DEVON ENERGY CORP/DE - Annual Report: 2011 (Form 10-K)

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UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-K

(Mark One)

or

Commission File Number 001-32318

DEVON ENERGY CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:

(405) 235-3611

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

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  þ    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  þ

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  þ    No  ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted 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 and post such files).    Yes  þ    No  ¨

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§ 229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.    ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

Large accelerated filer þ             Accelerated filer ¨            Non-accelerated filer ¨             Smaller reporting company ¨

                            (Do not check if a smaller reporting company)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).    Yes  ¨    No  þ

The aggregate market value of the voting common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of June 30, 2011, was approximately $32.7 billion, based upon the closing price of $78.81 per share as reported by the New York Stock Exchange on such date. On February 9, 2012, 404.1 million shares of common stock were outstanding.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Proxy statement for the 2012 annual meeting of stockholders — Part III

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DEVON ENERGY CORPORATION

FORM 10-K

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INFORMATION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This report includes forward-looking statements regarding our expectations and plans, as well as future events or conditions. Such forward-looking statements are based on our examination of historical operating trends, the information used to prepare our December 31, 2011 reserve reports and other data in our possession or available from third parties. Such statements are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control. Consequently, actual future results could differ materially from our expectations due to a number of factors, such as changes in the supply of and demand for oil, natural gas and NGLs and related products and services; exploration or drilling programs; political or regulatory events; general economic and financial market conditions; and other factors discussed in this report.

All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to Devon, or persons acting on its behalf, are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements above. We assume no duty to update or revise our forward-looking statements based on new information, future events or otherwise.

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PART I

Item 1 and 2. Business and Properties

General

Devon Energy Corporation (“Devon”) is a leading independent energy company engaged primarily in the exploration, development and production of oil, natural gas and NGLs. Our operations are concentrated in various North American onshore areas in the U.S. and Canada. We also own natural gas pipelines, plants and treatment facilities in many of our producing areas, making us one of North America’s larger processors of natural gas.

Devon pioneered the commercial development of natural gas from shale and coalbed formations, and we are a proven leader in using steam to produce oil from the Canadian oil sands. A Delaware corporation formed in 1971, we have been publicly held since 1988, and our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Our principal and administrative offices are located at 20 North Broadway, Oklahoma City, OK 73102-8260 (telephone 405/235-3611). As of December 31, 2011, we had approximately 5,200 employees.

Devon files or furnishes annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K as well as any amendments to these reports with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Through our website, http://www.devonenergy.com, we make available electronic copies of the documents we file or furnish to the SEC, the charters of the committees of our Board of Directors and other documents related to our corporate governance (including our Code of Ethics for the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer). Access to these electronic filings is available free of charge as soon as reasonably practicable after filing or furnishing them to the SEC. Printed copies of our committee charters or other governance documents and filings can be requested by writing to our corporate secretary at the address on the cover of this report.

In addition, the public may read and copy any materials Devon files with the SEC at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington D.C. 20549. The public may also obtain information about the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. Reports filed with the SEC are also made available on its website at www.sec.gov.

Strategy

We aspire to be the premier independent oil and natural gas company in North America and to provide our shareholders with top-quartile returns over the long-term. To achieve this, we strive to optimize our capital investments to maximize growth in cash flows, earnings, production and reserves, all on a per debt-adjusted share basis. We do this by:

Growth in cash flow per debt-adjusted share has the greatest long-term correlation to share price appreciation. As a result, we focus on capital investments that sustain and accelerate growth per debt-adjusted share. In an environment that involves challenged natural gas prices and more robust liquids prices, our capital allocation is focused on liquids-based resource capture and development. Our portfolio strikes a good balance between oil, NGLs and natural gas with a cost structure that generates highly competitive full-cycle returns. Within our portfolio, we have a deep inventory of repeatable opportunities diversified across several key resource plays. We also have significant exposure to several emerging plays and new venture opportunities. Finally, the recent divestiture of our offshore operations generated about $8 billion in after-tax proceeds. We used a portion of these proceeds to repurchase $3.5 billion of our common stock and repay debt, giving us one of the strongest balance sheets in our peer group.

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Oil and Gas Properties

Property Profiles

The locations of our key properties are presented on the following map. These properties include those that currently have significant proved reserves and production, as well as properties that do not currently have significant levels of proved reserves or production but are expected to be the source of significant future growth in proved reserves and production.

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The following table outlines a summary of key data in each of our operating areas for 2011. Notes 21 and 22 to the financial statements included in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this report contain additional information on our segments and geographical areas.

N/M Not meaningful.

U.S.

Barnett Shale — This is our largest property both in terms of production and proved reserves. Our leases are located primarily in Denton, Johnson, Parker, Tarrant and Wise counties in north Texas. The Barnett Shale is a non-conventional reservoir, producing natural gas and NGLs.

We are the largest producer in the Barnett Shale. Since acquiring a substantial position in this field in 2002, we continue to introduce technology and new innovations to enhance production and have transformed this into one of the top producing gas fields in North America. We have drilled nearly 5,000 wells in the Barnett Shale since 2002, yet we still have several thousand remaining drilling locations. In 2012, we plan to drill approximately 300 wells.

In addition, we have a significant processing plant and gathering system in North Texas to service these properties. Currently, these midstream assets include over 3,000 miles of pipeline, two natural gas processing plants with 750 MMcf per day of total capacity and a 15 MBbls per day NGL fractionator. To meet increasing demand from our liquids-rich development drilling, we intend to increase the size of our inlet processing capacity to 890 MMcf per day by early 2013.

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Cana-Woodford Shale — Our acreage is located primarily in Oklahoma’s Canadian, Blaine, Caddo, and Dewey counties. The Cana-Woodford Shale is a non-conventional reservoir and produces natural gas, NGLs and condensate.

The Cana-Woodford is a leading growth area for Devon and has rapidly emerged as one of the most economic shale plays in North America. We are the largest leaseholder and the largest producer in the Cana-Woodford. During 2011, we increased our production by 85%. We have several thousand remaining drilling locations. In 2012, we plan to drill approximately 200 wells.

In addition, we have constructed a gas processing plant with 200 MMcf per day of total capacity. To meet increasing demand from our development drilling, we intend to increase the size of our plant to 350 MMcf per day by mid-2013.

Permian Basin — These properties have been a legacy asset for us and continue to offer both exploration and low-risk development opportunities. Our acreage is located in various counties in west Texas and southeast New Mexico. Our current drilling activity is targeting conventional and non-conventional liquids-rich targets within the Conventional Delaware, Bone Spring, Wolfcamp, Wolfberry and Avalon Shale plays. In 2012, we plan to drill more than 300 wells.

Carthage — Our acreage is located primarily in Harrison, Marion, Panola and Shelby counties in east Texas. These wells produce natural gas and NGLs from conventional reservoirs. In 2012, we plan to drill approximately 35 wells.

Washakie — These leases are concentrated in Wyoming’s Carbon and Sweetwater counties. The Washakie wells produce natural gas and NGLs from conventional reservoirs. Targeting the Almond and Lewis formations, we have been among the most active drillers in the Washakie basin for many years.

Granite Wash — Our acreage is concentrated in the Texas Panhandle and western Oklahoma. These properties produce liquids and natural gas from conventional reservoirs. Our legacy land position in the Granite Wash is held by production and provides some of the best economics in our portfolio. High initial production rates and strong liquids yields contribute to the superior full-cycle rates of return. In 2012, we plan to drill approximately 65 wells.

Arkoma-Woodford Shale — Our acreage is located primarily in Coal and Hughes counties in southeastern Oklahoma. These properties produce natural gas and NGLs from a non-conventional reservoir. Our acreage in this play is held by production. In 2012, we do not plan to drill additional wells.

New Ventures — During 2010 and 2011, we made significant acreage acquisitions targeting liquids rich production, including the following five exploration opportunities that we have publicly disclosed.

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Additionally, in the first quarter of 2012, we expect to close our recently announced transaction in which our new partner will obtain a 33.3% interest in these new ventures properties for approximately $2.5 billion, including a $900 million payment at closing and $1.6 billion toward our share of future drilling costs. We will continue to de-risk the development of these properties with our partner by drilling approximately 125 wells in 2012.

