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Related Party Transactions
 6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2011
Related Party Transactions  
Related Party Transactions

(5) Related Party Transactions

     On September 17, 2007, the Company entered into a drilling program with Hoactzin Partners, L.P. ("Hoactzin") for ten wells consisting of approximately three wildcat wells and seven developmental wells to be drilled on the Company's Kansas Properties (the "Ten Well Program"). Peter E. Salas, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Company, is the controlling person of Hoactzin. He is also the sole shareholder and controlling person of Dolphin Management, Inc. and the general partner of Dolphin Offshore Partners, L.P., which is the Company's largest shareholder.

     Under the terms of the Ten Well Program, Hoactzin paid the Company $0.4 million for each well drilled in the Ten Well Program completed as a producing well and $0.25 million for each well that was non-productive. The terms of the Ten Well Program also provide that Hoactzin will receive all the working interest in the ten wells in the Program, but will pay an initial fee to the Company of 25% of its working interest revenues net of operating expenses. This is referred to as a management fee but, as defined, is in the nature of a net profits interest. The fee paid to the Company by Hoactzin will increase to 85% of working interest revenues when and if net revenues received by Hoactzin reach an agreed payout point of approximately 1.35 times Hoactzin's purchase price (the "Payout Point") for its interest in the Ten Well Program.

     In March 2008, the Company drilled and completed the tenth and final well in the Ten Well Program. Of the ten wells drilled, nine were completed as oil producers and are currently producing approximately 45 barrels per day in total. Hoactzin paid a total of $3.85 million (the "Purchase Price") for its interest in the Ten Well Program resulting in the Payout Point being determined as $5.2 million. The amount paid by Hoactzin for its interest in the Program wells exceeded the Company's actual drilling costs of approximately $2.8 million for the ten wells by more than $1 million.

     Although production level of the Program wells will decline with time in accordance with expected decline curves for these types of wells, based on the drilling results of the wells in the Ten Well Program and the current price of oil, the Program wells would be expected to reach the Payout Point by December 31, 2013 solely from the oil revenues from the wells. However, under the terms of the Company's agreement with Hoactzin, reaching the Payout Point may be accelerated by operation of a second agreement by which Hoactzin will apply 75% of the net profits it may receive from a methane extraction project discussed below developed by the Company's wholly-owned subsidiary, Manufactured Methane Corporation ("MMC"), to the Payout Point. Those methane project net profits if applied may result in the Payout Point being achieved sooner than relying solely upon revenues from the Program wells. However, as discussed below, although the Methane Project has been placed into operation, no Methane Project net profits have been generated or paid to Hoactzin through June 30, 2011.

     On September 17, 2007, Hoactzin, simultaneously with subscribing to participate in the Ten Well Program, pursuant to the second agreement referred to above with the Company was conveyed a 75% net profits interest in the methane extraction project developed by MMC at the Carter Valley landfill owned and operated by Republic Services in Church Hill, Tennessee (the "Methane Project"). Net profits, if any from the Project received by Hoactzin will be applied towards the determination of the Payout Point (as defined above) for the Ten Well Program.

     Through June 30, 2011, no payments have been made to Hoactzin for its 75% net profits interest in the Methane Project, because no net profits have been generated. The method of calculation of the net profits interest takes into account specific costs and expenses as well as gross revenues for the project. As a result of the startup costs and ongoing operating expenses, no net profits as defined in the agreement have been generated from project startup in April, 2009 through June 30, 2011 for payment to Hoactzin under the net profits interest conveyed. When the Payout Point is reached from either the revenues from the wells drilled in the Ten Well Program or Hoactzin's share of the net profits from the Methane Project or a combination thereof, Hoactzin's net profits interest in the Methane Project will decrease to a 7.5% net profits interest.

     On September 17, 2007, the Company also entered into a third simultaneous agreement with Hoactzin providing that if the Program and the Methane Project interest in combination failed to return net revenues to Hoactzin equal to 25% of the Purchase Price it paid for its interest in the Ten Well Program by December 31, 2009, then Hoactzin would have an option to exchange up to 20% of its net profits interest in the Methane Project for convertible preferred stock to be issued by the Company with a liquidation value equal to 20% of the Purchase Price less the net proceeds received at the time of any exchange. At the time the agreement was negotiated, the Company's forecast of the probable results of the projects indicated that there was little risk that the option to acquire preferred stock would ever arise, so the Company placed no significant value to the preferred stock option. Since the beginning of 2011, the unrecovered invested amount has already been reduced by more than 20%, and therefore, Hoactzin is already precluded by these results from exercising its contingent option under the exchange agreement to convert into preferred in 2011. By June 30, 2011, the amount of net revenues received by Hoactzin from the Ten Well Program has reduced the Company's obligation to Hoactzin for the amount of the funds it had advanced for the Purchase Price from $3.85 million to $0.2 million. The conversion option would be set at issuance of the preferred stock at the then twenty business day trailing average closing price of Company stock on the NYSE Amex. Hoactzin has a similar option each year after 2009 in which Hoactzin's then-unrecovered Purchase Price at the beginning of the year is not reduced 20% further by the end of that year, using the same conversion option calculation at date of the subsequent year's issuance, if any. The Company, however, may in any year make a cash payment from any source in the amount required to prevent such an exchange option for preferred stock from arising. In addition, the conversion right is limited to no more than 19% of the outstanding common shares of the Company.

     In the event Hoactzin's 75% net profits interest in the Methane Project were fully exchanged for preferred stock, by definition the reduction of that 75% interest to a 7.5% net profits interest that was agreed to occur upon the receipt of 1.35 of the Purchase Price by Hoactzin could not happen because the larger percentage interest then exchanged, no longer exists to be reduced. Accordingly, Hoactzin would retain no net profits interest in the Methane Project after a full exchange of Hoactzin's 75% net profits interest for preferred stock.

     Under this exchange agreement, if no proceeds at all were received by Hoactzin through 2009 or in any year thereafter (i.e. a worst-case scenario already highly unlikely in view of the success of the Program), then Hoactzin would have an option to exchange 20% of its interest in the Methane Project in 2010 and each year thereafter for preferred stock with liquidation value of 100% of the Purchase Price (not 135%) convertible at the trailing average price before each year's issuance of the preferred stock. The maximum number of common shares into which all such preferred stock could be converted cannot be calculated given the formulaic determination of conversion price based on future stock price. However, as of June 30, 2011 revenues from the Ten Well Program have resulted in 95% of the Purchase Price having already been reached. As noted above, no Methane Project net profits interest payments have been made to Hoactzin and the 95% of Purchase Price already reached has been accomplished solely from the Ten Well Program. Further, it is highly unlikely that any requirement to issue preferred stock will arise in 2011 or any succeeding years.

     On December 18, 2007, the Company entered into a Management Agreement with Hoactzin. On that same date, the Company also entered into an agreement with Charles Patrick McInturff employing him as a Vice-President of the Company. Pursuant to the Management Agreement with Hoactzin, Mr. McInturff's duties while he is employed as Vice President of the Company will include the management on behalf of Hoactzin of its working interest in certain oil and gas properties owned by Hoactzin and located in the onshore Texas Gulf Coast, and offshore Texas and offshore Louisiana.

     As consideration for the Company entering into the Management Agreement, Hoactzin agreed that it will be responsible to reimburse the Company for the payment of one-half of Mr. McInturff's salary, as well as certain other benefits he receives during his employment by the Company. In further consideration for the Company's agreement to enter into the Management Agreement, Hoactzin granted to the Company an option to participate in up to a 15% working interest on a dollar for dollar cost basis in any new drilling or workover activities undertaken on Hoactzin's managed properties during the term of the Management Agreement. The term of the Management Agreement ends on the earlier of the date Hoactzin sells its interest in its managed properties or five years (December 2012).

     The Company became the operator of certain properties owned by Hoactzin in connection with the Management Agreement. The Company obtained from IndemCo, over time, bonds in the face amount of approximately $10.7 million for the purpose of covering plugging and abandonment obligations for operated properties located in federal offshore waters in favor of both the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement, and certain private parties.

In connection with the issuance of these bonds the Company entered into a Payment and Indemnity Agreement with IndemCo that guarantees payment of any bonding liabilities incurred by IndemCo. Dolphin Direct Equity Partners, LP co-signed the Payment and Indemnity Agreement, thereby becoming jointly and severally liable with the Company for the obligations to IndemCo. Hoactzin has provided $6.6 million in cash to IndemCo as collateral for the obligations. Dolphin Direct Equity Partners is a private equity fund controlled by Peter E. Salas that has a significant economic interest in Hoactzin.

     As operator, the Company has routinely contracted in its name for goods and services with vendors in connection with its operation of the Hoactzin properties.

     In practice, Hoactzin pays directly these invoices for goods and services that are contracted in the Company's name. During late 2009 and early 2010, Hoactzin undertook several significant operations, for which the Company contracted in the ordinary course. Payables related to these and ongoing operations remained outstanding at the end of the second quarter 2011 and 2010 in the amount of $0.7 million and $1.6 million respectively. Because this amount is material, the Company has recorded the Hoactzin-related payables and the corresponding receivable from Hoactzin as of June 30, 2011 in its Consolidated Balance Sheets under "Accounts payable – other" and "Accounts receivable – related party".

     As a result of the operations performed in late 2009 and early 2010, Hoactzin currently has significant past due balances to several vendors, a portion of which are included on the Company's balance sheet. No Tengasco funds have been advanced by Tengasco to pay any obligations of Hoactzin. No borrowing capability of Tengasco has been or is expected to be used by the Company in connection with its obligations under the Management Agreement. The Company expects that Hoactzin will fully satisfy these obligations with its own resources. The Management Agreement terminates at the earlier of the date of sale, if any, by Hoactzin of its managed properties, or December 2012.