SEC Company Response from Siberian Energy Group Inc. (CIK 0001301299) — Nov 23, 2004
Siberian Energy Group Inc. (CIK 0001301299)
Date: Nov. 23, 2004 · CIK: 0001301299 · Accession: 0001214782-04-000454
AI Filing Summary & Sentiment
File numbers found in text: 333-118902
Referenced dates: October 14, 2004
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DAVID M. LOEV
ATTORNEY AT LAW
2777 ALLEN PARKWAY, SUITE 1000
HOUSTON, TEXAS 77019
(713) 524-4110 - PHONE
(713) 524-4122 - FAX
November 23, 2004
Mr. Jason Wynn
Division of Corporate Finance
United States Securities and Exchange Commission
450 Fifth Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20549
RE: Siberian Energy Group Inc. File No 333-118902
Dear Mr. Wynn:
We have enclosed three red-lined copies of the amended registration statement
for your review. In response to your letter dated October 14, 2004, Siberian
Energy Group Inc. (the "Company") has the following responses:
GENERAL
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1. We have made the changes you have asked for in your letter, as well as
making the corresponding changes throughout the Registration Statement
where applicable.
2. We do not have any artwork or graphics to be included in the prospectus.
3. We have revised the Registration Statement to include an emphasis on our
lack of operating history and added an additional risk factor regarding the
potential that the Company's licenses will not be extended past their
initial 5-year terms.
4. We have revised the calculation of the registration fee table to fully
comply with Item 5 of Form SB-2 including adding disclosure that the
Company's stock is not quoted on any public markets.
5. We have added footnotes corresponding to the headings in the registration
fee table.
<PAGE>
PROSPECTUS COVER PAGE
-----------------------
6. We have added language regarding the fact that selling shareholders will
sell at a fixed price of $0.10 until the shares are quoted on the OTC
Bulletin Board, as well as the fact that we currently lack a market for the
company's common stock. Additionally, we have added language confirming
that if the securities are to be sold at a different price from that which
appears in the final prospectus, we will file a post-effective amendment
beforehand. In regards to your comments concerning the offering
constituting a "primary offering," we have removed Victor Repin and Zaural
Neftegaz ("ZNG") as selling shareholders.
7. We have revised the last two paragraphs of the Prospectus Cover Page to
remove the "all caps" presentation.
PROSPECTUS SUMMARY
-------------------
8. We have added information to disclose the fact that there was no
affiliation between ZNG and the Registrant prior to the issuance of shares
in May 2003.
RISK FACTORS
-------------
9. We have eliminated language throughout the "Risk Factors" section, which
tends to mitigate the risks regarding the Company and its securities.
10. We have revised the subheadings under "Risk Factors," to more clearly
identify the risks and potential harms associated with each risk.
We lack an operating history
--------------------------------
11. We have disclosed the total amount of losses the Company has incurred to
date.
We lack profits from operations
----------------------------------
12. We have deleted the second sentence of this risk and have revised the
entire risk factor to remove inappropriate statements concerning the future
of the Company.
Our business is speculative and risky
-----------------------------------------
13. We have deleted the second sentence of the risk factor.
Our industry is competitive
---------------------------------
14. We have deleted and revised the language of this risk factor to reconcile
the earlier discrepancy with language found later in the Registration
Statement regarding the competitiveness and barriers to entry of the
Company's industry.
<PAGE>
We rely upon key personnel
---------------------------------
15. We have disclosed which "key personnel" are under contract and discussed
which personnel we rely and why. Additionally we have added disclosure of
the fact that we hold no "key man" insurance on any of those key personnel.
SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
-----------------------------------------------------
16...We have ensured that all of the Company's filings and statements, including
press releases have not referred to the safe harbor or otherwise suggest
that it is applicable in this Registration Statement. We have also removed
the section we had previously explaining "forward looking statements."
EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENTS
----------------------
17. We have moved the "Employment Agreement" discussion to the "Executive
Compensation" section as you requested.
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT
---------------------------------------------------------------------
18. We have added a reference to footnote (2) in the row for Zaural Neftegaz.
DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS
-------------------------
General
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19. We have added a discussion of the Company's previous business ventures, the
reason for the Company's change in business focus, the reason for each
change in the Company's name and the current status of the Company's
previous business ventures.
History
-------
20. We have expanded this section to explain why the Company had changed its
name to Talking Cards, Oysterking and #17388, as well as clarifying whether
management and control of the Company changed as well.
21. We have identified the four (4) specific oil and gas leases rather then
referring to them generically as "certain leases."
22. We have explained in greater detail the creation of, transaction with, and
purpose of creating Siberian Energy (Canada) as well as specifying how its
valuation was calculated.
<PAGE>
The Parent - Siberian Energy Group Inc.
---------------------------------------------
23. We have identified the other company that holds exploration licenses in
Kurgan Oblast as you requested.
24. We have deleted the second paragraph of this section as you requested.
History of Industrial Development in Russia
------------------------------------------------
25. We have described the "additional industries" Kurgan is seeking to develop
as well as the relevance of those industries to the potential success of
our operations.
Market Size and Share
------------------------
26. We have deleted the statement regarding the Company's commitment of the
local government.
Financing Strategy
-------------------
27. We have disclosed the time frame and methods that we expect to use to
finance our projects.
28. We have quantified the amount of funds we will require for completion
of each of the future projects detailed in question 27.
Alliance and Partnering Strategy
----------------------------------
29. We have explained what was meant by the phrase "leverage key
relationships."
Exploration and Production Strategy
-------------------------------------
30. We have explained in greater detail what we meant in the previous draft by
"risk sharing" and provided examples of how the Company believes the "risk
sharing" will work.
