UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
FORM
10-K
x
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ANNUAL
REPORT UNDER SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF
1934
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For the
fiscal year ended December 31, 2008
o
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TRANSITION
REPORT UNDER SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF
1934
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For the
transition period from ________ to _________
Commission
File Number: 000-31539
CHINA NATURAL GAS,
INC.
(Exact
Name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware
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98-0231607
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(State
or other jurisdiction of
Incorporation
or organization)
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(I.R.S.
Employer
Identification
Number)
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19th
Floor, Building B, Van Metropolis
Tang Yan
Road, Hi-Tech Zone
Xi’an,
710065, Shaanxi Province, China
(Address
of principal executive office)
Registrant’s
telephone number, including area code: 86-29-88323325
Securities
registered under Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act: None
Securities
registered under Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act:
Common Stock, $.0001 par
value per share
(Title of
Class)
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in
Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
Yes o No x
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to
Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.
Yes o No x
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be
filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the
preceding 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 if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of
Regulation S-K (section 229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and
will not be contained, to the best of the registrant’s knowledge, in definitive
proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this
Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. o
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an
accelerated filer, or a non-accelerated filer. See definition of "accelerated
filer and large accelerated filer" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check
one):
Large
accelerated filer o
|
Accelerated
filer x
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Non-accelerated
filer o
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Smaller
reporting company o
|
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule
12b-2 of the Act). Yes o No x
The
aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting stock held by non-affiliates
of the registrant, as of June 30, 2008, was approximately $139,612,648. All
executive officers and directors of the registrant have been deemed, solely for
the purpose of the foregoing calculation, to be "affiliates" of the
registrant.
As of
March 10, 2009, there were 29,200,304 shares of the issuer's common stock,
$0.0001 par value per share, issued and outstanding.
FORM
10-K
FOR
THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2007
INDEX
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Page
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PART
I
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ITEM
1.
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DESCRIPTION
OF BUSINESS
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1
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ITEM
1A
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RISK
FACTORS
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9
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ITEM
2.
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DESCRIPTION
OF PROPERTY
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17
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ITEM
3.
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LEGAL
PROCEEDINGS
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18
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ITEM
4.
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SUBMISSION
OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITYHOLDERS
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18
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PART
II
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ITEM
5.
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MARKET
FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND SMALL
BUSINESS ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
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19
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ITEM
6.
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SELECTED
FINANCIAL DATA
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20
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ITEM
7.
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MANAGEMENT'S
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OR PLAN OF OPERATION
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21
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ITEM
7A.
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QUANTITATIVE
AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
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30
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ITEM
8.
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FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS
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31
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ITEM
9.
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CHANGES
IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL
DISCLOSURE
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32
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ITEM
9A(T).
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CONTROLS
AND PROCEDURES
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32
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ITEM
9B.
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OTHER
INFORMATION
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36
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PART
III
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ITEM
10.
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DIRECTORS,
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS, PROMOTERS AND CONTROL PERSONS; COMPLIANCE WITH SECTION
16(a) OF THE EXCHANGE ACT
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36
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ITEM
11.
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EXECUTIVE
COMPENSATION
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39
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ITEM
12.
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SECURITY
OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED
STOCKHOLDER MATTERS
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41
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ITEM
13.
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CERTAIN
RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS
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42
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ITEM
14.
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PRINCIPAL
ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES
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42
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ITEM
15.
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EXHIBITS
AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
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43
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STATEMENT
REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
In this
annual report, references to "China Natural Gas," "CHNG," "the Company," "we,"
"us," and "our" refer to China Natural Gas, Inc.
Except
for the historical information contained herein, some of the statements in this
Report contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties.
These statements are found in the sections entitled "Business," "Management's
Discussion and Analysis or Plan of Operation," and "Risk Factors." They include
statements concerning: our business strategy; expectations of market and
customer response; liquidity and capital expenditures; future sources of
revenues; expansion of our proposed product line; and trends in industry
activity generally. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements
by words such as "may," "will," "should," "expect," "plan," "could,"
"anticipate," "intend," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential," "goal,"
or "continue" or similar terminology. These statements are only predictions and
involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including, but
not limited to, the risks outlined under "Risk Factors," that may cause our or
our industry's actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements
to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity,
performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking
statements. For example, assumptions that could cause actual results to vary
materially from future results include, but are not limited to: our ability to
successfully develop and market our products to customers; our ability to
generate customer demand for our products in our target markets; the development
of our target markets and market opportunities; our ability to manufacture
suitable products at competitive cost; market pricing for our products and for
competing products; the extent of increasing competition; technological
developments in our target markets and the development of alternate, competing
technologies in them; and sales of shares by existing shareholders. Although we
believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are
reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance
or achievements. Unless we are required to do so under US federal securities
laws or other applicable laws, we do not intend to update or revise any
forward-looking statements.
PART
I
ITEM
1. DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS
Organizational
History
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
distribute and sell natural gas to commercial, industrial and residential
customers in the Xi’an area, including Lantian County and the Lintong and Baqiao
Districts, of Shaanxi province of The Peoples' Republic of China ("China" or the
"PRC") through a network of approximately 120 km of high pressure
pipelines. We also distribute and sell CNG as vehicular fuel through a
network of CNG fueling stations in Shaanxi and Henan Provinces. As of
December 31, 2008, we owned and operated 23 CNG fueling stations in Shaanxi
Province and 12 CNG fueling stations in Henan Province.
We
operate four primary business lines:
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Distribution and sale of
compressed natural gas (CNG) through Company-owned CNG fueling stations
for hybrid (natural gas/gasoline) powered vehicles (35 stations as of
December 31, 2008);
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Installation, 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 96,033 homes and businesses as of
December 31, 2008;
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Distribution and sale of gasoline
through using Company-owned CNG fueling stations for hybrid(natural
gas/gasoline) powered vehicles( 5 gasoline selling stations by December
31, 2008), and
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Conversion of gasoline-fueled
vehicles to hybrid (natural gas/gasoline) powered vehicles at our Auto
Conversion Division.
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We buy
all of the natural gas that we sell and distribute to our customers from
government owned enterprises and private sources. 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. In 2008, the Company entered into multiple agreements to purchase
compressed natural gas of about 160,696,901 cubic meters.
Commitments
and Contingencies
The
Company has existing long-term natural gas purchase agreements with its major
suppliers. However, none of those agreements stipulate any specific purchase
amount or quota each year, thus giving the Company flexibility to
constantly look for lower-cost source of natural gas supply. Therefore, the
Company is not legally bound in purchase commitments by those
agreements.
Our
Products, Services and Customers
Our
Pipeline Distribution System
We own
and operate a network of approximately 120 km of high pressure pipeline in the
Xi’an area. The network connects to a high pressure pipeline network of the
government operated Shaanxi Natural Gas Company, which supplies natural gas
directly from a gas field in the northern region of the province. Our high
pressure pipeline then feed into city-gate "let-down" stations at Hongqing and
Lantian County, where the pressure is reduced and natural gas is transported
through a network of low-pressure distribution pipes to supply our residential,
commercial and industrial customers in Lantian County and the Lintong and Baqiao
Districts. The spur also feeds our compressor station at Hongqing and Xianyan
where CNG is collected by tankers to supply CNG fueling stations.
Each of
our pipeline customers is physically connected to our pipeline network through
Company installed and maintained connection equipment and natural gas usage
monitoring systems, from which we generate additional revenues.
We
believe that we are currently the sole authorized provider of natural gas to
residential customers in our service area and the only privately owned company
in the Shaanxi province to own and operate this type of high pressure
pipeline.
CNG
Fueling Stations
As of
December 31, 2008, we own and operate 23 CNG natural gas fueling stations in the
Xi’an metropolitan area and 12 natural gas fueling stations in Henan province.
Through these company-owned fueling stations, CNG is sold to taxis, buses and
private cars that operate on CNG technology. Currently, we purchase natural gas
for 1.22 RMB/cubic meter and sell each cubic meter for 2.35 RMB net of value
added taxes in Shannxi province.
We
continue expanding our CNG fueling station base by constructing new stations as
well as acquiring existing stations. We can construct a CNG fueling station in
approximately 60 days for a cost of approximately US$900,000. We are evaluating
additional sites for CNG fueling stations in Xi’an and in other regions such as
Henan province.
The
Company also owns three compressor stations: two located in Xi’an: Hongqing
station, acquired in July 2005, near our pipeline; Changsheng station, acquired
in September 2008; and the other one in Xianyang city, acquired in January 2008.
A compressor station compresses natural gas and allows trucks to transport CNG
to fueling stations. The Company currently has the daily processing capacity of
250,000 cubic meters of CNG.
Our
Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Project
During
2008, we made significant progress to move into the processing, distribution and
sale of LNG. The Company spent about $20 million in the LNG project during 2008,
including technology licensing fees, prepayment of equipment purchases, land
requisition, and other constructions. We plan to raise the remaining $20 million
investment from our cash reverve, internal operating cash flow, prepayments from
our customers, and credit facility from Chinese commercial banks. We believe
that adding LNG to our product offerings will expand our geographic sales
footprint and improve revenues and profitability. The facility construction work
is expected to be completed around June, 2009, and processing equipment
installation and testing will be finished by October, 2009. So far the project
is on schedule for commercial operation towards the end of 2009.
Both CNG
and LNG are natural gas compressed into canisters for convenient transportation,
usually by tank trucks, to locations of distribution or consumption. Typically
CNG is compressed at 200 times atmospheric pressure and can be transported at
normal temperatures to distances of up to 300 kilometers. LNG is compressed at
up to 625 times atmospheric pressure and must be transported at sub-zero degree
temperatures. The cost of compressing and processing LNG is higher than those of
CNG, but LNG can be transported over longer distance and per unit transportation
costs are therefore lower.
In
September 2007 we have started the construction of an LNG processing and
distribution plant in Jingbian, Shaanxi province (the "LNG Project"). We
estimate that the LNG Project will cost approximately $40 million (RMB 309
million). As of March 10, 2008, we have secured such financing and we believe
that the plant can be completed by 2009. We have obtained the required permits
and approvals to build the LNG plant from local government
authorities.
The
approval process for LNG plant construction of this type is lengthy and
arduous—a factor which we believe is a significant barrier to entry to potential
competitors and which better positions our company for long-term growth. This
project also allows us to diversify our business and focus on two high-growth
areas: CNG fueling station business and LNG production, distribution, and sale.
We believe that the PRC's clean energy policies will bolster demand for natural
gas in China and we have government support to be a leader in this
area.
Our
CNG Market
We
estimate that currently there are approximately 50,000
vehicles using CNG in the Xi’an area. Currently it is estimated that there are
6,000 buses and 20,000 taxis using CNG in Xi’an. Each bus uses an average of 100
cubic meters of CNG per day and taxis use an average of 40 cubic meters of CNG
per day (Source: Xi’an Clean Fuel Vehicles Commission 2007) The PRC government
estimates in its Eleventh Five Year Plan (2006-2010) that current total demand
for CNG as a vehicular fuel in the Xi’an area is approximately 1,070,000 cubic
meters per day. Compared to gasoline and diesel, natural gas as vehicular fuel
is cheaper, cleaner and safer. The PRC government’s Clean Energy Policy
encourages the use of CNG as a vehicular fuel.
We
estimate that the average CNG station in Xi’an pumps approximately 15,000 cubic
meters of CNG per day. In the end of 2008, there were 64 CNG fueling stations in
Xi’an. We estimate that approximately 940,500 cubic meters of CNG is pumped per
day during the year, a figure well below estimated total demand. As a result, we
believe that there is significant unmet demand for CNG as vehicular fuel in the
Xi’an area that provides us great opportunities for profit and
growth.
We
believe that our vertically integrated operations, proprietary pipeline and
secured supply contracts give us greater access to CNG supplies and customers
and a unique competitive position as a major supplier of CNG vehicular fuel in
the Xi’an area.
Our
Pipeline Network Customers
As of
December 31, 2008 we had approximately 96,033 customers, including residential,
industrial and commercial customers. We are continuing to expand our customer
base in Xi’an's newly developed business and residential areas including Xihan
and Chanliu. Our industrial customers, including the Xiwei Aluminum Company and
the Hungtian Company, use natural gas as a raw material for their production
process. We are not dependent upon any single customer or group of customers for
a material portion of our natural gas sales or revenues.
Our
pipeline customers purchase natural gas by prepaid cards that can be inserted
into the connection equipment to initiate gas flow.
The
Company entered into agreements with Xi’an International Port Administrative
Committee and the Town of Tangyu in April and October 2008, respectively, to
provide natural gas to local residents and businesses on an exclusive basis. The
international Port project is estimated to involve the development of
approximately 13.5 square miles of business district and the investment of up to
$30 million over the next several years, based on the Port Committee’s planning
schedule. The Tangyu project involves supplying natural gas to potentially
50,000 residential and commercial users of this well-known tourist
attraction.
Our
Subsidiaries and Variable Interest Entities
On
October 24, 2006, Xi’an Xilan Natural Gas formed a wholly-owned subsidiary,
Shaanxi Jingbian Liquefied Natural Gas Co., Ltd., a limited liability company
organized under the laws of the PRC to administer the production and sales of
LNG.
In 2006,
Xi’an Xilan Natural Gas, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Shaanxi Jingbian
Liquefied Natural Gas Co., Ltd, received a letter from PetroChina Company
Limited pursuant to which PetroChina agreed in principle, subject to the
negotiation and execution of a final contract, to supply up to 150,000,000 cubic
meters of natural gas annually upon the completion of our LNG
project.
In 2006,
we formed a wholly-owned subsidiary, Xi’an Xilan Natural Gas Equipment Ltd., a
limited liability company organized under the laws of the PRC (“Xilan
Equipment”), to provide equipment to our own CNG fueling stations.
Effective
March 8, 2006, we also established a variable interest entity, Xi’an Xilan
Natural Gas by entering into exclusive arrangement with Xi’an Xilan Natural Gas
through our subsidiary Xilan Equipment. Pursuant to the exclusive arrangement,
the Company, through Xilan Equipment, has 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. As a
result, based on FASB Interpretation No. 46R, Consolidation of Variable Interest
Entities, the Company is able to treat Xi’an Xilan Natural Gas as a variable
interest entity of the Company and consolidate its financial
results.
In May
2007, Xi’an Xilan Natural Gas formed a wholly-owned subsidiary, Xi’an Xilan Auto
Body Shop.
In
December 2008, we completed 100% acquisition of Henan Lingbao Yuxi Natural Gas
Limited which owns exclusive operation right to supply natural gas to the city
of Lingbao for residential, industrial, commercial and vehecular uses. According
to the official website of Lingbao Municipal Government (www.lbwbw.com), the
City has a total population of about 800,000 among which 200,000 are urban
residents and 600,000 are countryside residents. There are about 80,000 urban
households, and an estimated annual consumption of natural gas of 20,000,000
cubic meters.
Suppliers
The
Company purchases all of the natural gas for resale mainly from four vendors,
PetroChina Changqing Oilfield Company, Jiyuan Yuhai Natural Company, Shaanxi
Natural Gas Co. Ltd., and Jingcheng City Mingshi Coal Bed Methane Exploitage
Ltd. The Company has long-term supply agreements with PetroChina Changqing
Oilfield Company and Jingcheng City Mingshi Coal Bed Methane Exploitage Ltd.
with no minimum purchase requirements. The price of natural gas is strictly
controlled by the government and has remained stable over the past 3
years.
On
October 19, 2006, we received a letter from PetroChina Company Limited pursuant
to which PetroChina agreed in principle to supply up to 150 million cubic meters
of natural gas annually to our subsidiary subject to the negotiation of a final
agreement once our LNG plant is built.
According
to the general business practices of PetroChina, the above-mentioned approval of
150 million cubic meters’ annual supply quota should ensure our LNG project the
amount of annual supply from PetroChina’s wholly-owned subsidiary Changqing Oil
Field Group Limited which has a 14 billion-cubic-meter natural gas purification
facility next door to our LNG project. The supply agreement for 2009 will be
based on our LNG plant’s expected processing capability for this year and will
be entered between the company and Changqing Oil Field Group Limited around
third quarter of this year because once the supply amount is stipulated in the
agreement, the company would need to pay full fee for the amount no matter we
could use them or not.
We do not
expect any difficulty in continuing to renew our supply contracts during the
next 12 months.
PRC
Natural Gas Industry Overview
China's
rapidly expanding economy is stretching the limits of its energy resources. The
country is the world’s second largest energy consumer after the United States,
with an annual energy consumption growth rate as high as 12.8% between 2002 and
2006 and slowed down slightly to 10.8% between 2006-2008 due to Chinese
government’s national policy of “saving energy and reducing emission”. During
the same period, natural gas consumption grows at 13.3% annually. Natural gas
currently accounts for only 3% of the country’s total energy usage, compared to
the world average 23%.
According
to China’s Ministry of Science & Technology and World Petrolium Council’s
China Committee’s 2009 report, for the next 20 years, China’s energy consumption
elasticity index remains at 0.45-0.50, among which coal is 0.30, petrolium is
0.50, natural gas is 1.4-1.5, and non-renewable electricity is 0.50-0.60.
China’s natural gas represents the fastest-growing energy source. With the
operation of China’s West-East Natural Gas Pipeline” project, it is estimated
that China’s natural gas consumption grows at 15% per year and will reach a
volume of 100 billion cubic meters in 2010, representing 400%-500% growth over
2000.
China’s
11th
Five-Year Plan (2006-2010) has made the development of natural gas engine for
heavy-load trucks as a national key development project, demonstrating Chinese
central government’s decision to reply on natural gas as a major alternate fuel
source for high-consumption vehicles.
In order
to meet the demand for natural gas, the PRC government has encouraged private
companies to invest in and build the necessary transportation, distribution and
sale infrastructure for natural gas. On February 24, 2005, China’s State Council
issued an opinion encouraging and supporting private sectors to get involved
into industries that were previously monopolized by state-owned enterprises
only. Those industries open to private sectors include oil and natural gas
distribution. The opinion provided a legal framework for private
urban natural gas distribution.
Sources
of Energy
Traditionally,
the PRC has relied heavily on coal and crude oil as its primary energy sources.
According to China Statistical Yearbook, in 2006, coal, crude oil,
hydro-electricity and natural gas accounted for 69.40%, 20.40%, 7.20% and 3.00%,
respectively, of the PRC's total energy consumption. During the PRC government’s
Eleventh Five Year Plan (2006-2010), the percentage of coal, crude oil and
hydro-electricity would go down to 66.1%, 20.5% and 6.8% respectively, while
that of natural gas would increase to 5.1%. Traditionally, a large portion of
natural gas is consumed as raw material for production of fertilizer. A little
over 10% of natural gas is consumed as fuel. (Source: The Institute of Energy
Economics of Japan).
The PRC's
heavy reliance on coal exceeds world consumption rates for the same period,
which was 22.2% (Source: Energy Information Administration, U.S. Department of
Energy). The use of coal, however, causes air pollution and other negative
consequences to the environment. In the PRC, the heavy use of unwashed coal has
led to large emissions of sulfur dioxide and particulate matter. An air
pollution study conducted by the World Health Organization in 2006 showed that
seven of the 10 most polluted cities in the world were located in the PRC. As
such, there have been serious environmental concerns in many countries around
the world, resulting in a global trend to reduce coal usage. In consideration of
such trends, in 2006, the PRC presented a plan to raise the share of natural gas
in the country's energy mix (Source: 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-2010)). In many
locations where natural gas supply is available, local governments often require
all new residential buildings to install piped gas connections as a condition to
the issuance of the construction or occupancy permits. Before 2006, local
municipal governments controlled gas distribution. Since then, the industry has
been opened to private companies, whose investments have fostered an increase in
the use of natural gas in the PRC. The PRC government has deemed the natural gas
industry a suitable industry for public and private investments.
China's
Natural Gas Reserves and Gas Pipeline Infrastructure
Recognizing
the serious problems caused by the heavy reliance on coal usage, the PRC
government has aggressively moved to reduce coal usage by substituting coal with
other, more environmentally friendly forms of fuel, such as natural gas. The PRC
abounds in rich natural gas reserves, which are distributed among Xinjiang,
Sichuan, and Shaanxi Provinces, as well as Inner Mongolia. China’s Ministry of
Science & Technology and World Petrolium Council’s China Committee’s 2009
report, by the end of 2007, natural gas reserves in China are estimated to be
4.7 trillion cubic meters with 3.1 trillion cubic meters explorable. According
to relevant forecast, from 2009 to 2020, China’s natural gas reserve will
increase another 3.0 trillion cubic meters with cumulative reserves exceeding
6.0 trillion cubic meters (Source: official website of PRC Ministry of Science
& Technology: www.most.gov.cn).
Because
China's largest reserves of natural gas are located in western and north-central
China, in 2002, the Chinese government initiated the construction of a 4,000
kilometer long high pressure pipeline project in order to transport natural gas
from Xinjiang and Shaanxi in the northwestern parts of China to Beijing,
Shanghai, and other cities in the southern and eastern regions of China which
are economically stronger and thus account for more energy consumption. The
pipeline network, which runs across 9 provinces on Chinese mainland, started
operation in December 2004, and has significantly optimized the energy
infrastructure of China. The natural gas pipeline presented great business
opportunity for natural gas distributors at the major junctures, such as Shaanxi
province.
Demand
for Natural Gas
Currently,
natural gas consumption in the PRC accounts for less than 3% of its total energy
consumption. However, driven by environmental pressures, improvements in social
infrastructure fueled by economic growth, and a stable energy supply, it is
anticipated that the use of natural gas will grow very rapidly in the PRC over
the next 20 years.
According
to China’s National Natural Gas Overall Plan by the State Council, the number of
cities pipelined with natural gas would increase from 140 in 2005 to 270 in 2010
and by the middle of the 21st
century, 70% of all the cities in China would be pipelined. Annual natural gas
output will crease from currently 70 billion cubic meters to 120 billion – 150
billion cubic meters by 2020. According to IFA’s forecast, natural gas will be
the fastest-growing energy in the 21st
century. Its consumption will exceed petrolium by the middle of the century,
accounting for 51% of the world’s energy consumption and thus becoming the real
“first energy” of the world.
Intellectual
Property
We have
applied for a service mark on the “Xilan” name, which is used in connection with
all our products and services.
Research
and Development
We have
not had and do not anticipate having any material research and development
expenses. The funding for all research and development expenses is expected to
come from operating cash flows.
Governmental
and Environmental Regulation
To date,
we comply with all registrations and requirements for the issuance and
maintenance of all licenses required by the applicable governing authorities in
China. These licenses include:
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Xi’an Natural Gas Operations
License, authorized by the Shaanxi Municipal Management Committee,
effective from November 25, 2008 to February 28, 2010.(License number
XR157)
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License to Supply, Install
Equipment and Maintain Gas Fuel Lines issued by the local Gas Fuels for
Heating Bureau, an agency of the Ministry of Construction and the Xi’an
Natural Gas Management Bureau. License number: XIRAN
136)
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Safety and Inspection Regulation
for Special Equipment Safety Inspection Standards for High Pressure
Pipeline and Technical Safety Inspection Regulations from the Shaanxi
Quality and Technology Inspection Bureau for compressor stations and
pressure storage tank system. (Approval letter reference:
2004SHAANGUOCHUHAN033)
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Annual Safety Inspection of
Lightning Conductor Equipment approved by the Shaanxi Meteorology Bureau.
(Certificate number 0005274) The City-gate and Compressor Stations are
approved by the local office of the Ministry of
Construction.
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Business license to operate Xilan
Equipment effective from February 22, 2006 to February 21,
2021.
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Business license to operate Xilan
Liquified Natural Gas effective from October 24, 2006 to October 23,
2036.
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Business license to operate Xi’an
Xilan Auto Bodyshop effective as of May 15,
2007.
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Business license to operate Xi’an
Xilan Natural Gas effective as of January 8,
2000.
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Fuel
service station standards are subject to regulation by the Ministry of
Construction, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, and the Bureau
of Inspection and Quarantine of the People's Republic of China. Upon
satisfactory inspection of service stations, certificates will be
issued.
Various
standards must be met for fueling stations, including the handling and storage
of CNG, tanker handling, and compressor operation. The Local Ministry of
Construction and the Gas Field Operation Department of the Municipal
Administration Committee regulate these standards. The Municipal Development and
Reform Commission, which issues certificates for the handling of dangerous
chemical agents, carries out inspections.
Standards
for the design and construction of fueling stations must conform to GB50156-2202
and technology standard BJJ84-2000.
Competition
The three
largest state owned energy companies, CNPC (China National Petroleum
Corporation) Group, SINOPEC (China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation Group),
and CNOOC (China National Offshore Oil Corporation Group) are principally
engaged in the upstream supply of energy and are material competitors in the
exploration and transportation of oil and gas. They build much of the country's
high-pressure pipeline infrastructure. Natural gas is distributed to smaller
regional firms that redistribute the gas to the end user, either through lower
pressure pipeline networks, or via tankers in the form of liquid natural gas
(LNG).
With
respect to our pipeline gas services in Xi’an, the Company and its competitors
each serves a designated city area by local government on a exclusive basis,
therefore there is no direct compeittion in our pipeline gas services. Other
pipeline gas service provider in the city of Xi’an include Qin Hua Natural Gas
Limited
With
respect to our CNG fueling station market, currently, there are approximately 64
CNG fueling stations in Xi’an City. Among those 64, 15 of these stations are
state owned enterprises, and the other 28 stations are privately owned with the
majority of these being single station operators. We believe that we effectively
compete with the stations based upon our scale, network, stable source of gas
supply, compressing capabilities, and brand awareness.
With
respect to our LNG business, our major competitor is Xinjiang Guanghui LNG
Development Limited. It is located in China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonamous Region
and has an annual capacity around 300 million cubic meters. Both the Company and
the competitor’s major target market for the LNG busness is South China’s
economically-developed Guangdong Province and its surrounding regions. However,
the distance to the target market for our LNG business is only one third of our
competitors’, thus giving us significant cost advantage in
transportation.
Employees
Currently,
we have 710 employees, including, 50 in management; 150 in sales, and 510 in
finance, accounting, and operations. We have not experienced any industrial
actions and we have excellent relationships with our employees. We are not a
party to any collective bargaining agreements.
Legal Proceedings
A former
member of the board of directors filed a lawsuit against the Company in New York
State Supreme Court, Nassau County, in which he has sought, among other things;
to recover a portion of his monthly compensation plus 20,000 options that he
alleges are due to him pursuant to a written agreement. After the plaintiff
rejected an offer by the Company that included the options that plaintiff
alleged were due to him, the Company moved to dismiss the complaint. The
judge ordered the Company to issue the 20,000 options to the plaintiff subject
to any restrictions required by applicable securities laws, which was
essentially what the Company had previously offered, and dismissed all of the
plaintiff's remaining claims against the Company. The current board of directors
has complied with the court's decision by tendering an options agreement to the
plaintiff consistent with the court's decision, but the plaintiff has refused to
execute the agreement, and instead has filed an appeal. Regardless of the
outcome of the appeal, the Company believes that any liability it would incur
will not have a materially adverse effect on its financial condition or its
results of operations.
Available
Information
We file
quarterly and annual reports, proxy statements and other information with the
SEC. You may read and copy any document that we file at the public reference
facilities of the SEC in Washington, D.C. You may call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330
for further information on the public reference rooms. Our SEC filings are also
available to the public from the SEC’s website at
http://www.sec.gov.
ITEM
1A. RISK FACTORS
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 prospectus, 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 our
ability to provide supplies to our customers.
We obtain
most of our supplies of natural gas from a government owned entity and our
supply contracts are subject to review every six months. However, our costs for
natural gas are strictly controlled by the government and have remained stable
over the past 3 years. Management does not expect any difficulty in continuing
to renew the supply contracts during the next 12 months. The price of natural
gas can fluctuate in response to changing national or international market
forces. Accordingly, price levels of natural gas may rise or fall significantly
over the short to medium term due to political events, OPEC actions and other
factors, industry economics over the long term.
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 one supplier, which is a government owned entity.
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 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
semi-annual review of our primary supply contract, they will 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.
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.
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 if 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
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.
The
occurrence of a significant event for which we are not fully insured or
indemnified, and/or the failure of a party to meet its indemnification
obligations, could 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 it considers reasonable. To date,
however, we have maintained adequate coverage at reasonable rates and have
experienced no material uninsured losses.
Changes
in the regulatory atmosphere could adversely affect our business.
The
distribution of natural gas and operations of fueling 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 fueling 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.
We are
dependent on the continued efforts of our senior management team. 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.
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.
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,
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 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 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 December 31, 2008, the exchange rate between the RMB
and the United States dollar was 6.82 RMB to every one USD.
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 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 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.
Provincial
and central government authorities regulate the natural gas industry for safety
and ensure that all areas receive natural gas service. However, as a result of
China becoming a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), restrictions on
foreign investment in the industry may be reduced. With China's need to meet
growth in natural gas demand and the WTO's requirement for a reduction of
restrictions on foreign investment as a condition of membership, such events
could lead to increased competition in the natural gas industry.
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 variable interest entity, Xi’an 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 bio-pharmaceutical
industry include the following:
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we only have contractual control
over Xi’an 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 Xi’an Xilan Natural Gas by means of
contractual arrangements. If the government of the People’s Republic of China
determines that these contractual arrangements do not comply with applicable
regulations, our business could be adversely affected.
The
government of the People’s Republic of China restricts foreign investment in
natural gas businesses in China. Accordingly, we operate our business in China
through Xi’an Xilan Natural Gas. Xi’an Xilan Natural Gas holds the licenses and
approvals necessary to operate our natural gas business in China. We have
contractual arrangements with Xi’an Xilan Natural Gas and its shareholders that
allow us to substantially control Xi’an Xilan Natural Gas. We cannot assure you,
however, that we will be able to enforce these contracts.
Although
we believe we comply with current regulations of the People’s Republic of China,
we cannot assure you that the government of the People’s Republic of China would
agree that these operating arrangements comply with the People’s Republic of
China’s licensing, registration or other regulatory requirements, with existing
policies or with requirements or policies that may be adopted in the future. If
the government of the People’s Republic of China 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 Xi’an Xilan Natural Gas and its shareholders may
not be as effective in providing control over these entities as direct
ownership.
Since the
law of the People’s Republic of China limits foreign equity ownership in natural
gas companies in China, we operate our business through Xi’an Xilan Natural Gas.
We have no equity ownership interest in Xi’an Xilan Natural Gas and rely on
contractual arrangements to control and operate such businesses. These
contractual arrangements may not be effective in providing control over Xi’an
Xilan Natural Gas as direct ownership. For example, Xi’an Xilan Natural Gas
could fail to take actions required for our business despite its contractual
obligation to do so. If Xi’an Xilan Natural Gas fails to perform under its
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 the law
of the People’s Republic of China, which may not be effective. In addition, we
cannot assure you that Xi’an Xilan Natural Gas’ 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
December 31, 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.
The
limited trading volume in our stock 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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investors may have difficulty
buying and selling or obtaining market
quotations;
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market visibility for our common
stock may be limited; and
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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.
If
we fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls, we may not be able
to accurately report our financial results. As a result, current and potential
stockholders could lose confidence in our financial reporting, which would harm
our business and the trading price of our stock.
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-K, 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.
Our
management and our independent registered public accountants concluded that our
internal controls over our financial reporting are not effective, as required by
Section 404 of the U.S. Sarbanes-Oxley Act, for the fiscal year ending December
31, 2008, as such, our independent registered public accountants has issued a
report on our internal control measures that is adverse. The Company’s
management has identified the steps necessary to address the material weakness
and has begun to execute remediation plans, as discussed in “Item 9A(T).
Controls and Procedures” of this Report.
Any
failure to implement and maintain the improvements in the controls over our
financial reporting, or difficulties encountered in the implementation of these
improvements in our controls, could cause us to fail to meet our reporting
obligations. Any failure to improve our internal controls to address these
identified weaknesses could also cause investors to lose confidence in our
reported financial information, which could have a negative impact on the
trading price of our stock.
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. DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY
Our
principal executive offices are located at 19th Floor, Building B, Van
Metropolis, No. 35 Tangyan Road, Hi-Tech Zone, Xi’an, 710065, Shaanxi Province,
People's Republic of China. Our property consists of approximately 818 square
meters, which is rented on an annual basis for $88,225.
We have
additional properties located in Lantian County, the districts of Baqiao,
Lintong and Gaoxin in the city of Xi’an, and the cities of Jiyuan, Kaifung and
Pindingshan, in Henan province. We own a 120km high-pressure underground
pipeline network and two Citygate stations (terminals) with accompanying
buildings and equipment. We lease the main office building where we are
headquartered and all of our CNG fueling station sites. In order to secure
sufficient CNG supply, we also own three mother stations in Xi’an city to
support our stations. As of December 31, 2008, we own and operate 23 CNG fueling
stations in Shaanxi Province and 12 CNG fueling stations in Henan
Province.
In
February, 2006 we formed our 100%-owned subsidiary, Xilan Equipment, which
maintains an office in the No. 3 Xianmen St., Lantian County, Xi’an, Shaanxi
Province, China. The office consists of approximately 1001 sq. feet, with annual
rental payment of $1,106.
On
October 24, 2006, we formed our 100% owned subsidiary, Xilan Liquified Natural
Gas Co., Ltd., which maintains an office in the Tongwang Road, Zhangjiapan Town,
Jingbian County, China. The office consists of approximately 3,921 sq. feet,
with annual rental payment of $5,214.
In
October, 2008, the Company acquired Lingbao Yuxi Natural Gas, Co., Ltd. through
Xi’an Xilan Natural Gas Co., Ltd. Lingbao Yuxi Natural Gas maintains an office
located at Yuxi Natural Gas Co., Ltd, Changan Rd. W, Lingbao, Henan Province,
with annual rent of approximately $3,314.
In May
27, 2008, the Company purchased a 412.10-square-meter properties in Zhengzhou,
Henan Province and uses it as office spaces for the local operations
in Henan Province.
In
August, 2008, the Company purchased a 531.72-square-meter properties in Beijing
and uses it as office spaces for local operations in Beijing. Therefore, the
Company doesn’t incur any rent for Henan and Beijing Offices.
As of
December 31, 2008, the Company owned 2 trucks and 33 tankers that the Company
used to transport natural gas.
Insurance
The
Company carries auto insurance on its vehicles and maintains workers
compensation insurance for its fueling station workers. The Company believes
this insurance is adequate for its needs. The Company does not carry any product
liability insurance or property insurance on its office buildings or other
property.
We
believe that current facilities are adequate for our current and immediately
foreseeable operating needs. We do not have any policies regarding investments
in real estate, securities or other forms of property.
The
Company also carries directors and officers liability insurance with XL
Insurance Company Ltd. with aggregate limit of liability $15 million to cover
its management and directors in the event that any claim may arise against such
insured persons due to employment related acts. The insurance will expire on Oct
15th, 2009
and is renewed annually.
ITEM
3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
A former
member of the board of directors filed a lawsuit against the Company in New York
State Supreme Court, Nassau County, in which he has sought, among other things;
to recover a portion of his monthly compensation plus 20,000 options that he
alleges are due to him pursuant to a written agreement. After the plaintiff
rejected an offer by the Company that included the options that plaintiff
alleged were due to him, the Company moved to dismiss the complaint. The
judge ordered the Company to issue the 20,000 options to the plaintiff subject
to any restrictions required by applicable securities laws, which was
essentially what the Company had previously offered, and dismissed all of the
plaintiff's remaining claims against the Company. The current board of directors
has complied with the court's decision by tendering an options agreement to the
plaintiff consistent with the court's decision, but the plaintiff has refused to
execute the agreement, and instead has filed an appeal. Regardless of the
outcome of the appeal, the Company believes that any liability it would incur
will not have a materially adverse effect on its financial condition or its
results of operations.
ITEM
4. SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITYHOLDERS
None.
PART
II
ITEM
5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER
PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
On March
17, 2004, our common stock was approved for listing on the Over-the-Counter
Bulletin Board under the symbol "CVNI" and on December 19, 2005 our symbol was
changed to "CHNG" and our fiscal year end was changed to December 31. The
following table contains information about the range of high and low bid prices
for our common stock for each full quarterly period for 2008 and 2007 based upon
reports of transactions on the OTC Bulletin Board. The source of this
information is the OTC Bulletin Board. The quotations represent inter-dealer
prices without retail markup, markdown or commission, and may not necessarily
represent actual transactions.
|
|
COMMON
STOCK
MARKET PRICE
|
|
|
|
HIGH
|
|
|
LOW
|
|
FISCAL
YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2008:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fourth
Quarter
|
|
$ |
4.08 |
|
|
$ |
2.25 |
|
Third
Quarter
|
|
$ |
6.00 |
|
|
$ |
3.50 |
|
Second
Quarter
|
|
$ |
7.33 |
|
|
$ |
5.15 |
|
First
Quarter
|
|
$ |
7.25 |
|
|
$ |
4.75 |
|
FISCAL
YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2007:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fourth
Quarter
|
|
$ |
14.95 |
|
|
$ |
6.50 |
|
Third
Quarter
|
|
$ |
8.34 |
|
|
$ |
4.39 |
|
Second
Quarter
|
|
$ |
5.06 |
|
|
$ |
1.85 |
|
First
Quarter
|
|
$ |
3.16 |
|
|
$ |
1.65 |
|
As of
March 10, 2009, there were approximately 31 holders of record of our common
stock.
Dividends
There are
no restrictions in our articles of incorporation or bylaws that prevent us from
declaring dividends. The Delaware General Corporation Law, however, does
prohibit us from declaring dividends where, after giving effect to the
distribution of the dividend:
1. We
would not be able to pay our debts as they become due in the usual course of
business; or
2. Our
total assets would be less than the sum of our total liabilities plus the amount
that would be needed to satisfy the rights of shareholders who have preferential
rights superior to those receiving the distribution.
We have
never paid any cash dividends on our common stock. We currently anticipate that
we will retain any future earnings for use in our business. Consequently, we do
not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future.
The
payment of dividends in the future will depend upon our results of operations,
as well as our short-term and long-term cash availability, working capital,
working capital needs and other factors, as determined by our board of
directors. Currently, except as may be provided by applicable laws, there are no
contractual or other restrictions on our ability to pay dividends if we were to
decide to declare and pay them.
Securities
Authorized for Issuance under Equity Compensation Plan
There has
been no common stock authorized for issuance with respect to any equity
compensation plan as of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2008.
Recent
Sales of Unregistered Securities
The
Company did not sell any equity securities that were not registered under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended, during the quarter ended December 31,
2008.
ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL
DATA
For the
past four years, the increase in the number of our CNG fueling stations doesn’t
affect our gross margin or per-station based operating margin since the natural
gas cost and retail price remains unchanged. Meanwhile, our SG&A
also increases in proportion to our scale of operations. Therefore, the increase
in the number of our CNG fueling stations doesn’t materially affect the
comparability of our financial data.
|
|
Year ended December 31
|
|
|
|
2008
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
2004
|
|
STATEMENT
OF OPERATIONS:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Revenue
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Natural
gas revenue
|
|
|
55,746,893 |
|
|
|
28,278,033 |
|
|
|
13,713,145 |
|
|
|
1,687,154 |
|
|
|
306,306 |
|
Gasoline
revenue
|
|
|
4,616,052 |
|
|
|
38,486 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
Construction
/ installation and other
|
|
|
7,357,714 |
|
|
|
7,075,534 |
|
|
|
5,115,645 |
|
|
|
3,163,545 |
|
|
|
578,107 |
|
Total
revenue
|
|
|
67,720,659 |
|
|
|
35,392,053 |
|
|
|
18,828,790 |
|
|
|
4,850,699 |
|
|
|
884,413 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cost
of revenue
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Natural
gas cost
|
|
|
27,234,508 |
|
|
|
14,838,997 |
|
|
|
7,663,060 |
|
|
|
1,293,585 |
|
|
|
226,944 |
|
Gasoline
cost
|
|
|
4,277,458 |
|
|
|
34,747 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Construction
/ installation and other
|
|
|
3,469,671 |
|
|
|
3,151,331 |
|
|
|
2,054,940 |
|
|
|
1,110,452 |
|
|
|
287,102 |
|
|
|
|
34,981,637 |
|
|
|
18,025,075 |
|
|
|
9,718,000 |
|
|
|
2,404,037 |
|
|
|
514,046 |
|
Gross
profit
|
|
|
32,739,022 |
|
|
|
17,366,978 |
|
|
|
9,110,790 |
|
|
|
2,446,662 |
|
|
|
370,367 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating
expenses
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Selling
expenses
|
|
|
7,651,948 |
|
|
|
3,451,161 |
|
|
|
1,308,464 |
|
|
|
474,855 |
|
|
|
387,768 |
|
General
and administrative expenses
|
|
|
4,024,882 |
|
|
|
2,837,768 |
|
|
|
1,287,735 |
|
|
|
500,228 |
|
|
|
142,449 |
|
Total
operating expenses
|
|
|
11,676,830 |
|
|
|
6,288,929 |
|
|
|
2,596,199 |
|
|
|
975,083 |
|
|
|
530,217 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income
from operations
|
|
|
21,062,192 |
|
|
|
11,078,049 |
|
|
|
6,514,591 |
|
|
|
1,471,579 |
|
|
|
(159,850 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Non-operating
income (expense):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interest
income
|
|
|
209,502 |
|
|
|
70,697 |
|
|
|
41,109 |
|
|
|
2,131 |
|
|
|
1,618 |
|
Interest
expense
|
|
|
(2,228,244 |
) |
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
Foreign
currency exchange loss
|
|
|
(397,299 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other
income (expense)
|
|
|
111,859 |
|
|
|
(118,753 |
) |
|
|
(79,021 |
) |
|
|
(671 |
) |
|
|
(3,536 |
) |
Total
non-operating income (expense)
|
|
|
(2,304,182 |
) |
|
|
48,056 |
|
|
|
(37,912 |
) |
|
|
1,460 |
|
|
|
(1,918 |
) |
Income
before income tax
|
|
|
18,758,010 |
|
|
|
11,029,993 |
|
|
|
6,476,679 |
|
|
|
1,473,039 |
|
|
|
(161,768 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income
tax
|
|
|
3,567,642 |
|
|
|
1,913,923 |
|
|
|
1,025,584 |
|
|
|
220,956 |
|
|
|
- |
|
Net
income
|
|
|
15,190,368 |
|
|
|
9,116,070 |
|
|
|
5,541,095 |
|
|
|
1,252,083 |
|
|
|
(161,768 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other
comprehensive income
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Foreign
currency translation gain
|
|
|
5,184,034 |
|
|
|
2,637,573 |
|
|
|
610,705 |
|
|
|
228,175 |
|
|
|
- |
|
Comprehensive
income
|
|
|
20,374,402 |
|
|
|
11,753,643 |
|
|
|
6,061,800 |
|
|
|
1,480,258 |
|
|
|
(161,768 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weighted
average shares outstanding
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic
|
|
|
29,200,304 |
|
|
|
26,200,679 |
|
|
|
23,872,936 |
|
|
|
16,299,469 |
|
|
|
9,275,362 |
|
Diluted
|
|
|
29,290,139 |
|
|
|
26,301,802 |
|
|
|
23,872,936 |
|
|
|
16,299,469 |
|
|
|
9,275,362 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Earnings
per share
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic
|
|
|
0.52 |
|
|
|
0.35 |
|
|
|
0.23 |
|
|
|
0.08 |
|
|
|
(0.02 |
) |
Diluted
|
|
|
0.52 |
|
|
|
0.35 |
|
|
|
0.23 |
|
|
|
0.08 |
|
|
|
(0.02 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
BALANCE
SHEET DATA (at end of period):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
PROPERTY
AND EQUIPMENT, net
|
|
|
76,028,272 |
|
|
|
32,291,995 |
|
|
|
17,193,728 |
|
|
|
8,267,897 |
|
|
|
20,935 |
|
Working
Capital
|
|
|
4,989,447 |
|
|
|
13,581,900 |
|
|
|
5,289,220 |
|
|
|
(320,253 |
) |
|
|
(130,368 |
) |
TOTAL
ASSETS
|
|
|
118,262,291 |
|
|
|
53,289,998 |
|
|
|
28,466,351 |
|
|
|
10,911,062 |
|
|
|
28,875 |
|
Long
Term Debt
|
|
|
42,021,605 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
24,078 |
|
Shareholder
Equity
|
|
|
71,648,420 |
|
|
|
51,207,314 |
|
|
|
25,630,204 |
|
|
|
9,675,550 |
|
|
|
(133,511 |
) |
ITEM
7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OR PLAN OF OPERATION
The
information in this report contains forward-looking statements. All statements
other than statements of historical fact made in this report are forward
looking. In particular, the statements herein regarding industry prospects and
future results of operations or financial position are forward-looking
statements. These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of
words such as "believes," "estimates," "could," "possibly," "probably,"
anticipates," "projects," "expects," "may," "will," or "should" or other
variations or similar words. No assurances can be given that the future results
anticipated by the forward-looking statements will be achieved. Forward-looking
statements reflect management's current expectations and are inherently
uncertain. Our actual results may differ significantly from management's
expectations.
