CORRESP: Correspondence
Published on August 28, 2007
THORIUM
POWER, LTD.
8300
Greensboro Drive, Suite 800
McLean,
VA 22102
(800)
685-8082
August
28, 2007
Donna
Levy
Division
of Corporation Finance
U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission
100
F
Street, NE
Washington,
DC 20549
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Re:
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Thorium
Power, Ltd.
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Draft
Post-Effective Amendment No. 2 to Registration Statement on Form
SB-2
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Commission
File No. 333-135437
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Draft
Amendment on Form 10-KSB for the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2006,
filed March 20, 2007
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Commission
File No. 000-28543
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Draft
Amendment on Form 10-QSB for the Fiscal Quarter Ended March 31, 2007,
filed May 10, 2007
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Commission
File No. 000-28543
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Dear
Ms.
Levy:
On
behalf
of Thorium Power, Ltd. (“Thorium
Power”
or
the
“Company”),
we
hereby submit Thorium Power’s responses to the comments of the staff (the
“Staff”)
of the
Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”)
set
forth in the Staff’s letter, dated August 21, 2007, providing the Staff’s
comments with respect to the above referenced Draft Post-Effective Amendment
No.
2 to a Registration Statement on Form SB-2 (the “Registration
Statement”),
Draft
Amendment to our Annual Report on Form 10-KSB (the “10-KSB”)
and
the Draft Amendment to our Quarterly Report on Form 10-QSB (the “10-QSB”).
For
the
convenience of the Staff, each of the Staff’s comments is included and is
followed by the corresponding response of the Company. Unless the context
indicates otherwise, references in this letter to “we”, “us” and “our” refer to
the Company on a consolidated basis.
Draft
Post-Effective Amendment No. 2 on Form SB-2
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1.
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As
a follow-up to the oral comment we gave you on August 17, 2007, we
note
your response to our prior comment 1, and reissue it. Your controller
or
principal accounting officer, or person acting in that capacity must
sign
the registration statement, and their title must appear next to their
name. Please refer to Instruction No. 1 of the Instruction for Signatures
at the end of Form SB-2.
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Thorium
Power Response: Larry Goldman, our Treasurer and Acting CFO, will sign the
Registration Statement in his capacity as the Company’s Principal Accounting
Officer, and this title will appear next to his name.
Draft
Amendment No.1 to Form 10-KSB for the Fiscal Year Ended December 31,
2006
General
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2.
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Please
comply with the additional comments in this
letter.
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Note
I
--Nature of Operations and Merger with Thorium Power, Inc. page
F-11
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3.
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We
have read the disclosure you proposed in response to prior comment
4,
stating “Thorium Power, Ltd. recorded approximately $2.3 million of these
expenses incurred on behalf of Thorium Power, Inc. as intercompany
charges
receivable from Thorium Power Ltd.” It is unclear why Thorium Power, Ltd.
would be recording a receivable from itself, as suggested. Perhaps
you
meant to say receivable from Thorium Power, Inc. If that is the case,
and
Thorium Power, Inc. recorded a payable to Thorium Power, Ltd. instead
of
placing the credit in equity as a capital contribution, as it had
for the
other expenses incurred by Thorium Power, Ltd. on its behalf, then
reclassification maybe appropriate. However, we see no reason that
a
receivable from Thorium Power, Inc. in the accounts of Thorium Power
Ltd
should be considered part of the net assets acquired or be offset
against
the payable on the books of Thorium Power, Inc., if it should have
been
recorded as a capital contribution. You should have a clear rationale
for
handling these expenses differently from those incurred prior to
June 30,
2007. Please revise accordingly.
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Thorium
Power Response: We have revised our disclosure to present all expenses allocated
from Thorium Power, Ltd. to Thorium Power, Inc., prior to the merger as capital
contributions to Thorium Power, Inc. by Thorium Power,
Ltd.
Our
revised disclosure is included with this response as Exhibit
1.
Draft
Amendment No. 1 to Form 10-QSB for the Fiscal Quarter Ended March 31, 2007
Controls
and Procedures, page 2
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4.
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We
note your re to prior comment 6. Your revised disclosure is unclear
about
the period covered by your controls and procedures evaluation and
effectiveness conclusion; additionally, your disclosure regarding
changes
in internal control over financial reporting refers to fiscal quarter
ended June 30, 2007, rather than March 31, 2007. Please further revise
your disclosure in accordance with Items 307 and 308(c) of Regulation
S-B.
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Thorium
Power Response: We have revised our disclosure to indicate that our controls
and
procedures evaluation and effectiveness conclusion covered the three month
period ended March 31, 2007. We have included a copy of this disclosure with
this response as Exhibit 2.
If
you
would like to discuss any of the responses to the Staff’s comments or if you
would like to discuss any other matters, please contact the undersigned at
703.918.4918 or Louis A. Bevilacqua, Esq. of Thelen Reid Brown Raysman &
Steiner LLP, our outside special securities counsel, at (202)
508-4281.
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Sincerely,
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Thorium
Power, Ltd.
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By:
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/s/
Seth Grae
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Seth
Grae
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Chief
Executive Officer
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EXHIBIT
1
This
Exhibit 1 contains only those changes to our 10-KSB which are responsive to
the
Staff’s Comment No. 3 from the comment letter dated August 21,
2007.
Thorium
Power, Ltd.
(A
Development Stage Company)
Consolidated
Statements of Changes in Stockholders' Deficiency
(Continued)
From
January 8, 1992 (Inception) to December 31, 2006
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Common
Stock
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Additional
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Accumulated
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Stock
Committed
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Accumu-lated
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Deferred
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Treasury
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Stockholders’
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|||||||||||||||||||||||
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Shares
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Amount
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Paid-in
Capital
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(Deficit)
Accumulated During the Development Stage
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Future
Issuance
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Comprehensive
Income
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Stock
Compensation
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Stock
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Equity
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|||||||||||||||||||||||
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|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Balance
- December 31, 2005
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105,463,177
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$
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168,149
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$
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14,544,410
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$
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(15,469,662
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)
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$
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0
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$
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0
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$
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0
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$
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$
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(757,103
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)
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|||||||||||||
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Issuance
of common stock and warrants for cash
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15,319,674
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24,426
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2,165,248
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2,189,674
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|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Loan
conversion into stock
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32,144
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51
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4,049
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4,100
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|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Cashless
exercise of stock options and warrants
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20,385,474
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32,502
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(32,502
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)
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0
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||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Exercise
of stock options and warrants for cash
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407,680
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650
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12,350
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13,000
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|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Issuance
of stock for services
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627,200
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1,000
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104,000
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105,000
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|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Cancellation
of shares-held by Thorium Power Ltd (pursuant to merger)
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(6,597,495
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)
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(10,506
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)
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10,506
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||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Recapitalization
- 10/6/06 reverse merger*
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124,101,637
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43,467
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(3,035,878
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)
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(306,000
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)
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(3,298,411
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)
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|||||||||||||||||||||||
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Extension
of investor warrants terms - 6 months
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963,387
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963,387
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Stock
Option Expense
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1,055,648
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1,055,648
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Issuance
of stock for services
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204,341
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205
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226,284
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226,489
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|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Cashless
exercise of stock options and warrants
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49,333
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49
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(49
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)
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0
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||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Stock
issued - settlement expense
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307,534
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308
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91,952
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92,260
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Share
issue and merger costs
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(441,553
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)
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(441,553
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)
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Shares
retired, redeemed for payroll taxes on
stock-based
compensation
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(3,008,990
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)
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(3,009
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)
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3,009
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0
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Net
(loss) for the year ended December 31, 2006
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(11,708,327
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)
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(11,708,327
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)
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Unrealized
gains on marketable securities
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18,861
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18,861
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Amortization
of deferred stock compensation costs
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20,800
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20,800
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|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Allocation
of expenses from
Thorium
Power Ltd.
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7,477,700
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7,477,700
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Buyback
of stock - 850,000 shares to treasury stock
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(850,000
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)
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(255,850
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)
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(255,850
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)
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|||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Stock
based compensation - shares
committed
for future issuance
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1,200,000
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1,200,000
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|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Balance
- December 31, 2006
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256,441,709
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$
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257,292
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$
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23,148,560
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$
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(27,177,989
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)
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$
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1,200,000
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$
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18,861
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$
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(285,200
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)
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$
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(255,850
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)
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$
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(3,094,326
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)
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||||||||||
*
See
footnote 1 regarding the recapitalization of Thorium Power Inc.
