Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Related Party Transactions

v3.6.0.2
Related Party Transactions
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]  
Related Party Transactions
Related Party Transactions
Consulting Agreement
On December 31, 2013, Robert L. Parker, Jr., our former Executive Chairman, retired as an employee of the Company. Mr. Parker continued to serve as Chairman of the Company’s board of directors until the annual meeting of stockholders held in 2014, at which time Mr. Parker was elected to the board for a three-year term.
In connection with Mr. Parker’s retirement, the Company and Mr. Parker entered into a Retirement and Separation Agreement dated as of November 1, 2013 (the “Retirement Agreement”). Under the terms of the Retirement Agreement, in 2014 Mr. Parker received a cash bonus of $411,188, a cash payment of $1,096,687 pursuant to the 2010 Long-Term Incentive Program of the Company’s Stock Plan, and a severance payment of $2,488,024. The value of benefits provided by the Company to Mr. Parker in 2014 was $12,876. In 2015, Mr. Parker received a cash payment of $706,082 pursuant to the 2010 Long-Term Incentive Program of the Company’s Stock Plan. The value of benefits provided by the Company to Mr. Parker in 2015 was $14,441.
In addition, Mr. Parker was paid $250,000 during each of 2015 and 2016 and will be paid $250,000 during 2017 in exchange for his agreement to provide additional support to the Company when needed in matters where his historical and industry knowledge, client relationships and related expertise could be of particular benefit to the Company’s interests.
Other Related Party Agreements
During 2015 we purchased the legal rights to certain rental tool software from two employees and a relative of the employees.  As part of the purchase, we paid $180,000 to the relative of the employees in 2015 and $90,000 to each employee in both January 2016 and 2017.
One of the Company’s directors held executive positions at Apache Corporation (Apache), including the positions of President and Chief Corporate Officer, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and Chief Corporate Officer, prior to retiring from Apache on March 31, 2014. During 2015 and 2014, affiliates of Apache paid affiliates of the Company a total of $34.0 million and $40.8 million, respectively, for performance of drilling services and provision of rental tools. There were no amounts paid during 2016.    
In 2015, one of our directors acquired $215,000 aggregate principal amount of our 7.50% Notes and a family limited partnership in which he is the general partner acquired $25,000 aggregate principal amount of our 6.75% Notes. In addition, another one of our directors acquired $550,000 aggregate principal amount of our 7.50% Notes and $650,000 aggregate principal amount of our 6.75% Notes.