Item 1A. Risk Factors

Risk Factors

Commodity Price Levels May Affect Demand for Our Products, Which Has and Could Continue to Materially and Adversely Affect Our Results of Operations and Liquidity

Demand for many of our products and the profitability of our operations depend primarily on the level of worldwide oil and gas exploration activity.  Prevailing oil and gas prices, with an emphasis on crude oil prices, and market expectations regarding potential changes in such prices significantly affect the level of worldwide oil and gas exploration activity.  During periods of

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improved energy commodity prices, the capital spending budgets of oil and natural gas operators tend to expand, which results in increased demand for our products.  Conversely, in periods when these energy commodity prices deteriorate, capital spend ing budgets of oil and natural gas operators tend to contract and the demand for our products generally weakens.  Historically, the markets for oil and gas have been volatile and are subject to wide fluctuation in response to changes in the supply of and d emand for oil and gas, market uncertainty and a variety of additional factors that are beyond our control.  These factors include the level of consumer demand, supplies of oil and natural gas, regional and international economic conditions, weather conditi ons, domestic and foreign governmental regulations (including those related to climate change), price and availability of alternative fuels, political conditions, instability and hostilities in the Middle East and other significant oil-producing regions, i ncreases and decreases in the supply of oil and gas, the effect of worldwide energy conservation measures and the ability of OPEC to set and maintain production levels and prices of foreign imports.

Uncertainty in the European markets and slowing economic growth in growing economies like those in China and India could lead to a decline in demand for crude oil and natural gas.  Slowdowns in economic activity would likely reduce worldwide demand for energy and result in an extended period of lower crude oil and natural gas prices.  Any material changes in oil and gas prices or other market trends that adversely impact seismic exploration activity would likely affect the demand for our products and could materially and adversely affect our results of operations and liquidity.

Generally, as exists at present, imbalances in the supply and demand for oil and gas will ordinarily affect oil and gas prices and, in such circumstances, our company will be adversely affected as now with world supplies exceeding demand.

Our New Products Require a Substantial Investment by Us in Research and Development Expense and May Not Achieve Market Acceptance

Our outlook and assumptions are based on various macro-economic factors and internal assessments, and actual market conditions could vary materially from those assumed.  In recent years, we have incurred significant expenditures to fund our research and development efforts, and we intend to continue those expenditures in the future.  However, research and development is by its nature speculative, and we cannot assure you that these expenditures will result in the development of new products or services or that any new products and services we have developed recently or may develop in the future will be commercially marketable or profitable to us.  In particular, we have incurred substantial expenditures to develop our land and marine wireless nodal seismic data acquisition systems, as well as other seismic products for PRM applications.  In addition, we try to use some of our capabilities to supply products to new markets.  We cannot assure you that we will realize our expectations regarding acceptance of and revenue generated by our new products and services in existing or new markets.

The Short Term Nature of Our Order Backlog and Delayed or Canceled Customer Orders May Cause Us to Experience Fluctuations in Quarterly Results of Operations

Historically, the rate of new orders for our products has varied substantially from quarter to quarter.  Moreover, we typically operate, and expect to continue operating, on the basis of orders in-hand for our products before we commence substantial manufacturing “runs.”  The short-term nature of our order backlog for most products generally does not allow us to predict with any accuracy demand for our products more than approximately three months in advance.  Thus, our ability to replenish orders and the completion of orders, particularly large orders for deep water PRM projects, can significantly impact our operating results and cash flow for any quarter, and results of operations for any one quarter may not be indicative of results of operations for future quarters.

Additionally, customers can delay or even cancel orders and rental contracts before delivery.  For larger orders, we attempt to negotiate for a non-refundable deposit or cancellation penalties depending on our relationship with the customer.  However, such deposits or penalties, even when obtained, may not fully compensate us for our inventory investment and forgone profits if the order is ultimately cancelled.

These periodic fluctuations in our operating results and the impact of any order delays/cancellations could adversely affect our stock price.

