AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc. - Quarter Report: 2008 September (Form 10-Q)
UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
FORM
10-Q
x
QUARTERLY REPORT UNDER SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF
1934
For
the
quarterly period ended September
30, 2008
o TRANSITION
REPORT
UNDER SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Commission
file number 000-30234
ENERJEX
RESOURCES, INC.
(Exact
name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Nevada
|
88-0422242
|
||
(State
or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)
|
(I.R.S.
Employer Identification No.)
|
27
Corporate Woods, Suite 350
|
|||
10975
Grandview Drive
|
|||
Overland
Park, Kansas
|
66210
|
||
(Address
of principal executive offices)
|
(Zip
Code)
|
(913)
754-7754
(Registrant’s
telephone number, including area code)
7300
W. 110th,
7th
Floor
|
|||
Overland
Park, Kansas
|
66210
|
||
(Former
address of principal executive offices)
|
(Zip
Code)
|
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to
be
filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during
the
preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required
to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements
for
the past 90 days.
Yes x
No
o
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an
accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company.
See
the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller
reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Accelerated
filer o
|
|
Non-accelerated
filer o (Do not check if a
smaller reporting company)
|
Smaller
reporting company x
|
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule
12b-2 of the Exchange Act).
Yes
o
No
x
The
number of shares of Common Stock, $0.001 par value, outstanding on November
17,
2008, was 4,443,483 shares.
ENERJEX
RESOURCES, INC.
FORM
10-Q
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Page
|
||||
PART
I FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS
|
|
|||
Item
1.
|
Financial
Statements
|
1
|
||
Condensed
Consolidated Balance Sheets
|
1
|
|||
Condensed
Consolidated Statements of Operations
|
2
|
|||
Condensed
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
|
3
|
|||
Notes
to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
|
4
|
|||
Forward-Looking
Statements
|
11
|
|||
Item
2.
|
Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations
|
12
|
||
Item
3.
|
Quantitative
and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
|
24
|
||
Item
4T.
|
Controls
and Procedures
|
24
|
||
|
||||
PART
II OTHER
INFORMATION
|
|
|||
Item
1.
|
Legal
Proceedings
|
25
|
||
Item
1A.
|
Risk
Factors
|
25
|
||
Item
2.
|
Unregistered
Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
|
45
|
||
Item
3.
|
Defaults
Upon Senior Securities
|
45
|
||
Item
4.
|
Submission
of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
|
45
|
||
Item
5.
|
Other
Information
|
46
|
||
Item
6.
|
Exhibits
|
47
|
||
|
||||
SIGNATURES
|
48
|
PART
1 – FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item
1. Financial Statements
EnerJex
Resources, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Condensed
Consolidated Balance Sheets
September 30,
|
March 31,
|
||||||
2008
|
2008
|
||||||
(Unaudited)
|
(Audited)
|
||||||
Assets
|
|||||||
Current
assets:
|
|||||||
Cash
|
$
|
263,970
|
$
|
951,004
|
|||
Accounts
receivable
|
828,732
|
227,055
|
|||||
Prepaid
debt issue costs
|
45,928
|
157,191
|
|||||
Deferred
and prepaid expenses
|
1,092,903
|
176,345
|
|||||
Total
current assets
|
2,231,533
|
1,511,595
|
|||||
Fixed
assets
|
331,405
|
185,299
|
|||||
Less:
Accumulated depreciation
|
34,084
|
30,982
|
|||||
Total
fixed assets
|
297,321
|
154,317
|
|||||
Other
assets:
|
|||||||
Prepaid
debt issue costs
|
22,902
|
157,191
|
|||||
Oil
and gas properties using full-cost accounting:
|
|||||||
Properties
not subject to amortization
|
3,200
|
62,216
|
|||||
Properties
subject to amortization
|
10,685,782
|
8,982,510
|
|||||
Total
other assets
|
10,711,884
|
9,201,917
|
|||||
Total
assets
|
$
|
13,240,738
|
$
|
10,867,829
|
|||
Liabilities
and Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit)
|
|||||||
Current
liabilities:
|
|||||||
Accounts
payable
|
$
|
1,726,477
|
$
|
416,834
|
|||
Accrued
liabilities
|
16,266
|
70,461
|
|||||
Notes
payable
|
-
|
965,000
|
|||||
Deferred
payments from Euramerica development
|
-
|
251,951
|
|||||
Long-term
debt, current
|
22,471
|
412,930
|
|||||
Total
current liabilities
|
1,765,214
|
2,117,176
|
|||||
Asset
retirement obligation
|
738,301
|
459,689
|
|||||
Convertible
note payable
|
25,000
|
25,000
|
|||||
Long-term
debt, net of discount of $842,823 and $3,410,202
|
12,706,025
|
6,831,972
|
|||||
Total
liabilities
|
15,234,540
|
9,433,837
|
|||||
Contingencies
and commitments
|
|||||||
Stockholders’
Equity:
|
|||||||
Preferred
stock, $0.001 par value, 10,000,000
|
|||||||
shares
authorized, no shares issued and outstanding
|
-
|
-
|
|||||
Common
stock, $0.001 par value, 100,000,000 shares authorized;
|
|||||||
shares
issued and outstanding - 4,443,467 at September 30, 2008
and
4,440,651 at March 31, 2008
|
4,443
|
4,441
|
|||||
Paid
in capital
|
8,932,911
|
8,853,457
|
|||||
Retained
(deficit)
|
(10,931,156
|
)
|
(7,423,906
|
)
|
|||
Total
stockholders’ equity (deficit)
|
(1,993,802
|
)
|
1,433,992
|
||||
Total
liabilities and stockholders’ equity (deficit)
|
$
|
13,240,738
|
$
|
10,867,829
|
See
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
1
EnerJex
Resources, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Condensed
Consolidated Statements of Operations
For the Three Months Ended
|
For the Six Months Ended
|
||||||||||||
September 30,
|
September 30,
|
||||||||||||
2008
|
2007
|
2008
|
2007
|
||||||||||
Revenue
|
|||||||||||||
Oil
and natural gas revenues
|
$
|
1,777,656
|
$
|
418,590
|
$
|
3,467,742
|
$
|
564,793
|
|||||
Expenses:
|
|||||||||||||
Direct
operating costs
|
816,767
|
288,709
|
1,531,300
|
347,751
|
|||||||||
Depreciation,
depletion and amortization
|
347,859
|
128,793
|
718,048
|
145,257
|
|||||||||
Professional
fees
|
171,083
|
187,930
|
294,785
|
1,062,435
|
|||||||||
Salaries
|
276,939
|
88,675
|
494,426
|
1,204,062
|
|||||||||
Administrative
expense
|
345,988
|
93,260
|
585,456
|
227,781
|
|||||||||
Total
expenses
|
1,958,636
|
787,367
|
3,624,015
|
2,987,286
|
|||||||||
Loss
from operations
|
(180,980
|
)
|
(368,777
|
)
|
(156,273
|
)
|
(2,422,493
|
)
|
|||||
Other
income (expense):
|
|||||||||||||
Interest
expense
|
(258,237
|
)
|
(213,448
|
)
|
(532,624
|
)
|
(283,190
|
)
|
|||||
Loan
fee expense
|
(211,676
|
)
|
(39,297
|
)
|
(250,974
|
)
|
(73,857
|
)
|
|||||
Loan
interest accretion
|
(2,224,554
|
)
|
(286,718
|
)
|
(2,567,379
|
)
|
(462,484
|
)
|
|||||
Reversal
of loan penalty expense
|
-
|
2,126,271
|
-
|
-
|
|||||||||
Total
other income (expense)
|
(2,694,467
|
)
|
1,586,808
|
(3,350,977
|
)
|
(819,531
|
)
|
||||||
Net
income (loss)
|
$
|
(2,875,447
|
)
|
$
|
1,218,031
|
$
|
(3,507,250
|
)
|
$
|
(3,242,024
|
)
|
||
Net
income (loss) per share - basic and fully diluted
|
$
|
(0.65
|
)
|
$
|
0.27
|
$
|
(0.79
|
)
|
$
|
(0.78
|
)
|
||
Weighted
average shares outstanding
|
4,443,467
|
4,440,651
|
4,442,930
|
4,138,338
|
See
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
2
EnerJex
Resources, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Condensed
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
For the Six Months Ended
|
|||||||
September 30,
|
|||||||
2008
|
2007
|
||||||
Cash
flows from operating activities
|
|||||||
Net
(loss)
|
$
|
(3,507,250
|
)
|
$
|
(3,242,024
|
)
|
|
Depreciation
and depletion
|
741,311
|
145,257
|
|||||
Amortization
of stock and options for services
|
79,455
|
1,822,373
|
|||||
Loan
costs and accretion of interest
|
2,567,379
|
-
|
|||||
Accretion
of asset retirement obligation
|
31,741
|
7,152
|
|||||
Adjustments
to reconcile net (loss) to cash provided by
|
|||||||
(used
in) operating activities:
|
|||||||
Accounts
receivable
|
(601,677
|
)
|
(110,293
|
)
|
|||
Deferred
and prepaid expenses
|
(671,006
|
)
|
(5,924
|
)
|
|||
Accounts
payable
|
1,309,643
|
93,657
|
|||||
Accrued
liabilities
|
(54,195
|
)
|
(69,262
|
)
|
|||
Deferred
payment from Euramerica for development
|
(251,951
|
)
|
524,000
|
||||
Cash
provided by (used in) operating activities
|
(356,550
|
)
|
(298,723
|
)
|
|||
Cash
flows from investing activities
|
|||||||
Purchase
of fixed assets
|
(167,184
|
)
|
(55,641
|
)
|
|||
Additions
to oil & gas properties
|
(2,114,515
|
)
|
(6,943,804
|
)
|
|||
Sale
of oil & gas properties
|
-
|
-
|
|||||
Cash
used in investing activities
|
(2,281,699
|
)
|
(6,999,445
|
)
|
|||
Cash
flows from financing activities
|
|||||||
Proceeds
from sales of common stock
|
-
|
4,313,757
|
|||||
Notes
payable, net
|
(965,000
|
)
|
-
|
||||
Borrowings
from long-term debt
|
11,273,442
|
6,765,141
|
|||||
Payments
on long-term debt
|
(8,357,227
|
)
|
(350,000
|
)
|
|||
Payments
received on notes receivable
|
-
|
23,100
|
|||||
Cash
provided by financing activities
|
1,951,215
|
10,751,998
|
|||||
Increase
(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
|
(687,034
|
)
|
3,453,830
|
||||
Cash
and cash equivalents, beginning
|
951,004
|
99,493
|
|||||
Cash
and cash equivalents, end
|
$
|
263,970
|
$
|
3,553,323
|
|||
Supplemental
disclosures:
|
|||||||
Interest
paid
|
$
|
505,617
|
$
|
283,190
|
|||
Income
taxes paid
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
-
|
|||
Non-cash
transactions:
|
|||||||
Share-based
payments issued for services
|
$
|
79,455
|
$
|
2,156,084
|
|||
Asset
retirement obligation
|
$
|
246,871
|
$
|
347,000
|
See
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
3
EnerJex
Resources, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Notes
to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
Note
1 – Basis of Presentation
The
unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance
with United States generally accepted accounting principles for interim
financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and reflect all
adjustments which, in the opinion of management, are necessary for a fair
presentation. All such adjustments are of a normal recurring nature. The results
of operations for the interim period are not necessarily indicative of the
results to be expected for a full year. Certain amounts in the prior year
statements have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentations.
The statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements
and
footnotes thereto included in our Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March
31,
2008.
Our
consolidated financial statements include the accounts of our wholly-owned
subsidiaries, EnerJex Kansas, Inc. and DD Energy, Inc. All intercompany
transactions and accounts have been eliminated in consolidation.
Note
2 – Common Stock
Effective
July 25, 2008, we implemented a one-for-five reverse stock split of our issued
and outstanding common stock. The number of authorized shares of common stock
and preferred stock was not affected and remains at 100,000,000 and 10,000,000,
respectively, but the number of shares of common stock outstanding was reduced
from 22,214,166 to 4,443,467. An additional 634 shares were issued in lieu
of
issuing fractional shares. The aggregate par value of the issued common stock
was reduced by reclassifying a portion of the par value amount of the
outstanding common shares from common stock to additional paid-in capital for
all periods presented. In addition, all per share and share amounts, including
stock options and warrants have been retroactively restated in the accompanying
consolidated financial statements and notes to consolidated financial statements
for all periods presented to reflect the reverse stock split.
Stock
transactions in fiscal 2009:
On
May
15, 2008, we issued 2,182 shares of common stock to a Director and chairman
of
our Audit Committee for services. We recorded director compensation in the
amount of $13,000.
On
July 2, 2008, we granted 122,000 options to purchase shares of our common
stock to our non-employee directors as compensation for their service as
directors in fiscal 2009. On August 1, 2008, we granted C. Stephen Cochennet,
our chief executive officer, an option to purchase 75,000 shares of our common
stock at 6.25 per share and we granted Dierdre P. Jones, our chief financial
officer, an option to purchase 40,000 shares of our common stock at $6.25
per share. These options were rescinded in November 2008 at the request of
the
board’s compensation committee and the approval of each option holder. Shares
subject to these options were returned to the plan and are available for future
issuance. See Note 7.
4
A
summary
of stock options and warrants is as follows:
Options
|
Weighted
Ave. Exercise
Price
|
Warrants
|
Weighted
Ave. Exercise
Price
|
||||||||||
Outstanding
March 31, 2008
|
458,500
|
$
|
6.30
|
75,000
|
$
|
3.00
|
|||||||
Cancelled
|
(4,170
|
)
|
$ |
(6.25
|
)
|
-
|
-
|
||||||
Exercised
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|||||||||
Outstanding
September 30, 2008
|
454,330
|
$
|
6.30
|
75,000
|
$
|
3.00
|
Note
3 - Asset Retirement Obligation
Our
asset
retirement obligations relate to the abandonment of oil and natural gas wells.
The amounts recognized are based on numerous estimates and assumptions,
including future retirement costs, inflation rates and credit adjusted risk-free
interest rates. The following shows the changes in asset retirement
obligations:
Asset
retirement obligation, April 1, 2008
|
$
|
459,689
|
||
Liabilities
incurred during the period
|
246,871
|
|||
Liabilities
settled during the period
|
-
|
|||
Accretion
|
31,741
|
|||
Asset
retirement obligations, September 30, 2008
|
$
|
738,301
|
Note
4 - Long-Term Debt and Convertible Debt
On
April
11, 2007, we entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement, Registration Rights
Agreements, Senior Secured Debentures, a Pledge and Security Agreement, a
Secured Guaranty, and other related agreements (the “Financing Agreements”) with
the “Buyers” of a new series of senior secured debentures (the “Debentures”).
