SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
FORM
10-K
x
ANNUAL REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(g) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the
fiscal year ended: December 31, 2009
OR
¨
TRANSITION REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF
1934
For the
transition period from __________ to __________
Commission
File No.
000-30219
CHANCELLOR
GROUP, INC.
(Exact
name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
Nevada
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50-0024298
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(State
or other jurisdiction of
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(I.R.S.
Employer
|
Incorporation
or organization)
|
Identification
No.)
|
216 South
Price Road, Pampa, TX 79065
(Address
of principal executive offices, including zip code)
Issuer's
Telephone Number, Including Area Code: (806)
688-9697
|
Securities
registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: None
Securities
registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: Common Stock, $.001
par value per share
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in
Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes
¨
No
x
Indicate
by checkmark if the registrant is not required to file reports to Section 13 or
15(d) of the
Act.
Yes
¨
No
x
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be
filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during
the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was
required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing
requirements for the past 90 days.
Yes
x
No
¨
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on
its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be
submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this
chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the
registrant was required to submit and post such files).
Yes
x
No
¨
Indicate
by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of
Regulation S-K (§229.405) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to
the best of registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information
statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any
amendment to this Form 10-K.
x
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an
accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting
company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,”
“accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the
Exchange Act. (Check One):
|
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Large
accelerated filer
¨
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Accelerated
filer
¨
|
|
|
Non-accelerated
filer
¨
|
Smaller
reporting company
x
|
(Do not
check if a smaller reporting company)
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule
12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes
¨
No
x
The
aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by
non-affiliates as of the last business day of the registrant’s most
recently completed second fiscal quarter was $1,520,281.
Number of
shares of Common Stock outstanding as of March 29, 2010:
64,884,980.
Documents
incorporated by reference: None
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
PART
I
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1
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Item
1. Business.
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1
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Item
1A. Risk Factors.
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3
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Item
1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.
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6
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Item
2. Properties.
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6
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Item
3. Legal Proceedings
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8
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PART
II
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9
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Item
4. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Shareholder Matters and
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
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9
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Item
5. Selected Financial Data.
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9
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Item
6. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results
of Operations.
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9
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Items
6A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market
Risk.
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13
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Item
7. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.
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14
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Item
8. Changes In and Disagreements With Accountants on Accounting and
Financial Disclosure.
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30
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Item
8A (T). Controls and Procedures.
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30
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Item
8B. Other Information
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31
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PART
III
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31
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Item
9. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.
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31
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Item
10. Executive Compensation
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33
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Item
11. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and
Related Stockholder Matters.
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34
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Item
12. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director
Independence.
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34
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Item
13. Principal Accountant Fees and Services
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36
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Item
15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.
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37
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SIGNATURES
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38
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PART
I
Item
1. Business.
Chancellor
Group, Inc., a Nevada corporation (“we”, “us”, “Chancellor” or the “Company”),
was organized under the laws of the state of Utah in 1986 and subsequently
reorganized under the laws of Nevada in 1993. We are an independent oil and gas
exploration and development company focused on building and revitalizing our oil
and gas properties located in the State of Texas. The Company is organized as a
producing oil and gas company and licensed as an operator by the Texas Railroad
Commission. We are in the business of acquisition, exploration, and development
of oil and natural gas properties. Our common stock is quoted on the
Over-The-Counter Bulletin Board market and trades under the symbol
CHAG.OB. As of December 31, 2009, there were 65,124,980 shares of our
common stock issued and outstanding.
Business
Developments
In April
2007 we commenced operations with what were 84 actually producing wells in Gray
and Carson counties, Texas. On October 30, 2007, we had filed for reorganization
under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code with the United States
Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of Texas. On July 22, 2008, we had entered
into an Agreement, effective as of June 1, 2008 with Legacy Reserves Operating
LP (“Legacy”) for the sale of our oil and gas wells in Carson county, Texas,
accounting for approximately 84% of our oil and gas production to Legacy for a
purchase price of $13,250,000. We operated the Company in the bankruptcy
proceeding until August 15, 2008, when the Court, based on the Agreement with
Legacy, issued an order dismissing the bankruptcy case of the Company and of its
two operating subsidiaries, Gryphon Production Company, LLC and Gryphon Field
Services, LLC. At the August 29, 2008 closing under this Agreement with Legacy,
all of the debt held by our lenders, plus accrued interest thereon to the date
of closing, was paid in full. Following the sale to Legacy Reserves Operating,
LP as of June 1, 2008 of approximately 45 producing oil and gas wells,
production capacity from our remaining 70 current actively producing wells in
Gray county as of December 31, 2009 is estimated to be approximately 60 bopd and
33 mcfd gas. The oil is light sweet crude and the natural gas has
very high heat content, 1600 to 2600 btu/scf.
Recent
Developments
On July
1, 2009, the Company entered into a 24-month non-exclusive consultant agreement
with PK Advisors, LLC (“PK”) in connection with the Company’s interest in
creating a strategy for growing the core business, creating market awareness and
providing general strategic corporate advice.
On July
1, 2009, the Company entered into a 24-month non-exclusive consultant agreement
with Equity Source Partners, LLC (“ESP”) in connection with the Company’s
interest in creating a strategy for growing the core business, creating market
awareness and providing general strategic corporate advice.
On August
28, 2009, the Company engaged 2S Partners as a non-exclusive consultant and
finder to assist the Company in identifying properties of interest for potential
future acquisitions. Cash consideration for the engagement is
contingent upon contract closing for such services.
Description
of Properties
The
Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Gryphon Production Company, LLC and
Gryphon Field Services, LLC, own 127 wells, of which 19 are water disposal wells
and 2 are gas wells, although “associated” gas is also produced from some oil
wells. As of December 31, 2009, approximately 70 oil wells are
actively producing. We also own and operate our 15.9 acre property,
with its shop, yard and office complex. Company equipment includes two work-over
rigs as well as other oil field related equipment.
In
addition, we own approximately 4,200 acres of production rights on six leases,
which includes 500 acres of undrilled acreage also in Gray county, approximately
300 acres of which was previously owned by Mobil, and the balance of
approximately 200 acres on the Worley Combs lease. The six leases
have the production rights for oil, casing-head gas and natural
gas.
Our
near-term plans include continued maintenance of existing wells, our primary
focus being to operate our properties and to enhance production by ongoing
treatment. Additionally, production is expected to increase through
remedial repairs that improve and prolong the production life of existing
wells. The Company also has plans to reenter certain abandoned wells,
which were taken out of production in earlier years due to extremely low oil and
gas prices, and bring oil and gas from these wells into the
market. Several of the leases need to be studied and reviewed for the
possibility of drilling the wells deeper to reach additional producing
strata. Feasibility studies are planned to consider drilling
replacement wells in the locations of wells that were previously plugged and
abandoned due to either low prices or integrity issues with the well bore
casing. There is approximately 500 acres of undeveloped leased
property in Gray county that need to be reviewed and studied for the possibility
of drilling for new production.
Industry
and economic factors
In
managing our business we must deal with many factors inherent in our industry.
First and foremost is wide fluctuation of oil and gas prices. Oil and gas
markets are cyclical and volatile, with future price movements difficult to
predict. While our revenues are a function of both production and prices, wide
swings in prices often have the greatest impact on our results of
operations.
In
addition, the condition of the general economy of the local area is beginning to
show some of the strain from the national economic morass, as is the general
economy in the State of Texas. The national and international
economic environment is unsettled and will present challenges to any form of
business operations.
It is
uncertain what structural changes in the industry (mining for oil and gas) may
need to be modified due to political changes in the national government,
availability of financing, and concerns created by expectations that evolve
around the concepts of carbon credits. In general it is a buyer’s
market if financing are available. The Company does not anticipate
any severe effects upon its structure in the short-term due to any of the
above-mentioned concerns because of the size and nature of the Company’s
operations.
Our
operations entail significant complexities. Advanced technologies requiring
highly trained personnel are utilized in restoration of wells and production.
The oil and gas industry is highly competitive. We compete with major and
diversified energy companies, independent oil and gas companies, and individual
operators. In addition, the industry as a whole competes with other businesses
that supply energy to industrial, commercial, and residential end
users.
Approach
to our business
Implementation
of our business approach relies on our ability to fund ongoing development
projects with cash flow provided by operating activities and external sources of
capital.
Marketing
and Customers
The
Company plans to further develop its domestic oil and gas properties, located in
Gray county, Texas, and possibly to acquire additional producing oil and gas
properties. The Company’s major customers, which primarily all oil and gas
production is sold to, are Plains Marketing and DCP Midstream. Given the number
of readily available purchasers for our products, it is unlikely that the loss
of a single customer in the areas in which we sell our products would materially
affect our sales.
Environmental
Regulations
We are
subject to extensive and complex federal, state and local laws and regulations
governing the protection of the environment and of the health and safety of our
employees. These laws and regulations may, among other things:
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•
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require
the acquisition of various permits before drilling or production
commences;
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•
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require
the installation of expensive pollution control
equipment;
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•
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require
safety-related procedures and personal protective equipment to be used
during operations;
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•
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restrict
the types, quantities and concentrations of various substances that can be
released into the environment in connection with natural gas and oil
drilling production, transportation and treating
activities;
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•
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suspend,
limit, prohibit or require approval before construction, drilling and
other activities; and
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•
|
require
remedial measures to mitigate pollution from historical and ongoing
operations, such as the closure of pits and plugging of abandoned
wells.
|
These
laws, rules and regulations may also restrict the rate of natural gas and oil
production below the rate that would otherwise be possible. The regulatory
burden on the oil and gas industry increases the cost of doing business in the
industry and consequently affects profitability.
Governmental
authorities have the power to enforce compliance with environmental laws,
regulations and permits, and violations are subject to injunction, as well as
administrative, civil and potentially criminal penalties. The effects of these
laws and regulations, as well as other laws or regulations that may be adopted
in the future, could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial
condition and results of operations.
The
company did not incur any material environmental costs in 2009, nor has the
company been notified of any material environmental obligations from any
governmental authorities.
Regulation
of the Oil and Gas Industry
The oil
and gas industry is extensively regulated by numerous federal, state and local
authorities. Legislation affecting the oil and gas industry is under constant
review for amendment or expansion, frequently increasing the regulatory burden.
Also, numerous departments and agencies, both federal and state, are authorized
by statute to issue rules and regulations binding on the oil and gas industry
and its individual members, some of which carry substantial penalties for
noncompliance. Although the regulatory burden on the oil and gas industry
increases our cost of doing business and, consequently, affects our
profitability, these burdens generally do not affect us any differently or to
any greater or lesser extent than they affect other companies in the industry
with similar types, quantities and locations of production.
Employees
As of
December 31, 2009, we had 11 full-time employees, all of which are located at
our headquarters in Pampa, Texas.
Item
1A. Risk Factors.
Crude
oil and natural gas prices are volatile and a substantial reduction in these
prices could adversely affect our results and the price of our common
stock.
Our
revenues, operating results and future rate of growth depend highly upon the
prices we receive for our crude oil and natural gas production. Historically,
the markets for crude oil and natural gas have been volatile, and these markets
are likely to continue to be volatile in the future. The markets and prices for
crude oil and natural gas depend on factors beyond our control. These factors
include demand for crude oil and natural gas, which fluctuates with changes in
market and economic conditions, and other factors, including:
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worldwide
and domestic supplies of crude oil and natural
gas;
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actions
taken by foreign oil and gas producing
nations;
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political
conditions and events (including instability or armed conflict) in crude
oil or natural gas producing
regions;
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the
level of global crude oil and natural gas
inventories;
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·
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the
price and level of foreign imports;
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·
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the
price and availability of alternative
fuels;
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·
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the
availability of pipeline capacity and
infrastructure;
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·
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the
availability or crude oil transportation and refining
capacity;
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·
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domestic
and foreign governmental regulations and taxes;
and
|
|
·
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the
overall economic environment.
|
Significant
declines in crude oil and natural gas prices for an extended period may have the
following effects on our business:
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·
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limiting
our financial condition, liquidity, ability to finance planned capital
expenditures and results of
operations;
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·
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reducing
the amount of crude oil and natural gas that we can produce
economically;
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·
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causing
us to delay or postpone some of our capital
projects;
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·
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reducing
our revenues, operating income and cash
flows;
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·
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reducing
the carrying value of our crude oil and natural gas properties;
or
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·
|
limiting
our access to sources of capital, such as equity and long-term
debt.
|
The
current economic environment could have a material adverse impact on our
financial position, results of operations and cash flows.
The oil
and gas industry is cyclical in nature and tends to reflect general economic
conditions. The US and other world economies are in an economic downturn which
could last well into 2010 and beyond. The current economic environment may lead
to significant fluctuations in demand and pricing for our crude oil and natural
gas production, such as the decline in commodity prices which occurred during
2008 and into 2009. If commodity prices continue to decline, there could be
impairments of our operating assets.
Our
business involves many operating risks that may result in substantial losses for
which insurance may be unavailable or inadequate.
