Item 1. Business
Overview
We are an independent energy company engaged in the acquisition, exploration, development and production of oil and natural gas properties in the United States, primarily in the Williston Basin, the Appalachian Basin and the Permian Basin. We believe the location, size and concentration of our acreage positions in some of North America’s leading unconventional oil and gas resource plays provide us with drilling and development opportunities that will result in significant long-term value. We currently report a single reportable segment. See “Financial Statements” and the notes to our consolidated financial statements for financial information about this reportable segment.
Our primary focus is investing in non-operated minority working and mineral interests in oil and gas properties, with a core area of focus in three premier basins within the United States. As a non-operator, we are able to diversify our investment exposure by participating in a large number of gross wells, as well as entering into additional project areas by partnering with numerous experienced operating partners or pursuing value enhancing acquisitions. In addition, because we can generally elect to participate on a well by well basis, we believe we have increased flexibility in the timing and amount of our capital expenditures because we are not burdened with various contractual arrangements with respect to minimum drilling obligations. Further, we are able to avoid exploratory and infrastructure costs incurred by many oil and gas producers.
We seek to create value through strategic acquisitions and partnering with operators who have significant experience in developing and producing hydrocarbons in our core areas. We have more than 95 experienced operating partners that provide technical insights and opportunities for acquisitions. Across these operators, no single operator represented more than 20% of our fourth quarter 2022 oil and natural gas sales.
Prior to 2020, we focused our operations exclusively on oil-weighted properties in the Williston Basin. We first expanded beyond the Williston Basin in 2020, with several small acquisitions in the Permian Basin. In 2021 and 2022, we accelerated our diversification outside the Williston Basin via larger acquisitions, including the acquisition of significant producing natural gas properties in the Appalachian Basin and several acquisitions in the Permian Basin. We have also added to our legacy position in the Williston Basin via larger acquisitions. See Notes 3 and 14 to our financial statements for further details regarding these acquisitions. Our acquisition activity was a significant driver of our production growth from 64,155 Boe per day in the fourth quarter of 2021 to 78,854 Boe per day in the fourth quarter of 2022.
The following table provides a summary of certain information regarding our assets as of December 31, 2022, including reserves information audited by our third-party independent reserve engineers, Cawley, Gillespie & Associates, Inc. (“Cawley”).
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| As of December 31, 2022 |
| | Net
Acres | | Productive Wells | | Average Daily Production(1) (Boe per day) | | Proved Reserves
(MBoe) | | % Oil | | % Proved Developed |
| Gross | | Net | |
| Williston Basin | 182,168 | | | 7,487 | | | 608.0 | | | 44,028 | | | 186,165 | | | 70 | % | | 69 | % |
| Permian Basin | 17,616 | | | 818 | | | 92.8 | | | 22,696 | | | 53,116 | | | 62 | | | 72 | |
| Appalachian Basin | 59,186 | | | 367 | | | 98.5 | | | 12,130 | | | 91,528 | | | — | | | 52 | |
| Total | 258,970 | | | 8,672 | | | 799.3 | | | 78,854 | | | 330,809 | | | 49 | % | | 65 | % |
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(1)Represents the average daily production over the three months ended December 31, 2022.
Business Strategy
Our business strategy is focused on growing our reserves, production and free cash flow to create long-term value for our stakeholders while maintaining a strong balance sheet. The key elements of our business strategy include the following:
•Diversify Our Risk Through Non-Operated Participation in a Large Number of Wells and Multiple Basins. As a non-operator, we seek to diversify our investment and operational risk through participation in a large number of oil and gas wells and with multiple operators across multiple basins. As of December 31, 2022, we have participated in 8,672 gross (799.3 net) producing wells with an average working interest of 9.2% in each gross well, with more than 95 experienced operating partners. We also believe that we can further diversify our risk with acquisitions in multiple basins, focusing on accretive acquisitions of top tier assets with top tier operators in the premier basins in the United States. For the three months ended December 31, 2022, our production consisted of approximately 44,028 Boe per day in the Williston Basin, 22,696 Boe per day in the Permian Basin, and 12,130 Boe per day in the Appalachian Basin.
•Accelerate Growth by Pursuing Value-Enhancing Acquisitions. We strive to be the natural consolidator and clearing house of non-operated working interests in various leading oil and gas shale plays in the United States. Our “ground game” acquisition strategy is to build a strong presence in our core basins and seek to acquire smaller additional lease positions at a significant discount to the contiguous acreage positions typically sought by larger producers and operators of oil and gas wells, focusing on near term drilling opportunities. Such acquisitions have been a significant driver of our net well additions and additions to production. We intend to continue these activities, while at the same time evaluating and pursuing larger non-operated asset packages that we believe can responsibly add significant production, cash flow and scale to existing operations.
•Build and Maintain a Strong Balance Sheet and Proactively Manage to Limit Downside. We strive for financial strength and flexibility through the prudent management of our balance sheet. We intend to use a significant portion of our expected free cash flow in 2023 to reduce our borrowings under our Revolving Credit Facility with the objective of maintaining leverage near our target of 1.0x Debt / Adjusted EBITDA.
•Systematic Hedging Strategy. Given the volatility of the commodity price environment, we employ an active commodity price risk management program to better enable us to execute our business plan over the entire commodity price cycle. We have a rolling target of hedging 60% or more of our anticipated next 18-month production.
•Stockholder Returns. The foregoing strategies are collectively aimed at building a diversified, low-leverage, cash generating business that can deliver meaningful returns to our investors. We have provided stockholder returns in the form of cash dividends and security repurchases, and will seek to grow stockholder returns over time.
Industry Operating Environment
The oil and natural gas industry is a global market impacted by many factors, such as government regulations, particularly in the areas of taxation, energy, climate change and the environment, political and social developments in the Middle East, demand in Asian and European markets, and the extent to which members of OPEC and other oil exporting nations manage oil supply through export quotas. Natural gas prices are generally determined by North American supply and demand and are also affected by imports and exports of liquefied natural gas. Weather also has a significant impact on demand for natural gas since it is a primary heating source.
Oil and natural gas prices have been, and we expect may continue to be, volatile. Lower oil and gas prices not only decrease our revenues, but an extended decline in oil or gas prices may affect planned capital expenditures and the oil and natural gas reserves that we can economically produce. Lower oil and gas prices may also reduce the amount of our borrowing base under our Revolving Credit Facility, which is determined at the discretion of the lenders based on various factors including the collateral value of our proved reserves. While lower commodity prices may reduce our future net cash flow from operations, we expect to have sufficient liquidity to continue development of our oil and gas properties. In addition, we undertake an active commodity hedging program that is designed to help stabilize the volatile commodity pricing environment and protect cash flows in a potential downturn.
The oil and natural gas industry is very cyclical and the demand for goods and services of oil field companies, suppliers and others associated with the industry put extreme pressure on the economic stability and pricing structure within the industry. Typically, as prices for oil and natural gas increase, so do all associated costs. Conversely, in a period of declining
prices, associated cost declines are likely to lag and may not adjust downward in proportion. Additionally, ongoing inflationary pressures have resulted in and may result in additional increases to the costs of goods, services and personnel. Material changes in prices impact our current revenue stream, estimates of future reserves, borrowing base calculations of bank loans, impairment assessments of oil and natural gas properties, and values of properties in purchase and sale transactions. Sustained levels of high inflation caused the U.S. Federal Reserve and other central banks to increase interest rates multiple times in 2022 in an effort to curb inflationary pressure on the costs of goods and services, which could additionally have the effects of raising the cost of capital and depressing economic growth.
Development
We primarily engage in oil and natural gas exploration and production by participating on a proportionate basis alongside third-party interests in wells drilled and completed in spacing units that include our acreage. In addition, we acquire wellbore-only working interests in wells in which we do not hold the underlying leasehold interests from third parties unable or unwilling to participate in particular well proposals. We typically depend on drilling partners to propose, permit and initiate the drilling of wells. Prior to commencing drilling, our partners are required to provide all owners of oil, natural gas and mineral interests within the designated spacing unit the opportunity to participate in the drilling costs and revenues of the well to the extent of their pro-rata share of such interest within the spacing unit. We assess each drilling opportunity on a case-by-case basis and participate in wells that we expect to meet our return thresholds based upon our estimates of ultimate recoverable oil and natural gas, expected oil and gas prices, expertise of the operator, and completed well cost from each project, as well as other factors. Historically, we have participated pursuant to our working interest in a vast majority of the wells proposed to us. However, declines in oil prices typically reduce both the number of well proposals we receive and the proportion of well proposals in which we elect to participate. Our land and engineering team uses our extensive database to make these economic decisions. Given our large acreage footprint and substantial number of well participations, we believe we can make accurate economic drilling decisions.
Historically, we have not managed our commodities marketing activities internally. Instead, our operating partners generally market and sell oil and natural gas produced from wells in which we have an interest. Our operating partners coordinate the transportation of our oil and gas production from our wells to appropriate pipelines or rail transport facilities pursuant to arrangements that they negotiate and maintain with various parties purchasing the production. We understand that our partners generally sell our production to a variety of purchasers at prevailing market prices under separately negotiated short-term contracts. Although we have historically relied on our operating partners for these activities, we may in the future seek to take a portion of our production in kind and internally manage the marketing activities for such production. The price at which our production is sold is generally tied to the spot market for oil or natural gas. The price at which our oil production is sold typically reflects a discount to the NYMEX benchmark price. This differential primarily represents the transportation costs in moving the oil from wellhead to refinery and will fluctuate based on availability of pipeline, rail and other transportation methods. The price at which our natural gas production is sold may reflect either a discount or premium to the NYMEX benchmark price. Using our commodity hedging program, we may, from time to time, enter into financial hedging contracts to help mitigate pricing risk and volatility with respect to differentials.
Competition
The oil and natural gas industry is intensely competitive and we compete with numerous other oil and natural gas exploration and production companies, many of which have substantially greater resources than we have and may be able to pay more for exploratory prospects and productive oil and natural gas properties. Our larger or integrated competitors may be better able to absorb the burden of existing, and any changes to, federal, state, and local laws and regulations than we can, which would adversely affect our competitive position. Our ability to discover reserves and acquire additional properties in the future is dependent upon our ability and resources to evaluate and select suitable properties and to consummate transactions in this highly competitive environment.
Marketing and Customers
The market for oil and natural gas that will be produced from our properties depends on many factors, including the extent of domestic production and imports of oil and natural gas, the proximity and capacity of pipelines and other transportation and storage facilities, demand for oil and natural gas, the marketing of competitive fuels and the effects of state and federal regulation. The oil and natural gas industry also competes with other industries in supplying the energy and fuel requirements of industrial, commercial and individual consumers.
Our oil production is expected to be sold at prices tied to the spot oil markets. Our natural gas production is expected to be sold under short-term contracts and priced based on first of the month index prices or on daily spot market prices. We
rely on our operating partners to market and sell our production. Our operating partners include a variety of exploration and production companies, from large publicly-traded companies to small, privately-owned companies. We do not believe the loss of any single operator would have a material adverse effect on our company as a whole.
Title to Properties
Our oil and natural gas properties are subject to customary royalty and other interests, liens under indebtedness, liens incident to operating agreements, liens for current taxes and other burdens, including other mineral encumbrances and restrictions. Our indebtedness under our Revolving Credit Facility is also secured by liens on substantially all of our assets. We do not believe that any of these burdens materially interfere with the use of our properties or the operation of our business.
We believe that we have satisfactory title to or rights in our producing properties. As is customary in the oil and gas industry, minimal investigation of title is made at the time of acquisition of undeveloped properties. In most cases, we investigate title only when we acquire producing properties or before commencement of drilling operations.
Seasonality
Winter weather conditions and lease stipulations can limit or temporarily halt the drilling and producing activities of our operating partners and other oil and natural gas operations. These constraints and the resulting shortages or high costs could delay or temporarily halt the operations of our operating partners and materially increase our operating and capital costs. Such seasonal anomalies can also pose challenges for meeting well drilling objectives and may increase competition for equipment, supplies and personnel during the spring and summer months, which could lead to shortages and increase costs or delay or temporarily halt our operating partners’ operations.
Principal Agreements Affecting Our Ordinary Business
We generally do not own physical real estate, but, instead, our acreage is primarily comprised of leasehold interests subject to the terms and provisions of lease agreements that provide our company the right to participate in drilling and maintenance of wells in specific geographic areas. Lease arrangements that comprise our acreage positions are generally established using industry-standard terms that have been established and used in the oil and natural gas industry for many years. Many of our leases are or were acquired from other parties that obtained the original leasehold interest prior to our acquisition of the leasehold interest.
In general, our lease agreements stipulate three-to-five year terms. Bonuses and royalty rates are negotiated on a case-by-case basis consistent with industry standard pricing. Once a well is drilled and production established, the leased acreage in the applicable spacing unit is considered developed acreage and is held by production. Other locations within the drilling unit created for a well may also be drilled at any time with no time limit as long as the lease is held by production. Given the current pace of drilling in the areas of our operations, we do not believe lease expiration issues will materially affect our acreage position.
Governmental Regulation and Environmental Matters
Our operations are subject to various rules, regulations and limitations impacting the oil and natural gas exploration and production industry as whole.
Regulation of Oil and Natural Gas Production
Our oil and natural gas exploration, production and related operations are subject to extensive rules and regulations promulgated by federal, state, tribal and local authorities and agencies. For example, many states require permits for drilling operations, drilling bonds and reports concerning operations and impose other requirements relating to the exploration and production of oil and natural gas. Many states also have statutes or regulations addressing conservation matters, including provisions for the unitization or pooling of oil and natural gas properties, the location of wells, the method of drilling and casing wells, the surface use and restoration of properties upon which wells are drilled, the sourcing and disposal of water used in the process of drilling, completion and abandonment, the establishment of maximum rates of production from wells, and the regulation of spacing, plugging and abandonment of such wells. Moreover, the Biden Administration has indicated that it expects to impose additional federal regulations limiting access to and production from federal lands. The effect of these regulations is to limit the amount of oil and natural gas that we can produce from our wells and to limit the number of wells or the locations at which we can drill. Moreover, many states impose a production or severance tax with respect to the production and sale of oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids within their jurisdictions. Failure to comply with any such rules and
regulations can result in substantial penalties. The regulatory burden on the oil and natural gas industry will most likely increase our cost of doing business and may affect our profitability. Because such rules and regulations are frequently amended or reinterpreted, we are unable to predict the future cost or impact of complying with such laws. Significant expenditures may be required to comply with governmental laws and regulations and may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, currently unforeseen environmental incidents may occur or past non-compliance with environmental laws or regulations may be discovered. Therefore, we are unable to predict the future costs or impact of compliance. Additional proposals and proceedings that affect the oil and natural gas industry are regularly considered by Congress, the states, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) and the courts. We cannot predict when or whether any such proposals may become effective.
Regulation of Transportation of Oil
Sales of crude oil, condensate and natural gas liquids are not currently regulated and are made at negotiated prices. Nevertheless, Congress could reenact price controls in the future. Our sales of crude oil are affected by the availability, terms and cost of transportation. The transportation of oil by common carrier pipelines is also subject to rate and access regulation. The FERC regulates interstate oil pipeline transportation rates under the Interstate Commerce Act. In general, interstate oil pipeline rates must be cost-based, although settlement rates agreed to by all shippers are permitted and market-based rates may be permitted in certain circumstances. Effective January 1, 1995, the FERC implemented regulations establishing an indexing system (based on inflation) for transportation rates for oil pipelines that allows a pipeline to increase its rates annually up to a prescribed ceiling, without making a cost of service filing. Every five years, the FERC reviews the appropriateness of the index level in relation to changes in industry costs. On January 20, 2022, the FERC established a new price index for the five-year period which commenced on July 1, 2021.
Intrastate oil pipeline transportation rates are subject to regulation by state regulatory commissions. The basis for intrastate oil pipeline regulation, and the degree of regulatory oversight and scrutiny given to intrastate oil pipeline rates varies from state to state. Insofar as effective interstate and intrastate rates are equally applicable to all comparable shippers, we believe that the regulation of oil transportation rates will not affect our operations in any way that is of material difference from those of our competitors who are similarly situated.
Further, interstate and intrastate common carrier oil pipelines must provide service on a non-discriminatory basis. Under this open access standard, common carriers must offer service to all similarly situated shippers requesting service on the same terms and under the same rates. When oil pipelines operate at full capacity, access is generally governed by pro-rationing provisions set forth in the pipelines’ published tariffs. Accordingly, we believe that access to oil pipeline transportation services generally will be available to us to the same extent as to our similarly situated competitors.
Regulation of Transportation and Sales of Natural Gas
Historically, the transportation and sale for resale of natural gas in interstate commerce has been regulated by the FERC under the Natural Gas Act of 1938 (“NGA”), the Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978 and regulations issued under those statutes. In the past, the federal government has regulated the prices at which natural gas could be sold. While sales by producers of natural gas can currently be made at market prices, Congress could reenact price controls in the future.
Onshore gathering services, which occur upstream of FERC jurisdictional transmission services, are regulated by the states. Although the FERC has set forth a general test for determining whether facilities perform a non-jurisdictional gathering function or a jurisdictional transmission function, the FERC’s determinations as to the classification of facilities is done on a case-by-case basis. State regulation of natural gas gathering facilities generally includes various safety, environmental and, in some circumstances, nondiscriminatory take requirements. Although such regulation has not generally been affirmatively applied by state agencies, natural gas gathering may receive greater regulatory scrutiny in the future.
Intrastate natural gas transportation and facilities are also subject to regulation by state regulatory agencies, and certain transportation services provided by intrastate pipelines are also regulated by FERC. The basis for intrastate regulation of natural gas transportation and the degree of regulatory oversight and scrutiny given to intrastate natural gas pipeline rates and services varies from state to state. Insofar as such regulation within a particular state will generally affect all intrastate natural gas shippers within the state on a comparable basis, we believe that the regulation of similarly situated intrastate natural gas transportation in any states in which we operate and ship natural gas on an intrastate basis will not affect our operations in any way that is of material difference from those of our competitors. Like the regulation of interstate transportation rates, the regulation of intrastate transportation rates affects the marketing of natural gas that we produce, as well as the revenues we receive for sales of our natural gas.
Environmental Matters
Our operations and properties are subject to extensive and changing federal, state, tribal and local laws and regulations relating to environmental protection, including the generation, storage, handling, emission, transportation and discharge of materials into the environment, and relating to safety and health. The recent trend in environmental legislation and regulation generally is toward stricter standards, and this trend will likely continue. These laws and regulations may:
•require the acquisition of a permit or other authorization and procurement of financial assurance before construction or drilling commences and for certain other activities;
•limit or prohibit construction, drilling and other activities on certain lands lying within wilderness and other protected areas; and
•impose substantial liabilities for pollution resulting from our operations.
The permits required for our operations may be subject to revocation, modification and renewal by issuing authorities. Governmental authorities have the power to enforce their regulations, and violations are subject to fines or injunctions, or both. In the opinion of management, we are in substantial compliance with current applicable environmental laws and regulations, and have no material commitments for capital expenditures to comply with existing environmental requirements. Nevertheless, changes in existing environmental laws and regulations or in interpretations thereof could have a significant impact on our company, as well as the oil and natural gas industry in general.
The Comprehensive Environmental, Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (“CERCLA”) and comparable state statutes impose strict, joint and several liability on several categories of persons, including current and former owners and operators of sites and on persons who disposed of or arranged for the disposal of “hazardous substances” found at such sites. It is not uncommon for the neighboring landowners and other third parties to file claims for personal injury and property damage allegedly caused by the hazardous substances released into the environment. The Federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (“RCRA”) and comparable state statutes govern the disposal of “solid waste” and “hazardous waste” and authorize the imposition of substantial fines and penalties for noncompliance. Although CERCLA currently excludes petroleum from its definition of “hazardous substance,” state laws affecting our operations may impose clean-up liability relating to petroleum and petroleum related products. In addition, although RCRA classifies certain oil field wastes as “non-hazardous” if properly handled, such exploration and production wastes could be reclassified in the future as hazardous wastes thereby making such wastes subject to more stringent handling and disposal requirements. Recent regulation and litigation that has been brought against others in the industry under RCRA concern liability for earthquakes that were allegedly caused by injection of oil field wastes.
The Endangered Species Act (“ESA”) seeks to ensure that activities do not jeopardize endangered or threatened animal, fish and plant species, nor destroy or modify the critical habitat of such species. Under the ESA, exploration and production operations, as well as actions by federal agencies, may not significantly impair or jeopardize the species or its habitat. The ESA provides for criminal penalties for willful violations of the ESA. Other statutes that provide protection to animal and plant species and that may apply to our operations include, but are not necessarily limited to, the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, the Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the National Historic Preservation Act. Although we believe that our operations are in substantial compliance with such statutes, any change in these statutes or any reclassification of a species as endangered could subject our company (directly or indirectly through our operating partners) to significant expenses to modify our operations or could force discontinuation of certain operations altogether. There is also increasing interest in nature-related matters beyond protected species, such as general biodiversity, which may similarly require us or our customers to incur costs or take other measures which may adversely impact our business or operations.
The Clean Air Act (“CAA”) controls air emissions from oil and natural gas production and natural gas processing operations, among other sources. CAA regulations include New Source Performance Standards (“NSPS”) for the oil and natural gas source category to address emissions of sulfur dioxide and volatile organic compounds (“VOCs”) and a separate set of emission standards to address hazardous air pollutants frequently associated with oil and natural gas production and processing activities.
On November 2, 2021, the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) proposed to revise and add to the NSPS program rules. The proposed rules would formally reinstate methane (a greenhouse gas (“GHG”)) emission limitations for existing and modified facilities in the oil and gas sector and would also regulate, for the first time under the NSPS program, existing oil and gas facilities. Specifically, EPA’s proposed new rules would require states to implement plans that meet or exceed emission federally established emission reduction guidelines for oil and natural gas facilities. On November 11, 2022, the EPA issued a proposed rule supplementing the November 2021 proposed rule. Among other things, the November 2022 supplemental proposed rule removes an emissions monitoring exemption for small wellhead-only sites and creates a new third-
party monitoring system to flag large emissions events, referred to in the proposed rule as “super emitters.” The EPA is currently expected to issue a final rule by August 2023. Additionally, various states and groups of states have adopted or are considering adopting legislation, regulations or other regulatory initiatives that are focused on such areas as greenhouse gas cap and trade programs, carbon taxes, reporting and tracking programs, and restriction of emissions. At the international level, there exists the United Nations-sponsored Paris Agreement, which is a non-binding agreement for nations to limit their greenhouse gas emissions through individually-determined reduction goals every five years after 2020. While the United States withdrew from the Paris Agreement during the Trump Administration, President Biden recommitted the United States to the Paris Agreement on January 20, 2021 and established a goal of reducing economy-wide net GHG emissions by at least thirty percent from 2020 levels by 2030.
These regulations and proposals and any other new regulations requiring the installation of more sophisticated pollution control equipment could have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
The Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972, or the Clean Water Act (the “CWA”), imposes restrictions and controls on the discharge of produced waters and other pollutants into waters of the United States (“WOTUS”). Permits must be obtained to discharge pollutants into state and federal waters and to conduct construction activities in waters and wetlands. The CWA and certain state regulations prohibit the discharge of produced water, sand, drilling fluids, drill cuttings, sediment and certain other substances related to the oil and gas industry into certain coastal and offshore waters without an individual or general National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System discharge permit. In addition, the CWA and analogous state laws require individual permits or coverage under general permits for discharges of storm water runoff from certain types of facilities. CWA jurisdiction depends on the definition of WOTUS. The EPA is undergoing a two-phase rulemaking process to redefine the definition of WOTUS which could be impacted by the United States Supreme Court’s upcoming decision in Sackett v. EPA, a case regarding the proper test in determining whether wetlands qualify as navigable WOTUS. The first rule was finalized by the EPA on December 30, 2022, and the EPA is expected to propose the second rule by November 2023 and issue a final rule by July 2024. Changes in the definition of WOTUS could potentially expand CWA jurisdiction to include more features in areas where oil and gas operations are conducted. Some states also maintain groundwater protection programs that require permits for discharges or operations that may impact groundwater conditions. In 2021, the United States Supreme Court held that the CWA requires a discharge permit if the addition of pollutants through groundwater is the functional equivalent of a direct discharge from the point source into navigable waters. Costs may be associated with the treatment of wastewater and/or developing and implementing storm water pollution prevention plans.
The CAA, CWA and comparable state statutes provide for civil, criminal and administrative penalties for unauthorized discharges of oil and other pollutants and impose liability on parties responsible for those discharges, for the costs of cleaning up any environmental damage caused by the release and for natural resource damages resulting from the release.
The underground injection of oil and natural gas wastes are regulated by the Underground Injection Control program authorized by the Safe Drinking Water Act. The primary objective of injection well operating requirements is to ensure the mechanical integrity of the injection apparatus and to prevent migration of fluids from the injection zone into underground sources of drinking water. Substantially all of the oil and natural gas production in which we have interest is developed from unconventional sources that require hydraulic fracturing as part of the completion process. Hydraulic fracturing involves the injection of water, sand and chemicals under pressure into the formation to stimulate gas production. Legislation to amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to repeal the exemption for hydraulic fracturing from the definition of “underground injection” and require federal permitting and regulatory control of hydraulic fracturing, as well as legislative proposals to require disclosure of the chemical constituents of the fluids used in the fracturing process, were proposed but not passed in recent sessions of Congress. The EPA, however, has issued guidance on permitting hydraulic fracturing that uses fluids containing diesel fuel under the Underground Injection Control (“UIC”) program, specifically as “Class II” UIC wells, and prohibits the discharge of wastewater from onshore unconventional oil and natural gas extraction facilities to publicly owned wastewater treatment plants.
Scrutiny of hydraulic fracturing activities continues in other ways. The federal government continues to study hydraulic fracturing’s potential impacts. Several states, including states where we have properties, have also proposed or adopted legislative or regulatory restrictions on hydraulic fracturing. A number of municipalities in other states, including Colorado and Texas, have attempted to enact bans on hydraulic fracturing. New York State’s ban on hydraulic fracturing was recently upheld by the Courts. In Colorado, the Colorado Supreme Court has ruled the municipal bans were preempted by state law. However, the Colorado legislature subsequently enacted “SB 101” that gave significant local control over oil and gas well head operations. Some municipalities in Colorado have enacted local rules restricting oil and gas operations (e.g., by implementing mandatory setbacks, controlling odors, and requiring further environmental and policy review before fracturing is approved) based on SB 101. We cannot predict whether any other legislation will ever be enacted and if so, what its provisions would be. If additional levels of regulation and permits were required through the adoption of new laws and regulations at the
federal or state level, it could lead to delays, increased operating costs and process prohibitions that would materially adversely affect our revenue and results of operations.
The National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”) establishes a national environmental policy and goals for the protection, maintenance and enhancement of the environment and provides a process for implementing these goals within federal agencies. A major federal agency action having the potential to significantly impact the environment requires review under NEPA. Many of the activities of our third-party operating partners are covered under NEPA. Some activities are subject to robust NEPA review which could lead to delays and increased costs that could materially adversely affect our revenues and results of operations. Other activities are covered under categorical exclusions which results in a shorter NEPA review process. In October 2021, the Biden Administration proposed a Phase 1 rule to undo 2020 changes to NEPA enacted under the Trump Administration. The Phase 1 rule is the first of two planned rules to roll back the 2020 rule and was finalized on April 20, 2022. The Phase 1 Final Rule generally restores certain regulatory provisions that were in effect prior to the 2020 rule, affecting the assessment of projects ranging from oil and gas leasing to development on public and Indian lands.
Climate Change
Significant studies and research have been devoted to climate change, and climate change has developed into a major political issue in the United States and globally. Certain research suggests that greenhouse gas emissions contribute to climate change and pose a threat to the environment. Recent scientific research and political debate has focused in part on carbon dioxide and methane incidental to oil and natural gas exploration and production.
In the United States, no comprehensive federal climate change legislation regulating GHG emissions or directly imposing a price on carbon has been implemented to date; however, efforts have been made and continue to be made in the international community toward the adoption of international treaties or protocols that would address global climate change issues, and the Biden Administration has indicated willingness to pursue new climate change legislation, executive actions or other regulatory initiatives to limit GHG emissions. These include rejoining the Paris Agreement treaty on climate change in 2021, issuing several executive orders to address climate change, the U.S. Methane Emissions Reduction Action Plan, a commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions 50-52 percent of 2005 levels by 2030, and participation in the Global Methane Pledge, a pact that aims to reduce global methane emissions at least 30% below 2020 levels by 2030. Since its formal launch at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference, over 150 countries have joined the pledge.
Additionally, on March 21, 2022, the SEC issued a proposed rule regarding the enhancement and standardization of mandatory climate-related disclosures for investors. The proposed rule would require registrants to include certain climate-related disclosures in their registration statements and periodic reports, including, but not limited to, information about the registrant’s governance of climate-related risks and relevant risk management processes; climate-related risks that are reasonably likely to have a material impact on the registrant’s business, results of operations or financial condition and their actual and likely climate-related impacts on the registrant’s business strategy, model and outlook; climate-related targets, goals and transition plan (if any); certain climate-related financial statement metrics in a note to their audited financial statements; Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions; and Scope 3 GHG emissions and intensity, if material, or if the registrant has set a GHG emissions reduction target, goal or plan that includes Scope 3 GHG emissions. Although the proposed rule’s ultimate date of effectiveness and the final form and substance of these requirements is not yet known and the ultimate scope and impact on our business is uncertain, compliance with the proposed rule, if finalized, may result in increased legal, accounting and financial compliance costs, make some activities more difficult, time-consuming and costly, and place strain on our personnel, systems and resources.
Further, legislative and regulatory initiatives are underway to that purpose. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (“IRA”), signed into law in August 2022, appropriates significant federal funding for renewable energy initiatives and, for the first time ever, imposes a fee on GHG emissions from certain oil and gas sources and facilities. The emissions fee and funding provisions of the law could increase operating costs within the oil and gas industry and accelerate a transition away from fossil fuels, which could in turn adversely affect our business and results of operations. The U.S. Congress has also considered legislation that would control GHG emissions through a “cap and trade” program and several states have already implemented programs to reduce GHG emissions. Additionally, following the U.S. Supreme Court finding that GHG emissions fall within the CAA definition of an “air pollutant,” the EPA has adopted regulations that, among other things, establish construction and operating permit review for GHG emissions from certain large stationary sources, require the monitoring and annual reporting of GHG emissions from certain petroleum and natural gas system sources, and together with the United States Department of Transportation, implement GHG emissions limits on vehicles manufactured for operation in the United States. The EPA has also proposed rules in November 2021 and 2022 intended to reduce methane emissions from new and existing oil and gas sources. Furthermore, many state and local leaders have intensified or stated their intent to intensify efforts to support
international climate commitments and treaties, in addition to developing programs that are aimed at reducing GHG emissions by means of cap and trade programs, carbon taxes or encouraging the use of renewable energy or alternative low-carbon fuels.
In 2014, Colorado was the first state in the nation to adopt rules to control methane emissions from oil and gas facilities. In 2016, the EPA revised and expanded NSPS to include final rules to curb emissions of methane, a greenhouse gas, from new, reconstructed and modified oil and gas sources. Previously, already existing NSPS regulated VOCs, and controlling VOCs also had the effect of controlling methane, because natural gas leaks emit both compounds. However, by explicitly regulating methane as a separate air pollutant, the 2016 regulations were a statutory predicate to propose regulating emissions from existing oil and gas facilities. In 2021, President Biden issued Executive Order 13990, Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science to Tackle the Climate Crisis. In furtherance of this EO, EPA on November 2, 2021 proposed rules to regulate methane emissions from the oil and natural gas industry, including, for the first time, reductions from certain upstream and midstream existing oil and gas sources. These regulations also expanded controls to reduce methane emissions, such as enhancement of leak detection and repair provisions. In November 2022, the EPA issued a proposed rule supplementing the November 2021 proposed rules, removing an emissions monitoring exemption for small wellhead-only sites and creating a new third-party monitoring program to flag large emissions events. The EPA is expected to issue a final rule by August 2023. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (“PHMSA”) and the Department of Interior continue to focus on regulatory initiatives to control methane emissions from upstream and midstream equipment. To the extent that these regulations or initiatives remain in place and to the extent that our third-party operating partners are required to further control methane emissions, such controls could impact our business.
In addition, our third-party operating partners are required to report their GHG emissions under CAA rules. Because regulation of GHG emissions continues to evolve, further regulatory, legislative and judicial developments are likely to occur. Such developments may affect how these GHG initiatives will impact us. Moreover, while the U.S. Supreme Court held in its 2011 decision American Electric Power Co. v. Connecticut that, with respect to claims concerning GHG emissions, the federal common law of nuisance was displaced by the CAA, the Court left open the question of whether tort claims against sources of GHG emissions alleging property damage may proceed under state common law. There thus remains some litigation risk for such claims. Due to the uncertainties surrounding the regulation of and other risks associated with GHG emissions, we cannot predict the financial impact of related developments on us.
Legislation or regulations that may be adopted to address climate change could also affect the markets for our products by making our products more or less desirable than competing sources of energy. To the extent that our products are competing with higher GHG emitting energy sources, our products would become more desirable in the market with more stringent limitations on GHG emissions. To the extent that our products are competing with lower GHG emitting energy sources such as solar and wind, our products would become less desirable in the market with more stringent limitations on GHG emissions. We cannot predict with any certainty at this time how these possibilities may affect our operations.
The majority of scientific studies on climate change suggest that extreme weather conditions and other risks may occur in the future in the areas where we operate, although the scientific studies are not unanimous. Although operators may take steps to mitigate any such risks, no assurance can be given that they will not have a material adverse effect on our business.
Human Capital Resources
As of December 31, 2022, we had 33 full time employees. We may hire additional personnel as appropriate. We may also use the services of independent consultants and contractors to perform various professional services.
We strive to attract, develop and retain the best talent and spend considerable time and resources to advance the professional development and security of our workforce. We operate on the fundamental philosophy that people are our most valuable asset, as every person who works for us has the potential to impact our success. We believe employees choose working at the Company in part due to our engaging culture, competitive compensation and benefits, and professional development opportunities. To attract and retain the best talent, we provide our employees a comprehensive total rewards program. In addition to competitive salaries, we offer both short and long-term incentive compensation; company-matched 401(k) contributions; company-paid premiums for health, dental and vision insurance, short and long-term disability insurance, and life insurance; and company-supported health savings accounts and flexible spending accounts. We offer many additional programs to support the wellness of our workforce, including an onsite fitness center at our executive offices, a flexible paid time off and vacation policy, and a flexible remote work policy.
We recognize the importance of investing in our employees’ professional development, and are committed to ensuring that all employees are prepared for every aspect of their day-to-day roles, and have the opportunity to further their professional
development through appropriate external educational programs. We offer tuition reimbursement benefits for various extended educational learning opportunities.
We are committed to providing a workplace environment free of discrimination and harassment, where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, can contribute fully, and have equal opportunities. We value and strive to treat all employees, consultants, vendors, contractors, service providers, and business partners equally. We prohibit discrimination or harassment on the basis of any grounds prohibited by law. We are committed to maintaining employment practices based on equal opportunity for all employees and providing a safe and productive working environment for all employees. Our policies and practices are designed to support diversity of thought, perspective, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and expression, race, ethnicity, culture and professional experience, among others.
Office Locations
Our executive offices are located at 4350 Baker Road, Suite 400, Minnetonka, Minnesota 55343. Our office space consists of 15,751 square feet of leased space. We believe our current office space is sufficient to meet our needs and that additional office space can be obtained if necessary.
Organizational Background
On May 9, 2018, we filed articles of conversion with the Secretary of State of the State of Minnesota and filed a certificate of conversion with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware changing our jurisdiction of incorporation from Minnesota to Delaware (the “Reincorporation”). The Reincorporation was approved by our stockholders at a special meeting held on May 8, 2018. Upon the Reincorporation, each outstanding certificate representing shares of the Minnesota corporation’s common stock was deemed, without any action by the holders thereof, to represent the same number and class of shares of our company’s common stock. As of May 9, 2018, the rights of our stockholders began to be governed by Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”) and our Delaware certificate of incorporation and bylaws.
Available Information – Reports to Security Holders
Our website address is www.northernoil.com. We make available on this website, free of charge, our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, proxy statements and amendments to those reports as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file those materials with, or furnish those materials to, the SEC. Electronic filings with the SEC are also available on the SEC internet website at www.sec.gov.
We have also posted to our website our Audit Committee Charter, Compensation Committee Charter, Governance, Nominating and ESG Committee Charter, Corporate Governance Guidelines, Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and Insider Trading Policy, in addition to all pertinent company contact information.
Item 1A. Risk Factors
In addition to the other information contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, the following risk factors should be considered in evaluating our business and future prospects. Note that additional risks not presently known to us or that are currently considered immaterial may also have a negative impact on our business and operations. If any of the events or circumstances described below actually occurs, our business, financial condition or results of operations could suffer and the trading price of our common stock could decline.
Summary of Risk Factors
We believe that the risks associated with our business, and consequently the risks associated with an investment in our equity or debt securities, fall within the following categories:
•Risks Related to Our Business and the Oil, Natural Gas and NGL Industry
◦As a producer of oil and natural gas, there are many risks inherent in our primary business operations. These risks are not necessarily unique to us. Rather, these are risks that most participants in our industry have at least some exposure to and relate to matters such as: drilling and completion operations; reserves estimates; gathering, processing, marketing and transportation; weather and seasonality, including the physical effects of climate change; hedging and commodity price derivatives; and information technology and cybersecurity.
◦Given that our primary source of revenue is the sale of oil, natural gas and NGLs, one of our most material risks is the commodity market and the prices of oil, natural gas and NGLs, which are often volatile.
◦As a non-operator, we have only participated in wells operated by third parties, and thus rely extensively on third parties for the success of our business.
◦Our acquisition strategy subjects us to risks relating to evaluation, integration and growth in connection with past and potential future acquisitions.
•Risks Related to Our Financing and Indebtedness
◦Our operations are capital intensive. Pressures on the market as a whole, or our specific financial position – whether due to depressed commodity prices, our leverage, our credit ratings or otherwise – could make it difficult for us to obtain the funding necessary to conduct our operations.
◦Our existing and future debt obligations carry risks related to liquidity, operating and financial restrictions, debt service obligations, and related matters.
◦The capped call transactions may affect the value of the Convertible Notes and our common stock.
◦We are subject to counterparty performance risk with respect to the capped call transactions.
◦The Convertible Notes may have a material effect on our reported financial results.
◦The conditional conversion feature of the Convertible Notes, if triggered, may adversely affect our financial condition and operating results.
•Risks Related to Legal, Regulatory and Environmental Matters
◦There are many environmental, energy, financial, real property and other regulations that we and/or third-party operators of our wells are required to comply with in the context of conducting our operations, otherwise, we may be exposed to fines, penalties, investigations, litigation or other legal proceedings.
◦Negative public perception of the oil and natural gas industry, future climate change legislation or regulation, increasing consumer demand for alternatives to oil and natural gas, or other climate-related transition risks could adversely impact our earnings, cash flows and financial position.
•Risks Related to Our Common Stock
◦Our capital structure, as well as our certificate of incorporation, bylaws, and Delaware state law, subject our stockholders to risk of ownership dilution, loss of market value, and other risks.
◦Any payment of future dividends will be at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on, among other things, our earnings, financial condition, capital requirements, level of indebtedness, statutory and contractual restrictions applying to the payment of dividends and other considerations. Investors may be forced to rely on sales of their common stock after price appreciation, which may never occur, as the only way to realize a return on their investment.
We describe these and other risks in much greater detail below.
Risks Related to Our Business and the Oil, Natural Gas and NGL Industry
Oil and natural gas prices are volatile. Extended declines in oil and natural gas prices have adversely affected, and could in the future adversely affect, our business, financial position, results of operations and cash flow.
The oil and natural gas markets are very volatile, and we cannot predict future oil and natural gas prices. Oil and natural gas prices have fluctuated significantly, including periods of rapid and material decline, in recent years. The prices we receive for our oil and natural gas production heavily influence our production, revenue, cash flows, profitability, reserve bookings and access to capital. Although we seek to mitigate volatility and potential declines in commodity prices through derivative arrangements that hedge a portion of our expected production, this merely seeks to mitigate (not eliminate) these risks, and such activities come with their own risks.
The prices we receive for our production and the levels of our production depend on numerous factors beyond our control. These factors include, but are not limited to, the following:
•changes in global supply and demand for oil and natural gas;
•the actions of OPEC and other major oil producing countries, such as Russia, relating to oil price and production levels, including announcements of potential changes to such levels;
•worldwide and regional economic, political and social conditions impacting the global supply and demand for oil and natural gas, which may be driven by various risks including war, terrorism, political unrest, or health epidemics (such as the global COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak);
•the price and quantity of imports of foreign oil and natural gas;
•the uncertainty in capital and commodities markets and the ability of oil and gas producers to access capital;
•increased focus by the investment community on sustainability practices in the oil and natural gas industry;
•political and economic conditions, including embargoes, in oil-producing countries or affecting other oil-producing activity;
•the outbreak of military hostilities, including the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the destabilizing effect such conflict continues to pose for the European continent or the global oil and natural gas markets;
•the level of global oil and natural gas exploration, production activity and inventories;
•changes in U.S. energy policy;
•weather conditions, chronic and acute climatic events associated with the effects of global climate change, and outbreak of disease;
•technological advances affecting energy consumption;
•the development, exploitation and market acceptance of alternative energy sources as part of a transition to a lower carbon economy;
•domestic and foreign governmental taxes, tariffs and/or regulations;
•proximity and capacity of oil and natural gas pipelines and other transportation facilities;
•the price and availability of competitors’ supplies of oil and natural gas in captive market areas; and
•the price and availability of alternative fuels.
These factors and the volatility of the energy markets make it extremely difficult to predict oil and natural gas prices. A substantial or extended decline in oil or natural gas prices, such as the significant and rapid decline that occurred in 2020, has resulted in and could result in future impairments of our proved oil and natural gas properties and may materially and adversely affect our future business, financial condition, results of operations, liquidity or ability to finance planned capital expenditures. To the extent commodity prices received from production are insufficient to fund planned capital expenditures, we may be required to reduce spending or borrow or issue additional equity to cover any such shortfall. Lower oil and natural gas prices may limit our ability to comply with the covenants under our Revolving Credit Facility (or other debt instruments) and/or limit our ability to access borrowing availability thereunder, which is dependent on many factors including the value of our proved reserves.
Drilling for and producing oil, natural gas and NGLs are high risk activities with many uncertainties that could adversely affect our financial condition or results of operations.
Our operators’ drilling activities are subject to many risks, including the risk that they will not discover commercially productive reservoirs. Drilling for oil or natural gas can be uneconomical, not only from dry holes, but also from productive wells that do not produce sufficient revenues to be commercially viable. In addition, drilling and producing operations on our acreage may be curtailed, delayed or canceled by our operators as a result of other factors, including:
•declines in oil or natural gas prices, as occurred in 2020 in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic;
•infrastructure limitations, such as the gas gathering and processing constraints experienced in the Williston Basin in 2019;
•the high cost, shortages or delays of equipment, materials and services;
•unexpected operational events, pipeline ruptures or spills, adverse weather conditions, facility malfunctions or title problems;
•compliance with environmental and other governmental requirements;
•regulations, restrictions, moratoria and bans on hydraulic fracturing;
•unusual or unexpected geological formations;
•environmental hazards, such as oil, natural gas or well fluids spills or releases, pipeline or tank ruptures and discharges of toxic gas;
•fires, blowouts, craterings and explosions;
•uncontrollable flows of oil, natural gas or well fluids; and
•pipeline capacity curtailments.
In addition to causing curtailments, delays and cancellations of drilling and producing operations, many of these events can cause substantial losses, including personal injury or loss of life, damage to or destruction of property, natural resources and equipment, pollution, environmental contamination, loss of wells and regulatory penalties. We ordinarily maintain insurance against various losses and liabilities arising from our operations; however, insurance against all operational risks is not available to us. Additionally, we may elect not to obtain insurance if we believe that the cost of available insurance is excessive relative to the perceived risks presented. Losses could therefore occur for uninsurable or uninsured risks or in amounts in excess of existing insurance coverage. The occurrence of an event that is not fully covered by insurance could have a material adverse impact on our business activities, financial condition and results of operations.
Due to previous declines in oil and natural gas prices, we have in the past taken significant writedowns of our oil and natural gas properties. We may be required to record further writedowns of our oil and natural gas properties in the future.
In 2020, we were required to write down the carrying value of certain of our oil and natural gas properties, and further writedowns could be required in the future. Under the full cost method of accounting, capitalized oil and gas property costs less accumulated depletion and net of deferred income taxes may not exceed an amount equal to the present value, discounted at 10%, of estimated future net revenues from proved oil and gas reserves plus the cost of unproved properties not subject to amortization (without regard to estimates of fair value), or estimated fair value, if lower, of unproved properties that are subject to amortization. Should capitalized costs exceed this ceiling, an impairment would be recognized. Depending on future commodity price levels, the trailing twelve-month average price used in the ceiling calculation may decline, which could cause additional future write downs of our oil and natural gas properties. In addition to commodity prices, our production rates, levels of proved reserves, future development costs, transfers of unevaluated properties and other factors will determine our actual ceiling test calculation and impairment analysis in future periods.
Our estimated reserves are based on many assumptions that may prove to be inaccurate. Any material inaccuracies in these reserve estimates or underlying assumptions will materially affect the quantities and present value of our reserves.
Determining the amount of oil and natural gas recoverable from various formations involves significant complexity and uncertainty. No one can measure underground accumulations of oil or natural gas in an exact way. Oil and natural gas reserve engineering requires subjective estimates of underground accumulations of oil and/or natural gas and assumptions concerning future oil and natural gas prices, production levels, and operating, exploration and development costs. Some of our reserve estimates are made without the benefit of a lengthy production history and are less reliable than estimates based on a lengthy production history. As a result, estimated quantities of proved reserves and projections of future production rates and the timing of development expenditures may prove to be inaccurate.
We routinely make estimates of oil and natural gas reserves in connection with managing our business and preparing reports to our lenders and investors, including in some cases estimates prepared by our internal reserve engineers and professionals that are not reviewed or audited by an independent reserve engineering firm. We make these reserve estimates using various assumptions, including assumptions as to oil and natural gas prices, development schedules, drilling and operating expenses, capital expenditures, taxes and availability of funds. Some of these assumptions are inherently subjective, and the accuracy of our reserve estimates relies in part on the ability of our management team, reserve engineers and other advisors to make accurate assumptions. Any significant variance from these assumptions by actual figures could greatly affect our estimates of reserves, the economically recoverable quantities of oil, natural gas and NGLs attributable to any particular group of properties, the classifications of reserves based on risk of recovery, and estimates of the future net cash flows. Numerous changes over time to the assumptions on which our reserve estimates are based result in the actual quantities of oil, natural gas and NGLs we ultimately recover being different from our reserve estimates. Any significant variance could
materially affect the estimated quantities and present value of reserves shown in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, subsequent reports we file with the SEC or other company materials.
Our future success depends on our ability to replace reserves that our operators produce.
Because the rate of production from oil and natural gas properties generally declines as reserves are depleted, our future success depends upon our ability to economically find or acquire and produce additional oil and natural gas reserves. Except to the extent that we acquire additional properties containing proved reserves, conduct successful exploration and development activities or, through engineering studies, identify additional behind-pipe zones or secondary recovery reserves, our proved reserves will decline as our reserves are produced. We have added significant net wells and production from wellbore-only acquisitions, where we don’t hold the underlying leasehold interest that would entitle us to participate in future wells. Future oil and natural gas production, therefore, is highly dependent upon our level of success in acquiring or finding additional reserves that are economically recoverable. We cannot assure you that we will be able to find or acquire and develop additional reserves at an acceptable cost.
We may acquire significant amounts of unproved property to further our development efforts. Development and exploratory drilling and production activities are subject to many risks, including the risk that no commercially productive reservoirs will be discovered. We seek to acquire both proved and producing properties as well as undeveloped acreage that we believe will enhance growth potential and increase our earnings over time. However, we cannot assure you that all of these properties will contain economically viable reserves or that we will not abandon our initial investments. Additionally, we cannot assure you that unproved reserves or undeveloped acreage that we acquire will be profitably developed, that new wells drilled on our properties will be productive or that we will recover all or any portion of our investments in our properties and reserves.
The present value of future net cash flows from our proved reserves is not necessarily the same as the current market value of our estimated proved reserves.
We base the estimated discounted future net cash flows from our proved reserves using specified pricing and cost assumptions. However, actual future net cash flows from our oil and natural gas properties will be affected by factors such as the volume, pricing and duration of our oil and natural gas hedging contracts; actual prices we receive for oil, natural gas and NGLs; our actual operating costs in producing oil, natural gas and NGLs; the amount and timing of our capital expenditures; the amount and timing of actual production; and changes in governmental regulations or taxation. In addition, the 10% discount factor we use when calculating discounted future net cash flows may not be the most appropriate discount factor based on interest rates in effect from time to time and risks associated with us or the oil and natural gas industry in general. Any material inaccuracies in these reserve estimates or underlying assumptions will materially affect the quantities and present value of our reserves, which could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Our business depends on third-party transportation and processing facilities and other assets that are owned by third parties.
The marketability of our oil and natural gas depends in part on the availability, proximity and capacity of pipeline systems, processing facilities, oil trucking fleets and rail transportation assets owned by third parties. The lack of available capacity on these systems and facilities, whether as a result of proration, growth in demand outpacing growth in capacity, physical damage, scheduled maintenance, legal or other reasons such as suspension of service due to legal challenges (see below regarding the Dakota Access Pipeline), could result in a substantial increase in costs, declines in realized commodity prices, the shut-in of producing wells or the delay or discontinuance of development plans for our properties. In recent periods, we experienced significant delays and production curtailments, and declines in realized natural gas prices, that we believe were due in part to gas gathering and processing constraints in the Williston Basin. The negative effects arising from these and similar circumstances may last for an extended period of time. In many cases, operators are provided only with limited, if any, notice as to when these circumstances will arise and their duration. In addition, our wells may be drilled in locations that are serviced to a limited extent, if at all, by gathering and transportation pipelines, which may or may not have sufficient capacity to transport production from all of the wells in the area. As a result, we rely on third-party oil trucking to transport a significant portion of our production to third-party transportation pipelines, rail loading facilities and other market access points. In addition, concerns about the safety and security of oil and gas transportation by pipeline may result in public opposition to pipeline development and increased regulation of pipelines by PHMSA, and therefore less capacity to transport our products by pipeline.
The Dakota Access Pipeline (“DAPL”), a major pipeline transporting crude oil from the Williston Basin, is subject to ongoing litigation (the “DAPL Litigation”) that could threaten its continued operation. In July 2020, a federal district court ordered DAPL to be shut down pending the completion of an environmental impact statement (“EIS”) to determine whether the
DAPL poses a threat to the Missouri River and drinking water supply of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. DAPL currently remains in operation while the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (“USACE”) conducts the review, which is currently anticipated to be completed in the spring of 2023. In addition, on September 20, 2021, the owner of DAPL filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court seeking review of the lower courts’ decisions requiring a new EIS and permit, which was denied in February 2022. Following completion of the EIS, the USACE will determine whether to grant DAPL an easement to cross the Missouri River or to shut down the pipeline, unless the U.S. Supreme Court overturns the lower courts’ order to conduct the EIS. Moreover, the EIS and/or the USACE’s easement decision may subsequently be challenged in court. As a result, a shut-down remains possible, and there is no guarantee that DAPL will be permitted to continue operations following the completion of the EIS and/or the DAPL Litigation. Any significant curtailment in gathering system or pipeline capacity, or the unavailability of sufficient third-party trucking or rail capacity, could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Certain of our undeveloped leasehold acreage is subject to leases that will expire over the next several years unless production is established or operations are commenced on units containing the acreage or the leases are extended.
A significant portion of our acreage is not currently held by production or held by operations. Unless production in paying quantities is established or operations are commenced on units containing these leases during their terms, the leases will expire. If our leases expire and we are unable to renew the leases, we will lose our right to participate in the development of the related properties. Drilling plans for these areas are generally in the discretion of third-party operators and are subject to change based on various factors that are beyond our control, such as: the availability and cost of capital, equipment, services and personnel; seasonal conditions; regulatory and third-party approvals; oil, NGL and natural gas prices; results of title work; gathering system and other transportation constraints; drilling costs and results; and production costs. As of December 31, 2022, we estimate that we had leases that were not developed that represented 7,402 net acres potentially expiring in 2023, 7,895 net acres potentially expiring in 2024, 5,522 net acres potentially expiring in 2025, 726 net acres potentially expiring in 2026, and 4,530 net acres potentially expiring in 2026 and beyond.
Seasonal weather conditions adversely affect operators’ ability to conduct drilling activities in some of the areas where our properties are located.
Seasonal weather conditions can limit drilling and producing activities and other operations in some of our operating areas and as a result, a significant portion of the drilling on our properties is generally performed during the summer and fall months. These seasonal constraints can pose challenges for meeting well drilling objectives and increase competition for equipment, supplies and personnel during the summer and fall months, which could lead to shortages and increase costs or delay operations. Additionally, many municipalities impose weight restrictions on the paved roads that lead to jobsites due to the muddy conditions caused by spring thaws. This could limit access to jobsites and operators’ ability to service wells in these areas.
We are subject to physical risks arising from climate change, which may have a negative impact on our business and results of operations.
Many scientists have concluded that increasing concentrations of GHG in the earth’s atmosphere may produce significant physical effects, such as increased frequency and severity of storms, droughts and floods, among other climatic phenomena. The physical effects of adverse weather conditions, such as increased frequency and severity of droughts, storms, floods and other climatic events, could adversely affect or delay demand for oil and natural gas products or cause us or our third party operators to incur significant costs in preparing for, or responding to, the effects of climatic events themselves, which may not be fully insured. Energy needs could increase or decrease as a result of extreme weather conditions depending on the duration and magnitude of any such climate changes. A decrease in energy use due to weather changes may affect our financial condition through decreased revenues. To the extent the frequency of extreme weather events increases, this could impact our business in various ways, including damage to operators’ facilities at our properties or increased insurance premiums. Any of these effects could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
As a non-operator, our development of successful operations relies extensively on third parties, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operation.
We have only participated in wells operated by third parties. The success of our business operations depends on the timing of drilling activities and success of our third-party operators. If our operators are not successful in the development, exploitation, production and exploration activities relating to our leasehold interests, or are unable or unwilling to perform, our financial condition and results of operation would be materially adversely affected.
These risks are heightened in a low commodity price environment, which may present significant challenges to our operators. The challenges and risks faced by our operators may be similar to or greater than our own, including with respect to their ability to service their debt, remain in compliance with their debt instruments and, if necessary, access additional capital. Commodity prices and/or other conditions have in the past and may in the future cause oil and gas operators to file for bankruptcy. The insolvency of an operator of any of our properties, the failure of an operator of any of our properties to adequately perform operations or an operator’s breach of applicable agreements could reduce our production and revenue and result in our liability to governmental authorities for compliance with environmental, safety and other regulatory requirements, to the operator’s suppliers and vendors and to royalty owners under oil and gas leases jointly owned with the operator or another insolvent owner. Finally, an operator of our properties may have the right, if another non-operator fails to pay its share of costs because of its insolvency or otherwise, to require us to pay our proportionate share of the defaulting party’s share of costs.
Our operators will make decisions in connection with their operations (subject to their contractual and legal obligations to other owners of working interests), which may not be in our best interests. We may have no ability to exercise influence over the operational decisions of our operators, including the setting of capital expenditure budgets and drilling locations and schedules. Dependence on our operators could prevent us from realizing our target returns for those locations. The success and timing of development activities by our operators will depend on a number of factors that will largely be outside of our control, including oil and natural gas prices and other factors generally affecting industry operating environment; the timing and amount of capital expenditures; their expertise and financial resources; approval of other participants in drilling wells; selection of technology; and the rate of production of reserves, if any.
The inability of one or more of our operating partners to meet their obligations to us may adversely affect our financial results.
Our principal exposures to credit risk are through receivables resulting from the sale of our oil and natural gas production, which operating partners market on our behalf to energy marketing companies, refineries and their affiliates. We are subject to credit risk due to the concentration of our oil and natural gas receivables with a limited number of operating partners. This concentration may impact our overall credit risk since these entities may be similarly affected by changes in economic and other conditions. A low commodity price environment may strain our operating partners, which could heighten this risk. The inability or failure of our operating partners to meet their obligations to us or their insolvency or liquidation may adversely affect our financial results.
Continuing or worsening inflationary issues and associated changes in monetary policy have resulted in and may result in additional increases to the cost of our goods, services and personnel, which in turn cause our capital expenditures and operating costs to rise.
Inflation has been an ongoing concern in the U.S. since 2021. Ongoing inflationary pressures have resulted in and may result in additional increases to the costs of goods, services and personnel, which in turn cause our capital expenditures and operating costs to rise. Sustained levels of high inflation caused the U.S. Federal Reserve and other central banks to increase interest rates multiple times in 2022 in an effort to curb inflationary pressure on the costs of goods and services, which could have the effects of raising the cost of capital and depressing economic growth, either of which (or the combination thereof) could hurt the financial and operating results of our business. To the extent elevated inflation remains, we may experience further cost increases for our operations.
We could experience periods of higher costs as activity levels fluctuate or if commodity prices rise. These increases could reduce our profitability, cash flow, and ability to complete development activities as planned.
An increase in commodity prices or other factors could result in increased development activity and investment in our areas of operations, which may increase competition for and cost of equipment, labor and supplies. Shortages of, or increasing costs for, experienced drilling crews and equipment, labor or supplies could restrict our operating partners’ ability to conduct desired or expected operations. In addition, capital and operating costs in the oil and natural gas industry have generally risen during periods of increasing commodity prices as producers seek to increase production in order to capitalize on higher commodity prices. In situations where cost inflation exceeds commodity price inflation, our profitability and cash flow, and our operators’ ability to complete development activities as scheduled and on budget, may be negatively impacted. Any delay in the drilling of new wells or significant increase in drilling costs could reduce our revenues and cash flows.
The COVID-19 pandemic had, and events beyond our control, including a global or domestic health crisis, may have, a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
We face risks related to public health crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, including travel bans, prohibitions on group events and gatherings, shutdowns of certain businesses, curfews, shelter-in-place orders and recommendations to practice social distancing in addition to other actions taken by both businesses and governments, resulted in a significant and swift reduction in international and U.S. economic activity in 2020. The collapse in the demand for oil caused by this unprecedented global health and economic crisis contributed to the significant decrease in crude oil prices in 2020 and had a material adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations.
Since the beginning of 2021, the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines progressed and many government-imposed restrictions were relaxed or rescinded. However, we continue to monitor the effects of the pandemic on our operations. The impact of any new, more contagious or harmful COVID-19 variants that may emerge, and the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines against variants and the related responses by governments, including reinstated government-imposed lockdowns or other measures, cannot be predicted at this time. Both the health and economic aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic remain highly fluid and the future course of each is uncertain. We cannot foresee whether the outbreak of COVID-19 will be effectively contained on a sustained basis, nor can we predict the severity and duration of its impact or the occurrence of other events beyond our control, including other potential global or domestic health crisis. If the impact of COVID-19 is not effectively and timely controlled on a sustained basis going forward, or if other events beyond our control, including other potential global or domestic health crisis, were to emerge, our business operations and financial condition may be materially and adversely affected by factors that we cannot foresee.
While we have not incurred significant disruptions to our operations during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic may materially and adversely affect, our business, operating and financial results and liquidity in the future. To the extent the COVID-19 pandemic or another public health crisis adversely affects our business and financial results, it may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks set forth in this Risk Factors section of this Form 10-K, such as those relating to our financial performance and debt obligations. We are unable to provide any prediction as to the ultimate adverse impact of COVID-19 on our business, which will depend on numerous evolving factors and future developments, including its effect on the demand for oil, natural gas, and NGLs, the response of the overall economy and the financial markets as well as the effect of governmental actions taken in response thereto. Any of these outcomes could have a material adverse effect on our business, operations, financial results and liquidity
The development of our proved undeveloped reserves may take longer and may require higher levels of capital expenditures than we currently anticipate. Therefore, our undeveloped reserves may not be ultimately developed or produced.
Approximately 35% of our estimated net proved reserves volumes were classified as proved undeveloped as of December 31, 2022. Development of these reserves may take longer and require higher levels of capital expenditures than we currently anticipate. Delays in the development of our reserves or increases in costs to drill and develop such reserves will reduce the PV-10 value of our estimated proved undeveloped reserves and future net revenues estimated for such reserves and may result in some projects becoming uneconomic. In addition, delays in the development of reserves could cause us to have to reclassify our proved reserves as unproved reserves.
Our acquisition strategy will subject us to certain risks associated with the inherent uncertainty in evaluating properties for which we have limited information.
We intend to continue to expand our operations in part through acquisitions. Our decision to acquire a property will depend in part on the evaluation of data obtained from production reports and engineering studies, geophysical and geological analyses and seismic and other information, the results of which are often inconclusive and subject to various interpretations. Also, our reviews of acquired properties are inherently incomplete because it generally is not economically feasible to perform an in-depth review of the individual properties involved in each acquisition. Even a detailed review of records and properties may not necessarily reveal existing or potential problems, nor will it permit us to become sufficiently familiar with the properties to assess fully their deficiencies and potential. Inspections are often not performed on properties being acquired, and environmental matters, such as subsurface contamination, are not necessarily observable even when an inspection is undertaken. Any acquisition involves other potential risks, including, among other things:
•the validity of our assumptions about reserves, future production, revenues and costs;
•a decrease in our liquidity by using a significant portion of our cash from operations or borrowing capacity to finance acquisitions;
•a significant increase in our interest expense or financial leverage if we incur additional debt to finance acquisitions;
•the ultimate value of any contingent consideration agreed to be paid in an acquisition;
•dilution to stockholders if we use equity as consideration for, or to finance, acquisitions;
•the assumption of unknown liabilities, losses or costs for which we are not indemnified or for which our indemnity is inadequate;
•an inability to hire, train or retain qualified personnel to manage and operate our growing business and assets; and
•an increase in our costs or a decrease in our revenues associated with any potential royalty owner or landowner claims or disputes, or other litigation encountered in connection with an acquisition.
We may be unable to successfully integrate recently acquired assets or any assets we may acquire in the future into our business or achieve the anticipated benefits of such acquisitions.
Our ability to achieve the anticipated benefits of our recent or any future acquisitions will depend in part upon whether we can integrate the acquired assets into our existing business in an efficient and effective manner. We may not be able to accomplish this integration process successfully. The successful acquisition of producing properties requires an assessment of several factors, including:
•recoverable reserves;
•future oil and natural gas prices and their appropriate differentials;
•availability and cost of transportation of production to markets;
•availability and cost of drilling equipment and of skilled personnel;
•development and operating costs including access to water and potential environmental and other liabilities; and
•regulatory, permitting and similar matters.
The accuracy of these assessments is inherently uncertain. In connection with these assessments, we have performed reviews of the subject properties that we believe to be generally consistent with industry practices. The reviews are based on our analysis of historical production data, assumptions regarding capital expenditures and anticipated production declines without review by an independent petroleum engineering firm. Data used in such reviews are typically furnished by the seller or obtained from publicly available sources. Our review may not reveal all existing or potential problems or permit us to fully assess the deficiencies and potential recoverable reserves for all of the acquired properties, and the reserves and production related to the acquired properties may differ materially after such data is reviewed by an independent petroleum engineering firm or further by us. Inspections will not always be performed on every well, and environmental problems are not necessarily observable even when an inspection is undertaken. Even when problems are identified, the seller may be unwilling or unable to provide effective contractual protection against all or a portion of the underlying deficiencies. We are often not entitled to contractual indemnification for environmental liabilities and acquire properties on an “as is” basis, and, as is the case with certain liabilities associated with the assets acquired in our recent acquisitions, we are entitled to indemnification for only certain environmental liabilities. The integration process may be subject to delays or changed circumstances, and we can give no assurance that our recently acquired assets will perform in accordance with our expectations or that our expectations with respect to integration or cost savings as a result of such acquisitions will materialize.
Our future results will suffer if we do not effectively manage our expanded operations.
As a result of our recent acquisitions, the size and geographic footprint of our business has increased. Our future success will depend, in part, upon our ability to manage this expanded business, which may pose substantial challenges for management, including challenges related to the management and monitoring of new operations and basins and associated increased costs and complexity. We may also face increased scrutiny from governmental authorities as a result of the increase in the size of our business. There can be no assurances that we will be successful or that we will realize the expected benefits currently anticipated from our recent acquisitions.
The loss of any member of our management team, upon whose knowledge, relationships with industry participants, leadership and technical expertise we rely could diminish our ability to conduct our operations and harm our ability to execute our business plan.
Our success depends heavily upon the continued contributions of those members of our management team whose knowledge, relationships with industry participants, leadership and technical expertise would be difficult to replace. In particular, our ability to successfully acquire additional properties, to increase our reserves, to participate in drilling opportunities and to identify and enter into commercial arrangements depends on developing and maintaining close working relationships with industry participants. In addition, our ability to select and evaluate suitable properties and to consummate transactions in a highly competitive environment is dependent on our management team’s knowledge and expertise in the industry. To continue to develop our business, we rely on our management team’s knowledge and expertise in the industry and will use our management team’s relationships with industry participants to enter into strategic relationships. The members of our management team may terminate their employment with our company at any time. If we were to lose members of our
management team, we may not be able to replace the knowledge or relationships that they possess and our ability to execute our business plan could be materially harmed.
Deficiencies of title to our leased interests could significantly affect our financial condition.
We typically do not incur the expense of a title examination prior to acquiring oil and natural gas leases or undivided interests in oil and natural gas leases or other developed rights. If an examination of the title history of a property reveals that an oil or natural gas lease or other developed rights have been purchased in error from a person who is not the owner of the mineral interest desired, our interest would substantially decline in value or be eliminated. In such cases, the amount paid for such oil or natural gas lease or leases or other developed rights may be lost. It is generally our practice not to incur the expense of retaining lawyers to examine the title to the mineral interest to be acquired. Rather, we typically rely upon the judgment of oil and natural gas lease brokers or landmen who perform the fieldwork in examining records in the appropriate governmental or county clerk’s office before attempting to acquire a lease or other developed rights in a specific mineral interest.
Prior to drilling an oil or natural gas well, however, it is the normal practice in the oil and natural gas industry for the person or company acting as the operator of the well to obtain a preliminary title review of the spacing unit within which the proposed oil or natural gas well is to be drilled to ensure there are no obvious deficiencies in title to the well. Frequently, as a result of such examinations, certain curative work must be done to correct deficiencies in the marketability of the title, such as obtaining affidavits of heirship or causing an estate to be administered. Such curative work entails expense, and the operator may elect to proceed with a well despite defects to the title identified in the preliminary title opinion. Furthermore, title issues may arise at a later date that were not initially detected in any title review or examination. Any one or more of the foregoing could require us to reverse revenues previously recognized and potentially negatively affect our cash flows and results of operations. Our failure to obtain perfect title to our leaseholds may adversely affect our current production and reserves and our ability in the future to increase production and reserves.
We conduct business in a highly competitive industry.
The oil and natural gas industry is highly competitive. The key areas in respect of which we face competition include: acquisition of assets offered for sale by other companies; access to capital (debt and equity) for financing and operational purposes; purchasing, leasing, hiring, chartering or other procuring of equipment by our operators that may be scarce; and employment of qualified and experienced skilled management and oil and natural gas professionals.
Competition in our markets is intense and depends, among other things, on the number of competitors in the market, their financial resources, their degree of geological, geophysical, engineering and management expertise and capabilities, their pricing policies, their ability to develop properties on time and on budget, their ability to select, acquire and develop reserves and their ability to foster and maintain relationships with the relevant authorities.
Our competitors also include those entities with greater technical, physical and financial resources. Finally, companies and certain private equity firms not previously investing in oil and natural gas may choose to acquire reserves to establish a firm supply or simply as an investment. Any such companies will also increase market competition which may directly affect us. If we are unsuccessful in competing against other companies, our business, results of operations, financial condition or prospects could be materially adversely affected.
Our derivatives activities could adversely affect our cash flow, results of operations and financial condition.
To achieve more predictable cash flows and reduce our exposure to adverse fluctuations in the price of oil and natural gas, we enter into derivative instrument contracts for a portion of our expected production, which may include swaps, collars, puts and other structures. In accordance with applicable accounting principles, we are required to record our derivatives at fair market value, and they are included on our balance sheet as assets or liabilities and in our statements of income as gain (loss) on derivatives, net. Accordingly, our earnings may fluctuate significantly as a result of changes in the fair market value of our derivative instruments. In addition, while intended to mitigate the effects of volatile oil and natural gas prices, our derivatives transactions may limit our potential gains and increase our potential losses if oil and natural gas prices were to rise substantially over the price established by the hedge.
Our actual future production may be significantly higher or lower than we estimate at the time we enter into derivative contracts for such period. If the actual amount of production is higher than we estimate, we will have greater commodity price exposure than we intended. If the actual amount of production is lower than the notional amount that is subject to our derivative financial instruments, we might be forced to satisfy all or a portion of our derivative transactions without the benefit of the cash flow from our sale of the underlying physical commodity, resulting in a substantial diminution of our liquidity. As a result of
these factors, our hedging activities may not be as effective as we intend in reducing the volatility of our cash flows, and in certain circumstances may actually increase the volatility of our cash flows. In addition, such transactions may expose us to the risk of loss in certain circumstances, including instances in which a counterparty to our derivative contracts is unable to satisfy its obligations under the contracts; our production is less than expected; or there is a widening of price differentials between delivery points for our production and the delivery point assumed in the derivative arrangement.
Decommissioning costs are unknown and may be substantial. Unplanned costs could divert resources from other projects.
We may become responsible for costs associated with plugging, abandoning and reclaiming wells, pipelines and other facilities that we use for production of oil and natural gas reserves. Abandonment and reclamation of these facilities and the costs associated therewith is often referred to as “decommissioning.” We accrue a liability for decommissioning costs associated with our wells, but have not established any cash reserve account for these potential costs in respect of any of our properties. If decommissioning is required before economic depletion of our properties or if our estimates of the costs of decommissioning exceed the value of the reserves remaining at any particular time to cover such decommissioning costs, we may have to draw on funds from other sources to satisfy such costs. The use of other funds to satisfy such decommissioning costs could impair our ability to focus capital investment in other areas of our business.
We depend on computer and telecommunications systems, and failures in our systems or cyber security attacks could significantly disrupt our business operations.
We have entered into agreements with third parties for hardware, software, telecommunications and other information technology services in connection with our business. In addition, we have developed or may develop proprietary software systems, management techniques and other information technologies incorporating software licensed from third parties. It is possible that we, or these third parties, could incur interruptions from cyber security attacks, computer viruses or malware, or that third-party service providers could cause a breach of our data. We believe that we have positive relations with our related vendors and maintain adequate anti-virus and malware software and controls; however, any interruptions to our arrangements with third parties for our computing and communications infrastructure or any other interruptions to, or breaches of, our information systems could lead to data corruption, communication interruption, loss of sensitive or confidential information or otherwise significantly disrupt our business operations. Although we utilize various procedures and controls to monitor these threats and mitigate our exposure to such threats, there can be no assurance that these procedures and controls will be sufficient in preventing security threats from materializing. Furthermore, various third-party resources that we rely on, directly or indirectly, in the operation of our business (such as pipelines and other infrastructure) could suffer interruptions or breaches from cyber-attacks or similar events that are entirely outside our control, and any such events could significantly disrupt our business operations and/or have a material adverse effect on our results of operations. To our knowledge we have not experienced any material losses relating to cyber-attacks; however, there can be no assurance that we will not suffer material losses in the future.
Our business is subject to climate-related transition risks, including evolving climate change legislation, fuel conservation measures, technological advances and negative shift in market perception towards the oil and natural gas industry could result in increased operating expenses and capital costs, financial risks and potential reduction in demand for oil and natural gas.
Combating the effects of climate change continues to attract considerable attention in the United States and internationally, including from regulators, legislators, companies in a variety of industries, financial market participants and other stakeholders. This focus, together with changes in consumer and industrial/commercial behavior, preferences and attitudes with respect to the generation and consumption of energy, petroleum products and the use of products manufactured with, or powered by, petroleum products, may in the long-term result in (i) the enactment of climate change-related regulations, policies and initiatives (at the government, regulator, corporate and/or investor community levels), including alternative energy requirements, new fuel consumption standards, energy conservation and emissions reductions measures and responsible energy development, (ii) technological advances with respect to the generation, transmission, storage and consumption of energy (e.g., wind, solar and hydrogen power, smart grid technology and battery technology, increasing efficiency) and (iii) increased availability of, and increased consumer and industrial/commercial demand for, alternative energy sources and products manufactured with, or powered by, alternative energy sources (e.g., electric vehicles and renewable residential and commercial power supplies).
Climate change legislation and regulatory initiatives may arise from a variety of sources, including international, national, regional and state levels of government and associated administrative bodies, seeking to monitor, restrict or regulate existing emissions of GHGs, such as carbon dioxide and methane, as well as to restrict or eliminate future emissions. Accordingly, our business and operations, and those of our operating partners, are subject to executive, regulatory, political and
financial risks associated with oil and natural gas services and products and the emission of GHGs. Any legislation or regulatory programs related to climate change could increase our costs and require substantial capital, compliance, operating and maintenance costs, and reduce demand for oil and natural gas products and services. See further discussion in the risk factor further below entitled “The adoption of climate change legislation or regulations restricting or relating to emissions of GHGs could result in increased operating costs and reduced demand for the oil and natural gas we produce.”
Fuel conservation measures, alternative fuel requirements, increasing consumer demand for alternatives to oil and natural gas, technological advances in fuel economy and energy generation devices, and the increased competitiveness of alternative energy sources could reduce demand for oil and natural gas. Additionally, the increased competitiveness of alternative energy sources (such as electric vehicles, wind, solar, geothermal, tidal, fuel cells and biofuels) could reduce demand for oil and natural gas and, therefore, our revenues. Such developments may also adversely impact, among other things, the availability to operators at our properties of necessary third-party services and facilities that they rely on or impact the market prices of or our operating partners’ access to raw materials, which may adversely affect our ability to successfully carry out our business strategy.
Additionally, certain segments of the investor community have recently expressed negative sentiment towards investing in the oil and natural gas industry. Climate change-related developments in particular may result in negative perceptions of the traditional oil and gas industry and, in turn, reputational risks associated with exploration and production activities. There have been efforts in recent years, for example, to influence the investment community, including investment advisors, insurance companies and certain sovereign wealth, pension and endowment funds and other groups, by promoting divestment of fossil fuel equities and pressuring lenders to limit funding and insurance underwriters to limit coverages to companies engaged in the extraction of fossil fuel reserves. Financial institutions may elect in the future to shift some or all of their investment into non-fossil fuel related sectors. Some investors, including certain pension funds, university endowments and family foundations, have stated policies to reduce or eliminate their investments in the oil and natural gas sector based on social and environmental considerations. With the continued volatility in oil and natural gas prices, and the possibility that interest rates will rise in the near term, increasing the cost of borrowing, certain investors have emphasized capital efficiency and free cash flow from earnings as key drivers for energy companies, especially shale producers. This may also result in a reduction of available capital funding for potential development projects, further impacting our future financial results.
Ultimately, any legislation, regulatory programs, technological advances or social pressures related to climate change could increase our operating and compliance costs, reduce demand for oil and natural gas services and products, together with a change in investor sentiment, may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Furthermore, if we are unable to achieve the desired level of capital efficiency or free cash flow within the timeframe expected by the market, our stock price may be adversely affected.
Increased scrutiny and changing stakeholder expectations with respect to environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) matters may impact our business and expose us to additional risks.
In recent years, companies across all industries are facing increasing scrutiny from stakeholders related to their ESG and sustainability practices. A number of advocacy groups, both domestically and internationally, have campaigned for governmental and private action to promote change at public companies related to ESG matters, including increasing attention and demands for action related to climate change, promoting the use of substitutes to fossil fuel products and encouraging the divestment of companies in the fossil fuel industry. Increasing attention to climate change, for example, may result in demand shifts for natural gas and oil products, additional governmental investigations, private litigation against us, operational delays or restrictions, increased operating costs, and additional regulatory burdens. To the extent that societal pressures or political or other factors are involved, it is possible that such liability could be imposed without regard to our causation of or contribution to the asserted damage, or to other mitigating factors. For example, claims have been made against certain companies in the energy industry alleging that GHG emissions from oil and natural gas operations constitute a public nuisance under federal and/or state common law, or alleging that the companies have been aware of the adverse effects of climate change for some time but failed to adequately disclose such impacts to their investors or customers. As a result, private individuals or public entities may seek to enforce environmental laws and regulations against us and could allege personal injury, property damages or other liabilities. While our business is not a party to any such litigation, we could be named in actions making similar allegations. An unfavorable ruling in any such case could significantly impact our operations and could have an adverse impact on our financial condition. Moreover, governmental authorities exercise considerable discretion in the timing and scope of permit issuance and the public may engage in the permitting process, including through intervention in the courts. Negative public perception could cause the permits our operating partners need to conduct their operations to be withheld, delayed or burdened by requirements that restrict our ability to profitably conduct our business.
Further, failure or a perception (whether or not valid) of failure to implement our ESG strategy or achieve sustainability goals we have set could damage our reputation, causing our investors or other stakeholders to lose confidence in our company, and negatively impact our operations. There can be no assurance that we will be able to accomplish any announced goals, initiatives, commitments or objectives related to our ESG strategy, as statements regarding the same reflect our current plans and aspirations and are not guarantees that we will be able to achieve them within the timelines we announce, or at all. We in certain circumstances could determine in our discretion that it is not feasible or practical to implement or complete certain of our ESG goals, initiatives, policies or procedures based on cost, timing or other considerations. Our continuing efforts to research, establish, accomplish and accurately report on the implementation of our ESG strategy, including any ESG goals, may also create additional operational risks and expenses and expose us to reputational, legal and other risks. Moreover, while we create and publish voluntary disclosures regarding ESG matters from time to time, some of the statements in those voluntary disclosures may be based on hypothetical expectations and assumptions that may or may not be representative of current or actual risks or events or forecasts of expected risks or events, including the costs associated therewith. Such expectations and assumptions are necessarily uncertain and may be prone to error or subject to misinterpretation given the long timelines involved and the lack of an established single approach to identifying, measuring and reporting on many ESG matters. The occurrence of any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition.
Further, our business and growth opportunities require us to have strong relationships with various key stakeholders, including our stockholders, employees, suppliers, customers, local communities and others. We may face pressures from stakeholders, many of whom are increasingly focused on climate change, to prioritize sustainable energy practices, reduce our carbon footprint and promote sustainability while at the same time remaining a successfully operating public company. If we do not successfully manage expectations across these varied stakeholder interests, it could erode our stakeholder trust and thereby affect our brand and reputation. Such erosion of confidence could negatively impact our business through decreased demand and growth opportunities, delays in projects, increased legal action and regulatory oversight, adverse press coverage and other adverse public statements, difficulty hiring and retaining top talent, difficulty obtaining necessary approvals and permits from governments and regulatory agencies on a timely basis and on acceptable terms and difficulty securing investors and access to capital.
In addition, organizations that provide information to investors on corporate governance and related matters have developed ratings processes for evaluating companies on their approach to ESG matters. Such ratings are used by some investors to inform their investment and voting decisions and thus unfavorable ESG ratings could have a negative impact on our stock price and our access to and costs of capital.
Risks Related to Our Financing and Indebtedness
Any significant reduction in our borrowing base under our Revolving Credit Facility will negatively impact our liquidity and could adversely affect our business and financial results.
Availability under our Revolving Credit Facility is subject to a borrowing base, with scheduled semiannual (April 1 and October 1) and other elective borrowing base redeterminations based upon, among other things, projected revenues from, and asset values of, the oil and natural gas properties securing the Revolving Credit Facility. The lenders under the Revolving Credit Facility can unilaterally adjust the borrowing base and the borrowings permitted to be outstanding under our Revolving Credit Facility. Reductions in estimates of our producing oil, NGL and natural gas reserves could result in a reduction of our borrowing base thereunder. The same could also arise from other factors, including but not limited to lower commodity prices or production; inability to drill or unfavorable drilling results; changes in crude oil, NGL and natural gas reserve engineering; increased operating and/or capital costs; or other factors affecting our lenders’ ability or willingness to lend (including factors that may be unrelated to our company). Any significant reduction in our borrowing base could result in a default under current and/or future debt instruments, negatively impact our liquidity and our ability to fund our operations and, as a result, could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operation and cash flow. Further, if the outstanding borrowings under our Revolving Credit Facility were to exceed the borrowing base as a result of any such redetermination, we could be required to repay the excess. If we do not have sufficient funds and we are otherwise unable to arrange new financing, we may have to sell significant assets or take other actions to address. Any such sale or other actions could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial results.
Our Revolving Credit Facility and other agreements governing indebtedness contain operating and financial restrictions that may restrict our business and financing activities.
Our Revolving Credit Facility, the indenture governing our Senior Notes due 2028 (the “Senior Notes Indenture”), and any future indebtedness we incur may contain a number of restrictive covenants that will impose significant operating and
financial restrictions on us, including restrictions on our ability to, among other things: declare or pay any dividend or make any other distributions on, purchase or redeem our equity interests or purchase or redeem certain debt; make loans or certain investments; make certain acquisitions and investments; incur or guarantee additional indebtedness or issue certain types of equity securities; incur liens; transfer or sell assets; create subsidiaries; consolidate, merge or transfer all or substantially all of our assets; and engage in transactions with our affiliates. In addition, the Revolving Credit Facility requires us to maintain compliance with certain financial covenants and other covenants. As a result of these covenants, we could be limited in the manner in which we conduct our business, and we may be unable to engage in favorable business activities or finance future operations or capital needs.
Our ability to comply with some of the covenants and restrictions may be affected by events beyond our control. If market or other economic conditions deteriorate, our ability to comply with these covenants may be impaired. A failure to comply with the covenants, ratios or tests in our Revolving Credit Facility or any other indebtedness could result in an event of default under our Revolving Credit Facility or our other indebtedness, which, if not cured or waived, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. If an event of default under our Revolving Credit Facility occurs and remains uncured, the lenders thereunder would not be required to lend any additional amounts to us; could elect to declare all borrowings outstanding, together with accrued and unpaid interest and fees, to be due and payable; may have the ability to require us to apply all of our available cash to repay these borrowings; and may prevent us from making debt service payments under our other agreements.
An event of default or an acceleration under our Revolving Credit Facility could result in an event of default and an acceleration under other existing or future indebtedness. Conversely, an event of default or an acceleration under any other existing or future indebtedness could result in an event of default and an acceleration under our Revolving Credit Facility. In addition, our obligations under the Revolving Credit Facility are collateralized by perfected liens and security interests on substantially all of our assets and if we default thereunder the lenders could seek to foreclose on our assets.
We may not be able to generate enough cash flow to meet our debt obligations.
We expect our earnings and cash flow to vary significantly from year to year due to the cyclical nature of our industry. As a result, the amount of debt that we can service in some periods may not be appropriate for us in other periods. Additionally, our future cash flow may be insufficient to meet our debt obligations and commitments. Any insufficiency could negatively impact our business. A range of economic, competitive, business and industry factors will affect our future financial performance, and, as a result, our ability to generate cash flow from operations and to pay our debt. Many of these factors, such as oil and natural gas prices, economic and financial conditions in our industry and the global economy or competitive initiatives of our competitors, are beyond our control.
If we do not generate enough cash flow from operations to satisfy our debt obligations, we may have to undertake alternative financing plans, such as refinancing or restructuring our debt; selling assets; reducing or delaying capital investments; or seeking to raise additional capital. However, we cannot assure you that undertaking alternative financing plans, if necessary, would allow us to meet our debt obligations. Our inability to generate sufficient cash flow to satisfy our debt obligations, or to obtain alternative financing, could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Our ability to pay dividends to our stockholders is restricted by applicable laws and regulations and requirements under certain of our debt agreements, including our Revolving Credit Facility and the Senior Notes (as defined below).
Holders of our common stock are only entitled to receive such cash dividends as our board of directors, in its sole discretion, may declare out of funds legally available for such payments. On May 6, 2021, our board of directors declared our first cash dividend on our common stock in the amount of $0.03 per share. The dividend was paid on July 30, 2021 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on June 30, 2021. Our board of directors declared increased quarterly cash dividends on our common stock for each of the following completed fiscal quarters, and our management intends to recommend to our board of directors a further increase in our quarterly cash dividends on our common stock going forward. Any such increase would be conditioned upon, among other things, the approval of such increase by our board of directors and the absence of any material adverse developments or potentially attractive opportunities that would make such an increase inadvisable. We cannot assure you, however, that we will pay dividends in the future in the current amounts or at all. Our board of directors may change the timing and amount of any future dividend payments or eliminate the payment of future dividends to our common stockholders at its discretion, without notice to our stockholders. Any future determination relating to our dividend policy will be dependent on a variety of factors, including our financial condition, earnings, legal requirements, our general liquidity needs, and other factors that our board of directors deems relevant. Our ability to declare and pay dividends to our stockholders is subject to certain laws, regulations, and policies, including minimum capital requirements and, as a Delaware
corporation, we are subject to certain restrictions on dividends under the DGCL. Under the DGCL, our board of directors may not authorize payment of a dividend unless it is either paid out of our surplus, as calculated in accordance with the DGCL, or if we do not have a surplus, it is paid out of our net profits for the fiscal year in which the dividend is declared and/or the preceding fiscal year. Finally, our ability to pay dividends to our stockholders may be limited by covenants in any debt agreements that we are currently a party to, including our Revolving Credit Facility and the Senior Notes Indenture, or may enter into in the future. As a consequence of these various limitations and restrictions, we may not be able to make, or may have to reduce or eliminate at any time, the payment of dividends on our common stock. If as a result, we are unable to pay dividends, investors may be forced to rely on sales of their common stock after price appreciation, which may never occur, as the only way to realize a return on their investment. Any change in the level of our dividends or the suspension of the payment thereof could have a material adverse effect on the market price of our common stock.
Our variable rate indebtedness subjects us to interest rate risk, which could cause our debt service obligations to increase significantly.
Borrowings under our Revolving Credit Facility bear interest at variable rates and expose us to interest rate risk. If interest rates increase and we are unable to effectively hedge our interest rate risk, our debt service obligations on the variable rate indebtedness would increase even if the amount borrowed remained the same, and our net income and cash available for servicing our indebtedness would decrease.
In June 2022, we amended and restated the existing credit agreement governing the Revolving Credit Facility to, among other things, replace LIBOR with SOFR. After giving effect to the credit agreement amendment and restatement, any borrowings under our Revolving Credit Facility are primarily based on SOFR. It is unknown whether SOFR will attain market acceptance as a replacement for LIBOR and, because SOFR differs fundamentally from LIBOR, there is no assurance that SOFR will perform in the same way as LIBOR would have performed at any time, and there is no guarantee that it is a comparable substitute for LIBOR. As a result, we cannot reasonably predict the potential effect of the establishment of alternative reference rates on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
We may be able to incur substantially more debt. This could further exacerbate the risks associated with our substantial indebtedness.
We may be able to incur substantial additional indebtedness in the future, subject to certain limitations, including under our Revolving Credit Facility, the Senior Notes and under any future debt agreements. If new debt is added to our current debt levels, the related risks that we now face could increase. Our level of indebtedness could, for instance, prevent us from engaging in transactions that might otherwise be beneficial to us or from making desirable capital expenditures. This could put us at a competitive disadvantage relative to other less leveraged competitors that have more cash flow to devote to their operations. In addition, the incurrence of additional indebtedness could make it more difficult to satisfy our existing financial obligations.
Our business plan requires significant capital expenditures, which we may be unable to obtain on favorable terms or at all.
Our exploration, development and acquisition activities require substantial capital expenditures. Historically, we have funded our capital expenditures through a combination of cash flow from operations, borrowings under our credit facilities, debt issuances, and equity issuances. Cash reserves, cash from operations and borrowings under our Revolving Credit Facility may not be sufficient to fund our continuing operations and business plan and goals. We may require additional capital and we may be unable to obtain such capital if and when required. If our access to capital were limited due to numerous factors, which could include a decrease in operating cash flow due to lower oil and natural gas prices or decreased production or deterioration of the credit and capital markets, we would have a reduced ability to develop our properties, replace our reserves and pursue our business plan and goals. We may not be able to incur additional debt under our Revolving Credit Facility, issue debt or equity, engage in asset sales or access other methods of financing on acceptable terms or at all. If the amount of capital we are able to raise from financing activities, together with our cash from operations, is not sufficient to satisfy our capital requirements, we may not be able to implement our business plan and may be required to scale back our operations, sell assets at unattractive prices or obtain financing on unattractive terms, any of which could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
The capped call transactions may affect the value of the Convertible Notes and our common stock.
In connection with the pricing of the Convertible Notes, we entered into privately negotiated capped call transactions relating to such notes with the option counterparties. The capped call transactions relating to the Convertible Notes cover, subject to customary adjustments, the number of shares of our common stock that initially underlie such notes. The capped call
transactions are expected generally to reduce the potential dilution to our common stock upon any conversion of the Convertible Notes and/or offset any potential cash payments we are required to make in excess of the principal amount of converted notes, as the case may be, with such reduction and/or offset subject to a cap.
The option counterparties and/or their respective affiliates may modify their hedge positions by entering into or unwinding various derivatives with respect to our common stock and/or purchasing or selling our common stock or other securities of ours in secondary market transactions prior to the maturity of the Convertible Notes (and are likely to do so during any observation period related to a conversion of such notes). This activity could also cause or avoid an increase or a decrease in the market price of our common stock or the Convertible Notes, which could affect a holder’s ability to convert their Convertible Notes and, to the extent the activity occurs following conversion or during any observation period related to a conversion of the Convertible Notes, it could affect the amount and value of the consideration that a holder will receive upon conversion of such notes.
The potential effect, if any, of these transactions and activities on the market price of our common stock or the Convertible Notes will depend in part on market conditions and cannot be ascertained at this time. Any of these activities could adversely affect the value of our common stock and the value of the Convertible Notes (and as a result, the amount and value of the consideration that a holder would receive upon the conversion of the Convertible Notes) and, under certain circumstances, a holder’s ability to convert their Convertible Notes.
We do not make any representation or prediction as to the direction or magnitude of any potential effect that the transactions described above may have on the price of the Convertible Notes or our common stock. In addition, we do not make any representation that the option counterparties or their respective affiliates will engage in these transactions or that these transactions, once commenced, will not be discontinued without notice.
We are subject to counterparty risk with respect to the capped call transactions, and the capped call may not operate as planned.
The option counterparties to the capped call transactions are financial institutions, and we will be subject to the risk that one or more of the option counterparties may default or otherwise fail to perform, or may exercise certain rights to terminate their obligations, under the capped call transactions. Our exposure to the credit risk of the option counterparties will not be secured by any collateral. Global economic conditions have from time to time resulted in the actual or perceived failure or financial difficulties of many financial institutions. If an option counterparty to one or more capped call transactions becomes subject to insolvency proceedings, we will become an unsecured creditor in those proceedings with a claim equal to our exposure at that time under our transactions with that option counterparty. Our exposure will depend on many factors but, generally, the increase in our exposure will be correlated with increases in the market price or the volatility of our common stock. In addition, upon a default or other failure to perform, or a termination of obligations, by an option counterparty, we may suffer adverse tax consequences and more dilution than we currently anticipate with respect to our common stock. We can provide no assurances as to the financial stability or viability of any option counterparty.
In addition, the capped call transactions are complex, and they may not operate as planned. For example, the terms of the capped call transactions may be subject to adjustment, modification or, in some cases, renegotiation if certain corporate or other transactions occur. Accordingly, these transactions may not operate as we intend if we are required to adjust their terms as a result of transactions in the future or upon unanticipated developments that may adversely affect the functioning of the capped call transactions.
The Convertible Notes may have a material effect on our reported financial results.
We will be required to record a greater amount of non-cash interest expense in current and future periods as a result of the amortization of the debt issuance costs for the Convertible Notes. We will report lower net income (or greater net loss) in our financial results because generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”) requires interest to include both the current period’s amortization of the debt issuance costs and the instrument’s coupon interest, which could adversely affect our reported or future financial results, the market price of our common stock and the trading price of the Convertible Notes.
In addition, because we have the ability to settle the Convertible Notes, upon conversion, by paying or delivering cash equal to the principal amount of the obligation and common stock for amounts over the principal amount, the shares issuable upon conversion of the Convertible Notes are accounted for using the if-converted method and, as such, are not included in the calculation of diluted earnings per share except to the extent that the conversion value of the Convertible Notes exceeds their principal amount. Further, under the if-converted method, the dilutive shares are computed assuming the maximum dilutive
impact. We cannot be sure that we will be able to continue to demonstrate the ability to settle the Convertible Notes in cash or that the accounting standards will continue to permit the use of the if-converted method. If we are unable to use the if-converted method in accounting for the shares issuable upon conversion of the Convertible Notes, our diluted earnings per share could be adversely affected.
The conditional conversion feature of the Convertible Notes, if triggered, could adversely affect our financial position and liquidity.
In the event the conditional conversion feature of the Convertible Notes is triggered, holders of Convertible Notes will be entitled to convert such notes at any time during specified periods at their option. If one or more holders elect to convert their Convertible Notes, we would be required to settle any converted principal amount of such Convertible Notes through the payment of cash, which could adversely affect our liquidity. In addition, even if holders do not elect to convert their Convertible Notes, we could be required under applicable accounting rules to reclassify all or a portion of the outstanding principal of the Convertible Notes as a current rather than long-term liability, which would result in a material reduction of our net working capital.
Provisions in the Convertible Notes Indenture (as defined below) could delay or prevent an otherwise beneficial takeover of us.
Certain provisions in the Convertible Notes Indenture could make a third-party attempt to acquire us more difficult or expensive. For example, if a takeover constitutes a fundamental change, then noteholders will have the right to require us to repurchase their notes for cash. In addition, if a takeover constitutes a make-whole fundamental change, then we may be required to temporarily increase the conversion rate. In either case, and in other cases, our obligations under the notes and the indenture could increase the cost of acquiring us or otherwise discourage a third party from acquiring us or removing incumbent management, including in a transaction that noteholders or holders of our common stock may view as favorable.
Risks Related to Legal and Regulatory Matters
The current presidential administration, acting through the executive branch and/or in coordination with Congress, already has ordered or proposed, and could enact additional rules and regulations that restrict our ability to acquire federal leases in the future and/or impose more onerous permitting and other costly environmental, health and safety requirements.
We are affected by the adoption of laws, regulations and policy directives that, for economic, environmental protection or other policy reasons, could curtail exploration and development drilling for oil and gas. For example, in January 2021, President Biden signed an Executive Order directing the U.S. Department of the Interior (“DOI”) to temporarily pause new oil and gas leases on federal lands and waters pending completion of a comprehensive review of the federal government’s existing oil and gas leasing and permitting program. In June 2021, a federal district court enjoined the DOI from implementing the pause and leasing resumed subject to certain limitations, although litigation over the leasing pause remains ongoing. As a result, it is difficult to predict if and when such areas may be made available for future exploration activities. In addition, in November 2021, the EPA proposed a new rule that would impose more stringent methane emissions standards for new and modified sources in the oil and gas industry, and to regulate existing sources in the oil and gas industry for the first time. On November 11, 2022, the EPA issued the proposed rule supplementing the November 2021 proposed rule. Among other things, the November 2022 supplemental proposed rule removes an emissions monitoring exemption for small wellhead-only sites and creates a new third-party monitoring program to flag large emissions events, referred to in the proposed rule as “super emitters.” The EPA is currently expected to issue a final rule by August 2023. Further, in September 2021, President Biden publicly announced the Global Methane Pledge, an international pact that aims to reduce global methane emissions to at least 30% below 2020 levels by 2030. These efforts, among others, are intended to support the Biden Administration’s stated goal of addressing climate change. Potential actions of Congress include imposing more restrictive laws and regulations pertaining to permitting, limitations on GHG emissions, increased requirements for financial assurance and bonding for decommissioning liabilities, and carbon taxes. Any of these executive, administrative or Congressional actions could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations by restricting the lands available for development and/or access to permits required for such development, or by imposing additional and costly environmental, health and safety requirements.
Our ability to use net operating loss carryforwards to offset future taxable income may be subject to certain limitations.
We have net operating loss (“NOL”) carryforwards that we may use to offset against taxable income for U.S. federal income tax purposes. At December 31, 2022, we had an estimated NOL carryforward of approximately $520.7 million for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In general, under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “IRC”), a corporation that undergoes an “ownership change” can be subject to limitations on the use of its NOLs to offset future taxable income. We underwent an “ownership change” during 2018 and, as a result, the use of our existing NOL carryforwards is subject to limitations under Section 382, which are generally determined by multiplying the value of our stock at the time of the ownership change by the applicable long-term tax exempt rate as defined in Section 382 of the IRC. See Note 10 to our financial statements. Future changes in our stock ownership, some of which are outside of our control, could result in an additional ownership change under Section 382 of the IRC.
Certain U.S. federal income tax deductions currently available with respect to natural gas and oil exploration and development may be eliminated as a result of future legislation.
From time to time, legislation has been proposed that would, if enacted into law, make significant changes to U.S. tax laws, including certain key U.S. federal income tax provisions currently available to oil and gas companies. Such legislative changes have included, but have not been limited to, (i) the repeal of the percentage depletion allowance for natural gas and oil properties, (ii) the elimination of current deductions for intangible drilling and development costs, and (iii) an extension of the amortization period for certain geological and geophysical expenditures. Although these provisions were largely unchanged in recent federal tax legislation such as the IRA, Congress could consider, and could include, some or all of these proposals as part of future tax reform legislation. Moreover, other more general features of any additional tax reform legislation, including changes to cost recovery rules, may be developed that also would change the taxation of oil and gas companies. It is unclear whether these or similar changes will be enacted in future legislation and, if enacted, how soon any such changes could take effect. The passage of any legislation as a result of these proposals or any similar changes in U.S. federal income tax laws could eliminate or postpone certain tax deductions that currently are available with respect to oil and gas development or increase costs, and any such changes could have an adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.
The enactment of new or increased severance taxes and impact fees on natural gas production could negatively impact our assets in the Marcellus Shale formation.
The tax laws, rules and regulations that affect the operation of our assets in the Marcellus Shale formation are subject to change. For example, Pennsylvania’s governor has in past legislative sessions proposed legislation to impose a state severance tax on the extraction of natural resources, including natural gas produced from the Marcellus Shale formation, either in replacement of or in addition to the existing state impact fee. Pennsylvania’s legislature has not thus far advanced any of the governor’s severance tax proposals; however, severance tax legislation may continue to be proposed in future legislative sessions. Any such tax increase or change could adversely impact our earnings, cash flows and financial position as it relates to these assets.
Unanticipated changes in effective tax rates or adverse outcomes resulting from examination of our income or other tax returns could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
We are subject to taxes by U.S. federal, state and local tax authorities. Our future effective tax rates could be subject to volatility or adversely affected by a number of factors, including changes in the valuation of our deferred tax assets and liabilities, expected timing and amount of the release of any tax valuation allowances, or changes in tax laws, regulations or interpretations thereof. In addition, we may be subject to audits of our income, sales and other transaction taxes by U.S. federal, state and local taxing authorities. Outcomes from these audits could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
A new 1% U.S. federal excise tax could be imposed on us in connection with repurchases of our shares by us.
On August 16, 2022, the IRA was signed into federal law. The IRA provides for, among other things, a new U.S. federal 1% excise tax on certain repurchases (including redemptions) of shares by publicly traded domestic (i.e., U.S.) corporations and certain domestic subsidiaries of publicly traded foreign corporations occurring after December 31, 2022. The excise tax is imposed on the repurchasing corporation itself, not its shareholders from which shares are repurchased. The amount of the excise tax is generally 1% of the fair market value of the shares repurchased at the time of the repurchase. However, for purposes of calculating the excise tax, repurchasing corporations are permitted to net the fair market value of certain new share issuances against the fair market value of shares repurchases during the same taxable year. In addition, certain
exceptions apply to the excise tax. On December 27, 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury (the “Treasury”) issued a notice that it intends to publish proposed regulations addressing the application of the excise tax (the “Notice”). To provide taxpayers with interim guidance, the Notice describes certain rules upon which taxpayers are generally entitled to rely until publication of the proposed regulations.
Whether and to what extent we could be subject to the excise tax in connection with repurchases of our shares will depend on a number of factors, including (i) the fair market value of the repurchase, (ii) the nature and amount of any equity issuances within the same taxable year of the repurchase, and (iii) the content of any future regulations and other guidance issued from the Treasury. The excise tax would cause a reduction in our cash available on hand, which could have a negative impact on our business and operations.
Our business involves the selling and shipping by rail of crude oil, which involves risks of derailment, accidents and liabilities associated with cleanup and damages, as well as potential regulatory changes that may adversely impact our business, financial condition or results of operations.
A portion of our crude oil production is transported to market centers by rail. Derailments in North America of trains transporting crude oil have caused various regulatory agencies and industry organizations, as well as federal, state and municipal governments, to focus attention on transportation by rail of flammable liquids. Any changes to existing laws and regulations, or promulgation of new laws and regulations, including any voluntary measures by the rail industry, that result in new requirements for the design, construction or operation of tank cars used to transport crude oil could increase our costs of doing business and limit our ability to transport and sell our crude oil at favorable prices at market centers throughout the United States, the consequences of which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. In addition, any derailment of crude oil involving crude oil that we have sold or are shipping may result in claims being brought against us that may involve significant liabilities.
Our derivative activities expose us to potential regulatory risks.
The Federal Trade Commission, FERC, and the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) have statutory authority to monitor certain segments of the physical and futures energy commodities markets. These agencies have imposed broad regulations prohibiting fraud and manipulation of such markets. With regard to derivative activities that we undertake with respect to oil, natural gas, NGLs, or other energy commodities, we are required to observe the market-related regulations enforced by these agencies. Failure to comply with such regulations, as interpreted and enforced, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Legislative and regulatory developments could have an adverse effect on our ability to use derivative instruments to reduce the effect of commodity price, interest rate and other risks associated with our business.
The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank Act”) contains measures aimed at increasing the transparency and stability of the over-the-counter derivatives market and preventing excessive speculation. On January 14, 2021, the CFTC published a final rule imposing position limits for certain futures and options contracts in various commodities (including oil and gas) and for swaps that are their economic equivalents, though certain types of derivative transactions are exempt from these limits, provided that such derivative transactions satisfy the CFTC’s requirements for certain enumerated “bona fide” derivative transactions. The CFTC has also adopted final rules regarding aggregation of positions, under which a party that controls the trading of, or owns ten percent or more of the equity interests in, another party will have to aggregate the positions of the controlled or owned party with its own positions for purposes of determining compliance with position limits unless an exemption applies. These rules may affect both the size of the positions that we may hold and the ability or willingness of counterparties to trade with us, potentially increasing the costs of transactions. Moreover, such changes could materially reduce our access to derivative opportunities, which could adversely affect revenues or cash flow during periods of low commodity prices.
The CFTC also has designated certain interest rate swaps and credit default swaps for mandatory clearing and the associated rules also will require us, in connection with covered derivative activities, to comply with clearing and trade-execution requirements or to take steps to qualify for an exemption to such requirements. Although we believe we qualify for the end-user exception from the mandatory clearing requirements for swaps entered to mitigate its commercial risks, the application of the mandatory clearing and trade execution requirements to other market participants, such as swap dealers, may change the cost and availability of the swaps that we use. If our swaps do not qualify for the commercial end-user exception, or if the cost of entering into uncleared swaps becomes prohibitive, we may be required to clear such transactions. The ultimate effect of these rules and any additional regulations on our business is uncertain.
The full impact of the Dodd-Frank Act and related regulatory requirements on our business will not be known until the regulations are fully implemented and the market for derivatives contracts has adjusted. In addition, it is possible that the Biden Administration could expand regulation of the over-the-counter derivatives market and the entities that participate in that market through either the Dodd-Frank Act or the enactment of new legislation. Regulations issued under the Dodd-Frank Act (including any further regulations implemented thereunder) and any new legislation also may require certain counterparties to our derivative instruments to spin off some of their derivative activities to a separate entity, which may not be as creditworthy as the current counterparty. Such legislation and regulations could significantly increase the cost of derivative contracts (including from swap recordkeeping and reporting requirements and through requirements to post collateral which could adversely affect our available liquidity), materially alter the terms of derivative contracts, reduce the availability of derivatives to protect against risks we encounter, reduce our ability to monetize or restructure our existing derivative contracts, and increase our exposure to less creditworthy counterparties. We maintain an active hedging program related to commodity price risks. Such legislation and regulations could reduce trading positions and the market-making activities of our counterparties. If we reduce our use of derivatives as a result of legislation and regulations or any resulting changes in the derivatives markets, our results of operations may become more volatile and our cash flows may be less predictable, which could adversely affect our ability to plan for and fund capital expenditures or to make payments on our debt obligations. Finally, the Dodd-Frank Act was intended, in part, to reduce the volatility of oil and natural gas prices, which some legislators attributed to speculative trading in derivatives and commodity instruments related to oil and natural gas. Our revenues could therefore be adversely affected if a consequence of the legislation and regulations is to lower commodity prices. Any of these consequences could have a material adverse effect on our business, our financial condition, and our results of operations.
Our business is subject to complex federal, state, local and other laws and regulations that could adversely affect the cost, manner or feasibility of doing business.
Our operational interests, as operated by our third-party operating partners, are regulated extensively at the federal, state, tribal and local levels. Environmental and other governmental laws and regulations have increased the costs to plan, design, drill, install, operate and abandon oil and natural gas wells. Under these laws and regulations, our company (either directly or indirectly through our operating partners) could also be liable for personal injuries, property and natural resource damage and other damages. Failure to comply with these laws and regulations may result in the suspension or termination of our business and subject us to administrative, civil and criminal penalties. Moreover, public interest in environmental protection has increased in recent years, and environmental organizations have opposed, with some success, certain drilling projects.
Part of the regulatory environment in which we do business includes, in some cases, legal requirements for obtaining environmental assessments, environmental impact studies and/or plans of development before commencing drilling and production activities. In addition, our activities are subject to the regulations regarding conservation practices and protection of correlative rights. These regulations affect our business and limit the quantity of natural gas we may produce and sell. A major risk inherent in the drilling plans in which we participate is the need for our operators to obtain drilling permits from state and local authorities. Delays in obtaining regulatory approvals or drilling permits, the failure to obtain a drilling permit for a well or the receipt of a permit with unreasonable conditions or costs could have a material adverse effect on the development of our properties. Additionally, the oil and natural gas regulatory environment could change in ways that might substantially increase the financial and managerial costs of compliance with these laws and regulations and, consequently, adversely affect our profitability. At this time, we cannot predict the effect of this increase on our results of operations. Furthermore, we may be put at a competitive disadvantage to larger companies in our industry that can spread these additional costs over a greater number of wells and larger operating staff.
Failure to comply with federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations could result in substantial penalties and adversely affect our business.
All phases of the oil and natural gas business can present environmental risks and hazards and are subject to a variety of federal, state and municipal laws and regulations. Environmental laws and regulations, among other things, restrict and prohibit spills, releases or emissions of various substances produced in association with oil and natural gas operations, and require that wells and facility sites be operated, maintained, abandoned and reclaimed to the satisfaction of applicable regulatory authorities. There is risk of incurring significant environmental costs and liabilities as a result of the handling of petroleum hydrocarbons and wastes, air emissions and wastewater discharges related to our business, and historical operations and waste disposal practices. Failure to comply with these laws and regulations may result in the assessment of administrative, civil and criminal penalties, loss of our leases, incurrence of investigatory or remedial obligations and the imposition of injunctive relief.
Environmental legislation is evolving in a manner we expect may result in stricter standards and enforcement, larger fines and liability and potentially increased capital expenditures and operating costs. The discharge of oil, natural gas or other
pollutants into the air, soil or water may give rise to liabilities to governments and third parties and may require us to incur costs to remedy such discharge, regardless of whether we were responsible for the release or contamination and regardless of whether our operating partners met previous standards in the industry at the time they were conducted. In addition, claims for damages to persons, property or natural resources may result from environmental and other impacts of operations on our properties. The application of new or more stringent environmental laws and regulations to our business may cause us to curtail production or increase the costs of our production, development or exploration activities.
Federal and state legislative and regulatory initiatives relating to hydraulic fracturing could result in increased costs and additional operating restrictions or delays.
Hydraulic fracturing involves the injection of water, sand and chemicals under pressure into formations to fracture the surrounding rock and stimulate production. Hydraulic fracturing is used extensively by our third-party operating partners. The hydraulic fracturing process is typically regulated by state oil and natural gas commissions. Any federal or state legislative or regulatory changes with respect to hydraulic fracturing could cause us to incur substantial compliance costs or result in operational delays, and the consequences of any failure to comply by us or our third-party operating partners could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
In addition, in response to concerns relating to recent seismic events near underground disposal wells used for the disposal by injection of flowback and produced water or certain other oilfield fluids resulting from oil and natural gas activities (so-called “induced seismicity”), regulators in some states have imposed, or are considering imposing, additional requirements in the permitting of produced water disposal wells or otherwise to assess any relationship between seismicity and the use of such wells. States may, from time to time, develop and implement plans directing certain wells where seismic incidents have occurred to restrict or suspend disposal well operations. These developments could result in additional regulation and restrictions on the use of injection wells by our operators to dispose of flowback and produced water and certain other oilfield fluids. Increased regulation and attention given to induced seismicity also could lead to greater opposition to, and litigation concerning, oil and natural gas activities utilizing injection wells for waste disposal. Until such pending or threatened legislation or regulations are finalized and implemented, it is not possible to estimate their impact on our business.
Any of the above risks could impair our ability to manage our business and have a material adverse effect on our operations, cash flows and financial position.
The adoption of climate change legislation or regulations restricting or relating to emissions of GHGs could result in increased operating costs and reduced demand for the oil and natural gas we produce.
Restrictions on GHG emissions that may be imposed, or the adoption and implementation of regulations that require reporting of GHG emissions or other climate-related information or otherwise seek to limit GHG emissions (including carbon pricing schemes) from our operating partners, could adversely affect our business and the oil and gas industry, including by restricting our ability to execute on our business strategy, requiring additional capital, compliance, operating costs, increasing the cost of oil and natural gas products and services, reducing demand for oil and natural gas products and services, reducing our access to financial markets, or creating greater potential for governmental investigations or litigation. For example, adoption of legislation or regulatory programs to reduce GHG emissions could require us to incur increased operating costs, such as costs to purchase and operate emissions control systems, to acquire emissions allowances or to comply with new regulatory requirements. Such regulatory initiatives could stimulate demand for alternative forms of energy that do not rely on combustion fossil fuels. Any GHG emissions legislation or regulatory programs applicable to power plants or refineries could also increase the cost of consuming, and potentially reduce demand for, the oil and natural gas we produce. Consequently, legislation and regulatory programs to reduce GHG emissions or that address climate change could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Additionally, the SEC issued a proposed rule in March 2022 that would mandate extensive disclosure of climate-related data, risks and opportunities, including financial impacts, physical and transition risks, related governance and strategy, and GHG emissions, for certain public companies. We cannot predict the costs of implementation or any potential adverse impacts resulting from the rulemaking. To the extent this rulemaking is finalized as proposed, we could incur increased costs relating to the assessment and disclosure of climate-related risks. In addition, enhanced climate disclosure requirements could accelerate the trend of certain stakeholders and lenders restricting or seeking more stringent conditions with respect to their investments in certain carbon-intensive sectors. See “Item 1. Business—Governmental Regulation and Environmental Matters” and “—Climate Change” for a further discussion of the laws and regulations related to GHGs and of climate change.
Risks Related to Our Common Stock
There may be future sales or issuances of our common stock, including issuances in connection with our incentive plans, acquisitions or otherwise, which will dilute the ownership interests of stockholders and may adversely affect the market price of our common stock.
Our certificate of incorporation authorizes us to issue 135,000,000 shares of common stock, of which 85,165,807 shares were issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2022. Any shares of common stock that we may issue in the future, including securities that are convertible into or exchangeable for, or that represent the right to receive, common stock or substantially similar securities, may dilute the ownership interests of our stockholders. In addition, future issuances of common stock under our 2018 Equity Incentive Plan or other equity incentive plans that we may adopt in the future, or in connection with an acquisition or otherwise, would also dilute the percentage ownership held by our stockholders. The market price of our common stock could decline as a result of sales or issuances of a large number of shares of our common stock or similar securities in the market or the perception that such sales or issuances could occur.
Our certificate of incorporation, bylaws, and Delaware state law contain provisions that may have the effect of delaying or preventing a change in control and may adversely affect the market price of our capital stock.
Our certificate of incorporation authorizes our board of directors to issue preferred stock without any further vote or action by our stockholders. The rights of the holders of our common stock will be subject to the rights of the holders of any preferred stock that may be issued in the future. The issuance of preferred stock could delay, deter or prevent a change in control and could adversely affect the voting power or economic value of our shares. In addition, some provisions of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws could make it more difficult for a third-party to acquire control of us, even if the change of control would be beneficial to our stockholders, including, among others, limitations on the ability of our stockholders to call special meetings, limitations on the ability of our stockholders to act by written consent, and advance notice provisions for stockholders proposals and nominations for elections to the board of directors to be acted upon at meetings of stockholders. Delaware law generally prohibits us from engaging in any business combination with any “interested stockholder,” meaning generally that a stockholder who owns 15% or more of our stock cannot acquire us for a period of three years from the date such stockholder became an interested stockholder, unless various conditions are met.
The availability of shares for sale or other issuance in the future could reduce the market price of our common stock.
Our board of directors has the authority, without action or vote of our stockholders, to issue all or any part of our authorized but unissued shares of common stock, or issue shares of preferred stock, which may be convertible into shares of common stock. In the future, we may issue securities to raise cash for acquisitions, as consideration in acquisitions, to pay down debt, to fund capital expenditures or general corporate expenses, in connection with the exercise of stock options or to satisfy our obligations under our incentive plans. We may also acquire interests in other companies by using a combination of cash, our preferred stock and our common stock or just our common stock. We may also issue securities, including our preferred stock, that are convertible into, exchangeable for, or that represent the right to receive, our common stock. The occurrence of any of these events or any issuance of common stock upon conversion of our Convertible Notes or upon exercise of our outstanding warrants may dilute your ownership interest in our company, reduce our earnings per share and have an adverse impact on the price of our common stock.
Investors in our common stock may be required to look solely to stock appreciation for a return on their investment in us.
Any payment of future dividends will be at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on, among other things, our earnings, financial condition, capital requirements, level of indebtedness, statutory and contractual restrictions applying to the payment of dividends and other considerations that our board of directors deems relevant. Covenants contained in the instruments governing our indebtedness restrict the payment of dividends. Investors may be forced to rely on sales of their common stock after price appreciation, which may never occur, as the only way to realize a return on their investment.
Item 2. Properties
Estimated Net Proved Reserves
The table below summarizes our estimated net proved reserves at December 31, 2022 based on reports prepared by the Company for the year ended December 31, 2022 and audited by Cawley, our third-party independent reserve engineers. In preparing its reports, the Company evaluated properties representing all of our proved reserves at December 31, 2022 in accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEC applicable to companies involved in oil and natural gas producing activities. Our estimated net proved reserves in the table below do not include probable or possible reserves and do not in any way include or reflect our commodity derivatives.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | December 31, 2022 | | December 31, 2021 | | |
| | Proved Reserves
(MBoe)(1) | | % of
Total | | Proved Reserves
(MBoe)(2) | | % of
Total | | | | |
| SEC Proved Reserves: | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Developed | 214,602 | | | 65 | % | | 170,598 | | | 59 | % | | | | |
| Undeveloped | 116,207 | | | 35 | | | 117,084 | | | 41 | | | | | |
| Total Proved Properties | 330,809 | | | 100 | % | | 287,682 | | | 100 | % | | | | |
___________________
(1)The table above values oil and natural gas reserve quantities as of December 31, 2022, assuming constant realized prices of $91.95 per barrel of oil and $7.43 per Mcf of natural gas. Under SEC guidelines, these prices represent the average prices per barrel of oil and per Mcf of natural gas at the beginning of each month in the 12-month period prior to the end of the reporting period, after adjustment to reflect applicable transportation and quality differentials.
(2)The table above values oil and natural gas reserve quantities as of December 31, 2021, assuming constant realized prices of $62.25 per barrel of oil and $3.37 per Mcf of natural gas. Under SEC guidelines, these prices represent the average prices per barrel of oil and per Mcf of natural gas at the beginning of each month in the 12-month period prior to the end of the reporting period, after adjustment to reflect applicable transportation and quality differentials.
Estimated net proved reserves at December 31, 2022 were 330,809 MBoe, a 15% increase from estimated net proved reserves of 287,682 MBoe at December 31, 2021. The increase was primarily due to the impact of our 2022 acquisitions, as well as higher activity levels in 2022 as compared to 2021. Increased development activity in 2022 led to an increase in our capital spending as well as an increase in the number of undeveloped drilling locations reflected in our 2022 proved reserve estimates. As a result of the higher activity levels and our 2022 acquisitions, the number of proved undeveloped wells included in the reserves was increased from 126.5 net wells in 2021 to 138.2 net wells in 2022.
The following table sets forth summary information by reserve category with respect to estimated proved reserves at December 31, 2022:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | SEC Pricing Proved Reserves(1) |
| | | Reserve Volumes | | PV-10(3) |
| Reserve Category | | Oil
(MBbls) | | Natural Gas
(MMcf) | | Total (MBoe)(2) | | % | | Amount
(In thousands) | | % |
| PDP Properties | | 109,498 | | | 604,303 | | | 210,215 | | | 64 | % | | $ | 5,434,411 | | | 69 | % |
| PDNP Properties | | 3,128 | | | 7,552 | | | 4,387 | | | 1 | % | | 159,541 | | | 2 | % |
| PUD Properties | | 50,115 | | | 396,551 | | | 116,207 | | | 35 | % | | 2,308,202 | | | 29 | % |
| Total | | 162,741 | | | 1,008,406 | | | 330,809 | | | 100 | % | | $ | 7,902,154 | | | 100 | % |
_____ ___________
(1)The SEC Pricing Proved Reserves table above values oil and natural gas reserve quantities and related discounted future net cash flows as of December 31, 2022, based on average prices of $93.67 per barrel of oil and $6.36 per MMbtu of natural gas. Under SEC guidelines, these prices represent the average prices per barrel of oil and per MMbtu of natural gas at the beginning of each month in the 12-month period prior to the end of the reporting period. The average resulting price used as of December 31, 2022, after adjustment to reflect applicable transportation and quality differentials, was $91.95 per barrel of oil and $7.43 per Mcf of natural gas.
(2)Boe are computed based on a conversion ratio of one Boe for each barrel of oil and one Boe for every 6,000 cubic feet (i.e., 6 Mcf) of natural gas.
(3)Pre-tax PV10%, or PV-10, may be considered a non-GAAP financial measure as defined by the SEC and is derived from the standardized measure of discounted future net cash flows, which is the most directly comparable GAAP measure. See “Reconciliation of PV-10 to Standardized Measure” below.
The table above assumes prices and costs discounted using an annual discount rate of 10% without future escalation, without giving effect to non-property related expenses such as general and administrative expenses, debt service and depreciation, depletion and amortization, or federal income taxes. The information in the table above does not give any effect to or reflect our commodity derivatives.
Reconciliation of PV-10 to Standardized Measure
PV-10 is derived from the Standardized Measure of discounted future net cash flows, which is the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure for proved reserves calculated using SEC pricing. PV-10 is a computation of the Standardized Measure of discounted future net cash flows on a pre-tax basis. PV-10 is equal to the Standardized Measure of discounted future net cash flows at the applicable date, before deducting future income taxes, discounted at 10 percent. We believe that the presentation of PV-10 is relevant and useful to investors because it presents the discounted future net cash flows attributable to our estimated net proved reserves prior to taking into account future corporate income taxes, and it is a useful measure for evaluating the relative monetary significance of our oil and natural gas properties. Further, investors may utilize the measure as a basis for comparison of the relative size and value of our reserves to other companies. Moreover, GAAP does not provide a measure of estimated future net cash flows for reserves other than proved reserves or for reserves calculated using prices other than SEC prices. We use this measure when assessing the potential return on investment related to our oil and natural gas properties. PV-10, however, is not a substitute for the Standardized Measure of discounted future net cash flows. Our PV-10 measure and the Standardized Measure of discounted future net cash flows do not purport to represent the fair value of our oil and natural gas reserves.
The following table reconciles the pre-tax PV10% value of our SEC Pricing Proved Reserves as of December 31, 2022 to the Standardized Measure of discounted future net cash flows.
| | | | | |
SEC Pricing Proved Reserves (In thousands) |
| Standardized Measure Reconciliation |
| Pre-Tax Present Value of Estimated Future Net Revenues (Pre-Tax PV10%) | $ | 7,902,154 | |
Future Income Taxes, Discounted at 10%(1) | (1,465,257) | |
| Standardized Measure of Discounted Future Net Cash Flows | $ | 6,436,897 | |
____________
(1)The expected tax benefits to be realized from utilization of the net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards are used in the computation of future income tax cash flows. As a result of available net operating loss carryforwards and the remaining tax basis of our assets at December 31, 2022, our future income taxes were significantly reduced.
Uncertainties are inherent in estimating quantities of proved reserves, including many risk factors beyond our control. Reserve engineering is a subjective process of estimating subsurface accumulations of oil and natural gas that cannot be measured in an exact manner. As a result, estimates of proved reserves may vary depending upon the engineer estimating the reserves. Further, our actual realized price for our oil and natural gas is not likely to average the pricing parameters used to calculate our proved reserves. As such, the oil and natural gas quantities and the value of those commodities ultimately recovered from our properties will vary from reserve estimates.
Additional discussion of our proved reserves is set forth under the heading “Supplemental Oil and Gas Information - Unaudited” to our financial statements included later in this report.
Proved Undeveloped Reserves
At December 31, 2022, we had approximately 116.2 MMBoe of proved undeveloped reserves as compared to 117.1 MMBoe at December 31, 2021. A reconciliation of the change in proved undeveloped reserves during 2022 is as follows:
| | | | | |
| | MMBoe |
| Estimated Proved Undeveloped Reserves at 12/31/2021 | 117.1 | |
| Converted to Proved Developed Through Drilling | (18.1) | |
| Added from Extensions and Discoveries | 18.5 | |
| Purchases of Minerals in Place | 12.7 | |
| Removed for 5-Year Rule | (14.3) | |
| |
| |
| |
| Revisions | 0.3 | |
| Estimated Proved Undeveloped Reserves at 12/31/2022 | 116.2 | |
Our future development drilling program includes the drilling of approximately 138.2 proved undeveloped net wells before the end of 2027 at an estimated cost of $1,026 million. Our development plan for drilling proved undeveloped wells calls for the drilling of 85.2 net wells during 2023 (includes 47.0 net wells drilled at December 31, 2022, but classified as proved undeveloped due to Cawley’s internal guidelines which require greater than 50% of total costs to be incurred to be classified as developed), 25.4 net wells during 2024, 16.3 net wells during 2025, 7.0 net wells during 2026, and 4.3 net wells during 2027 for a total of 138.2 net wells. Our proved undeveloped locations were increased from 126.5 net wells at December 31, 2021 to 138.2 net wells at December 31, 2022 due to our 2022 acquisitions, higher commodity prices, and increased development activity. We expect that our proved undeveloped reserves will continue to be converted to proved developed producing reserves as additional wells are drilled including our acreage. All locations comprising our remaining proved undeveloped reserves are forecast to be drilled within five years from initially being recorded in accordance with our development plan.
At December 31, 2022, the PV-10 value of our proved undeveloped reserves amounted to 29% of the PV-10 value of our total proved reserves. Although our 2022 producing property additions exceeded our 5-year average development plan, there are numerous uncertainties. The development of these reserves is dependent upon a number of factors which include, but are not limited to: financial targets such as drilling within cash flow or reducing debt, drilling of obligatory wells, satisfactory
rates of return on proposed drilling projects, and the levels of drilling activities by operators in areas where we hold leasehold interests. During 2022, we increased our development capital spending by 100% compared to 2021. With 69% of the PV-10 value of our total proved reserves supported by producing wells, we believe we will have sufficient cash flows and adequate liquidity to execute our development plan.
At December 31, 2022, we had spent a total of $118.5 million related to the development of proved undeveloped reserves, which resulted in the conversion of 18.1 MMBoe of proved undeveloped reserves as of December 31, 2021 to proved developed reserves as of December 31, 2022. Proved developed property additions in 2022 also included 11.6 MMBoe from the conversion of previously undeveloped locations that were not booked in our December 31, 2021 proved undeveloped reserves (the related development costs incurred at December 31, 2022 were $212.2 million). Additionally, our proved undeveloped reserves at December 31, 2022 included 59.3 MMBoe for net wells that had commenced drilling activities but remained classified as undeveloped reserves due to Cawley’s internal guidelines which require greater than 50% of the total costs to have been incurred in order to be classified as proved developed (the related development costs incurred at December 31, 2022 were $61.0 million).
In 2022, we also added 18.5 MMBoe of proved undeveloped reserves as a result of our acquisition and development activity. The SEC-prescribed commodity prices (after adjustment for transportation, quality and basis differentials) were $29.70 higher per barrel of oil and $4.06 higher per Mcf of natural gas at year-end 2022 as compared to year-end 2021. Additionally, we had positive revisions of 0.3 MMBoe primarily due to the aforementioned higher pricing. We also removed 14.3 MMBoe of proved undeveloped reserves due to the SEC-prescribed 5-year rule.
Proved Reserves Sensitivity by Price Scenario
The SEC disclosure rules allow for optional reserves sensitivity analysis, such as the sensitivity that oil and natural gas reserves have to price fluctuations. We have chosen to compare our proved reserves from the 2022 SEC case to one alternate pricing case, which uses a flat pricing deck of $70.00 per Bbl for oil and $3.00 per MMbtu for natural gas (the “$70 Flat Case”). The sensitivity scenario was not audited by a third-party. In this sensitivity scenario, all operating cost assumptions and other factors, other than the commodity price assumptions, have been held constant with the 2022 SEC case. However, the lower pricing in the sensitivity scenario did result in fewer future drilling locations that were economic at the $70 Flat Case compared to the 2022 SEC case. As a result, the $70 Flat Case included 3.0 fewer proved undeveloped net wells compared to the 137.1 proved undeveloped net wells included in the 2022 SEC case. This sensitivity is only meant to demonstrate the impact that changing commodity prices may have on estimated proved reserves and PV-10 and there is no assurance this outcome will be realized. The table below shows our proved reserves utilizing the 2022 SEC case compared with the $70 Flat Case.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Price Cases |
| | 2022 SEC Case(1) | | $70 Flat Case(2) |
| Net Proved Reserves (December 31, 2022) | | | |
| Oil (MBbl) | | | |
| Developed | 112,626 | | | 106,371 | |
| Undeveloped | 50,115 | | | 48,169 | |
| Total | 162,741 | | | 154,540 | |
| Natural Gas (MMcf) | | | |
| Developed | 611,855 | | | 556,600 | |
| Undeveloped | 396,551 | | | 390,799 | |
| Total | 1,008,406 | | | 947,399 | |
| Total Proved Reserves (MBOE) | 330,809 | | | 312,440 | |
| | | |
Pre-tax PV10% (in thousands)(3) | $ | 7,902,154 | | | $ | 4,482,675 | |
_________________
(1)Represents reserves based on pricing prescribed by the SEC. The unescalated twelve month arithmetic average of the first day of the month posted prices were adjusted for transportation and quality differentials to arrive at prices of $91.95 per Bbl for oil and $7.43 per Mcf for natural gas. Production costs were held constant for the life of the wells.
(2)Prices based on $70.00 per Bbl for oil and $3.00 per MMbtu for natural gas, which were then adjusted for transportation and quality differentials to arrive at prices of $68.32 per Bbl for oil and $4.11 per Mcf for natural gas.
(3)Pre-tax PV10%, or PV-10, may be considered a non-GAAP financial measure. See “Reconciliation of PV-10 to Standardized Measure” above for a reconciliation of the PV-10 of our 2022 SEC case proved reserves to the Standardized Measure. GAAP does not prescribe a corresponding measure for PV-10 of proved reserves based on other than SEC prices. As a result, it is not practicable for us to reconcile the PV-10 of our proved reserves based on alternate pricing scenarios.
Independent Petroleum Engineers
We have utilized Cawley, an independent reserve engineering firm, as our third-party engineering firm. The selection of Cawley was approved by our Audit Committee. Cawley is a reservoir-evaluation consulting firm who evaluates oil and natural gas properties and independently certifies petroleum reserves quantities for various clients throughout the United States. Cawley has substantial experience calculating the reserves of various other companies and, as such, we believe Cawley has sufficient experience to appropriately audit our reserves. Cawley utilizes proprietary technology, systems and data to calculate our reserves commensurate with this experience. Cawley is a Texas Registered Engineering Firm (F-693). Our primary contact at Cawley is Todd Brooker, President. Mr. Brooker is a State of Texas Licensed Professional Engineer (License #83462). He is also a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers.
In accordance with applicable requirements of the SEC, estimates of our net proved reserves and future net revenues are made using average prices at the beginning of each month in the 12-month period prior to the date of such reserve estimates and are held constant throughout the life of the properties (except to the extent a contract specifically provides for escalation).
The reserves set forth in the Cawley report for the properties are estimated by performance methods or analogy. In general, reserves attributable to producing wells and/or reservoirs are estimated by performance methods such as decline curve analysis which utilizes extrapolations of historical production data. Reserves attributable to non-producing and undeveloped reserves included in our report are estimated by analogy. The estimates of the reserves, future production, and income attributable to properties are prepared using the economic software package Aries for Windows, a copyrighted program of Halliburton.
To estimate economically recoverable oil and natural gas reserves and related future net cash flows, we consider many factors and assumptions including, but not limited to, the use of reservoir parameters derived from geological, geophysical and engineering data which cannot be measured directly, economic criteria based on current costs and SEC pricing requirements, and forecasts of future production rates. Under the SEC regulations 210.4-10(a)(22)(v) and (26), proved reserves must be demonstrated to be economically producible based on existing economic conditions including the prices and costs at which economic productivity from a reservoir is to be determined as of the effective date of the report. With respect to the property interests we own, production and well tests from examined wells, normal direct costs of operating the wells or leases, other costs such as transportation and/or processing fees, production taxes, recompletion and development costs and product prices are based on the SEC regulations, geological maps, well logs, core analyses, and pressure measurements.
The reserve data set forth in the Cawley report represents only estimates, and should not be construed as being exact quantities. They may or may not be actually recovered, and if recovered, the actual revenues and costs could be more or less than the estimated amounts. Moreover, estimates of reserves may increase or decrease as a result of future operations.
Reservoir engineering is a subjective process of estimating underground accumulations of oil and natural gas that cannot be measured in an exact manner. There are numerous uncertainties inherent in estimating oil and natural gas reserves and their estimated values, including many factors beyond our control. The accuracy of any reserve estimate is a function of the quality of available data and of engineering and geologic interpretation and judgment. As a result, estimates of different engineers, including those used by us, may vary. In addition, estimates of reserves are subject to revision based upon actual production, results of future development and exploration activities, prevailing oil and natural gas prices, operating costs and other factors. The revisions may be material. Accordingly, reserve estimates are often different from the quantities of oil and natural gas that are ultimately recovered and are highly dependent upon the accuracy of the assumptions upon which they are based. Our estimated net proved reserves, included in our SEC filings, have not been filed with or included in reports to any other federal agency. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors – Our estimated reserves are based on many assumptions that may prove to be inaccurate. Any material inaccuracies in these reserve estimates or underlying assumptions will materially affect the quantities and present value of our reserves.”
Internal Controls Over Reserves Estimation Process
We utilize a third-party reservoir engineering firm as our independent reserves auditor for 100% of our reserves base. In addition, we employ an internal reserve engineering department which is led by our Executive Vice President and Chief Engineer, who is responsible for overseeing the preparation of our reserves estimates. Our executive internal reserve engineer has a B.S. in petroleum engineering from Montana Tech, has over seventeen years of oil and gas experience on the reservoir side, and has experience working for large independents on projects and acquisitions.
Our technical team meets with our independent third-party engineering firm to review properties and discuss evaluation methods and assumptions used in the proved reserves estimates, in accordance with our prescribed internal control procedures. Our internal controls over the reserves estimation process include verification of input data into our reserves evaluation software as well as management review, such as, but not limited to the following:
•Comparison of historical expenses from the lease operating statements and workover authorizations for expenditure to the operating costs input in our reserves database;
•Review of working interests and net revenue interests in our reserves database against our well ownership system;
•Review of historical realized prices and differentials from index prices as compared to the differentials used in our reserves database;
•Review of updated capital costs prepared by our operations team;
•Review of internal reserve estimates by well and by area by our internal reservoir engineer;
•Discussion of material reserve variances among our internal reservoir engineer and our executive management; and
•Review of a preliminary copy of the reserve report by executive management.
Production, Price and Production Expense History
The price that we receive for the oil and natural gas we produce is largely a function of market supply and demand. Demand is impacted by general economic conditions, weather and other seasonal conditions, including hurricanes and tropical storms. Over or under supply of oil or natural gas can result in substantial price volatility. Oil supply in the United States has grown dramatically over the past few years, and the supply of oil could impact oil prices in the United States if the supply outstrips domestic demand. Historically, commodity prices have been volatile, and we expect that volatility to continue in the future. A substantial or extended decline in oil or natural gas prices or poor drilling results could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations, cash flows, quantities of oil and natural gas reserves that may be economically produced and our ability to access capital markets.
The following table sets forth information regarding our oil and natural gas production, realized prices and production costs for the periods indicated. For additional information on price calculations, please see information set forth in “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Years Ended December 31, |
| | 2022 | | 2021 | | 2020 |
| Net Production: | | | | | |
| Oil (Bbl) | 16,090,072 | | | 12,288,358 | | | 9,361,138 | |
| Natural Gas and NGLs (Mcf) | 68,829,142 | | | 44,073,941 | | | 16,473,287 | |
| Total (Boe) | 27,561,596 | | | 19,634,015 | | | 12,106,686 | |
| | | | | |
| Oil (Bbl) per day | 44,082 | | | 33,667 | | | 25,577 | |
| Mcf per day | 188,573 | | | 120,751 | | | 45,009 | |
| Total (Boe) per day | 75,511 | | | 53,792 | | | 33,078 | |
| | | | | |
| Average Sales Prices: | | | | | |
| Oil (per Bbl) | $ | 91.65 | | | $ | 62.94 | | | $ | 32.61 | |
| Effect of Gain (Loss) on Settled Oil Derivatives on Average Price (per Bbl) | (22.05) | | | (10.17) | | | 20.08 | |
| Oil Net of Settled Oil Derivatives (per Bbl) | 69.60 | | | 52.77 | | | 52.69 | |
| | | | | |
| Natural Gas and NGLs (per Mcf) | 7.43 | | | 4.57 | | | 1.14 | |
| Effect of Gain (Loss) on Settled Natural Gas Derivatives on Average Price (per Mcf) | (1.60) | | | (0.92) | | | 0.02 | |
| Natural Gas and NGLs Net of Settled Natural Gas Derivatives (per Mcf) | 5.83 | | | 3.65 | | | 1.16 | |
| | | | | |
| Realized Price on a Boe Basis Excluding Settled Commodity Derivatives | 72.05 | | | 49.66 | | | 26.77 | |
| Effect of Gain (Loss) on Settled Commodity Derivatives on Average Price (per Boe) | (16.52) | | | (8.45) | | | 15.55 | |
| Realized Price on a Boe Basis Including Settled Commodity Derivatives | 55.53 | | | 41.21 | | | 42.32 | |
| | | | | |
| Average Costs: | | | | | |
| Production Expenses (per Boe) | $ | 9.46 | | | $ | 8.70 | | | $ | 9.61 | |
Drilling and Development Activity
The following table sets forth the number of gross and net productive and non-productive wells drilled in the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020. The number of wells drilled refers to the number of wells completed at any time during the fiscal year, regardless of when drilling was initiated.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | December 31, |
| | 2022 | | 2021 | | 2020 |
| | Gross | | Net(1) | | Gross | | Net(1) | | Gross | | Net(1) |
| Exploratory Wells: | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Oil | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | |
| Natural Gas | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | |
| Non-Productive | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| Development Wells: | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Oil | 550 | | | 55.9 | | | 354 | | | 33.6 | | | 285 | | | 17.8 | |
| Natural Gas | 7 | | | 0.9 | | | 8 | | | 2.2 | | | — | | | — | |
| Non-Productive | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| Total Productive Exploratory and Development Wells | 557 | | | 56.8 | | | 362 | | | 35.8 | | | 285 | | | 17.8 | |
______________
(1)Net Well totals in 2022, 2021 and 2020 do not include an additional 66.4, 169.4 and 1.0 net wells, respectively, from acquisitions which were already producing when acquired.
The following table summarizes our cumulative gross and net productive oil and natural gas wells by geographic area within the United States at each of December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020. Wells are classified as oil or natural gas wells according to the predominant production stream. All of our wells in the Williston and Permian Basins are classified as oil wells, although they also produce natural gas and condensate. All of our wells in the Appalachian Basin are classified as natural gas wells.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | December 31, |
| | 2022 | | 2021 | | 2020 |
| | Gross | | Net | | Gross | | Net | | Gross | | Net |
| Williston Basin | 7,487 | | | 608.0 | | | 6,996 | | | 571.7 | | | 6,633 | | | 474.5 | |
| Permian Basin | 818 | | | 92.8 | | | 83 | | | 11.6 | | | 7 | | | 0.6 | |
| Appalachian Basin | 367 | | | 98.5 | | | 357 | | | 97.5 | | | — | | | — | |
| Total | 8,672 | | | 799.3 | | | 7,436 | | | 680.8 | | | 6,640 | | | 475.1 | |
As of December 31, 2022, we had an additional 526 gross (55.4 net) wells in process, meaning wells that have been spud and are in the process of drilling, completing or waiting on completion.
Leasehold Properties
As of December 31, 2022, our principal assets included approximately 258,970 net acres located in the United States. The following table summarizes our estimated gross and net developed and undeveloped acreage by geographic area at December 31, 2022.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Developed Acreage | | Undeveloped Acreage | | Total Acreage |
| | Gross | | Net | | Gross | | Net | | Gross | | Net |
| Williston Basin | 594,738 | | 167,326 | | 28,582 | | 14,842 | | 623,320 | | 182,168 |
| Permian Basin | 27,673 | | 14,070 | | 2,046 | | 3,546 | | 29,719 | | 17,616 |
| Appalachian Basin | 195,055 | | 46,491 | | 81,406 | | 12,695 | | 276,461 | | 59,186 |
| Total: | 817,466 | | 227,887 | | 112,034 | | 31,083 | | 929,500 | | 258,970 |
As of December 31, 2022, approximately 88% of our total acreage was developed. All of our proved reserves are located in the United States.
Recent Acquisitions
We generally assess acreage subject to near-term drilling activities on a lease-by-lease basis because we believe each lease’s contribution to a subject spacing unit is best assessed on that basis if development timing is sufficiently clear. Consistent with that approach, a significant portion of our acreage acquisitions involve properties that are selected by us on a lease-by-lease basis for their participation in a well expected to be spud in the near future, and the subject leases are then aggregated to complete one single closing with the transferor. As such, we generally view each acreage assignment from brokers, landmen and other parties as involving several separate acquisitions combined into one closing with the common transferor for convenience. However, in certain instances an acquisition may involve a larger number of leases presented by the transferors as a single package without negotiation on a lease-by-lease basis. In those instances, we still review each lease on a lease-by-lease basis to ensure that the package as a whole meets our acquisition criteria and drilling expectations. See Note 3 and Note 14 to our financial statements regarding our recent acquisition activity.
Acreage Expirations
As a non-operator, we are subject to lease expirations if an operator does not commence the development of operations within the agreed terms of our leases. All of our leases for undeveloped acreage summarized in the table below will expire at the end of their respective primary terms, unless we renew the existing leases, establish commercial production from the acreage or some other “savings clause” is exercised. In addition, our leases typically provide that the lease does not expire at the end of the primary term if drilling operations have been commenced. While we generally expect to establish production from most of our acreage prior to expiration of the applicable lease terms, there can be no guarantee we can do so. The approximate expiration of our net acres which are subject to expire between 2023 and 2027 and thereafter, are set forth below:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Acreage Subject to Expiration |
| Year Ended | | Gross | | Net |
| December 31, 2023 | | 40,566 | | 7,402 |
| December 31, 2024 | | 26,872 | | 7,895 |
| December 31, 2025 | | 15,564 | | 5,522 |
| December 31, 2026 | | 3,435 | | 726 |
| December 31, 2027 and thereafter | | 17,120 | | 4,530 |
| Total | | 103,557 | | 26,075 | |
During 2022, we had leases expire covering approximately 5,796 net acres. The 2022 lease expirations carried a cost of $8.7 million. We believe that the expired acreage was not material to our capital deployed.
Unproved Properties
All properties that are not classified as proved properties are considered unproved properties and, thus, the costs associated with such properties are not subject to depletion. Once a property is classified as proved, all associated acreage and drilling costs are subject to depletion.
We assess all items classified as unproved property on an annual basis, or if certain circumstances exist, more frequently, for possible impairment or reduction in value. The assessment includes consideration of the following factors, among others: intent to drill, remaining lease term, geological and geophysical evaluations, drilling results and activity, the assignment of proved reserves, and the economic viability of development if proved reserves are assigned. During any period in which these factors indicate an impairment, the cumulative drilling costs incurred to date for such property and all or a portion of the associated leasehold costs are transferred to the full cost pool and are then subject to depletion and amortization.
We believe that the majority of our unproved costs will become subject to depletion within the next five years by proving up reserves relating to our acreage through exploration and development activities, by impairing the acreage that will expire before we can explore or develop it further or by determining that further exploration and development activity will not occur. The timing by which all other properties will become subject to depletion will be dependent upon the timing of future drilling activities and delineation of our reserves.
Depletion of Oil and Natural Gas Properties
Our depletion expense is driven by many factors including certain exploration costs involved in the development of producing reserves, production levels and estimates of proved reserve quantities and future developmental costs. The following table presents our depletion expenses during 2022, 2021 and 2020.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Years Ended December 31, |
| (In thousands, except per Boe data) | 2022 | | 2021 | | 2020 |
| Depletion of Oil and Natural Gas Properties | $ | 248,252 | | | $ | 138,759 | | | $ | 160,643 | |
| Depletion Expense (per Boe) | 9.01 | | | 7.07 | | | 13.27 | |
Research and Development
We do not anticipate performing any significant research and development under our plan of operation.
Delivery Commitments
For our properties in the Appalachian Basin, we have contractually agreed to deliver firm quantities of natural gas to certain third parties, which we seek to fulfill with production from existing reserves. In the event we are not able to meet these firm commitments, we are subject to deficiency payments. As a non-operator, we have limited control over the drilling of new wells and primarily rely on our third-party operating partners in this regard. The following table summarizes our total net commitments as of December 31, 2022.
| | | | | |
| (in Bcf) | Commitment Volumes |
| 2023 | 19.0 | |
| 2024 | 18.4 | |
| 2025 | 3.2 | |
| Total | 40.6 | |
