Diamondback Energy Inc

7. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

Deep Blue

In addition to the Deep Blue transaction discussed in Note 4—Acquisitions and Divestitures, the Company has other significant related party transactions with Deep Blue which include (i) contingent consideration and other post-close adjustments receivable from Deep Blue, (ii) accrued capital expenditures and other accrued payables related to a commitment to fund certain capital expenditures on projects that were in process at the time of the Deep Blue transaction, and (iii) lease operating expenses and capitalized expenses related to fees paid to Deep Blue under a 15-year dedication for its produced water and supply water within a 12-county area of mutual interest in the Midland Basin.

The following table presents the significant related party balances included in the condensed consolidated balance sheet at March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023:

During the three months ended March 31, 2024, the Company recorded approximately $31 million for water services provided by Deep Blue during the completion phase of wells. These costs were capitalized and are included in the caption “Oil and natural gas properties” on the condensed consolidated balance sheet.

The following table presents the significant related party transactions included in the condensed consolidated statement of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023:

8. DEBT

Long-term debt consisted of the following as of the dates indicated:

(1) Represents the unamortized basis adjustment related totwo receive-fixed, pay variable interest rate swap agreements which were previously designated as fair value hedges of the Company’s $1.2 billion 3.500% fixed rate senior notes due 2029. This basis adjustment is being amortized to interest expense over the remaining term of the 2029 Notes utilizing the effective interest method.

References in this section to the Company shall mean Diamondback Energy, Inc. and Diamondback E&P, collectively, unless otherwise specified.

Credit Agreement

On March 6, 2024, Diamondback E&P, as borrower, and Diamondback Energy, Inc., as parent guarantor, entered into a fourteenth amendment to the existing credit agreement, which upon consummation of the pending Endeavor Acquisition (as defined in Note 16—Endeavor Energy Resources, LP Acquisition) will among other things, (i) increase the maximum credit amount from $1.6 billion to $2.5 billion, (ii) decrease the swingline commitments amount from $100 million to $50 million and (iii) make certain amendments to the representations and warranties, affirmative and negative covenants, and events of default. As of March 31, 2024, the Company hadno outstanding borrowings under the credit agreement and $1.6 billion available for future borrowings. During the three months ended March 31, 2023, the weighted average interest rate on borrowings under the credit agreement was 6.02%. The credit agreement matures on June 2, 2028.

As of March 31, 2024, the Company was in compliance with all financial maintenance covenants under the credit agreement.

Term Loan Agreement

In connection with the pending Endeavor Acquisition (as defined in Note 16—Endeavor Energy Resources, LP Acquisition), Diamondback Energy, Inc., as guarantor, entered into a Term Loan Credit Agreement with Diamondback E&P LLC, as borrower, and Citibank, N.A., as administrative agent (the “Term Loan Agreement”) on February 29, 2024.

The Term Loan Agreement provides the Company with the ability to borrow up to $1.5 billion, which is comprised of $1 billion of Tranche A Loans and $500 million of Tranche B Loans (collectively, the “Term Loans”) on an unsecured basis to pay a portion of the cash consideration for the Endeavor Acquisition (as defined in Note 16—Endeavor Energy Resources, LP Acquisition), repay certain debt of Endeavor or pay fees, costs and expenses related to the acquisition. As of March 31, 2024, the Company hadno outstanding borrowings under the Term Loan Agreement and $1.5 billion available for future borrowings.

The availability of the Term Loans, which have not yet been funded, is subject to the satisfaction of certain limited customary acquisition-financing conditions under the Term Loan Agreement. The Term Loans will be made in a single borrowing on the date of closing of the Endeavor Acquisition (as defined in Note 16—Endeavor Energy Resources, LP Acquisition) (the “Closing Date”) and will mature and be payable in full, in the case of the Tranche A Loans, on the first anniversary of the Closing Date and, in the case of the Tranche B Loans, on the second anniversary of the Closing Date.