The
following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with our
financial statements, included herewith. This discussion should not be construed
to imply that the results discussed herein will necessarily continue into the
future, or that any conclusion reached herein will necessarily be indicative of
actual operating results in the future. Such discussion represents only the best
present assessment of our management.
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 Peoples'
Republic of China ("China" or the "PRC") through a network of high pressure
pipelines. We also distribute and sell natural gas through a network of
approximately 120 km pipeline in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province. During the year of
2008, the pipeline’s average daily throughput capacity is 31,347 cubic meters,
comparing to approximately 20,565 cubic meters in the year of 2007. As of
December 31, 2008, we own and operate 23 CNG fueling stations in Shaanxi
Province and 12 CNG fueling stations in Henan Province. During the year of 2008,
we had sold compressed natural gas of 149,412,143 cubic meters through our
fueling stations, comparing to 84,744,620 cubic meters in the year of
2007.
We
operate four primary business lines:
|
·
|
Distribution and sale of
compressed natural gas (CNG) through Company-owned CNG fueling stations
for hybrid (natural gas/gasoline) powered vehicles (35 stations as of
December 31, 2008);
|
|
·
|
Installation, 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 96,033 homes and businesses as of
December 31, 2008;
|
|
·
|
Distribution and sale of gasoline
through using Company-owned CNG fueling stations for hybrid(natural
gas/gasoline) powered vehicles( 5 gasoline selling stations by December
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 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.
Critical
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.
Accounts
Receivables. Accounts and other receivables 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 determined that all receivables
are good and there is no need for a bad debt reserve as of December 31,
2008.
Other Receivable
– Employee Advances. From time to time, 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, no allowance for the uncollectible accounts is needed.
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 installation of
pipelines and material used in repairing and modifying of vehicles. Inventory
also consists of natural gas and gasoline.
Fair
Value of Financial Instruments
On
January 1, 2008, the Company adopted SFAS 157, Fair Value Measurements. SFAS 157
defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid
to transfer a liability (i.e., the “exit price”) in an orderly transaction
between market participants at the measurement date. SFAS 157
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
1 inputs
to the valuation methodology are quoted prices (unadjusted) for identical
assets or liabilities in active
markets.
|
|
|
Level
2 inputs
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
3 inputs
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 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.”
As
required by SFAS 57, financial assets and liabilities are classified in their
entirety based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair
value measurement. Depending on the product and the terms of the transaction,
the fair value of our notes payable and derivative libilities were modeled using
a series of techniques, including closed-form analytic formula, such as the
Black-Scholes option-pricing model, which does not entail material subjectivity
because the methodology employed does not necessitate significant judgment, and
the pricing inputs are observed from actively quoted markets.
Revenue
Recognition. The Company's revenue recognition policies are in accordance
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 collectability 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. Revenue from repairing and
modifying vehicles is recorded when service are rendered to and accepted by the
customers.
Segment
Report. The Company’s chief operating decision-makers (i.e.
chief executive officer and his direct reports) review financial information
presented on a consolidated basis, accompanied by disaggregated information
about revenues by business lines for purposes of allocating resources and
evaluating financial performance. There are no segment managers who are held
accountable for operations, operating results and plans for levels or components
below the consolidated unit level. Based on qualitative and quantitative
criteria established by SFAS No. 131, Disclosures about Segments of
an Enterprise and
Related Information, the Company considers itself to be operating within
one reportable segment.
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.
CONSOLIDATED
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Comparing
Fiscal Years Ended December 31, 2008 and 2007:
The
following table presents certain consolidated statement of operations
information. Financial information is presented for the 12-month period ending
December 31, 2008 and December 31, 2007.
|
|
2008
|
|
|
2007
|
|
Revenues
|
|
$ |
67,720,659 |
|
|
$ |
35,392,053 |
|
Cost
of Revenues
|
|
$ |
34,981,637 |
|
|
$ |
18,025,075 |
|
Operating
Expenses
|
|
$ |
11,676,830 |
|
|
$ |
6,288,929 |
|
Income
from Operations
|
|
$ |
21,062,192 |
|
|
$ |
11,078,049 |
|
Net
Income
|
|
$ |
15,190,368 |
|
|
$ |
9,116,070 |
|
Revenue.
We generated approximately 89.14% of our revenues in 2008 from the sale of
natural gas and gasoline as well as approximately 10.86% of our revenues from
installation fees charged to connect end-user customers to our natural gas
distribution system. Sales of natural gas at the Company-owned fueling stations
accounted for approximately 78.78% of our total revenues in 2008, or
approximately $53,348,301 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 3.70% of our total
revenues in 2008, or approximately $2,505,485. Sale of gasoline accounts for
approximately 6.82% of the Company’s total revenue, or approximately $4,616,052.
Installation fees charged to end users accounts approximately 7.10% of the
Company’s total revenue, or approximately $4,810,107.
The
Company started selling gasoline at its CNG filling stations in late 2007 to
better cater the diverse needs of vehicle owners. However, natural gas still
remains the Company’s focus and we expect natural gas revenues continue to
increase on both an actual basis and as a percentage of revenue. In 2009, the
Company expects to add up to 13,000 pipeline customers and construct or acquire
an additional 5 fueling stations, which the Company estimates will increase
sales of natural gas by 5 million cubic meters.
We had
total revenues of $ 67,720,659 for the twelve months ended December 31, 2008, an
increase of $32,328,606 or approximately 91.34%, compared to $ 35,392,053 for
the twelve months ended on December 31, 2007. The increase in revenues was due
primarily to the addition of 11 new company-owned fueling stations during 2008
as well as an increase in the number of residential, commercial and industrial
pipeline customers from approximately 84,500 in 2007 to approximately 96,033 in
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 2008, our installation revenues increased 3.99% over
the previous year and our sales of natural gas increased approximately 97.14%
over the previous year. Four customers accounted for approximately 13.37%,
12.81%, 10.98% and 9.91% of the Company's installation revenue for the year
ended December 31, 2008.
During
the year of 2008, we had sold compressed natural gas of 149,412,143 cubic
meters, compared to 84,744,620 cubic meters in the same period of 2007, through
Company-owned fueling stations. In terms of average station sales value and
volume, in the year of 2008, we had sold approximately $1,524,237 and 4,268,918
cubic meters of compressed natural gas per station, compared to approximately
$1,500,000 and 4,760,000 cubic meters in the same period of 2007. The
decline in per station sales volume is mainly due to the 11 newly added stations
didn’t contribute full-year in revenue due to construction and tune-ups. As for
our natural gas pipeline business, in the year of 2008, we had sold
11,284,758 cubic meters, compared to 7,403,314 cubic meters in the same
period of 2007 through our pipeline network.
Cost of
Sales. Our cost of sales consists of the cost of natural gas and gasoline sales
as well as the cost of installation. Cost of natural gas and gasoline sales
consists primarily of the cost that we pay for our suppliers, 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
sales in 2008 was $34,981,637, an increase of $16,956,562 or approximately
94.07% from 2007. Cost of natural gas sales increased by approximately 83.53% to
$27,234,508 in 2008, as compared with $14,838,997 in 2007. The increase in our
cost of sales was primarily related to a material increase in the amount of gas
sold and the price that we paid to our suppliers in 2008. In addition, our
installation costs increased in 2008 by 10.10% to $3,469,671, as compared with
$3,151,331 in 2007 as a result of the addition of new pipeline customers. The
price that we paid for natural gas in 2008 remained relatively constant compared
to 2007. We had sold natural gas of 160,696,901 cubic meters in 2008, compared
to 92,147,935 cubic meters in 2007.
We purchase all of our natural gas for
resale mainly from four vendors, PetroChina Changqing Oilfield Company, Shaanxi
Natural Gas Co Ltd, Jingcheng city Mingshi Coal Bed Methane Exploitage Ltd and
Jiyuan Yuhai Fuel Gas Company. 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 in 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(Sources: www.qq.com new on November 14, 2007 and
www.tj.gov.cn on December 4, 2007) . However,
natural gas price for residential customers is not adjusted to keep the rate at
an affordable level. As China shifts from a centrally planned economy to a
market economy, we believe it is the government's intention to keep the prices
stable, and maintain an unfluctuaging supply situation. 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 $32,739,022 for the twelve months
ended December 31, 2008, an increase of $15,372,044 or 88.51%, compared to
$17,366,978 for the twelve months ended December 31, 2007. The increase in gross
profit is due to a material increase in natural gas sales and installation
revenues in 2008, partially offset by an increase in cost of sales.
Gross
margin. Gross margin for natural gas sold through our filling stations as well
as our pipeline increased from 47.52% in twelve months ended December 31, 2007
to 51.15% in twelve months ended December 31, 2008 due to lower natural gas
procuring cost in Henan Province. Gross margin for our installation business is
52.84% in 2008 as compared to 55.46% in 2007, and for our auto conversion
business 39.74% in 2008 as compared to 39.53% in 2008, both remained roughly
flat. Due to increasing weight of gasoline revenue during 2008 (6.82% in 2008 as
compared to less than 0.5% in 2007), the total gross margin decreased slightly
from 49.07% for year 2007 to 48.34% for year 2008. We started sell gasoline in
our CNG stations as a supplement of natural gas to attract more natural gas /
gasoline hybrid car owners and natural gas remains the Company’s
focus.
Operating
expenses. The Company incurred operating expenses of $11,676,830 for the twelve
months ended December 31, 2008, an increase of $5,387,901 or 85.67%, compared to
$6,288,929 for the twelve months ended December 31, 2007. Our operating expenses
increased primarily as a result of expenses related to the construction,
acquisition, and operation of 11 new fueling stations in 2008, as well as
continuing expenses related to the identification of possible locations for
additional fueling stations and the governmental licensing and approval process,
as well as the evaluation of existing natural gas fueling stations as potential
acquisition targets. In addition, sales and marketing costs increased in 2008 as
we increased our efforts to obtain new residential and commercial customers and
attract customers to our fueling stations. General and administrative expenses
increased from $2,837,768 in 2007 to $4,024,882 in 2008 due to an increase in
personnel as a result of our growth. The opening cost per station during the
twelve months ended December 31, 2008 is approximately $1,200,000, compared to
approximately $900,000 in the year of 2007. In 2008, the transportation cost per
million cubic meters is approximately $3,137.
For the
year ended December 31, 2008, three suppliers accounted for 46.69%, 21.96% and
20.04% of the total equipment we purchased for construction 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 three vendors would not have a material adverse effect on our
operations.
Net
Income. Net income increased 66.63% to $15,190,368 for the twelve months ended
December 31, 2008, an increase of $6,074,298, from $9,116,070 for the twelve
months ended December 31, 2007. Increase in net income is attributed to our
material increase in revenues, partially offset by a higher cost of sales and
operating expenses, as well as the non cash expense related to the amortization
of offering cost associated with the $40 million senior notes issued to Abax
Lotus, Ltd. in 2008. The company expects revenue from our CNG fueling stations
to increase on both an actual basis and as a percentage of revenue. In 2009, the
Company expects to add up to 13,000 pipeline customers and construct or acquire
an additional 5 fueling stations, which the Company estimates will increase
sales of natural gas by 5 million cubic meters.
Income
tax was $3,567,642 for the twelve months ended December 31, 2008, as compared to
$1,913,923 for the twelve months ended December 31, 2007. The increase in income
tax was attributed to the growth of installation fees and the sale of
natural gas.
Liquidity
and Capital Resources
As of
December 31, 2008 the Company had $5,854,383 of cash and cash equivalents on
hand compared to $13,291,729 of cash and cash equivalents as of December 31,
2007.
The
primary sources of cash in 2008 were income from operations and financing
activities. The Company had net cash flows provided by operations of $20,916,801
for the twelve months ended December 31, 2008 as compared to net cash provided
by operations of $10,476,441 in the corresponding period last year. The increase
in net cash flows from operations in 2008 as compared to 2007 was mainly due to
the increase in net income, adjusted for non-cash expense items and changes in
working capital.
On
January 29, 2007, we completed a private placement offering by issuing senior
notes, which generated net proceeds of $37,877,491, which were used for the
construction of natural gas fueling stations, liquefied natural gas facility as
well as working capital.
Cash
outflows for investing activities increased from $16,885,340 in 2007 to
$67,606,724 in 2008 due to the equipment purchased in LBNGC and
fueling stations, payments made to equipment suppliers for investments necessary
to construct fueling stations, and the liquefied natural gas
facility.
The
Company expects to construct or acquire an additional 5 CNG filing stations in
2009. The Company expects the funds for these investing activities will come
from the Company's operating cash flow.
Based on
past performance and current expectations, we believe our cash and cash
equivalents, 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 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
Renminbi ("RMB"), the currency of the People's Republic of China. There is no
assurance that exchange rates between the RMB and the U.S. Dollar will remain
stable. The Company does not engage in currency hedging. Inflation has not had a
material impact on the Company's business.
Off-Balance
Sheet Arrangements and Contractual Obligations
We
entered into series of long term lease agreements with outside parties to lease
land use right to the self-built natural gas fueling stations located in the
PRC, and please refer to footnote "Commitments and Contingencies" to the
financial statements for details. We have purchase agreements with several
natural gas suppliers and please see footnote "Current Vulnerability Due to
Certain Concentrations" 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.
Foreign
Currency Transactions and Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Accounting
principles generally require that recognized revenue, expenses, gains and losses
be included in net income. Certain statements, however, require entities to
report specific changes in assets and liabilities, such as gain or loss on
foreign currency translation, as a separate component of the equity section of
the balance sheet. Such items, along with net income, are components of
comprehensive income. Our transactions occur in Chinese Renminbi. The unit of
Renminbi is in Yuan.
RECENT
ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS
In
September 2006, the FASB issued SFAS No. 157, "Fair Value Measurements". The
objective of SFAS In February 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 159, The Fair Value
Option for Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities—including an amendment of
FASB Statement No. 115 (“FAS 159”). FAS 159 permits companies to choose to
measure many financial instruments and certain other items at fair value that
are not currently required to be measured at fair value. The objective of FAS
159 is to provide opportunities to mitigate volatility in reported earnings
caused by measuring related assets and liabilities differently without having to
apply hedge accounting provisions. FAS 159 also establishes presentation and
disclosure requirements designed to facilitate comparisons between companies
that choose different measurement attributes for similar types of assets and
liabilities. The Company adopted SFAS No. 159 on January 1, 2008. The Company
chose not to elect the option to measure the fair value of eligible financial
assets and liabilities.
In
December 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 160, “Noncontrolling Interests in
Consolidated Financial Statements - an amendment of Accounting Research Bulletin
No. 51” (“SFAS 160”), which establishes accounting and reporting standards for
ownership interests in subsidiaries held by parties other than the parent, the
amount of consolidated net income attributable to the parent and to the
noncontrolling interest, changes in a parent’s ownership interest and the
valuation of retained non-controlling equity investments when a subsidiary is
deconsolidated. The Statement also establishes reporting requirements that
provide sufficient disclosures that clearly identify and distinguish between the
interests of the parent and the interests of the non-controlling owners. SFAS
160 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2008. The Company
has not determined the effect that the application of SFAS 160 will have on its
consolidated financial statements.
In
December 2007, Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 141(R), Business Combinations, was
issued. SFAS No. 141R replaces SFAS No. 141, Business Combinations. SFAS
141R retains the fundamental requirements in SFAS 141 that the acquisition
method of accounting (which SFAS 141 called the purchase method) be used for
all business combinations and for an acquirer to be identified for each business
combination. SFAS 141R requires an acquirer to recognize the assets acquired,
the liabilities assumed, and any noncontrolling interest in the acquiree at the
acquisition date, measured at their fair values as of that date, with limited
exceptions. This replaces SFAS 141’s cost-allocation process, which required the
cost of an acquisition to be allocated to the individual assets acquired and
liabilities assumed based on their estimated fair values. SFAS 141R also
requires the acquirer in a business combination achieved in stages (sometimes
referred to as a step acquisition) to recognize the identifiable assets and
liabilities, as well as the noncontrolling interest in the acquiree, at the full
amounts of their fair values (or other amounts determined in accordance with
SFAS 141R). SFAS 141R applies prospectively to business combinations for which
the acquisition date is on or after the beginning of the first annual reporting
period beginning on or after December 15, 2008. An entity may not apply it
before that date. The Company is currently evaluating the impact that adopting
SFAS No. 141R will have on its financial statements.
In
February 2008, the FASB issued FASB Staff Position (FSP)
No. FAS 140-3, “Accounting for Transfers of Financial Assets and
Repurchase Financing Transactions.” FSP No. FAS 140-3 requires an
initial transfer of a financial asset and a repurchase financing that was
entered into contemporaneously or in contemplation of the initial transfer to be
evaluated as a linked transaction under SFAS No. 140 unless certain
criteria are met, including that the transferred asset must be readily
obtainable in the marketplace. FSP No. FAS 140-3 is effective for
fiscal years beginning after November 15, 2008, and is applicable to
new transactions entered into after the date of adoption. Early adoption is
prohibited. The firm does not expect adoption of
FSP No. FAS 140-3 to have a material effect on its financial
condition and cash flows. Adoption of FSP No. FAS 140-3 will have
no effect on the Company’s results of operations.
In March
2008, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Statement of
Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 161, “Disclosures about
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities – An Amendment of SFAS
No. 133” (“SFAS 161”). SFAS 161 seeks to improve financial reporting for
derivative instruments and hedging activities by requiring enhanced disclosures
regarding the impact on financial position, financial performance, and cash
flows. To achieve this increased transparency, SFAS 161 requires (1) the
disclosure of the fair value of derivative instruments and gains and losses in a
tabular format; (2) the disclosure of derivative features that are credit
risk-related; and (3) cross-referencing within the footnotes. SFAS 161 is
effective on January 1, 2009. The Company is in the process of evaluating
the new disclosure requirements under SFAS 161.
In May
2008, the FASB issued SFAS No. 162, "The Hierarchy of Generally Accepted
Accounting Principles" ("FAS 162"). FAS 162 is intended to improve financial
reporting by identifying a consistent framework, or hierarchy, for selecting
accounting principles to be used in preparing financial statements that are
presented in conformity with GAAP for nongovernmental entities. FAS 162 is
effective 60 days following the SEC's approval of the Public Company Accounting
Oversight Board amendments to AU Section 411, "The Meaning of Present Fairly in
Conformity with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles." The Company is in the
process of evaluating the impact of adoption of this statement on the results of
operations, financial position or cash flows.
In June
2008, the FASB issued Emerging Issues Task Force Issue 07-5 “Determining whether
an Instrument (or Embedded Feature) is indexed to an Entity’s Own Stock” (“EITF
No. 07-5”). This Issue is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal
years beginning after December 15, 2008, and interim periods within those fiscal
years. Early application is not permitted. Paragraph 11(a) of Statement of
Financial Accounting Standard No 133 “Accounting for Derivatives and Hedging
Activities” (“SFAS 133”) specifies that a contract that would otherwise meet the
definition of a derivative but is both (a) indexed to the Company’s own
stock and (b) classified in stockholders’ equity in the statement of
financial position would not be considered a derivative financial instrument.
EITF No.07-5 provides a new two-step model to be applied in determining whether
a financial instrument or an embedded feature is indexed to an issuer’s own
stock and thus able to qualify for the SFAS 133 paragraph 11(a) scope exception.
This standard will trigger liability accounting on all options and warrants
exercisable at strike prices denominated in any currency other than the
functional currency in China (Renminbi). The Company is currently evaluating the
impact of adoption of EITF No. 07-5 on the Company’s consolidated financial
statements.
In
June 2008, the FASB issued FSP No. EITF 03-6-1, “Determining Whether
Instruments Granted in Share-Based Payment Transactions Are Participating
Securities.” The FSP addresses whether instruments granted in share-based
payment transactions are participating securities prior to vesting and therefore
need to be included in the earnings allocation in calculating earnings per share
under the two-class method described in SFAS No. 128, “Earnings per
Share.” The FSP requires companies to treat unvested share-based payment awards
that have non-forfeitable rights to dividend or dividend equivalents as a
separate class of securities in calculating earnings per share. The FSP is
effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2008; earlier
application is not permitted. The Company does not expect adoption of FSP No.
EITF 03-6-1 to have a material effect on its results of operations or
earnings per share.
In
September 2008, the FASB issued FASB Staff Positions FSP FAS 133-1 and FIN 45-4,
Disclosures about Credit Derivatives and Certain Guarantees: An Amendment of
FASB Statement No. 133 and FASB Interpretation No. 45; and Clarification of the
Effective Date of FASB Statement No. 161". This FSP amends FASB Statement No.
133, Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities, to require
disclosures by sellers of credit derivatives, including credit derivatives
embedded in a hybrid instrument. This FSP also amends FASB Interpretation No.
45, Guarantor’s Accounting and Disclosure Requirements for Guarantees, Including
Indirect Guarantees of Indebtedness of Others, to require an additional
disclosure about the current status of the payment/performance risk of a
guarantee. Further, this FSP clarifies the Board’s intent about the effective
date of FASB Statement No. 161, Disclosures about Derivative Instruments and
Hedging Activities. The provisions of this FSP that amend Statement 133 and
Interpretation 45 shall be effective for reporting periods (annual or interim)
ending after November 15, 2008. The Company is in the process of evaluating the
new disclosure requirements under this FSP.
In
October 2008, the FASB issued FSP No. FAS 157-3,
“Determining the Fair Value of a Financial Asset When the Market for That Asset
Is Not Active.” FSP No. FAS 157-3 clarifies the application of
SFAS No. 157 in an inactive market, without changing its existing
principles. The FSP was effective immediately upon issuance. The adoption of
FSP No. FAS 157-3 did not have an effect on the Company’s
financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.
In
January 2009, the FASB issued FSP EITF 99-20-1, “Amendments to the Impairment
Guidance of EITF Issue No. 99-20, “Recognition of Interest Income and Impairment
on Purchased and Retained Beneficial Interests in Securitized Financial Assets”.
FSP EITF 99-20-1 changes the impairment model included within EITF 99-20 to be
more consistent with the impairment model of SFAS No. 115. FSP EITF 99-20-1
achieves this by amending the impairment model in EITF 99-20 to remove its
exclusive reliance on “market participant” estimates of future cash flows used
in determining fair value. Changing the cash flows used to analyze
other-than-temporary impairment from the “market participant” view to a holder’s
estimate of whether there has been a “probable” adverse change in estimated cash
flows allows companies to apply reasonable judgment in assessing whether an
other-than-temporary impairment has occurred. The adoption of FSP EITF 99-20-1
did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements because
all of our investments in debt securities are classified as trading
securities.
ITEM
7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
Natural Gas Price
Risk
Our
major market risk exposure continues to be the pricing applicable to our
purchases and value-added reselling of condensed natural gas
(CNG). Our revenues and profitability depend substantially
upon the applicable prices of natural gas, which in China are regulated and
fixed by central and local governments and doesn’t fluctuate much at all. Such a
price involatility situation is expected to continue for operations in China. We
currently don’t have any hedge positions in place to reduce our exposure to
changes in natural gas whole sale and retail prices.
Interest Rate
Risk
We
are subject to interest rate risk on our long-term fixed-interest rate debt.
Fixed rate debt, where the interest rate is fixed over the life of the
instrument, exposes us to changes in market interest rates reflected in the fair
value of the debt and to the risk that we may need to refinance maturing debt
with new debt at a higher rate. All other things being equal, the fair value of
our fixed rate debt will increase or decrease as interest rates change. We had
long-term debt outstanding of $40 million at December 31, 2008, all of
which bears interest at fixed rates. The $40 million of fixed-rate debt is
due on 2014. We currently have no interest rate hedge positions in place to
reduce our exposure to changes in interest rates.
Foreign Currency
Exchange Rates Risk
We
operate in China local currency and the effects of foreign currency fluctuations
are largely mitigated because local expenses in China are also denominated in
the same currency.
Our
assets and liabilities of which the functional currency is the China local
currency are translated into U.S. dollars using the exchange rates in
effect at the balance sheet date, resulting in translation adjustments that are
reflected as Cumulative Translation Adjustment in the shareholders’ equity
section on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. A portion of our net assets are
impacted by changes in foreign currencies in relation to the U.S. dollar.
We recorded a $5,184,035 adjustment to increase our equity account for the year
ended December 31, 2008 to reflect the net impact of the strengthening of
Chinese currency against the U.S. dollar.
ITEM
8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
The
Consolidated Financial Statements of the Company and its subsidiaries including
the notes thereto, together with the report of Moore Stephens Wurth Frazer and
Torbet, LLP is presented beginning on page F-1 of this report.
Year Ended
December 31
|
|
First
Quarter
|
|
|
Second
Quarter
|
|
|
Third
Quarter
|
|
|
Fourth
Quarter
|
|
|
Full Year
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2008
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
operating revenues
|
|
$ |
14,025,674 |
|
|
$ |
16,890,486 |
|
|
$ |
18,401,200 |
|
|
$ |
18,403,299 |
|
|
$ |
67,720,659 |
|
Gross
profit
|
|
|
6,088,476 |
|
|
|
7,665,763 |
|
|
|
9,492,367 |
|
|
|
9,492,416 |
|
|
|
32,739,022 |
|
Net income
|
|
|
2,808,571 |
|
|
|
3,512,892 |
|
|
|
5,136,590 |
|
|
|
3,732,315 |
|
|
|
15,190,368 |
|
Basic EPS
|
|
|
0.10 |
|
|
|
0.12 |
|
|
|
0.18 |
|
|
|
0.13 |
|
|
|
0.52 |
|
Diluted EPS
|
|
|
0.10 |
|
|
|
0.12 |
|
|
|
0.18 |
|
|
|
0.13 |
|
|
|
0.52 |
|
2007
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
operating revenues
|
|
$ |
6,743,576 |
|
|
$ |
8,273,309 |
|
|
$ |
9,078,089 |
|
|
$ |
11,297,079 |
|
|
$ |
35,392,053 |
|
Gross
profit
|
|
|
3,517,359 |
|
|
|
4,143,110 |
|
|
|
4,319,839 |
|
|
|
5,386,670 |
|
|
|
17,366,978 |
|
Net income
|
|
|
2,110,326 |
|
|
|
2,745,009 |
|
|
|
1,961,662 |
|
|
|
2,299,073 |
|
|
|
9,116,070 |
|
Basic EPS
|
|
$ |
0.09 |
|
|
$ |
0.11 |
|
|
$ |
0.07 |
|
|
$ |
0.08 |
|
|
$ |
0.35 |
|
Diluted EPS
|
|
$ |
0.09 |
|
|
$ |
0.11 |
|
|
$ |
0.07 |
|
|
$ |
0.08 |
|
|
$ |
0.35 |
|
The
Company’s fiscal year 2008 operating result was impacted by the following
non-operating items:
Ÿ
|
Interest
expense of $2,228,244 related to the Company’s $40 million senior notes
due 2014, net of capitalized interest. This charge includes $995,578 in
interest expense, $1,004,677 in amortization of discount on our senior
notes, and $227,989 in amortization of deferred offering costs. The
Company capitalized $1,932,931 of interest expense and amortization into
construction in progress for fiscal year
2008.
|
Ÿ
|
Foreign
currency exchange loss of $397,299 due to the decrease in value of the
Company’s dollar deposits as a result of depreciating US dollar against
Chinese yuan.
|
These two
non-operating charges have a combined effect of $2,126,183 on our net income,
assuming effective tax rate of 19.02%. The capitalized interest increases the
cost of our long term assets and is depreciated or amortized over the useful
life of these assets.