Shares
subject to continuing registration rights is shown on the balance sheet as
temporary equity, not shareholders deficiency
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial
statements
F-9
Thorium
Power, Ltd.
(A
Development Stage Company)
Notes
to the Consolidated Financial Statements
December
31, 2006
Under
the
Merger Agreement each common share of Thorium Power, Inc. was converted into
common stock securities of Thorium Power, Ltd. such that Thorium Power, Inc.'s
current stockholders owned approximately 54.5% of the combined company (prior
to
dilution from common stock and warrants issued in connection with the May 2006
private placement), and each share of Thorium Power, Ltd.'s common stock will
remain outstanding. In addition, Thorium Power, Ltd. appointed new directors
and
officers following the merger. The combined company is headquartered in McLean,
Virginia, where the Company's operations are presently based.
In
accordance with the terms of the Merger Agreement, the following occurred with
respect to the outstanding common shares, stock options and warrants of Thorium
Power, Inc. at the closing of the Merger:
i) all
of the shares of common stock of Thorium Power, Inc. were cancelled and each
registered owner of outstanding shares of Thorium Power, Inc. common stock
automatically became the registered owner of 31.36 shares of common stock of
Thorium Power, Ltd., for each share of Thorium Power, Inc. common stock that
they previously owned (recapitalization ratio for reverse merger accounting
purposes). In accordance to the Merger Agreement, each holder of
non-compensatory options or warrants of Thorium Power, Inc. that had an exercise
price of $5.00 or $1.00, received from Thorium Ltd 12.315 shares and 22.965
shares of Thorium Power, Ltd. respectively, for each option or warrant owned.
There were 135,637,854 total common shares issued to the Thorium Power, Inc.
stockholders in the aggregate. As a result of the merger, there were 296,399,328
common shares outstanding on October 6, 2006 (including 36,659,837 shares of
common stock with registration rights).
ii) all
of other outstanding warrants and options of Thorium Power, Inc. were assumed
by
Thorium Power, Ltd. and became exercisable for Thorium Power, Ltd. common stock
in an amount and at an exercise price that is consistent with the exchange
ratio
described above for the conversion of Thorium Power, Inc. common stock. There
were 22,539,083 Thorium Power, Ltd., stock purchase warrants and 22,567,242
Thorium Power, Ltd., stock options assumed by Thorium Power, Inc. as of the
date
of the merger.
For
financial reporting purposes, this merger transaction was recorded as a
recapitalization of Thorium Power, Inc. whereby Thorium Power, Inc. is deemed
to
be the continuing, surviving entity for accounting purposes, but through
reorganization, has deemed to have adopted the capital structure of Thorium
Power, Ltd.
Accordingly,
all references to common shares of Thorium Power, Inc.'s common stock have
been
restated to reflect the equivalent number of Thorium Power, Ltd.'s common
shares. In other words, the 4,325,447 Thorium Power, Inc. shares outstanding
(net of the 210,119 shares held by Thorium Power Ltd. that were cancelled at
the
Merger date) are restated as 135,637,854 common shares, as of October 6, 2006.
Each share of Thorium Power Inc. is restated to 31.36 shares of Thorium Power
Ltd, which includes the shares issued to holders of non-compensatory options
or
warrants of Thorium Power, Inc. that had an exercise price of $5.00 or $1.00,
as
mentioned above.
A
summary
of assets and liabilities that, for accounting purposes, were deemed to have
been acquired by Thorium Power, Inc. from Thorium Power Ltd, book value as
of
the date of acquisition (October 6, 2006) were as follows:
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Total
assets - consisting of cash of $12,742,408, prepaid and other receivables,
$117,384
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$12,859,792
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||||||
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Temporary
Equity Transfer
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(12,041,373
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)
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|||||
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Total
Liabilities-consisting of warrant liabilities of $3,080,024 and other
payables
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$
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(4,116,830
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)
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||||
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|
|||||||
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Book
Value of Thorium Power, Ltd. - transferred to stockholders
equity
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$
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(3,298,411
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)
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||||
For
the
purpose of disclosing the non-cash transactions for the statement of cash flows
for the years ended December 31, 2006 and 2005, these assets acquired at book
value represent the non-cash transactions. Also the company acquired $12,742,408
of cash at the merger date (October 6, 2006). Due to this merger being recorded
as a recapitalization of Thorium Power, Inc., this cash received was recorded
as
a financing activity on the Statement of Cash Flows.
