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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)
9 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2016
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Basis of Consolidation

Basis of Consolidation

 

These condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of two wholly owned subsidiaries: (1) Northern Alberta Oil Ltd. (“Northern”) from the date of acquisition, being June 7, 2005, incorporated under the Business Corporations Act (Alberta), Canada; and (2) Deep Well Oil & Gas (Alberta) Ltd., incorporated under the Business Corporations Act (Alberta), Canada on September 15, 2005. All inter-company balances and transactions have been eliminated.

Change in Accounting Principle

Change in Accounting Principle

 

During the fourth fiscal quarter of 2015, the Company voluntarily changed its method of accounting for its oil and gas properties from the successful efforts method to the full cost method. Accordingly, financial information for prior periods have been recast to reflect retrospective application of the full cost method. The Company believes that the full cost method is preferable as it reflects the results of the Company’s operations and the economics of exploring for and developing its non-traditional long life oil sands assets in the Peace River oil sands area in Alberta, Canada. The Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements have been recast to reflect these differences. There was no effect on the prior period financial statements as a result of the change in accounting policy.

Crude oil and natural gas properties

Crude oil and natural gas properties

 

The Company follows the full cost method of accounting for oil sands properties pursuant to SEC Regulation S-X Rule 4-10. The full cost method of accounting for oil and gas operations requires that all costs associated with the exploration for and development of oil and gas reserves be capitalized on a country by country basis. Such costs include lease acquisition costs, geological and geophysical expenses, carrying charges on non-producing properties, costs of drilling both productive and non-productive wells, production equipment and overhead charges directly related to acquisition, exploration and development activities.

 

Under the full cost method, oil and gas properties are subject to the ceiling test performed quarterly. A ceiling test write-down is recognized in net earnings if the carrying amount of a cost centre exceeds the “cost centre ceiling”. The carrying amount of the cost centre includes the capitalized costs of proved oil and natural gas properties, net of accumulated depletion and deferred income taxes. The cost centre ceiling is the sum of (A) present value of the estimated future net cash flows from proved oil and natural gas reserves using a 10 percent per year discount factor, (B) the costs of unproved properties not being amortized, and (C) the lower of cost or fair value of unproved properties included in the costs being amortized; less (D) related income tax effects. As of June 30, 2016, no ceiling test write-downs were recorded for the Company’s oil and gas properties.

 

Costs associated with unproved properties are excluded from the depletion calculation until it is determined that proved reserves are attributable or impairment has occurred. Unproved properties are assessed annually for impairment. Costs that have been impaired are included in the costs subject to depletion within the full cost pool.

Asset Retirement Obligations

Asset Retirement Obligations

 

The Company accounts for asset retirement obligations by recording the fair value of the estimated future cost of the Company’s plugging and abandonment obligations. The asset retirement obligation is recorded when there is a legal obligation associated with the retirement of a tangible long-lived asset and the fair value of the liability can reasonably be estimated. Upon initial recognition of an asset retirement obligation, the Company increases the carrying amount of the long-lived asset by the same amount as the liability. Over time, the liabilities are accreted for the change in their present value through charges to oil and gas production and well operations costs. The initial capitalized costs are depleted over the useful lives of the related assets through charges to depreciation, depletion, and amortization. If the fair value of the estimated asset retirement obligation changes, an adjustment is recorded to both the asset retirement obligation and the asset retirement cost.

 

Revisions in estimated liabilities can result from revisions of estimated inflation rates, escalating retirement costs, and changes in the estimated timing of settling asset retirement obligations. As of June 30, 2016 and September 30, 2015, asset retirement obligations amount to $452,160 and $426,607, respectively. The Company has posted bonds, where required, with the Government of Alberta based on the amount the government estimates the cost of abandonment and reclamation to be.

Financial, Concentration and Credit Risk

Financial, Concentration and Credit Risk

 

The Company’s consideration or related financial credit risk related to cash and cash equivalents depends on if funds are fully insured by either The Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation (“CDIC”), or The Credit Union Deposit Guarantee Corporation (“CUDGC”) deposit insurance limit. As of June 30, 2016, the Company has approximately $573,240 funds that are in excess of deposit insurance limits, which may have financial credit risk. For the Company funds that are maintained in a financial institution which has its deposits fully guaranteed by CUDGC, there is no financial credit risk.

 

The Company is not directly subject to credit risk resulting from the concentration of its crude oil sales. For the period ending June 30, 2016 and for the year ended September 30, 2015, the Company has recorded oil sales received from the operator of the Company’s producing properties. The Company’s joint venture partner is the operator of the Company’s producing properties and it is the Company’s joint venture partner who sells all of the Company’s oil production to 11 purchasers in the oil and gas industry. The Company does not require collateral and management periodically evaluates the operator’s financial statements and the collectability of oil sales receivables from the operator and believes that the Company’s oil sales receivables are fully collectable and that the risk of loss is minimal.

Basic and Diluted Net Income (Loss) Per Share

Basic and Diluted Net Income (Loss) Per Share

 

Basic net income (loss) per share amounts are computed based on the weighted average number of shares actually outstanding. Diluted net income (loss) per share amounts are computed using the weighted average number of common shares and common equivalent shares outstanding as if shares had been issued on the exercise of the common share rights, unless the exercise becomes antidilutive and then the basic and diluted per share amounts are the same. There were 63,685,221 potentially dilutive securities excluded from the the diluted earnings per share calculation because their effect would be antidilutive.

Recently Adopted Accounting Standards

Recently Adopted Accounting Standards

 

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842),” requiring lessees to recognize lease assets and lease liabilities for most leases classified as operating leases under previous U.S. GAAP. The guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted. The Company will be required to use a modified retrospective approach for leases that exist or are entered into after the beginning of the earliest comparative period in the financial statements. The adoption of this standard is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

 

The Company does not expect the adoption of any other recent accounting pronouncements to have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements.