CONSOL Energy Inc. - Quarter Report: 2021 September (Form 10-Q)

IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS REFERENCED IN THIS QUARTERLY REPORT

Unless the context otherwise requires:

PART I : FINANCIAL INFORMATION

ITEM 1.    FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

CONSOL ENERGY INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)

(unaudited)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

CONSOL ENERGY INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

(Dollars in thousands)

(unaudited)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

CONSOL ENERGY INC.

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(Dollars in thousands)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

CONSOL ENERGY INC.

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(Dollars in thousands)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

CONSOL ENERGY INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

(Dollars in thousands)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

CONSOL ENERGY INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(Dollars in thousands)

(unaudited)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

CONSOL ENERGY INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Unaudited)

(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)

NOTE 1—BASIS OF PRESENTATION:

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 8-03 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Operating results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for future periods.

The Consolidated Balance Sheet at December 31, 2020 has been derived from the Audited Consolidated Financial Statements at that date but does not include all disclosures required by GAAP. This Form 10-Q report should be read in conjunction with CONSOL Energy Inc.'s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020.

Basis of Consolidation

The Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of CONSOL Energy Inc. and its wholly-owned and majority-owned and/or controlled subsidiaries. The portion of these entities that is not owned by the Company is presented as non-controlling interest. All significant intercompany transactions and accounts have been eliminated in consolidation.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In May 2021, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2021-04 - Earnings Per Share (Topic 260), Debt—Modifications and Extinguishments (Subtopic 470-50), Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718) and Derivatives and Hedging—Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40). The amendments in this update affect all entities that issue freestanding written call options that are classified in equity. Specifically, the amendments affect those entities when a freestanding equity-classified written call option is modified or exchanged and remains equity classified after the modification or exchange. The amendments that relate to the recognition and measurement of EPS for certain modifications or exchanges of freestanding equity-classified written call options affect entities that present EPS in accordance with the guidance in Topic 260, Earnings Per Share. The amendments in this update are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Management is currently evaluating the impact of this guidance, but does not expect this update to have a material impact on the Company's financial statements.

Earnings per Share

Basic earnings per share are computed by dividing net loss attributable to CONSOL Energy Inc. stockholders by the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the reporting period. Dilutive earnings per share are computed similarly to basic earnings per share, except that the weighted average number of shares outstanding is increased to include additional shares from restricted stock units and performance share units, if dilutive. The number of additional shares is calculated by assuming that outstanding restricted stock units and performance share units were released, and that the proceeds from such activities were used to acquire shares of common stock at the average market price during the reporting period. 

The table below sets forth the share-based awards that have been excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share because their effect would be anti-dilutive:

The computations for basic and dilutive earnings per share are as follows:

*During periods in which the Company incurs a net loss, diluted weighted average shares outstanding are equal to basic weighted average shares outstanding because the effect of all equity awards is anti-dilutive.

As of September 30, 2021, CONSOL Energy has 500,000 shares of preferred stock authorized, none of which are issued or outstanding.

Reclassifications

During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company added the CONSOL Marine Terminal to its reportable segments, as disclosed in Note 17 - Segment Information. As a result, certain reclassifications of 2020 segment information have been made to conform to the 2021 presentation. Additionally, certain amounts in prior periods have been reclassified to conform with the report classifications of the current period, including the reclassification of the current portion of the Company's operating lease liability, previously included in Other Accrued Liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. During the three months ended September 30, 2021, the Company reclassified its unrealized losses on commodity derivative instruments, previously included in Miscellaneous Other Income on the Consolidated Statements of Income, which is a change from the Company's presentation at June 30, 2021. These reclassifications had no effect on previously reported total assets, net income, stockholders' equity or cash flows from operating activities. 

NOTE 2—MAJOR TRANSACTIONS:

Merger with CONSOL Coal Resources LP

On October 22, 2020, CONSOL Energy, the Partnership, the General Partner, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CONSOL Energy, and Merger Sub entered into a definitive merger agreement (the “Merger Agreement”) pursuant to which Merger Sub merged with and into the Partnership, with the Partnership surviving as an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of CONSOL Energy. On December 30, 2020, the CCR Merger was completed and CONSOL Energy issued 7,967,690 shares of common stock to acquire the 10,912,138 common units of CCR not owned by CONSOL Energy prior to the CCR Merger at a fixed exchange ratio of 0.73 shares of CONSOL Energy common stock for each CCR unit, for total implied consideration of $51,710. As a result of the CCR Merger, CCR's common units are no longer publicly traded.

Except for the Partnership's incentive distribution rights, which were automatically canceled immediately prior to the effective time of the CCR Merger for no consideration in accordance with CCR's partnership agreement, the interests in CCR owned by CONSOL Energy and its subsidiaries remain outstanding as limited partner interests in the surviving entity. The General Partner continues to own the non-economic general partner interest in the surviving entity.

Since CONSOL Energy controlled CCR prior to the CCR Merger and continues to control CCR after the CCR Merger, CONSOL Energy accounted for the change in its ownership interest in CCR as an equity transaction, which was reflected as a reduction of noncontrolling interest with corresponding increases to common stock and capital in excess of par value. No gain or loss was recognized in CONSOL Energy's Consolidated Statements of Income as a result of the CCR Merger. The tax effects of the CCR Merger were reported as adjustments to deferred income taxes and capital in excess of par value.

Prior to the effective date of the CCR Merger, public unitholders held a 39.3% equity interest in CCR's outstanding common units and CONSOL Energy owned the remaining 60.7% equity interest in CCR's outstanding common units. The earnings of CCR that were attributed to its common units held by the public prior to the CCR Merger are reflected in Net Loss Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest in the Consolidated Statements of Income. 

The Company incurred $9,822 of transaction costs directly attributable to the CCR Merger during the year ended December 31, 2020, including financial advisory, legal service and other professional fees, which were recorded to Selling, General and Administrative Costs in the Consolidated Statements of Income.

