ROYL Royale Energy Inc (QB)

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

NOTE 1 – BASIS OF PRESENTATION: ACCOUNTING STANDARDS

Consolidation

In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated Financial Statements (“statements”) include all adjustments necessary to present fairly the Company’s financial position and the results of its operations and cash flows for the periods presented.

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements, which include the accounts of Royale Energy, Inc. (sometimes referred to as the “Company” “we,” “our,” “us,” “Royale Energy,” or “Royale”), Royale Energy Funds, Inc. (“REF”), and Matrix Oil Management Corporation and its subsidiaries, have been prepared in accordance with GAAP for interim consolidated financial information pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC under Article 10 of Regulation S-X and the instructions to Form 10-Q. Accordingly, certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in our audited financial statements have been condensed or omitted pursuant to the SEC’s rules and regulations. Significant intercompany transactions have been eliminated in the consolidation. In management’s opinion, all adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included, disclosures are adequate, and the presented information is not misleading.

The consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2022 was derived from the audited financial statements at that date. The accompanying consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 as filed with the SEC. Operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2023 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023, or for any other period. 

Liquidity and Going Concern

The primary sources of liquidity have historically been issuances of common stock, oil and gas sales through ongoing operations and the sale of oil and gas properties. There are factors that give rise to substantial doubt about our ability to meet liquidity demands, and we anticipate that our primary sources of liquidity will be from the issuance of debt and/or equity, the sale of oil and natural gas property participation interests through our normal course of business and the sale of non-strategic assets.

At March 31, 2023, our consolidated financial statements reflect a working capital deficiency of $5,548,678. Although we had net income of $1,002,344 for the three months ended March 31, 2023, there is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. The accompanying consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might be necessary if we are unable to continue as a going concern.

Management’s plans to alleviate the going concern by cost control measures that include, among other things, the reduction of overhead costs and the sale of non-strategic assets, and obtaining additional financing. There is no assurance that additional financing will be available when needed or that we will be able to obtain any financing on terms acceptable to us and whether we will become profitable and generate positive operating cash flow. If the we are unable to raise sufficient additional funds, it will have to develop and implement a plan to further extend payables, attempt to extend note repayments, and reduce overhead until sufficient additional capital is raised to support further operations. There can be no assurance that such a plan will be successful.

Use of Estimates

The accompanying financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America and requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Material estimates that are particularly susceptible to significant change relate to the estimate of Company oil and gas reserves prepared by an independent engineering consultant. Such estimates are subject to numerous uncertainties inherent in the estimation of quantities of proven reserves. Estimated reserves are used in the calculation of depletion, depreciation and amortization, unevaluated property costs, impairment of oil and natural gas properties, estimated future net cash flows, taxes, and contingencies.

The pricing in our hydrocarbon sales agreements are variable, determined using various published benchmarks which are adjusted for negotiated quality and location differentials. As a result, revenue collected under our agreements with customers is highly dependent on the market conditions and may fluctuate considerably as the hydrocarbon market prices rise or fall. Typically, our customers pay us monthly, within a short period of time after we deliver the hydrocarbon products. As such, we do not have any financing element associated with our contracts. We do not have any issues related to returns or refunds, as product specifications are standardized for the industry and are typically measured when transferred to a common carrier or midstream entity, and other contractual mechanisms (e.g., price adjustments) are used when products do not meet those specifications.

In limited cases, we may also collect advance payments from customers as stipulated in our agreements; payments in excess of recognized revenue are recorded as contract liabilities on our consolidated balance sheets.

Under our hydrocarbon sales agreements, the entire consideration amount is variable either due to pricing and/or volumes. We recognize revenues in the amount of variable consideration allocated to distinct units of hydrocarbons transferred to a customer. Such allocation reflects the amount of total consideration we expect to collect for completed deliveries of hydrocarbons and the terms of variable payment relate specifically to our efforts to satisfy the performance obligations under these contracts. Our performance obligations under our hydrocarbon sales agreements are to deliver either the entire production from the dedicated wells or specified contractual volumes of hydrocarbons.

We often serve as the operator for jointly owned oil and gas properties. As part of this role, we perform activities to explore, develop and produce oil and gas properties in accordance with the joint operating arrangement and collective decisions of the joint parties. Other working interest owners reimburse us for costs incurred based on our agreements. We determined that these activities are not performed as part of customer relationships, and such reimbursements are recorded as cost reimbursements.

We commonly market the share of production belonging to other working interest owners as the operator of jointly owned oil and gas properties. Those marketing activities are carried out as part of the collaborative arrangement, and we do not purchase or otherwise obtain control of other working interest owners’ share of production. Therefore, we act as a principal only with respect to the sale of our share of production and recognize revenue for the volumes associated with our net production.

We frequently sell a portion of the working interest in each well we drill or participate in to third-party investors and retain a portion of the prospect for our own account. We typically guarantee a cost to drill to the third-party drilling participants and record a loss or gain on the difference between the guaranteed price and the actual cost to drill the well. When monies are received from third parties for future drilling obligations, we record the liability as Turnkey Drilling Obligations. Once the contracted depth for the drilling of the well is reached and a determination as to the commercial viability of the well (typically call “Casing Point Election” or “Logging Point”), the difference in the actual cost to drill and the guaranteed cost is recorded as income or expense depending on whether there was a gain or loss.

Crude oil and condensate

For the crude sales agreements, we satisfy our performance obligations and recognize revenue once customers take control of the crude at the designated delivery points, which include pipelines, trucks, or vessels.

Natural gas and NGLs

When selling natural gas and NGLs, we engage midstream entities to process our production stream by separating natural gas from the NGLs. Frequently, these midstream entities also purchase our natural gas and NGLs under the same agreements. In these situations, we determined the performance obligation is complete and satisfied at the tailgate of the processing plant when the natural gas and NGLs become identifiable and measurable products. We determined the plant tailgate is the point in time where control is transferred to midstream entities and they are entitled to significant risks and rewards of ownership of the natural gas and NGLs.

The amounts due to midstream entities for gathering and processing services are recognized as shipping and handling cost and included as lease operating expense in our consolidated statement of operations, since we make those payments in exchange for distinct services except for natural gas sold to Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) where transportation is netted directly against revenue. Under some of our natural gas processing agreements, we have an option to take the processed natural gas and NGLs in-kind and sell to customers other than the processing company. In those circumstances, our performance obligations are complete after delivering the processed hydrocarbons to the customer at the designated delivery points, which may be the tailgate of the processing plant, or an alternative delivery point requested by the customer.

Turnkey Drilling

We sponsor turnkey drilling arrangements in proved and unproved properties. The contracts require that participants pay us the full contract price upon execution of the drilling agreement. Each participant earns an undivided interest in the well bore at the completion of the well. A portion of the funds received in advance of the drilling of a well from a working interest participant are held for the expressed purpose of drilling a well (“Drilling Funds”). If something changes, we may designate these funds for a substitute well. Under certain conditions, a portion of these funds may be required to be returned to a participant. Once the well is drilled, the Drilling Funds are used to satisfy the drilling cost.

We manage these Turnkey Agreements for the participants of the well. We segregate the collections of pre-drilling AFE amounts and the gains and losses on the Turnkey Agreements are recorded in income or expense at the time of the casing point election in accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 932-323-25 and 932-360. We manage the performance obligation for the well participants and only records revenue or expense at the time the performance obligation of the Turnkey Agreement has been satisfied.

Restricted Cash

Prior to commencement of drilling, we classify Drilling Funds as restricted cash based on guidance codified as under ASC 230-10-50-8. In the event that progress payments are made from these funds; they are recorded as Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets.

The following table provides a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash reported within the consolidated balance sheet that sum to the total of the same amounts shown in the statement of cash flows.

Equity Method Investments

Investments in entities over which we have significant influence, but not control, are accounted for using the equity method of accounting. Income from equity method investments represents our proportionate share of net income generated by the equity method investees and is reflected in revenue and other income in our condensed consolidated statements of operations. Equity method investments are included as noncurrent assets on the consolidated balance sheet.

Equity method investments are assessed for impairment whenever changes in the facts and circumstances indicate a loss in value may have occurred as called for under ASC 323. When a loss is deemed to have occurred and is other than temporary, the carrying value of the equity method investment is written down to fair value, and the amount of the write-down is included in income.

Other Receivables, net

Other receivables, net consist of joint interest billing receivables from direct working interest investors and industry partners. We provide for uncollectible accounts receivable using the allowance method of accounting for bad debts. Under this method of accounting, a provision for uncollectible accounts is charged directly to bad debt expense when it becomes probable the receivable will not be collected. The allowance account is increased or decreased based on past collection history and management’s evaluation of accounts receivable. All amounts considered uncollectible are charged against the allowance account and recoveries of previously charged off accounts are added to the allowance. At March 31, 2023, and December 31, 2022, we maintained an allowance for uncollectable accounts of $2,749,445 and $2,757,549, respectively, for receivables from direct working interest investors whose expenses on non-producing wells were unlikely to be collected from revenue.

Fair Value Measurements

According to Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures Topic of the FASB ASC, assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring and nonrecurring basis in period subsequent to initial recognition, the reporting entity shall disclose information that enable users of its financial statements to assess the inputs used to develop those measurements and for recurring fair value measurements using significant unobservable inputs, the effect of the measurements on earnings for the period.

Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. In determining fair value, we utilize valuation techniques that maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs to the extent possible as well as considers counterparty credit risk in its assessment of fair value. Carrying amounts of our financial instruments, including cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable and accrued liabilities, approximate their fair values as of the balance sheet dates because of their generally short maturities.

The fair value hierarchy distinguishes between (1) market participant assumptions developed based on market data obtained from independent sources (observable inputs) and (2) an entity’s own assumptions about market participant assumptions developed based on the best information available in the circumstances (unobservable inputs). The fair value hierarchy consists of three broad levels, which gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3). The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are described below:

Level 1: Quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for assets or liabilities.

Level 2: Directly or indirectly observable inputs as of the reporting date through correlation with market data, including quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets and quoted prices in markets that are not active. Level 2 also includes assets and liabilities that are valued using models or other pricing methodologies that do not require significant judgment since the input assumptions used in the models, such as interest rates and volatility factors, are corroborated by readily observable data from actively quoted markets for substantially the full term of the financial instrument.

Level 3: Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and reflect the use of significant management judgment. These values are generally determined using pricing models for which the assumptions utilize management’s estimates of market participant assumptions.

At March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, we do not have any financial assets measured and recognized at fair value on a recurring basis. We estimate asset retirement obligations (ARO’s) pursuant to the provisions of ASC 410, “Asset Retirement and Environmental Obligations”. The estimates of the fair value the ARO’s are based on discounted cash flow projections using numerous estimates, assumptions, and judgements regarding such factors as the existence of a legal obligation for an ARO, amounts and timing of settlements, the credit-adjusted risk-free rate to be used and inflation rates.

The initial measurement of asset retirement obligations at fair value is calculated using discounted cash flow techniques and based on internal estimates of future retirement costs associated with oil and gas properties. Given the unobservable nature of the inputs, including plugging costs and reserve lives, the initial measurement of the asset retirement obligation liability is deemed to use Level 3 inputs.

Other receivables will be reflected as Level 3. The fair value of our other receivables is based on credit factors, oil and gas well reserve profiles and commodity prices both current and forecast specific to these financial instruments.

Fair Values - Non-recurring

We applied the provisions of the fair value measurement standard to our non-recurring, non-financial measurements including oil and natural gas property impairments and other long-lived asset impairments. These items are not measured at fair value on a recurring basis but are subject to fair value adjustments only in certain circumstances.

Dividends on Series B Convertible Preferred Stock

The Series B Convertible Preferred Stock, (“Preferred Stock”) has an obligation to pay a 3.5% cumulative dividend, in kind or cash, on a quarterly basis. The Board of Directors authorized the issuance of the Preferred Stock, for the settlement of dividends accumulated through December 31, 2023. We accrued $205,556 and $198,516 for dividends related to the Preferred Stock during the first quarters of 2023 and 2022, respectively. Each quarter, we charge retained earnings for the accumulating dividend as the amounts add to the liquidation preference of the Preferred Stock. For further information regarding the Preferred Stock see Note 3, below.

ACCOUNTING STANDARDS

Recently Adopted

ASU 2016-13, Credit Impairment

In June of 2016, the FASB issued ASC Topic 326, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses. This new guidance replaces the current incurred loss impairment model with a requirement to recognize lifetime expected credit losses immediately when a financial asset is originated or purchased. This new Current Expected Credit Losses (“CECL”) model applies to (1) loans, accounts receivable, trade receivables, and other financial assets measured at amortized cost, (2) loan commitments and certain other off-balance sheet credit exposures, (3) debt securities and financial assets measured at fair value, and (4) beneficial interests in securitized financial assets. This ASU was effective for Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) filers beginning after December 15, 2019; however, on November 15, 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-10, which delayed the effective date for “smaller reporting companies.” Therefore, ASU 2016-13 is effective for "smaller reporting companies" (as defined by the SEC) such as Royale, for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022, including interim periods within those years, and must be adopted under the modified retrospective method. We adopted this new standard on January 1, 2023, and there is no material impact on our consolidated financial statements. For further information regarding our adoption of this standard, see Note 7 - ALLOWANCE FOR CREDIT LOSSES below.

The guidance set forth in the Continued Capitalization of Exploratory Well Costs paragraph of the Extractive Activities Topic of the FASB ASC requires that we evaluate all existing capitalized exploratory well costs and disclose the extent to which any such capitalized costs have become impaired and are expensed or reclassified during a fiscal period.

Depreciation, depletion, and amortization, based on cost less estimated salvage value of the asset, are primarily determined under either the unit-of-production method or the straight-line method, which is based on estimated asset service life taking obsolescence into consideration. Maintenance and repairs are expensed as incurred. Major renewals and improvements are capitalized, and the assets replaced are retired.

The project construction phase commences with the development of the detailed engineering design and ends when the constructed assets are ready for their intended use. Interest costs, to the extent they are incurred to finance expenditures during the construction phase, are included in property, plant and equipment and are depreciated over the service life of the related assets.

We use the “successful efforts” method to account for our exploration and production activities. Under this method, we accumulate our proportionate share of costs on a well-by-well basis with certain exploratory expenditures and exploratory dry holes being expensed as incurred and capitalize expenditures for productive wells. We amortize the costs of productive wells under the unit-of-production method.

We carry, as an asset, exploratory well costs when the well has found a sufficient quantity of reserves to justify its completion as a producing well and where we are making sufficient progress assessing the reserves and the economic and operating viability of the project. Exploratory well costs not meeting these criteria are charged to expense. Other exploratory expenditures, including geophysical costs and annual lease rentals, are expensed as incurred.

Acquisition costs of proved oil and gas properties are amortized using a unit-of-production method, computed on the basis of total proved oil and gas reserves.

Capitalized exploratory drilling and development costs associated with productive depletable extractive properties are amortized using unit-of-production rates based on the amount of proved developed reserves of oil and gas that are estimated to be recoverable from existing facilities using current operating methods. Under the unit-of-production method, oil and gas volumes are considered produced once they have been measured through meters at custody transfer or sales transaction points at the outlet valve on the lease or field storage tank.

Production costs are expensed as incurred. Production involves lifting the oil and gas to the surface and gathering, treating, field processing and field storage of the oil and gas. The production function normally terminates at the outlet valve on the lease or field production storage tank. Production costs are those incurred to operate and maintain our wells and related equipment and facilities. They become part of the cost of oil and gas produced. These costs, sometimes referred to as lifting costs, include such items as labor costs to operate the wells and related equipment; repair and maintenance costs on the wells and equipment; materials, supplies and energy costs required to operate the wells and related equipment; and administrative expenses related to the production activity. Proved oil and gas properties held and used, are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amounts may not be recoverable.

We estimate the future undiscounted cash flows of the affected properties to judge the recoverability of carrying amounts and whether carrying amounts should be impaired. We perform the evaluation of carrying amounts at least annually or when economic events or commodity prices indicate that a substantial and measurable change in future cash flows has occurred. Cash flows used in impairment evaluations are developed using updated evaluation assumptions for crude oil and natural gas commodity prices. Annual volumes are based on field production profiles, which are also updated annually.

Impairment analyses are generally based on proved reserves. An asset group would be further assessed if the undiscounted cash flows were less than its’ carrying value. Impairments are measured by the amount the carrying value exceeds fair value. During the three months ended March 31, 2023, and 2022, no impairment losses were incurred.

Significant unproved properties are assessed for impairment individually, and valuation allowances against the capitalized costs are recorded based on the estimated economic chance of success and the length of time that Royale Energy expects to hold the properties. The valuation allowances are reviewed at least annually.

Upon the sale or retirement of a complete field of a proven property, we eliminate the cost from our books, and the resulting gain or loss is recorded to the Statement of Operations. Upon the sale of an entire interest in an unproved property where the property has been assessed for impairment individually, a gain or loss is recognized in the Statement of Operations. If a partial interest in an unproved property is sold, any funds received are accounted for as a recovery of the cost in the interest retained with any excess funds recognized as a gain. Should our turnkey drilling agreements include unproved property, total drilling costs incurred to satisfy our obligations are recovered by the total funds received under the agreements. Any excess funds are recorded as a Gain on Turnkey Drilling Programs, and any costs not recovered are capitalized and accounted for under the “successful efforts” method.

We sponsor turnkey drilling agreement arrangements in unproved properties as a pooling of assets in a joint undertaking, whereby proceeds from participants are reported as Deferred Drilling Obligations, and then reduced as costs to complete our obligations are incurred with any excess booked against our property account to reduce any basis in our own interest. Gains on Turnkey Drilling Programs represent funds received from turnkey drilling participants in excess of all costs we incur during the drilling programs (e.g., lease acquisition, exploration and development costs), including costs incurred on behalf of participants and costs incurred for our own account; and are recognized only upon making this determination after our obligations have been fulfilled.

The contracts require the participants to pay the full contract price upon execution of the agreement. We complete the drilling activities typically between 10 and 30 days after drilling begins. The participant retains an undivided or proportional beneficial interest in the property and is also responsible for our proportionate share of operating costs. We retain legal title to the lease. The participants purchase a working interest directly in the well bore.

In these working interest arrangements, the participants are responsible for sharing in the risk of development, but also sharing in a proportional interest in rights to revenues and proportional liability for the cost of operations after drilling is completed and the interest is conveyed to the participant.

A certain portion of the turnkey drilling participant’s funds received are non-refundable. We hold all funds invested as Deferred Drilling Obligations until drilling is complete. Occasionally, drilling is delayed for various reasons such as weather, permitting, drilling rig availability and/or contractual obligations. At March 31, 2023, and December 31, 2022, we had Deferred Drilling Obligations of $6,840,855 and $8,129,965, respectively.

If we are unable to drill the wells, and a suitable replacement well is not found, we would retain the non-refundable portion of the contract and return the remaining funds to the participant. Included in Restricted Cash are amounts for use in completion of turnkey drilling programs in progress.

Losses on properties sold are recognized when incurred or when the properties are held for sale and the fair value of the properties is less than the carrying value.

NOTE 3 – SERIES B PREFERRED STOCK

The Preferred Stock is convertible at the option of the security holder at the rate of ten shares of common stock for one share of Preferred Stock. The Preferred Stock has never been registered under the Exchange Act and no market exists for the Preferred Stock. Additionally, the Preferred Stock will automatically convert into shares of common stock at any time in which the Volume Weighted Average Price (“VWAP”) of our common stock exceeds $3.50 per share for 20 consecutive trading days, the shares of our common stock are registered with the SEC and the trading volume of common shares exceeds 200,000 shares per day. Beginning in 2020, the holders of the Preferred Stock became entitled to vote the number of shares of our common stock into which the shares of Preferred Stock would be entitled to convert.

In accordance with ASC 480-10-S99-1.02, we have determined that the conversion or redemption of the Preferred Stock are outside the sole control of the Company and that they should be classified in mezzanine or temporary equity as redeemable noncontrolling interest beginning at the reporting period ended March 31, 2020.

For 2023 and 2022, the board authorized the payment of each quarterly dividend on shares of Preferred Stock, as Paid-In-Kind shares to be paid immediately following the end of the quarter. For the quarter ending March 31, 2023, we accrued 20,555 shares with a value of $205,556. During 2023 and 2022 no cash was used to pay dividends on shares of the Preferred Stock.

For the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, we had dilutive securities of 27,113,307 and 26,468,433, respectively. In 2022, these securities were not included in the dilutive loss per share, due to their antidilutive nature.

NOTE 5 – INCOME TAXES

Deferred tax assets and liabilities reflect the net tax effect of temporary differences between the carrying amount of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and amounts used for income tax purposes. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance when, in the opinion of management, it is more-likely-than-not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are adjusted for the effects of changes in tax laws and rates on the date of enactment. At the end of 2015, management reviewed the reliability of our net deferred tax assets, and due to our continued cumulative losses in recent years, the we concluded it is not “more-likely-than-not” our deferred tax assets will be realized. As a result, we will continue to record a full valuation allowance against the deferred tax assets in 2023.

A reconciliation of our provision for income taxes and the amount computed by applying the statutory income tax rates at March 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, to pretax income is as follows:

NOTE 6 – ISSUANCE OF COMMON STOCK

In April 2023, CIC RMX LP exercised in full its warrant to purchase shares of our common stock. CIC RMX LP elected to make a cashless exercise of the Warrant and as a result we issued 3,266,055 shares of common stock to the Warrant holder. During the three months ended March 31, 2023, and 2022, no common shares were issued in lieu of cash payments.