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China Natural Gas, Inc. - FORM 10-K/A - June 14, 2011
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K/A
(Amendment No. 1)
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010
For the transition period from ________ to _________
Commission File Number: 000-34373
CHINA NATURAL GAS, INC.
(Exact Name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
19th Floor, Building B, Van Metropolis
Tang Yan Road, Hi-Tech Zone
Xi’an, 710065, Shaanxi Province, China
(Address of principal executive office)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: 86-29-88323325
Securities registered under Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act: None
Securities registered under Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act:
Common Stock, $.0001 par value per share
(Title of Class)
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
Yes ¨ No x
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.
Yes ¨ No x
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes x No ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.45 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes ¨ No ¨
Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (section 229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of the registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. ¨
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 "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer" and "smaller reporting company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes ¨ No x
The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant, as of June 30, 2010, was approximately $146,361,188. All executive officers and directors of the registrant have been deemed, solely for the purpose of the foregoing calculation, to be "affiliates" of the registrant.
As of February 28, 2011 there were 21,321,904 shares of the issuer's common stock, $0.0001 par value per share, issued and outstanding.
EX-31.1 (Certifications required under Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002)
EX-31.2 (Certifications required under Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002)
EX-32.1 (Certifications required under Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002)
EX-32.2 (Certifications required under Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002)
Documents Incorporated by Reference
The registrant intends to file a definitive proxy statement pursuant to Regulation 14A within 120 days of the end of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010. The proxy statement is incorporated herein by reference into the following parts of the Form 10-K:
Part III, Item 10, Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance;
Part III, Item 11, Executive Compensation;
Part III, Item 12, Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters;
Part III, Item 13, Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence;
Part III, Item 14, Principal Accountant Fees and Services.
This Amendment No. 1 on Form 10-K/A (this “Amendment No. 1”) of China Natural Gas, Inc. (the “Company”) amends the Annual Report on Form 10-K of the Company for the year ended December 31, 2010, originally filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on March 14, 2011 (the “Original Filing”). We refer to the Original Filing as the “2010 Form 10-K.”
This Amendment No. 1 amends and supplements the disclosure under Item 9A (Disclosure Controls and Procedures) in the 2010 Form 10-K to provide (i) disclosure that the Company did not maintain personnel with a sufficient level of accounting knowledge, experience and training in the application of the accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) and SEC requirements in the application thereof, which constitutes a material weakness in its internal control over financial reporting (in addition to the material weaknesses previously disclosed in the 2010 Form 10-K) and (ii) the management’s remediation initiatives undertaken with respect thereto.
This Amendment No. 1 also amends Item 8 of the 2010 Form 10-K to provide a reissued Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm of Friedman LLP (contained in the “F” pages hereto), with respect to the additional material weakness in Item 9A.
This Amendment No. 1 is accompanied by currently dated certifications on Exhibits 31.1, 31.2, 32.1 and 32.2 by the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as well as a consent of our former independent auditors, Frazer Frost, LLP, as Exhibit 23.1 hereto. Except as described above, this Amendment No. 1 does not amend, update or change any items, financial statements or other disclosures in the 2010 Form 10-K, speaks as of the date of the Original Filing and does not update or discuss any other developments affecting the Company subsequent to the date of the Original Filing.
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ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
The consolidated financial statements and notes thereto are included herein beginning at page F-1.
ITEM 9A CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Disclosure Controls and Procedures
During and subsequent to the reporting period covered by this report, and under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our principal executive officer and our principal financial officer, we conducted an evaluation of our disclosure controls and procedures that were in effect at the end of the period covered by this report. Disclosure controls and procedures is defined under Rule 13a-15(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), as those controls and other procedures of an issuer that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by an issuer in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by an issuer in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to the issuer's management, including its principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Our principal executive officer and principal financial officer have concluded that the Company had a material weakness in its internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2010 because:
Based on their evaluation and considering the material weaknesses previously identified in our internal control over financial reporting (Item 9A, Controls and Procedures, Amendment No. 2 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009, (the “2009 Form 10-K”) and as discussed below in "Management's Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting," our principal executive officer and principal financial officer have concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures that were in effect on December 31, 2010 were not effective.
Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
The Company’s management is responsible for establishing and maintaining an adequate system of internal control over financial reporting. Internal control over financial reporting is defined under Rule 13a-15(f) as a process designed by, or under the supervision of, an issuer's principal executive officer and principal financial officer, or persons performing similar functions, and effected by the issuer's board of directors, management and other personnel, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and include those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the issuer; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the issuer are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the issuer; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of the issuer’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
In connection with this annual report, management has conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting based on the framework in Internal Control - Evaluation Framework developed by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission ("COSO"). Based on its evaluation under the Internal Control - Evaluation Framework and due to the material weaknesses evidenced by the events described below, management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was not effective as of December 31, 2010. A material weakness is a control deficiency, or combination of control deficiencies, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis by employees in the normal course of their work.
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As part of management’s evaluation of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, management reviewed certain transactions entered into by the Company in 2010. As previously disclosed in the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2010 and in Amendment No. 2 to the 2009 Form 10-K, in February 2010, the Company obtained a bank loan in the amount of $17.7 million (the "Loan") and, in connection with the Loan, Xi'an Xilan Natural Gas Co. Ltd., the Company's variable interest entity, pledged its equipment and vehicles located within China to secure the Loan (the "Pledge") and guaranteed the repayment of the Loan (the "Guarantee").
During management’s evaluation of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting in connection with this annual report for the year ended December 31, 2010, management concluded that the Company had the following material weaknesses in its internal control over financial reporting during the year ended December 31, 2010:
In addition, management has concluded that the Company had a material weakness in its internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2010 because:
The management concluded that these events indicated that the Company's policies and procedures in place as of December 31, 2010 were not sufficient to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act was being recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the Securities and Exchange Commission, nor were such policies and procedures sufficient to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act was being accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Friedman, LLP, the independent registered public accounting firm that audited the consolidated financial statements, has issued an attestation report on our internal control over financial reporting which is included in Item 8.
Management’s Remediation Initiatives
In response to the above identified material weaknesses and to strengthen our internal control over financial reporting, we have taken the following remediation initiatives:
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In addition, the Company continues to reassess its internal controls and procedures in light of these recent events and is in the process of determining additional appropriate actions to take to remediate these material weaknesses.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Other than the remediation measures described above, there was no change in our internal control over financial reporting during the year ended December 31, 2010 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
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* Filed herewith
** Filed with the Original Filing
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
Date: June 14, 2011
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CHINA NATURAL GAS, INC.
AND SUBSIDIARIES
Index to Financial Statements
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
![]() REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheet of China Natural Gas, Inc. as of December 31, 2010, and the related consolidated statements of income and comprehensive income, stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for the year then ended. We also have audited China Natural Gas, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2010, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). China Natural Gas, Inc.’s management is responsible for these consolidated financial statements, for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial statements and an opinion on the company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audits.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit of the consolidated financial statements included examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, and evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audits also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
F-2
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the Company’s annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. The following material weaknesses have been identified and included in management’s assessment as of December 31, 2010:
These material weaknesses were considered in determining the nature, timing and extent of audit tests applied in our audit of the 2010 consolidated financial statements, and our opinion regarding the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting does not affect our opinion on those consolidated financial statements.
In our opinion, because of the effect of the material weaknesses described above on the achievement of the objectives of the control criteria, China Natural Gas, Inc. has not maintained effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2010, based on the criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). Also in our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of China Natural Gas, Inc. as of December 31, 2010, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year then ended in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
/s/ Friedman LLP
New York, New York
March 14, 2011
F-3
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of
China Natural Gas, Inc.
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of China Natural Gas, Inc. and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2009 and 2008, and the related consolidated statements of income and other comprehensive income, stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2009. China Natural Gas, Inc.’s management is responsible for these consolidated financial statements. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial statements based on our audits.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of China Natural Gas, Inc. and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2009 and 2008, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2009 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), China Natural Gas, Inc. and subsidiaries’ internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2009, based on criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO), and our report dated March 10, 2010, except for the effects of the material weaknesses described in the six paragraph of that report, as to which the date is September 30, 2010, expressed an adverse opinion on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting.
/s/ Frazer Frost, LLP (Successor Entity of Moore Stephens Wurth Frazer and Torbet, LLP, see Form 8-K filed on January 7, 2010)
Brea, California
March 10, 2010, except for the effects on the consolidated financial statements of the restatement described in Note 2 and 15, as to which the date is September 30, 2010
CHINA NATURAL GAS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F-5
CHINA NATURAL GAS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F-6
CHINA NATURAL GAS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F-7
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
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China Natural Gas, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Note 1 - Organization
Organization and Line of Business
China Natural Gas, Inc. (the “Company”) was incorporated in the State of Delaware on March 31, 1999. The Company through its wholly owned subsidiaries and variable interest entity (“VIE”), Xi’an Xilan Natural Gas Co., Ltd. (“XXNGC”) and subsidiaries of its VIE, located in Hong Kong, Shaanxi Province, Henan Province and Hubei Province in the People’s Republic of China (“PRC”), engages in sales and distribution of natural gas and gasoline to commercial, industrial and residential customers through fueling stations and pipelines, construction of pipeline networks, installation of natural gas fittings and parts for end-users, and conversions of gasoline-fueled vehicles to hybrid (natural gas/gasoline) powered vehicles at automobile conversion sites. The consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2010 and 2009 and the consolidated statements of income and comprehensive income, stockholder’s equity and cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008 include the accounts of China Natural Gas, Inc. and Subsidiaries and variable interest entities (“China Natural Gas,” the “Company,” “our,” “us” or “we”). Our subsidiaries and variable interest entities are: Xilan Energy Co. Ltd. (“XEC”), Xi’an Xilan Natural Gas Co, Ltd. (“XXNGC”), Shaanxi Xilan Natural Gas Equipment Co. Ltd (“SXNGE”), Hubei Xian Natural Gas Co., Ltd (“HBXNG”), Lingbao Yuxi Natural Gas Co. Ltd. (“LYNG”), Shaanxi Jingbian Liquefied Natural Gas Co. Ltd (“JBLNG”), Henan Xilan Natural Gas Co. Ltd (“HXNGC”), Xi’an Xilan Auto Body Shop Co, Ltd. (“SXABC”), Henan CNPC Kunlun Xilan Compressed Natural Gas Co., Ltd ( “JV”) and Hanchuan Makou Yuntong Compressed Natural Gas Co., Ltd (Makou”).
During the second quarter of 2010, the Company’s VIE, XXNGC, effectively acquired 100% of the assets and operating rights of four natural gas stations in Xi’an, PRC, for aggregate cash consideration of $10,502,490.
On May 29, 2010, Hubei Xilan Natural Gas Co., Ltd., a wholly owned limited liability company in Hubei Province, PRC, formed by XXNGC (“HBXNGC”), agreed to purchase 100% of the equity interests of Makou, a limited liability company formed under the laws of the PRC, from eight individuals for a purchase price of $3,648,080. Makou owns and operates a compressed natural gas (“CNG”) compressor station in Hanchuan City, Hubei Province, and purchases natural gas from pipelines, conducts compressing and sells natural gas on a wholesale basis through tankers to fueling stations in Hubei Province. In July 2010, HBXNGC obtained full control of Makou’s assets and operations.
