UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-Q
| ý | QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
| For the quarterly period ended June 30, 2020 |
or
| o | TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
| For the transition period from _______________________to____________________________ |
Commission File No. 000-53177
Ridgewood Energy W Fund, LLC
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
|
Delaware (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
26-0225130 (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
14 Philips Parkway, Montvale, NJ 07645
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)
(800) 942-5550
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: None
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 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.
Yes x No o
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). Yes x No o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
| Large accelerated filer | o | Accelerated filer | o |
|
Non-accelerated filer
|
x |
Smaller reporting company Emerging growth company |
x o |
If an emerging growth company, 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. o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes o No x
As of August 10, 2020, there were 332.2918 shares of LLC Membership Interest outstanding.
PART I – FINANCIAL INFORMATION
RIDGEWOOD ENERGY W FUND, LLC
UNAUDITED CONDENSED BALANCE SHEETS
(in thousands, except share data)
| June 30, 2020 | December 31, 2019 | |||||||
| Assets | ||||||||
| Current assets: | ||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 2,387 | $ | 2,776 | ||||
| Salvage fund | 70 | - | ||||||
| Production receivable | 217 | 1,120 | ||||||
| Due from affiliate (Note 2) | 26 | 24 | ||||||
| Other current assets | - | 68 | ||||||
| Total current assets | 2,700 | 3,988 | ||||||
| Salvage fund | 3,046 | 2,976 | ||||||
| Oil and gas properties: | ||||||||
| Proved properties | 44,370 | 44,318 | ||||||
| Less: accumulated depletion and amortization | (30,435 | ) | (28,874 | ) | ||||
| Total oil and gas properties, net | 13,935 | 15,444 | ||||||
| Total assets | $ | 19,681 | $ | 22,408 | ||||
| Liabilities and Members' Capital | ||||||||
| Current liabilities: | ||||||||
| Due to operators | $ | 151 | $ | 574 | ||||
| Accrued expenses | 40 | 48 | ||||||
| Current portion of long-term borrowings | 950 | 1,590 | ||||||
| Asset retirement obligations | 70 | - | ||||||
| Other current liabilities | - | 289 | ||||||
| Total current liabilities | 1,211 | 2,501 | ||||||
| Long-term borrowings | 1,938 | 1,695 | ||||||
| Asset retirement obligations | 2,212 | 2,258 | ||||||
| Total liabilities | 5,361 | 6,454 | ||||||
| Commitments and contingencies (Note 4) | ||||||||
| Members' capital: | ||||||||
| Manager: | ||||||||
| Distributions | (9,131 | ) | (8,988 | ) | ||||
| Retained earnings | 11,246 | 11,108 | ||||||
| Manager's total | 2,115 | 2,120 | ||||||
| Shareholders: | ||||||||
| Capital contributions (625 shares authorized; | ||||||||
| 332.2918 issued and outstanding) | 65,965 | 65,965 | ||||||
| Syndication costs | (7,823 | ) | (7,823 | ) | ||||
| Distributions | (55,077 | ) | (54,266 | ) | ||||
| Retained earnings | 9,140 | 9,958 | ||||||
| Shareholders' total | 12,205 | 13,834 | ||||||
| Total members' capital | 14,320 | 15,954 | ||||||
| Total liabilities and members' capital | $ | 19,681 | $ | 22,408 | ||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed financial statements.
| 1 |
RIDGEWOOD ENERGY W FUND, LLC
UNAUDITED CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(in thousands, except per share data)
| Three months ended June 30, | Six months ended June 30, | |||||||||||||||
| 2020 | 2019 | 2020 | 2019 | |||||||||||||
| Revenue | ||||||||||||||||
| Oil and gas revenue | $ | 461 | $ | 2,627 | $ | 2,146 | $ | 4,700 | ||||||||
| Other revenue | 94 | 110 | 169 | 217 | ||||||||||||
| Total revenue | 555 | 2,737 | 2,315 | 4,917 | ||||||||||||
| Expenses | ||||||||||||||||
| Depletion and amortization | 696 | 940 | 1,561 | 1,814 | ||||||||||||
| Operating expenses | 370 | 375 | 817 | 725 | ||||||||||||
| Management fees to affiliate (Note 2) | 168 | 225 | 393 | 450 | ||||||||||||
| General and administrative expenses | 45 | 77 | 97 | 126 | ||||||||||||
| Total expenses | 1,279 | 1,617 | 2,868 | 3,115 | ||||||||||||
| (Loss) income from operations | (724 | ) | 1,120 | (553 | ) | 1,802 | ||||||||||
| Interest expense, net | (63 | ) | (109 | ) | (127 | ) | (228 | ) | ||||||||
| Net (loss) income | $ | (787 | ) | $ | 1,011 | $ | (680 | ) | $ | 1,574 | ||||||
| Manager Interest | ||||||||||||||||
| Net (loss) income | $ | (10 | ) | $ | 300 | $ | 138 | $ | 525 | |||||||
| Shareholder Interest | ||||||||||||||||
| Net (loss) income | $ | (777 | ) | $ | 711 | $ | (818 | ) | $ | 1,049 | ||||||
| Net (loss) income per share | $ | (2,339 | ) | $ | 2,139 | $ | (2,462 | ) | $ | 3,157 | ||||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed financial statements.
| 2 |
RIDGEWOOD ENERGY W FUND, LLC
UNAUDITED CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES
IN MEMBERS’ CAPITAL
(in thousands, except share data)
| Six months ended June 30, 2020 | ||||||||||||||||
| # of Shares | Manager | Shareholders | Total | |||||||||||||
| Balances, December 31, 2019 | 332.2918 | $ | 2,120 | $ | 13,834 | $ | 15,954 | |||||||||
| Distributions | - | (143 | ) | (811 | ) | (954 | ) | |||||||||
| Net income (loss) | - | 148 | (41 | ) | 107 | |||||||||||
| Balances, March 31, 2020 | 332.2918 | $ | 2,125 | $ | 12,982 | $ | 15,107 | |||||||||
| Net loss | - | (10 | ) | (777 | ) | (787 | ) | |||||||||
| Balances, June 30, 2020 | 332.2918 | $ | 2,115 | $ | 12,205 | $ | 14,320 | |||||||||
| Six months ended June 30, 2019 | ||||||||||||||||
| # of Shares | Manager | Shareholders | Total | |||||||||||||
| Balances, December 31, 2018 | 332.2918 | $ | 1,983 | $ | 16,592 | $ | 18,575 | |||||||||
| Distributions | - | (236 | ) | (1,339 | ) | (1,575 | ) | |||||||||
| Net income | - | 225 | 338 | 563 | ||||||||||||
| Balances, March 31, 2019 | 332.2918 | $ | 1,972 | $ | 15,591 | $ | 17,563 | |||||||||
| Distributions | - | (154 | ) | (870 | ) | (1,024 | ) | |||||||||
| Net income | - | 300 | 711 | 1,011 | ||||||||||||
| Balances, June 30, 2019 | 332.2918 | $ | 2,118 | $ | 15,432 | $ | 17,550 | |||||||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed financial statements.
| 3 |
RIDGEWOOD ENERGY W FUND, LLC
UNAUDITED CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(in thousands)
| Six months ended June 30, | ||||||||
| 2020 | 2019 | |||||||
| Cash flows from operating activities | ||||||||
| Net (loss) income | $ | (680 | ) | $ | 1,574 | |||
| Adjustments to reconcile net (loss) income to net cash | ||||||||
| provided by operating activities: | ||||||||
| Depletion and amortization | 1,561 | 1,814 | ||||||
| Accretion expense | 24 | 19 | ||||||
| Amortization of debt discounts | 3 | 3 | ||||||
| Changes in assets and liabilities: | ||||||||
| Decrease (increase) in production receivable | 903 | (656 | ) | |||||
| (Increase) decrease in due from affiliate | (2 | ) | 61 | |||||
| Decrease in other current assets | 68 | 87 | ||||||
| Decrease in due to operators | (419 | ) | (190 | ) | ||||
| (Decrease) increase in accrued expenses | (8 | ) | 7 | |||||
| Decrease in other current liabilities | (289 | ) | - | |||||
| Net cash provided by operating activities | 1,161 | 2,719 | ||||||
| Cash flows from investing activities | ||||||||
| Capital expenditures for oil and gas properties | (56 | ) | (808 | ) | ||||
| Increase in salvage fund | (140 | ) | (138 | ) | ||||
| Net cash used in investing activities | (196 | ) | (946 | ) | ||||
| Cash flows from financing activities | ||||||||
| Repayments of long-term borrowings | (400 | ) | (712 | ) | ||||
| Distributions | (954 | ) | (2,599 | ) | ||||
| Net cash used in financing activities | (1,354 | ) | (3,311 | ) | ||||
| Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents | (389 | ) | (1,538 | ) | ||||
| Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period | 2,776 | 4,194 | ||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents, end of period | $ | 2,387 | $ | 2,656 | ||||
| Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information | ||||||||
| Cash paid for interest | $ | 136 | $ | 237 | ||||
| Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing activities | ||||||||
| Due to operators for accrued capital expenditures for oil and gas properties | $ | 4 | $ | 95 | ||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed financial statements.
| 4 |
RIDGEWOOD ENERGY W FUND, LLC
NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
| 1. | Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies |
Organization
The Ridgewood Energy W Fund, LLC (the “Fund”), a Delaware limited liability company, was formed on May 17, 2007 and operates pursuant to a limited liability company agreement (the “LLC Agreement”) dated as of June 15, 2007 by and among Ridgewood Energy Corporation (the “Manager”) and the shareholders of the Fund, which addresses matters such as the authority and voting rights of the Manager and shareholders, capitalization, transferability of membership interests, participation in costs and revenues, distribution of assets and dissolution and winding up. The Fund was organized to primarily acquire interests in oil and gas properties located in the United States offshore waters of Texas, Louisiana and Alabama in the Gulf of Mexico.
The Manager has direct and exclusive control over the management of the Fund’s operations. The Manager performs, or arranges for the performance of, the management, advisory and administrative services required for the Fund’s operations. Such services include, without limitation, the administration of shareholder accounts, shareholder relations, the preparation, review and dissemination of tax and other financial information and the management of the Fund’s investments in projects. In addition, the Manager provides office space, equipment and facilities and other services necessary for the Fund’s operations. The Manager also engages and manages contractual relations with unaffiliated custodians, depositories, accountants, attorneys, corporate fiduciaries, insurers, banks and others as required. See Notes 2, 3 and 4.
Basis of Presentation
These unaudited interim condensed financial statements have been prepared by the Fund’s management in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and in the opinion of management, contain all adjustments (consisting of only normal recurring adjustments) necessary to present fairly the Fund’s financial position, results of operations, changes in members’ capital and cash flows for the periods presented. Certain information and note disclosures normally included in annual financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP have been omitted in these unaudited interim condensed financial statements. The financial position, results of operations, changes in members’ capital and cash flows for the periods presented herein are not necessarily indicative of future financial results. These unaudited interim condensed financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Fund’s December 31, 2019 financial statements and notes thereto included in the Fund’s Annual Report on Form 10-K (“2019 Annual Report”) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). The year-end condensed balance sheet data was derived from audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2019, but does not include all annual disclosures required by GAAP.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expense during the reporting period. On an ongoing basis, management reviews its estimates, including those related to the fair value of financial instruments, depletion and amortization, determination of proved reserves, impairment of long-lived assets and asset retirement obligations. Actual results may differ from those estimates.
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
The Fund has provided discussion of significant accounting policies in Note 1 of “Notes to Financial Statements” – “Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” contained in Item 8. “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” within its 2019 Annual Report. There have been no significant changes to the Fund’s significant accounting policies during the three and six months ended June 30, 2020.
Fair Value Measurements
The Fund follows the accounting guidance for fair value measurement for measuring fair value of assets and liabilities in its financial statements. The Fund’s financial assets and liabilities consist of cash and cash equivalents, salvage fund, production receivable, due from affiliate, other current assets, due to operators, accrued expenses, long-term debt and other current liabilities. Except for long-term debt, the carrying amounts of these financial assets and liabilities approximate fair value due to their short-term nature.
| 5 |
The Fund’s long-term debt is valued using an income approach and classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy. The fair value of long-term debt is estimated by discounting future cash payments of principal and interest to a present value amount using a market yield for debt instruments with similar terms, maturities and credit ratings. The Fund also applies the provisions of the fair value measurement accounting guidance to its non-financial assets and liabilities, such as oil and gas properties and asset retirement obligations, on a non-recurring basis.
Asset Retirement Obligations
For oil and gas properties, there are obligations to perform removal and remediation activities when the properties are retired. Upon the determination that a property is either proved or dry, a retirement obligation is incurred. The Fund recognizes the fair value of a liability for an asset retirement obligation in the period incurred based on expected future cash outflows required to satisfy the obligation discounted at the Fund’s credit-adjusted risk-free rate. Plug and abandonment costs associated with unsuccessful projects are expensed as dry-hole costs. Annually, or more frequently if an event occurs that would dictate a change in assumptions or estimates underlying the obligations, the Fund reassesses its asset retirement obligations to determine whether any revisions to the obligations are necessary. The Fund maintains a salvage fund to provide for the funding of future asset retirement obligations.
Revenue Recognition
Oil and gas revenues are recognized at the point when control of oil and natural gas is transferred to the customers. Natural gas liquid sales are included within gas sales. The Fund’s oil and natural gas generally are sold to its customers at prevailing market prices based on an index in which the prices are published, adjusted for pricing differentials, quality of oil and pipeline allowances. Under the Fund’s oil and natural gas contracts, each unit of oil and natural gas represents a separate performance obligation; therefore, future volumes are wholly unsatisfied and the transaction price related to the remaining performance obligations is the variable index-based price attributable to each unit of oil and natural gas that is transferred to the customer. The Fund invoices customers once its performance obligations have been satisfied, at which point the payment is unconditional. Accordingly, the Fund’s oil and natural gas contracts do not give rise to contract assets or liabilities. The receivables related to the Fund’s oil and gas revenue are included within “Production receivable” on the Fund’s balance sheets.
Other revenue is generated from the Fund’s production handling, gathering and operating services agreement with an affiliated entity and other third parties. The Fund earns a fee for its services and recognizes these fees as revenue at the time its performance obligations are satisfied as the control of oil and natural gas is never transferred to the Fund, thus there are no unsatisfied performance obligations. The Fund’s project operator performs joint interest billing once the performance obligations have been satisfied, at which point the payment is unconditional. Accordingly, the Fund’s production handling, gathering and operating services agreement with an affiliated entity and other third parties does not give rise to contract assets or liabilities. The receivables related to the Fund’s proportionate share of revenue from an affiliate are included within “Due from affiliate” on the Fund’s balance sheets. The receivables related to the Fund’s proportionate share of revenue from third parties are presented as a reduction from “Due to operator” on the Fund’s balance sheets. The receivables are settled by issuance of a non-cash credit from the Beta Project operator to the Fund when the operator performs the joint interest billing of the lease operating expenses due from the Fund.
The Fund also has an estimation process for revenue and related accruals, and any identified difference between its revenue estimates and actual revenue has not been significant. During each of the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, revenue recognized from performance obligations satisfied in previous periods was not significant.
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets
The Fund reviews the carrying value of its oil and gas properties for impairment whenever events and circumstances indicate that the recorded carrying value of the oil and gas properties may not be recoverable. Impairments are determined by comparing estimated future net undiscounted cash flows to the carrying value of the oil and gas properties at the time of the review. If the carrying value exceeds the estimated future net undiscounted cash flows, the carrying value of the oil and gas properties is written down to fair value, which is determined using valuation techniques that include both market and income approaches and use Level 3 inputs. The fair value determinations require considerable judgment and are sensitive to change. Different pricing assumptions, reserve estimates or discount rates could result in a different calculated impairment.
There were no impairments during the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019. During first half of 2020, there has been a significant fluctuation in oil and natural gas commodity prices primarily due to the Coronavirus (“COVID-19”) pandemic. Fluctuations in oil and natural gas commodity prices may not only impact the fair value of the Fund’s oil and gas properties but could also reduce the quantities of reserves that are commercially recoverable and could result in impairment. The Fund is unable to predict the amount of future reserve revisions at this time, however, if oil and natural gas commodity prices are further impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is possible that impairments of oil and gas properties will occur.
| 6 |
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In August 2018, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued accounting guidance on fair value measurement, which adds, among other things, disclosure requirements for the range and weighted average of significant unobservable inputs used to develop Level 3 fair value measurements. This accounting guidance is effective for the Fund in the first quarter 2020 with early adoption permitted. The Fund adopted this accounting guidance on January 1, 2020 and the adoption did not have a material impact on the Fund’s financial statements.
In June 2016, the FASB issued accounting guidance on measurement of credit losses, which introduces, among other things, a new expected loss impairment model that applies to most financial assets measured at amortized cost and certain other instruments including trade and other receivables and other financial assets. Under the new accounting guidance, entities are required to estimate expected credit loss over the life of financial assets and record an allowance against the asset’s amortized cost basis to present the financial asset at the amount expected to be collected. The estimate of expected credit losses will require entities to incorporate considerations of historical information, current information and reasonable and supportable forecasts. The accounting guidance and the most recent update issued in February 2020 are effective for the Fund in the first quarter of 2023 with early adoption permitted. The Fund early adopted this accounting guidance and related updates prospectively on January 1, 2020 and the adoption did not result in a cumulative adjustment to retained earnings on January 1, 2020.
The Fund is exposed to credit losses through the sales of oil and natural gas to customers. However, the Fund only sells to a small number of major oil and gas companies that have investment-grade credit ratings. Based on historical collection experience, current and future economic and market conditions and a review of the current status of customers' production receivables, the Fund has not recorded an expected loss allowance as there are no past due receivable balances or projected credit losses. The Fund considered the current and expected future economic and market conditions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and determined based on the composition of its customer base, there was no related credit loss impact.
| 2. | Related Parties |
Pursuant to the terms of the LLC Agreement, the Manager is entitled to receive an annual management fee, payable monthly, of 2.5% of total capital contributions, net of cumulative dry-hole well costs incurred by the Fund and fully depleted project investments, however, the Manager is permitted to waive all or a portion of the management fee at its own discretion. Therefore, all or a portion of the management fee may be temporarily waived to accommodate the Fund’s short-term commitments. Management fees during the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 were $0.2 million and $0.4 million, respectively. Management fees during the three and six months ended June 30, 2019 were $0.2 million and $0.5 million, respectively.
The Manager is also entitled to receive 15% of the cash distributions from operations made by the Fund. The Fund did not pay distributions during the three months ended June 30, 2020. Distributions paid to the Manager during the six months ended June 30, 2020 were $0.1 million. Distributions paid to the Manager during the three and six months ended June 30, 2019 were $0.2 million and $0.4 million, respectively.
The Fund utilizes Beta Sales and Transport, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Manager, to facilitate the transportation and sale of oil and natural gas produced from the Beta Project.
The Fund and other third-party working interest owners in the Beta Project are parties to a production handling, gathering and operating services agreement (“PHA”) with Ridgewood Claiborne, LLC, a wholly-owned entity of Ridgewood Energy Oil & Gas Fund II, L.P. (“Institutional Fund II”), and other third-party working interest owners in the Claiborne Project. Institutional Fund II is an entity that is managed by the Fund’s Manager. During the three and six months ended June 30, 2020, the Fund earned $24 thousand and $43 thousand, respectively, representing its proportionate share of the production handling fees earned from Institutional Fund II, which is included within “Other revenue” on the Fund’s statements of operations. During the three and six months ended June 30, 2019, the Fund earned $28 thousand and $0.1 million, respectively, representing its proportionate share of the production handling fees earned from Institutional Fund II. As of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the Fund’s receivables of $26 thousand and $24 thousand, respectively, related to the Fund’s proportionate share of revenue from Institutional Fund II are included within “Due from affiliate” on the Fund’s balance sheets. The receivables are settled by issuance of a non-cash credit from the Beta Project operator to the Fund on behalf of the Claiborne Project working interest owners when the operator performs the joint interest billing of the lease operating expenses due from the Fund. The revenue received from the PHA is utilized by the Fund to repay a portion of the long-term debt outstanding under its Credit Agreement (defined below) until the loan is repaid in full, in no event later than December 31, 2022.
| 7 |
At times, short-term payables and receivables, which do not bear interest, arise from transactions with affiliates in the ordinary course of business.
The Fund has working interest ownership in certain oil and natural gas projects, which are also owned by other entities that are likewise managed by the Manager.
| 3. | Credit Agreement – Beta Project Financing |
As of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the Fund had outstanding borrowings of $2.9 million and $3.3 million, respectively, under its credit agreement dated November 27, 2012, as amended on September 30, 2016, September 15, 2017, June 1, 2018 and August 10, 2018 (the “Credit Agreement”). As of June 30, 2020, the estimated fair value of the debt was $2.7 million.
Borrowings under the Credit Agreement bear interest at 8.75% compounded monthly. Principal and interest payments are based on the fixed percentage of the Fund’s Net Revenue, as defined in the Credit Agreement. Beginning on April 1, 2019 and each April 1st thereafter, the Fund’s fixed percentage is the greater of (i) 30% or (ii) the Fixed Reassessment Percentage, as defined in the Credit Agreement. The Fixed Reassessment Percentage is determined annually beginning April 1, 2019 and each April 1st thereafter, and is based on the Fund’s ratio of its outstanding debt as of the reassessment date relative to 80% of third-party reserve engineer’s proved plus probable future undiscounted cash flows attributable to the Beta Project through the maturity of the loan of December 31, 2022. As of April 1, 2020, the Fund’s fixed percentage was determined to be 30%. The loan may be prepaid by the Fund without premium or penalty. Pursuant to the Credit Agreement, the Fund also agreed to convey a fixed percentage of 8.16% overriding royalty interest in its working interest in the Beta Project to the lenders, which will become payable to the lenders on January 1, 2023.
As of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the unamortized debt discounts related to the loan of $16 thousand and $19 thousand, respectively, were presented as a reduction of “Long-term borrowings” on the Fund’s balance sheets. Amortization expense during each of the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019 of $2 thousand and $3 thousand, respectively, was included on the Fund’s statements of operations within “Interest expense, net”. As of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, there were no accrued interest costs outstanding. Interest costs incurred during the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 of $0.1 million were included on the Fund’s statements of operations within “Interest expense, net”. Interest costs incurred during the three and six months ended June 30, 2019 of $0.1 million and $0.2 million, respectively, were included on the Fund’s statements of operations within “Interest expense, net”.
The Credit Agreement contains customary covenants, with which the Fund was in compliance as of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019.
| 4. | Commitments and Contingencies |
Capital Commitments
As of June 30, 2020, the Fund’s estimated capital commitments related to its oil and gas properties were $4.4 million (which include asset retirement obligations for the Fund’s projects of $3.0 million), of which $0.7 million is expected to be spent during the next twelve months primarily related to the recompletion work for the Beta Project. Future results of operations and cash flows are dependent on the related production of oil and gas revenues from the Beta Project.
Based upon its current cash position, salvage fund and its current reserve estimates, the Fund expects cash flow from operations to be sufficient to cover its commitments, borrowing repayments and ongoing operations. Reserve estimates are projections based on engineering data that cannot be measured with precision, require substantial judgment, and are subject to frequent revision. However, if cash flow from operations is not sufficient to meet the Fund’s commitments, the Manager will temporarily waive all or a portion of the management fee as well as provide short-term financing to accommodate the Fund’s short-term commitments if needed.
| 8 |
Impact from COVID-19
The extent of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Fund’s financial position, results of operations and cash flows will depend on future developments, including the duration and spread of the pandemic and related advisories and restrictions and the impact of COVID-19 on oil and natural gas commodity prices, financial markets and the overall economy, all of which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted. Lower oil and gas prices may reduce the amount of oil and gas products which can be economically produced. Although the extent of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting market disruption to the Fund’s operating results and cash flows is unknown, the period of low oil and natural gas commodity prices negatively impacted cash flow generated by the Fund’s Beta Project. With the continued uncertainty, the Fund has elected to conserve capital for unforeseen expenses and to temporarily suspend distributions. If the financial markets and/or the overall economy are impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic for a prolonged period, the Fund, its operators and other working interest partners’ financial performance results may be materially adversely affected, which could significantly affect the Fund’s liquidity, development of oil and gas and expected operating results. It is likely that estimates of oil and gas products that can be economically produced will be reduced, which increases the likelihood of impairments and higher depletion rates.
Environmental and Governmental Regulations
Many aspects of the oil and gas industry are subject to federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations. The Manager and operators of the Fund’s properties are continually taking action they believe appropriate to satisfy applicable federal, state and local environmental regulations. However, due to the significant public and governmental interest in environmental matters related to those activities, the Manager cannot predict the effects of possible future legislation, rule changes, or governmental or private claims. As of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, there were no known environmental contingencies that required adjustment to, or disclosure in, the Fund’s financial statements.
Oil and gas industry legislation and administrative regulations are periodically changed for a variety of political, economic, and other reasons. Any such future laws and regulations could result in increased compliance costs or additional operating restrictions, which could have a material adverse effect on the Fund’s operating results and cash flows. It is not possible at this time to predict whether such legislation or regulation, if proposed, will be adopted as initially written, if at all, or how legislation or new regulation that may be adopted would impact the Fund’s business.
BOEM Notice to Lessees on Supplemental Bonding
On July 14, 2016, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (“BOEM”) issued a Notice to Lessees (“NTL 2016-N01”) that discontinued and materially replaced existing policies and procedures regarding financial security (i.e. supplemental bonding) for decommissioning obligations of lessees of federal oil and gas leases and owners of pipeline rights-of-way, rights-of use and easements on the Outer Continental Shelf (“Lessees”). Generally, NTL 2016-N01 (i) ended the practice of excusing Lessees from providing such additional security where co-lessees had sufficient financial strength to meet such decommissioning obligations, (ii) established new criteria for determining financial strength and additional security requirements of such Lessees, (iii) provided acceptable forms of such additional security, and (iv) replaced the waiver system with one of self-insurance. The rule became effective as of September 12, 2016; however, on January 6, 2017, the BOEM announced that it was suspending the implementation timeline for six months in certain circumstances. On May 1, 2017, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior (“Interior”) directed the BOEM to complete a review of NTL 2016-N01, to provide a report to certain Interior personnel describing the results of the review and options for revising or rescinding NTL 2016-N01, and to keep the implementation timeline extension in effect pending the completion of the review of NTL 2016-N01 by the identified Interior personnel. On June 22, 2017, the BOEM announced that the implementation timeline extension will remain in effect pending the completion of the review of NTL 2016-N01. As of June 30, 2020, the BOEM has not lifted its suspension of the implementation of NTL 2016-N01. The impact of NTL 2016-N01, if enforced without change or amendment, may require the Fund to fully secure all of its potential abandonment liabilities to the BOEM’s satisfaction using one or more of the enumerated methods for doing so. Potentially this could increase costs to the Fund if the Fund is required to obtain additional supplemental bonding, fund escrow accounts or obtain letters of credit.
| 9 |
Insurance Coverage
The Fund is subject to all risks inherent in the oil and natural gas business. Insurance coverage as is customary for entities engaged in similar operations is maintained, but losses may occur from uninsurable risks or amounts in excess of existing insurance coverage. The occurrence of an event that is not insured or not fully insured could have a material adverse impact upon earnings and financial position. Moreover, insurance is obtained as a package covering all of the entities managed by the Manager. Depending on the extent, nature and payment of claims made by the Fund or other entities managed by the Manager, yearly insurance coverage may be exhausted and become insufficient to cover a claim by the Fund in a given year.
| 10 |
ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (“Quarterly Report”) and the documents Ridgewood Energy W Fund, LLC (the “Fund”) has incorporated by reference into this Quarterly Report, other than purely historical information, including estimates, projections, statements relating to the Fund’s business plans, strategies, objectives and expected operating results, and the assumptions upon which those statements are based, are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that are based on current expectations and assumptions and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. You are therefore cautioned against relying on any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by words such as “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “plan,” “target,” “pursue,” “may,” “will,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions and references to future periods. Examples of events that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical results or those anticipated include weather conditions, such as hurricanes, changes in market and other conditions affecting the pricing, production and demand of oil and natural gas, the cost and availability of equipment, and changes in domestic and foreign governmental regulations. Examples of forward-looking statements made herein include statements regarding projects, investments, insurance, capital expenditures and liquidity. Forward-looking statements made in this document speak only as of the date on which they are made. The Fund undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
There were no changes to the Fund’s critical accounting policies and estimates from those disclosed in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019.
Overview of the Fund’s Business
The Fund was organized primarily to acquire interests in oil and natural gas properties located in the United States offshore waters of Texas, Louisiana and Alabama in the Gulf of Mexico. The Fund’s primary investment objective is to generate cash flow for distribution to its shareholders by generating returns across a portfolio of oil and natural gas projects. Distributions to shareholders are made in accordance with the Fund’s limited liability company agreement (the “LLC Agreement”).
Ridgewood Energy Corporation (the “Manager”) is the Manager, and as such, has direct and exclusive control over the management of the Fund’s operations. The Manager performs, or arranges for the performance of, the management, advisory and administrative services required for the Fund’s operations. As compensation for its services, the Manager is entitled to an annual management fee, payable monthly, equal to 2.5% of the total capital contributions made by the Fund’s shareholders, net of cumulative dry-hole well costs incurred by the Fund and fully depleted project investments. The Fund does not currently, nor is there any plan to, operate any project in which the Fund participates. The Manager enters into operating agreements with third-party operators for the management of all exploration, development and producing operations, as appropriate. The Manager also participates in distributions.
Recent Developments
In March 2020, the World Health Organization recognized the novel strain of coronavirus (“COVID-19”) as a global pandemic, which resulted in a significant drop in oil demand caused by lockdown measures and industrial slowdown around the world. In addition, in March 2020, the failure of an alliance between the Saudi Arabia-led Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (“OPEC”) and Russia to reach an agreement on oil production volumes resulted in an oil “price war”, caused oil prices to collapse. Although on April 12, 2020, OPEC and Russia agreed to reduce production by approximately 9.7 million barrels per day in May and June 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic, the initial oil price war and significant oil demand destruction as a result of world-wide government ordered lock-downs pushed oil prices to their lowest level during April 2020 as compared to the past several years. Since then, the oil market has stabilized and strengthened with oil prices gradually rising. On June 6, 2020, OPEC and Russia agreed to extend the production cut of approximately 9.7 million barrels per day through the end of July 2020.
| 11 |
Although the extent of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting market disruption to the Fund’s operating results and cash flows is unknown, the period of low oil and natural gas commodity prices negatively impacted cash flow generated by the Beta Project. With the continued uncertainty, the Fund has elected to conserve capital for unforeseen expenses and to temporarily suspend distributions. However, because the Fund owns the Beta Project with little debt and the project is a long-lived asset that is expected to produce over many years with relatively low operating costs, the Fund believes that it is positioned to weather this period of uncertainty and volatility from the COVID-19 pandemic. However, if oil and natural gas commodity prices and the overall economy are impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic for a prolonged period, the Fund, its operators and other working interest partners’ financial performance results may be adversely impacted, which could significantly affect the Fund’s liquidity and expected operating results.
Commodity Price Changes
Changes in oil and natural gas commodity prices may significantly affect liquidity and expected operating results. Declines in oil and natural gas commodity prices not only reduce revenues and profits but could also reduce the quantities of reserves that are commercially recoverable and result in non-cash charges to earnings due to impairment.
Oil and natural gas commodity prices have been subject to significant fluctuations during the past several years. During first half of 2020, oil and natural gas commodity prices experienced significant volatility primarily attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Fund anticipates price cyclicality in its planning and believes it is well positioned to withstand price volatility. The Fund will continue to closely manage and coordinate its capital spending estimates within its expected cash flows to provide for future development costs of the Beta Project, as budgeted. See “Results of Operations” under this Item 2. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” of this Quarterly Report for more information on the average oil and natural gas prices received by the Fund during the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019 and the effect of such average prices on the Fund’s results of operations. If oil and natural gas commodity prices are impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic for a prolonged period, the Fund’s results of operations and liquidity will be adversely impacted.
Market pricing for oil and natural gas is volatile and is likely to continue to be volatile in the future. This volatility is caused by numerous factors and market conditions that the Fund cannot control or influence. Therefore, it is impossible to predict the future price of oil and natural gas with any certainty. Factors affecting market pricing for oil and natural gas include:
| · | weather conditions; |
| · | economic conditions, including demand for petroleum-based products; |
| · | actions by OPEC, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries; |
| · | political instability in the Middle East and other major oil and gas producing regions; |
| · | worldwide economic, political and social conditions impacting the global supply and demand for oil and natural gas, which may be driven by various risks, including war, terrorism, political unrest, or health epidemics (such as the global COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020); |
| · | continued social distancing and other measures implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which results in a decrease in demand in oil and natural gas prices and operational decisions such as well shut-ins; |
| · | governmental regulations, both domestic and foreign; |
| · | domestic and foreign tax policy; |
| · | the pace adopted by foreign governments for the exploration, development, and production of their national reserves; |
| · | the supply and price of foreign oil and gas; |
| · | the cost of exploring for, producing and delivering oil and gas; |
| · | the discovery rate of new oil and gas reserves; |
| · | the rate of decline of existing and new oil and gas reserves; |
| · | available pipeline and other oil and gas transportation capacity; |
| · | the ability of oil and gas companies to raise capital; |
| · | the overall supply and demand for oil and gas; and |
| · | the price and availability of alternate fuel sources. |
| 12 |
Business Update
Information regarding the Fund’s current projects, all of which are located in the United States offshore waters in the Gulf of Mexico, is provided in the following table. See “Liquidity Needs” under this Item 2. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” of this Quarterly Report for information regarding the funding of the Fund’s capital commitments.
| Total Spent | Total | ||||||||||||
| Working | through | Fund | |||||||||||
| Project | Interest | June 30, 2020 | Budget | Status | |||||||||
| (in thousands) | |||||||||||||
| Producing Properties | |||||||||||||
| Beta Project | 2.89% | $ | 27,264 | $ | 29,969 | The Beta Project is expected to include the development of seven wells. Wells #1 and #2 commenced production in 2016. Wells #3 and #4 commenced production in 2017. Wells #5 and #6 commenced production in 2018. Well #7 commenced production in first quarter 2019. During May 2020, production from the Beta Project was curtailed due to the low-price environment. Production from the wells returned at its normal production levels in June 2020. The Fund expects to spend $1.4 million for additional development costs and $1.3 million for asset retirement obligations. | |||||||
| Fully Depleted Properties | |||||||||||||
| Liberty Project | 12.0% | $ | 13,387 | $ | 14,974 | The Liberty Project, a single-well project, commenced production in 2010. The well reached the end of its productive life in first quarter 2020. The Fund expects to spend $1.6 million for asset retirement obligations. | |||||||
Results of Operations
The following table summarizes the Fund’s results of operations during the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, and should be read in conjunction with the Fund’s financial statements and notes thereto included within Item 1. “Financial Statements” in Part I of this Quarterly Report.
| Three months ended June 30, | Six months ended June 30, | |||||||||||||||
| 2020 | 2019 | 2020 | 2019 | |||||||||||||
| (in thousands) | ||||||||||||||||
| Revenue | ||||||||||||||||
| Oil and gas revenue | $ | 461 | $ | 2,627 | $ | 2,146 | $ | 4,700 | ||||||||
| Other revenue | 94 | 110 | 169 | 217 | ||||||||||||
| Total revenue | 555 | 2,737 | 2,315 | 4,917 | ||||||||||||
| Expenses | ||||||||||||||||
| Depletion and amortization | 696 | 940 | 1,561 | 1,814 | ||||||||||||
| Operating expenses | 370 | 375 | 817 | 725 | ||||||||||||
| Management fees to affiliate | 168 | 225 | 393 | 450 | ||||||||||||
| General and administrative expenses | 45 | 77 | 97 | 126 | ||||||||||||
| Total expenses | 1,279 | 1,617 | 2,868 | 3,115 | ||||||||||||
| (Loss) income from operations | (724 | ) | 1,120 | (553 | ) | 1,802 | ||||||||||
| Interest expense, net | (63 | ) | (109 | ) | (127 | ) | (228 | ) | ||||||||
| Net (loss) income | $ | (787 | ) | $ | 1,011 | $ | (680 | ) | $ | 1,574 | ||||||
| 13 |
Overview. The following table provides information related to the Fund’s oil and natural gas production and oil and gas revenue during the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019. Natural gas liquid sales are included within gas sales.
| Three months ended June 30, | Six months ended June 30, | |||||||||||||||
| 2020 | 2019 | 2020 | 2019 | |||||||||||||
| Number of wells producing | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | ||||||||||||
| Total number of production days | 606 | 729 | 1,234 | 1,372 | ||||||||||||
| Oil sales (in thousands of barrels) | 19 | 39 | 53 | 73 | ||||||||||||
| Average oil price per barrel | $ | 22 | $ | 63 | $ | 38 | $ | 60 | ||||||||
| Gas sales (in thousands of mcfs) | 29 | 74 | 88 | 131 | ||||||||||||
| Average gas price per mcf | $ | 1.69 | $ | 2.49 | $ | 1.68 | $ | 2.65 | ||||||||
The production-related decreases noted in the above table were primarily attributable to the Liberty Project, which reached the end of its productive life during first quarter 2020. The decrease in gas sales volume during the six months ended June 30, 2020 was partially offset by an increase in gas sales volume from the Beta Project, which experienced steady production during first half of 2020 after periodic shut-ins during 2019. See additional discussion in “Business Update” section above.
Oil and Gas Revenue. Oil and gas revenue during the three months ended June 30, 2020 was $0.5 million, a decrease of $2.2 million from the three months ended June 30, 2019. The decrease was attributable to decreased sales volume totaling $1.3 million coupled with decreased oil and gas prices totaling $0.8 million.
Oil and gas revenue during the six months ended June 30, 2020 was $2.1 million, a decrease of $2.6 million from the six months ended June 30, 2019. The decrease was attributable to decreased sales volume totaling $1.3 million coupled with decreased oil and gas prices totaling $1.2 million.
See “Overview” above for factors that impact the oil and gas revenue volume and rate variances.
Other Revenue. Other revenue is generated from the Fund’s production handling, gathering and operating services agreement with an affiliated entity and other third parties.
Depletion and Amortization. Depletion and amortization during the three months ended June 30, 2020 was $0.7 million, a decrease of $0.2 million from the three months ended June 30, 2019. The decrease was attributable to a decrease in production volumes totaling $0.5 million, partially offset by an increase in the average depletion rate totaling $0.3 million.
Depletion and amortization during the six months ended June 30, 2020 was $1.6 million, a decrease of $0.3 million from the six months ended June 30, 2019. The decrease was attributable to a decrease in production volumes totaling $0.5 million, partially offset by an increase in the average depletion rate totaling $0.3 million.
See “Overview” above for certain factors that impact the depletion and amortization volume and rate variances. Depletion and amortization rates may also be impacted by changes in reserve estimates provided annually by the Fund’s independent petroleum engineers. Reserves estimates may also be impacted by significant declines in oil and natural gas commodity prices due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which could result in higher depletion rates.
Operating Expenses. Operating expenses represent costs specifically identifiable or allocable to the Fund’s wells, as detailed in the following table.
| Three months ended June 30, | Six months ended June 30, | |||||||||||||||
| 2020 | 2019 | 2020 | 2019 | |||||||||||||
| (in thousands) | ||||||||||||||||
| Lease operating expense | $ | 217 | $ | 240 | $ | 463 | $ | 453 | ||||||||
| Workover expense | 49 | 25 | 130 | 39 | ||||||||||||
| Transportation and processing expense | 57 | 53 | 129 | 118 | ||||||||||||
| Insurance expense | 35 | 47 | 71 | 97 | ||||||||||||
| Accretion expense and other | 12 | 10 | 24 | 18 | ||||||||||||
| $ | 370 | $ | 375 | $ | 817 | $ | 725 | |||||||||
| 14 |
Lease operating expense and transportation and processing expense relate to the Fund’s producing projects. Workover expense represents costs to restore or stimulate production of existing reserves. Insurance expense represents premiums related to the Fund’s projects, which vary depending upon the number of wells producing or drilling. Accretion expense relates to the asset retirement obligations established for the Fund’s oil and gas properties.
Production costs, which include lease operating expense, transportation and processing expense and insurance expense, were $0.3 million ($12.82 per barrel of oil equivalent or “BOE”) and $0.7 million ($9.80 per BOE) during the three and six months ended June 30, 2020, respectively, compared to $0.3 million ($6.64 per BOE) and $0.7 million ($7.06 per BOE) during the three and six months ended June 30, 2019, respectively.
Production costs were relatively consistent during the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 compared to the three and six months ended June 30, 2019. The increases in production costs per BOE during the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 compared to the three and six months ended June 30, 2019 were primarily attributable to decreased oil production from the Beta Project as a result of production curtailment during May 2020 due to the low-price environment coupled with the costs associated with the Liberty Project, which reached the end of its productive life during first quarter 2020. Production from the Beta Project returned to normal production levels in June 2020. See “Overview” above for factors that impact oil and natural gas production.
Management Fees to Affiliate. An annual management fee, totaling 2.5% of total capital contributions, net of cumulative dry-hole well costs incurred by the Fund and fully depleted project investments, is paid monthly to the Manager. All or a portion of such fee may be temporarily waived by the Manager to accommodate the Fund’s short-term commitments.
General and Administrative Expenses. General and administrative expenses represent costs specifically identifiable or allocable to the Fund, such as accounting and professional fees and insurance expenses.
Interest Expense, Net. Interest expense, net is comprised of interest expense and amortization of debt discounts related to the Fund’s long-term borrowings (see “Liquidity Needs - Credit Agreement” below for additional information), and interest income earned on cash and cash equivalents and salvage fund.
Capital Resources and Liquidity
Operating Cash Flows
Cash flows provided by operating activities during the six months ended June 30, 2020 were $1.2 million, primarily related to revenue received of $2.8 million, partially offset by operating expenses of $0.8 million, management fees of $0.4 million, the payment of $0.3 million related to the Fund’s proportionate share of a settlement for litigation between the Beta Project’s operator and a third-party, interest payments of $0.1 million and general and administrative expenses of $0.1 million.
Cash flows provided by operating activities during the six months ended June 30, 2019 were $2.7 million, primarily related to revenue received of $4.2 million, partially offset by operating expenses of $0.7 million, management fees of $0.5 million, interest payments of $0.2 million and general and administrative expenses of $0.1 million.
Investing Cash Flows
Cash flows used in investing activities during the six months ended June 30, 2020 were $0.2 million, related to investments in the salvage fund of $0.1 million and capital expenditures for oil and gas properties of $0.1 million.
Cash flows used in investing activities during the six months ended June 30, 2019 were $0.9 million, related to capital expenditures for oil and gas properties of $0.8 million and investments in salvage fund of $0.1 million.
Financing Cash Flows
Cash flows used in financing activities during the six months ended June30, 2020 were $1.4 million, related to manager and shareholder distributions of $1.0 million and the repayments of long-term borrowings of $0.4 million.
Cash flows used in financing activities during the six months ended June 30, 2019 were $3.3 million, related to manager and shareholder distributions of $2.6 million and the repayments of long-term borrowings of $0.7 million.
| 15 |
Estimated Capital Expenditures
Capital expenditures for oil and gas properties have been funded with the capital raised by the Fund in its private placement offering and through debt financing. The Fund’s capital has been fully allocated to its projects. As a result, the Fund will not invest in any new projects and will limit its investment activities, if any, to those projects in which it currently has a working interest. See “Business Update” under this Item 2. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” of this Quarterly Report for information regarding the Fund’s current projects. See “Liquidity Needs” below for additional information.
Liquidity Needs
The Fund’s primary short-term liquidity needs are to fund its operations, capital expenditures for its oil and gas properties and borrowing repayments. Such needs are funded utilizing operating income and existing cash on-hand.
As of June 30, 2020, the Fund’s estimated capital commitments related to its oil and gas properties were $4.4 million (which include asset retirement obligations for the Fund’s projects of $3.0 million), of which $0.7 million is expected to be spent during the next twelve months primarily related to the recompletion work for the Beta Project. Future results of operations and cash flows are dependent on the related production of oil and gas revenues from the Beta Project.
Based upon its current cash position, salvage fund and its current reserve estimates, the Fund expects cash flow from operations to be sufficient to cover its commitments, borrowing repayments and ongoing operations. Reserve estimates are projections based on engineering data that cannot be measured with precision, require substantial judgment, and are subject to frequent revision. However, if cash flow from operations is not sufficient to meet the Fund’s commitments, the Manager will temporarily waive all or a portion of the management fee as well as provide short-term financing to accommodate the Fund’s short-term commitments if needed.
The Manager is entitled to receive an annual management fee from the Fund regardless of the Fund’s profitability in that year. However, pursuant to the terms of the LLC Agreement, the Manager is also permitted to waive all or a portion of the management fee at its own discretion.
Distributions, if any, are funded from available cash from operations, as defined in the LLC Agreement, and the frequency and amount are within the Manager’s discretion. However, distributions may be impacted by amounts reserved to provide for the borrowing repayments for the Credit Agreement (defined below) and funding of estimated asset retirement obligations. Distributions may also be impacted by the significant decline in oil and natural gas commodity prices due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Credit Agreement
As of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the Fund had outstanding borrowings of $2.9 million and $3.3 million, respectively, under its credit agreement dated November 27, 2012, as amended on September 30, 2016, September 15, 2017, June 1, 2018 and August 10, 2018 (the “Credit Agreement”).
Borrowings under the Credit Agreement bear interest at 8.75% compounded monthly. Principal and interest payments are based on the fixed percentage of the Fund’s Net Revenue, as defined in the Credit Agreement. Beginning on April 1, 2019 and each April 1st thereafter, the Fund’s fixed percentage is the greater of (i) 30% or (ii) the Fixed Reassessment Percentage, as defined in the Credit Agreement. The Fixed Reassessment Percentage is determined annually beginning April 1, 2019 and every April 1st thereafter, and is based on the Fund’s ratio of its outstanding debt as of the reassessment date relative to 80% of third-party reserve engineer’s proved plus probable future undiscounted cash flows attributable to the Beta Project through the maturity of the loan of December 31, 2022. As of April 1, 2020, the Fund’s fixed percentage was determined to be 30%. The loan may be prepaid by the Fund without premium or penalty. The Credit Agreement also provides for a fixed percentage of 8.16% overriding royalty interest to the lenders, which will become payable to the lenders in January 2023.
The Credit Agreement contains customary negative covenants including covenants that limit the Fund’s ability to, among other things, grant liens, change the nature of its business, or merge into or consolidate with other persons. The events which constitute events of default are also customary for credit facilities of this nature and include payment defaults, breaches of representations, warranties and covenants, insolvency and change of control. Upon the occurrence of a default, in some cases following a notice and cure period, the lenders under the Credit Agreement may accelerate the maturity of the loan and require full and immediate repayment of all borrowings under the Credit Agreement. The Fund believes it is in compliance with all covenants under the Credit Agreement as of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019.
| 16 |
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
The Fund had no off-balance sheet arrangements as of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019 and does not anticipate the use of such arrangements in the future.
Contractual Obligations
The Fund enters into participation and joint operating agreements with operators. On behalf of the Fund, an operator enters into various contractual commitments pertaining to exploration, development and production activities. The Fund does not negotiate such contracts. No contractual obligations exist as of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, other than those discussed in “Estimated Capital Expenditures” and “Liquidity Needs – Credit Agreement” above.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
See Note 1 of “Notes to Unaudited Condensed Financial Statements” - “Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” contained in Item 1. “Financial Statements” within Part I of this Quarterly Report for a discussion of recent accounting pronouncements.
| ITEM 3. | QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK |
Not required.
| ITEM 4. | CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES |
In accordance with Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), the Fund’s management, including its Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, evaluated the effectiveness of the Fund’s disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act) as of the end of the period covered by this report. Based on that evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that the Fund’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of June 30, 2020.
There has been no change in the Fund’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the three months ended June 30, 2020 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Fund’s internal control over financial reporting. The Fund has not experienced any material impact to internal control over financial reporting due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Fund’s management is continually monitoring and assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Fund’s internal controls to minimize the impact on their design and operating effectiveness.
| 17 |
PART II – OTHER INFORMATION
| ITEM 1. | LEGAL PROCEEDINGS |
None.
| ITEM 1A. | RISK FACTORS |
Not required.
| ITEM 2. | UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS |
None.
| ITEM 3. | DEFAULTS UPON SENIOR SECURITIES |
None.
| ITEM 4. | MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES |
None.
| ITEM 5. | OTHER INFORMATION |
None.
| ITEM 6. | EXHIBITS |
| 18 |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
|
RIDGEWOOD ENERGY W FUND, LLC | ||||||
| Dated: | August 10, 2020 | By: | /s/ | ROBERT E. SWANSON | ||
| Name: | Robert E. Swanson | |||||
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |||||
| (Principal Executive Officer) | ||||||
| Dated: | August 10, 2020 | By: | /s/ | KATHLEEN P. MCSHERRY | ||
| Name: | Kathleen P. McSherry | |||||
| Title: | Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | |||||
| (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) |
19
EXHIBIT 31.1
CERTIFICATION
I, Robert E. Swanson, certify that:
1. I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of Ridgewood Energy W Fund, LLC;
2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;
4. The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:
(a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
(b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;
(c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
(d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and
5. The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
(a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
(b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.
| Dated: | August 10, 2020 | |||
| /s/ | ROBERT E. SWANSON | |||
| Name: | Robert E. Swanson | |||
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |||
| (Principal Executive Officer) |
EXHIBIT 31.2
CERTIFICATION
I, Kathleen P. McSherry, certify that:
1. I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of Ridgewood Energy W Fund, LLC;
2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;
4. The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:
(a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
(b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;
(c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
(d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and
5. The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
(a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
(b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.
| Dated: | August 10, 2020 | |||
| /s/ | KATHLEEN P. MCSHERRY | |||
| Name: | Kathleen P. McSherry | |||
| Title: | Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | |||
| (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) |
EXHIBIT 32
CERTIFICATIONS PURSUANT TO
18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
In connection with this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of the Ridgewood Energy W Fund, LLC (the “Fund”) for the period ended June 30, 2020, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof, (the “Report”), each of the undersigned officers of the Fund hereby certifies, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. (section) 1350, as adopted pursuant to (section) 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that to the best of their knowledge:
| (1) | The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and |
| (2) | The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Fund. |
| Dated: | August 10, 2020 | /s/ | ROBERT E. SWANSON | ||
| Name: | Robert E. Swanson | ||||
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | ||||
| (Principal Executive Officer) | |||||
| Dated: | August 10, 2020 | /s/ | KATHLEEN P. MCSHERRY | ||
| Name: | Kathleen P. McSherry | ||||
| Title: | Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | ||||
| (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) |
A signed original of this written statement or other document authenticating, acknowledging, or otherwise adopting the signature that appears in typed form within the electronic version of this written statement has been provided to the Fund and will be retained by the Fund and furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff upon request. The foregoing certification is being furnished solely pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 and is not being filed as part of this report or as a separate disclosure document.
Document and Entity Information - shares |
6 Months Ended | |
|---|---|---|
Jun. 30, 2020 |
Aug. 10, 2020 |
|
| Document And Entity Information Abstract | ||
| Document Type | 10-Q | |
| Amendment Flag | false | |
| Document Period End Date | Jun. 30, 2020 | |
| Entity Registrant Name | Ridgewood Energy W Fund LLC | |
| Entity Central Index Key | 0001409947 | |
| Current Fiscal Year End Date | --12-31 | |
| Document Fiscal Year Focus | 2020 | |
| Document Fiscal Period Focus | Q2 | |
| Entity Filer Category | Non-accelerated Filer | |
| Entity Small Business | true | |
| Entity Shell Company | false | |
| Entity Emerging Growth Company | false | |
| Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding | 332.2918 | |
| Entity File Number | 000-53177 | |
| Entity Interactive Data Current | Yes | |
| Document Quarterly Report | true | |
| Document Transition Report | false | |
| Entity Current Reporting Status | Yes | |
| Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code | DE |
UNAUDITED CONDENSED BALANCE SHEETS (Parenthetical) - shares |
Jun. 30, 2020 |
Dec. 31, 2019 |
|---|---|---|
| Statement of Financial Position [Abstract] | ||
| Shares authorized | 625 | 625 |
| Shares issued | 332.2918 | 332.2918 |
| Shares outstanding | 332.2918 | 332.2918 |
UNAUDITED CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS - USD ($) $ in Thousands |
3 Months Ended | 6 Months Ended | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Jun. 30, 2020 |
Jun. 30, 2019 |
Jun. 30, 2020 |
Jun. 30, 2019 |
|
| Revenue | ||||
| Oil and gas revenue | $ 461 | $ 2,627 | $ 2,146 | $ 4,700 |
| Other revenue | 94 | 110 | 169 | 217 |
| Total revenue | 555 | 2,737 | 2,315 | 4,917 |
| Expenses | ||||
| Depletion and amortization | 696 | 940 | 1,561 | 1,814 |
| Operating expenses | 370 | 375 | 817 | 725 |
| Management fees to affiliate | 168 | 225 | 393 | 450 |
| General and administrative expenses | 45 | 77 | 97 | 126 |
| Total expenses | 1,279 | 1,617 | 2,868 | 3,115 |
| (Loss) income from operations | (724) | 1,120 | (553) | 1,802 |
| Interest expense, net | (63) | (109) | (127) | (228) |
| Net (loss) income | (787) | 1,011 | (680) | 1,574 |
| Manager Interest | ||||
| Net (loss) income | (10) | 300 | 138 | 525 |
| Shareholder Interest | ||||
| Net (loss) income | $ (777) | $ 711 | $ (818) | $ 1,049 |
| Net (loss) income per share | $ (2,339) | $ 2,139 | $ (2,462) | $ 3,157 |
Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies |
6 Months Ended | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Jun. 30, 2020 | ||||
| Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract] | ||||
| Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies |
Organization The Ridgewood Energy W Fund, LLC (the “Fund”), a Delaware limited liability company, was formed on May 17, 2007 and operates pursuant to a limited liability company agreement (the “LLC Agreement”) dated as of June 15, 2007 by and among Ridgewood Energy Corporation (the “Manager”) and the shareholders of the Fund, which addresses matters such as the authority and voting rights of the Manager and shareholders, capitalization, transferability of membership interests, participation in costs and revenues, distribution of assets and dissolution and winding up. The Fund was organized to primarily acquire interests in oil and gas properties located in the United States offshore waters of Texas, Louisiana and Alabama in the Gulf of Mexico.
The Manager has direct and exclusive control over the management of the Fund’s operations. The Manager performs, or arranges for the performance of, the management, advisory and administrative services required for the Fund’s operations. Such services include, without limitation, the administration of shareholder accounts, shareholder relations, the preparation, review and dissemination of tax and other financial information and the management of the Fund’s investments in projects. In addition, the Manager provides office space, equipment and facilities and other services necessary for the Fund’s operations. The Manager also engages and manages contractual relations with unaffiliated custodians, depositories, accountants, attorneys, corporate fiduciaries, insurers, banks and others as required. See Notes 2, 3 and 4.
Basis of Presentation These unaudited interim condensed financial statements have been prepared by the Fund’s management in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and in the opinion of management, contain all adjustments (consisting of only normal recurring adjustments) necessary to present fairly the Fund’s financial position, results of operations, changes in members’ capital and cash flows for the periods presented. Certain information and note disclosures normally included in annual financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP have been omitted in these unaudited interim condensed financial statements. The financial position, results of operations, changes in members’ capital and cash flows for the periods presented herein are not necessarily indicative of future financial results. These unaudited interim condensed financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Fund’s December 31, 2019 financial statements and notes thereto included in the Fund’s Annual Report on Form 10-K (“2019 Annual Report”) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). The year-end condensed balance sheet data was derived from audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2019, but does not include all annual disclosures required by GAAP.
Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expense during the reporting period. On an ongoing basis, management reviews its estimates, including those related to the fair value of financial instruments, depletion and amortization, determination of proved reserves, impairment of long-lived assets and asset retirement obligations. Actual results may differ from those estimates.
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies The Fund has provided discussion of significant accounting policies in Note 1 of “Notes to Financial Statements” – “Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” contained in Item 8. “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” within its 2019 Annual Report. There have been no significant changes to the Fund’s significant accounting policies during the three and six months ended June 30, 2020.
Fair Value Measurements The Fund follows the accounting guidance for fair value measurement for measuring fair value of assets and liabilities in its financial statements. The Fund’s financial assets and liabilities consist of cash and cash equivalents, salvage fund, production receivable, due from affiliate, other current assets, due to operators, accrued expenses, long-term debt and other current liabilities. Except for long-term debt, the carrying amounts of these financial assets and liabilities approximate fair value due to their short-term nature.
The Fund’s long-term debt is valued using an income approach and classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy. The fair value of long-term debt is estimated by discounting future cash payments of principal and interest to a present value amount using a market yield for debt instruments with similar terms, maturities and credit ratings. The Fund also applies the provisions of the fair value measurement accounting guidance to its non-financial assets and liabilities, such as oil and gas properties and asset retirement obligations, on a non-recurring basis.
Asset Retirement Obligations For oil and gas properties, there are obligations to perform removal and remediation activities when the properties are retired. Upon the determination that a property is either proved or dry, a retirement obligation is incurred. The Fund recognizes the fair value of a liability for an asset retirement obligation in the period incurred based on expected future cash outflows required to satisfy the obligation discounted at the Fund’s credit-adjusted risk-free rate. Plug and abandonment costs associated with unsuccessful projects are expensed as dry-hole costs. Annually, or more frequently if an event occurs that would dictate a change in assumptions or estimates underlying the obligations, the Fund reassesses its asset retirement obligations to determine whether any revisions to the obligations are necessary. The Fund maintains a salvage fund to provide for the funding of future asset retirement obligations.
Revenue Recognition Oil and gas revenues are recognized at the point when control of oil and natural gas is transferred to the customers. Natural gas liquid sales are included within gas sales. The Fund’s oil and natural gas generally are sold to its customers at prevailing market prices based on an index in which the prices are published, adjusted for pricing differentials, quality of oil and pipeline allowances. Under the Fund’s oil and natural gas contracts, each unit of oil and natural gas represents a separate performance obligation; therefore, future volumes are wholly unsatisfied and the transaction price related to the remaining performance obligations is the variable index-based price attributable to each unit of oil and natural gas that is transferred to the customer. The Fund invoices customers once its performance obligations have been satisfied, at which point the payment is unconditional. Accordingly, the Fund’s oil and natural gas contracts do not give rise to contract assets or liabilities. The receivables related to the Fund’s oil and gas revenue are included within “Production receivable” on the Fund’s balance sheets.
Other revenue is generated from the Fund’s production handling, gathering and operating services agreement with an affiliated entity and other third parties. The Fund earns a fee for its services and recognizes these fees as revenue at the time its performance obligations are satisfied as the control of oil and natural gas is never transferred to the Fund, thus there are no unsatisfied performance obligations. The Fund’s project operator performs joint interest billing once the performance obligations have been satisfied, at which point the payment is unconditional. Accordingly, the Fund’s production handling, gathering and operating services agreement with an affiliated entity and other third parties does not give rise to contract assets or liabilities. The receivables related to the Fund’s proportionate share of revenue from an affiliate are included within “Due from affiliate” on the Fund’s balance sheets. The receivables related to the Fund’s proportionate share of revenue from third parties are presented as a reduction from “Due to operator” on the Fund’s balance sheets. The receivables are settled by issuance of a non-cash credit from the Beta Project operator to the Fund when the operator performs the joint interest billing of the lease operating expenses due from the Fund.
The Fund also has an estimation process for revenue and related accruals, and any identified difference between its revenue estimates and actual revenue has not been significant. During each of the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, revenue recognized from performance obligations satisfied in previous periods was not significant.
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets The Fund reviews the carrying value of its oil and gas properties for impairment whenever events and circumstances indicate that the recorded carrying value of the oil and gas properties may not be recoverable. Impairments are determined by comparing estimated future net undiscounted cash flows to the carrying value of the oil and gas properties at the time of the review. If the carrying value exceeds the estimated future net undiscounted cash flows, the carrying value of the oil and gas properties is written down to fair value, which is determined using valuation techniques that include both market and income approaches and use Level 3 inputs. The fair value determinations require considerable judgment and are sensitive to change. Different pricing assumptions, reserve estimates or discount rates could result in a different calculated impairment.
There were no impairments during the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019. During first half of 2020, there has been a significant fluctuation in oil and natural gas commodity prices primarily due to the Coronavirus (“COVID-19”) pandemic. Fluctuations in oil and natural gas commodity prices may not only impact the fair value of the Fund’s oil and gas properties but could also reduce the quantities of reserves that are commercially recoverable and could result in impairment. The Fund is unable to predict the amount of future reserve revisions at this time, however, if oil and natural gas commodity prices are further impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is possible that impairments of oil and gas properties will occur.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements In August 2018, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued accounting guidance on fair value measurement, which adds, among other things, disclosure requirements for the range and weighted average of significant unobservable inputs used to develop Level 3 fair value measurements. This accounting guidance is effective for the Fund in the first quarter 2020 with early adoption permitted. The Fund adopted this accounting guidance on January 1, 2020 and the adoption did not have a material impact on the Fund’s financial statements.
In June 2016, the FASB issued accounting guidance on measurement of credit losses, which introduces, among other things, a new expected loss impairment model that applies to most financial assets measured at amortized cost and certain other instruments including trade and other receivables and other financial assets. Under the new accounting guidance, entities are required to estimate expected credit loss over the life of financial assets and record an allowance against the asset’s amortized cost basis to present the financial asset at the amount expected to be collected. The estimate of expected credit losses will require entities to incorporate considerations of historical information, current information and reasonable and supportable forecasts. The accounting guidance and the most recent update issued in February 2020 are effective for the Fund in the first quarter of 2023 with early adoption permitted. The Fund early adopted this accounting guidance and related updates prospectively on January 1, 2020 and the adoption did not result in a cumulative adjustment to retained earnings on January 1, 2020.
The Fund is exposed to credit losses through the sales of oil and natural gas to customers. However, the Fund only sells to a small number of major oil and gas companies that have investment-grade credit ratings. Based on historical collection experience, current and future economic and market conditions and a review of the current status of customers' production receivables, the Fund has not recorded an expected loss allowance as there are no past due receivable balances or projected credit losses. The Fund considered the current and expected future economic and market conditions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and determined based on the composition of its customer base, there was no related credit loss impact. |
Related Parties |
6 Months Ended | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Jun. 30, 2020 | ||||
| Related Party Transactions [Abstract] | ||||
| Related Parties |
Pursuant to the terms of the LLC Agreement, the Manager is entitled to receive an annual management fee, payable monthly, of 2.5% of total capital contributions, net of cumulative dry-hole well costs incurred by the Fund and fully depleted project investments, however, the Manager is permitted to waive all or a portion of the management fee at its own discretion. Therefore, all or a portion of the management fee may be temporarily waived to accommodate the Fund’s short-term commitments. Management fees during the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 were $0.2 million and $0.4 million, respectively. Management fees during the three and six months ended June 30, 2019 were $0.2 million and $0.5 million, respectively.
The Manager is also entitled to receive 15% of the cash distributions from operations made by the Fund. The Fund did not pay distributions during the three months ended June 30, 2020. Distributions paid to the Manager during the six months ended June 30, 2020 were $0.1 million. Distributions paid to the Manager during the three and six months ended June 30, 2019 were $0.2 million and $0.4 million, respectively.
The Fund utilizes Beta Sales and Transport, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Manager, to facilitate the transportation and sale of oil and natural gas produced from the Beta Project.
The Fund and other third-party working interest owners in the Beta Project are parties to a production handling, gathering and operating services agreement (“PHA”) with Ridgewood Claiborne, LLC, a wholly-owned entity of Ridgewood Energy Oil & Gas Fund II, L.P. (“Institutional Fund II”), and other third-party working interest owners in the Claiborne Project. Institutional Fund II is an entity that is managed by the Fund’s Manager. During the three and six months ended June 30, 2020, the Fund earned $24 thousand and $43 thousand, respectively, representing its proportionate share of the production handling fees earned from Institutional Fund II, which is included within “Other revenue” on the Fund’s statements of operations. During the three and six months ended June 30, 2019, the Fund earned $28 thousand and $0.1 million, respectively, representing its proportionate share of the production handling fees earned from Institutional Fund II. As of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the Fund’s receivables of $26 thousand and $24 thousand, respectively, related to the Fund’s proportionate share of revenue from Institutional Fund II are included within “Due from affiliate” on the Fund’s balance sheets. The receivables are settled by issuance of a non-cash credit from the Beta Project operator to the Fund on behalf of the Claiborne Project working interest owners when the operator performs the joint interest billing of the lease operating expenses due from the Fund. The revenue received from the PHA is utilized by the Fund to repay a portion of the long-term debt outstanding under its Credit Agreement (defined below) until the loan is repaid in full, in no event later than December 31, 2022.
At times, short-term payables and receivables, which do not bear interest, arise from transactions with affiliates in the ordinary course of business.
The Fund has working interest ownership in certain oil and natural gas projects, which are also owned by other entities that are likewise managed by the Manager. |
Credit Agreement - Beta Project Financing |
6 Months Ended | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Jun. 30, 2020 | ||||
| Debt Disclosure [Abstract] | ||||
| Credit Agreement - Beta Project Financing |
As of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the Fund had outstanding borrowings of $2.9 million and $3.3 million, respectively, under its credit agreement dated November 27, 2012, as amended on September 30, 2016, September 15, 2017, June 1, 2018 and August 10, 2018 (the “Credit Agreement”). As of June 30, 2020, the estimated fair value of the debt was $2.7 million.
Borrowings under the Credit Agreement bear interest at 8.75% compounded monthly. Principal and interest payments are based on the fixed percentage of the Fund’s Net Revenue, as defined in the Credit Agreement. Beginning on April 1, 2019 and each April 1st thereafter, the Fund’s fixed percentage is the greater of (i) 30% or (ii) the Fixed Reassessment Percentage, as defined in the Credit Agreement. The Fixed Reassessment Percentage is determined annually beginning April 1, 2019 and each April 1st thereafter, and is based on the Fund’s ratio of its outstanding debt as of the reassessment date relative to 80% of third-party reserve engineer’s proved plus probable future undiscounted cash flows attributable to the Beta Project through the maturity of the loan of December 31, 2022. As of April 1, 2020, the Fund’s fixed percentage was determined to be 30%. The loan may be prepaid by the Fund without premium or penalty. Pursuant to the Credit Agreement, the Fund also agreed to convey a fixed percentage of 8.16% overriding royalty interest in its working interest in the Beta Project to the lenders, which will become payable to the lenders on January 1, 2023.
As of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the unamortized debt discounts related to the loan of $16 thousand and $19 thousand, respectively, were presented as a reduction of “Long-term borrowings” on the Fund’s balance sheets. Amortization expense during each of the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019 of $2 thousand and $3 thousand, respectively, was included on the Fund’s statements of operations within “Interest expense, net”. As of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, there were no accrued interest costs outstanding. Interest costs incurred during the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 of $0.1 million were included on the Fund’s statements of operations within “Interest expense, net”. Interest costs incurred during the three and six months ended June 30, 2019 of $0.1 million and $0.2 million, respectively, were included on the Fund’s statements of operations within “Interest expense, net”.
The Credit Agreement contains customary covenants, with which the Fund was in compliance as of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019. |
Commitments and Contingencies |
6 Months Ended | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Jun. 30, 2020 | ||||
| Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] | ||||
| Commitments and Contingencies |
Capital Commitments As of June 30, 2020, the Fund’s estimated capital commitments related to its oil and gas properties were $4.4 million (which include asset retirement obligations for the Fund’s projects of $3.0 million), of which $0.7 million is expected to be spent during the next twelve months primarily related to the recompletion work for the Beta Project. Future results of operations and cash flows are dependent on the related production of oil and gas revenues from the Beta Project.
Based upon its current cash position, salvage fund and its current reserve estimates, the Fund expects cash flow from operations to be sufficient to cover its commitments, borrowing repayments and ongoing operations. Reserve estimates are projections based on engineering data that cannot be measured with precision, require substantial judgment, and are subject to frequent revision. However, if cash flow from operations is not sufficient to meet the Fund’s commitments, the Manager will temporarily waive all or a portion of the management fee as well as provide short-term financing to accommodate the Fund’s short-term commitments if needed.
Impact from COVID-19 The extent of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Fund’s financial position, results of operations and cash flows will depend on future developments, including the duration and spread of the pandemic and related advisories and restrictions and the impact of COVID-19 on oil and natural gas commodity prices, financial markets and the overall economy, all of which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted. Lower oil and gas prices may reduce the amount of oil and gas products which can be economically produced. Although the extent of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting market disruption to the Fund’s operating results and cash flows is unknown, the period of low oil and natural gas commodity prices negatively impacted cash flow generated by the Fund’s Beta Project. With the continued uncertainty, the Fund has elected to conserve capital for unforeseen expenses and to temporarily suspend distributions. If the financial markets and/or the overall economy are impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic for a prolonged period, the Fund, its operators and other working interest partners’ financial performance results may be materially adversely affected, which could significantly affect the Fund’s liquidity, development of oil and gas and expected operating results. It is likely that estimates of oil and gas products that can be economically produced will be reduced, which increases the likelihood of impairments and higher depletion rates.
Environmental and Governmental Regulations Many aspects of the oil and gas industry are subject to federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations. The Manager and operators of the Fund’s properties are continually taking action they believe appropriate to satisfy applicable federal, state and local environmental regulations. However, due to the significant public and governmental interest in environmental matters related to those activities, the Manager cannot predict the effects of possible future legislation, rule changes, or governmental or private claims. As of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, there were no known environmental contingencies that required adjustment to, or disclosure in, the Fund’s financial statements.
Oil and gas industry legislation and administrative regulations are periodically changed for a variety of political, economic, and other reasons. Any such future laws and regulations could result in increased compliance costs or additional operating restrictions, which could have a material adverse effect on the Fund’s operating results and cash flows. It is not possible at this time to predict whether such legislation or regulation, if proposed, will be adopted as initially written, if at all, or how legislation or new regulation that may be adopted would impact the Fund’s business.
BOEM Notice to Lessees on Supplemental Bonding On July 14, 2016, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (“BOEM”) issued a Notice to Lessees (“NTL 2016-N01”) that discontinued and materially replaced existing policies and procedures regarding financial security (i.e. supplemental bonding) for decommissioning obligations of lessees of federal oil and gas leases and owners of pipeline rights-of-way, rights-of use and easements on the Outer Continental Shelf (“Lessees”). Generally, NTL 2016-N01 (i) ended the practice of excusing Lessees from providing such additional security where co-lessees had sufficient financial strength to meet such decommissioning obligations, (ii) established new criteria for determining financial strength and additional security requirements of such Lessees, (iii) provided acceptable forms of such additional security, and (iv) replaced the waiver system with one of self-insurance. The rule became effective as of September 12, 2016; however, on January 6, 2017, the BOEM announced that it was suspending the implementation timeline for six months in certain circumstances. On May 1, 2017, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior (“Interior”) directed the BOEM to complete a review of NTL 2016-N01, to provide a report to certain Interior personnel describing the results of the review and options for revising or rescinding NTL 2016-N01, and to keep the implementation timeline extension in effect pending the completion of the review of NTL 2016-N01 by the identified Interior personnel. On June 22, 2017, the BOEM announced that the implementation timeline extension will remain in effect pending the completion of the review of NTL 2016-N01. As of June 30, 2020, the BOEM has not lifted its suspension of the implementation of NTL 2016-N01. The impact of NTL 2016-N01, if enforced without change or amendment, may require the Fund to fully secure all of its potential abandonment liabilities to the BOEM’s satisfaction using one or more of the enumerated methods for doing so. Potentially this could increase costs to the Fund if the Fund is required to obtain additional supplemental bonding, fund escrow accounts or obtain letters of credit.
Insurance Coverage The Fund is subject to all risks inherent in the oil and natural gas business. Insurance coverage as is customary for entities engaged in similar operations is maintained, but losses may occur from uninsurable risks or amounts in excess of existing insurance coverage. The occurrence of an event that is not insured or not fully insured could have a material adverse impact upon earnings and financial position. Moreover, insurance is obtained as a package covering all of the entities managed by the Manager. Depending on the extent, nature and payment of claims made by the Fund or other entities managed by the Manager, yearly insurance coverage may be exhausted and become insufficient to cover a claim by the Fund in a given year. |
Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policy) |
6 Months Ended |
|---|---|
Jun. 30, 2020 | |
| Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract] | |
| Basis of Presentation |
Basis of Presentation These unaudited interim condensed financial statements have been prepared by the Fund’s management in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and in the opinion of management, contain all adjustments (consisting of only normal recurring adjustments) necessary to present fairly the Fund’s financial position, results of operations, changes in members’ capital and cash flows for the periods presented. Certain information and note disclosures normally included in annual financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP have been omitted in these unaudited interim condensed financial statements. The financial position, results of operations, changes in members’ capital and cash flows for the periods presented herein are not necessarily indicative of future financial results. These unaudited interim condensed financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Fund’s December 31, 2019 financial statements and notes thereto included in the Fund’s Annual Report on Form 10-K (“2019 Annual Report”) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). The year-end condensed balance sheet data was derived from audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2019, but does not include all annual disclosures required by GAAP. |
| Use of Estimates |
Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expense during the reporting period. On an ongoing basis, management reviews its estimates, including those related to the fair value of financial instruments, depletion and amortization, determination of proved reserves, impairment of long-lived assets and asset retirement obligations. Actual results may differ from those estimates. |
| Fair Value Measurements |
Fair Value Measurements The Fund follows the accounting guidance for fair value measurement for measuring fair value of assets and liabilities in its financial statements. The Fund’s financial assets and liabilities consist of cash and cash equivalents, salvage fund, production receivable, due from affiliate, other current assets, due to operators, accrued expenses, long-term debt and other current liabilities. Except for long-term debt, the carrying amounts of these financial assets and liabilities approximate fair value due to their short-term nature.
The Fund’s long-term debt is valued using an income approach and classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy. The fair value of long-term debt is estimated by discounting future cash payments of principal and interest to a present value amount using a market yield for debt instruments with similar terms, maturities and credit ratings. The Fund also applies the provisions of the fair value measurement accounting guidance to its non-financial assets and liabilities, such as oil and gas properties and asset retirement obligations, on a non-recurring basis. |
| Asset Retirement Obligations |
Asset Retirement Obligations For oil and gas properties, there are obligations to perform removal and remediation activities when the properties are retired. Upon the determination that a property is either proved or dry, a retirement obligation is incurred. The Fund recognizes the fair value of a liability for an asset retirement obligation in the period incurred based on expected future cash outflows required to satisfy the obligation discounted at the Fund’s credit-adjusted risk-free rate. Plug and abandonment costs associated with unsuccessful projects are expensed as dry-hole costs. Annually, or more frequently if an event occurs that would dictate a change in assumptions or estimates underlying the obligations, the Fund reassesses its asset retirement obligations to determine whether any revisions to the obligations are necessary. The Fund maintains a salvage fund to provide for the funding of future asset retirement obligations. |
| Revenue Recognition |
Revenue Recognition Oil and gas revenues are recognized at the point when control of oil and natural gas is transferred to the customers. Natural gas liquid sales are included within gas sales. The Fund’s oil and natural gas generally are sold to its customers at prevailing market prices based on an index in which the prices are published, adjusted for pricing differentials, quality of oil and pipeline allowances. Under the Fund’s oil and natural gas contracts, each unit of oil and natural gas represents a separate performance obligation; therefore, future volumes are wholly unsatisfied and the transaction price related to the remaining performance obligations is the variable index-based price attributable to each unit of oil and natural gas that is transferred to the customer. The Fund invoices customers once its performance obligations have been satisfied, at which point the payment is unconditional. Accordingly, the Fund’s oil and natural gas contracts do not give rise to contract assets or liabilities. The receivables related to the Fund’s oil and gas revenue are included within “Production receivable” on the Fund’s balance sheets.
Other revenue is generated from the Fund’s production handling, gathering and operating services agreement with an affiliated entity and other third parties. The Fund earns a fee for its services and recognizes these fees as revenue at the time its performance obligations are satisfied as the control of oil and natural gas is never transferred to the Fund, thus there are no unsatisfied performance obligations. The Fund’s project operator performs joint interest billing once the performance obligations have been satisfied, at which point the payment is unconditional. Accordingly, the Fund’s production handling, gathering and operating services agreement with an affiliated entity and other third parties does not give rise to contract assets or liabilities. The receivables related to the Fund’s proportionate share of revenue from an affiliate are included within “Due from affiliate” on the Fund’s balance sheets. The receivables related to the Fund’s proportionate share of revenue from third parties are presented as a reduction from “Due to operator” on the Fund’s balance sheets. The receivables are settled by issuance of a non-cash credit from the Beta Project operator to the Fund when the operator performs the joint interest billing of the lease operating expenses due from the Fund.
The Fund also has an estimation process for revenue and related accruals, and any identified difference between its revenue estimates and actual revenue has not been significant. During each of the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, revenue recognized from performance obligations satisfied in previous periods was not significant. |
| Impairment of Long-Lived Assets |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets The Fund reviews the carrying value of its oil and gas properties for impairment whenever events and circumstances indicate that the recorded carrying value of the oil and gas properties may not be recoverable. Impairments are determined by comparing estimated future net undiscounted cash flows to the carrying value of the oil and gas properties at the time of the review. If the carrying value exceeds the estimated future net undiscounted cash flows, the carrying value of the oil and gas properties is written down to fair value, which is determined using valuation techniques that include both market and income approaches and use Level 3 inputs. The fair value determinations require considerable judgment and are sensitive to change. Different pricing assumptions, reserve estimates or discount rates could result in a different calculated impairment.
There were no impairments during the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019. During first half of 2020, there has been a significant fluctuation in oil and natural gas commodity prices primarily due to the Coronavirus (“COVID-19”) pandemic. Fluctuations in oil and natural gas commodity prices may not only impact the fair value of the Fund’s oil and gas properties but could also reduce the quantities of reserves that are commercially recoverable and could result in impairment. The Fund is unable to predict the amount of future reserve revisions at this time, however, if oil and natural gas commodity prices are further impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is possible that impairments of oil and gas properties will occur. |
| Recent Accounting Pronouncements |
Recent Accounting Pronouncements In August 2018, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued accounting guidance on fair value measurement, which adds, among other things, disclosure requirements for the range and weighted average of significant unobservable inputs used to develop Level 3 fair value measurements. This accounting guidance is effective for the Fund in the first quarter 2020 with early adoption permitted. The Fund adopted this accounting guidance on January 1, 2020 and the adoption did not have a material impact on the Fund’s financial statements.
In June 2016, the FASB issued accounting guidance on measurement of credit losses, which introduces, among other things, a new expected loss impairment model that applies to most financial assets measured at amortized cost and certain other instruments including trade and other receivables and other financial assets. Under the new accounting guidance, entities are required to estimate expected credit loss over the life of financial assets and record an allowance against the asset’s amortized cost basis to present the financial asset at the amount expected to be collected. The estimate of expected credit losses will require entities to incorporate considerations of historical information, current information and reasonable and supportable forecasts. The accounting guidance and the most recent update issued in February 2020 are effective for the Fund in the first quarter of 2023 with early adoption permitted. The Fund early adopted this accounting guidance and related updates prospectively on January 1, 2020 and the adoption did not result in a cumulative adjustment to retained earnings on January 1, 2020.
The Fund is exposed to credit losses through the sales of oil and natural gas to customers. However, the Fund only sells to a small number of major oil and gas companies that have investment-grade credit ratings. Based on historical collection experience, current and future economic and market conditions and a review of the current status of customers' production receivables, the Fund has not recorded an expected loss allowance as there are no past due receivable balances or projected credit losses. The Fund considered the current and expected future economic and market conditions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and determined based on the composition of its customer base, there was no related credit loss impact. |
Related Parties (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands |
3 Months Ended | 6 Months Ended | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jun. 30, 2020 |
Mar. 31, 2020 |
Jun. 30, 2019 |
Mar. 31, 2019 |
Jun. 30, 2020 |
Jun. 30, 2019 |
Dec. 31, 2019 |
|
| Annual management fee percentage rate | 2.50% | 2.50% | |||||
| Annual management fees paid to Fund Manager | $ 168 | $ 225 | $ 393 | $ 450 | |||
| Percentage of total distributions allocated to Fund Manager | 15.00% | 15.00% | |||||
| Distributions | $ (954) | (1,024) | $ (1,575) | ||||
| Other revenue from affiliate | $ 24 | 28 | $ 43 | 100 | |||
| Due from affiliate | $ 26 | 26 | $ 24 | ||||
| Manager [Member] | |||||||
| Distributions | $ (143) | $ (154) | $ (236) | $ (100) | $ (400) | ||
Credit Agreement - Beta Project Financing (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands |
3 Months Ended | 6 Months Ended | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jun. 30, 2020 |
Jun. 30, 2019 |
Jun. 30, 2020 |
Jun. 30, 2019 |
Dec. 31, 2019 |
|
| Debt Disclosure [Abstract] | |||||
| Long-term borrowings | $ 2,900 | $ 2,900 | $ 3,300 | ||
| Fair value of debt | $ 2,700 | $ 2,700 | |||
| Interest rate | 8.75% | 8.75% | |||
| Periodic payment, fixed percentage | 30.00% | 30.00% | |||
| Overriding royalty interest | 8.16% | 8.16% | |||
| Unamortized debt discounts | $ 16 | $ 16 | 19 | ||
| Amortization of financing costs | 2 | $ 2 | 3 | $ 3 | |
| Accrued interest | |||||
| Interest expense | $ 100 | $ 100 | $ 100 | $ 200 | |
Commitments and Contingencies (Details) $ in Thousands |
6 Months Ended |
|---|---|
|
Jun. 30, 2020
USD ($)
| |
| Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] | |
| Commitments for the drilling and development of investment properties | $ 4,400 |
| Commitments for asset retirement obligations included in estimated capital commitments | 3,000 |
| Commitments for the drilling and development of investment properties expected to be incurred in the next 12 months | $ 700 |
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