ITEM 3. KEY INFORMATION

Our selected financial data and the information in the following tables for the years ended December 31, 2008 – 2012 was derived from our audited consolidated financial statements. These audited consolidated financial statements have been audited by BDO Canada LLP, Chartered Accountants, for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010, and Dale Matheson Carr-Hilton LaBonte LLP, Chartered Accountants, for the years ended December 31, 2008 – 2009. Certain prior years’ comparative figures have been reclassified, if necessary.

The information in the following table should be read in conjunction with the information appearing under the heading “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects” and our audited consolidated financial statements under the heading “Item 18. Financial Statements”.

On January 1, 2011, the Company adopted International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”) for financial reporting purposes, using a transition date of January 1, 2010. The Company’s annual audited Consolidated Financial Statements for the year ended December 31, 2011, including 2010 required comparative information, have been prepared in accordance with IFRS, as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (“IASB”) and interpretations of the International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee (“IFRIC”). Financial statements prior to the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010 were prepared in accordance with Canadian generally accepted accounting principles (“Canadian GAAP”). Reference is made to Note 21 of our audited consolidated financial statements as at December 31, 2010 and 2009 and for the years ended December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008 for a discussion of the material measurement differences between Canadian GAAP and United States generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”), and their effect on our financial statements.

Financial information included in this annual report on Form 20-F for the years 2012, 2011 and 2010 is determined using IFRS, which differ from U.S. GAAP and Canadian GAAP. Unless otherwise indicated, financial information included in this annual report on Form 20-F prior to year 2010 were in accordance with Canadian GAAP.

We have not declared any dividends since incorporation and do not anticipate that we will do so in the foreseeable future. Our present policy is to retain all available funds for use in our operations and the expansion of our business.

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The following table is a summary of selected audited consolidated financial information of the Company for each of the three most recently completed financial years. The information presented is presented in accordance with IFRS:

The following table is a summary of selected audited consolidated financial information of the Company for the two fiscal years ended December 31, 2009 and 2008. The information presented is presented in accordance with Canadian GAAP and is not comparable to the financial information presented in accordance with IFRS.

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Canadian GAAP Adjusted to United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles

Under U.S. GAAP the following financial information would be adjusted from Canadian GAAP, and certain prior years’ comparative figures have been reclassified or restated, if necessary. The following table is a summary of selected audited consolidated financial information of the Company for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2009 and 2008. The information presented is in accordance with U.S. GAAP:

Exchange Rate History

See the disclosure under the heading “Currency and Exchange Rates” above.

Recently Adopted Accounting Policies and Future Accounting Pronouncements

IFRS

On January 1, 2011, we adopted IFRS and the accounting policies have been applied in preparing the consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2011, the consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2010 and the opening IFRS balance sheet on January 1, 2010. The detail accounting policies in accordance with IFRS were disclosed in Note 3 of the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements and the details of transition to IFRS were disclosed in Note 25 of the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements under the heading “Item 18. Financial Statements”, below. Subsequent to transition, the Company has prepared its consolidated financial statement in accordance with IFRS.

Future Accounting Pronouncements

Certain pronouncements were issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (“IASB”) or the International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee (“IFRIC”) that are mandatory for accounting periods beginning after January 1, 2013 or later periods.

The following new standards, amendments and interpretations, have not been early adopted in the Company’s consolidated annual financial statements. The Company is currently assessing the impact, if any, of this new guidance on the Company’s future results and financial position:

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Not Applicable.

Not Applicable.

An investment in a company engaged in oil and gas exploration involves an unusually high amount of risk, both unknown and known, present and potential, including, but not limited to the risks enumerated below. An investment in our common shares is highly speculative and subject to a number of known and unknown risks. Only those persons who can bear the risk of the entire loss of their investment should purchase our securities. An investor should carefully consider the risks described below and the other information that we file with the SEC and with Canadian securities regulators before investing in our common shares. The risks described below are not the only ones faced. Additional risks that we are not currently aware of or that we currently believe are immaterial may become important factors that affect our business. The risk factors set forth below and elsewhere in this annual report, and the risks discussed in our other filings with the SEC and Canadian securities regulators, may have a significant impact on our business, financial condition and/or results of operations and could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statements. See “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements”.

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Our failure to successfully address the risks and uncertainties described below would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and/or results of operations, and the trading price of our common stock may decline and investors may lose all or part of their investment. We cannot assure you that we will successfully address these risks or other unknown risks that may affect our business.

Risks related to commodity price fluctuations

The marketability and price of oil and natural gas are affected by numerous factors outside of our control. Material fluctuations in oil and natural gas prices could adversely affect our net production revenue and oil and natural gas operations.

Prices for oil and natural gas may fluctuate widely in response to relatively minor changes in the supply of and demand for oil and natural gas, market uncertainty and a variety of additional factors that are beyond our control, such as:

Our ability to market our oil and natural gas depends upon our ability to acquire space on pipelines that deliver such commodities to commercial markets. We are also affected by deliverability uncertainties related to the proximity of our reserves to pipelines and processing and storage facilities and operational problems affecting such pipelines and facilities, as well as extensive governmental regulation relating to price, taxes, royalties, land tenure, allowable production, the export of oil and natural gas and many other aspects of the oil and natural gas business.

Both oil and natural gas prices are unstable and are subject to fluctuation. Any material decline in prices could result in a reduction of our net production revenue. The economics of producing from some wells may change as a result of lower prices, which could result in reduced production of oil or natural gas and a reduction in the volumes and net present value of our reserves. We might also elect not to produce from certain wells at lower prices. All of these factors could result in a material decrease in our net production revenue and a reduction in our oil and natural gas acquisition, development and exploration activities.

Because world oil and natural gas prices are quoted in U.S. dollars, our production revenues could be adversely affected by an appreciation of the Canadian dollar.

World oil and natural gas prices are quoted in U.S. dollars, and the price received by Canadian producers, including us, is therefore affected by the Canadian/U.S. dollar exchange rate, which will fluctuate over time. In recent years, the Canadian dollar has increased materially in value against the U.S. dollar, which may negatively affect our production revenues. Further material increases in the value of the Canadian dollar would exacerbate this potential negative effect and could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. An increase in the exchange rate for the Canadian dollar and future Canadian/U.S. exchange rates could also negatively affect the future value of our reserves as determined by independent petroleum reserve engineers.

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Risks related to operating an exploration, development and production company

Our ability to execute projects will depend on certain factors outside of our control. If we are unable to execute projects on time, on budget or at all, we may not be able to effectively market the oil and natural gas that we produce.

We manage a variety of small and large projects in the conduct of our business. Our ability to execute projects and market oil and natural gas will depend upon numerous factors beyond our control, including:

Because of these factors, we could be unable to execute projects on time, on budget or at all, and may not be able to effectively market the oil and natural gas that we produce.

Oil and gas exploration has a high degree of risk and our exploration efforts may be unsuccessful, which would have a negative effect on our operations.

There is no certainty that the expenditures to be made by us in the exploration of our current projects, or any additional project interests we may acquire, will result in discoveries of recoverable oil and gas in commercial quantities. An exploration project may not result in the discovery of commercially recoverable reserves and the level of recovery of hydrocarbons from a property may not be a commercially recoverable (or viable) reserve that can be legally and economically exploited. If exploration is unsuccessful and no commercially recoverable reserves are defined, we would be required to evaluate and acquire additional projects that would require additional capital, or we would have to cease operations altogether.

Cumulative unsuccessful exploration efforts could result in us having to cease operations.

The expenditures to be made by us in the exploration of our properties may not result in discoveries of oil and natural gas in commercial quantities. Many exploration projects do not result in the discovery of commercially recoverable oil and gas deposits, and this occurrence could ultimately result in us having to cease operations.

Oil and natural gas operations involve many hazards and operational risks, some of which may not be fully covered by insurance. If a significant accident or event occurs for which we are not fully insured, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects could be adversely affected.

Our involvement in the oil and natural gas exploration, development and production business subjects us to all of the risks and hazards typically associated with those types of operations, including hazards such as fire, explosion, blowouts, sour gas releases and spills, each of which could result in substantial damage to oil and natural gas wells, production facilities, other property and the environment or personal injury. In particular, we may explore for and produce sour natural gas in certain areas. An unintentional leak of sour natural gas could result in personal injury, loss of life or damage to property, and may necessitate an evacuation of populated areas, all of which could result in liability to us. In accordance with industry practice, we are not fully insured against all of these risks. Although we maintain liability insurance in an amount that we consider consistent with industry practice, the nature of these risks is such that liabilities could exceed policy limits, in which event we could incur significant costs that could have a material adverse effect upon our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. In addition, the risks we face are not, in all circumstances, insurable and, in certain circumstances, we may elect not to obtain insurance to deal with specific risks due to the high premiums associated with such insurance or other reasons. For instance, we do not have insurance to protect against the risk from terrorism. Oil and natural gas production operations are also subject to all of the risks typically associated with those operations, including encountering unexpected geologic formations or pressures, premature decline of reservoirs and the invasion of water into producing formations. Losses resulting from the occurrence of any of these risks could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

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Seasonal factors and unexpected weather patterns may lead to declines in exploration and production activity.

The level of activity in the Canadian oil and natural gas industry is influenced by seasonal weather patterns. Oil and natural gas development activities, including seismic and drilling programs in northern Alberta and British Columbia, are restricted to those months of the year when the ground is frozen. Wet weather and spring thaw may make the ground unstable. Consequently, municipalities and provincial transportation departments enforce road bans that restrict the movement of rigs and other heavy equipment, thereby reducing activity levels. In addition, certain oil and natural gas producing areas are located in areas that are inaccessible other than during the winter months because the ground surrounding the sites in these areas consists of swampy terrain, and additional seasonal weather variations will also affect access to these areas. Seasonal factors and unexpected weather patterns may lead to declines in exploration and production activity during certain parts of the year.

The petroleum industry is highly competitive, and increased competitive pressures could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

The petroleum industry is competitive in all of its phases. We compete with numerous other organizations in the search for, and the acquisition of, oil and natural gas properties and in the marketing of oil and natural gas. Our competitors include oil and natural gas companies that have substantially greater financial resources, staff and facilities than us. Our ability to increase our reserves in the future will depend not only upon our ability to explore and develop our present properties, but also upon our ability to select and acquire other suitable producing properties or prospects for exploratory drilling. Competitive factors in the distribution and marketing of oil and natural gas include price and methods and reliability of delivery and storage.

We do not control all of the assets that are used in the operation of our business and, therefore, cannot ensure that those assets will be operated in a manner favorable to us.

Other companies operate some of the assets in which we have an interest. As a result, we have a limited ability to exercise influence over the operation of those assets or their associated costs, which could adversely affect our financial performance. Our return on assets operated by others will therefore depend upon a number of factors that may be outside of our control, including the timing and amount of capital expenditures, the operator’s expertise and financial resources, the approval of other participants, the selection of technology and risk management practices.

Our ability to market oil and natural gas depends on our ability to transport our product to market. If we are unable to expand and develop the infrastructure in the areas surrounding certain of our assets, we may not be able to effectively market the oil and natural gas that we produce.

