2.	Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Use of Estimates

Preparation of the Company’s financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires management to make various assumptions, judgments and estimates that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Changes in these assumptions, judgments and estimates will occur as a result of the passage of time and the occurrence of future events and, accordingly, actual results could differ from amounts initially established.

The most significant areas requiring the use of assumptions, judgments and estimates relate to the volumes of natural gas and oil reserves used in calculating depreciation, depletion and amortization (“DD&A”), the amount of expected future cash flows used in determining possible impairments of oil and gas properties and the amount of future capital costs used in these calculations. Assumptions, judgments and estimates also are required in determining future asset retirement obligations, impairments of undeveloped properties, and in valuing stock-based payment awards.

The only component of comprehensive income that is applicable to the Company is net income (loss). Accordingly, a separate statement of comprehensive income (loss) is not included in these financial statements.

Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements of the Company include the accounts of Arête and its inactive subsidiary, Arête Energy, Inc. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Reclassifications

The Company has condensed certain line items within the current period financial statements, and certain prior period balances were reclassified to conform to the current year presentation. Reclassifications did not have any impact on the Company’s previously reported working capital, results of operations or cash flows.

Cash Equivalents

For purposes of the statement of cash flows, the Company considers cash and all highly liquid investments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents.

Gas Gathering System, Furniture and Equipment

The Company’s gas gathering system and its furniture and equipment are stated at cost. Material expenditures that increase the life of an asset are capitalized and depreciated over the estimated remaining useful life of the asset. The cost of normal maintenance and repairs is charged to operating expenses as incurred. Upon disposal of an asset, the cost of the asset and the related accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts, and any gains or losses will be reflected in current operations. For the gas gathering system, depreciation is computed using the straight line method over an estimated useful life of ten years. Depreciation of furniture and equipment is computed using the straight-line method over an estimated useful life of five years.

Oil and Gas Producing Activities

The Company’s oil and gas exploration and production activities are accounted for using the successful efforts method. Under this method, all property acquisition costs and costs of exploratory and development wells are capitalized when incurred, pending determination of whether the well has proved reserves. If an exploratory well does not result in proved reserves, the costs of drilling the well are charged to expense and included within cash flows from investing activities in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. The costs of development wells are capitalized whether productive or nonproductive. Oil and gas lease acquisition costs are also capitalized.

Other exploration costs, including certain geological and geophysical expenses and delay rentals for oil and gas leases, are charged to expense as incurred. The sale of a partial interest in a proved property is accounted for as a cost recovery and no gain or loss is recognized as long as this treatment does not significantly affect the unit-of-production DD&A rate. A gain or loss is recognized for all other sales of proved properties and is classified in other operating revenues. Maintenance and repairs are charged to expense, and renewals and betterments are capitalized to the appropriate property and equipment accounts.

Unevaluated oil and gas property costs are transferred to proved oil and gas properties if the properties are subsequently determined to be productive. Proceeds from sales of partial interests in unproved leases are accounted for as a recovery of cost without recognizing any gain until all costs are recovered. Unevaluated oil and gas properties are assessed periodically for impairment on a property-by-property basis based on remaining lease terms, drilling results, reservoir performance, commodity price outlooks or future plans to develop acreage.

The Company reviews its proved oil and gas properties for impairment annually or whenever events and circumstances indicate that a decline in the recoverability of their carrying value may have occurred. The Company estimates the expected undiscounted future cash flows of its oil and gas properties and compares such undiscounted future cash flows to the carrying amount of the oil and gas properties to determine if the carrying amount is recoverable. If the carrying amount exceeds the estimated undiscounted future cash flows, the Company will adjust the carrying amount of the oil and gas properties to fair value. The factors used to determine fair value include, but are not limited to, recent sales prices of comparable properties, the present value of estimated future cash flows, net of estimated operating and development costs using estimates of reserves, future commodity pricing, future production estimates, anticipated capital expenditures and various discount rates commensurate with the risk and current market conditions associated with realizing the expected cash flows projected.

The provision for DD&A of oil and gas properties is calculated based on proved reserves on a field-by-field basis using the unit-of-production method. Natural gas is converted to barrel equivalents, BOE, at the rate of six Mcf of natural gas to one barrel of oil. Estimated future dismantlement, restoration and abandonment costs, which are net of estimated salvage values, are taken into consideration.

In January 2010, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued authoritative oil and gas reserve estimation and disclosure guidance that was effective for the Company beginning in 2010. This guidance was issued to align the accounting oil and gas reserve estimation and disclosure requirements with the requirements in the SEC final rule, “Modernization of Oil and Gas Reporting”, which was also effective in 2010. Many of the revisions were updates to definitions in the existing oil and gas rules to make them consistent with the Petroleum Resource Management System, which was developed by several petroleum industry organizations and is a widely accepted standard for the management of petroleum resources. Key revisions include a requirement to use 12-month average pricing determined by averaging the first of the month prices for the preceding 12 months rather than year-end pricing for estimating proved reserves, the ability to include nontraditional resources in reserves, the ability to use new technology for determining proved reserves, and permitting disclosure of probable and possible reserves.

Asset Retirement Obligations

The estimated fair value of the future costs associated with dismantlement, abandonment and restoration of oil and gas properties is recorded generally upon acquisition or completion of a well. The net estimated costs are discounted to present values using a credit-adjusted, risk-free rate over the estimated economic life of the oil and gas properties. Such costs are capitalized as part of the related asset. The asset is depleted on the units-of-production method on a field-by-field basis. The associated liability is classified in current and long-term liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The liability is periodically adjusted to reflect (1) new liabilities incurred, (2) liabilities settled during the period, (3) accretion expense and (4) revisions to estimated future cash flow requirements. The accretion expense is recorded as a component of depreciation, depletion and amortization expense in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Revenue Recognition

The Company records revenues from the sale of natural gas, natural gas liquids (“NGL”) and crude oil when delivery to the purchaser has occurred and title has transferred. The Company uses the sales method to account for gas imbalances. Under this method, revenue is recorded on the basis of gas actually sold by the Company. In addition, the Company will record revenue for its share of gas sold by other owners that cannot be volumetrically balanced in the future due to insufficient remaining reserves. The Company also reduces revenue for other owners’ gas sold by the Company that cannot be volumetrically balanced in the future due to insufficient remaining reserves. The Company’s remaining over- and under-produced gas balancing positions are considered in the Company’s proved oil and gas reserves. Gas imbalances at December 31, 2013 and 2014 were not material.

Environmental Liabilities

Environmental expenditures that relate to an existing condition caused by past operations and that do not contribute to current or future revenue generation are expensed. Liabilities are accrued when environmental assessments and/or clean-ups are probable, and the costs can be reasonably estimated. As of December 31, 2013 and 2014, the Company had not accrued for nor been fined or cited for any environmental violations that would have a material, adverse effect upon capital expenditures, operating results or the competitive position of the Company.

Industry Segment and Geographic Information

The Company operates in one industry segment, which is the exploration, development and production of natural gas and crude oil, and all of the Company’s operations are conducted in the continental United States. Consequently, the Company currently reports as a single industry segment.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company did not grant any stock options or warrants during the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2014 and no options or warrants were outstanding at any time during these years. The Company has issued shares of common stock for services performed by officers, directors and unrelated parties during 2013 and 2014. The Company has recorded these transactions based on the value of the services or the value of the common stock, whichever is more readily determinable.

Income Taxes

The Company accounts for income taxes under ASC 740. Temporary differences are differences between the tax basis of assets and liabilities and their reported amounts in the financial statements that will result in taxable or deductible amounts in future years. The Company’s temporary differences consist primarily of tax operating loss carry forwards and start-up costs capitalized for tax purposes.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

Cash, accounts payable, accrued liabilities and notes payable are carried in the Consolidated Financial Statements in amounts which approximate fair value because of the short-term maturity of these instruments.

Earnings Per Share

Basic net income (loss) per share of common stock is calculated by dividing net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during each period. Diluted net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders is calculated by dividing net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding and other dilutive securities. The only potentially dilutive securities for the diluted earnings per share calculations consist of Series 1 preferred stock that is convertible into common stock at an exchange price of $3.30 per common share. As of December 31, 2013, the convertible preferred stock had an aggregate liquidation preference of $30,303 and was convertible to 33,712 shares of common stock. These shares were excluded from the earnings per share calculation because it was anti-dilutive to assume conversion immediately prior to the last dividend payment date, which would have eliminated preferred dividends for the fourth quarters of 2013 and 2014 from the earnings per share calculation.

New Accounting Pronouncements

In January 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2013-1, Balance Sheet: Clarifying the Scope of Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities, which amended FASB Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 210, Balance Sheet. The main objective in developing this update was to address implementation issues about the scope of ASU 2011-11, Balance Sheet: Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities. The amendments clarify that the scope of ASU 2011-11 applies to derivatives accounted for in accordance with Topic 815, Derivatives and Hedging, including bifurcated embedded derivatives, repurchase agreements and reverse repurchase agreements, and securities borrowing and securities lending transactions that are either offset in accordance with ASC 210-20-45 or ASC 815-10-45 or subject to an enforceable master netting arrangement or similar agreement. This provision is effective for fiscal years beginning on or after January 1, 2013. Adoption of this update did not have a material impact on the Company’s disclosures or financial statements.

In February 2013, the FASB issued ASU 2013-2, Comprehensive Income: Reporting of Amounts Reclassified Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income, which amended ASC Topic 220, Comprehensive Income. The objective of this update was to improve the reporting of reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive income. The amendment did not change the requirements for reporting net income or other comprehensive income in financial statements. However, the amendment required an entity to provide information about the amounts reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive income by component. In addition, an entity is required to present, either on the face of the statement where net income is presented or in the notes, significant amounts reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive income by the respective line items of net income but only if the amount reclassified is required under U.S. GAAP to be reclassified to net income in its entirety in the same reporting period. For other amounts that are not required under U.S. GAAP to be reclassified in their entirety to net income, an entity is required to cross-reference to other disclosures required under U.S. GAAP that provide additional detail about those amounts. This provision is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2012. Adoption of this update did not have a material impact on the Company’s disclosures or financial statements.

In July 2013, the FASB issued ASU 2013-11, Presentation of an Unrecognized Tax Benefit When a Net Operating Loss Carryforward, a Similar Tax Loss, or a Tax Credit Carryforward Exists. The objective of ASU 2013-11 is to provide guidance on financial statement presentation of an unrecognized tax benefit when a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward exists. ASU 2013-11 is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2013. The adoption of this standard did not have an impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements

In June 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-12, Accounting for Share-Based Payments When the Terms of an Award Provide That a Performance Target Could Be Achieved after the Requisite Service Period (“ASU 2014-12”). The amendments in ASU 2014-12 require that a performance target that affects vesting and that could be achieved after the requisite service period be treated as a performance condition. A reporting entity should apply existing guidance in Accounting Standards Codification Topic No. 718, “Compensation – Stock Compensation” (“ASC 718”), as it relates to awards with performance conditions that affect vesting to account for such awards. The amendments in ASU 2014-12 are effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015. Early adoption is permitted. Entities may apply the amendments in ASU 2014-12 either: (a) prospectively to all awards granted or modified after the effective date; or (b) retrospectively to all awards with performance targets that are outstanding as of the beginning of the earliest annual period presented in the financial statements and to all new or modified awards thereafter. The adoption of ASU 2014-12 is not expected to have a material effect on the Company’s consolidated financial statements or disclosures.

In April 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-08, “Presentation of Financial Statements (Topic 205) and Property, Plant, and Equipment (Topic 360): Reporting Discontinued Operations and Disclosures of Disposals of Components of an Entity.” ASU 2014-08 changes the criteria for reporting a discontinued operation. Under the new pronouncement, a disposal of a part of an organization that has a major effect on its operations and financial results is a discontinued operation. The Company is required to adopt ASU 2014-08 prospectively for all disposals or components of its business classified as held for sale during fiscal periods beginning after December 15, 2014. The adoption of ASU 2014-08 is not expected to have a material effect on the Company’s consolidated financial statements or disclosures.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers” (“ASU 2014-09”), which provides guidance for revenue recognition. ASU 2014-09 affects any entity that either enters into contracts with customers to transfer goods or services or enters into contracts for the transfer of nonfinancial assets and supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in Topic 605, “Revenue Recognition,” and most industry-specific guidance. This ASU also supersedes some cost guidance included in Subtopic 605-35, “Revenue Recognition- Construction-Type and Production-Type Contracts.” ASU 2014-09’s core principle is that a company will recognize revenue when it transfers promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which a company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. In doing so, companies will need to use more judgment and make more estimates than under today’s guidance, including identifying performance obligations in the contract, estimating the amount of variable consideration to include in the transaction price and allocating the transaction price to each separate performance obligation. ASU 2014-09 is effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2017 and, at that time, the Company may adopt the new standard under the full retrospective approach or the modified retrospective approach. Early adoption is not permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the method and impact the adoption of ASU 2014-09 will have on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and disclosures.

In August 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-15, Disclosure of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern (“ASU 2014-15”). ASU 2014-15 will explicitly require management to assess an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern, and to provide related footnote disclosure in certain circumstances. The new standard will be effective for all entities in the first annual period ending after December 15, 2016. Earlier adoption is permitted. We are currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of ASU 2014-15.

Other accounting standards that have been issued or proposed by the FASB, or other standards-setting bodies, that do not require adoption until a future date are not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements upon adoption.