Lafayette Energy (LEC) S-1IPO registration

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 29, 2023.

Registration No. 333-

 UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM S-1

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

3450 N. Triumph Blvd., Suite 102,

Lehi, Utah 84043

(303) 625 6709

(Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Registrant’s Principal Executive Offices)

Mr. Michael L. Peterson, Chief Executive Officer

3450 N. Triumph Blvd., Suite 102,

Lehi, Utah 84043

(303) 625 6709

(Name, Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent For Service)

Copies to:

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after the effective date of this Registration Statement.

If any of the securities being registered on this form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box. ☒

If this form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

If this form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

If this form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act:

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐

The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This Registration Statement contains two prospectuses, as set forth below.

The Resale Prospectus is substantially identical to the Public Offering Prospectus, except for the following principal points:

The registrant has included in this registration statement a set of alternate pages after the outside back cover page of the Public Offering Prospectus, which we refer to as the Alternate Pages, to reflect the foregoing differences in the Resale Prospectus as compared to the Public Offering Prospectus. The Public Offering Prospectus will exclude the Alternate Pages and will be used for the public offering by the registrant. The Resale Prospectus will be substantially identical to the Public Offering Prospectus except for the addition or substitution of the Alternate Pages and will be used for the resale offering by the selling stockholders (it being understood that none of the shares being registered for resale by the selling stockholders in the Resale Prospectus may be sold prior to the closing of our initial public offering under the Public Offering Prospectus, and only then in compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations).

The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities nor may we accept offers to buy these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission becomes effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.

1,200,000 shares

Lafayette Energy Corp

Common Stock

This is a firm commitment initial public offering of shares of common stock of Lafayette Energy Corp.

Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our common stock. It is currently estimated that the initial public offering price per share will be between $4.00 and $5.00. We intend to list the common stock for trading on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “LEC.” If our common stock is not approved for listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market, we will not consummate this offering.

At the same time as the offering set forth in this prospectus (the “Public Offering Prospectus”), we are registering the resale of 3,152,220 shares of common stock, the prospectus of which was filed as part of the same registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part (the “Resale Prospectus”).

We are an “emerging growth company” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and, as such, may elect to comply with certain reduced public company reporting requirements for future filings. This prospectus complies with the requirements that apply to an issuer that is an emerging growth company.

We have granted the underwriter an option for a period of 45 days after the date of this prospectus to purchase up to 15% of the total number of our shares of common stock to be offered by us pursuant to this offering (excluding shares of common stock subject to this option), solely for the purpose of covering over-allotments, at the initial public offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions.

An investment in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risk factors set forth under “Risk Factors,” beginning on page 29 of this prospectus before you make your decision to invest in our common stock.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any other regulatory body has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

The Underwriter expects to deliver the shares of common stock against payment as set forth under “Underwriting,” on or about ___________, 2023.

 Spartan Capital Securities, LLC 

The date of this prospectus is             , 2023

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Through and including ___________, 2024 (the 25th day after the date of this prospectus), all dealers effecting transactions in these securities, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to a dealer’s obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as an underwriter and with respect to an unsold allotment or subscription.

No dealer, salesperson or other individual has been authorized to give any information or to make any representation other than those contained in this prospectus in connection with the offer made by this prospectus and, if given or made, such information or representations must not be relied upon as having been authorized by us. This prospectus does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in any jurisdiction in which such an offer or solicitation is not authorized or in which the person making such offer or solicitation is not qualified to do so, or to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation. Neither the delivery of this prospectus nor any sale made hereunder shall, under any circumstances, create any implication that there has been no change in our affairs or that information contained herein is correct as of any time subsequent to the date hereof.

GLOSSARY OF OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY TERMS

The following are abbreviations, acronyms and definitions of certain terms used in this document, which are commonly used in our industry:

2-D seismic. The method by which a cross-section of the earth’s subsurface is created through the interpretation of reflecting seismic data collected along a single source profile.

3-D seismic. The method by which a three-dimensional image of the earth’s subsurface is created through the interpretation of reflection seismic data collected over a surface grid. 3-D seismic surveys allow for a more detailed understanding of the subsurface than do 2-D seismic surveys and contribute significantly to field appraisal, exploitation, and production.

AFE or Authorization for Expenditures. A document that lays out proposed expenses for a particular project and authorizes an individual or group to spend a certain amount of money for that project.

ARO. Asset retirement obligation, which is a legal obligation associated with the retirement of an oil or gas well, where the owner is responsible for removing equipment, plugging the well and/or cleaning up hazardous materials at some future date.

Bbl. One stock tank barrel, or 42 U.S. gallons liquid volume, used in this Annual Report in reference to crude oil or other liquid hydrocarbons.

Bcf. An abbreviation for billion cubic feet. Unit used to measure large quantities of gas, approximately equal to 1 trillion Btu.

Bitumen. Is an immensely viscous constituent of petroleum. Depending on its exact composition it can be a sticky, black liquid or an apparently solid mass that behaves as a liquid over very large time scales. Bitumen is defined by the U.S. Geological Survey as an extra-heavy oil with an API gravity less than 10° and a viscosity greater than 10,000 centipoise. At the temperatures normally encountered in natural deposits, bitumen will not flow; in order to be moved through a pipe, it must be heated and, in some cases, diluted with a lighter oil.

Boe. Barrels of oil equivalent, determined using the ratio of one Bbl of crude oil, condensate or natural gas liquids, to six Mcf of natural gas.

Boepd. Barrels of oil equivalent per day.

Bopd. Barrels of oil per day.

Btu or British thermal unit. The quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit.

Completion. The operations required to establish production of oil or natural gas from a wellbore, usually involving perforations, stimulation and/or installation of permanent equipment in the well or, in the case of a dry hole, the reporting of abandonment to the appropriate agency.

Condensate. Liquid hydrocarbons associated with the production of a primarily natural gas reserve.

Conventional resources. Natural gas or oil that is produced by a well drilled into a geologic formation in which the reservoir and fluid characteristics permit the natural gas or oil to readily flow to the wellbore.

Cushing/WTI. Means the price of West Texas Intermediate oil at the hub located in Cushing, Oklahoma.

Developed acreage. The number of acres that are allocated or assignable to productive wells.

Developed oil and natural gas reserves. Reserves of any category that can be expected to be recovered (i) through existing wells with existing equipment and operating methods or in which the cost of the required equipment is relatively minor compared to the cost of a new well and (ii) through installed extraction equipment and infrastructure operational at the time of the reserves estimate if the extraction is by means not involving a well.

Development well. A well drilled into a proved oil or natural gas reservoir to the depth of a stratigraphic horizon known to be productive.

Electric submersible pump or ESP. Is an artificial-lift method for lifting moderate to high volumes of fluids from wellbores.

Estimated ultimate recovery or EUR. Estimated ultimate recovery is the sum of reserves remaining as of a given date and cumulative production as of that date.

Exploratory well. A well drilled to find and produce oil or natural gas reserves not classified as proved, to find a new reservoir in a field previously found to be productive of oil or natural gas in another reservoir or to extend a known reservoir.

Frac or fracking. A short name for hydraulic fracturing, a method for extracting oil and natural gas.

Farmin or farmout. An agreement under which the owner of a working interest in an oil or natural gas lease assigns the working interest or a portion of the working interest to another party who desires to drill on the leased acreage. Generally, the assignee is required to drill one or more wells in order to earn its interest in the acreage. The assignor usually retains a royalty or reversionary interest in the lease. The interest received by an assignee is a “farmin” while the interest transferred by the assignor is a “farmout.”

FERC. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Field. An area consisting of a single reservoir or multiple reservoirs all grouped on or related to the same individual geological structural feature and/or stratigraphic condition.

GHG. Greenhouse gases, which are gases that absorb and emit radiant energy within the thermal infrared range, causing the greenhouse effect.

Gross acres or gross wells. The total acres or wells in which a working interest is owned.

Henry Hub. A natural gas pipeline located in Erath, Louisiana that serves as the official delivery location for futures contracts on the NYMEX. The settlement prices at the Henry Hub are used as benchmarks for the entire North American natural gas market.

Held by production. An oil and natural gas property under lease in which the lease continues to be in force after the primary term of the lease in accordance with its terms as a result of production from the property.

Horizontal drilling or well. A drilling operation in which a portion of the well is drilled horizontally within a productive or potentially productive formation. This operation typically yields a horizontal well that has the ability to produce higher volumes than a vertical well drilled in the same formation. A horizontal well is designed to replace multiple vertical wells, resulting in lower capital expenditures for draining like acreage and limiting surface disruption.

Hydraulic Fracturing. Means the forcing open of fissures in subterranean rocks by introducing liquid at high pressure, especially to extract oil or gas.

Initial Development Opportunities. Means the development of the Asphalt Ridge Option assets.

IP30. Means the production of a well for the first full calendar month of production.

Liquids. Liquids, or natural gas liquids, are marketable liquid products including ethane, propane, butane, and pentane resulting from the further processing of liquefiable hydrocarbons separated from raw natural gas by a natural gas processing facility.

LOE or Lease operating expenses. The costs of maintaining and operating property and equipment on a producing oil and gas lease.

MBbl or MBbls. One thousand barrels of crude oil or other liquid hydrocarbons.

MBbl/d. One thousand barrels of crude oil or other liquid hydrocarbons per day.

MBoe. Thousand barrels of oil equivalent.

MBoe/d. Thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day.

Mcf. One thousand cubic feet of natural gas.

Mcfgpd. Thousands of cubic feet of natural gas per day.

MMcf. One million cubic feet of natural gas.

MMBtu. One million British thermal units.

MMBoe. Million barrels of oil equivalent.

Net acres or net wells. The sum of the fractional working interest owned in gross acres or wells.

Net revenue interest. The interest that defines the percentage of revenue that an owner of a well receives from the sale of oil, natural gas and/or natural gas liquids that are produced from the well.

NGL. Natural gas liquids.

NYMEX. New York Mercantile Exchange.

Permeability. A reference to the ability of oil and/or natural gas to flow through a reservoir.

Petrophysical analysis. The interpretation of well log measurements, obtained from a string of electronic tools inserted into the borehole, and from core measurements, in which rock samples are retrieved from the subsurface, then combining these measurements with other relevant geological and geophysical information to describe the reservoir rock properties.

Play. A set of known or postulated oil and/or natural gas accumulations sharing similar geologic, geographic, and temporal properties, such as source rock, migration pathways, timing, trapping mechanism and hydrocarbon type.

Plugging and abandonment. Refers to the sealing off of fluids in the strata penetrated by a well so that the fluids from one stratum will not escape into another or to the surface. State regulations require generally plugging of abandoned wells.

Possible reserves. Additional reserves that are less certain to be recognized than probable reserves.

Present value of future net revenues (“PV-10”). The present value of estimated future revenues to be generated from the production of proved reserves, before income taxes, calculated in accordance with SEC guidelines, net of estimated production and future development costs, using prices and costs as of the date of estimation without future escalation and without giving effect to hedging activities, non-property related expenses such as general and administrative expenses, debt service and depreciation, depletion and amortization. PV-10 is calculated using an annual discount rate of 10%.

Probable reserves. Additional reserves that are less certain to be recognized than proved reserves but which, in sum with proved reserves, are as likely as not to be recovered.

Producing well, production well or productive well. A well that is found to be capable of producing hydrocarbons in sufficient quantities such that proceeds from the sale of the well’s production exceed production-related expenses and taxes.

Production costs. Costs incurred to operate and maintain wells and related equipment and facilities, including depreciation and applicable operating costs of support equipment and facilities and other costs of operating and maintaining those wells and related equipment and facilities that become part of the cost of oil, natural gas and NGL produced.

Properties. Natural gas and oil wells, production and related equipment and facilities and natural gas, oil or other mineral fee, leasehold, and related interests.

Prospect. A specific geographic area which, based on supporting geological, geophysical, or other data and also preliminary economic analysis using reasonably anticipated prices and costs, is considered to have potential for the discovery of commercial hydrocarbons.

Proved developed reserves. Proved reserves that can be expected to be recovered through existing wells and facilities and by existing operating methods.

Proved reserves. Reserves of oil and natural gas that have been proved to a high degree of certainty by analysis of the producing history of a reservoir and/or by volumetric analysis of adequate geological and engineering data.

Proved undeveloped reserves or PUDs. Proved reserves that are expected to be recovered from new wells on undrilled acreage or from existing wells where a relatively major expenditure is required for recompletion.

Repeatability. The potential ability to drill multiple wells within a prospect or trend.

Reserves. Estimated remaining quantities of oil, natural gas and NGL and related substances anticipated to be economically producible by application of development projects to known accumulations. In addition, there must exist, or there must be a reasonable expectation that there will exist, the legal right to produce or a revenue interest in the production, installed means of delivering oil, natural gas and NGL or related substances to market, and all permits and financing required to implement the project. Reserves should not be assigned to adjacent reservoirs isolated by major, potentially sealing, faults until those reservoirs are penetrated and evaluated as economically producible. Reserves should not be assigned to areas that are clearly separated from a known accumulation by a non-productive reservoir (i.e., absence of reservoir, structurally low reservoir, or negative test results). Such areas may contain prospective resources (i.e., potentially recoverable resources from undiscovered accumulations).

Reservoir. A porous and permeable underground formation containing a natural accumulation of producible oil and/or natural gas that is confined by impermeable rock or water barriers and is individual and separate from other reservoirs.

Royalty interest. An interest in an oil and natural gas lease that gives the owner of the interest the right to receive a portion of the production from the leased acreage (or of the proceeds of the sale thereof), but generally does not require the owner to pay any portion of the costs of drilling or operating the wells on the leased acreage. Royalties may be either landowner’s royalties, which are reserved by the owner of the leased acreage at the time the lease is granted, or overriding royalties, which are usually reserved by an owner of the leasehold in connection with a transfer to a subsequent owner.

Salt Water Disposal Well or SWD. A salt water disposal (SWD) well is a disposal site for water produced as a result of the oil and gas extraction process.

Spud. Spudding is the process of beginning to drill a well in the oil and gas industry.

Standardized measure or standardized measure of discounted future net cash flows. The present value of estimated future cash inflows from proved oil, natural gas and NGL reserves, less future development and production costs and future income tax expenses, discounted at 10% per annum to reflect timing of future cash flows and using the same pricing assumptions as were used to calculate PV-10. Standardized Measure differs from PV-10 because standardized measure includes the effect of future income taxes on future net revenues. 

Step-out well. A well drilled near a proven well, but located in an unproven area, that determines the boundaries of the producing formation.

Transition Zone. The Transition Zone usually produces both oil and water at different ratios depending on the height above the Free Water Level (“FWL”). In normal conditions wells that are drilled in the Transition Zone will produce at some water cut.

Trend. A region of oil and/or natural gas production, the geographic limits of which have not been fully defined, having geological characteristics that have been ascertained through supporting geological, geophysical, or other data to contain the potential for oil and/or natural gas reserves in a particular formation or series of formations.

Unconventional resource play. A set of known or postulated oil and or natural gas resources or reserves warranting further exploration which are extracted from (a) low-permeability sandstone and shale formations and (b) coalbed methane. These plays require the application of advanced technology to extract the oil and natural gas resources.

Undeveloped acreage. Lease acreage on which wells have not been drilled or completed to a point that would permit the production of commercial quantities of oil and natural gas, regardless of whether such acreage contains proved reserves. Undeveloped acreage is usually considered to be all acreage that is not allocated or assignable to productive wells.

Unproved and unevaluated properties. Refers to properties where no drilling or other actions have been undertaken that permit such property to be classified as proved.

Updip well. A well located higher in the structure.

USACE. United States Army Corps of Engineers.

Vertical well. A hole drilled vertically into the earth from which oil, natural gas or water flows is pumped.

Volumetric reserve analysis. A technique used to estimate the amount of recoverable oil and natural gas. It involves calculating the volume of reservoir rock and adjusting that volume for the rock porosity, hydrocarbon saturation, formation volume factor and recovery factor.

Wellbore. The hole made by a well.

WTI or West Texas Intermediate. A grade of crude oil used as a benchmark in oil pricing. This grade is described as light because of its relatively low density, and sweet because of its low sulfur content.

Working interest. The operating interest that gives the owner the right to drill, produce and conduct operating activities on the property and receive a share of production.

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

No dealer, salesperson or other individual has been authorized to give any information or to make any representation other than those contained in this prospectus in connection with the offer made by this prospectus and, if given or made, such information or representations must not be relied upon as having been authorized by us. This prospectus does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in any jurisdiction in which such an offer or solicitation is not authorized or in which the person making such offer or solicitation is not qualified to do so, or to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation. Neither the delivery of this prospectus nor any sale made hereunder shall, under any circumstances, create any implication that there has been no change in our affairs or that information contained herein is correct as of any time subsequent to the date hereof.

For investors outside the United States: We and the underwriter have not done anything that would permit this offering or possession or distribution of this prospectus in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required, other than in the United States. Persons outside the United States who come into possession of this prospectus must inform themselves, and observe any restrictions relating to, the offering of the shares of our common stock and the distribution of this prospectus outside the United States.

Our logo and some of our trademarks and tradenames are used in this prospectus. This prospectus also includes trademarks, tradenames and service marks that are the property of others. Solely for convenience, trademarks, tradenames, and service marks referred to in this prospectus may appear without the ®, ™ and SM symbols. References to our trademarks, tradenames and service marks are not intended to indicate in any way that we will not assert to the fullest extent under applicable law our rights or the rights of the applicable licensors if any, nor that respective owners to other intellectual property rights will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, their rights thereto. We do not intend the use or display of other companies’ trademarks and trade names to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, any other companies.

The market data and certain other statistical information used throughout this prospectus are based on independent industry publications, reports by market research firms or other independent sources that we believe to be reliable sources; however, we have not commissioned any of the market or survey data that is presented in this prospectus. Industry publications and third-party research, surveys and studies generally indicate that their information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, although they do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of such information. We are responsible for all of the disclosures contained in this prospectus, and we believe these industry publications and third-party research, surveys and studies are reliable. While we are not aware of any misstatements regarding any third-party information presented in this prospectus, their estimates, in particular, as they relate to projections, involve numerous assumptions, are subject to risks and uncertainties, and are subject to change based on various factors, including those discussed under the section entitled “Risk Factors” beginning on page 29 of this prospectus. These and other factors could cause our future performance to differ materially from our assumptions and estimates. Some market and other data included herein, as well as the data of competitors as they relate to Lafayette Energy Corp, is also based on our good faith estimates.

Unless the context otherwise requires, references in this prospectus to “we,” “us,” “our,” the “Registrant”, the “Company,” “Lafayette” and “Lafayette Energy Corp” refer to Lafayette Energy Corp

In addition:

Effective on January 24, 2023, our Board of Directors, and on January 26, 2023, stockholders holding a majority of our outstanding voting shares, approved resolutions approving and authorizing the filing of a Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company, which affected a two-for-three reverse stock split of the outstanding shares of our common stock (the “Reverse Stock Split”), without any corresponding change in the number of authorized shares of common stock of the Company. On January 31, 2023, the Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company was filed with the Secretary of Delaware, and at the same time, the Reverse Stock Split became effective. Except as otherwise indicated and except in our financial statements and the notes thereto, all references to our common stock, share data, per share data and related information retroactively depict and reflect the Reverse Stock Split. The Reverse Stock Split combined each three shares of our outstanding common stock into two shares of common stock, without any change in the par value per share, and the Reverse Stock Split correspondingly adjusted, among other things, the number of shares of common stock available for awards under our equity compensation plans. No fractional shares were issued in connection with the Reverse Stock Split, and any fractional shares resulting from the Reverse Stock Split were rounded up to the nearest whole share on a per stockholder basis.

THE OFFERING

Unless we indicate otherwise, all information in this prospectus:

SUMMARY FINANCIAL DATA

The following table presents our summary historical financial data for the periods indicated. The summary historical financial data for (a) the period from February 7, 2022 (Inception) through December 31, 2022, and the balance sheet data as of December 31, 2022 , are derived from the audited financial statements included herein, and (b) the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and the balance sheet date of September 30, 2023, are derived from the unaudited financial statements included herein. The Company’s fiscal year end is December 31.

Historical results are included for illustrative and informational purposes only and are not necessarily indicative of results we expect in future periods, and results of interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results for the entire year. You should read the following summary financial data in conjunction with “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our financial statements and related notes appearing elsewhere in this prospectus.

RISK FACTORS

Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider each of the following risks, together with all other information set forth in this prospectus, including the financial statements and the related notes, before making a decision to buy our common stock. If any of the following risks actually occurs, our business could be harmed. In that case, the trading price of our common stock could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment.

Risks Related to our Operating History and Need for Funding

The Company is recently formed and has no operating history and no operating revenues and there is no assurance that the Company can generate revenues in the future. As a result, our independent auditor has included a going concern paragraph in its audit report.

We had an accumulated deficit of $1,388,287 as of September 30, 2023 and $431,102 as of December 31, 2022, a net loss of $957,185 for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and $431,102 for the period from February 7, 2022 (Inception) through December 31, 2022. We believe that the funds raised in this offering will be sufficient to fund our operations for the next 12 months. We may need to raise additional funding to drill additional wells if our Initial Development Opportunities do not perform as expected and/or if Heavy Sweet is unable to obtain the anticipated RBL loan based on the performance of those first wells.  We may be required to raise additional funds through public or private debt or equity financing or other various means to fund our operations and complete exploration and drilling operations and acquire assets. In such a case, adequate funds may not be available when needed or may not be available on favorable terms. If we need to raise additional funds in the future by issuing equity securities, dilution to existing stockholders will result, and such securities may have rights, preferences, and privileges senior to those of our common stock. If funding is insufficient at any time in the future and we are unable to generate sufficient revenue from new business arrangements, to complete planned acquisitions or operations, our results of operations and the value of our securities could be adversely affected.

Additionally, due to the nature of oil and gas interests, i.e., that rates of production generally decline over time as oil and gas reserves are depleted, if we are unable to drill wells and develop reserves, either because we are unable to raise sufficient funding for such development activities, or otherwise, over time, we believe that our future revenues will decline over time. If this were to happen, we may be forced to scale back our business plan, sell or liquidate assets to satisfy outstanding debts, all of which could result in the value of our outstanding securities declining in value.

These conditions raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern for the next twelve months. The accompanying financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America on a going concern basis, which contemplates the realization of assets and the satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. Accordingly, the financial statements do not include any adjustments relating to the recoverability of assets and classification of liabilities that might be necessary should the Company be unable to continue as a going concern. The financial statements included herein also include a going concern footnote from our auditors.

We will need additional capital which may not be available on commercially acceptable terms, if at all, and this raises questions about our ability to continue as a going concern.

We need capital to support our operations and to undertake our business plan, including the planned drilling of oil and gas wells. We may also require additional funding in the future to support our operations or complete acquisitions. The most likely source of future funds presently available to us will be through the sale of equity capital or debt. Any sale of share capital will result in dilution to existing stockholders. Furthermore, we may incur debt in the future, and may not have sufficient funds to repay our future indebtedness or may default on our future debts, jeopardizing our business viability.

We may not be able to borrow or raise additional capital in the future to meet our needs or to otherwise provide the capital necessary to expand our operations and business, which might result in the value of our securities decreasing in value or becoming worthless. Additional financing may not be available to us on terms that are acceptable. Consequently, we may not be able to proceed with our intended business plans. Obtaining additional financing contains risks, including:

Additionally, we may have difficulty obtaining additional funding, and we may have to accept terms that would adversely affect our stockholders. For example, the terms of any future financings may impose restrictions on our right to declare dividends (provided that none are currently planned) or on the manner in which we conduct our business. Additionally, lending institutions or private investors may impose restrictions on a future decision by us to make capital expenditures, acquisitions, or significant asset sales. If we are unable to raise additional funds, we may be forced to curtail or even abandon our business plan.

We have a limited operating history and expect to continue to incur losses for an indeterminable period of time.

We have a limited operating history and are engaged in the initial stages of exploration, development and exploitation of our leasehold acreage and will continue to be so until commencement of substantial production from our oil and natural gas properties, which will depend upon successful drilling results, additional and timely capital funding, and access to suitable infrastructure. Companies in their initial stages of development face substantial business risks and may suffer significant losses. We have generated substantial net losses in the past and may continue to incur net losses as we continue our drilling program. In considering an investment in our shares, you should consider that there is only limited historical and financial operating information available upon which to base your evaluation of our performance. We have incurred net losses of  $1,388,287 for the period from February 7, 2022 (Inception) through September 30, 2023. Additionally, we are dependent on obtaining additional debt and/or equity financing to roll-out and scale our planned principal business operations. Management’s plans in regard to these matters consist principally of seeking equity funding from this offering and future additional debt and/or equity financing combined with expected cash flows from our oil and gas assets held and additional oil and gas assets that we may acquire. Our efforts may not be successful, and funds may not be available on favorable terms, if at all.

We face challenges and uncertainties in financial planning as a result of the unavailability of historical data and uncertainties regarding the nature, scope and results of our future activities. New companies must develop successful business relationships, establish operating procedures, hire staff, install management information and other systems, establish facilities, and obtain licenses, as well as take other measures necessary to conduct their intended business activities. We may not be successful in implementing our business strategies or in completing the development of the infrastructure necessary to conduct our business as planned. In the event that one or more of our drilling programs is not completed or is delayed or terminated, our operating results will be adversely affected, and our operations will differ materially from the activities described in this prospectus and our subsequent periodic reports. As a result of industry factors or factors relating specifically to us, we may have to change our methods of conducting business, which may cause a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition. The uncertainty and risks described in this prospectus may impede our ability to economically find, develop, exploit, and acquire oil and natural gas reserves. As a result, we may not be able to achieve or sustain profitability or positive cash flows provided by our operating activities in the future.

We may not be able to generate sufficient cash flow to meet our current and any future debt service and other obligations due to events beyond our control.

Our ability to generate cash flows from operations, to make payments on or refinance our current debt or any potential future indebtedness and to fund working capital needs and planned capital expenditures will depend on our future financial performance and our ability to generate cash in the future. Our future financial performance will be affected by a range of economic, financial, competitive, business, and other factors that we cannot control, such as general economic, legislative, regulatory and financial conditions in our industry, the economy generally, interest rates, inflation, the price of oil and other risks described below. A significant reduction in operating cash flows resulting from changes in economic, legislative or regulatory conditions, increased competition or other events beyond our control could increase the need for additional or alternative sources of liquidity and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, prospects and our ability to service our current and future potential debt and other obligations. If we are unable to service our current and any future potential indebtedness or to fund our other liquidity needs, we may be forced to adopt an alternative strategy that may include actions such as reducing or delaying capital expenditures, selling assets, restructuring, or refinancing such indebtedness, seeking additional capital, or any combination of the foregoing. If we raise debt, it would increase our interest expense, leverage and our operating and financial costs. We cannot assure you that any of these alternative strategies could be affected on satisfactory terms, if at all, or that they would yield sufficient funds to make required payments on future potential indebtedness or to fund our other liquidity needs. Reducing or delaying capital expenditures or selling assets could delay future cash flows. In addition, the terms of future debt agreements may restrict us from adopting any of these alternatives. We cannot assure you that our business will generate sufficient cash flows from operations or that future borrowings will be available in an amount sufficient to enable us to pay such future potential indebtedness or to fund our other liquidity needs.

If for any reason we are unable to meet our current or future potential debt service and repayment obligations, we may be in default under the terms of the agreements governing such indebtedness, which could allow our creditors at that time to declare such outstanding indebtedness to be due and payable. Under these circumstances, our lenders could compel us to apply all of our available cash to repay our borrowings. In addition, the lenders under our credit facilities or other secured indebtedness could seek to foreclose on any of our assets that are their collateral. If the amounts outstanding under such indebtedness were to be accelerated, or were the subject of foreclosure actions, our assets may not be sufficient to repay in full the money owed to the lenders or to our other debt holders.

Risks Related to The U.S. and Global Economy

Downturns and volatility in global economies and commodity and credit markets may materially adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Our results of operations may be, materially adversely affected by the conditions of the global economies and the credit, commodities, and stock markets. Additionally, a decline in consumer confidence or changing patterns in the availability and use of disposable income by consumers can negatively affect the demand for oil and gas and as a result our results of operations.

Economic uncertainty may affect our access to capital and/or increase the costs of such capital.

Global economic conditions continue to be volatile and uncertain due to, among other things, consumer confidence in future economic conditions, fears of recession and trade wars, the price of energy, fluctuating interest rates, the availability and cost of consumer credit, the availability and timing of government stimulus programs, levels of unemployment, increased inflation, and tax rates. These conditions remain unpredictable and create uncertainties about our ability to raise capital in the future. In the event required capital becomes unavailable in the future, or more costly, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

Declining general economic, business or industry conditions will have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, liquidity, and financial condition for the foreseeable future.

Concerns over global economic conditions, energy costs, geopolitical issues (including, but not limited to the current Ukraine/Russia conflict and conflict in Israel), high inflation, high interest rates, and the availability and cost of credit are expected to contribute to increased economic uncertainty and diminished expectations for the global economy. These factors, combined with volatile prices of oil and natural gas, and declining business and consumer confidence, have precipitated an economic slowdown, which could expand to a recession or global depression. If the economic climate in the United States or abroad continues to deteriorate, demand for petroleum products could diminish, which could impact the price at which we can sell our future oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids, affect the ability of our vendors, suppliers and customers to continue operations, and ultimately adversely impact our future results of operations, liquidity and financial condition.

Our industry and the broader U.S. economy experienced higher than expected inflationary pressures in 2022 and during the first few months of 2023, related to continued supply chain disruptions, labor shortages and geopolitical instability. Should these conditions persist our business, results of operations and cash flows could be materially and adversely affected.

2022 and the first few months of 2023 saw significant increases in the costs of certain materials, including steel, sand, and fuel, as a result of availability constraints, supply chain disruption, increased demand, labor shortages associated with a fully employed U.S. labor force, high inflation and other factors. Supply and demand fundamentals have been further aggravated by disruptions in global energy supply caused by multiple geopolitical events, including the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the conflict in Israel. Service and materials costs have also increased accordingly with general supply chain and inflation issues seen throughout the industry leading to increased operating costs. Supply chain constraints and inflationary pressures may adversely impact our operating costs and may negatively impact our ability to procure materials and equipment in a timely and cost-effective manner, if at all, which could result in reduced margins and exploration, completion and production delays and, as a result, our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be materially and adversely affected.

The conflict in Ukraine and related price volatility and geopolitical instability could negatively impact our business.

In late February 2022, Russia launched significant military action against Ukraine. The conflict has caused, and could intensify, volatility in natural gas, oil and NGL prices, and the extent and duration of the military action, sanctions and resulting market disruptions could be significant and could potentially have a substantial negative impact on the global economy and/or our business for an unknown period of time. We believe that the increase in crude oil prices which began in 2022 has partially been due to the impact of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine on the global commodity and financial markets, and in response to economic and trade sanctions that certain countries have imposed on Russia. Any such volatility and disruptions may also magnify the impact of other risks described herein.

Risks Related to the Oil, NGL and Natural Gas Industry and Our Business

Prices of oil, NGL and natural gas prices, have in the past, and will continue in the future, to be volatile and such volatility may adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations and our ability to meet our capital expenditure obligations or targets and financial commitments.

The price we will receive for our oil and, to a lesser extent, natural gas and NGLs, will heavily influence our revenue, profitability, cash flows, liquidity, access to capital, present value and quality of our reserves, the nature and scale of our operations and future rate of growth. Oil, NGL and natural gas are commodities and, therefore, their prices are subject to wide fluctuations in response to relatively minor changes in supply and demand. In recent years, the markets for oil and natural gas have been volatile. These markets will likely continue to be volatile in the future. Further, oil prices and natural gas prices do not necessarily fluctuate in direct relation to each other. We believe our financial results will be sensitive to movements in oil prices. The price of crude oil has experienced significant volatility over the last five years, with the price per barrel of West Texas Intermediate (“WTI”) crude rising from a low of $27 in February 2016 to a high of $76 in October 2018, then, in 2020, dropping below $20 per barrel due in part to reduced global demand stemming from the recent global COVID-19 outbreak, and surging to over $125 a barrel in early March 2022, following Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine, with current trading prices around $70-90 a barrel. A prolonged period of low market prices for oil and natural gas, or further declines in the market prices for oil and natural gas, will likely result in capital expenditures being further curtailed and will adversely affect our business, financial condition and liquidity and our ability to meet obligations, targets or financial commitments and could ultimately lead to restructuring or filing for bankruptcy, which would have a material adverse effect on our stock price and indebtedness. The below table highlights the recent volatility in oil and gas prices by summarizing the high and low daily NYMEX WTI oil spot price and daily NYMEX natural gas Henry Hub spot price for the periods presented:

We hold no actual oil and gas properties as of the date of this prospectus and instead only hold options to acquire rights to oil and gas properties.

As discussed in greater detail below under “Business”, to date, we hold options to lease approximately (a) 960 acres in the Asphalt Ridge Asset, and (b) 1,487 acres in Imperial Parish, and have no revenue-generating operations as of the date of this prospectus. Through our Asphalt Ridge Option we have the right to purchase a 30% working interest in the 960 acre of the Asphalt Ridge Asset for $3 million.  We also have the option to purchase a 30% working interest in an additional 1,920 acres adjacent to the Asphalt Ridge Asset, upon successful development of the Asphalt Ridge Asset. Through our agreement with Saur Minerals, we plan to acquire the Targeted Acreage within the Imperial Parish Fields through options that include 1) the right to perform a 3-D seismic shoot on the property; and 2) an option to purchase a mineral lease with rights to drill oil and gas wells on the property.  For most of the options, the Company has paid $12.50 to $25.00 per acre for the seismic right and has entered into an option to pay $75.00 per acre for the mineral and drilling rights for those acres the Company chooses to develop in the future. We plan to use a portion of the funds generated through this offering to exercise certain of those options and acquire the mineral and drilling rights for certain of the acres we plan to develop in the future. Because we hold no actual mineral or drilling rights as of the date of this prospectus, there is a risk that we will not be able to obtain such rights in the future or certain pre-requisites necessary for us to exercise the options and/or maintain such mineral and drilling rights may not exist in the future. Even if we are able to validly exercise the options for our properties, we may not ultimately be successful in locating commercial quantities of oil and gas on such properties and similarly may be unable to successfully extract commercial quantities of oil and gas from such properties. Furthermore, pursuant to the terms of the leases associated with such options, under certain circumstances the leased properties may revert back to the original owners. Consequently, we may not ultimately receive any economic benefit from the options and may not be able to obtain any mineral or drilling rights in the future.

The oil and natural gas reserves estimated pursuant to any resource and reserve reports we may rely upon may not reflect the actual volumes of oil and natural gas present or commercially recoverable, and significant inaccuracies in these reserve estimates or underlying assumptions will materially affect the quantities and present value of our future production.

The process of estimating accumulations of oil and natural gas is complex and is not exact, due to numerous inherent uncertainties. The process relies on interpretations of available geological, geophysical, engineering and production data. The extent, quality and reliability of this technical data can vary. The process also requires certain economic assumptions related to, among other things, oil and natural gas prices, drilling and operating expenses, capital expenditures, taxes and availability of funds. The accuracy of a reserves estimate is a function of:

The accuracy of any estimates of proved reserves generally increases with the length of the production history. Due to the limited production history of our optioned property, the estimates of future production associated with these properties may be subject to greater variance to actual production than would be the case with properties having a longer production history. As wells produce over time and more data is available, the estimated proved reserves will be re-determined on at least an annual basis and may be adjusted to reflect new information based upon actual production history, results of exploration and development, prevailing oil and natural gas prices and other factors.

Actual future production, oil and natural gas prices, revenues, taxes, development expenditures, operating expenses and quantities of recoverable oil and natural gas most likely will vary from our estimates. It is possible that future production declines in our wells may be greater than we have estimated. Any significant variance to our estimates could materially affect the quantities and present value of our reserves.

We have not obtained a reserve report or oil and gas property audit, prepared in accordance with SEC requirements and guidance for our Imperial Parish Fields optioned oil and gas properties.

As part of our diligence into the Imperial Parish Fields, the Company evaluated potential target zones and offset well results, and identified potential well locations and produced an estimate of the resource opportunity of the Imperial Parish Fields, noting that “resource” estimates are not consistent with “proved reserves” as defined by the SEC, and that we do not currently have, and may not have in the future, either proved reserves or production of oil or natural gas in commercial quantities or at all. Based on our Resource Estimate, we believe single well economics in the area on which we hold our options would be robust in today’s commodity price environment. Future SEC compliance reserve reports and audits may result in estimates of oil and gas properties significantly less than our current Resource Estimate, which was not prepared in accordance with SEC requirements and guidance, which may have a material adverse effect on our estimated quantities of oil and gas, our projected future revenues and expenses, and management’s plans for future exploration and production activities, as well as the timeline and funding associated therewith. Any of the above may have a material adverse effect on our results of operation and cash flows. We do not plan to obtain a reservoir report in SEC form for our optioned properties until we file our first Annual Report on Form 10-K following the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this registration statement forms a part.

We may need to raise additional funding to complete our planned drilling activities.       

As described under “Use of Proceeds”, we plan to use the funds from this offering to develop the Asphalt Ridge Asset and use expected cash flow from those operations to purchase lease options on an additional 27,800 targeted acres and to prepare a 3-D seismic survey on the optioned acreage. There is no guarantee that the Asphalt Ridge Asset will be able to obtain a reserve base loan facility and/or generate funds needed to further develop additional wells. We will need the Asphalt Ridge Asset operation to be successful in producing sufficient cash flow or to raise additional funds to drill wells on our optioned acreage however, and while we expect such funds being provided by a reserve based lending facility, as discussed in the risk factor below, such funding may not be available on favorable terms if at all. If we are unable to raise funding to complete our planned drilling operations, or otherwise acquire producing properties, we will not be able to generate any revenues, may need to curtail or cease our business operations, and any investment in the Company could decrease in value or become worthless.

Our development plan contemplates Heavy Sweet’s entry into future reserve-based lending facilities, which may not be available on favorable terms, if at all. To the extent we borrow funds under a future reserve-based lending facility we may not be able to generate sufficient cash to service all our indebtedness and may be forced to take other actions to satisfy our debt obligations that may not be successful.

Part of our development plan contemplates Heavy Sweet, the current owner of the Asphalt Ridge Asset, entering into a reserve-based lending facility following this offering to raise funding for the drilling of subsequent wells on the Asphalt Ridge Asset after the initial three wells.  Though Heavy Sweet has had discussions with a lender and received a letter of intent which has expired, there is no assurance that a lending facility will be available on favorable terms, if at all, and to date neither we nor Heavy Sweet have entered into any definitive agreements regarding such a lending facility. Due to recent increases in interest rates, inflation and economic uncertainty, including some in the media declaring the U.S. in a current recession, such planned reserve-based lending facility may not ultimately be available or may be available on unfavorable terms. The unavailability of, or unfavorable terms associated with, a future reserve-based lending facility may have a material adverse effect on our planned future operations, business plan and ability to drill future wells and generate revenues, any of which may have a material adverse effect on the value of our securities.

In the event neither we nor Heavy Sweet are able to enter into a reserve-based lending facility in the future and if cash flow and capital resources are insufficient to fund such debt service obligations, we may be forced to reduce or delay our planned drilling activities, investments and capital expenditures, sell assets, seek additional capital or restructure or refinance existing indebtedness. In addition, any failure to make payments of interest and principal on outstanding indebtedness on a timely basis may result in a reduction of our credit rating, which could harm our ability to incur additional indebtedness. In the absence of sufficient cash flows and capital resources, we could face substantial liquidity problems and might be required to dispose of material assets or operations to meet debt service and other obligations, any of which may have a material adverse effect on the value of our securities.

All of our crude oil, natural gas and NGLs production is anticipated to be located in Utah and the Saint Landry Parish located in south central Louisiana, making us vulnerable to risks associated with operating in only two geographic areas.

Our planned future operations are focused first in Utah, and then in Louisiana, solely in the Saint Landry Parish located in south central Louisiana, which means our future properties and drilling opportunities will be geographically concentrated in those two areas. Because our operations will not be as diversified geographically as many of our competitors, the success of our operations and our profitability may be disproportionately exposed to the effect of any regional events, including:

For example, the demand for our oil from refiners in Utah or the bottlenecks in processing and transportation that have occurred in some recent periods in the Saint Landry Parish located in south central Louisiana may negatively affect our future results of operations, and these adverse effects may be disproportionately severe to us compared to our more geographically diverse competitors. Similarly, the concentration of our future assets within a small number of producing formations exposes us to risks, such as changes in field-wide rules that could adversely affect development activities or production relating to those formations. Such an event could have a material adverse effect on our future results of operations and financial condition. The development of the Asphalt Ridge Asset will require access to natural gas and carbon dioxide (CO₂) to perform steam injection which, while currently available, could undergo a supply constraint which, if it were to occur, would make development prohibitive. In addition, in areas where exploration and production activities are increasing, as has been the case in recent years in the Saint Landry Parish located in south central Louisiana, the demand for, and cost of, drilling rigs, equipment, supplies, personnel and oilfield services increase. Shortages or the high cost of drilling rigs, equipment, supplies, personnel or oilfield services could delay or adversely affect our future development and exploration future operations or cause us to incur significant expenditures that are not provided for in our capital forecast, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

Drilling for and producing oil and natural gas are highly speculative and involve a high degree of risk, with many uncertainties that could adversely affect our business. We have not recorded proved reserves, and areas that we decide to drill may not yield oil or natural gas in commercial quantities or at all.

Exploring for and developing hydrocarbon reserves involves a high degree of operational and financial risk, which precludes us from definitively predicting the costs involved and time required to reach certain objectives. Our potential drilling locations are in various stages of evaluation, ranging from locations that we believe could be ready to drill, to the majority of locations in the Imperial Parish Fields, where we plan on performing 3-D seismic imaging that will require substantial additional interpretation before they can be drilled. The budgeted costs of planning, drilling, completing, and operating wells are often exceeded, and such costs can increase significantly due to various complications that may arise during the drilling and operating processes. Before a well is spudded, we may incur significant geological and geophysical (seismic) costs, which are incurred whether a well eventually produces commercial quantities of hydrocarbons or is drilled at all. Exploration wells bear a much greater risk of loss than development wells. The analogies we draw from available data from other wells, more fully explored locations or producing fields may not be applicable to our drilling locations. If our actual drilling and development costs are significantly more than our estimated costs, we may not be able to continue our operations as proposed and could be forced to modify our drilling plans accordingly.

If we decide to drill a certain location, there is a risk that no commercially productive oil or natural gas reservoirs will be found or produced. We may drill or participate in new wells that are not productive. We may drill wells that are productive, but that do not produce sufficient net revenues to return a profit after drilling, operating and other costs. There is no way to predict in advance of drilling and testing whether any particular location will yield oil or natural gas in sufficient quantities to recover exploration, drilling or completion costs or to be economically viable. Even if sufficient amounts of oil or natural gas exist, we may damage the potentially productive hydrocarbon-bearing formation or experience mechanical difficulties while drilling or completing the well, resulting in a reduction in production and reserves from the well or abandonment of the well. Whether a well is ultimately productive and profitable depends on a number of additional factors, including the following:

If we do not drill productive and profitable wells in the future, our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

Our success is dependent on the prices of oil, NGLs and natural gas. Low oil or natural gas prices and the substantial volatility in these prices are expected to adversely affect, our business, financial condition and results of operations and our ability to meet our capital expenditure requirements and financial obligations.

The prices we receive for our future oil, NGLs and natural gas will heavily influence our revenue, profitability, cash flow available for capital expenditures, access to capital and future rate of growth. Oil, NGLs and natural gas are commodities and, therefore, their prices are subject to wide fluctuations in response to relatively minor changes in supply and demand. Historically, the commodities market has been volatile. For example, the price of crude oil has experienced significant volatility over the last six years, with the price per barrel of WTI crude rising from a low of $27 in February 2016 to a high of $76 in October 2018, then dropping below $20 per barrel in April 2020, due in part to reduced global demand stemming from the recent global COVID-19 outbreak, before surging to over $125 a barrel in early March 2022, following Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine, and currently trading between approximately $70 and $90 per barrel. Prices for natural gas and NGLs experienced declines of similar magnitude. An extended period of continued lower oil prices, or additional price declines, will have further adverse effects on us. The prices we receive for our future production, and the levels of our future production, will depend on numerous factors, including the following:

Declines in oil, NGL or natural gas prices will not only reduce our future revenue, but will reduce the amount of oil, NGL and natural gas that we can produce economically. Should natural gas, NGL or oil prices decline from current levels and remain there for an extended period of time, we may choose to shut-in our future operated wells, delay some or all of our future exploration and development plans for our prospects, or to cease future exploration or development activities on certain prospects due to the anticipated unfavorable economics from such activities, and, as a result, we may have to make substantial downward adjustments to any future estimated proved reserves, each of which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We have in the past, and may in the future, be forced to write-down material portions of our assets due to low oil prices.

The successful efforts method of accounting is used for oil and gas exploration and production activities. Under this method, all costs for development wells, support equipment and facilities, and proved mineral interests in oil and gas properties are capitalized. We plan to review the carrying value of our long-lived assets annually or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the historical cost-carrying value of an asset may no longer be appropriate. We plan to assess the recoverability of the carrying value of the asset by estimating the future net undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the asset, including eventual disposition. If the future net undiscounted cash flows are less than the carrying value of the asset, an impairment loss is recorded equal to the difference between the asset’s carrying value and estimated fair value. This impairment does not impact cash flows from operating activities but does reduce earnings and our stockholders’ equity.

During the nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company reviewed its lease options for the likelihood of them being extended and as a result recorded an impairment in the amount of $625,658.

A continued period of low prices may force us to incur additional material write-downs of our oil and natural gas properties, which could have a material effect on the value of our properties and cause the value of our securities to decline in value. Additionally, impairments would occur if we were to experience sufficient downward adjustments to our anticipated estimated proved reserves or the present value of anticipated estimated future net revenues. An impairment recognized in one period may not be reversed in a subsequent period even if higher oil and gas prices increase the cost center ceiling applicable to the subsequent period. We have in the past incurred, and may in the future incur, additional impairments of oil and gas properties which may be material.

Our exploration, development and exploitation projects require substantial capital expenditures that may exceed cash on hand, cash flows from operations and potential borrowings, and we may be unable to obtain needed capital on satisfactory terms, which could adversely affect our future growth.

Our exploration and development activities are expected to be capital intensive. We make and expect to continue to make substantial capital expenditures in our business for the development, exploitation, production and acquisition of oil and natural gas reserves. Our cash on hand, our future operating cash flows and future potential borrowings may not be adequate to fund our future acquisitions or future capital expenditure requirements. The rate of our future growth may be dependent, at least in part, on our ability to access capital at rates and on terms we determine to be acceptable.

Our future cash flows from operations and access to capital are expected to be subject to a number of variables, including:

In addition, future events, such as terrorist attacks, wars, threat of wars, or combat peace-keeping missions, financial market disruptions, increases in interest rates and inflation, general economic recessions, oil and natural gas industry recessions, large company bankruptcies, accounting scandals, pandemic diseases, overstated reserves estimates by major public oil companies and disruptions in the financial and capital markets have caused financial institutions, credit rating agencies and the public to more closely review the financial statements, capital structures and earnings of public companies, including energy companies. Such events have constrained the capital available to the energy industry in the past, and such events or similar events could adversely affect our access to funding for our operations in the future.

If our future revenues decrease as a result of lower oil and natural gas prices, operating difficulties, declines in reserves or for any other reason, we may have limited ability to obtain the capital necessary to sustain our operations at current levels, further develop and exploit our current properties or invest in additional exploration opportunities. Alternatively, a significant improvement in oil and natural gas prices or other factors could result in an increase in our capital expenditures and we may be required to alter or increase our capitalization substantially through the issuance of debt or equity securities, the sale of production payments, the sale or farm out of interests in our assets, the borrowing of funds or otherwise to meet any increase in capital needs. If we are unable to raise additional capital from available sources at acceptable terms, our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be adversely affected. Further, future debt financings may require that a portion of our cash flows provided by operating activities be used for the payment of principal and interest on our debt, thereby reducing our ability to use cash flows to fund working capital, capital expenditures and acquisitions. Debt financing may involve covenants that restrict our business activities. If we succeed in selling additional equity securities to raise funds, at such time the ownership percentage of our existing stockholders would be diluted, and new investors may demand rights, preferences, or privileges senior to those of existing stockholders. If we choose to farm-out interests in our prospects, we may lose operating control over such prospects.

We may have accidents, equipment failures or mechanical problems while drilling or completing wells or in production activities, which could adversely affect our business.

While we are drilling and completing wells or involved in production activities, we may have accidents or experience equipment failures or mechanical problems in a well that cause us to be unable to drill and complete the well or to continue to produce the well according to our plans. We may also damage a potential geologic formation that has oil and gas reserves during drilling and completion operations. Such incidents may result in a reduction of our production and reserves from the well or in abandonment of the well.

Our operations will be subject to operational hazards and unforeseen interruptions for which we may not be adequately insured.

There are numerous operational hazards inherent in oil and natural gas exploration, development, production and gathering, including:

In addition, there is an inherent risk of incurring significant environmental costs and liabilities in the performance of our operations, some of which may be material, due to our handling of petroleum hydrocarbons and wastes, our emissions to air and water, the underground injection or other disposal of our wastes, the use of hydraulic fracturing fluids and historical industry operations and waste disposal practices.

Any of these or other similar occurrences could result in the disruption or impairment of our operations, substantial repair costs, personal injury or loss of human life, significant damage to property, environmental pollution and substantial revenue losses. The location of our wells, gathering systems, pipelines, and other facilities near populated areas, including residential areas, commercial business centers and industrial sites, could significantly increase the level of damages resulting from these risks. Insurance against all operational risks is not available to us. We are not fully insured against all risks, including development and completion risks that are generally not recoverable from third parties or insurance. In addition, pollution and environmental risks generally are not fully insurable. We anticipate that we will obtain and maintain at least $5 million in general liability coverage and at least $5 million umbrella coverage that covers our and our subsidiaries’ business and operations once operations begin following this offering. With respect to our other non-operated assets, we may elect not to obtain insurance if we believe that the cost of available insurance is excessive relative to the perceived risks presented. Losses could, therefore, occur for uninsurable or uninsured risks or in amounts in excess of existing insurance coverage. Moreover, insurance may not be available in the future at commercially reasonable prices or on commercially reasonable terms. Changes in the insurance markets due to various factors may make it more difficult for us to obtain certain types of coverage in the future. As a result, we may not be able to obtain the levels or types of insurance we would otherwise have obtained prior to these market changes, and the insurance coverage we do obtain may not cover certain hazards or all potential losses that are currently covered and may be subject to large deductibles. Losses and liabilities from uninsured and underinsured events and delay in the payment of insurance proceeds could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Our strategy as an onshore resource player may result in operations concentrated in certain geographic areas and may increase our exposure to many of the risks described in this prospectus.

Our current operations are expected to initially be in Utah, and then subsequently in Louisiana. This concentration may increase the potential impact of many of the risks described in this prospectus. For example, we may have greater exposure to regulatory actions impacting these two states, adverse weather and natural disasters in Utah and Louisiana, competition for equipment, services, and materials available in, and access to infrastructure and markets in, these states.

Unless we replace our future oil and natural gas reserves, our reserves and production will decline, which will adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

The rate of production from our oil and natural gas properties will decline as our reserves are depleted. Our future oil and natural gas reserves and production and, therefore, our future income and cash flow, will be highly dependent on our success in (a) efficiently developing and exploiting our future reserves on properties owned by us or by other persons or entities; and (b) economically finding or acquiring additional oil and natural gas producing properties. In the future, we may have difficulty acquiring new properties. During periods of low oil and/or natural gas prices, it will become more difficult to raise the capital necessary to finance expansion activities. If we are unable to replace our future production, our future reserves will decrease, and our business, financial condition and results of operations would be adversely affected.

Our strategy includes acquisitions of oil and natural gas properties, and our failure to identify or complete future acquisitions successfully, or not produce projected revenues associated with the future acquisitions could reduce our earnings and hamper our growth.

We may be unable to identify properties for acquisition or to make acquisitions on terms that we consider economically acceptable. There is intense competition for acquisition opportunities in our industry. Competition for acquisitions may increase the cost of, or cause us to refrain from, completing acquisitions. The completion and pursuit of acquisitions may be dependent upon, among other things, our ability to obtain debt and equity financing and, in some cases, regulatory approvals. Our ability to grow through acquisitions will require us to continue to invest in operations, financial and management information systems and to attract, retain, motivate, and effectively manage our employees. The inability to manage the integration of acquisitions effectively could reduce our focus on subsequent acquisitions and current operations and could negatively impact our results of operations and growth potential. Our financial position and results of operations may fluctuate significantly from period to period as a result of the completion of significant acquisitions during particular periods. If we are not successful in identifying or acquiring any material property interests, our earnings could be reduced and our growth could be restricted.

We may engage in bidding and negotiating to complete successful acquisitions. We may be required to alter or increase substantially our capitalization to finance these acquisitions through the use of cash on hand, the issuance of debt or equity securities, the sale of production payments, the sale of non-strategic assets, the borrowing of funds or otherwise. If we were to proceed with one or more acquisitions involving the issuance of our common stock or preferred stock, our stockholders would suffer dilution of their interests. Furthermore, our decision to acquire properties that are substantially different in operating or geologic characteristics or geographic locations from areas with which our staff is familiar may impact our productivity in such areas.

We may not be able to produce the projected revenues related to future acquisitions. There are many assumptions related to the projection of the revenues of future acquisitions including, but not limited to, drilling success, oil and natural gas prices, production decline curves and other data. If revenues from future acquisitions do not meet projections, this could adversely affect our business and financial condition.

If we complete acquisitions or enter into business combinations in the future, they may disrupt or have a negative impact on our business.

If we complete acquisitions or enter into business combinations in the future, funding permitting, we could have difficulty integrating the acquired companies’ assets, personnel and operations with our own. Additionally, acquisitions, mergers, or business combinations we may enter into in the future could result in a change of control of the Company, and a change in the board of directors or officers of the Company. In addition, the key personnel of the acquired business may not be willing to work for us. We cannot predict the effect expansion may have on our core business. Regardless of whether we are successful in making an acquisition or completing a business combination, the negotiations could disrupt our ongoing business, distract our management and employees and increase our expenses. In addition to the risks described above, acquisitions and business combinations are accompanied by a number of inherent risks, including, without limitation, the following:

Our business could be severely impaired if and to the extent that we are unable to succeed in addressing any of these risks or other problems encountered in connection with an acquisition or business combination, many of which cannot be presently identified. These risks and problems could disrupt our ongoing business, distract our management and employees, increase our expenses, and adversely affect our results of operations.

Any acquisition or business combination transaction we enter into in the future could cause substantial dilution to existing stockholders, result in one party having majority or significant control over the Company or result in a change in business focus of the Company.

In the future we may incur increased indebtedness which could reduce our financial flexibility, increase interest expense, and adversely impact our operations and our unit costs.

We currently have limited indebtedness, but we may incur significant amounts of indebtedness in the future in order to make acquisitions or to develop our properties. Our level of indebtedness could affect our operations in several ways, including the following:

A high level of indebtedness increases the risk that we may default on our debt obligations. We may not be able to generate sufficient cash flows to pay the principal or interest on our debt, and future working capital, borrowings or equity financing may not be available to pay or refinance such debt. If we do not have sufficient funds and are otherwise unable to arrange financing, we may have to sell significant assets or have a portion of our assets foreclosed upon which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

We may purchase oil and natural gas properties with liabilities or risks that we did not know about or that we did not assess correctly, and, as a result, we could be subject to liabilities that could adversely affect our results of operations.

Before acquiring oil and natural gas properties, we plan to estimate the reserves, future oil and natural gas prices, operating costs, potential environmental liabilities, and other factors relating to the properties. However, our review will involve many assumptions and estimates, and their accuracy is inherently uncertain. As a result, we may not discover all existing or potential problems associated with the properties we buy. We may not become sufficiently familiar with the properties to assess fully their deficiencies and capabilities. We do not generally anticipate performing inspections on every well or property, and we may not be able to observe mechanical and environmental problems even when we conduct an inspection. The seller may not be willing or financially able to give us contractual protection against any identified problems, and we may decide to assume environmental and other liabilities in connection with properties we acquire. If we acquire properties with risks or liabilities we did not know about or that we did not assess correctly, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected as we settle claims and incur cleanup costs related to these liabilities.

We may incur losses or costs as a result of title deficiencies in the properties in which we invest.

If an examination of the title history of a property that we purchase reveals an oil and natural gas lease has been purchased in error from a person who is not the owner of the property, our interest would be worthless. In such an instance, the amount paid for such oil and natural gas lease as well as any royalties paid pursuant to the terms of the lease prior to the discovery of the title defect would be lost.

Prior to the drilling of an oil and natural gas well, it is the normal practice in the oil and natural gas industry for the person or company acting as the operator of the well to obtain a preliminary title review of the spacing unit within which the proposed oil and natural gas well is to be drilled to ensure there are no obvious deficiencies in title to the well. Frequently, as a result of such examinations, certain curative work must be done to correct deficiencies in the marketability of the title, and such curative work entails expense. Our failure to cure any title defects may adversely impact our ability in the future to increase production and reserves. In the future, we may suffer a monetary loss from title defects or title failure. Additionally, unproved, and unevaluated acreage has greater risk of title defects than developed acreage. If there are any title defects or defects in assignment of leasehold rights in properties in which we hold an interest, we will suffer a financial loss which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our future drilling locations will be identified and development thereof scheduled over several years, making them susceptible to uncertainties that could materially alter the occurrence or timing of their drilling.

In the Imperial Parish Fields, once 3-D seismic has been completed, our management team will seek to identify highly prospective drilling locations in our operating areas that we will seek to develop over a multi-year period. Our ability to drill and develop these locations depends on a number of factors, including the availability of equipment and capital, approval by regulators, seasonal conditions, oil and natural gas prices, assessment of risks, costs, and drilling results. The final determination on whether to drill any of these locations will be dependent upon numerous factors, as well as, to some degree, the results of our drilling activities with respect to our established drilling locations. Because of these uncertainties, we do not know if the drilling locations we have identified will be drilled within our expected timeframe or at all or if we will be able to economically produce hydrocarbons from these or any other potential drilling locations. Our actual drilling activities may be materially different from our current expectations, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

We currently license only a limited amount of seismic and other geological data and may have difficulty obtaining additional data at a reasonable cost, which could adversely affect our future results of operations.

We currently license only a limited amount of seismic and other geological data to assist us in exploration and development activities. We may obtain access to additional data in our areas of interest through licensing arrangements with companies that own or have access to that data or by paying to obtain that data directly. Seismic and geological data can be expensive to license or obtain. We may not be able to license or obtain such data at an acceptable cost. In addition, even when properly interpreted, seismic data and visualization techniques are not conclusive in determining if hydrocarbons are present in economically producible amounts and seismic indications of hydrocarbon saturation are generally not reliable indicators of productive reservoir rock.

The unavailability or high cost of drilling rigs, completion equipment and services, supplies and personnel, including hydraulic fracturing equipment and personnel, could adversely affect our ability to establish and execute exploration and development plans within budget and on a timely basis, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Shortages or the high cost of drilling rigs, completion equipment and services, supplies or personnel could delay or adversely affect our operations. When drilling activity in the United States increases, associated costs typically also increase, including those costs related to drilling rigs, equipment, supplies and personnel and the services and products of other vendors to the industry. These costs may increase, and necessary equipment and services may become unavailable to us at economical prices. Should this increase in costs occur, we may delay drilling activities, which may limit our ability to establish and replace reserves, or we may incur these higher costs, which may negatively affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

In addition, in the past, the demand for hydraulic fracturing services has exceeded the availability of fracturing equipment and crews across the industry and in our operating areas in particular. The accelerated wear and tear of hydraulic fracturing equipment due to its deployment in unconventional oil and natural gas fields characterized by longer lateral lengths and larger numbers of fracturing stages may further amplify this equipment and crew shortage. Although we believe there is currently sufficient supply of hydraulic fracturing services, if demand for fracturing services increases or the supply of fracturing equipment and crews decreases, then higher costs could result and could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

The marketability of our future production will be dependent upon oil and natural gas gathering and transportation and storage facilities owned and operated by third parties, and the unavailability of satisfactory oil and natural gas transportation arrangements will have a material adverse effect on our revenue.

The availability of a ready market for our planned future oil and natural gas production depends on a number of factors, including the demand for, and supply of, oil and natural gas and the proximity of reserves to pipelines, terminal facilities, and storage facilities. Our ability to market our future planned production will depend in substantial part on the availability and capacity of gathering systems, pipelines and processing facilities owned and operated by third parties. Our failure to obtain these services on acceptable terms could materially harm our business. We do not expect to purchase firm transportation capacity on third-party facilities. Therefore, we expect the transportation of our production to be generally interruptible in nature and lower in priority to those having firm transportation arrangements.

The disruption of third-party facilities due to maintenance and/or weather could negatively impact our ability to market and deliver our future products. The third parties’ control when or if such facilities are restored after disruption, and what prices will be charged for products. Federal and state regulation of oil and natural gas production and transportation, tax and energy policies, changes in supply and demand, pipeline pressures, damage to or destruction of pipelines and general economic conditions could adversely affect our ability to produce, gather and transport oil and natural gas.

An increase in differential between the NYMEX or other benchmark prices of oil and natural gas and the wellhead price we receive for our future production will adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

The prices that we will receive for our oil and natural gas production sometimes may reflect a discount to the relevant benchmark prices, such as the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX), that are used for calculating hedge positions. The difference between the benchmark price and the prices we receive is called a differential. Increases in the differential between the benchmark prices for oil and natural gas and the wellhead price we receive will adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. We do not have, and may not have in the future, any derivative contracts or hedging covering the amount of the basis differentials we experience in respect of our production. As such, we will be exposed to any increase in such differentials.

Financial difficulties encountered by our oil and natural gas purchasers, third-party operators or other third parties could decrease our cash flow from operations and adversely affect the exploration and development of our prospects and assets.

We plan to derive substantially all of our revenues from the sale of our oil and natural gas to unaffiliated third-party purchasers, independent marketing companies and mid-stream companies. Any delays in payments from our purchasers caused by financial problems encountered by them will have an immediate negative effect on our results of operations.

Liquidity and cash flow problems encountered by our working interest co-owners or the third-party operators of our non-operated properties may prevent or delay the drilling of a well or the development of a project. Our working interest co-owners may be unwilling or unable to pay their share of the costs of projects as they become due. In the case of a farmout party, we would have to find a new farmout party or obtain alternative funding in order to complete the exploration and development of the prospects subject to a farmout agreement. In the case of a working interest owner, we could be required to pay the working interest owner’s share of the project costs. We cannot assure you that we would be able to obtain the capital necessary to fund either of these contingencies or that we would be able to find a new farmout party.

Our industry requires us to navigate many uncertainties that could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

Our financial condition and results of operations depend on the success of our development and acquisition activities, which are subject to numerous risks beyond our control, including the risk that development will not result in commercially viable production or uneconomic results or that various characteristics of the drilling process or the well will cause us to abandon the well prior to fully producing commercially viable quantities.

Our decisions to purchase, explore or develop properties will depend in part on the evaluation of data obtained through geophysical and geological analyses, production data and engineering studies, the results of which are often inconclusive or subject to varying interpretations. In addition, our actual development cost for a well could significantly exceed planned levels.

Further, many factors may curtail, disrupt, delay, or cancel our future scheduled drilling projects and operations, including the following:

Any of these risks can cause substantial losses, including personal injury or loss of life, damage to property, reserves and equipment, pollution, environmental contamination, and regulatory penalties.

Competition in the oil and natural gas industry is intense, making it difficult for us to acquire properties, market oil and natural gas and secure trained personnel.

Our ability to acquire additional prospects and to find and develop reserves in the future will depend on our ability to evaluate and select suitable properties and to consummate transactions in a highly competitive environment for acquiring properties, marketing oil and natural gas and securing trained personnel. Also, there is substantial competition for capital available for investment in the oil and natural gas industry. Many of our competitors possess and employ financial, technical and personnel resources substantially greater than ours, and many of our competitors have more established presences in the United States than we have. Those companies may be able to pay more for productive oil and natural gas properties and exploratory prospects and to evaluate, bid for and purchase a greater number of properties and prospects than our financial or personnel resources permit. In addition, other companies may be able to offer better compensation packages to attract and retain qualified personnel than we are able to offer. The cost to attract and retain qualified personnel has increased in recent years due to competition and may increase substantially in the future. We may not be able to compete successfully in the future in acquiring prospective reserves, developing reserves, marketing hydrocarbons, attracting and retaining quality personnel and raising additional capital, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Our competitors may use superior technology and data resources that we may be unable to afford or that would require a costly investment by us in order to compete with them more effectively.

Our industry is subject to rapid and significant advancements in technology, including the introduction of new products and services using new technologies and databases. As our competitors use or develop new technologies, we may be placed at a competitive disadvantage, and competitive pressures may force us to implement new technologies at a substantial cost. In addition, many of our competitors will have greater financial, technical and personnel resources that allow them to enjoy technological advantages and may in the future allow them to implement new technologies before we can. We cannot be certain that we will be able to implement technologies on a timely basis or at a cost that is acceptable to us. One or more of the technologies that we will use or that we may implement in the future may become obsolete, and we may be adversely affected.

If we do not hedge our exposure to reductions in oil and natural gas prices, we may be subject to significant reductions in prices. Alternatively, we may use oil and natural gas price hedging contracts, which involve credit risk and may limit future revenues from price increases and result in significant fluctuations in our profitability.

In the event that we choose not to hedge our exposure to reductions in future oil and natural gas prices by purchasing futures and/or by using other hedging strategies, we may be subject to a significant reduction in prices which could have a material negative impact on our profitability. Alternatively, we may elect to use hedging transactions with respect to a portion of our future oil and natural gas production to achieve more predictable cash flow and to reduce our exposure to price fluctuations. While the use of hedging transactions limits the downside risk of price declines, their use also may limit future revenues from price increases. Hedging transactions also involve the risk that the counterparty may be unable to satisfy its obligations.

Uncertainties associated with enhanced recovery methods may result in us not realizing an acceptable return on our investments in such projects.

Production and reserves, if any, attributable to the use of enhanced recovery methods are inherently difficult to predict. If our enhanced recovery methods do not allow for the extraction of crude oil, natural gas, and associated liquids in a manner or to the extent that we anticipate, we may not realize an acceptable return on our investments in such projects. In addition, as proposed legislation and regulatory initiatives relating to hydraulic fracturing become law, the cost of some of these enhanced recovery methods could increase substantially.

Competition for hydraulic fracturing services and water disposal could impede our ability to develop our oil and gas plays.

The unavailability or high cost of high-pressure pumping services (or hydraulic fracturing services), chemicals, proppant, water and water disposal and related services and equipment could limit our ability to execute our exploration and development plans on a timely basis and within our budget. The U.S. oil and natural gas industry is experiencing a growing emphasis on the exploitation and development of shale natural gas and shale oil resource plays, which are dependent on hydraulic fracturing for economically successful development. Hydraulic fracturing in oil and gas plays requires high pressure pumping service crews. A shortage of service crews or proppant, chemical, water, or water disposal options, especially if this shortage occurred in Utah or Louisiana, could materially and adversely affect our operations and the timeliness of executing our development plans within our budget.

Our operations will be substantially dependent on the availability of water. Restrictions on our ability to obtain water may have an adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Water is an essential component of shale oil and natural gas production during both the drilling and hydraulic fracturing processes. When drought conditions occur, governmental authorities may restrict the use of water subject to their jurisdiction for hydraulic fracturing to protect local water supplies. If we are unable to obtain water to use in our operations from local sources or dispose of or recycle water used in operations, or if the price of water or water disposal increases significantly, we may be unable to produce oil and natural gas economically, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

A substantial percentage of our properties will be undeveloped; therefore, the risk associated with our success is greater than would be the case if the majority of such properties were categorized as proved developed producing.

Because a substantial percentage of our properties will be undeveloped, we will require significant additional capital to develop such properties before they may become productive. Further, because of the inherent uncertainties associated with drilling for oil and gas, some of these properties may never be developed to the extent that they result in positive cash flow. Even if we are successful in our development efforts, it could take several years for a significant portion of our undeveloped properties to be converted to positive cash flow.

Prospects that we decide to drill may not yield oil or natural gas in commercially viable quantities.

Most of our prospects will require substantial seismic data processing and interpretation. There is no way to predict in advance of drilling and testing whether any particular prospect will yield oil or natural gas in sufficient quantities to recover drilling or completion costs or to be economically viable. This risk may be enhanced in our situation, due to the fact that a significant percentage of our prospects are undeveloped. The use of seismic data and other technologies and the study of producing fields in the same area will not enable us to know conclusively prior to drilling whether oil or natural gas will be present or, if present, whether oil or natural gas will be present in commercial quantities. We cannot assure you that the analogies we draw from available data obtained by analyzing other wells, more fully explored prospects, or producing fields will be applicable to our drilling prospects.

Negative public perception regarding us and/or our industry could have an adverse effect on our operations.

Negative public perception regarding us and/or our industry resulting from, among other things, concerns raised by advocacy groups about hydraulic fracturing, waste disposal, oil spills, seismic activity, climate change, explosions of natural gas transmission lines and the development and operation of pipelines and other midstream facilities may lead to increased regulatory scrutiny, which may, in turn, lead to new state and federal safety and environmental laws, regulations, guidelines and enforcement interpretations. Additionally, environmental groups, landowners, local groups and other advocates may oppose our operations through organized protests, attempts to block or sabotage our operations or those of our midstream transportation providers, intervene in regulatory or administrative proceedings involving our assets or those of our midstream transportation providers, or file lawsuits or other actions designed to prevent, disrupt or delay the development or operation of our assets and business or those of our midstream transportation providers. These actions may cause operational delays or restrictions, increased operating costs, additional regulatory burdens, and increased risk of litigation. Moreover, governmental authorities exercise considerable discretion in the timing and scope of permit issuance and the public may engage in the permitting process, including through intervention in the courts. Negative public perception could cause the permits we require to conduct our operations to be withheld, delayed, or burdened by requirements that restrict our ability to profitably conduct our business.

Recently, activists concerned about the potential effects of climate change have directed their attention towards sources of funding for fossil-fuel energy companies, which has resulted in certain financial institutions, funds and other sources of capital restricting or eliminating their investment in energy-related activities. Ultimately, this could make it more difficult to secure funding for exploration and production activities.

Our development and exploratory drilling efforts and our well operations may not be profitable or achieve our targeted returns.

We have acquired options to purchase unproved property in order to further our development efforts and expect to continue to undertake acquisitions in the future. Development and exploratory drilling and production activities are subject to many risks, including the risk that no commercially productive reservoirs will be discovered. We expect to acquire unproved properties and lease undeveloped acreage that we believe will enhance our growth potential and increase our results of operations over time. However, we cannot assure you that all prospects will be economically viable or that we will not abandon our investments. Additionally, we cannot assure you that unproved property acquired by us or undeveloped acreage leased by us will be profitably developed, that wells drilled by us in prospects that we pursue will be productive or that we will recover all or any portion of our investment in such unproved property or wells.

Risks Relating to Climate Change and Environmental, Social, and Governance Matters

The physical effects of climate change could disrupt our production and cause us to incur significant costs in preparing for or responding to those effects. An economy-wide transition to lower greenhouse gas (GHG) energy sources could have a variety of adverse effects on our operations and financial results.

Many scientists have shown that increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane and other GHGs in the Earth’s atmosphere are changing global climate patterns. One consequence of climate change could be increased severity of extreme weather, such as increased hurricanes and floods. If such events were to occur, or become more frequent, our operations could be adversely affected in various ways, including through damage to our facilities or from increased costs for insurance.

Another possible consequence of climate change is increased volatility in seasonal temperatures. The market for natural gas is generally improved by periods of colder weather and impaired by periods of warmer weather, so any changes in climate could affect the market for the fuels that we produce. As a result, if there is an overall trend of warmer temperatures, it would be expected to have an adverse effect on our business.

Efforts by governments, international bodies, businesses, and consumers to reduce GHGs and otherwise mitigate the effects of climate change are ongoing. The nature of these efforts and their effects on our business are inherently unpredictable and subject to change. However, actions taken by private parties in anticipation of, or to facilitate, a transition to a lower-GHG economy will affect us as well. For example, our cost of capital may increase if lenders or other market participants decline to invest in fossil fuel-related companies for regulatory or reputational reasons. Similarly, increased demand for low-carbon or renewable energy sources from consumers could reduce the demand for, and the price of, the products we produce. Technological changes, such as developments in renewable energy and low-carbon transportation, could also adversely affect demand for our products.

Increasing attention to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) matters may impact our business.

Increasing attention to ESG matters, including those related to climate change and sustainability, increasing societal, investor and legislative pressure on companies to address ESG matters, may result in increased costs, reduced profits, increased investigations and litigation or threats thereof, negative impacts on our stock price and access to capital markets, and damage to our reputation. Increasing attention to climate change, for example, may result in demand shifts for hydrocarbon and additional governmental investigations and private litigation, or threats thereof, against the Company. In addition, organizations that provide information to investors on corporate governance and related matters have developed ratings processes for evaluating companies on their approach to ESG matters, including climate change and climate-related risks. Such ratings are used by some investors to inform their investment and voting decisions. Also, some stakeholders, including but not limited to sovereign wealth, pension, and endowment funds, have been divesting and promoting divestment of or screening out of fossil fuel equities and urging lenders to limit funding to companies engaged in the extraction of fossil fuel reserves. Unfavorable ESG ratings and investment community divestment initiatives, among other actions, may lead to negative investor sentiment toward the Company and to the diversion of investment to other industries, which could have a negative impact on our stock price and our access to and costs of capital. Additionally, evolving expectations on various ESG matters, including biodiversity, waste, and water, may increase costs, require changes in how we operate and lead to negative stakeholder sentiment.

Risks Related to Management, Employees and Directors

We depend significantly upon the continued involvement of our present management.

We depend to a significant degree upon the involvement of our management, specifically, our President and Chief Executive Officer, Michael L. Peterson and our Chief Financial Officer and Secretary, Gregory L. Overholtzer. Our performance and success are dependent to a large extent on the efforts and continued employment of Mr. Peterson and Mr. Overholtzer. We do not believe that Mr. Peterson and Mr. Overholtzer could be quickly replaced with personnel of equal experience and capabilities, and their successor(s) may not be as effective. If Mr. Peterson and Mr. Overholtzer, or any of our other key personnel resign or become unable to continue in their present roles and if they are not adequately replaced, our business operations could be adversely affected.

We also expect to have an active board of directors that anticipates meeting several times throughout the year and expects to be intimately involved in our business and the determination of our operational strategies. Members of our board of directors will work closely with management to identify potential prospects, acquisitions, and areas for further development. If any of our directors resign or become unable to continue in their present role, it may be difficult to find replacements with the same knowledge and experience and as a result, our operations may be adversely affected.

We rely on our management and if they were to not devote sufficient time to our company, our business plan could be adversely affected.

As discussed above, we are largely dependent upon the personal efforts and abilities of our existing management, including Mr. Peterson and Mr. Overholtzer, each of whom plays an active role in our operations. Mr. Peterson and Mr. Overholtzer and certain of our other executives do not work for the Company on a full-time basis. If such executive officers do not devote sufficient time towards our business, we may not be able to effectuate our business plan which would have an adverse effect on our financial conditions and results of operations.

Potential conflicts of interest could arise for certain members of our management team that hold management positions with other entities.

Michael Peterson, our Chief Executive Officer and member of our board of directors, and Gregory L. Overholtzer, our Chief Financial Officer, hold various other directorship and/or management positions with publicly-traded and privately-held companies, some of which are involved in the oil and gas industry, although none are directly competitive with the Company. We believe these positions require only an immaterial amount of each officers’ time and will not conflict with their roles or responsibilities with our company. If any of these companies enter into one or more transactions with our company, or if the officers’ position with any such company requires significantly more time than currently anticipated, potential conflicts of interests could arise from the officers performing services for us and these other entities.

Additionally, Michael Peterson, the Chief Executive Officer and director of the Company, is also the Chief Executive Officer and director of Trio Petroleum Corp., and Frank C. Ingriselli, our Chairman, is also the Vice Chairman and director of Trio. Trio is party to a Leasehold Acquisition and Development Option Agreement with Heavy Sweet with substantially similar terms (except for a $2 million exercise price) as the Company.

Such involvement by management and members of our Board in other businesses (including with Trio) may present an actual or perceived conflict of interest regarding decisions such persons make for us or with respect to the amount of time available for us. Such conflict of interest could result in a material adverse effect on our prospects or operations, require either Mr. Peterson or Mr. Ingriselli to recluse themselves from Board decisions, or result in the value of our securities being worth less than similarly situated companies without conflicts of interest.

Risks Relating to Alternative Fuel Technologies and Renewable Fuels

Improvements in or new discoveries of alternative energy technologies could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Because our future operations will depend on the demand for oil and used oil, any improvement in or new discoveries of alternative energy technologies (such as wind, solar, geothermal, fuel cells and biofuels) that increase the use of alternative forms of energy and reduce the demand for oil, gas and oil and gas related products could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations. We also face competition from competing energy sources, such as renewable energy sources.

Competition due to advances in renewable fuels may lessen the demand for our products and negatively impact our profitability.

Alternatives to petroleum-based products and production methods are continually under development. For example, a number of automotive, industrial, and power generation manufacturers are developing alternative clean power systems using fuel cells or clean-burning gaseous fuels that may address increasing worldwide energy costs, the long-term availability of petroleum reserves and environmental concerns, which if successful could lower the demand for oil and gas. If these non-petroleum-based products and oil alternatives continue to expand and gain broad acceptance such that the overall demand for oil and gas is decreased, it could have an adverse effect on our operations and the value of our assets. 

Risks Relating to Government Regulations

Federal and state legislative and regulatory initiatives regarding hydraulic fracturing as well as governmental reviews of such activities could increase our costs of doing business, result in additional operating restrictions or delays, limit the areas in which we can operate and reduce our natural gas production, which could adversely impact our production and business.

Hydraulic fracturing is an important and common practice that is used to stimulate production of natural gas and/or oil from dense subsurface rock formations. Hydraulic fracturing involves the injection of water, sand or alternative proppant and chemicals under pressure into target geological formations to fracture the surrounding rock and stimulate production. We regularly use hydraulic fracturing as part of our operations. Recently, there has been increased public concern regarding an alleged potential for hydraulic fracturing to adversely affect drinking water supplies, and proposals have been made to enact separate federal, state, and local legislation that would increase the regulatory burden imposed on hydraulic fracturing.

At present, hydraulic fracturing is regulated primarily at the state level, typically by state oil and natural gas commissions and similar agencies. Along with several other states, Louisiana (where we conduct operations) has adopted laws and proposed regulations that require oil and natural gas operators to disclose chemical ingredients and water volumes used to hydraulically fracture wells, in addition to more stringent well construction and monitoring requirements. In addition, the EPA has asserted federal regulatory authority pursuant to the Safe Drinking Water Act over certain hydraulic fracturing activities involving the use of diesel fuels. In addition, local governments may also adopt ordinances within their jurisdictions regulating the time, place, and manner of drilling activities in general or hydraulic fracturing activities in particular or prohibit the performance of well drilling in general or hydraulic fracturing in particular. If new or more stringent federal, state, or local legal restrictions relating to the hydraulic fracturing process are adopted in areas where we operate, we could incur potentially significant added costs to comply with such requirements, experience delays or curtailment in the pursuit of exploration, development, or production activities, and perhaps even be precluded from drilling wells.

Changes in the legal and regulatory environment governing the oil and natural gas industry, particularly changes in the current Louisiana forced pooling system, Utah unitization policies, and new federal orders restricting operations on federal lands, could have a material adverse effect on our business.

Our business is subject to various forms of government regulation, including laws, regulations and federal orders concerning the location, spacing, and permitting of the oil and natural gas wells we drill, among other matters. In particular, the unitization regulations in Utah call for 40 acre spacing in the Asphalt Ridge Asset. Likewise, our business in the Saint Landry Parish located in south central Louisiana plans to utilize a methodology available in Louisiana known as “forced pooling,” which refers to the ability of a holder of an oil and natural gas interest in a particular prospective drilling spacing unit to apply to the Louisiana Department of Conservation for an order forcing all other holders of oil and natural gas interests in such area into a common pool for purposes of developing that drilling spacing unit. Changes in the legal and regulatory environment governing our industry, particularly any changes to Louisiana’s forced pooling procedures that make forced pooling more difficult to accomplish, could result in increased compliance costs and operational delays, and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

In the event that federal, state or local restrictions or prohibitions are adopted in areas where we conduct operations, that restrict operations or otherwise impose more stringent limitations on the production and development of oil and natural gas, we and similarly situated oil and natural exploration and production operators in the state may incur significant costs to comply with such requirements or may experience delays or curtailment in the pursuit of exploration, development, or production activities, and possibly be limited or precluded in the drilling of wells or in the amounts that we and similarly situated operates are ultimately able to produce from our reserves. Any such increased costs, delays, cessations, restrictions, or prohibitions could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, results of operations, financial condition, and liquidity. If new or more stringent federal, state or local legal restrictions relating to the hydraulic fracturing process are adopted in areas where we operate, we could incur potentially significant added cost to comply with such requirements, experience delays or curtailment in the pursuit of exploration, development or production activities, and perhaps even be precluded from drilling wells.

SEC rules could limit our ability to book additional proved undeveloped reserves (“PUDs”) in the future.

SEC rules require that, subject to limited exceptions, PUDs may only be booked if they relate to wells scheduled to be drilled within five years after the date of booking. This requirement has limited and may continue to limit our ability to book additional PUDs as we pursue our drilling program. Moreover, we may be required to write down our PUDs if we do not drill or plan on delaying those wells within the required five-year timeframe. We do not currently have any PUDs as of the date of this prospectus.

New or amended environmental legislation or regulatory initiatives could result in increased costs, additional operating restrictions, or delays, or have other adverse effects on us.

The environmental laws and regulations to which we are subject change frequently, often to become more burdensome and/or to increase the risk that we will be subject to significant liabilities. New or amended federal, state, or local laws or implementing regulations or orders imposing new environmental obligations on, or otherwise limiting, our operations could make it more difficult and more expensive to complete oil and natural gas wells, increase our costs of compliance and doing business, delay or prevent the development of resources (especially from shale formations that are not commercial without the use of hydraulic fracturing), or alter the demand for and consumption of our products. Any such outcome could have a material and adverse impact on our cash flows and results of operations.

Proposals are made from time to time to adopt new, or amend existing, laws and regulations to address hydraulic fracturing or climate change concerns through further regulation of exploration and development activities. Please read “Business”— “Regulation of the Oil and Gas Industry” and “Regulation of Environmental and Occupational Safety and Health Matters” for a further description of the laws and regulations that affect us. We cannot predict the nature, outcome, or effect on us of future regulatory initiatives, but such initiatives could materially impact our results of operations, production, reserves, and other aspects of our business.

Proposed changes to U.S. tax laws, if adopted, could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

From time to time, legislative proposals are made that would, if enacted, result in the elimination of the immediate deduction for intangible drilling and development costs, the elimination of the deduction from income for domestic production activities relating to oil and gas exploration and development, the repeal of the percentage depletion allowance for oil and gas properties, and an extension of the amortization period for certain geological and geophysical expenditures. Such changes, if adopted, or other similar changes that reduce or eliminate deductions currently available with respect to oil and gas exploration and development, could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

We may incur substantial costs to comply with the various federal, state, and local laws and regulations that affect our oil and natural gas operations, including as a result of the actions of third parties.

We are affected significantly by a substantial number of governmental regulations relating to, among other things, the release or disposal of materials into the environment, health and safety, land use, and other matters. A summary of the principal environmental rules and regulations to which we are currently subject is set forth in “Business” — “Regulation of the Oil and Gas Industry” and “Regulation of Environmental and Occupational Safety and Health Matters”. Compliance with such laws and regulations often increases our cost of doing business and thereby decreases our profitability. Failure to comply with these laws and regulations may result in the assessment of administrative, civil, and criminal penalties, the incurrence of investigatory or remedial obligations, or the issuance of cease and desist orders.

The environmental laws and regulations to which we are subject may, among other things:

In addition, we could face liability under applicable environmental laws and regulations as a result of the activities of previous owners of our properties or other third parties. For example, over the years, we have owned or leased numerous properties for oil and natural gas activities upon which petroleum hydrocarbons or other materials may have been released by us or by predecessor property owners or lessees who were not under our control. Under applicable environmental laws and regulations, including The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act – otherwise known as CERCLA or Superfund, and state laws, we could be held liable for the removal or remediation of previously released materials or property contamination at such locations, or at third-party locations to which we have sent waste, regardless of our fault, whether we were responsible for the release or whether the operations at the time of the release were lawful.

Compliance with, or liabilities associated with violations of or remediation obligations under, environmental laws and regulations could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

Regulations could adversely affect our ability to hedge risks associated with our business and our operating results and cash flows.

Rules adopted by federal regulators establishing federal regulation of the over-the-counter (“OTC”) derivatives market and entities that participate in that market may adversely affect our ability to manage certain of our risks on a cost-effective basis. Such laws and regulations may also adversely affect our ability to execute our strategies with respect to hedging our exposure to variability in expected future cash flows attributable to the future sale of our oil and gas.

We expect that our potential future hedging activities will be subject to significant and developing regulations and regulatory oversight. However, the full impact of the various U.S. regulatory developments in connection with these activities will not be known with certainty until such derivatives market regulations are fully implemented and related market practices and structures are fully developed.

The Federal Government previously instituted a moratorium on new oil and gas leases and permits on federal onshore and offshore lands, which may have a material adverse effect on the Company and its results of operations.

On January 20, 2021, the Acting U.S. Interior Secretary, instituted a 60-day moratorium on new oil and gas leases and permits on federal onshore and offshore lands, which was subsequently extended indefinitely. In June 2021, a federal judge issued an injunction lifting the moratorium, provided that the federal government is appealing the injunction. It is currently unclear whether the moratorium will be reinstated, or whether such moratorium is the start of a change in federal policies regarding the grant of oil and gas permits on federal lands. It is currently unclear whether the moratorium will be reinstated, or whether such moratorium is the start of a change in federal policies regarding the grant of oil and gas permits on federal lands. The moratorium does not affect the Company, as the Company does not anticipate owning or operating any acreage on federal lands; however, if such prior moratorium was to become permanent, or the federal government in the future were to grant less permits on federal lands, make such permitting process more difficult, costly, or to institute more stringent rules relating to such permitting process, and if the Company desires to acquire acreage interests on federal lands in the future, it could have a material adverse effect on the value of such leases and/or our ability to undertake oil and gas operations on such leases on federal lands.

We will incur significant costs to ensure compliance with U.S. and Nasdaq reporting and corporate governance requirements.

We will incur significant costs associated with our public company reporting requirements and with applicable U.S. and Nasdaq corporate governance requirements, including requirements under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and other rules implemented by the SEC and Nasdaq. We expect all of these applicable rules and regulations to significantly increase our legal and financial compliance costs and to make some activities more time consuming and costly. We also expect that these applicable rules and regulations may make it more difficult and more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance and we may be required to accept reduced policy limits and coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain the same or similar coverage. As a result, it may be more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified individuals to serve on our Board of Directors or as executive officers.

Future litigation or governmental proceedings could result in material adverse consequences, including judgments or settlements.

From time to time, we may be involved in lawsuits, regulatory inquiries and may be involved in governmental and other legal proceedings arising out of the ordinary course of our business. Many of these matters raise difficult and complicated factual and legal issues and are subject to uncertainties and complexities. The timing of the final resolutions to these types of matters is often uncertain. Additionally, the possible outcomes or resolutions to these matters could include adverse judgments or settlements, either of which could require substantial payments, adversely affecting our results of operations and liquidity.

We may be subject in the normal course of business to judicial, administrative, or other third-party proceedings that could interrupt or limit our operations, require expensive remediation, result in adverse judgments, settlements or fines and create negative publicity.

Governmental agencies may, among other things, impose fines or penalties on us relating to the conduct of our business, attempt to revoke or deny renewal of our operating permits, franchises or licenses for violations or alleged violations of environmental laws or regulations or as a result of third-party challenges, require us to install additional pollution control equipment or require us to remediate potential environmental problems relating to any real property that we or our predecessors ever owned, leased or operated or any waste that we or our predecessors ever collected, transported, disposed of or stored. Individuals, citizens groups, trade associations or environmental activists may also bring actions against us in connection with our operations that could interrupt or limit the scope of our business. Any adverse outcome in such proceedings could harm our operations and financial results and create negative publicity, which could damage our reputation, competitive position, and stock price. We may also be required to take corrective actions, including, but not limited to, installing additional equipment, which could require us to make substantial capital expenditures. We could also be required to indemnify our employees in connection with any expenses or liabilities that they may incur individually in connection with regulatory action against us. These could result in a material adverse effect on our prospects, business, financial condition, and our results of operations.

Risks Associated with Our Governing Documents and Delaware Law

Our Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation provides for indemnification of officers and directors at our expense, which may result in a major cost to us and hurt the interests of our stockholders because corporate resources may be expended for the benefit of officers or directors.

Our Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation provides for us to indemnify and hold harmless, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, each person who is or was made a party or is threatened to be made a party to or is otherwise involved in any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative by reason of the fact that he or she is or was a director or officer of the Company or, while a director or officer of the Company, is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, trust, other enterprise or nonprofit entity, including service with respect to an employee benefit plan. These indemnification obligations may result in a major cost to us and hurt the interests of our stockholders because corporate resources may be expended for the benefit of officers or directors.

We have been advised that, in the opinion of the SEC, indemnification for liabilities arising under federal securities laws is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification for liabilities arising under federal securities laws, other than the payment by us of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding, is asserted by a director, officer or controlling person in connection with our activities, we will (unless in the reasonable opinion of our counsel, the matter has been settled by controlling precedent) submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction, the question whether indemnification by us is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue. The legal process relating to this matter if it were to occur is likely to be very costly and may result in us receiving negative publicity, either of which factors is likely to materially reduce the market and price for our shares.

Our Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation contains a specific provision that limits the liability of our directors and officers for monetary damages to the Company and the Company’s stockholders and requires us, under certain circumstances, to indemnify officers, directors and employees.

The limitation of monetary liability against our directors, officers and employees under Delaware law and the existence of indemnification rights to them may result in substantial expenditures by us and may discourage lawsuits against our directors, officers and employees.

Our Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation contains a specific provision that limits the liability of our directors and officers for monetary damages to the Company and the Company’s stockholders. The foregoing indemnification obligations could result in us incurring substantial expenditures to cover the cost of settlement or damage awards against our directors and officers, which the Company may be unable to recoup. These provisions and resultant costs may also discourage us from bringing a lawsuit against our directors and officers for breaches of their fiduciary duties and may similarly discourage the filing of derivative litigation by our stockholders against our directors and officers, even though such actions, if successful, might otherwise benefit us and our stockholders.

Our board of directors can authorize the issuance of preferred stock, which could diminish the rights of holders of our common stock and make a change of control of our company more difficult even if it might benefit our stockholders.

Our board of directors is authorized to issue shares of preferred stock in one or more series and to fix the voting powers, preferences and other rights and limitations of the preferred stock. Shares of preferred stock may be issued by our board of directors without stockholder approval, with voting powers and such preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights and powers as determined by our board of directors, which may be greater than the shares of common stock currently outstanding. As a result, shares of preferred stock may be issued by our board of directors which cause the holders to have majority voting power over our shares, provide the holders of the preferred stock the right to convert the shares of preferred stock they hold into shares of our common stock, which may cause substantial dilution to our then common stock stockholders and/or have other rights and preferences greater than those of our common stock stockholders including having a preference over our common stock with respect to dividends or distributions on liquidation or dissolution.

Investors should keep in mind that the board of directors has the authority to issue additional shares of common stock and preferred stock, which could cause substantial dilution to our existing stockholders. Additionally, the dilutive effect of any preferred stock which we may issue may be exacerbated given the fact that such preferred stock may have voting rights and/or other rights or preferences which could provide the preferred stockholders with substantial voting control over us subsequent to the date of this prospectus and/or give those holders the power to prevent or cause a change in control, even if that change in control might benefit our stockholders. As a result, the issuance of shares of common stock and/or preferred stock may cause the value of our securities to decrease.

Anti-takeover provisions in our Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and our Amended and Restated Bylaws, as well as provisions of Delaware law, might discourage, delay or prevent a change in control of our company or changes in our management and, therefore, depress the trading price of our securities.

Our Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Restated Bylaws and Delaware law contain provisions that may discourage, delay or prevent a merger, acquisition or other change in control that stockholders may consider favorable, including transactions in which you might otherwise receive a premium for our securities. These provisions may also prevent or delay attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our management. Our corporate governance documents include provisions:

As a Delaware corporation, we would also generally be subject to provisions of Delaware law, including Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which limits the ability of stockholders holding shares representing more than 15% of the voting power of our outstanding voting stock from engaging in certain business combinations with us; provided that our Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation provides that we are not subject to Section 203 of Delaware General Corporation Law (DGCL). Any provision of our Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation or Amended and Restated Bylaws or Delaware law that has the effect of delaying or deterring a change in control could limit the opportunity for our stockholders to receive a premium for their shares of our common stock, and could also affect the price that some investors are willing to pay for our common stock.

The existence of the foregoing provisions and anti-takeover measures could limit the price that investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock and warrants. They could also deter potential acquirers of our company, thereby reducing the likelihood that you could receive a premium for your common stock in an acquisition.

Our Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation contain exclusive forum provisions that may discourage lawsuits against us and our directors and officers.

Our Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation provides that unless the Company consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum (an “Alternative Forum Consent”), the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware is the sole and exclusive forum for: (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Company, (ii) any action asserting a claim for breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any current or former director, officer, employee or stockholder of the Company to the Company or the Company’s stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”), the certificate of incorporation or the bylaws of the Company, each as amended, or (iv) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine; provided, however, that, in the event that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware lacks subject matter jurisdiction over any such action or proceeding, the sole and exclusive forum for such action or proceeding shall be another state or federal court located within the State of Delaware, in each such case, unless the Court of Chancery (or such other state or federal court located within the State of Delaware, as applicable) has dismissed a prior action by the same plaintiff asserting the same claims because such court lacked personal jurisdiction over an indispensable party named as a defendant therein.

The choice of forum provision in our Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation does not waive our compliance with our obligations under the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. Moreover, although our Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation states that unless we provide an Alternative Forum, the federal district courts of the United States of America shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and that the exclusive forum provisions do not apply to suits brought to enforce a duty or liability created by the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. Section 27 of the Exchange Act creates exclusive federal jurisdiction over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder, and Section 22 of the Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for federal and state courts with respect to suits brought to enforce a duty or liability created by the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. Accordingly, while suits brought to enforce a duty or liability under the Exchange Act are subject to exclusive federal jurisdiction, both state and federal courts have jurisdiction to entertain claims under the Securities Act and a federal court may be held to be the exclusive jurisdiction to enforce a duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or by the Securities Act. Additionally, while the Delaware courts have determined that choice of forum provisions of the type included in our Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation are facially valid, a stockholder may nevertheless seek to bring a claim in a venue other than those designated in our exclusive forum provision. In such instance, to the extent applicable, we would expect to vigorously assert the validity and enforceability of our exclusive forum provision. This may require additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions and there can be no assurance that the provisions will be enforced by a court in those other jurisdictions.

These exclusive forum provisions may limit the ability of the Company’s stockholders to bring a claim in a judicial forum that such stockholders find favorable for disputes with the Company or the Company’s directors or officers, which may discourage such lawsuits against the Company and the Company’s directors and officers. Alternatively, if a court were to find one or more of these exclusive forum provisions inapplicable to, or unenforceable in respect of, one or more of the specified types of actions or proceedings described above, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such matters in other jurisdictions or forums, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.

Risks Related to Our Common Stock and this Offering

Certain recent initial public offerings of companies with public floats comparable to the anticipated public float of the Company have experienced extreme volatility that was seemingly unrelated to the underlying performance of the respective company. We may experience similar volatility, which may make it difficult for prospective investors to assess the value of our common stock.

In addition to the risks addressed below under the heading “— Our common stock prices may be volatile and could decline substantially following this offering,” our common stock may be subject to extreme volatility that is seemingly unrelated to the underlying performance of our business. The trading price of our common stock following this offering is likely to be volatile, and our common stock may be subject to rapid and substantial price volatility. Such volatility, including any stock-run up, may be unrelated to our actual or expected operating performance, financial condition or prospects, making it difficult for prospective investors to assess the rapidly changing value of our common stock. There have been recent instances of extreme stock price run-ups followed by rapid price declines following initial public offerings, particularly among companies with relatively smaller public floats, and we expect that such instances may continue and/or increase in the future. Contributing to this risk of volatility are a number of factors. First, our common stock is likely to be more sporadically and thinly traded than that of larger, more established companies. As a consequence of this lack of liquidity, the trading of relatively small quantities of shares by our shareholders may disproportionately influence the price of those shares in either direction, which may cause our stock price to deviate, potentially significantly, from a price that better reflects the underlying performance of our business. The price of our shares could, for example, decline precipitously in the event that a large number of our shares are sold in the market without commensurate demand as compared to a seasoned issuer that could better absorb those sales without an adverse impact on its stock price. Second, we are a speculative investment due to our limited operating history, not being profitable, and not expecting to be profitable in the near term. As a consequence of this enhanced risk, more risk-adverse investors may, under the fear of losing all or most of their investment in the event of negative news or lack of progress, be more inclined to sell their shares on the market more quickly and at greater discounts than would be the case with the stock of a larger, more established company that has a relatively large public float.

Many of these factors are beyond our control and may decrease the market price of our securities. Such volatility, including any stock run-ups, may be unrelated or disproportionate to our actual or expected operating performance and financial condition or prospects, making it difficult for prospective investors to assess the rapidly changing value of our shares.

Furthermore, the stock market in general, and the market for companies in the oil and gas industry in particular, have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of those companies. Broad market and industry factors, as well as general economic, political and market conditions such as recessions, or changes in inflation or interest rates, may seriously affect the market price of our securities, regardless of our actual operating performance. These fluctuations may be even more pronounced in the trading market for our securities shortly following this offering. As a result of this volatility, investors may experience losses on their investment in our common stock. A decline in the market price of our common stock also could adversely affect our ability to issue additional shares of common stock or other securities and our ability to obtain additional financing in the future. No assurance can be given that an active market in our common shares will develop or be sustained. If an active market does not develop, holders of our common stock may be unable to readily sell the shares they hold or may not be able to sell their shares at all. If the market price of our shares after this offering does not exceed the per share offering price, you may not realize any return on your investment in us and may lose some or all of your investment.

Our common stock price may be volatile and could decline substantially following this offering.

The market price of our common stock may be highly volatile and subject to wide fluctuations. Our financial performance, government regulatory action, tax laws, interest rates, and market conditions in general could have a significant impact on the future market price of our common stock.

Some of the factors that could negatively affect or result in fluctuations in the market price of our common stock include:

Other factors unrelated to our performance that may affect the price of the Company’s securities include the following: (i) the extent of analytical coverage available to investors concerning our business may be limited if investment banks with research capabilities do not follow the Company; (ii) lessening in trading volume and general market interest in the Company’s securities may affect an investor’s ability to trade significant numbers of the Company’s securities; (iii) the size of our public float may limit the ability of some institutions to invest in the Company’s securities; and (iv) a substantial decline in the price of the Company’s securities that persists for a significant period of time could cause the Company’s securities, if listed on an exchange, to be delisted from such exchange further reducing market liquidity. As a result of any of these factors, the market price of the Company’s securities at any given point in time may not accurately reflect our long-term value. Class action litigation often has been brought against companies following periods of volatility in the market price of their securities. We may in the future be the target of similar litigation. Securities litigation could result in substantial costs and damages and divert management’s attention and resources.

The fact that no market currently exists for the Company’s securities may affect the pricing of the Company’s securities in the secondary market, the transparency and availability of trading prices and the liquidity of the Company’s securities. The market price of the Company’s securities is affected by many other variables which are not directly related to our success and are therefore not within our control. These include other developments that affect the market for all oil and gas sector securities, the breadth of the public market for our Company’s securities and the attractiveness of alternative investments. The effect of these and other factors on the market price of the Company’s securities is expected to make the price of the Company’s securities volatile in the future, which may result in losses to investors.

The offering price per share of common stock offered under this prospectus may not accurately reflect the value of your investment.

The offering price per common stock share offered by this prospectus was negotiated between us and the underwriter. Factors considered in determining the price of our common stock include:

The offering price may not accurately reflect the value of our common stock and may not be realized upon any subsequent disposition of the common stock.

There is no existing market for our securities and we do not know if one will develop to provide you with adequate liquidity.

Prior to this offering, there has not been a public market for our securities. We cannot assure you that an active trading market for shares of our common stock will develop following this offering, or if it does develop, it may not be maintained. You may not be able to sell your shares of our common stock quickly or at the market price if trading in our securities is not active. The initial public offering price for the common stock offered hereby will be determined by negotiations between us and the underwriter and may not be indicative of prices that will prevail in the trading market.

Because of the speculative nature of investment risk, you may lose your entire investment.

An investment in the Company’s securities carries a high degree of risk and should be considered as a speculative investment. The Company has no history of earnings, limited cash reserves, a limited operating history, has not paid dividends and is highly unlikely to pay dividends in the immediate or near future. The likelihood of success of the Company must be considered in light of the problems, expenses, difficulties, complications and delays frequently encountered in connection with the establishment of any business. An investment in the Company’s securities may result in the loss of an investor’s entire investment. Only potential investors who are experienced in high-risk investments and who can afford to lose their entire investment should consider an investment in the Company.

There is no guarantee that we will be able to comply with Nasdaq’s continued listing standards.

As a condition to consummating this offering, our common stock offered in this prospectus must be listed on Nasdaq. Accordingly, we have applied to list our common stock on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “LEC”. Assuming our common stock is approved for listing on Nasdaq, there can be no assurance any broker will be interested in trading our securities. Therefore, it may be difficult to sell your shares of common stock if you desire or need to sell them. Our underwriter is not obligated to make a market in our securities, and even if it does make a market, it can discontinue market making at any time without notice. Neither we nor the underwriter can provide any assurance that an active and liquid trading market in our securities will develop or, if developed, that such market will continue.

Furthermore, there is no guarantee that we will be able to maintain our listing on Nasdaq for any period of time. Among the conditions required for continued listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market, Nasdaq requires us to maintain at least $2.5 million in shareholders’ equity; or $500,000 in net income over the prior two years or two of the prior three years; or at least $35 million in market value of listed securities, to have a majority of independent directors, and to maintain a stock price over $1.00 per share. Our stockholders’ equity may not remain above Nasdaq’s $2.5 million minimum, we may not generate over $500,000 of yearly net income moving forward, we may not have at least $35 million in market value of listed securities, we may not be able to maintain independent directors (to the extent required), and we may not be able to maintain a stock price over $1.00 per share. Our failure to meet the continued listing standards of Nasdaq may result in our securities being delisted from Nasdaq.

The absence of such a listing may adversely affect the acceptance of our common stock as currency or the value accorded by other parties. Further, if we are delisted, we would also incur additional costs under state blue sky laws in connection with any sales of our securities. These requirements could severely limit the market liquidity of our common stock and the ability of our stockholders to sell our common stock in the secondary market. If our common stock is delisted, our common stock may be eligible to trade on an over-the-counter quotation system, such as the OTCQB Market or OTC Pink Market, where an investor may find it more difficult to sell our securities or obtain accurate quotations as to the market value of our securities. In the event our common stock is delisted from Nasdaq in the future, we may not be able to list our common stock on another national securities exchange or obtain quotation on an over-the counter quotation system.

We have broad discretion in how we use the proceeds of this offering and may not use these proceeds effectively, which could affect our results of operations and cause the value of our common stock to decline.

We will have considerable discretion in the application of the net proceeds of this offering. As a result, investors will be relying upon management’s judgment with only limited information about our specific intentions for the use of the net proceeds of this offering. We may use the net proceeds for purposes that do not yield a significant return or any return at all for our stockholders. In addition, pending their use, we may invest the net proceeds from this offering in a manner that does not produce income or that loses value.

If our stock price fluctuates after the offering, you could lose a significant part of your investment.

The market price of our common stock could be subject to wide fluctuations in response to, among other things, the risk factors described in this prospectus, and other factors beyond our control, such as fluctuations in the valuation of companies perceived by investors to be comparable to us. Furthermore, the stock markets have experienced price and volume fluctuations that have affected and continue to affect the market prices of equity securities of many companies. These fluctuations often have been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of those companies. These broad market and industry fluctuations, as well as general economic, political, and market conditions, such as recessions, interest rate changes or international currency fluctuations, may negatively affect the market price of our common stock. In the past, many companies that have experienced volatility in the market price of their stock have been subject to securities class action litigation. We may be the target of this type of litigation in the future. Securities litigation against us could result in substantial costs and divert our management’s attention from other business concerns, which could seriously harm our business.

Purchasers in this offering will experience immediate and substantial dilution in net tangible book value.

Because the price per share of our common stock being offered is higher than the book value per share of our common stock, you will suffer substantial dilution in the net tangible book value of the common stock you purchase in this offering. Based on the assumed public offering price of $4.50 per share, the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and the net tangible book value of the common stock of $[_________]  per share as of September 30, 2023, if you purchase common stock in this offering, you will suffer dilution of $[_________] per share in the net tangible book value of the common stock, which will be $[_________] per share following the offering (on an as adjusted basis). See “Dilution“ below for a more detailed discussion of the dilution you will incur if you purchase our common stock in the offering.

Future sales of our common stock, other securities convertible into our common stock, or preferred stock could cause the market value of our common stock to decline and could result in dilution of your shares.

Our Board of Directors is authorized, without your approval, to cause us to issue additional shares of our common stock or to raise capital through the creation and issuance of preferred stock, other debt securities convertible into common stock, options, warrants and other rights, on terms and for consideration as our Board of Directors in its sole discretion may determine.

If our stockholders sell substantial amounts of our common stock in the public market, the market price of our common stock could decrease significantly. The perception in the public market that our stockholders might sell shares of our common stock could also depress the market price of our common stock. A total of 3,152,220 shares of common stock are being registered in the Resale Prospectus and will be available for immediate resale upon effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Additionally, beginning 90 days after the date of this offering a total of an additional 1,993,179 shares of common stock will be available for immediate resale pursuant to Rule 144 of the Securities Act. If our existing stockholders sell, or indicate an intention to sell, substantial amounts of our common stock in the public market, the trading price of our common stock could decline significantly. The underwriter may, at any time, release, or authorize us to release, as the case may be, all or a portion of our common stock subject to the foregoing lock-up provisions. If the restrictions under the lock-up provisions of the lock-up agreements entered into in connection with this offering are waived, shares of our common stock may become available for sale into the market, subject to applicable law, which could reduce the market price for our common stock.

We intend to file a registration statement on Form S-8 under the Securities Act to register an aggregate of 333,334 shares of restricted common stock which we plan to grant under the 2022 Equity Incentive Plan shortly following the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this registration statement forms a part, and an additional 2,204,351 shares of common stock available for future awards under our 2022 Equity Incentive Plan (see “Executive and Director Compensation— 2022 Equity Incentive Plan”, above). Subject to any vesting requirements, these shares registered on Form S-8 will be eligible for resale in the public markets without restriction, subject to Rule 144 limitations applicable to affiliates, upon issuance/award in the future, subject to the lock-up described below.

We cannot predict the effect, if any, of future sales of our common stock, or the availability of our common stock for future sales, on the value of our common stock. Sales of substantial amounts of our common stock by large stockholders, or the perception that such sales could occur, may adversely affect the market price of our common stock.

The market price for shares of our common stock may drop significantly when such securities are sold in the public markets. A decline in the price of shares of our common stock might impede our ability to raise capital through the issuance of additional shares of our common stock or other equity securities. 

We have no intention of declaring dividends in the foreseeable future.

The decision to pay cash dividends on our common stock rests with our Board of Directors and will depend on our earnings, unencumbered cash, capital requirements and financial condition. We do not anticipate declaring any dividends in the foreseeable future, as we intend to use any excess cash to fund our operations. Investors in our common stock should not expect to receive dividend income on their investment, and investors will be dependent on the appreciation of our common stock to earn a return on their investment.

General Risk Factors

We have a short operating history in an evolving industry and, as a result, our past results may not be indicative of future operating performance.

We have a short operating history in a rapidly evolving industry that may not develop in a manner favorable to our business. Our relatively short operating history makes it difficult to assess our future performance. You should consider our business and prospects in light of the risks and difficulties we may encounter.

Our future success will depend in large part upon our ability to, among other things:

If we fail to address the risks and difficulties that we face, including those associated with the challenges listed above as well as those described elsewhere in this “Risk Factors” section, our business and our operating results will be adversely affected.

Failure to adequately manage our planned aggressive growth strategy may harm our business or increase our risk of failure.

For the foreseeable future, we intend to pursue an aggressive growth strategy for the expansion of our operations. Our ability to rapidly expand our operations will depend upon many factors, including our ability to work in a regulated environment, establish and maintain strategic relationships with suppliers, and obtain adequate capital resources on acceptable terms. Any restrictions on our ability to expand may have a materially adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition. Accordingly, we may be unable to achieve our targets for growth, and our operations may not be successful or achieve anticipated operating results.

Additionally, our growth may place a significant strain on our managerial, administrative, operational, and financial resources and our infrastructure. Our future success will depend, in part, upon the ability of our senior management to manage growth effectively. This will require us to, among other things:

As a result, we may lack the resources to deploy our services on a timely and cost-effective basis. Failure to accomplish any of these requirements could have an adverse effect on future operating results.

If we make any acquisitions, they may disrupt or have a negative impact on our business.

If we make acquisitions in the future, we could have difficulty integrating the acquired company’s assets, personnel and operations with our own. We do not anticipate that any acquisitions or mergers we may enter into in the future would result in a change of control of the Company. In addition, the key personnel of the acquired business may not be willing to work for us. We cannot predict the effect expansion may have on our core business. Regardless of whether we are successful in making an acquisition, the negotiations could disrupt our ongoing business, distract our management and employees and increase our expenses. In addition to the risks described above, acquisitions are accompanied by a number of inherent risks, including, without limitation, the following:

Our business could be severely impaired if and to the extent that we are unable to succeed in addressing any of these risks or other problems encountered in connection with an acquisition, many of which cannot be presently identified. These risks and problems could disrupt our ongoing business, distract our management and employees, increase our expenses and adversely affect our results of operations.

We may apply working capital and future funding to uses that ultimately do not improve our operating results or increase the value of our securities.

In general, we have complete discretion over the use of our working capital and any new investment capital we may obtain in the future. Because of the number and variety of factors that could determine our use of funds, our ultimate expenditure of funds (and their uses) may vary substantially from our current intended operating plan for such funds. Our management has broad discretion to use any or all of our available capital reserves. Our capital could be applied in ways that do not improve our operating results or otherwise increase the value of a stockholder’s investment.

Claims, litigation, government investigations, and other proceedings may adversely affect our business and results of operations.

We may be subject to actual and threatened claims, litigation, reviews, investigations, and other proceedings, including proceedings relating to our operations or those of third parties, and other matters. Any of these types of proceedings, may have an adverse effect on us because of legal costs, disruption of our operations, diversion of management resources, negative publicity, and other factors. The outcomes of these matters are inherently unpredictable and subject to significant uncertainties. Determining legal reserves and possible losses from such matters involves judgment and may not reflect the full range of uncertainties and unpredictable outcomes. Until the final resolution of such matters, we may be exposed to losses in excess of the amount recorded, and such amounts could be material. Should any of our estimates and assumptions change or prove to have been incorrect, it could have a material effect on our business, consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. In addition, it is possible that a resolution of one or more such proceedings, including as a result of a settlement, could require us to make substantial future payments, prevent us from offering certain products or services, require us to change our business practices in a manner materially adverse to our business, requiring development of non-infringing or otherwise altered technologies, damaging our reputation, or otherwise having a material effect on our operations.

We may incur indebtedness in the future which could reduce our financial flexibility, increase interest expense and adversely impact our operations and our costs.

As of the date of this filing we have no indebtedness. However, we may incur significant amounts of indebtedness in the future. Our level of indebtedness could affect our operations in several ways, including the following:

A high level of indebtedness increases the risk that we may default on our debt obligations. We may not be able to generate sufficient cash flows to pay the principal or interest on our debt, and future working capital, borrowings or equity financing may not be available to pay or refinance such debt. If we do not have sufficient funds and are otherwise unable to arrange financing, we may have to sell significant assets or have a portion of our assets foreclosed upon which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Because we are a small company, the requirements of being a public company, including compliance with the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act and the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the Dodd-Frank Act, may strain our resources, increase our costs and distract management, and we may be unable to comply with these requirements in a timely or cost-effective manner.

As a public company with listed equity securities, we must comply with the federal securities laws, rules and regulations, including certain corporate governance provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”) and the Dodd-Frank Act, related rules and regulations of the SEC and the Nasdaq Capital Market, with which a private company is not required to comply. Complying with these laws, rules and regulations will occupy a significant amount of time of our board of directors and management and will significantly increase our costs and expenses, which we cannot estimate accurately at this time. Among other things, we must:

In addition, being a public company subject to these rules and regulations may require us to accept less director and officer liability insurance coverage than we desire or to incur substantial costs to obtain coverage. These factors could also make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified members of our board of directors, particularly to serve on our audit committee, and qualified executive officers.

Our business could be adversely affected by security threats, including cybersecurity threats.

We face various security threats, including cybersecurity threats to gain unauthorized access to our sensitive information, to seek initiation of unauthorized fund transfers, or to render our information or systems unusable, and threats to the security of our facilities and infrastructure or third-party facilities and infrastructure, such as gathering and processing facilities, refineries, rail facilities and pipelines. The potential for such security threats subjects our operations to increased risks that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. For example, unauthorized access to our seismic data, reserves information or other proprietary information could lead to data corruption, communication interruptions, or other disruptions to our operations.

Our implementation of various procedures and controls to monitor and mitigate such security threats and to increase security for our information, systems, facilities and infrastructure may result in increased capital and operating costs. Moreover, there can be no assurance that such procedures and controls will be sufficient to prevent security breaches from occurring. If any of these security breaches were to occur, they could lead to losses of, or damage to, sensitive information or facilities, infrastructure and systems essential to our business and operations, as well as data corruption, reputational damage, communication interruptions or other disruptions to our operations, which, in turn, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position and results of operations.

The threat and impact of terrorist attacks, cyber-attacks or similar hostilities may adversely impact our operations.

We cannot assess the extent of either the threat or the potential impact of future terrorist attacks on the energy industry in general, and on us in particular, either in the short-term or in the long-term. Uncertainty surrounding such hostilities may affect our operations in unpredictable ways, including the possibility that infrastructure facilities, including pipelines and gathering systems, production facilities, processing plants and refineries, could be targets of, or indirect casualties of, an act of terror, a cyber-attack or electronic security breach, or an act of war.

We may have difficulty managing growth in our business, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations and our ability to execute our business plan in a timely fashion.

Because of our small size, growth in accordance with our business plans, if achieved, will place a significant strain on our financial, technical, operational and management resources. As we expand our activities, including our planned increase in oil exploration, development and production, and increase the number of projects we are evaluating or in which we participate, there will be additional demands on our financial, technical and management resources. The failure to continue to upgrade our technical, administrative, operating and financial control systems or the occurrence of unexpected expansion difficulties, including the inability to recruit and retain experienced managers, geoscientists, petroleum engineers and landmen could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations and our ability to execute our business plan in a timely fashion.

Failure to adequately protect critical data and technology systems could materially affect our operations.

Information technology solution failures, network disruptions and breaches of data security could disrupt our operations by causing delays or cancellation of customer orders, impeding processing of transactions and reporting financial results, resulting in the unintentional disclosure of customer, employee or our information, or damage to our reputation. There can be no assurance that a system failure or data security breach will not have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

Stockholders may be diluted significantly through our efforts to obtain financing and satisfy obligations through the issuance of securities.

Wherever possible, our board of directors will attempt to use non-cash consideration to satisfy obligations. In many instances, we believe that the non-cash consideration will consist of shares of our common stock, preferred stock or warrants to purchase shares of our common stock. Our board of directors has authority, without action or vote of the stockholders, subject to the requirements of Nasdaq (which generally require stockholder approval for any transactions which would result in the issuance of more than 20% of our then outstanding shares of common stock or voting rights representing over 20% of our then outstanding shares of stock, subject to certain exceptions, including sales in a public offering and/or sales which are undertaken at or above the lower of the closing price immediately preceding the signing of the binding agreement or the average closing price for the five trading days immediately preceding the signing of the binding agreement), to issue all or part of the authorized but unissued shares of common stock, preferred stock or warrants to purchase such shares of common stock. In addition, we may attempt to raise capital by selling shares of our common stock, possibly at a discount to market in the future. These actions will result in dilution of the ownership interests of existing stockholders and may further dilute common stock book value, and that dilution may be material. Such issuances may also serve to enhance existing management’s ability to maintain control of us, because the shares may be issued to parties or entities committed to supporting existing management.

Securities analysts may not cover, or continue to cover, our common stock and this may have a negative impact on the market price of our securities.

The trading market for our common stock will depend, in part, on the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us or our business. We do not have any control over independent analysts (provided that we have engaged various non-independent analysts). We currently only have a few independent analysts that cover our common stock, and these analysts may discontinue coverage of our common stock at any time. Further, we may not be able to obtain additional research coverage by independent securities and industry analysts. If no independent securities or industry analysts continue coverage of us, the trading price for our common stock could be negatively impacted. If one or more of the analysts who cover us downgrades our common stock, changes their opinion of our shares or publishes inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, our stock price could decline. If one or more of these analysts ceases coverage of us or fails to publish reports on us regularly, demand for our common stock could decrease and we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which could cause our stock price and trading volume to decline.

The Company does not insure against all potential losses, which could result in significant financial exposure.

The Company does not have commercial insurance or third-party indemnities to fully cover all operational risks or potential liability in the event of a significant incident or series of incidents causing catastrophic loss. As a result, the Company is, to a substantial extent, self-insured for such events. The Company relies on existing liquidity, financial resources and borrowing capacity to meet short-term obligations that would arise from such an event or series of events. The occurrence of a significant incident, series of events, or unforeseen liability for which the Company is self-insured, not fully insured or for which insurance recovery is significantly delayed could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations or financial condition.

Global economic conditions could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and growth.

Adverse macroeconomic conditions, including inflation, slower growth or recession, new or increased tariffs, changes to fiscal and monetary policy, tighter credit, higher interest rates, high unemployment and currency fluctuations could materially adversely affect our operations, expenses, access to capital and the market for oil and gas. In addition, uncertainty about, or a decline in, global or regional economic conditions could have a significant impact on our expected funding sources, suppliers and partners. A downturn in the economic environment could also lead to limitations on our ability to issue new debt; reduced liquidity; and declines in the fair value of our financial instruments. These and other economic factors could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and growth.

We may be adversely affected by climate change or by legal, regulatory or market responses to such change.

The long-term effects of climate change are difficult to predict; however, such effects may be widespread. Impacts from climate change may include physical risks (such as rising sea levels or frequency and severity of extreme weather conditions), social and human effects (such as population dislocations or harm to health and well-being), compliance costs and transition risks (such as regulatory or technology changes) and other adverse effects. The effects of climate change could increase the cost of certain products, commodities and energy (including utilities), which in turn may impact our ability to procure goods or services required for the operation of our business. Climate change could also lead to increased costs as a result of physical damage to or destruction of our facilities, equipment and business interruption due to weather events that may be attributable to climate change. These events and impacts could materially adversely affect our business operations, financial position or results of operation.

We might be adversely impacted by changes in accounting standards.

Our consolidated financial statements are subject to the application of U.S. GAAP, which periodically is revised or reinterpreted. From time to time, we are required to adopt new or revised accounting standards issued by recognized authoritative bodies, including the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) and the SEC. It is possible that future accounting standards may require changes to the accounting treatment in our consolidated financial statements and may require us to make significant changes to our financial systems. Such changes might have a materially adverse impact on our financial position or results of operations.

* * * * *

For all of the foregoing reasons and others set forth herein, an investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

We make forward-looking statements under the “Prospectus Summary,” “Risk Factors,” “Business,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and in other sections of this prospectus. In some cases, you can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as “may,” “might,” “should,” “would,” “could,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential” or “continue,” and the negative of these terms and other comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements, which are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions about us, may include projections of our future financial performance based on our growth strategies and anticipated trends in our business. These statements are only predictions based on our current expectations and projections about future events. There are important factors that could cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results, level of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. In particular, you should consider the numerous risks and uncertainties described under “Risk Factors.”

While we believe we have identified material risks, these risks and uncertainties are not exhaustive. Other sections of this prospectus describe additional factors that could adversely impact our business and financial performance. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks and uncertainties emerge from time to time, and it is not possible to predict all risks and uncertainties, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements.

Although we believe the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, level of activity, performance or achievements. Moreover, neither we nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of any of these forward-looking statements. You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Except as required by U.S. federal securities law, we are under no duty to update any of these forward-looking statements after the date of this prospectus to conform our prior statements to actual results or revised expectations, and we do not intend to do so.

Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about:

We caution you not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this prospectus in the case of forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus.

USE OF PROCEEDS

We estimate that the net proceeds to us from the sale of our shares of common stock in this offering will be approximately $5.4 million, assuming an initial public offering price of $4.50 per share, the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and offering expenses. Our net proceeds will increase by approximately $0.8 million if the underwriter’s over-allotment option to purchase additional shares of common stock is exercised in full (based on the same assumed offering price as described in the preceding sentence).

A $0.50 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of $4.50 per share of common stock would increase (decrease) the net proceeds to us from this offering by approximately $0.6 million, assuming the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same, and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions. Similarly, each increase (decrease) of 0.25 million shares in the number of shares of common stock offered by us would increase (decrease) the net proceeds to us from this offering by approximately $1.125 million, assuming the assumed initial public offering price of $4.50 per share of common stock remains the same, and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions.

The principal purposes of this offering are to increase our capitalization and financial flexibility, to create a public market for our common stock and to facilitate our future access to the capital markets. As of the date of this prospectus, we cannot specify with certainty all of the particular uses for the net proceeds we receive from this offering. However, we currently intend to use the net proceeds we receive from this offering as follows:

⁽¹⁾ The Company plans to use up to approximately $3 million of the offering proceeds at closing to exercise and develop the Asphalt Ridge Option and develop the Initial Development Opportunities in three wells that the Company anticipates will be drilled and completed by Valkor Oil & Gas LLC, third party operators within the first quarter following the closing of this offering.

⁽²⁾ The Company plans to use a sum total of $120,000 of the offering proceeds at closing to pay Mr. Ingriselli, our Chairman, and Mr. Peterson, our Chief Executive Officer, each a $60,000 bonus for completing a successful IPO in accordance with the terms of their employment/consulting agreements, as discussed in greater detail below under “Executive and Director Compensation — Employment Agreements; and —Consulting Agreements”. The Company also plans to use $42,500 of the offering proceeds at closing to repay Mr. Peterson a $42,500 in non-interest bearing cash advances/loans provided to the Company by Mr. Peterson which was used for general corporate purposes, including working capital and operating expenses and expenses related to this offering, as discussed in greater detail below under “ Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Related Party Loans and Advances.”

In the event that the underwriter exercises its over-allotment option to purchase up to an additional 180,000 shares of common stock to cover over-allotments, we may raise up to an additional $0.8 million through this offering, net of expenses, which funds we plan to use for acquisitions of additional working interests and general working capital.

We will have broad discretion over how to use the net proceeds we receive from this offering. We intend to invest the net proceeds we receive from this offering that are not used as described above in a variety of capital preservation investments, including short-term, investment-grade, interest-bearing instruments and U.S. government securities.

This expected use of the net proceeds from this offering represents our intentions based upon our current plans and business conditions, which could change in the future as our plans and business conditions evolve. We may also use a portion of the net proceeds to acquire or invest in other areas of the energy industry.

We believe that the net proceeds from this offering, together with our existing cash and cash equivalents, will enable us to fund our operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements for the next 12 months following the closing of this offering, except that we expect Heavy Sweet will raise the funds needed to develop additional wells after drilling and completing the Initial Development Opportunities, through an RBL, which RBL may not be available on favorable terms, if at all. We have based this estimate on assumptions that may prove to be incorrect, and we could use our available capital resources sooner than we currently expect. To complete exploration and development of resources we may find, if any, we will be required to raise additional capital. We may satisfy our future cash needs through the sale of equity securities, debt financings, working capital lines of credit, corporate collaborations or license agreements, interest income earned on invested cash balances or a combination of one or more of these sources.

DIVIDEND POLICY

We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our capital stock. We currently intend to retain earnings, if any, to finance the growth and development of our business. We do not expect to pay any cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future. Payment of future dividends, if any, will be at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend on our financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements, restrictions contained in any financing instruments, provisions of applicable law and other factors the board deems relevant.

CAPITALIZATION

The following table sets forth our cash and cash equivalents and capitalization as of September 30, 2023, on:

You should read this capitalization table together with “Use of Proceeds,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our financial statements and the related notes appearing elsewhere in this prospectus.

A $0.50 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of $4.50 per share of common stock, the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase (decrease) each of our as adjusted cash, additional paid-in capital, total stockholders’ equity and total capitalization by approximately $____ million, and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated expenses of the offering. Similarly, each increase (decrease) of 0.25 million shares in the number of shares of common stock offered by us would increase (decrease) each of our as adjusted cash, additional paid-in capital, total stockholders’ equity and total capitalization by approximately $____ million, after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions. 

The number of shares of common stock to be outstanding after this offering is based on 10,753,712 shares outstanding as of September 31, 2023, together with the 2,708,667 shares of common stock included in the pro forma calculations discussed above, and does not give effect to:

DILUTION

Purchasers of our common stock in this offering will experience an immediate dilution of net tangible book value per share from the initial public offering price. Dilution in net tangible book value per share represents the difference between the amount per share paid by the purchasers of shares of common stock and the net tangible book value per share immediately after this offering.

As of September 31, 2023, our net tangible book value was ($0.1) million, or ($0.00) per share of common stock and our pro forma net tangible book value, after taking into account (a) the sale of 20,667 shares of restricted common stock for proceeds of $70,000, after September 30, 2023; and (b) the issuance of 2,688,000 shares of restricted common stock to Heavy Sweet pursuant to the terms of the issuance of 2,688,000 shares of restricted common stock to Heavy Sweet pursuant to the terms of the Leasehold Acquisition and Development Option Agreement , discussed in greater detail below under “Business—Overview—Asphalt Ridge Option (Utah)” in November 2023, in November 2023 (the “Post-September 30, 2023 Sales and Heavy Sweet Issuance”), was $0.0 million, or $0.0 per share of common stock.

Net tangible book value per share represents our total tangible assets, less our total liabilities, divided by the number of outstanding shares of our common stock.

Dilution in net tangible book value per share of common stock represents the difference between the public offering price per share of our common stock in this offering and the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share of our common stock after giving effect to this offering. After giving effect to the sale of shares of common stock in this offering at an assumed offering price of $4.50 per share, the midpoint of the range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and after deducting underwriting commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value would have been $_____ per share. This represents an immediate increase in net tangible book value of $____ per share to our existing stockholders, compared to pro forma net tangible book value per share and immediate dilution of $____ per share to new investors purchasing shares at the proposed public offering price. The following table illustrates the dilution in net tangible book value per share to new investors as of September 30, 2023:  

The dilution information discussed above is illustrative only and may change based on the actual initial public offering price and other terms of this offering. A $0.50 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of $4.50 per share of common stock, the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase (decrease) our as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering by approximately $____ per share and increase (decrease) the dilution to new investors by $____ per share, and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions. Similarly, each increase or decrease of 0.25 million shares in the number of shares of common stock offered by us would increase (decrease) our as adjusted net tangible book value by approximately $___ per share and decrease (increase) the dilution to new investors by approximately $___ per share, in each case assuming the assumed initial public offering price of $4.50 per share of common stock remains the same, and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses.

If the underwriter exercises its option to purchase additional shares of common stock in full, the net tangible book value per share, as adjusted to give effect to this offering, would be $___ per share, and the dilution in net tangible book value per share to investors in this offering would be $___ per share.

The number of shares of common stock to be outstanding after this offering is based on 10,753,712 shares outstanding as of September 31, 2023, together with the 2,708,667 shares of common stock included in the pro forma calculations discussed above, and does not give effect to: