HOUSTON AMERICAN ENERGY CORP - Quarter Report: 2009 September (Form 10-Q)
UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
DC 20549
FORM
10-Q
(Mark
One)
T
|
QUARTERLY
REPORT UNDER SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE ACT OF
1934
|
For the
quarterly period ended September 30, 2009
OR
£
|
TRANSITION
REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF
1934
|
For the
transition period from ___________ to ______________.
Commission
File Number 1-32955
HOUSTON
AMERICAN ENERGY CORP.
(Exact
name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware
|
76-0675953
|
(State
or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)
|
(IRS
Employer Identification No.)
|
801
Travis Street, Suite 1425, Houston, Texas 77002
(Address
of principal executive offices)(Zip Code)
(713)
222-6966
(Registrant's
telephone number, including area code)
(Former
name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last
report)
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 T No £
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on
its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be
submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this
chapter) during the preceding 12
months. Yes £ No £
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
definition of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller
reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):
Large
accelerated filer
|
£
|
Accelerated
filer
|
T
|
Non-accelerated
filer
|
£
|
Smaller
reporting company
|
£
|
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule
12b-2 of the Exchange
Act). Yes £ No T
As of
November 4, 2009, we had 28,000,772 shares of $0.001 par value Common Stock
outstanding.
HOUSTON
AMERICAN ENERGY CORP.
FORM
10-Q
INDEX
Page No.
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PART I.
|
FINANCIAL
INFORMATION
|
||
Item
1.
|
Financial
Statements (Unaudited)
|
||
3
|
|||
4
|
|||
5
|
|||
6
|
|||
14
|
|||
21
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22
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PART II
|
OTHER
INFORMATION
|
||
22
|
PART I -
FINANCIAL INFORMATION
ITEM
1
|
Financial
Statements
|
HOUSTON AMERICAN ENERGY CORP.
CONSOLIDATED
BALANCE SHEETS
(Unaudited)
September 30, 2009
|
December 31, 2008
|
|||||||
ASSETS
|
||||||||
CURRENT
ASSETS
|
||||||||
Cash
|
$ | 4,709,078 | $ | 9,910,694 | ||||
Accounts
receivable – oil and gas sales
|
1,251,374 | 315,631 | ||||||
Escrow
receivable
|
514,938 | 1,673,551 | ||||||
Prepaid
expenses and other current assets
|
418,757 | 20,240 | ||||||
Total
current assets
|
6,894,147 | 11,920,116 | ||||||
PROPERTY,
PLANT AND EQUIPMENT
|
||||||||
Oil
and gas properties – full cost method
|
||||||||
Costs
subject to amortization
|
20,809,009 | 17,550,268 | ||||||
Costs
not being amortized
|
2,212,258 | 2,064,566 | ||||||
Office
equipment
|
11,878 | 11,878 | ||||||
Total
property, plant and equipment
|
23,033,145 | 19,626,712 | ||||||
Accumulated
depreciation, depletion, and impairment
|
(15,485,333 | ) | (14,363,581 | ) | ||||
Total
property, plant and equipment, net
|
7,547,812 | 5,263,131 | ||||||
OTHER
ASSETS
|
||||||||
Deferred
tax asset
|
5,800,509 | 5,277,354 | ||||||
Other
assets
|
176,453 | 176,453 | ||||||
Total
Assets
|
$ | 20,418,921 | $ | 22,637,054 | ||||
LIABILITIES
AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
|
||||||||
CURRENT
LIABILITIES
|
||||||||
Accounts
payable
|
$ | 33,578 | $ | 1,363,827 | ||||
Accrued
expenses
|
6,069 | 9,264 | ||||||
Foreign
income taxes payable
|
27,309 | 10,191 | ||||||
Total
current liabilities
|
66,956 | 1,383,282 | ||||||
LONG-TERM
LIABILITIES
|
||||||||
Deferred
rent obligation
|
17,639 | 19,614 | ||||||
Reserve
for plugging and abandonment costs
|
252,252 | 185,910 | ||||||
Total
long-term liabilities
|
269,891 | 205,524 | ||||||
Commitments
and Contingencies
|
— | — | ||||||
SHAREHOLDERS’
EQUITY
|
||||||||
Preferred
stock, $0.001 par value: 10,000,000 shares authorized; 0 shares
outstanding
|
— | — | ||||||
Common
stock, $0.001 par value; 100,000,000 shares authorized; 28,000,772 shares
issued and outstanding
|
28,001 | 28,001 | ||||||
Additional
paid-in capital
|
22,603,231 | 22,631,773 | ||||||
Accumulated
deficit
|
(2,549,158 | ) | (1,611,526 | ) | ||||
Total
shareholders’ equity
|
20,082,074 | 21,048,248 | ||||||
Total
liabilities and shareholders’ equity
|
$ | 20,418,921 | $ | 22,637,054 |
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial
statements.
HOUSTON AMERICAN ENERGY CORP.
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(Unaudited)
|
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
|
Three Months Ended
September 30,
|
||||||||||||||
|
2009
|
2008
|
2009
|
2008
|
||||||||||||
Revenue:
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
Oil
and gas
|
$ | 3,983,256 | $ | 8,616,868 | $ | 2,403,996 | $ | 2,350,782 | ||||||||
Total
revenue
|
3,983,256 | 8,616,868 | 2,403,996 | 2,350,782 | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
Expenses
of operations:
|
||||||||||||||||
Lease
operating expense and severance tax
|
2,644,359 | 2,789,630 | 1,021,312 | 747,740 | ||||||||||||
Joint
venture expenses
|
127,487 | 144,919 | 48,780 | 43,225 | ||||||||||||
General
and administrative expense
|
2,013,955 | 2,616,714 | 620,642 | 609,398 | ||||||||||||
Depreciation
and depletion
|
1,121,752 | 913,214 | 580,020 | 147,311 | ||||||||||||
Gain
on sale of oil and gas properties
|
— | (7,615,236 | ) | — | — | |||||||||||
Total
operating expenses
|
5,907,553 | (1,150,759 | ) | 2,270,754 | 1,547,674 | |||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
Income
(loss) from operations
|
(1,924,297 | ) | 9,767,627 | 133,242 | 803,108 | |||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
Other
income:
|
||||||||||||||||
Interest
income
|
53,886 | 232,870 | 9,350 | 72,427 | ||||||||||||
Total
other income
|
53,886 | 232,870 | 9,350 | 72,427 | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
Net
income (loss) before taxes
|
(1,870,411 | ) | 10,000,497 | 142,592 | 875,535 | |||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
Income
tax expense (benefit)
|
(932,777 | ) | 5,130,141 | (285,986 | ) | 76,703 | ||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
Net
income (loss)
|
$ | (937,634 | ) | $ | 4,870,356 | $ | 428,578 | $ | 798,832 | |||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
Basic
income (loss) per share
|
$ | (0.03 | ) | $ | 0.17 | $ | 0.02 | $ | 0.03 | |||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
Diluted
income (loss) per share
|
$ | (0.03 | ) | $ | 0.17 | $ | 0.02 | $ | 0.03 | |||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
Basic
weighted average shares
|
28,000,772 | 27,903,915 | 28,000,772 | 28,000,772 | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
Diluted
weighted average shares
|
28,000,772 | 28,065,640 | 28,023,559 | 28,209,632 |
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial
statements.
