Attached files
file | filename |
---|---|
EX-32.2 - CASPIAN SERVICES INC | ex322q033110.htm |
EX-31.2 - CASPIAN SERVICES INC | ex312q033110.htm |
EX-31.1 - CASPIAN SERVICES INC | ex311q033110.htm |
EX-32.1 - CASPIAN SERVICES INC | ex321q033110.htm |
UNITED
STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
DC 20549
FORM
10-Q
[X]
|
QUARTERLY
REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF
1934
|
|
For
the Quarterly Period Ended March 31,
2010
|
[ ]
|
TRANSITION
REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF
1934
|
|
For
the Transition Period From ________ to
_________
|
Commission
File Number 000-33215
CASPIAN SERVICES,
INC.
(Exact
name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Nevada
|
87-0617371
|
||
(State
or other jurisdiction of
|
(I.R.S.
Employer
|
||
incorporation
or organization)
|
Identification
No.)
|
||
257
East 200 South, Suite 490
|
|||
Salt Lake City, Utah
|
84111
|
||
(Address
of principal executive offices)
|
(Zip
Code)
|
(801)
746-3700
(Registrant’s
telephone number, including area code)
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 past 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant
was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such
filing requirements for the past 90
days.
|
|||||
Yes
|
x
|
No
|
o
|
||
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant: (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 whether the registrant has submitted electronically and
posted on its corporate Web site, if any, Interactive Data File required
to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T
(§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such
shorter period that
the registrant was required to submit and post such
files.)
|
|||||
|
Yes
|
o
|
No
|
o
|
|
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filed, an
accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller public company.
See the definitions of “large accelerated
filer,” “accelerated filer” and
“smaller reporting
company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
|
|||||
Large
accelerated filer o
|
Accelerated
filer o
|
||||
Non-accelerated
filer o
(Do
not check if a smaller reportng company)
|
Smaller
reporting company x
|
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in
Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.)
|
Yes
|
o
|
No
|
x
|
As of May 14, 2010, the registrant had 51,523,542 shares of common stock, par value $0.001, issued and outstanding. |
CASPIAN
SERVICES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
FORM
10-Q
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
PART I —
FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item
1. Financial Statements
|
Page
|
|
Condensed
Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) as of March 31, 2010
and
September 30, 2009
|
3
|
|
Condensed
Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited) for the
|
||
three
and six months ended March 31, 2010 and 2009
|
4
|
|
Condensed
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) for the
|
||
six
months ended March 31, 2010 and 2009
|
5
|
|
Notes
to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
|
6
|
|
Item
2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results
of Operations
|
17 | |
Item
3. Qualitative and Quantitative Disclosures About Market
Risk
|
31
|
|
Item
4. Controls and Procedures
|
32
|
|
PART
II — OTHER INFORMATION
|
||
Item
1. Legal Proceedings
|
33
|
|
Item
1A. Risk Factors
|
34
|
|
Item
6. Exhibits
|
34
|
|
Signatures
|
34
|
2
PART
I FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item
1. Financial Statements
CASPIAN
SERVICES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
|
|||||
CONDENSED
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited)
|
|||||
(Dollars
in thousands, except share and per share data)
|
|||||
March
31,
|
September
30,
|
||||
2010
|
2009
|
||||
ASSETS
|
|||||
Current
Assets
|
|||||
Cash
|
$
|
12,607
|
$
|
29,222
|
|
Trade
accounts receivable, net of allowance of $2,299 and $887,
respectively
|
13,949
|
26,403
|
|||
Trade
accounts receivable from related parties, net of allowance of $2,802 and
$2,731, respectively
|
898
|
812
|
|||
Other
receivables, net of allowance of $287 and $236,
respectively
|
1,820
|
638
|
|||
Notes
receivable from related parties
|
16
|
99
|
|||
Inventories
|
1,454
|
1,255
|
|||
Inventories
held for sale, net of allowance of $385 and $375,
respectively
|
1,632
|
1,596
|
|||
Prepaid
taxes
|
1,481
|
1,000
|
|||
Advances
paid
|
1,693
|
438
|
|||
Deferred
tax assets
|
2,606
|
975
|
|||
Prepaid
expenses and other current assets
|
1,451
|
693
|
|||
Total
Current Assets
|
39,607
|
63,131
|
|||
Vessels,
equipment and property, net
|
84,193
|
77,191
|
|||
Drydocking
costs, net
|
937
|
1,316
|
|||
Goodwill
|
4,497
|
4,383
|
|||
Intangible
assets, net
|
142
|
129
|
|||
Long-term
prepaid taxes
|
4,913
|
3,400
|
|||
Investments
|
611
|
443
|
|||
Long-term
other receivables, net of current portion
|
1,165
|
1,124
|
|||
Total
Assets
|
$
|
136,065
|
$
|
151,117
|
|
LIABILITIES
AND EQUITY
|
|||||
Current
Liabilities
|
|||||
Accounts
payable
|
$
|
4,524
|
$
|
6,432
|
|
Accounts
payable to related parties
|
68
|
5,676
|
|||
Accrued
expenses
|
1,399
|
1,530
|
|||
Accrued
taxes
|
1,415
|
2,735
|
|||
Deferred
revenue
|
-
|
45
|
|||
Long-term
debt - current portion
|
1,233
|
7,308
|
|||
Total
Current Liabilities
|
8,639
|
23,726
|
|||
Long-term
debt - net of current portion
|
53,528
|
53,110
|
|||
Long-term
derivative put option liability
|
10,000
|
10,000
|
|||
Long-term
deferred revenue
|
3,355
|
-
|
|||
Long-term
deferred income tax liability
|
1,268
|
1,299
|
|||
Total
Liabilities
|
76,790
|
88,135
|
|||
Equity
|
|||||
Common
stock, $0.001 par value per share; 150,000,000 shares
authorized;
|
|||||
51,523,542
and 51,527,542 shares issued and outstanding,
respectively
|
52
|
52
|
|||
Additional
paid-in capital
|
64,520
|
64,415
|
|||
Retained
earnings
|
8,530
|
14,821
|
|||
Accumulated
other comprehensive loss
|
(13,899)
|
(16,048)
|
|||
Equity
(deficit) attributable to Caspian Services, Inc.
Shareholders
|
59,203
|
63,240
|
|||
Equity
attributable to noncontrolling interests
|
72
|
(258)
|
|||
Total
Equity
|
59,275
|
62,982
|
|||
Total
Liabilities and Equity
|
$
|
136,065
|
$
|
151,117
|
|
See
accompanying notes to the condensed consolidated financial
statements.
|
3
CASPIAN
SERVICES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
|
|||||||||||
CONDENSED
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (Unaudited)
|
|||||||||||
(Dollars
in thousands, except per share data)
|
|||||||||||
For
the Three Months
Ended
March 31
|
For
the Six Months
Ended
March 31,
|
||||||||||
2010
|
2009
|
2010
|
2009
|
||||||||
Revenues
|
|||||||||||
Vessel
revenues (which includes $4 and $1,699, respectively for the three months
and $661 and $1,930, respectively for the six months ended March 31, 2010
from related parties)
|
$
|
3,939
|
$
|
2,127
|
$
|
9,090
|
$
|
11,415
|
|||
Geophysical
service revenues
|
6,176
|
4,656
|
14,083
|
18,634
|
|||||||
Marine
base service revenues and product sales
|
420
|
256
|
780
|
571
|
|||||||
Total
Revenues
|
10,535
|
7,039
|
23,953
|
30,620
|
|||||||
Operating
Expenses
|
|||||||||||
Vessel
operating costs
|
3,838
|
4,214
|
8,323
|
11,057
|
|||||||
Cost
of geophysical service revenues (which includes $0 and $0, respectively
for the three months and $0 and $3,596, respectively for the six months
ended March 31, 2010 to related parties)
|
2,188
|
3,301
|
6,530
|
12,414
|
|||||||
Cost
of marine base service and product sold
|
172
|
164
|
372
|
352
|
|||||||
Depreciation
and amortization of dry-dock costs
|
2,269
|
2,186
|
4,008
|
4,813
|
|||||||
General
and administrative expense
|
4,250
|
3,825
|
9,001
|
8,078
|
|||||||
Total
Costs and Operating Expenses
|
12,717
|
13,690
|
28,234
|
36,714
|
|||||||
Loss
from Operations
|
(2,182)
|
(6,651)
|
(4,281)
|
(6,094)
|
|||||||
Other
Income (Expense)
|
|||||||||||
Interest
expense
|
(1,299)
|
(704)
|
(1,971)
|
(1,309)
|
|||||||
Foreign
currency transaction loss
|
(556)
|
(477)
|
(1,038)
|
(764)
|
|||||||
Interest
income
|
5
|
124
|
10
|
125
|
|||||||
Income/(loss)
from equity method investees
|
99
|
(22)
|
154
|
(128)
|
|||||||
Other
non-operating income, net
|
62
|
153
|
44
|
582
|
|||||||
Net
Other Expense
|
(1,689)
|
(926)
|
(2,801)
|
(1,494)
|
|||||||
Loss
Before Income Tax
|
(3,871)
|
(7,577)
|
(7,082)
|
(7,588)
|
|||||||
Benefit
from (provision for) income tax
|
(114)
|
1,065
|
888
|
481
|
|||||||
Net
loss
|
(3,985)
|
(6,512)
|
(6,194)
|
(7,107)
|
|||||||
Net
loss (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests
|
403
|
189
|
(97)
|
334
|
|||||||
Net
loss attributable to Caspian Services, Inc
|
$
|
(3,582)
|
$
|
(6,323)
|
$
|
(6,291)
|
$
|
(6,773)
|
|||
Basic
Loss per Share
|
$
|
(0.07)
|
$
|
(0.12)
|
$
|
(0.12)
|
$
|
(0.13)
|
|||
Diluted
Loss per Share
|
$
|
(0.07)
|
$
|
(0.12)
|
$
|
(0.12)
|
$
|
(0.13)
|
|||
See
accompanying notes to the condensed consolidated financial
statements.
|
4
CASPIAN
SERVICES, INC AND SUBSIDIARIES
|
|||||
CONDENSED
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Unaudited)
|
|||||
(Dollars
in thousands)
|
|||||
For
the Six Months
|
|||||
Ended
March 31,
|
|||||
2010
|
2009
|
||||
Cash
flows from operating activities:
|
|||||
Net
loss
|
$
|
(6,194)
|
$
|
(7,107)
|
|
Adjustments
to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by/(used in) operating
activities:
|
|||||
Depreciation
and amortization of drydocking costs
|
4,008
|
4,813
|
|||
Loss
on sale of property and equipment
|
323
|
36
|
|||
Net
(income)/loss in equity method investees
|
(154)
|
128
|
|||
Foreign
currency transaction loss
|
1,038
|
764
|
|||
Stock
based compensation
|
105
|
285
|
|||
Changes
in current assets and liabilities:
|
|||||
Trade
accounts receivable
|
12,997
|
2,416
|
|||
Trade
accounts receivable from related parties
|
286
|
1,848
|
|||
Other
receivables
|
(1,181)
|
88
|
|||
Inventories
|
(159)
|
2,500
|
|||
Deferred
expenses
|
-
|
(455)
|
|||
Prepaid
expenses and other current assets
|
(5,429)
|
(4,714)
|
|||
Accounts
payable and accrued expenses
|
(1,736)
|
(1,321)
|
|||
Accounts
payable to related parties
|
(6,237)
|
(879)
|
|||
Accrued
taxes
|
(1,439)
|
(533)
|
|||
Deferred
revenue
|
3,273
|
3,717
|
|||
Net
cash provided by/(used in) operating activities
|
$
|
(499)
|
$
|
1,586
|
|
Cash
flows from investing activities:
|
|||||
Investment
in joint venture
|
-
|
(1,376)
|
|||
Purchase
of intangible assets
|
(31)
|
-
|
|||
Collections
on notes receivable
|
101
|
-
|
|||
Proceeds
from sale of property and equipment
|
-
|
20
|
|||
Payments
to purchase vessels, equipment and property
|
(6,673)
|
(11,442)
|
|||
Net
cash used in investing activities
|
$
|
(6,603)
|
$
|
(12,798)
|
|
Cash
flows from financing activities:
|
|||||
Proceeds
from issuance of put option liability
|
-
|
10,000
|
|||
Proceeds
from issuance of long-term debt
|
5,000
|
31,100
|
|||
Principal
payments on notes payable - related parties
|
-
|
(600)
|
|||
Principal
payments on long-term debt
|
(12,657)
|
(5,429)
|
|||
Net
cash provided by/(used in) financing activities
|
$
|
(7,657)
|
$
|
35,071
|
|
Effect
of exchange rate changes on cash
|
(1,856)
|
741
|
|||
Net
change in cash
|
(16,615)
|
24,600
|
|||
Cash
at beginning of year
|
29,222
|
4,461
|
|||
Cash
at end of year
|
$
|
12,607
|
$
|
29,061
|
|
Supplemental
disclosure of cash flow information:
|
|||||
Cash
paid for interest
|
$
|
42
|
$
|
366
|
|
Cash
paid for income tax
|
$
|
2,075
|
$
|
1,324
|
|
Supplemental
disclosure of non-cash investing and
financing information:
|
|||||
Capitalized
interest
|
$
|
895
|
$
|
803
|
|
Foreign
currency translation loss capitalized into Marine Base
|
$
|
1,389
|
$
|
-
|
|
See
accompanying notes to the condensed consolidated financial
statements.
|
5
CASPIAN
SERVICES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES
TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
March
31, 2010 (UNAUDITED)
(Dollars
in thousands, except share and per share
data)
NOTE
1 — THE COMPANY AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION
Interim Financial
Information —
The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been
prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the
United States of America for interim financial information and pursuant to the
rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission
(“SEC”). Accordingly, they are condensed and do not include all of
the information and notes required by accounting principles generally accepted
in the United States of America for complete financial statements. In
the opinion of management, all adjustments considered necessary for a fair and
comparable presentation have been included and are of a normal recurring
nature. The accompanying financial statements should be read in
conjunction with the Company’s most recent annual financial statements included
in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on December 29,
2009. Operating results for the six-month period ended March 31, 2010
are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year
ending September 30, 2010.
Principles of
Consolidation — The
accompanying consolidated financial statements are presented in conformity with
accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America and
include operations and balances of Caspian Services, Inc. and its wholly-owned
subsidiaries: Caspian Services Group Limited (“CSGL”), Caspian Services Group
LLP (“Caspian LLP”), TatArka LLP (“TatArka”), Caspian Real Estate, Ltd (“CRE”),
Caspian Geophysics, Ltd (“CGEO”); and include majority owned subsidiaries: CJSC
Bauta (“Bauta”), Balykshi LLP (“Balykshi”) and Kazmorgeophysica CJSC (“KMG”),
collectively “Caspian” or the “Company”. KMG owns a 50%
non-controlling interest in Veritas-Caspian LLP
(“Veritas-Caspian”). Balykshi owns a 20% interest in a joint venture,
Mangistau Oblast Boat Yard LLP (“MOBY”). Ownership of 20% to 50%
non-controlling interests are accounted for by the equity
method. Intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated
in consolidation.
Noncontrolling
Interests – The Company adopted the Financial Accounting Standards
Board’s (“FASB”) revised standard on accounting for noncontrolling interests on
October 1, 2009. This standard established accounting and reporting
requirements for the noncontrolling interest (formerly “minority interest”) in a
subsidiary and for the deconsolidation of a subsidiary. A
noncontrolling interest in a subsidiary is an ownership interest in the
consolidated entity and is reported as equity in the consolidated financial
statements.
Nature of
Operations — The Company’s business consists of three major business
segments:
Vessel Operations – Vessel
operations consist of chartering a fleet of shallow draft offshore support
vessels to customers performing oil and gas exploration activities in the
Kazakhstan Sector of the North Caspian Sea.
Geophysical Services –
Geophysical services consist of providing seismic data acquisition
services to oil and gas companies operating both onshore in Kazakhstan and
offshore in the Kazakhstan sector of the North Caspian Sea and the
adjacent transition zone.
|
Marine Base Services – Marine
Base Services consists of a partially completed and partially operational marine
base located at the Port of Bautino on the North Caspian Sea, an operating water
desalinization and bottling plant and the sale of potable water.
6
CASPIAN
SERVICES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES
TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
March
31, 2010 (UNAUDITED)
(Dollars
in thousands, except share and per share data)
Basic and Diluted
Loss Per Share – Basic loss per common share is calculated by dividing
net loss by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding. Diluted
loss per common share is calculated by dividing net loss by the weighted-average
number of common shares outstanding giving effect to potentially dilutive
issuable common shares.
For the
three and six months ended March 31, 2010, the Company had 3,607,775 options and
warrants outstanding, 248,006 non-vested restricted shares outstanding and
15,969,130 potential shares related to convertible debt that were not included
in the computation of diluted loss per common share because they would be
anti-dilutive.
For the
three and six months ended March 31, 2009, the Company had 4,500,108 options and
warrants outstanding, 1,192,708 non-vested restricted shares outstanding and
14,122,609 potential shares related to convertible debt that were not included
in the computation of diluted loss per common share because they would be
anti-dilutive.
The
following data shows the amounts used in computing basic and diluted
weighted-average number of shares outstanding at March 31, 2010 and
2009:
For
the Three Months Ended
|
For
the Six Months Ended
|
||||||
March
31,
|
March
31,
|
||||||
2010
|
2009
|
2010
|
2009
|
||||
Basic
weighted-average shares outstanding
|
51,523,542
|
51,135,042
|
51,523,542
|
51,135,042
|
|||
Effect
of dilutive securities and convertible debt:
|
|||||||
Options
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
|||
Non-vested
restricted stock grant
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
|||
Convertible
debt
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
|||
Diluted
weighted-average shares outstanding
|
51,523,542
|
51,135,042
|
51,523,542
|
51,135,042
|
Concentrations of
Credit Risk — The Company’s vessel operations are contracted primarily to
Agip KCO service providers. Loss of this customer could have a material negative
effect on the Company. Vessel charter services provided are under contract with
varying terms and through various dates in 2010. However, it is possible that a
loss of business could occur in the short or long term. While management expects
to renew the contracts periodically, there is no assurance that this customer
will renew, or will renew on terms favorable to the Company.
Financial
instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit
risk consist principally of trade receivables, trade receivables from related
parties, other receivables and notes receivable. The Company manages its
exposure to risk through ongoing credit evaluations of its customers; however,
the Company generally does not require collateral. In some cases when
dealing with new customers the Company requires advance payments. The Company
maintains an allowance for doubtful accounts for potential losses.
7
CASPIAN
SERVICES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES
TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
March
31, 2010 (UNAUDITED)
(Dollars
in thousands, except share and per share data)
Fair Value of
Financial Instruments – The
carrying amounts reported in the accompanying consolidated financial statements
for other receivables, accounts and notes receivables from related parties,
accounts payable to related parties and accrued expenses approximate fair values
because of the immediate nature or short-term maturities of these financial
instruments. The carrying amount of long-term debts and the long-term derivative
put option approximates fair value due to the stated interest rates
approximating prevailing market rates.
Reclassifications
— Certain reclassifications have been made to the fiscal year 2009 financial
statements to conform to the fiscal year 2010 presentation. The
reclassifications had no effect on net loss. In accordance with the adoption of
the new standards for noncontrolling interests, the Company allocated $2,022 of
other comprehensive income to the noncontrolling interests.
Recent Accounting
Pronouncements — In March 2009, the FASB issued guidance for revenue
arrangements with multiple deliverables by providing guidance on accounting for
revenue arrangements that provide for multiple payment streams. This
guidance is effective for the Company for revenue arrangements entered into or
materially modified after September 30, 2010. The adoption of this standard is
not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s financial position or
results of operations.
In June
2009, the FASB issued accounting guidance on the consolidation of variable
interest entities (VIEs). This new guidance revises previous guidance by
eliminating the exemption for qualifying special purpose entities, by
establishing a new approach for determining who should consolidate a
variable-interest entity and by changing when it is necessary to reassess who
should consolidate a variable-interest entity. This guidance is
effective for the Company after September 30, 2010. The adoption of this
standard is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s financial
position or results of operations.
In
January 2010, the FASB issued guidance that requires entities to:
·
|
Separately
disclose the amounts of significant transfers in and out of Level 1 and
Level 2 fair value measurements and describe reasons for the
transfers.
|
·
|
Present
separately information about purchases, sales, issuances and settlements,
on a gross basis, rather than on one net number, in the reconciliation for
fair value measurements using significant unobservable inputs (Level
3).
|
·
|
Provide
fair value measurement disclosures for each class of assets and
liabilities.
|
·
|
Provide
disclosures about the valuation techniques and inputs used to measure fair
value for both recurring and nonrecurring fair value measurements for fair
value measurements that fall in either Level 2 or level
3.
|
8
CASPIAN
SERVICES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES
TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
March
31, 2010 (UNAUDITED)
(Dollars
in thousands, except share and per share
data)
This
guidance is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after
December 15, 2009, except for the disclosures about purchases, sales, issuances,
and settlements in the roll forward of activity in Level 3 fair value
measurements. Those disclosures are effective for the Company after
September 30, 2010. The adoption of this standard is not expected to
have a material impact on the Company’s financial position or results of
operations.
In
January 2010, the FASB issued guidance related to escrowed share arrangement and
the presumption of compensation. This update provides clarification
when escrowed shares are considered compensation or in substance an inducement
made to facilitate certain transactions. This guidance was effective
upon issuance. The Company has adopted this guidance which had no
impact on the Company’s operations, financial position, cash flow or
disclosures.
NOTE
2 — DEVELOPMENT OF MARINE BASE
Development of
Marine Base – The
Company continues with development of the marine base in Bautino Bay.
Construction commenced in the first fiscal quarter 2008. The first phase of the
project was commissioned in November 2009 and now the base is partially
operational. The official commissioning of the base is anticipated at the end of
May 2010; however further construction works are expected until December 2010.
The Company is currently assessing the final configuration of the base and the
services to be provided to customers.
The
Company has funded construction through a combination of debt and equity
financing. In June 2007, the Company entered into a series of agreements with
the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (“EBRD”) under which EBRD
agreed to provide $32,000 of debt financing and make an equity investment in the
marine base in the amount of $10,000 in exchange for a 22% equity interest in
Balykshi. The scope of the base was subsequently revised which reduced
anticipated base construction costs. In response, the Company
returned a portion of the funds borrowed from EBRD to reduce the anticipated
total amount of the EBRD loan to $18,600. The Company expects the total cost of
the base to be approximately $71,800. Funds not raised from EBRD were
provided by the Company. Balykshi’s and CRE’s assets were pledged as collateral
under the EBRD agreement (including bank accounts).
During
the six months ended March 31, 2010 and 2009, the Company incurred construction
costs of $7,846 and $7,517, respectively. The Company capitalized interest
costs related to the development of the marine base in the amount of $895 and
$803 for the six months ended March 31, 2010 and 2009,
respectively.
The
Company recognized long-term deferred revenue of $3,355 and $0 for the six
months ended March 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively. This revenue represents the
payment made by our MOBY joint-venture in November 2009 for the rent of land,
which is occupied by MOBY’s plant. This revenue will be amortized
during a 20-year period.
NOTE
3 – LONG-TERM DEBT
In fiscal
2009 the Company borrowed $23,600 from EBRD to finance construction of the
marine base. The note is collateralized by property and bank accounts of
Balykshi. The loan bore interest at 5.5% per annum plus the LIBOR rate at the
date of interest calculation and is due in May 2015. The interest rate changed
to 7% per annum starting October 2009. In November 2009 the
Company repaid $11,800. During March 2010 the Company borrowed an
additional $5,000 from EBRD.
9
CASPIAN
SERVICES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES
TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
March
31, 2010 (UNAUDITED)
(Dollars
in thousands, except share and per share
data)
Long-term debt consists of the
following:
March
31,
|
September
30,
|
||||
2010
|
2009
|
||||
Bank
loan and accrued interest at 6% plus interest calculation
|
|||||
base
(8.80% at March 31, 2010); due July 2010; secured
by
|
$
|
857
|
$
|
1,714
|
|
corporate
guarantee issued by TatArka and seismic equipment
|
|||||
Unsecured
convertible loans and accrued interest from
|
18,664
|
17,550
|
|||
institutions
other than banks at 13% due June 2011
|
|||||
Unsecured
convertible loans and accrued interest from
|
18,065
|
16,960
|
|||
institutions
other than banks at 13% due December 2011
|
|||||
Bank
loan and accrued interest at 7% due May 2015;
|
17,175
|
24,194
|
|||
secured
by property and bank accounts
|
|||||
Total
Long-term Debt
|
54,761
|
60,418
|
|||
Less:
Current Portion
|
1,233
|
7,308
|
|||
Long-term
Debt - Net of Current Portion
|
$
|
53,528
|
$
|
53,110
|
NOTE
4 – STOCK BASED COMPENSATION PLANS
The
Company accounts for issuances of stock-based compensation to employees in
accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, which require the
recognition of the cost of employee services received in exchange for an award
of equity instruments in the financial statements and is measured based on the
grant date fair value of the award. Compensation expense is recognized over the
period during which an employee is required to provide service in exchange for
the award (the vesting period).
The
Company has made certain stock grants that vest as follows: i) 50% on
the grant date; ii) 25% on the first anniversary of the grant date, and iii) 25%
on the second anniversary of the grant date. The stock granted is also subject
to a six month holding period during which the shares may not be
sold.
Compensation
expense charged against income for stock-based awards during the three and six
months ended March 31, 2010 was $(25) and $105, as compared to $222 and $366
during the three and six months ended March 31, 2009, and is included in general
and administrative expense in the accompanying financial
statements.
10
CASPIAN
SERVICES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES
TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
March
31, 2010 (UNAUDITED)
(Dollars
in thousands, except share and per share
data)
A summary
of the non-vested stock under the Compensation Plan at March 31, 2010
follows:
Non-Vested
|
Weighted
Average Grant
|
||
Shares
|
Date
Fair Value Per Share
|
||
Non-vested
at September 30, 2009
|
248,006
|
$1.63
|
|
Stock
granted
|
-
|
-
|
|
Stock
vested
|
-
|
-
|
|
Stock
forfeited
|
-
|
-
|
|
Non-vested
at March 31, 2010
|
248,006
|
$1.63
|
The value
of the non-vested stock under the plan at March 31, 2010 is $87. As
of March 31, 2010 unrecognized stock-based compensation was $33 and will be
recognized over the weighted average remaining term of 0.58 years.
NOTE
5 - EQUITY ATTRIBUTABLE TO CASPIAN SERVICES INC. AND NONCONTROLLING
INTERESTS
The
Company adopted the revised standard on accounting for noncontrolling interests
on October 1, 2009, pursuant to which noncontrolling interests are considered a
component of equity. The standard also changes the presentation and
accounting for noncontrolling interests, and requires that equity/(deficit)
presented in the consolidated financial statements include amounts attributable
to Caspian Services, Inc. stockholders and the noncontrolling
interests. The following schedule presents changes in consolidated
equity attributable to Caspian Services, Inc. and the noncontrolling
interests:
FY
2010
|
FY
2009
|
||||||||||||||||
Equity | Equity | ||||||||||||||||
Equity | Attributable to | Equity | Attributable to | ||||||||||||||
Attributable
|
Noncontrolling
|
Total
|
Attributable
|
Noncontrolling
|
Total
|
||||||||||||
To
CSI
|
Interests
|
Equity
|
To
CSI
|
Interests
|
Equity
|
||||||||||||
Beginning
balance, September 30,
2008 and 2009 |
$
|
63,240
|
$
|
(258)
|
$
|
62,982
|
$
|
78,284
|
$
|
2,576
|
$
|
80,860
|
|||||
Comprehensive
income (loss):
|
|||||||||||||||||
Net
income (loss)
|
(6,291)
|
97
|
(6,194)
|
(6,628)
|
(334)
|
(6,962)
|
|||||||||||
Currency
translation adjustment
|
2,149
|
233
|
2,382
|
(18,005)
|
(2,170)
|
(20,175)
|
|||||||||||
Total
comprehensive
income
(loss) |
(4,142)
|
330
|
(3,812)
|
(24,633)
|
(2,504)
|
(27,137)
|
|||||||||||
Amortization
of unearned
compensation |
105
|
-
|
105
|
368
|
-
|
368
|
|||||||||||
Ending
balance, March 31, 2010
and 2009 |
$
|
59,203
|
$
|
72
|
$
|
59,275
|
$
|
54,019
|
$
|
72
|
$
|
54,091
|
NOTE
6 — COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Economic
Environment — In
recent years, Kazakhstan has undergone substantial political and economic
change. As an emerging market, Kazakhstan does not possess a
well-developed business infrastructure, which generally exists in a more mature
free market economy. As a result, operations carried out in
Kazakhstan can involve significant risks, which are not typically associated
with those in developed markets. Instability in the market reform
process could subject the Company to unpredictable changes in the basic business
infrastructure in which it currently operates. Uncertainties regarding the
political, legal, tax or regulatory environment, including the potential for
adverse changes in any of these factors could affect the Company’s ability to
operate commercially. Management is unable to estimate what changes
may occur or the resulting effect of such changes on the Company’s financial
condition or future results of operations.
11
CASPIAN
SERVICES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES
TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
March
31, 2010 (UNAUDITED)
(Dollars
in thousands, except share and per share data)
Legislation
and regulations regarding taxation, foreign currency translation, and licensing
of foreign currency loans in the Republic of Kazakhstan continue to evolve as
the central government manages the transformation from a command to a
market-oriented economy. The various legislation and regulations are
not always clearly written and their interpretation is subject to the opinions
of the local tax inspectors. Instances of inconsistent opinions between local,
regional and national tax authorities are not unusual.
Purchase
Commitments – During fiscal 2008 Balykshi entered into agreements with
third parties for construction services and supply of equipment related to the
development of the marine base. As of March 31, 2010 the amount of purchase
commitments was equal to $3,016.
NOTE
7 – RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
During
the six months ended March 31, 2010 and 2009 the Company incurred expenses from
an entity related through common ownership (Veritas-Caspian) of $0 and $3,596,
respectively for seismic services. The Company also recognized revenue from the
same entity of $661 and $1,930 for vessel rental and cost reimbursement during
the six months ended March 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively.
During
the three months ended March 31, 2010 and 2009 the Company incurred expenses
from an entity related through common ownership (Veritas-Caspian) of $0 and $0,
respectively for seismic services. The Company also recognized revenue from the
same entity of $0 and $0 for vessel rental and cost reimbursement during the
three months ended March 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively.
Accounts
receivable from related parties consist of the following:
|
|||||
Related
Party's Name
|
Description
|
March
31, 2010
|
September
30, 2009
|
||
Bolz
LLP
|
Seismic
services
|
$
|
3,314
|
$
|
3,230
|
Erkin
Oil
|
Geological
services
|
238
|
232
|
||
Others
|
Services
provided
|
148
|
81
|
||
Allowance
for doubtful accounts
|
(2,802)
|
(2,731)
|
|||
TOTAL
|
$
|
898
|
$
|
812
|
The
Company has reviewed the accounts receivable from related parties as of March
31, 2010 on a case by case basis. The Company provided a general allowance for
doubtful accounts of $2,802 and $2,731 at March 31, 2010 and September 30, 2009,
respectively, based on existing economic conditions. The Company believes that
most of the receivables will be paid, but, in view of the difficult credit
climate which has been affecting the Company’s customers, concluded it should
recognize the additional risk attached to these debts.
12
CASPIAN
SERVICES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES
TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
March
31, 2010 (UNAUDITED)
(Dollars
in thousands, except share and per share data)
Accounts
payable due to related parties consist of the following:
|
|||||
Related
Party's Name
|
Description
|
March
31, 2010
|
September
30, 2009
|
||
Veritas
Caspian
|
Seismic
services
|
$
|
2
|
$
|
5,313
|
Officers
|
Payroll,
travel and compensation
|
19
|
293
|
||
Others
|
Services
received
|
47
|
70
|
||
TOTAL
|
$
|
68
|
$
|
5,676
|
NOTE
8 – FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS
Effective
October 1, 2009, we adopted new guidance that affected our accounting and
reporting of fair value.
Fair
value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or
paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most
advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between
market participants on the measurement date. To measure fair value, a hierarchy
has been established which requires an entity to maximize the use of observable
inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. This hierarchy uses three
levels of inputs to measure the fair value of assets and liabilities as
follows:
Level 1 –
Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or
liabilities.
Level 2 –
Observable inputs other than Level 1 including quoted prices for similar assets
or liabilities, quoted prices in less active markets, or other observable inputs
that can be corroborated by observable market data.
Level 3 –
Unobservable inputs supported by little or no market activity for financial
instruments whose value is determined using pricing models, discounted cash flow
methodologies, or similar techniques, as well as instruments for which the
determination of fair value requires significant management judgment or
estimation.
The
Company uses fair value to measure certain assets and liabilities on a recurring
basis when fair value is the primary measure for accounting. This is done
primarily for put option liability. Fair value is used on a nonrecurring basis
to measure certain assets when applying lower of cost or market accounting or
when adjusting carrying values. Fair value is also used when
evaluating impairment on certain assets, including goodwill, intangibles, and
long-lived assets.
The
Company has one liability measured at fair value on a recurring
basis. The put option liability is a level 3 measurement and is based
on the underlying value of Balykshi using third party valuations and discounted
cash flow analysis. The fair value of the put option liability was
$10,000 at March 31, 2010 and September 30, 2009 respectively.
13
CASPIAN
SERVICES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES
TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
March
31, 2010 (UNAUDITED)
(Dollars
in thousands, except share and per share data)
The
Company has one asset measured at fair value on a nonrecurring
basis. The inventory held for sale is a level 3 measurement and is
based on third party valuations and then further discounted to reflect marketing
costs and potential volatility in realizable values. Inventory held for sale had
a fair value of $1,632 and $1,596 at March 31, 2010 and September 30, 2009,
respectively.
NOTE
9 – SEGMENT INFORMATION
Accounting
principles generally accepted in the United States of America establish
disclosures related to components of a company for which separate financial
information is available and evaluated regularly by a company’s chief operating
decision makers in deciding how to allocate resources and in assessing
performance. They also require segment disclosures about products and services
as well as geographic area.
The
Company has operations in three segments of its business, namely: Vessel
Operations, Geophysical Services and Marine Base Services (formerly entitled
Infrastructure Development). The Vessel Operations, Geophysical Services and
Marine Base Services are located in the Republic of Kazakhstan. Corporate
administration is located in the United States of America. Further
information regarding the operations and assets of these reportable business
segments follows:
For
the Three Months
|
For
the Six Months
|
||||||||||
Ended
March 31,
|
Ended
March 31,
|
||||||||||
2010
|
2009
|
2010
|
2009
|
||||||||
Capital
Expenditures
|
|||||||||||
Vessel
Operations
|
$
|
367
|
$
|
3,102
|
$
|
1,221
|
$
|
3,468
|
|||
Geophysical
Services
|
481
|
51
|
740
|
691
|
|||||||
Marine
Base Services
|
1,313
|
4,630
|
6,995
|
7,283
|
|||||||
Total
segments
|
2,161
|
7,783
|
8,956
|
11,442
|
|||||||
Corporate
assets
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|||||||
Less
intersegment investments
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|||||||
Total
consolidated
|
$
|
2,161
|
$
|
7,783
|
$
|
8,956
|
$
|
11,442
|
14
CASPIAN
SERVICES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES
TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
March
31, 2010 (UNAUDITED)
(Dollars
in thousands, except share and per share
data)
For
the Three Months
|
For
the Six Months
|
|||||||||||
Ended
March 31,
|
Ended
March 31,
|
|||||||||||
2010
|
2009
|
2010
|
2009
|
|||||||||
Revenues
|
||||||||||||
Vessel
Operations
|
$
|
3,939
|
$
|
2,125
|
$
|
9,090
|
$
|
11,536
|
||||
Geophysical
Services
|
6,176
|
4,656
|
14,083
|
18,634
|
||||||||
Marine
Base Services
|
492
|
263
|
853
|
589
|
||||||||
Total
segments
|
10,607
|
7,044
|
24,026
|
30,759
|
||||||||
Corporate
revenue
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||
Less
intersegment revenues
|
(72)
|
(5)
|
(73)
|
(139)
|
||||||||
Total
consolidated
|
$
|
10,535
|
$
|
7,039
|
$
|
23,953
|
$
|
30,620
|
||||
Depreciation
and Amortization
|
||||||||||||
Vessel
Operations
|
$
|
(1,037)
|
$
|
(1,081)
|
$
|
(1,994)
|
$
|
(2,131)
|
||||
Geophysical
Services
|
(775)
|
(1,010)
|
(1,541)
|
(2,478)
|
||||||||
Marine
Base Services
|
(456)
|
(93)
|
(470)
|
(201)
|
||||||||
Total
segments
|
(2,268)
|
(2,184)
|
(4,005)
|
(4,810)
|
||||||||
Corporate
depreciation and amortization
|
(1)
|
(2)
|
(3)
|
(3)
|
||||||||
Total
consolidated
|
$
|
(2,269)
|
$
|
(2,186)
|
$
|
(4,008)
|
$
|
(4,813)
|
||||
Interest
expense
|
||||||||||||
Vessel
Operations
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
6
|
||||
Geophysical
Services
|
(21)
|
(142)
|
(52)
|
(243)
|
||||||||
Marine
Base Services
|
(644)
|
-
|
(644)
|
-
|
||||||||
Total
segments
|
(665)
|
(142)
|
(696)
|
(237)
|
||||||||
Corporate
interest expense
|
(634)
|
(562)
|
(1,275)
|
(1,072)
|
||||||||
Total
consolidated
|
$
|
(1,299)
|
$
|
(704)
|
$
|
(1,971)
|
$
|
(1,309)
|
||||
Income/(Loss)
from Equity Method Investees
|
||||||||||||
Vessel
Operations
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
-
|
||||
Geophysical
Services
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||
Marine
Base Services
|
99
|
(22)
|
154
|
(128)
|
||||||||
Total
segments
|
99
|
(22)
|
154
|
(128)
|
||||||||
Corporate
income (loss)
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
||||||||
Total
consolidated
|
$
|
99
|
$
|
(22)
|
$
|
154
|
$
|
(128)
|
||||
Income/(Loss)
Before Income Tax
|
||||||||||||
Vessel
Operations
|
$
|
(3,405)
|
$
|
(3,831)
|
$
|
(5,624)
|
$
|
(3,997)
|
||||
Geophysical
Services
|
1,841
|
(2,924)
|
1,643
|
(1,628)
|
||||||||
Marine
Base Services
|
(1,413)
|
(88)
|
(1,404)
|
(416)
|
||||||||
Total
segments
|
(2,977)
|
(6,843)
|
(5,385)
|
(6,041)
|
||||||||
Corporate
loss
|
(894)
|
(734)
|
(1,697)
|
(1,547)
|
||||||||
Total
consolidated
|
$
|
(3,871)
|
$
|
(7,577)
|
$
|
(7,082)
|
$
|
(7,588)
|
15
CASPIAN
SERVICES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES
TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
March
31, 2010 (UNAUDITED)
(Dollars
in thousands, except share and per share data)
For
the Three Months
|
For
the Six Months
|
||||||||||
Ended
March 31,
|
Ended
March 31,
|
||||||||||
2010
|
2009
|
2010
|
2009
|
||||||||
Benefit
from (Provision for) Income Tax
|
|||||||||||
Vessel
Operations
|
$
|
517
|
$
|
1,334
|
$
|
1,323
|
$
|
1,301
|
|||
Geophysical
Services
|
(631)
|
(269)
|
(435)
|
(820)
|
|||||||
Marine
Base Services
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|||||||
Total
segments
|
(114)
|
1,065
|
888
|
481
|
|||||||
Corporate
provision for income tax
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|||||||
Total
consolidated
|
$
|
(114)
|
$
|
1,065
|
$
|
888
|
$
|
481
|
|||
Income/(Loss)
attributable to Noncontrolling Interests
|
|||||||||||
Vessel
Operations
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
-
|
|||
Geophysical
Services
|
117
|
123
|
(402)
|
217
|
|||||||
Marine
Base Services
|
286
|
66
|
305
|
117
|
|||||||
Total
segments
|
403
|
189
|
(97)
|
334
|
|||||||
Corporate
noncontrolling interest
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|||||||
Total
consolidated
|
$
|
403
|
$
|
189
|
$
|
(97)
|
$
|
334
|
|||
Net
Loss attributable to Caspian Services Inc.
|
|||||||||||
Vessel
Operations
|
$
|
(2,888)
|
$
|
(2,497)
|
$
|
(4,301)
|
$
|
(2,696)
|
|||
Geophysical
Services
|
1,327
|
(3,070)
|
806
|
(2,231)
|
|||||||
Marine
Base Services
|
(1,127)
|
(22)
|
(1,099)
|
(299)
|
|||||||
Total
segments
|
(2,688)
|
(5,589)
|
(4,594)
|
(5,226)
|
|||||||
Corporate
loss
|
(894)
|
(734)
|
(1,697)
|
(1,547)
|
|||||||
Total
consolidated
|
$
|
(3,582)
|
$
|
(6,323)
|
$
|
(6,291)
|
$
|
(6,773)
|
March
31,
|
September
30,
|
|||||
Segment
Assets
|
2010
|
2,009
|
||||
Vessel
Operations
|
$
|
30,873
|
$
|
45,643
|
||
Geophysical
Services
|
35,651
|
33,544
|
||||
Marine
Base Services
|
69,120
|
71,777
|
||||
Total
segments
|
135,644
|
150,964
|
||||
Corporate
assets
|
89,208
|
87,719
|
||||
Less
intersegment investments
|
(88,787)
|
(87,566)
|
||||
Total
consolidated
|
$
|
136,065
|
$
|
151,117
|
||
16
Item
2. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition
and Results of
Operations
All
dollar amounts stated in this Item 2 are presented in thousands, unless stated
otherwise.
The
following discussion is intended to assist you in understanding our results of
operations and our present financial condition. Our Consolidated
Financial Statements and the accompanying notes included in this Quarterly
Report on Form 10-Q contain additional information that should be referred to
when reviewing this material and this report should be read in conjunction with
our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30,
2009.
Statements in this discussion may be
forward-looking. These forward-looking statements involve risks and
uncertainties, including those discussed below, which could cause actual results
to differ from those expressed.
Forward Looking
Information and Cautionary Statements
In accordance with the safe harbor
provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, we note that
this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and the information incorporated herein by
reference contain certain forward-looking statements which reflect our current
view with respect to future events and financial performance. Any
such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, and our
future results of operations could differ materially from our historical results
or current expectations. Some of these risks are discussed in this
report and include, without limitation, fluctuations in worldwide energy demand
and oil and gas prices; growth of our competitors and industry overcapacity;
changes in capital spending by customers in the energy industry for offshore and
onshore exploration, development and production; changing customer demands for
different vessel specifications, which may make some of our older vessels
technologically obsolete for certain customer projects or in certain markets;
development of and demand for our marine base, our ability to obtain future
governmental approvals; instability of global financial markets and difficulty
in accessing credit or capital; our ability to repay our debt obligations as
they become due; acts of terrorism and piracy; significant weather conditions;
unsettled political conditions, war, civil unrest and governmental actions,
especially in higher risk countries of operations; foreign currency
fluctuations; and enforcement of laws related to the environment, labor and
foreign corrupt practices.
17
Forward-looking statements, which can
generally be identified by the use of such terminology as “may,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “believe,” “think,” “could,” “continue,” “intend,” “seek,” “plan,” and similar
expressions contained in this report, are predictions and not guarantees of
future performance or events. Forward-looking statements are based on
current industry, financial and economic information, which we have assessed but
which by its nature is dynamic and subject to rapid and possibly abrupt changes.
Our actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied by such
forward-looking statements due to risks and uncertainties associated with our
business. While management believes that these forward-looking statements are
reasonable when made, there can be no assurance that future developments that
affect us will be those that we anticipate and have identified. The
forward-looking statements should be considered in the context of the risk
factors listed and discussed herein and in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for
the year ended September 30, 2009, filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (“SEC”) on December 29, 2009 and elsewhere in this Quarterly Report
on Form 10-Q. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such
forward-looking statements. We disclaim any obligation to update or
revise the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect new
information, future events or developments.
Recent
Developments
We are continuing with development of
the marine base in Bautino Bay through our subsidiary Balykshi LLP.
Construction commenced in the first fiscal quarter 2008. The initial phase of
the marine base facilities, including dredging, breakwater, wharf front and
general site area was working commissioned in November 2009, as expected. The
official commissioning of the base is anticipated at the end of May; however
further construction works are expected until December 2010. Cost to construct
the marine base is expected to be approximately $71,800. We are funding
this project through a combination of debt and equity financing. The European
Bank for Reconstruction and Development (“EBRD”) contributed a $10,000 equity
investment in exchange for a 22% equity interest in Balykshi LLP. In addition,
we initially received $23,600 from EBRD as partial debt financing. We
subsequently revised the scope of the project and returned $11,800 to
EBRD. In March, 2010 we drew down an additional $5,000. The total
agreed amount of EBRD loan is anticipated to be $18,600. We provided
the remainder of the funds required for base construction.
Business
Review
Each year
from November to April our vessels are usually not engaged in active operations
due to weather conditions in the north Caspian Sea. As a result we
realize much lower revenues during our first and second fiscal quarters each
year and we experience significantly increased revenues in the third and fourth
fiscal quarters, as the work season in the Caspian Sea reopens.
We
believe 2010 will be a year of contraction, but expect activity to rise in 2011,
followed by even faster expansion from 2012 onwards. Development of
the Kashagan field has now been revised and the project has been split between a
number of major international oil companies. The transition has caused some
delays as each contractor refines its plans, but there is every indication that
the new focus will lead to more rapid development in the future. We are
receiving inquiries which could allow us to participate in activities and
business segments where we have not previously been presented. Our
impression is that the main contractors in the Kashagan and other fields now see
that development of the fields is imminent and there is a renewed sense of
urgency as they make more concrete plans. Therefore, we expect 2010 to be a
period of consolidation, but remain optimistic about future
prospects.
18
During the three and six months ended
March 31, 2010, we operated three business segments: Vessel Operations,
Geophysical Services and Marine Base Services.
For
the Three Months
|
For
the Six Months
|
||||||||||||||
Ended
March 31,
|
Ended
March 31,
|
||||||||||||||
2010
|
2009
|
% change
|
2010
|
2009
|
% change
|
||||||||||
VESSEL
OPERATIONS
|
|||||||||||||||
Operating
Revenue
|
$
|
3,939
|
$
|
2,125
|
85%
|
$
|
9,090
|
$
|
11,536
|
-21%
|
|||||
Pretax
Operating Loss
|
(3,405)
|
(3,831)
|
11%
|
(5,624)
|
(3,997)
|
-41%
|
|||||||||
GEOPHYSICAL
SERVICES
|
|||||||||||||||
Operating
Revenue
|
$
|
6,176
|
$
|
4,656
|
33%
|
$
|
14,083
|
$
|
18,634
|
-24%
|
|||||
Pretax
Operating Income/(Loss)
|
1,841
|
(2,924)
|
163%
|
1,643
|
(1,628)
|
201%
|
|||||||||
MARINE
BASE SERVICES
|
|||||||||||||||
Operating
Revenue
|
$ |
492
|
$
|
263
|
87%
|
$
|
853
|
$
|
589
|
45%
|
|||||
Pretax
Operating Loss
|
(1,413)
|
(88)
|
-1506%
|
(1,404)
|
(416)
|
-238%
|
|||||||||
CORPORATE
ADMINISTRATION
|
|||||||||||||||
Operating
Revenue
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
-
|
n/a
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
-
|
n/a
|
|||||
Pretax
Operating Loss
|
(894)
|
(734)
|
-22%
|
(1,697)
|
(1,547)
|
-10%
|
Summary
of Operations
Three months ended March 31,
2010 compared to the three months ended March 31, 2009
Total
revenue during the three months ended March 31, 2010 was $10,535 compared to
$7,039 during the three months ended March 31, 2009, an increase of
50%. Most of this increase can be attributed to the fact that during the
quarter ended March 31, 2009 no standby vessel revenues were received from the
major CMOC contract due to the specific character of that contract (revenue was
generated based on the volume of seismic data acquired versus usual daily
rates). While the difficult credit situation continues to inhibit our
customers’ ability to obtain financing for seismic projects; geophysical
services revenue showed 33% improvement.
Reduced
operating costs was the primary factor contributing to the 43% decrease in net
loss, as we realized a net loss of $3,582 during the three months ended March
31, 2010 compared to $6,323 during than last year’s second fiscal
quarter. We are currently negotiating to put most of our vessels into
operation once the season reopens, so we expect to see the normal trend of
improved results in quarters three and four.
Vessel
Operations
Second fiscal quarter revenue from
vessel operations of $3,939 was 85% higher than the previous year’s figure
thanks to standby revenues, which accounted for the majority of our revenues in
the second fiscal quarter of this year. We are currently seeking to fully
utilize our vessels once the work season commences.
19
During
the three months ended March 31, 2010 vessel operating costs of $3,838 were 91%
of the previous year’s costs. We were able to reduce our costs by 9%, as crews
not required were sent home, with the intention of employing them again once the
new season is under way.
Despite
improving margins, we still were not able to improve our net result for vessel
operations as general and administrative expenses attributable to this segment
increased by $840. This is primarily due to our accruing $340 for tax penalties
imposed by local Customs Committee based on the result of a Customs inspection
coupled with a one-time savings of tax expenses of $430 we realized during the
second fiscal quarter 2009, as a result of a tax reconciliation, which reduced
operating costs during that period. As a result, our loss from vessel
operations grew to $2,888, compared to a loss of $2,497 in the second fiscal
quarter of 2009.
Geophysical
Services
Second fiscal quarter geophysical
services revenue of $6,176 was 33% higher than the previous year’s figure. The
local market is still depressed as a result of the difficulty in obtaining
credit and we continue to struggle to obtain payment from overdue accounts. We
are taking legal action where possible but this is an expensive option in
Kazakhstan, as taxes must be paid up front, and it is not always easy to
determine whether there are assets which can be seized.
We
reduced our geophysical operating costs by 34% despite the increase in revenue,
mostly thanks to extensive use of more efficient outsourced
services.
As a result of the improved margins,
the net income from geophysical operations was $1,327, compared to loss of
$3,070 in 2009.
Marine Base
Services
Construction
of our marine base, which commenced in the first quarter of fiscal 2008, is now
partially completed; the first phase was commissioned in November 2009. The
initial phase of the marine base facilities includes dredging, breakwater, wharf
front and general site area and our MOBY joint venture has begun limited
operations.
The
partial commencement of operational activities at the marine base took place
during the second fiscal quarter 2010. However, our revenues for the
initial period of operations were insufficient to cover our fixed costs,
including depreciation. This caused our marine base services loss to grow to
$1,127, compared to a loss of $22 in the second fiscal quarter of 2009. As our
marine base was not operational during the second fiscal quarter 2009, our $22
loss for that period reflects only the operations of our water-bottling
facility.
The
official commissioning of the base is anticipated at the end of May 2010;
however further construction works are expected until December 2010. We are
currently negotiating with a number of parties for use of the base.
20
Corporate
Administration
During the quarter ended March 31, 2010
net loss from corporate administration was $894 compared to a net loss of $734
during the quarter ended March 31, 2009. This increase is mostly
attributable to increased interest expense related to marine base
services.
General and Administrative
Expenses
General and administrative expenses in
the second fiscal quarter 2010 were $4,250, which is $425 or 11% more than prior
year second fiscal quarter results of $3,825. This increase is mostly caused by
accrual of $340 made in the second fiscal quarter 2010 for tax penalties imposed
by local Customs Committee based on the result of a Customs
inspection.
Depreciation
Depreciation expense increased from
$2,186 to $2,269, or by 4%, during the second fiscal quarter 2010. This was
caused by partial completion of the marine base, where depreciation has
partially commenced. Capital expenditure in other divisions and dry docking
costs were much lower than in the previous year.
Interest
Expense
Interest expense was $1,299 or $595
higher during the three months ended March 31, 2010 compared to the three months
ended March 31, 2009. This increase was principally the result of
interest accrued on the EBRD loan and expensed, proportionally to the
completed part of the marine base.
Foreign Currency Transaction
Loss
During
the second fiscal quarter 2010 we realized an exchange loss of $556, compared to
an exchange loss of $477 in 2009. This was caused mainly by a decline in the
value of the Euro and the fact that most of our vessels revenues were in Euros.
It is our policy to try and match Euro costs with Euro income and we were able
to reduce some of the loss because Euro costs for vessel rental were also
lower. It is not our business to speculate on currency movements and
we have not historically engaged in currency hedging.
Net Other
Expenses
Net other expenses increased 82% to
$1,689 during the second fiscal quarter 2010. In addition to the
increases in interest expense and foreign currency exchange loss discussed
above, net other expenses also increased as a result of lower interest income
and other non-operating income which was partially offset by increased income
from equity method investees.
21
Benefit from (provision for)
income tax
During the three months ended March 31,
2010 we made provision for income tax of $114 compared to realizing a benefit
for income tax of $1,065 during the three months ended March 31, 2009. This
difference was caused by a more significant taxable loss recognized during the
three months ended March 31, 2009, as we recognized a deferred tax asset for
that loss.
Net Loss Attributable to
Caspian Services, Inc.
As a result of the aforementioned
factors, during our second fiscal quarter 2010 we realized a net loss
attributable to Caspian Services, Inc. of $3,582 or $0.07 per share on a basic
and diluted basis. By comparison, during the second fiscal quarter
2009 we realized a net loss attributable to Caspian Services, Inc. of $6,323 or
$0.12 per share on a basic and diluted basis.
Six months ended March 31,
2010 compared to the six months ended March 31, 2009
Total
revenue during the six months ended March 31, 2010 was $23,953 compared to
$30,620 during the six months ended March 31, 2009, a decrease of 22%.
Most of this reduction can be attributed to the fact that 2009 results
were boosted by the CMOC contract. This contract also included revenue which was
passed on to our subcontractor. The CMOC contract was successfully
concluded ahead of schedule in fiscal 2009. This made it difficult to redeploy
these vessels on new contracts just before the winter shutdown. Our other
vessels continued to work and also generate winter standby revenue. We are
currently negotiating to put our vessels that were under contract to CMOC into
operation once the season reopens. Geophysical revenues were down, particularly
in land seismic, whereas offshore seismic showed an improvement. The difficult
credit situation continues to inhibit financing for seismic
projects.
Total
operating expenses during the six months ended March 31, 2010 decreased by
$8,480 or 23%, which is in line with the decrease in revenue.
As we
were able to reduce our operating costs our net loss of $6,291 was 7% lower than
last year’s six month net loss of $6,773. We currently have the major units of
the large accommodation barge and attendant tugs, and the cable layer under
contract, and are awaiting the outcome of several tenders that would result in
the remainder of the fleet to proceed on charter.
Vessel
Operations
During the six months ended March 31,
2010 revenue from vessel operations of $9,090 decreased by 20%. The
successful and early completion of the CMOC project has left us well placed to
tender for future business with the major internationals as all the safety,
environmental and quality assurance programs established in connection with the
CMOC project remain in place in preparation for future work. The
early completion of the CMOC project also meant we were unable to secure
long-term contracts for these vessels just before the Caspian Sea closed for
winter leaving us with no winter standby revenue on the vessels that were used
in the CMOC project. Our other vessels have continued to work and are providing
winter standby revenues. They account for the majority of our revenues during
the six months ended March 31, 2010. We are currently seeking to fully utilize
our vessels once the season recommences.
22
During
the six months ended March 31, 2010 vessel operating costs of $8,323 were 75% of
costs during the same period 2009. We reduced our costs in line with our reduced
revenues, as crews not required were sent home, with the intention of employing
them again once the new season is under way.
Despite
operating cost savings, we still were not able to improve our net result from
vessel operations as general and administrative expenses attributable to this
segment increased. The increase was primarily due to our accruing $340 for tax
penalties imposed by the local Customs Committee during the six months ended
March 31, 2010 coupled with a one-time savings of tax expenses of $430 during
the six months ended March 31, 2009, as a result of a tax reconciliation which
decreased operating costs during that period. As a result, our loss
from vessel operations grew to $4,301, compared to a loss of $2,696 during the
six months ended March 31, 2009.
Geophysical
Services
During the six months ended March 31,
2009 we collected funds on behalf of our subcontractor, Veritas-Caspian, and
remitted these funds to them. This increased both our revenues and costs by
$3,596. Deducting the effects of this transaction, revenue from geophysical
services decreased by $955 or 6% during the six months ended March 31, 2010
compared to the same period ended March 31, 2009. Operating costs
decreased by $2,288 or 25% during the six months ended March 31, 2010 compared
to the same period ended March 31, 2009. Land seismic was in line
with our expectations of a sluggish market, and was well down compared to last
year, whereas offshore seismic saw an improvement. The local market is still
depressed by the difficulty in obtaining credit and we continue to struggle to
obtain payment from overdue accounts. We are taking legal action where possible
but this is an expensive option in Kazakhstan, as taxes must be paid up front,
and it is not always easy to determine whether there are assets which can be
seized. During the six months ended March 31, 2010, we made provision
for an additional $1,534 for accounts which have now become unacceptably
delayed.
Net income from geophysical operations
was $806, compared to a net loss of $2,231 in 2009.
Marine Base
Services
Construction
of our marine base, which commenced in the first quarter of fiscal 2008, is now
partially complete; the first phase was commissioned in November 2009. The
official commissioning of the base is anticipated at the end of May; however
further construction works are expected until December 2010. Our MOBY
joint venture commenced limited operations in January, 2010. We are currently
negotiating with a number of parties for use of the base.
23
The
partial commencement of operational activities on the marine base took place
during the second fiscal quarter 2010. However, our revenues for the initial
period of operations were insufficient to cover our fixed costs, including
depreciation. This caused our marine base services loss to grow to $1,099,
compared to a loss of $299 during the six months ended march 31,
2009. Because the marine base was not operational during the six
months ended March 31, 2009, the loss during that period reflects only the
result of operations of our water-bottling facility only.
Corporate
Administration
During the six months ended March 31,
2010 net loss from corporate administration was $1,697 compared to $1,547 during
the same period ended March 31, 2009. The increase in net loss during
the six months ended March 31, 2010 is mainly attributable to increased interest
costs related to marine base services.
General and Administrative
Expenses
General and administrative expense
increased by $923, or 11% for the six months ended March 31, 2010 compared to
the same period ended March 31, 2009. However, excluding bad debt provision of
$1,534 made in 2010 and $791 made in 2009, our administrative costs increased by
just 2%, from $7,287 to $7,467 during the six months ended March 31, 2010
compared to the same period of last year. The reduction was notable in the
Geophysical division, where employee numbers were decreased at the end of
calendar 2009.
Depreciation
Depreciation expense decreased by $805
or 17% to $4,008 during the six months ended March 31, 2010 compared to the same
period ended March 31, 2009. This was caused by diverting most of our
capital expenditures toward completion of the marine base and decreasing other
expenditures, such as dry docking costs, which resulted in lower depreciation
expense.
Interest
Expense
Interest expense during the six months
ended March 31, 2010 increased to $1,971, or 51% compared to the six months
ended March 31, 2009. This increase was the result of interest
beginning to accrue on the EBRD loan with the commencement of partial operations
at the marine base.
Foreign Currency Transaction
Loss
During
the six months ended March 31, 2010 we realized an exchange loss of $1,038
compared to an exchange loss of $764 during the same period ended March 31,
2009. This was caused mainly by a decline in the value of the Euro
and the fact that, most of our vessels revenues were in Euros. It is our policy
to try and match Euro costs with Euro income and we were able to reduce some of
the loss as Euro costs for vessel rental were also lower. It is not our business
to speculate on currency movements and we have not historically engaged in
currency hedging.
Net Other
Expenses
Net other expenses increased 87% to
$2,801 during the six months ended March 31, 2010. In addition to the
increases in interest expense and foreign currency exchange loss discussed
above, net other expenses also increased as a result of lower interest income
and other non-operating income which was partially offset by increased income
from equity method investees.
Benefit from (provision for)
income tax
During the six months ended March 31,
2010 we realized a benefit from income taxes of $888 compared to $481 during the
six months ended March 31, 2009. This $407 increase in benefit from
income taxes was the result of a more significant taxable loss recognized during
the six months ended March 31, 2010, as we recognized a deferred tax asset for
that loss.
.
Net Loss Attributable to
Caspian Services, Inc.
As a result of the aforementioned
factors, during six months ended March 31, 2010 net loss attributable to Caspian
Services, Inc. decreased 7% to $6,291or $0.12 per share on a basic and diluted
basis. By comparison, during the second fiscal quarter 2009 we
realized a net loss attributable to Caspian Services, Inc. of $6,773 or $0.13
per share on a basic and diluted basis.
Liquidity
and Capital Resources
At March 31, 2010, we had cash on hand
of $12,607 compared to cash on hand of $29,222 at September 30, 2009. Much of the change in
cash for the six months to March 31, 2010 was due to the partial repayment of
EBRD loan in the amount of $11,800 in November 2009. However, we further draw
from them $5,000 in March 2010. Another major outflow of cash
resulted from capital expenditures for marine base construction. At March 31,
2010 total current assets exceeded current liabilities by $30,968. We
believe vessel and geophysical revenue and cash on hand will be adequate to meet
our capital needs for the upcoming quarter.
Cash
Flows
We typically realize decreasing cash
flows during our first fiscal quarter and limited cash flow during our second
fiscal quarter as weather conditions in the north Caspian Sea region dictate
when oil and gas exploration and development work can be
performed. Usually, the work season commences in late March or early
April and continues until the Caspian Sea ices over in November. As a
result, other than TatArka, which can continue to provide some onshore
geophysical services between November and March and the receipt of winter
standby rates on vessels, we generate very little revenue from November to March
each year.
25
The following table provides an
overview of our cash flow during the six months ended March 31, 2010 and
2009.
Period
ended March 31,
|
|||||
2010
|
2009
|
||||
Net
cash provided by / (used in) operating activities
|
$
|
(499)
|
$
|
1,586
|
|
Net
cash used in investing activities
|
(6,603)
|
(12,798)
|
|||
Net
cash provided by / (used in) financing activities
|
(7,657)
|
35,071
|
|||
Effect
of exchange rate changes on cash
|
(1,856)
|
741
|
|||
Net
Change in Cash
|
$
|
(16,615)
|
$
|
24,600
|
Net cash
flow from operations for the six months ended March 31, 2010 was negative,
as substantial cash inflow from our customers of $12,997 was more
than off-set by the decrease in accounts payable, prepaid expenses and accrued
taxes of $14,841.
Net cash used in investing activities
in the six months ended March 31, 2010 mostly represents a capital expenditure
in continuing construction of the marine base.
We had net cash outflow from financing
activities in the six months ended March 31, 2010 due to partial repayment of
EBRD loan. Much of the change in cash for the six months ended March 31, 2009
was attributable to proceeds from the EBRD equity investment in Balykshi in the
amount of $10,000, proceeds from EBRD loan amounted $23,600 and receipt of
partial funding of the loan from Great Circle in the amount of $7,500. Major
cash outflow during this period represents the repayment of the $5,000
Petrolinvest loan.
Financing
For details regarding recent financing
activities please refer to Note 3 to our Condensed Consolidated Financial
Statements.
Summary
of Material Contractual Commitments
26
Payment
Period
|
|||||
Less
than
|
After
|
||||
Contractual
Commitments
|
Total
|
1
Year
|
1-3
Years
|
3-5
Years
|
5
years
|
Other
debt
|
$ 857
|
$ 857
|
$ -
|
$ -
|
$ -
|
Loans
from Altima Central Asia
|
18,664
|
-
|
18,664
|
-
|
-
|
Loans
from Great Circle
|
18,065
|
-
|
18,065
|
-
|
-
|
Loans
from EBRD
|
17,175
|
-
|
6,675
|
8,400
|
2,100
|
Long-term
derivative put option
|
10,000
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
10,000
|
Operating
leases - vessels
|
6,978
|
5,526
|
1,452
|
-
|
-
|
Operating
leases - other than vessels
|
1,237
|
1,237
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Purchase
commitments
|
3,263
|
3,263
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Total
|
$
76,239
|
$
10,883
|
$ 44,856
|
$ 8,400
|
$12,100
|
Off-Balance
Sheet Financing Arrangements
In January 2008 Balykshi, Kyran
Holdings Limited and NMSC Kazmortransflot Joint Stock Company formed a joint
venture named Mangistau Oblast Boat Yard LLP (“MOBY”), to operate a boat repair
and drydocking services yard located at our marine base. Balykshi
owns a 20% interest in MOBY. In August 2008 MOBY entered into a Loan
Agreement with EBRD. The Loan Agreement provided that EBRD would loan
MOBY the amount of $12.3 million (the “Loan”).
In June 2009 in connection with the
Loan Agreement, EBRD required certain parties, including Caspian Services, Inc.
as the parent company of Balykshi, to execute a Deed of Guarantee and Indemnity
(the “Guarantee”), which guarantees the repayment of the Loan. The
Loan funded and the Company became liable for the obligations under the
Guarantee as of September 3, 2009. The Guarantee constitutes a direct
financial obligation of the Company.
Pursuant to and in accordance with the
Guarantee, we have agreed to guarantee payment to EBRD, on demand, all monies
and liabilities which have been advanced or which shall become due, owing or
incurred by MOBY to or in favor of EBRD when such shall become
due. Our guarantee obligation is limited, however, to the “Caspian
Pro-rata Percentage.” The Caspian Pro-rata Percentage is an amount
equal to our percentage ownership of Balykshi at any time multiplied by
Balykshi’s percentage ownership of MOBY, expressed as a
percentage. Currently, we own a 78% interest in Balykshi and Balykshi
owns a 20% interest in MOBY. Therefore, the Caspian Pro-rata
Percentage is currently 15.6%, or $2,679.
27
We also agreed as a separate and
independent obligation and liability to indemnify EBRD on demand against all
losses, costs and expenses suffered or incurred by EBRD should any of the
financing agreements between EBRD and MOBY be or become unlawful, void, voidable
or unenforceable, ineffective or otherwise not recoverable on the basis of the
guarantee, provided again our obligation is limited to the Caspian Pro-rata
Percentage of such losses, costs and expenses.
As a guarantor, we agreed to advance to
MOBY at any time on demand of EBRD any additional amount required by MOBY to
enable it to comply with its obligations under the financing agreements and to
carry out the project. Our obligation in this context is limited to
20% of the total amount.
Pursuant to and in accordance with the
Guarantee, EBRD is not obliged before taking steps to enforce any of its rights
and remedies under the Guarantee to make any demand or seek to enforce any right
against MOBY or any other person, to obtain judgment in any court against MOBY
or any other person or to file any claim in bankruptcy, liquidation or similar
proceedings.
The Guarantee provides that each
guarantor agrees to pay interest to EBRD on all unpaid sums demanded under the
Guarantee at a rate of LIBOR plus 5.6%. The Guarantee also provides
that each guarantor shall, on demand and on a full indemnity basis, pay to EBRD,
the amount of all costs and expenses, including legal and out-of-pocket expenses
and any VAT on such costs and expenses which EBRD incurs in connection
with: a) the preparation, negotiation, execution and delivery of the
Guarantee; b) any amendment, variation, supplement, waiver or consent under or
in connection with the Guarantee; c) any discharge or release of the Guarantee;
d) the preservation or exercise of any rights or in connection with the
Guarantee; and e) any stamping or registration of the Guarantee; provided that
our obligation in this context is limited to the Caspian Pro-rata
Percentage.
Recent
Accounting Pronouncements
For
details of applicable new accounting standards, please, refer to Note 1 to our Condensed Consolidated Financial
Statements.
Critical
Accounting Policies and Estimates
The
preparation of financial statements in accordance with accounting standards
generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates
and assumptions that affect both the recorded values of assets and liabilities
at the date of the financial statements and the revenues recognized and expenses
incurred during the reporting period. Our estimates and assumptions affect our
recognition of deferred expenses, bad debts, income taxes, the carrying value of
our long-lived assets and our provision for certain contingencies. We
evaluate the reasonableness of these estimates and assumptions continually based
on a combination of historical information and other information that comes to
our attention that may vary our outlook for the future. Actual results may
differ from these estimates under different assumptions.
28
We
suggest that our Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, as described in
Note 1 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in our most recent Annual
Report on Form 10-K be read in conjunction with this Management’s Discussion and
Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations. We believe
the critical accounting policies that most impact our consolidated financial
statements are described below.
Fair
Value of Financial Instruments – The carrying amounts reported in the
accompanying consolidated financial statements for other receivables, accounts
and notes receivables from related parties, accounts payable to related parties
and accrued expenses approximate fair values because of the immediate nature of
short-term maturities of these financial instruments. The carrying amount of
long-term debt approximates fair value due to the stated interest rates
approximating prevailing market rates.
Revenue
Recognition — Vessel revenues are usually derived from time charter
contracts on a rate-per-day of service basis; therefore, vessel revenues are
recognized on a daily basis throughout the contract period. These time charter
contracts are generally on a term basis, ranging from three months to three
years. The base rate of hire for a contract is generally a fixed rate; however,
these contracts often include clauses to recover specific additional costs and
mobilization and demobilization costs which are billed on a monthly basis. In
2008 we commenced and completed in 2009 a major contract with CMOC / Shell where
revenue is derived from kilometers of seismic data acquired, rather than from a
daily rate. Revenue under this contract was recognized when services were
actually performed.
Geophysical service revenue is
recognized when services are rendered, accepted by the customer and
collectibility is reasonably assured. Direct costs are charged to each contract
as incurred along with allocated indirect costs for the specific period of
service. Losses on contracts are recognized during the period in which the loss
first becomes probable and reasonably estimated. Due to the nature of some of
the geophysical services provided, certain customers have prepaid their contract
services. These prepayments have been deferred and are recognized as
revenue as the services are provided.
Marine
base service revenue is recognized when services are rendered, accepted by the
customer and collectibility is reasonably assured.
Product
sales revenue is recorded upon delivery or shipment of bulk or bottled water to
the customer.
Receivables
— In the normal course of business, we extend credit to our customers on
a short-term basis. Our principal customers are major oil and natural
gas exploration, development and production companies. Credit risks associated
with these customers are considered minimal. Dealings with smaller, local
companies, particularly with the current difficulties in equity and credit
markets, pose the greatest risks. For new geophysical services
customers, we typically require an advance payment and we retain the seismic
data generated from these services until payment is made in full. We
routinely review our accounts receivable balances and make provisions for
doubtful accounts as necessary. Accounts are reviewed on a case by
case basis and losses are recognized in the period if we determine it is likely
that receivables will not be fully collected. We may also provide a
general provision for accounts receivables based on existing economic
conditions.
29
Impairment of
Long-Lived Assets and Long-Lived Assets to be Disposed Of — Long-lived
assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances
indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be
recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured
by comparison of the carrying amount of an asset to future net cash flows
expected to be generated by the asset. If such assets are considered to be
impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured by the amount that the
carrying amount of the assets exceeds the fair value of the assets. Assets to be
disposed of are reported at the lower of the carrying amount or fair value less
costs to sell. At March 31, 2010, we reviewed our long-lived assets and
determined no impairment was necessary.
Income Taxes —
Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax
consequences attributable to differences in assets and liabilities and their
respective tax bases and attributable to operating loss carry forwards.
Differences generally result from the calculation of income under accounting
principles generally accepted in the United States of America and the
calculation of taxable income calculated under Kazakhstan income tax
regulations.
The current regime of penalties and
interest related to reported and discovered violations of Kazakhstan’s laws,
decrees and related regulations can be severe. Penalties include
confiscation of the amounts in question for currency law violations, as well as
fines of generally 100% of the unpaid taxes. Interest is assessable
at rates of generally 0.06% per day. As a result, penalties and interest can
result in amounts that are multiples of any unreported taxes. No
interest or penalties have been accrued
as a result of any tax positions taken. In the event
interest or penalties are assessed, we
will include these amounts related to unrecognized tax benefits in income tax
expense.
A
deferred tax liability is not recognized for the following types of temporary
differences unless it becomes apparent that those temporary differences will
reverse in the foreseeable future:
(a) An
excess of the amount for financial reporting over the tax basis of an investment
in a foreign subsidiary or a foreign corporate joint venture, that is
essentially permanent in duration; or
(b)
Undistributed earnings of a domestic subsidiary or a domestic corporate joint
venture that is essentially permanent in duration.
Dry-docking
Costs — Our vessels
must be periodically dry-docked and pass certain inspections to maintain their
operating classification, as mandated by certain maritime
regulations. Costs incurred to dry-dock the vessels for certification
are deferred and amortized over the period until the next dry-docking, generally
24 months. Dry-docking costs are comprised of painting the vessels,
hulls and sides, recoating cargo and fuel tanks, and performing other engine and
equipment maintenance activities to bring the vessels into compliance with
classification standards.
30
Effects of
Inflation
Day-to-day operating costs are
generally affected by inflation. However, because the energy services industry
requires specialized goods and services, it is usually less affected by these
trends. The major impact on operating costs is the level of offshore
exploration, development and production spending by energy exploration and
production companies. As spending increases, prices of goods and services used
by the energy industry and the energy services industry increase.
Future increases in vessel day rates
may help to shield us from the inflationary effects on operating costs and we
will quote for seismic work based on our costs at that time.
Item
3. Qualitative and Quantitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Our primary market risks are
fluctuations in commodity prices, in that they affect the operations of our
customers, foreign currency risk and bad debt risk.
Commodity
Price Risk
Our revenues, profitability and future
growth depend substantially on prevailing prices for crude oil. As oil prices
decrease demand for our services and correspondingly our cash flows may
decrease. Historically, and recently, crude oil prices have been subject to
significant volatility in response to changes in supply, market uncertainty and
a variety of other factors beyond our control. Crude oil prices are likely to
continue to be volatile and this volatility makes it difficult to predict future
oil price movements with any certainty. Declines in oil prices could
reduce our revenues. As a result, this could have a material adverse effect on
our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Foreign
Currency Risk
To the extent that business
transactions in Kazakhstan are denominated in the Kazakh Tenge we are exposed to
transaction gains and losses that could result from fluctuations in the U.S.
Dollar—Kazakh Tenge exchange rate. Some of our expenditures, particularly
capital expenditures, can be in Euros. We attempt to offset the currency risk by
negotiating some contract revenues in Euros. We do not engage in hedging
transactions to protect us from such risk.
31
Our
foreign-denominated monetary assets and liabilities are revalued on a monthly
basis with gains and losses on revaluation reflected in net income. A
hypothetical 10% favorable or unfavorable change in foreign currency exchange
rate at March 31, 2010 would have affected our net loss by less than
$200.
Risk
of Bad Debt
The world
economic slowdown has restricted credit available to some of our
customers. We believe this has exposed us to greater risk of not
getting paid for work performed. This is most evident in our
geophysical division, where most of the customers are local and rely on Kazakh
banks for financing. In an effort to control this credit risk, we
will turn away customers who we believe expose us unnecessarily to such risk and
we are targeting international companies for new business.
We review
our receivable balances as of the end of each reporting period. A
hypothetical 10% favorable or unfavorable change in bad debts at March 31, 2010
would have affected our net income by approximately $540.
Item
4. Controls and Procedures
Evaluation
of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Our
management, under the supervision and with the participation of our Chief
Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, evaluated the effectiveness of
the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined
in Rules 13a-15(e) or 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)), as of March 31, 2010. Based on this
evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded
that as of March 31, 2010, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective
in (1) recording, processing, summarizing and reporting, on a timely basis,
information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we file or submit
under the Exchange Act and (2) ensuring that information disclosed by us in such
reports is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief
Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate to allow timely
decisions regarding required disclosure.
Management's
Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Our
management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal
control over financial reporting. Internal control over financial reporting is
defined in Rule 13a-15(f) or 15d-15(f) promulgated under the
Exchange Act as a process designed by, or under the supervision of, the
company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer and
effected by the company’s board of directors, management and other personnel, 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 and includes those policies and
procedures that:
•
|
pertain
to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and
fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the
Company;
|
•
|
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
|
•
|
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, internal control over financial reporting may not
prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of
effectiveness 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.
32
Our
management assessed the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over
financial reporting as of March 31, 2010. In making this assessment,
management used the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring
Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”) in Internal Control - Integrated
Framework. Based on this assessment, our management concluded that as of
March 31, 2010, our internal control over financial reporting is effective based
on those criteria.
Changes
in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
There
were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting during the
quarter ended March 31, 2010 that materially affected, or are reasonably likely
to materially affect, our internal control over financial
reporting.
PART
II - OTHER INFORMATION
Item
1. Legal Proceedings
During the second fiscal quarter 2010
we filed a judicial appeal in Kazakhstan, challenging the Company’s obligations
for VAT and customs duties related to vessels’ customs declarations dating back
to years 2005-2006 imposed on the Company as a result of the regular five year
audit conducted by the Customs Committee of the Ministry of Finance of the
Republic of Kazakhstan. The Customs Committee claimed VAT and related penalties
amount to approximately $550. Some of this amount is likely to be off-set by
Agip KCO under our agreement with them during the time period in
question.
If the court determines that customs
VAT is owed, we could be subject to fines and penalties totaling up to as much
as 50% of our customs obligation. The first hearing in our case is scheduled for
May 19, 2010 and it may take up to three months before the decision is
issued.
33
Item
1A. Risk Factors
During the quarter ended March 31, 2010
there were no material changes in the risk factors previously described in Item
1A of our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on December 29, 2009.
Item
6. Exhibits
Exhibits. The following
exhibits are included as part of this report:
Exhibit
31.1
|
Certification
of Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
|
|
Exhibit
31.2
|
Certification
of Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
|
|
Exhibit
32.1
|
Certification
of Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to Section 906 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
|
|
Exhibit
32.2
|
Certification
of Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to Section 906 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
|
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to
be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized.
CASPIAN SERVICES, INC. | ||||||
Date:
|
May
17, 2010
|
By:
|
/s/
Kerry Doyle
|
|||
Kerry
Doyle
|
||||||
Chief
Executive Officer
|
Date:
|
May
17, 2010
|
By:
|
/s/
Andrey Yuryev
|
|||
Andrey
Yuryev
|
||||||
Interim
Chief Financial Officer
|
34