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ORGANIZATION, OPERATIONS AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2022
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
Organization and Operations

Organization and Operations

 

U.S. Energy Corp. (collectively with its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Energy One LLC (“Energy One”) and New Horizon Resources LLC (“New Horizon Resources”), referred to as the “Company” in these Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements) was originally 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.

 

Effective August 3, 2022, the Company changed its state of incorporation from the State of Wyoming to the State of Delaware (the “Reincorporation”) by means of a Plan of Conversion, effective August 3, 2022 (the “Plan of Conversion”). The Reincorporation, including the Plan of Conversion, was submitted to a vote of, and approved by, the Company’s stockholders at the Company’s 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders held on June 21, 2022. The Reincorporation was accomplished by filing: (i) an Application for Certificate of Transfer with the Secretary of State of the State of Wyoming (the “Wyoming Certificate of Transfer”); (ii) a Certificate of Conversion with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware (the “Delaware Certificate of Conversion”); and (iii) a Certificate of Incorporation with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware (the “Delaware Certificate of Incorporation”).

 

The Reincorporation did not result in any change in headquarters, business, jobs, management, location of any of the offices or facilities, number of employees, assets, liabilities or net worth (other than as a result of the costs incident to the Reincorporation) of the Company. The resulting Delaware corporation (“U.S. Energy-Delaware”) (i) is deemed to be the same entity as the Company as incorporated in Wyoming (“U.S. Energy-Wyoming”) for all purposes under Wyoming and Delaware law, (ii) continues to have all of the rights, privileges, and powers of U.S. Energy-Wyoming, (iii) continues to possess all of the properties of U.S. Energy-Wyoming, and (iv) continues to have all of the debts, liabilities, and duties of U.S. Energy-Wyoming.

 
Use of Estimates

Use of Estimates

 

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with 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 the fair value of oil and gas properties acquired, 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; future prices of commodities used in the valuation of commodity derivative contracts; and the cost and timing 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.

 

 
Principles of Consolidation

Principles of Consolidation

 

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

 
Industry Segment and Geographic Information

Industry Segment and Geographic Information

 

The Company operates in the exploration and production segment of the oil and gas industry, onshore in the United States. The Company reports as a single industry segment.

 
Cash and Equivalents

Cash and Equivalents

 

The Company considers all highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less to be cash equivalents. Cash and cash equivalents potentially subject it to a concentration of credit risk as substantially all of its deposits held in financial institutions were in excess of the federal deposit insurance limits as of December 31, 2022 and 2021. The Company maintains its cash and cash equivalents in the form of checking accounts with financial institutions that it believes are creditworthy and are also lenders under its credit facility.

 
Receivables

Receivables

 

The Company’s oil and natural gas sales receivables consist of receivables from purchasers of the Company’s operated oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids (“NGLs”) sales. Generally, the Company’s oil and natural gas and natural gas liquids sales receivables from operated properties are collected within one month. The Company also has joint operating agreements as a non-operator of oil and natural gas properties. Generally, receivables from the joint interest operator are collected within one to three months. The Company has had minimal bad debts related to oil and natural gas sales. Although diversified among several purchasers and joint interest operators, collectability is dependent upon the financial wherewithal of each purchaser or joint interest operator and is influenced by the general economic conditions of the industry. Receivables are not collateralized. As of December 31, 2022, and 2021, the Company had not provided an allowance for doubtful accounts on its oil and natural gas sales receivable or its joint interest accounts receivable.

 
Concentration of Credit Risk

Concentration of Credit Risk

 

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

Purchaser  2022   2021 
  

Year Ended

December 31,

 
Purchaser  2022   2021 
Purchaser A   21%   30%
Purchaser B   19%   -%
Purchaser C   7%   34%
Purchaser D   2%   10%

 

 
Marketable Equity Securities

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

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

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.

 
Other Property and Equipment

Other 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 
Office furniture and equipment   5 
Autos and trucks   5 
Other equipment   10 

 
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

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.

 
Leases

Leases

 

The Company accounts for leases in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 842, Leases, (“Topic 842”), which requires lessees to recognize operating and finance leases with terms greater than 12 months on the balance sheet. The Company evaluates a contractual arrangement at its inception to determine if it is a lease or contains an identifiable lease component. Certain leases may contain both lease and non-lease components. The Company’s policy for all asset classes is to combine lease and non-lease components together and account for the arrangement as a single lease.

 

Certain assumptions and judgements made by the Company when evaluating a contract that meets the definition of a lease under Topic 842 include those to determine the discount rate and lease term. Unless implicitly defined, the Company determines the present value of the future lease payments using an estimated incremental borrowing rate at the lease inception. The Company evaluates each contract containing a lease arrangement at inception to determine the length of the lease term when recognizing a right-of-use (“ROU”) asset and corresponding lease liability. The Company excludes from the balance sheet leases with terms that are less than one year.

 

A ROU asset represents a lessee’s right to use an underlying asset for the lease term, while the associated lease liability represents the lessee’s obligations to make lease payments. At the commencement date a lease ROU asset and corresponding lease liability is recognized based on the present value of the future lease payments. The initial measurement excludes certain variable lease payments, such as payments that vary depending on actual usage. Please see “Note 4-Leases”.

 
Derivative Financial Instruments

Derivative Financial Instruments

 

The Company periodically enters into commodity derivative instruments to mitigate a portion of its exposure to oil price volatility for its expected future oil production. The Company does not designate commodity derivative contracts as cash flow hedges, and therefore the contracts do not qualify for hedge accounting. Changes in fair value of derivative contracts are recorded in the consolidated statement of operations. The fair value of derivative contracts is recorded as either an asset or a liability on the consolidated balance sheet.

 
Revenue Recognition

Revenue Recognition

 

The Company derives revenue from the sale of produced oil, gas and NGLs. Revenue is recognized at the point in time when custody and title of the product transfers to the purchaser, which may differ depending on the applicable contractual terms. Revenue accruals are recorded monthly based on the Company’s share of estimated production delivered to a purchaser and the expected price to be received. The Company uses its knowledge of its properties, contractual arrangements, historical performance, NYMEX differentials, and other factors as the basis of these estimates. Variances between estimates and the actual amounts received are recorded in the month payment is received.

 

 
Asset Retirement Obligations

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. The Company deducts any actual funds expended for restoration and reclamation during the quarter in which it occurs.

 
Stock-Based Compensation

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 any 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 or director is required to provide services in exchange for the award, usually the vesting period. Forfeitures are recognized as they occur. Unvested shares of restricted stock grants are not included in common shares outstanding until vesting has occurred.

 
Income Taxes

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, 2022 and 2021, 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, 2022.

 

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

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, and unvested restricted 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 unvested restricted stock and in-the-money stock options.

 
Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

 

There were no significant new accounting standards adopted or new accounting pronouncements issued that would have a potential effect on the Company as of December 31, 2022.