Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

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SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
6 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2011
Notes to Financial Statements  
SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

 

Basis of presentation

 

The Company’s unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements present the consolidated results of BMB Munai, Inc., including the results of its wholly owned subsidiary, Emir Oil until September 19, 2011. All significant inter-company balances and transactions have been eliminated from the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

  

Certain reclassifications have been made in the financial statements for the six months ended September 30, 2010 to conform to the September 30, 2011 classification of discontinued operations. These classifications were made because of the sale of Emir Oil.

 

Going concern

 

With the sale of Emir Oil, the Company has no continuing operations that result in positive cash flow, which raises substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern.

 

Subsequent event

 

On October 24, 2011 the Company declared and made a cash distribution of $1.04 per share to common stockholders of record on October 10, 2011. The total amount distributed to common stockholders was $45,018,342.

 

The initial distribution amount was determined after giving effect to the estimated closing adjustments and escrow amount and the repayment of the Company's 10.75% Convertible Senior Notes and after providing for the payment of or reserve for other anticipated liabilities and transaction costs.

 

In connection with the Sale, Boris Cherdabayev, the chairman of the Company’s board of directors, and Toleush Tolmakov, an executive officer of the Company, agreed to contribute into the escrow at closing the entirety of the cash distribution, approximately $13 million, they otherwise would have been entitled to receive from the Company in the initial cash distribution.  Messrs. Cherdabayev and Tolmakov are the record or beneficial holders of 6,248,727 shares and 6,251,960 shares of Company common stock, respectively.  Messrs. Cherdabayev and Tolmakov agreed to defer until the anticipated second cash distribution, if any, their portion of the initial cash distribution and have put at risk the entire value of their common stock for the Company’s indemnification purposes.

 

Use of estimates

 

The preparation of unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with US GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect certain reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Accordingly, actual results could differ from those estimates and affect the results reported in these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

  

Concentration of credit risk

 

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to a concentration of credit risk consist principally of cash and accounts receivable. The Company places its cash with high credit quality financial institutions.

 

Foreign currency translation

 

Transactions denominated in foreign currencies are reported at the rates of exchange prevailing at the date of the transaction. Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated to United States Dollars at the rates of exchange prevailing at the balance sheet dates. Any gains or losses arising from a change in exchange rates subsequent to the date of the transaction are included as an exchange gain or loss in the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations.

 

Share-based compensation

 

The Company accounts for options granted to non-employees at their fair value in accordance with FASC Topic 718 – Stock Compensation. Share-based compensation is determined as the fair value of the equity instruments issued. The measurement date for these issuances is the earlier of the date at which a commitment for performance by the recipient to earn the equity instruments is reached or the date at which the recipient’s performance is complete. Stock options granted to the “selling agents” in private equity placement transactions have been offset against the proceeds as a cost of capital. Stock options and stocks granted to other non-employees are recognized in the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations.

 

The Company has a stock option plan as described in Note 8. Compensation expense for options and stock granted to employees is determined based on their fair values at the time of grant, the cost of which is recognized in the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations over the vesting periods of the respective options.

 

Share-based compensation incurred for the six months ended September 30, 2010 was $833,650. We did not incur any share-based compensation expense for the six months ended September 30, 2011.

 

Income taxes

 

Provisions for income taxes are based on taxes payable or refundable for the current year and deferred taxes. Deferred taxes are provided on differences between the tax bases of assets and liabilities and their reported amounts in the financial statements, and tax carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are included in the financial statements at currently enacted income tax rates applicable to the period in which the deferred tax assets and liabilities are expected to be realized or settled. As changes in tax laws or rates are enacted, deferred tax assets and liabilities are adjusted through the provision for income taxes.

 

Fair value of financial instruments

 

The carrying values reported for cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable and accrued liabilities approximate their respective fair values in the accompanying balance sheet due to the short-term maturity of these financial instruments.

 

Cash and cash equivalents

 

The Company considers all demand deposits, money market accounts and marketable securities purchased with an original maturity of six months or less to be cash and cash equivalents. The fair value of cash and cash equivalents approximates their carrying amounts due to their short-term maturity.

 

Other fixed assets

 

Other fixed assets are valued at historical cost adjusted for impairment loss less accumulated depreciation. Historical cost includes all direct costs associated with the acquisition of the fixed assets.

 

Depreciation of other fixed assets is calculated using the straight-line method based upon the following estimated useful lives:

 

Vehicles     3-5 years  
Office equipment     3-5 years  
Software     3-4 years  
Furniture and fixtures     2-7 years  

 

Maintenance and repairs are charged to expense as incurred. Renewals and betterments are capitalized as leasehold improvements, which are amortized on a straight-line basis over the shorter of their estimated useful lives or the term of the lease.

 

Other fixed assets of the Company are evaluated annually for impairment. If the sum of expected undiscounted cash flows is less than net book value, unamortized costs of other fixed assets will be reduced to a fair value. Based on the Company’s analysis at September 30, 2011, no impairment of other assets is necessary.

 

Convertible notes payable issue costs

 

The Company recognizes convertible notes payable issue costs on the balance sheet as deferred charges, and amortizes the balance over the term of the related debt. The Company classifies cash payments for bond issue costs as a financing activity. The Company capitalized cash payments for bond issue costs as part of oil and gas properties in periods of drilling activities.

 

Functional currency

 

The Company makes its principal investing and financing transactions in U.S. Dollars and the U.S. Dollar is therefore its functional currency.

 

Income per common share

 

Basic income per common share is computed by dividing net income by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted income per share reflects the potential dilution that could occur if all contracts to issue common stock were converted into common stock, except for those that are anti-dilutive.

 

New accounting policies

 

Disclosures about Fair Value Measurements – In January 2010, the FASB issued new authoritative guidance regarding  “Improving Disclosures about Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures” that requires additional disclosure of transfers in and out of Level 1 and 2 measurements and the reasons for the transfers, and a gross presentation of activity within the Level 3 roll forward. The guidance also includes clarifications to existing disclosure requirements on the level of disaggregation and disclosures regarding inputs and valuation techniques. The guidance is effective for the first interim or annual reporting period beginning after December 15, 2009, except for the gross presentation of the Level 3 roll forward information, which is required for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2010 and for interim reporting periods within those years. The Company adopted the guidance on April 1, 2010, except for requirements regarding the gross presentation of Level 3 roll forward information, which the Company adopted on April 1, 2011. Because this guidance only requires additional disclosures, it did not have a significant impact on the Company’s financial statements, nor is it expected to have an impact in future periods.