F-12
Thorium
Power, Ltd.
(A
Development Stage Company)
Notes
to the Consolidated Financial Statements
December
31, 2006
In
accordance with the Security and Exchange Commissions Staff Accounting Bulletin
SAB.T.1B1, an allocation of expenses attributable to Thorium Power, Inc., was
made to Thorium Power, Inc from Thorium Power, Ltd. for periods prior to the
merger date of October 6, 2006. The total expenses allocated to Thorium Power,
Inc. up to October 6, 2006 (merger date) were $7,477,700, which consisted of
$875,602 of general and administrative expenses and $6,602,098 of stock based
compensation from Thorium Power, Ltd.
Starting July 1, 2006 to October 6, 2006 Thorium Power Ltd recorded
approximately $2.3 million of these expenses incurred on behalf
of Thorium Power Inc. as intercompany charges receivable from Thorium
Power Ltd. , which became part of the approximate $14.6 million total
assets deemed acquired from Thorium Power Ltd, as shown above. The remaining
approximate $5.2 million of deemed capital contributions were recorded as
expenses on Thorium Power Ltd. books from January 1, 2006 to June 30, 2006
and
these expenses were allocated to Thorium Power Inc. as of June 30, 2006 as
capital contributions by Thorium Power Ltd. for this period of time.
2. SUMMARY
OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
a)
Consolidation
These
financial statements include the accounts of Thorium Ltd (a Nevada corporation)
and our wholly-owned subsidiaries, Thorium Power, Inc. (a Delaware corporation)
and TP Acquisition Corp., (a Delaware corporation). Due to the accounting
treatment of the reverse merger mentioned above, the operating results reported
are those of Thorium Power Inc. from January 1, 2006 to October 6, 2006 and
the
operating results of Thorium Power Inc., Thorium Power Ltd and TP Acquisition
Corp consolidated, from October 6, 2006 (merger date) to December 31,
2006.
All
significant intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in
consolidation.
b)
Use of
Estimates
The
preparation of financial statements, in conformity with accounting principles
generally accepted in the United States of America, requires management to
make
estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and
liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date
of
the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses
during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those
estimates.
F-13
EXHIBIT
2
This
Exhibit 2 only contains those 10-QSB which are responsive to the Staff’s Comment
No. 4 from the comment letter dated August 21, 2007.
ITEM
3A(T). CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES.
Evaluation
of Disclosure Controls and Procedures.
We
maintain a system of disclosure controls and procedures. The term “disclosure
controls and procedures,” as defined by regulations of the SEC, means controls
and other procedures that are designed to ensure that information required
to be
disclosed in the reports that we file or submit to the SEC under the Exchange
Act, is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods
specified in the SEC’s rules, regulations and forms. Disclosure controls and
procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to
ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that
we
file or submit to the SEC under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated
to our management, including our principal executive officer and our principal
financial officer, or persons performing similar functions, as appropriate
to
allow timely decisions to be made regarding required disclosure. Each of Seth
Grae, our President and Chief Executive Officer, and Larry Goldman, our Chief
Financial Officer, has evaluated the design and operating effectiveness of
our
disclosure controls and procedures as of March 31, 2007. Based upon their
evaluation, these executive officers have concluded that our disclosure controls
and procedures are effective as of March 31, 2007, and were effective during
the
entire quarter ended March 31, 2007.
Internal
Control Over Financial Reporting.
We also
maintain internal control over financial reporting. The term “internal control
over financial reporting,” as defined by regulations of the SEC, means a process
designed by, or under the supervision of, our principal executive and principal
financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, and effected by
the
our board of directors, management and other personnel, 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 procedures in the U.S. (“GAAP”), and includes those policies
and procedures that:
|
·
|
Pertain
to the maintenance of records that in reasonable detail accurately
and
fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of our
assets;
|
|
·
|
Provide
reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary
to permit
preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP, and
that our
receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with
authorizations of our management and directors; and
|
|
·
|
Provide
reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of
unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of our assets that could
have
a material effect on our consolidated financial
statements.
|
Changes
in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting.
There
has been no change to our internal control over financial reporting during
the
quarter ended March 31, 2007 that has materially affected, or is reasonably
likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.