Earthstone Energy (ESTE) 10-Q 3 May 19 2019 Q1 Quarterly report Financial data

Document and Entity Information

Document and Entity Information - shares	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019	Apr. 26, 2019
Document And Entity Information [Line Items]
Document Type	10-Q
Amendment Flag	false
Document Period End Date	Mar. 31, 2019
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2019
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q1
Trading Symbol	ESTE
Entity Registrant Name	EARTHSTONE ENERGY INC
Entity Central Index Key	0000010254
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Entity Filer Category	Accelerated Filer
Entity Small Business	true
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Class A Common Stock
Document And Entity Information [Line Items]
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		28,896,461
Class B Common Stock
Document And Entity Information [Line Items]
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		35,422,178

Condensed Consolidated Balance

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Current assets:
Cash	$ 426	$ 376
Accounts receivable:
Oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids revenues	19,433	13,683
Joint interest billings and other, net of allowance of $133 and $134 at March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively	19,740	4,166
Derivative asset	6,605	43,888
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	3,679	1,443
Total current assets	49,883	63,556
Oil and gas properties, successful efforts method:
Proved properties	797,964	755,443
Unproved properties	266,289	266,140
Land	5,382	5,382
Total oil and gas properties	1,069,635	1,026,965
Accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization	(141,077)	(127,256)
Net oil and gas properties	928,558	899,709
Other noncurrent assets:
Goodwill	17,620	17,620
Office and other equipment, net of accumulated depreciation and amortization of $2,674 and $2,490 at March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively	1,380	662
Derivative asset	6,300	21,121
Operating lease right-of-use assets	1,049
Other noncurrent assets	1,539	1,640
TOTAL ASSETS	1,006,329	1,004,308
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	28,964	26,452
Revenues and royalties payable	23,365	28,748
Accrued expenses	21,362	22,406
Asset retirement obligation	494	557
Advances	1,293	3,174
Derivative liability	2,204	528
Operating lease liabilities	658
Finance lease liabilities	354
Total current liabilities	78,694	81,865
Noncurrent liabilities:
Long-term debt	120,825	78,828
Deferred tax liability	13,029	13,489
Asset retirement obligation	1,748	1,672
Derivative liability	1,367	1,891
Operating lease liabilities	442
Finance lease liabilities	193
Other noncurrent liabilities	0	71
Total noncurrent liabilities	137,604	95,951
Commitments and Contingencies (Note 12)
Equity:
Preferred stock, $0.001 par value, 20,000,000 shares authorized; none issued or outstanding	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	518,889	517,073
Accumulated deficit	(199,634)	(182,497)
Total Earthstone Energy, Inc. equity	319,319	334,640
Noncontrolling interest	470,712	491,852
Total equity	790,031	826,492
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY	1,006,329	1,004,308
Class A Common Stock
Equity:
Common stock	29	29
Class B Common Stock
Equity:
Common stock	$ 35	$ 35

Condensed Consolidated Balanc_2

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Joint interest billings and other, allowance	$ 133	$ 134
Office and other equipment, accumulated depreciation	$ 2,674	$ 2,490
Preferred stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.001	$ 0.001
Preferred stock, shares authorized (in shares)	20,000,000	20,000,000
Preferred stock, shares issued (in shares)	0	0
Preferred stock, shares outstanding (in shares)	0	0
Class A Common Stock
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.001	$ 0.001
Common stock, shares authorized (in shares)	200,000,000	200,000,000
Common stock, shares issued (in shares)	28,862,461	28,696,321
Common stock, shares outstanding (in shares)	28,862,461	28,696,321
Class B Common Stock
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.001	$ 0.001
Common stock, shares authorized (in shares)	50,000,000	50,000,000
Common stock, shares issued (in shares)	35,452,178	35,452,178
Common stock, shares outstanding (in shares)	35,452,178	35,452,178

Condensed Consolidated Statemen

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018
REVENUES
Revenues	$ 40,728	$ 40,895
OPERATING COSTS AND EXPENSES
Lease operating expense	6,667	4,657
Severance taxes	1,988	2,037
Depreciation, depletion and amortization	14,005	9,708
General and administrative expense	7,270	6,579
Transaction costs	175	0
Accretion of asset retirement obligation	54	41
Total operating costs and expenses	30,159	23,022
(Loss) gain on sale of oil and gas properties	(125)	449
Income from operations	10,444	18,322
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE)
Interest expense, net	(1,449)	(613)
Loss on derivative contracts, net	(47,894)	(5,275)
Other income (expense), net	(4)	6
Total other income (expense)	(49,347)	(5,882)
(Loss) income before income taxes	(38,903)	12,440
Income tax benefit (expense)	460	(249)
Net (loss) income	(38,443)	12,191
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest	(21,239)	6,870
Net (loss) income attributable to Earthstone Energy, Inc.	$ (17,204)	$ 5,321
Net (loss) income per common share attributable to Earthstone Energy, Inc.:
Basic (in dollars per share)	$ (0.60)	$ 0.19
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$ (0.60)	$ 0.19
Weighted average common shares outstanding:
Basic (in shares)	28,719,542	27,783,805
Diluted (in shares)	28,719,542	27,911,924
Oil
REVENUES
Revenues	$ 35,447	$ 34,417
Natural gas
REVENUES
Revenues	1,094	2,684
Natural gas liquids
REVENUES
Revenues	$ 4,187	$ 3,794

Condensed Consolidated Statem_2

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Equity - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Class B Common Stock	Common StockClass A Common Stock	Common StockClass B Common Stock	Additional Paid-in Capital	Accumulated Deficit	Total Earthstone Energy, Inc. Stockholders' Equity	Noncontrolling Interest	Restricted Stock UnitsCommon StockClass A Common Stock
Beginning balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2017			27,584,638	36,052,169
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2017	$ 725,732		$ 28	$ 36	$ 503,932	$ (224,822)	$ 279,174	$ 446,558
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Stock-based compensation expense	1,940				1,940		1,940
Vesting of restricted stock units, net of taxes paid (in shares)									86,272
Class A Common Stock retained by the Company in exchange for payment of recipient mandatory tax withholdings (in shares)			28,664
Class A Common Stock retained by the Company in exchange for payment of recipient mandatory tax withholdings	(466)				(466)		(466)
Cancellation of treasury shares (in shares)			(28,664)
Class B Common Stock converted to Class A Common Stock (in shares)		194,046	194,046	(194,046)
Class B Common Stock converted to Class A Common Stock					2,409		2,409	(2,409)
Net loss	12,191					5,321	5,321	6,870
Ending balance (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2018			27,864,956	35,858,123
Ending balance at Mar. 31, 2018	739,397		$ 28	$ 36	507,815	(219,501)	288,378	451,019
Beginning balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2018			28,696,321	35,452,178
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2018	826,492		$ 29	$ 35	517,073	(182,497)	334,640	491,852
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Stock-based compensation expense	2,212				2,212		2,212
Vesting of restricted stock units, net of taxes paid (in shares)									166,140
Class A Common Stock retained by the Company in exchange for payment of recipient mandatory tax withholdings (in shares)			59,261
Class A Common Stock retained by the Company in exchange for payment of recipient mandatory tax withholdings	(396)				(396)		(396)
Cancellation of treasury shares (in shares)			(59,261)
Class B Common Stock converted to Class A Common Stock (in shares)		0
Net loss	(38,443)					(17,204)	(17,204)	(21,239)
Ending balance (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2019			28,862,461	35,452,178
Ending balance at Mar. 31, 2019	$ 790,031		$ 29	$ 35	$ 518,889	$ (199,634)	$ 319,319	$ 470,712

Condensed Consolidated Statem_3

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net (loss) income	$ (38,443)	$ 12,191
Adjustments to reconcile net (loss) income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation, depletion and amortization	14,005	9,708
Accretion of asset retirement obligations	54	41
Settlement of asset retirement obligations	(62)	(52)
Loss (gain) on sale of oil and gas properties	125	(449)
Total loss on derivative contracts, net	47,894	5,275
Operating portion of net cash received (paid) in settlement of derivative contracts	5,362	(4,275)
Stock-based compensation	2,212	1,940
Deferred income taxes	(460)	249
Amortization of deferred financing costs	103	69
Changes in assets and liabilities:
(Increase) decrease in accounts receivable	(6,811)	737
(Increase) decrease in prepaid expenses and other current assets	(2,236)	(314)
Increase (decrease) in accounts payable and accrued expenses	(7,427)	(17,611)
Increase (decrease) in revenues and royalties payable	(5,383)	8,595
Increase (decrease) in advances	(1,882)	662
Net cash provided by operating activities	7,051	16,766
Cash flows from investing activities:
Additions to oil and gas properties	(48,412)	(33,372)
Additions to office and other equipment	(75)	(15)
Proceeds from sales of oil and gas properties	0	195
Net cash used in investing activities	(48,487)	(33,192)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from borrowings	85,244	20,000
Repayments of borrowings	(43,247)	(15,000)
Cash paid related to the exchange and cancellation of Class A Common Stock	(397)	(468)
Cash paid for finance leases	(114)	0
Deferred financing costs	0	(3)
Net cash provided by financing activities	41,486	4,529
Net increase (decrease) in cash	50	(11,897)
Cash at beginning of period	376	22,955
Cash at end of period	426	11,058
Cash paid for:
Interest	1,255	383
Non-cash investing and financing activities:
Accrued capital expenditures	17,040	8,967
Lease asset additions - ASC 842	1,801
Asset retirement obligations	$ 21	$ (181)

