This is part of the article last memorial day in LA times that originally got me to look at this stock.Sinking Its Hopes Into a Tiny Nation 05/24/03
Obscure Texas oil firm, secures a deal with
poor Sao Tome and Principe.
By Ken Silverstein, Times Staff Writer
HOUSTON -- Environmental Remediation Holding Corp. [otcbb:ERHC] / dba Chrome Energy hasn't reported a penny of revenue for four years and has piled up more than $16 million in losses. Its stock price hovers around 20 cents a share.
Yet thanks to its sole asset -- a contract that gives it a major stake in a tiny West African nation's oil fields -- the obscure Texas oil company appears to be on the verge of a stunning turnaround.
The company's oil contract, made final last month, gives it rights to two offshore fields in Sao Tome's territorial waters and a significant share in deposits in an area jointly controlled by Sao Tome and Nigeria.
About 6-14 Billion Barrels of crude are believed to lie beneath those waters. Without a drilling rig to its name, ERHC could reap hundreds of millions of dollars from its holdings. The company has not revealed its plans, but analysts predict it will sell its interest to one of the industry giants. (Not too Likely now)That a small energy speculator could get such a lucrative foothold in Sao Tome has mystified experts, who suspect the company benefited from the country's inexperience in the oil business.
"ERHC is in the catbird seat," says Phil Nugent, a Houston-based oil and gas consultant and a major shareholder in the company. "We're going to get our pound of flesh and I think we're due it."
ERHC's dealings with Sao Tome reflect a rush for oil riches in West Africa. The region provides 15% of American oil imports, and the figure is expected to grow to 25% within a decade as the U.S.
government seeks to reduce energy reliance on the Middle East.
Andrew Latham, a West Africa expert for Wood Mackenzie, an energy
consulting firm in Edinburgh, Scotland, says the Sao Tome-ERHC
agreement is far out of line with industry standards.
"There are plenty of examples where a small firm will get in early
and help promote a country's oil acreage. Their rewards are
relatively minor " Latham said. "I've never seen a company get a
stake like ERHC obtained in Sao Tome."
This is excerts from article but gives general gist of it. The following is numbers from SEC filing.They had six priority rights and used them I believe to best advantage.
Choice 1 Interest 15% working interest in Block 6 Signature Bonus Free Choice 2 Interest 15% working interest in Block 5 Signature Bonus Payable Choice 3 Interest 20% working interest in Block 3 Signature Bonus Free Choice 4 Interest 30% working interest in Block 2 Signature Bonus Free Choice 5 Interest 25% working interest in Block 4 Signature Bonus Free Choice 6 Interest 20% working interest in Block 9 Signature Bonus Payable
posted