Our
operations are subject to hazards and risks inherent in operating and restoring
oil and gas wells, such as fires, natural disasters, explosions, casing
collapses, surface cratering, pipeline ruptures or cement failures, and
environmental hazards such as natural gas leaks, oil spills and discharges of
toxic gases. Any of these risks can cause substantial losses resulting from
injury or loss of life, damage to or destruction of property, natural resources
and equipment, pollution and other environmental damages, regulatory
investigations and penalties, suspension of our operations and repair and
remediation costs. In addition, our liability for environmental hazards may
include conditions created by the previous owners of properties that we purchase
or lease.
We
maintain insurance coverage against some, but not all, potential losses. We do
not believe that insurance coverage for all environmental damages that could
occur is available at a reasonable cost. Losses could occur for uninsurable or
uninsured risks, or in amounts in excess of existing insurance coverage. The
occurrence of an event that is not fully covered by insurance could harm our
financial condition and results of operations.
Our
proved reserve estimates may be inaccurate and future net cash flows are
uncertain.
Estimates
of proved oil and gas reserves and their associated future net cash flow
necessarily depend on a number of variables and assumptions. Among others,
changes in any of the following factors may cause estimates to vary considerably
from actual results:
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·
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production
rates, reservoir pressure and other subsurface
information;
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·
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future
oil and gas prices;
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·
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assumed
effects of governmental regulation;
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·
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future
operating costs;
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·
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future
property, severance, excise and other taxes incidental to oil and gas
operations;
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·
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capital
expenditures; and
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·
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work-over
and remedial costs.
|
Our
business depends on natural gas transportation pipelines, most of which are
owned by others.
The
marketability of our natural gas production depends in large part on the
availability, proximity and capacity of pipeline systems owned by third parties.
The unavailability of or lack of available capacity on these systems and
facilities could result in the shut-in of producing wells or the delay or
discontinuance of development plans for properties. The lack of availability of
these facilities for an extended period of time could negatively affect our
revenues. Federal and state regulation of oil and natural gas production and
transportation, tax and energy policies, changes in supply and demand, pipeline
pressures, damage to or destruction of pipelines and general economic conditions
could adversely affect our ability to produce, gather and transport natural
gas.
Competition
in our industry is intense and many of our competitors have greater financial
and technological resources.
We
operate in the competitive area of oil and gas exploration and production. Many
of our competitors are large, well-established companies that have larger
operating staffs and significantly greater capital resources than we
do.
We
are subject to various governmental regulations and environmental risks that may
cause us to incur substantial costs.
From time
to time, in varying degrees, political developments and federal and state laws
and regulations affect our operations. In particular, price controls, taxes and
other laws relating to the crude oil and natural gas industry, changes in these
laws and changes in administrative regulations have affected and in the future
could affect crude oil and natural gas production, operations and economics. We
cannot predict how agencies or courts will interpret existing laws and
regulations or the effect these adoptions and interpretations may have on our
business or financial condition.
Our
business is subject to laws and regulations promulgated by federal, state and
local authorities relating to the exploration for, and the development,
production and marketing of, crude oil and natural gas, as well as to safety
matters. Legal requirements are frequently changed and subject to
interpretation, and we are unable to predict the ultimate cost of compliance
with these requirements or their effect on our operations. We may be required to
make significant expenditures to comply with governmental laws and
regulations.
Our
operations are subject to complex federal, state and local environmental laws
and regulations including, for example, in the case of federal laws, the
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, as
amended, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, as amended, the Oil
Pollution Act of 1990, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and the
Occupational Safety and Health Act. Environmental laws and regulations change
frequently and the implementation of new, or the modification of existing, laws
or regulations could negatively impact our operations. The discharge of natural
gas, crude oil, or other pollutants into the air, soil or water may give rise to
significant liabilities on our part to the government and third parties and may
require us to incur substantial costs of remediation. In addition, we may incur
costs and penalties in addressing regulatory agency procedures involving
instances of possible non-compliance.
Our
acquisition activities may not be successful, which may hinder our replacement
of reserves and adversely affect our results of operations.
Under
certain circumstances, we may pursue acquisitions of businesses that complement
or expand our current business and acquisition and development of new prospects
that complement or expand our prospect inventory. We may not be successful in
identifying or acquiring any material property interests, which could hinder us
in replacing our reserves and adversely affect our financial results and rate of
growth. Even if we do identify attractive opportunities, there is no assurance
that we will be able to complete the acquisition of the business or prospect on
commercially acceptable terms. If we do complete an acquisition, we must
anticipate difficulties in integrating its operations, systems, technology,
management and other personnel with our own. These difficulties may disrupt our
ongoing operations, distract our management and employees and increase our
expenses.
Competition
for experienced, technical personnel may negatively impact our
operations.
Our
exploratory and development drilling success depends, in part, on our ability to
attract and retain experienced professional personnel. The loss of any key
executives or other key personnel could have a material adverse effect on our
operations. In particular, the loss of the services of our President, Thomas
Grantham, could adversely affect our business, revenues and results of
operations. As we continue to grow our asset base and the scope of our
operations, our future profitability will depend on our ability to attract and
retain qualified personnel, particularly individuals with a strong background in
geology, geophysics, engineering and operations.
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.
Not
applicable.
Item
2. Properties.
Description
of Properties
The
Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Gryphon Production Company, LLC and
Gryphon Field Services, LLC, own 127 wells, of which 19 are water disposal wells
and 2 are gas wells, although “associated” gas is also produced from some oil
wells. As of December 31, 2009, approximately 70 oil wells are
actively producing. We also own and operate our 15.9 acre property,
with its shop, yard and office complex. Company equipment includes two work-over
rigs as well as other oil field related equipment.
In
addition, we own approximately 4,200 acres of production rights on six leases in
Gray county, which includes 3700 acres of developed acreage and 500 acres of
undeveloped acreage, approximately 300 acres of which was previously owned by
Mobil and approximately 200 acres of which are on the Worley Combs
lease. The six leases have the production rights for oil, casing-head
gas and natural gas.
Our
near-term plans include continued maintenance of existing wells, our primary
focus being to operate our properties and to enhance production by ongoing
treatment. Additionally, production is expected to increase by
remedial repairs that improve and prolong the production life of existing
wells. The Company also has plans to reenter certain abandoned wells,
which were taken out of production in earlier years due to extremely low oil and
gas prices, and bring oil and gas from these wells into the
market. Several of the leases need to be studied and reviewed for the
possibility of drilling the wells deeper to reach additional producing
strata. Feasibility studies are planned to consider drilling
replacement wells in the locations of wells that were previously plugged and
abandoned due to either low prices or integrity issues with the well bore
casing.
There are
approximately 500 acres of undeveloped leased property in Gray county that need
to be reviewed and studied for the possibility of drilling for new
production.
Proved
Reserves
The
following historical estimates of net proved natural gas and oil reserves are
based on reserve reports as of December 31, 2009 and December 31, 2008, both of
which were prepared by independent petroleum engineers. The reserve
report as of December 31, 2009 and 2008 were based on the average price during
the 12-month period ended December 31, 2009 and 2008, respectively, using the
first-day-of-the-month price for each month.
GSM,
INC., a registered petroleum engineering firm located in Amarillo, Texas,
prepared reports of estimated proved reserves of oil and natural gas for our net
interest in certain natural gas and oil properties.
A summary
of our proved natural gas and oil reserves, all of which are located in Gray
County, Texas, is presented below:
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|
December 31,
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Estimated
Proved Reserves
|
|
2009
|
|
|
2008
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Developed
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|
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Oil,
(Bbl)
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147,761
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108,609
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Natural
gas (Mcf)
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244,725
|
|
|
|
135,596
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|
Oil
and Gas Reserve Quantities
Proved
oil and gas reserves are those quantities of oil and gas, which, by analysis of
geoscience and engineering data, can be estimated with reasonable certainty to
be economically producible, based on prices used to estimate reserves, from a
given date forward from known reservoirs, and under existing economic
conditions, operating methods, and government regulation before the time of
which contracts providing the right to operate expire, unless evidence indicates
that renewal is reasonably certain. Proved developed reserves are proved
reserves expected to be recovered through existing wells with existing equipment
and operating methods or in which the cost of the required equipment is
relatively minor compared with the cost of a new well. Proved undeveloped
reserves are reserves that are expected to be recovered from new wells on
undrilled acreage, or from existing wells where a relatively large major
expenditure is required for recompletion.
The table
below represents the Company’s estimate of proved natural gas and oil reserves
attributable to the Company’s net interest in oil and gas properties, all of
which are located in Gray county, Texas, based upon the evaluation by the
Company and its independent petroleum engineers of pertinent geoscience and
engineering data in accordance with the SEC’s regulations. Estimates of all of
the Company’s proved reserves have been prepared by independent reservoir
engineers and geoscience professionals and are reviewed by members of the
Company’s senior management to ensure that the Company consistently applies
rigorous professional standards and the reserve definitions prescribed by the
SEC. Management has elected not to include probable and possible reserves in its
reserve studies and related disclosures.
Proved Developed
|
|
Net Oil
Reserves
(Barrels)
|
|
|
Net Gas
Reserves
(Mcf)
|
|
|
Total Future
Net Revenue
|
|
|
Total
Future
Projected
Cost
|
|
|
Total Future
Severance &
Ad Valorem
Taxes
|
|
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Future Net
cash flow
|
|
|
Discounted
Per Annum
as 10%
|
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2009
|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Producing
|
|
|
147,761
|
|
|
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244,725
|
|
|
$
|
10,093,399
|
|
|
$
|
5,141,946
|
|
|
$
|
915,463
|
|
|
$
|
4,035,990
|
|
|
$
|
2,053,848
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2008
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Producing
|
|
|
108,609
|
|
|
|
135,596
|
|
|
$
|
12,273,800
|
|
|
$
|
5,731,439
|
|
|
$
|
1,105,837
|
|
|
$
|
5,436,522
|
|
|
$
|
2,774,911
|
|
Standardized Measure of
Discounted Future Net Cash Flows (Unaudited)
The
standardized measure of discounted cash flows and summary of the changes in the
standardized measure computation from year to year are prepared in accordance
with ASC Topic 932. The assumptions that underlie the computation of the
standardized measure of discounted cash flows may be summarized as
follows:
|
•
|
the
standardized measure includes the Company’s estimate of proved oil,
natural gas and natural gas liquids reserves and projected future
production volumes based upon economic
conditions;
|
|
•
|
pricing
is applied based upon 12-month average market prices at December 31,
2009 and December 31, 2008. The calculated weighted average per unit
prices for the Company’s proved reserves and future net revenues were as
follows:
|
|
|
At December 31,
|
|
|
|
2009
|
|
|
2008
|
|
Oil
(per barrel)
|
|
$
|
57.24
|
|
|
$
|
97.01
|
|
Natural
gas (per Mcf)
|
|
$
|
6.68
|
|
|
$
|
12.79
|
|
|
•
|
future
development and production costs are determined based upon actual cost at
year-end;
|
|
•
|
the
standardized measure includes projections of future abandonment costs
based upon actual costs at
year-end; and
|
|
•
|
a
discount factor of 10% per year is applied annually to the future net
cash flows.
|
Production
and Price History
|
|
For Year Ended December 31,
|
|
|
|
2009
|
|
|
2008*
|
|
|
|
2007*
|
|
Production:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oil
Sales (Bbl)
|
|
|
11,600
|
|
|
|
24,114
|
|
|
|
23,120
|
|
Natural
Gas Sales (Mcf)
|
|
|
14,612
|
|
|
|
48,759
|
|
|
|
55,831
|
|
Average
Sales Price:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oil,
per Bbl
|
|
$
|
52.21
|
|
|
$
|
82.92
|
|
|
$
|
73.09
|
|
Gas,
per MMCF
|
|
$
|
6.10
|
|
|
$
|
7.22
|
|
|
$
|
7.11
|
|
Expenses
per Bble:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lease
Operating Expenses
|
|
$
|
49.35
|
|
|
$
|
40.39
|
|
|
$
|
34.55
|
|
Production
Taxes
|
|
$
|
2.59
|
|
|
$
|
3.34
|
|
|
$
|
3.25
|
|
* On July
22, 2008, effective as of June 1, 2008, the Company sold oil and gas wells
accounting for approximately 84% of our oil and gas production to Legacy
Reserves Operating LP (“Legacy”). Please see Note 8 of the Notes to
the Financial Statements for further details.
Item
3. Legal Proceedings.
None.
Item
4. Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related Shareholder Matters and Issuer
Purchases of Equity Securities.
(a)
Principal Market or Markets: The Company's common stock trades under the symbol
CHAG.OB on the OTC Bulletin Board.
High and
low bids for the Company's common stock on the OTC Bulletin Board for the
previous eight quarters are shown below.
Class
|
Quarter Ended
|
|
High*
|
|
|
Low*
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Common
|
Mar.
31, 2009
|
|
|
0.12
|
|
|
|
0.01
|
|
Common
|
June
30, 2009
|
|
|
0.05
|
|
|
|
0.02
|
|
Common
|
Sept.
30, 2009
|
|
|
0.07
|
|
|
|
0.02
|
|
Common
|
Dec.
31, 2009
|
|
|
0.08
|
|
|
|
0.03
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Common
|
Mar.
