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Organization, Operations and Significant Accounting Policies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2020

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Organization, Operations and Significant Accounting Policies

1. ORGANIZATION, OPERATIONS AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Organization and Operations

U.S. Energy Corp. (collectively with its wholly owned subsidiaries, Energy One LLC and New Horizon Resources, LLC, referred to as the “Company” in these Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements) was incorporated in the State of Wyoming on January 26, 1966. The Company’s principal business activities are focused on the acquisition, exploration and development of oil and natural gas properties in the United States.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, 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 estimates include oil and natural gas reserves that are used in the calculation of depreciation, depletion, amortization and impairment of the carrying value of evaluated oil and natural gas properties; realizability of unevaluated properties; production and commodity price estimates used to record accrued oil and natural gas sales receivables; valuation of warrant instruments; valuation of real estate assets held for sale; and the cost of future asset retirement obligations. The Company evaluates its estimates on an on-going basis and bases its estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions the Company believes to be reasonable. Due to inherent uncertainties, including the future prices of oil and natural gas, these estimates could change in the near term and such changes could be material. In early March 2020, the NYMEX WTI crude oil price decreased significantly due to COVID-19 pandemic and although it has recovered recently to pre-COVID-19 levels, it remained low for most of 2020. Lower oil and natural gas prices not only decrease our revenues, but an extended decline in oil or gas prices may materially and adversely affect our future business, financial position, cash flows, results of operations, liquidity, ability to finance planned capital expenditures and the oil and natural gas reserves that we can economically produce.

Principles of Consolidation

The accompanying financial statements include the accounts of U.S. Energy Corp. and its wholly owned subsidiaries Energy One LLC (“Energy One”) and New Horizon Resources LLC (“New Horizon”). All inter-company balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Cash and Equivalents

The Company considers all highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less to be cash equivalents.

Oil and Natural Gas Sales Receivable

The Company’s oil and natural gas sales receivable consist primarily of receivables from joint interest operators for the Company’s share of oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids (“NGLs”) sales. Generally, the Company’s oil and natural gas sales receivables are collected within three months. The Company has had minimal bad debts related to oil and natural gas sales. Although diversified among several joint interest operators, collectability is dependent upon the financial wherewithal of each joint interest operator and is influenced by the general economic conditions of the industry. Receivables are not collateralized. As of December 31, 2020, and 2019, the Company had not provided an allowance for doubtful accounts on its oil and natural gas sales receivable.

Concentration of Credit Risk

The Company has exposure to credit risk in the event of nonpayment of oil and natural gas receivables by joint interest operators of the Company’s oil and natural gas properties. The following table presents the joint interest operators that accounted for 10% or more of the Company’s total oil and natural gas revenue for at least one of the periods presented:

Operator		2020				2019
Zavanna, LLC			41	%			31	%
CML Exploration, LLC			25	%			52	%

Marketable Equity Securities

Marketable equity securities are reported at fair value based on end of period quoted prices. Changes in fair value are recorded in the consolidated statements of operations at the end of each reporting period. Gains or losses from sales of marketable equity securities are recorded in the consolidated statements of operations when realized.

Oil and Natural Gas Properties

The Company follows the full cost method of accounting for its oil and natural gas properties. Under the full cost method, all costs associated with the acquisition, exploration and development of oil and natural gas properties are capitalized and accumulated in a country-wide cost center. This includes any internal costs that are directly related to development and exploration activities but does not include any costs related to production, general corporate overhead or similar activities. Proceeds received from property disposals are credited against accumulated cost except when the sale represents a significant disposal of reserves, in which case a gain or loss is recognized. The sum of net capitalized costs and estimated future development and dismantlement costs for each cost center are subject to depreciation, depletion and amortization (“DD&A”) using the equivalent unit-of-production method, based on total proved oil and natural gas reserves. For financial statement presentation, DD&A includes accretion expense related to asset retirement obligations. Excluded from amounts subject to DD&A are costs associated with unevaluated properties.

Under the full cost method, net capitalized costs are limited to the lower of unamortized cost reduced by the related net deferred tax liability, or the cost center ceiling (the “Ceiling Test”). The cost center ceiling is defined as the sum of (i) estimated future net revenue, discounted at 10% per annum, from proved reserves, based on average prices per barrel of oil and per Mcf of natural gas at the first day of each month in the 12-month period prior to the end of the reporting period; and costs, adjusted for contract provisions and financial derivatives qualifying as accounting hedges and asset retirement obligations, (ii) the cost of unevaluated properties not being amortized, and (iii) the lower of cost or market value of unproved properties included in the cost being amortized, reduced by (iv) the income tax effects related to differences between the book and tax basis of the crude oil and natural gas properties. If the net book value reduced by the related net deferred income tax liability (if any) exceeds the cost center ceiling limitation, a non-cash impairment charge is required in the period in which the impairment occurs. Since all of the Company’s oil and natural gas properties are located within the United States, the Company only has one cost center for which a quarterly Ceiling Test is performed.

Acquisitions

The Company accounts for acquisitions as business combinations if the acquired assets meet the definition of a business. If substantially all of the fair value of the gross assets acquired is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or a group of similar assets, the acquisition is not considered a business and is accounted for as an asset acquisition. This determination of whether the gross assets acquired are concentrated in a group of similar assets is based on whether the risks associated with managing and creating outputs from the assets are similar.

Property and Equipment

Land, buildings, and building improvements are classified as held for sale and are carried at the estimated realizable value, less costs to sell. Long-lived assets are classified as held for sale when the Company commits to a plan to sell the assets. Such assets are classified within current assets if there is reasonable certainty that the sale will take place within one year. Upon classification as held for sale, long-lived assets are no longer depreciated or depleted, and a measurement for impairment is performed to determine if there is any excess of carrying value over fair value less costs to sell. Subsequent changes to estimated fair value less the cost to sell will impact the measurement of assets held for sale if the fair value is determined to be less than the carrying value of the assets.

Administrative assets are carried at cost. Depreciation of administrative assets is provided principally by the straight-line method over estimated useful lives as follows:

		Years
Administrative assets:
Computers and software			3 to 10
Office furniture and equipment			5 to 20

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

The Company evaluates long-lived assets for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the related carrying amount may not be recoverable. If estimated future cash flows, on an undiscounted basis, are less than the carrying amount of the related asset, an asset impairment charge is recognized, and measured as the amount by which the carrying value exceeds the estimated fair value. Changes in significant assumptions underlying future cash flow estimates may have a material effect on the Company’s financial position and results of operations.

Warrant Liability

In connection with a private placement of common shares in December 2016, the Company concurrently sold to the purchasers warrants to purchase 100,000 shares of common stock, of which 50,000 were outstanding at December 31, 2020. The exercise price and the number of shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is subject to adjustment in the event of any stock dividends and splits, reverse stock splits, recapitalization, reorganization or similar transaction, as described in the warrants. The warrants are also subject to “down-round” anti-dilution in the event the Company issues additional common stock or common stock equivalents at a price per share less than the exercise price in effect. The Company has classified the warrants as liabilities due to provisions in the warrant agreement that precluded equity classification, including an option of the holder to receive the calculated fair value of the warrant from the Company in cash in the event of a “Fundamental Transaction,” as defined in the warrant agreement. Changes in fair value are reported each period in the consolidated statements of operations.

Asset Retirement Obligations

The Company records the estimated fair value of restoration and reclamation liabilities related to its oil and natural gas properties as of the date that the liability is incurred. The Company reviews the liability each quarter and determines if a change in estimate is required, and accretion of the discounted liability is recorded based on the passage of time. Final determinations are made during the fourth quarter of each year. The Company deducts any actual funds expended for restoration and reclamation during the quarter in which it occurs.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company measures the cost of employee and director services received in exchange for all equity awards granted, including stock options, based on the fair value of the award as of the grant date. The Company computes the fair values of its options granted to employees using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The Company recognizes the cost of the equity awards over the period during which an employee is required to provide services in exchange for the award, usually the vesting period. For awards granted that contain a graded vesting schedule, and the only condition for vesting is a service condition, compensation cost is recognized as an expense on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period as if the award was, in substance, a single award.

Income Taxes

The Company recognizes deferred income tax assets and liabilities for the expected future income tax consequences, based on enacted tax laws, of temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets, liabilities and carry forwards.

Additionally, the Company recognizes deferred tax assets for the expected future effects of all deductible temporary differences, loss carry forwards and tax credit carry forwards. Deferred tax assets are reduced, if deemed necessary, by a valuation allowance for any tax benefits that, based on current circumstances, are not expected to be realized. At December 31, 2020 and 2019, management believed it was more likely than not that such tax benefits would not be realized and a valuation allowance has been provided. In assessing the need for a valuation allowance for the Company’s deferred tax assets, a significant item of negative evidence considered was the cumulative book loss over the three-year period ended December 31, 2020.

The Company assesses its uncertain tax positions annually. The Company recognizes the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is probable that the tax position will be sustained on examination by taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the financial statements from such a position are measured based on the largest benefit that is probable of being realized upon ultimate settlement. The amount of unrecognized tax benefits is adjusted as appropriate for changes in facts and circumstances, such as significant amendments to existing tax law, new regulations or interpretations by the taxing authorities, new information obtained during a tax examination, or resolution of an examination.

Earnings Per Share

Basic net income (loss) per share is computed based on the weighted average number of common shares outstanding. Diluted net income (loss) per share is calculated by dividing net income or loss by the diluted weighted average common shares outstanding, which includes the effect of potentially dilutive securities. Potentially dilutive securities for this calculation consist of in-the-money outstanding stock options, warrants and restricted stock, and prior to the redemption of such preferred stock on December 31, 2020, the Series A Convertible Preferred Stock. When there is a loss from continuing operations, all potentially dilutive shares are anti-dilutive and are excluded from the calculation of net income (loss) per share. The treasury stock method is used to measure the dilutive impact of in-the-money stock options.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Fair Value Measurements. In August 2018, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2018-13, Disclosure Framework-Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurements. The ASU amends the disclosure requirements in Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements. The amendments in this ASU are effective for all entities for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2019. As a result of the Company’s adoption of this ASU on January 1, 2020, the fair value measurement disclosures for the warrants, which are the Company’s only Level 3 fair value measurement changed. The Company removed the disclosure of the processes for measuring the warrants and added quantitative information of the significant unobservable inputs used to develop the valuation of the warrants.