Item 1A. Risk Factors

Our business and operations, and our industry in general, are subject to a variety of risks. The risks described below may not be the only risks we face, as our business and operations may also be subject to risks that we do not yet know of, or that we currently believe are immaterial. If any of the following risks should occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations and liquidity could be materially and adversely 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 and the value of our properties 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. Since the second half of 2014, there has been a significant decline in oil, gas and NGL prices, which has adversely affected our 2015 operating results and contributed to a reduction in our anticipated future capital expenditures. In addition, this decline in commodity prices has adversely impacted our estimated proved reserves and resulted in substantial impairments to our oil and gas properties during 2015. A sustained weakness or further deterioration in commodity prices could materially and adversely impact our business by resulting in, or exacerbating, the following effects:

	•		reducing the amount of oil, gas and NGLs that we can produce economically;

	•		limiting our financial flexibility, liquidity and access to sources of capital, such as equity and debt;

	•		reducing our revenues, operating cash flows and profitability;

	•		causing us to further decrease our capital expenditures or maintain reduced capital spending for an extended period, resulting in lower future production of oil, gas and NGLs; and

	•		reducing the carrying value of our properties, resulting in additional noncash write-downs.

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:

	•		supply of and demand for oil, gas and NGLs, including consumer demand in emerging markets, such as China;

	•		conservation and environmental protection efforts;

	•		OPEC production levels;

	•		geopolitical risks;

	•		adverse weather conditions and natural disasters, such as tornadoes, earthquakes and hurricanes;

	•		regional pricing differentials;

	•		differing quality of oil produced (i.e., sweet crude versus heavy or sour crude);

	•		differing quality and NGL content of gas produced;

	•		the level of imports and exports of oil, gas and NGLs, and the level of global oil, gas and NGL inventories;

	•		the price and availability of alternative fuels;

	•		the overall economic environment; and

	•		governmental regulations and taxes.

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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, including commodity price declines, 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, such as identifying additional producing zones in existing wells, utilizing secondary or tertiary recovery techniques or acquiring 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

Our exploration and development activities are subject to numerous costs and risks, including the risk that we will not encounter commercially productive oil or gas reservoirs. Drilling for oil, gas and NGLs can be unprofitable, not only from dry holes, but from productive wells that do not return a profit because of insufficient revenue from production or high costs. Substantial costs are required to locate, acquire and develop oil and gas properties, and we are often uncertain as to the amount and timing of those costs. Our cost of drilling, completing, equipping and operating wells is often uncertain before drilling commences. Declines in commodity prices and overruns in budgeted expenditures are common risks that can make a particular project uneconomic or less economic than forecasted. 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. In addition, our oil and gas properties can become damaged, our drilling operations may be curtailed, delayed or canceled and the costs of such operations may increase as a result of a variety of factors, including, but not limited to:

	•		unexpected drilling conditions;

	•		unexpected pressure conditions or irregularities in reservoir formations;

	•		equipment failures or accidents;

	•		fires, explosions, blowouts and surface cratering;

	•		adverse weather conditions and natural disasters, such as tornadoes, earthquakes and hurricanes;

	•		issues with title or in receiving governmental permits or approvals;

	•		lack of access to pipelines or other transportation methods;

	•		environmental hazards or liabilities;

	•		restrictions in access to, or disposal of, water resources used in drilling and completion operations; and

	•		shortages or delays in the availability of services or delivery of equipment.

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A significant occurrence of one of these factors could result in a partial or total loss of our investment in a particular property, and certain of these events, particularly equipment failures or accidents, could impact third parties, including persons living in proximity to our operations, our employees and employees of our contractors, leading to possible injuries, death or significant property damage.

Hedging Limits Participation in Commodity Price Increases

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.

The Credit Risk of Our Counterparties Could Adversely Affect Us

We enter into a variety of transactions that expose us to counterparty credit risk. For example, we have exposure to financial institutions and insurance companies through our hedging arrangements, our syndicated revolving credit facility and our insurance policies. Disruptions in the financial markets or otherwise may impact these counterparties and affect their ability to fulfill their existing obligations and their willingness to enter into future transactions with us.