Due to the location of some of our assets, both in Canada and the United States, there is minimal infrastructure currently available to transport oil and natural gas from our existing and future wells to market. As a result, even if we are able to engage in successful exploration and production activities, we may not be able to effectively market the oil and natural gas that we produce, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Demand and competition for drilling equipment could delay our exploration and production activities, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Oil and natural gas exploration and development activities depend upon the availability of drilling and related equipment (typically leased from third parties) in the particular areas where such activities will be conducted. Demand for such limited equipment or access restrictions may affect the availability of such equipment to us and may delay exploration and development activities. To the extent we are not the operator of our oil and natural gas properties, we depend upon the operators of the properties for the timing of activities related to the properties and are largely unable to direct or control the activities of the operators.

Title to our oil and natural gas producing properties cannot be guaranteed and may be subject to prior recorded or unrecorded agreements, transfers, claims or other defects.

Although title reviews may be conducted prior to the purchase of oil and natural gas producing properties or the commencement of drilling wells, those reviews do not guarantee or certify that an unforeseen defect in the chain of title will not arise to defeat our claim. Unregistered agreements or transfers, or native land claims, may affect title. If title is

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disputed, we will need to defend our ownership through the courts, which would likely be an expensive and protracted process and have a negative effect on our operations and financial condition. In the event of an adverse judgment, we would lose our property rights. A defect in our title to any of our properties may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

We may be unable to meet all of the obligations necessary to successfully maintain each of the licenses and leases and working interests in licenses and leases related to our properties, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Our properties are held in the form of licenses and leases and working interests in licenses and leases. If we or the holder of the license or lease fails to meet the specific requirement of a license or lease, the license or lease may terminate or expire. None of the obligations required to maintain each license or lease may be met. The termination or expiration of our licenses or leases or the working interests relating to a license or lease may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Risks related to financing continuing and future operations

We have a working capital deficiency and will be required to raise capital through financings. We may not be able to obtain capital or financing on satisfactory terms, or at all.

As of December 31, 2012, the Company had a working capital deficiency of approximately $8.6 million. Excluding the non-cash warrant liability of $1.4 million related to the fair value of US$ denominated warrants issued in current and previous equity financings and the non-current portion of financial contract liability of $1.3 million, the working capital deficiency mainly consists of $6.0 million outstanding demand line of credit. On March 28, 2013, the Company renewed its revolving bank facility in the amount of $5.9 million. Under the terms of the revised agreement with the Bank, the Company is obligated to make monthly principal payments of $200,000 commencing March 26, 2013 and pay its Bank $1,450,000 on June 30, 2013. We expect to incur general and administration expenses of approximately $2.5 million over the next twelve months. We cannot assure you that debt or equity financing will be available to us, and even if debt or equity financing is available, it may not be on terms acceptable to us. Our inability to access sufficient capital for our operations and our June 30, 2013 Bank payment would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

The Company’s ability to continue as a going concern is dependent upon attaining profitable operations and obtaining sufficient financing to meet obligations and continue exploration and development activities. Whether and when the Company can attain profitability is uncertain. These uncertainties cast substantial doubt upon the Company’s ability to continue as going concern.

During the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company incurred a loss of $11,752,525 and has an accumulated deficit of $88,262,350. Whether and when the Company can attain profitability is uncertain. The Company also has a working capital deficiency of $8,557,281 as at December 31, 2012. These uncertainties cast substantial doubt upon the Company’s ability to continue as going concern in the next twelve months, because we will be required to obtain additional capital in the future to continue our operations and there is no assurance that we will be able to obtain such capital, through equity or debt financing, or any combination thereof, or on satisfactory terms or at all. Our independent auditors have included an explanatory paragraph in their report on our consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2012 that describes uncertainties that cast substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. Our audited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board applicable to a going concern, which implies we will continue to meet our obligations and continue our operations for the next twelve months. Realization values may be substantially different from carrying values as shown, and our consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments relating to the recoverability or classification of recorded asset amounts or the amount and classification of liabilities that might be necessary as a result of the going concern uncertainty.

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We anticipate making substantial capital expenditures for future acquisition, exploration, development and production projects. We may not be able to obtain capital or financing necessary to support these projects on satisfactory terms, or at all.

We anticipate making substantial capital expenditures for the acquisition, exploration, development and production of oil and natural gas reserves in the future. If our revenues or reserves decline, we may not have access to the capital necessary to undertake or complete future drilling programs. Debt or equity financing, or cash generated by operations, may not be available to us or may not be sufficient to meet our requirements for capital expenditures or other corporate purposes. Even if debt or equity financing is available, it may not be on terms acceptable to us. Our inability to access sufficient capital for our operations could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Our cash flow from our reserves may not be sufficient to fund our ongoing activities at all times, thereby causing us to forfeit our interest in certain properties, miss certain acquisition opportunities and reduce or terminate our operations.

Our cash flow from our reserves may not be sufficient to fund our ongoing activities at all times and we are currently utilizing our bank line of credit to fund our working capital deficit. From time to time, we may require additional financing in order to carry out our oil and gas acquisition, exploration and development activities. Failure to obtain such financing on a timely basis could cause us to forfeit its interest in certain properties, not be able to take advantage of certain acquisition opportunities and reduce or terminate our level of operations. If our revenues from our reserves decrease as a result of lower oil and natural gas prices or otherwise, our ability to expend the necessary capital to replace our reserves or to maintain our production will be impaired. If our cash flow from operations is not sufficient to satisfy our capital expenditure requirements, there can be no assurance that additional debt or equity financing will be available to meet these requirements or, if available, on favorable terms.

Debt that we incur in the future may limit our ability to obtain financing and to pursue other business opportunities, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

From time to time, we may enter into transactions to acquire assets or equity of other organizations. These transactions may be financed in whole or in part with debt, which may increase our debt levels above industry standards for oil and natural gas companies of a similar size. Depending upon future exploration and development plans, we may require additional equity and/or debt financing that may not be available or, if available, may not be available on acceptable terms. None of our organizational documents currently limit the amount of indebtedness that we may incur. The level of our indebtedness from time to time could impair our ability to obtain additional financing on a timely basis to take advantage of business opportunities that may arise.

We may be exposed to the credit risk of third parties through certain of our business arrangements. Non-payment or non-performance by any of these third parties could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

We may be exposed to third-party credit risk through our contractual arrangements with our current or future joint venture partners, marketers of our petroleum and natural gas production and other parties. In the event those entities fail to meet their contractual obligations to us, those failures could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, poor credit conditions in the industry and of joint venture partners may affect a joint venture partner’s willingness to participate in our ongoing capital program, potentially delaying the program and the results of the program until we find a suitable alternative partner.

Risks related to maintaining reserves and acquiring new sources of oil and natural gas

Our success depends upon our ability to find, acquire, develop and commercially produce oil and natural gas, which depends upon factors outside of our control.

Oil and natural gas operations involve many risks that even a combination of experience, knowledge and careful evaluation may not be able to overcome. Our long-term commercial success depends upon our ability to find, acquire, develop and commercially produce oil and natural gas. We have only recently commenced production of oil and natural gas. There is no assurance that our other properties or future properties will achieve commercial production. Without the continual addition of new reserves, our existing reserves and our production will decline over time as our reserves are exploited. A future increase in our reserves will depend not only upon our ability to explore and develop any properties we may have from time to time, but also upon our ability to select and acquire new suitable producing properties or prospects. No assurance can be given that we will be able to locate satisfactory properties for acquisition or participation. Moreover, if acquisitions or participations are identified, we may determine that current market conditions, the terms of any acquisition or participation arrangement, or pricing conditions, may make the acquisitions or participations uneconomical, and further commercial quantities of oil and natural gas may not be produced, discovered or acquired by us, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

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Properties that we acquire may not produce as projected, and we may be unable to determine reserve potential, identify liabilities associated with the properties or obtain protection from sellers against such liabilities.

