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FINAL PROSPECTUS
RULE 424(b)(1)
REGISTRATION NO. 333-656
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DATED OCTOBER 8, 1996
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AMERICAN RESOURCES OF DELAWARE, INC.
COMMON STOCK
($.00001 PAR VALUE)
2,448,144 SHARES OF COMMON STOCK
This Prospectus relates to: (a) 411,668 shares of Common Stock, $.00001 par
value ("Common Stock"), of American Resources of Delaware, Inc., a Delaware
corporation ("Company") which were issued to purchasers in the Company's
November 1995 private placement ("November Private Placement") of 41.16 Units;
(b) 205,834 shares representing shares which may be sold by certain selling
stockholders that may be acquired upon exercise of the Company's Class A Common
Stock Purchase Warrants which were issued to purchasers in the Company's
November Private Placement; (c) 205,834 shares representing shares which may be
sold by certain selling stockholders that may be acquired upon exercise of the
Company's Class B Common Stock Purchase Warrants which were issued to purchasers
in the Company's November Private Placement; (d) 225,300 shares of Common Stock
which were issued in connection with asset purchase transactions; (e) 187,500
shares representing shares of Common Stock which may be sold by certain selling
stockholders that may be acquired upon conversion of the Company's 1993 8%
Convertible Preferred Stock ("Preferred Stock") issued in connection with an
asset purchase transaction; (f) 50,000 common shares were issued to Morgan Lang
Limited on exercise of warrants granted pursuant to a Services Agreement dated
June 16, 1995; (g) 50,000 common shares were issued to AMC Consumer Services on
exercise of warrants granted pursuant to a Services Agreement dated June 16,
1995, and 100,000 shares represents shares which may be sold by AMC Consumer
Services that may be acquired upon exercise of the Company's warrants; (h)
292,008 shares of Common Stock were issued on conversion of 73,276 shares of the
Company's 6% Series B Cumulative Convertible Preferred Stock; (i) 225,000 shares
of Common Stock were issued in connection with the acquisition of oil and gas
properties, equipment and pipelines from AKS Energy Corporation; (j) 330,000
shares were issued in the Company's June 1996 private placement ("June Private
Placement"); and (k) 165,000 shares represents shares which may be sold by
certain selling
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stockholders that may be acquired upon exercise of the Company's Class A common
stock purchase warrants which were issued to purchasers in the Company's June
Private Placement. No other shares of the Company's Common Stock are being
registered pursuant to this offering.
Unless the context otherwise requires, all of the persons referred to above
shall be referred to collectively as the "Selling Stockholders".
The Common Stock may be offered from time to time by the Selling
Stockholders through ordinary brokerage transactions in the over-the-counter
market, in negotiated transactions or otherwise, at market prices prevailing at
the time of sale or at negotiated prices. The Company will not realize any
proceeds from the sale of the Common Stock by the Selling Stockholders. See
"Selling Stockholders" and "Plan of Distribution".
The Company's Common Stock is traded in the over-the-counter market and is
quoted on the small cap section of the National Association of Securities
Dealers Automated Quotation System ("NASDAQ") under the symbol "GASS". On July
30, 1996, the market price per share, based on the last trade reported by NASDAQ
Small Cap for the Company's Common Stock, was $3.75.
THE SECURITIES OFFERED HEREBY INVOLVE A HIGH DEGREE OF RISK
AND IMMEDIATE SUBSTANTIAL DILUTION AND SHOULD NOT BE
PURCHASED BY INVESTORS WHO CANNOT AFFORD THE LOSS OF THEIR
ENTIRE INVESTMENT. SEE "RISK FACTORS" AT PAGE 15
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THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY THE
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE
SECURITIES COMMISSION NOR HAS THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION PASSED UPON
THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS.
ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
AVAILABLE INFORMATION 7
INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE 8
THE COMPANY 10
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS 11
SUMMARY OF THE OFFERING 13
RISK FACTORS 15
CAPITALIZATION 21
USE OF PROCEEDS 22
MARKET FOR COMMON EQUITY 23
SELLING STOCKHOLDERS 24
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION 27
RIGHTS OF CERTAIN HOLDERS OF COMMON STOCK 27
EXPERTS 27
LEGAL MATTERS 28
NO PERSON IS AUTHORIZED TO GIVE ANY INFORMATION OR TO MAKE ANY
REPRESENTATIONS OTHER THAN THOSE CONTAINED OR INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE IN THIS
PROSPECTUS AND, IF GIVEN OR MADE, SUCH INFORMATION OR REPRESENTATIONS MUST NOT
BE RELIED UPON AS HAVING BEEN AUTHORIZED BY THE COMPANY OR THE SELLING
STOCKHOLDERS. THIS PROSPECTUS DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL OR A
SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO BUY ANY SECURITIES OTHER THAN THE REGISTERED
SECURITIES TO WHICH IT RELATES OR AN OFFER TO SELL OR A SOLICITATION OF ANY
OFFER TO BUY SUCH SECURITIES IN ANY JURISDICTION TO ANY PERSON TO WHOM IT IS
UNLAWFUL TO MAKE SUCH OFFER OR SOLICITATION IN SUCH JURISDICTION. NEITHER THE
DELIVERY OF THIS PROSPECTUS NOR ANY SALE MADE HEREUNDER SHALL, UNDER ANY
CIRCUMSTANCES, CREATE ANY IMPLICATION THAT THERE HAS BEEN NO CHANGE IN THE
AFFAIRS OF THE COMPANY SINCE THE DATE HEREOF OR THAT THE INFORMATION CONTAINED
OR INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE HEREIN IS CORRECT AS OF ANY TIME SUBSEQUENT TO ITS
DATE.
