US ENERGY CORP - Quarter Report: 2021 September (Form 10-Q)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

(Mark One)

Commission File Number 000-06814

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

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 ☒ NO ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). YES ☒ NO ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). YES ☐ NO ☒

The registrant had 4,676,301 shares of its common stock, par value $0.01 per share, outstanding as of November 10, 2021.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Cautionary Note About Forward-Looking Statements

This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (this “Report” or “Form 10-Q”), including “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical facts are forward-looking statements.

Examples of forward-looking statements in this Report include:

as well as other statements regarding our future operations, financial condition and prospects, and business strategies. Forward-looking statements may appear throughout this report and other documents we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including without limitation, the following sections: Part I, Item 2, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, as may be updated in our subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “predicts,” “projects,” “will be,” “will continue,” “may,” “could,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties, which could cause our actual results to differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and in particular, under and incorporated by reference in, “Risk Factors”, below, the risks discussed in Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, and those discussed in other documents we file with the SEC. We undertake no obligation to revise or publicly release the results of any revision to these forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Given these risks and uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements.

Part I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. Financial Statements

U.S. ENERGY CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(in thousands, except share and per share amounts)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

U.S. ENERGY CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

FOR THE THREE AND NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2021 AND 2020

(In thousands, except share and per share amounts)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

U.S. ENERGY CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES

IN SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

FOR THE NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2021 AND 2020

(in thousands, except share amounts)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

U.S. ENERGY CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

FOR THE NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2021 AND 2020

(in thousands)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

U.S. ENERGY CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

1. ORGANIZATION, OPERATIONS AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Organization and Operations

U.S. Energy Corp. (collectively with its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Energy One LLC and New Horizon Resources, LLC, referred to as the “Company” in these Notes to Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements) was incorporated in the State of Wyoming on January 26, 1966. The Company’s principal business activities are focused on the acquisition, exploration and development of oil and natural gas properties in the United States.

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements are presented in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and have been prepared by the Company pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) regarding interim financial reporting. Accordingly, certain information and footnote disclosures required by GAAP for complete financial statements have been condensed or omitted in accordance with such rules and regulations. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) considered necessary for a fair presentation of the consolidated financial statements have been included.

For further information, refer to the consolidated financial statements and footnotes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, as filed with the SEC on March 26, 2021. Our financial condition as of September 30, 2021, and operating results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021, are not necessarily indicative of the financial condition and results of operations that may be expected for any future interim period or for the year ending December 31, 2021.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Significant estimates include oil and natural gas reserves that are used in the calculation of depreciation, depletion, amortization and impairment of the carrying value of evaluated oil and natural gas properties; realizability of unevaluated properties; production and commodity price estimates used to record accrued oil and natural gas sales receivables; futures prices of commodities used in the valuation of commodity derivative contracts; valuation of warrant instruments; valuation of real estate assets held for sale; and the cost of future asset retirement obligations. The Company evaluates its estimates on an on-going basis and bases its estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions the Company believes to be reasonable. Due to inherent uncertainties, including the future prices of oil and natural gas, these estimates could change in the near term and such changes could be material.

Significant Accounting Policies

The Company does not designate commodity derivative contracts as cash flow hedges, and therefore the contracts do not qualify for hedge accounting. Changes in fair value of derivative contracts are recorded in the condensed consolidated statement of operations. The fair value of derivative contracts is recorded as either an asset or a liability on the condensed consolidated balance sheet.

Principles of Consolidation

The accompanying financial statements include the accounts of U.S. Energy Corp. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries Energy One LLC (“Energy One”) and New Horizon Resources LLC (“New Horizon”). All inter-company balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

2. ACQUISITIONS

New Horizon Resources

On March 1, 2020, the Company acquired all the issued and outstanding equity interests of New Horizon. Its assets include acreage and operated producing properties in North Dakota (the “New Horizon Properties”). The Company accounted for the acquisition of the New Horizon Properties as a business combination. The consideration paid at closing consisted of 59,498 shares of the Company’s restricted common stock, $150,000 in cash and the assumption of certain liabilities (the “New Horizon Acquisition”). The New Horizon Acquisition gives the Company operated properties in its core area of operations. The New Horizon Properties consist of nine gross wells (five net wells), and approximately 1,300 net acres located primarily in McKenzie and Divide Counties, North Dakota, which are 100% held by production and average a 63% working interest.

 SCHEDULE OF BUSINESS ACQUISITIONS

For the nine months ended September 30, 2021, the Company recorded revenues of approximately $150 thousand, and lease operating and workover expenses of approximately $47 thousand related to the New Horizon Properties. Assuming that the acquisition of the New Horizon properties had occurred on January 1, 2020, the Company would have recorded revenues of $100 thousand and expenses of $153 thousand for the nine months ended September 30, 2020. These results are not necessarily indicative of the results that would have occurred had the Company completed the acquisition on the date indicated, or that will be attained in the future. Subsequent to the closing of the New Horizon Acquisition, the Company repaid the outstanding liabilities assumed at closing.

FieldPoint Petroleum

On September 25, 2020, the Company acquired certain oil and gas properties primarily located in Lea County, New Mexico and Converse County, Wyoming. The properties were acquired from FieldPoint Petroleum Corporation (“FieldPoint”) pursuant to FieldPoint’s Chapter 7 bankruptcy process (the “FieldPoint Properties”). The Company accounted for the acquisition of the FieldPoint Properties as an asset acquisition. The total amount paid for the FieldPoint Properties was $597 thousand, which includes the purchase price of $500 thousand and transaction costs of $97 thousand, of which $29 thousand was paid via the issuance of 7,075 shares of the Company’s common stock. The Company also recorded purchase price adjustments of $31 thousand for net revenues received, less operating expenses related to periods prior to the closing of the transaction. In addition, the Company recorded asset retirement obligations of $203 thousand for the assets acquired. Substantially all of the value of the acquired FieldPoint Properties consist of mature proved developed producing reserves. Following is a summary of the amounts recorded for the assets acquired:

 SUMMARY OF AMOUNTS INCURRED FOR ASSETS ACQUIRED

Acquisition of Liberty County Properties

On November 9, 2020, the Company entered into a Purchase and Sale Agreement (the “PSA”) to acquire certain assets from Newbridge Resources LLC (“Newbridge”). The transaction closed on December 1, 2020, with an effective date of November 1, 2020. The assets include operated producing properties in Liberty County, Texas (the “Liberty County Properties”). The Liberty County Properties include 41 wells which have a 100% working interest and an average 86% net revenue interest and approximately 680 net acres located primarily in Liberty County, Texas which are 100% held by production. The Company issued 67,254 shares of its common stock, which at the closing price of $4.24 on the date of the closing of the PSA, were valued at $285 thousand, in consideration for the acquisition. The Company accounted for the acquisition of the Liberty County Properties as an asset acquisition. The total amount paid was $326 thousand including transaction costs of $41 thousand. In addition, the Company recorded asset retirement obligations of $192 thousand for the assets acquired. Substantially all of the value of the Liberty County Properties acquired consisted of mature proved developed producing reserves and proved developed non-producing reserves. Following is a summary of the amounts recorded for the assets acquired:

 SUMMARY OF AMOUNTS INCURRED FOR ASSETS ACQUIRED

3. REAL ESTATE HELD FOR SALE

During the three months ended September 30, 2021, the Company completed the sale of its 30,400 square foot office building and the related 14-acre tract in Riverton, Wyoming, which was classified as held for sale. The Company received net proceeds of $440 thousand and recorded a loss of $141 thousand on the sale of the property during the period. For the nine months ended September 30, 2020, the Company recorded impairment of $651 thousand related to the property.

The Company continues to hold approximately 13 acres of land in Riverton, Wyoming with an estimated fair value, net of selling costs of $250 thousand, which is classified as held for sale in the condensed consolidated balance sheet at September 30, 2021. During the nine months ended September 30, 2020, the Company recorded impairment of $403 thousand related to the land.

4. REVENUE RECOGNITION

The Company’s revenues are primarily derived from its non-operated interest in the sales of oil and natural gas production. The sales of oil and natural gas are made under contracts that operators of the wells have negotiated with third-party customers. The Company receives payment from the sale of oil and natural gas production between one to three months after delivery. At the end of each period when the performance obligation is satisfied, the variable consideration can be reasonably estimated and amounts due from customers are accrued in oil and natural gas sales receivable in the consolidated balance sheets. Variances between the Company’s estimated revenue and actual payments are recorded in the month the payment is received. Accordingly, the variable consideration is not constrained. For the properties in which the Company holds non-operated interest, the Company records its share of the revenues and expenses based upon the information provided by the operators within the revenue statements.

The Company’s oil and natural gas production is typically sold at delivery points to various purchasers under contract terms that are common in the oil and natural gas industry. Regardless of the contract type, the terms of these contracts compensate the well operators for the value of the oil and natural gas at specified prices, and then the well operators remit payment to the Company for its share in the value of the oil and natural gas sold.

During 2020, the Company acquired operated oil and gas producing properties (see Note 2- Acquisitions, above). The Company sells its oil production at the delivery point specified in the contract and collects an agreed-upon index price, net of pricing differentials. The purchaser takes custody, title, and risk of loss of the oil at the delivery point; therefore, control passes at the delivery point. The Company recognizes revenue at the net price received when control transfers to the purchaser. Natural gas and natural gas liquid (“NGL”) are sold at the lease location, which is generally when control of the natural gas and NGL transfers to the purchaser, and revenue is recognized as the amount received from the purchaser.

The Company does not disclose the values of unsatisfied performance obligations under its contracts with customers as it applies the practical exemption in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 606. The exemption applies to variable consideration that is recognized as control of the product is transferred to the customer. Since each unit of product represents a separate performance obligation, future volumes are wholly unsatisfied, and disclosure of the transaction price allocated to the remaining performance obligations is not required.

The Company reports revenue as the gross amount received from the well operators before taking into account production taxes and transportation costs. Production taxes are reported separately, and transportation costs are included in lease operating expense in the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations. The revenue and costs in the consolidated statements of operations were reported gross for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, as the gross amounts were known.

The Company’s operated revenues are growing. Operated revenues for the three months ended September 30, 2021, and 2020 were 30% and 5% of total revenues, respectively. The Company’s operated revenues for the nine months ended September 30, 2021, and 2020 were 31% and 5%, respectively. The Company disaggregates total revenues from its share of revenue from the sale of oil and natural gas and liquids by state. The Company’s revenues in North Dakota, Texas, New Mexico and other states for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, are presented in the following table:

SCHEDULE OF DISAGGREGATED REVENUE

Significant concentrations of credit risk

The Company has exposure to credit risk in the event of non-payment of oil and natural gas receivables by purchasers and by joint interest operators of the Company’s oil and natural gas properties. The following table presents the purchasers and joint interest operators that accounted for 10% or more of the Company’s total oil and natural gas revenue for at least one of the periods presented: 

 SCHEDULE OF SIGNIFICANT CONCENTRATIONS OF CREDIT RISK

5. LEASES

During the nine months ended September 30, 2021, the Company acquired right-of-use assets and operating lease liability of $82 thousand associated with entering into a non-cancellable, long-term lease agreement for office space in Houston, Texas. The Company’s right-of-use assets and lease liabilities are recognized at their discounted present value under the following captions in the consolidated balance sheets at September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020:

SCHEDULE OF CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET

The Company recognizes lease expense on a straight-line basis excluding short-term and variable lease payments, which are recognized as incurred. Short-term lease costs represent payments for our Houston, Texas office lease, prior to February 2021, when the Company entered into a new 25-month lease for its Houston office. Beginning in March 2020, the Company subleased its Denver, Colorado office and recognizes sublease income as a reduction of rent expense. Following are the amounts recognized as components of rental expense for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020:

SCHEDULE OF LEASE COSTS

The Company’s Denver and Houston office operating leases do not contain implicit interest rates that can be readily determined; therefore, the Company used the incremental borrowing rates in effect at the time the Company entered into the leases.

 SCHEDULE OF WEIGHTED AVERAGE LEASE

The future minimum lease commitments as of September 30, 2021, are presented in the table below in thousands. Such commitments are reflected at undiscounted values and are reconciled to the discounted present value on the consolidated balance sheet as follows:

 SCHEDULE OF FUTURE MINIMUM LEASE COMMITMENTS

As discussed in Note 3- Real Estate Held for Sale, during the three months ended September 30, 2021, the Company sold its 14-acre tract in Riverton, Wyoming with a two-story, 30,400 square foot office building. The building was not depreciated while it was held for sale. Prior to the sale of the building and land, the net capitalized cost subject to operating leases were as follows:

 SCHEDULE OF PROPERTY SUBJECT TO OPERATING LEASES

The Company recognized, as a component of rental property (loss) gain, net in the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations, the following operating lease income and expense related to its Riverton, Wyoming office building for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020:

 SCHEDULE OF LOSS ON RENTAL PROPERTY

6. OIL AND NATURAL GAS PRODUCTION ACTIVITIES

Divestitures

During the nine months ended September 30, 2021, the Company sold approximately 12 net acres of undeveloped acreage in Midland County, Texas for approximately $30 thousand. There were no divestures of oil and natural gas producing properties during the nine months ended September 30, 2020.

Ceiling Test and Impairment

The Company did not record a ceiling test write-write down of its oil and natural gas properties during the nine months ended September 30, 2021. During the nine months ended September 30, 2020, the Company recorded a ceiling test write down of $2.9 million. The reserves used in the ceiling test incorporate assumptions regarding pricing and discount rates over which management has no influence in the determination of present value. In the calculation of the ceiling test as of September 30, 2021, the Company used $57.64 per barrel for oil and $2.94 per one million British Thermal Units (MMbtu) for natural gas (as further adjusted for property, specific gravity, quality, local markets, and distance from markets) to compute the future cash flows of the Company’s producing properties. The discount factor used was 10%.