On February 5, 2010 and April 23, 2010, JBLNG, an entity wholly owned by XXNGC, increased its registered capital by $6,026,343 and $11,668,376, respectively, which was invested by XXNGC in the form of equipment and cash.
On December 17, 2009, the Company through its VIE, XXNGC, formed HBXNGC as a wholly owned limited liability company, with registered capital of $1,467,000 in Hubei Province, PRC. HBXNGC was established to construct harbor liquid natural gas (“LNG”) fueling stations and ships in Hubei, PRC.
On October 27, 2009, the Company formed XEC as a wholly owned limited liability company, with authorized capital of $5,000,000 in Hong Kong. XEC was established for the purpose of importing LNG into the PRC.
On October 27, 2009, the Company through its VIE, XXNGC, formed Henan CNPC Kunlun Xilan Compressed Natural Gas Co., Ltd. (the “JV”) as a joint venture with China National Petroleum Corporation Kunlun Natural Gas Co., Ltd. (“CNPC Kunlun”), with registered capital of $7,335,000 in Henan Province, PRC. The JV was established to build and CNG compressor stations and fueling stations, sell CNG, provide vehicle conversion services from gasoline-fueled vehicles to hybrid (natural gas/gasoline) powered vehicles and provide technical advisory work services in Henan, PRC. CNPC Kunlun holds 51% ownership of the JV and XXNGC holds 49% ownership.
On September 8, 2009, SXNGE, the Company’s wholly owned foreign entity, increased its registered capital by $26,000,000 from $53,929,260 to $79,929,260. The Company contributed $10,000,000 and $16,000,000 in registered capital to SXNGE on September 29, 2009 and January 13, 2010, respectively.
Note 2 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Basis of Presentation
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The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with the accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”).
Use of Estimates
The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP 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. Significant accounting estimates reflected in the Company’s consolidated financial statements include revenue recognition, allowance for doubtful accounts, inventory obsolescence, warrants liability and useful lives of property and equipment. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Principles of Consolidation
The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries and its 100% VIE, XXNGC, and XXNGC’s wholly owned subsidiaries. All inter-company accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
Consolidation of Variable Interest Entity
In accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board’s (“FASB”) accounting standard regarding consolidation, VIEs are entities that lack sufficient equity to finance their activities without additional financial support from other parties or whose equity holders lack adequate decision making ability. Any VIE with which the Company is involved must be evaluated to determine the primary beneficiary of the risks and rewards of the VIE. The primary beneficiary is required to consolidate the VIE for financial reporting purposes.
On February 21, 2006, the Company formed SXNGE as a wholly foreign owned enterprise (“WFOE”) under the laws of the PRC. Through SXNGE, the Company entered into exclusive arrangements with XXNGC and its shareholders that give the Company the ability to substantially influence XXNGC’s daily operations and financial affairs and appoint its senior executives. The Company is considered the primary beneficiary of XXNGC and it consolidates its accounts as a VIE. The Company’s arrangements with XXNGC consist of the following agreements:
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Foreign Currency Translation
The Company’s reporting currency is the U.S. dollar. The functional currency of XXNGC and the Company’s and XXNGC’s PRC subsidiaries, and, therefore, the functional currency of the Company, is the RMB. The results of operations and financial position of XXNGC and the Company’s and XXNGC’s PRC subsidiaries are translated to U.S. dollars using the period end exchange rates as to assets and liabilities and weighted average exchange rates as to revenues, expenses and cash flows. Capital accounts are translated at their historical exchange rates when the capital transaction occurred. The resulting currency translation adjustments are recorded as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) within stockholders’ equity. As a result, translation adjustment amounts related to assets and liabilities reported on the consolidated statement of cash flows will not necessarily agree with changes in the corresponding consolidated balances on the balance sheet. Transaction gains and losses that arise from exchange rate fluctuations on transactions denominated in a currency other than the functional currency are included in the results of operations as incurred.
The balance sheet amounts, with the exception of equity, were translated at the December 31, 2010 exchange rate of RMB 6.59 to $1.00 as compared to RMB 6.82 to $1.00 at December 31, 2009. The equity accounts were stated at their historical rate. The average translation rates applied to income and cash flow statement amounts for the years ended December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008 were 6.76, 6.82 RMB and 6.94 RMB to $1.00, respectively.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents include cash on hand and demand deposits in accounts maintained with state-owned banks within the PRC, and private sector banks in Hong Kong and the United States. The Company considers all highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less at the time of purchase to be cash equivalents.
The Company maintains balances at financial institutions which, from time to time, may exceed Hong Kong Deposit Protection Board (“HKDPB”) insured limits for the banks located in Hong Kong or may exceed Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) insured limits for the banks located in the United States. Balances at financial institutions or state-owned banks within the PRC are not covered by insurance. As of December 31, 2010 and 2009, the Company had total deposits of $9,106,073 and $47,459,560, respectively, without insurance coverage or in excess of HKDPB or FDIC insured limits. The Company has not experienced any losses to date as a result of this policy.
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Accounts Receivable
Accounts receivable are presented net of an allowance for doubtful accounts. The Company estimates an allowance for potential credit losses on accounts receivable. Management periodically reviews the composition of accounts receivable and analyzes historical bad debts, customer concentrations, customer credit-worthiness, current economic trends and changes in customer payment patterns to evaluate the adequacy of the allowance.
Management considers accounts past due after three months. Delinquent account balances are written off after management has determined that the likelihood of collection is not probable, and known bad debts are written off against allowance for doubtful accounts when identified. The Company recorded allowances for doubtful accounts in the amount of $15,177 and $163,280 as of December 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively.
Other Receivable
Other receivable mainly include security deposit paid to government or landlord for certain contracts in our normal course of business. The security deposit will be refunded to the Company after the contract is completed.
Employee Advances
From time to time, the Company advances predetermined amounts based upon internal Company policy to certain employees and internal units. As of December 31, 2010 and 2009, the Company had employee advances in the amount of $302,532 and $338,689, respectively.
Inventories
Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market, as determined on a first-in, first-out basis. Management compares the cost of inventories with the market value, and an allowance is made for writing down the inventories to their market value, if lower. Inventories consist of material used in the construction of pipelines and material used in repairing and modifying vehicles. Inventory also consists of gasoline.
The following are the details of the inventories:
Advances to Suppliers
The Company makes advances to certain vendors for purchase of its materials. The advances are interest-free and unsecured.
Prepaid expense and other current assets
Prepaid expenses and other current assets include the incoming value-added-tax, generated by purchasing of production facilities in the Jingbian LNG factory and prepaid rent for the land and premises. The incoming value-added-tax generated by purchasing of production facilities will grant the Company tax credits after the LNG factory becomes operational. The rent is recognized as a deferred expense and is amortized during the renting periods.
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Loan Receivable
Loan receivable consists of the following:
Investments in Unconsolidated Joint Ventures
Investee companies that are not required to be consolidated, but over which the Company exercises significant influence, are accounted for under the equity method of accounting. Whether or not the Company exercises significant influence with respect to an investee depends on an evaluation of several factors including, among others, representation on the investee company’s board of directors and ownership level, which is generally a 20% to 50% interest in the voting securities of the investee company. Under the equity method of accounting, the Company’s share of the earnings or losses of the investee company is reflected in the caption ”other income (expense), net” in the consolidated statements of income and other comprehensive income. The Company’s carrying value in an equity method investee company is its cost increased or decreased by its share of earnings or losses of the investee.
When the Company’s carrying value in an equity method investee company is reduced to zero, no further losses are recorded in the Company’s consolidated financial statements unless the Company has guaranteed obligations of the investee company or has committed additional funding. If the investee company subsequently reports income, the Company will not record its share of such income until it equals the amount of its share of losses not previously recognized.
The Company’s investment in unconsolidated joint ventures that are accounted for on the equity method of accounting represents the Company’s 49% interest in the JV. The investment in the JV amounted to $1,517,000 and $1,467,000 at December 31, 2010 and December 31, 2009, respectively. The JV has not had any operations to date.
The financial position of the JV as of December 31, 2010 is summarized below:
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Property and Equipment
Property and equipment are stated at cost. Expenditures for maintenance and repairs are charged to earnings as incurred while additions, renewals and betterments are capitalized. When property and equipment are retired or otherwise disposed of, the related cost and accumulated depreciation are removed from the respective accounts, and any gain or loss is included in operations. Depreciation of property and equipment is provided using the straight-line method for substantially all assets with estimated lives as follows:
The following are the details of the property and equipment:
Depreciation expense for the years ended December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008 was $6,591,008, $5,565,608 and $3,473,429, respectively.
Construction in Progress
Construction in progress consists of the cost of constructing property and equipment for CNG fueling stations and LNG projects, a natural gas infrastructure project in the Xi’an International Port District and other projects, including technology licensing fees, equipment purchases, land use rights requisition cost, capitalized interest and other construction fees. No depreciation is provided for construction in progress until such time as the assets are completed and placed into service. Interest incurred during construction is capitalized into construction in progress. All other interest is expensed as incurred.
As of December 31, 2010 and December 31, 2009, the Company had construction in progress in the amount of $116,569,871 and $52,918,236, respectively. Interest cost capitalized into construction in progress for the years ended December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008 amounted to $6,492,529, $4,597,544 and $$1,932,931, respectively.
Construction in progress at December 31, 2010 and 2009 is set forth in the table below. The column of “estimated additional cost to complete” reflects the amounts currently estimated by management to be necessary to complete the relevant project. As of December 31, 2010, the Company was not contractually or legally obligated to expend the estimated additional cost to complete these projects, except to the extent reflected in Note 13 to the consolidated financial statements.
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Goodwill
The excess of the cost of an acquired entity over the net of the amounts assigned to assets acquired and liabilities assumed is recognized as goodwill. Goodwill is tested for impairment at the reporting unit level (operating segment or one level below an operating segment) on an annual basis in the fourth quarter or more frequently if indicators of impairment exist. The Company uses a two-step goodwill impairment test to identify the potential impairment and to measure the amount of goodwill impairment, if any. The first step is to compare the fair value of the reporting unit with its carrying amount, including goodwill. If the fair value of the reporting unit exceeds its carrying amount, goodwill is considered not impaired. If the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, the second step of the goodwill impairment test is performed to measure the amount of impairment loss, if any. Under step two, the impairment loss is measured by comparing the implied fair value of the reporting unit goodwill with the carrying amount of that goodwill. If the carrying amount of the reporting unit goodwill exceeds the implied fair value of that goodwill, an impairment loss is recognized in an amount equal to that excess. Goodwill is included in other assets on the consolidated balance sheet.
Long-Lived Assets
The Company evaluates the carrying value of long-lived assets to be held and used at least annually and whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the assets might be impaired. Impairment losses are recorded on long-lived assets used in operations when indicators of impairment are present and the undiscounted cash flows estimated to be generated by those assets are less than the assets' carrying amounts. In that event, a loss is recognized based on the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the fair market value of the long-lived assets. Loss on long-lived assets to be disposed of is determined in a similar manner, except that fair market values are reduced for the cost of disposal. Based on its review, the Company believes that, as of December 31, 2010, there were no significant impairments of its long-lived assets.