Our long-term commercial success depends upon our ability to find, acquire, develop and commercially produce oil and natural gas reserves. However, our review of acquired properties is inherently incomplete, as it generally is not feasible to review in depth every individual property involved in each acquisition. Even a detailed review of records and properties may not necessarily reveal existing or potential problems, nor will it permit a buyer to become sufficiently familiar with the properties to assess fully their deficiencies and potential. Inspections may not always be performed on every well, and environmental problems, such as ground water contamination, are not necessarily observable even when an inspection is undertaken.

Our estimated reserves are based on many assumptions that may prove to be inaccurate. Any material inaccuracies in the reserve estimates or the underlying assumptions may adversely affect the quantities and present value of our reserves.

There are numerous uncertainties inherent in estimating quantities of oil, natural gas reserves and the future cash flows attributed to the reserves. Our reserve and associated cash flow estimates are estimates only. In general, estimates of economically recoverable oil and natural gas reserves and the associated future net cash flows are based upon a number of variable factors and assumptions, such as historical production from the properties, production rates, ultimate reserve recovery, timing and amount of capital expenditures, marketability of oil and gas, royalty rates, the assumed effects of regulation by governmental agencies and future operating costs, all of which may vary materially from actual results. All estimates are to some degree speculative, and classifications of reserves are only attempts to define the degree of speculation involved. For those reasons, estimates of the economically recoverable oil and natural gas reserves attributable to any particular group of properties, classification of such reserves based on risk of recovery and estimates of future net revenues associated with reserves prepared by different engineers, or by the same engineers at different times, may vary. Our actual production, revenues, taxes and development and operating expenditures with respect to our reserves will vary from our estimates of them, and those variations could be material.

Estimates of proved reserves that may be developed and produced in the future are often based upon volumetric calculations and upon analogy to similar types of reserves rather than actual production history. Recovery factors and drainage areas are estimated by experience and analogy to similar producing pools. Estimates based on these methods are generally less reliable than those based on actual production history. Subsequent evaluation of the same reserves based upon production history and production practices will result in variations in the estimated reserves, and those variations could be material.

Our future oil and natural gas production may not result in revenue increases and may be adversely affected by operating conditions, production delays, drilling hazards and environmental damages.

Future oil and natural gas exploration may involve unprofitable efforts, not only from dry wells, but also from wells that are productive but do not produce sufficient petroleum substances to return a profit after drilling, operating and other costs. Completion of a well does not assure a profit on the investment or recovery of drilling, completion and operating costs. In addition, drilling hazards or environmental damage could greatly increase the cost of operations, and various field operating conditions may adversely affect the production from successful wells. These conditions include delays in obtaining governmental approvals or consents, shut-ins of connected wells resulting from extreme weather conditions, insufficient storage or transportation capacity or other geological and mechanical conditions. While diligent well supervision and effective maintenance operations can contribute to maximizing production rates over time, production delays and declines from normal field operating conditions cannot be eliminated and can be expected to adversely affect revenue and cash flow levels to varying degrees.

Risks related to management of the Company

We may experience difficulty managing our anticipated growth.

We may be subject to growth-related risks including capacity constraints and pressure on our internal systems and controls. Our ability to manage growth effectively will require us to continue to implement and improve our operational and

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financial systems and to attract and retain qualified management and technical personnel to meet the needs of our anticipated growth. Our inability to deal with this growth could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

We depend upon key personnel and the absence of any of these individuals could result in us having to cease operations.

Our ability to continue our operation business depends, in large part, upon our ability to attract and maintain qualified key management and technical personnel. Competition for such personnel is intense and we may not be able to attract and retain such personnel.

Strategic relationships upon which we may rely are subject to change, which may diminish our ability to conduct our operations.