In addition, we are exposed to the risk of financial loss from trade, joint interest billing and other receivables. We sell our oil, gas and NGLs to a variety of purchasers, and, as an operator, we pay expenses and bill our non-operating partners for their respective shares of costs. We also frequently look to buyers of oil and gas properties from us to perform certain obligations associated with the disposed assets, including the removal of production facilities and plugging and abandonment of wells. Certain of these counterparties may experience liquidity problems and may not be able to meet their financial obligations to us, particularly if commodity prices remain depressed or decline further. Any such default by these counterparties could adversely impact our financial results.

We Are Subject to Extensive Governmental Regulation, Which Can Change and Could Adversely Impact Our Business

Our operations are subject to extensive federal, state, provincial, tribal, local and other laws, rules and regulations, including with respect to environmental, health and safety, wildlife conservation, gathering and transportation of oil, gas and NGLs, conservation policies, reporting obligations, royalty payments, unclaimed property and the imposition of taxes. Such regulations include requirements for permits to drill and to conduct other operations and for provision of financial assurances (such as bonds) covering drilling and well operations. If permits are not issued, or if unfavorable restrictions or conditions are imposed on our drilling activities, we may not be able to conduct our operations as planned. In addition, we may be required to make large expenditures to comply with applicable governmental rules, regulations, permits or orders. For example, certain regulations require the plugging and abandonment of wells and removal of production facilities by current and former operators, which may result in significant costs associated with the removal of tangible equipment and other restorative actions at the end of operations.

In addition, changes in public policy have affected, and at times in the future could affect, our operations. Regulatory developments could, among other things, restrict production levels, enact price controls, change environmental protection requirements and increase taxes, royalties and other amounts payable to governments or governmental agencies. 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, seismic activity, income taxes and climate change as discussed below.

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Hydraulic Fracturing – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) and other federal agencies, including the Bureau of Land Management (“BLM”) have made proposals that, if implemented, could either restrict the practice of hydraulic fracturing or subject the process to further regulation. For example, the EPA has also issued final regulations under the federal Clean Air Act establishing performance standards, including standards for the capture of air emissions released during hydraulic fracturing and proposed in April 2015 to prohibit the discharge of wastewater from hydraulic fracturing operations to publicly owned wastewater treatment plants. The BLM and many states have already adopted and more states are considering adopting laws and/or regulations that require disclosure of chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing and impose stringent permitting, disclosure and well-construction requirements on hydraulic fracturing operations. In addition, some states and municipalities have significantly limited drilling activities and/or hydraulic fracturing, or are considering doing so. Although it is not possible at this time to predict the final outcome of these proposals, any new federal, state or local restrictions on hydraulic fracturing that may be imposed in areas in which we conduct business could potentially result in increased compliance costs, delays in development or restrictions on our operations.

Pipeline Safety – The pipeline assets in which we own interests are subject to stringent and complex regulations related to pipeline safety and integrity management. The Department of Transportation, through the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (“PHMSA”), has established a series of rules that require pipeline operators to develop and implement integrity management programs for gas, NGL and condensate transmission pipelines as well as certain low stress pipelines and gathering lines transporting hazardous liquids, such as oil, that, in the event of a failure, could affect “high consequence areas.” Additional action by PHMSA with respect to pipeline integrity management requirements may occur in the future. At this time, we cannot predict the cost of such requirements, but they could be significant. Moreover, violations of pipeline safety regulations can result in the imposition of significant penalties.

Seismic Activity – Recent earthquakes in north-central Oklahoma and elsewhere have prompted concerns about seismic activity and possible relationships with the energy industry, specifically disposal wells used to inject, into the subsurface, water that is produced along with oil and natural gas. Legislative and regulatory initiatives intended to address these concerns may result in additional levels of regulation that could limit or eliminate our ability to inject produced water into certain disposal wells. Restrictions on such disposal wells could lead to operational delays, increase our operating and compliance costs or otherwise adversely affect our operations. In addition, we could be subject to third-party lawsuits seeking alleged property damages as a result of induced seismic activity in our areas of operation.

