| We incurred net losses of dlra3dtta3 million, dlra5dtta7 million, dlra3dtta8 million and dlra20dtta5 million for the years ended December 31, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005, respectively |
| Our results of operations in the future will depend on many factors, but largely on our ability to execute our exploration and development program and successfully market our current and future production |
| Our failure to achieve profitability in the future could adversely affect our ability to raise additional capital and, accordingly, our ability to grow our business |
| Our exploration and development activities may not result in economic quantities of oil and gas |
| Our success is dependent on finding, developing and producing economic quantities of oil and gas |
| Our drilling operations may not be successful in finding, developing and producing economic quantities of oil and gas |
| In addition, we may not be able to sustain production from wells that initially produce |
| The seismic data and other technologies we use do not allow us to know conclusively prior to drilling a well that oil or gas is present or may be produced economically |
| The cost of drilling, completing and operating a well is often uncertain, and cost factors can adversely affect the economics of a project |
| In addition, technological difficulties encountered in well completion or following the establishment of production may result in reduced or ceased production from a well |
| Our efforts will be unprofitable if we drill dry holes or wells that are productive but do not produce enough reserves to return a profit after drilling, operating and other costs |
| Further, our drilling operations may be curtailed, delayed or canceled, or subject to higher costs as a result of a variety of factors, including: • unexpected drilling conditions; • high pressure or irregularities in geological formations; • equipment failures or accidents; • adverse weather conditions, such as winter snowstorms; and • increases in the cost of, or shortages or delays in the availability of, drilling rigs, equipment and qualified personnel |
| Oil and gas operations can be hazardous and may expose us to environmental liabilities |
| We are subject to the operating risks normally associated with the exploration, development and production of oil and gas, including well blowouts, cratering and explosions, pipe failure, fires, geological formations with abnormal pressures, uncontrollable flows of oil, natural gas, brine or well fluids, and other environmental hazards and risks |
| Moreover, our drilling operations involve risks from high pressures in geological formations and from mechanical difficulties such as stuck pipe, collapsed casing and separated cable |
| If any of these events actually occur, we could sustain substantial losses as a result of: • injury or loss of life; • severe damage to or destruction of property, natural resources or equipment; • pollution or other environmental damage; • environmental clean-up responsibilities; • regulatory investigations and penalties; • delays in our operations or curtailment of our production; and • suspension of our operations |
| 3 ______________________________________________________________________ [31]Table of Contents Because in many cases insurance coverage for these risks is either not available or is not available at premium levels that are economically feasible and justify its purchase, we maintain very limited insurance coverage |
| Moreover, in the future we may not be able to maintain all or even part of our current insurance coverage at premium levels that justify its purchase |
| In addition, as an owner and operator of oil and gas properties, we are subject to various laws and regulations relating to the discharge of materials into, and the protection of, the environment |
| These laws and regulations may impose liability on us for the cost of environmental cleanup resulting from our operations and could further subject us to liability for environmental damages |
| The actual quantities of, and future net revenues from, our proved reserves may prove to be lower than we have estimated |
| The information included herein contains estimates of our proved reserves and the estimated future net revenues from our proved reserves |
| These estimates are based upon various assumptions, including assumptions required by the SEC relating to oil and gas prices, drilling and operating expenses, capital expenditures, taxes and availability of funds |
| The process of estimating oil and gas reserves is complex |
| The process involves significant decisions and assumptions in the evaluation of available geological, geophysical, engineering and economic data for each reservoir |
| Therefore, these estimates are inherently imprecise |
| We engage an independent petroleum engineering firm to review our estimates of our proved reserves |
| During 2005, 2004 and 2003, their review covered 100prca of the reserve value |
| Estimates of our proved reserves are made using available geological and reservoir data, as well as production performance data |
| These estimates are reviewed annually and revised, either upward or downward, as warranted by additional performance data |
| Actual future production, oil and gas prices, revenues, taxes, development expenditures, operating expenses and quantities of recoverable oil and gas reserves most likely will vary from these estimates |
| Such variations may be significant and could materially affect the estimated quantities of, and future net revenues from, our proved reserves |
| In addition, we may adjust estimates of our proved reserves to reflect production history, results of exploration and development drilling, prevailing oil and gas prices and other factors, many of which are beyond our control |
| Our properties may also be susceptible to hydrocarbon drainage from production by operators on adjacent properties |
| In addition, our reserves are contained in carbonate reservoirs, and there is a larger uncertainty inherent in carbonate reservoirs as compared to sandstone reservoirs |
| At December 31, 2005, approximately 95prca of our estimated proved reserves (by volume) were undeveloped |
