Long-Term Incentive Plan (“2020 Plan”) under which 5,500,000 shares are authorized for future grants. At September 30, 2020, 3,388,505 shares were available for future grants.

For each stock option granted, the number of authorized shares under the 2020 Plan will be reduced on a one-for-one basis. For each restricted share granted, the number of shares authorized under both the 2014 Plan and 2020 Plan will be reduced by twice the number of restricted shares. The Company has no set policy for sourcing shares for option grants. Historically the shares issued under option grants have been new shares.

As referenced in the table below, the Company records compensation expense related to stock-based compensation as general and administrative expense associated with the issuance of stock options, restricted stock and stock appreciation rights. During the nine months ended September 30, 2020, the Company did not settle any stock-based compensation. During the nine months ended September 30, 2019, the Company settled in cash $0.3 million for stock appreciation rights and received $0.1 million for stock option exercises. Because the Company does not pay significant United States federal income taxes, no amounts were recorded for future tax benefits.

Stock options and performance shares

Stock options have an exercise price that may not be less than the fair market value of the underlying shares on the date of grant. In general, stock options granted to participants will become exercisable over a period determined by the Compensation Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors, which generally vest over a service period of up to five years and expire from five to ten years from the date of grant.

In June 2020, the Company granted options that are considered performance stock options to purchase an aggregate of 644,758 shares at an exercise price of $1.23 per share and a life of ten years were granted to employees of the Company. For each option award, options with respect to one-third of the underlying shares vest on the later of the first anniversary of the grant date and the date on which the Company’s stock price, determined using a 30-day average, exceeds $1.42 per share; options with respect to one-third of the underlying shares vest on the later of the second anniversary of the grant date and the date on which the Company’s stock price, determined using a 30-day average, exceeds $1.63 per share; and options with respect to the remaining one-third of the underlying shares vest on the later of the third anniversary of the grant date and the date on which the Company’s stock price, determined using a 30-day average, exceeds $1.88 per share. These awards are option awards that contain a market condition. Compensation cost for such awards is recognized ratably over the derived service period and compensation cost related to awards with a market condition will not be reversed if the Company does not believe it is probable that such performance criteria will be met or if the service provider (employee or otherwise) fails to meet such performance criteria.

The Company used the Monte Carlo simulation to calculate the grant date fair value of performance stock option awards. The fair value of these awards will be amortized to expense over the derived service period of the option. During the nine months ended September 30, 2020, the assumptions shown below were used to calculate the weighted average grant date fair value of performance stock option awards issued under the 2020 Plan.

For options that do not contain a market or performance condition, the Company uses the Black-Scholes model to calculate the grant date fair value of stock option awards. This fair value is then amortized to expense over the service period of the option.

Because the Company has not paid cash dividends and does not anticipate paying cash dividends on the common stock in the foreseeable future, no expected dividend yield was input to the Black-Scholes or Monte Carlo models. During the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, the weighted average assumptions shown below were used to calculate the weighted average grant date fair value of option grants.

Stock option activity for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 is provided below:

During the nine months ended September 30, 2020, no shares were added to treasury as a result of tax withholding on options exercised. During the nine months ended September 30, 2019, 13,875 shares were added to treasury as a result of tax withholding on options exercised. During the nine months ended September 30, 2019, 62,235 shares that had been granted from treasury were exercised and taken from treasury.

Restricted shares

Restricted stock granted to employees will vest over a period determined by the Compensation Committee that is generally a three-year period, vesting in three equal parts on the anniversaries following the date of the grant. Restricted stock granted to directors will vest on the earlier of (i) the first anniversary of the date of grant and (ii) the first annual meeting of stockholders following the date of grant (but not less than fifty (50) weeks following the date of grant). In June 2020, the Company issued 710,851 and 260,164 shares of service based restricted stock to employees and directors, respectively, with a grant date fair value of $1.23 per share. The vesting of these shares is dependent upon the employees’ and directors’ continued service with the Company.

The following is a summary of activity for the nine months ended September 30, 2020:

During the nine months ended September 30, 2020, 40,432 shares were added to treasury as a result of tax withholding on the vesting of restricted shares. During the nine months ended September 30, 2019, 30,573 shares were added to treasury as a result of tax withholding on the vesting of restricted shares.

Stock appreciation rights (“SARs”)

SARs may be granted under the VAALCO Energy, Inc. 2016 Stock Appreciation Rights Plan and the 2020 Plan. A SAR is the right to receive a cash amount equal to the spread with respect to a share of common stock upon the exercise of the SAR. The spread is the difference between the SAR exercise price per share specified in the SAR award (that may not be less than the fair market value of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant) and the fair market value per share of the Company’s common stock on the date of exercise of the SAR. SARs granted to participants will become exercisable over a period determined by the Compensation Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors. In addition, SARs will become exercisable upon a change in control, unless provided otherwise by the Compensation Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors.

During the nine months ended September 30, 2020, the Company did not grant SARs to employees or directors.