HOUSTON AMERICAN ENERGY CORP.
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Unaudited)
|
For the Nine Months Ended
September 30,
|
|||||||
|
2009
|
2008
|
||||||
|
|
|
||||||
CASH
FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES
|
|
|
||||||
Net
income (loss)
|
$ | (937,634 | ) | $ | 4,870,356 | |||
Adjustments
to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash from
operations:
|
||||||||
Depreciation
and depletion
|
1,121,752 | 913,214 | ||||||
Stock
based compensation
|
811,501 | 833,623 | ||||||
Accretion
of asset retirement obligation
|
10,221 | 15,546 | ||||||
Amortization
of deferred rent
|
(1,975 | ) | (198 | ) | ||||
Increase
in deferred tax asset
|
(523,155 | ) | — | |||||
Gain
on sale of oil and gas properties
|
— | (7,615,236 | ) | |||||
Changes
in operating assets and liabilities:
|
||||||||
Increase
in accounts receivable
|
(935,743 | ) | (172,109 | ) | ||||
Increase
in prepaid expense
|
(398,517 | ) | (30,767 | ) | ||||
Increase
(decrease) in accounts payable and accrued liabilities
|
(1,316,324 | ) | 290,323 | |||||
|
||||||||
Net
cash used in operating activities
|
(2,169,874 | ) | (895,248 | ) | ||||
|
||||||||
CASH
FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES
|
||||||||
Proceeds
from sale of marketable securities
|
— | 9,650,000 | ||||||
Payments
for acquisition and development of oil and gas properties
|
(3,704,208 | ) | (7,180,675 | ) | ||||
Proceeds
from sale of oil and gas properties, net of expenses
|
353,896 | 10,146,655 | ||||||
Decrease
in escrow receivable
|
1,158,613 | — | ||||||
Payments
for issuance of notes receivable
|
(115,724 | ) | — | |||||
Receipts
for notes receivable
|
115,724 | — | ||||||
Increase
in other assets
|
— | (98,287 | ) | |||||
|
||||||||
Net
cash provided by (used in) investing activities
|
(2,191,699 | ) | 12,517,693 | |||||
|
||||||||
CASH
FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES
|
||||||||
Dividends
paid
|
(840,043 | ) | (562,015 | ) | ||||
Exercise
of warrants
|
— | 375,000 | ||||||
|
||||||||
Net
cash used in financing activities
|
(840,043 | ) | (187,015 | ) | ||||
|
||||||||
Increase
(decrease) in cash and equivalents
|
(5,201,616 | ) | 11,435,430 | |||||
Cash,
beginning of period
|
9,910,694 | 417,818 | ||||||
Cash,
end of period
|
$ | 4,709,078 | $ | 11,853,248 | ||||
|
||||||||
SUPPLEMENTAL
CASH FLOW INFORMATION:
|
||||||||
Interest
paid
|
$ | — | $ | — | ||||
Taxes
paid
|
$ | 122,190 | $ | 5,107,652 | ||||
|
||||||||
NONCASH
INVESTING AND FINANCING INFORMATION
|
||||||||
Cash
proceeds from sale of oil and gas properties escrowed
|
$ | — | $ | 1,673,551 | ||||
Change
in asset retirement obligation
|
$ | 56,121 | $ | — |
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial
statements.
HOUSTON AMERICAN ENERGY CORP.
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
(Unaudited)
NOTE
1 – BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The
accompanying unaudited financial statements of Houston American Energy Corp., a
Delaware corporation (the “Company”), have been prepared in accordance with
accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America for
interim financial information and with the instructions to Form
10-Q. They do not include all of the information and footnotes
required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of
America for a complete financial presentation. In the opinion of management, all
adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, considered
necessary for a fair presentation, have been included in the accompanying
unaudited financial statements. Operating results for the periods
presented are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for
the full year.
These
financial statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements
and footnotes, which are included as part of the Company’s Form 10-K for the
year ended December 31, 2008.
Concentration
of Credit Risk
Financial
instruments that potentially subject the Company to a concentration of credit
risk include cash, cash equivalents and any marketable securities. The Company
had cash deposits of approximately $3,889,073 in excess of the FDIC’s $250,000
current insured limits at the period end. The Company has not experienced any
losses on its deposits of cash and cash equivalents.
Earnings
per Share
Basic
earnings per share is computed by dividing net income (loss) available to common
shareholders by the weighted average common shares outstanding for the
period. Diluted earnings per share reflects the potential dilution
that could occur if securities or other contracts to issue common shares were
exercised or converted into common shares that then shared in the earnings of
the Company. The Company’s only outstanding potentially dilutive
securities are options and warrants. Dilutive options and warrants
had the effect of increasing diluted weighted average shares outstanding by
22,787, 208,860 and 161,725 common shares, respectively, for the three months
ending September 30, 2009 and 2008, and the nine months ending September 30,
2008.
For the
three and nine months ended September 30, 2009, options and warrants to purchase
1,706,211 and 1,728,998 shares of common stock, respectively, were excluded from
the diluted EPS calculation because their effect would have been antidilutive.
For the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2008, options and
warrants to purchase 1,373,743 and 1,420,608 shares of common stock were
excluded from the diluted EPS calculation because their exercise price was
greater than the average market price of common shares during those
periods.
NOTE
2 – CHANGES IN PRESENTATION
Certain
financial presentations for the periods presented for 2008 have been
reclassified to conform to the 2009 presentation.
NOTE
3 – RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS
In June
2009, the FASB issued SFAS No. 168, The FASB Accounting Standards
Codification and the Hierarchy of Generally Accepted Accounting
Principles (“SFAS 168” or ASC 105-10). SFAS 168 (ASC 105-10) establishes
the Codification as the sole source of authoritative accounting principles
recognized by the FASB to be applied by all nongovernmental entities in the
preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP. SFAS 168 (ASC
105-10) was prospectively effective for financial statements issued for fiscal
years ending on or after September 15, 2009, and interim periods within those
fiscal years. The adoption of SFAS 168 (ASC 105-10) on July 1, 2009 did not
impact the Company’s results of operations or financial
condition. The Codification did not change GAAP; however, it did
change the way GAAP is organized and presented. As a result, these changes
impact how companies reference GAAP in their financial statements and in their
significant accounting policies. The Company implemented the Codification in
this Report by providing references to the Codification topics alongside
references to the corresponding standards.
In June
2008, the FASB issued FSP EITF 03-6-1 (ASC 260-10), Determining Whether Instruments
Granted in Share-Based Payment Transactions Are Participating Securities
(“FSP EITF 03-6-1” or ASC 260-10). FSP EITF 03-6-1 (ASC 260-10) addresses
whether instruments granted in share-based payment transactions are
participating securities prior to vesting and, therefore, need to be included in
computing earnings per share under the two-class method described in SFAS No.
128 (ASC 260-10), Earnings Per
Share. FSP EITF 03-6-1(ASC 260-10) is effective for the Company as of
January 1, 2009 and in accordance with its requirements it will be applied
retrospectively. The adoption of FSP EITF 03-6-1 (ASC 260-10) did not have a
material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
On
December 31, 2008, the SEC published the final rules and interpretations
updating its oil and gas reporting requirements. Many of the revisions are
updates to definitions in the existing oil and gas rules to make them consistent
with the petroleum resource management system, which is a widely accepted
standard for the management of petroleum resources that was developed by several
industry organizations. Key revisions include changes to the pricing used to
estimate reserves to the utilization of a 12-month average price rather than a
single day spot price which eliminates the ability to utilize prices subsequent
to the end of a reporting period in those instances where the full cost ceiling
was exceeded and subsequent pricing exceeds pricing at the end of a reporting
period, the ability to include nontraditional resources in reserves, the use of
new technology for determining reserves, and permitting disclosure of probable
and possible reserves. The SEC will require companies to comply with the amended
disclosure requirements for registration statements filed after January 1, 2010,
and for annual reports on Form 10-K for fiscal years ending on or after December
15, 2009. Early adoption is not permitted. The Company is currently assessing
the impact that the adoption will have on the Company’s disclosures, operating
results, financial position and cash flows.
In August
2009, the FASB issued ASU 2009-05 (ASC 820-10) to provide clarification on
measuring liabilities at fair value when a quoted price in an active market is
not available. In particular, ASU 2009-05 specifies that a valuation technique
should be applied that uses either the quote of the liability when traded as an
asset, the quoted prices for similar liabilities when traded as assets, or
another valuation technique consistent with existing fair value measurement
guidance. ASU 2009-05 (ASC 820-10) is prospectively effective for financial
statements issued for interim or annual periods ending after October 1, 2009.
The Company is currently assessing the impact the adoption of ASU 2009-05 (ASC
820-10) will have on its results of operations or financial
condition.
With the
exception of the pronouncements noted above, no other accounting standards or
interpretations issued or recently adopted are expected to a have a material
impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position, operations or cash
flows.
NOTE
4 – SALE OF OIL AND GAS PROPERTIES - CARACARA AND OTHER
Gain
on Sale of Oil and Gas Properties
In June
2008, the Company, through Hupecol Caracara LLC as owner/operator under the
Caracara Association Contract, sold all of its interest in the Caracara
Association Contract and related assets for a total cash consideration of
$11,917,418.
The
following table presents pro forma data that reflects revenue, income from
continuing operations, net income and income per share for the three and nine
months ended September 30, 2008 as if the Caracara transaction had occurred at
the beginning of that period.
Pro-Forma
Information:
|
Three Months Ended September 30,
2008
|
Nine Months Ended September 30,
2008
|
||||||
Oil
and gas revenue
|
$ | 2,350,782 | $ | 5,612,003 | ||||
Income
(loss) from operations
|
824,561 | (70,203 | ) | |||||
Net
income (loss)
|
$ | 820,285 | $ | (24,459 | ) | |||
Basic
income (loss) per share
|
$ | 0.03 | $ | (0.00 | ) | |||
Diluted
income (loss) per share
|
$ | 0.03 | $ | (0.00 | ) |
Escrow
Receivable
Pursuant
to the terms of the sale of the Caracara assets, on the closing date of the
sale, a portion of the purchase price was deposited in escrow to settle
post-closing adjustments under the purchase and sale agreement. The
Company’s proportionate interest in the escrow deposit totaled $1,673,551, and
was recorded as Escrow receivable. On June 17, 2009, $1,158,613 of
the funds deposited in escrow was released to the Company based on post-closing
adjustments. At September 30, 2009, the balance of the funds held in
escrow, including $514,938 representing the Company’s proportionate interest in
the escrow deposit, continued to be held in escrow pending resolution of
disputes among Hupecol, the purchaser of the Caracara assets and
Ecopetrol.
The net
proceeds and the gain realized from the sale of the Caracara assets may be
adjusted based on post-closing adjustments.
Sale
of Domestic Leasehold Interests
On July
16, 2009, the Company received $353,896 from the sale of part of its interest in
the Profit Island and North Profit Island prospects. The proceeds received were
recorded as a reduction of oil and gas properties. The Company retained an
interest in both of the prospects. See “Note 9 – Oil and Gas
Acquisitions – Domestic Leases”.
NOTE
5 – NOTES RECEIVABLE
On
February 4, 2009, the Company entered into a letter agreement (the “Letter
Agreement”) with Yazoo Pipeline Co., L.P., Sterling Exploration & Production
Co., L.L.C., and Matagorda Operating Company (together, the “Debtors”), pursuant
to which the Company agreed to provide debtor-in-possession financing (“DIP
Financing”) to the Debtors subject to approval of the Letter Agreement by the
U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas (the “Bankruptcy
Court”). On February 4, 2009, the Bankruptcy Court entered an order approving
the DIP Financing on the terms set out in the Letter Agreement.
Under the
terms of the Letter Agreement, the Company advanced a total of $115,724 to the
Debtors. Advances incurred interest at 10% per annum and were
to be repaid in full ninety (90) days from approval of the DIP Financing by the
Bankruptcy Court, or the earlier consummation of a sale of the principal assets
of the Debtors to the Company.
Pursuant
to its rights under the Letter Agreement, after conducting due diligence with
respect to the Debtors, the Company elected to terminate negotiations with the
Debtors with respect to the potential acquisition of the assets of the
Debtors. On April 10, 2009, the Debtors repaid the DIP Financing in
full in the amount of $117,897, including principal and interest, and at
September 30, 2009, no amounts were owed to the Company relative to the DIP
Financing.
NOTE
6 – STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION EXPENSE AND WARRANTS
The
Company periodically grants options to employees, directors and consultants
under the Company’s 2005 Stock Option Plan and the Company’s 2008 Equity
Incentive Plan. The Company is required to make estimates of the fair
value of the related instruments and recognize expense over the period
benefited, usually the vesting period.
In 2008,
the Company’s Board of Directors adopted the Houston American Energy Corp. 2008
Equity Incentive Plan (the “2008 Plan” and, together with the 2005 Plan, the
“Plans”). The terms of the 2008 Plan allow for the issuance of up to 2,200,000
shares of the Company’s common stock pursuant to the grant of stock options and
restricted stock. Persons eligible to participate in the Plans are key
employees, consultants and directors of the Company.
During
the nine months ended September 30, 2008, the Company granted 3,333 options to
the members of the Board of Directors, 1,050,000 options to employees and 55,600
shares of restricted stock. Shares available for issuance under the
Plans as of September 30, 2009 totaled 1,161,002.
