SPECIAL PURPOSE ENTITIES	9 Months Ended
Oct. 31, 2016
SPECIAL PURPOSE ENTITIES
SPECIAL PURPOSE ENTITIES	NOTE 4 — SPECIAL PURPOSE ENTITIES Construction Joint Ventures GPS assigned its contracts for the engineering, procurement and construction of two natural gas-fired power plants (the “EPC Contracts”), known as Panda Liberty and Panda Patriot, to two separate joint ventures that were formed in order to perform the work for the applicable project and to spread the bonding risk of each project. The joint venture partner for both projects is a large civil contracting firm. The corresponding joint venture agreements, as amended, provide that GPS has the majority interest in any profits, losses, assets and liabilities resulting from the performance of the EPC Contracts. GPS has no significant commitments under these arrangements beyond those related to the completion of the EPC Contracts including the provision of services under the related warranty obligations. Final completion of the two projects, as defined by each EPC Contract, was achieved in October 2016 and November 2016, respectively. Due to the financial control by GPS, the accounts of the joint ventures have been included in the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements since the commencement of contract activities near the end of the fiscal year ended January 31, 2014. The shares of the profits of the joint ventures, including the majority portion attributable to the stockholders of Argan, have been determined based on the percentages by which the Company believes profits will ultimately be shared by the joint venture partners. Moxie Freedom LLC In August 2014, Gemma Power, Inc. (“GPI”), which is included in the group of companies identified above as “GPS” and is wholly owned by Argan, entered into a Development Loan Agreement (the “DLA”) with Moxie Freedom LLC (“Moxie Freedom”), a variable interest entity (“VIE”) that was wholly owned by Moxie Energy, LLC (“Moxie”), a power facility project development firm. The financial support provided by GPI covered a significant portion of the costs for Moxie Freedom to develop a large natural gas-fired power plant. Under the DLA, GPI made development loans to Moxie Freedom that totaled $4.3 million, including $2.3 million in loans made during the nine months ended October 31, 2015; such loans earned interest based on an annual rate of 20%. In November 2015, Moxie sold a substantial portion of its ownership interest in Moxie Freedom, GPI received repayment of its development loans in full and $0.6 million in accrued interest, GPI received a development success fee in the amount of $4.3 million, and GPS received a full notice-to-proceed with activities pursuant to the corresponding EPC contract. Pursuant to a participation agreement, an equipment supplier to Moxie Freedom provided GPI with 40% of the funding for the development loans made to Moxie Freedom that totaled $1.7 million. Under the applicable accounting guidance, the funding provided to GPI was treated as a secured borrowing including $0.9 million borrowed during the nine months ended October 31, 2015. Interest payable to the supplier accrued based on an annual rate of 20% and the supplier was entitled to receive 40% of any development success fee earned by GPI in connection with the permanent financing and/or sale of the project. In November 2015, all amounts due under the participation agreement were paid by GPI including principal and interest in the total amount of $1.9 million and the supplier’s share of the development success fee in the amount of $1.7 million. Through its arrangements with Moxie Freedom, the Company was deemed to be the primary beneficiary of this VIE entity at its inception. However, Moxie Freedom substantially completed its project development efforts during 2015 and financial support was thereafter provided substantially by the pending investor. As a result, the Company was no longer the primary beneficiary of the VIE and it was deconsolidated during the quarter ended July 31, 2015. The primary effects of the deconsolidation were the elimination of the capitalized project costs from the Company’s consolidated balance sheet ($4.9 million) and the addition to the consolidated balance sheet of the notes receivable from Moxie Freedom and related accrued interest. For reporting periods prior to the deconsolidation, the amounts of GPI’s notes receivable from Moxie Freedom and the corresponding amounts of accrued interest and interest income were eliminated in consolidation. The deconsolidation resulted in a pre-tax gain which was included in the statement of earnings for the nine months ended October 31, 2015 in the amount of $0.3 million.

NOTE 4 — SPECIAL PURPOSE ENTITIES

Construction Joint Ventures

GPS assigned its contracts for the engineering, procurement and construction of two natural gas-fired power plants (the “EPC Contracts”), known as Panda Liberty and Panda Patriot, to two separate joint ventures that were formed in order to perform the work for the applicable project and to spread the bonding risk of each project. The joint venture partner for both projects is a large civil contracting firm. The corresponding joint venture agreements, as amended, provide that GPS has the majority interest in any profits, losses, assets and liabilities resulting from the performance of the EPC Contracts. GPS has no significant commitments under these arrangements beyond those related to the completion of the EPC Contracts including the provision of services under the related warranty obligations. Final completion of the two projects, as defined by each EPC Contract, was achieved in October 2016 and November 2016, respectively.

Due to the financial control by GPS, the accounts of the joint ventures have been included in the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements since the commencement of contract activities near the end of the fiscal year ended January 31, 2014. The shares of the profits of the joint ventures, including the majority portion attributable to the stockholders of Argan, have been determined based on the percentages by which the Company believes profits will ultimately be shared by the joint venture partners.

Moxie Freedom LLC

In August 2014, Gemma Power, Inc. (“GPI”), which is included in the group of companies identified above as “GPS” and is wholly owned by Argan, entered into a Development Loan Agreement (the “DLA”) with Moxie Freedom LLC (“Moxie Freedom”), a variable interest entity (“VIE”) that was wholly owned by Moxie Energy, LLC (“Moxie”), a power facility project development firm. The financial support provided by GPI covered a significant portion of the costs for Moxie Freedom to develop a large natural gas-fired power plant.

Under the DLA, GPI made development loans to Moxie Freedom that totaled $4.3 million, including $2.3 million in loans made during the nine months ended October 31, 2015; such loans earned interest based on an annual rate of 20%. In November 2015, Moxie sold a substantial portion of its ownership interest in Moxie Freedom, GPI received repayment of its development loans in full and $0.6 million in accrued interest, GPI received a development success fee in the amount of $4.3 million, and GPS received a full notice-to-proceed with activities pursuant to the corresponding EPC contract.

Pursuant to a participation agreement, an equipment supplier to Moxie Freedom provided GPI with 40% of the funding for the development loans made to Moxie Freedom that totaled $1.7 million. Under the applicable accounting guidance, the funding provided to GPI was treated as a secured borrowing including $0.9 million borrowed during the nine months ended October 31, 2015. Interest payable to the supplier accrued based on an annual rate of 20% and the supplier was entitled to receive 40% of any development success fee earned by GPI in connection with the permanent financing and/or sale of the project. In November 2015, all amounts due under the participation agreement were paid by GPI including principal and interest in the total amount of $1.9 million and the supplier’s share of the development success fee in the amount of $1.7 million.

Through its arrangements with Moxie Freedom, the Company was deemed to be the primary beneficiary of this VIE entity at its inception. However, Moxie Freedom substantially completed its project development efforts during 2015 and financial support was thereafter provided substantially by the pending investor. As a result, the Company was no longer the primary beneficiary of the VIE and it was deconsolidated during the quarter ended July 31, 2015. The primary effects of the deconsolidation were the elimination of the capitalized project costs from the Company’s consolidated balance sheet ($4.9 million) and the addition to the consolidated balance sheet of the notes receivable from Moxie Freedom and related accrued interest. For reporting periods prior to the deconsolidation, the amounts of GPI’s notes receivable from Moxie Freedom and the corresponding amounts of accrued interest and interest income were eliminated in consolidation. The deconsolidation resulted in a pre-tax gain which was included in the statement of earnings for the nine months ended October 31, 2015 in the amount of $0.3 million.