Chord Energy Corp (CHRD) Risk Factors

Item 1A. Risk Factors

Our business involves a high degree of risk. If any of the following risks, or any risk described elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, actually occurs, our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows could suffer. The risks described below are not the only ones facing us. Additional risks not presently known to us or which we currently consider immaterial also may adversely affect us.

Risks related to the oil and gas industry and our business

Global geopolitical tensions may create heightened volatility in crude oil, NGL and natural gas prices and could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Oil and gas prices are impacted by geopolitical tensions and conflict, such as conflicts between Russia and Ukraine, hostilities in the Middle East and political and military developments in South America. Although the length, impact and outcome of the military conflicts between Russia and Ukraine and elsewhere in the Middle East are highly unpredictable, these conflicts could lead to significant market and other disruptions, including significant volatility in commodity prices and supply of energy resources, instability in financial markets, supply chain interruptions, political and social instability and other material and adverse effects on macroeconomic conditions. It is not possible at this time to predict or determine the ultimate consequence of these regional conflicts. These conflicts and their broader impacts could have a lasting impact on the short- and long-term operations and financial condition of our business and the global economy.

Adverse developments affecting the financial markets, such as bank failures, the potential for the Federal Reserve to increase interest rates or an extended period of elevated interest rates, as well as the potential for a U.S. government shutdown, could adversely affect our current and projected business operations, financial condition, results of operations and liquidity.

Events involving limited liquidity, defaults, non-performance or other adverse developments that affect financial institutions, transactional counterparties or other companies in the financial services industry or the financial services industry generally, or concerns or rumors about any events of these kinds or other similar risks, have in the past and may in the future lead to market-wide liquidity problems. The failure of a bank, or events involving limited liquidity, defaults, non-performance or other adverse conditions in the financial markets impacting the financial institutions with which we conduct business, or concerns or rumors about such events, may lead to disruptions in access to our bank deposits, impair the ability of the banks participating in our current or future credit agreements from honoring their commitments to us or otherwise adversely impact our liquidity and financial performance. We regularly maintain domestic cash deposits in FDIC-insured banks, which exceed the FDIC insurance limits. There can be no assurance that our deposits in excess of the FDIC or other comparable insurance limits will be backstopped by the U.S. or applicable foreign government, or that any bank or financial institution with which we do business will be able to obtain needed liquidity from other banks, government institutions or by acquisition in the event of a failure or liquidity crisis.

Disruptions to the broader economy and financial markets, including the Federal Reserve’s actions with respect to interest rates and the timing of any anticipated decrease in rates or government shutdowns may also reduce our ability to access capital or result in such capital being available on less favorable terms. Higher interest rates or costs and tighter financial and operating covenants may make it more difficult to acquire financing on acceptable terms or at all. Any of these impacts, or any other impacts resulting from the factors described above or other related or similar factors, could have material adverse impacts on our liquidity, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

A substantial or extended decline in commodity prices, for crude oil and, to a lesser extent, NGL and natural gas, may adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations and our ability to meet our capital expenditure obligations and financial commitments.

The prices we receive for our crude oil and, to a lesser extent, NGL and natural gas, heavily influence our revenue, profitability, cash flow from operations, access to capital and future rate of growth. Crude oil, NGL and natural gas are commodities, and therefore, their prices are subject to wide fluctuations in response to relatively minor changes in supply and demand. Historically, the markets for crude oil, NGL and natural gas have been volatile, including declines and volatility during 2025. These markets will likely continue to be volatile in the future. The prices we receive for our production, and the levels of our production, depend on numerous factors beyond our control. These factors include the following:

•worldwide and regional economic and political conditions impacting the global supply and demand for crude oil, NGL and natural gas;

•the actions by the members of OPEC+ with respect to oil production levels and announcements of potential changes in such levels, including the ability of the OPEC+ countries to agree on and comply with supply limitations;

28

Table of Contents

•the price and quantity of imports of foreign crude oil, NGL and natural gas;

•political conditions in or affecting other crude oil, NGL and natural gas producing countries, including the current conflicts in and among the Middle East and conditions in South America, China, India and Russia;

•the level of global exploration and production;

•the level of global crude oil, NGL and natural gas inventories;

•events that impact global market demand, including impacts from wars, conflicts and global health epidemics and concerns;

•localized supply and demand fundamentals and regional, domestic and international transportation availability;

•the ability to continue to access critical transportation infrastructure such as DAPL, rail, and other regional outlets;

•the ability for the United States to continue to export crude oil, natural gas, and NGL;

•weather conditions and natural disasters;

•domestic and foreign governmental laws, regulations and policies, including, among others, the IRA, environmental requirements and the discouragement of the use of fuels that emit GHGs and encouragement of the use of alternative energy sources;

•speculation as to future commodity prices and the speculative trading of crude oil, NGL and natural gas futures contracts;

•changing consumer or market preferences, stockholder activism or activities by non-governmental organizations to limit certain sources of funding for the energy sector or restrict the exploration, development and production of crude oil, NGL and natural gas and related infrastructure;

•price and availability of competitors’ supplies of crude oil, NGL and natural gas;

•technological advances affecting energy consumption; and

•the price and availability of alternative fuels.

Substantially all of our crude oil and natural gas production is sold to purchasers under short-term (less than 12-month) contracts at market-based prices, and our NGL production is sold to purchasers under long-term (more than 12-month) contracts at market-based prices. Low crude oil, NGL and natural gas prices will reduce our cash flows, borrowing ability, the present value of our reserves and our ability to develop future reserves. See below “Risks related to our financial position—Our exploration, development and exploitation projects require substantial capital expenditures. We may be unable to obtain needed capital or financing on satisfactory terms, which could lead to expiration of our leases or a decline in our estimated net crude oil, NGL and natural gas reserves.” Low crude oil, NGL and natural gas prices may also reduce the amount of crude oil, NGL and natural gas that we can produce economically and may affect our proved reserves. See also “Our estimated net proved reserves are based on many assumptions that may turn out to be inaccurate. Any significant inaccuracies in these reserve estimates or underlying assumptions will materially affect the quantities and present value of our reserves” below.

The ability or willingness of OPEC+ to set and maintain production levels has a significant impact on oil prices.

OPEC is an intergovernmental organization that seeks to manage the price and supply of oil on the global energy market. Actions or inaction of OPEC+ members have a significant impact on global oil supply and pricing. For example, OPEC+ nations have previously agreed to take measures, including production cuts and increases, in an effort to achieve certain global supply or demand targets or to achieve certain crude oil price outcomes. There can be no assurance that OPEC+ members will continue to agree to future production cuts, moderating future production or other actions to support and stabilize oil prices, and they may take actions that have the effect of reducing oil prices. Uncertainty regarding future actions to be taken by OPEC+ members could lead to increased volatility in the price of crude oil, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

29

Table of Contents

Drilling for and producing crude oil and natural gas are high-risk activities with many uncertainties that could adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. We use some of the latest available horizontal drilling and completion techniques, which involve risk and uncertainty in their application.

Our future financial condition and results of operations will depend on the success of our exploitation, exploration, development and production activities. Our crude oil and natural gas E&P activities are subject to numerous risks beyond our control, including the risk that drilling will not result in commercially viable crude oil, NGL or natural gas production. Our decisions to purchase, explore, develop or otherwise exploit drilling locations or properties will depend in part on the evaluation of data obtained through geophysical and geological analyses, production data and engineering studies, the results of which are often inconclusive or subject to varying interpretations. For a discussion of the uncertainty involved in these processes, see “Our estimated net proved reserves are based on many assumptions that may turn out to be inaccurate. Any significant inaccuracies in these reserve estimates or underlying assumptions will materially affect the quantities and present value of our reserves” below. Our cost of drilling, completing and operating wells is often uncertain before drilling commences. Overruns in planned expenditures are common risks that can make a particular project uneconomical. Further, many factors may curtail, delay or cancel our scheduled drilling projects, including the following:

•shortages of or delays in obtaining equipment and qualified personnel;

•facility or equipment malfunctions and/or failure;

•unexpected operational events, including accidents;

•pressure or irregularities in geological formations;

•adverse weather or climatic conditions, such as blizzards, ice storms, wildfires, floods and prolonged drought conditions;

•reductions in crude oil, NGL and natural gas prices;

•inflation in exploration and drilling costs;

•disruptions in our supply chain for raw materials, chemicals and equipment;

•delays imposed by or resulting from compliance with regulatory requirements, including permits;

•proximity to and capacity of transportation facilities;

•contractual disputes;

•title problems; and

•limitations in the market for crude oil, NGL and natural gas.

Our operations involve utilizing the latest drilling and completion techniques as developed by us and our service providers in order to maximize cumulative recoveries and therefore contribute to maximizing returns. Risks that we face while drilling include, but are not limited to, the following:

•spacing of wells to maximize production rates and recoverable reserves;

•landing the wellbore in the desired drilling zone;

•staying in the desired drilling zone while drilling horizontally through the formation;

•running the casing the entire length of the wellbore; and

•the ability to run tools and other equipment consistently through the wellbore.

Risks that we face while completing our wells include, but are not limited to, the following:

•the ability to fracture stimulate the planned number of stages;

•the ability to run tools the entire length of the wellbore during completion operations;

•the ability to successfully clean out the wellbore after completion of the final fracture stimulation stage; and

•protecting nearby producing wells from the impact of fracture stimulation.

Ultimately, the success of these drilling and completion techniques can only be evaluated over time as more wells are drilled and production profiles are established over a sufficiently long time period. If our drilling results are less than anticipated or we are unable to execute our drilling program because of capital constraints, lease expirations, access to gathering systems and limited takeaway capacity or otherwise, and/or crude oil, NGL and natural gas prices decline, the return on our investment for certain projects may not be as attractive as we anticipate. Further, as a result of any of these developments, we could incur material write-downs of our oil and gas properties, and the value of our undeveloped acreage could decline in the future.

30

Table of Contents

Our estimated net proved reserves are based on many assumptions that may turn out to be inaccurate. Any significant inaccuracies in these reserve estimates or underlying assumptions will materially affect the quantities and present value of our reserves.

The process of estimating crude oil and natural gas reserves is complex. It requires interpretations of available technical data and many assumptions, including assumptions relating to current and future economic conditions and commodity prices. Any significant inaccuracies in these interpretations or assumptions could materially affect the estimated quantities and present value of reserves shown in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. See “Item 1. Business—Exploration and Production Operations” and “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data—Note 23—Supplemental Oil and Gas Reserve Information — Unaudited” for additional information about our estimated crude oil and natural gas reserves and the PV-10 and Standardized Measure as of December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023.

In order to prepare our estimates, we must project production rates and the timing of development expenditures. We must also analyze available geological, geophysical, production and engineering data. The extent, quality and reliability of this data can vary. The process also requires economic assumptions about matters such as crude oil and natural gas prices, drilling and operating expenses, capital expenditures, taxes and availability of funds. Although the reserve information contained herein is reviewed by our independent reserve engineers, estimates of crude oil, NGL and natural gas reserves are inherently imprecise.

Actual future production, crude oil, NGL and natural gas prices, revenues, taxes, development expenditures, operating expenses and quantities of recoverable oil and natural gas reserves will vary from our estimates. Any significant variance could materially affect the estimated quantities and present value of reserves shown in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. In addition, we may adjust estimates of net proved reserves to reflect production history, results of exploration and development, prevailing crude oil and natural gas prices and other factors, many of which are beyond our control. Due to the limited production history of our undeveloped acreage, the estimates of future production associated with such properties may be subject to greater variance to actual production than would be the case with properties having a longer production history.

You should not assume that the present value of future net revenues from our estimated net proved reserves is the current market value of our estimated net crude oil and natural gas reserves. In accordance with SEC requirements, we based the estimated discounted future net revenues from our estimated net proved reserves on the unweighted arithmetic average of the first-day-of-the-month price for the preceding 12 months without giving effect to derivative transactions. Actual future net revenues from our oil and gas properties will be affected by factors such as:

•actual prices we receive for crude oil, NGL and natural gas;

•actual cost of development and production expenditures;

•the amount and timing of actual production; and

•changes in governmental regulations or taxation.

The timing of both our production and our incurrence of expenses in connection with the development and production of oil and gas properties will affect the timing and amount of actual future net revenues from estimated net proved reserves, and thus their actual present value. In addition, the 10% discount factor we use when calculating discounted future net revenues may not be the most appropriate discount factor based on interest rates in effect from time to time and risks associated with us or the oil and natural gas industry in general.

Actual future prices and costs may differ materially from those used in the present value estimates included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Any significant future price changes will have a material effect on the quantity and present value of our estimated net proved reserves.

31

Table of Contents

If crude oil, NGL and natural gas prices decline, or for an extended period of time remain at depressed levels, we may be required to take write-downs of the carrying values of our oil and gas properties.

We review our proved oil and gas properties for impairment whenever events and circumstances indicate that a decline in the recoverability of their carrying value may have occurred. In addition, we assess our unproved properties periodically for impairment on a prospect-by-prospect basis based on remaining lease terms, drilling results or future plans to develop acreage. Based on specific market factors and circumstances at the time of prospective impairment reviews, and the continuing evaluation of development plans, production data, economics and other factors, we may be required to write down the carrying value of our oil and gas properties, which may result in a decrease in the amount available under our revolving credit facility.

The unavailability or high cost of additional drilling rigs, equipment, supplies, personnel and oilfield services or the unavailability of sufficient transportation for our production could adversely affect our ability to execute our exploration and development plans within our budget and on a timely basis.

Our industry is cyclical, and from time to time, there is a shortage of drilling rigs, equipment, supplies or qualified personnel. During these periods, the costs of rigs, equipment, supplies and personnel are substantially greater, and their availability to us may be limited. Additionally, these services may not be available on commercially reasonable terms.

Shortages or the high cost of drilling rigs, equipment, supplies, personnel or oilfield services or the unavailability of sufficient transportation for our production could delay or adversely affect our development and exploration operations or cause us to incur significant expenditures that are not provided for in our capital plan, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. Additionally, compliance with new or emerging legal requirements that affect midstream operations in North Dakota or Montana may reduce the availability of transportation for our production.

Substantially all of our producing properties and operations are located in the Williston Basin, making us vulnerable to risks associated with operating in a concentrated geographic area.

Our producing properties are geographically concentrated in the Williston Basin in northwestern North Dakota and northeastern Montana. As a result, we may be disproportionately exposed to the impact of economics in the Williston Basin or delays or interruptions of production from those wells caused by transportation capacity constraints, curtailment of production, availability of equipment, facilities, personnel or services, significant governmental regulation, natural disasters, adverse weather conditions, plant closures for scheduled maintenance or interruption of transportation of crude oil, NGL or natural gas produced from the wells in those areas. In addition, the effect of fluctuations on supply and demand may become more pronounced within specific geographic crude oil- and natural gas-producing areas such as the Williston Basin, which may cause these conditions to occur with greater frequency or magnify the effect of these conditions. Our crude oil, NGL and natural gas are sold in a limited number of geographic markets, and each has a generally fixed amount of storage and processing capacity. As a result, if such markets become oversupplied with crude oil, NGL and/or natural gas, it could have a material negative effect on the prices we receive for our products and therefore an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Variances in quality may also cause differences in the value received for our products.

Due to the concentrated nature of our portfolio of properties, a number of our properties could experience any of the same conditions at the same time, resulting in a relatively greater impact on our results of operations than they might have on other companies that have a more diversified portfolio of properties. The impact of regional economics or delays or interruptions of production in an area could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Our operations on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation of the Three Affiliated Tribes in North Dakota are subject to various federal, state, local and tribal regulations and laws, any of which may increase our costs and have an adverse impact on our ability to effectively conduct our operations.

Various federal agencies within the U.S. Department of the Interior (the “Department of the Interior”), particularly the BIA and the Office of Natural Resource Revenue, along with the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation (“MHA Nation”), promulgate and enforce regulations pertaining to operations on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. In addition, the MHA Nation is a sovereign nation having the right to enforce laws and regulations independent from federal, state and local statutes and regulations. These tribal laws and regulations include various taxes, fees, approvals and other conditions that apply to lessees, operators and contractors conducting operations on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. Lessees and operators conducting operations on tribal lands may be subject to the MHA Nation’s court system. The Department of the Interior previously issued an official opinion stating that the minerals beneath the Missouri River riverbed located on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation belong to the MHA Nation and not the State of North Dakota, overturning a 2020 Trump-agency decision that gave the State of North Dakota ownership.

The case is currently on remand before the D.C. Federal District Court. The parties previously filed dispositive motions, including motions for summary judgment, but the Court denied these dispositive motions and ruled that factual determinations would need to be made, and would require a trial and full evidentiary record, in order to rule on the riverbed ownership and

32

Table of Contents

related issues. The parties are currently required to file a joint status report, informing the Court of the time that would be required for expert testimony and exhibit production, beyond what has already been filed with the prior motions. On January 30, 2026, however, the federal defendants filed a motion to extend the timeline on the joint status report by 90 days to allow sufficient time for an internal review. The Court denied the request and ordered the parties to submit their joint status report by February 17, 2026. The ultimate outcome of this litigation, and any resolution between the parties, is uncertain and cannot be predicted. One or more of these factors may increase our costs of doing business on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation and may have an adverse impact on our ability to effectively transport products within the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation or to conduct our operations on such lands.

We depend upon a limited number of midstream providers for a large portion of our midstream services, and our failure to obtain and maintain access to the necessary infrastructure from these providers to successfully deliver crude oil, natural gas and NGL to market may adversely affect our earnings, cash flows and results of operations.

Our delivery of crude oil, NGL and natural gas depends upon the availability, proximity and capacity of pipelines, other transportation facilities and gathering and processing facilities primarily owned by a limited number of midstream service providers. The capacity of transmission, gathering and processing facilities may be insufficient to accommodate potential production from existing and new wells, which may result in substantial discounts in the prices we receive for our crude oil, NGL and natural gas or result in the shut-in of producing wells or the delay or discontinuance of development plans for properties. Our ability to secure access to pipeline infrastructure on favorable economic terms could affect our competitive position. In addition, midstream service providers could change or impose more stringent specifications on the quality of our production they are willing to accept, including the gravity and sulfur content of our crude oil and the Btu content of our natural gas. If the total mix of product fails to meet the applicable product quality specification, these midstream service providers may refuse to accept all or a part of the production we deliver, or we may be required to deliver production to meet such quality specifications that yields a lower realized price.

Access to midstream assets may be unavailable due to market conditions or mechanical or other reasons. A lack of access to needed infrastructure, or an extended interruption of access to or service from our or a midstream provider’s pipelines and facilities for any reason, including vandalism, sabotage or cyber-attacks on such pipelines and facilities or service interruptions, could result in adverse consequences to us, such as delays in producing and selling our crude oil, NGL and natural gas.

Our dependence on midstream service providers for transmission, gathering and processing services makes us dependent on them in order to get our crude oil, NGL and natural gas to market. To the extent these services are delayed or unavailable, we would be unable to realize revenue from wells served by such facilities until suitable arrangements are made to market our production. Additionally, we may be subject to price increases from time to time, including in connection with renewals. Our failure to obtain these services on acceptable terms could materially harm our business.

Our business depends on third-party transportation and processing facilities and other assets that are owned by third parties.

The marketability of our crude oil, NGL and natural gas depends in part on the availability, proximity and capacity of pipeline systems, processing facilities, and rail transportation assets owned by third parties. The lack of available capacity on these systems and facilities, whether as a result of proration, growth in demand outpacing growth in capacity, physical damage, scheduled maintenance, legal or other reasons such as suspension of service due to legal challenges (see below regarding DAPL), could result in a substantial increase in costs, declines in realized commodity prices, the shut-in of producing wells or the delay or discontinuance of development plans for our properties. The negative effects arising from these and similar circumstances may last for an extended period of time. In many cases, operators are provided only with limited, if any, notice as to when these circumstances will arise and their duration. In addition, concerns about the safety and security of oil and gas transportation by pipeline may result in public opposition to pipeline development and increased regulation of pipelines by PHMSA, and therefore less capacity to transport our products by pipeline.

The impact of pending and future legal proceedings on the systems, pipelines and facilities that we rely on can affect our ability to market our products and have a negative impact on realized pricing. In July 2020, the operator of DAPL was ordered by a U.S. District court to halt oil flow and empty the pipeline within 30 days while an environmental impact study (“EIS”) is completed. Also, in July 2020, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit issued a temporary administrative stay while the court considers the merits of a longer-term emergency stay order through the appeals process. On January 26, 2021, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld the U.S. District court’s ruling that an EIS is needed and also reaffirmed its earlier decision which allows DAPL to operate through the EIS process. The owners of DAPL appealed the lower court decision to the U.S. Supreme Court in September 2021; however, the appeal was rejected on February 22, 2022. The Corps released its draft EIS on September 8, 2023, which it made available for public comments. The Corps initially established a deadline of November 13, 2023 for public comments and, on October 31, 2023, the deadline for public comments was extended to December 13, 2023. The Corps did not identify a preferred alternative among the five actions analyzed (including granting the requested easement with conditions as originally issued) in the draft EIS. Three of the five alternative actions considered would require the abandonment, removal or reroute of the segment of DAPL at issue. The Corps

33

Table of Contents

completed the final EIS in December 2025 and formal decision by the Corps is expected during the first quarter of 2026; however, we cannot guarantee when the Corps may ultimately complete these actions. We regularly use DAPL in addition to other outlets to market our crude oil to end markets. Our risk is not concentrated at DAPL as we have alternative outlets to sell our crude oil production using multiple modes of transportation; however, in the event DAPL were to cease operating, we would anticipate Williston Basin crude oil prices to weaken materially before improving as the market adapts to rail transportation.

Limited takeaway capacity can result in significant discounts to our realized prices.

The crude oil business environment has historically been characterized by periods when crude oil production has surpassed local transportation and refining capacity, resulting in substantial discounts in the price received for crude oil versus prices quoted for NYMEX WTI crude oil. In the past, there have been periods when this discount has substantially increased due to the production of crude oil in the area increasing to a point that it temporarily surpasses the available pipeline transportation, rail transportation and refining capacity in the area. Expansions of both rail and pipeline facilities have reduced the prior constraint on crude oil transportation out of the Williston Basin and improved basin differentials received at the lease. See “Part II, Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” for information about our realized crude oil prices and average price differentials relative to NYMEX WTI for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023.

Additionally, the refining capacity in the U.S. Gulf Coast is insufficient to refine all of the light sweet crude oil being produced in the United States. The United States imports heavy crude oil and exports light crude oil to utilize the U.S. Gulf Coast refineries that have more heavy refining capacity. If light sweet crude oil production remains at current levels or continues to increase, demand for our light crude oil production could result in widening price discounts to the world crude oil prices and potential shut-in or reduction of production due to a lack of sufficient markets despite the lift on prior restrictions on the exporting of crude oil and natural gas from the United States.

The development of our PUD reserves may take longer and may require higher levels of capital expenditures than we currently anticipate. Therefore, our undeveloped reserves may not be ultimately developed or produced.

Approximately 31% of our estimated net proved reserves were classified as PUD as of December 31, 2025. Development of these reserves may take longer and require higher levels of capital expenditures than we currently anticipate. The future development of our PUD reserves is dependent on future commodity prices, costs and economic assumptions that align with our internal forecasts as well as access to liquidity sources, such as capital markets, our revolving credit facility and derivative contracts. Delays in the development of our reserves or increases in costs to drill and develop such reserves will reduce the PV-10 of our estimated PUD reserves and future net revenues estimated for such reserves and may result in some projects becoming uneconomic. In addition, delays in the development of reserves could cause us to have to reclassify our proved reserves as unproved reserves.

Unless we replace our crude oil, NGL and natural gas reserves, our reserves and production will decline, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

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

Our business is subject to operating risks that could result in substantial losses or liability claims, and we may not be insured for, or our insurance may be inadequate to protect us against these risks.

We are not insured against all risks. Losses and liabilities arising from uninsured and underinsured events could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. Our E&P activities are subject to all the operating risks associated with drilling for and producing crude oil and natural gas, including the possibility of:

•environmental hazards, such as natural gas leaks, crude oil and produced water spills, pipeline and tank ruptures, encountering naturally occurring radioactive materials and unauthorized discharges of brine, well stimulation and completion fluids, toxic gas, such as hydrogen sulfide, or other pollutants into the environment;

•abnormally pressured formations;

•shortages of, or delays in, obtaining water for hydraulic fracturing activities;

34

Table of Contents

•supply chain disruptions which could delay or halt our development projects;

•mechanical difficulties, such as stuck oilfield drilling and service tools and casing failure;

•personal injuries and death; and

•natural disasters.

Any of these risks could adversely affect our ability to conduct operations or result in substantial losses to us as a result of:

•injury or loss of life;

•damage to and destruction of property, natural resources and equipment;

•pollution and other environmental damage;

•regulatory investigations and penalties;

•suspension of our operations; and

•repair and remediation costs.

Insurance against all operational risk is not available to us. We are not fully insured against all risks, including development and completion risks that are generally not recoverable from third parties or insurance. In addition, pollution and environmental risks generally are not fully insurable. Also, we may elect not to obtain insurance if we believe that the cost of available insurance is excessive relative to the risks presented. The occurrence of an event that is not fully covered by insurance could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Drilling locations are scheduled to be drilled over several years and may not yield crude oil, NGL or natural gas in commercially viable quantities.

Our drilling locations are in various stages of evaluation, ranging from a location which is ready to drill to a location that will require substantial additional interpretation. There is no way to predict in advance of drilling and testing whether any particular location will yield crude oil or natural gas in sufficient quantities to recover drilling or completion costs or to be economically viable. The use of technologies and the study of producing fields in the same area will not enable us to know conclusively prior to drilling whether crude oil or natural gas will be present or, if present, whether crude oil, NGL or natural gas will be present in sufficient quantities to be economically viable. Even if sufficient amounts of crude oil, NGL or natural gas exist, we may damage the potentially productive hydrocarbon bearing formation or experience mechanical difficulties while drilling or completing the well, resulting in a reduction in production from the well or abandonment of the well. If we drill additional wells that we identify as dry holes in our current and future drilling locations, our drilling success rate may decline and materially harm our business. We cannot assure you that the analogies we draw from available data from other wells, more fully explored locations or producing fields will be applicable to our drilling locations. Further, initial production rates reported by us or other operators in the Williston Basin may not be indicative of future or long-term production rates. In sum, the cost of drilling, completing and operating any well is often uncertain, and new wells may not be productive.

Our potential drilling locations are scheduled to be drilled over several years, making them susceptible to uncertainties that could materially alter the occurrence or timing of their drilling.

Our management has identified and scheduled drilling locations as an estimation of our future multi-year drilling activities on our existing acreage. These potential drilling locations, including those without PUD reserves, represent a significant part of our execution strategy. Our ability to drill and develop these locations is subject to a number of uncertainties, including the availability of capital, seasonal conditions, regulatory approvals, crude oil, NGL and natural gas prices, costs and drilling results. In addition, we may not be able to raise the substantial amount of capital that would be necessary to drill a substantial portion of our potential drilling locations. See also “Risks related to our financial position—Our exploration, development and exploitation projects require substantial capital expenditures. We may be unable to obtain needed capital or financing on satisfactory terms, which could lead to expiration of our leases or a decline in our estimated net crude oil, NGL and natural gas reserves.”

Because of these uncertainties, we do not know if the numerous potential drilling locations we have identified will ever be drilled or if we will be able to produce crude oil, NGL or natural gas from these or any other potential drilling locations. Pursuant to existing SEC rules and guidance, subject to limited exceptions, PUD reserves may only be booked if they relate to wells scheduled to be drilled within five years of the date of booking. These rules and guidance may limit our potential to book additional PUD reserves as we pursue our drilling program.

35

Table of Contents

Certain of our undeveloped leasehold acreage is subject to leases that will expire over the next several years unless production is established on units containing the acreage, the primary term is extended through continuous drilling provisions or the leases are renewed. Failure to drill sufficient wells in order to hold acreage will result in a substantial lease renewal cost, or if renewal is not feasible, loss of our lease and prospective drilling opportunities.

As of December 31, 2025, approximately all of our total net acreage in the Williston Basin was held by production. The leases for our net acreage not held by production will expire at the end of their primary term unless production is established in paying quantities under the units containing these leases, the leases are held beyond their primary terms under continuous drilling provisions or the leases are renewed. In the Williston Basin, our acreage must be drilled before lease expiration, generally within three to five years, in order to hold the acreage by production. Unless production is established within the spacing units covering the undeveloped acres on which some of the locations are identified, the leases for such acreage will expire. As of December 31, 2025, we had an aggregate of 1,597 net acres expiring in 2026, 160 net acres expiring in 2027 and 470 net acres expiring in 2028 in the Williston Basin. The cost to renew such leases may increase significantly and we may not be able to renew such leases on commercially reasonable terms or at all. In addition, on certain portions of our acreage, third-party leases become immediately effective if our leases expire. Our ability to drill and develop these locations depends on a number of uncertainties, including crude oil, NGL and natural gas prices, the availability and cost of capital, drilling and production costs, availability of drilling services and equipment, drilling results, lease expirations, gathering system and pipeline transportation constraints, access to and availability of water sourcing and distribution systems, regulatory approvals and other factors. As such, our actual drilling activities may materially differ from our current expectations, which could adversely affect our business. We did not record any impairment charges on unproved properties during the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023.

We are not the operator of all of our drilling locations, and, therefore, we may not be able to control the timing of exploration or development efforts, associated costs, or the rate of production of any non-operated assets.

We may enter into arrangements with respect to existing or future drilling locations that result in a greater proportion of our locations being operated by others. As a result, we may have limited ability to exercise influence over the operations or future development of the drilling locations operated by our partners. Dependence on the operator could prevent us from realizing our target returns for those locations. The success and timing of exploration and development activities operated by our partners will depend on a number of factors that will be largely outside of our control, including:

•the timing and amount of capital expenditures;

•the operator’s expertise and financial resources;

•approval of other participants in drilling wells;

•the operator’s ability to obtain permits;

•selection of technology; and

•the rate of production of reserves, if any.

This limited ability to exercise control over the operations of some of our drilling locations may cause a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

Our operations are subject to federal, state (provincial in Canada) and local laws and regulations related to environmental and natural resources protection and occupational health and safety, which may expose us to significant costs and liabilities and may result in increased costs and additional operating restrictions or delays.

Our operations are subject to stringent federal, tribal, regional, state (provincial in Canada) and local laws and regulations governing occupational health and safety, the discharge of materials into the environment or otherwise relating to environmental protection. These laws and regulations may impose numerous obligations that are applicable to our operations and services. The trend of more expansive and stringent environmental and occupational health and safety legislation and regulations applied to the oil and gas industry could continue, resulting in material increases in our costs of doing business and consequently affecting profitability. See “Item 1. Business—Regulation—Environmental and occupational health and safety regulation” for more discussion on these environmental and occupational health and safety matters. Compliance with existing environmental and occupational safety and health laws, regulations, executive orders and other regulatory initiatives, or any other such new legal requirements, could, among other things, require us or our customers to install new or modified emission controls on equipment or processes, incur longer permitting timelines and incur significantly increased capital or operating expenditures, which costs may be material. One or more of these developments that impact us, our service providers or our customers could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition and reduce demand for our products.

36

Table of Contents

Our financial results could be impacted by uncertainty in U.S. trade policy, including uncertainty surrounding changes in tariffs, trade agreements or other trade restrictions imposed by the U.S. or other governments.

Our ability to conduct business can be impacted by changes in tariffs, changes or repeals of trade agreements or the imposition of other trade restrictions or retaliatory actions imposed by various governments. For example, during 2025, the Trump Administration enacted and modified tariffs on certain foreign imports into the United States, and trade and tariff policies continued to evolve throughout the year. The scope, duration and economic impact of existing tariffs, as well as the potential for additional changes or retaliatory measures by other governments, remain uncertain and unpredictable. Other effects of these changes, including responsive actions from governments and the unpredictability of U.S. governmental action and response, could also have significant impacts on our financial results. We cannot predict what further action may be taken with respect to tariffs or trade relations between the U.S. and other governments, and any further changes in U.S. or international trade policy could have an adverse impact on our business.

Failure to comply with federal, state and local laws and regulations could adversely affect our ability to produce, gather and transport our crude oil, NGL and natural gas and may result in substantial penalties.

Our operations are substantially affected by federal, state and local laws and regulations, particularly as they relate to the regulation of crude oil, NGL and natural gas production and transportation. These laws and regulations include regulation of crude oil, NGL and natural gas exploration and production and related operations, including a variety of activities related to the drilling of wells, and the interstate transportation of crude oil, NGL and natural gas by federal agencies such as FERC, as well as state agencies. We may incur substantial costs in order to maintain compliance with these laws and regulations. Due to recent incidents involving the release of crude oil, NGL and natural gas and fluids as a result of drilling activities in the United States, there have been a variety of regulatory initiatives at the federal and state levels to restrict crude oil, NGL and natural gas drilling operations in certain locations. Any increased regulation or suspension of crude oil, NGL and natural gas exploration and production, or revision or reinterpretation of existing laws and regulations, that arise out of these incidents or otherwise could result in delays and higher operating costs. Such costs or significant delays could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. With regard to our physical purchases and sales of energy commodities, we must also comply with anti-market manipulation laws and related regulations enforced by FERC, the CFTC and the FTC. To the lesser extent we are a shipper on interstate pipelines, we must comply with the FERC-approved tariffs of such pipelines and with federal policies related to the use of interstate pipeline capacity. Should we fail to comply with all applicable statutes, rules, regulations and orders of FERC, the CFTC or the FTC, we could be subject to substantial penalties and fines.

We expect to consider from time to time further strategic opportunities that may involve acquisitions, dispositions, investments in joint ventures, partnerships and other strategic alternatives that may enhance stockholder value, any of which may result in the use of a significant amount of our management resources or significant costs, and we may not be able to fully realize the potential benefit of such transactions.

We expect to continue to consider acquisitions, dispositions, investments in joint ventures, partnerships and other strategic alternatives with the objective of maximizing stockholder value. Our Board of Directors and our management may from time to time be engaged in evaluating potential transactions and other strategic alternatives. In addition, from time to time, we may engage financial advisors, enter into non-disclosure agreements, conduct discussions, and undertake other actions that may result in one or more transactions. Although there would be uncertainty that any of these activities or discussions would result in definitive agreements or the completion of any transaction, we may devote a significant amount of our management resources to analyzing and pursuing such a transaction, which could negatively impact our operations, and may impair our ability to retain and motivate key personnel. In addition, we may incur significant costs in connection with seeking such transactions or other strategic alternatives regardless of whether the transaction is completed. In the event that we consummate an acquisition, disposition, partnership or other strategic transaction in the future, we cannot be certain that we would fully realize the potential benefit of such a transaction and cannot predict the impact that such strategic transaction might have on our operations or stock price. Any potential transaction would be dependent upon a number of factors that may be beyond our control, including, among other factors, pricing volatility, market conditions, industry trends, regulatory limitations and the interest of third parties in us and our assets. There can be no assurance that the exploration of strategic alternatives will result in any specific action or transaction. Further, any such strategic alternative may not ultimately lead to increased stockholder value. We do not undertake to provide updates or make further comments regarding the evaluation of strategic alternatives, unless otherwise required by law.

Stakeholder and market attention to matters related to corporate responsibility, including in the oil and gas industry, may impact our business and ability to secure financing.

Businesses across all industries are facing scrutiny from some stakeholders related to corporate responsibility and ESG practices. Further, there are a number of state-level anti-ESG initiatives in the U.S. that may conflict with other regulatory requirements or various stakeholders’ expectations. Businesses that ignore evolving investor or stakeholder expectations and

37

Table of Contents

standards, which are continuing to evolve, or businesses that are perceived to have not responded appropriately to the growing concern for issues related to ESG, corporate responsibility or in some instances anti-ESG sentiment, regardless of whether there is a legal requirement to do so, may suffer from reputational damage, and the business, financial condition and/or stock price of such business entity could be materially and adversely affected. Attention to climate change, societal expectations on companies to address climate change, investor and societal expectations regarding voluntary disclosures related to ESG or corporate responsibility, mandatory disclosures and consumer demand for alternative forms of energy may result in increased costs, reduced demand for our products, reduced profits, increased legislative and judicial scrutiny, investigations and litigation, reputational damage and negative impacts on our access to capital markets. To the extent that societal pressures or political or other factors are involved, it is possible that we could be subject to additional governmental investigations, private litigation or activist campaigns as stockholders may attempt to effect changes to our business or governance practices.

In response to regulatory requirements or stakeholder expectations and industry standards, we may elect to seek out various voluntary ESG targets in the future, such targets are aspirational. We may not be able to meet such targets in the manner or on such a timeline as initially contemplated, including as a result of unforeseen costs or technical difficulties associated with achieving such results. To the extent we elected to pursue such targets and were able to achieve the desired target levels, such achievement may have been accomplished as a result of entering into various contractual arrangements. In addition, voluntary disclosures regarding ESG matters, as well as any ESG disclosures currently required or required in the future, could result in private litigation or government investigation or enforcement action regarding the sufficiency or validity of such disclosures. Moreover, failure or a perception (whether or not valid) of failure to implement ESG strategies related to corporate responsibility or achieve ESG goals or commitments, including any GHG emission reduction or carbon intensity goals or commitments, could result in private litigation and damage our reputation, cause investors or consumers to lose confidence in us and negatively impact our operations. Notwithstanding our election to pursue aspirational ESG-related targets in the future, we may receive pressure from investors, lenders or other groups to adopt more aggressive climate or other ESG-related goals or conversely to abandon ESG related goals. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to implement such goals because of potential costs or technical or operational obstacles. Additionally, interest on the part of investors and regulators in factors related to ESG and corporate responsibility and stakeholders’ demand for, and scrutiny of, disclosure related to ESG and corporate responsibility has also increased the risk that companies could be perceived as, or accused of, making inaccurate or misleading statements regarding their claims related to corporate responsibility, goal, targets, efforts or initiatives, often referred to as “greenwashing.” Such perception or accusation could damage our reputation and result in litigation or regulator actions.

In addition, organizations that provide information to investors on corporate governance and related matters have developed ratings processes for evaluating companies on their approach to ESG matters. Such ratings are used by some investors to inform their investment and voting decisions. Companies in the energy industry, and in particular those focused on oil or natural gas extraction, often do not score as well under such assessments compared to companies in other industries. While we may participate in various voluntary frameworks and certification programs to improve the ESG profile of our operations and services, we cannot guarantee that such participation or certification will have the intended results on our ESG profile. Unfavorable ESG ratings and activism directed at shifting funding away from companies with energy-related assets could lead to increased negative sentiment toward us, our customers and our industry.

These negative sentiments and responses to initiatives aimed at limiting climate change and reducing air pollution could lead to the diversion of investment to other industries, which could result in downward pressure on the stock prices of oil and gas companies, including ours, and limit our access to and increase costs of capital for potential acquisitions or development projects, all of which could impact our future financial results. Additionally, to the extent matters related to corporate responsibility negatively impact our reputation, we may not be able to compete as effectively or recruit or retain employees, which may adversely affect our operations.

See “Item 1. Business—Regulation—Environmental and occupational health and safety regulation” for more discussion on ESG and climate-related concerns.

Our operations are subject to a series of risks arising out of the threat of climate change, energy conservation measures or initiatives that stimulate demand for alternative forms of energy that could result in increased operating costs, restrictions on drilling and reduced demand for the crude oil and natural gas that we produce.

The threat of climate change continues to attract considerable attention in the United States and foreign countries. As a result, numerous proposals have been made and are likely to continue to be made at the international, national, regional and state levels of government to monitor and limit emissions of GHGs. As a result, our operations are subject to a series of regulatory, political, litigation and financial risks associated with the production and processing of fossil fuels and emissions of GHGs. See “Item 1. Business—Regulation—Environmental and occupational health and safety regulation” for more discussion on the threat of climate change, restriction of GHG emissions and related legal and policy developments. The adoption and implementation of any international, federal, regional or state legislation, executive actions, regulations or other regulatory and policy initiatives that impose more stringent standards for GHG emissions from the oil and gas industry or otherwise restrict the

38

Table of Contents

areas in which this industry may produce crude oil and natural gas or generate GHG emissions, or require enhanced disclosure of such GHG emissions and other climate-related information, could result in increased compliance costs, which if passed on to the customer could result in increased fossil fuels consumption costs and thereby reduce demand for crude oil and natural gas. Similarly, international, federal, state and local laws and policy initiatives supporting, incentivizing or preferring alternative forms of energy to fossil fuels could result in increased competition or reduce demand for our products. Additionally, political, financial and litigation risks may result in us restricting, delaying or canceling production activities, incurring liability for infrastructure damages as a result of climatic changes or impairing the ability to continue to operate in an economic manner. The occurrence of one or more of these developments could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Outbreak of infectious diseases could materially adversely affect our business.

We face risks related to pandemics, epidemics, outbreaks or other public health events (such as the COVID-19 pandemic) that are outside of our control and could significantly disrupt our operations and adversely affect our business and financial condition. In response to any future public health crisis, there may be wide-ranging actions taken by international, federal, state and local public health and governmental authorities to contain and combat the outbreak and spread of such public health crisis in regions across the United States and the world.

In addition, future public health events may adversely affect our operations or the health of our workforce and the workforces of our customers and service providers by rendering employees or contractors unable to work or access the appropriate facilities for an indefinite period of time. Our personnel could be impacted by these pandemic diseases or ultimately lead to a reduction in our workforce productivity or increased medical costs or insurance premiums as a result of these health risks.

Impact from public health crises will depend on the actions taken by authorities to contain it or treat its impact and the availability and acceptance of vaccines, all of which are beyond our control. These potential impacts, while uncertain and difficult to predict, may negatively affect our business, including, without limitation, our operating results, financial position and liquidity, the duration of any potential disruption of our business, how and the degree to which the pandemic may impact our customers, supply chain and distribution network, the health of our employees, the productivity and sustainability of our workforce, our insurance premiums, costs attributable to our emergency measures, payments from customers and uncollectible accounts, limitations on travel, the availability of industry experts and qualified personnel and the market for our securities.

Federal, state and local legislative and regulatory initiatives relating to hydraulic fracturing as well as governmental reviews of such activities could result in increased costs and additional operating restrictions or delays in the completion of crude oil and natural gas wells and adversely affect our production.

Hydraulic fracturing continues to be controversial in certain parts of the United States, resulting in increased scrutiny and regulation of the hydraulic fracturing process, including by federal and state agencies and local municipalities. See “Item 1. Business—Regulation—Environmental and occupational health and safety regulation” for more discussion on these hydraulic fracturing matters. The adoption of any federal, state or local laws or the implementation of regulations or issuance of executive orders restricting hydraulic fracturing activities or locations or suspending or delaying the performance of hydraulic fracturing on federal properties or other locations could potentially result in an increase in our compliance costs, and a decrease in the completion rate of our new crude oil and natural gas wells, which could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity, results of operations and financial condition. Restrictions, delays or bans on hydraulic fracturing could also reduce the amount of crude oil, NGL and natural gas that we are ultimately able to produce in commercial quantities, which adversely impacts our revenues and profitability.

Laws and regulations pertaining to the protection of threatened and endangered species or to critical habitat, wetlands and natural resources could delay, restrict or prohibit our operations and cause us to incur substantial costs that may have a material adverse effect on our development and production of reserves.

The federal ESA and comparable state laws were established to protect endangered and threatened species. Under the ESA, if a species is listed as threatened or endangered, restrictions may be imposed on activities adversely affecting that species’ habitat. Similar protections are offered to migratory birds under the MBTA.

See “Item 1. Business—Regulation—Environmental and occupational health and safety regulation” for more discussion on endangered species protection regulations. Some of our operations are conducted in areas where protected species or their habitats are known to exist, including those of the Dakota Skipper and Golden Eagle, and from time to time our development plans have been impacted in these areas. We may be obligated to develop and implement plans to avoid potential adverse effects to protected species and their habitats, and we may be delayed, restricted or prohibited from conducting operations in certain locations or during certain seasons, such as breeding and nesting seasons, when our operations could have an adverse effect on the species. Additionally, the designation of previously unprotected species or the re-designation of under-protected species as threatened or endangered in areas where we conduct operations could cause us to incur increased costs arising from

39

Table of Contents

species-protection measures or could result in delays, restrictions or prohibitions on our development and production activities that could have a material adverse effect on our ability to develop and produce reserves.

Our ability to produce crude oil, NGL and natural gas economically and in commercial quantities could be impaired if we are unable to acquire adequate supplies of water for our drilling and completion operations or are unable to dispose of or recycle the water we use economically and in an environmentally safe manner.

Water is an essential component of shale crude oil, NGL and natural gas production during both the drilling and hydraulic fracturing processes. Our access to water to be used in these processes may be adversely affected due to reasons such as periods of extended drought, private, third-party competition for water in localized areas or the implementation of local or state governmental programs to monitor or restrict the beneficial use of water subject to their jurisdiction for hydraulic fracturing to assure adequate local water supplies. The occurrence of these or similar developments may result in limitations being placed on allocations of water due to needs by third-party businesses with more senior contractual or permitting rights to the water. Our inability to locate or contractually acquire and sustain the receipt of sufficient amounts of water could adversely impact our E&P operations and have a corresponding adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, operations associated with our production and development activities generate drilling muds, produced waters and other waste streams, some of which may be disposed of by means of injection into underground wells situated in non-producing subsurface formations. These injection wells are regulated pursuant to the UIC program established under the SDWA. See “Item 1. Business—Regulation—Environmental and occupational health and safety regulation” for more discussion on seismicity matters. Compliance with current and future environmental laws, executive orders, regulations and permit requirements governing the withdrawal, storage and use of surface water or groundwater necessary for hydraulic fracturing activities, the injection of waste streams into disposal wells or any inability to secure transportation and access to disposal wells with sufficient capacity to accept all of our flowback and produced water on economic terms may increase our operating costs and cause delays, interruptions or termination of our operations, the extent of which cannot be predicted but that could be materially adverse to our business and results of operations.

Competition in the oil and gas industry is intense, making it more difficult for us to acquire properties, market crude oil, NGL and natural gas and secure and retain trained personnel.

Our ability to acquire additional drilling locations and to find and develop reserves in the future will depend on our ability to evaluate and select suitable properties and to consummate transactions in a highly competitive environment for acquiring properties, market crude oil, NGL and natural gas and secure equipment and trained personnel. Also, there is substantial competition for capital available for investment in the oil and gas industry. Many of our competitors possess and employ financial, technical and personnel resources substantially greater than ours. Those companies may be able to pay more for productive oil and gas properties and exploratory drilling locations or to identify, evaluate, bid for and purchase a greater number of properties and locations than our financial or personnel resources permit. Furthermore, these companies may also be better able to withstand the financial pressures of unsuccessful drilling attempts, sustained periods of volatility in financial markets and generally adverse global and industry-wide economic conditions, and may be better able to absorb the burdens resulting from changes in relevant laws and regulations, which would adversely affect our competitive position. In addition, companies may be able to offer better compensation packages to attract and retain qualified personnel than we are able to offer. The cost to attract and retain qualified personnel has increased in recent years due to competition and may increase substantially in the future. We may also see corporate consolidations among our competitors, which could significantly alter industry conditions and competition within the industry.

We may not be able to compete successfully in the future in acquiring prospective reserves, developing reserves, marketing hydrocarbons, attracting and retaining qualified personnel and raising additional capital, which could have a material adverse effect on our business.

The loss of senior management or technical personnel could adversely affect our operations.

To a large extent, we depend on the services of our senior management and technical personnel. The loss of the services of our senior management or technical personnel could have a material adverse effect on our operations. We do not maintain, nor do we plan to obtain, any insurance against the loss of any of these individuals.

Seasonal weather conditions could adversely affect our ability to conduct drilling activities in some of the areas where we operate.

Our crude oil, NGL and natural gas operations could be adversely affected by seasonal weather conditions. In the Williston Basin, drilling and other crude oil, NGL and natural gas activities cannot be conducted as effectively during the winter months. Severe winter weather conditions limit and may temporarily halt our ability, or the ability of our suppliers and service providers, to operate during such conditions. These constraints and the resulting shortages or high costs could delay or temporarily halt our operations and materially increase our operating and capital costs. See “Item 1. Business—Regulation—

40

Table of Contents

Environmental and occupational health and safety regulation” for more discussion on the threat of climate change and the resulting impacts to weather patterns and conditions.

We may be subject to risks in connection with acquisitions because of integration difficulties, uncertainties in evaluating recoverable reserves, well performance and potential liabilities and uncertainties in forecasting crude oil, NGL and natural gas prices and future development, production and marketing costs.

We periodically evaluate acquisitions of reserves, properties, prospects and leaseholds and other strategic transactions that appear to fit within our overall business strategy. The successful acquisition of producing properties requires an assessment of several factors, including:

•recoverable reserves;

•future crude oil, NGL and natural gas prices and their appropriate differentials;

•development and operating costs;

•potential for future drilling and production;

•validity of the seller’s title to the properties, which may be less than expected at the time of signing the purchase agreement; and

•potential environmental and other liabilities, together with associated litigation of such matters.

The accuracy of these assessments is inherently uncertain. In connection with these assessments, we perform a review of the subject properties that we believe to be generally consistent with industry practices. Our review will not reveal all existing or potential problems, nor will it permit us to become sufficiently familiar with the properties to fully assess their deficiencies and potential recoverable reserves. Inspections may not always be performed on every well, and environmental problems are not necessarily observable even when an inspection is undertaken. Even when problems are identified, the seller may be unwilling or unable to provide effective contractual protection against all or part of the problems. We often are not entitled to contractual indemnification for environmental liabilities or title defects in excess of the amounts claimed by us before closing and acquire properties on an “as is” basis. Indemnification from the sellers will generally be effective only during a limited time period after the closing and subject to certain dollar limitations and minimums. We may not be able to collect on such indemnification because of disputes with the sellers or their inability to pay. Moreover, there is a risk that we could ultimately be liable for unknown obligations related to acquisitions, which could materially adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

Significant acquisitions and other strategic transactions may involve other risks, including:

•diversion of our management’s attention to evaluating, negotiating and integrating significant acquisitions and strategic transactions;

•the challenge and cost of integrating acquired and expanded operations, including those related to information management and other technology systems, permitting and other regulatory matters, and business cultures with those of our operations while carrying on our ongoing business;

•difficulty associated with coordinating geographically separate organizations or coordinating teams among various assets;

•an inability to secure, on acceptable terms, sufficient financing that may be required in connection with expanded operations and unknown liabilities; and

•the challenge of attracting and retaining personnel associated with acquired operations.

The process of integrating assets from acquisitions and other strategic transactions could cause an interruption of, or loss of momentum in, the activities of our business. Members of our senior management may be required to devote considerable amounts of time to this integration process, which will decrease the time they will have to manage our business. If our senior management is not able to effectively manage the integration process, or if any significant business activities are interrupted as a result of the integration process, our business could suffer. The success of an acquisition will depend, in part, on our ability to realize anticipated opportunities from combining the acquired assets or operations with those of ours. Even if we successfully integrate the assets acquired, it may not be possible to realize the full benefits we may expect in estimated proved reserves, production volume, cost savings from operating synergies or other benefits anticipated from an acquisition or realize these benefits within the expected time frame. Anticipated benefits of an acquisition may be offset by operating losses relating to changes in commodity prices, in oil and gas industry conditions, by risks and uncertainties relating to the exploratory prospects of the combined assets or operations, failure to retain key personnel, an increase in operating or other costs or other difficulties. If we fail to realize the benefits we anticipate from an acquisition, our results of operations and stock price may be adversely affected.

41

Table of Contents

We may incur losses as a result of title defects in the properties in which we invest.

It is our practice in acquiring crude oil and natural gas leases or interests not to incur the expense of retaining lawyers to examine the title to the mineral interest. Rather, we rely upon the judgment of crude oil and natural gas lease brokers or landmen who perform the fieldwork in examining records in the appropriate governmental office before attempting to acquire a lease in a specific mineral interest.

Prior to the drilling of a crude oil or natural gas well, however, it is the normal practice in our industry for the person or company acting as the operator of the well to obtain a preliminary title review to ensure there are no obvious defects in the title to the well. Frequently, as a result of such examinations, certain curative work must be done to correct defects in the marketability of the title, and such curative work entails expense. Our failure to cure any title defects may adversely impact our ability in the future to increase production and reserves. There is no assurance that we will not suffer a monetary loss from title defects or title failure. Additionally, undeveloped acreage has greater risk of title defects than developed acreage. If there are any title defects or defects in assignment of leasehold rights in properties in which we hold an interest, we will suffer a financial loss.

Disputes or uncertainties may arise in relation to our royalty obligations.

Our production is subject to royalty obligations which may be prescribed by government regulation or by contract. These royalty obligations may be subject to changes in interpretation as business circumstances change and the law in jurisdictions in which we operate continues to evolve. Such changes in interpretation could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. In addition, such changes in interpretation could result in legal or other proceedings. Please see “Involvement in legal, governmental and regulatory proceedings could result in substantial liabilities” for a discussion of risks related to such proceedings.

Risks related to our financial position

Increased costs of capital could adversely affect our business.

Our business and operating results can be harmed by factors such as the availability, terms and cost of capital, increases in interest rates or a reduction in credit rating. Changes in any one or more of these factors could cause our cost of doing business to increase, limit our access to capital, limit our ability to pursue acquisition opportunities, reduce our cash flows available for drilling and place us at a competitive disadvantage. Recent and continuing disruptions and volatility in the global financial markets may lead to an increase in interest rates to combat inflation or a contraction in credit availability impacting our ability to finance our operations. We require continued access to capital. A significant reduction in the availability of credit could materially and adversely affect our ability to achieve our planned operating results.

Our revolving credit facility and the indentures governing our senior unsecured notes contain operating and financial restrictions that may restrict our business and financing activities.

Our revolving credit facility and the indentures governing our senior unsecured notes contain a number of restrictive covenants that impose significant operating and financial restrictions on us, including restrictions on our ability to, among other things:

•sell assets, including equity interests in our subsidiaries;

•pay distributions on, redeem or repurchase our common stock or redeem or repurchase our debt;

•make investments;

•incur or guarantee additional indebtedness or issue preferred stock;

•create or incur certain liens;

•make certain acquisitions and investments;

•redeem or prepay other debt;

•enter into agreements that restrict distributions or other payments from our restricted subsidiaries to us;

•consolidate, merge or transfer all or substantially all of our assets;

•engage in transactions with affiliates;

•create unrestricted subsidiaries;

42

Table of Contents

•enter into sale and leaseback transactions; and

•engage in certain business activities.

As a result of these covenants, we are limited in the manner in which we conduct our business, and we may be unable to engage in favorable business activities or finance future operations or capital needs.

Our ability to comply with some of the covenants and restrictions contained in our revolving credit facility and the indentures governing our senior unsecured notes may be affected by events beyond our control. If market or other economic conditions deteriorate or if crude oil, NGL and natural gas prices decline substantially or for an extended period of time from their current levels, our ability to comply with these covenants may be impaired. A failure to comply with the covenants, ratios or tests in our revolving credit facility, our senior unsecured notes or any future indebtedness could result in an event of default under which, if not cured or waived, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

If an event of default occurs and remains uncured, the lenders under our revolving credit facility:

•would not be required to lend any additional amounts to us;

•could elect to declare all borrowings outstanding, together with accrued and unpaid interest and fees, to be due and payable;

•may have the ability to require us to apply all of our available cash to repay these borrowings; or

•may prevent us from making debt service payments under our other agreements.

A payment default or an acceleration under our revolving credit facility could result in an event of default and an acceleration under the indentures for our senior unsecured notes. If the indebtedness under our senior unsecured notes were to be accelerated, there can be no assurance that we would have, or be able to obtain, sufficient funds to repay such indebtedness in full. Our obligations under our revolving credit facility are collateralized by perfected first priority liens and security interests on substantially all of our oil and gas assets, including mortgage liens on oil and gas properties having at least 85% of the reserve value as determined by reserve reports. If we are unable to repay our indebtedness under our revolving credit facility, the lenders could seek to foreclose on our assets.

Our derivative activities could result in financial losses or could reduce our income.

To achieve more predictable cash flows and to reduce our exposure to adverse fluctuations in the prices of crude oil, NGL and natural gas, we currently, and may in the future, enter into derivative arrangements for a portion of our crude oil, NGL and natural gas production, including two-way and three-way collars and fixed-price swaps. We have not designated any of our derivative instruments as hedges for accounting purposes and record all derivative instruments on our balance sheet at fair value. Changes in the fair value of our derivative instruments are recognized in earnings. Accordingly, our earnings may fluctuate significantly as a result of changes in the fair value of our derivative instruments.

Derivative arrangements also expose us to the risk of financial loss in some circumstances, including when:

•production is less than the volume covered by the derivative instruments;

•the counterparty to the derivative instrument defaults on its contract obligations; or

•there is an increase in the differential between the underlying price in the derivative instrument and actual price received.

In addition, some of these types of derivative arrangements limit the benefit we would receive from increases in the prices for crude oil and natural gas.

Our exploration, development and exploitation projects require substantial capital expenditures. We may be unable to obtain needed capital or financing on satisfactory terms, which could lead to expiration of our leases or a decline in our estimated net crude oil, NGL and natural gas reserves.

Our exploration and development activities are capital intensive. We make and expect to continue to make substantial capital expenditures in our business for the development, exploitation, production and acquisition of crude oil, NGL and natural gas reserves. Based upon our anticipated five-year development plan and current costs, we project that we will incur capital costs of approximately $3.0 billion to develop our PUD reserves. Please see “Part II, Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital Resources” for more information about our capital expenditures. The actual amount and timing of our future capital expenditures may differ materially from our estimates as a result of, among other things, commodity prices, inflation in costs, actual drilling results, the availability of drilling rigs and other services and equipment, and regulatory, technological and competitive developments.

43

Table of Contents

We intend to finance our future capital expenditures primarily through cash flows provided by operating activities; however, our financing needs may require us to alter or increase our capitalization substantially through the issuance of additional debt or equity securities or the sale of non-strategic assets. The issuance of additional debt or equity may require that a portion of our cash flows provided by operating activities be used for the payment of principal and interest on our debt, thereby reducing our ability to use cash flows to fund working capital, capital expenditures and acquisitions or to pay dividends. The issuance of additional equity securities could have a dilutive effect on the value of our common stock. In addition, upon the issuance of certain debt securities (other than on a borrowing base redetermination date), our borrowing base under our revolving credit facility will be automatically reduced by an amount equal to 25% of the aggregate principal amount of such debt securities, unless otherwise waived.

Our cash flows provided by operating activities and access to capital are subject to a number of variables, including:

•our estimated net proved reserves;

•the level of crude oil, NGL and natural gas we are able to produce from existing wells and new projected wells;

•the prices at which our crude oil, NGL and natural gas are sold;

•regulatory and third-party approvals;

•the costs of developing and producing our crude oil and natural gas production;

•our ability to acquire, locate and produce new reserves;

•the ability and willingness of our banks to lend; and

•our ability to access the equity and debt capital markets.

If the borrowing base under our revolving credit facility or our revenues decrease as a result of low crude oil, NGL or natural gas prices, operating difficulties, declines in reserves or for any other reason, we may have limited ability to obtain the capital necessary to sustain our operations at current levels. If additional capital is needed, we may not be able to obtain debt or equity financing on terms favorable to us, or at all. If cash generated by operations or cash available under our revolving credit facility is not sufficient to meet our capital requirements, the failure to obtain additional financing could result in a curtailment of our operations relating to development of our drilling locations, which in turn could lead to a possible expiration of our leases and a decline in our estimated net proved reserves, and could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The inability of one or more of our customers or affiliates to meet their obligations to us may adversely affect our financial results.

Our principal exposures to credit risk are through receivables resulting from the sale of our crude oil, NGL and natural gas production, which we market to energy marketing companies, other producers, power generators, local distribution companies, refineries and affiliates, and joint interest receivables.

We are subject to credit risk due to the concentration of our crude oil, NGL and natural gas receivables with several significant customers. This concentration of customers may impact our overall credit risk since these entities may be similarly affected by changes in economic and other conditions. We do not require all of our customers to post collateral. The inability or failure of our significant customers to meet their obligations to us or their insolvency or liquidation may adversely affect our financial results. See “Part II. Item 8.—Financial Statements and Supplementary Data—Note 19—Significant Concentrations” for additional information on significant concentrations with major customers.

Joint interest receivables arise from billing entities who own a partial interest in the wells we operate. These entities participate in our wells primarily based on their ownership in leases on which we choose to drill. We have limited ability to control participation in our wells. For the year ended December 31, 2025, changes in our estimate of expected credit losses were not material.

In addition, our crude oil and natural gas derivative arrangements expose us to credit risk in the event of nonperformance by counterparties. Derivative assets and liabilities arising from derivative contracts with the same counterparty are reported on a net basis, as all counterparty contracts provide for net settlement. At December 31, 2025, we had commodity derivatives in place with 15 counterparties and a total net commodity derivative asset of $85.7 million.

Changes in tax laws or the interpretation thereof or the imposition of new or increased taxes or fees may adversely affect our operations and cash flows.

From time to time, U.S. federal and state level and Canadian federal and provincial legislation has been proposed that would, if enacted into law, make significant changes to U.S. and Canadian tax laws, including to certain key U.S. federal and state and Canadian federal income tax provisions currently available to oil and natural gas exploration and development companies. Such

44

Table of Contents

legislative changes have included, but have not been limited to, (i) the elimination of the percentage depletion allowance for oil and natural gas properties, (ii) the elimination of current deductions for intangible drilling and development costs, (iii) an extension of the amortization period for certain geological and geophysical expenditures, (iv) the elimination of certain other tax deductions and relief previously available to oil and natural gas companies and (v) an increase in the U.S. and Canadian federal income tax rate applicable to corporations such as us. It is unclear whether these or similar changes will be enacted and, if enacted, how soon any such changes could take effect. Additionally, states in which we operate or own assets may impose new or increased taxes or fees on oil and natural gas extraction. The passage of any legislation as a result of these proposals and other similar changes in U.S. federal income tax laws or the imposition of new or increased taxes or fees on natural gas and oil extraction could adversely affect our operations and cash flows.

We may not be able to utilize all or a portion of our net operating loss carryforwards or other tax benefits to offset future taxable income for U.S. federal or state or Canadian federal tax purposes, which could adversely affect our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

We may be limited in the portion of our net operating loss carryforwards (“NOLs”) that we can use in the future to offset taxable income for U.S. federal and state and Canadian federal income tax purposes. Utilization of these NOLs depends on many factors, including our future taxable income, which cannot be assured.

Under Section 382 (“Section 382”) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), if a corporation experiences an “ownership change,” any NOLs, losses or deductions attributable to a “net unrealized built-in loss” and other tax attributes (“Tax Benefits”) could be substantially limited, and timing of the usage of such Tax Benefits could be substantially delayed. A corporation generally will experience an ownership change if one or more stockholders (or group of stockholders) who are each deemed to own at least 5% of the corporation’s stock increase their ownership by more than 50 percentage points over their lowest ownership percentage within a testing period (generally, a rolling three-year period). Determining the limitations under Section 382 is technical and highly complex, and no assurance can be given that upon further analysis our ability to take advantage of our NOLs or other Tax Benefits may be limited to a greater extent than we currently anticipate.

We experienced an ownership change as a result of the merger of equals with Whiting Petroleum Corporation (“Whiting”) on July 1, 2022 (the “Merger”). In addition, Whiting experienced an ownership change as a result of a prior restructuring under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code. Accordingly, our ability to utilize our NOLs and other Tax Benefits (including Whiting’s NOLs and other Tax Benefits) is subject to a limitation under Section 382. If we experience a subsequent ownership change, our NOLs and other Tax Benefits may be further limited. We may experience ownership changes in the future as a result of subsequent shifts in our stock ownership that we cannot predict or control that could result in further limitations being placed on our ability to utilize our NOLs and other Tax Benefits. Any such ownership changes and resulting limitations under Section 382 may result in us paying more taxes than if we were able to utilize our NOLs and other Tax Benefits, which could adversely affect our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

The cost of servicing, and the ability to generate enough cash flows to meet our current or future debt obligations could adversely affect our business. Those risks could increase if we incur more debt.

As of December 31, 2025, we had no outstanding borrowings and $32.8 million of outstanding letters of credit under our revolving credit facility, $750.0 million of 6.000% senior unsecured notes outstanding and $750.0 million 6.750% senior unsecured notes outstanding. Our ability to pay interest and principal on our indebtedness and to satisfy our other obligations will depend on our future operating performance, our financial condition and the availability of refinancing indebtedness, which will be affected by prevailing economic conditions and financial, business and other factors, many of which are beyond our control. If crude oil, NGL and natural gas prices decline substantially or for an extended period of time from their current levels, we may not be able to generate sufficient cash flows to pay the interest on our debt and future working capital, and borrowings or equity financing may not be available to pay or refinance such debt. Factors that will affect our ability to raise cash through an offering of our capital stock or a refinancing of our debt include financial market conditions, the value of our assets and our performance at the time we need capital.

In the future, we may incur significant indebtedness in order to make future acquisitions or to develop our properties. If we were to take on additional future debt, a substantial decrease in our operating cash flow or an increase in our expenses could make it difficult for us to meet debt service requirements and could require us to modify our operations, including by selling assets, reducing or delaying capital investments, seeking to raise additional capital or refinancing or restructuring our debt. We may or may not be able to complete any such steps on satisfactory terms. In addition, our revolving credit facility borrowing base is subject to periodic redeterminations. We could be forced to repay a portion of our bank borrowings under our revolving credit facility due to redeterminations of our borrowing base. If we are forced to do so, we may not have sufficient funds to make such repayments. Any ability to generate sufficient cash flows to satisfy our debt obligations or contractual commitments, or to refinance our debt on commercially reasonable terms, could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

45

Table of Contents

Risks related to our common stock

Our ability to declare and pay dividends is subject to certain considerations and limitations.

Any payment of future dividends will be at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend on, among other things, our earnings, financial condition, capital requirements, level of indebtedness, statutory and contractual restrictions applicable to the payment of dividends and other considerations that our Board of Directors deems relevant. Cash dividend payments in the future may only be made out of legally available funds and, if we experience substantial losses, such funds may not be available. Certain covenants in our revolving credit facility and the indentures governing our senior unsecured notes may limit our ability to pay dividends. We can provide no assurance that we will continue to pay dividends at the current rate or at all.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, and amended and restated bylaws, as well as Delaware law, contain provisions that could discourage acquisition bids or merger proposals, which may adversely affect the market price of our common stock.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, authorizes our Board of Directors to issue preferred stock without stockholder approval. If our Board of Directors elects to issue preferred stock, it could be more difficult for a third party to acquire us. In addition, some provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire control of us, even if the change of control would be beneficial to our stockholders, including:

•advance notice provisions for stockholder proposals and nominations for elections to the Board of Directors to be acted upon at meetings of stockholders; and

•limitations on the ability of our stockholders to call special meetings.

Delaware law prohibits us from engaging in any business combination with any “interested stockholder,” meaning generally that a stockholder who beneficially owns more than 15% of our stock cannot acquire us for a period of three years from the date this person became an interested stockholder, unless various conditions are met, such as approval of the transaction by our Board of Directors.

The issuance of stock-based awards may dilute your holding of shares of our common stock.

As of December 31, 2025, a total of 2,736,689 shares of common stock were available for future issuance under our equity incentive plans. The exercise of stock-based awards, including any stock options that we may grant in the future, warrants, and the sale of shares of our common stock underlying any such options or warrants, could have an adverse effect on the market for our common stock, including the price that an investor could obtain for their shares.

The market price of our common stock is subject to volatility.

The liquidity for our common shares has been below historical levels, and the market price of our common stock could be subject to wide fluctuations. If there is a thin trading market or “float” for our stock, the market price for our common stock may fluctuate significantly more than the stock market as a whole. Without a large float, our common stock would be less liquid than the stock of companies with broader public ownership and, as a result, the trading prices of our common stock may be more volatile. In addition, in the absence of an active public trading market, investors may be unable to liquidate their investment in us. The market price of our common stock can be affected by numerous factors, many of which are beyond our control. These factors include, among other things, actual or anticipated variations in our operating results and cash flow, the nature and content of our earnings releases, announcements or events that impact our products or services, customers, competitors or markets, business conditions in our markets and the general state of the securities markets and the market for energy-related stocks, as well as general economic and market conditions, such as an economic slowdown or recession, and other factors that may affect our future results.

General risk factors

Involvement in legal, governmental and regulatory proceedings could result in substantial liabilities.

Like other similarly-situated oil and gas companies, we are from time to time involved in various legal, governmental and regulatory proceedings in the ordinary course of business including, but not limited to, commercial disputes, claims from royalty and surface owners, property damage claims, personal injury claims, regulatory compliance matters, disputes with tax authorities and other matters. The outcome of such matters often cannot be predicted with certainty. If our efforts to defend ourselves in legal, governmental and regulatory matters are not successful, it is possible the outcome of one or more such proceedings could result in substantial liability, penalties, sanctions, judgments, consent decrees or orders requiring a change in our business practices, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Judgments and estimates to determine accruals related to legal, governmental and regulatory proceedings could

46

Table of Contents

change from period to period, and such changes could be material. See “Item 1. Business—Regulation” for more discussion on the regulations to which we are subject and a discussion of various risks regarding our business as a result of such regulations.

Our profitability may be negatively impacted by inflationary pressures in the cost of labor, materials and services and general economic, business or industry conditions.

The U.S. economy has experienced significant inflation since 2021 stemming from, among other things, supply chain disruptions, wage increases associated with a low U.S. unemployment rate and governmental stimulus or fiscal policies adopted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although U.S. inflation rates have moderated, we cannot predict any future trends in the rate of inflation. Elevated interest rates for prolonged periods and the state of the general economy have brought uncertainty to the near-term economic outlook and could increase the cost of future financing efforts. High levels of inflation could further raise our costs for labor, materials and services, due to a combination of factors, including: (i) global supply chain disruptions resulting in limited availability of certain materials and equipment (including drill pipe, casing and tubing), (ii) increased demand for fuel and steel, (iii) increased demand for services coupled with a limited availability of service providers and (iv) labor shortages, which would negatively impact our profitability and cash flows. We seek to mitigate these inflationary impacts by reviewing our pricing agreements on a regular basis and entering into agreements with our service providers to manage costs and availability of certain services that are utilized in our operations. It is difficult to predict whether such inflationary pressures will have a materially negative impact to our overall financial and operating results in the near future; however, such inflationary pressures are not expected to materially impact our overall liquidity position, cash requirements or financial position, or the ability to conduct our day-to-day drilling, completion and production activities.

Concerns over global economic conditions, changes in tariffs and trade agreements, energy costs, geopolitical issues, inflation and the availability and cost of credit in the European, Asian and U.S. markets contribute to economic uncertainty and diminished expectations for the global economy. These factors, combined with volatile prices of crude oil, NGL and natural gas, volatility in consumer confidence and job markets, may result in an economic slowdown or recession. Concerns about global economic growth have had a significant adverse impact on global financial markets and commodity prices. If the economic climate in the United States or abroad deteriorates, worldwide demand for petroleum products could diminish, which could impact the price at which crude oil, NGL and natural gas from our properties are sold, affect the ability of vendors, suppliers and customers associated with our properties to continue operations and ultimately adversely impact our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Terrorist attacks or cyber-attacks could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations and could result in information theft or data corruption.

The oil and gas industry has become increasingly dependent on digital technologies to conduct day-to-day operations. For example, software programs are used to manage gathering and transportation systems and for compliance reporting. The use of mobile communication devices has increased rapidly. Industrial control systems such as supervisory control and data acquisition (“SCADA”) now control large scale processes that can include multiple sites and long distances, such as crude oil and natural gas pipelines. We depend on digital technology, including information systems and related infrastructure as well as third-party cloud applications and services, to process and record financial and operating data and to communicate with our employees and business partners. Our business partners, including vendors, service providers and financial institutions, are also dependent on digital technology.

Terrorist attacks or cyber-attacks may significantly affect the energy industry, including our operations and those of our potential customers and third-party vendors, as well as general economic conditions, consumer confidence and spending and market liquidity. Strategic targets, such as energy-related assets, may be at greater risk of future attacks than other targets in the United States. A cyber-attack could include gaining unauthorized access to our or third-party digital systems or data for purposes of misappropriating assets or sensitive information, corrupting data or causing operational disruption. SCADA-based systems are potentially vulnerable to targeted cyber-attacks due to their critical role in operations. We, or our business partners, may rely upon outdated information technology (“IT”) or software systems that may be at a higher risk of error, failure and cyber breach. Techniques used in cyber-attacks often range from highly sophisticated efforts to electronically circumvent network security to more traditional intelligence gathering and social engineering aimed at obtaining information necessary to gain access. Cyber-attacks may also be performed in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as by causing denial-of-service attacks. In addition, certain cyber incidents, such as unauthorized surveillance or a data breach, may remain undetected for an extended period.

A cyber incident or technological failure involving our information systems or data and related infrastructure, or that of our business partners, including any vendor or service provider, could disrupt our business plans and negatively impact our operations in the following ways, among others:

•supply chain disruptions, which could delay or halt development of additional infrastructure, effectively delaying the start of cash flows from the project;

47

Table of Contents

•delays in delivering or failure to deliver product at the tailgate of our facilities, resulting in a loss of revenues;

•operational disruption resulting in loss of revenues;

•events of non-compliance that could lead to costly investigations and regulatory fines and/or penalties, class action litigation; and

•business interruptions that could result in expensive remediation efforts, distraction of management, damage to our reputation or a negative impact on the price of our units.

Our implementation of various controls and processes designed to monitor and mitigate security threats and to increase security for our information, facilities and infrastructure is costly and labor intensive. Moreover, despite our or our third-party partners’ security measures there can be no assurance that such measures will be sufficient to protect our IT systems from hacking, or other unauthorized system access, ransomware attacks, employee error, malfeasance, system error, faulty password management or other irregularities.

Moreover, as the sophistication, severity and volume of cyber-attacks continue to increase, we may be required to expend significant additional resources to further enhance our digital security and IT infrastructure or to remediate vulnerabilities, including through the use of artificial intelligence, and we may face difficulties in timely detecting or containing incidents or fully anticipating or implementing adequate preventive measures or mitigating potential harm. These costs may include making organizational changes, deploying additional personnel and protection technologies, training employees, and engaging third party experts and consultants. These efforts may come at the potential cost of revenues and human resources that could be utilized to continue to enhance our product offerings, and such increased costs and diversion of resources may adversely affect our operating margins. A cyber incident could ultimately result in investigations, liability under data privacy laws, regulatory penalties, damage to our reputation or additional costs for remediation and modification or enhancement of our information systems to prevent future occurrences, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, liquidity or results of operations or the integrity of the systems, processes and data needed to run our business. A cyber incident could also give rise to potential costs and consequences that cannot be estimated or predicted. For example, the SEC has adopted rules requiring the disclosure of cybersecurity incidents that we determine to be “material,” to be made within four business days of such determination, which can be complex, requiring a number of assumptions based on several factors. It is possible that the SEC may not agree with our determinations, which could result in investigations, fines, civil litigation or damage to our reputation.

Destructive forms of protests and opposition by extremists and other disruptions, including acts of sabotage or eco-terrorism, against crude oil, NGL and natural gas development and production or midstream processing or transportation activities could potentially result in damage or injury to persons, property or the environment or lead to extended interruptions of our operations. Our insurance may not protect us against such occurrences. Consequently, it is possible that any of these occurrences, or a combination of them, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Ineffective internal controls could impact our business and financial results.

Our internal controls over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements because of their inherent limitations, including the possibility of human error, the circumvention or overriding of controls, or fraud. Even effective internal controls can provide only reasonable assurance with respect to the preparation and fair presentation of financial statements. If we fail to maintain the adequacy of our internal controls, including any failure to implement required new or improved controls, or if we experience difficulties in their implementation, our business and financial results could be harmed, and we could fail to meet our financial reporting obligations.

We face risks associated with disruptive technologies, innovation and competition, including artificial intelligence.

Increasingly, E&P companies are leveraging artificial intelligence, including but not limited to generative artificial intelligence, to streamline business operations. Failure to effectively integrate artificial intelligence tools into our business operations could result in an inability to maintain a competitive edge among industry peers. In particular, such failure could result in an inability to meet industry needs as well as a loss in market share. Further, navigating continually evolving legal and regulatory requirements associated with implementing artificial intelligence tools may require significant resources to help ensure compliance with U.S. law.

Presently, we employ a limited array of artificial intelligence technology in our business, the use of which introduces us to certain risks including dependency on accurate intelligence performance, potential security breaches, challenges in regulatory compliance, ethical considerations, potential workforce disruption, the risk of intellectual property infringement, and other emerging technology risks. It is conceivable that we might integrate further artificial intelligence solutions into our information systems in the future, potentially assuming a more critical role in our operations over time. While we have established policies governing the use of artificial technology, and we safeguard our assets, including intellectual property and sensitive information, we cannot ensure that our employees, contractors or other agents would adhere to those policies. In addition, the

48

Table of Contents

legal and regulatory landscape related to artificial intelligence is constantly evolving and therefore remains uncertain and may be inconsistent from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Our obligations to comply with the evolving legal and regulatory landscape could entail significant costs or limit our ability to incorporate certain artificial intelligence capabilities into our operations. Failure or perceived failure by us to address these risks adequately may negatively impact our operations, reputation and financial performance. Additionally, other unforeseen risks stemming from our use and development of artificial intelligence tools and technology may arise in the future that could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.