Basis of Presentation and Summa

Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Earthstone Energy, Inc., a Delaware corporation ("Earthstone" and together with its consolidated subsidiaries, the "Company"), is a growth-oriented independent oil and natural gas development and production company. In addition, the Company is active in corporate mergers and the acquisition of oil and natural gas properties that have production and future development opportunities. The Company's operations are all in the upstream segment of the oil and natural gas industry and all its properties are onshore in the United States. Earthstone is the sole managing member of Earthstone Energy Holdings, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (together with its wholly-owned consolidated subsidiaries, “EEH”), with a controlling interest in EEH. Earthstone, together with its wholly-owned subsidiary, Lynden Energy Corp., a corporation organized under the laws of British Columbia (“Lynden Corp”), and Lynden Corp’s wholly-owned consolidated subsidiary, Lynden USA Inc., a Utah corporation (“Lynden US”) and also a member of EEH, consolidates the financial results of EEH and records a noncontrolling interest in the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements representing the economic interests of EEH's members other than Earthstone and Lynden US. The accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and notes thereto have been prepared in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) applicable to interim financial statements. Pursuant to such rules and regulations, certain disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) have been omitted. The accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and notes should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes included in Earthstone’s 2018 Annual Report on Form 10-K. The information furnished herein reflects all adjustments that are, in the opinion of management, necessary for the fair presentation of the Company's financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the periods presented. The Company’s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet at December 31, 2018 is derived from the audited Consolidated Financial Statements at that date. Prior-period Stock-based compensation in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations has been reclassified from its own line item and included in General and administrative expense, within Operating Costs and Expenses, to conform to current-period presentation. This reclassification had no effect on Income from operations, (Loss) income before income taxes, or Net (loss) income for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018 . Recently Issued Accounting Standards Leases – In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842): Amendments to the FASB Accounting Standards Codification (“ASU 2016-02”). In January 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-01, Leases (Topic 842): Land Easement Practical Expedient for Transition to Topic 842 (“ASU 2018-01”). In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-11, Leases (Topic 842): Targeted Improvements (“ASU 2018-11”). Together these related amendments to GAAP represent ASC Topic 842, Leases (“ASC Topic 842”). ASU 2016-02 requires lessees to recognize lease assets and liabilities (with terms in excess of 12 months) on the balance sheet and disclose key quantitative and qualitative information about leasing arrangements. The Company completed a comprehensive assessment of existing contracts, as well as future potential contracts, to determine the impact of the new accounting guidance on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. The evaluation process included review of contracts for drilling rigs, office facilities, compression services, field vehicles and equipment, general corporate leased equipment, and other existing arrangements to support its operations that may contain a lease component. The Company's evaluation process did not include review of its mineral leases as they are outside the scope of ASC Topic 842. The Company adopted this guidance on January 1, 2019, the transition date, using the simplified transition method described in ASU 2018-11 which allows entities to continue to apply historical accounting guidance in the comparative periods presented in the year of adoption. Accordingly, prior period amounts in our financial statements are not adjusted and continue to be reported in accordance with historical accounting guidance. The Company elected the package of practical expedients within ASU 2016-02 that allows an entity to not reassess, prior to the effective date, (i) whether any expired or existing contracts are or contain leases, (ii) the lease classification for any expired or existing leases or (iii) initial direct costs for any existing leases. Additionally, the Company elected the practical expedient under ASU 2018-01 to not evaluate existing or expired land easements not previously accounted for as leases prior to the effective date. The Company made an accounting policy election not to apply the lease recognition requirements to short-term leases. The adoption of ASC Topic 842 did not have a material impact on the Company's financial statements, resulted in increases of less than 1% to each of its total assets and total liabilities on the balance sheet, and resulted in an immaterial decrease to accumulated deficit as of the beginning of 2019. See Note 14. Leases for further information. Intangibles - Goodwill and Other – In January 2017, the FASB issued updated guidance simplifying the test for goodwill impairment. The update eliminates Step 2 of the goodwill impairment test. Instead, an entity should perform its annual or interim goodwill impairment test by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount. An entity should recognize an impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value; however, the loss recognized should not exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. An entity still has the option to perform the qualitative assessment for a reporting unit to determine if the quantitative impairment test is necessary. The update is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2019 and early adoption is permitted for interim or annual goodwill impairment tests performed after January 1, 2017. The Company is in the process of evaluating the impact of this guidance, if any, on its Consolidated Financial Statements. Fair Value Measurements – In August 2018, the FASB issued an update which modifies the disclosure requirements on fair value measurements in Topic 820. The ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019 and early adoption is permitted. The Company is in the process of evaluating the impact of this update, if any, on its Consolidated Financial Statements.

Fair Value Measurements

Fair Value Measurements	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair Value Measurements	Fair Value Measurements FASB ASC Topic 820, defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset, or paid to transfer a liability, in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. ASC 820 provides a framework for measuring fair value, establishes a three-level hierarchy for fair value measurements based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of an asset or liability as of the measurement date and requires consideration of the counterparty’s creditworthiness when valuing certain assets. The three-level fair value hierarchy for disclosure of fair value measurements defined by ASC 820 is as follows: Level 1 – Unadjusted, quoted prices in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for identical, unrestricted assets or liabilities. An active market is defined as a market where transactions for the financial instrument occur with sufficient frequency and volume to provide pricing information on an ongoing basis. Level 2 – Inputs, other than quoted prices within Level 1, that are either directly or indirectly observable for the asset or liability through correlation with market data at the measurement date and for the duration of the instrument’s anticipated life. Level 3 – Prices or valuations that require unobservable inputs that are both significant to the fair value measurement and unobservable. Valuation under Level 3 generally involves a significant degree of judgment from management. A financial instrument’s level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of any input that is significant to the fair value measurement. Where available, fair value is based on observable market prices or parameters or derived from such prices or parameters. Where observable prices or inputs are not available, valuation models are applied. These valuation techniques involve some level of management estimation and judgment, the degree of which is dependent on the price transparency for the instruments or market and the instrument’s complexity. The Company reflects transfers between the three levels at the beginning of the reporting period in which the availability of observable inputs no longer justifies classification in the original level. There were no transfers between fair value hierarchy levels for the three months ended March 31, 2019 . Fair Value on a Recurring Basis Derivative financial instruments are carried at fair value and measured on a recurring basis. The derivative financial instruments consist of swaps for crude oil and natural gas. The Company’s swaps are valued based on a discounted future cash flow model. The primary input for the model is published forward commodity price curves. The swaps are also designated as Level 2 within the valuation hierarchy. The fair values of commodity derivative instruments in an asset position include a measure of counterparty nonperformance risk, and the fair values of commodity derivative instruments in a liability position include a measure of the Company’s nonperformance risk. These measurements were not material to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements. The following table summarizes the fair value of the Company’s financial assets and liabilities, by level within the fair-value hierarchy (in thousands) : March 31, 2019 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Financial assets Derivative asset - current $ — $ 6,605 $ — $ 6,605 Derivative asset - noncurrent — 6,300 — 6,300 Total financial assets $ — $ 12,905 $ — $ 12,905 Financial liabilities Derivative liability - current $ — $ 2,204 $ — $ 2,204 Derivative liability - noncurrent — 1,367 — 1,367 Total financial liabilities $ — $ 3,571 $ — $ 3,571 December 31, 2018 Financial assets Derivative asset - current $ — $ 43,888 $ — $ 43,888 Derivative asset - noncurrent 21,121 21,121 Total financial assets $ — $ 65,009 $ — $ 65,009 Financial liabilities Derivative liability - current $ — $ 528 $ — $ 528 Derivative liability - noncurrent — 1,891 — 1,891 Total financial liabilities $ — $ 2,419 $ — $ 2,419 Other financial instruments include cash, accounts receivable and payable, and revenue royalties. The carrying amount of these instruments approximates fair value because of their short-term nature. The Company’s long-term debt obligation bears interest at floating market rates, therefore carrying amounts and fair value are approximately equal. Fair Value on a Nonrecurring Basis The Company applies the provisions of the fair value measurement standard on a non-recurring basis to its non-financial assets and liabilities, including oil and gas properties and goodwill. These assets and liabilities are not measured at fair value on an ongoing basis but are subject to fair value adjustments only in certain circumstances. Proved Oil and Natural Gas Properties Proved oil and natural gas properties are measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis in order to review for impairment. The impairment charge reduces the carrying values to their estimated fair values. These fair value measurements are classified as Level 3 measurements and include many unobservable inputs. Fair value is calculated as the estimated discounted future net cash flows attributable to the assets. The Company’s primary assumptions in preparing the estimated discounted future net cash flows to be recovered from oil and gas properties are based on (i) proved reserves, (ii) forward commodity prices and assumptions as to costs and expenses, and (iii) the estimated discount rate that would be used by potential purchasers to determine the fair value of the assets. Goodwill Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price of assets acquired over the fair value of those assets and is tested for impairment annually, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances dictate that the fair value of goodwill may be less than its carrying amount. Such test includes an assessment of qualitative and quantitative factors. Business Combinations The Company accounts for its acquisitions of oil and gas properties not commonly controlled in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 805, Business Combinations, which, among other things, requires the Company to determine if an asset or a business has been acquired. If the Company determines an asset(s) has been acquired, the asset(s) acquired, as well as any liabilities assumed, are measured and recorded at the acquisition date cost. If the Company determines a business has been acquired, the assets acquired and liabilities assumed are measured and recorded at their fair values as of the acquisition date, recording goodwill for amounts paid in excess of fair value. Asset Retirement Obligations The estimated fair value of the Company's asset retirement obligation at inception is determined by utilizing the income approach by applying a credit-adjusted risk-free rate, which takes into account the Company's credit risk, and the time value of money to the undiscounted expected abandonment cash flows, including estimates of plugging, abandonment and remediation costs and well life. Given the unobservable nature of the inputs, the measurement of the asset retirement obligations was classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy. See Note 10. Asset Retirement Obligations for a reconciliation of the beginning and ending balances of the liability for the Company’s asset retirement obligations. Performance Units Stock-based compensation related to performance is estimated utilizing the Monte Carlo Simulation pricing model, which calculates multiple potential outcomes for an award and establishes fair value based on the most likely outcome, and has been classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy. Stock-based compensation related to performance units is described in Note 8. Stock-Based Compensation .

