Note 1 - Nature of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2023

Notes to Financial Statements

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements Disclosure and Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]

NOTE 1 – NATURE OF BUSINESS AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Organization, Nature of Business and Trade Name

The Company was incorporated in the State of Colorado on September 26, 2013 for the purpose of acquiring and executing oil and gas leases. The Company has realized limited revenues from its planned business activities.

On April 27, 2023, the Company amended its articles of incorporation to change their name from Alpha Energy, Inc. to Truleum, Inc.

A summary of significant accounting policies of Truleum, Inc. (“we”, “our”, the Company) is presented to assist in understanding the Company’s consolidated financial statements. The accounting policies presented in these footnotes conform to accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America and have been consistently applied in the preparation of the accompanying consolidated financial statements. These consolidated financial statements and notes are representations of the Company’s management who are responsible for their integrity and objectivity.

Principles of Consolidation

Our consolidated financial statements include our accounts and the accounts of our 100% owned subsidiary, Alpha Energy Texas Operating, LLC. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated. Our consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”).

Basis of Presentation and Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reported period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Correction of Previously Issued Financial Statements

Subsequent to the filing of the Company’s Form 10-K for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 on April 17, 2023, and during the course of preparing its consolidated financial statements for the three months ended March 31, 2023, the Company identified errors in the consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2022. The errors pertained to the overstatement of revenue and the understatements in property and equipment, net, accounts payable and accrued expenses – related parties, and general and administrative expenses for the year ended December 31, 2022.

The Company assessed the materiality of these misstatements on the prior periods consolidated financial statements in accordance with SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin (“SAB”) No. 99, Materiality, codified in ASC 250 (“ASC 250”), Presentation of Financial Statements, and concluded that these misstatements were not material to any prior annual or interim periods. In accordance with ASC 250 (SAB No. 108, Considering the Effects of Prior Year Misstatements when Quantifying Misstatements in Current Year Financial Statements), the Financial Statements as of December 31, 2022, and the year then ended, were revised, and selected line items from the Company's balance sheet, statement of operations and statements of cash flow for the affected period illustrating the effect of the corrections were presented in the Company’s Form 10-Q for the three months ended March 31, 2023, which was filed with the SEC on June 2, 2023. The corrections for the consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2022 have been reflected throughout these audited consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes.

Revenue Recognition

Effective January 1, 2018, we adopted ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606). Under the new standard, we recognize revenues when the following criteria are met: (i) persuasive evidence of a contract with a customer exists, (ii) identifiable performance obligations under the contract exist, (iii) the transaction price is determinable for each performance obligation, (iv) the transaction price is allocated to each performance obligation, and (v) the performance obligations are satisfied. We derive all our revenues from oil and gas production.

The Company records revenues from the sales of natural gas and crude oil when the production is produced and sold, and also when collectability is ensured. The Company may in the future have an interest with other producers in certain properties, in which case the Company will use the sales method to account for gas imbalances. Under this method, revenue is recorded on the basis of natural gas actually sold by the Company. The Company also reduces revenue for other owners’ natural gas sold by the Company that cannot be volumetrically balanced in the future due to insufficient remaining reserves. The Company’s remaining over- and under-produced gas balancing positions are considered in the Company’s proved oil and natural gas reserves. The Company had no gas imbalances at December 31, 2023 or 2022. During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company recorded revenues of $146,270 and $198,444, respectively, and costs of revenues totaling $411,133 and $573,770, respectively.

Basic and Diluted Earnings per share

Net loss per share is provided in accordance with FASB ASC 260-10, “Earnings (Loss) per Share”. Basic loss per share is computed by dividing net loss attributable to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted loss per share gives effect to all dilutive potential common shares outstanding during the period. Dilutive loss per share excludes all potential common shares if their effect is anti-dilutive. For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, there were 783,751 and 263,992 shares issuable from senior secured convertible notes and convertible credit line payable which were considered for their dilutive effects but concluded to be anti-dilutive, respectively.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The Company applies fair value accounting for all financial assets and liabilities and non-financial assets and liabilities that are recognized or disclosed at fair value in the financial statements on a recurring basis. The Company defines fair value as the price that would be received from selling an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. When determining the fair value measurements for assets and liabilities, which are required to be recorded at fair value, the Company considers the principal or most advantageous market in which the Company would transact and the market-based risk measurements or assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, such as risks inherent in valuation techniques, transfer restrictions and credit risk. Fair value is estimated by applying the following hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs used to measure fair value into three levels and bases the categorization within the hierarchy upon the lowest level of input that is available and significant to the fair value measurement:

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

Level 2 – Observable inputs other than quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in inactive markets, 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 – Inputs that are generally unobservable and typically reflect management’s estimate of assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability.

The carrying amount of the Company’s financial instruments consisting of accounts payable, notes payable and convertible notes approximates fair value due either to length of maturity or interest rates that approximate prevailing market rates unless otherwise disclosed in these consolidated financial statements.

Derivative Financial Instruments

Fair value accounting requires bifurcation of embedded derivative instruments such as conversion features in convertible debt or equity instruments and measurement of their fair value for accounting purposes. In assessing the convertible debt instruments, management determines if the convertible debt host instrument is conventional convertible debt and further if there is a beneficial conversion feature requiring measurement. If the instrument is not considered conventional convertible debt under ASC 470, the Company will continue its evaluation process of these instruments as derivative financial instruments under ASC 815. The Company applies the guidance in ASC 815-40-35-12 to determine the order in which each convertible instrument would be evaluated for derivative classification. The Company’s sequencing policy is to evaluate reclassification contracts with the earliest maturity date first. Once determined, derivative liabilities are adjusted to reflect fair value at each reporting period end, with any increase or decrease in the fair value being recorded in results of operations as an adjustment to fair value of derivatives.

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment are recorded at cost and depreciated over their estimated useful lives using the straight-line depreciation method as follows:

Computer equipment	3 years
Vehicles	4 years
Machinery and equipment	5 years

Oil and natural gas properties

The Company accounts for our oil and natural gas producing activities using the full cost method of accounting as prescribed by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Under this method, subject to a limitation based on estimated value, all costs incurred in the acquisition, exploration, and development of unproved oil and natural gas properties, including internal costs directly associated with acquisition, exploration, and development activities, the costs of abandoned properties, dry holes, geophysical costs, and annual lease rentals are capitalized within a cost center. Costs of production and general and administrative corporate costs unrelated to acquisition, exploration, and development activities are expensed as incurred.

Costs associated with unevaluated properties are capitalized as oil and natural gas properties but are excluded from the amortization base during the evaluation period. When we determine whether the property has proved recoverable reserves or not, or if there is an impairment, the costs are transferred into the amortization base and thereby become subject to amortization.

The Company assesses all items classified as unevaluated property on at least an annual basis for inclusion in the amortization base. It assesses properties on an individual basis or as a group if properties are individually insignificant. 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 that there would be impairment, or if proved reserves are assigned to a property, the cumulative costs incurred to date for such property are transferred to the amortizable base and are then subject to amortization.

Capitalized costs are included in the amortization base, including estimated asset retirement costs, plus the estimated future expenditures to be incurred in developing proved reserves, net of estimated salvage values. Sales or other dispositions of oil and natural gas properties are accounted for as adjustments to capitalized costs, with no gain or loss recorded unless the ratio of cost to proved reserves would significantly change.

The capitalized costs of oil and gas properties, excluding unevaluated and unproved properties, are amortized as depreciation, depletion and amortization expense using the units-of-production method based on estimated proved recoverable oil and gas reserves.

Concentrations of Risk

The Company has 100 % of the working interest in the oil and gas leases, which are located in the state of Colorado and Oklahoma. Environmental and regulatory factors within the state beyond the control of the Company may limit the Company’s future production of all its leases.

The Company has a single buyer for the gas produced from one of its leases. The loss of this buyer would have a material adverse impact on our business.

Asset retirement obligation

The Company records the fair value of an asset retirement cost, and corresponding liability as part of the cost of the related long-lived asset and the cost is subsequently allocated to expense using a systematic and rational method. We record an asset retirement obligation to reflect our legal obligations related to future plugging and abandonment of our oil and natural gas wells and gathering systems. We estimate the expected cash flow associated with the obligation and discount the amount using a credit-adjusted, risk-free interest rate. At least annually, we reassess the obligation to determine whether a change in the estimated obligation is necessary. We evaluate whether there are indicators that suggest the estimated cash flows underlying the obligation have materially changed. Should those indicators suggest, the estimated obligation may have materially changed on an interim basis (quarterly), we will update our assessment accordingly. Additional retirement obligations increase the liability associated with new oil and natural gas wells and gathering systems as these obligations are incurred. The Company had accrued an asset retirement obligation liability totaling $5,938 and $918 as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

Income Taxes

The Company accounts for income taxes under ASC 740 “Income Taxes” which codified SFAS 109, “Accounting for Income Taxes” and FIN 48 “Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes – an Interpretation of FASB Statement No.109.” Under the asset and liability method of ASC 740, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the consolidated financial statements carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. Under ASC 740, the effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period the enactment occurs. A valuation allowance is provided for certain deferred tax assets if it is more likely than not that the Company will not realize tax assets through future operations.

Related Parties

The Company follows ASC 850, Related Party Disclosures, for the identification of related parties and disclosure of related party transactions.

Stock-based Compensation

Employee and non-employee share-based compensation is measured at the grant date, based on the fair value of the award, and is recognized as an expense over the requisite service period.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

The Company does not believe that any recently issued effective pronouncements, or pronouncements issued but not yet effective, if adopted, would have a material effect on the accompanying consolidated financial statements.