UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
Form
For the fiscal year ended:
Commission file number: No.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
(Province or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)
(Primary standard industrial classification code number)
(I.R.S. employer identification number)
(
(Address and telephone number of registrant’s principal executive office)
(
(Name, address and telephone number of agent for service in the United States)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class: | Trading Symbol: | Name of each exchange on which registered: |
Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
Securities for which there is a reporting obligation pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Act: None
For annual reports, indicate by check mark the information filed with this form:
Annual Information Form | Audited Annual Financial Statements |
Indicate the number of outstanding shares of each of the issuer's classes of capital or common stock as of the close of the period covered by the annual report:
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports); and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
þ | No | ◻ |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to submit such files).
þ | No | ◻ |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Emerging growth company
If an emerging growth company that prepares its financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards† provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ◻
† The term “new or revised financial accounting standard” refers to any update issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board to its Accounting Standards Codification after April 5, 2012.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.
If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements.
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant's executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ◻
DOCUMENTS FILED PURSUANT TO GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
In accordance with General Instruction B.(3) of Form 40-F, the Registrant has filed the following documents as part of this Annual Report on Form 40-F, as set forth in the Exhibit Index attached hereto:
Exhibit 99.1 - Annual Information Form for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023
Exhibit 99.2 - Management’s Discussion and Analysis for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023; and
Exhibit 99.3 - Audited Annual Financial Statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023
In accordance with General Instruction D.(9) of Form 40-F, the Registrant has filed the written consent of certain experts named in the foregoing Exhibits as Exhibit 99.5 and the written consent of its Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm as Exhibit 99.4, as set forth in the Exhibit Index attached hereto.
DISCLOSURE CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
A. Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Vermilion Energy Inc. (the "Registrant") maintains disclosure controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in the Registrant's filings under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act") is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time period specified in the rules and forms of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission"). Disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Registrant in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to the issuer's management, including its principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. The Registrant's Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Financial Officer, after having evaluated the effectiveness of the Registrant's disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) as of the end of the period covered by this report have concluded that, as of such date, the Registrant's disclosure controls and procedures are effective.
It should be noted that while the Registrant’s Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer believe that the Registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures provide a reasonable level of assurance that they are effective, they do not expect that the Registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures will prevent all errors and fraud. A control system, no matter how well conceived or operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met.
B. Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
See page 1 of the 2023 Audited Consolidated Financial Statements included as Exhibit 99.3 to this report.
C. Auditor Attestation
See page 3 of the 2023 Audited Consolidated Financial Statements included as Exhibit 99.3 to this report.
D. Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
There was no change in the Registrant's internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by this report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, its internal control over financial reporting.
NOTICES REQUIRED BY RULE 104 OF REGULATION BTR
None
AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL EXPERT
The Registrant's Board of Directors has determined that it has at least one audit committee financial expert (as such term is defined in the rules and regulations of the Commission) serving on its Audit Committee. Manjit Sharma has been determined to be such audit committee financial expert and is independent (as such term is defined by the New York Stock Exchange's corporate governance standards).
The Commission has indicated that the designation of Manjit Sharma as an audit committee financial expert does not make him an "expert" for any purpose, impose on his any duties, obligations or liability that are greater than the duties, obligations or liability imposed on him as a member of the
Audit Committee and the Board of Directors in absence of such designation, or affect the duties, obligations or liability of any other member of the Audit Committee or Board of Directors.
CODE OF ETHICS
The Registrant has adopted a written “code of ethics” (as that term is defined in Form 40-F) that applies to its directors, officers and employees, including its principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, and persons performing similar functions. A copy of such code of ethics is available upon request or on the Registrant’s website at https://www.vermilionenergy.com/about-us/governance/. In 2023, there were no amendments to the code of ethics or waivers, including implicit waivers, from any provisions of the code of ethics.
PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES
Information about aggregate fees billed to us by our principal accountant, Deloitte LLP (PCAOB ID No.
The Audit Committee pre-approves all audit related fees. The auditors present the estimate for the annual audit related services to the Audit Committee for approval prior to undertaking the annual audit of the financial statements.
All non-audit fees were pre-approved by the Audit Committee and none were approved on the basis of the de minimis exemption set forth in Rule 2-01(c)(7)(i)(C) of Regulation S-X.
RECOVERY OF ERRONEOUSLY AWARDED COMPENSATION
The Registrant has adopted a compensation recovery policy (referred to as the “Executive Compensation Clawback Policy”) as required by NYSE listing standards and pursuant to Rule 10D-1 of the Exchange Act. The Executive Compensation Clawback Policy is filed as Exhibit 97 to this Form 40-F. At no time during or after the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 (as of the date of this Annual Report), was the Registrant required to prepare an accounting restatement that required recovery of erroneously awarded compensation pursuant to the Executive Compensation Clawback Policy and, as of December 31, 2023, there was no outstanding balance of erroneously awarded compensation to be recovered from the application of the Executive Compensation Clawback Policy to a prior restatement.
OFF-BALANCE SHEET ARRANGEMENTS
The Registrant does not have any commitments or obligations, including contingent obligations, arising from arrangements with unconsolidated entities or persons (which are not otherwise discussed in the Registrant's Management’s Discussion and Analysis for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, filed as Exhibit 99.2 to this annual report on Form 40-F), that have or are reasonably likely to have a material current or future effect on its financial condition, changes in financial condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, cash requirements or capital resources.
DISCLOSURE OF CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS
The required disclosure is included under the heading “Contractual Obligations and Commitments” in the Registrant’s Management’s Discussion and Analysis for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, filed as Exhibit 99.2 to this annual report on Form 40-F.
IDENTIFICATION OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE
The Registrant’s Board of Directors has a separately designated standing Audit Committee established in accordance with Section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Exchange Act which satisfies the requirements of Exchange Act Rule 10A-3. The Registrant’s Audit Committee is comprised of Manjit Sharma (Chair), Robert Michaleski, Stephen Larke, and Judy Steele, all of whom, in the opinion of the Registrant’s Board of Directors are independent (as determined under Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act and the corporate governance standards of the NYSE) and are financially literate. Please refer to the Registrant's Annual Information Form attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this annual report on Form 40-F for details in connection with each of these members and their qualifications.
The members of the Audit Committee do not have fixed terms and are appointed from time to time by resolution of the directors.
The Audit Committee meets with the Registrant's Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and the Registrant's independent auditors to review and inquire into matters affecting financial reporting, the system of internal accounting and financial controls, as well as audit procedures and audit plans. The Audit Committee also recommends to the Board of Directors which independent registered public auditing firm should be appointed by the
Registrant, and reviews and recommends to the Board of Directors for approval the Registrant’s audited annual financial statements and accompanying management’s discussion and analysis.
The full text of the Audit Committee Terms of Reference is disclosed in the Registrant's Annual Information Form, attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1, and is incorporated by reference in this annual report on Form 40-F.
NYSE STATEMENT OF GOVERNANCE DIFFERENCES
As a Canadian corporation with securities listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (“TSX”) and the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), the Registrant is required to comply with all applicable Canadian requirements adopted by the Canadian Securities Administrators and the TSX, and applicable rules for foreign private issuers adopted by the Commission which give effect to the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (“Sarbanes-Oxley”).
The Registrant’s corporate governance practices meet or exceed all applicable Canadian and Sarbanes-Oxley requirements and also incorporate many “best practices” derived from those required to be followed by U.S. domestic companies under the NYSE listing standards. In accordance with Section 303A.11 of the NYSE Listed Company Manual, the Registrant has prepared a summary of the significant ways in which its corporate governance practices differ from those required to be followed by U.S. domestic companies under the NYSE’s corporate governance standards, which is accessible on the Registrant’s website at https://www.vermilionenergy.com/about-us/governance/.
DISCLOSURE PURSUANT TO SECTION 13(r) OF THE EXCHANGE ACT
In accordance with Section 13(r) of the Exchange Act, the Registrant is required to include certain disclosures in its periodic reports if it or any of its affiliates knowingly engaged in certain specified activities during the period covered by the report. Neither the Registrant nor its affiliates have knowingly engaged in any transaction or dealing reportable under Section 13(r) of the Exchange Act during the year ended December 31, 2023.
UNDERTAKING AND CONSENT TO SERVICE OF PROCESS
A. Undertaking
The Registrant undertakes to make available, in person or by telephone, representatives to respond to inquiries made by the Commission staff and to furnish promptly, when requested to do so by the Commission staff, information relating to: the securities registered pursuant to Form 40-F; the securities in relation to which the obligation to file an annual report on Form 40-F arises; or transactions in said securities.
B. Consent to Service of Process
The Registrant has previously filed with the Commission a Form F-X in connection with the class of securities in relation to which the obligation to file this report arises.
Any change to the name or address of the Registrant’s agent for service shall be communicated promptly to the Commission by amendment to Form F-X referencing the file number of the Registrant.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Exchange Act, the Registrant certifies that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form 40-F and has duly caused this annual report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereto duly authorized.
| VERMILION ENERGY INC (the Registrant) | ||
Date: March 6, 2024 | By: | /s/ (“Lars Glemser”) | |
Lars Glemser | |||
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | |||
EXHIBIT INDEX
The following exhibits have been filed as part of this annual report:
Exhibits |
| Description |
97 | ||
99.1 | Annual Information Form for the Year Ended December 31, 2023 | |
99.2 | Management's Discussion and Analysis from the 2023 Annual Report to Shareholders | |
99.3 | Audited Annual Financial Statements for the Year Ended December 31, 2023 | |
99.4 | ||
99.5 | ||
99.6 | ||
99.7 | ||
101 | Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL) | |
104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101) |