Derivative Financial Instrument

Derivative Financial Instruments	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Derivative Financial Instruments	Derivative Financial Instruments The Company’s hedging activities consist of derivative instruments entered into in order to hedge against changes in oil and natural gas prices through the use of fixed price swap agreements. Swaps exchange floating price risk in the future for a fixed price at the time of the hedge. Consistent with its hedging policy, the Company has entered into a series of derivative instruments to hedge a significant portion of its expected oil and natural gas production through December 31, 2020. Typically, these derivative instruments require payments to (receipts from) counterparties based on specific indices as required by the derivative agreements. Although not risk free, the Company believes these instruments reduce its exposure to oil and natural gas price fluctuations and, thereby, allow the Company to achieve a more predictable cash flow. The Company’s derivative instruments are cash flow hedge transactions in which it is hedging the variability of cash flow related to a forecasted transaction. The Company does not enter into derivative instruments for trading or other speculative purposes. These transactions are recorded in the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 815. The Company has accounted for these transactions using the mark-to-market accounting method. Generally, the Company incurs accounting losses on derivatives during periods where prices are rising and gains during periods where prices are falling which may cause significant fluctuations in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets and Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. The Company nets its derivative instrument fair value amounts executed with each counterparty pursuant to an International Swap Dealers Association Master Agreement (“ISDA”), which provides for net settlement over the term of the contract. The ISDA is a standard contract that governs all derivative contracts entered into between the Company and the respective counterparty. The ISDA allows for offsetting of amounts payable or receivable between the Company and the counterparty, at the election of both parties, for transactions that occur on the same date and in the same currency. The Company had the following open crude oil and natural gas derivative contracts as of March 31, 2019 : Price Swaps Period Commodity Volume (Bbls / MMBtu) Weighted Average Price ($/Bbl / $/MMBtu) Q2 - Q4 2019 Crude Oil 1,769,100 $ 65.60 Q1 - Q4 2020 Crude Oil 1,464,000 $ 65.87 Q2 - Q4 2019 Crude Oil Basis Swap(1) 1,512,500 $ (5.29 ) Q2 - Q4 2019 Crude Oil (Basis Swap)(2) 275,000 $ 4.50 Q1 - Q4 2020 Crude Oil Basis Swap(1) 1,464,000 $ (2.74 ) Q2 - Q4 2019 Natural Gas 2,795,500 $ 2.86 Q1 - Q4 2020 Natural Gas 2,562,000 $ 2.85 Q2 - Q4 2019 Natural Gas Basis Swap (3) 2,795,500 $ (1.14 ) Q1 - Q4 2020 Natural Gas Basis Swap (3) 2,562,000 $ (1.07 ) (1) The basis differential price is between WTI Midland Argus Crude and the WTI NYMEX. (2) The basis differential price is between LLS Argus Crude and the WTI NYMEX. (3) The basis differential price is between W. Texas (WAHA) and the Henry Hub NYMEX. Subsequent to March 31, 2019, the Company entered into additional hedges consisting of Crude Oil Swaps on 366 MBbls at a price of $59.75 /Bbl for 2020 and WTI Midland Argus Crude Basis Swaps on 366 MBbls at a price of $0.25 /Bbl for 2020. The following table summarizes the location and fair value amounts of all derivative instruments in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as well as the gross recognized derivative assets, liabilities, and amounts offset in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (in thousands) : March 31, 2019 December 31, 2018 Derivatives not designated as hedging contracts under ASC Topic 815 Balance Sheet Location Gross Recognized Assets / Liabilities Gross Amounts Offset Net Recognized Assets / Liabilities Gross Recognized Assets / Liabilities Gross Amounts Offset Net Recognized Assets / Liabilities Commodity contracts Derivative asset - current $ 14,262 $ (7,657 ) $ 6,605 $ 48,662 $ (4,774 ) $ 43,888 Commodity contracts Derivative liability - current $ 9,861 $ (7,657 ) $ 2,204 $ 5,302 $ (4,774 ) $ 528 Commodity contracts Derivative asset - noncurrent $ 8,597 $ (2,297 ) $ 6,300 $ 23,605 $ (2,484 ) $ 21,121 Commodity contracts Derivative liability - noncurrent $ 3,664 $ (2,297 ) $ 1,367 $ 4,375 $ (2,484 ) $ 1,891 The following table summarizes the location and amounts of the Company’s realized and unrealized gains and losses on derivatives instruments in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (in thousands) : Derivatives not designated as hedging contracts under ASC Topic 815 Three Months Ended Statement of Cash Flows Location Statement of Operations Location 2019 2018 Unrealized (loss) Not separately presented Not separately presented $ (53,256 ) $ (1,000 ) Realized gain (loss) Operating portion of net cash paid in settlement of derivative contracts Not separately presented 5,362 (4,275 ) Total loss on derivative contracts, net (Loss) on derivative contracts, net $ (47,894 ) $ (5,275 )

Oil and Natural Gas Properties

Oil and Natural Gas Properties	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019
Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Industries Disclosures [Abstract]
Oil and Natural Gas Properties	Oil and Natural Gas Properties The Company follows the successful efforts method of accounting for its oil and natural gas properties. Under this method, costs to acquire oil and natural gas properties, drill and equip exploratory wells that find proved reserves, and drill and equip development wells are capitalized. Exploration costs, including unsuccessful exploratory wells and geological and geophysical costs, are charged to operations as incurred. Upon sale or retirement of oil and natural gas properties, the costs and related accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization are eliminated from the accounts and the resulting gain or loss is recognized. Costs incurred to maintain wells and related equipment, lease and well operating costs, and other exploration costs are charged to expense as incurred. Gains and losses arising from the sale of properties are included in Income (loss) from operations in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. The Company’s lease acquisition costs and development costs of proved oil and natural gas properties are amortized using the units-of-production method, at the field level, based on total proved reserves and proved developed reserves, respectively. For the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018 , depletion expense for oil and gas producing property and related equipment was $13.8 million and $9.6 million , respectively. Proved Properties Proved oil and natural gas properties are reviewed for impairment on a nonrecurring basis. The impairment charge reduces the carrying values to their estimated fair values. These fair value measurements are classified as Level 3 measurements and include many unobservable inputs. Fair value is calculated as the estimated discounted future net cash flows attributable to the assets. The Company’s primary assumptions in preparing the estimated discounted future net cash flows to be recovered from oil and gas properties are based on (i) proved reserves, (ii) forward commodity prices and assumptions as to costs and expenses, and (iii) the estimated discount rate that would be used by potential purchasers to determine the fair value of the assets. Unproved Properties Unproved properties consist of costs incurred to acquire undeveloped leases as well as the cost to acquire unproved reserves. Undeveloped lease costs and unproved reserve acquisition costs are capitalized. Unproved oil and gas leases are generally for a primary term of three to five years . In most cases, the term of the unproved leases can be extended by paying delay rentals, meeting contractual drilling obligations, or by the presence of producing wells on the leases. Unproved costs related to successful exploratory drilling are reclassified to proved properties and depleted on a units-of-production basis. The Company reviews its unproved properties periodically for impairment. In determining whether an unproved property is impaired, the Company considers numerous factors including, but not limited to, current exploration and development plans, favorable or unfavorable exploration activity on the property being evaluated and/or adjacent properties, the Company’s geologists' evaluation of the property, and the remaining months in the lease term for the property. Impairments to Oil and Natural Gas Properties During the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018 , the Company did not record any impairments to its oil and natural gas properties.

Noncontrolling Interest

Noncontrolling Interest	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019
Noncontrolling Interest [Abstract]
Noncontrolling Interest	Noncontrolling Interest Earthstone consolidates the financial results of EEH and its subsidiaries and records a noncontrolling interest for the economic interest in Earthstone held by the members of EEH other than Earthstone and Lynden US. Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations for the three months ended March 31, 2019 represents the portion of net income or loss attributable to the economic interest in the Company held by the members of EEH other than Earthstone and Lynden US. Noncontrolling interest in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018 represents the portion of net assets of the Company attributable to the members of EEH other than Earthstone and Lynden US. The following table presents the changes in noncontrolling interest for the three months ended March 31, 2019 : EEH Units Held By Earthstone and Lynden US % EEH Units Held By Others % Total EEH Units Outstanding As of December 31, 2018 28,696,321 44.7 % 35,452,178 55.3 % 64,148,499 EEH Units and Class B Common Stock converted to Class A Common Stock — — — EEH Units issued in connection with the vesting of restricted stock units 166,140 — 166,140 As of March 31, 2019 28,862,461 44.9 % 35,452,178 55.1 % 64,314,639 The following table summarizes the activity for the equity attributable to the noncontrolling interest for the three months ended March 31, 2019 ( in thousands ): 2019 As of December 31, 2018 $ 491,852 EEH Units and Class B Common Stock converted to Class A Common Stock — ASC 842 implementation adjustment attributable to noncontrolling interest 99 Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest (21,239 ) As of March 31, 2019 $ 470,712

Net (Loss) Income Per Common Sh

Net (Loss) Income Per Common Share	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Net (Loss) Income Per Common Share	Net (Loss) Income Per Common Share Net (loss) income per common share—basic is calculated by dividing Net (loss) income by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. Net (loss) income per common share—diluted assumes the conversion of all potentially dilutive securities and is calculated by dividing Net (loss) income by the sum of the weighted average number of shares of common stock, as defined above, outstanding plus potentially dilutive securities. Net (loss) income per common share—diluted considers the impact of potentially dilutive securities except in periods in which there is a loss because the inclusion of the potential common shares, as defined above, would have an anti-dilutive effect. A reconciliation of Net (loss) income per common share is as follows: Three Months Ended (In thousands, except per share amounts) 2019 2018 Net (loss) income attributable to Earthstone Energy, Inc. $ (17,204 ) $ 5,321 Net (loss) income per common share attributable to Earthstone Energy, Inc.: Basic $ (0.60 ) $ 0.19 Diluted $ (0.60 ) $ 0.19 Weighted average common shares outstanding Basic 28,719,542 27,783,805 Add potentially dilutive securities: Unvested restricted stock units — 128,119 Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding 28,719,542 27,911,924 Class B Common Stock has been excluded, as its conversion would eliminate noncontrolling interest and Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest of $21.2 million would be added back to Net (loss) income attributable to Earthstone Energy, Inc., having no dilutive effect on Net (loss) income per common share attributable to Earthstone Energy, Inc. For the three months ended March 31, 2019 , the Company excluded 336,759 shares for the dilutive effect of performance units in calculating diluted earnings per share as the effect was anti-dilutive due to the net loss incurred the period.

Common Stock

Common Stock	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019
Equity [Abstract]
Common Stock	Common Stock Class A Common Stock At March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018 , there were 28,862,461 and 28,696,321 shares of Class A Common Stock issued and outstanding, respectively. During the three months ended March 31, 2019 , as a result of the vesting and settlement of restricted stock units under the Earthstone Energy, Inc. Amended and Restated 2014 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the "2014 Plan"), Earthstone issued 225,401 shares of Class A Common Stock, of which 59,261 shares of Class A Common Stock were retained as treasury stock and canceled to satisfy the related employee income tax liability. During the three months ended March 31, 2018 , as a result of the vesting and settlement of restricted stock units under the 2014 Plan, Earthstone issued 114,936 shares of Class A Common Stock of which 28,664 shares of Class A Common Stock were retained as treasury stock and canceled to satisfy the related employee income tax liability. Class B Common Stock At March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018 , there were 35,452,178 shares of Class B Common Stock issued and outstanding, respectively. Each share of Class B Common Stock, together with one EEH Unit, is convertible into one share of Class A Common Stock. During the three months ended March 31, 2019 , no shares of Class B Common Stock and EEH Units were exchanged for an equal number of shares of Class A Common Stock. During the three months ended March 31, 2018 , 194,046 shares of Class B Common Stock and EEH Units were exchanged for an equal number of shares of Class A Common Stock.

