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ITEM 7A. QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE DISCLOSURES
ABOUT MARKET RISK
COMMODITY RISK. Our major market risk
exposure is the commodity pricing applicable to our oil and natural
gas production. Realized commodity prices received for such production
are primarily driven by the prevailing worldwide price for oil and
spot prices applicable to natural gas. The effects of such pricing
volatility have been discussed above, and such volatility is expected
to continue. A 10% fluctuation in the price received for oil and
gas production would have an approximate $5.1 million impact on
our annual revenues and operating income.
To mitigate some of this risk, we engage periodically
in certain limited hedging activities, including price swaps, costless
collars and, occasionally, put options, in order to establish some
price floor protection. Costs and any benefits derived from these
price floors are accordingly recorded as a reduction or increase,
as applicable, in oil and gas sales revenue and were not significant
for any year presented. The costs to purchase put options are amortized
over the option period. We do not hold or issue derivative instruments
for trading purposes. Income and (losses) realized by us related
to these instruments were $(0.9 million), $(1.8 million), and $(1.0
million) or $(0.12), $(0.46) and $(0.21) per MMBtu for the years
ended December 31, 2002, 2003, and 2004, respectively.
INTEREST RATE RISK. Our exposure to
changes in interest rates results from our floating rate debt. In
regards to our Credit Facility, the result of a 10% fluctuation
in short-term interest rates would have impacted 2004 cash flow
by approximately $0.2 million.
FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS & DEBT MATURITIES.
Our financial instruments consist of cash and cash equivalents,
accounts receivable, accounts payable, bank borrowing, Senior Secured
Notes and Senior Subordinated Notes. The carrying amounts of cash
and cash equivalents, accounts receivable and accounts payable approximate
fair value due to the highly liquid nature of these short-term instruments.
The fair values of the bank and vendor borrowings approximate the
carrying amounts as of December 31, 2004 and 2003, and were determined
based upon interest rates currently available to us for borrowings
with similar terms. Maturities of the debt are $0.1 million in 2005,
$0.0 million in 2006, $18.0 million in 2007 and the balance in 2008.
ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY
DATA
The response to this item is included elsewhere
in this report.
ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH
ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
None.
ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
In accordance with Exchange Act 13a-15 and
15d-15, we carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and
with participation of management, including our Chief Executive
Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of our
disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered
by this report. Based on that evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer
and Chief Financial Officer concluded that, except as provided below,
our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of December
31, 2004 to provide reasonable assurance that information required
to be disclosed in our reports filed or submitted under the Exchange
Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time
periods specified in the Securities and Exchange Commission's rules
and forms.
During the course of conducting the December
31, 2004 audit of the consolidated financial statements, several
accounting adjustments were identified that individually and in
the aggregate were not material. However, these accounting adjustments
are an indication of significant deficiencies in our internal control
that, upon complete assessment by management on or before May 2,
2005, may become a material weakness. In addition, as a result of
our ongoing evaluation of internal control over financial reporting,
and in preparation for management's assessment, additional problems
may be identified that result in our disclosure controls and procedures
not being effective at December 31, 2004 for other reasons.
There has been no material change in our internal
control over financial reporting that occurred during the three
months ended December 31, 2004 that has materially affected, or
is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control
over financial reporting.
We are relying on the exemption provided in
the Order of the SEC in Release No. 34-50754 (the "Order"). Accordingly,
we have not included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K either "Management's
Annual Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting," required
by Item 308(a) of Regulation S-K, or the related "Attestation Report
of the Registered Public Accounting Firm,"
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