Item 1A.
Risk Factors
There are numerous factors that affect our business and results of operations, many of which are beyond our control. The following is a description of factors that we consider to be material and that might cause our future results to differ materially from those currently expected. The risks described below are not the only risks facing our company. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also affect our business operations. If any of these risks actually occur, our business, financial position, results of operations, cash flows, reserves and/or our ability to pay our debts and other liabilities could suffer, the trading price and liquidity of our securities could decline and you may lose all or part of your investment in our securities.
Risks Related to Operating our Business
Natural gas, oil and NGL prices fluctuate widely, and lower prices for an extended period of time are likely to have a material adverse effect on our business.
Our revenues, results of operations, profitability, liquidity, leverage ratio and ability to grow and invest in capital expenditures depend primarily upon the prices we receive for the natural gas, oil and NGL we sell. We incur substantial expenditures to replace reserves, sustain production and fund our business plans. Low natural gas, oil and NGL prices can negatively affect the amount of cash available for capital expenditures, debt service and debt repayment and our ability to borrow money or raise additional capital and, as a result, could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and reserves. In addition, periods of low natural gas and oil prices may result in a reduction of the carrying value of our natural gas and oil properties due to recognizing impairments in proved and unproved properties.
Volatility in natural gas, oil and NGL prices may result from factors that are beyond our control, including:
• domestic and worldwide supplies of natural gas, oil and NGL, including U.S. inventories of natural gas and oil reserves;
• weather conditions;
• changes in the level of consumer and industrial demand, including impacts from global or national health events and concerns;
• the price and availability of alternative fuels;
• technological advances affecting energy consumption;
• the nature and extent of domestic and international conservation and sustainability initiatives;
• the availability, proximity and capacity of pipelines, other transportation facilities and processing facilities;
• the level and effect of trading in commodity futures markets, including by commodity price speculators and others;
• U.S. exports of natural gas, oil, liquefied natural gas and NGL;
• the price and level of foreign imports;
• changes in U.S. trade relations and policies;
• the nature and extent of domestic and foreign governmental regulations and taxes;
• the ability of the members of OPEC+ and others to agree to and maintain oil price and production controls;
• increased use of competing energy products, including alternative energy sources;
• political instability or armed conflict in natural gas and oil producing regions, including in connection with the continued armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine, instability in the Middle East and Venezuela, and changes in China-Taiwan relations;
• acts of terrorism; and
• domestic and global economic and political conditions.
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These factors and the volatility of the energy markets make it extremely difficult to predict future natural gas, oil and NGL price movements. In addition, any prolonged period of lower prices could reduce the quantities of reserves that we may economically produce.
Conservation measures and technological advances could reduce demand for natural gas and oil.
Fuel conservation measures, alternative fuel requirements, increasing consumer demand for alternatives to natural gas and oil, technological advances in fuel economy and energy generation devices could reduce demand for natural gas and oil. The impact of the changing demand for natural gas and oil could adversely impact our earnings, cash flows and financial position.
Negative public perception regarding us or our industry could have an adverse effect on our operations.
Negative public perception regarding us or our industry resulting from, among other things, concerns raised by advocacy groups about hydraulic fracturing, waste disposal, oil spills, seismic activity, climate change, explosions of natural gas transmission lines and the development and operation of pipelines and other midstream facilities may lead to new state and federal safety and environmental laws, regulations, guidelines and enforcement priorities. Additionally, environmental groups, landowners, local groups and other advocates may oppose our operations or those of our midstream transportation providers, encourage capital providers to divest of their interests in us or our industry, intervene in regulatory or administrative proceedings involving our assets or those of our midstream transportation providers, or file lawsuits or other actions designed to prevent, disrupt or delay the development or operation of our assets and business or those of our midstream transportation providers. These actions may cause operational delays or restrictions, increased operating and compliance costs, additional regulatory scrutiny and increased risk of litigation, as well as potentially reducing our ability to execute routine or strategic business partnerships. Moreover, governmental authorities exercise considerable discretion in the timing and scope of permit issuance and the public can engage in the permitting process, including through intervention in the courts. Changes in public perception could cause the permits we require to conduct our operations to be withheld, or conditioned by requirements that restrict our ability to conduct our business, which could materially affect our industry and our financial condition and results of operations.
Certain financial institutions, funds and other sources of capital have also elected to restrict or eliminate their investment in certain fossil fuel-related activities, which may restrict our access to capital. Even if capital providers have not generally restricted their investment in fossil fuel-related activities, they may still assess various sustainability considerations in making voting and capital allocation decisions. Responding to these and other stakeholder concerns on sustainability matters may require us to incur additional costs or otherwise impact our business. In addition, the enactment of climate change-related policies and initiatives across the market at the corporate level and/or investor community level may in the future result in reduced demand for our products or stimulate demand for alternative forms of energy that do not rely on combustion of fossil fuels. For more information, see our risk factor “Increasing attention to sustainability matters and our ability to achieve and maintain sustainability certifications, goals and commitments may impact our business, financial results or stock price.”
The gas and oil exploration and production industry is very competitive; some of our competitors have greater financial and other resources than we do, and there is competition to attract and retain talent and competition over access to certain industry equipment.
We face competition in every aspect of our business, including, but not limited to, buying and selling reserves and leases, obtaining goods and services needed to operate our business and marketing natural gas, oil or NGL. Competitors include multinational oil companies, independent production companies and individual producers and operators. Some of our competitors have greater financial and other resources than we do. As a result, these competitors may be able to address industry challenges more effectively or weather industry downturns more easily than we can. We also face indirect competition from alternative energy sources, including wind, solar and electric power.
Our performance depends largely on the talents and efforts of highly skilled individuals and on our ability to attract new employees and to retain and motivate our existing employees. Competition in our industry for qualified employees is intense. If we are unsuccessful in attracting and retaining skilled employees and managerial talent, our ability to compete effectively may be diminished. In addition, the sudden loss of any of our key executives, their services or our failure to appropriately plan for any expected key executive succession could materially and
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adversely affect our business and prospects, as we may not be able to find suitable individuals to replace them on a timely basis, if at all. We also compete for the equipment required to explore, develop and operate properties. Typically, during times of rising commodity prices, drilling and operating costs will also increase. During these periods, there is often a shortage of drilling rigs and other oilfield equipment and services, which could adversely affect our ability to execute our development plans on a timely basis and within budget.
Risks related to potential acquisitions or dispositions may adversely affect our business.
From time to time, we evaluate acquisitions and dispositions of assets, businesses and other investments. These transactions may not result in the anticipated benefits or efficiencies. In addition, acquisitions may be financed by borrowings, requiring us to incur more debt, or by the issuance of our common stock. Any such acquisition or disposition involves risks and we cannot assure you that:
• any acquisition will be successfully integrated into our operations and internal controls;
• the due diligence conducted prior to an acquisition will uncover situations that could result in financial or legal exposure, such as title defects and potential environmental and other liabilities;
• post-closing purchase price adjustments will be realized in our favor;
• our assumptions about, among other things, reserves, estimated production, revenues, capital expenditures, operating expenses and costs will be accurate;
• there will not be delays in closing, lower than expected sales proceeds for the disposed assets or business, residual liabilities or post-closing claims for indemnification;
• any investment, acquisition or disposition will not divert management resources from the operation of our business; and
• any investment, acquisition or disposition will not have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, cash flows or reserves.
If any of these risks materialize, the benefits of such acquisition or disposition may not be fully realized, if at all, and our financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and reserves could be negatively impacted.
If commodity prices fall or drilling efforts are unsuccessful, we may be required to record write-downs of the carrying value of our natural gas and oil properties.
We have been required to write down the carrying value of certain of our natural gas and oil properties in the past, and there is a risk that we will be required to take additional write-downs in the future. Write-downs may occur in the future when natural gas and oil prices are low for sustained periods, or if we have downward adjustments to our estimated proved reserves, increases in our estimates of operating or development costs or due to the anticipated sale of properties.
The successful efforts method of accounting requires that we periodically review the carrying value of our natural gas and oil properties for possible impairment. Impairment is recognized for the excess of book value over fair value when the book value of a proven property is greater than the expected undiscounted future net cash flows from that property and on acreage when conditions indicate the carrying value is not recoverable. We may be required to write-down the carrying value of a property based on natural gas and oil prices at the time of the impairment review, or as a result of continuing evaluation of drilling results, production data, economics, divestiture activity and other factors. A write-down constitutes a non-cash charge to earnings and does not impact cash or cash flows from operating activities; however, it reflects our long-term ability to recover an investment, reduces our reported earnings and increases certain leverage ratios. See Impairments within Critical Accounting Estimates included in Item 7 of this report for further information.
Significant capital expenditures are required to replace our reserves and conduct our business.
Our exploration, development and acquisition activities require substantial capital expenditures. We intend to fund our capital expenditures through cash flows from operations, and to the extent that is not sufficient, borrowings under our revolving credit facility. Our ability to generate operating cash flow is subject to a number of risks and variables, such as the level of production from existing wells, prices of natural gas, oil and NGLs, our success in developing and producing new reserves and the other risk factors discussed herein. Our forecasted 2026 capital expenditures, inclusive of capitalized interest, are $2.75 - $2.95 billion compared to our 2025 capital spending level
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of $2.85 billion. Management continues to review operational plans for 2026 and beyond, which could result in changes to projected capital expenditures and projected revenues from sales of natural gas, oil and NGLs. If we are unable to fund our capital expenditures as planned, we could experience a curtailment of our exploration and development activity, a loss of properties and a decline in our natural gas, oil and NGL reserves.
If we are not able to replace reserves, we may not be able to sustain production.
Our future success depends largely upon our ability to find, develop or acquire additional natural gas and oil reserves that are economically recoverable. Unless we replace the reserves we produce through successful development, exploration or acquisition activities, our proved reserves and production will decline over time. Thus, our future natural gas and oil reserves and production, and therefore our cash flows and income, are highly dependent on our success in efficiently developing our current reserves and economically finding or acquiring additional recoverable reserves.
The actual quantities of and future net revenues from our proved reserves may be less than our estimates.
The estimates of our proved reserves and the estimated future net revenues from our proved reserves included in this report are based upon various assumptions, including assumptions required by the SEC relating to natural gas, oil and NGL prices, drilling and operating expenses, capital expenditures, taxes and availability of funds. The process of estimating natural gas, oil and NGL reserves is complex and involves significant decisions and assumptions associated with geological, geophysical, engineering and economic data for each well. Therefore, these estimates are subject to future revisions.
Actual future production, natural gas, oil and NGL prices, revenues, taxes, development expenditures, operating expenses and quantities of recoverable natural gas, oil and NGL reserves most likely will vary from these estimates. Such variations may be significant and could materially affect the estimated quantities and present value of our proved reserves. In addition, we may adjust estimates of proved reserves to reflect production history, results of exploration and development drilling, prevailing natural gas and oil prices and other factors, many of which are beyond our control.
As of December 31, 2025, approximately 28% of our estimated proved reserves (by volume) were undeveloped. These reserve estimates reflect our plans for capital expenditures to convert PUDs into proved developed reserves, including approximately $4.2 billion during the next five years. You should be aware that the estimated development costs may not equal our actual costs, development may not occur as scheduled and results may not be as estimated. If we choose not to develop our PUDs, or if we are not otherwise able to successfully develop them, we will be required to remove them from our reported proved reserves. In addition, under the SEC’s reserve reporting rules, because PUDs generally may be booked only if they relate to wells scheduled to be drilled within five years of the date of booking, we may be required to remove any PUDs that are not developed within this five-year time frame.
You should not assume that the present values included in this report represent the current market value of our estimated reserves. In accordance with SEC requirements, the estimates of our present values are based on prices and costs as of the date of the estimates. The price on the date of estimate is calculated as the average natural gas and oil price during the 12 months ending in the current reporting period, determined as the unweighted arithmetic average of prices on the first day of each month within the 12-month period. The December 31, 2025 present value is based on the price of $3.39 per Mcf of natural gas, $65.34 per bbl of oil and $65.34 per bbl of NGL, before basis differential adjustments. Actual future prices and costs may be materially higher or lower than the prices and costs as of the date of an estimate.
The timing of both the production and the expenses from the development and production of natural gas and oil properties will affect both the timing of future net cash flows from our proved reserves and their present value. Any changes in demand for natural gas and oil, governmental regulations or taxation will also affect the future net cash flows from our production. In addition, the 10% discount factor that is required by the SEC to be used in calculating discounted future net cash flows for reporting purposes is not necessarily the most appropriate discount factor. Interest rates in effect from time to time and the risks associated with our business or the gas and oil industry in general will affect the appropriateness of the 10% discount factor.
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Our development and exploratory drilling efforts and our well operations may not be profitable or achieve our targeted returns.
We have a substantial inventory of undeveloped properties. Development and exploratory drilling and production activities are subject to many risks, including the risk that commercially productive reservoirs will not be discovered. We have acquired undeveloped properties that we believe will enhance our growth potential and increase our earnings over time. However, we cannot assure you that all prospects will be economically viable or that we will not abandon our initial investments. Additionally, there can be no assurance that undeveloped properties acquired by us will be profitably developed, that new 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 undeveloped properties or wells.
Drilling for natural gas and oil may involve unprofitable efforts, not only from dry wells but also from wells that are productive but do not produce sufficient commercial quantities to cover the drilling, operating and other costs. The cost of drilling, completing and operating a well is often uncertain, and many factors can adversely affect the economics of a well or property. Drilling and completion operations may be curtailed, delayed or canceled as a result of unexpected drilling conditions, title problems, equipment failures or accidents, shortages of midstream transportation, equipment or personnel, environmental issues, state or local bans or moratoriums on hydraulic fracturing and produced water disposal, federal restrictions on gas and oil leasing and permitting and a decline in commodity prices, among others. The of wells, particularly in certain of the areas in which we operate, will be reduced or eliminated if commodity prices . In addition, wells that are may not meet our internal return targets, which are dependent upon the current and future market prices for natural gas, oil and NGLs, costs associated with producing natural gas, oil and NGLs and our ability to add reserves at an acceptable cost.
We rely to a significant extent on seismic data and other technologies in evaluating undeveloped properties and in conducting our exploration activities. The seismic data and other technologies we use do not allow us to know conclusively, prior to acquisition of undeveloped properties or drilling a well, whether natural gas or oil is present or may be produced economically. If we incur significant expense in acquiring or developing properties that do not produce as expected or at profitable levels, it could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.
Certain of our undeveloped properties are subject to leases that will expire over the next several years unless production is established on units containing the acreage or the leases are renewed.
Leases on natural gas and oil properties typically have a term of three to five years, after which they expire unless, prior to expiration, a well is drilled and production of hydrocarbons in paying quantities is established. If our leases on our undeveloped properties expire and we are unable to renew the leases, we will lose our right to develop the related properties. Although we seek to actively manage our undeveloped properties, our drilling plans for these areas are subject to change based upon various factors, including drilling results, natural gas and oil prices, the availability and cost of capital, drilling and production costs, availability of drilling services and equipment, gathering system and pipeline transportation constraints and regulatory approvals. Low commodity prices may cause us to delay our drilling plans and, as a result, lose our right to develop the related properties.
Our commodity price risk management activities may limit the benefit we would receive from increases in commodity prices, may require us to provide collateral for derivative liabilities and involve risk that our counterparties may be unable to satisfy their obligations to us.
To manage our exposure to price volatility, we enter into natural gas, oil and NGL price derivative contracts. Our natural gas, oil and NGL derivative arrangements may limit the benefit we would receive from increases in commodity prices. The fair value of our natural gas, oil and NGL derivative instruments can fluctuate significantly between periods. Our decision to mitigate cash flow volatility through derivative arrangements, if any, is based in part on our view of current and future market conditions and our desire to stabilize cash flows necessary for the development of our proved reserves. We may choose not to enter into derivatives if we believe the pricing environment for certain time periods is unfavorable. Additionally, we may choose to liquidate existing derivative positions prior to the expiration of their contractual maturities to monetize gain positions for the purpose of funding our capital program.
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Most of our natural gas, oil and NGL derivative contracts are with counterparties under bilateral hedging arrangements. Our counterparties’ obligations under the arrangements must be secured by cash or letters of credit to the extent that any mark-to-market amounts owed to us exceed defined thresholds. Collateral requirements are dependent to a large extent on natural gas and oil prices.
Natural gas, oil and NGL derivative transactions expose us to the risk that our counterparties, which are generally financial institutions, may be unable to satisfy their obligations to us. During periods of declining commodity prices, the value of our commodity derivative asset positions increase, which increases our counterparty exposure. Although the counterparties to our hedging arrangements are required to secure their obligations to us under certain scenarios, if any of our counterparties were to default on their obligations to us under the derivative contracts or seek bankruptcy protection, it could have an adverse effect on our ability to fund our planned activities and could result in a larger percentage of our future cash flows being exposed to commodity price changes.
Natural gas and oil operations are uncertain and involve substantial costs and risks.
Our operating activities are subject to numerous costs and risks, including the risk that we will not encounter commercially productive gas or oil reservoirs. Drilling for natural gas, oil and NGL can be unprofitable, not only from dry holes, but from productive wells that do not return a profit because of insufficient revenue from production or high costs. Substantial costs are required to locate, acquire and develop gas and oil properties, and we are often uncertain as to the amount and timing of those costs. Our cost of drilling, completing, equipping and operating wells is often uncertain before drilling commences. Declines in commodity prices and overruns in budgeted expenditures are common risks that can make a particular project uneconomic or less economic than forecasted. Although both exploratory and developmental drilling activities involve these risks, exploratory drilling involves greater risks of dry holes or failure to find commercial quantities of hydrocarbons. In addition, our gas and oil properties can become damaged, our operations may be curtailed, or and the costs of such operations may increase as a result of a variety of factors, including, but not limited to:
• unexpected drilling conditions, pressure conditions or irregularities in reservoir formations;
• equipment failures or accidents;
• repairs or maintenance of older assets;
• fires, explosions, blowouts, cratering or loss of well control;
• the mishandling or underground migration of fluids and chemicals;
• adverse weather conditions and natural disasters, such as tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes and extreme temperatures;
• issues with title or in receiving governmental permits or approvals;
• restricted takeaway capacity for our production, including due to inadequate midstream infrastructure or constrained downstream markets;
• environmental hazards or liabilities;
• restrictions in access to, or disposal of, water used or produced in drilling and completion operations;
• shortages or delays in the availability of services or delivery of equipment; and
• unexpected or unforeseen changes in regulatory policy, and political or public opinion.
The occurrence of one or more of these factors could result in a partial or total loss of our investment in a particular property, as well as significant liabilities. Although we may maintain insurance against some, but not all, of the risks described above, our insurance may not be adequate to cover casualty losses or liabilities, and our insurance does not cover penalties or fines that may be assessed by a governmental authority. For certain risks, such as political risk, business interruption, war, terrorism and piracy, we have limited or no insurance coverage. Also, in the future we may not be able to obtain insurance at premium levels that justify its purchase. The occurrence of a significant event against which we are not fully insured may expose us to liabilities.
Moreover, certain of these events could result in environmental contamination and impact to third parties, including persons living in proximity to our operations, our employees and employees of our contractors, leading to possible injuries, death, significant damage to property and natural resources or significant financial liabilities or penalties.
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Our ability to produce natural gas, oil and NGL economically and in commercial quantities could be impaired if we are unable to acquire adequate supplies of water for our operations or are unable to dispose of or recycle the water we use economically and in compliance with environmental laws.
Water is an essential component of natural gas, oil and NGL production during both the drilling and hydraulic fracturing processes. Development activities, particularly hydraulic fracturing, require the use and disposal of significant quantities of water. Over the past several years, portions of the country have experienced extreme drought conditions. As a result of this severe drought, some local water districts have begun restricting the use of water subject to their jurisdiction for hydraulic fracturing to protect local water supply. In certain areas, there may be insufficient local aquifer capacity to provide a source of water for drilling activities. In these areas, water must be obtained from other sources and transported to the drilling site. Our inability to secure sufficient amounts of water, or to dispose of or recycle the water used in our operations, could adversely impact our operations in certain areas. The imposition of new or revised environmental regulations could further restrict our ability to conduct certain operations such as hydraulic fracturing or disposal of waste, including, but not limited to, produced water, drilling fluids and other materials associated with the exploration, development or production of natural gas and oil.
We have made significant investments in gathering and transportation assets and oilfield service businesses, including joint ventures in gas gathering pipelines, our drilling rigs, water infrastructure and pressure pumping equipment, and may rely on such investments in third parties to lower costs and secure inputs for our operations and transportation for our production. If our development and production activities are curtailed or disrupted, we may not recover our investment in these activities, which could adversely impact our results of operations. In addition, our continued expansion of these operations may adversely impact our relationships with third-party providers.
We depend on third-party pipelines and other investments to provide us certain gathering and transportation assets. During the fourth quarter of 2022, we entered into an agreement with Momentum Sustainable Ventures LLC to build a new natural gas gathering pipeline and carbon capture project, the New Generation Gas Gathering pipeline (the “NG3 pipeline”), to gather and treat natural gas produced in the Haynesville Shale for delivery to Gulf Coast markets, including LNG export. We have a 35% interest in the joint venture entity. On October 1, 2025, the NG3 pipeline was placed in service and began gathering operations. We rely on the NG3 pipeline to provide to us certain gathering, processing and transportation services. We have a gathering agreement in which approximately 900 MMcf per day, on average, of natural gas are to be gathered and processed by the NG3 pipeline over the course of the next 12 years. In the event that the services of the NG3 pipeline are impacted due to repairs, damage to the facility, lack of capacity or any other reason, our ability to lower costs and secure inputs for our operations and transportation for our production may be impacted.
We also have made investments to meet certain of our field services’ needs. If our level of operations is reduced for a long period, we may not be able to recover these investments. Further, our presence in these service and supply sectors, including competing with them for qualified personnel and supplies, may have an adverse effect on our relationships with our existing third-party service and resource providers or our ability to secure these services and resources from other providers.
Our operations may be adversely affected by pipeline, trucking and gathering system capacity constraints and may be subject to interruptions that could adversely affect our cash flow.
In certain resource plays, the capacity of gathering and transportation systems is insufficient to accommodate potential production from existing and new wells. We rely heavily on third parties to meet our natural gas, oil and NGL gathering needs. Because we do not own and/or control these third-party pipelines or facilities, such as the NG3 pipeline, their continuing operation and access requirements are not within our control. If these or any other pipeline connections or facilities were to become unavailable for current or future volumes of natural gas, oil and NGL due to repairs, damage to the facility, lack of capacity or any other reason, our ability to operate efficiently and ship natural gas, oil and NGL to end markets could be restricted. Any temporary or permanent interruption at any key pipeline interconnect or facility could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, cash flows, and results of operations. Capital constraints or changes in laws or regulations could limit the construction of new pipelines and gathering systems and the provision or expansion of trucking services by third parties. The approval process for certain projects has become increasingly and more , due in part to federal, state and local related to exploration and production, transmission and gathering activities and associated
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environmental impacts, and the increasingly negative public perception regarding, and opposition to, the oil and gas industry, including major pipeline projects. Until this new capacity is available, we may experience delays in producing and selling our natural gas, oil and NGL. In such event, we might have to shut in our wells while awaiting a pipeline connection or additional capacity, which would adversely affect our results of operations. Capital constraints or changes in laws or regulations also could increase the cost to access to such capacity, which would increase the cost of our operations.
A portion of our natural gas, oil and NGL production in any region may be interrupted, or shut in, from time to time for numerous reasons, including weather conditions, accidents, loss of pipeline or gathering system access, field labor issues or strikes, or we might voluntarily curtail production in response to market conditions. If a substantial amount of our production is interrupted at the same time, it could materially adversely affect our cash flow.
We entered into a joint venture, and may in the future enter into additional or modify existing joint ventures, that might restrict our operational and corporate flexibility. In addition, we exercise no control over joint venture partners and it may be difficult or impossible for us to cause these joint ventures or partners to take actions that we believe would be in our or the joint venture's best interests and these joint ventures are subject to many of the same risks to which we are subject.
We entered into a joint venture primarily pertaining to the building of a new natural gas gathering pipeline and carbon capture project, the NG3 pipeline, and may in the future enter into additional joint venture arrangements with third parties. Joint venture arrangements may restrict our operational and corporate flexibility. Because we do not control all of the decisions of our joint ventures or joint venture partners, either because we do not have a controlling interest in the venture or are not an operator under the agreement, it may be difficult or impossible for us to cause these joint ventures or partners to take actions that we believe would be in our or the joint venture's best interests. Moreover, joint venture arrangements involve various risks and uncertainties, such as committing that we fund operating and/or capital expenditures, the timing and amount of which we may not control, and our joint venture partners may not act in a manner that we believe would be in our or the joint venture's best interests, may elect not to support further pursuit of projects, and/or may not satisfy their financial obligations to the joint venture. The loss of joint venture partner support in further pursuing or funding a project may significantly affect the ability to complete the project. In addition, such joint ventures may be subject to many of the same risks to which we are subject.
Our business strategy includes participating in the global LNG value chain, which is dependent, in part, on the growing U.S. LNG export market, a highly regulated and capital intensive industry with a number of inherent commercial risks. U.S. LNG exports have helped drive domestic demand for natural gas, and, as a natural gas producer, we could be materially and adversely impacted by a deterioration in the U.S. LNG export industry, which could in turn reduce demand for natural gas. In addition, we may seek to more directly participate in the LNG value chain through direct marketing arrangements with LNG export facilities and/or end users, which could expose us to additional commercial risks associated with the global LNG markets.
As a domestic natural gas exploration and production company, we may be indirectly exposed to certain risks in the U.S. LNG export markets, including to the extent that we have entered into, or may in the future enter into, long-term natural gas supply agreements with LNG export facilities. The LNG export industry is a highly regulated and capital-intensive industry that is subject to a number of risks. Many facilities remain under construction or are expanding, and if these facilities are unable to obtain and maintain approvals and permits from governmental and regulatory agencies with respect to the design, construction and operation of their facilities, or if they are unable to secure financing in connection with their operations or the completion of their planned projects, the U.S. LNG market may be materially and adversely impacted, which could reduce demand for U.S. natural gas and have a material adverse effect on our business, contracts, financial condition, operating results, cash flow, liquidity and prospects.
We may also in the future enter into other commercial arrangements directly with foreign LNG customers. LNG sale and purchase agreements commonly have terms exceeding 10 years, which could expose us to credit risk should a customer default and we are required to seek recourse. Additionally, long-term LNG sales and purchase agreements generally permit a customer to terminate their contractual obligations upon the occurrence of certain events, including: (i) a failure to make available specified scheduled cargo quantities, (ii) delays in the
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commencement of commercial operations and (iii) the occurrence of certain events of force majeure. The occurrence of these and other events permitting termination may be outside of our control and may expose us to unrecoverable losses.
Further, any future commercial agreement may expose us to commodity risks associated with differential pricing of natural gas in different markets. LNG and natural gas are traded according to prices determined with reference to a variety of international indices, including the Japan Korea Marker (JKM) and the Dutch TTF market, each of which may materially differ from prices that use the U.S. Henry Hub index as a reference price. If we are unable to manage the impacts of unfavorable price differentials between domestic and international indices for LNG or natural gas in the context of future agreements, this could have a material adverse effect on our business, contracts, financial condition, operating results, cash flow, liquidity and prospects.
The departure of key management personnel and the failure to attract and retain talent could adversely affect our operations.
Our success depends upon the continued contributions of our senior executives. If one or more of our executive officers are unable or unwilling to continue in their current positions, we may not be able to replace them readily, if at all. Additionally, we may incur additional expenses to recruit and retain new executive officers. Because of these factors, the loss of any one or more members of our executive management team, for any reason, including resignation or retirement, could impair our ability to execute our business strategy and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Although we have endeavored to implement these management transitions in a non-disruptive manner, such transitions can be inherently difficult to manage and may hamper our ability to meet our financial and operational goals. Such changes may also give rise to uncertainty among our customers, investors, vendors, employees and others concerning our future direction and performance. Any of the foregoing could result in significant disruptions to our operations and may adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and ability to execute on our business plans.
Cyber-attacks targeting systems and infrastructure used by the gas and oil industry and related regulations may adversely impact our operations and, if we or our third-party providers are unable to obtain and maintain adequate protection for our key systems and data, our business may be harmed.
Cybersecurity threats present a large and growing risk to our business, as the energy industry has become increasingly dependent on digital technologies to conduct day-to-day operations, including certain exploration, development and production activities. For example, we depend on sophisticated information technology (“IT”) and operational technology (“OT”) to estimate quantities of natural gas, oil and NGL reserves, process and record financial and operating data, analyze seismic and drilling information, and communicate with our customers, employees and third-party partners. In addition, many third-party providers directly or indirectly provide us products and services across an array of internal and external functions that are designed to enable us to conduct, monitor and/or protect our business, systems and data assets. In addition, in the ordinary course of business, we and our service providers collect, process, transmit, and store proprietary and confidential data, including personal information.
We have been, and we and our customers, business partners, and counterparties may become, the subject of cyber-attacks on our and their internal IT and OT systems and through those of third parties. Any such cyber-attacks or information security breaches could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial results and increase our operating and capital costs, as well as disrupt our business plans and negatively impact our reputation and operations. As an energy company, we expect to continue to be a target for such attacks in the future from nation-state sponsored foreign actors and other attackers. We face evolving cybersecurity risks that threaten the confidentiality, integrity and availability of our digital technologies and business data, including malicious attacks by third parties or insiders, social engineering/phishing and human error, as well as bugs, misconfigurations of hardware or software and other vulnerabilities that may exist in our or our third-party providers’ systems or technologies. Unauthorized access to our seismic data, reserves information, customer or employee data or other proprietary or commercially sensitive information could lead to data , communication , or other in our exploration or production operations or planned business transactions, any of which could have a material impact on our results of operations. If our information technology systems do not function properly or our cybersecurity is or otherwise , we could to our normal operations,
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which may include disruptions to our drilling, completion, production and corporate functions. There can also be no assurance that our cybersecurity risk management program and processes, including our policies, controls or procedures, will be fully implemented, complied with or effective in protecting our systems and data. A cyber-attack, or the perception thereof, involving our information systems and related infrastructure, or that of our business associates or third-party providers, could result in supply chain disruptions that delay or prevent the transportation and marketing of our production, non-compliance leading to regulatory fines or penalties, loss or disclosure of, damage to, our or any of our customer’s or supplier’s data or confidential information that could harm our business by damaging our reputation, subjecting us to potential financial or legal liability and requiring us to incur significant costs, including expensive and time-consuming costs to repair or restore our systems and data or to take other remedial steps, attention of management, or to our reputation. Additionally, rapidly evolving laws and regulations governing cybersecurity pose increasingly complex compliance obligations and technical , and to comply with these obligations, including notification requirements, could result in legal or proceedings (such as class actions), regulatory and enforcement actions, and and reputational impacts that could cause us to existing or future customers.
In the event of a cyber-attack, we may be required by federal and state laws or regulations to provide notification to regulators or individuals. For example, the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act (CIRCIA) was signed into law on March 15, 2022. CIRCIA mandates that all owners and operators of critical infrastructure report cyber incidents to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) within 72 hours and ransomware payments within 24 hours. These new requirements will become effective once CISA promulgates rules pursuant to the CIRCIA. CISA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking on April 4, 2024 and is expected to publish the final rule in May 2026.
Both the frequency and magnitude of cyberattacks is expected to increase as attackers are becoming more sophisticated and artificial intelligence proliferates. As a result, we may be unable to anticipate, detect, prevent, investigate or contain future attacks, particularly as the methodologies utilized by attackers change frequently or are not recognized until launched, and we may be unable to investigate or remediate incidents because attackers are increasingly using techniques and tools designed to circumvent controls, to avoid detection and to remove or obfuscate forensic evidence. Further, global remote working dynamics for our customers, employees and third-party providers present additional risk that threat actors may seek to engage in social engineering (for example, phishing) and to exploit vulnerabilities in corporate and non-corporate networks. As cyber-attacks continue to evolve, including the prevalence of reconnaissance or surveillance by threat actors, which may remain for an extended period notwithstanding our monitoring and detection efforts, we may be required to spend significant additional resources to modify or our protective measures or to and remediate any to cyber-attacks of our IT and OT systems.
Any losses, costs or liabilities directly or indirectly related to cyberattacks or similar incidents may not be covered by, or may exceed the coverage limits of, any or all of our insurance policies.
We collect, process, store and use personal information and other data, and our actual or perceived failure to protect such information and data or comply with data privacy and security laws and regulations could damage our reputation and brand and harm our business and operating results.
Along with our own data and information that we collect and retain in the normal course of our business, we and our business partners collect and retain significant volumes of certain other types of data, some of which are subject to data protection laws, including information related to our past, current and prospective employees, royalty owners, and other parties. The regulatory environment surrounding the collection, use, transfer and protection of such data, both domestically and internationally, is becoming increasingly complex, constantly evolving, and is subject to frequent significant change. We and our vendors are subject to a variety of federal and state data privacy laws, rules, regulations, industry standards and other requirements governing data privacy and the unauthorized disclosure of confidential information. Complying with these jurisdictional requirements could increase the costs and complexity of compliance procedures, and any failure to comply with these laws and regulations could result in significant penalties and legal liability. For example, we are subject to various state privacy laws, such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”), which came into effect in January 2020, and the California Privacy Rights Act (“CPRA”), which expands upon the CCPA and came into effect in January 2023 (with a lookback period beginning January 2022). The CCPA and the CPRA, among other things, contain new disclosure obligations for businesses that collect personal information about California residents, provide such individuals expanded rights to
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access, delete and correct their personal information and opt-out of certain sales or transfers of personal information and provide for statutory fines and penalties for certain data security breaches or other CCPA and CPRA violations. The enactment of the CCPA has prompted a wave of similar legislative developments in other states in the United States, which creates the potential for a patchwork of overlapping but different state laws. Any failure or perceived failure by us to comply with data privacy laws, rules, regulations, industry standards and other requirements could result in proceedings or actions against us by individuals, consumer rights groups, government agencies or others. We could incur significant costs in investigating and defending such claims and, if found liable, pay significant damages or fines or be required to make changes to our business. Further, any such proceedings and any subsequent outcomes may subject us to significant publicity and an of trust. If any of these events were to occur, our business, reputation, financial condition or results of operations could be materially affected.
Our business is subject to risks related to catastrophes, natural disasters, severe weather and human causes beyond our control, which may have a negative impact on our results of operations and financial condition.
Our operations are subject to disruption from human causes beyond our control and natural disasters, including extreme weather events the scientific community has concluded are associated with climate change, such as hurricanes, severe storms, floods, droughts, heat waves, winter storms, wildfires and ambient temperature, water level or precipitation changes as well as war, accidents, civil unrest, political events, earthquakes, system failures, cyber threats, terrorist acts and epidemic or pandemic diseases, any of which could result in suspension of operations (including those of our customers or suppliers) or harm to people, our assets or the environment.
It is difficult to predict with certainty the timing, frequency or severity of such events or how such frequency or severity may change. However, if any such events were to occur, potential adverse effects could include disruption of our production activities, delays in production or possibly shut-ins as a result of physical damage to wells, pumps, storage tanks and other infrastructure facilities, increases in our costs of operation or reductions in the efficiency of our operations, reduced availability of electrical power, road accessibility, and transportation facilities, impacts on our personnel, supply chain, distribution chain or customers, and potentially increased costs or limited availability for insurance coverages in the aftermath of such effects. Such events could also adversely affect or delay demand for our products or cause us to incur significant costs in preparing for, or responding to, the effects of climatic or weather events themselves. Any such events could have a material effect on our results of operations or financial condition. Moreover, any changes in ambient temperatures or weather events may impact demand for natural gas if it results in lower energy needs for, among other things, temperature control.
In addition, our headquarters is currently located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, an area that experiences earthquakes and severe weather events, including tornadoes. Our information systems and administrative and management processes are primarily provided to our various drilling projects and producing wells throughout the United States from this location, which could be disrupted if a catastrophic event destroyed or severely damaged our headquarters. Any such catastrophic event could harm our ability to conduct normal operations and could adversely affect our business.
A deterioration in general economic, political, business or industry conditions would have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, liquidity and financial condition.
Historically, concerns about global economic growth and international political stability have had a significant impact on global financial markets and commodity prices, including petroleum products. If the economic or political climate in the United States or abroad deteriorates, worldwide demand for petroleum products could diminish, which could impact the price at which we can sell our production, affect the ability of our vendors, suppliers and customers to continue operations and materially adversely impact our results of operations, liquidity and financial condition. The global market is also continuing to experience inflationary pressure, including rising fuel costs, a tightening steel market and labor and supply chain shortages, which could result in increases to our operating and capital costs that are not fixed. Additionally, while concerns over energy security have, in some situations, seen increased demand for natural gas, sustained concerns over energy security may result in an accelerated adoption of renewable energy and other alternative energy generation or storage, or energy , technologies. Any such accelerated adoption of alternative energy sources or energy may decrease demand for our products or otherwise impact our financial condition or results of operations.
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We may be unable to dispose of assets on attractive terms, and may be required to retain liabilities for certain matters.
Various factors could materially affect our ability to dispose of assets if and when we decide to do so, including the availability of purchasers willing to purchase the assets at prices acceptable to us, particularly in times of reduced and volatile commodity prices. Sellers typically retain liabilities for certain matters. The magnitude of any such retained liability or indemnification obligation may be difficult to quantify at the time of the transaction and ultimately may be material. Also, as is typical in divestiture transactions, third parties may be unwilling to release us from guarantees or other credit support provided prior to the sale of the divested assets. As a result, after a sale, we may remain secondarily liable for the obligations guaranteed or supported to the extent that the buyer of the assets fails to perform these obligations.
Military and other armed conflicts, including terrorist activities, and related price volatility and geopolitical instability could materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations.
Military and other armed conflicts, terrorist attacks and the threat of both, whether domestic or foreign, could cause further instability in the global financial and energy markets. The armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine, continued instability in the Middle East and Venezuela, and changes in China-Taiwan relations and the occurrence or threat of terrorist attacks in the United States or other countries could adversely affect the global economy in unpredictable ways, including the disruption of energy supplies and markets, increased volatility in commodity prices, including petroleum products, or the possibility that the infrastructure on which we rely could be a direct target or an indirect casualty of an act of terrorism, and, in turn, could materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations.
For example, in late February 2022, Russia launched a military invasion against Ukraine. Sustained conflict and disruption in the region are likely in the near term, and the longer-term duration of the war is uncertain. The Russian invasion has caused, and could intensify, volatility in natural gas, oil and NGL prices, driving a sharp upward spike in the short term, and may have an impact on global growth prospects, which could in turn affect demand for natural gas and oil. In addition, any exacerbation or spillover of the current armed conflict between Israel and Hamas into the broader region could produce similar impacts. Any such volatility, impacts on demand and disruptions may also magnify the impact of other risk factors described in this report.
Regional epidemics or pandemics and related economic turmoil, including supply chain constraints, have affected, and could in the future adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
The COVID-19 pandemic adversely impacted the entire global economy, including creating supply chain constraints, and any future regional epidemics or global pandemics and governmental and other measures implemented to try to address them, such as quarantines, shelter-in-place orders, business and government shutdowns and restrictions on operations, could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Actions by our customers and derivative contract counterparties in response to such events and their economic impacts, including potential non-performance or delays, could also have an adverse impact on our business.
Financial Risks Related to our Business
We have significant capital needs, and our ability to access the capital and credit markets to raise capital on favorable terms is limited by industry conditions.
Disruptions in the capital and credit markets, in particular with respect to the energy sector, could limit our ability to access these markets or may significantly increase our cost to borrow. In the past, low commodity prices have caused and may continue to cause lenders to increase the interest rates under upstream operators’ credit facilities, enact tighter lending standards, refuse to refinance existing debt around maturity on favorable terms or at all and may reduce or cease to provide funding to borrowers. Additionally, certain financial institutions have announced their intention to cease investment banking and corporate lending activities in the North American gas and oil sector or have established climate-related funding commitments that could have the effect of limiting their investment in us or our industry. If we are unable to access the capital and credit markets on favorable terms, it
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could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and liquidity and our ability to repay or refinance our debt. Additionally, challenges in the economy have led and could further lead to reductions in the demand for gas and oil, or further reductions in the prices of gas and oil, or both, which could have a negative impact on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.
Restrictive covenants in certain of our existing and future debt instruments may limit our ability to finance our operations, fund our capital needs, respond to changing conditions and engage in other business activities that may be in our best interests.
Restrictive covenants in certain of our existing and future debt instruments may limit our ability to finance our operations, fund our capital needs, respond to changing conditions and engage in other business activities that may be in our best interests. Certain of our debt instruments contain, and the terms of any future indebtedness may contain, restrictive covenants that limit our ability to, among other things: incur or guarantee additional indebtedness; create liens; merge or consolidate with another entity; make restricted payments; and engage in transactions with affiliates. A breach of any of these restrictive covenants could result in default under the applicable debt instrument.
We may be prevented from taking advantage of business opportunities that arise because of the limitations imposed on us by the restrictive covenants and financial covenants contained in our debt instruments. As an example, our Amended and Restated Credit Agreement dated September 30, 2025 (the “Credit Agreement”) requires us to comply with a total indebtedness to capitalization ratio not to exceed 65%. The requirement that we comply with these provisions may adversely affect our ability to react to changes in market conditions, take advantage of business opportunities we believe to be desirable, obtain future financing, fund needed capital expenditures or withstand a continuing or future downturn in our business.
Changes to the ability of our customers to receive our products or meet their financial, performance and other obligations to us could adversely impact our business and financial condition.
In addition to credit risk related to receivables from commodity derivative contracts, our principal exposures to credit risk are through receivables resulting from the sale of our natural gas, oil and NGL production that we market to energy companies, end users and refineries ($1,363 million as of December 31, 2025). We do not require all of our customers to post collateral. The inability or failure of our customers to meet their obligations to us or their insolvency or liquidation may adversely affect our financial condition.
We have a significant amount of indebtedness, which will limit our liquidity and financial flexibility. We may also incur additional indebtedness in the future.
As of December 31, 2025, we had indebtedness of approximately $5.0 billion, which included approximately $3.7 billion of Southwestern’s senior notes we assumed as a result of the Southwestern Merger during the year ended December 31, 2024. In addition, subject to the limits contained in the documents governing such indebtedness, we may be able to incur substantial additional debt from time to time to finance working capital, capital expenditures, investments or acquisitions or for other purposes. Our indebtedness and other financial commitments have important consequences to our business, including, but not limited to:
• making it more difficult for us to satisfy our obligations with respect to senior notes and other indebtedness due to the increased debt-service obligations, which could, in turn, result in an event of default on such other indebtedness or the senior notes;
• requiring us to dedicate a substantial portion of our cash flows from operations to debt service payments, thereby limiting our ability to fund working capital, capital expenditures, investments or acquisitions and other general corporate purposes;
• increasing our vulnerability to general adverse economic and industry conditions, including low commodity price environments;
• limiting our ability to obtain additional financing due to higher costs and more restrictive covenants;
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• limiting our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business and the industry in which we operate; and
• placing us at a competitive disadvantage compared with our competitors that have proportionately less debt and fewer guarantee obligations.
Any failure to meet our debt obligations could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our earnings and cash flow fluctuate from year to year due to the variable nature of commodity prices. If our cash flow and capital resources are insufficient to fund our debt obligations, we may be forced to sell assets, seek equity sales or restructure our debt. Our ability to restructure our debt will depend on the condition of the capital markets and our financial condition at such time. Any restructuring of debt could be at higher interest rates and may require us to comply with more onerous covenants, which could further restrict our operations and our financial flexibility. The terms of existing or future debt instruments may restrict us from adopting some of these alternatives.
We receive debt ratings from the major credit rating agencies in the United States. Factors that may impact our credit ratings include debt levels, planned asset purchases or sales and near-term and long-term cash flow relative to debt balances. Liquidity, asset quality, cost structure, product mix (natural gas, oil and NGLs) and projected commodity pricing levels are also considered by the rating agencies. A ratings downgrade could adversely impact our ability to access debt markets in the future, increase the cost of future debt and could require us to post letters of credit or other forms of collateral for certain obligations. Many of our existing commercial contracts contain, and future commercial contracts may contain, provisions permitting the counterparty to require increased security upon the occurrence of a downgrade in our credit rating. We cannot provide assurance that our current ratings will remain in effect for any given period of time or that a rating will not be downgraded in the future.
Our ability to comply with the covenants and other restrictions in our financing agreements may be affected by events beyond our control, including prevailing economic and financial conditions.
Failure to comply with the covenants and other restrictions could lead to an event of default and the acceleration of our obligations under our senior notes, credit facility or other financing agreements, and in the case of the lease agreements for drilling rigs, compressors and pressure pumping equipment, loss of use of the equipment. In particular, the occurrence of risks identified elsewhere in this section, such as declines in commodity prices, increases in basis differentials and inability to access markets, could reduce our profits and thus the cash we have to fulfill our financial obligations. If we are unable to satisfy our obligations with cash on hand, we could attempt to refinance such debt, sell assets or repay such debt with the proceeds from an equity offering. We cannot assure that we will be able to generate sufficient cash flow to pay the interest on our debt, to meet our lease obligations, or that future borrowings, equity financings or proceeds from the sale of assets will be available to pay or refinance such debt or obligations. The terms of our financing agreements may also prohibit us from taking such actions. Factors that will affect our ability to raise cash through an offering of our capital stock, a refinancing of our debt or a sale of assets include financial market conditions and our market value and operating performance at the time of such offering or other financing. We cannot that any such proposed offering, refinancing or sale of assets can be completed or, if completed, that the terms will be to us.
Our common stockholders will be diluted if additional shares are issued.
We endeavor to create value for our stockholders on a per share basis. From time to time, we have issued stock to raise capital for our business or as consideration for acquisitions. We also issue common stock from time to time as a result of Warrant exercise and we issue restricted stock and performance share units to our employees and directors as part of their compensation. In addition, we may issue additional shares of common stock, additional notes or other securities or debt convertible into common stock, to extend maturities or fund capital expenditures. If we issue additional shares of our common stock in the future, it may have a dilutive effect on our current outstanding stockholders.
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Our ability to declare and pay dividends, and to repurchase common stock, is subject to limitations.
The payment of future dividends on, and any repurchases of, our common stock are each subject to the discretion of the Board of Directors, taking into consideration, among other factors, financial results, cash requirements, future prospects, restrictions under our indentures and other financing agreements, restrictions under Oklahoma law, general business and market conditions, and other factors the Board of Directors deems relevant. The Board of Directors is not required to declare dividends on or repurchase our common stock and may decide not to declare dividends or repurchase common stock at the current rate or at all. Any downward revision in the amount of dividends we pay to stockholders, or reduction in the pace or amount of share repurchases, could have an adverse effect on the market price of our common stock.
The trading price and volume of our common stock may be volatile, and you could lose a significant portion of your investment.
The market price of our common stock could be volatile, and holders of our common stock may not be able to resell their shares of common stock at or above the price at which they acquired such securities due to fluctuations in the market price of our common stock. The stock markets in general have experienced extreme volatility that has often been unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. These broad market fluctuations may adversely affect the trading price of the common stock. Specific factors that may have a significant effect on the market price for our common stock include:
• general economic conditions within the U.S. and internationally, including inflationary pressures and changes in interest rates;
• general market conditions, including fluctuations in commodity prices;
• domestic and international economic, legal and regulatory factors unrelated to our performance;
• changes in natural gas, oil and NGL prices;
• volatility in the financial markets or other global economic factors;
• actual or anticipated fluctuations in our and our competitors’ quarterly and annual results;
• quarterly variations in the rate of growth of our financial indicators;
• our business, operations, results and prospects;
• our operating and financial performance;
• future mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures or similar strategic alliances;
• market conditions in the energy industry;
• changes in government regulation, taxes, legal proceedings or other developments;
• shortfalls in our operating results from levels forecasted by securities analysts;
• investor sentiment toward the stock of oil and gas companies;
• changes in revenue or earnings estimates, or changes in recommendations by equity research analysts;
• failure to achieve the perceived benefits of the acquisitions, including financial results and anticipated synergies, as rapidly as or to the extent anticipated by financial or industry analysts;
• speculation in the press or investment community;
• the failure of research analysts to cover our stock;
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• sales of common stock by us, large shareholders or management, or the perception that such sales may occur;
• changes in accounting principles, policies, guidance, interpretations or standards;
• announcements concerning us or our competitors;
• public reaction to our press releases, other public announcements and filings with the SEC;
• strategic actions taken by competitors;
• actions taken by our shareholders;
• additions or departures of key management personnel;
• maintenance of acceptable credit ratings or credit quality; and
• the general state of the securities markets.
These and other factors may impair the market for our common stock and the ability of investors to sell shares at an attractive price. These factors also could cause the market price and demand for our common stock to fluctuate substantially, which may negatively affect the price and liquidity of our common stock. Many of these factors and conditions are beyond our control.
Securities class action litigation has often been instituted against companies following periods of volatility in the overall market and in the market price of a company’s securities. Such litigation, if instituted against us, could result in very substantial costs, divert management’s attention and resources and harm our business, operating results and financial condition.
Legal and Regulatory Risks
We are subject to extensive governmental regulation, which can change and could adversely impact our business.
Our operations are subject to extensive federal, state, local and other laws, rules and regulations, including with respect to the environment, worker health and safety, wildlife conservation, the gathering and transportation of gas, oil and NGLs, conservation policies, reporting obligations, royalty payments, unclaimed property, the imposition of taxes and tribal laws for a minor portion of our acreage. Such regulations include requirements for permits to drill and to conduct other operations and for provision of financial assurances (such as bonds) covering drilling, completion and well operations. If permits are not issued, or if unfavorable restrictions or conditions are imposed on our drilling or completion activities, we may not be able to conduct our operations as planned.
In addition, changes in public policy have affected, and in the future could further affect, our operations. At both the federal and state level, for example, there are an increasing number of legislative initiatives and proposals that may lead to reduced demand for fossil fuels such as oil and gas. These include certain tax advantages and other subsidies to support alternative energy sources or that mandate the use of specific fuels or technologies, in addition to the promotion of research into new technologies to reduce the cost and increase the scalability of alternative energy sources. The IRA, signed into law in August 2022, provides significant funding and incentives for research, development and implementation of low-carbon energy production methods, carbon capture, and other programs directed at addressing climate change. In January 2025, the current Presidential Administration announced Executive Orders related to climate, energy and environmental matters that, among other things, withdrew the U.S. from the Paris Agreement; paused issuance and implementation of pending regulations; required a review of recent final regulations and federal financial assurance potentially related to climate change and low-carbon initiatives, potentially including direct air capture and sequestration; and rescinded prior Executive Orders supportive of such projects. Additional actions by the current Presidential Administration or Congress to revise, amend, or roll back statutes like the IRA or Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, or regulations that support direct air capture, sequestration and other low-carbon ventures could materially impact our current or future low-carbon operations and strategy. See Exploration and Production, Environmental, Health and Safety and Occupational Laws and
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Regulations included in Item 1 of Part I of this report for more information on methane emissions and greenhouse gas reporting.
Pipeline Safety. The pipeline assets in which we own interests are subject to stringent and complex regulations related to pipeline safety and integrity management. The PHMSA has established a series of rules that require pipeline operators to develop and implement integrity management programs for gas, NGL and condensate transmission pipelines as well as for certain low stress pipelines and gathering lines transporting hazardous liquids, such as oil, that, in the event of a failure, could affect “high consequence areas.” Recent PHMSA rules have also extended certain requirements for integrity assessments and leak detections beyond high consequence areas and impose a number of reporting and inspection requirements on regulated pipelines. In November 2021, the PHMSA issued a final rule that expands certain federal pipeline safety requirements to all onshore gas gathering pipelines, regardless of size or location. The final rule establishes two new types of onshore gas gathering pipelines subject to varying degrees of regulation: all onshore gathering line operators are now subject to PHMSA’s annual reporting and incident reporting requirements, and certain previously unregulated rural gas gathering lines must now comply with PHMSA and, depending on the size of the pipeline, construction and operational requirements. The final rule became on May 16, 2022. Further, legislation funding the PHMSA through 2023 requires the agency to engage in additional rulemaking (i) to amend the management program, emergency response plan, operation and maintenance manual and pressure control recordkeeping requirements for gas distribution operators, (ii) to create new leak detection and repair program obligations and (iii) to set new minimum federal safety standards for onshore gas gathering lines. In January 2025, the PHMSA finalized a rule that requires pipelines, underground natural gas storage facilities, and liquefied natural gas facilities to update leak detection and repair programs to require companies to use commercially available technologies to find and fix methane leaks from pipelines and other facilities. However, shortly before the rule could be published or become , the current Presidential Administration published an Executive Order directing federal agencies to immediately withdraw all unpublished rules pending further review and approval. Proposed bill H.R. 4818, introduced in the House of Representatives in July 2025, would codify the January 2025 PHMSA rule, but the bill has not passed to date. At this time, we cannot predict the cost of these requirements or other potential new or amended regulations, but they could be significant. Moreover, of pipeline safety regulations can result in the imposition of significant . However, in January 2025, the current Presidential Administration issued an Executive Order directing the heads of all federal agencies to identify and begin the processes to , revise, or rescind all agency actions that are on the identification, development, or use of domestic energy resources. Consequently, future implementation and enforcement of these final rules remains uncertain at this time.
Hydraulic Fracturing. Hydraulic fracturing typically is regulated by state oil and natural gas commissions or similar agencies, but EPA has asserted federal regulatory authority pursuant to the Safe Drinking Water Act over certain hydraulic fracturing activities involving the use of diesel fuel in fracturing fluids and issued permitting guidance that applies to such activities.
Several states have adopted or are considering adopting regulations that could impose more stringent permitting, public disclosure and/or well construction requirements on hydraulic fracturing operations. State regulatory agencies have also recently focused on a possible connection between the operation of injection wells used for natural gas and oil waste disposal and seismic activity, which has caused some states, such as New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas, to implement seismicity response programs that allow state regulators to deny, modify, suspend or terminate injection well permits if the state regulator determines that the injection well is contributing or likely to contribute to seismic activity. In some instances, regulators may also order that disposal wells be shut in. States could also elect to prohibit high volume hydraulic fracturing altogether. A number of lawsuits have been filed alleging that disposal well operations have caused damage to neighboring properties or otherwise violated state and federal rules regulating waste disposal. In addition to state laws, local land use restrictions, such as city ordinances, may restrict drilling in general and/or hydraulic fracturing in particular. We cannot predict whether additional federal, state or local laws or regulations applicable to hydraulic fracturing will be enacted in the future and, if so, what actions any such laws or regulations would require or prohibit. If additional levels of regulation or permitting requirements were imposed on hydraulic fracturing operations, our business and operations could be subject to , increased operating and compliance costs and potential . Additional regulation could also lead to to hydraulic fracturing, including .
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Climate Change and Regulation of Methane and Other Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Political and social attention to the issue of climate change has resulted in legislative, regulatory and other initiatives to reduce GHG emissions, such as carbon dioxide and methane. Policy makers at both the U.S. federal and state levels have adopted, or are considering adopting, rules designed to quantify and limit the emission of GHGs through inventories, limitations and/or taxes on GHG emissions. For example, the EPA has issued regulations for the control of methane emissions, which include leak detection and repair requirements, for the gas and oil industry. In November 2021, the EPA proposed new performance standards and emissions guidelines for new, modified, reconstructed and existing oil and gas facilities. The proposed rule sought to make the existing regulations in Subpart OOOOa more stringent and create a Subpart OOOOb to expand reduction requirements for new, modified, and reconstructed oil and gas sources, including standards focusing on certain source types that have never been regulated under the CAA (including intermittent vent pneumatic controllers, associated gas, and liquids unloading facilities). In addition, the proposed rule sought to establish “Emissions Guidelines,” creating a Subpart OOOOc that would require states to develop plans to reduce methane emissions from existing sources that must be at least as effective as presumptive standards set by EPA. In November 2022, the EPA issued a supplemental proposed rule, which among other things, removed an emissions monitoring exemption for small wellhead-only sites and created a new third-party monitoring program to flag large emissions events, referred to in the proposed rule as “super emitters”. See Exploration and Production, Environmental, Health and Safety and Occupational Laws and Regulations included in Item 1 of Part I of this report for more information on the EPA’s and BLM’s rules.
In addition, several states in which we operate have imposed limitations designed to reduce methane emissions from gas and oil exploration and production activities. Legislative and state initiatives to date have generally focused on the development of renewable energy standards and/or cap-and-trade and/or carbon tax programs. Renewable energy standards (also referred to as renewable portfolio standards) require electric utilities to provide a specified minimum percentage of electricity from eligible renewable resources, with potential increases to the required percentage over time. The development of a federal renewable energy standard, or the development of additional or more stringent renewable energy standards at the state level could reduce the demand for gas and oil, thereby adversely impacting our earnings, cash flows and financial position. In addition, federal or state carbon taxes or fees could directly increase our costs of operation.
At the international level, the United Nations sponsored “Paris Agreement” requires member states to submit non-binding, individually determined reduction goals known as Nationally Determined Contributions every five years after 2020. Although the previous Presidential Administration recommitted the United States to the Paris Agreement in 2021 and announced a goal of reducing the United States’ GHG emissions by 50-52% below 2005 levels by 2030, on January 20, 2025, the current Presidential Administration issued an Executive Order directing the immediate notice to the United Nations of the United States’ withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and all other agreements made under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. At the same time, various state and local governments have publicly committed to furthering the goals of the Paris Agreement. As a result, it is not possible at this time to predict how legislation or regulations that may be adopted to address climate change, methane and other GHG emissions would impact our business. Further, the Supreme Court’s decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo to overrule Chevron U.S.A. Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. and end the concept of general deference to regulatory agency interpretations of laws introduces new complexity for federal agencies and administration of climate change policy and regulatory programs. However, many of these initiatives at the international, state and local levels are expected to continue.
These various legislative, regulatory and other activities addressing GHG emissions could adversely affect our business, including by imposing reporting obligations on, or limiting emissions of GHGs from, our equipment and operations, which could require us to incur costs to reduce emissions of GHGs associated with our operations. Limitations on GHG emissions could also adversely affect demand for gas and oil, which could lower the value of our reserves and have a material adverse effect on our profitability, financial condition and liquidity. Additionally, political, litigation and financial risks may result in our restricting or canceling production activities, incurring liability for infrastructure damages as a result of climatic changes, or impairing our ability to continue to operate in an economic manner. One or more of these developments could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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Costs to comply with environmental, health and safety regulations and initiatives can be significant.
As an owner, lessee or operator of gas and oil properties, we are subject to various federal, state, tribal and local laws and regulations relating to discharge of materials into, and protection of, the environment. These laws and regulations may, among other things, impose liability on us for the cost of remediating pollution that results from our operations. Environmental laws may impose strict, joint and several liability, and failure to comply with environmental laws and regulations can result in the imposition of administrative, civil or criminal fines and penalties, as well as injunctions limiting operations in affected areas. Any future costs associated with these matters are uncertain and could be influenced by several factors, including any new or amended regulatory requirements or changes to the interpretation of existing regulatory requirements. One or more of these matters could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Applicable environmental laws and regulations may:
• require the acquisition of a permit or other authorization and procurement of financial assurance before construction or drilling commences and for certain other activities;
• limit or prohibit construction, drilling and other activities on certain lands lying within wilderness and other protected areas; and
• impose substantial liabilities for pollution resulting from our operations.
The permits required for our operations may be subject to revocation, modification and renewal by issuing authorities. Governmental authorities have the power to enforce their regulations, and violations are subject to fines or injunctions, or both. In the opinion of management, we are in substantial compliance with current applicable environmental laws and regulations, and have no material commitments for capital expenditures to comply with existing environmental requirements. Nevertheless, changes in existing environmental laws and regulations or in interpretations thereof could have a significant impact on our company, as well as the oil and natural gas industry in general.
The Comprehensive Environmental, Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (“CERCLA”) and comparable state statutes impose strict, joint and several liability on several categories of persons, including current and former owners and operators of sites and on persons who disposed of or arranged for the disposal of “hazardous substances” found at such sites. It is not uncommon for the neighboring landowners and other third parties to file claims for personal injury and property damage allegedly caused by the hazardous substances released into the environment. The federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (“RCRA”) and comparable state statutes govern the disposal of “solid waste” and “hazardous waste” and authorize the imposition of substantial fines and penalties for noncompliance. Although CERCLA currently excludes petroleum from its definition of “hazardous substance,” state laws affecting our operations may impose clean-up liability relating to petroleum and petroleum related products. In addition, although RCRA classifies certain oil field wastes as “non-” if properly handled, such exploration and production wastes could be reclassified in the future as wastes thereby making such wastes subject to more handling and disposal requirements. Recent regulation and that has been brought others in the industry under RCRA liability for earthquakes that were caused by injection of oil field wastes.
The Endangered Species Act (“ESA”) seeks to ensure that activities do not jeopardize endangered or threatened animal, fish and plant species, nor destroy or modify the critical habitat of such species. Under the ESA, if a species is listed as threatened or endangered, restrictions may be imposed on activities adversely affecting that species or its habitat. Accordingly, restrictions may be imposed on exploration and production operations, as well as actions by federal agencies, to avoid significantly impairing or jeopardizing the species or its habitat. The ESA provides for criminal penalties for willful violations of the ESA. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service must also designate the species’ critical habitat and suitable habitat as part of the effort to ensure survival of the species. A habitat or suitable habitat designation could result in further material restrictions to land use and may materially or prohibit land access for oil and natural gas development. Other statutes that provide protection to animal and plant species and that may apply to our operations include, but are not necessarily limited to, the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, the Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the National Historic Preservation Act. In April 2025, the U.S. Department of Interior issued a memo, M-37085, to repeal M-37065, which had previously declared that the Migratory Bird Treaty Act prohibited both the and incidental “take” of migratory birds. The memo restored M-37050, clarifying that only the “take” of
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migratory birds is prohibited. Additionally, in April 2025, the FWS and National Marine Fisheries Service proposed to redefine “harm” to mean affirmative acts that are directed immediately and intentionally against a particular animal, excluding acts or omissions that indirectly cause injury. Additionally, in November 2025, the current Presidential Administration proposed several rules that would significantly alter ESA protections for plants and animals. One proposed rule would rescind a rule that automatically extends protections for endangered species to threatened species. Another proposed rule would change regulations for listing species as endangered or threatened as well as for designating critical habitats. Additionally, a third proposed rule would reinstate the framework for evaluating the benefits and cost of designating a critical habitat by considering factors like economic impact, impact on national security, and other relevant impacts. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is expected to issue final rules in 2026. Although we believe that our operations are in substantial compliance with such statutes, future amendments are uncertain, and any change in these statutes or any reclassification of a species as could subject our company (directly or indirectly through our operating partners) to significant expenses to modify our operations or could of certain operations altogether. There is also increasing interest in nature-related matters beyond protected species, such as general biodiversity, which may similarly require us or our customers to incur costs or take other measures which may impact our business or operations.
The Clean Air Act (“CAA”) controls air emissions from oil and natural gas production and natural gas processing operations, among other sources. CAA regulations include New Source Performance Standards (“NSPS”) for the oil and natural gas source category to address emissions of sulfur dioxide and volatile organic compounds (“VOCs”) and a separate set of emission standards to address hazardous air pollutants frequently associated with oil and natural gas production and processing activities.
The Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972, or the Clean Water Act (the “CWA”), imposes restrictions and controls on the discharge of produced waters and other pollutants into waters of the United States (“WOTUS”). Permits must be obtained to discharge pollutants into state and federal waters and to conduct construction activities in waters and wetlands. The CWA and certain state regulations prohibit the discharge of produced water, sand, drilling fluids, drill cuttings, sediment and certain other substances related to the oil and gas industry into certain coastal and offshore waters without an individual or general National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System discharge permit. In addition, the CWA and analogous state laws require individual permits or coverage under general permits for discharges of storm water runoff from certain types of facilities. CWA jurisdiction depends on the definition of WOTUS. In January 2023, the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (the “Corps”) issued a final rule that based the definition of WOTUS on a pre-2015 definition, which never took effect before being replaced in 2020. Separately, in May 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Sackett v. EPA narrowed federal jurisdiction over wetlands to “traditional navigable waters” and wetlands or other waters that have a “continuous surface connection” with or are otherwise indistinguishable from traditional navigable water. In September 2023, the EPA and the Corps published a direct-to-final rule that conforms the regulatory definition of WOTUS to the Supreme Court’s May 2023 decision in Sackett. However, roughly half of the states and other plaintiffs are the September 2023 rule, and the EPA and the Corps are using the pre-2015 definition of WOTUS in these states while continues. As a result, substantial uncertainty exists with respect to future implementation of the September 2023 rule and the scope of CWA jurisdiction more generally. Any expansion to CWA jurisdiction could impact areas where oil and gas operations are conducted. Some states also maintain groundwater protection programs that require permits for discharges or operations that may impact groundwater conditions. In 2021, the United States Supreme Court held that the CWA requires a discharge permit if the addition of pollutants through groundwater is the functional equivalent of a direct discharge from the point source into navigable waters. In November 2023, the EPA issued draft guidance describing the information that should be used to determine which discharges through groundwater may require a permit. However, in January 2025, the current Presidential Administration issued Executive Orders directing (i) the EPA and the Corps to identify planned or potential actions that could be subject to emergency treatment under Section 404 of the CWA and (ii) the heads of all federal agencies to identify and begin the processes to , revise, or rescind all agency actions, including all existing regulations and guidance documents, that are on the identification, development, or use of domestic energy resources. Accordingly, in November 2025, the Corps and the EPA issued a proposed rule revising the definition of WOTUS with the stated aim of conforming to the Supreme Court’s decision in Sackett and revising certain regulatory terms, such as “relatively permanent,” “tributary,” and “continuous surface connection”; a final rule is expected in early 2026, and is highly likely following issuance of the final rule. In January 2026, EPA also announced a proposed rule to revise the Section 401 state and tribal water quality certification regulations. The proposed rule aims to narrow the “activity”-based scope of state and tribal certification to point source discharges into waters of the United States. As a result, future implementation and enforcement of these rules and policies is
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uncertain at this time. Additionally, costs may be associated with the treatment of wastewater and/or developing and implementing storm water pollution prevention plans.
The CAA, CWA and comparable state statutes provide for civil, criminal and administrative penalties for unauthorized discharges of oil and other pollutants and impose liability on parties responsible for those discharges, for the costs of cleaning up any environmental damage caused by the release and for natural resource damages resulting from the release.
Increasing attention to sustainability matters and our ability to achieve and maintain sustainability certifications, goals and commitments may impact our business, financial results or stock price.
Increasing attention has been given to corporate activities related to sustainability matters in public discourse and the investment community. Expectations regarding voluntary sustainability initiatives and disclosures and consumer demand for more sustainable products, including alternative forms of energy, may result in increased costs (including but not limited to increased costs related to compliance, stakeholder engagement, contracting and insurance), changes in demand for certain products, increased availability of (and competition from) alternative energy sources and technologies, increased development of and demand for products that do not use fossil fuels or their derivatives, enhanced compliance or disclosure obligations or other adverse impacts to our business, financial condition or results of operations. Additionally, such expectations and related activism may result in demand shifts for natural gas, oil and NGLs in addition to potentially impacting our access to, and costs of, capital.
While we may at times engage in voluntary initiatives (such as voluntary disclosures, certifications or targets, among others) or commitments to improve our sustainability profile and/or products or to respond to stakeholder expectations, such initiatives or achievement of such commitments may be costly and may not have the desired effect. For example, while we are exploring initiatives related to various energy-related technologies, such as carbon capture and sequestration, this may require us to incur significant costs, and there is no guarantee that markets will develop, either in the manner we anticipate or at all, for the technologies in which we invest. In addition, we may commit to certain initiatives or goals, and we may not ultimately be able to achieve such commitments or goals, either on the timeframes or costs initially anticipated or at all, due to factors that are within or outside of our control. For example, while we have entered into a joint venture involving a new natural gas gathering pipeline and carbon capture project, a number of factors outside of our control could affect the success of the project, including evolving government regulation and voluntary protocols for reporting or verification of carbon emissions and their capture or sequestration, including new or different interpretations or reversal thereof, as well as the potential for enactment of or statutes or regulations and changes in technology and other factors. Moreover, actions or statements that we may take based on expectations, assumptions or third-party information that we currently believe to be reasonable may subsequently be determined to be or be subject to . Even if this is not the case, our current actions may subsequently be determined to be by various stakeholders, and we may be subject to investor or regulator engagement on our sustainability initiatives and disclosures, even if such initiatives are currently voluntary. Any to comply with investor, customer or other stakeholder expectations and standards, which are evolving and can , or if we are perceived to not have responded appropriately to the growing for sustainability issues, regardless of whether there is a legal requirement to do so, could cause reputational to our business, increase our risk of , and could have a material effect on our results of operations. For example, have brought various companies, including those in the fossil fuel sector, that such companies created public by producing, handling or marketing fuels that contributed to climate change or that the companies have been aware of the effects of climate change for some time but to those impacts. While we are not currently parties to any such , the ultimate outcomes of such and its impact to us are uncertain; we could incur substantial legal costs associated with these or similar lawsuits in the future.
In addition, organizations that provide information to investors on corporate governance and related matters have developed ratings systems for evaluating companies on their approach to sustainability matters. These ratings are used by some investors to inform their investment and voting decisions. Unfavorable ESG or sustainability ratings may lead to increased negative investor sentiment toward us and our industry and to the diversion of investment to other industries, which could have a negative impact on our stock price and our access to and costs of capital. To the extent sustainability matters negatively affect our reputation, it may also harm our ability to attract or retain employees or customers.
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Simultaneously, there are efforts by some stakeholders to reduce companies’ efforts on certain sustainability-related matters. Both advocates and opponents to certain sustainability initiatives are increasingly resorting to a range of activism forms, including media campaigns and litigation, to advance their perspectives. To the extent we are subject to such activism, it may require us to incur costs or otherwise adversely impact our business.
Separately, various regulators have adopted, or are considering adopting, regulations on environmental marketing claims or the prevention of greenwashing more generally, including, but not limited to the use of “ESG,” “sustainable,” “eco-friendly,” “green” or similar language in the marketing of products and services or the prevention of greenwashing more generally. Further, there have been increasing scrutiny on sustainability-related claims and frequency of allegations of “greenwashing” against companies making sustainability-related claims due to, among other things, allegations of incomplete, false or misleading disclosures, including with respect to the sustainable nature of their operations and products, as well as to a variety of perceived deficiencies in performance, including as stakeholder perceptions of sustainability continue to evolve.
There may be new regulation, disclosure-related and otherwise, with respect to sustainability matters, which will likely lead to increased compliance costs as well as scrutiny that could heighten all of the risks identified in this risk factor. Such sustainability matters may also impact our suppliers or customers, which could augment existing, or cause additional, impacts to our business or operations. To date, we have not incurred material sustainability-related costs, but we cannot guarantee that we will not incur such costs in the future.
The taxation of independent producers is subject to change, and changes in tax law could increase our cost of doing business .
We are subject to taxation by various governmental authorities at the federal, state and local levels in the jurisdictions in which we do business. New legislation could be enacted by any of these governmental authorities making it more costly for us to produce natural gas and oil by increasing our tax burden. The IRA was enacted on August 16, 2022, and included, among other things, a 15% corporate alternative minimum tax (“CAMT”) on adjusted financial statement income. Based on our book income for the past three years, we believe we are subject to the CAMT and will remain subject to the CAMT for the foreseeable future. In addition, state and local authorities could enact new legislation that would increase various taxes such as sales, severance and ad valorem taxes as well as accelerate the collection of such taxes.
The completion of the Southwestern Merger in 2024 triggered an annual limitation on the utilization of our tax attributes, reducing our ability to offset future taxable income, which may result in an increase to income tax liabilities. In addition, trading in our common stock, additional issuance of common stock, and certain other stock transactions could lead to an additional, potentially more restrictive, annual limitation.
Upon the completion of the Southwestern Merger, we experienced an ownership change under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code” and such change, a “Section 382 Ownership Change”), for purposes of both Southwestern’s tax attributes as well as for our own. We believe that the annual limitation on the utilization of our tax attributes resulting from the Southwestern Merger is less restrictive than the Section 382 Ownership Change we experienced in 2021. As a result, the new limitation would generally only apply to those tax attributes generated subsequent to that first ownership change.
Moreover, trading in our stock, additional issuances, and other stock transactions occurring subsequent to the Southwestern Merger could lead to a further Section 382 Ownership Change. In the event of any additional Section 382 Ownership Change a new annual limitation would be determined at such time that could be more restrictive than the current limitations. Depending on the market conditions and our tax basis, an additional Section 382 Ownership Change may result in a net unrealized built-in loss. The annual limitation in such a case would additionally be applied to certain of our tax items other than just net operating loss (“NOL”) carryforwards, disallowed business interest carryforwards and tax credits. For example, a portion of tax depreciation, depletion and amortization would also be subject to the annual limitation for a five-year period following the Section 382 Ownership Change but only to the extent of the net unrealized built-in loss existing at the time of the additional Section 382 Ownership Change. Whether the new annual would be more restrictive would depend on the value of our stock and the long-term tax-exempt rate in effect at the time of such Section 382 Ownership Change.
Some states would impose similar limitations on tax attribute utilization upon experiencing an additional Section 382 Ownership Change.
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Judicial decisions can affect our rights and obligations.
Our ability to develop natural gas, oil and NGL depends on the leases and other mineral rights we acquire and the rights of owners of nearby properties. We operate in areas where judicial decisions have not yet definitively interpreted various contractual provisions or addressed relevant aspects of property rights, nuisance and other matters that could be the source of claims against us as a developer or operator of properties. Although we plan our activities according to our expectations of these unresolved areas, based on decisions on similar issues in these jurisdictions and decisions from courts in other states that have addressed them, courts could resolve issues in ways that increase our liabilities or otherwise restrict or add costs to our operations.
