Fair Value Measurements

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2024

Note 9 – FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

The Company uses a three-level valuation hierarchy for disclosure of fair value measurements. The valuation hierarchy is based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of an asset or liability as of the measurement date. The three levels are defined as follows:

Level 1 – Unadjusted quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in active markets.

Level 2 – Quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets; quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active; and model-derived valuations whose inputs or significant value drivers are observable.

Level 3 – These assets include investments for which there is little, if any, market activity. These inputs require significant management judgement or estimation.

Recurring Fair Value Measurements

Certain assets of the Company are reported at fair value in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets on a recurring basis. The Company determined the fair value of equity securities and available-for-sale debt securities using quoted market prices, public Net Asset Values ("NAV") and where applicable, securities with similar maturity dates and interest rates. Level 3 assets use NAV as fair value.

At March 31, 2024, and December 31, 2023, the Company’s assets reported at fair value on a recurring basis using the three level valuation hierarchy are summarized as follows:


	March 31, 2024
	Level 1 Inputs		Level 2 Inputs		Level 3 Inputs
Financial Assets:
Equity Securities:
Domestic Equities	1,840,193		—		—
International Equities	83,082		—		—
Others	—		—		750,000
	$	1,923,275	$	—	$	750,000


	December 31, 2023
	Level 1 Inputs		Level 2 Inputs		Level 3 Inputs
Financial Assets:
Available-for-Sale Debt Securities – U.S.
Treasury Bills Maturing within 1 Year	$	—	$	2,220,901	$	—
Equity Securities:
Domestic Equities	2,321,275		—		—
International Equities	130,005		—		—
Others	212,786		—		—
	$	2,664,066	$	2,220,901	$	—

The fair value hierarchy tables do not include investments that the Company has elected to use the NAV as a practical expedient to determine the fair value. These assets consist of a private business development fund classified under section 3(c)(7) of the Investment Company Act of 1940. Liquidity of is only attained through sales on the secondary market.

A reconciliation to the balance sheet equity securities is as follows:


	March 31, 2024		December 31, 2023
Level 1 Assets	1,923,275		2,664,066
Level 2 Assets	—		2,220,901
Level 3 Assets	750,000		—
Assets using NAV as a practical expedient, with a remaining commitment of $204,424	90,798		—
Total	$	2,764,073	$	4,884,967

The $750,000 in Level 3 assets in the fair value hierarchy tables using NAV that is published and used for current transactions as fair value consist of a private perpetual business development fund. Redemption terms include expected quarterly repurchase offers pursuant to a unit repurchase program of up to 5% of outstanding units, either by number of units or aggregate net asset value as of such quarter end.

A roll forward of the Company’s level 3 investments is as follows:


	Balance
Three Months Ended March 31, 2024
Balance as of December 31, 2023	—
Purchases	750,000
Changes in unrealized gains included in Other Income, net	$	—
Balance as of March 31, 2024	$	750,000

Remaining Unfunded Commitments	$	—

Non-Recurring Fair Value Measurements

The Company’s asset retirement obligation annually represents a non-recurring fair value liability, for which there were no liabilities incurred in the three months ended March 31, 2024 or 2023. See Note 8 above for more information about this liability and the inputs used for calculating fair value.

There were no impairment losses recorded on oil and gas assets in the three months ended March 31, 2024. Impairment losses recorded on oil and gas assets in the three months ended March 31, 2023 were $443,456. This also relates to non-recurring fair value measurements calculated using Level 3 inputs. Certain oil and natural gas producing properties have been deemed to be impaired because the assets, evaluated on a property-by-property basis, are not expected to recover their entire carrying value through future cash flows. Impairment losses, when recorded, are included in the consolidated statements of income in the line-item Depreciation, Depletion, Amortization and Valuation Provision. Impairments are calculated by reducing the carrying value of the individual properties to an estimated fair value equal to the discounted present value of the future cash flow from these properties. Forward pricing is used for calculating future revenue and cash flow.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The Company’s other financial instruments consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents, trade receivables, and trade payables. At March 31, 2024, and December 31, 2023, the historical cost of cash and cash equivalents, trade receivables and trade payables are considered to be representative of their respective fair values due to the short-term maturities of these items.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the fair value of financial instruments (as defined), including financial assets and financial liabilities (collectively, as defined), and the measurements of those instruments as well as disclosures related to the fair value of non-financial assets and liabilities. Such disclosures about the financial instruments, assets, and liabilities would include: (1) the fair value of the required items together with their carrying amounts (as appropriate); (2) for items for which it is not practicable to estimate fair value, disclosure would include: (a) information pertinent to estimating fair value (including, carrying amount, effective interest rate, and maturity, and (b) the reasons why it is not practicable to estimate fair value; (3) significant concentrations of credit risk including: (a) information about the activity, region, or economic characteristics identifying a concentration, (b) the maximum amount of loss the entity is exposed to based on the gross fair value of the related item, (c) policy for requiring collateral or other security and information as to accessing such collateral or security, and (d) the nature and brief description of such collateral or security; (4) quantitative information about market risks and how such risks are managed; (5) for items measured on both a recurring and nonrecurring basis information regarding the inputs used to develop the fair value measurement; and (6) for items presented in the financial statement for which fair value measurement is elected: (a) information necessary to understand the reasons for the election, (b) discussion of the effect of fair value changes on earnings, (c) a description of [similar groups] items for which the election is made and the relation thereof to the balance sheet, the aggregate carrying value of items included in the balance sheet that are not eligible for the election; (7) all other required (as defined) and desired information.

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