Legislature(2017 - 2018)ADAMS ROOM 519

04/16/2018 01:30 PM House FINANCE

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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
-- Recessed to a Call of the Chair --
+= HB 411 OIL & GAS PRODUCTION TAX;PAYMENTS;CREDITS TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
+= SB 15 E-CIGS/TOBACCO/NICOTINE & MINORS; SALES TELECONFERENCED
Moved HCS CSSB 15(L&C) Out of Committee
+= SB 78 PERM FUND DIVIDEND CONTRIBUTIONS/LOTTERY TELECONFERENCED
Moved HCS CSSB 78(FIN) Out of Committee
+= SB 215 ENHANCED 911:MULTI-LINE TELEPHONE SYSTEMS TELECONFERENCED
Moved SB 215 Out of Committee
-- Public Testimony --
+= SB 92 VESSELS: REGISTRATION/TITLES; DERELICTS TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
-- Public Testimony --
+= HB 260 FISH & GAME LICENSES;ELECTRONIC FORM TELECONFERENCED
Moved CSHB 260(FIN) Out of Committee
-- Public Testimony --
HOUSE BILL NO. 411                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act  relating to  the oil  and gas  production tax,                                                                    
     tax  payments,  and  credits;   and  providing  for  an                                                                    
     effective date."                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:34:30 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
RICHARD     RUGGIERO,     CONSULTANT,     IN3ENERGY     (via                                                                    
teleconference),  introduced  the  PowerPoint  presentation:                                                                    
"HB411:  Tax  Bracket  Analysis, House  Finance,  April  16,                                                                    
2018."(copy on file)                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
1:35:04 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHRISTINA     RUGGIERO,      IN3ENERGY,     HOUSTON     (via                                                                    
teleconference), turned to Slide 3:                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     INDICATIVE RUNS                                                                                                            
     HOW TO VIEW THE RESULTS                                                                                                    
     The  following plots  showing  indicative results  from                                                                    
     changes to the  brackets for HB411 should  be viewed to                                                                    
     understand the approximate magnitude  of any changes as                                                                    
     well as the direction  (positive or negative) from such                                                                    
     changes.  The absolute  $ change  in state  take should                                                                    
     not be used as an exact value.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Ruggiero advanced to Slide 4, "HB 411 IN3NERGY MODEL":                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     Per Barrel Model                                                                                                         
     ? Simplistic per barrel model,  taking into account key                                                                    
     fiscal structure  metrics to reflect the  direction and                                                                    
     magnitude of results                                                                                                       
     ? Can compare  the Status Quo tax  structure with HB411                                                                    
     (stepped    progressivity)    and   ACES    (continuous                                                                    
     progressivity) ?  The primary inputs  assumptions below                                                                    
     are taken from the DOR  case presented to HFIN on April                                                                    
     10, 2018                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     Model Inputs:                                                                                                            
     Non-GVR Daily Production (mmbls/d) 526.6                                                                                 
     GVR Daily Production (mmbbls/d) 50                                                                                         
     Transport and Shipping ($/bbl) 8.87                                                                                      
     Transportation & Shipping Multiplier 100%                                                                                
     Capex ($/bbl) 9.21 Flat                                                                                                  
     Opex ($/bbl) 14.13 Flat                                                                                                  
     Cost Multiplier 100%                                                                                                     
     Tax Rate (Status Quo) 35%                                                                                                
     GVR Reduction 20%                                                                                                        
     GVR per Barrel Credit ($/bbl) 5                                                                                          
     Royalty 12.50%                                                                                                           
     State Corp Income Tax 6.25%                                                                                              
     Federal Corp Income Tax 35% Yes                                                                                          
     Hard Floor No                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     ?  "Multiplier"  fields  are  used  to  apply  a  fixed                                                                    
     increase or decrease to costs at all prices                                                                                
     ? Capex and Opex can be  run either as flat cost values                                                                    
     across all prices, or, if  selected, then can be varied                                                                    
     to   move  proportionally   with  price   increase  and                                                                    
     decreases                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
1:37:40 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Ruggiero continued to Slide 5, "Key Considerations":                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Scenario Analysis Simulating Reality                                                                                          
     ? In the  real world, Capex and Opex  values per barrel                                                                    
     increase and                                                                                                               
     decrease with oil price                                                                                                    
     ? For the  purposes of this model, if  cost Variance is                                                                    
     selected, then:                                                                                                            
     ? Price and costs change together                                                                                          
     ? Costs are  assumed to change at 80% of  the change in                                                                    
     oil price                                                                                                                  
     (If the prices increases 100% then cost increase 80%)                                                                      
     ? Costs can  be further multiplied from  the state wide                                                                    
     average DOR values to                                                                                                      
     simulate the large legacy  fields (multiplier less than                                                                    
     100%) or potential new                                                                                                     
     North Slope fields (multiplier greater than 100%)                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:38:12 PM                                                                                                                    
Ms. Ruggiero reviewed Slide 6, "Scenario Analysis Cases":                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     HB 411 With Varied Costs and Tax Brackets                                                                                
     ? There are 4 cases of different tax bracket setups,                                                                       
     detailed in the tables below                                                                                               
     ? Each case has 4 runs labeled A-D                                                                                         
     ? A: Costs FLAT, Costs at 100%                                                                                             
     ? B: Costs VARIED, Costs at 100%                                                                                           
     ? C: Costs VARIED, Costs at 50%                                                                                            
     ? D: Costs VARIED, Costs at 150%                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Ruggiero  explained  that   the  bottom  of  the  slide                                                                    
contained four cases  of tax brackets. The first  was HB 411                                                                    
as written,  the next  three were  created with  varying tax                                                                    
bases  and steps.  She noted  that  cases 2  through 4  were                                                                    
intended  to  show  variability and  were  not  intended  as                                                                    
recommendations.  She  explained  that as  the  presentation                                                                    
went on, cases contained 4 runs labeled a through D.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Ruggiero  presented Slide 8,  "Comparison of all  case 1                                                                    
runs" (Ms.  Ruggiero clarified  a typo  in the  title should                                                                    
read  case  4,  and  not  1). She  highlighted  the  case  4                                                                    
brackets and runs  A through D: A was the  flat price, B was                                                                    
the varied price, C was a  50 percent reduction in cost, and                                                                    
D was  a 150 percent  increase in  cost. She pointed  out to                                                                    
the committee that case B  reflected that at roughly $30 per                                                                    
barrel  the  minimum tax  would  start;  case D  showed  $85                                                                    
dollars  per  barrel.  The same  tax  brackets  could  yield                                                                    
varying results under different cost parameters.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Ruggiero  added that at  very high prices,  depending on                                                                    
cost structure,  a significant difference could  be seen. He                                                                    
stressed the importance of showing the cost variability.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:44:45 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Guttenberg  asked  whether  there  would  be                                                                    
slides that showed the current  tax regime as compared to HB
411.                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Ruggiero responded in the affirmative.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Seaton  expressed appreciation for  the information                                                                    
surrounding variability based on cost.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:46:25 PM                                                                                                                    
Mr. Ruggiero scrolled  to Slide 9, "1.A Status  Quo v. HB411                                                                    
as  written."  The  slide contained  Department  of  Revenue                                                                    
inputs, HB 411 brackets, costs  flat, and costs 100 percent.                                                                    
The  green bars  represented  the change  in  state take  at                                                                    
varying per  barrel prices. The  two tables  reflected gross                                                                    
value reduction (GVR) and non-GVR numbers.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:48:36 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Seaton asked  Mr. Ruggiero  to  explain the  green                                                                    
bars. He wondered about the effective tax rate.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Ruggiero  replied that  the yellow  and blue  lines were                                                                    
the effective  tax rates and  were read off  the percentages                                                                    
on the left of the table.  The green bars were the change in                                                                    
state take and were read off the right scale in millions.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:49:28 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Ruggiero detailed Slide 10,  "1.B Status Quo v. HB411 as                                                                    
written." The slide contained  Department of Revenue inputs,                                                                    
HB  411  brackets,  Costs  varied,  costs  100  percent.  He                                                                    
explained that  the difference  on this  slide form  Slide 9                                                                    
was  the  varied cost  with  the  change  in oil  price.  He                                                                    
pointed out that a lower  tax take occurred at higher costs,                                                                    
as represented  by the green  bars in each table.  He stated                                                                    
that the  slide reflected the  varying the cost  using state                                                                    
averages.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:51:34 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Seaton queried  the language  "cost varies  at 100                                                                    
percent". He understood that this  meant if the price of oil                                                                    
went up  10 percent, then the  cost went up 10  percent, and                                                                    
if the price of oil doubled then the costs would double.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Mr.   Ruggiero  referred   to  Slide   5.   He  noted   that                                                                    
historically  the equation  changed the  cost 80  percent of                                                                    
the oil  price. Starting at a  base rate of $60  per barrel,                                                                    
if  the  price  of  oil  went up  to  $120,  a  100  percent                                                                    
increase, costs  would increase 80  percent.  If  oil prices                                                                    
went down  to $30  per barrel,  the costs  would go  down 40                                                                    
percent. The costs move 80  percent of whatever the movement                                                                    
was in the oil price.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:53:01 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Ruggiero  added that the  label where it said  "cost 100                                                                    
percent" meant  that the base case  was the same as  DOR and                                                                    
where the  label at the end  of the subtitles on  each slide                                                                    
indicating  "cost 50  percent" or  "cost 100  percent" meant                                                                    
that the base case had  decreased by 50 percent or increased                                                                    
to 150 percent.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Seaton  understood  that  in all  cases  the  cost                                                                    
variation was 80 percent of the price change.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Ruggiero responded in the affirmative.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Ortiz asked  about  the factors  surrounding                                                                    
cost going up as the price per barrel went up.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Ruggiero responded  that that was the way  it had always                                                                    
happened. He  said that as  labor rose with  inflation, when                                                                    
oil  priced plummeted  labor costs  decreased. He  said that                                                                    
when  energy costs  rose, things  became more  expensive. He                                                                    
provided  the example  that steel  became more  expensive to                                                                    
make and  deliver. He relayed  that high  prices contributed                                                                    
to long wait times for  fracking units to frack shale wells.                                                                    
He  related that  energy itself  played  into a  lot of  the                                                                    
materials needed  in the oil  patch, when those  prices went                                                                    
up  it  disrupted the  supply  and  demand of  services  and                                                                    
equipment. This resulted  in service prices and  the cost of                                                                    
doing business  rising with a 3  to 6-month lag, with  a 30-                                                                    
day delay when  the oil price decreased. He  said that these                                                                    
factors were not related to taxes or progressivity.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:56:04 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Ruggiero returned  to Slide 10. He noted  that the table                                                                    
in the upper left represented  the standard rates in HB 411.                                                                    
He also pointed  to where the non-GVR curve  fell widened at                                                                    
the peak.  He said that  at the  upper end the  numbers fell                                                                    
beneath  the current  status  quo, resulting  in  a loss  at                                                                    
upper prices.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
1:56:55 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Ruggiero moved to Slide 11:  "1C. Status Quo v. HB411 as                                                                    
Written." The  slide reflected DOR inputs,  HB 411 brackets,                                                                    
costs varied,  and costs 50  percent. He explained  that the                                                                    
model reflected  a dramatic difference  at all prices  up to                                                                    
$120  per barrel.  He said  that  the state  would see  more                                                                    
revenue from HB 411 than from  the status quo because of the                                                                    
lower cost  structure. The higher  PTV per  barrel, starting                                                                    
off at a 25  percent tax, as compared to the  5 or 6 percent                                                                    
under the status quo, would  generate additional tax revenue                                                                    
to the state and tax liability to industry.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:58:52 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Ruggiero continued  to  Slide 12:  "1D.  Status Quo  v.                                                                    
HB411  as written."  The  slide showed  DOR  inputs, HB  411                                                                    
brackets, costs  varies, and cost  150 percent."  He pointed                                                                    
out the $64 total cost base  at the $63 per barrel price. He                                                                    
said  that  any  price  below  the  $60  per  barrel  price,                                                                    
producers were  paying the 4  percent gross minimum  tax out                                                                    
of pocket. He stated that  the crossover point did not occur                                                                    
until $110  per barrel. At 80  percent of the growth  in the                                                                    
oil price, upper  tax brackets remained flat  until $140 per                                                                    
barrel. Costs  moved up as  the price  moved up but  the PTV                                                                    
did not move as quickly.  He said that the additional charts                                                                    
in  the presentation  (Slides 13  through  24) included  the                                                                    
same four charts of cases A,  B, C, D, against the different                                                                    
representative sets  of brackets. He relayed  that when cost                                                                    
was considered in accordance to  what was actually happening                                                                    
in  the oil  patch, the  representation of  what a  specific                                                                    
bill would do  was different that what had  been observed in                                                                    
the past.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
2:02:31 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Grenn asked  Mr. Ruggiero  whether had  been                                                                    
asked to create all the scenarios.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Ruggiero  responded that the  models had  been generated                                                                    
independently  by IN3NERGY,  without any  preconceptions and                                                                    
for informational purposed only.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
2:03:31 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Seaton also  provide an  answer to  Representative                                                                    
Grenn's earlier question surrounding  problems in HB 411 and                                                                    
changes that  could be made  to appeal to industry.  He said                                                                    
that a  previous presentation had  suggested that  the state                                                                    
should tax at  a lower rate, at the low  end of prices, then                                                                    
increase the  percentage take  at the  higher end.  He noted                                                                    
that  the models  had been  requested by  the committee  for                                                                    
informational purposes.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
2:05:10 PM                                                                                                                    
Representative  Wilson   thought  industry   testifiers  had                                                                    
thought the tax was a bad  idea. She wondered whether any of                                                                    
the scenarios would entice production.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Ruggiero responded  that some of the  scenarios with low                                                                    
base rates  could serve to  help the economics  with earlier                                                                    
cashflow to a  new project. He felt that  the particulars of                                                                    
each  project would  need to  be examined  in order  to make                                                                    
that determination.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Wilson   asked  whether  HB   411  contained                                                                    
scenarios that would please industry.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Ruggiero requested clarification in the question.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Wilson tried  again.  She  relayed that  Mr.                                                                    
Ruggiero  had  stated  that  a  couple  of  scenarios  would                                                                    
incentivize industry. She wondered  which scenarios under HB
411 would incentivize industry.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Ruggiero referred  to Slide  6. He  pointed to  cases 1                                                                    
through 4 on  the bottom half of the slide.  He relayed that                                                                    
the first  showed HB  411 as  it stood,  starting with  a 25                                                                    
percent  base. He  moved  to  case 3,  which  he said  would                                                                    
potentially generate more income for  the operator of a more                                                                    
expensive,  new field.  He said  that case  3 would  be more                                                                    
favorable than case 1.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
2:08:14 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Wilson  asked how  3 compared to  the current                                                                    
oil regime.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Seaton directed members to refer to Slide 17.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Mr.   Ruggiero  added   that  Slide   18  reflected   usable                                                                    
information as well. He said  that there were several things                                                                    
that came into  play, but if an operator way  paying a lower                                                                    
tax rate in  the early years of a project,  it would benefit                                                                    
the company in the long run.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
2:10:27 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Wilson pointed to the  blue line on Slides 17                                                                    
and 18  and surmised that  under HB  411 the state  would be                                                                    
would be taking more and not less.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Ruggiero agreed. He referred to Slide 20.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Representative Wilson asked to stay  on Slides 17 and 18 and                                                                    
repeated her question.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Ruggiero thought her original  question pertained to the                                                                    
status quo  on HB 411, and  not the status quo  under SB 21.                                                                    
He said  that HB 411, relative  to the status quo,  when the                                                                    
blue  line was  above the  yellow line,  and the  green bars                                                                    
above  zero, HB  411  took  more tax  than  the current  tax                                                                    
structure.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
2:13:00 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Wilson  restated her question. She  asked how                                                                    
taking more money would incentivize more production.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Ruggiero  replied that the  question was  rhetorical. He                                                                    
reiterated that  the intent of  the information  he provided                                                                    
had been  to show a  way do structure things  differently to                                                                    
help oil flow  down the pipeline. He felt that  staring at a                                                                    
5  percent base  was better  than starting  at a  25 percent                                                                    
base.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Representative Wilson  understood he  was saying HB  411 was                                                                    
bad and that the scenario on  Slide 19 was less bad but that                                                                    
neither incentivized production.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Ruggiero  responded that  HB  411,  as proposed,  would                                                                    
cause a tax increase for industry.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Wilson  surmised  that the  bill  would  not                                                                    
incentivize production.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Ruggiero responded, "Likely not."                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Representative   Ortiz  asked   for  clarification   on  the                                                                    
acronyms CAPEX and OPEX.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Ruggiero explained  that CAPEX  was  short for  capital                                                                    
expenditures and OPEX was  short for operating expenditures.                                                                    
He added that in Alaska  system, for petroleum tax purposes,                                                                    
they were treated  indifferently in that they  both could be                                                                    
expensed  and  deducted  as spent.  Other  systems  operated                                                                    
differently.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Guttenberg  asked whether the state  built in                                                                    
CAPEX and OPEX  or if there were qualifying  exams for those                                                                    
expenses.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Ruggiero replied  that Alaska had rules  with respect to                                                                    
which costs could  be deducted. He said that  the first step                                                                    
was to identify whether the  cost could be deducted, and the                                                                    
second step  was to  determine how. Alaska  had a  series of                                                                    
tests to determine  which costs could be  deducted and which                                                                    
could not.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Guttenberg  asked  whether  there  were  any                                                                    
existing  regimes  that  had  a  tax  structure  void  of  a                                                                    
consideration for CAPEX or OPEX.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Ruggiero  responded that  anyone that  had a  gross tax-                                                                    
based  system were  indifferent  to OPEX  and  CAPEX, a  net                                                                    
system always incorporated those expenses.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
2:17:41 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Seaton thanked Mr. Ruggiero for the presentation.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Seaton relayed  that the amendments to  HB 411 were                                                                    
due Thursday, April 19, 2018 at 5:00 PM.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
HB  411  was  HEARD  and   HELD  in  committee  for  further                                                                    
consideration.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
2:18:50 PM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
2:26:03 PM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
IN3NERGY_HFIN HB411_04162018.pdf HFIN 4/16/2018 1:30:00 PM
HB 411
SB 15 Amendment #1 Wilson.pdf HFIN 4/16/2018 1:30:00 PM
SB 15
HB 260 Conceptual Amendment #1.pdf HFIN 4/16/2018 1:30:00 PM
HB 260