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Note 4. Bank Loans and Convertible Debt
9 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Debt Disclosure [Text Block]
4.          BANK LOANS AND CONVERTIBLE DEBT.

JP Morgan Chase loan agreement

In connection with the purchase and acquisition of the Salisbury, MD Terminal on December 22, 2011, Blackwater Maryland, L.L.C. (“BWMD”) a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company entered into a term loan agreement (the “Term Agreement” or the “Loan”) with JP Morgan Chase Bank (“JPM”) in the principal amount of $1,600,000 to finance the purchase price of the terminal.  The Loan bears interest at the annual fixed rate of 4.50%.  Beginning on January 21, 2012 and continuing on the last day of each calendar month thereafter, BWMD will pay consecutive monthly installments of interest only on the Loan.  In addition, beginning on July 21, 2012 and continuing on the last day of each calendar month thereafter BWMD will pay monthly principal installments of $26,667.  All unpaid principal and accrued and unpaid interest is finally due and payable on July 21, 2017.

The JPM Term Agreement includes customary events of default including, but not limited to, the failure of BWMD to pay any principal or interest when due, the breach of any representation or warranty in any of JPM’s loan documents, or the insolvency or bankruptcy.  Upon the occurrence of an event of default, the JPM Loan will become due and payable automatically and without notice.

Additionally, in connection with the closing of the acquisition, BWMD entered into the following with JPM: a credit agreement, a continuing security agreement covering all of BWMD’s personal property, and a subordination agreement (the “Subordination Agreement”).

Blackwater New Orleans, L.L.C. (“BWNO"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company entered into continuing pledge of collateral mortgage note (the “Continuing Pledge Agreement”) with JPM.  The Loan Agreement is secured by the Continuing Pledge Agreement on, among other things, BWNO’s right, title and interest in the immovable property, buildings, structures, machinery, equipment and improvements on the premises located at 660 LaBauve Drive, Westwego, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana.

Blackwater Midstream Corp. entered into with JPM a continuing guaranty, the Subordination Agreement, and guaranteed the obligations of BWMD under the terminal Purchase Agreement.

Convertible Debt

October 2009 convertible debt offering

On October 15, 2009, we issued $3,001,033 of convertible notes.  The convertible notes originally set a maturity date on October 15, 2011 (the date was later extended, see below) and have a stated annual interest rate of 10%.  The principal is payable at maturity but interest is paid quarterly beginning January 15, 2010.  The Company incurred interest expense of $75,026 and $225,078, respectively for the three-month and nine-month periods ending December 31, 2011 and December 31, 2010.  In addition, the notes are convertible at any time into restricted shares of the Company’s common stock at $0.50 per share.

Related party investors as of December 31, 2011 and March 31, 2011 accounted for $430,000 and $180,000, respectively of the aggregate amount of convertible debt funds collected.  The $250,000 increase is due to the appointment in June 2011 of two members to the Company’s Board of Directors, Mr. Philip Tracy and Mr. William Gore, who hold October 2009 convertible debt notes in the amounts of $100,000 and $150,000, respectively.  Mr. Gore and Mr. Tracy were elected to the Company’s Board of Directors in September 2011.

On March 28, 2011, the convertible note agreements were amended to reduce the conversion price to $0.40 per share upon a change in control of the Company.  This change in the conversion feature was evaluated under ASC 815-40.  As a result of the new provision, the conversion feature now qualifies for derivative accounting pursuant to ASC 815. (see Note 8)

In June 2011, the Company contacted the holders of the Company’s 2009 Convertible Promissory Note to extend the note’s maturity date from October 15, 2011 to October 15, 2013.

As per accounting standards, this change in the maturity date was evaluated under ASC 470 “EITF 96-19” “Debtor’s Accounting for Modification or Exchange of Debt Instruments.”  As a result of the maturity date extension amendment, the convertible debt notes then qualified as a debt extinguishment and therefore were treated as if the Company settled the debt prior to the maturity date and then entered into an entirely new debt agreement after the amendment. (see Note 8)

In connection with the offering, we incurred cash fees of $265,103 and issued 700,000 shares of restricted common stock, valued at $203,000 based on the grant-date fair value of our common stock.  These fees were included in the deferred financing costs in our consolidated balance sheet and were being amortized over the original term of the convertible notes using the effective interest rate method.  During the nine-month period ended December 31, 2011 and the nine-month period ended December 31, 2010, we amortized $73,314 and $186,595, respectively, of deferred financing cost.  During the three-month period ended December 31, 2011, due to the extinguishment of the debt in June 2011, we did not amortize any expenses.  During the three-month period ended December 31, 2010 we expensed $62,198.

On June 24, 2011, as per ASC 815-40, we evaluated the fair value of the derivative liability (using the BWMS closing share price of $0.55) and recorded a net “non-cash” loss of $115,378, which represents the change in the fair value of the derivative from March 31, 2011 through June 24, 2011.

Per the applicable accounting standards, the amendment of the convertible debt notes was required to be treated as an extinguishment of the original convertible debt notes and related accounts, as of June 24, 2011.  Therefore, we wrote off and expensed the remainder of the unamortized deferred financing asset of $61,449 and decreased the derivative liability of $820,800.  These transactions resulted in a net “non-cash” gain of $759,351.

Additionally as per ASC 470, we evaluated the fair value of the derivative related to the amended convertible debt notes as of June 24, 2011 (using the BWMS closing share price of $0.55) and recorded a new derivative liability of $2,870,987.  This amount was recorded as a discount to the debt and will be amortized over the new remaining life of the notes, until October 15, 2013.

As a result of the First Amendment to the Credit Agreement with JPM, the maturity and conversion dates of the convertible debt notes issued pursuant to the Company’s September 2009 Convertible Debt Offering were to be extended by certain intervals. As of June 24, 2011, the maturity and conversion dates have been extended until October 15, 2013 but still do not meet the maturity date of September 30, 2014, as requested by JPM.

March 2010 convertible debt offering

On March 31, 2010, we issued $1,750,000 of convertible notes.  The convertible notes originally set a maturity date on March 31, 2012 (the date was later extended, see below) and have a stated annual interest rate of 10%.  The principal is payable at maturity but interest is paid quarterly beginning June 30, 2010.  The Company incurred interest expense of $43,750 and $131,250, respectively for the three-month and nine-month periods ending December 31, 2011 and December 31, 2010. In addition, the notes are convertible at any time into restricted shares of the Company’s common stock at $0.50 per share.

Related party investors as of December 31, 2011 and March 31, 2011 accounted for $245,000 and $70,000, respectively of the aggregate amount of convertible debt funds collected.  The $175,000 increase is due to the appointment in June 2011 of two members to the Company’s Board of Directors, Mr. Philip Tracy and Mr. Gore, who hold March 2010 convertible debt notes in the amount of $100,000 and $75,000, respectively.  Mr. Gore and Mr. Tracy were elected to the Company’s Board of Directors in September 2011.

On March 28, 2011, the convertible note agreement was amended to reduce the conversion price to $0.40 per share upon a change in control of the Company.  This change in the conversion feature was evaluated under ASC 815-40.  As a result of the new provision, the conversion feature now qualifies for derivative accounting pursuant to ASC 815. (see Note 8)

In June 2011, the Company contacted the holders of the Company’s 2010 Convertible Promissory Note to extend the note’s maturity date from March 31, 2012 to September 30, 2013.

As per accounting standards, this change in the maturity date was evaluated under ASC 470 “EITF 96-19” “Debtor’s Accounting for Modification or Exchange of Debt Instruments.”  As a result of the maturity date extension amendment, the convertible debt notes then qualified as a debt extinguishment and therefore were treated as if the Company settled the debt prior to the maturity date amendment and then entered into an entirely new debt agreement after the amendment. (see Note 8)

In connection with the offering, we incurred cash fees of $164,750 and issued 659,000 shares of restricted common stock, valued at $171,340 based on the grant-date fair value of our common stock.  These fees were included in the deferred financing costs in our consolidated balance sheet and were being amortized over the original term of the convertible notes using the effective interest rate method.  During the nine-month period ended December 31, 2011 and the nine-month period ended December 31, 2010, we amortized $49,878 and $135,112, respectively, of deferred financing cost.  During the three-month period ended December 31, 2011, due to the extinguishment of the debt in June 2011, we did not amortize any expenses.  During the three-month period ended December 31, 2010 we expensed $45,038.

On June 24, 2011, as per ASC 815-40, we evaluated the fair value of the derivative liability (using the BWMS closing share price of $0.55) and recorded a net “non-cash” loss of $78,371, which represents the change in the fair value of the derivative from March 31, 2011 through June 24, 2011.

Per the applicable accounting standards, the amendment of the convertible debt notes was required to be treated as an extinguishment of the original convertible debt notes and related accounts, as of June 24, 2011.  Therefore, we wrote off and expensed the remainder of the unamortized deferred financing asset of $130,271 and decreased the derivative liability of $770,860.  These transactions resulted in a net “non-cash” gain of $640,589.

Additionally as per ASC 470, we evaluated the fair value of the derivative related to the amended convertible debt notes as of June 24, 2011 (using the BWMS closing share price of $0.55) and recorded a new derivative liability of $1,645,253.  This amount will be amortized over the new remaining life of the notes, until September 30, 2013.

In summary, during the nine-month period ending December 31, 2011, the Company recorded a net “non-cash” gain of $3,203,185 related to the 2009 and 2010 Notes; approximately $1,400,000 due to the extinguishment of the original convertible debt notes and deferred financing charges; and $1,803,245 related to changes in the fair market value of the convertible debt notes derivative liabilities.

Future minimum debt payments

The future minimum payments related to our JPM credit facilities and convertible notes as of December 31, 2011, for the next five years and the total amount thereafter are as follows, assuming none of the convertible notes are converted:

Years ending December 31,
     
2012
 
$
1,431,686
 
2013
   
6,244,897
 
2014
   
1,200,398
 
2015
   
320,000
 
2016
   
320,000
 
Thereafter
   
160,000
 
   
$
9,676,981