7. DEBT

On March 4, 2021, the Company closed a Debt Conversion Agreement (the “Conversion Agreement”) with APEG Energy II, L.P. (“APEG II”), which entity Patrick E. Duke, a former director of the Company, has shared voting power and shared investment power. The Conversion Agreement was related to a $375,000 related party secured note payable the Company borrowed from APEG II on September 24, 2020 (the “Note”). The Note accrued interest at 10% per annum and had a maturity date of September 24, 2021. The Note was secured by the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Energy One’s oil and natural gas producing properties. Under the terms of the Note, the Company may repay the Note prior to maturity, however, in the event of a prepayment of the Note, the Company was required to pay APEG II the amount of interest which would have accrued through maturity (at 10% per annum). Pursuant to the Conversion Agreement, the Company converted the related party secured note payable of $375,000 and accrued interest to the date of the Note’s September 24, 2021 maturity of $37,500 by issuing 97,962 shares of unregistered common stock with a value on the date of the Conversion Agreement of $438,000. The difference of $25,500 between the value of the shares issued and the $412,500 amount of the Note and accrued interest through the date of maturity is recorded as interest expense, net, in the condensed consolidated statements of operations.

8. COMMODITY DERIVATIVE

The Company’s results of operations and cash flows are affected by changes in market prices for crude oil and natural gas. To manage a portion of its exposure to price volatility from producing crude oil, the Company entered into a fixed-price swap commodity derivative contract to protect against price declines in future periods on 100 barrels of crude oil per day from March 1 to December 31, 2021, at $61.90, based on the calendar month average of West Texas Intermediate Crude Oil (“WTI”). There are no collateral requirements for the fixed-price swap derivative contract. The Company does not enter into derivative contracts for speculative purposes. The Company has not elected to designate the fixed-price swap as a cash flow hedge; therefore, the instrument does not qualify for hedge accounting. Accordingly, changes in the fair value of the fixed-price swap contract are recoded in the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations and are included in cash flows from operating activities in the condensed consolidated statement of cash flows.

The following table presents the impact of our fixed-price derivative contract on our condensed consolidated statements of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020:

 SCHEDULE OF IMPACT OF FIXED-PRICE DERIVATIVE CONTRACT

9. COMMITMENTS, CONTINGENCIES AND RELATED-PARTY TRANSACTIONS

Litigation

Arbitration of Employment Claim

In July 2020, the Company received a request for arbitration from its former Chief Executive Officer, David Veltri claiming that the Company breached his employment agreement. The Company intends to vigorously contest this matter and believes these claims are without merit. The employment agreement requires that any disputes be submitted to binding arbitration. The Company has insurance for these types of claims and has reported the request for arbitration to its insurance carrier. Through September 30, 2021, the Company has incurred defense costs in this matter of $117 thousand and has accrued $10 thousand for future defense costs, representing the Company’s responsibility for costs under the insurance policy.

APEG II Litigation

From February 2019 until August 2020, the Company was involved in litigation with its former Chief Executive Officer, David Veltri and at the time its largest shareholder, APEG II and APEG II’s general partner, APEG Energy II, GP (together with APEG II, “APEG”). In addition, Patrick E. Duke, a former director of the Company, had shared voting and shared investment power over APEG. The litigation arose as a result of a vote at the February 25, 2019 board of directors meeting to terminate Mr. Veltri for using Company funds outside of his authority and for other reasons (the “Texas Litigation”). In a separate lawsuit, APEG initiated a shareholder derivative action in Colorado against Mr. Veltri due to his refusal to recognize the Board’s decision to terminate him (the “Colorado Litigation”). The Company was named as a nominal defendant in the Colorado Litigation. The Colorado litigation was dismissed in May 2020 and the Texas Litigation was dismissed in August 2020. On March 4, 2021, the Company issued 90,846 shares of unregistered common stock, which had a value on the date of issuance of $406 thousand, to APEG in reimbursement of APEG’s legal costs in the Colorado and Texas Litigation.

10. PREFERRED STOCK

The Company’s articles of incorporation authorize the issuance of up to 100,000 shares of preferred stock, $0.01 par value. Shares of preferred stock may be issued with such dividend, liquidation, voting and conversion features as may be determined by the Board of Directors without shareholder approval. The Company is authorized to issue 50,000 shares of Series P preferred stock in connection with a shareholder rights plan that expired in 2011.

On December 31, 2020, the Company redeemed all 50,000 shares of then outstanding Series A Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Preferred Stock”), by making a cash payment of $2.0 million and issuing 328,000 shares of its common stock, which at the date of the redemption had a value of $3.68 per share for a total redemption price of $3.2 million. The liquidation preference on the date of redemption was $3.6 million. The difference between the redemption price and the liquidation preference of the preferred stock was included as a reduction of the net loss available to common shareholders in the calculation of loss per share.

11. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

Common Stock

At September 30, 2021, the Company had 4,676,301 shares of common stock outstanding. On February 17, 2021, the Company sold 1,131,600 shares of common stock for net proceeds of $5.3 million.

Warrants

In December 2016, the Company completed a registered direct offering of 100,000 shares of common stock at a net gross price of $15.00 per share. Concurrently, the investors received warrants to purchase 100,000 shares of common stock of the Company at an exercise price of $20.05 per share, for a period of five years from the final closing date of June 21, 2017. The warrants include anti-dilution rights. The total net proceeds received by the Company were approximately $1.3 million. The fair value of the warrants upon issuance were $1.2 million, with the remaining $0.1 million being attributed to common stock. On September 29, 2020, the Company received proceeds of $565 thousand related to the exercise of warrants to purchase 50,000 shares of common stock. The warrants have been classified as liabilities due to features in the warrant agreement that give the warrant holder an option to require the Company to redeem the warrant at a calculated fair value in the event of a “Fundamental Transaction,” as defined in the warrant agreement. The fair value of the remaining warrants to purchase 50,000 shares of common stock was $93 thousand and $95 thousand at September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively.

Pursuant to the original warrant agreement, as a result of common stock issuances at various prices, the warrant exercise price has been reduced from its original $20.50 exercise price to the floor price of $3.92, which is the exercise price of the warrants at September 30, 2021.

Stock Options

From time to time, the Company may grant stock options under its incentive plan covering shares of common stock to employees of the Company. Stock options, when exercised, are settled through the payment of the exercise price in exchange for new shares of stock underlying the option. These awards typically expire ten years from the grant date.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, there was no compensation expense related to stock options. As of December 31, 2019, all stock options had vested. No stock options were granted or exercised, during the nine months ended September 30, 2021 or 2020. During the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, options to purchase 332 shares and 166 shares, respectively, expired. Presented below is information about stock options outstanding and exercisable as of September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020:

 SCHEDULE OF STOCK OPTIONS ACTIVITY

The following table summarizes information for stock options outstanding and exercisable at September 30, 2021:

 SCHEDULE OF STOCK OPTIONS OUTSTANDING AND EXERCISABLE

Restricted Stock

Company grants restricted stock under its incentive plan covering shares of common stock to employees and directors of the Company. The restricted stock awards are time-based awards and are amortized ratably over the requisite service period. Restricted stock vests ratably on each anniversary following the grant date provided the grantee is employed on the vesting date. Restricted stock granted to employees, when vested are net settled through the issuance of shares, net of the number of shares required to pay withholding taxes.

The following table presents the changes in non-vested, time-based restricted stock awards to all employees and directors for the nine months ended September 30, 2021:

 SCHEDULE OF NON-VESTED TIME-BASED RESTRICTED STOCK AWARDS

The following table presents the stock compensation expense related to restricted stock grants for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020:

 SCHEDULE OF STOCK COMPENSATION EXPENSE RELATED TO RESTRICTED STOCK GRANTS

Total compensation cost related to non-vested time-based awards not yet recognized in the Company’s condensed consolidated statements of operations as of September 30, 2021, is $534 thousand. This cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 2.5 years.

12. ASSET RETIREMENT OBLIGATIONS

The Company has asset retirement obligations (“AROs”) associated with the future plugging and abandonment of proved properties. Initially, the fair value of a liability for an ARO is recorded in the period in which the ARO is incurred with a corresponding increase in the carrying amount of the related asset. The liability is accreted to its present value each period and the capitalized cost is depleted over the life of the related asset. If the liability is settled for an amount other than the recorded amount, an adjustment to the full-cost pool is recognized. The Company had no assets that are restricted for the purpose of settling AROs.

In the fair value calculation for the ARO there are numerous assumptions and judgments, including the ultimate retirement cost, inflation factors, credit-adjusted risk-free discount rates, timing of retirement and changes in legal, regulatory, environmental, and political environments. To the extent future revisions to assumptions and judgments impact the present value of the existing ARO, a corresponding adjustment is made to the oil and natural gas property balance.

The following is a reconciliation of the changes in the Company’s liabilities for asset retirement obligations as of September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020:

 SCHEDULE OF ASSET RETIREMENT OBLIGATIONS

13. INCOME TAXES

The Company estimated the applicable effective tax rate expected for the full fiscal year. The Company’s effective tax rate used to estimate income taxes on a current year-to-date basis is 0% for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020.

Deferred tax assets (“DTAs”) are recognized for the expected future tax consequences of temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax basis of assets and liabilities and for operating losses and tax credit carryforwards. We review our DTAs and valuation allowance on a quarterly basis. As part of our review, we consider positive and negative evidence, including cumulative results in recent years. Consistent with the position at December 31, 2020, the Company maintains a full valuation allowance recorded against all DTAs. The Company, therefore, had no recorded DTAs as of September 30, 2021. We anticipate that we will continue to record a valuation allowance against our DTAs in all jurisdictions until such time as we are able to determine that it is “more-likely-than-not” that those DTAs will be realized.

At December 31, 2020, the Company had approximately $8.9 million in net operating loss carryovers (after limitations). During the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and year ended December 31, 2020, the Company issued approximately 1.3 million and 2.0 million additional shares of common stock, respectively in various transactions. The Company is currently evaluating whether these issuances represented an ownership change that would have triggered a loss limitation under Internal Revenue Code (“I.R.C.”) Section 382. However, since the Company maintains a valuation allowance against these tax assets there is no impact to the condensed consolidated statement of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021.

The Company recognizes, measures, and discloses uncertain tax positions whereby tax positions must meet a “more-likely-than-not” threshold to be recognized. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, no adjustments were recognized for uncertain tax positions.

14. LOSS PER SHARE

Basic net income and loss per common share is calculated by dividing net income or loss attributable to common shareholders by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding for the respective period. Diluted net income and loss per common share is calculated by dividing adjusted net income or loss by the diluted weighted average number of common shares outstanding, which includes the effect of potentially dilutive securities. Potentially dilutive securities for this calculation consist of stock options and warrants, which are measured using the treasury stock method, the conversion feature of the Series A Preferred Stock prior to redemption, and unvested shares of restricted common stock. When the Company recognizes a net loss, as was the case for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, all potentially dilutive shares are anti-dilutive and are consequently excluded from the calculation of dilutive net loss per common share.

The following table sets forth the calculation of basic and diluted net income and loss per share for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020:

 SCHEDULE OF BASIC AND DILUTED NET LOSS PER SHARE

The following table presents the weighted-average common share equivalents excluded from the calculation of diluted earnings per share due to their anti-dilutive effect:

 SCHEDULE OF ANTIDILUTIVE WEIGHTED AVERAGE SHARES

15. FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

The Company’s fair value measurements are estimated pursuant to a fair value hierarchy that requires us to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value. The valuation hierarchy is based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of an asset or liability as of the measurement date, giving highest priority to quoted prices in active markets (Level 1) and the lowest priority to unobservable data (Level 3). In some cases, the inputs used to measure fair value might fall in different levels of the fair value hierarchy. The lowest level input that is significant to a fair value measurement in its entirety determines the applicable level in the fair value hierarchy. Assessing the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement in its entirety requires judgment, considering factors specific to the asset or liability, and may affect the valuation of the assets and liabilities and their placement within the hierarchy level. The three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value are defined as:

Level 1 - Quoted prices for identical assets and liabilities traded in active exchange markets.

Level 2 - Observable inputs other than Level 1 that are directly or indirectly observable for the asset or liability, including quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in inactive markets, or other observable inputs that can be corroborated by observable market data.

Level 3 - Unobservable inputs supported by little or no market activity for financial instruments whose value is determined using pricing models, discounted cash flow methodologies, or similar techniques, as well as instruments for which the determination of fair value requires significant management judgment or estimation.

Warrant Valuation

The warrants contain a dilutive issuance and other provisions that cause the warrants to be accounted for as a liability. Such warrant instruments are initially recorded and valued as a Level 3 liability and are accounted for at fair value with changes in fair value reported in earnings. There were no changes in the methodology to value the warrants. The Company worked with a third-party valuation expert to estimate the value of the warrants at December 31, 2020 using a Black Scholes model, with the following observable and unobservable inputs:

 SCHEDULE OF FAIR VALUE ASSUMPTIONS

At September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the Company used the average value calculated by the Black-Scholes model as opposed to a Monte Carlo model, because the strike price is set at the floor of $3.92 and therefore cannot be rounded down further.

Marketable Equity Securities

The fair value of marketable equity securities is based on quoted market prices obtained from independent pricing services. The Company has an investment in the marketable equity securities of Anfield Energy (“Anfield”), which it acquired as consideration for sales of certain mining operations. Anfield is traded in an active market under the trading symbol AEC:TSXV and has been classified as Level 1.

 SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENT IN THE MARKETABLE EQUITY SECURITIES

Commodity Derivative Instruments

During the nine months ended September 30, 2021, the Company entered into a fixed-price swap derivative contract. The Company measures the fair value of derivative contracts using an income valuation technique based on the contract price of the underlying positions, crude oil forward curves, discount rates, and counterparty non-performance risk from a marketplace participant’s perspective. The fixed-price swap derivative contract is included in Level 2.

Asset Retirement Obligations

The Company measures the fair value of asset retirement obligations as of the date a well is acquired or the date a well begins drilling using a discounted cash flow method based on unobservable inputs in the market and therefore are designated as Level 3 within the valuation hierarchy.

Other Assets and Liabilities

The Company evaluates the fair value on a non-recurring basis of properties acquired in business combinations. The fair value of the oil and gas properties is determined based upon estimated future discounted cash flow, a Level 3 input, using estimated production which we reasonably expect, and estimated prices adjusted for differentials. Unobservable inputs include estimated future oil and natural gas production, prices, operating and development costs, and a discount rate of 10%, all Level 3 inputs within the fair value hierarchy.

The Company evaluates the fair value on a non-recurring basis of its Riverton, Wyoming real estate assets when circumstances indicate that the value has been impaired. At September 30, 2021, the Company estimated the fair value of its real estate assets based upon discussion with a broker in the area and recent comparable sales, all Level 3 inputs within the fair value hierarchy.

The carrying value of financial instruments included in current assets and current liabilities approximate fair value due to the short-term nature of those instruments.

Recurring Fair Value Measurements

Recurring measurements of the fair value of assets and liabilities as of September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 are as follows:

 SCHEDULE OF RECURRING MEASUREMENTS OF FAIR VALUE OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES

The following table presents a reconciliation of our Level 3 warrants measured at fair value:

 SCHEDULE OF RECONCILIATION OF CHANGES IN LIABILITIES MEASURED AT FAIR VALUE ON A RECURRING BASIS

16. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

On October 4, 2021, the Company entered into Purchase and Sale Agreements with Lubbock Energy Partners LLC (“Lubbock”); Banner Oil & Gas, LLC, Woodford Petroleum, LLC, and Llano Energy LLC (collectively, “Banner”), and Synergy Offshore LLC (“Synergy”, and collectively with Lubbock and Banner, the “Sellers”). Pursuant to the Purchase and Sale Agreements (collectively, the “Purchase Agreements”), the Company agreed to acquire certain oil and gas properties from the Sellers, representing a diversified conventional portfolio of operated, producing, oil-weighted assets located across the Rockies, West Texas, Eagle Ford, and Mid Continent. The acquisition will also include certain wells, contracts, technical data, records, personal property and hydrocarbons associated with the acquired assets (collectively with the oil and gas properties to be acquired, the “Acquired Assets”).

The initial base purchase price for the assets is (a) $125,000 in cash and 6,568,828 shares of our common stock, as to Lubbock; (b) $1,000,000 in cash, the assumption of $3.3 million in liabilities, and 6,790,524 shares of common stock, as to Banner; and (c) $125,000 in cash and 6,546,384 shares of common stock, as to Synergy. The aggregate purchase price under all the Purchase Agreements will be $1.25 million in cash, 19,905,736 shares of common stock (the “PSA Shares”), and the assumption of $3.3 million in debt. The initial base purchase prices are also subject to customary working capital and other adjustments as set forth in the Purchase Agreements.

Each Purchase Agreement required the Company to place a $500,000 deposit into escrow ($1.5 million in aggregate) (the “Deposits”). The Deposits are to be used for closing price adjustments, and subject to certain liquidated damages provisions of the Purchase Agreements, in the event the Purchase Agreements are terminated under certain circumstances.

Each Purchase Agreement has substantially similar terms (other than certain differences related to assets acquired, purchase terms, certain representations and warranties, and other matters, as individually negotiated by the parties).

The Purchase Agreements are subject to termination prior to the closing of the transactions (the “Transactions”) contemplated by the Purchase Agreements (each the “Closing” and such date, the “Closing Date”) under certain circumstances, including, in the event the Closing has not occurred by February 28, 2022.

In the event the Purchase Agreements are terminated under certain circumstances, the Sellers are able to keep the Deposits and we are required to reimburse them for their reasonable out-of-pocket expenses associated with the Transactions. Under certain other conditions, we are eligible to obtain the return of the Deposit upon termination of the Purchase Agreements.

The transactions contemplated by the Purchase Agreements are expected to close in the first quarter of 2022, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including approval of the transactions contemplated by the Purchase Agreements, and the issuance of the PSA Shares, by the shareholders of the Company, as required by applicable Nasdaq Capital Market rules.

The conditions to the closing of the Purchase Agreements may not be met, and such Closing may not ultimately occur on the terms set forth in the Purchase Agreements, if at all.

Upon closing of the transactions, the Sellers will own approximately 80.98% of the Company’s then outstanding shares of common stock, and will effectively control the Company, and as such, the Transactions will result in a change of control of the Company.

The Purchase Agreements contemplated the Company and the Sellers entering into various other agreements at Closing, including a registration rights agreement, nominating and voting agreement and contribution agreement. Pursuant to the Purchase Agreements, at Closing, the Company will be required to (i) increase the size of the Company’s Board of Directors to seven members (with one of the current members of the Board resigning) and appoint two (2) individuals, each appointed by the Sellers under the Purchase Agreements, as well as Duane H. King, to the Board of Directors of the Company; and (ii) appoint John A. Weinzierl as Chairman; Ryan L. Smith as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer; and Donald Kessel as Chief Operating Officer of the Company. The nominating and voting agreement, will provide for all the Sellers to agree to appoint and nominate each of their designated director nominees to the Board of Directors, with each Seller having the right, for so long as they hold at least 15% of the Company’s outstanding common stock, to appoint two members to the Board of Directors of the Company and the right, so long as they hold at least 5% (but less than 15%) of the Company’s outstanding common stock, to appoint one person each to the Board of Directors. In connection with the entry into the Purchase Agreements, the Company and the Sellers entered into a customary escrow agreement in connection with the Deposits.

On October 25, 2021, each of the Sellers and the Company entered into a First Amendment to Purchase and Sale Agreements (the “First Amendment”), which amended each of the Purchase Agreements to update the terms of the exhibits thereto which set forth a form of nominating and voting agreement (the “Voting Agreement”) to be entered into at the closing of the transactions contemplated by the Purchase Agreements. As originally contemplated, the Voting Agreement was to provide for all the Sellers to agree to appoint and nominate each of their designated director nominees to the Board of Directors of the Company, with each Seller having the right, for so long as they held at least 5% of the Company’s outstanding common stock, to appoint two members to the Board of Directors of the Company. The First Amendment modified the Voting Agreement to provide that each Seller has the right to appoint two members to the Board of Directors, as long such Seller holds 15% or more of the Company’s common stock, and thereafter, such Seller has the right to appoint one member to the Board of Directors, as long as such Seller holds 5% or more of the Company’s common stock, in order for such Voting Agreement to comply with Nasdaq rules and requirements. The Voting Agreement is contemplated to be entered into at or around the closing.

ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Introduction

This information should be read in conjunction with the interim unaudited financial statements and the notes thereto included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and the audited financial statements and notes thereto and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 26, 2021 (the “Annual Report”).

Certain abbreviations and oil and gas industry terms used throughout this Report are described and defined in greater detail under “Glossary of Oil and Natural Gas Terms” on page 5 of our Annual Report.

Certain capitalized terms used below and otherwise defined below, have the meanings given to such terms in the footnotes to our consolidated financial statements included above under “Part I - Financial Information” – “Item 1. Financial Statements”.

In this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, we may rely on and refer to information regarding the industries in which we operate in general from market research reports, analyst reports and other publicly available information. Although we believe that this information is reliable, we cannot guarantee the accuracy and completeness of this information, and we have not independently verified any of it.

See also “Cautionary Note About “Forward-Looking Statements” above.

Unless the context requires otherwise, references to the “Company,” “we,” “us,” “our,” “U.S. Energy”, and “U.S. Energy Corp.” refer specifically to U.S. Energy Corp. and its consolidated subsidiaries

In addition, unless the context otherwise requires and for the purposes of this report only:

Where You Can Find Other Information

We file annual, quarterly, and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. The SEC maintains an Internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC like us at https://www.sec.gov (our filings can be found at https://www.sec.gov/cgi-bin/browse-edgar?action=getcompany&CIK=0000101594) and on the “Investors – SEC Filings” page of our website at https://usnrg.com. Copies of documents filed by us with the SEC are also available from us without charge, upon oral or written request to our Secretary, who can be contacted at the address and telephone number set forth on the cover page of this Report.

Summary of The Information Contained in Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Our Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (MD&A) is provided in addition to the accompanying consolidated financial statements and notes to assist readers in understanding our results of operations, financial condition, and cash flows. MD&A is organized as follows: