10-Q

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

(Mark One)

[ √ ] QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2021

or

[ ] 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. 0-15905

BLUE DOLPHIN ENERGY COMPANY

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware	73-1268729
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
801 Travis Street, Suite 2100, Houston, Texas	77002
(Address of principal executive offices)	(Zip Code)
713-568-4725
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: None 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share

(Title of class)

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 ☒ No ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☒

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	☐	Accelerated filer	☐
Non-accelerated filer	☐	Smaller reporting company	☒
		Emerging growth company	☐

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. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).

Yes ☐ No ☒

Number of shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share outstanding as of May 17, 2021: 12,693,514

 Table of Contents

PART I.		5
ITEM 1.	FINANCIAL STATEMENTS	5
	Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited)	5
	Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited)	6
	Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited)	7
	Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements	8
ITEM 2.	MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS	37
ITEM 3.	QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK	52
ITEM 4.	CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES	52
PART II.		53
ITEM 1.	LEGAL PROCEEDINGS	53
ITEM 1A.	RISK FACTORS	53
ITEM 2.	UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS	54
ITEM 3.	DEFAULTS UPON SENIOR SECURITIES	54
ITEM 4.	MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES	54
ITEM 5.	OTHER INFORMATION	54
ITEM 6.	EXHIBITS	55
SIGNATURES		56

Blue Dolphin Energy Company September 30, 2020 │Page 2

Glossary of Terms

Glossary of Terms

Throughout this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, we have used the following terms:

Affiliate. Refers, either individually or collectively, to certain related parties including Jonathan Carroll, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Blue Dolphin, and his affiliates (including Carroll & Company Financial Holdings, L.P., Ingleside, and Lazarus Capital, LLC) and/or LEH and its affiliates (including Lazarus Midstream Partners, L.P., LMT, and LTRI). Together, Jonathan Carroll and LEH owned approximately 82% of the Common Stock as of the filing date of this report. Amended Pilot Line of Credit. Line of Credit Agreement dated May 3, 2019, between Pilot and NPS and subsequently amended on May 9, 2019, May 10, 2019, and September 3, 2019, the last amendment being Amendment No. 1; original line of credit amount was $13.0 million; currently in default. Amended and Restated Operating Agreement. Affiliate agreement dated April 1, 2020 between Blue Dolphin, LE, LRM, NPS, BDPL, BDPC, BDSC and LEH governing LEH’s operation and management of those companies’ assets. ARO. Asset retirement obligations. ASU. Accounting Standards Update. AGO. Atmospheric gas oil, which is the heaviest product boiled by a crude distillation tower operating at atmospheric pressure. This fraction ordinarily sells as distillate fuel oil, either in pure form or blended with cracked stocks. Certain ethylene plants, called heavy oil crackers, can take AGO as feedstock. bbl. Barrel; a unit of volume equal to 42 U.S. gallons. BDPC. Blue Dolphin Petroleum Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Blue Dolphin. BDPL. Blue Dolphin Pipe Line Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Blue Dolphin. BDSC. Blue Dolphin Services Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Blue Dolphin. Blue Dolphin. Blue Dolphin Energy Company, one or more of its consolidated subsidiaries, or all of them taken as a whole. bpd. Barrel per day; a measure of the bbls of daily output produced in a refinery or transported through a pipeline. Board. Board of Directors of Blue Dolphin. BOEM. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. BSEE. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement. Capacity utilization rate. A percentage measure that indicates the amount of available capacity that is being used in a refinery or transported through a pipeline. With respect to the crude distillation tower, the rate is calculated by dividing total refinery throughput or total refinery production on a bpd basis by the total capacity of the crude distillation tower (currently 15,000 bpd). CIP. Construction in progress. COVID-19. An infectious disease first identified in 2019 in Wuhan, the capital of China's Hubei province; the disease has since spread globally, resulting in the ongoing 2019–2021 coronavirus pandemic. Common Stock. Blue Dolphin common stock, par value $0.01 per share. Blue Dolphin has 20,000,000 shares of Common Stock authorized and 12,693,514 shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding. Complexity. A numerical score that denotes, for a given refinery, the extent, capability, and capital intensity of the refining processes downstream of the crude distillation tower. Refinery complexities range from the relatively simple crude distillation tower (“topping unit”), which has a complexity of 1.0, to the more complex deep conversion (“coking”) refineries, which have a complexity of 12.0. Condensate. Liquid hydrocarbons that are produced in conjunction with natural gas. Although condensate is sometimes like crude oil, it is usually lighter. Cost of goods sold. Reflects the cost of crude oil and condensate, fuel use, and chemicals. Crude distillation tower. A tall column-like vessel in which crude oil and condensate is heated and its vaporized components are distilled by means of distillation trays. This process refines crude oil and other inputs into intermediate and finished petroleum products. (Commonly referred to as a crude distillation unit or an atmospheric distillation unit.) Crude oil. A mixture of thousands of chemicals and compounds, primarily hydrocarbons. Crude oil quality is measured in terms of density (light to heavy) and sulfur content (sweet to sour). Crude oil must be broken down into its various components by distillation before these chemicals and compounds can be used as fuels or converted to more valuable products. Depropanizer unit. A distillation column that is used to isolate propane from a mixture containing butane and other heavy components. Distillates. The result of crude distillation and therefore any refined oil product. Distillate is more commonly used as an abbreviated form of middle distillate. There are mainly four (4) types of distillates: (i) very light oils or light distillates (such as naphtha), (ii) light oils or middle distillates (such as our jet fuel), (iii) medium oils, and (iv) heavy oils (such as our low-sulfur diesel and HOBM, reduced crude, and AGO). Distillation. The first step in the refining process whereby crude oil and condensate is heated at atmospheric pressure in the base of a distillation tower. As the temperature increases, the various compounds vaporize in succession at their various boiling points and then rise to prescribed levels within the tower per their densities, from lightest to heaviest. They then condense in distillation trays and are drawn off individually for further refining. Distillation is also used at other points in the refining process to remove impurities. Downtime. Scheduled and/or unscheduled periods in which the crude distillation tower is not operating. Downtime may occur for a variety of reasons, including bad weather, power failures, and preventive maintenance. EIA. Energy Information Administration. EIDL. Economic Injury Disaster Loan; provides economic relief to businesses that experienced a temporary loss of revenue due to COVID-19. EPA. Environmental Protection Agency. Eagle Ford Shale. Ahydrocarbon-producing geological formation extending across South Texas from the Mexican border into East Texas. Equipment Loan Due 2025. Installment sales contract dated October 13, 2020 between LE and Texas First to purchase a backhoe. LE previously rented the backhoe under a rent-to-own agreement that matured. Exchange Act. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. FASB. Financial Accounting Standards Board. FDIC. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Feedstocks. Crude oil and other hydrocarbons, such as condensate and/or intermediate products, that are used as basic input materials in a refining process. Feedstocks are transformed into one or more finished products. Finished petroleum products. Materials or products which have received the final increments of value through processing operations, and which are being held in inventory for delivery, sale, or use. Freeport facility. Encompasses processing units for: (i) crude oil and natural gas separation and dehydration, (ii) natural gas processing, treating, and redelivery, and (iii) vapor recovery; also includes two onshore pipelines and 162 acres of land in Freeport, Texas. GEL. GEL Tex Marketing, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and an affiliate of Genesis Energy, LLC; GEL was awarded damages and attorney fees and related expenses by an arbitrator on August 11, 2017; the parties fully resolved the dispute in August 2019. Gross profit (deficit).Calculated as total revenue less cost of goods sold; reflected as a dollar ($) amount. HOBM. Heavy oil-based mud blendstock; see also “distillates.”

Blue Dolphin Energy Company September 30, 2020 │Page 3

Glossary of Terms

HUBZone. Historically Underutilized Business Zones program established by the SBA to help small businesses in both urban and rural communities. IBLA. Interior Board of Land Appeals. INC. Incident of Noncompliance issued by BOEM and/or BSEE. Ingleside. Ingleside Crude, LLC, an affiliate of Jonathan Carroll. Intermediate petroleum products. A petroleum product that might require further processing before it is saleable to the ultimate consumer. This further processing might be done by the producer or by another processor. Thus, an intermediate petroleum product might be a final product for one company and an input for another company that will process it further. IRC Section 382. Title 26, Internal Revenue Code, Subtitle A – Income Taxes, Subchapter C – Corporate Distributions and Adjustments, Part V Carryovers, § 382. Limits NOL carryforwards and certain built-in losses following ownership change. IRS. Internal Revenue Service.   Jet fuel. A high-quality kerosene product primarily used in aviation. Kerosene-type jet fuel (including Jet A and Jet A-1) has a carbon number distribution between 8 and 16 carbon atoms per molecule; wide-cut or naphtha-type jet fuel (including Jet B) has between 5 and 15 carbon atoms per molecule.   LE. Lazarus Energy, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Blue Dolphin. LE Term Loan Due 2034. Loan Agreement dated June 22, 2015, between LE and Veritex in the original principal amount of $25.0 million; currently in default. LEH. Lazarus Energy Holdings, LLC, an affiliate of Jonathan Carroll and controlling shareholder of Blue Dolphin. LEH Operating Fee. A management fee paid to LEH under the Amended and Restated Operating Agreement; calculated as 5% of all consolidated operating costs, excluding crude costs, depreciation, amortization, and interest, of Blue Dolphin, LE, LRM, NPS, BDPL, BDPC and BDSC; previously reflected within refinery operating expenses in our consolidated statements of operations. Leasehold interest. The interest of a lessee under an oil and gas lease. Light crude. A liquid petroleum that has a low density and flows freely at room temperature. It has a low viscosity, low specific gravity, and a high American Petroleum Institute gravity due to the presence of a high proportion of light hydrocarbon fractions. LMT. Lazarus Marine Terminal I, LLC, an affiliate of LEH. LRM. Lazarus Refining & Marketing, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Blue Dolphin. LRM Term Loan Due 2034. Loan Agreement dated December 4, 2015, between LRM and Veritex in the original principal amount of $10.0 million; currently in default. LTRI. Lazarus Texas Refinery I, an affiliate of LEH. Naphtha. A refined or partly refined light distillate fraction of crude oil. Blended further or mixed with other materials it can make high-grade motor gasoline or jet fuel. It is also a generic term applied to the lightest and most volatile petroleum fractions. Natural gas. A naturally occurring hydrocarbon gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, but commonly including varying amounts of other higher alkanes, and sometimes a small percentage of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide, or helium. Nixon facility. Encompasses the Nixon refinery, petroleum storage tanks, loading and unloading facilities, and 56 acres of land in Nixon, Texas. Nixon refinery. The 15,000-bpd crude distillation tower and associated processing units in Nixon, Texas. NPS. Nixon Product Storage, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Blue Dolphin. NOL. Net operating losses. Notre Dame Debt. A loan agreement originally entered into between LE and Notre Dame Investors, Inc. in the principal amount of $8.0 million. The debt is currently held by John Kissick. Pursuant to a 2017 sixth amendment, the Notre Dame Debt was amended to increase the principal amount by $3.7 million; the additional principal was used to reduce the arbitration award payable to GEL $3.6 million. The Notre Dame Debt matured in January 2018 and is currently in default. Operating days. Represents the number of days in a period in which the crude distillation tower operated. Operating days is calculated by subtracting downtime in a period from calendar days in the same period. OPEC. Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. OSHA. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Other conversion costs. Represents the combination of direct labor costs and manufacturing overhead costs. These are the costs that are necessary to convert our raw materials into refined products. Other operating expenses. Represents costs associated with our natural gas processing, treating, and redelivery facility, as well as our pipeline assets and leasehold interests in oil and gas properties. PCAOB. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. Petroleum. A naturally occurring flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds. The name petroleum covers both the naturally occurring unprocessed crude oils and petroleum products that are made up of refined crude oil. PHMSA. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Pilot. Pilot Travel Centers LLC, a Delaware limited liability company. Preferred Stock. Blue Dolphin preferred stock, par value $0.10 per share. Blue Dolphin has 2,500,000 shares of Preferred Stock authorized and no shares of Preferred Stock issued and outstanding. Product slate. Represents type and quality of products produced. Propane. A by-product of natural gas processing and petroleum refining. Propane is one of a group of liquified petroleum gases. Others include butane, propylene, butadiene, butylene, isobutylene, and mixtures thereof. Refined products. Hydrocarbon compounds, such as jet fuel and residual fuel, that are produced by a refinery. Refinery. Within the oil and gas industry, a refinery is an industrial processing plant where crude oil, condensate, and intermediate feeds are separated and transformed into petroleum products. Refining gross profit (deficit) per bbl. Calculated as refinery operations revenue less total cost of goods sold divided by the volume, in bbls, of refined products sold during the period; reflected as a dollar ($) amount per bbl. ROU. Right-of-use. SBA. Small Business Administration. SEC. Securities and Exchange Commission. Securities Act. The Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Segment margin (deficit). For our refinery operations and tolling and terminaling business segments, represents net revenues (excluding intercompany fees and sales) attributable to the respective business segment less associated intercompany fees and sales less associated operation costs and expenses. Stabilizer unit. A distillation column intended to remove the lighter boiling compounds, such as butane or propane, from a product. Sulfur. Present at various levels of concentration in many hydrocarbon deposits, such as petroleum, coal, or natural gas. Also, produced as a by-product of removing sulfur-containing contaminants from natural gas and petroleum. Some of the most commonly used hydrocarbon deposits are categorized per their sulfur content, with lower sulfur fuels usually selling at a higher, or premium, price and higher sulfur fuels selling at a lower, or discounted, price. Texas First. Texas First Rentals, LLC.

Blue Dolphin Energy Company September 30, 2020 │Page 4

Glossary of Terms

Throughput. The volume processed through a unit or a refinery or transported through a pipeline.

TMT. Texas margins tax; a form of business tax imposed on an entity’s gross profit rather than on its net income.

Topping unit. A type of petroleum refinery that engages in only the first step of the refining process -- crude distillation. A topping unit uses atmospheric distillation to separate crude oil and condensate into constituent petroleum products. A topping unit has a refinery complexity range of 1.0 to 2.0.

Total refinery production. Refers to the volume processed as output through the crude distillation tower. Refinery production includes finished petroleum products, such as jet fuel, and intermediate petroleum products, such as naphtha, HOBM and AGO.

Turnaround. Scheduled large-scale maintenance activity wherein an entire process unit is taken offline for a week or more for comprehensive revamp and renewal.

USACOE. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

USDA. U.S. Department of Agriculture.

U.S. GAAP. Accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

Veritex. Veritex Community Bank, successor in interest to Sovereign Bank by merger.

WSJ prime rate. A measure of the U.S. prime rate as defined by the Wall Street Journal.

XBRL. eXtensible Business Reporting Language.

Yield. The percentage of refined products that is produced from crude oil and other feedstocks.

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 5

Important Information Regarding Forward Looking Statements

Important Information Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This report (including information incorporated by reference) contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Exchange Act, including, but not limited to, those under “Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” All statements other than statements of historical fact, including without limitation statements regarding expectations regarding revenue, cash flows, capital expenditures, and other financial items, our business strategy, goals and expectations concerning our market position, future operations and profitability, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may be identified by use of the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “predict,” “project,” “will,” “would” and similar terms and phrases. Although we believe our assumptions concerning future events are reasonable, several risks, uncertainties, and other factors could cause actual results and trends to differ materially from those projected, including but not limited to:

Risks Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic ● Continued adverse effects to our liquidity, business, financial condition, and results of operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which are expected to continue in 2021. ● The persistence or worsening of market conditions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, which may require us to raise additional capital to operate our business or refinance existing debt on terms that are not acceptable to us or not at all. ● Continued or further deterioration in demand for our refined products could negatively affect our operations and financial condition. ● Potential impairment in the carrying value of long-lived assets, which could negatively affect our operating results. Business and Industry ● Our going concern status. ● Inadequate liquidity to sustain operations due to defaults under our secured loan agreements, margin deterioration and volatility, and historic net losses and working capital deficits. ● Substantial debt in current liabilities, which is currently in default. ● Ability to regain compliance with the terms of our outstanding indebtedness. ● Increased costs of capital or a reduction in the availability of credit. ● Restrictive covenants in our debt instruments that may limit our ability to undertake certain types of transactions. ● Affiliate common stock ownership and transactions that could cause conflicts of interest. ● Operational hazards inherent in refining and natural gas processing operations and in transporting and storing crude oil and condensate and refined products. ● Geographic concentration of our assets and customers in West Texas. ● Competition from companies having greater financial and other resources. ● Environmental laws and regulations that could require us to make substantial capital expenditures to remain in compliance or remediate current or future contamination that could give rise to material liabilities. ● Strict laws and regulations regarding personnel and process safety. ● Changes in insurance markets impacting costs and the level and types of coverage available. ● NOL carryforwards to offset future taxable income for U.S. federal income tax purposes that are subject to limitation. ● Failure to keep pace with technological developments in our industry. ● Direct or indirect effects on our business resulting from actual or threatened terrorist or activist incidents, cyber-security breaches, or acts of war. ● Negative effects of security threats. ● Increased activism against oil and natural gas companies. ● The effects of public health threats, pandemics, and epidemics, such as the ongoing outbreak of COVID-19, and the adverse impacts thereof on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and liquidity. Refinery and Tolling and Terminaling Operations ● Volatility in commodity prices and refined product demand, which adversely affects our refining margins. ● Price volatility of crude oil, other feedstocks, and fuel and utility services. ● Availability and costs of crude oil and other feedstocks to operate the Nixon facility. ● Disruptions due to equipment interruption or failure at the Nixon facility. ● A potential pivot into other types of business, such as renewable fuels. ● Changes in our cash flow from operations and working capital requirements, shortfalls for which Affiliates may not fund. ● Key personnel loss, labor relations, and workplace safety. ● Loss of market share by and a material change in profitability of our key customers. ● Loss of business from, or the bankruptcy or insolvency of, one or more of our significant customers. ● Changes in the cost or availability of third-party vessels, pipelines, trucks, and other means of delivering and transporting crude oil and condensate, feedstocks, and refined products. ● Sourcing of a substantial amount, if not all, of our crude oil and condensate from the Eagle Ford Shale. ● Geographic concentration of our refining operations and customers within the Eagle Ford Shale. ● Severe weather or other events affecting our facilities, or those of our vendors, suppliers, or customers. ● Regulatory changes, as well as proposed measures that are reasonably likely to be enacted, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. ● Our ability to effect and integrate potential acquisitions. Pipeline and Facilities and Oil and Gas Assets ● Assessment of civil penalties by BOEM for our failure to satisfy orders to provide additional financial assurance (supplemental pipeline bonds) within the time period prescribed. ● Assessment of civil penalties by BSEE for our failure to decommission pipeline and platform assets within the time periods prescribed. Common Stock ● Fluctuations in our stock price that may result in substantial investment loss. ● Declines in our stock price due to share sales by Affiliates. ● Dilution of the equity of current stockholders and the potential decline of our stock price as a result of the issuance of new Common Stock or Preferred Stock from the large pool of authorized shares that we have available to issue. ● The potential sale of shares pursuant to Rule 144, which may adversely affect the market. ● The lack of dividend payments. ● Failure to maintain effective internal controls in accordance with Section 404(a) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

See also the risk factors described in greater detail under “Item 1A.” of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 as filed with the SEC and elsewhere in this report. All forward-looking statements included in this report are based on information available to us on the date of this report. We undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Unless the context otherwise requires, references in this report to “Blue Dolphin,” “we,” “us,” “our,” or “ours” refer to Blue Dolphin Energy Company, one or more of its consolidated subsidiaries, or all of them taken as a whole.

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 6

Financial Statements

 PART I

 ITEM 1. 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited)

	March 31,	December 31,
	2021	2020
	(in thousands except share amounts)
ASSETS
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$521	$549
Restricted cash	48	48
Accounts receivable, net	170	214
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	1,060	3,564
Deposits	110	124
Inventory	1,099	1,062
Total current assets	3,008	5,561
LONG-TERM ASSETS
Total property and equipment, net	61,856	62,497
Operating lease right-of-use assets, net	458	498
Restricted cash, noncurrent	-	514
Surety bonds	230	230
Total long-term assets	62,544	63,739
TOTAL ASSETS	$65,552	$69,300
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY (DEFICIT)
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Long-term debt less unamortized debt issue costs, current portion (in default)	$33,724	$33,692
Line of credit payable less unamortized debt issue costs (in default)	7,169	8,042
Long-term debt, related party, current portion (in default)	16,351	16,010
Interest payable (in default)	7,001	6,408
Interest payable, related party (in default)	2,974	2,814
Accounts payable	2,689	3,274
Accounts payable, related party	155	155
Current portion of lease liabilities	199	194
Asset retirement obligations, current portion	2,370	2,370
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	4,689	4,882
Total current liabilities	77,321	77,841
LONG-TERM LIABILITIES
Long-term lease liabilities, net of current	319	370
Deferred revenues	1,523	1,520
Long-term debt, net of current portion	349	355
Total long-term liabilities	2,191	2,245
TOTAL LIABILITIES	79,512	80,086
Commitments and contingencies (Note 16)
STOCKHOLDERS' DEFICIT
Common stock ($0.01 par value, 20,000,000 shares authorized; 12,693,514
shares issued and outstanding at both March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020)	127	127
Additional paid-in capital	38,457	38,457
Accumulated deficit	(52,544)	(49,370)
TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS' DEFICIT	(13,960)	(10,786)
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY (DEFICIT)	$65,552	$69,300

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 7

Financial Statements

 Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited)

	2021	2020
	(in thousands, except share and per-share amounts)
REVENUE FROM OPERATIONS
Refinery operations	$58,483	$60,897
Tolling and terminaling	930	1,103
Total revenue from operations	59,413	62,000
COST OF GOODS SOLD
Crude oil, fuel use, and chemicals	57,783	59,720
Other conversion costs	1,840	2,368
Total cost of goods sold	59,623	62,088
Gross deficit	(210)	(88)
COST OF OPERATIONS
LEH operating fee	124	147
Other operating expenses	54	59
General and administrative expenses	658	644
Depletion, depreciation and amortization	693	633
Total cost of operations	1,529	1,483
Loss from operations	(1,739)	(1,571)
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE)
Easement, interest and other income	2	20
Interest and other expense	(1,480)	(1,774)
Gain on extinguishment of debt	43	-
Total other expense	(1,435)	(1,754)
Loss before income taxes	(3,174)	(3,325)
Income tax expense	-	(15)
Net loss	$(3,174)	$(3,340)
Loss per common share:
Basic	$(0.25)	$(0.27)
Diluted	$(0.25)	$(0.27)
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding:
Basic	12,693,514	12,327,365
Diluted	12,693,514	12,327,365

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

 

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 8

Financial Statements

 Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited)

	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2021	2020
	(in thousands)
OPERATING ACTIVITIES
Net loss	$(3,174)	$(3,340)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash
used in operating activities:
Depletion, depreciation and amortization	693	633
Deferred income tax	-	15
Amortization of debt issue costs	32	220
Guaranty fees paid in kind	152	153
Related-party interest expense paid in kind	225	68
Deferred revenues and expenses	3	(122)
Gain on extinguishment of debt	(43)	-
Changes in operating assets and liabilities		-
Accounts receivable	44	(879)
Accounts receivable, related party	-	1,364
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	2,504	1,496
Deposits and other assets	14	(16)
Inventory	(37)	832
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	(40)	(683)
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	373	(259)
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures	-	(198)
Net cash used in investing activities	-	(198)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Proceeds from debt	-	(696)
Payments on debt	(879)	-
Net activity on related-party debt	(36)	1,350
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(915)	654
Net change in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash	(542)	197
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH AT BEGINNING OF PERIOD	1,111	668
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH AT END OF PERIOD	$569	$865
Supplemental Information:
Non-cash investing and financing activities:
Interest paid	$287	$361
Income taxes paid (refunded)	$-	$-

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

 

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 9

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

 Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(1)

Organization

Overview

Blue Dolphin is an independent downstream energy company operating in the Gulf Coast region of the United States. Our subsidiaries operate a light sweet-crude, 15,000-bpd crude distillation tower with approximately 1.2 million bbls of petroleum storage tank capacity in Nixon, Texas. Blue Dolphin was formed in 1986 as a Delaware corporation and is traded on the OTCQX under the ticker symbol “BDCO”.

Our assets are primarily organized in two segments: refinery operations (owned by LE) and tolling and terminaling services (owned by LRM and NPS). Subsidiaries that are reflected in corporate and other include BDPL (inactive pipeline and facilities assets), BDPC (inactive leasehold interests in oil and gas wells), and BDSC (administrative services). See “Note (4)” to our consolidated financial statements for more information about our business segments.

Unless the context otherwise requires, references in this report to “we,” “us,” “our,” or “ours,” refer to Blue Dolphin, one or more of its consolidated subsidiaries or all of them taken as a whole.

Affiliates

Affiliates controlled approximately 82% of the voting power of our Common Stock as of the filing date of this report. An Affiliate operates and manages all Blue Dolphin properties and funds working capital requirements during periods of working capital deficits, and an Affiliate is a significant customer of our refined products. Blue Dolphin and certain of its subsidiaries are currently parties to a variety of agreements with Affiliates. See “Note (3)” to our consolidated financial statements for additional disclosures related to Affiliate agreements, arrangements, and risks associated with working capital deficits.

Going Concern

Management has determined that certain factors raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. As discussed more fully below, these factors include inadequate liquidity to sustain operations due to defaults under our secured loan agreements, margin deterioration and volatility, and historic net losses and working capital deficits. Our consolidated financial statements assume we will continue as a going concern and do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty. Our ability to continue as a going concern depends on sustained positive operating margins and having working capital for, amongst other requirements, purchasing crude oil and condensate and making payments on long-term debt. Without positive operating margins and working capital, our business will be jeopardized, and we may not be able to continue. If we are unable to make required debt payments, we would likely have to consider other options, such as selling assets, raising additional debt or equity capital, cutting costs or otherwise reducing our cash requirements, or negotiating with our creditors to restructure our applicable obligations, including a potential bankruptcy filing.

Defaults Under Secured Loan Agreements. We are currently in default under certain of our secured loan agreements with third parties and related parties. As a result, the debt associated with these obligations was classified within the current portion of long-term debt on our consolidated balance sheets at March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020.

Third-Party Defaults

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Veritex Loans – Defaults under the LE Term Loan Due 2034 and LRM Term Loan Due 2034 permit Veritex to declare the amounts owed under these loan agreements immediately due and payable, exercise its rights with respect to collateral securing obligors’ obligations under these loan agreements, and/or exercise any other rights and remedies available. Any exercise by Veritex of its rights and remedies under our secured loan agreements would have a material adverse effect on our business operations, including crude oil and condensate procurement and our customer relationships; financial condition; and results of operations. Veritex exercising its rights would also adversely impact the trading price of our common stock and the value of an investment in our common stock, which could lead to holders of our common stock losing their investment in its entirety. We can provide no assurance that: (i) our assets or cash flow will be sufficient to fully repay borrowings under our secured loan agreements with Veritex, either upon maturity or if accelerated, (ii) LE and LRM will be able to refinance or restructure the payments of the debt, and/or (iii) Veritex, as first lien holder, will provide future default waivers. The borrowers continue in active dialogue with Veritex. As of the filing date of this report, payments under the Veritex loans were current, but other defaults remained outstanding.

●

Amended Pilot Line of Credit – Upon maturity of the Pilot Line of Credit in May 2020, Pilot sent NPS, as borrower, and LRM, LEH, LE and Blue Dolphin, each a guarantor and collectively guarantors, a notice demanding the immediate payment of the unpaid principal amount and all interest accrued and unpaid, and all other amounts owing or payable (the “Pilot Obligations”). Pursuant to the Amended Pilot Line of Credit, commencing on May 4, 2020, the Pilot Obligations began to accrue interest at a default rate of fourteen percent (14%) per annum. Failure of the borrower or any guarantor of paying the past due Pilot Obligations constituted an event of default. Pilot expressly retained and reserved all its rights and remedies available to it at any time, including without limitation, the right to exercise all rights and remedies available to Pilot under the Amended Pilot Line of Credit or applicable law or equity.

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 10

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Pursuant to a June 1, 2020 notice, Pilot began applying Pilot’s payment obligations to NPS under each of (a) the Terminal Services Agreement (covering Tank Nos. 67, 71, 72, 73, 77, and 78), dated as of May 2019, between NPS and Pilot, and (b) the Terminal Services Agreement (covering Tank No. 56), dated as of June 1, 2019, between NPS and Pilot, against NPS’ payment obligations to Pilot under the Amended Pilot Line of Credit. Such tank lease setoff amounts only partially satisfy NPS’ obligations under the Amended Pilot Line of Credit, and Pilot expressly retained and reserved all its rights and remedies available to it at any time, including, without limitation, the right to exercise all rights and remedies available to Pilot under the Amended Pilot Line of Credit or applicable law or equity. For the three-month periods ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, the tank lease setoff amounts totaled $0.6 million and $0, respectively. For the three-month periods ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, the amount of interest NPS incurred under the Amended Pilot Line of Credit totaled $0.3 million and $0.4 million, respectively.

On November 23, 2020, NPS and guarantors received notice from Pilot that the entry into the SBA EIDLs was a breach of the Amended Pilot Line of Credit and Pilot demanded full repayment of the Pilot Obligations, including through use of the proceeds of the SBA EIDLs. Pilot also notified the SBA that the liens securing the SBA EIDLs are junior to those securing the Pilot Obligations. While the SBA acknowledged this point and indicated a willingness to subordinate the SBA EIDLs, no further action has been taken by Pilot as of the filing date of this report.

Any exercise by Pilot of its rights and remedies under the Amended Pilot Line of Credit would have a material adverse effect on our business operations, including crude oil and condensate procurement and our customer relationships; financial condition; and results of operations. NPS and guarantors continue in active dialogue with Pilot to reach a negotiated settlement, and we believe that Pilot hopes to continue working with NPS to settle the Pilot Obligations. NPS and guarantors are also working on the possible refinance of amounts owing and payable under the Amended Pilot Line of Credit. However, progress with potential lenders has been slow due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. NPS’s ability to repay, refinance, replace or otherwise extend this credit facility is dependent on, among other things, business conditions, our financial performance, and the general condition of the financial markets. Given the current financial markets, we could be forced to undertake alternate financings, including a sale of additional common stock, negotiate for an extension of the maturity, or sell assets and delay capital expenditures in order to generate proceeds that could be used to repay such indebtedness. We can provide no assurance that we will be able to consummate any such transaction on terms that are commercially reasonable, on terms acceptable to us or at all. If new debt or other liabilities are added to the Company’s current consolidated debt levels, the related risks that it now faces could intensify. In the event we are unsuccessful in such endeavors, NPS may be unable to pay the amounts outstanding under the Amended Pilot Line of Credit, which may require us to seek protection under bankruptcy laws. In such a case, the trading price of our common stock and the value of an investment in our common stock could significantly decrease, which could lead to holders of our common stock losing their investment in our common stock in its entirety.

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Notre Dame Debt – Pursuant to a 2015 subordination agreement, the holder of the Notre Dame Debt agreed to subordinate their right to payments, as well as any security interest and liens on the Nixon facility’s business assets, in favor of Veritex as holder of the LE Term Loan Due 2034. To date, no payments have been made under the subordinated Notre Dame Debt and the holder of the Notre Dame Debt has taken no action as a result of the non-payment.

Our financial health could be materially and adversely affected by defaults in our secured loan agreements, margin deterioration and volatility, historic net losses and working capital deficits, as well as termination of the crude supply agreement or terminal services agreement with Pilot, which could impact our ability to acquire crude oil and condensate. In addition, sustained periods of low crude oil prices due to market volatility associated with the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant financial constraints on producers, which in turn has resulted in long term crude oil supply constraints and increased transportation costs. A failure to acquire crude oil and condensate when needed will have a material effect on our business results and operations. During the three-month period ended March 31, 2021, our refinery experienced 1 day of downtime as a result of lack of crude due to cash constraints.

Related-Party Defaults

Affiliates controlled approximately 82% of the voting power of our Common Stock as of the filing date of this report, an Affiliate operates and manages all Blue Dolphin properties, an Affiliate is a significant customer of our refined products, and we borrow from Affiliates during periods of working capital deficits. Replated party debt, which is currently in default, represents such working capital borrowings.

Margin Deterioration and Volatility. Our refining margins generally improve in an environment of higher crude oil and refined product prices, and where the spread between crude oil prices and refined product prices widen. In 2020, steps taken early on to address the COVID-19 pandemic globally and nationally, including government-imposed temporary business closures and voluntary shelter-at-home directives, caused oil prices to decline sharply. In addition, actions by members of the OPEC and other producer countries with respect to oil production and pricing significantly impacted supply and demand in global oil and gas markets. As COVID-19 vaccinations increase, global economic activity rises, and the OPEC and partner countries limit crude oil production, there is cautious optimism that the economy will improve in the short-term. However, oil and refined product prices and demand are expected to remain volatile for the foreseeable future, despite signs of recovery during the first quarter of 2021. We cannot predict when prices and demand will stabilize, and we are currently unable to estimate the impact these events will have on our future financial position and results of operations. Accordingly, we expect that these events will continue to have a material adverse effect on our financial position and results of operations throughout 2021.

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 11

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Historic Net Losses and Working Capital Deficits

Net Losses. Net loss for the three months ended March 31, 2021 was $3.2 million, or a loss of $0.25 per share, compared to a net loss of $3.3 million, or a loss of $0.27 per share, for the three months ended March 31, 2020. Net losses in both periods were the result of unfavorable refining margins per bbl. The net loss during the three months ended March 31, 2021 was also due to 10 days of refinery downtime associated with Winter Storm Uri.

Working Capital Deficits. We had a working capital deficit of $74.3 million and $72.3 million at March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. Excluding the current portion of long-term debt, we had a working capital deficit of $24.2 million and $22.6 million at March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. Cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash (current portion), and restricted cash, noncurrent were as follow:

	March 31,	December 31,
	2021	2020
	(in thousands)
Cash and cash equivalents	$521	$549
Restricted cash (current portion)	48	48
Restricted cash, noncurrent	-	514
Total	$569	$1,111

Operating Risks

Successful execution of our business strategy depends on several key factors, including, having adequate working capital to meet operational needs and regulatory requirements, maintaining safe and reliable operations at the Nixon facility, meeting contractual obligations, and having favorable margins on refined products. We are currently unable to estimate the impact the COVID-19 pandemic will have on our future financial position and results of operations. Under earlier state and federal mandates that regulated business closures, our business was deemed as an essential business and, as such, remained open. As U.S. federal, state, and local officials roll out COVID-19 vaccines, we expect to continue operating. Any governmental mandates, while necessary to address the virus, will result in further business and operational disruptions, including demand destruction, liquidity strains, supply chain challenges, travel restrictions, controls on in-person gathering, and workforce availability.

Management believes that it has taken all prudent steps to mitigate risk, avoid business disruptions, manage cash flow, and remain competitive in a low oil price environment. We are managing cash flow by optimizing receivables and payables by prioritizing payments, managing inventory to avoid buildup, monitoring discretionary spending, and delaying capital expenditures. At the Nixon facility, we adjust throughput and production based on prevailing market conditions. With regard to personnel, we have adopted remote working where possible. Where on-site operations are required, personnel are required to wear masks and practice social distancing. We also implemented other site-specific precautionary measures to reduce the risk of exposure and have restricted non-essential business travel. Personnel, customers, and partners are also encouraged to collaborate virtually.

There can be no assurance that our business strategy will be successful, that Affiliates will continue to fund our working capital needs when we experience working capital deficits, that we will meet regulatory requirements to provide additional financial assurance (supplemental pipeline bonds) and decommission offshore pipelines and platform assets, that we will be able to obtain additional financing on commercially reasonable terms or at all, or that margins on our refined products will be favorable. Further, if Veritex and/or Pilot exercise their rights and remedies under our secured loan agreements, our business, financial condition, and results of operations will be materially adversely affected.

(2)

Principles of Consolidation and Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements, which include Blue Dolphin and its subsidiaries, have been prepared in accordance with GAAP for interim consolidated financial information pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC under Article 10 of Regulation S-X and the instructions to Form 10-Q. Accordingly, certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in our audited financial statements have been condensed or omitted pursuant to the SEC’s rules and regulations. Significant intercompany transactions have been eliminated in the consolidation. In management’s opinion, all adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included, disclosures are adequate, and the presented information is not misleading.

The consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2020 was derived from the audited financial statements at that date. The accompanying consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 as filed with the SEC. Operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2021 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2021, or for any other period.

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 12

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Significant Accounting Policies

The summary of significant accounting policies of Blue Dolphin is presented to assist in understanding our consolidated financial statements. Our consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes are representations of management, who is responsible for their integrity and objectivity. These accounting policies conform to GAAP and have been consistently applied in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements.

Use of Estimates. The preparation of our financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and the related disclosures. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and related governmental responses, volatility in commodity prices, and severe weather resulting from climate change have impacted and likely will continue to impact our business. We assessed certain accounting matters that generally require consideration of forecasted financial information in context with the information reasonably available to us and the unknown future impacts of COVID-19 as of March 31, 2021 and through the filing date of this report. The accounting matters assessed included, but were not limited to, our allowance for doubtful accounts, inventory and related reserves, and the carrying value of long-lived assets.

Cash and Cash Equivalents. Cash and cash equivalents represent liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less. Cash balances are maintained in depository and overnight investment accounts with financial institutions that, at times, may exceed insured deposit limits. We monitor the financial condition of the financial institutions and have experienced no losses associated with these accounts.

Restricted Cash. Restricted cash, current portion primarily represents a payment reserve account held by Veritex as security for payments under a loan agreement. Restricted cash, noncurrent represents funds held in the Veritex disbursement account for payment of construction related expenses to complete building new petroleum storage tanks.

Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts. Accounts receivable are presented net of any necessary allowance(s) for doubtful accounts. Receivables are recorded at the invoiced amount and generally do not bear interest. An allowance for doubtful accounts is established, when necessary, based on prior experience and other factors which, in management's judgment, deserve consideration in estimating bad debts.  Management assesses collectability of the customer’s account based on current aging status, collection history, and financial condition.  Based on a review of these factors, management establishes or adjusts the allowance for specific customers and the entire accounts receivable portfolio.  We had an allowance for doubtful accounts of $0.1 million at both March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020.

Inventory. Inventory primarily consists of refined products, crude oil and condensate, and chemicals. Inventory is valued at lower of cost or net realizable value with cost determined by the average cost method, and net realizable value determined based on estimated selling prices less associated delivery costs. If the net realizable value of our refined products inventory declines to an amount less than our average cost, we record a write-down of inventory and an associated adjustment to cost of goods sold. See “Note (7)” to our consolidated financial statements for additional disclosures related to inventory.

Property and Equipment.

Refinery and Facilities. During 2020, we safely completed a 5-year capital improvement expansion project of the Nixon facility that included construction of new storage tanks, smaller efficiency improvements, and the acquisition of refurbished refinery equipment for later deployment. We typically make ongoing improvements to the Nixon facility based on operational needs, technological advances, and safety and regulatory requirements. Additions to refinery and facilities assets are capitalized, and expenditures for repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred. We record refinery and facilities at cost less any adjustments for depreciation or impairment. Adjustment of the asset and the related accumulated depreciation accounts are made for the refinery and facilities asset’s retirement and disposal, with the resulting gain or loss included in the consolidated statements of operations. For financial reporting purposes, depreciation of refinery and facilities assets is computed using the straight-line method using an estimated useful life of 25 years beginning when the refinery and facilities assets are placed in service. We did not record any impairment of our refinery and facilities assets for the periods presented.

Pipelines and Facilities. Our pipelines and facilities are recorded at cost less any adjustments for depreciation or impairment. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over estimated useful lives ranging from 10 to 22 years. In accordance with FASB ASC guidance, we performed periodic impairment testing of our pipeline and facilities assets in 2016. Upon completion of testing, our pipeline assets were fully impaired at December 31, 2016. All pipeline transportation services to third parties have ceased, existing third-party wells along our pipeline corridor have been permanently abandoned, and no new third-party wells are being drilled near our pipelines. Although we planned to decommission the offshore pipelines and platform assets during 2020, decommissioning of these assets has been delayed due to cash constraints associated with the ongoing impact of COVID-19 and winter being the offseason for dive operations in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. We cannot currently estimate when decommissioning may occur.

Oil and Gas Properties. Our oil and gas properties are accounted for using the full-cost method of accounting, whereby all costs associated with acquisition, exploration and development of oil and gas properties, including directly related internal costs, are capitalized on a cost center basis.  Amortization of such costs and estimated future development costs are determined using the unit-of-production method. All leases associated with our oil and gas properties have expired, and our oil and gas properties were fully impaired in 2011.

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 13

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

CIP. CIP expenditures, including capitalized interest, relate to construction and refurbishment activities and equipment for the Nixon facility. These expenditures are capitalized as incurred. Depreciation begins once the asset is placed in service. See “Note (8)” to our consolidated financial statements for additional disclosures related to our refinery and facilities assets, oil and gas properties, pipelines and facilities assets, and CIP.

Leases. We evaluate if a contract is or contains a lease at inception of the contract. If we determine that a contract is or contains a lease, we recognize ROU asset and lease liability at the commencement date of the lease based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. The present value of the lease payments is determined by using the implicit rate when readily determinable. If not determinable, we use the incremental borrowing rate to discount lease payments to present value. Lease terms include options to extend or terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain that we will exercise those options.

We recognize ROU assets and lease liabilities for leasing arrangements with terms greater than one year. We account for lease and non-lease components in a contract as a single lease component for all classes of underlying assets. We allocate the consideration in these contracts based on pricing information contained in the lease.

Expense for an operating lease is recognized as a single lease cost on a straight-line basis over the lease term and is reflected in the appropriate income statement line item based on the leased asset’s function. Amortization expense of a finance lease ROU asset is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lesser of the useful life of the leased asset or the lease term. However, if the lease transfers ownership of the finance lease ROU asset to us at the end of the lease term, the finance lease ROU asset is amortized over the useful life of the leased asset. Amortization expense is reflected in ‘depreciation and amortization expense.’ Interest expense is incurred based on the carrying value of the lease liability and is reflected in ‘interest and other expense.

Revenue Recognition.

Refinery Operations Revenue. Revenue from the sale of refined products is recognized when the product is sold to the customer in fulfillment of performance obligations. Each load of refined product is separately identifiable and represents a distinct performance obligation to which the transaction price is allocated. Performance obligations are met when control is transferred to the customer. Control is transferred to the customer when the product has been lifted or, in cases where the product is not lifted immediately (bill and hold arrangements), when the product is added to the customer’s bulk inventory as stored at the Nixon facility.

We consider a variety of facts and circumstances in assessing the point of control transfer, including but not limited to: whether the purchaser can direct the use of the refined product, the transfer of significant risks and rewards, our rights to payment, and transfer of legal title. In each case, the term between the sale and when payment is due is not significant. Transportation, shipping, and handling costs incurred are included in cost of goods sold. Excise and other taxes that are collected from customers and remitted to governmental authorities are not included in revenue.

Tolling and Terminaling Revenue. Tolling and terminaling revenue represents fees pursuant to: (i) tank storage agreements, whereby a customer agrees to pay a certain fee per tank based on tank size over a period of time for the storage of products and (ii) tolling agreements, whereby a customer agrees to pay a certain fee per gallon or barrel for throughput volumes moving through the naphtha stabilizer unit and a fixed monthly reservation fee for use of the naphtha stabilizer unit.

We typically satisfy performance obligations for tolling and terminaling operations with the passage of time. We determine the transaction price at agreement inception based on the guaranteed minimum amount of revenue over the term of the agreement. We allocate the transaction price to the single performance obligation that exists under the agreement, and we recognize revenue in the amount for which we have a right to invoice. Generally, payment terms do not exceed 30 days.

Revenue from tank storage customers may, from time to time, include fees for ancillary services, such as in-tank and tank-to-tank blending. These services are considered optional to the customer, and the price we charge for such services is not included in the fixed cost under the customer’s tank storage agreement. Ancillary services are considered a separate performance obligation by us under the tank storage agreement. The performance obligation is satisfied when the requested service has been performed in the applicable period.

Deferred Revenue. We record deferred revenue when cash payments are received or due in advance of our performance. An increase in the deferred revenue balance reflects cash payments received or due in advance of satisfying our performance obligations, offset by recognized revenue that was included in the deferred revenue balance at the beginning of the period. Deferred revenue represents a liability as of the balance sheet date related to a revenue producing activity for which revenue has not yet been recognized. We record deferred revenue when we receive consideration under a contract before achieving certain criteria that must be met for revenue to be recognized in conformity with GAAP.

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 14

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Income Taxes. Deferred income taxes are determined based on the differences between the financial reporting and tax basis of assets and liabilities, as well as operating losses and tax credit carryforwards using currently enacted tax rates and laws in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. We record a valuation allowance against deferred income tax assets if it is more likely than not that those assets will not be realized. The provision for income taxes comprises our current tax liability and change in deferred income tax assets and liabilities.

Significant judgment is required in evaluating uncertain tax positions and determining its provision for income taxes. As of each reporting date, we consider new evidence, both positive and negative, to determine the realizability of deferred tax assets. We consider whether it is more likely than not that a portion or all the deferred tax assets will be realized, which is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income prior to the expiration of any NOL carryforwards. When we determine that it is more likely than not that a tax benefit will not be realized, a valuation allowance is recorded to reduce deferred tax assets. A significant piece of objective negative evidence evaluated was cumulative losses incurred over the three-year period ended March 31, 2021. Such objective evidence limits the ability to consider other subjective evidence, such as projections for future growth. Based on this evaluation, we recorded a valuation allowance against the deferred tax assets for which realization was not deemed more likely than not as of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020. In addition, we have NOL carryforwards that remain available for future use.

The benefit of an uncertain tax position is recognized in the financial statements if it meets a minimum recognition threshold. A determination is first made as to whether it is more likely than not that the income tax position will be sustained, based upon technical merits, upon examination by the taxing authorities. If the income tax position is expected to meet the more-likely-than-not criteria, the benefit recorded in the financial statements equals the largest amount that is greater than 50% likely to be realized upon its ultimate settlement. At March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, there were no uncertain tax positions for which a reserve or liability was necessary. See “Note (14)” to our consolidated financial statements for more information related to income taxes.

Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets. We periodically evaluate our long-lived assets for impairment. Additionally, we evaluate our long-lived assets when events or circumstances indicate that the carrying value of these assets may not be recoverable. The carrying value is not recoverable if it exceeds the sum of the undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use and eventual disposition of the asset or group of assets. If the carrying value exceeds the sum of the undiscounted cash flows, an impairment loss equal to the amount by which the carrying value exceeds the fair value of the asset or group of assets is recognized. Significant management judgment is required in the forecasting of future operating results that are used in the preparation of projected cash flows and, should different conditions prevail or judgments be made, material impairment charges could be necessary.

The market volatility of commodity prices as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic could affect the value of certain of our long-lived assets. Management evaluated our refinery and facilities assets for impairment as of March 31, 2021. No impairment was deemed necessary based upon this testing, and we did not record any impairment of our refinery and facilities assets for the periods presented.

Asset Retirement Obligations. We record a liability for the discounted fair value of an ARO in the period incurred, and we also capitalize the corresponding cost by increasing the carrying amount of the related long-lived asset. The liability is accreted towards its future value each period, and the capitalized cost is depreciated over the useful life of the related asset. If the liability is settled for an amount other than the recorded amount, a gain or loss is recognized.

We have concluded that there is no legal or contractual obligation to dismantle or remove the refinery and facilities assets. Further, we believe that these assets have indeterminate lives because dates or ranges of dates upon which we would retire these assets cannot reasonably be estimated at this time. When a legal or contractual obligation to dismantle or remove the refinery and facilities assets arises and a date or range of dates can reasonably be estimated for the retirement of these assets, we will estimate the cost of performing the retirement activities and record a liability for the fair value of that cost using present value techniques.

We recorded an ARO liability related to future asset retirement costs associated with dismantling, relocating, or disposing of our offshore platform, pipeline systems, and related onshore facilities, as well as for plugging and abandoning wells and restoring land and sea-beds. Cost estimates for each of our assets were developed based upon regulatory requirements, structural makeup, water depth, reservoir characteristics, reservoir depth, equipment demand, current retirement procedures, and construction and engineering consultations. Estimating future costs are difficult and require management to make judgments that are subject to future revisions based upon numerous factors, including changing technology, political, and regulatory environments. We review our assumptions and estimates of future abandonment costs on an annual basis. See “Note (12)” to our consolidated financial statements for additional information related to AROs.

Computation of Earnings Per Share. We present basic and diluted EPS. Basic EPS excludes dilution and is computed by dividing net income available to common stockholders by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding for the period. Diluted EPS is computed by dividing net income available to common stockholders by the diluted weighted average number of common shares outstanding, which includes the potential dilution that could occur if securities or other contracts to issue shares of common stock were converted to common stock that then shared in the earnings of the entity. The number of shares related to restricted stock included in diluted EPS is based on the “Treasury Stock Method.” We do not currently have issued options, warrants, or similar instruments. Convertible shares, if granted, are not included in the computation of earnings per share if anti-dilutive. See “Note (15)” to our consolidated financial statements for additional information related to EPS.

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 15

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

New Pronouncements Adopted. The FASB issues ASUs to communicate changes to the FASB ASC, including changes to non-authoritative SEC content. Recently adopted ASUs include:

Codification Improvements. In October 2020, FASB issued ASU 2020-10,Codification Improvements. The amendments in this guidance affected a wide variety of topics in the ASC by either clarifying the codification or correcting unintended application of guidance. The changes did not have a significant effect on accounting practice or create a significant administrative cost burden to most entities. For all reporting entities, the amendments in ASU 2020-10 were effective for fiscal years ending after December 15, 2020. Adoption of this guidance did not have a significant impact on our consolidated financial statements.

New Pronouncements Issued, Not Yet Effective.

Other new pronouncements issued but not yet effective are not expected to have a material impact on our financial position, results of operations, or liquidity.

(3)

Related-Party Transactions

Affiliate Operational Agreements Summary

Blue Dolphin and certain of its subsidiaries are party to several operational agreements with Affiliates. Management believes that these related-party transactions were consummated on terms equivalent to those that prevail in arm's-length transactions. Related-party agreements related to Blue Dolphin’s operations consist of the following:

Agreement/Transaction	Parties	Effective Date	Key Terms
Jet Fuel Sales Agreement	LEH - LE	04/01/2021	1-year term expiring earliest to occur of 03/31/2022 plus 30-day carryover or delivery of maximum jet fuel quantity; LEH bids on jet fuel contracts under preferential pricing terms due to a HUBZone certification
Office Sub-Lease Agreement	LEH - BDSC	01/01/2018	68-month term expiring 08/31/2023; office lease Houston, Texas; includes 6-month rent abatement period; rent approximately $0.02 million per month
Amended and Restated Operating Agreement	LEH – Blue Dolphin, LE, LRM, NPS, BDPL, BDPC and BDSC	04/01/2020	3-year term; expires 04/01/2023 or notice by either party at any time of material breach or 90 days Board notice; LEH receives management fee of 5% of all consolidated operating costs, excluding crude costs, depreciation, amortization and interest, of Blue Dolphin, LE, LRM, NPS, BDPL, BDPC and BDSC

Working Capital

We have historically depended on Affiliates for financing when revenue from operations and borrowings under bank facilities are insufficient to meet our liquidity and working capital needs. Such borrowings are reflected in our consolidated balance sheets in accounts payable, related party, and/or long-term debt, related party.

Related-Party Long-Term Debt

Loan Description	Parties	Maturity Date	Interest Rate	Loan Purpose
March Carroll Note (in default)	Jonathan Carroll – Blue Dolphin	Jan 2019	8.00%	Blue Dolphin working capital; reflects amounts owed to Jonathan Carroll under the guaranty fee agreements
March Ingleside Note (in default)	Ingleside – Blue Dolphin	Jan 2019	8.00%	Blue Dolphin working capital
June LEH Note (in default)	LEH – Blue Dolphin	Jan 2019	8.00%	Blue Dolphin working capital; reflects amounts owed to LEH under the Amended and Restated Operating Agreement
BDPL-LEH Loan Agreement (in default)(1)	LEH - BDPL	Aug 2018	16.00%	Blue Dolphin working capital
Amended and Restated Guaranty Fee Agreement(2)	Jonathan Carroll - LE	--	2.00%	Tied to payoff of LE $25 million Veritex loan
Amended and Restated Guaranty Fee Agreement(2)	Jonathan Carroll - LRM	--	2.00%	Tied to payoff of LRM $10 million Veritex loan

(1)

The original principal amount of the BDPL-LEH Loan Agreement was $4.0 million.

(2)

As a condition for our secured loan agreements with Veritex, Jonathan Carroll was required to personally guarantee repayment of borrowed funds and accrued interest. Under the guaranty fee agreements, Mr. Carroll is entitled to receive guaranty fees. The fees are payable 50% in cash and 50% in Common Stock. The Common Stock portion is paid quarterly. For the foreseeable future, management does not intend to pay Mr. Carroll the cash portion due to Blue Dolphin’s working capital deficits. The cash portion will continue to accrue and be added to the outstanding principal balance owed to Mr. Carroll under the March Carroll Note.

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 16

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Guarantees, Security and Defaults

Loan Description	Guarantees	Security	Event(s) of Default
March Carroll Note (in default)	---	---	Failure of borrower to pay past due obligations; loan matured January 2019
March Ingleside Note (in default)	---	---	Failure of borrower to pay past due obligations; loan matured January 2019
June LEH Note (in default)	---	---	Failure of borrower to pay past due obligations; loan matured January 2019
BDPL-LEH Loan Agreement	---	Secured by certain BDPL property	Failure of borrower to pay past due obligations; loan matured August 2018

Covenants

The BDPL-LEH Loan Agreement contains representations and warranties, affirmative and negative covenants, and events of default that we consider usual and customary for a credit facility of this type. There are no covenants associated with the March Carroll Note, March Ingleside Note, or June LEH Note.

Related-Party Financial Impact

Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Accounts payable, related party. Accounts payable, related party to LTRI related to the purchase of refinery equipment totaled $0.2 million at both March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020.

Long-term debt, related party, current portion (in default) and accrued interest payable, related party.

	March 31,	December 31,
	2021	2020
	(in thousands)
LEH
June LEH Note (in default)	$9,588	$9,446
BDPL-LEH Loan Agreement	6,974	6,814
LEH Total	16,562	16,260
Ingleside
March Ingleside Note (in default)	1,031	1,013
Jonathan Carroll
March Carroll Note (in default)	1,732	1,551
	19,325	18,824
Less: Long-term debt, related party, current portion, in default	(16,351)	(16,010)
Less: Accrued interest payable, related party (in default)	(2,974)	(2,814)
	$-	$-

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 17

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Total revenue from operations.

	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2021		2020
	(in thousands, except percents)
Refinery operations
LEH	$16,080	27.1%	$17,715	28.6%
Third-Parties	42,403	71.3%	43,182	69.6%
Tolling and terminaling
Third-Parties	930	1.6%	1,103	1.8%
	$59,413	100.0%	$62,000	100.0%

Interest expense.

	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2021	2020
	(in thousands)
Jonathan Carroll
Guaranty Fee Agreements
First Term Loan Due 2034	$108	$108
Second Term Loan Due 2034	45	45
March Carroll Note (in default)	29	23
LEH
BDPL-LEH Loan Agreement (in default)	160	160
June LEH Note (in default)	182	25
Ingleside
March Ingleside Note (in default)	14	20
	$538	$381

Other. Lease payments received under the office sub-lease agreement with LEH totaled approximately $0.01 million for both three-month periods ended March 31, 2021 and 2020. The LEH operating fee was also relatively flat, totaling approximately $0.1 million for both three-month periods ended March 31, 2021 and 2020.

(4)

Revenue and Segment Information

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 18

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

We have two reportable business segments: (i) refinery operations and (ii) tolling and terminaling. Refinery operations relate to the refining and marketing of petroleum products at our 15,000-bpd crude distillation tower. Tolling and terminaling operations relate to tolling and storage terminaling services under third-party lease agreements. Both operations are conducted at the Nixon facility. Corporate and other includes BDSC, BDPL and BDPC.

Revenue from Contracts with Customers

Disaggregation of Revenue. Revenue is presented in the table below under “Segment Information” disaggregated by business segment because this is the level of disaggregation that management has determined to be beneficial to users of our financial statements.

Receivables from Contracts with Customers. Our receivables from contracts with customers are presented as receivables, net on our consolidated balance sheets.

Contract Liabilities. Our contract liabilities from contracts with customers consist of unearned revenue and are included in accrued expenses and presented in “Note (9)” to our consolidated financial statements.

Remaining Performance Obligations. Most of our contracts with customers are spot contracts and therefore have no remaining performance obligations.

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 19

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Segment Information. Business segment information for the periods indicated (and as of the dates indicated) was as follows:

	Three Months Ended
	March 31,
	2021	2020
	(in thousands)
Net revenue (excluding intercompany fees and sales)
Refinery operations	$58,483	$60,897
Tolling and terminaling	930	1,103
Total net revenue	59,413	62,000
Intercompany fees and sales
Refinery operations	(566)	(617)
Tolling and terminaling	566	617
Total intercompany fees	-	-
Operation costs and expenses(1)
Refinery operations	(59,289)	(61,833)
Tolling and terminaling	(334)	(255)
Corporate and other	(54)	(59)
Total operation costs and expenses	(59,677)	(62,147)
Segment contribution margin (deficit)
Refinery operations	(1,372)	(1,553)
Tolling and terminaling	1,162	1,465
Corporate and other	(54)	(59)
Total segment contribution margin (deficit)	(264)	(147)
General and administrative expenses(2)
Refinery operations	(301)	(304)
Tolling and terminaling	(68)	(68)
Corporate and other	(413)	(419)
Total general and administrative expenses	(782)	(791)
Depreciation and amortization
Refinery operations	(302)	(288)
Tolling and terminaling	(340)	(294)
Corporate and other	(51)	(51)
Total depreciation and amortization	(693)	(633)
Interest and other non-operating expenses, net
Refinery operations	(598)	(741)
Tolling and terminaling	(452)	(770)
Corporate and other	(385)	(243)
Total interest and other non-operating expenses, net	(1,435)	(1,754)
Income (loss) before income taxes
Refinery operations	(2,573)	(2,886)
Tolling and terminaling	302	333
Corporate and other	(903)	(772)
Total loss before income taxes	(3,174)	(3,325)
Income tax expense	-	(15)
Net loss	$(3,174)	$(3,340)

(1)

Operation costs include cost of goods sold. Also, operation costs within: (a) tolling and terminaling includes terminal operating expenses and an allocation of other costs (e.g., insurance and maintenance) and (b) corporate and other includes expenses related to BDSC, BDPC and BDPL.

(2)

General and administrative expenses within refinery operations include the LEH operating fee.

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 20

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

	Three Months Ended
	March 31,
	2021	2020
	(in thousands)
Capital expenditures
Refinery operations	$-	$6
Tolling and terminaling	-	192
Corporate and other	-	-
Total capital expenditures	$-	$198

	March 31,	December 31,
	2021	2020
	(in thousands)
Identifiable assets
Refinery operations	$45,186	$48,521
Tolling and terminaling	18,527	18,722
Corporate and other	1,839	2,057
Total identifiable assets	$65,552	$69,300

(5)

Concentration of Risk

Bank Accounts

Financial instruments that potentially subject us to concentrations of risk consist primarily of cash, trade receivables and payables. We maintain cash balances at financial institutions in Houston, Texas. The FDIC insures certain financial products up to a maximum of $250,000 per depositor. At March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, we had cash balances (including restricted cash) that exceeded the FDIC insurance limit per depositor of approximately $0.3 million and $0.6 million, respectively.

Key Supplier

Operation of the Nixon refinery depends on our ability to purchase adequate amounts of crude oil and condensate. We have a long-term crude supply agreement in place with Pilot. The crude supply agreement, the initial term of which is volume based, expires when Pilot sells us 24.8 million net bbls of crude oil. Thereafter, the crude supply agreement automatically renews for successive one-year terms (each such term, a “Renewal Term”) unless either party provides the other with notice of nonrenewal at least 60 days prior to expiration of any Renewal Term.Total volume billed under the crude supply agreement totaled approximately 5.8 million bbls as of March 31, 2021. Effective March 1, 2020, Pilot assigned its rights, title, interest, and obligations in the crude supply agreement to Tartan Oil LLC, a Pilot affiliate. Sustained periods of low crude oil prices due to market volatility associated with the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant financial constraints on producers, which in turn has resulted in long term crude oil supply constraints and increased transportation costs. A failure to acquire crude oil and condensate when needed will have a material effect on our business results and operations. During the three-month periods ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, our refinery experienced 1 day and no days, respectively, of downtime as a result of lack of crude due to cash constraints.

Pilot also stores crude oil at the Nixon facility under two terminal services agreements. Under the terminal services agreements, Pilot stores crude oil at the Nixon facility at a specified rate per bbl of the storage tank’s shell capacity. Although the initial term of the terminal services agreement expired April 30, 2020, the agreement renewed on a one-year evergreen basis. Either party may terminate the terminal services agreement by providing the other party 60 days prior written notice. However, the terminal services agreement will automatically terminate upon expiration or termination of the crude supply agreement.

Beginning on June 1, 2020, Pilot began applying payment obligations owed to NPS under two terminal services agreements against NPS’ payment obligations to Pilot under the Amended Pilot Line of Credit. For the three-month periods ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, the tank lease setoff amounts totaled $0.6 million and $0, respectively. For the three-month periods ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, the amount of interest NPS incurred under the Amended Pilot Line of Credit totaled $0.3 million and $0.4 million, respectively. See “Note (1) Organization – Going Concern” to our consolidated financial statements for additional disclosures related to defaults in our debt obligations. On November 23, 2020, NPS and guarantors received notice from Pilot that the entry into the SBA EIDLs was a breach of the Amended Pilot Line of Credit and Pilot demanded full repayment of the Pilot Obligations, including through use of the proceeds of the SBA EIDLs. Pilot also notified the SBA that the liens securing the SBA EIDLs are junior to those securing the Pilot Obligations. While the SBA acknowledged this point and indicated a willingness to subordinate the SBA EIDLs, no further action has been taken by Pilot as of the filing date of this report.

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 21

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Our financial health could be materially and adversely affected by defaults in our secured loan agreements, margin deterioration and volatility, historic net losses and working capital deficits, as well as termination of the crude supply agreement or terminal services agreement with Pilot, which could impact our ability to acquire crude oil and condensate. In addition, sustained periods of low crude oil prices due to market volatility associated with the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant financial constraints on producers, which in turn has resulted in long term crude oil supply constraints and increased transportation costs. During the three-month period ended March 31, 2021, our refinery experienced 1 day of downtime as a result of lack of crude due to cash constraints. A failure to acquire crude oil and condensate when needed will have a material effect on our business results and operations.

Significant Customers

We routinely assess the financial strength of our customers and have not experienced significant write-downs in accounts receivable balances. We believe that our accounts receivable credit risk exposure is limited.

	Number Significant Customers	% Total Revenue from Operations	Portion of Accounts Receivable at March 31,
	(in thousands, except percents)
March 31, 2021	4	90%	$0
March 31, 2020	4	94%	$0.6 million

One of our significant customers is LEH, an Affiliate. The Affiliate purchases our jet fuel under a Jet Fuel Sales Agreement and bids on jet fuel contracts under preferential pricing terms due to a HUBZone certification. The Affiliate accounted for 27% and 29% of total revenue from operations in 2021 and 2020, respectively. The Affiliate represented $0 in accounts receivable at both March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Amounts outstanding relating to the Jet Fuel Sales Agreement can significantly vary period to period based on the timing of the related sales and payments received. Amounts we owed to LEH under various long-term debt, related-party agreements totaled $16.6 million and $16.3 million at March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. See “Notes (3) and (16)” to our consolidated financial statements for additional disclosures related to transactions with Affiliates.

Concentration of Customers. Our customer base is concentrated on refined petroleum product wholesalers. This customer concentration may impact our overall exposure to credit risk, either positively or negatively, as our customers are likely similarly affected by economic changes. This includes the uncertainties related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated volatility in the global oil markets. Historically, we have had no significant problems collecting our accounts receivable.

Refined Product Sales. We sell our products primarily in the U.S. within PADD 3. Occasionally we sell refined products to customers that export to Mexico. Total refined product sales by distillation (from light to heavy) for the periods indicated consisted of the following:

	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2021		2020
	(in thousands, except percents)
LPG mix	$6	0.0%	$-	0%
Naphtha	14,224	24.3%	11,515	18.9%
Jet fuel	16,080	27.5%	17,715	29.1%
HOBM	15,663	26.8%	15,191	24.9%
AGO	12,510	21.4%	16,476	27.1%
	$58,483	100.0%	$60,897	100.0%

An Affiliate, LEH, purchases all of our jet fuel. See “Notes (3) and (16)” to our consolidated financial statements for additional disclosures related to Affiliate transactions.

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 22

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(6)

Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets

Prepaid expenses and other current assets as of the dates indicated consisted of the following:

	March 31,	December 31,
	2021	2020
	(in thousands)
Prepaid insurance	$556	$1,182
Prepaid crude oil and condensate	383	2,249
Prepaid easement renewal fees	93	99
Other prepaids	28	34
	$1,060	$3,564

(7)

Inventory

Inventory as of the dates indicated consisted of the following:

	March 31,	December 31,
	2021	2020
	(in thousands)
Crude oil and condensate	$608	$463
Chemicals	175	271
Naphtha	164	120
AGO	121	133
Propane	25	15
LPG mix	6	6
HOBM	-	54
	$1,099	$1,062

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 23

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

 

(8)

Property, Plant and Equipment, Net

Property, plant and equipment, net, as of the dates indicated consisted of the following:

	March 31,	December 31,
	2021	2019
	(in thousands)
Refinery and facilities	$72,184	$72,184
Land	566	566
Other property and equipment	903	903
	73,653	73,653
Less: Accumulated depletion, depreciation, and amortiation	(15,861)	(15,220)
	57,792	58,433
CIP	4,064	4,064
	$61,856	$62,497

We capitalize interest cost incurred on funds used to construct property, plant, and equipment. Capitalized interest is recorded as part of the asset it relates to and is depreciated over the asset’s useful life. Capitalized interest cost, which is included in CIP, was $0 at March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020. Capital expenditures for expansion at the Nixon facility were funded by long-term debt from Veritex, revenue from operations, and working capital from Affiliates. At March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, unused amounts for capital expenditures derived from Veritex loans were reflected in restricted cash (current and non-current portions) on our consolidated balance sheets. See “Note (10)” to our consolidated financial statements for additional disclosures related to working capital deficits and borrowings for capital spending.

(9)

Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilities

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities as of the dates indicated consisted of the following:

	March 31,	December 31,
	2021	2020
	(in thousands)
Unearned revenue from contracts with customers	$3,489	$3,421
Unearned contract renewal income	400	500
Insurance	181	541
Other payable	176	252
Customer deposits	173	10
Taxes payable	137	58
Board of director fees payable	133	100
	$4,689	$4,882

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 24

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(10)

Third-Party Long-Term Debt

Loan Agreements Summary

Loan Description		Parties	Original Principal Amount (in millions)	Maturity Date	Monthly Principal and Interest Payment	Interest Rate	Loan Purpose
Veritex Loans(1)
LE Term Loan Due 2034 (in default)		LE-Veritex	$25.0	Jun 2034	$0.2 million	WSJ Prime + 2.75%	Refinance loan; capital improvements
LRM Term Loan Due 2034 (in default)		LRM-Veritex	$10.0	Dec 2034	$0.1 million	WSJ Prime + 2.75%	Refinance bridge loan; capital improvements
Notre Dame Debt (in default)(2)(3)		LE-Kissick	$11.7	Jan 2018	No payments to date; payment rights subordinated	16.00%	Working capital; reduced arbitration award payable to GEL
SBA EIDLs
LE Term Loan Due 2050(4)		LE-SBA	$0.15	Aug 2050	$0.0007 million	3.75%	Working capital
NPS Term Loan Due 2050(4)		NPS-SBA	$0.15	Aug 2050	$0.0007 million	3.75%	Working capital
Equipment Loan Due 2025(5)	LE-Texas First		$0.07	Oct 2025	$0.0013 million	4.50%	Equipment Lease Conversion

(1)

Proceeds were placed in a disbursement account whereby Veritex makes payments for construction related expenses. Amounts held in the disbursement account are reflected on our consolidated balance sheets as restricted cash (current portion) and restricted cash (noncurrent). At March 31, 2021, restricted cash (current portion) was $0.05 million and restricted cash, noncurrent was $0. At December 31, 2020, restricted cash (current portion) was $0.05 million and restricted cash, noncurrent was $0.5 million.

(2)

LE originally entered into a loan agreement with Notre Dame Investors, Inc. in the principal amount of $8.0 million. The debt is currently held by John Kissick. Pursuant to a 2017 sixth amendment, the Notre Dame Debt was amended to increase the principal amount by $3.7 million; the additional principal was used to reduce the arbitration award payable to GEL by $3.6 million.

(3)

Pursuant to a 2015 subordination agreement, the holder of the Notre Dame Debt agreed to subordinate their right to payments, as well as any security interest and liens on the Nixon facility’s business assets, in favor of Veritex as holder of the LE Term Loan Due 2034.

(4)

Payments are deferred for the first twelve (12) months of the loan; the first payment is due August 2021; interest accrues during the deferral period. SBA EIDLs are not forgivable.

(5)

In May 2019, LE entered into a 12-month equipment rental agreement with the option to purchase the backhoe at maturity. The equipment rental agreement matured in May 2020. In October 2020, LE entered into the Equipment Loan Due 2025 to finance the purchase of the backhoe. The backhoe continues to be used at the Nixon facility.

Outstanding Principal, Debt Issue Costs, and Accrued Interest

Third-party long-term debt (outstanding principal and accrued interest), as of the dates indicated was as follows:

	March 31,	December 31,
	2021	2020
	(in thousands)
Veritex Loans
LE Term Loan Due 2034 (in default)	$23,104	$22,840
LRM Term Loan Due 2034 (in default)	9,601	9,473
Notre Dame Debt (in default)	9,613	9,413
SBA EIDLs
LE Term Loan 2050	153	152
NPS Term Loan 2050	153	152
Equipment Loan Due 2025	65	71
	42,689	42,101
Less: Current portion of long-term debt, net	(33,724)	(33,692)
Less: Unamortized debt issue costs	(1,718)	(1,749)
Less: Accrued interest payable (in default)	(6,898)	(6,305)
	$349	$355

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 25

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Unamortized debt issue costs associated with the Veritex loans as of the dates indicated consisted of the following:

	March 31,	December 31,
	2021	2020
	(in thousands)
Veritex Loans
LE Term Loan Due 2034 (in default)	$1,674	$1,674
LRM Term Loan Due 2034 (in default)	768	768
Less: Accumulated amortization	(724)	(693)
	$1,718	$1,749

Amortization expense was $0.03 million for both three-month periods ended March 31, 2021 and 2020.

Accrued interest related to third-party long-term debt, reflected as accrued interest payable in our consolidated balance sheets, as of the dates indicated consisted of the following:

	March 31,	December 31,
	2021	2020
	(in thousands)
Notre Dame Debt (in default)	$4,635	$4,435
Veritex Loans
LE Term Loan Due 2034 (in default)	1,559	1,295
LRM Term Loan Due 2034 (in default)	698	571
SBA EIDLs
LE Term Loan 2050	3	2
NPS Term Loan 2050	3	2
	6,898	6,305
Less: Accrued interest payable (in default)	(6,898)	(6,305)
Long-term Interest Payable, Net of Current Portion	$-	$-

Payment Deferments

Veritex Loans. In April 2020, LE and LRM were each granted a two-month deferment period on their respective Veritex loans commencing from April 22, 2020 to June 22, 2020. During the deferment period, LE and LRM were not obligated to make payments and interest continued to accrue at the stated rates of the loans. Upon expiration of the deferment period: (i) Veritex re-amortized the loan such that future payments on principal and interest were adjusted based on the remaining principal balances and loan terms, and (ii) all other terms of the loans reverted to the original terms, and previous defaults were reinstated. The deferment did not address LE’s requirement to replenish the $1.0 million payment reserve account. Principal and interest payments resumed on July 22, 2020. As of the filing date of this report, LE and LRM were in default with respect to required monthly payments under the secured loan agreements with Veritex. Other defaults remain outstanding as noted below under “Defaults”.

SBA EIDLs. Payments under the SBA loans are deferred for the first twelve (12) months. Interest accrues during the deferral period. Principal and interest payments begin in August 2021.

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 26

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Guarantees and Security

Loan Description	Guarantees	Security
Veritex Loans(1)
LE Term Loan Due 2034 (in default)	● 100% USDA-guarantee ● Jonathan Carroll personal guarantee ● LEH, LRM and Blue Dolphin cross-guarantee	● First priority lien on Nixon facility’s business assets (excluding accounts receivable and inventory) ● Assignment of all Nixon facility contracts, permits, and licenses ● Absolute assignment of Nixon facility rents and leases, including tank rental income ● $1.0 million payment reserve account held by Veritex ● $5.0 million life insurance policy on Jonathan Carroll
LRM Term Loan Due 2034 (in default)	● 100% USDA-guarantee ● Jonathan Carroll personal guarantee ● LEH, LE and Blue Dolphin cross-guarantee	● Second priority lien on rights of LE in crude distillation tower and other collateral of LE ● First priority lien on real property interests of LRM ● First priority lien on all LRM fixtures, furniture, machinery, and equipment ● First priority lien on all LRM contractual rights, general intangibles, and instruments, except with respect to LRM rights in its leases of certain specified tanks for which Veritex has second priority lien ● All other collateral as described in the security documents
Notre Dame Debt (in default)(2)	---	● Subordinated deed of trust that encumbers the crude distillation tower and general assets of LE
SBA EIDLs(3)
LE Term Loan Due 2050	---	● Business assets (e.g., machinery and equipment, furniture, fixtures, etc.) as more fully described in the security agreement
NPS Term Loan Due 2050	---	● Business assets (e.g., machinery and equipment, furniture, fixtures, etc.) as more fully described in the security agreement
Equipment Loan Due 2025	---	● First priority security interest in the equipment (backhoe).

(1)

As a condition of the LE Term Loan Due 2034 and LRM Term Loan Due 2034, Jonathan Carroll was required to personally guarantee repayment of borrowed funds and accrued interest.

(2)

Pursuant to a 2015 subordination agreement, the holder of the Notre Dame Debt agreed to subordinate their right to payments, as well as any security interest and liens on the Nixon facility’s business assets, in favor of Veritex as holder of the LE Term Loan Due 2034.

(3)

On November 23, 2020, NPS and guarantors received notice from Pilot that the entry into the SBA EIDLs was a breach of the Amended Pilot Line of Credit and Pilot demanded full repayment of the Pilot Obligations, including through use of the proceeds of the SBA EIDLs. Pilot also notified the SBA that the liens securing the SBA EIDLs are junior to those securing the Pilot Obligations. While the SBA acknowledged this point and indicated a willingness to subordinate the SBA EIDLs, no further action has been taken by Pilot as of the filing date of this report.

The USDA, acting through its agencies, administers a federal rural credit program that makes direct loans and guarantees portions of loans made and serviced by USDA-qualified lenders for various purposes. Each USDA guarantee is a full faith and credit obligation of the U.S. with the USDA guaranteeing up to 100% of the principal amount. The lender for a USDA-guaranteed loan, in our case Veritex, is required by regulations to retain both the guaranteed and unguaranteed portions of the loan, to service the entire underlying loan, and to remain mortgage and/or secured party of record. Both the guaranteed and unguaranteed portions of the loan are to be secured by the same collateral with equal lien priority. The USDA-guaranteed portion of a loan cannot be paid later than, or in any way be subordinated to, the related unguaranteed portion. See “Notes (3) and (16)” to our consolidated financial statements for additional disclosures related to Affiliate agreements and transactions, including long-term debt guarantees.

Covenants

The Veritex loans and SBA EIDLs contain representations and warranties, affirmative and negative covenants, and events of default that we consider usual and customary for credit facilities of this type. There are no covenants associated with the Notre Dame Debt and the Equipment Loan Due 2025.

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 27

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Defaults

Loan Description	Event(s) of Default	Covenant Violations
Veritex Loans
LE Term Loan Due 2034 (in default)	Failure to make required monthly payments; failure to replenish $1.0 million payment reserve account; events of default under other secured loan agreements with Veritex	Financial covenants: ● debt service coverage ratio, current ratio, and debt to net worth ratio
LRM Term Loan Due 2034 (in default)	Failure to make required monthly payments; events of default under other secured loan agreements with Veritex	Financial covenants: ● debt service coverage ratio, current ratio, and debt to net worth ratio
Notre Dame Debt (in default)	Failure of borrower to pay past due obligations; loan matured January 2019	---

As reflected in the table above and elsewhere in this report, we are in default under the LE Term Loan Due 2034, LRM Term Loan Due 2034, and the Notre Dame Debt. Defaults under the LE Term Loan Due 2034 and LRM Term Loan Due 2034 permit Veritex to declare the amounts owed under these loan agreements immediately due and payable, exercise its rights with respect to collateral securing obligors’ obligations under these loan agreements, and/or exercise any other rights and remedies available. The debt associated with the LE Term Loan Due 2034, LRM Term Loan Due 2034, and the Notre Dame Debt was classified within the current portion of long-term debt on our consolidated balance sheets at March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020.

Any exercise by Veritex of its rights and remedies under our secured loan agreements would have a material adverse effect on our business operations, including crude oil and condensate procurement and our customer relationships; financial condition; and results of operations. In such a case, the trading price of our common stock and the value of an investment in our common stock could significantly decrease, which could lead to holders of our common stock losing their investment in our common stock in its entirety.

We can provide no assurance that: (i) our assets or cash flow will be sufficient to fully repay borrowings under our secured loan agreements with Vertitex, either upon maturity or if accelerated, (ii) LE and LRM will be able to refinance or restructure the payments of the debt, and/or (iii) Veritex, as first lien holder, will provide future default waivers. Defaults under our secured loan agreements and any exercise by Veritex of its rights and remedies related to such defaults may have a material adverse effect on the trading prices of our common stock and on the value of an investment in our common stock, and holders of our common stock could lose their investment in our common stock in its entirety. See “Notes (1) and (11)” to our consolidated financial statements for additional information regarding defaults under our secured loan agreements and their potential effects on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

(11)

Line of Credit Payable

Line of Credit Agreement Summary

Line of Credit Description	Original Principal Amount (in millions)	Maturity Date	Monthly Principal and Interest Payment	Interest Rate	Loan Purpose
Amended Pilot Line of Credit (in default)	$13.0	May 2020	----	14.00%	Settlement payment to GEL, NPS purchase of crude oil from Pilot, and working capital

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 28

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Outstanding Principal, Debt Issue Costs, and Accrued Interest

Line of credit payable, which represents outstanding principal and accrued interest, as of the dates indicated was as follows:

	March 31,	December 31,
	2021	2020
	(in thousands)
Amended Pilot Line of Credit (in default)	$7,272	$8,145
Less: Interest payable, short-term	(103)	(103)
	$7,169	$8,042

Guarantees and Security

Loan Description	Guarantees	Security
Amended Pilot Line of Credit (in default)	● Blue Dolphin pledged its equity interests in NPS to Pilot to secure NPS’ obligations; ● Blue Dolphin, LE, LRM, and LEH have each guaranteed NPS’ obligations.	● NPS receivables; ● NPS assets, including a tank lease (the “Tank Lease”); ● LRM receivables.

In an Agreement Regarding Attornment of Tank Leases dated April 30, 2019 between Veritex, LE, NPS, and Pilot, Veritex in its capacity as a secured lender of LE and LRM, agreed to permit the continued performance of obligations under a certain tank lease agreement if it were to foreclose on LE property that NPS was leasing from LE so long as certain conditions were met. The effectiveness of the Agreement Regarding Attornment of Tank Leases was subject to certain conditions, including the agreement and concurrence of the USDA that the Agreement Regarding Attornment of Tank Leases does not impair or void the LE Term Loan Due 2034 and LRM Term Loan Due 2034 or any associated guarantees. Veritex used commercially reasonable efforts to obtain such USDA concurrence, however, to date such USDA concurrence has not been provided.

Covenants

The Amended Pilot Line of Credit contains customary affirmative and negative covenants and events of default.

Defaults

Loan Description	Event(s) of Default	Covenant Violations
Amended Pilot Line of Credit (in default)	Failure of borrower or any guarantor to pay past due obligations; loan matured May 2020	---

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 29

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

As reflected in the table above and elsewhere in this report, we are in default under the Amended Pilot Line of Credit. Upon maturity of the Amended Pilot Line of Credit in May 2020, Pilot sent NPS, as borrower, and LRM, LEH, LE and Blue Dolphin, each a guarantor and collectively guarantors, a notice demanding the immediate payment of the Pilot Obligations. Pursuant to the Amended Pilot Line of Credit, commencing on May 4, 2020, the Pilot Obligations began to accrue interest at a default rate of fourteen percent (14%) per annum. Failure of the borrower or any guarantor of paying the past due Pilot Obligations constituted an event of default. Pilot expressly retained and reserved all its rights and remedies available to it at any time, including without limitation, the right to exercise all rights and remedies available to Pilot under the Amended Pilot Line of Credit or applicable law or equity.

Pursuant to a June 1, 2020 notice, Pilot began applying Pilot’s payment obligations to NPS under each of (a) the Terminal Services Agreement (covering Tank Nos. 67, 71, 72, 73, 77, and 78), dated as of May 2019, between NPS and Pilot, and (b) the Terminal Services Agreement (covering Tank No. 56), dated as of June 1, 2019, between NPS and Pilot, against NPS’ payment obligations to Pilot under the Amended Pilot Line of Credit. Such tank lease setoff amounts only partially satisfy NPS’ obligations under the Amended Pilot Line of Credit, and Pilot expressly retained and reserved all its rights and remedies available to it at any time, including, without limitation, the right to exercise all rights and remedies available to Pilot under the Amended Pilot Line of Credit or applicable law or equity. For the three-month periods ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, the tank lease setoff amounts totaled $0.6 million and $0, respectively. For the three-month periods ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, the amount of interest NPS incurred under the Amended Pilot Line of Credit totaled $0.3 million and $0.4 million, respectively.

On November 23, 2020, NPS and guarantors received notice from Pilot that the entry into the SBA EIDLs was a breach of the Amended Pilot Line of Credit and Pilot demanded full repayment of the Pilot Obligations, including through use of the proceeds of the SBA EIDLs. Pilot also notified the SBA that the liens securing the SBA EIDLs are junior to those securing the Pilot Obligations. While the SBA acknowledged this point and indicated a willingness to subordinate the SBA EIDLs, no further action has been taken by Pilot as of the filing date of this report.

Any exercise by Pilot of its rights and remedies under the Amended Pilot Line of Credit would have a material adverse effect on our business operations, including crude oil and condensate procurement and our customer relationships; financial condition; and results of operations. NPS and guarantors continue in active dialogue with Pilot to reach a negotiated settlement, and we believe that Pilot hopes to continue working with NPS to settle the Pilot Obligations. NPS and guarantors are also working on the possible refinance of amounts owing and payable under the Amended Pilot Line of Credit. However, progress with potential lenders has been slow due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. NPS’s ability to repay, refinance, replace or otherwise extend this credit facility is dependent on, among other things, business conditions, our financial performance, and the general condition of the financial markets. Given the current financial markets, we could be forced to undertake alternate financings, including a sale of additional common stock, negotiate for an extension of the maturity, or sell assets and delay capital expenditures in order to generate proceeds that could be used to repay such indebtedness. We can provide no assurance that we will be able to consummate any such transaction on terms that are commercially reasonable, on terms acceptable to us or at all. If new debt or other liabilities are added to the Company’s current consolidated debt levels, the related risks that it now faces could intensify. In the event we are unsuccessful in such endeavors, NPS may be unable to pay the amounts outstanding under the Amended Pilot Line of Credit, which may require us to seek protection under bankruptcy laws. In such a case, the trading price of our common stock and the value of an investment in our common stock could significantly decrease, which could lead to holders of our common stock losing their investment in our common stock in its entirety.

(12)

AROs

Refinery and Facilities

Management has concluded that there is no legal or contractual obligation to dismantle or remove the refinery and facilities assets. Management believes that the refinery and facilities assets have indeterminate lives under FASB ASC guidance for estimating AROs because dates or ranges of dates upon which we would retire these assets cannot reasonably be estimated at this time. When a legal or contractual obligation to dismantle or remove the refinery and facilities assets arises and a date or range of dates can reasonably be estimated for the retirement of these assets, we will estimate the cost of performing the retirement activities and record a liability for the fair value of that cost using present value techniques.

Pipelines and Facilities and Oil and Gas Properties

We have AROs associated with the decommissioning of our pipelines and facilities assets, as well as the plugging and abandonment of our oil and gas properties. We recorded a discounted liability for the fair value of an ARO with a corresponding increase to the carrying value of the related long-lived asset at the time the asset was installed or placed in service, and we depreciated the amount added to property and equipment and recognized accretion expense relating to the discounted liability over the remaining life of the asset. At March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the liability was fully accreted. See “Note (16)” to our consolidated financial statements for disclosures related to decommissioning of our offshore pipelines and platform assets and related risks.

ARO liability as of the dates indicated was as follows:

	March 31,	December 31,
	2021	2020
	(in thousands)
AROs, at the beginning of the period	$2,370	$2,565
Liabilities settled	-	(195)
	2,370	2,370
Less: AROs, current portion	(2,370)	(2,370)
Long-term AROs, at the end of the period	$-	$-

Liabilities settled reflects preparatory costs in the period associated with decommissioning our offshore pipelines and platform assets.

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 30

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(13)

Lease Obligations

Lease Obligations

Operating Lease

Office Lease. BDSC has an office lease related to our headquarters office in Houston, Texas. The 68-month operating lease expires in 2023. BDSC has the option to extend the lease term for one additional five (5) year period if notice of intent to extend is provided to the lessor at least twelve (12) months before the end of the current term. Pursuant to a letter dated March 29, 2021, TR 801 Travis LLC, a Delaware limited partnership, informed BDSC that it was in default under its office lease. BDSC’s failure to pay past due obligations, including rent installments and other charges, constituted an event of default. The parties reached an agreement to cure the default. See “Note (17) Subsequent Events” to our consolidated financial statements for additional disclosures related to the Houston office lease.

An Affiliate, LEH, subleases a portion of the Houston office space.  Sublease income received from LEH totaled approximately $0.01 million for both the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020. See “Note (3)” to our consolidated financial statements for additional disclosures related to the Affiliate sub-lease.

The following table presents the lease-related assets and liabilities recorded on the consolidated balance sheet:

		March 31,	December 31,
	Balance Sheet Location	2021	2020
		(in thousands)
Assets
Operating lease ROU assets	Operating lease ROU assets	$787	$787
Less: Accumulated amortization on operating lease assets	Operating lease ROU assets	(329)	(289)
Total lease assets		458	498
Liabilities
Current
Operating lease	Current portion of lease liabilities	199	194
		199	194
Noncurrent
Operating lease	Long-term lease liabilities, net of current	319	370
Total lease liabilities		$518	$564

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 31

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Weighted average remaining lease term in years
Operating lease	2.42
Weighted average discount rate
Operating lease	8.25%
Finance leases	8.25%

The following table presents information related to lease costs for operating and finance leases:

	Three Months Ended
	March 31,
	2021	2020
	(in thousands)
Operating lease costs	$51	$51
Finance lease costs:
Depreciation of leased assets	-	6
Interest on lease liabilities	-	2
Total lease cost	$51	$59

The table below presents supplemental cash flow information related to leases as follows:

	Three Months Ended
	March 31,
	2021	2020
	(in thousands)
Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement
of lease liabilities:
Operating cash flows for operating lease	$47	$88
Operating cash flows for finance leases	$-	$2
Financing cash flows for finance leases	$-	$6

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 32

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

As of March 31, 2021, maturities of lease liabilities for the periods indicated were as follows:

March 31,	Operating Lease
	(in thousands)
2021	$199
2022	220
2023	99
	$518

Future minimum annual lease commitments that are non-cancelable:

	Operating
March 31,	Lease
	(in thousands)
2021	$233
2022	237
2023	101
	$571

(14)

Income Taxes

Tax Provision

The provision for income tax expense for the periods indicated was as follows:

	Three Months Ended
	March 31,
	2021	2020
	(in thousands)
Current
Federal	$-	$(15)
State	-	-
Deferred
Federal	667	698
State	-
Change in valuation allowance	(667)	(698)
Total provision for income taxes	$-	$(15)

The TMT is treated as an income tax for financial reporting purposes.

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 33

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Deferred income taxes as of the dates indicated consisted of the following:

	March 31,	December 31,
	2021	2020
	(in thousands)
Deferred tax assets:
NOL and capital loss carryforwards	$15,773	$15,258
Business interest expense	3,693	3,343
Start-up costs (crude oil and condensate processing facility)	488	509
ARO liability/deferred revenue	498	498
Other	4	3
Total deferred tax assets	20,456	19,611
Deferred tax liabilities:
Basis differences in property and equipment	(7,409)	(7,230)
Total deferred tax liabilities	(7,409)	(7,230)
	13,047	(7,230)
Valuation allowance	(13,047)	(12,381)
Deferred tax assets, net	$-	$-

Deferred Income Taxes

Deferred income tax balances reflect the effects of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities and their tax basis, as well as from NOL carryforwards. We state those balances at the enacted tax rates we expect will be in effect when taxes are paid. NOL carryforwards and deferred tax assets represent amounts available to reduce future taxable income.

NOL Carryforwards. Under IRC Section 382, a corporation that undergoes an “ownership change” is subject to limitations on its use of pre-change NOL carryforwards to offset future taxable income. Within the meaning of IRC Section 382, an “ownership change” occurs when the aggregate stock ownership of certain stockholders (generally 5% shareholders, applying certain look-through rules) increases by more than fifty (50) percentage points over such stockholders' lowest percentage ownership during the testing period (generally three years). For income tax purposes, we experienced ownership changes in 2005, relating to a series of private placements, and in 2012, because of a reverse acquisition, that limit the use of pre-change NOL carryforwards to offset future taxable income. In general, the annual use limitation equals the aggregate value of common stock at the time of the ownership change multiplied by a specified tax-exempt interest rate. The 2012 ownership change will subject approximately $16.3 million in NOL carryforwards that were generated prior to the ownership change to an annual use limitation of approximately $0.6 million per year. Unused portions of the annual use limitation amount may be used in subsequent years. Because of the annual use limitation, approximately $6.7 million in NOL carryforwards that were generated prior to the 2012 ownership change will expire unused. NOL carryforwards that were generated after the 2012 ownership change and prior to 2018 are not subject to an annual use limitation under IRC Section 382 and may be used for a period of 20 years in addition to available amounts of NOL carryforwards generated prior to the ownership change.

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 34

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

NOL Carryforwards. NOL carryforwards that remained available for future use for the periods indicated were as follow (amounts shown are net of NOLs that will expire unused because of the IRC Section 382 limitation):

	Net Operating Loss Carryforward
	Pre-Ownership Change	Post-Ownership Change	Total
	(in thousands)
Balance at December 31, 2019	9,614	43,058	52,672
Net operating losses	-	13,305	13,305
Balance at December 31, 2020	$9,614	$56,363	$65,977
Net operating losses	(1,718)	2,456	738
Balance at March 31, 2021	$7,896	$58,819	$66,715

Valuation Allowance. As of each reporting date, management considers new evidence, both positive and negative, to determine the realizability of deferred tax assets. Management considers whether it is more likely than not that some portion or all the deferred tax assets will be realized, which is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income prior to the expiration of any NOL carryforwards. At March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, management determined that cumulative losses incurred over the prior three-year period provided significant objective evidence that limited the ability to consider other subjective evidence, such as projections for future growth. Based on this evaluation, we recorded a valuation allowance against the deferred tax assets for which realization was not deemed more likely than not as of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020.

(15)

Earnings Per Share

A reconciliation between basic and diluted income per share for the periods indicated was as follows:

	Three Months Ended
	March 31,
	2021	2020
	(in thousands
	except share and per share amounts)
Net loss	$(3,174)	$(3,340)
Basic and diluted income (loss) per share	$(0.25)	$(0.27)
Basic and Diluted
Weighted average number of shares of
common stock outstanding and potential
dilutive shares of common stock	12,693,514	12,327,365

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 35

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Diluted EPS is computed by dividing net income available to common stockholders by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding. Diluted EPS for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020 was the same as basic EPS as there were no stock options or other dilutive instruments outstanding.

(16)

Commitments and Contingencies

Amended and Restated Operating Agreement

See “Note (3)” to our consolidated financial statements for additional disclosures related to operation and management of all Blue Dolphin properties by an Affiliate under the Amended and Restated Operating Agreement.

BSEE Offshore Pipelines and Platform Decommissioning

BDPL has pipelines and platform assets that are subject to BSEE’s idle iron regulations. Idle iron regulations mandate lessees and rights-of-way holders to permanently abandon and/or remove platforms and other structures when they are no longer useful for operations. Until such structures are abandoned or removed, lessees and rights-of-way holders are required to inspect and maintain the assets in accordance with regulatory requirements.

In December 2018, BSEE issued an INC to BDPL for failure to flush and fill Pipeline Segment No. 13101. Management met with BSEE on August 15, 2019 to address BDPL’s plans with respect to decommissioning its offshore pipelines and platform assets. BSEE proposed that BDPL re-submit permit applications for pipeline and platform decommissioning, along with a safe boarding plan for the platform, within six (6) months (no later than February 15, 2020), and develop and implement a safe boarding plan for submission with such permit applications. Further, BSEE proposed that BDPL complete approved, permitted work within twelve (12) months (no later than August 15, 2020). BDPL timely submitted permit applications for decommissioning of the subject offshore pipelines and platform assets to BSEE on February 11, 2020 and the USACOE on March 25, 2020. Although we planned to decommission the offshore pipelines and platform assets during 2020, decommissioning of these assets has been delayed due to cash constraints associated with the ongoing impact of COVID-19 and winter being the offseason for dive operations in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. We cannot currently estimate when decommissioning may occur. In the interim, BDPL provides BSEE with updates regarding the project’s status.

In April 2020, BSEE issued another INC to BDPL for failure to perform the required structural surveys for the GA-288C Platform. BDPL requested an extension to the INC related to the structural platform surveys, and BSEE approved BDPL’s extension request. The required platform surveys were completed, and the INC was resolved in June 2020.

Lack of permit approvals does not relieve BDPL of its obligations to remedy the BSEE INCs or of BSEE’s authority to impose financial penalties. If BDPL fails to complete decommissioning of the offshore pipelines and platform assets and/or remedy the INCs within a timeframe determined to be prudent by BSEE, BDPL could be subject to regulatory oversight and enforcement, including but not limited to failure to correct an INC, civil penalties, and revocation of BDPL’s operator designation, which could have a material adverse effect on our earnings, cash flows and liquidity.

We are currently unable to predict the outcome of the BSEE INCs. Accordingly, we have not recorded a liability on our consolidated balance sheet as of March 31, 2021. At both March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, BDPL maintained $2.4 million in AROs related to abandonment of these assets.

Defaults Under Secured Loan Agreements with Third Parties

See “Notes (1), (3), (10), and (11)” to our consolidated financial statements for additional disclosures related to defaults under our secured and unsecured debt agreements.

Financing Agreements and Guarantees

Indebtedness. See “Notes (1), (3), (10), and (11)” to our consolidated financial statements for disclosures related to Affiliate and third-party indebtedness and defaults thereto.

Guarantees. Affiliates provided guarantees on certain debt of Blue Dolphin and its subsidiaries. The maximum amount of any guarantee is equal to the principal amount and accrued interest, which amounts are reduced as payments are made. See “Notes (1), (3), (10), and (11)” to our consolidated financial statements for additional disclosures related to Affiliate and third-party guarantees associated with indebtedness and defaults thereto.

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 36

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Health, Safety and Environmental Matters

The operations of certain Blue Dolphin subsidiaries are subject to extensive federal, state, and local environmental, health, and safety regulations governing, among other things, the generation, storage, handling, use and transportation of petroleum products and hazardous substances; the emission and discharge of materials into the environment; waste management; characteristics and composition of jet fuel and other products; and the monitoring, reporting and control of air emissions. These operations also require numerous permits and authorizations under various environmental, health, and safety laws and regulations. Failure to obtain and comply with these permits or environmental, health, or safety laws generally could result in fines, penalties or other sanctions, or a revocation of our permits.

Legal Matters

BOEM Additional Financial Assurance (Supplemental Pipeline Bonds). To cover the various obligations of lessees and rights-of-way holders operating in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico, BOEM evaluates an operator’s financial ability to carry out present and future obligations to determine whether the operator must provide additional security beyond the statutory bonding requirements. Such obligations include the cost of plugging and abandoning wells and decommissioning pipelines and platforms at the end of production or service activities. Once plugging and abandonment work has been completed, the collateral backing the financial assurance is released by BOEM.

BDPL has historically maintained $0.9 million in financial assurance to BOEM for the decommissioning of its trunk pipeline offshore in federal waters. Following an agency restructuring of the financial assurance program, in March 2018 BOEM ordered BDPL to provide additional financial assurance totaling approximately $4.8 million for five (5) existing pipeline rights-of-way within sixty (60) calendar days. In June 2018, BOEM issued BDPL INCs for each right-of-way that failed to comply. BDPL appealed the INCs to the IBLA, and the IBLA granted multiple extension requests that extended BDPL’s deadline for filing a statement of reasons for the appeal with the IBLA. On August 9, 2019, BDPL timely filed its statement of reasons for the appeal with the IBLA. Considering BDPL’s August 2019 meeting with BOEM and BSEE, BDPL requested a stay in the IBLA matter until August 2020. The Office of the Solicitor of the U.S. Department of the Interior was agreeable to a 10-day extension while it conferred with BOEM on BDPL’s stay request. In late October 2019, BDPL filed a motion to request the 10-day extension, which motion was subsequently granted by the IBLA. The solicitor’s office consented to an additional 14-day extension for BDPL to file its reply, and BDPL filed a motion to request the 14-day extension in November 2019. The solicitor’s office indicated that BOEM would not consent to further extensions. However, the solicitor’s office signaled that BDPL’s adherence to the milestones identified in an August 15, 2019 meeting between management and BSEE may help in future discussions with BOEM related to the INCs. Decommissioning of these assets will significantly reduce or eliminate the amount of financial assurance required by BOEM, which may serve to partially or fully resolve the INCs. Although we planned to decommission the offshore pipelines and platform assets during 2020, decommissioning of these assets has been delayed due to cash constraints associated with the ongoing impact of COVID-19 and winter being the offseason for dive operations in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. We cannot currently estimate when decommissioning may occur. In the interim, BDPL provides BOEM and BSEE with updates regarding the project’s status.

BDPL’s pending appeal of the BOEM INCs does not relieve BDPL of its obligations to provide additional financial assurance or of BOEM’s authority to impose financial penalties. There can be no assurance that we will be able to meet additional financial assurance (supplemental pipeline bond) requirements. If BDPL is required by BOEM to provide significant additional financial assurance (supplemental pipeline bonds) or is assessed significant penalties under the INCs, we will experience a significant and material adverse effect on our operations, liquidity, and financial condition.

We are currently unable to predict the outcome of the BOEM INCs. Accordingly, we have not recorded a liability on our consolidated balance sheet as of March 31, 2021. At both March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, BDPL maintained approximately $0.9 million in credit and cash-backed pipeline rights-of-way bonds issued to BOEM.

Other Legal Matters. We are involved in lawsuits, claims, and proceedings incidental to the conduct of our business, including mechanic’s liens, contract-related disputes, and administrative proceedings. Management is in discussion with all concerned parties and does not believe that such matters will have a material adverse effect on our financial position, earnings, or cash flows. However, there can be no assurance that such discussions will result in a manageable outcome. If Veritex and/or Pilot exercise their rights and remedies due to defaults under our secured loan agreements, our business, financial condition, and results of operations will be materially adversely affected.

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 37

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(17)

Subsequent Events

BDSC Office Lease Default

On May 11, 2021, BDSC and TR 801 Travis LLC reached an agreement to cure BDSC’s Houston office lease default. Under the terms of the arrangement, BDSC will pay TR 801 Travis LLC past due obligations, including rent installments and other charges totaling approximately $0.1 million (the “Past Due Obligations”), in equal monthly installments beginning June 1, 2021 and continuing through the August 31, 2023 lease expiration date. The Past Due Obligations shall be subject to an annual percentage rate of 4.50%. As revised, BDSC’ monthly base rent plus the prorated portion of the Past Due Obligations will approximate $0.02 million.

BDEC EIDL

On May 11, 2021, BDEC executed the standard loan documents required to secure an EIDL through the SBA for COVID-19 pandemic relief. The principal amount of the loan is $0.5 million. Proceeds will be used for working capital purposes. Interest on the loan accrues at the rate of 3.75% per annum and will accrue from the date of loan. Installment payments, including principal and interest, total $.003 million per month and will begin eighteen (18) months from the date of the loan. The balance of principal and interest is payable over a 30-year term. SBA EIDLs are not forgivable. Jonathan Carroll and LEH, an Affiliate, provided gurantees of the debt. The debt is subject to certain customary covenants and default provisions.

Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 38

Management’s Discussion and Analysis and Internal Controls

 ITEM 2.  

MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Management’s Discussion and Analysis is our analysis of our financial performance, financial condition, and significant trends that may affect future performance. All statements in this section, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements that are inherently uncertain. See “Important Information Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” for a discussion of the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in these statements. You should read the following discussion together with the financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report, as well as with the business strategy, risk factors, and financial statements and related notes included thereto in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020.  

Overview

Blue Dolphin is an independent downstream energy company operating in the Gulf Coast region of the United States. Our subsidiaries operate a light sweet-crude, 15,000-bpd crude distillation tower with approximately 1.2 million bbls of petroleum storage tank capacity in Nixon, Texas. Blue Dolphin was formed in 1986 as a Delaware corporation and is traded on the OTCQX under the ticker symbol “BDCO”.

Our assets are primarily organized in two segments: refinery operations (owned by LE) and tolling and terminaling services (owned by LRM and NPS). Subsidiaries that are reflected in corporate and other include BDPL (inactive pipeline and facilities assets), BDPC (inactive leasehold interests in oil and gas wells), and BDSC (administrative services). For more information related to our business segments, see “Part I, Item 1. Financial Statements – Note (4)”.

Affiliates

Affiliates controlled approximately 82% of the voting power of our Common Stock as of the filing date of this report. An Affiliate operates and manages all Blue Dolphin properties and funds working capital requirements during periods of working capital deficits, and an Affiliate is a significant customer of our refined products. Blue Dolphin and certain of its subsidiaries are currently parties to a variety of agreements with Affiliates. See “Part I, Item 1. Financial Statements – Note (3)” for additional disclosures related to Affiliate agreements, arrangements, and risks associated with working capital deficits.

Business Operations Update

In 2020, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted worldwide economic and commercial activity and financial markets, as well as global demand for petroleum products. As a result of commodity price volatility and decreased demand for our products, our business results and cash flows were significantly adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and throughout the first quarter of 2021. As vaccine rollouts ramp up around the world, travel restrictions are pared back, and OPEC and other producer countries re-balance inventories, we are cautiously optimistic that the global economy, oil demand, and commodity prices will recover from the impact of the pandemic.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, we continue to take measures to lessen the impact on our operations and limit the spread of the virus among personnel. We operate the Nixon facility at reduced rates based on market conditions and staffing levels, and we adjust the facility’s operating rate in response to market and other conditions. We careful evaluate projects and, as a result, have limited or postponed projects and other non-essential work. We have also planned capital expenditures at a level we believe will satisfy all required safety, environmental, and regulatory requirements. With regard to personnel, we have adopted remote working where possible. Where on-site operations are required, personnel are required to wear masks and practice social distancing. We also implemented other site-specific precautionary measures to reduce the risk of exposure and have restricted non-essential business travel. Personnel, customers, and partners are also encouraged to collaborate virtually.

The duration of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and related market developments is unknown. The continued negative impact of these events on our business and operations will depend on the ongoing severity, location and duration of the effects and spread of COVID-19, the effectiveness of vaccine programs, other actions undertaken by federal, state, and local governments and health officials to contain the virus or treat its effects, and how quickly and to what extent economic conditions improve and normal business and operating conditions resume in 2021 or thereafter. Non-compliance with applicable environmental and safety requirements, including as a result of reduced staff due to an outbreak of the virus at one of our locations, may impair our operations, subject us to fines or penalties assessed by governmental authorities, and/or result in an environmental or safety incident. We may also be subject to liability as a result of claims against us by impacted workers or third parties. The foregoing and other continued disruptions to our business as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic could result in a material adverse effect on our business, result of operations, financial condition, cash flows, and our ability to service our indebtedness and other obligations. There can also be no assurance that our liquidity, business, financial condition, and results of operations will revert to pre-2020 levels once the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic cease.

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 39

Management’s Discussion and Analysis and Internal Controls

Going Concern

Management has determined that certain factors raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. As discussed more fully below, these factors include inadequate liquidity to sustain operations due to defaults under our secured loan agreements, margin deterioration and volatility, and historic net losses and working capital deficits. Our consolidated financial statements assume we will continue as a going concern and do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty. Our ability to continue as a going concern depends on sustained positive operating margins and having working capital for, amongst other requirements, purchasing crude oil and condensate and making payments on long-term debt. Without positive operating margins and working capital, our business will be jeopardized, and we may not be able to continue. If we are unable to make required debt payments, we would likely have to consider other options, such as selling assets, raising additional debt or equity capital, cutting costs or otherwise reducing our cash requirements, or negotiating with our creditors to restructure our applicable obligations, including a potential bankruptcy filing.

Defaults Under Secured Loan Agreements. We are currently in default under certain of our secured loan agreements with third parties and related parties. As a result, the debt associated with these obligations was classified within the current portion of long-term debt on our consolidated balance sheets at March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020. See “Part I, Item 1. Financial Statements – Notes (1), (3), (10), and (11)” for additional disclosures related to third-party and related-party debt, defaults on such debt, and the potential effects of such defaults on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Third-Party Defaults

●

Veritex Loans – Defaults under the LE Term Loan Due 2034 and LRM Term Loan Due 2034 permit Veritex to declare the amounts owed under these loan agreements immediately due and payable, exercise its rights with respect to collateral securing obligors’ obligations under these loan agreements, and/or exercise any other rights and remedies available. Any exercise by Veritex of its rights and remedies under our secured loan agreements would have a material adverse effect on our business operations, including crude oil and condensate procurement and our customer relationships; financial condition; and results of operations. Veritex exercising its rights would also adversely impact the trading price of our common stock and the value of an investment in our common stock, which could lead to holders of our common stock losing their investment in its entirety. We can provide no assurance that: (i) our assets or cash flow will be sufficient to fully repay borrowings under our secured loan agreements with Veritex, either upon maturity or if accelerated, (ii) LE and LRM will be able to refinance or restructure the payments of the debt, and/or (iii) Veritex, as first lien holder, will provide future default waivers. The borrowers continue in active dialogue with Veritex. As of the filing date of this report, payments under the Veritex loans were current, but other defaults remained outstanding.

●

Amended Pilot Line of Credit – Upon maturity of the Pilot Line of Credit in May 2020, Pilot sent NPS, as borrower, and LRM, LEH, LE and Blue Dolphin, each a guarantor and collectively guarantors, a notice demanding the immediate payment of the unpaid principal amount and all interest accrued and unpaid, and all other amounts owing or payable (the “Payment Obligations”). Pursuant to the Amended Pilot Line of Credit, commencing on May 4, 2020, the Payment Obligations began to accrue interest at a default rate of fourteen percent (14%) per annum. Failure of the borrower or any guarantor of paying the past due Payment Obligations constituted an event of default. Pilot expressly retained and reserved all its rights and remedies available to it at any time, including without limitation, the right to exercise all rights and remedies available to Pilot under the Amended Pilot Line of Credit or applicable law or equity.

Pursuant to a June 1, 2020 notice, Pilot began applying Pilot’s payment obligations to NPS under each of (a) the Terminal Services Agreement (covering Tank Nos. 67, 71, 72, 73, 77, and 78), dated as of May 2019, between NPS and Pilot, and (b) the Terminal Services Agreement (covering Tank No. 56), dated as of June 1, 2019, between NPS and Pilot, against NPS’ payment obligations to Pilot under the Amended Pilot Line of Credit. Such tank lease setoff amounts only partially satisfy NPS’ obligations under the Amended Pilot Line of Credit, and Pilot expressly retained and reserved all its rights and remedies available to it at any time, including, without limitation, the right to exercise all rights and remedies available to Pilot under the Amended Pilot Line of Credit or applicable law or equity. For the three-month periods ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, the tank lease setoff amounts totaled $0.6 million and $0, respectively. For the three-month periods ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, the amount of interest NPS incurred under the Amended Pilot Line of Credit totaled $0.3 million and $0.4 million, respectively.

On November 23, 2020, NPS and guarantors received notice from Pilot that the entry into the SBA EIDLs was a breach of the Amended Pilot Line of Credit and Pilot demanded full repayment of the Payment Obligations, including through use of the proceeds of the SBA EIDLs. Pilot also notified the SBA that the liens securing the SBA EIDLs are junior to those securing the Payment Obligations. While the SBA acknowledged this point and indicated a willingness to subordinate the SBA EIDLs, no further action has been taken by Pilot as of the filing date of this report.

Any exercise by Pilot of its rights and remedies under the Amended Pilot Line of Credit would have a material adverse effect on our business operations, including crude oil and condensate procurement and our customer relationships; financial condition; and results of operations. NPS and guarantors continue in active dialogue with Pilot to reach a negotiated settlement, and we believe that Pilot hopes to continue working with NPS to settle the Payment Obligations. NPS and guarantors are also working on the possible refinance of amounts owing and payable under the Amended Pilot Line of Credit. However, progress with potential lenders has been slow due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. NPS’s ability to repay, refinance, replace or otherwise extend this credit facility is dependent on, among other things, business conditions, our financial performance, and the general condition of the financial markets. Given the current financial markets, we could be forced to undertake alternate financings, including a sale of additional common stock, negotiate for an extension of the maturity, or sell assets and delay capital expenditures in order to generate proceeds that could be used to repay such indebtedness. We can provide no assurance that we will be able to consummate any such transaction on terms that are commercially reasonable, on terms acceptable to us or at all. If new debt or other liabilities are added to the Company’s current consolidated debt levels, the related risks that it now faces could intensify. In the event we are unsuccessful in such endeavors, NPS may be unable to pay the amounts outstanding under the Amended Pilot Line of Credit, which may require us to seek protection under bankruptcy laws. In such a case, the trading price of our common stock and the value of an investment in our common stock could significantly decrease, which could lead to holders of our common stock losing their investment in our common stock in its entirety.

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 40

Management’s Discussion and Analysis and Internal Controls

●

Notre Dame Debt – Pursuant to a 2015 subordination agreement, the holder of the Notre Dame Debt agreed to subordinate their right to payments, as well as any security interest and liens on the Nixon facility’s business assets, in favor of Veritex as holder of the LE Term Loan Due 2034. To date, no payments have been made under the subordinated Notre Dame Debt and the holder of the Notre Dame Debt has taken no action as a result of the non-payment.

Our financial health could be materially and adversely affected by defaults in our secured loan agreements, margin deterioration and volatility, historic net losses and working capital deficits, as well as termination of the crude supply agreement or terminal services agreement with Pilot, which could impact our ability to acquire crude oil and condensate. In addition, sustained periods of low crude oil prices due to market volatility associated with the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant financial constraints on producers, which in turn has resulted in long term crude oil supply constraints and increased transportation costs. A failure to acquire crude oil and condensate when needed will have a material effect on our business results and operations. During the three-month period ended March 31, 2021, our refinery experienced 1 day of downtime as a result of lack of crude due to cash constraints.

Related-Party Defaults

Affiliates controlled approximately 82% of the voting power of our Common Stock as of the filing date of this report, an Affiliate operates and manages all Blue Dolphin properties, an Affiliate is a significant customer of our refined products, and we borrow from Affiliates during periods of working capital deficits.

Margin Deterioration and Volatility. Our refining margins generally improve in an environment of higher crude oil and refined product prices, and where the spread between crude oil prices and refined product prices widen. In 2020, steps taken early on to address the COVID-19 pandemic globally and nationally, including government-imposed temporary business closures and voluntary shelter-at-home directives, caused oil prices to decline sharply. In addition, actions by members of the OPEC and other producer countries with respect to oil production and pricing significantly impacted supply and demand in global oil and gas markets. As COVID-19 vaccinations increase, global economic activity rises, and the OPEC and partner countries limit crude oil production, there is cautious optimism that the economy will improve in the short-term. However, oil and refined product prices and demand are expected to remain volatile for the foreseeable future, despite signs of recovery during the first quarter of 2021. We cannot predict when prices and demand will stabilize, and we are currently unable to estimate the impact these events will have on our future financial position and results of operations. Accordingly, we expect that these events will continue to have a material adverse effect on our financial position and results of operations throughout 2021.

Historic Net Losses and Working Capital Deficits.

Net Losses

Net loss for the three months ended March 31, 2021 was $3.4 million, or a loss of $0.27 per share, compared to a net loss of $3.3 million, or a loss of $0.27 per share, for the three months ended March 31, 2020. Net losses in both periods were the result of unfavorable refining margins per bbl. The net loss during the three months ended March 31, 2021 was also due to 10 days of refinery downtime associated with Winter Storm Uri.

Working Capital Deficits

We had a working capital deficit of $74.3 million and $72.3 million at March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. Excluding the current portion of long-term debt, we had a working capital deficit of $24.2 million and $22.6 million at March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. Cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash (current portion), and restricted cash, noncurrent were as follow:

	March 31,	December 31,
	2021	2020
	(in thousands)
Cash and cash equivalents	$521	$549
Restricted cash (current portion)	48	48
Restricted cash, noncurrent	-	514
Total	$569	$1,111

See “Part I, Item 1. Financial Statements – Note (1)” regarding going concern factors and associated risks.

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 41

Management’s Discussion and Analysis and Internal Controls

Operating Risks

Successful execution of our business strategy depends on several key factors, including, having adequate working capital to meet operational needs and regulatory requirements, maintaining safe and reliable operations at the Nixon facility, meeting contractual obligations, and having favorable margins on refined products. As discussed under “Part I, Item 1. Financial Statements – Note (1)” under “Going Concern” and throughout this report, we are currently unable to estimate the impact the COVID-19 pandemic will have on our future financial position and results of operations. Under earlier state and federal mandates that regulated business closures, our business was deemed as an essential business and, as such, remained open. As U.S. federal, state, and local officials roll out COVID-19 vaccines, we expect to continue operating. Any governmental mandates, while necessary to address the virus, will result in further business and operational disruptions, including demand destruction, liquidity strains, supply chain challenges, travel restrictions, controls on in-person gathering, and workforce availability.

Management believes that it has taken all prudent steps to mitigate risk, avoid business disruptions, manage cash flow, and remain competitive in a low oil price environment. We are managing cash flow by optimizing receivables and payables by prioritizing payments, managing inventory to avoid buildup, monitoring discretionary spending, and delaying capital expenditures. At the Nixon facility, we adjust throughput and production based on prevailing market conditions. With regard to personnel, we have adopted remote working where possible. Where on-site operations are required, personnel are required to wear masks and practice social distancing. We also implemented other site-specific precautionary measures to reduce the risk of exposure and have restricted non-essential business travel. Personnel, customers, and partners are also encouraged to collaborate virtually.

There can be no assurance that our business strategy will be successful, that Affiliates will continue to fund our working capital needs when we experience working capital deficits, that we will meet regulatory requirements to provide additional financial assurance (supplemental pipeline bonds) and decommission offshore pipelines and platform assets, that we will be able to obtain additional financing on commercially reasonable terms or at all, or that margins on our refined products will be favorable. Further, if Veritex and/or Pilot exercise their rights and remedies under our secured loan agreements, our business, financial condition, and results of operations will be materially adversely affected.

Business Strategy

Our primary business objective is to improve our financial profile by executing the below strategies, modified as necessary, to reflect changing economic conditions and other circumstances:

Optimizing Existing Asset Base	●Operating safely and enhancing health, safety, and environmental systems. ●Planning and managing turnarounds and downtime.
Improving Operational Efficiencies	●Reducing or streamlining variable costs incurred in production. ●Increasing throughput capacity and optimizing product slate. ●Increasing tolling and terminaling revenue.
Seizing Market Opportunities	●Leveraging existing infrastructure to engage in renewable energy projects. ●Taking advantage of market opportunities as they arise.

Under the Biden Administration, the focus on cleaner energy sources and technology to decarbonize resource-intensive industries continues to accelerate. This focus is steering government policy to incentivize clean energy sources and carbon capture technologies, as well as supporting new industry-wide investment in areas like renewables, green hydrogen, and carbon capture, utilization, and storage. During the first quarter of 2021, we announced a pivot to explore renewable energy opportunities through an affiliate, Lazarus Energy Alternative Fuels LLC (“LEAF”). LEAF will explore potential opportunities to position Blue Dolphin in the global transition to cleaner, lower-carbon alternatives from traditional fossil fuels. These opportunities may include technology, development, or commercial partnerships, as well as the repurposing of assets and facilities, for the production, storage, transportation and sale of alternative fuels and other low-carbon products.

Successful execution of our business strategy depends on several key factors, including, having adequate working capital to meet operational needs and regulatory requirements, maintaining safe and reliable operations at the Nixon facility, meeting contractual obligations, having favorable margins on refined products, and collaborating with new partners to develop and finance clean energy projects. There can be no assurance that our business strategy will be successful, including a pivot to renewables through LEAF, that Affiliates will continue to fund our working capital needs when we experience working capital deficits, that we will meet regulatory requirements to provide additional financial assurance (supplemental pipeline bonds) and decommission offshore pipelines and platform assets, that we will be able to obtain additional financing on commercially reasonable terms or at all, or that margins on our refined products will be favorable. Further, if Veritex and/or Pilot exercise their rights and remedies under our secured loan agreements, our business, financial condition, and results of operations will be materially adversely affected.

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 42

Management’s Discussion and Analysis and Internal Controls

We regularly engage in discussions with third parties regarding possible joint ventures, asset sales, mergers, and other potential business combinations. However, we do not anticipate any material activities in the foreseeable future. Management has determined that conditions exist that raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern due to defaults under our secured loan agreements, margin deterioration and volatility, and historic net losses and working capital deficits. A ‘going concern’ opinion could impair our ability to finance our operations through the sale of equity, incurring debt, or other financing alternatives. Our ability to continue as a going concern will depend on sustained positive operating margins and working capital to sustain operations, including the purchase of crude oil and condensate and payments on long-term debt. If we are unable to achieve these goals, our business would be jeopardized, we may not be able to continue operating, and we may have to seek bankruptcy protection.

Refinery Operations

Our refinery operations segment consists of the following assets and operations:

Property	Key Products Handled	Operating Subsidiary	Location
Nixon facility ●Crude distillation tower (15,000 bpd) ●Petroleum storage tanks ●Loading and unloading facilities ●Land (56 acres)	Crude Oil Refined Products	LE	Nixon, Texas

Crude Oil and Condensate Supply. Operation of the Nixon refinery depends on our ability to purchase adequate amounts of crude oil and condensate. We have a long-term crude supply agreement in place with Pilot. The crude supply agreement, the initial term of which is volume based, expires when Pilot sells us 24.8 million net bbls of crude oil. Thereafter, the crude supply agreement automatically renews for successive one-year terms (each such term, a “Renewal Term”) unless either party provides the other with notice of nonrenewal at least 60 days prior to expiration of any Renewal Term. Total volume billed under the crude supply agreement totaled approximately 5.8 million bbls as of March 31, 2021. Effective March 1, 2020, Pilot assigned its rights, title, interest, and obligations in the crude supply agreement to Tartan Oil LLC, a Pilot affiliate. Sustained periods of low crude oil prices due to market volatility associated with the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant financial constraints on producers, which in turn has resulted in long term crude oil supply constraints and increased transportation costs. A failure to acquire crude oil and condensate when needed will have a material effect on our business results and operations. During the three-month periods ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, our refinery experienced 1 day and no days, respectively, of downtime as a result of lack of crude due to cash constraints.

Pilot also stores crude oil at the Nixon facility under two terminal services agreements. Under the terminal services agreements, Pilot stores crude oil at the Nixon facility at a specified rate per bbl of the storage tank’s shell capacity. Although the initial term of the terminal services agreement expired April 30, 2020, the agreement renewed on a one-year evergreen basis. Either party may terminate the terminal services agreement by providing the other party 60 days prior written notice. However, the terminal services agreement will automatically terminate upon expiration or termination of the crude supply agreement.

Products and Markets. Our market is the Gulf Coast region of the U.S., which is represented by the EIA as Petroleum Administration for PADD 3.  We sell our products primarily in the U.S. within PADD 3. Occasionally, we sell refined products to customers that export to Mexico.

The Nixon refinery’s product slate is moderately adjusted based on market demand. We currently produce a single finished product – jet fuel – and several intermediate products, including naphtha, HOBM, and AGO.  Our jet fuel is sold to an Affiliate, which is HUBZone certified. The product sales agreement with the Affiliate has a 1-year term expiring the earliest to occur of March 31, 2022 plus 30-day carryover or delivery of the maximum quantity of jet fuel. Our intermediate products are primarily sold in nearby markets to wholesalers and refiners as a feedstock for further blending and processing.

Customers.Customers for our refined products include distributors, wholesalers and refineries primarily in the lower portion of the Texas Triangle (the Houston - San Antonio - Dallas/Fort Worth area). We have bulk term contracts in place with most of our customers, including month-to-month, six months, and up to one-year terms. Certain of our contracts require our customers to prepay and us to sell fixed quantities and/or minimum quantities of finished and intermediate petroleum products. Many of these arrangements are subject to periodic renegotiation on a forward-looking basis, which could result in higher or lower relative prices on future sales of our refined products.

Competition.Many of our competitors are substantially larger than us and are engaged on a national or international level in many segments of the oil and gas industry, including exploration and production, gathering and transportation, and marketing. These competitors may have greater flexibility in responding to or absorbing market changes occurring in one or more of these business segments. We compete primarily based on cost. Due to the low complexity of our simple “topping unit” refinery, we can be relatively nimble in adjusting our refined products slate because of changing commodity prices, market demand, and refinery operating costs.

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 43

Management’s Discussion and Analysis and Internal Controls

Safety and Downtime. Our refinery operations are operated in a manner materially consistent with industry safe practices and standards. These operations are subject to regulations under OSHA, the EPA, and comparable state and local requirements. Together, these regulations are designed for personnel safety, process safety management, and risk management, as well as to prevent or minimize the probability and consequences of an accidental release of toxic, reactive, flammable, or explosive chemicals. Storage tanks used for refinery operations are designed for crude oil and condensate and refined products, and most are equipped with appropriate controls that minimize emissions and promote safety. Our refinery operations have response and control plans, spill prevention and other programs to respond to emergencies.

The Nixon refinery periodically experiences planned and unplanned temporary shutdowns. Planned turnarounds are used to repair, restore, refurbish, or replace refinery equipment. Unplanned shutdowns can occur for a variety of reasons, including voluntary regulatory compliance measures, cessation or suspension by regulatory authorities, disabled equipment, or lack of crude due to cash constraints. However, in Texas the most typical reason is excessive heat or power outages from high winds and thunderstorms. The Nixon refinery did not incur significant damage as a result of Winter Storm Uri in February 2021. However, the facility was down for approximately 10 days as a result of lost external power.

We are particularly vulnerable to disruptions in our operations because all our refining operations are conducted at a single facility. Any scheduled or unscheduled downtime will result in lost margin opportunity, potential increased maintenance expense, and a reduction of refined products inventory, which could reduce our ability to meet our payment obligations.

Tolling and Terminaling Operations

Our tolling and terminaling segment consists of the following assets and operations:

Property	Key Products Handled	Operating Subsidiary	Location
Nixon facility ●Petroleum storage tanks ●Loading and unloading facilities	Crude Oil Refined Products	LRM, NPS	Nixon, Texas

Products and Customers. The Nixon facility’s petroleum storage tanks and infrastructure are primarily suited for crude oil and condensate and refined products, such as naphtha, jet fuel, diesel, and fuel oil. Storage customers are typically refiners in the lower portion of the Texas Triangle (the Houston - San Antonio - Dallas/Fort Worth area). Shipments are received and redelivered from within the Nixon facility via pipeline or from third parties via truck. Contract terms range from month-to-month to three years.

Operations Safety. Our tolling and terminal operations are operated in a manner materially consistent with industry safe practices and standards. These operations are subject to regulations under OSHA and comparable state and local regulations. Storage tanks used for terminal operations are designed for crude oil and condensate and refined products, and most are equipped with appropriate controls that minimize emissions and promote safety. Our terminal operations have response and control plans, spill prevention and other programs to respond to emergencies.

Inactive Operations

We own certain other pipeline and facilities assets and have leasehold interests in oil and gas properties. These assets, which are shown below and included in corporate and other, are not operational and are fully impaired. We fully impaired our pipeline assets in 2016 and our oil and gas leasehold interests in 2011. Our pipeline assets and oil and gas leasehold interests had no revenue during the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020. See “Part I, Item 1. Financial Statements – Note (16)” related to pipelines and platform decommissioning requirements and related risks.

Property	Operating Subsidiary	Location
Freeport facility ●Crude oil and natural gas separation and dehydration ●Natural gas processing, treating, and redelivery ●Vapor recovery unit ●Two onshore pipelines ●Land (162 acres)	BDPL	Freeport, Texas
Offshore Pipelines (Trunk Line and Lateral Lines)	BDPL	Gulf of Mexico
Oil and Gas Leasehold Interests	BDPC	Gulf of Mexico

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 44

Management’s Discussion and Analysis and Internal Controls

Pipeline and Facilities Safety.

Although our pipeline and facility assets are inactive, they require upkeep and maintenance and are subject to safety regulations under OSHA, PHMSA, BOEM, BSEE, and comparable state and local regulations. We have response and control plans, spill prevention and other programs to respond to emergencies related to these assets.

 Results of Operations

A discussion and analysis of the factors contributing to our consolidated financial results of operations is presented below and should be in read in conjunction with our financial statements in “Part I, Item 1. Financial Statements”. The financial statements, together with the following information, are intended to provide investors with a reasonable basis for assessing our historical operations, but they should not serve as the only criteria for predicting future performance.

Major Influences on Results of Operations. Our results of operations and liquidity are highly dependent upon the margins that we receive for our refined products. The dollar per bbl price difference between crude oil and condensate (input) and refined products (output) is the most significant driver of refining margins, and they have historically been subject to wide fluctuations. In 2020, steps taken early on to address the COVID-19 pandemic globally and nationally, including government-imposed temporary business closures and voluntary shelter-at-home directives, caused oil prices to decline sharply. In addition, actions by members of the OPEC and other producer countries with respect to oil production and pricing significantly impacted supply and demand in global oil and gas markets. As COVID-19 vaccinations increase, global economic activity rises, and the OPEC and partner countries limit crude oil production, there is cautious optimism that the economy will improve in the short-term. However, oil and refined product prices and demand are expected to remain volatile for the foreseeable future, despite signs of recovery during the first quarter of 2021. We cannot predict when prices and demand will stabilize, and we are currently unable to estimate the impact these events will have on our future financial position and results of operations. Accordingly, we expect that these events will continue to have a material adverse effect on our financial position and results of operations throughout 2021.

How We Evaluate Our Operations. Management uses certain financial and operating measures to analyze segment performance. These measures are significant factors in assessing our operating results and profitability and include: segment contribution margin (deficit), refining gross profit (deficit) per bbl, tank rental revenue, operation costs and expenses, refinery throughput and production data, and refinery downtime. Segment contribution margin (deficit) and refining gross profit (deficit) per bbl are non-GAAP measures.

Segment Contribution Margin (Deficit) and Refining Gross Profit (Deficit) per Bbl

Segment contribution margin (deficit) is used to evaluate both refinery operations and tolling and terminaling while refining gross profit (deficit) per bbl is a refinery operations benchmark. Both measures supplement our financial information presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Management uses these non-GAAP measures to analyze our results of operations, assess internal performance against budgeted and forecasted amounts, and evaluate future impacts to our financial performance as a result of capital investments. Non-GAAP measures have important limitations as analytical tools. These non-GAAP measures, which are defined in our glossary of terms, should not be considered a substitute for GAAP financial measures. We believe these measures may help investors, analysts, lenders, and ratings agencies analyze our results of operations and liquidity in conjunction with our U.S. GAAP results. See “Non-GAAP Reconciliations” within this Results of Operations and the financial statements within “Part I, Item 1. Financial Statements” for a reconciliation of Non-GAAP measures to U.S. GAAP.

Tank Rental Revenue

Tolling and terminaling revenue primarily represents tank rental storage fees associated with customer tank rental agreements. As a result, tank rental revenue is one of the measures management uses to evaluate the performance of our tolling and terminaling business segment.

Operation Costs and Expenses

We manage operating expenses in tandem with meeting environmental and safety requirements and objectives and maintaining the integrity of our assets. Operating expenses are comprised primarily of labor expenses, repairs and other maintenance costs, and utility costs. Expenses for refinery operations generally remain stable across broad ranges of throughput volumes, but they can fluctuate from period to period depending on the mix of activities performed during that period and the timing of those expenses. Operation costs for tolling and terminaling operations are relatively fixed.

Refinery Throughput and Production Data

The amount of revenue we generate from our refinery operations business segment primarily depends on the volumes of crude oil and refined products that we handle through our processing assets and the volume sold to customers. These volumes are affected by the supply and demand of, and demand for, crude oil and refined products in the markets served directly or indirectly by our assets, as well as refinery downtime.

Refinery Downtime

The Nixon refinery periodically experiences planned and unplanned temporary shutdowns. Any scheduled or unscheduled downtime will result in lost margin opportunity, potential increased maintenance expense, and a reduction of refined products inventory, which could reduce our ability to meet our payment obligations.

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 45

Management’s Discussion and Analysis and Internal Controls

Consolidated Results. Our consolidated results of operations include certain other unallocated corporate activities and the elimination of intercompany transactions and therefore do not equal the sum of the operating results of our refinery operations and tolling and terminaling business segments.

Three Months Ended March 31, 2021 Versus March 31, 2020 (Q1 2021 Versus Q1 2020)

Overview. Net loss for Q1 2021 was $3.2 million, or a loss of $0.25 per share, compared to a net loss of $3.3 million, or a loss of $0.27 per share, in Q1 2020. Net losses in both periods were the result of unfavorable refining margins per bbl. The net loss in Q1 2021 was also due to 10 days of refinery downtime associated with Winter Storm Uri. Total Revenue from Operations.Total revenue from operations decreased approximately 4% to $59.4 million for Q1 2021 from $62.0 million for Q1 2020. Although refined product prices improved in Q1 2021, refinery operations revenue decreased due to lower sales volumes. Tolling and terminaling revenue decreased as a result of lower tank rental fees. Total Cost of Goods Sold.Total cost of goods sold decreased approximately 4% to $59.6 million for Q1 2021 from $62.1 million for Q1 2020. The decrease related to lower throughput due to refinery downtime. Gross Deficit.Gross deficit was $0.2 million for Q1 2021 compared to gross deficit of $0.1 million for Q1 2020. Refinery margins were adversely affected by lower margins and refinery downtime primarily associated with Winter Storm Uri.

General and Administrative Expenses.General and administrative expenses increased approximately 2% to $0.7 million in Q1 2021 from $0.6 million in Q1 2020. The increase primarily related to rising insurance premiums. Depletion, Depreciation and Amortization.Depletion, depreciation, and amortization expenses for Q1 2021 totaled approximately $0.7 million compared to approximately $0.6 million in Q1 2020. The nearly 10% increase primarily related to placing a petroleum storage tank in service. Total Other Income (Expense).Total other expense in Q1 2021 was $1.4 million compared to total other expense of $1.8 million in Q1 2020, representing a decrease of approximately $0.4 million. Total other expense in Q1 2021 primarily related to interest expense associated with secured loan agreements with Veritex, related-party debt, and the line of credit with Pilot.

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 46

Management’s Discussion and Analysis and Internal Controls

Refinery Operations. Our refinery operations business segment is owned by LE. Assets within this segment consist of a light sweet-crude, 15,000-bpd crude distillation tower, petroleum storage tanks, loading and unloading facilities, and approximately 56 acres of land. Refinery operations revenue is derived from refined product sales.

	Three Months Ended
	March 31,
	2021	2020
	(in thousands)
Refined product sales	$58,483	$60,897
Less: Total cost of goods sold	(59,623)	(62,088)
Gross deficit	(1,140)	(1,191)
Sales (Bbls)	948	1,141
Gross Deficit per Bbl	$(1.20)	$(1.04)

	Three Months Ended
	March 31,
	2021	2020
	(in thousands)
Net revenue (1)	$58,483	$60,897
Intercompany fees and sales	(566)	(617)
Operation costs and expenses	(59,289)	(61,833)
Segment Contribution Deficit	$(1,372)	$(1,553)

Q1 2021 Versus Q1 2020

●

deficit per bbl was $1.20 for Q1 2021 compared to gross deficit per bbl of $1.04 in Q1 2020, representing a decline of $0.16 per bbl. The deficit in both periods related to lower margins and market fluctuations associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Refinery downtime associated with Winter Storm Uri also caused an increase in gross deficit per bbl in Q1 2021.

●

deficit improved slightly in Q1 2021 compared to Q1 2020.

●

downtime increased significantly to 11 days in Q1 2021 compared to 3 days in Q1 2020. Refinery downtime in Q1 2021 primarily related to power outages during Winter Storm Uri.

Tolling and Terminaling. Our tolling and terminaling business segment is owned by LRM and NPS. Assets within this segment include petroleum storage tanks and loading and unloading facilities. Tolling and terminaling revenue is derived from tank storage rental fees, tolling and reservation fees for use of the naphtha stabilizer, and fees collected for ancillary services, such as in-tank blending.

	Three Months Ended
	March 31,
	2021	2020
	(in thousands)
Net revenue (1)	$930	$1,103
Intercompany fees and sales	566	617
Operation costs and expenses	(334)	(255)
Segment Contribution Margin	$1,162	$1,465

Q1 2021 Versus Q1 2020

●

Tolling and terminaling net revenue decreased nearly 16% in Q1 2021 compared to Q1 2020 primarily as a result of lower tank rental revenue.

●

Intercompany fees and sales, which reflect fees associated with an intercompany tolling agreement tied to naphtha volumes, decreased in Q1 2021 compared to Q1 2020. Naphtha sales volumes decreased between the periods.

●

Segment contribution margin in Q1 2021 decreased 20% to $1.2 million compared to $1.5 million Q1 2020. The decrease related to lower revenue and intercompany fees tied to naphtha volumes.

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 47

Management’s Discussion and Analysis and Internal Controls

Non-GAAP Reconciliations.

Reconciliation of Segment Contribution Margin (Deficit)

	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2021	2020	2021	2020	2021	2020	2021	2020
	Refinery Operations		Tolling and Terminaling		Corporate and Other		Total
	(in thousands)
Segment contribution margin (deficit)	$(1,372)	$(1,553)	$1,162	$1,465	$(54)	$(59)	$(264)	$(147)
General and administrative expenses(1)	(301)	(304)	(68)	(68)	(413)	(419)	(782)	(791)
Depreciation and amortization	(302)	(288)	(340)	(294)	(51)	(51)	(693)	(633)
Interest and other non-operating income (expenses), net	(598)	(741)	(452)	(770)	(385)	(243)	(1,435)	(1,754)
Income (loss) before income taxes	(2,573)	(2,886)	302	333	(903)	(772)	(3,174)	(3,325)
Income tax expense	-	-	-	-	-	(15)	-	(15)
Income (loss) before income taxes	$(2,573)	$(2,886)	$302	$333	$(903)	$(787)	$(3,174)	$(3,340)

(1)

General and administrative expenses within refinery operations include the LEH operating fee.

Capital Resources and Liquidity

We had a working capital deficit of $74.3 million and $72.3 million at March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. Excluding the current portion of long-term debt, we had a working capital deficit of $24.2 million and $22.6 million at March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. Although in place pre-pandemic, we have further tightened our cash conservation program to manage cash flow and remain competitive in a low oil price environment. This includes optimizing receivables and payables by prioritizing payments, managing inventory to avoid buildup, monitoring discretionary spending, and delaying capital expenditures. Despite this focus, management is keeping in mind the overall safety of our operations and personnel, as well as the impact to our business over the long-term.

Considering this recent period of extreme economic disruption, combined with the weaker commodity price environment, we remain focused on the safe and reliable operation of the Nixon facility and cash conservation. Our primary cash requirements relate to: (i) purchasing crude oil and condensate for the operation of the Nixon refinery, (ii) reimbursing LEH for direct operating expenses and paying the LEH operating fee under the Amended and Restated Operating Agreement and (iii) servicing debt. In instances where we experience a working capital deficit, we have historically relied on Affiliates to meet our liquidity needs. We are actively exploring additional financing; however, we currently have no arrangements for additional capital and no assurances can be given that we will be able to raise sufficient capital when needed, on acceptable terms, or at all. If we are unable to raise sufficient additional capital in the very near term, we may further default on our payment obligations under certain of our existing debt obligations. Without additional financing, it remains unclear whether we will have or can obtain sufficient liquidity to withstand further disruptions to our business.

How long and to what extent COVID-19 and related market developments will affect our business and operations is unknown. The overall impact of these events will depend on the actions of federal, state, and local government and health officials to contain and treat the virus, including deployment of vaccines, and how quickly economic conditions improve thereafter. A sustained period of low crude oil prices due to market volatility associated with the COVID-19 pandemic may also result in significant financial constraints on producers, which could result in long term crude oil supply constraints and increased transportation costs. A failure to acquire crude oil and condensate when needed will have a material effect on our business results and operations. As a result, we may have to seek protection under bankruptcy laws. In such a case, the trading price of our common stock and the value of an investment in our common stock could significantly decrease, which could lead to holders of our common stock losing their investment in our common stock in its entirety.

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 48

Management’s Discussion and Analysis and Internal Controls

Debt Overview.

Total Debt and Accrued Interest

	March 31,	December 31,
	2021	2020
	(in thousands)
Veritex Loans
LE Term Loan Due 2034 (in default)	$23,104	$22,840
LRM Term Loan Due 2034 (in default)	9,601	9,473
Amended Pilot Line of Credit (in default)	7,272	8,145
Notre Dame Debt (in default)	9,613	9,413
Related-Party Debt
BDPL Loan Agreement (in default)	6,974	6,814
March Ingleside Note (in default)	1,031	1,013
March Carroll Note (in default)	1,732	1,551
June LEH Note (in default)	9,588	9,446
LE Term Loan Due 2050	153	152
NPS Term Loan Due 2050	153	152
Equipment Loan Due 2025	65	71
Total Debt	69,286	69,070
Less: Current portion of long-term debt, net	(57,244)	(57,744)
Less: Unamortized debt issue costs	(1,718)	(1,749)
Less: Accrued interest payable (in default)	(9,975)	(9,222)
	$349	$355

Net cash used in financing activities totaled $0.9 million in Q1 2021 compared to $0.7 million provided by financing activities in Q1 2020. Principal payments on long-term debt totaled $0.9 million in Q1 2021 compared to $0.7 million in Q1 2020. As of the filing date of this report, LE and LRM were in default with respect to required monthly payments under secured loan agreements with Veritex. NPS is making partial monthly payments to Pilot under the Amended Pilot Line of Credit as a tank lease setoff using amounts Pilot owed to NPS under two tank lease agreements. No payments have been made under the subordinated Notre Dame Debt.

Debt Defaults. The majority of our debt is in default. Defaults under our secured loan agreements with third parties include: (1) Veritex financial covenant violations, failure to make monthly payments, and failure to replenish a payment reserve account; (2) Pilot event of default and debt acceleration; and (3) Notre Dame Debt event of default. We also have defaults under secured and unsecured related-party debt. See “Part I, Item 1. Financial Statements – Notes (1), (3), (10), and (11)” for additional disclosures related to Affiliate and third-party debt agreements, including debt guarantees, and defaults in our debt obligations.

Concentration of Customers Risk. We routinely assess the financial strength of our customers and have not experienced significant write-downs in accounts receivable balances. We believe that our accounts receivable credit risk exposure is limited.

	Number Significant Customers	% Total Revenue from Operations	Portion of Accounts Receivable at March 31,
March 31, 2021	4	90%	$0
March 31, 2020	4	94%	$0.6 million

One of our significant customers is LEH, an Affiliate. The Affiliate purchases our jet fuel under a Jet Fuel Sales Agreement and bids on jet fuel contracts under preferential pricing terms due to a HUBZone certification. The Affiliate accounted for 27% and 29% of total revenue from operations in 2021 and 2020, respectively. The Affiliate represented $0 in accounts receivable at both March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Amounts outstanding relating to the Jet Fuel Sales Agreement can significantly vary period to period based on the timing of the related sales and payments received. Amounts we owed to LEH under various long-term debt, related-party agreements totaled $16.6 million and $16.3 million at March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. See “Part I, Item 1. Financial Statements – Notes (3) and (16)” for additional disclosures related to Affiliate agreements, arrangements, and risk.

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 49

Management’s Discussion and Analysis and Internal Controls

Contractual Obligations.

Related-Party Debt

Agreement/Transaction	Parties	Type	Effective Date	Interest Rate	Key Terms
Amended and Restated Guaranty Fee Agreement	Jonathan Carroll - LE	Debt	04/01/2017	2.00%	Tied to payoff of LE $25 million Veritex loan; payments 50% cash, 50% Common Stock
Amended and Restated Guaranty Fee Agreement	Jonathan Carroll - LRM	Debt	04/01/2017	2.00%	Tied to payoff of LRM $10 million Veritex loan; payments 50% cash, 50% Common Stock
March Carroll Note (in default)	Jonathan Carroll – Blue Dolphin	Debt	03/31/2017	8.00%	Blue Dolphin working capital; matured 01/01/2019; interest still accruing
March Ingleside Note (in default)	Ingleside – Blue Dolphin	Debt	03/31/2017	8.00%	Blue Dolphin working capital; reflects amounts owed to Ingleside under previous Amended and Restated Tank Lease Agreement; matured 01/01/2019; interest still accruing
June LEH Note (in default)	LEH – Blue Dolphin	Debt	03/31/2017	8.00%	Blue Dolphin working capital; reflects amounts owed to LEH under the Amended and Restated Operating Agreement; reflects amounts owed to Jonathan Carroll under guaranty fee agreements; matured 01/01/2019; interest still accruing
BDPL-LEH Loan Agreement (in default)	LEH - BDPL	Debt	08/15/2016	16.00%	2-year term; $4.0 million principal amount; $0.5 million annual payment; proceeds used for working capital; no financial maintenance covenants; secured by certain BDPL property

Related-Party Defaults

Loan Description	Event(s) of Default	Covenant Violations
March Carroll Note (in default)	Failure of borrower to pay past due obligations; loan matured January 2019	--
March Ingleside Note (in default)	Failure of borrower to pay past due obligations; loan matured January 2019	---
June LEH Note (in default)	Failure of borrower to pay past due obligations; loan matured January 2019	---
BDPL-LEH Loan Agreement (in default)	Failure of borrower to pay past due obligations; loan matured August 2018	---

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 50

Management’s Discussion and Analysis and Internal Controls

Third-Party Debt

Loan Description	Parties	Original Principal Amount (in millions)	Maturity Date	Monthly Principal and Interest Payment	Interest Rate	Loan Purpose
Veritex Loans(1)
LE Term Loan Due 2034 (in default)	LE-Veritex	$25.0	Jun 2034	$0.2 million	WSJ Prime + 2.75%	Refinance loan; capital improvements
LRM Term Loan Due 2034 (in default)	LRM-Veritex	$10.0	Dec 2034	$0.1 million	WSJ Prime + 2.75%	Refinance bridge loan; capital improvements
Notre Dame Debt (in default)(2)(3)	LE-Kissick	$11.7	Jan 2018	No payments to date; payment rights subordinated	16.00%	Working capital; reduced balance of GEL arbitration award
Amended Pilot Line of Credit (in default)	NPS-Pilot	$13.0	May 2020	---	14.00%	GEL settlement payment, NPS purchase of crude oil from Pilot, and working capital
SBA EIDLs
LE Term Loan Due 2050(4)	LE-SBA	$0.15	Aug 2050	$0.0007 million	3.75%	Working capital
NPS Term Loan Due 2050(4)	NPS-SBA	$0.15	Aug 2050	$0.0007 million	3.75%	Working capital
Equipment Loan Due 2025	LE-Texas First	$0.07	Oct 2025	$0.0013 million	4.50%	Equipment Lease Conversion

(1)

Proceeds were placed in a disbursement account whereby Veritex makes payments for construction related expenses. Amounts held in the disbursement account are reflected on our consolidated balance sheets as restricted cash (current portion) and restricted cash, noncurrent. At March 31, 2021, restricted cash (current portion) was $0.05 million and restricted cash, noncurrent was $0. December 31, 2020, restricted cash (current portion) was $0.05 million and restricted cash, noncurrent was $0.5 million.

(2)

LE originally entered into a loan agreement with Notre Dame Investors, Inc. in the principal amount of $8.0 million. The debt is currently held by John Kissick. Pursuant to a 2017 sixth amendment, the Notre Dame Debt was amended to increase the principal amount by $3.7 million; the additional principal was used to reduce the arbitration award with GEL by $3.6 million.

(3)

Pursuant to a 2015 subordination agreement, the holder of the Notre Dame Debt agreed to subordinate their right to payments, as well as any security interest and liens on the Nixon facility’s business assets, in favor of Veritex as holder of the LE Term Loan Due 2034.

(4)

Payments are deferred for the first twelve (12) months of the loan; the first payment is due August 2021; interest accrues during the deferral period. SBA EIDLs are not forgivable.

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 51

Management’s Discussion and Analysis and Internal Controls

Third-Party Defaults

Loan Description	Event(s) of Default	Covenant Violations
Veritex Loans
LE Term Loan Due 2034 (in default)	Failure to make required monthly payments; failure to replenish $1.0 million payment reserve account; events of default under other secured loan agreements with Veritex	Financial covenants: ● debt service coverage ratio, current ratio, and debt to net worth ratio
LRM Term Loan Due 2034 (in default)	Events of default under other secured loan agreements with Veritex	Financial covenants: ● debt service coverage ratio, current ratio, and debt to net worth ratio
Amended Pilot Line of Credit (in default)	Failure of borrower or any guarantor to pay past due obligations; loan matured May 2020	---
Notre Dame Debt (in default)	Failure of borrower to pay past due obligations; loan matured January 2019	---

BOEM Additional Financial Assurance (Supplemental Pipeline Bonds)

To cover the various obligations of lessees and rights-of-way holders operating in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico, BOEM evaluates an operator’s financial ability to carry out present and future obligations to determine whether the operator must provide additional security beyond the statutory bonding requirements. Such obligations include the cost of plugging and abandoning wells and decommissioning pipelines and platforms at the end of production or service activities. Once plugging and abandonment work has been completed, the collateral backing the financial assurance is released by BOEM.

BDPL has historically maintained $0.9 million in financial assurance to BOEM for the decommissioning of its trunk pipeline offshore in federal waters. Following an agency restructuring of the financial assurance program, in March 2018 BOEM ordered BDPL to provide additional financial assurance totaling approximately $4.8 million for five (5) existing pipeline rights-of-way within sixty (60) calendar days. In June 2018, BOEM issued BDPL INCs for each right-of-way that failed to comply. BDPL appealed the INCs to the IBLA, and the IBLA granted multiple extension requests that extended BDPL’s deadline for filing a statement of reasons for the appeal with the IBLA. On August 9, 2019, BDPL timely filed its statement of reasons for the appeal with the IBLA. Considering BDPL’s August 2019 meeting with BOEM and BSEE, BDPL requested a stay in the IBLA matter until August 2020. The Office of the Solicitor of the U.S. Department of the Interior was agreeable to a 10-day extension while it conferred with BOEM on BDPL’s stay request. In late October 2019, BDPL filed a motion to request the 10-day extension, which motion was subsequently granted by the IBLA. The solicitor’s office consented to an additional 14-day extension for BDPL to file its reply, and BDPL filed a motion to request the 14-day extension in November 2019. The solicitor’s office indicated that BOEM would not consent to further extensions. However, the solicitor’s office signaled that BDPL’s adherence to the milestones identified in an August 15, 2019 meeting between management and BSEE may help in future discussions with BOEM related to the INCs. Decommissioning of these assets will significantly reduce or eliminate the amount of financial assurance required by BOEM, which may serve to partially or fully resolve the INCs. Although we planned to decommission the offshore pipelines and platform assets during 2020, decommissioning of these assets has been delayed due to cash constraints associated with the ongoing impact of COVID-19 and winter being the offseason for dive operations in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. We cannot currently estimate when decommissioning may occur. In the interim, BDPL provides BOEM and BSEE with updates regarding the project’s status.

BDPL’s pending appeal of the BOEM INCs does not relieve BDPL of its obligations to provide additional financial assurance or of BOEM’s authority to impose financial penalties. There can be no assurance that we will be able to meet additional financial assurance (supplemental pipeline bond) requirements. If BDPL is required by BOEM to provide significant additional financial assurance (supplemental pipeline bonds) or is assessed significant penalties under the INCs, we will experience a significant and material adverse effect on our operations, liquidity, and financial condition.

We are currently unable to predict the outcome of the BOEM INCs. Accordingly, we have not recorded a liability on our consolidated balance sheet as of March 31, 2021. At both March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, BDPL maintained approximately $0.9 million in credit and cash-backed pipeline rights-of-way bonds issued to BOEM.

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 52

Management’s Discussion and Analysis and Internal Controls

BSEE Offshore Pipelines and Platform Decommissioning

BDPL has pipelines and platform assets that are subject to BSEE’s idle iron regulations. Idle iron regulations mandate lessees and rights-of-way holders to permanently abandon and/or remove platforms and other structures when they are no longer useful for operations. Until such structures are abandoned or removed, lessees and rights-of-way holders are required to inspect and maintain the assets in accordance with regulatory requirements.

In December 2018, BSEE issued an INC to BDPL for failure to flush and fill Pipeline Segment No. 13101. Management met with BSEE on August 15, 2019 to address BDPL’s plans with respect to decommissioning its offshore pipelines and platform assets. BSEE proposed that BDPL re-submit permit applications for pipeline and platform decommissioning, along with a safe boarding plan for the platform, within six (6) months (no later than February 15, 2020), and develop and implement a safe boarding plan for submission with such permit applications. Further, BSEE proposed that BDPL complete approved, permitted work within twelve (12) months (no later than August 15, 2020). BDPL timely submitted permit applications for decommissioning of the subject offshore pipelines and platform assets to BSEE on February 11, 2020 and the USACOE on March 25, 2020. In April 2020, BSEE issued another INC to BDPL for failure to perform the required structural surveys for the GA-288C Platform. BDPL requested an extension to the INC related to the structural platform surveys, and BSEE approved BDPL’s extension request. The required platform surveys were completed, and the INC was resolved in June 2020.

Although we planned to decommission the offshore pipelines and platform assets during 2020, decommissioning of these assets has been delayed due to cash constraints associated with the ongoing impact of COVID-19 and winter being the offseason for dive operations in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. We cannot currently estimate when decommissioning may occur. In the interim, BDPL provides BSEE with updates regarding the project’s status.

Lack of permit approvals does not relieve BDPL of its obligations to remedy the BSEE INCs or of BSEE’s authority to impose financial penalties. If BDPL fails to complete decommissioning of the offshore pipelines and platform assets and/or remedy the INCs within a timeframe determined to be prudent by BSEE, BDPL could be subject to regulatory oversight and enforcement, including but not limited to failure to correct an INC, civil penalties, and revocation of BDPL’s operator designation, which could have a material adverse effect on our earnings, cash flows and liquidity.

We are currently unable to predict the outcome of the BSEE INCs. Accordingly, we have not recorded a liability on our consolidated balance sheet as of March 31, 2021. At both March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, BDPL maintained $2.4 million in AROs related to abandonment of these assets.

Sources and Use of Cash.

Components of Cash Flows

	Three Months Ended
	March 31,
	2021	2020
	(in thousands)
Cash Flows Provided By (Used In):
Operating activities	$373	$(259)
Investing activities	-	(198)
Financing activities	(915)	654
Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	$(542)	$197

Cash Flow Q1 2021 Compared to Q1 2020

We had cash flow from operations of approximately $0.3 million for Q1 2021 compared to a cash flow deficit of approximately $0.3 million for Q1 2020. Cash frow from operations for Q1 2021 was due to the timing of crude oil purchases. The cash flow deficit for Q1 2020 primarily related to loss from operations.

Capital Expenditures

During Q1 2021, capital expenditures totaled $0 compared to $0.2 million during Q1 2020. Capital expenditures in Q1 2020 primarily related to completion of a petroleum storage tank. In view of the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, combined with the weaker commodity price environment, we anticipate new capital expenditures to be minimal in 2021.

We account for our capital expenditures in accordance with GAAP. We also classify capital expenditures as ‘maintenance’ if the expenditure maintains capacity or throughput or as ‘expansion’ if the expenditure increases capacity or throughput capabilities. Although classification is generally a straightforward process, in certain circumstances the determination is a matter of management judgment and discretion.

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 53

Management’s Discussion and Analysis and Internal Controls

We budget for maintenance capital expenditures throughout the year on a project-by-project basis. Projects are determined based on maintaining safe and efficient operations, meeting customer needs, complying with operating policies and applicable law, and producing economic benefits, such as increasing efficiency and/or lowering future expenses.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements.None.

Accounting Standards.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Our significant accounting policies and recent accounting developments are described in “Part I, Item 1. Financial Statements – Note (2)”. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and related governmental responses, volatility in commodity prices, and severe weather resulting from climate change have impacted and likely will continue to impact our business. Under earlier state and federal mandates that regulated business closures, our business was deemed as an essential business and, as such, remained open. As U.S. federal, state, and local officials roll out COVID-19 vaccines, we expect to continue operating. We have instituted various initiatives throughout the company as part of our business continuity programs, and we are working to mitigate risk when disruptions occur. The uncertainty around the availability and prices of crude oil, the prices and demand for our refined products, and the general business environment is expected to continue through 2021 and beyond.

The nature of our business requires that we make estimates and assumptions in accordance with U.S. GAAP. These estimates and assumptions affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, as well as the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has impacted these estimates and assumptions and will continue to do so.

We assessed certain accounting matters that generally require consideration of forecasted financial information in context with the information reasonably available to us and the unknown future impacts of COVID-19 as of March 31, 2021 and through the filing date of this report. The accounting matters assessed included, but were not limited to, our allowance for doubtful accounts, inventory and related reserves, and the carrying value of long-lived assets.

New Accounting Standards and Disclosures

New accounting standards and disclosures are discussed in “Part I, Item 1. Financial Statements – Note (2)”.

ITEM 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

Not applicable.

 ITEM 4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Under the supervision of, and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer (principal executive officer and principal financial officer), we conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures, as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). As previously reported in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, based on our evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer (principal executive officer, principal financial officer, and principal accounting officer) concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were ineffective due to certain material weaknesses and/or significant deficiencies as described below:

● Significant deficiency – There is currently not a process in place for formal review of manual journal entries.

● Material weakness – The company currently lacks resources to handle complex accounting transactions. This can result in errors related to the recording, disclosure and presentation of consolidated financial information in quarterly, annual, and other filings.

These disclosure controls and procedures remained ineffective as of the end of the period covered by this report. Management is currently evaluating internal processes in order to take corrective actions. Corrective actions may include implementing formal policies, improving processes, documenting procedures, and better defining segregation of duties to improve financial reporting. These actions will be subject to ongoing senior management review, as well as Audit Committee oversight. Although we plan to complete remediation efforts as quickly as possible, we cannot at this time estimate how long it will take, and our initiatives may not prove to be successful in fully remediating the identified weakness and deficiency.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

There have been no change in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) that occurred during the three months ended March 31, 2021 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting. (See the above section “Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures” for a discussion related to current ineffective disclosure controls and procedures.)

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 54

Exhibits

 PART II

 ITEM 1.  LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

BOEM Additional Financial Assurance (Supplemental Pipeline Bonds)

To cover the various obligations of lessees and rights-of-way holders operating in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico, BOEM evaluates an operator’s financial ability to carry out present and future obligations to determine whether the operator must provide additional security beyond the statutory bonding requirements. Such obligations include the cost of plugging and abandoning wells and decommissioning pipelines and platforms at the end of production or service activities. Once plugging and abandonment work has been completed, the collateral backing the financial assurance is released by BOEM.

BDPL has historically maintained $0.9 million in financial assurance to BOEM for the decommissioning of its trunk pipeline offshore in federal waters. Following an agency restructuring of the financial assurance program, in March 2018 BOEM ordered BDPL to provide additional financial assurance totaling approximately $4.8 million for five (5) existing pipeline rights-of-way within sixty (60) calendar days. In June 2018, BOEM issued BDPL INCs for each right-of-way that failed to comply. BDPL appealed the INCs to the IBLA, and the IBLA granted multiple extension requests that extended BDPL’s deadline for filing a statement of reasons for the appeal with the IBLA. On August 9, 2019, BDPL timely filed its statement of reasons for the appeal with the IBLA. Considering BDPL’s August 2019 meeting with BOEM and BSEE, BDPL requested a stay in the IBLA matter until August 2020. The Office of the Solicitor of the U.S. Department of the Interior was agreeable to a 10-day extension while it conferred with BOEM on BDPL’s stay request. In late October 2019, BDPL filed a motion to request the 10-day extension, which motion was subsequently granted by the IBLA. The solicitor’s office consented to an additional 14-day extension for BDPL to file its reply, and BDPL filed a motion to request the 14-day extension in November 2019. The solicitor’s office indicated that BOEM would not consent to further extensions. However, the solicitor’s office signaled that BDPL’s adherence to the milestones identified in the August 15, 2019 meeting may help in future discussions with BOEM related to the INCs. BDPL reasonably expects that successful completion of its decommissioning obligations (discussed within this “Note (16)” under ‘BSEE Offshore Pipelines and Platform Decommissioning’) prior to BSEE’s August 2020 deadline will significantly reduce or eliminate the amount of financial assurance required by BOEM, which may serve to partially or fully resolve the INCs.

BDPL’s pending appeal of the BOEM INCs does not relieve BDPL of its obligations to provide additional financial assurance or of BOEM’s authority to impose financial penalties. There can be no assurance that we will be able to meet additional financial assurance (supplemental pipeline bond) requirements. If BDPL is required by BOEM to provide significant additional financial assurance (supplemental pipeline bonds) or is assessed significant penalties under the INCs, we will experience a significant and material adverse effect on our operations, liquidity, and financial condition.

We are currently unable to predict the outcome of the BOEM INCs. Accordingly, we have not recorded a liability on our consolidated balance sheet as of March 31, 2020. At March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, BDPL maintained approximately $0.9 million in credit and cash-backed pipeline rights-of-way bonds issued to BOEM.

Other Legal Matters

We are involved in lawsuits, claims, and proceedings incidental to the conduct of our business, including mechanic’s liens, contract-related disputes, and administrative proceedings. Management is in discussion with all concerned parties and does not believe that such matters will have a material adverse effect on our financial position, earnings, or cash flows. However, there can be no assurance that such discussions will result in a manageable outcome. If Veritex and/or Pilot exercise their rights and remedies due to defaults under our secured loan agreements, our business, financial condition, and results of operations will be materially adversely affected.

 ITEM 1A.  RISK FACTORS

In addition to the other information set forth in this Quarterly Report, careful consideration should be given to the risk factors discussed under “Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors” and elsewhere in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020as filed with the SEC. These risks and uncertainties could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Our operations could also be affected by additional factors that are not presently known to us or by factors that we currently consider immaterial to our business. There have been no material changes in our assessment of our risk factors from those set forth in our Annual Report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020.

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 55

Exhibits

 ITEM 2.  UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS

None.

 ITEM 3.  DEFAULTS UPON SENIOR SECURITIES

See “Part I, Item. 1. Financial Statements – Notes (10) and (11)” for disclosures related to defaults on our debt.

 ITEM 4.  MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

Not applicable.

 ITEM 5.  

OTHER INFORMATION

None.

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 56

Exhibits

 ITEM 6.  EXHIBITS

Exhibits Index

No.  Description 

31.1*	Jonathan P. Carroll Certification Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
32.1*	Jonathan P. Carroll Certification Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
101.INS*	XBRL Instance Document.
101.SCH*	XBRL Taxonomy Schema Document.
101.CAL*	XBRL Calculation Linkbase Document.
101.LAB*	XBRL Label Linkbase Document.
101.PRE*	XBRL Presentation Linkbase Document.
101.DEF*	XBRL Definition Linkbase Document.

*            

Filed herewith

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 57

Signature Page

  SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this Quarterly Report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

	BLUE DOLPHIN ENERGY COMPANY
	(Registrant)
May 17, 2021	By:	/s/ JONATHAN P. CARROLL
		Jonathan P. Carroll Chief Executive Officer, President, Assistant Treasurer and Secretary (Principal Executive Officer, Principal Financial Officer, and Principal Accounting Officer)

Blue Dolphin Energy Company March 31, 2021 │Page 58

EX-31.1

Exhibit 31.1

I, Jonathan P. Carroll, certify that:

1.

I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Blue Dolphin Energy Company (the “Registrant”).

2.

Based on my knowledge, this quarterly 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 periods covered by this quarterly report;

3.

Based on my knowledge, the financial statements and other financial information included in this quarterly 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 quarterly report;

4.

I am 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 I have:

a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under my supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the Registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to me by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this quarterly report is being prepared;

b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under my 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 quarterly report my conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this quarterly report based on such evaluation; and

d) Disclosed in this quarterly 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 first fiscal quarter in the case of this quarterly report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

5.

I have disclosed, based on my 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:

(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.

Date: May 17, 2021

/s/ JONATHAN P. CARROLL

Jonathan P. Carroll

Chief Executive Officer, President, Assistant Treasurer and Secretary

(Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer)

EX-32.1

Exhibit 32.1

CERTIFICATION OF

PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND

PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL OFFICER

PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,

AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 906

OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

In connection with the Quarterly Report of Blue Dolphin Energy Company (the “Blue Dolphin”) on Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31, 2021 (the “Report”), as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof, I, Jonathan P. Carroll, Chief Executive Officer, President, Assistant Treasurer and Secretary (Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer) of Blue Dolphin, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. §1350, as adopted pursuant to §906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that to my knowledge:

1. The Report fully complies with the requirements of section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; and

2. The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of Blue Dolphin.

/s/ JONATHAN P. CARROLL

Jonathan P. Carroll

Chief Executive Officer, President, Assistant Treasurer and Secretary

(Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer)

May 17, 2021

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Document and Entity Information - shares	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2021	May 17, 2021
Cover [Abstract]
Entity Registrant Name	BLUE DOLPHIN ENERGY CO
Entity Central Index Key	0000793306
Document Type	10-Q
Document Period End Date	Mar. 31, 2021
Amendment Flag	false
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Is Entity's Reporting Status Current?	Yes
Entity Filer Category	Non-accelerated Filer
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Entity Small Business	true
Entity Shell Company	false
Entity Interactive Data Current	Yes
Entity Incorporation State Country Code	DE
Entity File Number	0-15905
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		12,693,514
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q1
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2021

XML

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 521	$ 549
Restricted cash	48	48
Accounts receivable, net	170	214
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	1,060	3,564
Deposits	110	124
Inventory	1,099	1,062
Total current assets	3,008	5,561
LONG-TERM ASSETS
Total property and equipment, net	61,856	62,497
Operating lease right-of-use assets, net	458	498
Restricted cash, noncurrent	0	514
Surety bonds	230	230
Total long-term assets	62,544	63,739
Total assets	65,552	69,300
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Long-term debt less unamortized debt issue costs, current portion (in default)	33,724	33,692
Line of credit payable less unamortized debt issue costs (in default)	7,169	8,042
Long-term debt, related party, current portion (in default)	16,351	16,010
Interest payable (in default)	7,001	6,408
Interest payable, related party (in default)	2,974	2,814
Accounts payable	2,689	3,274
Accounts payable, related party	155	155
Current portion of lease liabilities	199	194
Asset retirement obligations, current portion	2,370	2,370
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	4,689	4,882
Total current liabilities	77,321	77,841
LONG-TERM LIABILITIES
Long-term operating leases, net of current	319	370
Deferred revenues	1,523	1,520
Long-term debt, net of current portion	349	355
Total long-term liabilities	2,191	2,245
Total liabilities	79,512	80,086
Commitments and contingencies (Note 16)
STOCKHOLDERS' DEFICIT
Common stock ($0.01 par value, 20,000,000 shares authorized; 12,693,514 shares issued and outstanding at both March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020)	127	127
Additional paid-in capital	38,457	38,457
Accumulated deficit	(52,544)	(49,370)
Total stockholders' deficit	(13,960)	(10,786)
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity (deficit)	$ 65,552	$ 69,300

XML

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) (Parenthetical) - $ / shares	Mar. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
STOCKHOLDERS' DEFICIT
Common stock, par value	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Common stock, shares authorized	20,000,000	20,000,000
Common stock, shares issued	12,693,514	12,693,514
Common stock, shares outstanding	12,693,514	12,693,514

XML

Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2021	Mar. 31, 2020
REVENUE FROM OPERATIONS
Refinery operations	$ 58,483	$ 60,897
Tolling and terminaling	930	1,103
Total revenue from operations	59,413	62,000
COST OF GOODS SOLD
Crude oil, fuel use, and chemicals	57,783	59,720
Other conversion costs	1,840	2,368
Total cost of goods sold	59,623	62,088
Gross deficit	(210)	(88)
COST OF OPERATIONS
LEH operating fee	124	147
Other operating expenses	54	59
General and administrative expenses	658	644
Depletion, depreciation and amortization	693	633
Total cost of operations	1,529	1,483
Loss from operations	(1,739)	(1,571)
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE)
Easement, interest and other income	2	20
Interest and other expense	(1,480)	(1,774)
Gain on extinguishment of debt	43	0
Total other expense	(1,435)	(1,754)
Loss before income taxes	(3,174)	(3,325)
Income tax expense	0	(15)
Net loss	$ (3,174)	$ (3,340)
Loss per common share:
Basic	$ (0.25)	$ (0.27)
Diluted	$ (0.25)	$ (0.27)
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding:
Basic	12,693,514	12,327,365
Diluted	12,693,514	12,327,365

XML

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2021	Mar. 31, 2020
OPERATING ACTIVITIES
Net income (loss)	$ (3,174)	$ (3,340)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:
Depletion, depreciation and amortization	693	633
Deferred income tax	0	15
Amortization of debt issue costs	32	220
Guaranty fees paid in kind	152	153
Related-party interest expense paid in kind	225	68
Deferred revenues and expenses	3	(122)
Gain on extinguishment of debt	(43)	0
Changes in operating assets and liabilities
Accounts receivable	44	(879)
Accounts receivable, related party	0	1,364
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	2,504	1,496
Deposits and other assets	14	(16)
Inventory	(37)	832
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	(40)	(683)
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	373	(259)
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures	0	(198)
Net cash used in investing activities	0	(198)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Proceeds from debt	0	(696)
Payments on debt	(879)	0
Net activity on related-party debt	(36)	1,350
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(915)	654
Net change in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash	(542)	197
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period	1,111	668
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period	569	865
Non-cash investing and financing activities:
Interest paid	287	361
Income taxes paid (refunded)	$ 0	$ 0

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1. Organization

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Organization

Overview

Blue Dolphin is an independent downstream energy company operating in the Gulf Coast region of the United States. Our subsidiaries operate a light sweet-crude, 15,000-bpd crude distillation tower with approximately 1.2 million bbls of petroleum storage tank capacity in Nixon, Texas. Blue Dolphin was formed in 1986 as a Delaware corporation and is traded on the OTCQX under the ticker symbol “BDCO”.

Our assets are primarily organized in two segments: refinery operations (owned by LE) and tolling and terminaling services (owned by LRM and NPS). Subsidiaries that are reflected in corporate and other include BDPL (inactive pipeline and facilities assets), BDPC (inactive leasehold interests in oil and gas wells), and BDSC (administrative services). See “Note (4)” to our consolidated financial statements for more information about our business segments.

Unless the context otherwise requires, references in this report to “we,” “us,” “our,” or “ours,” refer to Blue Dolphin, one or more of its consolidated subsidiaries or all of them taken as a whole.

Affiliates

Affiliates controlled approximately 82% of the voting power of our Common Stock as of the filing date of this report. An Affiliate operates and manages all Blue Dolphin properties and funds working capital requirements during periods of working capital deficits, and an Affiliate is a significant customer of our refined products. Blue Dolphin and certain of its subsidiaries are currently parties to a variety of agreements with Affiliates. See “Note (3)” to our consolidated financial statements for additional disclosures related to Affiliate agreements, arrangements, and risks associated with working capital deficits.

Going Concern

Management has determined that certain factors raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. As discussed more fully below, these factors include inadequate liquidity to sustain operations due to defaults under our secured loan agreements, margin deterioration and volatility, and historic net losses and working capital deficits. Our consolidated financial statements assume we will continue as a going concern and do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty. Our ability to continue as a going concern depends on sustained positive operating margins and having working capital for, amongst other requirements, purchasing crude oil and condensate and making payments on long-term debt. Without positive operating margins and working capital, our business will be jeopardized, and we may not be able to continue. If we are unable to make required debt payments, we would likely have to consider other options, such as selling assets, raising additional debt or equity capital, cutting costs or otherwise reducing our cash requirements, or negotiating with our creditors to restructure our applicable obligations, including a potential bankruptcy filing.

Defaults Under Secured Loan Agreements. We are currently in default under certain of our secured loan agreements with third parties and related parties. As a result, the debt associated with these obligations was classified within the current portion of long-term debt on our consolidated balance sheets at March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020.

Third-Party Defaults

● Veritex Loans – Defaults under the LE Term Loan Due 2034 and LRM Term Loan Due 2034 permit Veritex to declare the amounts owed under these loan agreements immediately due and payable, exercise its rights with respect to collateral securing obligors’ obligations under these loan agreements, and/or exercise any other rights and remedies available. Any exercise by Veritex of its rights and remedies under our secured loan agreements would have a material adverse effect on our business operations, including crude oil and condensate procurement and our customer relationships; financial condition; and results of operations. Veritex exercising its rights would also adversely impact the trading price of our common stock and the value of an investment in our common stock, which could lead to holders of our common stock losing their investment in its entirety. We can provide no assurance that: (i) our assets or cash flow will be sufficient to fully repay borrowings under our secured loan agreements with Veritex, either upon maturity or if accelerated, (ii) LE and LRM will be able to refinance or restructure the payments of the debt, and/or (iii) Veritex, as first lien holder, will provide future default waivers. The borrowers continue in active dialogue with Veritex. As of the filing date of this report, payments under the Veritex loans were current, but other defaults remained outstanding.

● Amended Pilot Line of Credit – Upon maturity of the Pilot Line of Credit in May 2020, Pilot sent NPS, as borrower, and LRM, LEH, LE and Blue Dolphin, each a guarantor and collectively guarantors, a notice demanding the immediate payment of the unpaid principal amount and all interest accrued and unpaid, and all other amounts owing or payable (the “Pilot Obligations”). Pursuant to the Amended Pilot Line of Credit, commencing on May 4, 2020, the Pilot Obligations began to accrue interest at a default rate of fourteen percent (14%) per annum. Failure of the borrower or any guarantor of paying the past due Pilot Obligations constituted an event of default. Pilot expressly retained and reserved all its rights and remedies available to it at any time, including without limitation, the right to exercise all rights and remedies available to Pilot under the Amended Pilot Line of Credit or applicable law or equity.

Pursuant to a June 1, 2020 notice, Pilot began applying Pilot’s payment obligations to NPS under each of (a) the Terminal Services Agreement (covering Tank Nos. 67, 71, 72, 73, 77, and 78), dated as of May 2019, between NPS and Pilot, and (b) the Terminal Services Agreement (covering Tank No. 56), dated as of June 1, 2019, between NPS and Pilot, against NPS’ payment obligations to Pilot under the Amended Pilot Line of Credit. Such tank lease setoff amounts only partially satisfy NPS’ obligations under the Amended Pilot Line of Credit, and Pilot expressly retained and reserved all its rights and remedies available to it at any time, including, without limitation, the right to exercise all rights and remedies available to Pilot under the Amended Pilot Line of Credit or applicable law or equity. For the three-month periods ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, the tank lease setoff amounts totaled $0.6 million and $0, respectively. For the three-month periods ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, the amount of interest NPS incurred under the Amended Pilot Line of Credit totaled $0.3 million and $0.4 million, respectively.

On November 23, 2020, NPS and guarantors received notice from Pilot that the entry into the SBA EIDLs was a breach of the Amended Pilot Line of Credit and Pilot demanded full repayment of the Pilot Obligations, including through use of the proceeds of the SBA EIDLs. Pilot also notified the SBA that the liens securing the SBA EIDLs are junior to those securing the Pilot Obligations. While the SBA acknowledged this point and indicated a willingness to subordinate the SBA EIDLs, no further action has been taken by Pilot as of the filing date of this report.

Any exercise by Pilot of its rights and remedies under the Amended Pilot Line of Credit would have a material adverse effect on our business operations, including crude oil and condensate procurement and our customer relationships; financial condition; and results of operations. NPS and guarantors continue in active dialogue with Pilot to reach a negotiated settlement, and we believe that Pilot hopes to continue working with NPS to settle the Pilot Obligations. NPS and guarantors are also working on the possible refinance of amounts owing and payable under the Amended Pilot Line of Credit. However, progress with potential lenders has been slow due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. NPS’s ability to repay, refinance, replace or otherwise extend this credit facility is dependent on, among other things, business conditions, our financial performance, and the general condition of the financial markets. Given the current financial markets, we could be forced to undertake alternate financings, including a sale of additional common stock, negotiate for an extension of the maturity, or sell assets and delay capital expenditures in order to generate proceeds that could be used to repay such indebtedness. We can provide no assurance that we will be able to consummate any such transaction on terms that are commercially reasonable, on terms acceptable to us or at all. If new debt or other liabilities are added to the Company’s current consolidated debt levels, the related risks that it now faces could intensify. In the event we are unsuccessful in such endeavors, NPS may be unable to pay the amounts outstanding under the Amended Pilot Line of Credit, which may require us to seek protection under bankruptcy laws. In such a case, the trading price of our common stock and the value of an investment in our common stock could significantly decrease, which could lead to holders of our common stock losing their investment in our common stock in its entirety.

● Notre Dame Debt – Pursuant to a 2015 subordination agreement, the holder of the Notre Dame Debt agreed to subordinate their right to payments, as well as any security interest and liens on the Nixon facility’s business assets, in favor of Veritex as holder of the LE Term Loan Due 2034. To date, no payments have been made under the subordinated Notre Dame Debt and the holder of the Notre Dame Debt has taken no action as a result of the non-payment.

Our financial health could be materially and adversely affected by defaults in our secured loan agreements, margin deterioration and volatility, historic net losses and working capital deficits, as well as termination of the crude supply agreement or terminal services agreement with Pilot, which could impact our ability to acquire crude oil and condensate. In addition, sustained periods of low crude oil prices due to market volatility associated with the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant financial constraints on producers, which in turn has resulted in long term crude oil supply constraints and increased transportation costs. A failure to acquire crude oil and condensate when needed will have a material effect on our business results and operations. During the three-month period ended March 31, 2021, our refinery experienced 1 day of downtime as a result of lack of crude due to cash constraints.

Related-Party Defaults

Affiliates controlled approximately 82% of the voting power of our Common Stock as of the filing date of this report, an Affiliate operates and manages all Blue Dolphin properties, an Affiliate is a significant customer of our refined products, and we borrow from Affiliates during periods of working capital deficits. Replated party debt, which is currently in default, represents such working capital borrowings.

Margin Deterioration and Volatility. Our refining margins generally improve in an environment of higher crude oil and refined product prices, and where the spread between crude oil prices and refined product prices widen. In 2020, steps taken early on to address the COVID-19 pandemic globally and nationally, including government-imposed temporary business closures and voluntary shelter-at-home directives, caused oil prices to decline sharply. In addition, actions by members of the OPEC and other producer countries with respect to oil production and pricing significantly impacted supply and demand in global oil and gas markets. As COVID-19 vaccinations increase, global economic activity rises, and the OPEC and partner countries limit crude oil production, there is cautious optimism that the economy will improve in the short-term. However, oil and refined product prices and demand are expected to remain volatile for the foreseeable future, despite signs of recovery during the first quarter of 2021. We cannot predict when prices and demand will stabilize, and we are currently unable to estimate the impact these events will have on our future financial position and results of operations. Accordingly, we expect that these events will continue to have a material adverse effect on our financial position and results of operations throughout 2021.

Historic Net Losses and Working Capital Deficits

Net Losses. Net loss for the three months ended March 31, 2021 was $3.2 million, or a loss of $0.25 per share, compared to a net loss of $3.3 million, or a loss of $0.27 per share, for the three months ended March 31, 2020. Net losses in both periods were the result of unfavorable refining margins per bbl. The net loss during the three months ended March 31, 2021 was also due to 10 days of refinery downtime associated with Winter Storm Uri.

Working Capital Deficits. We had a working capital deficit of $74.3 million and $72.3 million at March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. Excluding the current portion of long-term debt, we had a working capital deficit of $24.2 million and $22.6 million at March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. Cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash (current portion), and restricted cash, noncurrent were as follow:

	March 31,		December 31,
	2021		2020
	(in thousands)
Cash and cash equivalents	$	521	$	549
Restricted cash (current portion)		48		48
Restricted cash, noncurrent		-		514
Total	$	569	$	1,111

Operating Risks

Successful execution of our business strategy depends on several key factors, including, having adequate working capital to meet operational needs and regulatory requirements, maintaining safe and reliable operations at the Nixon facility, meeting contractual obligations, and having favorable margins on refined products. We are currently unable to estimate the impact the COVID-19 pandemic will have on our future financial position and results of operations. Under earlier state and federal mandates that regulated business closures, our business was deemed as an essential business and, as such, remained open. As U.S. federal, state, and local officials roll out COVID-19 vaccines, we expect to continue operating. Any governmental mandates, while necessary to address the virus, will result in further business and operational disruptions, including demand destruction, liquidity strains, supply chain challenges, travel restrictions, controls on in-person gathering, and workforce availability.

Management believes that it has taken all prudent steps to mitigate risk, avoid business disruptions, manage cash flow, and remain competitive in a low oil price environment. We are managing cash flow by optimizing receivables and payables by prioritizing payments, managing inventory to avoid buildup, monitoring discretionary spending, and delaying capital expenditures. At the Nixon facility, we adjust throughput and production based on prevailing market conditions. With regard to personnel, we have adopted remote working where possible. Where on-site operations are required, personnel are required to wear masks and practice social distancing. We also implemented other site-specific precautionary measures to reduce the risk of exposure and have restricted non-essential business travel. Personnel, customers, and partners are also encouraged to collaborate virtually.

There can be no assurance that our business strategy will be successful, that Affiliates will continue to fund our working capital needs when we experience working capital deficits, that we will meet regulatory requirements to provide additional financial assurance (supplemental pipeline bonds) and decommission offshore pipelines and platform assets, that we will be able to obtain additional financing on commercially reasonable terms or at all, or that margins on our refined products will be favorable. Further, if Veritex and/or Pilot exercise their rights and remedies under our secured loan agreements, our business, financial condition, and results of operations will be materially adversely affected.

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2. Principles of Consolidation and Significant Accounting Policies

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Principles of Consolidation and Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements, which include Blue Dolphin and its subsidiaries, have been prepared in accordance with GAAP for interim consolidated financial information pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC under Article 10 of Regulation S-X and the instructions to Form 10-Q. Accordingly, certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in our audited financial statements have been condensed or omitted pursuant to the SEC’s rules and regulations. Significant intercompany transactions have been eliminated in the consolidation. In management’s opinion, all adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included, disclosures are adequate, and the presented information is not misleading.

The consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2020 was derived from the audited financial statements at that date. The accompanying consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 as filed with the SEC. Operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2021 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2021, or for any other period.

Significant Accounting Policies

The summary of significant accounting policies of Blue Dolphin is presented to assist in understanding our consolidated financial statements. Our consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes are representations of management, who is responsible for their integrity and objectivity. These accounting policies conform to GAAP and have been consistently applied in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements.

Use of Estimates. The preparation of our financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and the related disclosures. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and related governmental responses, volatility in commodity prices, and severe weather resulting from climate change have impacted and likely will continue to impact our business. We assessed certain accounting matters that generally require consideration of forecasted financial information in context with the information reasonably available to us and the unknown future impacts of COVID-19 as of March 31, 2021 and through the filing date of this report. The accounting matters assessed included, but were not limited to, our allowance for doubtful accounts, inventory and related reserves, and the carrying value of long-lived assets.

Cash and Cash Equivalents. Cash and cash equivalents represent liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less. Cash balances are maintained in depository and overnight investment accounts with financial institutions that, at times, may exceed insured deposit limits. We monitor the financial condition of the financial institutions and have experienced no losses associated with these accounts.

Restricted Cash. Restricted cash, current portion primarily represents a payment reserve account held by Veritex as security for payments under a loan agreement. Restricted cash, noncurrent represents funds held in the Veritex disbursement account for payment of construction related expenses to complete building new petroleum storage tanks.

Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts. Accounts receivable are presented net of any necessary allowance(s) for doubtful accounts. Receivables are recorded at the invoiced amount and generally do not bear interest. An allowance for doubtful accounts is established, when necessary, based on prior experience and other factors which, in management's judgment, deserve consideration in estimating bad debts.  Management assesses collectability of the customer’s account based on current aging status, collection history, and financial condition.  Based on a review of these factors, management establishes or adjusts the allowance for specific customers and the entire accounts receivable portfolio.  We had an allowance for doubtful accounts of $0.1 million at both March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020.

Inventory. Inventory primarily consists of refined products, crude oil and condensate, and chemicals. Inventory is valued at lower of cost or net realizable value with cost determined by the average cost method, and net realizable value determined based on estimated selling prices less associated delivery costs. If the net realizable value of our refined products inventory declines to an amount less than our average cost, we record a write-down of inventory and an associated adjustment to cost of goods sold. See “Note (7)” to our consolidated financial statements for additional disclosures related to inventory.

Property and Equipment.

Refinery and Facilities. During 2020, we safely completed a 5-year capital improvement expansion project of the Nixon facility that included construction of new storage tanks, smaller efficiency improvements, and the acquisition of refurbished refinery equipment for later deployment. We typically make ongoing improvements to the Nixon facility based on operational needs, technological advances, and safety and regulatory requirements. Additions to refinery and facilities assets are capitalized, and expenditures for repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred. We record refinery and facilities at cost less any adjustments for depreciation or impairment. Adjustment of the asset and the related accumulated depreciation accounts are made for the refinery and facilities asset’s retirement and disposal, with the resulting gain or loss included in the consolidated statements of operations. For financial reporting purposes, depreciation of refinery and facilities assets is computed using the straight-line method using an estimated useful life of 25 years beginning when the refinery and facilities assets are placed in service. We did not record any impairment of our refinery and facilities assets for the periods presented.

Pipelines and Facilities. Our pipelines and facilities are recorded at cost less any adjustments for depreciation or impairment. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over estimated useful lives ranging from 10 to 22 years. In accordance with FASB ASC guidance, we performed periodic impairment testing of our pipeline and facilities assets in 2016. Upon completion of testing, our pipeline assets were fully impaired at December 31, 2016. All pipeline transportation services to third parties have ceased, existing third-party wells along our pipeline corridor have been permanently abandoned, and no new third-party wells are being drilled near our pipelines. Although we planned to decommission the offshore pipelines and platform assets during 2020, decommissioning of these assets has been delayed due to cash constraints associated with the ongoing impact of COVID-19 and winter being the offseason for dive operations in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. We cannot currently estimate when decommissioning may occur.

Oil and Gas Properties. Our oil and gas properties are accounted for using the full-cost method of accounting, whereby all costs associated with acquisition, exploration and development of oil and gas properties, including directly related internal costs, are capitalized on a cost center basis.  Amortization of such costs and estimated future development costs are determined using the unit-of-production method. All leases associated with our oil and gas properties have expired, and our oil and gas properties were fully impaired in 2011.

CIP. CIP expenditures, including capitalized interest, relate to construction and refurbishment activities and equipment for the Nixon facility. These expenditures are capitalized as incurred. Depreciation begins once the asset is placed in service. See “Note (8)” to our consolidated financial statements for additional disclosures related to our refinery and facilities assets, oil and gas properties, pipelines and facilities assets, and CIP.

Leases. We evaluate if a contract is or contains a lease at inception of the contract. If we determine that a contract is or contains a lease, we recognize ROU asset and lease liability at the commencement date of the lease based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. The present value of the lease payments is determined by using the implicit rate when readily determinable. If not determinable, we use the incremental borrowing rate to discount lease payments to present value. Lease terms include options to extend or terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain that we will exercise those options.

We recognize ROU assets and lease liabilities for leasing arrangements with terms greater than one year. We account for lease and non-lease components in a contract as a single lease component for all classes of underlying assets. We allocate the consideration in these contracts based on pricing information contained in the lease.

Expense for an operating lease is recognized as a single lease cost on a straight-line basis over the lease term and is reflected in the appropriate income statement line item based on the leased asset’s function. Amortization expense of a finance lease ROU asset is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lesser of the useful life of the leased asset or the lease term. However, if the lease transfers ownership of the finance lease ROU asset to us at the end of the lease term, the finance lease ROU asset is amortized over the useful life of the leased asset. Amortization expense is reflected in ‘depreciation and amortization expense.’ Interest expense is incurred based on the carrying value of the lease liability and is reflected in ‘interest and other expense.

Revenue Recognition.

Refinery Operations Revenue. Revenue from the sale of refined products is recognized when the product is sold to the customer in fulfillment of performance obligations. Each load of refined product is separately identifiable and represents a distinct performance obligation to which the transaction price is allocated. Performance obligations are met when control is transferred to the customer. Control is transferred to the customer when the product has been lifted or, in cases where the product is not lifted immediately (bill and hold arrangements), when the product is added to the customer’s bulk inventory as stored at the Nixon facility.

We consider a variety of facts and circumstances in assessing the point of control transfer, including but not limited to: whether the purchaser can direct the use of the refined product, the transfer of significant risks and rewards, our rights to payment, and transfer of legal title. In each case, the term between the sale and when payment is due is not significant. Transportation, shipping, and handling costs incurred are included in cost of goods sold. Excise and other taxes that are collected from customers and remitted to governmental authorities are not included in revenue.

Tolling and Terminaling Revenue. Tolling and terminaling revenue represents fees pursuant to: (i) tank storage agreements, whereby a customer agrees to pay a certain fee per tank based on tank size over a period of time for the storage of products and (ii) tolling agreements, whereby a customer agrees to pay a certain fee per gallon or barrel for throughput volumes moving through the naphtha stabilizer unit and a fixed monthly reservation fee for use of the naphtha stabilizer unit.

We typically satisfy performance obligations for tolling and terminaling operations with the passage of time. We determine the transaction price at agreement inception based on the guaranteed minimum amount of revenue over the term of the agreement. We allocate the transaction price to the single performance obligation that exists under the agreement, and we recognize revenue in the amount for which we have a right to invoice. Generally, payment terms do not exceed 30 days.

Revenue from tank storage customers may, from time to time, include fees for ancillary services, such as in-tank and tank-to-tank blending. These services are considered optional to the customer, and the price we charge for such services is not included in the fixed cost under the customer’s tank storage agreement. Ancillary services are considered a separate performance obligation by us under the tank storage agreement. The performance obligation is satisfied when the requested service has been performed in the applicable period.

Deferred Revenue. We record deferred revenue when cash payments are received or due in advance of our performance. An increase in the deferred revenue balance reflects cash payments received or due in advance of satisfying our performance obligations, offset by recognized revenue that was included in the deferred revenue balance at the beginning of the period. Deferred revenue represents a liability as of the balance sheet date related to a revenue producing activity for which revenue has not yet been recognized. We record deferred revenue when we receive consideration under a contract before achieving certain criteria that must be met for revenue to be recognized in conformity with GAAP.

Income Taxes. Deferred income taxes are determined based on the differences between the financial reporting and tax basis of assets and liabilities, as well as operating losses and tax credit carryforwards using currently enacted tax rates and laws in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. We record a valuation allowance against deferred income tax assets if it is more likely than not that those assets will not be realized. The provision for income taxes comprises our current tax liability and change in deferred income tax assets and liabilities.

Significant judgment is required in evaluating uncertain tax positions and determining its provision for income taxes. As of each reporting date, we consider new evidence, both positive and negative, to determine the realizability of deferred tax assets. We consider whether it is more likely than not that a portion or all the deferred tax assets will be realized, which is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income prior to the expiration of any NOL carryforwards. When we determine that it is more likely than not that a tax benefit will not be realized, a valuation allowance is recorded to reduce deferred tax assets. A significant piece of objective negative evidence evaluated was cumulative losses incurred over the three-year period ended March 31, 2021. Such objective evidence limits the ability to consider other subjective evidence, such as projections for future growth. Based on this evaluation, we recorded a valuation allowance against the deferred tax assets for which realization was not deemed more likely than not as of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020. In addition, we have NOL carryforwards that remain available for future use.

The benefit of an uncertain tax position is recognized in the financial statements if it meets a minimum recognition threshold. A determination is first made as to whether it is more likely than not that the income tax position will be sustained, based upon technical merits, upon examination by the taxing authorities. If the income tax position is expected to meet the more-likely-than-not criteria, the benefit recorded in the financial statements equals the largest amount that is greater than 50% likely to be realized upon its ultimate settlement. At March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, there were no uncertain tax positions for which a reserve or liability was necessary. See “Note (14)” to our consolidated financial statements for more information related to income taxes.

Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets. We periodically evaluate our long-lived assets for impairment. Additionally, we evaluate our long-lived assets when events or circumstances indicate that the carrying value of these assets may not be recoverable. The carrying value is not recoverable if it exceeds the sum of the undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use and eventual disposition of the asset or group of assets. If the carrying value exceeds the sum of the undiscounted cash flows, an impairment loss equal to the amount by which the carrying value exceeds the fair value of the asset or group of assets is recognized. Significant management judgment is required in the forecasting of future operating results that are used in the preparation of projected cash flows and, should different conditions prevail or judgments be made, material impairment charges could be necessary.

The market volatility of commodity prices as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic could affect the value of certain of our long-lived assets. Management evaluated our refinery and facilities assets for impairment as of March 31, 2021. No impairment was deemed necessary based upon this testing, and we did not record any impairment of our refinery and facilities assets for the periods presented.

Asset Retirement Obligations. We record a liability for the discounted fair value of an ARO in the period incurred, and we also capitalize the corresponding cost by increasing the carrying amount of the related long-lived asset. The liability is accreted towards its future value each period, and the capitalized cost is depreciated over the useful life of the related asset. If the liability is settled for an amount other than the recorded amount, a gain or loss is recognized.

We have concluded that there is no legal or contractual obligation to dismantle or remove the refinery and facilities assets. Further, we believe that these assets have indeterminate lives because dates or ranges of dates upon which we would retire these assets cannot reasonably be estimated at this time. When a legal or contractual obligation to dismantle or remove the refinery and facilities assets arises and a date or range of dates can reasonably be estimated for the retirement of these assets, we will estimate the cost of performing the retirement activities and record a liability for the fair value of that cost using present value techniques.

We recorded an ARO liability related to future asset retirement costs associated with dismantling, relocating, or disposing of our offshore platform, pipeline systems, and related onshore facilities, as well as for plugging and abandoning wells and restoring land and sea-beds. Cost estimates for each of our assets were developed based upon regulatory requirements, structural makeup, water depth, reservoir characteristics, reservoir depth, equipment demand, current retirement procedures, and construction and engineering consultations. Estimating future costs are difficult and require management to make judgments that are subject to future revisions based upon numerous factors, including changing technology, political, and regulatory environments. We review our assumptions and estimates of future abandonment costs on an annual basis. See “Note (12)” to our consolidated financial statements for additional information related to AROs.

Computation of Earnings Per Share. We present basic and diluted EPS. Basic EPS excludes dilution and is computed by dividing net income available to common stockholders by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding for the period. Diluted EPS is computed by dividing net income available to common stockholders by the diluted weighted average number of common shares outstanding, which includes the potential dilution that could occur if securities or other contracts to issue shares of common stock were converted to common stock that then shared in the earnings of the entity. The number of shares related to restricted stock included in diluted EPS is based on the “Treasury Stock Method.” We do not currently have issued options, warrants, or similar instruments. Convertible shares, if granted, are not included in the computation of earnings per share if anti-dilutive. See “Note (15)” to our consolidated financial statements for additional information related to EPS.

New Pronouncements Adopted. The FASB issues ASUs to communicate changes to the FASB ASC, including changes to non-authoritative SEC content. Recently adopted ASUs include:

Codification Improvements. In October 2020, FASB issued ASU 2020-10, Codification Improvements. The amendments in this guidance affected a wide variety of topics in the ASC by either clarifying the codification or correcting unintended application of guidance. The changes did not have a significant effect on accounting practice or create a significant administrative cost burden to most entities. For all reporting entities, the amendments in ASU 2020-10 were effective for fiscal years ending after December 15, 2020. Adoption of this guidance did not have a significant impact on our consolidated financial statements.

New Pronouncements Issued, Not Yet Effective.

Other new pronouncements issued but not yet effective are not expected to have a material impact on our financial position, results of operations, or liquidity.

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3. Related-Party Transactions

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Related Party Transactions [Abstract]

Related-Party Transactions

Affiliate Operational Agreements Summary

Blue Dolphin and certain of its subsidiaries are party to several operational agreements with Affiliates. Management believes that these related-party transactions were consummated on terms equivalent to those that prevail in arm's-length transactions. Related-party agreements related to Blue Dolphin’s operations consist of the following:

Agreement/Transaction	Parties	Effective Date	Key Terms
Jet Fuel Sales Agreement	LEH - LE	04/01/2021	1-year term expiring earliest to occur of 03/31/2022 plus 30-day carryover or delivery of maximum jet fuel quantity; LEH bids on jet fuel contracts under preferential pricing terms due to a HUBZone certification
Office Sub-Lease Agreement	LEH - BDSC	01/01/2018	68-month term expiring 08/31/2023; office lease Houston, Texas; includes 6-month rent abatement period; rent approximately $0.02 million per month
Amended and Restated Operating Agreement	LEH – Blue Dolphin, LE, LRM, NPS, BDPL, BDPC and BDSC	04/01/2020	3-year term; expires 04/01/2023 or notice by either party at any time of material breach or 90 days Board notice; LEH receives management fee of 5% of all consolidated operating costs, excluding crude costs, depreciation, amortization and interest, of Blue Dolphin, LE, LRM, NPS, BDPL, BDPC and BDSC

Working Capital

We have historically depended on Affiliates for financing when revenue from operations and borrowings under bank facilities are insufficient to meet our liquidity and working capital needs. Such borrowings are reflected in our consolidated balance sheets in accounts payable, related party, and/or long-term debt, related party.

Related-Party Long-Term Debt

Loan Description	Parties	Maturity Date	Interest Rate	Loan Purpose
March Carroll Note (in default)	Jonathan Carroll – Blue Dolphin	Jan 2019	8.00%	Blue Dolphin working capital; reflects amounts owed to Jonathan Carroll under the guaranty fee agreements
March Ingleside Note (in default)	Ingleside – Blue Dolphin	Jan 2019	8.00%	Blue Dolphin working capital
June LEH Note (in default)	LEH – Blue Dolphin	Jan 2019	8.00%	Blue Dolphin working capital; reflects amounts owed to LEH under the Amended and Restated Operating Agreement
BDPL-LEH Loan Agreement (in default)(1)	LEH - BDPL	Aug 2018	16.00%	Blue Dolphin working capital
Amended and Restated Guaranty Fee Agreement(2)	Jonathan Carroll - LE	--	2.00%	Tied to payoff of LE $25 million Veritex loan
Amended and Restated Guaranty Fee Agreement(2)	Jonathan Carroll - LRM	--	2.00%	Tied to payoff of LRM $10 million Veritex loan

(1) The original principal amount of the BDPL-LEH Loan Agreement was $4.0 million.

(2) As a condition for our secured loan agreements with Veritex, Jonathan Carroll was required to personally guarantee repayment of borrowed funds and accrued interest. Under the guaranty fee agreements, Mr. Carroll is entitled to receive guaranty fees. The fees are payable 50% in cash and 50% in Common Stock. The Common Stock portion is paid quarterly. For the foreseeable future, management does not intend to pay Mr. Carroll the cash portion due to Blue Dolphin’s working capital deficits. The cash portion will continue to accrue and be added to the outstanding principal balance owed to Mr. Carroll under the March Carroll Note.

Guarantees, Security and Defaults

Loan Description	Guarantees	Security	Event(s) of Default
March Carroll Note (in default)	---	---	Failure of borrower to pay past due obligations; loan matured January 2019
March Ingleside Note (in default)	---	---	Failure of borrower to pay past due obligations; loan matured January 2019
June LEH Note (in default)	---	---	Failure of borrower to pay past due obligations; loan matured January 2019
BDPL-LEH Loan Agreement	---	Secured by certain BDPL property	Failure of borrower to pay past due obligations; loan matured August 2018

Covenants

The BDPL-LEH Loan Agreement contains representations and warranties, affirmative and negative covenants, and events of default that we consider usual and customary for a credit facility of this type. There are no covenants associated with the March Carroll Note, March Ingleside Note, or June LEH Note.

Related-Party Financial Impact

Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Accounts payable, related party. Accounts payable, related party to LTRI related to the purchase of refinery equipment totaled $0.2 million at both March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020.

Long-term debt, related party, current portion (in default) and accrued interest payable, related party.

	March 31,			December 31,
	2021			2020
	(in thousands)
LEH
June LEH Note (in default)	$	9,588		$	9,446
BDPL-LEH Loan Agreement		6,974			6,814
LEH Total		16,562			16,260
Ingleside
March Ingleside Note (in default)		1,031			1,013
Jonathan Carroll
March Carroll Note (in default)		1,732			1,551
		19,325			18,824
Less: Long-term debt, related party, current portion, in default		(16,351	)		(16,010	)
Less: Accrued interest payable, related party (in default)		(2,974	)		(2,814	)
	$	-		$	-

Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Total revenue from operations.

	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2021				2020
	(in thousands, except percents)
Refinery operations
LEH	$	16,080	27.1	%	$	17,715	28.6	%
Third-Parties		42,403	71.3	%		43,182	69.6	%
Tolling and terminaling
Third-Parties		930	1.6	%		1,103	1.8	%
	$	59,413	100.0	%	$	62,000	100.0	%

Interest expense.

	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2021		2020
	(in thousands)
Jonathan Carroll
Guaranty Fee Agreements
First Term Loan Due 2034	$	108	$	108
Second Term Loan Due 2034		45		45
March Carroll Note (in default)		29		23
LEH
BDPL-LEH Loan Agreement (in default)		160		160
June LEH Note (in default)		182		25
Ingleside
March Ingleside Note (in default)		14		20
	$	538	$	381

Other. Lease payments received under the office sub-lease agreement with LEH totaled approximately $0.01 million for both three-month periods ended March 31, 2021 and 2020. The LEH operating fee was also relatively flat, totaling approximately $0.1 million for both three-month periods ended March 31, 2021 and 2020.

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4. Revenue and Segment Information

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Revenue and Segment Information

We have two reportable business segments: (i) refinery operations and (ii) tolling and terminaling. Refinery operations relate to the refining and marketing of petroleum products at our 15,000-bpd crude distillation tower. Tolling and terminaling operations relate to tolling and storage terminaling services under third-party lease agreements. Both operations are conducted at the Nixon facility. Corporate and other includes BDSC, BDPL and BDPC.

Revenue from Contracts with Customers

Disaggregation of Revenue. Revenue is presented in the table below under “Segment Information” disaggregated by business segment because this is the level of disaggregation that management has determined to be beneficial to users of our financial statements.

Receivables from Contracts with Customers. Our receivables from contracts with customers are presented as receivables, net on our consolidated balance sheets.

Contract Liabilities. Our contract liabilities from contracts with customers consist of unearned revenue and are included in accrued expenses and presented in “Note (9)” to our consolidated financial statements.

Remaining Performance Obligations. Most of our contracts with customers are spot contracts and therefore have no remaining performance obligations.

Segment Information. Business segment information for the periods indicated (and as of the dates indicated) was as follows:

	Three Months Ended
	March 31,
	2021			2020
	(in thousands)
Net revenue (excluding intercompany fees and sales)
Refinery operations	$	58,483		$	60,897
Tolling and terminaling		930			1,103
Total net revenue		59,413			62,000
Intercompany fees and sales
Refinery operations		(566	)		(617	)
Tolling and terminaling		566			617
Total intercompany fees		-			-
Operation costs and expenses(1)
Refinery operations		(59,289	)		(61,833	)
Tolling and terminaling		(334	)		(255	)
Corporate and other		(54	)		(59	)
Total operation costs and expenses		(59,677	)		(62,147	)
Segment contribution margin (deficit)
Refinery operations		(1,372	)		(1,553	)
Tolling and terminaling		1,162			1,465
Corporate and other		(54	)		(59	)
Total segment contribution margin (deficit)		(264	)		(147	)
General and administrative expenses(2)
Refinery operations		(301	)		(304	)
Tolling and terminaling		(68	)		(68	)
Corporate and other		(413	)		(419	)
Total general and administrative expenses		(782	)		(791	)
Depreciation and amortization
Refinery operations		(302	)		(288	)
Tolling and terminaling		(340	)		(294	)
Corporate and other		(51	)		(51	)
Total depreciation and amortization		(693	)		(633	)
Interest and other non-operating expenses, net
Refinery operations		(598	)		(741	)
Tolling and terminaling		(452	)		(770	)
Corporate and other		(385	)		(243	)
Total interest and other non-operating expenses, net		(1,435	)		(1,754	)
Income (loss) before income taxes
Refinery operations		(2,573	)		(2,886	)
Tolling and terminaling		302			333
Corporate and other		(903	)		(772	)
Total loss before income taxes		(3,174	)		(3,325	)
Income tax expense		-			(15	)
Net loss	$	(3,174	)	$	(3,340	)

(1) Operation costs include cost of goods sold. Also, operation costs within: (a) tolling and terminaling includes terminal operating expenses and an allocation of other costs (e.g., insurance and maintenance) and (b) corporate and other includes expenses related to BDSC, BDPC and BDPL.

(2) General and administrative expenses within refinery operations include the LEH operating fee.

	Three Months Ended
	March 31,
	2021		2020
	(in thousands)
Capital expenditures
Refinery operations	$	-	$	6
Tolling and terminaling		-		192
Corporate and other		-		-
Total capital expenditures	$	-	$	198

	March 31,		December 31,
	2021		2020
	(in thousands)
Identifiable assets
Refinery operations	$	45,186	$	48,521
Tolling and terminaling		18,527		18,722
Corporate and other		1,839		2,057
Total identifiable assets	$	65,552	$	69,300

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5. Concentration of Risk

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Risks and Uncertainties [Abstract]

Concentration of Risk

Bank Accounts

Financial instruments that potentially subject us to concentrations of risk consist primarily of cash, trade receivables and payables. We maintain cash balances at financial institutions in Houston, Texas. The FDIC insures certain financial products up to a maximum of $250,000 per depositor. At March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, we had cash balances (including restricted cash) that exceeded the FDIC insurance limit per depositor of approximately $0.3 million and $0.6 million, respectively.

Key Supplier

Operation of the Nixon refinery depends on our ability to purchase adequate amounts of crude oil and condensate. We have a long-term crude supply agreement in place with Pilot. The crude supply agreement, the initial term of which is volume based, expires when Pilot sells us 24.8 million net bbls of crude oil. Thereafter, the crude supply agreement automatically renews for successive one-year terms (each such term, a “Renewal Term”) unless either party provides the other with notice of nonrenewal at least 60 days prior to expiration of any Renewal Term. Total volume billed under the crude supply agreement totaled approximately 5.8 million bbls as of March 31, 2021. Effective March 1, 2020, Pilot assigned its rights, title, interest, and obligations in the crude supply agreement to Tartan Oil LLC, a Pilot affiliate. Sustained periods of low crude oil prices due to market volatility associated with the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant financial constraints on producers, which in turn has resulted in long term crude oil supply constraints and increased transportation costs. A failure to acquire crude oil and condensate when needed will have a material effect on our business results and operations. During the three-month periods ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, our refinery experienced 1 day and no days, respectively, of downtime as a result of lack of crude due to cash constraints.

Pilot also stores crude oil at the Nixon facility under two terminal services agreements. Under the terminal services agreements, Pilot stores crude oil at the Nixon facility at a specified rate per bbl of the storage tank’s shell capacity. Although the initial term of the terminal services agreement expired April 30, 2020, the agreement renewed on a one-year evergreen basis. Either party may terminate the terminal services agreement by providing the other party 60 days prior written notice. However, the terminal services agreement will automatically terminate upon expiration or termination of the crude supply agreement.

Beginning on June 1, 2020, Pilot began applying payment obligations owed to NPS under two terminal services agreements against NPS’ payment obligations to Pilot under the Amended Pilot Line of Credit. For the three-month periods ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, the tank lease setoff amounts totaled $0.6 million and $0, respectively. For the three-month periods ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, the amount of interest NPS incurred under the Amended Pilot Line of Credit totaled $0.3 million and $0.4 million, respectively. See “Note (1) Organization – Going Concern” to our consolidated financial statements for additional disclosures related to defaults in our debt obligations. On November 23, 2020, NPS and guarantors received notice from Pilot that the entry into the SBA EIDLs was a breach of the Amended Pilot Line of Credit and Pilot demanded full repayment of the Pilot Obligations, including through use of the proceeds of the SBA EIDLs. Pilot also notified the SBA that the liens securing the SBA EIDLs are junior to those securing the Pilot Obligations. While the SBA acknowledged this point and indicated a willingness to subordinate the SBA EIDLs, no further action has been taken by Pilot as of the filing date of this report.

Our financial health could be materially and adversely affected by defaults in our secured loan agreements, margin deterioration and volatility, historic net losses and working capital deficits, as well as termination of the crude supply agreement or terminal services agreement with Pilot, which could impact our ability to acquire crude oil and condensate. In addition, sustained periods of low crude oil prices due to market volatility associated with the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant financial constraints on producers, which in turn has resulted in long term crude oil supply constraints and increased transportation costs. During the three-month period ended March 31, 2021, our refinery experienced 1 day of downtime as a result of lack of crude due to cash constraints. A failure to acquire crude oil and condensate when needed will have a material effect on our business results and operations.

Significant Customers

We routinely assess the financial strength of our customers and have not experienced significant write-downs in accounts receivable balances. We believe that our accounts receivable credit risk exposure is limited.

	Number Significant Customers		% Total Revenue from Operations			Portion of Accounts Receivable at March 31,
March 31, 2021		4		90	%	$	0
March 31, 2020		4		94	%	$0.6 million

One of our significant customers is LEH, an Affiliate. The Affiliate purchases our jet fuel under a Jet Fuel Sales Agreement and bids on jet fuel contracts under preferential pricing terms due to a HUBZone certification. The Affiliate accounted for 27% and 29% of total revenue from operations in 2021 and 2020, respectively. The Affiliate represented $0 in accounts receivable at both March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Amounts outstanding relating to the Jet Fuel Sales Agreement can significantly vary period to period based on the timing of the related sales and payments received. Amounts we owed to LEH under various long-term debt, related-party agreements totaled $16.6 million and $16.3 million at March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. See “Notes (3) and (16)” to our consolidated financial statements for additional disclosures related to transactions with Affiliates.

Concentration of Customers. Our customer base is concentrated on refined petroleum product wholesalers. This customer concentration may impact our overall exposure to credit risk, either positively or negatively, as our customers are likely similarly affected by economic changes. This includes the uncertainties related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated volatility in the global oil markets. Historically, we have had no significant problems collecting our accounts receivable.

Refined Product Sales. We sell our products primarily in the U.S. within PADD 3. Occasionally we sell refined products to customers that export to Mexico. Total refined product sales by distillation (from light to heavy) for the periods indicated consisted of the following:

	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2021				2020
	(in thousands, except percents)
LPG mix	$	6	0.0	%	$	-	0	%
Naphtha		14,224	24.3	%		11,515	18.9	%
Jet fuel		16,080	27.5	%		17,715	29.1	%
HOBM		15,663	26.8	%		15,191	24.9	%
AGO		12,510	21.4	%		16,476	27.1	%
	$	58,483	100.0	%	$	60,897	100.0	%

An Affiliate, LEH, purchases all of our jet fuel. See “Notes (3) and (16)” to our consolidated financial statements for additional disclosures related to Affiliate transactions.

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6. Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Deferred Costs, Capitalized, Prepaid, and Other Assets Disclosure [Abstract]

Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets

Prepaid expenses and other current assets as of the dates indicated consisted of the following:

	March 31,		December 31,
	2021		2020
	(in thousands)
Prepaid insurance	$	556	$	1,182
Prepaid crude oil and condensate		383		2,249
Prepaid easement renewal fees		93		99
Other prepaids		28		34
	$	1,060	$	3,564

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7. Inventory

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]

Inventory

Inventory as of the dates indicated consisted of the following:

	March 31,		December 31,
	2021		2020
	(in thousands)
Crude oil and condensate	$	608	$	463
Chemicals		175		271
Naphtha		164		120
AGO		121		133
Propane		25		15
LPG mix		6		6
HOBM		-		54
	$	1,099	$	1,062

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8. Property, Plant and Equipment, Net

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]

Property, Plant and Equipment, Net

Property, plant and equipment, net, as of the dates indicated consisted of the following:

	March 31,			December 31,
	2021			2019
	(in thousands)
Refinery and facilities	$	72,184		$	72,184
Land		566			566
Other property and equipment		903			903
		73,653			73,653
Less: Accumulated depletion, depreciation, and amortiation		(15,861	)		(15,220	)
		57,792			58,433
CIP		4,064			4,064
	$	61,856		$	62,497

We capitalize interest cost incurred on funds used to construct property, plant, and equipment. Capitalized interest is recorded as part of the asset it relates to and is depreciated over the asset’s useful life. Capitalized interest cost, which is included in CIP, was $0 at March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020. Capital expenditures for expansion at the Nixon facility were funded by long-term debt from Veritex, revenue from operations, and working capital from Affiliates. At March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, unused amounts for capital expenditures derived from Veritex loans were reflected in restricted cash (current and non-current portions) on our consolidated balance sheets. See “Note (10)” to our consolidated financial statements for additional disclosures related to working capital deficits and borrowings for capital spending.

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9. Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilities

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Other Liabilities, Current [Abstract]

Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilities

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities as of the dates indicated consisted of the following:

	March 31,		December 31,
	2021		2020
	(in thousands)
Unearned revenue from contracts with customers	$	3,489	$	3,421
Unearned contract renewal income		400		500
Insurance		181		541
Other payable		176		252
Customer deposits		173		10
Taxes payable		137		58
Board of director fees payable		133		100
	$	4,689	$	4,882

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10. Third-Party Long-Term Debt

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

Third-Party Long-Term Debt

Loan Agreements Summary

Loan Description	Parties	Original Principal Amount (in millions)	Maturity Date	Monthly Principal and Interest Payment	Interest Rate	Loan Purpose
Veritex Loans(1)
LE Term Loan Due 2034 (in default)	LE-Veritex	$25.0	Jun 2034	$0.2 million	WSJ Prime + 2.75%	Refinance loan; capital improvements
LRM Term Loan Due 2034 (in default)	LRM-Veritex	$10.0	Dec 2034	$0.1 million	WSJ Prime + 2.75%	Refinance bridge loan; capital improvements
Notre Dame Debt (in default)(2)(3)	LE-Kissick	$11.7	Jan 2018	No payments to date; payment rights subordinated	16.00%	Working capital; reduced arbitration award payable to GEL
SBA EIDLs
LE Term Loan Due 2050(4)	LE-SBA	$0.15	Aug 2050	$0.0007 million	3.75%	Working capital
NPS Term Loan Due 2050(4)	NPS-SBA	$0.15	Aug 2050	$0.0007 million	3.75%	Working capital
Equipment Loan Due 2025(5)	LE-Texas First	$0.07	Oct 2025	$0.0013 million	4.50%	Equipment Lease Conversion

(1) Proceeds were placed in a disbursement account whereby Veritex makes payments for construction related expenses. Amounts held in the disbursement account are reflected on our consolidated balance sheets as restricted cash (current portion) and restricted cash (noncurrent). At March 31, 2021, restricted cash (current portion) was $0.05 million and restricted cash, noncurrent was $0. At December 31, 2020, restricted cash (current portion) was $0.05 million and restricted cash, noncurrent was $0.5 million.

(2) LE originally entered into a loan agreement with Notre Dame Investors, Inc. in the principal amount of $8.0 million. The debt is currently held by John Kissick. Pursuant to a 2017 sixth amendment, the Notre Dame Debt was amended to increase the principal amount by $3.7 million; the additional principal was used to reduce the arbitration award payable to GEL by $3.6 million.

(3) Pursuant to a 2015 subordination agreement, the holder of the Notre Dame Debt agreed to subordinate their right to payments, as well as any security interest and liens on the Nixon facility’s business assets, in favor of Veritex as holder of the LE Term Loan Due 2034.

(4) Payments are deferred for the first twelve (12) months of the loan; the first payment is due August 2021; interest accrues during the deferral period. SBA EIDLs are not forgivable.

(5) In May 2019, LE entered into a 12-month equipment rental agreement with the option to purchase the backhoe at maturity. The equipment rental agreement matured in May 2020. In October 2020, LE entered into the Equipment Loan Due 2025 to finance the purchase of the backhoe. The backhoe continues to be used at the Nixon facility.

Outstanding Principal, Debt Issue Costs, and Accrued Interest

Third-party long-term debt (outstanding principal and accrued interest), as of the dates indicated was as follows:

	March 31,			December 31,
	2021			2020
	(in thousands)
Veritex Loans
LE Term Loan Due 2034 (in default)	$	23,104		$	22,840
LRM Term Loan Due 2034 (in default)		9,601			9,473
Notre Dame Debt (in default)		9,613			9,413
SBA EIDLs
LE Term Loan 2050		153			152
NPS Term Loan 2050		153			152
Equipment Loan Due 2025		65			71
		42,689			42,101
Less: Current portion of long-term debt, net		(33,724	)		(33,692	)
Less: Unamortized debt issue costs		(1,718	)		(1,749	)
Less: Accrued interest payable (in default)		(6,898	)		(6,305	)
	$	349		$	355

Unamortized debt issue costs associated with the Veritex loans as of the dates indicated consisted of the following:

	March 31,			December 31,
	2021			2020
	(in thousands)
Veritex Loans
LE Term Loan Due 2034 (in default)	$	1,674		$	1,674
LRM Term Loan Due 2034 (in default)		768			768
Less: Accumulated amortization		(724	)		(693	)
	$	1,718		$	1,749

Amortization expense was $0.03 million for both three-month periods ended March 31, 2021 and 2020.

Accrued interest related to third-party long-term debt, reflected as accrued interest payable in our consolidated balance sheets, as of the dates indicated consisted of the following:

	March 31,			December 31,
	2021			2020
	(in thousands)
Notre Dame Debt (in default)	$	4,635		$	4,435
Veritex Loans
LE Term Loan Due 2034 (in default)		1,559			1,295
LRM Term Loan Due 2034 (in default)		698			571
SBA EIDLs
LE Term Loan 2050		3			2
NPS Term Loan 2050		3			2
		6,898			6,305
Less: Accrued interest payable (in default)		(6,898	)		(6,305	)
Long-term Interest Payable, Net of Current Portion	$	-		$	-

Payment Deferments

Veritex Loans. In April 2020, LE and LRM were each granted a two-month deferment period on their respective Veritex loans commencing from April 22, 2020 to June 22, 2020. During the deferment period, LE and LRM were not obligated to make payments and interest continued to accrue at the stated rates of the loans. Upon expiration of the deferment period: (i) Veritex re-amortized the loan such that future payments on principal and interest were adjusted based on the remaining principal balances and loan terms, and (ii) all other terms of the loans reverted to the original terms, and previous defaults were reinstated. The deferment did not address LE’s requirement to replenish the $1.0 million payment reserve account. Principal and interest payments resumed on July 22, 2020. As of the filing date of this report, LE and LRM were in default with respect to required monthly payments under the secured loan agreements with Veritex. Other defaults remain outstanding as noted below under “Defaults”.

SBA EIDLs. Payments under the SBA loans are deferred for the first twelve (12) months. Interest accrues during the deferral period. Principal and interest payments begin in August 2021.

Guarantees and Security

Loan Description	Guarantees	Security
Veritex Loans(1)
LE Term Loan Due 2034 (in default)	●100%        USDA-guarantee ●Jonathan Carroll        personal guarantee ●LEH, LRM and        Blue Dolphin cross-guarantee	●First priority lien on Nixon facility’s business assets (excluding        accounts receivable and inventory) ●Assignment of all Nixon facility contracts, permits, and licenses ●Absolute assignment of Nixon facility rents and leases, including        tank rental income ●$1.0 million payment reserve account held by Veritex ●$5.0 million life insurance policy on Jonathan Carroll
LRM Term Loan Due 2034 (in default)	●100%        USDA-guarantee ●Jonathan Carroll        personal guarantee ●LEH, LE and Blue        Dolphin        cross-guarantee	●Second priority lien on rights of LE in crude distillation tower and        other collateral of LE ●First priority lien on real property interests of LRM ●First priority lien on all LRM fixtures, furniture, machinery, and        equipment ●First priority lien on all LRM contractual rights, general intangibles,        and instruments, except with respect to LRM rights in its leases of        certain specified tanks for which Veritex has second priority lien ●All other collateral as described in the security documents
Notre Dame Debt (in default)(2)	---	●Subordinated deed of trust that encumbers the crude distillation        tower and general assets of LE
SBA EIDLs(3)
LE Term Loan Due 2050	---	●Business assets (e.g., machinery and equipment, furniture, fixtures,        etc.) as more fully described in the security agreement
NPS Term Loan Due 2050	---	●Business assets (e.g., machinery and equipment, furniture, fixtures,        etc.) as more fully described in the security agreement
Equipment Loan Due 2025	---	●First priority security interest in the equipment (backhoe).

(1) As a condition of the LE Term Loan Due 2034 and LRM Term Loan Due 2034, Jonathan Carroll was required to personally guarantee repayment of borrowed funds and accrued interest.

(2) Pursuant to a 2015 subordination agreement, the holder of the Notre Dame Debt agreed to subordinate their right to payments, as well as any security interest and liens on the Nixon facility’s business assets, in favor of Veritex as holder of the LE Term Loan Due 2034.

(3) On November 23, 2020, NPS and guarantors received notice from Pilot that the entry into the SBA EIDLs was a breach of the Amended Pilot Line of Credit and Pilot demanded full repayment of the Pilot Obligations, including through use of the proceeds of the SBA EIDLs. Pilot also notified the SBA that the liens securing the SBA EIDLs are junior to those securing the Pilot Obligations. While the SBA acknowledged this point and indicated a willingness to subordinate the SBA EIDLs, no further action has been taken by Pilot as of the filing date of this report.

The USDA, acting through its agencies, administers a federal rural credit program that makes direct loans and guarantees portions of loans made and serviced by USDA-qualified lenders for various purposes. Each USDA guarantee is a full faith and credit obligation of the U.S. with the USDA guaranteeing up to 100% of the principal amount. The lender for a USDA-guaranteed loan, in our case Veritex, is required by regulations to retain both the guaranteed and unguaranteed portions of the loan, to service the entire underlying loan, and to remain mortgage and/or secured party of record. Both the guaranteed and unguaranteed portions of the loan are to be secured by the same collateral with equal lien priority. The USDA-guaranteed portion of a loan cannot be paid later than, or in any way be subordinated to, the related unguaranteed portion. See “Notes (3) and (16)” to our consolidated financial statements for additional disclosures related to Affiliate agreements and transactions, including long-term debt guarantees.

Covenants

The Veritex loans and SBA EIDLs contain representations and warranties, affirmative and negative covenants, and events of default that we consider usual and customary for credit facilities of this type. There are no covenants associated with the Notre Dame Debt and the Equipment Loan Due 2025.

Defaults

Loan Description	Event(s) of Default	Covenant Violations
Veritex Loans
LE Term Loan Due 2034 (in default)	Failure to make required monthly payments; failure to replenish $1.0 million payment reserve account; events of default under other secured loan agreements with Veritex	Financial covenants: ●debt service coverage ratio, current ratio, and debt to        net worth ratio
LRM Term Loan Due 2034 (in default)	Failure to make required monthly payments; events of default under other secured loan agreements with Veritex	Financial covenants: ●debt service coverage ratio, current ratio, and debt to        net worth ratio
Notre Dame Debt (in default)	Failure of borrower to pay past due obligations; loan matured January 2019	---

As reflected in the table above and elsewhere in this report, we are in default under the LE Term Loan Due 2034, LRM Term Loan Due 2034, and the Notre Dame Debt. Defaults under the LE Term Loan Due 2034 and LRM Term Loan Due 2034 permit Veritex to declare the amounts owed under these loan agreements immediately due and payable, exercise its rights with respect to collateral securing obligors’ obligations under these loan agreements, and/or exercise any other rights and remedies available. The debt associated with the LE Term Loan Due 2034, LRM Term Loan Due 2034, and the Notre Dame Debt was classified within the current portion of long-term debt on our consolidated balance sheets at March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020.

Any exercise by Veritex of its rights and remedies under our secured loan agreements would have a material adverse effect on our business operations, including crude oil and condensate procurement and our customer relationships; financial condition; and results of operations. In such a case, the trading price of our common stock and the value of an investment in our common stock could significantly decrease, which could lead to holders of our common stock losing their investment in our common stock in its entirety.

We can provide no assurance that: (i) our assets or cash flow will be sufficient to fully repay borrowings under our secured loan agreements with Vertitex, either upon maturity or if accelerated, (ii) LE and LRM will be able to refinance or restructure the payments of the debt, and/or (iii) Veritex, as first lien holder, will provide future default waivers. Defaults under our secured loan agreements and any exercise by Veritex of its rights and remedies related to such defaults may have a material adverse effect on the trading prices of our common stock and on the value of an investment in our common stock, and holders of our common stock could lose their investment in our common stock in its entirety. See “Notes (1) and (11)” to our consolidated financial statements for additional information regarding defaults under our secured loan agreements and their potential effects on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

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11. Line of Credit Payable

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Line of Credit Facility [Abstract]

Line of Credit Payable

Line of Credit Agreement Summary

Line of Credit Description	Original Principal Amount (in millions)	Maturity Date	Monthly Principal and Interest Payment	Interest Rate	Loan Purpose
Amended Pilot Line of Credit (in default)	$13.0	May 2020	----	14.00%	Settlement payment to GEL, NPS purchase of crude oil from Pilot, and working capital

Outstanding Principal, Debt Issue Costs, and Accrued Interest

Line of credit payable, which represents outstanding principal and accrued interest, as of the dates indicated was as follows:

	March 31,			December 31,
	2021			2020
	(in thousands)
Amended Pilot Line of Credit (in default)	$	7,272		$	8,145
Less: Interest payable, short-term		(103	)		(103	)
	$	7,169		$	8,042

Guarantees and Security

Loan Description	Guarantees	Security
Amended Pilot Line of Credit (in default)	●Blue Dolphin pledged its equity        interests in NPS to Pilot to secure        NPS’ obligations; ●Blue Dolphin, LE, LRM, and LEH        have each guaranteed NPS’        obligations.	●NPS receivables; ●NPS assets, including a tank lease (the “Tank        Lease”); ●LRM receivables.

In an Agreement Regarding Attornment of Tank Leases dated April 30, 2019 between Veritex, LE, NPS, and Pilot, Veritex in its capacity as a secured lender of LE and LRM, agreed to permit the continued performance of obligations under a certain tank lease agreement if it were to foreclose on LE property that NPS was leasing from LE so long as certain conditions were met. The effectiveness of the Agreement Regarding Attornment of Tank Leases was subject to certain conditions, including the agreement and concurrence of the USDA that the Agreement Regarding Attornment of Tank Leases does not impair or void the LE Term Loan Due 2034 and LRM Term Loan Due 2034 or any associated guarantees. Veritex used commercially reasonable efforts to obtain such USDA concurrence, however, to date such USDA concurrence has not been provided.

Covenants

The Amended Pilot Line of Credit contains customary affirmative and negative covenants and events of default.

Defaults

Loan Description	Event(s) of Default	Covenant Violations
Amended Pilot Line of Credit (in default)	Failure of borrower or any guarantor to pay past due obligations; loan matured May 2020	---

As reflected in the table above and elsewhere in this report, we are in default under the Amended Pilot Line of Credit. Upon maturity of the Amended Pilot Line of Credit in May 2020, Pilot sent NPS, as borrower, and LRM, LEH, LE and Blue Dolphin, each a guarantor and collectively guarantors, a notice demanding the immediate payment of the Pilot Obligations. Pursuant to the Amended Pilot Line of Credit, commencing on May 4, 2020, the Pilot Obligations began to accrue interest at a default rate of fourteen percent (14%) per annum. Failure of the borrower or any guarantor of paying the past due Pilot Obligations constituted an event of default. Pilot expressly retained and reserved all its rights and remedies available to it at any time, including without limitation, the right to exercise all rights and remedies available to Pilot under the Amended Pilot Line of Credit or applicable law or equity.

Pursuant to a June 1, 2020 notice, Pilot began applying Pilot’s payment obligations to NPS under each of (a) the Terminal Services Agreement (covering Tank Nos. 67, 71, 72, 73, 77, and 78), dated as of May 2019, between NPS and Pilot, and (b) the Terminal Services Agreement (covering Tank No. 56), dated as of June 1, 2019, between NPS and Pilot, against NPS’ payment obligations to Pilot under the Amended Pilot Line of Credit. Such tank lease setoff amounts only partially satisfy NPS’ obligations under the Amended Pilot Line of Credit, and Pilot expressly retained and reserved all its rights and remedies available to it at any time, including, without limitation, the right to exercise all rights and remedies available to Pilot under the Amended Pilot Line of Credit or applicable law or equity. For the three-month periods ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, the tank lease setoff amounts totaled $0.6 million and $0, respectively. For the three-month periods ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, the amount of interest NPS incurred under the Amended Pilot Line of Credit totaled $0.3 million and $0.4 million, respectively.

On November 23, 2020, NPS and guarantors received notice from Pilot that the entry into the SBA EIDLs was a breach of the Amended Pilot Line of Credit and Pilot demanded full repayment of the Pilot Obligations, including through use of the proceeds of the SBA EIDLs. Pilot also notified the SBA that the liens securing the SBA EIDLs are junior to those securing the Pilot Obligations. While the SBA acknowledged this point and indicated a willingness to subordinate the SBA EIDLs, no further action has been taken by Pilot as of the filing date of this report.

Any exercise by Pilot of its rights and remedies under the Amended Pilot Line of Credit would have a material adverse effect on our business operations, including crude oil and condensate procurement and our customer relationships; financial condition; and results of operations. NPS and guarantors continue in active dialogue with Pilot to reach a negotiated settlement, and we believe that Pilot hopes to continue working with NPS to settle the Pilot Obligations. NPS and guarantors are also working on the possible refinance of amounts owing and payable under the Amended Pilot Line of Credit. However, progress with potential lenders has been slow due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. NPS’s ability to repay, refinance, replace or otherwise extend this credit facility is dependent on, among other things, business conditions, our financial performance, and the general condition of the financial markets. Given the current financial markets, we could be forced to undertake alternate financings, including a sale of additional common stock, negotiate for an extension of the maturity, or sell assets and delay capital expenditures in order to generate proceeds that could be used to repay such indebtedness. We can provide no assurance that we will be able to consummate any such transaction on terms that are commercially reasonable, on terms acceptable to us or at all. If new debt or other liabilities are added to the Company’s current consolidated debt levels, the related risks that it now faces could intensify. In the event we are unsuccessful in such endeavors, NPS may be unable to pay the amounts outstanding under the Amended Pilot Line of Credit, which may require us to seek protection under bankruptcy laws. In such a case, the trading price of our common stock and the value of an investment in our common stock could significantly decrease, which could lead to holders of our common stock losing their investment in our common stock in its entirety.

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12. ARO's

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Asset Retirement Obligation Disclosure [Abstract]

ARO's

Refinery and Facilities

Management has concluded that there is no legal or contractual obligation to dismantle or remove the refinery and facilities assets. Management believes that the refinery and facilities assets have indeterminate lives under FASB ASC guidance for estimating AROs because dates or ranges of dates upon which we would retire these assets cannot reasonably be estimated at this time. When a legal or contractual obligation to dismantle or remove the refinery and facilities assets arises and a date or range of dates can reasonably be estimated for the retirement of these assets, we will estimate the cost of performing the retirement activities and record a liability for the fair value of that cost using present value techniques.

Pipelines and Facilities and Oil and Gas Properties

We have AROs associated with the decommissioning of our pipelines and facilities assets, as well as the plugging and abandonment of our oil and gas properties. We recorded a discounted liability for the fair value of an ARO with a corresponding increase to the carrying value of the related long-lived asset at the time the asset was installed or placed in service, and we depreciated the amount added to property and equipment and recognized accretion expense relating to the discounted liability over the remaining life of the asset. At March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the liability was fully accreted. See “Note (16)” to our consolidated financial statements for disclosures related to decommissioning of our offshore pipelines and platform assets and related risks.

ARO liability as of the dates indicated was as follows:

	March 31,			December 31,
	2021			2020
	(in thousands)
AROs, at the beginning of the period	$	2,370		$	2,565
Liabilities settled		-			(195	)
		2,370			2,370
Less: AROs, current portion		(2,370	)		(2,370	)
Long-term AROs, at the end of the period	$	-		$	-

Liabilities settled reflects preparatory costs in the period associated with decommissioning our offshore pipelines and platform assets.

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13. Lease Obligations

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Leases, Operating [Abstract]

Lease Obligatons

Operating Lease

Office Lease. BDSC has an office lease related to our headquarters office in Houston, Texas. The 68-month operating lease expires in 2023. BDSC has the option to extend the lease term for one additional five (5) year period if notice of intent to extend is provided to the lessor at least twelve (12) months before the end of the current term. Pursuant to a letter dated March 29, 2021, TR 801 Travis LLC, a Delaware limited partnership, informed BDSC that it was in default under its office lease. BDSC’s failure to pay past due obligations, including rent installments and other charges, constituted an event of default. The parties reached an agreement to cure the default. See “Note (17) Subsequent Events” to our consolidated financial statements for additional disclosures related to the Houston office lease.

An Affiliate, LEH, subleases a portion of the Houston office space.  Sublease income received from LEH totaled approximately $0.01 million for both the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020. See “Note (3)” to our consolidated financial statements for additional disclosures related to the Affiliate sub-lease.

The following table presents the lease-related assets and liabilities recorded on the consolidated balance sheet:

		March 31,			December 31,
	Balance Sheet Location	2021			2020
		(in thousands)
Assets
Operating lease ROU assets	Operating lease ROU assets	$	787		$	787
Less: Accumulated amortization on operating lease assets	Operating lease ROU assets		(329	)		(289	)
Total lease assets			458			498
Liabilities
Current
Operating lease	Current portion of lease liabilities		199			194
			199			194
Noncurrent
Operating lease	Long-term lease liabilities, net of current		319			370
Total lease liabilities		$	518		$	564

Weighted average remaining lease term in years
Operating lease	2.42
Weighted average discount rate
Operating lease	8.25	%
Finance leases	8.25	%

The following table presents information related to lease costs for operating and finance leases:

	Three Months Ended
	March 31,
	2021		2020
	(in thousands)
Operating lease costs	$	51	$	51
Finance lease costs:
Depreciation of leased assets		-		6
Interest on lease liabilities		-		2
Total lease cost	$	51	$	59

The table below presents supplemental cash flow information related to leases as follows:

	Three Months Ended
	March 31,
	2021		2020
	(in thousands)
Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement
of lease liabilities:
Operating cash flows for operating lease	$	47	$	88
Operating cash flows for finance leases	$	-	$	2
Financing cash flows for finance leases	$	-	$	6

As of March 31, 2021, maturities of lease liabilities for the periods indicated were as follows:

March 31,	Operating Lease
	(in thousands)
2021	$	199
2022		220
2023		99
	$	518

Future minimum annual lease commitments that are non-cancelable:

	Operating
March 31,	Lease
	(in thousands)
2021	$	233
2022		237
2023		101
	$	571

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14. Income Taxes

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Income Taxes

Tax Provision

The provision for income tax expense for the periods indicated was as follows:

	Three Months Ended
	March 31,
	2021			2020
	(in thousands)
Current
Federal	$	-		$	(15	)
State		-			-
Deferred
Federal		667			698
State		-
Change in valuation allowance		(667	)		(698	)
Total provision for income taxes	$	-		$	(15	)

The TMT is treated as an income tax for financial reporting purposes.

Deferred income taxes as of the dates indicated consisted of the following:

	March 31,			December 31,
	2021			2020
	(in thousands)
Deferred tax assets:
NOL and capital loss carryforwards	$	15,773		$	15,258
Business interest expense		3,693			3,343
Start-up costs (crude oil and condensate processing facility)		488			509
ARO liability/deferred revenue		498			498
Other		4			3
Total deferred tax assets		20,456			19,611
Deferred tax liabilities:
Basis differences in property and equipment		(7,409	)		(7,230	)
Total deferred tax liabilities		(7,409	)		(7,230	)
		13,047			12,381
Valuation allowance		(13,047	)		(12,381	)
Deferred tax assets, net	$	-		$	-

Deferred Income Taxes

Deferred income tax balances reflect the effects of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities and their tax basis, as well as from NOL carryforwards. We state those balances at the enacted tax rates we expect will be in effect when taxes are paid. NOL carryforwards and deferred tax assets represent amounts available to reduce future taxable income.

NOL Carryforwards. Under IRC Section 382, a corporation that undergoes an “ownership change” is subject to limitations on its use of pre-change NOL carryforwards to offset future taxable income. Within the meaning of IRC Section 382, an “ownership change” occurs when the aggregate stock ownership of certain stockholders (generally 5% shareholders, applying certain look-through rules) increases by more than fifty (50) percentage points over such stockholders' lowest percentage ownership during the testing period (generally three years). For income tax purposes, we experienced ownership changes in 2005, relating to a series of private placements, and in 2012, because of a reverse acquisition, that limit the use of pre-change NOL carryforwards to offset future taxable income. In general, the annual use limitation equals the aggregate value of common stock at the time of the ownership change multiplied by a specified tax-exempt interest rate. The 2012 ownership change will subject approximately $16.3 million in NOL carryforwards that were generated prior to the ownership change to an annual use limitation of approximately $0.6 million per year. Unused portions of the annual use limitation amount may be used in subsequent years. Because of the annual use limitation, approximately $6.7 million in NOL carryforwards that were generated prior to the 2012 ownership change will expire unused. NOL carryforwards that were generated after the 2012 ownership change and prior to 2018 are not subject to an annual use limitation under IRC Section 382 and may be used for a period of 20 years in addition to available amounts of NOL carryforwards generated prior to the ownership change.

NOL Carryforwards. NOL carryforwards that remained available for future use for the periods indicated were as follow (amounts shown are net of NOLs that will expire unused because of the IRC Section 382 limitation):

	Net Operating Loss Carryforward
	Pre-Ownership Change			Post-Ownership Change		Total
	(in thousands)
Balance at December 31, 2019		9,614			43,058		52,672
Net operating losses		-			13,305		13,305
Balance at December 31, 2020	$	9,614		$	56,363	$	65,977
Net operating losses		(1,718	)		2,456		738
Balance at March 31, 2021	$	7,896		$	58,819	$	66,715

Valuation Allowance. As of each reporting date, management considers new evidence, both positive and negative, to determine the realizability of deferred tax assets. Management considers whether it is more likely than not that some portion or all the deferred tax assets will be realized, which is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income prior to the expiration of any NOL carryforwards. At March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, management determined that cumulative losses incurred over the prior three-year period provided significant objective evidence that limited the ability to consider other subjective evidence, such as projections for future growth. Based on this evaluation, we recorded a valuation allowance against the deferred tax assets for which realization was not deemed more likely than not as of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020.

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15. Earnings Per Share

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Earnings Per Share [Abstract]

Earnings Per Share

A reconciliation between basic and diluted income per share for the periods indicated was as follows:

	Three Months Ended
	March 31,
	2021			2020
	(in thousands except share and per share amounts)
Net loss	$	(3,174	)	$	(3,340	)
Basic and diluted income (loss) per share	$	(0.25	)	$	(0.27	)
Basic and Diluted
Weighted average number of shares of
common stock outstanding and potential
dilutive shares of common stock		12,693,514			12,327,365

Diluted EPS is computed by dividing net income available to common stockholders by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding. Diluted EPS for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020 was the same as basic EPS as there were no stock options or other dilutive instruments outstanding.

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16. Commitments and Contingencies

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingencies

Amended and Restated Operating Agreement

See “Note (3)” to our consolidated financial statements for additional disclosures related to operation and management of all Blue Dolphin properties by an Affiliate under the Amended and Restated Operating Agreement.

BSEE Offshore Pipelines and Platform Decommissioning

BDPL has pipelines and platform assets that are subject to BSEE’s idle iron regulations. Idle iron regulations mandate lessees and rights-of-way holders to permanently abandon and/or remove platforms and other structures when they are no longer useful for operations. Until such structures are abandoned or removed, lessees and rights-of-way holders are required to inspect and maintain the assets in accordance with regulatory requirements.

In December 2018, BSEE issued an INC to BDPL for failure to flush and fill Pipeline Segment No. 13101. Management met with BSEE on August 15, 2019 to address BDPL’s plans with respect to decommissioning its offshore pipelines and platform assets. BSEE proposed that BDPL re-submit permit applications for pipeline and platform decommissioning, along with a safe boarding plan for the platform, within six (6) months (no later than February 15, 2020), and develop and implement a safe boarding plan for submission with such permit applications. Further, BSEE proposed that BDPL complete approved, permitted work within twelve (12) months (no later than August 15, 2020). BDPL timely submitted permit applications for decommissioning of the subject offshore pipelines and platform assets to BSEE on February 11, 2020 and the USACOE on March 25, 2020. Although we planned to decommission the offshore pipelines and platform assets during 2020, decommissioning of these assets has been delayed due to cash constraints associated with the ongoing impact of COVID-19 and winter being the offseason for dive operations in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. We cannot currently estimate when decommissioning may occur. In the interim, BDPL provides BSEE with updates regarding the project’s status.

In April 2020, BSEE issued another INC to BDPL for failure to perform the required structural surveys for the GA-288C Platform. BDPL requested an extension to the INC related to the structural platform surveys, and BSEE approved BDPL’s extension request. The required platform surveys were completed, and the INC was resolved in June 2020.

Lack of permit approvals does not relieve BDPL of its obligations to remedy the BSEE INCs or of BSEE’s authority to impose financial penalties. If BDPL fails to complete decommissioning of the offshore pipelines and platform assets and/or remedy the INCs within a timeframe determined to be prudent by BSEE, BDPL could be subject to regulatory oversight and enforcement, including but not limited to failure to correct an INC, civil penalties, and revocation of BDPL’s operator designation, which could have a material adverse effect on our earnings, cash flows and liquidity.

We are currently unable to predict the outcome of the BSEE INCs. Accordingly, we have not recorded a liability on our consolidated balance sheet as of March 31, 2021. At both March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, BDPL maintained $2.4 million in AROs related to abandonment of these assets.

Defaults Under Secured Loan Agreements with Third Parties

See “Notes (1), (3), (10), and (11)” to our consolidated financial statements for additional disclosures related to defaults under our secured and unsecured debt agreements.

Financing Agreements and Guarantees

Indebtedness. See “Notes (1), (3), (10), and (11)” to our consolidated financial statements for disclosures related to Affiliate and third-party indebtedness and defaults thereto.

Guarantees. Affiliates provided guarantees on certain debt of Blue Dolphin and its subsidiaries. The maximum amount of any guarantee is equal to the principal amount and accrued interest, which amounts are reduced as payments are made. See “Notes (1), (3), (10), and (11)” to our consolidated financial statements for additional disclosures related to Affiliate and third-party guarantees associated with indebtedness and defaults thereto.

Health, Safety and Environmental Matters

The operations of certain Blue Dolphin subsidiaries are subject to extensive federal, state, and local environmental, health, and safety regulations governing, among other things, the generation, storage, handling, use and transportation of petroleum products and hazardous substances; the emission and discharge of materials into the environment; waste management; characteristics and composition of jet fuel and other products; and the monitoring, reporting and control of air emissions. These operations also require numerous permits and authorizations under various environmental, health, and safety laws and regulations. Failure to obtain and comply with these permits or environmental, health, or safety laws generally could result in fines, penalties or other sanctions, or a revocation of our permits.

Legal Matters

BOEM Additional Financial Assurance (Supplemental Pipeline Bonds). To cover the various obligations of lessees and rights-of-way holders operating in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico, BOEM evaluates an operator’s financial ability to carry out present and future obligations to determine whether the operator must provide additional security beyond the statutory bonding requirements. Such obligations include the cost of plugging and abandoning wells and decommissioning pipelines and platforms at the end of production or service activities. Once plugging and abandonment work has been completed, the collateral backing the financial assurance is released by BOEM.

BDPL has historically maintained $0.9 million in financial assurance to BOEM for the decommissioning of its trunk pipeline offshore in federal waters. Following an agency restructuring of the financial assurance program, in March 2018 BOEM ordered BDPL to provide additional financial assurance totaling approximately $4.8 million for five (5) existing pipeline rights-of-way within sixty (60) calendar days. In June 2018, BOEM issued BDPL INCs for each right-of-way that failed to comply. BDPL appealed the INCs to the IBLA, and the IBLA granted multiple extension requests that extended BDPL’s deadline for filing a statement of reasons for the appeal with the IBLA. On August 9, 2019, BDPL timely filed its statement of reasons for the appeal with the IBLA. Considering BDPL’s August 2019 meeting with BOEM and BSEE, BDPL requested a stay in the IBLA matter until August 2020. The Office of the Solicitor of the U.S. Department of the Interior was agreeable to a 10-day extension while it conferred with BOEM on BDPL’s stay request. In late October 2019, BDPL filed a motion to request the 10-day extension, which motion was subsequently granted by the IBLA. The solicitor’s office consented to an additional 14-day extension for BDPL to file its reply, and BDPL filed a motion to request the 14-day extension in November 2019. The solicitor’s office indicated that BOEM would not consent to further extensions. However, the solicitor’s office signaled that BDPL’s adherence to the milestones identified in an August 15, 2019 meeting between management and BSEE may help in future discussions with BOEM related to the INCs. Decommissioning of these assets will significantly reduce or eliminate the amount of financial assurance required by BOEM, which may serve to partially or fully resolve the INCs. Although we planned to decommission the offshore pipelines and platform assets during 2020, decommissioning of these assets has been delayed due to cash constraints associated with the ongoing impact of COVID-19 and winter being the offseason for dive operations in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. We cannot currently estimate when decommissioning may occur. In the interim, BDPL provides BOEM and BSEE with updates regarding the project’s status.

BDPL’s pending appeal of the BOEM INCs does not relieve BDPL of its obligations to provide additional financial assurance or of BOEM’s authority to impose financial penalties. There can be no assurance that we will be able to meet additional financial assurance (supplemental pipeline bond) requirements. If BDPL is required by BOEM to provide significant additional financial assurance (supplemental pipeline bonds) or is assessed significant penalties under the INCs, we will experience a significant and material adverse effect on our operations, liquidity, and financial condition.

We are currently unable to predict the outcome of the BOEM INCs. Accordingly, we have not recorded a liability on our consolidated balance sheet as of March 31, 2021. At both March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, BDPL maintained approximately $0.9 million in credit and cash-backed pipeline rights-of-way bonds issued to BOEM.

Other Legal Matters. We are involved in lawsuits, claims, and proceedings incidental to the conduct of our business, including mechanic’s liens, contract-related disputes, and administrative proceedings. Management is in discussion with all concerned parties and does not believe that such matters will have a material adverse effect on our financial position, earnings, or cash flows. However, there can be no assurance that such discussions will result in a manageable outcome. If Veritex and/or Pilot exercise their rights and remedies due to defaults under our secured loan agreements, our business, financial condition, and results of operations will be materially adversely affected.

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17. Subsequent Events

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Subsequent Events [Abstract]

Subsequent Events

On May 11, 2021, BDSC and TR 801 Travis LLC reached an agreement to cure BDSC’s Houston office lease default. Under the terms of the arrangement, BDSC will pay TR 801 Travis LLC past due obligations, including rent installments and other charges totaling approximately $0.1 million (the “Past Due Obligations”), in equal monthly installments beginning June 1, 2021 and continuing through the August 31, 2023 lease expiration date. The Past Due Obligations shall be subject to an annual percentage rate of 4.50%. As revised, BDSC’ monthly base rent plus the prorated portion of the Past Due Obligations will approximate $0.02 million.

BDEC EIDL

On May 11, 2021, BDEC executed the standard loan documents required to secure an EIDL through the SBA for COVID-19 pandemic relief. The principal amount of the loan is $0.5 million. Proceeds will be used for working capital purposes. Interest on the loan accrues at the rate of 3.75% per annum and will accrue from the date of loan. Installment payments, including principal and interest, total $.003 million per month and will begin eighteen (18) months from the date of the loan. The balance of principal and interest is payable over a 30-year term. SBA EIDLs are not forgivable. Jonathan Carroll and LEH, an affiliate, provided guarantees of the debt. The debt is subject to certain customary covenants and default provisions.

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2. Principles of Consolidation and Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Use of Estimates

The preparation of our financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and the related disclosures. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and related governmental responses, volatility in commodity prices, and severe weather resulting from climate change have impacted and likely will continue to impact our business. We assessed certain accounting matters that generally require consideration of forecasted financial information in context with the information reasonably available to us and the unknown future impacts of COVID-19 as of March 31, 2021 and through the filing date of this report. The accounting matters assessed included, but were not limited to, our allowance for doubtful accounts, inventory and related reserves, and the carrying value of long-lived assets.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents represent liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less. Cash balances are maintained in depository and overnight investment accounts with financial institutions that, at times, may exceed insured deposit limits. We monitor the financial condition of the financial institutions and have experienced no losses associated with these accounts.

Restricted Cash

Restricted cash, current portion primarily represents a payment reserve account held by Veritex as security for payments under a loan agreement. Restricted cash, noncurrent represents funds held in the Veritex disbursement account for payment of construction related expenses to complete building new petroleum storage tanks.

Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

Accounts receivable are presented net of any necessary allowance(s) for doubtful accounts. Receivables are recorded at the invoiced amount and generally do not bear interest. An allowance for doubtful accounts is established, when necessary, based on prior experience and other factors which, in management's judgment, deserve consideration in estimating bad debts.  Management assesses collectability of the customer’s account based on current aging status, collection history, and financial condition.  Based on a review of these factors, management establishes or adjusts the allowance for specific customers and the entire accounts receivable portfolio.  We had an allowance for doubtful accounts of $0.1 million at both March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020.

Inventory

Inventory primarily consists of refined products, crude oil and condensate, and chemicals. Inventory is valued at lower of cost or net realizable value with cost determined by the average cost method, and net realizable value determined based on estimated selling prices less associated delivery costs. If the net realizable value of our refined products inventory declines to an amount less than our average cost, we record a write-down of inventory and an associated adjustment to cost of goods sold. See “Note (7)” to our consolidated financial statements for additional disclosures related to inventory.

Property and Equipment

Refinery and Facilities. During 2020, we safely completed a 5-year capital improvement expansion project of the Nixon facility that included construction of new storage tanks, smaller efficiency improvements, and the acquisition of refurbished refinery equipment for later deployment. We typically make ongoing improvements to the Nixon facility based on operational needs, technological advances, and safety and regulatory requirements. Additions to refinery and facilities assets are capitalized, and expenditures for repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred. We record refinery and facilities at cost less any adjustments for depreciation or impairment. Adjustment of the asset and the related accumulated depreciation accounts are made for the refinery and facilities asset’s retirement and disposal, with the resulting gain or loss included in the consolidated statements of operations. For financial reporting purposes, depreciation of refinery and facilities assets is computed using the straight-line method using an estimated useful life of 25 years beginning when the refinery and facilities assets are placed in service. We did not record any impairment of our refinery and facilities assets for the periods presented.

Pipelines and Facilities. Our pipelines and facilities are recorded at cost less any adjustments for depreciation or impairment. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over estimated useful lives ranging from 10 to 22 years. In accordance with FASB ASC guidance, we performed periodic impairment testing of our pipeline and facilities assets in 2016. Upon completion of testing, our pipeline assets were fully impaired at December 31, 2016. All pipeline transportation services to third parties have ceased, existing third-party wells along our pipeline corridor have been permanently abandoned, and no new third-party wells are being drilled near our pipelines. Although we planned to decommission the offshore pipelines and platform assets during 2020, decommissioning of these assets has been delayed due to cash constraints associated with the ongoing impact of COVID-19 and winter being the offseason for dive operations in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. We cannot currently estimate when decommissioning may occur.

Oil and Gas Properties. Our oil and gas properties are accounted for using the full-cost method of accounting, whereby all costs associated with acquisition, exploration and development of oil and gas properties, including directly related internal costs, are capitalized on a cost center basis.  Amortization of such costs and estimated future development costs are determined using the unit-of-production method. All leases associated with our oil and gas properties have expired, and our oil and gas properties were fully impaired in 2011.

CIP. CIP expenditures, including capitalized interest, relate to construction and refurbishment activities and equipment for the Nixon facility. These expenditures are capitalized as incurred. Depreciation begins once the asset is placed in service. See “Note (8)” to our consolidated financial statements for additional disclosures related to our refinery and facilities assets, oil and gas properties, pipelines and facilities assets, and CIP.

Leases

We evaluate if a contract is or contains a lease at inception of the contract. If we determine that a contract is or contains a lease, we recognize ROU asset and lease liability at the commencement date of the lease based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. The present value of the lease payments is determined by using the implicit rate when readily determinable. If not determinable, we use the incremental borrowing rate to discount lease payments to present value. Lease terms include options to extend or terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain that we will exercise those options.

We recognize ROU assets and lease liabilities for leasing arrangements with terms greater than one year. We account for lease and non-lease components in a contract as a single lease component for all classes of underlying assets. We allocate the consideration in these contracts based on pricing information contained in the lease.

Expense for an operating lease is recognized as a single lease cost on a straight-line basis over the lease term and is reflected in the appropriate income statement line item based on the leased asset’s function. Amortization expense of a finance lease ROU asset is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lesser of the useful life of the leased asset or the lease term. However, if the lease transfers ownership of the finance lease ROU asset to us at the end of the lease term, the finance lease ROU asset is amortized over the useful life of the leased asset. Amortization expense is reflected in ‘depreciation and amortization expense.’ Interest expense is incurred based on the carrying value of the lease liability and is reflected in ‘interest and other expense.

Revenue Recognition

Refinery Operations Revenue. Revenue from the sale of refined products is recognized when the product is sold to the customer in fulfillment of performance obligations. Each load of refined product is separately identifiable and represents a distinct performance obligation to which the transaction price is allocated. Performance obligations are met when control is transferred to the customer. Control is transferred to the customer when the product has been lifted or, in cases where the product is not lifted immediately (bill and hold arrangements), when the product is added to the customer’s bulk inventory as stored at the Nixon facility.

We consider a variety of facts and circumstances in assessing the point of control transfer, including but not limited to: whether the purchaser can direct the use of the refined product, the transfer of significant risks and rewards, our rights to payment, and transfer of legal title. In each case, the term between the sale and when payment is due is not significant. Transportation, shipping, and handling costs incurred are included in cost of goods sold. Excise and other taxes that are collected from customers and remitted to governmental authorities are not included in revenue.

Tolling and Terminaling Revenue. Tolling and terminaling revenue represents fees pursuant to: (i) tank storage agreements, whereby a customer agrees to pay a certain fee per tank based on tank size over a period of time for the storage of products and (ii) tolling agreements, whereby a customer agrees to pay a certain fee per gallon or barrel for throughput volumes moving through the naphtha stabilizer unit and a fixed monthly reservation fee for use of the naphtha stabilizer unit.

We typically satisfy performance obligations for tolling and terminaling operations with the passage of time. We determine the transaction price at agreement inception based on the guaranteed minimum amount of revenue over the term of the agreement. We allocate the transaction price to the single performance obligation that exists under the agreement, and we recognize revenue in the amount for which we have a right to invoice. Generally, payment terms do not exceed 30 days.

Revenue from tank storage customers may, from time to time, include fees for ancillary services, such as in-tank and tank-to-tank blending. These services are considered optional to the customer, and the price we charge for such services is not included in the fixed cost under the customer’s tank storage agreement. Ancillary services are considered a separate performance obligation by us under the tank storage agreement. The performance obligation is satisfied when the requested service has been performed in the applicable period.

Deferred Revenue. We record deferred revenue when cash payments are received or due in advance of our performance. An increase in the deferred revenue balance reflects cash payments received or due in advance of satisfying our performance obligations, offset by recognized revenue that was included in the deferred revenue balance at the beginning of the period. Deferred revenue represents a liability as of the balance sheet date related to a revenue producing activity for which revenue has not yet been recognized. We record deferred revenue when we receive consideration under a contract before achieving certain criteria that must be met for revenue to be recognized in conformity with GAAP.

Income Taxes

Deferred income taxes are determined based on the differences between the financial reporting and tax basis of assets and liabilities, as well as operating losses and tax credit carryforwards using currently enacted tax rates and laws in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. We record a valuation allowance against deferred income tax assets if it is more likely than not that those assets will not be realized. The provision for income taxes comprises our current tax liability and change in deferred income tax assets and liabilities.

Significant judgment is required in evaluating uncertain tax positions and determining its provision for income taxes. As of each reporting date, we consider new evidence, both positive and negative, to determine the realizability of deferred tax assets. We consider whether it is more likely than not that a portion or all the deferred tax assets will be realized, which is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income prior to the expiration of any NOL carryforwards. When we determine that it is more likely than not that a tax benefit will not be realized, a valuation allowance is recorded to reduce deferred tax assets. A significant piece of objective negative evidence evaluated was cumulative losses incurred over the three-year period ended March 31, 2021. Such objective evidence limits the ability to consider other subjective evidence, such as projections for future growth. Based on this evaluation, we recorded a valuation allowance against the deferred tax assets for which realization was not deemed more likely than not as of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020. In addition, we have NOL carryforwards that remain available for future use.

The benefit of an uncertain tax position is recognized in the financial statements if it meets a minimum recognition threshold. A determination is first made as to whether it is more likely than not that the income tax position will be sustained, based upon technical merits, upon examination by the taxing authorities. If the income tax position is expected to meet the more-likely-than-not criteria, the benefit recorded in the financial statements equals the largest amount that is greater than 50% likely to be realized upon its ultimate settlement. At March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, there were no uncertain tax positions for which a reserve or liability was necessary. See “Note (14)” to our consolidated financial statements for more information related to income taxes.

Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets

We periodically evaluate our long-lived assets for impairment. Additionally, we evaluate our long-lived assets when events or circumstances indicate that the carrying value of these assets may not be recoverable. The carrying value is not recoverable if it exceeds the sum of the undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use and eventual disposition of the asset or group of assets. If the carrying value exceeds the sum of the undiscounted cash flows, an impairment loss equal to the amount by which the carrying value exceeds the fair value of the asset or group of assets is recognized. Significant management judgment is required in the forecasting of future operating results that are used in the preparation of projected cash flows and, should different conditions prevail or judgments be made, material impairment charges could be necessary.

The market volatility of commodity prices as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic could affect the value of certain of our long-lived assets. Management evaluated our refinery and facilities assets for impairment as of March 31, 2021. No impairment was deemed necessary based upon this testing, and we did not record any impairment of our refinery and facilities assets for the periods presented.

Asset Retirement Obligations

We record a liability for the discounted fair value of an ARO in the period incurred, and we also capitalize the corresponding cost by increasing the carrying amount of the related long-lived asset. The liability is accreted towards its future value each period, and the capitalized cost is depreciated over the useful life of the related asset. If the liability is settled for an amount other than the recorded amount, a gain or loss is recognized.

We have concluded that there is no legal or contractual obligation to dismantle or remove the refinery and facilities assets. Further, we believe that these assets have indeterminate lives because dates or ranges of dates upon which we would retire these assets cannot reasonably be estimated at this time. When a legal or contractual obligation to dismantle or remove the refinery and facilities assets arises and a date or range of dates can reasonably be estimated for the retirement of these assets, we will estimate the cost of performing the retirement activities and record a liability for the fair value of that cost using present value techniques.

We recorded an ARO liability related to future asset retirement costs associated with dismantling, relocating, or disposing of our offshore platform, pipeline systems, and related onshore facilities, as well as for plugging and abandoning wells and restoring land and sea-beds. Cost estimates for each of our assets were developed based upon regulatory requirements, structural makeup, water depth, reservoir characteristics, reservoir depth, equipment demand, current retirement procedures, and construction and engineering consultations. Estimating future costs are difficult and require management to make judgments that are subject to future revisions based upon numerous factors, including changing technology, political, and regulatory environments. We review our assumptions and estimates of future abandonment costs on an annual basis. See “Note (12)” to our consolidated financial statements for additional information related to AROs.

Computation of Earnings Per Share

We present basic and diluted EPS. Basic EPS excludes dilution and is computed by dividing net income available to common stockholders by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding for the period. Diluted EPS is computed by dividing net income available to common stockholders by the diluted weighted average number of common shares outstanding, which includes the potential dilution that could occur if securities or other contracts to issue shares of common stock were converted to common stock that then shared in the earnings of the entity. The number of shares related to restricted stock included in diluted EPS is based on the “Treasury Stock Method.” We do not currently have issued options, warrants, or similar instruments. Convertible shares, if granted, are not included in the computation of earnings per share if anti-dilutive. See “Note (15)” to our consolidated financial statements for additional information related to EPS.

New Pronouncements

New Pronouncements Adopted. The FASB issues ASUs to communicate changes to the FASB ASC, including changes to non-authoritative SEC content. Recently adopted ASUs include:

Codification Improvements. In October 2020, FASB issued ASU 2020-10, Codification Improvements. The amendments in this guidance affected a wide variety of topics in the ASC by either clarifying the codification or correcting unintended application of guidance. The changes did not have a significant effect on accounting practice or create a significant administrative cost burden to most entities. For all reporting entities, the amendments in ASU 2020-10 were effective for fiscal years ending after December 15, 2020. Adoption of this guidance did not have a significant impact on our consolidated financial statements.

New Pronouncements Issued, Not Yet Effective.

Other new pronouncements issued but not yet effective are not expected to have a material impact on our financial position, results of operations, or liquidity.

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1. Organization (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash

	March 31,		December 31,
	2021		2020
	(in thousands)
Cash and cash equivalents	$	521	$	549
Restricted cash (current portion)		48		48
Restricted cash, noncurrent		-		514
Total	$	569	$	1,111

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3. Related-Party Transactions (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Related Party Transactions [Abstract]

Affiliate agreements/transactions

Agreement/Transaction	Parties	Effective Date	Key Terms
Jet Fuel Sales Agreement	LEH - LE	04/01/2021	1-year term expiring earliest to occur of 03/31/2022 plus 30-day carryover or delivery of maximum jet fuel quantity; LEH bids on jet fuel contracts under preferential pricing terms due to a HUBZone certification
Office Sub-Lease Agreement	LEH - BDSC	01/01/2018	68-month term expiring 08/31/2023; office lease Houston, Texas; includes 6-month rent abatement period; rent approximately $0.02 million per month
Amended and Restated Operating Agreement	LEH – Blue Dolphin, LE, LRM, NPS, BDPL, BDPC and BDSC	04/01/2020	3-year term; expires 04/01/2023 or notice by either party at any time of material breach or 90 days Board notice; LEH receives management fee of 5% of all consolidated operating costs, excluding crude costs, depreciation, amortization and interest, of Blue Dolphin, LE, LRM, NPS, BDPL, BDPC and BDSC

Related-Party Long-Term Debt

Loan Description	Parties	Maturity Date	Interest Rate	Loan Purpose
March Carroll Note (in default)	Jonathan Carroll – Blue Dolphin	Jan 2019	8.00%	Blue Dolphin working capital; reflects amounts owed to Jonathan Carroll under the guaranty fee agreements
March Ingleside Note (in default)	Ingleside – Blue Dolphin	Jan 2019	8.00%	Blue Dolphin working capital
June LEH Note (in default)	LEH – Blue Dolphin	Jan 2019	8.00%	Blue Dolphin working capital; reflects amounts owed to LEH under the Amended and Restated Operating Agreement
BDPL-LEH Loan Agreement (in default)(1)	LEH - BDPL	Aug 2018	16.00%	Blue Dolphin working capital
Amended and Restated Guaranty Fee Agreement(2)	Jonathan Carroll - LE	--	2.00%	Tied to payoff of LE $25 million Veritex loan
Amended and Restated Guaranty Fee Agreement(2)	Jonathan Carroll - LRM	--	2.00%	Tied to payoff of LRM $10 million Veritex loan

(1) The original principal amount of the BDPL-LEH Loan Agreement was $4.0 million.

(2) As a condition for our secured loan agreements with Veritex, Jonathan Carroll was required to personally guarantee repayment of borrowed funds and accrued interest. Under the guaranty fee agreements, Mr. Carroll is entitled to receive guaranty fees. The fees are payable 50% in cash and 50% in Common Stock. The Common Stock portion is paid quarterly. For the foreseeable future, management does not intend to pay Mr. Carroll the cash portion due to Blue Dolphin’s working capital deficits. The cash portion will continue to accrue and be added to the outstanding principal balance owed to Mr. Carroll under the March Carroll Note.

Accounts payable, related party

	March 31,			December 31,
	2021			2020
	(in thousands)
LEH
June LEH Note (in default)	$	9,588		$	9,446
BDPL-LEH Loan Agreement		6,974			6,814
LEH Total		16,562			16,260
Ingleside
March Ingleside Note (in default)		1,031			1,013
Jonathan Carroll
March Carroll Note (in default)		1,732			1,551
		19,325			18,824
Less: Long-term debt, related party, current portion, in default		(16,351	)		(16,010	)
Less: Accrued interest payable, related party (in default)		(2,974	)		(2,814	)
	$	-		$	-

Refinery operating expenses

	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2021				2020
	(in thousands, except percents)
Refinery operations
LEH	$	16,080	27.1	%	$	17,715	28.6	%
Third-Parties		42,403	71.3	%		43,182	69.6	%
Tolling and terminaling
Third-Parties		930	1.6	%		1,103	1.8	%
	$	59,413	100.0	%	$	62,000	100.0	%

Accrued interest expenses

	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2021		2020
	(in thousands)
Jonathan Carroll
Guaranty Fee Agreements
First Term Loan Due 2034	$	108	$	108
Second Term Loan Due 2034		45		45
March Carroll Note (in default)		29		23
LEH
BDPL-LEH Loan Agreement (in default)		160		160
June LEH Note (in default)		182		25
Ingleside
March Ingleside Note (in default)		14		20
	$	538	$	381

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4. Revenue and Segment Information (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Business segment reporting

	Three Months Ended
	March 31,
	2021			2020
	(in thousands)
Net revenue (excluding intercompany fees and sales)
Refinery operations	$	58,483		$	60,897
Tolling and terminaling		930			1,103
Total net revenue		59,413			62,000
Intercompany fees and sales
Refinery operations		(566	)		(617	)
Tolling and terminaling		566			617
Total intercompany fees		-			-
Operation costs and expenses(1)
Refinery operations		(59,289	)		(61,833	)
Tolling and terminaling		(334	)		(255	)
Corporate and other		(54	)		(59	)
Total operation costs and expenses		(59,677	)		(62,147	)
Segment contribution margin (deficit)
Refinery operations		(1,372	)		(1,553	)
Tolling and terminaling		1,162			1,465
Corporate and other		(54	)		(59	)
Total segment contribution margin (deficit)		(264	)		(147	)
General and administrative expenses(2)
Refinery operations		(301	)		(304	)
Tolling and terminaling		(68	)		(68	)
Corporate and other		(413	)		(419	)
Total general and administrative expenses		(782	)		(791	)
Depreciation and amortization
Refinery operations		(302	)		(288	)
Tolling and terminaling		(340	)		(294	)
Corporate and other		(51	)		(51	)
Total depreciation and amortization		(693	)		(633	)
Interest and other non-operating expenses, net
Refinery operations		(598	)		(741	)
Tolling and terminaling		(452	)		(770	)
Corporate and other		(385	)		(243	)
Total interest and other non-operating expenses, net		(1,435	)		(1,754	)
Income (loss) before income taxes
Refinery operations		(2,573	)		(2,886	)
Tolling and terminaling		302			333
Corporate and other		(903	)		(772	)
Total loss before income taxes		(3,174	)		(3,325	)
Income tax expense		-			(15	)
Net loss	$	(3,174	)	$	(3,340	)

(1) Operation costs include cost of goods sold. Also, operation costs within: (a) tolling and terminaling includes terminal operating expenses and an allocation of other costs (e.g., insurance and maintenance) and (b) corporate and other includes expenses related to BDSC, BDPC and BDPL.

(2) General and administrative expenses within refinery operations include the LEH operating fee.

	Three Months Ended
	March 31,
	2021		2020
	(in thousands)
Capital expenditures
Refinery operations	$	-	$	6
Tolling and terminaling		-		192
Corporate and other		-		-
Total capital expenditures	$	-	$	198

	March 31,		December 31,
	2021		2020
	(in thousands)
Identifiable assets
Refinery operations	$	45,186	$	48,521
Tolling and terminaling		18,527		18,722
Corporate and other		1,839		2,057
Total identifiable assets	$	65,552	$	69,300

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5. Concentration of Risk (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Risks and Uncertainties [Abstract]

Significant customers

	Number Significant Customers		% Total Revenue from Operations			Portion of Accounts Receivable at March 31,
March 31, 2021		4		90	%	$	0
March 31, 2020		4		94	%	$0.6 million

Percentages of all refined petroleum products sales to total sales

	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2021				2020
	(in thousands, except percents)
LPG mix	$	6	0.0	%	$	-	0	%
Naphtha		14,224	24.3	%		11,515	18.9	%
Jet fuel		16,080	27.5	%		17,715	29.1	%
HOBM		15,663	26.8	%		15,191	24.9	%
AGO		12,510	21.4	%		16,476	27.1	%
	$	58,483	100.0	%	$	60,897	100.0	%

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6. Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Deferred Costs, Capitalized, Prepaid, and Other Assets Disclosure [Abstract]

Prepaid balances

	March 31,		December 31,
	2021		2020
	(in thousands)
Prepaid insurance	$	556	$	1,182
Prepaid crude oil and condensate		383		2,249
Prepaid easement renewal fees		93		99
Other prepaids		28		34
	$	1,060	$	3,564

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7. Inventory (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]

Inventory

	March 31,		December 31,
	2021		2020
	(in thousands)
Crude oil and condensate	$	608	$	463
Chemicals		175		271
Naphtha		164		120
AGO		121		133
Propane		25		15
LPG mix		6		6
HOBM		-		54
	$	1,099	$	1,062

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8. Property, Plant and Equipment, Net (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]

Property, plant and equipment

	March 31,			December 31,
	2021			2019
	(in thousands)
Refinery and facilities	$	72,184		$	72,184
Land		566			566
Other property and equipment		903			903
		73,653			73,653
Less: Accumulated depletion, depreciation, and amortiation		(15,861	)		(15,220	)
		57,792			58,433
CIP		4,064			4,064
	$	61,856		$	62,497

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9. Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilities (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Other Liabilities, Current [Abstract]

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities

	March 31,		December 31,
	2021		2020
	(in thousands)
Unearned revenue from contracts with customers	$	3,489	$	3,421
Unearned contract renewal income		400		500
Insurance		181		541
Other payable		176		252
Customer deposits		173		10
Taxes payable		137		58
Board of director fees payable		133		100
	$	4,689	$	4,882

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10. Third-Party Long-Term Debt (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

Loan agreements

Loan Description	Parties	Original Principal Amount (in millions)	Maturity Date	Monthly Principal and Interest Payment	Interest Rate	Loan Purpose
Veritex Loans(1)
LE Term Loan Due 2034 (in default)	LE-Veritex	$25.0	Jun 2034	$0.2 million	WSJ Prime + 2.75%	Refinance loan; capital improvements
LRM Term Loan Due 2034 (in default)	LRM-Veritex	$10.0	Dec 2034	$0.1 million	WSJ Prime + 2.75%	Refinance bridge loan; capital improvements
Notre Dame Debt (in default)(2)(3)	LE-Kissick	$11.7	Jan 2018	No payments to date; payment rights subordinated	16.00%	Working capital; reduced arbitration award payable to GEL
SBA EIDLs
LE Term Loan Due 2050(4)	LE-SBA	$0.15	Aug 2050	$0.0007 million	3.75%	Working capital
NPS Term Loan Due 2050(4)	NPS-SBA	$0.15	Aug 2050	$0.0007 million	3.75%	Working capital
Equipment Loan Due 2025(5)	LE-Texas First	$0.07	Oct 2025	$0.0013 million	4.50%	Equipment Lease Conversion

(1) Proceeds were placed in a disbursement account whereby Veritex makes payments for construction related expenses. Amounts held in the disbursement account are reflected on our consolidated balance sheets as restricted cash (current portion) and restricted cash (noncurrent). At March 31, 2021, restricted cash (current portion) was $0.05 million and restricted cash, noncurrent was $0. At December 31, 2020, restricted cash (current portion) was $0.05 million and restricted cash, noncurrent was $0.5 million.

(2) LE originally entered into a loan agreement with Notre Dame Investors, Inc. in the principal amount of $8.0 million. The debt is currently held by John Kissick. Pursuant to a 2017 sixth amendment, the Notre Dame Debt was amended to increase the principal amount by $3.7 million; the additional principal was used to reduce the arbitration award payable to GEL by $3.6 million.

(3) Pursuant to a 2015 subordination agreement, the holder of the Notre Dame Debt agreed to subordinate their right to payments, as well as any security interest and liens on the Nixon facility’s business assets, in favor of Veritex as holder of the LE Term Loan Due 2034.

(4) Payments are deferred for the first twelve (12) months of the loan; the first payment is due August 2021; interest accrues during the deferral period. SBA EIDLs are not forgivable.

(5) In May 2019, LE entered into a 12-month equipment rental agreement with the option to purchase the backhoe at maturity. The equipment rental agreement matured in May 2020. In October 2020, LE entered into the Equipment Loan Due 2025 to finance the purchase of the backhoe. The backhoe continues to be used at the Nixon facility.

Long term debt

	March 31,			December 31,
	2021			2020
	(in thousands)
Veritex Loans
LE Term Loan Due 2034 (in default)	$	23,104		$	22,840
LRM Term Loan Due 2034 (in default)		9,601			9,473
Notre Dame Debt (in default)		9,613			9,413
SBA EIDLs
LE Term Loan 2050		153			152
NPS Term Loan 2050		153			152
Equipment Loan Due 2025		65			71
		42,689			42,101
Less: Current portion of long-term debt, net		(33,724	)		(33,692	)
Less: Unamortized debt issue costs		(1,718	)		(1,749	)
Less: Accrued interest payable (in default)		(6,898	)		(6,305	)
	$	349		$	355

Debt issue costs

	March 31,			December 31,
	2021			2020
	(in thousands)
Veritex Loans
LE Term Loan Due 2034 (in default)	$	1,674		$	1,674
LRM Term Loan Due 2034 (in default)		768			768
Less: Accumulated amortization		(724	)		(693	)
	$	1,718		$	1,749

Accrued interest related to our long-term debt, net

	March 31,			December 31,
	2021			2020
	(in thousands)
Notre Dame Debt (in default)	$	4,635		$	4,435
Veritex Loans
LE Term Loan Due 2034 (in default)		1,559			1,295
LRM Term Loan Due 2034 (in default)		698			571
SBA EIDLs
LE Term Loan 2050		3			2
NPS Term Loan 2050		3			2
		6,898			6,305
Less: Accrued interest payable (in default)		(6,898	)		(6,305	)
Long-term Interest Payable, Net of Current Portion	$	-		$	-

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11. Line of Credit Payable (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Line of Credit Facility [Abstract]

Line of credit agreement

Line of Credit Description	Original Principal Amount (in millions)	Maturity Date	Monthly Principal and Interest Payment	Interest Rate	Loan Purpose
Amended Pilot Line of Credit (in default)	$13.0	May 2020	----	14.00%	Settlement payment to GEL, NPS purchase of crude oil from Pilot, and working capital

Line of credit

	March 31,			December 31,
	2021			2020
	(in thousands)
Amended Pilot Line of Credit (in default)	$	7,272		$	8,145
Less: Interest payable, short-term		(103	)		(103	)
	$	7,169		$	8,042

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12. AROs (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Asset Retirement Obligation Disclosure [Abstract]

Asset retirement obligations

	March 31,			December 31,
	2021			2020
	(in thousands)
AROs, at the beginning of the period	$	2,370		$	2,565
Liabilities settled		-			(195	)
		2,370			2,370
Less: AROs, current portion		(2,370	)		(2,370	)
Long-term AROs, at the end of the period	$	-		$	-

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13. Lease Obligations (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Leases [Abstract]

Lease-related assets and liabilities

		March 31,			December 31,
	Balance Sheet Location	2021			2020
		(in thousands)
Assets
Operating lease ROU assets	Operating lease ROU assets	$	787		$	787
Less: Accumulated amortization on operating lease assets	Operating lease ROU assets		(329	)		(289	)
Total lease assets			458			498
Liabilities
Current
Operating lease	Current portion of lease liabilities		199			194
			199			194
Noncurrent
Operating lease	Long-term lease liabilities, net of current		319			370
Total lease liabilities		$	518		$	564

Weighted average remaining lease term in years
Operating lease	2.42
Weighted average discount rate
Operating lease	8.25	%
Finance leases	8.25	%

Lease costs

	Three Months Ended
	March 31,
	2021		2020
	(in thousands)
Operating lease costs	$	51	$	51
Finance lease costs:
Depreciation of leased assets		-		6
Interest on lease liabilities		-		2
Total lease cost	$	51	$	59

Supplemental cash flow information related to leases

	Three Months Ended
	March 31,
	2021		2020
	(in thousands)
Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement
of lease liabilities:
Operating cash flows for operating lease	$	47	$	88
Operating cash flows for finance leases	$	-	$	2
Financing cash flows for finance leases	$	-	$	6

Maturities of operating lease liabilities

March 31,	Operating Lease
	(in thousands)
2021	$	199
2022		220
2023		99
	$	518

Future minimum annual lease commitments

	Operating
March 31,	Lease
	(in thousands)
2021	$	233
2022		237
2023		101
	$	571

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14. Income Taxes (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Income tax expense

	Three Months Ended
	March 31,
	2021			2020
	(in thousands)
Current
Federal	$	-		$	(15	)
State		-			-
Deferred
Federal		667			698
State		-
Change in valuation allowance		(667	)		(698	)
Total provision for income taxes	$	-		$	(15	)

Deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities

	March 31,			December 31,
	2021			2020
	(in thousands)
Deferred tax assets:
NOL and capital loss carryforwards	$	15,773		$	15,258
Business interest expense		3,693			3,343
Start-up costs (crude oil and condensate processing facility)		488			509
ARO liability/deferred revenue		498			498
Other		4			3
Total deferred tax assets		20,456			19,611
Deferred tax liabilities:
Basis differences in property and equipment		(7,409	)		(7,230	)
Total deferred tax liabilities		(7,409	)		(7,230	)
		13,047			12,381
Valuation allowance		(13,047	)		(12,381	)
Deferred tax assets, net	$	-		$	-

NOL carryforwards

	Net Operating Loss Carryforward
	Pre-Ownership Change			Post-Ownership Change		Total
	(in thousands)
Balance at December 31, 2019		9,614			43,058		52,672
Net operating losses		-			13,305		13,305
Balance at December 31, 2020	$	9,614		$	56,363	$	65,977
Net operating losses		(1,718	)		2,456		738
Balance at March 31, 2021	$	7,896		$	58,819	$	66,715

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15. Earnings Per Share (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Earnings Per Share [Abstract]

Earnings per share

	Three Months Ended
	March 31,
	2021			2020
	(in thousands except share and per share amounts)
Net loss	$	(3,174	)	$	(3,340	)
Basic and diluted income (loss) per share	$	(0.25	)	$	(0.27	)
Basic and Diluted
Weighted average number of shares of
common stock outstanding and potential
dilutive shares of common stock		12,693,514			12,327,365

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1. Organization (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 521	$ 549
Restricted cash (current portion)	48	48
Restricted cash, noncurrent	0	514
Total	$ 569	$ 1,111	$ 865	$ 668

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1. Organization (Details Narrative) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2021	Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2020
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Net loss	$ (3,174)	$ (3,340)
Net loss per common share	$ (0.25)	$ (0.27)
Working capital deficit	$ (74,300)		$ (72,300)

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2. Principles of Consolidation and Significant Accounting Policies (Details Narrative) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Allowance for doubtful accounts	$ 100	$ 100

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3. Related-Party Transactions (Details)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2021
LEH - LE
Type	Jet Fuel Sales Agreement
Effective date	4/1/2020
Key terms/purpose	1-year term expiring earliest to occur of 03/31/2022 plus 30-day carryover or delivery of maximum jet fuel quantity; LEH bids on jet fuel contracts under preferential pricing terms due to a HUBZone certification
LEH - BDSC
Type	Office Sub-Lease Agreement
Effective date	1/1/2018
Key terms/purpose	68-month term expiring 08/31/2023; office lease Houston, Texas; includes 6-month rent abatement period; rent approximately $0.02 million per month
LEH - Blue Dolphin, LE, LRM, NPS, BDPL, BDPC and BDSC
Type	Amended and Restated Operating Agreement
Effective date	4/1/2020
Key terms/purpose	3-year term; expires 04/01/2023 or notice by either party at any time of material breach or 90 days Board notice; LEH receives management fee of 5% of all consolidated operating costs, excluding crude costs, depreciation, amortization and interest, of Blue Dolphin, LE, LRM, NPS, BDPL, BDPC and BDSC
Jonathan Carroll - Blue Dolphin
Type	March Carroll Note (in default)
Maturity date	Jan 2019
Interest rate	8.00%
Key terms/purpose	Blue Dolphin working capital; reflects amounts owed to Jonathan Carroll under the guaranty fee agreements
Ingleside - Blue Dolphin
Type	March Ingleside Note (in default)
Maturity date	Jan 2019
Interest rate	8.00%
Key terms/purpose	Blue Dolphin working capital
LEH - Blue Dolphin
Type	June LEH Note (in default)
Maturity date	Jan 2019
Interest rate	8.00%
Key terms/purpose	Blue Dolphin working capital; reflects amounts owed to LEH under the Amended and Restated Operating Agreement
LEH - BDPL
Type	BDPL-LEH Loan Agreement (in default)
Maturity date	Aug 2018
Interest rate	16.00%
Key terms/purpose	Blue Dolphin working capital
Jonathan Carroll - LE
Type	Amended and Restated Guaranty Fee Agreement
Interest rate	2.00%
Key terms/purpose	Tied to payoff of LE $25 million Veritex loan
Jonathan Carroll - LRM
Type	Amended and Restated Guaranty Fee Agreement
Interest rate	2.00%
Key terms/purpose	Tied to payoff of LRM $10 million Veritex loan

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3. Related-Party Transactions (Details 1) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Prepaid operating expenses, related party	$ 19,325	$ 18,824
Less: Long-term debt, related party, current portion, in default	(16,351)	(16,010)
Less: Interest payable, related party, in default	(2,974)	(2,814)
Long-term debt - net of current portion, related party	0	0
LEH
Prepaid operating expenses, related party	16,562	16,260
LEH | June LEH Note (in default)
Prepaid operating expenses, related party	9,588	9,446
LEH | BDPL Loan Agreement (in default)
Prepaid operating expenses, related party	6,974	6,814
Ingleside | March Ingleside Note (in default)
Prepaid operating expenses, related party	1,031	1,013
Jonathan Carroll | March Carroll Note (in default)
Prepaid operating expenses, related party	$ 1,732	$ 1,551

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3. Related-Party Transactions (Details 2) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2021	Mar. 31, 2020
Total revenues	$ 59,413	$ 62,000
Total revenues, percent	100.00%	100.00%
LEH
Refinery operations revenues	$ 16,080	$ 17,715
Refinery operations revenues, percent	27.10%	28.60%
Third Parties
Refinery operations revenues	$ 42,403	$ 43,182
Tolling and terminaling revenues	$ 930	$ 1,103
Refinery operations revenues, percent	71.30%	69.60%
Tolling and terminaling revenues, percent	1.60%	1.80%

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3. Related-Party Transactions (Details 3) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2021	Mar. 31, 2020
Interest expenses under loan and guarantee, related party	$ 538	$ 381
Jonathan Carroll | First Term Loan Due 2034
Interest expenses under loan and guarantee, related party	108	108
Jonathan Carroll | Second Term Loan Due 2034
Interest expenses under loan and guarantee, related party	45	45
Jonathan Carroll | March Carroll Note (in default)
Interest expenses under loan and guarantee, related party	29	23
LEH | BDPL Loan Agreement (in default)
Interest expenses under loan and guarantee, related party	160	160
LEH | June LEH Note (in default)
Interest expenses under loan and guarantee, related party	182	25
Ingleside | March Ingleside Note (in default)
Interest expenses under loan and guarantee, related party	$ 14	$ 20

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3. Related-Party Transactions (Details Narrative) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2021	Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2020
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]
Accounts payable, related party	$ 155		$ 155
Lease payments received under the office sub-lease agreement with LEH	10	$ 10
LEH operating fee	$ 100	$ 100

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4. Revenue and Segment Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2021	Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2020
Net revenues (excluding intercompany fees and sales)	$ 59,413	$ 62,000
General and administrative expenses	658	644
Net loss	(3,174)	(3,340)
Identifiable assets	65,552		$ 69,300
Refinery Operations
Net revenues (excluding intercompany fees and sales)	58,483	60,897
Intercompany fees and sales	(566)	(617)
Operation costs and expenses	(59,289)	(61,833)
Segment contribution margin (deficit)	(1,372)	(1,553)
General and administrative expenses	(301)	(304)
Depreciation and amortization	(302)	(288)
Interest and other non-operating expenses, net	(598)	(741)
Income (loss) before income taxes	(2,573)	(2,886)
Capital expenditures	0	6
Identifiable assets	45,186		48,521
Tolling and Terminaling
Net revenues (excluding intercompany fees and sales)	930	1,103
Intercompany fees and sales	566	617
Operation costs and expenses	(334)	(255)
Segment contribution margin (deficit)	1,162	1,465
General and administrative expenses	(68)	(68)
Depreciation and amortization	(340)	(294)
Interest and other non-operating expenses, net	(452)	(770)
Income (loss) before income taxes	302	333
Capital expenditures	0	192
Identifiable assets	18,527		18,722
Corporate & Other
Operation costs and expenses	(54)	(59)
Segment contribution margin (deficit)	(54)	(59)
General and administrative expenses	(413)	(419)
Depreciation and amortization	(51)	(51)
Interest and other non-operating expenses, net	(385)	(243)
Income (loss) before income taxes	(903)	(772)
Capital expenditures	0	0
Identifiable assets	183		2,057
Total
Net revenues (excluding intercompany fees and sales)	59,413	62,000
Intercompany fees and sales	0	0
Operation costs and expenses	(59,677)	(62,147)
Segment contribution margin (deficit)	(264)	(147)
General and administrative expenses	(782)	(791)
Depreciation and amortization	(693)	(633)
Interest and other non-operating expenses, net	(1,435)	(1,754)
Income (loss) before income taxes	(3,174)	(3,325)
Income tax expense	0	(15)
Net loss	(3,174)	(3,340)
Capital expenditures	0	$ 198
Identifiable assets	$ 65,552		$ 69,300

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5. Concentration of Risk (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2021	Mar. 31, 2020
Concentration of risk	100.00%	100.00%
4 Significant Customers
Concentration of risk	90.00%	94.00%
Portion of accounts receivable	$ 0	$ 600

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5. Concentration of Risk (Details 1) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2021	Mar. 31, 2020
Total refined petroleum product sales	$ 58,483	$ 60,897
Concentration risk	100.00%	100.00%
LPG Mix
Total refined petroleum product sales	$ 6	$ 0
Concentration risk	0.00%	0.00%
Naphtha
Total refined petroleum product sales	$ 14,224	$ 11,515
Concentration risk	24.30%	18.90%
Jet Fuel
Total refined petroleum product sales	$ 16,080	$ 17,715
Concentration risk	27.50%	29.10%
HOBM
Total refined petroleum product sales	$ 15,663	$ 15,191
Concentration risk	26.80%	24.90%
AGO
Total refined petroleum product sales	$ 12,510	$ 16,476
Concentration risk	21.40%	27.10%

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5. Concentration of Risk (Details Narrative) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Risks and Uncertainties [Abstract]
Balances in excess of FDIC insurance limit	$ 300	$ 300

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6. Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Deferred Costs, Capitalized, Prepaid, and Other Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Prepaid insurance	$ 556	$ 1,182
Prepaid crude oil and condensate	383	2,249
Prepaid easement renewal fees	93	99
Other prepaids	28	34
Total	$ 1,060	$ 3,564

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7. Inventory (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Inventories, net	$ 1,099	$ 1,062
Crude Oil and Condensate
Inventories, net	608	463
Chemicals
Inventories, net	175	271
Naphtha
Inventories, net	164	120
AGO
Inventories, net	121	133
Propane
Inventories, net	25	15
LPG Mix
Inventories, net	6	6
HOBM
Inventories, net	$ 0	$ 54

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8. Property, Plant and Equipment, Net (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]
Refinery and facilities	$ 72,184	$ 72,184
Land	566	566
Other property and equipment	903	903
Total	73,653	73,653
Less: accumulated depletion, depreciation and amortization	(15,861)	(15,220)
Property, plant and equipment, gross	57,792	58,433
Construction in progress	4,064	4,064
Property, plant and equipment, net	$ 61,856	$ 62,497

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8. Property, Plant and Equipment, Net (Details Narrative) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]
Interest cost capitalized	$ 0	$ 0

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9. Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Other Liabilities, Current [Abstract]
Unearned revenue from contracts with customers	$ 3,489	$ 3,421
Unearned contract renewal income	400	500
Insurance	181	541
Other payable	176	252
Customer deposits	173	10
Taxes payable	137	58
Board of director fees payable	133	100
Total	$ 4,689	$ 4,882

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10. Third-Party Long-Term Debt (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2021 USD ($)
LE Term Loan Due 2034
Original principal amount	$ 25,000
Maturity date	Jun 2034
Interest rate	WSJ Prime + 2.75%
LRM Term Loan Due 2034
Original principal amount	$ 10,000
Maturity date	Dec 2034
Interest rate	WSJ Prime + 2.75%
Notre Dame Debt (in default)
Original principal amount	$ 11,700
Maturity date	Jan 2018
Interest rate	16.00%
LE Term Loan Due 2050
Original principal amount	$ 150
Maturity date	Aug 2050
Interest rate	3.75%
NPS Term Loan Due 2050
Original principal amount	$ 150
Maturity date	Aug 2050
Interest rate	3.75%
Equipment Loan Due 2025
Original principal amount	$ 70
Maturity date	Oct 2025
Interest rate	4.50%

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10. Third-Party Long-Term Debt (Details 1) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Principal balance outstanding	$ 42,689	$ 42,101
Less: current portion of long-term debt, net	(33,724)	(33,692)
Less: unamortized debt issue costs	(1,718)	(1,749)
Less: accrued interest payable (in default)	(6,898)	(6,305)
Long term debt	349	355
LE Term Loan Due 2034
Principal balance outstanding	23,104	22,840
Less: accrued interest payable (in default)	(1,559)	(1,295)
LRM Term Loan Due 2034
Principal balance outstanding	9,601	9,473
Less: accrued interest payable (in default)	(698)	(571)
Notre Dame Debt (in default)
Principal balance outstanding	9,613	9,413
Less: accrued interest payable (in default)	(4,635)	(4,435)
LE Term Loan Due 2050
Principal balance outstanding	153	152
Less: accrued interest payable (in default)	(3)	(2)
NPS Term Loan Due 2050
Principal balance outstanding	153	152
Less: accrued interest payable (in default)	(3)	(2)
Equipment Loan Due 2025
Principal balance outstanding	$ 65	$ 71

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10. Third-Party Long-Term Debt (Details 2) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Less: accumulated amortization	$ (724)	$ (693)
Unamortized debt issue costs, net	1,718	1,749
LE Term Loan Due 2034
Unamortized debt issue costs, gross	1,674	1,674
LRM Term Loan Due 2034
Unamortized debt issue costs, gross	$ 768	$ 768

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10. Third-Party Long-Term Debt (Details 3) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Accrued interest	$ 6,898	$ 6,305
Less: accrued interest payable (in default)	(6,898)	(6,305)
Long-term interest payable, net of current portion	0	0
Notre Dame Debt (in default)
Accrued interest	4,635	4,435
LE Term Loan Due 2034
Accrued interest	1,559	1,295
LRM Term Loan Due 2034
Accrued interest	698	571
LE Term Loan Due 2050
Accrued interest	3	2
NPS Term Loan Due 2050
Accrued interest	$ 3	$ 2

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11. Line of Credit Payable (Details) - Amended Pilot Line Of Credit (in default) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2021 USD ($)
Principal amount	$ 13,000
Maturity date	May 2020
Interest rate	14.00%

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11. Line of Credit Payable (Details 1) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Line of credit, gross	$ 42,689	$ 42,101
Less: interest payable, short term	(6,898)	(6,305)
Amended Pilot Line Of Credit (in default)
Line of credit, gross	7,272	8,145
Less: interest payable, short term	(103)	(103)
Line of credit	$ 7,169	$ 8,042

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12. ARO'S (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Asset Retirement Obligation Disclosure [Abstract]
AROs, at the beginning of the period	$ 2,370	$ 2,565
Liabilities settled	0	(195)
Asset retirement obligations	2,370	2,370
Less: asset retirement obligations, current portion	(2,370)	(2,370)
Long-term asset retirement obligations, at the end of the period	$ 0	$ 0

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13. Lease Obligations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Leases [Abstract]
Operating lease right-of-use assets, gross	$ 787	$ 787
Less: accumulated amortization on operating lease assets	(329)	(289)
Operating lease right-of-use assets, net	458	498
Current portion of operating lease	199	194
Total current lease liability	199	194
Long-term portion of operating lease	319	370
Total lease liabilities	$ 518	$ 564
Weighted average remaining lease term in years - operating lease	2 years 5 months 1 day
Weighted average discount rate - operating lease	8.25%
Weighted average discount rate - finance lease	8.25%

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13. Lease Obligations (Details 1) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2021	Mar. 31, 2020
Leases [Abstract]
Operating lease costs	$ 51	$ 51
Depreciation of leased assets	0	6
Interest on lease liabilities	0	2
Total lease cost	$ 51	$ 59

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13. Lease Obligations (Details 2) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2021	Mar. 31, 2020
Leases [Abstract]
Operating cash flows for operating lease	$ 47	$ 88
Operating cash flows for finance leases	0	2
Financing cash flows for finance leases	$ 0	$ 6

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13. Lease Obligations (Details 3) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2021 USD ($)
Operating Lease
2021	$ 199
2022	220
2023	99
Total minimum rental payments	$ 518

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13. Lease Obligations (Details 4) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2021 USD ($)
Leases [Abstract]
2021	$ 233
2022	237
2023	101
Total	$ 571

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14. Income Taxes (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2021	Mar. 31, 2020
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Current federal	$ 0	$ (15)
Current state	0	0
Deferred federal	667	698
Deferred state	0	0
Change in valuation allowance	(667)	(698)
Total provision for income taxes	$ 0	$ (15)

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14. Income Taxes (Details 1) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Deferred tax assets:
NOL and capital loss carryforwards	$ 15,773	$ 15,258
Business interest expense	3,693	3,343
Start-up costs (crude oil and condensate processing facility)	488	509
ARO liability/deferred revenue	498	498
Other	4	3
Total deferred tax assets	20,456	19,611
Deferred tax liabilities:
Basis differences in property and equipment	(7,409)	(7,230)
Total deferred tax liabilities	(7,409)	(7,230)
Deferred tax assets, net	13,047	12,381
Valuation allowance	(13,047)	(12,381)
Deferred tax assets, net	$ 0	$ 0

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14. Income Taxes (Details 2) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Beginning balance	$ 65,977	$ 52,672
Net operating losses	738	13,305
Ending balance	66,715	65,977
Pre-Ownership Change
Beginning balance	9,614	9,614
Net operating losses	(1,718)	0
Ending balance	7,896	9,614
Post-Ownership Change
Beginning balance	56,363	43,058
Net operating losses	2,456	13,305
Ending balance	$ 58,819	$ 56,363

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15. Earnings per share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2021	Mar. 31, 2020
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Net loss	$ (3,174)	$ (3,340)
Basic and diluted income (loss) per share	$ (.25)	$ (.27)
Basic and Diluted
Weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding and potential dilutive shares of common stock	12,693,514	12,327,365