Settlement Transaction with Murray Energy

On September 16, 2020, CONSOL entered into a settlement transaction with (i) Murray Energy Holdings Co., Murray Energy Corporation, and their direct and indirect subsidiaries (such entities that are debtors in possession in Murray Energy Holdings Co.’s jointly administered Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases) and (ii) ACNR Holdings, Inc. to fully and finally resolve the disputes raised in the litigation captioned CONSOL Energy Inc. v Murray Energy Holdings Co., et al., Adversary Case 2:20-ap-02036, arising out of Murray Energy Holdings Co.'s bankruptcy proceedings and any and all other disputes, controversies, or causes of action between and among them. The underlying agreements and compromises, which have been memorialized in definitive documentation, were treated as a single, integrated transaction. As of September 30, 2021, this single, integrated transaction resulted in $4,871 of Other Receivables, net, and $19,156 of Other Assets, net, included in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. As of December 31, 2020, this single, integrated transaction resulted in $4,867 of Other Receivables, net, and $22,055 of Other Assets, net, included in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. See Note 14 - Commitments and Contingent Liabilities with respect to additional information relating to certain liabilities of the Company under the Coal Act (as defined below).

NOTE 3—REVENUE:

The following table disaggregates CONSOL Energy's revenue from contracts with customers to depict how the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of the Company's revenues and cash flows are affected by economic factors:

Coal Revenue

The Company has disaggregated its coal revenue between domestic and export revenues, which depicts the pricing and contract differences between the two. Domestic coal revenue tends to be derived from contracts that typically have a term of one year or longer and the pricing is typically fixed. Export coal revenue tends to be derived from spot or shorter-term contracts with pricing determined closer to the time of shipment or based on a market index.

CONSOL Energy's coal revenue is generally recognized when title passes to the customer and the price is fixed and determinable. Generally, title passes when coal is loaded at the central preparation facility, the CONSOL Marine Terminal or, on occasion, other destinations. The Company's coal contract revenue per ton is fixed and determinable based upon either fixed forward pricing or pricing derived from established indices and adjusted for nominal quality characteristics. Some coal contracts also contain positive electric power price-related adjustments, which represent market-driven price adjustments, wherein no additional value is exchanged, in addition to a fixed base price per ton. The Company’s coal contracts generally do not allow for retroactive adjustments to pricing after title to the coal has passed. The Company's coal supply contracts and other sales and operating revenue contracts vary in length from short-term to long-term contracts and do not typically have significant financing components.

The estimated transaction price from each of the Company's contracts is based on the total amount of consideration to which the Company expects to be entitled under the contract. Included in the transaction price for certain coal supply contracts is the impact of variable consideration, including quality price adjustments, handling services and per ton price fluctuations based on certain coal sales price indices. The estimated transaction price for each contract is allocated to the Company's performance obligations based on relative stand-alone selling prices determined at contract inception. The Company has determined that each ton of coal represents a separate and distinct performance obligation. Some of the Company's contracts span multiple years and have annual pricing modifications, based upon market-driven or inflationary adjustments, where no additional value is exchanged. Management believes that the invoice price is the most appropriate rate at which to recognize revenue.

While CONSOL Energy does, from time to time, experience costs of obtaining coal customer contracts with amortization periods greater than one year, those costs are generally immaterial to the Company's net income. At September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the Company did not have any capitalized costs to obtain customer contracts on its Consolidated Balance Sheets. As of and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, the Company has not recognized any amortization of previously existing capitalized costs of obtaining customer contracts. Further, the Company has not recognized any coal revenue in the current period that is not a result of current period performance.

Terminal Revenue

Terminal revenues are attributable to the Company's CONSOL Marine Terminal and include revenues earned from providing receipt and unloading of coal from rail cars, transporting coal from the receipt point to temporary storage or stockpile facilities located at the Terminal, stockpiling, blending, weighing, sampling, redelivery, and loading of coal onto vessels. Revenues for these services are earned on a ratable basis, and performance obligations are considered fulfilled as the services are performed.

The CONSOL Marine Terminal does not normally experience material costs of obtaining customer contracts with amortization periods greater than one year. At September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the Company did not have any capitalized costs to obtain customer contracts on its Consolidated Balance Sheets. As of and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, the Company has not recognized any amortization of previously existing capitalized costs of obtaining Terminal customer contracts. Further, the Company has not recognized any revenue in the current period that is not a result of current period performance.

Freight Revenue

Some of CONSOL Energy's coal contracts require that the Company sell its coal at locations other than its central preparation plant. The cost to transport the Company's coal to the ultimate sales point is passed through to the Company's customers and CONSOL Energy recognizes the freight revenue equal to the transportation costs when title of the coal passes to the customer.

Contract Balances

Contract assets are recorded separately from trade receivables in the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets and are reclassified to trade receivables as title passes to the customer and the Company's right to consideration becomes unconditional. Payments for coal shipments are typically due within two to four weeks from the invoice date. CONSOL Energy typically does not have material contract assets that are stated separately from trade receivables since the Company's performance obligations are satisfied as control of the goods or services passes to the customer, thereby granting the Company an unconditional right to receive consideration. Contract liabilities relate to consideration received in advance of the satisfaction of the Company's performance obligations. Contract liabilities are recognized as revenue at the point in time when control of the goods pass to the customer, or over time when services are provided.

NOTE 4—MISCELLANEOUS OTHER INCOME:

Contract buyout income earned during 2020 was primarily the result of partial contract buyouts that involved negotiations to reduce coal quantities several customers were otherwise obligated to purchase under contracts in exchange for payment of certain fees to the Company, and do not impact forward contract terms.

The sale of certain coal lease contracts was in connection with one of several transactions completed in the three months ended September 30, 2020 related to the Company's non-operating surface and mineral assets outside of the Pennsylvania Mining Complex.