Canada

Jackfish — Jackfish is our thermal heavy oil project in the non-conventional oil sands of east central Alberta. We are the first and only U.S.-based independent energy company to develop and operate an oil sands project in Canada. We are employing steam-assisted gravity drainage at Jackfish. The first phase of Jackfish is fully operational with a gross facility capacity of 35 MBbls per day. The second phase of Jackfish began production in the second quarter of 2011 and will continue to increase production throughout 2012. Also, in 2011 we received regulatory approval for the construction of a third phase and will begin construction in 2012. We expect each phase to maintain a flat production profile for greater than 20 years at an average net production rate of approximately 25-30 MBbls per day.

To facilitate the delivery of our heavy oil production, we have a 50% interest in the Access Pipeline transportation system in Canada. This pipeline system allows us to blend our Jackfish heavy oil production with condensate or other blend-stock and transport the combined product to the Edmonton area for sale.

Northwest — This region includes acreage in west central Alberta and northeast British Columbia. These properties produce liquids-rich natural gas and light gravity oil from conventional reservoirs. In 2012, we plan to drill approximately 25 wells.

The region includes both winter-only and all season access areas. Multi-zone drilling opportunities are common. Since initial exploration in the 1970s, the region has seen significant infrastructure expansion. We own and operate gas gathering and processing facilities in the area, enabling projects to be brought on-stream quickly.

Deep Basin — Our properties in Canada’s Deep Basin include portions of west central Alberta and east central British Columbia. The area produces natural gas and liquids from conventional reservoirs. In 2012, we plan to drill approximately 15 wells.

We are one of the major producers in the Deep Basin. We have used our large proprietary two-dimensional and three-dimensional seismic databases to build an extensive inventory of deep to mid-range drilling targets in this area. Most recently, we have been testing light oil targets in the Cardium formation and liquids-rich opportunities in the lower Cretaceous zones, including the Cadomin. The region has winter-only access restrictions in many areas, but offers year-round access in others. We control significant gas processing and transportation infrastructure throughout the region and hold interests in the only major gas facilities in the Wapiti area.

Lloydminster — Our Lloydminster properties are located to the south and east of Jackfish in eastern Alberta and western Saskatchewan. Lloydminster produces heavy oil by conventional means, without the need for steam injection. In 2012, we plan to drill approximately 150 wells.

The region is well-developed with significant infrastructure and is primarily accessible year-round for drilling. Lloydminster is a low-risk, high margin oil development play. We have drilled over 2,300 wells in the area since 2003.

Pike — Our Pike oil sands acreage is situated directly to the south of our Jackfish acreage in east central Alberta and has similar reservoir characteristics to Jackfish. The Pike leasehold is currently undeveloped and has no proved reserves or production as of December 31, 2011. We continued appraisal drilling in 2011 and will carry forward these activities into 2012. The results will help us determine the optimal configuration for the initial phase of development.

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Proved Reserves

For estimates of our proved, proved developed and proved undeveloped reserves and the discussion of the contribution by each key property, see Note 22 to the financial statements included in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this report.

No estimates of our proved reserves have been filed with or included in reports to any federal or foreign governmental authority or agency since the beginning of 2011 except in filings with the SEC and the Department of Energy (“DOE”). Reserve estimates filed with the SEC correspond with the estimates of our reserves contained herein. Reserve estimates filed with the DOE are based upon the same underlying technical and economic assumptions as the estimates of our reserves included herein. However, the DOE requires reports to include the interests of all owners in wells that we operate and to exclude all interests in wells that we do not operate.

Proved oil and gas reserves are those quantities of oil and gas, which, by analysis of geoscience and engineering data, can be estimated with reasonable certainty to be economically producible from known reservoirs under existing economic conditions, operating methods and government regulations. To be considered proved, oil and gas reserves must be economically producible before contracts providing the right to operate expire, unless evidence indicates that renewal is reasonably certain. Also, 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.

The process of estimating oil, gas and NGL reserves is complex and requires significant judgment as discussed in “Item 1A. Risk Factors” of this report. As a result, we have developed internal policies for estimating and recording reserves. Such policies require proved reserves to be in compliance with the SEC definitions and guidance. Our policies assign responsibilities for compliance in reserves bookings to our Reserve Evaluation Group (the “Group”). These same policies also require that reserve estimates be made by professionally qualified reserves estimators (“Qualified Estimators”), as defined by the Society of Petroleum Engineers’ standards.

The Group, which is led by Devon’s Director of Reserves and Economics, is responsible for the internal review and certification of reserves estimates. We ensure the Group’s Director and key members of the Group have appropriate technical qualifications to oversee the preparation of reserves estimates, including any or all of the following:

The current Director of the Group has all of the qualifications listed above. The current Director has been involved with reserves estimation in accordance with SEC definitions and guidance since 1987. He has experience in reserves estimation for projects in the U.S. (both onshore and offshore), as well as in Canada, Asia, the Middle East and South America. He has been employed by Devon for the past eleven years, including the past four in his current position. During his career with Devon and others, he was responsible for reserves estimation as the primary reservoir engineer for projects including, but not limited to:

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From 2003 to 2010, he served as the reservoir engineering representative on our internal peer review team. In this role, he reviewed reserves and resource estimates for projects including, but not limited to the Mobile Bay Norphlet Discoveries (Gulf of Mexico Shelf), Cascade Lower Tertiary Development (Gulf of Mexico Deepwater) and Polvo Development (Campos Basin, Brazil).

The Group reports independently of any of our operating divisions. The Group’s Director reports to our Vice President of Budget and Reserves, who reports to our Chief Financial Officer. No portion of the Group’s compensation is directly dependent on the quantity of reserves booked.

Throughout the year, the Group performs internal audits of each operating division’s reserves. Selection criteria of reserves that are audited include major fields and major additions and revisions to reserves. In addition, the Group reviews reserve estimates with each of the third-party petroleum consultants discussed below. The Group also ensures our Qualified Estimators obtain continuing education related to the fundamentals of SEC proved reserves assignments.

The Group also oversees audits and reserves estimates performed by third-party consulting firms. During 2011, we engaged two such firms to audit 95% of our proved reserves. LaRoche Petroleum Consultants, Ltd. audited the 2011 reserve estimates for 97% of our U.S. onshore properties. AJM Deloitte audited 89% of our Canadian reserves.

“Audited” reserves are those quantities of reserves that were estimated by our employees and audited by an independent petroleum consultant. The Society of Petroleum Engineers’ definition of an audit is an examination of a company’s proved oil and gas reserves and net cash flow by an independent petroleum consultant that is conducted for the purpose of expressing an opinion as to whether such estimates, in aggregate, are reasonable and have been estimated and presented in conformity with generally accepted petroleum engineering and evaluation methods and procedures.

In addition to conducting these internal and external reviews, we also have a Reserves Committee that consists of three independent members of our Board of Directors. This committee provides additional oversight of our reserves estimation and certification process. The Reserves Committee assists the Board of Directors with its duties and responsibilities in evaluating and reporting our proved reserves, much like our Audit Committee assists the Board of Directors in supervising our audit and financial reporting requirements. Besides being independent, the members of our Reserves Committee also have educational backgrounds in geology or petroleum engineering, as well as experience relevant to the reserves estimation process.

The Reserves Committee meets a minimum of twice a year to discuss reserves issues and policies, and meets separately with our senior reserves engineering personnel and our independent petroleum consultants at those meetings. The responsibilities of the Reserves Committee include the following:

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Production, Production Prices and Production Costs

The following table presents production, price and cost information for each significant field, country and continent.

Drilling Statistics

The following table summarizes our development and exploratory drilling results.

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The following table presents the February 1, 2012, results of our wells that were in progress on December 31, 2011.

Productive Wells

The following table sets forth our producing wells as of December 31, 2011.

The day-to-day operations of oil and gas properties are the responsibility of an operator designated under pooling or operating agreements. The operator supervises production, maintains production records, employs field personnel and performs other functions. We are the operator of approximately 24,000 of our wells. As operator, we receive reimbursement for direct expenses incurred to perform our duties, as well as monthly per-well producing and drilling overhead reimbursement at rates customarily charged in the area. In presenting our financial data, we record the monthly overhead reimbursements as a reduction of general and administrative expense, which is a common industry practice.

Acreage Statistics

The following table sets forth our developed and undeveloped lease and mineral acreage as of December 31, 2011. The acreage in the table includes 0.6 million, 1.2 million and 0.5 million net acres subject to leases that are scheduled to expire during 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively.