31, 2008
|
|
|
0.15
|
|
|
|
0.05
|
|
Common
|
June
30, 2008
|
|
|
0.20
|
|
|
|
0.04
|
|
Common
|
Sept.
30, 2008
|
|
|
0.15
|
|
|
|
0.02
|
|
Common
|
Dec.
31, 2008
|
|
|
0.10
|
|
|
|
0.05
|
|
*Quotations
reflect inter-dealer prices, without retail mark-up, mark-down or commission and
may not necessarily represent actual transactions.
(b)
Common Stock: On December 31, 2009, there were 65,124,980 shares of common stock
issued and outstanding, which were held by more than 400 stockholders of record
excluding individuals holding securities in street name.
The
Company has never paid cash dividends on its common stock and currently intends
to continue its policy of retaining all of its earnings for use in its
business.
(c)
Preferred Stock: The Company at December 31, 2009 had -0- preferred shares
issued and outstanding.
Item 5. Selected Financial
Data.
Not
applicable.
Item
6. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations.
DISCLOSURE
REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Throughout
this report, we make statements that may be deemed "forward-looking" statements
within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, that address
activities, events, outcomes and other matters that Chancellor plans, expects,
intends, assumes, believes, budgets, predicts, forecasts, projects, estimates or
anticipates (and other similar expressions) will, should or may occur in the
future are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are
based on management's current belief, based on currently available information,
as to the outcome and timing of future events. When considering forward-looking
statements, you should keep in mind the risk factors and other cautionary
statements in this report.
We
caution you that these forward-looking statements are subject to all of the
risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, incident to the
exploration for and development, production and sale of oil and gas. These risks
include, but are not limited to, commodity price volatility, inflation, lack of
availability of goods and services, environmental risks, operating
risks, regulatory changes, the uncertainty inherent in estimating proved oil and
natural gas reserves and in projecting future rates of production and timing of
development expenditures and other risks described herein, the effects of
existing or continued deterioration in economic conditions in the United States
or the markets in which we operate, and acts of war or terrorism inside the
United States or abroad.
BACKGROUND
We are in
the business of acquisition, exploration, and development of natural gas and oil
properties. On April 16, 2007, we completed an initial acquisition of
oil and gas leases and related facilities and equipment as described below under
“Plan of Operation.” This acquisition was financed with debt provided by two
Texas financial institutions. On October 30, 2007, we had filed for
reorganization under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code with the
United States Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of Texas. We operated the
Company in the bankruptcy proceeding until August 15, 2008, when the Court
issued an order dismissing the bankruptcy cases of the Company and of its two
operating subsidiaries, Gryphon Production Company, LLC and Gryphon Field
Services, LLC.
On July
22, 2008, we entered into an Agreement, effective as of June 1, 2008 with Legacy
Reserves Operating, LP (“Legacy”) for the sale of oil and gas wells accounting
for approximately 84% of our oil and gas production to Legacy for a purchase
price of $13,250,000. At the August 29, 2008 closing under this Agreement with
Legacy, the principal amount of the notes held by the two Texas
lenders that provided the financing for our initial acquisition of oil and gas
leases, plus accrued interest thereon to the date of closing, were paid in
full.
Our
common stock is quoted on the Over-The-Counter market and trades under the
symbol CHAG.OB. As of March 29, 2010, there were 64,884,980 shares of
our common stock issued and outstanding.
Twelve
Months Ended December 31, 2009 Compared to Twelve Months Ended December 31,
2008
During
the period ending December 31, 2008, we produced and sold 24,114 barrels of oil
and produced and sold 48,759 mcf gas, generating $1,760,025 revenues, after
royalties paid, with a one month lag in receipt of revenues for the prior months
sales, as compared with 11,600 barrels of oil and 14,612 mcf of gas, generating
$694,667 in gross revenues in 2009. Effective June 1, 2008, we sold
producing properties with 173 producing wells to Legacy. We had 84
wells actually producing oil and gas on December 31, 2008 and had 70 wells
actually producing oil and gas on December 31, 2009. The terms of our loan
agreement for the initial acquisition of our oil and gas properties required us
to hedge initial oil production; we purchased two 1000 barrel hedge contracts
covering the first 24 months production at a cost of $88,900. We
realized ($18,484) and $71,160, respectively in 2008 and 2009 in net hedge
income (loss) from those hedge contracts.
We had
stockholders' equity in the amount of $3,387,861 at December 31,
2009.
RESULTS
OF OPERATIONS
The
Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Gryphon Production Company, LLC and
Gryphon Field Services, LLC, own 127 wells, of which 19 are water disposal wells
and 2 are gas wells, although “associated” gas is also produced from some oil
wells. As of December 31, 2009, approximately 70 oil wells are
actively producing. We also own and operate our 15.9 acre property,
with its shop, yard and office complex. Company equipment includes two work-over
rigs as well as other oil field related equipment.
In
addition, we own approximately 4,200 acres of production rights on six leases in
Gray County, which includes 500 acres of undrilled acreage, approximately 300
acres of which was previously owned by Mobil, and the balance of approximately
200 acres on the Worley Combs lease. The six leases have the
production rights for oil, casing-head gas and natural gas.
Our
near-term plans include continued maintenance of existing wells, our primary
focus being to operate our properties and to enhance production by ongoing
treatment. Additionally, production is expected to increase by
remedial repairs that improve and prolong the production life of existing
wells. The Company also has plans to reenter certain abandoned wells,
which were taken out of production in earlier years due to extremely low oil and
gas prices, and bring oil and gas from these wells into the
market. Several of the leases need to be studied and reviewed for the
possibility of drilling the wells deeper to reach additional producing
strata. Feasibility studies are planned to consider drilling
replacement wells in the locations of wells that were previously plugged and
abandoned due to either low prices or integrity issues with the well bore
casing. There is approximately 500 acres of undeveloped leased
property in Gray county that needs to be reviewed and studied for the
possibility of drilling for new production.
We expect
to generate future growth in reserves and production both through development
and possibly seeking to acquire properties that complement and enhance our
inventory of development, exploitation and exploration projects. We plan to
focus on evaluating purchases of underdeveloped properties in our core areas of
expertise either through negotiated property acquisitions or acquisitions of
companies with oil and natural gas properties.
The
following table is for the twelve months ended:
|
|
December 31, 2009
|
|
|
December 31, 2008
|
|
Oil
and Gas Sales:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oil
Sales (Bbl)
|
|
|
11,600
|
|
|
|
24,114
|
|
Natural
Gas Sales (Mcf)
|
|
|
14,612
|
|
|
|
48,759
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Average
Sales Price:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oil,
per Bbl
|
|
$
|
52.21
|
|
|
$
|
82.92
|
|
Gas,
per MMCF
|
|
$
|
6.10
|
|
|
$
|
7.22
|
|
There is
no assurance that management will be able to continue to increase production, or
to maintain current production levels.
Generally,
in managing our business we must deal with many factors inherent in our
industry. First and foremost is wide fluctuation of oil and gas prices. Oil and
gas markets are cyclical and volatile, with future price movements difficult to
predict. While our revenues are a function of both production and prices, wide
swings in prices often have the greatest impact on our results of
operations.
Our
operations entail significant complexities. Advanced technologies requiring
highly trained personnel are utilized in restoration of wells and production.
The oil and gas industry is highly competitive. We compete with major and
diversified energy companies, independent oil and gas companies, and individual
operators. In addition, the industry as a whole competes with other businesses
that supply energy to industrial, commercial, and residential end users. Our
ability to recruit and retain experienced personnel is vital to the success of
our endeavors.
We have
not experienced significant impacts on our operations from increases in general
inflation other than for specific commodities and employee health care
costs. Many economists predict increased inflation in coming years
due to U.S. and international monetary policy, and there is no assurance that
inflation will not impact our business in the future.
Liquidity & Capital
Resources
As of
December 31, 2009 the Company had $1,404,694 of cash on
hand. We had a retained earnings of $14,024 and had a
stockholders' equity of $3,387,861 at December 31, 2009.
Cash Flows from
Operations
As
reported in the consolidated statement of cash flows for the year ended December
31, 2009, the Company reported net cash used for operating activities of
($936,647), which is an accumulation of net cash flows used for operations over
the past four quarters during 2009, as approximately follows:
Quarter Ended 2009
|
|
Amount
|
|
|
Quarterly Average Per Month
|
|
1
st
|
|
$
|
(474,000
|
)
|
|
$
|
158,000
|
|
2
nd
|
|
|
(315,000
|
)
|
|
$
|
105,000
|
|
3
rd
|
|
|
(85,000
|
)
|
|
$
|
28,000
|
|
4
th
|
|
|
(63,000
|
)
|
|
$
|
21,000
|
|
Net
Cash Used for Operations
|
|
$
|
(937,000
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
Since the
beginning of the second quarter 2009, after oil and gas prices stabilized from
their rapid declines from their all time highs in late 2008, management of the
Company has continued to make significant reductions in the Company’s operating
expenses and management expects to continue to improve its cash flows from
operating activities going into 2010.
CRITICAL
ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The
Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) recently issued "Financial
Reporting Release No. 60 Cautionary Advice Regarding Disclosure About
Critical Accounting Policies" ("FRR 60"), suggesting companies provide
additional disclosures, discussion and commentary on those accounting policies
considered most critical to its business and financial reporting
requirements. FRR 60 considers an accounting policy to be critical if
it is important to the Company's financial condition and results of operations,
and requires significant judgment and estimates on the part of management in the
application of the policy. For a summary of the Company's significant
accounting policies, including the critical accounting policies discussed below,
please refer to the accompanying notes to the financial statements provided in
this annual report on Form 10-K.
In
January 2010, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued ASU 2010-03 to
align the oil and gas reserve estimation and disclosure requirements of
Extractive Industries — Oil and Gas Topic of the Accounting Standards
Codification with the requirements in the SEC’s final rule,
Modernization of the Oil and Gas
Reporting Requirements.
We implemented ASU 2010-03 as of December 31,
2009. Key items in the new rules include changes to the pricing used
to estimate reserves and calculate the full cost ceiling limitation, whereby a
12-month average price is used rather than a single day spot price, the use of
new technology for determining reserves, the ability to include nontraditional
resources in reserves and the ability to disclose probable and possible
reserves. Management has elected not to include probable and possible
reserves in its reserve studies and related disclosures.
Asset
retirement obligations represent the estimated future abandonment costs of
tangible long-lived assets. We estimate the fair value of an asset’s
retirement obligation in the period in which the liability is incurred, if a
reasonable estimate can be made. We employ a present value technique
to estimate the fair value of an asset retirement obligation, which reflects
certain assumptions, including an inflation rate, our credit-adjusted, risk-free
interest rate, the estimated settlement date of the liability and the estimated
current cost to settle the liability based on third-party quotes and current
actual costs. Changes in timing or to the original estimate of cash
flows will result in changes to the carrying amount of the
liability.
The
process of estimating quantities of oil and gas reserves is complex, requiring
significant decisions in the evaluation of all available geological,
geophysical, engineering and economic data. The data for a given field may also
change substantially over time as a result of numerous factors including, but
not limited to, additional development activity, evolving production history and
continual reassessment of the viability of production under varying economic
conditions. As a result, material revisions to existing reserve estimates may
occur from time to time. Although every reasonable effort is made to ensure that
reserve estimates reported represent the most accurate assessments possible, the
subjective decisions and variances in available data for various fields make
these estimates generally less precise than other estimates included in the
financial statement disclosures.
Off-Balance
Sheet Arrangements:
There are
no off-balance sheet transactions, arrangements, obligations (including
contingent obligations), or other relationships of the Company with
unconsolidated entities or other persons that have, or may have, a material
effect on our financial condition, changes in financial condition, revenues or
expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital
resources.
Item
6A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.
Interest
Rate Risk - Interest rate risk refers to fluctuations in the value of a security
resulting from changes in the general level of interest rates. Investments that
are classified as cash and cash equivalents have original maturities of three
months or less. Our interest income is sensitive to changes in the general level
of U.S. interest rates. Due to the short-term nature of our
investments, we believe that there is not a material risk exposure.
Credit
Risk - Our accounts receivables are subject, in the normal course of business,
to collection risks. We regularly assess these risks and have established
policies and business practices to protect against the adverse effects of
collection risks. As a result we do not anticipate any material losses in this
area.
Commodity
Price Risk – We are exposed to market risks related to price volatility of crude
oil and natural gas. The prices of crude oil and natural gas affect our
revenues, since sales of crude oil and natural gas comprise all of the
components of our revenues. A decline in crude oil and natural gas
prices will likely reduce our revenues, unless we implement offsetting
production increases. We do not use derivative commodity instruments for trading
purposes.
The
prices of the commodities that the Company produces are unsettled at this
time. At times the prices seem to be drift down and then either
increase or stabilize for a few days. Current price movement seems to
be slightly up but with the prices of the traditionally marketed products
(gasoline, diesel, and natural gas as feed stocks for various industries, power
generation, and heating) are not showing material increases. Although
prices are difficult to predict in the current environment, the Company
maintains the expectation that demand for its products will continue to increase
for the foreseeable future due to the underlying factors that oil and natural
gas based commodities are both sources of raw energy and are fuels that are
easily portable.
Item
7. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.
CHANCELLOR
GROUP, INC.
CONSOLIDATED
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
December
31, 2009 and 2008
CHANCELLOR
GROUP, INC.
Consolidated
Financial Statements
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
|
Page
|
Report
of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
|
16
|
Consolidated
Balance Sheets
|
17
|
Consolidated
Statements of Operations
|
18
|
Consolidated
Statements of Stockholders’ Equity
|
19
|
Consolidated
Statements of Cash Flows
|
20
|
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
|
21
|
Larry
O'Donnell, CPA, P.C.
Telephone
(303) 745-4545
2228
South Fraser Street
Fax (303)
369-9384
Unit
I
Email
larryodonnellcpa@comcast.net
Aurora,
Colorado 80014
www.larryodonnellcpa.com
REPORT
OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
Board
of Directors
Chancellor
Group, Inc.
I have
audited the accompanying balance sheet of Chancellor Group, Inc. as
of December 31, 2009 and 2008, and the related statements of operations, changes
in stockholders’ deficit and cash flows for each years then
ended. These financial statements are the responsibility of the
Company’s management. My responsibility is to express an opinion on
these financial statements based on my audits.
I
conducted my audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company
Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require
that I plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether
the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit
includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and
disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes
assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by
management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement
presentation. I believe that my audits provide a reasonable basis for
my opinion.
In my
opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all
material respects, the financial position of Chancellor Group, Inc. as of
December 31, 2009 and 2008, and the results of its operations and its cash flows
for the years then ended, in conformity with generally accepted accounting
principles in the United States of America.
/s/ Larry
O’Donnell, CPA, P.C.
Larry
O’Donnell, CPA, P.C.
March 25,
2010
CHANCELLOR
GROUP, INC.
Consolidated
Balance Sheets
December
31, 2009 and 2008
|
|
2009
|
|
|
2008
|
|
ASSETS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current
Assets
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash
in Bank
|
|
$
|
1,404,695
|
|
|
$
|
2,531,525
|
|
Revenue
Receivable
|
|
|
74,344
|
|
|
|
201,455
|
|
Prepaid
Insurance
|
|
|
54,803
|
|
|
|
23,665
|
|
Federal
Income Tax Receivable
|
|
|
49,502
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
Total
Current Assets
|
|
|
1,583,344
|
|
|
|
2,756,645
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fixed
Assets
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Leasehold
Costs – Developed
|
|
|
1,570,584
|
|
|
|
1,396,252
|
|
Office
Building & Equipment
|
|
|
134,630
|
|
|
|
132,065
|
|
Fleet
– Road
|
|
|
202,723
|
|
|
|
218,661
|
|
Heavy
Field Equipment & Tools
|
|
|
458,465
|
|
|
|
442,747
|
|
Accumulated
Depreciation and Amortization
|
|
|
(521,410
|
)
|
|
|
(262,479
|
)
|
Total
Fixed Assets
|
|
|
1,844,992
|
|
|
|
1,927,246
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other
Assets
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Unamortized
Letter of Credit
|
|
|
2,944
|
|
|
|
833
|
|
Prepaid
Long Term Hedge
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
11,100
|
|
Deposits
|
|
|
250
|
|
|
|
4,975
|
|
Total
Other Assets
|
|
|
3,194
|
|
|
|
16,908
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
Assets
|
|
$
|
3,431,530
|
|
|
$
|
4,700,799
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
LIABILITIES
AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current
Liabilities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Due
to Related Party
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
36,500
|
|
Accounts
Payable
|
|
|
40,414
|
|
|
|
224,598
|
|
Accrued
Expenses
|
|
|
1,653
|
|
|
|
5,949
|
|
Federal
and State Income Tax Payable
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
116,903
|
|
Stock
Subscriptions Payable
|
|
|
1,602
|
|
|
|
1,602
|
|
Total
Current Liabilities
|
|
|
43,669
|
|
|
|
385,552
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Long
Term Liabilities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Deferred
Tax Liability
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
126,802
|
|
Total
Long Term Liabilities
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
126,802
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stockholders’
Equity
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Common
Stock; $.001 par value, 250,000,000 shares authorized, 65,124,980 and
65,232,781 shares issued and outstanding, respectively
|
|
|
65,125
|
|
|
|
65,233
|
|
Paid
in Capital
|
|
|
3,308,713
|
|
|
|
3,229,905
|
|
Retained
Earnings (Deficit)
|
|
|
929,807
|
|
|
|
(4,045,659
|
)
|
Treasury
Stock, 1,000,000 shares
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(36,500
|
)
|
Net
Income (Loss)
|
|
|
(915,784
|
)
|
|
|
4,975,466
|
|
Total
Stockholders’ Equity
|
|
|
3,387,861
|
|
|
|
4,188,445
|
|
Total
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
|
|
$
|
3,431,530
|
|
|
$
|
4,700,799
|
|
See Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
CHANCELLOR
GROUP, INC.
Consolidated
Statements of Operations
Years
Ended December 31, 2009 and 2008
|
|
2009
|
|
|
2008
|
|
Sales
– Net of Royalties Paid:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oil
|
|
$
|
605,548
|
|
|
$
|
1,408,179
|
|
Natural
Gas
|
|
|
89,119
|
|
|
|
351,846
|
|
Gross
Revenue
|
|
|
694,667
|
|
|
|
1,760,025
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Less:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Severance
Taxes
|
|
|
36,383
|
|
|
|
107,664
|
|
Marketing
Fees
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
3,460
|
|
Royalties
Paid
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
44,468
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
Revenue
|
|
|
658,284
|
|
|
|
1,604,433
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating
Expenses:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lease
Operating Expenses
|
|
|
302,887
|
|
|
|
1,302,138
|
|
Other
Operating Expenses
|
|
|
708,601
|
|
|
|
919,477
|
|
Administrative
Expenses
|
|
|
571,410
|
|
|
|
443,082
|
|
Depreciation
and Amortization
|
|
|
263,495
|
|
|
|
397,254
|
|
Total
Operating Expenses
|
|
|
1,846,393
|
|
|
|
3,061,951
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income
(Loss) From Operations
|
|
|
(1,188,109
|
)
|
|
|
(1,457,518
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other
Income (Expense):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interest
Income
|
|
|
18,651
|
|
|
|
6,707
|
|
Other
Income
|
|
|
23,905
|
|
|
|
38,971
|
|
Gain
(Loss) on Sales of Assets, net of selling costs
|
|
|
(6,557
|
)
|
|
|
7,326,208
|
|
Hedge
Income, net of amortization
|
|
|
71,160
|
|
|
|
(18,484
|
)
|
Total
Other Income (Expense)
|
|
|
107,159
|
|
|
|
7,353,402
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Financing
Charges:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interest
Expense
|
|
|
(375
|
)
|
|
|
(597,417
|
)
|
Bank
Fees Amortization
|
|
|
(10,763
|
)
|
|
|
(70,848
|
)
|
Total
Financing Charges
|
|
|
(11,138
|
)
|
|
|
(668,265
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income
(Loss) Before Provision for Income Taxes
|
|
|
(1,092,088
|
)
|
|
|
5,227,619
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Provision
for Income Taxes
|
|
|
(176,304
|
)
|
|
|
252,153
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
Income (Loss)
|
|
$
|
(915,784
|
)
|
|
$
|
4,975,466
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
Income (Loss) per Share
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Basic
and Fully Diluted
|
|
$
|
(0.01
|
)
|
|
$
|
0.0771
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weighted
Average Number of Common Shares Outstanding
|
|
|
65,140,364
|
|
|
|
64,511,585
|
|
*
|
Less
than $.01 per Share
|
See Notes
to Unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements
CHANCELLOR
GROUP, INC.
Consolidated
Statements of Stockholders’ Equity
For
The Twenty Four Months Ended December 31, 2009
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Retained
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMMON
|
|
|
STOCK
|
|
|
PERFERRED
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Earnings/
|
|
|
Total
|
|
|
|
Par Value
|
|
|
$.001
|
|
|
Series B
|
|
|
Paid in
|
|
|
TREASURY
|
|
|
TREASURY
|
|
|
(Accumulated
|
|
|
Stockholders’
|
|
|
|
Shares
|
|
|
Amount
|
|
|
Amount
|
|
|
Capital
|
|
|
Shares
|
|
|
Amount
|
|
|
Deficit)
|
|
|
Equity
|
|
Balance
at December 31, 2007
|
|
|
64,802,781
|
|
|
$
|
64,803
|
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
3,221,735
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
(4,045,659
|
)
|
|
$
|
(759,121
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Compensatory
Stock Issuances
|
|
|
430,000
|
|
|
|
430
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
8,170
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
8,600
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Treasury
Stock Acquired
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(1,000,000
|
)
|
|
|
(36,500
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(36,500
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
Income (Loss) for the Year
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
4,975,466
|
|
|
|
4,975,466
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Balance
at December 31, 2008
|
|
|
65,232,781
|
|
|
$
|
65,233
|
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
3,229,905
|
|
|
|
(1,000,000
|
)
|
|
$
|
(36,500
|
)
|
|
$
|
929,807
|
|
|
$
|
4,188,445
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Compensatory
Stock
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Issuances
|
|
|
(107,801
|
)
|
|
|
(108
|
)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
78,808
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
78,700
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Treasury
Stock Repurchased
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
1,000,000
|
|
|
|
36,500
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
36,500
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
Income (Loss) for the Year
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(915,784
|
)
|
|
|
(915,784
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Balance
at December 31, 2009
|
|
|
65,124,980
|
|
|
$
|
65,125
|
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
3,308,713
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
14,023
|
|
|
$
|
3,387,861
|
|
See Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
CHANCELLOR
GROUP, INC.
Consolidated
Statements of Cash Flows
Years
Ended December 31, 2009 and 2008
|
|
2009
|
|
|
2008
|
|
Cash
Flows From Operating Activities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
Income (Loss)
|
|
$
|
(915,784
|
)
|
|
$
|
4,975,466
|
|
Adjustments
to Reconcile Net Income (Loss) to Net Cash Provided by (Used for)
Operating Activities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Depreciation
and Amortization
|
|
|
263,495
|
|
|
|
421,940
|
|
Deferred
Income Taxes (Benefit)
|
|
|
(176,304
|
)
|
|
|
126,803
|
|
Non-Cash
Stock Compensation
|
|
|
78,700
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
(Gain)
Loss on Sales of Assets
|
|
|
6,557
|
|
|
|
(7,326,208
|
)
|
(Increase)
Decrease in Operating Assets
|
|
|
111,798
|
|
|
|
51,064
|
|
Increase
(Decrease) in Operating Liabilities
|
|
|
(305,109
|
)
|
|
|
(113,750
|
)
|
Net
Cash Provided by (Used for) Operating Activities
|
|
|
(936,647
|
)
|
|
|
(1,864,685
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash
Flows From Investing Activities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Proceeds
from Sales of Assets, net of selling costs
|
|
|
28,000
|
|
|
|
11,004,471
|
|
Other
Capital Expenditures Acquired
|
|
|
(218,183
|
)
|
|
|
(860,565
|
)
|
Net
Cash Provided by (Used for) Investing Activities
|
|
|
(190,183
|
)
|
|
|
10,143,906
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash
Flows From Financing Activities
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Notes
Payable
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(5,974,414
|
)
|
Paid
in Capital
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
430
|
|
Common
Stock
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
8,170
|
|
Net
Cash Provided by (Used for) Financing Activities
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
(5,965,814
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
Increase (Decrease) in Cash
|
|
|
(1,126,830
|
)
|
|
|
2,313,407
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash
at the Beginning of the Year
|
|
|
2,531,525
|
|
|
|
218,118
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash
at the End of the Year
|
|
$
|
1,404,695
|
|
|
$
|
2,531,525
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Supplemental
Disclosures of Cash Flows Information
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interest
Paid
|
|
$
|
375
|
|
|
$
|
710,455
|
|
Income
Taxes Paid
|
|
$
|
116,903
|
|
|
$
|
8,446
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Non-Cash
Investing and Financing Transactions
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Treasury
Stock Acquired (Disbursed) in Exchange for Amount Due to Related
Party
|
|
$
|
(36,500
|
)
|
|
$
|
36,500
|
|
See Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
CHANCELLOR
GROUP, INC.
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
December
31, 2009 and 2008
NOTE
1. ORGANIZATION, OPERATIONS AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING
POLICIES:
Organization
Chancellor
Group, Inc. (the "Company", “our”, “we”, “Chancellor” or the “Company”) was
incorporated in the state of Utah on May 2, 1986, and then, on December 30,
1993, dissolved as a Utah corporation and reincorporated as a Nevada
corporation. The Company's primary business purpose is to engage in the
acquisition, exploration and development of oil and gas production. On March 26,
1996, the Company's corporate name was changed from Nighthawk Capital, Inc. to
Chancellor Group, Inc. The Company’s headquarters is in Pampa,
Texas.
Operations
The
Company is licensed by the Texas Railroad Commission as an oil and gas producer
and operator. The Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Gryphon Production
Company, LLC and Gryphon Field Services, LLC, own 127 wells in Gray county,
Texas, of which 19 are water disposal wells and 2 are gas wells, although
“associated” gas is also produced from some oil wells. As of December
31, 2009, approximately 70 oil wells and 2 gas wells are actively
producing. We also own and operate our 15.9 acre property, with its
shop, yard and office complex. Company equipment includes two work-over rigs as
well as other oil field related equipment.
In
addition, we own approximately 4,200 acres of production rights on six leases in
Gray county, which includes 500 acres of undrilled acreage, approximately 300
acres of which was previously owned by Mobil and approximately 200 acres of
which is on the Worley Combs lease. The six leases have the
production rights for oil, casing-head gas and natural gas.
We
produced a total of 11,160 barrels of oil and 14,612 mcf of gas in the year
ended December 31, 2009. The oil is light sweet crude and the natural gas has
very high heat content, 1600 to 2600 btu/scf.
Significant Accounting
Policies
Principles of
Consolidation
The
accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of
Chancellor Group, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries: Gryphon Production
Company, LLC, and Gryphon Field Services, LLC. These entities are collectively
hereinafter referred to as "the Company". Any inter-company accounts and
transactions have been eliminated.
Accounting
Year
The
Company employs a calendar accounting year. The Company recognizes income and
expenses based on the accrual method of accounting under generally accepted
accounting principles.
Use of
Estimates
The
preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted
accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that
affect reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent
assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported
amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results
could differ from those estimates.
Products and Services,
Geographic Areas and Major Customers
The
Company plans to further develop its domestic oil and gas properties, located in
Gray County, Texas, and possibly to acquire additional producing oil and gas
properties. The Company’s major customers, to which the majority of its oil and
gas production is sold, are Plains Marketing and DCP Midstream.
Net Income (loss) per
share
The net
income (loss) per share is computed by dividing the net income (loss) by the
weighted average number of shares of common outstanding. Warrants, stock
options, and common stock issuable upon the conversion of the Company's
preferred stock (if any), are not included in the computation if the effect
would be anti-dilutive and would increase the earnings or decrease loss per
share.
Cash and Cash
Equivalents
The
Company considers all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of
three months or less as cash equivalents.
Included
in cash in bank at December 31, 2009 are deposits totaling $250,000, which are
assigned and held as collateral for a letter of credit issued to the Railroad
Commission of Texas as required for its oil and gas activities.
Accounts
Receivable
The
Company reviews accounts receivable periodically for collectibles, establishes
an allowance for doubtful accounts and records bad debt expense when deemed
necessary.
Property and
Equipment
Property
and equipment are recorded at cost and depreciated under the straight line
method over the estimated useful life of the equipment. The estimated useful
life of leasehold costs, equipment and tools ranges from five to seven
years. The useful life of the office building and warehouse is
estimated to be twenty years.
Oil and Gas
Properties
The
Company follows the successful efforts method of accounting for its oil and gas
activities. Under this accounting method, costs associated with the acquisition,
drilling and equipping of successful exploratory and development wells are
capitalized. Geological and geophysical costs, delay rentals and drilling costs
of unsuccessful exploratory wells are charged to expense as incurred. The
carrying value of mineral leases is depleted over the minimum estimated
productive life of the leases, or ten years. Undeveloped properties are
periodically assessed for possible impairment due to un-recoverability of costs
invested. Cash received for partial conveyances of property interests
is treated as a recovery of cost and no gain or loss is recognized.
Depletion
The
carrying value of the mineral leases is depleted over the minimum estimated
productive life of the leases, or ten years.
Income
Taxes
Deferred
income taxes are provided on a liability method whereby deferred tax assets are
recognized for deductible temporary differences and operating loss
carry-forwards and deferred tax liabilities are recognized for taxable temporary
differences. Temporary differences are the differences between the reported
amounts of assets and liabilities and their tax bases, primarily depreciation
and amortization. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation
allowance when, in the opinion of management, it is more likely than not that
some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. Deferred
tax assets and liabilities are adjusted for the effects of changes in tax laws
and rates on the date of enactment.
Revenue
Recognition
The
Company recognizes revenue when a product is sold to a customer, either for cash
or as evidenced by an obligation on the part of the customer to
pay.
Financial
Instruments
The
carrying value of the Company's financial instruments, including cash and cash
equivalents, accounts receivable and accounts payable and long term debt, as
reported in the accompanying balance sheet, approximates fair
value.
Employee Stock-Based
Compensation
The
Company uses the intrinsic value method of accounting for employee stock-based
compensation.
Recent Accounting
Pronouncements
In June
2009, the FASB issued Statement No. 168, “
The FASB Accounting Standards
Codification and the Hierarchy of Generally Accepted Accounting
Principles
”, which was primarily codified into Topic 105 “
Generally Accepted Accounting
Standards
” in the ASC. This standard will become the single
source of authoritative nongovernmental U.S. generally accepted accounting
principles ("GAAP"), superseding existing FASB, American Institute of Certified
Public Accountants ("AICPA"), Emerging Issues Task Force ("EITF"), and related
accounting literature. This guidance reorganizes the thousands of
GAAP pronouncements into roughly 90 accounting topics and displays them using a
consistent structure. Also included is relevant Securities and Exchange
Commission guidance organized using the same topical structure in separate
sections. This guidance is effective for financial statements issued
for reporting periods that end after September 15, 2009. Beginning in the third
quarter of the Company’s 2009 fiscal year, this guidance impacts the Company’s
financial statements and related disclosures as all references to authoritative
accounting literature reflect the newly adopted codification.
In
September 2006, the FASB issued SFAS 157, “
Fair Value Measurements
”, as
amended in February 2008 by FASB Staff Position FAS 157-2, which was primarily
codified into Topic 820 “
Fair
Value Measurements
” of the FASB Accounting Standards Codification
(“ASC”). The guidance defines fair value, establishes a framework for
measuring fair value, and expands disclosures about fair value
measurements. FSP FAS 157-2 defers the effective date of SFAS 157 for
all nonfinancial assets and liabilities, except those items recognized or
disclosed at fair value on an annual or more frequently recurring basis, until
January 1, 2009. As such, management partially adopted the provisions of SFAS
157 effective January 1, 2008. The partial adoption of this statement did not
have a material impact on the financial statements. Management adopted the
remaining provisions of SFAS 157 beginning in 2009. The adoption of
the remaining provisions did not have a material impact on the consolidated
financial statements.
Effective
for the period ended September 30, 2009, the Company implemented Financial
Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Staff Position FAS 107-1 and APB 28-1,
“
Interim Disclosures about
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
” (“FSP FAS 107-1 and APB 28-1”),
which amends SFAS No. 107, “
Disclosures about Fair Value of
Financial Instruments
,” and Accounting Principles Board Opinion 28,
“
Interim Financial
Reporting
,”, which was primarily codified into Topic 820 “
Fair Value Measurements
” of
the ASC. This guidance requires disclosures about fair value of
financial instruments effective for annual and interim reporting periods of
publicly traded companies. This adoption did not have an impact on the Company’s
financial position or results of operations.
In
December 2007, the FASB issued SFAS 141R, “
Business Combinations
”, which
was primarily codified into Topic 805 “
Business Combinations
” in the
ASC. This standard modifies certain aspects of how the acquiring
entity recognizes and measures the identifiable assets, the liabilities assumed
and the goodwill acquired in a business combination. This guidance is
effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15,
2008. Although this guidance will impact the Company’s accounting for
business combinations completed on or after January 1, 2009, it did not impact
the Company’s financial statements, as the Company did not enter into any
business combinations during the year ended December 31,
2009.
In
December 2007, the FASB issued SFAS 160, “
Non-controlling Interests in
Consolidated Financial Statements”
, which was primarily codified into
Topic 810 “
Consolidations
” in the
ASC. This guidance established new accounting and reporting standards
for the non-controlling interest in a subsidiary and for the deconsolidation of
a subsidiary. It clarifies that a non-controlling interest in a
subsidiary (minority interest) is an ownership interest in the consolidated
entity that should be reported as equity in the Consolidated Financial Statement
and separate from the parent company’s equity. Among other requirements, this
guidance requires consolidated net income to be reported at amounts that include
the amounts attributable to both the parent and the non-controlling interest. It
also requires disclosure, on the face of the Consolidated Statement of
Operations, of the amounts of consolidated net income attributable to the parent
and to the non-controlling interest. This guidance became effective for us on
January 1, 2009. The adoption did not have a material impact on the consolidated
financial statements
In March
2008, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Statement of
Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) 161, “
Disclosures about Derivative
Instruments and Hedging Activities”
–an amendment of SFAS 133, which was
primarily codified into Topic 815 “
Derivatives and Hedging
” in
the ASC. This guidance expands the disclosure requirements for
derivative instruments, how derivative instruments and related hedged items are
accounted for, and how derivative instruments and related hedged items affect
the entity’s financial position, financial performance, and cash
flows. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after
November 15, 2008. This guidance became effective for the Company on
January 1, 2009. The adoption did not have a material impact on the
consolidated financial statements.
In May
2009, the FASB issued SFAS No. 165, “
Subsequent Events
” which was
primarily codified into Topic 855 “
Subsequent Events
” in the
ASC. This guidance establishes principles and requirements for
subsequent events. Specifically, it sets forth guidance pertaining to
the period after the balance sheet date during which management should consider
events or transactions for potential recognition or disclosure, circumstances
under which an event or transaction would be recognized after the balance sheet
date and the required disclosures that should be made about events or
transactions that occurred after the balance sheet date. This
guidance is effective for interim or annual financial periods ending after
September 15, 2009, and as such became effective for the Company on September
30, 2009. The Company’s adoption of the standard resulted in
additional disclosures surrounding the Company’s subsequent events (See Note 10
below).
In
January 2010, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued ASU 2010-03 to
align the oil and gas reserve estimation and disclosure requirements of
Extractive Industries — Oil and Gas Topic of the Accounting Standards
Codification with the requirements in the SEC’s final rule,
Modernization of the Oil and Gas
Reporting Requirements.
We implemented ASU 2010-03 as of December 31,
2009. Key items in the new rules include changes to the pricing used
to estimate reserves and calculate the full cost ceiling limitation whereby a
12-month average price is used rather than a single day spot price, the use of
new technology for determining reserves, the ability to include nontraditional
resources in reserves and of the ability to disclose probable and possible
reserves. The Company’s adoption of the standard resulted in additional
disclosures surrounding the Company’s Proved developed reserves (See Note 11
below).
NOTE 2.
INCOME TAXES
Deferred
income taxes are recorded for temporary differences between financial statement
and income tax basis. Temporary differences are differences between the amounts
of assets and liabilities reported for financial statement purposes and their
tax basis. Deferred tax assets are recognized for temporary differences that
will be deductible in future years’ tax returns and for operating loss and tax
credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance
if it is deemed more likely than not that some or all of the deferred tax assets
will not be realized. Deferred tax liabilities are recognized for temporary
differences that will be taxable in future years’ tax returns
At
December 31, 2008, the Company had approximately $126,800 in deferred income tax
liability attributable to timing differences between federal income tax
depreciation, depletion and book depreciation.
During
2009, the Company incurred a federal net operating loss of approximately
$1,310,000. The Company elected to carry back $170,000 of this loss
to recover approximately $50,000 in federal taxes paid in the prior year. The
remaining net operating loss of $1,140,000 will be carried forward into future
years to offset future Federal taxable income. A long-term
deferred tax asset of approximately $228,000 has been recognized but partially
offset by a valuation allowance of approximately $57,500 due to federal NOL
carry-back and carry-forward limitations.
At
December 31, 2009, the Company has approximately $170,500 in long-term deferred
income tax liability attributable to timing differences between federal income
tax depreciation, depletion and book depreciation.
No
reserves for uncertain income tax positions have been recorded pursuant to the
guidance for uncertainty in income taxes under ASC Topic 740, Income
Taxes.
NOTE 3.
STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
Preferred
Stock
The
Company has provided for the issuance of 250,000 shares, par value $1,000 per
share, of convertible Preferred Series B stock ("Series B"). Each Series B share
is convertible into 166.667 shares of the Company's common stock upon election
by the stockholder, with dates and terms set by the Board. No shares of Series B
preferred stock are outstanding.
Common
Stock
The
Company has 250,000,000 authorized shares of common stock, par value $.001, with
65,124,980 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2009 (see footnotes
regarding Treasury Stock, Sale of Assets and Related Party Transactions for
additional information).
Treasury
Stock
In early
2008, in the context of our prior bankruptcy proceeding, Koala Pictures
Proprietary Ltd. ("Koala"), controlled by our Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer Maxwell Grant, transferred 1,000,000 shares of our common stock to New
Concept Energy, Inc. (“NCE”), which had entered into discussions with us.
Following dismissal of the bankruptcy proceeding in August 2008, we settled all
matters with NCE for $110,000 pursuant to a Settlement Agreement and Release of
All Claims, dated September 4, 2008, and repurchased the 1,000,000 shares of
common stock. In May 2009, our Board of Directors authorized retransfer of
the 1,000,000 shares of common stock back to Koala, since Koala had originally
transferred these shares to NCE for the benefit of the Company in the context of
the Company's discussions with NCE.
Stock Options and
Warrants
Non-employee Stock Options
and Warrants
The
Company accounts for non-employee stock options under SFAS 123 (as amended by
SFAS 148), which was primarily codified into Topic 718 “
Compensation-Stock Compensation”
in the ASC, whereby options costs are recorded based on the fair value of
the consideration received or the fair value of the equity instruments issued,
whichever is more reliably measurable. During years ended December 31, 2009 and
2008, no options were issued, exercised or cancelled.
The
Company currently has outstanding warrants expiring December 31, 2014 to
purchase an aggregate of 6,000,000 shares of common stock; these warrants
consist of warrants to purchase 2,000,000 shares at an exercise price of $.025
per share and warrants to purchase 4,000,000 shares at an exercise price of
$0.02 per share. In July 2009, the Company issued additional warrants
expiring June 30, 2014 to purchase an aggregate of 500,000 shares of common
stock at an exercise price of $0.125 per share.
Employee Stock
Options
The
Company accounts for employee stock options under SFAS 123 (as amended by SFAS
148) which was primarily codified into Topic 718 “
Compensation-Stock Compensation”
in the ASC. The Company issued no employee stock options and had none
outstanding as of the close of the year ending December 31, 2008. There were no
stock options issued in the year ending December 31, 2009.
NOTE 4.
FIXED ASSETS
A summary
of fixed assets at December 31, follows:
|
|
Balance
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Balance
|
|
|
|
December 31,
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
December 31,
|
|
|
|
2008
|
|
|
Additions
|
|
|
Deletions
|
|
|
2009
|
|
Auto/Transportation
Equipment
|
|
$
|
218,661
|
|
|
$
|
23,183
|
|
|
$
|
39,121
|
|
|
$
|
202,723
|
|
Buildings
& Improvements
|
|
|
125,280
|
|
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
125,280
|
|
Leases
& Lease Equipment
|
|
|
1,396,252
|
|
|
|
174,333
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,570,584
|
|
Furniture,
Fixtures & Office Equipment
|
|
|
6,785
|
|
|
|
2,565
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9,350
|
|
Machinery
& Equipment
|
|
|
442,747
|
|
|
|
18,217
|
|
|
|
2,500
|
|
|
|
458,465
|
|
|
|
$
|
2,189,725
|
|
|
$
|
218,298
|
|
|
$
|
41,621
|
|
|
$
|
2,366,402
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Less:
Accumulated Depreciation
|
|
|
262,479
|
|
|
|
258,931
|
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
521,410
|
|
|
|
$
|
1,927,246
|
|
|
$
|
258,931
|
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
|
$
|
1,845,550
|
|
NOTE 5.
CONTINGENT LIABILITY
On August
4, 2007, the Company received a letter from David L. Kagel, a former attorney
for the Company, indicating his intention to initiate an arbitration proceeding
or to file a lawsuit for recovery of $50,489 (including interest) for services
rendered over several years under prior management. The Company believes the
claim is without merit and that it has a number of counterclaims against Mr.
Kagel. No further action has occurred regarding this issue.
NOTE 6.
LONG-TERM DEBT
At the
August 29, 2008 closing under the Agreement (as defined in Note 8 below), the
notes held by our original acquisition lenders, WNB and Capwest, plus accrued
interest thereon to the date of such closing, were paid in full with payments of
$2,063,549.53 and $4,220,617.47, respectively.
The
Company had no long-term debt at December 31, 2009.
NOTE 7.
ACCUMULATED COMPENSATED ABSENCES
It is the
Company’s policy to permit employees to accumulate a limited amount of earned by
unused vacation, which will be paid to employees upon separation from the
Company’s service. The cost of vacation and sick leave is recognized when
payments are made to employees. These amounts are immaterial and not
accrued.
NOTE 8.
SALE OF ASSETS
On April
16, 2007, the Company closed the acquisition of assets from Caldwell Production
Company, Inc., consisting of 48 mineral leases with 631 wells, of which
approximately 100 were producing wells, 531 inactive well bores equipped with
necessary production equipment and related operating facilities and equipment
including an office warehouse facility, ten pickup trucks, two pulling rigs, a
backhoe, a winch truck and a water truck. The purchase price for such oil field
equipment was $291,500. The purchase price for the mineral leases and
an existing office building, including an attached warehouse/shop building
valued at $81,630, was $5,000,000. The oil and natural gas leases
purchased are on approximately 14,000 acres in Gray and Carson Counties, Texas,
with a well spacing of 10 acres, and are in the Panhandle Field, discovered in
1920. After closing the acquisition, the Company opened corporate offices for
our production and oil field service subsidiaries at the facilities in Pampa,
Texas.
To
finance the acquisition of the assets purchased from Caldwell Production
Company, Inc., on April 13, 2007, we entered into the Loan Agreement (the “WNB
Loan Agreement”) with Western National Bank, Midland, Texas
(“WNB”). At the closing of the purchase of these assets, we drew down
$2.3 million under the WNB Loan Agreement. On April 13, 2007, we also entered
into the Loan Agreement (the “CapWest Loan Agreement”) with CapWest Resources,
Inc. of Midland, Texas (“CapWest”), under which we drew down at closing of the
purchase of these asssets $2,700,000 for the balance of the purchase price of
the leases, $291,500 for the equipment, $111,000 for bank fees, legal expenses
and associated costs, and $130,000 for initial working capital.
On
October 30, 2007, we filed for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the United
States Bankruptcy Code with the United States Bankruptcy Court, Northern
District of Texas. We operated the Company in the bankruptcy
proceeding until August 15, 2008, when the Court issued an order dismissing the
bankruptcy cases of the Company and of its two operating subsidiaries, Gryphon
Production Company, LLC and Gryphon Field Services, LLC.
On July
22, 2008, we entered into a Purchase and Sale Agreement, effective as of June 1,
2008 (the “Agreement”), by and among the Company, Gryphon Production Company,
LLC and Gryphon Field Services, LLC, collectively acting as sellers, and Legacy
Reserves Operating LP, acting as buyer (“Legacy”), and WNB and CapWest,
collectively acting as sellers’ lenders. The Agreement provided for
the sale of oil and gas wells accounting for approximately 80% of the Company’s
oil and gas production (the “Oil and Gas Assets”) to Legacy for a purchase price
of $13,250,000. At the August 29, 2008 closing under the Agreement, the notes
held by our lenders, WNB and CapWest, plus interest thereon to the date of
closing, were paid in full.
The
financial statements reflect the sale of the Oil and Gas Assets, effective
retroactively as of June 1, 2008. The following is a detailed list of
the sale and closing costs incurred with respect to such sale.
Sales
Price
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
13,250,000
|
|
Adjustments
to Sales Price
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Estimated
Liability for Well Plugging Expense
|
|
|
|
|
|
(160,000
|
)
|
Retention
of HH Merten Lease
|
|
|
|
|
|
(9,642
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
13,080,358
|
|
Closings
Costs and Other Related Expenditures
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Acquisition
of Warrants
|
|
$
|
850,000
|
|
|
|
|
|
Acquisition
of 2% ORRI
|
|
|
700,000
|
|
|
|
|
|
Acquisition
of 6% ORRI
|
|
|
232,500
|
|
|
|
|
|
Acquisition
of NCE Stock
|
|
|
110,000
|
|
|
|
|
|
Commissions
|
|
|
232,500
|
|
|
|
|
|
Legal
|
|
|
350,494
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other
|
|
|
1,599
|
|
|
|
|
|
Notes
Payable (Including a Accrued Interest)
|
|
|
6,284,167
|
|
|
|
(8,761,260
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
Proceeds Received from Sale
|
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
4,319,098
|
|
NOTE 9.
RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Until
April 2009, the Company used the services of a local accounting firm in Pampa,
Texas to provide the disbursing of the payroll with related expense and accounts
payable while maintaining the general ledger. The Company’s former
President was a 50% owner of that accounting firm, which was paid $11,512 for
accounting services through April 2009. Effective in late April 2009,
the Company disengaged this firm and has engaged an unrelated accounting firm in
Amarillo, Texas to provide these services.
Axis
Network Pty. Ltd. (“Axis”), a company controlled by the Chairman of the
Company’s Board, through a prior arrangement had the rights to receive a 6.25%
Overriding Royalty Interest (“ORRI”) in the leases owned by the
Company. Axis was to begin receiving the ORRI at the time the
acquisition debt of the Company was retired. The purchaser of the
leases would not accept the sale with the burden of a 6.25% ORRI being
implemented at the time of its taking control of the subject
leases. In lieu of receiving a 6.25% ORRI, Axis agreed to accept
$232,500 and the 2% ORRI that was purchased from CapWest Resources,
Inc.
The
Company has used the services of a consulting company owned by the Chairman of
the Board. The Company has paid $96,000 and $102,000 for those
services during the years ended 2009 and 2008 year, respectively.
In early
2008, in the context of our prior bankruptcy proceeding, Koala, controlled by
our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Maxwell Grant, had transferred
1,000,000 shares of our common stock to NCE, which had entered into discussions
with us. Following dismissal of the bankruptcy proceeding in August 2008,
we settled all matters with NCE for $110,000 pursuant to a Settlement Agreement
and Release of All Claims, dated September 4, 2008, and repurchased the
1,000,000 shares of common stock. In May 2009, our Board of Directors
authorized issuance of 1,000,000 shares of common stock to Koala, which shares
were issued on July 13, 2009, since Koala had originally transferred 1,000,000
shares to NCE for the benefit of the Company in the context of the Company's
discussions with NCE. On July 17, 2009, the 1,000,000 share
certificate representing the shares repurchased from NCE and held as treasury
stock was cancelled.
On July
13, 2009, the Company issued 150,000 shares of common stock to Koala on behalf
of Maxwell Grant, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, 300,000 shares of
common stock to Robert Gordon and 300,000 shares of common stock to Dudley Muth,
both also members of our Board of Directors. Such shares were issued
to our directors for services rendered as directors over long periods of time,
in some cases dating back to March 2006. The Company recorded an
expense for Director’s Fees in the amount of $30,000 in the third quarter of
2009 related to these stock issuances.
On August
10, 2009, the Company issued to Koala a warrant expiring December 31, 2014 to
purchase 2,500,000 shares of common stock, at a purchase price of $.02 per
share; the Company issued this warrant in replacement of a warrant held by Koala
to purchase the same number of shares at the same per share exercise price,
expiring December 31, 2009, which was originally issued for services rendered in
a stockholder derivative action in Nevada some years ago.
On August
10, 2009, the Company issued to Dudley Muth, a member of our Board of Directors,
a warrant expiring December 31, 2014 to purchase 1,000,000 shares of common
stock, at a purchase price of $.025 per share, issued in replacement of a
warrant held by Mr. Muth to purchase the same number of shares at the same per
share exercise price, expiring December 31, 2009, which was originally issued
for services rendered in a stockholder derivative action in Nevada some years
ago.
NOTE 10.
SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
Events
occurring after December 31, 2009 were evaluated as of March 22,
2010, the date this Quarterly Report was issued, in compliance with
SFAS No. 165, which was primarily codified into Topic 855 “Subsequent
Events” in the ASC, to ensure that any subsequent events that met the criteria
for recognition and/or disclosure in this report have been
included. On February 5 and March 15, 2010, the company issued
210,000 shares of common stock to consultants pursuant to existing contracts for
services valued at $11,500. On March 15, 2010, the company issued
550,000 shares of common stock to consultants valued at $30,000.
NOTE 11.
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMAITON ON OIL AND GAS PRODUCING ACTIVITIES
The
Supplementary Information on Oil and Gas Producing Activities is presented as
required by ASC Topic 932, Extractive Activities — Oil and Gas. Supplemental
information is provided for the estimated quantities of proved oil and gas
reserves, future cash flows and the standardized measure of discounted future
net cash flows associated with proved oil and gas reserves
.
Oil and Gas Reserve
Quantities
Proved
oil and gas reserves are those quantities of oil and gas, which, by analysis of
geoscience and engineering data, can be estimated with reasonable certainty to
be economically producible, based on prices used to estimate reserves, from a
given date forward from known reservoirs, and under existing economic
conditions, operating methods, and government regulation before the time of
which contracts providing the right to operate expire, unless evidence indicates
that renewal is reasonably certain. Proved developed reserves are proved
reserves expected to be recovered through existing wells with existing equipment
and operating methods or in which the cost of the required equipment is
relatively minor compared with the cost of a new well. Proved undeveloped
reserves are reserves that are expected to be recovered from new wells on
undrilled acreage, or from existing wells where a relatively large major
expenditure is required for recompletion.
The table
below represents the Company’s estimate of proved natural gas and oil reserves
attributable to the Company’s net interest in oil and gas properties, all of
which are located in Gray County, Texas, based upon the evaluation by the
Company and its independent petroleum engineers of pertinent geoscience and
engineering data in accordance with the SEC’s regulations. Estimates of all of
the Company’s proved reserves have been prepared by independent reservoir
engineers and geoscience professionals and are reviewed by members of the
Company’s senior management to ensure that the Company consistently applies
rigorous professional standards and the reserve definitions prescribed by the
SEC. Management has elected not to include probable and possible reserves in its
reserve studies and related disclosures.
GSM,
INC., a registered Petroleum engineering firm in Amarillo, Texas, prepared
reports of estimated proved reserves of natural gas and oil for our net interest
in certain natural gas and oil properties located in Gray county,
Texas.
Proved Developed
|
|
Net Oil
Reserves
(Barrels)
|
|
|
Net Gas
Reserves
(Mcf)
|
|
|
Total Future
Net Revenue
|
|
|
Total
Future
Projected
Cost
|
|
|
Total Future
Severance &
Ad Valorem
Taxes
|
|
|
Future Net
cash flow
|
|
|
Discounted
Per Annum
as 10%
|
|
2009
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Producing
|
|
|
147,761
|
|
|
|
244,725
|
|
|
$
|
10,093,399
|
|
|
$
|
5,141,946
|
|
|
$
|
915,463
|
|
|
$
|
4,035,990
|
|
|
$
|
2,053,848
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2008
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Producing
|
|
|
108,609
|
|
|
|
135,596
|
|
|
$
|
12,273,800
|
|
|
$
|
5,731,439
|
|
|
$
|
1,105,837
|
|
|
$
|
5,436,522
|
|
|
$
|
2,774,911
|
|
Standardized Measure of
Discounted Future Net Cash Flows (Unaudited)
The
standardized measure of discounted cash flows and summary of the changes in the
standardized measure computation from year to year are prepared in accordance
with ASC Topic 932. The assumptions that underlie the computation of the
standardized measure of discounted cash flows may be summarized as
follows:
|
•
|
the
standardized measure includes the Company’s estimate of proved oil,
natural gas and natural gas liquids reserves and projected future
production volumes based upon economic
conditions;
|
|
•
|
pricing
is applied based upon 12-month average market prices at December 31,
2009 and December 31, 2008. The calculated weighted average per unit
prices for the Company’s proved reserves and future net revenues were as
follows:
|
|
|
At December 31,
|
|
|
|
2009
|
|
|
2008
|
|
Oil
(per barrel)
|
|
$
|
57.24
|
|
|
$
|
97.01
|
|
Natural
gas (per Mcf)
|
|
$
|
6.68
|
|
|
$
|
12.79
|
|
|
•
|
future
development and production costs are determined based upon actual cost at
year-end;
|
|
•
|
the
standardized measure includes projections of future abandonment costs
based upon actual costs at
year-end; and
|
|
•
|
a
discount factor of 10% per year is applied annually to the future net
cash flows.
|
Item
8. Changes In and Disagreements With Accountants on Accounting and Financial
Disclosure.
None.
Item
8A (T). Controls and Procedures.
As
supervised by our board of directors and our principal executive and principal
financial officers, management has established a system of disclosure controls
and procedures and has evaluated the effectiveness of that
system. The system and its evaluation are reported on in the below
Management's Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial
Reporting. Based on the evaluation of our controls and procedures (as
defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the 1934 Securities Exchange Act, as amended
(the “Exchange Act”)) required by paragraph (b) of Rule 13a-15, our principal
executive and financial officers have concluded that our disclosure
controls and procedures as of December 31, 2009, are effective to
ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we
file or submit under the Exchange Act is (x) accumulated and communicated to
management, including our principal executive and financial officers, as
appropriate to show timely decisions regarding required disclosure and (y)
recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified
by the SEC’s rules and forms.
Management's
Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial
Reporting
Management
is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over
financial reporting, as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Exchange
Act. Internal control over financial reporting is a process designed
to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting
and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance
with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
Management
assessed the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of
December 31, 2009. We carried out this assessment using the criteria of the
Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) in
Internal Control—Integrated Framework.
This
annual report does not include an attestation report of our registered public
accounting firm regarding internal control over financial
reporting. Management's report was not subject to attestation by our
registered public accounting firm, pursuant to temporary rules of the Securities
and Exchange Commission that permit us to provide only management's report in
this annual report. Management concluded in this assessment that as
of December 31, 2009, our internal control over financial reporting is
effective.
There
have been no significant changes in our internal control over financial
reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act)
during the fourth quarter of 2009 that have materially affected, or are
reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial
reporting.
Item
8B. Other Information.
None.
Item
9. Directors, Executive Officers, and Corporate Governance.
The
Directors of the Registrant as of the date of this annual report on Form 10-K
are as follows:
|
|
|
Served
as a
|
Name
|
Age
|
Position
|
Director
since
|
|
|
|
|
Maxwell
Grant
|
72
|
Chairman
and Director
|
May
23, 2007
|
|
|
|
|
Dudley
Muth
|
70
|
Director
|
March
31, 2009
|
|
|
|
|
Robert
Gordon
|
65
|
Director
|
May
1,
2002
|
All
Directors of the Company hold office until successors are elected according to
the Company's by-laws.
The
Officers of the Registrant as of the date of this annual report on Form 10-K are
as follows:
|
|
|
Served
as a
|
Name
|
Age
|
Position
|
Officer
since
|
Maxwell
Grant
|
72
|
Chief
Executive Officer and
|
May
23, 2007
|
|
|
Principal
Financial Officer
|
|
Officers
of the Company are elected by the Board of Directors according to the Company's
by-laws and hold office until their death, resignation, or removal from
office.
Maxwell
Grant whose company, Koala Pictures, is Chancellor’s largest stockholder, has a
business degree and a journalism diploma in 1960 from Melbourne University. A
former international journalist and university lecturer in the early 1960’s in
labor relations at Monash University, Melbourne, his New York-published novels
have been translated into several languages. His wide range of interests include
TV and film production, film financing and more recently oil and gas. For the
last three years, Mr. Grant has primarily concentrated on locating a suitable
acquisition for the Company and worked on several other film and investment
projects. He co-founded in the late 1990’s and was a 19% shareholder of Majestic
Film Management Limited, Melbourne, Australia, which raised several
million dollars for international feature films for Village Roadshow Pictures.
The film JOEY, which he conceived and on which he was Associate Producer, was
sold internationally to MGM. Mr. Grant devoted his time and efforts to locate
for Chancellor its recently-acquired producing oil and gas property,
Caldwell Production Company, in Texas. He participated in negotiations on behalf
of the Company for the purchase of the property and identified the sources of
financing for the Company to complete the acquisition.
Mr.
Dudley Muth is a Los Angeles attorney and a broker-dealer compliance officer.
From January 2009 to the present, Mr. Muth has been the Compliance
Director/Counsel for BMA Securities, Rolling Hills Estates, California, and
prior thereto from March to December 2008, he was the Compliance
Director/Consultant for Financial West Group, Los Angeles,
California. From October 2002 to February, 2008, Mr. Muth was the
Director of Compliance for the Shemano Group, Los Angeles,
California. Mr. Muth received a BA in Economics from Pomona College
in 1961, an MBA in Accounting and Industrial Relations from the University of
California Los Angeles in 1963, and a JD from the University of Southern
California School of Law in 1966. Mr. Muth began his career with Arthur
Andersen & Co. in their tax department specializing in oil and gas
taxation in Los Angeles. He has worked in the securities industry since the
early 1970’s, as an attorney and compliance director. From 1977 to 1979 he
served as a compliance officer with the Pacific Stock Exchange. He has served as
president of two listed REIT’s and since 1975 as a Director of Ojai Oil Company,
a small oil and gas and real estate company in Camarrilo, California. Mr.
Muth was previously a member of our Board of Directors, and had resigned from
our Board in November, 2008. In connection with the preparation of
our Annual Report on Form 10-K for our fiscal year ended December 31, 2007,
filed on April 7, 2008, he informed the Company that, he had
inadvertently neglected to advise the Company as to a Financial
Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”)
regulatory disciplinary action within the past
several years in which he was fined $2,500 by reason of a
temporary net capital violation of a broker dealer for which he was the
regulatory operative contact with FINRA, such fine having been
paid by the company with which he was then
associated.
Mr.
Robert Gordon is a former senior editor with Mr. Rupert Murdoch's News
Corporation. Since 1998, Mr. Gordon has been the CEO of Corporate Writers
Australia, an investor relations firm in Melbourne, Australia, specializing in
the oil and gas industry. He joined our Board of Directors in
2002.
Section 16(a) Beneficial
Ownership Reporting Compliance
No person
who at any time during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009 was a director,
officer or beneficial owner of more than ten percent (10%) of our common stock
failed to file on a timely basis the reports required by Section 16(a) of the
Exchange Act during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009.
Code of Conduct
Our board
of directors has adopted a Code of Ethics that is applicable to our principal
executive and financial officer, our principal accounting officer and our
controller or to persons performing similar functions for the
Company. The Company will provide, free of charge, a copy of its Code
of Ethics to any person who submits a written request for a copy of the Code of
Ethics, such request to be submitted via first class or certified mail addressed
to the Company at 216 South Price Road, Pampa, Texas 79065.
Item
10. Executive Compensation.
Compensation
paid to Officers is set forth in the Summary Compensation Table below. The
Company may reimburse its Officers for any and all out-of-pocket expenses
incurred relating to the business of the Company.
SUMMARY
COMPENSATION TABLE
Name and Principal
Position
|
|
Year
|
|
Salary
($)
|
|
|
Bonus
($)
|
|
|
Stock
Awards
($)
|
|
|
Option
Awards
($)
|
|
|
Non-Equity
Incentive
Plan
Compensation
($)
|
|
|
Nonqualified
Deferred
Compensation
Earnings
($)
|
|
|
All Other
Compensation
($)
|
|
|
Total
($)
|
|
(a)
|
|
(b)
|
|
(c)
|
|
|
(d)
|
|
|
(e)
|
|
|
(f)
|
|
|
(g)
|
|
|
(h)
|
|
|
(i)
|
|
|
(j)
|
|
Thomas
H. Grantham President and
Chief
Financial Officer
|
|
2008
|
|
$
|
80,000
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
$
|
80,000
|
|
|
|
2009
|
|
$
|
31,500
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
$
|
4,000
|
|
|
$
|
35,500
|
|
Maxwell
Grant, Chairman of the
Board
of Directors (1)
|
|
2008
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
$
|
135,340
|
|
|
$
|
135,340
|
|
|
|
2009
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
$
|
114,000
|
|
|
$
|
114,000
|
|
(2) Mr.
Grant owns 100% of the equity interests in Koala Pictures Proprietary Ltd.
(“Koala”) and Axis Network Proprietary Ltd. In September, 2008, Koala was paid
by the Company $29,340, consisting of a reimbursement to Koala of $25,000 of
Court costs awarded in the 2002 stockholders derivative Nevada case to Koala but
never paid, $3,000 owing to Koala for funding retainer to a law firm for the
Supporting Shareholders’ Group to oppose New Concepts Energy, Inc. in the
Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding, and $1,134 which Koala had loaned Chancellor
some years ago and had been carried on the books as a debt. In September, 2008,
Peninsula Oil and Gas (formerly MG Consulting), controlled by Mr. Grant, was
paid $78,000 for past due consulting fees which had not been paid since
July, 2007 due to the Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding, and a $6,000
consulting fee for September, 2008. In October through December, 2008, Peninsula
Oil and Gas was paid $6,000 consulting fees for each of those
months. In 2009, Koala was paid $96,000 consulting fees.
In
addition, Mr. Grant was paid $4,000 and $18,000, respectively, in 2008 and 2009
in director fees. Mr. Grantham was paid $4,000 in director fees in
2009.
Compensation
paid to Directors is set forth in the Director Compensation Table below. The
Company may reimburse its Directors for any and all out-of-pocket expenses
incurred relating to the business of the Company.
DIRECTOR
COMPENSATION
Name
|
|
Fees
Earned or
Paid in
Cash
($)
|
|
|
Stock
Awards
($)
|
|
|
Option
Awards
($)
|
|
|
Non-Equity
Incentive Plan
Compensation
($)
|
|
|
Nonqualified
Deferred
Compensation
Earnings
($)
|
|
|
All Other
Compensation
($)
|
|
|
Total
($)
|
|
(a)
|
|
(b)
|
|
|
(c)
|
|
|
(d)
|
|
|
(e)
|
|
|
(f)
|
|
|
(g)
|
|
|
(h)
|
|
Maxwell
Grant
|
|
$
|
12,000
|
|
|
$
|
6,000
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
$
|
18,000
|
|
Robert
Gordon
|
|
$
|
12,000
|
|
|
$
|
12,000
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
$
|
24,000
|
|
Dudley
Muth
|
|
$
|
9,000
|
|
|
$
|
12,000
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
$
|
21,000
|
|
Thomas
Grantham
|
|
$
|
4,000
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
$
|
4,000
|
|
The Board
of Directors has discussed and analyzed risks associated with the Company’s
compensation policies and practices for executive officers and all employees
generally including, but not limited to, eligibility, effects on retention,
balance of objectives, alignment with stockholders, affordability, possible
unintended consequences and governance. The Board of Directors did not identify
any risks arising from these policies or practices reasonably likely to have a
material adverse effect on the Company.
Item
11. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related
Stockholder Matters.
The
following table sets forth, as of March 29, 2010, on which date 64,884,980
shares of common stock were outstanding, the ownership of each person known by
the Registrant to be the beneficial owner of five percent or more of the
Company’s common stock, each Officer and Director individually and all Directors
and Officers of the Registrant as a group.
|
|
|
|
NO.
OF
|
|
|
%
OF
|
|
NAME
|
|
|
|
SHARES
|
|
|
CLASS(1)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Maxwell
Grant (2)
|
Chairman
and Director
|
|
|
|
24,303,800
|
|
|
|
36.07
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Robert
Gordon
|
Director
|
|
|
|
5,384,800
|
|
|
|
8.30
|
%
|
401
Collins Street
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Melbourne
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Victoria
3000
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Australia
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dudley
Muth
|
Director
|
|
|
|
1,966,000
|
|
|
|
3.03
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Directors
and Executive Officers as a Group
|
|
|
|
|
31,654,600
|
|
|
|
46.98
|
%
|
(1)
|
Beneficial
ownership is determined in accordance with the rules of the Securities and
Exchange Commission and generally includes voting or investment power with
respect to securities. Shares of common stock that are currently
exercisable or exercisable within 60 days of December 31, 2009, are deemed
to be beneficially owned by the person holding such securities for the
purpose of computing the percentage of ownership of such person, but are
not treated as outstanding for the purpose of computing the percentage
ownership of any other person.
|
(2)
|
Mr.
Grant owns 100% of the equity interests in Koala Pictures Proprietary Ltd.
(“Koala”) which owns 21,803,800 shares of common stock. Mr. Grant’s
address is c/o the Company, 216 South Price Road, Pampa, TX
79065. As previously reported, Koala holds warrants expiring
December, 2014, to purchase 2,500,000 shares of common stock at an
exercise price of $.02 per share.
|
Item
12. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director
Independence.
In 2009,
a private company controlled by Maxwell Grant, a major stockholder (who became
our Chairman of the Board of Directors in May 2007) was paid consultancy fees of
$96,000 in consulting fees.
Axis Overriding
Royalty
Pursuant
to an agreement dated 12th August, 2004, between Chancellor and Axis Network
Pty, Ltd. (a private company controlled by Maxwell Grant), Axis was entitled to
a six and one-quarter percent (6.25%) override for identifying and helping
secure the producing property Chancellor subsequently bought. At a Board meeting
on 15th January, 2007, Mr. Grant volunteered, on behalf of Axis, to freeze the
Axis override to help secure a loan to purchase the producing oil and gas
property in Pampa, Texas, which Chancellor and its subsidiaries now own. At that
Board meeting, the directors agreed, in view of the override blockage, that the
override due Axis should accrue, except that, at any time, Axis had the right,
at its sole discretion, to take warrants for shares of common stock in lieu of
override amounts according to the following formula:
1. For
the first 12 months after the acquisition of the property, warrants at an
exercise price of 5 (five) cents.
2. For
the next 12 months after acquisition, at a price of 10 (ten) cents.
3. For
the third 12 months after acquisition and thereafter at a price of 15 (fifteen)
cents.
Mr. Grant
did not join the Board until May, 2007. No warrants were issued.
This
overriding royalty interest was subordinated to the payment in full of the loans
made by the lenders that provided acquisition financing to the Company for its
initial acquisition of its oil and gas properties.
Sale of Oil and Gas
Properties; Axis Override and Closing Fee
Following
the August 15, 2008 dismissal of the Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding and in
connection with the August 29, 2008, sale of a portion of our oil and gas
properties,, pursuant to a Purchase and Sale Agreement, effective as of June 1,
2008 (the “Agreement”), by and among the Company, Gryphon Production Company,
LLC and Gryphon Field Services, LLC, collectively acting as sellers, and Legacy
Reserves Operating LP, acting as buyer (“Legacy”), and our lenders, the Company
sold certain of our oil and gas properties and other assets (the “Assets”) to
Legacy for a purchase price of approximately $13,250,000. Pursuant to the terms
of the Agreement, the Company acquired the contractual but unrecorded 1/16
th
overriding royalty interest held by Axis on all of the Company’s oil and gas
properties prior to the sale of certain of the properties to Legacy (the
“Original Oil and Gas Properties”), which overriding royalty interest (the “Axis
Overriding Royalty Interest”) was merged with and became part of the Assets sold
to Legacy. At Closing, the Company conveyed to Axis, as partial consideration
for Axis having given up the 6.25% Axis Overriding Royalty, a two (2%) percent
overriding royalty on the Original Oil and Gas Properties. To help secure
execution of the agreement by all parties, Axis had offered to give up the Axis
Overriding Royalty Interest in return for a 2% override and a Lehman formula fee
of $232,500, which was paid to Axis at Closing. The Axis Overriding Royalty had
been agreed to by the Company in 2004 in return for Axis conducting an extensive
search for the Original Oil and Gas Properties, which purchase was completed in
April 2007. Axis had further assisted in the search by finding the
financing for the purchase of the Original Oil and Gas Properties. Axis is
controlled by Maxwell Grant, who was not then on the board of Chancellor. Mr.
Grant, who also controls Koala Pictures, the Company's largest stockholder,
eventually joined the Board in May, 2007 and became Chairman. Mr. Grant was
instrumental negotiating the agreement with Legacy and in the Company’s engaging
Simplex Energy Solutions of Midland, Texas, to assist in identifying Legacy as
the purchaser of the Assets.
Closing Letter Agreement and
Settlement with New Concept Energy, Inc.
On June
21, 2008, we filed a Motion to Dismiss the Chapter 11 cases for us and our two
operating subsidiaries seeking to dismiss the bankruptcy proceedings, so that we
could proceed to close the transaction contemplated by the Agreement. Prior to
June 2008, New Concept Energy, Inc. (“NCE”) had entered into discussions with us
and had acquired one million shares of our common stock from Koala Pictures
Proprietary Ltd. (the “NCE Stock”). On July 3, 2008, NCE filed its
Objection to our Motion to Dismiss. On August 11, 2008, a hearing was held on
our Motion to Dismiss, and on August 15, 2008, the “Order of Dismissal”
dismissing our and our two operating subsidiaries’ bankruptcy cases was entered.
On August 22, 2008, NCE filed its Motion for Reconsideration of the Orders
Entered on August 15, 2008 dismissing the Chapter 11 cases. In recognition of
the motion filed by NCE, related to the bankruptcy cases, and the
indemnification provisions of the Agreement, the parties to the Agreement
agreed, pursuant to a letter agreement dated August 29, 2008, to increase the
amount held in the Escrow Account under the Agreement to $1,500,000, as well as
to the terms for full release of funds from the escrow account by the Escrow
Agent. On September 4, 2008, a Compromise Settlement Agreement and
Release of All Claims (the “Settlement Agreement”) was fully executed by and
between the Company and its two operating subsidiaries and NCE. The Settlement
Agreement provided for cross releases between the parties and for the repurchase
by us of the NCE Stock for a payment of $110,000, which repurchase was
implemented.
Local Accounting
Firm
Until
April 2009, the Company used the services of a local accounting firm in Pampa,
Texas to provide the disbursing of the payroll with related expense and accounts
payable while maintaining the general ledger. The Company’s former
President, Thomas Grantham, was a 50% owner of that accounting firm, which was
paid $11,512 for accounting services through April 2009. Effective in
late April 2009, the Company disengaged this firm and has engaged an unrelated
accounting firm in Amarillo, Texas to provide these services.
Director
Independence
As noted
above, the Company’s stock is not listed on a national securities exchange or in
an inter-dealer quotation system which has requirements that a majority of the
board of directors be independent. The Board of Directors has
determined, using the independence requirements established by the NASDAQ Stock
Market and the SEC, that all of the current members of the Board of Directors
other than Maxwell Grant are independent. The Board of Directors has
considered and applied all facts and circumstances relating to a director in
making this determination.
Item
13. Principal Accountant Fees and Services
(1) Audit
Fees.
The
aggregate fees billed by our current independent auditors, Larry O'Donnell, CPA,
P.C., for professional services rendered for the audit of our financial
statement filed as part of our 2009 Form 10-K filing and for review of our
interim financial statements filed as part of our first, second and third
quarter reports on Form 10-Q filed for the fiscal year of 2009 are
$5,041.
The
aggregate fees billed by Larry O’Donnell, CPA, P.C. for professional services
rendered for the audit of our financial statement filed as part of our 2008 Form
10-K filing and for review of our interim financial statements filed as part of
our first, second and third quarter reports on Form 10-QSB filed for the fiscal
year of 2008 are $11,470.
(2)
Audit-Related Fees.
There
have been no audit-related fees billed by our auditors in each of the last two
fiscal years of our Company.
(3) Tax
Fees.
There
have been no tax fees billed by our auditors in each of the last two fiscal
years of our Company.
(4) All
Other Fees.
There
have been no other fees billed by our auditors in each of the last two fiscal
years of our Company.
(5) It is
the policy of our board of directors that before the accountant is engaged to
render audit or non audit services, the engagement is approved by the Board of
Directors that is at present acting as the Audit Committee. All of
the services described above under the caption “Audit Fees” were approved by the
Board of Directors.
(6) Not
applicable.
Item
14. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.
(a)(3)
Exhibits
2.1
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Plan
of Reorganization dated March 1, 2008, filed with the United States
Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas, Amarillo Division,
filed herewith.
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2.2
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Order
dated August 15, 2008, of United States Bankruptcy Court, Northern
District of Texas, Dismissing the Company’s and its
Subsidiaries’ Chapter 11 Cases (incorporated by reference to Exhibit
No.2.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission on August 19, 2008).
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3.1
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Certificate
of Incorporation of Nighthawk Capital, Inc. (Utah) (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 2.1 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form
10-SB12G, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 5,
2000).
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3.2
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Articles
on Incorporation on Nighthawk Capital, Inc. (Nevada) (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 2.2 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form
10-SB12G, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 5,
2000).
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3.3
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Articles
of Merger of Nighthawk Capital, Inc. (Utah) into Nighthawk Capital, Inc.
(Nevada) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.3 to the Company’s
Registration Statement on Form 10-SB12G, filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission on April 5, 2000).
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3.4
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By-Laws
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.4 to the Company’s Registration
Statement on Form 10-SB12G, filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on April 5, 2000).
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4.1
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Warrant
issued August 10, 2009 to Koala Pictures Proprietary Ltd. To purchase and
aggregate of 2,500,000 shares of common stock on or before December 31,
2014. Filed herewith.
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4.2
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Warrant
issued August 10, 2009, to Dudley Muth to purchase an aggregate of
1,000,000 shares of common stock on or before December 31,
2014. Filed herewith.
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4.3
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Warrant
issued July 13, 2009, to Cary Sucoff to purchase an aggregate of 225,000
shares of common stock on or before June 30, 2014. Filed
herewith.
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4.4
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Warrant
issued August 10, 2009, to Ernest P. Andrews to purchase an aggregate of
1,000,000 shares of common stock on or before December 31,
2014. Filed herewith.
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4.5
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Warrant
issued August 10, 2009, to Ernest P. Andrews to purchase an aggregate of
1,500,000 shares of common stock on or before December 31,
2014. Filed herewith.
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4.6
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Warrant
issued July 13, 2009, to Francis Anderson to purchase an aggregate of
25,000 shares of common stock on or before June 30, 2014. Filed
herewith.
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4.7
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Warrant
issued July 13, 2009, to Patrick Kolenik to purchase an aggregate of
250,000 shares of common stock on or before June 30,
2014. Filed herewith.
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10.1
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Agreement
and Plan of Reorganization, dated October 19, 2000, between Chacellor
Group, Inc. and Southwin financial, Ltd. (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit No. 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 21,
2000).
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23.1
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Consent
of GSM, Inc.
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31
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Certification
of Chief Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to
Section 302 of The Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002. Filed
herewith.
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32
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Certification
of Chief Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to 18
U.S.C. Section 1350 as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Filed herewith.
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99.1
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Evaluation
of Oil and Gas Reserves as of December 31, 2008, prepared by GSM, INC., a
registered petroleum engineering firm located in Amarillo,
Texas.
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99.2
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Evaluation
of Oil and Gas Reserves as of December 31, 2009, prepared by GSM, INC., a
registered petroleum engineering firm located in Amarillo,
Texas.
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Pursuant
to the requirements of Section 12(g) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
Registrant has duly caused this Report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, on March 29, 2010.
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CHANCELLOR
GROUP, INC.
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By:
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/s/ Maxwell
Grant
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Maxwell
Grant
Chief
Executive Officer and
Principal
Financial Officer
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Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this Report has been
signed below by the following persons on behalf of the Registrant in the
capacities indicated, on March 29, 2010.
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Chief
Executive Officer and Director
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/s/
Maxwell Grant
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Maxwell
Grant
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Director:
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/s/
Robert Gordon
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Robert
Gordon
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Director:
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/s/
Dudley Muth
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Dudley
Muth
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