NATIONAL FUEL GAS CO

Item 1. Financial Statements

Consolidated Statements of Income and Earnings

Reinvested in the Business

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income

Consolidated Balance Sheets

Consolidated Balance Sheets

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

Note 1 –Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Principles of Consolidation. The Company consolidates all entities in which it has a controlling financial interest. All significant intercompany balances and transactions are eliminated. The Company uses proportionate consolidation when accounting for drilling arrangements related to oil and gas producing properties accounted for under the full cost method of accounting.

The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Earnings for Interim Periods. The Company, in its opinion, has included all adjustments (which consist of only normally recurring adjustments, unless otherwise disclosed in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q) that are necessary for a fair statement of the results of operations for the reported periods. The consolidated financial statements and notes thereto, included herein, should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes for the years ended September 30, 2023, 2022 and 2021 that are included in the Company's 2023 Form 10-K. The consolidated financial statements for the year ended September 30, 2024 will be audited by the Company's independent registered public accounting firm after the end of the fiscal year.

The earnings for the six months ended March 31, 2024 should not be taken as a prediction of earnings for the entire fiscal year ending September 30, 2024. Most of the business of the Utility segment is seasonal in nature and is influenced by weather conditions. Due to the seasonal nature of the heating business in the Utility segment, earnings during the winter months normally represent a substantial part of the earnings that this business is expected to achieve for the entire fiscal year. The Company’s business segments are discussed more fully in Note 8 – Business Segment Information.

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. The components, as reported on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets, of the total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash presented on the Statement of Cash Flows are as follows (in thousands):

The Company considers all highly liquid debt instruments purchased with a maturity date of generally three months or less to be cash equivalents. The Company’s restricted cash is composed entirely of amounts reported as Hedging Collateral Deposits on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Hedging Collateral Deposits is an account title for cash held in margin accounts funded by the Company to serve as collateral for derivative financial instruments in an unrealized loss position. In accordance with its accounting policy, the Company does not offset hedging collateral deposits paid or received against related derivative financial instruments liability or asset balances.

Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts. The allowance for uncollectible accounts is the Company’s best estimate of the amount of probable credit losses in the existing accounts receivable. The allowance, the majority of which is in the Utility segment, is determined based on historical experience, the age of customer accounts, other specific information about customer accounts, and the economic and regulatory environment. Account balances have historically been written off against the allowance approximately twelve months after the account is final billed or when it is anticipated that the receivable will not be recovered. During 2022 and 2021, final billings were suppressed in the Utility segment as a result of state shut-off moratoriums arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. Those moratoriums were lifted in 2022 which allowed for the resumption of final billings during 2022, thereby resulting in higher amounts being written off in 2023 and 2024.

Activity in the allowance for uncollectible accounts for the six months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023 are as follows (in thousands):

Gas Stored Underground. In the Utility segment, gas stored underground is carried at lower of cost or net realizable value, on a LIFO method. Gas stored underground normally declines during the first and second quarters of the year and is replenished during the third and fourth quarters. In the Utility segment, the current cost of replacing gas withdrawn from storage is recorded in the Consolidated Statements of Income and a reserve for gas replacement is recorded in the Consolidated Balance Sheets under the caption “Other Accruals and Current Liabilities.” Such reserve, which amounted to $20.1 million at March 31, 2024, is reduced tozero by September 30 of each year as the inventory is replenished.

Property, Plant and Equipment. In the Company’s Exploration and Production segment, oil and gas property acquisition, exploration and development costs are capitalized under the full cost method of accounting. Under this methodology, all costs associated with property acquisition, exploration and development activities are capitalized, including internal costs directly identified with acquisition, exploration and development activities. The internal costs that are capitalized do not include any costs related to production, general corporate overhead, or similar activities. The Company does not recognize any gain or loss on the sale or other disposition of oil and gas properties unless the gain or loss would significantly alter the relationship between capitalized costs and proved reserves of oil and gas attributable to a cost center. The Company's capitalized costs relating to oil and gas producing activities, net of accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization, were $2.6 billion and $2.4 billion at March 31, 2024 and September 30, 2023, respectively.

Capitalized costs include costs related to unproved properties, which are excluded from amortization until proved reserves are found or it is determined that the unproved properties are impaired. Such costs amounted to $174.0 million and $161.1 million at March 31, 2024 and September 30, 2023, respectively. All costs related to unproved properties are reviewed quarterly to determine if impairment has occurred. The amount of any impairment is transferred to the pool of capitalized costs being amortized.

Capitalized costs are subject to the SEC full cost ceiling test. The ceiling test, which is performed each quarter, determines a limit, or ceiling, on the amount of property acquisition, exploration and development costs that can be capitalized. The ceiling under this test represents (a) the present value of estimated future net cash flows, excluding future cash outflows associated with settling asset retirement obligations that have been accrued on the balance sheet, using a discount factor of 10%, which is computed by applying prices of oil and gas (as adjusted for hedging) to estimated future production of proved oil and gas reserves as of the date of the latest balance sheet, less estimated future expenditures, plus (b) the cost of unproved properties not being depleted, less (c) income tax effects related to the differences between the book and tax basis of the properties. The gas and oil prices used to calculate the full cost ceiling are based on an unweighted arithmetic average of the first day of the month oil and gas prices for each month within the twelve-month period prior to the end of the reporting period. If capitalized costs, net of accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization and related deferred income taxes, exceed the ceiling at the end of any quarter, a permanent non-cash impairment is required to be charged to earnings in that quarter. At March 31, 2024, the ceiling exceeded the book value of the oil and gas properties by approximately $3.1 million. The estimated future net cash flows were increased by $347.1 million for hedging under the ceiling test at March 31, 2024.

The principal assets of the Utility, Pipeline and Storage and Gathering segments, consisting primarily of gas distribution pipelines, transmission pipelines, storage facilities, gathering lines and compressor stations, are recorded at historical cost. There were no indications of any impairments to property, plant and equipment in the Utility, Pipeline and Storage and Gathering segments at March 31, 2024.

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss). The components of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) and changes for the six months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, net of related tax effect, are as follows (amounts in parentheses indicate debits) (in thousands):

Reclassifications Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss). The details about the reclassification adjustments out of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) for the six months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023 are as follows (amounts in parentheses indicate debits to the income statement) (in thousands):

Other Current Assets. The components of the Company’s Other Current Assets are as follows (in thousands):

Other Accruals and Current Liabilities. The components of the Company’s Other Accruals and Current Liabilities are as follows (in thousands):

Earnings Per Common Share. Basic earnings per common share is computed by dividing income or loss by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted earnings per common share reflects the potential dilution that could occur if securities or other contracts to issue common stock were exercised or converted into common stock. For purposes of determining earnings per common share, the potentially dilutive securities the Company had outstanding were restricted stock units and performance shares. For the quarter and six months ended March 31, 2024, the diluted weighted average shares outstanding shown on the Consolidated Statements of Income reflects the potential dilution as a result of these securities as determined using the Treasury Stock Method. Restricted stock units and performance shares that are antidilutive are excluded from the calculation of diluted earnings per common share. There were 232 securities excluded as being antidilutive for the quarter ended March 31, 2024. There wereno securities excluded as being antidilutive for the six months ended March 31, 2024. There were 9,909 securities and 4,094 securities excluded as being antidilutive for the quarter and six months ended March 31, 2023, respectively.

Share Repurchases. The Company considers all shares repurchased as cancelled shares restored to the status of authorized but unissued shares, in accordance with New Jersey law. The repurchases are accounted for on the date the share repurchase is traded as an adjustment to common stock (at par value) with the excess repurchase price allocated between paid in capital and retained earnings. Refer to Note 6 – Capitalization for further discussion of the Company's share repurchase program.

Stock-Based Compensation. The Company granted 361,729 performance shares during the six months ended March 31, 2024. The weighted average fair value of such performance shares was $44.23 per share for the six months ended March 31, 2024. Performance shares are an award constituting units denominated in common stock of the Company, the number of which may be adjusted over a performance cycle based upon the extent to which performance goals have been satisfied. Earned performance shares may be distributed in the form of shares of common stock of the Company, an equivalent value in cash or a combination of cash and shares of common stock of the Company, as determined by the Company. The performance shares do not entitle the participant to receive dividends during the vesting period.

The performance shares granted during the six months ended March 31, 2024 include awards that must meet a performance goal related to either relative return on capital over athree-year orfive-year performance cycle ("ROC performance shares"), methane intensity and greenhouse gas emissions reductions over athree-year performance cycle ("ESG performance shares") or relative shareholder return over athree-year orfive-year performance cycle ("TSR performance shares"). The performance goal related to the ROC performance shares over the respective performance cycles is the Company’s total return on capital relative to the total return on capital of other companies in a group selected by the Compensation Committee (“Report Group”). Total return on capital for a given company means the average of the Report Group companies’ returns on capital for each twelve-month period corresponding to each of the Company’s fiscal years during the performance cycle, based on data reported for the Report Group companies in the Bloomberg database. The number of these ROC performance shares that will vest and be paid will depend upon the Company’s performance relative to the Report Group and not upon the absolute level of return achieved by the Company. The fair value of the ROC performance shares is calculated by multiplying the expected number of shares that will be issued by the average market price of Company common stock on the date of grant reduced by the present value of forgone dividends over the vesting term of the award. The fair value is recorded as compensation expense over the vesting term of the award.

The performance goal related to the ESG performance shares over the three-year performance cycle consists of two parts: reductions in the rates of intensity of methane emissions for each of the Company's operating segments, and reduction of the consolidated Company's total greenhouse gas emissions. The Company's Compensation Committee set specific target levels for methane intensity rates and total greenhouse gas emissions, and the performance goal is intended to incentivize and reward performance to the extent management achieves methane intensity and greenhouse gas reduction targets making progress towards the Company's 2030 goals. The number of these ESG performance shares that will vest and be paid out will depend upon the number of methane intensity segment targets achieved and whether the Company meets the total greenhouse gas emissions target. The fair value of these ESG performance shares is calculated by multiplying the expected number of shares that will be issued by the average market price of Company common stock on the date of grant reduced by the present value of forgone dividends over the vesting term of the award. The fair value is recorded as compensation expense over the vesting term of the award.

The performance goal related to the TSR performance shares over the respective performance cycles is the Company’s three-year (or five-year) total shareholder return relative to the three-year (or five-year) total shareholder return of the other companies in the Report Group. Three-year (or five-year) total shareholder return for a given company will be based on the data reported for that company (with the starting and ending stock prices over the performance cycle calculated as the average closing stock price for the prior calendar month and with dividends reinvested in that company’s securities at each ex-dividend date) in the Bloomberg database. The number of these TSR performance shares that will vest and be paid will depend upon the Company’s performance relative to the Report Group and not upon the absolute level of return achieved by the Company. The fair value price at the date of grant for the TSR performance shares is determined using a Monte Carlo simulation technique, which includes a reduction in value for the present value of forgone dividends over the vesting term of the award. This price is multiplied by the number of TSR performance shares awarded, the result of which is recorded as compensation expense over the vesting term of the award.

The Company granted 220,778 restricted stock units during the six months ended March 31, 2024. The weighted average fair value of such restricted stock units was $42.44 per share for the six months ended March 31, 2024. Restricted stock units represent the right to receive shares of common stock of the Company (or the equivalent value in cash or a combination of cash and shares of common stock of the Company, as determined by the Company) at the end of a specified time period. These restricted stock units do not entitle the participant to receive dividends during the vesting period. The fair value at the date of grant of the restricted stock units (represented by the market value of Company common stock on the date of the award) must be reduced by the present value of forgone dividends over the vesting term of the award. The fair value of restricted stock units on the date of award is recorded as compensation expense over the vesting period.

Pursuant to registration statements for the Company's stock award plans, there were 3,842,625 shares available for future grant at March 31, 2024. These shares include shares available for future options, SARs, restricted stock and performance share grants.

Note 2 –Revenue from Contracts with Customers

The following tables provide a disaggregation of the Company's revenues for the quarter and six months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, presented by type of service from each reportable segment.

The Company records revenue related to its derivative financial instruments in the Exploration and Production segment. The Company also records revenue related to alternative revenue programs in its Utility segment. Revenue related to derivative financial instruments and alternative revenue programs are excluded from the scope of the authoritative guidance regarding revenue recognition since they are accounted for under other existing accounting guidance.

The Company’s Pipeline and Storage segment expects to recognize the following revenue amounts in future periods related to “fixed” charges associated with remaining performance obligations for transportation and storage contracts: $115.9 million for the remainder of fiscal 2024; $220.7 million for fiscal 2025; $172.5 million for fiscal 2026; $135.5 million for fiscal 2027; $116.7 million for fiscal 2028; and $612.0 million thereafter.

Note 3 –Fair Value Measurements

The FASB authoritative guidance regarding fair value measurements establishes a fair-value hierarchy and prioritizes the inputs used in valuation techniques that measure fair value. Those inputs are prioritized into three levels. Level 1 inputs are unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for assets or liabilities that the Company can access at the measurement date. Level 2 inputs are inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly at the measurement date. Level 3 inputs are unobservable inputs for the asset or liability at the measurement date. The Company’s assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement requires judgment, and may affect the valuation of fair value assets and liabilities and their placement within the fair value hierarchy levels.

The following table sets forth, by level within the fair value hierarchy, the Company's financial assets and liabilities (as applicable) that were accounted for at fair value on a recurring basis as of March 31, 2024 and September 30, 2023. Financial assets and liabilities are classified in their entirety based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

(1)Netting Adjustments represent the impact of legally-enforceable master netting arrangements that allow the Company to net gain and loss positions held with the same counterparties. The net asset or net liability for each counterparty is recorded as an asset or liability on the Company’s balance sheet.

Derivative Financial Instruments

The derivative financial instruments reported in Level 2 at March 31, 2024 and September 30, 2023 include natural gas price swap agreements, natural gas no cost collars, and foreign currency contracts, all of which are used in the Company’s Exploration and Production segment. The fair value of the Level 2 price swap agreements and no cost collars is based on an internal cash flow model that uses observable inputs (i.e. SOFR based discount rates for the price swap agreements and basis differential information, if applicable, at active natural gas trading markets). The fair value of the Level 2 foreign currency contracts is determined using the market approach based on observable market transactions of forward Canadian currency rates.

The authoritative guidance for fair value measurements and disclosures require consideration of the impact of nonperformance risk (including credit risk) from a market participant perspective in the measurement of the fair value of assets and liabilities. At March 31, 2024, the Company determined that nonperformance risk associated with the price swap agreements, no cost collars and foreign currency contracts would have no material impact on its financial position or results of operation. To assess nonperformance risk, the Company considered information such as any applicable collateral posted, master netting arrangements, and applied a market-based method by using the counterparty's (assuming the derivative is in a gain position) or the Company’s (assuming the derivative is in a loss position) credit default swaps rates.

Derivative financial instruments reported in Level 2 at March 31, 2024 also includes the contingent consideration associated with the sale of the Exploration and Production segment's California assets on June 30, 2022. The terms of the purchase and sale agreement specified that the Company could receive up tothree annual contingent payments between calendar year 2023 and calendar year 2025, not to exceed $10 million per year, with the amount of each annual payment calculated at $1.0 million for each $1 per barrel that the ICE Brent Average for each calendar year exceeds $95 per barrel up to $105 per barrel. The calendar 2023 contingency period expired with the ICE Brent Average falling below $95 per barrel. The fair value of the contingent consideration was calculated using a Monte Carlo simulation model that uses observable inputs, including the ICE Brent closing price as of the valuation date, initial and max trigger price, volatility, risk-free rate, time of maturity and counterparty risk.

For the quarters ended March 31, 2024 and March 31, 2023, there wereno assets or liabilities measured at fair value and classified as Level 3.

Note 4 –Financial Instruments

Long-Term Debt. The fair market value of the Company’s debt, as presented in the table below, was determined using a discounted cash flow model, which incorporates the Company’s credit ratings and current market conditions in determining the yield, and subsequently, the fair market value of the debt. Based on these criteria, the fair market value of long-term debt, including current portion, was as follows (in thousands):

The fair value amounts are not intended to reflect principal amounts that the Company will ultimately be required to pay. Carrying amounts for other financial instruments recorded on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets approximate fair value. The fair value of long-term debt was calculated using observable inputs (U.S. Treasuries for the risk-free component and company specific credit spread information – generally obtained from recent trade activity in the debt). As such, the Company considers the debt to be Level 2.

Any temporary cash investments, notes payable to banks and commercial paper are stated at cost. Temporary cash investments are considered Level 1, while notes payable to banks and commercial paper are considered to be Level 2. Given the short-term nature of the notes payable to banks and commercial paper, the Company believes cost is a reasonable approximation of fair value.

Other Investments. The components of the Company's Other Investments are as follows (in thousands):

Investments in life insurance contracts are stated at their cash surrender values or net present value. Investments in an equity mutual fund and a fixed income mutual fund are stated at fair value based on quoted market prices with changes in fair value recognized in net income. The insurance contracts and equity mutual fund are primarily informal funding mechanisms for various benefit obligations the Company has to certain employees. The fixed income mutual fund is primarily an informal funding mechanism for certain regulatory obligations that the Company has to Utility segment customers in its Pennsylvania jurisdiction and for various benefit obligations the Company has to certain employees.

Derivative Financial Instruments. The Company uses derivative financial instruments to manage commodity price risk in the Exploration and Production segment. The Company enters into over-the-counter no cost collar and swap agreements for natural gas to manage the price risk associated with forecasted sales of natural gas. In addition, the Company also enters into foreign exchange forward contracts to manage the risk of currency fluctuations associated with transportation costs denominated in Canadian currency in the Exploration and Production segment. These instruments are accounted for as cash flow hedges. The duration of the Company’s cash flow hedges does not typically exceed 5 years while the foreign currency forward contracts do not exceed 7 years.

On June 30, 2022, the Company completed the sale of Seneca’s California assets. The terms of the purchase and sale agreement specified that the Company could receive up tothree annual contingent payments between calendar year 2023 and calendar year 2025, not to exceed $10 million per year, with the amount of each annual payment calculated as $1.0 million for each $1 per barrel that the ICE Brent Average for each calendar year exceeds $95 per barrel up to $105 per barrel. The calendar 2023 contingency period expired with the ICE Brent Average falling below $95 per barrel. The Company has determined that this contingent consideration meets the definition of a derivative under the authoritative accounting guidance. Changes in the fair value of this contingent consideration are marked-to-market each reporting period, with changes in fair value recognized in Other Income (Deductions) on the Consolidated Statement of Income. The fair value of this contingent consideration was estimated to be $3.6 million and $7.3 million at March 31, 2024 and September 30, 2023, respectively. A $0.5 million mark-to-market adjustment to increase the fair value of the contingent consideration was recorded during the quarter ended March 31, 2024. A $3.7 million mark-to-market adjustment to reduce the fair value of the contingent consideration was recorded during the six months ended March 31, 2024.

The Company has presented its net derivative assets and liabilities as “Fair Value of Derivative Financial Instruments” on its Consolidated Balance Sheets at March 31, 2024 and September 30, 2023.

Cash Flow Hedges

For derivative financial instruments that are designated and qualify as a cash flow hedge, the gain or loss on the derivative is reported as a component of other comprehensive income (loss) and reclassified into earnings in the period or periods during which the hedged transaction affects earnings.

As of March 31, 2024, the Company had 351.2 Bcf of natural gas commodity derivative contracts (swaps and no cost collars) outstanding.

As of March 31, 2024, the Company was hedging a total of $50.4 million of forecasted transportation costs denominated in Canadian dollars with foreign currency forward contracts.

As of March 31, 2024, the Company had $135.0 million of net hedging gains after taxes included in the accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) balance. Of this amount, it is expected that $100.9 million of unrealized gains after taxes will be reclassified into the Consolidated Statement of Income within the next 12 months as the underlying hedged transactions are recorded in earnings.

Credit Risk

The Company may be exposed to credit risk on any of the derivative financial instruments that are in a gain position. Credit risk relates to the risk of loss that the Company would incur as a result of nonperformance by counterparties pursuant to the terms of their contractual obligations. To mitigate such credit risk, management performs a credit check, and then on a quarterly basis monitors counterparty credit exposure. The majority of the Company’s counterparties are financial institutions and energy traders. The Company has over-the-counter swap positions, no cost collars and applicable foreign currency forward contracts with nineteen counterparties of which allnineteen are in a net gain position. On average, the Company had $10.1 million of credit exposure per counterparty in a gain position at March 31, 2024. The maximum credit exposure per counterparty in a gain position at March 31, 2024 was $33.2 million. As of March 31, 2024, no collateral was received from the counterparties by the Company. The Company's gain position on such derivative financial instruments had not exceeded the established thresholds at which the counterparties would be required to post collateral, nor had the counterparties' credit ratings declined to levels at which the counterparties were required to post collateral.

As of March 31, 2024, sixteen of thenineteen counterparties to the Company’s outstanding derivative financial contracts (specifically the over-the-counter swaps, over-the-counter no cost collars and applicable foreign currency forward contracts) had a common credit-risk related contingency feature. In the event the Company’s credit rating increases or falls below a certain threshold (applicable debt ratings), the available credit that could be extended to the Company when it is in a derivative financial liability position would either increase or decrease. A decline in the Company’s credit rating, in and of itself, would not cause the Company to be required to post or increase the level of its hedging collateral deposits (in the form of cash deposits, letters of credit or treasury debt instruments). If the Company’s outstanding derivative financial instrument contracts with a credit-risk contingency feature were in a liability position (or if the liability were larger) and/or the Company’s credit rating declined, then hedging collateral deposits or an increase to such deposits could be required. At March 31, 2024, the Company didnot have any derivative financial instrument liabilities with a credit-risk related contingency feature according to the Company’s internal model (discussed in Note 3 – Fair Value Measurements), andno hedging collateral deposits were required to be posted by the Company at March 31, 2024. Depending on the movement of commodity prices in the future, it is possible that the Company's derivative asset positions could swing into liability positions, at which point the Company could be required to post hedging collateral deposits.

The Company’s requirement to post hedging collateral deposits and the Company's right to receive hedging collateral deposits is based on the fair value determined by the Company’s counterparties, which may differ from the Company’s assessment of fair value.

Note 5 –Income Taxes

The effective tax rates for the quarters ended March 31, 2024 and March 31, 2023 were 25.0% and 26.2%, respectively. The effective tax rates for the six months ended March 31, 2024 and March 31, 2023 were 24.7% and 25.7%, respectively. The reduction in effective income tax rates was primarily driven by a methodology change for repairs and maintenance tax deductions as a result of updated IRS guidance published in 2023.

Note 6 – Capitalization

Summary of Changes in Common Stock Equity

(1)Paid in Capital includes compensation costs associated with performance shares and/or restricted stock awards. The expense is included within Net Income Available For Common Stock, net of tax benefits.

Common Stock. During the six months ended March 31, 2024, the Company issued 112,632 original issue shares of common stock for restricted stock units that vested and 251,255 original issue shares of common stock for performance shares that vested. The Company also issued 18,432 original issue shares of common stock to the non-employee directors of the Company who receive compensation under the Company’s 2009 Non-Employee Director Equity Compensation Plan, including the reinvestment of dividends for certain non-employee directors who elected to defer their shares pursuant to the dividend reinvestment feature of the Company's Deferred Compensation Plan for Directors and Officers (the "DCP") during the six months ended March 31, 2024. In addition, the Company issued 3,559 original issue shares of common stock to officers of the

Company who elected to defer their shares pursuant to the dividend reinvestment feature of the Company's DCP Plan during the six months ended March 31, 2024. Holders of stock-based compensation awards will often tender shares of common stock to the Company for payment of applicable withholding taxes. During the six months ended March 31, 2024,77,426 shares of common stock were tendered to the Company for such purposes. The Company considers all shares tendered as cancelled shares restored to the status of authorized but unissued shares, in accordance with New Jersey law.

On March 8, 2024, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized the Company to implement a share repurchase program, whereby the Company may repurchase outstanding shares of common stock, up to an aggregate amount of $200 million in the open market or through privately negotiated transactions, including through the use of trading plans intended to qualify under SEC Rule 10b5-1, in accordance with applicable securities laws and other restrictions. During the quarter ended March 31, 2024, the Company executed transactions to repurchase 96,133 shares for $5.0 million. Share repurchases that settled during the quarter ended March 31, 2024 were funded with cash provided by operating activities and/or short-term borrowings. In the future, it is expected that this share repurchase program will continue to be funded with cash provided by operating activities and/or through the use of short-term borrowings.

Short-Term Borrowings. On February 28, 2022, the Company entered into a Credit Agreement (as amended from time to time, the "Credit Agreement") with a syndicate oftwelve banks. The Credit Agreement replaced the previous Fourth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement and a previous 364-Day Credit Agreement. The Credit Agreement provides a $1.0 billion unsecured committed revolving credit facility with a maturity date of February 26, 2027. Effective February 7, 2024, certain lenders under the Credit Agreement consented to an extension of the maturity date of the Credit Agreement from February 26, 2027 to February 25, 2028. As a result, the Company has aggregate commitments available under the Credit Agreement of $1.0 billion before February 26, 2027, and $940.0 million in aggregate commitments available on and after February 26, 2027 to February 25, 2028.

Current Portion of Long-Term Debt. None of the Company's long-term debt as of March 31, 2024 and September 30, 2023 had a maturity date within the following twelve-month period.

Delayed Draw Term Loan. On February 14, 2024, the Company entered into a Term Loan Agreement (the “Term Loan Agreement”) withsix lenders, all of which are lenders under the Credit Agreement. The Term Loan Agreement provides a $300.0 million unsecured committed term loan with a maturity date of February 14, 2026. Pursuant to the Term Loan Agreement, there was a delayed draw mechanism, and the Company elected to draw a total of $300.0 million under the facility between April 8, 2024 and April 10, 2024. The Company used the proceeds for general corporate purposes, which included the redemption of outstanding commercial paper.

Note 7 –Commitments and Contingencies

Environmental Matters. The Company is subject to various federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the protection of the environment. The Company has established procedures for the ongoing evaluation of its operations to identify potential environmental exposures and to comply with regulatory requirements. It is the Company’s policy to accrue estimated environmental clean-up costs (investigation and remediation) when such amounts can reasonably be estimated and it is probable that the Company will be required to incur such costs.

At March 31, 2024, the Company has estimated its remaining clean-up costs related to former manufactured gas plant sites will be approximately $2.7 million. The Company's liability for such clean-up costs has been recorded in Other Liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheet at March 31, 2024. The Company has recovered its environmental clean-up costs through rate recovery and is currently not aware of any material additional exposure to environmental liabilities. However, changes in environmental laws and regulations, new information or other factors could have an adverse financial impact on the Company.

Northern Access Project. On February 3, 2017, Supply Corporation and Empire received FERC approval of the Northern Access project described herein. Shortly thereafter, the NYDEC issued a Notice of Denial of the federal Clean Water Act Section 401 Water Quality Certification and other state stream and wetland permits for the New York portion of the project (the Water Quality Certification for the Pennsylvania portion of the project was received in January of 2017). Subsequently, FERC issued an Order finding that the NYDEC exceeded the statutory time frame to take action under the Clean Water Act and, therefore, waived its opportunity to approve or deny the Water Quality Certification. FERC denied rehearing requests associated with its Order and FERC's decisions were appealed. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals issued an order upholding the FERC waiver orders. In addition, in the Company's state court litigation challenging the NYDEC's actions with regard to various state permits, the New York State Supreme Court issued a decision finding these permits to be preempted. On June 29, 2022, the Company received an extension of time from FERC, until December 31, 2024, to construct the project, which was affirmed on March 29, 2024 by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. In light of the recent D.C. Circuit decision, the

Company is evaluating next steps for the project, including the status of various regulatory approvals, the $500 million preliminary cost estimate, and the potential in-service date. As of March 31, 2024, the Company has spent approximately $55.0 million on the project, all of which is recorded on the balance sheet.

Other. The Company is involved in other litigation and regulatory matters arising in the normal course of business. These other matters may include, for example, negligence claims and tax, regulatory or other governmental audits, inspections, investigations and other proceedings. These matters may involve state and federal taxes, safety, compliance with regulations, rate base, cost of service and purchased gas cost issues, among other things. While these other matters arising in the normal course of business could have a material effect on earnings and cash flows in the period in which they are resolved, an estimate of the possible loss or range of loss, if any, cannot be made at this time.

Note 8 –Business Segment Information

The Company reports financial results forfour segments: Exploration and Production, Pipeline and Storage, Gathering and Utility. The division of the Company’s operations into reportable segments is based upon a combination of factors including differences in products and services, regulatory environment and geographic factors.

The data presented in the tables below reflect financial information for the segments and reconcile to consolidated amounts. As stated in the 2023 Form 10-K, the Company evaluates segment performance based on income before discontinued operations (when applicable). When this is not applicable, the Company evaluates performance based on net income. There have not been any changes in the basis of segmentation nor in the basis of measuring segment profit or loss from those used in the Company’s 2023 Form 10-K. A listing of segment assets at March 31, 2024 and September 30, 2023 is shown in the tables below.

Note 9 –Retirement Plan and Other Post-Retirement Benefits

Components of Net Periodic Benefit Cost (in thousands):

(1)The Company’s policy is to record retirement plan and other post-retirement benefit costs in the Utility segment on a volumetric basis to reflect the fact that the Utility segment experiences higher throughput of natural gas in the winter months and lower throughput of natural gas in the summer months.

The components of net periodic benefit cost other than service cost are presented in Other Income (Deductions) on the Consolidated Statements of Income.

Employer Contributions. The Company didnot make any contributions to its tax-qualified, noncontributory defined benefit retirement plan (Retirement Plan) during the six months ended March 31, 2024. In the remainder of fiscal 2024, the Company expects its contributions to the Retirement Plan to be in the range ofzero to $5.0 million. The Company didnot make any contributions to its VEBA trusts for its other post-retirement benefits during the six months ended March 31, 2024, and doesnot anticipate making any such contributions during the remainder of fiscal 2024.

Note 10 –Regulatory Matters

New York Jurisdiction

Distribution Corporation's current delivery rates in its New York jurisdiction were approved by the NYPSC in an order issued on April 20, 2017 with rates becoming effective May 1, 2017 ("2017 Rate Order"). The 2017 Rate Order provided for a return on equity of 8.7% and directed the implementation of an earnings sharing mechanism to be in place beginning on April 1, 2018. On October 31, 2023, Distribution Corporation made a filing with the NYPSC seeking an increase of approximately $88 million in its total annual operating revenues for the projected rate year ending September 30, 2025, with a proposed effective date of October 1, 2024 that includes the maximum suspension period permitted under the New York Public Service Law ("2023 Rate Filing"). The Company is also proposing, among other things, to continue its leak prone pipe replacement program and to implement a number of initiatives that will facilitate achievement of the emissions reduction goals of the CLCPA.

On August 13, 2021, the NYPSC issued an order extending the date through which qualified pipeline replacement costs incurred by the Company can be recovered using the existing system modernization tracker for two years (until March 31, 2023). On December 9, 2022, the Company filed a petition with the NYPSC to effectuate a system improvement tracker through which qualified pipeline replacement costs through September 30, 2024 would be tracked and recovered, and to recover certain deferred costs associated with the existing system modernization tracker, effective April 1, 2023. The NYPSC approved the petition by order dated March 17, 2023 contingent on the Company not filing a base rate case that would result in new rates becoming effective prior to October 1, 2024. The 2023 Rate Filing proposes to stop accruing and collecting revenues under its current system modernization and system improvement trackers and shift those revenues into the Company’s new base delivery rates. In the absence of a multi-year rate plan settlement, the Company is requesting that it be allowed to reinstate a tracking mechanism similar to the existing system modernization tracker.

Pennsylvania Jurisdiction

On October 28, 2022, Distribution Corporation made a filing with the PaPUC seeking an increase in its annual base rate operating revenues of $28.1 million. A settlement involving all active parties to the proceeding was reached and filed with the PaPUC on April 13, 2023. The settlement provided for, among other things, an increase in Distribution Corporation’s annual base rate operating revenues of $23 million. The PaPUC approved the settlement in full, without modification or correction, on June 15, 2023 and new rates went into effect on August 1, 2023.

On April 10, 2024, Distribution Corporation filed with the PaPUC a petition for approval of a distribution system improvement charge (“DSIC”) to recover, between base rate cases, capital expenses related to eligible property constructed or installed to rehabilitate, improve and replace portions of the Company’s natural gas distribution system. If approved as filed, beginning October 1, 2024, the Company will be able to recover costs associated with plant placed in service on and after August 1, 2024 if it exceeds approximately $781.3 million of net plant as of July 31, 2024 and its quarterly rate of return does not exceed the authorized PaPUC rate of return. The DSIC petition is currently pending before the PaPUC.

FERC Jurisdiction

Supply Corporation filed an NGA Section 4 rate case on July 31, 2023 proposing rate increases to be effective February 1, 2024. On March 8, 2024, Supply Corporation and the parties in the case reached a settlement in principle (the Settlement) to resolve the rate case. Supply Corporation’s March 11, 2024 motion to put in place Interim Settlement Rates effective February 1, 2024, was approved by FERC’s Chief Administrative Law Judge on March 12, 2024. The Settlement was filed with FERC on March 27, 2024 and remains pending. The “black box” settlement provides for new rates and resolves all issues in the proceeding. The Interim Settlement Rates are estimated to increase Supply Corporation’s revenues on a yearly basis by approximately $56 million, assuming current contract levels. The Settlement generally provides for the continuation of current depreciation rates with minimal changes. Under the Settlement, Supply Corporation may make a rate filing for new rates to be effective at any time. As well, any party can make a filing under NGA Section 5.

Empire's 2019 rate settlement requires a Section 4 rate case filing no later than May 1, 2025. Empire has no rate case currently on file.