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Title to Properties

Title to properties is subject to contractual arrangements customary in the oil and gas industry, liens for taxes not yet due and, in some instances, other encumbrances. We believe that such burdens do not materially detract from the value of properties or from the respective interests therein or materially interfere with their use in the operation of the business.

As is customary in the industry, other than a preliminary review of local records, little investigation of record title is made at the time of acquisitions of undeveloped properties. Investigations, which generally include a title opinion of outside counsel, are made prior to the consummation of an acquisition of producing properties and before commencement of drilling operations on undeveloped properties.

Marketing and Midstream Activities

The primary objective of our marketing and midstream operations is to add value to us and other producers to whom we provide such services by gathering, processing and marketing oil, gas and NGL production timely and efficiently.

Our marketing and midstream revenues are primarily generated by:

Our marketing and midstream costs and expenses are primarily incurred from:

Oil, Gas and NGL Marketing

The spot markets for oil, gas and NGLs are subject to volatility as supply and demand factors fluctuate. As detailed below, we sell our production under both long-term (one year or more) and short-term (less than one year) agreements at prices negotiated with third parties. Regardless of the term of the contract, the vast majority of our production is sold at variable, or market-sensitive, prices.

Additionally, we may periodically enter into financial hedging arrangements or fixed-price contracts associated with a portion of our oil and gas production. These activities are intended to support targeted price levels and to manage our exposure to price fluctuations. See Note 2 to the financial statements included in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this report for further information.

As of January 2012, our production was sold under the following contracts.

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Delivery Commitments

A portion of our production is sold under certain contractual arrangements that specify the delivery of a fixed and determinable quantity. As of January 2012, we were committed to deliver the following fixed quantities of production.

We expect to fulfill our delivery commitments over the next three years with production from our proved developed reserves. We expect to fulfill our longer-term delivery commitments beyond three years primarily with our proved developed reserves. In certain regions, we expect to fulfill these longer-term delivery commitments with our proved undeveloped reserves.

Our proved reserves have been sufficient to satisfy our delivery commitments during the three most recent years, and we expect such reserves will continue to satisfy our future commitments. However, should our proved reserves not be sufficient to satisfy our delivery commitments, we can and may use spot market purchases to fulfill the commitments.

Customers

During 2011, 2010 and 2009, no purchaser accounted for over 10% of our revenues.

Competition

See “Item 1A. Risk Factors.”

Public Policy and Government Regulation

The oil and natural gas industry is subject to various types of regulation throughout the world. Laws, rules, regulations and other policy implementations affecting the oil and natural gas industry have been pervasive and are under constant review for amendment or expansion. Pursuant to public policy changes, numerous government agencies have issued extensive laws and regulations binding on the oil and natural gas industry and its individual members, some of which carry substantial penalties for failure to comply. Such laws and regulations have a significant impact on oil and gas exploration, production, marketing and midstream activities. These laws and regulations increase the cost of doing business and, consequently, affect profitability. Because public policy changes affecting the oil and natural gas industry are commonplace and because existing laws and regulations are frequently amended or reinterpreted, we are unable to predict the future cost or impact of complying with such laws and regulations. However, we do not expect that any of these laws and regulations will affect our operations in a manner materially different than they would affect other oil and natural gas companies of similar size and financial strength. The following are significant areas of government control and regulation affecting our operations.

Exploration and Production Regulation

Our oil and gas operations are subject to various federal, state, provincial, tribal and local laws and regulations. These laws and regulations relate to matters that include, but are not limited to:

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Our operations also are subject to conservation regulations, including the regulation of the size of drilling and spacing units or proration units; the number of wells that may be drilled in a unit; the rate of production allowable from oil and gas wells; and the unitization or pooling of oil and gas properties. In the U.S., some states allow the forced pooling or integration of tracts to facilitate exploration, while other states rely on voluntary pooling of lands and leases, which may make it more difficult to develop oil and gas properties. In addition, state conservation laws generally limit the venting or flaring of natural gas and impose certain requirements regarding the ratable purchase of production. The effect of these regulations is to limit the amounts of oil and gas we can produce from our wells and to limit the number of wells or the locations at which we can drill.

Certain of our U.S. natural gas and oil leases are granted by the federal government and administered by the Bureau of Land Management of the Department of the Interior. Such leases require compliance with detailed federal regulations and orders that regulate, among other matters, drilling and operations on lands covered by these leases, and calculation and disbursement of royalty payments to the federal government. The federal government has been particularly active in recent years in evaluating and, in some cases, promulgating new rules and regulations regarding competitive lease bidding and royalty payment obligations for production from federal lands.

Royalties and Incentives in Canada

The royalty system in Canada is a significant factor in the profitability of oil and gas production. Royalties payable on production from lands other than Crown lands are determined by negotiations between the parties. Crown royalties are determined by government regulation and are generally calculated as a percentage of the value of the gross production, with the royalty rate dependent in part upon prescribed reference prices, well productivity, geographical location and the type and quality of the petroleum product produced. From time to time, the federal and provincial governments of Canada also have established incentive programs such as royalty rate reductions, royalty holidays, tax credits and fixed rate and profit-sharing royalties for the purpose of encouraging oil and gas exploration or enhanced recovery projects. These incentives generally have the effect of increasing our revenues, earnings and cash flow.

Pricing and Marketing in Canada

Any oil or gas export to be made pursuant to an export contract that exceeds a certain duration or a certain quantity requires an exporter to obtain export authorizations from Canada’s National Energy Board (“NEB”). The governments of Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan also regulate the volume of natural gas that may be removed from those provinces for consumption elsewhere.

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Environmental and Occupational Regulations

We are subject to various federal, state, provincial, tribal and local laws and regulations concerning occupational safety and health as well as the discharge of materials into, and the protection of, the environment. Environmental laws and regulations relate to, among other things:

We consider the costs of environmental protection and safety and health compliance necessary and manageable parts of our business. We have been able to plan for and comply with environmental, safety and health initiatives without materially altering our operating strategy or incurring significant unreimbursed expenditures. However, based on regulatory trends and increasingly stringent laws, our capital expenditures and operating expenses related to the protection of the environment and safety and health compliance have increased over the years and will likely continue to increase. We cannot predict with any reasonable degree of certainty our future exposure concerning such matters.

Our business activities, and the oil and gas industry in general, are subject to a variety of risks. If any of the following risk factors should occur, our profitability, financial condition or liquidity could be materially impacted. As a result, holders of our securities could lose part or all of their investment in Devon.

Oil, Gas and NGL Prices are Volatile

Our financial results are highly dependent on the general supply and demand for oil, gas and NGLs, which impact the prices we ultimately realize on our sales of these commodities. A significant downward movement of the prices for these commodities could have a material adverse effect on our revenues, operating cash flows and profitability. Such a downward price movement could also have a material adverse effect on our estimated proved reserves, the carrying value of our oil and gas properties, the level of planned drilling activities and future growth. Historically, market prices and our realized prices have been volatile and are likely to continue to be volatile in the future due to numerous factors beyond our control. These factors include, but are not limited to:

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Estimates of Oil, Gas and NGL Reserves are Uncertain

The process of estimating oil, gas and NGL reserves is complex and requires significant judgment in the evaluation of available geological, engineering and economic data for each reservoir, particularly for new discoveries. Because of the high degree of judgment involved, different reserve engineers may develop different estimates of reserve quantities and related revenue based on the same data. In addition, the reserve estimates for a given reservoir may change substantially over time as a result of several factors including additional development activity, the viability of production under varying economic conditions and variations in production levels and associated costs. Consequently, material revisions to existing reserve estimates may occur as a result of changes in any of these factors. Such revisions to proved reserves could have a material adverse effect on our estimates of future net revenue, as well as our financial condition and profitability. Our policies and internal controls related to estimating and recording reserves are included in “Items 1 and 2. Business and Properties” of this report.

Discoveries or Acquisitions of Reserves are Needed to Avoid a Material Decline in Reserves and Production

The production rates from oil and gas properties generally decline as reserves are depleted, while related per unit production costs generally increase, due to decreasing reservoir pressures and other factors. Therefore, our estimated proved reserves and future oil, gas and NGL production will decline materially as reserves are produced unless we conduct successful exploration and development activities or, through engineering studies, identify additional producing zones in existing wells, secondary or tertiary recovery techniques, or acquire additional properties containing proved reserves. Consequently, our future oil, gas and NGL production and related per unit production costs are highly dependent upon our level of success in finding or acquiring additional reserves.

Future Exploration and Drilling Results are Uncertain and Involve Substantial Costs

Substantial costs are often required to locate and acquire properties and drill exploratory wells. Such activities are subject to numerous risks, including the risk that we will not encounter commercially productive oil or gas reservoirs. The costs of drilling and completing wells are often uncertain. In addition, oil and gas properties can become damaged or drilling operations may be curtailed, delayed or canceled as a result of a variety of factors including, but not limited to:

A significant occurrence of one of these factors could result in a partial or total loss of our investment in a particular property. In addition, drilling activities may not be successful in establishing proved reserves. Such a failure could have an adverse effect on our future results of operations and financial condition. While both exploratory and developmental drilling activities involve these risks, exploratory drilling involves greater risks of dry holes or failure to find commercial quantities of hydrocarbons.

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Competition For Leases, Materials, People and Capital Can Be Significant

Strong competition exists in all sectors of the oil and gas industry. We compete with major integrated and other independent oil and gas companies for the acquisition of oil and gas leases and properties. We also compete for the equipment and personnel required to explore, develop and operate properties. Competition is also prevalent in the marketing of oil, gas and NGLs. Typically, during times of high or rising commodity prices, drilling and operating costs will also increase. Higher prices will also generally increase the cost to acquire properties. Certain of our competitors have financial and other resources substantially larger than ours. They also may have established strategic long-term positions and relationships in areas in which we may seek new entry. As a consequence, we may be at a competitive disadvantage in bidding for drilling rights. In addition, many of our larger competitors may have a competitive advantage when responding to factors that affect demand for oil and gas production, such as changing worldwide price and production levels, the cost and availability of alternative fuels, and the application of government regulations.

Midstream Capacity Constraints and Interruptions Impact Commodity Sales

We rely on midstream facilities and systems to process our natural gas production and to transport our production to downstream markets. Such midstream systems include the systems we operate, as well as systems operated by third parties. When possible, we gain access to midstream systems that provide the most advantageous downstream market prices available to us. Regardless of who operates the midstream systems we rely upon, a portion of our production in any region may be interrupted or shut in from time to time due to loss of access to plants, pipelines or gathering systems. Such access could be lost due to a number of factors, including, but not limited to, weather conditions, accidents, field labor issues or strikes. Additionally, we and third-parties may be subject to constraints that limit our ability to construct, maintain or repair midstream facilities needed to process and transport our production. Such interruptions or constraints could negatively impact our production and associated profitability.

Hedging Limits Participation in Commodity Price Increases and Increases Counterparty Credit Risk Exposure

We periodically enter into hedging activities with respect to a portion of our production to manage our exposure to oil, gas and NGL price volatility. To the extent that we engage in price risk management activities to protect ourselves from commodity price declines, we may be prevented from fully realizing the benefits of commodity price increases above the prices established by our hedging contracts. In addition, our hedging arrangements may expose us to the risk of financial loss in certain circumstances, including instances in which the contract counterparties fail to perform under the contracts.

Public Policy, Which Includes Laws, Rules and Regulations, Can Change

Our operations are generally subject to federal laws, rules and regulations in the U.S. and Canada. In addition, we are also subject to the laws and regulations of various states, provinces, tribal and local governments. Pursuant to public policy changes, numerous government departments and agencies have issued extensive rules and regulations binding on the oil and gas industry and its individual members, some of which carry substantial penalties for failure to comply. Changes in such public policy have affected, and at times in the future could affect, our operations. Political developments can restrict production levels, enact price controls, change environmental protection requirements, and increase taxes, royalties and other amounts payable to governments or governmental agencies. Existing laws and regulations can also require us to incur substantial costs to maintain regulatory compliance. Our operating and other compliance costs could increase further if existing laws and regulations are revised or reinterpreted or if new laws and regulations become applicable to our operations. Although we are unable to predict changes to existing laws and regulations, such changes could significantly impact our profitability, financial condition and liquidity, particularly changes related to hydraulic fracturing, income taxes and climate change as discussed below.