Item 1: Description of Busin
ess
Toro Ventures Inc. is in the acquisition and exploration of oil and gas properties. Toro Ventures Inc. was incorporated in the state of Nevada on April 11, 2005. Our principal office is located at Suite 632, 22837 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, California, 90265. Our telephone number is 310-887-6391.
Business
Our business strategy is to acquire interest in the properties of, and working interests in the production owned by, established oil and gas production companies, whether public or private, in the United States oil producing areas. We believe such opportunities exist in the United States. We also believe that these opportunities have considerable future potential for the development of additional oil reserves. Such new reserves might come from the development of existing but as yet undeveloped reserves as well as from future success in exploration.
When and if funding becomes available, we plan to acquire high-quality oil and gas properties, primarily properties which have "proven producing and proven undeveloped reserves." We will also explore low-risk development drilling and work-over opportunities with experienced, well-established operators.
Competition
Toro Ventures Inc. operates in a highly competitive environment. We compete with major and independent oil and natural gas companies, many of whom have financial and other resources substantially in excess of those available to us. These competitors may be better positioned to take advantage of industry opportunities and to withstand changes affecting the industry, such as fluctuations in oil and natural gas prices and production, the availability of alternative energy sources and the application of government regulation.
Compliance with Government Regulation
The availability of a market for future oil and gas production from possible U.S. assets will depend upon numerous factors beyond our control. These factors may include, amongst others, regulation of oil and natural gas production, regulations governing environmental quality and pollution control, and the effects of regulation on the amount of oil and natural gas available for sale, the availability of adequate pipeline and other transportation and processing facilities and the marketing of competitive fuels. These regulations generally are intended to prevent waste of oil and natural gas and control contamination of the environment.
We expect that our sales of crude oil and other hydrocarbon liquids from our future U.S.-based production will not be regulated and will be made at market prices. However, the price we would receive from the sale of these products may be affected by the cost of transporting the products to market via pipeline and marine transport.
Environmental Regulations
Our U.S. assets could be subject to numerous laws and regulations governing the discharge of materials into the environment or otherwise relating to environmental protection. These laws and regulations may require the acquisition of a permit before drilling commences, restrict the types, quantities and concentration of various substances that can be released into the environment in connection with drilling and production activities, limit or prohibit drilling activities on certain lands within wilderness, wetlands and other protected areas, require remedial measures to mitigate pollution from former operations, such as pit closure and plugging abandoned wells, and impose substantial liabilities for pollution resulting from production and drilling operations. Public interest in the protection of the environment has increased dramatically in recent years. The worldwide trend of more expansive and stricter environmental legislation and regulations applied to the oil and natural gas industry could continue, resulting in increased costs of doing business and consequently affecting profitability. To the extent laws are enacted or other governmental action is taken that restricts drilling or imposes more stringent and costly waste handling, disposal and cleanup requirements, our business and prospects could be adversely affected.
Operating Hazards and Insurance
The oil and natural gas business involves a variety of operating hazards and risks such as well blowouts, craterings, pipe failures, casing collapse, explosions, uncontrollable flows of oil, natural gas or well fluids, fires, formations with abnormal pressures, pipeline ruptures or spills, pollution, releases of toxic gas and other environmental hazards and risks. These hazards and risks could result in substantial losses to us from, among other things, injury or loss of life, severe damage to or destruction of property, natural resources and equipment, pollution or other environmental damage, clean-up responsibilities, regulatory investigation and penalties and suspension of operations.
In accordance with customary industry practices, we expect to maintain insurance against some, but not all, of such risks and losses. There can be no assurance that any insurance we obtain would be adequate to cover any losses or liabilities. We cannot predict the continued availability of insurance or the availability of insurance at premium levels that justify its purchase. The occurrence of a significant event not fully insured or indemnified against could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and operations.
Pollution and environmental risks generally are not fully insurable. The occurrence of an event not fully covered by insurance could have a material adverse effect on our future financial condition. If we were unable to obtain adequate insurance, we could be forced to participate in all of our activities on a non-operated basis, which would limit our ability to control the risks associated with oil and natural gas operations.
Employees
We currently do not have any other employees other than the Toro's sole officer and director.
We are in the oil business and we expect to incur operating losses for the foreseeable future.
We were incorporated on April 11, 2005 and to date have recently been involved in the organizational activities, and acquisition of our claims. We have no way to evaluate the likelihood that our business will be successful. We have earned minimal revenues as of the date of this annual report. Potential investors should be aware of the difficulties normally encountered by exploration companies and the high rate of failure of such enterprises. The likelihood of success must be considered in light of the problems, expenses, difficulties, complications and delays encountered in connection with the exploration and development of the properties that we plan to undertake. These potential problems include, but are not limited to, unanticipated problems relating to exploration, and additional costs and expenses that may exceed current estimates. Prior to completion of our exploration stage, we anticipate that we will incur increased operating expenses without greatly increasing our revenues. We expect to incur significant losses into the foreseeable future. We recognize that if production is not forthcoming, we will not be able to continue business operations. There is no history upon which to base any assumption as to the likelihood that we will prove successful, and it is doubtful that we will generate significant revenues to achieve profitable operations. If we are unsuccessful in addressing these risks, our business will most likely fail.
We have yet to earn significant revenue to achieve profitability and our ability to sustain our operations is dependent on our ability to raise additional financing to complete our program if warranted. As a result, our accountant believes there is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.
We have accrued accumulated net losses of $758,376 for the period from inception (April 11, 2005) to June 30, 2013 and have revenues of $Nil to date. Our future is dependent upon our ability to obtain financing and upon future profitable operations from the development of our business. These factors raise substantial doubt that we will be able to continue as a going concern. Our independent auditors, has expressed substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. This opinion could materially limit our ability to raise additional funds by issuing new debt or equity securities or otherwise. If we fail to raise sufficient capital when needed, we will not be able to complete our business plan. As a result we may have to liquidate our business and you may lose your investment. You should consider our auditor's comments when determining if an investment in our company is suitable.
Because of the unique difficulties and uncertainties inherent in oil and gas ventures, we face a high risk of business failure.
You should be aware of the difficulties normally encountered by exploration companies and the high rate of failure of such enterprises. The likelihood of success must be considered in light of the problems, expenses, difficulties, complications and delays encountered in connection with the exploration and development of the properties that we plan to undertake. These potential problems include, but are not limited to, unanticipated problems relating to exploration, and additional costs and expenses that may exceed current estimates. If the results of our development program do not reveal viable commercialization options, we may decide to abandon our claim and acquire new claims. Our ability to acquire additional claims will be dependent upon our possessing adequate capital resources when needed. If no funding is available, we may be forced to abandon our operations.
Because of the inherent dangers involved in oil and gas operations, there is a risk that we may incur liability or damages as we conduct our business.
The extracting of oil and gas involves numerous hazards. As a result, we may become subject to liability for such hazards, including pollution, cave-ins and other hazards against which we cannot insure or against which we may elect not to insure. At the present time we have no insurance to cover against these hazards. The payment of such liabilities may result in our inability to complete our planned program and/or obtain additional financing to fund our program.
As we undertake development of our properties, we will be subject to compliance with government regulation that may increase the anticipated cost of our program.
There are several governmental regulations that materially restrict oil extraction. We will be subject to regulations and laws as we carry out our program. We may be required to obtain work permits, post bonds and perform remediation work for any physical disturbance to the area in order to comply with these laws. The cost of complying with permit and regulatory environment laws will be greater because the impact on the project area is greater. Permits and regulations will control all aspects of the production program if the project continues to that stage. Examples of regulatory requirements can include:
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Water discharge will have to meet drinking water standards;
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Dust generation will have to be minimal or otherwise re-mediated;
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Dumping of material on the surface will have to be re-contoured and re-vegetated with natural vegetation;
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An assessment of all material to be left on the surface will need to be environmentally benign;
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Ground water will have to be monitored for any potential contaminants;
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The socio-economic impact of the project will have to be evaluated and if deemed negative, will have to be remediated; and
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There is a risk that new regulations could increase our costs of doing business and prevent us from carrying out our exploration program. We will also have to sustain the cost of reclamation and environmental remediation for all exploration work undertaken. Both reclamation and environmental remediation refer to putting disturbed ground back as close to its original state as possible. Other potential pollution or damage must be cleaned-up and renewed along standard guidelines outlined in the usual permits. Reclamation is the process of bringing the land back to its natural state after completion of exploration activities. Environmental remediation refers to the physical activity of taking steps to remediate, or remedy, any environmental damage caused. The amount of these costs is not known at this time as we do not know the extent of the exploration program that will be undertaken beyond completion of the recommended work program. If remediation costs exceed our cash reserves we may be unable to complete our exploration program and have to abandon our operations.
If access to our properties is restricted by inclement weather, we may be delayed in any future drilling efforts.
It is possible that adverse weather could cause accessibility to our properties difficult and this would delay in our timetables.
Based on consumer demand, the growth and demand for any oil or gas we may recover from our claims may be slowed, resulting in reduced revenues to the company.
Our success will be dependent on the growth of demand for petroleum products. If consumer demand slows our revenues may be significantly affected. This could limit our ability to generate revenues and our financial condition and operating results may be harmed.
Because our current officers and directors have other business interests, they may not be able or willing to devote a sufficient amount of time to our business operations, causing our business to fail.
Our current officers and directors currently devotes up to 10 hours per week providing services to the company. While they presently possesses adequate time to attend to our interest, it is possible that the demands on them from other obligations could increase, with the result that they would no longer be able to devote sufficient time to the management of our business. This could negatively impact our business development.
WE MAY BE UNABLE TO OBTAIN ADDITIONAL CAPITAL THAT WE MAY REQUIRE TO IMPLEMENT OUR BUSINESS PLAN. THIS WOULD RESTRICT OUR ABILITY TO GROW.
The proceeds from our private offerings completed in 2007 and funds borrowed since this private offering, provide us with a limited amount of working capital and is not sufficient to fund our proposed operations. We will require additional capital to continue to operate our business and our proposed operations. We may be unable to obtain additional capital as and when required.
Future acquisitions and future development, production and marketing activities, as well as our administrative requirements (such as salaries, insurance expenses and general overhead expenses, as well as legal compliance costs and accounting expenses) will require a substantial amount of additional capital and cash flow.
We may not be successful in locating suitable financing transactions in the time period required or at all, and we may not obtain the capital we require by other means. If we do not succeed in raising additional capital, the capital we have received to date may not be sufficient to fund our operations going forward without obtaining additional capital financing.
Any additional capital raised through the sale of equity may dilute your ownership percentage. This could also result in a decrease in the fair market value of our equity securities because our assets would be owned by a larger pool of outstanding equity. The terms of securities we issue in future capital transactions may be more favorable to our new investors, and may include preferences, superior voting rights and the issuance of warrants or other derivative securities, and issuances of incentive awards under equity employee incentive plans, which may have a further dilutive effect.
Our ability to obtain needed financing may be impaired by such factors as the capital markets (both generally and in the resource industry in particular), our status as a new enterprise without a demonstrated operating history, the location of our properties and the price of oil and gas on the commodities markets (which will impact the amount of asset-based financing available to us) or the retention or loss of key management. Further, if oil and gas prices on the commodities markets decrease, then our revenues will likely decrease, and such decreased revenues may increase our requirements for capital. If the amount of capital we are able to raise from financing activities is not sufficient to satisfy our capital needs, we may be required to cease our operations.
We may incur substantial costs in pursuing future capital financing, including investment banking fees, legal fees, accounting fees, securities law compliance fees, printing and distribution expenses and other costs. We may also be required to recognize non-cash expenses in connection with certain securities we may issue, such as convertible notes and warrants, which may adversely impact our financial condition.
AMENDMENTS TO CURRENT LAWS AND REGULATIONS GOVERNING OUR PROPOSED OPERATIONS COULD HAVE A MATERIAL ADVERSE IMPACT ON OUR PROPOSED BUSINESS.
Our business will be subject to substantial regulation under state and federal laws relating to the exploration for, and the development, upgrading, marketing, pricing, taxation, and transportation of oil and other matters. Amendments to current laws and regulations governing operations and activities of resource operations could have a material adverse impact on our proposed business. In addition, there can be no assurance that income tax laws, royalty regulations and government incentive programs related to the resource industry generally, will not be changed in a manner which may adversely affect us and cause delays, inability to complete or abandonment of properties.
Permits, leases, licenses, and approvals are required from a variety of regulatory authorities at various stages of mining and extraction. There can be no assurance that the various government permits, leases, licenses and approvals sought will be granted to us or, if granted, will not be cancelled or will be renewed upon expiration.
ESTIMATES OF OIL RESERVES THAT WE MAKE MAY BE INACCURATE WHICH COULD HAVE A MATERIAL ADVERSE EFFECT ON US
There are numerous uncertainties inherent in estimating quantities of oil resources, including many factors beyond our control, and no assurance can be given that expected levels of resources or recovery of oil will be realized. In general, estimates of recoverable oil resources are based upon a number of factors and assumptions made as of the date on which resource estimates are determined, such as geological and engineering estimates which have inherent uncertainties and the assumed effects of regulation by governmental agencies and estimates of future commodity prices and operating costs, all of which may vary considerably from actual results. All such estimates are, to some degree, uncertain and classifications of resources are only attempts to define the degree of uncertainty involved. For these reasons, estimates of the recoverable oil, the classification of such resources based on risk of recovery, prepared by different engineers or by the same engineers at different times, may vary substantially.
ABANDONMENT AND RECLAMATION COSTS ARE UNKNOWN AND MAY BE SUBSTANTIAL.
We will be responsible for compliance with terms and conditions of environmental and regulatory approvals and all laws and regulations regarding the abandonment of our properties and reclamation of lands at the end of their economic life, which abandonment and reclamation costs may be substantial. A breach of such legislation and/or regulations may result in the issuance of remedial orders, the suspension of approvals, or the imposition of fines and penalties, including an order for cessation of operations at the site until satisfactory remedies are made. It is not possible to estimate with certainty the abandonment and reclamation costs since they will be a function of regulatory requirements at the time.
INCREASES IN OUR OPERATING EXPENSES WILL IMPACT OUR OPERATING RESULTS AND FINANCIAL CONDITION.
Extraction, development, production, marketing (including distribution costs) and regulatory compliance costs (including taxes) will substantially impact the net revenues we derive from oil that we produce. These costs are subject to fluctuations and variation in different locales in which we will operate, and we may not be able to predict or control these costs. If these costs exceed our expectations, this may adversely affect our results of operations. In addition, we may not be able to earn net revenue at our predicted levels, which may impact our ability to satisfy our obligations.
PENALTIES WE MAY INCUR COULD IMPAIR OUR BUSINESS.
Failure to comply with government regulations could subject us to civil and criminal penalties, could require us to forfeit property rights, and may affect the value of our assets. We may also be required to take corrective actions, such as installing additional equipment or taking other actions, each of which could require us to make substantial capital expenditures. We could also be required to indemnify our employees in connection with any expenses or liabilities that they may incur individually in connection with regulatory action against them. As a result, our future business prospects could deteriorate due to regulatory constraints, and our profitability could be impaired by our obligation to provide such indemnification to our employees.
ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS MAY ADVERSELY AFFECT OUR BUSINESS.
Oil extraction operations present environmental risks and hazards and are subject to environmental regulation pursuant to a variety of federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Environmental legislation provides for, among other things, restrictions and prohibitions on spills, releases or emissions of various substances produced in association with resource operations. The legislation also requires that facility sites be operated, maintained, abandoned and reclaimed to the satisfaction of applicable regulatory authorities. Compliance with such legislation can require significant expenditures and a breach may result in the imposition of fines and penalties, some of which may be material. Environmental legislation is evolving in a manner we expect may result in stricter standards and enforcement, larger fines and liability and potentially increased capital expenditures and operating costs.
The discharge of pollutants into the air, soil or water may give rise to liabilities to governments and third parties and may require us to incur costs to remedy such discharges. The application of environmental laws to our business may cause us to curtail our production or increase the costs of our production, development or exploration activities.
CHALLENGES TO TITLE TO OUR PROPERTIES MAY IMPACT OUR FINANCIAL CONDITION.
Title to oil interests is often not capable of conclusive determination without incurring substantial expense. While we intend to make appropriate inquiries into the title of properties and other development rights we acquire, title defects may exist. In addition, we may be unable to obtain adequate insurance for title defects, on a commercially reasonable basis or at all. If title defects do exist, it is possible that we may lose all or a portion of our right, title and interests in and to the properties to which the title defects relate.
THE LIMITED TRADING OF OUR COMMON STOCK ON THE OTC BULLETIN BOARD MAY IMPAIR YOUR ABILITY TO SELL YOUR SHARES.
There have been thin volumes of trading of our common stock. The lack of trading of our common stock and the low volume of any future trading may impair your ability to sell your shares at the time you wish to sell them or at a price that you consider reasonable. Such factors may also impair our ability to raise capital by selling shares of capital stock and may impair our ability to acquire other companies or technologies by using common stock as consideration.
THE MARKET PRICE OF OUR COMMON STOCK IS LIKELY TO BE HIGHLY VOLATILE AND SUBJECT TO WIDE FLUCTUATIONS.
Assuming we are able to establish an active trading market for our common stock, the market price of our common stock is likely to be highly volatile and could be subject to wide fluctuations in response to a number of factors that are beyond our control, including:
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dilution caused by our issuance of additional shares of common stock and other forms of equity
securities, which we expect to make in connection with future capital financings to fund our operations
and growth, to attract and retain valuable personnel and in connection with future strategic partnerships
with other companies;
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announcements of acquisitions, reserve discoveries or other business initiatives by our competitors;
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fluctuations in revenue from our business as new reserves come to market;
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changes in the market for commodities or in the capital markets generally;
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quarterly variations in our revenues and operating expenses;
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changes in the valuation of similarly situated companies, both in our industry and in other industries;
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changes in analysts' estimates affecting us, our competitors or our industry;
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changes in the accounting methods used in or otherwise affecting our industry;
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additions and departures of key personnel;
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fluctuations in interest rates and the availability of capital in the capital markets; and
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These and other factors are largely beyond our control, and the impact of these risks, singly or in the aggregate, may result in material adverse changes to the market price of our common stock and our results of operations and financial condition.
OUR OPERATING RESULTS MAY FLUCTUATE SIGNIFICANTLY, AND THESE FLUCTUATIONS MAY CAUSE OUR STOCK PRICE TO DECLINE.
Our operating results will likely vary in the future primarily as the result of fluctuations in our revenues and operating expenses, expenses that we incur, the price of oil and gas in the commodities markets and other factors. If our results of operations do not meet the expectations of current or potential investors, the price of our common stock may decline.
WE DO NOT EXPECT TO PAY DIVIDENDS IN THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.
We do not intend to declare dividends for the foreseeable future, as we anticipate that we will reinvest any future earnings in the development and growth of our business. Therefore, investors will not receive any funds unless they sell their common stock, and stockholders may be unable to sell their shares on favorable terms or at all. Investors cannot be assured of a positive return on investment or that they will not lose the entire amount of their investment in the common stock.
APPLICABLE SEC RULES GOVERNING THE TRADING OF "PENNY STOCKS" WILL LIMIT THETRADING AND LIQUIDITY OF OUR COMMON STOCK, WHICH MAY AFFECT THE TRADING PRICE OF OUR COMMON STOCK.
Our common stock is presently considered to be a "penny stock" and is subject to SEC rules and regulations which impose limitations upon the manner in which such shares may be publicly traded and regulate broker-dealer practices in connection with transactions in "penny stocks." Penny stocks generally are equity securities with a price of less than $5.00 (other than securities registered on certain national securities exchanges or quoted on the NASDAQ system, provided that current price and volume information with respect to transactions in such securities is provided by the exchange or system). The penny stock rules require a broker-dealer, prior to a transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from the rules, to deliver a standardized risk disclosure document that provides information about penny stocks and the risks in the penny stock market. The broker-dealer must also provide the customer with current bid and offer quotations for the penny stock, the compensation of the broker-dealer and its salesperson in the transaction, and monthly account statements showing the market value of each penny stock held in the customer's account. In addition, the penny stock rules generally require that prior to a transaction in a penny stock, the broker-dealer make a special written determination that the penny stock is a suitable investment for the purchaser and receive the purchaser's written agreement to the transaction. These disclosure requirements may have the effect of reducing the level of trading activity in the secondary market for a stock that becomes subject to the penny stock rules which may increase the difficulty investors may experience in attempting to liquidate such securities.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. We use words such as anticipate, believe, plan, expect, future, intend and similar expressions to identify such forward-looking statements. You should not place too much reliance on these forward-looking statements. Our actual results are likely to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements for many reasons.
Item 2: Description of Property
Corporate Office
The Company's headquarters and executive offices are located at Suite 632, 22837 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, California, 90265. Our telephone number is 310-887-6391. Our office space is currently rented on a month to month basis.
Oil and Gas Interests
By a letter of intent dated March 26, 2011, the Company acquired a 15% working interest in the Quinlan #3 Oil and Gas lease in Pottowatomie County, Oklahoma in consideration for the payments totaling $67,500. The funding for this acquisition was derived from a private placement of 33,750 shares of our common stock.
By a turnkey agreement effectively dated March 29, 2011, the Company acquired a 60% working interest in an oil and gas leases known as the Crown Oil and Gas Lease in Pottowatomie County, Oklahoma for $250,000. The funding for this acquisition was derived from a private placement of 250,000 shares of our common stock.
Bankruptcy or similar procedure
We have not been the subject of a bankruptcy, receivership or similar proceedings.
Competition and Markets
We face competition from other oil and natural gas companies in all aspects of our business, including acquisition of producing properties and oil and natural gas leases, marketing of oil and natural gas, and obtaining goods, services and labor. Many of our competitors have substantially larger financial and other resources than we have. Factors that affect our ability to acquire producing properties include available funds, available information about prospective properties and our limited number of employees.
The availability of a ready market for and the price of any hydrocarbons produced will depend on many factors beyond our control including, but not limited to, the amount of domestic production and imports of foreign oil and liquefied natural gas, the marketing of competitive fuels, the proximity and capacity of natural gas pipelines, the availability of transportation and other market facilities, the demand for hydrocarbons, the effect of federal and state regulation of allowable rates of production, taxation, the conduct of drilling operations and federal regulation of natural gas. All of these factors, together with economic factors in the marketing arena, generally affect the supply of and/or demand for oil and natural gas and thus the prices available for sales of oil and natural gas.
Regulatory Considerations
Proposals and proceedings that might affect the oil and gas industry are periodically presented to Congress, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”), the Minerals Management Service (“MMS”), state legislatures and commissions and the courts. We cannot predict when or whether any such proposals may become effective. This industry is heavily regulated. There is no assurance that the regulatory approach currently pursued by various agencies will continue indefinitely. Notwithstanding the foregoing, except for the water quality issue described below, we currently do not anticipate that compliance with existing federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations, will have a material or significantly adverse effect upon our capital expenditures, earnings or competitive position. No material portion of our business is subject to renegotiation of profits or termination of contracts or subcontracts at the election of the federal government.
Our operations are subject to various types of regulation at the federal, state and local levels. This regulation includes requiring permits for drilling wells, maintaining bonding requirements in order to drill or operate wells and regulating the location of wells, the method of drilling and casing wells, the surface use and restoration of properties upon which wells are drilled, the plugging and abandoning of wells and the disposal of fluids used or generated in connection with operations. Our operations are also subject to various conservation laws and regulations. These include the regulation of the size of drilling and spacing units or proration units and the density of wells which may be drilled and the unitization or pooling of oil and natural gas properties. In addition, state conservation laws sometimes establish maximum rates of production from oil and natural gas wells, generally prohibit the venting or flaring of natural gas and impose certain requirements regarding the ratability of production. The effect of these regulations may limit the amount of oil and natural gas we can produce from our wells in a given state and may limit the number of wells or the locations at which we can drill.
Currently, there are no federal, state or local laws that regulate the price for our sales of natural gas, natural gas liquids, crude oil or condensate. However, the rates charged and terms and conditions for the movement of gas in interstate commerce through certain intrastate pipelines and production area hubs are subject to regulation under the Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978, as amended. Pipeline and hub construction activities are, to a limited extent, also subject to regulations under the Natural Gas Act of 1938, as amended. While these controls do not apply directly to us, their effect on natural gas markets can be significant in terms of competition and cost of transportation services, which in turn can have a substantial impact on our profitability and costs of doing business. Additional proposals and proceedings that might affect the natural gas and crude oil extraction industry are considered from time to time by Congress, FERC, state regulatory bodies and the courts. We cannot predict when or if any such proposals might become effective and their effect, if any, on our operations. We do not believe that we will be affected by any action taken in any materially different respect from other crude oil and natural gas producers, gatherers and marketers with whom we compete.
State regulation of gathering facilities generally includes various safety, environmental and in some circumstances, nondiscriminatory take requirements. This regulation has not generally been applied against producers and gatherers of natural gas to the same extent as processors, although natural gas gathering may receive greater regulatory scrutiny in the future.
Various federal, state and local laws regulating the discharge of materials into the environment, or otherwise relating to the protection of the environment, directly impact oil and natural gas exploration, development and production operations, and consequently may impact our operations and costs. These regulations include, among others, (i) regulations by the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”), and various state agencies regarding approved methods of disposal for certain hazardous and non-hazardous wastes; (ii) the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, and analogous state laws, which regulate the removal or remediation of previously disposed wastes (including wastes disposed of or released by prior owners or operators), property contamination (including groundwater contamination), and remedial plugging operations to prevent future contamination; (iii) the Clean Air Act and comparable state and local requirements, which may require certain pollution controls with respect to air emissions from our operations; (iv) the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, which contains numerous requirements relating to the prevention of and response to oil spills into waters of the United States; (v) the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, which is the principal federal statute governing the treatment, storage and disposal of hazardous wastes.
To date, compliance with environmental laws and regulations has not required the expenditure of any material amount of money. Since environmental laws and regulations are periodically amended, we are unable to predict the ultimate cost of compliance. To our knowledge, other than the potential water quality issue described above, there are currently no material adverse environmental conditions that exist on any of our properties and there are no current or threatened actions or claims by any local, state or federal agency, or by any private landowner against us pertaining to such a condition. Further, we are not aware of any currently existing condition or circumstance that may give rise to such actions or claims in the future.
Employees
The Company has no full time employees and one part time employee..
Research and Development Expenditures
We have not incurred any research or development expenditures since our incorporation.
Patents and Trademarks
We do not own, either legally or beneficially, any patents or trademarks.
Reports to Securities Holders
We provide an annual report that includes audited financial information to our shareholders. We will make our financial information equally available to any interested parties or investors through compliance with the disclosure rules of Regulation S-K for a small business issuer under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. We are subject to disclosure filing requirements including filing Form 10K annually and Form 10Q quarterly. In addition, we will file Form 8K and other proxy and information statements from time to time as required. We do not intend to voluntarily file the above reports in the event that our obligation to file such reports is suspended under the Exchange Act. The public may read and copy any materials that we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, (“SEC”), at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street NE, Washington, DC 20549. The public may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC maintains an Internet site (http://www.sec.gov) that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC.