An analysis of disclosures prepared by listed entities undertaking mining or oil and gas activities

Thesis (M. Com. (Accountancy))--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, School of Accountancy, 2015.ABSTRACT The extractive activities industry includes entities that explore for, discover, develop and extract deposits of minerals, oil and natural gases. Recent research conducted has concluded that accounting for the assets and expenditure together with the disclosure requirements in this industry are not comprehensively addressed by current International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). The debate surrounding the accounting and disclosure alternatives in the industry as well as movements to standardise them have been ongoing since the 1890s. The latest movement by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) resulted in a project team publishing the Discussion Paper DP/2010/1 – Extractive Activities of April 2010 (Discussion Paper). The Discussion Paper presents disclosures determined to provide the most useful information to the users of the industries financial statements. The IASB have paused this topic and it will not be added to the agenda in the near future, however, this Discussion Paper is likely to form the foundation of a new IFRS. This research report will assess how the reserves and related disclosures currently prepared by entities in the mining or oil and gas industry compare to the proposed disclosure requirements of the Discussion Paper. This research report uses a mixed methodology. Quantitative analysis, through the use of a disclosure checklist, dominates the study which covers two years. The results of this study are then qualitatively and compared per proposed disclosure, against market capitalisation, by listing sector, by external auditor and whether the entity has a single or a dual-listing. Overall the study shows that the current disclosures of the entities do not satisfy the proposed disclosures of the Discussion Paper. Entities in the extractive activities industry would need to invest more into financial reporting in order to achieve compliance with the disclosures should they ever form part of an IFRS. The findings do indicate that the number of disclosures provided is dependent on the size of the entity. The two entities PRG/0500709A i found to have the most disclosures are in the gold mining sector and have an alternative listing on the New York Stock Exchange