constrained because of our leverage and also because, in recent years, institutional investors who provide financing to fossil fuel energy companies have become more attentive to sustainability lending practices and some of them may elect not to provide funding for fossil fuel energy companies, and we may not be able to develop, find or acquire additional proved reserves in sufficient quantities to sustain our current production levels or to grow production beyond current levels. Future cash flows are subject to a number of variables, such as the level of production from existing wells, the prices of oil, NGLs and natural gas, and our success in developing and producing new reserves. Any reductions in our capital expenditures to stay within internally generated cash flow (which could be adversely affected if commodity prices decline) and cash on hand will make replacing depleted reserves more difficult.

Losses and liabilities from uninsured or underinsured drilling and operating activities could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and operations.

We are and could be exposed to uninsured losses in the future. We currently carry multiple layers of insurance coverage in our Energy Package (defined as certain insurance policies relating to our oil and gas properties which

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include named windstorm coverage) covering our operating activities, with higher limits of coverage for higher valued properties and wells. Our insurance does not protect us against all operational risks. We do not carry business interruption insurance. Pollution and environmental risks are generally not fully insurable, as gradual seepage and pollution are not covered under our policies. Because third-party drilling contractors are used to drill our wells, we may not realize the full benefit of workmen’s compensation laws in dealing with their employees.

Currently OPA requires owners and operators of offshore oil production facilities to have ready access to between $35.0 million and $150.0 million, which amount is based on a worst case oil spill discharge volume demonstration that can be used to cover costs that could be incurred in responding to an oil spill at our facilities on the OCS. We are currently required to demonstrate that we have ready access to $35.0 million. If OPA is amended to increase the minimum level of financial responsibility, we may experience difficulty in providing financial assurances sufficient to comply with this requirement.

For some risks, we have not obtained insurance as we believe the cost of available insurance is excessive relative to the risks presented. We reevaluate the purchase of insurance, policy limits and terms annually. Future insurance coverage for our industry could increase in cost and may include higher deductibles or retentions. In addition, some forms of insurance may become unavailable in the future or unavailable on terms that we believe are economically acceptable. No assurance can be given that we will be able to maintain insurance in the future at rates that we consider reasonable, and we may elect to maintain minimal or no insurance coverage. The occurrence of a significant event not fully insured or indemnified against losses could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. See Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Liquidity and Capital Resources – Insurance Coverage under Part II, Item 7 in this Form 10-K for additional information on insurance coverage.

We conduct exploration, development and production operations on the deep shelf and in the deepwater of the Gulf of Mexico, which presents unique operating risks.

The deep shelf and the deepwater of the Gulf of Mexico are areas that have had less drilling activity due, in part, to their geological complexity, depth and higher cost to drill and ultimately develop. There are additional risks associated with deep shelf and deepwater drilling that could result in substantial cost overruns and/or result in uneconomic projects or wells. Deeper targets are more difficult to interpret with traditional seismic processing. Moreover, drilling costs and the risk of mechanical failure are significantly higher because of the additional depth and adverse conditions, such as high temperature and pressure. For example, the drilling of deepwater wells requires specific types of rigs with significantly higher day rates as compared to the rigs used in shallower water, sophisticated sea floor production handling equipment, expensive state-of-the-art platforms and infrastructure investments. Deepwater wells have greater mechanical risks because the wellhead equipment is installed on the sea floor. In addition, due to the significant time requirements involved with exploration and development activities, particularly for wells in the deepwater or wells not located near existing infrastructure, actual oil and natural gas production from new wells may not occur, if at all, for a considerable period of time following the commencement of any particular project. Accordingly, we cannot provide assurance that our oil and natural gas exploration activities in the deep shelf, the deepwater and elsewhere will be commercially successful.

We may not be in a position to control the timing of development efforts, associated costs or the rate of production of the reserves from our non-operated properties.

As we carry out our drilling program, we may not serve as operator of all planned wells. In that case, we have limited ability to exercise influence over the operations of some non-operated properties and their associated costs. Our dependence on the operator and other working interest owners and our limited ability to influence operations and associated costs of properties operated by others could prevent the realization of anticipated results in drilling or acquisition activities.

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Our business involves many uncertainties and operating risks that can prevent us from realizing profits and can cause substantial losses.

The exploration, development and production of oil and gas properties involves a variety of operating risks, including the risk of fire, explosions, blowouts, pipe failure, abnormally pressured formations and environmental hazards. Environmental hazards include oil spills, gas leaks, pipeline ruptures or discharges of toxic gases. Additionally, our offshore operations are subject to the additional hazards of marine operations, such as capsizing, collisions and adverse weather and sea conditions, including the effects of hurricanes.

If we experience any of these problems, well bores, platforms, gathering systems and processing facilities could be affected, which could adversely affect our ability to conduct operations. If any of these industry operating risks occur, we could have substantial losses. Substantial losses may be caused by injury or loss of life, severe damage to or destruction of property, natural resources and equipment, pollution or other environmental damage, clean-up responsibilities, regulatory investigation and penalties, suspension of operations and production, repairs to resume operations and loss of reserves. Any of these industry operating risks could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

The geographic concentration of our properties in the Gulf of Mexico subjects us to an increased risk of loss of revenues or curtailment of production from factors specifically affecting the Gulf of Mexico.

The geographic concentration of our properties along the U.S. Gulf Coast and adjacent waters on and beyond the OCS means that some or all of our properties could be affected by the same event should the Gulf of Mexico experience severe weather, including tropical storms and hurricanes; delays or decreases in production, the availability of equipment, facilities or services; changes in the status of pipelines that we depend on for transportation of our production to the marketplace; delays or decreases in the availability of capacity to transport, gather or process production; and changes in the regulatory environment.

Because a majority of our properties could experience the same conditions at the same time, these conditions could have a greater impact on our results of operations than they might have on other operators who have properties over a wider geographic area.

Insurance for well control and hurricane damage may become significantly more expensive for less coverage and some losses currently covered by insurance may not be covered in the future.

