KOSMOS ENERGY LTD. Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued) 2. Accounting Policies (Continued) Equity-based Compensation For equity-based compensation awards, compensation expense is recognized in the Company’s financial statements over the awards’ vesting periods based on their grant date fair value. The Company utilizes (i) the closing stock price on the date of grant to determine the fair value of service vesting restricted stock awards and restricted stock units and (ii) a Monte Carlo simulation to determine the fair value of restricted stock awards and restricted stock units with a combination of market and service vesting criteria. Forfeitures are recognized in the period in which they occur. Treasury Stock We record treasury stock purchases at cost. Our treasury stock purchases are from our employees that surrendered shares to the Company to satisfy their statutory tax withholding requirements and are not part of a formal stock repurchase plan. The remainder of our treasury stock is forfeited restricted stock awards granted under our long-term incentive plan. Income Taxes The Company accounts for income taxes as required by ASC 740—Income Taxes. Under this method, deferred income taxes are determined based on the difference between the financial statement and tax basis of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. Valuation allowances are established when necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to the amounts expected to be realized. On a quarterly basis, management evaluates the need for and adequacy of valuation allowances based on the expected realizability of the deferred tax assets and adjusts the amount of such allowances, if necessary. We recognize tax benefits from uncertain tax positions only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained upon examination by the tax authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. Accordingly, we measure tax benefits from such positions based on the most likely outcome to be realized. FASB Staff Accounting Bulletin 118 (SAB 118) was issued in January 2018 to address situations where certain aspects of the Tax Reform Act are unclear at issuance of a registrant’s financial statements for the reporting period in which the Tax Reform Act became law. SAB 118 allows us to record provisional amounts during a one year measurement period. We are analyzing certain aspects of the Tax Reform Act which could potentially affect the measurement of deferred tax balances or potentially give rise to new deferred tax amounts. Foreign Currency Translation The U.S. dollar is the functional currency for all of the Company’s material foreign operations. Foreign currency transaction gains and losses and adjustments resulting from translating monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are included in other expenses. Cash balances held in foreign currencies are not significant, and as such, the effect of exchange rate changes is not material to any reporting period. 117