NOTE 4 - CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES AND JUDGMENTS
The preparation of financial statements in accordance with IFRS requires management to make estimates and judgments that affect reported assets, liabilities, revenues, expenses, gains, and losses. These estimates and judgments are subject to change based on experience and new information. The financial statement areas that require significant estimates and judgments are as follows:
Decommissioning liability
The Company recognizes decommissioning liabilities for its exploration and evaluation assets and property and equipment. Measurement of the decommissioning liabilities involves estimates and judgements as to the cost and timing of incurrence of future decommissioning programs. It also involves assessment of appropriate discount rates, rates of inflation applicable to future costs and the rate used to measure the accretion charge for each reporting period. Measurement of the liability also reflects current engineering methodologies as well as current and expected future environmental legislation and standards. Actual decommissioning costs will ultimately depend on future market prices for the decommissioning costs which will reflect the market conditions at the time the decommissioning costs are actually incurred. The final cost of the currently recognized decommissioning provisions may be higher or lower than currently provided for.
Exploration and evaluation expenditures
The application of the Company’s accounting policy for exploration and evaluation expenditures requires judgment in determining whether it is likely that future economic benefits will flow to the Company, which is based on assumptions about future events or circumstances. Estimates and assumptions made may change if new information becomes available. If, after the expenditure is capitalized, information becomes available suggesting that the recovery of the expenditure is unlikely, the amount capitalized is written off in profit or loss in the period in which the new information becomes available.
Share-based payment transactions
The Company measures the cost of equity-settled transactions with employees by reference to the fair value of the equity instruments at the date at which they are granted. Management uses judgment to determine the most appropriate valuation model to estimate the fair value for share-based payment transactions. The inputs to the valuation model, including the expected life of the share option, volatility and dividend yield, require judgment for determination.
Financial contract liability
The application of the Company’s accounting policy for financial liabilities requires the Company to adjust the carrying amounts of the financial liabilities in the event it revises its payments or receipts to reflect actual and revised estimated cash flows. The Company’s financial contract liability was originally recognized at fair value using the effective interest method which ensures that any interest expense over the period of repayment is at a constant rate on the balance of the liability carried in the balance sheet. Effective June 30, 2014, the Company’s financial contract liability was reduced by the residual reserve value of its working interest in the wellbores at September 30, 2016.
At December 31, 2017, the financial contract liability was adjusted to reflect the present value of the amount outstanding at year-end, net of the present value of the residual reserves of its working interest in the wellbores.
Impairment
Management applies judgment in assessing the existence of impairment and impairment reversal indicators based on various internal and external factors.
The recoverable amounts of CGUs and individual assets have been determined based on the higher of fair value less costs to sell or value-in-use. The key estimates the Company applies in determining the recoverable amount normally include anticipated future commodity prices, expected production volumes, future operating and development costs, and discount rates. Changes to these assumptions will affect the recoverable amounts of CGUs and individual assets and may then require a material adjustment to their related carrying value. At December 31, 2017, the Company has one CGU in Canada (Drake/Woodrush) and one CGU in the United States (Kokopelli) – Note 6.
Financial instruments
When estimating the fair value of financial instruments, the Company uses valuation methodologies that utilize observable market data where available. In addition to market information, the Company incorporates transaction specific details that market participants would utilize in a fair value measurement, including the impact of non-performance risk. See note 9 for the basis of valuation of loans from related parties and warrants issued in the year.
Reserves
The estimate of reserves is used in forecasting the recoverability and economic viability of the Company’s oil and gas properties, and in the depletion and impairment calculations. The process of estimating reserves is complex and requires significant interpretation and judgment. It is affected by economic conditions, production, operating and development activities, and is performed using available geological, geophysical, engineering, and economic data. Reserves are evaluated at least annually by the Company’s independent reserve evaluators and updates to those reserves, if any, are estimated internally. Future development costs are estimated using assumptions as to the number of wells required to produce the commercial reserves, the cost of such wells and associated production facilities and other capital costs.