| Recovery of undeveloped reserves requires significant capital expenditures and successful drilling operations |
| These reserve estimates include the assumption that we will make significant capital expenditures to develop the reserves |
| You should be aware that our estimates of such costs may not be accurate, development may not occur as scheduled and our results may not be as estimated |
| You should not assume that the present values referred to in the information included herein represent the current market value of our estimated reserves |
| In accordance with SEC requirements, the estimates of present values are based on prices and costs as of the date of the estimates |
| Actual future prices and costs may be materially higher or lower than the prices and costs as of the date of the estimates |
| There are currently no economic markets for our natural gas production and our gas reserves have been given no value in the future net cash flow data included herein |
| The timing of both production from our properties and the expenses we incur from the development and production of our properties will affect both the timing of the actual future net cash flows from our proved reserves and their present value |
| In addition, the 10prca discount factor, which is required by the SEC to be used in calculating discounted future net cash flows for reporting purposes, is not necessarily the most accurate discount factor |
| The effective interest rate at various times and the risks associated with our business or the oil and gas industry in general will affect the accuracy of the 10prca discount factor |
| 4 ______________________________________________________________________ [32]Table of Contents If oil and gas prices decrease or our exploration efforts are unsuccessful, we may be required to write down the capitalized cost of individual oil and gas properties |
| A writedown of the capitalized cost of individual oil and gas properties could occur when oil and gas prices are low or if we have substantial downward adjustments to our estimated proved oil and gas reserves, increases in our estimates of development costs or nonproductive exploratory drilling results |
| We use the successful efforts accounting method |
| All property acquisition costs and costs of exploratory and development wells are capitalized when incurred, pending the determination of whether proved reserves are discovered |
| If proved reserves are not discovered with an exploratory well, the costs of drilling the well are expensed |
| All geological and geophysical costs on exploratory prospects are expensed as incurred |
| The capitalized costs of our oil and gas properties, on a field-by-field basis, may exceed the estimated undiscounted future net cash flows of that field |
| If so, we record impairment charges to reduce the capitalized costs of each such field to our estimate of the field’s fair market value |
| Unproved properties are evaluated at the lower of cost or fair market value |
| These types of charges will reduce our earnings and stockholders’ equity |
| We assess our properties for impairment periodically, based on future estimates of proved reserves, oil and gas prices, production rates and operating, development and reclamation costs based on operating budget forecasts |
| Once incurred, an impairment charge cannot be reversed at a later date even if we experience increases in the price of oil or gas, or both, or increases in the amount of our estimated proved reserves |
| All of our operations are conducted in areas with inherent international and governmental risks |
| We are subject to risks inherent in international operations, including adverse governmental actions, political risks, expropriation of assets and the risk of civil unrest or war |
| Our oil and gas properties are located in Kazakhstan, which until 1990 was part of the Soviet Union |
| Kazakhstan retains many of the laws and customs from the former Soviet Union, but has developed and is continuing to develop its own legal, regulatory and financial systems |
| As the political and regulatory environment changes, we may face uncertainty about the interpretation of the agreements to which we are party and, in the event of dispute, we may have limited recourse within the legal and political system |
| We have not finalized a long-term production contract with the government of Kazakhstan and our current exploration contract is scheduled to expire in 2007 |
| We currently produce and sell oil pursuant to an exploration contract with the government of Kazakhstan which expires in April 2007 |
| Under our exploration contract and the Law of Petroleum, we hold the exclusive right to negotiate and execute a production contract with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (“MEMR”) in the event of a commercial discovery in the license area, and the government is required to conduct these negotiations |
| In December 2004, the State Committee on Reserves (“SCR”) approved commercial reserves for development and exploitation in the South Alibek Field |
| On this basis, the MEMR granted us the exclusive right to execute a long-term production contract in June 2005 |
| We concluded negotiations of the final commercial and legal terms of the contract in September 2005, when the working group of the MEMR formally approved the draft production contract |
| The final draft was then circulated to the relevant governmental ministries and committees for their formal acceptance prior to contract execution |
| In the course of this process, several of these governmental bodies requested additional changes to the contract, most of which we successfully negotiated and included in the written contract |
| As of March 10, 2006, approval of one remaining government ministry was still pending |
| Once this final approval is obtained, the production contract will be signed by the prime minister, at which time it will enter into effect |
| We believe that this approval will be obtained and the production contract signed during the first half of 2006 |
| However, there can be no assurance that we will be successful in finalizing the production contract by such time or at all |
| If we are unable to finalize the production contract in a timely manner or at all, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected |
| 5 ______________________________________________________________________ [33]Table of Contents Our business and results of operations depend on our ability to transport our production to viable markets and on the price at which we can sell our production |
| Our future success depends on our ability to transport and market our production either within Kazakhstan or through export to other markets |
| Our ability to sell our production and, in turn, our revenues could be materially and adversely affected by issues which are outside our control relating to the crude oil transportation infrastructure both within and outside Kazakhstan |
| The exportation of oil from Kazakhstan depends on access to transportation routes, primarily pipeline systems, which can have limited available capacity and are subject to other restrictions |
| We currently export our oil by rail |
| The rail terminal is accessed by truck from our field facilities |
| Our future plans include the shipment of oil by pipeline, which is the preferred and most cost effective method to sell crude oil production into the export market |
| We expect the implementation of our plans to result in higher realized prices for our crude oil than our current marketing arrangements, but we cannot be assured that we will be successful in implementing our plans |
| Unless we obtain access to pipelines to transfer our crude oil out of Kazakhstan, the prices at which we sell our crude oil may remain well below world market prices |
| A decline in prices could adversely affect our financial position, results of operations, cash flows, access to capital and ability to grow |
| Our revenues, results of operations and future growth depend primarily upon the prices we receive for the oil we sell |
| Historically, the markets for oil have been volatile and they are likely to continue to be volatile |
| Wide fluctuations in worldwide oil prices may result from relatively minor changes in the supply of and demand for oil, market uncertainty and other factors that are beyond our control, including: • worldwide supplies of oil and gas; • weather conditions; • the level of consumer demand; • the price and availability of alternative fuels; • governmental regulations and taxes; • the ability of the members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries to agree to, and maintain, oil price and production controls; • political instability or armed conflict in oil-producing regions; and • the overall economic environment |
| These factors and the volatility of the energy markets make it extremely difficult to predict future oil price movements with any degree of certainty |
| Declines in oil prices would not only reduce our revenues, but could reduce the amount of oil that we can produce economically and, as a result, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations |
| Our substantial indebtedness could adversely affect our financial condition |
| We have substantial debt, namely our senior secured notes due 2010, and, in turn, substantial debt service requirements |
| Our ability to make payments on our senior secured notes due 2010 and any future indebtedness we may incur depends on our ability to generate sufficient cash flow |
| We cannot assure you that: • our business will generate sufficient cash flow from operations to service our indebtedness; • future borrowings or proceeds from equity issuances will be available in an amount sufficient to enable us to pay our indebtedness on or before the maturity date of such indebtedness; or • we will be able to refinance any of our indebtedness on commercially reasonable terms, if at all |
| 6 ______________________________________________________________________ [34]Table of Contents Factors beyond our control may affect our ability to service our indebtedness |
| These factors include those discussed in this “Risk Factors” section |
| If, in the future, we cannot generate sufficient cash flow from our operations to meet our debt service obligations, we may need to refinance our debt, obtain additional financing, issue equity or sell assets, which we may not be able to do on commercially reasonable terms, if at all, and which we may be prohibited from doing under the terms of our indebtedness |
| We cannot assure you that our business will generate cash flow, or that we will be able to obtain funding, sufficient to satisfy our debt service obligations |
| Our inability to generate cash flow or obtain funding sufficient to satisfy our debt service obligations could materially and adversely affect our financial condition |
| Covenants in the indenture governing our senior secured notes due 2010 impose significant restrictions on us |
| The indenture governing our senior secured notes due 2010 contains a number of covenants imposing significant restrictions on us |
| The restrictions these covenants place on us include restrictions on our repurchase of, and payment of dividends on, our capital stock and limitations on our ability to incur additional indebtedness, make investments, engage in transactions with affiliates, sell assets and create liens on our assets |
| These restrictions may affect our ability to operate our business and may limit our ability to take advantage of potential business opportunities as they arise and, in turn, may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations |
| Significant capital expenditures are required to execute our development program |
| Our development and production activities, including our exploration contract with the government of Kazakhstan, require us to make substantial capital expenditures |
| Historically, we have funded our capital expenditure requirements through a combination of cash flows from operations, borrowings under bank credit facilities, private placements of our common stock, preferred stock and debt securities and borrowings from our affiliates |
| Our cash flows from operations are subject to a number of variables, such as the level of production from our existing wells, the prices of oil, and our success in developing and producing our reserves |
| If our revenues were to decrease as a result of lower oil prices or decreased production, and our access to capital were limited, we may not be able to meet our capital expenditure requirements, which could, in turn, materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations |
| Competition in our industry is intense, and many of our competitors in the Kazakhstan region have greater financial and other resources than we do |
| We operate in the highly competitive areas of oil exploration, development and production |
| We face intense competition from both major and other independent oil and natural gas companies in seeking to acquire: • desirable producing properties or new leases for future exploration; and • the equipment and expertise necessary to develop and operate our properties |
| Many of our competitors have financial and other resources substantially greater than ours and, moreover, some of them are fully integrated oil companies with operations in the exploration, development, production, pipeline transportation, refining and marketing sectors of the oil and gas industry |
| These companies may be able to pay more for development prospects and productive oil and natural gas properties and may be able to define, evaluate, bid for and purchase a greater number of properties and prospects than our financial or human resources permit |
| In addition, our ability to develop and exploit our oil and natural gas properties and to acquire additional properties in the future will depend upon our ability to successfully conduct operations, evaluate and select suitable properties and successfully consummate transactions, and there can be no assurance that we will be able to do so |
| 7 ______________________________________________________________________ [35]Table of Contents Compliance with governmental regulations could be costly |
| Our operations are subject to various levels of government controls and regulations in the United States and in Kazakhstan, including environmental controls and regulations |
| It is not possible for us to separately calculate the costs of compliance with these controls and regulations, as such costs are an integral part of our operations |
| In Kazakhstan, legislation affecting the oil and gas industry is under constant review for amendment or expansion |
| Pursuant to such legislation, various governmental departments and agencies have issued extensive rules and regulations which affect the oil and gas industry, some of which carry substantial penalties for failure to comply |
| These laws and regulations can have a significant impact on the oil and gas industry by increasing the cost of doing business and, consequentially, can adversely affect our results of operations |
| Inasmuch as new legislation affecting the industry is commonplace and existing laws and regulations are frequently amended or reinterpreted, we are unable to predict the future cost or impact of complying with such laws and regulations |
| The loss of key personnel could have an adverse effect on our business |
| Our success is dependent on the performance of our senior management and key technical personnel |
| The loss of our chief executive officer or other key employees could have a material and adverse effect on our business |
| We do not currently have employment or non-compete agreements in place with any of our senior management or key employees |
| In addition, we do not carry life insurance covering any of our senior management or key employees |
| We have reported a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting that, if not remedied, could adversely affect our ability to meet reporting obligations and provide timely and accurate financial statements |
| In connection with our management’s assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2005, we concluded that, as of December 31, 2005, we did not maintain effective internal control over our financial reporting due to a material weakness resulting from lack of a sufficient number of accounting staff with experience in public company SEC reporting and technical expertise to enable us to maintain adequate controls over our financial accounting and reporting processes regarding the accounting for non-routine and non-systematic transactions |
| A material weakness is a control deficiency, or a combination of control deficiencies, that results in more than a remote likelihood that a material misstatement in our annual or interim financial statements would not be prevented or detected |
| Our management’s assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2005 was audited by UHY Mann Frankfort Stein & Lipp CPAs, LLP, which expressed an unqualified opinion on management’s assessment and an adverse opinion on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2005 |
| ” Although we believe we will address the material weakness with the remedial measures we have implemented and are currently implementing, these measures may not remedy the material weakness reported and, as a result, we may not be able to implement and maintain effective internal control over financial reporting in the future |
| In addition, additional deficiencies in our internal controls may be discovered in the future |
| Any failure to remedy the reported material weakness or to implement new or improved controls, or difficulties encountered in their implementation, could harm our operating results, cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations or result in material misstatements in our financial statements |
| Any such failure also could affect the ability of our management to certify that our internal controls are effective when it provides an assessment of our internal control over financial reporting, and could affect the results of our independent registered public accounting firm’s attestation report regarding our management’s assessment |
| Inferior internal controls could also cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information, which could have a negative effect on the trading price of our common stock |