Under the terms of the Financing Agreements, we agreed to sell Debentures for
a
total purchase price of $9.0 million. In connection with the purchase, we agreed
to issue to the Buyers a total of 1,800,000 shares. The first closing occurred
on April 12, 2007 with a total of $6.3 million in Debentures being sold and
the
remaining $2.7 million closing on June 21, 2007.
The
Debentures have a three-year term, maturing on March 31, 2010, and bear interest
at a rate equal to 10% per annum. Interest is payable quarterly in arrears
on
the first day of each succeeding quarter. We may pay interest in either cash
or
registered shares of our common stock. The Debentures have no prepayment penalty
so long as we maintain an effective registration statement with the Securities
Exchange Commission and provided we give six (6) business days prior notice
of
redemption to the Buyers.
The
proceeds from the Debentures were allocated to the long-term debt and the stock
issued based on the fair market value of each item that we calculated to be
$9.0
million for each item. Since each of the instruments had a value equal to 50%
of
the total, we allocated $4.5 million to stock and $4.5 million to the note.
The
loan discount costs of $4.5 million will accrete as interest based on the
interest method over the period of issue to maturity or redemption. The amount
of interest accreted for the six month period ended September 30, 2008 was
$2,224,554 and for the six month period ended September 30, 2007 was $286,718.
Of the $2,224,554 interest accreted during the period ended September 30, 2008
$2,112,267 relates to the redemption of $6.3 million of the Debentures. The
remaining amount of interest to accrete in future periods is $842,823 as of
September 30, 2008.
5
We
incurred debt issue costs totaling $466,835. The debt issue costs are initially
recorded as assets and are amortized to expense on a straight-line basis over
the life of the loan. The amount expensed in the six month period ended
September 30, 2008 was $211,676. Of this amount, $195,559 was expensed upon
the
redemption of $6.3 million of the Debentures. The remaining debt issue costs
will be expensed in the following fiscal years: March 31, 2009 - $45,928 and
March 31, 2010 - $22,902.
Effective
July 7, 2008, we redeemed an aggregate principal amount of $6.3 million of
the
Debentures and amended the $2.7 million of aggregate principal amount of the
remaining Debentures to, among other things, permit the indebtedness under
our
new Credit Facility, subordinate the security interests of the debentures to
the
new Credit Facility, provide for the redemption of the remaining Debentures
with
the net proceeds from our next debt or equity offering and eliminate the
covenant to maintain certain production thresholds.
Pursuant
to the terms of the Registration Rights Agreement, as amended, between us and
one of the Buyers, we are obligated to maintain an effective registration
statement for 1,000,000 of the shares issued under the Financing Agreements.
If
we fail to obtain and maintain effectiveness of the registration statement
before October 22, 2008, we will be obligated to pay cash to the Buyer equal
to
1.5% of the aggregate purchase price allocable to such Buyer’s securities
($2,500,000) included in the registration statement for each 30 day period
following the date of any existing effectiveness failure or maintenance failure.
These payments are capped at 10% of the Buyer’s original purchase price under
the Debentures.
Senior
Secured Credit Facility
On
July
3, 2008, EnerJex, EnerJex Kansas, and DD Energy entered into a three-year $50
million Senior Secured Credit Facility (the “Credit Facility”) with Texas
Capital Bank, N.A. Borrowings under the Credit Facility will be subject to
a
borrowing base limitation based on our current proved oil and gas reserves.
The
initial borrowing base is set at $10.75 million and will be subject to
semi-annual redeterminations, with the first redetermination to commence October
1, 2008. The borrowing base is currently under review by Texas Capital Bank.
The
Credit Facility is secured by a lien on substantially all assets of the Company
and its subsidiaries. The Credit Facility has a term of three years, and all
principal amounts, together with all accrued and unpaid interest, will be due
and payable in full on July 3, 2011. The Credit Facility also provides for
the
issuance of letters-of-credit up to a $750,000 sub-limit under the borrowing
base and up to an additional $2.25 million limit not subject to the borrowing
base to support our hedging program. Borrowings under the Credit Facility of
$10.75 million were made on July 7, 2008.
Proceeds
from the initial extension of credit under the Credit Facility were used: (1)
to
redeem our 10% debentures in an aggregate principal amount of $6.3 million
plus
accrued interest (the “April Debentures”), (2) for Texas Capital Bank’s
acquisition of our approximately $2.0 million indebtedness to Cornerstone Bank,
(3) for complete repayment of promissory notes issued to the sellers in
connection with our purchase of the DD Energy project in an aggregate principal
amount of $965,000 plus accrued interest, (4) to pay transaction costs, fees
and
expenses related to the new Credit Facility, and (5) to expand our current
development projects. Future borrowings may be used for the acquisition,
development and exploration of oil and gas properties, capital expenditures
and
general corporate purposes.
6
Advances
under the Credit Facility will be in the form of either base rate loans or
Eurodollar loans. The interest rate on the base rate loans fluctuates based
upon
the higher of (1) the lender’s “prime rate” and (2) the Federal Funds rate plus
0.50%, plus, in either case, a margin of between 0.0% and 0.5% depending on
the
percent of the borrowing base utilized at the time of the credit extension.
The
interest rate on the Eurodollar loans fluctuates based upon the applicable
Libor
rate, plus a margin of 2.25% to 2.75% depending on the percent of the borrowing
base utilized at the time of the credit extensionon. We may select Eurodollar
loans of one, two, three and six months. A commitment fee of 0.375% on the
unused portion of the borrowing base will accrue, and be payable quarterly
in
arrears. There was no commitment fee due at September 30, 2008.
The
Credit Facility includes usual and customary affirmative covenants for credit
facilities of this type and size, as well as customary negative covenants,
including, among others, limitations on liens, mergers, asset sales or
dispositions, payments of dividends, incurrence of additional indebtedness,
and
investments. The Credit Facility also requires that we, at the end of each
fiscal quarter beginning with the quarter ending September 30, 2008, maintain
a
minimum current assets to current liabilities ratio and a minimum ratio of
EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) to
interest expense and at the end of each fiscal quarter beginning with the
quarter ended September 30, 2008 to maintain a minimum ratio of EBITDA to senior
funded debt. At September 30, 2008 the company was substantially in compliance
with these covenants, except for the ratios of EBITDA to interest expense and
EBITDA to senior funded debt. We were able to obtain a waiver of default from
Texas Capital Bank on these two technical covenants. We are taking steps in
an
effort to comply with these same covenants in future quarters, including but
not
limited to, a reduction in principal of approximately $3.5 million with proceeds
from liquidating a costless collar we entered into on July 3, 2008 and the
reduction of our operating and general expenses. See Note 6.
Additionally,
Texas Capital Bank, N.A. and the holders of the debentures entered into a
Subordination Agreement whereby the debentures issued on June 21, 2007 will
be
subordinated to the Credit Facility.
We
financed the purchase of vehicles through a bank. The notes are for seven years
and the weighted average interest is 6.99% per annum. Vehicles collateralize
these notes.
Long-term
debt consists of the following at September 30, 2008:
Long-term
debentures
|
$
|
2,700,000
|
||
Unaccreted
discount
|
(842,823
|
)
|
||
Net
long-term debentures
|
1,857,177
|
|||
Credit
Facility
|
10,750,000
|
|||
Vehicle
notes payable
|
121,319
|
|||
Total
long-term debt
|
12,728,496
|
|||
Less
current portion
|
22,471
|
|||
Long-term
debt
|
$
|
12,706,025
|
On
August
3, 2006, we sold a $25,000 convertible note that has an interest rate of 6%
and
matures August 2, 2010. The note is convertible at any time at the option of
the
note holder into shares of our common stock at a conversion rate of $10.00
per
share.
Note
5 - Oil and Gas Properties
On
April
9, 2007, we entered into a “Joint Exploration Agreement” with a shareholder,
MorMeg, LLC, whereby we agreed to advance $4.0 million to a joint operating
account for further development of MorMeg’s Black Oaks leaseholds in exchange
for a 95% working interest in the Black Oaks Project. We will maintain our
95%
working interest until payout, at which time the MorMeg 5% carried working
interest will be converted to a 30% working interest and our working interest
becomes 70%. Payout is generally the point in time when the total cumulative
revenue from the project equals all of the project’s development expenditures
and costs associated with funding. We have until June 1, 2009 to contribute
additional capital toward the Black Oaks Project development. If we elect not
to
contribute further capital to the Black Oaks Project prior to the project’s full
development while it is economically viable to do so, or if there is more than
a
thirty day delay in project activities due to lack of capital, MorMeg has the
option to cease further joint development and we will receive an undivided
interest in the Black Oaks Project. The undivided interest will be the
proportionate amount equal to the amount that our investment bears to our
investment plus $2.0 million, with MorMeg receiving an undivided interest in
what remains.
7
In
August
of 2007, we entered into a development agreement with Euramerica, Inc. to
further the development and expansion of the Gas City Project, which included
6,600 acres, whereby Euramerica contributed $524,000 in capital toward the
project. Euramerica was granted an option to purchase this project for $1.2
million with a requirement to invest an additional $2.0 million for project
development by August 31, 2008. We are the operator of the project at a cost
plus 17.5% basis. We have received $600,000 of the $1.2 million purchase price
and $500,000 of the $2.0 million development funds.
On
October 15, 2008, we again amended the agreement with Euramerica for the
purchase of the Gas City Project to include
the following material changes to the Euramerica agreement, as amended, extended
and supplemented:
·
|
Euramerica
was granted an extension until January 15, 2009 (with no further
grace periods) to pay the remaining $600,000 of the purchase price
for its
option to purchase an approximately 6,600 acre portion of the Gas
City
Project and $1.5 million in previously due development funds for
the Gas
City Project;
|
·
|
If
Euramerica fails to fully fund both the purchase price and these
development funds by January 15, 2009, Euramerica will lose all rights
to
the Gas City Project and assets and there will be no payout from
the revenue of the wells on this
project;
|
·
|
The
oil zones and production from such oil zones in two oil
wells (which approximated 13 barrels of oil per day of gross production
for the month of September 2008) are now 100% owned by
EnerJex;
|
·
|
We
may deduct from the development funds all amounts owed to us prior to
applying the funds to any actual
development;
|
·
|
Euramerica
specifically recognized that we can shut in or stop the development
of the
project if the project is not producing in paying quantities or if
the
project is operating at a loss. The decision to shut in the project
and
cease all operations was made on October 15,
2008; and
|
·
|
If
Euramerica funds the remaining portion of the purchase price for
its
option and the development funds in the Gas City Project on or before
January 15, 2009, “Payout” as used in the Assignment and other documents
is now based on “drilling and completion costs on a well-by-well
basis.”
|
Note
6 - Commitments and Contingencies
On
March
6, 2008, we entered into an agreement with Shell Trading US Company (Shell)
whereby we agreed to an 18-month fixed-price delivery contract with Shell for
130 BOPD at a fixed price per barrel of $96.90, less transportation costs.
This
contract is for the physical delivery of oil under our normal sales. This
represented approximately 60% of our total oil production on a net revenue
basis
at that time. In addition, we agreed to sell all of our remaining oil production
at current spot market pricing beginning April 1, 2008 through September 30,
2009 to Shell.
8
As
of
July 3, 2008, we entered into an ISDA master agreement and a costless collar
with BP Corporation North America Inc. (BP) for 130 barrels of oil per day
with
a price floor of $132.50 per barrel and a price ceiling of $155.70 per barrel
for
NYMEX
West Texas Intermediate for the period of October 1, 2009 until March 31,
2011. We liquidated this costless collar in November 2008 and received proceeds
of approximately $3.9 million from BP. We plan to reduce the debt outstanding
under our Credit Facility by approximately $3.5 million and use the remainder
for general operating purposes. See Note 7.
On
August
1, 2008, we entered into three year employment agreements with C. Stephen
Cochennet, our chief executive officer, and Dierdre P. Jones, our chief
financial officer. Our future commitments under these agreements are as
follows:
Base
Salary
|
|||||||
Year
|
Cochennet
|
|
Jones*
|
|
|||
2009
|
$
|
200,000
|
$
|
140,000
|
|||
2010
|
200,000
|
140,000
|
|||||
2011
|
200,000
|
140,000
|
|||||
Total
|
$
|
600,000
|
$
|
420,000
|
*
Jones’
base salary to adjust annually by not less than the year-over-year increase
in
the U.S. Consumer Price Index.
On
August
8, 2008, we entered into a five year lease for corporate office space beginning
September 1, 2008 at a monthly base rent of $5,858.
Note
7 - Subsequent Events
On
October 15, 2008 we
amended the agreement with Euramerica for the purchase of the Gas City Project
to include
certain material changes. See Note 5.
On
November 6, 2008 we entered into a third amendment to the “Joint Exploration
Agreement” with MorMeg, LLC, to further extend the “Additional Capital Deadline”
for development of the Black Oaks Project. We have until June 1, 2009 to
contribute additional capital towards the development of Black Oaks, and within
a reasonable length of time thereafter, secure and contribute additional funding
so as not to cause more than thirty (30) days delay of project activities due
to
lack of funding to complete the project. In the event we are not successful
in
obtaining additional funding, or all funding, to complete the Black Oaks
development, MorMeg may cancel and declare the JEA of no force and effect from
the point of cancellation forward.
On
November 17, 2008, options to purchase 237,000 shares of our common stock,
which
were granted to our non-employee directors as compensation for their service
as
directors in fiscal 2009 and to our chief executive officer our chief financial
officer, were rescinded at the request of the board’s compensation committee and
the approval of each option holder. Both the chief executive officer the chief
financial officer have agreed to amend their employment agreements to reflect
this rescission. The shares subject to these options were returned to the plan
and are available for future issuance. This action was taken in an effort to
reduce compensation and professional fees expenses which, though non-cash,
would
have had a substantial negative impact on our financial statements and results
of operations for the quarter ended September 30, 2008.
9
On
November 18, 2008, in response to the declining economic conditions which have
negatively impacted our business, we liquidated a costless collar with BP.
Both
EnerJex and BP have executed confirmations of this transaction and BP will
pay
us approximately $3.9 million. We plan to reduce the debt outstanding under
our
Credit Facility by approximately $3.5 million and use the remainder for general
operating purposes.
10
FORWARD-LOOKING
STATEMENTS
This
report contains forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements
are
subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our
control. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained
in
this report, including statements regarding future events, our future financial
performance, business strategy and plans and objectives of management for future
operations, are forward-looking statements. We have attempted to identify
forward-looking statements by terminology including “anticipates,” “believes,”
“can,” “continue,” “could,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “plans,”
“potential,” “predicts,” “should” or “will” or the negative of these terms or
other comparable terminology. Although we do not make forward-looking statements
unless we believe we have a reasonable basis for doing so, we cannot guarantee
their accuracy. These statements are only predictions and involve known and
unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including the risks outlined
under “Risk Factors” or elsewhere in this report, which may cause our or our
industry’s actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be
materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance
or
achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Moreover,
we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks
emerge from time to time and it is not possible for us to predict all risk
factors, nor can we address the impact of all factors on our business or the
extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause our actual
results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking
statements. The factors impacting these risks and uncertainties include, but
are
not limited to:
· |
inability
to attract and obtain additional development
capital;
|
· |
inability
to achieve sufficient future sales levels or other operating
results;
|
· |
inability
to efficiently manage our
operations;
|
· |
potential
default under our secured obligations or material debt
agreements;
|
· |
estimated
quantities and quality of oil and natural gas
reserves;
|
· |
declining
local, national and worldwide economic
conditions;
|
· |
fluctuations
in the price of oil and natural
gas;
|
· |
the
inability of management to effectively implement our strategies and
business plans;
|
· |
approval
of certain parts of our operations by state
regulators;
|
· |
inability
to hire or retain sufficient qualified operating field
personnel;
|
· |
increases
in interest rates or our cost of
borrowing;
|
· |
deterioration
in general or regional (especially Eastern Kansas) economic
conditions;
|
· |
adverse
state or federal legislation or regulation that increases the costs
of
compliance, or adverse findings by a regulator with respect to existing
operations;
|
· |
the
occurrence of natural disasters, unforeseen weather conditions, or
other
events or circumstances that could impact our operations or could
impact
the operations of companies or contractors we depend upon in our
operations;
|
· |
· |
adverse
state or federal legislation or regulation that increases the costs
of
compliance, or adverse findings by a regulator with respect to existing
operations; and
|
· |
changes
in U.S. GAAP or in the legal, regulatory and legislative environments
in
the markets in which we operate.
|
You
should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statement, each of which
applies only as of the date of this report. Except as required by law, we
undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any of the forward-looking
statements after the date of this report to conform our statements to actual
results or changed expectations. For a detailed description of these and other
factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those
expressed in any forward-looking statement, please see “Risk Factors” in this
document and in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended March 31,
2008.
All
references in this report to “we,” “us,” “our,” “company” and “EnerJex” refer to
EnerJex Resources, Inc. and our wholly-owned operating subsidiaries, EnerJex
Kansas, Inc. and DD Energy, Inc., unless the context requires otherwise. We
report our financial information on the basis of a March 31 fiscal year
end.
Item
2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations.
The
following discussion of our financial condition and results of operations should
be read in conjunction with our financial statements and the related notes
to
our financial statements included elsewhere in this report. In addition to
historical financial information, the following discussion and analysis contains
forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions.
Our actual results and timing of selected events may differ materially from
those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of many
factors, including those discussed under ITEM 1A. Risk Factors and elsewhere
in
this report.
Overview
Our
principal strategy is to focus on the acquisition of oil and natural gas mineral
leases that have existing production and cash flow. Once acquired, we implement
an accelerated development program utilizing capital resources, a regional
operating focus, an experienced management and technical team, and enhanced
recovery technologies to attempt to increase production and increase returns
for
our stockholders. Our oil and natural gas acquisition and development activities
are currently focused in Eastern Kansas.
During
fiscal 2008 and the first half of fiscal 2009, we deployed approximately $12
million in capital resources to acquire and develop five operating projects
and
drill 177 new wells (109 producing wells, 65 water injection wells, and 3 dry
holes). For the month of September 2008, our production was approximately 249
gross barrels of oil per day (BOPD). Our production declined in the quarter
ended September 30, 2008 during a six week period in which two injector wells
on
the Black Oaks Project were offline. These two injectors were back online in
early October. Production increased during the month of October 2008 and
averaged approximately 288 BOPD.
12
We
have
several potential projects that are in various stages of discussions, and we
are
continually evaluating oil and natural gas opportunities in Eastern Kansas.
Subject to availability of capital, we plan to continue to bring multiple
potential acquisitions to various financial partners for evaluation and funding
options. It is our vision to grow the business in a disciplined and well-planned
manner.
In
addition to raising additional capital, we may take on working interest
participants that will contribute to the capital costs of drilling and
completion and then share in revenues derived from production. This economic
strategy will allow us to utilize our own financial assets toward the growth
of
our leased acreage holdings, pursue the acquisition of strategic oil and natural
gas producing properties or companies and generally expand our existing
operations while further diversifying risk.
We
began
generating revenues from the sale of oil during the fiscal year ended March
31,
2008. Subject to availability of capital, we expect our production to continue
to increase, both through development of wells and through our acquisition
strategy. Our future financial results will continue to depend on: (i) our
ability to source and screen potential projects; (ii) our ability to discover
commercial quantities of natural gas and oil; (iii) the market price for oil
and
natural gas; and (iv) our ability to fully implement our exploration, workover
and development program, which is in part dependent on the availability of
capital resources. There can be no assurance that we will be successful in
any
of these respects, that the prices of oil and natural gas prevailing at the
time
of production will be at a level allowing for profitable production, or that
we
will be able to obtain additional funding at terms favorable to us to increase
our currently limited capital resources. The board of directors has implemented
a crude oil and natural gas hedging strategy that will allow management to
hedge
up to 80% of our net production to mitigate a majority of our exposure to
changing oil prices in the intermediate term.
Material
Developments
Texas
Capital Credit Facility
On
July
3, 2008, we entered into a new three-year $50 million Senior Secured Credit
Facility with Texas Capital Bank, N. A. with an initial borrowing base of $10.75
million based on our current proved oil and natural gas reserves. We used
our initial borrowing under this facility of $10.75 million to redeem an
aggregate principal amount of $6.3 million of our 10% debentures, assign
approximately $2.0 million of our existing indebtedness with another bank to
this facility, repay $965,000 of seller-financed notes, pay the transaction
costs, fees and expenses of this new facility and expand our current development
projects. We plan to reduce principal of approximately $3.5 million with
proceeds from liquidating a costless collar in November 2008.
13
BP
ISDA
As
of
July 3, 2008, we entered into an ISDA master agreement and a costless collar
with BP Corporation North America Inc., or BP, for 130 barrels of oil per day
with a price floor of $132.50 per barrel and a price ceiling of $155.70 per
barrel for
NYMEX
West Texas Intermediate for the period of October 1, 2009 until March 31,
2011. We liquidated this costless collar in November 2008 and received proceeds
of approximately $3.9 million from BP. We plan to reduce the debt outstanding
under our Credit Facility by approximately $3.5 million and use the remainder
for general operating purposes.
Debenture
Amendment
On
July
7, 2008, we amended the $2.7 million of aggregate principal amount of our 10%
debentures that remain outstanding to, among other things, permit the
indebtedness under our new Credit Facility, subordinate the security interests
of the debentures to the new Credit Facility, provide for the redemption of
the
remaining debentures with the net proceeds from our next debt or equity offering
and eliminate the covenant to maintain certain production
thresholds.
Employment
Agreements
On
August
1, 2008, we executed three-year employment agreements with C. Stephen Cochennet,
our chief executive officer, and Dierdre P. Jones, our chief financial officer.
Mr. Cochennet and Ms. Jones have agreed to amend their employment agreements
to
reflect options rescinded in November 2008. See Note 7 to our Condensed
Consolidated Financial Statements in this report.
Euramerica
Amendments
On
September 15, 2008, we entered into an amendment to the Amended and Restated
Well Development Agreement and Option for "Gas City Property" with Euramerica
Energy Inc. The Amendment extended the date on which Euramerica must make its
third and fourth quarterly installment payments of the purchase price for the
purchase of its interest in our Gas City Project until October 15, 2008. The
amendment also extended the date on which Euramerica must fund the remaining
$1.5 million in development funds for the Gas City Project until November 15,
2008.
On
October 15, 2008, we again amended the agreement with Euramerica for the
purchase of the Gas City Project to include
the following:
·
|
Euramerica
was granted an extension until January 15, 2009 (with no further
grace periods) to pay the remaining $600,000 of the purchase price
for its
option to purchase an approximately 6,600 acre portion of the Gas
City
Project and $1.5 million in previously due development funds for
the Gas
City Project;
|
·
|
14
·
|
The
oil zones and production from such oil zones in two oil
wells (which approximated 13 barrels of oil per day of gross production
for the month of September 2008) are now 100% owned by
EnerJex;
|
·
|
We
may deduct from the development funds all amounts owed to us prior to
applying the funds to any actual
development;
|
·
|
Euramerica
specifically recognized that we can shut in or stop the development
of the
project if the project is not producing in paying quantities or if
the
project is operating at a loss. The decision to shut in the project
and
cease all operations was made on October 15,
2008; and
|
·
|
If
Euramerica funds the remaining portion of the purchase price for
its
option and the development funds in the Gas City Project on or before
January 15, 2009, “Payout” as used in the Assignment and other documents
will be based on “drilling and completion costs on a well-by-well
basis.”
|
Upon
payment of the entire purchase price, Euramerica will be assigned a 95% working
interest, and we will retain a 5% carried working interest before payout. When
the project reaches payout, our 5% carried working interest will increase to
a
25% working interest and Euramerica will have a 75% working
interest.
Results
of Operations for the Three Months and Six Months Ended September 30, 2008
and
2007 compared.
During
the six months ended September 30, 2007, we were in the early stage of
developing properties in Kansas and had minimal production or revenues from
our
properties. Our operations throughout the six months ended September 30, 2007
included technical evaluation of these properties, the design of development
plans to exploit the oil and natural gas resources on those properties, as
well
as seeking financing opportunities to acquire additional oil and natural gas
properties. Therefore comparisons between the three and six months ended
September 30, 2008 to the three and six months ended September 30, 2007 are
not
indicative of our future results of operations.
Income:
Three Months Ended
|
Increase /
|
Six Months Ended
|
Increase /
|
||||||||||||||||
September 30,
|
(Decrease)
|
September 30,
|
(Decrease)
|
||||||||||||||||
2008
|
2007
|
$
|
2008
|
2007
|
$
|
||||||||||||||
Oil
and natural gas revenues
|
$
|
1,777,656
|
$
|
418,590
|
$
|
1,359,066
|
$
|
3,467,742
|
$
|
564,793
|
$
|
2,902,949
|
Revenues
Oil
and
natural gas revenues for the three months ended September 30, 2008 were
$1,777,656 compared to revenues of $418,590 in the three months ended September
30, 2007. This compares to oil and natural gas revenues for the six months
ended
September 30, 2008 of $3,467,742 and revenues of $564,793 in the six months
ended September 30, 2007. The increase in revenues is primarily the result
of
the sale of oil from leases acquired beginning in April of 2007 and developed
thereafter. The average price per barrel of oil, net of transportation costs,
sold during the three months ended September 30, 2008 was $98.31 compared to
$69.03 during the three months ended September 30, 2007 and was $98.79 for
the
six months ended September 30, 2008 compared to $65.89 for the six months ended
September 30, 2007. The average price per Mcf for natural gas sales during
the
three months ended September 30, 2008 was $6.37, compared to $5.00 during the
three months ended September 30, 2007 and was $7.60 for the six months ended
September 30, 2008 compared to $5.41 for the six months ended September 30,
2007.
15
Expenses:
Three Months Ended
|
|
Increase /
|
|
Six Months Ended
|
|
Increase /
|
|
||||||||||||
|
|
September 30,
|
|
(Decrease)
|
|
September 30,
|
|
(Decrease)
|
|
||||||||||
|
|
2008
|
|
2007
|
|
$
|
|
2008
|
|
2007
|
|
$
|
|||||||
Production
expenses:
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Direct
operating costs
|
$
|
816,767
|
$
|
288,709
|
$
|
528,058
|
$
|
1,531,300
|
$
|
347,751
|
$
|
1,183,549
|
|||||||
Depreciation,
depletion and
amortization
|
347,859
|
128,793
|
219,066
|
718,048
|
145,257
|
572,791
|
|||||||||||||
Total
production expenses
|
1,164,626
|
417,502
|
747,124
|
2,249,348
|
493,008
|
1,756,340
|
|||||||||||||
General
expenses:
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Professional
fees
|
171,083
|
187,930
|
(16,847
|
)
|
294,785
|
1,062,435
|
(767,650
|
)
|
|||||||||||
Salaries
|
276,939
|
88,675
|
188,264
|
494,398
|
1,204,062
|
(709,664
|
)
|
||||||||||||
Administrative
expense
|
345,988
|
93,260
|
252,728
|
585,456
|
227,781
|
357,675
|
|||||||||||||
Total
general expenses
|
794,010
|
369,865
|
424,145
|
1,374,639
|
2,494,278
|
(1,119,639
|
)
|
||||||||||||
Total
production and general expenses
|
1,958,636
|
787,367
|
1,171,269
|
3,623,987
|
2,987,286
|
636,701
|
|||||||||||||
Other
income (expense)
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Interest
expense
|
(258,237
|
)
|
(213,448
|
)
|
44,789
|
(532,624
|
)
|
(283,190
|
)
|
249,434
|
|||||||||
Loan
fee expense
|
(211,676
|
)
|
(39,297
|
)
|
172,379
|
(250,974
|
)
|
(73,857
|
)
|
177,117
|
|||||||||
Loan
interest accretion
|
(2,224,554
|
)
|
(286,718
|
)
|
1,937,836
|
(2,567,379
|
)
|
(462,484
|
)
|
2,104,895
|
|||||||||
Loan
penalty expense
|
-
|
2,126,271
|
(2,126,271
|
)
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||||||
Total
other income (expense)
|
(2,694,467
|
)
|
1,586,808
|
(1,107,659
|
)
|
(3,350,977
|
)
|
(819,531
|
)
|
2,531,446
|
|||||||||
Net
income (loss)
|
$
|
(2,875,447
|
)
|
$
|
1,218,031
|
$
|
1,657,416
|
$
|
(3,507,250
|
)
|
(3,242,024
|
)
|
$
|
265,226
|
Direct
Operating Costs
Direct
operating costs for the three months ended September 30, 2008 were $816,767
compared to $288,709 for the three months ended September 30, 2007 and
$1,531,300 compared to $347,751 for each of the six months ended September
30,
2008 and 2007, respectively. The increase over the prior periods reflects the
operating costs on the oil leases acquired during the period beginning in April
2007. Direct costs include pumping, gauging, pulling, certain contract labor
costs, and other non-capitalized expenses.
Depreciation,
Depletion and Amortization
Depreciation,
depletion and amortization for the three and six months ended September 30,
2008
was $347,859 and $718,048, respectively, compared to $128,793 and $145,257
for
the three and six months ended September 30, 2007, respectively. The increases
were primarily a result of the depletion of oil reserves commensurate with
our
increased production.
16
Professional
Fees
Professional
fees for the three months ended September 30, 2008 were $171,083 compared to
$187,930 for the three months ended September 30, 2007, a slight decrease
reflecting less use of outside consultants during the quarter. This compares
to
professional fees of $294,785 for the six months ended September 30, 2008 and
$1,062,435 for the same period in 2007. The decrease in professional fees for
the six month ended September 30 was largely the result of $773,659 in non-cash
equity-based payments made by issuing stock options to directors and an outside
consultant in the prior year.
Salaries
Salaries
for the three months ended September 30, 2008 were $276,939 compared to $88,675
for the three months ended September 30, 2007, primarily due to the
significantly greater number of employees in the current quarter. Additionally,
salaries for the six month periods ended September 30, 2008 and 2007 were
$494,426 and $1,204,062, respectively. Non-cash equity-based payments made
by
issuing stock options to our management in the prior six months ended September
30, 2007 were $1,039,714 as compared to $0 in the current six month period
ended
September 30, 2008, resulting in a decrease.
Administrative Expense
Administrative
expense for the three and six months ended September 30, 2008 were $345,988
and
$585,456, respectively, compared to $93,260 in the three months ended
September 30, 2007 and $227,781 in the six months ended September 30, 2007.
The
administrative expense increased as a result of the addition of employees,
office space, and corporate activity related to growth in
operations.
Interest
Expense
Interest
expense for the three and six months ended September 30, 2008 was $258,237
and
$532,624, whereas interest expense for the three and six months ended September
30, 2007 was $213,448 and $283,190, respectively. Interest expense was primarily
related to our debentures and our Credit Facility. See Note 4 to our Condensed
Consolidated Financial Statements in this report. Interest income of $37,899
and
$83,919 in the three and six months periods ended September 30, 2007
respectively, offset the interest expense in those same periods as the
income was earned on proceeds from the debentures. We had minimal interest
income for the three and six month periods ended September 30,
2008.
17
Loan
Costs
Net
Income (Loss)
Net
loss
for the three and six months ended September 30, 2008 was $2,875,447 and
$3,507,250 respectively, as compared to net income of $1,218,031 in the
three months ended September 30, 2007 and net loss of $3,242,024 in the six
months ended September 30, 2007. Non-cash expenses such as depreciation and
depletion, loan costs and accretions as well as loan penalty costs are
significant factors contributing to the net loss in the current period. For
the
six month period ended September 30, 2008, these expenses totaled $3,419,886,
an
amount which is nearly equal to the entire net loss for the same period. These
expenses do not affect our cash flows. The net income for the quarter ended
September 30, 2007 was primarily due to the reversal of the loan penalty expense
of $2,126,271 in that period and, therefore, is not indicative of cash-based
results of operations. Upon maturity or redemption of the remaining $2.7 million
debentures which are outstanding at September 30, 2008, all remaining non-cash
loan costs will be expensed. We do not expect to incur such costs in future
periods.
Liquidity
and Capital Resources
Liquidity
is a measure of a company’s ability to meet potential cash requirements. We have
historically met our capital requirements through debt financing, revenues
from
operations and the issuance of equity securities. We have been able to provide
some of the necessary liquidity we need by the revenues generated from our
net
interests in our oil and natural gas production, and sales of reserves in our
existing properties. If we do not generate sufficient sales revenues we will
need to continue to finance our operations through equity and/or debt
financings.
We
actively manage our exposure to commodity price fluctuations by executing
derivative transactions to hedge the change in prices of our production, thereby
mitigating our exposure to price declines, but these transactions will also
limit our earnings potential in periods of rising commodity prices. There also
is a risk that we will be required to post collateral to secure our hedging
activities and this could limit our available funds for our business
activities.
We
entered into a costless collar with BP beginning October 1, 2009 through March
31, 2011 to set minimum and maximum prices on a financially settled collar
on a
set number of barrels of oil per day. In response to the declining economic
conditions which have negatively impacted our business, we liquidated this
costless collar with BP. Both EnerJex and BP have executed confirmations of
this
transaction and BP will pay us approximately $3.9 million. We plan to reduce
the
debt outstanding under our Credit Facility by approximately $3.5 million and
use
the remainder for general operating purposes. We have also utilized a price
swap
contract with Shell for a portion of our production, and agreed to sell Shell
the remainder of our current oil production at current spot market pricing,
beginning April 1, 2008 through September of 2009. The key risks associated
with
these contracts are summarized in “Item 1A. Risk Factors”.
18
The
following table summarizes total current assets, total current liabilities
and
working capital at September 30, 2008 as compared to March 31,
2008.
September 30,
2008
|
March 31,
2008
|
Increase / (Decrease)
$
|
||||||||
Current
Assets
|
$
|
2,231,533
|
$
|
1,511,595
|
719,938
|
|||||
Current
Liabilities
|
$
|
1,765,214
|
$
|
2,117,176
|
(351,962
|
)
|
||||
Working
Capital (deficit)
|
$
|
466,319
|
$
|
(605,581
|
)
|
1,071,900
|
New
Senior Secured Credit Facility
On
July
3, 2008, EnerJex, EnerJex Kansas, and DD Energy entered into a three-year $50
million Senior Secured Credit Facility (the “Credit Facility”) with Texas
Capital Bank, N.A. Borrowings under the Credit Facility will be subject to
a
borrowing base limitation based on our current proved oil and gas reserves.
The
initial borrowing base is set at $10.75 million and will be subject to
semi-annual redeterminations, with the first redetermination to commence October
1, 2008. The borrowing base is currently under review by Texas Capital Bank.
The
Credit Facility is secured by a lien on substantially all of our assets. The
Credit Facility has a term of three years, and all principal amounts, together
with all accrued and unpaid interest, will be due and payable in full on July
3,
2011. The Credit Facility also provides for the issuance of letters-of-credit
up
to a $750,000 sub-limit under the borrowing base and up to an additional $2.25
million limit not subject to the borrowing base to support our hedging program.
We have borrowed all $10.75 million of our available borrowing base as of
September 30, 2008.
Proceeds
from the initial extension of credit under the Credit Facility were used: (1)
to
redeem our 10% debentures in an aggregate principal amount of $6.3 million
plus
accrued interest (the “April Debentures”), (2) for Texas Capital Bank’s
acquisition of our approximately $2.0 million indebtedness to Cornerstone Bank,
(3) for complete repayment of promissory notes issued to the sellers in
connection with our purchase of the DD Energy project in an aggregate principal
amount of $965,000 plus accrued interest, (4) to pay transaction costs, fees
and
expenses related to the new Credit Facility, and (5) to expand our current
development projects. Future borrowings may be used for the acquisition,
development and exploration of oil and gas properties, capital expenditures
and
general corporate purposes.
Advances
under the Credit Facility will be in the form of either base rate loans or
Eurodollar loans. The interest rate on the base rate loans fluctuates based
upon
the higher of (1) the lender’s “prime rate” and (2) the Federal Funds rate plus
0.50%, plus, in either case, a margin of between 0.0% and 0.5% depending on
the
percent of the borrowing base utilized at the time of the credit extension.
The
interest rate on the Eurodollar loans fluctuates based upon the applicable
Libor
rate, plus a margin of 2.25% to 2.75% depending on the percent of the borrowing
base utilized at the time of the credit extensionon. We may select Eurodollar
loans of one, two, three and six months. A commitment fee of 0.375% on the
unused portion of the borrowing base will accrue, and be payable quarterly
in
arrears.
19
The
Credit Facility includes usual and customary affirmative covenants for credit
facilities of this type and size, as well as customary negative covenants,
including, among others, limitations on liens, mergers, asset sales or
dispositions, payments of dividends, incurrence of additional indebtedness,
and
investments. The Credit Facility also requires that we, at the end of each
fiscal quarter beginning with the quarter ending September 30, 2008, maintain
a
minimum current assets to current liabilities ratio, a minimum ratio of EBITDA
(earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) to interest
expense, and to maintain a minimum ratio of EBITDA to senior funded debt. At
September 30, 2008 the company was substantially in compliance with these
covenants, except for the ratios of EBITDA to interest expense and EBITDA to
senior funded debt. We were able to obtain a waiver of default from Texas
Capital Bank on these two technical covenants. We are taking steps in an effort
to comply with these same covenants in future quarters, including but not
limited to, a reduction in principal of approximately $3.5 million with proceeds
from liquidating a costless collar we entered into on July 3, 2008 and the
reduction of our operating and general expenses. See Note 6 to our Condensed
Consolidated Financial Statements in this report.
Additionally,
Texas Capital Bank, N.A. and the holders of the debentures entered into a
Subordination Agreement whereby the debentures issued on June 21, 2007 will
be
subordinated to the Credit Facility.
Debenture
Financing
On
April
11, 2007, we completed a $9.0 million private placement of senior secured
debentures. In accordance with the terms of the debentures, we received $6.3
million (before expenses and placement fees) at the first closing and an
additional $2.7 million (before closing fees and expenses) at the second closing
on June 21, 2007. In connection with the sale of the debentures, we issued
the
lenders 1,800,000 shares of common stock. On July 7, 2008, we redeemed $6.3
million aggregate principal amount of our debentures.
The
debentures mature on March 31, 2010, absent earlier redemption by us, and carry
an interest rate of 10%. Interest on the debentures began accruing on April
11,
2007 and is payable quarterly in arrears on the first day of each succeeding
quarter during the term of the debentures, beginning on or about May 11, 2007
and ending on the maturity date of March 31, 2010. We may, under certain
conditions specified in the debentures, pay interest payments in shares of
our
registered common stock. Additionally, on the maturity date, we are required
to
pay the amount equal to the principal, as well as all accrued but unpaid
interest.
20
In
connection with the Credit Facility, we entered into an agreement amending
the
Securities Purchase Agreement, Registration Rights Agreement, the Pledge and
Security Agreement and the Senior Secured Debentures issued on June 21, 2007
(the “Debenture Agreements”), with the holders (the “Buyers”) of the debentures
issued on June 21, 2007 (the “June Debentures”). Pursuant to this agreement, we,
among other things, (i) redeemed the April Debentures, (ii) agreed to use the
net proceeds from our next debt or equity offering to redeem the June
Debentures, (iii) agreed to update the registration statement to sell our common
stock owned by one of the Buyers, (iv) amended certain terms of the Debenture
Agreements in recognition of the indebtedness under the new Credit Facility,
and
(v) amended the Securities Purchase Agreement and Registration Rights Agreement
to remove the covenant to issue and register additional shares of common stock
in the event that our oil production does not meet certain thresholds over
time.
Satisfaction
of our cash obligations for the next 12 months
A
critical component of our operating plan is the ability to obtain additional
capital through additional equity and/or debt financing and working interest
participants. While our operations are generating sufficient cash revenues
to
meet our monthly expenses, we have limited working capital. In the event we
cannot obtain additional capital to pursue our strategic plan, our ability
to
continue our growth would be materially impacted. There is no assurance we
will
be able to obtain such financing on commercially reasonable terms, if at
all.
Subject
to availability of capital, we intend to implement and execute our business
and
marketing strategy, continue to develop and upgrade technology and products,
respond to competitive developments, and attract, retain and motivate qualified
personnel. There can be no assurance that we will be successful in addressing
such risks, and the failure to do so can have a material adverse effect on
our
business prospects, financial condition and results of operations.
Summary
of product research and development
We
do not
anticipate performing any significant product research and development until
such time as we can raise adequate working capital to sustain our
operations.
Expected
purchase or sale of any significant equipment
Subject
to availability of capital, we anticipate that we will purchase the necessary
production and field service equipment required to produce oil and natural
gas
during our normal course of operations over the next twelve months.
Significant
changes in the number of employees
At
September 30, 2008, we had 19 full time employees, an increase from 9 full
time
employees at our fiscal year ended March 31, 2008. We hired a number of former
independent field contractors to help secure a more stable work base. In
November 2008, we reduced personnel levels by 4 full time employees and 1
independent contractor in response to declining economic conditions and in
an
effort to reduce out operating and general expenses. We did not
experience a material increase in expenses from this initiative, as most of
these individuals were already included in our current operating and capital
expenses as independent contractors. As drilling and production activities
increase or decrease, we may have to adjust our technical, operational and
administrative personnel as appropriate. We are using and will continue to
use
the services of independent consultants and contractors to perform various
professional services, particularly in the area of land services, reservoir
engineering, drilling, water hauling, pipeline construction, well design,
well-site monitoring and surveillance, permitting and environmental assessment.
We believe that this use of third-party service providers may enhance our
ability to contain general and administrative expenses.
21
Off-Balance
Sheet Arrangements
We
do not
have any off-balance sheet arrangements that have or are reasonably likely
to
have a current or future effect on our financial condition, changes in financial
condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital
expenditures or capital resources that is material to investors.
Critical
Accounting Policies and Estimates
Our
critical accounting estimates include our oil and gas properties, asset
retirement obligations and the value of share-based payments.
Oil
and Gas Properties:
The
accounting for our business is subject to special accounting rules that are
unique to the gas and oil industry. There are two allowable methods of
accounting for oil and gas business activities: the successful efforts method
and the full-cost method. We follow the full-cost method of accounting under
which all costs associated with property acquisition, exploration and
development activities are capitalized. We also capitalize internal costs that
can be directly identified with our acquisition, exploration and development
activities and do not include any costs related to production, general corporate
overhead or similar activities.
Under
the
full-cost method, capitalized costs are amortized on a composite
unit-of-production method based on proved gas and oil reserves. Depreciation,
depletion and amortization expense is also based on the amount of estimated
reserves. If we maintain the same level of production year over year, the
depreciation, depletion and amortization expense may be significantly different
if our estimate of remaining reserves changes significantly. Proceeds from
the
sale of properties are accounted for as reductions of capitalized costs unless
such sales involve a significant change in the relationship between costs and
the value of proved reserves or the underlying value of unproved properties,
in
which case a gain or loss is recognized. The costs of unproved properties are
excluded from amortization until the properties are evaluated. We review all
of
our unevaluated properties quarterly to determine whether or not and to what
extent proved reserves have been assigned to the properties, and otherwise
if
impairment has occurred. Unevaluated properties are assessed individually when
individual costs are significant.
22
We
review
the carrying value of our gas and oil properties under the full-cost accounting
rules of the SEC on a quarterly basis. This quarterly review is referred to
as a
ceiling test. Under the ceiling test, capitalized costs, less accumulated
amortization and related deferred income taxes, may not exceed an amount equal
to the sum of the present value of estimated future net revenues (adjusted
for
cash flow hedges) less estimated future expenditures to be incurred in
developing and producing the proved reserves, less any related income tax
effects. In calculating future net revenues, current prices and costs used
are
those as of the end of the appropriate quarterly period. Such prices are
utilized except where different prices are fixed and determinable from
applicable contracts for the remaining term of those contracts, including the
effects of derivatives qualifying as cash flow hedges. Two primary factors
impacting this test are reserve levels and current prices, and their associated
impact on the present value of estimated future net revenues. Revisions to
estimates of gas and oil reserves and/or an increase or decrease in prices
can
have a material impact on the present value of estimated future net revenues.
Any excess of the net book value, less deferred income taxes, is generally
written off as an expense. Under SEC regulations, the excess above the ceiling
is not expensed (or is reduced) if, subsequent to the end of the period, but
prior to the release of the financial statements, gas and oil prices increase
sufficiently such that an excess above the ceiling would have been eliminated
(or reduced) if the increased prices were used in the calculations.
The
process of estimating gas and oil reserves is very complex, requiring
significant decisions in the evaluation of available geological, geophysical,
engineering and economic data. The data for a given property may also change
substantially over time as a result of numerous factors, including additional
development activity, evolving production history and a continual reassessment
of the viability of production under changing economic conditions. As a result,
material revisions to existing reserve estimates occur from time to time.
Although every reasonable effort is made to ensure that reserve estimates
reported represent the most accurate assessments possible, the subjective
decisions and variances in available data for various properties increase the
likelihood of significant changes in these estimates.
All
of
our proved reserves were evaluated by an independent petroleum engineer as
of
our fiscal year ended March 31, 2008. All reserve estimates are prepared based
upon a review of production histories and other geologic, economic, ownership
and engineering data.
Asset
Retirement Obligations:
The
asset
retirement obligation relates to the plug and abandonment costs when our wells
are no longer useful. We determine the value of the liability by obtaining
quotes for this service and estimate the increase we will face in the future.
We
then discount the future value based on an intrinsic interest rate that is
appropriate for us. If costs rise more than what we have expected there could
be
additional charges in the future, however, we monitor the costs of the abandoned
wells and we will adjust this liability if necessary.
Share-Based
Payments:
The
value
we assign to the options and warrants that we issue is based on the fair market
value as calculated by the Black-Scholes pricing model. To perform a calculation
of the value of our options and warrants, we determine an estimate of the
volatility of our stock. We need to estimate volatility because there has not
been enough trading of our stock to determine an appropriate measure of
volatility. We believe our estimate of volatility is reasonable, and we review
the assumptions used to determine this whenever we issue a new equity
instruments. If we have a material error in our estimate of the volatility
of
our stock, our expenses could be understated or overstated.
23
Recent
Accounting Pronouncements
In
March
of 2008, the FASB issued SFAS No. 161 (“FAS 161”), “Disclosures about Derivative
Instruments and Hedging Activities.” FAS 161 is intended to improve financial
reporting about derivative instruments and hedging activities by requiring
enhanced disclosures to enable investors to better understand their effects
on
the entity’s financial position, financial performance, and cash flows. The
provisions of FAS 161 are effective for fiscal years and interim periods
beginning after November 15, 2008. We are currently evaluating the impact of
the
provisions of FAS 161.
In
May
2008, the FASB issued SFAS No. 162 (“FAS 162”), “The Hierarchy of Generally
Accepted Accounting Principles”. FAS 162 sets forth the level of authority to a
given accounting pronouncement or document by category. Where there might be
conflicting guidance between two categories, the more authoritative category
will prevail. FAS 162 will become effective 60 days after the SEC approves
the
PCAOB’s amendments to AU Section 411 of the AICPA Professional Standards. FAS
162 has no effect on our financial position, statements of operations, or cash
flows at this time.
Effects
of Inflation and Pricing
The
oil
and natural gas industry is very cyclical and the demand for goods and services
of oil field companies, suppliers and others associated with the industry puts
extreme pressure on the economic stability and pricing structure within the
industry. Material changes in prices impact revenue stream, estimates of future
reserves, borrowing base calculations of bank loans and value of properties
in
purchase and sale transactions. Material changes in prices can impact the value
of oil and natural gas companies and their ability to raise capital, borrow
money and retain personnel. We have recently been impacted by such material
reductions in oil prices that we have significantly cut back our drilling and
completion activities and have lowered our operating expenses by reducing
personnel levels, use of contractors, and eliminating all reasonable and
feasible discretionary expenses. We anticipate we will continue to operate
in
this fashion in the near term.
Item
3. Quantitative
and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk.
Not
applicable.
Item
4T. Controls and Procedures.
Our
Chief
Executive Officer, C. Stephen Cochennet, and Chief Financial Officer, Dierdre
P.
Jones, evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures
(as
defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended)
as of the end of the period covered by this Report. Based on the evaluation,
Mr.
Cochennet and Ms. Jones concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures
are effective in timely alerting them to material information relating to us
(including our consolidated subsidiaries) required to be included in our
periodic SEC filings.
24
There
were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred
during our most recent fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are
reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial
reporting.
PART
II—OTHER INFORMATION
Item
1. Legal Proceedings.
We
may
become involved in various routine legal proceedings incidental to our business.
However, to our knowledge as of the date of this report, there are no material
pending legal proceedings to which we are a party or to which any of our
property is subject.
Item
1A. Risk Factors.
Risks
Associated with Our Business
Declining
economic conditions could negatively impact our
business
Our
operations are affected by local, national and worldwide economic conditions.
Markets in the United States and elsewhere have been experiencing extreme
volatility and disruption for more than 12 months, due in part to the financial
stresses affecting the liquidity of the banking system and the financial markets
generally. In recent weeks, this volatility and disruption has reached
unprecedented levels. The consequences of a potential or prolonged recession
may
include a lower level of economic activity and uncertainty regarding energy
prices and the capital and commodity markets. While the ultimate outcome and
impact of the current economic conditions cannot be predicted, a lower level
of
economic activity might result in a decline in energy consumption, which may
adversely affect the price of oil, our revenues, liquidity and future growth.
Instability in the financial markets, as a result of recession or otherwise,
also may affect the cost of capital and our ability to raise
capital.
We
have sustained losses, which raises doubt as to our ability to successfully
develop profitable business operations.
Our
prospects must be considered in light of the risks, expenses and difficulties
frequently encountered in establishing and maintaining a business in the oil
and
natural gas industries. There is nothing conclusive at this time on which to
base an assumption that our business operations will prove to be successful
or
that we will be able to operate profitably. Our future operating results will
depend on many factors, including:
· |
the
future prices of natural gas and
oil;
|
· |
our
ability to raise adequate working
capital;
|
· |
success
of our development and exploration
efforts;
|
· |
demand
for natural gas and oil;
|
· |
the
level of our competition;
|
· |
our
ability to attract and maintain key management, employees and
operators;
|
· |
transportation
and processing fees on our
facilities;
|
25
· |
fuel
conservation measures;
|
· |
alternate
fuel requirements;
|
· |
government
regulation and taxation;
|
· |
technical
advances in fuel economy and energy generation devices;
and
|
· |
our
ability to efficiently explore, develop and produce sufficient quantities
of marketable natural gas or oil in a highly competitive and speculative
environment while maintaining quality and controlling
costs.
|
To
achieve profitable operations, we must, alone or with others, successfully
execute on the factors stated above, along with continually developing ways
to
enhance our production efforts. Despite our best efforts, we may not be
successful in our development efforts or obtain required regulatory approvals.
There is a possibility that some of our wells may never produce natural gas
or
oil in sustainable or economic quantities.
We
will need additional capital in the future to finance our planned growth, which
we may not be able to raise or may only be available on terms unfavorable to
us
or our stockholders, which may result in our inability to fund our working
capital requirements and harm our operational
results.
We
have
and expect to continue to have substantial capital expenditure and working
capital needs. We will need to rely on cash flow from operations and borrowings
under our Credit Facility or raise additional cash to fund our operations,
pay
outstanding long-term debt, fund our anticipated reserve replacement needs
and
implement our growth strategy, or respond to competitive pressures and/or
perceived opportunities, such as investment, acquisition, exploration, workover
and development activities.
If
low
natural gas and oil prices, operating difficulties or other factors, many of
which are beyond our control, cause our revenues or cash flows from operations
to decrease, we may be limited in our ability to spend the capital necessary
to
complete our development, production exploitation and exploration programs.
If
our resources or cash flows do not satisfy our operational needs, we will
require additional financing, in addition to anticipated cash generated from
our
operations, to fund our planned growth. Additional financing might not be
available on terms favorable to us, or at all. If adequate funds were not
available or were not available on acceptable terms, our ability to fund our
operations, take advantage of unanticipated opportunities, develop or enhance
our business or otherwise respond to competitive pressures would be
significantly limited. In such a capital restricted situation, we may curtail
our acquisition, drilling, development, and exploration activities or be forced
to sell some of our assets on an untimely or unfavorable basis. Our current
plans to address lower crude and natural gas prices are primarily to reduce
both
capital and operating expenditures to a level equal to or below cash flow from
operations. However, our plans may not be successful in improving our results
of
operations and liquidity.
If
we
raise additional funds through the issuance of equity or convertible debt
securities, the percentage ownership of our stockholders would be reduced,
and
these newly issued securities might have rights, preferences or privileges
senior to those of existing stockholders.
26
Natural
gas and oil prices are volatile. This volatility may occur in the future,
causing negative change in cash flows which may result in our inability to
cover
our operating or capital expenditures.
Our
future revenues, profitability, future growth and the carrying value of our
properties is anticipated to depend substantially on the prices we may realize
for our natural gas and oil production. Our realized prices may also affect
the
amount of cash flow available for operating or capital expenditures and our
ability to borrow and raise additional capital.
Natural
gas and oil prices are subject to wide fluctuations in response to relatively
minor changes in or perceptions regarding supply and demand. Historically,
the
markets for natural gas and oil have been volatile, and they are likely to
continue to be volatile in the future. Among the factors that can cause this
volatility are:
· |
local,
national and worldwide economic
conditions;
|
· |
worldwide
or regional demand for energy, which is affected by economic
conditions;
|
· |
the
domestic and foreign supply of natural gas and
oil;
|
· |
weather
conditions;
|
· |
natural
disasters;
|
· |
acts
of terrorism;
|
· |
domestic
and foreign governmental regulations and
taxation;
|
· |
political
and economic conditions in oil and natural gas producing countries,
including those in the Middle East and South
America;
|
· |
impact
of the U.S. dollar exchange rates on oil and natural gas
prices;
|
· |
the
availability of refining capacity;
|
· |
actions
of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC, and
other
state controlled oil companies relating to oil price and production
controls; and
|
· |
the
price and availability of other
fuels.
|
It
is
impossible to predict natural gas and oil price movements with certainty. Lower
natural gas and oil prices may not only decrease our future revenues on a per
unit basis but also may reduce the amount of natural gas and oil that we can
produce economically. A substantial or extended decline in natural gas and
oil
prices may materially and adversely affect our future business enough to force
us to cease our business operations. In addition, our reserves, financial
condition, results of operations, liquidity and ability to finance and execute
planned capital expenditures will also suffer in such a price decline. Further,
natural gas and oil prices do not necessarily move together.
Approximately
54% of our total proved reserves as of March 31, 2008 consist of undeveloped
and
developed non-producing reserves, and those reserves may not ultimately be
developed or produced.
As
of
March 31, 2008, approximately 36% of our total proved reserves were undeveloped
and approximately 18% were developed non-producing. We plan to develop and
produce all of our proved reserves, but ultimately some of these reserves may
not be developed or produced. Furthermore, not all of our undeveloped or
developed non-producing reserves may be ultimately produced in the time periods
we have planned, at the costs we have budgeted, or at all.
27
Because
we face uncertainties in estimating proven recoverable reserves, you should
not
place undue reliance on such reserve information.
Our
reserve estimates and the future net cash flows attributable to those reserves
are prepared by McCune Engineering, our independent petroleum and geological
engineer. There are numerous uncertainties inherent in estimating quantities
of
proved reserves and cash flows from such reserves, including factors beyond
our
control and the control of McCune Engineering. Reserve engineering is a
subjective process of estimating underground accumulations of natural gas and
oil that can be economically extracted, which cannot be measured in an exact
manner. The accuracy of an estimate of quantities of reserves, or of cash flows
attributable to these reserves, is a function of the available data, assumptions
regarding future natural gas and oil prices, expenditures for future development
and exploitation activities, and engineering and geological interpretation
and
judgment. Reserves and future cash flows may also be subject to material
downward or upward revisions based upon production history, development and
exploitation activities and natural gas and oil prices. Actual future
production, revenue, taxes, development expenditures, operating expenses,
quantities of recoverable reserves and value of cash flows from those reserves
may vary significantly from the assumptions and estimates in our reserve
reports. Any significant variance from these assumptions to actual figures
could
greatly affect our estimates of reserves, the economically recoverable
quantities of natural gas and oil attributable to any particular group of
properties, the classification of reserves based on risk of recovery, and
estimates of the future net cash flows. In addition, reserve engineers may
make
different estimates of reserves and cash flows based on the same available
data.
The estimated quantities of proved reserves and the discounted present value
of
future net cash flows attributable to those reserves included in this report
were prepared by McCune Engineering in accordance with rules of the Securities
and Exchange Commission, or SEC, and are not intended to represent the fair
market value of such reserves.
The
present value of future net cash flows from our proved reserves is not
necessarily the same as the current market value of our estimated reserves.
We
base the estimated discounted future net cash flows from our proved reserves
on
prices and costs. However, actual future net cash flows from our natural gas
and
oil properties also will be affected by factors such as:
· |
Geological
conditions;
|
· |
Assumptions
governing future oil and natural gas
prices;
|
· |
Amount
and timing of actual production;
|
· |
Availability
of funds;
|
· |
Future
operating and development costs;
|
· |
Actual
prices we receive for natural gas and
oil;
|
· |
Supply
and demand for our natural gas and
oil;
|
· |
Changes
in government regulations and taxation;
and
|
· |
Capital
costs of drilling new wells.
|
28
The
timing of both our production and our incurrence of expenses in connection
with
the development and production of our properties will affect the timing of
actual future net cash flows from proved reserves, and thus their actual present
value. In addition, the 10% discount factor we use when calculating discounted
future net cash flows may not be the most appropriate discount factor based
on
interest rates in effect from time to time and risks associated with our
business or the natural gas and oil industry in general.
The
SEC
permits natural gas and oil companies, in their public filings, to disclose
only
proved reserves that a company has demonstrated by actual production or
conclusive formation tests to be economically and legally producible under
existing economic and operating conditions. The SEC’s guidelines strictly
prohibit us from including “probable reserves” and “possible reserves” in such
filings. We also caution you that the SEC views such “probable” and “possible”
reserve estimates as inherently unreliable and these estimates may be seen
as
misleading to investors unless the reader is an expert in the natural gas and
oil industry. Unless you have such expertise, you should not place undue
reliance on these estimates. Potential investors should also be aware that
such
“probable” and “possible” reserve estimates will not be contained in any
“resale” or other registration statement filed by us that offers or sells shares
on behalf of purchasers of our common stock and may have an impact on the
valuation of the resale of the shares. Except as required by applicable law,
we
undertake no duty to update this information and do not intend to update this
information.
The
differential between the New York Mercantile Exchange, or NYMEX, or other
benchmark price of oil and natural gas and the wellhead price we receive could
have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition
and cash flows.
The
prices that we receive for our oil and natural gas production sometimes trade
at
a discount to the relevant benchmark prices, such as NYMEX, that are used for
calculating hedge positions. The difference between the benchmark price and
the
price we receive is called a differential. We cannot accurately predict oil
and
natural gas differentials. In recent years for example, production increases
from competing Canadian and Rocky Mountain producers, in conjunction with
limited refining and pipeline capacity from the Rocky Mountain area, have
gradually widened this differential. Increases in the differential between
the
benchmark price for oil and natural gas and the wellhead price we receive could
have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition
and cash flows by decreasing the proceeds we receive for our oil and natural
gas
production in comparison to what we would receive if not for the
differential.
The
natural gas and oil business involves numerous uncertainties and operating
risks
that can prevent us from realizing profits and can cause substantial
losses.
Our
development, exploitation and exploration activities may be unsuccessful for
many reasons, including weather, cost overruns, equipment shortages and
mechanical difficulties. Moreover, the successful drilling of a natural gas
and
oil well does not ensure a profit on investment. A variety of factors, both
geological and market-related, can cause a well to become uneconomical or only
marginally economical. In addition to their cost, unsuccessful wells can hurt
our efforts to replace reserves.
29
The
natural gas and oil business involves a variety of operating risks,
including:
· |
unexpected
operational events and/or
conditions;
|
· |
unusual
or unexpected geological
formations;
|
· |
reductions
in natural gas and oil prices;
|
· |
limitations
in the market for oil and natural
gas;
|
· |
adverse
weather conditions;
|
· |
facility
or equipment malfunctions;
|
· |
title
problems;
|
· |
natural
gas and oil quality issues;
|
· |
pipe,
casing, cement or pipeline
failures;
|
· |
natural
disasters;
|
· |
fires,
explosions, blowouts, surface cratering, pollution and other risks
or
accidents;
|
· |
environmental
hazards, such as natural gas leaks, oil spills, pipeline ruptures
and
discharges of toxic gases;
|
· |
compliance
with environmental and other governmental requirements;
and
|
· |
uncontrollable
flows of oil, natural gas or well
fluids.
|
If
we
experience any of these problems, it could affect well bores, gathering systems
and processing facilities, which could adversely affect our ability to conduct
operations. We could also incur substantial losses as a result of:
· |
injury
or loss of life;
|
· |
severe
damage to and destruction of property, natural resources and
equipment;
|
· |
pollution
and other environmental damage;
|
· |
clean-up
responsibilities;
|
· |
regulatory
investigation and penalties;
|
· |
suspension
of our operations; and
|
· |
repairs
to resume operations.
|
Because
we use third-party drilling contractors to drill our wells, we may not realize
the full benefit of worker compensation laws in dealing with their employees.
Our insurance does not protect us against all operational risks. We do not
carry
business interruption insurance at levels that would provide enough funds for
us
to continue operating without access to other funds. For some risks, we may
not
obtain insurance if we believe the cost of available insurance is excessive
relative to the risks presented. In addition, pollution and environmental risks
generally are not fully insurable. If a significant accident or other event
occurs and is not fully covered by insurance, it could impact our operations
enough to force us to cease our operations.
30
Drilling
wells is speculative, often involving significant costs that may be more than
our estimates, and may not result in any addition to our production or reserves.
Any material inaccuracies in drilling costs, estimates or underlying assumptions
will materially affect our business.
Developing
and exploring for natural gas and oil involves a high degree of operational
and
financial risk, which precludes definitive statements as to the time required
and costs involved in reaching certain objectives. The budgeted costs of
drilling, completing and operating wells are often exceeded and can increase
significantly when drilling costs rise due to a tightening in the supply of
various types of oilfield equipment and related services. Drilling may be
unsuccessful for many reasons, including geological conditions, weather, cost
overruns, equipment shortages and mechanical difficulties. Moreover, the
successful drilling of a natural gas or oil well does not ensure a profit on
investment. Exploratory wells bear a much greater risk of loss than development
wells. Substantially all of our wells drilled through September 30, 2008 have
been development wells. A variety of factors, both geological and
market-related, can cause a well to become uneconomical or only marginally
economic. Our initial drilling and development sites, and any potential
additional sites that may be developed, require significant additional
exploration and development, regulatory approval and commitments of resources
prior to commercial development. If our actual drilling and development costs
are significantly more than our estimated costs, we may not be able to continue
our business operations as proposed and would be forced to modify our plan
of
operation.
Development
of our reserves, when established, may not occur as scheduled and the actual
results may not be as anticipated. Drilling activity and access to capital
may
result in downward adjustments in reserves or higher than anticipated costs.
Our
estimates will be based on various assumptions, including assumptions over
which
we have control and assumptions required by the SEC relating to natural gas
and
oil prices, drilling and operating expenses, capital expenditures, taxes and
availability of funds. We have control over our operations that affect, among
other things, acquisitions and dispositions of properties, availability of
funds, use of applicable technologies, hydrocarbon recovery efficiency, drainage
volume and production decline rates that are part of these estimates and
assumptions and any variance in our operations that affects these items within
our control may have a material effect on reserves. The process of estimating
our natural gas and oil reserves is anticipated to be extremely complex, and
will require significant decisions and assumptions in the evaluation of
available geological, geophysical, engineering and economic data for each
reservoir. Our estimates may not be reliable enough to allow us to be successful
in our intended business operations. Our actual production, revenues, taxes,
development expenditures and operating expenses will likely vary from those
anticipated. These variances may be material.
Unless
we replace our oil and natural gas reserves, our reserves and production will
decline, which would adversely affect our cash flows and
income.
Unless
we
conduct successful development, exploitation and exploration activities or
acquire properties containing proved reserves, our proved reserves will decline
as those reserves are produced. Producing oil and natural gas reservoirs
generally are characterized by declining production rates that vary depending
upon reservoir characteristics and other factors. Our future oil and natural
gas
reserves and production, and, therefore our cash flow and income, are highly
dependent on our success in efficiently developing and exploiting our current
reserves and economically finding or acquiring additional recoverable reserves.
We may be unable to make such acquisitions because we are:
31
· |
unable
to identify attractive acquisition candidates or negotiate acceptable
purchase contracts with them;
|
· |
unable
to obtain financing for these acquisitions on economically acceptable
terms; or
|
· |
outbid
by competitors.
|
If
we are
unable to develop, exploit, find or acquire additional reserves to replace
our
current and future production, our cash flow and income will decline as
production declines, until our existing properties would be incapable of
sustaining commercial production.
A
significant portion of our potential future reserves and our business plan
depend upon secondary recovery techniques to establish production. There are
significant risks associated with such techniques.
We
anticipate that a significant portion of our future reserves and our business
plan will be associated with secondary recovery projects that are either in
the
initial stage of implementation or are scheduled for implementation. We
anticipate that secondary recovery will affect our reserves and our business
plan, and the exact project initiation dates and, by the very nature of
waterflood operations, the exact completion dates of such projects are
uncertain. In addition, the reserves and our business plan associated with
these
secondary recovery projects, as with any reserves, are estimates only, as the
success of any development project, including these waterflood projects, cannot
be ascertained in advance. If we are not successful in developing a significant
portion of our reserves associated with secondary recovery methods, then the
project may be uneconomic or generate less cash flow and reserves than we had
estimated prior to investing the capital. Risks associated with secondary
recovery techniques include, but are not limited to, the following:
· |
higher
than projected operating costs;
|
· |
lower-than-expected
production;
|
· |
longer
response times;
|
· |
higher
costs associated with obtaining
capital;
|
· |
unusual
or unexpected geological
formations;
|
· |
fluctuations
in natural gas and oil prices;
|
· |
regulatory
changes;
|
· |
shortages
of equipment; and
|
· |
lack
of technical expertise.
|
If
any of
these risks occur, it could adversely affect our financial condition or results
of operations.
32
Any
acquisitions we complete are subject to considerable
risk.
Even
when
we make acquisitions that we believe are good for our business, any acquisition
involves potential risks, including, among other things:
· |
the
validity of our assumptions about reserves, future production, revenues
and costs, including synergies;
|
· |
an
inability to integrate successfully the businesses we
acquire;
|
· |
a
decrease in our liquidity by using our available cash or borrowing
capacity to finance acquisitions;
|
· |
a
significant increase in our interest expense or financial leverage
if we
incur additional debt to finance
acquisitions;
|
· |
the
assumption of unknown liabilities, losses or costs for which we are
not
indemnified or for which our indemnity is
inadequate;
|
· |
the
diversion of management’s attention from other business
concerns;
|
· |
an
inability to hire, train or retain qualified personnel to manage
the
acquired properties or assets;
|
· |
the
incurrence of other significant charges, such as impairment of goodwill
or
other intangible assets, asset devaluation or restructuring
charges;
|
· |
unforeseen
difficulties encountered in operating in new geographic or geological
areas; and
|
· |
customer
or key employee losses at the acquired
businesses.
|
Our
decision to acquire a property will depend in part on the evaluation of data
obtained from production reports and engineering studies, geophysical and
geological analyses and seismic and other information, the results of which
are
often incomplete or inconclusive.
Our
reviews of acquired properties can be inherently incomplete because it is not
always feasible to perform an in-depth review of the individual properties
involved in each acquisition. Even a detailed review of records and properties
may not necessarily reveal existing or potential problems, nor will it permit
a
buyer to become sufficiently familiar with the properties to assess fully their
deficiencies and potential. Inspections may not always be performed on every
well, and environmental problems, such as ground water contamination, plugging
or orphaned well liability are not necessarily observable even when an
inspection is undertaken.
We
must obtain governmental permits and approvals for drilling operations, which
can result in delays in our operations, be a costly and time consuming process,
and result in restrictions on our operations.
Regulatory
authorities exercise considerable discretion in the timing and scope of permit
issuances in the region in which we operate. Compliance with the requirements
imposed by these authorities can be costly and time consuming and may result
in
delays in the commencement or continuation of our exploration or production
operations and/or fines. Regulatory or legal actions in the future may
materially interfere with our operations or otherwise have a material adverse
effect on us. In addition, we are often required to prepare and present to
federal, state or local authorities data pertaining to the effect or impact
that
a proposed project may have on the environment, threatened and endangered
species, and cultural and archaeological artifacts. Accordingly, the permits
we
need may not be issued, or if issued, may not be issued in a timely fashion,
or
may involve requirements that restrict our ability to conduct our operations
or
to do so profitably.
33
Due
to our lack of geographic diversification, adverse developments in our operating
areas would materially affect our business.
We
currently only lease and operate oil and natural gas properties located in
Eastern Kansas. As a result of this concentration, we may be disproportionately
exposed to the impact of delays or interruptions of production from these
properties caused by significant governmental regulation, transportation
capacity constraints, curtailment of production, natural disasters, adverse
weather conditions or other events which impact this area.
We
depend on a small number of customers for all, or a substantial amount of our
sales. If these customers reduce the volumes of oil and natural gas they
purchase from us, our revenue and cash available for distribution will decline
to the extent we are not able to find new customers for our
production.
We
have
contracted with Shell for the sale of all of our oil through September 2009
and
will likely contract for the sale of our natural gas with one, or a small
number, of buyers. It is not likely that there will be a large pool of available
purchasers. If a key purchaser were to reduce the volume of oil or natural
gas
it purchases from us, our revenue and cash available for operations will decline
to the extent we are not able to find new customers to purchase our production
at equivalent prices.
We
are not the operator of some of our properties and we have limited control
over
the activities on those properties.
We
are
not the operator on our Black Oaks Project. We have only limited ability to
influence or control the operation or future development of the Black Oaks
Project or the amount of capital expenditures that we can fund with respect
to
it. In the case of the Black Oaks Project, our dependence on the operator,
Haas
Petroleum, limits our ability to influence or control the operation or future
development of the project. Such limitations could materially adversely affect
the realization of our targeted returns on capital related to exploration,
drilling or production activities and lead to unexpected future
costs.
We
may suffer losses or incur liability for events for which we or the operator
of
a property have chosen not to obtain insurance.
Our
operations are subject to hazards and risks inherent in producing and
transporting natural gas and oil, such as fires, natural disasters, explosions,
pipeline ruptures, spills, and acts of terrorism, all of which can result in
the
loss of hydrocarbons, environmental pollution, personal injury claims and other
damage to our and others’ properties. As protection against operating hazards,
we maintain insurance coverage against some, but not all, potential losses.
In
addition, pollution and environmental risks generally are not fully insurable.
As a result of market conditions, existing insurance policies may not be renewed
and other desirable insurance may not be available on commercially reasonable
terms, if at all. The occurrence of an event that is not covered, or not fully
covered, by insurance could have a material adverse effect on our business,
financial condition and results of operations.
34
Our
hedging activities could result in financial losses or could reduce our
available funds or income and therefore adversely affect our financial
position.
To
achieve more predictable cash flow and to reduce our exposure to adverse
fluctuations in the prices of oil and natural gas, we have entered into
derivative arrangements from April 1, 2008 until March 31, 2011, for 130 barrels
of oil per day that could result in both realized and unrealized hedging losses.
As of September 30, 2008 we had not incurred any such losses. The extent of
our
commodity price exposure is related largely to the effectiveness and scope
of
our derivative activities. For example, the derivative instruments we may
utilize may be based on posted market prices, which may differ significantly
from the actual crude oil, natural gas and NGL prices we realize in our
operations.
Our
actual future production may be significantly higher or lower than we estimate
at the time we enter into derivative transactions for such period. If the actual
amount is higher than we estimate, we will have greater commodity price exposure
than we intended. If the actual amount is lower than the nominal amount that
is
subject to our derivative financial instruments, we might be forced to satisfy
all or a portion of our derivative transactions without the benefit of the
cash
flow from our sale or purchase of the underlying physical commodity, resulting
in a substantial diminution of our liquidity. As a result of these factors,
our
derivative activities may not be as effective as we intend in reducing the
volatility of our cash flows, and in certain circumstances may actually increase
the volatility of our cash flows. In addition, while we believe our existing
derivative activities are with creditworthy counterparties (Shell and BP),
continued deterioration in the credit markets may cause a counterparty not
to
perform its obligation under the applicable derivative instrument or impact
their willingness to enter into future transactions with us.
Our
business depends in part on gathering and transportation facilities owned by
others. Any limitation in the availability of those facilities could interfere
with our ability to market our oil and natural gas production and could harm
our
business.
The
marketability of our oil and natural gas production will depend in a very large
part on the availability, proximity and capacity of pipelines, oil and natural
gas gathering systems and processing facilities. The amount of oil and natural
gas that can be produced and sold is subject to curtailment in certain
circumstances, such as pipeline interruptions due to scheduled and unscheduled
maintenance, excessive pressure, physical damage or lack of available capacity
on such systems. The curtailments arising from these and similar circumstances
may last from a few days to several months. In many cases, we will be provided
only with limited, if any, notice as to when these circumstances will arise
and
their duration. Any significant curtailment in gathering system or pipeline
capacity could significantly reduce our ability to market our oil and natural
gas production and harm our business.
35
The
high cost of drilling rigs, equipment, supplies, personnel and other services
could adversely affect our ability to execute on a timely basis our development,
exploitation and exploration plans within our budget.
Shortages
or an increase in cost of drilling rigs, equipment, supplies or personnel could
delay or interrupt our operations, which could impact our financial condition
and results of operations. Drilling activity in the geographic areas in which
we
conduct drilling activities may increase, which would lead to increases in
associated costs, including those related to drilling rigs, equipment, supplies
and personnel and the services and products of other vendors to the industry.
Increased drilling activity in these areas may also decrease the availability
of
rigs. Although Haas Petroleum has agreed to provide up to two drilling rigs
to
the Black Oaks Project, we do not have any contracts for drilling rigs and
drilling rigs may not be readily available when we need them. Drilling and
other
costs may increase further and necessary equipment and services may not be
available to us at economical prices.
Our
exposure to possible leasehold defects and potential title failure could
materially adversely impact our ability to conduct drilling
operations.
We
obtain
the right and access to properties for drilling by obtaining oil and natural
gas
leases either directly from the hydrocarbon owner, or through a third party
that
owns the lease. The leases may be taken or assigned to us without title
insurance. There is a risk of title failure with respect to such leases, and
such title failures could materially adversely impact our business by causing
us
to be unable to access properties to conduct drilling operations.
Our
reserves are subject to the risk of depletion because many of our leases are
in
mature fields that have produced large quantities of oil and natural gas to
date.
Our
operations are located in established fields in Eastern Kansas. As a result,
many of our leases are in, or directly offset, areas that have produced large
quantities of oil and natural gas to date. The degree of depletion for each
of
our projects ranges from approximately 0% to 78%. As such, our reserves may
be
partially or completely depleted by offsetting wells or previously drilled
wells, which could significantly harm our business.
Our
lease ownership may be diluted due to financing strategies we may employ in
the
future due to our lack of capital.
To
accelerate our development efforts we plan to take on working interest partners
who will contribute to the costs of drilling and completion and then share
in
revenues derived from production. In addition, we may in the future, due to
a
lack of capital or other strategic reasons, establish joint venture partnerships
or farm out all or part of our development efforts. These economic strategies
may have a dilutive effect on our lease ownership and could significantly reduce
our operating revenues.
36
We
are subject to complex laws and regulations, including environmental
regulations, which can adversely affect the cost, manner or feasibility of
doing
business.
Development,
production and sale of natural gas and oil in the United States are subject
to
extensive laws and regulations, including environmental laws and regulations.
We
may be required to make large expenditures to comply with environmental and
other governmental regulations. Matters subject to regulation include, but
are
not limited to:
· |
location
and density of wells;
|
· |
the
handling of drilling fluids and obtaining discharge permits for drilling
operations;
|
· |
accounting
for and payment of royalties on production from state, federal and
Indian
lands;
|
· |
bonds
for ownership, development and production of natural gas and oil
properties;
|
· |
transportation
of natural gas and oil by
pipelines;
|
· |
operation
of wells and reports concerning operations;
and
|
· |
taxation.
|
Under
these laws and regulations, we could be liable for personal injuries, property
damage, oil spills, discharge of hazardous materials, remediation and clean-up
costs and other environmental damages. Failure to comply with these laws and
regulations also may result in the suspension or termination of our operations
and subject us to administrative, civil and criminal penalties. Moreover, these
laws and regulations could change in ways that substantially increase our costs.
Accordingly, any of these liabilities, penalties, suspensions, terminations
or
regulatory changes could materially adversely affect our financial condition
and
results of operations enough to possibly force us to cease our business
operations.
Our
operations may expose us to significant costs and liabilities with respect
to
environmental, operational safety and other matters.
We
may
incur significant costs and liabilities as a result of environmental and safety
requirements applicable to our oil and natural gas exploration and production
activities. We may also be exposed to the risk of costs associated with Kansas
Corporation Commission requirements to plug orphaned and abandoned wells on
our
oil and natural gas leases from wells previously drilled by third parties.
In
addition, we may indemnify sellers or lessors of oil and natural gas properties
for environmental liabilities they or their predecessors may have created.
These
costs and liabilities could arise under a wide range of federal, state and
local
environmental and safety laws and regulations, including regulations and
enforcement policies, which have tended to become increasingly strict over
time.
Failure to comply with these laws and regulations may result in the assessment
of administrative, civil and criminal penalties, imposition of cleanup and
site
restoration costs, liens and to a lesser extent, issuance of injunctions to
limit or cease operations. In addition, claims for damages to persons or
property may result from environmental and other impacts of our
operations.
37
Strict,
joint and several liability may be imposed under certain environmental laws,
which could cause us to become liable for the conduct of others or for
consequences of our own actions that were in compliance with all applicable
laws
at the time those actions were taken. New laws, regulations or enforcement
policies could be more stringent and impose unforeseen liabilities or
significantly increase compliance costs. If we are not able to recover the
resulting costs through insurance or increased revenues, our ability to operate
effectively could be adversely affected.
Our
facilities and activities could be subject to regulation by the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission or the Department of Transportation, which could take
actions that could result in a material adverse effect on our financial
condition.
Although
it is anticipated that our natural gas gathering systems will be exempt from
FERC and DOT regulation, any revisions to this understanding may affect our
rights, liabilities, and access to midstream or interstate natural gas
transportation, which could have a material adverse effect on our operations
and
financial condition. In addition, the cost of compliance with any revisions
to
FERC or DOT rules, regulations or requirements could be substantial and could
adversely affect our ability to operate in an economic manner. Additional FERC
and DOT rules and legislation pertaining to matters that could affect our
operations are considered and adopted from time to time. We cannot predict
what
effect, if any, such regulatory changes and legislation might have on our
operations, but we could be required to incur additional capital expenditures
and increased costs.
Although
our natural gas sales activities are not currently projected to be subject
to
rate regulation by FERC, if FERC finds that in connection with making sales
in
the future, we (i) failed to comply with any applicable FERC administered
statutes, rules, regulations or orders, (ii) engaged in certain fraudulent
acts,
or (iii) engaged in market manipulation, we could be subject to substantial
penalties and fines of up to $1.0 million per day per violation.
We
operate in a highly competitive environment and our competitors may have greater
resources than us.
The
natural gas and oil industry is intensely competitive and we compete with other
companies, many of which are larger and have greater financial, technological,
human and other resources. Many of these companies not only explore for and
produce crude oil and natural gas but also carry on refining operations and
market petroleum and other products on a regional, national or worldwide basis.
Such companies may be able to pay more for productive natural gas and oil
properties and exploratory prospects or define, evaluate, bid for and purchase
a
greater number of properties and prospects than our financial or human resources
permit. In addition, such companies may have a greater ability to continue
exploration activities during periods of low oil and natural gas market prices.
Our ability to acquire additional properties and to discover reserves in the
future will be dependent upon our ability to evaluate and select suitable
properties and to consummate transactions in a highly competitive environment.
If we are unable to compete, our operating results and financial position may
be
adversely affected.
38
We
may incur substantial write-downs of the carrying value of our natural gas
and
oil properties, which would adversely impact our
earnings.
We
review
the carrying value of our natural gas and oil properties under the full-cost
accounting rules of the SEC on a quarterly basis. This quarterly review is
referred to as a ceiling test. Under the ceiling test, capitalized costs, less
accumulated amortization and related deferred income taxes, may not exceed
an
amount equal to the sum of the present value of estimated future net revenues
(adjusted for cash flow hedges) less estimated future expenditures to be
incurred in developing and producing the proved reserves, less any related
income tax effects. In calculating future net revenues, current prices and
costs
used are those as of the end of the appropriate quarterly period. Such prices
are utilized except where different prices are fixed and determinable from
applicable contracts for the remaining term of those contracts, including the
effects of derivatives qualifying as cash flow hedges. Two primary factors
impacting this test are reserve levels and current prices, and their associated
impact on the present value of estimated future net revenues. Revisions to
estimates of natural gas and oil reserves and/or an increase or decrease in
prices can have a material impact on the present value of estimated future
net
revenues. Any excess of the net book value, less deferred income taxes, is
generally written off as an expense. Under SEC regulations, the excess above
the
ceiling is not expensed (or is reduced) if, subsequent to the end of the period,
but prior to the release of the financial statements, natural gas and oil prices
increase sufficiently such that an excess above the ceiling would have been
eliminated (or reduced) if the increased prices were used in the
calculations.
We
have
recorded a total of $742,040 in impairments on our oil and natural gas
properties based on the ceiling test under the full-cost method in the years
ended March 31, 2007 and 2006. There was no impairment for the fiscal year
ended
March 31, 2008 or in the six months ended September 30, 2008.
Our
success depends on our key management and professional personnel, including
C.
Stephen Cochennet, the loss of whom would harm our ability to execute our
business plan.
Our
success depends heavily upon the continued contributions of C. Stephen
Cochennet, whose knowledge, leadership and technical expertise would be
difficult to replace, and on our ability to retain and attract experienced
engineers, geoscientists and other technical and professional staff. We have
entered into an employment agreement with Mr. Cochennet, and we maintain $1.0
million in key person insurance on Mr. Cochennet. However, if we were to lose
his services, our ability to execute our business plan would be harmed and
we
may be forced to significantly alter our operations until such time as we could
hire a suitable replacement for Mr. Cochennet.
Risks
Associated with our Debt Financing
Significant
and prolonged declines in commodity prices may negatively impact our borrowing
base and our ability to borrow overall.
It
is
possible that our borrowing base, which is based on our oil and gas reserves
and
is subject to review and adjustment on a semi-annual basis and other interim
adjustments, may be reduced when it is reviewed. A reduction in our base could
result in a “loan excess” which would be required to be eliminated through
payment of a portion of the loan and/or cash collateralization of Letters of
Credit obligations; or adding properties to the borrowing base sufficient to
offset the “loan excess”. A reduction in our ability to borrow under our Credit
Facility, combined with a reduction in cash flow from operations resulting
from
a decline in oil prices, may require us to reduce our capital expenditures
and
our operating activities.
39
Until
we repay the full amount of our outstanding debentures and Credit Facility,
we
may continue to have substantial indebtedness, which is secured by substantially
all of our assets.
On
September 30, 2008, $2.7 million in debentures and approximately $11.75 million
of bank loans and letters of credit were outstanding. In the event that we
default with respect to the debentures or other secured debt, the lenders may
enforce their rights as a secured party and we may lose all or a portion of
our
assets or be forced to materially reduce our business activities.
Our
substantial indebtedness could make it more difficult for us to fulfill our
obligations under our new Credit Facility and our debentures and, therefore,
adversely affect our business.
On
July 3, 2008, we entered into a three-year, Senior Secured Credit Facility
providing for aggregate borrowings of up to $50 million. As of September 30,
2008, we had total indebtedness of $13.6 million, including $10.75 million
of
initial borrowings under the Credit Facility and $2.7 million of remaining
debentures. In addition, we have outstanding letters of credit under the new
facility totaling $1.0 million at September 30, 2008. Our substantial
indebtedness, and the related interest expense, could have important
consequences to us, including:
·
|
limiting
our ability to borrow additional amounts for working capital, capital
expenditures, debt service requirements, execution of our business
strategy, or other general corporate
purposes;
|
·
|
limiting
our ability to use operating cash flow in other areas of our business
because we must dedicate a substantial portion of these funds to
service
our indebtedness;
|
·
|
increasing
our vulnerability to general adverse economic and industry
conditions;
|
·
|
placing
us at a competitive disadvantage as compared to our competitors that
have
less leverage;
|
·
|
limiting
our ability to capitalize on business opportunities and to react
to
competitive pressures and changes in government
regulation;
|
·
|
limiting
our ability to, or increasing the cost of, refinancing our
indebtedness; and
|
·
|
limiting
our ability to enter into marketing, hedging, optimization and trading
transactions by reducing the number of counterparties with whom we
can
enter into such transactions as well as the volume of those
transactions.
|
40
The
covenants in our new Credit Facility and debentures impose significant operating
and financial restrictions on us.
The
new
Credit Facility and our debentures impose significant operating and financial
restrictions on us. These restrictions limit our ability and the ability of
our
subsidiaries, among other things, to:
·
|
incur
additional indebtedness and provide additional
guarantees;
|
·
|
pay
dividends and make other restricted
payments;
|
·
|
create
or permit certain liens;
|
·
|
use
the proceeds from the sales of our oil and natural gas
properties;
|
·
|
engage
in certain transactions with affiliates;
and
|
·
|
consolidate,
merge, sell or transfer all or substantially all of our assets or
the
assets of our subsidiaries.
|
The
new
Credit Facility and our debentures also contain various affirmative covenants
with which we are required to comply. We were able to obtain a waiver of default
from Texas Capital Bank on two technical covenants. We are taking steps in
an
effort to comply with these same covenants in future quarters, including but
not
limited to, a reduction in principal of approximately $3.5 million with proceeds
from liquidating a costless collar we entered into on July 3, 2008 and the
reduction of our operating and general expenses. See Note 6 to our Condensed
Consolidated Financial Statements in this report .We may be unable to comply
with some or all of them in the future as well. If we do not comply with these
covenants and are unable to obtain waivers from our lenders, we would be unable
to make additional borrowings under these facilities, our indebtedness under
these agreements would be in default and could be accelerated by our lenders.
In
addition, it could cause a cross-default under our other indebtedness, including
our debentures. If our indebtedness is accelerated, we may not be able to repay
our indebtedness or borrow sufficient funds to refinance it. In addition, if
we
incur additional indebtedness in the future, we may be subject to additional
covenants, which may be more restrictive than those to which we are currently
subject.
Risks
Associated with our Common Stock
Our
common stock is traded on an illiquid market, making it difficult for investors
to sell their shares.
Our
common stock trades on the Over-the-Counter Bulletin Board under the symbol
“ENRJ,” but trading has been minimal. Therefore, the market for our common stock
is limited. The trading price of our common stock could be subject to wide
fluctuations. Investors may not be able to purchase additional shares or sell
their shares within the time frame or at a price they desire.
41
The
price of our common stock may be volatile and you may not be able to resell
your
shares at a favorable price.
Regardless
of whether an active trading market for our common stock develops, the market
price of our common stock may be volatile and you may not be able to resell
your
shares at or above the price you paid for such shares. The following factors
could affect our stock price:
· |
our
operating and financial performance and
prospects;
|
· |
quarterly
variations in the rate of growth of our financial indicators, such
as net
income per share, net income and
revenues;
|
· |
changes
in revenue or earnings estimates or publication of research reports
by
analysts about us or the exploration and production
industry;
|
· |
potentially
limited liquidity;
|
· |
actual
or anticipated variations in our reserve estimates and quarterly
operating
results;
|
· |
changes
in natural gas and oil prices;
|
· |
sales
of our common stock by significant stockholders and future issuances
of
our common stock;
|
· |
increases
in our cost of capital;
|
· |
changes
in applicable laws or regulations, court rulings and enforcement
and legal
actions;
|
· |
commencement
of or involvement in litigation;
|
· |
changes
in market valuations of similar
companies;
|
· |
additions
or departures of key management
personnel;
|
· |
general
market conditions, including fluctuations in and the occurrence of
events
or trends affecting the price of natural gas and oil;
and
|
· |
domestic
and international economic, legal and regulatory factors unrelated
to our
performance.
|
Our
articles of incorporation, bylaws and Nevada Law contain provisions that could
discourage an acquisition or change of control of us.
Our
articles of incorporation authorize our board of directors to issue preferred
stock and common stock without stockholder approval. If our board of directors
elects to issue preferred stock, it could be more difficult for a third party
to
acquire control of us. In addition, provisions of the articles of incorporation
and bylaws could also make it more difficult for a third party to acquire
control of us. In addition, Nevada’s “Combination with Interested Stockholders’
Statute” and its “Control Share Acquisition Statute” may have the effect in the
future of delaying or making it more difficult to effect a change in control
of
us.
These
statutory anti-takeover measures may have certain negative consequences,
including an effect on the ability of our stockholders or other individuals
to
(i) change the composition of the incumbent board of directors; (ii) benefit
from certain transactions which are opposed by the incumbent board of directors;
and (iii) make a tender offer or attempt to gain control of us, even if such
attempt were beneficial to us and our stockholders. Since such measures may
also
discourage the accumulations of large blocks of our common stock by purchasers
whose objective is to seek control of us or have such common stock repurchased
by us or other persons at a premium, these measures could also depress the
market price of our common stock. Accordingly, our stockholders may be deprived
of certain opportunities to realize the “control premium” associated with
take-over attempts.
42
We
have no plans to pay dividends on our common stock. You may not receive funds
without selling your stock.
We
do not
anticipate paying any cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable
future. We currently intend to retain future earnings, if any, to finance the
expansion of our business. Our future dividend policy is within the discretion
of our board of directors and will depend upon various factors, including our
business, financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements,
investment opportunities and restrictions imposed by our debentures and Credit
Facility.
We
may issue shares of preferred stock with greater rights than our common
stock.
Although
we have no current plans, arrangements, understandings or agreements to issue
any preferred stock, our articles of incorporation authorizes our board of
directors to issue one or more series of preferred stock and set the terms
of
the preferred stock without seeking any further approval from our stockholders.
Any preferred stock that is issued may rank ahead of our common stock, with
respect to dividends, liquidation rights and voting rights, among other
things.
We
have derivative securities currently outstanding. Exercise of these derivatives
will cause dilution to existing and new stockholders.
As
of
September 30, 2008, we had options and warrants to purchase approximately
766,300 shares of common stock outstanding in addition to 2,500 shares issuable
upon conversion of a convertible note. The exercise of our outstanding options
and warrants, and the conversion of the note, will cause additional shares
of
common stock to be issued, resulting in dilution to our existing common
stockholders.
Because
our common stock may be deemed a low-priced “Penny” stock, an investment in our
common stock should be considered high risk and subject to marketability
restrictions.
Our
common stock may be deemed to be a penny stock, as defined in Rule 3a51-1 under
the Securities Exchange Act, which may make it more difficult for investors
to
liquidate their investment even if and when a market develops for the common
stock. Until the trading price of the common stock consistently trades above
$5.00 per share, if ever, trading in the common stock may be subject to the
penny stock rules of the Securities Exchange Act specified in rules 15g-1
through 15g-10. Those rules require broker-dealers, before effecting
transactions in any penny stock, to:
·
|
Deliver
to the customer, and obtain a written receipt for, a disclosure
document;
|
·
|
Disclose
certain price information about the
stock;
|
43
·
|
Disclose
the amount of compensation received by the broker-dealer or any associated
person of the broker-dealer;
|
·
|
Send
monthly statements to customers with market and price information
about
the penny stock; and
|
·
|
In
some circumstances, approve the purchaser’s account under certain
standards and deliver written statements to the customer with information
specified in the rules.
|
Consequently,
the penny stock rules may restrict the ability or willingness of broker-dealers
to sell the common stock and may affect the ability of holders to sell their
common stock in the secondary market and the price at which such holders can
sell any such securities. These
additional procedures could also limit our ability to raise additional capital
in the future.
If
we fail to remain current on our reporting requirements, we could be removed
from the OTC Bulletin Board, which would limit the ability of broker-dealers
to
sell our securities and the ability of stockholders to sell their securities
in
the secondary market.
Companies
trading on the OTC Bulletin Board, such as us, must be reporting issuers under
Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and must be
current in their reports under Section 13, in order to maintain price quotation
privileges on the OTC Bulletin Board. More specifically, FINRA has enacted
Rule 6530, which determines eligibility of issuers quoted on the OTC Bulletin
Board by requiring an issuer to be current in its filings with the
Commission. Pursuant to Rule 6530(e), if we file our reports late with the
Commission three times in a two-year period or our securities are removed from
the OTC Bulletin Board for failure to timely file twice in a two-year period
then we will be ineligible for quotation on the OTC Bulletin Board. As a result,
the market liquidity for our securities could be severely adversely affected
by
limiting the ability of broker-dealers to sell our securities and the ability
of
stockholders to sell their securities in the secondary market.
FINRA
sales practice requirements may limit a stockholder's ability to buy and sell
our stock.
In
addition to the “penny stock” rules described above, FINRA has adopted rules
that require that in recommending an investment to a customer, a broker-dealer
must have reasonable grounds for believing that the investment is suitable
for
that customer. Prior to recommending speculative low priced securities to their
non-institutional customers, broker-dealers must make reasonable efforts to
obtain information about the customer's financial status, tax status, investment
objectives and other information. Under interpretations of these rules, the
FINRA believes that there is a high probability that speculative low priced
securities will not be suitable for at least some customers. The FINRA
requirements make it more difficult for broker-dealers to recommend that their
customers buy our common stock, which may limit your ability to buy and sell
our
stock and have an adverse effect on the market for our shares.
44
Item
2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of
Proceeds.
Reverse
Stock Split
Effective
July 25, 2008, we implemented a one-for-five reverse stock split of our issued
and outstanding common stock. The number of authorized shares of common stock
and preferred stock was not affected and remains at 100,000,000 and 10,000,000,
respectively, but the number of shares of common stock outstanding was reduced
from 22,214,166 to 4,443,467. An additional 634 shares were issued in lieu
of
issuing fractional shares. All per share and share amounts, including stock
options and warrants, have been retroactively restated in this
report.
Issuances
during the Quarter
None.
Issuer
Purchases of Equity Securities
We
did
not repurchase any of our equity securities during the quarter ended September
30, 2008.
Item
3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities.
At
September 30, 2008 the company was substantially in compliance with these
covenants, except for the ratios of EBITDA to interest expense and EBITDA to
senior funded debt. We were able to obtain a waiver of default from Texas
Capital Bank on these two technical covenants. We are taking steps in an effort
to comply with these same covenants in future quarters, including but not
limited to, a reduction in principal of approximately $3.5 million with proceeds
from liquidating a costless collar we entered into on July 3, 2008 and the
reduction of our operating and general expenses.
Item
4. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.
We
held
our annual meeting of stockholders on October 14, 2008. Stockholders voted
on
the following proposals:
1.
|
To
elect C. Stephen Cochennet, Robert G. Wonish, Daran G. Dammeyer,
Darrel G.
Palmer and Dr. James W. Rector to serve as our directors until the
next
annual meeting or until their successors are elected and
qualified.;
|
2.
|
To
amend and restate the EnerJex Resources, Inc. Stock Option Plan;
and
|
3.
|
To
confirm the reaffirmation of Weaver & Martin LLC as our independent
auditors.
|
Each
proposal was approved and each share of common stock was entitled to one vote
per proposal. Only stockholders of record at the close of business on September
3, 2008, were entitled to vote. The number of outstanding shares on the record
date was 4,443,467 and those shares were held by approximately 1,130
stockholders.
45
Votes
on
the proposals were as follows:
Proposal
|
For
|
Against
|
Abstentions
|
||||
1.
|
C.
Stephen Cochennet
|
2,658,921
|
31,205
|
927
|
|||
1.
|
Robert
(Bob) Wonish
|
2,658,723
|
31,205
|
1,125
|
|||
1.
|
Daran
G. Dammeyer
|
2,658,723
|
31,205
|
1,125
|
|||
1.
|
Darrel
G. Palmer
|
2,658,723
|
31,205
|
1,125
|
|||
1.
|
Dr.
James W. Rector
|
2,658,723
|
31,205
|
1,125
|
|||
2.
|
Amended
and Restated Stock Option Plan
|
2,367,150
|
12,376
|
393
|
|||
3.
|
Reaffirmation
of Weaver and Martin LLC
|
2,690,604
|
1
|
446
|
Item
5. Other Information.
Effective
September 1, 2008, we relocated our principal executive office to 27 Corporate
Woods, Suite 350, 10975 Grandview Drive, Overland Park, Kansas 66210. Our
corporate phone and facsimile numbers changed to (913) 754-7754 and (913)
754-7755, respectively. We lease approximately 3,100 sq. ft. of general office
space with annual rent of approximately $70,000. The lease expires on September
30, 2013.
On
November 6, 2008 we entered into a third amendment to the “Joint Exploration
Agreement” with MorMeg, LLC, to further extend the “Additional Capital Deadline”
for development of the Black Oaks Project. We have until June 1, 2009 to
contribute additional capital towards the development of Black Oaks, and within
a reasonable length of time thereafter, secure and contribute additional funding
so as not to cause more than thirty (30) days delay of project activities due
to
lack of funding to complete the project. In the event we are not successful
in
obtaining additional funding, or all funding, to complete the Black Oaks
development, MorMeg may cancel and declare the JEA of no force and effect from
the point of cancellation forward.
On
November 17, 2008, options to purchase shares of our common stock, which were
granted to our non-employee directors as compensation for their service as
directors in fiscal 2009 and to our chief executive officer our chief financial
officer, were rescinded at the request of the board’s compensation committee and
the approval of each option holder. Both the chief executive officer the chief
financial officer have agreed to amend their employment agreements to reflect
this rescission. The shares subject to these options were returned to the plan
and are available for future issuance. This action was taken in an effort to
reduce compensation and professional fees expenses which, though non-cash,
would
have had a substantial negative impact on our financial statements and results
of operations for the quarter ended September 30, 2008.
On
November 18, 2008, in response to the declining economic conditions which have
negatively impacted our business, we liquidated a costless collar with BP.
Both
EnerJex and BP have executed confirmations of this transaction and BP will
pay
us approximately $3.9 million. We plan to reduce the debt outstanding under
our
Credit Facility by approximately $3.5 million and use the remainder for general
operating purposes.
46
On
November 19, 2008, we were able to obtain a waiver of default from Texas Capital
Bank on technical covenants. We are taking steps in an effort to comply with
these same covenants in future quarters, including but not limited to, a
reduction in principal of approximately $3.5 million with proceeds from
liquidating a costless collar we entered into on July 3, 2008 and the reduction
of our operating and general expenses.
Item
6. Exhibits.
Exhibit
No.
|
Description
|
|
3.1
|
Amended
and Restated Articles of Incorporation, as currently in effect
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Form 10-Q filed
on August
14, 2008)
|
|
3.2
|
Amended
and Restated Bylaws, as currently in effect (incorporated by reference
to
Exhibit 3.3 to the Form SB-2 filed on February 23,
2001)
|
|
10.1(a)
|
Credit
Agreement with Texas Capital Bank, N.A. dated July 3, 2008 (incorporated
by reference to Exhibit 10.33 to the Form 10-K filed on July 10,
2008)
|
|
10.1(b)
|
Waiver
from Texas Capital Bank, N.A. dated November 19, 2008
|
|
10.2
|
Promissory
Note to Texas Capital Bank, N.A. dated July 3, 2008 (incorporated
by
reference to Exhibit 10.34 to the Form 10-K filed on July 10,
2008)
|
|
10.3
|
Amended
and Restated Mortgage, Security Agreement, Financing Statement and
Assignment of Production and Revenues with Texas Capital Bank, N.A.
dated
July 3, 2008 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.35 to the Form
10-K
filed on July 10, 2008)
|
|
10.4
|
Security
Agreement with Texas Capital Bank, N.A. dated July 3, 2008 (incorporated
by reference to Exhibit 10.36 to the Form 10-K filed on July 10,
2008)
|
|
10.5
|
Letter
Agreement with Debenture Holders dated July 3, 2008 (incorporated
by
reference to Exhibit 10.37 to the Form 10-K filed on July 10,
2008)
|
|
10.6†
|
C.
Stephen Cochennet Employment Agreement dated August 1, 2008 (incorporated
by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Form 8-K filed on August 1,
2008)
|
|
10.7†
|
Dierdre
P. Jones Employment Agreement dated August 1, 2008 (incorporated
by
reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Form 8-K filed on August 1,
2008)
|
|
10.8†
|
Amended
and Restated EnerJex Resources, Inc. Stock Incentive Plan (incorporated
by
reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Form 8-K filed on October 16,
2008)
|
|
10.9
|
Form
of Officer and Director Indemnification Agreement (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Form 8-K filed on October 16,
2008)
|
|
10.10
|
Euramerica
Letter Agreement Amendment dated September 15, 2008
|
|
10.11
|
Euramerica
Letter Agreement Amendment dated October 15, 2008 (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Form 8-K filed on October 21,
2008)
|
|
10.12
|
Amendment
3 to Joint Exploration Agreement effective as of November 6, 2008
between
MorMeg, LLC and EnerJex Resources, Inc.
|
|
10.13
|
Texas
Capital Bank Bank Waiver Letter dated November 19, 2008
|
|
31.1
|
Certification
of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of 2002
|
|
31.2
|
Certification
of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of 2002
|
|
32.1
|
Certification
of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of 2002
|
|
32.2
|
Certification
of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of 2002
|
†
Indicates management contract or compensatory plan or
arrangement.
47
SIGNATURES
In
accordance with the requirements of the Exchange Act, the registrant caused
this
report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized.
ENERJEX
RESOURCES, INC.
|
|
(Registrant)
|
|
/s/
Dierdre P. Jones
|
|
Dierdre
P. Jones, Chief Financial Officer
|
|
Date:
November 19, 2008
48