−Removed: Road Miners, Inc.
−Removed: (formerly known as Wizard Brands, Inc., Wizard Entertainment, Inc., Wizard World, Inc., and GoEnergy, Inc.) was incorporated
−Removed: in Delaware on May 2, 2001.
−Removed: Prior to cryptocurrency mining operations that began in October 2021, the Company produced live and virtual
−Removed: pop culture conventions and events and sold a gelatin machine and related consumables that were discontinued in 2021.
−Removed: In addition, the
−Removed: Company operated an eCommerce site selling pop culture memorabilia that was discontinued on June 30, 2022 (known collectively as “legacy
−Removed: operations”).
−Removed: October 24, 2022, the Company, Creek Road Merger Sub, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company,
−Removed: and Prairie Operating Co., LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Prairie”), entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger
−Removed: (the “Merger Agreement”), pursuant to which Merger Sub will merge with and into Prairie (the “Merger”), with
−Removed: Prairie surviving and continuing to exist as a Delaware limited liability company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company.
−Removed: the effective time of the Merger (the “Effective Time”), the Company will (a) deliver the greater of (A) 2,000,000 shares
−Removed: of its common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (“common stock”), and (B) the product of (x) the number of issued and outstanding
−Removed: shares of common stock immediately following the consummation of the Restructuring Transactions (as defined below) by the Company multiplied
−Removed: by (y) 33.33% to the members of Prairie (the “Prairie Members”) and (b) convert certain options to purchase membership interests
−Removed: of Prairie into restricted performance-based options to purchase, in the aggregate, 8,000,000 shares of common stock for $0.25 per share
−Removed: only exercisable if specific production hurdles are achieved.
−Removed: connection with the Merger, the Company will cause the following restructuring transactions (the “Restructuring Transactions”):
−Removed: (1) all holders of the Company’s outstanding shares of Series A preferred stock, Series B preferred stock, Series C preferred stock,
−Removed: and 12% senior secured convertible debentures (the “Convertible Debentures”), and holders of certain warrants, certain convertible
−Removed: promissory notes and certain other accrued liabilities, will convert their respective shares of Series A preferred stock, Series B preferred
−Removed: stock, Series C preferred stock and Convertible Debentures, and respective warrants, convertible promissory notes and accrued liabilities
−Removed: into shares of common stock and (2) thereafter, the Company shall effect a reverse stock split of the common stock at a ratio between
−Removed: 1-23 and 1-30 (the “Reverse Stock Split”).
+Added: Operating Co.
+Added: (the “Company”) is an independent oil and gas company focused on the acquisition and development of crude oil,
+Added: natural gas and natural gas liquids (“NGLs”).
+Added: We currently hold attractive acreage in the Denver-Julesburg Basin in Colorado
+Added: (the “DJ Basin”) that our experienced management team intends to develop, deploying next-generation technology and techniques
+Added: in an environmentally efficient manner.
+Added: In addition to growing production through our drilling operations, we also seek to grow our business
+Added: through accretive acquisitions, focusing on assets with the following criteria:
+Added: (i) producing reserves, with opportunities to add accretive,
+Added: undeveloped bolt-on acreage;
+Added: (ii) ample, high rate-of-return inventory of drilling locations that can be developed with cash flow reinvestment;
+Added: (iii) strong well-level economics;
+Added: (iv) liquids-rich assets;
+Added: and (v) accretive valuation.
+Added: of December 31, 2023, all of the Company’s exploration and production (“E&P”) assets were acquired in the Exok
+Added: Transaction (as defined herein) and Exok Option Purchase (as defined herein) and consist of certain oil and gas leasehold interests
+Added: with no existing oil and gas production or revenue.
+Added: In February 2024, we acquired the Genesis Bolt-on Assets (as defined herein),
+Added: offsetting our existing assets.
+Added: In all, the total Genesis Assets (as defined herein) include 24,351 net mineral acres in, on and
+Added: under 37,985 gross acres.
+Added: In addition, in January 2024, we entered into a definitive agreement with NRO (as defined herein) to
+Added: acquire the Central Weld Assets (as defined herein).
+Added: We have no current drilling or completion operations.
+Added: As such, our current activities are focused
+Added: on obtaining requisite permits to begin drilling wells on our Genesis Assets, as well as funding and closing the NRO Acquisition,
+Added: which we anticipate in the first half of 2024.
+Added: Additionally,
+Added: in 2023, we also engaged in cryptocurrency mining operations.
+Added: In January 2024, we divested all of our cryptocurrency mining assets.
+Added: “— Recent Developments ” for more information.
+Added: May 3, 2023, pursuant to the Amended and Restated Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of May 3, 2023 (the “Merger Agreement”),
+Added: by and among the Company, Creek Road Merger Sub, LLC (“Merger Sub”) and Prairie Operating Co., LLC (“Prairie LLC”),
+Added: Merger Sub merged with and into Prairie LLC, with Prairie LLC surviving and continuing to exist as a Delaware limited liability company
+Added: and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (the “Merger”).
+Added: consummation of the Merger, the Company changed its name from “Creek Road Miners, Inc.” to “Prairie Operating Co.”
+Added: The Company traded under its former name and ticker symbol “CRKR” until October 16, 2023.
+Added: From October 16, 2023 to November
+Added: 12, 2023, the Company traded under symbol “CRKRD,” a transitionary ticker symbol.
+Added: The Company began trading under its current
+Added: ticker symbol, “PROP,” on November 13, 2023.
+Added: On December 21, 2023, the Company received approval to list its common stock
+Added: on the Nasdaq Capital Market securities exchange (“Nasdaq”).
+Added: Trading of our shares of common stock on Nasdaq under the ticker
+Added: symbol “PROP” commenced at the opening of trading on December 28, 2023.
+Added: to the consummation of the Merger, the Company effectuated a series of restructuring transactions (the “Restructuring Transactions”)
+Added: in the following order and issued an aggregate of 3,860,898 shares of common stock (excluding shares reserved for issuance and unissued
+Added: subject to certain beneficial ownership limitations) and 4,423 shares of Series D Preferred Stock (as defined herein):
+Added: the Company’s Series A preferred stock, Series B preferred stock and Series C preferred stock, plus accrued dividends, were converted
+Added: into shares of common stock;
+Added: the Company’s 12% senior secured convertible debentures (the “Original Debentures”), plus accrued but unpaid interest
+Added: and a 30% premium, were exchanged, in the aggregate, for (a) 12% amended and restated senior secured convertible debentures (collectively,
+Added: the “AR Debentures”), each in the principal amount of $1,000,000, in substantially the same form as their respective Original
+Added: Debentures, (b) shares of common stock and (c) shares of Series D preferred stock;
+Added: accrued fees payable to our board of directors (the “Board”) in the amount of $110,250 were converted into shares of common
+Added: accrued consulting fees of the Company in the amount of $318,750 payable to Bristol Capital, LLC (“Bristol Capital”) were
+Added: converted into shares of common stock;
+Added: all amounts payable pursuant to certain convertible promissory notes were converted into shares of common stock.
+Added: to the closing of the Merger (the “Closing”), the Company’s then-existing warrants to purchase shares of common stock,
+Added: warrants to purchase shares of Series B preferred stock and options to purchase shares of common stock were cancelled and retired and
+Added: ceased to exist without the payment of any consideration to the holders thereof.
+Added: the effective time of the Merger (the “Effective Time”), all membership interests in Prairie LLC were converted into the
+Added: right to receive each member’s pro rata share of 2,297,668 shares of common stock.
+Added: the Effective Time, the Company assumed and converted options to purchase membership interests of Prairie LLC outstanding and unexercised
+Added: as of immediately prior to the Effective Time into non-compensatory options to acquire an aggregate of 8,000,000 shares of common stock
+Added: (the “Non-Compensatory Options”) for $7.14 per share, which are only exercisable if specific production hurdles are achieved,
+Added: and the Company entered into amended and restated non-compensatory option agreements (collectively, the “Option Agreements”)
+Added: with each of Gary C.
+Added: Hanna, Edward Kovalik, Paul Kessler and a third-party investor.
+Added: An aggregate of 2,000,000 Non-Compensatory Options
+Added: are subject to be transferred to the Series D PIPE Investors (as defined herein), based on their then percentage ownership of Series
+Added: D Preferred Stock to the aggregate Series D Preferred Stock outstanding and held by all Series D PIPE Investors as of the closing date
+Added: of the Merger, if the Company does not meet certain performance metrics by May 3, 2026.
+Added: addition, in connection with the Closing, the Company consummated the purchase of oil and gas leases from Exok, Inc.
+Added: including all of Exok’s right, title and interest in, to and under certain undeveloped oil and gas leases located in Weld County,
+Added: Colorado, together with certain other associated assets, data and records, consisting of approximately 3,157 net mineral acres in, on
+Added: and under approximately 4,494 gross acres from Exok for $3.0 million pursuant to the Amended and Restated
+Added: Purchase and Sale Agreement, dated as of May 3, 2023 (the “Exok Agreement”), by and among the Company, Prairie LLC and Exok
+Added: (the “Exok Transaction”).
+Added: fund the Exok Transaction, the Company sold an aggregate of approximately $17.4 million of Series D Preferred Stock with a stated value
+Added: of $1,000 per share and convertible into shares of common stock at a price of $5.00 per share, Series A warrants to purchase 3,475,250
+Added: shares of common stock at an exercise price of $6.00 per share (“Series D A Warrants”) and Series B warrants to purchase
+Added: 3,475,250 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $6.00 per share (“Series D B Warrants” and, collectively with the
+Added: Series D A Warrants, the “Series D PIPE Warrants”) in a private placement (the “Series D PIPE”) pursuant to securities
+Added: purchase agreements, dated May 3, 2023, by and between the Company and each of the investors thereto (the “Series D PIPE Investors”).
+Added: August 14, 2023, Prairie LLC exercised its option under the Exok Agreement to purchase additional oil and gas leases, including all of
+Added: Exok’s right, title and interest in, to and under certain undeveloped oil and gas leases located in Weld County, Colorado, together
+Added: with certain other associated assets, data and records, consisting of approximately 20,328 net mineral acres in, on and under approximately
+Added: 32,695 gross acres from Exok.
+Added: We refer to the assets acquired in these transactions in 2023 as the “Initial
+Added: Genesis Assets.” The Company paid $18.0 million in cash to Exok and issued equity consideration to certain affiliates of
+Added: Exok, consisting of (i) 670,499 shares of common stock and (ii) Exok Warrants providing the right to purchase 670,499 shares of common
+Added: stock at $7.43 per share.
+Added: fund the Exok Option Purchase, the Company entered into a securities purchase agreement with Narrogal Nominees Pty Ltd ATF Gregory K
+Added: O’Neill Family Trust (the “Series E PIPE Investor”) on August 15, 2023, pursuant to which the Series E PIPE Investor
+Added: agreed to purchase, and the Company agreed to sell to the Series E PIPE Investor, for an aggregate of $20.0 million, securities consisting
+Added: of (i) 39,614 shares of common stock, (ii) 20,000 shares of Series E preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share, with a stated value
+Added: of $1,000 per share, convertible into shares of common stock at a price of $5.00 per share (“Series E Preferred Stock”),
+Added: and (iii) Series E A Warrants to purchase 4,000,000 shares of common stock and Series E B Warrants to purchase 4,000,000 shares of common
+Added: stock, each at a price of $6.00 per share (collectively, the “Series E PIPE Warrants”), in a private placement (the “Series
+Added: Exok Option Purchase and the Series E PIPE closed on August 15, 2023.
+Added: September 18, 2023, the Company submitted its initial permit application with the Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission for
+Added: the Genesis Oil & Gas Development Plan (“OGDP”) in Weld County, Colorado.
+Added: The Genesis OGDP encompasses seventy-two (72)
+Added: wells on two (2) pads, developing 9-square miles of subsurface minerals in rural Weld County, Colorado.
+Added: The two (2) pads, the Burnett
+Added: and Oasis, will develop eighteen (18) three-mile lateral wells and fifty-four (54) two-mile lateral wells, respectively.
+Added: October 13, 2023, the holders of the AR Debentures elected to convert their AR Debentures into an aggregate of 400,666 shares of common
+Added: October 16, 2023, the Company effected a reverse stock split of outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock at an exchange
+Added: ratio of 1:28.5714286 (the “Reverse Stock Split”).
+Added: The share counts listed above have been retroactively adjusted to reflect
+Added: the Reverse Stock Split.
+Added: November 13, 2023, Narrogal Nominees Pty Ltd ATF Gregory K O’Neill Family Trust (“O’Neill Trust”) delivered notice
+Added: to the Company of the exercise of Series D B Warrants to purchase 2,000,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $6.00 per
+Added: share for total proceeds to the Company of $12 million (the “Warrant Exercise”).
+Added: The Company intends to use the proceeds
+Added: from the Warrant Exercise for general working capital purposes, which may include drilling activity or opportunistic acquisitions.
+Added: of the warrants held by the O’Neill Trust, as well as the Series D Preferred Stock and Series E Preferred Stock was subject to
+Added: a limitation on exercise or conversion, as applicable, if as a result of such exercise or conversion, the holder would own more than
+Added: 4.99% of the outstanding shares of common stock (the “Beneficial Ownership Limitation”), which may be increased by the holder
+Added: upon written notice to the Company, to any specified percentage not in excess of 9.99% (the “Beneficial Ownership Limitation Ceiling”).
+Added: In connection with the Warrant Exercise, the O’Neill Trust entered into an agreement with the Company pursuant to which it amended
+Added: the terms of each of its Series D PIPE Warrants and Series E PIPE Warrants to increase the Beneficial Ownership Limitation Ceiling from
+Added: 9.99% to 25% and gave notice to the Company that it was increasing its Beneficial Ownership Limitation to 25% with respect to each of
+Added: its remaining warrants.
+Added: The Beneficial Ownership Limitation Ceiling on the Series D Preferred Stock and Series E Preferred Stock remains
+Added: December 2023, 1,172 shares of Series D Preferred Stock were converted by the holders into 234,424 shares of common stock.
+Added: Additionally,
+Added: 41,980 shares of common stock were issued in December in connection with a cashless exercise of Series D A Warrants.
+Added: January 11, 2024, the Company entered into an asset purchase agreement (the “NRO Agreement”), by and among the Company, Prairie
+Added: LLC, Nickel Road Development LLC and Nickel Road Operating LLC (“NRO”), to acquire the assets of NRO (the “Central
+Added: Weld Assets”) for total consideration of $94.5 million (the “Purchase Price”), subject to certain closing price adjustments
+Added: and other customary closing conditions (the “NRO Acquisition”).
+Added: The Purchase Price consists of $83.0 million in cash and
+Added: $11.5 million in deferred cash payments.
+Added: The Company deposited $9 million of the Purchase Price into an escrow account on January 11,
+Added: 2024 (the “Deposit”), which will be released to Seller upon the earlier of the closing date and August 15, 2024 (the “Outside
+Added: Portions of the Deposit are subject to earlier release under certain circumstances if the closing has not occurred on or
+Added: prior to June 17, 2024.
+Added: NRO Agreement provides that the closing of the NRO Acquisition is subject to customary conditions precedent, including (i) the accuracy
+Added: of the representations and warranties of each party (subject to specified materiality standards), (ii) compliance by each party in all
+Added: material respects with their respective covenants, (iii) that no event of Force Majeure or Material Adverse Effect (in each case as defined
+Added: in the NRO Agreement) shall have occurred, in each case the result of which is that the Company is unable to secure satisfactory financing
+Added: with respect to the Transaction (as defined in the NRO Agreement), and (iv) the Registration Statement (as defined in the NRO Agreement)
+Added: has been declared effective with the SEC on or before the Outside Date.
+Added: The NRO Agreement contains customary title and environmental
+Added: defect mechanisms with respect to the Central Weld Assets, including purchase price adjustments and termination rights.
+Added: The NRO Agreement
+Added: may be terminated under circumstances as described in the NRO Agreement, including (i) with the mutual written consent of the Company
+Added: and NRO, (ii) by the Company, upon the occurrence of an event of Force Majeure or Material Adverse Effect, in each case the result of
+Added: which is that the Company determines, in its reasonable discretion, that it is, or will be, unable to secure satisfactory financing with
+Added: respect to the Transaction, or (iii) in the event that the NRO Acquisition has not been consummated on or before the Outside Date.
+Added: parties have made customary representations and warranties in the NRO Agreement.
+Added: The NRO Agreement also contains customary covenants
+Added: and agreements, including covenants and agreements relating to (a) the conduct of NRO’s business during the period between the
+Added: execution of the NRO Agreement and closing of the NRO Acquisition and (b) the efforts of the parties to cause the NRO Acquisition to
+Added: be completed, including actions which may be necessary to facilitate a satisfactory financing transaction by the Company.
+Added: have agreed to indemnify each other for certain liabilities following the closing on the NRO Acquisition (as further set forth in the
+Added: NRO Agreement), subject to the limitations set forth in the NRO Agreement.
+Added: assets and the operations of NRO include Oil and Gas Leases, Mineral Fee Interests, producing and disposal Wells, and Units, in each
+Added: case as defined in the NRO Agreement and located in the DJ Basin in Weld County, Colorado, as well as appurtenant records and equipment
+Added: and other properties.
+Added: Company expects the NRO Acquisition to close on or before the Outside Date, subject to customary closing conditions, with an economic
+Added: effective date of February 1, 2024.
+Added: The Company expects to fund the transaction through a combination of public and/or private issuance
+Added: of common stock, cash on hand, and proceeds from existing warrant exercises.
+Added: we expect to close the NRO Acquisition in the first half of 2024, such acquisition is subject to a number of closing conditions.
+Added: of some of these conditions is beyond our control.
+Added: If these conditions are not satisfied or waived, the NRO Acquisition will not be completed.
+Added: See “ Risk Factors—Risks Related to the NRO Acquisition ” and the full text of the NRO Agreement, which is attached
+Added: as Exhibit 2.2 to this Annual Report.
+Added: The reserve information included in this Annual Report does not reflect the acquisition of the
+Added: Central Weld Assets, since the NRO Acquisition has not yet been consummated.
+Added: of Crypto Assets
+Added: January 23, 2024, pursuant to an asset purchase agreement (the “the Crypto Divestiture Agreement”) between the Company and
+Added: a private purchaser (the “Crypto Purchaser”), the Company sold all of its cryptocurrency miners (the “Mining Equipment”)
+Added: for consideration consisting of (i) $1.0 million in cash and (ii) $1.0 million in deferred cash payments (the “Deferred Purchase
+Added: Price”), to be paid out of (A) 20% of the monthly net revenues received by the Crypto Purchaser associated with or otherwise attributable
+Added: to the Mining Equipment until the aggregate amount of such payments equals $250,000 and (B) thereafter, 50% of the monthly net revenues
+Added: received by the Crypto Purchaser associated with or otherwise attributable to the Mining Equipment until the aggregate amount of such
+Added: payments equals the Deferred Purchase Price, plus accrued interest (the “Crypto Sale”).
+Added: The Crypto Sale closed on January
+Added: 23, 2024, simultaneously with the execution of the Crypto Divestiture Agreement.
+Added: The full text of the Crypto Divestiture Agreement is
+Added: attached as Exhibit 2.3 to this Annual Report.
+Added: addition to the sale of the Mining Equipment, the Company assigned, and the Crypto Purchaser assumed, all of the Company’s rights
+Added: and obligations under the Master Services Agreement, dated February 16, 2023, by and between Atlas Power Hosting, LLC (“Atlas”)
+Added: and the Company (the “Atlas MSA”), pursuant to which Atlas hosts, operates, and manages the Mining Equipment.
+Added: the Atlas MSA, the Crypto Purchaser will receive payment in U.S.
+Added: dollars for the daily net mining revenue representing the dollar value
+Added: of the cryptocurrency award generated less power and other costs.
+Added: collateral security for the prompt and complete payment and performance in full of the Crypto Purchaser’s obligations under the
+Added: Crypto Divestiture Agreement, including payment of the Deferred Purchase Price, the Company obtained a security interest in, among other
+Added: things, the Mining Equipment and the Atlas MSA.
+Added: In addition, the Crypto Divestiture Agreement requires the Crypto Purchaser to operate
+Added: the Mining Equipment in the ordinary course of business and maintain in effect the Atlas MSA until the Deferred Purchase Price is paid
+Added: Since payment of the Deferred Purchase Price is dependent on the revenue generated by the Mining Equipment, we cannot predict
+Added: the timing of when we will receive the Deferred Purchase Price, if at all.
+Added: See “ Risk Factors—We may not realize the full
+Added: benefit of the Crypto Sale for a variety of reasons, including the inability of the Crypto Purchaser to pay the Deferred Purchase Price
+Added: due to a decrease in the price of Bitcoin or the actions of third parties.
+Added: Bolt-on Acquisition
+Added: February 5, 2024, the Company acquired a 1,280-acre drillable spacing unit (“DSU”) and eight proved undeveloped (“PUD”)
+Added: drilling locations in the DJ Basin (the “Genesis Bolt-on Assets”) from a private seller for $900,000.
+Added: We refer to the Initial Genesis Assets and the Genesis Bolt-on Assets,
+Added: collectively, as the “Genesis Assets.” The Genesis Bolt-on
+Added: Assets offset the Initial Genesis Assets held by the Company in northern Weld County, Colorado.
+Added: The reserve information included in this
+Added: Annual Report does not reflect the acquisition of the Genesis Bolt-on Assets as they were acquired subsequent to December 31, 2023.
+Added: are an independent oil and gas company focused on the acquisition and development of crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids.
+Added: We currently hold attractive acreage in the DJ Basin of Colorado that our experienced management team intends to develop, deploying next-generation
+Added: technology and techniques in an environmentally efficient manner.
+Added: In addition to growing production through our drilling operations,
+Added: we also seek to grow our business through accretive acquisitions, focusing on assets with the following criteria:
+Added: (i) producing reserves,
+Added: with associated undeveloped bolt-on acreage;
+Added: (ii) ample, high rate-of-return inventory of drilling locations that can be developed with
+Added: cash flow reinvestment;
+Added: (iii) strong well-level economics;
+Added: (iv) liquids-rich assets;
+Added: and (v) accretive valuation.
+Added: Initial Genesis Assets
+Added: acquired the Initial Genesis Assets in the Exok Transaction and the Exok Option Purchase, which includes the following assets:
+Added: of Exok’s right, title and interest in, to and under the fee oil and gas leases described more particularly in the Exok Agreement,
+Added: including all working interests, operating rights, record title interests and other interests of every kind and character (the “Fee
+Added: Leases”), that include and convey no less than a 75% net revenue interest (“NRI,” being the share of production
+Added: of all hydrocarbons produced, saved and sold, after all burdens, such as royalty and overriding royalty, have been deducted from
+Added: the working interest) in each Fee Lease;
+Added: of Exok’s right, title and interest in, to and under the State of Colorado Oil and Gas Lease described more particularly in
+Added: the Exok Agreement, including all working interests, operating rights, record title interests and other interests of every kind and
+Added: character (the “State Leases”), that include and convey no less than a 77.5% NRI in the State Leases;
+Added: of Exok’s leasehold interest (Fee Leases and State Leases collectively referred to as the “Leases”) in approximately
+Added: 23,485 net mineral acres in, on and under approximately 37,189 gross acres located in Weld County, Colorado, as described more particularly
+Added: in the Exok Agreement (the “Lands”);
+Added: the extent transferable, Exok’s interests in and under all contracts, agreements and instruments by which the other Initial
+Added: Genesis Assets are bound or that relate to or are used or useful in connection with the ownership, development or operation of the
+Added: Leases or the Lands, to the extent applicable to the Leases or Lands, including all surface use agreements, surface rights, surface
+Added: permits and other similar rights and instruments;
+Added: of Exok’s records, files and geological and geophysical data directly related to the Initial Genesis Assets, including without
+Added: limitation all logs, core analyses, formation tests, films, surveyors’ notes, plane table sheets, shot point data bases, land
+Added: files, contract files, lease files, title files (including title reports, title opinions, runsheets, abstracts, evidence of bonus
+Added: and rental payments), maps, surveys and data sheets.
+Added: assets are undeveloped oil and gas leasehold acreage located in northern Colorado, in Weld County covering approximately 37,030 gross
+Added: acres and 23,485 net acres.
+Added: The operating area is rural and free of development.
+Added: Access to the leases is by paved and dirt country roads
+Added: and private road access.
+Added: Approximately 70% of the net leasehold of our Initial Genesis Assets are
+Added: leased from private landowners, with the remaining 30% under State of Colorado leases.
+Added: None of the Initial Genesis Assets are subject
+Added: to federal leases.
+Added: All of the Initial Genesis acreage is held by crude oil and natural
+Added: gas leases with varying expiration dates, some with options to extend ranging from 1 to 4 years.
+Added: The fee leases are burdened with total
+Added: royalties of 25%.
+Added: The State of Colorado leases are burdened with total royalties of 22.5%.
+Added: The leases can be held indefinitely by production.
+Added: Unless production is established within the spacing units covering the undeveloped acreage, the leases for such acreage will eventually
+Added: Initial Genesis Assets are located in and around wells drilled in both the Niobrara Shale and the Codell Sandstone formations within
+Added: the DJ Basin.
+Added: While production activities in the DJ Basin date back to the 1970s, production within the DJ Basin has increased
+Added: rapidly since the horizontal drilling boom in 2009, with both the Niobrara and Codell formations contributing to this activity.
+Added: Within the Company’s DJ Basin operating area, there are over 1,300 legacy vertical wells, with Chevron Corporation, Civitas
+Added: Resources, Inc., Verdad Resources LLC, Bison Oil and Gas, EOG Resources, Inc.
+Added: and Samson Energy Company, LLC operating a substantial
+Added: number of such wells.
+Added: primary drilling objective in this area is crude oil production from the fractured Codell and Niobrara formations.
+Added: The area has seen
+Added: a renewed interest in drilling activity over the past decade in conjunction with drilling success in the Niobrara in the DJ Basin on
+Added: the front range of Colorado.
+Added: Active operators in the area have included Chevron Corporation, Civitas Resources, Inc., Verdad Resources,
+Added: Bison Oil and Gas, EOG Resources, Inc., Samson Energy Company, LLC and others.
+Added: There is ample takeaway infrastructure in place within
+Added: several miles of the Genesis Assets, including multiple midstream operators such as Summit Midstream Partners LP, Outrigger Energy II
+Added: LLC, Rimrock Energy Partners LLC and Roaring Fork Midstream LLC.
+Added: Plan and Permitting
+Added: We believe that
+Added: we are ideally positioned to execute on our development plan of our Genesis Assets and the Central Weld Assets after the closing of
+Added: the NRO Acquisition.
+Added: The Board has authorized and approved the Company to drill up to 30 wells in 2024 and 45 wells in 2025 with all
+Added: proved undeveloped reserves scheduled to be converted to developed status within five years.
+Added: Our drilling plan is based on current commodity prices, and an increase or decrease in commodity prices could impact
+Added: the number of wells we actually drill.
+Added: is no guarantee that our development plan will result in the successful production of economic quantities of oil and gas.
+Added: has no operating history related to the exploration and production of oil and gas assets or drilling producing oil and gas wells.
+Added: development plan is based on assumptions from management’s prior experience and such experience may not be indicative of the success
+Added: of the Company’s development plans.
+Added: We have historically incurred significant losses and experienced negative cash flow and have
+Added: not generated any revenue related to the exploration and production of oil and gas assets to date.
+Added: Further, we may be unable to consummate
+Added: the NRO Acquisition and therefore be unable to acquire the Central Weld Assets in connection therewith, for which we are dependent on
+Added: for generating initial revenue.
+Added: A failure to successfully develop and produce our assets or the failure to consummate the NRO Acquisition,
+Added: may result in the loss of our investment in the Genesis Assets and affect our ability to execute our development plan.
+Added: to our development plan is an effective approach to ensuring well permits are received in a timely manner.
+Added: With respect to our Initial Genesis Assets, on November 27, 2023 we announced
+Added: that we had submitted a Weld County Oil and Gas Location Assessment (“WOGLA”) application for sites within the Genesis OGDP
+Added: (“Genesis 1”) and had begun the application process for our second OGDP (“Genesis 2”).
+Added: On February 1, 2024, the
+Added: Burnett and Oasis locations within Genesis 1 were approved by the Weld County hearings officer for the Genesis 1 WOGLA permits.
+Added: 1 and Genesis 2 encompass up to 72 wells and 48 wells, respectively, from two pads each, with each pad developing nine-square miles of
+Added: subsurface minerals.
+Added: The two pads in Genesis 1 are expected to develop up to 18 three-mile lateral wells and 54 two-mile lateral wells.
+Added: In Genesis 2, the two pads are expected to develop up to 16 and 32 three-mile lateral wells, respectively.
+Added: Following the September 15,
+Added: 2023 submission of Genesis 1 with the Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission (“CECMC”) for the Burnett and Oasis
+Added: locations, a hearing before the CECMC was held on March 13, 2024, in which the Genesis 1 OGDP received unanimous approval of the commissioners.
+Added: following table summarizes the permitting status of our identified well locations with respect to our Genesis Assets as of March 15, 2024:
+Added: Three Mile Lateral Count
+Added: Two Mile Lateral Count
+Added: WOGLA Approved (1)
+Added: CECMC Approved (1)
+Added: CECMC Fully Permitted (2)
+Added: fully permitted wells.
+Added: Genesis Bolt-on Assets only, which were acquired in February 2024.
+Added: more information regarding regulations affecting our permitting, see “ Regulation of the Oil and Natural Gas Industry—Related
+Added: Permits and Authorizations.
+Added: of Our Reserve Estimates
+Added: Company’s estimated possible reserves as of December 31, 2023, as shown in the following table, have been prepared by Cawley, Gillespie
+Added: & Associates Inc.
+Added: (“CG&A”), an independent Petroleum Reserve Evaluation Firm, in accordance with the rules and regulations
+Added: of the SEC utilizing SEC prices.
+Added: The Company had no proved reserves as of December 31, 2023 and had no reserves as of December 31, 2022.
+Added: The reserves information set forth below does not include the Genesis Bolt-On Assets, which were acquired in February 2024.
+Added: reserve report as of December 31, 2023, which should be read in its entirety, is attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this Annual Report.
+Added: Reserve Data (1)
+Added: Estimated possible reserves
+Added: Natural gas (MMcf)
+Added: Natural gas liquids (MBbl)
+Added: Total estimated possible
+Added: reserves ( M Boe) (2)
+Added: Percent oil and liquids
+Added: reserves were calculated using SEC prices, which were $78.22 per Bbl for oil and $2.637 per Mcf for natural gas for the year ended
+Added: December 31, 2023.
+Added: Adjustments were made for location and grade.
+Added: Assumes a ratio of 6 MMcf of natural gas per MBoe.
+Added: of reserves estimates.
+Added: is an independent oil and natural gas consulting firm.
+Added: No director, officer, or key employee of CG&A has any financial ownership
+Added: in us or any of our affiliates.
+Added: CG&A’s compensation for the preparation of its report is not contingent upon the results obtained
+Added: and reported.
+Added: CG&A has not performed other work for us or any of our affiliates that would affect its objectivity.
+Added: The estimates
+Added: of our reserves presented in the CG&A reserve report were overseen by W.
+Added: Todd Brooker.
+Added: Brooker is the President of CG&A and has been an employee of CG&A since 1992.
+Added: His responsibilities include reserve and economic
+Added: evaluations, fair market valuations, expert reporting and testimony, field/reservoir studies, pipeline resource assessments, field development
+Added: planning and acquisition/divestiture analysis.
+Added: His reserve reports are routinely used for public company SEC disclosures.
+Added: Prior to joining
+Added: Brooker worked in Gulf of Mexico drilling and production engineering at Chevron USA.
+Added: Brooker graduated with honors from the University of Texas at Austin in 1989 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Petroleum Engineering.
+Added: He is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Texas (License #83462), and a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE)
+Added: and the Society of Petroleum Evaluation Engineers (SPEE).
+Added: was selected for their historical experience and geographic expertise in engineering similar resources.
+Added: Under SEC rules, possible reserves
+Added: are reserves which, by analysis of geoscience and engineering data, are those additional reserves that are less certain to be recovered
+Added: than probable reserves.
+Added: When deterministic methods are used, the total quantities ultimately recovered from a project have a low probability
+Added: of exceeding proved plus probable plus possible reserves.
+Added: When probabilistic methods are used, there should be at least a 10% probability
+Added: that the total quantities ultimately recovered will equal or exceed the proved plus probable plus possible reserves estimates.
+Added: reserves may be assigned to areas of a reservoir adjacent to probable reserves where data control and interpretations of available data
+Added: are progressively less certain.
+Added: Frequently, this will be in areas where geoscience and engineering data are unable to define clearly
+Added: the area and vertical limits of commercial production from the reservoir by a defined project.
+Added: Possible reserves also include incremental
+Added: quantities associated with a greater percentage recovery of the hydrocarbons in place than the recovery quantities assumed for probable
+Added: The technical and economic data used in the estimation of our possible reserves include, but are not limited to, lease positions,
+Added: estimated working and net revenue interests, indicative drilling and completion costs, facility and pipeline costs, expected operating
+Added: expenses and schedules for proposed drilling and permitting, as well as regional production, well information and directional surveys.
+Added: Our independent reserve engineers use this technical data, together with standard engineering and geoscience methods, or a combination
+Added: of methods, including performance analysis, volumetric analysis and analogy.
+Added: The reserve volumes and their respective classifications
+Added: and categorizations were estimated by performance methods, volumetric methods, analogy, or combination of methods.
+Added: Performance methods
+Added: generally included decline-curve analysis and material balance analysis where representative data was available.
+Added: Volumetric estimates
+Added: generally included a combination of geological and engineering interpretations, while analogy methods included reserve estimates from
+Added: historical performance of similar wells and reservoirs in the field or nearby fields.
+Added: accuracy of any reserve estimate is a function of the quality of available data and of engineering and geological interpretation.
+Added: a result, the estimates of different engineers often vary.
+Added: In addition, the results of drilling, testing and production may justify revisions
+Added: of such estimates.
+Added: Accordingly, reserve estimates often differ from the quantities of oil, natural gas and NGLs that are ultimately recovered.
+Added: See “ Risk Factors— Our estimated oil, natural gas and NGLs reserves are based on many assumptions that may prove to be
+Added: Any material inaccuracies in the reserve estimates or the underlying assumptions will materially affect the quantities and
+Added: present value of our reserves .”
+Added: Controls and Qualifications of Technical Persons
+Added: accordance with the Standards Pertaining to the Estimating and Auditing of Oil and Gas Reserves Information promulgated by the Society
+Added: of Petroleum Engineers (the “Reserve Standards”) and guidelines established by the SEC, CG&A estimated the Company’s
+Added: possible undeveloped reserves as of December 31, 2023.
+Added: The technical persons responsible for preparing the reserves estimates presented
+Added: herein meet the requirements regarding qualifications, independence, objectivity and confidentiality set forth in the Reserve Standards.
+Added: See “ —Preparation of Reserve Estimates .”
+Added: Company maintains an internal staff of a petroleum engineer and consulting engineer and geoscience professionals who work closely with
+Added: its independent reserve engineers to ensure the integrity, accuracy and timeliness of the data used to calculate its proved and possible
+Added: reserves relating to its assets.
+Added: The Company’s internal technical team members met with independent reserve engineers periodically
+Added: during the period covered by the reserve reports to discuss the assumptions and methods used in the proved and possible reserve estimation
+Added: The Company provides historical information to the independent reserve engineers for its properties such as ownership interest,
+Added: oil and natural gas production, well data, commodity prices and operating and development costs.
+Added: preparation of the Company’s proved and possible reserve estimates is completed in accordance with the Company’s internal
+Added: control procedures.
+Added: These procedures, which are intended to ensure reliability of reserve estimations, include the following:
+Added: and verification of historical production data of offset operators, working interests, net revenue interest, lease operating statements,
+Added: capital costs, severance and ad valorem taxes, which as of this filing, has been derived from data from offset third-party operators;
+Added: of property ownership by the Company’s land department;
+Added: the preparation of reserve estimates by the Company’s Executive Vice President of Operations;
+Added: by the Company’s President of all of the Company’s reserves, including the review of all significant reserve changes
+Added: and all new proved and possible undeveloped reserves additions;
+Added: reporting responsibilities and final approval by the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and the Company’s President.
+Added: Freeman, our Executive Vice President of Operations, works closely with CG&A to ensure the integrity, accuracy and timeliness of
+Added: data furnished to our independent reserve engineers in their preparation of reserve estimates.
+Added: Freeman is primarily responsible for
+Added: overseeing the preparation of both our internal and external reserve estimates.
+Added: Freeman is responsible for reservoir engineering,
+Added: is a qualified reserve estimator and auditor and is primarily responsible for overseeing our independent reserve engineers during the
+Added: preparation of our external reserve estimates.
+Added: His professional qualifications meet or exceed the qualifications of reserve estimators
+Added: and auditors set forth in the “Standards Pertaining to Estimation and Auditing of Oil and Natural Gas Reserves Information”
+Added: promulgated by the Society of Petroleum Engineers.
+Added: His qualifications include a Masters and Bachelor of Science degrees in Engineering
+Added: from University of Texas;
+Added: a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers;
+Added: and more than 19 years of practical experience in estimating
+Added: and evaluating reserve information with more than 10 of those years overseeing, estimating and evaluating reserves.
+Added: the Company has no producing wells, it does not have any customers for its E&P business as of and for the year ended December 31,
+Added: 2023 or as of December 31, 2022 and for the period from June 7, 2022 (date of inception) through December 31, 2022.
+Added: Company does not have any delivery commitments as of December 31, 2023 or 2022.
+Added: Company does not have any productive wells as of December 31, 2023 or 2022.
+Added: following table sets forth certain information regarding the developed and undeveloped acreage in which we own a working interest as
+Added: of December 31, 2023.
+Added: The Company did not have any developed or undeveloped acreage for which it owned a working interest as of December
+Added: Acreage related to royalty, overriding royalty, and other similar interests is excluded from this summary.
+Added: This summary does
+Added: not reflect the Genesis Bolt-On Assets that were acquired in February 2024.
+Added: leases comprising the undeveloped acreage set forth in the table above will expire at the end of their respective primary terms
+Added: unless production from the leasehold acreage has been established prior to such date, in which event the lease will remain in effect
+Added: until the cessation of production.
+Added: Approximately 17,419 net acres, or 74%, of the Company’s total net acres may expire in the
+Added: next three years if production is not established or if we do not extend lease terms.
+Added: We intend to extend our strategic leases to
+Added: the extent possible.
+Added: Decisions to let certain leaseholds expire generally relate to areas outside of our core area of development or
+Added: when the expirations do not pose material impacts to development plans or reserves.
+Added: The following table sets forth the undeveloped
+Added: acreage, as of December 31, 2023, that will expire in the years indicated unless production is established within the spacing units
+Added: covering the acreage or the lease is renewed or extended under continuous drilling provisions prior to the primary term expiration
+Added: Company has not had any development or exploratory drilling activities as of December 31, 2023 or 2022.
+Added: to Properties
+Added: properties are subject to customary royalty interests, overriding royalty interests, obligations incident to operating and joint venture
+Added: agreements, liens for current taxes, other industry-related constraints, and certain other leasehold restrictions.
+Added: We do not believe
+Added: that any of these burdens materially interfere with our use of the properties in the operation of our business.
+Added: We believe that we have
+Added: satisfactory title to all of our producing properties.
+Added: Although title to our properties is subject to complex interpretation of multiple
+Added: conveyances, deeds, reservations, and other instruments that serve to affect mineral title, we believe that none of these risks will
+Added: materially detract from the value of our properties or from our interest therein or otherwise materially interfere with the operation
+Added: of our business.
+Added: oil and natural gas industry is highly competitive, and we compete with a substantial number of other companies that often have greater
+Added: Many of these companies explore for, produce, and market oil and natural gas, carry on refining operations, and market the
+Added: resultant products on a worldwide basis.
+Added: The primary areas in which we encounter substantial competition are in locating and acquiring
+Added: desirable leasehold acreage for our drilling and development operations, locating and acquiring attractive producing oil and natural
+Added: gas properties, attracting and retaining qualified personnel, and obtaining transportation for the oil and natural gas we produce.
+Added: is also competition between producers of oil and natural gas and other industries producing alternative energy and fuel.
+Added: competitive conditions may be substantially affected by various forms of energy legislation and/or regulation considered from time to
+Added: time by federal, state, and local governments;
+Added: however, it is not possible to predict the nature of any such legislation or regulation
+Added: that may ultimately be adopted or its effects upon our future operations.
+Added: Such laws and regulations may, however, substantially increase
+Added: the costs of exploring for, developing, or producing oil and natural gas and may prevent or delay the commencement or continuation of
+Added: certain operations.
+Added: The effect and potential impacts of these risks are difficult to accurately predict.
+Added: oil and natural gas prices do not necessarily fluctuate in direct relationship to each other.
+Added: Because approximately 80% of our estimated
+Added: possible reserves as of December 31, 2023 were oil and natural gas liquids reserves, our financial results are more sensitive to movements
+Added: in oil prices.
+Added: During the year ended December 31, 2023, the daily NYMEX WTI oil spot price ranged from a high of $93.67 per Bbl to a
+Added: low of $66.61 per Bbl, and the NYMEX natural gas HH spot price ranged from a high of $3.78 per MMBtu to a low of $1.74 per MMBtu.
+Added: “ Risk Factors— We will face strong competition from other oil and gas companies.
+Added: International
+Added: International
+Added: events, such as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the announcement of production curtailment by the Organization of the Petroleum
+Added: Exporting Countries (“OPEC”) and the recent conflict in the Middle East, have contributed to increases and volatility in
+Added: the prices for oil and natural gas.
+Added: Such volatility, coupled with an increased cost of capital, due in part to rates of inflation and
+Added: high interest rates, may lead to a more difficult investing and planning environment for us.
+Added: These and other factors beyond our control
+Added: could adversely affect the Company’s operations, earnings and cash flows for any period.
+Added: See “ Risk Factors— Oil,
+Added: natural gas and NGLs prices are highly volatile.
+Added: An extended decline in commodity prices may adversely affect our business, financial
+Added: condition or results of operations and our ability to meet our capital expenditure obligations and financial commitments.
+Added: of the Oil and Natural Gas Industry
+Added: operations are affected by extensive federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
+Added: In particular, oil and natural gas production and
+Added: related operations are, or have been, subject to price controls, taxes, and numerous other laws and regulations, including laws and regulations
+Added: relating to environmental, health and safety matters.
+Added: The jurisdictions in which we own and operate properties or assets for oil and
+Added: natural gas production have statutory provisions regulating the exploration for and development and production of oil and natural gas,
+Added: including, among other things, provisions related to permits for the drilling of wells, bonding requirements to drill or operate wells,
+Added: the location of wells, the method of drilling and casing wells, the production and operation of wells and other facilities, the surface
+Added: use and restoration of properties upon which wells are drilled, sourcing and disposal of water used in the drilling and completion process,
+Added: and the proper abandonment of wells and pipelines.
+Added: Our operations are also subject to various conservation laws and regulations.
+Added: include regulation of the size of drilling and spacing units or proration units, the number of wells which may be drilled in an area
+Added: and size of associated facilities, and the unitization or pooling of oil and natural gas wells, and regulations that generally prohibit
+Added: the venting or flaring of natural gas and that impose certain requirements regarding the ratability or fair apportionment of production
+Added: from fields and individual wells.
+Added: to comply with applicable laws and regulations can result in substantial penalties and the suspension or cessation of operations.
+Added: competitors in the oil and natural gas industry are generally subject to the same regulatory requirements and restrictions that affect
+Added: our operations.
+Added: The regulatory burden on the industry increases the cost of doing business and affects profitability.
+Added: Although we believe
+Added: we are in substantial compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, such laws and regulations are frequently revised and amended
+Added: through various legislative actions and rulemakings.
+Added: Therefore, we are unable to predict the future costs or impact of compliance.
+Added: rulemakings, proposals and proceedings that affect the oil and natural gas industry are regularly considered at the federal, state, and
+Added: various local government levels, including statutorily and through powers granted to various agencies that regulate our industry, and
+Added: various court actions.
+Added: We cannot predict when or whether any such future rulemakings, proposals or proceedings may become effective or
+Added: if the outcomes will negatively affect our operations.
+Added: believe that continued substantial compliance with existing requirements will not have a material adverse effect on our financial position,
+Added: cash flows, or results of operations.
+Added: However, current regulatory requirements may change, currently unforeseen environmental, health,
+Added: or safety incidents may occur, or past noncompliance with environmental, health and safety laws or regulations may be discovered, any
+Added: of which could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, cash flows, or results of operations.
+Added: For example, in November
+Added: 2020, pursuant to Colorado Senate Bill 19-181, the CECMC imposed a number of new and amended requirements on our operations.
+Added: These requirements,
+Added: and any other new requirements of the CECMC or other federal, state and local governmental bodies, could make it more difficult and costly
+Added: to develop new oil and natural gas wells and to continue to produce existing wells, increase our costs of compliance and doing business,
+Added: and delay or prevent development in certain areas or under certain conditions.
+Added: We cannot assure that the existing rules, as implemented,
+Added: or any future rulemaking, will not have a material and adverse impact on our financial position, cash flows, or results of operations.
+Added: addition, governmental, scientific, and public concern over the threat of climate change arising from increasing global emissions of
+Added: greenhouse gases (“GHGs”) has resulted in higher political and regulatory risks in the United States, including climate change-related
+Added: pledges made by certain administrations.
+Added: President Biden has issued several executive orders focused on addressing climate change since
+Added: taking office, which may impact the costs to produce, or demand for, oil and natural gas.
+Added: Additionally, in November 2021, the Biden Administration
+Added: released “The Long-Term Strategy of the United States:
+Added: Pathways to Net-Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 2050,” which establishes
+Added: a roadmap to net zero emissions in the United States by 2050 through, among other things, improving energy efficiency;
+Added: decarbonizing
+Added: energy sources via electricity, hydrogen, and sustainable biofuels;
+Added: and reducing non-carbon dioxide GHG emissions, such as methane and
+Added: nitrous oxide.
+Added: of Production of Oil, Natural Gas, and NGLs
+Added: production of oil, natural gas, and NGLs is subject to regulation under a wide range of local, state, and federal statutes, rules, orders,
+Added: and regulations.
+Added: Federal, state, and local statutes and regulations require, among other things, permits for drilling operations, drilling
+Added: bonds, and reports concerning operations.
+Added: Colorado, the state in which we own all of our properties, regulates drilling and operating
+Added: activities by, among other things, requiring permits for the drilling of wells, maintaining bonding requirements in order to drill or
+Added: operate wells, and regulating the location of wells, the method of drilling and casing wells, the surface use and restoration of properties
+Added: upon which wells are drilled and the plugging and abandonment of wells.
+Added: The laws of Colorado also govern a number of conservation matters,
+Added: including provisions for the spacing and unitization or pooling of oil and natural gas properties, the establishment of maximum allowable
+Added: rates of production from oil and natural gas wells, the regulation of well spacing and well density, and procedures for proper plugging
+Added: and abandonment of wells and associated facilities.
+Added: These regulations effectively identify well densities by geologic formation and the
+Added: appropriate spacing and pooling unit size to effectively drain the resources.
+Added: These regulations can have the effect of limiting the amount
+Added: of oil, natural gas and NGLs that we can produce from our wells and to limit the number of wells or the locations where we can drill,
+Added: although we can apply for exceptions to such regulations, including applications to increase well densities and reduce lease boundary
+Added: setbacks to more effectively recover oil and gas resources.
+Added: Moreover, Colorado imposes a production or severance tax with respect to
+Added: the production and sale of oil, natural gas, and NGLs within its jurisdiction.
+Added: also regulates drilling and operating activities by requiring, among other things, permits for new pad locations, the drilling of wells,
+Added: best management practices and/or conditions of approval for operating wells, maintaining bonding requirements in order to drill or operate
+Added: wells, regulating the location of wells, the method of drilling and casing wells, the surface use and restoration of properties upon
+Added: which wells are drilled, and the plugging and abandonment of wells.
+Added: Colorado laws also govern a number of environmental, health and safety
+Added: matters that may impact our drilling and operating activities, including setbacks from buildings, schools, and other occupied areas,
+Added: sensitive habitats and/or disproportionately impacted (“DI”) communities, consideration of alternative locations for new
+Added: wells, the handling and disposal of waste materials, haul routes, prevention of venting and flaring, mitigation of noise, lighting, visual,
+Added: odor, and dust impacts, air pollutant emissions permitting, protection of certain wildlife habitat, protection of public health, safety,
+Added: welfare, and environment, and evaluation of cumulative impacts.
+Added: of Transportation and Sales of Oil
+Added: of oil, condensate and NGLs from producing wells are not currently regulated and are made at negotiated prices.
+Added: Nevertheless, Congress
+Added: could enact price controls in the future.
+Added: sales of crude oil are affected by the availability, terms, conditions and cost of transportation services.
+Added: Transportation of oil in
+Added: interstate commerce by common carrier pipelines is also subject to rate and access regulation.
+Added: The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
+Added: (“FERC”) regulates the transportation in interstate commerce of crude oil, petroleum products, NGLs and other forms of liquid
+Added: fuel under the Interstate Commerce Act (“ICA”), the Energy Policy Act of 1992, and the rules and regulations promulgated
+Added: under those laws.
+Added: The ICA and its implementing regulations require that tariff rates for interstate service on oil pipelines, including
+Added: interstate pipelines that transport crude oil and refined products, be just and reasonable and non-discriminatory and that such rates
+Added: and terms and conditions of service be filed with FERC.
+Added: oil pipeline transportation rates are subject to regulation by state regulatory commissions.
+Added: The basis for intrastate oil pipeline regulation,
+Added: and the degree of regulatory oversight and scrutiny given to intrastate oil pipeline rates, varies from state to state.
+Added: Insofar as effective
+Added: interstate and intrastate rates and regulations regarding access are equally applicable to all comparable shippers, we believe that the
+Added: regulation of oil transportation rates will not affect our operations in any way that is materially different from how it affects operations
+Added: of our competitors who are similarly situated.
+Added: Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) has the authority under the Federal Trade Commission Act (“FTCA”) and the Energy
+Added: Independence and Security Act of 2007 (“EISA”) to regulate wholesale petroleum markets.
+Added: The FTC has adopted anti-market manipulation
+Added: rules, including prohibiting fraud and deceit in connection with the purchase or sale of certain petroleum products, and prohibiting
+Added: omissions of material information which distort or are likely to distort market conditions for such products.
+Added: In addition to other enforcement
+Added: powers it has under the FTCA, the FTC can sue violators under EISA and request that a court impose fines of approximately $1,472,546
+Added: (adjusted annually for inflation) per violation per day.
+Added: in FERC or state policies and regulations or laws may adversely affect the availability and reliability of firm and/or interruptible
+Added: transportation service on interstate and intrastate pipelines, and we cannot predict what future action FERC or state regulatory bodies
+Added: of Transportation and Sales of Natural Gas
+Added: Historically,
+Added: the transportation and sale for resale of natural gas in interstate commerce have been regulated by agencies of the U.S.
+Added: federal government,
+Added: primarily FERC.
+Added: FERC regulates interstate natural gas transportation rates and service conditions, which affects the marketing of natural
+Added: gas that we produce, as well as the revenues we receive for sales of our natural gas.
+Added: the past, the federal government has regulated the prices at which natural gas could be sold.
+Added: While sales by producers of natural gas
+Added: can currently be made at uncontrolled market prices, Congress could reenact price controls in the future.
+Added: Deregulation of wellhead natural
+Added: gas sales began with the enactment of the Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978 (“NGPA”) and culminated in adoption of the Natural
+Added: Gas Wellhead Decontrol Act, which removed controls affecting wellhead sales of natural gas effective January 1, 1993.
+Added: The transportation
+Added: and sale for resale of natural gas in interstate commerce is regulated primarily under the Natural Gas Act of 1938 (“NGA”),
+Added: and by regulations and orders promulgated by FERC under the NGA.
+Added: In certain limited circumstances, intrastate transportation and wholesale
+Added: sales of natural gas may also be affected directly or indirectly by laws enacted by Congress and by FERC regulations.
+Added: issued a series of orders in 1996 and 1997 to implement its open access policies.
+Added: As a result, the interstate pipelines’ traditional
+Added: role as wholesalers of natural gas has been greatly reduced and replaced by a structure under which pipelines provide transportation
+Added: and storage service on an open access basis to others who buy and sell natural gas.
+Added: Although FERC’s orders do not directly regulate
+Added: natural gas producers, they are intended to foster increased competition within all phases of the natural gas industry.
+Added: federal Energy Policy Act of 2005 (“EPAct of 2005”) introduced significant changes to the statutory policy that affects all
+Added: segments of the energy industry.
+Added: Among other matters, the EPAct of 2005 amended the NGA to add an anti-market manipulation provision
+Added: that makes it unlawful for any entity to engage in prohibited behavior to be prescribed by FERC, and furthermore, provides FERC with
+Added: additional civil penalty authority.
+Added: The EPAct of 2005 provided FERC with the power to assess civil penalties of up to $1,000,000 per
+Added: day for violations of the NGA and increased FERC’s civil penalty authority under the NGPA from $5,000 per violation per day to
+Added: $1,000,000 per violation per day, with such penalties adjusted regularly for inflation.
+Added: For example, in January 2024, the maximum penalty
+Added: increased to $1,544,521 per violation per day to account for inflation.
+Added: The civil penalty provisions are applicable to entities that
+Added: engage in the sale of natural gas for resale in interstate commerce.
+Added: On January 19, 2006, FERC issued Order No.
+Added: 670, a rule implementing
+Added: the anti-market manipulation provision of the EPAct of 2005, and subsequently denied rehearing.
+Added: The rules make it unlawful, in connection
+Added: with the purchase or sale of natural gas subject to the jurisdiction of FERC, or the purchase or sale of transportation services subject
+Added: to the jurisdiction of FERC, for any entity, directly or indirectly to:
+Added: (1) use or employ any device, scheme, or artifice to defraud;
+Added: (2) make any untrue statement of material fact or omit to make any such statement necessary to make the statements made not misleading;
+Added: or (3) engage in any act or practice that operates as a fraud or deceit upon any person.
+Added: The anti-market manipulation rule does not apply
+Added: to activities that relate only to intrastate or other non-jurisdictional sales or gathering.
+Added: However, it does apply to activities of
+Added: gas pipelines and storage companies that provide interstate services, as well as otherwise non-jurisdictional entities to the extent
+Added: the activities are conducted “in connection with” gas sales, purchases, or transportation subject to FERC jurisdiction, which
+Added: now includes the annual reporting requirements under Order 704, described below.
+Added: The anti-market manipulation rule and enhanced civil
+Added: penalty authority reflect an expansion of FERC’s NGA enforcement authority.
+Added: are required to observe such anti-market manipulation laws and related regulations enforced by FERC under the EPAct of 2005 and those
+Added: enforced by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) under the Commodity Exchange Act, as amended (“CEA”),
+Added: and CFTC regulations promulgated thereunder.
+Added: The CEA prohibits any person from manipulating or attempting to manipulate the price of
+Added: any commodity in interstate commerce, as well as the market for financial instruments on such commodity, such as futures, options, or
+Added: The CEA also prohibits knowingly delivering or causing to be delivered false or misleading or knowingly inaccurate reports concerning
+Added: market information or conditions that affect or tend to affect the price of a commodity.
+Added: The CFTC also has statutory authority to seek
+Added: civil penalties of up to the greater of approximately $1,450,040 (adjusted annually for inflation) or triple the monetary gain to the
+Added: violator for violations of the anti-market manipulation sections of the CEA.
+Added: Should we violate the anti-market manipulation laws and
+Added: regulations, we could also be subject to related third-party damage claims by, among others, sellers, royalty owners and taxing authorities.
+Added: gas gathering service, which occurs upstream of jurisdictional transmission services, is regulated by the states onshore and in state
+Added: Section 1(b) of the NGA exempts natural gas gathering facilities and services from regulation by FERC as a “natural gas
+Added: company” under the NGA.
+Added: Although FERC has set forth a general test for determining whether facilities perform a non-jurisdictional
+Added: gathering function or a jurisdictional transportation function, FERC’s determinations as to the classification of facilities are
+Added: done on a case-by-case basis.
+Added: To the extent that FERC issues an order that reclassifies certain jurisdictional transportation facilities
+Added: as non-jurisdictional gathering facilities, and depending on the scope of that decision, our costs of delivering gas to point-of-sale
+Added: locations may increase.
+Added: believe that the natural gas pipelines in our gathering systems meet the traditional tests FERC has used to establish a pipeline’s
+Added: status as a gatherer not subject to regulation as a natural gas company.
+Added: However, the distinction between FERC-regulated transportation
+Added: services and federally unregulated gathering services relies on a fact-intensive analysis that is the subject of ongoing litigation,
+Added: so the classification and regulation of our gathering facilities are subject to change based on future determinations by FERC, the courts,
+Added: regulation of natural gas gathering facilities generally includes various safety, environmental, and, in some circumstances, nondiscriminatory-take
+Added: requirements.
+Added: Although nondiscriminatory-take regulation has not generally been affirmatively applied by state agencies, natural gas
+Added: gathering may receive greater regulatory scrutiny in the future.
+Added: natural gas transportation is also subject to regulation by state regulatory agencies.
+Added: The basis for intrastate regulation of natural
+Added: gas transportation and the degree of regulatory oversight and scrutiny given to intrastate natural gas pipeline rates and services vary
+Added: from state to state.
+Added: Insofar as such regulation within a particular state will generally affect all intrastate natural gas shippers within
+Added: the state on a comparable basis, we believe that the regulation of similarly situated intrastate natural gas transportation in the state
+Added: in which we operate and ship natural gas on an intrastate basis will not affect our operations in any way that is materially different
+Added: from how it affects operations of our competitors.
+Added: Like the regulation of interstate transportation rates, the regulation of intrastate
+Added: transportation rates affects the marketing of natural gas that we produce, as well as the revenues we receive for sales of our natural
+Added: in law and to FERC and/or state policies and regulations may adversely affect the availability and reliability of firm and/or interruptible
+Added: transportation service on interstate pipelines and intrastate pipelines.
+Added: Changes in law and to FERC and state utility commission policies
+Added: and regulations also may result in increased regulation of our business and operations, and we cannot predict what future action FERC
+Added: or any state utility commission will take.
+Added: We do not believe, however, that any regulatory changes will affect us in a way that materially
+Added: differs from the way they will affect other natural gas producers, gatherers, and marketers with which we compete.
+Added: of Environmental and Occupational Safety and Health Matters
+Added: operations are subject to stringent federal, state and local laws and regulations governing the occupational safety and health aspects
+Added: of our operations, the discharge of materials into the environment, and protection of the environment and natural resources (including
+Added: threatened and endangered species and their habitats).
+Added: Numerous governmental entities, including the U.S.
+Added: Environmental Protection Agency
+Added: (the “EPA”) and analogous state agencies, such as the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (the “CDPHE”),
+Added: have the power to enforce compliance with these laws and regulations and the permits issued under them, often requiring costly investigation
+Added: These laws and regulations may, among other things, (i) require the acquisition of permits to conduct drilling and other
+Added: regulated activities;
+Added: (ii) restrict the types, quantities and concentrations of various substances that can be released into the environment
+Added: or injected into formations in connection with drilling and production activities;
+Added: (iii) limit or prohibit drilling activities on certain
+Added: lands lying within wilderness, wetlands, and other protected areas;
+Added: (iv) require remedial measures to prevent or mitigate pollution from
+Added: former and ongoing operations, such as requirements to close pits and plug abandoned wells;
+Added: (v) apply specific health and safety criteria
+Added: addressing worker protection;
+Added: and (vi) impose substantial liabilities for pollution resulting from drilling and production operations.
+Added: Any failure to comply with these laws and regulations may result in the assessment of administrative, civil and criminal penalties, the
+Added: imposition of corrective or remedial obligations, the occurrence of delays or restrictions in permitting or performance of projects,
+Added: and the issuance of orders enjoining performance of some or all of our operations.
+Added: following is a summary of the more significant existing and proposed environmental and occupational safety and health laws, as amended
+Added: from time to time, to which our business operations are or may be subject, and for which compliance may have a material adverse impact
+Added: on our capital expenditures, results of operations or financial position.
+Added: Substances and Handling Wastes
+Added: Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (“RCRA”) and comparable state laws regulate the generation, transportation, treatment,
+Added: storage, disposal and cleanup of hazardous and nonhazardous solid wastes.
+Added: Pursuant to rules issued by the EPA, states administer some
+Added: or all of the provisions of RCRA, sometimes in conjunction with their own, more stringent requirements.
+Added: Drilling fluids, produced waters
+Added: and other wastes associated with the exploration, development and production of oil, natural gas and NGLs, if properly handled, are currently
+Added: exempt from regulation as hazardous waste under RCRA and, instead, are regulated under RCRA’s less stringent nonhazardous solid
+Added: waste provisions, state laws or other federal laws.
+Added: However, it is possible that certain oil and natural gas drilling and production
+Added: wastes now classified as nonhazardous solid wastes could be classified as hazardous wastes in the future.
+Added: In addition, in the course
+Added: of our operations, we may generate some amounts of ordinary industrial wastes, such as paint wastes, waste solvents, laboratory wastes
+Added: and waste compressor oils that may be regulated as hazardous wastes if such wastes have hazardous characteristics.
+Added: Although the costs
+Added: of managing hazardous waste may be significant, we do not believe that our costs in this regard are materially more burdensome than those
+Added: for similarly situated companies.
+Added: Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (“CERCLA”), also known as the Superfund law, and comparable
+Added: state laws impose joint and several liability, without regard to fault or the legality of conduct, on classes of persons who are considered
+Added: to be responsible for the release of a hazardous substance into the environment.
+Added: These persons include the current and former owners
+Added: or operators of the site where the release occurred and anyone who disposed or arranged for the disposal of a hazardous substance released
+Added: Under CERCLA, such persons may be subject to joint and several liability for the costs of cleaning up the hazardous substances
+Added: that have been released into the environment, for damages to natural resources, and for the costs of certain health studies.
+Added: authorizes the EPA and, in some instances, third parties to act in response to threats to the public health or the environment, and to
+Added: seek to recover from the responsible classes of persons the costs they incur.
+Added: In addition, it is not uncommon for neighboring landowners
+Added: and other third parties to file claims for personal injury and property damage allegedly caused by the hazardous substances released
+Added: into the environment.
+Added: We may generate materials in the course of our operations that may be regulated as hazardous substances.
+Added: Clean Water Act (the “CWA”) and comparable state laws impose restrictions and strict controls with respect to the discharge
+Added: of pollutants, including spills and leaks of hazardous substances, into state waters and waters of the United States (“WOTUS”).
+Added: The discharge of pollutants into regulated waters is prohibited, except in accordance with the terms of a permit issued by the EPA or
+Added: an analogous state agency.
+Added: Spill prevention, control and countermeasure plan requirements imposed under the CWA require appropriate containment
+Added: berms and similar structures to help prevent the contamination of navigable waters in the event of a petroleum hydrocarbon tank spill,
+Added: rupture or leak.
+Added: In addition, the CWA and analogous state laws require individual permits or coverage under general permits for discharges
+Added: of storm water runoff from certain types of facilities.
+Added: Federal and state regulatory agencies can impose administrative, civil and criminal
+Added: penalties for noncompliance with discharge permits or other CWA requirements and analogous state laws and regulations.
+Added: CWA also prohibits the discharge of dredge and fill material into regulated waters, including wetlands, unless authorized by permit.
+Added: The EPA and the U.S.
+Added: Army Corps of Engineers (the “Corps”) have issued rules attempting to clarify the federal jurisdictional
+Added: reach over WOTUS since 2015, including the Navigable Waters Protection Rule during the Trump administration, rules reverting back to
+Added: the 1986 WOTUS definition during the Biden administration, and rules reinstating the pre-2015 definition in January of 2023.
+Added: in May 2023, the Supreme Court decided Sackett v.
+Added: EPA, which sharply curtailed the EPA’s and Corps’ jurisdictional reach
+Added: by limiting the types of wetlands that fell under WOTUS.
+Added: Sackett codified the definition of WOTUS as only geographical features that
+Added: are described in ordinary parlance as “streams, oceans, rivers, and lakes” and to adjacent wetlands that are “indistinguishable”
+Added: from those bodies of water due to a continuous surface connection.
+Added: In September 2023, EPA and the Corps published a direct-to-final rule
+Added: redefining WOTUS to amend the January 2023 rule and align with the decision in Sackett.
+Added: The final rule eliminated the “significant
+Added: nexus” test from consideration when determining federal jurisdiction and clarified that the CWA only extends to relatively permanent
+Added: bodies of water and wetlands that have a continuous surface connection with such bodies of water.
+Added: The final rule is currently subject
+Added: to challenges in federal district courts.
+Added: As such, uncertainty remains with respect to future implementation of the rule and any resulting
+Added: primary federal law related specifically to oil spill liability is the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (the “OPA”), which amends
+Added: and augments the oil spill provisions of the CWA and imposes certain duties and liabilities on certain “responsible parties”
+Added: related to the prevention of oil spills and damages resulting from such spills in or threatening WOTUS or adjoining shorelines.
+Added: operators of certain oil and natural gas facilities must develop, implement and maintain facility response plans, conduct annual spill
+Added: training for certain employees and provide varying degrees of financial assurance.
+Added: Owners or operators of a facility, vessel or pipeline
+Added: that is a source of an oil discharge or that poses the substantial threat of discharge is one type of “responsible party”
+Added: who is liable.
+Added: The OPA applies joint and several liability, without regard to fault, to each liable party for oil removal costs and a
+Added: variety of public and private damages.
+Added: Although defenses exist, they are limited.
+Added: As such, a violation of the OPA has the potential to
+Added: adversely affect our operations.
+Added: the course of our operations, we produce water in addition to natural gas, crude oil and NGLs.
+Added: Water that is not recycled may be disposed
+Added: of in disposal wells, which inject the produced water into non-producing subsurface formations.
+Added: Underground injection operations are
+Added: regulated pursuant to the Underground Injection Control (“UIC”) program established under the federal Safe Drinking Water
+Added: Act (“SDWA”) and analogous state laws.
+Added: The UIC program requires permits from the EPA or an analogous state agency for the
+Added: construction and operation of disposal wells, establishes minimum standards for disposal well operations, and restricts the types and
+Added: quantities of fluids that may be disposed.
+Added: A change in UIC disposal well regulations or the inability to obtain permits for new disposal
+Added: wells in the future may affect our ability to dispose of produced water and ultimately increase the cost of our operations.
+Added: in response to recent seismic events near below-ground disposal wells used for the injection of natural gas- and oil-related wastewaters,
+Added: federal and some state agencies have begun investigating whether such wells have caused increased seismic activity, and some states have
+Added: shut down or imposed moratoria on the use of such disposal wells.
+Added: In response to these concerns, regulators in some states have adopted,
+Added: and other states are considering adopting, additional requirements related to seismic safety.
+Added: These seismic events have also led to an
+Added: increase in tort lawsuits filed against exploration and production companies, as well as the owners of underground injection wells.
+Added: costs associated with the transportation and disposal of produced water, including the cost of complying with regulations concerning
+Added: produced water disposal, may reduce our profitability.
+Added: federal Clean Air Act (the “CAA”) and comparable state laws restrict the emission of air pollutants from many sources, such
+Added: as tank batteries, through air emissions standards, construction and operating permitting programs and the imposition of other compliance
+Added: These laws and regulations may require us to obtain pre-approval for the construction or modification of certain projects
+Added: or facilities expected to produce or significantly increase air emissions, obtain and strictly comply with stringent air permit requirements
+Added: or utilize specific equipment or technologies to control emissions of certain pollutants.
+Added: The need to obtain permits has the potential
+Added: to delay the development of our projects.
+Added: Recently, there has been increased regulation with respect to air emissions from the oil and
+Added: natural gas sector.
+Added: June 2016, the EPA published final rules establishing new air emission controls for methane emissions from certain new, modified or reconstructed
+Added: equipment and processes in the oil and natural gas source category, including production, processing, transmission and storage activities.
+Added: The EPA’s final rules include New Source Performance Standards (“NSPS”) at Subpart OOOOa to limit methane emissions
+Added: from equipment and processes across the oil and natural gas source category.
+Added: The rules also extend limitations on volatile organic compound
+Added: (“VOC”) emissions to sources that were unregulated under the previous NSPS at Subpart OOOO.
+Added: Affected methane and VOC sources
+Added: include hydraulically fractured (or re-fractured) oil and natural gas well completions, fugitive emissions from well sites and compressors,
+Added: and pneumatic pumps.
+Added: In November 2021, the EPA proposed new regulations to establish comprehensive standards of performance and emission
+Added: guidelines for methane and VOC emissions from new and existing operations in the oil and gas sector, including the exploration and production,
+Added: transmission, processing, and storage segments.
+Added: The EPA announced a final rule on December 2, 2023, which, among other things, requires
+Added: the phase-out of routine flaring of natural gas from new oil wells and routine leak monitoring at all well sites and compressor stations.
+Added: Notably, the EPA updated the applicability date for Subparts OOOOb and OOOOc to December 6, 2022, meaning that sources constructed prior
+Added: to that date will be considered existing sources with later compliance dates under state plans.
+Added: The final rule gives states, along with
+Added: federal tribes that wish to regulate existing sources, two years to develop and submit their plans for reducing methane from existing
+Added: The final emissions guidelines under Subpart OOOOc provide three years from the plan submission deadline for existing sources
+Added: The regulations are subject to legal challenge and will also need to be incorporated into the states’ implementation
+Added: plans, which will need to be approved by the EPA in individual rulemakings that could also be subject to legal challenge.
+Added: future implementation of the standards is uncertain at this time.
+Added: EPA also finalized separate rules under the CAA in June 2016 regarding criteria for aggregating multiple sites into a single source for
+Added: air-quality permitting purposes applicable to the oil and natural gas industry.
+Added: This rule could cause small facilities (such as tank
+Added: batteries), on an aggregate basis, to be deemed a major source, thereby triggering more stringent air permitting requirements, which
+Added: in turn could result in operational delays or require us to install costly pollution control equipment.
+Added: of GHG Emissions
+Added: response to findings that emissions of carbon dioxide, methane and other GHGs endanger public health and the environment, the EPA has
+Added: adopted regulations under existing provisions of the CAA, including rules requiring the monitoring and annual reporting of GHG emissions
+Added: from large GHG emission sources in the United States, including certain onshore and offshore natural gas, oil and NGL production sources,
+Added: which include certain of our operations.
+Added: The EPA in July 2023 issued a proposed rule to expand the scope of its Greenhouse Gas Reporting
+Added: Program for certain petroleum and natural gas facilities.
+Added: The proposed rule would make the reach of the program both broader and more
+Added: granular, creating reporting obligations for a wider set of methane and other gas emissions events and requiring increased technical
+Added: detail for certain other preexisting reporting obligations.
+Added: The proposed rule included an intended effective date of January 1, 2025,
+Added: but the final rule remains pending at this time and the final effective date remains uncertain.
+Added: Should this rule go into effect without
+Added: major changes, it could raise our costs of regulatory compliance.
+Added: the SEC issued a final rule in March 2024 that would mandate disclosure of climate-related risks, including financial impacts,
+Added: physical and transition risks, related governance and strategy, and GHG emissions, for certain public companies.
+Added: Smaller reporting
+Added: companies will be required to incorporate discussion of these risks in filings beginning in fiscal year 2027 and will not be
+Added: required to report GHG emissions data.
+Added: Large accelerated filers and accelerated filers will be required to incorporate such
+Added: discussion in fiscal years 2025 and 2026, respectively, as well as disclose Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions, if material, in fiscal
+Added: years 2026 and 2027, and provide third party attestation reports related to such emissions beginning in fiscal years 2029 and 2031.
+Added: In addition, the United Nations-sponsored Paris Agreement calls for countries to set their own GHG emissions targets and be
+Added: transparent about the measures each country will take to achieve its GHG emissions targets.
+Added: However, the Paris Agreement does not
+Added: impose any binding obligations on its participants.
+Added: President Biden has recommitted the United States to the Paris Agreement and, in
+Added: April 2021, announced a goal of reducing the United States’ emissions by 50-52% below 2005 levels by 2030.
+Added: In November 2021,
+Added: the international community gathered again in Glasgow at the 26th Conference to the Parties on the UN Framework Convention on
+Added: Climate Change, during which multiple announcements were made, including a call for parties to eliminate certain fossil fuel
+Added: subsidies and pursue further action on non-carbon dioxide GHGs.
+Added: Relatedly, the United States and European Union jointly announced
+Added: the launch of the “Global Methane Pledge,” which aims to cut global methane pollution at least 30% by 2030 relative to
+Added: 2020 levels, including “all feasible reductions” in the energy sector.
+Added: These goals were reaffirmed in November 2022 at
+Added: the 27th Conference of the Parties (“COP27”) in Sharm-El Sheik.
+Added: While there were limited announcements at COP27 with
+Added: respect to the reduction of fossil fuel use, there were negotiations on emissions reduction targets and reduction of fossil fuel use
+Added: amongst the international community, and such discussions continued at the 28 th Conference of the Parties.
+Added: addition, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (the “IRA”), signed by President Biden in August 2022, provides significant
+Added: funding and incentives for research and development of low-carbon energy production methods, carbon capture, and other programs directed
+Added: at addressing climate change.
+Added: The IRA also includes a methane emissions reduction program that amends the CAA to include a Methane Emissions
+Added: and Waste Reduction Incentive Program for petroleum and natural gas systems.
+Added: This program requires the EPA to impose a “waste emissions
+Added: charge” on certain natural gas and oil sources that are already required to report under EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program.
+Added: EPA recently issued a proposed rule to implement the waste emissions charge with a proposed effective date in 2025 for reporting year
+Added: 2024 emissions.
+Added: it is not possible at this time to predict how new laws or regulations that may be adopted or issued to address GHG emissions would impact
+Added: our business, any such future laws, regulations or legal requirements imposing reporting or permitting obligations on, or limiting emissions
+Added: of GHGs from, our equipment and operations could require us to incur costs to reduce emissions of GHGs associated with our operations,
+Added: as well as delay or restrict our ability to permit GHG emissions from new or modified sources.
+Added: In addition, substantial limitations on
+Added: GHG emissions could adversely affect demand for the natural gas, oil and NGLs we produce and lower the value of our reserves.
+Added: it should be noted that increasing concentrations of GHGs in the Earth’s atmosphere may produce climate changes that have significant
+Added: physical effects, such as increased frequency and severity of storms, floods, droughts and other extreme climatic events;
+Added: effects were to occur, they could have an adverse effect on our exploration and production operations.
+Added: Fracturing Activities
+Added: fracturing is an important and common practice that is used to stimulate production of oil, natural gas and NGLs from dense subsurface
+Added: rock formations.
+Added: We will use hydraulic fracturing as part of our operations.
+Added: Hydraulic fracturing is typically regulated by state oil
+Added: and natural gas commissions.
+Added: However, several federal agencies have asserted regulatory authority over certain aspects of the process.
+Added: time to time, legislation has been introduced, but not enacted, in Congress to provide for federal regulation of hydraulic fracturing
+Added: and to require disclosure of the chemicals used in the fracturing process.
+Added: Meanwhile, the regulation of hydraulic fracturing has continued
+Added: at the state level.
+Added: For example, Colorado has promulgated rules that require oil and gas operators to disclose the volume of water and
+Added: all chemicals used during the hydraulic fracturing process to an online registry.
+Added: the event that a new, federal level of legal restrictions relating to the hydraulic fracturing process is adopted in areas where we operate,
+Added: we may incur additional costs to comply with such federal requirements that may be significant in nature, and also could become subject
+Added: to additional permitting requirements and experience added delays or curtailment in the pursuit of exploration, development, or production
+Added: and Migratory Birds
+Added: federal Endangered Species Act (“ESA”) and comparable state laws were established to protect endangered and threatened species.
+Added: Pursuant to the ESA, if a species is listed as threatened or endangered, restrictions may be imposed on activities adversely affecting
+Added: that species’ habitat.
+Added: Similar protections are offered to migratory birds under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
+Added: We may conduct operations
+Added: on oil and natural gas leases in areas where certain species that are listed as threatened or endangered are known to exist and where
+Added: other species that potentially could be listed as threatened or endangered under the ESA may exist.
+Added: In June 2023, the Biden Administration
+Added: announced proposed revisions concerning the procedures and criteria used for listing, reclassifying, and delisting protected species,
+Added: and designating critical habitat.
+Added: identification or designation of previously unprotected species as threatened or endangered in areas where underlying property operations
+Added: are conducted could cause us to incur increased costs arising from species protection measures, time delays or limitations on our exploration
+Added: and production activities, which could have an adverse impact on our ability to develop and produce reserves.
+Added: If we were to have a portion
+Added: of our leases designated as critical or suitable habitat, it could adversely impact the value of our leases.
+Added: are subject to the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (“OSHA”) and comparable state statutes, the purpose
+Added: of which is to protect the health and safety of workers.
+Added: In addition, OSHA’s hazard communication standard, the Emergency Planning
+Added: and Community Right-to-Know Act, comparable state statutes and any implementing regulations require that we organize and/or disclose
+Added: information about hazardous materials used or produced in our operations and that this information be provided to employees, state and
+Added: local governmental authorities and citizens.
+Added: properties located in Colorado are subject to the authority of the CECMC, as well as other state agencies.
+Added: Over the past several years,
+Added: the CECMC has approved new rules regarding various matters, including wellbore integrity, hydraulic fracturing, well control, waste management,
+Added: spill reporting, spacing of wells and pooling of mineral interests, and an increase in potential sanctions for CECMC rule violations.
+Added: We do not believe that any of these CECMC rules will affect us in a way that materially differs from the way they will affect other natural
+Added: gas producers, gatherers, and marketers with which we compete.
+Added: April 2019, Colorado Senate Bill 19-181 (SB 181) became effective, which substantially changes the state’s regulation of oil and
+Added: gas exploration and production activities.
+Added: SB 181 changed the CECMC’s mission from “fostering” responsible and balanced
+Added: development “consistent with protection” of public health and the environment to “regulating” development “to
+Added: protect” public health and the environment.
+Added: SB 181 also instituted several state-wide regulatory changes, namely it:
+Added: Colorado’s statutory pooling provisions to require an applicant to own, or obtain the consent of, more than 45% of the applicable
+Added: working or mineral interest, whereas previously the consent of only one mineral interest owner was required;
+Added: (ii) requires that, after
+Added: production is established, an applicant must pay force-pooled working or mineral interest owners a 16% royalty on oil production and
+Added: a 13% royalty on gas production;
+Added: (iii) changed state pre-emption law to afford local governments greater control over oil and gas siting;
+Added: and (iv) initiated a comprehensive rulemaking to amend CECMC’s rules consistent with the agency’s revised mission.
+Added: the most significant changes under SB 181 was the aforementioned provision giving local governments greater control over facility siting
+Added: and surface impacts associated with oil and gas development.
+Added: Whether an applicable local government determines to implement regulatory
+Added: changes is optional, but if changes are adopted, the resulting regulations may be stricter than state requirements.
+Added: Further, local governments
+Added: can inspect oil and gas operations and impose fines for leaks and spills.
+Added: Regulation in the municipalities and areas where we operate
+Added: could result in increased costs, delays in securing permits and other approvals related to our operations, and otherwise materially impact
+Added: our ability to operate and drill new wells in the areas where we hold oil and gas interests.
+Added: CECMC has adopted significant additional regulations to implement SB 181.
+Added: The legislation mandated CECMC rulemaking on environmental
+Added: protection, facility siting, cumulative impacts, flowlines, wells that are inactive, temporarily abandoned or shut-in, financial assurance,
+Added: wellbore integrity, and application fees.
+Added: In November 2022, the CECMC completed a rulemaking on flowlines and wells that are inactive,
+Added: temporarily abandoned, or shut-in and completed a rulemaking on wellbore integrity in June 2020.
+Added: In January 2021, the results of a major
+Added: rulemaking took effect addressing a wide range of topics, including facility siting, cumulative impacts, development approvals, asset
+Added: transfers, pollution standards, hearings and variances, groundwater monitoring, underground injection control and enhanced recovery wells,
+Added: venting and flaring restrictions, spill reporting, cleanup responsibility, and wildlife protection.
+Added: Those rules apply to permit applications
+Added: pending on, or submitted after, the date the rule became effective, and generally to operations occurring on or after that date.
+Added: CECMC has also issued rules on financial assurance, application fees, and high-priority habitat.
+Added: The financial assurance rule increased
+Added: the amounts that operators are required to provide as a surety bond to ensure that wells will be properly plugged and abandoned at the
+Added: end of their lifecycle.
+Added: Most recently, the CECMC is considering a draft rulemaking regarding the cumulative impacts of oil and gas operations,
+Added: including increased scrutiny on a project’s proximity to other industrial sites, residential and school areas, DI communities,
+Added: and “cumulatively impacted communities.” The draft rules would also set GHG emissions intensity targets for oil and gas operators
+Added: and require regulators to consider such targets in their cumulative impacts analysis, as well as the potential to restrict operations
+Added: during the summer in Ozone Nonattainment Areas.
+Added: Depending on how these and any other new rules are applied and enforced, they could add
+Added: substantial increases in well costs for our Colorado operations.
+Added: The rules could also impact our ability to operate and extend the time
+Added: necessary to obtain drilling permits, which would create substantial uncertainty about future development plans.
+Added: 181 also required the CDPHE, in conjunction with the Air Quality Control Commission (“AQCC”), to undertake rulemaking efforts
+Added: to minimize methane emissions and emissions of other hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides associated with certain
+Added: oil and gas facilities.
+Added: The CDPHE and AQCC adopted more stringent standards for leak detection and repair inspection frequency, pipeline
+Added: and compressor station inspection and maintenance frequencies, and for reducing emissions from pneumatic devices.
+Added: In December 2019, the
+Added: AQCC also expanded storage tank control and loadout control requirements.
+Added: The legislation also grants the CDPHE and AQCC regulatory authority
+Added: over a broad range of oil and gas facilities during pre-production activities, drilling, and completion.
+Added: Permits and Authorizations
+Added: environmental laws require us to obtain permits or other authorizations from state and/or federal agencies before initiating certain
+Added: drilling, construction, production, operation or other activities and to maintain these permits and compliance with their requirements
+Added: for ongoing operations.
+Added: These permits are generally subject to protest, appeal or litigation, which can in certain cases delay or halt
+Added: projects and cease production or operation of wells, pipelines and other operations.
+Added: example, when obtaining a permit for new multi-well pads, the State of Colorado OGDP approval process may be pursued concurrently with
+Added: the county approval process.
+Added: Thirty days prior to the initial filing for a permit, we are required to provide notice to relevant local
+Added: government authorities, proximate local governments and schools within 2,000 feet of our proposed site.
+Added: Following such notice, a development
+Added: plan may be filed, subject to potential requests for hearings and consultation, with such process lasting on average between 90 and 150
+Added: Upon approval by state authorities, a development plan will be subject to a 30-day public comment period (or 45 days in the case
+Added: of a plan contemplating drilling within 2,000 feet of a DI community), with such period subject to extension at the discretion of state
+Added: Upon completion of the public comment period, the CECMC Director will make a recommendation to approve, approve with conditions
+Added: of approval, or deny the development plan.
+Added: The CECMC will then hold a hearing to determine whether to approve, deny or stay an application
+Added: 7 to 14 days after the recommendation of the CECMC Director.
+Added: If the development plan is approved, drilling on the applicable pad may
+Added: commence after a 60- to 90-day wellbore permitting administrative process.
+Added: with the state approval process, the WOGLA application will be subject to approval by the Weld County Oil and Gas Energy Department.
+Added: Prior to the application, a meeting hosted by Weld County will review all alternate locations within the development area attended by
+Added: all other relevant state and local regulatory agencies.
+Added: Following the pre-application meeting, a 30-day notice is submitted to Weld County
+Added: stating a WOGLA application will be filed.
+Added: Subsequently, a WOGLA application may be filed with a public intervention period occurring
+Added: 20 days prior to a hearing.
+Added: The hearing for WOGLA applications is scheduled for a minimum of 45 days from the date of submission.
+Added: Weld County hearings officer will hear the WOGLA applications for approval, and upon such approval, an order will be issued and a grading
+Added: permit application must be filed prior to construction upon location.
+Added: our development activities commence, we plan to maintain insurance against some risks associated with above or underground contamination
+Added: that may occur as a result of these activities.
+Added: However, this insurance is expected to be limited to activities at the well site and
+Added: there can be no assurance that this insurance will continue to be commercially available or that this insurance will be available at
+Added: premium levels that justify its purchase by us.
+Added: The occurrence of a significant event that is not fully insured or indemnified against
+Added: could have a materially adverse effect on our financial condition and operations.
Cryptocurrency
−Removed: generate substantially all our revenue through cryptocurrency we earn through our mining activities.
−Removed: We have historically mined and held
−Removed: Bitcoin exclusively, which we may sell to fund our operating and capital expenditures.
−Removed: Our mining operations commenced on October 24,
−Removed: We use special cryptocurrency mining computers (known as “miners”) to solve complex cryptographic algorithms to support
−Removed: the Bitcoin blockchain and, in return, receive Bitcoin as our reward.
−Removed: Miners measure their processing power, which is known as “hashing”
−Removed: power, in terms of the number of hashing algorithms solved (or “hashes”) per second, which is the miner’s “hash
−Removed: rate.” We participate in mining pools that pool the resources of groups of miners and split cryptocurrency rewards earned according
−Removed: to the “hashing” capacity each miner contributes to the mining pool.
−Removed: Since June 30,
−Removed: 2022 the Company is neither receiving meaningful cryptocurrency awards nor generating meaningful revenue from cryptocurrency mining.
−Removed: of our miners were manufactured by Bitmain, and incorporate application-specific integrated circuit (“ASIC”) chips specialized
−Removed: to solve blocks on the Bitcoin blockchains using the 256-bit secure hashing algorithm (“SHA-256”) in return for Bitcoin cryptocurrency
−Removed: As of December 31, 2022, we had 510 Bitmain S19J Pro miners with 51.0 Ph/s of hashing capacity and 270 Bitmain S19 miners with
−Removed: 24.3 Ph/s of hashing capacity, none of which were in service.
−Removed: December 17, 2021 the Company entered into a Non-Fixed Price Sales and Purchase Agreement (the “Bitmain Agreement”) with
−Removed: Bitmain Technologies Limited (“Bitmain”) for 600 Bitmain S19XP miners with a reference price of approximately $11,250 per
−Removed: The miners have a total of 84 Ph/s of hashing capacity and an initial estimated purchase commitment of $6,762,000 (the “total
−Removed: reference price”), subject to price adjustments and related offsets, including potential adjustments related to the market price
−Removed: As of December 31, 2022, the Company has made payments of $3,969,000 (classified as deposits on mining equipment) to Bitmain
−Removed: pursuant to the Bitmain Agreement, and the remaining amount due under the Bitmain Agreement is $47,600 and presented in the table below:
−Removed: July 2022 batch (100 miners)
−Removed: August 2022 batch (100 miners)
−Removed: September 2022 batch (100 miners)
−Removed: October 2022 batch (100 miners)
−Removed: November 2022 batch (100 miners)
−Removed: December 2022 batch (100 miners)
−Removed: Estimated total amount due
−Removed: Payments made
−Removed: Remaining amount due
−Removed: of December 31, 2022, all 600 miners purchased from Bitmain have not been delivered to the Company, and will remain undelivered until
−Removed: all fees are paid to ship the miners from the Bitmain facility to the Company.
−Removed: Company measures its operations by the number and U.S.
−Removed: Dollar (US$) value of the cryptocurrency rewards it earns from its cryptocurrency
−Removed: mining activities.
−Removed: The following table presents additional information regarding our cryptocurrency mining operations:
−Removed: Quantity of Bitcoin
−Removed: Balance September 30, 2021
−Removed: Revenue recognized from cryptocurrency mined
−Removed: Mining pool operating fees
−Removed: Impairment of cryptocurrencies
−Removed: Balance December 31, 2021
−Removed: Revenue recognized from cryptocurrency mined
−Removed: Mining pool operating fees
−Removed: Impairment of cryptocurrencies
−Removed: Balance March 31, 2022
−Removed: Revenue recognized from cryptocurrency mined
−Removed: Mining pool operating fees
−Removed: Proceeds from the sale of cryptocurrency
−Removed: Realized loss on the sale of cryptocurrency
−Removed: Impairment of cryptocurrencies
−Removed: Balance June 30, 2022 (1)
−Removed: Revenue recognized from cryptocurrency mined
−Removed: Mining pool operating fees
−Removed: Impairment of cryptocurrencies
−Removed: Balance September 30, 2022 (1)
−Removed: Revenue recognized from cryptocurrency mined
−Removed: Mining pool operating fees
−Removed: Proceeds from the sale of cryptocurrency
−Removed: Realized gain on the sale of cryptocurrency
−Removed: Balance December 31, 2022 (1)
−Removed: June 30, 2022 the Company is neither receiving meaningful cryptocurrency awards nor generating
−Removed: meaningful revenue from cryptocurrency mining.
+Added: 2023, we generated all of our revenue through our cryptocurrency mining activities from assets we acquired in the Merger.
+Added: 23, 2024, we closed the Crypto Sale in which we sold all of our Mining Equipment and the Atlas MSA.
+Added: See “ Recent Developments—Sale
+Added: of Crypto Assets.” Accordingly, we currently do not expect to receive rewards in the form of cryptocurrency in the future.
+Added: cryptocurrency mining activities during 2022 consisted of participation in mining pools that pooled the resources of groups of miners
+Added: and split cryptocurrency rewards earned according to the “hashing” capacity each miner contributes to the mining pool.
+Added: Creek Road ceased cryptocurrency mining operations in mid-2022, and reinitiated such operations upon entering into the Atlas MSA in February
+Added: 2023, pursuant to which Atlas hosted, operated, and managed the Mining Equipment, and we received payment in U.S.
+Added: dollars for the daily
+Added: net mining revenue representing the dollar value of the cryptocurrency award generated less power and other costs.
+Added: Under the Atlas MSA,
+Added: we do not own, control or take custody of any Bitcoin produced by the Mining Equipment.
+Added: Instead, Atlas, as service provider, retained
+Added: all Bitcoin rewards, deducted a hosting service fee from the monthly total mined currency produced by our miners and remitted the net
+Added: proceeds of the mined currency to us in cash.
+Added: The Merger was accounted for as a reverse asset acquisition;
+Added: as a result, our cryptocurrency
+Added: mining operations are reported as commencing on May 3, 2023, concurrent with the Merger, and prior revenues and expenses of Creek Road
+Added: related to cryptocurrency mining activities are not presented in the section entitled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis
+Added: of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” or the accompanying financial statements.
Affecting Profitability
−Removed: business is heavily dependent on the market price of Bitcoin.
−Removed: The prices of cryptocurrencies, specifically Bitcoin, have experienced
−Removed: substantial volatility.
−Removed: Further affecting the industry, and particularly for the Bitcoin blockchain, the cryptocurrency reward for solving
−Removed: a block is subject to periodic incremental halving.
−Removed: Halving is a process designed to control the overall supply and reduce the risk of
−Removed: inflation in cryptocurrencies using a Proof-of-Work consensus algorithm.
−Removed: At a predetermined block, the mining reward is cut in half,
−Removed: hence the term “halving”.
−Removed: For Bitcoin the reward was initially set at 50 Bitcoin currency rewards per block.
−Removed: blockchain has undergone halving three times since its inception as follows:
−Removed: (1) on November 28, 2012 at block 210,000;
−Removed: (2) on July 9,
−Removed: 2016 at block 420,000;
−Removed: and (3) on May 11, 2020 at block 630,000, when the reward was reduced to its current level of 6.25 Bitcoin per
−Removed: The next halving for the Bitcoin blockchain is anticipated to occur in March 2024 at block 840,000, when the reward will be reduced
−Removed: to 3.125 Bitcoin per block.
−Removed: This process will reoccur until the total amount of Bitcoin currency rewards issued reaches 21 million and
−Removed: the theoretical supply of new Bitcoin is exhausted.
−Removed: Many factors influence the price of Bitcoin, and potential increases or decreases
−Removed: in prices in advance of, or following, a future halving is unknown.
−Removed: have historically mined and held Bitcoin exclusively, which we may sell to fund our operating and capital expenditures.
−Removed: June 30, 2022 the Company is neither receiving meaningful cryptocurrency awards nor generating meaningful revenue from cryptocurrency
−Removed: business is heavily dependent on the market price of Bitcoin, which has experienced substantial volatility and has recently dropped to
−Removed: its lowest price since December 2020.
−Removed: As of December 31, 2022 the market price of Bitcoin was $16,547, which reflects a decrease of approximately
−Removed: 60% since the beginning of 2022, and of approximately 75% from its all-time high of approximately $67,000.
−Removed: In addition, the cost of natural
−Removed: gas that we use to produce electricity to power our miners has increased substantially.
−Removed: The cost of natural gas in the United States
−Removed: during 2022 has increased by as much as approximately 260% since the beginning of 2022.
−Removed: These price movements result in decreased cryptocurrency
−Removed: mining revenue and increased cryptocurrency mining costs, both of which have a material adverse effect on our business and financial
−Removed: Cryptocurrency
−Removed: is increasingly becoming subject to governmental regulation, both in the U.S.
−Removed: and internationally.
−Removed: State and local regulations also may
−Removed: apply to our activities and other activities in which we may participate in the future.
−Removed: Numerous regulatory bodies have shown an interest
−Removed: in regulating blockchain or cryptocurrency activities.
−Removed: For example, on March 9, 2022 President Biden signed an executive order on cryptocurrencies.
−Removed: While the executive order does not mandate any specific regulations, it instructs various federal agencies to consider potential regulatory
−Removed: measures, including the evaluation of the creation of a U.S.
−Removed: Central Bank digital currency.
−Removed: Future changes to existing regulations or
−Removed: entirely new regulations may affect our business in ways it is not presently possible for us to predict with any reasonable degree of
−Removed: As the regulatory and legal environment evolves, we may become subject to new laws and regulation which may affect our mining
−Removed: and other activities.
−Removed: For additional discussion regarding our belief about the potential risks existing and future regulation pose to
−Removed: our business, see the Section entitled “Risk Factors”.
−Removed: do not currently own any patents in connection with our existing and planned blockchain and cryptocurrency related operations.
−Removed: and Ability to Continue as a Going Concern
−Removed: Historically,
−Removed: we have relied upon cash from financing activities to fund substantially all of the cash requirements of our activities and have incurred
−Removed: significant losses and experienced negative cash flow.
−Removed: The Company had net losses from continuing operations of $13,401,076, and $19,202,114,
−Removed: for the years ended December 2022 and 2021, respectively.
−Removed: We cannot predict if we will be profitable.
−Removed: We may continue to incur losses
−Removed: for an indeterminate period of time and may be unable to achieve profitability.
−Removed: An extended period of losses and negative cash flow may
−Removed: prevent us from successfully operating and expanding our business.
−Removed: We may be unable to achieve or sustain profitability on a quarterly
−Removed: or annual basis.
−Removed: On December 31, 2022, we had cash and cash equivalents of $246,358, a working capital deficit of approximately $8.1
−Removed: million, and an accumulated deficit of approximately $61 million.
−Removed: have evaluated the significance of the uncertainty regarding the Company’s financial condition in relation to our ability to meet
−Removed: our obligations, which has raised substantial doubts about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.
−Removed: While it is very
−Removed: difficult to estimate our future liquidity requirements the Company believes that if it is unable close the Merger, or obtain debt and/or
−Removed: equity financing, existing cash resources will be depleted in early 2023.
−Removed: The Company may be able to generate cash through the sale of
−Removed: fixed assets, specifically cryptocurrency miners.
−Removed: However, the total cash generated would be significantly less that the total of the
−Removed: Company’s liabilities.
−Removed: There are no assurances that the Merger will close, that debt and/or equity financing can be obtained, or
−Removed: that the sale of fixed assets, specifically cryptocurrency miners can be achieved.
−Removed: accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern.
−Removed: The consolidated
−Removed: financial statements do not include any adjustments to reflect the possible future effects on the recoverability and classification of
−Removed: assets, or the amounts and classification of liabilities that may result from the matters discussed herein.
−Removed: Company’s ability to continue as a going concern is dependent upon the Company’s ability to close the merger with Prairie,
−Removed: or obtain debt and/or equity financing, and there are no assurances that either can occur.
−Removed: of March 31, 2023, we had 2 full time employees.
−Removed: Information and History
−Removed: Road Miners, Inc.
−Removed: (formerly known as Wizard Brands, Inc., Wizard Entertainment, Inc., Wizard World, Inc., and GoEnergy, Inc.) was incorporated
−Removed: in Delaware on May 2, 2001.
−Removed: Prior to cryptocurrency mining operations that began in October 2021, the Company produced live and virtual
−Removed: pop culture conventions and events and sold a gelatin machine and related consumables that were discontinued in 2021.
−Removed: In addition, the
−Removed: Company operated an eCommerce site selling pop culture memorabilia that was discontinued on June 30, 2022 (known collectively as “legacy
−Removed: operations”).
−Removed: August 6, 2021, we entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement (the “Informa Agreement”) with Informa Pop Culture Events, Inc.,
−Removed: a Delaware corporation (“Informa”).
−Removed: Pursuant to the Informa Agreement, Creek Road Miners Corp.
−Removed: (fka Kick the Can Corp.) sold,
−Removed: transferred, and assigned certain assets, properties, and rights to Informa related to the business of operating and producing live pop
−Removed: culture events.
−Removed: The Company released deferred revenue and other liabilities totaling $722,429 and
−Removed: recognized other income of this amount.
−Removed: September 15, 2021, we sold our wholly owned subsidiary which contained our Jevo assets and all rights to our Jevo operations for $1,500,000
−Removed: and recognized a gain on the transaction of approximately $1,130,740.
−Removed: implemented a 1-for-20 reverse stock split of our outstanding shares of common stock that was effective on January 23, 2020.
−Removed: Unless otherwise
−Removed: noted, all share and related option, warrant, and convertible security information presented has been retroactively adjusted to reflect
−Removed: the reduced number of shares, and the increase in the share price which resulted from this action.
−Removed: October 24, 2022, the Company, Creek Road Merger Sub, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company,
−Removed: and Prairie, entered into the Merger Agreement, pursuant to which Merger Sub will merge with and into Prairie, with Prairie surviving
−Removed: and continuing to exist as a Delaware limited liability company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company.
−Removed: the Effective Time, the Company will (a) deliver the greater of (A) 2,000,000 shares of its common stock, par value $0.0001 per share
−Removed: (“common stock”), and (B) the product of (x) the number of issued and outstanding shares of common stock immediately following
−Removed: the consummation of the Restructuring Transactions (as defined below) by the Company multiplied by (y) 33.33% to the members of Prairie
−Removed: (the “Prairie Members”) and (b) convert certain options to purchase membership interests of Prairie into restricted performance-based
−Removed: options to purchase, in the aggregate, 8,000,000 shares of common stock for $0.25 per share only exercisable if specific production hurdles
−Removed: are achieved.
−Removed: connection with the Merger, the Company will cause the following restructuring transactions (the “Restructuring Transactions”):
−Removed: (1) all holders of the Company’s outstanding shares of Series A preferred stock, Series B preferred stock, Series C preferred stock,
−Removed: and 12% senior secured convertible debentures (the “Convertible Debentures”), and holders of certain warrants, certain convertible
−Removed: promissory notes and certain other accrued liabilities, will convert their respective shares of Series A preferred stock, Series B preferred
−Removed: stock, Series C preferred stock and Convertible Debentures, and respective warrants, convertible promissory notes and accrued liabilities
−Removed: into shares of common stock and (2) thereafter, the Company shall effect a reverse stock split of the common stock at a ratio between
−Removed: 1-23 and 1-30 (the “Reverse Stock Split”).
−Removed: You Can Find More Information
−Removed: website address is www.creekroadminers.com.
−Removed: We do not intend our website address to be an active link or to otherwise incorporate by
−Removed: reference the contents of the website into this Report.
−Removed: The public may read and copy any materials the Company files with the U.S.
−Removed: and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC 20549.
−Removed: public may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0030.
−Removed: The SEC maintains an
−Removed: Internet website (http://www.sec.gov) that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers
−Removed: that file electronically with the SEC.
+Added: cryptocurrency business was heavily dependent on the market price of Bitcoin.
+Added: In addition to the market price of Bitcoin, the price of
+Added: electricity can impact the profitability of Bitcoin mining operations.
+Added: The pre-Merger cryptocurrency mining operations used special cryptocurrency
+Added: mining computers to solve complex cryptographic algorithms to support the Bitcoin blockchain and, in return, received Bitcoin as our
+Added: reward through the third quarter of 2022.
+Added: When cryptocurrency operations were re-initiated in 2023 under the Atlas MSA, we received the
+Added: dollar value of Bitcoin produced net of costs as our revenue.
+Added: February 2023 and as described below, Creek Road entered into the Atlas MSA.
+Added: Through this contract, Creek Road sought to normalize
+Added: its mining costs and agreed to pay Atlas a flat fee of $20.00 per miner to cover set-up costs and thereafter pay a monthly fee to
+Added: Atlas for the quantity of electricity consumed by the miners at a rate of $0.08 per kWh.
+Added: As such and upon the consummation of the
+Added: Merger, the Company’s per unit cost of electricity is fixed through the term of the contract which expires on March 2, 2025.
+Added: However, the cost that Atlas is required to pay its electricity provider may not be fixed and could be greater than $0.08 per kWh or
+Added: In such cases, it can and did shut down the Company’s miners thereby reducing both our ability to earn revenue and
+Added: our electricity costs.
+Added: During the year ended December 31, 2023 there were six full days whereby Atlas shut down miners due to its
+Added: cost of electricity.
+Added: of December 31, 2023, approximately $12 million has been invested to acquire our miners.
+Added: Creek Road paid for these miners in cash.
+Added: mining equipment is expected to have a useful life of 2 to 5 years and depreciation of $983,788 was recognized with respect to our mining
+Added: equipment for the year ended December 31, 2023.
+Added: For the year ended December 31, 2023, we estimate that sunk costs, depreciation of existing
+Added: equipment or replacement costs were $20,899 per Bitcoin based upon our depreciation expense in each period.
+Added: the year ended December 31, 2023, our cash operating cost was $11,392 per Bitcoin.
+Added: Our Bitcoin mining operations were profitable on a
+Added: cash basis due to the price of Bitcoin far exceeding our “shutdown Bitcoin price.”
+Added: breakeven analysis of the Company’s Bitcoin mining operations in terms of one Bitcoin for the year ended December 31, 2023 and
+Added: key inputs for our breakeven forecast follows:
+Added: December 31, 2023 (1)
+Added: Bitcoin price
+Added: Power cost per Bitcoin
+Added: Cash operating margin per Bitcoin
+Added: Hardware cost per Bitcoin
+Added: Total operating margin per Bitcoin
+Added: Key inputs to power cost:
+Added: Approximate average network
+Added: hash rate (EH/s)
+Added: Average energy consumption
+Added: per miner (watts) (2)
+Added: Electricity cost ($ per
+Added: Approximate average energy
+Added: consumption per Bitcoin (kWh)
+Added: based on a daily average from May 3, 2023, the closing date of the Merger, to December 31, 2023.
+Added: value represents the weighted average energy consumption per miner.
+Added: This is a rated value as measured by the manufacturer of our
+Added: miners, Bitmain.
+Added: electricity costs are determined by multiplying the price per kWh by the number of hours in the month by the metered rated power consumption
+Added: of our miners hosted by Atlas.
+Added: The more miners we have hosted by Atlas, the higher our electricity costs in total are.
+Added: Conversely, when
+Added: the price of electricity rises to the point where Atlas shuts off our miners, we experience lower electricity costs.
+Added: The daily cost of
+Added: electricity under the Atlas MSA ranged from a low of $7,606 per Bitcoin to a high of $34,123 per Bitcoin for the year ended December
+Added: average trading price of Bitcoin under the Atlas contract was $32,838 for the year ended December 31, 2023.
+Added: Our cash costs under the
+Added: Atlas contract averaged $11,392 per Bitcoin in this period and was solely from the power cost of $0.08 per kWh.
+Added: On average, our
+Added: miners used 142,402 kWh to mine one Bitcoin during this period.
+Added: There were no set-up or other costs under the Atlas MSA incurred
+Added: during these periods.
+Added: This resulted in an average cash operating margin of $21,446 per Bitcoin for the year ended December 31, 2023.
+Added: As a result, the Company’s average cash breakeven cost to mine one Bitcoin was equal to $11,392 per Bitcoin for the year ended
+Added: December 31, 2023.
+Added: When including the cost of hardware, the Company’s total costs to mine one Bitcoin was $32,291 and resulted
+Added: in a total operating margin of $547 per Bitcoin for the year ended December 31, 2023.
+Added: 2023, industry-wide developments, including the industry-wide fallout from the recent Chapter 11 bankruptcy filings of cryptocurrency
+Added: exchange FTX (including its affiliated hedge fund Alameda Research), crypto hedge fund Three Arrows, crypto miners Compute North and
+Added: Core Scientific and crypto lenders Celsius Network, Voyager Digital and BlockFi, as well as legal action taken by the SEC against Coinbase,
+Added: Binance and Sam Bankman-Fried, are beyond our control.
+Added: We were not directly affected by these recent incidents, as we did not have any
+Added: counterparty credit exposure to the above-mentioned firms.
+Added: We do not believe that our share price was adversely affected by such incidents
+Added: since June 30, 2023, but likely was adversely impacted in 2022 and the first half of 2023.
+Added: The Company has no exposure to any of the
+Added: cryptocurrency market participants that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy or any other counterparties, customers, custodians or other participants
+Added: in crypto asset markets, or who are known to have experienced excessive redemptions, suspended redemptions, withdrawals of crypto assets
+Added: or have crypto assets of their customers unaccounted for or material corporate compliance failures;
+Added: and the Company does not have any
+Added: assets, material or otherwise, that may not be recovered due to these bankruptcies or excessive or suspended redemptions.
+Added: to the ongoing instability, volatility and lack of confidence in cryptocurrency mining and markets, the Company found it increasingly
+Added: difficult to obtain the financing necessary to execute its growth plan.
+Added: In January 2024, the Company identified the Central Weld Assets
+Added: as a unique opportunity to add producing oil and gas assets to its asset base and expand its reserves.
+Added: However, given the increased scrutiny
+Added: on cryptocurrency activities, the Company was unable to secure a financing source for the NRO Acquisition while retaining the Mining
+Added: Equipment and operations.
+Added: Consequently, the Company determined that it was in its best interests to divest its Mining Equipment and focus
+Added: its attention solely on its oil and gas assets.
+Added: January 23, 2024, we closed the Crypto Sale in which we sold all of our Mining Equipment and the Atlas MSA.
+Added: Following the Crypto Sale,
+Added: our exposure to the market prices of cryptocurrencies is limited to the ability of the Crypto Purchaser to pay the deferred purchase
+Added: price pursuant to the Crypto Divestiture Agreement.
+Added: See “— Recent Developments—Sale of Crypto Assets,”
+Added: “ Risk Factors—We may not realize the full benefit of the Crypto Sale for a variety of reasons, including the inability
+Added: of the Crypto Purchaser to pay the Deferred Purchase Price due to a decrease in the price of Bitcoin or the actions of third parties ”
+Added: and the Crypto Divestiture Agreement, filed as Exhibit 2.3 to this Annual Report.
+Added: Services Agreement – Atlas
+Added: March 2, 2023, the Company entered into the Atlas MSA, pursuant to which Atlas provided the Company with cryptocurrency mining services
+Added: for the Company’s cryptocurrency miners.
+Added: In January 2024, pursuant to the Crypto Divestiture Agreement, we assigned, and the Crypto
+Added: Purchaser assumed, all of the Company’s rights and obligations under the Atlas MSA.
+Added: do not currently own any intellectual property.
+Added: of December 31, 2023, we employed 11 full-time employees.
+Added: We have never experienced a work stoppage, and believe we maintain
+Added: positive relationships with our employees.
+Added: of December 31, 2023, we have leased office space in Houston, Texas, where our principal offices are located, and in Denver, Colorado.
+Added: Information, Website and Availability of Public Filings
+Added: principal executive offices are located at 602 Sawyer Street, Suite 710, Houston Texas 77007.
+Added: We also maintain an office in Denver, Colorado.
+Added: Our website is located at www.prairieopco.com .
+Added: furnish or file our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, our Current Reports on Form 8-K and amendments to
+Added: such reports and other documents with the SEC under the Exchange Act.
+Added: The SEC also maintains an internet website at www.sec.gov
+Added: that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers, including us, that file electronically
+Added: with the SEC.
+Added: We also make these documents available free of charge at www.prairieopco.com under the “Investor Relations”
+Added: link as soon as reasonably practicable after they are filed or furnished with the SEC.
+Added: on our website is not incorporated into this Annual Report on Form 10-K or our other filings with the SEC and is not a part of them.
+Added: common stock is listed and traded on The Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol “PROP.”
Compared sentence by sentence after normalising whitespace, quotation marks, case and digits, so re-formatting and restated figures do not read as changed language. Wording changes appear as one removal and one addition. The current filing and the prior one are authoritative.