Sales Pitches Focused on Highly Publicized News.
"Scam artists read the headlines, too. Often, theyll use a highly
publicized news item, like volatile gas prices, to lure potential investors and make their
'opportunity' sound more legitimate."
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Gulf Coast Western does not participate in oil and/or gas
prospects in areas of highly publicized news. We consider these "hype" plays to
include the Barnett Shale, the Fayetteville Shale and the Bakken Shale. We focus on
participating in prospects that have substantial technical support, are developed by
well-respected industry partners and are in areas of long term proven production. Our
geographic focus is primarily the Gulf Coast Region of the United States which includes
Texas, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi. GCW typically does not operate wells we
participate in, we prefer to participate on a Working Interest (WI) basis in projects
generated, drilled and operated by very reputable companies. In 2008, we participated in
wells with partners such as Samson, Ventum Energy, Sterling Energy, Fort Apache Energy,
Fidelity Exploration and Neumin Production.
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"Can't Miss" Wells. "Every
investment carries some degree of risk so you should be skeptical of any oil and gas
investment opportunity pitched as completely safe. Fraudsters often spend a lot of time
trying to convince you that extremely high returns are 'guaranteed' or 'can't miss'. Don't
believe it."
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Gulf Coast Western has participated in many wells since
being founded in 1970 and can speak from experience that there is no such thing as a
"Can't Miss' well. Each and every prospect carries with it its own degree of geologic
or mechanical risk. In fact, we take a well diversified approach to prospects in which we
participate and offer both existing and potential Partners the opportunity to participate
in a variety of projects. The risk/reward profile varies for each prospect that we
participate in. However, we do seek out prospects that have excellent risk/reward
potential. We have participated in our share of low risk dry holes and have also
experienced significant discoveries participating in high risk prospects.
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Unsolicited Materials. "Be
especially careful if you receive unsolicited materials about an investment. Simply
ignoring investment-related 'junk' faxes, emails, voice mail messages, and regular mail
may be your best strategy. And don't let a package full of colorful marketing materials
impress you, even if its sent by certified or overnight mail. If youre not
going to research an opportunity fully, do yourself a favor and put any unsolicited
materials in the recycle bin immediately. If someone calls to follow up regarding the
materials, tell him or her thanks, but no thanks and hang up. [Hanging up is
critical because scam artists often use scripted sale pitches to keep you on the phone.]"
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Gulf Coast Western does not send out unsolicited
materials of any type. We send materials only to persons who have requested that materials
be sent to them and who have represented that they are qualified to participate in our Tax
Advantaged Joint Venture General Partnerships.
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Limited Opportunities. "Scam
artists often try to give you the impression that the 'opportunity' they are promoting is
scarce, hoping you will hand over your money hastily before doing any due diligence.
Resist the pressure to invest quickly, and take the time you need to investigate before
sending money."
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Gulf Coast Western's participation in each prospect
varies and the time period or participation is not within our control, so we do not have
the ability to provide unlimited opportunities. However, existing and potential Partners
are encouraged to take the time to do a thorough evaluation and complete their due
diligence investigation prior to making a commitment to participate.
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High Rates of Return. "Compare
promised yields with current returns on well-known stock indexes. Any investment
opportunity that claims you'll get substantially more could be highly risky. And that
means you might lose money."
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Gulf Coast Western provides every existing and potential
Partner with a Confidential Information Memorandum (CIM) which contains a full disclosure
of all risks related to oil and gas exploration and General Partnerships. We also provide
our potential partners with the full range of potential returns on our Joint Venture
General Partnerships, including the risk of a persons entire investment being lost
in the case of a dry hole or a marginally productive well.
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Tips or Secrets. "A promoter may
discourage you from talking about the opportunity with someone you trust, like a loved
one, attorney or financial professional. If that happens, stop listening, and leave or
hang up. Then, be sure to contact us."
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Gulf Coast Western encourages any qualified potential
Partner to seek out all necessary advice to make an informed decision. We also offer to
provide potential Partners contact information for our attorneys, accountants, and
technical experts so that no question goes unanswered.
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