ITEM
9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL
DISCLOSURE
Effective
as of May 21, 2007, the Company dismissed Kabani & Company, Inc. ("Kabani"),
the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm. The decision to
change accountants was recommended by the Company’s Audit Committee and approved
by the Company's Board of Directors.
Kabani
reported on the Company's consolidated financial statements for the years ending
December 31, 2006 and 2005 and reviewed the Company’s consolidated financial
statements for the period ending March 31, 2007. For these periods and up to May
21, 2007, there were no disagreements with Kabani on any matter of accounting
principle or practices, financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope or
procedure, which disagreement(s), if not resolved to the satisfaction of Kabani,
would have caused it to make reference thereto in its report on the financial
statements for such years.
The
reports of Kabani on the financial statements of the Company for the fiscal
years ended December 31, 2006 and 2005 did not contain any adverse opinion or
disclaimer of opinion and were not qualified or modified as to uncertainty,
audit scope or accounting principles.
ITEM
9A(T). CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
(a)
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 annual 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 not effective.
(b)
Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial
Reporting
The
Company’s management is responsible for establishing and maintaining an adequate
system of internal control over financial reporting. Internal control over
financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance
regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of
financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting
includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of
records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the
transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (ii) provide
reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit
preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are
being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of
the company; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or
timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the
company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial
statements.
Because
of its inherent limitations, a system of internal control over financial
reporting can provide only reasonable assurance and may not prevent or detect
misstatements. Therefore, even those systems determined to be effective can
provide only reasonable assurance with respect to financial statement
preparation and presentation. Further, because of changes in conditions,
effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting may vary over
time.
A
significant deficiency is a control deficiency, or combination of control
deficiencies, that adversely affects the company’s ability to initiate,
authorize, record, process, or report external financial data reliably in
accordance with generally accepted accounting principles such that there is more
than a remote likelihood that a misstatement of the company’s annual or interim
financial statements that is more than inconsequential will not be prevented or
detected. An internal control material weakness is a significant deficiency, or
combination of significant deficiencies, that results in more than a remote
likelihood that a material misstatement of the annual or interim financial
statements will not be prevented or detected.
We have
evaluated the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as
of December 31, 2008. This evaluation was performed
using the Internal
Control – Evaluation Framework developed by the Committee of
Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”). Based
on such evaluation, management identified deficiencies that were determined to
be a material weakness.
A
material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal
control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility
that a material misstatement of the company’s annual or interim financial
statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely
basis. Because of the material weakness described below, management
concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was not effective
as of December 31, 2008.
The
specific material weakness and significant deficiency identified by the
Company’s management as of December 31, 2008 is described as
follows:
Material
Weakness
Inadequate US GAAP expertise - The
current staff in the accounting department is inexperienced and they were
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 to meet 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.
The
Company did not have sufficient and skilled accounting personnel with an
appropriate level of technical accounting knowledge and experience in the
application of generally accepted accounting principles accepted in the United
States of America commensurate with the Company’s financial reporting
requirements, which resulted in a number of internal control deficiencies that
were identified as being significant. The Company’s management believes that the
number and nature of these significant deficiencies, when aggregated, was
determined to be a material weakness.
Significant
Deficiency
The Company
is lacking qualified resources to perform the internal audit functions properly.
In addition, the scope and effectiveness of the Company's internal audit
function are yet to be developed. We are committed to establishing the internal
audit functions but due to limited qualified resources in the region, we were
not able to hire sufficient internal audit resources before the end of 2008.
However, internally we established a central management center to recruit more
senior qualified people in order to improve our internal control procedures.
Externally, we engaged Ernst & Young to assist the Company in improving the
Company's internal control system based on COSO Framework. We also will increase
our efforts to hire the qualified resources.
Remediation
Initiative
Prior to
December 31, 2008, we engaged an independent CPA consultant in CA to serve as
our accountant. She is mainly engaged to perform our financial statements
consolidation and to prepare our financial statements. In addition, 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.
Meanwhile,
the Company has also engaged Earnest & Young to consult on our internal
audit function as well as other internal control practices. Most of the
policies, procedures and practices are already in place for full
implementation.
Conclusion
Despite
of the material weakness and deficiencies reported above, the Company's
management believes that its consolidated financial statements included in this
report fairly present in all material respects the Company's financial
condition, results of operations and cash flows for the periods presented and
that this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or
omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of
the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with
respect to the period covered by this report.
(c)
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Except as
described above, there were no changes in its internal controls over financial
reporting in connection with its fourth quarter evaluation that would materially
affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, its internal control
over financial reporting.
(d)
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm’s Attestation Report
REPORT
OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the
Board of Directors and Stockholders of
China
Natural Gas, Inc.
We have
audited China Natural Gas, Inc. and subsidiaries’ (the “Company”) internal
control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2008, based on criteria
established in Internal
Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring
Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). The Company’s
management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over
financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal
control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying “Management’s
Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting.” Our
responsibility is to express an opinion on the company’s internal control over
financial reporting based on our audit.
We
conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company
Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan
and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective
internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material
respects. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included
obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting,
assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating
the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed
risk. Our audit also included performing such other procedures as we considered
necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable
basis for our opinion.
A
company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to
provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting
and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance
with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over
financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to
the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly
reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2)
provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to
permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are
being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of
the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely
detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s
assets that could have a material effect on the financial
statements.
Because
of the inherent limitations of internal control over financial reporting,
including the possibility of collusion or improper management override of
controls, material misstatements due to error or fraud may not be prevented or
detected on a timely basis. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness
of the internal control over financial reporting to future periods are subject
to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in
conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may
deteriorate.
A
material weakness is a control deficiency, or combination of deficiencies, in
internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable
possibility that a material misstatement of the Company’s annual or interim
financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. The
following material weakness has been identified and included in management’s
assessment:
The
Company did not maintain a sufficient complement of personnel with an
appropriate level of accounting knowledge, experience and training in the
application of generally accepted accounting principles commensurate with the
Company’s financial reporting requirements, and did not implement adequate
supervisory review to ensure the financial statements were prepared in
conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of
America. Additionally, we identified numerous internal control
deficiencies that were indentified as being significant. The number
and nature of these significant deficiencies, when aggregated, was determined to
be a material weakness. In the aggregate, these significant deficiencies could
result in a misstatement of the Company’s account balances or disclosures which
could cause a material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements
that would not be prevented or detected. This material weakness
was considered in determining the nature, timing, and extent of audit tests
applied in our audit of the 2008 financial statements, and this report does not
affect our report dated March 13, 2009 on those financial
statements.
In our
opinion, because of the effect of the material weakness described above on the
achievement of the objectives of the control criteria, the Company has not
maintained effective internal control over financial reporting as of December
31, 2008, based on criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated
Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the
Treadway Commission (COSO).
We have
also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting
Oversight Board (United States), the consolidated balance sheets and the related
statements of income and other comprehensive income, stockholders’ equity, and
cash flows of the Company, and our report dated March 13, 2009 expressed an
unqualified opinion.
/s/ Moore
Stephens Wurth Frazer and Torbet, LLP
Walnut,
California
March 13,
2009
ITEM
9B. OTHER INFORMATION
None.
PART
III
ITEM
10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS, AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE.
Below are
the names and certain information regarding our executive officers and
directors:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Qinan
Ji
|
|
51
|
|
Chief
Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board
|
|
2005
|
Richard
P. Wu
|
|
44
|
|
Chief
Financial Officer
|
|
2008
|
Zhiqiang
Wang
|
|
68
|
|
Director
|
|
2006
|
Donald
Yang
|
|
42
|
|
Director
|
|
2008
|
Carl
Yeung
|
|
29
|
|
Director
|
|
2008
|
Lawrence
Leighton
|
|
74
|
|
Director
|
|
2008
|
Officers
are elected annually by the Board of Directors, at our annual meeting, to hold
such office until an officer's successor has been duly appointed and qualified,
unless an officer sooner dies, resigns or is removed by the Board.
Background
of Executive Officers and Directors
Qinan Ji,
Chairman of the Board of Directors - Mr. Ji joined Xilan as the Chairman of the
Board of Directors in 2005. In 1996, he founded the Anxian Hotel in Weinan City
in Shaanxi Province. In 2001, he formed the Xi’an Sunway Technology and Industry
Co., Ltd. He has more than 20 years experience in the energy and petroleum
industries in operational, administrative, management and government relation
roles. He received a Bachelors of Economic Management from Northwestern
University (Shaanxi).
Richard
P. Wu, Chief Financial Officer – Mr. Wu joined the Company as the Chief
Financial Officer in 2008. Prior joining the Company he served as COO and
Interim CFO of China Operation at Tejari World FZ LLC, one of the largest online
e-procurement service providers and B2B portal operators in the Middle East. In
this capacity, he designed and constructed the China Operation’s financial and
accounting infrastructure and systems to support the company’s growth in China.
Mr. Wu served as CFO and Corporate SVP of The Alliancepharm US LLC from 2003 to
2007, where he assumed full financial and accounting responsibility for the
multi-million-dollar sourcing and contract manufacturing businesses in the area
of active pharmaceutical ingredients. Prior to that, he was CFO and Corporate
EVP of Meetchina.com Inc., a pioneering online cross-border e-commerce portal in
China. Earlier in his financial career, Mr. Wu was Senior Finance Director at
Motorola Inc., and investment banking associate at Lehman Brothers Holdings,
Inc. Mr. Wu received his Master of Business Administration in Finance from The
Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and a Master of Justice
Administration from Indiana University. He also holds a Master of Law from China
University of Political Science & Law. He is a licensed lawyer of the
People’s Republic of China and practiced law in Beijing, China for 5
years.
Zhiqiang
Wang, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors - Mr. Wang was the former head of
energy industry regulations from 1992 to 2002 as well as the Vice Mayor of the
city of Xi'An, China's largest western city with a population of 8 million, in
which position he was in charge of regulating and licensing the city's energy
and natural gas businesses. From 2002 until his retirement in 2004, Mr. Wang was
the Chief Executive Officer of Xi'An Municipal Government Construction Company
where he was in charge of the city's major construction projects. Since 2004,
Mr. Wang has been an independent advisor to the Company. Mr. Wang graduated from
the Northwestern University of Politics and Law in China in
1962.
Donald
Yang, Director - Mr. Yang is a founding partner and president of Abax Global
Capital (“AGC”), a leading Hong Kong based investment firm focused on Pan-Asian
public and private investments especially in Greater China and Southeast Asia.
He was a Managing Director responsible for Merrill Lynch’s Hong Kong and China
Debt Capital Markets division from 2000 to 2007. Mr. Yang also serves as a
director for Sinoenergy Corporation (Ticker “SNEH”), a NASDAQ listed company.
Mr. Yang holds a MBA degree from Wharton School of Business and a BA degree from
Nankai University in China. Abax Lotus Ltd. (“Abax”), an affiliate of AGC, is
the sole investor in the Company’s $40 million note financing which closed in
January 2008. Pursuant to an investor rights agreement, Abax has the right to
appoint one member of the Company’s Board of Directors.
Carl
Yeung, Director - Mr. Yeung is the Chief Financial Officer of ATA Inc, a China
based, leading provider of computer-based testing and education services in
China listed on the NASDAQ Global Market. Prior to that, Mr. Yeung worked as an
associate and analyst at Merrill Lynch (Asia Pacific) Limited from 2002 to 2006.
Mr. Yeung holds a bachelor’s degree in economics with concentrations in finance
and operations management from Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and a
bachelor’s degree in applied science with concentration in systems engineering
from School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of
Pennsylvania.
Lawrence
Leighton, Director - Mr. Leighton has had an extensive 40-year international
investment banking career. Beginning at what is now Lehman Brothers, he advised
on financing for the Mexican Government and leading Mexican corporations. As
Director of Strategic Planning for the consumer products company, Norton Simon
Inc, he initiated and executed the acquisition of Avis Rent-a-car. Subsequently,
he was a Limited Partner of Bear Stearns & Co., a Managing Director of the
investment bank of Chase Manhattan Bank and then President and Chief Executive
Officer of the U.S. investment bank of Credit Agricole, the major French Bank.
Among his transactions have been advising Pernod Ricard, the major European
beverage company, on its acquisitions in the United States; and advising
Verizon, the major U. S. telecom company, on its dispositions of certain
European operations. Mr. Leighton received his BSE degree in engineering from
Princeton University and an MBA degree from Harvard Business School. He holds a
commercial pilot’s license with instrument rating.
Board
of Directors.
Our
Directors are elected by the vote of a plurality in interest of the holders of
our voting stock and hold office for a term of one year or until a successor has
been elected and qualified.
A
majority of the authorized number of directors constitutes a quorum of the Board
for the transaction of business. The directors must be present at the meeting to
constitute a quorum. However, any action required or permitted to be taken by
the Board may be taken without a meeting if all members of the Board
individually or collectively consent in writing to the action.
There are
no family relationships, or other arrangements or understandings between or
among any of the directors, executive officers or other person pursuant to which
such person was selected to serve as a director or officer.
Our
directors, executive officers and control persons have not been involved in any
of the following events during the past five years:
1. any
bankruptcy petition filed by or against any business of which such person was a
general partner or executive officer either at the time of the bankruptcy or
within two years prior to that time;
2. any
conviction in a criminal proceeding or being subject to a pending criminal
proceeding (excluding traffic violations and other minor offenses);
3. being
subject to any order, judgment, or decree, not subsequently reversed, suspended
or vacated, of any court of competent jurisdiction, permanently or temporarily
enjoining, barring, suspending or otherwise limiting his involvement in any type
of business, securities or banking activities; or
4. being
found by a court of competent jurisdiction (in a civil action), the Commission
or the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to have violated a federal or state
securities or commodities law, and the judgment has not been reversed,
suspended, or vacated.
Committees
of the Board of Directors
The Board
of Directors has the following standing committees: Audit, Compensation and
Nominating. The Board of Directors has adopted written charters for each of
these committees, copies of which can be found on our website at www.naturalgaschina.com.
Mr. Yeung, and Leighton are independent directors within the meaning set forth
in the rules of NASDAQ, as currently in effect.
Audit
Committee
The Audit
Committee consists of Mr. Leighton and Yeung and Wang with Mr. Yeung serving as
the chair. The Audit Committee adopted a charter which provides that the
Committee, (i) oversees our accounting, financial reporting and audit process;
(ii) appoints, determines the compensation of, and oversees, the independent
auditors; (iii) pre-approves audit and non-audit services provided by the
independent auditors; (iv) reviews of the results and scope of audit and other
services provided by the independent auditors; (v) reviews the accounting
principles and practices and procedures used in preparing our financial
statements; and (vi) reviews of internal controls.
The Audit
Committee works closely with management and our independent auditors. The Audit
Committee also meets with our independent auditors on a quarterly basis,
following our auditors’ quarterly reviews and annual audit and prior to our
earnings announcements, to review the results of their work. The Audit Committee
also meets with our independent auditors to approve the annual scope and fees
for the audit services to be performed.
Compensation
Committee
The
Compensation Committee consists of Mr. Leighton and Yeung and Wang with Mr.
Leighton serving as the chair. The Compensation Committee adopted a charter
which provides that the Committee, (i) review and approves corporate goals and
objectives relevant to the CEO’s compensation, evaluation of the CEO’s
performance relative to goals and objectives and sets the CEO’s compensation
annually and (ii) makes recommendations annually to the Board of Directors with
respect to non-CEO compensation.
Compensation
Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
No member
of the Compensation Committee served or previously served as an officer of
employee of the Company. In addition, no member of the Compensation Committee
has any relationship with the Company requiring disclosure by the Company under
the Exchange Act of 1934, as currently in effect.
Nominating
Committee
The
Nominating Committee consists of Mr. Leighton and Yeung and Wang with Mr. Wang
serving as the chair. The Compensation Committee adopted a charter which
provides that the Committee, (i) identify and review candidates for the Board
and recommend to the full Board candidates for election to the Board and (ii)
review from time to time the appropriate skills and characteristics required of
Board members in the context of current composition of the
Board.
Code
of Ethics
On June
14, 2006, the Company adopted a Code of Ethics that applies to all officers,
directors and employees of the Company. A copy of our Code of Ethics is
available to you at no charge upon written request. The written request should
be address to our corporate office at 19th Floor,
Building B, Van Metropolis, No. 35 Tangyan Road, High Tech Zone, Xi’an 710065,
Shaanxi Province, the People’s Republic of China.
COMPLIANCE
WITH SECTION 16(a) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Section
16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, requires our executive
officers and directors and persons who own more than 10% of a registered class
of our equity securities to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission
initial statements of beneficial ownership, reports of changes in ownership and
annual reports concerning their ownership of our common stock and other equity
securities, on Forms 3, 4 and 5 respectively. Executive officers, directors and
greater than 10% shareholders are required by the Securities and Exchange
Commission regulations to furnish our Company with copies of all Section 16(a)
reports they file.
To the
Company's knowledge, based solely on a review of the copies of the reports
furnished to the Company, all executive officers, directors and greater than 10%
shareholders filed the required reports in a timely manner, except for Zhiqiang
Wang who did not timely file a Form 3 when he was appointed to the Company’s
Board of Directors.
ITEM
11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
EXECUTIVE
COMPENSATION
The
following table sets forth all cash compensation paid by us to our principal
executive officer for fiscal year 2008.
Summary
Compensation Table
In
December 2007, our CEO Mr. Qinan Ji signed a one-year employment contract with
the Company with the following key terms:
|
¨
|
Salary
for 2008 will be $15,000
|
|
¨
|
All
fringes and benefits were included in the above-mentioned
salary
|
|
¨
|
Contract
was renewed in December 2008
|
In
December 2007, our ex-CFO Ms. Lihong Guo signed a one-year employment contract
with the Company with the following key terms:
|
¨
|
Salary
for 2008 will be $48,000
|
|
¨
|
All
fringes and benefits were included in the above-mentioned
salary
|
In
October 2008, our CFO Mr. Richard Peidong Wu signed a one-year employment
contract with the Company with the following key terms:
|
¨
|
Salary
for the 12-month period will be
$250,000
|
|
¨
|
The
Company will prvode additional $10,000 insurance allowance per
year
|
|
¨
|
Eligible
for up to 1.5% stock option of the Company’s shares outstanding, pending
on the Company’s employee stock option
plan
|
|
¨
|
All
fringes and benefits were included in the above-mentioned
salary
|
|
¨
|
Contract
will be renewed on a yearly basis
|
Name and Principal
Position
|
|
Year
|
|
Salary
($)
|
|
Bonus
($)
|
|
Option
Awards
($)
|
|
All Other
Compensation
($)
|
|
Total
($)
|
Qinan
Ji, Chief Executive
Officer
and Chairman of the Board
|
|
2008
|
|
15,000
|
|
|
-
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
|
15,000
|
|
|
2007
|
|
15,000
|
|
|
-
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
|
15,000
|
|
|
2006
|
|
15,000
|
|
|
-
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
|
15,000
|
Richard
P. Wu, Chief Financial Officer(1)
|
|
2008 |
|
62,499
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
62,499
|
Lihong
Guo, Chief Financial Officer(2)
|
|
2008 |
|
40,000
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
40,000
|
|
|
2007 |
|
4,000
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4,000
|
(1)
|
Mr.
Wu was appointed as our CFO on October 23, 2008.
|
(2)
|
Ms.
Guo was appointed as our CFO on December 10, 2007 and resigned from that
position on October 23, 2008.
|
Stock-Based
Compensation
None of
our officers or other employees have been granted stock options or stock
appreciation rights, or paid any other stock-based compensation, by our company
or any of our subsidiaries.
Director
Compensation
The
following Director Compensation Table summarizes the compensation of our
directors for services rendered to the Company during the year ended December
31, 2008.
Name
|
|
Fees
Earned
or
Paid in
Cash
($)
|
|
Stock
Awards
($)
|
|
Option
Awards
($)
|
|
All
Other
Compensation
($)
|
|
Total
($)
|
|
James
Garner(1)
|
|
|
36,000
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
|
-
|
|
|
36,000
|
|
Qinan
Ji(2)
|
|
|
-
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
|
Zhiqiang
Wang(3)
|
|
|
-
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
|
Donald
Yang
|
|
|
36,000
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
|
-
|
|
|
36,000
|
|
Carl
Yeung
|
|
|
36,000
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
36,000
|
|
Lawrence
Leighton
|
|
|
36,000
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
36,000
|
|
(1)
|
Removed
from the Board of Directors on August 3, 2008.
|
(2)
|
Ji
Qinan, our Chief Executive Officer, does not receive any compensation for
his service as a director.
|
(3)
|
Zhiqiang
Wang was appointed as a director in September 2006; he receives no
compensation for his service as a
director.
|
The
Company did not pay any other compensation to these directors in
2008.
Employment
Agreements
The
Company signs employment agreements with all of its employees. Our employment
agreement is in full compliance with the current Labor Contract Law of the
People’s Republic of China. Our employment agreement is typically valid for one
year and is renewable afterwards. All the employment-related matters are either
clearly stipulated in the agreement or in reference to the standard provisions
of China’s Labor Law.
Outstanding
Equity Awards at Fiscal Year End
There has
been no outstanding equity awards at fiscal year ended December 31,
2008.
ITEM
12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED
STOCKHOLDER
The
following table sets forth certain information, as of March 10, 2009 with
respect to the beneficial ownership of the outstanding common stock by (i) any
holder of more than five (5%) percent; (ii) each of our executive officers and
directors; and (iii) our directors and executive officers as a group. Except as
otherwise indicated, each of the stockholders listed below has sole voting and
investment power over the shares beneficially owned.
Name
of Beneficial Owner (1)
|
|
Number
of
Common
Stock
Beneficially
Owned
|
|
|
Percentage
Of
Common
Stock
Outstanding(2)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Executive
Officers and Directors
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Qinan
Ji
|
|
|
5,931,596 |
(3) |
|
|
20.3 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
All
officers and directors as a group (1 person)
|
|
|
5,931,596 |
(3) |
|
|
20.3 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
5%
holders
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Yangling
Bodisen Biotech Development co, Ltd.
c/o
New York Global Group, Inc.
14
Wall Street, 12th
Floor, New York, NY 10005
|
|
|
2,063,768 |
(4) |
|
|
7.1 |
% |
Xiang
Ji
|
|
|
1,456,232 |
|
|
|
5.0 |
% |
Robert
Moses
|
|
|
2,000,000 |
(5) |
|
|
6.9 |
% |
Heartland
Value Fund
|
|
|
1,725,000 |
(6) |
|
|
5.9 |
% |
Xi’an
Sunway Technology &
Industry
Co., Ltd
|
|
|
2,875,364 |
(3) |
|
|
9.8 |
% |
Abax
Lotus Ltd.
|
|
|
2,900,000 |
(7) |
|
|
9.9 |
% |
(1)
Except as otherwise indicated, the address of each beneficial owner is c/o Xi’an
Xilan Natural Gas Co., Ltd., 19th Floor, Building B, Van Metropolis, Tangyan
Road, Hi-Tech Zone, Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, China.
(2)
Applicable percentage ownership is based on 29,200,304 shares of common stock
outstanding as of March 13, 2008, together with securities exercisable or
convertible into shares of common stock within 60 days of March 13, 2008 for
each stockholder. Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the
rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission and generally includes voting or
investment power with respect to securities. Shares of common stock that are
currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days of March 13, 2008 are deemed
to be beneficially owned by the person holding such securities for the purpose
of computing the percentage of ownership of such person, but are not treated as
outstanding for the purpose of computing the percentage ownership of any other
person.
(3) Of
which 2,875,364 shares are owned by Xi’an Sunway Technology & Industry Co.,
Ltd. Qinan Ji owns 42.1% of Xi’an Sunway and may be deemed to beneficially own
such shares.
(4) As
set forth in the Schedule 13D filed with the SEC on December 23,
2005.
(5) As
set forth in the Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on September 7,
2007.
(6)
William J. Nasgovitz has shared voting and dispositive power with respect to
such shares as reported in the Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on February 8,
2008 and as amended on February 11. 2009.
(7) As
set forth in Schedule 13D filed with the SEC on February 6, 2008.
No
Director, executive officer, affiliate or any owner of record or beneficial
owner of more than 5% of any class of voting securities of the Company is a
party adverse to the Company or has a material interest adverse to the
Company.
Securities
Authorized for Issuance under Equity Compensation Plans
The
Company had no equity compensation plans as of the fiscal year ended December
31, 2008.
ITEM
13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR
INDEPENDENCE.
Transactions
with related persons
None
Director
Independence
The Board
has determined that all Board members, excluding Qinan Ji and Donald Yang, are
independent under the applicable NASDAQ rules. The Board has also determined the
members of each committee of the Board are independent under the listing
standards of the NASDAQ Global Select Market. In making these determinations,
the Board considered, among other things, the types and amounts of the
commercial dealings between the Company and the companies and organizations with
which the directors are affiliated.
ITEM
14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES
All the
service agreements related with auditors and lawyers need to be approved and
signed by the Company’s Audit Committee. 100% of those services provided were
approved by the Committee.
The
following table shows the fees paid or accrued for the audit and other services
provided by our independent auditors for 2007 and 2008.
Audit
fees
|
|
2007
|
|
|
2008
|
|
Moore
Stephens Wurth Frazer and Torbet, LLP*
|
|
$ |
150,000 |
|
|
$ |
260,000 |
|
Kabani
& Company, Inc.
|
|
$ |
35,000 |
|
|
$ |
7,500 |
|
Audit-related
fees
|
|
$ |
9,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
Tax
fees**
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
10,000 |
|
All
other fees
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
|
|
Total
fees paid or accrued to our principal accountants
|
|
$ |
150,000 |
|
|
$ |
270,000 |
|
*The fees
billed for professional services rendered for the audit of the Company’s
internal control over financial reporting, audit of the consolidated annual
financial statements and review of the interim consolidated financial statements
included in quarterly reports and services that are normally provided by our
auditors in connection with statutory and regulatory filings or
engagements.
**The fee
billed for professional services rendered for the preparation of the Company’s
corporate and state tax return.
ITEM
15. EXHIBITS
Exhibits:
Exhibit
|
|
|
Number
|
|
Description
of Exhibit
|
2.1
|
|
Form
of Equity Ownership Transfer Agreement (incorporated by reference to same
exhibit filed with the Company’s Form 8-K filed on December 31,
2008).
|
|
|
|
3.1
|
|
Articles
of Incorporation (incorporated by reference to same exhibit filed with the
Company's Form 10SB Registration Statement filed September 15, 2000, SEC
file no. 000-31539).
|
|
|
|
3.2
|
|
Registrant's
Amended and Restated By-Laws (incorporated by reference to exhibit 3.1
filed with the Registrant's Form 8K filed June 16, 2006, SEC file no.
000-31539).
|
|
|
|
10.1
|
|
Share
Purchase Agreement made as of December 6, 2005 among Coventure
International Inc., Xi’an Xilan Natural Gas Co., Ltd. and each of Xilan's
shareholders. (incorporated by reference to the exhibits to Registrant’s
Form 8-K filed on December 9, 2005).
|
|
|
|
10.2
|
|
Return
to Treasury Agreement between Coventure International Inc. and John
Hromyk, dated December 6, 2005. (incorporated by reference to the exhibits
to Registrant’s Form 8-K filed on December 9, 2005).
|
|
|
|
10.3
|
|
Purchase
Agreement made as of December 19, 2005 between China Natural Gas, Inc. and
John Hromyk (incorporated by reference to the exhibits to Registrant’s
Form 8-K filed on December 23, 2005).
|
10.4
|
|
Form
of Securities Purchase Agreement (incorporated by reference to the
exhibits to Registrant’s Form 8-K filed on January 12,
2006).
|
|
|
|
10.5
|
|
Form
of Common Stock Purchase Agreement (incorporated by reference to the
exhibits to Registrant’s Form 8-K filed on January 12,
2006).
|
|
|
|
10.6
|
|
Form
of Registration Rights Agreement (incorporated by reference to the
exhibits to Registrant’s Form 8-K filed on January 12,
2006).
|
|
|
|
10.7
|
|
CNG
Product Purchase and Sale Agreement between Xi’an Xilan Natural Gas Co.,
Ltd. and Zhengzhou Zhongyou Hengran Petroleum Gas Co., Ltd. made as of
July 20, 2006, (translated from the original Mandarin) (incorporated by
reference to the exhibits to Registrant’s Form 10-KSB filed on April 17,
2007).
|
|
|
|
10.8
|
|
Securities
Purchase Agreement dated August 2, 2007 between the Company and the
Investors named therein (incorporated by reference to the exhibits to
Registrant’s Form 8-K filed on August 8, 2007).
|
|
|
|
10.9
|
|
Registration
Rights Agreement dated August 2, 2007 between the Company and the
Investors named therein (incorporated by reference to the exhibits to
Registrant’s Form 8-K filed on August 8,
2007).
|
10.10
|
|
Consulting
Services Agreement dated August 17, 2007 between Shaanxi Xilan Natural Gas
Equipment Co., Ltd. and Xi’an Xilan Natural Gas Co., Ltd. (incorporated by
reference to the exhibits to Registrant’s Form 10-QSB filed on August 20,
2007).
|
|
|
|
10.11
|
|
Operating
Agreement dated August 17, 2007 between Shaanxi Xilan Natural Gas
Equipment Co., Ltd. and Xi’an Xilan Natural Gas Co., Ltd. (incorporated by
reference to the exhibits to Registrant’s Form 10-QSB filed on August 20,
2007).
|
|
|
|
10.12
|
|
Equity
Pledge Agreement dated August 17, 2007 between Shaanxi Xilan Natural Gas
Equipment Co., Ltd. and Xi’an Xilan Natural Gas Co., Ltd. (incorporated by
reference to the exhibits to Registrant’s Form 10-QSB filed on August 20,
2007).
|
|
|
|
10.13
|
|
Option
Agreement dated August 17, 2007 between Shaanxi Xilan Natural Gas
Equipment Co., Ltd. and Xi’an Xilan Natural Gas Co., Ltd. (incorporated by
reference to the exhibits to Registrant’s Form 10-QSB filed on August 20,
2007).
|
|
|
|
10.14
|
|
Proxy
Agreement dated August 17, 2007 between Shaanxi Xilan Natural Gas
Equipment Co., Ltd. and Xi’an Xilan Natural Gas Co., Ltd. (incorporated by
reference to the exhibits to Registrant’s Form 10-QSB filed on August 20,
2007).
|
|
|
|
10.15
|
|
Securities
Purchase Agreement dated December 30, 2007 between the Company and Abax
Lotus Ltd. (incorporated by reference to the exhibits to Registrant’s Form
8-K filed on January 31, 2008).
|
|
|
|
10.16
|
|
Amendment
to Securities Purchase Agreement dated January 29, 2008 between the
Company and Abax Lotus Ltd. (incorporated by reference to the exhibits to
Registrant’s Form 8-K filed on January 31, 2008).
|
|
|
|
10.17
|
|
Indenture,
dated January 29, 2008, by and among the Company and DB Trustees (Hong
Kong) Limited, as trustee, relating to the 5.00% Guaranteed Senior Notes
due 2014 (incorporated by reference to the exhibits to Registrant’s Form
8-K filed on January 31, 2008).
|
|
|
|
10.18
|
|
Warrant
Agreement, dated January 29, 2008, by and among the Company, Mr. Qinan Ji,
Deutsche Bank AG, Hong Kong Branch as Warrant Agent and Deutsche Bank
Luxembourg S.A. as Warrant Agent (incorporated by reference to the
exhibits to Registrant’s Form 8-K filed on January 31,
2008).
|
|
|
|
10.19
|
|
Equity
Registration Rights Agreement, dated January 29, 2008, by and between the
Company and Abax Lotus Ltd. (incorporated by reference to the exhibits to
Registrant’s Form 8-K filed on January 31, 2008).
|
|
|
|
10.20
|
|
Investor
Rights Agreement, dated January 29, 2008, by and among the Company, its
subsidiaries, Mr. Qinan Ji, and Abax Lotus Ltd. (incorporated by reference
to the exhibits to Registrant’s Form 8-K filed on January 31,
2008).
|
|
|
|
10.21
|
|
Information
Rights Agreement, dated January 29, 2008. between the Company and Abax
Lotus Ltd. (incorporated by reference to the exhibits to Registrant’s Form
8-K filed on January 31,
2008).
|
10.22
|
|
Onshore
Share Pledge Agreement, dated January 29, 2008, between the Company and DB
Trustees (Hong Kong) Limited, as security agent (incorporated by reference
to the exhibits to Registrant’s Form 8-K filed on January 31,
2008).
|
|
|
|
10.23
|
|
Account
Pledge and Security Agreement, dated January 29, 2008, by and between the
Company and DB Trustees (Hong Kong) Limited as Security Agent
(incorporated by reference to the exhibits to Registrant’s Form 8-K filed
on January 31, 2008).
|
14.1
|
|
Code
of Ethics adopted by the Company on June 14, 2006 (incorporated by
reference to the exhibits to Registrant’s Form 8-K filed on June 16,
2006).
|
|
|
|
21.1
|
|
List
of Subsidiaries. (incorporated by reference to the exhibits to
Registrant’s Form 10-KSB filed on April 17, 2007).
|
|
|
|
31.1*
|
|
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
|
|
|
|
31.2*
|
|
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
|
|
|
|
32.1*
|
|
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)
|
|
|
|
32.2*
|
|
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)
|
*
Filed herewith
|
SIGNATURES
Pursuant
to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
Date:
March 13, 2009
CHINA
NATURAL GAS, INC. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
/s/
Qinan Ji
|
|
|
/s/
Richard Peidong Wu
|
|
Name:
Qinan Ji
|
|
|
Name:
Richard Peidong Wu
|
|
Title:
Chief
Executive Officer
(Principal
Executive Officer)
|
|
|
Title:
Chief
Financial Officer
(Principal
Financial and Accounting Officer)
|
|
Pursuant
to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf of the
registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
/s/
Qinan Ji
|
|
President
and Chief
Executive
Officer and
Director
(Principal Executive Officer)
|
|
March
13, 2009
|
Qinan
Ji
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
/s/
Zhiqiang Wang
|
|
Director
|
|
March
13, 2009
|
Zhiqiang
Wang
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
/s/
Donald
Yang |
|
Director
|
|
March
13, 2009
|
Donald
Yang
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
/s/
Richard Peidong Wu
|
|
Chief
Financial Officer
(Principal
Accounting Officer)
|
|
March
13, 2009
|
Richard
Peidong Wu
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
/s/
Carl Yeung
|
|
Director
|
|
March
14, 2009
|
Carl
Yeung
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
/s/
Lawrence
Leighton
|
|
Director
|
|
March
13, 2009
|
Lawrence
Leighton
|
|
|
|
|
CHINA
NATURAL GAS, INC.
AND
SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
AS
OF DECEMBER 31, 2008 AND 2007
CONTENTS
|
|
Pages
|
|
|
|
Reports
of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firms
|
|
F-2
|
|
|
|
Consolidated
Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2008 and 2007
|
|
F-3
|
|
|
|
Consolidated
Statements of Income and Other Comprehensive income for the years ended
December 31, 2008 and 2007
|
|
F-4
|
|
|
|
Consolidated
Statements of Stockholders’ Equity
|
|
F-5
|
|
|
|
Consolidated
Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2008 and
2007
|
|
F-6
|
|
|
|
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
|
|
F-7
|
REPORT
OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the
Board of Directors and Stockholders of
China
Natural Gas, Inc.
We have
audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of China Natural Gas, Inc.
and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2008 and 2007, and the related consolidated
statements of income and other comprehensive income, stockholders’ equity, and
cash flows for each of the years in the two-year period ended December 31, 2008.
China Natural Gas, Inc’s management is responsible for these consolidated
financial statements. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these
consolidated financial statements based on our audits.
We
conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company
Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan
and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial
statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a
test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial
statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and
significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall
financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a
reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our
opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly,
in all material respects, the financial position of China Natural Gas, Inc. and
Subsidiaries as of December 31, 2008 and 2007, and the results of its operations
and its cash flows for each of the years in the two-year period ended December
31, 2008 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the
United States of America.
We also
have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting
Oversight Board (United States), China Natural Gas, Inc. and subsidiaries’
internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2008, based on
criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated
Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the
Treadway Commission (COSO), and our report dated March 13, 2009 expressed an
adverse opinion.
/s/ Moore
Stephens Wurth Frazer and Torbet, LLP
Walnut,
California
March 13,
2009
CHINA
NATURAL GAS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED
BALANCE SHEETS
AS
OF DECEMBER 31, 2008 and 2007
|
|
2008
|
|
|
2007
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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ASSETS
|
|
|
|
|
|
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CURRENT
ASSETS:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash
& cash equivalents
|
|
$ |
5,854,383 |
|
|
$ |
13,291,729 |
|
Short-term
investments
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
238,554 |
|
Accounts
receivable
|
|
|
906,042 |
|
|
|
306,179 |
|
Other
receivable
|
|
|
60,784 |
|
|
|
292,320 |
|
Other
receivable - employee advances
|
|
|
332,263 |
|
|
|
257,500 |
|
Inventories
|
|
|
519,739 |
|
|
|
231,339 |
|
Advances
to suppliers
|
|
|
837,592 |
|
|
|
663,041 |
|
Prepaid
expense and other current assets
|
|
|
777,510 |
|
|
|
109,722 |
|
Loan
receivable
|
|
|
293,400 |
|
|
|
274,200 |
|
Total
current assets
|
|
|
9,581,713 |
|
|
|
15,664,584 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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PROPERTY
AND EQUIPMENT, net
|
|
|
76,028,272 |
|
|
|
32,291,995 |
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CONSTRUCTION
IN PROGRESS
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|
|
22,061,414 |
|
|
|
2,210,367 |
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DEFERRED
FINANCING COSTS
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|
|
1,746,830 |
|
|
|
- |
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OTHER
ASSETS
|
|
|
8,844,062 |
|
|
|
3,123,052 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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TOTAL
ASSETS
|
|
$ |
118,262,291 |
|
|
$ |
53,289,998 |
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|
|
|
|
|
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LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS'
EQUITY
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|
|
|
|
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CURRENT
LIABILITIES:
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|
|
|
|
|
|
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Accounts
payable and accrued liabilities
|
|
$ |
800,013 |
|
|
$ |
487,710 |
|
Other
payables
|
|
|
124,151 |
|
|
|
55,979 |
|
Unearned
revenue
|
|
|
944,402 |
|
|
|
327,220 |
|
Accrued
interest
|
|
|
861,114 |
|
|
|
- |
|
Taxes
payable
|
|
|
1,862,585 |
|
|
|
1,211,775 |
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Total
current liabilities
|
|
|
4,592,265 |
|
|
|
2,082,684 |
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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LONG
TERM LIABILITIES:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Notes
payable, net of $15,478,395 discount
|
|
|
24,521,605 |
|
|
|
- |
|
Derivative
liabilities - warrants
|
|
|
17,500,000 |
|
|
|
- |
|
Total
long term liabilities
|
|
|
42,021,605 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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COMMITMENTS
AND CONTINGENCIES
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|
|
|
|
|
|
- |
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|
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|
|
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|
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STOCKHOLDERS'
EQUITY:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Preferred
stock, $0.0001 per share; 5,000,000 shares authorized; none
issued
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
Common
stock, $0.0001 per share; 45,000,000 shares authorized, 29,200,304
shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2008 and
2007
|
|
|
2,920 |
|
|
|
2,920 |
|
Additional
paid-in capital
|
|
|
32,113,583 |
|
|
|
32,046,879 |
|
Cumulative
translation adjustment
|
|
|
8,661,060 |
|
|
|
3,477,025 |
|
Statutory
reserves
|
|
|
3,730,083 |
|
|
|
1,802,735 |
|
Retained
earnings
|
|
|
27,140,775 |
|
|
|
13,877,755 |
|
Total
stockholders' equity
|
|
|
71,648,421 |
|
|
|
51,207,314 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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TOTAL
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
|
|
$ |
118,262,291 |
|
|
$ |
53,289,998 |
|
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these statements.
See report of independent registered
public accounting firm.
CHINA
NATURAL GAS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF INCOME AND OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
FOR
THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2008 AND 2007
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|
Years Ended December 31,
|
|
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2008
|
|
|
2007
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|
Revenue
|
|
|
|
|
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Natural
gas revenue
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|
$ |
55,746,893 |
|
|
$ |
28,278,033 |
|
Gasoline
revenue
|
|
|
4,616,052 |
|
|
|
38,486 |
|
Installation
and other
|
|
|
7,357,714 |
|
|
|
7,075,534 |
|
Total
revenue
|
|
|
67,720,659 |
|
|
|
35,392,053 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
Cost
of revenue
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Natural
gas cost
|
|
|
27,234,508 |
|
|
|
14,838,997 |
|
Gasoline
cost
|
|
|
4,277,458 |
|
|
|
34,747 |
|
Installation
and other
|
|
|
3,469,671 |
|
|
|
3,151,331 |
|
Total cost of
revenue
|
|
|
34,981,637 |
|
|
|
18,025,075 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gross
profit
|
|
|
32,739,022 |
|
|
|
17,366,978 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating
expenses
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Selling
expenses
|
|
|
7,651,948 |
|
|
|
3,451,161 |
|
General
and administrative expenses
|
|
|
4,024,882 |
|
|
|
2,837,768 |
|
Total operating
expenses
|
|
|
11,676,830 |
|
|
|
6,288,929 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income
from operations
|
|
|
21,062,192 |
|
|
|
11,078,049 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Non-operating
income (expense):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interest
income
|
|
|
209,502 |
|
|
|
70,697 |
|
Interest
expense
|
|
|
(2,228,244 |
) |
|
|
- |
|
Other
income, net
|
|
|
111,859 |
|
|
|
31,976 |
|
Foreign
currency exchange loss
|
|
|
(397,299 |
) |
|
|
(150,729 |
) |
Total non-operating
expense
|
|
|
(2,304,182 |
) |
|
|
(48,056 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income
before income tax
|
|
|
18,758,010 |
|
|
|
11,029,993 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|