Prairie Operating Co

Note 1–Organization, Description of Business, and Basis of Presentation

Organization and Description of Business

Prairie Operating Co. (individually or together with its subsidiaries, the“Company”)is an independent energy company engaged in crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids (“NGLs”) development, exploration and production (“E&P”). The Company currently holds acreage in the Denver–Julesburg (“DJ”) Basin of Colorado thatit intends to develop. In addition to growing production through its drilling operations, the Company also seeks to grow its business through accretive acquisitions, such as the acquisition of the Genesis Bolt–on Assets (as defined herein) in February 2024 and the entry into the NRO Agreement (as defined herein) in January 2024. Refer toNote 4 – Acquisitions and Merger for a full discussion of the acquisitions.

Previously, the Company focused on cryptocurrency mining until the sale of its cryptocurrency miners in January 2024. The Company’s cryptocurrency mining operations commenced on May 3, 2023 concurrent with the Merger (defined below). Prior to January 2024, all of the Company’s revenue was generated through its cryptocurrency mining activities from assets that were acquired in the Merger. Upon the closing of the Crypto Sale (as defined herein), the Company exited the cryptocurrency mining business. All results and activities from these assets and operations have been classified as discontinued operations in the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements. Refer toNote 3 – Discontinued Operations for a full discussion of the discontinued operations.

Merger Agreement and Related Transactions

On May 3, 2023, the Company completed its merger with Prairie Operating Co., LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Prairie LLC”), pursuant to the terms of the Amended and Restated Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of May 3, 2023 (the “Merger Agreement,” and the closing thereunder, the “Closing”), by and among the Company, Creek Road Merger Sub, LLC (“Merger Sub”), and Prairie LLC, pursuant to which, among other things, Merger Sub merged with and into Prairie LLC, with Prairie LLC surviving and continuing to exist as a Delaware limited liability company and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (the “Merger”). Upon consummation of the Merger, the Company changed its name from “Creek Road Miners, Inc.” to “Prairie Operating Co.”

On October 16, 2023, the Company effected areverse stock split at an exchange ratio of 1:28.5714286. Unless otherwise noted, all per share and share amounts presented herein have been retroactively adjusted for the effect of the reverse stock splitfor all periods presented.

Upon the Merger, membership interests in Prairie LLC were converted into the right to receive each member’s pro rata share of 2,297,668 shares of common stock of the Company. The Merger was accounted for as a reverse asset acquisition under existing accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”). For accounting purposes, Prairie LLC was treated as acquiring Merger Sub in the Merger. Refer toNote 4 – Acquisitions and Merger for a further discussion.

Accordingly, for accounting purposes, the financial statements of the Company represent a continuation of the financial statements of Prairie LLC with the acquisition being treated as the equivalent of Prairie LLC issuing stock for the net assets of the Company. At the date of the Merger, the assets and liabilities of the Company were recorded based upon relative fair values, with no goodwill or other intangible assets recorded.

Basis of Presentation and Consolidation

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements included in this Quarterly Report present the Company’s financial position, results of operations, and cash flows for the periods presented in accordance with GAAP and the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The Company owns 100% of Prairie LLC, which is considered a variable interest entity for which the Company is the primary beneficiary, as the Company is the sole managing member of Prairie LLC and has the power to direct the activities most significant to Prairie LLC’s economic performance, as well as the obligation to absorb losses and receive benefits that are potentially significant.

The condensed consolidated financial statements as of June 30, 2024 and for the three and six months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023 are unaudited. The condensed consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2023 were derived from the audited consolidated financial statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10–K/A for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.

Certain disclosures have been condensed or omitted from these condensed financial statements; however, management believes the disclosures are adequate to make the information not misleading. The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related note disclosures included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K./A for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.

Liquidity Analysis

During the three and six months ended June 30, 2024, the Company had a net loss of $8.5 million and $17.6 million, respectively. The Company cannot predict if or when it will be profitable and may continue to incur losses for an indeterminate period of time. Additionally, the Company may be unable to achieve or sustain profitability on a quarterly or annual basis and extended periods of losses and negative cash flow may prevent it from successfully operating and expanding its business. As of June 30, 2024, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of $2.2 million, a working capital deficit of $7.9 million, and an accumulated deficit of $96.4 million.

The Company expects that its cash balance will decline until it is able to obtain financing through public or private capital markets and/or upon the exercise of common stock warrants. As of June 30, 2024, the Company has common stock warrants with exercise prices of $6.00 per share of common stock which expire in August 2024 (refer toNote 13 – Common Stock Options and Warrants). Based on recent and current prices of the Company’s common stock, the Company expects these warrants to be exercised, which would represent cash proceeds of $24.0 million. However, there is no assurance that such common stock warrants will be exercised. During the six months ended June 30, 2024, the Company received $9.5 million of cash proceeds from warrant exercises.

The assessment of liquidity requires management to make estimates of future activity and judgments about whether the Company can meet its obligations and has adequate liquidity to operate. Significant assumptions used in the Company’s forecasted model of liquidity in the next 12 months include its current cash position and ability to manage spending. Based on an assessment of these factors, management believes that the Company will have adequate liquidity for its operations for at least 12 months from the date the Company’s financial statements are issued.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ from these estimates.

These estimates and assumptions include estimates for reserves of uncollectible accounts, accruals for potential liabilities, estimates and assumptions made in valuing assets and debt instruments issued in the Merger, and the realization of deferred tax assets.

Segments

The Company currently operates in one industry segment, which is the acquisition and development of crude oil, natural gas, and NGLs. All of the Company’s operations are conducted in the continental United States.

Note 2–Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

The Company has provided a full discussion of its significant accounting policies, estimates, and judgments in Note 2 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in its Annual Report on Form 10–K/A for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023. The Company has not changed any of its significant accounting policies during the six months ended June 30, 2024, however, it did apply the discontinued operations guidance to account for the sale of its cryptocurrency miners in January 2024. Refer toNote 3 – Discontinued Operationsfor a full discussion of the discontinued operations and the subsequent accounting.

Concentration of Credit Risk

The Company’s financial instruments, which consist of cash and cash equivalents, are potentially subject to concentrations of credit risk. The Company places its cash with high quality financial institutions and at times may exceed the FDIC $250,000 insurance limit. The Company does not anticipate incurring any losses related to these credit risks.

Deferred Financing Costs

The Company’s deferred financing costs represent legal costs associated with negotiating the terms of a new revolving credit facility and the proposed issuance of equity securities to finance the consummation of the NRO Acquisition (as defined herein) and its ongoing operations. Upon the successful completion of each financing, the Company will reclassify these costs as components of debt and equity, respectively. If either or both financings are unsuccessful, such costs will be expensed. As of June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, deferred financing costs were $1.6 million and $10,000, respectively.

Income Taxes

The Company accounts for income taxes using the asset and liability method whereby deferred tax assets are recognized for deductible temporary differences, and deferred tax liabilities are recognized for taxable temporary differences. Temporary differences are the differences between the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and their respective tax basis. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance when, in the opinion of management, it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will be realized. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are adjusted for the effects of changes in tax laws and rates on the date of enactment. As of June 30, 2024, the Company had a full valuation allowance to offset its net deferred tax assets.

Earnings (Loss) Per Common Share

The two–class method of computing earnings per share is required for entities that have participating securities. The two–class method is an earnings allocation formula that determines earnings per share for participating securities according to dividends declared (or accumulated) and participation rights in undistributed earnings. The Company’s Series D Preferred Stock and Series E Preferred Stock (each as defined herein) are participating securities. These participating securities do not have a contractual obligation to share in the Company’s losses. Therefore, in periods of net loss, no portion of such losses are allocated to participating securities.

Basic earnings (loss) per common share (“EPS”) is calculated by dividing net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding each period.

Dilutive EPS is calculated by dividing adjusted net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding each period, which includes the effect of potentially dilutive securities. Potentially dilutive securities for the diluted EPS calculation consists of (i) Series D Preferred Stock, (ii) Series E Preferred Stock, (iii) warrants to purchase common stock, and (iv) exercisable common stock options. Diluted EPS reflects the dilutive effect of the participating securities using the two–class method or the treasury stock method, whichever is more dilutive.

Basic and diluted earnings (loss) attributable to common stockholders is the same for the three and six months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023 because the Company has only incurred losses and all potentially dilutive securities are anti–dilutive.

The following table presents the potentially dilutive securities which were not included in the computation of diluted earnings (loss) attributable to common stockholders for the three and six months ended June 30, 2024 because their inclusion would be anti–dilutive:

The following table presents the potentially dilutive securities which were not included in the computation of diluted earnings (loss) attributable to common stockholders for the three and six months ended June 30, 2023 because their inclusion would be anti–dilutive:

Supplemental Disclosures of Cash Flow Information

The following table presents non–cash investing and financing activities and supplemental cash flow disclosures relating to the cash paid for interest and income taxes for the periods presented:

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

Recent accounting pronouncements issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board, including its Emerging Issues Task Force, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the Securities and Exchange Commission did not or are not believed by management to have a material impact on the Company’s present or future consolidated financial statements.

Note 3–Discontinued Operations

On January 23, 2024, the Company sold all of its cryptocurrency miners (the “Mining Equipment”) for consideration consisting of (i) $1.0 million in cash and (ii) $1.0 million in deferred cash payments (the “Deferred Purchase Price”), to be paid out of(i) 20% of the monthly net revenues received by the buyer associated with or otherwise attributable to the Mining Equipment until the aggregate amount of such payments equals $250,000 and (ii) thereafter, 50% of the monthly net revenues received by the buyer associated with or otherwise attributable to the Mining Equipment until the aggregate amount of such payments equals the Deferred Purchase Price, plus accrued interest, (collectively, the “Crypto Sale”). As of June 30, 2024, the Company presents the Deferred Purchase Price payment as a note receivable on its condensed consolidated balance sheet, $0.5 million of which is classified as current and $0.3 million of which is classified as non–current, based on when the payments are expected. The Company did not have a note receivable balance on its condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2023. The Company recognized a loss of $1.1 million related to this disposition on its condensed consolidated statement of operations and statement of cash flows for the six months ended June 30, 2024.

The Company has presented the related assets and liabilities associated with discontinued operations separately as discontinued operations in its condensed consolidated balance sheets as of June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023. The following table presents the major classes of assets included as part of discontinued operations in the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheets for the periods indicated:

Additionally, the Company has presented the financial results associated with discontinued operations separately as discontinued operations on its condensed consolidated statements of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023 and its condensed consolidated statements of cash flows for the six months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023.The following table presents the major classes of line items constituting the loss from discontinued operations the Company’s condensed consolidated statements of operations and condensed consolidated statements of cash flows for the periods presented:

Note 4–Acquisitions and Merger

NRO Acquisition

On January 11, 2024, the Company entered into an asset purchase agreement (the “NRO Agreement”) with Nickel Road Development LLC, Nickel Road Operating, LLC, (“NRO”) and Prairie Operating Co., LLC to acquire certain assets owned by NRO (the “Central Weld Assets”) for total consideration of $94.5 million (the “Purchase Price”), subject to certain closing price adjustments and other customary closing conditions (the “NRO Acquisition”). The Purchase Price consists of $83.0 million in cash and $11.5 million in deferred cash payments. The Company deposited $9.0 million of the Purchase Price into an escrow account on January 11, 2024 (the “Deposit”), which will be released to NRO upon the earlier of the closing date and August 15, 2024. Portions of the Deposit are subject to earlier release under certain circumstances.