In the past, hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico have caused catastrophic losses and property damage. Well control insurance coverage becomes limited from time to time and the cost of such coverage becomes both more costly and more volatile. In the past, we have been able to renew our policies each annual period, but our coverage has varied depending on the premiums charged, our assessment of the risks and our ability to absorb a portion of the risks. The insurance market may further change dramatically in the future due to hurricane damage, major oil spills or other events.

In the future, our insurers may not continue to offer what we view as reasonable coverage, or our costs may increase substantially as a result of increased premiums. There could be an increased risk of uninsured losses that may have been previously insured. We are also exposed to the possibility that in the future we will be unable to buy insurance at any price or that if we do have claims, the insurance companies will not pay our claims. The occurrence of any or all of these possibilities could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Estimates of our proved reserves depend on many assumptions that may turn out to be inaccurate. Any material inaccuracies in the estimates or underlying assumptions will materially affect the quantities of and present value of future net revenues from our proved reserves.

The process of estimating oil and natural gas reserves is complex. It requires interpretations of available technical data and many assumptions, including assumptions relating to economic factors. Any significant inaccuracies in these interpretations or assumptions could materially affect the estimated quantities and the calculation of the present value of our reserves at December 31, 2021.

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In order to prepare our year-end reserve estimates, our independent petroleum consultant projected our production rates and timing of development expenditures. Our independent petroleum consultant also analyzed available geological, geophysical, production and engineering data. The extent, quality and reliability of this data can vary and may not be under our control. The process also requires economic assumptions about matters such as crude oil and natural gas prices, operating expenses, capital expenditures, taxes and availability of funds. Therefore, estimates of oil and natural gas reserves are inherently imprecise.

Actual future production, crude oil and natural gas prices, revenues, taxes, development expenditures, operating expenses and quantities of recoverable oil and natural gas reserves will most likely vary from our estimates. Any significant variance could materially affect the estimated quantities and present value of our reserves. In addition, our independent petroleum consultant may adjust estimates of proved reserves to reflect production history, drilling results, prevailing oil and natural gas prices and other factors, many of which are beyond our control.

You should not assume that the standardized measure or the present value of future net revenues from our proved oil and natural gas reserves is the current market value of our estimated oil and natural gas reserves. In accordance with SEC requirements, we base the estimated discounted future net cash flows from our proved reserves on the 12-month unweighted first-day-of-the-month average price for each product and costs in effect on the date of the estimate. Actual future prices and costs may differ materially from those used in the present value estimate.

Prospects that we decide to drill may not yield oil or natural gas in commercial quantities or quantities sufficient to meet our targeted rates of return.

A prospect is an area in which we own an interest, could acquire an interest or have operating rights, and have what our geoscientists believe, based on available seismic and geological information, to be indications of economic accumulations of oil or natural gas. Our prospects are in various stages of evaluation, ranging from a prospect that is ready to be drilled to a prospect that will require substantial seismic data processing and interpretation, which will not enable us to know conclusively prior to drilling whether oil or natural gas will be present or, if present, whether oil or natural gas will be present in commercial quantities. Sustained low crude oil, NGLs and natural gas pricing will also significantly impact the projected rates of return of our projects without the assurance of significant reductions in costs of drilling and development. To the extent we drill additional wells in the deepwater and/or on the deep shelf, our drilling activities could become more expensive. In addition, the geological complexity of deepwater and deep shelf formations may make it more difficult for us to sustain our historical rates of drilling success. As a result, we can offer no assurance that we will find commercial quantities of oil and natural gas and, therefore, we can offer no assurance that we will achieve positive rates of return on our investments.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected, and may continue to materially adversely affect, our industry, business, financial condition or results of operations.

The COVID-19 pandemic and related economic repercussions have created significant volatility, uncertainty, and turmoil in the oil and gas industry. The COVID-19 outbreak and the responsive actions to limit the spread of the virus significantly reduced global economic activity in 2020 and 2021, resulting in a decline in the demand for oil, natural gas, and other commodities. As COVID-19 vaccines have been more widely distributed, global economic activity is improving and commodity prices are currently above pre-pandemic levels. However, the energy markets remain subject to heightened levels of volatility and uncertainty as responses to COVID-19 and COVID-19 variants continue to evolve. Disruptions in global demand for oil and natural gas caused by the COVID 19 pandemic may continue to affect us, constraining our ability to store and move production to downstream markets, or affecting future decisions to delay or curtail development activity or temporarily shut-in production which could further reduce cash flow. We will continue to monitor the effects of the pandemic on energy markets in the future.

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The extent of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and any other future pandemic on our business will depend on the nature, spread and duration of the disease, the responsive actions to contain its spread or address its effects, its effect on the demand for oil and natural gas, the timing and severity of the related consequences on commodity prices and the economy more generally, including any recession resulting from the pandemic, among other things. Any extended period of depressed commodity prices or general economic disruption as a result of the pandemic would adversely affect our business, financial conditions and results of operations. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the other risks and uncertainties described in this report.

Our operations could be adversely impacted by security breaches, including cybersecurity breaches, which could affect the systems, processes and data needed to run our business.

We rely on our information technology infrastructure and management information systems to operate and record aspects of our business. Although we take measures to protect against cybersecurity risks, including unauthorized access to our confidential and proprietary information, our security measures may not be able to detect or prevent every attempted breach. Similar to other companies, we have experienced cyber-attacks, although we have not suffered any material losses related to such attacks. Security breaches include, among other things, illegal hacking, computer viruses, interference with treasury function, theft or acts of vandalism or terrorism. A breach could result in an interruption in our operations, malfunction of our platform control devices, disabling of our communication links, unauthorized publication of our confidential business or proprietary information, unauthorized release of customer or employee data, violation of privacy or other laws and exposure to litigation. Any of these security breaches could have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows. The recent invasion of parts of Ukraine by Russia, and the impact of world sanctions against Russia and the potential for retaliatory acts from Russia, could result in increased cybersecurity attacks against U.S. companies.

The loss of members of our senior management could adversely affect us.

To a large extent, we depend on the services of our senior management. The loss of the services of any of our senior management could have a negative impact on our operations. We do not maintain or plan to obtain for the benefit of the Company any insurance against the loss of any of these individuals. See our definitive proxy statement to be filed with the SEC within 120 days after the end of our fiscal year covered by this Form 10-K for more information regarding our senior management team.

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Capital Risks

We have a significant amount of indebtedness and limited borrowing capacity under our current Credit Agreement. Our leverage and debt service obligations may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and business prospects, and we may have difficulty paying our debts as they become due.

As of December 31, 2021, we had Senior Second Lien Notes and a term loan of certain of our subsidiaries that is non-recourse to the Company (the “Term Loan”). We have no borrowings outstanding on our revolving credit facility under our Credit Agreement, which lending commitment and final maturity is set to expire on January 3, 2023. The Senior Second Lien Notes mature on November 1, 2023.

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Our leverage and debt service obligations could:

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Any of the above listed factors could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations. If new debt is added to our current debt levels, the related risks that we face could intensify. Additionally, availability of borrowings and letters of credit under our Credit Agreement is determined by establishment of a borrowing base, which is periodically redetermined in lender’s sole discretion based on our lenders’ review of crude oil, NGLs and natural gas prices, our proved reserves and other criteria. Lower crude oil, NGLs and natural gas prices in the future would also adversely affect our cash flow and could result in reductions in our borrowing base and sources of alternate credit and affect our ability to satisfy the covenants and ratios required by the Credit Agreement and Indenture.

We cannot be certain that our cash flow will be sufficient to allow us to pay the principal and interest on our debt or otherwise meet our future obligations. In such scenarios, we may be required to refinance all or part of our existing debt, sell assets, reduce capital expenditures, obtain new financing or issue equity. However, we may not be able to accomplish any of these transactions on terms acceptable to us or such actions may not yield sufficient capital to meet our obligations. Any of the above risks could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations.

Our debt agreements contain restrictions that limit our abilities to incur certain additional debt or liens or engage in other transactions, which could limit growth and our ability to respond to changing conditions.

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The Indenture, our Credit Agreement and our Subsidiary Credit Agreement governing our indebtedness contain a number of significant restrictive covenants in addition to covenants restricting the incurrence of additional debt. These covenants limit our ability and the ability of our restricted subsidiaries, among other things, to:

Our Credit Agreement requires us, among other things, to maintain certain financial ratios and satisfy certain financial condition tests. These restrictions may also limit our ability to obtain future financings, withstand a future downturn in our business or the economy in general, or otherwise conduct necessary corporate activities. We may also be prevented from taking advantage of business opportunities that arise because of the limitations imposed on us from the restrictive covenants under our indentures governing our outstanding notes and our Credit Agreement.

A breach of any covenant in the agreements governing our debt would result in a default under such agreement after any applicable grace periods. A default, if not waived, could result in acceleration of the debt outstanding under such agreement and in a default with respect to, and acceleration of, the debt outstanding under any other debt agreements. The accelerated debt would become immediately due and payable. If that should occur, we may not be able to make all of the required payments or borrow sufficient funds to refinance such accelerated debt. Even if new financing were then available, it may not be on terms that are acceptable to us.

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If we default on our secured debt, the value of the collateral securing our secured debt may not be sufficient to ensure repayment of all of such debt.

Our Credit Agreement and our outstanding Second Lien Senior Notes are secured by various liens on our oil, natural gas and NGL properties, excluding our Mobile Bay properties. Our Senior Second Lien Notes are secured by a second priority lien on substantially all of such properties. The oil and gas assets of, and equity in, certain of our subsidiaries that own our Mobile Bay assets (the Borrower Subsidiaries, as defined in Financial Statements and Supplementary Data – Note 2 – Debt under Part II, Item 8 in this Form 10-K), are pledged on a first priority basis to secure our Term Loan. Any future borrowings under our Credit Agreement would be secured on a first priority basis by the assets securing the Second Lien Term Notes. In addition, we have certain rights to issue or incur additional or new secured debt, that could be secured by additional liens on the collateral and an issuance or incurrence of such additional secured debt would dilute the value of the collateral securing our outstanding secured debt. If the proceeds of the sale of the collateral securing the Senior Second Lien Notes or any future indebtedness incurred under the Credit Agreement are not sufficient to repay all amounts due in respect of such debt, then claims against our remaining assets to repay any amounts still outstanding under our secured obligations would be unsecured and our ability to pay our other unsecured obligations and any distributions in respect of our capital stock would be significantly impaired.

With respect to some of the collateral securing our debt, any collateral trustee’s security interest and ability to foreclose on the collateral will also be limited by the need to meet certain requirements, such as obtaining third party consents, paying court fees that may be based on the principal amount of the parity lien obligations and making additional filings. If we are unable to obtain these consents, pay such fees or make these filings, the security interests may be invalid, and the applicable holders and lenders will not be entitled to the collateral or any recovery with respect thereto. These requirements may limit the number of potential bidders for certain collateral in any foreclosure and may delay any sale, either of which events may have an adverse effect on the sale price of the collateral.

We may be required to post cash collateral pursuant to our agreements with sureties under our existing or future bonding arrangements, which could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity and our ability to execute our capital expenditure plan, our ARO plan and comply with our existing debt instruments.

Pursuant to the terms of our agreements with various sureties under our existing bonding arrangements, or under any future bonding arrangements we may enter into, we may be required to post collateral at any time, on demand, at the surety’s sole discretion. Additional collateral would likely be in the form of cash or letters of credit. We cannot provide assurance that we will be able to satisfy collateral demands for current bonds or for future bonds.

If we are required to provide additional collateral, our liquidity position will be negatively impacted, and we may be required to seek alternative financing. To the extent we are unable to secure adequate financing, we may be forced to reduce our capital expenditures in the current year or future years, may be unable to execute our ARO plan or may be unable to comply with our existing debt instruments.

Legal and Regulatory Risks

The Biden Administration may pursue significant regulatory and political actions that could adversely affect our results of operations, and our ability to implement our business strategy.

President Biden has made addressing the threat of climate change from GHG emissions a priority under his Administration. Regulatory agencies under the Biden Administration have issued proposed rulemakings, and may issue new or amended rulemakings in support of President Biden’s regulatory and political agenda, which include reducing dependence on, and use of, fossil fuels and curtailment of hydraulic fracturing on federal lands. Our operations in the Gulf of Mexico require permits from federal and state governmental agencies in order to perform drilling and completion activities and conduct other regulated activities and the Biden Administration may continue pursuing actions that delay or refuse approval of new leases for hydrocarbon exploration and development on federal lands and waters or delay or fail to grant approvals required for development of existing leases on such lands and waters. See Part I, Item 1, Business – Compliance with Governmental Regulations for more discussion on orders and regulatory initiatives impacting the oil and natural gas industry pursued under the Biden Administration. To the extent that our operations in federal waters are restricted, delayed for varying lengths of time or cancelled, such developments could have a material

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adverse effect on our results of operations, our ability to replace reserves and the ability to implement our business strategy.

We may be unable to provide the financial assurances in the amounts and under the time periods required by the BOEM if the BOEM submits future demands to cover our decommissioning obligations. If in the future the BOEM issues orders to provide additional financial assurances and we fail to comply with such future orders, the BOEM could elect to take actions that would materially adversely impact our operations and our properties, including commencing proceedings to suspend our operations or cancel our federal offshore leases.

The BOEM requires that lessees demonstrate financial strength and reliability according to its regulations and provide acceptable financial assurances to assure satisfaction of lease obligations, including decommissioning activities on the OCS. As of the filing date of this Form 10-K, we are in compliance with our financial assurance obligations to the BOEM and have no outstanding BOEM orders, requests or financial assurance obligations. The BOEM under the Obama and Trump Administrations had sought to implement varying levels of stringent and costly standards under the existing federal financial assurance requirements, either through issuance and implementation of NTL #2016-N01 as was the case under the Obama Administration, or proposing rulemaking to revise the decommissioning and related financial assurance regulations as was the case under the Trump Administration. However, BOEM under the Biden Administration is expected to propose new financial assurance requirements that, if adopted as proposed, could increase our operating costs. See Part I, Item 1, Business – Compliance with Governmental Regulations for more discussion on financial assurance regulatory initiatives impacting the oil and natural gas industry that may be pursued under the Biden Administration. Additionally, the BOEM could in the future make new demands for additional financial assurances covering our obligations under our properties, which could exceed the Company’s capabilities to provide. If we fail to comply with such future orders, the BOEM could commence enforcement proceedings or take other remedial action, including assessing civil penalties, suspending operations or production, or initiating procedures to cancel leases, which, if upheld, would have a material adverse effect on our business, properties, results of operations and financial condition.

We may be limited in our ability to maintain or recognize additional proved undeveloped reserves under current SEC guidance.

SEC rules require that, subject to limited exceptions, PUD reserves may only be booked if they relate to wells scheduled to be drilled within five years after the date of initial booking. This requirement may limit our ability to book additional PUD reserves as we pursue our drilling program. Moreover, we may be required to write down our PUD reserves if we do not drill those wells within the required five-year timeframe.

Additional deepwater drilling laws, regulations and other restrictions, delays and other offshore-related developments in the Gulf of Mexico may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.

In January 2021, President Biden suspended new oil and natural gas leases on federal lands and waters, including the OCS pending review and reconsideration of federal oil and gas leasing and permitting practices. While this suspension was challenged and enjoined in June 2021 by a federal district court, the Biden Administration is appealing the court decision. Additionally, regulatory agencies under the Biden Administration may issue new or amended rulemakings regarding deep water leasing, permitting or drilling that could result in more stringent or costly restrictions, delays or cancellations to our operations as well as those of similarly situated offshore energy companies on the OCS. The BSEE and the BOEM have over the past decade, primarily under the Obama Administration, imposed more stringent permitting procedures and regulatory safety and performance requirements with respect to new wells drilled in federal deepwater. While actions by BSEE or BOEM under the former Trump Administration sought to mitigate or delay certain of those more rigorous standards, the Biden Administration could reconsider rules and regulatory initiatives implemented under the Trump Administration and replace them with new, more stringent requirements and also provide more rigorous enforcement of existing regulatory requirements. Compliance with any added or more stringent Biden Administration regulatory requirements or enforcement initiatives and existing environmental and spill regulations, together with uncertainties or inconsistencies in decisions and rulings by governmental agencies and delays in the processing and approval of drilling permits and exploration, development, oil spill response and decommissioning plans and possible additional regulatory initiatives could result in difficult and more costly actions and adversely affect or delay new drilling and ongoing development efforts. Moreover, governmental agencies under the Biden Administration

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are expected to continue to evaluate aspects of safety and operational performance in the United States Gulf of Mexico that could result in new, more restrictive requirements.

These regulatory actions, or any new rules, regulations, or legal or enforcement initiatives or controls that impose increased costs or more stringent operational standards could delay or disrupt our operations, result in increased supplemental bonding and costs and limit activities in certain areas, or cause us to incur penalties, fines, or shut-in production at one or more of our facilities or result in the suspension or cancellation of leases. Also, if material spill incidents were to occur in the future, the United States could elect to issue directives to temporarily cease drilling activities and, in any event, issue further safety and environmental laws and regulations regarding offshore oil and natural gas exploration and development, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business. We cannot predict with any certainty the full impact of any new laws or regulations on our drilling operations or on the cost or availability of insurance to cover some or all of the risks associated with such operations. See Part I, Item 1. Business – Compliance with Governmental Regulations for more discussion on orders and regulatory initiatives impacting the oil and natural gas industry that are being pursued under the Biden Administration.

Our estimates of future ARO may vary significantly from period to period and are especially significant because our operations are concentrated in the Gulf of Mexico.