Our ability to successfully acquire additional licenses, to discover reserves, to participate in drilling opportunities and to identify and enter into commercial arrangements depends on developing and maintaining close working relationships with industry participants and government officials and on our ability to select and evaluate suitable properties and to consummate transactions in a highly competitive environment. We may not be able to establish these strategic relationships, or if established, we may not be able to maintain them. In addition, the dynamics of our relationships with strategic partners may require us to incur expenses or undertake activities we would not otherwise be inclined to undertake in order to fulfill our obligations to these partners or maintain our relationships. If our strategic relationships are not established or maintained, our business prospects may be limited, which could diminish our ability to conduct our operations.

We cannot be certain that current expected expenditures and any current or planned completion/testing programs will be realized.

We believe that the costs used to prepare internal budgets are reasonable, however, there are assumptions, uncertainties, and risk that may cause our allocated funds on a per well basis to change as a result of having to alter certain activities from those originally proposed or programmed to reduce and mitigate uncertainties and risks. These assumptions, uncertainties, and risks are inherent in the completion and testing of wells and can include but are not limited to: pipe failure, casing collapse, unusual or unexpected formation pressure, environmental hazards, and other operating or production risk intrinsic in oil and or gas activities. Any of the above may cause a delay in any of our completion/testing programs or our ability to determine reserve potential.

Risks related to federal, state, local and other laws, controls and regulations

We are subject to complex federal, provincial, state, local and other laws, controls and regulations that could adversely affect the cost, manner and feasibility of conducting our oil and natural gas operations.

Oil and natural gas exploration, production, marketing and transportation activities are subject to extensive controls and regulations imposed by various levels of government, which may be amended from time to time. Governments may regulate or intervene with respect to price, taxes, royalties and the exportation of oil and natural gas. Regulations may be changed from time to time in response to economic or political conditions. The implementation of new regulations or the modification of existing regulations affecting the oil and natural gas industry could reduce demand for crude oil and natural gas and increase our costs, any of which may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. In addition, in order to conduct oil and natural gas operations, we require licenses from various governmental authorities. We cannot assure you that we will be able to obtain all of the licenses and permits that may be required to conduct operations that we may desire to undertake.

There is uncertainty regarding claims of title and rights of the aboriginal people to properties in certain portions of western Canada, and such a claim, if made in respect of our property or assets, could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Aboriginal peoples have claimed aboriginal title and rights to a substantial portion of western Canada. We are not aware that any claims have been made in respect of its property and assets. However, if a claim arose and was successful it would have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

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We are subject to stringent environmental laws and regulations that may expose us to significant costs and liabilities, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

All phases of the oil and natural gas business present environmental risks and hazards and are subject to environmental regulation under a variety of federal, provincial, state and local laws and regulations. Environmental legislation provides for, among other things, restrictions and prohibitions on spills, releases or emissions of various substances produced in association with oil and natural gas operations. The legislation also requires that wells and facility sites be operated, maintained, abandoned and reclaimed to the satisfaction of applicable regulatory authorities. Compliance with legislation can require significant expenditures, and a breach of applicable environmental legislation may result in the imposition of fines and penalties, some of which may be material. Environmental legislation is evolving in a manner expected to result in stricter standards and enforcement, larger fines and liability and potentially increased capital expenditures and operating costs. The discharge of oil, natural gas or other pollutants into the air, soil or water may give rise to liabilities to governments and third parties and may require us to incur costs to remedy any discharge. Environmental laws may result in a curtailment of production or a material increase in the costs of production, development or exploration activities, or otherwise adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

As a public company, our compliance costs and risks have increased in recent years.

Legal, accounting and other expenses associated with public company reporting requirements have increased significantly in the past few years. We anticipate that general and administrative costs associated with regulatory compliance will continue to increase with on-going compliance requirements under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as well as any new rules implemented by the SEC, Canadian Securities Administrators, the NYSE Amex Equities and the Toronto Stock Exchange in the future. These rules and regulations have significantly increased our legal and financial compliance costs and made some activities more time-consuming and costly. We cannot assure you that we will continue to effectively meet all of the requirements of these regulations, including Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and National Instrument 52-109 of the Canadian Securities Administrators. Any failure to effectively implement internal controls, or to resolve difficulties encountered in their implementation, could harm our operating results, cause us to fail to meet reporting obligations, or result in our principal executive officer and principal financial officer being required to give a qualified assessment of our internal control over financial reporting. Any such result could cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information, which could have a material adverse effect on the trading price of our common shares and our ability to raise capital. These rules and regulations have made it more difficult and more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance, and we may be required to accept reduced policy limits and coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain the same or similar coverage in the future. As a result, it may be more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified individuals to serve on our board of directors or as executive officers.

Risks Related to Our Being a Foreign Private Issuer

As a foreign private issuer, our shareholders may receive less complete and timely data.

We are a “foreign private issuer” as defined in Rule 3b-4 under the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Our equity securities are accordingly exempt from Sections 14(a), 14(b), 14(c), 14(f) and 16 of the Exchange Act, pursuant to Rule 3a12-3 of the Exchange Act. Therefore, we are not required to file a Schedule 14A proxy statement in relation to our annual meetings of shareholders. The submission of proxy and annual meeting of shareholder information on Form 6-K may result in shareholders having less complete and timely information in connection with shareholder actions. The exemption from Section 16 rules regarding reports of beneficial ownership and purchases and sales of common shares by insiders and restrictions on insider trading in our securities may result in shareholders having less data and there being fewer restrictions on insiders’ activities in our securities.

It may be difficult to enforce judgments or bring actions outside the United States against us and certain of our directors and officers.

It may be difficult to bring and enforce suits against us. We are incorporated in British Columbia, Canada. Many of our directors and officers are not residents of the United States and some of our assets are located outside of the United States. As a result, it may be difficult for U.S. holders of our common shares to effect service of process on these persons within the United States or to enforce judgments obtained in the U.S. based on the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws against us or our officers and directors. In addition, a shareholder should not assume that the courts of Canada (i) would enforce judgments of U.S. courts obtained in actions against us or our officers or directors predicated

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upon the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws or other laws of the United States, or (ii) would enforce, in original actions, liabilities against us or our officers or directors predicated upon the U.S. federal securities laws or other laws of the United States.

Risks related to investing in our common shares

We have not paid any dividends on our common shares. Consequently, your only opportunity currently to achieve a return on your investment will be if the market price of our common shares appreciates above the price that you pay for our common shares.

We have not declared or paid any dividends on our common shares since our incorporation. Any decision to pay dividends on our common shares will be made by our board of directors on the basis of our earnings, financial requirements and other conditions existing at such future time. Consequently, your only opportunity to achieve a return on your investment in our securities will be if the market price of our common shares appreciates and you are able to sell your common shares at a profit.

Our common share price has been volatile and your investment in our common shares could suffer a decline in value.

Our common shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the NYSE Amex Equities. The market price of our common shares may fluctuate significantly in response to a number of factors, some of which are beyond our control. These factors include price fluctuations of precious metals, government regulations, disputes regarding mining claims, broad stock market fluctuations and economic conditions in the United States.

Dilution through officer, director, employee, consultant or agent options could adversely affect our shareholders.

Because our success is highly dependent upon our officers, directors, employees, consultants and agents, we have granted to some or all of our key officers, directors, employees, consultants and agents options to purchase common shares as non-cash incentives. To the extent that we grant significant numbers of options and those options are exercised, the interests of our other shareholders may be diluted.

The issuance of additional common shares may negatively affect the trading price of our common shares.

We have issued equity securities in the past and may continue to issue equity securities to finance our activities in the future, including to finance future acquisitions, or as consideration for acquisitions of businesses or assets. In addition, outstanding options and warrants to purchase our common shares may be exercised, resulting in the issuance of additional common shares. The issuance by us of additional common shares would result in dilution to our shareholders, and even the perception that such an issuance may occur could have a negative effect on the trading price of our common shares.