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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of
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large accelerated filer,
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accelerated filer
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and
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smaller reporting company
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in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):
RISK FACTORS
You should carefully consider the following risk factors, together with all of the other information included in this registration statement.
Risks Related to Our Business
Oil and gas operations are risky.
We compete in the areas of oil and gas exploration, production, development and transportation with other companies, many of which may have substantially larger financial and other resources. The nature of the oil and gas business also involves a variety of risks, including the risks of operating hazards such as fires, explosions, cratering, blow-outs, and encountering formations with abnormal pressures, the occurrence of any of which could result in losses to us. We maintain insurance against some, but not all, of these risks in amounts that management believes to be reasonable in accordance with customary industry practices. The occurrence of a significant event, however, that is not fully insured could have a material adverse effect on our financial position.
A substantial decrease in oil and natural gas prices would have a material impact on us.
Our future financial condition and results of operations are dependent upon the prices we receive for our oil and natural gas production. Oil and natural gas prices historically have been volatile and likely will continue to be volatile in the future. This price volatility will also affect our common stock price. We cannot predict oil and natural gas prices and prices may decline in the future. The following factors have an influence on oil and natural gas prices, including but not limited to:
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changes in the supply of and demand for oil and natural gas;
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storage availability;
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weather conditions;
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market uncertainty;
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domestic and foreign governmental regulations;
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the availability and cost of alternative fuel sources;
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the domestic and foreign supply of oil and natural gas;
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the price of foreign oil and natural gas;
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refining capacity;
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political conditions in oil and natural gas producing regions, including the Middle East; and
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overall economic conditions.
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To counter this volatility we, from time to time, may enter into agreements to receive fixed prices on our oil and gas production to offset the risk of revenue losses if commodity prices decline; however, if commodity prices increase beyond the levels set in such agreements, we would not benefit from such increases.
Our business will depend on transportation facilities owned by others.
The marketability of our gas production will depend in part on the availability, proximity, and capacity of pipeline systems owned by third parties. Although we will have some contractual control over the transportation of our product, material changes in these business relationships could materially affect our operations. Federal and state regulation of oil and natural gas production and transportation, tax and energy policies, changes in supply and demand and general economic conditions could adversely affect our ability to produce, gather, and transport oil and natural gas.
Market conditions could cause us to incur losses on our transportation contracts.
Gas transportation contracts that we may enter into in the future may require us to transport minimum volumes of natural gas. If we ship smaller volumes, we may be liable for the shortfall.
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Unforeseen events, including production problems or substantial decreases in the price of natural gas, could cause us to ship less than the required volumes, resulting in losses on these contracts.
Our actual production, revenues and expenditures related to our reserves are likely to differ from our estimates of our proved reserves. We may experience production that is less than estimated and drilling costs that are greater than estimated in our reserve reports. These differences may be material.
The proved oil, NGL and gas reserves data included in this report are estimates. Petroleum engineering is a subjective process of estimating underground accumulations of oil and gas that cannot be measured in an exact manner. Estimates of economically recoverable oil, NGL and gas reserves and of future net cash flows necessarily depend upon a number of variable factors and assumptions, including:
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historical production from the area compared with production from other similar producing areas;
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the assumed effects of regulations by governmental agencies;
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assumptions concerning future oil, NGL and gas prices; and
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assumptions concerning future operating costs, severance and excise taxes, development costs and workover and remedial costs.
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Because all reserves estimates are to some degree subjective, each of the following items may differ materially from those assumed in estimating proved reserves:
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the quantities of oil, NGL and gas that are ultimately recovered;
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the production and operating costs incurred;
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the amount and timing of future development expenditures; and
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future oil, NGL and gas prices.
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Estimates of proved undeveloped reserves are even less reliable than estimates of proved developed reserves. Furthermore, different reserve engineers may make different estimates of reserves and future net revenues based on the same available data. Our actual production, revenues and expenditures with respect to reserves will likely be different from estimates and the differences may be material.
Estimating our reserves future net cash flows is difficult to do with any certainty.
There are numerous uncertainties inherent in estimating quantities of proved oil and natural gas reserves and their values, including many factors beyond our control. The reserve data included in this report represents only estimates. Reserve engineering is a subjective process of estimating underground accumulations of oil and natural gas that cannot be measured in an exact manner. The accuracy of any reserve estimate is a function of the quality of available data, the precision of the engineering and geological interpretation, and judgment. As a result, estimates of different engineers often vary. The estimates of reserves, future cash flows, and present value are based on various assumptions, including those prescribed by the Securities and Exchange Commission, and are inherently imprecise. There is no assurance that our present oil and gas wells will continue to produce at current or anticipated rates of production, or that production rates achieved in early periods can be maintained. Actual future production, cash flows, taxes, operating expenses, and quantities of recoverable oil and natural gas reserves may vary substantially from our estimates. Also, the use of a 10% discount factor for reporting purposes may not necessarily represent the most appropriate discount factor, given actual interest rates and risks to which our business or the oil and natural gas industry in general are subject.
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Quantities of proved reserves are estimated based on economic conditions, including oil and natural gas prices in existence at the date of assessment. A reduction in oil and natural gas prices not only would reduce the value of any proved reserves, but also might reduce the amount of oil and natural gas that could be economically produced, thereby reducing the quantity of reserves. Our reserves and future cash flows may be subject to revisions, based upon changes in economic conditions, including oil and natural gas prices, as well as due to production results, operating costs, and other factors. Downward revisions of our reserves could have an adverse affect on our financial condition and operating results.
Acquiring interests in other properties involves substantial risks.
We evaluate and acquire interests in oil and natural gas properties which in management's judgment will provide attractive investment opportunities for the addition of production and oil and gas reserves. To acquire producing properties or undeveloped exploratory acreage will require an assessment of a number of factors including:
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Value of the properties and likelihood of future production;
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Recoverable reserves;
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Operating costs;
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Potential environmental and other liabilities;
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Drilling and production difficulties; and
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Other factors beyond our control
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Such assessments will necessarily be inexact and uncertain. Because of our limited financial resources, we may not be able to evaluate properties in a manner that is consistent with industry practices. Such reviews, therefore, may not reveal all existing or potential problems, nor will they permit us to become sufficiently familiar with such properties to assess fully the deficiencies or benefits.
Operational risks in our business are numerous and could materially impact us.
Oil and natural gas drilling and production activities are subject to many risks, including the risk that no commercially productive reservoirs will be encountered. We can make no assurance that wells in which we have an interest will be productive or that we will recover all or any portion of investment costs.
Our operations are also subject to hazards and risks inherent in drilling for and producing and transporting oil and natural gas, including, but not limited to, such hazards as:
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Fires;
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Explosions;
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Blowouts;
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Encountering formations with abnormal pressures;
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Spills
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Natural disasters;
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Pipeline ruptures;
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Cratering
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If any of these events occur in our operations, we could experience substantial losses due to:
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injury or loss of life;
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severe damage to or destruction of property, natural resources and equipment;
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pollution or other environmental damage;
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clean-up responsibilities;
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regulatory investigation and penalties; and
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other losses resulting in suspension of our operations.
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In accordance with customary industry practice, we maintain insurance against some, but not all, of the risks described above with a general liability limit of $1 million. We do not maintain insurance for
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damages arising out of exposure to radioactive material. Even in the case of risks against which we are insured, our policies are subject to limitations and exceptions that could cause us to be unprotected against some or all of the risk. The occurrence of an uninsured loss could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations.
We must comply with environmental regulations.
Exploratory and other oil and natural gas wells must be operated in compliance with complex and changing environmental laws and regulations adopted by federal, state and local government authorities. The implementation of new, or the modification of existing, laws and regulations could have a material adverse affect on properties in which we may have an interest. Discharge of oil, natural gas, water, or other pollutants to the oil, soil, or water may give rise to significant liabilities to government and third parties and may require us to incur substantial cost of remediation. We may be required to agree to indemnify sellers of properties purchased against certain liabilities for environmental claims associated with those properties. We can give no assurance that existing environmental laws or regulations, as currently interpreted, or as they may be reinterpreted in the future, or future laws or regulations will not materially adversely affect our results of operations and financial conditions.
Environmental liabilities could adversely affect our business
In the event of a release of oil, natural gas, or other pollutants from our operations into the environment, we could incur liability for personal injuries, property damage, cleanup costs, and governmental fines. We could potentially discharge these materials into the environment in any of the following ways:
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from a well or drilling equipment at a drill site;
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leakage from gathering systems, pipelines, transportation facilities and storage tanks;
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damage to oil and natural gas wells resulting from accidents during normal operations; and
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blowouts, cratering, and explosions.
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In addition, because we may acquire interests in properties that have been operated in the past by others, we may be liable for environmental damage, including historical contamination, caused by such former operators. Additional liabilities could also arise from continuing violations or contamination not discovered during our assessment of the acquired properties.
Federal, state and local legislative and regulatory initiatives relating to hydraulic fracturing could result in increased costs and additional operating restrictions or delays in our production of oil and gas and lower returns on our capital investments.
Bills were introduced in the previous U.S. Congress to regulate hydraulic fracturing operations and related injection of fracturing fluids and propping agents used in fracturing fluids by the oil and natural gas industry under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) and to require the disclosure of chemicals used in the hydraulic fracturing process under the SDWA, Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) or other authority. Hydraulic fracturing is an important and commonly used process in the completion of unconventional oil and natural gas wells in shale and tight sand formations. Hydraulic fracturing involves the injection of water, sand and chemicals under pressure into rock formations to stimulate oil and natural gas production. We engage third parties to provide hydraulic fracturing or other well stimulation services to us for many of the wells that we drill and operate. Sponsors of such bills have asserted that chemicals used in the fracturing process could adversely affect drinking water supplies, surface waters, and other natural resources, and threaten health and safety. In addition, the EPA has announced its intention to conduct a comprehensive research study on the potential adverse impacts that hydraulic fracturing may have on water quality and public health and the EPA issued a draft study plan on hydraulic fracturing. Certain states have also considered or imposed reporting obligations relating to the use of hydraulic fracturing techniques.
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Additional legislation or regulation could make it easier for parties opposing the hydraulic fracturing process to initiate legal proceedings based on allegations that specific chemicals used in the fracturing process could adversely affect groundwater. There has also been increasing public controversy regarding hydraulic fracturing with regard to use of fracturing fluids, impacts on drinking water supplies, use of water and the potential for impacts to surface water, groundwater and the environment generally. A number of lawsuits and enforcement actions have been initiated in Texas and other states implicating hydraulic fracturing practices.
Legislation, regulation, litigation and enforcement actions at the federal, state or local level that restrict the provision of hydraulic fracturing services could limit the availability and raise the cost of such services, delay completion of new wells and production of our oil and gas, lower our return on capital expenditures and have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows and quantities of oil and gas reserves that may be economically produced.
Changes in tax laws may adversely affect our results of operations and cash flows.
President Obamas Proposed Fiscal Year 2013 Budget includes proposed legislation that would, if enacted into law, make significant changes to U.S. tax laws, including the elimination of certain key United States federal income tax incentives currently available to oil and gas exploration and production companies. These changes include, but are not limited to:
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repeal of the percentage depletion allowance for oil and gas properties;
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elimination of current deductions for intangible drilling costs;
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elimination of the domestic manufacturing deduction for oil and gas companies; and
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extension of the amortization period for certain geological and geophysical expenditures.
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It is unclear whether any such changes will be enacted or how soon any such changes could become effective. The passage of any legislation as a result of these proposals or any other similar changes in U.S. federal income tax laws could eliminate or otherwise limit certain tax deductions that are currently available with respect to oil and gas exploration and development, and any such change could negatively impact our financial condition and results of operations.
Competition in the oil and natural gas industry is intense, and we are smaller and have a more limited operating history than many of our competitors.
We compete with major integrated oil and gas companies and independent oil and gas companies in all areas of operation. In particular, we compete for property acquisitions and for the equipment and labor required to operate and develop these properties. Most of our competitors have substantially greater financial and other resources than we have. In addition, larger competitors may be able to absorb the burden of any changes in federal, state and local laws and regulations more easily than we can, which would adversely affect our competitive position. These competitors may be able to pay more for properties and may be able to define, evaluate, bid for, and purchase a greater number of properties and prospects than we can. Further, our competitors may have technological advantages and may be able to implement new technologies more rapidly than we can. Our ability to explore for natural gas and oil prospects and to acquire additional properties in the future will depend on our ability to conduct operations, to evaluate and select suitable properties and to consummate transactions in this highly competitive environment. In addition, most of our competitors have operated for a much longer time than we have and have demonstrated the ability to operate through industry cycles.
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Climate change legislation or regulations regulating emissions of GHGs and VOCs could result in increased operating costs and reduced demand for the oil and gas we produce.
Both houses of Congress have actively considered legislation to reduce emissions of GHGs, and some states have already taken measures to reduce emissions of GHGs, primarily through the planned development of GHG emission inventories and/or regional GHG cap-and-trade programs. Most of these cap-and-trade programs require either major sources of emissions or major producers of fuels to acquire and surrender emission allowances, with the number of allowances available for purchase reduced each year until the overall GHG emission reduction goal is achieved. These allowances are expected to escalate significantly in cost over time.
In addition, in December 2009, the EPA determined that emissions of carbon dioxide, methane and other GHGs present an endangerment to human health and the environment, because emissions of such gases are, according to the EPA, contributing to warming of the earths atmosphere and other climatic changes. These findings by the EPA allow the agency to proceed with the adoption and implementation of regulations that would restrict emissions of GHGs under existing provisions of the federal Clean Air Act. The EPA has also issued final regulations under the NSPS and NESHAP designed to reduce VOCs. The adoption of legislation or regulatory programs to reduce GHG or VOC emissions could require us to incur increased operating costs, such as costs to purchase and operate emissions control systems, to acquire emissions allowances or comply with new regulatory requirements. Any GHG emissions legislation or regulatory programs applicable to power plants or refineries could also increase the cost of consuming, and thereby reduce demand for, the oil and natural gas we produce. Consequently, legislation and regulatory programs to reduce GHG or VOC emissions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Governmental regulations can hinder production.
Domestic oil and natural gas exploration, production and sales are extensively regulated at both the federal and state levels. Legislation affecting the oil and natural gas industry is under constant review for amendment or expansion, frequently increasing the regulatory burden. Also, numerous departments and agencies, both federal and state, have legal authority to issue, and have issued, rules and regulations affecting the oil and natural gas industry which often are difficult and costly to comply with and which carry substantial penalties for noncompliance. State statutes and regulations require permits for drilling operations, drilling bonds, and reports concerning operations. Most states where we operate also have statutes and regulations governing conservation matters, including the unitization or pooling of properties. Our operations are also subject to numerous laws and regulations governing plugging and abandonment, discharging materials into the environment or otherwise relating to environmental protection. The heavy regulatory burden on the oil and natural gas industry increases its costs of doing business and consequently affects its profitability. Changes in the laws, rules or regulations, or the interpretation thereof, could have a materially adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operation.
Minority or royalty interest purchases do not allow us to control production completely.
We sometimes acquire less than the controlling working interest in oil and natural gas properties. In such cases, it is likely that these properties would not be operated by us. When we do not have controlling interest, the operator or the other co-owners might take actions we do not agree with and possibly increase costs or reduce production income in ways we do not agree with.
Environmental regulations can hinder production.
Oil and natural gas activities can result in liability under federal, state and local environmental regulations for activities involving, among other things, water pollution and hazardous waste transport, storage, and disposal. Such liability can attach not only to the operator of record of the well, but also to other parties that may be deemed to be current or prior operators or owners of the wells or the equipment involved. We have inspections performed on our properties to assure environmental law compliance, but inspections may
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not always be performed on every well, and structural and environmental problems are not necessarily observable even when an inspection is undertaken.
Government regulations could increase our operating costs
Oil and natural gas operations are subject to extensive federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the exploration for, and development, production and transportation of, oil and natural gas, as well as safety matters, which may changed from time to time in response to economic conditions. Matters subject to regulation by federal, state and local authorities include:
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Permits for drilling operations;
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The production and disposal of water;
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Reports concerning operations;
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Unitization and pooling of properties;
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Road and pipeline construction;
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The spacing of wells;
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Taxation;
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Production rates;
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The conservation of oil and natural gas; and
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Drilling bonds.
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Many jurisdictions have at various times imposed limitations on the production of oil and natural gas by restricting the rate of flow for oil and natural gas wells below their actual capacity to produce. During the past few years there has been a significant amount of discussion by legislators and the presidential administration concerning a variety of energy tax proposals. There can be no certainty that any such measure will be passed or what its effect will be on oil and natural gas prices if it is passed. In addition, many states have raised state taxes on energy sources and additional increases may occur, although there can be no certainty of the effect that increases in state energy taxes would have on oil and natural gas prices. Although we believe it is in substantial compliance with applicable environmental and other government laws and regulations, there can be no assurance that significant costs for compliance will not be incurred in the future.
Risks Relating to the Market Value of Our Common Stock
The market price of our common stock is volatile, leading to the possibility of its value being depressed at a time when our stockholders want to sell their holdings.
The market price of our common stock has in the past been, and may in the future continue to be, volatile. A variety of events may cause the market price of our common stock to fluctuate significantly, including but not necessarily limited to:
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quarter to quarter variations in operating results;
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adverse or positive news reports or public announcements; and
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market conditions for the gaming industry.
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In addition, the stock market in recent years has experienced significant price and volume fluctuations. This volatility has had a substantial effect on the market prices of companies, at times for reasons unrelated to their operating performance. These market fluctuations may adversely affect the price of our common stock and other interests in the Company at a time when our stockholders want to sell their interest in us.
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If we fail to meet the applicable continued listing requirements of NYSE MKT, LLC, NYSE MKT, LLC may delist our common stock, in which case the liquidity and market price of our common stock could decline.
Our common stock is currently listed on the NYSE MKT, LLC. In order to maintain that listing, we must satisfy certain continued listing requirements. If we are deficient in maintaining the necessary listing requirements, our common stock may be delisted. If our stock is delisted, an active trading market for our common stock may not be sustained and the market price of our common stock could decline.
We have not paid cash dividends and do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future.
We anticipate that we will retain all future earnings and other cash resources for the future operation and development of our business. We do not intend to declare or pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Payment of any future dividends will be at the discretion of our Board of Directors after taking into account many factors, including our operating results, financial condition, current and anticipated cash needs, and other factors. Moreover, since the issuance of the Warrants will reclassify all retained earnings to additional paid-in capital, there may be no capacity for the Company to declare a cash dividend in the near future.
Future sales of shares of our common stock in the public market could adversely affect the trading price of shares of our common stock and our ability to raise funds in new stock offerings.
Future sales of substantial amounts of shares of our common stock in the public market, including shares issuable upon exercise of our outstanding publicly traded warrants, or the perception that such sales are likely to occur could affect the market price of our common stock. Our President, Ray Reaves stock ownership may also discourage a potential acquirer from making a tender offer or otherwise attempting to obtain control of us, which in turn could reduce our stock price or prevent our stockholders from realizing a premium over our stock price.