Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

A summary of the significant accounting policies consistently applied in the preparation of the accompanying financial statements follows:

Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Spindletop Oil & Gas Co. and its wholly owned subsidiaries, Prairie Pipeline Co. and Spindletop Drilling Company. All significant inter-company transactions and accounts have been eliminated.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all highly liquid instruments with a maturity of three months or less at time of original issuance to be cash equivalents.

Other Investments

Other short-term and long-term investments consist of certificates of deposit with maturities of more than three months. Carrying amounts approximate fair value.

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

The Company provides an allowance for doubtful accounts equal to the estimated uncollectible portion of accounts receivable. This estimate is based on historical collection experience and a review of the current status of accounts receivable.

Oil and Gas Properties

The Company follows the full cost method of accounting for its oil and gas properties. Accordingly, all costs associated with acquisition, exploration and development of oil and natural gas reserves are capitalized and accounted for in cost centers, on a country-by-country basis. For each cost center, capitalized costs, less accumulated amortization and related deferred income taxes, shall not exceed an amount (the cost center ceiling) equal to the sum of:

a) The present value of estimated future net revenues computed by applying current prices of oil and natural gas reserves (with consideration of price changes only to the extent provided by contractual arrangements) to estimated future production of proved oil and gas reserves as of the date of the latest balance sheet presented, less estimated future expenditures (based on current costs) to be incurred in developing and producing the proved reserves computed using a discount factor of ten percent and assuming continuation of existing economic conditions; plus

b) The cost of properties not being amortized; plus

c) The lower of cost or estimated fair market value of unproven properties included in the costs being amortized; less

d) Income tax effects related to differences between the book and tax basis of the properties.

If unamortized costs capitalized within a cost center, less related deferred income taxes, exceed the cost center ceiling (as defined), the excess is charged to expense and separately disclosed during the period in which the excess occurs. Amounts required to be written off will not be reinstated for any subsequent increase in the cost center ceiling. 

Depreciation and amortization for each cost center are computed on a composite unit-of-production method, based on estimated proven reserves attributable to the respective cost center. All costs associated with oil and gas properties are currently included in the base for computation and amortization. Such costs include all acquisition, exploration, development costs and estimated future expenditures for proved undeveloped properties as well as estimated dismantlement and abandonment costs as calculated under the asset retirement obligation category, net of salvage value. All of the Company's oil and gas properties are located within the continental United States.

Gains and losses on sales of oil and gas properties are treated as adjustments of capitalized costs. Gains or losses on sales of property and equipment, other than oil and gas properties, are recognized as part of operations. Expenditures for renewals and improvements are capitalized, while expenditures for maintenance and repairs are charged to operations as incurred.

Property and Equipment

The Company, as operator, leases equipment to owners of oil and gas wells, on a month-to-month basis.

The Company, as operator, transports natural gas through its natural gas gathering systems, in exchange for a fee.

Depreciation is provided in amounts sufficient to relate the cost of depreciable assets to operations over their estimated service lives (5 to 10 years for rental equipment and natural gas gathering systems, 4 to 5 years for other property and equipment). The straight-line method of depreciation is used for financial reporting purposes, while accelerated methods are used for tax purposes.

Real Estate Property

The Company owns land along with a two-story commercial office building which is situated thereon. The Company occupies a portion of the building as its primary corporate headquarters, and leases the remaining space in the building to non-related third party commercial tenants at prevailing market rates. The Company depreciates the commercial office building using the straight-line method of depreciation for financial statement and income tax purposes.

Investments in Real Estate

All investments in real estate holdings are stated at cost or adjusted carrying value. ASC Topic 360, “Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets”, requires that a property be considered impaired if the sum of the expected future cash flows (undiscounted and without interest charges) is less than the carrying amount of the property. If impairment exists, an impairment loss is recognized by a charge against earnings equal to the amount by which the carrying amount of the property exceeds fair market value less cost to sell the property. If impairment of a property is recognized, the carrying amount of the property is reduced by the amount of the impairment, and a new cost for the property is established. Depreciation is provided over the properties estimated remaining useful life. There was no charge to earnings during 2019, 2018, or 2017 due to impairment of real estate holdings.

Accounting for Asset Retirement Obligations

The Company adopted ASC Topic 410-20, "Accounting for Asset Retirement Obligations" on December 31, 2005. This statement requires the recording of a liability in the period in which an asset retirement obligation ("ARO") is incurred, in an amount equal to the discounted estimated fair value of the obligation that is capitalized. Thereafter, each quarter, this liability is accreted up to the final retirement cost. The determination of the ARO is based on an estimate of the future cost to plug and abandon our oil and gas wells. The actual costs could be higher or lower than current estimates.

The following table reflects the changes of the asset retirement obligations during the period ending December 31;

	2019			2018
Carrying amount of asset retirement obligation	$	1,324,000		$	1,180,000
Liabilities added		110,000			54,000
Liabilities divested or settled		(146,000	)		(99,000	)
Current period accretion expenses		120,000			189,000
Carrying amount as of December 31,	$	1,408,000		$	1,324,000

Revenue Recognition

The Company follows the “sales” (takes or cash) method of accounting for oil and natural gas revenues. Under this method, the Company recognizes revenues on oil and natural gas production as it is taken and delivered to the purchasers. The volumes sold may be more or less than the volumes the Company is entitled to take based on our ownership in the property. These differences result in a condition known as a production imbalance. Our crude oil and natural gas imbalances are insignificant.

Income Taxes

In June, 2006, an interpretation of ASC Topic 740-10, “Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes” was issued. The interpretation creates a single model to address accounting for uncertainty in tax positions. Specifically, the pronouncement prescribes a recognition threshold and a measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. The interpretation also provides guidance on de-recognition, classification, interest and penalties, accounting in interim periods, disclosure and transition of certain tax positions. Federal and state tax authorities generally have the right to examine and audit the previous three years of tax returns filed.

The Company accounts for income taxes pursuant to ASC Topic 740-10 "Accounting for Income Taxes" , which requires the recognition of deferred tax liabilities and assets for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in the Company's financial statements or tax returns. Under this method, deferred tax liabilities and assets are determined based on the difference between the financial statement carrying amounts and tax bases of assets and liabilities, using enacted tax rates in effect in the years in which the differences are expected to reverse. The temporary differences primarily relate to depreciation, depletion and intangible drilling costs.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U. S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles 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 revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Share-Based Payments

Effective January 1, 2006, the Company adopted ASC Topic 718-10, “Share-Based Payment". ASC Topic 718-10 requires compensation costs related to share-based payments to be recognized in the income statement over the requisite service period. The amount of the compensation cost is to be measured based on the grant-date fair value of the instrument issued. ASC Topic 718-10 is effective for awards granted or modified after the date of adoption and for awards granted prior to that date that have not vested. ASC Topic 718-10 does not materially change the Company's existing accounting practices or the amount of share-based compensation recognized in earnings.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

In February 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-02: Leases (Topic 842). The FASB issued this Update to increase transparency and comparability among organizations by recognizing lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements. The accounting for Lessees relates primarily to finance leases and for operating leases. The Company does not currently have any finance or operating leases as a lessee. The accounting applied by a lessor is largely unchanged from that applied under previous GAAP. Under GAAP accounting, lessors should continue to recognize lease income for those leases on a generally straight-line basis over the lease term. The Company does lease space in its commercial office building to third-party tenants under rental lease agreements as the lessor, and recognizes lease income from tenants on a straight-line basis. The amendments in this Update are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years for public business entities. The Company does not anticipate that this new guidance will have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position or results of operations for the periods presented.

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) ("ASU 2014-09"), which supersedes nearly all existing revenue recognition guidance under existing generally accepted accounting principles.  This new standard is based upon the principal that revenue is recognized to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. ASU 2014-09 also requires additional disclosure about the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from customer contracts. ASU 2014-09 is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2017.

Revenue from Contracts with Customers  

Sales of oil, condensate, natural gas and natural gas liquids (“NGLs”) are recognized at the time control of the products are transferred to the customer. Based upon the Company’s current purchasers’ past experience and expertise in the market, collectability is probable, and there have not been payment issues with the Company’s purchasers over the past year or currently. Generally, the Company’s gas processing and purchase agreements indicate that the processors take control of the gas at the inlet of the plant and that control of residue gas is returned to the Company at the outlet of the plant. The midstream processing entity gathers and processes the natural gas and remits proceeds to the Company for the resulting sales of NGLs. The Company delivers oil and condensate to the purchaser at a contractually agreed-upon delivery point at which the purchaser takes custody, title and risk of loss of the product. 

When sales volumes exceed the Company’s entitled share, a production imbalance occurs. If production imbalance exceeds the Company’s share of the remaining estimated proved natural gas reserves for a given property, the Company records a liability. Production imbalances have not had and currently do not have a material impact on the financial statements, and this did not change with the adoption of ASC 606.

Generally, the Company’s contracts have an initial term of one year or longer but continue month to month unless written notification of termination in a specified time period is provided by either party to the contract. The Company has used the practical expedient in ASC 606 which states that the Company is not required to disclose that transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations if the variable consideration is allocated entirely to a wholly unsatisfied performance obligation. Future volumes are wholly unsatisfied, and disclosure of the transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligation is not required.

Contract Balances  

The Company receives purchaser statements from the majority of its customers but there are a few contracts where the Company prepares the invoice. Payment is unconditional upon receipt of the statement or invoice. Accordingly, the Company’s product sales contracts do not give rise to contract assets or liabilities under ASC 606. The majority of the Company’s contract pricing provisions are tied to a market index, with certain adjustments based on, among other factors, whether a well delivers to a gathering or transmission line, quality of the oil or natural gas, and supply and demand conditions. The price of these commodities fluctuates to remain competitive with supply.

Prior Period Performance Obligations

The Company records revenue in the month production is delivered to the purchaser. Settlement statements may not be received for 30 to 90 days after the date production is delivered, and therefore the Company is required to estimate the amount of production delivered to the purchaser and the price that will be received for the sale of the product. Differences between the Company’s estimates and the actual amounts received for product sales are generally recorded in the following month that payment is received. Any differences between the Company’s revenue estimates and actual revenue received historically have not been significant. The Company has internal controls in place for its revenue estimation accrual process.

Impact of Adoption of ASC 606

The Company has completed its review of its primary oil and natural gas marketing agreements in order to assess the impact of adoption, and it has assessed that adoption of this standard will not have a material impact on the Company's financial statements because revenue will continue to be recognized as production is delivered.  The Company adopted this standard in the first quarter of 2018 utilizing the modified retrospective method.

In August 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No 2016-15: Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230), Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments. The FASB issued this Accounting Standards Update to address eight specific cash flow issues with the objective of reducing the existing diversity in practice. The amendments in this Update are effective for public entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those fiscal years.

Currently, there are no other new accounting pronouncements that were issued to be effective in 2019 or subsequent thereto that would have a material impact on the Company’s financial reporting.

Subsequent Events

The Company has evaluated subsequent events through the issuance date of April 2, 2020. 

At the end of 2019, a novel strain of coronavirus (“COVID-19”) was reported in China. Subsequent to year end and continuing currently, COVID-19 has spread to other countries including the U.S. This pandemic has weakened the global demand for oil, putting pressure on the price of oil. In addition, the failure of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and Russia to agree on production cuts, have caused oil prices to drop dramatically around $20.00 per barrel which is approximately one-third of the oil price at the beginning of 2020. 

During the first quarter of 2020, attempts at containment of COVID-19 have resulted in decreased economic activity which has adversely affected the broader global economy. As the economy slows, the demand for oil and natural gas softens. Many countries around the world as well as the majority of the states in the United States have ordered their citizens to stay home in order to contain the spread of the virus. As part of the “shelter in place” and “stay at home” orders, fewer businesses than normal are open and less people are going to work which has reduced the demand for oil and natural gas. Airlines have dramatically cut back on flights as the number of passengers has fallen off. Fewer cars on the road and planes in the sky means far less demand for oil. At this time, the full extent to which COVID-19 will negatively impact the global economy and our business is uncertain, but pandemics or other significant public health events will most likely have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

Subsequent to year end, oil and natural gas prices have fallen dramatically. The company is forecasting that its expenses will exceed its oil and gas revenues for the first quarter of 2020. In an effort to reduce expenses, the Company reduced the number of employees in its workforce by 22%, effective March 31, 2020. Additionally, the Company is implementing company-wide reductions in compensation for Company employees including key and technical employees and officers to take effect April 1, 2020. In further efforts to reduce expenses, the Company is shutting-in wells that are not profitable in this current low price environment. The Company is forecasting that oil and natural gas prices will remain low for the second quarter of 2020, which the Company believes would cause an operating loss for the second quarter of 2020 which is likely to continue despite the Company’s cost cutting measures until oil and natural gas prices sustain a substantial and continued increase.