Riley Exploration Permian (REPX) Risk Analysis

The oil and natural gas industry is capital intensive. We make and expect to continue to make substantial capital expenditures for the exploration, exploitation, development and acquisition of oil and natural gas reserves and the construction of midstream gathering, compression and pipeline facilities. We expect to fund our growth primarily through cash flow from operations, availability under our Credit Facility, and subsequent equity or debt offerings when appropriate. The actual amount and timing of our future capital expenditures may differ materially from our estimates as a result of, among other things, oil, natural gas and NGL prices, actual drilling results, the availability of drilling rigs and other services and equipment, construction delays in our midstream project, cost of materials, regulatory, technological and competitive developments, and worldwide and regional economic conditions. A reduction in commodity prices from current levels may result in a decrease in our actual capital expenditures, which would negatively impact our ability to grow production. Our cash flow from operations and access to capital are subject to a number of variables, including: - our proved reserves;- the level of hydrocarbons we are able to produce from existing wells and the timing of such production;- the prices at which our production is sold;- operating, maintenance and general and administrative costs and other expenses;- the availability of takeaway capacity;- the level and timing of maintenance and expansion capital expenditures we make;- required regulatory and third-party approvals;- availability and cost of third-party service providers;- regulatory action affecting the supply of, or demand for, hydrocarbons and the rates that we can charge for our production;- the availability and price of alternative and competing fuel sources, the rates of growth of alternative energy sources and the consumer adoption of alternative energy sources;- Credit Facility and/or investor requirements;- our ability to acquire, locate and produce new reserves; and - our ability to borrow under our Credit Facility. If our revenue or the borrowing base under our Credit Facility decreases as a result of lower oil, natural gas and NGL prices, operating difficulties, declines in reserves, or for any other reason, we may have limited ability to obtain the capital necessary to sustain our operations and growth at current levels. If additional capital is needed, we may not be able to obtain debt or equity financing on terms acceptable to us, if at all. If cash flow generated by our operations or available borrowings under our Credit Facility are not sufficient to meet our capital requirements, the failure to obtain additional financing could result in a curtailment of our operations relating to development of our properties, which in turn could lead to a decline in our reserves and production, and would adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Our ability to drill and develop our core acreage and establish production to maintain our leases depends on a number of uncertainties, including oil, natural gas and NGL prices, the availability and cost of capital, drilling and production costs, availability of drilling services and equipment, drilling results, lease expirations, gathering system and pipeline transportation constraints, access to and availability of water sourcing and distribution systems, regulatory approvals and other factors. Unless production is established within the spacing units covering the undeveloped acres on which some of our drilling locations are identified, our leases for such acreage will expire. The cost to renew such leases may increase significantly, and we may not be able to renew such leases on commercially reasonable terms or at all. As such, our actual drilling activities may differ materially from our current expectations, which could adversely affect our business. These risks are greater at times and in areas where the pace of our exploration and development activity slows. As of December 31, 2024, approximately 5% of our net leasehold acreage was undeveloped or acreage on which wells have not been drilled or completed to a point that would permit the production of commercial quantities of oil and natural gas, regardless of whether such acreage contains proved reserves.

The construction of the new midstream infrastructure assets involves numerous regulatory, environmental, political and legal requirements as well as legal uncertainties beyond our control and may require the expenditure of significant amounts of capital and resources. Financing may not be available on economically acceptable terms or at all. If we undertake these projects, we may not be able to complete them on schedule, at the budgeted cost or at all, or they may not operate as designed or at the expected levels. In addition, we may construct facilities to capture anticipated future production growth in an area in which such growth does not materialize, which could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, construction of new midstream infrastructure assets may require us to obtain new rights-of-way prior to constructing the New Mexico pipeline and/or related facilities. We may be unable to timely obtain such rights-of-way to connect new natural gas supplies to our existing gathering pipelines or capitalize on other attractive expansion opportunities. Additionally, it may become more expensive for us to obtain new rights-of-way or to expand or renew existing rights-of-way. If the cost of renewing or obtaining new rights-of-way increases, our results of operations could be adversely affected.

Key factors that may affect the timing of, and our ability to complete, our midstream development projects include, but are not limited to: - the issuance and/or continued availability of necessary permits, licenses and approvals from governmental agencies and third parties as are required to construct, own and operate the facilities, including right-of-way agreements;- the availability of sufficient financing;- our ability to maintain an engineering, procurement and construction ("EPC") services agreement with an EPC contractor for each phase of the construction on favorable terms, and to maintain good relationships with these contractors, and the ability of those EPC contractors to perform their obligations under EPC agreements and to maintain their creditworthiness;- site development difficulties, including change orders, cost overruns, and construction delays;- competition for EPC contractors with other gas gathering, compression and pipeline service companies;- increases in the cost of materials due to inflation, taxes, tariffs, or other economic conditions or government or third party actions;- continued commercial arrangements for gathering, processing and treating our natural gas until our pipeline in-service date under our new gas purchase agreement;- local and general economic conditions;- catastrophes, such as explosions, fires and product spills;- resistance in the local community to the development of midstream infrastructure assets, including the pipeline;- contract labor disputes; and - weather conditions. Delays in the construction of the gathering, compression and natural gas pipeline beyond the estimated development periods, as well as cost overruns, could increase the cost of completion beyond the amounts currently estimated in our capital budget, which could require us to obtain additional sources of financing to complete the construction (which could cause further delays) and could delay the development of our New Mexico oil and gas properties.

Even if we complete the planned midstream infrastructure buildout projects that we believe will be strategic, such projects may nevertheless adversely impact our business, results of operations and financial condition due to the following factors, among others: - mistaken assumptions about capacity, revenues, synergies, costs (including operating and administrative, capital, debt and equity costs), inflation, growth potential, assumed liabilities and other factors;- the failure to receive cash flows from a growth project due to delays in the commencement of operations for any reason;- unforeseen operational issues or the realization of liabilities that were not known to us at the time the growth project was completed;- the failure to successfully integrate growth projects into our operations and/or the loss of key employees; or - the impact of regulatory, environmental, political and legal uncertainties, extreme weather or force majeure events, that are beyond our control. In particular, we may construct facilities to capture anticipated future growth in production and/or demand in a region in which such growth does not materialize. As a result, new facilities may not be able to generate enough throughput to accomplish our development plan for our New Mexico assets, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and ability to make distributions. If we complete future growth projects, our capitalization and results of operations may change significantly, and our investors may not have the opportunity to evaluate the economic, financial and other relevant information that we will consider in determining the application of these funds and other resources. If any growth projects we ultimately complete are not accretive, our business, results of operations and financial condition may be negatively impacted.

The Department of Transportation has adopted regulations requiring pipeline operators to develop integrity management programs for pipelines located where a leak or rupture could do the most harm in HCAs. The regulations require operators to: - perform ongoing assessments of pipeline integrity;- identify and characterize applicable threats to pipeline segments that could impact an HCA;- improve data collection, integration and analysis;- repair and remediate the pipeline as necessary; and - implement preventive and mitigating actions. The Pipeline Safety, Regulatory Certainty and Job Creation Act of 2011 (the "2011 Pipeline Safety Act"), among other things, increased the maximum civil penalty for pipeline safety violations and directed the Secretary of Transportation to promulgate rules or standards relating to expanded integrity management requirements, automatic or remote-controlled valve use, excess flow valve use, leak detection system installation and testing to confirm the material strength of pipe operating above 30% of specified minimum yield strength in HCAs. Consistent with the 2011 Pipeline Safety Act, the Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration ("PHMSA"), finalized rules consistent with the signed act that increased the maximum administrative civil penalties for violations of the pipeline safety laws and regulations to $200,000 per violation per day, with a maximum of $2,000,000 for a related series of violations. As of December 2023, those maximum civil penalties were increased to $266,015 and $2,660,135, respectively, to account for inflation and have remained at those rates. Should our operations fail to comply with DOT or comparable state regulations, we could be subject to substantial penalties and fines.

Producing oil and natural gas reservoirs generally are characterized by declining production rates that vary depending upon reservoir characteristics and other factors. Unless we conduct successful ongoing exploitation, development and exploration activities or continually acquire properties containing proved reserves, our proved reserves will decline as those reserves are produced. Our future reserves and production, and therefore our future cash flow and results of operations, are highly dependent on our success in efficiently developing and exploiting our current reserves and economically finding or acquiring additional recoverable reserves. We may not be able to develop, exploit, find or acquire sufficient additional reserves to replace our current and future production. If we are unable to replace our current and future production, the value of our reserves will decrease, and our business, financial condition and results of operations would be adversely affected.

Our future financial condition and results of operations will depend on the success of our exploitation, development, and acquisition activities, which are subject to numerous risks beyond our control, including the risk that drilling will not result in commercially viable oil and natural gas production. Our decisions to purchase, explore, develop, or otherwise exploit prospects or properties will depend in part on the evaluation of data obtained through geophysical and geological analyses, production data, and engineering studies, the results of which are often inconclusive or subject to varying interpretations. Any material inaccuracies in reserve estimates or underlying assumptions will materially affect the quantities and present value of our reserves." In addition, our cost of drilling, completing, and operating wells is often uncertain before drilling commences. Further, many factors may curtail, delay, or cancel our scheduled drilling projects, including the following: - delays and increased costs imposed by or resulting from compliance with environmental and other regulatory requirements including limitations on or resulting from wastewater discharge and disposal, subsurface injections, greenhouse gas emissions, and hydraulic fracturing;- pressure or irregularities in geological formations;- increases in the cost of, or shortages or delays in availability of drilling rigs and qualified personnel for hydraulic fracturing activities;- shortages of or delays in obtaining water resources, suitable proppant, and chemicals in sufficient quantities for use in hydraulic fracturing activities;- equipment failures or accidents;- lack of available gathering facilities or delays in construction of gathering facilities;- lack of available capacity or disruptions in operation of interconnecting transmission pipelines and processing facilities;- adverse weather conditions, such as tornadoes, droughts, ice storms, and extreme freeze events;- lack of available treatment or disposal options for oil and natural gas waste, including produced water;- environmental hazards, such as oil and natural gas leaks, oil spills, pipeline and tank ruptures, encountering naturally occurring radioactive materials, and unauthorized discharges of brine, well stimulation and completion fluids, toxic gases or other pollutants into the air, surface and subsurface environment;- issues or challenges related to permitting under and compliance with environmental and other governmental regulations;- declines or volatility in oil, natural gas, and NGL prices;- limited availability of financing at acceptable terms;- title problems or legal disputes regarding leasehold rights; and - limitations in the market for oil, natural gas, and NGLs.

Our prospects are in various stages of evaluation, ranging from prospects that are currently being drilled, to prospects that will require substantial additional seismic data processing and interpretation. Properties that we decide to drill that do not yield oil, natural gas or NGLs in commercially viable quantities will adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. There is no way to predict in advance of drilling and testing whether any particular prospect will yield oil or natural gas in sufficient quantities to recover drilling or completion costs or to be economically viable. The use of micro-seismic data and other technologies and the study of producing fields in the same area will not enable us to know conclusively prior to drilling whether oil or natural gas will be present or, if present, whether oil or natural gas will be present in commercial quantities. We cannot assure you that the analogies we draw from available data from other wells, more fully explored prospects or producing fields will be applicable to our drilling prospects. Further, our drilling operations may be curtailed, delayed or cancelled as a result of numerous factors, including: - unexpected drilling conditions;- title problems;- pressure or lost circulation in formations;- equipment failure or accidents;- adverse weather conditions;- compliance with environmental, health and safety, and other governmental or contractual requirements; and - increase in the cost of, shortages or delays in the availability of, electricity, supplies, materials, drilling or workover rigs, equipment and services.

We have acquired unproved property in order to further our development efforts and expect to continue to undertake acquisitions in the future. Development and exploratory drilling and production activities are subject to many risks, including the risk that no commercially productive reservoirs will be discovered. We acquire unproved properties and lease undeveloped acreage that we believe will enhance our growth potential and increase our results of operations over time. However, we cannot provide assurance that all prospects will be economically viable or that we will not abandon our undeveloped acreage. Additionally, we cannot assure you that unproved property acquired by us or undeveloped acreage leased by us will be profitably developed, that wells drilled by us in prospects that we pursue will be productive, or that we will recover all or any portion of our investment in such unproved property or wells.

At December 31, 2024, the majority of our total estimated proved reserves were attributable to properties located in the Northwest Shelf within the Permian Basin of West Texas and Southeastern New Mexico, an area in which industry activity has increased rapidly. As a result of this concentration, a number of our properties could experience any of the same conditions at the same time and, when compared to other companies that have a more diversified portfolio of properties, we may be disproportionately exposed to the impact of regional supply and demand factors, delays or interruptions of production from wells in this area caused by governmental regulation, processing or transportation capacity constraints or disruptions, market limitations, water shortages or other drought or extreme weather related conditions or interruption of the processing or transportation of oil, natural gas or NGLs. Specifically, demand for qualified personnel in this area, and the cost to attract and retain such personnel, may increase substantially in the future. Moreover, our competitors, including those operating in multiple basins, may be able to offer better compensation packages to attract and retain qualified personnel than we are able to offer. Any delay or inability to secure the personnel necessary for us to continue or complete our current and planned development activities could have a negative effect on production volumes or significantly increase costs, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, liquidity and financial condition. In addition, the geographic concentration of our assets, including our total estimated proved reserves as of December 31, 2024, exposes us to additional risks, such as changes in field-wide rules and regulations that could cause us to permanently or temporarily shut-in all of our wells within a field.

The prices we receive for our oil, natural gas, and NGL production heavily influence our revenue, profitability, access to capital, and future rate of growth. Oil, natural gas, and NGLs are commodities and, therefore, their prices are subject to wide fluctuations in response to relatively minor changes in supply and demand. Historically, the commodities market has been volatile. For example, during the period from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2024, NYMEX WTI oil prices ranged from a high of $123.64 per Bbl on March 8, 2022 to a low of negative $36.98 per Bbl on April 20, 2020. During 2024, WTI prices ranged from a high of $87.69 per Bbl to a low of $66.73 per Bbl. Average daily prices for NYMEX Henry Hub gas ranged from a high of $13.20 per MMBtu to a low of $1.21 per MMBtu during 2024. If the prices of oil and natural gas continue to be volatile, reverse their recent increases, or decline, our operations, financial condition, cash flows and level of expenditures may be materially and adversely affected. Moreover, the duration and magnitude of any decline in oil, natural gas or NGL prices cannot be predicted with accuracy, and this market will likely continue to be volatile in the future. The prices we receive for our production, and the levels of our production, depend on numerous factors beyond our control. These factors include the following: - worldwide and regional economic conditions impacting the global supply and demand for oil, natural gas, and NGLs;- private and government investment in, regulatory incentives for, and purchaser and consumer preferences for non-fossil fuel energy production;- changes in applicable laws and regulations;- the price and quantity of foreign imports, including foreign oil;- the actions by members of OPEC+;- political, economic, and military conditions in or affecting other producing countries, including embargoes or conflicts in the Middle East, Africa, South America and Russia;- the level of global oil and natural gas exploration and production activity;- the level of global oil and natural gas inventories;- prevailing prices on local price indices in the areas in which we operate;- the cost of producing and delivering oil and natural gas and conducting other operations;- the recovery rates of new oil, natural gas and NGL reserves;- lead times associated with acquiring equipment and products, and availability of qualified personnel;- late deliveries of supplies;- technical difficulties or failures;- the proximity, capacity, cost, and availability of gathering and transportation facilities;- localized and global supply and demand fundamentals and transportation availability;- localized and global weather conditions and events;- public health concerns such as pandemic diseases;- technological advances affecting energy consumption, including advances in exploration, development and production technologies;- shareholder activism or activities by non-governmental organizations to restrict the exploration, development and production of oil, natural gas, and NGLs;- uncertainty in capital and commodities markets and the ability of companies in our industry to raise equity capital and debt financing;- the price and availability of alternative fuels; and - domestic, local, and foreign governmental regulation, taxes and tariffs. Lower commodity prices will reduce our cash flows and borrowing ability. We may be unable to obtain needed capital or financing on satisfactory terms, which could lead to a decline in the present value of our reserves and our ability to develop future reserves. Lower commodity prices may also reduce the amount of oil, natural gas and NGLs that we can produce economically. We have historically been able to hedge our oil and natural gas production at prices that are significantly higher than current strip prices. However, in the current commodity price environment, our ability to enter into comparable derivative arrangements may be limited, and, in the future, we will not be under an obligation to hedge a specific portion of our oil or natural gas production. Using lower prices in estimating proved reserves would likely result in a reduction in proved reserve volumes due to economic limits. While it is difficult to project future economic conditions and whether such conditions will result in impairment of proved property costs, we consider several variables including specific market factors and circumstances at the time of prospective impairment reviews, and the continuing evaluation of development plans, production data, economics and other factors. In addition, sustained periods with oil and natural gas prices at levels lower than current West Texas Intermediate strip prices and the resultant effect such prices may have on our drilling economics and our ability to raise capital may require us to re-evaluate and postpone or eliminate our development drilling, which could result in the reduction of some of our proved undeveloped reserves and related standardized measure. If we are required to curtail our drilling program, we may be unable to continue to hold leases that are scheduled to expire, which may further reduce our reserves. As a result, a substantial or extended decline in commodity prices may materially and adversely affect our future business, financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, or ability to finance planned capital expenditures.

The demand for drilling rigs, pipe and other equipment and supplies, as well as for qualified and experienced field personnel to drill wells and conduct field operations, geologists, geophysicists, engineers and other professionals in the oil and natural gas industry, can fluctuate significantly, often in correlation with oil and natural gas prices, causing periodic shortages. Our operations are concentrated in areas in which activity has increased rapidly, and as a result, demand for such drilling rigs, equipment and personnel, as well as access to transportation, processing and refining facilities in these areas, has increased, as have the costs for those items. In addition, to the extent our suppliers source their products or raw materials from foreign markets, the cost of such equipment could be impacted if the United States imposes tariffs on imported goods from countries where these goods are produced. Such shortages or cost increases could delay or cause us to incur significant expenditures that are not provided for in our capital budget, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

The prices we receive for our production will be determined to a significant extent by factors affecting the local and regional supply of and demand for oil and natural gas, including the adequacy of the pipeline and processing infrastructure in the region to process and transport our production and that of other producers. Those factors result in basis differentials between the published indices generally used to establish the price received for regional oil and natural gas production and the actual price we receive for our production, which may be lower than index prices. If the price differentials pursuant to which our production is subject were to widen due to oversupply or other factors, our revenue could be negatively impacted.

The marketing of oil and natural gas production depends in large part on the capacity and availability of pipelines and storage facilities, trucks, gas gathering systems and other transportation, processing and refining facilities. Access to such facilities is, in many respects, beyond our control. If these facilities are unavailable to us on commercially reasonable terms or otherwise (either temporarily or long-term), we could be forced to shut in some production or delay or discontinue drilling plans and commercial production following a discovery of hydrocarbons, as was the case in July and August 2023 and in July 2024 when our producing wells in the Red Lake field in New Mexico were shut in due to unexpected maintenance issues with our third party processor. We rely on facilities developed and owned by third parties in order to store, process, transmit, and sell our oil and natural gas production, and even once our planned gathering, compression and pipeline projects are completed, we still expect to rely on third-party facilities. Until our planned pipeline is constructed to connect with our new midstream counterparty's facilities, we are operating under a month-to-month arrangement with our current midstream counterparty, which could be terminated at any time. Our plans to develop and sell our oil and natural gas reserves, the expected results of our drilling program and our cash flow and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected by the inability or unwillingness of third parties to provide sufficient facilities and services to us on commercially reasonable terms or otherwise. The amount of oil and natural gas that can be produced is subject to limitation in certain circumstances, such as pipeline interruptions due to scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, excessive pressure, damage to the gathering, transportation, refining or processing facilities, or lack of capacity on such facilities. For example, increases in activity in the Permian Basin could contribute to bottlenecks in processing and transportation that may negatively affect our results of operations, and these adverse effects could be disproportionately severe to us compared to our more geographically diverse competitors. Similarly, the concentration of our assets within a small number of producing formations exposes us to risks, such as changes in field-wide rules, which could adversely affect development activities or production relating to those formations. In addition, in areas where exploration and production activities are increasing, as has been the case in recent years in the Permian Basin, we are subject to increasing competition for drilling rigs, oilfield equipment, services, supplies and qualified personnel, which may lead to periodic shortages or delays. The curtailments arising from these and similar circumstances may last from a few days to several months, and in many cases, we may be provided only limited, if any, notice as to when these circumstances will arise and their duration. While we have undertaken initiatives to expand our access to midstream and operational infrastructure, these initiatives may be delayed or unsuccessful. As a result, our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be adversely affected.

Because we do not own all of the land on which our pipelines and facilities have been or are planned to be constructed, we are subject to the possibility of more onerous terms or increased costs to retain necessary land use if we do not have valid rights-of-way or if such rights-of-way lapse or terminate. We obtain or expect to obtain the rights to construct and operate our pipeline on land owned by third parties and governmental agencies for a specific period of time. Our loss of these rights, through our inability to renew right-of-way contracts or otherwise, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We are responsible for compliance with all applicable laws and regulations regarding the decommissioning, removal, plugging, abandonment, and reclamation of our facilities at the end of their economic life, the costs of which may be substantial. It is not possible to predict these costs with certainty since they will be a function of regulatory requirements at the time of decommissioning, removal, plugging, abandonment, and reclamation. We may, in the future, determine it prudent or be required by applicable laws or regulations to establish and fund one or more decommissioning, removal, plugging, abandonment, and reclamation reserve funds to provide for payment of future decommissioning, removal, plugging, abandonment, and reclamation costs, which could decrease funds available to service debt obligations. In addition, such reserves, if established, may not be sufficient to satisfy such future decommissioning, removal, plugging, abandonment, and reclamation costs and we will be responsible for the payment of the balance of such costs.

Our industry is characterized by rapid and significant technological advancements and introductions of new products and services using new technologies. Fuel and other energy conservation measures, alternative fuel requirements, prioritization of advancements in renewable energy production, increasing consumer demand for alternatives to oil, natural gas and NGLs, and technological advances in fuel economy and energy generation devices could reduce demand for oil, natural gas and NGLs. As competitors and others use or develop new technologies or technologies comparable to ours in the future, we may lose market share or be placed at a competitive disadvantage. Further, we may face competitive pressure to implement or acquire certain new technologies at a substantial cost. Some of our competitors may have greater financial, technical and personnel resources than we do, which may allow them to gain technological advantages or implement new technologies before we can. Additionally, we may be unable to implement new technologies or services at all, on a timely basis or at an acceptable cost. Limits on our ability to effectively use, implement or adapt to new technologies may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Similarly, the impact of the changing demand for oil and natural gas services and products may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Hydraulic fracturing is an important and common practice that is used to stimulate production of natural gas and/or oil from dense subsurface rock formations. We regularly use hydraulic fracturing as part of our operations. Hydraulic fracturing involves the injection of water, sand or alternative proppant and chemicals under pressure into targeted geological formations to fracture the surrounding rock and stimulate production. Hydraulic fracturing is typically regulated by state oil and natural gas commissions. However, several federal and local agencies have also adopted, or are considering adopting, regulations that could further restrict or prohibit hydraulic fracturing in certain circumstances, impose more stringent operating standards and/or require the disclosure of the composition of hydraulic fracturing fluids. See "Items 1 and 2 Business and Properties – Regulation of the Oil and Natural Gas Industry". Increased regulation and attention given to the hydraulic fracturing process and associated processes could lead to greater opposition to, and litigation concerning, oil and natural gas production activities using hydraulic fracturing techniques. Additional legislation or regulation could also lead to operational delays or increased operating costs in the production of oil and natural gas, including from developing shale plays, or could make it more difficult to perform hydraulic fracturing. The adoption of any federal, state or local laws or the implementation of regulations regarding hydraulic fracturing could potentially cause a decrease in the completion of new oil and natural gas wells and an associated increase in compliance costs and time, which could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity, results of operations, and financial condition.

Under the Energy Policy Act of 2005, FERC has substantial enforcement authority to prohibit the manipulation of natural gas markets and enforce its rules and orders, including civil penalty authority under the NGA to impose penalties for current violations of up to $1.0 million per day for each violation. FERC may also impose administrative and criminal remedies and disgorgement of profits associated with any violation. While our operations have not been regulated by FERC as a natural gas company under the NGA, FERC has adopted regulations that may subject certain of our otherwise non-FERC jurisdictional facilities to FERC annual reporting requirements. We also must comply with the anti-market manipulation rules enforced by FERC. Additional rules and regulations pertaining to those and other matters may be considered or adopted by FERC from time to time. Additionally, our planned midstream project could subject us to regulation by FERC or New Mexico state regulators. Additionally, the Federal Trade Commission (the "FTC") has regulations intended to prohibit market manipulation in the petroleum industry with authority to fine violators of the regulations civil penalties of up to $1.0 million per day, and the CFTC, prohibits market manipulation in the markets regulated by the CFTC, including similar anti-manipulation authority with respect to oil swaps and futures contracts as that granted to the CFTC with respect to oil purchases and sales. The CFTC rules subject violators to a civil penalty of up to the greater of $1.0 million or triple the monetary gain to the person for each violation. Failure to comply with those regulations in the future could subject us to civil penalty liability, as described in "Business-Regulation of the Oil and Gas Industry."

SEC rules require that, subject to limited exceptions, PUDs may only be booked if they relate to wells scheduled to be drilled within five years after the date of booking. This requirement has limited and may continue to limit our ability to book additional PUDs as we pursue our drilling program. Moreover, we may be required to write down our PUDs if we do not drill or plan on delaying those wells within the required five-year timeframe.

Exploration, development, production and sale of oil and natural gas are subject to extensive federal, state, local and international regulation. We may be required to make large expenditures to comply with governmental regulations. Matters subject to regulation include: - permits for drilling operations;- drilling bonds;- reports concerning operations;- the spacing of wells;- the rates of production;- the plugging and abandoning of wells and decommissioning and removal of equipment;- unitization and pooling of properties; and - taxation. Under these laws, we could be liable for property damage and other damages. Failure to comply with these laws also may result in the suspension or termination of our operations and subject us to administrative, civil and criminal penalties. Moreover, these laws could change in ways that substantially increase our costs. Any such liabilities, penalties, suspensions, terminations or regulatory changes could materially adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

The Dodd-Frank Act, enacted on July 21, 2010, established federal oversight and regulation of the over-the-counter derivatives market and of entities, such as us, that participate in that market. The Dodd-Frank Act requires the CFTC and the SEC to promulgate rules and regulations implementing the Dodd-Frank Act. In December 2016, the CFTC re-proposed regulations implementing limits on positions in certain core futures and equivalent swaps contracts for or linked to certain physical commodities, subject to exceptions for certain bona fide hedging transactions. The Dodd-Frank Act and CFTC rules also will require us, in connection with certain derivatives activities, to comply with clearing and trade-execution requirements (or to take steps to qualify for an exemption to such requirements). In addition, the CFTC and certain banking regulators have adopted final rules establishing minimum margin requirements for uncleared swaps. Although we expect to qualify for the end-user exception to the mandatory clearing, trade-execution and margin requirements for swaps entered to hedge our commercial risks, the application of such requirements to other market participants, such as swap dealers, may change the cost and availability of the swaps that we use for hedging. In addition, if any of our swaps do not qualify for the commercial end-user exception, posting of collateral could impact liquidity and reduce cash available to us for capital expenditures, therefore reducing our ability to execute hedges to reduce risk and protect cash flow. It is not possible at this time to predict with certainty the full effects of the Dodd-Frank Act and CFTC rules on us or the timing of such effects. The Dodd-Frank Act and any new regulations could significantly increase the cost of derivative contracts, materially alter the terms of derivative contracts, reduce the availability of derivatives to protect against risks we encounter, and reduce our ability to monetize or restructure our existing derivative contracts. If we reduce our use of derivatives as a result of the Dodd-Frank Act and CFTC rules, our results of operations may become more volatile and our cash flows may be less predictable, which could adversely affect our ability to plan for and fund capital expenditures. Finally, the Dodd-Frank Act was intended, in part, to reduce the volatility of oil, natural gas and NGL prices, which some legislators attributed to speculative trading in derivatives and commodity instruments related to oil, natural gas and NGLs. Our revenues could therefore be adversely affected if a consequence of the Dodd-Frank Act and CFTC rules is to lower commodity prices. Any of these consequences could have a material and adverse effect on us, our financial condition or our results of operations.

Our common stockholders do not have a right to dividends on such shares unless declared or set aside for payment by our Board. Under Delaware law, cash dividends on capital stock may only be paid from "surplus" or, if there is no "surplus," from the corporation's net profits for the then-current or the preceding fiscal year. Unless we operate profitably, our ability to pay dividends on our common stock would require the availability of adequate "surplus," which is defined as the excess, if any, of net assets (total assets less total liabilities) over capital. Our business may not generate sufficient surplus or net profits from operations to enable us to pay dividends on our common stock.

We typically enter into agreements with our customers governing the use and operation of our systems, which usually include certain indemnification provisions for losses resulting from operations. Such agreements may require each party to indemnify the other against certain claims regardless of the negligence or other fault of the indemnified party; however, many states place limitations on contractual indemnity agreements, particularly agreements that indemnify a party against the consequences of its own negligence. Furthermore, certain states, including Louisiana, New Mexico, Texas and Wyoming have enacted statutes generally referred to as "oilfield anti-indemnity acts" expressly prohibiting certain indemnity agreements contained in or related to oilfield services agreements. Such anti-indemnity acts may restrict or void a party's indemnification of us, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, prospects and results of operations.

On January 20, 2025, President Donald J. Trump issued Executive Order No. 14158 entitled "Establishing and Implementing the President's "Department of Government Efficiency" or "DOGE" which is tasked with making changes to eliminate regulations, cut expenditures, and restructure federal agencies, some of which could impact public companies and companies in our industry. Through DOGE or similar recently-issued Executive Orders and initiatives, it is possible the Trump administration could institute significant changes to certain regulatory agencies. These changes could result in a significant reduction in staff and/or federal funding, which may cause backlogs or other interruptions to regulatory reviews and approvals causing a delay to our operations and/or special projects. As such, these changes to regulatory agencies could negatively impact our business operations and financial outlook.

Certain of our internal growth projects require regulatory approval from federal, tribal, state and/or local authorities prior to construction, including the construction of certain of our planned midstream facilities. The approval process for natural gas pipeline projects has become increasingly challenging, due in part to state and local concerns related to exploration and production, transmission, and gathering activities in production areas and negative public perception regarding the oil and gas industry. Such authorization may not be granted or, if granted, such authorization may include burdensome or expensive conditions. In addition, any significant delays in the regulatory approval process for our midstream facilities could increase the costs and negatively impact the targeted in-service date for the facilities, which in turn could adversely impact our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Oil and natural gas operations in our operating areas may be adversely affected by seasonal or permanent restrictions on drilling activities designed to protect various wildlife or conserve natural resources (for example, water supply). Seasonal restrictions may limit our ability to operate in protected areas and can intensify competition for drilling rigs, oilfield equipment, services, supplies and qualified personnel, which may lead to periodic shortages when drilling is allowed. These constraints and the resulting shortages or high costs could delay our operations or materially increase our operating and capital costs. Permanent restrictions imposed to protect water resources or threatened or endangered species and their habitats could prohibit drilling in certain areas or require the implementation of expensive mitigation or conservation measures. The designation or proposed designation of previously unprotected species in areas where we operate as threatened or endangered could cause us to incur increased costs arising from species protection measures or could result in limitations on our exploration and production activities that could have a material adverse impact on our ability to develop and produce our reserves.

Section 1(b) of the NGA exempts natural gas gathering facilities from the jurisdiction of FERC. We believe that our natural gas gathering pipelines meet the traditional test that FERC has used to determine whether a pipeline is a gathering pipeline and is, therefore, not subject to FERC jurisdiction. The distinction between FERC-regulated transmission services and gathering services not subject to the jurisdiction of FERC, however, has been the subject of substantial litigation, and FERC determines whether facilities are gathering facilities on a case-by-case basis, so the classification and regulation of our gathering facilities is subject to change based on future determinations by FERC, the courts or Congress. If FERC were to consider the status of an individual facility, including the new midstream project we plan to construct, and determine that the facility or services provided by it are not exempt from FERC regulation under the NGA and that the facility provides interstate service, the rates for, and terms and conditions of, services provided by such facility would be subject to regulation by FERC under the NGA or the NGPA and/or state regulations. Such regulation could decrease revenue and increase operating costs. In addition, if any of our facilities were found to have provided services or otherwise operated in violation of the NGA or NGPA, this could result in the imposition of substantial civil penalties, as well as a requirement to disgorge revenues collected for such services in excess of the maximum rates established by FERC. FERC regulation may indirectly impact gathering services not directly subject to FERC regulation. FERC's policies and practices across the range of its natural gas regulatory activities, including, for example, its policies on interstate open access transportation, ratemaking, capacity release, and market center promotion may indirectly affect intrastate markets. In recent years, FERC has pursued procompetitive policies in its regulation of interstate natural gas pipelines. However, we cannot assure you that FERC will continue to pursue this approach as it considers matters such as pipeline rates and rules and policies that may indirectly affect the natural gas gathering services. Natural gas gathering may receive greater regulatory scrutiny at the state level; therefore, our natural gas gathering operations could be adversely affected should they become subject to the application of state regulation of rates and services. State regulation of gathering facilities generally includes various safety, environmental and, in some circumstances, nondiscriminatory take requirements and complaint-based rate regulation. Our gathering operations could also be subject to safety and operational regulations relating to the design, construction, testing, operation, replacement and maintenance of gathering facilities.

Enhanced scrutiny on ESG matters related to, among other things, concerns raised by investors and advocacy groups about climate change, hydraulic fracturing, natural gas flaring, GHG emissions, waste disposal, oil spills, and explosions of natural gas transmission pipelines may lead to increased regulatory scrutiny, which may, in turn, lead to new state and federal safety and environmental laws, regulations, guidelines, and enforcement interpretations. These concerns and actions may cause operational delays or restrictions, increased operating costs, additional regulatory burdens, increased risk of litigation, and adverse impacts on the Company's access to capital. Moreover, governmental authorities exercise considerable discretion in the timing and scope of permit issuance, and the public may engage in the permitting process, including through intervention in the courts. Negative public perception could cause the permits the Company requires to conduct our operations to be withheld, delayed, or burdened by requirements that restrict the Company's ability to profitably conduct our business.

We may, from time to time, be a claimant or defendant to various legal proceedings, disputes and claims arising in the course of our business, including those that arise from interpretation of federal and state laws and regulations affecting the natural gas and crude oil industry, personal injury claims, title disputes, royalty disputes, contract claims, contamination claims relating to oil and natural gas exploration and development and environmental claims, including claims involving assets previously sold to third parties and no longer part of our current operations. Such legal proceedings are inherently uncertain and their results cannot be predicted. Regardless of the outcome, such proceedings could have an adverse impact on us because of legal costs, diversion of management and other personnel and other factors. In addition, it is possible that a resolution of one or more such proceedings could result in liability, penalties or sanctions, as well as judgments, consent decrees or orders requiring a change in our business practices or operations, which could materially and adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition. Accruals for such liability, penalties or sanctions may be insufficient. Judgments and estimates to determine accruals or range of losses related to legal and other proceedings could change from one period to the next, and such changes could be material.

Our leasehold and other acreage may be subject to existing oil and natural gas leases, liens for current taxes and other burdens, including other mineral encumbrances and restrictions customary in the oil and natural gas industry. Such liens and burdens could materially interfere with the use or otherwise affect the value of such properties. Additionally, any cloud on the title of the working interests, leases and other rights owned by us could have a material adverse effect on our operations.

Our exploration, exploitation, development, and production activities and equipment could be adversely affected by extreme weather conditions, such as floods, lightning, drought, ice and other storms, prolonged freeze events, and tornadoes, which may cause a loss of production from temporary cessation of activity or lost or damaged facilities and equipment. Such extreme weather conditions could also impact other areas of our operations, including access to our drilling and production facilities for routine operations, maintenance and repairs and the availability of, and our access to, necessary third-party services, such as electrical power, water, gathering, processing, compression, transportation, and produced water disposal services. These constraints and the resulting shortages or high costs could delay or temporarily halt our operations and materially increase our operation and capital costs, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The oil and natural gas industry is characterized by rapid and significant technological advancements and introductions of new products and services using new technologies. As others use or develop new technologies, we may be placed at a competitive disadvantage or may be forced by competitive pressures to implement those new technologies at substantial costs. In addition, other oil and natural gas companies may have greater financial, technical and personnel resources that allow them to enjoy technological advantages and that may in the future allow them to implement new technologies before we can. We may not be able to respond to these competitive pressures or implement new technologies on a timely basis or at an acceptable cost. If one or more of the technologies we use now or in the future were to become obsolete, our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.