The outside date for the closing of the NRO Acquisition is August 15, 2024, with an economic effective date of February 1, 2024. The Company expects to fund the transaction through a combination of public or private issuance of equity, cash on hand, proceeds from existing warrant exercises or short-term debt. The Company expects to close the NRO Acquisition in August 2024. However, there can be no assurances that the funding required to close can be attained on or before August 15, 2024 or that the Company will be able to close the NRO Acquisition on or before August 15, 2024, or at all. If we are unable to close the NRO Acquisition by August 15, 2024, or to extend the outside date, NRO could terminate the Agreement.

Genesis Bolt–on Acquisition

On February 5, 2024, the Company acquired a 1,280–acre drillable spacing unit and eight proved undeveloped drilling locations in the DJ Basin (the “Genesis Bolt–on Assets”) from a private seller for $0.9 million. These assets offset the other oil and gas assets held by the Company in northern Weld County, Colorado.

Initial Genesis Asset Acquisitions

Upon closing of the Merger, the Company consummated the purchase of oil and gas leases from Exok, Inc. (“Exok”), including all of Exok’s right, title, and interest in, to and under certain undeveloped oil and gas leases located in Weld County, Colorado, together with certain other associated assets, data, and records, for $3.0 million (the “Exok Transaction”).

On August 15, 2023, Prairie LLC exercised the option it acquired in the Exok Transaction and purchased additional oil and gas leases from Exok, consisting of approximately 20,328 net mineral acres in, on and under approximately 32,695 gross acres (the “Exok Option Purchase”) for total consideration of $25.3 million. The total consideration consisted of $18.0 million in cash to Exok, which was funded with the Series E PIPE (as defined herein), and equity consideration to certain affiliates of Exok consisting of (i)670,499 shares of common stock, and (ii) warrants providing the right to purchase 670,499 shares of common stock at $7.43 per share (the “Exok Warrants”). Refer toNote 13 – Common Stock Options and Warrantsfor a discussion of the Exok Warrants.

Merger with Creek Road Miners, Inc.

Under the terms of the Merger, the Company issued 2,297,668 shares of common stock to the members of Prairie LLC in exchange for all of the membership interests of Prairie LLC. Additionally, and as a condition of the Merger,4,423 shares of Series D Preferred Stock (as defined herein) were issued to holders of the 12% amended and restated senior secured convertible debentures (collectively, the “AR Debentures”), refer toNote 8 – Long–term Debt for a discussion of the AR Debentures.

The purchase price was calculated based on the fair value of the common stock that the Company’s stockholders, immediately prior to the Merger, owned after the Merger, and the fair value of the Series D Preferred Stock issued to the holders of the AR Debentures. Since there was no active trading market for the membership interests of Prairie LLC, the fair value of the Company’s common stock represented a more reliable measure of the fair value of consideration transferred in the Merger. The Company’s common stock was based upon a quoted price in an active market, which is considered a Level 1 fair value input. The fair value of the 4,423 shares of Series D Preferred Stock was determined using a valuation model with unobservable inputs, which are considered Level 3 inputs on the fair value hierarchy.

The following table presents the total purchase price on May 3, 2023, the closing date of the Merger:

The purchase price for the Merger was allocated to the net assets acquired on the basis of their relative fair values. The fair values of the current assets acquired and current liabilities (excluding the convertible debentures) assumed in the Merger were determined to approximate carrying value due to their short–term nature. The fair value of the mining equipment was determined using estimated replacement values of the same or similar equipment and, as such, are considered Level 3 inputs in the fair value hierarchy. The fair value of the secured convertible debentures were calculated as described above. The fair value of the share issuance liability was calculated based on the quoted price of the Company’s common stock and, as such, is considered a Level 1 measurement on the fair value hierarchy.

The following table presents the allocation of the purchase price to the net assets acquired on May 3, 2023, the closing date of the Merger:

Note 5–Fair Value Measurements

Certain of the Company’s assets and liabilities are carried at fair value and measured on either a recurring or nonrecurring basis. Per Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 820,Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures, fair value is defined as an exit price representing the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. As such, fair value is a market–based measurement that should be determined based on assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability.

The GAAP fair value valuation hierarchy categorizes assets and liabilities measured at fair value into one of three levels depending on the observability of the inputs used in determining fair value. The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are as follows:

The classification of an asset or liability within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The Company’s assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement of an asset or liability requires judgment and may affect the valuation of the fair value asset or liability and its placement within the fair value hierarchy. There have been no transfers between fair value hierarchy levels.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The carrying values of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, other current assets, accounts payable, and other current liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets approximate fair value because of their short–term nature.

Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis

As of June 30, 2023, the Company had the following liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis:

AR Debentures.Through September 2023, the fair value of the Company’s AR Debentures (discussed further inNote 8 – Long–term Debt) was based on a widely accepted valuation methodology that utilizes (i) the Company’s common stock price, (ii) value of the debt component, and (iii) the value of the equity component. The key unobservable inputs in the valuation model are the volatility that is appropriate to use in the Company stock price and the yield that is appropriate for the Company. These inputs could change significantly and result in significantly higher or lower fair values at different measurement dates, therefore, they are considered Level 3 inputs within the fair value hierarchy. The AR Debentures were converted in October 2023, therefore, the Company stopped remeasuring the change in fair value at that time. The fair value at conversion was determined using the Company’s common stock price.

As of June 30, 2023, the fair value of the AR Debentures was $2.7 million, which represented an increase of $0.7 million from the date of the Merger. The Company recognized the change in fair value as Loss on adjustment to fair value – AR Debentures on its condensed consolidated statements of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2023 and condensed consolidated statement of cash flows for the six months ended June 30, 2023. Refer toNote 8 – Long–term Debt for a further discussion of the AR Debentures.

Common Stock Obligation Shares. As discussed inNote 12 – Common Stock, as a result of the Merger and related transactions, the Company had the obligation to issue 205,970 shares of common stock (the “Obligation Shares”). The fair value of the Obligation Shares was based on the quoted price of the Company’s common stock and, as such, was considered a Level 1 input within the fair value hierarchy. The underlying shares were fully issued in September 2023, therefore, the Company stopped remeasuring the change in the fair value of the obligation at that time.

As of June 30, 2023, the fair value of the Obligation Shares was $1.2 million, which represented an increase of $0.7 million from the date of the Merger. The Company recognized the change in fair value as Loss on adjustment to fair value – Obligation Shares on its condensed consolidated statements of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2023 and condensed consolidated statement of cash flows for the six months ended June 30, 2023. Refer toNote 12 – Common Stock for a further discussion of the Obligation Shares.

As of June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the Company does not have any assets or liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis.

Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on a Non–Recurring Basis

Acquisition and merger–related assets and liabilities. The fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in an acquisition or merger are measured on a non–recurring basis on the acquisition or merger date. If the assets acquired and liabilities assumed are current and short–term in nature, the Company uses their approximate carrying values as their fair values, which is considered a Level 1 input in the fair value hierarchy. If the assets acquired are not short–term in nature, then the fair value is determined using the estimated replacement values of the same or similar assets and, as such, are considered Level 3 inputs in the fair value hierarchy. Refer toNote 2 – Acquisitions and Mergerfor a further discussion of the Company’s acquisitions and merger.

Note 6–Property and Equipment, net

The Company’s property and equipment, net consisted of the following for the periods presented:

As discussed inNote 4 – Acquisitions and Merger above, in August 2023, the Company executed the Exok Option Purchase and acquired approximately 20,328 net mineral acres in, on and under approximately 32,695 additional gross acres from Exok for a total consideration of $25.3 million. Additionally, in February 2024, the Company completed the acquisition of the Genesis Bolt–on Assets, a 1,280–acre drillable spacing unit, for $0.9 million.

Note 7–Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses

The Company’s accounts payable and accrued expenses consist of the following for the periods presented:

Note 8–Long–term Debt

As of June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the Company has no long–term debt outstanding.

Amended and Restated Senior Secured Convertible Debentures

In connection with the Merger, the Company entered into 12% amended and restated senior secured convertible debentures due December 31, 2023 with each of Bristol Investment Fund, Ltd. (“Bristol Investment”) and Barlock 2019 Fund, LP (“Barlock”), in the principal amount of $1.0 million each. Refer toNote 15 – Related Party Transactions for a further discussion about Bristol Investment and Barlock.

The Company determined that the AR Debentures contained certain features which required bifurcation and separate accounting as embedded derivatives. As such, the Company elected to initially and subsequently measure the AR Debentures in their entirety at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in earnings in accordance with ASC Topic 815,Derivatives and Hedging. As of June 30, 2023, the fair value of the AR Debentures increased to $2.7 million, representing an increase of $0.7 million from the date of the Merger, which was recognized in Loss on adjustment to fair value – AR Debentures on the condensed consolidated statements of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2023 and the condensed consolidated statement of cash flows for the six months ended June 30, 2023. Refer toNote 5 – Fair Value Measurements for a further discussion of the fair value of the AR Debentures.

The AR Debentures were fully converted in October 2023.

Small Business Administration Loan

Upon the Merger, the Company assumed a loan agreement with the Small Business Administration (“SBA”). The loan accrued interest at a rate of 3.75% and was scheduled to mature in June 2050. The Company elected to fully repay the SBA loan and the accrued interest in September 2023.

Note 9–Leases

The Company determines if a contract contains a lease at its inception or as a result of an acquisition and makes certain assumptions and judgments when determining its right–of–use assets and lease liabilities. When determining whether a contract contains a lease, the Company considers whether there is an identified asset that is physically distinct, whether the supplier has substantive substitution rights, whether the Company has the right to obtain substantially all of the economic benefits from the use of the asset, and whether it has the right to control the asset. Certain lease agreements could include options to renew the lease, terminate the lease early, or purchase the underlying asset(s). The Company determines the lease term at the lease commencement date as the non–cancelable period of the lease, including any options to extend or terminate the lease when such an option is reasonably certain to be exercised. The Company recognizes variable lease payments in the period they are incurred. Certain leases contain both lease and non–lease components, which the Company has chosen to account for separately. As of June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, all of the Company’s leases are operating leases.

The Company capitalizes its operating right–of–use assets and corresponding lease liabilities separately on its consolidated balance sheets, using the present value of the remaining lease payments over the determined lease term applying the implicit rate of the lease.

The following table presents the components of the Company’s operating leases on its consolidated balance sheets for the periods presented:

The Company’s weighted–average remaining lease terms and discount rates as of June 30, 2024 are as follows:

The Company has several operating leases for office spaces and vehicles used in its daily operations, under non–cancelable operating leases expiring through 2027. The Company recognizes lease expense for these leases on a straight–line basis.

The following table presents the components of the Company’s lease costs during the periods presented:

As of June 30, 2024, the Company’s future lease commitments by year consisted of the following:

The Company’s supplemental cash flow disclosures related to operating leases are presented below for the periods indicated:

Note 10 – Commitments and Contingencies

The Company is subject to various litigation, claims and proceedings, which arise in the ordinary course of business. The Company recognizes a liability for such loss contingencies when it believes it is probable a liability has been incurred, and the amount can be reasonably estimated. If some amount within a range of loss appears at the time to be a better estimate than any other amount within the range, the Company accrues that amount. When no amount within the range is a better estimate than any other amount the Company accrues the minimum amount in the range. The outcomes of any such currently pending matters are not expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position or results of operations.

Note 11–**Preferred Stock **

Series D Preferred Stock

The Company has authorized 50,000 shares of Series D preferred stock with a par value of $0.01 and a stated value of $1,000 per share, which are convertible into shares of common stock at a price of $5.00 per share (“Series D Preferred Stock”). No dividends are to be paid other than in those in the same form as dividends actually paid on common stock other than any adjustments related to stock dividends or stock splits.

Each share of Series D Preferred Stock is convertible at any time at the option of the holder into the number of shares of common stock determined by dividing the stated value of such share of $1,000 by $5.00, subject to adjustment by certain events as defined in the certificate of designation. If the average price of the Company’s common stock, as defined and calculated, for any 22 trading days during a 30 consecutive trading day period exceeds $8.50, subject to adjustment, the Company can require conversion of the Series D Preferred Stock into common stock subject to certain conditions including stock trading volumes and existence of an effective registration statement for such converted shares.

The Company received an aggregate of $17.4 million in proceeds from a number of investors (the “Series D PIPE Investors”) who were issued 17,376 shares of Series D Preferred Stock along with Series A warrants (“Series D A Warrants”) to purchase 3,475,250 shares of the Company’s common stock and Series B warrants (“Series D B Warrants” and together with the Series D A Warrants, the “Series D PIPE Warrants”) to purchase 3,475,250 shares of common stock (collectively, the “Series D PIPE”). Refer toNote 13 – Common Stock Options and Warrants for a further description of the Series D PIPE Warrants.

Additionally, upon the closing of the Merger, holders of the AR Debentures were issued 4,423 shares of Series D Preferred Stock. No warrants were issued with or are associated with these shares.

During the three and six months ended June 30, 2024, there were conversions of 2,895 and 4,120 shares of Series D Preferred Stock, respectively, into 579,090 and 824,090 shares of common stock, respectively. As of June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, there were 16,507 and 20,627 shares, respectively, of Series D Preferred Stock outstanding.

Series E Preferred Stock

The Company has authorized 50,000 shares of Series E preferred stock with a par value of $0.01 and a stated value of $1,000 per share, which are convertible into shares of common stock at a price of $5.00 per share (“Series E Preferred Stock”). No dividends are to be paid other than in those in the same form as dividends actually paid on common stock other than any adjustments related to stock dividends or stock splits.

Each share of Series E Preferred Stock is convertible at any time at the option of the holder into the number of shares of common stock determined by dividing the stated value of such share of $1,000 by $5.00, subject to adjustment by certain events as defined in the certificate of designation. If the average price of the Company’s common stock, as defined and calculated, for any 22 trading days during a 30 consecutive trading day period exceeds $8.50, subject to adjustment, the Company can require conversion of the Series E Preferred Stock into common stock subject to certain conditions including stock trading volumes and existence of an effective registration statement for the resale of such converted shares.

The Company received an aggregate of $20.0 million in proceeds from Narrogal Nominees Pty Ltd ATF Gregory K O’Neill Family Trust (“O’Neill Trust”) (the “Series E PIPE Investor”). The Series E PIPE Investor was issued 20,000 shares of Series E Preferred Stock along with 39,615 shares of the Company’s common stock, and Series A warrants (“Series E A Warrants”) to purchase 4,000,000 shares of the Company’s common stock and Series B warrants (“Series E B Warrants” and together with the Series E A Warrants, the “Series E PIPE Warrants”) to purchase 4,000,000 shares of common stock (collectively, the “Series E PIPE”). Refer toNote 13 – Common Stock Options and Warrantsfor a further description of the Series E PIPE Warrants.

The Company’s obligations under the Series E Preferred Stock and the Series E PIPE Warrants are secured by a lien on the assets acquired in the Exok Option Purchase as described under the Deed of Trust, Mortgage, Assignment of As–Extracted Collateral, Security Agreement, Fixture Filing and Financing Statement, dated August 15, 2023 (“Deed of Trust”). Upon commencement of a voluntary bankruptcy proceeding by Prairie LLC or involuntary bankruptcy proceeding against Prairie LLC, the Series E PIPE Investor will have the right and option to proceed with foreclosure and to sell all or any portion of the assets acquired in the Exok Option Purchase. In the event that no shares of Series E Preferred Stock remain outstanding (whether by conversion, redemption or otherwise) or are no longer beneficially owned or otherwise held by the Series E PIPE Investor (or any of its affiliates), the lien on the assets acquired in the Exok Option Purchase under the Deed of Trust will be released in accordance with the terms and procedures set forth therein.

As of June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, there have been no conversions of Series E Preferred Stock and there are 20,000 shares of Series E Preferred Stock outstanding.

Note 12–Common Stock

The Company has 500,000,000 authorized shares of Common Stock with a par value of $0.01 per share. The holders of the Company’s common stock are entitled to one vote per share and the Company’s Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation does not provide for cumulative voting. The Company’s common stockholders are entitled to receive ratably such dividends, if any, as may be declared by the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) out of legally available funds. However, the current policy of the Company’s Board is to retain earnings, if any, for the Company’s operations and expansion. Upon liquidation, dissolution or winding–up, the holders of the Company’s common stock are entitled to share ratably in all of its assets which are legally available for distribution, after payment of or provision for all liabilities. The Company’s common stockholders have no preemptive, subscription, redemption, or conversion rights. The rights, preferences and privileges of the Company’s common stockholders are subject to and may be adversely affected by the rights of the holders of shares of any series of preferred stock that the Company may designate and issue.

In conjunction with the Closing of the Merger, the Company issued (i)2,297,669 shares of common stock to the former members of Prairie LLC in exchange for their membership interests in Prairie LLC and (ii)3,860,898 shares of common stock were deemed issued to former stockholders of Creek Road Miners, Inc. As a result of the Merger and related transactions, the Company had the obligation to issue 205,970 shares of common stock. As of June 30, 2023, the fair value of the Obligation Shares increased to $1.2 million, representing an increase of $0.7 million from the date of the Merger, which was recognized in Loss on adjustment to fair value – Obligation Shares on the condensed consolidated statements of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2023. The underlying shares were fully issued on September 7, 2023, therefore, the Company stopped recording the change in the fair value of the obligation at that time. Refer toNote 5 – Fair Value Measurements for a further discussion of the fair value of the Obligation Shares.

Note 13–Common Stock Options and Warrants

Merger Options

On August 31, 2022, Prairie LLC entered into agreements with its members whereby each member was provided non–compensatory options to purchase a 40% membership interest in the Company for an aggregate purchase price of $1,000,000 per member. The non–compensatory options were sold for $80,000. The non–compensatory options only become exercisable in 25% increments upon the achievement of the following production milestones in barrels of oil equivalent per day (“Boe/d”):2,500 Boe/d,5,000 Boe/d,7,500 Boe/d, and 10,000 Boe/d.

On May 3, 2023, prior to the closing of the Merger, Prairie LLC entered into a non–compensatory option purchase agreement with its members, Bristol Capital, LLC (“Bristol Capital”), which manages Bristol Investment described above, and BOKA Energy LP (“BOKA”), a third–party investor, pursuant to which Bristol Capital and BOKA purchased non–compensatory options for $24,000 and $8,000, respectively, from Prairie LLC’s members.

Upon the Merger, the Company converted the non–compensatory options to purchase the outstanding and unexercised membership interests of Prairie LLC, as of immediately prior to the Merger, into options to acquire an aggregate of 8,000,000 shares of common stock for an exercise price of $0.25 per share (the “Merger Options”), which are only exercisable if the production hurdles noted above are achieved.

The Company then entered into amended and restated non–compensatory option agreements (the “Option Agreements”) with each of Gary C. Hanna, Edward Kovalik, Bristol Capital, and BOKA. An aggregate of 2,000,000 Merger Options are subject to be transferred to the Series D PIPE Investors, based on their then percentage ownership of the Series D Preferred Stock to the aggregate Series D Preferred Stock outstanding and held by all Series D PIPE Investors as of the May 3, 2023, if the Company does not meet certain performance metrics by May 3, 2026.

On August 30, 2023, the Company, Gary C. Hanna, Edward Kovalik, Bristol Capital, and Georgina Asset Management entered into a non–compensatory option purchase agreement, pursuant to which Georgina Asset Management agreed to purchase, and each of the sellers agreed to sell to Georgina Asset Management Merger Options to acquire an aggregate of 200,000 shares of common stock, for an exercise price of $0.25 per share for an aggregate purchase price of $2,000.

None of the Merger Options were exercisable at June 30, 2024 or December 31, 2023.

Legacy Warrants

Upon the Merger, the Company assumed warrants to purchase 53,938 shares of the Company’s common stock with a weighted average exercise price of $49.71 per share (the “Legacy Warrants”). As of June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, Legacy Warrants providing the right to purchase 43,438 and 53,938 shares of common stock, respectively, were outstanding with a weighted average remaining contractual life of 2.1 and 2.2 years, respectively.

Series D PIPE Warrants

The Series D PIPE Warrants, upon issuance, provided the warrant holders with the right to purchase an aggregate of 6,950,500 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $6.00 per share. The Series D A Warrants expire on May 3, 2028 and the Series D B Warrants expire on May 3, 2024. All such warrants must be exercised for cash.

On April 8, 2024, the Company entered into an Amendment and Waiver of Exercise Limitations Letter Agreement (the “Letter Agreement”) with Bristol Investment to amend certain terms of the Series D A Warrants and Series D B Warrants held by Bristol Investment. Each of the Series D PIPE Warrants held by Bristol Investment is subject to a limitation on exercise if as a result of such exercise or conversion, the holder would own more than 4.99% of the outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock, which may be increased by the holder upon written notice to the Company, to any specified percentage not in excess of 9.99% (the “Beneficial Ownership Limitation Ceiling”). The Letter Agreement increases the Beneficial Ownership Limitation Ceiling from 9.99% to 19.99%. Pursuant to the Letter Agreement, Bristol Investment further notified the Company of its intent to immediately increase the Beneficial Ownership Limitation Ceiling to 19.99% and the parties agreed to waive the waiting period with respect to such notice.

During the three and six months ended June 30, 2024, Series D A Warrants to purchase 179,489 shares of common stock were exercised for total proceeds to the Company of $1.1 million. During the three and six months ended June 30, 2024, Series D B Warrants to purchase 656,640 and 1,400,250 shares of common stock, respectively, were exercised for total proceeds to the Company of $3.9 million and $8.4 million, respectively.

As of June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, Series D A Warrants providing the right to purchase 3,225,761 and 3,405,250 shares of common stock, respectively, were outstanding with a remaining contractual life of 3.8 and 4.3 years, respectively. As of June 30, 2024, all of the Series D B Warrants have been exercised and as of December 31, 2023, Series D B Warrants providing the right to purchase 1,400,250 shares of common stock were outstanding with a remaining contractual life of 0.3 years.

Series E PIPE Warrants

The Series E PIPE Warrants provide the warrant holders with the right to purchase 8,000,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $6.00 per share. The Series E A Warrants expire on August 15, 2028 and the Series E B Warrants expire on August 15, 2024. All such warrants must be exercised for cash.

As of June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, Series E A Warrants providing the right to purchase 4,000,000 shares of common stock with a remaining contractual life of 4.1 and 4.6 years, respectively, were outstanding and Series E B Warrants providing the right to purchase 4,000,000 shares of common stock with a remaining contractual life of 0.1 and 0.6 years, respectively, were outstanding.

Exok Warrants

As discussed inNote 4 – Acquisitions and Merger, the Company issued warrants in connection with the Exok Transaction completed in August 2023. The Exok Warrants provide the warrant holders with the right to purchase 670,499 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $7.43 per share. The Exok Warrants expire on August 15, 2028 and may be exercised in a cashless manner under certain circumstances. At June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, Exok Warrants providing the right to purchase 670,499 shares of common stock with a remaining contractual life of 4.1 and 4.6 years, respectively, were outstanding.

Note 14–Long–Term Incentive Compensation

Incentive Award Plan

The Company’s long–term incentive plan for employees, directors, consultants, and other service providers (as amended and restated effective as of June 5, 2024, and as may be further amended from time to time, the “LTIP”) provides for the grant of all or any of the following types of equity–based awards: (i) incentive stock options qualified as such under U.S. federal income tax laws; (ii) stock options that do not qualify as incentive stock options; (iii) stock appreciation rights; (iv) restricted stock awards; (v) restricted stock units (“RSUs”), which may also include performance stock awards (“PSUs”); (vi) stock awards; (viii) dividend equivalents; (ix) other stock–based awards; (x) cash awards; and (xi) substitute awards. Subject to adjustment in accordance with the terms of the LTIP,7,500,000 shares of the Company’s common stock are reserved for issuance pursuant to awards under the LTIP.

Stock–Based Compensation

The Company’s stock–based compensation awards are classified as either equity awards or liability awards in accordance with GAAP. The fair value of an equity–classified award is determined at the grant date and is amortized to general and administrative expense on a graded attribution basis over the vesting period of the award. The Company accounts for forfeitures of stock–based compensation awards as they occur. There were no forfeitures during the six months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023. The fair value of a liability–classified award is determined on a quarterly basis beginning at the grant date until final vesting. Changes in the fair value of liability–classified awards are recorded to general and administrative expense over the vesting period of the award.

RSUs and PSUs granted under the LTIP can immediately vest (A) upon a termination due to (i) death, (ii) disability, or (iii) retirement, in the case of employee awards, or (B) in connection with a change in control; provided that for employee RSU or PSU awards, such accelerated vesting upon a change in control only applies to the extent no provision is made in connection with a change in control for the assumption of awards previously granted or there is no substitution of such awards for new awards. To the extent an employee’s RSU or PSU award is assumed or substituted in connection with the change in control, if a participant is terminated by the Company without “cause” or the employee terminates for “good reason” (each as defined in the applicable award agreement), then each RSU or PSU award will become fully vested.

Equity–Classified Restricted Stock Units

The Company has granted RSUs to employees which primarily vest ratably over a three-year period, subject to the employees continued service through each applicable vesting date. The Company has also granted RSUs to directors and advisors which primarily vest one year following the grant date, subject to the director or advisors continued service through the vesting date. The fair values of these RSU awards are based on the price of the Company’s common stock as of each relevant grant date.

The following table presents the Company’s equity–classified RSU activity for the six months ended June 30, 2024:

During the three and six months ended June 30, 2024, the Company recognized stock–based compensation costs of $1.2 million and $3.3 million, respectively, related to its equity–classified RSUs. The Company did not recognize any stock–based compensation costs for its equity–classified RSUs during the three and six months ended June 30, 2023 because there were no RSUs granted until August 2023.

As of June 30, 2024, there was $8.0 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to the Company’s unvested equity–classified RSUs, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted–average period of 1.3 years.

Equity–Classified Performance Stock Units

In June 2024, the Company granted PSUs to certain of its employees. The PSUs vest and become earned upon the achievement of certain performance goals based on the Company’s relative total shareholder return as compared to the performance peer group during the performance period, in each case, at the end of a three year performance period, and generally subject to the employees continued service throughout the performance period. Per the PSU agreements, these awards can be settled in either stock or cash, as determined by the Compensation Committee of the Board (the “Committee”); however, unless the Committee determines otherwise, these PSUs will be settled in stock, therefore, the Company has classified these PSUs as equity awards. The number of shares of common stock that a holder of the PSUs earns at the end of the performance period may range from 0% to 200% of the target number of PSUs granted, as determined by the Company’s total shareholder return relative to a group of peers over the performance period, which represents a market condition per ASC Topic 718,Compensation—Stock Compensation. The fair value of these PSUs awards is determined by a third party using a Monte Carlo model as of the grant date.

The following table presents the Company’s equity–classified PSU activity for the six months ended June 30, 2024:

During the three and six months ended June 30, 2024, the Company recognized stock–based compensation costs of $0.1 million related to its equity–classified PSUs The Company did not recognize any stock–based compensation costs for its equity–classified PSUs during the three and six months ended June 30, 2023 because there were no PSUs granted until June 2024.

As of June 30, 2024, there was $7.1 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to the Company’s unvested equity–classified PSUs, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted–average period of 2.5 years.

Liability–Classified Restricted Stock Units

The Company has also granted RSUs to certain of its directors and advisors, which primarily vest one year following the grant date, subject to the director’s or advisor’s continued service through the applicable vesting date. Such RSUs are payable 60% in common stock and 40% in either cash or common stock (or a combination thereof), as determined by the Committee. The Company has accounted for the portion of the awards that can be settled in cash as liability–classified awards and accordingly records the changes in the market value of the instruments to general and administrative expense over the vesting period of the award.

The following table presents the Company’s liability–classified RSU activity for the six months ended June 30, 2024:

During the three and six months ended June 30, 2024, the Company recognized stock–based compensation costs of $0.1 million and $0.2 million, respectively, related to its liability–classified RSUs. The Company did not recognize any stock–based compensation costs for its liability–classified RSUs during the three and six months ended June 30, 2023 because there were no RSUs granted until August 2023.

As of June 30, 2024, there was $0.3 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to liability–classified RSUs, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted–average period of 0.8 years. The amount of unrecognized compensation cost for liability–classified awards will fluctuate over time as they are marked to market.

Note 15 –Related Party Transactions

AR Debentures.As described inNote 8 – Long–term Debt, in connection with the Closing of the merger, the Company entered into the AR Debentures with Bristol Investment, which is managed by Paul L. Kessler, and Barlock, which is controlled by Scott D. Kaufman who is a former President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director of the Company. In October 2023, conversion notices were received from holders of the AR Debentures and the Company issued 400,666 shares of common stock to affect the conversion. This represented the full conversion of the AR Debentures, together with the accrued interest due to one of the holders.

Common Stock Options. As described inNote 13 – Common Stock Options and Warrants, upon consummation of the Merger, the Company entered into Option Agreements with each of Gary C. Hanna, Edward Kovalik, Paul L. Kessler, and BOKA. Erik Thoresen, a director of the Company, is affiliated with BOKA.

On August 30, 2023, the Company, Gary C. Hanna, Edward Kovalik, Bristol Capital, and Georgina Asset Management entered into a non–compensatory option purchase agreement, pursuant to which Georgina Asset Management agreed to purchase, and each of the sellers agreed to sell to Georgina Asset Management, non–compensatory options to acquire an aggregate of 200,000 shares of common stock for the option purchase. Refer toNote 13 – Common Stock Options and Warrants for a full discussion of these options.

Series D PIPE.As described inNote 11 – Preferred Stock, Bristol Investment, an entity affiliated with Paul L. Kessler, purchased $1,250,000 of Series D Preferred Stock and Series D PIPE Warrants in the Series D PIPE. First Idea Ventures LLC, an entity affiliated with Jonathan H. Gray, a director of the Company, purchased $750,000 of Series D Preferred Stock and Series D PIPE Warrants in the Series D PIPE. First Idea International Ltd. (included with First Idea Ventures LLC), an entity affiliated with Jonathan H. Gray, purchased $254,875 of Series D Preferred Stock and Series D PIPE Warrants from another holder. Additionally, the O’Neill Trust, which is the sole Series E PIPE Investor, was also an investor in the Series D PIPE. Refer toNote 11 – Preferred StockandNote 13 – Common Stock Options and Warrants and for a full discussion of the Series D PIPE.

The Company entered into registration rights agreements with each of the Series D PIPE Investors whereby the Company would be required to pay liquidated damages if the resale of the underlying shares of common stock is not registered by the Securities and Exchange Commission by August 31, 2023. The resale registration statement with respect to such shares was declared effective in December 2023, resulting in the Company paying liquidated damages during the third quarter of 2023. There were no such damages incurred or paid in the three and six months ended June 30, 2024 or 2023.

Series E PIPE.As described inNote 11 – Preferred Stock, to fund the Exok Option Purchase, the Company entered into a securities purchase agreement with the O’Neill Trust, the Series E PIPE Investor, on August 15, 2023, pursuant to which the Series E PIPE Investor agreed to purchase, and the Company agreed to sell to the Series E PIPE Investor, for an aggregate of $20.0 million, securities consisting of (i)39,614 shares of common stock, (ii)20,000 shares of Series E Preferred Stock, and (iii) Series E PIPE Warrants to purchase 8,000,000 shares of common stock, each at a price of $6.00 per share, in a private placement. Refer toNote 11 – Preferred StockandNote 13 – Common Stock Options and Warrants for a full discussion of the Series E PIPE.