Amplify Energy Corp. - Annual Report: 2022 (Form 10-K)

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UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-K

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For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022

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For the transition period from                      to                     .

Commission File Number: 001-35512

AMPLIFY ENERGY CORP.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

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Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (832) 219-9001

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Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

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Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well–known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes  ☐    No  ☑

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes  ☐    No  ☑

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports) and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes  ☑    No  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes  þ    No  ◻

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See definition of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b–2 of the Exchange Act.

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If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☐

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements.    ☐

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b).    ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act)  Yes  ☐    No  ☑

The aggregate market value of voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates of the registrant was approximately $231.2 million on June 30, 2022, based on $6.54 per share, the last reported sales price of the shares on the New York Stock Exchange on such date.

As of February 28, 2023, the registrant had 38,710,696 outstanding shares of common stock, $0.01 par value per share.

Documents Incorporated By Reference: Portions of the registrant’s definitive proxy statement relating to its 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days after December 31, 2022, are incorporated by reference to the extent set forth in Part III, Items 10-14 of this Form 10-K.

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AMPLIFY ENERGY CORP.

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GLOSSARY OF OIL AND NATURAL GAS TERMS

3-D seismic: Geophysical data that depict the subsurface strata in three dimensions. 3-D seismic typically provides a more detailed and accurate interpretation of the subsurface strata than 2-D, or two-dimensional, seismic.

Analogous Reservoir: Analogous reservoirs, as used in resource assessments, have similar rock and fluid properties, reservoir conditions (depth, temperature and pressure) and drive mechanisms, but are typically at a more advanced stage of development than the reservoir of interest and thus may provide concepts to assist in the interpretation of more limited data and estimation of recovery. When used to support proved reserves, analogous reservoir refers to a reservoir that shares all of the following characteristics with the reservoir of interest: (i) the same geological formation (but not necessarily in pressure communication with the reservoir of interest); (ii) the same environment of deposition; (iii) similar geologic structure; and (iv) the same drive mechanism.

API Gravity: A system of classifying oil based on its specific gravity, whereby the greater the gravity, the lighter the oil.

Basin: A large depression on the earth’s surface in which sediments accumulate.

Bbl: One stock tank barrel, or 42 U.S. gallons liquid volume, used in reference to oil or other liquid hydrocarbons.

Bbl/d: One Bbl per day.

Bcfe: One billion cubic feet of natural gas equivalent.

Boe: One barrel of oil equivalent, calculated by converting natural gas to oil equivalent barrels at a ratio of six Mcf of natural gas to one Bbl of oil.

Boe/d: One Boe per day.

BOEM: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.

BSEE: Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement.

Btu: One British thermal unit, the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of a one-pound mass of water by one-degree Fahrenheit.

CO₂: Carbon dioxide.

Deterministic Estimate: The method of estimating reserves or resources is called deterministic when a single value for each parameter (from the geoscience, engineering or economic data) in the reserves calculation is used in the reserves estimation procedure.

Developed Acreage: The number of acres which are allocated or assignable to producing wells or wells capable of production.

Development Project: A development project is the means by which petroleum resources are brought to the status of economically producible. As examples, the development of a single reservoir or field, an incremental development in a producing field or the integrated development of a group of several fields and associated facilities with a common ownership may constitute a development project.

Development Well: A well drilled within the proved area of an oil or natural gas reservoir to the depth of a stratigraphic horizon known to be productive.

Differential: An adjustment to the price of oil or natural gas from an established spot market price to reflect differences in the quality and/or location of oil or natural gas.

Dry Hole or Dry Well: A well found to be incapable of producing hydrocarbons in sufficient quantities such that proceeds from the sale of such production would exceed production expenses and taxes.

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Economically Producible: The term economically producible, as it relates to a resource, means a resource which generates revenue that exceeds, or is reasonably expected to exceed, the costs of the operation. For this determination, the value of the products that generate revenue is determined at the terminal point of oil and natural gas producing activities.

Estimated Ultimate Recovery: Estimated ultimate recovery is the sum of reserves remaining as of a given date and cumulative production as of that date.

Exploitation: A development or other project which may target proven or unproven reserves (such as probable or possible reserves) but which generally has a lower risk than that associated with exploration projects.

Exploratory Well: A well drilled to find and produce oil and natural gas reserves not classified as proved, to find a new reservoir in a field previously found to be productive of oil or natural gas in another reservoir or to extend a known reservoir.

Field: An area consisting of a single reservoir or multiple reservoirs, all grouped on or related to the same individual geological structural feature and/or stratigraphic condition. The field name refers to the surface area, although it may refer to both the surface and the underground productive formations.

GAAP: Generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America.

Gross Acres or Gross Wells: The total acres or wells, as the case may be, in which we have a working interest.

ICE: Inter-Continental Exchange.

MBbl: One thousand Bbls.

MBbls/d: One thousand Bbls per day.

MBoe: One thousand barrels of oil equivalent.

MBoe/d: One thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day.

MMBoe: One million barrels of oil equivalent.

Mcf: One thousand cubic feet of natural gas.

MMBtu: One million British thermal units.

MMcf: One million cubic feet of natural gas.

MMcfe: One million cubic feet of natural gas equivalent.

MMcfe/d: One MMcfe per day.

Net Acres or Net Wells: Gross acres or wells, as the case may be, multiplied by our working interest ownership percentage.

Net Production: Production that is owned by us less royalties and production due others.

Net Revenue Interest: A working interest owner’s gross working interest in production less the royalty, overriding royalty, production payment and net profits interests.

NGLs: The combination of ethane, propane, butane and natural gasolines that, when removed from natural gas become liquid under various levels of higher pressure and lower temperature.

NYMEX: New York Mercantile Exchange.

NYSE: New York Stock Exchange.

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Oil: Oil and condensate.

Operator: The individual or company responsible for the exploration and/or production of an oil or natural gas well or lease.

Plugging and abandonment: Refers to the sealing off of fluids in the strata penetrated by a well so that the fluids from one stratum will not escape into another stratum or to the surface. Regulations of all states require plugging of abandoned wells.

Present value of future net revenues or PV-9: The estimated future gross revenue to be generated from the production of proved reserves, net of estimated production and future development and abandonment costs, using prices and costs in effect at the determination date, before income taxes, and without giving effect to non-property-related expenses, discounted to a present value using an annual discount rate of 9% in accordance with the guidelines of the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).

Present value of future net revenues or PV-10: The estimated future gross revenue to be generated from the production of proved reserves, net of estimated production and future development and abandonment costs, using prices and costs in effect at the determination date, before income taxes, and without giving effect to non-property-related expenses, discounted to a present value using an annual discount rate of 10% in accordance with the guidelines of the SEC.

Probabilistic Estimate: The method of estimation of reserves or resources is called probabilistic when the full range of values that could reasonably occur for each unknown parameter (from the geoscience and engineering data) is used to generate a full range of possible outcomes and their associated probabilities of occurrences.

Productive Well: A well that produces commercial quantities of hydrocarbons, exclusive of its capacity to produce at a reasonable rate of return.

Proved Developed Reserves: Proved reserves that can be expected to be recovered from existing wells with existing equipment and operating methods.

Proved Reserves: Those quantities of oil and natural gas, which, by analysis of geoscience and engineering data, can be estimated with reasonable certainty to be economically producible, from a given date forward, from known reservoirs and under existing economic conditions, operating methods and government regulations, prior to the time at which contracts providing the right to operate expire, unless evidence indicates that renewal is reasonably certain, regardless of whether deterministic or probabilistic methods are used for the estimation. The project to extract the hydrocarbons must have commenced, or the operator must be reasonably certain that it will commence the project within a reasonable time. The area of the reservoir considered as proved includes (i) the area identified by drilling and limited by fluid contacts, if any, and (ii) adjacent undrilled portions of the reservoir that can, with reasonable certainty, be judged to be continuous with it and to contain economically producible oil or natural gas on the basis of available geoscience and engineering data. In the absence of data on fluid contacts, proved quantities in a reservoir are limited by the lowest known hydrocarbons, as seen in a well penetration, unless geoscience, engineering or performance data and reliable technology establishes a lower contact with reasonable certainty. Where direct observation from well penetrations has defined a highest known oil elevation, and the potential exists for an associated natural gas cap, proved oil reserves may be assigned in the structurally higher portions of the reservoir only if geoscience, engineering, or performance data and reliable technology establish the higher contact with reasonable certainty. Reserves that can be produced economically through application of improved recovery techniques (including fluid injection) are included in the proved classification when (i) successful testing by a pilot project in an area of the reservoir with properties no more favorable than in the reservoir as a whole, the operation of an installed program in the reservoir, or an analogous reservoir or other evidence using reliable technology establishes the reasonable certainty of the engineering analysis on which the project or program was based; and (ii) the project has been approved for development by all necessary parties and entities, including governmental entities. Existing economic conditions include prices and costs at which economic producibility from a reservoir is to be determined. The price used is the average price during the twelve-month period prior to the ending date of the period covered by the report, determined as an unweighted arithmetic average of the first-day-of-the-month price for each month within such period, unless prices are defined by contractual arrangements, excluding escalations based upon future conditions.

Proved Undeveloped Reserves: Proved oil and natural gas reserves that are expected to be recovered from new wells on undrilled acreage or from existing wells where a relatively major expenditure is required for recompletion. Reserves on undrilled acreage are limited to those drilling units offsetting productive units that are reasonably certain of production when drilled. Proved reserves for other undrilled units can be claimed only where it can be demonstrated with certainty that there is continuity of production from the existing productive formation. Under no circumstances should estimates for proved undeveloped reserves be attributable to any acreage for

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which an application of fluid injection or other improved recovery technique is contemplated unless such techniques have been proved effective by actual tests in the area and in the same reservoir.

Realized Price: The cash market price less all expected quality, transportation and demand adjustments.

Recompletion: The completion for production of an existing wellbore in another formation from that which the well has been previously completed.

Reliable Technology: Reliable technology is a grouping of one or more technologies (including computational methods) that has been field-tested and has been demonstrated to provide reasonably certain results with consistency and repeatability in the formation being evaluated or in an analogous formation.

Reserve Life: A measure of the productive life of an oil and natural gas property or a group of properties, expressed in years. Reserve life is calculated by dividing proved reserve volumes at year end by production volumes. In our calculation of reserve life, production volumes are adjusted, if necessary, to reflect property acquisitions and dispositions.

Reserves: Reserves are estimated remaining quantities of oil and natural gas and related substances anticipated to be economically producible, as of a given date, by application of development projects to known accumulations. In addition, there must exist, or there must be a reasonable expectation that there will exist, the legal right to produce or a revenue interest in the production, installed means of delivering oil and natural gas or related substances to market and all permits and financing required to implement the project. Reserves should not be assigned to adjacent reservoirs isolated by major, potentially sealing, faults until those reservoirs are penetrated and evaluated as economically producible. Reserves should not be assigned to areas that are clearly separated from a known accumulation by a non-productive reservoir (i.e., absence of reservoir, structurally low reservoir or negative test results). Such areas may contain prospective resources (i.e., potentially recoverable resources from undiscovered accumulations).

Reservoir: A porous and permeable underground formation containing a natural accumulation of producible oil and/or natural gas that is confined by impermeable rock or water barriers and is individual and separate from other reserves.

Resources: Resources are quantities of oil and natural gas estimated to exist in naturally occurring accumulations. A portion of the resources may be estimated to be recoverable, and another portion may be considered unrecoverable. Resources include both discovered and undiscovered accumulations.

SEC: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

Spacing: The distance between wells producing from the same reservoir. Spacing is often expressed in terms of acres (e.g., 40-acre spacing) and is often established by regulatory agencies.

Standardized Measure: The present value of estimated future net revenue to be generated from the production of proved reserves, determined in accordance with the rules, regulations or standards established by the SEC and the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) (using prices and costs in effect as of the date of estimation), less estimated future development, production and income tax expenses and discounted at 10% per annum to reflect the timing of future net revenue. Future income taxes, if applicable, are computed by applying the statutory tax rate to the excess of pre-tax cash inflows over our tax basis in our oil and natural gas properties. Standardized measure does not give effect to derivative transactions.

Undeveloped Acreage: Lease acreage on which wells have not been drilled or completed to a point that would permit the production of commercial quantities of oil and natural gas regardless of whether such acreage contains proved reserves.

Wellbore: The hole drilled by the bit that is equipped for oil or natural gas production on a completed well. Also called well or borehole.

Working Interest: An interest in an oil and natural gas lease that gives the owner of the interest the right to drill for and produce oil and natural gas on the leased acreage and generally requires the owner to pay a share of the costs of drilling and production operations.

Workover: Operations on a producing well to restore or increase production.

WTI: West Texas Intermediate.

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NAMES OF ENTITIES

As used in this 2022 Annual Report on Form 10-K (this “Annual Report”), unless we indicate otherwise:

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FORWARD–LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Annual Report contains forward-looking statements that are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, which may include statements about our:

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All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included in this report are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements may be found in “Item 1. Business,” “Item 1A. Risk Factors,” “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and other items within this Annual Report. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “will,” “could,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “project,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “pursue,” “target,” “outlook,” “continue,” the negative of such terms or other comparable terminology. These statements address activities, events or developments that we expect or anticipate will or may occur in the future, including things such as projections of results of operations, plans for growth, goals, future capital expenditures, competitive strengths, references to future intentions and other such references. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Important factors that could cause the Company’s actual results or financial condition to differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the following risks and uncertainties:

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The forward-looking statements contained in this report are largely based on our expectations, which reflect estimates and assumptions made by the Company’s management. These estimates and assumptions reflect the Company’s best judgment based on currently known market conditions and other factors. Although we believe such estimates and assumptions to be reasonable, they are inherently uncertain and involve a number of risks and uncertainties that are beyond the Company’s control. In addition, management’s assumptions about future events may prove to be inaccurate. All readers are cautioned that the forward-looking statements contained in this report are not guarantees of future performance, and we cannot assure any reader that such statements will be realized or that the events or circumstances described in any forward-looking statement will occur. Actual results may differ materially from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements due to factors described in “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this report. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this report. We do not intend to update or revise any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. These cautionary statements qualify all forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on the Company’s behalf.

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RISK FACTOR SUMMARY

Our business is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including those highlighted in this section titled “Risk Factors” and summarized below. We have various types of risks, including risks related to our business and industry; information technology, data security and privacy; legal, regulatory, accounting, and tax matters; our common stock; and our Revolving Credit Facility, which are discussed more fully elsewhere in this Annual Report. As a result, this risk factor summary does not contain all of the information that may be important to you, and you should read this risk factor summary together with the more detailed discussion of risks and uncertainties set forth following this section under the heading “Risk Factors,” as well as elsewhere in this Annual Report. These risks include, but are not limited to, the following:

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PART I

ITEM 1.BUSINESS

References

Amplify Energy Corp. (“Amplify Energy,” the “Company”, “we,” “us”, “our,” or similar terms), is a publicly traded Delaware corporation, in which our common stock is listed on the NYSE under the symbol “AMPY.”

Overview

Amplify Energy is an independent oil and natural gas company engaged in the acquisition, development, exploitation and production of oil and natural gas properties. Our management evaluates performance based on one reportable business segment, as the economic environments are not different within the operation of our oil and natural gas properties. Our business activities are conducted through OLLC, our wholly owned subsidiary, and its wholly owned subsidiaries. Our assets consist primarily of producing oil and natural gas properties located in Oklahoma, the Rockies (Bairoil), federal waters offshore Southern California (Beta), East Texas/North Louisiana, and Eagle Ford (Non-op). Most of our oil and natural gas properties are located in large, mature oil and natural gas reservoirs.

The Company’s properties consist primarily of operated and non-operated working interests in producing and undeveloped leasehold acreage and working interests in identified producing wells. As of December 31, 2022:

Industry Trends

During 2022, activity in the global economy increased and demand for oil, natural gas and NGLs and related commodity pricing improved. As such, oil, natural gas and NGLs prices increased during 2022 when compared to 2021 and, as a result, the Company experienced an increase in revenues. The Company expects activity levels in 2023 will continue to increase, although not likely at the same rate as 2022.

The war in Ukraine, the COVID-19 pandemic, rising interest rates, global supply chain disruptions, concerns about a potential economic downturn or recession and recent measures to combat persistent inflation have continued to contribute to economic and pricing volatility during 2022. Inflation in the U.S. has been rising at its fastest rate in over 40 years, creating inflationary pressure on the cost of services, equipment and other goods in the energy industry and other sectors, which is contributing to labor and materials shortages across the supply-chain. Additionally, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and other large producing nations continue to meet regularly to evaluate the state of global oil supply, demand, and inventory levels. As such, pricing may remain volatile during 2023.

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Recent Developments

Pipeline Incident Settlement

On March 1, 2023, the Company announced that the vessels that struck and damaged the Pipeline and their respective owners and operators have agreed to pay the Company $96.5 million in a settlement. The Marine Exchange of Los Angeles-Long Beach Harbor (“Marine Exchange”) has agreed to non-monetary terms as well. The overall resolution includes subrogation claims by Amplify’s property damage and loss of production insurers, with Amplify ultimately receiving a net payment of approximately $85 million. The parties are working to finalize the settlement agreement documentation. The settlement resolves Amplify’s affirmative claims related to the Incident. As part of the settlement, after payment is made, Amplify will dismiss all of its legal claims against those parties. For a discussion regarding the Incident, see Note 15 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included under “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this Annual Report for additional information.

Borrowing Base Redetermination Agreement and Seventh Amendment

On December 9, 2022, OLLC (the “Borrower”) entered into the Borrowing Base Redetermination Agreement and Seventh Amendment to Credit Agreement, among the Borrower, Amplify Acquisitionco LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Acquistionco”), the guarantors party thereto, the lenders party thereto and KeyBank National Association, as administrative agent (the “Seventh Amendment”). The Seventh Amendment amends the parties’ existing Credit Agreement, dated as of November 2, 2018 (the “Credit Agreement”), to, among other things:

Director and Certain Officer Departures and Appointments

On February 27, 2023, Jason McGlynn notified the Company of his decision to resign. Mr. McGlynn will cease to serve as Chief Financial Officer of the Company effective March 17, 2023 (the “Separation Date”). Mr. McGlynn’s decision to resign stems solely from personal reasons and did not result from any disagreement with the Company or the board of directors.

Subject to Mr. McGlynn’s execution and non-revocation of a general release of claims and continued employment by the Company until the Separation Date, Mr. McGlynn’s 8,334 unvested time-based restricted stock units scheduled to vest on April 1, 2023 pursuant to the applicable award agreement will vest in full on the Separation Date.

On November 29, 2022, Richard P. Smiley notified the Company of his intent to retire and resign from his current position as Senior Vice President, Operations, which decision stemmed solely from personal reasons and did not result from any disagreement with the Company or any matter relating to the Company’s operations, policies or practices. Mr. Smiley intends to remain in his role at the Company to assist with an orderly transition of his responsibilities, and to continue to provide essential transition services to the Company following his retirement.

Effective December 31, 2022, Eric T. Greager resigned from the Company’s board of directors to pursue another career opportunity. Mr. Greager’s decision to leave the Company for another career opportunity was not a result of any disagreement with the Company or its board of directors or any matter relating to the Company’s financials, operations, policies or practices.

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On February 9, 2023, the Company’s board of directors appointed James E. Craddock to the board of directors. Mr. Craddock has also been appointed to the nominating and governance committee of the board of directors.

Properties

We engaged Cawley, Gillespie and Associates, Inc. (“CG&A”), our independent reserve engineers, to prepare our reserves estimates for all of our proved reserves at December 31, 2022. The following table summarizes information, based on a reserve report prepared by CG&A (which we refer to as our “reserve report”), about our proved oil and natural gas reserves by geographic region as of December 31, 2022, and our average net production for the three months ended December 31, 2022:

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Our Areas of Operation

Oklahoma

Approximately 28% of our estimated proved reserves as of December 31, 2022 and approximately 32% of our average daily net production for the three months ended December 31, 2022 were located in the Oklahoma region. Our Oklahoma properties include wells and properties primarily located in Alfalfa and Woods counties in Oklahoma. Those properties collectively contained 35.0 MMBbls of estimated net proved reserves as of December 31, 2022 based on our reserve report and generated average net production of 6.6 MBoe/d for the three months ended December 31, 2022.

Rockies (Bairoil)

Approximately 23% of our estimated proved reserves as of December 31, 2022 and approximately 18% of our average daily net production for the three months ended December 31, 2022 were located in the Rockies region. Our Rockies properties include wells and properties primarily located in the Lost Soldier and Wertz fields in Wyoming at our Bairoil complex. Our Rockies properties contained 28.4 MMBbls of estimated net proved oil and NGLs reserves as of December 31, 2022 based on our reserve report and generated average net production of 3.7 MBoe/d for the three months ended December 31, 2022.

Southern California (Beta)

For a discussion regarding the Incident, see Note 15 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included under “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this Annual Report for additional information.

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Approximately 11% of our estimated proved reserves as of December 31, 2022 were associated with the Beta field located in federal waters offshore Southern California approximately 11 miles offshore from the Port of Long Beach, California (“Beta”). Our ownership in Beta consists of 100% of the working interests and 75.2% average net revenue interest in three Pacific Outer Continental Shelf lease blocks (P-0300, P-0301 and P-0306) (referred to as the “Beta Unit”) in the Beta field. The Beta properties contained 13.7 MMBbls of estimated net proved oil reserves as of December 31, 2022 based on our reserve report. Oil and gas are produced from the Beta Unit via two production platforms, referred to as the Ellen and Eureka platforms, equipped with permanent drilling rigs and associated equipment. On a third platform, Elly, the oil, water and gas are separated, and the oil is prepared for sale, while the gas is burned as fuel for power and the water is recycled back into the reservoir for pressure maintenance. Sales quality oil is then pumped from the Elly platform to the Beta pump station located onshore at the Port of Long Beach, California via a 16-inch diameter oil pipeline, which extends approximately 17.5 miles. Amplify Energy’s wholly owned subsidiary, San Pedro Bay Pipeline Company owns and operates the pipeline system.

East Texas / North Louisiana

Approximately 35% of our estimated proved reserves as of December 31, 2022 and approximately 45% of our average daily net production for the three months ended December 31, 2022 were located in the East Texas/ North Louisiana region. Our East Texas/ North Louisiana properties include wells and properties primarily located in the Joaquin, Carthage, Willow Springs and East Henderson fields in East Texas. Those properties collectively contained 43.9 MMBoe of estimated net proved reserves as of December 31, 2022 based on our reserve report and generated average net production of 9.5 MBoe/d for the three months ended December 31, 2022.

Eagle Ford (Non-Op)

Approximately 2% of our estimated proved reserves as of December 31, 2022 and approximately 5% of our average daily net production for the three months ended December 31, 2022 were located in the Eagle Ford region. Our Eagle Ford properties include wells and properties in fields located primarily in the Eagleville fields. Our Eagle Ford properties contained 2.9 MMBoe of estimated net proved reserves as of December 31, 2022 based on our reserve report. Those properties collectively generated average net production of 1.1 MBoe/d for the three months ended December 31, 2022.

Our Oil and Natural Gas Data

Our Reserves

Internal Controls. Our proved reserves were estimated at the well or unit level for reporting purposes by CG&A, our independent reserve engineers. We maintain internal evaluations of our reserves in a secure reserve engineering database. CG&A interacts with our internal petroleum engineers and geoscience professionals in each of our operating areas and with operating, accounting, and marketing employees to obtain the necessary data to prepare our proved reserves report. Reserves are reviewed and approved internally by our senior management on an annual basis and evaluated by our lender group on at least a semi-annual basis in connection with borrowing base redeterminations under our Revolving Credit Facility. Our reserve estimates are prepared by CG&A at least annually.

Our internal professional staff works closely with CG&A to ensure the integrity, accuracy and timeliness of data that is furnished to them in order to prepare the reserves report. All of the reserve information maintained in our secure reserve engineering database is provided to the external engineers. In addition, we provide CG&A with other pertinent data, such as seismic information, geologic maps, well logs, production tests, material balance calculations, well performance data, operating procedures and relevant economic criteria. We make all requested information, as well as our pertinent personnel, available to the external engineers as part of their preparation of our reserves.

Qualifications of Responsible Technical Persons

Internal Engineers. Tony Lopez is the technical person at the Company, primarily responsible for overseeing and providing oversight of the preparation of the reserves estimates with our third-party reserve engineers.

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Mr. Lopez has over 16 years of corporate reserve reporting experience. Mr. Lopez joined the Company as Vice President of Corporate Reserves in June 2018 and currently serves as the Company’s Senior Vice President of Engineering & Exploitation. Prior to that Mr. Lopez was Vice President of Acquisitions and Engineering for EnerVest, Ltd., where he managed the corporate reserve reporting process and the financial planning & analysis department. Mr. Lopez is a graduate of West Virginia University and holds a B.S. in Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering. Mr. Lopez is an active member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers.

Cawley, Gillespie and Associates Inc. CG&A is an independent oil and natural gas consulting firm. No director, officer, or key employee of CG&A has any financial ownership in us or any of our affiliates. CG&A’s compensation for the preparation of its report is not contingent upon the results obtained and reported. CG&A has not performed other work for us or any of our affiliates that would affect its objectivity. The estimates of our proved reserves presented in the CG&A reserve report were overseen by Todd Brooker.

Mr. Brooker is the President of CG&A and has been an employee of CG&A since 1992. His responsibilities include reserve and economic evaluations, fair market valuations, field studies, pipeline resource studies and acquisition/divestiture analysis. His reserve reports are routinely used for public company SEC disclosures. Prior to joining CG&A, Mr. Brooker worked in Gulf of Mexico drilling and production engineering at Chevron Corporation. Mr. Brooker’s experience includes significant projects in both conventional and unconventional resources in every major U.S. producing basin and abroad, including oil and gas shale plays, coalbed methane fields, waterfloods and complex, faulted structures.

Mr. Brooker graduated with honors from the University of Texas at Austin in 1989 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Petroleum Engineering and is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Texas. He is also a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers and the Society of Petroleum Evaluation Engineers and the Society of Petroleum Evaluation Engineers.

Estimated Proved Reserves

The following table summarizes our estimated proved oil and natural gas reserves and related standardized measure of discounted future net cash flows attributable to our properties as of December 31, 2022, which are based on the prepared reserve report by CG&A, our independent reserve engineers.

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The data in the table above represents estimates only. Oil and natural gas reserve engineering is inherently a subjective process of estimating underground accumulations of oil and natural gas that cannot be measured exactly. The accuracy of any reserve estimate is a function of the quality of available data and engineering and geological interpretation and judgment. Accordingly, reserve estimates may vary from the quantities of oil and natural gas that are ultimately recovered.

Future prices received for production and costs may vary, perhaps significantly, from the prices and costs assumed for purposes of these estimates. The 10% discount factor used to calculate standardized measure, which is required by the SEC and FASB, is not necessarily the most appropriate discount rate. The present value, no matter what discount rate is used, is materially affected by assumptions as to timing of future production, which may prove to be inaccurate. For these reasons, neither standardized measure nor PV-10 should be construed as the fair value of our oil and natural gas reserves.

For a discussion of risks associated with internal reserve estimates, see “Item 1A. Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Business — Our estimated reserves and future production rates are based on many assumptions that may turn out to be inaccurate. Any material inaccuracies in our reserve estimates or underlying assumptions will materially affect the quantities and present value of our estimated reserves.”

Development of Proved Undeveloped Reserves

As of December 31, 2022, we had 1,058 MBoe of proved undeveloped reserves (“PUDs”) comprised of 858 Mbbls of oil, 607 MMcf of natural gas and 98 Mbbls of NGLs. None of our proved undeveloped reserves as of December 31, 2022 are scheduled to be developed on a date more than five years from the date the reserves were initially booked as PUDs. PUDs will be converted from undeveloped to developed as the applicable wells begin production.

For the year ended December 31, 2022, total proved undeveloped reserves decreased by 1,109 MBoe. The majority of this decrease (954 Mboe) was due to transfers to proved developed reserves on certain non-operated properties in Eagle Ford and Cotton Valley. Other changes (155 Mboe) include modifications to the non-operated development timing in the Eagle Ford.

Approximately 44.1% (954 MBoe) of our PUDs recorded as of December 31, 2021 were developed during the twelve months ended December 31, 2022. Total costs incurred to develop these PUDs were approximately $3.4 million, of which $0.9 million was incurred in fiscal year 2021 and $2.5 million incurred in fiscal year 2022. In total, we incurred total capital expenditures of approximately $4.6 million during fiscal year 2022 developing PUDs, which includes $2.1 million associated with PUDs to be completed in 2023. Based on our current expectations of our cash flows, we believe that we can fund the drilling of our current PUD inventory and our expansions in the next five years from our cash flow from operations and borrowings under our Revolving Credit Facility. For a more detailed discussion of our liquidity position, see “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Liquidity and Capital Resources.”

Production, Revenue and Price History

For a description of our production, revenues, and average sales prices and per unit costs, see “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Results of Operations.”

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The following tables summarize our average net production, average unhedged sales prices by product and average lease operating cost expense per Boe by geographic region for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively:

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Productive Wells

Productive wells consist of producing wells and wells capable of production, including natural gas wells awaiting pipeline connections to commence deliveries and oil wells awaiting connection to production facilities. Gross wells are the total number of producing wells in which we own an interest and net wells are the sum of our fractional working interests owned in gross wells. The following table sets forth information relating to the productive wells in which we owned a working interest as of December 31, 2022.

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Developed Acreage

Acreage related to royalty, overriding royalty and other similar interests is excluded from this summary. As of December 31, 2022, substantially all of our leasehold acreage was held by production. The following table sets forth information as of December 31, 2022 relating to our leasehold acreage.

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Undeveloped Acreage

The following table sets forth information as of December 31, 2022 relating to our undeveloped leasehold acreage, which are held by production (including the remaining terms of leases and concessions).

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Drilling Activities

Our drilling activities primarily consist of development wells. The following table sets forth information with respect to (i) wells drilled and completed during the periods indicated and (ii) wells drilled in a prior period but completed during the periods indicated. The information should not be considered indicative of future performance, nor should a correlation be assumed between the number of productive wells drilled, quantities of reserves found or economic value. At December 31, 2022, 9 gross (0.5 net) wells were in various stages of completion.

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Delivery Commitments

We have no commitments to deliver a fixed and determinable quantity of our oil or natural gas production in the near future under our existing sales contracts.

We have a long-term contract associated with our NGL production in Oklahoma with a third-party midstream service provider that is subject to a volume obligation. Information regarding our delivery commitments under these contracts is contained in Note 16 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included under “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data,” contained herein.

Operations

General

As of December 31, 2022, the Company is the operator of record of properties containing 92% of our total estimated proved reserves. We design and manage the development, recompletion and/or workover operations, and supervise other operation and maintenance activities for all of the wells we operate. We do not own the drilling rigs or other oil field services equipment used for drilling or maintaining wells on our onshore properties; independent contractors provide all the equipment and personnel associated with these activities. Our Beta platforms have permanent drilling systems in place.

Marketing and Major Customers

The following individual customers each accounted for 10% or more of our total reported revenues for the period indicated:

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The production sales agreements covering our properties contain customary terms and conditions for the oil and natural gas industry and provide for sales based on prevailing market prices. A majority of those agreements have terms that renew on a month-to-month basis until either party gives advance written notice of termination.

If we were to lose any one of our customers, the loss could temporarily delay production and sale of a portion of our oil and natural gas in the related producing region. If we were to lose any single customer, we believe we could identify a substitute customer to purchase the impacted production volumes. However, if one or more of our larger customers ceased purchasing oil or natural gas altogether and we were unable to replace them, the loss of any such customer could have a detrimental effect on our production volumes and revenues in general.

Title to Properties

We believe that we have satisfactory title to all of our producing properties in accordance with industry standards. More thorough title investigations are customarily made before the consummation of an acquisition of producing properties and before commencement of drilling operations on undeveloped properties. Individual properties may be subject to burdens that we believe do not materially interfere with the use or affect the value of the properties. As is customary in the industry, in the case of undeveloped properties, often cursory investigation of record title is made at the time of lease acquisition. Burdens on properties may include customary royalty interests, liens incident to operating agreements and for current taxes, obligations or duties under applicable laws, development obligations under natural gas leases, or net profits interests.

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Derivative Activities

We enter into commodity derivative contracts with unaffiliated third parties, generally lenders under our Revolving Credit Facility or their affiliates, to achieve more predictable cash flows and to reduce our exposure to fluctuations in oil and natural gas prices. We intend to enter into commodity derivative contracts at times and on terms desired to maintain a portfolio of commodity derivative contracts covering at least 30% -75% of our estimated production from total proved developed producing reserves over a one-to-three-year period at any given point of time. We may, however, from time to time, hedge more or less than this approximate amount.

Periodically, we enter into interest rate swaps to mitigate exposure to market rate fluctuations by converting variable interest rates (such as those in our Revolving Credit Facility) to fixed interest rates.

It is our policy to enter into derivative contracts only with creditworthy counterparties, which generally are financial institutions, deemed by management as competent and competitive market makers. Some of the lenders, or certain of their affiliates, under our Revolving Credit Facility are counterparties to our derivative contracts. We will continue to evaluate the benefit of employing derivatives in the future.

Competition

We operate in a highly competitive environment for acquiring properties, leasing acreage, contracting for drilling equipment and securing trained personnel. Many of our competitors possess and employ financial, technical and personnel resources substantially greater than ours, which can be particularly important in the areas in which we operate. As a result, our competitors may be able to pay more for productive oil and natural gas properties and exploratory prospects, as well as evaluate, bid for and purchase a greater number of properties and prospects than our financial or personnel resources permit. Our ability to acquire additional properties and to find and develop reserves will depend on our ability to evaluate and select suitable properties and to consummate transactions in a highly competitive environment. In addition, there is substantial competition for capital available for investment in the oil and natural gas industry and many of our competitors have access to capital at a lower cost than that available to us.

Seasonal Nature of Business

The price we receive for our natural gas production is impacted by seasonal fluctuations in demand for natural gas. The demand for natural gas typically peaks during the coldest months and tapers off during the milder months, with a slight increase during the summer to meet the demands of electric generators. The weather during any particular season can affect this cyclical demand for natural gas. Seasonal anomalies such as mild winters or hot summers can lessen or intensify this fluctuation. In addition, certain natural gas users utilize natural gas storage facilities and purchase some of their anticipated winter requirements during the summer. This can also lessen seasonal demand fluctuations.

Hydraulic Fracturing

We use hydraulic fracturing as a means to maximize the productivity of almost every well that we drill and complete, except in our offshore wells. Hydraulic fracturing is a necessary part of the completion process because our properties are dependent upon our ability to effectively fracture the producing formations in order to produce at economic rates. Our proved non-producing and proved undeveloped reserves make up 18% of the total proved reserves, with approximately 25.7% of these requiring hydraulic fracturing as of December 31, 2022.

We believe we have followed and continue to substantially follow applicable industry standard practices and legal and regulatory requirements for groundwater protection in our hydraulic fracturing operations, which are subject to supervision by state and federal regulators (including the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (the “BLM”) on federal acreage). These protective measures include setting surface casing at a depth sufficient to protect fresh water zones as determined by regulatory agencies and cementing the well to create a permanent isolating barrier between the casing pipe and surrounding geological formations. This aspect of well design is intended to essentially eliminate a pathway for the fracturing fluid to contact any aquifers during the hydraulic fracturing operations. For recompletions of existing wells, the production casing is pressure tested prior to perforating the new completion interval.

Injection rates and pressures are monitored instantaneously and in real time at the surface during our hydraulic fracturing operations. Pressure is monitored on both the injection string and the immediate annulus to the injection string. Hydraulic fracturing operations would be shut down immediately if an abnormal change occurred to the injection pressure or annular pressure.

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Certain state regulations require disclosure of the components in the solutions used in hydraulic fracturing operations. Approximately 99% of the hydraulic fracturing fluids we use are made up of water and sand, and the fluids are managed and used in accordance with applicable requirements.

Hydraulic fracture stimulation requires the use of a significant volume of water. Upon flowback of the water, we dispose of it into approved disposal or injection wells. We currently do not discharge water to the surface.

For information regarding existing and proposed governmental regulations regarding hydraulic fracturing and related environmental matters, see “— Environmental, Occupational Health and Safety Matters and Regulations — Hydraulic Fracturing.”

Insurance

In accordance with customary industry practice, we maintain insurance against many, but not all, potential losses or liabilities arising from our operations and at costs that we believe to be economic. We regularly review our risks of loss and the cost and availability of insurance and revise our insurance accordingly. Our insurance does not cover every potential risk associated with our operations, including the potential loss of significant revenues. We can provide no assurance that our coverage will adequately protect us against liability from all potential consequences, damages and losses. We currently have insurance policies that include the following:

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We continuously monitor regulatory changes and comments and consider their impact on the insurance market, along with and our overall risk profile. As necessary, we will adjust our risk and insurance program to provide protection at a level we consider appropriate while weighing the cost of insurance against the potential and magnitude of disruption to our operations and cash flows. Changes in laws and regulations could lead to changes in underwriting standards, limitations on scope and amount of coverage, and higher premiums, including possible increases in liability caps for claims of damages from oil spills.

Environmental, Occupational Health and Safety Matters and Regulations

General

Our oil and natural gas development and production operations are subject to stringent and complex federal, state and local laws and regulations governing the discharge of materials into the environment, occupational health and safety aspects of our operations, or otherwise relating to protection of the environment and natural resources. These laws and regulations impose numerous obligations applicable to our operations, including the acquisition of certain permits before conducting regulated drilling activities; the restriction of types, quantities and concentration of materials that can be released into the environment; the limitation or prohibition of drilling activities on certain lands lying within wilderness, wetlands, seismically active areas and other protected areas; the application of specific health and safety criteria addressing worker protection; and the imposition of substantial liabilities for pollution resulting from our operations. Numerous governmental authorities, such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) and analogous state agencies, have the power to enforce compliance with these laws and regulations and the permits issued under them, often requiring difficult and costly compliance or corrective actions. Failure to comply with these laws and regulations may result in the assessment of sanctions, including administrative, civil or criminal penalties, the imposition of investigatory or remedial obligations, the suspension or revocation of necessary permits, licenses and authorizations, the requirement that additional pollution controls be installed and, in some instances, the issuance of orders limiting or prohibiting some or all of our operations. We may also experience delays in obtaining or be unable to obtain required permits, which may delay or interrupt our operations and limit our growth and revenue. In addition, the long-term trend in environmental regulation has been to place more restrictions and limitations on activities that may affect the environment and thus, our costs of compliance may increase if existing laws and regulations are revised or reinterpreted, or if new laws and regulations become applicable to our operations.

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Under certain environmental laws that impose strict as well as joint and several liability, we may be required to remediate contaminated properties currently or formerly owned or operated by us or facilities of third parties that received waste generated by our operations regardless of whether such contamination resulted from the conduct of others or from our own actions that were in compliance with all applicable laws at the time those actions were taken. In addition, claims for damages to persons or property, including natural resources, may result from the environmental, health and safety impacts of our operations. Moreover, public interest in the protection of the environment has increased in recent years. New laws and regulations continue to be enacted, particularly at the state level, and the long-term trend of more expansive and stringent environmental legislation and regulations applied to the crude oil and natural gas industry could continue, resulting in increased costs of doing business and consequently affecting profitability. To the extent new or more stringent laws are enacted or other governmental action is taken that restricts drilling or imposes more stringent and costly operating, waste handling, disposal and cleanup requirements, our business, prospects, financial condition or results of operations could be materially adversely affected.

The following is a summary of the more significant existing environmental, occupational health and safety laws and regulations to which our business operations are subject and for which compliance may have a material adverse impact on our operations, capital expenditures, earnings or competitive position.

Offshore Operations

Our oil and gas operations associated with our Beta properties are conducted on offshore leases in federal waters and those operations are regulated by agencies such as the BOEM and the BSEE, which have broad authority to regulate our oil and gas operations associated with our Beta properties.

BOEM is responsible for managing environmentally and economically responsible development of the nation’s offshore resources. Its functions include offshore leasing, resource evaluation, review and administration of oil and gas exploration and development plans, renewable energy development, and National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”) analysis and environmental review. Lessees must obtain BOEM approval for exploration, development and production plans prior to the commencement of offshore operations. BOEM generally requires that lessees have substantial net worth, post supplemental bonds or provide other acceptable assurances that the obligations will be met. In October 2020, BOEM and BSEE issued a proposed rule to clarify, streamline, and provide greater transparency to financial assurance requirements for the oil and gas industry, including streamlining the evaluation criteria for determining if and when additional security is required for Outer Continental Shelf (“OCS”) leases, pipeline rights-of-way and rights-of-use and easement and revising the process for issuing decommissioning obligations for facilities on the OCS. The new criteria may require lessees or operators to take additional steps to demonstrate that they have the financial ability to carry out their lease obligations. A final rule was expected by December 2022. It is unclear whether BOEM and BSEE will finalize this rule, however, BOEM is continuing its industry-wide efforts to seek supplemental financial assurance to cover expected decommissioning costs of certain oil and gas infrastructure, primarily focused in the OCS.

BSEE is responsible for safety and environmental oversight of offshore oil and gas operations. Its functions include the development and enforcement of safety and environmental regulations, permitting offshore exploration, development and production, inspections, offshore regulatory programs, oil spill response and training and environmental compliance programs. BSEE regulations require offshore production facilities and pipelines located on the OCS to meet stringent engineering and construction specifications, and BSEE has proposed and/or promulgated additional safety-related regulations concerning the design and operating procedures of these facilities and pipelines, including regulations to safeguard against or respond to well blowouts and other catastrophes. BSEE regulations also restrict the flaring or venting of natural gas, prohibit the flaring of liquid hydrocarbons and govern the plugging and abandonment of wells located offshore and the installation and removal of all fixed drilling and production facilities.

BOEM and BSEE have adopted regulations providing for enforcement actions, including civil penalties and lease forfeiture or cancellation for failure to comply with regulatory requirements for offshore operations. If we fail to pay royalties or comply with safety and environmental regulations, BOEM and BSEE may require that our operations on the Beta properties be suspended or terminated, and we may be subject to civil or criminal liability, which may have a negative impact on our operations, capital expenditures, earnings or competitive position.

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In November 2018, a federal district court prohibited BOEM and BSEE from approving any plans or issuing permits involving hydraulic fracturing and/or acid well stimulation on the Pacific OCS until the agencies complete consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the Endangered Species Act (the “ESA”) and submit a consistency determination under the Coastal Zone Management Act to the California Coastal Commission. In June 2022, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld this prohibition. Although we do not use either hydraulic fracturing or acid stimulation routinely in connection with our operations on the Beta properties, delays in the approval or refusal of plans and issuance of permits by BOEM or BSEE because of staffing, economic, environmental, legal or other reasons (or other actions taken by BOEM or BSEE) could adversely affect our offshore operations. The requirements imposed by BOEM and BSEE regulations are frequently changed and subject to new interpretations. Also, in addition to permits and approvals required by BOEM and BSEE, approvals and permits may be required from other agencies for the oil and gas operations associated with our Beta properties, such as the U.S. Coast Guard, the EPA, U.S. Department of Transportation, U. S. Army Corps of Engineers and the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

Hazardous Substances and Waste Handling

Our operations are subject to environmental laws and regulations relating to the management and release of hazardous substances, solid and hazardous wastes and petroleum hydrocarbons. These laws generally regulate the generation, storage, treatment, transportation and disposal of solid and hazardous waste and may impose strict and, in some cases, joint and several liability for the investigation and remediation of affected areas where hazardous substances may have been released or disposed. The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, as amended (“CERCLA”), also referred to as the Superfund law and comparable state laws, impose liability, without regard to fault or the legality of the original conduct, on certain classes of persons deemed “responsible parties.” These persons include current owners or operators of the site where a release of hazardous substances occurred, prior owners or operators that owned or operated the site at the time of the release or disposal of hazardous substances and companies that disposed or arranged for the disposal of the hazardous substances found at the site. Under CERCLA, these persons may be subject to strict and joint and several liability for the costs of cleaning up the hazardous substances that have been released into the environment, for damages to natural resources and for the costs of certain health studies. CERCLA also authorizes the EPA and, in some instances, third parties to act in response to threats to the public health or the environment and to seek to recover the costs they incur from the responsible classes of persons. Despite the “petroleum exclusion” of Section 101(14) of CERCLA, which currently encompasses natural gas, we may nonetheless handle hazardous substances within the meaning of CERCLA, or similar state statutes, in the course of our ordinary operations and as a result, may be jointly and severally liable under CERCLA for all or part of the costs required to clean up sites at which these hazardous substances have been released into the environment. Also, comparable state statutes may not contain a similar exemption for petroleum, and it is also not uncommon for neighboring landowners and other third parties to file common law-based claims for personal injury and property damage allegedly caused by hazardous substances or other pollutants released into the environment. In addition, we may have liability for releases of hazardous substances at our properties by prior owners or operators or other third parties.

The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (“OPA”) is the primary federal law imposing oil spill liability. The OPA contains numerous requirements relating to the prevention of, and response to petroleum releases into waters of the United States, including the requirement that operators of offshore facilities and certain onshore facilities near or crossing waterways must maintain certain significant levels of financial assurance to cover potential environmental cleanup and restoration costs. Under the OPA, strict, joint and several liability may be imposed on “responsible parties” for all containment and cleanup costs and certain other damages arising from a release, including, but not limited to, the costs of responding to a release of oil to surface waters and natural resource damages resulting from oil spills into or upon navigable waters, adjoining shorelines or in the exclusive economic zone of the United States. A “responsible party” includes the owner or operator of an onshore facility. The OPA establishes a liability limit for onshore facilities, but these liability limits may not apply if: a spill is caused by a party’s gross negligence or willful misconduct; the spill resulted from violation of a federal safety, construction or operating regulation; or a party fails to report a spill or to cooperate fully in a cleanup. We are also subject to analogous state statutes that impose liabilities with respect to oil spills. For example, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Oil Spill Prevention and Response has adopted oil-spill prevention regulations that overlap with federal regulations.

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We also generate solid wastes, including hazardous wastes, which are subject to the requirements of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, as amended (“RCRA”), and comparable state statutes. Although RCRA regulates both solid and hazardous wastes, it imposes stringent requirements on the generation, storage, treatment, transportation and disposal of hazardous wastes. Certain petroleum production wastes are excluded from RCRA’s hazardous waste regulations. These wastes, instead, are regulated under RCRA’s less stringent solid waste provisions, state laws or other federal laws. It is possible that these wastes, which could include wastes currently generated during our operations, could be designated as “hazardous wastes” in the future and, therefore, be subject to more rigorous and costly disposal requirements. Indeed, legislation has been proposed from time to time in Congress to re-categorize certain oil and gas exploration and production wastes as “hazardous wastes.” Any such changes, including to state programs, could result in an increase in our costs to manage and dispose of oil and gas waste, which could have a material adverse effect on our maintenance capital expenditures and operating expenses.

It is possible that our oil and natural gas operations may require us to manage naturally occurring radioactive materials (“NORM”). NORM is present in varying concentrations in sub-surface formations, including hydrocarbon reservoirs, and may become concentrated in scale, film and sludge in equipment that comes into contact with crude oil and natural gas production and processing streams. Some states have enacted regulations governing the handling, treatment, storage and disposal of NORM.

Administrative, civil and criminal penalties can be imposed for failure to comply with hazardous substance and waste handling requirements. We believe that we are in substantial compliance with the requirements of CERCLA, OPA, RCRA, and other applicable federal and related state and local laws and regulations, and that we hold all necessary and up-to-date permits, registrations and other authorizations required under such laws and regulations. Although we believe that the current costs of managing our hazardous substances and wastes as they are presently classified are reflected in our budget, any legislative or regulatory reclassification of oil and natural gas exploration and production wastes could increase our costs to manage and dispose of such wastes.

Water Discharges

The Federal Water Pollution Control Act (the “Clean Water Act”), the Safe Drinking Water Act (“SDWA”), the OPA and analogous state laws, impose restrictions and strict controls with respect to the discharge of pollutants, including oil and hazardous substances, into navigable waters of the United States, as well as state waters. The discharge of pollutants into regulated waters is prohibited, except in accordance with the terms of a permit issued by the EPA or an analogous state agency. These laws and regulations also prohibit certain activity in wetlands unless authorized by a permit issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (“Corps”). In June 2015, the EPA and the Corps issued a rule to revise the definition of “waters of the United States” (“WOTUS”) for all Clean Water Act programs, which never took effect before being replaced by the Navigable Waters Protection Rule (“NWPR”) in April 2020. The NWPR was vacated by two separate federal district courts in late 2021. The EPA is undergoing a rulemaking process to redefine the definition of WOTUS, which could be impacted by the U.S. Supreme Court’s upcoming decision in Sackett v. EPA, a case regarding the proper test in determining whether wetlands qualify as WOTUS. A final rule, known as “Rule 1” was announced by the EPA and the Corps in December 2022. The EPA and Corps are expected to propose a second rule, known as “Rule 2”, further refining Rule 1, by November 2023 and issue a final rule by July 2024. To the extent a new rule or further litigation expands the scope of the Clean Water Act’s jurisdiction or impacts available agency resources, the Company could face increased costs and/or delays with respect to obtaining permits for dredge and fill activities in wetland areas.

The EPA has also adopted regulations requiring certain oil and natural gas exploration and production facilities to obtain individual permits or coverage under general permits for storm water discharges. Costs may be associated with the treatment of storm water or developing and implementing storm water pollution prevention plans, as well as for monitoring and sampling the storm water runoff from certain of our facilities. Some states also maintain groundwater protection programs that require permits or specify other requirements for discharges or operations that may impact groundwater conditions. These same regulatory programs may also limit the total volume of water that can be discharged, hence limiting the rate of development and requiring us to incur compliance costs. Additionally, we are required to develop and implement spill prevention, control and countermeasure plans, in connection with on-site storage of significant quantities of oil.

These laws and any implementing regulations provide for administrative, civil and criminal penalties for any unauthorized discharges of oil and other substances in reportable quantities and may impose substantial potential liability for the costs of removal, remediation and damages. Additionally, obtaining permits has the potential to delay the development of natural gas and oil projects. We maintain all required discharge permits necessary to conduct our operations and we believe we are in substantial compliance with their terms.

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In addition, in some instances, the operation of underground injection wells for the disposal of wastewater has been alleged to cause earthquakes. For example, the EPA released a report with findings and recommendations related to public concern about induced seismic activity from disposal wells. The report recommended strategies for managing and minimizing the potential for significant injection-induced seismic events. In some jurisdictions, such issues have led to orders prohibiting continued injection or the suspension of drilling in certain wells identified as possible sources of seismic activity or resulted in stricter regulatory requirements relating to the location and operation of underground injection wells. Such issues have also led to lawsuits by private parties alleging damages relating to induced seismicity. For example, the Railroad Commission of Texas (the “Commission”) requires applicants for new disposal wells that will receive non-hazardous produced water and hydraulic fracturing flowback fluid to conduct seismic activity searches utilizing the U.S. Geological Survey, which are intended to determine the potential for earthquakes within a circular area of 100 square miles around a proposed, new disposal well. The Commission is authorized to modify, suspend or terminate a disposal well permit if scientific data indicates a disposal well is likely to contribute to seismic activity. The Commission is also considering new restrictions that could limit the volume and pressure of produced water injected into disposal wells. Additionally, we conduct oil and gas drilling and production operations in the Mississippian Lime formation in Oklahoma, a high-water play, which requires us to dispose of large volumes of saltwater generated as part of our operations. The Oklahoma Geological Survey attributed an increase in seismic activity in Oklahoma to saltwater disposal wells in the Arbuckle formation and, the Oklahoma Corporation Commission (“OCC”), whose Oil and Gas Conservation Division regulates oil and gas operations in Oklahoma, issued regulations targeting saltwater disposal activities in certain areas of interest within the Arbuckle formation. The regulations include operational requirements (i.e., mechanical integrity testing of wells permitted for disposal of 20,000 or more barrels of water per day, daily monitoring and recording of well pressure and discharge volume), as well as orders to shut-in wells, reduce well depths, or decrease disposal volumes. Under these regulations, in 2016 and 2017, the OCC ordered us to limit the volume of saltwater disposed of in saltwater disposal wells in the Arbuckle formation, and it established caps for ten of our saltwater disposal wells in February 2017, which caps are still in place. To ensure that we had an adequate number of wells for disposal, we secured permits for additional saltwater disposal wells outside of the Arbuckle formation. We timely satisfied all OCC saltwater disposal requirements, while maintaining our production base without any negative material impact. However, any future orders or regulations addressing concerns about seismic activity from well injection in jurisdictions where we operate could affect or curtail our operations.

Hydraulic Fracturing

We use hydraulic fracturing extensively in our onshore operations, but not our offshore operations. Hydraulic fracturing is an essential and common practice in the oil and gas industry used to stimulate production of natural gas and/or oil from low permeability subsurface rock formations. Hydraulic fracturing involves using water, sand and certain chemicals to fracture the hydrocarbon-bearing rock formation to allow the flow of hydrocarbons into the wellbore. While hydraulic fracturing has historically been regulated by state oil and natural gas commissions, the practice has become increasingly controversial in certain parts of the country, resulting in increased scrutiny and regulation. For example, the EPA’s wastewater pretreatment standards prohibit onshore unconventional oil and natural gas extraction facilities from sending wastewater to publicly-owned treatment works. This restriction of disposal options for hydraulic fracturing waste and other changes to environmental requirements may result in increased costs.

In addition, in March 2015, the BLM published a final rule governing hydraulic fracturing on federal and Indian lands. The rule required public disclosure of chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing, implementation of a casing and cementing program, management of recovered fluids and submission to the BLM of detailed information about the proposed operation, including wellbore geology, the location of faults and fractures and the depths of all usable water. Following years of litigation, the BLM rescinded the rule in December 2017. However, several environmental groups and states have challenged the BLM’s rescission of the rule in ongoing litigation.

Several states have also adopted, or are considering adopting, regulations requiring the disclosure of the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing and/or otherwise imposing additional requirements for hydraulic fracturing activities. For example, Oklahoma requires oil and gas producers to report the chemicals they use in hydraulic fracturing to FracFocus.org, a national hydraulic fracturing chemical registry, or to the OCC, which will convey the information to FracFocus.org. The Louisiana Department of Natural Resources has adopted rules requiring the public disclosure of the composition and volume of fracturing fluids used in hydraulic fracturing operations. Also, Texas requires oil and natural gas operators to disclose to the Commission and the public the chemicals used in the hydraulic fracturing process, as well as the total volume of water used. Texas has also imposed requirements for drilling, putting pipe down and cementing wells, and testing and reporting requirements.

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Certain governmental reviews have been conducted that focus on environmental aspects of hydraulic fracturing practices, which could lead to increased regulation. For example, the EPA issued a report examining the potential for hydraulic fracturing activities to impact drinking water resources, finding that, under some circumstances, the use of water in hydraulic fracturing activities can impact drinking water resources. The EPA has also issued a report on onshore conventional and unconventional oil and gas extraction wastewater management, and conducted a study of private wastewater treatment facilities, also known as centralized waste treatment facilities, accepting oil and gas extraction wastewater. Other governmental agencies, including the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the U.S. Government Accountability Office, have evaluated various other aspects of hydraulic fracturing. In addition, as discussed above, BOEM and BSEE completed a study regarding the potential environmental impacts of well-stimulation practices on the Pacific OCS. These studies could spur initiatives to further regulate hydraulic fracturing and could ultimately make it more difficult or costly for us to perform fracturing and increase our costs of compliance and doing business.

Additionally, a number of lawsuits and enforcement actions have been initiated across the country, alleging that hydraulic fracturing practices have induced seismic activity and adversely impacted drinking water supplies, use of surface water, and the environment generally. Several states and municipalities have adopted, or are considering adopting, regulations that could restrict or prohibit hydraulic fracturing in certain circumstances. We believe that we follow standard industry practices and legal requirements applicable to our hydraulic fracturing activities. Nonetheless, in the event of new or more stringent federal, state or local legal restrictions are adopted in areas where we are currently conducting, or in the future plan to conduct operations, we may incur additional costs to comply with such requirements that may be significant in nature, experience delays or curtailment in the pursuit of exploration, development, or production activities, and perhaps even be precluded from the drilling of wells. If new laws or regulations that significantly restrict hydraulic fracturing are adopted, such laws could make it more difficult or costly for us to perform fracturing to stimulate production from tight formations as well as make it easier for third parties opposing the hydraulic fracturing process to initiate legal proceedings based on allegations that specific chemicals used in the fracturing process could adversely affect groundwater or otherwise have negative impacts.

In addition, if hydraulic fracturing is further regulated at the federal, state or local level, our fracturing activities could become subject to additional permitting and financial assurance requirements, more stringent construction specifications, increased monitoring, reporting and recordkeeping obligations, plugging and abandonment requirements and also to attendant permitting delays and potential increases in costs. Any such legislative changes could cause us to incur substantial compliance costs, and compliance or the consequences of any failure to comply by us could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. At this time, it is not possible to estimate the impact on our business of newly enacted or potential federal or state legislation governing hydraulic fracturing, and any of the above risks could impair our ability to manage our business and have a material adverse effect on our operations, cash flows and financial position.

Air Emissions

The federal Clean Air Act, as amended (“CAA”), and comparable state laws restrict the emission of air pollutants from many sources, including compressor stations, through the issuance of permits and the imposition of other requirements. The South Coast Air Quality Management District (“SCAQMD”) is a regulatory subdivision of the State of California and is responsible for air pollution control from stationary sources within Orange County and designated portions of Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties. Our Beta properties and associated facilities are subject to regulation by the SCAQMD. Federal, SCAQMD, and other state laws and regulations may require us to obtain pre-approval for the construction or modification of certain projects or facilities expected to produce or significantly increase air emissions, obtain and strictly comply with stringent air permit requirements or utilize specific equipment or technologies to control emissions of certain pollutants.

The EPA has developed, and continues to develop, stringent regulations governing emissions of air pollutants at specified sources. New facilities may be required to obtain permits before work can begin, and modified and existing facilities may be required to obtain additional permits. In June 2016, the EPA finalized regulations establishing New Source Performance Standards (NSPS), known as Subpart OOOOa, for methane and volatile organic compounds from new and modified oil and natural gas production and natural gas processing and transmission facilities. In September 2020, the EPA finalized two sets of amendments to the 2016 Subpart OOOOa standards. The first, known as the 2020 Technical Rule, reduced the 2016 rule’s fugitive emissions monitoring requirements and expanded exceptions to pneumatic pump requirements, among other changes. The second, known as the 2020 Policy Rule, rescinded the methane-specific requirements for certain oil and natural gas sources in the production and processing segments. On January 20, 2021, President Biden issued an Executive Order directing the EPA to rescind the 2020 Technical Rule by September 2021 and consider revising the 2020 Policy Rule. On June 30, 2021, President Biden signed a Congressional Review Act (“CRA”) resolution passed by Congress that revoked the 2020 Policy Rule. The CRA did not address the 2020 Technical Rule.

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Further, on November 15, 2021, the EPA issued a proposed rule intended to reduce methane emissions from oil and gas sources. The proposed rule would make the existing regulations in Subpart OOOOa more stringent and create a Subpart OOOOb to expand reduction requirements for new, modified, and reconstructed oil and gas sources, including standards focusing on certain source types that have never been regulated under the CAA (including intermittent vent pneumatic controllers, associated gas, and liquids unloading facilities). In addition, the proposed rule would establish “Emissions Guidelines,” creating a Subpart OOOOc that would require states to develop plans to reduce methane emissions from existing sources that must be at least as effective as presumptive standards set by EPA. On November 15, 2022, the EPA issued a proposed rule supplementing the November 2021 proposed rule. Among other things, the November 2022 supplemental proposed rule removes an emissions monitoring exemption for small wellhead-only sites and creates a new third-party monitoring program to flag large emissions events, referred to in the proposed rule as “super emitters”. The EPA is expected to issue a final rule by August 2023.

Additionally, in 2016, the BLM finalized rules related to further controlling the venting and flaring of natural gas on BLM land, which was challenged by a group of states. In September 2018, the BLM published a final rule that revised the 2016 rules, which was again challenged by states and environmental groups. On November 30, 2022, the BLM also issued a proposed rule to reduce the waste of natural gas from venting, flaring, and leaks during oil and gas production activities on Federal and Indian leases. As a result of these regulatory changes, the scope of any final methane regulations or the costs for complying with the federal methane regulations are uncertain. However, any future changes to the regulations governing methane emissions, and other air quality programs, may require us to obtain pre-approval for the expansion or modification of existing facilities or the construction of new facilities expected to produce air emissions, impose stringent air permit requirements, or utilize specific equipment or technologies to control emissions. Compliance with such rules could result in significant costs, including increased capital expenditures and operating costs and could adversely impact our business.

We may be required to incur certain capital expenditures in the next few years for air pollution control equipment in connection with maintaining or obtaining operating permits addressing air emission related issues, which may have a material adverse effect on our operations. Obtaining permits also has the potential to delay the development of oil and natural gas projects and increase our costs of development, which costs could be significant. We believe that we currently are in substantial compliance with all air emissions regulations and that we hold all necessary and valid construction and operating permits for our current operations.

Regulation of “Greenhouse Gas” Emissions

At the international level, the United States joined the international community at the 21st Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Paris, France, which resulted in an agreement intended to nationally determine their contributions and set GHG emission reduction goals every five years beginning in 2020. In November 2019, plans were formally announced for the U.S. to withdraw from the Paris Agreement with an effective exit date in November 2020. In February 2021, the current administration announced reentry of the U.S. into the Paris Agreement along with a new “nationally determined contribution” for U.S. GHG emissions that would achieve emissions reductions of at least 50% relative to 2005 levels by 2030. Pursuant to its obligations as a signatory to the Paris Agreement, the United States has set a target to reduce its GHG emissions by 50-52% by the year 2030 as compared with 2005 levels and has agreed to provide periodic updates on its progress. In addition, in 2021, President Biden publicly announced the Global Methane Pledge, a pact that aims to reduce global methane emissions at least 30% below 2020 levels by 2030, including “all feasible reductions” in the energy sector. Since its formal launch at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (“COP26”), over 150 countries have joined the pledge. COP26 concluded with the finalization of the Glasgow Climate Pact (the “Glasgow Pact”), which stated long-term global goals (including those in the Paris Agreement) to limit the increase in the global average temperature and emphasized reductions in GHG emissions. International commitments, re-entry into the Paris Agreement and President Biden’s executive orders may result in the development of additional regulations or changes to existing regulations. Most recently, at the 27th conference of parties (“COP27”), President Biden announced the EPA’s proposed standards to reduce methane emissions from existing oil and gas sources, and agreed, in conjunction with the European Union and a number of other partner countries, to develop standards for monitoring and reporting methane emissions to help create a market for low methane-intensity natural gas. Various state and local governments have also publicly committed to furthering the goals of the Paris Agreement.

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The $1 trillion legislative infrastructure package passed by Congress in November 2021 includes a number of climate-focused spending initiatives targeted at climate resilience, enhanced response and preparation for extreme weather events, and clean energy and transportation investments. In August 2022, President Biden signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. Among other things, the Inflation Reduction Act includes a methane emissions reduction program that amends the CAA to include a Methane Emissions and Waste Reduction Incentive Program for petroleum and natural gas systems. This program requires the EPA to impose a “waste emissions charge” on certain oil and gas sources that are already required to report under EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program. Additionally, a number of states have intensified or stated their intent to intensify efforts to support international climate commitments and treaties and have taken legal measures to reduce emissions of GHGs, including through carbon taxes, policies and incentives to encourage the use of renewable energy or alternative low-carbon fuels, the planned development of GHGs emission inventories and/or regional GHGs cap and trade programs.

The adoption and implementation of any regulations imposing reporting obligations on, or limiting emissions of GHGs from, our equipment and operations could require us to incur costs to reduce emissions of GHGs associated with our operations or could adversely affect demand for the oil and natural gas we produce. For example, any GHG regulation could increase our costs of compliance by potentially delaying the receipt of permits and other regulatory approvals; requiring us to monitor emissions, install additional equipment or modify facilities to reduce GHG and other emissions; purchase emission credits; and utilize electric driven compression at facilities to obtain regulatory permits and approvals in a timely manner. Such climate change regulatory and legislative initiatives could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

While we are subject to certain federal GHG monitoring and reporting requirements, our operations are not currently adversely impacted by existing federal, state and local climate change initiatives and, at this time, it is not possible to accurately estimate how potential future laws or regulations addressing GHG emissions would impact our business. For example, the California Legislature is considering a bill that would require corporations that conduct business in California to report on their Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions using the standards and guidance set out under the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and obtain third-party auditor verification of their reports. The California State Senate passed the bill in January 2022 and ordered the bill to the state assembly for consideration.

Additionally, on March 21, 2022, the SEC issued a proposed rule regarding the enhancement and standardization of mandatory climate-related disclosures. The proposed rule would require registrants to include certain climate-related disclosures in their registration statements and periodic reports, including, but not limited to, information about the registrant’s governance of climate-related risks and relevant risk management processes; climate-related risks that are reasonably likely to have a material impact on the registrant’s business, results of operations, or financial condition and their actual and likely climate-related impacts on the registrant’s business strategy, model, and outlook; climate-related targets, goals and transition plan (if any); certain climate-related financial statement metrics in a note to their audited financial statements; Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions; and Scope 3 GHG emissions and intensity, if material, or if the registrant has set a GHG emissions reduction target, goal or plan that includes Scope 3 GHG emissions. Although the proposed rule’s ultimate date of effectiveness and the final form and substance of these requirements is not yet known and the ultimate scope and impact on our business is uncertain, compliance with the proposed rule, if finalized, may result in increased legal, accounting and financial compliance costs, make some activities more difficult, time-consuming and costly, and place strain on our personnel, systems and resources.

Moreover, any legislation or regulatory programs to reduce GHG emissions could increase the cost of consumption, and thereby reduce demand for, the oil and natural gas we produce. Consequently, legislation and regulatory programs to reduce emissions of GHGs could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Incentives to conserve energy or use alternative energy sources as a means of addressing climate change could also reduce demand for the oil and natural gas we produce.

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National Environmental Policy Act

Oil and natural gas exploration and production activities on federal lands are subject to the National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”). NEPA requires federal agencies, including the U.S. Departments of the Interior and Agriculture, to evaluate major federal actions having the potential to significantly impact the human environment. In the course of such evaluations, an agency evaluates the potential direct, indirect and cumulative impacts of a proposed project. If the proposed impacts are considered significant, the agency will prepare a detailed environmental impact statement that is made available for public review and comment. In July 2020, the White House’s Council on Environmental Quality published a final rule to amend the NEPA implementing regulations intended to streamline the environmental review process, including shortening the time for review as well as eliminating the requirement to evaluate cumulative impacts. The final rule required federal agencies to develop procedures consistent with the new rule within one year of the rule’s effective date (which was extended to two years in June 2021). The new regulations are subject to ongoing litigation, which has been stayed pending an ongoing review of the 2020 rule. In October 2021, the Council on Environmental Quality issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to amend the NEPA regulatory changes adopted in 2020 in two phases. Phase 1 of the Council on Environmental Quality’s proposed rulemaking process was finalized on April 20, 2022, and generally restored provisions that were in effect prior to 2020. It is anticipated that Phase II of the proposed rulemaking will propose further revisions to ensure the NEPA process “provides for efficient and effective environmental reviews,” and meets environmental, environmental justice and climate change objectives. All of our current development and production activities, as well as proposed development plans, on federal lands, including those in the Pacific Ocean, require governmental permits that are subject to the requirements of NEPA. This environmental review process has the potential to delay the development of oil and natural gas projects. Authorizations under NEPA also are subject to protest, appeal or litigation, which can delay or halt projects.

Endangered Species Act and Migratory Bird Treaty Act

The federal ESA and analogous state statutes restrict activities that may adversely affect endangered and threatened species or their habitat. In August 2019, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (the “FWS”) and National Marine Fisheries Service (“NMFS”) issued three rules amending the implementation of the ESA regulations revising, among other things, the process for listing species and designating critical habitats, which was challenged by a coalition of states and environmental groups. In addition, on December 18, 2020, the FWS amended its regulations governing critical habitat designations, which were also subject to litigation. In June and July 2022, the I.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued final rules rescinding the regulations defining “habitat” and governing critical habitat exclusions. Similar protections are offered to migratory birds under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (“MBTA”), which makes it illegal to, among other things, hunt, capture, kill, possess, sell, or purchase migratory birds, nests, or eggs without a permit. This prohibition covers most bird species in the U.S. On January 7, 2021, the Department of the Interior finalized a rule limiting the application of the MBTA. However, the Department of the Interior revoked the rule in October 2021. With this revocation of the January 2021 rule, the FWS returned to prohibiting incidental take and applying enforcement discretion pursuant to the MBTA, consistent with agency practice prior to 2017. Concurrently, the FWS issued an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking seeking comment on the Department’s plan to develop regulations that authorize incidental take under certain prescribed conditions. The notice of proposed rulemaking is expected in March 2023 and is expected to be finalized by the end of 2023. Future implementation of the rules implementing the ESA and the MBTA are uncertain. The designation of previously unidentified endangered or threatened species in areas where we operate could cause us to incur additional costs or become subject to operating delays, restrictions or bans. Numerous species have been listed or proposed for protected status in areas in which we currently, or could in the future, undertake operations. The presence of protected species in areas where we operate could impair our ability to timely complete or carry out those operations, lose leaseholds as we may not be permitted to timely commence drilling operations, cause us to incur increased costs arising from species protection measures, and consequently, adversely affect our results of operations and financial position. There is also increasing interest in nature-related matters beyond protected species, such as general biodiversity, which may similarly require us or our customers to incur costs or take other measures which may adversely impact our business or operations.

Occupational Safety and Health Act

We are also subject to the requirements of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act (“OSHA”) and comparable state laws that regulate the protection of the health and safety of employees. In addition, OSHA’s hazard communication standard requires that information be maintained about hazardous materials used or produced in our operations and that this information be provided to employees, state and local government authorities and citizens. Other OSHA standards regulate specific worker safety aspects of our operations. For example, under a new OSHA standard limiting respirable silica exposure, the oil and gas industry was required to implement engineering controls and work practices to limit exposures below the new limits by June 2021. Failure to comply with OSHA requirements can lead to the imposition of penalties. We believe that our operations are in substantial compliance with the OSHA requirements.

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Other Regulation of the Oil and Natural Gas Industry

The oil and natural gas industry is extensively regulated by numerous federal, state and local authorities. Legislation affecting the oil and natural gas industry is under constant review for amendment or expansion, frequently increasing the regulatory burden on our assets. Additionally, numerous departments and agencies, both federal and state, are authorized by statute to issue rules and regulations that are binding on the oil and natural gas industry and its individual members, some of which carry substantial penalties for failure to comply. Although the regulatory burden on the oil and natural gas industry increases our cost of doing business and, consequently, affects our profitability, these burdens generally do not affect us any differently or to any greater or lesser extent than they affect other companies in the oil and natural gas industry with similar types, quantities and locations of production.

Legislation continues to be introduced in Congress, and the development of regulations continues in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and other agencies concerning the security of industrial facilities, including oil and natural gas facilities. Our operations may be subject to such laws and regulations. Presently, it is not possible to accurately estimate the costs we could incur to comply with any such facility security laws or regulations, but such expenditures could be substantial.

Drilling and Production

Our operations are subject to various types of regulation at federal, state and local levels. These types of regulation include requiring permits for the drilling of wells, drilling bonds and reports concerning operations. Most states, and some counties and municipalities, in which we operate also regulate one or more of the following:

State laws regulate the size and shape of drilling and spacing units or proration units governing the pooling of oil and natural gas properties. Some states allow forced pooling or integration of tracts to facilitate exploration, while other states rely on voluntary pooling of lands and leases. In some instances, forced pooling or unitization may be implemented by third parties and may reduce our interest in the unitized properties. In addition, state conservation laws establish maximum rates of production from oil and natural gas wells, generally prohibit the venting or flaring of natural gas and impose requirements regarding the ratability of production. These laws and regulations may limit the amount of oil and natural gas we can produce from our wells or limit the number of wells or the locations at which we can drill. Moreover, each state generally imposes a production or severance tax with respect to the production and sale of oil, natural gas and NGLs within its jurisdiction.

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Sale and Transportation of Gas and Oil

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) has jurisdiction over the construction and operations of interstate gas pipeline facilities and the rates, terms and conditions of service under which companies provide interstate transportation of gas, oil and other liquids by pipeline. Although the FERC does not have jurisdiction over the production of gas, the FERC exercises regulatory authority over wholesale sales of gas in interstate commerce through the issuance of blanket marketing certificates that authorize the wholesale sale of gas at market rates and the imposition of a code of conduct on blanket marketing certificate holders that regulate certain affiliate interactions. The FERC does not regulate the sale of oil or petroleum products or the construction of oil or other liquids pipelines. The FERC also has oversight of the performance of wholesale natural gas markets, including the authority to facilitate price transparency and to prevent market manipulation. In furtherance of this authority, the FERC imposed an annual reporting requirement on all industry participants, including otherwise non-jurisdictional entities, engaged in wholesale physical natural gas sales and purchases in excess of a minimum level. These agency actions have been intended to foster increased competition within all phases of the gas industry. To date, the FERC’s pro-competition policies have not materially affected our business or operations. It is unclear what impact, if any, future rules or increased competition within the gas industry will have on our gas sales efforts.

The FERC and other federal agencies, the U.S. Congress or state legislative bodies and regulatory agencies may consider additional proposals or proceedings that might affect the gas or oil industries. We cannot predict when or if these proposals will become effective or any effect they may have on our operations. We do not believe, however, that any such proposal will affect us any differently than it would affect other gas or oil producers with which we compete.

The Beta properties include the San Pedro Bay Pipeline Company, which owns and operates an offshore crude oil pipeline. This pipeline is subject to regulation by the FERC under the Interstate Commerce Act and the Energy Policy Act of 1992. Tariff rates for liquids pipelines, which include both crude oil pipelines and refined products pipelines, must be just and reasonable and not unduly discriminatory. FERC regulations require that interstate oil pipeline transportation rates and terms of service be filed with the FERC and posted publicly. The FERC has established a formulaic methodology for oil and liquids pipelines to change their rates within prescribed ceiling levels that are tied to an inflation index. The FERC reviews the formula every five years. Effective July 1, 2021, the current index for the five-year period ending June 30, 2026 is the producer price index for finished goods minus 0.21 percent. The San Pedro Bay Pipeline Company uses the indexing methodology to change its rates.

The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act requires that all pipelines operating on or across the OCS provide open access, non-discriminatory transportation service. BOEM/BSEE has established formal and informal complaint procedures for shippers that believe they have been denied open and non-discriminatory access to transportation on the OCS.

The U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (“PHMSA”) regulates the safety of all pipeline transportation in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, including pipeline facilities on the OCS. The San Pedro Bay pipeline is subject to regulation by the PHMSA. In recent years, PHMSA has been active in proposing and finalizing additional regulations for natural gas and hazardous liquids pipelines. For example, in January 2017, PHMSA finalized new regulations for hazardous liquid pipelines that significantly extend and expand the reach of certain PHMSA integrity management requirements (i.e., periodic assessments, repairs and leak detection), regardless of the pipeline’s proximity to a high consequence area (“HCA”). The final rule also requires all pipelines in or affecting an HCA to be capable of accommodating in-line inspection tools within the next 20 years. In addition, the final rule extends annual and accident reporting requirements to gravity lines, and all gathering lines and also imposes inspection requirements on pipelines in areas affected by extreme weather events and natural disasters, such as hurricanes, landslides, floods, earthquakes, or other similar events that are likely to damage infrastructure. In addition, in April 2016, PHMSA proposed a rule regarding the safety of natural gas transmission pipelines and gas gathering pipelines. In October 2019, PHMSA issued a final rule on the natural gas transmission lines portion of the April 2016 rulemaking, and in November 2021 PHMSA issued a final rule on the gathering lines portion of the April 2016 rulemaking. Under the new final rule, operators of onshore natural gas gathering pipelines that were previously excluded from certain PHMSA regulations face additional testing, safety and reporting requirements or may be forced to reduce their allowable operating pressures, which would reduce the amount of capacity available to the Company. Certain reporting requirements arising from the new PHMSA rule took effect in 2022, with additional requirements taking effect later in 2023.

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Moreover, effective April 2017, the PHMSA adopted new rules increasing the maximum administrative civil penalties for violation of the pipeline safety laws and regulations. PHMSA updates the maximum administrative civil penalties each year to account for inflation, and as of January 2021, the penalty limits are up to $225,134 per violation per day and up to $2,251,334 for a related series of violations. The PHMSA has also issued a final rule applying safety regulations to certain rural low-stress hazardous liquid pipelines that were not covered previously by some of its safety regulations. In March 2022, PHMSA announced a final rule, effective October 5, 2022, to improve pipeline safety and reduce methane emissions by requiring the installation of remotely controlled or automatic shut-off valves, or similar technologies, in new and replaced onshore natural gas and other hazardous liquid pipelines. In August 2022, PHMSA passed a final rule, effective May 24, 2023, to protect the safety and environmental protection of onshore gas transmission pipelines, which establishes new standards for identifying threats, failures and worst-case scenarios throughout from initial failure through conclusion of an incident.

Federal and state legislative and regulatory initiatives relating to pipeline safety that require the use of new or more stringent safety controls or result in more stringent enforcement of applicable legal requirements could subject us to increased capital costs, operational delays and costs of operation.

Anti-Market Manipulation Laws and Regulations

The FERC, with respect to the purchase or sale of natural gas or the purchase or sale of transmission or transportation services subject to FERC jurisdiction and the Federal Trade Commission with respect to petroleum and petroleum products, operating under various statutes, have each adopted anti-market manipulation regulations, which prohibit, among other things, fraud and price manipulation in the respective markets. These agencies hold substantial enforcement authority, including the ability to assess substantial civil penalties, to order repayment or disgorgement of profits and to recommend criminal penalties. Should we violate the anti-market manipulation laws and regulations, we could also be subject to related third-party damage claims by, among others, sellers, royalty owners and taxing authorities.

Derivatives Regulation

Comprehensive financial reform legislation was signed into law by the President on July 21, 2010 (“Dodd-Frank Act”). This legislation called for the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) to regulate certain markets for derivative products, including over-the-counter derivatives. The CFTC has issued several new relevant regulations and rulemakings to implement the Dodd-Frank Act, the mandate to cause significant portions of derivatives markets to clear through clearinghouses, along with other mandated changes. While some of these rules have been finalized, some have not. As a result, the final form and timing of the implementation of the new regulatory regime affecting commodity derivatives remains uncertain.

In particular, on October 18, 2011, the CFTC adopted final rules under the Dodd-Frank Act establishing position limits for certain energy commodity futures and options contracts and economically equivalent swaps, futures and options. The CFTC’s final rules were challenged in court by two industry associations and were vacated and remanded by a federal district court. Subsequently, the CFTC proposed new rules in November 2013 and December 2016. In January 2020, the CFTC withdrew the 2013 and 2016 proposals. In January 2021 the CFTC issued a final rule on the matter, effective March 15, 2021. The final rule includes limits on positions in (1) certain “Core Referenced Futures Contracts,” including contracts for several energy commodities; (2) futures and options on futures that are directly or indirectly linked to the price of a Core Referenced Futures Contract, or to the same commodity for delivery at the same location as specified in that Core Referenced Futures Contract; and (3) economically equivalent swaps. The final rule also includes exemptions from position limits for bona fide hedging activities.

The Dodd-Frank Act and new, related regulations may prompt counterparties to our derivative instruments to spin off some of their derivatives activities to separate entities, which may not be as creditworthy as the current counterparties. The new legislation and any new regulations could significantly increase the cost of derivative contracts, materially alter the terms of derivative contracts, reduce the availability of derivatives to protect against risks we encounter, reduce our ability to monetize or restructure our existing derivative contracts, and increase our exposure to less creditworthy counterparties. If we reduce our use of derivatives as a result of the legislation and regulations, our results of operations may become more volatile and our cash flows may become less predictable, which could adversely affect our ability to plan for and fund capital expenditures and to generate sufficient cash flow to pay quarterly distributions at current levels or at all. Our revenues could be adversely affected if a consequence of the legislation and regulations is to lower commodity prices. Any of these consequences could have a material, adverse effect on us, our financial condition and our results of operations. Our use of derivative financial instruments does not eliminate our exposure to fluctuations in commodity prices and interest rates and has in the past and could in the future result in financial losses or reduce our income.

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Our sales of oil and natural gas are also subject to anti-manipulation and anti-disruptive practices authority under (i) the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”), as amended by the Dodd-Frank Act, and regulations promulgated thereunder by the CFTC, and (ii) the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (“EISA”) and regulations promulgated thereunder by the FTC. The CEA, as amended by the Dodd-Frank Act, prohibits any person from using or employing any manipulative or deceptive device in connection with any swap, or a contract for sale of any commodity, or for future delivery on such commodity, in contravention of the CFTC’s rules and regulations. It also prohibits knowingly delivering or causing to be delivered false, misleading or inaccurate reports concerning market information or conditions that affect or tend to affect the price of any commodity. The FTC’s Petroleum Market Manipulation Rule, issued pursuant to EISA, prohibits fraudulent or deceptive conduct (including false or misleading statements of material fact) in connection with wholesale purchases or sales of crude oil or refined petroleum products. Under both the CEA and the EISA, fines for violations can be up to $1,000,000 per day per violation (subject to adjustment for inflation) and certain knowing or willful violations may also lead to a felony conviction.

Additional proposals and proceedings that may affect the crude oil and natural gas industry are pending before the U.S. Congress, federal agencies and the courts. The Company cannot predict the ultimate impact these proposals may have on its crude oil and natural gas operations, but the Company does not expect any such action to affect the Company differently than it will affect other gas or oil producers with which we compete.

State Regulation

Various states regulate the drilling for, and the production, gathering and sale of, oil and natural gas, including imposing severance taxes and requirements for obtaining drilling permits. For example, the baseline Texas severance tax on oil and gas is 4.6% of the market value of oil produced and 7.5% of the market value of gas produced and saved. A number of exemptions from or reductions of the severance tax on oil and gas production are provided by the State of Texas which effectively lowers the cost of production. States also regulate the method of developing new fields, the spacing and operation of wells and the prevention of waste of natural gas resources. States may regulate rates of production and may establish maximum daily production allowable from natural gas wells based on market demand or resource conservation, or both. States do not regulate wellhead prices or engage in other similar direct economic regulation, but there can be no assurance that they will not do so in the future. The effect of these regulations may be to limit the amount of oil and natural gas that may be produced from our wells and to limit the number of wells or locations we can drill.

The petroleum industry is also subject to compliance with various other federal, state and local regulations and laws. Some of those laws relate to resource conservation and equal employment opportunity. We do not believe that compliance with these laws will have a material adverse effect on us.

Human Capital

Overview

At December 31, 2022, the Company had 208 employees, none of whom were represented by labor unions or covered by any collective bargaining agreement. We strive to create a high-performing culture and positive work environment that allows us to attract and retain a diverse group of talented individuals who can foster the Company’s success. To attract and retain top talent, our human resources programs are designed to reward and incentivize our employees through competitive compensation practices, our commitment to employee health and safety, training and talent development and our commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Safety

Safety is our highest priority, and we are dedicated to the well-being of our employees, contractors, business partners, stakeholders and the environment. We promote safety with a robust health and safety program, which includes employee orientation and training, contractor management, risk assessment, hazard identification and mitigation, audits, incident reporting and investigation, and corrective and preventative action development.

In addition, we employ environmental, health and safety personnel at each of our asset locations, who provide in-person safety training and regular safety meetings. We also utilize learning management software to provide safety training on a variety of topics, and we contract with third-party technical experts to facilitate training on specialized topics that are unique to each of our areas of operation.

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Compensation

We operate in a highly competitive environment and have designed our compensation program to attract, retain and motivate talented and experienced individuals. Our compensation philosophy is designed to align the interests of our workforce with those of our stakeholders and to reward them for achieving the Company’s business and strategic objectives and driving shareholder value. We consider competitive market compensation paid by our peers and other companies comparable to us in size, geographic location and operations in order to ensure compensation remains competitive and fulfills our goal of recruiting and retaining talented employees.

Training and Development

We are committed to the training and development of our employees. Employees are regularly provided training opportunities to develop skills in leadership, safety, and technical acumen, which bolsters our efforts in conducting business in a safe manner and with high ethical standards. Further, we believe that supporting our employees in achieving their career and development goals is a key element of our approach to attracting and retaining top talent. We encourage our employees to advance their knowledge and skills and to network with other professionals in order to pursue career advancement and potential future opportunities with the Company. Our employees are able to attend training seminars and off-site workshops or to join professional associations that will enable them to remain up-to-date on the latest changes and best practices in their respective fields.

Diversity and Inclusion

We are committed to providing a diverse and inclusive workplace and career development opportunities to attract and retain talented employees. As of December 31, 2022 approximately 16% of our total workforce self-identified as a racial or ethnic minority and approximately 20% self-identified as female. As of the same date, approximately 27% of the employees located in our corporate headquarters self-identified as a racial or ethnic minority and approximately 48% self-identified as female. We recognize that a diverse workforce provides the opportunity to obtain unique perspectives, experiences, ideas, and solutions to help our business succeed. To that end, it is our policy to prohibit discrimination and harassment of any type and afford equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local law. Further, it is our policy to forbid retaliation against any individual who reports, claims, or makes a charge of discrimination or harassment, fraud, unethical conduct, or a violation of our Company policies. To sustain and promote an inclusive culture, we maintain a robust compliance program rooted in our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and other Company policies, which provide policies and guidance on non-discrimination, anti-harassment, and equal employment opportunities. We require all employees to complete periodic training sessions on various aspects of our corporate policies through an annual acknowledgment and certification process.

Health and Wellness

We support our employees and their families by offering a robust package of health and welfare benefits, medical, dental, and vision insurance plans for employees and their families, life insurance and long-term disability plans, paid time off for holidays, vacation, sick leave, and other personal leave, and health and dependent care savings accounts. We also provide our employees with a 401(k) plan that includes a competitive company match, and employees have access to a variety of resources and services to help them plan for retirement.

In addition to these programs, we have several other programs designed to further promote the health and wellness of our employees, as well as an employee assistance program that offers counseling and referral services for a broad range of personal and family situations.

The success of our business is fundamentally connected to the safety and well-being of our employees. Although COVID-19 conditions improved in 2022, our focus remained on providing a safe office environment for our employees while continuing to allow for remote work, hybrid work and flexible work schedules where feasible. With the support of the varying work arrangements and a geographically dispersed workforce, we continued to develop ways to best support our people. For example, to ensure employee alignment and engagement, we have conducted quarterly virtual town hall meetings each quarter following release of our earnings.

Offices

Our principal executive office is located at 500 Dallas Street, Suite 1700, Houston, Texas 77002. Our main telephone number is (832) 219-9001.

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Available Information

Our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8–K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act are made available free of charge on our website at www.amplifyenergy.com as soon as reasonably practicable after these reports have been electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. Our website also includes our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, Corporate Governance Guidelines and the charters of our audit committee, compensation committee and nominating & governance committee. The information contained on, or connected to, our website is not incorporated by reference into this Annual Report and should not be considered part of this or any other report that we file with or furnish to the SEC.

The SEC maintains a website that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding the Company at www.sec.gov.

ITEM 1A.RISK FACTORS

Our business and operations are subject to many risks. The risks described below, in addition to the risks described in “Item 1. Business” of this Annual Report, may not be the only risks we face, as our business and operations may also be subject to risks that we do not yet know of, or that we currently believe are immaterial. You should carefully consider the following risk factors together with all of the other information included in this Annual Report, including the financial statements and related notes, when deciding to invest in us. You should be aware that the occurrence of any of the events described in this Risk Factors section and elsewhere in this Annual Report could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position, results of operations and cash flows and the trading price of our securities could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment.

Risks Related to the Southern California Pipeline Incident

Certain uncertainties remain regarding the extent and timing of costs and liabilities relating to the Incident, and potential changes in the regulatory and operating environment in which we operate resulting from the Incident may increase the risks to which we are exposed. The duration of such uncertainties may exist for a significant period, and such risks may have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition and the implementation of our strategic agenda. Furthermore, the risks associated with the Incident may heighten the consequences of other risks to which we are exposed, including with respect to access to financing and financial assurance.

Our assumptions and estimates regarding the total aggregate costs associated with the Incident may be inaccurate, which could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition

On February 2, 2022, the Unified Command announced that response and monitoring efforts have officially concluded for the Incident, and Unified Command would stand down as of such date. We currently estimate that the total costs we have incurred or will incur with respect to the Incident related to (i) actual and projected response and remediation expenses incurred under the direction of the Unified Command and (ii) estimates for certain legal fees to be approximately $160.0 million to $170.0 million. These estimates consider currently available facts and presently enacted laws and regulations. We have made assumptions regarding (i) the probable and estimable amounts expected to be settled with certain vendors for response and remediation expenses and (ii) the resolution of certain third-party claims, excluding claims with respect to losses, which are not probable and reasonably estimable, and (iii) future claims and lawsuits. Our estimates do not include (i) the nature, extent and cost of future legal services that will be required in connection with all lawsuits, claims and other matters requiring legal or expert advice associated with the Incident, (ii) any lost revenue associated with the suspension of operations at Beta, (iii) any liabilities or costs that are not reasonably estimable at this time or that relate to contingencies where we currently regard the likelihood of loss as being only reasonably possible or remote and (iv) the costs associated with the permanent repair of the pipeline and the restart of operations at Beta. We believe we have accrued adequate amounts for all probable and reasonably estimable costs; however, this estimate is subject to uncertainties associated with the assumptions that we have made. Accordingly, our assumptions and estimates may change in future periods based on future events and total costs may materially increase; therefore, we can provide no assurance that we will not have to accrue significant additional costs in future periods with respect to the Incident.

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We are subject to significant litigation and enforcement risk as a result of the Incident.

Under the OPA, the Company’s pipeline was designated by the United States Coast Guard as the source of the oil discharge. Therefore, the Company is financially responsible for remediation for certain costs and economic damages as provided in the OPA. The Company continues to process covered claims under the OPA as expeditiously as possible. At this time, it is not possible to estimate the total number of future claims or the full extent of compensable damages arising from the Incident.

Consolidated civil litigation is pending in the United States District Court for the Central District of California. On August 25, 2022, we reached an agreement in principle with plaintiffs in the class action to resolve all civil claims against us and our subsidiaries. The settlement of $50.0 million, which also includes certain injunctive relief, will be funded under our insurance policies. The Court preliminarily approved the settlement on December 7, 2022. The final approval papers were submitted to the Court on January 25, 2023 and a final approval hearing is scheduled for April 24, 2023. Federal, state and municipal authorities may also take enforcement action against us as a result of the Incident. To date, the U.S. Coast Guard, the BOEM, the U.S. Department of Justice, PHMSA, the U.S. Department of the Interior, the BSEE, the California Department of Justice, the Orange County District Attorney, the Los Angeles County District Attorney and the California Department of Fish & Wildlife have conducted or are conducting investigations or examinations of the Incident. Other federal agencies may or have commenced investigations and proceedings, and federal agencies such as the EPA may initiate enforcement actions seeking penalties and other relief under the Clean Water Act and other statutes. The outcomes of these investigations and the nature of any remedies pursued will depend on the discretion of the relevant authorities and may result in regulatory or other enforcement actions, as well as civil liability.

On December 15, 2021, a federal grand jury in the Central District of California returned a federal criminal indictment against Amplify Energy, Beta Operating Company, LLC, and San Pedro Bay Pipeline Company in connection with the Incident. The indictment alleges that we committed a misdemeanor violation of the federal Clean Water Act for negligently discharging oil into the contiguous zone of the United States. The state authorities were conducting parallel criminal investigations. The Company has reached court-approved agreements to resolve all criminal matters stemming from the Incident. Specifically, on August 26, 2022, as part of the resolution with the United States, we agreed to plead guilty to one count of misdemeanor negligent discharge of oil in violation of the Clean Water Act. We will pay a fine of approximately $7.1 million in installments over a period of three years, serve a term of four years’ probation and reimburse governmental agencies approximately $5.8 million for their response to this event. Further, on September 8, 2022, as part of the resolution with the state of California, we agreed to enter a plea of No Contest to six misdemeanor charges. We will pay a fine in the amount of $4.9 million to be distributed among the state of California, including the State’s Fish and Game Preservation Fund and Orange County. We will serve a one-year term of probation and have agreed to certain compliance enhancements to our operations.

Our potential liabilities resulting from pending and future claims, lawsuits and enforcement actions relating to the Incident, together with the potential cost of implementing remedies sought in the various proceedings, cannot be fully estimated at this time but they may have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition and the implementation of our strategic agenda. For further information, please see Note 16, “Commitments and Contingencies — Litigation and Environmental” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements and “Part I — Item 3. Legal Proceedings” included in this Annual Report.

We may be subject to increased permitting obligations and regulatory scrutiny as a result of the Incident.

The Incident may result in more stringent permitting obligations and regulation of our and other oil and gas activities including in federal waters off California and elsewhere, particularly relating to environmental, health and safety protection controls, oversight of oil and gas operations and required financial assurance. Regulatory or legislative action may impact the industry as a whole and could be directed specifically towards operators similarly situated to us, which could negatively impact our business.

Additionally, new regulations and legislation, as well as evolving practices, may increase the cost of compliance, require changes to our operations and strategic plans and impact our ability to capitalize on our assets.

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The Incident may impact our ability to access financing on acceptable terms and may materially impact our liquidity.

The reputational consequences of the Incident, ongoing concerns surrounding costs arising from the Incident, ongoing contingencies related to the Incident and the impact of the Incident on our liquidity and financial performance could increase our financing costs and limit our access to financing on acceptable terms. Our ability to engage in trading activities may also be impacted due to counterparty concerns about our financial and business risk profile following the Incident. Such counterparties may require that we provide collateral or other forms of financial security for their obligations. Certain counterparties for our non-trading businesses may also require that we provide collateral for certain contractual obligations.

In addition, we may be unable to access liquidity under our Revolving Credit Facility in the event there are pending or threatened legal, arbitration or administrative proceedings which, if determined adversely, might reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on our ability to meet the payment obligations under our Revolving Credit Facility. Extended constraints on our ability to obtain financing and to engage in trading activities on acceptable terms (or at all) may put pressure on our liquidity. In addition, this could occur at a time when cash flows from our business operations may be constrained. In order to address severe liquidity constraints, we could be required to further reduce capital expenditures, sell strategic assets or obtain financing on terms that could have a significant adverse effect on stockholder returns and the implementation of our strategic plans.

We may not have adequate insurance to compensate us, and our insurers may not pay particular claims.

We cannot guarantee that our insurance policies will cover all losses that we incur in connection with the Incident or that disputes over insurance claims will not arise with our insurance carriers. Additionally, the insurers may not pay particular claims or may take an extended period of time to do so. We currently maintain insurance that covers against certain losses and expenses associated with the Incident. For example, our insurance coverage includes loss of production income (“LOPI”) insurance for our offshore properties. Proceeds from LOPI insurance claims are intended to partially offset the loss of revenue resulting from certain events that cause suspension of operations. When such event occurs, we file claims under our LOPI policy and recognize LOPI in the period that insurers accept the claim and all uncertainty with respect to the receipt or amount of claim is resolved. For the year ended December 31, 2022, we recognized LOPI insurance payments of $50.2 million from our Beta properties due to the Incident; however, the LOPI insurance policy in effect at the time of the Incident provides eighteen months of LOPI coverage and thus no additional LOPI insurance can be recognized after March 31, 2023. If we are unable to restart the operations at Beta prior to March 31, 2023, we will not continue to receive proceeds from LOPI insurance claims, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Finally, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to renew our insurance policies on the same or commercially reasonable terms, or at all, in the future.

The shut-in of the Pipeline could negatively impact our production, liquidity, and, ultimately, our operations, results, and performance.

Our production depends, in part, upon our assets that are capable of commercial production not being shut-in (i.e., suspended from production). In response to the Incident, we have shut-in the Pipeline impacted by the Incident and the Beta field, which has decreased our overall production volumes. This decrease in production will impact our ability to generate cash flows from operations, and we will experience a reduction in our available liquidity, which may adversely affect our ability to meet our anticipated working capital, debt service, and other liquidity needs. Additionally, we cannot be certain whether and when, if at all, we will be able to restart operations at the Beta field.

The Incident has created significant risk to our reputation and has diverted, and will continue to divert, the attention of our management team.

The Incident has damaged our reputation, which may have a long-term impact on us. Adverse public, political and industry sentiment towards us, and oil and gas activities generally, could damage or impair our existing commercial relationships with counterparties, partners and governmental agencies and could impair our access to debt or capital, new investment opportunities, operatorships or other essential commercial arrangements with potential partners and governmental agencies. In addition, responding to the Incident may place a significant burden on our cash flow, which could also impede our ability to invest in new opportunities and deliver long-term growth.

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In addition, our response to the Incident and associated consequences have required significant management focus. Key management and operating personnel are, and will need to continue, devoting substantial attention to addressing the associated consequences for us, leaving them less time to devote to executing our strategic plans. In addition, we rely on recruiting and retaining high-quality employees to execute our strategic plans and to operate our business. The Incident response and associated consequences have placed significant demands on our employees, and the reputational damage suffered by us as a result of the Incident and any consequent adverse impact on our business could affect employee recruitment, productivity, retention and the results of our operations.

Risks Related to Our Business

Oil, natural gas and NGL prices are volatile, due to factors beyond our control, and greatly affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. Any decline in, or sustained low levels of, oil, natural gas and NGL prices will cause a decline in our cash flow from operations, which could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Our revenues, operating results, profitability, liquidity, future growth and the value of our assets depend primarily on prevailing commodity prices. Historically, oil and natural gas prices have been volatile and fluctuate in response to changes in supply and demand, market uncertainty, and other factors that are beyond our control, including:

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These factors and the volatility of the energy markets make it extremely difficult to predict future oil, natural gas and NGL price movements with any certainty. For example, for the five years ended December 31, 2022, the NYMEX-WTI oil future price ranged from a high of $122.11 per Bbl to a low of $(37.63) per Bbl, while the NYMEX-Henry Hub natural gas future price ranged from a high of $9.68 per MMBtu to a low of $1.48 per MMBtu. For the year ended December 31, 2022, the WTI posted prices ranged from a high of $122.11 per Bbl on June 8, 2022 to a low of $71.02 per Bbl on December 9, 2022 and NYMEX-Henry Hub natural gas market price ranged from a high of $9.68 per MMBtu on August 22, 2022 to a low of $3.72 per MMBtu on January 4, 2022. Likewise, NGLs, which are made up of ethane, propane, isobutane, normal butane and natural gasoline, each of which has different uses and different pricing characteristics, have sustained depressed realized prices during this period and are generally correlated with the price of oil. A further or extended decline in commodity prices could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

If commodity prices decline for a prolonged period, a significant portion of our development projects may become uneconomic and result in write downs of the value of our oil and natural gas properties, which may adversely affect our financial condition and our ability to fund our operations.

Oil, natural gas and NGL prices have experienced significant volatility over the past few years. An extended decline in commodity prices could render many of our development and production projects uneconomical and result in a downward adjustment of our reserve estimates, which would reduce our borrowing base and our ability to fund our operations.

No impairment expense was recognized for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021. An extended decline in commodity prices may cause us to write down, as a non-cash charge to earnings, the carrying value of our oil and natural gas properties for impairments. We may in the future incur impairment charges that could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations in the period taken and our ability to borrow funds under our Revolving Credit Facility.

Our business could be adversely affected by a decline in general economic conditions or a weakening of the broader energy industry, and inflation may adversely affect our financial position and operating results.

A prolonged economic slowdown or recession, adverse events relating to the energy industry, or regional, national, or global economic conditions and factors, particularly a slowdown in the exploration and production industry, could negatively impact our operations and therefore adversely affect our results. The risks associated with our business are more acute during periods of economic slowdown or recession because such periods may be accompanied by decreased demand for oil and natural gas and decreased prices for oil and natural gas.

Inflationary factors, such as increases in the labor costs, material costs, and overhead costs, may also adversely affect our financial position and operating results. Inflation has also resulted in higher interest rates in the United States, which could increase our cost of debt borrowing in the future.

A pandemic, epidemic or outbreak of an infectious disease, may materially adversely affect our business.

The global or national outbreak of an infectious disease, such as the COVID-19 pandemic that began in 2020, has previously and may in the future cause disruptions to our business and operational plans, which may include (i) shortages of employees, (ii) unavailability of contractors and subcontractors, (iii) interruption of supplies from third parties upon which we rely, (iv) recommendations of, or restrictions imposed by, government and health authorities, including quarantines, and (v) restrictions that we and our contractors and subcontractors impose, including curtailment or shutting in of production, to ensure the safety of employees and others. While it is not possible to predict their extent or duration, these disruptions may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Further, any such pandemic, epidemic or outbreak of infectious disease has previously and may in the future adversely impact the supply chain for equipment or services needed for our operations, including as a result of mandatory shutdowns and other pandemic-related measures implemented in locations where such equipment or services are manufactured or distributed. We may also be impacted by significant disruptions to the operations of our logistics and service providers.

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Loss of our key executive officers or other key personnel, or an inability to attract and retain such officers and personnel, could negatively affect our business.

Our future success depends on the skills, experience and efforts of our key executive officers. The sudden loss of any of these executives’ services or our failure to appropriately plan for any expected key executive succession could materially and adversely affect our business and prospects, as we may not be able to find suitable individuals to replace them on a timely basis, if at all. Additionally, we also depend on our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel to operate and expand our business. If we fail to attract or retain talented new employees, our business and results of operations could be negatively affected.

We may be unable to maintain compliance with the covenants in the Revolving Credit Facility, which could result in an event of default thereunder that, if not cured or waived, would have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition.

Under our Revolving Credit Facility, we are required to (i) maintain, as of the date of determination, a maximum total debt to EBITDAX ratio of 3.00 to 1.00, (ii) maintain a current ratio of not less than 1.00 to 1.00, and (iii) use commercially feasible best efforts to hedge at least 50%-75% of our estimated production from total proved developed producing reserves. If we were to violate any of the covenants under our Revolving Credit Facility and were unable to obtain a waiver or amendment, it would be considered a default after the expiration of any applicable grace period. If we were in default under our Revolving Credit Facility, then the lenders may exercise certain remedies including, among others, declaring all borrowings outstanding thereunder, if any, immediately due and payable. This could adversely affect our operations and our ability to satisfy our obligations as they come due, because we might not have, or be able to obtain, sufficient funds to make these accelerated payments. In addition, our obligations under our Revolving Credit Facility are secured by mortgages on not less than 90% of the PV-9 value of our oil and gas properties (and at least 90% of the PV-9 value of the proved, developed and producing oil and gas properties), and if we are unable to repay our indebtedness under our Revolving Credit Facility, the lenders could seek to foreclose on our assets.

Restrictive covenants in our Revolving Credit Facility could limit our growth and our ability to finance our operations, fund our capital needs, respond to changing conditions and engage in other business activities that may be in our best interests.

Restrictive covenants in our Revolving Credit Facility impose significant operating and financial restrictions on us and our subsidiaries. These restrictions limit our ability to, among other things:

Our Revolving Credit Facility also requires us to comply with certain financial maintenance covenants as discussed above. A breach of any of these covenants could result in a default under our Revolving Credit Facility. If a default occurs and remains uncured or unwaived, the administrative agent or majority lenders under our Revolving Credit Facility may elect to declare all borrowings outstanding thereunder, if any, together with accrued interest and other fees, to be immediately due and payable. The administrative agent or majority lenders under our Revolving Credit Facility would also have the right in these circumstances to terminate any commitments they have to provide further borrowings. If we are unable to repay our indebtedness when due or declared due, the administrative agent will also have the right to proceed against the collateral pledged to it to secure the indebtedness under our Revolving Credit Facility. If such indebtedness were to be accelerated, our assets may not be sufficient to repay in full our secured indebtedness.

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We may also be prevented from taking advantage of business opportunities that arise because of the limitations imposed on us by the restrictive covenants in our Revolving Credit Facility. The terms and conditions of our Revolving Credit Facility affect us in several ways, including:

Our lenders periodically redetermine the amount we may borrow under our Revolving Credit Facility, which may materially impact our operations.

Our Revolving Credit Facility allows us to borrow in an amount up to the borrowing base, which is primarily based on the estimated value of our oil and natural gas properties and our commodity derivative contracts as determined semi-annually by our lenders in their sole discretion. The borrowing base is subject to redetermination on at least a semi-annual basis primarily based on an engineering report with respect to our estimated natural gas, oil and NGL reserves, which takes into account the prevailing natural gas, oil and NGL prices at such time, as adjusted for the impact of our commodity derivative contracts. Accordingly, declining commodity prices may have an impact on the amount we can borrow, which could affect our cash flows and ability to execute on our business plans. Any reduction in the borrowing base would materially and adversely affect our business and financing activities, limit our flexibility and management’s discretion in operating our business, and increase the risk that we may default on our debt obligations. In addition, as hedges roll off, the borrowing base is subject to further reduction. Our Revolving Credit Facility requires us to repay any deficiency over a certain period or pledge additional oil and gas properties to eliminate such deficiency, which we are required to do within 30 days of notice to do so. If our outstanding borrowings exceed the borrowing base and we are unable to repay the deficiency or pledge additional oil and gas properties to eliminate such deficiency, our failure to repay any of the installments due related to the borrowing base deficiency would constitute an event of default under the Revolving Credit Facility and as such, the lenders could declare all outstanding principal and interest to be due and payable, could freeze our accounts, or foreclose against the assets securing the obligations owed under our Revolving Credit Facility.

Our variable rate indebtedness subjects us to interest rate risk, which could cause our debt service obligations to increase significantly.

Borrowings under our Revolving Credit Facility bear interest at variable rates and expose us to interest rate risk. If interest rates increase, our debt service obligations on the variable rate indebtedness would increase even if the amount borrowed remained the same, and our net income and cash available for servicing our indebtedness would decrease.

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Our hedging strategy may not effectively mitigate the impact of commodity price volatility from our cash flows, and our hedging activities could result in cash losses and may limit potential gains.

We intend to maintain a portfolio of commodity derivative contracts covering at least 30%- 75% of our estimated production from proved developed producing reserves over a one-to-three-year period at any given point in time. These commodity derivative contracts include natural gas, oil and NGL financial swaps, put options, costless collars, and three-way collars. The prices and quantities at which we enter into commodity derivative contracts covering our production in the future will be dependent upon oil and natural gas prices and price expectations, at the time we enter into these transactions, which may be substantially higher or lower than current or future oil and natural gas prices. Accordingly, our price hedging strategy may not protect us from significant declines in oil, natural gas and NGL prices received for our future production. Many of the derivative contracts to which we will be a party will require us to make cash payments to the extent the applicable index exceeds a predetermined price, thereby limiting our ability to realize the benefit of increases in oil, natural gas and NGL prices. If our actual production and sales for any period are less than our hedged production and sales for that period (including reductions in production due to operational delays) or if we are unable to perform our drilling activities as planned, we might be forced to satisfy all or a portion of our hedging obligations without the benefit of the cash flow from our sale of the underlying physical commodity, which may materially impact our liquidity.

An increase in the differential between the NYMEX or other benchmark prices of oil and natural gas and the wellhead price we receive for our production could significantly reduce our cash flow and adversely affect our financial condition.

The prices that we receive for our oil and natural gas production often reflect a regional discount, based on the location of production, to the relevant benchmark prices, such as NYMEX or ICE, that are used for calculating hedge positions. The prices we receive for our production are also affected by the specific characteristics of the production relative to production sold at benchmark prices. For example, our California oil typically has a lower gravity, and a portion has higher sulfur content, than oil sold at certain benchmark prices. Therefore, because our oil requires more complex refining equipment to convert it into high value products, it may sell at a discount to those prices. These discounts, if significant, could reduce our cash flows and adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

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

It is not possible to measure underground accumulations of oil or natural gas in an exact way. The process of estimating natural gas and oil 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 our estimated quantities and present value of our reserves.

In order to prepare our estimates, we must project production rates and timing of operating and 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 natural gas and oil prices, drilling and operating expenses, capital expenditures and availability of funds.

Actual future production, oil prices, natural gas prices, revenues, development expenditures, operating expenses and quantities of recoverable reserves will vary from our estimates. Any significant variance could materially affect the estimated quantities and present value of our reserves. In addition, we may adjust our reserve estimates to reflect production history, results of development, existing commodity prices and other factors, many of which are beyond our control.

You should not assume that the present value of future net revenues from our reserves is the current market value of our estimated reserves. We generally base the estimated discounted future net cash flows from our reserves on prices and costs on the date of the estimate. Actual future prices and costs may differ materially from those used in the present value estimate.

Any material inaccuracies in these reserve estimates or underlying assumptions will materially affect the quantities and present value of our reserves, which could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

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The standardized measure of our estimated proved reserves is not necessarily the same as the current market value of our estimated proved oil and natural gas reserves.

The present value of future net cash flows from our proved reserves shown in this report, or standardized measure, may not be the current market value of our estimated natural gas and oil reserves. In accordance with rules established by the SEC and the FASB, we base the estimated discounted future net cash flows from our proved reserves on the trailing 12-month average oil and gas index prices, calculated as the unweighted arithmetic average for the first-day-of-the-month price for each month and costs in effect on the date of the estimate, holding the prices and costs constant throughout the life of the properties. Actual future prices and costs may differ materially from those used in the net present value estimate, and future net present value estimates using then current prices and costs may be significantly less than the current estimate. In addition, the 10% discount factor we use when calculating discounted future net cash flows for reporting requirements, which is required by the SEC and FASB, is not necessarily the most appropriate discount factor based on interest rates in effect from time to time and risks associated with us or the natural gas and oil industry in general.

The failure to replace our proved oil and natural gas reserves could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, production and cash flows.

Producing oil and natural gas reservoirs are characterized by declining production rates that vary depending upon reservoir characteristics and other factors. Our future oil and natural gas reserves and, production and therefore, our cash flow are highly dependent on our success in efficiently developing and exploiting our current reserves. Our production decline rates may be significantly higher than currently estimated if our wells do not produce as expected. Further, our decline rate may change when we drill additional wells or make acquisitions. We may not be able to develop, find or acquire additional reserves to replace our current and future production at economically acceptable terms, which would materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

If we reduce our capital spending in an effort to conserve cash, this would likely result in production being lower than anticipated, and could result in reduced revenues, cash flow from operations and income. Further, if the borrowing base under our Revolving Credit Facility decreases, or our revenues decrease, as a result of lower oil or natural gas prices or for any other reason, we may not be able to obtain the capital necessary to sustain our operations.

Developing and producing oil and natural gas are costly and high-risk activities with many uncertainties that may result in a total loss of investment or otherwise adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Our drilling activities are subject to many risks, including the risk that we will not discover commercially productive reservoirs. Drilling for oil and natural gas often involves unprofitable efforts, not only from dry holes, but also from wells that are productive but do not produce sufficient oil or natural gas to return a profit at then-realized prices after deducting drilling, operating and other costs. The seismic data and other technologies we use do not allow us to know conclusively prior to drilling a well that oil or natural gas is present or that it can be produced economically. The costs of our development and production activities are subject to numerous uncertainties beyond our control and increases in those costs can adversely affect the economics of a project. Further, our development and production operations may be curtailed, delayed, canceled or otherwise negatively impacted as a result of other factors, including:

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Additionally, our operations are subject to all of the hazards and operating risks associated with drilling for and production of oil and natural gas, including natural disasters, the risk of fire, explosions, blowouts, surface cratering, uncontrollable flows of natural gas, oil and formation water, pipe or pipeline failures, abnormally pressured formations, casing collapses and environmental hazards such as oil spills, natural gas leaks, ruptures or discharges of toxic gases, all of which could cause substantial financial losses. In addition, our operations are subject to risks associated with hydraulic fracturing, including any mishandling, surface spillage or potential underground migration of fracturing fluids, including chemical additives. The location of any properties and other assets near populated areas, including residential areas, commercial business centers and industrial sites, could significantly increase the level of potential damages resulting from these risks.

Any of these risks can cause substantial losses, including personal injury or loss of life, damage to or destruction of property, natural resources and equipment, pollution, environmental contamination or loss of wells and other regulatory penalties. In the event that planned operations are delayed or canceled, or existing wells or development wells have lower than anticipated production due to one or more of the factors above or for any other reason, our financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected. If any of these factors were to occur with respect to a particular field, we could lose all or a part of our investment in the field or we could fail to realize the expected benefits from the field, either of which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Expenses not covered by our insurance could have a material adverse effect on our financial position and results of operations.

We maintain insurance coverage against potential losses that we believe is customary in the industry. However, insurance against all operational risk is not available to us. These insurance policies may not cover all liabilities, claims, fines, penalties or costs and expenses that we may incur in connection with our business and operations, including those related to environmental claims. Pollution and environmental risks generally are not fully insurable. In addition, we cannot assure you that we will be able to maintain adequate insurance at rates we consider reasonable. We may elect not to obtain insurance if we believe that the cost of available insurance is excessive relative to the perceived risks presented. A liability, claim or other loss not fully covered by insurance could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position, results of operations and cash flows. For a discussion of the risks surrounding insurance associated with the Incident, see “— We may not have adequate insurance to compensate us, and our insurers may not pay particular claims.”

The production from our Wyoming Bairoil properties could be adversely affected by the cessation or interruption of the supply of CO₂ to those properties.

We inject water and CO₂ into formations on substantially all of the Wyoming Bairoil properties to increase production of oil and natural gas. The additional production and reserves attributable to the use of enhanced recovery methods are inherently difficult to predict. If we are unable to produce oil and gas by injecting CO₂ in the manner or to the extent that we anticipate, our future results of operations and financial condition could be materially adversely affected. Additionally, our ability to utilize CO₂ to enhance production is subject to our ability to obtain sufficient quantities of CO₂. If, under our CO₂ supply contracts, the supplier is unable to deliver its contractually required quantities of CO₂ to us, or if our ability to access adequate supplies is impeded, then we may not have sufficient CO₂ to produce oil and natural gas in the manner or to the extent that we anticipate, and our future oil and gas production volumes will be negatively impacted.

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Many of our properties are in areas that may have been partially depleted or drained by offset wells.

Many of our properties are in areas that may have already been partially depleted or drained by earlier offset drilling. The owners of leasehold interests lying contiguous or adjacent to or adjoining any of our properties could take actions, such as drilling additional wells that could adversely affect our operations. When a new well is completed and produced, the pressure differential in the vicinity of the well causes the migration of reservoir fluids towards the new wellbore (and potentially away from existing wellbores). As a result, the drilling and production of these potential locations could cause a depletion of our proved reserves and may inhibit our ability to further exploit and develop our reserves.

Our expectations for future development activities are planned to be realized over several years, making them susceptible to uncertainties that could materially alter the occurrence or timing of such activities.

We have identified drilling, recompletion and development locations and prospects for future drilling, recompletion and development. These drilling, recompletion and development locations represent a significant part of our future drilling and enhanced recovery opportunity plans. We cannot predict in advance of drilling, testing and analysis of data whether any particular drilling location will yield production in sufficient quantities to recover drilling or completion costs or to be economically viable. Even if sufficient amounts of oil or natural gas reserves exist, we may damage the potentially productive hydrocarbon bearing formation or experience mechanical difficulties while drilling or completing the well, possibly resulting in a reduction in production from the well or abandonment of the well. If we drill dry holes in our current and future drilling locations, our drilling success rate may decline and materially harm our business. Our ability to drill, recomplete and develop locations depends on a number of factors, including the availability of capital, seasonal conditions, regulatory approvals, negotiation of agreements with third parties, commodity prices, costs, the generation of additional seismic or geological information, the availability of drilling rigs, drilling results, construction of infrastructure and lease expirations. Because of these uncertainties, we cannot be certain of the timing of these activities or that they will ultimately result in the realization of estimated proved reserves or meet our expectations for success. As such, our actual drilling and enhanced recovery activities may materially differ from our current expectations, which could have a significant adverse effect on our estimated reserves, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Part of our strategy may involve using horizontal drilling and completion techniques, which involve risks and uncertainties in their application.

Our operations may involve utilizing some of the latest drilling and completion techniques as developed by us and our service providers. Risks that we may face while drilling horizontal wells include, but are not limited to, the following:

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

If our drilling results are less than anticipated, the return on our investment for a particular project may not be as attractive as we anticipated and we could incur material write-downs of unevaluated properties, and the value of our undeveloped acreage could decline in the future.

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Our potential use of 2-D and 3-D seismic data is subject to interpretation and may not accurately identify the presence of oil and natural gas, which could adversely affect the results of our drilling operations.

Even when properly used and interpreted, 2-D and 3-D seismic data and visualization techniques are only tools used to assist geoscientists in identifying subsurface structures and hydrocarbon indicators and do not enable the interpreter to know whether hydrocarbons are, in fact, present in those structures. In addition, the use of 3-D seismic and other advanced technologies requires greater predrilling expenditures than traditional drilling strategies and we could incur losses as a result of such expenditures. As a result, future drilling activities may not be successful or economical, which could have a material adverse impact on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

SEC rules could limit our ability to book additional PUDs in the future.

SEC rules require that, subject to limited exceptions, PUDs may only be booked if they relate to wells scheduled to be drilled within five years after the date of booking. This requirement has limited and will likely continue to limit our ability to book additional PUDs, especially in a time of depressed commodity prices. Moreover, we may be required to write down our PUDs if we do not drill those wells within the required five-year timeframe.

The unavailability or high cost of rigs, equipment, supplies and crews could delay our operations, increase our costs and delay forecasted revenue.

Our industry is cyclical, and historically there have been periodic shortages of rigs, equipment, supplies and crew. Sustained declines in oil and natural gas prices may reduce the number of service providers for such rigs, equipment, supplies and crews, contributing to or resulting in shortages. Alternatively, during periods of higher oil and natural gas prices, the demand for rigs, equipment, supplies and crews is increased and can lead to shortages of, and increasing costs for, development equipment, supplies, services and personnel. Shortages of, or increasing costs for, experienced development crews and oil field equipment and services could restrict the Company’s ability to drill the wells and conduct the operations that it currently has planned relating to the fields where our properties are located. In addition, some of our operations require supply materials for production, such as CO₂, which could become subject to shortages and increased costs. Any delay in the development of new wells or a significant increase in development costs could reduce our revenues and impact our development plan, which would thus affect our financial conduction, results of operations and our cash flows.

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

The existence of a material title deficiency can render a lease worthless and can adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. While we typically obtain title opinions prior to commencing drilling operations on a lease or in a unit, the failure of title may not be discovered until after a well is drilled, in which case we may lose the lease and the right to produce all or a portion of the minerals under the property.

Development and production of oil and natural gas in offshore waters have inherent and historically higher risk than similar activities onshore.

Our offshore operations are subject to a variety of operating risks specific to the marine environment, such as a dependence on a limited number of electrical transmission lines, as well as capsizing, collisions and damage or loss from adverse weather conditions. Offshore activities are subject to more extensive governmental regulation than our other oil and natural gas activities. We are vulnerable to the risks associated with operating offshore California, including risks relating to:

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In addition to lost production and increased costs, these hazards could cause serious injuries, fatalities, contamination or property damage for which we could be held responsible. The potential consequences of these hazards are particularly severe for us because significant portions of our offshore operations are conducted in environmentally sensitive areas, including areas with significant residential populations and public and commercial infrastructure. An accidental oil spill or release on or related to offshore properties and operations could expose us to joint and several strict liability, without regard to fault, under applicable law for all containment and oil removal costs and a variety of public and private damages including, but not limited to, the costs of remediating a release of oil, natural resource damages, and economic damages suffered by persons adversely affected by an oil spill. If an oil discharge or substantial threat of discharge were to occur, we may be subject to regulatory scrutiny and liable for costs and damages, which costs and damages could be material to our business, financial condition or results of operations and could subject us to criminal and civil penalties. Finally, maintenance activities undertaken to reduce operational risks can be costly and can require exploration, exploitation and development operations to be curtailed while those activities are being completed.

Adverse developments in our operating areas could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Our properties are located in the Rockies, federal waters offshore Southern California, East Texas / North Louisiana, Oklahoma and Eagle Ford. An adverse development in the oil and natural gas business of any of these geographic areas, such as in our ability to attract and retain field personnel or in our ability to comply with local regulations, could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

We are dependent upon a small number of significant customers for a substantial portion of our production sales. The loss of those customers, if not replaced, could reduce our revenues and have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

We had three customers that each accounted for 10% or more of total reported revenues for the year ended December 31, 2022. The loss of these customers or any significant customer, should we be unable to replace them, could adversely affect our revenues and have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Also, if any significant customer reduces the volume it purchases from us, we could experience a temporary interruption in sales of, or may receive a lower price for, our production, and our revenues and cash flows could decline. We cannot assure you that any of our customers will continue to do business with us or that we will continue to have access to suitably liquid markets for our future production. See “Item 1. Business — Operations — Marketing and Major Customers.”

The inability of our significant customers to meet their obligations to us may adversely affect our financial results.

We are subject to credit risk due to concentration of our oil and natural gas receivables. The inability or failure of our significant customers, or any purchasers of our production, to meet their payment obligations to us or their insolvency or liquidation could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations. To the extent that purchasers of our production rely on access to the credit or equity markets to fund their operations, there could be an increased risk that those purchasers could default in their contractual obligations to us. If for any reason we were to determine that it was probable that some or all of the accounts receivable from any one or more of the purchasers of our production were uncollectible, we would recognize a charge in the earnings of that period for the probable loss and could suffer a material reduction in our liquidity and cash flows.

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We are exposed to trade credit risk in the event of nonperformance by our vendors and other counterparties in the ordinary course of our business activities.

We are exposed to risks of loss in the event of nonperformance by our vendors and other counterparties. Some of our vendors and other counterparties may be highly leveraged and subject to their own operating and regulatory risks. Many of our vendors and other counterparties finance their activities through cash flow from operations, the incurrence of debt or the issuance of equity. The combination of reduction of cash flow resulting from declines in commodity prices and the lack of availability of debt or equity financing may result in a significant reduction in our vendors’ and other counterparties’ liquidity and ability to make payments or perform on their obligations to us. Even if our credit review and analysis mechanisms work properly, we may experience financial losses in our dealings with other parties. Any increase in the nonpayment or nonperformance by our vendors and/or counterparties could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

We may be unable to compete effectively with larger companies.

The oil and natural gas industry is intensely competitive with respect to acquiring prospects and productive properties, marketing oil and natural gas and securing equipment and trained personnel. Our ability to acquire additional properties and to discover reserves in the future will depend on our ability to evaluate and select suitable properties and to consummate transactions in a highly competitive environment. Many of our larger competitors not only drill for and produce oil and natural gas but also carry-on refining operations and market petroleum and other products on a regional, national or worldwide basis and many of our competitors have access to capital at a lower cost than that available to us. These companies may be able to pay more for oil and natural gas properties and evaluate, bid for and purchase a greater number of properties than our financial, technical or personnel resources permit. In addition, there is substantial competition for investment capital in the oil and natural gas industry. These larger companies may have a greater ability to continue development activities during periods of low oil and natural gas prices and to absorb the burden of present and future federal, state, local and other laws and regulations. Furthermore, we may not be able to aggregate sufficient quantities of production to compete with larger companies that are able to sell greater volumes of production to intermediaries, thereby reducing the realized prices attributable to our production. Any inability to compete effectively with larger companies could have a material adverse impact on our business activities, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Our business depends in part on pipelines, gathering systems and processing facilities owned by us or others. Any limitation in the availability of those facilities could interfere with our ability to market our oil and natural gas production.

The marketability of our oil and natural gas production depends in part on the availability, proximity and capacity of pipelines and other transportation methods, gathering systems and processing facilities owned by third parties. The amount of oil and natural gas that can be produced and sold is subject to curtailment in certain circumstances, such as pipeline interruptions due to scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, excessive pressure, physical damage or lack of contracted capacity on such systems. For example, our ability to produce and sell oil from the Beta properties will depend on the availability of the pipeline infrastructure between platforms as well as the San Pedro Bay Pipeline for delivery of that oil to shore, and any unavailability of that pipeline infrastructure or pipeline could cause us to shut in all or a portion of the production from the Beta properties for the length of such unavailability. Our access to transportation options can also be affected by U.S. federal and state regulation of oil and natural gas production and transportation, general economic conditions and changes in supply and demand. The curtailments arising from these and similar circumstances may last from a few days to several months. In many cases, we are provided with only limited, if any, notice as to when these circumstances will arise and their duration. Any significant curtailment in gathering system or transportation or processing facility capacity could reduce our ability to market our oil and natural gas production and harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

We have limited control over the activities on properties we do not operate.

Some of the properties in which we have an interest are operated by other companies and involve third-party working interest owners. As a result, we have limited ability to influence or control the operation or future development of such properties, including compliance with environmental, safety and other regulations, or the amount of capital expenditures that we will be required to fund with respect to such properties. Moreover, we are dependent on the other working interest owners of such projects to fund their contractual share of the capital expenditures of such projects. In addition, a third-party operator could also decide to shut-in or curtail production from wells, or plug and abandon marginal wells, on properties owned by that operator during periods of lower crude oil or natural gas prices. These limitations and our dependence on the operator and third-party working interest owners for these projects could cause us to incur unexpected future costs, lower production and materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

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We are subject to complex federal, state, local and other laws and regulations that could adversely affect the cost, manner or feasibility of conducting our operations.

Our oil and natural gas development and production operations are subject to complex and stringent laws and regulations administered by governmental authorities vested with broad authority relating to the exploration for and the development, production and transportation of oil and natural gas. To conduct our operations in compliance with these laws and regulations, we must obtain and maintain numerous permits, approvals and certificates from various federal, state and local governmental authorities. We may incur substantial costs in order to maintain compliance with these existing laws and regulations. Failure to comply with laws and regulations applicable to our operations, including any evolving interpretation and enforcement by governmental authorities, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Our oil and natural gas development and production operations are also subject to stringent and complex federal, state and local laws and regulations governing the discharge of materials into the environment, worker health and safety aspects of our operations, or otherwise relating to environmental protection. These laws and regulations may impose numerous obligations applicable to our operations, including the acquisition of a permit before conducting regulated drilling activities; the restriction of types, quantities and concentration of materials that can be released into the environment; the limitation or prohibition of drilling activities on certain lands lying within wilderness, wetlands, seismically active areas and other protected areas; the application of specific health and safety criteria addressing worker protection; and the imposition of substantial liabilities for pollution resulting from our operations. Numerous governmental authorities, such as the EPA and analogous state agencies, have the power to enforce compliance with these laws and regulations and the permits issued under them, often requiring difficult and costly compliance measures or corrective actions. Failure to comply with these laws and regulations may result in the assessment of sanctions, including administrative, civil or criminal penalties, the imposition of investigatory or remedial obligations, the suspension or revocation of necessary permits, licenses and authorizations, the requirement that additional pollution controls be installed and, in some instances, the issuance of orders limiting or prohibiting some or all of our operations. We may also experience delays in obtaining or be unable to obtain required permits, which may delay or interrupt our operations and limit our growth and revenue. In addition, the long-term trend in environmental regulation has been to place more restrictions and limitations on activities that may affect the environment. Thus, our costs of compliance may increase if existing laws and regulations are revised or reinterpreted, or if new laws and regulations become applicable to our operations.

Under certain environmental laws that impose strict as well as joint and several liability, we may be required to remediate contaminated properties currently or formerly owned or operated by us or facilities of third parties that received waste generated by our operations regardless of whether such contamination resulted from the conduct of others or from consequences of our own actions that were in compliance with all applicable laws at the time those actions were taken. In addition, claims for damages to persons or property, including natural resources, may result from the environmental, health and safety impacts of our operations. Moreover, public interest in the protection of the environment has increased in recent years. New laws and regulations continue to be enacted, particularly at the state level, and, under the Biden Administration, the long-term trend of more expansive and stringent environmental legislation and regulations applied to the crude oil and natural gas industry could continue, resulting in increased costs of doing business and consequently affecting profitability. To the extent laws are enacted, or other governmental action is taken that restricts drilling or imposes more stringent and costly operating, waste handling, disposal and cleanup requirements, our business, prospects, financial condition or results of operations could be materially adversely affected.

Further, the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended (the “Mineral Act”) prohibits ownership of any direct or indirect interest in federal onshore oil and natural gas leases by a foreign citizen or a foreign entity except through equity ownership in a corporation formed under the laws of the United States or of any U.S. State or territory, and only if the laws, customs, or regulations of their country of origin or domicile do not deny similar or like privileges to citizens or entities of the United States. If these restrictions are violated, the oil and natural gas lease can be canceled in a proceeding instituted by the United States Attorney General. We qualify as an entity formed under the laws of the United States or of any U.S. state or territory. Although the regulations promulgated and administered by the BLM pursuant to the Mineral Act provide for agency designations of non-reciprocal countries, there are presently no such designations in effect. It is possible that our stockholders may be citizens of foreign countries who do not own their stock in a U.S. corporation, or that even if such stock are held through a U.S. corporation, their country of citizenship may be determined to be non-reciprocal countries under the Mineral Act. In such event, any federal onshore oil and natural gas leases held by us could be subject to cancellation based on such determination.

See “Item 1. Business — Environmental, Occupational Health and Safety Matters and Regulations” and “— Other Regulation of the Oil and Natural Gas Industry” for a description of the more significant laws and regulations that affect us.

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Our business is subject to climate-related transition risks, including fuel conservation measures, technological advances and increasing public attention to climate change and environmental matters, which could reduce demand for oil and natural gas and have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and reputation.

Increasing attention from governmental and regulatory bodies, investors, consumers, industry and other stakeholders on responding to climate change, together with fuel conservation measures, alternative fuel requirements, incentives to conserve energy or use alternative energy sources, and development of, and increased demand from consumers and industry for, lower-emission products and services (including electric vehicles and renewable residential and commercial power supplies) as well as more efficient products and services, increasing consumer demand for alternatives to oil and natural gas (including wind, solar, nuclear, and geothermal sources as well as electric vehicles), societal expectations on companies to address climate change, investor and societal expectations regarding voluntary climate-related disclosures, and technological advances in fuel economy and energy transmission, storage, consumption and generation devices (including advances in wind, solar and hydrogen power, as well as battery technology), could reduce demand for oil and natural gas. Such initiatives or related activism aimed at responding to climate change and reducing air pollution, as well as negative investor sentiment toward our industry and the impact of the changing demand for oil and natural gas services and products may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, and ability to access capital.

The oil and natural gas industry, and energy industry more broadly, is characterized by rapid and significant technological advancements and introductions of new products and services using new technologies. As others use or develop new technologies, including technological advances in fuel economy and energy generation devices or other technological advances that could reduce demand for oil and natural gas, we may be placed at a competitive disadvantage or may be forced by competitive pressures to implement new technologies at substantial costs. We may not be able to respond to these competitive pressures or implement new technologies on a timely basis or at an acceptable cost. If one or more of the technologies we use now or in the future were to become obsolete, our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

Moreover, parties concerned about the potential effects of climate change have directed their attention at sources of funding for energy companies, which has resulted in certain financial institutions, funds and other sources of capital, restricting or eliminating their investment in oil and natural gas activities. Some investors, including investment advisors and certain sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, university endowments and family foundations, have stated policies to disinvest in the oil and gas sector based on their social and environmental considerations. Certain investment banks and asset managers based both domestically and internationally have announced that they are adopting climate change guidelines for their banking and investing activities. Institutional lenders who provide financing to energy companies such as ours have also become more attentive to sustainable lending practices, and some may elect not to provide traditional energy producers or companies that support such producers with funding. Certain other stakeholders have also pressured commercial and investment banks to stop financing oil and gas production and related infrastructure projects. Such developments, including environmental activism and initiatives aimed at limiting climate change and reducing air pollution, could result in downward pressure on the stock prices of oil and gas companies, including ours. This may also potentially result in a reduction of available capital funding or higher cost of capital for potential development projects, as well as the restriction, delay or cancellation of infrastructure projects and energy production activities, ultimately impacting our future financial results.

Negative public perception regarding us and/or our industry resulting from, among other things, concerns raised by advocacy groups about climate change, may also lead to increased litigation risk and regulatory, legislative, and judicial scrutiny, which may, in turn, lead to new state and federal safety and environmental laws, regulations, guidelines and enforcement interpretations. In addition, claims have been made against certain energy companies alleging that GHG emissions from oil and natural gas operations constitute a public nuisance or have caused other redressable injuries under federal and/or state common law. While our business is not a party to any such litigation, we could be named in actions making similar allegations. An unfavorable ruling in any such case could adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Governmental authorities exercise considerable discretion in the timing and scope of permit issuance and the public may engage in the permitting process, including through intervention in the courts. Negative public perception could cause the permits we need to conduct our operations to be withheld, delayed, or burdened by requirements that restrict our ability to profitably conduct our business. In addition, various officials and candidates at the federal, state and local levels, have made climate-related pledges or proposed banning hydraulic fracturing altogether. More broadly, the enactment of climate change-related policies and initiatives across the market at the corporate level and/or investor community level may in the future result in increases in the Company’s compliance costs and other operating costs and have other adverse effects (e.g., greater potential for governmental investigations or litigation). For further discussion regarding the transition risks posed to us by climate change-related regulations, policies and initiatives, see the discussion below in “—Climate change legislation or regulations restricting emissions of “greenhouse gases,” or GHGs, could result in increased operating costs and reduced demand for the oil and natural gas that we produce, while the physical effects of climate change could disrupt our production and cause us to incur significant costs in preparing for or responding to those effects.”

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Climate change legislation or regulations restricting emissions of “greenhouse gases,” or GHGs, could result in increased operating costs and reduced demand for the oil and natural gas that we produce, while the physical effects of climate change could disrupt our production and cause us to incur significant costs in preparing for or responding to those effects.

The EPA has adopted and implemented regulations to restrict emissions of GHGs under existing provisions of the CAA. In addition, the EPA has also adopted rules requiring the monitoring and reporting of GHG emissions from specified sources on an annual basis in the United States, including, among others, certain oil and natural gas production facilities, which includes certain of our operations. The adoption and implementation of any regulations imposing reporting obligations on, or limiting emissions of GHGs from, our equipment and operations could require us to incur costs to reduce emissions of GHGs associated with our operations or could adversely affect demand for the oil and natural gas we produce. Such climate change regulatory and legislative initiatives could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The $1 trillion legislative infrastructure package passed by Congress in November 2021 includes a number of climate-focused spending initiatives targeted at climate resilience, enhanced response and preparation for extreme weather events, and clean energy and transportation investments. In August 2022, President Biden signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. Among other things, the Inflation Reduction Act includes a methane emissions reduction program that amends the CAA to include a Methane Emissions and Waste Reduction Incentive Program for petroleum and natural gas systems. This program requires the EPA to impose a “waste emissions charge” on certain oil and gas sources that are already required to report under EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program. Additionally, almost one-half of the states have taken legal measures to reduce emissions of GHGs, including through the planned development of GHG emission inventories and/or regional GHGs cap and trade programs. At the international level, the United States joined the international community at the 21st Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Paris, France, which resulted in an agreement intended to nationally determine their contributions and set GHG emission reduction goals every five years beginning in 2020. In November 2019, plans were formally announced for the U.S. to withdraw from the Paris Agreement with an effective exit date in November 2020. In February 2021, the current administration announced reentry of the U.S. into the Paris Agreement along with a new “nationally determined contribution” for U.S. GHG emissions that would achieve emissions reductions of at least 50% relative to 2005 levels by 2030. In addition, in September 2021, President Biden publicly announced the Global Methane Pledge, a pact that aims to reduce global methane emissions at least 30% below 2020 levels by 2030, including “all feasible reductions” in the energy sector. Since its formal launch at COP26, over 150 countries have joined the pledge. Most recently, at COP27, President Biden announced the EPA’s proposed standards to reduce methane emissions from existing oil and gas sources, and agreed, in conjunction with the European Union and a number of other partner countries, to develop standards for monitoring and reporting methane emissions to help create a market for low methane-intensity natural gas. In addition, various states and local governments have vowed to continue to enact regulations to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. Pursuant to its obligations as a signatory to the Paris Agreement, the United States has set a target to reduce its GHG emissions by 50-52% by the year 2030 as compared with 2005 levels and has agreed to provide periodic updates on its progress.

Additionally, the SEC issued a proposed rule in March 2022 that would mandate extensive disclosure of climate-related data, risks, and opportunities, including financial impacts, physical and transition risks, related governance and strategy, and GHG emissions, for certain public companies. We cannot predict the costs of implementation or any potential adverse impacts resulting from the rulemaking. To the extent this rulemaking is finalized as proposed, we could incur increased costs relating to the assessment and disclosure of climate-related risks. We may also face increased litigation risks related to disclosures made pursuant to the rule if finalized as proposed. In addition, enhanced climate disclosure requirements could accelerate the trend of certain stakeholders and lenders restricting or seeking more stringent conditions with respect to their investments in certain carbon-intensive sectors. See “Item 1. Business— Environmental, Occupational Health and Safety Matters and Regulations” for a further discussion of the laws and regulations related to GHGs and of climate change.

Although it is not possible at this time to predict how legislation or new regulations that may be adopted to address GHG emissions (including those related to carbon pricing schemes) would impact our business, any such future laws and regulations that require reporting of GHGs or otherwise limit emissions of GHGs from our equipment and operations could require us to incur costs to monitor and report on GHG emissions or reduce emissions of GHGs associated with our operations, and such requirements also could adversely affect demand for the oil and natural gas that we produce and restrict our ability to execute on our business strategy, reducing our access to financial markets, or create greater potential for governmental investigations or litigation.

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Finally, it should be noted that most scientists have concluded that increasing concentrations of GHGs in the Earth’s atmosphere may produce climate changes that have significant physical effects, such as increased frequency and severity of storms, droughts and floods and other climatic events. If any such effects were to occur, they could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. For example, such effects could adversely affect or delay demand for the oil or natural gas produced or cause us to incur significant costs in preparing for or responding to the effects of climatic events themselves. Potential adverse effects could include disruption of our production activities, increases in our costs of operation or reductions in the efficiency of our operations, impacts on our personnel, supply chain, or distribution chain, as well as potentially increased costs for insurance coverages in the aftermath of such effects. Our ability to mitigate the adverse physical impacts of climate change depends in part upon our disaster preparedness and response and business continuity planning. See “Item 1. Business — Environmental, Occupational Health and Safety Matters and Regulations — Regulation of “Greenhouse Gas” Emissions” for a description of the climate change laws and regulations that affect us. Further, energy needs could increase or decrease as a result of extreme weather conditions depending on the duration and magnitude of any such climate changes. Increased energy use due to weather changes may require us to invest in additional equipment to serve increased demand. A decrease in energy use due to weather changes may affect our financial condition through decreased revenues. The effect of fluctuations on supply and demand may become more pronounced within specific geographic oil and natural gas producing areas, which may cause these conditions to occur with greater frequency or magnify the effects of these conditions.

The listing of a species as either “threatened” or “endangered” under the federal Endangered Species Act could result in increased costs, new operating restrictions, or delays in our operations, which could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

The ESA and analogous state laws regulate activities that could have an adverse effect on threatened and endangered species. Operations in areas where threatened or endangered species or their habitat are known to exist may require us to incur increased costs to implement mitigation or protective measures and also may restrict or preclude our activities in those areas or during certain seasons, such as breeding and nesting seasons. The listing of species in areas where we operate or, alternatively, entry into certain range-wide conservation planning agreements could result in increased costs to us from species protection measures, time delays or limitations on our activities, which costs, delays or limitations may be significant and could adversely affect our results of operations and financial position.

The third parties on whom we rely for gathering and transportation services are subject to complex federal, state and other laws that could adversely affect the cost, manner or feasibility of conducting our business.

The operations of the third parties on whom we rely for gathering and transportation services are subject to complex and stringent laws and regulations that require obtaining and maintaining numerous permits, approvals and certifications from various federal, state and local government authorities. These third parties may incur substantial costs in order to comply with existing laws and regulations. If existing laws and regulations governing such third-party services are revised or reinterpreted, or if new laws and regulations become applicable to their operations, these changes may affect the costs that we pay for such services. Similarly, a failure to comply with such laws and regulations by the third parties on whom we rely for gathering and transportation services could impact the availability of those services. Any potential impact to the availability of gathering and transportation services could impact our ability to market and sell our production, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. See “Item 1. Business — Environmental, Occupational Health and Safety Matters and Regulations” and “— Other Regulation of the Oil and Natural Gas Industry” for a description of the laws and regulations that affect the third parties on whom we rely for gathering and transportation services.

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Oil and natural gas producers’ operations, especially those using hydraulic fracturing, are substantially dependent on the availability of water and the disposal of waste, including produced water and drilling fluids. Restrictions on the ability to obtain water or dispose of waste may impact our operations.

Water is an essential component of oil and natural gas production during the drilling, and in particular, hydraulic fracturing, process. Our inability to locate sufficient amounts of water or to dispose of or recycle water used in our development and production operations could adversely impact our operations. Moreover, the imposition of new environmental initiatives and regulations could include restrictions on our ability to conduct certain operations such as hydraulic fracturing or disposal of waste, including, but not limited to, produced water, drilling fluids and other wastes associated with the exploration, development or production of natural gas. The Clean Water Act imposes restrictions and strict controls regarding the discharge of produced waters and other natural gas and oil waste into “waters of the United States.” Permits must be obtained to discharge pollutants to such waters and to conduct construction activities in such waters, which include certain wetlands. The Clean Water Act and similar state laws provide for civil, criminal and administrative penalties for any unauthorized discharges of pollutants and unauthorized discharges of reportable quantities of oil and other hazardous substances. State and federal discharge regulations prohibit the discharge of produced water and sand, drilling fluids, drill cuttings and certain other substances related to the natural gas and oil industry into coastal waters. Compliance with current and future environmental regulations and permit requirements governing the withdrawal, storage and use of surface water or groundwater necessary for hydraulic fracturing of wells, and the disposal and recycling of produced water, drilling fluids, and other wastes, may increase our operating costs and cause delays, interruptions or termination of our operations, the extent of which cannot be predicted. In addition, in some instances, the operation of underground injection wells for the disposal of waste has been alleged to cause earthquakes. In some jurisdictions, such issues have led to orders prohibiting continued injection or the suspension of drilling in certain wells identified as possible sources of seismic activity or resulted in stricter regulatory requirements relating to the location and operation of underground injection wells. For example, we conduct oil and gas drilling and production operations in the Mississippian Lime formation in Oklahoma, a high-water play, which requires us to dispose of large volumes of saltwater generated as part of our operations. In 2015, the Oklahoma Geological Survey attributed an increase in seismic activity in Oklahoma to saltwater disposal wells in the Arbuckle formation. Around the same time, the OCC, whose Oil and Gas Conservation Division regulates oil and gas operations in Oklahoma, began issuing regulations targeting saltwater disposal activities in certain areas of interest within the Arbuckle formation. The regulations include operational requirements (i.e., mechanical integrity testing of wells permitted for disposal of 20,000 or more barrels of water per day, daily monitoring and recording of well pressure and discharge volume), as well as orders to shut-in wells, reduce well depths, or decrease disposal volumes. Under these regulations, in 2016 and 2017, the OCC ordered us to limit the volume of saltwater disposed of in saltwater disposal wells in the Arbuckle formation and established caps for ten of our saltwater disposal wells in February 2017, which caps are still in place. To ensure that we had an adequate number of wells for disposal, we secured permits for additional saltwater disposal wells outside of the Arbuckle formation. We timely satisfied all OCC saltwater disposal requirements, while maintaining our production base without any negative material impact. However, any additional orders or regulations addressing concerns about seismic activity from well injection in jurisdictions where we operate could affect our operations. See “Item 1. Business — Environmental, Occupational Health and Safety Matters and Regulations — Water Discharges and Other Waste Discharges & Spills” and “— Hydraulic Fracturing” for an additional description of the laws and regulations relating to the discharge of water and other wastes and hydraulic fracturing that affect us.

Federal and state legislative and regulatory initiatives relating to hydraulic fracturing could result in increased costs and additional operating restrictions or delays and adversely affect our production.

Hydraulic fracturing is an essential and common practice in the oil and gas industry used to stimulate production of natural gas and/or oil from dense subsurface rock formations. Hydraulic fracturing involves using water, sand and certain chemicals to fracture the hydrocarbon-bearing rock formation to allow flow of hydrocarbons into the wellbore. We routinely apply hydraulic fracturing techniques in our drilling and completion programs. While hydraulic fracturing has historically been regulated by state oil and natural gas commissions, the practice has become increasingly controversial in certain parts of the country, resulting in increased scrutiny and regulation. See “Item 1. Business — Environmental, Health and Safety Matters and Regulations — Hydraulic Fracturing” for a description of the federal and state legislative and regulatory initiatives relating to hydraulic fracturing that affect us.

If new laws or regulations that significantly restrict hydraulic fracturing are adopted at the state and local level, such laws could make it more difficult or costly for us to perform fracturing to stimulate production from dense subsurface rock formations and, in the event of prohibitions, may preclude our ability to drill wells. In addition, if hydraulic fracturing becomes further regulated at the federal level as a result of federal legislation or regulatory initiatives by the EPA or other federal agencies, our fracturing activities could become subject to additional permitting requirements and result in permitting delays as well as potential increases in costs. Restrictions on hydraulic fracturing could also reduce the amount of oil and natural gas that we are ultimately able to produce from our reserves.

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The cost of decommissioning is uncertain.

We are required to maintain reserve funds to provide for the payment of decommissioning costs associated with the Beta properties. The estimates of decommissioning costs are inherently imprecise and subject to change due to changing cost estimates, oil and natural gas prices and other factors. If actual decommissioning costs exceed such estimates, or we are required to provide a significant amount of additional collateral in cash or other security as a result of a revision to such estimates, our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows may be materially adversely affected.

We are required to post cash collateral and may be in the future required to post additional collateral, pursuant to our agreements with sureties under our existing or future bonding arrangements, which may have a material adverse effect on our liquidity and our ability to execute our capital expenditure plan, our ARO plan and comply with our existing debt instruments.

Pursuant to the terms of our existing bonding arrangements with various sureties in connection with the decommissioning obligations related to our Beta properties, or under any future bonding arrangements we may enter into, we may be required to post additional collateral at any time, on demand, at the sureties’ sole discretion. If additional collateral is required to support surety bond obligations, this collateral would probably be in the form of cash or letters of credit, certificate of deposit or other similar forms of liquid collateral. We cannot provide assurance that we will be able to satisfy collateral demands for current bonds or for future bonds.

We entered into two escrow funding agreements with certain of our surety providers to fund interest-bearing escrow accounts to reimburse and indemnify the surety providers for any claims arising under the surety bonds related to the decommissioning of our Beta properties. If we fail to comply with our obligations under such escrow agreements, the surety providers may request additional collateral in the form of cash or letters of credit, certificates of deposit or other similar forms of liquid collateral. If we are required to provide additional collateral pursuant to any such request or otherwise, our liquidity position may be negatively impacted, and we may be required to seek alternative financing. To the extent we are unable to secure adequate financing, we may be forced to reduce our capital expenditures in the current year or future years, may be unable to execute our asset retirement obligation plan or may be unable to comply with our existing debt instruments. If we are unable or unwilling to provide additional collateral, we may have to pursue alternate bonding arrangements with other sureties. See Note 6, “Asset Retirement Obligations” and Note 16, “Commitments and Contingencies — Supplemental Bond for Decommissioning Liabilities Trust Agreement” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included under Part II, Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, in this Annual Report for additional information.

Certain U.S. federal income tax deductions currently available with respect to oil and natural gas exploration and production may be eliminated as a result of future legislation.

In past years, legislation has been proposed that would, if enacted into law, make significant changes to U.S. tax laws, including the elimination of certain key U.S. federal income tax incentives currently available to oil and natural gas exploration and production companies. These changes include, but are not limited to, (i) the repeal of the percentage depletion allowance for oil and natural gas properties, (ii) the elimination of current deductions for intangible drilling and development costs, or IDCs, (iii) the elimination of the deduction for certain domestic production activities and (iv) an extension of the amortization period for certain geological and geophysical expenditures. Although these provisions were largely unchanged by the Tax Act, Congress could consider and could include some or all of these proposals as part of future tax reform legislation. It is unclear whether any of the foregoing or similar proposals will be considered and enacted as part of future tax reform legislation and if enacted, how soon any such changes could become effective. The passage of any legislation as a result of these proposals or any other similar changes in U.S. federal income tax laws could eliminate or postpone certain tax deductions that are currently available with respect to oil and natural gas exploration and development and any such change could have an adverse effect on the Company’s financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

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Our business could be negatively affected by security threats, including cybersecurity threats, destructive forms of protest and opposition by activists and other disruptions.

As an oil and natural gas producer, we face various security threats, including cybersecurity threats to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information, to misappropriate financial assets or to render data or systems unusable; threats to the security of our facilities and infrastructure or third-party facilities and infrastructure, such as processing plants and pipelines; and threats from terrorist acts. The potential for such security threats has subjected our operations to increased risks that could have a material adverse effect on our business. In particular, our implementation of various procedures and controls to monitor and mitigate security threats and to increase security for our information, facilities and infrastructure may result in increased capital and operating costs. Moreover, there can be no assurance that such procedures and controls will be sufficient to prevent security breaches from occurring. If any of these security breaches were to occur, they could lead to losses of financial assets, sensitive information, critical infrastructure or capabilities essential to our operations and could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, financial position, results of operations or cash flows. Cybersecurity attacks in particular are becoming more sophisticated and include, but are not limited to, malicious software, attempts to gain unauthorized access to data and systems, and other electronic security breaches that could lead to disruptions in critical systems, unauthorized release of confidential or otherwise protected information, and corruption of data. These events could lead to financial losses from remedial actions, loss of business or potential liability. In addition, destructive forms of protest and opposition by activists and other disruptions, including acts of sabotage or eco-terrorism, against oil and gas production and activities could potentially result in damage or injury to people, property or the environment or lead to extended interruptions of our operations, adversely affecting our financial condition and results of operations.

ITEM 1B.UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None.

ITEM 2.PROPERTIES

Information regarding our properties is contained in “Item 1. Business — Our Areas of Operation” and “—Our Oil and Natural Gas Data” and “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations —Results of Operations” contained herein.

ITEM 3.LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

As part of our normal business activities, we may be named as defendants in other litigation and legal proceedings, including those arising from regulatory and environmental matters. If we determine that a negative outcome is probable and the amount of loss is reasonably estimable, we accrue the estimated amount. We are not aware of any other litigation, pending or threatened, that we believe will have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows. The Company accrued $8.0 million at December 31, 2022, in regard to our litigation and legal proceedings.

For additional information regarding legal proceedings, see Note 16, “Commitments and Contingencies — Litigation and Environmental” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included under “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this Annual Report and “Part II – Item 1A. Risk Factors — Risks Related to the Southern California Pipeline Incident” which are incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 4.MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

Not applicable.

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PART II

ITEM 5.MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

Market Information

Our common stock is listed on the NYSE under the trading symbol “AMPY” and has been trading since August 7, 2019.

As of February 28, 2023, we had 38,710,696 shares of our common stock outstanding. As of February 28, 2023, we had twenty-seven record holders of our common stock, based on information provided by our transfer agent.

Dividends Policy

While we may decide to pay cash dividends in the future, we have not paid, nor do we currently intend to pay, any cash dividends on our common stock. Future dividends, if any, are subject to the terms of our Revolving Credit Facility and discretionary approval by the board of directors.

Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plan

See the information incorporated by reference in “Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Shareholder Matters” for information regarding shares of our common stock authorized for issuance under our stock compensation plans, which information is incorporated herein by reference.

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

The following sets forth information with respect to the Company’s repurchases of shares of its common stock during the fourth quarter of 2022.

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ITEM 6.Reserved

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ITEM 7.MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Management’s Discussion and Analysis (“MD&A”) of Financial Condition and Results of Operations should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and related notes in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” contained herein. The following discussion contains forward-looking statements that reflect our future plans, estimates, beliefs and expected performance. The forward-looking statements are dependent upon events, risks and uncertainties that may be outside our control. Our actual results could differ materially from those discussed in these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences are discussed in “Risk Factors” contained in Part I, Item 1A. of this report. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the forward-looking events discussed may not occur. See “Forward-Looking Statements” in the front of this Annual Report.

Overview

We operate in one reportable segment engaged in the acquisition, development, exploitation and production of oil and natural gas properties. Our management evaluates performance based on the reportable business segment as the economic environments are not different within the operation of our oil and natural gas properties. Our business activities are conducted through OLLC, our wholly owned subsidiary, and its wholly owned subsidiaries. Our assets consist primarily of producing oil and natural gas properties located in Oklahoma, the Rockies (Bairoil), federal waters offshore Southern California (Beta), East Texas/North Louisiana and Eagle Ford (Non-Op). Most of our oil and natural gas properties are located in large, mature oil and natural gas reservoirs.

Production and Operation Update

Our oil, natural gas and NGL production for the fiscal year 2022 decreased to 31%, 3% and 3%, respectively. The decrease in production was attributable to Beta properties being shut-in due to the Incident and natural decline. We had a 21% increase in oil and natural gas sales which was from higher realized commodity prices offset by lower production changes.

Our total estimated proved reserves increased to 124.0 MMBoe in 2022 compared to 121.2 MMBoe in 2021.

As of December 31, 2022, we are the operator of record for properties containing 92% of our total estimated proved reserves.

Industry Trends

For a discussion of how industry trends have affected and may continue to affect our business and financial condition, see the discussion under the heading “Industry Trends” in Part I, Item 1 of this report, as well as the Risk Factors set forth in Part I, Item 1A of this report.

Recent Developments

Pipeline Incident Settlement

On March 1, 2023, the Company announced that the vessels that struck and damaged the Pipeline and their respective owners and operators have agreed to pay the Company $96.5 million in a settlement. The Marine Exchange has agreed to non-monetary terms as well. The overall resolution includes subrogation claims by Amplify’s property damage and loss of production insurers, with Amplify ultimately receiving a net payment of approximately $85 million. The parties are working to finalize the settlement agreement documentation. The settlement resolves Amplify’s affirmative claims related to the Incident. As part of the settlement, after payment is made, Amplify will dismiss all of its legal claims against those parties. For a discussion regarding the Incident, see Note 15 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included under “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this Annual Report for additional information.

Borrowing Base Redetermination Agreement and Seventh Amendment

On December 9, 2022, OLLC, entered into the Seventh Amendment. The Seventh Amendment amends the parties’ Credit Agreement, to, among other things:

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Director and Certain Officer Departures and Appointments

On February 27, 2023, Jason McGlynn notified the Company of his decision to resign. Mr. McGlynn will cease to serve as Chief Financial Officer of the Company effective March 17, 2023 (the “Separation Date”). Mr. McGlynn’s decision to resign stems solely from personal reasons and did not result from any disagreement with the Company or the board of directors.

Subject to Mr. McGlynn’s execution and non-revocation of a general release of claims and continued employment by the Company until the Separation Date, Mr. McGlynn’s 8,334 unvested time-based restricted stock units scheduled to vest on April 1, 2023 pursuant to the applicable award agreement will vest in full on the Separation Date.

On November 29, 2022, Richard P. Smiley notified the Company of his intent to retire and resign from his current position as Senior Vice President, Operations, which decision stemmed solely from personal reasons and did not result from any disagreement with the Company or any matter relating to the Company’s operations, policies or practices. Mr. Smiley intends to remain in his role at the Company to assist with an orderly transition of his responsibilities, and to continue to provide essential transition services to the Company following his retirement.

Effective December 31, 2022, Eric T. Greager resigned from the Company’s board of directors to pursue another career opportunity. Mr. Greager’s decision to leave the Company for another career opportunity was not a result of any disagreement with the Company or its board of directors or any matter relating to the Company’s financials, operations, policies or practices.

On February 9, 2023, the Company’s board of directors appointed James E. Craddock to the board of directors. Mr. Craddock has also been appointed to the nominating and governance committee of the board of directors.

Business Environment and Operational Focus

We use a variety of financial and operational metrics to assess the performance of our oil and natural gas operations, including: (i) production volumes; (ii) realized prices on the sale of our production; (iii) cash settlements on our commodity derivatives; (iv) lease operating expense; (v) gathering, processing and transportation; (vi) general and administrative expense; and (vii) Adjusted EBITDA.

Production Volumes

Production volumes directly impact our results of operations. For more information about our volumes, see “— Results of Operations” below.

Realized Prices on the Sale of Oil and Natural Gas

We market our oil and natural gas production to a variety of purchasers based on regional pricing. The relative prices of oil and natural gas are determined by the factors impacting global and regional supply and demand dynamics, such as economic conditions, production levels, weather cycles and other events. In addition, realized prices are heavily influenced by product quality and location relative to consuming and refining markets.

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Natural Gas. The NYMEX-Henry Hub future price of natural gas is a widely used benchmark for the pricing of natural gas in the United States. The actual prices realized from the sale of natural gas can differ from the quoted NYMEX-Henry Hub price as a result of quality and location differentials. Quality differentials to NYMEX-Henry Hub prices result from: (1) the Btu content of natural gas, which measures its heating value, and (2) the percentage of sulfur, CO₂ and other inert content by volume. Natural gas with a high Btu content (“wet” natural gas) sells at a premium to natural gas with low Btu content (“dry” natural gas) because it yields a greater quantity of NGLs. Natural gas with low sulfur and CO₂ content sells at a premium to natural gas with high sulfur and CO₂ content because of the added cost required to separate the sulfur and CO₂ from the natural gas to render it marketable. Wet natural gas may be processed in third-party natural gas plants, where residue natural gas as well as NGLs are recovered and sold. At the wellhead, our natural gas production typically has an average energy content greater than 1,000 Btu. The dry natural gas residue from our properties is generally sold based on index prices in the region from which it is produced.

Location differentials to NYMEX-Henry Hub prices result from variances in transportation costs based on the produced natural gas’ proximity to the major consuming markets to which it is ultimately delivered. Historically, these index prices have generally been at a discount to NYMEX-Henry Hub natural gas prices.

Oil. The NYMEX-WTI futures price is a widely used benchmark in the pricing of domestic and imported oil in the United States. The ICE Brent futures price is a widely used global price benchmark for oil. The actual prices realized from the sale of oil can differ from the quoted NYMEX-WTI price as a result of quality and location differentials. Quality differentials result from the fact that crude oils differ from one another in their molecular makeup, which plays an important part in their refining and subsequent sale as petroleum products. Among other things, there are two characteristics that commonly drive quality differentials: (1) the oil’s American Petroleum Institute (“API”) gravity and (2) the oil’s percentage of sulfur content by weight. In general, lighter oil (with higher API gravity) produces a larger number of lighter products, such as gasoline, which have higher resale value and, therefore, normally sells at a higher price than heavier oil. Oil with low sulfur content (“sweet” oil) is less expensive to refine and, as a result, normally sells at a higher price than high sulfur-content oil (“sour” oil).

Location differentials result from variances in transportation costs based on the produced oil’s proximity to the major consuming and refining markets to which it is ultimately delivered. Oil that is produced close to major consuming and refining markets, such as near Cushing, Oklahoma, is in higher demand as compared to oil that is produced farther from such markets. Consequently, oil that is produced close to major consuming and refining markets normally realizes a higher price (i.e., a lower location differential).

The oil produced from our onshore properties is a combination of sweet and sour oil, varying by location. This oil is typically sold at the NYMEX-WTI price, adjusted for quality and transportation differential, depending primarily on location and purchaser. The oil produced from our Beta properties is heavy and sour oil. Oil produced from our Beta properties is currently sold based on refiners’ posted prices for California Midway-Sunset deliveries in Southern California, adjusted primarily for quality and a negotiated market differential.

Price Volatility. In the past, oil and natural gas prices have been extremely volatile, and we expect this volatility to continue. The following table shows the low and high commodity future index prices for the periods indicated:

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Commodity Derivative Contracts. Our hedging activities are intended to support oil, natural gas and NGL prices at targeted levels and to manage our exposure to commodity price fluctuations. We intend to enter into commodity derivative contracts at times and on terms desired to maintain a portfolio of commodity derivative contracts covering at least 30% -75% of our estimated production from proved developed producing reserves over a one-to-three-year period at any given point of time. We may, however, from time-to-time hedge more or less than this approximate range. Additionally, we may take advantage of opportunities to modify our commodity derivative portfolio to change the percentage of our hedged production volumes when circumstances suggest that it is prudent to do so. The current market conditions may also impact our ability to enter into future commodity derivative contracts.

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Principal Components of Cost Structure

Outlook

Based on our current plans, our capital expenditure program for the full year 2023 is expected to be approximately $30.0 million to $40.0 million. The charts below detail the allocation of capital across our asset base and by investment type based on the midpoint of our 2023 capital expenditure range.

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As has been our historical practice, we will periodically review our capital expenditures throughout the year and may adjust the budget based on commodity prices and other factors. We anticipate funding our 2023 capital program from internally generated cash flow, borrowings under our Revolving Credit Facility and/or debt or equity financings may provide incremental financial flexibility.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

The methods, estimates and judgments we use in applying our critical accounting policies have a significant impact on the results we report in our Consolidated Financial Statements. We evaluate our estimates and judgments on an on-going basis. We base our estimates on historical experience and on assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. Our experience and assumptions form the basis for our judgments about the carrying value of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may vary from what we anticipate and different assumptions or estimates about the future could change our reported results.

Oil and Natural Gas Properties. We use the successful efforts method of accounting for our oil and natural gas properties. Under this method, costs of acquiring properties, costs of drilling successful exploration wells and development costs are capitalized. At the completion of drilling activities, the costs of exploratory wells remain capitalized if a determination is made that proved reserves have been found. If no proved reserves have been found, the costs of each of the related exploratory wells are charged to expense.

We review the carrying value of our oil and natural gas properties for impairments annually or when events and circumstances indicate the carrying value of our properties may not be recoverable. Such indications could be the result of downward revisions of the reserve estimates, less than expected production or drilling results, higher operating and development costs, or lower commodity prices. If the carrying value of the property exceeds its estimated undiscounted future cash flows, the carrying amount of the property is reduced to its estimated fair value using Level 3 inputs. The factors used to determine fair value include, but are not limited to, estimates of proved and probable reserves, future commodity prices, the timing of future production and capital expenditures and a discount rate commensurate with the risk reflective of the lives remaining for the respective oil and gas properties.

We believe accounting for oil and natural gas properties is a critical accounting estimate because the policies discussed above the impact the carrying value of our properties involve significant judgments about the impact of future events on our estimated cash flows. Future events and circumstances currently unknown to us could require future impairments to our properties and materially change the carrying value of our properties.

Oil and Natural Gas Reserves. Proved oil and natural gas reserves are estimated in accordance with the rules established by the SEC and FASB. The rules require that reserve estimates be prepared under existing economic and operating conditions using a trailing 12-month average price with no provision for price and cost escalation in future years except by contractual arrangements. Our reserve estimates are prepared by our reserve engineers and audited by independent engineers.

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Our reserve estimates are updated at least annually using geological and reserve data, as well as production performance data. Reserve estimates are inherently imprecise. Accordingly, the estimates are expected to change as more current information becomes available. It is possible that, because of changes in market conditions or the inherent imprecision of reserve estimates, the estimates of future cash inflows, future gross revenues, the amount of oil and natural gas reserves, the remaining estimated lives of oil and natural gas properties, or any combination of the above may be increased or decreased. Increases in recoverable economic volumes generally reduce per unit depletion rates, while decreases in recoverable economic volumes generally increase per unit depletion rates. A decline in proved reserves may result from lower market prices, which may make it uneconomical to drill for and produce higher cost fields. In addition, a decline in proved reserve estimate may impact the outcome of our assessment of oil and natural gas producing properties for impairment. We cannot predict what reserve revisions may be required in future periods.

We believe oil and natural gas reserves is a critical accounting estimate because we must periodically reevaluate proved reserves along with estimates of future production rates, production costs and the timing of development expenditures. Future results of operations for any period could be materially affected by changes in our assumptions. Significant changes in these estimates could result in a change to our estimated reserves, which could lead to a material change to our production depletion expense.

Fair Value Estimates. Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at a specified measurement date. Fair value estimates are based on either (i) actual market data or (ii) assumptions that other market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability, including estimates of risk. A three-tier hierarchy has been established that classifies fair value amounts recognized or disclosed in the financial statements. The hierarchy considers fair value amounts based on observable inputs (Levels 1 and 2) to be more reliable and predictable than those based primarily on unobservable inputs (Level 3).

Valuation techniques that maximize the use of observable inputs are favored. Assets and liabilities are classified in their entirety based on the lowest priority level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement requires judgment and may affect the placement of assets and liabilities within the levels of the fair value hierarchy. See Notes 4 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included under “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this Annual Report for a discussion of our fair value measurements.

We believe fair value estimates are a critical accounting estimate because the significance of a particular input to fair value measurements requires judgment and may affect the valuation of the fair value of assets and liabilities and their placement within the fair value hierarchy levels. Significant uses of fair value measurements include: derivative instruments, asset retirement obligations (“ARO”), and impairment assessments of long-lived assets.

The carrying values of our cash and cash equivalents (Level 1), accounts receivables, accounts payables (including accrued liabilities) and amounts outstanding under long-term debt agreements with variable rates included in the accompanying balance sheets approximated fair value at December 31, 2022 and 2021.

Our commodity derivative financial instruments are used to reduce the impact of natural gas and oil price fluctuations. We record our derivative instrument in the balance sheet as either an asset or liability measured at its fair value. Changes in the derivative’s fair value are recognized currently in earnings as we have not elected hedge accounting for any of our derivative positions. Significant changes to the market value of derivative instruments due to the volatility of oil and natural gas prices can have an impact on our financial condition and results of operations.

The fair value of our AROs (Level 3) are based on discounted cash flow projections which uses numerous estimates and assumptions, and judgements regarding such factors as the existence of a legal obligation for an ARO, amounts and timing of settlements, credit-adjusted risk-free rate and inflation rates.

Revenue Recognition. Our revenue is primarily derived from the sale of oil and natural gas production, as well as the sale of NGLs that are extracted from natural gas during processing. Revenue is recognized when the following five steps are completed: (1) identify the contract with the customer, (2) identify the performance obligation (promise) in the contract, (3) determine the transaction price, (4) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract, (5) recognize revenue when the reporting organization satisfies a performance obligation.

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Prices for natural gas, NGLs and oil sales are negotiated based on factors normally considered in the industry, such as index or spot price, distance from the well to the pipeline, commodity quality and prevailing supply and demand conditions. To the extent actual quantities and values of oil, NGLs and natural gas are unavailable for a given reporting period because of timing or information not received from third parties, the expected sales volumes and price for those properties must be estimated.

We believe revenue recognition is a critical accounting estimate because revenue is an essential portion of our results of operations.

Contingencies and Insurance Accounting. A provision for legal, environmental and other contingent matters is charged to expense when the loss is probable and the cost or range of cost can be reasonably estimated. Judgment is often required to determine when expenses should be recorded for legal, environmental and contingent matters. Although we are insured against various risks to the extent we believe it is prudent, there is no assurance that the nature and amount of such insurance will be adequate, in every case, to indemnify us against liabilities arising from future legal proceedings.

Environmental costs for remediation are accrued when environmental remediation efforts are probable and the costs can be reasonably estimated. Such accruals are based on management’s best estimate of the ultimate cost to remediate a site and are adjusted as further information and circumstances develop. Those estimates may change substantially depending on information about the nature and extent of contamination, appropriate remediation technologies and regulatory approvals.

An insurance receivable is recognized when collection of the receivable is deemed probable. Any recognition of an insurance receivable is recorded by crediting and offsetting the original charge. Any differential arising between the insurance recoveries and insurance receivables is recorded as a capitalized cost or as an expense, consistent with its original treatment.

We believe contingencies and insurance accounting is a critical accounting estimate because we must assess the probability of the loss related to the contingency and the expected amount that is covered by insurance.

Income Tax. We use the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes, under which deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences of (1) temporary differences between the tax basis of assets and liabilities and their reported amounts in the financial statements and (2) operating loss and tax credit carryforwards.

In assessing the carrying value of our net deferred tax assets, we consider the realizability of our deferred tax assets each reporting period. The realization of any deferred tax asset is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income sufficient to demonstrate our ability to utilize the deferred tax asset in the period in which the temporary differences become deductible or in a future period prior to expiration. We considered all available evidence, including cumulative historical losses (defined as pre-tax earnings as adjusted for permanent tax adjustment), scheduled reversal of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income and available tax planning strategies. Based on all positive and negative evidence, we concluded that it was more likely than not that all of our net deferred tax assets would not be fully realized and maintained a full valuation allowance of $284.9 million at December 31, 2022.

We believe accounting for income taxes is a critical accounting estimate because the policies discussed above in assessing the carrying value of our net deferred tax assets require estimates and judgements about the impact of future events on our projected taxable income. For example, our cumulative historical losses for the three fiscal years end December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020 are $434.1 million, which is primarily attributable to impairment expenses of $476.9 million that were incurred during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020. In future periods, we may demonstrate cumulative historical earnings for the previous three fiscal years, which could significantly impact our valuation allowance of $284.9 million as of December 31, 2022. Any reduction in the valuation allowance would increase our income tax benefit in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Results of Operations

The results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, have been derived from our Consolidated Financial Statements. The comparability of the results of operations among the periods presented below is impacted by the Incident and suspension of operations at our Beta properties.

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The table below summarizes certain of the results of operations and period-to-period comparisons for the periods indicated.

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