NOTE 5—COMPONENTS OF PENSION AND OTHER POST-EMPLOYMENT BENEFIT (OPEB) PLANS NET PERIODIC BENEFIT COSTS:

The components of Net Periodic Benefit (Credit) Cost are as follows:

(Credits) expenses related to pension and other post-employment benefits are reflected in Operating and Other Costs in the Consolidated Statements of Income.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2021, lump sum payments exceeded the total of the projected service cost and interest cost for the plan year, triggering settlement accounting. Accordingly, CONSOL Energy recognized expense of $22 for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 in Operating and Other Costs in the Consolidated Statements of Income. The settlement charges represented a pro rata portion of the net unrecognized loss based on the percentage reduction in the projected benefit obligation due to the lump sum payments. The settlement charges noted above also resulted in a remeasurement of the pension plan at June 30, 2021, which reduced the pension liability by $1,009. The settlement and corresponding remeasurement of the pension plan resulted in an adjustment of $766 to Other Comprehensive Income, net of $265 in deferred taxes. 

NOTE 6—COMPONENTS OF COAL WORKERS’ PNEUMOCONIOSIS (CWP) AND WORKERS’ COMPENSATION NET PERIODIC BENEFIT COSTS:

The components of Net Periodic Benefit Cost are as follows:

Expenses related to CWP and workers’ compensation are reflected in Operating and Other Costs in the Consolidated Statements of Income.

NOTE 7—INCOME TAXES:

The Company recorded its provision for income taxes for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 of ($40,258) and ($43,966), respectively, based on its annual estimated income tax rate adjusted for discrete items. The effective tax rate for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 differs from the U.S. federal statutory rate of 21%, primarily due to the income tax benefit for excess percentage depletion, partially offset by tax expense related to compensation. These tax provision amounts also include discrete tax adjustments related to prior years' taxes, state tax law changes and equity compensation.

The provision for income taxes for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 was $5,918 and $143, respectively, which was based on the Company's annual estimated income tax rate adjusted for discrete items. The effective tax rate for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 differed from the U.S. federal statutory rate of 21%, primarily due to the income tax benefit of percentage depletion, partially offset by tax expense related to equity compensation. These tax provision amounts also include discrete tax adjustments related to tax law changes and equity compensation.

The Company utilizes the “more likely than not” standard in recognizing a tax benefit in its financial statements. For the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company did not have any unrecognized tax benefits. 

The Company is subject to taxation in the United States and certain of its various states, as well as Canada and certain of its various provinces. Under the provisions of the tax matters agreement entered into between the Company and its former parent on November 28, 2017 (the “TMA”), certain subsidiaries of the Company are subject to examination for the period January 1, 2017 through November 28, 2017. As a separate taxpayer, the Company is subject to examination for the period November 28, 2017 through  December 31, 2020 for federal and state returns.

NOTE 8—CREDIT LOSSES:

Effective January 1, 2020, the Company adopted ASU 2016-013, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments using a modified retrospective approach. This ASU replaces the incurred loss impairment model with an expected credit loss impairment model for financial instruments, including trade and other receivables. The amendment requires entities to consider forward-looking information to estimate expected credit losses, resulting in earlier recognition of losses for receivables that are current or not yet due, which were not considered under previous accounting guidance. The Company recorded a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings in the amount of $3,298, net of $1,109 of income taxes, for expected credit losses on financial assets at the adoption date.

The following table illustrates the impact of ASC 326.

The Company is exposed to credit losses primarily through sales of products and services. The Company's expected loss allowance methodology for accounts receivable is developed using historical collection experience, current and future economic and market conditions and a review of the current status of customers' trade and other accounts receivables. Due to the short-term nature of such receivables, the estimate of the amount of accounts receivable that may not be collected is based on an aging of the accounts receivable balances and the financial condition of customers. Additionally, specific allowance amounts are established to record the appropriate provision for customers that have a higher probability of default. The Company's monitoring activities include timely account reconciliations, dispute resolution, payment confirmation, consideration of customers' financial condition and macroeconomic conditions.

Balances are written off when determined to be uncollectible. The Company considered the current and expected future economic and market conditions surrounding the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and determined that the estimate of credit losses was not significantly impacted.

Management estimates the allowance balance using relevant available information, from internal and external sources, relating to past events, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts. Historical credit loss experience provides the basis for the estimation of expected credit losses. Adjustments to historical loss information are made for changes to the assessment of anticipated payment, changes in economic conditions, current industry trends in the markets the Company serves, and changes in the financial health of the Company's counterparties.

The following table provides a roll-forward of the allowance for credit losses by portfolio segment that is deducted from the amortized cost basis of accounts receivable to present the net amount expected to be collected.

NOTE 9—INVENTORIES:

Inventory components consist of the following:

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value. The cost of coal inventories is determined by the first-in, first-out (“FIFO”) method. Coal inventory costs include labor, supplies, equipment costs, operating overhead, depreciation, depletion, amortization and other related costs. The cost of supplies inventory is determined by the average cost method and includes operating and maintenance supplies to be used in the Company's coal operations.

NOTE 10—ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE SECURITIZATION:

CONSOL Energy and certain of its U.S. subsidiaries are parties to a trade accounts receivable securitization facility with financial institutions for the sale on a continuous basis of eligible trade accounts receivable. In March 2020, the securitization facility was amended to, among other things, extend the maturity date from August 30, 2021 to March 27, 2023.

Pursuant to the securitization facility, CONSOL Thermal Holdings LLC, an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of the Partnership, sells current and future trade receivables to CONSOL Pennsylvania Coal Company LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. CONSOL Marine Terminals LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, and CONSOL Pennsylvania Coal Company LLC sell and/or contribute current and future trade receivables (including receivables sold to CONSOL Pennsylvania Coal Company LLC by CONSOL Thermal Holdings LLC) to CONSOL Funding LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company (the “SPV”). The SPV, in turn, pledges its interests in the receivables to PNC Bank, N.A., which either makes loans or issues letters of credit on behalf of the SPV. The maximum amount of advances and letters of credit outstanding under the securitization facility may not exceed $100 million.

