Goodwill and Intangible Assets
The Company’s amortizable intangible assets relate to third-party customer contracts, which were $15.0 million at December 31, 2020 (Successor). Accumulated amortization of intangible assets was immaterial at December 31, 2020 (Successor). The Company’s non-amortizable intangible assets at December 31, 2020 (Successor) were $28.7 million, consisting of the Company’s interest in OMP GP and seismic data. In addition, the excess of the Successor’s reorganization value over the fair value of identified tangible and intangible assets as of the Emergence Date was reported separately on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets as goodwill. The Company’s non-amortizable intangible assets at December 31, 2019 (Predecessor) were $0.7 million, consisting of seismic data.
Based on the carrying value of amortizable intangible assets at December 31, 2020 (Successor), amortization expense for the subsequent five years is estimated as follows:
(In thousands)
2021$2,723 
20222,723 
20232,723 
20242,723 
2025959 
Thereafter3,149 

About Goodwill & Intangibles Disclosures

Goodwill and intangible asset disclosures reveal the premium paid in acquisitions and how management assesses whether that premium retains its value. Since goodwill is no longer amortized under US GAAP, the annual impairment test is the only mechanism that adjusts carrying values downward — making the assumptions behind that test critically important for investors.

Key signals: a history of goodwill impairments suggests management consistently overpays for acquisitions. Watch the gap between reporting unit fair value and carrying amount — when fair value exceeds carrying amount by less than 10-20%, a small decline in business performance could trigger a write-down. For finite-lived intangibles, examine useful life assumptions across customer relationships, technology, and trade names; aggressive estimates inflate near-term earnings. Compare total intangibles-to-total-assets ratios against peers to assess acquisition dependency. Rising goodwill as a percentage of equity can signal balance sheet fragility.