Other Contingencies - Litigation

3 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2013

Other Contingencies - Litigation

Note 8 - Other Contingencies - Litigation

In December, 2011, we initiated civil legal proceedings against Hycarbex and others in the High Court of Islamabad, Pakistan.   Our pleadings with respect to the 2.5% carried working interest positions in the Sanjawi and Zamzama North concessions sought a registration of those interests with the Government of Pakistan and  simultaneously sought the imposition of an injunction preventing the transfer of the working interest in those concessions until the registration can be effected, thereby protecting our interests.  Our pleadings with respect to the Yasin concession and the right to receive 18% of the gross production revenues, our pleadings sought a referral to arbitration based upon ownership of, in effect, a 25% carried working interest to which is attributed 18% of gross production revenues and the right to receive pertinent records and data, the appointment of a receiver to both protect and cause disbursement of the 18% of gross revenues since the inception of production in April, 2011, and the imposition of an injunction against the transfer of the working interest in the Yasin concession. The Court immediately issued two injunction orders preserving the status quo as to the Company’s interests in each of the Yasin, Sanjawi and Zamzama North petroleum concessions.

On March 27, 2012, the Islamabad High Court issued its final order (later clarified as to certain arbitration procedures by a clarification Order dated April 4, 2012). The Court directed the parties to proceed to arbitration in

London, UK under the ICC Rules of Arbitration and further reaffirmed the continuation of the pending temporary injunctions against Hycarbex’s potential transfer of interests in the concessions prior to final resolution in the arbitration forum.  Our application for the appointment of a receiver was neither granted or denied, but was instead deferred by the Court to the arbitration forum.  Hycarbex appealed the March 27, 2012 Order asserting that litigation should not have been initiated by American Energy without first going to arbitration, asserting that our claims to 18% of gross production revenues were premature (despite already having made some payments toward that production interest) because a “commercial discovery” had not yet been declared, and asserting that the injunctions had the effect of enjoining all of the working interest, not just a portion.  American Energy countered with an appeal that the Court should reconsider the application for a receiver due to an existing arbitration rule which would prevent the arbitration forum from granting interim relief of that type, irrespective of the merits of such an application.  These appeals are expected to be docketed and resolved during the second quarter of the current fiscal year.

On April 10, 2012, pursuant to the terms of the March 27, 2012, Islamabad High Court Order, we filed our claim with the International Chamber of Commerce (“ICC”) International Court of Arbitration.  In this claim, we are seeking an order which voids, ab initio, the original 2003 Stock Purchase Agreement under which Hycarbex’s parent company acquired the stock of Hycarbex (and thus the underlying Yasin concession owned by Hycarbex) and in conjunction therewith, seeks the recovery of any financial dividends or advances which may have been made by Hycarbex to its shareholders.   Alternatively, our claim requests the declaration of a 25% carried working interest (and the in-country registration of same) to which is attributed 18% of gross production free of taxes and costs, plus the recovery from the respondents of all accrued, unpaid production revenues.    The request in our arbitration claim for a voiding of the original Stock Purchase Agreement is based upon our assertions in the claim that Hydro Tur, Ltd., the original purchaser of the Hycarbex stock under the 2003 Stock Purchase Agreement, fraudulently misrepresented to American Energy that “no current or past shareholders, officers and/or directors of [American Energy] or Hycarbex have any interest, direct or indirect, in the ownership of [Hydro Tur, Ltd.].”    The 3-arbitrator panel has been appointed and has scheduled the final hearing in this arbitration for the month of February, 2014.

In February, 2013, we filed an Application For Interim Relief with the ICC which was heard by the tribunal on June 13, 2013. By Order dated September 25, 2013, the ICC granted all requests made by the Company against Hycarbex American Energy, Inc. (“Hycarbex”), Hycarbex Asia Pte, Ltd. (“Hycarbex Asia”) and Hydro Tur, Ltd. (“Hydro Tur”) in its Application For Interim Relief filed with the ICC in February, 2013 and presented to the ICC in a hearing conducted June 13, 2013. By Order dated September 25, 2013, the ICC granted to the Company all requested relief and therein ordered Hycarbex, Hycarbex Asia and Hydro Tur to do the following within fourteen (14) days of the Order: (1) to produce to the Company the records of production and sales from the Yasin petroleum concession in Pakistan for the period August 2011 through the date of the Order and to continue to do so pending further order, (2) to pay to the Company 18% of all sales proceeds of hydrocarbons received by such parties between August 2011 through December 2012, (3) to pay to the Company 18% of all sale proceeds of hydrocarbons received by such parties between December 2012 and the date of the Order, and (4) to direct the purchaser of the hydrocarbons to pay direct to the Company 18% of all future sale proceeds during the pendency of the arbitration proceedings. The ICC further ordered that in the event that Hycarbex, Hycarbex Asia and Hydro Tur fail to produce to the Company the production and sales records for the period August 2011 through December 2012 within the fourteen (14) days following the Order, that such parties are ordered to pay to the Company $1,436,137.81 as an approximate interim amount pending the determination of actual sale proceeds from the actual records. The ICC further ordered that in the event that Hycarbex, Hycarbex Asia and Hydro Tur fail to produce to the Company the production and sales records for the period December 2012 through the date of the Order and continue to do so, that the arbitration tribunal will consider an application from the Company for a further Order as to an approximate interim monetary amount pending the determination of actual sale proceeds for such period. The Order of the ICC is not appealable to a court or other tribunal. Under Pakistan’s Arbitration Act of 1940, international arbitration orders are enforceable in the Pakistan courts.

Subsequent to the ICC Order, Hycarbex produced certain sales records and other records of Hycarbex. Hycarbex and Hycarbex Asia requested a modification of the Order. The Order was not suspended by the ICC while this request is under consideration. The Company awaits a response which is expected prior to December 31, 2013. Based upon this request for modification by Hycarbex and Hycarbex Asis, the Company expects to file in the Islamabad High Court legal documentation for enforcement of the Order to obtain the benefits awarded to the Company in the Order.