Loans under the securitization facility accrue interest at a reserve-adjusted LIBOR market index rate equal to the one-month Eurodollar rate. Loans and letters of credit under the securitization facility also accrue a program fee and a letter of credit participation fee, respectively, ranging from 2.00% to 2.50% per annum depending on the total net leverage ratio of CONSOL Energy. In addition, the SPV paid certain structuring fees to PNC Capital Markets LLC and pays other customary fees to the lenders, including a fee on unused commitments equal to 0.60% per annum.

At September 30, 2021, the Company's eligible accounts receivable yielded $23,862 of borrowing capacity. At September 30, 2021, the facility had no outstanding borrowings and $24,306 of letters of credit outstanding, leaving no unused capacity. CONSOL Energy posted $444 of cash collateral to secure the difference in the outstanding letters of credit and the eligible accounts receivable. Cash collateral of $444 is included in Restricted Cash - Current in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. At December 31, 2020, the Company's eligible accounts receivable yielded $31,868 of borrowing capacity. At December 31, 2020, the facility had no outstanding borrowings and $31,218 of letters of credit outstanding, leaving available borrowing capacity of $650. Costs associated with the receivables facility totaled $283 and $801 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021, respectively, and $249 and $882 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, respectively. These costs have been recorded as financing fees which are included in Operating and Other Costs in the Consolidated Statements of Income. The Company has not derecognized any receivables due to its continued involvement in the collections efforts.

NOTE 11—PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT:

Property, plant and equipment consists of the following:

Coal reserves are either owned in fee or controlled by lease. The duration of the leases vary; however, the lease terms are generally extended automatically to the exhaustion of economically recoverable reserves, as long as active mining continues. Coal interests held by lease provide the same rights as fee ownership for mineral extraction and are legally considered real property interests.

As of September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, property, plant and equipment includes gross assets under finance leases of $76,021 and $112,334, respectively. Accumulated amortization for finance leases was $29,403 and $56,761 at September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. Amortization expense for assets under finance leases approximated $6,409 and $6,178 for the three months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively, and $21,456 and $16,680 for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively, and is included in Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Income.

NOTE 12—OTHER ACCRUED LIABILITIES:

NOTE 13—LONG-TERM DEBT:

* Excludes current portion of Finance Lease Obligations of $19,098 and $20,115 at September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively.

In November 2017, CONSOL Energy entered into a revolving credit facility with PNC Bank, N.A. with commitments up to $300,000 (the “Revolving Credit Facility”), a Term Loan A Facility of up to $100,000 (the “TLA Facility”) and a Term Loan B Facility of up to $400,000 (the “TLB Facility”, and together with the Revolving Credit Facility and the TLA Facility, the “Senior Secured Credit Facilities”). On March 28, 2019, the Company amended the Senior Secured Credit Facilities to increase the borrowing commitment of the Revolving Credit Facility to $400,000 and reallocate the principal amounts outstanding under the TLA Facility and the TLB Facility. On March 29, 2021, the Company amended the Senior Secured Credit Facilities to revise the negative covenant with respect to other indebtedness to allow the Company to incur obligations under the tax-exempt solid waste disposal revenue bonds. On April 13, 2021, the Pennsylvania Economic Development Financing Authority (“PEDFA”) Solid Waste Disposal Revenue Bonds were issued. On June 5, 2020, the Company amended the Senior Secured Credit Facilities (the “amendment”) to provide eight quarters of financial covenant relaxation, effect an increase in the rate at which borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility and the TLA Facility bear interest, and add an anti-cash hoarding provision. Borrowings under the Company's Senior Secured Credit Facilities bear interest at a floating rate which can be, at the Company's option, either (i) LIBOR plus an applicable margin or (ii) an alternate base rate plus an applicable margin. The applicable margin for the Revolving Credit Facility and the TLA Facility depends on the total net leverage ratio, whereas the applicable margin for the TLB Facility is fixed. The amendment increased the applicable margin by 50 basis points on both the Revolving Credit Facility and the TLA Facility. The maturity date of the Revolving Credit and TLA Facilities is March 28, 2023. The TLB Facility's maturity date is September 28, 2024. Obligations under the Senior Secured Credit Facilities are guaranteed by (i) all owners of the PAMC held by the Company, (ii) any other members of the Company’s group that own any portion of the collateral securing the Revolving Credit Facility, and (iii) subject to certain customary exceptions and agreed materiality thresholds, all other existing or future direct or indirect wholly-owned restricted subsidiaries of the Company. The obligations are secured by, subject to certain exceptions (including a limitation of pledges of equity interests in certain subsidiaries and certain thresholds with respect to real property), a first-priority lien on (i) the Company’s interest in the PAMC, (ii) the limited partner units of the Partnership held by the Company, (iii) the equity interests in the General Partner held by the Company, (iv) the CONSOL Marine Terminal, (v) the Itmann Mine and (vi) the 1.5 billion tons of Greenfield Reserves.

The Senior Secured Credit Facilities contain a number of customary affirmative covenants. In addition, the Senior Secured Credit Facilities contain a number of negative covenants, including (subject to certain exceptions) limitations on (among other things): indebtedness, liens, investments, acquisitions, dispositions, restricted payments, and prepayments of junior indebtedness. The amendment added additional conditions to be met for the covenants relating to investments in joint ventures, general investments, share repurchases, dividends, and repurchases of Second Lien Notes. The additional conditions require that the Company have no outstanding borrowings and no more than $200,000 of outstanding letters of credit on the Revolving Credit Facility. Further restrictions apply to investments in joint ventures, share repurchases and dividends that require the Company's total net leverage ratio shall not be greater than 2.00 to 1.00.

The Revolving Credit Facility and the TLA Facility also include covenants relating to (i) a maximum first lien gross leverage ratio, (ii) a maximum total net leverage ratio, and (iii) a minimum fixed charge coverage ratio. The maximum first lien gross leverage ratio is calculated as the ratio of Consolidated First Lien Debt to Consolidated EBITDA. Consolidated EBITDA, as used in the covenant calculation, excludes non-cash compensation expenses, non-recurring transaction expenses, extraordinary gains and losses, gains and losses on discontinued operations, non-cash charges related to legacy employee liabilities and gains and losses on debt extinguishment, and subtracts cash payments related to legacy employee liabilities. The maximum total net leverage ratio is calculated as the ratio of Consolidated Indebtedness, minus Cash on Hand, to Consolidated EBITDA. The minimum fixed charge coverage ratio is calculated as the ratio of Consolidated EBITDA to Consolidated Fixed Charges. Consolidated Fixed Charges, as used in the covenant calculation, include cash interest payments, cash payments for income taxes, scheduled debt repayments, dividends paid, and Maintenance Capital Expenditures. The amendment revised the financial covenants applicable to the Revolving Credit Facility and the TLA Facility relating to the maximum first lien gross leverage ratio, maximum total net leverage ratio and minimum fixed charge coverage ratio, so that for the fiscal quarters ending June 30, 2020 through March 31, 2021, the maximum first lien gross leverage ratio shall be 2.50 to 1.00, the maximum total net leverage ratio shall be 3.75 to 1.00, and the minimum fixed charge coverage ratio shall be 1.00 to 1.00; for the fiscal quarters ending June 30, 2021 through September 30, 2021, the maximum first lien gross leverage ratio shall be 2.25 to 1.00 and the maximum total net leverage ratio shall be 3.50 to 1.00; for the fiscal quarters ending June 30, 2021 through March 31, 2022, the minimum fixed charge coverage ratio shall be 1.05 to 1.00; for the fiscal quarters ending December 31, 2021 through March 31, 2022, the maximum first lien gross leverage ratio shall be 2.00 to 1.00 and the maximum total net leverage ratio shall be 3.25 to 1.00; and for the fiscal quarters ending on or after June 30, 2022, the maximum first lien gross leverage ratio shall be 1.75 to 1.00, the maximum total net leverage ratio shall be 2.75 to 1.00 and the minimum fixed charge coverage ratio shall be 1.10 to 1.00. The Company's maximum first lien gross leverage ratio was 1.12 to 1.00 at September 30, 2021. The Company's maximum total net leverage ratio was 1.64 to 1.00 at September 30, 2021. The Company's minimum fixed charge coverage ratio was 1.67 to 1.00 at September 30, 2021. Accordingly, the Company was in compliance with all of its financial covenants under the Senior Secured Credit Facilities as of September 30, 2021. 

The TLB Facility also includes a financial covenant that requires the Company to repay a certain amount of its borrowings under the TLB Facility within ten business days after the date it files its Annual Report on Form 10-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission if the Company has excess cash flow (as defined in the credit agreement for the Senior Secured Credit Facilities) during the year covered by the applicable Annual Report on Form 10-K. During the nine months ended September 30, 2021, CONSOL Energy made the required repayment of approximately $5,000 based on the amount of the Company's excess cash flow as of December 31, 2020. The required repayment is equal to a certain percentage of the Company’s excess cash flow for such year, ranging from 0% to 75% depending on the Company’s total net leverage ratio, less the amount of certain voluntary prepayments made by the Company, if any, under the TLB Facility during such fiscal year. The amount of excess cash flow is a covenant feature only applicable as of the Company's year-end and will be calculated as of December 31, 2021.

At September 30, 2021, the Revolving Credit Facility had no borrowings outstanding and $159,684 of letters of credit outstanding, leaving $240,316 of unused capacity. At December 31, 2020, the Revolving Credit Facility had no borrowings outstanding and $125,938 of letters of credit outstanding, leaving $274,062 of unused capacity. From time to time, CONSOL Energy is required to post financial assurances to satisfy contractual and other requirements generated in the normal course of business. Some of these assurances are posted to comply with federal, state or other government agencies' statutes and regulations. CONSOL Energy sometimes uses letters of credit to satisfy these requirements and these letters of credit reduce the Company's borrowing facility capacity.

In November 2017, CONSOL Energy issued $300,000 in aggregate principal amount of 11.00% Senior Secured Second Lien Notes due 2025 (the “Second Lien Notes”) pursuant to an indenture (the “Indenture”) dated as of November 13, 2017, by and between the Company and UMB Bank, N.A., a national banking association, as trustee and collateral trustee (the “Trustee”). On November 28, 2017, certain subsidiaries of the Company executed a supplement to the Indenture and became party to the Indenture as a guarantor (the “Guarantors”). The Second Lien Notes are secured by second priority liens on substantially all of the assets of the Company and the Guarantors that are pledged on a first-priority basis as collateral securing the Company’s obligations under the Senior Secured Credit Facilities (described above), subject to certain exceptions under the Indenture. The Indenture contains covenants that limit the ability of the Company and the Guarantors to (i) incur, assume or guarantee additional indebtedness or issue preferred stock; (ii) create liens to secure indebtedness; (iii) declare or pay dividends on the Company’s common stock, redeem stock or make other distributions to the Company’s stockholders; (iv) make investments; (v) restrict dividends, loans or other asset transfers from the Company’s restricted subsidiaries; (vi) merge or consolidate, or sell, transfer, lease or dispose of substantially all of the Company’s assets; (vii) sell or otherwise dispose of certain assets, including equity interests in subsidiaries; (viii) enter into transactions with affiliates; and (ix) create unrestricted subsidiaries. These covenants are subject to important exceptions and qualifications. If the Second Lien Notes achieve an investment grade rating from both Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services and Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. and no default under the Indenture exists, many of the foregoing covenants will terminate and cease to apply.

The only non-guarantor subsidiary of the Senior Secured Credit Facilities is the SPV, which holds the assets pledged to the Accounts Receivable Securitization Facility. The SPV had total assets of $89,300 and $123,468, comprised mainly of $88,496 and $122,639 trade receivables, net, as of September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. Net income (loss) attributable to the SPV was $975 and $573 for the three months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively, and ($1,150) and $1,932 for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively, which primarily reflected intercompany fees related to purchasing the receivables, which are eliminated in the Consolidated Financial Statements contained within this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. During the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, there were no borrowings or payments under the Accounts Receivable Securitization Facility. See Note 10 - Accounts Receivable Securitization for additional information. All other subsidiaries are guarantors of the Senior Secured Credit Facilities.

During the nine months ended September 30, 2021, the Company spent $17,092 to retire $18,040 of its outstanding 11.00% Senior Secured Second Lien Notes due in 2025 and made a required repayment of approximately $5,000 on the TLB Facility (discussed above). During the nine months ended September 30, 2020, the Company spent $26,365 to retire $45,176 of its outstanding 11.00% Senior Secured Second Lien Notes due in 2025. As part of these transactions, $132 was included in Loss on Debt Extinguishment on the Consolidated Statements of Income for the three months ended September 30, 2021, $657 was included in Gain on Debt Extinguishment on the Consolidated Statements of Income for the nine months ended September 30, 2021, and $1,078 and $17,911 was included in Gain on Debt Extinguishment on the Consolidated Statements of Income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, respectively.

In April 2021, CONSOL Energy borrowed the proceeds received from the sale of tax exempt bonds issued by PEDFA in an aggregate principal amount of $75,000 (the “PEDFA Bonds”). The PEDFA Bonds bear interest at a fixed rate of 9.00% for an initial term of seven years. The PEDFA Bonds mature on April 1, 2051, but are subject to mandatory purchase by the Company on April 13, 2028, at the expiration of the initial term rate period. The PEDFA Bonds were issued pursuant to an indenture (the “PEDFA Indenture”) dated as of April 1, 2021, by and between PEDFA and Wilmington Trust, N.A., a national banking association, as trustee (the “PEDFA Notes Trustee”). PEDFA made a loan of the proceeds of the PEDFA Bonds to the Company pursuant to a Loan Agreement (the “Loan Agreement”) dated as of April 1, 2021 between PEDFA and the Company. Under the terms of the Loan Agreement, the Company agreed to make all payments of principal, interest and other amounts at any time due on the PEDFA Bonds or under the PEDFA Indenture. PEDFA assigned its rights as lender under the Loan Agreement, excluding certain reserved rights, to the PEDFA Notes Trustee. Certain subsidiaries of the Company (the “PEDFA Notes Guarantors”) executed a Guaranty Agreement (the “Guaranty”) dated as of April 1, 2021 in favor of the PEDFA Notes Trustee, guarantying the obligations of the Company under the Loan Agreement to pay the PEDFA Bonds when and as due. The obligations of the Company under the Loan Agreement and of the PEDFA Notes Guarantors under the Guaranty are secured by second priority liens on substantially all of the assets of the Company and the PEDFA Notes Guarantors on parity with the Second Lien Notes. The Loan Agreement and Guaranty incorporate by reference covenants in the Indenture under which the Second Lien Notes were issued (discussed above).

The Company started a capital construction project on the PAMC coarse refuse disposal area in 2017, which is now funded, in part, by the $75,000 of PEDFA Bond proceeds loaned to the Company. The Company expects to expend these funds over approximately the next two years, as qualified work is completed. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021, the Company received reimbursement for qualified expenses in the amounts of $3,657 and $25,121, respectively, which dates back to the initial inducement date in mid-2020. Additionally, the Company has $49,881 in restricted cash at  September 30, 2021 associated with this financing that will be used to fund future spending on the coarse refuse disposal area.

The Company is a borrower under an asset-backed financing arrangement related to certain equipment. The equipment, which had an approximate value of $2,267 and $2,813 at  September 30, 2021 and  December 31, 2020, respectively, fully collateralizes the loan. As of September 30, 2021, the total outstanding loan of $2,267 matures in September 2024. The loan had a weighted average interest rate of 3.61% at September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020.

During the year ended December 31, 2019, the Company entered into interest rate swaps, which effectively converted $150,000 of the TLB Facility's floating interest rate to a fixed interest rate for the twelve months ending December 31, 2020 and 2021, and $50,000 of the TLB Facility's floating interest rate to a fixed interest rate for the twelve months ending December 31, 2022. The interest rate swaps qualify for cash flow hedge accounting treatment and as such, the change in the fair value of the interest rate swaps is recorded on the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets as an asset or liability. The effective portion of the gains or losses is reported as a component of accumulated other comprehensive loss and the ineffective portion is reported in earnings. At September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the interest rate swap contracts were reflected in the Consolidated Balance Sheets at their fair value of $1,224 and $2,834, respectively, which is recorded in Other Accrued Liabilities and Other Liabilities. The fair value of the interest rate swaps reflected an unrealized gain of $390 (net of $135 tax) and an unrealized gain of $1,195 (net of $414 tax) for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021, respectively. The fair value of the interest rate swaps reflected an unrealized gain of $377 (net of $127 tax) and an unrealized loss of $2,408 (net of $810 tax) for the three and nine months ended  September 30, 2020, respectively. These unrealized gains (losses) are included on the Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity as part of accumulated other comprehensive loss, as well as on the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income as unrealized gain (loss) on cash flow hedges. Some of the Company's interest rate swaps reached their effective date in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020. As such, losses of $565 and $1,652 were recognized in interest expense in the Consolidated Statements of Income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021, respectively, and losses of $575 and $1,005 were recognized in interest expense in the Consolidated Statements of Income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, respectively. During 2021, notional amounts of $150,000 will become effective. Based on the fair value of the Company's cash flow hedges at September 30, 2021, the Company expects expense of approximately $1,015 to be reclassified into earnings in the next 12 months.

NOTE 14—COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENT LIABILITIES:

The Company is subject to various lawsuits and claims with respect to such matters as personal injury, wrongful death, damage to property, exposure to hazardous substances, governmental regulations including environmental remediation, employment and contract disputes and other claims and actions arising out of the normal course of business. The Company accrues the estimated loss for these lawsuits and claims when the loss is probable and reasonably estimable. The Company’s estimated accruals related to these pending claims, individually and in the aggregate, are immaterial to the financial position, results of operations or cash flows of the Company as of September 30, 2021. It is possible that the aggregate loss in the future with respect to these lawsuits and claims could ultimately be material to the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows; however, such amounts cannot be reasonably estimated. The amount claimed against the Company as of September 30, 2021 is disclosed below when an amount is expressly stated in the lawsuit or claim, which is not often the case.

Fitzwater Litigation: Three nonunion retired coal miners have sued Fola Coal Company LLC, Consolidation Coal Company (“CCC”) and CONSOL of Kentucky Inc. (“COK”) (as well as the Company's former parent) in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia alleging ERISA violations in the termination of retiree health care benefits. The Plaintiffs contend they relied to their detriment on oral statements and promises of “lifetime health benefits” allegedly made by various members of management during Plaintiffs’ employment and that they were allegedly denied access to Summary Plan Documents that clearly reserved the right to modify or terminate the Retiree Health and Welfare Plan subject to Plaintiffs’ claims. Pursuant to Plaintiffs’ amended complaint filed on April 24, 2017, Plaintiffs request that retiree health benefits be reinstated and seek to represent a class of all nonunion retirees who were associated with AMVEST and COK areas of operation. On October 15, 2019, Plaintiffs’ supplemental motion for class certification was denied on all counts. On July 15, 2020, Plaintiffs filed an interlocutory appeal with the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals on the Order denying class certification. The Fourth Circuit denied Plaintiffs' appeal on August 14, 2020. On October 1, 2020, the District Court entered a pretrial order setting the trial date, which was held in February 2021. No ruling has been issued by the judge. The Company believes it has a meritorious defense and intends to vigorously defend this suit.

Casey Litigation: A class action lawsuit was filed on August 23, 2017 on behalf of two nonunion retired coal miners against CCC, COK, CONSOL Buchanan Mining Co., LLC and Kurt Salvatori, the Company's Chief Administrative Officer, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia alleging ERISA violations in the termination of retiree health care benefits. Filed by the same lawyers who filed the Fitzwater litigation, and raising nearly identical claims, the Plaintiffs contend they relied to their detriment on oral promises of “lifetime health benefits” allegedly made by various members of management during Plaintiffs’ employment and that they were not provided with copies of Summary Plan Documents clearly reserving to the Company the right to modify or terminate the Retiree Health and Welfare Plan. Plaintiffs request that retiree health benefits be reinstated for them and their dependents and seek to represent a class of all nonunion retirees of any subsidiary of the Company's former parent that operated or employed individuals in McDowell or Mercer Counties, West Virginia, or Buchanan or Tazewell Counties, Virginia whose retiree welfare benefits were terminated. On December 1, 2017, the trial court judge in Fitzwater signed an order to consolidate Fitzwater with Casey. The Casey complaint was amended on March 1, 2018 to add new plaintiffs, add defendant CONSOL Pennsylvania Coal Company, LLC and eliminate defendant CONSOL Buchanan Mining Co., LLC in an attempt to expand the class of retirees. On October 15, 2019, Plaintiffs’ supplemental motion for class certification was denied on all counts. On July 15, 2020, Plaintiffs filed an interlocutory appeal with the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals on the Order denying class certification. The Fourth Circuit denied Plaintiffs' appeal on August 14, 2020. On October 1, 2020, the District Court entered a pretrial order setting the trial date, which was held in February 2021. No ruling has been issued by the judge. The Company believes it has a meritorious defense and intends to vigorously defend this suit.

United Mine Workers of America 1992 Benefit Plan Litigation: In 2013, Murray Energy and its subsidiaries (“Murray”) entered into a stock purchase agreement (the “Murray sale agreement”) with the Company's former parent pursuant to which Murray acquired the stock of CCC and certain subsidiaries and certain other assets and liabilities. At the time of sale, the liabilities included certain retiree medical liabilities under the Coal Industry Retiree Health Benefit Act of 1992 (“Coal Act”) and certain federal black lung liabilities under the Black Lung Benefits Act (“BLBA”). Based upon information available, the Company estimates that the annual servicing costs of these liabilities are approximately $10 million to $20 million per year for the next ten years. The annual servicing cost would decline each year since the beneficiaries of the Coal Act consist principally of miners who retired prior to 1994. Murray filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October 2019. As part of the bankruptcy proceedings, Murray unilaterally entered into a settlement with the United Mine Workers of America 1992 Benefit Plan (“1992 Plan”) to transfer retirees in the Murray Energy Section 9711 Plan to the 1992 Plan. This was approved by the bankruptcy court on April 30, 2020. On May 2, 2020, the 1992 Plan filed an action in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia asking the court to make a determination whether the Company's former parent or the Company has any continuing retiree medical liabilities under the Coal Act. The Murray sale agreement includes indemnification by Murray with respect to the Coal Act and BLBA liabilities. In addition, the Company had agreed to indemnify its former parent relative to certain pre-separation liabilities. As of September 16, 2020, the Company entered into a settlement agreement with Murray and withdrew its claims in bankruptcy. See Note 2 - Major Transactions for a discussion of this settlement agreement. The Company will continue to vigorously defend any claims that attempt to transfer any of such liabilities directly or indirectly to the Company, including raising all applicable defenses against the 1992 Plan’s suit and those of any other party including the Company's former parent.

Other Matters: On July 27, 2021, the Company's former parent informed the Company that it had received a request from the UMWA 1974 Pension Plan for information related to the facts and circumstances surrounding the former parent's 2013 sale of certain of its coal subsidiaries to Murray (the “Letter Request”). The Letter Request indicates that litigation by the UMWA 1974 Pension Plan against the Company's former parent related to potential withdrawal liabilities from the plan created by the 2019 bankruptcy of Murray is reasonably foreseeable. The Company's former parent seeks indemnification from the Company under the separation and distribution agreement with regard to any costs and liabilities relating to the Letter Request. There has been no indication of potential claims against the Company by the UMWA 1974 Pension Plan and, at this time, no liability of the Company's former parent has been assessed.

Various Company subsidiaries are defendants in certain other legal proceedings arising out of the conduct of the Coal Business prior to the separation and distribution, and the Company is also a defendant in other legal proceedings following the separation and distribution. In the opinion of management, based upon an investigation of these matters and discussion with legal counsel, the ultimate outcome of such other legal proceedings, individually and in the aggregate, is not expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or liquidity.

As part of the separation and distribution, the Company assumed various financial obligations relating to the Coal Business and agreed to reimburse its former parent for certain financial guarantees relating to the Coal Business that its former parent retained following the separation and distribution. Employee-related financial guarantees have primarily been provided to support the 1992 Plan and federal black lung and various state workers’ compensation self-insurance programs. Environmental financial guarantees have primarily been provided to support various performance bonds related to reclamation and other environmental issues. Other financial guarantees have been extended to support sales contracts, insurance policies, surety indemnity agreements, legal matters, full and timely payments of mining equipment leases, and various other items necessary in the normal course of business.

The following is a summary, as of September 30, 2021, of the financial guarantees, unconditional purchase obligations and letters of credit to certain third parties. These amounts represent the maximum potential of total future payments that the Company could be required to make under these instruments, or under the separation and distribution agreement to the extent retained by the Company's former parent on behalf of the Coal Business. Certain letters of credit included in the table below were issued against other commitments included in this table. These amounts have not been reduced for potential recoveries under recourse or collateralization provisions. Generally, recoveries under reclamation bonds would be limited to the extent of the work performed at the time of the default. The Company’s management believes that these commitments will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition.

Included in the above table are commitments and guarantees entered into in conjunction with the sale of Consolidation Coal Company and certain of its subsidiaries, which contain all five of its longwall coal mines in West Virginia and its river operations, to a third party. As part of the separation and distribution, the Company's former parent agreed to indemnify the Company and the Company agreed to indemnify its former parent in each case with respect to guarantees of certain equipment lease obligations that were assumed by the third party. In the event that the third party defaults on the obligations defined in the agreements, the Company could be required to perform under the guarantees. As of September 30, 2021, the Company has not been required to perform under these guarantees. The equipment lease obligations are collateralized by the underlying assets. The current maximum estimated exposure under these guarantees as of  September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 is believed to be approximately $7,000 and $8,000, respectively. 

The Company regularly evaluates the likelihood of default for all guarantees based on an expected loss analysis and records the fair value, if any, of its guarantees as an obligation in the Consolidated Financial Statements.

NOTE 15—DERIVATIVES

Interest Rate Risk Management

During the year ended December 31, 2019, the Company entered into interest rate swaps to manage exposures to interest rate risk on long-term debt in order to achieve a mix of fixed and variable rate debt that it deems appropriate. These interest rate swaps have been designated as cash flow hedges of future variable interest payments. For additional information on these arrangements, refer to Note 13 - Long-Term Debt.

Coal Price Risk Management Positions

The Company may sell or purchase forward contracts, swaps and options in the over-the-counter coal market in order to manage its exposure to coal prices. The Company has exposure to the risk of fluctuating coal prices related to forecasted or index-priced sales of coal or to the risk of changes in the fair value of a fixed price physical sales contract. As of September 30, 2021, the Company held coal-related financial contracts related to a portion of its forecasted sales for an aggregate notional volume of 2.0 million metric tons, which will settle in 2022.

Tabular Derivatives Disclosures

The Company has master netting agreements with all of its counterparties which allow for the settlement of contracts in an asset position with contracts in a liability position in the event of default or termination. Such netting arrangements reduce the Company's credit exposure related to these counterparties to the extent the Company has any liability to such counterparties. For classification purposes, the Company records the net fair value of all the positions with a given counterparty as a net asset or liability in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The fair value of derivatives reflected in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets are set forth in the table below.

The net amount of liability derivatives is included in Other Accrued Liabilities and Other Liabilities in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Currently, the Company does not seek cash flow hedge accounting treatment for its coal-related derivative financial instruments and therefore, changes in fair value are reflected in current earnings. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021, the Company recognized unrealized losses on its coal-related derivatives of $147,306 and $167,743, respectively. These unrealized losses are included in Unrealized Loss on Commodity Derivative Instruments on the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Income.

The Company classifies the cash effects of its derivatives within the Cash Flows from Operating Activities section of the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.

NOTE 16—FAIR VALUE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS:

CONSOL Energy determines the fair value of assets and liabilities based on the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. The fair values are based on assumptions that market participants would use when pricing an asset or liability, including assumptions about risk and the risks inherent in valuation techniques and the inputs to valuations. The fair value hierarchy is based on whether the inputs to valuation techniques are observable or unobservable. Observable inputs reflect market data obtained from independent sources (including LIBOR-based discount rates), while unobservable inputs reflect the Company’s own assumptions of what market participants would use.

The fair value hierarchy includes three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value as described below.

Level One - Quoted prices for identical instruments in active markets.

Level Two - The fair value of the assets and liabilities included in Level 2 are based on standard industry income approach models that use significant observable inputs, including LIBOR-based discount rates. The Company's Level 2 assets and liabilities include interest rate swaps and coal commodity contracts with fair values derived from quoted prices in over-the-counter markets.

Level Three - Unobservable inputs significant to the fair value measurement supported by little or no market activity. 

In those cases when the inputs used to measure fair value meet the definition of more than one level of the fair value hierarchy, the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its totality determines the applicable level in the fair value hierarchy.

The financial instruments measured at fair value on a recurring basis are summarized below:

The following methods and assumptions were used to estimate the fair value for which the fair value option was not elected:

Long-term debt: The fair value of long-term debt is measured using unadjusted quoted market prices or estimated using discounted cash flow analyses. The discounted cash flow analyses are based on current market rates for instruments with similar cash flows.

The carrying amounts and fair values of financial instruments for which the fair value option was not elected are as follows:

Certain of the Company’s debt is actively traded on a public market and, as a result, constitutes Level 1 fair value measurements. The portion of the Company’s debt obligations that is not actively traded is valued through reference to the applicable underlying benchmark rate and, as a result, constitutes Level 2 fair value measurements.

NOTE 17—SEGMENT INFORMATION: