Commitments And Contingencies

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2017

Commitments And Contingencies [Abstract]

Commitments And Contingencies

(13)  Commitments and Contingencies

The Company as designated operator of the Hoactzin properties was administratively issued an “Incident of Non-Compliance” by BSEE during the quarter ended September 30, 2012 concerning one of Hoactzin’s operated properties.  This action called for payment of a civil penalty of $386,000 for failure to provide, upon request, documentation to the BSEE evidencing that certain safety inspections and tests had been conducted in 2011.  On July 14, 2015, the federal district court in the Eastern District of Louisiana affirmed the civil penalty without reduction.  The Company did not further appeal.  In the third quarter of 2015, the Company paid the civil penalty and statutory interest thereon from funds borrowed under its credit facility.  In the fourth quarter of 2015, the Company received a return of the cash collateral previously provided to RLI Insurance Company.  The Company has not advanced any funds to pay any obligations of Hoactzin and no borrowing capability of the Company has been used in connection with its obligations under the Management Agreement, except for those funds used to pay the civil penalty and interest thereon.

During the second quarter of 2015, the Company received from Hoactzin a copy of an internal analysis prepared by Hoactzin setting out certain issues that Hoactzin may consider to form the basis of operational and other claims against the Company primarily under the Management Agreement.  This analysis raised issues other than the “Incident of Non-Compliance” discussed above.  The Company is discussing this analysis, as well as the civil penalty discussed above, with Hoactzin in an effort to determine whether there is possibility of a reasonable resolution of some or all of these matters on a negotiated basis.

Cost Reduction Measures

Commencing in the quarter ended March 31, 2015 and continuing through the quarter ended March 31, 2017, the Company implemented cost reduction measures including compensation reductions for each employee as well as members of the Board of Directors.  These compensation reductions will remain in place until such time, if any, that the market price of crude oil, calculated as a thirty day trailing average of WTI postings as published by the U.S. Energy Information Administration meets or exceeds $70 per barrel when compensation shall revert to the levels in place before the reductions became effective. At such time, if any, that the market price of crude oil, calculated as a thirty day trailing average of WTI postings as published by the U.S. Energy Information Administration meets or exceeds $85 per barrel, all previous reductions made will be reimbursed, a portion which may be paid in stock, to each employee and members of the Board of Directors if is still employed by the Company or still a member of the Board of Directors.  The Company has not accrued any liabilities associated with these compensation reductions.