Marketing Strategy
-------------------
31. We have revised this section to make it clearer that the marketing
activities discussed will take place only if the Company discovers
hydrocarbons within the 5-year licensing period.
<PAGE>
Competition
-----------
32. We have deleted the section to which your original question 32 referred.
However, we have updated language throughout the Registration Statement
which mitigated the risk that we will not find any hydrocarbon reserves.
33. We have revised this section to explain previous statements regarding the
"Company's multi-year history in the province." The Company feels that by
the time the new parcels become available for distribution in the region,
the Company will have an advantage over their competitors because of the
experience they have gained up until that point.
34. We have described in greater detail was meant by the term, "junior players"
and have added information regarding large corporations who are competitors
of the Company. Additionally, we have added disclosure of the fact that the
Company is a "junior player."
Costs and Effects of Compliance with Environmental Laws
--------------------------------------------------------------
35. We have disclosed the actual costs associated with the Company's compliance
with applicable laws and regulations.
MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
---------------------------------------
Overview
--------
36. We have deleted the second sentence of this section as you requested.
37. We have described known trends and uncertainties that the Company expects
will have a material favorable and unfavorable impact on the Company's
short-term and long-term liquidity.
38. We have revised the third paragraph of this section, deleting the
statements you requested regarding "forcing [of] ZNG's efforts and
resources" and revising the other statements to make the Company's future
plans more clear.
Estimate of the Amount Spent During Each of the Last Two Fiscal Years on
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Research and Development
------------------------
39. We have clarified the use of the term, "time market research." The sentence
was intended to read, "during which time, market research was
-----------------------
conducted" not "time market research," and we have clarified.
-----------------------
<PAGE>
Liquidity and Capital Resources
----------------------------------
40. We have explained in greater detail where the $34,426 of additional paid in
capital came from.
41. We have provided greater detail as to why the Company believes that there
is a 50% chance that its tax net operating loss carryforwards as of
December 31, 2003 will expire.
DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY
-------------------------
42. We have disclosed from whom our properties are leased and explained in
greater detail the other purposes that our leased properties are used for.
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
-----------------------
43. We have added the salary information for Elena Pochapski, the Company's
Chief Financial Officer.
Additionally, we have added salary information on Bruna Compagnoni who was
the Company's president previous to Shakeel Adams, and falls within the
three fiscal year reporting period of Item 402 of Regulation S-B.
However, we believe that there is no disclosure required for any of the
Company's other executives because their annual salaries fall below the
$100,000.00 minimum floor of Item 402 (Instruction 1) when including salary
and bonuses.
Oleg Zhuravlev received a $32,000 salary from the Company in 2003 and will
receive the same salary for 2004. Mr. Zhuravlev also holds stock options.
However, none of his options have been exercised. Therefore, his total
compensation for the fiscal year ending 2003 would be only $32,000 and his
total salary for 2004 would be $32,000, both of which are under the
$100,000.00 minimum, required for disclosure of executives other then the
Chief Executive Officer of the Company.
Sergey Potapov and Valdimir Eret both receive salaries of $30,000.00 per
year and stock options from the Company. Mr. Potapov and Mr. Eret have not
exercised any of their stock options to date. Therefore, we believe that
both fall below the $100,000.00 minimum annual salary requirement for
disclosure under Item 402.
Additionally, we have added disclosure of the fact that no other executive
employees have been paid more then $100,000.00 in consideration, including
bonuses and options, over the Company's last three fiscal years.
<PAGE>
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION AND SELLING SHAREHOLDERS
--------------------------------------------------
44. We have disclosed the fact that none of the selling stockholders are
broker-dealers or affiliates of broker-dealers.
45. We have removed both Victor Repin and Zaural Neftegaz from the list of
selling shareholders. Additionally, we added a section below the list of
selling shareholders, "Relationships of Selling Shareholders," which
identifies any selling shareholders who have had any position, office or
other relationship with the Company, its predecessors or affiliates.
46. We have removed Zaural Neftegaz as a selling shareholder.
47. We have added information on how and when the selling shareholders acquired
their shares. We were unable to obtain information on the compensation and
date acquired for all of the selling shareholders however, because many had
received their shares before the Company's current management took over
control of the Company.
SIGNATURES
----------
48. We have added the required signatures of a majority of the board of
directors of the Company.
ENGINEERING COMMENTS
RISK FACTORS
-------------
49. We have added a risk factor that specifically discusses the Company's
requirements under Russia's export quotas titled "If We Do Produce Oil, We
Must Sell 70% of Our Oil Production in the Domestic Russian Market, Which
Will Mean that We Will Only Be Able to Sell 30% Of Our Production In The
More Lucrative Foreign Markets." Additionally, we added information to a
previous risk factor discussing the competitiveness of the industry and
disclosing the fact that the Company has less experience then other
competitors.
Our Business is Speculative and Risky
------------------------------------------
50. We have deleted statements in this section which mitigated the risks of the
Company's business.
<PAGE>
THE SUBSIDIARY - ZAURAL NEFTEGAZ
------------------------------------
51. We have amended this section to explain that simply because Russia ranks
high among the worlds oil producers it does not in any way mean that the
Company will be successful in its oil and gas exploration and production.
52. We have deleted the statement, "The Kurgan region was not assigned to oil
production and as a result, the area has many untapped oil and gas
resources," as you requested.
GEOGRAPHY
---------
53. We have amended the statement, "The blocks that ZNG owns are located " to
---
"The blocks that ZNG holds the exploration rights to are located "
-------------------------------
54. We have added disclosure of the fact that even though the area that
surrounds the Company's blocks may contain