Note 16. Beta Pipeline Incident On October 2, 2021, contractors operating under the direction of Beta LLC observed an oil sheen on the water approximately four miles off the coast of Newport Beach, California. Beta LLC platform personnel were notified and promptly initiated the Company’s Oil Spill Response Plan. On October 3, 2021, a Unified Command, consisting of the Company, the U.S. Coast Guard and California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response, was established to respond to the Incident. Reports from the Unified Command’s contracted commercial divers and Remotely Operated Vehicle footage indicated that a 4,000-foot section of the Company’s pipeline had been displaced and that the pipeline had a 13-inch split, running parallel to the pipe, releasing approximately 588 barrels of oil. All operations were suspended and the pipeline was shut-in pending the Company’s receipt of the required regulatory approvals to restart operations, including but not limited to, approval of a written restart plan from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (“PHMSA”), Office of Pipeline Safety. On April 10, 2023, the Company announced that it received the required approvals from federal regulatory agencies to restart operations at the Beta Field. Since such date, the pipeline has been operated in accordance with the restart procedures that were reviewed and approved by PHMSA. On December 15, 2021, a federal grand jury in the Central District of California returned a federal criminal indictment against the Company, Beta LLC, and San Pedro Bay Pipeline Company in connection with the Incident. As previously disclosed, state authorities were conducting parallel criminal investigations. The Company reached court-approved agreements to resolve all criminal matters stemming from the Incident. As part of the resolution with the United States, the Company agreed to plead guilty to one count of misdemeanor negligent discharge of oil in violation of the Clean Water Act and, agreed to pay a fine of approximately $7.1 million in installments over a period of three years, serve a term of four years’ probation and reimburse governmental agencies approximately $5.8 million for their response to this event. Additionally, as part of the resolution with the state of California, the Company agreed to enter a plea of No Contest to six misdemeanor charges, and, as a result, paid a fine in the amount of $4.9 million to be distributed among the state of California, including the State’s Fish and Game Preservation Fund, and Orange County, agreed to serve a one-year term of probation and agreed to certain compliance enhancements to its operations. The Company is currently subject to a number of ongoing investigations related to the Incident by certain federal and state agencies and may be subject to new investigations and proceedings in the future, the results of which may have a material impact on the Company’s business and results of operations and could put pressure on its liquidity position going forward. With respect to PHMSA’s investigation, on April 6, 2023, PHMSA provided the Company notice of PHMSA’s positions regarding “probable violations of the Pipeline Safety Regulations” in connection with the Incident. The Company has responded to the notice and is conferring with PHMSA regarding a resolution. Amplify continues to comply with all regulatory requirements and investigations. The outcomes of these investigations and the nature of any remedies pursued will depend on the discretion of the relevant authorities and may result in regulatory or other enforcement actions, as well as civil liability. The Company, Beta LLC, and San Pedro Bay Pipeline Company were named as defendants in a consolidated putative class action in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, asserting claims against the Company, Beta LLC, San Pedro Bay Pipeline Company, among others. On August 25, 2022, the Company reached an agreement in principle with plaintiffs in the class action to resolve all civil claims against it and its subsidiaries. The settlement of $50.0 million, which also includes certain injunctive relief, has been and will continue to be funded under the Company’s insurance policies. The Court granted final approval of the settlement on April 24, 2023. Separately, on March 1, 2023, the Company announced that the vessels that struck and damaged the pipeline and their respective owners and operators agreed to pay the Company $96.5 million in a settlement. This settlement resolved Amplify’s affirmative claims related to the Incident, and as such, Amplify dismissed its legal claims against those parties. Under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, 33 U.S.C. § 2701 et seq. (“OPA 90”), the Company’s pipeline was designated by the U.S. Coast Guard as the source of the oil discharge and therefore the Company is financially responsible for remediation and for certain costs and economic damages as provided for in OPA 90, as well as certain natural resource damages associated with the spill and certain costs determined by federal and state trustees engaged in a joint assessment of such natural resource damages. As of September 30, 2024, the Company has completed processing all outstanding covered claims under OPA 90. In addition, the Natural Resource Damage Assessment remains ongoing and therefore the extent, timing and cost related to such assessment are difficult to project. While the Company anticipates insurance will reimburse it for expenses related to the Natural Resource Damage Assessment, any potentially uncovered expenses may be material and could impact the Company’s business and results of operations and could put pressure on its liquidity position going forward. On or about October 10, 2024, the Company reached settlements with the City of Huntington Beach and Pacific Airshow LLC. The Company has resolved all known claims arising from the Incident and believes there are no more claims outstanding, except through the ongoing Natural Resource Damage Assessment process. Based on presently enacted laws and regulations and currently available facts, the Company estimates that the total costs it has incurred or will incur with respect to the Incident to be between approximately $190.0 million to $210.0 million. The range of total costs is based on the Company’s assumptions regarding (i) settlement of costs associated with certain vendors for response and remediation expenses, (ii) resolution of certain third-party claims, excluding claims with respect to losses, which are not probable or reasonably estimable, and (iii) future claims and lawsuits. While the Company believes it has accurately reflected all probable and reasonably estimable costs incurred in the Company’s Unaudited Consolidated Statements of Operations, these estimates are subject to uncertainties associated with the underlying assumptions. Accordingly, as the Company’s assumptions and estimates may change in future periods based on future events, the Company can provide no assurance that total costs will not materially change in future periods. The Company’s estimates do not include (i) the nature, extent and cost of future legal services that will be required in connection with all lawsuits, claims and other matters requiring legal or expert advice associated with the Incident, (ii) any lost revenue associated with the suspension of operations at Beta, (iii) any liabilities or costs, including regulatory costs, that are not reasonably estimable at this time or that relate to contingencies where the Company currently regards the likelihood of loss as being only reasonably possible or remote and (iv) the costs associated with the permanent repair of the pipeline and the restart of operations at Beta. In accordance with customary insurance practice, the Company maintains insurance policies, including loss of production insurance, against many potential losses or liabilities arising from its operations, which, in addition to the settlement amount disclosed, have covered a material portion of aggregate costs associated with the Incident. However, the Company can provide no assurance that its coverage will continue to adequately protect it against liability from all potential consequences, damages and losses related to the Incident and such view and understanding is preliminary and subject to change. On September 30, 2024, and December 31, 2023, the Company’s insurance receivables were $1.7 million and $3.6 million, respectively. Excluding the costs associated with the resolution of the federal and state matters discussed above, for the nine months ended September 30, 2024, the Company incurred response and remediation expenses and legal fees of $1.5 million, which primarily relates to certain legal costs that are not expected to be recovered under an insurance policy and are classified as “Pipeline Incident Loss” on the Company’s Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. For more information, please see our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 filed with the SEC on March 7, 2024.
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