ABOUT US

Corporate Governance

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

The Company has adopted comprehensive systems of control and accountability as the basis for the administration of corporate governance. The Board is committed to administering the policies and procedures with openness and integrity, pursuing the true spirit of corporate governance commensurate with the Company’s needs.

In light of the Company’s size and nature, the Board considers that the current board is a cost effective and practical method of directing and managing the Company. As the Company’s activities develop in size, nature and scope, the size of the Board, and the implementation of additional corporate governance policies and structures, will be reviewed.

The Company’s main corporate governance policies and practices as at the date of this Prospectus are outlined below and the Company’s full Corporate Governance Plan is available in a dedicated corporate governance information section of the Company’s website (www. stonehorseenergy.com).


THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The Board is responsible for corporate governance of the Company. The Board develops strategies for the Company, reviews strategic objectives and monitors performance against those objectives. The goals of the corporate governance processes are to:

1. Maintain and increase Shareholder value;

2. Ensure a prudential and ethical basis for the Company’s conduct and activities; and

3. Ensure compliance with the Company’s legal and regulatory objectives.

Consistent with these goals, the Board assumes the following responsibilities:

1. Leading and setting the strategic direction and objectives of the Company;

2. appointing the Chairman of the Board, Managing Director or Chief Executive Officer and approving the appointment of Executives and the Company Secretary and the determination of their terms and conditions including remuneration and termination;

3. overseeing the Executive’s implementation of the Company’s strategic objectives and performance generally;

4. approving operating budgets, major capital expenditure and significant acquisitions and divestitures;

5. overseeing the integrity of the Company’s accounting and corporate reporting systems, including the external audit (satisfying itself financial statements released to the market fairly and accurately reflect the Company’s financial position and performance);

6. overseeing the Company’s procedures and processes for making timely and balanced disclosure of all material information that a reasonable person would expect to have a material effect on the price or value of the Company’s securities;

7. reviewing, ratifying and monitoring the effectiveness of the Company’s risk management framework, corporate governance policies and systems designed to ensure legal compliance; and

8. approving the Company’s remuneration framework.

The Company is committed to the circulation of relevant materials to Directors in a timely manner to facilitate Directors’ participation in the Board discussions on a fully-informed basis.


THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Election of Board members is substantially the province of the Shareholders in general meeting. However, subject there to:

1. membership of the Board of Directors will be reviewed regularly to ensure the mix of skills and expertise is appropriate; and

2. the composition of the Board has been structured so as to provide the Company with an adequate mix of directors with industry knowledge, technical, commercial and financial skills together with integrity and judgment considered necessary to represent shareholders and fulfil the business objectives of the Company.

The Board consists of three Directors two of whom are non-executive Directors of whom none are considered independent. The Board considers the proposed balance of skills and expertise is appropriate for the Company for its current level of activity.

To assist the Board in evaluating the appropriateness of the Board’s mix of qualifications, experience and expertise, the Board will maintain a Board Skills Matrix.

The Board undertakes appropriate checks before appointing a person as a Director or putting forward to Shareholders a candidate for election as a Director.

The Board ensures that Shareholders are provided with all material information in the Board’s possession relevant to a decision on whether or not to elect or re-elect a Director.

The Company shall develop and implement a formal induction program for Directors which allows new directors to participate fully and actively in Board decision-making at the earliest opportunity, and enable new Directors to gain an understanding of the Company’s policies and procedures.


IDENTIFICATION AND MANAGEMENT OF RISK

The Board’s collective experience will enable accurate identification of the principal risks that may affect the Company’s business. Key operational risks and their management will be recurring items for deliberation at Board meetings.


ETHICAL STANDARDS

The Board is committed to the establishment and maintenance of appropriate ethical standards.


INDEPENDENT & PROFESSIONAL ADVICE

Subject to the Chairman’s approval (not to be unreasonably withheld), the Directors, at the Company’s expense, may obtain independent professional advice on issues arising in the course of their duties.


REMUNERATION ARRANGEMENTS

The remuneration of an executive Director will be decided by the Board, without the affected executive Director participating in that decision-making process.

The total maximum remuneration of non-executive Directors is initially set by the Constitution and subsequent variation is by ordinary resolution of Shareholders in general meeting in accordance with the Constitution, the Corporations Act and the ASX Listing Rules, as applicable. The determination of non-executive Directors’ remuneration within that maximum will be made by the Board having regard to the inputs and value to the Company of the respective contributions by each non-executive Director. The Constitution sets this amount as $150,000.

In addition, a Director may be paid fees or other amounts (i.e. subject to any necessary Shareholder approval, non-cash performance incentives such as Options) as the Directors determine where a Director performs special duties or otherwise performs services outside the scope of the ordinary duties of a Director.

Directors are also entitled to be paid reasonable travelling, hotel and other expenses incurred by them respectively in or about the performance of their duties as Directors.

The Board reviews and approves the remuneration policy to enable the Company to attract and retain executives and Directors who will create value for Shareholders having consideration to the amount considered to be commensurate for a company of its size and level of activity as well as the relevant Directors’ time, commitment and responsibility. The Board is also responsible for reviewing any employee incentive and equity-based plans including the appropriateness of performance hurdles and total payments proposed.


TRADING POLICY

The Board has adopted a policy that sets out the guidelines on the sale and purchase of securities in the Company by its directors, officers, employees and contractors. The policy generally provides that for directors, the written acknowledgement of the Chair (or the Board in the case of the Chairman) must be obtained prior to trading.


EXTERNAL AUDIT

The Company in general meetings is responsible for the appointment of the external auditors of the Company, and the Board from time to time will review the scope, performance and fees of those external auditors.


AUDIT COMMITTEE

The Company will not have a separate audit committee until such time as the Board is of a sufficient size and structure, and the Company’s operations are of a sufficient magnitude for a separate committee to be of benefit to the Company. In the meantime, the full Board will carry out the duties that would ordinarily be assigned to that committee under the written terms of reference for that committee, including but not limited to, monitoring and reviewing any matters of significance affecting financial reporting and compliance, the integrity of the financial reporting of the Company, the Company’s internal financial control system and risk management systems and the external audit function.


DEPARTURES FROM RECOMMENDATIONS

Under the ASX Listing Rules the Company will be required to provide a statement in its annual financial report or on its website disclosing the extent to which it has followed the Recommendations during each reporting period. Where the Company has not followed a Recommendation, it must identify the Recommendation that has not been followed and give reasons for not following it.

This Corporate Governance Statement set out below discloses the extent to which the Company intends, as at the date the Company’s securities are reinstated to official quotation on the ASX following completion of the Offers, to follow the Recommendations and where any Recommendations are not intended to be followed these Recommendations have been identified and reasons provided for not following them along with what (if any) alternative governance practices the Company intends to adopt in lieu of the Recommendation.