Income Taxes – We are subject to U.S. federal income tax as well as income or capital taxes in various state and foreign jurisdictions, and our operating cash flow is sensitive to the amount of income taxes we must pay. In the jurisdictions in which we operate, income taxes are assessed on our earnings after consideration of all allowable deductions and credits. Changes in the types of earnings that are subject to income tax, the types of costs that are considered allowable deductions or the rates assessed on our taxable earnings would all impact our income taxes and resulting operating cash flow. The U.S. President and other policy makers have proposed provisions that would, if enacted, make significant changes to U.S. tax laws applicable to us. One significant proposal that has recently been considered at the federal level would eliminate the immediate deduction for intangible drilling and development costs. The adoption of this proposal or other tax changes could have a material adverse effect on our profitability, financial condition and liquidity.

Climate Change – Policy makers in the U.S. and Canada are increasingly focusing on whether the emissions of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, are contributing to harmful climatic changes. Policy makers at both the U.S. federal and state levels have introduced legislation and proposed new regulations that are designed to quantify and limit the emission of greenhouse gases through inventories, limitations and/or taxes on greenhouse gas emissions. For example, both the EPA and the BLM have proposed regulations for the control of methane emissions, which also include leak detection and repair requirements, for the oil and gas industry. Legislative and state initiatives to date have generally focused on the development of cap-and-trade and/or carbon tax programs. A cap-and-trade program generally would cap overall greenhouse gas emissions on an

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economy-wide basis and require major sources of greenhouse gas emissions or major fuel producers to acquire and surrender emission allowances. Carbon taxes could likewise affect us by being based on emissions from our equipment and/or emissions resulting from use of our products by our customers. Although it is not possible at this time to predict how legislation or new regulations that may be adopted to address greenhouse gas emissions would impact our business, any such future laws and regulations imposing reporting obligations on, or limiting emissions of greenhouse gases from, our equipment and operations could require us to incur costs to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases associated with our operations. Severe limitations on greenhouse gas emissions could also adversely affect demand for oil and natural gas, which could have a material adverse effect our profitability, financial condition and liquidity.

Currently, the Alberta Government is developing a new strategy on climate change based on recommendations put forward by the Climate Change Advisory Panel. It is expected that these recommendations will create additional costs for the Canadian oil and gas industry. Presently, it is not possible to accurately estimate the costs we could incur to comply with any law or regulations developed.

Our Debt May Limit Our Liquidity and Financial Flexibility, and Any Downgrade of Our Credit Rating Could Adversely Impact Us

As of December 31, 2015, we had total consolidated indebtedness of $13.1 billion. Our indebtedness and other financial commitments have important consequences to our business, including, but not limited to:

	•		requiring us to dedicate a significant portion of our cash flows from operations to debt service payments, thereby limiting our ability to fund working capital, capital expenditures, investments or acquisitions and other general corporate purposes;

	•		increasing our vulnerability to general adverse economic and industry conditions, including low commodity price environments; and

	•		limiting our ability to obtain additional financing due to higher costs and more restrictive covenants.

In addition, we receive credit ratings from rating agencies in the U.S. with respect to our debt. Factors that may impact our credit ratings include, among others, debt levels, planned assets sales and purchases, liquidity, forecasted production growth and commodity prices. A ratings downgrade could adversely impact our ability to access financing and trade credit and increase our interest rate under any credit facility borrowing as well as the cost of any other future debt. A ratings downgrade to a rating below investment-grade made by one or more rating agencies could potentially require us to post collateral under certain contractual arrangements.

Environmental Matters and Related Costs Can Be Significant

As an owner, lessee or operator of oil and gas properties, we are subject to various federal, state, provincial, tribal and local laws and regulations relating to discharge of materials into, and protection of, the environment. These laws and regulations may, among other things, impose liability on us for the cost of remediating pollution that results from our operations. Environmental laws may impose strict, joint and several liability, and failure to comply with environmental laws and regulations can result in the imposition of administrative, civil, or criminal fines and penalties, as well as injunctions limiting operations in affected areas. Any future environmental costs of fulfilling our commitments to the environment are uncertain and will be governed by several factors, including future changes to regulatory requirements. Changes in or additions to public policy regarding the protection of the environment could have a significant impact on our operations and profitability.

Our Acquisition and Divestiture Activities Involve Substantial Risks

Our business depends, in part, on making acquisitions that complement or expand our current business and successfully integrating any acquired assets or businesses. If we are unable to make attractive acquisitions, then our future growth could be limited. Furthermore, even if we do make acquisitions, they may not result in an

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increase in our cash flow from operations or otherwise result in the benefits anticipated due to various risks, including, but not limited to:

	•		mistaken estimates or assumptions about reserves, potential drilling locations, revenues and costs, including synergies and the overall costs of equity or debt;

	•		difficulties in integrating the operations, technologies, products and personnel of the acquired assets or business; and

	•		unknown and unforeseen liabilities or other issues related to any acquisition for which contractual protections prove inadequate, including environmental liabilities and title defects.

In addition, from time to time, we may sell or otherwise dispose of certain of our properties as a result of an evaluation of our asset portfolio and to help enhance our liquidity. These transactions also have inherent risks, including possible delays in closing, the risk of lower-than-expected sales proceeds for the disposed assets and potential post-closing claims for indemnification. Moreover, the current commodity price environment may result in fewer potential bidders, unsuccessful sales efforts and a higher risk that buyers may seek to terminate a transaction prior to closing. In addition, we may not realize any expected cost savings from asset dispositions, in part because of revenue losses from the divested properties.

Insurance Does Not Cover All Risks

Our business is hazardous and is subject to all of the operating risks normally associated with the exploration, development, production, processing and transportation of oil, natural gas and NGLs. Such risks include potential blowouts, cratering, fires, loss of well control, mishandling of fluids and chemicals and possible underground migration of hydrocarbons and chemicals. The occurrence of any of these risks could result in environmental pollution, damage to or destruction of our property, equipment and natural resources, injury to people or loss of life. Additionally, for our non-operated properties, we generally depend on the operator for operational safety and regulatory compliance.

To mitigate financial losses resulting from these operational hazards, we maintain comprehensive general liability insurance, as well as insurance coverage against certain losses resulting from physical damages, loss of well control, business interruption and pollution events that are considered sudden and accidental. We also maintain workers’ compensation and employer’s liability insurance. However, our insurance coverage does not provide 100% reimbursement of potential losses resulting from these operational hazards. Additionally, insurance coverage is generally not available to us for pollution events that are considered gradual, and we have limited or no insurance coverage for certain risks such as political risk, war and terrorism. Our insurance does not cover penalties or fines assessed by governmental authorities. The occurrence of a significant event against which we are not fully insured could have a material adverse effect on our profitability, financial condition and liquidity.

Limited Control on Properties Operated by Others

Certain of the properties in which we have an interest are operated by other companies and involve third-party working interest owners. We have limited influence and control over the operation or future development of such properties, including compliance with environmental, health and safety regulations or the amount and timing of required future capital expenditures. These limitations and our dependence on the operator and other working interest owners for these properties could result in unexpected future costs and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

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 oil, natural gas and NGL production to downstream markets. Such midstream systems include EnLink’s systems, as

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well as other systems operated by us or third parties. 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 from losing 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 and natural disasters, accidents, field labor issues or strikes. Additionally, we and third parties may be subject to constraints that limit our or their 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.

Competition for Assets, 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 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. Certain of our competitors have financial and other resources substantially greater 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 assets or services. 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.

Cyber Attacks Targeting Our Systems and Infrastructure May Adversely Impact Our Operations

Our industry has become increasingly dependent on digital technologies to conduct daily operations. Concurrently, the industry has become the subject of increased levels of cyber-attack activity. Cyber attacks often attempt to gain unauthorized access to digital systems for purposes of misappropriating assets or sensitive information, corrupting data or causing operational disruption and may be carried out by third parties or insiders. The techniques utilized range from highly sophisticated efforts to electronically circumvent network security to more traditional intelligence gathering and social engineering aimed at obtaining information necessary to gain access. Cyber attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as by causing denial-of-service attacks. Although we have not suffered material losses related to cyber attacks to date, if we were successfully attacked, we might incur substantial remediation and other costs or suffer other negative consequences. Moreover, as the sophistication of cyber attacks continues to evolve, we may be required to expend significant additional resources to further enhance our digital security or to remediate vulnerabilities.