Unearned Revenue
Unearned revenue represents prepayments by customers for gas purchases and advance payments on installation of pipeline contracts. The Company records such prepayment as unearned revenue when the payments are received.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The accounting standards regarding fair value of financial instruments and related fair value measurements define fair value, establish a three-level valuation hierarchy for disclosures of fair value measurement, and provide disclosure requirements for fair value measures. The carrying amounts reported in the consolidated balance sheets for current receivables and payables qualify as financial instruments. Management concluded the carrying values are a reasonable estimate of fair value because of the short period of time between the origination of such instruments and their expected realization and, if applicable, their stated interest rate approximates current rates available. The three levels are defined as follows:
F-16
The FASB accounting standard regarding derivatives and hedging specifies that a contract that would otherwise meet the definition of a derivative but is both (a) indexed to the Company’s own stock and (b) classified to stockholders’ equity in the statement of financial position would not be considered a derivative financial instrument. This FASB accounting standard also provides a new two-step model to be applied in determining whether a financial instrument or an embedded feature is indexed to an issuer’s own stock and thus able to qualify for the exception.
As a result of adopting this FASB accounting standard, 383,654 warrants previously treated as equity pursuant to the derivative treatment exemption are no longer afforded equity treatment because the strike price of the warrants is denominated in U.S. dollars, a currency other than the Company’s functional currency, the RMB. As a result, the warrants are not considered indexed to the Company’s own stock and, as such, all future changes in the fair value of these warrants will be recognized in earnings until such time as the warrants are exercised or expire.
As such, effective January 1, 2009, the Company reclassified the fair value of these warrants from equity to liability, as if these warrants had been treated as a derivative liability since their issuance in October 2007. On January 1, 2009, the Company reclassified from additional paid-in capital, as a cumulative effect adjustment, $5,844,239 to beginning retained earnings at the beginning of the period and $1,014,308 to warrant liabilities to recognize the fair value of such warrants. The fair value of the warrants was $252,066 and $2,045,638 as of December 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively. The Company recognized a gain of $1,793,572 and a loss of $1,031,330 for the years ended December 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively, to reflect the change in fair value of the warrants.
These common stock purchase warrants do not trade in an active securities market and, as such, the Company estimates the fair value of these warrants using the Black-Scholes Option Pricing Model, using the following assumptions:
Expected volatility is based on historical volatility. Historical volatility was computed using daily pricing observations for recent periods that correspond to the term of the warrants. The Company believes that this method produces an estimate that is representative of the Company’s expectations of future volatility over the expected term of these warrants. The Company has no reason to believe future volatility over the expected remaining life of these warrants is likely to differ materially from historical volatility. The expected life is based on the remaining term of the warrants. The risk-free interest rate is based on United States Treasury securities with a term equal to the remaining term of the warrants.
Financial assets and liabilities are classified in their entirety based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. Depending on the product and the terms of the transaction, the fair value of the derivative liabilities were modeled using a series of techniques, including closed-form analytic formula, such as the Black-Scholes Option Pricing Model, which does not entail material subjectivity because the methodology employed does not necessitate significant judgment and the pricing inputs are observed from actively quoted markets.
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 December 31, 2010.
Other than the assets and liabilities set forth in the table above, the Company did not identify any other assets or liabilities that are required to be accounted for at fair value on the balance sheet. The carrying value of long-term debt with variable interest rate approximates its fair value.
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The following is a reconciliation of the beginning and ending balance of warrants and liability measured at fair value on a recurring basis using significant observable inputs (Level 2) as of December 31, 2010:
Revenue Recognition
Revenue is recognized when services are rendered to customers and when a formal arrangement exists, the price is fixed or determinable, the delivery is completed, no other significant obligations of the Company exist and collectability is reasonably assured. Payments received before all of the relevant criteria for revenue recognition are satisfied are recorded as unearned revenue. Revenue from gas and gasoline sales is recognized when gas and gasoline is pumped through pipelines to the end users. Revenue from installation of pipelines is recorded when the contract is completed and accepted by the customers. Construction contracts are usually completed within one to two months. Revenue from repairing and modifying vehicles is recorded when services are rendered to and accepted by the customers.
Stock-Based Compensations
The Company records and reports stock-based compensation based on a fair-value-based method of accounting for stock-based employee compensation and transactions in which an entity issues its equity instruments to acquire goods and services from non-employees. Compensation for stock granted to non-employees is determined as the fair value of the consideration received or the fair value of equity instruments issued, whichever is more reliably measured.
Income Taxes
FASB’s accounting standard regarding income taxes requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been included in the financial statements or tax returns. Under this method, deferred income taxes are recognized for the tax consequences in future years of temporary differences between the tax bases of assets and liabilities and their financial reporting amounts at each period end based on enacted tax laws and statutory tax rates applicable to the periods in which the differences are expected to affect taxable income. Valuation allowances are established, when necessary, to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized. As at December 31, 2010 and 2009, there were no significant book to tax differences except for warrants liability and stock based compensation. There was no difference between book depreciation and tax depreciation as the Company uses the same depreciation method for both book depreciation and tax depreciation. An uncertain tax position is recognized as a benefit only if it is “more likely than not” that the tax position would be sustained in a tax examination, with a tax examination being presumed to occur. The amount recognized is the largest amount of tax benefit that is greater than 50% likely of being realized on examination. For tax positions not meeting the “more likely than not” test, no tax benefit is recorded. Penalties and interest incurred related to underpayment of income tax are classified as income tax expense in the year incurred. No significant penalties or interest relating to income taxes have been incurred during the years ended December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008.
Income tax returns for the years prior to 2007 are no longer subject to examination by tax authorities.
A reconciliation of tax at the U.S. federal statutory rate to the effective tax rate for income tax recorded in the financial statements is as follows:
F-18
The estimated tax savings for the years ended December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008 amounted to approximately $2,095,808, $2,410,928 and $2,195,871, respectively. The net effect on earnings per share, had the U.S. federal income tax been applied, would be a decrease in basic earnings per share for the years ended December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008, from $0.81 to $0.71, $1.13 to $0.99 and $1.04 to $0.86, respectively. The net effect on earnings per share, had the U.S. federal income tax been applied, would be a decrease in diluted earnings per share for the years ended December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008, from $0.80 to $0.71, $1.12 to $0.98, and $1.04 to $0.86, respectively.
The Company is incorporated in the United States and has incurred a net operating loss for U.S. income tax purpose for the period ended December 31, 2010. The estimated net operating loss carry-forwards for U.S. income tax purposes amounted to $4,934,195and $2,699,276 as of December 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively, which may be available to reduce future years' taxable income. These carry-forwards will expire, if not utilized, beginning in 2027 through 2030. Management believes that the realization of the benefits arising from this loss appear to be uncertain due to the Company’s limited operating history and continuing losses for U.S. income tax purposes. Accordingly, the Company has provided a 100% valuation allowance at December 31, 2010 and 2009. Management reviews this valuation allowance periodically and makes adjustments as warranted. The change in the valuation allowances were as follow:
The Company has cumulative undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries of approximately $45,697,066 as of December 31, 2010, which is included in consolidated retained earnings and will continue to be indefinitely reinvested in international operations. Accordingly, no provision has been made for U.S. deferred taxes related to future repatriation of these earnings, nor is it practicable to estimate the amount of income taxes that would have to be provided if the Company concluded that such earnings will be remitted in the future.
Local PRC Income Tax
The Company’s PRC subsidiary, XXNGC and XXNGC’s subsidiaries operate in the PRC. Starting January 1, 2008, pursuant to the tax laws of PRC, general enterprises are subject to income tax at an effective rate of 25% compared to 33% prior to 2008. However, under PRC income tax regulation, any company deemed to be engaged in the natural gas industry under such regulation enjoys a favorable income tax rate. Thus, XXNGC’s income is subject to a reduced tax rate of 15%. The Company’s PRC subsidiary and all of XXNGC’s subsidiaries are not deemed to be engaged in the natural gas industry under PRC income tax regulation and, accordingly, are subject to a 25% income tax rate.
F-19
Value-Added Tax
Sales revenue represents the invoiced value of goods, net of a value-added tax (“VAT”). The products of the Company’s VIE, XXNGC, and two of XXNGC’s subsidiaries, Lingbao Yuxi Natural Gas Co., Ltd. (“Lingbao Yuxi”) and Makou, that are sold in the PRC are subject to a PRC VAT at a rate of 13% of the gross sales price. This VAT may be offset by VAT paid by XXNGC or its subsidiaries, as applicable, on raw materials and other materials included in the cost of producing their finished product. XXNGC recorded VAT payable and VAT receivable net of payments in the financial statements. The VAT tax return is filed offsetting the payables against the receivables.
All revenues from SXABC are subject to a PRC VAT at a rate of 6%. This VAT cannot offset with VAT paid for materials included in the cost of revenues.
Taxes Payable
Taxes payable at December 31, 2010 and 2009 consisted of the following:
Basic and Diluted Earnings Per Share
Basic net earnings per share are based upon the weighted average number of common shares outstanding. Diluted net earnings per share are based on the assumption that all dilutive convertible shares and stock options were converted or exercised, unless this results in anti-dilution. Dilution is computed by applying the treasury stock method. Under this method, options and warrants are assumed to be exercised at the beginning of the period (or at the time of issuance, if later), and as if funds obtained thereby were used to purchase common stock at the average market price during the period.
All share and per share amounts used in the Company’s consolidated financial statements and notes thereto have been retroactively restated to reflect the 1-for-2 reverse stock split, which was effective on April 28, 2009.
Reclassifications
Certain reclassifications have been made to the prior years’ financial statements to conform to the current year presentation. We reclassified $1,041,209 from general and administrative expenses to selling expenses in the consolidated statements of income and other comprehensive income for year ended December 31, 2009.
Recently issued accounting pronouncements
In January 2010, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2010-01, Accounting for Distributions to Shareholders with Components of Stock and Cash, which clarifies that the stock portion of a distribution to shareholders that allows them to elect to receive cash or stock with a potential limitation on the total amount of cash that all shareholders can elect to receive in the aggregate is considered a share issuance that is reflected in earnings per share prospectively and is not a stock dividend for purposes of applying Topics 505 and 260 (Equity and Earnings Per Share). The amendments in this update are effective for interim and annual periods ending on or after December 15, 2009, and should be applied on a retrospective basis. The Company’s adoption of this ASU did not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.
F-20
In January 2010, the FASB issued ASU No. 2010-02, Accounting and Reporting for Decreases in Ownership of a Subsidiary – a Scope Clarification, which affects accounting and reporting by an entity that experiences a decrease in ownership in a subsidiary that is a business or nonprofit activity. This ASU also affects accounting and reporting by an entity that exchanges a group of assets that constitutes a business or nonprofit activity for an equity interest in another entity. The amendments in this update are effective beginning in the period that an entity adopts ASU 810-10, Consolidations. If an entity has previously adopted ASU 810-10 as of the date the amendments in this update are included in the Accounting Standards Codification, the amendments in this update are effective beginning in the first interim or annual reporting period ending on or after December 15, 2009. The amendments in this update should be applied retrospectively to the first period that an entity adopted ASU 810-10. The Company’s adoption of this ASU did not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.
