History
A shell company that became Lucas Energy, then Camber, survived defaults and asset sales, merged with Viking in 2023, was delisted in 2024, and later exited Simson-Maxwell.
2006-2010: A shell becomes an oil company
The story began in May 2006, when a shell called Panorama Investments agreed to take over privately held Lucas Energy of Nevada. The deal closed on 12 June 2006, with 19,160,011 new shares going to nineteen private holders and the incoming side holding 80.2% of the votes. The company renamed itself Lucas Energy, and James J. Cerna Jr. was installed as interim director and operating chief. In 2007 it raised $12 million by selling shares and warrants, about $10.92 million net, its first big raise as a public company. The American Stock Exchange cleared its securities for trading in 2008, and an Amegy Bank credit facility that could grow to $100 million followed. In May 2010 it sold 85% of the deep rights under its Gonzales County acreage, including the Eagle Ford Shale, to Hilcorp Energy for $7.52 million and used the cash to clear its Amegy debt.
2010-2014: The Nordic bet and the squeeze
In December 2010 Lucas raised just under $6 million from institutional investors. In late 2011 it bought Nordic Oil USA I's Gonzales, Karnes and Wilson County leases for $22 million, paid with a 12-month, 6% secured note. It also bought acreage from joint-venture partner Hall Phoenix in January 2012 for $6.35 million of preferred stock. By December 2012 the note was in default, Nordic had sued, and CEO William Sawyer had been replaced by Anthony Schnur. A Seidler Oil & Gas fraud suit and a fee dispute also surfaced. In 2013 Nordic settled for $1.125 million and the leases went back, and the Seidler suit was settled by returning about $1.3 million to well investors. Short of outside money, the company borrowed $2.75 million at 14% in April 2013, $2.25 million of it from directors Ken Daraie and W. Andrew Krusen. A $7.5 million loan from Louise Rogers was rewritten within months. NYSE MKT warned in March 2014 that losses were too large. In October 2014 Lucas sold its Madison County interests for $700,000, and all three outside directors resigned that day.
2015-2016: The Segundo deal
In January 2015 Lucas defaulted on the Rogers loan, and a planned merger with Victory Energy was terminated in May. A Silver Star line of $2.4 million delivered only $1 million. On 31 December 2015 Lucas agreed to buy producing Texas and Oklahoma properties from Segundo Resources, producing over 1,200 barrels a day, for $31.35 million of assumed debt, $4.975 million cash, 13,009,664 shares and $13.8 million of new preferred stock. It closed in August 2016 with about $30.6 million of assumed debt. In April 2016 it also began Series C preferred financing with an investor later named Discover Growth Fund. The company was to be renamed Camber Energy, and Richard Azar became chairman.
2017-2018: Default and the N&B sale
In 2017 Camber outsourced its back office to Enerjex for $150,000 a month. NYSE American cited a $10.6 million stockholders' deficit, and chairman Fred Zeidman quit. Its subsidiary CATI defaulted, and in September International Bank of Commerce declared default on $38.3 million. A $16 million Series C facility was drawn over ten closings to September 2018, at a 24.95% dividend rate, and the original debenture later converted into 20,037,653 shares, almost all from conversion premiums. A 1-for-25 reverse split came in March 2018, and Azar left as chief executive in May. In September 2018 Camber sold almost all its remaining oil and gas assets to N&B Energy, tied to Azar and former director Donnie Seay, for $100 cash. N&B assumed the $36.9 million bank debt, and the bank released Camber.
2019-2021: Lineal and Viking
NYSE American compliance was regained in February 2019. Camber closed a reverse merger with pipeline-services group Lineal Star in July 2019, but it was unwound in January 2020 after the combined company could not meet listing requirements. In February 2020 Camber began a merger with Viking Energy Group. Series C conversions pushed shares from about 10.3 million in June to 25 million authorised by October 2020. That deal was amended repeatedly, then replaced in December 2020 by a direct purchase of 51% of Viking for $10.9 million cash plus cancelled notes, funded by a $12 million loan. A merger was re-signed in February 2021, and Camber's stake reached 73% by July. Viking bought 60.5% of Simson-Maxwell, licensed carbon-capture technology, and in October gave up its Ichor and Elysium oil and gas assets. A September 2021 restatement found about five years of Series C accounting errors, and late filings brought repeated NYSE extensions.
2022-2024: Dilution, merger and delisting
In January 2022 a $25 million loan funded a $18.85 million buyback of Series C shares, and $100 million of Series G preferred was sold, of which only $5 million was paid in cash. Investors sued over late filings in April, settling with 500 million shares reserved. In October 2022 the investors switched off the conversion ratchet. Camber agreed in December to buy about 169 wells for $69 million, and a Reno renewable-diesel plant deal at $750 million was revived in 2023 but terminated in March 2024. The Viking merger finally closed on 1 August 2023, with former Viking holders getting about 60%. Shares rose from 44,852,611 at the end of 2022 to 258,136,858 at the end of 2024. NYSE American suspended trading in August 2024, and the stock moved to OTC Pink as CEIN. A further restatement followed.
2025-2026: Smaller ventures and Simson exit
In April 2025 T&T Power Group took 51% of Simson-Maxwell, cutting Viking to 49%, and another restatement corrected Simson's revenue. Camber took on a $1.2 million convertible note from FK Venture. Viking added ozone-treatment and ground-fault-prevention ventures, including a roughly $1 million unit sale to Box03 International. On 4 June 2026 Simson amalgamated into T&T, leaving Viking with only non-voting redeemable preferred stock worth CDN$5.75-8.5 million, ending operating control of the power business.
Written from the 141 story beats below (2006 to 4 June 2026), which come from the company's own announcements and filings.