10. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES	*Office Lease* In May 2016, the Company entered into a lease addendum to the original lease agreement signed in July 2012, as amended, which extends the term of the lease by an additional one year, now ending in July 2017, for its corporate office space located in Danville, California. The obligation under this one year lease extension for the remainder of the lease through the first seven months of 2017 is $33,000. In September 2014, the Company entered into a lease agreement for office space located in Houston, Texas, with a term of five years ending on March 1, 2020, which location served as the Company’s operations office. Effective April 1, 2016, the Company terminated this lease agreement and issued the landlord 700,000 shares of common stock valued at $161,000, with no further obligations due thereunder. *Leasehold Drilling Commitments* The Company’s oil and gas leasehold acreage is subject to expiration of leases if the Company does not drill and hold such acreage by production or otherwise exercises options to extend such leases, if available, in exchange for payment of additional cash consideration. In the D-J Basin Asset, 415 net acres are due to expire in 2017, 561 net acres expire in 2018, 129 net acres expire in 2019, and 1,288 net acres expire thereafter (net to our direct ownership interest only). The Company plans to hold significantly all of this acreage through a program of drilling and completing producing wells. Where the Company is not able to drill and complete a well before lease expiration, the Company may seek to extend leases where able. As of December 31, 2016, the Company had fully impaired its unproved leasehold costs based on management’s revised re-leasing program. *Other Commitments* On December 18, 2015, a complaint was filed against Red Hawk, our wholly-owned subsidiary, in the District Court, County of Weld, State of Colorado (Case Number: 2015CV31079) (the “Court”), pursuant to which Liberty Oilfield Services, LLC (“Liberty”) made various claims against Red Hawk in connection with certain completion services provided by Liberty to Red Hawk in November and December 2014, and accrued in accounts payable as of December 31, 2014. The complaint alleges causes of action for foreclosure of lien, breach of contract, quantum meruit and account stated, and seeks payment of amounts allegedly owed, pre- and post-judgment interest, attorneys’ fees and court costs in connection with Red Hawk’s alleged failure to pay Liberty approximately $2.9 million in fees due for completion services provided by Liberty. On May 12, 2016, the Company and Liberty entered into a settlement agreement, pursuant to which the Company paid to Liberty $750,000 and issued 2,450,000 fully-vested shares of the Company’s restricted common stock, valued at $588,000, based on the market price on the grant date, as full settlement of all amounts due for the services previously rendered, for which the Company owed approximately $2.6 million. As a result of the settlement, the Company recognized a gain on settlement of payables of $1,282,000 during the year ended December 31, 2016. Although we may, from time to time, be involved in litigation and claims arising out of our operations in the normal course of business, we are not currently a party to any material legal proceeding. In addition, we are not aware of any material legal or governmental proceedings against us, or contemplated to be brought against us. As part of its regular operations, the Company may become party to various pending or threatened claims, lawsuits and administrative proceedings seeking damages or other remedies concerning its commercial operations, products, employees and other matters. Although the Company provides no assurance about the outcome of these or any other pending legal and administrative proceedings and the effect such outcomes may have on the Company, the Company believes that any ultimate liability resulting from the outcome of such proceedings, to the extent not otherwise provided for or covered by insurance, will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition or results of operations.

10. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Office Lease

In May 2016, the Company entered into a lease addendum to the original lease agreement signed in July 2012, as amended, which extends the term of the lease by an additional one year, now ending in July 2017, for its corporate office space located in Danville, California. The obligation under this one year lease extension for the remainder of the lease through the first seven months of 2017 is $33,000.

In September 2014, the Company entered into a lease agreement for office space located in Houston, Texas, with a term of five years ending on March 1, 2020, which location served as the Company’s operations office. Effective April 1, 2016, the Company terminated this lease agreement and issued the landlord 700,000 shares of common stock valued at $161,000, with no further obligations due thereunder.

Leasehold Drilling Commitments

The Company’s oil and gas leasehold acreage is subject to expiration of leases if the Company does not drill and hold such acreage by production or otherwise exercises options to extend such leases, if available, in exchange for payment of additional cash consideration. In the D-J Basin Asset, 415 net acres are due to expire in 2017, 561 net acres expire in 2018, 129 net acres expire in 2019, and 1,288 net acres expire thereafter (net to our direct ownership interest only). The Company plans to hold significantly all of this acreage through a program of drilling and completing producing wells. Where the Company is not able to drill and complete a well before lease expiration, the Company may seek to extend leases where able. As of December 31, 2016, the Company had fully impaired its unproved leasehold costs based on management’s revised re-leasing program.

Other Commitments

On December 18, 2015, a complaint was filed against Red Hawk, our wholly-owned subsidiary, in the District Court, County of Weld, State of Colorado (Case Number: 2015CV31079) (the “Court”), pursuant to which Liberty Oilfield Services, LLC (“Liberty”) made various claims against Red Hawk in connection with certain completion services provided by Liberty to Red Hawk in November and December 2014, and accrued in accounts payable as of December 31, 2014. The complaint alleges causes of action for foreclosure of lien, breach of contract, quantum meruit and account stated, and seeks payment of amounts allegedly owed, pre- and post-judgment interest, attorneys’ fees and court costs in connection with Red Hawk’s alleged failure to pay Liberty approximately $2.9 million in fees due for completion services provided by Liberty. On May 12, 2016, the Company and Liberty entered into a settlement agreement, pursuant to which the Company paid to Liberty $750,000 and issued 2,450,000 fully-vested shares of the Company’s restricted common stock, valued at $588,000, based on the market price on the grant date, as full settlement of all amounts due for the services previously rendered, for which the Company owed approximately $2.6 million. As a result of the settlement, the Company recognized a gain on settlement of payables of $1,282,000 during the year ended December 31, 2016.

Although we may, from time to time, be involved in litigation and claims arising out of our operations in the normal course of business, we are not currently a party to any material legal proceeding. In addition, we are not aware of any material legal or governmental proceedings against us, or contemplated to be brought against us.

As part of its regular operations, the Company may become party to various pending or threatened claims, lawsuits and administrative proceedings seeking damages or other remedies concerning its commercial operations, products, employees and other matters.

Although the Company provides no assurance about the outcome of these or any other pending legal and administrative proceedings and the effect such outcomes may have on the Company, the Company believes that any ultimate liability resulting from the outcome of such proceedings, to the extent not otherwise provided for or covered by insurance, will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition or results of operations.