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Stock options
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2019
Stock options  
11. Stock options

At the Company's 2006 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, the stockholders approved the 2006 Stock Incentive Plan (the "Plan"). The Plan permits the issuance of stock options, restricted stock awards, and performance shares to employees, officers, directors, and consultants of the Company. Initially, and until such time as the Board creates a Compensation Committee, the Board of Directors will administer the Plan. The total number of shares of common stock that may be issued pursuant to awards under the Plan is 5,000,000. Under the Plan, no participant may receive awards of stock options that cover, in the aggregate, more than 500,000 shares of common stock in any fiscal year. Under the terms of the Plan, no additional options could be granted after the tenth anniversary of the Plan, which occurred on June 5, 2016. As of December 31, 2019, there are 4,167 options outstanding which expire on September 9, 2020.

 

On April 3, 2019, the Board of Directors of the Company adopted the Empire Petroleum Corporation 2019 Stock Option Plan (the "Stock Option Plan"). The total number of shares of common stock that may be issued pursuant to stock options under the Stock Option Plan is 10,000,000. Further, on April 3, 2019 the Company granted Mr. Pritchard and Mr. Morrissett each, options to purchase 2,500,000 shares of common stock of the Company at an exercise price of $0.33 per share. The options vest in three installments with 1,250,000 vesting immediately and 625,000 vesting each in April 2020 and April, 2021. All of the options expire in April 2029. The value allocated to the vested options was the fair value determined using the Black-Scholes option valuation with the following assumptions: no dividend yield, expected annual volatility of 213%, risk free interest rate of 2.32% and an expected useful life of 5.375 years. The fair value of the options of $812,500 was recorded as compensation expense and allocated to Paid in Capital.

 

The Company expenses the cost of options granted over the vesting period of the option based on the grant-date fair value of the award. Option fair values are estimated at the grant date using the Black-Scholes option valuation model. The Black-Scholes option valuation model was developed for use in estimating the fair value of traded options, which have no vesting restrictions and are fully transferable. For purposes of determining the expected life of the options, the Company utilizes the Simplified Method as defined in Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 107 issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, the Black-Scholes option valuation model requires the input of other highly subjective assumptions including stock price volatility.

 

A summary of the Company's Incentive Plan as of December 31, 2019, and changes during the year is presented below:

 

 

Weighted Average

 

Options

 

Exercise Price

 

Outstanding at End of Year 2017

 

1,154,167

 

$

.21

 

Granted

 

 

Cancelled or Exercised

 

1,150,000

 

$

.21

 

Outstanding at End of Year 2018

 

4,167

 

$

3.12

 

Granted

 

5,000,000

 

.33

 

Expired

 

 

Outstanding at End of Year 2019

 

5,004,167

 

$

.33

 

The following table summarizes information about stock options outstanding at December 31, 2019:

 

 

Options Outstanding

Options Exercisable

 

Weighted

 

Average

Weighted

 

Weighted

Range of

Number

Remaining

Average

Number

Average

Exercise

Outstanding

Contractual

Exercise

Exercisable

Exercise

Prices

at 12/31/19

Life

Price

at 12/31/19

Price

 

$.33 to $3.12

5,004,167

9.25 years

$.33

2,504,167

$.33