History
A former shell company pivoted into Colombian oil exploration in 2012, funded it with convertible debt, then sold its main asset in 2013 and kept minority stakes.
2012: From shell to Colombian explorer
Heavy Earth Resources was a shell company that had earlier left the film business. On May 3, 2012 it acquired Deep Core, Inc., a Cayman Islands company, and became an oil and gas explorer in Colombia. Deep Core's subsidiary DCX held a 50% working interest in a contract that included the Morichito Block. The company issued 250,000 shares for Deep Core and 8,574,042 shares on conversion of Deep Core notes that had raised $3,365,000, at $0.40 a share. It also sold 500,000 shares for $200,000. Director David Choi cancelled 9,324,042 shares, leaving 69,376,000 outstanding. Because officers Grant Draper and Anthony Ives also ran Deep Core, the filing called it a related-party deal.
On May 15 the company closed the purchase of a 25% interest in the La Maye Block, in the Lower Magdalena Basin. An exploration well there, Noelia-1, drilled in October 2009, was awaiting testing. The same day DCX withdrew from the SSJN-5 contract, handing its 25% interest to partners SK Innovation and Petroamerica International, subject to approval by Colombia's hydrocarbons agency (ANH). The company said this was to focus on lower-risk opportunities, and that the Morichito-5 discovery well had been declared commercially viable.
With the Deep Core notes turned into shares, new money came as debt. In August and December 2012 it sold convertible debentures of $1,000,000 and $500,000, both at 6%, convertible at $0.60 a share, with warrants (rights to buy shares) at $0.85. Interest would rise if a $6,000,000 public offering and a Nasdaq listing were missed; the filings do not say whether they were achieved.
2013-2014: Selling Morichito, restating, and a La Maye bet
In February 2013 the company sold a further $1,000,000 debenture at 15%, convertible at $0.50, with warrants at $0.60 and the right for the investor to appoint three directors. Shares on issue rose only modestly, to 71,371,038 by the end of 2013.
On August 28, 2013 the company sold Deep Core Inc., and with it the 50% Morichito interest, to Black Energy Oil & Gas Corp. for $1.5 million in cash. Black Energy also took on $6 million of liabilities. The company kept a 15% Morichito interest, held in trust pending ANH approval, with Black Energy to fund exploration up to $10 million.
In December 2013 the company said its 2012 and 2011 accounts and its June 2013 quarterly report should no longer be relied on, because of errors in how non-cash property costs and liabilities were shown. Amended reports were to follow.
In February 2014 it agreed to buy New Horizon Exploration, which holds a 13% La Maye interest, for $800,000 less adjustments. The deal needed ANH approval, and the filings do not confirm it closed.
2015-2016: A quiet record and a new auditor
The record is quiet after early 2014. On October 29, 2015 the company replaced its auditor, Q Accountancy, with RBSM LLP. Q Accountancy had not issued a report for 2014. By January 15, 2016 Brian Ladin was President and CEO and the office had moved to Dallas, Texas. The status of the debentures and the other open approvals was not stated.
Written from the 9 story beats below (2012 to 27 Feb 2014), which come from the company's own announcements and filings.