Outstanding borrowings under the Term Loan Agreement bear interest at a per annum rate elected by the Company that is equal to (i) term SOFR plus 0.10% (“Adjusted Term SOFR”) or (ii) an alternate base rate (which is equal to the greatest of the prime rate, the federal funds effective rate plus 0.50%, and 1-month Adjusted Term SOFR plus 1.0%), in each case plus the applicable margin. After giving effect to the amendment, (i) the applicable margin ranges from 0.125% to 1.000% and 0.250% to 1.125% for Tranche A and Tranche B, respectively, per annum in the case of the alternate base rate, and from 1.125% to 2.000% and 1.250% to 2.125% for Tranche A and Tranche B, respectively, per annum in the case of Adjusted Term SOFR, in each case based on the pricing level, and (ii) the commitment fee is equal to 0.125% per annum on the aggregate principal amount of the commitments. The pricing level depends on the Company’s long-term senior unsecured debt ratings.

Bridge Facility

On February 11, 2024, in connection with the pending Endeavor Acquisition (as defined in Note 16—Endeavor Energy Resources, LP Acquisition), Diamondback Energy, Inc., as guarantor, obtained commitments of $8.0 billion to a 364-day senior unsecured term loan facility with Diamondback E&P LLC, as borrower, and Citigroup Global Markets Inc., as administrative agent (the “Bridge Facility”). The Bridge Facility was reduced on a dollar-for-dollar basis by the amount of the Term Loan Agreement to $6.5 billion on February 29, 2024. The Bridge Facility will be further reduced on a dollar-for-dollar basis by the April 2024 Notes as defined and discussed further in Note 17—Subsequent Events. The proceeds from the Bridge Facility may be used to repay certain debt of Endeavor and pay fees, costs and expenses related to the pending Endeavor Acquisition. As of March 31, 2024, the Company hadno outstanding borrowings under the Bridge Facility.

Outstanding borrowings under the Bridge Facility bear interest at a per annum rate elected by the Company that is equal to (i) term SOFR plus 0.10% (“Adjusted Term SOFR”) or (ii) an alternate base rate (which is equal to the greatest of the prime rate, the federal funds effective rate plus 0.50%, and 1-month Adjusted Term SOFR plus 1.0%), in each case plus the applicable margin. The applicable margin ranges from (i)1.125% to 2.000% from the Closing Date through 89 days following the Closing Date, (ii)1.375% to 2.250% from the 90th day following the Closing Date through the 179th day following the Closing Date, (iii)1.625% to 2.500% from the 180th day following the Closing Date through the 269th day following the Closing Date, and (iv)1.875% to 2.750% for the 270th day following the Closing Date through the expiration of the Bridge Facility, in each case based on the pricing level, and (ii) the commitment fee is equal to 0.125% per annum on the aggregate principal amount of the commitments. The pricing level depends on the Company’s long-term senior unsecured debt ratings.

Retirement of Notes

In the first quarter of 2024, the Company opportunistically repurchased principal amounts of $22 million of its 3.125% Senior Notes due 2031 and $6 million of its 3.500% Senior Notes due 2029 for total cash consideration, including accrued interest paid of $25 million. These repurchases resulted in an immaterial gain on extinguishment of debt during the three months ended March 31, 2024.

Viper’s Credit Agreement

Viper LLC’s credit agreement, as amended to date, provides for a revolving credit facility in the maximum credit amount of $2.0 billion with a borrowing base of $1.3 billion based on Viper LLC’s oil and natural gas reserves and other factors. As of March 31, 2024, the elected commitment amount was $850 million, with $273 million of outstanding borrowings and $577 million available for future borrowings. During the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, the weighted average interest rates on borrowings under the Viper credit agreement were 7.65% and 6.10%, respectively. As of March 31, 2024, Viper LLC was in compliance with all financial maintenance covenants under the Viper credit agreement. The revolving credit facility will mature on September 22, 2028.

9. STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY AND EARNINGS (LOSS) PER SHARE

Stock Repurchase Program

The Company’s board of directors has approved a common stock repurchase program to acquire up to $4.0 billion of the Company’s outstanding common stock, excluding excise tax. Purchases under the repurchase program may be made from time to time in open market or privately negotiated transactions, and are subject to market conditions, applicable legal requirements, contractual obligations and other factors. The repurchase program does not require the Company to acquire any specific number of shares. This repurchase program may be suspended from time to time, modified, extended or discontinued by the board of directors at any time. During the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company repurchased, excluding excise tax, approximately $42 million and $332 million of common stock under this repurchase program, respectively. As of March 31, 2024, approximately $1.6 billion remained available for use to repurchase shares under the Company’s common stock repurchase program, excluding excise tax.

Change in Ownership of Consolidated Subsidiaries

Non-controlling interests in the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements represent minority interest ownership in Viper and are presented as a component of equity. When the Company’s relative ownership interests in Viper change, adjustments to non-controlling interest and additional paid-in-capital, tax effected, will occur. The following table summarizes changes in the ownership interest in consolidated subsidiaries during the periods presented:

Dividends

The following table presents dividends and distribution equivalent rights paid on the Company’s common stock during the respective periods:

Earnings (Loss) Per Share

The Company’s earnings (loss) per share amounts have been computed using the two-class method. The two-class method is an earnings allocation proportional to the respective ownership among holders of common stock and participating securities. Basic earnings (loss) per share amounts have been computed based on the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding for the period. Diluted earnings per share include the effect of potentially dilutive non-participating securities outstanding for the period. Additionally, the per share earnings of Viper are included in the consolidated earnings per share computation based on the consolidated group’s holdings of the subsidiaries.

A reconciliation of the components of basic and diluted earnings per common share is presented in the table below:

(1) Unvested restricted stock awards and performance stock awards that contain non-forfeitable distribution equivalent rights are considered participating securities and therefore are included in the earnings per share calculation pursuant to the two-class method.

10. EQUITY-BASED COMPENSATION

Under the Equity Plan approved by the board of directors, the Company is authorized to issue up to 11.8 million shares of incentive and non-statutory stock options, restricted stock awards and restricted stock units, performance awards and stock appreciation rights to eligible employees. The Company currently has outstanding restricted stock units and performance-based restricted stock units under the Equity Plan. At March 31, 2024, approximately 4.7 million shares of common stock remain available for future grants under the Equity Plan. The Company classifies its restricted stock units and performance-based restricted stock units as equity-based awards and estimates the fair values of restricted stock awards and units as the closing price of the Company’s common stock on the grant date of the award, which is expensed over the applicable vesting period.

In addition to the Equity Plan, Viper maintains its own long-term incentive plan, which is not significant to the Company.

The following table presents the financial statement impacts of equity compensation plans and related costs on the Company’s financial statements:

Restricted Stock Units

The following table presents the Company’s restricted stock unit activity during the three months ended March 31, 2024 under the Equity Plan:

The aggregate grant date fair value of restricted stock units that vested during the three months ended March 31, 2024 was $12 million. As of March 31, 2024, the Company’s unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested restricted stock units was $115 million, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.2 years.

Performance Based Restricted Stock Units

The following table presents the Company’s performance restricted stock units activity under the Equity Plan for the three months ended March 31, 2024:

(1)A maximum of 923,176 units could be awarded based upon the Company’s final TSR ranking.

As of March 31, 2024, the Company’s unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested performance based restricted stock awards and units was $52 million, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.0 years.

In March 2024, eligible employees received performance restricted stock unit awards totaling 110,989 units from which a minimum of 0% and a maximum of 200% of the units could be awarded based upon the measurement of total stockholder return of the Company’s common stock as compared to a designated peer group during thethree-year performance period of January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2026 and cliff vest at December 31, 2026 subject to continued employment. The initial payout of the March 2024 awards will be further adjusted by a TSR modifier that may reduce the payout or increase the payout up to a maximum of 250%.

The fair value of each performance restricted stock unit issuance is estimated at the date of grant using a Monte Carlo simulation, which results in an expected percentage of units to be earned during the performance period.

The following table presents a summary of the grant-date fair values of performance restricted stock units granted and the related assumptions for the awards granted during the periods presented:

11. INCOME TAXES

The following table provides the Company’s provision for (benefit from) income taxes and the effective income tax rate for the periods indicated:

Total income tax expense from continuing operations for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023 differed from amounts computed by applying the U.S. federal statutory tax rate to pre-tax income primarily due to (i) state income taxes, net of federal benefit, and (ii) the impact of permanent differences between book and taxable income.

As of March 31, 2024, Viper maintained a partial valuation allowance against its deferred tax assets, based on its assessment of all available evidence, both positive and negative, supporting realizability of Viper’s deferred tax assets.

In connection with the public offering of Viper’s Class A common stock and resulting change of ownership in Viper during the three months ended March 31, 2024, the Company recorded a $36 million increase in tax payable and a $3 million increase in deferred tax liability through paid in capital and an $18 million increase in the deferred tax asset, net of valuation allowance, through non-controlling interest on the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheet.

Based on application of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 guidance, the Company’s income tax expense for the three months ended March 31, 2024 was not impacted by the corporate alternative minimum tax. The Company’s excise tax during the three months ended March 31, 2024 was immaterial and was recognized as part of the cost basis of the units repurchased.

12. DERIVATIVES

At March 31, 2024, the Company has commodity derivative contracts and interest rate swaps outstanding. All derivative financial instruments are recorded at fair value.

Commodity Contracts

The Company has entered into multiple crude oil and natural gas derivatives, indexed to the respective indices as noted in the table below, to reduce price volatility associated with certain of its oil and natural gas sales. The Company has not designated its commodity derivative instruments as hedges for accounting purposes and, as a result, marks its commodity derivative instruments to fair value and recognizes the cash and non-cash changes in fair value in the condensed consolidated statements of operations under the caption “Gain (loss) on derivative instruments, net.”

By using derivative instruments to economically hedge exposure to changes in commodity prices, the Company exposes itself to credit risk and market risk. Credit risk is the failure of the counterparty to perform under the terms of the derivative contract. When the fair value of a derivative contract is positive, the counterparty owes the Company, which creates credit risk. The Company has entered into commodity derivative instruments only with counterparties that are also lenders under its credit facility and have been deemed an acceptable credit risk. As such, collateral is not required from either the counterparties or the Company on its outstanding commodity derivative contracts.

As of March 31, 2024, the Company had the following outstanding commodity derivative contracts. When aggregating multiple contracts, the weighted average contract price is disclosed.

(1) The Company has fixed price basis swaps for the spread between the Cushing crude oil price and the Midland WTI crude oil price as well as the spread between the Henry Hub natural gas price and the Waha Hub natural gas price. The weighted average differential represents the amount of reduction to the Cushing, Oklahoma oil price and the Waha Hub natural gas price for the notional volumes covered by the basis swap contracts.

Interest Rate Swaps

The Company hastwo receive-fixed, pay variable interest rate swap agreements for notional amounts of $600 million which are considered economic hedges of the Company’s $1.2 billion 3.50% fixed rate senior notes due 2029 (the “2029 Notes”). The Company receives a fixed 3.50% rate of interest on these swaps and pays the variable rate of SOFR plus 2.1865%. The interest rate swaps are not treated as hedges for accounting purposes and, as a result, changes in fair value are recorded in earnings under the caption “Gain (loss) on derivative instruments, net” in the condensed consolidated statements of operations.

The interest rate swaps were designated as fair value hedges at inception, but the Company subsequently elected to discontinue hedge accounting. The cumulative fair value basis adjustment recorded at the time of dedesignation is being amortized to interest expense over the remaining term of the 2029 Notes utilizing the effective interest method. See Note 8—Debt for further details.

Balance Sheet Offsetting of Derivative Assets and Liabilities

The fair value of derivative instruments is generally determined using established index prices and other sources which are based upon, among other things, futures prices and time to maturity. These fair values are recorded by netting asset and liability positions, including any deferred premiums that are with the same counterparty and are subject to contractual terms which provide for net settlement. See Note 13—Fair Value Measurements for further details.

Gains and Losses on Derivative Instruments

The following table summarizes the gains and losses on derivative instruments not designated as hedging instruments included in the condensed consolidated statements of operations: