Unassociated Document
UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
FORM
10-Q
(Mark
One)
x
|
QUARTERLY
REPORT UNDER SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF
1934
|
For
the quarterly period ended March 31, 2008
|
TRANSITION
REPORT UNDER SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE EXCHANGE
ACT
|
For
the
transition period from ____________ to __________
000-31539
(Commission
file number)
CHINA
NATURAL GAS, INC.
(Exact
name of registrant
as
specified in its charter)
Delaware
|
98-0231607
|
(State
or other jurisdiction of
|
(IRS
Employer of
|
incorporation
or organization)
|
Identification
No.)
|
19th
Floor, Building B, Van Metropolis
Tang
Yan Road, Hi-Tech Zone
Xi’an,
710065, Shaanxi Province, China
(Address
of principal executive office)
710065
(zip
code)
86-29-88323325
(registrant
's
telephone number,
including area code)
N/A
(Former
name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last
report)
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant (1)
has
filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange
Act during the past 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant
was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing
requirements for the past 90 days.
Yes
x No
o
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an
accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company.
See
the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller
reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):
Large
accelerated filer o
|
Accelerated
filer o
|
Non-accelerated
filer x
|
Smaller
reporting company o
|
(Do
not
check if a smaller reporting company)
Number
of
shares of Common Stock outstanding as of May 14, 2008: 29,200,304
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule
12b-2 of the Exchange Act).
Yes
o
No
x
China
Natural Gas, Inc.
Index
|
FINANCIAL
INFORMATION
|
|
|
|
|
Item
1.
|
Financial
Statements
|
|
|
|
|
|
Consolidated
Balance Sheet as of March 31, 2008 (unaudited) and December 31,
2007
|
2
|
|
|
|
|
Consolidated
Statements of Income and Other Comprehensive Income for the three
months
ended March 31, 2008 and 2007(unaudited)
|
3
|
|
|
|
|
Consolidated
Statements of Cash Flows for the three months ended March 31, 2008
and
2007 (unaudited)
|
4
|
|
|
|
|
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements (unaudited)
|
5
|
|
|
|
Item
2.
|
Management's
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations
|
21
|
|
|
|
Item
3.
|
Quantitative
and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
|
29
|
|
|
|
Item
4.
|
Controls
and Procedures
|
29
|
|
|
|
PART
II.
|
OTHER
INFORMATION
|
29
|
|
|
|
Item
1.
|
Legal
Proceedings
|
29
|
|
|
|
Item
1A.
|
Risk
Factors
|
30
|
|
|
|
Item
2.
|
Unregistered
Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
|
40
|
|
|
|
Item
3.
|
Defaults
Upon Senior Securities
|
40
|
|
|
|
Item
4.
|
Submission
of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
|
40
|
|
|
|
Item
5.
|
Other
Information
|
40
|
|
|
|
Item
6.
|
Exhibits
|
40
|
|
|
|
SIGNATURES |
42
|
China
Natural Gas, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Consolidated
Balance Sheet
As
of March 31, 2008 and Decenber 31,
2007
|
|
March
31, 2008
|
|
December
31, 2007
|
|
|
|
(Unaudited)
|
|
|
|
ASSETS
|
|
|
|
|
|
CURRENT
ASSETS:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash
& cash equivalents
|
|
$
|
41,254,130
|
|
$
|
13,291,729
|
|
Short-term
investments
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
238,554
|
|
Accounts
receivable
|
|
|
486,111
|
|
|
306,179
|
|
Other
receivable
|
|
|
362,187
|
|
|
549,820
|
|
Inventories
|
|
|
1,040,612
|
|
|
231,339
|
|
Advances
|
|
|
625,893
|
|
|
663,041
|
|
Prepaid
expense and other current assets
|
|
|
586,756
|
|
|
109,722
|
|
Loan
receivable
|
|
|
285,600
|
|
|
274,200
|
|
Total
current assets
|
|
|
44,641,289
|
|
|
15,664,584
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
PROPERTY
AND EQUIPMENT, net
|
|
|
33,827,732
|
|
|
32,291,995
|
|
CONSTRUCTION
IN PROGRESS
|
|
|
12,130,620
|
|
|
2,210,367
|
|
DEFERRED
OFFERING COSTS
|
|
|
2,054,204
|
|
|
-
|
|
OTHER
ASSETS
|
|
|
7,138,669
|
|
|
3,123,052
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL
ASSETS
|
|
$
|
99,792,514
|
|
$
|
53,289,998
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
LIABILITIES
AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CURRENT
LIABILITIES:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accounts
payable
|
|
$
|
404,121
|
|
$
|
293,970
|
|
Other
payables and accured liabilities
|
|
|
175,715
|
|
|
249,719
|
|
Unearned
revenue
|
|
|
364,025
|
|
|
327,220
|
|
Accured
interest
|
|
|
236,111
|
|
|
-
|
|
Taxes
payable
|
|
|
2,047,763
|
|
|
1,211,775
|
|
Total
current liabilities
|
|
|
3,227,735
|
|
|
2,082,684
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
LONG
TERM LIABILITIES:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Notes
payable, net of $17,254,108 discount
|
|
|
22,745,892
|
|
|
-
|
|
Derivative
liabilities - warrants
|
|
|
17,500,000
|
|
|
-
|
|
Total
long term liabilities
|
|
|
40,245,892
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COMMITMENTS
AND CONTINGENCIES
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
STOCKHOLDERS'
EQUITY:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Preferred
stock, $0.0001 per share; authorized 5,000,000 shares; none issued
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
|
Common
stock, $0.0001 per share; 45,000,000 authorized shares
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
29,200,304
shares issued and outstanding at March 31, 2008
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
and
December 31, 2007
|
|
|
2,920
|
|
|
2,920
|
|
Additional
paid-in capital
|
|
|
32,046,879
|
|
|
32,046,879
|
|
Cumulative
translation adjustment
|
|
|
5,780,027
|
|
|
3,477,025
|
|
Statutory
reserves
|
|
|
2,168,501
|
|
|
1,802,735
|
|
Retained
earnings
|
|
|
16,320,560
|
|
|
13,877,755
|
|
Total
stockholders' equity
|
|
|
56,318,887
|
|
|
51,207,314
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
|
|
$
|
99,792,514
|
|
$
|
53,289,998
|
|
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
China Natural Gas, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Income and Other Comprehensive Income
For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2008 and 2007
|
|
Three
months ended
|
|
|
|
March
31
|
|
|
|
2008
|
|
2007
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Revenue
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Natural
gas revenue
|
|
$
|
11,345,319
|
|
$
|
4,923,572
|
|
Installation
and other
|
|
|
2,680,355
|
|
|
1,820,004
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
revenue
|
|
|
14,025,674
|
|
|
6,743,576
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cost
of revenue
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Natural
gas cost
|
|
|
6,182,274
|
|
|
2,492,651
|
|
Installation
and other
|
|
|
1,754,924
|
|
|
733,566
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
cost of revenue
|
|
|
7,937,198
|
|
|
3,226,217
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gross
profit
|
|
|
6,088,476
|
|
|
3,517,359
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating
expenses
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Selling
expenses
|
|
|
1,341,614
|
|
|
594,129
|
|
General
and administrative expenses
|
|
|
939,325
|
|
|
421,379
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
operating expenses
|
|
|
2,280,939
|
|
|
1,015,508
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income
from operations
|
|
|
3,807,537
|
|
|
2,501,851
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Non-operating
income (expense):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interest
income
|
|
|
55,285
|
|
|
9,409
|
|
Interest
expense
|
|
|
(156,727
|
)
|
|
-
|
|
Amortization
of discount on senior notes
|
|
|
(146,663
|
)
|
|
-
|
|
Amortization
of deferred offering costs
|
|
|
(56,270
|
)
|
|
-
|
|
Other
income
|
|
|
674
|
|
|
383
|
|
Other
expense
|
|
|
(7,800
|
)
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
non-operating income (expense)
|
|
|
(311,501
|
)
|
|
9,792
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income
before income tax
|
|
|
3,496,036
|
|
|
2,511,643
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Provision
for income tax
|
|
|
687,465
|
|
|
401,317
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
income
|
|
|
2,808,571
|
|
|
2,110,326
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other
comprehensive income
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Foreign
currency translation gain
|
|
|
2,303,002
|
|
|
281,404
|
|
Comprehensive
Income
|
|
$
|
5,111,573
|
|
$
|
2,391,730
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weighted
average shares outstanding
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic
|
|
|
29,200,304
|
|
|
24,210,183
|
|
Diluted
|
|
|
29,334,084
|
|
|
24,210,183
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Earnings
per share
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic
|
|
$
|
0.10
|
|
$
|
0.09
|
|
Diluted
|
|
$
|
0.10
|
|
$
|
0.09
|
|
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial
statements.
China
Natural Gas, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Consolidated
Statements of Cash Flows
For
the Three Months
Ended March 31, 2008 and 2007
(Unaudited)
|
|
Three
months ended
|
|
|
|
March
31
|
|
|
|
2008
|
|
2007
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CASH
FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
income
|
|
$
|
2,808,571
|
|
$
|
2,110,326
|
|
Adjustments
to reconcile net income to net cash
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
provided
by operating activities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Depreciation
and amortization
|
|
|
656,587
|
|
|
352,685
|
|
Loss
on disposal of building improvements and equipment
|
|
|
11,957
|
|
|
-
|
|
Amortization
of discount on senior notes
|
|
|
146,663
|
|
|
-
|
|
Amortization
of deferred offering costs
|
|
|
56,270
|
|
|
-
|
|
Non-cash
interest expense
|
|
|
156,727
|
|
|
-
|
|
Change
in assets and liabilities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accounts
receivable
|
|
|
(163,656
|
)
|
|
(59,700
|
)
|
Other
receivable
|
|
|
205,864
|
|
|
(197,081
|
)
|
Inventories
|
|
|
(782,687
|
)
|
|
172,905
|
|
Advances
|
|
|
63,341
|
|
|
246,228
|
|
Prepaid
expense and other current assets
|
|
|
(462,880
|
)
|
|
196,929
|
|
Accounts
payable
|
|
|
95,847
|
|
|
21,770
|
|
Accrued
expense
|
|
|
(83,010
|
)
|
|
-
|
|
Other
payables
|
|
|
1,129
|
|
|
(912,068
|
)
|
Unearned
revenue
|
|
|
22,709
|
|
|
482
|
|
Taxes
payable
|
|
|
768,939
|
|
|
-
|
|
Net
cash provided by operating activities
|
|
|
3,502,371
|
|
|
1,932,476
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CASH
FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Purchase
of property and equipment
|
|
|
(555,720
|
)
|
|
(192,232
|
)
|
Proceeds
from short term investments
|
|
|
243,200
|
|
|
-
|
|
Additions
to construction in progress
|
|
|
(9,586,215
|
)
|
|
(377,901
|
)
|
Prepayment
on long term assets
|
|
|
(4,128,711
|
)
|
|
-
|
|
Payment
for land use rights
|
|
|
(25,091
|
)
|
|
-
|
|
Net
cash used in investing activities
|
|
|
(14,052,537
|
)
|
|
(570,133
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CASH
FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Proceeds
from senior notes
|
|
|
40,000,000
|
|
|
-
|
|
Payment
for offering costs
|
|
|
(2,122,509
|
)
|
|
-
|
|
Net
cash provided by financing activities
|
|
|
37,877,491
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Effect
of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents
|
|
|
635,076
|
|
|
69,738
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NET
INCREASE IN CASH & CASH EQUIVALENTS
|
|
|
27,962,401
|
|
|
1,432,081
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CASH
& CASH EQUIVALENTS, BEGINNING OF PERIOD
|
|
|
13,291,729
|
|
|
5,294,213
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CASH
& CASH EQUIVALENTS, END OF PERIOD
|
|
$
|
41,254,130
|
|
$
|
6,726,294
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
SUPPLEMENTAL
DISCLOSURE OF CASH FLOW INFORMATION:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interest
paid
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
Income
taxes paid
|
|
$
|
57,893
|
|
$
|
-
|
|
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial
statements.
China
Natural Gas, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
March
31, 2008
(Unaudited)
Note
1 - Organization and Basis of Presentation
Organization
and Line of Business
China
Natural Gas, Inc. (the “Company”) was incorporated in the state of Delaware on
March 31, 1999. The Company through its wholly subsidiaries and variable
interest entities engages in distribution of natural gas to commercial,
industrial and residential customers, construction of pipeline networks, and
installation of natural gas fittings and parts for end-users.
On
May
15, 2007, the
Company’s variable interest entity, through Xi’an
Xilan Natural Gas Co, Ltd
established Xi'an Xilan Auto Bodyshop Co., Ltd (“XXABC”) with registered capital
of $519,200 (RMB 4,000,000) in Shaanxi province, People’s Republic of China
(“PRC”). XXABC was established for the purpose of providing modification
services to different types of automobiles to be able to use natural gas. XXABC
is 100% owned by Xi’an
Xilan Natural Gas Co, Ltd.
On
March
18,
2008, Xilan Natural Gas Equipment Co., Ltd (“XNGE”) increased
its registered capital from $30,000,000 to $53,929,260. The additional
$14,429,271 registered capital was contributed by China Natural Gas, Inc on
April 17, 2008 and the $9,500,000 registered capital was contributed by China
Natural Gas Inc.as a payment to Chemtex International Inc on January 31, 2008,
for the purchase of license, know-how, design of constructing the Liquefied
Natural Gas (“LNG”) processing plant. The Company is in the process of obtaining
the approval and new business license from the PRC government.
Principles
of Consolidation
The
accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of China
Natural Gas, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiary, Xilan Natural Gas Equipment
Co., Ltd and its 100% variable interest entities (“VIE”), Xi’an Xilan Natural
Gas Co. Ltd. (“XXNGC”), Shaanxi Jingbian Liquefied Natural Gas Co., Ltd
(“SJLNG”) and Xian Xilan Auto Bodyshop Co., Ltd. All inter-company accounts and
transactions have been eliminated in the consolidation.
Consolidation
of variable interest entity
In
accordance with FASB
Interpretation No. 46R, Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities ("FIN
46R"), VIEs are generally entities that lack sufficient equity to finance their
activities without additional financial support from other parties or whose
equity holders lack adequate decision making ability. All VIEs with which the
Company is involved must be evaluated to determine the primary beneficiary
of
the risks and rewards of the VIE. The primary beneficiary is required to
consolidate the VIE for financial reporting purposes.
On
February 21, 2006, we formed Xilan
Natural Gas Equipment Co., Ltd
as a
wholly owned foreign enterprise (WOFE). We then, through XNGE, entered into
exclusive arrangements with Xian Xilan Natural Gas and its shareholders that
give us the ability to substantially influence Xian Xilan Natural Gas’ daily
operations and financial affairs, appoint its senior executives and approve
all
matters requiring shareholder approval. We memorialized these arrangements
on
August 17, 2007. As a result, the Company consolidates the financial results
of
Xian Xilan Natural Gas as variable interest entity pursuant to FASB
Interpretation No. 46R, “Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities.”
The arrangements consist of the following agreements:
|
a.
|
Xian
Xilan Natural Gas holds the licenses and approvals necessary to operate
its natural gas business in China.
|
|
b.
|
XNGE
provides exclusive technology consulting and other general business
operation services to Xian Xilan Natural Gas in return for a consulting
services fee which is equal to Xian Xilan Natural Gas’s
revenue.
|
|
c.
|
Xian
Xilan Natural Gas’s shareholders have pledged their equity interests in
Xian Xilan Natural Gas to the
Company.
|
|
d.
|
Irrevocably
granted the Company an exclusive option to purchase, to the extent
permitted under PRC law, all or part of the equity interests in Xian
Xilan
Natural Gas and agreed to entrust all the rights to exercise their
voting
power to the person appointed by the
Company.
|
Basis
of Presentation
The
accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity
with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
The Company’s functional currency is the Chinese Renminbi (“RMB”); however, the
Company’s reporting currency is the United States Dollar (“USD”), therefore, the
accompanying consolidated financial statements have been translated and
presented in USD.
In
the
opinion of management, the unaudited consolidated financial statements furnished
herein include all adjustments, all of which are of a normal recurring nature,
necessary for a fair statement of the results for the interim period presented.
Operating results for the period ended March 31, 2008 are not necessarily
indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December
31,
2008.
Foreign
Currency Translation
As
of
March 31, 2008 and December 31, 2007, the accounts of the Company were
maintained, and their consolidated financial statements were expressed in RMB.
Such consolidated financial statements were translated into USD in accordance
with Statement of Financial Accounts Standards ("SFAS") No. 52, "Foreign
Currency Translation," with the RMB as the functional currency. According to
the
Statement, all assets and liabilities were translated at the exchange rate
on
the balance sheet date, stockholder's equity are translated at the historical
rates and statement of income and cash flow items are translated at the weighted
average exchange rate for the year. The resulting translation adjustments are
reported under other comprehensive income in accordance with SFAS No. 130,
"Reporting Comprehensive Income."
The
balance sheet amounts with the exception of equity at March 31, 2008 were
translated 7.00 RMB to $1.00 USD as compared to 7.29 RMB at December 31, 2007.
The equity accounts were stated at their historical rate. The average
translation rates applied to income and cash flow statement amounts for the
three months ended March 31, 2008 and 2007 were 7.15 RMB and 7.75 RMB to $1.00
USD, respectively. Translation adjustments resulting from this process of
$5,780,027 and $3,477,025 as of March 31, 2008 and December 31, 2007,
respectively are classified as an item of other comprehensive income in the
stockholders’ equity section of the consolidated balance sheet. During the three
months ended March 31, 2008 and 2007, other comprehensive income in the
consolidated statements of income and other comprehensive income included
translation gains of $2,302,002 and $281,404, respectively.
Note
2 – Summary
of Significant Accounting Policies
Use
of
Estimates
The
preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted
accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions
that
affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of
contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and
the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period.
Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Cash
and Cash Equivalents
Cash
and cash equivalents include cash on hand and cash in banks maintained with
state owned with the PRC and the United States. The Company considers all highly
liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less at the
time
of purchase to be cash equivalents.
Certain
financial instruments, which subject the Company to concentration of credit
risk, consist of cash. The Company maintains balances at financial institutions
which, from time to time, may exceed Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
insured limits for the banks located in the Unites States. Balances at financial
institutions or state owned banks within the PRC are not covered by insurance.
As of March 31, 2008 and December 31, 2007, the Company had deposits in excess
of federally insured limits total of $40,954,130 and $13,053,994, respectively.
The Company has not experienced any losses in such accounts and believes it
is
not exposed to any significant risks on its cash in bank accounts.
Short
Term Investments
Short-term
investments are securities available for sale, held by a private investment
trust company for investing activities. Gain or loss on securities is computed
using cost basis of first-in, first-out (FIFO) basis. The fair value of
securities at December 31, 2007 totaled $238,554, which equaled the original
costs, and was returned to the Company in March 2008.
Accounts
Receivable
Accounts
and other receivable are recorded at net realizable value consisting of the
carrying amount less an allowance for uncollectible accounts, as needed. The
Company allowance for uncollectible accounts is not significant.
The
Company maintains reserves for potential credit losses on accounts receivable.
Management reviews the composition of accounts receivable and analyzes
historical bad debts, customer concentrations, customer credit worthiness,
current economic trends and changes in customer payment patterns to evaluate
the
adequacy of these reserves. Reserves are recorded primarily on a specific
identification basis. The Company’s management has determined that all
receivables are collectible and there is no need for a reserve for bad debts
as
of March 31, 2008 and December 31, 2007.
Other
Receivable
As
needed for normal business purpose, the Company advances predetermined amounts
based upon internal Company policy to certain employees and internal units
to
ensure certain transactions to be performed in a timely manner. The Company
has
full oversight and control over the advanced accounts. Therefore, the allowance
for the uncollectible accounts is nil.
Advances
The
Company advances to certain vendors for purchase of its material. The advances
are interest free and unsecured.
Inventory
Inventory
is stated at the lower of cost, as determined on a first-in, first-out basis,
or
market. Management compares the cost of inventories with the market value,
and
allowance is made for writing down the inventories to their market value, if
lower. Inventory consists of material used in the construction of pipelines
and
material used in repairing and modifying of vehicles. Inventory also consists
of
natural gas and gasoline.
At
March
31, 2008 and December 31, 2007, the following are the details of the
inventories:
|
|
2008
|
|
2007
|
|
Materials
and supplies
|
|
$
|
258,671
|
|
$
|
109,333
|
|
Natural
gas and gasoline
|
|
|
781,941
|
|
|
122,006
|
|
|
|
$
|
1,040,612
|
|
$
|
231,339
|
|
Property
and Equipment
Property
and equipment are stated at cost. Expenditures for maintenance and repairs
are
charged to earnings as incurred; additions, renewals and betterments are
capitalized. When property and equipment are retired or otherwise disposed
of,
the related cost and accumulated depreciation are removed from the respective
accounts, and any gain or loss is included in operations. Depreciation of
property and equipment is provided using the straight-line method for
substantially all assets with estimated lives as follows:
Office
equipment
|
|
|
5
years
|
|
Operating
equipment
|
|
|
5-20
years
|
|
Vehicles
|
|
|
5
years
|
|
Buildings
|
|
|
30
years
|
|
At
March
31, 2008 and December 31, 2007, the following are the details of the property
and equipment:
|
|
2008
|
|
2007
|
|
Office
equipment
|
|
$
|
170,710
|
|
$
|
163,432
|
|
Operating
equipment
|
|
|
23,896,744
|
|
|
22,413,270
|
|
Vehicles
|
|
|
1,546,627
|
|
|
1,484,892
|
|
Buildings
|
|
|
12,708,024
|
|
|
11,943,006
|
|
|
|
|
38,322,105
|
|
|
36,004,600
|
|
Less
accumulated depreciation
|
|
|
(4,494,373
|
)
|
|
(3,712,605
|
)
|
|
|
$
|
33,827,732
|
|
$
|
32,291,995
|
|
Depreciation
expense for the three months ended March 31, 2008 and 2007 was $656,524 and
$351,776, respectively.
Long-Lived
Assets
The
Company applies the provision of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards
No.
144, "Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets" ("SFAS
144") to all long lived assets., SFAS 144 addresses accounting and reporting
for
impairment and disposal of long-lived assets. The Company periodically evaluates
the carrying value of long-lived assets to be held and used in accordance with
SFAS 144. SFAS 144 requires impairment losses to be recorded on long-lived
assets used in operations when indicators of impairment are present and the
undiscounted cash flows estimated to be generated by those assets are less
than
the assets' carrying amounts. In that event, a loss is recognized based on
the
amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the fair market value of the
long-lived assets. Loss on long-lived assets to be disposed of is determined
in
a similar manner, except that fair market values are reduced for the cost of
disposal. Based on its review, the Company believes that, as of March 31, 2008
there were no significant impairments of its long-lived assets.
Construction
In Progress
Construction
in progress consists of the cost of constructing property and equipment for
the
Company’s use. The major cost of construction in progress relates to material,
labor and overhead.
Interest
cost capitalized into construction in
progress for the three months ended March
31,
2008
and 2007 amounted to $190,648 and $0, respectively.
Fair
Value of Financial Instruments
On
January 1, 2008, the Company adopted SFAS No. 157, Fair Value Measurements.
SFAS
No. 157 defines fair value, establishes a three-level valuation hierarchy for
disclosures of fair value measurement and enhances disclosures requirements
for
fair value measures. The carrying amounts reported in the balance sheets for
receivables and current liabilities each qualify as financial instruments and
are a reasonable estimate of fair value because of the short period of time
between the origination of such instruments and their expected realization
and
their current market rate of interest. The three levels are defined as
follow:
|
· |
Level
1inputs
to the valuation methodology are quoted prices (unadjusted) for
identical
assets or liabilities in active
markets.
|
|
· |
Level
2inputs
to the valuation methodology include quoted prices for similar
assets and
liabilities in active markets, and inputs that are observable for
the
asset or liability, either directly or indirectly, for substantially
the
full term of the financial
instrument.
|
|
· |
Level
3inputs
to the valuation methodology are unobservable and significant to
the fair
value measurement.
|
The
Company analyzes all financial instruments with features of both liabilities
and
equity under SFAS 150, “Accounting for Certain Financial Instruments with
Characteristics of Both Liabilities and Equity,” SFAS No 133, “Accounting for
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities” and EITF 00-19, “Accounting for
Derivative Financial Instruments Indexed to, and Potentially Settled in, a
Company’s Own Stock.”
The
Company’s warrant liability is carried at fair value totaling $17,500,000 as of
March 31, 2008. The Company used Level 2 inputs for its valuation methodology
for the warrant liability, and their fair values are determined by the price
that the Company would be required to repurchase the warrants if they are not
exercised.
|
|
Fair Value
As of
March 31, 2008
|
|
Fair Value Measurements at March 31, 2008
Using Fair Value Hierarchy
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Level
1
|
|
|
Level
2
|
|
|
Level
3
|
|
Liabilities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Warrant
liability
|
|
$
|
17,500,000
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
17,500,000
|
|
|
|
|
The
Company did not identify any other non-recurring assets and liabilities that
are
required to be presented on the balance sheet at fair value in accordance with
SFAS No. 157.
Derivative
Accounting
The
Company entered into a 15 days foreign currency forward contract on March 20,
2008. As of March 31, 2008, the fair value of the contract is $8,000,000 (or
788,800,000 Japanese Yen) and is recorded in cash and cash equivalents in the
accompanying consolidated balance sheets due to the short term nature of the
investment.
