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OMB APPROVAL
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION -----------------------------
Washington, D.C. 20549 OMB Number:
Expires:
Estimated average burden
FORM 12b-25 hours per response ..... 2.50
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NOTIFICATION OF LATE FILING COMMISSION FILE NUMBER
(Check One): |_| Form 10-K |_| Form 20-F |_| Form 11-K |X| Form 10-Q |_| Form N-SAR -----------------------------
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CUSIP NUMBER
For Period Ended: March 31, 1998 -----------------------------
[ ] Transition Report on Form 10-K
[ ] Transition Report on Form 20-F
[ ] Transition Report on Form 11-K
[ ] Transition Report on Form 10-Q
[ ] Transition Report on Form N-SAR
For the Transition Period Ended: ___________________________________________________________________________________________
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Read Instruction (on back page) Before Preparing Form. Please Print or Type.
Nothing in this form shall be construed to imply that the Commission has verified any information contained herein.
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If the notification relates to a portion of the filing checked above, identify the item(s) to which the notification relates:
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
PART I -- REGISTRANT INFORMATION
Saba Petroleum Company
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Full Name of Registrant
Bordeaux Petroleum company
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Former Name if Applicable
3201 Airpark Drive, Suite 201
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Address of Principal Executive Office (Street and Number)
Santa Maria, CA 93455
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City, State and Zip Code
PART II -- RULE 12b-25(b) AND (c)
If the subject report could not be filed without unreasonable effort or expense and the registrant seeks relief pursuant to Rule
12b-25(b), the following should be completed. (Check appropriate box.)
|X| | (a) The reasons described in reasonable detail in Part III of this form could not be eliminated without unreasonable
| effort or expense;
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|X| | (b) The subject annual report, semi-annual report, transition report on Form 10-K, Form 20-F, Form 11-K, Form N-SAR,
| or portion thereof, will be filed on or before the fifteenth calendar day following the prescribed due date; or the
| subject quarterly report or transition report on Form 10-Q, or portion thereof will be filed on or before the fifth
| calendar day following the prescribed due date; and
|
|_| | (c) The accountant's statement or other exhibit required by Rule 12b-25(c) has been attached if applicable.
PART III -- NARRATIVE
State below in reasonable detail why the Form 10-K, 11-K, 20-F 10-Q, N-SAR, or the transition report or portion thereof, could not
be filed within the prescribed time period. (Attach Extra Sheets if Needed.)
The Company's Form 10-Q has not been filed with the Commission within the
prescribed time period (by May 15, 1998) for the following reasons which were
outside the Company's control and which could not have been avoided without
unreasonable expense:
A significant portion of the Company's operations are reported by foreign
subsidiaries. Obtaining the necessary information from the properties'
operators and reporting entities which the Company needs in order to
complete its consolidated financial reporting has been delayed due to
several factors, including distance, language translation, and personnel
turnover at the operator's foreign offices.
In addition, the Company's receipt of a completed engineering
re-evaluation of its proved oil and gas reserves underlying the
Company's analysis of a required "ceiling test" adjustment has been
delayed.
SEC 1344 (6/94)
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PART IV--OTHER INFORMATION
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(1) Name and telephone number of person to contact in regard to this notification
Walton C. Vance 805 347-8700
____________________________________________ _______________________________ _________________________________________________
(Name) (Area Code) (Telephone Number)
(2) Have all other periodic reports required under Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 or Section 30 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 during the preceding 12 months or for such
shorter period that the registrant was required to file such report(s) been filed? If the answer
is no, identify report(s). |X| Yes |_| No
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(3) Is it anticipated that any significant change in results of operations from the corresponding period
for the last fiscal year will be reflected by the earnings statements to be included in the subject
report or portion thereof? |X| Yes |_| No
If so, attach an explanation of the anticipated change, both narratively and quantitatively, and, if appropriate, state the
reasons why a reasonable estimate of the results cannot be made.
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Saba Petroleum Company
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(Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
has caused this notification to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
May 15, 1998 /S/ Walton C. Vance
Date _____________________________________ By_____________________________________________________
Walton C. Vance
Vice President
INSTRUCTION: The form may be signed by an executive officer of the registrant or by any other duly authorized representative. The
name and title of the person signing the form shall be typed or printed beneath the signature. If the statement is signed on behalf
of the registrant by an authorized representative (other than an executive officer), evidence of the representative's authority to
sign on behalf of the registrant shall be filed with the form.
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Intentional misstatements or omissions of fact constitute Federal Criminal Violations (See 18 U.S.C. 1001).
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GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
1. This form is required by Rule 12b-25 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
2. One signed original and four conformed copies of this form and amendments thereto must be completed and filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, D.C. 20549, in accordance with Rule 0-3 of the General Rules and Regulations
under the Act. The information contained in or filed with the form will be made a matter of public record in the Commission
files.
3. A manually signed copy of the form and amendments thereto shall be filed with each national securities exchange on which any
class of securities of the registrant is registered.
4. Amendments to the notifications must also be filed on form 12b-25 but need not restate information that has been correctly
furnished. The form shall be clearly identified as an amended notification.
5. ELECTRONIC FILERS. This form shall not be used by electronic filers unable to timely file a report solely due to electronic
difficulties. Filers unable to submit a report within the time period prescribed due to difficulties in electronic filing should
comply with either Rule 201 or Rule 202 of Regulation S-T or apply for an adjustment in filing date pursuant to Rule 13(b) of
Regulation S-T.
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(102196DTI)
PART IV (3)- EXPLANATION OF ANTICIPATED CHANGE IN RESULTS OF OPERATIONS WHICH
WILL BE REFLECTED BY THE EARNINGS STATEMENTS:
The Company anticipates that a significant change in results of
operations of approximately $8-$10 million from the corresponding
period for the last fiscal year will be reflected by the earnings
statement to be included in the Company's Form 10-Q filed for the
period ending March 31, 1998, because of a loss experienced in
operations and the requirement of a "ceiling test" adjustment, both
resulting from a decline in product pricing. Finalization of the
ceiling test adjustment is dependent upon receipt of a third party
engineering report which is currently in process.