Basis of Presentation

9 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2015

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation

NOTE 3 – BASIS OF PRESENTATION

The accompanying financial statements have been prepared without audit, pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC, in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The interim financial statements reflect all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring adjustments, which, in the opinion of management, are necessary to present a fair statement of the results for the period.

As discussed above in Note 2, the Company merged with Dala Petroleum Corp., a Nevada corporation (“Dala”) on June 2, 2014 (the “Merger”). Dala is focused on the acquisition and development of oil and natural gas resources in the United States. Prior to the Merger, Westcott was considered a shell company, as defined in SEC Rule 12b-2. For financial reporting purposes, the Merger represents a “reverse merger” rather than a business combination. Consequently, the assets and liabilities and the operations that are reflected in the historical financial statements are those of Dala immediately following the consummation of the reverse merger.

Use of Estimates

The timely preparation of financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ significantly from those estimates.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. Valuation techniques used to measure fair value must maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. The Company uses a fair value hierarchy based on three levels of inputs, of which the first two are considered observable and the last unobservable, that may be used to measure fair value which are the following:

Level 1 – Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets that are accessible at measurement date for identical assets or liabilities.

Level 2 - Inputs other than Level 1 that are observable, either directly or indirectly, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities.

Level 3 - Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities and less observable from objective sources.

Fair Value on a Recurring Basis

The following table sets forth, by level within the fair value hierarchy, the Company’s financial assets and liabilities that were accounted for at fair value on a recurring basis as of June 30, 2015:

	Fair Value Measurements at June 30, 2015
	Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets (Level 1)		Significant other observable inputs (Level 2)		Significant unobservable inputs (Level 3)		Total carrying value as of June 30, 2015
Derivative instruments	$	—	$	—	$	3,181,037	$	3,181,037
Total	$	—	$	—	$	3,181,037	$	3,181,037

Fair Value on a Non-Recurring Basis

Certain nonfinancial assets and liabilities are measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis in accordance with ASC 820 – 10. This includes items such as nonfinancial assets and liabilities initially measured at fair value in a business combination and nonfinancial long-lived asset groups measured at fair value for an impairment assessment. In general, nonfinancial assets including goodwill and property and equipment are measured at fair value when there is an indication of impairment and are recorded at fair value only when any impairment is recognized.

Oil and Natural Gas Properties

The Company follows the full cost method of accounting for oil and natural gas operations whereby all costs related to the exploration and development of oil and natural gas properties are initially capitalized into a single cost center (“full cost pool”). Such costs include land acquisition costs, a portion of employee salaries related to property development, geological and geophysical expenses, carrying charges on non-producing properties, costs of drilling directly related to acquisition, and exploration activities. Internal salaries are capitalized based on employee time allocated to the acquisition of leaseholds and development of oil and natural gas properties. The Company did not capitalize interest for the period ended June 30, 2015.

Proceeds from property sales will generally be credited to the full cost pool, with no gain or loss recognized, unless such a sale would significantly alter the relationship between capitalized costs and the proved reserves attributable to these costs.

The Company assesses all items classified as unproved property on a quarterly basis for possible impairment or reduction in value. The assessment includes consideration of the following factors, among others: intent to drill, remaining lease term, geological and geophysical evaluations, drilling results and activity, the assignment of proved reserves, and the economic viability of development if proved reserves are assigned. During any period in which these factors indicate an impairment, the cumulative drilling costs incurred to date for such property and all or a portion of the associated leasehold costs are transferred to the full cost pool and are then subject to depletion and amortization. The costs of drilling exploratory dry holes are included in the amortization base immediately upon determination that the well is dry.

Capitalized costs associated with impaired properties and properties having proved reserves, estimated future development costs, and asset retirement costs under Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 410-20-25 are depleted and amortized on the unit-of-production method based on the estimated gross proved reserves. The costs of unproved properties are withheld from the depletion base until such time as they are developed, impaired, or abandoned.

Under the full cost method of accounting, capitalized oil and natural gas property costs less accumulated depletion, net of deferred income taxes, may not exceed a ceiling amount equal to the present value, discounted at 10%, of estimated future net revenues from proved oil and natural gas reserves plus the cost of unproved properties not subject to amortization (without regard to estimates of fair value), or estimated fair value, if lower, of unproved properties that are subject to amortization. Should capitalized costs exceed this ceiling, which is tested on a quarterly basis, an impairment is recognized. The present value of estimated future net revenues is computed by applying prices based on a 12-month unweighted average of the oil and natural gas prices in effect on the first day of each month, less estimated future expenditures to be incurred in developing and producing the proved reserves (assuming the continuation of existing economic conditions), less any applicable future taxes.

In April, 2015, the Company participated in the completion of a well in which the Company owns a 10% non-operated working interest targeting the Simpson and Viola formations, Kansas. That well was determined to be dry in June 2015.

During the three months ended June 30, 2015, the Company incurred total $101,941 in oil and natural gas expenditures, of which $25,440 were identified as being related to dry hole cost and $75,951 were general maintenance expenses and due diligence expenses of the unproved properties. These costs along with additional $15,470 previous capitalized cost which was identified as dry hole recently, were impaired as of June 30, 2015 and are included within operating expenses in the statement of operations. We incurred $550 leasehold costs during the three months ended June 30, 2015.

During the nine months ended June 30, 2015, the Company incurred total $617,769 in oil and natural gas expenditures, of which $233,359 were identified as being related to dry hole cost and $248,624 were general maintenance expenses and due diligence expenses of the unproved properties. These costs were impaired as of June 30, 2015 and are included within operating expenses in the statement of operations. We incurred $135,786 leasehold costs and received sale proceeds of $4,000 from an unproved property during the nine months ended June 30, 2015.

As of June 30, 2015, the Company’s oil and natural gas properties of $2.03 million were all classified as unproved.

Revenue Recognition

The Company recognizes oil and natural gas revenues from our interests in producing wells when production is delivered to, and title has transferred to, the purchaser and to the extent the selling price is reasonably determinable.

The Company uses the sales method of accounting for balancing of natural gas production and would recognize a liability if the existing proven reserves were not adequate to cover the current imbalance situation. As of the three and nine months ending June 30, 2015, no revenue has been recognized as all wells are still unproved and non-producing.

Asset Retirement Obligation

Asset retirement obligation (“ARO”) reflects the estimated present value of the amount of dismantlement, removal, site reclamation and similar activities associated with the Company's oil and natural gas properties. Inherent in the fair value calculation of the ARO are numerous assumptions and judgments including the ultimate settlement amounts, inflation factors, credit adjusted discount rates, timing of settlement and changes in the legal, regulatory, environmental and political environments. As of June 30, 2015, the Company had no ARO liability as no wells have been established.

Stock-based Compensation

The Company records stock based compensation in accordance with the guidance in ASC 718 which requires the Company to recognize expenses related to the fair value of its employee stock option awards. This requires that such transactions be accounted for using a fair-value-based method. The Company recognizes the cost of all share-based awards on a graded vesting basis over the vesting period of the award.

The Company accounts for equity instruments issued in exchange for the receipt of goods or services from other than employees in accordance with ASC 718-10 and the conclusions reached by the ASC 505-50. Costs are measured at the estimated fair market value of the consideration received or the estimated fair value of the equity instruments issued, whichever is more reliably measurable. The value of equity instruments issued for consideration other than employee services is determined on the earliest of a performance commitment or completion of performance by the provider of goods or services as defined by ASC 505-50.

Income Taxes

The Company follows ASC Topic 740 for recording the provision for income taxes. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are computed based upon the difference between the financial statement and income tax basis of assets and liabilities using the enacted marginal tax rate applicable when the related asset or liability is expected to be realized or settled. Deferred income tax expenses or benefits are based on the changes in the asset or liability each period. If available evidence suggests that it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized, a valuation allowance is required to reduce the deferred tax assets to the amount that is more likely than not to be realized. Future changes in such valuation allowance are included in the provision for deferred income taxes in the period of change.

The Company recorded a net loss of $1,585,647 for the nine months ended June 30, 2015 and has computed the tax provision for the nine months ended June 30, 2015 in accordance with the provisions of ASC Topic 740, Income Taxes and ASC Topic 270, Interim Reporting . The Company has estimated that its overall effective tax rate for US purposes to be 0% for the nine months ended June 30, 2015. Consequently, the Company recorded zero income tax expense or benefit for the period ended June 30, 2015. The Company’s income tax benefit on the loss before taxes was offset by an increase in the valuation allowance. At June 30, 2015 and September 30, 2014, a valuation allowance has been maintained to fully offset net deferred tax assets until it is evident that the deferred tax assets will be utilized in the future.

Deferred income taxes may arise from temporary differences resulting from income and expense items reported for financial accounting and tax purposes in different periods. Deferred taxes are classified as current or non-current, depending on the classification of assets and liabilities to which they relate. Deferred taxes arising from temporary differences that are not related to an asset or liability are classified as current or non-current depending on the periods in which the temporary differences are expected to reverse. The Company applies a more-likely-than-not recognition threshold for all tax uncertainties. ASC Topic 740 only allows the recognition of those tax benefits that have a greater than fifty percent likelihood of being sustained upon examination by the taxing authorities. As of June 30, 2015, the Company reviewed its tax positions and determined there were no outstanding, or retroactive tax positions with less than a 50% likelihood of being sustained upon examination by the taxing authorities, therefore this standard has not had a material effect on the Company.

Loss per Share

The Company follows ASC Topic 260 to account for the loss per share. Basic loss per common share calculations are determined by dividing net loss by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. Diluted loss per common share calculations are determined by dividing net loss by the weighted average number of common shares and dilutive common share equivalents outstanding. During periods when common stock equivalents, if any, are anti-dilutive they are not considered in the computation. As the Company has incurred losses for the period ended June 30, 2015, the potentially dilutive shares totaling 6,362,296 are anti-dilutive and are thus not added into the loss per share calculations.