We are required to record a liability for the present value of our ARO to plug and abandon inactive non-producing wells, to remove inactive or damaged platforms, and inactive or damaged facilities and equipment, collectively referred to as “idle iron,” and to restore the land or seabed at the end of oil and natural gas production operations. An existing BSEE NTL describes the obligations of offshore operators to timely decommission idle iron by means of abandonment and removal. Pursuant to these idle iron NTL requirements, BSEE issued us letters, directing us to plug and abandon certain wells that the agency identified as no longer capable of production in paying quantities by specified timelines. In response, we are currently evaluating the list of wells proposed as idle iron by BSEE and currently anticipate that those wells determined to be idle iron will be decommissioned by the specified timelines or at times as otherwise determined by BSEE following further discussions with the agency. While we have established AROs for well decommissioning, additional AROs, significant in amount, may be necessary to conduct plugging and abandonment of the wells designated in the future as idle iron, but we do not expect the costs to plug and abandon such additional wells will have a material effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. Nevertheless, these decommissioning activities are typically considerably more expensive for offshore operations as compared to most land-based operations due to increased regulatory scrutiny and the logistical issues associated with working in waters of various depths, and there exists the possibility that increased liabilities beyond what we established as AROs may arise and the pace for completing these activities could be adversely affected by idle iron decommissioning activities being pursued by other offshore oil and gas lessees that may also have received similar BSEE directives, which could restrict the availability of equipment and experienced workforce necessary to accomplish this work.

Moreover, BSEE under the Biden Administration could also reconsider its current NTL on idle iron removal or existing idle iron-related regulations and establish new, more stringent decommissioning requirements on an expedited basis. Estimating future restoration and removal costs in the Gulf of Mexico is especially difficult because most of the removal obligations may be many years in the future, regulatory requirements are subject to change or such requirements may be interpreted more restrictively, and asset removal technologies are constantly evolving, which may result in additional or increased costs. As a result, we may make significant increases or decreases to our estimated ARO in future periods. For example, because we operate in the Gulf of Mexico, platforms, facilities and equipment are subject to damage or destruction as a result of hurricanes. The estimated cost to plug and abandon a well or dismantle a platform can change dramatically if the host platform, from which the work was anticipated to be performed, is damaged or toppled rather than structurally intact. Accordingly, our estimate of future ARO will differ dramatically from our recorded estimate if we have a damaged platform.

Any additional requirements under BOEM’s formerly issued NTL #2016-N01, if it were re-issued and fully implemented, or in the event BOEM under the Biden Administration were to issue new, more stringent financial assurance guidance or requirements, would increase our operating costs and reduce the availability of surety bonds due to the increased demands for such bonds in a low-price commodity environment. In addition, increased demand for salvage contractors and equipment could result in increased costs for decommissioning activities, including plugging and abandonment operations. These items have, and may further, increase our costs and impact our liquidity adversely.

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In addition, the U.S. Government imposes strict joint and several liability under the OCSLA on the various lessees of a federal oil and gas lease for lease obligations, including decommissioning activities, which means that any single co-lessee may be liable to the U.S. Government for the full amount of all of the multiple lessees’ obligations under the lease. In certain circumstances, we also could be liable for accrued decommissioning liabilities on federal oil and gas leases that we previously owned and assigned to an unrelated third party should the assignee to whom we assigned the leases or any future assignee of those leases is unable to perform its decommissioning obligations (including payment of costs incurred by unrelated parties in decommissioning such lease facilities). For example, we have in the past received a demand for payment of decommissioning costs related to accrued liabilities for property interests that were sold several years prior. These indirect obligations would affect our costs, operating profits and cash flows negatively and could be material.

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

Our operations and facilities are subject to extensive federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the exploration, development, production and transportation of crude oil and natural gas and operational safety. Future laws or regulations, any adverse change in the interpretation of existing laws and regulations or our failure to comply with such legal requirements may harm our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Our operations could be significantly delayed or curtailed, and our cost of operations could significantly increase as a result of regulatory requirements or restrictions. Regulated matters include lease permit restrictions; limitations on our drilling activities in environmentally sensitive areas, such as marine habitats, and restrictions on the way we can discharge materials into the environment; bonds or other financial responsibility requirements to cover drilling contingencies and well decommissioning costs; the spacing of wells; operational reporting; reporting of natural gas sales for resale; and taxation. Under these laws and regulations, we could be liable for personal injuries; property and natural resource damages; well site reclamation costs; and governmental sanctions, such as fines and penalties.

We are unable to predict the ultimate cost of compliance with these requirements or their effect on our operations. It is also possible that a portion of our oil and natural gas properties could be subject to eminent domain proceedings or other government takings for which we may not be adequately compensated. See Business – Compliance with Government Regulations under Part I, Item 1 in this Form 10-K for a more detailed explanation of regulations impacting our business.

Our operations may incur substantial liabilities to comply with environmental laws and regulations as well as legal requirements applicable to MPAs and endangered and threatened species.

Our oil and natural gas operations are subject to stringent federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the release or disposal of materials into the environment or otherwise relating to environmental protection. These laws and regulations require the acquisition of a permit or other approval before drilling or other regulated activity commences; restrict the types, quantities and concentration of substances that can be released into the environment in connection with drilling and production activities; limit or prohibit exploration or drilling activities on certain lands lying within wilderness, wetlands, MPAs and other protected areas or that may affect certain wildlife, including marine species and endangered and threatened species; and impose substantial liabilities for pollution resulting from our operations.

Failure to comply with these laws and regulations may result in the assessment of administrative, civil and criminal penalties; loss of our leases; incurrence of investigatory, remedial or corrective obligations; and the imposition of injunctive relief, which could prohibit, limit or restrict our operations in a particular area.

Changes in environmental laws and regulations occur frequently, and any changes that result in more stringent or costly waste handling, storage, transport, disposal or cleanup requirements could require us to make significant expenditures to attain and maintain compliance and may otherwise have a material adverse effect on our industry in general and on our own results of operations, competitive position or financial condition. Under these environmental laws and regulations, we could incur strict joint and several liability for the removal or remediation of previously released materials or property contamination, regardless of whether we were responsible for the release or contamination

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and regardless of whether our operations met previous standards in the industry at the time they were conducted. Our permits require that we report any incidents that cause or could cause environmental damages.

New laws and regulations, amendment of existing laws and regulations, reinterpretation of legal requirements or increased governmental enforcement could significantly increase our capital expenditures and operating costs or could result in delays, limitations or cancelations to our exploration and production activities, which could have an adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows. See Business – Compliance with Environmental Regulations under Part I, Item 1 in this Form 10-K for a more detailed description of our environmental, marine species, and endangered and threatened species regulations.

The threat of climate change could result in increased costs and reduced demand for the oil and natural gas we produce, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

The threat of climate change continues to attract considerable attention in the United States and foreign countries. As a result, numerous proposals have been made and are likely to continue to be made at the international, national, regional and state levels of government to monitor and limit emissions of GHGs as well as to eliminate such future emissions. As a result, our operations are subject to a series of regulatory, political and litigation and financial risks associated with the production and processing of fossil fuels and emission of GHGs. See Part I, Item 1. “Business – Compliance with Environmental Regulations” for more discussion on the threat of climate and restriction of GHG emissions. The adoption and implementation of any international, federal, regional or state legislation, executive actions, regulations or other regulatory initiatives that impose more stringent standards for GHG emissions on our operations or in areas where we produce oil and natural gas could result in increased compliance costs or costs of consuming fossil fuels, and thereby reduce demand for the oil and natural gas that we produce. Additionally, political, financial and litigation risks may result in us having to restrict, delay or cancel production activities, incur liability for infrastructure damages as a result of climatic changes, or impair the ability to continue to operate in an economic manner, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Increasing attention to climate change, increasing societal expectations on companies to address climate change, and potential customer use of substitutes to energy commodities may result in increased costs, reduced demand for oil and natural gas we produce, resulting in reduced profits, increased investigations and litigation, and negative impacts on our stock price and access to capital markets. Moreover, the increased competitiveness of alternative energy sources (such as wind, solar geothermal, tidal and biofuels) could reduce demand for the oil and natural gas we produce, which would lead to a reduction in our revenues. Finally, increasing concentrations of GHG in the Earth’s atmosphere may produce climate changes that have significant physical effects, such as increased frequency and severity of storms, droughts, floods, rising sea levels and other climatic events.

Increasing attention to Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) matters may impact our business.

Increasing attention to climate change, societal expectations for companies to address climate change, investor and societal expectations regarding voluntary ESG disclosures, and consumer demand for alternative forms of energy may result in increased costs, reduced demand for the oil and natural gas we produce, reduced profits, increased risks of governmental investigations and private party litigation, and negative impacts on our stock price and access to capital markets. Increasing attention to climate change and environmental conservation, for example, may result in demand shifts from oil and natural gas products and bias against companies operating in the sector. To the extent that societal pressures or political or other factors are involved, it is possible that such liability could be imposed without regard to our causation of or contribution to the asserted damage, or to other mitigating factors.

We have established a managerial ESG Task Force composed of cross-functional management-level employees in Operations, HSE&R, Legal, Human Resources, Investor Relations, and Finance. This task force is responsible for overseeing and managing our ESG reporting initiatives and suggesting areas of focus to our executive management. Executive management in turn reports on those activities to the Board of Directors. Throughout 2021, we undertook several initiatives to improve our ESG performance. From an environmental perspective, we consolidated the gas processing operations for our Mobile Bay assets which lowered our greenhouse gas emissions related to the operation of those assets. On the social front, we instituted a company-wide diversity training program and tied completion of that program to our short-term compensation for the year. Relating to governance, we continued to assess

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the various competing ESG frameworks; executive management and the Board are evaluating the appropriate oversight and management policies and procedures that would allow us to continue to strengthen our ESG performance. Our current ESG governance structure may not allow us to adequately identify or manage ESG related risks and opportunities, which may include failing to achieve ESG-related strategies and goals.

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Organizations that provide information to investors on corporate governance, climate change, health and safety and other ESG related factors have developed ratings processes for evaluating companies on their approach to ESG matters. Such ratings are used by some investors to inform their investment decisions. Unfavorable ESG ratings and recent activism directed at shifting funding away from companies with fossil energy-related assets could lead to increased negative investor sentiment toward us or our customers and to the diversion of investment to other industries, which could have a negative impact on our unit price and/or our access to and costs of capital.

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Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments

None.

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Item 2. Properties

Our producing fields are located in federal and state waters in the Gulf of Mexico in water depths ranging from less than 10 feet up to 7,300 feet. The reservoirs in our offshore fields are generally characterized as having high porosity and permeability, with higher initial production rates relative to other domestic reservoirs. As of December 31, 2021, two of our fields located in the conventional shelf accounted for approximately 71.6% our proved reserves on an energy equivalent basis. The following table provides information for these fields:

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The Mobile Bay Properties and Ship Shoal 349 (Mahogany) are two areas of operations of major significance, which we define as having year-end proved reserves of 10% or more of the Company’s total proved reserves on an energy equivalent basis. Each area of operation of major significance is described in detail below. Unless indicated otherwise, “drilling” or “drilled” in the descriptions below refers to when the drilling reached target depth, as this measurement usually has a higher correlation to changes in proved reserves compared to using the SEC’s definition for completion. Following are descriptions of these areas of operations:

Mobile Bay Properties

The Mobile Bay Properties (including the Fairway field) consist of interests located off the coast of Alabama, in state coastal and federal Gulf of Mexico waters approximately 70 miles south of Mobile, Alabama. During 2021, we consolidated the Fairway field into the Mobile Bay Properties in conjunction with the Mobile Bay Transaction as described in Financial Statements and Supplementary Data – Note 4 - Mobile Bay Transaction under Part II, Item 8 in this Form 10-K. The field area includes 17 Alabama state water lease blocks and four Federal OCS lease blocks. These properties include seven major platforms and 21 flowing wells, in up to 50 feet of water.

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We acquired our initial 64.3% working interest, along with operatorship, in the Fairway Field and associated Yellowhammer gas processing plant, from Shell Offshore, Inc. in August 2011 and acquired the remaining working interest of 35.7% in September 2014. In August 2019, we acquired varied operated working interests in the other Mobile Bay Properties ranging from 25% to 100% in nine producing fields from Exxon (effective January 1, 2019), and we became the operator of the fields in December 2019. During September 2019 to December 2019, transitioning activities occurred to transfer operatorship of the Mobile Bay Properties from Exxon to W&T. During 2020, we completed the purchase of the remaining interest in two federal Mobile Bay fields from Chevron U.S.A. Inc. Cumulative field production for the combined Mobile Bay and Fairway properties through 2021 is approximately 843.9 MMBoe gross. The Mobile Bay Properties produce from the Jurassic age Norphlet eolian sandstone at an average depth of 21,000 feet total vertical depth. As of December 31, 2021, 56 Norphlet wells have been drilled on the Mobile Bay Properties, 45 of which were successful and 27 of which are currently producing.

As we did not acquire the majority of the Mobile Bay Properties until the end of August 2019, the results of operations were not included within our Consolidated Results of Operations until September 1, 2019. Given the limited history of the full combined Mobile Bay Properties and Fairway field, production volumes, realized prices received and production costs are not presented for 2019.

The following table presents our produced oil, NGLs and natural gas volumes (net to our interests) from the Mobile Bay Properties over the past two years:

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Ship Shoal 349 Field (Mahogany)

Ship Shoal 349 field is located off the coast of Louisiana, approximately 235 miles southeast of New Orleans, Louisiana. The field area covers Ship Shoal federal OCS blocks 349 and 359, with a single production platform on Ship Shoal block 349 in 375 feet of water. Phillips Petroleum Company discovered the field in 1993. We initially acquired a 25% working interest in the field from BP Amoco in 1999. In 2003, we acquired an additional 34% working interest through a transaction with ConocoPhillips that increased our working interest to approximately 59%, and we became the operator of the field in December 2004. In early 2008, we acquired the remaining working interest from Apache Corporation (“Apache”) and we now own a 100% working interest in this field except for an interest in one well owned by the Joint Venture Drilling Program. Cumulative field production through 2021 is approximately 59.3 MMBoe gross. This field is a sub-salt development with nine productive horizons below salt at depths up to 18,000 feet. As of December 31, 2021, 31 wells have been drilled and 26 were successful. Since acquiring an interest and subsequently taking over as operator, we have directly participated in drilling 17 wells with a 100% success rate. During 2018, one well was completed which had been drilled to target depth during 2017, and in addition, two wells were drilled and completed during 2018. During 2019, one well was drilled, completed and producing in 2019, and significant workover activities were done to increase production. There has been no additional drilling activity since 2019 at Ship Shoal 349.

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The following table presents our produced oil, NGLs and natural gas volumes (net to our interests) from the Ship Shoal 349 field over the past three years:

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Proved Reserves

Our proved reserves were estimated by Netherland, Sewell & Associates, Inc (“NSAI”), our independent petroleum consultant, and amounts provided in this Form 10-K are consistent with filings we make with other federal agencies. Our proved reserves as of December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019 are summarized below:

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Reconciliation of Standardized Measure to PV-10

Neither PV-10 nor PV-10 after ARO are financial measures defined under GAAP; therefore, the following table reconciles these amounts to the standardized measure of discounted future net cash flows, which is the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure. Management believes that the non-GAAP financial measures of PV-10 and PV-10 after ARO are relevant and useful for evaluating the relative monetary significance of oil and natural gas properties. PV-10 and PV-10 after ARO are used internally when assessing the potential return on investment related to oil and natural gas properties and in evaluating acquisition opportunities. We believe the use of pre-tax measures is valuable because there are many unique factors that can impact an individual company when estimating the amount of future income taxes to be paid. Management believes that the presentation of PV-10 and PV-10 after ARO provide useful information to investors because they are widely used by professional analysts and sophisticated investors in evaluating oil and natural gas companies. PV-10 and PV-10 after ARO are not measures of financial or operating performance under GAAP, nor are they intended to represent the current market value of our estimated oil and natural gas reserves. PV-10 and PV-10 after ARO should not be considered in isolation or as substitutes for the standardized measure of discounted future net cash flows as defined under GAAP. Investors should not assume that PV-10, or PV-10 after ARO, of our proved oil and natural gas reserves shown above represent a current market value of our estimated oil and natural gas reserves.

The reconciliation of PV-10 and PV-10 after ARO to the standardized measure of discounted future net cash flows relating to our estimated proved oil and natural gas reserves is as follows (in millions):

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Changes in Proved Reserves

The following table discloses our estimated changes in proved reserves during the year ended December 31, 2021:

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 See Development of Proved Undeveloped Reserves below for a table reconciling the change in proved undeveloped reserves during 2021. See Financial Statements and Supplementary Data– Note 19 – Supplemental Oil and Gas Disclosures under Part II, Item 8 in this Form 10-K for additional information.

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Our estimates of proved reserves, PV-10 and the standardized measure as December 31, 2021 are calculated based upon SEC mandated 2021 unweighted average first-day-of-the-month crude oil and natural gas benchmark prices, and adjusting for quality, transportation fees, energy content and regional price differentials, which may or may not represent current prices. If prices fall below the 2021 levels, absent significant proved reserve additions, this may reduce future estimated proved reserve volumes due to lower economic limits and economic return thresholds for undeveloped reserves, as well as impact our results of operations, cash flows, quarterly full cost impairment ceiling tests and volume-dependent depletion cost calculations. See Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in Part II, Item 7 in this Form 10-K for additional information.

Development of Proved Undeveloped Reserves

Our PUDs were estimated by NSAI, our independent petroleum consultant. Future development costs associated with our PUDs at December 31, 2021 were estimated at $358.3 million.

The following table presents changes in our PUDs (in MMBoe):

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Activity related to PUD in 2021:

Activity related to PUDs in 2020:

Activity related to PUDs in 2019:

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The following table presents our estimates as to the timing of converting our PUDs to proved developed reserves:

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We believe that we will be able to develop all but 2.5 MMBoe (approximately 12%) of the total 20.6 MMBoe classified as PUDs at December 31, 2021, within five years from the date such PUDs were initially recorded. The lone exceptions are at the Mississippi Canyon 243 field (“Matterhorn”) and Viosca Knoll 823 (“Virgo”) deepwater fields where future development drilling has been planned as sidetracks of existing wellbores due to conductor slot limitations and rig availability. Two sidetrack PUD locations, one each at Matterhorn and Virgo, will be delayed until an existing well is depleted and available to sidetrack. We also plan to recomplete and convert an existing producer at Matterhorn to water injection for improved recovery following depletion of the existing well. Based on the latest reserve report, these PUD locations are expected to be developed in 2023 and 2024.

Qualifications of Technical Persons and Internal Controls over Reserves Estimation Process

Our estimated proved reserve information as of December 31, 2021 included in this Form 10-K was prepared by our independent petroleum consultants, NSAI, in accordance with generally accepted petroleum engineering and evaluation principles and definitions and guidelines established by the SEC. The NSAI report is based on its independent evaluation of engineering and geophysical data, product pricing, operating expenses, and the reasonableness of future capital requirements and development timing estimates provided by W&T. The scope and results of their procedures are summarized in a letter included as an exhibit to this Form 10-K. The primary technical person at NSAI responsible for overseeing the preparation of the reserves estimates presented herein has been practicing consulting petroleum engineering at NSAI since 2013 and has over 14 years of prior industry experience. NSAI has informed us that he meets or exceeds the education, training, and experience requirements set forth in the Standards Pertaining to the Estimating and Auditing of Oil and Gas Reserves Information promulgated by the Society of Petroleum Engineers and is proficient in the application of industry standard practices to engineering evaluations as well as the application of SEC and other industry definitions and guidelines.

We maintain an internal staff of reservoir engineers and geoscience professionals who work closely with our independent petroleum consultant to ensure the integrity, accuracy and timeliness of the data, methods and assumptions used in the preparation of the reserves estimates. Additionally, our senior management reviews any significant changes to our proved reserves on a quarterly basis. Our Director of Reservoir Engineering has over 30 years of oil and gas industry experience and has managed the preparation of public company reserve estimates the last 16 years. He joined the Company in 2016 after spending the preceding 12 years as Director of Corporate Engineering for Freeport-McMoRan Oil & Gas. He has also served in various engineering and strategic planning roles with both Kerr-McGee and with Conoco, Inc. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Petroleum Engineering from Texas A&M University in 1989 and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Houston in 1999.

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Reserve Technologies

Proved reserves are those quantities of oil and natural gas, which, by analysis of geoscience 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. The term “reasonable certainty” implies a high degree of confidence that the quantities of oil and/or natural gas actually recovered will equal or exceed the estimate. To achieve reasonable certainty, our independent petroleum consultant employed technologies that have been demonstrated to yield results with consistency and repeatability. The technologies and economic data used in the estimation of our proved reserves include, but are not limited to, well logs, geologic maps, seismic data, well test data, production data, historical price and cost information and property ownership interests. The accuracy of the estimates of our reserves is a function of:

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Because these estimates depend on many assumptions, any or all of which may differ substantially from actual results, reserve estimates may be different from the quantities of oil and natural gas that are ultimately recovered.

Reporting of Natural Gas and Natural Gas Liquids

We produce NGLs as part of the processing of our natural gas. The extraction of NGLs in the processing of natural gas reduces the volume of natural gas available for sale. We report all natural gas production information net of the effect of any reduction in natural gas volumes resulting from the processing of NGLs. We convert barrels to Mcfe using an energy-equivalent ratio of six Mcf to one barrel of oil, condensate or NGLs. This energy-equivalent ratio does not assume price equivalency, and the energy-equivalent prices for crude oil, NGLs and natural gas may differ substantially.

Acreage

The following table summarizes our leasehold at December 31, 2021. Deepwater refers to acreage in over 500 feet of water:

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Approximately 82% of our net acreage is held by production. We have the right to propose future exploration and development projects on the majority of our acreage.

Regarding the undeveloped leasehold, of the total 72,890 net undeveloped acres none could expire in 2022; 25,395 net acres (35%) could expire in 2023; 24,662 net acres (34%) could expire in 2024; 11,313 net acres (15%) could expire in 2025; and 11,520 net acres (16%) could expire in 2025 and beyond. In making decisions regarding drilling and operations activity for 2022 and beyond, we give consideration to undeveloped leasehold that may expire in the near term in order that we might retain the opportunity to extend such acreage.

Our net acreage decreased 93,815 net acres (19%) from December 31, 2020 due to lease expirations and relinquishments.

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Drilling Activity

The table below is based on the SEC’s criteria of completion or abandonment to determine wells drilled.

Development and Exploration Drilling

The following table summarizes our development and exploration offshore wells completed over the past three years:

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Our success rates related to our development and exploration wells was 100% in 2019, with all wells drilled and completed being productive and none were non-commercial (dry holes).

Drilling Activity

During 2020, we drilled one well, which we completed in March 2022. During 2021, we participated in the drilling of an exploration well which we do not expect to complete.

Capital Expenditures

See Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Liquidity and Capital Resources – Capital Expenditures under Part II, Item 7 in this Form 10-K for capital expenditure information.

Productive Wells

The following presents our ownership interest at December 31, 2021 in our productive oil and natural gas wells. A net well represents our fractional working interest of a gross well in which we own less than all of the working interest:

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Production

For the years 2021, 2020 and 2019, our net daily production averaged 38,117 Boe, 42,046 Boe, and 40,634 Boe, respectively. Production decreased in 2021 from 2020 primarily due to temporary shut-in and deferral of as much as approximately 80% of the Company’s production in preparation for, and as a result of, the effects of Hurricane Ida as well as other well maintenance events throughout the year. See Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Results of Operations under Part II, Item 7 in this Form 10-K for additional information.

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