VKIN Viking Energy Group Inc (QB)

RISK FACTORS

Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risk factors described below before deciding whether to purchase any of the securities being registered pursuant to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. Each of the risk factors described below could adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition, as well as adversely affect the value of an investment in our securities. The occurrence of any of these risks might cause you to lose all or part of your investment. Moreover, the risks described below are not the only risks we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial may also materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. If any of these risks actually occurs, our business, financial condition and results of operations could suffer. 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 Industry and Our Company

Readers should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below.

Our failure to successfully address the risks and uncertainties described below would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and/or results of operations, and the trading price of our common stock may decline and investors may lose all or part of their investment. We cannot assure you that we will successfully address these risks or other unknown risks that may affect our business.

As an enterprise engaged oil and gas exploration and production, power generation, and the development of new technology, our business is inherently risky. Our common shares are considered speculative during the development of our business operations. Prospective investors should carefully consider the risk factors set out below.

We need to continue as a going concern if our business is to succeed.

Our independent registered public accounting firm reports on our audited financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2021, and 2020, indicate that there are a number of factors that raise substantial risks about our ability to continue as a going concern. Such factors identified in the report are our recurring losses from operations since inception and our working capital deficiency. If we are not able to continue as a going concern, investors could lose their investments.

If we lose the services of our Chief Executive Officer, our operations could be disrupted, and our business could be harmed.

We rely heavily on the day-to-day involvement of our CEO, James Doris, in managing the Company’s affairs. Mr. Doris is an integral part of all material elements of our existing operations and immediate growth initiatives. We do not have a long-term employment or other agreement with Mr. Doris. If he ceases to be involved with us for any reason, our operations would likely be disrupted, and our business would likely be harmed.

We only own approximately 60.5% of Simson-Maxwell, and other Simson-Maxwell stakeholders are able to exercise some control over its operations.

We do not own 100% of Simson-Maxwell, but rather we own approximately 60.5% of Simson-Maxwell’s issued and outstanding shares. We are a party to a Shareholders’ Agreement regarding the ownership and governance of Simson-Maxwell, and although we are entitled to elect the majority of the directors of Simson-Maxwell, we have to obtain approval from at least one other shareholder of Simson-Maxwell in connection with the following matters:

Profitability and expansion initiatives at Simson-Maxwell are not guaranteed.

The Company’s majority-owned subsidiary, Simson-Maxwell, provides power generation products, services and custom energy solutions to commercial and industrial clients, primarily in Canada. Simson-Maxwell is not currently operating at a profit and the Company’s objective is to assist Simson-Maxwell with becoming profitable and expanding Simson-Maxwell’s business throughout North America. There can be no assurance either will occur as both initiatives are subject to a number of risks and influences, including several beyond the Company’s control.

The Camber Energy Merger may not ever be consummated.

There is no guaranty we will complete the Merger with Camber Energy. If the Merger is not consummated, we intend to up-list directly to a national stock exchange, but there is no guaranty any such up-listing will occur. As of August 12, 2022, neither Viking nor Camber has advised of its intention to terminate the Merger Agreement. However, given the lapse of time since the date of the Merger Agreement and the lack of progress during that period toward completing the transaction requirements and satisfying the conditions to the Merger, we believe it is reasonably likely that certain terms, including economic terms of the merger, would need to be modified by the parties in order for the parties to proceed with the Merger. While the parties have discussed this likelihood, neither party has determined the revised terms, if any, upon which it would be prepared to proceed with a revised merger agreement. Any revisions to the terms and conditions of the merger agreement would be subject to the written agreement of the parties, and there is no assurance Viking and Camber will agree on any such proposed modifications or conditions.  Moreover, the satisfaction of conditions, whether existing or new, may be outside of Viking’s control.

As at the date hereof, Camber Energy owns approximately 61% of our outstanding shares of common stock, and as such has significant influence over matters requiring the approval of our stockholders.

Changes to the management, ownership and/or capitalization of Camber Energy may influence how Camber Energy manages or otherwise deals with its ownership of shares of common stock of the Company. Camber Energy’s interests may not always be aligned with the interests of the Company.

We have guaranteed Camber Energy’s indebtedness to Camber Energy’s senior secured lender, and we have executed security agreements to secure such guaranty. If there is a default under any of the promissory notes issued by Camber Energy in favor of its senior secured lender, we may be forced to pay amounts due to the lender pursuant to those Camber Energy promissory notes, and we may not have sufficient resources on hand to satisfy those obligations.

Decreases in the availability and quality, or increases in the cost, of raw materials, key components and labor we use to make our products could materially reduce our earnings.

The principal raw materials that we use to produce our products are steel, copper and aluminum as well as batteries and advanced electronic components. We also source a significant number of component parts from third parties that we utilize to manufacture our products. The prices of those raw materials and components are susceptible to significant fluctuations due to trends in supply and demand, commodity prices, currencies, transportation costs, government regulations and tariffs, price controls, economic conditions and other unforeseen circumstances beyond our control. In fact, we have recently seen such trends significantly impact our business resulting in higher costs and shortages in materials, components and labor, and such impacts may continue for the foreseeable future. We typically do not have long-term supply contracts in place to ensure the raw materials and components we use are available in necessary amounts or at fixed prices. In the short term, we have been unable to fully mitigate raw material or component price increases through product design improvements, price increases to our customers, manufacturing productivity improvements, or hedging transactions, and if our mitigation efforts continue to not be fully effective in the short or long term, our profitability could be adversely affected. We have implemented multiple rounds of price increases in 2021 to combat rising input costs. However, these price increases will be fully realized throughout 2022 as the higher pricing works through backlog. Also, our ability to continue to obtain quality materials and components is subject to the continued reliability and viability of our suppliers, including in some cases, suppliers who are the sole source of certain important components. It has been challenging to consistently obtain adequate, cost efficient or timely deliveries of certain required raw materials and components, or sufficient labor resources while we ramp up production to meet higher levels of demand, and if this trend continues, we may be unable to manufacture sufficient quantities of products on a timely basis. This could cause us to lose additional sales, incur additional costs, delay new product introductions or suffer harm to our reputation.

Our business could be negatively impacted if we fail to adequately protect our intellectual property rights or if third parties claim that we are in violation of their intellectual property rights.

We consider our intellectual property rights to be important assets and seek to protect them through a combination of patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret laws, as well as licensing and confidentiality agreements. These protections may not be adequate to prevent third parties from using our intellectual property without our authorization, breaching any confidentiality agreements with us, copying or reverse engineering our products, or developing and marketing products that are substantially equivalent to or superior to our own. The unauthorized use of our intellectual property by others could reduce our competitive advantage and harm our business. Not only are intellectual property-related proceedings burdensome and costly, but they could span years to resolve, and we might not ultimately prevail. We cannot guarantee that any patents, issued or pending, will provide us with any competitive advantage or will not be challenged by third parties. Moreover, the expiration of our patents may lead to increased competition with respect to certain products.

In addition, we cannot be certain that we do not or will not infringe third parties’ intellectual property rights. We currently are, and have previously been, subject to such third-party infringement claims, and may continue to be in the future. Any such claim, even if it is believed to be without merit, may be expensive and time-consuming to defend, subject us to damages, cause us to cease making, using or selling certain products that incorporate the disputed intellectual property, require us to redesign our products, divert management time and attention, and/or require us to enter into costly royalty or licensing arrangements.

We may incur costs and liabilities as a result of product liability claims.

We face a risk of exposure to current and future product liability claims alleging to arise from the use of our products and that may purportedly result in injury or other damage. Although we currently maintain product liability insurance coverage, we may not be able to obtain such insurance on acceptable terms in the future, if at all, or obtain insurance that will provide adequate coverage against potential claims. Product liability claims can be expensive to defend and can divert the attention of management and other personnel for long periods of time, regardless of the ultimate outcome. A significant unsuccessful product liability defense could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, we believe our business depends on the strong brand reputation we have developed. If our reputation is damaged, we may face difficulty in maintaining our market share and pricing with respect to some of our products, which could reduce our sales and profitability.

Demand for the majority of our products is significantly affected by unpredictable power outage activity that can lead to substantial variations in, and uncertainties regarding, our financial results from period to period.

Sales of our products are subject to consumer buying patterns, and demand for the majority of our products is affected by power outage events caused by thunderstorms, hurricanes, ice storms, blackouts, public safety power shutoffs, and other power grid reliability issues. The impact of these outage events on our sales can vary depending on the location, frequency and severity of the outages. Sustained periods without major power disruptions can lead, and in the past have led, to reduced consumer awareness of the benefits of standby and portable generator products and can result and have previously resulted in reduced sales growth rates and excess inventory. There are smaller, more localized power outages that occur frequently that drive a baseline level of demand for back-up power solutions. The lack of major power outage events and fluctuations to the baseline levels of power outage activity are part of managing our business, and these fluctuations could have, and previously have had, an adverse effect on our net sales and profits. Despite their unpredictable nature, we believe power disruptions create awareness and accelerate adoption for our home standby products.

Demand for our products is significantly affected by durable goods spending by consumers and businesses, and other macroeconomic conditions.

Our business is affected by general economic conditions, and uncertainty or adverse changes, such as the prior downturn in U.S. residential investment and the impact of more stringent credit standards, have previously led and could lead again to a decline in demand for our products and pressure to reduce our prices. Our sales of light-commercial and industrial generators are affected by conditions in the non-residential construction sector and by the capital investment trends for small and large businesses and municipalities. If these businesses and municipalities cannot access credit markets or do not utilize discretionary funds to purchase our products as a result of the economy or other factors, our business could suffer and our ability to realize benefits from our strategy of increasing sales in the light-commercial and industrial sectors through, among other things, our focus on innovation and product development, including natural gas engine and modular technology, could be adversely affected. In addition, consumer confidence and home remodeling expenditures have a significant impact on sales of our residential products, and prolonged periods of weakness in consumer durable goods spending has previously had and could again have a material impact on our business. We currently do not have any material contracts with our customers which call for committed volume, and we cannot guarantee that our current customers will continue to purchase our products at the same level, if at all. If general economic conditions or consumer confidence were to worsen, or if the non-residential construction sector or rate of capital investments were to decline, our net sales and profits would likely be adversely affected. Changes in government monetary or fiscal policies may negatively impact our results, including increases in interest rates which could negatively affect overall growth and impact sales of our products. Additionally, timing of capital spending by our national account customers can vary from quarter-to-quarter based on capital availability and internal capital spending budgets. Also, the availability of renewable energy mandates and investment tax credits and other subsidies can have an impact on the demand for energy storage systems. Our global operations are exposed to political and economic risks, commercial instability and events beyond our control in the countries in which we operate. Such risks or events may disrupt our supply chain and not enable us to produce products to meet customer demand.

The industry in which we compete is highly competitive, and our failure to compete successfully could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

We operate in markets that are highly competitive. Some of our competitors have established brands and are larger in size or are divisions of large diversified companies which have substantially greater financial resources than we do. Some of our competitors may be willing to reduce prices and accept lower margins in order to compete with us. In addition, we could face new competition from large international or domestic companies with established brands that enter our end markets. Demand for our products may also be affected by our ability to respond to changes in design and functionality, to respond to downward pricing pressure, and to provide shorter lead times for our products than our competitors. If we are unable to respond successfully to these competitive pressures, we could lose market share, which could have an adverse impact on our results. For further information, see “Item 1—Business—Competition”.

Our industry is subject to technological change, and our failure to continue developing new and improved products and to bring these products rapidly to market could have an adverse impact on our business.

New products, or refinements and improvements to our existing products, may have technical failures, delayed introductions, higher than expected production costs or may not be well accepted by our customers. If we are not able to anticipate, identify, develop and market high quality products in line with technological advancements that respond to changes in customer preferences, demand for our products could decline and our operating results could be adversely affected.

We rely on independent dealers and distribution partners, and the loss of these dealers and distribution partners, or of any of our sales arrangements with significant private label, national, retail or equipment rental customers, would adversely affect our business.

We depend on the services of independent distributors and dealers to sell our products and provide service and aftermarket support to our end customers. We also rely on our distribution channels to drive awareness for our product categories and our brands. In addition, we sell our products to end users through private label arrangements with leading home equipment, electrical equipment and construction machinery companies; arrangements with top retailers and equipment rental companies; and our direct national accounts with telecommunications and industrial customers. Our distribution agreements and any contracts we have with large national, retail and other customers are typically not exclusive, and many of the distributors with whom we do business offer competitors’ products and services. Impairment of our relationships with our distributors, dealers or large customers, loss of a substantial number of these distributors or dealers or of one or more large customers, or an increase in our distributors’ or dealers’ sales of our competitors’ products to our customers or of our large customers’ purchases of our competitors’ products could materially reduce our sales and profits. Also, our ability to successfully realize our growth strategy is dependent in part on our ability to identify, attract and retain new distributors at all layers of our distribution platform, including increasing the number of energy storage distributors, and we cannot be certain that we will be successful in these efforts. For further information, see “Item 1—Business—Distribution Channels and Customers”.

We are unable to determine the specific impact of changes in selling prices or changes in volumes or mix of our products on our net sales.

Because of the wide range of products that we sell, the level of customization for many of our products, the frequent rollout of new products, the different accounting systems utilized, and the fact that we do not apply pricing changes uniformly across our entire portfolio of products, we are unable to determine with specificity the effect of volume or mix changes or changes in selling prices on our net sales.

Policy changes affecting international trade could adversely impact the demand for our products and our competitive position.

Changes in government policies on foreign trade and investment can affect the demand for our products, impact the competitive position of our products or prevent us from being able to sell products in certain countries. Our business benefits from free trade agreements, and efforts to withdraw from, or substantially modify such agreements, in addition to the implementation of more restrictive trade policies, such as more detailed inspections, higher tariffs, import or export licensing requirements, exchange controls or new barriers to entry, could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition or cash flows. For example, we are experiencing increased tariffs on certain of our products and product components. However, these tariffs have not ultimately had a material adverse effect on our results due to the implementation of various mitigation efforts in conjunction with our supply chain and end market partners.

We are currently operating in a period of economic uncertainty and capital markets disruption, which has been significantly impacted by geopolitical in stability due to the ongoing military conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Our business may be materially adversely affected by any negative impact on the global economy and capital markets resulting from the conflict in Ukraine or any other geopolitical t ensions.

U.S. and global markets are experiencing volatility and disruption following the escalation of geopolitical tensions and the start of the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine. On February 24, 2022, a full-scale military invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops was reported. Although the length and impact of the ongoing military conflict is highly unpredictable, the conflict in Ukraine could lead to market disruptions, including significant volatility in commodity prices, credit and capital markets, as well as supply chain interruptions. We are continuing to monitor the situation in Ukraine and globally and assessing its potential impact on our business.

Additionally, Russia’s prior annexation of Crimea, recent recognition of two separatist republics in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine and subsequent military interventions in Ukraine have led to sanctions and other penalties being levied by the United States, European Union and other countries against Russia, Belarus, the Crimea Region of Ukraine, the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, and the so-called Luhansk People’s Republic, including agreement to remove certain Russian financial institutions from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (“SWIFT”) payment system, expansive ban on imports and exports of products to and from Russia and ban on exportation of U.S denominated banknotes to Russia or persons located there. Additional potential sanctions and penalties have also been proposed and/or threatened. Russian military actions and the resulting sanctions could adversely affect the global economy and financial markets and lead to instability and lack of liquidity in capital markets, potentially making it more difficult for us to obtain additional funds. The extent and duration of the military action, sanctions and resulting market disruptions are impossible to predict, but could be substantial. Any such disruptions may also magnify the impact of other risks described in this prospectus.

Oil and gas price fluctuations in the market may adversely affect the results of our operations.

Our profitability, cash flows and the carrying value of our oil and natural gas properties are highly dependent upon the market prices of oil and natural gas. A significant portion of our sales of oil and natural gas, if any, are made in the spot market, or pursuant to contracts based on spot market prices, and not pursuant to long-term, fixed-price contracts. Accordingly, the prices received for our oil and natural gas production are dependent upon numerous factors beyond our control. These factors include the level of consumer product demand, governmental regulations and taxes, the price and availability of alternative fuels, the level of foreign imports of oil and natural gas and the overall economic environment.

Historically, the oil and natural gas markets have proven cyclical and volatile as a result of factors that are beyond our control. Any additional declines in oil and natural gas prices or any other unfavorable market conditions could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition.

Actual quantities of recoverable oil and gas reserves and future cash flows from those reserves most likely will vary from our estimates.

Estimating accumulations of oil and gas is complex. The process relies on interpretations of available geological, geophysical, engineering and production data. The extent, quality and reliability of this data can vary. The process also requires certain economic assumptions, some of which are mandated by the SEC, such as oil and gas prices, drilling and operating expenses, capital expenditures, taxes and availability of funds. The accuracy of a reserve estimate is a function of:

Estimates of proved reserves prepared by others might differ materially from our estimates. Actual quantities of recoverable oil and gas reserves, future production, oil and gas prices, revenues, taxes, development expenditures and operating expenses most likely will vary from our estimates. Any significant variance could materially affect the quantities and net present value of our reserves. In addition, we may adjust estimates of proved reserves to reflect production history, results of exploration and development and prevailing oil and gas prices. Our reserves also may be susceptible to drainage by operators on adjacent properties.

Our operations may require significant expenditures of capital that may not be recovered.

We may require significant expenditures of capital to locate and develop producing properties and to drill new oil and gas wells. In conducting exploration, exploitation and development activities for a particular well, the presence of unanticipated pressure or irregularities in formations, miscalculations or accidents may cause our exploration, exploitation, development and production activities to be unsuccessful, potentially resulting in abandonment of the well. This could result in a total loss of our investment. In addition, the cost and timing of drilling, completing and operating wells is difficult to predict.

Compliance with, or breach of, environmental laws can be costly and could limit our operations.

Our operations will be subject to numerous and frequently changing laws and regulations governing the discharge of materials into the environment or otherwise relating to environmental protection. Any properties we might own for the exploration and production of oil and gas and the wastes disposed on these properties may be subject to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, similar state laws, and similar Canadian laws. Under such laws, we could be required to remove or remediate previously released wastes or property contamination. Laws and regulations protecting the environment have generally become more stringent and may, in some cases, impose “strict liability” for environmental damage. Strict liability means that we may be held liable for damage without regard to whether we were negligent or otherwise at fault. Environmental laws and regulations may expose us to liability for the conduct of or conditions caused by others or for acts that were in compliance with all applicable laws at the time they were performed. Failure to comply with these laws and regulations may result in the imposition of administrative, civil and criminal penalties.

Although we believe that our operations are in substantial compliance with existing requirements of governmental bodies, our ability to conduct continued operations is subject to satisfying applicable regulatory and permitting controls. Our current permits and authorizations and ability to get future permits and authorizations may be susceptible on a going forward basis, to increased scrutiny, greater complexity resulting in increased costs, or delays in receiving appropriate authorizations.

The oil and gas we produce may not be readily marketable at the time of production.

Crude oil, natural gas, condensate and other oil and gas products are generally sold to other oil and gas companies, government agencies and other industries. The availability of ready markets for oil and gas that we might discover and the prices obtained for such oil and gas depend on many factors beyond our control, including:

Natural gas associated with oil production is often not marketable due to demand or transportation limitations and is often flared at the producing well site. Pipeline facilities do not exist in certain areas of exploration and, therefore, we intend on utilizing trucks to transport any oil that is discovered.

The price of oil and natural gas has historically been volatile. If it were to decrease substantially, our projections, budgets and revenues would be adversely affected, potentially forcing us to make changes in our operations.

Our future financial condition, results of operations and the carrying value of any oil and natural gas interests we acquire will depend primarily upon the prices paid for oil and natural gas production. Oil and natural gas prices historically have been volatile, during calendar 2020 significantly decreased, and likely will continue to be volatile in the future, especially given current world geopolitical conditions. Our cash flows from operations are highly dependent on the prices that we receive for oil and natural gas. This price volatility also affects the amount of our cash flows available for capital expenditures and our ability to borrow money or raise additional capital. The prices for oil and natural gas are subject to a variety of additional factors that are beyond our control. These factors include:

These factors as well as the volatility of the energy markets generally make it extremely difficult to predict future oil and natural gas price movements with any certainty. Declines in oil and natural gas prices affect our revenues and could reduce the amount of oil and natural gas that we can produce economically. Accordingly, such declines could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, oil and natural gas reserves and the carrying values of our oil and natural gas properties. If the oil and natural gas industry experiences significant price declines, we may be unable to make planned expenditures, among other things. If this were to happen, we may be forced to abandon or curtail our business operations, which would cause the value of an investment in us to decline in value or become worthless.

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

Viking’s results of operations are materially adversely affected by the conditions of the global economies and the credit, commodities and stock markets. Among other things, Viking has recently been adversely impacted, and anticipates continuing to be adversely impacted, due to a global reduction in consumer demand for oil and gas, and consumer lack of access to sufficient capital to continue to operate their businesses or to operate them at prior levels. In addition, 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 Viking’s results of operations.

We may be forced to write-down material portions of our assets if oil prices decline.

The COVID-19 outbreak and other geopolitical conditions in 2020 led to a rapid decline in oil prices. A decline of oil prices in the future and/or a continued period of low oil and gas prices in the future may force us to incur 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.

If oil or natural gas prices decrease or drilling efforts are unsuccessful, we may be required to record write-downs of our oil and natural gas properties.

We could be required to write down the carrying value of certain of our oil and natural gas properties. Write-downs may occur when oil and natural gas prices are low, or if we have downward adjustments to our estimated proved reserves, increases in our estimates of operating or development costs, deterioration in drilling results or mechanical problems with wells where the cost to re-drill or repair is not supported by the expected economics.

Accounting rules require that the carrying value of oil and natural gas properties be periodically reviewed for possible impairment. Under the full cost method of accounting, capitalized oil and natural gas property costs less accumulated depletion, net of deferred income taxes, may not exceed a ceiling amount equal to the present value, discounted at 10%, of estimated future net revenues from proved oil and natural gas reserves plus the cost of unproved properties not subject to amortization (without regard to estimates of fair value), or estimated fair value, if lower, of unproved properties that are subject to amortization. Should capitalized costs exceed this ceiling, which is tested on a quarterly basis, an impairment is recognized. While an impairment charge reflects our long-term ability to recover an investment, reduces our reported earnings and increases our leverage ratios, it does not impact cash or cash flow from operating activities.

Because of the inherent dangers involved in oil and gas operations, there is a risk that we may incur liability or damages as we conduct our business operations, which could force us to expend a substantial amount of money in connection with litigation and/or a settlement.

The oil and natural gas business involve a variety of operating hazards and risks such as well blowouts, pipe failures, casing collapse, explosions, uncontrollable flows of oil, natural gas or well fluids, fires, spills, pollution, releases of toxic gas and other environmental hazards and risks. These hazards and risks could result in substantial losses to us from, among other things, injury or loss of life, severe damage to or destruction of property, natural resources and equipment, pollution or other environmental damage, cleanup responsibilities, regulatory investigation and penalties and suspension of operations. In addition, we may be liable for environmental damages caused by previous owners of property purchased and leased by us. As a result, substantial liabilities to third parties or governmental entities may be incurred, the payment of which could reduce or eliminate the funds available for exploration, development or acquisitions or result in the loss of our properties and/or force us to expend substantial monies in connection with litigation or settlements. We currently have no insurance to cover such losses and liabilities, and even if insurance is obtained, there can be no assurance that it will be adequate to cover any losses or liabilities. We cannot predict the availability of insurance or the availability of insurance at premium levels that justify our purchase. The occurrence of a significant event not fully insured or indemnified against could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and operations. We may elect to self-insure if management believes that the cost of insurance, although available, is excessive relative to the risks presented. In addition, pollution and environmental risks generally are not fully insurable. The occurrence of an event not fully covered by insurance could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations, which could lead to any investment in us becoming worthless.

We may encounter operating hazards that may result in substantial losses.

We will be subject to operating hazards normally associated with the exploration and production of oil and gas, including hurricanes, blowouts, explosions, oil spills, cratering, pollution, earthquakes, labor disruptions and fires. The occurrence of any such operating hazards could result in substantial losses to us due to injury or loss of life and damage to or destruction of oil and gas wells, formations, production facilities or other properties. We do not maintain insurance coverage for matters that may adversely affect our operations, including war, terrorism, nuclear reactions, government fines, treatment of waste, blowout expenses, wind damage and business interruptions. Losses and liabilities arising from uninsured or underinsured events could reduce our revenues or increase our costs. There can be no assurance that any insurance we do obtain will be adequate to cover losses or liabilities associated with operational hazards. We cannot predict the continued availability of insurance, or its availability at premium levels that justify its purchase.

We face strong competition from larger oil and gas and power companies, which could result in adverse effects on our business.

The petroleum exploration and production and power business is highly competitive. Many of our competitors have substantially larger financial resources, staffs and facilities. Our competitors include numerous major oil and gas exploration and production companies, as well as large power generation and industrial engine manufacturing companies and conglomerates such as General Electric. Additionally, other companies engaged in our line of business may compete with us from time to time in obtaining capital from investors. Competitors include larger companies which, in particular, may have access to greater resources, may be more successful in the recruitment and retention of qualified employees and may conduct their own refining and petroleum marketing operations, which may give them a competitive advantage. Actual or potential competitors may be strengthened through the acquisition of additional assets and interests. Additionally, there are numerous companies focusing their resources on creating fuels and/or materials which serve the same purpose as oil and gas but are manufactured from renewable resources.

Our estimates of the volume of petroleum reserves could have flaws, or such reserves could turn out not to be commercially extractable. as a result, our future revenues and projections could be incorrect.

Estimates of petroleum reserves and of future net revenues prepared by different petroleum engineers may vary substantially depending, in part, on the assumptions made and may be subject to adjustment either up or down in the future. Our actual amounts of production, revenue, taxes, development expenditures, operating expenses, and quantities of recoverable oil and gas reserves may vary substantially from the estimates. Oil and gas reserve estimates are necessarily inexact and involve matters of subjective engineering judgment. In addition, any estimates of our future net revenues and the present value thereof are based on assumptions derived in part from historical price and cost information, which may not reflect current and future values, and/or other assumptions made by us that only represent our best estimates. If these estimates of quantities, prices and costs prove inaccurate, we may be unsuccessful in expanding our oil and gas reserves base with our acquisitions. Additionally, if declines in and instability of oil and gas prices occur, then write downs in the capitalized costs associated with any oil and gas assets we obtain may be required. Because of the nature of the estimates of our reserves and estimates in general, we can provide no assurance that reductions to our estimated proved oil and gas reserves and estimated future net revenues will not be required in the future, and/or that our estimated reserves will be present and/or commercially extractable. If our reserve estimates are incorrect, the value of our common stock could decrease, and we may be forced to write down the capitalized costs of our oil and gas properties.

Our business will suffer if we cannot obtain or maintain necessary licenses.

Our operations will require licenses, permits and in some cases renewals of licenses and permits from various governmental authorities. Our, or our partners’, ability to obtain, sustain or renew such licenses and permits on acceptable terms is subject to change in regulations and policies and to the discretion of the applicable governments, among other factors. Our inability to obtain, or our loss of or denial of extension of, any of these licenses or permits could hamper our ability to produce revenues from our operations.

Our operations may be subject to various litigation matters in the future that could have an adverse effect on our business.

From time to time, we may become a defendant in various litigation matters. The nature of our operations exposes us to further possible litigation claims, including litigation relating to climate change in the future. There is risk that any matter in litigation could be adversely decided against us regardless of our belief, opinion and position, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Litigation is highly costly and the costs associated with defending litigation could also have a material adverse effect on our financial condition.

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

The growing political and scientific sentiment is that increased concentrations of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are influencing global weather patterns. Changing weather patterns, along with the increased frequency or duration of extreme weather conditions, could impact the availability or increase the cost to produce our products. Additionally, the sale of our products can be impacted by weather conditions.

Concern over climate change, including global warming, has led to legislative and regulatory initiatives directed at limiting greenhouse gas emissions. For example, proposals that would impose mandatory requirements on greenhouse gas emissions continue to be considered by policy makers in the provinces, states or territories where we operate. Laws enacted that directly or indirectly affect our oil and gas production could impact our business and financial results.

Our future success depends on our ability to replace reserves that are produced.

Because the rate of production from oil and natural gas properties generally declines as reserves are depleted, our future success depends upon our ability to economically find or acquire and produce additional oil and natural gas reserves. Except to the extent that we acquire additional properties containing proved reserves, conduct successful exploration and development activities, or, through engineering studies, identify additional behind-pipe zones or secondary recovery reserves, our proved reserves will decline as our reserves are produced. Future oil and natural gas production, therefore, is highly dependent upon our level of success in acquiring or finding additional reserves that are economically recoverable. We cannot assure you that we will be able to find or acquire and develop additional reserves at an acceptable cost.

We may acquire significant amounts of unproved property to further our development efforts. Development and exploratory drilling and production activities are subject to many risks, including the risk that no commercially productive reservoirs will be discovered. We may acquire both proved and producing properties as well as undeveloped acreage that we believe will enhance growth potential and increase our earnings over time. However, we cannot assure you that all of these properties will contain economically viable reserves or that we will not abandon our initial investments. Additionally, we cannot assure you that unproved reserves or undeveloped acreage that we acquire will be profitably developed, that new wells drilled on our properties will be productive or that we will recover all or any portion of our investments in our properties and reserves.

Our lack of industry and geographical diversification may increase the risk of an investment in our company.

Our oil and gas leases are located in North America, primarily in the Texas and Louisiana region. This lack of geographic diversification may make our holdings more sensitive to economic developments within a regional area, which may result in reduced rates of return or higher rates of default than might be incurred with a company that is more geographically diverse.

Our business depends on oil and natural gas transportation and processing facilities and other assets that are owned by third parties.

The marketability of our oil and natural gas depends in part on the availability, proximity and capacity of pipeline systems, processing facilities, oil trucking fleets and rail transportation assets owned by third parties. The lack of available capacity on these systems and facilities, whether as a result of proration, physical damage, scheduled maintenance or other reasons, could result in the delay or discontinuance of development plans for our properties. The curtailments arising from these and similar circumstances may last from a few days to several months.

Our leasehold acreage is subject to leases that will expire over the next several years unless production is established or maintained or the leases are extended.

Some of our acreage is currently held by production or held by operations, but some is not. Unless production in paying quantities is established or operations are commenced on units containing these latter leases during their terms, those leases may expire. Likewise, if we are unable to maintain production on acreage held by production or operations, those leases may expire. If our leases expire and we are unable to renew the leases, we will lose our right to develop or utilize the related properties.

Deficiencies of title to our leased interests could significantly affect our financial condition.

We, or our partners, often incur the expense of a title examination prior to acquiring oil and natural gas leases or undivided interests in oil and natural gas leases or other developed rights. If an examination of the title history of a property reveals that an oil or natural gas lease or other developed rights have been purchased in error from a person who is not the owner of the mineral interest desired, our interest would substantially decline in value or be eliminated. In such cases, the amount paid for such oil or natural gas lease or leases or other developed rights may be lost.

We have not established an effective system of internal control over our financing reporting, and if we fail to maintain such internal control, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results, and current and potential stockholders may lose confidence in our financial reporting.

We have not established and maintained adequate and effective internal control over financial reporting that would provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of our financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. We are, however, required to evaluate the effectiveness of our internal controls and to disclose any changes and material weaknesses in those internal controls.

Any failure to maintain adequate internal controls could adversely impact our ability to report our financial results on a timely and accurate basis. If our financial statements are not accurate, investors may not have a complete understanding of our operations. Likewise, if our financial statements are not filed on a timely basis as required by the SEC, we could face severe consequences from those authorities. In either case, there could result a material adverse effect on our business. Ineffective internal controls could also cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information, which could have a negative effect on the trading price of our stock.

Because of the unique difficulties and uncertainties inherent in technology development, we face a risk of not being able to capitalize on our license of intellectual property from ESG Clean Energy.

Potential investors should be aware of the difficulties normally encountered by companies developing new technology and the high rate of failure of such enterprises. The likelihood of our successful ability to commercialize intellectual property we have licensed from ESG Clean Energy must be considered in light of the problems, expenses, difficulties, complications and delays encountered in connection with the development of new technology with limited personnel and financial means. These potential problems include, but are not limited to, unanticipated technical problems that extend the time and cost of product development, or unanticipated problems with the operation of the licensed technology.

Technology development involves significant time and expense and can be uncertain.

The development of technology associated with our licensed ESG Clean Energy intellectual property will be costly, complex and time-consuming. Any investment into technology development and commercialization often involves a long wait until a return, if any, is achieved on such investment. We plan to make investments in research and development relating to our licensed intellectual property and technology. Investments in new technology and processes are inherently speculative.

Successful technical development of technologies associated with intellectual property licensed from ESG Clean Energy does not guarantee successful commercialization.

We may successfully complete the technical development of technologies associated with intellectual property licensed from ESG Clean Energy, but we may still fail to commercialize that technology at scale or at a cost attractive to the power generation industry. Our success will depend largely on our ability to prove the capabilities and cost-effectiveness of the developed technology. Upon demonstration, the technology may not have the capabilities they were designed to have or that we believed they would have, or they may be more expensive than anticipated. Furthermore, even if we do successfully demonstrate the technology’s capabilities, potential customers may be more comfortable doing business with a larger, more established, more proven company than us. Moreover, competing technologies may prevent us from gaining wide market acceptance of the technology. Significant revenue from new technology investments may not be achieved for a number of years, if at all.

If we fail to protect our intellectual property rights, we could lose our ability to compete in the market.

Our intellectual property and proprietary rights are important to our ability to remain competitive and for the success of our products and our business. Our intellectual property rights may be challenged, invalidated or circumvented by third parties. We may not be able to prevent the unauthorized disclosure or use of our technical knowledge or other trade secrets by employees or competitors. Furthermore, our competitors may independently develop technologies and products that are substantially equivalent or superior to our technologies and/or products, which could result in decreased revenues. Moreover, the laws of foreign countries may not protect our intellectual property rights to the same extent as the laws of the U.S. Litigation may be necessary to enforce our intellectual property rights which could result in substantial costs to us and substantial diversion of management attention. If we do not adequately protect our intellectual property, our competitors could use it to enhance their products. Our inability to adequately protect our intellectual property rights could adversely affect our business and financial condition, and the value of our brand and other intangible assets.

Other companies may claim that we infringe their intellectual property, which could materially increase our costs and harm our ability to generate future revenue and profit.

We do not believe that we infringe the proprietary rights of any third party, but claims of infringement are becoming increasingly common, and third parties may assert infringement claims against us. It may be difficult or impossible to identify, prior to receipt of notice from a third party, the trade secrets, patent position or other intellectual property rights of a third party, either in the United States or in foreign jurisdictions. Any such assertion may result in litigation or may require us to obtain a license for the intellectual property rights of third parties. If we are required to obtain licenses to use any third-party technology, we would have to pay royalties, which may significantly reduce any profit on our products. In addition, any such litigation could be expensive and disruptive to our ability to generate revenue or enter into new market opportunities. If any of our products were found to infringe other parties’ proprietary rights and we are unable to come to terms regarding a license with such parties, we may be forced to modify our products to make them non-infringing or to cease production of such products altogether.

Renewable energy i nvestments may be linked to government subsidies.

Profitability of any investments we make in renewable and/or clean energy opportunities may depend on the availability of government subsidies, tax credits or other types of incentives, and there is no guaranty such subsidies, tax credits or incentives will be available in the future.

Risks Related to Our Securities

An investment in our securities is extremely speculative, and there can be no assurance of any return on the investment.

An investment in our securities is extremely speculative, and there is no assurance that investors will obtain any return on their investment. Investors will be subject to substantial risks, including the risk of losing their entire investment in our securities. For example, the market price of our common stock is subject to significant fluctuations in response to variations in our quarterly operating results, general trends in the market and other factors, many of which we have little or no control over. In addition, broad market fluctuations, as well as general economic, business and political conditions, may adversely affect the market for our common stock, regardless of our actual or projected performance.

Because the Company is a “smaller reporting company,” we may take advantage of certain scaled disclosures available to us, resulting in holders of our securities receiving less Company information than they would receive from a public company that is not a smaller reporting company.

We are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in the Exchange Act. As a smaller reporting company, we may take advantage of certain of the scaled disclosures available to smaller reporting companies and will be able to take advantage of these scaled disclosures for so long as (i) our voting and non-voting common stock held by non-affiliates is less than $250 million measured on the last business day of our second fiscal quarter, or (ii) our annual revenue is less than $100 million during the most recently completed fiscal year and our voting and non-voting common stock held by non-affiliates is less than $700 million measured on the last business day of our second fiscal quarter. To the extent we take advantage of any reduced disclosure obligations, it may make it harder for investors to analyze the Company’s results of operations and financial prospectus in comparison with other public companies.

To fund its operations, the Company may conduct further securities offerings in the future, in which case our common stock will be diluted.

To fund its business operations, the Company anticipates continuing to rely on sales of its securities, which may include common stock, preferred stock, convertible debt and/or warrants convertible or exercisable into shares of common stock. Common stock may be issued in return for additional funds or upon conversion or exercise of outstanding convertible debentures or warrants. If additional common stock is issued, the price per share of the common stock could be lower than the price paid by existing holders of common stock, and the percentage interest in the Company of those shareholders will be lower. This result is referred to as “dilution,” which could result in a reduction in the per share value of your shares of common stock. The Company’s failure or inability to raise capital when needed or on terms acceptable to the Company and our shareholders could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations and would also have a negative adverse effect on the price of our common stock.

The Company may utilize debt financing to fund its operations.

If the Company undertakes debt financing to fund its operations, the financing may involve significant restrictive covenants. In addition, there can be no assurance that such financing will be available on terms satisfactory to the Company, if at all. The Company’s failure or inability to obtain financing when needed or on terms acceptable to the Company and our shareholders could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations and would also have a negative adverse effect on the price of our common stock.

The trading price of our common stock may fluctuate significantly.

Volatility in the trading price of shares of our common stock may prevent shareholders from being able to sell shares of common stock at prices equal to or greater than their purchase price. The trading price of our common stock could fluctuate significantly for various reasons, including:

In addition, in recent years, the stock market has experienced significant price and volume fluctuations. This volatility has had a substantial impact on the trading price of securities issued by many companies. The changes frequently occur irrespective of the operating performance of the affected companies. As a result, the trading price of our common stock could fluctuate based upon factors that have little or nothing to do with our business.

Because we are a small company with a limited operating history, holders of common stock may find it difficult to sell their stock in the public markets.

The number of persons interested in purchasing our common stock at any given time may be relatively small. This situation is attributable to a number of factors. One factor is that we are a small company that is still relatively unknown to stock analysts, stock brokers, institutional investors, and others in the investment community that generate or influence sales volume. Another factor is that, even if the Company came to the attention of these persons, they tend to be risk-averse and would likely be reluctant to follow an unproven company such as ours. Furthermore, many brokerage firms may not be willing to effect transactions in our securities, including our common stock. As a consequence, there may be periods when trading activity in our common stock is minimal or even non-existent, as compared to trading activity in the securities of a seasoned issuer with a large and steady volume of trading activity. We cannot give you any assurance that an active public trading market for our common stock or other securities will develop or be sustained, or that, if developed, the trading levels will be sustained.

Our shares of common stock are subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules that limit trading activity in the market, which may make it more difficult for holders of common stock to sell their shares.

Penny stocks are generally defined as equity securities with a price of less than $5.00. Because our common stock trades at less than $5.00 per share, we are subject to the SEC’s penny stock rules that require a broker-dealer to deliver extensive disclosure to its customers before executing trades in penny stocks not otherwise exempt from the rules. The broker-dealer must also provide its customers with current bid and offer quotations for the penny stock, disclose the compensation of the broker-dealer and its salesperson in the transaction, and provide monthly account statements showing the market value of each penny stock held by the customer. Under the penny stock regulations, unless the broker-dealer is otherwise exempt, a broker-dealer selling a penny stock to anyone other than an established customer or accredited investor must make a special suitability determination regarding the purchaser and must receive the purchaser’s written consent to the transaction before the sale. As a general rule, an individual with a net worth over $1,000,000 or an annual income over $200,000 individually or $300,000 together with his or her spouse, is considered an accredited investor. The additional burdens from the penny stock requirements may deter broker-dealers from effecting transactions in our securities, which could limit the liquidity and market price of shares of our common stock. These disclosure requirements may reduce the trading activity of our common stock, which may make it more difficult for shareholders of our common stock to resell their securities.

FINRA sales practice requirements may also limit a shareholder’s ability to buy and sell our stock.

In addition to the “penny stock” rules described above, FINRA has adopted Rule 2111 that requires a broker-dealer to have reasonable grounds for believing that an investment is suitable for a customer before recommending the investment. Before recommending speculative low-priced securities to their non-institutional customers, broker-dealers must make reasonable efforts to obtain information about the customer’s financial status, tax status, investment objectives and other information. Under interpretations of these rules, FINRA believes that there is a high probability that speculative low priced securities will not be suitable for at least some customers. The FINRA requirements make it more difficult for broker-dealers to recommend that their customers buy our common stock, which may limit your ability to buy and sell shares of common stock and may have an adverse effect on the market for our securities.

The Company does not anticipate paying dividends in the future.

We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our common stock. Our current policy is to retain earnings to reinvest in our business. Therefore, we do not anticipate paying cash dividends in the foreseeable future. The Company’s dividend policy will be reviewed from time to time by the Board of Directors in the context of its earnings, financial condition and other relevant factors. Until the Company pays dividends, which it may never do, the holders of shares of common stock will not receive a return on those shares unless they are able to sell those shares at the desired price, if at all, of which there can be no assurance. In addition, there is no guarantee that our common stock will appreciate in value or even maintain the price at which holders purchased their common stock.

We will continue to incur significant costs to ensure compliance with United States securities and corporate governance and accounting requirements.

We will continue to incur significant costs associated with our public company reporting requirements, including costs associated with applicable securities and corporate governance requirements, such as those required by the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, and with other rules issued or implemented by the SEC. We expect all of these applicable rules and regulations will result in significant legal and financial compliance costs and to make some activities more time consuming and costly. We are currently evaluating and monitoring developments with respect to these rules, and we cannot predict or estimate the amount of additional costs we may incur or the timing of such costs.