The
financial instruments are accounted for in accordance with Financial Accounting
Standards (“SFAS”) No. 133, “Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging
Activities”, which established accounting and reporting requirements for
derivative instruments and hedging activities. SFAS No. 133, as amended by
SFAS
No. 138 and 149, requires that all derivative instruments subject to the
requirements of the statement be measured at fair market value and recognized
as
assets or liabilities in the balance sheet. The accounting for changes in the
fair value of a derivative depends on the intended use of the derivative and
the
resulting designation is generally established at the inception of a derivative.
For derivatives designated as cash flow hedges and meeting the effectiveness
guidelines of SFAS No. 133, changes in fair value, to the extent effective,
are
recognized in other comprehensive income until the hedged item is recognized
in
earnings. Hedge effectiveness is measured at least quarterly based on the
relative changes in fair value between the derivative contract and the hedged
item over time. Any change in fair value of a derivative resulting from
ineffectiveness or an excluded component of the gain/loss is recognized
immediately in the statement of operations.
The
Company elected not to apply hedge accounting. For a derivative instrument
that
is not designated, as a hedge, the change in fair value is recognized in
earnings in the period of change. For the period ended March 31, 2008, no gain
or loss was incurred.
Revenue
Recognition
The
Company's revenue recognition policies are in compliance with Staff accounting
bulletin (SAB) 104. Revenue is recognized when services are rendered to
customers when a formal arrangement exists, the price is fixed or determinable,
the delivery is completed, no other significant obligations of the Company
exist
and collectibility is reasonably assured. Payments received before all of the
relevant criteria for revenue recognition are satisfied are recorded as unearned
revenue. Revenue from gas and gasoline sales is recognized when gas and gasoline
is pumped through pipelines to the end users. Revenue from installation of
pipelines is recorded when the contract is completed and accepted by the
customers. The construction contracts are usually completed within one to two
months time. Revenue from repairing and modifying vehicles is recorded when
service are rendered to and accepted by the customers
Unearned
Revenue
Unearned
revenue represents prepayments by customers for gas purchases and advance
payments on installation of pipeline contracts. The Company records such
prepayment as unearned revenue when the payments are received.
Advertising
Costs
The
Company expenses the cost of advertising as incurred or, as appropriate, the
first time the advertising takes place. Advertising costs for the three months
ended March 31, 2008 and 2007 were insignificant.
Stock-Based
Compensation
The
Company accounts for its stock-based compensation in accordance with Statement
of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 123R, "Share-Based Payment, an
Amendment of Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Statement No. 123."
The Company recognizes in the statement of operations the grant-date fair value
of stock options and other equity-based compensation issued to employees and
non-employees. The
Company did not grant any options and no options were cancelled or exercised
during the period ended March 31, 2008 and the year ended December 31, 2007.
As
of March 31, 2008 and December 31, 2007, there were no options
outstanding.
The
Company accounts for non-employee stock-based compensation expense in accordance
with EITF Issue No. 96-18, Accounting for Equity Instruments That Are Issued
to
Other Than Employee for Acquiring, or in Conjunction with Selling, Goods or
Services (“EITF 96-18”). The Company used the Black-Scholes option-pricing model
as its method of valuation for share-based awards granted. The Company’s
determination of fair value of share-based payment awards on the date of grant
using an option-pricing model is affected by the Company’s stock price as well
as assumptions regarding a number of complex and subjective variables. These
variables include, but are not limited to, the Company’s expected stock price
volatility over the term of the awards and the expected term of the
awards.
Income
Taxes
The
Company utilizes SFAS No. 109, "Accounting for Income Taxes," which requires
the
recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future
tax
consequences of events that have been included in the financial statements
or
tax returns. Under this method, deferred income taxes are recognized for the
tax
consequences in future years of differences between the tax bases of assets
and
liabilities and their financial reporting amounts at each period end based
on
enacted tax laws and statutory tax rates applicable to the periods in which
the
differences are expected to affect taxable income. Valuation allowances are
established, when necessary, to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount
expected to be realized. At March 31, 2008 and December 31, 2007, there was
no
significant book to tax differences. There is no difference between book
depreciation and tax depreciation as the Company uses the same method for both
book and tax. The Company adopted FASB Interpretation 48, “Accounting for
Uncertainty in Income Taxes” (“FIN 48”), as of January 1, 2007. A tax position
is recognized as a benefit only if it is “more likely than not” that the tax
position would be sustained in a tax examination, with a tax examination being
presumed to occur. The amount recognized is the largest amount of tax benefit
that is greater than 50% likely of being realized on examination. For tax
positions not meeting the “more likely than not” test, no tax benefit is
recorded. The adoption had no affect on the Company’s financial
statements.
Local
PRC Income Tax
The
Company’s subsidiary or variable interest entities operate in China. Starting
January 1, 2008, pursuant to the tax laws of China, general enterprises are
subject to income tax at an effective rate of 25% compare to 33% prior to 2008.
The Company’s variable interest entity, XXNGC, is in the natural gas industry
whose development is encouraged by the government. According to the income
tax
regulation, any company engaged in the natural gas industry enjoys a favorable
tax rate. Accordingly, except for income from XNGE, SJLNG,
XXABC,
which subjects to 25% PRC income tax rate, XXNGC’s income is subject to a
reduced tax rate of 15%.
A
reconciliation of tax at United States federal statutory rate to provision
for
income tax recorded in the financial statements is as follows:
|
|
For
the period
|
|
|
|
Ended
March 31,
|
|
|
|
2008
|
|
2007
|
|
Tax
provision (credit) at statutory rate
|
|
|
34
|
%
|
|
34
|
%
|
Foreign
tax rate difference
|
|
|
(9
|
)%
|
|
(1
|
)%
|
Effect
of favorable tax rate
|
|
|
(4
|
)%
|
|
(14
|
)%
|
|
|
|
21
|
%
|
|
19
|
%
|
The
estimated tax savings for the period ended March 31, 2008 and 2007 amounted
to
approximately $402,051 and $481,871, respectively. The net effect on earnings
per share had the income tax been applied would decrease basic earnings per
share for the three months ended March 31, 2008 and 2007 from $0.10 to $0.08
and
$0.09 to $0.07, respectively.
Value
added tax
Sales
revenue represents the invoiced value of goods, net of a value-added tax
(“VAT”). All of the Company’s variable interest entity XXNGC’s products that are
sold in the PRC are subject to a Chinese value-added tax at a rate of 13% of
the
gross sales price. This VAT may be offset by VAT paid by the XXNGC on raw
materials and other materials included in the cost of producing their finished
product. XXNGC recorded VAT payable and VAT receivable net of payments in the
financial statements. The VAT tax return is filed offsetting the payables
against the receivables.
All
revenues from XXABC subject to a Chinese value-added tax at a rate of 6%. This
VAT cannot offset with VAT paid for materials included in the cost of revenues.
Basic
and Diluted Earning Per Share
Earning
per share is calculated in accordance with the Statement of Financial Accounting
Standards No. 128 (“SFAS No. 128”), “Earnings per share”. Basic net earnings per
share is based upon the weighted average number of common shares outstanding.
Diluted net earnings per share is based on the assumption that all dilutive
convertible shares and stock options were converted or exercised. Dilution
is computed by applying the treasury stock method. Under this method, options
and warrants are assumed to be exercised at the beginning of the period (or
at
the time of issuance, if later), and as if funds obtained thereby were used
to
purchase common stock at the average market price during the period.
Statement
of Cash Flows
In
accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 95, "Statement
of Cash Flows," cash flows from the Company's operations is calculated based
upon the local currencies and translated to USD at average translation rates
for
the period. As a result, translation adjustments amounts related to assets
and
liabilities reported on the statement of cash flows will not necessarily agree
with changes in the corresponding balances on the balance sheet.
Reclassifications
Certain
prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to current period’s
presentation. This reclassification had no material effect on operations or
cash
flows.
Recent
Pronouncements
In
February 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 159, “The Fair Value Option for
Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities“. This Statement permits entities to
choose to measure many financial assets and financial liabilities at fair value.
Unrealized gains and losses on items for which the fair value option has been
elected are reported in earnings. SFAS No. 159 is effective for fiscal years
beginning after November 15, 2007. The Company chose not to elect the option
to
measure the fair value of eligible financial assets and
liabilities.
In
June
2007, the FASB issued FASB Staff Position No. EITF 07-3, “Accounting for
Nonrefundable Advance Payments for Goods or Services Received for use in Future
Research and Development Activities” (“FSP EITF 07-3”), which addresses whether
nonrefundable advance payments for goods or services that used or rendered
for
research and development activities should be expensed when the advance payment
is made or when the research and development activity has been performed.
Management is currently evaluating the effect of this pronouncement on financial
statements.
In
December 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 141 (Revised 2007), “Business
Combinations.” SFAS No. 141 (Revised 2007) changes how a reporting
enterprise accounts for the acquisition of a business. SFAS No. 141
(Revised 2007) requires an acquiring entity to recognize all the assets acquired
and liabilities assumed in a transaction at the acquisition-date fair value,
with limited exceptions, and applies to a wider range of transactions or events.
SFAS No. 141 (Revised 2007) is effective for fiscal years beginning on or
after December 15, 2008 and early adoption and retrospective application is
prohibited. The Company is currently evaluating the impact that adopting SFAS
No. 141R will have on its financial statements.
In
December 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 160, “Noncontrolling Interests in
Consolidated Financial Statements”, which is an amendment of Accounting Research
Bulletin (“ARB”) No. 51. This statement clarifies that a
noncontrolling interest in a subsidiary is an ownership interest in the
consolidated entity that should be reported as equity in the consolidated
financial statements. This statement changes the way the consolidated
income statement is presented, thus requiring consolidated net income to be
reported at amounts that include the amounts attributable to both parent and
the
noncontrolling interest. This statement is effective for the fiscal
years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning on or after
December 15, 2008. Based on current conditions, the Company does not
expect the adoption of SFAS 160 to have a significant impact on its results
of
operations or financial position.
Note
3 –- Other
Assets
Other
assets at March 31, 2008 and December 31, 2007 consisted of the
following,
|
|
2008
|
|
2007
|
|
Prepaid
rent –
natural gas stations
|
|
$
|
260,951
|
|
$
|
225,924
|
|
Prepayment
for acquiring land use right
|
|
|
1,035,300
|
|
|
993,975
|
|
Advances
on purchasing equipment/construction in progress
|
|
|
5,167,031
|
|
|
1,501,443
|
|
Refundable
security deposits
|
|
|
628,320
|
|
|
356,460
|
|
Others
|
|
|
47,067
|
|
|
45,250
|
|
Total
|
|
$
|
7,138,669
|
|
$
|
3,123,052
|
|
All
land in the People’s Republic of China is government owned. However, the
government grants the user a land use right to use the land. As of March 31,
2008 and December 31, 2007, the Company prepaid $1,035,300 and $993,975,
respectively, to the PRC local government to purchase land use rights. The
Company is in the process of negotiating the final purchase price with the
local
government and the land use rights have not been granted to the Company.
Therefore, the Company did not amortize the prepaid land use rights.
Advances
on the purchase of equipment/construction in progress are monies deposited
or
advanced to outside vendors/subcontractors for the purchase of operating
equipment or for services to be provided for constructions in progress.
Refundable
security deposit is monies deposited to one of its major vendor and gas station
landlord. These amounts will be returned to the Company if they terminate the
business relationship or at the end of the lease.
Note
4 –
Senior
Notes Payable
On
December 30, 2007, the Company entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement
with
Abax Lotus Ltd. (the “Investor”). The Purchase Agreement was subsequently
amended on January 29, 2008, pursuant to which the Company (i) agreed to issue
to the Investor 5.00% Guaranteed Senior Notes due 2014 (the “Senior Notes”) in
aggregate principal amount of RMB 145,000,000 (approximately $20,000,000),
(ii)
agreed to issue to the Investor Senior Notes in aggregate principal amount
of
RMB145,000,000 (approximately $20,000,000) on or before March 3, 2008 subject
to
the Company meeting certain closing conditions, (iii) granted the Investor
an
option to purchase up to RMB 73,000,000 (approximately $10,000,000) in principal
amount of its Senior Notes and (iv) agreed to issue to the Investor seven-year
warrants exercisable for up to 2,900,000 shares of the Company’s common stock
(the “Warrants”) at an initial exercise price equal to $7.3652 per share,
subject to certain adjustments.
On
January 29, 2008, the Company completed the sale of RMB145,000,000 (or
approximately $20,000,000) in principal amount of the Senior Notes and the
issuance of the warrants pursuant to the Purchase Agreement. At the closing,
the
Company entered into:
|
·
|
An
indenture for the 5.00% Guaranteed Senior Notes due
2014;
|
|
·
|
An
investor rights agreement;
|
|
·
|
A
registration rights agreement covering the shares of common stock
issuable
upon exercise of the warrants;
|
|
·
|
An
information rights agreement that grants to the Investor, subject
to
applicable law, the right to receive certain information regarding
the
Company, and
|
|
·
|
A
share pledge agreement whereby the Company granted to the Collateral
Agent
(on behalf of the holders of the Senior Notes) a pledge on 65% of
the
Company’s equity interest in Shaanxi Xilan Natural Gas Equipment Co.,
Ltd., a PRC corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company.
|
|
·
|
An
account pledge and security agreement whereby the Company granted
to the
Collateral Agent a security interest in the account where the proceeds
from the Senior Notes are
deposited.
|
In
addition, Qinan Ji, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of the
Company, executed a non-competition agreement for the benefit of the
Investor.
The
Senior Note in the amount of RMB 145,000,000 was issued pursuant to an indenture
between the Company and DB Trustees (Hong Kong) Limited, as trustee, at the
closing. The Senior Notes will mature on January 30, 2014 and will initially
bear interest at the stated interest rate of 5.00% per annum, subject to
increase in the event of certain circumstances. The Company is required to
make
mandatory prepayments on the Senior Notes on the following dates and in the
following amounts, expressed as a percentage of the aggregate principal amount
of Notes that will be outstanding on the first such payment
date:
Date
|
|
Prepayment Amount
|
|
July
30, 2011
|
|
|
8.3333
|
%
|
January
30, 2012
|
|
|
8.3333
|
%
|
July
30, 2012
|
|
|
16.6667
|
%
|
January
30, 2013
|
|
|
16.6667
|
%
|
July
30, 2013
|
|
|
25.0000
|
%
|
During
the twelve month period commencing January 30 of the years set forth below,
the
Company may redeem the Senior Notes at the following percentage of the principal
amount:
Year
|
|
Percent of Principal
|
2009
|
|
|
108.0%
|
2010
|
|
|
106.0%
|
2011
|
|
|
104.0%
|
2012
|
|
|
102.0%
|
2013
and thereafter
|
|
|
100.0%
|
Upon
the
happening of certain events defined in the indenture, the Company must offer
the
holders of the Senior Notes the right to require the Company to purchase the
Senior Notes in an amount equal to 105% of the aggregate principal amount
purchased plus accrued and unpaid interest on the Senior Notes purchased.
The
indenture requires the Company to pay additional interest at the rate of 3.0%
per annum of the Senior Notes if the Company has not obtained a listing of
its
common stock on the Nasdaq Global Market, the Nasdaq Capital Market or the
New
York Stock Exchange by January 29, 2009 and maintained such listing continuously
thereafter as long as the Senior Notes are outstanding. Pursuant to the
registration rights agreement (described herein), the Company has agreed to
pay
additional interest at the rate of 1.0% per annum of the Senior Notes principal
amount outstanding for each 90-day period in which the Company has failed to
comply with the registration obligations under the registration rights
agreement.
The
indenture limits the Company's ability to incur debt and liens, make dividend
payments and stock repurchases, make investments, reinvest proceeds from asset
sales and enter into transactions with affiliates, among other things. The
indenture also requires the Company to maintain certain financial
ratios.
The
Company also entered into an investor rights agreement, pursuant to which,
as
long as an investor holds at least 10% of the aggregate principal amount of
the
Senior Notes issued and outstanding or at least 3% of the Company’s issued and
outstanding common stock pursuant to the warrants on an as-exercised basis
(“Minimum Holding”), the Company has agreed not to undertake certain corporate
actions without prior Investor approval. In addition, so long as an Investor
owns the Minimum Holding, such Investor shall have a right of first refusal
for
future debt securities offerings by the Company and the Company is subject
to
certain transfer restrictions on its securities and certain other
properties.
From
the
Closing Date and as long as the Investor continues to hold more than 10% of
the
outstanding shares of common stock on an as-converted, fully-diluted basis,
the
Investor shall be entitled to appoint one of the Company’s board of directors
(the “Investor Director”). The Investor Director shall be entitled to serve on
each committee of the board, except that, the Investor Director shall not serve
on the audit committee unless it is an independent director. Mr. Ji has agreed
to vote his shares for the election of the Investor Director.
The
Company is required to prepare and file a registration statement covering the
sales of all of the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the
warrants (the “Warrant Shares”), subject to any limitation required by
applicable of Rule 415 of the SEC pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933 and
to
have the registration statement declared effective by June 27, 2008. In the
event that the registration statement has not been declared effective by the
SEC
on or before June 27, 2008 or if effectiveness of the registration statement
is
suspended at any time other than pursuant to a suspension notice, for each
90-day period during which the registration default remains uncured, the Company
shall be required to pay additional interest at the rate of one percent (1%)
of
the Senior Notes.
On
March
3, 2008, the Investor exercised its option to purchase the First Option Notes
for an additional RMB145,000,000 (approximately $20,000,000) in aggregate
principal amount of Senior Notes. On March 10, 2008, the Company issued Senior
Notes for an additional aggregate principal amount of RMB145,000,000
(approximately $20,000,000) representing the First Option Notes for total Senior
Notes of RMB290,000,000 (approximately $40,000,000).
In
connection with the issuance of the Securities Purchase Agreement, the Company
paid $2,122,509 in debt issuance costs which is being amortized over the life
of
the Senior Notes. For the three months ended March 31, 208, the Company
amortized $56,270 of the aforesaid issuance costs, net of capitalized of
interest.
In
connection with the Securities Purchase Agreement, the Company agreed to issue
to the Investor seven-year warrants exercisable for up to 2,900,000 shares
of
the Company’s common stock at an initial exercise price equal to $7.3652 per
share, subject to certain adjustments. The exercise price of the Warrants is
adjusted on the first anniversary of issuance and thereafter, at every six
month
anniversary beginning in the fiscal year 2009 if the volume weighted average
price, or VWAP, (as defined therein) for the 15 trading days prior to the
applicable reset date is less than the then applicable exercise price, in which
case the exercise price shall be adjusted downward to the then current VWAP;
provided, however, that in no event shall the exercise price be adjusted below
$3.6826 per share.
If
the
Company’s consolidated net profit after tax does not reach the stated level for
2007 or 2008, the exercise price of the warrants shall be adjusted by
multiplying the current exercise price by a fraction, the numerator of which
is
the sum of (i) the number of shares of the Company’s common stock outstanding
immediately prior to such adjustment and (ii) 87,000, and the denominator of
which is the number of shares of the Company’s common stock outstanding
immediately prior to such adjustment. Pursuant to the terms of the warrant
agreement, a holder cannot exercise the Warrants to the extent that the number
of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by the holder would, following
such
exercise, exceed 9.9% of the outstanding shares of common stock at the time
of
exercise.
The
warrants granted to the Investor on January 29, 2008 are considered derivative
instruments that need to be bifurcated from the original security. If the
Warrants have not been exercised within the seven year period, then the Investor
can have the Company purchase the Warrants for $17,500,000. This amount is
shown
as a debt discount and is being amortized over the term of the Senior Notes.
For
the three months ended March 31, 2008, the Company amortized $146,663 of the
aforesaid discounts, net of capitalized of interest.
Note
5 – Stockholders’ Equity
Common
stock
On
August
2, 2007, the Company entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement with investors
to sell 4,615,385 shares of the Company’s common stock and attached warrants to
purchase up to 692,308 shares of Common stock (“Investor warrants”) for $3.25
per share (or an aggregate purchase price of $15,000,000) and for total net
proceeds of $13,823,467. Warrants are exercisable for a period of five years
with exercise price of $7.79 per share.
In
connection with the above-mentioned offering, the Company entered into a finance
representation agreement (‘Agreement”) with a placement agent (“Agent”).
Pursuant to the agreement, the Company agreed to pay the Agent $10,000 and
issued a warrant (“Placement Agent Warrants”) to acquire 75,000 shares of the
Company’s common stock. In addition, the Company paid $1,050,000 fee (7% of the
gross proceeds).
Warrants
associated with the above-mentioned issuance of common stock were issued in
October 2007 upon the effective filling of its certificate of Amendment of
Articles of Incorporation to increase the authorized number of common stock
from
30,000,000 to 45,000,000.
Both
Investor Warrants and Placement Agent Warrants meet the conditions for equity
classification pursuant to FAS 133 “Accounting for Derivatives” and EITF 00-19
“Accounting for Derivative Financial Instruments Indexed to, and Potentially
Settled in, a Company’s Own Stock.” Therefore, these warrants were classified as
equity and accounted as common stock issuance cost.
Following
is a summary of the warrant activity:
|
|
Warrants
Outstanding
|
|
Weighted Average
Exercise Price
|
|
Aggregate
Intrinsic Value
|
|
Outstanding,
December 31, 2006
|
|
|
1,140,286
|
|
$
|
3.60
|
|
|
-
|
|
Granted
|
|
|
767,308
|
|
$
|
7.79
|
|
|
-
|
|
Forfeited
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
|
Exercised
|
|
|
(819,110
|
)
|
$
|
3.60
|
|
|
-
|
|
Outstanding,
December 31, 2007
|
|
|
1,088,484
|
|
$
|
6.55
|
|
$
|
376,977
|
|
Granted
|
|
|
2,900,000
|
|
$
|
7.37
|
|
|
-
|
|
Forfeited
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Exercised
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Outstanding,
March 31, 2008
|
|
|
3,988,484
|
|
$
|
7.14
|
|
|
-
|
|
Following
is a summary of the status of warrants outstanding at March 31, 2008:
Outstanding warrants
|
|
|
|
Exercisable Warrants
|
|
Exercise
Price
|
|
Number
|
|
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Life
|
|
Average
Exercise Price
|
|
Number
|
|
$ 3.60
|
|
|
321,176
|
|
|
0.78
|
|
$
|
3.60
|
|
|
321,176
|
|
$ 7.37
|
|
|
2,900,000
|
|
|
6.83
|
|
$
|
7.37
|
|
|
2,900,000
|
|
$ 7.79
|
|
|
767,308
|
|
|
4.34
|
|
$
|
7.79
|
|
|
767,308
|
|
$ 7.14
|
|
|
3,988,484
|
|
|
5.86
|
|
$
|
7.14
|
|
|
3,988,484
|
|
Note
6 – Defined Contribution Plan
The
Company is required to participate in a defined contribution plan operated
by
the local municipal government in accordance with Chinese law and regulations.
The Company makes annual contributions of 14% of all employees' salaries to
the
plan. Starting from 2008, no minimum contribution is required but the maximum
contribution cannot be more than 14 % of the current salary expense. The total
contribution for the above plan was $0 and $20,132 for the three months ended
March 31, 2008 and 2007, respectively.
Note
7 – Statutory Reserve
As
stipulated by the Company Law of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as
applicable to Chinese companies with foreign ownership, net income after
taxation can only be distributed as dividends after appropriation has been
made
for the following:
|
i.
|
Making
up cumulative prior years’ losses, if
any;
|
|
ii.
|
Allocations
to the “Statutory surplus reserve” of at least 10% of income after tax, as
determined under PRC accounting rules and regulations, until the
fund
amounts to 50% of the Company's registered capital;
|
|
iii.
|
Allocations
to the discretionary surplus reserve, if approved in the shareholders’
general meeting.
|
The
Company has appropriated $365,766 and $341,860 as reserve for the statutory
surplus reserve for the three months ended March 31, 2008 and 2007,
respectively.
Note
8 – Earnings Per Share
Earnings
per share for the period ended March 31, 2008 and 2007 is determined by dividing
net income for the periods by the weighted average number of both basic and
diluted shares of common stock and common stock equivalents outstanding. The
following is an analysis of the differences between basic and diluted earnings
per common share in accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards
No. 128, “Earnings Per Share.”
The
following demonstrates the calculation for earnings per share for the period
ended March 31, 2008 and 2007:
|
|
Three Months Ended March 31,
|
|
|
|
|
2008
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic
earning per share
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
income
|
|
$
|
2,808,571
|
|
$
|
2,110,326
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weighted
shares outstanding-Basic
|
|
|
29,200,304
|
|
|
24,210,183
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Earnings
per share-Basic
|
|
$
|
0.10
|
|
$
|
0.09
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Diluted
earning per share
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
income
|
|
$
|
2,808,571
|
|
$
|
2,110,326
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weighted
shares outstanding-Basic
|
|
|
29,200,304
|
|
|
24,210,183
|
|
Effect
of diluted securities-Warrants
|
|
|
133,780
|
|
|
-
|
|
Weighted
shares outstanding-Diluted
|
|
|
29,334,084
|
|
|
24,210,183
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Earnings
per share -Diluted
|
|
$
|
0.10
|
|
$
|
0.09
|
|
At
March
31, 2008 and 2007, the Company had outstanding warrants of 3,988,484 and
1,140,286, respectively. For the three months ended March 31, 2008, the average
stock price was greater than the exercise prices of the 321,176 warrants which
resulted in additional weighted average common stock equivalents of 133,780;
3,667,308 outstanding warrants were excluded from the diluted earnings per
share
calculation as they are anti-dilutive. For the three months ended March 31,
2007, all outstanding warrants were excluded from the diluted earnings per
share
calculation as they are anti-dilutive.
Note
9 – Current Vulnerability Due to Certain
Concentrations
For
the
period ended March 31, 2008 and 2007, the Company purchased all of the natural
gas for resale from three vendors, PetroChina Changqing Oilfield Company,
Shaanxi Natural Gas Co Ltd, and Jingcheng city Mingshi Coal Bed Methane
Exploitage Ltd. No amount was owed to these vendors at March 31, 2008. Except
for Shaanxi Natural Gas Co Ltd, the other two vendors have long-term agreements
with the Company without minimum purchase requirements. The Company has had
annual agreements from July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2008 with Shaanxi Natural Gas
Co
Ltd to purchase certain amount of natural gas. For the year ending June 30,
2008, the minimum purchase was 12.93 million cubic meters. Contracts are renewed
on an annual basis. The Company’s management reports that it does not expect any
issues or difficulty in continuing to renew the supply contracts with these
vendors going forward. Price points for natural gas are strictly controlled
by
the government and have remained stable over the past 3 years.
For
the
period ended March 31, 2008, three suppliers accounted for 64.18%of the total
inventory purchased by the Company and for the period ended March 31, 2007,
two
supplier accounts for 90.90% of the total inventory purchased by the
Company
For
the
period ended March 31, 2008, two suppliers accounted for 61.55 %of the total
equipment purchased by the Company and for the period ended March 31, 2007,
two
suppliers accounted for 44.9% of the total equipment purchased by the
Company.
Four
customers accounted for 7.92 % of the Company’s installation revenue for the
period ended March 31, 2008 and four customers accounted for 42.6% of the
Company’s installation revenue for the period ended March 31, 2007.
The
Company's operations are carried out in the People’s Republic of China.
Accordingly, the Company's business, financial condition and results of
operations may be influenced by the political, economic and legal environments
in the People’s Republic of China, by the general state of the People’s Republic
of China‘s economy. The Company's business may be influenced by changes in
governmental policies with respect to laws and regulations, anti-inflationary
measures, currency conversion and remittance abroad, and rates and methods
of
taxation, among other things.
Note
10 – Commitments and Contingencies
The
Company recognizes lease expense on a straight line basis over the term of
the
lease in accordance to SFAS 13, “Accounting for leases.” The
Company entered into series of long term lease agreements with outside parties
to lease land use right to the self-built Natural Gas filing stations located
in
the PRC. The agreements have terms ranging from 10 to 30 years. The Company
makes annual prepayment for most lease agreements. The Company also entered
into
two office leases in Xian, PRC and New York, NY. The minimum future payment
for
leasing land use rights and offices is as follows:
Nine
months ending December 31, 2008
|
|
$
|
537,222
|
|
Year
ended December 31, 2009
|
|
|
716,296
|
|
Year
ended December 31, 2010
|
|
|
716,296
|
|
Year
ended December 31, 2011
|
|
|
705,454
|
|
Year
ended December 31, 2012
|
|
|
650,771
|
|
Thereafter
|
|
|
2,336,584
|
|
Total
|
|
$
|
5,662,623
|
|
For
the
period ended March 31, 2008 and 2007, the land use right and office lease
expenses were $63,247 and $ 22,723, respectively.
Note
11 – Subsequent Event
On
April
8, 2008,
the
Company has entered into an agreement with the Xi'an Internal Port
Administrative Committee to participate in the development of both Xi'an
International Port District and Baliu Ecological Park.
Item
2.Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and
Results of Operations
CAUTIONARY
STATEMENT
The
following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with the
Company's Consolidated Financial Statements and the Notes thereto included
in
this Report. Unless otherwise noted, all amounts are expressed in U.S. dollars.
The following discussion regarding the Company and its business and operations
contains forward-looking statements that consist of any statement other than
a
recitation of historical fact and can be identified by the use of
forward-looking terminology such as "may," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate"
or
"continue" or the negative thereof or other variations thereon or comparable
terminology. In particular, these include statements relating to our expectation
that we will continue to have adequate liquidity from cash flow from operations
and the other risks and uncertainties, which are described below under "RISK
FACTORS." The reader is cautioned that all forward-looking statements are
necessarily speculative and there are certain risks and uncertainties that
could
cause actual events or results to differ materially from those referred to
in
such forward-looking statements, including the risk factors discussed in this
Report. The Company does not have a policy of updating or revising
forward-looking statements and thus it should not be assumed that silence by
management of the Company over time means that actual events are bearing out
as
estimated in such forward-looking statements.
Overview
We
were
incorporated in the state of Delaware on March 31, 1999, as Bullet Environmental
Systems, Inc. On May 25, 2000, we changed our name to Liquidpure Corp. and
on
February 14, 2002, we changed our name to Coventure International
Inc.
On
December 6, 2005, we issued an aggregate of 4 million shares to all of the
registered shareholders of Xi’an Xilan Natural Gas Co., Ltd., and entered into
exclusive arrangements with Xi’an Xilan Natural Gas Co., Ltd. and these
shareholders that give us the ability to substantially influence Xi’an Xilan
Natural Gas’ daily operations and financial affairs, appoint its senior
executives and approve all matters requiring shareholder approval. On December
19, 2005, we changed our name to China Natural Gas, Inc.
On
February 21, 2006, we formed Xilan Natural Gas Equipment Ltd., (“Xilan
Equipment”) as a wholly owned foreign enterprise (WOFE). We then, through Xilan
Equipment, entered into exclusive arrangements with Xi’an Xilan Natural Gas Co.,
Ltd. and these shareholders that give us the ability to substantially influence
Xi’an Xilan Natural Gas’ daily operations and financial affairs, appoint its
senior executives and approve all matters requiring shareholder approval. We
memorialized these arrangements on August 17, 2007. As a result, the Company
consolidates the financial results of Xi’an Xilan Natural Gas as variable
interest entity pursuant to FASB Interpretation No. 46R, “Consolidation of
Variable Interest Entities.”
We
transport, distribute and sell natural gas to commercial, industrial and
residential customers in the Xi’an area, including Lantian County and the
districts of Lintong and Baqiao, in the Shaanxi Province of The People's
Republic of China ("China" or the "PRC") through a network of 120km high
pressure pipelines. We also distribute and sell CNG as vehicular fuel through
a
network of approximately 27 CNG filling stations in Shaanxi and Henan
Provinces. As of March 31, 2008, we own and operate 17 CNG filling
stations in Shaanxi Province and 10 CNG filling stations in Henan
Province.
We
operate three primary business lines:
|
· |
Distribution
and sale of compressed natural gas (CNG) through Company-owned
CNG filling
stations for hybrid (natural gas/gasoline) powered vehicles (27
stations
as of March 31, 2008);
|
|
· |
Distribution
and sale of piped natural gas to residential, commercial and industrial
customers through Company-owned pipelines. The
Company distributes and sells natural gas to approximately 90,269
homes
and businesses as
of March 31, 2008; and
|
|
· |
Conversion
of gasoline-fueled vehicles to hybrid (natural gas/gasoline)
powered
vehicles at our Auto Conversion
Division.
|
We
buy
all of the natural gas that we sell and distribute to our customers. We do
not
mine or produce any of our own natural gas and have no plans to do so during
the
next 12 months. The natural gas that we buy is available in two forms: (i)
piped
natural gas; and (ii) CNG.
On
October 24, 2006, Xi’an Xilan Natural Gas formed a wholly-owned subsidiary,
Shaanxi Jingbian Liquified Natural Gas Co., Ltd., for the purpose of
constructing a liquefied natural gas facility to be located in Jingbian, Shaanxi
Province. We plan to invest approximately $40 million to construct this
facility, and we have secured such funding for this project through security
purchase agreement with Abax Lotus Ltd. The LNG plant is under construction
and
is expected to start operation in late 2009. Once completed, the plant has
LNG
processing capacity of 500,000 cubic meters per day, or approximately 150
million cubic meters on an annual basis.
CONSOLIDATED
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Comparing
Three Months Ended March 31, 2008 and 2007:
The
following table presents certain consolidated statement of operations
information. Financial information is presented for the three months ended
March
31, 2008 and 2007.
|
|
March 31,
2008
|
|
March 31,
2007
|
|
Revenues
|
|
$
|
14,025,674
|
|
$
|
6,743,576
|
|
Cost
of Revenues
|
|
|
7,937,198
|
|
|
3,226,217
|
|
Operating
Expenses
|
|
|
2,280,939
|
|
|
1,015,508
|
|
Income
from Operations
|
|
|
3,807,537
|
|
|
2,501,851
|
|
Net
Income
|
|
$
|
2,808,571
|
|
$
|
2,110,326
|
|
Revenues:
We
generated approximately 80.89% of our revenues in the three months ended March
31, 2008 from the sale of natural gas and approximately 19.11% of our revenues
from installation fees, conversion fees, and other sources. Sales of natural
gas
at the Company-owned filling stations accounted for approximately 77.30% of
our
total revenues in the three months ended March 31, 2008, or approximately
$10,842,155 which was the largest contribution of our three business
lines.
Sales
of
natural gas to end-user customers connected to our pipeline distribution system
accounted for approximately 11.89% of our total revenues in the three months
ended March 31, 2008, or approximately $1,667,929, including both natural gas
sales and installation fees. The Company expects natural gas revenues to
increase on both an actual basis and as a percentage of revenue in
2008.
As
of
March 31, 2008, the Company had approximately 90,269 pipeline customers, an
increase of approximately 15,269 customers over the same period in 2007, and
had
constructed and acquired 27 filling stations, an increase of 13 stations over
the same period in 2007. In the second quarter of 2008, the Company expects
to
add up to 4,500 pipeline customers and 5 additional filling stations, which
the
Company estimates will increase sales of natural gas by 37.7 million cubic
meters.
We
had
total revenues of $14,025,674 for the three months ended March 31, 2008, an
increase of $7,282,098 or 107.99%, compared to $6,743,576 for the three months
ended March 31, 2007. The increase in revenues was primarily due to the material
increase in the number of company owned filling stations as well as an increase
in the number of residential, commercial and industrial pipeline customers
from
approximately 75,000 in the three months ended March 31, 2007 to approximately
90,269 in the three months ended March 31, 2008.
New
pipeline customers pay approximately 60% of the installation costs to connect
to
our pipeline system up front and the balance is payable as part of their monthly
natural gas bill. During the three months ended March 31, 2008, our installation
revenues decreased approximately 41.66% over the same period in 2007 and our
sales of natural gas increased approximately 130.43% over the previous year.
Two
customers accounted for approximately 6.87% of the Company's installation
revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2008.
Cost
of Revenues:
Our
cost of revenues consists of both the cost of natural gas and the cost of
installation. Cost of natural gas consists primarily of the cost that we pay
for
natural gas purchased from our supplier, together with transportation costs
and
depreciation of equipment. Cost of connection includes certain installation
costs related to connecting customers to our pipeline system that are generally
expensed when incurred.
Cost
of
revenues in the three months ended March 31, 2008 was $7,937,198, an increase
of
$4,710,981 or approximately 146.02% over the same period in 2007. Cost of
natural gas increased by approximately 148.02% to $6,182,274 in the three months
ended March 31, 2008, as compared with $2,492,651 for the same period in 2007.
The increase in our cost of revenues was primarily related to a material
increase in the amount of gas sold. In addition, our installation costs
decreased in the three months ended March 31, 2008 by approximately 46.26%
to
$394,231, as compared with $733,566 in the same period in 2007 as a result
of
the decrease in new pipeline customers.
We
purchase all of our natural gas for resale from three vendors, PetroChina
Changqing Oilfield Company, Shaanxi Natural Gas Co Ltd, and Jingcheng city
Mingshi Coal Bed Methane Exploitage Ltd. As the government owns all land in
China, the government controls and owns all the natural resources coming from
the ground, thus the government controls the price and flow of the natural
gas.
Due to the soaring crude oil price and ever increasing demand for energy
consumption, the National Development and Reform Commission, which regulates
the
energy price in China, adjusted the upstream natural gas price for industrial
users and vehicular CNG distributors upward by ¥0.4/CM, or 35% in November,
2007. The retail price for vehicular CNG was adjusted upward at a ratio of
0.75:1 to the retail price of #90 gasoline at November, 2007. Many large cities
see dramatic increase in retail vehicular CNG price, for example 66% in Shanghai
and 21% (taxi) and 38% (bus) in Tianjin. However, natural gas price for
residential customers is not adjusted. As China shifts from a centrally planned
economy to a market economy, we believe that it is in the government's best
interest to keep prices stable, and maintain a stable flow of supply. The
government has also undertaken programs to promote the economy growth of the
region in which we are located. Therefore, we expect supply and price to
continue to be stable in the future.
Gross
profit:
The
Company earned a gross profit of $6,088,476 for the three months ended March
31,
2008, an increase of $2,571,117 or approximately 73.10%, compared to $3,517,359
for the three months ended March 31, 2007. The increase in gross profit is
due
to a material increase in gas sales and installation revenues in this quarter,
partially offset by an increase in cost of sales.
Gross
margin:
Gross
margin, as a percentage of revenues, decreased to approximately 43.41% for
the
three months ended March 31, 2008, from approximately 52.16% for the three
months ended March 31, 2007. The decrease in gross margin is primarily due
to
the lower margin from CNG stations in Henan region which contribute larger
portion of total gross profit than those from the same period in
2007.
In
addition, Auto Conversion division, which did not exist in the first quarter
in
2007, is another factor contributed to lower margin in the three months period
ended March 31, 2008.
Operating
expenses:
The
Company incurred operating expenses of $2,280,939 for the three months ended
March 31, 2008, an increase of $1,265,431, or approximately 124.61%, compared
to
$1,015,508 for the three months ended March 31, 2007. Our operating expenses
increased primarily as a result of expenses related to the operation of 13
newly
added CNG stations since March 31, 2007, recruitment of more employees as well
as the on-going expenses related to the identification of possible locations
for
additional filling stations and the governmental licensing and approval process.
In addition, sales and marketing costs increased in the three months ended
March
31, 2008 as we increased our efforts to obtain new residential and commercial
customers and attract customers to our filling stations by hiring more sales
persons, purchasing more tankers and using more utilities.
For
the
three months ended March 31, 2008, two suppliers accounted for 91.25% of the
total equipment we purchased for installation activities. We believe that as
a
result of our relationships within the construction industry and the
construction equipment vendor community and the availability of other vendors
to
supply the construction equipment and materials, the loss of any one of these
two vendors would not have a material adverse effect on our
operations.
Income
tax was $687,465 for the three months ended March 31, 2008, as compared to
$401,317 for the three months ended March 31, 2007. The increase in income
tax
was attributed to the growth of installation fees and the sale of natural
gas.
Net
Income:
Net
income increased to $2,808,571 for the three months ended March 31, 2008, an
increase of $698,245 or approximately 33.09% from $2,110,326 for the three
months ended March 31, 2007. The increased net income reflects the Company’s
strong and steady profit generating ability. The Company expects natural gas
revenues continue to increase on both an actual basis and as a percentage of
revenue. In the second quarter of 2008, the Company expects to add up to 4,500
pipeline customers and add additional 5 filling stations, which the Company
estimates will increase sales of natural gas by 37.7 million cubic
meters.
Liquidity
and Capital Resources
As
of
March 31, 2008, the Company had $41,254,130 of cash and cash equivalents on
hand
compared to $13,291,729 of cash and cash equivalents as of December 31,
2007.
Cash
flows provided by operating activities was $3,502,371 for the three months
ended
March 31, 2008 compared to net cash provided by operations of $1,932,476 in
the
corresponding period last year. The primary reason for the change is attributed
to the income generated from revenue, decrease in other receivables and increase
in taxes payable.
Cash
outflows for investing activities increased from $570,133 in the three months
ended March 31, 2007 to $14,052,537 for the same period in 2008 primarily
because of the prepayment to equipment suppliers of the LNG plant and additions
to construction in progress, as well as purchasing other long term assets and
payment for land use rights.
Cash
inflow for financing activities was $37,877,491 for the three months ended
March
31, 2008, compared to zero in the corresponding previous year. The financing
cash flow comes from the sale of senior notes to Abax Lotus, partially offset
by
the offering cost.
The
Company expects to add 5 additional CNG filling stations in the second quarter
of 2008. The Company expects to invest between $4.0 million and $6.0 million
in
new stations, and the funds for these investing activities will primarily come
from the Company's operating and financing cash flows.
The
Company paid $9.5 million for the LNG processing plant as a prepayment on
equipments as well as consulting fees. The Company expects to pay the LNG
related fees in the subsequent quarters with funds already secured and
internally generated cash flows.
Based
on
past performance and current expectations, we believe our existing cash combined
with cash generated from operations, as well as future possible cash
investments, will satisfy our working capital needs, capital expenditures (other
than the LNG Project and acquisition of other filling stations) and other
liquidity requirements associated with our operations for at least the next
12
months.
The
majority of the Company's revenues and expenses were denominated primarily
in
RMB, the currency of the People's Republic of China. There is no assurance
that
exchange rates between the RMB and the USD will remain stable. Inflation has
not
had a material impact on the Company's business.
OFF-BALANCE
SHEET ARRANGEMENTS
We
entered in to a foreign currency forward contract in March 2008 and please
refer
to footnote under “Derivative Accounting” for more details. We also entered into
series of long term lease agreements with outside parties to lease land use
right to the self-built natural gas filling stations located in the PRC, and
please refer to footnote 4 to the financial statements for details. We have
purchase agreements with several natural gas suppliers and please see
footnote 9 for more explanations. We do not have any other off-balance
sheet arrangements that have or are reasonably likely to have a current or
future effect on our financial condition, changes in financial condition,
revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures
or
capital resources that are material to our investors.
CRITICAL
ACCOUNTING POLICIES
In
presenting our financial statements in conformity with accounting principles
generally accepted in the United States, we are required to make estimates
and
assumptions that affect the amounts reported therein. Several of the estimates
and assumptions we are required to make relate to matters that are inherently
uncertain as they pertain to future events. However, events that are outside
of
our control cannot be predicted and, as such, they cannot be contemplated in
evaluating such estimates and assumptions. If there is a significant unfavorable
change to current conditions, it will likely result in a material adverse impact
to our consolidated results of operations, financial position and in liquidity.
We believe that the estimates and assumptions we used when preparing our
financial statements were the most appropriate at that time. Presented below
are
those accounting policies that we believe require subjective and complex
judgments that could potentially affect reported results.
Use
of
Estimates
Our
discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations
are
based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared
in
accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States
of
America. The preparation of these consolidated financial statements requires
us
to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets,
liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosures of contingent assets
and liabilities. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our estimates, including
those
related to impairment of long-lived assets, and allowance for doubtful accounts.
We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions
that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which
form the basis for making judgments about the carrying value of assets and
liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results
may
differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions; however,
we believe that our estimates, including those for the above-described items,
are reasonable.
Areas
that require estimates and assumptions include valuation of accounts receivable
and determination of useful lives of property and equipment.
Long-Lived
Assets
We
periodically assess potential impairments to our long-lived assets in accordance
with the provisions of SFAS No. 144, “Accounting for the Impairment or
Disposal of Long-Lived Assets.” SFAS No. 144 requires, among other things,
that an entity perform an impairment review whenever events or changes in
circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be fully recoverable.
Factors considered by us include, but are not limited to: significant
underperformance relative to expected historical or projected future operating
results; significant changes in the manner of use of the acquired assets or
the
strategy for our overall business; and significant negative industry or economic
trends. When we determine that the carrying value of a long-lived asset may
not
be recoverable based upon the existence of one or more of the above indicators
of impairment, we estimate the future undiscounted cash flows expected to result
from the use of the asset and its eventual disposition. If the sum of the
expected future undiscounted cash flows and eventual disposition is less than
the carrying amount of the asset, we recognize an impairment loss. An impairment
loss is reflected as the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset
exceeds the fair market value of the asset, based on the fair market value
if
available, or discounted cash flows. To date, there has been no impairment
of
long-lived assets.
Revenue
Recognition
Our
revenue recognition policies are in compliance with Staff Accounting Bulletin
(SAB) 104. Revenue is recognized when services are rendered to customers, when
a
formal arrangement exists, the price is fixed or determinable, the delivery
is
completed, no other significant obligations of the Company exist and
collectibility is reasonably assured. Payments received before all of the
relevant criteria for revenue recognition are satisfied are recorded as unearned
revenue. Revenue from gas sales is recognized when gas is pumped through
pipelines to the end users. Revenue from installation of pipelines is recorded
when the contract is completed and accepted by the customers. The construction
contracts are usually completed within one to two months time. Revenue from
repairing and modifying vehicles is recorded when service are rendered to and
accepted by the customers.
Unearned
Revenue
Unearned
revenue represents prepayments by customers for gas purchases and advance
payments on installation of pipeline contracts. We record such prepayment as
unearned revenue when the payments are received.
Recent
Pronouncements
In
February 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 159, “The Fair Value Option for
Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities“. This Statement permits entities to
choose to measure many financial assets and financial liabilities at fair value.
Unrealized gains and losses on items for which the fair value option has been
elected are reported in earnings. SFAS No. 159 is effective for fiscal years
beginning after November 15, 2007. The Company chose not to elect the option
to
measure the fair value of eligible financial assets and
liabilities.
In
June
2007, the FASB issued FASB Staff Position No. EITF 07-3, “Accounting for
Nonrefundable Advance Payments for Goods or Services Received for use in Future
Research and Development Activities” (“FSP EITF 07-3”), which addresses whether
nonrefundable advance payments for goods or services that used or rendered
for
research and development activities should be expensed when the advance payment
is made or when the research and development activity has been performed.
Management is currently evaluating the effect of this pronouncement on financial
statements.
In
December 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 141 (Revised 2007), “Business
Combinations.” SFAS No. 141 (Revised 2007) changes how a reporting
enterprise accounts for the acquisition of a business. SFAS No. 141
(Revised 2007) requires an acquiring entity to recognize all the assets acquired
and liabilities assumed in a transaction at the acquisition-date fair value,
with limited exceptions, and applies to a wider range of transactions or events.
SFAS No. 141 (Revised 2007) is effective for fiscal years beginning on or
after December 15, 2008 and early adoption and retrospective application is
prohibited. The Company is currently evaluating the impact that adopting SFAS
No. 141R will have on its financial statements.
In
December 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 160, “Noncontrolling Interests in
Consolidated Financial Statements”, which is an amendment of Accounting Research
Bulletin (“ARB”) No. 51. This statement clarifies that a
noncontrolling interest in a subsidiary is an ownership interest in the
consolidated entity that should be reported as equity in the consolidated
financial statements. This statement changes the way the consolidated
income statement is presented, thus requiring consolidated net income to be
reported at amounts that include the amounts attributable to both parent and
the
noncontrolling interest. This statement is effective for the fiscal
years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning on or after
December 15, 2008. Based on current conditions, the Company does not
expect the adoption of SFAS 160 to have a significant impact on its results
of
operations or financial position.
Item
3. Quantitative
and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Not
required
Item
4. Controls
and Procedures
Evaluation
of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
The
Company's management has evaluated, under the supervision and with the
participation of the Company's Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial
Officer, the effectiveness of the design and operations of the Company's
disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Securities Exchange Act Rule
13a-15(e)), as of the end of the period covered by this quarterly report. Based
on that evaluation, the Company's Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial
Officer have concluded that the evaluation of the effectiveness of our
disclosure controls and procedures was completed; our disclosure controls and
procedures were satisfactory subject to the following:
|
Inadequate
US GAAP expertise - The current staff in the accounting department
is
inexperienced and they was primarily engaged in ensuring compliance
with
PRC accounting and reporting requirement for our operating subsidiaries
and was not required to meet or apply U.S. GAAP requirements. They
need substantial training so as to meet with the higher demands of
being a
U.S. public company. The accounting skills and understanding necessary
to
fulfill the requirements of US GAAP-based reporting, including the
skills
of subsidiary financial statements consolidation, are
inadequate.
|
We
have
engaged Pickard & Green, CPAs, a Certified Public Accounting firm in
Valencia, CA, to serve as our accountant. They are mainly engaged to
perform our financial statements consolidation and to prepare our financial
statements. In particular, we are seeking accountants experienced in
several key areas of accounting, including persons with experience in Chinese
and U.S. GAAP, U.S. GAAP consolidation requirements,and SEC financial reporting
requirements.
In
addition, we plan to allocate additional resources to train our existing
accounting staff and continue this effort in the future.
Item
1. Legal
Proceedings
None
Item
1 A. Risk Factors
An
investment in our common stock is speculative and involves a high degree of
risk
and uncertainty. You should carefully consider the risks described below,
together with the other information contained in this report, including the
consolidated financial statements and notes thereto of our Company, before
deciding to invest in our common stock. The risks described below are not the
only ones facing our Company. Additional risks not presently known to us or
that
we presently consider immaterial may also adversely affect our Company. If
any
of the following risks occur, our business, financial condition and results
of
operations and the value of our common stock could be materially and adversely
affected.
RISKS
RELATED TO OUR BUSINESS
Prices
of natural gas can be subject to significant fluctuations, which may affect
and
bring uncertainty to our business and financial condition.
We
obtain
most of our natural gas from government owned entities and our supply contracts
are subject to review every six months. The supply price for natural gas is
strictly controlled by the PRC government and has remained stable over the
past
three years. We do not expect any difficulty in renewing our supply contracts
during the next 12 months, nor do we expect any significant change to natural
gas supply price in China during the same period. However, the price level
of
natural gas could fluctuate in response to changing national or international
market forces, to political events, OPEC actions and other factors over the
short to medium term, and to industry economics over the long term. Accordingly,
the PRC government may adjust its controlled price limit and our suppliers
may
be able to increase or decrease their supply price to us. This would bring
uncertainty to our business and may affect our financial condition.
We
are dependent on supplies of natural gas to deliver to our
customers.
With
the
exception of certain compressed and liquid natural gas supplies, we obtain
our
supplies of natural gas from government owned entities. The ability to deliver
our product is dependent on a sufficient supply of natural gas and if we
are
unable to obtain a sufficient natural gas supply, it could prevent us making
deliveries to our customers. While we have supply contracts, we do not control
the government owned suppliers or other suppliers, nor are we able to control
the amount of time and effort they put forth on our behalf. It is possible
that
our suppliers will not perform as expected, and that they may breach or
terminate their agreements with us. It is also possible that, after a regular
semi-annual review of our primary supply contract, they choose to provide
services to a competitor. Any failure to obtain supplies of natural gas could
prevent us from delivering such to our customers and could have a material
adverse affect on our business and financial condition.
Our
business operations are subject to a high degree of risk and insurance may
not
be adequate to cover liabilities resulting from accidents or injuries that may
occur.
Our
operations are subject to potential hazards incident to the gathering,
processing, separation and storage of natural gas, such as explosions, product
spills, leaks, emissions and fires. These hazards can cause personal injury
and
loss of life, severe damage to and destruction of property and equipment, and
pollution or other environmental damage, and may result in curtailment or
suspension of our operations.
We
have
maintained adequate coverage at reasonable rates and have experienced no
material uninsured losses. However, the occurrence of an unexpected while
significant event for which we are not fully insured or indemnified, and/or
the
failure of a party to meet its indemnification obligations, may result in our
incurring substantial costs and materially and adversely affect our operations
and financial condition. Moreover, no assurance can be given that we will be
able to maintain adequate insurance in the future at rates considered as
reasonable.
Changes
in the regulatory atmosphere could adversely affect our
business.
The
distribution of natural gas and operations of filling stations are highly
regulated requiring registrations for the issuance of licenses required by
various governing authorities in China. In addition, various standards must
be
met for filling stations including handling and storage of natural gas, tanker
handling, and compressor operation which are regulated. The costs of complying
with regulations in the future may harm our business. Furthermore, future
changes in environmental laws and regulations could result in stricter standards
and enforcement, larger fines and liability, and increased capital expenditures
and operating costs, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our
financial condition or results of operations.
We
depend on our senior management's experience and knowledge of the industry
and
would be adversely affected by the loss of any of our senior
managers.
Our
future success depends heavily upon the continuing services of the members
of
our senior management team, particularly Mr.Ji, who is the founder, Chief
Executive Officer, Chairman of the Board, and a major shareholder of our
company. We rely on Mr.Ji’s expertise in our business operations and on his
personal relationships with the relevant regulatory authorities, customers
and
suppliers. We do not currently have employment contracts with our senior
executives. If, for any reason, our senior executives do not continue to be
active in management, our business, or the financial condition of our Company,
our results of operations could be adversely affected. In addition, we do not
maintain life insurance on our senior executives and other key
employees.
We
may need to raise capital to fund our operations, and our failure to obtain
funding when needed may force us to delay, reduce or eliminate acquisitions
and
business development plans.
If
in the
future, we are not capable of generating sufficient revenues from operations
and
our capital resources are insufficient to meet future requirements, we may
have
to raise funds to continue the development, commercialization and marketing
of
our business. The projects we are currently pursuing include the LNG project,
the Xi'an International Port District project, and Baliu Ecological Park
project.
We
cannot
be certain that funding will be available. To the extent that we raise
additional funds by issuing equity securities, our stockholders may experience
significant dilution. Any debt financing, if available, may involve restrictive
covenants that impact our ability to conduct our business. If we are unable
to
raise additional capital when required or on acceptable terms, we may have
to
delay, scale back, discontinue our planned acquisitions or business development
plans or obtain funds by entering into agreements on unattractive
terms.
Our
strategy of geographic expansion and our effort of acquiring additional filling
stations may fail.
As
part
of our business strategy, we continue to expand our operations into more regions
in China as we address growth in our natural gas user base and market
opportunities. We are constructing new CNG filling stations and acquiring
existing stations in those regions. These actions may require a significant
amount of capital investment, and involve uncertainties and risks. We might
not
be as familiar with the local markets as we are in Henan Province and in our
home market Shaanxi Province. Our effort of geographic expansion may fail
resulting in loss of investment, competitive edge, and the opportunity to enter
into those markets in the near future.
We
may not be able to manage our expanding operations
effectively.
To
manage
the potential growth of our operations and personnel, as well as geographically
dispersed CNG filling stations, we will be required to improve operational
and
financial systems, procedures and controls, and expand, train and manage our
growing employee base, including staff from acquired CNG filling stations.
This
requires significant time and resource commitments from us and our senior
management, who will also be required to maintain and expand our relationships
with local governments. We cannot assure you that our current and planned
personnel, systems, procedures and controls will be adequate to support our
future operations. Our failure to manage growth and operate efficiently could
harm our business and adversely affect our financial conditions.
RISKS
RELATED TO THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
China's
economic policies could affect our business.
Substantially
all of our assets are located in China and substantially all of our revenue
is
derived from our operations in China. Accordingly, our results of operations
and
prospects are subject, to a significant extent, to the economic, political
and
legal developments in China.
While
China's economy has experienced a significant growth in the past twenty years,
growth has been irregular, both geographically and among various sectors of
the
economy. The Chinese government has implemented various measures to encourage
economic growth and guide the allocation of resources. Some of these measures
benefit the overall economy of China, but may also have a negative effect on
us.
For example, our operating results and financial condition may be adversely
affected by the government control over capital investments or changes in tax
regulations.
The
economy of China has been transitioning from a planned economy to a more
market-oriented economy. In recent years the Chinese government has implemented
measures emphasizing the utilization of market forces for economic reform and
the reduction of state ownership of productive assets and the establishment
of
corporate governance in business enterprises; however, a substantial portion
of
productive assets in China are still owned by the Chinese government. In
addition, the Chinese government continues to play a significant role in
regulating industry development by imposing industrial policies. It also
exercises significant control over China's economic growth through the
allocation of resources, controlling payment of foreign currency-denominated
obligations, setting monetary policy and providing preferential treatment to
particular industries or companies.
China’s
Tax Policies could affect our earnings results.
The
PRC
government currently grants companies in the natural gas industry a reduced
tax
rate to encourage the development of the industry. Our variable interest entity,
XXNGC, enjoys the reduced tax rate of 15%. If there’s any change in this
favorable policy, though not currently expected, it could adversely affect
our
earnings results.
Capital
outflow policies in The People's Republic of China may hamper our ability to
remit income to the United States.
The
PRC
government imposes controls on the convertibility of Renminbi into foreign
currencies and, in certain cases, on the remittance of currency outside of
the
PRC. We receive substantially all of our revenues in Renminbi. Under our current
structure, our income is primarily derived from payments from Xi’an Xilan
Natural Gas Co. Shortages in the availability of foreign currency may restrict
the ability of Xi’an Xilan Natural Gas to remit sufficient foreign currency to
pay dividends, if any, or other payments to us, or otherwise satisfy its foreign
currency denominated obligations. Under existing PRC foreign exchange
regulations, payments of current account items, including profit distributions,
interest payments and expenditures from trade-related transactions, can be
made
in foreign currencies without prior approval from the PRC State Administration
of Foreign Exchange by complying with certain procedural requirements. However,
approval from appropriate government authorities is required in those cases
in
which Renminbi is to be converted into foreign currency and remitted out of
the
PRC to pay capital expenses, such as the repayment of bank loans denominated
in
foreign currencies. The PRC government also may at its discretion restrict
access in the future to foreign currencies for current account transactions.
If
the foreign exchange control system prevents us from obtaining sufficient
foreign currency to satisfy our currency demands, we may not be able to pay
dividends, if any, in foreign currencies to our shareholders.
Although
we do not import goods into or export goods out of The People's Republic of
China, fluctuation of the RMB may indirectly affect our financial condition
by
affecting the volume of cross-border money flow.
The
value
of the RMB fluctuates and is subject to changes in the People's Republic of
China political and economic conditions. Since July 2005, the conversion of
RMB
into foreign currencies, including USD, has been based on rates set by the
People's Bank of China which are set based upon the interbank foreign exchange
market rates and current exchange rates of a basket of currencies on the world
financial markets. As of March 31, 2008, the exchange rate between the RMB
and
the United States dollar was 7.00 RMB to every one USD (middle
price).
We
may face obstacles from the communist system in The People's Republic of
China.
Foreign
companies conducting operations in The People's Republic of China face
significant political, economic and legal risks. The Communist regime in The
People's Republic of China, including a stifling bureaucracy may hinder Western
investment.
We
may have difficulty establishing adequate management, legal and financial
controls in The People's Republic of China.
The
People's Republic of China historically has been deficient in Western style
management and financial reporting concepts and practices, as well as in modern
banking, computer and other control systems. We may have difficulty in hiring
and retaining a sufficient number of qualified employees to work in The People's
Republic of China. As a result of these factors, we may experience difficulty
in
establishing management, legal and financial controls, collecting financial
data
and preparing financial statements, books of account and corporate records
and
instituting business practices that meet Western standards.
Because
our assets and operations are located in China, you may have difficulty
enforcing any civil liabilities against us under the securities and other laws
of the United States or any state.
We
are a
holding company, and all of our assets are located in the Republic of China.
In
addition, our directors and officers are non-residents of the United States,
and
all or a substantial portion of the assets of these non-residents are located
outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult for investors to
effect service of process within the United States upon these non-residents,
or
to enforce against them judgments obtained in United States courts, including
judgments based upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws
of
the United States or any state.
There
is
uncertainty as to whether courts of the People’s Republic of China would
enforce:
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Judgments
of United States courts obtained against us or these non-residents
based
on the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United
States or any state; or
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In
original actions brought in the People’s Republic of China, liabilities
against us or non-residents predicated upon the securities laws of
the
United States or any state. Enforcement of a foreign judgment in
the
Republic of China also may be limited or otherwise affected by applicable
bankruptcy, insolvency, liquidation, arrangement, moratorium or similar
laws relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally and will
be
subject to a statutory limitation of time within which proceedings
may be
brought.
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The
PRC legal system embodies uncertainties, which could limit law enforcement
availability.
The
PRC
legal system is a civil law system based on written statutes. Unlike common
law
systems, decided legal cases have little precedence. In 1979, the PRC government
began to promulgate a comprehensive system of laws and regulations governing
economic matters in general. The overall effect of legislation over the past
27
years has significantly enhanced the protections afforded to various forms
of
foreign investment in China. Each of our PRC operating subsidiaries and
affiliates is subject to PRC laws and regulations. However, these laws and
regulations change frequently and the interpretation and enforcement involve
uncertainties. For instance, we may have to resort to administrative and court
proceedings to enforce the legal protection that we are entitled to by law
or
contract. However, since PRC administrative and court authorities have
significant discretion in interpreting statutory and contractual terms, it
may
be difficult to evaluate the outcome of administrative court proceedings and
the
level of law enforcement that we would receive in more developed legal systems.
Such uncertainties, including the inability to enforce our contracts, could
affect our business and operation. In addition, intellectual property rights
and
confidentiality protections in China may not be as effective as in the United
States or other countries. Accordingly, we cannot predict the effect of future
developments in the PRC legal system, particularly with regard to the industries
in which we operate, including the promulgation of new laws. This may include
changes to existing laws or the interpretation or enforcement thereof, or the
preemption of local regulations by national laws. These uncertainties could
limit the availability of law enforcement, including our ability to enforce
our
agreements with the government entities and other foreign
investors.
The
admission of China into the World Trade Organization could lead to increased
foreign competition.
China
officially entered the WTO on December 11, 2001. As the country follows its
timetable in the WTO accession agreements to release restrictions on
international trade and to improve the investment environment, countries with
large natural gas reserves including Saudi Arabia may gain more access to
China’s natural gas market, and foreign investments may be allowed to invest in
natural gas industry. Such events could lead to increased competition in the
natural gas industry in China.
PRC
laws and regulations governing our businesses and the validity of certain of
our
contractual arrangements are uncertain. If we are found to be in violation,
we
could be subject to sanctions. In addition, changes in such PRC laws and
regulations may materially and adversely affect our business.
There
are
substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of PRC
laws and regulations, including, but not limited to, the laws and regulations
governing our business, or the enforcement and performance of our contractual
arrangements with our VIE, Xian Xilan Natural Gas, and its shareholders. We
are
considered a foreign person or foreign invested enterprise under PRC law. As
a
result, we are subject to PRC law limitations on foreign ownership of Chinese
companies. These laws and regulations are relatively new and may be subject
to
change, and their official interpretation and enforcement may involve
substantial uncertainty. The effectiveness of newly enacted laws, regulations
or
amendments may be delayed, resulting in detrimental reliance by foreign
investors. New laws and regulations that affect existing and proposed future
businesses may also be applied retroactively.
The
PRC
government has broad discretion in dealing with violations of laws and
regulations, including levying fines, revoking business and other licenses
and
requiring actions necessary for compliance. In particular, licenses and permits
issued or granted to us by relevant governmental bodies may be revoked at a
later time by higher regulatory bodies. We cannot predict the effect of the
interpretation of existing or new PRC laws or regulations on our businesses.
We
cannot assure you that our current ownership and operating structure would
not
be found in violation of any current or future PRC laws or regulations. As
a
result, we may be subject to sanctions, including fines, and could be required
to restructure our operations or cease to provide certain services. Any of
these
or similar actions could significantly disrupt our business operations or
restrict us from conducting a substantial portion of our business operations,
which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition
and results of operations.
We
may be adversely affected by complexity, uncertainties and changes in PRC
regulation of natural gas business and companies, including limitations on
our
ability to own key assets.
The
PRC
government regulates the natural gas industry including foreign ownership of,
and the licensing and permit requirements pertaining to, companies in the
natural gas industry. These laws and regulations are relatively new and
evolving, and their interpretation and enforcement involve significant
uncertainty. As a result, in certain circumstances it may be difficult to
determine what actions or omissions may be deemed to be a violation of
applicable laws and regulations. Issues, risks and uncertainties relating to
PRC
government regulation of the natural gas industry include, but are not limited
to, the following:
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We
only have contractual control over Xian Xilan Natural Gas. We do
not own
it due to the restriction of foreign investment in Chinese businesses;
and
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Uncertainties
relating to the regulation of the natural gas business in China,
including
evolving licensing practices, means that permits, licenses or operations
at our company may be subject to challenge. This may disrupt our
business,
or subject us to sanctions, requirements to increase capital or other
conditions or enforcement, or compromise enforceability of related
contractual arrangements, or have other harmful effects on
us.
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The
interpretation and application of existing PRC laws, regulations and policies
and possible new laws, regulations or policies have created substantial
uncertainties regarding the legality of existing and future foreign investments
in, and the businesses and activities of, natural gas businesses in China,
including our business.
In
order to comply with PRC laws limiting foreign ownership of Chinese companies,
we conduct our natural gas business through Xian Xilan Natural Gas by means
of
contractual arrangements. If the PRC government determines that these
contractual arrangements do not comply with applicable regulations, our business
could be adversely affected.
The
PRC
government restricts foreign investment in natural gas businesses in China.
Accordingly, we operate our business in China through Xian Xilan Natural Gas.
Xian Xilan Natural Gas holds the licenses and approvals necessary to operate
our
natural gas business in China. We have contractual arrangements with Xian Xilan
Natural Gas and its shareholders that allow us to substantially control Xian
Xilan Natural Gas. We cannot assure you, however, that we will be able to
enforce these contracts.
Although
we believe we comply with current PRC regulations, we cannot assure you that
the
PRC government would agree that these operating arrangements comply with PRC
licensing, registration or other regulatory requirements, with existing policies
or with requirements or policies that may be adopted in the future. If the
PRC
government determines that we do not comply with applicable law, it could revoke
our business and operating licenses, require us to discontinue or restrict
our
operations, restrict our right to collect revenues, require us to restructure
our operations, impose additional conditions or requirements with which we
may
not be able to comply, impose restrictions on our business operations or on
our
customers, or take other regulatory or enforcement actions against us that
could
be harmful to our business.
Our
contractual arrangements with Xian Xilan Natural Gas and its shareholders may
not be as effective in providing control over these entities as direct
ownership.
Since
PRC
law limits foreign equity ownership in natural gas companies in China, we
operate our business through Xian Xilan Natural Gas. We have no equity ownership
interest in Xian Xilan Natural Gas and rely on contractual arrangements to
control and operate such businesses. These contractual arrangements may not
be
as effective in providing control over Xian Xilan Natural Gas as direct
ownership. For example, Xian Xilan Natural Gas could fail to take actions
required for our business despite its contractual obligation to do so. If Xian
Xilan Natural Gas fails to perform under their agreements with us, we may have
to incur substantial costs and resources to enforce such arrangements and may
have to rely on legal remedies under PRC law, which may not be effective. In
addition, we cannot assure you that Xian Xilan Natural Gas’s shareholders would
always act in our best interests.
RISKS
RELATED TO CORPORATE AND STOCK MATTERS
Our
largest stockholder has significant influence over our management and affairs
and could exercise this influence against your best interests.
At
March
13, 2008, Mr. Qinan Ji, our founder, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive
Officer and our largest stockholder, beneficially owned approximately 20.3%
of
our outstanding shares of common stock. As a result, pursuant to our Bylaws
and
applicable laws and regulations, our controlling shareholder and our other
executive officers and directors are able to exercise significant influence
over
our Company, including, but not limited to, any stockholder approvals for the
election of our directors and, indirectly, the selection of our senior
management, the amount of dividend payments, if any, our annual budget,
increases or decreases in our share capital, new securities issuance, mergers
and acquisitions and any amendments to our Bylaws. Furthermore, this
concentration of ownership may delay or prevent a change of control or
discourage a potential acquirer from making a tender offer or otherwise
attempting to obtain control of us, which could decrease the market price of
our
shares. The limited prior public market and trading market may cause volatility
in the market price of our common stock.
We
have incurred and will continue to incur increased costs as a result of being
a
public company.
As
a
public company, we have incurred and will continue to incur significant legal,
accounting and other expenses that we did not incur as a private company. We
have incurred and will continue to incur costs associated with our public
company reporting and compliance requirements, including corporate governance
requirements under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and rules implemented by
the
Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC. We expect these rules and
regulations to increase our legal and financial compliance costs and to make
certain activities more time-consuming and costly.
We
may have exposure to greater than anticipated tax
liabilities.
We
are
subject to income tax, business tax and other taxes in many provinces and cities
in China and our tax structure is subject to review by various local tax
authorities. The determination of our provision for income tax and other tax
liabilities requires significant judgment and in the ordinary course of our
business, there are many transactions and calculations where the ultimate tax
determination is uncertain. Although we believe our estimates are reasonable,
the ultimate decisions by the relevant tax authorities may differ from the
amounts recorded in our financial statements and may materially affect our
financial results in the period or periods for which such determination is
made.
The
limited prior public market and trading market may cause volatility in the
market price of our common stock.
Our
common stock is currently traded on a limited basis on the OTCBB under the
symbol, "CHNG.OB" The quotation of our common stock on the OTCBB does not assure
that a meaningful, consistent and liquid trading market currently exists, and
in
recent years, such market has experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations
that have particularly affected the market prices of many smaller companies
like
us. Our common stock is thus subject to volatility. In the absence of an active
trading market:
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·
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investors
may have difficulty buying and selling or obtaining market quotations;
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·
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market
visibility for our common stock may be limited;
and
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·
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a
lack of visibility for our common stock may have a depressive effect
on
the market for our common stock.
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Trading
of our stock may be restricted by the SEC's penny stock regulations which may
limit a stockholder's ability to buy and sell our stock if our stock trades
below $5.00 per share.
The
SEC
has adopted Rule 15g-9 which generally defines "penny stock" to be any equity
security that has a market price (as defined) less than $5.00 per share or
an
exercise price of less than $5.00 per share, subject to certain exceptions.
Our
securities are covered by the penny stock rules, which impose additional sales
practice requirements on broker-dealers who sell to persons other than
established customers and "accredited investors". The term "accredited investor"
refers generally to institutions with assets in excess of $5,000,000 or
individuals with a net worth in excess of $1,000,000 or annual income exceeding
$200,000 or $300,000 jointly with their spouse. The penny stock rules require
a
broker-dealer, prior to a transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt
from
the rules, to deliver a standardized risk disclosure document in a form prepared
by the SEC which provides information about penny stocks and the nature and
level of risks in the penny stock market. The broker-dealer also must provide
the customer with current bid and offer quotations for the penny stock, the
compensation of the broker-dealer and its salesperson in the transaction and
monthly account statements showing the market value of each penny stock held
in
the customer's account. The bid and offer quotations, and the broker-dealer
and
salesperson compensation information, must be given to the customer orally
or in
writing prior to effecting the transaction and must be given to the customer
in
writing before or with the customer's confirmation. In addition, the penny
stock
rules require that prior to a transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt
from these rules, the broker-dealer must make a special written determination
that the penny stock is a suitable investment for the purchaser and receive
the
purchaser's written agreement to the transaction. These disclosure requirements
may have the effect of reducing the level of trading activity in the secondary
market for the stock that is subject to these penny stock rules. Consequently,
these penny stock rules may affect the ability of broker-dealers to trade our
securities. We believe that the penny stock rules discourage investor interest
in and limit the marketability of our common stock.
NASD
sales practice requirements may also limit a stockholder's ability to buy and
sell our stock.
Section
15(g) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Rule 15g-2
promulgated thereunder by the SEC require broker-dealers dealing in penny stocks
to provide potential investors with a document disclosing the risks of penny
stocks and to obtain a manually signed and dated written receipt of the document
before effecting any transaction in a penny stock for the investor's
account.
Potential
investors in our common stock are urged to obtain and read such disclosure
carefully before purchasing any shares that are deemed to be "penny stock."
Moreover, Rule 15g-9 requires broker-dealers in penny stocks to approve the
account of any investor for transactions in such stocks before selling any
penny
stock to that investor. This procedure requires the broker-dealer to (i) obtain
from the investor information concerning his or her financial situation,
investment experience and investment objectives; (ii)reasonably determine,
based
on that information, that transactions in penny stocks are suitable for the
investor and that the investor has sufficient knowledge and experience as to
be
reasonably capable of evaluating the risks of penny stock transactions; (iii)
provide the investor with a written statement setting forth the basis on which
the broker-dealer made the determination in (ii) above; and (iv) receive a
signed and dated copy of such statement from the investor, confirming that
it
accurately reflects the investor's financial situation, investment experience
and investment objectives. Compliance with these requirements may make it more
difficult for holders of our common stock to resell their shares to third
parties or to otherwise dispose of them in the market or
otherwise.
Shares
eligible for future sale may adversely affect the market price of our Common
stock, as the future sale of a substantial amount of our restricted stock in
the
public marketplace could reduce the price of our common
stock.
From
time
to time, certain of our stockholders may be eligible to sell all or some of
their shares of common stock by means of ordinary brokerage transactions in
the
open market pursuant to Rule 144, promulgated under the Securities Act ("Rule
144"), subject to certain limitations. In general, pursuant to Rule 144, a
stockholder (or stockholders whose shares are aggregated) who has satisfied
a
one-year holding period may, under certain circumstances, sell within any
three-month period a number of securities which does not exceed the greater
of
1% of the then outstanding shares of common stock or the average weekly trading
-volume of the class during the four calendar weeks prior to such sale. Rule
144
also permits, under certain circumstances, the sale of securities, without
any
limitations, by a non-affiliate of our company that has satisfied a two-year
holding period. Any substantial sale of common stock pursuant to Rule 144 or
pursuant to any resale prospectus may have an adverse effect on the market
price
of our securities.
We
may be exposed to potential risks relating to our internal controls over
financial reporting and our ability to have the operating effectiveness of
our
internal controls attested to by our independent auditors.
If
we or
our independent registered public accountants cannot attest our adequacy in
the
internal control measures over our financial reporting, as required by Section
404 of the U.S. Sarbanes-Oxley Act, we may be adversely affected.
As
a
public company, we are subject to report our internal control structure and
procedures for financial reporting in our annual reports on Form 10-KSB, as
a
requirement of Section 404 of the U.S. Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 by the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). The report must contain an
assessment by management about the effectiveness of our internal controls over
financial reporting. Moreover, the independent registered public accountants
of
our Company must attest to and report on management's assessment of the same.
Even if our management attests to our internal control measures to be effective,
our independent registered public accountants may not be satisfied with our
internal control structure and procedures. We cannot guarantee the outcome
of
the report and it could result in an adverse impact on us in the financial
marketplace due to the loss of investor confidence in the reliability of our
financial statements, which could negative influence to our stock market
price.
Stockholders
should have no expectation of any dividends.
The
holders of our common stock are entitled to receive dividends when declared
by
the Board of Directors out of funds available. To date, we have not declared
nor
paid any cash dividends. The Board of Directors does not intend to declare
any
dividends in the near future, but instead intends to retain all earnings, if
any, for use in our business operations.
Item
2. Unregistered
Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
None
that
were not reported on a Form 8-K.
Item
3. Defaults
Upon Senior Securities
None.
Item
4. Submission
of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
Not
applicable
Item
5. Other
Information
None
Item
6. Exhibits
(a) Exhibits
Exhibit Number
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Description
of Exhibit
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3.1
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Certificate
of Amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Company’s Form SB-2 filed on November 2,
2007)
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31.1
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Certification
of Principal Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14 and Rule 15d-14(a),
promulgated under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended
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31.2
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Certification
of Principal Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14 and Rule 15d
14(a),
promulgated under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended
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32.1
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Certification
pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section
906 of
the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (Chief Executive
Officer)
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32.2
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Certification
pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section
906 of
the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (Chief Financial
Officer)
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SIGNATURES
In
accordance with the requirements of the Exchange Act, the registrant caused
this
report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized.
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China
Natural Gas, Inc.
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May
19, 2008
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By:
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/s/ Qinan
Ji
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Qinan
Ji
Chief
Executive Officer
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May
19, 2008
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By:
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/s/ Lihong
Guo
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Lihong
Guo
Chief
Financial Officer
(Principal
Financial and Accounting Officer)
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