ITEM 1. BUSINESS
Corporate Background
Cojax Oil and Gas Corporation (“CoJax, the “Company”, us or we) was incorporated on November 13, 2017 under the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Company was formed with the business purpose to acquire oil drilling and production rights to properties with oil reserve reports showing sufficient oil reserves to justify drilling and to produce crude oil for sale to any available domestic or international buyers. Since incorporation in 2017, CoJax has not had any revenue-generating operations. Since incorporation, we have been engaged in organization of the company, evaluating and pursuing possible acquisitions of oil leases and rights and exploring the availability of third-party funding for our business plan.
We are an independent oil and gas company focused on commencing operations in the acquisition, development and production of crude oil from assets in the Gulf States Drill Region. The production and sale of natural gas is not part of our revenue generating business because of the perceived cost and lack of profit potential for a small producer of natural gas.
We are focused on establishing profitable oil exploration and production operations by acquiring the right, by lease or assignment, to drill, extract, and sell oil. We may extract and sell gas from time to time, but any gas production would be secondary and not significant business line. Our long-term goal is to create shareholder value by identifying and assembling a portfolio of low-risk assets with attractive economic profiles, and our short-term goal is to identify and complete an equity acquisition of producing oil and gas assets in the Gulf States Drilling Region and then raise sufficient working capital to establish deep drilling rigs to fully exploit oil reserves. The acquisition of Barrister described below is our initial acquisition in the Gulf States Drilling Region. Our ability to implement our business plan is subject in part on our ability to timely raise adequate and affordable funding from investors or lenders for establishing deep drilling rigs in acquired oil and gas leases and rights. If we cannot acquire oil leases and rights for our securities, we will also have to fund the cost of acquisition from investors or lenders. The funding may be equity or debt. Our first acquisition, Barrister, lacks existing cash flow from production to fund establishing deep drilling rigs. The lack of existing cash flow from existing oil production may also be true for any future oil leases and rights due our focus being on what we deem to be underexploited oil leases and rights – like Barrister. We may be unable, due to lack of required funding and any enhanced oil production from acquired oil leases and rights, to acquire additional oil leases and rights.
The Barrister acquisition is the first and only current acquisition of oil and gas exploration and production leases and rights as of the date of this Annual Report. Barrister has only minimal oil drilling and production operations. CoJax will have to raise funding to establish one or more deep drilling rigs exploiting the Barrister Oil Rights. Even with deep drilling rigs, Barrister Oil Rights may not produce oil on a profitable basis. We currently have no other potential acquisitions.
We have explored third party debt and equity funding for acquiring and expanding oil exploration and production, but as of the date of this Annual Report have no firm commitments for funding. Our experience is that private funding for new drilling on oil leases and rights with limited production or operating history has been difficult to obtain on affordable terms in the past. Our goal is to raise sufficient funds pursuant to the registration statement described below to expand drilling from Barrister Oil Rights
9
and establish a more robust cash flow and production history from Barrister Oil Rights in order to attract future funding, either from lenders or through offering of our securities to investors, to fund further drilling on Barrister Oil Rights and possibly, subject to adequate funds, acquire new oil leases and rights in Gulf State Drilling Region. We focus on Gulf State Drilling Region because of the quality of the oil and the ability to typically access oil without fracking and its history of drilling resulting oil production without an inordinate percentage of dry wells or failed drilling.
We filed a registration statement on a Form S-1 which was declared effective by the Commission on October 9, 2020 (and the post-effective amendment No. 1 to this registration statement was declared effective by the Commission on October 22, 2020) to offer and sell up to 6,000,000 shares of our common stock at a price of $2.00 per share. The proceeds of the offering is to raise working capital for our corporate operating overhead and to fund establishing at least one deep drilling rig for the Barrister Oil Rights. We do not intend to do exploratory drilling, which is expensive and typically can only be afforded by the larger oil production companies. Barrister has existing rigs that are producing oil. Exploratory drilling can verify the presence of oil and is used to reduce the risk of establishing deep drilling rigs. As an early stage development company and with limited oil production history of Barrister oil rights, the Company does not believe that it can raise funding for exploratory drilling rigs and deep drilling oil rigs. As of May 13, 2021, we have raised $53,000 pursuant to the offering covered by said registration statement. The Registration Statement closed on May 31, 2021.
CoJax has a corporate website under development at URL: http://www.cojaxoilandgas.com. The website should be operational in July 2021.
Acquisition of Barrister Energy
On November 17, 2020, the Company consummated the transactions contemplated by the acquisition agreement dated June 16, 2020 with Barrister Energy, LLC, a Mississippi limited liability company, and all of the members of Barrister (the “Barrister Agreement”) or (the “Acquisition Agreement”). The Company issued 3,650,000 shares to the members of Barrister in exchange for 100% of the outstanding membership interests, resulting in Barrister becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cojax (the “Exchange”). The Barrister Agreement also provided that we assume $2,700,000 debt obligations of Barrister (the “Assumed Debt”), which debt obligation evidences the purchase price for Barrister’s acquisition of its current oil drilling and production rights and leases in Alabama.
The debt we assumed is secured by the Barrister Oil Rights, which were acquired by Barrister from Central Operating, LLC, or “COP” under the June 1, 2019 Purchase and Sale Agreement, and related secured promissory Note and Security Agreement, both dated June 1, 2019 (the “COP Agreements”). These acquired oil and gas exploration and production assets represent all of the Barrister Oil Rights. There is no interest owed under the promissory note, but the principal is due in a lump sum payment due on June 1, 2021. This lump sum payment represents a significant financial burden for us. The pay-off of the Assumed Debt will have to be financed or funded, or restructured, in order to avoid a possible default and legal action to seize or sell the Barrister Oil Rights, which are collateral for the Assumed Debt.
Under the Purchase and Sale Agreement, COP retained financial benefit of oil produced prior to and on June 1, 2019, and Barrister owned all post-June 1, 2019 oil production. Barrister had until August 31, 2019 to challenge any title defects affecting acquired assets. Barrister asserted no title defects. COP conveyed by Special Warranty of Title in respect of acquired assets “as is and with all faults” on date of purchase, but the warranty does not cover fitness of acquired assets for any specific purpose, or future
10
productivity of acquired assets, or hazardous material liabilities. Barrister waived, released, held harmless and indemnified COP and its affiliates from all liabilities associated with or arising from the Barrister Oil Rights.
Based on CoJax management’s knowledge and inquiries, the cost of establishing a deep drilling rig is estimated to be $2 million to $3 million and the cost of drilling is estimated to be between $300 to $600 per lateral foot. Drilling costs are affected by a number of factors, including having to penetrate hard rock strata, rig equipment failures and amount of required drilling fluids. CoJax does not have the funds, assets, or funding commitments as of the date of this Annual Report to pay off the Assumed Debt. There is no assurance, especially in light of the chaotic economic conditions imposed by COVID-19 pandemic on the U.S. and world economies and the oil production industry and the uncertainty about when that impact will end, that CoJax can timely pay off or restructure the Assumed Debt. CoJax lacks the assets typically required for debt financing, and the Barrister Oil Rights are already subject to a secured lien held by COP under the COP Agreements.
As of the date of this Annual Report, Barrister Oil Rights are producing very limited crude oil production from limited oil drilling operations, which production is not sufficient to cover our operating expenses or to fund establishing new oil drilling rigs or increased drilling. Establishing new oil drilling rigs to exploit the crude oil reserves of Barrister commercially is essential to CoJax efforts to establish a viable business. Even with one or more deep drilling wells for Barrister Oil Rights, those wells may fail to produce any oil or sufficient oil to allow CoJax-Barrister to become profitable.
Business Strategies. Our long-term objective is to create shareholder value by identifying and assembling a portfolio of low-risk crude oil production assets with attractive economic profiles, and our short-term objective is the leveraging of the technical and managerial expertise of our proposed contractor operations team to deliver consistently profitable results from existing oil wells. Our geographical focus is the Gulf States Region due to its light grade oil which is cheaper to process than other forms of crude oil and due to the ability to tap oil reserves without fracking. We seek to achieve these objectives by executing the following strategies:
(1) Day-to-Day Operations – Use of Contractors. Barrister engages COP as a contractor to operate the limited oil and gas production drilling and storage operations for the Barrister Oil Rights as well as using Jeffrey Delancey, our former Chief Executive Officer, as a part-time manager. CoJax intends to use professional contractors to operate existing and future crude oil and gas drilling operations, including use of COP for Barrister Oil Rights. CoJax believes that the use of contractors will allow CoJax-Barrister to engage experienced personnel to manage day-to-day operations without incurring the additional overhead imposed by full-time employees and will provide flexibility in engaging operational personnel. Full-time employees of CoJax-Barrister will generally be limited to senior executive officers of CoJax and, possibly, addition of a full-time operations executive at Barrister when and if oil production and revenues increase from deep drilling rig or rigs. This model of operation has a significant risk of being unable to retain key personnel who are merely contractors and who do not have the incentive of a full-time employee to remain with an employer and can be lured away by more lucrative offers of employment or engagement from competitors. CoJax will use contracts to seek to secure contractors for required periods. CoJax believes that the contractor model of management is affordable and efficient and within the projected ability of CoJax to fund. CoJax lacks the funding to engage full time, experienced oil operations executives in anticipation of increased oil production.
11
(2) Focus on Underexploited Oil Leases and Rights. CoJax will target oil leases and rights similar to Barrister as possible future acquisitions. CoJax is seeking underexploited oil leases and rights in the Gulf States Drilling Region with reserve reports and one or more drilling rigs, even if exploratory or not deep drilling rigs, which taken together indicate that the oil leases and rights have potential, substantial oil production capability – substantial for a small independent oil production company. CoJax does not seek oil leases and rights with productive deep drilling rigs as those properties often require funding or working capital beyond CoJax’s current means and projected future funding and working capital. Generally, the oil fields in the southern part of the Gulf States Drilling Region are less expensive to drill due to nature of rock strata and depth of the oil reserves. Barrister is in the southern part of the Gulf States Drilling Region. CoJax will seek acquisitions that can be obtained for stock or other securities or under an earn out arrangement and prefers acquiring companies which hold oil leases and rights rather than acquiring individual oil leases and rights. CoJax’s preference is to acquire companies with several oil leases and rights as opposed to acquiring individual oil leases and rights. The acquisition of a company has the perceived advantages of acquiring several oil leases and rights and existing drilling operations with in-place management in a single transaction along with possibly reduced due diligence costs and more expeditious closing of the transaction.
Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company. CoJax is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act, or the JOBS Act, enacted in April 2012, and we may remain an emerging company for up to five years. For so long as we remain an emerging growth company, we are permitted and intend to rely on certain exemptions from various public company reporting requirements, including not being required to have our internal control over financial reporting audited by our independent registered public accounting firm pursuant to Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and any golden parachute payments not previously approved. In particular, in this Annual Report, we have provided only two years of audited financial statements for 2020 and 2019 and have not included all of the executive compensation-related information that would be required if we were not an emerging growth company. Accordingly, the information contained herein may be different than the information you receive from other public companies in which you hold stock.
In addition, the JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company can take advantage of an extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards. This provision allows an emerging growth company to delay the adoption of some accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies.
For as long as we are an emerging growth company, unlike other public companies that are not emerging growth companies under the JOBS Act, we are not required to:
·provide an auditor's attestation report on management's assessment of the effectiveness of our system of internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the "Sarbanes-Oxley Act");
·provide more than two years of audited financial statements and related management's discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations nor more than two years of selected financial data;
·comply with any new requirements adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (the "PCAOB") requiring and in which the auditor would be required to provide additional information about the audit and the financial statements of the issuer;
12
·provide certain disclosure regarding executive compensation required of larger public companies or hold shareholder advisory votes on executive compensation required by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the "Dodd-Frank Act"); or
·obtain shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved.
We will cease to be an emerging growth company upon the earliest of:
·the last day of the fiscal year in which we have $1.0 billion or more in annual revenues;
·the date on which we become a "large accelerated filer" (the fiscal year-end on which the total market value of our common equity securities held by non-affiliates is $700 million or more as of June 30);
·the date on which we issue more than $1.0 billion of non-convertible debt over a three-year period; or
·the last day of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of our initial public offering of securities, which initial public offering of securities was declared effective on August 12, 2019, by the Commission.
Barrister
Barrister History. Barrister’s principal executive offices are located at 404 Short 7th Avenue, Laurel, Mississippi 39440. Barrister’s telephone number is (601) 426-0056. Barrister was organized under the laws of the State of Mississippi on June 13, 2014.
Operations Management. Barrister engages independent contractors or vendors to provide any services or functions. Prior to its acquisition by Cojax, Barrister was managed by its members. Currently, Mr. Jeffrey Delancey is taking the lead on the part-time management of Barrister. Mr. Delancey has over twenty-nine years of direct oilfield operating experience. Mr. Delancey has extensive experience with operations and administration in an independent oil and gas production company. Mr. Delancey relies on contract operators to provide experienced personnel to handle all essential crude oil production on a day to day basis for Barrister. As of the date of this Annual Report, COP manages Barrister’s drilling operations. Due to the limited oil production, Barrister believes that the management of operations by a contractor is the most efficient approach to conduct of operations. With any future increase in oil production, Barrister will have to engage additional personnel for operations if COP cannot manage increased drilling operations.
Marketing. Barrister markets its crude oil production, whether current or future, on a month to month basis, through established networks of contacts. Due to limited oil production, Barrister’s marketing effort is limited in scope. If production of oil increases from the Barrister Oil Rights, CoJax-Barrister will have to expand the marketing efforts of Barrister by engaging a person or firm to seek out new customers for the oil production in case the current customer base of Barrister is unable or unwilling to purchase increased oil production. The cost means and extent of any enhanced future marketing effort will depend on the amount of increased oil production, the then current market for oil and the potential customer base for the oil production. If the existing customer base will not purchase increased oil production, then the engagement of a dedicated marketing person who engages in direct marketing, by telephone and internet, of potential customers for oil production may be required for sale of any future increase of oil production. A dedicated marketing person would entail an estimated $60,000 to $100,000 a year in compensation and benefits costs plus a possible commission or incentive compensation based on performance and an additional $10,000 to $20,000 in related annual administrative and overhead costs (consisting of computer system, telecommunication costs, marketing materials and possible travel).
13
Description of Barrister Oil Properties and Oil Production Operations. The Company currently has a leased land package of approximately 700 acres in Southwest Alabama, in one contiguous land package. It also has two producing wells, a saltwater disposal well, a three-mile gas transmission line along with gathering systems, and storage tanks for approximately 1,500 barrels.
Competition. Barrister Weaknesses. Barrister is undercapitalized to properly exploit its existing oil properties or acquire new oil and gas properties for exploitation. Barrister acquired its oil properties in June 2019 and has not expanded the production, acquired new oil properties, or improved operations. Barrister has insufficient cash flow or funding to grow its core business operations. As such, Barrister is not an active competitor or commercial presence even among local, small independent oil producers. Additional funding will be required to not only increase oil production but also to enhance distribution and marketing efforts.
Barrister Strengths. Barrister has highly experienced principals who have significant prior experience in oil and gas production in the Gulf States Drilling Region. Through the owners’ relationships, Barrister also has access to many experienced oil and gas engineers, drilling personnel, and other professionals engaged in the oil and gas drilling and production business in the Gulf States Drilling Region – all of whom can be engaged as contractors, consultants or possibly employees, subject to increased oil production and working capital. The experience of the former owners of Barrister will be relied upon by CoJax management in the initial phases of implementing the business plan. If oil drilling and production substantially increases, and contractors like COP could not handle the additional work load from increased drilling and production, CoJax would engage one or more experienced oil and gas industry operations managers to supplement the operations contractors and the part time input and efforts from the Barrister principals. The additional personnel could be employees or contractors. If oil drilling and production increases substantially, CoJax would engage one or more full-time, experienced oil and gas operations executives to establish an in-house expertise and full-time oversight over operations, even if contractors performed the daily management of operations.
Competitors of Barrister. There are many large, medium, and small-sized competitors in the Gulf States Drilling Region (including off-shore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico) and adjacent areas which have extensive operational histories, experienced oil and gas industry management, established market share, profitable operations, and extensive potential oil and gas fields or leases to exploit and the cash or funding resources to explore new oil and gas fields as well as fully exploit existing oil fields. There is also an established oil and gas production industry in northern Alaska and in North Dakota and western Canada (where fracking has made available significant oil and gas reserves in shale formations). Barrister cannot match the resources, whether financial, technical, manpower, size of proven crude oil reserves, and distribution channels, of its competition in the Gulf States Drilling Region or elsewhere. Barrister’s current oil production is not sufficient to concern or attract the attention of competitors, which allows Barrister to operate as a small provider of oil without competitive pressures. If Barrister significantly increases oil production, then Barrister will face increasing competition from other small independent oil producers selling limited amounts of oil. Any increase in competitive pressures will require investment in a full-time marketing effort by Barrister.
Barrister Oil Rights
Description of Barrister Oil Properties and Oil Production Operations. The Company currently leases a land package of approximately 700 acres in Southwest Alabama, in one contiguous land package. It also has
14
two producing wells, a saltwater disposal well, a three-mile gas transmission line along with gathering systems, and storage tanks for approximately 1,500 barrels.
Energy Production in Alabama. The State of Alabama is located in the Southeastern United States alongside the Gulf of Mexico and has been producing petroleum since 1940s. While the peak of oil production in Alabama was in the 1980s, according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration. As of 2020, Alabama was ranked 20th among the states in production of oil and natural gas combined and is producing oil at an annual rate of 3.2 millions of barrels of oil (based on 9,000 barrels a day as of June 2020). Alabama's major oil and gas-producing regions are located in the western and southwestern part of the state.
The Smackover Trend. The Smackover trend is a belt of carbonate, evaporite, and clastic rocks of Late Jurassic age that rims the Gulf Coast of the United States from Texas, up to Arkansas, throughout Louisiana, Mississippi, Southwest Alabama, and all the way to the Florida panhandle. Stratigraphic and geochemical data indicate that the oil and gas were generated from algal-rich lime mudstones. It was named after the Smackover oil field, which was discovered in Union County, Arkansas, in 1937.
Current Drilling on Barrister Energy Drill Region. There are three wells in the Barrister Energy Drill Region, which have produced oil and gas since 1996. Currently, two of these three wells are in production, and one well is used as a saltwater disposal well. We own approximately 95% working interest with a 79% net revenue interest as of June 1, 2019, the acquisition date for Barrister. The two producers are Nall 16-3 #1 and the Nettles 9-12 #1.
The historical 8/8th production (gross production) of these oil wells for the fiscal years 1996 – 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 are summarized in the table below.
Barrister DRILL REGION PRODUCTION
|
Nall 16-3 #1 and Nettle 9-12 #1
|
Year
| 8/8th Total Oil Produced (bbl)
| Total Gas Produced (mcf)
|
1996 – 2015 *
| 225,300
| 53,175
|
2016 *
| 1,335
| -
|
2017 *
| 4,371
| -
|
2018 *
| 2,919
| -
|
2019 *
| 1,397
| -
|
2020 **
| 183
| -
|
Total
| 235,505
| 53,175
|
* Historical production prior to the acquisition of rights by CoJax.
|
** Current production and historical production prior to the acquisition of rights by CoJax and post acquisition.
|
Oil and Gas Production, Production Prices and Production Costs
Oil and Gas Production
The table below summarizes production by final product sold and by geographic area for the last four years.
15
| 2020
| 2019
| 2018
| 2017
|
| (8/8th barrels of oil produced at year-end)
|
Crude oil and natural gas liquids production
| Crude Oil
| NGL
| Crude Oil
| NGL
| Crude Oil
| NGL
| Crude Oil
| NGL
|
| Consolidated Subsidiaries
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| United States
| 183
| -
| 1,397
| -
| 2,919
| -
| 4,371
| -
|
|
|
| Total Consolidated Subsidiaries
| 183
| -
| 1,397
| -
| 2,919
| -
| 4,371
| -
|
Total crude oil & natural gas liquids production
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bitumen production
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Consolidated Subsidiaries
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| United States
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Synthetic oil production
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Consolidated Subsidiaries
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| United States
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
|
Total liquids production
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| (8/8th barrels of oil produced at year-end)
|
Natural gas production available for sale
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Consolidated Subsidiaries
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| United States
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
|
|
|
| Total Consolidated Subsidiaries
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total natural gas production available for sale
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
|
|
|
|
| (thousands of oil-equivalent barrels at year-end)
|
Oil-equivalent production
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
|
Production Prices and Production Costs. The table below summarizes average production prices and average production costs by geographic area and by product type for the last three years.
|
|
|
| United States
| Total
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
During 2020
|
|
|
| Consolidated Subsidiaries
|
|
|
|
| Average production prices
|
|
|
|
|
| Crude oil, per barrel
| 45.66
| 45..66
|
|
|
| NGL, per barrel
| -
| -
|
|
|
| Natural gas, per thousand cubic feet
| -
| -
|
|
|
| Bitumen, per barrel
| -
| -
|
|
|
| Synthetic oil, per barrel
| -
| -
|
16
|
| Average production costs, per oil-equivalent barrel – total
| 32.13
| 32.13
|
|
| Average production costs, per barrel – bitumen
| -
| -
|
|
| Average production costs, per barrel - synthetic oil
| -
| -
|
|
|
|
|
During 2019
|
|
|
| Consolidated Subsidiaries
|
|
|
|
| Average production prices
|
|
|
|
|
| Crude oil, per barrel
| 58.88
| 58.88
|
|
|
| NGL, per barrel
| -
| -
|
|
|
| Natural gas, per thousand cubic feet
| -
| -
|
|
|
| Bitumen, per barrel
| -
| -
|
|
|
| Synthetic oil, per barrel
| -
| -
|
|
| Average production costs, per oil-equivalent barrel – total
| 32.13
| 32.13
|
|
| Average production costs, per barrel – bitumen
| -
| -
|
|
| Average production costs, per barrel - synthetic oil
| -
| -
|
|
|
|
|
During 2018
|
|
|
| Consolidated Subsidiaries
|
|
|
|
| Average production prices
|
|
|
|
|
| Crude oil, per barrel
| 66.06
| 66.06
|
|
|
| NGL, per barrel
| -
| -
|
|
|
| Natural gas, per thousand cubic feet
| -
| -
|
|
|
| Bitumen, per barrel
| -
| -
|
|
|
| Synthetic oil, per barrel
| -
| -
|
|
| Average production costs, per oil-equivalent barrel – total
| 33.45
| 33.45
|
|
| Average production costs, per barrel – bitumen
| -
| -
|
|
| Average production costs, per barrel - synthetic oil
| -
| -
|
Average production prices have been calculated by using sales quantities from Barrister’s production as the divisor. Average production costs have been computed by using net production quantities for the divisor. The volumes of crude oil and natural gas liquids (“NGL”) production used for this computation are shown in the oil and gas production table. The volumes of natural gas used in the calculation are the production volumes of natural gas available for sale and are also shown. Gas is converted to an oil-equivalent basis at six million cubic feet per one thousand barrels.
17
Oil and Gas Properties, Wells, Operations, and Acreage
Gross and Net Productive Wells
|
|
|
| Year-End 2020
| Year-End 2019
| Year-End 2018
|
|
|
|
| Oil
| Gas
| Oil
| Gas
| Oil
| Gas
|
|
|
|
| Gross
| Net
| Gross
| Net
| Gross
| Net
| Gross
| Net
| Gross
| Net
| Gross
| Net
|
Gross and Net Productive Wells
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Consolidated Subsidiaries
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| United States
| 3.0
| 1.8
| -
| -
| 3.0
| 1.8
| -
| -
| 3.0
| 1.8
| -
| -
|
|
|
| Total Consolidated Subsidiaries
| 3.0
| 1.8
| -
| -
| 3.0
| 1.8
| -
| -
| 3.0
| 1.8
| -
| -
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total gross and net productive wells
| 3.0
| 1.8
| -
| -
| 3.0
| 1.8
| -
| -
| 3.0
| 1.8
| -
| -
|
There were 3 gross, and 1.8 net operated wells at December 31, 2020, December 31, 2019, and December 31, 2018.
Gross and Net Developed Acreage
|
|
|
| Year-End 2020
| Year-End 2019
| Year-End 2018
|
|
|
|
| Gross
| Net
| Gross
| Net
| Gross
| Net
|
|
|
|
| (acres)
|
Gross and Net Developed Acreage
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Consolidated Subsidiaries
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| United States
| 370
| 352
| 370
| 352
| 370
| 352
|
|
|
| Total Consolidated Subsidiaries
| 370
| 352
| 370
| 352
| 370
| 352
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total gross and net developed acreage
| 370
| 352
| 370
| 352
| 370
| 352
|
Separate acreage data for oil and gas are not maintained because, in many instances, both are produced from the same acreage.
Gross and Net Undeveloped Acreage
|
|
|
| Year-End 2020
| Year-End 2019
| Year-End 2018
|
|
|
|
| Gross
| Net
| Gross
| Net
| Gross
| Net
|
|
|
|
| (acres)
|
Gross and Net Undeveloped Acreage
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Consolidated Subsidiaries
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| United States
| 700
| 700
| 2,992
| 2,244
| 2,992
| 2,244
|
|
|
| Total Consolidated Subsidiaries
| 700
| 700
| 2.992
| 2,244
| 2,992
| 2,244
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total gross and net undeveloped acreage
| 700
| 700
| 2,992
| 2,244
| 2,992
| 2,244
|
18
Separate acreage data for oil and gas are not maintained because, in many instances, both are produced from the same acreage.
Barrister’s investment in developed and undeveloped acreage is comprised of numerous leases. The List of Leases is included as Exhibit 99.2 to this Annual Report and is filed herewith. The terms and conditions under which Barrister maintains exploration and production rights to the acreage are property-specific, contractually defined, and vary significantly from property to property. Work programs are designed to ensure that the exploration potential of any property is thoroughly evaluated before expiration. In some instances, Barrister may elect to relinquish acreage in advance of the contractual expiration date if the evaluation process is complete, and there is not a business basis for the extension. In cases where additional time may be required to evaluate acreage fully, Barrister has generally been successful in obtaining extensions. The scheduled expiration of leases and concessions for undeveloped acreage over the next three years is not expected to have a material adverse impact on Barrister.
Government Regulation
Oil and natural gas operations such as ours are subject to various types of legislation, regulation and other legal requirements enacted by governmental authorities. This legislation and regulation affecting the oil and natural gas industry is under constant review for amendment or expansion. Some of these requirements carry substantial penalties for failure to comply. The regulatory burden on the oil and natural gas industry increases our cost of doing business and, consequently, can affect our profitability.
Regulation of Drilling and Production
The production of oil and natural gas is subject to regulation under a wide range of local, state and federal statutes, rules, orders and regulations. Federal, state and local statutes and regulations require permits for drilling operations, drilling bonds and reports concerning operations. The trend in oil and natural gas regulation has been to increase regulatory restrictions and limitations on such activities. Any changes in, or more stringent enforcement of, these laws and regulations may result in delays or restrictions in permitting or development of projects or more stringent or costly construction, drilling, water management or completion activities or waste handling, storage, transport, remediation, or disposal emission or discharge requirements which could have a material adverse effect on the Company. For example, on January 20, 2021, the Biden Administration placed a 60-day moratorium on new oil and gas leasing and drilling permits on federal land, and on January 27, 2021, the Department of Interior acting pursuant to a Presidential Executive Order suspended the federal oil and gas leasing program indefinitely. The Biden Administration has also announced that it intends to review the Trump Administration’s 2017 repeal of the 2015 rule regulating hydraulic fracturing activities in federal land under the Presidential Executive Order on Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science to Tackle the Climate Crisis. While we do not have a significant federal lands acreage position at 240 net acres, these actions could have a material adverse effect on the Company and our industry.
Currently, all of our properties and operations are in Alabama, which has regulations governing conservation matters, such as the unitization or pooling of oil and natural gas properties, the establishment of maximum allowable rates of production from oil and natural gas wells, the regulation of well spacing, and plugging and abandonment of wells. The effect of these regulations is to limit the amount of oil and natural gas that we can produce from our wells and to limit the number of wells or the locations at which we can drill, although we can apply for exceptions to such regulations or to have reductions in well spacing. Moreover, both Alabama imposes a production or severance tax with respect
19
to the production and sale of oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids within their jurisdictions. The failure to comply with these rules and regulations can result in substantial penalties. Our competitors in the oil and natural gas industry are subject to the same regulatory requirements and restrictions that affect our operations.
Regulation of Transportation of Oil
Sales of crude oil, condensate and natural gas liquids are not currently regulated and are made at negotiated prices, however, Congress could reenact price controls in the future.
Our sales of crude oil are affected by the availability, terms and cost of transportation. The transportation of oil in common carrier pipelines is also subject to rate regulation. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or the FERC, regulates interstate oil pipeline transportation rates under the Interstate Commerce Act. Intrastate oil pipeline transportation rates are subject to regulation by state regulatory commissions. The basis for intrastate oil pipeline regulation, and the degree of regulatory oversight and scrutiny given to intrastate oil pipeline rates, varies from state to state. Insofar as effective interstate and intrastate rates are equally applicable to all comparable shippers, we believe that the regulation of oil transportation rates will not affect our operations in any way that is of material difference from those of our competitors. Further, interstate and intrastate common carrier oil pipelines must provide service on a non-discriminatory basis. Under this open access standard, common carriers must offer service to all shippers requesting service on the same terms and under the same rates. When oil pipelines operate at full capacity, access is governed by pro-rationing provisions set forth in the pipelines’ published tariffs. Accordingly, we believe that access to oil pipeline transportation services generally will be available to us to the same extent as to our competitors.
Regulation of Transportation and Sale of Natural Gas
Historically, the transportation and sale for resale of natural gas in interstate commerce have been regulated pursuant to the Natural Gas Act of 1938, the Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978 and regulations issued under those Acts by the FERC. In the past, the federal government has regulated the prices at which natural gas could be sold. While sales by producers of natural gas can currently be made at uncontrolled market prices, Congress could reenact price controls in the future.
Since 1985, the FERC has endeavored to make natural gas transportation more accessible to natural gas buyers and sellers on an open and non-discriminatory basis. The FERC has stated that open access policies are necessary to improve the competitive structure of the interstate natural gas pipeline industry and to create a regulatory framework that will put natural gas sellers into more direct contractual relations with natural gas buyers by, among other things, unbundling the sale of natural gas from the sale of transportation and storage services. Although the FERC’s orders do not directly regulate natural gas producers, they are intended to foster increased competition within all phases of the natural gas industry.
We cannot accurately predict whether the FERC’s actions will achieve the goal of increasing competition in markets in which our natural gas is sold. Therefore, we cannot provide any assurance that the less stringent regulatory approach established by the FERC will continue. However, we do not believe that any action taken will affect us in a way that materially differs from the way it affects other natural gas producers.
Intrastate natural gas transportation is subject to regulation by state regulatory agencies. The basis for intrastate regulation of natural gas transportation and the degree of regulatory oversight and scrutiny
20
given to intrastate natural gas pipeline rates and services varies from state to state. Insofar as such regulation within a particular state will generally affect all intrastate natural gas shippers within the state on a comparable basis, we believe that the regulation of similarly situated intrastate natural gas transportation in any states in which we operate and ship natural gas on an intrastate basis will not affect our operations in any way that is of material difference from those of our competitors.
Market Opportunity
We believe that we can establish a profitable niche in crude oil production due to the quality of the light sweet crude oil produced from the Gulf States Region, which is cheaper to refine than crude oil from other regions of the U.S. and Canada, especially the “dirty” crude oil extracted from North Dakota and Western Canada oil fields using shale fracking. This optimism is due in part to the increasing percentage of worldwide crude oil production from the U.S. According to a 2017 study by Louisiana State University: “During this past decade, not only did the U.S. experience historical increases in oil and gas production, but it was one of the only countries in the world experiencing large increases in production. This is because these horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing techniques used to extract resources from shale geological formations were discovered and perfected in the Gulf Coast region of the U.S.
Our Key Competitive Strengths
The day-to-day operations of the oil drilling and production from our lease assets in the Gulf States Drill Region will be handled by independent contract operators with experience in conducting oil drilling and operations in the Region. These contractors will handle all operational aspects of oil drilling, storage and production. The Company’s officers will provide executive oversight of its operation as well as handling corporate governance, legal compliance, financial affairs and funding efforts of our company.
The use of operating independent contractors in oil and gas exploration and production is not an uncommon industry practice for smaller, independent oil and gas production companies. The Company will use an operating company contractor as it is deemed the most efficient and cost-effective means of operations for a small independent oil and gas production company like us. We do not currently have the financial resources to engage and retain qualified industry personnel as full-time employees for operation of our oil and gas exploration and production business. The use of contractors is designed to allow the Company to use experienced oil drilling and production personnel without the high overhead costs of hiring personnel as employees of the Company. With adequate funding, the Company intends to employ this teaming model strategy to help attract and retain experienced oil industry engineering and production personnel to identify drill sites and then efficiently operate those wells to produce oil at an above average industry rate of efficiency in the Gulf States region.
Our Growth Strategy
Our teaming approach is also designed to facilitate rapid growth by bringing necessary expertise into operations from available contractors. Our ability to realize profitability from oil production depends on success of deep drill wells, engaging necessary operations expertise and market price for crude oil remaining at attractive per-barrel levels, which we believe is $50 or more per barrel. If we have adequate funding and/or sufficient cash flow, then we may seek to drill for oil in other assignee or leasehold interests or, alternatively, in oil and gas assignee or leasehold interests or properties owned by our potential affiliates or teaming partners.
21
Principal Executive Offices
Our principal executive offices is located at 3033 Wilson Boulevard, Suite E-605, Arlington, Virginia 22201, in Arlington County outside of Washington, D.C., and our telephone number is (703) 216-8606. We rent our principal executive offices under a month-to-month lease and for a monthly rental of $50.
Barrister’s local office is located at 404 Short 7th Avenue, Laurel, Mississippi 39440. Barrister has an agreement for use of office space on an as needed basis at no cost provided by Andrew Cardwell, a shareholder of CoJax. The premises are suitable and adequate for Barrister’s current operations. Barrister does not own any real property.
Employees
We have two full-time employees: Jeffrey J. Guzy, our Chief Executive Officer and our sole Director, and Wm. Barrett Wellman, our Chief Financial Officer. The officers devote the number of hours necessary to perform their duties, which each officer in his sole discretion determines extent of the time commitment.
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
RISK FACTORS
An investment in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below before making a decision to invest in our common stock. We have no revenue-generating operations that will fund CoJax and Barrister operating overhead. When we have revenue-generating operations, our business, operating results, financial condition, or prospects could be materially and adversely affected by any of these risks and uncertainties. In that case, the trading price of common stock, when and if publicly traded, could decline, and you might lose all or part of your investment. Even when publicly traded, our common stock may lack the primary market makers and institutional investor support to allow sustained appreciation in market price or protect the common stock from volatility due to day traders or other downward market pressures. As an early development stage company with no public market for our common stock, there is a substantial risk of loss of investment and lack of liquidity. The risks and uncertainties discussed below are not the only ones we face. Risks could also harm our business, operating results, financial condition, or prospects, and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently do not believe are material, and these risks and uncertainties could result in a complete loss of your investment. An instance of unforeseen circumstances is the COVID-19 pandemic and its significant and ongoing adverse impact on oil consumption and the market price for oil. As of the date of this Annual Report, the duration and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic are uncertain. In assessing the risks and uncertainties described below, you should also refer to the other information contained herein, including our consolidated financial statements, pro forma financial statements, and the related notes thereto.
RISKS RELATED TO OUR BUSINESS AND BARRISTER’S BUSINESS
Our independent auditors have expressed their concern as to our ability to continue as a going concern.
22
On a consolidated basis, the Company has incurred significant operating losses since inception and has a working capital deficit. The Company’s financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Because the Company does not expect that existing operational cash flow will be sufficient to fund presently anticipated operations, this raises substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Therefore, the Company will need to raise additional funds and is currently exploring alternative sources of financing. Historically, the Company has raised capital through an officer loan as an interim measure to finance working capital needs and will continue to raise additional capital through the sale of common stock or other securities. The Company will be required to continue to do so until its consolidated operations become profitable.
These factors, among others, raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. If we are unable to obtain sufficient funding, our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations will be materially and adversely affected, and we may be unable to continue as a going concern.
Our ability to continue as a going concern is dependent on our ability to sell shares in the Company.
Our past efforts to raise working capital have been unsuccessful. Although our initial public offering was declared effective by the Commission in August 2019, we were unable to sell any shares and terminated said offering. Notwithstanding, we filed a registration statement on a Form S-1 which was declared effective by the Commission on October 9, 2020 (and the post-effective amendment No. 1 to this registration statement on Form S-1 was declared effective on October 22, 2020) to offer and sell up to 6,000,000 shares of our common stock at a price of $2.00 per share. The proceeds of the offering is to raise working capital for our corporate operating overhead and to fund establishing at least one deep drilling rig for the Barrister Oil Rights. As of May 13, 2021, we have raised $53,000 pursuant to the offering covered by said registration statement. The Registration Statement closed on May 31, 2021. This offering may fail to raise any or sufficient working capital for necessary operating expenses of CoJax or expansion of Barrister oil drilling operations.
The impact of COVID-19 pandemic and volatility of market price for oil in 2019 and 2020 further hamper efforts to raise additional working capital by creating economic uncertainty and heightened risks in lending or investing in oil production.
If we are unable to secure this additional capital, we may be required to suspend operations as CoJax-Barrister operations are already being run to minimize operating costs. It is not possible for us to predict at this time the potential survival of CoJax-Barrister business. The potential future revenue and income of our proposed CoJax-Barrister operations are currently unknown, as is the impact of Barrister as a wholly owned subsidiary of CoJax on CoJax efforts to raise additional working capital. Barrister’s revenues are limited and dedicated to pay for Barrister operations. We do not believe that Barrister revenues would be sufficient to be used for CoJax overhead working capital needs. If we cannot continue as a viable entity, you would lose all or most of your investment in the Company.
The existence by each of CoJax and the former members of Barrister of the right to rescind the Exchange upon certain triggering events could hinder our efforts to raise capital and to fund our operations.
23
CoJax will have the right to rescind the Exchange prior to July 1, 2021 upon the occurrence of any of the following: (a) any former Member of Barrister files a petition for protection from creditors under any chapter of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, and that petition is not withdrawn within sixty (60) days, or a receiver or other liquidating officer is appointed for substantially all of the assets or business of a Member or (b) if Barrister makes an assignment for the benefit of creditors of all or substantially all of its operating assets.
Barrister’s former owners, who are now shareholders of CoJax, have the right to jointly, but not severally, rescind the Exchange upon occurrence of any of the triggering event prior to July 1, 2021: (a) CoJax files a petition for protection from creditors under any chapter of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code and that petition is not withdrawn within sixty (60) days; (b) CoJax is declared insolvent by a court of competent jurisdiction, or CoJax’s Board of Directors approves a plan of complete liquidation; or (c) if CoJax has not been issued a trading symbol for its Common Stock by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority or “FINRA” within ninety (90) days of the consummation of the closing of the Barrister Agreement; or (d) if CoJax’s Common Stock has not been listed on: the New York Stock Exchange or NYSE American Exchange; or quoted on NASDAQ Capital Markets; or quoted or listed on any successor market to the foregoing, by the first annual anniversary of the effective date of the Barrister Agreement.
CoJax intends to seek quotation of its common stock on the NASDAQ Capital Markets in 2021. CoJax may not meet NASDAQ Capital Markets standards for quotation of stock or be approved for quotation of its common stock on NASDAQ Capital Markets by the deadlines imposed under the Barrister Agreement and that occurrence would allow the Barrister Members, if they act jointly, to rescind the Exchange and terminate CoJax’s ownership of Barrister.
With the specter of a post-Exchange rescission, investors may not invest in CoJax and lenders or other investors are more likely to refuse to provide funding to CoJax or Barrister due to the uncertainty of continuity of operations as CoJax-Barrister. Further, rescission of the Exchange could expose CoJax and Barrister to potential liabilities from following lawsuits or other legal proceedings: (1) public CoJax shareholders suing and alleging the rescission violates fiduciary duties of management, (2) CoJax or Barrister being sued over liabilities resulting from the rescission of the Exchange, and (3) third party lawsuits based on the rescission of the Exchange causing breaches of contractual obligations of CoJax, Barrister or CoJax-Barrister, which third parties could include vendors, suppliers, contract workers or customers. CoJax could also face possible environmental liabilities over Barrister operations while CoJax was the sole Member of Barrister.
Any rescission of the Exchange would result in Barrister no longer being an operating subsidiary of CoJax and, as such, CoJax losing its oil exploration and production operations and revenues and Barrister Oil Rights. Rescission of the Exchange may also impose additional transaction, legal, and accounting costs on CoJax, which costs could be significant or beyond the immediate ability of CoJax to pay.
The Acquisition was consummated on November 17, 2020. CoJax assumed a $2.7 Million Promissory Note issued by Barrister to acquire Barrister Oil Rights - the “Assumed Debt.” The Assumed Debt is secured by the Barrister Oil Rights and evidenced by a promissory note issued to C.O.P., who was the prior owner of those rights. The Assumed Debt is due and payable in a lump sum on June 1, 2021 (maturity date). CoJax assumed the Assumed Debt upon the execution of the Acquisition Agreement. CoJax needs to raise money or restructure the Assumed Debt to avoid a default under the promissory note for the Assumed Debt and do so by June 1, 2021. A default under the promissory note could result in litigation causing the bankruptcy or insolvency of CoJax-Barrister. Any default on the Assumed Debt could result in the levy on and subsequent loss of Barrister Oil Rights. There is no assurance given that CoJax can pay off or restructure the Assumed Debt and avoid the potentially catastrophic financial consequences of a
24
default. The raising of funds to pay off the Assumed Debt is a potentially daunting task under current and projected economic and oil industry conditions imposed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and disruptive impact of possible production disputes among members of OPEC (especially Saudi Arabia and Russia), both of which cause erratic and depressed global and domestic market prices for oil. The drop in consummation of oil due to the COVID-19 pandemic has also resulted in oil inventory surpluses that have lowered the global and domestic market price for oil. It is uncertain if C.O.P. would agree to restructure the Assumed Debt as of the date of this Annual Report or prior to maturity date of the promissory note. There is no certainty about when the adverse impact of the COVID-19 epidemic will end, especially since some U.S. Government health officials have stated that an effective vaccine may not be widely available until mid or late 2021. Neither CoJax nor Barrister has the funds, liquid assets, or funding commitment to pay off the Assumed Debt as of the date hereof. There is a substantial risk of business failure posed by the Assumed Debt to CoJax if CoJax assumes it and if the Assumed Debt cannot be paid off or restructured prior to June 1, 2021.
The Assumed Debt could impose other risks on CoJax and CoJax-Barrister, including, but not limited to:
·Increasing its vulnerability to general adverse economic and industry conditions by making CoJax-Barrister less financially attractive to lenders and investors or increasing the lending or investment risk of CoJax-Barrister to a point where it fails to meet lending criteria or investor risk limits;
·Limiting its flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, challenges and opportunities, and changes in its businesses and the markets in which it operates, by limiting cash available for revenue-generating operations or acquisition of new oil exploration and production leases and rights;
·Limiting its ability to obtain additional, necessary financing to funding for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions, and debt service requirements and other financing needs; and
·Placing it at a competitive disadvantage to competitors that have less debt or greater cash flow and are seeking oil-drilling/production financing or funding.
CoJax senior officers are not experienced in the management of oil and gas exploration and production operations and may be inadequate or ill-equipped to successfully manage a public company with oil drilling and production operations. While CoJax’s senior officers are experienced business executives and Jeffrey Guzy, CoJax’s sole director and Chief Executive Officer, has prior experience as an executive for public companies and as a director of public companies, and Mr. Guzy was previously a senior executive of a private company that owned C.O.P., he was not involved and is not experienced in the daily operational management of oil exploration and production operations. The oil and gas production industry presents unique challenges to the management of a public company in that industry. Such challenges include understanding the complex federal, state and local regulations and laws governing or affecting oil and gas drilling and production; understanding the complexities of selling crude oil in the global crude oil market, including hedging strategies; successfully developing a small oil drilling and production company in any industry with numerous domestic and foreign competitors, most of whom have significantly greater: financial resources; market share and power; distribution channels; production and storage capacity as well as far greater oil reserves under control or ownership; more experienced and numerous management and operations personnel; access to necessary drilling and production equipment; ability to navigate and hedge against erratic global market for crude oil; financial reserves that allows the competitor to survive suspension of operations and inability to sell oil production at all or at a price that generates acceptable profit margins; influence over customers, distributors of oil, regulators and legislators; and ability to successfully plan and prepare for changes in oil and gas industry due to: emergence of non-fossil fuel means of transportation, especially electric power vehicles; legislative and regulatory changes caused by concerns over global warming and pollution in general and a desire to
25
reduce use of fossil fuels, especially oil; impact of COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 and future years if COVID-19 is a reoccurring or seasonal virus without an effective, long lasting vaccine; emergence of new virus pandemics with greater lethality and contagion than COVID-19; changes in political party in control of Executive and Legislative Branches of the U.S. Government and their legislative and regulatory agenda for oil and gas and climate control; and other future circumstances or developments that are not foreseeable as of the date of this Annual Report.
Since none of the CoJax senior officers are experienced in management of oil exploration and production companies, CoJax management will rely on the guidance of Jeffrey Delancey, who is a member of Barrister on a part-time basis and is an experienced oil exploration and production executive at the public company level. Further, CoJax will rely on experienced contractors, like C.O.P., and Barrister’s other principals to conduct CoJax-Barrister’s day-to-day oil drilling and production operations. This reliance on Barrister principals and contractors, especially with Mr. Delancey and other Barrister principals not being working on a full-time basis on Barrister matters, makes CoJax vulnerable to the adverse impact of the loss Mr. Delancey’s experience and participation in management. None of the other principals of Barrister may be suitable or willing to replace Jeffrey Delancey as an operational manager of Barrister, especially since they have other business obligations and. interests. If CoJax expands oil production or acquires new oil exploration and production rights and leases, then CoJax-Barrister would in all likelihood have to engage additional, experienced contractors or employ a full-time oil drilling and production operational executive or manager to handle the increased oil drilling and production. The funds for an expanded management team would have to come from the net proceeds of the public offering or other funding sources. If CoJax and Barrister do not engage adequate, experienced managers and officers when and if oil production expands, this deficiency may adversely impact the ability of CoJax and Barrister to manage its operations. As such, CoJax and Barrister management may be unable to efficiently manage and operate any expanded, significant oil production and CoJax-Barrister may not develop a profitable, sustainable oil production business.
We do not have sufficient resources to fund all of the necessary working capital needs of CoJax and CoJax-Barrister. CoJax estimates that it requires at least $500,000 for CoJax overhead in 2021, including estimated insurance premiums, accounting/legal costs and personnel costs, NASDAQ Capital Market fees. Based on anecdotal evidence and industry sources, CoJax believes that establishing a deep drilling rig will cost at least $60,000 and drilling to 10,000 feet will cost at least $2,200,000. Actual costs may exceed these estimates due to changing economic, market, regulatory and other conditions and factors. This Offering may not produce sufficient working capital for CoJax-Barrister working capital needs unless the entire 6 million Shares are sold and sold in time to fund working capital needs as they arise. If the public offering fails to raise sufficient funding, CoJax-Barrister will be forced to seek other funding, which funding, especially debt financing, may impose restrictions on operations or be so costly as to severely limit potential profitability of CoJax-Barrister oil production, or be unavailable in sums and in time to meet CoJax-Barrister’s needs. The initial public offering of CoJax failed to raise any working capital. If the current offering fails to raise sufficient working capital as needed, CoJax may be unable to fund the expansion of Barrister oil drilling operations or pay for CoJax’s operating costs.
CoJax has no operating history with revenue-generating operations, and Barrister has a limited history of owning and operating oil and gas exploration and production operations. CoJax was formed in 2017 and has never had any revenue-generating operations. Further, Barrister’s drilling operations are minimal and commenced in 2019. There is insufficient operating history for an investor to adequately evaluate these companies as an oil and gas production company, either combined or as separate entities. While Barrister Oil Rights have a longer history of production, that history was minimal in terms of production
26
and does not reveal the potential oil production and profitability of Barrister Oil Rights. The lack of operating history increases the risk of investing in the Shares. Further, the lack of a more extensive operating history may discourage lenders or funding sources from providing working capital to CoJax or Barrister. There is no assurance that the Barrister Oil Rights will produce oil on a profitable basis, even with deep drilling rigs. Investors should carefully consider the lack or operating history of CoJax and Barrister and the lack of any significant oil production from the Barrister Oil Rights prior to making an investment decision about the Shares.
We may have difficulty managing growth in our business, which could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. As an early development stage company, growth in accordance with our business plan, if achieved, could place a significant strain on our financial, technical, operational, and management resources. As we expand our activities and increase the number of projects we are evaluating or in which we participate, there will be additional demands on our financial, technical, operational, and management resources. The failure to continue to upgrade our technical, administrative, operating, and financial control systems or the occurrences of unexpected expansion difficulties, including the failure to recruit and retain experienced managers, geologists, engineers, and other professionals in the oil and natural gas industry, whether as contractors or employees, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations and our ability to timely execute our business plan. Our ability to succeed depends in part on the ability of CoJax and Barrister management to handle any growth in oil drilling and production and add qualified personnel and retain qualified personnel as any growth requires to competently manage the growth. If we are unable to manage growth and its challenges, then CoJax-Barrister may never be a profitable or sustainable enterprise.
We may incur losses as a result of title defects in the properties in which we invest. It is the normal practice in oil and gas exploration industry for the person or company acting as the operator of the oil rig or well to obtain a preliminary title review to ensure there are no obvious defects in title to the well. Frequently, as a result of such examinations, certain curative work must be done to correct defects in the marketability of the title, and such curative work entails expense. Our failure to cure any title defects may delay or prevent us from utilizing the associated mineral interest, which may adversely impact our ability in the future to increase production and reserves. Additionally, undeveloped acreage has greater risk of title defects than developed acreage. If there are any title defects or defects in the assignment of leasehold rights in properties in which we hold an interest, we will suffer a financial loss.
Under the C.O.P. Agreements, Barrister had until August 31, 2019, to assert any title defects for the Barrister Oil Rights, and Barrister asserted no such title defects. If there are title defects to the Barrister Oil Rights, then Barrister has effectively waived the right to object and would have no recourse for the financial consequences of any title defects. As such, CoJax may have no recourse if the Barrister Oil Rights have any title defects that prevent oil exploration and production.
With respect to future acquisitions of oil and gas exploration and production rights and leases after the acquisition of Barrister, if any, those rights and leases may not produce oil as projected, and we may be unable to determine reserve potential, identify liabilities associated with the properties that we acquire or obtain protection from sellers or lessors against such liabilities. Acquiring oil and natural gas exploration and production rights and leases requires us to assess reservoir and infrastructure characteristics, including recoverable reserves, development and operating costs, and potential environmental and other liabilities. This review will not necessarily reveal all existing or potential problems. In the course of our due diligence, we may not inspect every well or pipeline. We cannot necessarily observe structural and environmental problems, such as pipe corrosion, when an inspection
27
is made. We may not be able to obtain contractual indemnities from the seller or lessors for liabilities created prior to our purchase or lease of the property. We may be required to assume the risk of the physical condition of the properties in addition to the risk that the properties may not perform in accordance with our expectations. These risks could render unprofitable our drilling operations and significantly impact the overall financial performance and condition of CoJax-Barrister.
CoJax needs additional working capital to fund the expansion of drilling operations to progress beyond a subsistence level of oil-based revenue. Small independent oil producers like CoJax-Barrister often experience an inability to obtain affordable debt or equity financing for expanding oil production due to limited collateral and limited oil production and revenues from operations. Under the chaotic market conditions for oil in 2020 to date, CoJax and Barrister may be unable to obtain funding for the growth of drilling operations in 2021.
Obtaining financing, including the costs of such financing, will be dependent on numerous factors, including:
·general economic and capital market conditions, including the then-prevailing interest rate environment;
·credit availability from banks and other financial institutions willing to lend to small oil producers and willing to accept oil reserve estimates without actual corresponding oil production, or willing to lend without hard assets as collateral;
·investor confidence in us and our ability to increase oil production from the operating assets;
·our financial performance, especially our cash flow and profitability from operations or lack thereof;
·our level of any of our indebtedness and our compliance with covenants in debt agreements for such financing;
·attaining and maintenance of acceptable credit ratings or credit quality;
·availability of government financial assistance, including COVID-19 pandemic funding; and
·provisions of tax and securities laws that may impact raising capital.
If we are unable to fund our working capital requirements, we may be required to curtail or suspend any existing operations relating to the exploration and development of oil, which in turn could lead to a possible loss of rights or leases to explore for oil, or we may be otherwise unable to implement our business development plan, complete acquisitions or take advantage of business opportunities or respond to competitive pressures, any of which could have a material adverse effect on any future production, revenues, and results of operations.
CoJax’s Business Plan may not succeed, and CoJax may be unable to attain funding for an alternative business plan. CoJax’s business plan is to acquire oil exploration and production rights and leases in Gulf States Drilling Region with reserves that have not been extensively exploited, attain funding for enhanced exploration and production, and then use the cash flow from existing operations to seek new oil exploration and production rights and leases to exploit. This bootstrap approach to progressing from an early development stage company to a small oil and gas production company with growing, profitable operations is subject to failure if affordable, adequate and timely funding is not attained or if CoJax acquires oil exploration and production rights and leases with reserves that prove to be unprofitable due to drilling costs, dry holes or market conditions for crude oil. An engineering reserve report does not mean that the projected reserves exist in stated amounts or can be profitably produced and sold. Further, the
28
global demand for oil may decrease due to a number of factors beyond CoJax’s control or ability to foresee.
We are entering a highly competitive and highly capital-intensive industry, and any oil production may be insufficient to fund, sustain, or expand revenue-generating operations. The oil drilling exploration and production business are capital intensive due to the cost of experienced personnel; equipment and other assets required to drill, produce and store oil; regulatory compliance costs; potential liability exposures and financial impact; and risk of unpredictable volatility in oil market prices and predatory pricing by competitors. Drilling requires an upfront payment of operational costs with no guarantee that actual oil production will cover such expenses. “Dry” holes for the first and/or second oil wells could deplete any available funding raised by the CoJax-Barrister and render the CoJax-Barrister insolvent.
The actual amount and timing of our future capital expenditures may differ materially from our estimates as a result of, among other things, market oil prices, actual drilling results, the availability of drilling rigs and other services and equipment, and regulatory, technological, and competitive developments. Neither CoJax nor Barrister has cash flow or cash reserves sufficient to fund more extensive and deep drilling on Barrister Oil Rights. While CoJax will seek such funding, there can be assurances that CoJax can obtain funding that will be sufficient to fund deep drill wells, which are needed to produce any significant levels of oil production.
Future cash flow from CoJax-Barrister’s operations and access to capital are subject to a number of variables, including:
·the market prices at which our oil production is sold;
·our proved reserves;
·the level of hydrocarbons we can produce from any future oil wells;
·our ability to acquire, locate and produce new oil reserves;
·the levels of our operating expenses;
·reduction and stabilization of the impact of COVID-19 pandemic’s ongoing disruption of and reduction in the U.S. and global demand for oil, and reduction of COVID-19 pandemic’s significant disruption and depression of U.S. and global economic activity. These improvements may only come with the development of an effective, widely available vaccine and that development may not occur until 2021, if at all;
·greater availability of funding for oil exploration, which funding has always been challenging to obtain without a proven track record of profitable oil production; and
·our ability to obtain and then borrow under any loan or revolving credit facility and, when and if our common stock is publicly traded, our ability to access the capital markets. Without quotation of the common stock on NASDAQ Capital Market and primary market maker or institutional investor support, our common stock may not reach market prices that allow us to capitalize on the public equity markets for needed funding.
Due to our contractor model of operations, we will be vulnerable to any inability to engage or retain qualified operational personnel for new or existing drilling operations. Loss of key operational personnel could cause suspension of any expanded drilling operations. CoJax’s and Barrister’s operation plan depends on a teaming/contractor approach to operate oil rigs. CoJax and Barrister may be unable to locate or retain a sufficient number of qualified independent contractors to operate a new or existing oil rigs. Finding and engaging qualified independent contractors will be essential to commencing, expanding, and sustaining drilling operations. Since CoJax-Barrister will, in all likelihood, depend on one or two new
29
oil rigs at the start of operations after raising sufficient working capital, any inability to engage or retain qualified independent contractors would be potentially fatal to our efforts to establish increased revenue-generating operations. The use of independent contractors also poses the risk of such personnel leaving for more lucrative opportunities with competitors or other oil producers. Many of our competitors can afford more lucrative compensation packages for qualified personnel. We lack the resources to effectively compete against larger competitors for operational personnel, especially against competitors with liquid public markets for their capital stock and the ability to offer attractive stock-based incentive compensation.
The loss of key personnel by CoJax-Barrister, including operational personnel of COP used to manage Barrister’s oil production business, or COP’s refusal to continue to manage Barrister oil drilling and production, could undermine the ability of CoJax-Barrister to manage operations and implement the CoJax business plan.
Neither CoJax nor Barrister have key-man insurance or the available cash to easily employ or engage experienced, full time outside senior management personnel.
If Barrister produces oil on a more extensive and regular basis from enhanced drilling operations, the marketability of oil production will be dependent upon transportation and other facilities, certain of which Barrister does not control. If these facilities are unavailable, our operations could be interrupted, and our revenues reduced. The marketability of oil production will depend upon the availability, proximity, and capacity of transportation facilities owned by third parties. Any oil production will be transported from the wellhead to gathering systems. The oil is then transported by the purchaser by truck or other means to a transportation facility. Neither CoJax nor Barrister will control most of these third-party transportation means and facilities, and access to them may be limited or denied. If in the future, CoJax-Barrister is unable, for any sustained period, to implement acceptable delivery or transportation arrangements or encounter production related difficulties, it may be required to shut in or curtail production. Any such shut-in or curtailment, or an inability to obtain favorable terms for delivery of the oil produced, would materially and adversely affect CoJax-Barrister’s efforts to attain or sustain revenues from operations and improved future financial condition and results of operations.
With any expanded oil exploration and drilling, CoJax will eventually need to replace existing oil reserves with new oil reserves and develop those oil reserves. Failing that, oil reserves and production will decline, which would adversely affect future cash flows and results of operations. Once CoJax-Barrister starts increased oil production, then producing oil reservoirs generally will be characterized by declining production rates that vary depending upon oil reservoir characteristics and other factors. Unless CoJax-Barrister conducts successful ongoing exploration and development activities or continually acquires properties containing proved reserves, proved reserves would decline as those reserves are produced. Future reserves and production, and therefore future cash flow and results of operations, are highly dependent on the success in efficiently developing current reserves and economically finding or acquiring additional recoverable oil reserves. CoJax-Barrister may not be able to develop, find, or acquire sufficient additional reserves to replace our current and future production. If they are unable to replace current and future oil production, the value of existing reserves will decrease, and business, financial condition, and results of operations would be materially and adversely affected.
Seismic studies do not guarantee that oil or hydrocarbons are present or, if present, will produce in economic quantities. Oil exploration and production companies, like Barrister, rely on seismic studies to assist in assessing prospective drilling opportunities on oil and gas properties, as well as on properties that
30
a company may acquire. Such seismic studies are merely an interpretive tool and do not necessarily guarantee that hydrocarbons are present or, if present, will produce in economic or profitable quantities.
Drilling for and producing crude oil are high-risk activities with many uncertainties that could adversely affect our business, financial condition, or results of operations. CoJax-Barrister’s drilling and operating activities will be subject to many risks, including the risk that CoJax-Barrister will not discover commercially productive reservoirs or dry wells. Drilling for crude oil can be unprofitable, not only from dry holes but from productive wells that do not produce sufficient revenues to return a profit. Any future drilling and production operations may be curtailed, delayed, or canceled as a result of other factors, including the following:
·unusual or unexpected geological formations and miscalculations;
·fires from drilling or transport of oil or gas;
·explosions and blowouts;
·pipe or cement failures or breakdown or malfunction of oil drilling equipment;
·environmental hazards, such as natural gas leaks, oil spills, pipeline, and tank ruptures, encountering naturally occurring radioactive materials, and unauthorized discharges of toxic gases, brine, well stimulation and completion fluids, or other pollutants into the surface and subsurface environment;
·loss of drilling fluid circulation;
·title problems for the properties on which we drill and resulting restrictions or termination of lease for oil drilling and production operations;
·other facility or equipment malfunctions;
·unexpected operational events, especially the need to drill significantly deeper than originally contemplated or finding, despite an engineering study to the contrary, that the drilling site is a dry hole that produces no appreciable amounts of oil or no oil;
·shortages of skilled personnel or unexpected loss of key drilling and production workers, especially as a result of COVID-19 pandemic, which pandemic is significantly affecting the entire Gulf States Region as of the date of this Annual Report;
·shortages or delivery delays of equipment and services;
·compliance with environmental and other regulatory requirements and any unexpected remedial requirements for violations of environmental or other regulatory requirements;
·changes in laws and regulations and the impact of those changes on us;
·environmental rights group activism and activities by non-governmental organizations to restrict the exploration, development, and production of oil and natural gas so as to minimize emissions of greenhouse gases or “GHGs”;
·natural disasters, like hurricanes and tropical storms (common events in Gulf States Drilling Region), flooding, tornadoes, earthquakes, or lightning strikes;
·vandalism, theft, acts of terrorism, or other interference in operations; and
·litigation that directly or indirectly hinders or suspends drilling operations, or regulatory action over missing, expired or defective permits or licenses; and
·loss of key operational personnel.
Any of these risks can cause substantial losses, including personal injury or loss of life; severe damage to or destruction of property and equipment as well as oil transportation facilities; pollution or other environmental contamination, and resulting remedial or clean-up responsibilities and repairs to resume operations; and regulatory fines or penalties. Insurance against all operational risks may not be
31
available to CoJax or Barrister, or not affordable for either company. Additionally, Barrister and CoJax may elect not to obtain insurance if they believe that the cost of available insurance is excessive relative to the perceived risks presented. The occurrence of an event that is not covered in full or in part by insurance could have a material adverse impact on CoJax’ or Barrister’s business activities, financial condition, and results of operations. Presently, CoJax and Barrister do not have insurance for operational or general liabilities. CoJax intends to purchase overall liability insurance when it has sufficient funds. We may not be able to afford insurance covering drilling, production, and storage of oil and establishing oil rigs unless we receive sufficient funding from this Offering and possibly other funding sources. Barrister has operated on the assumption that it would be able to self-fund any liabilities, which assumption is based on nominal production of oil. This assumption may be untenable with any significant expansion of drilling.
The potential lack of availability of, or cost of, drilling rigs, equipment, supplies, personnel, and crude oil field services could adversely affect our ability to execute on a timely basis exploration and development plans within any budget. CoJax-Barrister may encounter an increase in the cost of securing needed drilling rigs, equipment, and supplies. Larger producers may be more likely to secure access to such equipment by offering more lucrative terms. If CoJax-Barrister is unable to acquire access to such resources or can obtain access only at higher prices, its ability to convert oil reserves into cash flow could be delayed, and the cost of producing from those oil reserves could increase significantly, which would adversely affect results of operations and financial condition. Barrister’s current drilling operations are limited, and the availability of essential drilling assets may not become a risk factor until such time as CoJax-Barrister increases drilling operations.
Oil prices are volatile. Any sustained decline in oil market prices could adversely affect CoJax-Barrister’s business, financial condition, and results of operations and its ability to meet capital expenditure obligations and financial commitments. The prices CoJax-Barrister receives for oil production will heavily influence revenues, any profitability, access to capital, future rate of growth, and carrying value of oil production properties. Oil is a commodity, and its price may fluctuate widely in response to relatively minor changes in the supply of and demand for oil and market uncertainty. Lower commodity prices may reduce cash flows and borrowing ability. If CoJax-Barrister is unable to obtain needed capital or financing on satisfactory terms, its ability to develop future reserves will be adversely affected. If drilling operations are curtailed, then CoJax-Barrister may be unable to continue to hold leases and drilling rights that are scheduled to expire, which may further reduce oil reserves. As a result, a substantial or extended decline in commodity prices may materially and adversely affect future business, financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, and ability to finance planned capital expenditures.
Historically, oil prices have been volatile due to sensitivity to political and economic developments or crises. The prices CoJax-Barrister receives for oil production, and the levels of oil production, depend on numerous factors beyond CoJax-Barrister’s control, which include the following:
·worldwide and regional economic conditions impacting the global supply and demand for oil and the impact and duration of the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. and elsewhere. The continuing spread of COVID-19 pandemic, especially in the Gulf States Region, will negatively impact the U.S. economy, demand for oil, and ability to operate oil drilling rigs. The COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to undermine CoJax plans to try to establish a sustainable oil production business in 2021. Any vaccines may prove ineffective or providing a limited immunity period. Further, the
32
COVID-19 virus may cycle in waves or become a seasonal threat to U.S. and other parts of the world (according to U.S. Government medical experts);
·the price and quantity of foreign imports of oil and impact on U.S. oil producers;
·political and economic conditions in or affecting other oil-producing regions or countries, including the Middle East, Africa, South America and Russia, which can affect global oil market price;
·actions of the OPEC, its members and other state-controlled oil companies relating to oil price and production controls, especially production disputes between Saudi Arabia and Russia, who often have differing goals;
·the level of global exploration, development, and production of oil;
·the level of global oil inventories – COVID-19 pandemic has been creating surpluses in oil inventories;
·prevailing prices on local price indexes for oil in the area in which Barrister operates and sells;
·the proximity, capacity, cost, and availability of oil gathering and transportation facilities;
·localized and global oil supply and demand fundamentals and transportation availability;
·the cost of exploring for, developing, producing and transporting oil which cost may go up due to oil storage surpluses created by COVID-19 pandemic;
·weather conditions and other natural disasters, and storms in the Gulf States Drilling Region appear to increase in intensity due to global warming and in the past five years;
·technological advances affecting oil consumption, especially the growing production of electric-powered cars, trucks, and buses;
·the price and availability and consumer demand for alternative fuels to oil and reduction in use of products that are made from oil, especially certain plastics, which demand is fueled by environmental concerns;
·expectations about future commodity prices, which is unpredictable due to inability to forecast the duration and scope of impact of COVID-19 pandemic;
·climate control legislation that increases the cost and lowers the demand for oil by providing incentives and tax benefits for use of non-oil fuels, reducing tax allowances and increasing tax on use of oil-based fuels and imposing limits on use of oil-based fuels; and
·impact of existing U.S. federal, state and local and non-U.S. governmental regulation and taxes.
Conservation measures and technological advances could reduce demand for oil. Fuel conservation requirements, development and industry trend towards electrical motor vehicles and trucks (coupled with improvements in the economy and performance of electrical vehicles); alternative fuel requirements, increasing consumer demand for “green” alternatives to oil, technological advances in fuel economy and energy generation devices will in all likelihood reduce ongoing demand for oil. The impact of the changing demand for oil may have a material adverse effect on CoJax-Barrister’s business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. Growing global and U.S. public support for climate control laws and actions, a shift caused by mounting scientific evidence of the legitimacy of concerns about the devastating potential of unchecked global warming caused by fossil-fuel use, will also in all likelihood impose a legal or regulatory environment hostile to oil use. While the current administration in the White House has sought to roll back or eliminate conservation and environmental restrictions and burdens on fossil fuel industries, the courts have blocked some of those efforts, and private sector development of new technologies, like electric-powered vehicles, continues a trend to reduce reliance on oil in some industrial sectors.
Any oil exploration and production operations that we acquire, including Barrister, may not be able to keep pace with technological developments in the oil and gas industry. The oil and gas industry are
33
characterized by rapid and significant technological advancements and introductions of new products and services using new technologies. Fracking is one example. As others use or develop new technologies, any oil exploration and production operations that we may acquire may be placed at a competitive disadvantage, or competitive pressures may force us to implement those new technologies at substantial costs. In addition, oil companies may have far greater financial, technical, and personnel resources that allow them to enjoy technological advantages and may, in the future, allow them to implement new technologies before any of our acquired operations can. We or any acquired oil exploration and production operations may not be able to respond to these competitive pressures and implement new technologies on a timely basis or at an acceptable cost. If one or more of the technologies that any acquired oil exploration and production operation uses were to become obsolete and that operation could not use the most advanced commercially available technology, the operation’s business, financial condition, and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.
Cyber-attacks targeting systems and infrastructure used by the oil and gas industry may adversely impact our operations. Oil and gas exploration and production companies have become increasingly dependent on digital or online or wireless technologies to conduct certain exploration, development, production, and financial activities. If any oil and gas exploration and production operation that we acquire depends on digital, online, or wireless technology to estimate quantities of oil and gas reserves and management oil production and distribution, then its process and record financial and operating data, seismic and drilling information, and communications with its employees and third-party partners will be vulnerable to cyber-attacks or hacking or malware infection. Unauthorized access to seismic data, reserves information, or other proprietary information could lead to data corruption, communication interruption, or other operational disruptions in exploration or production operations. Also, computers control nearly all of the oil and gas distribution systems in the United States and abroad, which are necessary to transport our production to market. A cyber-attack directed at oil and gas distribution systems could damage critical distribution and storage assets or the environment, delay or prevent delivery of production to markets and make it difficult or impossible to accurately account for production and settle transactions. While Barrister has not experienced cyber-attacks, there is no assurance that Barrister or other acquired operations will not suffer such attacks and resulting losses in the future. The limited operations of CoJax and Barrister and resulting limited reliance on digital, online, and wireless technologies have reduced the level of cyber-attack risks, but, as CoJax-Barrister operations expand, the reliance on digital, online, and wireless technologies will increase and exposure to cyber-attack will increase. CoJax-Barrister will have to fund and develop enhanced technological and internal control protections against heightened risk of cyber-attacks. Further, as cyber-attacks continue to evolve, any acquired operations may be required to expend significant additional resources to continue to modify or enhance its protective measures or to investigate and remediate any vulnerability to cyber-attacks.
Certain U.S. federal income tax deductions currently available with respect to oil and natural gas drilling and development may be eliminated as a result of future legislation. Possible elimination of certain key U.S. federal income tax incentives currently available to oil and gas exploration and production could be eliminated in the future. If enacted into law, any such proposals would eliminate certain tax preferences applicable to taxpayers engaged in the exploration or production of natural resources. These changes may include, but are not limited to, (i) the repeal of the percentage depletion allowance for oil and natural gas properties, (ii) the elimination of current deductions for intangible drilling and development costs, (iii) the elimination of the deduction for certain domestic production activities and (iv) increasing the amortization period for certain geological and geophysical expenditures paid or incurred in connection with the exploration for or development of, oil and gas within the United States. It is unclear whether these or similar changes will be enacted and, if enacted, how soon any such changes could become effective. The
34
passage of any legislation as a result of these proposals or any other similar changes in U.S. federal income tax laws could eliminate or postpone certain tax deductions that are currently available with respect to oil and natural gas exploration and development, and any such change could increase our tax liability and negatively impact our financial condition and results of operations. While the Trump Administration has been focused on eliminating or reducing regulatory burdens on oil and gas exploration and production companies, a change in control of the White House in 2020 could result in a dramatic return to anti-oil regulation and legal requirements.
If we acquire other oil exploration and production operations, and oil and gas prices decrease, we may be required to take write-downs of the carrying values of oil and gas properties. Certain accounting rules may require us to write down the carrying value of any acquired oil and gas properties when oil and gas prices decrease or when we have substantial downward adjustments of any estimated proved reserves, increases in estimates of development costs, or deterioration in exploration results. Once incurred, a write-down of oil and gas properties is not reversible at a later date. Any write-down would constitute a non-cash charge to earnings and could have a material adverse effect on results of operations for the periods in which such charges are taken.
The financial reporting obligations of being a public company in the United States are expensive and time-consuming and may place significant additional demands on our management. CoJax is subject to public company reporting obligations under the Exchange Act. These obligations include the costs resulting from public company reporting obligations under the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations regarding corporate governance practices, including those under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2012. Our management and other personnel need to devote a substantial amount of time to ensure that we comply with all of these requirements. Moreover, despite recent reforms made possible by the Jumpstart Our Business Start-Ups Act, consummation of the Barrister Agreement will expand our operations and increase the cost of compliance with the reporting requirements and will make some activities more time-consuming and costlier, particularly after we are no longer an “emerging growth company.” Any changes that we make to comply with these obligations may not be sufficient to allow us to satisfy our obligations as a public company on a timely basis, or at all unless we devote the resources to enhance or adjust internal controls and procedures to match growing operations and growing complexity of underlying financial and accounting work.
Commission Office of the Chief Accountant (“OCA”) issued a statement in April 2020 regarding the importance of high-quality financial reporting in light of the significant impacts of COVID-19 pandemic. The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on public company’s internal controls and systems and additional resources, including increased work by public auditors, will add to the overall cost of operating a public company.
While we intend to acquire basic business liability insurance, we do not currently have insurance. If and when we acquire insurance, we may not have enough insurance to cover all of the risks we face, and operators of prospects in which we participate may not maintain or may fail to obtain adequate insurance. While we intend to obtain business liability insurance, the business liability insurance may not cover all potential liabilities. Any liability insurance for Barrister may not cover all liabilities of Barrister. We may elect not to carry insurance if our management believes that the cost of available insurance is excessive relative to the risks presented. We cannot insure fully against pollution and environmental risks. The occurrence of an event not fully covered by insurance could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. “Material adverse effect” means an impact that could
35
impose liabilities that would substantially tax cash flow or be beyond the ability of CoJax to pay or restructure. The impact of hurricanes in the Gulf States Drilling Region has resulted in escalating insurance costs and less favorable coverage terms.
Oil and natural gas operations are subject to particular hazards incident to the drilling and production of oil and natural gas, such as blowouts, cratering, explosions, uncontrollable flows of oil, natural gas or well fluids, fires, and pollution, and other environmental risks. These hazards can cause personal injury and loss of life, severe damage to and destruction of property and equipment, pollution or environmental damage, and suspension of operation. The occurrence of a significant adverse event that is not fully covered by insurance could result in the loss of our total investment in a particular prospect, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Barrister, as an operator of oil drilling operations, faces greater, more varied liability risks than CoJax. CoJax assumes that the lender for any debt funding of Barrister’s future drilling operations would require adequate insurance coverage for Barrister, and CoJax intends to include insurance coverage for Barrister, subject to the ability of CoJax to pay the premiums for that coverage.
We do not have directors’ and officers’ liability insurance due to the cost. The lack of directors’ and officers’ liability insurance hinders our ability to attract directors and officers. We intend to seek to purchase directors’ and officers’ liability insurance if we have sufficient cash reserves from the net proceeds of this Offering or future funding efforts. Typically, such insurance costs $100,000 or more per annum, if available. Further, directors’ and officers’ insurance requires that the insured company cover the first $300,000 or more of costs prior to insurance coverage occurring. This high deductible can be beyond the financial means of a small company and effectively denies the insured company of the benefits of the insurance. If we do not have sufficient cash to purchase directors’ and officers’ liability insurance, our ability to attract and retain qualified officers and directors will suffer, especially in light of the lack of a public market for the common stock and resulting inability to offer incentive compensation to directors and officers. We may be unable to find an insurer willing to provide directors’ and officers’ liability insurance since we are an early stage development company with limited operating history and no revenue generating operations.
CoJax and its wholly owned Barrister Energy, LLC face extensive government regulation and compliance requirements imposed by numerous federal, state, and local laws and regulations governing oil and gas exploration, production, and transportation. This regulatory scheme also poses the risk of government civil and criminal actions and private citizen civil lawsuits against Barrister or CoJax or both companies. CoJax and Barrister, as small early-stage development companies, could be driven in bankruptcy, liquidation or dissolution by government or private plaintiff legal proceedings or by any sanctions, fines, penalties or money judgments or awards imposed for violation of a variety of federal, state, and local laws and regulations governing oil and gas operations. While CoJax intends to use some of the net proceeds of this Offering to acquire liability insurance, the Company may be unable to attain such insurance coverage or attain adequate insurance coverage or to establish any cash reserve for all possible liabilities and legal proceedings. Even a baseless or frivolous regulatory action or private plaintiff legal proceeding could, by the cost of the defense, undermine and cause the failure of CoJax-Barrister.
Any oil and gas exploration and production operated by CoJax-Barrister are or may become subject to numerous environmental and occupational health and safety laws and regulations that may be imposed domestically at the federal, regional, state, and local levels. The more significant of these environmental and occupational health and safety laws and regulations include the following:
36
·The U.S. Clean Air Act, which restricts the emission of air pollutants from many sources and imposes various pre-construction, operational, monitoring, and reporting requirements, and that the Environmental Protection Agency or “EPA” has relied upon as authority for adopting climate change regulatory initiatives relating to Green House Gases or “GHG” emissions.
·The U.S. Federal Water Pollution Control Act, also known as the federal Clean Water Act, regulates discharges of pollutants from facilities to state and federal waters and establishes the extent to which waterways are subject to federal jurisdiction and rulemaking as protected waters of the United States.
·The U.S. Oil Pollution Act of 1990, which subjects owners and operators of vessels, onshore facilities, and pipelines, as well as lessees or permittees of areas in which offshore facilities are located, to liability for removal costs and damages arising from an oil spill in waters of the United States.
·The U.S. Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, which imposes liability on generators, transporters, and arrangers of hazardous substances at sites where hazardous substance releases have occurred or are threatening to occur.
·The U.S. Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, which governs the generation, treatment, storage, transport, and disposal of solid wastes, including hazardous wastes.
·The U.S. Safe Drinking Water Act (“SDWA”), which ensures the quality of the nation’s public drinking water through the adoption of drinking water standards and control over the injection of waste fluids into below-ground formations that may adversely affect drinking water sources.
·The U.S. Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, which requires facilities to implement a safety hazard communication program and disseminate information to employees, local emergency planning committees, and response departments on toxic chemical uses and inventories.
·The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Act, which establishes workplace standards for the protection of the health and safety of employees, including the implementation of hazard communications programs designed to inform employees about hazardous substances in the workplace, potentially harmful effects of these substances, and appropriate control measures.
·The U.S. Endangered Species Act, which restricts activities that may affect federally identified endangered and threatened species or their habitats through the implementation of operating restrictions or a temporary, seasonal, or permanent ban in affected areas.
·The U.S. National Environmental Policy Act, which requires federal agencies, including the Department of the Interior, to evaluate significant agency actions having the potential to impact the environment and that may require the preparation of environmental assessments and more detailed environmental impact statements that may be made available for public review and comment.
·U.S. Department of Transportation regulations, which relate to advancing the safe transportation of energy and hazardous materials and emergency response preparedness.
There may also exist regional, state, and local jurisdictions in the United States where CoJax-Barrister operates or may operate that also have, or are developing or considering developing, similar environmental and occupational health and safety laws and regulations governing many of these same types of activities. Further, environmental and occupational health and safety laws and regulations, including new or amended legal requirements, are expected to have a considerable impact on any expanded CoJax-Barrister operations in terms of compliance costs.
The State of Alabama has extensive operation and licensing laws for oil drilling. The State Oil and Gas Board of Alabama is a regulatory agency of the State of Alabama with the statutory charge of regulating oil exploration and production, including preventing waste and promoting the conservation of
37
oil and gas while ensuring the protection of both the environment and the correlative rights of owners. This board is granted broad authority in Alabama oil and gas conservation statutes to promulgate and enforce rules and regulations to ensure the conservation and proper development of Alabama's petroleum resources. CoJax will rely on Barrister consultants and local legal counsel for compliance with state regulatory regime.
Regulatory bodies at the federal, regional, state, tribal, and local levels in the United States as well as internationally and certain non-governmental organizations have been increasingly focused on GHG emissions and climate change issues. The EPA has adopted regulations for certain large sources regulating GHG emissions as pollutants under the U.S Clean Air Act. Developments in GHG initiatives may adversely affect CoJax-Barrister and other similarly situated companies operating in the oil and gas industry by imposing additional and expensive regulatory compliance requirements.
Barrister acquired certain oil and natural gas properties from COP, and any prior operators’ actions with respect to the management and disposal or release of hydrocarbons, hazardous substances, or wastes were not under Barrister’s control. Under environmental laws and regulations, Barrister and CoJax could incur liability for remediating hydrocarbons, hazardous substances, or wastes disposed of or released by prior owners or operators of Barrister’s Oil Rights. CoJax-Barrister could incur costs related to the for disposal or to which it sent equipment for cleaning, and for damages to natural resources or other claims related to releases of regulated substances at or from such third-party sites.
These environmental and occupational health and safety laws and regulations generally restrict the level of pollutants emitted to ambient air, discharges to surface water, and disposals or other releases to surface and below-ground soils and groundwater. Failure to comply with these laws and regulations may result in the assessment of sanctions, including administrative, civil, and criminal penalties; the imposition of investigatory, remedial, and corrective action obligations or the incurrence of capital expenditures; the occurrence of delays or cancellations in the permitting, development, or expansion of projects; and the issuance of injunctions restricting or prohibiting some or all of Barrister’s activities in a particular area.
There are environmental laws that provide for citizen suits, which allow private entities to act in the place of the government and sue operators for alleged violations of environmental law.
Prior environmental compliance costs by Barrister have not had a material adverse effect on its results of operations, but there can be no assurance that such costs will not be material in the future or that such future compliance will not have a material adverse effect on CoJax-Barrister’s financial and business operation results. The ultimate financial impact arising from environmental laws and regulations is neither clearly known nor determinable as existing standards are subject to change, and new standards continue to evolve.
Neither CoJax nor Barrister has insurance covering environmental and occupational health and safety risks, and any insurance may not cover penalties or fines that may be issued by a governmental authority. Both Barrister and CoJax lack insurance to cover potential violations and resulting liabilities for environmental and occupational health and safety laws and regulations as well as claims for damages to property or persons or imposition of penalties resulting from CoJax’s or Barrister’s operations, and the lack of coverage could have a material adverse effect or cause the failure of Barrister and, if the Barrister Agreement is consummated, of CoJax. CoJax intends to use net proceeds from this Offering to fund
38
purchase of basic liability insurance, but insurance will not cover all liabilities, especially certain environmental liabilities stemming from past acts.
Terrorist attacks aimed at energy operations could adversely affect Barrister’s or any future oil exploration and production business. The continued threat of terrorism and the impact of military and other government action have led and may lead to further increased volatility in prices for oil and natural gas and could affect these commodity markets or the financial markets. The U.S. government has issued warnings that energy assets may be a future target of terrorist organizations. These developments have subjected our oil and natural gas operations to increased risks. Any future terrorist attack on facilities used by Barrister or other future oil exploration and production operations, those of such operations’ customers, the infrastructure used for transportation of oil, and, in some cases, those of other energy companies, could have a material adverse effect on Barrister or CoJax.
Barrister has a limited customer base for its oil production due to its limited oil production and operating history. The cost of and difficulty in expanding the customer base for increased production from the Barrister Oil Rights is unknown. We can only determine the cost and difficulty of expanding Barrister’s customer base based on actual oil production and then current market conditions and demand for oil. As such, we cannot predict the cost and ease or difficulty of selling increased oil production from Barrister Oil Rights. This unknown factor in commercially exploiting any increased oil production from the Barrister Oil Rights increases the risk of investing in the shares of the Company because it renders uncertain a key factor in future profitability of CoJax-Barrister.
RISKS RELATED TO OUR COMMON STOCK
No public market and no liquid public market may develop for our common stock. Our common stock is not authorized for trading or quotation on any national securities exchange or national quotation system. Our common stock is not quoted on the Pink Sheet or Gray Market of the over the counter market. While we intend to seek approval for quotation of our common stock on the NASDAQ Capital Market, we do not meet the requirements for quotation of the common stock on the NASDAQ Capital Market as of the date of this Annual Report, and there is no guarantee that we will be able to meet the requirements for quotation of the common stock on NASDAQ Capital Market or will be approved for quotation of our common stock on the NASDAQ Capital Market or any other public stock market. Even if our common stock is quoted on a national securities exchange or national quotation system, the lack of primary market makers and institutional investors may cause the public market for our common stock to have limited or no liquidity and investors may be unable to trade shares of common stock when desired and in desired numbers.
When and if the common stock trades on a public market, our stock price may be volatile, and the value of any investment in our common stock may decline or never appreciate. If the common stock publicly trades, then the trading price of our common stock is likely to be highly volatile and could be subject to wide fluctuations in response to various factors, many of which are beyond our control. We may lack the primary market makers and institutional investors that protect a stock from volatility due to day trading or other manipulative practices. Our common stock will likely be a “penny stock” (as defined under Commission rules) and be rejected by broker-dealers for deposit or trading. “Penny stocks” are often deemed too risky for many institutional investors and individual investors.
In addition to the factors discussed in this "Risk Factors" section and elsewhere in this Annual Report, these factors include:
39
·our operating performance and the operating regulations affecting our business;
·changes in our board of directors or management;
·the publication of research reports about us or our industry or changes in recommendations or withdrawal of research coverage by securities analysts, or the lack of such coverage for our common stock;
·public reaction to our press releases, other public announcements, and filings with the SEC, including related to new services or functionalities or announced or completed acquisitions;
·changes in accounting standards, policies, guidelines, interpretations or principles;
·any sales of shares of our common stock by us or our existing shareholders;
·Overall market and market price for our oil;
·The extent of or lack of market support from broker-dealer market makers and institutional investors; and
·General political and economic conditions.
The stock market in general, and the market for oil and gas production companies in particular, have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations in 2019 and 2020, which have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of those companies. The worldwide market for crude oil is volatile and subject to wide swings based on news of political or international crises, OPEC member disputes, unilateral actions of major oil producers like Saudi Arabia and Russia, or economic news. Broad market and industry factors may seriously affect the market price of our common stock if it publicly trades and regardless of actual operating performance. When and if our common stock is publicly traded, and when we have public investor shareholders, then securities class action litigation has often been instituted against companies following periods of volatility in the market price of their securities. This form of litigation, if instituted against us, could result in very substantial costs, divert our management's attention and resources, and harm our business, operating results, and financial condition. We do not have a reserve for litigation, and we may be unable to afford any extended litigation.
We are an “emerging growth company,” and we cannot be certain if the reduced reporting requirements applicable to emerging growth companies will make our shares of common stock less attractive to investors. We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act. For as long as we continue to be an emerging growth company, we may take advantage of exemptions from various reporting requirements that apply to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies, including not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or the Sarbanes-Oxley Act reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation, our periodic reports and proxy statements and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. We could be an emerging growth company for up to five years. However, circumstances could cause us to lose that status earlier, including if the market value of our shares of common stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million or if we have total annual gross revenue of $1.0 billion or more during any fiscal year before that time, in which cases we would no longer be an emerging growth company as of the following December 31st, or if we issue more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt during any three-year period before that time, in which case we would no longer be an emerging growth company immediately. We cannot predict if investors will find our shares of common stock less attractive because we may rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our shares of common stock less attractive as a result, and our
40
common stock is publicly traded, then there may be a less active trading market for our shares of common stock, and our share price may be more volatile or depressed.
Under the JOBS Act, emerging growth companies also can delay adopting new or revised accounting standards until those standards apply to private companies. We have elected to receive the reduced disclosure benefits of the JOBS Act.
Investors will experience dilution of their ownership interest due to the future issuance of additional shares of our common stock. We are in a capital-intensive business and may not have sufficient funds to finance the growth of our business, future acquisitions, or to support our projected capital expenditures. In the future, we intend to issue our previously authorized and unissued securities, resulting in the dilution of the ownership interests of purchasers of our common stock offered hereby. Under our Amended and Restated Articles of incorporation, as amended, we are authorized to issue 300,000,000 shares of common stock, $0.01 par value per share and 50,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $0.01 par value per share, which include 500,000 shares of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock with preferences and rights as determined by our Board. The potential issuance of additional shares of common stock or preferred stock or convertible debt may create downward pressure on the trading price of our common stock. We may also issue additional shares of our common stock or other securities that are convertible into or exercisable for our common stock in future public offerings or private placements for capital raising purposes or for other business purposes, potentially at an offering price, conversion price or exercise price that is below the trading price of our common stock.
The lack of securities analyst industry coverage of our common stock could adversely impact its market value. If securities or industry analysts do not publish or cease publishing research or reports about us, our business or our market, or if they change their recommendations regarding our common stock adversely, and if the common stock is publicly traded, then the stock price and trading volume of our common stock could decline – perhaps dramatically. The trading market for our common stock, if it develops, will be influenced by the research and reports that industry or securities analysts may publish about us, our business, our market, or our competitors. If any of the analysts who may cover us change their recommendation regarding our common stock adversely, or provide more favorable relative recommendations about our competitors, the price of our common stock would likely decline. If any analyst who may cover us were to cease coverage of our company or fail to publish reports on us regularly, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could cause the stock price or trading volume of our common stock to decline. As an early-stage development company, even with the acquisition of Barrister, it is unlikely that we will be the subject of securities analyst industry coverage until we become profitable and have an active, liquid public market for our common stock, which status may never be attained by our company or our common stock.
If a public market develops for our common stock and if our common stock does not trade above $5.00 or stays below $5.00 per share, then FINRA sales practice requirements may limit a stockholder’s ability to buy and sell our stock. FINRA has adopted rules that relate to the application of the SEC’s penny stock rules in trading securities and require that a broker/dealer have reasonable grounds for believing that the investment is suitable for that customer, prior to recommending the investment. Prior to recommending speculative, low priced securities (being ones below $5 per share) to their non-institutional customers, broker/dealers must make reasonable efforts to obtain information about the customer’s financial status, tax status, investment objectives, and other information. Under interpretations of these rules, FINRA believes that there is a high probability that speculative, low priced securities will not be suitable for at least some customers. The FINRA requirements make it more difficult for broker/dealers to recommend
41
that their customers buy our common stock, which may have the effect of reducing the level of trading activity and liquidity of our common stock (when and if it is publicly traded). Further, many brokers charge higher transactional fees for penny stock transactions. As a result of the foregoing issues, fewer broker/dealers will be willing to make a market in our common stock, reducing a shareholder’s ability to resell shares of our common stock. Many brokerage firms will not accept “penny stock” stocks for deposit due to the administrative costs and potential liability exposure inherent with “penny stock” stock. Investors may be unable to deposit shares of common stock in brokerage accounts. Further, we have not qualified the common stock for electronic transfer by Deposit Transfer Corporation or “DTC,” and the lack of electronic transfer will further hamper the ability of investors to transfer their shares of common stock. Investors may be frustrated in trying to trade or deposit their shares of common stock until the common stock is qualified for quotation on NASDAQ Capital Market, if ever. Being a “penny stock” would render our common stock unattractive to many investors.
If we fail to maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results or prevent fraud. As a result, shareholders could lose confidence in our financial and other public reporting, which would harm our business and the trading price of our common stock. Effective internal controls over financial reporting are necessary for us to provide reliable financial reports and, together with adequate disclosure controls and procedures, are designed to prevent fraud. Any failure to implement required new or improved controls or difficulties encountered in their implementation could cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations. In addition, any testing by us conducted in connection with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, or any subsequent testing by our independent registered public accounting firm may reveal deficiencies in our internal controls over financial reporting that are deemed to be material weaknesses or that may require prospective or retroactive changes to our financial statements or identify other areas for further attention or improvement. Inferior internal controls could also cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information, which could have a negative effect, when and if our common stock publicly trades, on the trading price of our common stock.
There is no assurance that CoJax common stock will be approved for quotation on the NASDAQ Capital Markets. Even if qualified to be approved for quotation of its common stock, CoJax common stock may not be approved for quotation since the approval is at the discretion of NASDAQ, and NASDAQ may rely on a number of reasons to deny quotation on NASDAQ Capital Market. CoJax has no plans to seek quotation of its common stock on The OTC Markets Group, Inc. Even if quoted on the NASDAQ Capital Market, CoJax commons stock will not have a liquid market reflecting fair market value of the common stock without adequate primary market maker, and institutional investor support, which support does not exist as of the date of this Annual Report and may not develop in the future.
We may issue shares of preferred stock that could adversely affect holders of shares of our common stock. If we issue shares of preferred stock in the future that have a preference over shares of our common stock with respect to the payment of dividends or upon our liquidation, dissolution, or winding up, or if we issue shares of preferred stock with voting rights that dilute the voting power of shares of our common stock, the rights of holders of shares of our common stock or the trading price of shares of our common stock, when and if public traded, could be adversely affected.
We do not intend to pay dividends on our common stock, and our ability to pay dividends on our common stock is restricted. We have not historically paid a dividend on our common stock, cash or otherwise, and do not intend to do so in the foreseeable future. Any future dividends also may also be restricted by any loan or debt agreements.
42