Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

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BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2012
BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES  
BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

NOTE 1 – BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

 

Consolidated Financial Statements – The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared by the Company and are unaudited.  In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited financial statements contain all adjustments necessary for fair presentation, consisting of normal recurring adjustments, except as disclosed herein. The financial position and results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year ending December 31, 2012.

 

Organization and Nature of Operations –Stanford Energy, Inc. (“Stanford” or the “Company”) is a Texas corporation that owns interests in oil and natural gas properties located in Texas. The Company’s oil and natural gas sales, profitability and future growth are dependent upon prevailing and future prices for oil and natural gas and the successful acquisition, exploration and development of oil and natural gas properties. Oil and natural gas prices have historically been volatile and may be subject to wide fluctuations in the future. A substantial decline in oil and natural gas prices could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position, results of operations, cash flows and quantities of oil and natural gas reserves that may be economically produced.

 

Reorganization into Ring Energy, Inc. – On June 28, 2012, Ring Energy, Inc. (“Ring”) completed the acquisition of Stanford Energy, Inc. through the closing of a stock-for-stock exchange agreement dated May 3, 2012.  As a result, Stanford became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ring. At the closing, the Stanford shareholders exchanged their 1,376 shares of Stanford common stock for 3,440,000 shares of Ring common stock. In addition, Ring assumed and adopted Stanford’s equity compensation plan and its outstanding options to purchase 450 shares of Stanford common stock, which represented the right to purchase 1,125,000 shares of Ring common stock at $2.00 per share. Prior to the closing, Ring had 6,110,408 shares of common stock outstanding, of which Stanford shareholders held 793,317 shares. As a result, Stanford’s shareholders obtained control of Ring. In addition, Stanford’s shareholders have the right to appoint to a majority of the members of the Ring board of directors and senior management of the combined company.

 

Since the Stanford shareholders obtained a controlling interest in Ring’s common stock and stock options and the right to control the board of directors and senior management, Stanford was determined to be the accounting acquirer and its historical financial statements have been adjusted to reflect its reorganization in a manner equivalent to a 2,500-for-1 stock split. The accompanying historical financial statements prior to the reorganization into Ring are Stanford’s financial statements, adjusted to reflect the authorized capital and par value of Ring and to reflect the effects of the stock split for all periods presented.

 

Predecessor Carve-Out Financial Statements – On May 1, 2011, Stanford acquired developed and undeveloped properties referred to as the Fisher I Property. The Fisher I Property represents Stanford’s predecessor under Rule 405 of Regulation C of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, as the Fisher I Property was Stanford’s first interest in producing oil and natural gas properties and Stanford’s own operations before the acquisition were insignificant relative to the operations acquired. In that regard, upon consummation of the acquisition, the historical financial statements of the Fisher I Property became the historical financial statements of the Company. The accompanying predecessor financial statements present the full carve-out financial position, the related revenues earned and costs and expenses incurred, and the cash flows of the predecessor owners relative to the Fisher I Property.

 

Subsequent to the acquisition, the successor financial statements present the financial position, operations and cash flows of the assets acquired, the liabilities assumed and operations of the Fisher I Property as well as those of other properties acquired subsequently and are reflected at their purchase-date fair values. Those fair values are reflected as the cost of the assets acquired and the carrying amounts of the liabilities assumed, and are the basis of the resulting operations of the successor.

 

Prior to the acquisition of the Fisher I Property, Stanford had little activity and was a development stage company. Its planned operations were to acquire, develop and operate oil and natural gas properties. Stanford had no revenue, expenses or income during the four months ended April 30, 2011. Changes in Stanford’s stockholders’ equity for the four months ended April 30, 2011, on a post-split basis, were as follows:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Additional

 

 

 Total

 

 Common Stock

 

 

 Paid-in

 

 

Stockholders'

 

 Shares

 Amount

 

 

 Capital

 

 

 Equity

Balance, December 31, 2010

5,000,000

 

$

5,000

 

$

(5,000)

 

$

-

Common stock issued for no consideration

1,250,000

 

 

1,250

 

 

(1,250)

 

 

-

Cash paid in from shareholders without

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  the issuance of additional shares

-

 

 

-

 

 

206,000

 

 

206,000

Balance, April 30, 2011

6,250,000

 

$

6,250

 

$

199,750

 

$

206,000

 

Stanford’s cash flows during the four months ended April 30, 2011 were as follows:

 

Cash Flows from Investing Activities

 

 

 

Payments to purchase oil and gas properties

$

(176,000)

Cash Flows From Financing Activities

 

 

 

Capital contributions from shareholders

 

206,000

Net Increase in Cash

 

30,000

Cash at Beginning of Period

 

-

Cash at End of Period

$

30,000

 

Use of Estimates – The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period.  Actual results could differ from those estimates. Changes in the future estimated oil and natural gas reserves or the estimated future cash flows attributable to the reserves that are utilized for impairment analysis could have a significant impact on the Company’s future results of operations.

 

Fair Values of Financial Instruments – The carrying amounts reported for the revolving line of credit approximates fair value because the underlying instruments are at interest rates which approximate current market rates.  The derivative put options are carried at fair value.

 

Consolidation – The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts, operations and cash flows of Stanford for all periods presented and the consolidated operations and cash flows of Ring from June 28, 2012. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

 

Concentration of Credit Risk and Major Customer – The Company has cash in excess of federally insured limits at September 30, 2012.  During the nine months ended September 30, 2012, sales to three customers represented 36%, 35% and 27%, respectively, of oil and gas revenues.  At September 30, 2012, these customers made up 33%, 24% and 43%, respectively, of accounts receivable.

 

Oil and Gas Properties – The Company uses the full cost method of accounting for oil and gas properties.  Under this method, all costs associated with acquisition, exploration, and development of oil and gas reserves are capitalized. Costs capitalized include acquisition costs, geological and geophysical expenditures, lease rentals on undeveloped properties and costs of drilling and equipping productive and non-productive wells. Drilling costs include directly related overhead costs.  Capitalized costs are categorized either as being subject to amortization or not subject to amortization.

 

All capitalized costs of oil and gas properties, including the estimated future costs to develop proved reserves and estimated future costs of abandonment and site restoration, are amortized on the unit-of-production method using estimates of proved reserves as determined by independent engineers. Investments in unproved properties and major development projects are not amortized until proved reserves associated with the projects can be determined. The Company evaluates oil and gas properties for impairment at least annually. Amortization expense for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012 was $117,267 and $293,102, respectively, based on depletion at the rate of $21.43 per barrel of oil equivalent compared to $49,287 and $53,722  , respectively, for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011, based on depletion at the rate of $24.28 per barrel of oil equivalent. These amounts include $10,501 and $31,502 of depreciation for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, respectively, with no depreciation for the three or nine months ended September 30, 2011.

 

In addition, capitalized costs are subject to a ceiling test which limits such costs to the estimated present value of future net revenues from proved reserves, discounted at a 10% interest rate, based on current economic and operating conditions, plus the lower of cost or fair market value of unproved properties. Consideration received from sales or transfers of oil and gas property is accounted for as a reduction of capitalized costs. Revenue is not recognized in connection with contractual services performed on properties in which the Company holds an ownership interest.

 

Office Equipment – Office equipment is valued at historical cost adjusted for impairment loss less accumulated depreciation.  Historical costs include all direct costs associated with the acquisition of office equipment and placing it in service.  Depreciation is calculated using the straight-line method based upon an estimated useful life of 5 to 7 years.

 

Asset Retirement Obligation – The Company records a liability in the period in which an asset retirement obligation (“ARO”) is incurred, in an amount equal to the discounted estimated fair value of the obligation that is capitalized.  Thereafter, this liability is accreted up to the final estimated retirement cost.  An ARO is a future expenditure related to the disposal or other retirement of certain assets. The Company’s ARO relates to future plugging and abandonment expenses of its oil and natural gas properties and related facilities disposal.

 

Revenue Recognition – The Company predominantly derives its revenues from the sale of produced oil and natural gas. Revenue is recorded in the month the product is delivered to the purchasers.  At the end of each month, the Company recognizes oil and natural gas sales based on estimates of the amount of production delivered to purchasers and the price to be received. Variances between the Company’s estimated oil and natural gas sales and actual receipts are recorded in the month the payments are received.

 

Share-Based Employee Compensation – The Company has outstanding stock option grants to directors and employees, which are described more fully in Note 6.  The Company recognizes the cost of employee services received in exchange for an award of equity instruments based on the grant-date fair value of the award and recognizes the related compensation expense over the period during which an employee is required to provide service in exchange for the award, which is generally the vesting period.

 

Share-Based Compensation to Non-Employees – The Company accounts for share-based compensation issued to non-employees as either the fair value of the consideration received or the fair value of the equity instruments issued, whichever is more reliably measurable.  The measurement date for these issuances is the earlier of the date at which a commitment for performance by the recipient to earn the equity instruments is reached or the date at which the recipient’s performance is complete.

 

Recent Accounting Pronouncements – The Company has reviewed all recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting pronouncements and does not believe the future adoptions of any such pronouncements are expected to cause a material impact on the Company’s financial condition or the results of operations.

 

Basic and Diluted Earnings (Loss) per Share – Basic earnings (loss) per share are computed by dividing net income (loss) by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period.  Diluted earnings (loss) per share reflects the potential dilution that could occur if all contracts to issue common stock were converted into common stock, except for those that are anti-dilutive.  The dilutive effect of stock options and other share-based compensation is calculated using the treasury method with an offset from expected proceeds upon exercise of the stock options and unrecognized compensation expense.