2009
Stock Option and Warrant Activity
A summary
of stock option activity and related information for the nine months ended
September 30, 2009 is presented below:
Options
|
Weighted-Average Exercise
Price
|
Aggregate Intrinsic Value
|
||||||||||
Outstanding
at January 1, 2009
|
1,392,333 | $ | 6.21 | |||||||||
Granted
|
146,665 | 2.05 | ||||||||||
Exercised
|
— | — | ||||||||||
Forfeited
|
— | — | ||||||||||
Outstanding
at September 30, 2009
|
1,538,998 | $ | 5.81 | $ | 301,731 | |||||||
Exercisable
at September 30, 2009
|
568,998 | $ | 4.53 | $ | 129,541 |
In June
2009, the Company granted to its Chief Financial Officer 120,000 options to
purchase shares of the Company’s common stock. The exercise price is
$2.05 per share. The options have a term of ten years and vest over
three years.
Also in
June 2009, the Company granted to its directors 26,665 options to purchase
shares of the Company’s common stock. The options vest immediately,
and have an exercise price of $2.05 per share and a term of ten
years.
The above
options were valued at a total of $221,006 using the Black-Scholes
option-pricing model and the following parameters: (1) 3.19%
risk-free discount rate, (2) expected volatility of 87.625%, (3) $0 expected
dividends, and (4) an expected option life of 6.0 years for each grant
calculated pursuant to the terms of SAB 107 as the options granted qualify as
‘plain vanilla’ under that literature.
As of
September 30, 2009, total unrecognized stock-based compensation expense related
to non-vested stock options was $4,125,115. The unrecognized expense
is expected to be recognized over the weighted average period of 2.62 years and
the weighted average remaining contractual terms of the outstanding options and
exercisable options at September 30, 2009 are 8.32 and 7.49 years,
respectively.
Also at
September 30, 2009, the Company had 190,000 warrants outstanding with a
remaining contractual life of 1.23 years. The weighted average
exercise price for all remaining outstanding warrants was $3.00. The
warrants had an intrinsic value of $96,900 at September 30, 2009.
Share-Based
Compensation Expense
The
following table reflects share-based compensation, all of which has been
included in general and administrative expense, recorded by the Company for the
three months ended September 30, 2009 and 2008:
Three Months Ended September
30,
|
||||||||
|
2009
|
2008
|
||||||
|
||||||||
Share-based
compensation expense included in reported net income
|
$ | 268,627 | $ | 256,023 | ||||
Basic
and diluted EPS effect of share-based compensation expense
|
$ | (0.01 | ) | $ | (0.01 | ) |
The
following table reflects share-based compensation, all of which has been
included in general and administrative expense, recorded by the Company for the
nine months ended September 30, 2009 and 2008:
Nine Months Ended September
30,
|
||||||||
|
2009
|
2008
|
||||||
|
||||||||
Share-based
compensation expense included in reported net income
|
$ | 811,501 | $ | 833,626 | ||||
Basic
and diluted EPS effect of share-based compensation expense
|
$ | (0.03 | ) | $ | (0.03 | ) |
NOTE
7 – INCOME TAXES
Deferred
income taxes are provided on a liability method whereby deferred tax assets and
liabilities are established for the difference between the financial reporting
and income tax basis of assets and liabilities as well as operating loss and tax
credit carry forwards. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation
allowance when, in the opinion of management, it is more likely than not that
some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be
realized.
The
Company has computed the tax provision for the nine months ended September 30,
2009 in accordance with the provisions of FASB Interpretation No. 18 (ASC 740
and ASC 270), Accounting for
Income Taxes in Interim Periods and Accounting Principles Board Opinion
No. 28, Interim Financial
Reporting.
During
the third quarter, the Company updated its tax projection for the remainder of
the year based upon events through September 30, 2009 and management’s
expectations for the balance of 2009, and consequently, recorded a tax benefit
of $285,986 during the three months ended September 30, 2009. The income tax
benefit for the three and nine months ended is attributable primarily to net
operating losses generated in Colombia and the United States, and the refund of
approximately $548,000. The Company recognized the benefit
based upon management’s expectations that the Company will be able to realize
these losses during the remainder of fiscal year 2009 or is expected to
recognize a deferred tax asset related to such losses at December 31, 2009 that
will more likely than not be realized.
NOTE
8 – DIVIDEND
During
the quarter ended September 30, 2009, the Company declared and paid cash
dividends to its shareholders of $0.005 per share, or an aggregate of
$140,014. During the nine months ended September 30, 2009, the
Company declared and paid cash dividends to its shareholders of $0.03 per share,
or an aggregate of $840,043.
NOTE
9 – OIL AND GAS ACQUISITIONS
Domestic
Leases
During
the nine months ended September 30, 2009, the Company acquired interests in four
prospects in Louisiana, the N. Jade and W. Jade prospects, acquired for $67,480,
and the Profit Island and North Profit Island prospects, acquired for
$350,644. Subsequent to purchasing its interest in the Profit and
North Profit Island prospects, on July 16, 2009, the Company sold down part of
its interest in the Profit Island and North Profit Island prospects. The Company
retained an interest in both of the prospects.
During
the nine months ended, September 30, 2009, we acquired (1) a 2.5% working
interest in over 4,500 acres under lease within a 50,000 acre area of mutual
interest (AMI) in Karnes County, Texas, for a purchase price of $75,000, and (2)
a 1.25% Overriding Royalty in the same leases and all acreage within the AMI,
for a purchase price of $100,000. Per the contract, we will be carried to the
completion point on the first well.
Serrania
Contract Farmout
In June
2009, the Company entered into a farmout agreement with Shona Energy Limited
pursuant to which the Company will pay 25% of designated Phase 1 geological and
seismic costs in return for a 12.5% interest in the Serrania Contract for
Exploration and Production covering the approximately 110,769 acre Serrania
Block in Colombia.
Los Picachos TEA
On
September 2, 2009, the Company elected to participate at its percentage interest
(12.5%) in the Los Picachos Technical Evaluation Agreement (the
“TEA”).
The TEA
was entered into on August 26, 2009 by and between the Columbian National
Hydrocarbons Agency and Hupecol Operating Co. LLC and encompasses an 86,235 acre
region located to the west and northwest of the Serrania block, which is located
in the municipalities of Uribe and La Macarena in the Department of Meta in the
Republic of Colombia.
As a
result of the election to participate, the Company agreed to pay its
proportionate share, or 12.5%, of the acquisition costs and costs for the
minimum work program contained in the TEA.
NOTE
10 – GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
The
Company currently has operations in two geographical areas, the United States
and Colombia. Revenues for the nine months ended September 30, 2009 and Long
Lived Assets as of September 30, 2009 attributable to each geographical area are
presented below:
Nine Months Ended September 30,
2009
|
||||||||
Revenues
|
Long Lived Assets, Net
|
|||||||
United
States
|
$ | 117,895 | $ | 2,271,603 | ||||
Colombia
|
3,865,361 | 5,276,209 |
NOTE
11 - COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Lease
Commitment
The
Company leases office facilities under an operating lease agreement that expires
May 31, 2012. The lease agreement requires future payments as
follows:
Year
|
Amount
|
|||
2009
|
$ | 19,746 | ||
2010
|
84,315 | |||
2011
|
86,684 | |||
2012
|
36,530 | |||
Total
|
$ | 227,275 |
For the
three and nine months ended September 30, the total base rental expense was
$18,446 and $65,686, respectively, in 2009 and $20,919 and $52,746,
respectively, in 2008. The Company does not have any capital leases
or other operating lease commitments.
Possible
Hupecol Transaction
On
September 21, 2009, management of the Company was advised that Hupecol LLC
(“Hupecol”) had retained Scotia Waterous for purposes of evaluating a possible
transaction (a “Transaction”) involving the monetization of five exploration and
production contracts covering approximately 413,000 acres comprising the Leona
Block, La Cuerva Block, Dorotea Block, Las Garzas Block and Cabiona Block in
Colombia. The Transaction may involve the sale of some or all of the assets and
operations of the subject properties, an exchange or trade of assets, or other
similar transaction and may be effected in a single transaction or a series of
transactions.
Scotia
Waterous has established a process whereby interested parties may evaluate a
potential Transaction with the objective of completing one or more Transactions
before year-end 2009.
The
Company is an investor in Hupecol and the Company's interest in the assets and
operations of Hupecol that would be included in any Transaction represent a
substantial portion of the Company's assets and operations in Colombia and are
the principal revenue producing assets and operations of the
Company. The Company's management intends to closely monitor the
nature and progress of the Transaction in order to protect the interests of the
Company and its shareholders. However, the Company has no effective
ability to alter or prevent a Transaction and is unable to predict whether or
not a Transaction will in fact occur or the nature or timing of any such
Transaction. Further, the Company is unable to estimate the actual
value that it might derive from any such Transaction and whether any such
Transaction will ultimately be beneficial to the Company and its
shareholders.
NOTE
12 - SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
CPO
4 Farmout
On
October 16, 2009, the Company announced the approval by the National Hydrocarbon
Agency in Colombia (“ANH”) of a Farmout Agreement and Joint Operating Agreement
with SK Energy Co. LTD., a Korean multinational conglomerate (“SK”), relating to
the CPO 4 Contract for Exploration and Production (the “CPO 4 Contract”)
covering the 345,452 net acre CPO 4 Block located in the Western Llanos Basin in
the Republic of Colombia.
Under the
Joint Operating Agreement, effective retroactive to May 31, 2009, SK will act as
operator of the CPO 4 Block and the Company will pay 25.0% of all past and
future cost related to the CPO 4 block, as well as an additional 12.5% of the
Seismic Acquisition Costs incurred during the Phase 1 Work Program, for which
the Company will receive a 25.0% interest in the CPO 4 Block. The
Company’s share of the past costs incurred is $194,584.
The Phase
1 Work Program consists of reprocessing approximately 400 kilometers of existing
2-D seismic data, the acquisition, processing and interpretation of a 2-D
seismic program containing approximately 620 kilometers of data and the drilling
of two exploration wells. The Phase 1 Work Program is estimated to be completed
by June 17, 2012. The Company’s costs for the entire Phase 1 Work Program are
estimated to total approximately $15,000,000 over the next three
years.
ITEM 2
|
MANAGEMENT'S
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF
OPERATIONS
|
Forward-Looking
Information
This Form
10-Q quarterly report of Houston American Energy Corp. (the “Company”) for the
nine months ended September 30, 2009, contains certain forward-looking
statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended,
which are intended to be covered by the safe harbors created
thereby. To the extent that there are statements that are not
recitations of historical fact, such statements constitute forward-looking
statements that, by definition, involve risks and uncertainties. In
any forward-looking statement, where we express an expectation or belief as to
future results or events, such expectation or belief is expressed in good faith
and believed to have a reasonable basis, but there can be no assurance that the
statement of expectation or belief will be achieved or
accomplished.
The
actual results or events may differ materially from those anticipated and as
reflected in forward-looking statements included herein. Factors that
may cause actual results or events to differ from those anticipated in the
forward-looking statements included herein include the Risk Factors described in
Item 1A of our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008.
Readers
are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements
contained herein, which speak only as of the date hereof. We believe
the information contained in this Form 10-Q to be accurate as of the date
hereof. Changes may occur after that date, and we will not update
that information except as required by law in the normal course of our public
disclosure practices.
Additionally,
the following discussion regarding our financial condition and results of
operations should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and
related notes contained in Item 1 of Part 1 of this Form 10-Q, as well as the
Risk Factors in Item 1A and the financial statements in Item 7 of Part II of our
Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2008.
Critical
Accounting Policies
The
discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations is
based upon our financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with
accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of
America. We believe certain critical accounting policies affect the
more significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our
financial statements. A description of our critical accounting
policies is set forth in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31,
2008. As of, and for the quarter ended, September 30, 2009, there
have been no material changes or updates to our critical accounting policies
other than the following updated information relating to Unevaluated Oil and Gas
Properties:
Unevaluated Oil and Gas
Properties. Unevaluated oil and gas properties not subject to
amortization include the following at September 30, 2009:
September 30, 2009
|
||||
Acquisition
costs
|
$ | 286,933 | ||
Evaluation
costs
|
1,898,703 | |||
Retention
costs
|
26,622 | |||
Total
|
$ | 2,212,258 |
The
carrying value of unevaluated oil and gas prospects above is attributable, in
full, to properties in the United States. We are maintaining our
interest in these properties and development has or is anticipated to commence
within the next twelve months.
Current
Year Developments
Production
Levels, Commodity Prices and Revenues
Our
production levels and revenues during the quarter and nine months ended
September 30, 2009, as compared to the same period in 2008, were affected by the
sale of our Caracara prospect in 2008 and the sharp decline in oil and natural
gas prices that began during the second half of 2008 and continued through the
third quarter of 2009. As a result of depressed commodity prices, our
operator in Colombia temporarily shut-in production from a majority of our
Colombian properties and we had no sales in Colombia from February 13, 2009
through April 5, 2009.
During
the nine months ended September 30, 2008, the Caracara prospect accounted for
approximately 29,954 barrels of oil (net to the Company) produced, or 49% of our
oil production, and $3,004,865 of revenues.
Drilling
Activity
During
the nine months ended September 30, 2009, we drilled 12 international wells in
Colombia, as follows:
§
|
Nine
wells were drilled on concessions in which we hold a 12.5% working
interest, of which four were in production at September 30, 2009, one was
shut in, and four were dry holes.
|
§
|
One
well was drilled on a concession in which we hold a 6.25% working interest
and was a dry hole.
|
§
|
Two
wells were drilled on a concession in which we hold a 1.6% working
interest and both were in production at September 30,
2009
|
During
the nine months ended September 30, 2009, we drilled one domestic well, the
Wilberts & Sons #1 (Home Run Prospect) which was a dry hole and re-completed
one domestic well, the Allar # 1 which was placed into production on May 27,
2009.
At
September 30, 2009, drilling operations were ongoing in Colombia on 1
well.
Domestic
Leasehold Activity
During
the nine months ended September 30, 2009, we acquired interests in four
additional prospects in Louisiana, the N. Jade and W. Jade prospects, acquired
for $67,480, and the Profit Island and North Profit Island prospects, acquired
for $350,644. Subsequent to purchasing our interest in the Profit and
North Profit Island prospects, on July 16, 2009 we received $353,896 from the
sale of part of our interest in the Profit Island and North Profit Island
prospects. We still retain an interest in both of the prospects.
During
the nine months ended, September 30, 2009, we acquired (1) a 2.5% working
interest in over 4,500 acres under lease within a 50,000 acre area of mutual
interest (AMI) in Karnes County, Texas, for a purchase price of $75,000, and (2)
a 1.25% Overriding Royalty in the same leases and all acreage within the AMI,
for a purchase price of $100,000. Per the contract, we will be carried to the
completion point on the first well.
Colombian
Farm-Outs and Participations.
In June
2009, we entered into a farmout agreement with Shona Energy Limited pursuant to
which we will pay 25% of designated Phase 1 geological and seismic costs
relating to the Serrania Contract for Exploration and Production relating to the
approximately 110,769 acre Serrania Block in Colombia and for which we will
receive a 12.5% interest in the Serrania Contract.
In
September 2009, we elected to participate for our percentage interest (12.5%) in
the Los Picachos Technical Evaluation Agreement (the “TEA”). The TEA was entered
into in August 2009 by and between the Columbian National Hydrocarbons Agency
(the “ANH”) and Hupecol Operating Co. LLC and encompasses an 86,235 acre region
located to the west and northwest of the Serrania block, which is located in the
municipalities of Uribe and La Macarena in the Department of Meta in the
Republic of Colombia. As a result of the election to participate, we agreed to
pay our proportionate share, or 12.5%, of the acquisition costs and costs for
the minimum work program contained in the TEA.
On
October 16, 2009, we announced the approval by the ANH of a Farmout Agreement
and Joint Operating Agreement with SK Energy Co. LTD., a Korean multinational
conglomerate (“SK”), relating to the CPO 4 Contract for Exploration and
Production (the “CPO 4 Contract”) covering the 345,452 net acre CPO 4 Block
located in the Western Llanos Basin in the Republic of Colombia.
Under the
Joint Operating Agreement, effective retroactive to May 31, 2009, SK will act as
operator of the CPO 4 Block and we agreed to pay 25.0% of all past and future
cost related to the CPO 4 block as well as an additional 12.5% of the Seismic
Acquisition Costs incurred during the Phase 1 Work Program, for which we will
receive a 25.0% interest in the CPO 4 Block. Our share of the past costs is
$194,584.
The Phase
1 Work Program consists of reprocessing approximately 400 kilometers of existing
2-D seismic data, the acquisition, processing and interpretation of a 2-D
seismic program containing approximately 620 kilometers of data and the drilling
of two exploration wells. The Phase 1 Work Program is estimated to be completed
by June 17, 2012. Our costs for the entire Phase 1 Work Program are estimated to
total approximately $15,000,000 over the next three years.
Acquisition
Activity
In light
of our debt-free capital structure, solid cash position and low overhead and in
response to conditions in the oil and gas market, in particular the
non-economical cost and capital structures of many operators and financiers
following the sharp decline in commodity prices during the second half of 2008
continuing into early 2009, during the first half of 2009, we began actively
seeking opportunistic oil and gas acquisitions.
Pursuant
to those efforts, on February 4, 2009, we entered into a letter agreement (the
“Letter Agreement”) with Yazoo Pipeline Co., L.P. (“Yazoo”), Sterling
Exploration & Production Co., L.L.C. (“Sterling”), and Matagorda Operating
Company (together with Yazoo and Sterling, the “Debtors”), pursuant to which we
agreed to provide debtor-in-possession financing (“DIP Financing”) to the
Debtors subject to approval of the Letter Agreement by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court
for the Southern District of Texas (the “Bankruptcy Court”). On February 4,
2009, the Bankruptcy Court entered an order approving the DIP Financing on the
terms set out in the Letter Agreement.
Under the
terms of the Letter Agreement, we agreed to advance to the Debtors up to
$300,000, with all advances bearing interest at 10% per annum and being
repayable in full ninety (90) days from approval of the DIP Financing by the
Bankruptcy Court, or the earlier consummation of a sale of the principal assets
of the Debtors to our company. Under the Letter Agreement, we and the Debtors
agreed to commence negotiations and due diligence with respect to the potential
acquisition by our company of the principal assets of the Debtors based on
certain financial terms described in the Letter Agreement. Advances
were made under the Letter Agreement in the total amount of
$115,724.
Pursuant
to our rights under the Letter Agreement, after conducting due diligence with
respect to the Debtors, we determined to terminate negotiations with the Debtors
with respect to the potential acquisition of the assets of the
Debtors. On April 10, 2009, the Debtors repaid the DIP Financing in
full in the amount of $117,897, including principal and interest, and at
September 30, 2009 no amounts were owed to us relative to the DIP
Financing.
We intend
to continue to seek out and evaluate opportunities to acquire existing oil and
gas assets and operations where we determine attractive returns on invested
capital can be realized in current market conditions and superior returns can be
derived from a recovery in primary prices. There is no assurance,
however, that we will be successful in our efforts to identify and acquire oil
and gas assets or operations or that any acquisitions that may be consummated
will provide the returns expected by management.
Possible
Hupecol Transaction
In
September 2009, we were advised that Hupecol LLC had retained Scotia Waterous
for purposes of evaluating a possible transaction (a “Transaction”) involving
the monetization of five exploration and production contracts covering
approximately 413,000 acres comprising the Leona Block, La Cuerva Block, Dorotea
Block, Las Garzas Block and Cabiona Block in Colombia. The Transaction may
involve the sale of some or all of the assets and operations of the subject
properties, an exchange or trade of assets, or other similar transaction and may
be effected in a single transaction or a series of
transactions. Scotia Waterous has established a process whereby
interested parties may evaluate a potential Transaction with the objective of
completing one or more Transactions before year-end 2009.
We are an
investor in Hupecol and our interest in the assets and operations of Hupecol
that would be included in any Transaction represent a substantial portion of our
assets and operations in Colombia and are our principal revenue producing assets
and operations. We intend to closely monitor the nature and progress
of the Transaction in order to protect the interests of our company and our
shareholders. However, we have no effective ability to alter or
prevent a Transaction and are unable to predict whether or not a Transaction
will in fact occur or the nature or timing of any such
Transaction. Further, we are unable to estimate the actual value that
we might derive from any such Transaction and whether any such Transaction will
ultimately be beneficial to our company and our shareholders.
Seismic
Activity
During
the nine months ended September 30, 2009, our operator in Colombia acquired
approximately 155 square miles of additional seismic and geological data. The
additional data relates primarily to the Serrania and La Cuerva concessions
where we hold 12.5% and 1.59% working interest, respectively. Our share of the
costs of such data acquisition was $438,875.
Compensation
Expense – Stock Options
During
the nine months ended September 30, 2009, we granted 120,000 stock options to
our Chief Financial Officer and 26,665 stock options to our non-employee
directors. Our total non-cash compensation expense for the three and
nine months ended September 30, 2009 was $268,627 and $811,501,
respectively.
Results
of Operations
Oil and Gas
Revenues. Total oil and gas revenues increased 2.3% to
$2,403,996 in the three months ended September 30, 2009 compared to $2,350,782
in the three months ended September 30, 2008. For the nine month
period, oil and gas revenues decreased 53.8% to $3,983,256 in the 2009 period
from $8,616,868 in the 2008 period.
The
decrease in revenue for the nine month period is principally due to (1) the sale
of our Caracara interest during 2008, which accounted for $3,004,865 of our
revenue in the 2008 nine month period, (2) lower oil and gas prices during the
2009 period and (3) the cessation of production and sales from the majority of
our Colombian properties for 52 days during the 2009 nine month
period.
The
following table sets forth the gross and net producing wells, net oil and gas
production volumes and average hydrocarbon sales prices for the quarter and nine
months ended September 30, 2009 and 2008:
Three Months Ended
September 30,
|
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
|
|||||||||||||||
2009
|
2008
|
2009
|
2008
|
|||||||||||||
Gross
producing wells
|
27 | 19 | 23 | 39 | ||||||||||||
Net
producing wells
|
2.38 | 1.59 | 2.25 | 1.61 | ||||||||||||
Net
oil and gas production (BOE)
|
35,131 | 23,995 | 71,274 | 88,243 | ||||||||||||
Average
sales price – BOE (per barrel)
|
$ | 68.43 | $ | 97.96 | $ | 55.89 | $ | 97.65 |
The
change in gross and net producing wells reflects the 2008 sale of our Caracara
interest offset by the increase in average working interest during 2009, while
the change in net oil and gas production reflects the same factors plus the
effects of the temporary cessation of production of a majority of our Colombian
properties during the 2009 period. Giving pro forma effect to exclude
sales revenues from the Caracara interest, which was sold in June 2008, oil and
gas revenues for the first nine months of 2008 would have been
$5,612,003.
Oil and
gas sales revenues for the first nine months of 2009 and 2008, by region, were
as follows:
Columbia
|
U.S.
|
Total
|
||||||||||
2009
Nine Month Period
|
||||||||||||
Oil
sales
|
$ | 3,865,361 | $ | 51,090 | $ | 3,916,451 | ||||||
Gas
sales
|
$ | — | $ | 66,805 | $ | 66,805 | ||||||
2008
Nine Month Period
|
||||||||||||
Oil
sales
|
$ | 8,206,600 | $ | 146,153 | $ | 8,352,753 | ||||||
Gas
sales
|
$ | — | $ | 264,115 | $ | 264,115 |
Lease Operating
Expenses. Lease operating
expenses, excluding joint venture expenses relating to our Columbian operations
discussed below, increased 36.6% to $1,021,312 in the 2009 quarter from $747,740
in the 2008 quarter. For the nine month period, lease operating
expenses decreased 5.2% to $2,644,359 in the 2009 period from $2,789,630 in the
2008 period.
The
increase in lease operating expenses as a percentage of revenues, from 32.4% of
revenues for the 2008 nine month period to 66.4% of revenues for the 2009
period, was primarily attributable to the temporary cessation of production from
a majority of our Colombian properties during the 2009 period as discussed
above, the steep decline in oil and gas prices and an increase in our average
working interest following the Caracara sale, as well as increased cost in
Colombia relating to personnel expenses, facilities and equipment expenses,
catering expenses, road maintenance, as well environmental services
expenses. Following is a summary comparison of lease operating
expenses for the periods.
Columbia
|
U.S.
|
Total
|
|||||||||||||
Quarter
|
- 2009 | $ | 991,090 | $ | 30,222 | $ | 1,021,312 | ||||||||
- 2008 | $ | 714,443 | $ | 33,297 | $ | 747,740 | |||||||||
Nine
Months
|
- 2009 | $ | 2,604,799 | $ | 39,560 | $ | 2,644,359 | ||||||||
- 2008 | $ | 2,673,584 | $ | 116,046 | $ | 2,789,630 |
Hupecol,
our operator in Colombia, has implemented cost cutting measures in order to
improve field economics from our Colombian operations. We have also
seen declines in drilling and operating costs in the Llanos Basin which,
together, are expected to result in improved margins during the balance of 2009
and beyond.
Joint Venture
Expenses. Our allocable share of joint venture expenses
attributable to the Colombian Joint Venture totaled $48,780 during the 2009
quarter and $43,225 during the 2008 quarter. For the nine month
period, joint venture expenses totaled $127,487 during 2009 as compared to
$144,919 during 2008.
The
decrease in joint venture expenses for the nine months ended September 30, 2009,
was attributable to a decrease in drilling activity.
Depreciation and Depletion
Expense. Depreciation and depletion expense was $580,020 and
$147,311 for the quarters ended September 30, 2009 and 2008, respectively, and
$1,121,752 and $913,214 for the nine months ended September 30, 2009 and 2008,
respectively.
The
increase in depreciation and depletion is due to increased production
accompanying an increase in our average working interest position, and a
decrease in Colombian reserves primarily attributable to lower commodity
prices.
General and Administrative
Expenses. General and administrative expense increased by 1.8%
to $620,642 during the 2009 quarter from $609,398 during the 2008 quarter and
decreased by 23% to $2,013,955 during the 2009 nine month period from $2,616,714
during the 2008 period.
The
decrease in general and administrative expense was primarily attributable to
decreases in employee compensation and professional fees, including a decrease
of $750,000 related to cash bonuses paid in 2008 not repeated in 2009, $400,320
related to restricted stocks grants in 2008 and partially offset by a $355,187
increase in the stock option portion of stock based compensation.
Gain on Sale of Oil and Gas
Properties. The sale of our Caracara assets resulted in a gain of
$7,615,236 during the 2008 nine month period.
Other
Income. Other income consists of interest earned on cash
balances and marketable securities. Other income totaled $9,350
during the 2009 quarter as compared to $72,427 during the 2008 quarter and
$53,886 during the 2009 nine month period as compared to $232,870 during the
2008 period.
The
decrease in other income resulted from the sale of the balance of our marketable
securities during early 2008 and a reduction in interest rates on short-term
cash investments, partially offset by interest earned on DIP Financing provided
to the Creditors under the Letter Agreement.
Income Tax
Expense/Benefit. Income tax expense decreased to a benefit of
$285,986 during the 2009 quarter from an expense of $76,703 during the 2008
quarter and to a benefit of $932,777 during the 2009 nine month period from an
expense of $5,130,141 during the 2008 period. The income tax benefit
during 2009 was primarily attributable to net operating losses generated in
Colombia and the United States and the refund during the third quart of 2009 of
approximately $548,000.
The
decrease in income tax expense during the 2009 quarter and nine month period was
attributable to higher commodity prices and the one time sale of the Caracara
assets which resulted in profitable operations during 2008 as compared to 2009,
when we incurred a loss from operations due to the steep decline in oil and gas
prices and other factors discussed above. Currently, the
Company expects to be able to utilize the incremental foreign tax credit carry
forward and net operating loss generated during the 2009 periods and therefore,
no additional valuation allowance has been recorded to date. The
Company recorded no U.S. income tax liability in the 2009 or 2008 quarter or
nine month periods.
Financial
Condition
Liquidity and Capital
Resources. At September 30, 2009, we had a cash balance of
$4,709,078 and working capital of $6,827,191 compared to a cash balance of
$9,910,694 and working capital of $10,536,834 at December 31, 2008. The change
in working capital during the nine month period was primarily attributable to
the drilling of wells, the acquisition of oil and gas properties, payment of
dividends and the payment of operating cost in Colombia.
Operating
activities used $2,169,874 of cash during the 2009 nine month period as compared
to $895,248 used during the 2008 period. Excluding the decrease in
operating cash from the gain on the Caracara sale in 2008, the change in
operating cash flow was primarily attributable to the current net loss,
increases in current receivables and decreases in current payables.
Investing
activities used $2,191,699 during the 2009 nine month period compared to
$12,517,693 provided during the 2008 period. The funds used in
investing activities principally reflect investments in oil and gas properties
and assets of $3,704,208 during the 2009 period and $7,180,675 during the 2008
period. For the 2009 period, funds used in investing activities was
partially offset by the receipt of $1,158,613 in monies from the escrow account
related to the sale of the Caracara assets. For the 2008 period, funds used in
investing activities were more than offset by funds provided by the sale of
marketable securities of $9,650,000 and the net funds provided by the sale of
the Caracara assets of $10,146,655.
Financing
activities used $840,043 during the 2009 period, consisting of cash dividends
paid. Financing activities used $187,015 during the 2008 period,
consisting of cash dividends paid of $562,015 partially offset by $375,000 of
proceeds from the exercise of warrants.
Long-Term
Liabilities. At September 30, 2009, we had long-term
liabilities of $269,891 as compared to $205,524 at December 31,
2008. Long-term liabilities at September 30, 2009 and December 31,
2008 consisted of a reserve for plugging costs and a deferred rent
obligation.
Capital and Exploration Expenditures
and Commitments. Our principal capital and exploration
expenditures relate to ongoing efforts to acquire, drill and complete
prospects. We expect that future capital and exploration
expenditures, other than anticipated capital expenditures associated with our
interest in the CPO 4 Contract, will be funded principally through funds on hand
and funds generated from operations.
During
the first nine months of 2009, we invested $3,704,208 for the acquisition and
development of oil and gas properties, consisting of (1) drilling of 12 wells in
Colombia $2,325,438, (2) seismic cost in Colombia $426,017, (3) delay rentals on
U.S. properties $19,112, (4) leasehold costs on U.S. properties $644,094, and
(5) drilling of one U.S. well $289,547.
At
September 30, 2009, our only material contractual obligation requiring
determinable future payments was a lease relating to the Company’s executive
offices which was unchanged when compared to the 2008 Form 10-K.
At
September 30, 2009, our acquisition and drilling budget for the balance of 2009
totaled approximately $2,119,584, which consisted of the drilling of three wells
in Colombia for $1,125,000, additional seismic cost of $800,000, and payment to
SK of past cost related to the CPO 4 block of $194,584. Our
acquisition and drilling budget has historically been subject to substantial
fluctuation over the course of a year based upon successes and failures in
drilling and completion of prospects and the identification of additional
prospects during the course of a year. In particular, we note that,
in light of the sharp decline in commodity prices during the second half of 2008
and early 2009, we expect to see an increase in asset acquisition opportunities
as operators and financiers are faced with uneconomical cost and capital
structures resulting in forced liquidations of holdings. We intend to
evaluate, and as appropriate pursue, asset acquisition
opportunities. Should we pursue any such opportunities, our
acquisition and drilling budget could be materially altered.
Management
anticipates that, depending on the timing of activities relating to the CPO 4
Contract, our current financial resources combined with expected operating cash
flows will meet our anticipated objectives and business operations, including
planned property acquisitions and drilling activities, for at least the next 12
months without the need for additional capital. Management presently
anticipates that our expenditures relating to the CPO 4 Contract will be
approximately $15 million through 2011. We do not presently have
adequate funds on hand to finance our anticipated expenditures on the CPO 4
contract and expect to seek additional financing to support our undertakings in
that regard. The timing, amount and terms of funding that we may seek
to support our CPO 4 Contract undertakings is dependent upon the timing of
development of the CPO 4 Block, the results of efforts to sell a portion of our
assets, and the results of our operations generally, in addition to prevailing
market conditions. Further, management continues to evaluate producing property
acquisitions as well as a number of drilling prospects. It is
possible that we may require and seek additional financing if additional
drilling prospects are pursued beyond those presently under
consideration. We have no commitments to provide any additional
financing should we require and seek such financing and there is no guarantee
that we will be able to secure additional financing on acceptable terms, or at
all, to support our undertakings relative to the CPO 4 Contract or other
prospects that we pursue.
Off-Balance
Sheet Arrangements
We had no
off-balance sheet arrangements or guarantees of third party obligations at
September 30, 2009.
Inflation
We
believe that inflation has not had a significant impact on operations since
inception.
ITEM
3
|
QUANTITATIVE
AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET
RISK
|
Commodity Price
Risk
The price
we receive for our oil and gas production heavily influences our revenue,
profitability, access to capital and future rate of growth. Crude oil and
natural gas are commodities and, therefore, their prices are subject to wide
fluctuations in response to relatively minor changes in supply and demand.
Historically, the markets for oil and gas have been volatile, and these markets
will likely continue to be volatile in the future. The prices we receive for
production depends on numerous factors beyond our control.
We have
not historically entered into any hedges or other transactions designed to
manage, or limit, exposure to oil and gas price volatility.
ITEM
4
|
CONTROLS
AND PROCEDURES
|
Evaluation
of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Under the
supervision and the participation of our management, including our principal
executive officer and principal financial officer, we conducted an evaluation as
of September 30, 2009 of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our
disclosure controls and procedures, as such term is defined under Rule 13a-15(e)
promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Based on this
evaluation, our principal executive officer and our principal financial officer
concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of
September 30, 2009.
Changes
in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
No change
in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f)
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) occurred during the quarter ended
September 30, 2009 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to
materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
PART
II
ITEM
6
|
EXHIBITS
|
Exhibit
|
Number
|
Description
|
|
Certification
of CEO pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of
2002
|
|
Certification
of CFO pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of
2002
|
|
Certification
of CEO Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section
906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of
2002
|
|
Certification
of CFO Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section
906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of
2002
|
SIGNATURES
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has
duly caused this report to be signed on behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly
authorized.
HOUSTON
AMERICAN ENERGY CORP.
|
||
By:
|
/s/
John F. Terwilliger
|
|
John
F. Terwilliger
|
||
CEO
and President
|
||
By:
|
/s/
James J. Jacobs
|
|
James
J. Jacobs
|
||
Chief
Financial Officer
|
Date:
November 5, 2009
23