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THE DATE OF THIS PROSPECTUS IS OCTOBER 8, 1996
AVAILABLE INFORMATION
The Company is subject to the informational requirements of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act") and in accordance therewith files
reports, proxy statements, and other information with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the "Commission"). Such reports, proxy statements and
other information may be inspected and copied at the public reference facilities
maintained by the Commission at 450 5th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20549,
and at the Commission's regional offices located at 13th Floor, Seven World
Trade Center, New York, New York 10048; 10960 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1710,
Los Angeles,
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California 90024, and 14th Floor, 500 West Madison Street, Chicago, Illinois
60661. Copies of such material may be obtained from the Commission at 450 5th
Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20549, at prescribed rates. In addition,
reports, proxy statements and other information concerning the Company may be
inspected at the offices of the National Association of Securities Dealers,
Inc., 1735 K Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006.
The Company has filed with the Commission a registration statement on Form
S-3 (together with all amendments and exhibits thereto, the "Registration
Statement") under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"). This
Prospectus does not contain all of the information set forth in the Registration
Statement, certain parts of which are omitted in accordance with the rules and
regulations of the Commission. For further information, reference is made to
the Registration Statement.
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INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE
The following documents filed by the Company with the Commission (File No.
0-21472) under the Exchange Act are incorporated in this Prospectus by
reference:
1. Annual Report on Form 10-KSB for the fiscal year ended December 31,
1995 (filed on April 1, 1996);
2. Quarterly Reports on Form 10-QSB for the quarters ended March 31, 1996
(filed on May 15, 1996) and June 30, 1996 (filed on August 14, 1996) and Form
10-QSB/A1 (filed on September 5, 1996) amending Form 10-QSB for the quarter
ended June 30, 1996;
3. Current Reports on Form 8-K dated September 30, 1994 (filed on October
6, 1994) and Form 8-K/A dated October 25, 1994, amending Form 8-K dated
September 30, 1994 (filed on October 27, 1994), November 29, 1995 (filed on
January 29 1996), February 26, 1996 (filed on March 12, 1996), Form 8-K/A dated
February 26, 1996 (filed May 13, 1996) amending Form 8-K dated February 26,
1996, Form 8-K dated July 3, 1996 (filed on July 18, 1996) and Form 8-K/A
dated July 3, 1996 (filed on September 16, 1996) amending Form 8-K dated July
3, 1996;
4. The description of the Company's $.00001 par value Common Stock
contained in the Company's Registration Statement on Form 10-SB (filed with the
Commission on August 19, 1993), including any amendments or reports filed for
the purpose of updating such description;
5. The description of the Company's Series 1993 8% convertible preferred
stock and Series B 6% junior convertible preferred stock contained in the
Company's Registration Statement on Form 10-SB (filed with the Commission on
August 19, 1993), including any amendments or reports filed for the purpose of
updating such description.
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6. All other documents filed by the Company pursuant to Section 13(a),
13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the date of this Prospectus
and prior to the termination of the offering of the Common Stock.
The Company will provide without charge to each person, including any
beneficial owner, to whom a copy of this Prospectus is delivered, upon the
request of such person, a copy of any or all of the documents which are
incorporated by reference herein, other than exhibits to such documents (unless
such exhibits are specifically incorporated by reference therein). Written or
telephone requests should be directed to American Resources of Delaware, Inc.,
160 Morgan Street, Post Office Box 87, Versailles, Kentucky 40383, Attention:
Karen M. Underwood; telephone (606) 873-5455.
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THE COMPANY
The Company is a fully-integrated oil and gas company engaged in the
exploration, development and acquisition of oil and natural gas properties
located in Kentucky, Michigan and the Gulf of Mexico and the marketing and
transportation of natural gas. A substantial portion of the Company's
operations are conducted through its subsidiary, Southern Gas Company of
Delaware, Inc. ("Southern Gas"), which the Company formed in February 1994 to
acquire substantially all the assets and to assume certain liabilities of
Southern Gas Company, Inc., an independent Kentucky-based natural gas
production, pipeline and gas marketing company. Southern Gas operates primarily
in the Appalachian region of Kentucky and has natural gas reserves, gathering
systems, compressors, and dedicated pipeline capacity with transportation
companies and contracts to sell its product to end-users. The expansion of the
Company's operations into the Gulf of Mexico commenced in October 1994, when the
Company entered into an agreement with Settle Oil and Gas Company relating to
certain of Settle's operations in the Gulf of Mexico.
The Company's strategy is to continue to expand its reserve base and
increase its cash flow through exploration, acquisition of oil and natural gas
properties and development of its properties. The Company seeks a balance
between its exploration program and the acquisition of proved properties. The
Company emphasizes the following elements in implementing this strategy:
- Reserve growth through high potential exploratory drilling
- Balance between exploration and acquisitions of proved properties
- Control of operations and costs
- Use of 3-D seismic and other advanced technology made available by
third parties
- Equity ownership and other incentives to retain and attract employees
The Company believes that the expansion of its focus to the federal waters
of the Gulf of Mexico, offshore Louisiana, is the foundation of its continued
growth. The Gulf of Mexico is a prolific oil and gas province, accounting for
approximately 25% of domestic natural gas production. The Company holds a 50%
working interest in the 5,000 acre Ship Shoal 150 block, exclusive of 546 acres
in the southwest corner of the block. Two successful producing wells have been
drilled on the block, and, based on 3-D seismic interpretation, the Company has
identified at least two additional well locations. There is a significant
amount of seismic and other geologic data available at a reasonable cost. Also,
the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico have a substantial existing
infrastructure, including gathering systems, platforms,
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pipelines and drilling and service companies, which facilitate cost effective
operations and the timely development of discoveries.
The Company's principal executive offices are located at 160 Morgan Street,
Versailles, Kentucky 40383 and its telephone number is (606) 873-5455. The
Company also maintains an administrative office at 7150 East Camelback Road,
Suite 195, Scottsdale, Arizona 85251 and its telephone number is (602) 945-9195.
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
Effective January 1, 1996, the Board of Directors announced the appointment
of Jonathan B. Rudney as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company.
Mr. Rudney replaced Andrew J. Kacic, the founder of the Company, who will
continue to serve on the Company's Board of Directors. Mr. Rudney brings with
him more than 15 years of management experience in the oil and gas industry.
Immediately prior to his appointment with the Company, Mr. Rudney was President
and C.E.O. and a major shareholder of Century Oil Company and a major
shareholder of Century Offshore Management Corporation, both with principal
offices located in Lexington, Kentucky. On May 9, 1996, Mr. Rudney resigned as
President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company. Rick G. Avare, who was
currently serving as the Company's Chief Operating Officer, assumed the position
of Acting President and Chief Executive Officer at that time.
On February 26, 1996, the Company acquired oil and gas properties,
equipment and pipelines from AKS Energy corporation (AKS). As consideration for
the assets, the Company paid $2,909,010 in cash, assumed $125,000 of AKS's
severance tax obligations, issued 225,000 shares of the Company's Common Stock
at a value of $3.59 per share and issued warrants with an estimated value of
$348,525 to purchase an additional 225,000 shares of the Company's Common Stock
with an exercise price of $5.00 per share and an expiration date of December 31,
1998. The cash included in the purchase price was made available from
borrowings under the Company's credit facility with its primary lender.
The Company also entered into an agreement to participate with AKS in the
joint development of leases in Southeastern Kentucky gas fields wherein the
Company will have the right to earn 50% of the remaining undeveloped acreage.
On May 22, 1996, the Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary Southern
Gas Co. of Delaware, Inc. conveyed a volumetric production payment in
Appalachian Wells recently purchased from AKS through a facility sponsored by
Williams Energy Services Company, a subsidiary of the Williams Companies, Inc.
and structured by NationsBank. The Company received $4,300,000 for the
production
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payment, which has an anticipated six year term. Of the funds received,
$2,500,000 was used to reduce the Company's credit facility with its primary
lender. The Company plans to use the remainder of the funds for working capital
and further acquisition and development activities in the Gulf Coast region.
In 1996, the Company purchased an overriding royalty interest in the Ship
Shoal B-3 well from Rick G. Avare, an officer and director of the Company, for
$125,000.
In June 1996, the Company completed a private placement of $1,000,000. The
private placement consisted of 100 Units, each Unit consisting of 3,300 shares
of Common Stock and one Class A Common Stock Purchase Warrant ("Class A
Warrant"). Each Class A Warrant entitles the holder to purchase 1,650 shares of
the Company's Common Stock at an exercise price of $4.00 per share.
On July 3, 1996, the Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Southern
Gas Co. of Delaware, Inc. ("Southern") acquired proved developed and undeveloped
oil and gas properties, equipment and pipelines from Century located offshore
Louisiana. As consideration for the assets, the Company paid $4,000,000 in
cash, issued a subordinated debenture ("Debenture") in the amount of $4,000,000
with a due date of August 15, 1996 (the Debenture provides for payment at the
Company's option of cash or the issuance of restricted common stock of the
Company at $3.00 per share), the extinguishment of an existing note from Century
to the Company in the amount of $6,500,000 and the assumption of existing liens
against the assets in the approximate amount of $1,051,000 (which are required
to be paid by July 31, 1996). The foregoing transaction was effected pursuant
to an Asset Purchase Agreement entered into by and between the Company, Southern
and Century, dated July 3, 1996.
Additionally, the Company, through Southern, acquired certain rights and
interest in undeveloped properties from Century located onshore Louisiana. As
consideration for these interests, the Company paid $3,884,000 in cash and
issued 1,500,000 shares of restricted common stock in the Company at a deemed
price of $4.00 per share. The foregoing transaction was effected pursuant to an
Asset Purchase Agreement entered into by and between Company, Southern and
Century, dated July 3, 1996.
[LEFT BLANK INTENTIONALLY]
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SUMMARY OF THE OFFERING
The following summary information is qualified in its entirety by the more
detailed information appearing elsewhere in this Prospectus or which is
incorporated herein by reference.
Securities Offered . . . . . . . . . . .2,448,144 shares of Common Stock
Shares of Common Stock
Outstanding (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . .7,846,572 shares
Use of Proceeds . . . . . . . . . . . . .The Company will not receive any of
the proceeds from the sale of stock by
the Selling Stockholders.
There can be no assurance that any or
a substantial portion of the Warrants
will be exercised.
Risk Factors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .The securities offered hereby involve
a high degree of risk and should not
be purchased by investors who cannot
afford the loss of their entire
investment. See "Risk Factors".
NASDAQ symbol (2) . . . . . . . . . . . .GASS
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(1) Outstanding as of July 30, 1996. Does not include: (a) 2,000,000 shares of
Common Stock reserved for issuance upon exercise of stock options granted under
the Company's 1994 Compensatory Stock Option Plan; (b) 379,000 shares of Common
Stock reserved for issuance under the Company's 1994 Employee Stock Compensation
Plan; (c) 950,000 shares of Common Stock reserved for future grant under the
Company's Incentive Stock Option Plan; (d) 268,851 shares of Common Stock
reserved for issuance upon conversion of the Company's Series 1993 8%
convertible preferred stock, (e) 262,365 shares of Common Stock reserved for
issuance upon exercise of the Company's publicly traded warrants; (f) 1,451,320
shares of Common Stock reserved for issuance upon exercise of non-plan stock
options and warrants; (g) 411,668 shares of Common Stock reserved for issuance
upon exercise of Class A and Class B Common Stock Warrants which were issued to
purchasers in the Company's November Private Placement; and (h) 165,000 shares
of Common Stock reserved for issuance upon the exercise of Class A Common Stock
Purchase Warrants which were issued to purchasers in the Company's June Private
Placement.
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(2) Continued inclusion in NASDAQ is subject to certain maintenance criteria.
The failure to meet these maintenance criteria in the future may result in the
discontinuance of the inclusion of the Company's Common Stock in NASDAQ, which
may have an adverse effect on the market for the Common Stock. See "Risk
Factors - Maintenance Criteria for NASDAQ Securities".
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RISK FACTORS
The securities offered hereby involve a high degree of risk, including, but
not necessarily limited to, the risk factors described below. Each prospective
investor should carefully consider the following risk factors inherent in and
affecting the business of the Company and this offering before making an
investment decision.
1. LIMITED OPERATING HISTORY. The Company was formed in August 1992 to
acquire the assets and assume certain liabilities of Standard Oil and
Exploration of Delaware, Inc. ("Standard Oil"), a gas and oil company operating
under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection at that time. Since the consummation of
the Standard Oil transaction in April 1993, the Company has taken a number of
steps to become a fully integrated gas and oil company and to enhance its
financial position on a prospective basis.
While the Company believes its activities to date have formed the
foundation for continued growth and profitability, the Company notes that its
revenue, profitability and future rate of growth are substantially dependent
upon prevailing prices for natural gas, oil and condensate which are dependent
upon numerous factors beyond the Company's control such as economic, political
and regulatory developments and competition from other sources of energy. The
energy markets have historically been very volatile, and there can be no
assurance that gas and oil prices will not be subject to wide fluctuations in
the future. A substantial or extended decline in gas and oil prices could have
a material adverse effect on the Company's financial position, results of
operations, quantities of gas and oil reserves that may be economically produced
and access to capital, all as further described below.
2. DEPENDENT ON GAS AND CRUDE OIL. The success of the Company will be
materially dependent upon the success of its acquisition and exploratory
drilling program. Exploratory drilling is subject to numerous risks, including
the risk that no commercially productive natural gas and crude oil reservoirs
will be encountered. The cost of drilling, completing and operating wells is
often uncertain, and drilling operations may be curtailed, delayed or canceled
as a result of a variety of factors, including unexpected formations and
drilling conditions, pressure or mechanical irregularities, informations and
equipment failures or accidents, as well as weather conditions, compliance with
governmental requirements and shortages or delays in the delivery of equipment.
3. VOLATILITY OF GAS AND OIL PRICES; MARKETABILITY OF PRODUCTION. The
Company's revenues, profitability and future rate of growth are substantially
dependent upon prevailing prices for gas and crude oil. Gas and crude oil
prices have been extremely
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volatile in recent years and are affected by many factors outside the control of
the Company. These external factors and the volatile nature of the energy
markets make it difficult to estimate future prices of gas and oil. Any
substantial decline in the price of gas and oil will likely lead to substantial
reductions in cash flow. The marketability of the Company's production depends
in part upon the availability, proximity and capacity of gathering systems,
pipelines and processing facilities. Federal and state regulation of gas and
oil production and transportation, general economic conditions, tax and energy
policies, changes in supply and changes in demand all could adversely affect the
Company's ability to produce and market its gas and oil. If market factors were
to change dramatically, the financial impact on the Company could be
substantial. The availability of markets and the volatility of product prices
are beyond the control of the Company and thus represent a significant risk.
4. REPLACEMENT OF PROPERTIES. The Company's future success depends upon
its ability to find, develop or acquire additional gas and oil properties or
interests in properties that are economically recoverable. The proved reserves
of the Company will generally decline as reserves are depleted, except to the
extent that the Company conducts successful exploration or development
activities or acquires properties containing proved reserves, or both. To
increase reserves and production, the Company must continue its exploratory
drilling program or undertake other replacement acquisition activities. There
can be no assurance, however, that the Company's planned exploratory projects or
other replacement acquisition activities will result in significant additional
reserves or that the Company will have continuing success drilling or acquiring
productive wells at low finding, acquisition and development costs.
Furthermore, although the Company's revenues may increase if prevailing gas and
oil prices increase significantly, the Company's finding and acquisition costs
for additional reserves could also increase.
5. UNCERTAINTY OF ESTIMATES OF GAS AND OIL RESERVES. There are numerous
uncertainties inherent in estimating quantities of proved reserves, including
many factors beyond the control of the Company. Petroleum engineering is not an
exact science. Information relating to the Company's proved gas and oil
reserves is based upon engineering estimates. Estimates of economically
recoverable gas and oil reserves and of future net cash flows necessarily depend
upon a number of variable factors and assumptions, such as historical production
from the area compared with production from other producing areas, the assumed
effects of regulations by governmental agencies and assumptions concerning
future gas and oil prices, future operating costs, severance and excise taxes,
capital expenditures and workover and remedial costs, all of which may in fact
vary considerably from actual results. For these reasons, estimates of the
economically recoverable quantities of gas and oil attributable to any
particular group of
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properties, classifications of such reserves based on risk of recovery and
estimates of the future net cash flows expected therefrom prepared by different
engineers or by the same engineers at different times may vary substantially.
Actual production, revenues and expenditures with respect to the Company's
reserves will likely vary from estimates, and such variances may be material.
6. OPERATING HAZARDS AND UNINSURED RISKS. The Company's operations are
subject to the hazards and operating risks inherent in drilling for and
production of gas and oil, including the risk of fire, explosions, blow-outs,
pipe failure, abnormally pressured formations and environmental hazards such as
oil spills, gas leaks, ruptures or discharges of toxic gases. The occurrence of
any of these events could result in substantial losses to the Company due to
injury or loss of life, severe damage to or destruction of property, natural
resources and equipment, pollution or other environmental damage, clean-up
responsibilities, regulatory investigation and penalties and suspension of
operations. In accordance with customary industry practice, the Company
maintains insurance against some, but not all, of these risks. There can be no
assurance that any insurance will be adequate to cover any losses or
liabilities. The Company cannot predict the continued availability of
insurance, or its availability at premium levels that justify its purchase.
7. GOVERNMENTAL REGULATION. The Company's gas and oil operations are
subject to various federal, state and local governmental regulations which may
be changed from time to time in response to economic or political conditions.
Matters subject to regulation include discharge permits for drilling operations,
drilling bonds, reports concerning operations, the spacing of wells, unitization
and pooling of properties and taxation. From time to time, regulatory agencies
have imposed price controls and limitations on production by restricting the
rate of flow of gas and oil wells below actual production capacity to conserve
supplies of gas and oil. In addition, the production, handling, storage,
transportation and disposal of gas and oil, by-products thereof and other
substances and materials produced or used in connection with gas and oil
operations are subject to regulation under federal, state and local laws and
regulations primarily relating to protection of human health and the
environment. These laws and regulations have continually imposed increasingly
strict requirements for water and air pollution control and solid waste
management. To date, expenditures related to compliance with these laws and
remediation of existing environmental contamination have not been significant in
relation to the results of operations of the Company. The Company believes the
trend of more expansive and stricter environmental legislation and regulations
will continue.
8. COMPETITION. The Company operates in a highly competitive
environment. The Company competes with major
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independent gas and oil companies, many of whom have financial and other
resources substantially in excess of these available to the Company. These
competitors may be better positioned to take advantage of industry opportunities
and to withstand changes affecting the industry, such as fluctuations in gas and
oil prices and production, the availability of alternative energy sources and
the application of government regulation.
9. CONTROL BY EXISTING STOCKHOLDERS. Officers and directors of the
Company beneficially own or control approximately 35.5% of the outstanding
Common Stock. Such individuals, if acting together, would be able to
effectively elect a majority of the Board of Directors as well as approve most
matters submitted to the stockholders for approval.
10. DEPENDENCE ON KEY EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND OTHER QUALIFIED PERSONNEL.
The Company is highly dependent on certain key executive officers. The loss of
one or more key executive officers could have a material adverse effect on the
Company's business, financial condition and result of operations. In 1993 the
Company entered into five-year employment agreements with Douglas L. Hawthorne,
Rick Avare, and Leonard Nave.
The recruitment, retention and motivation of skilled executives, sales and
technical personnel and other employees are important to the Company's
operations. Although the Company has not experienced significant problems in
recruiting and retaining qualified personnel, there can be no assurance that it
will not encounter such problems in the future.
11. NO DIVIDENDS AND RESTRICTIONS ON DIVIDENDS. To date, the Company has
not paid any dividends on its Common Stock and does not intend to declare any
dividends in the foreseeable future. The Company intends to retain earnings, if
any, for the future operation and development of its business. In addition, the
payment of such dividends is prohibited by the term of the Company's credit
facility.
12. SHARES ELIGIBLE FOR FUTURE SALE; REGISTRATION OF SUBSTANTIAL
PERCENTAGE OF OUTSTANDING SHARES; RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFER. As of July 30,
1996 the Company had a total of 7,846,572 shares of Common Stock outstanding.
If all options, warrants, and conversion privileges outstanding as at July 30,
1996 were exercised, the Company would have 12,201,077 shares of Common stock
outstanding. Of these shares, 1,583,976 shares of Common Stock offered hereby
(2,448,144 shares if all warrants are exercised) will be freely tradable without
restriction by persons other than "affiliates" of the Company, as defined under
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). Of the remaining
6,262,596 shares of Common Stock outstanding as at July 30, 1996, 2,617,572
shares are "restricted shares" as that term is defined by Rule 144 as
promulgated under the Securities Act.
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Approximately 994,000 of these restricted shares are eligible for sale under
Rule 144.
Assuming that all options, warrants and conversion privileges outstanding
as of July 30, 1996, were exercised, the Company would be registering hereunder
approximately 20.1% of its Common Stock.
As of July 30, 1996, options to purchase a total of 2,604,897 shares of
Common Stock, all of which have been registered under the Securities Act, were
outstanding with a weighted average exercise price of $4.91 per share, of which
options to purchase 2,439,230 shares were exercisable as of July 30, 1996. An
additional 989,090 shares of Common Stock were available for future option
grants under the Company's stock option plans.
Pursuant to a number of consulting agreements, the Company has granted
non-plan options to purchase shares of Common Stock. As of July 30, 1996,
non-plan options to purchase a total of 182,333 shares of Common Stock were
outstanding and immediately exercisable, with a weighted average exercise
price of $3.91 per share.
The Company has also granted warrants to purchase shares of Common Stock.
As of July 30, 1996, warrants to purchase 1,464,091 shares of Common stock were
outstanding, with a weighted average exercise price of $4.40 per share. Of the
shares to be issued upon exercise of these outstanding warrants, 576,668 shares
of Common Stock offered hereby will be freely tradable without restriction by
persons other than "affiliates" of the Company. Of the remaining 887,424 shares
of Common Stock to be issued upon exercise of these warrants, 625,000 shares
will be "restricted shares" as that term is defined by Rule 144 as promulgated
under the Securities Act.
13. NO ASSURANCE OF PROCEEDS. A major source of potential capital to
the Company is the proceeds from the exercise of the Warrants. The Company,
however, has received no firm commitment for the exercise of the Warrants.
Thus, there can be no assurances that the Company will realize material
proceeds, if any, from the exercise of such Warrants.
14. POSSIBLE DILUTION. The Company is authorized to issue 20,000,000
shares of Common Stock, of which 7,846,572 shares were outstanding as of July
30, 1996. Assuming full exercise of all outstanding warrants and options and
conversions of preferred shares, 12,201,077 shares will be outstanding.
Furthermore, in connection with other business matters deemed appropriate by the
Company's management, there can be no assurances that the Company will not, in
fact, undertake the issuance of more shares of Common Stock without notice to
then existing stockholders. This may be done in order to, among other things,
facilitate a business combination, acquire assets or stock of another business,
generate debt or equity financing, reward employees or consultants, or for
19
<PAGE>
other valid business reasons in the discretion of the Company's Board of
Directors.
15. POSSIBLE STATE AND FEDERAL RESTRICTIONS ON EXERCISE OF WARRANTS.
Holders of Warrants will be able to sell the underlying Common Stock issuable
upon exercise of the Warrants only if a current registration statement relating
to such underlying Common Stock is then in effect and on file with the
Securities and Exchange Commission and only if such Common Stock is qualified
for sale or exempt from qualification under the applicable securities laws of
the states in which the various holders of Warrants reside. The warrant
agreements relating to the Warrants contain certain provisions requiring the
Company to file for and endeavor to secure, such current and effective
registration of the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the
Warrants. If such shares are not registered, it is unlikely that the holders of
Warrants will exercise the Warrants, in which case the Company would not receive
any funds.
16. EFFECT OF OUTSTANDING OPTIONS AND WARRANTS. As of July 30, 1996,
the Company had outstanding options and warrants ("Outstanding Options") to
purchase 4,085,654 shares of Common Stock upon exercise of the Outstanding
Options. To the extent that the shares underlying the Outstanding Options enter
the market, the price of the Common Stock in the market may be substantially
reduced. Moreover, for the term of the Outstanding Options, the holders thereof
are given an opportunity to profit from a rise in the market price of the
Company's Common Stock, with a resulting dilution in the interest of the other
stockholders. Further, the terms on which the Company may obtain additional
financing during that period may be adversely affected by the existence of such
Outstanding Options. The holders of such Outstanding Options may exercise them
at a time when the Company might be able to obtain additional capital through a
new offering of securities on terms more favorable than those provided therein.
17. LIMITED MARKET AND POSSIBLE ILLIQUIDITY OF SHARES. The market price
for the Company's securities may be significantly affected by such factors as
the Company's financial results, the acquisition of new gas and oil properties
and interests in such properties, and various factors affecting the gas and oil
industry generally. Additionally, in recent years, the stock market has
experienced a high level of price and volume volatility and market prices for
many companies, particularly small and emerging growth companies the common
stock of which trade in the over-the-counter market, have experienced wide
fluctuations not necessarily related to the operating performance of such
companies. Also, the market price for the Company's Common Stock may be
affected by general stock market volatility.
20
<PAGE>
CAPITALIZATION
The following table sets forth the capitalization of the Company at June 30,
1996.(1)
Long-Term debt,
excluding current maturities $13,255,096
-----------
Unearned Revenue $ 2,878,204
Stockholders' Equity:
Series 1993 8% convertible
preferred stock, par value
$12.00 per share 2,181,819
Series B 6% junior cumulative
convertible preferred stock,
par value $.00001 per share 0
Common stock, par value $.00001
per share; 20,000,000 shares
authorized; 6,335,818 shares
issued and outstanding 63
Additional paid-in capital $16,534,693
Retained earnings 1,788,751
-----------
Total stockholders' equity 20,505,326
-----------
Total capitalization $36,638,626
-----------
-----------
- ----------------------
(1) The above table does not include the pro forma effects of transactions
occurring after June 30, 1996.
21
<PAGE>
USE OF PROCEEDS
The Company will not realize any proceeds from the sale of shares of Common
Stock by the Selling Stockholders. See "Selling Stockholders."
The gross proceeds which may be realized by the Company upon the exercise
of one hundred percent (100%) of the Warrants will be $2,409,589. Inasmuch as
the Company has received no firm commitments for their exercise, there can be no
assurance that any or a substantial portion of the Warrants will be exercised.
Management cannot predict with any certainty the amount of proceeds, if
any, which may be generated from the exercise of Warrants. The net proceeds
which may be realized by the Company, if any, upon the exercise of the Warrants
will not be utilized for any specific purpose other than to contribute to the
Company's working capital and be used to continue the operations of the Company
in accordance with the business strategy identified by management. Based upon
this strategy, assuming that proceeds, net of costs of this offering, are
realized by the Company upon the exercise of Warrants within a period of
twenty-four (24) months, management would reasonably expect to utilize such
proceeds in the following relative proportions and orders of priority:
Application of Funds % of Funds
-------------------- ----------
Working Capital 25%
Oil and gas exploration 75%
The amounts actually expended for the purposes described above could vary
significantly depending on, among other things, the Company's ability to obtain
capital from other sources. In addition, if each class of Warrant is not
exercised at the same time, the proceeds from the Warrants which are exercised
piecemeal will likely be contributed to the Company's working capital.
22
<PAGE>
MARKET FOR COMMON EQUITY
MARKET INFORMATION
On September 30, 1993, the Company's Common Stock began trading under the
symbol "GASS" on the small cap section of NASDAQ. The following table sets
forth the average closing high and low bid prices of the Common Stock for the
periods indicated, as reported by NASDAQ. These prices are believed to be
representative inter-dealer quotations, without retail mark-up, mark-down or
commissions and may not represent prices at which actual transactions occurred.
1993(2) Bid 1994 Bid 1995 Bid
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
High Low High Low High Low
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
First Quarter $ N/A $ N/A $ 3.25 $ 2.00 $ 7.19 $ 4.37
Second Quarter N/A N/A $ 6.00 $ 1.44 $ 4.87 $ 1.75
Third Quarter N/A N/A $ 8.25 $ 3.75 $ 4.50 $ 3.19
Fourth Quarter $ 3.50 $ 1.56 $ 8.13 $ 5.75 $ 4.25 $ 2.87
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1996 First Qtr. $ 4.25 $ 2.19
------ ------
1996 Second Qtr. $ 4.37 $ 3.25
- -----------------------------------------
HOLDERS
At July 30, 1996, there were approximately 304 record holders of Common
Stock, and 16 record holders of Series 1993 8% Preferred Stock.
[LEFT BLANK INTENTIONALLY]
- -------------------------
(2) Reflects information from September 30, 1993, the day the Company's
Common Stock began trading on the small cap section of the NASDAQ.
23
<PAGE>
SELLING STOCKHOLDERS
The shares of Common Stock of the Company offered by this Prospectus are
being sold for the account of the persons named herein ("Selling Stockholders").
The shares of Common Stock offered by the Selling Stockholders may be
offered for sale from time to time at market prices prevailing at the time of
sale or at negotiated prices, and without payment of any underwriting discounts
or commissions except for usual and customary selling commissions paid to
brokers or dealers.
The following table sets forth certain information regarding the beneficial
ownership of the Common Stock of the Company as of July 30, 1996, and as
adjusted to reflect the sale of the securities offered hereby, by the Selling
Stockholders.
Number of Number of Number of
Shares of Shares of Shares of
Common Common Common
Stock held Stock to be Stock owned
before sold in the after the
Name of Selling Stockholder Offering Offering Offering*
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arnold Bernstein 20,000 20,000 0
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Clarence E. Miller Trust 60,000 60,000 0
Family Trust & Ada M.
Miller Trust
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Southwest Marketing 20,000 20,000 0
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Delaware Charter Cust FBO 10,000 10,000 0
Jesse Miller IRA
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Roger Zufferey 10,000 10,000 0
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Don G. Henry 20,000 20,000 0
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Delaware Charter Cust FBO 20,000 20,000 0
R. J. Godfrey
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Walter J. Schultz 10,000 10,000 0
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Michael J. Skinner 10,000 10,000 0
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gerard J. McLain 10,000 10,000 0
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hattem Family Trust 20,000 20,000 0
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Walter C. Shiller 20,000 20,000 0
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Delaware Charter GTY & 80,000 80,000 0
Trust Co IRA FBO Henry
Myatake
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Frank L. Leyba & Kay D.
Leyba 10,000 10,000 0
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
24
<PAGE>
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Barbara V. Schiller 40,000 40,000 0
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ronald Iannelli 20,000 20,000 0
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Charles Smith 40,000 40,000 0
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Star Construction Company 40,000 40,000 0
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ronald K. Setzkorn 20,000 20,000 0
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AKS Energy 225,000 225,000 0
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Howard C. Chiten & 20,000 20,000 0
Charlotte D. Chiten
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jimmy D. Moore (IRA) 20,000 20,000 0
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Harris Partnership J. 20,000 20,000 0
Andrews Harris, G.P.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pro-Systems Fab, Inc. 20,000 20,000 0
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
James S. Sanders 10,000 10,000 0
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
R. Marc Voit 10,000 10,000 0
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wesley D. Mitchell 20,000 20,000 0
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Robert W. Tobin 10,000 10,000 0
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The McKay Restated 20,000 20,000 0
Revocable Living Trust UTA
dated March 23, 1994 Horace
F. McKay, Jr. Elmyra K.
McKay or their successor(s)
in office Trustees
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Roger O. Zufferey 10,000 10,000 0
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Walter Hines & Mary Hines 20,000 20,000 0
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
David Baum & Hiam Baum 10,000 10,000 0
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hans Mulyapatera & Benita 10,000 10,000 0
Mulyapatera
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gregory G Ebbitt 20,000 20,000 0
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paul R. Eberle 56,668 56,668 0
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Henry Bookspan 66,668 66,668 0
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Howard Settle 210,000 210,000 0
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AMC Consumer Services 150,000 150,000 0
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morgan Lang Limited 50,000 50,000 0
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sequa Financial Corporation 202,800 202,800 0
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prima Capital, LLC 146,004 146,004 0
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Andrew J. Kacic (1) 29,201 29,201 0
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Douglas L. Hawthorne (1) 29,201 29,201 0
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
25
<PAGE>
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Donald Schellpfeffer (1) 29,201 29,201 0
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leonard K. Nave (1) 29,200 29,200 0
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rick G. Avare (1)(2) 29,201 29,201 0
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mordechai Gurary 165,000 165,000 0
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Keren Tain yad 99,000 99,000 0
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yoel Mann 33,000 33,000 0
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sam Malamud 33,000 33,000 0
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* In each case represents less than 1% of the outstanding Common Stock,
except that Sequa Financial Corporation's holdings represent
approximately 4% of the outstanding Common Stock.
(1) Director of the Company
(2) Officer of the Company
26
<PAGE>
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
The Common Stock to be sold by the Selling Stockholders may be sold from
time to time as market conditions permit in the over-the-counter market, or
otherwise, at prices and terms then prevailing or at prices related to the
then-current market price, or in negotiated transactions. The shares of Common
Stock offered hereby may be sold by one or more of the following methods,
without limitation: (a) a block trade in which a broker or dealer so engaged
will attempt to sell the shares as agent but may position and resell a portion
of the block as principal to facilitate the transaction; (b) purchases by a
broker or dealer as principal and resale by such broker or dealer for its
account pursuant to this Prospectus; (c) ordinary brokerage transactions and
transactions in which the broker solicits Purchasers; and (d) face-to-face
transactions between sellers and Purchasers without a broker-dealer. In
effecting sales, brokers or dealers engaged by the Selling Stockholders may
arrange for other brokers or dealers and any other participating brokers or
dealers may be deemed to be "underwriters" within the meaning of the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") in connection with such sales.
In addition, any securities covered by this Prospectus that qualify for sale
pursuant to Rule 144 promulgated thereunder might be sold under Rule 144 rather
than pursuant to this Prospectus.
The Selling Stockholders will comply with Rule 10b-6 promulgated under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, in connection with all resales of
Common Stock offered hereby.
RIGHTS OF CERTAIN HOLDERS OF COMMON STOCK
The agreements under which certain shareholders privately purchased their
Common Stock provide that in certain instances these shareholders have the right
to: (i) require that the Company file a registration statement under the
Securities Act covering their shares; and (ii) include their shares in a
registration statement filed by the Company under such Act. The purchasers of
the November Units are participating in this offering pursuant to such
agreements.
EXPERTS
The financial statements of American Resources of Delaware, Inc. as of
December 31, 1995 and for the years ended December 31, 1995 and 1994 have been
incorporated by reference herein and in the registration statement in reliance
upon the report of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP, independent certified public
accountants, incorporated by reference herein, and upon the authority of said
firm as experts in accounting and auditing. The report of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP
covering the December 31, 1994 financial statements refers to a change in the
method of accounting for income taxes.
27
<PAGE>
The statements of revenues and direct operating expenses of the Arakis
Properties purchased by American Resources of Delaware, Inc. for each of the
years in the two year period ended December 31, 1995, have been incorporated by
reference herein and in the registration statement in reliance upon the report
of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP, independent certified public accountants, incorporated
by reference herein, and upon the authority of said firm as experts in
accounting and auditing. The report of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP covering the
statements of revenues and direct operating expenses contain an explanatory
paragraph that states that the statements were prepared for the purpose of
complying with certain rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange
Commission ("SEC") for inclusion in certain SEC regulatory reports and filings
and are not intended to be a complete financial presentation.
The financial statements of American Resources of Delaware, Inc. as of
December 31, 1993 have been incorporated by reference herein and in the
registration statement in reliance upon the report of William D. Briggs, CPA,
incorporated by reference herein, and upon the authority of said firm as experts
in accounting and auditing.
The reserve report of Richard Russell & Associates of the proved reserves
and future net revenues attributable to the Company's properties in Kentucky
included in the Company's Form 10-KSB for the fiscal year ended December 31,
1995 has been so included in reliance upon the authority of such firm as an
expert in petroleum engineering.
LEGAL MATTERS
The legality of the Common Stock offered hereby will be passed upon by
McKenna & Stahl, 2603 Main Street, Suite 1010, Irvine, California, Irvine,
92714.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
"Commission"), Washington, D.C. 20549, a Registration Statement on Form S-3
(herein, together with all amendments, if any, thereto, called the "Registration
Statement") under the Securities Act, with respect to the shares of Common Stock
offered by this Prospectus. For further information with respect to the Company
and such shares of Common Stock, reference is made to the Registration Statement
and to the exhibits, if any, filed therewith which are available for inspection
at the office of the Commission, Judiciary Plaza, 450 Fifth Street, N.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20549. Copies of such documents may be obtained therefrom at
prescribed rates and a copy of the Registration Statement may be obtained from
the principal office of the Commission, Judiciary Plaza, 450 Fifth Street, N.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20549.
28
