Task: Table-QA (source dataset: FinQA)

Task: 
You are given a table containing structured data and a natural language question referring to the table. Your goal is to analyze the table and provide an accurate and concise answer based on the given data.

Instructions:
1. Understand the Table: Examine the structure, headers, and data in the table. Identify relevant columns and rows related to the question.
2. Interpret the Question: Determine whether the question requires direct retrieval, aggregation, comparison, sorting, filtering, or inference.
3. Extract the Answer: Use logical reasoning and numerical operations (if necessary) to derive the correct response from the table.
4. Format the Answer: No explanation, return the answer in a structured JSON format: {"answer": <answer>}. If the question cannot be answered due to missing or ambiguous data, return a JSON response with {"answer": null}.

Table:
| Unnamed: 0        | 2018               | 2017             | 2016               |
|:------------------|:-------------------|:-----------------|:-------------------|
| beginning balance | $ 466421           | $ 383221         | $ 506127           |
| increase ( 1 )    | 23062              | 67333            | 37221              |
| decrease ( 2 )    | -26219 ( 26219 )   | -13687 ( 13687 ) | -12667 ( 12667 )   |
| other ( 3 )       | -296122 ( 296122 ) | 29554            | -147460 ( 147460 ) |
| ending balance    | $ 167142           | $ 466421         | $ 383221           |

Question:
considering the years 2016-2018 , what is the average ending balance for valuation allowances for deferred income tax assets?


pre_text: the principal components of eog's rollforward of valuation allowances for deferred income tax assets for the years indicated below were as follows ( in thousands ) : .
post_text: ( 1 ) increase in valuation allowance related to the generation of tax nols and other deferred tax assets .
( 2 ) decrease in valuation allowance associated with adjustments to certain deferred tax assets and their related allowance .
( 3 ) represents dispositions , revisions and/or foreign exchange rate variances and the effect of statutory income tax rate changes .
the united kingdom operations were sold in the fourth quarter of 2018 .
the argentina operations were sold in the third quarter of 2016 .
as of december 31 , 2018 , eog had state income tax nols being carried forward of approximately $ 1.8 billion , which , if unused , expire between 2019 and 2037 .
eog also has canadian nols of $ 183 million which can be carried forward 20 years .
as described above , these nols as well as other less significant future tax benefits , have been evaluated for the likelihood of utilization , and valuation allowances have been established for the portion of these deferred income tax assets that do not meet the 201cmore likely than not 201d threshold .
the balance of unrecognized tax benefits at december 31 , 2018 , was $ 29 million , resulting from the tax treatment of its research and experimental expenditures related to certain innovations in its horizontal drilling and completion projects , of which $ 12 million may potentially have an earnings impact .
eog records interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits to its income tax provision .
currently $ 2 million of interest has been recognized in the consolidated statements of income ( loss ) and comprehensive income ( loss ) .
eog does not anticipate that the amount of the unrecognized tax benefits will change materially during the next twelve months .
eog and its subsidiaries file income tax returns and are subject to tax audits in the u.s .
and various state , local and foreign jurisdictions .
eog's earliest open tax years in its principal jurisdictions are as follows : u.s .
federal ( 2016 ) , canada ( 2014 ) , trinidad ( 2013 ) and china ( 2008 ) .
eog's foreign subsidiaries' undistributed earnings are not considered to be permanently reinvested outside of the u.s .
accordingly , eog may be required to accrue certain u.s .
federal , state , and foreign deferred income taxes on these undistributed earnings as well as on any other outside basis differences related to its investments in these subsidiaries .
as of december 31 , 2018 , eog has cumulatively recorded $ 23 million of deferred foreign income taxes for withholdings on its undistributed foreign earnings .
additionally , for tax years beginning in 2018 and later , eog's foreign earnings may be subject to the u.s .
federal "global intangible low-taxed income" ( gilti ) inclusion .
eog records any gilti tax as a period expense .
7 .
employee benefit plans stock-based compensation during 2018 , eog maintained various stock-based compensation plans as discussed below .
eog recognizes compensation expense on grants of stock options , sars , restricted stock and restricted stock units , performance units and grants made under the eog resources , inc .
employee stock purchase plan ( espp ) .
stock-based compensation expense is calculated based upon the grant date estimated fair value of the awards , net of forfeitures , based upon eog's historical employee turnover rate .
compensation expense is amortized over the shorter of the vesting period or the period from date of grant until the date the employee becomes eligible to retire without company approval. .
label: 338928
qa: answer: 338928
explanation: it is the sum of all ending balance values divided by three .
ann_table_rows: 5
steps: op: average1-1
arg1: ending balance
arg2: none
res: 338928
program: table_average(ending balance, none)
gold_inds: table_5: the ending balance of 2018 is $ 167142 ; the ending balance of 2017 is $ 466421 ; the ending balance of 2016 is $ 383221 ;
exe_ans: 338928
tfidftopn: text_0: the principal components of eog's rollforward of valuation allowances for deferred income tax assets for the years indicated below were as follows ( in thousands ) : .
text_1: ( 1 ) increase in valuation allowance related to the generation of tax nols and other deferred tax assets .
program_re: table_average(ending balance, none)
model_input: text_0
the principal components of eog's rollforward of valuation allowances for deferred income tax assets for the years indicated below were as follows ( in thousands ) : .
table_1
the beginning balance of 2018 is $ 466421 ; the beginning balance of 2017 is $ 383221 ; the beginning balance of 2016 is $ 506127 ;
table_5
the ending balance of 2018 is $ 167142 ; the ending balance of 2017 is $ 466421 ; the ending balance of 2016 is $ 383221 ;