Our Credit Risk Could Increase and We May Incur Bad Debt Write-Offs if Our Customers Continue to Face Difficult Economic Circumstances

We believe that our allowance for bad debts is adequate in light of known circumstances.  However, we cannot assure you that additional amounts attributable to uncollectible accounts and notes receivable and bad debt write-offs will not have a material adverse effect on our future results of operations.  Many of our seismic customers are not well capitalized and as a result cannot always pay our invoices when due.  We have in the past incurred write-offs in our accounts and notes receivable due to customer credit problems.  We have found it necessary from time to time to extend trade credit, including promissory notes, to long-term customers and others where some risks of non-payment exist.  With the recent decline in oil prices and a decline in seismic activities around the world, some of our seismic customers may experience significant liquidity difficulties, which increase those credit risks.  An increase in the level of bad debts and any deterioration in our credit risk could adversely affect the price of our stock.  In addition,

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we rent equipment to our customers which utilize such equipment in various countries around the world.  If our rental customers experience financial difficulties, it could be difficul t or impossible to retrieve our rental equipment from foreign countries.

Our Industry is Characterized by Rapid Technological Development and Product Obsolescence, Which May Affect Our Ability to Provide Product Enhancements or New Products on a Timely and Cost Effective Basis

Our instruments and equipment are constantly undergoing rapid technological improvement.  Our future success depends on our ability to continue to:

Current competitors or new market entrants may develop new technologies, products or standards that could render our products obsolete.  We cannot assure you that we will be successful in developing and marketing, on a timely and cost effective basis, product enhancements or new products that respond to technological developments, that are accepted in the marketplace or that comply with new industry standards.  Additionally, in anticipation of customer product orders, from time to time we acquire substantial quantities of inventories, which if not sold or integrated into products within a reasonable period of time, could become obsolete.  In such case, we would be required to impair the value of such inventories on our balance sheet.

We Operate in Highly Competitive Markets and Our Competitors May Be Able to Provide Newer or Better Products Than We Are Able to Provide

The markets for most of our products are highly competitive.  Many of our existing and potential competitors have substantially greater marketing, financial and technical resources than we do.  Some competitors currently offer a broader range of instruments and equipment for sale than we do and may offer financing arrangements to customers on terms that we may not be able to match.  In addition, new competitors may enter the market and competition could intensify.  As to our non-seismic imaging solutions, we compete with other printing solutions, including inkjet and laser printing technologies, many of which are provided by large companies with significant resources.

We cannot assure you that revenue from our products will continue at current volumes or prices if current competitors or new market entrants introduce new products with better features, performance, price or other characteristics than our products.  Competitive pressures or other factors may also result in significant price competition that could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

The Limited Market for Our Seismic Products Can Affect Our Revenue in the Seismic Business Segment

In our seismic business segment, we generally market our traditional and wireless products to seismic service contractors.  We estimate that, based on published industry sources, fewer than 50 seismic contracting companies are currently operating in countries other than those operating in the Russian Federation and the former Soviet Union, India, the People’s Republic of China and certain Eastern European countries, where seismic data acquisition activity is difficult to verify.  We estimate that fewer than 20 seismic contractors are engaged in marine seismic exploration.  Due to these market factors, a relatively small number of customers, some of whom are experiencing financial difficulties, account for most of our revenue.  From time to time, these seismic contractors have sought to vertically integrate and acquire our competitors, which has influenced their supplier decisions before and after such transactions.  In addition, consolidation among our customers may further concentrate our business to a limited number of customers and expose us to increased risks related to dependence on a small number of customers.  The loss of a small number of these customers could materially and adversely impact revenue from of our seismic products.  We market our seabed PRM systems products to large oil and gas companies.  Since this product’s introduction in 2002, we have received system orders from three offshore oil and gas operators:  BP, Shell and Statoil, which have accounted for a significant portion of our revenue in fiscal year 2014 and prior fiscal years.  We did not deliver nor have we received orders for any PRM systems since 2014.

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We Cannot Be Certain of the Effectiveness of Patent Protection on Our Products

We hold and from time to time apply for certain patents relating to some of our seismic products.  We cannot assure you that our patents will prove enforceable or free of challenge, that any patents will be issued for which we have applied or that competitors will not develop functionally similar technology outside the protection of any patents we have or may obtain.

Our Foreign Subsidiaries and Foreign Marketing Efforts Are Subject to Additional Political, Economic, Legal and Other Uncertainties Not Generally Associated with Domestic Operations

Based on customer billing data, revenue to customers outside the United States accounted for approximately 35% of our revenue during fiscal year 2017; however, we believe the percentage of revenue outside the United States is likely higher since many of our products are first delivered to a domestic location and ultimately shipped to a foreign location.  We again expect revenue outside of the United States to represent a substantial portion of our revenue for fiscal year 2018 and subsequent years.

Foreign revenue is subject to special risks inherent in doing business outside of the United States, including the risk of war, terrorist activities, civil disturbances, embargo and government activities, shifting foreign attitudes about conducting business activities with the United States, restrictions of the movement and exchange of funds, inhibitions of our ability to collect accounts receivable, international sanctions, expropriation and nationalization of our assets or those of our customers, currency fluctuations, devaluations and conversion restrictions, confiscatory taxation or other adverse tax policies and governmental actions that may result in the deprivation of our contractual rights, all of which may disrupt markets or our operations.

A portion of our manufacturing is conducted through our subsidiary Geospace Technologies Eurasia, which is based in the Russian Federation.  Our business could be directly affected by political and economic conditions in the Russian Federation, including the current geopolitical instability involving the Russian Federation, Ukraine and Syria.  United States sanctions against Russia have been expanded to preclude export of seismic equipment anywhere in the world that involve persons designated under the sanctions and to include projects in which persons subject to the sanctions have a 33% ownership interest.  Together, these changes make it more difficult for us to support projects that have the potential to produce oil involving Russian energy companies.  Furthermore, if an exporter is unable to determine whether its seismic equipment will be used in such projects, the export is prohibited.  In fiscal year 2017, we imported $1.4 million of products from Geospace Technologies Eurasia for resale elsewhere in the world.  If imports of these products from the Russian Federation are restricted by government regulation, we may be forced to find other sources for these products at potentially higher costs.   Boycotts, protests, unfavorable regulations, additional governmental sanctions and other actions in the region could also adversely affect our ability to operate profitably.  Delays in obtaining governmental approvals can affect our ability to timely deliver our products pursuant to contractual obligations, which could result in us being liable to our customers for damages.  The risk of doing business in the Russian Federation and other economically or politically volatile areas could adversely affect our operations and earnings.

Foreign revenue is also generally subject to the risk of compliance with additional laws, including tariff regulations and import and export restrictions.  International revenue transactions for our products containing hydrophones require prior U.S. government approval in the form of an export license, which may be withheld by the U.S. government based upon factors which we cannot predict.

We may experience difficulties in connection with future foreign revenue.  Additionally, due to foreign laws and restrictions, should we experience substantial growth in certain foreign markets, for example in the Russian Federation, we may not be able to transfer cash balances to the United States to assist with debt servicing or other obligations.

Our Global Operations Expose Us to Risks Associated with Conducting Business Internationally, Including Failure to Comply with U.S.  Laws Which Apply to International Operations, Such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and U.S. Export Control Laws, as well as the Laws of Other Countries

We have offices in Colombia, Canada, China, the Russian Federation and the United Kingdom, in addition to our offices in the United States.  In addition to the risks noted above that are inherent in conducting business internationally, we are also liable for compliance with international and U.S. laws and regulations that apply to our international operations.  These laws and regulations include data privacy requirements, labor relations laws, tax laws, anti-competition regulations, import and trade restrictions, export control laws, U.S. laws such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and similar laws in other countries which also prohibit certain payments to governmental officials or certain payments or remunerations to customers.  Many of our products are subject to U.S. export law restrictions that limit the destinations and types of customers to which our products may be sold, or require an export license in connection with revenue transactions outside the United States.  Given the high level of complexity of these laws, there is a risk that some provisions may be inadvertently breached, for example through the negligent or the unauthorized intentional behavior of individual employees, our failure to comply with certain formal documentation requirements or otherwise.  Additionally, we may be held liable for actions taken by our local dealers and partners.  Violations of these laws and regulations could result in fines, criminal sanctions against us, our officers or our employees, and prohibitions on the conduct of our business.  Any such violations could include prohibitions on our ability to offer our products in one or more countries and could materially damage our reputation, our brands, our international expansion efforts, our ability to attract and retain employees, our business and our operating results.

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Our Strategy of Leasing Seismic Products Exposes Us to Additional Risks Relating to Equipment Recovery, Lease Renewals, Technological Obsolescence and Impairment of Assets

Our rental fleet of seismic equipment represents a significant portion of our assets and accounts for a growing portion of our revenue.  Equipment leased by our customers is frequently located in foreign countries where retrieval of the equipment after the termination of the lease is difficult or impossible if the customer does not return the equipment.  The costs associated with retrieving this equipment or the loss of equipment that is not retrieved could be significant and could adversely affect our operations and earnings.

The advancement of seismic technology having a significant competitive advantage over the equipment in our rental fleet could have an adverse effect on our ability to profitably lease and/or sell this equipment.  Significant improvements in technology may also require us to record asset impairment charges to write-down the value of our rental fleet investment and to invest significant sums to upgrade or replace our rental fleet with newer equipment demanded by our customers.  In addition, rental contracts may not be renewed for equipment in our rental fleet, whether or not it has become obsolete.  Significant technology improvements by our competitors could have an adverse effect on our results of operations and earnings.

Our equipment leasing business has high fixed costs, which primarily consist of depreciation expenses.  In periods of declining rental revenue, these fixed costs generally do not decline.  As a result, any significant decline in rental revenue caused by reduced demand could adversely affect our results of operations.

Cybersecurity Breaches and Other Disruptions of Our Information Technology Network and Systems Could Adversely Affect Our Business

We rely on information technology networks and systems, some of which are owned and operated by third parties, to process, transmit and store electronic information.  In particular, we depend on our information technology infrastructure for a variety of functions, including worldwide financial reporting, inventory management, procurement, invoicing and email communications.  Any of these systems may be susceptible to outages due to fire, floods, power loss, telecommunications failures, terrorist attacks and similar events.  Despite the implementation of network security measures, our systems and those of third parties on which we rely may also be vulnerable to computer viruses, break-ins, malware and similar disruptions.  Malware, if surreptitiously installed on our systems and not timely detected and removed, could collect and disclose sensitive information relating to our customers, employees or others, exposing us to legal liability and causing us to suffer reputational damage.  It could also lead to disruptions in critical systems or the corruption or destruction of critical data.  If we are unable to prevent such outages and breaches, these events could damage our reputation and lead to financial losses from remedial actions, loss of business or potential liability.

Because We Have No Plans to Pay Any Dividends for the Foreseeable Future, Investors Must Look Solely to Stock Appreciation for a Return on Their Investment in Us

We have not paid cash dividends on our common stock since our incorporation and do not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future.  We currently intend to retain any future earnings to support our operations and growth.  Any payment of cash dividends in the future will be dependent on the amount of funds legally available, our financial condition, capital requirements, loan covenants and other factors that our Board of Directors may deem relevant.  Accordingly, investors must rely on sales of their common stock after price appreciation, which may never occur, as the only way to realize any future gains on their investment.

Unfavorable Currency Exchange Rate Fluctuations Could Adversely Affect Our Results of Operations