In January 1996, Weber Co. purchased a mineral mine for $2,640,000 with removable ore estimated at 1,200,000 tons. After it has extracted all the ore, Weber will be required by law to restore the land to its original condition at an estimated cost of $180,000. Weber believes it will be able to sell the property afterwards for
$300,000. During 1996, Weber incurred $360,000 of development costs preparing the mine for production and removed and sold 60,000 tons of ore. In its 1996 income statement, what amount should Weber report as depletion?
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The depletion base is the purchase price of the land ($2,640,000), minus the value of the land after restoration $120,000 ($300,000 -180,000), plus any costs necessary to prepare the property for the extraction of ore ($360,000). The depletion charge is $2.40 per ton ($2,640,000 -120,000 + 360,000) / 1,200,000 tons).
Therefore, the firm should report $144,000 ($2.40 X 60,000 tons) as 1996 depletion expense.