This page presents details of the important merger event for Royale and Matrix and its association with RMX Resources LLC.

History of Merger with Matrix Oil Management Corporation


 

On March 7, 2018, Royale Energy, Inc. (“Royale”), Royale Energy Funds, Inc. (“REF”), and Matrix Oil Management Corporation (“Matrix”) and its affiliates were notified by the California Secretary of State of the filing and acceptance of agreements of merger by the California Secretary of State, to complete the previously announced merger between the companies (the “Merger”). In the Merger, REF was merged into a newly formed subsidiary of Royale, and Matrix was merged into a second newly formed subsidiary of Royale pursuant to the Amended and Restated Agreement and Plan of Merger among REF, Royale, Royale Merger Sub, Inc., (“Royale Merger Sub”), Matrix Merger Sub, Inc., (“Matrix Merger Sub”) and Matrix (the “Merger Agreement”). Additionally, in connection with the merger, all limited partnership interest of two limited partnership affiliates of Matrix (Matrix Permian Investments, LP, and Matrix Las Cienegas Limited Partnership), were exchanged for Royale common stock using conversion ratios according to the relative values of each partnership. All Class A limited partnership interests of another Matrix affiliate, Matrix Investments, LP (“Matrix Investments”) were exchanged for Royale Common stock using conversion ratios according to the relative value of the Class A limited partnership interests, and $20,124,000 of Matrix Investments preferred limited partnership interests were converted into 2,012,400 shares of Series B Convertible Preferred Stock of Royale. Another Matrix affiliate, Matrix Oil Corporation (“Matrix Operator”), was acquired by Royale by exchanging Royale common stock for the outstanding common stock of Matrix Oil Corporation using a conversion ratio according to the relative value of the Matrix Oil Corporation common stock. Matrix, Matrix Oil Corporation and the three limited partnership affiliates of Matrix called the “Matrix Entities.”

As a result of the Merger, REF became a wholly owned subsidiary of Royale, and each outstanding share common stock of REF at the time of the Merger was converted into one share of common stock of Royale. The common stock of Royale is traded on the Over-The-Counter QB (OTCQB) Market System (symbol ROYL).


 

 

Summary of Royale Joint Venture with RMX Resources, LLC

Formation of RMX and Asset Contribution

On April 13, 2018, Royale Energy, Inc., and two of Royale’s subsidiaries, Royale Energy Funds, Inc. and Matrix Oil Management Corporation (the “Royale Entities”) completed  the Subscription and Contribution Agreement (“Contribution Agreement”), in which the Royale Entities and CIC RMX LP (“CIC”) entered into the Contribution Agreement and certain other agreements providing that the Royale Entities would contribute certain assets to RMX Resources, LLC (“RMX”), a newly formed Texas limited liability company formed to facilitate the investment from CIC.  In exchange for its contributed assets, Royale received a 20% equity interest in RMX, an equity performance incentive interest and up to $20.0 million to pay off Royale Entities senior lender, Arena Limited SPV, LLC., in full, and to pay Royale Entities trade payables and other outstanding obligations. CIC contributed an aggregate of $25.0 million in cash to RMX in exchange for (i) an 80% equity interest in RMX with preferred distributions until certain thresholds are met, (ii) a warrant (“Warrant”) to acquire up to 4,000,000 shares of Royale’s common stock at an exercise price of $.01 per share and registration rights pursuant to a Registration Rights Agreement.

The Contribution Agreement was completed in a two-step closing and funding, with the First Closing consummated on April 4, 2018 and the Second Closing consummated on April 13, 2018 with the Royale Entities. In connection with the Second Closing, the parties entered into a letter agreement related to the preliminary Settlement Statement process.  The parties agreed that, in lieu of the payment originally contemplated under Section 1.6(v) of the Contribution Agreement, the Royale Entities would receive the sum of $4,000,000, subject to adjustment. The $4,000,000 delivered at the Second Closing was an advance against amounts due the Royale Entities as Purchase Price, and the advance was subject to further adjustment in accordance with the Contribution Agreement.

RMX has a six-member board of managers. Royale has two seats on the board giving it a third of the Board.  Royale has designated Michael McCaskey and Johnny Jordan as its members of the RMX board.  The return targets for CIC through its funding of RMX provide for a “waterfall” style return profile with the first distributions going to CIC until it has received all Unpaid Preferred Return and Unpaid Preferred Enhanced Return, as defined by the Company’s Agreement.

As part of the formation of the joint venture, Royale contributed Matrix Oil Corporation (“MOC”) to RMX. MOC has the permits and licenses to operating oil and gas properties in California. It was the operating entity for the Matrix group of companies that were acquired on February 28, 2018, discussed above. This allows the RMX joint venture to be the operator of record for the contributed assets.

Royale accounts for its ownership interest in RMX following the equity method of accounting, in accordance with ASC 323. Pursuant to the Subscription and Contribution agreement, Royale has an initial equity value of $6.25 million or 20% of the total equity of the joint venture with CIC having an initial equity value of $25.0 million or 80% of the total equity of the joint venture.

The Royale Entities contributed 100% of their interest in the Sansinena Field, 100% of the Sempra Field, 50% of the Bellevue Field, 100% of the Whittier Main Field, 50% of the West Whittier Field, and 50% of the East LA Field. The result of the transfer of oil and gas properties and surface rights for cash as described above and a 20% interest in RMX resulted in Royale recording a loss of approximately $17.9 million. The issuance by Royale of warrants to acquire 4,000,000 shares of Royale common stock, by CIC, caused Royale to record a loss of approximately $1.44 million. In addition, the Contribution Agreement called for an effective date of the property transfer of February 28, 2018 which required a purchase price adjustment of approximately $334,000 in the form of a cash contribution to RMX and an increase in the loss on the sale. The transfer of MOC to RMX as the operating company provided an amount due Royale of approximately $640,000, which was recorded as a due from affiliate during the period in 2018.

Under the provisions of the Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement of RMX Resources, LLC (“RMX Agreement”) dated March 27, 2018, the gains and losses of the partnership are distributed as if all of RMX’s assets were sold for cash at a price equal to their book basis and all RMX liabilities were satisfied at their book basis and all of the remaining assets of RMX were distributed in accordance with Section 5.4 of the RMX Agreement. Notwithstanding the above, for each fiscal year or other relevant period, deductions attributable to exploration costs, IDCs, and operating and maintenance costs shall be allocated 100% to the CIC members pro rata in accordance with their Class B percentage interests for each fiscal year.

The RMX joint venture has a senior revolving loan facility with Washington Federal Bank. The borrowing base of the facility is $25.0 million with $19,403,800 drawn at December 31, 2019.

Current Status with RMX

Royale Energy is excited to be associated with RMX as it is operating and drilling wells in the Sansinena Field.  Royale participates in the drilling as a Non-Operated Working Interest partner and assists in evaluations of the field drilling through participation on the RMX Board of Directors (Johnny Jordan and Michael McCaskey as Directors).  The drilling in the field in 2019 and 2020 has added value to Royale which is represented in the Royale financials.