In January 2010, the FASB issued ASU No. 2010-06, Improving Disclosures about Fair Value Measurements. This update provides amendments to Subtopic 820-10 that requires new disclosure as follows: (1) transfers in and out of Levels 1 and 2: a reporting entity should disclose separately the amounts of significant transfers in and out of Level 1 and Level 2 fair value measurements and describe the reasons for the transfers; (2) activity in Level 3 fair value measurements in the reconciliation for fair value measurements using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) a reporting entity should present separately information about purchases, sales, issuances and settlements (that is, on a gross basis rather than as one net number). This update provides amendments to Subtopic 820-10 that clarifies existing disclosures as follows: (1) level of disaggregation: a reporting entity should provide fair value measurement disclosures for each class of assets and liabilities. A class is often a subset of assets or liabilities within a line item in the statement of financial position. A reporting entity needs to use judgment in determining the appropriate classes of assets and liabilities; (2) Disclosures about inputs and valuation techniques: A reporting entity should provide disclosures about the valuation techniques and inputs used to measure fair value for both recurring and nonrecurring fair value measurements. Those disclosures are required for fair value measurements that fall in either Level 2 or Level 3. The new disclosures and clarifications of existing disclosures are effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2009, except for the disclosures about purchases, sales, issuances and settlements in the roll forward of activity in Level 3 fair value measurements, which are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2010, and for interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this ASU, however, the Company’s adoption of this ASU did not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.
In April 2010, the FASB issued ASU 2010-13, Compensation -Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Effect of Denominating the Exercise Price of a Share-Based Payment Award in the Currency of the Market in Which the Underlying Equity Security Trades. This update provides amendments to Topic 718 to clarify that an employee share-based payment award with an exercise price denominated in currency of a market in which a substantial porting of the entity’s equity securities trades should not be considered to contain a condition that is not a market, performance or service condition. Therefore, an entity would not classify such an award as a liability if it otherwise qualifies as equity. The amendments in this ASU are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning on or after December 15, 2010. The Company’s adoption of this ASU did not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.
In September 2010, the FASB issued Accounting Standard Update 2010-25, Plan Accounting—Defined Contribution Pension Plans (Topic 962): Reporting Loans to Participants by Defined Contribution Pension Plans. This ASU clarifies how loans to participants should be classified and measured by defined contribution plans and how International Financial Reporting Standards compare to these provisions. The amendments in this update are effective for fiscal years ending after December 15 2010. The Company’s adoption of this ASU did not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.
In December 2010, the FASB issued Accounting Standard Update 2010-28, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): When to Perform Step 2 of the Goodwill Impairment Test for Reporting Units with Zero or Negative Carrying Amounts. This ASU modified Step 1 of the goodwill impairment test for reporting units with zero or negative carrying amounts. For those reporting units, an entity is required to perform Step 2 of the goodwill impairment test if it is more likely than not that a goodwill impairment exists. For public entities, the amendments in the ASU are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2010. The Company`s adoption of this ASU is not expected to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.
F-21
In December 2010, the FASB issued Accounting Standard Update 2010-29, Business Combinations (Topic 805): Disclosure of Supplementary Pro Forma Information for Business Combinations. This ASU specifies that, if a public entity presents comparative financial statements, the entity should disclose revenue and earnings of the combined entity as though the business combination(s) that occurred during the current year had occurred as of the beginning of the comparable prior annual reporting period only. ASU 2010-29 is effective prospectively for business combinations where the acquisition date is on or after the beginning of the first annual reporting period beginning on or after December 15, 2010. The Company`s adoption of this ASU is not expected to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.
Note 3 –Business Combinations
Effective January 1, 2009, the Company adopted the accounting standard related to business combinations, which requires the acquisition method of accounting to be used for all business combinations and for an acquirer to be identified for each business combination. This accounting standard requires an acquirer to recognize the assets acquired, the liabilities assumed and any non-controlling interest in the acquiree at the acquisition date, measured at their fair values as of that date, with limited exceptions. It also requires the acquirer in a business combination achieved in stages (sometimes referred to as a step acquisition) to recognize the identifiable assets and liabilities, as well as the non-controlling interest in the acquiree, at the full amounts of their fair values (or other amounts determined in accordance with the standard).
The Company’s acquisition of Makou was accounted for in accordance with this standard and the Company has allocated the purchase price of Makou based upon the fair value of the net assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the acquisition date. The Company estimated the fair values of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the acquisition date in accordance with the business combination standard and, except for cash and cash equivalents, fair value was estimated using Level 3 inputs under the accounting standards related to fair value measurements. Level 3 inputs for the nonfinancial assets included a valuation report (prepared by a third-party appraisal firm) that primarily utilized a cost approach valuation technique.
In accordance with the accounting standards related to goodwill and other intangible assets, indefinite lived intangibles and goodwill are not being amortized.
The following table summarizes the net book value and the fair value of the assets acquired at the date of acquisition, which represents the purchase price allocation at the date of the acquisition of Makou. No liabilities were assumed.
The Company determined the $3.6 million fair value of the acquired assets of Makou based on an evaluation by an independent appraisal firm and the final asset evaluation by management. The excess of the purchase price of an acquired entity over the net of the amounts assigned to assets acquired is recognized as goodwill, and represents intangible values that Makou has built over its existing profitable business, which do not qualify for separate recognitions, or other factors. These values include but are not limited to:
F-22
As a result, the $0.6 million of goodwill was due to the acquisition purchase price over the fair value of the assets acquired. As of December 31, 2010, the Company did not record any impairment charge from write-downs of purchased intangible assets since the Company did not identify any trends that caused a reduction in expected future cash flows.
Note 4 – Other Assets
Other assets consisted of the following:
The goodwill amount is the excess of the cost the Company paid to acquire 100% of the equity interests of Makou over the fair value of Makou’s net assets. Annual impairment testing is performed during the fourth quarter of each year unless events or circumstances indicate earlier impairment testing is required. No impairment loss was recognized during the year ended December 31, 2010.
All land in the PRC is government owned. However, the government grants users land use rights. As of December 31, 2010 and 2009, the Company prepaid $3,822,840 and $1,936,440, respectively, to PRC local government authorities to purchase land use rights. The Company is in the process of negotiating the final purchase price with the local government and the land use rights have not yet been granted to the Company. Therefore, the Company did not amortize the amounts prepaid for land use rights.
Advances on the purchase of equipment and construction in progress are monies deposited or advanced to outside vendors or subcontractors for the purchase of operating equipment or for services to be provided for construction in progress.
Refundable security deposits are monies deposited with one of the Company’s major vendors and a gas station landlord. These amounts will be returned to the Company if the other party terminates the business relationship or at the end of the lease.
Intangible assets represent operating rights acquired during acquisition of four natural gas stations, consisting of following:
The operating rights are deemed to have an indefinite useful life as cash flows are expected to continue indefinitely. The operating rights will not be amortized until their useful life is deemed to be no longer indefinite. The Company evaluates intangible assets for impairment at least annually and whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the assets might be impaired.
The land use rights included in intangible assets have been granted to the Company by the government of the PRC and are being amortized over their estimated useful life of 30 years.
F-23
Note 5 –Notes Payable
The Company’s securities purchase agreement with Abax Lotus Ltd. (“Abax”) was amended on January 29, 2008 (as amended, the “Purchase Agreement”). Under the Purchase Agreement, on January 29, 2008, the Company sold to Abax $20,000,000 in principal amount of its 5.0% Guaranteed Senior Notes due January 30, 2014 (the “Senior Notes”) and warrants to purchase 1,450,000 shares of its common stock (the “Abax Warrants”) and, on March 3, 2008, the Company issued to Abax an additional $20,000,000 in principal amount of Senior Notes.
In connection with the Purchase Agreement, on January 29, 2008, the Company also entered into the following:
On the dates set forth in the table below, the Company will be required to make repayments of the corresponding percentage of the principal amount (or such lesser principal amount as shall be outstanding then) in respect of the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Senior Notes as of July 30, 2011:
Notes payable at December 31, 2010 consists of the following:
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The Company has the option to redeem all, but not less than all, of the Senior Notes at the redemption prices set forth below (in each case expressed as a percentage of the outstanding unpaid principal amount), plus accrued and unpaid interest, if redeemed during the twelve-month period commencing on January 29 of the years set forth below:
Upon the occurrence of certain events defined in the indenture, the Company must offer the holders of the Senior Notes the right to require the Company to purchase the Senior Notes in an amount equal to 105% of the aggregate principal amount purchased plus accrued and unpaid interest on the Senior Notes purchased.
The Company had the option to redeem $42,400,000 and $43,200,000 of the Senior Notes in 2010 and 2009, respectively, but has not made any payments of principal or interest on the Senior Notes, except as described below.
The terms of the Indenture obligated the Company to complete a qualifying listing, as defined therein, by January 29, 2009. As the Company did not complete a qualifying listing by such date, the Company was obligated to pay to Abax an additional interest at the rate of 3.0% per annum, calculated from and including January 29, 2009 to the date of its qualifying listing. However, Abax caused the Trustee to waive the Company’s obligation to pay such additional interest in February 2009. The waiver extended the deadline for a qualifying listing to May 4, 2009, but provided that if a qualifying listing were not completed by such date, additional interest of 3.0% per annum would be payable from January 29, 2009 to the date of the Company’s qualifying listing. The Company completed its NASDAQ listing, which constituted a qualifying listing, on June 1, 2009, after the extended deadline of May 4, 2009. Therefore, under the terms of the initial waiver, the Company was required to pay additional interest at a rate of 3.0% per annum for the period from January 29, 2009 to June 1, 2009, or $406,667. However, in August 2009, the Company reached an agreement with Abax whereby the Company agreed to pay Abax $113,214, which reflected additional interest at the rate of 3.0% per annum for the period from April 30, 2009 to May 31, 2009, and $50,000, which reflected out-of-pocket expenses incurred by Abax in connection with a financing transaction proposed in 2008, but never consummated.
The indenture limits the Company’s ability to incur debt and liens, make dividend payments and stock repurchases, make investments, reinvest proceeds from asset sales and enter into transactions with affiliates, among other things. The indenture also requires the Company to maintain certain financial ratios.
In connection with the issuance of the Senior Notes, the Company paid $2,122,509 in debt issuance costs, which are being amortized over the life of the Senior Notes. For the years ended December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008, the Company amortized $0, $63,940, and $227,989, respectively, of the aforesaid issuance costs, net of capitalized interest.
The Abax Warrants are presently exercisable and have an exercise price of $7.3652 per share, although Abax has not exercised any of the Abax Warrants.
The Abax Warrants are considered derivative instruments required to be bifurcated from the original security because there is a redemption requirement if the holder does not exercise the Warrants. If Abax does not exercise the Abax Warrants prior to their expiration date, January 29, 2015, Abax can require the Company to repurchase the Abax Warrants for $17,500,000. This amount is shown as a debt discount and is being amortized over the term of the Senior Notes. For the years ended December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008, the Company amortized $3,323,382, $2,770,682 and $2,021,605, respectively, of the aforesaid discounts, of which $3,323,382, $2,490,432 and $1,016,928, respectively, were capitalized into construction in progress.
Note 6 – Long-term Loan
The Company’s long-term debt as of December 31, 2010 consists of:
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The loan was secured by XXNGC’s equipment and vehicles located within the PRC. The carrying net value of the assets pledged is $12,150,759 as of December 31, 2010. Interest expense for the year ended December 31 2010 was $760,199, all of which was capitalized into construction in progress. XXNGC also entered into a guaranty with the lender to guarantee the repayment of the loans. As the People’s Bank of China adjusted the standard interest rate two times on October and December, 2010 , beginning January 1, 2011 the interest rate of these loans is 6.22%. The Company is required to make mandatory repayments on the long term loan as follows:
Note 7 – Warrants
The following is a summary of the warrant activity:
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