UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C.
20549
FORM 40-F
[Check one]
[ ] REGISTRATION STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 12 OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 OR
[ x ] ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13(a) OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
| For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010 | Commission File Number 001-31891 |
TransGlobe Energy
Corporation
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its
charter)
_______________________________________________
(Translation
of Registrant's name into English (if applicable))
Alberta, Canada
(Province or other jurisdiction
of incorporation or organization)
1311
(Primary Standard Industrial
Classification Code Number (if applicable))
_________________________________________
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number (if applicable))
Suite 2300, 250 – Fifth Street SW, Calgary, Alberta,
Canada T2P 0R4
(Address and telephone number of Registrant's
principal executive offices)
John L. Mericle
Harris, Mericle & Wakayama
901
Fifth Avenue, Suite 4100
Seattle, Washington 98164
tel.: (206) 621-1818
(Name, address (including
zip code) and telephone number (including area code)
Of agent for service in
the United States)
Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act.
| Title of each class | Name of each exchange on which registered |
| The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC | |
| Common Shares Without Par Value | (Global Select Market) |
Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act.
None
(Title of Class)
Securities for which there is a reporting obligation pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Act.
None
(Title of Class)
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For annual reports, indicate by check mark the information filed with this Form:
| [ x ] Annual information form | [ x ] Audited annual financial statements |
Indicate the number of outstanding shares of each of the issuer’s classes of capital or common stock as of the close of the period covered by the annual report.
The number of shares outstanding of the issuer’s common shares as of fiscal year ended December 31, 2010 was 67,575,321.
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant by filing the
information contained in this Form is also thereby furnishing the information to
the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 (the “Exchange Act”). If ”Yes” is marked, indicate the file number assigned
to the Registrant in connection with such Rule.
Yes[
] 82-____ No [ x ]
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all
reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act 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
[ ]
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted
electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every 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 [ ] No [ ]
The Registrant has determined that it is not required to comply with the Interactive Data File requirement as described under General Instruction B, paragraph 15 of SEC Form 40-F. The Registrant is not a “large accelerated filer” as described under subparagraphs (a)(1) and (a)(2) of General Instruction B, paragraph 15, and is not a filer as described under subparagraph (a)(3) of General Instruction B, paragraph 15.
PRINCIPAL DOCUMENTS
The following documents have been filed as part of this Annual Report on Form 40-F:
A. Annual Information Form
For the Registrant’s Annual Information Form for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010, see Exhibit 99.1 of this Annual Report on Form 40-F, which is incorporated by reference herein.
B. Audited Annual Financial Statements and accompanying Management’s Discussion and Analysis
For the Registrant’s Consolidated Audited Annual Financial Statements and accompanying Management’s Discussion and Analysis for fiscal year ended December 31, 2010, including the report of Independent Registered Chartered Accountants with respect thereto, see Exhibits 99.2, 99.3 and 99.4 of this Annual Report on Form 40-F, which are incorporated by reference herein. The Registrant’s Consolidated Audited Annual Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with Canadian generally accepted accounting principles (“Canadian GAAP”) and reconciled to United States generally accepted accounting principles (“US GAAP”) - see Note 20 of the Notes to Consolidated Audited Annual Financial Statements of the Registrant’s Consolidated Audited Annual Financial Statements, reconciling the material differences between Canadian and US GAAP.
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DISCLOSURE CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
After evaluating the effectiveness of the Registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures as required by paragraph (b) of Exchange Act Rule 13a-15 or Rule 15d-15, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Registrant have concluded that, as of the end of the Registrant’s fiscal year covered by this Form 40-F Annual Report, the Registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective to ensure that material information required to be disclosed by the Registrant in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms, and accumulated and communicated to the Registrant’s management, including its principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
MANAGEMENT’S ANNUAL REPORT ON INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING
Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting as defined in Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(f). The Registrant’s system of internal control over financial reporting is designed 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 in Canada and in the United States.
Management recognizes that effective internal control over financial reporting may nonetheless not prevent or detect all possible misstatements or frauds. 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 policies or procedures may deteriorate.
Management has evaluated the effectiveness of the Registrant's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2010 based on the framework in “Internal Control – Integrated Framework” issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). Based on this evaluation, management concluded that, as of December 31, 2010, the Registrant maintained effective internal control over financial reporting.
Deloitte & Touche LLP, the independent registered chartered accountants that audited the Registrant's consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 40-F, has issued an attestation report on management’s assessment of the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.
ATTESTATION REPORT OF THE REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
A copy of Deloitte & Touche LLP’s attestation report on internal control over financial reporting is provided herein as Exhibit 99.4 of this Annual Report on Form 40-F.
CHANGES IN INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING
During the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 40-F, there was no change that occurred in the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting identified in connection with the evaluation required by paragraph (d) of Exchange Act Rule 13a-15 or Rule 15d-15 that materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.
NOTICES PURSUANT TO REGULATION BTR
Not applicable.
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AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL EXPERT
The Registrant’s Board of Directors has determined that it has at least one Audit Committee financial expert serving on its Audit Committee. Fred J. Dyment has been determined by the Registrant’s Board of Directors to meet the “audit committee financial expert” criteria prescribed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and is an “independent director”, as that term is defined under the listing standards applicable to the Registrant contained in Rule 5605(a)(2) of the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation System (NASDAQ) Marketplace Rules. Mr. Dyment is a Chartered Accountant with over 30 years' experience in the oil and gas industry and was previously President and Chief Executive Officer of Maxx Petroleum Company (2000-2001). Before that, he was Controller, Vice President Finance and then President and Chief Executive Officer of Ranger Oil Limited from 1978-2000. The SEC has indicated that the designation of Mr. Dyment as an audit committee financial expert does not make him an “expert” for any purpose, impose any duties, obligations or liability on him that are greater than those imposed on members of the Audit Committee and Board of Directors who do not carry this designation, or affect the duties, obligations or liability of any other member of the Audit Committee.
CODE OF ETHICS FOR CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, AND OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
The Registrant has adopted a Code of Conduct and Conflict of Interest Guidelines for Directors and Officers. Shareholders may obtain a copy upon request, addressed to the Corporate Secretary, TransGlobe Energy Corporation, Suite 2300, 250 -5th Street, S.W. Calgary, Alberta, T2P 0R4, Canada. The Registrant has also posted its Code of Conduct and Conflict of Interest Guidelines for Directors and Officers on its Internet Web site at www.trans-globe.com. All amendments to the Code of Conduct and Conflict of Interest Guidelines for Directors and Officers and all waivers of the Code of Conduct and Conflict of Interest Guidelines for Directors and Officers with respect to any of the persons covered by them will be filed with the SEC and posted on EDGAR at www.sec.gov.
PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES
The aggregate fees for professional services billed to Deloitte & Touche LLP for fiscal years ended December 31, 2010 and December 31, 2009 were as follows (all fees are in Canadian dollars):
| Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2010 |
Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2009 | |
| Audit Fees | $362,706 | $415,555 |
| Audit Related Fees | $186,650 | $279,306 |
| Tax Fees | $16,402 | $38,734 |
| All Other Fees | $NIL | $35,429 |
| TOTAL | $565,758 | $769,024 |
The nature of the services provided by Deloitte & Touche LLP under each of the categories indicated in the table is described below.
Audit Fees
Audit fees were for professional
services rendered by Deloitte & Touche LLP for the audit of the Registrant’s
annual financial statements.
Audit Related Fees
Audit related fees were for
professional services rendered by Deloitte & Touche LLP for assurance and
related services that are reasonably related to the audit of the Registrant’s
annual financial statements (not included in audit fees), as well as for the
review of the Registrant’s interim quarterly financial statements and services
provided in connection with statutory and regulatory filings or engagements.
During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010, Audit Related Fees also included fees for professional services rendered by Deloitte & Touche LLP in connection with work performed in relation to the Company’s International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”) accounting policies and the opening January 1, 2010 consolidated balance sheet prepared under IFRS.
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Tax Fees
Tax fees were for tax compliance,
including the review of tax returns, tax advice and tax planning and advisory
services relating to common forms of domestic and international taxation (i.e.
income tax, capital tax, goods and services tax and payroll tax).
All Other Fees
During the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2010, no other fees were incurred other than those described above.
During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009, other fees were for an annual
subscription service to Petroview, a software program for oil and gas
reconnaissance.
PRE-APPROVAL OF POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
It is within the mandate of the Registrant’s Audit Committee to approve all audit and non-audit related fees. The Audit Committee is informed routinely as to the non-audit services actually provided by the auditor pursuant to this pre-approval process. The auditors also present the estimate for the annual audit related services to the Audit Committee for approval prior to undertaking the annual audit of the financial statements.
OFF-BALANCE SHEET ARRANGEMENTS
None.
TABULAR DISCLOSURE OF CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS
FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2010
| Payment Due by Period1,2 | |||||||||||||||
| Less Than | 1-3 | 4-5 | More than | ||||||||||||
| ($000s) | Total | 1 Year | Years | Years | 5 Years | ||||||||||
| Long-term debt | |||||||||||||||
| Revolving Credit Agreement | 90,000 | - | 56,803 | 33,197 | - | ||||||||||
| Office and equipment leases | 11,255 | 1,474 | 3,422 | 1,970 | 4,389 | ||||||||||
| Minimum work commitments3 | 5,433 | 1,890 | 3,543 | - | - | ||||||||||
| Total (expressed in United States Dollars) | 106,688 | 3,364 | 63,768 | 35,167 | 4,389 | ||||||||||
|
1 |
Payments exclude ongoing operating costs related to certain leases, interest on long-term debt and payments made to settle derivative contracts. |
|
2 |
Payments denominated in foreign currencies have been translated at the December 31, 2010 exchange rate. |
|
3 |
Minimum work commitments include contracts awarded for capital projects and those commitments related to exploration and drilling obligations. |
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Annual Report on Form 40-F and the principal documents incorporated by reference herein may include certain statements deemed to be “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements relate to future events or the Registrant's future performance. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "plan", "continue", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "project", "predict", "potential", "targeting", "intend", "could", "might", "should", "believe" and similar expressions. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. Actual operational and financial results may differ materially from the Registrant's expectations contained in the forward-looking statements as a result of various risk factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Registrant. These risk factors include, but are not limited to:
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Statements relating to "reserves" or "resources" are deemed to be forward-looking statements, as they involve the implied assessment, based on certain estimates and assumptions, that some or all of the resources and reserves described can be profitably produced in the future. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. The forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 40-F and the documents incorporated by reference herein are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.
The Registrant believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 40-F and the principal documents incorporated by reference herein are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct, and investors should not attribute undue certainty to, or place undue reliance on, such forward-looking statements. Such statements speak only as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 40-F. If circumstances or management’s beliefs, expectations or opinions should change, the Registrant does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable securities law. Please consult the Registrant's public filings at www.sedar.com and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov for further, more detailed information concerning these matters.
IDENTIFICATION OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE
The Registrant has a separately designated standing Audit Committee. The members of the Audit Committee are:
| Chair: | Fred J. Dyment |
| Members: | Gary S. Guidry |
| Robert A. Halpin | |
| Geoffrey Chase |
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UNDERTAKING
The Registrant undertakes to make available, in person or by telephone, representatives to respond to inquiries made by the Commission staff, and to furnish promptly, when requested to do so by the Commission staff, information relating to: the securities registered pursuant to Form 40-F; the securities in relation to which the obligation to file an annual report on Form 40-F arises; or transactions in said securities.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Exchange Act, the Registrant certifies that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form 40-F and has duly caused this Annual Report on Form 40-F to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereto duly authorized.
| Registrant: | TRANSGLOBE ENERGY CORPORATION |
| By: | /s/ Ross G. Clarkson |
| Ross G. Clarkson, Chief Executive Officer | |
| Date: | March 18, 2011 |
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EXHIBITS
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