Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Jatropha Business Venture

v2.4.0.6
Jatropha Business Venture
3 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2012
Jatropha Business Venture:  
Jatropha Business Venture

Note 3 – Jatropha Business Venture

 

The Company entered into the bio-fuels business in 2007 by acquiring certain trade secrets, know-how, business plans, term sheets, business relationships, and other information relating to the cultivation and production of seed oil from the Jatropha plant for the production of bio-diesel, and by entering into certain employment agreements and property management agreements.  Subsequent to entering into these transactions, the Company identified certain real property in Mexico it believed to be suitable for cultivating the Jatropha plant.  During 2008, GCE Mexico acquired the land in Mexico for the cultivation of the Jatropha plant.  In July 2009, the Company acquired TAL, which had developed a farm in Belize for cultivation of the Jatropha plant and provided technical advisory services for the propagation of the Jatropha plant.  In March 2010, the Company formed Asideros 2, a Mexican corporation, which has acquired additional land in Mexico adjacent to the land acquired by Asideros. All of these transactions are described in further detail in Note 1 above and in the remainder of the notes.

 

Share Exchange Agreement

 

The Company entered into a share exchange agreement (the Global Agreement) pursuant to which the Company acquired all of the outstanding ownership interests in Global Clean Energy Holdings, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (Global), on September 7, 2007 from Mobius Risk Group, LLC (Mobius) and from Richard Palmer (Mr. Palmer).  Mr. Palmer owned a 13.33% equity interest in Mobius and became the Company’s new President and Chief Operating Officer in September 2007 and its Chief Executive Officer in December 2007.

 

Mobius Consulting Agreement

 

Concurrent with the execution of the Global Agreement, the Company entered into a consulting agreement with Mobius pursuant to which Mobius agreed to provide consulting services to the Company in connection with the Company’s new Jatropha biofuel feedstock business. The Company engaged Mobius as a consultant to obtain Mobius’ experience and expertise in the feedstock/bio-diesel market to assist the Company and Mr. Palmer in developing this new line of operations for the Company.  Mobius agreed to provide the following services to the Company: (i) manage and supervise a contemplated research and development program contracted by the Company and conducted by the University of Texas Pan American regarding the location, characterization, and optimal economic propagation of the Jatropha plant; and (ii) assist with the management and supervision of the planning, construction, and start-up of plant nurseries and seed production plantations in Mexico, the Caribbean or Central America.

 

Under the agreement, Mobius was required to supervise the hiring of certain staff to serve in management and operations roles of the Company, or to hire such persons to provide similar services to the company as independent contractors.  Mobius’ compensation for the services provided under the agreement was a monthly retainer of $45,000.  The Company also reimbursed Mobius for reasonable business expenses incurred in connection with the services provided.  The Company terminated the agreement in July 2008, with the termination to become effective August 2008.  The Company had recorded liabilities to Mobius of $322,897 for accrued, but unpaid, compensation and costs as of September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011.  However, the Company disputes these charges, and the additional amounts that Mobius claims that it is owed.  As a result, in April 2010 Mobius filed a complaint against the Company in the United States District Court Southern District of Texas Houston Division, alleging that that the Company breached its agreement with Mobius.

 

LODEMO Agreement

 

On October 15, 2007, the Company entered into a service agreement with Corporativo LODEMO S.A DE CV, a Mexican corporation (the LODEMO Group), to provide services related to the establishment, development, and day-to-day operations of the Company’s Jatropha Business in Mexico.  The Company had agreed to pay the LODEMO Group a fixed fee per year of $60 per hectare of land planted and maintained with minimum payments based on 10,000 hectares of developed land, to follow a planned planting schedule. The Agreement had a 20-year term but could  be terminated or modified earlier by the Company under certain circumstances. In June 2009, the scope of work previously performed by LODEMO was reduced and modified based upon certain labor functions being provided internally by the Company and by Asideros, the Company’s Mexican subsidiary, on a go-forward basis.  This agreement was cancelled in 2009.  As of September 30, 2012 and as of December 31, 2011, the Company’s financial statement reflect that it owes the LODEMO Group $251,500 for accrued, but unpaid, compensation and cost.  The Company disputes the total of these charges and is currently in discussions with LODEMO to resolve this liability.

 

GCE Mexico I, LLC and Subsidiaries

 

GCE Mexico was organized primarily to facilitate the acquisition of the initial 5,000 acres of farm land (the Jatropha Farm) in the State of Yucatan in Mexico to be used primarily for the (i) cultivation of Jatropha curcas, (ii) the marketing and sale of the resulting fruit, seeds, or pre-processed crude Jatropha oil, whether as biodiesel, feedstock, biomass or otherwise, and (iii) the sale of carbon value, green fuel value, or renewable energy credit value (and other similar environmental attributes) derived from activities at the Jatropha Farm.

 

Under the LLC Agreement, the Company owns 50% of the issued and outstanding common membership units of GCE Mexico.  The remaining 50% of the common membership units was issued to five of the Investors.  The Company and the other owners of the common membership interest were not required to make capital contributions to GCE Mexico.

 

In addition, two of the Investors agreed to invest in GCE Mexico through the purchase of preferred membership units and through the funding of the purchase of land in Mexico.  An aggregate of 1,000 preferred membership units were issued to these two Investors who each agreed to make capital contributions to GCE Mexico in installments and as required, fund the development and operations of the Jatropha Farm.  The preferred members have made capital contributions of $4,420,360 and $4,780,156 during the nine-month periods ended September 30, 2012 and 2011, respectively, and total contributions of $18,360,628  have been received by GCE Mexico from these Investors since the execution of the LLC Agreement.  The LLC Agreement calls for additional contributions from the Investors, as requested by management and as required by the operation in 2011 and the following years.  These Investors are entitled to earn a preferential 12% per annum cumulative compounded return on the cumulative balance of their preferred membership interest.  The preferential return increased $1,487,084, and $1,044,264 during the nine-month periods ended September 30, 2012 and 2011, respectively, and totals $4,394,762 since the execution of the LLC Agreement.

 

Two investors holding the preferred membership units of GCE Mexico also directly funded the purchase by Asideros I of approximately 5,000 acres of land in the State of Yucatan in Mexico by the payment of $2,051,282, The land was acquired in the name of Asideros I and Asideros I issued a mortgage in the amount of $2,051,282 in favor of these two investors. These two investors also directly funded the purchase by Asideros 2 of approximately 4,500 acres, and a second parcel by Asideros 2 of approximately 600 acres on land adjacent to the land owned by Asideros I by the total payment of $963,382. The land was acquired in the name of Asideros 2 and Asideros 2 issued mortgages in the amount of $963,382 in favor of these two investors. These mortgages bear interest at the rate of 12% per annum, payable quarterly. The parties agree that interst would accrue until such time as the Board determines that there is sufficient cash flow to pay all accrued interest. The initial mortgage, including any unpaid interest, is due in April 2018. The second mortgage, including any unpaid interest, is due in February 2020.

 

In October 2011, these two investors also directly funded the purchase by Asideros 3 of approximately 5,600 acres for a total $2,095,525. The land was acquired in the name of Asideros 3 and Asideros 3 issued mortgages in the amount of $2,095,525 in favor of these two investors. These mortgages bear interest at the rate of 12% per annum, payable quarterly. The Board has directed that this interest shall continue to accrue until such time as the Board determines that there is sufficient cash flow to pay all accrued interest. The initial mortgage, including any unpaid interest, is due in October 2021.

 

The net income or loss of the Mexican subsidiaries is allocated to its shareholders based on their respective equity ownership, which is 99% to GCE Mexico and 1% directly to the Company.  GCE Mexico has no operations separate from its investments in the Mexican subsidiaries.  According to the LLC Agreement of GCE Mexico, the net loss of GCE Mexico is allocated to its members according to their respective investment balances.  Accordingly, since the common membership interest did not make a capital contribution, all of the losses have been allocated to the preferred membership interest.   The noncontrolling interest presented in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets includes the carrying value of the preferred membership interests and of the common membership interests owned by the Investors, and excludes any common membership interest in GCE Mexico held by the Company.

 

Technology Alternatives, Limited

 

On October 29, 2008, the Company entered into a stock purchase agreement with the shareholders of TAL, a company formed under the laws of Belize in Central America.  Subsequently, the terms and conditions of the stock purchase agreement were modified prior to closing.  The closing was primarily delayed to allow TAL to complete all required conditions for the closing.  On July 2, 2009, all closing requirements were completed and the Company consummated the stock purchase agreement by issuing 8,952,757 shares of its common stock in exchange for 100% of the equity interests of TAL.  TAL owns approximately 400 acres of land and has developed a Jatropha farm in stages over the last three years for the cultivation of the Jatropha plant.  TAL developed a nursery capable of producing Jatropha seeds, seedlings and rooted cuttings.  During 2009, TAL commenced selling seeds, principally to GCE Mexico.

 

In connection with the acquisition, certain payables to the former shareholders of TAL were renegotiated and converted into promissory notes in the aggregate principal amount of $516,139 Belize Dollars (US $268,036 based on exchange rates in effect at July 2, 2009).  These notes payable to shareholders were interest free through September 30, 2009, and then bear interest at 8% per annum through the maturity date.  The notes are secured by a mortgage on the land and related improvements. The notes, plus any related accrued interest, were due on August 15, 2012. The holders of these notes have not yet declared a formal default and have not taken any action to foreclose. The holders of the loans have previously voluntarily agreed to extend the maturity date of these loans to the August 15, 2012 maturity date.

 

During 2010, the Company ceased the TAL operations.  The assets are reported as  Investment Held for Sale.