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COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2022
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

NOTE 9—COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

 

Lease Commitment

 

The Company leases office facilities under an operating lease agreement that expires October 31, 2025. During the year ended December 31, 2022, the operating cash outflows related to operating lease liabilities were $86,373 and the expense for the amortization of the right of use asset for operating leases was $59,445. As of December 31, 2022, the Company’s operating lease had a weighted-average remaining term of 2.8 years and a weighted average discount rate of 12%. Below is a summary of the Company’s right of use assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2022:

 

Right of use asset  $212,202 
     
Year  Amount 
2023  $87,288 
2024   88,801 
2025   75,051 
Total future lease payments   251,140 
Less: imputed interest   39,396 
Present value of future operating lease payments   211,744 
Less: current portion of operating lease liabilities   (65,385)
Long-term operating lease liability  $146,359 

 

During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company recognized operating lease expense of $86,644 and $80,998, respectively, which is included in general and administrative expenses in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. The Company does not have any capital leases or other operating lease commitments.

 

Legal Contingencies

 

The Company is subject to legal proceedings, claims and liabilities that arise in the ordinary course of its business. The Company accrues for losses associated with legal claims when such losses are probable and can be reasonably estimated. These accruals are adjusted as further information develops or circumstances change.

 

Environmental Contingencies

 

The Company’s oil and natural gas operations are subject to stringent federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the release or disposal of materials into the environment or otherwise relating to environmental protection. These laws and regulations may require the acquisition of a permit before drilling commences, restrict the types, quantities and concentration of substances that can be released into the environment in connection with drilling and production activities, limit or prohibit drilling activities on certain lands lying within wilderness, wetlands and other protected areas, and impose substantial liabilities for pollution resulting from our operations. Failure to comply with these laws and regulations may result in the assessment of administrative, civil and criminal penalties, incurrence of investigatory or remedial obligations or the imposition of injunctive relief. Changes in environmental laws and regulations occur frequently, and any changes that result in more stringent or costly waste handling, storage, transport, disposal or cleanup requirements could require the Company to make significant expenditures to maintain compliance, and may otherwise have a material adverse effect on its results of operations, competitive position or financial condition as well as the industry in general. Under these environmental laws and regulations, the Company could be held strictly liable for the removal or remediation of previously released materials or property contamination regardless of whether the Company was responsible for the release or if its operations were standard in the industry at the time they were performed. The Company maintains insurance coverage, which it believes is customary in the industry, although the Company is not fully insured against all environmental risks.

 

 

Development Commitments

 

During the ordinary course of oil and gas prospect development, the Company commits to a proportionate share for the cost of acquiring mineral interests, drilling exploratory or development wells and acquiring seismic and geological information.

 

Production Incentive Arrangements and ORRIs

 

In conjunction with our efforts to secure oil and gas prospects, financing and services, we have, from time to time, granted overriding royalty interests (“ORRI”) in various properties and have adopted a Production Incentive Compensation Plan under which grant interests in pools, which may take the form of ORRIs, to provide additional incentive identify and secure attractive oil and gas properties.

 

Production Incentive Compensation Plan. In August 2013, the Company’s compensation committee adopted a Production Incentive Compensation Plan. The purpose of the Plan is to encourage employees and consultants participating in the Plan to identify and secure for the Company participation in attractive oil and gas opportunities.

 

Under that Plan, the committee may establish one or more Pools and designate employees and consultants to participate in those Pools and designate prospects and wells, and a defined percentage of the Company’s revenues from those wells, to fund those Pools. Only prospects acquired on or after establishment of the Plan, and excluding all prospects in Colombia, may be designated to fund a Pool. The maximum percentage of the Company’s share of revenues from a well that may be designated to fund a Pool is 2% (the “Pool Cap”); provided, however, that with respect to wells with a net revenue interest to the 8/8 of less than 73%, the Pool Cap with respect to such wells shall be reduced on a 1-for-1 basis such that no portion of the Company’s revenues from a well may be designated to fund a Pool if the NRI is 71% or less.

 

Designated participants in a Pool will be assigned a specific percentage out of the Company’s revenues assigned to the Pool and will be paid that percentage of such revenues from all wells designated to such Pool and spud during that participant’s employment or services with the Company. In no event may the percentage assigned to the Company’s chief executive officer relative to any well within a Pool exceed one-half of the applicable Pool Cap for that well. Payouts of revenues funded into Pools shall be made to participants not later than 60 days following year end, subject to the committee’s right to make partial interim payouts. Participants will continue to receive their percentage share of revenues from wells included in a Pool and spud during the term of their employment or service so long as revenues continue to be derived by the Company from those wells even after termination of employment or services of the Participant; provided, however, that a participant’s interest in all Pools shall terminate on the date of termination of employment or services where such termination is for cause.

 

In the event of certain changes in control of the Company, the acquirer or survivor of such transaction must assume all obligations under the Plan; provided, however, that in lieu of such assumption obligation, the committee may, at its sole discretion, assign overriding royalty interests in wells to substantially mirror the rights of participants under the Plan. Similarly, the committee may, at any time, assign overriding royalty interests in wells in settlement of obligations under the Plan.

 

The Plan is administered by the Company’s compensation committee which shall consult with the Company’s chief executive officer relative to Pool participants, prospects, wells and interests assign although the committee will have final and absolute authority to make all such determinations.

 

During 2022, no pools were established under the Plan.

 

The Company records amounts payable under the plan as a reduction to revenue as revenues are recognized from prospects included in pools covered by the plan based on the participants’ interest in such prospect revenues and records the same as accounts payable until such time as such amounts are paid out.

 

ORRI Grants. All present and future prospects in Colombia are subject to a 1.5% ORRI in favor of each of our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and a former director.

 

Payments made by the Company under the Plan and ORRI’s totaled $17,725 and $15,081 in 2022 and 2021, respectively. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company had accrued $0 and $0, respectively, under the Plan as accounts payable.