Basis of Presentation and General Information (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Basis of Accounting

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”), and the rules and regulations of the SEC which apply to interim financial statements and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes normally included in consolidated financial statements prepared in conformity with U.S. GAAP. They should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s 2016 Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on March 31, 2017.

New Accounting Pronouncements

We adopted the provisions of Accounting Standard Update (“ASU”) 2015-11 “Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory”, issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) as of January 1, 2017. Accordingly, we report our bunker inventory at lower of cost and net realizable value. There is no impact on the condensed consolidated financial statements because of the adoption of the new accounting standard.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASU 2014-09”), which supersedes nearly all existing revenue recognition guidance under U.S. GAAP. The core principle is that a company should recognize revenue when promised goods or services are transferred to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which an entity expects to be entitled for those goods or services. ASU 2014-09 defines a five-step process to achieve this core principle and, in doing so, more judgment and estimates may be required within the revenue recognition process than are required under existing U.S. GAAP. The standard is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods therein, and shall be applied either retrospectively to each period presented or as a cumulative-effect adjustment as of the date of adoption. In May 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-12, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. This update provides further guidance on applying collectability criterion to assess whether the contract is valid and represents a substantive transaction on the basis whether a customer has the ability and intention to pay the promised consideration. The requirements of this standard include an increase in required disclosures. Management has assembled an internal project team and is currently analyzing contracts with our customers covering the significant streams of the Company's annual revenues under the provisions of the new standard as well as changes necessary to information technology systems, processes and internal controls to capture new data and address changes in financial reporting. Management will apply the modified retrospective transition method and will recognize the cumulative effect of adopting this standard as an adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings as of January 1, 2018. Prior periods will not be retrospectively adjusted. The Company continues to make progress in its implementation and assessment of the new revenue standard. While the assessment is still ongoing, based on the progress made to date, the Company expects that the timing of recognition of revenue for certain ongoing charter contracts will be impacted as well as the timing of recognition of certain voyage related costs. The financial impact of adoption will depend on the number of spot voyages and time charter arrangements as well as their percentage of completion at January 1, 2018. The Company is also evaluating the presentation of revenue in its condensed consolidated statement of operations after the adoption of ASU 2014-09.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases ("ASU 2016-02"). ASU 2016-02 is intended to increase the transparency and comparability among organizations by recognizing lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements. In order to meet that objective, the new standard requires recognition of the assets and liabilities that arise from leases. A lessee will be required to recognize on the balance sheet the assets and liabilities for leases with lease terms of more than 12 months. Accounting by lessors will remain largely unchanged from current U.S. GAAP. The requirements of this standard include an increase in required disclosures. The new standard is effective for public companies for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within those years, with early adoption permitted. Lessees and lessors will be required to apply the new standard at the beginning of the earliest period presented in the financial statements in which they first apply the new guidance, using a modified retrospective transition method. The Company is currently evaluating the effect that adopting this standard will have on our financial statements and related disclosures. Management expects that the Company will recognize increases in reported amounts for vessel and other fixed assets and related lease liabilities upon adoption of the new standard. The impact to the Company’s financial statements will depend upon the amount of vessels the Company has chartered in, as well as the length and nature of such charters. Refer to “Note 7. Commitments and Contingencies” to the condensed consolidated financial statements for disclosure about the Company’s time charter and lease commitments as of September 30, 2017.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The significant estimates and assumptions of the Company are useful lives of fixed assets, the period of amortization, asset impairment, and stock-based compensation.