Stock-Based Compensation

Stock-Based Compensation	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Stock-Based Compensation	Stock-Based Compensation Restricted Stock Units The 2014 Plan, allows, among other things, for the grant of restricted stock units ("RSUs"). As of March 31, 2019 , the maximum number of shares of Class A Common Stock that may be issued under the 2014 Plan was 6.4 million shares. Each RSU represents the contingent right to receive one share of Class A Common Stock. The holders of outstanding RSUs do not receive dividends or have voting rights prior to vesting and settlement. The Company determines the fair value of granted RSUs based on the market price of the Class A Common Stock on the date of the grant. Compensation expense for granted RSUs is recognized on a straight-line basis over the vesting and is net of forfeitures, as incurred. Stock-based compensation is included in General and administrative expense in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and is recorded with a corresponding increase in Additional paid-in capital within the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. The table below summarizes RSU award activity for the three months ended March 31, 2019 : Shares Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value Unvested RSUs at December 31, 2018 810,995 $ 8.83 Granted 743,350 $ 6.40 Forfeited (13,750 ) $ 7.70 Vested (225,401 ) $ 8.56 Unvested RSUs at March 31, 2019 1,315,194 $ 7.51 As of March 31, 2019 , there was $9.7 million of unrecognized compensation expense related to the RSU awards which will be recognized over a weighted average period of 1.10 years. For the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018 , Stock-based compensation related to RSUs was $1.6 million and $1.8 million , respectively. Performance Units The table below summarizes performance unit (“PSU”) activity for the three months ended March 31, 2019 : Shares Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value Unvested PSUs at December 31, 2018 252,500 $ 13.75 Granted 669,550 $ 9.30 Unvested PSUs at March 31, 2019 922,050 $ 10.52 On January 28, 2019, the Board of Directors of Earthstone (the "Board") granted 669,550 PSUs to certain executive officers pursuant to the 2014 Plan. The PSUs are payable in shares of Class A Common Stock based upon the achievement by the Company over a period commencing on February 1, 2019 and ending on January 31, 2022 (the “Performance Period”) of performance criteria established by the Board. The number of shares of Class A Common Stock that may be issued will be determined by multiplying the number of PSUs granted by the Relative Total Shareholder Return ("TSR") Percentage ( 0% to 200% ). The “Relative TSR Percentage” is the percentage, if any, achieved by attainment of a certain predetermined range of targets for the Performance Period. TSR for the Company and each of the peer companies is generally determined by dividing (A) the volume weighted average price of a share of stock for the trading days during the thirty calendar days ending on and including the last calendar day of the Performance Period minus the volume weighted average price of a share of stock for the trading days during the thirty calendar days ending on and including the first day of the Performance Period plus cash dividends paid over the Performance Period by (B) the volume weighted average price of a share of stock for the trading days during the thirty calendar days ending on and including the first day of the Performance Period. The Company accounts for these awards as market-based awards which are valued utilizing the Monte Carlo Simulation pricing model, which calculates multiple potential outcomes for an award and establishes grant date fair value based on the most likely outcome. For the PSUs granted on January 28, 2019, assuming a risk-free rate of 2.6% and volatilities ranging from 40.1% to 114.1% , the Company calculated the weighted average grant date fair value per PSU to be $9.30 . As of March 31, 2019 , there was $8.1 million of unrecognized compensation expense related to the PSU awards which will be amortized over a weighted average period of 1.3 years. For the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018 , Stock-based compensation related to the PSUs was approximately $0.6 million and $0.1 million , respectively.

Long-Term Debt

Long-Term Debt	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Long-Term Debt	Long-Term Debt Credit Agreement In May, 2017, Earthstone Energy Holdings, LLC (“EEH” or the “Borrower”), a subsidiary of Earthstone, each of Earthstone Operating, LLC, EF Non-Op, LLC, Sabine River Energy, LLC, Earthstone Legacy Properties, LLC, Lynden USA Operating, LLC, Bold Energy III LLC ("Bold"), Bold Operating, LLC, as guarantors (the “Guarantors”), BOKF, NA dba Bank Of Texas, as Agent and Lead Arranger, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Syndication Agent, and the lenders party thereto (the “Lenders”), entered into a credit agreement (as amended, modified or restated from time to time, the “EEH Credit Agreement”). The borrowing base under the EEH Credit Agreement is subject to redetermination on or about May 1st and November 1st of each year. The amounts borrowed under the EEH Credit Agreement bear annual interest rates at either (a) the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) plus 1.75% to 2.75% or (b) the prime lending rate of Bank of Texas plus 0.75% to 1.75% , depending on the amounts borrowed under the EEH Credit Agreement. Principal amounts outstanding under the EEH Credit Agreement are due and payable in full at maturity on May 9, 2022 . All of the obligations under the EEH Credit Agreement, and the guarantees of those obligations, are secured by substantially all of EEH’s assets. Additional payments due under the EEH Credit Agreement include paying a commitment fee of 0.375% or 0.50% , depending on borrowing base utilization, per year to the Lenders in respect of the unutilized commitments thereunder, as well as certain other customary fees. The EEH Credit Agreement contains a number of covenants that, among other things, restrict, subject to certain exceptions, EEH’s ability to incur additional indebtedness, create liens on assets, make investments, enter into sale and leaseback transactions, pay dividends and make distributions or repurchase its limited liability interests, engage in mergers or consolidations, sell certain assets, sell or discount any notes receivable or accounts receivable and engage in certain transactions with affiliates. In addition, the EEH Credit Agreement requires EEH to maintain the following financial covenants: a current ratio, as defined by the EEH Credit Agreement, of not less than 1.0 to 1.0 and a leverage ratio of not greater than 4.0 to 1.0. Leverage ratio means the ratio of (i) the aggregate debt of EEH and its consolidated subsidiaries as at the last day of the fiscal quarter (excluding any debt from obligations relating to non-cash losses under FASB ASC 815 as a result of changes in the fair market value of derivatives) to (ii) the product of EBITDAX for such fiscal quarter multiplied by four . The term “EBITDAX” means, for any period, the sum of consolidated net income for such period plus (a) the following expenses or charges to the extent deducted from consolidated net income in such period: (i) interest, (ii) taxes, (iii) depreciation, (iv) depletion, (v) amortization, (vi) non-cash losses under FASB ASC 815 as a result of changes in the fair market value of derivatives, (vii) exploration expenses, (viii) impairment expenses, and (ix) non-cash compensation expenses and minus (b) to the extent included in consolidated net income in such period, non-cash gains under FASB ASC 815 as a result of changes in the fair market value of derivatives. The EEH Credit Agreement contains customary affirmative covenants and defines events of default to include failure to pay principal or interest, breach of covenants, breach of representations and warranties, insolvency, judgment default, and if Frank A. Lodzinski ceases to serve and function as Chief Executive Officer of EEH and the majority of the Lenders do not approve of Mr. Lodzinski’s successor. Upon the occurrence and continuance of an event of default, the Lenders have the right to accelerate repayment of the loans and exercise their remedies with respect to the collateral. As of March 31, 2019 , EEH was in compliance with the covenants under the EEH Credit Agreement. As of March 31, 2019 , the Company had a $275.0 million borrowing base under the EEH Credit Agreement, of which $120.8 million was outstanding, bearing annual interest of 4.486% , resulting in an additional $154.2 million of borrowing base availability under the EEH Credit Agreement. At December 31, 2018 , there were $78.8 million of borrowings outstanding under the EEH Credit Agreement. On May 1, 2019, the borrowing base under the EEH Credit Agreement was increased from $275.0 million to $325.0 million . For the three months ended March 31, 2019 , the Company had borrowings of $85.2 million and $43.2 million in repayments of borrowings. For the three months ended March 31, 2019 , interest on borrowings averaged 4.64% per annum, which excluded commitment fees of $0.2 million and amortization of deferred financing costs of $0.1 million . For the three months ended March 31, 2018 , interest on borrowings averaged 3.62% per annum, which excluded commitment fees of $0.2 million and amortization of deferred financing costs of $0.1 million . No costs associated with the EEH Credit Agreement were capitalized during the three months ended March 31, 2019 . The Company capitalized $0.003 million of costs associated with the EEH Credit Agreement for the three months ended March 31, 2018 . These capitalized costs are included in Other noncurrent assets in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company’s policy is to capitalize the financing costs associated with its debt and amortize those costs on a straight-line basis over the term of the associated debt.

Asset Retirement Obligations

Asset Retirement Obligations	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019
Asset Retirement Obligation Disclosure [Abstract]
Asset Retirement Obligations	Asset Retirement Obligations The Company has asset retirement obligations associated with the future plugging and abandonment of oil and gas properties and related facilities. Revisions to the liability typically occur due to changes in the estimated abandonment costs, well economic lives, and the discount rate. The following table summarizes the Company’s asset retirement obligation transactions recorded during the three months ended March 31, (in thousands) : 2019 2018 Beginning asset retirement obligations $ 2,229 $ 2,354 Liabilities incurred 21 1 Liabilities settled (62 ) (52 ) Accretion expense 54 41 Divestitures — (385 ) Revision of estimates — (182 ) Ending asset retirement obligations $ 2,242 $ 1,777

Related Party Transactions

Related Party Transactions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]
Related Party Transactions	Related Party Transactions FASB ASC Topic 850 , Related Party Disclosures , requires that information about transactions with related parties that would make a difference in decision making shall be disclosed so that users of the financial statements can evaluate their significance. Flatonia Energy, LLC (“Flatonia”), which owns approximately 10.3% of the outstanding Class A Common Stock and approximately 4.6% of the combined voting power of the Company's outstanding Class A and Class B Common Stock as of March 31, 2019 , is a party to a joint operating agreement (the “Operating Agreement”) with the Company. The Operating Agreement covers certain jointly owned oil and natural gas properties located in the Eagle Ford Trend in Texas. In connection with the Operating Agreement, the Company made payments to Flatonia of $4.3 million and received payments from Flatonia $1.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2019 . For the three months ended March 31, 2018 , the Company made payments to Flatonia of $6.2 million and received payments from Flatonia of $2.1 million . At March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018 , amounts receivable from Flatonia in connection with the Operating Agreement were $1.0 million and $0.8 million , respectively. Payables related to revenues outstanding and due to Flatonia as of March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018 were $1.3 million and $1.6 million , respectively. Earthstone's majority shareholder consists of various investment funds managed by a venture capital firm who may manage other investments in entities with which the Company interacts in the normal course of business.

Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies	Commitments and Contingencies Legal From time to time, the Company and its subsidiaries may be involved in various legal proceedings and claims in the ordinary course of business. Olenik v. Lodzinksi et al.: On June 2, 2017, Nicholas Olenik filed a purported shareholder class and derivative action in the Delaware Court of Chancery against Earthstone’s Chief Executive Officer, along with other members of the Board, EnCap Investments L.P. ("EnCap"), Bold, Bold Energy Holdings, LLC ("Bold Holdings") and OVR. The complaint alleges that Earthstone’s directors breached their fiduciary duties in connection with the contribution dated as of November 7, 2016 and as amended on March 21, 2017 (the "Bold Contribution Agreement"), by and among Earthstone, EEH, Lynden US, Lynden USA Operating, LLC, Bold Holdings and Bold. The Plaintiff asserts that the directors negotiated the Bold Transaction to benefit EnCap and its affiliates, failed to obtain adequate consideration for the Earthstone shareholders who were not affiliated with EnCap or Earthstone management, did not follow an adequate process in negotiating and approving the Bold Transaction and made materially misleading or incomplete proxy disclosures in connection with the Bold Transaction. The suit seeks unspecified damages and purports to assert claims derivatively on behalf of Earthstone and as a class action on behalf of all persons who held Common Stock up to March 13, 2017, excluding defendants and their affiliates. On July 20, 2018, the Delaware Court of Chancery granted the defendants' motion to dismiss and entered an order dismissing the action in its entirety with prejudice. The Plaintiff filed an appeal with the Delaware Supreme Court. On February 6, 2019, the Delaware Supreme Court heard oral arguments from the Plaintiff and Defendants' counsel. On April 5, 2019, the Delaware Supreme Court affirmed the Delaware Court of Chancery’s dismissal of the proxy disclosure claims but reversed the Delaware Court of Chancery’s dismissal of the other claims, holding that the allegations with respect to those claims were sufficient for pleading purposes. Earthstone and each of the other defendants believe the claims are entirely without merit and intend to mount a vigorous defense. The ultimate outcome of this suit is uncertain, and while Earthstone is confident in its position, any potential monetary recovery or loss to Earthstone cannot be estimated at this time. Environmental and Regulatory As of March 31, 2019 , there were no known environmental or other regulatory matters related to the Company’s operations that are reasonably expected to result in a material liability to the Company.

Income Taxes

Income Taxes	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Taxes	Income Taxes The Company’s corporate structure requires the filing of two separate consolidated U.S. Federal income tax returns and one Canadian income tax return which include Lynden US, Earthstone, and Lynden Corp. As such, taxable income of Earthstone cannot be offset by tax attributes, including net operating losses, of Lynden US, nor can taxable income of Lynden US be offset by tax attributes of Earthstone. Earthstone and Lynden US record a tax provision, respectively, for their share of the book income or loss of EEH, net of the non-controlling interest. As EEH is treated as a partnership for U.S. Federal income tax purposes, it is not subject to income tax at the federal level and only recognizes the Texas Margin Tax. During the three months ended March 31, 2019 , the Company recorded income tax benefit of approximately $0.5 million which included (1) income tax benefit for Lynden US of $0.8 million as a result of its share of the distributable income from EEH, (2) income tax benefit for Earthstone of $2.9 million as a result of its share of the distributable income from EEH, which was used to reduce the valuation recorded against its deferred tax asset as future realization of the net deferred tax asset cannot be assured and (3) deferred income tax expense of $0.3 million related to the Texas Margin Tax. Lynden Corp incurred no material income or loss, or related income tax expense or benefit, for the three months ended March 31, 2019 . During the three months ended March 31, 2018 , the Company recorded an income tax expense for Lynden US of $0.2 million as a result of its share of the distributable income from EEH. During the three months ended March 31, 2018 , the Company recorded an income tax expense for Earthstone of $0.9 million as a result of its share of the distributable income from EEH, which was used to reduce the valuation recorded against its deferred tax asset as future realization of the net deferred tax asset cannot be assured. Lynden Corp incurred no material income or loss, or related income tax expense or benefit, for the three months ended March 31, 2018 .

Leases

Leases	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019
Leases [Abstract]
Leases	Leases Our operating lease activities consist of leases for office space. Our finance lease activities consist of leases for vehicles. Leases with an initial term of 12 months or less are not recorded on the balance sheet. Most leases include one or more options to renew, with renewal terms generally ranging from one to three years. The exercise of lease renewal options is at our sole discretion. Certain leases also include options to purchase the leased property. The depreciable life of assets and leasehold improvements is limited by the expected lease term, unless there is a transfer of title or purchase option reasonably certain of exercise. None of our lease agreements include variable lease payments. Our lease agreements do not contain any material residual value guarantees or material restrictive covenants. See discussion of the January 1, 2019 implementation impact at Note 1. Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies . Supplemental balance sheet information as of March 31, 2019 for our leases is as follows (in thousands) : Leases Classification Assets Noncurrent: Operating Operating lease right-of-use assets $ 1,049 Finance Office and other equipment, net of accumulated depreciation and amortization 752 Total lease assets $ 1,801 Liabilities Current: Operating Operating lease liabilities $ 658 Finance Finance lease liabilities 354 Noncurrent: Operating Operating lease liabilities 442 Finance Finance lease liabilities 193 Total lease liabilities $ 1,647 *The difference between assets and liabilities includes a $0.1 million adjustment to NCI and a $0.07 million adjustment to accumulated deficit, both at the beginning of the period as part of the ASC 842 implementation adjustment. Our operating lease expense for the three months ended March 31, 2019 was $0.2 million and is included in General and administrative expense in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. Our finance lease expense for the three months ended March 31, 2019 was $0.1 million and is included in depreciation, depletion and amortization expense and interest expense, net in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. Additionally, we capitalized as part of oil and gas properties $2.1 million of short-term lease costs related to drilling rig contracts. All of our drilling rig contracts have enforceable terms of less than one year. Minimum contractual obligations for our leases (undiscounted) as of March 31, 2019 are as follows (in thousands) : Operating Finance 2019 (excluding three months ended March 31, 2019 $ 619 $ 295 2020 206 219 2021 215 65 2022 110 — 2023 — — Thereafter — — Total lease payments $ 1,150 $ 579 Less imputed interest (50 ) (32 ) Total lease liability $ 1,100 $ 547 Cash paid for our operating and finance leases were $0.2 million and $0.1 million , respectively, for the three months ended March 31, 2019. Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for lease obligations for our operating leases were $0.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2019. The amount related to our finance leases was not material to our consolidated financial statements. As of March 31, 2019, the weighted average remaining lease terms of our operating and finance leases were 1.9 years and 1.8 years, respectively. The weighted average discount rates used to determine the lease liabilities as of March 31, 2019 for our operating and finance leases were 4.35% and 6.57% , respectively. The discount rate used for operating leases is based on the Company's incremental borrowing rate. The discount rate used for finance leases is based on the rates implicit in the leases.
Leases	Leases Our operating lease activities consist of leases for office space. Our finance lease activities consist of leases for vehicles. Leases with an initial term of 12 months or less are not recorded on the balance sheet. Most leases include one or more options to renew, with renewal terms generally ranging from one to three years. The exercise of lease renewal options is at our sole discretion. Certain leases also include options to purchase the leased property. The depreciable life of assets and leasehold improvements is limited by the expected lease term, unless there is a transfer of title or purchase option reasonably certain of exercise. None of our lease agreements include variable lease payments. Our lease agreements do not contain any material residual value guarantees or material restrictive covenants. See discussion of the January 1, 2019 implementation impact at Note 1. Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies . Supplemental balance sheet information as of March 31, 2019 for our leases is as follows (in thousands) : Leases Classification Assets Noncurrent: Operating Operating lease right-of-use assets $ 1,049 Finance Office and other equipment, net of accumulated depreciation and amortization 752 Total lease assets $ 1,801 Liabilities Current: Operating Operating lease liabilities $ 658 Finance Finance lease liabilities 354 Noncurrent: Operating Operating lease liabilities 442 Finance Finance lease liabilities 193 Total lease liabilities $ 1,647 *The difference between assets and liabilities includes a $0.1 million adjustment to NCI and a $0.07 million adjustment to accumulated deficit, both at the beginning of the period as part of the ASC 842 implementation adjustment. Our operating lease expense for the three months ended March 31, 2019 was $0.2 million and is included in General and administrative expense in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. Our finance lease expense for the three months ended March 31, 2019 was $0.1 million and is included in depreciation, depletion and amortization expense and interest expense, net in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. Additionally, we capitalized as part of oil and gas properties $2.1 million of short-term lease costs related to drilling rig contracts. All of our drilling rig contracts have enforceable terms of less than one year. Minimum contractual obligations for our leases (undiscounted) as of March 31, 2019 are as follows (in thousands) : Operating Finance 2019 (excluding three months ended March 31, 2019 $ 619 $ 295 2020 206 219 2021 215 65 2022 110 — 2023 — — Thereafter — — Total lease payments $ 1,150 $ 579 Less imputed interest (50 ) (32 ) Total lease liability $ 1,100 $ 547 Cash paid for our operating and finance leases were $0.2 million and $0.1 million , respectively, for the three months ended March 31, 2019. Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for lease obligations for our operating leases were $0.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2019. The amount related to our finance leases was not material to our consolidated financial statements. As of March 31, 2019, the weighted average remaining lease terms of our operating and finance leases were 1.9 years and 1.8 years, respectively. The weighted average discount rates used to determine the lease liabilities as of March 31, 2019 for our operating and finance leases were 4.35% and 6.57% , respectively. The discount rate used for operating leases is based on the Company's incremental borrowing rate. The discount rate used for finance leases is based on the rates implicit in the leases.

Basis of Presentation and Sum_2

Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Recently Issued Accounting Standards	Recently Issued Accounting Standards Leases – In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842): Amendments to the FASB Accounting Standards Codification (“ASU 2016-02”). In January 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-01, Leases (Topic 842): Land Easement Practical Expedient for Transition to Topic 842 (“ASU 2018-01”). In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-11, Leases (Topic 842): Targeted Improvements (“ASU 2018-11”). Together these related amendments to GAAP represent ASC Topic 842, Leases (“ASC Topic 842”). ASU 2016-02 requires lessees to recognize lease assets and liabilities (with terms in excess of 12 months) on the balance sheet and disclose key quantitative and qualitative information about leasing arrangements. The Company completed a comprehensive assessment of existing contracts, as well as future potential contracts, to determine the impact of the new accounting guidance on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. The evaluation process included review of contracts for drilling rigs, office facilities, compression services, field vehicles and equipment, general corporate leased equipment, and other existing arrangements to support its operations that may contain a lease component. The Company's evaluation process did not include review of its mineral leases as they are outside the scope of ASC Topic 842. The Company adopted this guidance on January 1, 2019, the transition date, using the simplified transition method described in ASU 2018-11 which allows entities to continue to apply historical accounting guidance in the comparative periods presented in the year of adoption. Accordingly, prior period amounts in our financial statements are not adjusted and continue to be reported in accordance with historical accounting guidance. The Company elected the package of practical expedients within ASU 2016-02 that allows an entity to not reassess, prior to the effective date, (i) whether any expired or existing contracts are or contain leases, (ii) the lease classification for any expired or existing leases or (iii) initial direct costs for any existing leases. Additionally, the Company elected the practical expedient under ASU 2018-01 to not evaluate existing or expired land easements not previously accounted for as leases prior to the effective date. The Company made an accounting policy election not to apply the lease recognition requirements to short-term leases. The adoption of ASC Topic 842 did not have a material impact on the Company's financial statements, resulted in increases of less than 1% to each of its total assets and total liabilities on the balance sheet, and resulted in an immaterial decrease to accumulated deficit as of the beginning of 2019. See Note 14. Leases for further information. Intangibles - Goodwill and Other – In January 2017, the FASB issued updated guidance simplifying the test for goodwill impairment. The update eliminates Step 2 of the goodwill impairment test. Instead, an entity should perform its annual or interim goodwill impairment test by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount. An entity should recognize an impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value; however, the loss recognized should not exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. An entity still has the option to perform the qualitative assessment for a reporting unit to determine if the quantitative impairment test is necessary. The update is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2019 and early adoption is permitted for interim or annual goodwill impairment tests performed after January 1, 2017. The Company is in the process of evaluating the impact of this guidance, if any, on its Consolidated Financial Statements. Fair Value Measurements – In August 2018, the FASB issued an update which modifies the disclosure requirements on fair value measurements in Topic 820. The ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019 and early adoption is permitted. The Company is in the process of evaluating the impact of this update, if any, on its Consolidated Financial Statements.

Fair Value Measurements (Tables

Fair Value Measurements (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Summary of Fair Value of Financial Assets and Liabilities	The following table summarizes the fair value of the Company’s financial assets and liabilities, by level within the fair-value hierarchy (in thousands) : March 31, 2019 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Financial assets Derivative asset - current $ — $ 6,605 $ — $ 6,605 Derivative asset - noncurrent — 6,300 — 6,300 Total financial assets $ — $ 12,905 $ — $ 12,905 Financial liabilities Derivative liability - current $ — $ 2,204 $ — $ 2,204 Derivative liability - noncurrent — 1,367 — 1,367 Total financial liabilities $ — $ 3,571 $ — $ 3,571 December 31, 2018 Financial assets Derivative asset - current $ — $ 43,888 $ — $ 43,888 Derivative asset - noncurrent 21,121 21,121 Total financial assets $ — $ 65,009 $ — $ 65,009 Financial liabilities Derivative liability - current $ — $ 528 $ — $ 528 Derivative liability - noncurrent — 1,891 — 1,891 Total financial liabilities $ — $ 2,419 $ — $ 2,419

Derivative Financial Instrume_2

Derivative Financial Instruments (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Open Crude Oil and Natural Gas Derivative Contracts	The Company had the following open crude oil and natural gas derivative contracts as of March 31, 2019 : Price Swaps Period Commodity Volume (Bbls / MMBtu) Weighted Average Price ($/Bbl / $/MMBtu) Q2 - Q4 2019 Crude Oil 1,769,100 $ 65.60 Q1 - Q4 2020 Crude Oil 1,464,000 $ 65.87 Q2 - Q4 2019 Crude Oil Basis Swap(1) 1,512,500 $ (5.29 ) Q2 - Q4 2019 Crude Oil (Basis Swap)(2) 275,000 $ 4.50 Q1 - Q4 2020 Crude Oil Basis Swap(1) 1,464,000 $ (2.74 ) Q2 - Q4 2019 Natural Gas 2,795,500 $ 2.86 Q1 - Q4 2020 Natural Gas 2,562,000 $ 2.85 Q2 - Q4 2019 Natural Gas Basis Swap (3) 2,795,500 $ (1.14 ) Q1 - Q4 2020 Natural Gas Basis Swap (3) 2,562,000 $ (1.07 ) (1) The basis differential price is between WTI Midland Argus Crude and the WTI NYMEX. (2) The basis differential price is between LLS Argus Crude and the WTI NYMEX. (3) The basis differential price is between W. Texas (WAHA) and the Henry Hub NYMEX.
Schedule of Location and Fair Value Amounts of All Derivative Instruments	The following table summarizes the location and fair value amounts of all derivative instruments in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as well as the gross recognized derivative assets, liabilities, and amounts offset in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (in thousands) : March 31, 2019 December 31, 2018 Derivatives not designated as hedging contracts under ASC Topic 815 Balance Sheet Location Gross Recognized Assets / Liabilities Gross Amounts Offset Net Recognized Assets / Liabilities Gross Recognized Assets / Liabilities Gross Amounts Offset Net Recognized Assets / Liabilities Commodity contracts Derivative asset - current $ 14,262 $ (7,657 ) $ 6,605 $ 48,662 $ (4,774 ) $ 43,888 Commodity contracts Derivative liability - current $ 9,861 $ (7,657 ) $ 2,204 $ 5,302 $ (4,774 ) $ 528 Commodity contracts Derivative asset - noncurrent $ 8,597 $ (2,297 ) $ 6,300 $ 23,605 $ (2,484 ) $ 21,121 Commodity contracts Derivative liability - noncurrent $ 3,664 $ (2,297 ) $ 1,367 $ 4,375 $ (2,484 ) $ 1,891
Summary of Realized and Unrealized Gains and Losses on Derivative Instruments	The following table summarizes the location and amounts of the Company’s realized and unrealized gains and losses on derivatives instruments in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (in thousands) : Derivatives not designated as hedging contracts under ASC Topic 815 Three Months Ended Statement of Cash Flows Location Statement of Operations Location 2019 2018 Unrealized (loss) Not separately presented Not separately presented $ (53,256 ) $ (1,000 ) Realized gain (loss) Operating portion of net cash paid in settlement of derivative contracts Not separately presented 5,362 (4,275 ) Total loss on derivative contracts, net (Loss) on derivative contracts, net $ (47,894 ) $ (5,275 )

Noncontrolling Interest (Tables

Noncontrolling Interest (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019
Noncontrolling Interest [Abstract]
Summary of Changes in Noncontrolling Interest	The following table presents the changes in noncontrolling interest for the three months ended March 31, 2019 : EEH Units Held By Earthstone and Lynden US % EEH Units Held By Others % Total EEH Units Outstanding As of December 31, 2018 28,696,321 44.7 % 35,452,178 55.3 % 64,148,499 EEH Units and Class B Common Stock converted to Class A Common Stock — — — EEH Units issued in connection with the vesting of restricted stock units 166,140 — 166,140 As of March 31, 2019 28,862,461 44.9 % 35,452,178 55.1 % 64,314,639
Summary of Activity for Equity Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	The following table summarizes the activity for the equity attributable to the noncontrolling interest for the three months ended March 31, 2019 ( in thousands ): 2019 As of December 31, 2018 $ 491,852 EEH Units and Class B Common Stock converted to Class A Common Stock — ASC 842 implementation adjustment attributable to noncontrolling interest 99 Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest (21,239 ) As of March 31, 2019 $ 470,712

Net (Loss) Income Per Common _2

Net (Loss) Income Per Common Share (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Reconciliation of Net Income (Loss) Per Common Share	A reconciliation of Net (loss) income per common share is as follows: Three Months Ended (In thousands, except per share amounts) 2019 2018 Net (loss) income attributable to Earthstone Energy, Inc. $ (17,204 ) $ 5,321 Net (loss) income per common share attributable to Earthstone Energy, Inc.: Basic $ (0.60 ) $ 0.19 Diluted $ (0.60 ) $ 0.19 Weighted average common shares outstanding Basic 28,719,542 27,783,805 Add potentially dilutive securities: Unvested restricted stock units — 128,119 Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding 28,719,542 27,911,924

Stock-Based Compensation (Table

Stock-Based Compensation (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Summary of Unvested RSU and PSU Award Activity	The table below summarizes performance unit (“PSU”) activity for the three months ended March 31, 2019 : Shares Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value Unvested PSUs at December 31, 2018 252,500 $ 13.75 Granted 669,550 $ 9.30 Unvested PSUs at March 31, 2019 922,050 $ 10.52 The table below summarizes RSU award activity for the three months ended March 31, 2019 : Shares Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value Unvested RSUs at December 31, 2018 810,995 $ 8.83 Granted 743,350 $ 6.40 Forfeited (13,750 ) $ 7.70 Vested (225,401 ) $ 8.56 Unvested RSUs at March 31, 2019 1,315,194 $ 7.51

Asset Retirement Obligations (T

Asset Retirement Obligations (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019
Asset Retirement Obligation Disclosure [Abstract]
Summary of Asset Retirement Obligation Transactions	The following table summarizes the Company’s asset retirement obligation transactions recorded during the three months ended March 31, (in thousands) : 2019 2018 Beginning asset retirement obligations $ 2,229 $ 2,354 Liabilities incurred 21 1 Liabilities settled (62 ) (52 ) Accretion expense 54 41 Divestitures — (385 ) Revision of estimates — (182 ) Ending asset retirement obligations $ 2,242 $ 1,777

Leases (Tables)

Leases (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019
Leases [Abstract]
Schedule of Lease Assets and Liabilities	Supplemental balance sheet information as of March 31, 2019 for our leases is as follows (in thousands) : Leases Classification Assets Noncurrent: Operating Operating lease right-of-use assets $ 1,049 Finance Office and other equipment, net of accumulated depreciation and amortization 752 Total lease assets $ 1,801 Liabilities Current: Operating Operating lease liabilities $ 658 Finance Finance lease liabilities 354 Noncurrent: Operating Operating lease liabilities 442 Finance Finance lease liabilities 193 Total lease liabilities $ 1,647
Finance Lease, Liability, Maturity	Minimum contractual obligations for our leases (undiscounted) as of March 31, 2019 are as follows (in thousands) : Operating Finance 2019 (excluding three months ended March 31, 2019 $ 619 $ 295 2020 206 219 2021 215 65 2022 110 — 2023 — — Thereafter — — Total lease payments $ 1,150 $ 579 Less imputed interest (50 ) (32 ) Total lease liability $ 1,100 $ 547
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Maturity	Minimum contractual obligations for our leases (undiscounted) as of March 31, 2019 are as follows (in thousands) : Operating Finance 2019 (excluding three months ended March 31, 2019 $ 619 $ 295 2020 206 219 2021 215 65 2022 110 — 2023 — — Thereafter — — Total lease payments $ 1,150 $ 579 Less imputed interest (50 ) (32 ) Total lease liability $ 1,100 $ 547

Fair Value Measurements (Detail

Fair Value Measurements (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Financial assets
Derivative asset - current	$ 6,605	$ 43,888
Derivative asset - noncurrent	6,300	21,121
Financial liabilities
Derivative liability - current	2,204	528
Derivative liability - noncurrent	1,367	1,891
Fair Value on a Recurring Basis
Financial assets
Derivative asset - current	6,605	43,888
Derivative asset - noncurrent	6,300	21,121
Total financial assets	12,905	65,009
Financial liabilities
Derivative liability - current	2,204	528
Derivative liability - noncurrent	1,367	1,891
Total financial liabilities	3,571	2,419
Level 1 | Fair Value on a Recurring Basis
Financial assets
Derivative asset - current	0	0
Derivative asset - noncurrent	0
Total financial assets	0	0
Financial liabilities
Derivative liability - current	0	0
Derivative liability - noncurrent	0	0
Total financial liabilities	0	0
Level 2 | Fair Value on a Recurring Basis
Financial assets
Derivative asset - current	6,605	43,888
Derivative asset - noncurrent	6,300	21,121
Total financial assets	12,905	65,009
Financial liabilities
Derivative liability - current	2,204	528
Derivative liability - noncurrent	1,367	1,891
Total financial liabilities	3,571	2,419
Level 3 | Fair Value on a Recurring Basis
Financial assets
Derivative asset - current	0	0
Derivative asset - noncurrent	0
Total financial assets	0	0
Financial liabilities
Derivative liability - current	0	0
Derivative liability - noncurrent	0	0
Total financial liabilities	$ 0	$ 0

Derivative Financial Instrume_3

Derivative Financial Instruments - Schedule of Open Crude Oil and Natural Gas Derivative Contracts (Details)	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended
	May 03, 2019$ / bblbbl	Mar. 31, 2019MMBTU$ / MMBTU$ / bblbbl
Q2 - Q4 2019 | Natural Gas Basis Swap (3)
Derivative [Line Items]
Natural gas volume (MMBtu) | MMBTU		2,795,500
Q2 - Q4 2019 | Crude Oil
Derivative [Line Items]
Crude oil volume (Bbl) | bbl		1,769,100
Weighted Average Price ($/Bbl / $/MMBtu)		65.60
Q1 - Q4 2020 | Natural Gas Basis Swap (3)
Derivative [Line Items]
Natural gas volume (MMBtu) | MMBTU		2,562,000
Q1 - Q4 2020 | Crude Oil
Derivative [Line Items]
Crude oil volume (Bbl) | bbl		1,464,000
Weighted Average Price ($/Bbl / $/MMBtu)		65.87
Q2 - Q4 2019 | Crude Oil
Derivative [Line Items]
Crude oil volume (Bbl) | bbl		1,512,500
Q2 - Q4 2019 | Crude Oil
Derivative [Line Items]
Crude oil volume (Bbl) | bbl		275,000
Weighted Average Price ($/Bbl / $/MMBtu)		4.50
Q1 - Q4 2020 | Crude Oil
Derivative [Line Items]
Crude oil volume (Bbl) | bbl		1,464,000
Q2 - Q4 2019
Derivative [Line Items]
Natural gas volume (MMBtu) | MMBTU		2,795,500
Weighted Average Price ($/Bbl / $/MMBtu)		2.86
Q1 - Q4 2020
Derivative [Line Items]
Natural gas volume (MMBtu) | MMBTU		2,562,000
Weighted Average Price ($/Bbl / $/MMBtu)		2.85
Short | Q2 - Q4 2019 | Natural Gas Basis Swap (3)
Derivative [Line Items]
Weighted Average Price ($/Bbl / $/MMBtu) | $ / MMBTU		(1.14)
Short | Q1 - Q4 2020 | Natural Gas Basis Swap (3)
Derivative [Line Items]
Weighted Average Price ($/Bbl / $/MMBtu) | $ / MMBTU		(1.07)
Short | Q2 - Q4 2019 | Crude Oil
Derivative [Line Items]
Weighted Average Price ($/Bbl / $/MMBtu)		(5.29)
Short | Q1 - Q4 2020 | Crude Oil
Derivative [Line Items]
Weighted Average Price ($/Bbl / $/MMBtu)		(2.74)
Subsequent Event | Q1 - Q4 2020 | Crude Oil
Derivative [Line Items]
Crude oil volume (Bbl) | bbl	366
Weighted Average Price ($/Bbl / $/MMBtu)	59.75
Subsequent Event | Q1 - Q4 2020 | Crude Oil
Derivative [Line Items]
Crude oil volume (Bbl) | bbl	366
Weighted Average Price ($/Bbl / $/MMBtu)	0.25

Derivative Financial Instrume_4

Derivative Financial Instruments - Schedule of Location and Fair Value Amounts of All Derivative Instruments (Details) - Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Contracts - Commodity Contracts - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Derivative asset - current
Derivative Asset [Abstract]
Gross Recognized Assets	$ 14,262	$ 48,662
Gross Amounts Offset, Assets	(7,657)	(4,774)
Total financial assets	6,605	43,888
Derivative liability - current
Derivative Liability [Abstract]
Gross Recognized Liabilities	9,861	5,302
Gross Amounts Offset, Liabilities	(7,657)	(4,774)
Total financial liabilities	2,204	528
Derivative asset - noncurrent
Derivative Asset [Abstract]
Gross Recognized Assets	8,597	23,605
Gross Amounts Offset, Assets	(2,297)	(2,484)
Total financial assets	6,300	21,121
Derivative liability - noncurrent
Derivative Liability [Abstract]
Gross Recognized Liabilities	3,664	4,375
Gross Amounts Offset, Liabilities	(2,297)	(2,484)
Total financial liabilities	$ 1,367	$ 1,891

Derivative Financial Instrume_5

Derivative Financial Instruments - Summary of Realized and Unrealized Gains and Losses on Derivative Instruments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Realized gain (loss)	$ (5,362)	$ 4,275
(Loss) gain on commodity contracts, net	(47,894)	(5,275)
Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Contracts | (Loss) Gain On Derivative Contracts, Net
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Unrealized (loss)	(53,256)	(1,000)
Realized gain (loss)	$ 5,362	$ (4,275)

Oil and Natural Gas Properties

Oil and Natural Gas Properties (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018
Oil And Natural Gas Properties [Line Items]
Impairment of proved and unproved oil and gas properties		$ 0
Proved Oil and Natural Gas Properties
Oil And Natural Gas Properties [Line Items]
Depletion expenses	$ 13,800,000	$ 9,600,000
Unproved Oil and Gas Properties | Minimum
Oil And Natural Gas Properties [Line Items]
Unproved oil and gas lease term	3 years
Unproved Oil and Gas Properties | Maximum
Oil And Natural Gas Properties [Line Items]
Unproved oil and gas lease term	5 years

Noncontrolling Interest - Summ

Noncontrolling Interest - Summary of Changes in Noncontrolling Interest (Details) - shares	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Class A Common Stock
Stockholders' Equity Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest [Roll Forward]
Outstanding, beginning balance (in shares)	28,696,321
Outstanding, ending balance (in shares)	28,862,461
Earthstone Energy Holdings, LLC
Stockholders' Equity Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest [Roll Forward]
Outstanding, beginning balance (in shares)	64,148,499
Outstanding, ending balance (in shares)	64,314,639
Earthstone Energy Holdings, LLC | Restricted Stock Units
Stockholders' Equity Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest [Roll Forward]
EEH Units issued in connection with the vesting of restricted stock units (in shares)	166,140
Earthstone Energy Holdings, LLC | Bold Transaction | Class A Common Stock
Stockholders' Equity Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest [Roll Forward]
EEH Units and Class B Common Stock converted to Class A Common Stock (in shares)	0
Earthstone Energy Incorporation And Lynden United States Of America Incorporation | Earthstone Energy Holdings, LLC
Stockholders' Equity Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest [Roll Forward]
Outstanding, beginning balance (in shares)	28,696,321
Outstanding, ending balance (in shares)	28,862,461
Percentage of EEH Units Held By Earthstone and Lynden	44.90%	44.70%
Earthstone Energy Incorporation And Lynden United States Of America Incorporation | Earthstone Energy Holdings, LLC | Restricted Stock Units
Stockholders' Equity Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest [Roll Forward]
EEH Units issued in connection with the vesting of restricted stock units (in shares)	166,140
Earthstone Energy Incorporation And Lynden United States Of America Incorporation | Earthstone Energy Holdings, LLC | Bold Transaction | Class A Common Stock
Stockholders' Equity Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest [Roll Forward]
EEH Units and Class B Common Stock converted to Class A Common Stock (in shares)	0
Other Entities | Earthstone Energy Holdings, LLC
Stockholders' Equity Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest [Roll Forward]
Outstanding, beginning balance (in shares)	35,452,178
Outstanding, ending balance (in shares)	35,452,178
Percentage of EEH Units Held By Others	55.10%	55.30%
Other Entities | Earthstone Energy Holdings, LLC | Bold Transaction | Class A Common Stock
Stockholders' Equity Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest [Roll Forward]
EEH Units and Class B Common Stock converted to Class A Common Stock (in shares)	0

Noncontrolling Interest - Su_2

Noncontrolling Interest - Summary of Activity for Equity Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018
Stockholders' Equity Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest [Roll Forward]
December 31, 2018	$ 491,852
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest	(21,239)	$ 6,870
March 31, 2019	470,712
Bold Transaction
Stockholders' Equity Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest [Roll Forward]
December 31, 2018	491,852
EEH Units and Class B Common Stock converted to Class A Common Stock	0
ASC 842 implementation adjustment attributable to noncontrolling interest	99
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest	(21,239)
March 31, 2019	$ 470,712

Net (Loss) Income Per Common _3

Net (Loss) Income Per Common Share - Reconciliation of Net Income (Loss) Per Common Share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Net income (loss) attributable to Earthstone Energy, Inc.	$ (17,204)	$ 5,321
Net (loss) income per common share attributable to Earthstone Energy, Inc.:
Basic (in dollars per share)	$ (0.60)	$ 0.19
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$ (0.60)	$ 0.19
Weighted average common shares outstanding
Basic (in shares)	28,719,542	27,783,805
Add potentially dilutive securities:
Unvested restricted stock units (in shares)	0	128,119
Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding (in shares)	28,719,542	27,911,924

Net (Loss) Income Per Common _4

Net (Loss) Income Per Common Share - Narrative (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest	$ (21,239,000)	$ 6,870,000
Dilutive effect on Net income (loss) per common share attributable to Earthstone Energy, Inc	$ 0
Antidilutive securities excluded from calculation of earnings per share	336,759

Common Stock (Details)

Common Stock (Details) - shares	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2018
Member Units | Bold Contribution Agreement
Capital Unit [Line Items]
Stock conversion (in shares)	1
Class A Common Stock
Capital Unit [Line Items]
Common stock, shares issued (in shares)	28,862,461		28,696,321
Common stock, shares outstanding (in shares)	28,862,461		28,696,321
Class A Common Stock | Bold Contribution Agreement
Capital Unit [Line Items]
Stock conversion (in shares)	1
Class A Common Stock | 2014 Plan
Capital Unit [Line Items]
Common shares issued during period under stock plan	225,401	114,936
Common stock repurchased	59,261	28,664
Class B Common Stock
Capital Unit [Line Items]
Common stock, shares issued (in shares)	35,452,178		35,452,178
Common stock, shares outstanding (in shares)	35,452,178		35,452,178
EEH Units and Class B Common Stock converted to Class A Common Stock (in shares)	0	194,046

Stock-Based Compensation - Nar

Stock-Based Compensation - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions	Feb. 28, 2018	Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2018
Restricted Stock Units
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Performance-based restricted stock granted (in shares)		743,350
Weighted average fair value per share (in dollars per share)		$ 7.51		$ 8.83
Performance Stock Units
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Performance-based restricted stock granted (in shares)		669,550
Threshold trading days		30 days
Weighted average fair value per share (in dollars per share)		$ 10.52		$ 13.75
2014 Plan | Restricted Stock Units
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of shares authorized to be issued under the plan		6,400,000
Unrecognized compensation expense related to unvested stock		$ 9.7
Weighted average remaining vesting period of unrecognized compensation expense		1 year 1 month 5 days
Stock-based compensation expense		$ 1.6	$ 1.8
2014 Plan | Restricted Stock Units | Bold Contribution Agreement | Class A Common Stock
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of shares of common stock that each holder has contingent right to receive		1
2014 Plan | Performance Stock Units
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense		$ 0.6	$ 0.1
Performance-based restricted stock granted (in shares)	669,550
Risk-free interest rate		2.60%
Expected volatility, minimum		40.10%
Expected volatility, maximum		114.10%
Weighted average fair value per share (in dollars per share)		$ 9.30
Unrecognized compensation expense related to PSU awards		$ 8.1
Remaining vesting period of unrecognized compensation expense (in years)		1 year 3 months 18 days
Minimum | Performance Stock Units
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Relative Total Shareholder Return, percentage	0.00%
Maximum | Performance Stock Units
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Relative Total Shareholder Return, percentage	200.00%

Stock-Based Compensation - Sum

Stock-Based Compensation - Summary of Unvested RSU Award Activity (Details)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019$ / sharesshares
Restricted Stock Units
Shares
Unvested RSUs at beginning period (in shares) | shares	810,995
Granted (in shares) | shares	743,350
Forfeited (in shares) | shares	(13,750)
Vested (in shares) | shares	(225,401)
Unvested RSUs at end period (in shares) | shares	1,315,194
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value
Unvested RSUs at beginning of period, Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 8.83
Granted, Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	6.40
Forfeited, Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	7.70
Vested, Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	8.56
Unvested RSUs at end of period, Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 7.51
Performance Stock Units
Shares
Unvested RSUs at beginning period (in shares) | shares	252,500
Granted (in shares) | shares	669,550
Unvested RSUs at end period (in shares) | shares	922,050
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value
Unvested RSUs at beginning of period, Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 13.75
Granted, Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	9.30
Unvested RSUs at end of period, Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 10.52

Long-Term Debt (Details)

Long-Term Debt (Details)	May 09, 2017	Mar. 31, 2019USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2018USD ($)	May 01, 2019USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt outstanding		$ 120,825,000			$ 78,828,000
Long-term debt, percentage bearing annual interest rate		4.486%
Amount of borrowings		$ 85,200,000
Repayments of borrowings		$ 43,200,000
Averaged interest rate on borrowings		4.64%	3.62%
Commitment fees on borrowings		$ 200,000	$ 200,000
Amortization of deferred financing costs		103,000	69,000
EEH Credit Agreement
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit agreement, covenant, current ratio	1
Credit agreement, covenant, leverage ratio	4
EBITDAX multiplier	4
Current borrowing base under EEH credit agreement		275,000,000
Long-term debt outstanding		120,800,000			$ 78,800,000
Additional borrowing base available under credit agreement		154,200,000
Capitalized costs associated with borrowings		$ 0
EEH Credit Agreement | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Commitment fee percentage	0.375%
EEH Credit Agreement | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Commitment fee percentage	0.50%
EEH Credit Agreement | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Applicable margin percentage	1.75%
EEH Credit Agreement | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Applicable margin percentage	2.75%
EEH Credit Agreement | Prime Rate | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Applicable margin percentage	0.75%
EEH Credit Agreement | Prime Rate | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Applicable margin percentage	1.75%
Earthstone Energy Credit Agreement
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Capitalized costs associated with borrowings			$ 3,000
Subsequent Event | EEH Credit Agreement
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Current borrowing base under EEH credit agreement				$ 325,000,000

Asset Retirement Obligations (D

Asset Retirement Obligations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018
Asset Retirement Obligation, Roll Forward Analysis [Roll Forward]
Beginning asset retirement obligations	$ 2,229	$ 2,354
Liabilities incurred	21	1
Liabilities settled	(62)	(52)
Accretion expense	54	41
Divestitures	0	(385)
Revision of estimates	0	(182)
Ending asset retirement obligations	$ 2,242	$ 1,777

Related Party Transactions (Det

Related Party Transactions (Details) - Flatonia Energy, LLC - USD ($)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2018
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Payments made to related party	$ 4,300,000	$ 6,200,000
Payments received from related party	1,300,000	$ 2,100,000
Amounts receivable from related party	1,000,000		$ 800,000
Amounts payable to related party	$ 1,256,670.73		$ 1,600,000
Class A Common Stock
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Percentage of common stock acquired	10.30%
Common Class A and Common Class B
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Percentage of common stock acquired	4.60%

Income Taxes (Details)

Income Taxes (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Income tax benefit (expense)	$ 460	$ (249)
Deferred income tax expense (benefit)	(460)	249
Earthstone Energy Holdings, LLC
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Income tax expense (benefit)	2,900	900
Deferred income tax expense (benefit)	300
Lynden US
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Income tax expense (benefit)	$ 800	$ 200

Leases - Supplemental Balance S

Leases - Supplemental Balance Sheet Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2019	Jan. 01, 2019
Lease, Assets, Noncurrent [Abstract]
Operating lease right-of-use assets	$ 1,049
Office and other equipment, net of accumulated depreciation and amortization	752
Total lease assets	1,801
Lease, Liabilities, Current [Abstract]
Operating lease liabilities	658
Finance lease liabilities	354
Lease, Liabilities, Noncurrent [Abstract]
Operating lease liabilities	442
Finance lease liabilities	193
Total lease liabilities	$ 1,647
Adjustments for ASC 842 implementation		$ 166
Noncontrolling Interest
Lease, Liabilities, Noncurrent [Abstract]
Adjustments for ASC 842 implementation		99
Accumulated Deficit
Lease, Liabilities, Noncurrent [Abstract]
Adjustments for ASC 842 implementation		67
Accounting Standards Update 2016-02 | Noncontrolling Interest
Lease, Liabilities, Noncurrent [Abstract]
Adjustments for ASC 842 implementation		100
Accounting Standards Update 2016-02 | Accumulated Deficit
Lease, Liabilities, Noncurrent [Abstract]
Adjustments for ASC 842 implementation		$ (70)

Leases - Narrative (Details)

Leases - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Operating lease expense	$ 200
Finance lease expense	100
Short term lease costs	2,100
Cash paid for operating leases	200
Cash paid for finance leases	114	$ 0
Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for lease obligations	$ 600
Operating lease, weighted average lease term	1 year 10 months 24 days
Finance lease, weighted average lease term	1 year 9 months 18 days
Operating lease, weighted average discount rate (as a percent)	4.35%
Finance lease, weighted average discount rate (as a percent)	6.57%
Minimum
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Renewal term	1 year
Maximum
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Renewal term	3 years

Leases - Schedule of Future Min

Leases - Schedule of Future Minimum Lease Payments (Details) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2019USD ($)
Operating
2019 (excluding three months ended March 31, 2019	$ 619
2020	206
2021	215
2022	110
2023	0
Thereafter	0
Total lease payments	1,150
Less imputed interest	(50)
Total lease liability	1,100
Finance
2019 (excluding three months ended March 31, 2019	295
2020	219
2021	65
2022	0
2023	0
Thereafter	0
Total lease payments	579
Less imputed interest	(32)
Total lease liability	$ 547

Uncategorized Items - este-2019

Label	Element	Value
Parent [Member]
Cumulative Effect of New Accounting Principle in Period of Adoption	us-gaap_CumulativeEffectOfNewAccountingPrincipleInPeriodOfAdoption	$ 67,000