Document/ExhibitDescriptionPagesSize 1: S-3ASR Automatic Shelf Registration Statement by a HTML 394K Well-Known Issuer
3: EX-5.1 Opinion of Counsel re: Legality HTML 30K
4: EX-23.1 Consent of Expert or Counsel HTML 6K
5: EX-23.2 Consent of Expert or Counsel HTML 6K
6: EX-23.3 Consent of Expert or Counsel HTML 9K
2: EX-FILING FEES Filing Fees HTML 44K
‘S-3ASR’ — Automatic Shelf Registration Statement by a Well-Known Issuer
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public:
From
time to time on or after the effective date of this registration statement.
If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box. ☐
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box. ☒
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities
Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ☒
If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General
Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,”“accelerated filer,”“smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
Large
accelerated filer
☐
Accelerated filer
☒
Non-accelerated filer
☐
Smaller reporting company
☐
Emerging growth company
☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised
financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐
EXPLANATORY NOTE
This registration statement consists of two prospectuses, covering the registration of:
•Shares of Class A Common Stock, shares of Preferred Stock, depositary shares and warrants of Crescent Energy Company; and
•Shares
of Class A Common Stock of Crescent Energy Company that may be sold in one or more secondary offerings by the selling stockholders.
Crescent Energy Company
Class A Common Stock
Preferred Stock
Depositary Shares
Warrants
Crescent
Energy Company (the “Company,”“we,”“our” or “us”) may offer and sell the following securities from time to time in one or more transactions and in amounts, at prices and on terms to be determined by market conditions at the time of our offerings: (i) Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Class A Common Stock”), (ii) preferred stock, $0.0001 per share, (iii) depositary shares and (iv) warrants to purchase any of the other securities that may be sold under this prospectus.
This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities offered hereby, including the Company’s Class A Common Stock, and the general manner in which we will offer such securities. More specific terms of any securities that we offer may be provided in a prospectus supplement that describes, among other
things, the specific amounts and prices of the securities being offered and the terms of the offering. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus.
We may offer and sell these securities from time to time in amounts, at prices and on terms to be determined by market conditions and other factors at the time of our offerings, including at prevailing market prices or at prices negotiated with buyers. We may offer and sell these securities through agents, through underwriters or dealers or directly to one or more purchasers, including existing stockholders. This prospectus provides you with a general description of these securities and the general manner in which we will offer the securities. Each time securities are offered, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will contain specific information about the terms of that offering. For example, any specific allocation of
the net proceeds of an offering of securities to a specific purpose will be determined at the time of the offering and will be described in any applicable prospectus supplement. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus.
Our Class A Common Stock is traded on The New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) under the symbol “CRGY”. The closing price for our Class A Common Stock on March 5, 2024, was $11.93 per share, as reported on the NYSE.
Investing in our securities involves risks. See “Risk Factors”
beginning on page 6.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of the securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
We have not authorized anyone to provide any information or to make any representations other than those contained or incorporated
by reference in this prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement or any free writing prospectus we have prepared. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. This prospectus is an offer to sell only the securities offered hereby and only under circumstances and in jurisdictions where it is lawful to do so. The information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus is current only as of its date.
i
ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS
This prospectus is part
of a registration statement on Form S-3 that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) using a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration process, we may sell any combination of the securities described in this prospectus from time to time and in one or more offerings. This prospectus generally describes Crescent Energy Company and its securities, including its Class A Common Stock. We may use the shelf registration statement to sell the listed securities from time to time through any means described in the section entitled “Plan of Distribution.”
More specific terms of any securities we offer may be provided in a prospectus supplement that describes, among other things, the specific amounts and prices of the securities being offered, any specific allocation of the net proceeds of an offering of securities to a specific purpose and other terms of the offering. The
prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information included in this prospectus. You should read both this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement, together with additional information described below under the captions “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference.”
No offer of the securities will be made in any jurisdiction where the offer is not permitted.
The information in this prospectus contains or incorporates by
reference information that includes or is based upon “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the “Securities Act”) and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the “Exchange Act”). All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included or incorporated by reference herein concerning, among other things, planned capital expenditures, increases in oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids (“NGL”) production, the number of anticipated wells to be drilled or completed after the date hereof, future cash flows and borrowings, pursuit of potential acquisition opportunities, our financial position, business strategy and other plans and objectives for future operations, are forward-looking statements.
These forward-looking statements are identified by their use of terms and phrases such as “may,”“expect,”“estimate,”“project,”“plan,”“believe,”“intend,”“achievable,”“anticipate,”“will,”“continue,”“potential,”“should,”“could,” and similar terms and phrases. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, they do involve certain assumptions, risks and uncertainties. Our results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, including, among others:
•commodity price volatility;
•our business strategy;
•our ability to identify and select
possible additional acquisition and disposition opportunities;
•capital requirements and uncertainty of obtaining additional funding on terms acceptable to us;
•the impact of sales hereunder to the trading price of our Class A Common Stock;
•risks and restrictions related to our debt agreements and the level of our indebtedness;
•our reliance on KKR Energy Assets Manager LLC (the “Manager”) as our external manager;
•our hedging strategy and results;
•realized oil, natural gas and NGL prices;
•political
and economic conditions and events in foreign oil, natural gas and NGL producing countries, including embargoes, continued hostilities in the Middle East, including the Israel-Hamas conflict and other sustained military campaigns, the armed conflict in Ukraine and associated economic sanctions on Russia, conditions in South America, Central America and China and acts of terrorism or sabotage;
•general economic conditions, including the impact of inflation and associated changes in monetary policy;
•the impact of central bank policy actions and disruptions in the banking industry and capital markets;
•the severity and duration of public health crises and any resultant impact on governmental actions, commodity prices, supply and demand considerations, and storage capacity;
•timing
and amount of our future production of oil, natural gas and NGLs;
•a decline in oil, natural gas and NGL production, and the impact of general economic conditions on the demand for oil, natural gas and NGLs and the availability of capital;
•unsuccessful drilling and completion (“D&C”) activities and the possibility of resulting write downs;
•our ability to meet our proposed drilling schedule and to successfully drill wells that produce oil, natural gas and NGLs in commercially viable quantities;
2
•shortages of equipment,
supplies, services and qualified personnel and increased costs for such equipment, supplies, services and personnel, including any delays and/or supply chain disruptions due to increased hostilities in the Middle East;
•adverse variations from estimates of reserves, production, prices and expenditure requirements, and our inability to replace our reserves through exploration and development activities;
•incorrect estimates associated with properties we acquire relating to estimated proved reserves, the presence or recoverability of estimated oil, natural gas and NGL reserves and the actual future production rates and associated costs of such acquired properties;
•hazardous, risky drilling operations, including those associated with the employment of horizontal
drilling techniques, and adverse weather and environmental conditions;
•limited control over non-operated properties;
•title defects to our properties and inability to retain our leases;
•our ability to successfully develop our large inventory of undeveloped acreage;
•our ability to retain key members of our senior management and key technical employees;
•risks relating to managing our growth, particularly in connection with the integration of significant acquisitions;
•our ability to successfully execute our growth strategies;
•impact
of environmental, occupational health and safety, and other governmental regulations, and of current or pending legislation that may negatively impact the future production of oil and natural gas or drive the substitution of renewable forms of energy for oil and natural gas;
•federal and state regulations and laws, including the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022;
•our ability to predict and manage the effects of actions of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (“OPEC”) and agreements to set and maintain production levels, including as a result of recent production cuts by OPEC, which may be exacerbated by the increased hostilities in the Middle East;
•information technology failures or cyberattacks;
•changes
in tax laws;
•effects of competition; and
•seasonal weather conditions.
We caution you that these forward-looking statements are subject to all of the risks and uncertainties incident to the development, production, gathering and sale of oil, natural gas and NGLs, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control. These risks include, but are not limited to, commodity price volatility, inflation, lack of availability and cost of drilling and production equipment and services, project construction delays, environmental risks, drilling and other operating risks, lack of availability or capacity of midstream gathering and transportation infrastructure, regulatory changes, the uncertainty inherent in estimating reserves and in projecting future rates of production,
cash flow and access to capital, the timing of development expenditures and the other risks described in “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, incorporated herein by reference.
Reserve engineering is a process of estimating underground accumulations of hydrocarbons that cannot be measured in an exact way. The accuracy of any reserve estimates depends on the quality of available data, the interpretation of such data and price and cost assumptions made by reserve engineers. In addition, the results of
3
drilling, testing and production activities may justify
revisions of estimates that were made previously. If significant, such revisions would change the schedule of any further production and development program. Accordingly, reserve estimates may differ significantly from the quantities of oil, natural gas and NGLs that are ultimately recovered.
Should one or more of the risks or uncertainties described in this prospectus occur, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, our actual results and plans could differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements, expressed or implied, included in this prospectus are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. This cautionary statement should also be considered in connection with any subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements that we or persons acting on our behalf may issue. Except as otherwise required by applicable law, we disclaim any
duty to update any forward-looking statements, all of which are expressly qualified by the statements in this section, to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this prospectus.
We are a differentiated U.S. energy company committed to delivering value for shareholders through a disciplined growth through acquisition strategy and consistent
return of capital. Our portfolio of low-decline, cash-flow oriented assets comprises both mid-cycle unconventional and conventional assets with a long reserve life and deep inventory of high-return development locations in the Eagle Ford and Uinta basins. Our leadership is an experienced team of investment, financial and industry professionals that combines proven investment and operating expertise. For more than a decade, we and our predecessors have executed on a consistent strategy focused on cash flow, risk management and returns. Our Class A Common Stock trades on the NYSE under the symbol “CRGY.”
Company Information
Our principal executive offices are located at 600 Travis Street, Suite 7200, Houston, Texas77002, and our telephone number is (713) 337-4600. Our website is www.crescentenergyco.com. The information found on our website is not part of this prospectus.
5
RISK
FACTORS
An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider those risk factors described under the heading “Risk Factors” in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K (other than, in each case, information furnished rather than filed), which are incorporated by reference herein, and those risk factors that may be included in any applicable prospectus supplement, together with all of the other information included in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and the documents we incorporate by reference, in evaluating an investment in our securities. Our business, prospects, financial condition or operating results could be harmed by any of these risks, as well as other risks not currently
known to us or that we currently consider immaterial. The trading price of our Class A Common Stock could decline due to any of these risks, and, as a result, you may lose all or part of your investment. Before deciding whether to invest in our securities, you should also refer to the other information contained in or incorporated by reference into this prospectus, including the section entitled “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”
6
USE OF PROCEEDS
Except as otherwise provided in any applicable prospectus supplement, we intend
to use the net proceeds we receive from the sale of securities for general corporate purposes, which may include repayment of indebtedness, financing of future acquisitions and capital expenditures and additions to working capital.
Any specific allocation of the net proceeds of an offering of securities to a specific purpose will be determined at the time of the offering and will be described in any applicable prospectus supplement.
7
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
We may use one or more of the following methods when selling securities under this prospectus:
•ordinary brokerage transactions and transactions in which the broker solicits purchasers;
•broker-dealers may agree with the selling stockholders to sell a specified number of such stock at a stipulated price per share;
•a block trade (which may involve crosses) in which the broker or dealer so engaged will attempt to sell the securities as agent but may position and resell a portion of the block as principal to facilitate
the transaction;
•purchases by a broker or dealer as principal and resale by such broker or dealer for its own account pursuant to this prospectus;
•short sales and delivery of shares of our Class A Common Stock to close out short positions;
•sales by broker-dealers of shares of our Class A Common Stock that are loaned or pledged to such broker-dealers;
•“at-the-market” offerings into an existing trading market in accordance with Rule 415(a)(4) under the Securities Act;
•a combination of any such methods of sale; and
•any other method permitted pursuant
to applicable law.
We may prepare prospectus supplements that will disclose the terms of the offering, including the name or names of any underwriters, dealers or agents, the purchase price of the securities, any underwriting discounts and other items constituting compensation to underwriters, dealers or agents.
We may fix a price or prices of our securities at:
•market prices prevailing at the time of any sale under this registration statement;
•prices related to market prices; or
•negotiated prices.
We may change the price of the securities offered from time to time.
If we use underwriters
in an offering, we will execute an underwriting agreement with such underwriters and will specify the name of each underwriter and the terms of the transaction (including any underwriting discounts and other terms constituting compensation of the underwriters and any dealers) in a prospectus supplement. If we use an underwriting syndicate, the managing underwriter(s) will be specified on the cover of the prospectus supplement. If we use underwriters for a sale of securities, the underwriters will acquire the securities for their own accounts. The underwriters may resell the securities from time to time in one or more transactions, including negotiated transactions, at a fixed public offering price or at varying prices determined at the time of sale. Any public offering price and any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers may be changed from time to time.
Unless otherwise set forth in the prospectus supplement, the obligations of the underwriters to purchase the offered
8
securities will be subject to conditions precedent and the underwriters will be obligated to purchase all of the offered securities if any are purchased.
If dealers are used in an offering, we may sell the securities to the dealers as principals. The dealers then may resell the securities to the public at varying prices which they determine at the time of resale. The names of the dealers and the terms of the transaction will be specified in a prospectus supplement.
If agents are used in an offering, the names of the agents and the terms of the agency will be
specified in a prospectus supplement. Unless otherwise indicated in a prospectus supplement, the agents will act on a best-efforts basis for the period of their appointment.
Dealers and agents named in a prospectus supplement may be underwriters as defined in the Securities Act and any discounts or commissions they receive from us and any profit on their resale of the securities may be treated as underwriting discounts and commissions under the Securities Act. We will identify in the applicable prospectus supplement any underwriters, dealers or agents and will describe their compensation. We may enter into agreements with the underwriters, dealers and agents to indemnify them against specified civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act.
Underwriters, dealers or agents and their associates may engage in other transactions with and perform other services for us
in the ordinary course of business.
If so indicated in a prospectus supplement, we will authorize underwriters or other persons acting as our agents to solicit offers by institutional investors to purchase securities pursuant to contracts providing for payment and delivery on a future date. We may enter contracts with commercial and savings banks, insurance companies, pension funds, investment companies, educational and charitable institutions and other institutional investors. The obligations of any institutional investor will be subject to the condition that its purchase of the offered securities will not be illegal at the time of delivery. The underwriters and other agents will not be responsible for the validity or performance of contracts.
In
addition, we may enter into derivative transactions with third parties, or sell securities not covered by this prospectus to third parties in privately negotiated transactions. If the applicable prospectus supplement so indicates, in connection with those derivatives, the third parties may sell securities covered by this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, including in short sale transactions. If so, the third party may use securities pledged by us or borrowed from us or others to settle those sales or to close out any related open borrowings of stock, and may use securities received from us in settlement of those derivatives to close out any related open borrowings of stock. The third party in such sale transactions will be an underwriter and, if not identified in this prospectus, will be named in the applicable prospectus supplement (or a post-effective amendment).
In addition, we may otherwise loan or pledge
securities to a financial institution or other third party that in turn may sell the securities short using this prospectus and an applicable prospectus supplement. Such financial institution or other third party may transfer its economic short position to investors in our securities or in connection with a concurrent offering of other securities.
The specific terms of any lock-up provisions in respect of any given offering will be described in any applicable prospectus supplement.
To the extent required, this prospectus may be amended or supplemented from time to time to describe a specific plan of distribution.
9
DESCRIPTION
OF CAPITAL STOCK
The following summary of certain material provisions of Crescent Energy Company’s (“we,”“us” and “our”) capital stock does not purport to be complete and is subject to and qualified by reference to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (our “Amended and Restated Charter”), and our amended and restated bylaws (our “Amended and Restated Bylaws”). The summary below is also qualified by reference to the provisions of the DGCL.
General
Our authorized capital stock consists of 2,000,000,000 shares, divided into
the following classes:
•1,000,000,000 shares of Class A Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share (our “Class A Common Stock”);
•500,000,000 shares of Class B Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share (our “Class B Common Stock); and
•500,000,000 shares of preferred stock, of which (y) 1,000 shares are Non-Economic Series I Preferred Stock (our “Non-Economic Series I Preferred Stock”) and (z) the remaining 499,999,000 shares may be designated from time to time in accordance with our Amended and Restated Charter (together, with the Non-Economic Series I Preferred Stock, our “Preferred Stock”).
Class A Common Stock
Voting Rights. Prior
to the Trigger Date (as defined in the section herein titled “Non-Economic Series I Preferred Stock”), holders of our Class A Common Stock will not be entitled to elect directors to our Board of Directors. On and after the Trigger Date (as defined below), the holders of our Class A Common Stock will be entitled to elect directors but will not have cumulative voting rights in the election of directors. Holders of our Class A Common Stock will otherwise be entitled to one vote per share held of record on all matters to be voted upon by the stockholders. Holders of our Class A Common Stock and our Class B Common Stock will vote together as a single class on all matters presented to stockholders for their vote or approval, except with respect to the amendment of certain provisions of our Amended and Restated Charter that would alter or change the powers, preferences or special rights of our Non-Economic Series I Preferred Stock or our Class B Common Stock so as to
affect them adversely, which amendments must be by a majority of the votes entitled to be cast by the holders of the class of stock affected by the amendment, voting as a separate class, or as otherwise required by applicable law.
Dividend Rights. Holders of our Class A Common Stock will be entitled to ratably receive dividends when and if declared by our Board of Directors out of funds legally available for that purpose, subject to any statutory or contractual restrictions on the payment of dividends and to any prior rights and preferences that may be applicable to any outstanding Preferred Stock.
Liquidation Rights. Upon our liquidation, dissolution, distribution of assets or other winding up, the holders of our Class A Common Stock will be entitled to receive ratably the assets available for distribution to the stockholders after
payment of liabilities and the liquidation preference of any of outstanding shares of our Preferred Stock.
Other Matters. Our Class A Common Stock will have no preemptive or conversion rights and there are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to our Class A Common Stock.
Class B Common Stock
Voting Rights. Prior to the Trigger Date, holders of our Class B Common Stock will not be entitled to elect directors to our Board of Directors. On and after the Trigger Date, the holders of our Class B Common Stock will be entitled to elect directors but will not have cumulative voting rights in the election of directors. Holders of our Class B Common Stock will otherwise be entitled to one vote per share held of record on all matters to be voted upon by the stockholders. Holders of our
Class A Common Stock and our Class B Common Stock will vote together as a single class on all matters presented to stockholders for their vote or approval, except with respect to the
10
amendment of certain provisions of our Amended and Restated Charter that would alter or change the powers, preferences or special rights of our Non-Economic Series I Preferred Stock or our Class B Common Stock so as to affect them adversely, which amendments must be by a majority of the votes entitled to be cast by the holders of the class of stock affected by the amendment, voting as a separate class, or as otherwise required by applicable law.
Dividend and Liquidation Rights. Holders of our Class B Common Stock
will not have any right to receive dividends, unless the dividend consists of shares of our Class B Common Stock or of rights, options, warrants or other securities convertible or exercisable into or exchangeable for our Class B Common Stock paid proportionally with respect to each outstanding share of our Class B Common Stock and a dividend consisting of shares of our Class A Common Stock or of rights, options, warrants or other securities convertible or exercisable into or exchangeable for our Class A Common Stock on the same terms as simultaneously paid to the holders of our Class A Common Stock. Holders of our Class B Common Stock will not have any right to receive a distribution upon liquidation or winding up.
Preferred Stock
Our Board of Directors is authorized, subject to limitations prescribed by Delaware law, to issue our Preferred Stock in one or more series, to establish
from time to time the number of shares to be included in each series, and to fix the designation, powers (including voting powers), preferences and rights of the shares of each series and any of its qualifications, limitations or restrictions, in each case without further vote or action by our stockholders (except as may be required by the terms of any preferred stock then outstanding). Our Board of Directors may (except where otherwise provided in the applicable preferred stock designation) increase (but not above the total number of authorized shares of the class) or decrease (but not below the number of shares outstanding) the number of shares of any series of our Preferred Stock, without any further vote or action by our stockholders. Our Board of Directors may authorize the issuance of our Preferred Stock with voting or conversion rights that could adversely affect the proportion of voting power held by, or other relative rights of, the holders of our Class A Common
Stock or our Class B Common Stock.
Non-Economic Series I Preferred Stock
Dividends and Liquidation Rights. Except for any distribution required by the DGCL to be made upon a dissolution event, the holder of the Non-Economic Series I Preferred Stock (the “Preferred Stockholder”) does not have any rights to receive dividends. Upon any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of us, the holder of our Non-Economic Series I Preferred Stock will be entitled to a payment equal to $0.01 per share of our Non-Economic Series I Preferred Stock.
Voting Rights. The holder of our Non-Economic Series I Preferred Stock are entitled to one vote per share on any matter that is submitted to a vote of stockholders. In addition, the holder of our Non-Economic Series I Preferred Stock
will have the exclusive right to elect the members of our Board of Directors prior to the date (the “Trigger Date”) following the earlier of (i) the first date on which the Preferred Stockholder and its affiliates no longer collectively beneficially own the Minimum Retained Ownership (as defined in our Amended and Restated Charter) and (ii) the date the Preferred Stockholder elects, by delivering written notice to us, to cause the Trigger Date to occur. Upon occurrence of the Trigger Date, all rights, powers, preferences and privileges associated with shares of our Non-Economic Series I Preferred Stock and associated with being the Preferred Stockholder in its capacity as the owner of the Non-Economic Series I Preferred Stock will automatically terminate in all respects and all shares of our Non-Economic Series I Preferred Stock will be automatically cancelled and forfeited for no consideration.
Actions Requiring Preferred
Stockholder Approval. Prior to the Trigger Date, certain actions will require the prior approval of the Preferred Stockholder, including, without limitation:
•entry into a debt financing arrangement in an amount in excess of 10% of our then existing long-term indebtedness (other than with respect to intercompany debt financing arrangements);
11
•issuances of securities that would (i) represent at least 5% of any class of equity securities or (ii) have designations, preferences, rights priorities or powers that are more favorable than our Class A Common Stock or Class B Common Stock;
•adoption
of a stockholder rights plan;
•amendment of our Amended and Restated Charter and certain provisions of our Amended and Restated Bylaws relating to our Board of Directors, our officers, quorum, adjournment and the conduct of stockholder meetings, and provisions related to stock certificates, registrations of transfers, maintenance of books and records and amendments of our Amended and Restated Bylaws;
•the appointment or removal of our Chief Executive Officer or a Co-Chief Executive Officer, provided that, a majority of our directors that are independent for purposes of the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors under the rules and regulations of The New
York Stock Exchange, the Exchange Act and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended (the “Independent Directors”) may remove a Chief Executive Officer without the prior approval of the Preferred Stockholder solely for Cause (as defined in our Amended and Restated Charter);
•the termination of the employment of any of our officers without Cause;
•the merger, sale or other dispositions of all or substantially all of the assets, taken as a whole, of us and our subsidiaries; and
•the liquidation or dissolution of us.
Transferability. The holder of our Non-Economic Series I Preferred Stock may transfer all
or any part of our Non-Economic Series I Preferred Stock held by it without first obtaining approval of any other stockholder so long as (i) it obtains prior written approval of a majority of the Independent Directors of our Board of Directors and (ii) the transferee assumes the rights and duties of our Non-Economic Series I Preferred Stock under our Amended and Restated Charter and agrees to be bound by the provisions of our Amended and Restated Charter.
Corporate Opportunities
Delaware law permits corporations to adopt provisions renouncing any interest or expectancy in certain opportunities that are presented to the corporation or its officers, directors or stockholders. To the fullest extent permitted by law, each of our directors and officers will have the right to engage in businesses of every type and description and other activities for profit and to engage in and possess
an interest in other business ventures of any and every type or description, including business interests and activities in direct competition with the business and activities of us, and we will waive and renounce any interest or expectancy therein. In addition, the doctrine of corporate opportunity will not apply with respect to us, any of our officers or directors, the Preferred Stockholder or any of their respective affiliates in circumstances where the application of any such doctrine would conflict with any fiduciary duties or contractual obligations they may have, and we will renounce any expectancy that such persons will offer any such corporate opportunity of which he, she or it may become aware to us. Notwithstanding the foregoing, we will not renounce our interest in any corporate opportunity offered to any of our directors or officers if such opportunity is expressly offered in writing to such person solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of
us and is one that such director or officer has no duty (contractual or fiduciary) to offer to KKR & Co. Inc. or its affiliates.
Anti-Takeover Provisions
Our Amended and Restated Charter and our Amended and Restated Bylaws and the DGCL contain provisions that are intended to enhance the likelihood of continuity and stability in the composition of our Board of Directors and to discourage certain types of transactions that may involve an actual or threatened acquisition of us. These provisions are intended to avoid costly takeover battles, reduce our vulnerability to a hostile change in control or other unsolicited acquisition proposal, and enhance the ability of our Board of Directors to maximize stockholder value in connection with any unsolicited offer to acquire us. However, these provisions
may have the effect of
12
delaying, deterring or preventing a merger or acquisition of us by means of a tender offer, a proxy contest or other takeover attempt that a stockholder might consider in its best interest, including attempts that might result in a premium over the prevailing market price for the shares of our Class A Common Stock held by stockholders. The following is a summary of certain provisions that may be deemed to have such effects:
Election and Removal of Directors
Prior to the Trigger Date, the Preferred Stockholder has the sole authority to elect directors. Prior to the Trigger Date, the Preferred Stockholder has the sole authority to remove and replace any
director, with or without cause, at any time, subject to limited exceptions during the Protected Periods (as defined in the Amended and Restated Charter). In addition, our Amended and Restated Charter also provides that, any newly created directorship on our Board of Directors that results from an increase in the number of directors and any vacancies on our Board of Directors will be filled by the Preferred Stockholder.
Actions Requiring Preferred Stockholder Approval
Prior to the Trigger Date, certain actions will require the prior approval of the Preferred Stockholder. See the section titled “Non-Economic Series I Preferred Stock” above.
Amendments to our Amended and Restated Charter
Except as otherwise expressly provided by applicable law, only the vote of the Preferred Stockholder,
together with the approval of our Board of Directors, shall be required in order to amend our Amended and Restated Charter and certain provisions of our Amended and Restated Bylaws. See the section titled “Non-Economic Series I Preferred Stock” above.
Special Stockholder Meetings
Our Amended and Restated Charter provides that special meetings of the holders of our Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock may be called at any time by our Board of Directors, the Preferred Stockholder or, prior to the Trigger Date, a majority of our Independent Directors.
Stockholder Action by Written Consent
Our Amended and Restated Charter provides that, if consented to by our Board of Directors and the Preferred
Stockholder in writing, any action required to be taken at any annual or special meeting of the stockholders may be taken without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote if a consent or consents in writing, setting forth the action so taken, is signed by the holders of outstanding Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares of our stock entitled to vote thereon were present and voted and such consent or consents are delivered in accordance with Section 228 of the DGCL.
Requirements for Advance Notification of Stockholder Proposals
Our Amended and Restated Bylaws will establish advance notice procedures with respect to stockholder proposals relating
to the limited matters on which our Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock may be entitled to vote. Generally, to be timely, a stockholder’s notice must be received at our principal executive offices not less than 90 days or more than 120 days prior to the first anniversary date of the immediately preceding annual meeting of stockholders. Our Amended and Restated Bylaws will also specify requirements as to the form and content of a stockholder’s notice. Our Amended and Restated Bylaws will allow the chairman of the meeting at a meeting of the stockholders to adopt rules and regulations for the conduct of meetings, which may have the effect of precluding the conduct of certain business at a meeting if the rules and regulations are not followed. These provisions may deter, delay or discourage
a potential acquirer from attempting to influence or obtain control of us.
13
Merger, Sale or Other Disposition of Assets
Our Amended and Restated Charter provides that we may not sell, exchange, lease or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets in a single transaction or a series of related transactions, or consummate any merger, sale or other similar combination without the prior approval of the Preferred Stockholder.
Choice of Forum
Unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, (a) the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (or, solely to the extent that the Court of Chancery lacks
subject matter jurisdiction, the federal district court located in the State of Delaware) is the exclusive forum for resolving (i) any derivative action, suit or proceeding brought on behalf of the corporation, (ii) any action, suit or proceeding asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any current or former director, officer, employee or stockholder of the corporation to the corporation or the corporation’s stockholders, (iii) any action, suit or proceeding asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL, our Amended and Restated Charter or our Amended and Restated Bylaws or as to which the DGCL confers jurisdiction on the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or (iv) any action, suit or proceeding asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine, and (b) the federal district courts of the United States shall be the exclusive forum
for the resolution of any action, suit or proceeding asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act, in each case except as otherwise provided in our Amended and Restated Charter for any series of our Preferred Stock.
Business Combinations
We have elected to opt out of Section 203 of the DGCL, which provides that an “interested stockholder” (a person other than the corporation or any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary who, together with affiliates and associates, owns, or, if such person is an affiliate or associate of the corporation, within three years did own, 15% or more of the outstanding voting stock of a corporation) may not engage in “business combinations” (which is broadly defined to include a number of transactions, such as mergers, consolidations, asset sales and other transactions in which an interested stockholder receives or could
receive a financial benefit on other than a pro rata basis with other stockholders) with the corporation for a period of three years after the date on which the person became an interested stockholder without certain statutorily mandated approvals.
Limitation of Liability and Indemnification Matters
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation limits the liability of our directors for monetary damages for breach of their fiduciary duty as directors, except for liability that cannot be eliminated under the DGCL. Delaware law provides that directors of a company will not be personally liable for monetary damages for breach of their fiduciary duty as directors, except for liabilities:
•for any breach of their duty of loyalty
to us or our stockholders;
•for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law;
•for unlawful payment of dividend or unlawful stock repurchase or redemption, as provided under Section 174 of the DGCL; or
•for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit.
Any amendment, repeal or modification of these provisions will be prospective only and would not affect any limitation on liability of a director for acts or omissions that occurred prior to any such amendment, repeal or modification. If the DGCL is amended to provide for further limitations on the personal liability of directors or officers of corporations, then the personal liability
of our directors and officers will be further limited to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL.
We have entered into indemnification agreements with each of our current and future directors and officers. These agreements require us to indemnify these individuals to the fullest extent permitted under Delaware law
14
against liability that may arise by reason of their service to us, and to advance expenses incurred as a result of any proceeding against them as to which they could be indemnified. We believe that the limitation of liability provision that is in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and the indemnification
agreements will facilitate our ability to continue to attract and retain qualified individuals to serve as directors and officers.
Transfer Agent
The transfer agent for our Class A Common Stock is Equiniti Trust Company, LLC. We have agreed to indemnify Equiniti Trust Company, LLC in its role as transfer agent, its agents and each of its stockholders, directors, officers and employees against all liabilities, including judgments, costs and reasonable counsel fees that may arise out of acts performed or omitted for its activities in that capacity, except for any liability due to any gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith of the indemnified person or entity.
15
DESCRIPTION
OF DEPOSITARY SHARES
We may offer depositary shares (either separately or together with other securities) representing fractional interests in our preferred stock of any series. In connection with the issuance of any depositary shares, we will enter into a deposit agreement with a bank or trust company, as depositary, which will be named in the applicable prospectus supplement. Depositary shares will be evidenced by depositary receipts issued pursuant to the related deposit agreement. Immediately following our issuance of the preferred stock related to the depositary shares, we will deposit the preferred stock with the relevant preferred stock depositary and will cause the preferred stock depositary to issue, on our behalf, the related depositary receipts. Subject to the terms of the deposit agreement, each owner of a depositary receipt will be entitled, in proportion to the fraction of a share of preferred stock represented
by the related depositary share, to all the rights, preferences and privileges of, and will be subject to all of the limitations and restrictions on, the preferred stock represented by the depositary receipt (including, if applicable, dividend, voting, conversion, exchange redemption and liquidation rights).
16
DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS
We may issue warrants for the purchase of our Class A Common Stock, preferred stock or any combination thereof. Warrants may be issued independently or together with our securities offered by any prospectus supplement and may be attached to or separate from any such offered
securities. Each series of warrants will be issued under a separate warrant agreement to be entered into between us and a bank or trust company, as warrant agent, all as set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to the particular issue of warrants. The warrant agent will act solely as our agent in connection with the warrants and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency or trust for or with any holders of warrants or beneficial owners of warrants. The following summary of certain provisions of the warrants does not purport to be complete and is subject to, and is qualified in its entirety by reference to, all provisions of the warrant agreements.
You should refer to the prospectus supplement relating to a particular issue of warrants for the terms of and information relating to the warrants, including, where applicable:
(1)the number
of securities purchasable upon exercise of the warrants and the price at which such securities may be purchased upon exercise of the warrants;
(2)the date on which the right to exercise the warrants commences and the date on which such right expires (the “Expiration Date”);
(3)the United States federal income tax consequences applicable to the warrants;
(4)the amount of the warrants outstanding as of the most recent practicable date; and
(5)any other terms of the warrants.
Warrants will be offered and exercisable for United States dollars only. Warrants will be issued in registered form only. Each warrant will entitle its holder to purchase such
number of securities at such exercise price as is in each case set forth in, or calculable from, the prospectus supplement relating to the warrants. The exercise price may be subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of events described in such prospectus supplement. After the close of business on the Expiration Date (or such later date to which we may extend such Expiration Date), unexercised warrants will become void. The place or places where, and the manner in which, warrants may be exercised will be specified in the prospectus supplement relating to such warrants.
Prior to the exercise of any warrants, holders of the warrants will not have any of the rights of holders of securities, including the right to receive payments of any dividends on the securities purchasable upon exercise of the warrants, or to exercise any applicable right to vote.
17
LEGAL
MATTERS
Vinson & Elkins, L.L.P., Houston, Texas, will pass upon the validity of the Class A Common Stock covered by this prospectus. Any underwriters or agents will be advised about other issues relating to the offering by counsel to be named in the applicable prospectus supplement.
EXPERTS
The financial statements of Crescent Energy Company as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, and for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2023, incorporated by reference in this prospectus, and the effectiveness of Crescent
Energy Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023, have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their reports. Such financial statements are incorporated by reference in reliance upon the reports of such firm given their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
The statement of revenues and direct operating expenses for the Oil and Natural Gas Assets of SN EF Maverick, LLC (“SN Maverick”) and Mesquite Comanche Holdings, LLC (“MCOM”) (the Statement), for the year ended December 31, 2022, have been incorporated by reference herein in reliance upon the report of KPMG LLP, independent registered public accounting
firm, incorporated by reference herein, and upon the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing. The audit report covering the Statement contains an emphasis of matter paragraph that states the accompanying Statements were prepared for the purpose of complying with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and are not intended to be a complete presentation of the operations of the properties and an other matters paragraph describing limited procedures performed on the accompanying supplemental information related to oil and natural gas producing activities.
Estimates of our oil and natural gas reserves and related future net cash flows and present values thereof related to our properties as of December 31, 2023 included and incorporated
by reference herein were based primarily on the proved reserves estimates prepared by Ryder Scott, our independent reserve engineer, a summary letter of which is incorporated by reference into this prospectus. We have incorporated these estimates in reliance on the authority of such firm as stated in its report.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-3 (including the exhibits, schedules and amendments thereto) under the Securities Act, with respect to the shares of our Class A Common Stock offered hereby. This prospectus does not contain all of the information set forth in the registration statement and the exhibits and schedules thereto. For further
information with respect to us and the Class A Common Stock offered hereby, we refer you to the registration statement and the exhibits and schedules filed therewith. Statements contained in this prospectus as to the contents of any contract, agreement or any other document are summaries of the material terms of such contract, agreement or other document and are not necessarily complete. With respect to each of these contracts, agreements or other documents filed as an exhibit to the registration statement, reference is made to the exhibits for a more complete description of the matter involved.
The SEC maintains a website
at www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding registrants that file electronically with the SEC. Our registration statement, of which this prospectus constitutes a part, and the exhibits and schedules thereto can be downloaded from the SEC’s website. We file with or furnish to the SEC periodic reports and other information. These reports and other information may be obtained from the SEC’s website as provided above. Our website is located at www.crescentenergyco.com.
We make our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, amendments to those reports and other information filed with or furnished to the SEC available, free of charge, through our website, as soon as reasonably practicable after those reports and other information are electronically filed with or furnished to the SEC. Information on our website or any other website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus and does not constitute a part of this prospectus, and investors should not rely on such information in making
a decision to purchase our Class A Common Stock.
18
INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE
We “incorporate by reference” into this prospectus documents we file with the SEC, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is an important part of this prospectus. Some information contained in this prospectus updates the information incorporated by reference,
and information that we file subsequently with the SEC will automatically update this prospectus. In other words, in the case of a conflict or inconsistency between information set forth in this prospectus and information that we file later and incorporate by reference into this prospectus, you should rely on the information contained in the document that was filed later.
In particular, we incorporate by reference into this prospectus the documents listed below and any filings we make with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the initial filing and prior to effectiveness of the registration statement that contains this prospectus and prior to the time that all the Class A Common Stock offered by this prospectus have been sold by the selling stockholders as described in this prospectus (other
than, in each case, documents or information deemed to have been “furnished” and not “filed” in accordance with SEC rules) or such registration statement has been withdrawn:
•the description of our Class A Common Stock contained in our Registration Statement on Form
8-A, filed on December 7, 2021 including any amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating the description.
Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus will be deemed to be modified or superseded to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed document which also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus modifies or supersedes that statement. Any statement so modified or superseded will not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus.
You may request a copy of the registration statement, the above filings and any future filings
that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus, other than an exhibit to a filing unless that exhibit is specifically incorporated by reference into that filing, at no cost, by writing or calling us at the following address:
51,806,850 Shares of Class A Common Stock Offered by the Selling Stockholders
This prospectus relates to the offer and sale by the selling stockholders of up to an aggregate 51,806,850 shares of Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (“Class A Common Stock”), of Crescent Energy Company (the “Company,”“we,”“our” or “us”), including (a) 572,354 shares of Class A Common Stock currently owned by selling stockholders named herein and (b) 51,234,496 shares of Class A Common Stock that may be issued upon redemption of units (“OpCo Units”) in Crescent Energy OpCo LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“OpCo”), and an equal number of shares of Class B
common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (“Class B Common Stock”).
This prospectus provides you with a general description of the Class A Common Stock offered hereby and the general manner in which the selling stockholders will offer such securities. More specific terms of any securities that the selling stockholders offer may be provided in a prospectus supplement, if required, that describes, among other things, the specific amounts and prices of the securities being offered and the terms of the offering. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus.
We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of shares of Class A Common Stock to be offered by the selling stockholders. However, we will pay the expenses, other than underwriting discounts and commissions, associated with the sale of Class A Common Stock by the selling
stockholders pursuant to this prospectus. Our registration of the Class A Common Stock covered by this prospectus does not mean that the selling stockholders will offer or sell any of the Class A Common Stock. The selling stockholders may sell the Class A Common Stock covered by this prospectus in a number of different ways and at varying prices. We provide more information about how the selling stockholders may sell the Class A Common Stock in the section entitled “Plan of Distribution.”
Our Class A Common Stock is traded on The New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) under the symbol “CRGY”. The closing price for our Class A Common Stock on March 5, 2024, was $11.93 per share, as reported on the NYSE.
Investing
in our Class A Common Stock involves risks. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 6.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of the Class A Common Stock determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Neither we nor the selling stockholders have authorized anyone to provide any information or to make any representations other than those contained or incorporated
by reference in this prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement or any free writing prospectus we have prepared. We and the selling stockholders take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. This prospectus is an offer to sell only the Class A Common Stock offered hereby and only under circumstances and in jurisdictions where it is lawful to do so. The information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus is current only as of its date.
i
ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS
This
prospectus is part of a registration statement on Form S-3 that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) using a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration process, the selling stockholders may, from time to time, offer and sell any combination of the Class A Common Stock described in this prospectus in one or more offerings. This prospectus generally describes Crescent Energy Company and its securities, including its Class A Common Stock. The selling stockholders may use the shelf registration statement to sell up to an aggregate of 51,806,850 shares of Class A Common Stock from time to time through any means described in the section entitled “Plan of Distribution.”
We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of the shares of Class A Common Stock to be offered by the selling stockholders. However, we will pay the expenses, other than underwriting discounts and
commissions, associated with the sale of Class A Common Stock by the selling stockholders pursuant to this prospectus. More specific terms of any shares of the Class A Common Stock that the selling stockholders offer may be provided in a prospectus supplement, if required, that describes, among other things, the specific amounts and prices of the Class A Common Stock being offered and the terms of the offering. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information included in this prospectus. You should read both this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement, together with additional information described below under the captions “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference.”
No offer of the Class A Common Stock will be made in any jurisdiction where the offer is not permitted.
The information in this prospectus contains or incorporates by reference information that includes or is based upon “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the “Exchange Act”). All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included or incorporated by reference herein concerning, among other things, planned capital expenditures, increases in oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids (“NGL”) production, the number of anticipated wells to be drilled or completed after the date hereof, future cash flows and borrowings, pursuit of potential acquisition opportunities, our financial position, business strategy and other plans and objectives for
future operations, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are identified by their use of terms and phrases such as “may,”“expect,”“estimate,”“project,”“plan,”“believe,”“intend,”“achievable,”“anticipate,”“will,”“continue,”“potential,”“should,”“could,” and similar terms and phrases. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, they do involve certain assumptions, risks and uncertainties. Our results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, including, among others:
•commodity price volatility;
•our business strategy;
•our
ability to identify and select possible additional acquisition and disposition opportunities;
•capital requirements and uncertainty of obtaining additional funding on terms acceptable to us;
•the impact of sales hereunder to the trading price of our Class A Common Stock;
•risks and restrictions related to our debt agreements and the level of our indebtedness;
•our reliance on KKR Energy Assets Manager LLC (the “Manager”) as our external manager;
•our hedging strategy and results;
•realized oil, natural gas and NGL prices;
•political
and economic conditions and events in foreign oil, natural gas and NGL producing countries, including embargoes, continued hostilities in the Middle East, including the Israel-Hamas conflict and other sustained military campaigns, the armed conflict in Ukraine and associated economic sanctions on Russia, conditions in South America, Central America and China and acts of terrorism or sabotage;
•general economic conditions, including the impact of inflation and associated changes in monetary policy;
•the impact of central bank policy actions and disruptions in the banking industry and capital markets;
•the severity and duration of public health crises and any resultant impact on governmental actions, commodity prices, supply and demand considerations, and storage capacity;
•timing
and amount of our future production of oil, natural gas and NGLs;
•a decline in oil, natural gas and NGL production, and the impact of general economic conditions on the demand for oil, natural gas and NGLs and the availability of capital;
•unsuccessful drilling and completion (“D&C”) activities and the possibility of resulting write downs;
•our ability to meet our proposed drilling schedule and to successfully drill wells that produce oil, natural gas and NGLs in commercially viable quantities;
2
•shortages of equipment,
supplies, services and qualified personnel and increased costs for such equipment, supplies, services and personnel, including any delays and/or supply chain disruptions due to increased hostilities in the Middle East;
•adverse variations from estimates of reserves, production, prices and expenditure requirements, and our inability to replace our reserves through exploration and development activities;
•incorrect estimates associated with properties we acquire relating to estimated proved reserves, the presence or recoverability of estimated oil, natural gas and NGL reserves and the actual future production rates and associated costs of such acquired properties;
•hazardous, risky drilling operations, including those associated with the employment of horizontal
drilling techniques, and adverse weather and environmental conditions;
•limited control over non-operated properties;
•title defects to our properties and inability to retain our leases;
•our ability to successfully develop our large inventory of undeveloped acreage;
•our ability to retain key members of our senior management and key technical employees;
•risks relating to managing our growth, particularly in connection with the integration of significant acquisitions;
•our ability to successfully execute our growth strategies;
•impact
of environmental, occupational health and safety, and other governmental regulations, and of current or pending legislation that may negatively impact the future production of oil and natural gas or drive the substitution of renewable forms of energy for oil and natural gas;
•federal and state regulations and laws, including the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022;
•our ability to predict and manage the effects of actions of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (“OPEC”) and agreements to set and maintain production levels, including as a result of recent production cuts by OPEC, which may be exacerbated by the increased hostilities in the Middle East;
•information technology failures or cyberattacks;
•changes
in tax laws;
•effects of competition; and
•seasonal weather conditions.
We caution you that these forward-looking statements are subject to all of the risks and uncertainties incident to the development, production, gathering and sale of oil, natural gas and NGLs, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control. These risks include, but are not limited to, commodity price volatility, inflation, lack of availability and cost of drilling and production equipment and services, project construction delays, environmental risks, drilling and other operating risks, lack of availability or capacity of midstream gathering and transportation infrastructure, regulatory changes, the uncertainty inherent in estimating reserves and in projecting future rates of production,
cash flow and access to capital, the timing of development expenditures and the other risks described in “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, incorporated herein by reference.
Reserve engineering is a process of estimating underground accumulations of hydrocarbons that cannot be measured in an exact way. The accuracy of any reserve estimates depends on the quality of available data, the interpretation of such data and price and cost assumptions made by reserve engineers. In addition, the results of
3
drilling, testing and production activities may justify
revisions of estimates that were made previously. If significant, such revisions would change the schedule of any further production and development program. Accordingly, reserve estimates may differ significantly from the quantities of oil, natural gas and NGLs that are ultimately recovered.
Should one or more of the risks or uncertainties described in this prospectus occur, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, our actual results and plans could differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements, expressed or implied, included in this prospectus are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. This cautionary statement should also be considered in connection with any subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements that we or persons acting on our behalf may issue. Except as otherwise required by applicable law, we disclaim any
duty to update any forward-looking statements, all of which are expressly qualified by the statements in this section, to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this prospectus.
We are a differentiated U.S. energy company committed to delivering value for shareholders through a disciplined growth through acquisition strategy and consistent
return of capital. Our portfolio of low-decline, cash-flow oriented assets comprises both mid-cycle unconventional and conventional assets with a long reserve life and deep inventory of high-return development locations in the Eagle Ford and Uinta basins. Our leadership is an experienced team of investment, financial and industry professionals that combines proven investment and operating expertise. For more than a decade, we and our predecessors have executed on a consistent strategy focused on cash flow, risk management and returns. Our Class A Common Stock trades on the NYSE under the symbol “CRGY.”
Company Information
Our principal executive offices are located at 600 Travis Street, Suite 7200, Houston, Texas77002, and our telephone number is (713) 337-4600. Our website is www.crescentenergyco.com. The information found on our website is not part of this prospectus.
5
RISK
FACTORS
An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider those risk factors described under the heading “Risk Factors” in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K (other than, in each case, information furnished rather than filed), which are incorporated by reference herein, and those risk factors that may be included in any applicable prospectus supplement, together with all of the other information included in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and the documents we incorporate by reference, in evaluating an investment in our securities. Our business, prospects, financial condition or operating results could be harmed by any of these risks, as well as other risks not currently
known to us or that we currently consider immaterial. The trading price of our Class A Common Stock could decline due to any of these risks, and, as a result, you may lose all or part of your investment. Before deciding whether to invest in our securities, you should also refer to the other information contained in or incorporated by reference into this prospectus, including the section entitled “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”
6
USE OF PROCEEDS
We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of the Class A common stock offered
under this prospectus. Any proceeds from the sale of Class A Common Stock under this prospectus will be received by the selling stockholders. However, pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, dated December 7, 2021, by and among the Company and each of the Holders set forth on the signature pages thereto (the “Registration Rights Agreement”), we will pay the expenses, other than underwriting discounts and commissions, associated with the sale of Class A Common Stock by the selling stockholders pursuant to this prospectus.
7
REDEMPTION
OF OPCO UNITS AND CLASS B COMMON STOCK
Pursuant to the Amended & Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement of OpCo (the “OpCo LLC Agreement”), each holder of OpCo Units (an “OpCo Unit Holder”) holds one share of our Class B Common Stock for each OpCo Unit held by such OpCo Unit Holder. Pursuant to the OpCo LLC Agreement, each OpCo Unit Holder, including certain of the selling stockholders named in this prospectus, has the right to redeem its OpCo Units, together with an equal number of shares of Class B Common Stock, for an equivalent number of shares of Class A Common Stock (subject to customary conversion rate adjustments for stock splits, stock dividends and reclassification and similar transactions) or, if either we or OpCo so elect, cash. Upon the redemption of such OpCo Units for shares of Class A Common Stock, a corresponding number of shares of Class B Common Stock will be cancelled.
As
OpCo Unit Holders exchange their OpCo Units and Class B Common Stock for Class A Common Stock, our relative ownership interest in OpCo will correspondingly increase.
8
SELLING STOCKHOLDERS
Beneficial Ownership
Up to 51,806,850 shares of our Class A Common Stock may be offered for resale by the selling stockholders under this prospectus, including (i) 572,354 shares of Class A Common Stock owned by the selling stockholders named herein and (ii) 51,234,496 shares of Class A Common Stock that may be issued upon exchange of OpCo Units and an equal number of shares
of Class B Common Stock.
The following table sets forth the number of shares of Class A Common Stock being offered by the selling stockholders, including their donees, pledgees, transferees or other successors-in-interest, subject to the transfer restrictions described in this prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein, based on the assumptions that: (i) all shares registered for sale by this registration statement will be sold by or on behalf of the selling stockholders; and (ii) no other shares of Class A Common Stock will be acquired prior to completion of this offering by the selling stockholders. The following table also sets forth the number of shares known to us, based upon written representations by the selling stockholders, to be beneficially owned by the selling stockholders as of December 31, 2023.
The selling stockholders are not making any representation that any shares covered by this prospectus will be offered for sale. The selling stockholders reserve the right to accept or reject, in whole or in part, any proposed sale of the shares.
Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the rules of the SEC and includes voting or investment power with respect to shares of Class A Common Stock and the right to acquire such voting or investment power within 60 days through the exercise of any option, warrant or other right. Unless otherwise indicated below, to our knowledge, all persons named in the table have sole voting and investment power with respect to the shares of Class A Common Stock beneficially owned by them. Except as described in the footnotes to the following table and under “Material Relationships with Selling Stockholders” below, none of the persons named in the table has held any position or
office or had any other material relationship with us or our affiliates during the three years prior to the date of this prospectus. The inclusion of any shares of Class A Common Stock in this table does not constitute an admission of beneficial ownership for the person named below.
Holders of shares of our Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock vote together as a single class. Each share of Class B Common Stock entitles the holder thereof to one vote for each OpCo Unit held by such holder. Accordingly, the holders of our Class B Common Stock collectively have a number of votes equal to the number of OpCo Units that they hold. The percentages in the table are based on the sum of 91,608,800 shares of Class A Common Stock and 88,048,124 shares of Class B Common Stock outstanding as of December 31, 2023.
Shares
Beneficially Owned Before the Offering
Shares of Class A Common Stock that
may be sold hereby(2) (3)
Shares Beneficially Owned After the Offering
Selling stockholders:
Class A CommonStock
Class B Common Stock
Combined Voting Power(1)
Class
A Common Stock
Class B Common Stock
Combined Voting Power(1)
Independence Energy Aggregator L.P. (4)
—
51,234,496
28.5
%
51,234,496
—
—
—
KKR
Upstream Associates LLC (5)
572,354
51,234,496
28.8
%
572,354
—
—
—
__________________
(1)Represents
percentage of voting power of our Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock voting together as a single class. Each share of Class B Common Stock entitles the holder thereof to one vote for each OpCo Unit held by such holder. Accordingly, the holders of our Class B Common Stock collectively have a number of votes in the Company equal to the number of OpCo Units that they hold.
(2)Includes shares of our Class B Common Stock owned by the selling stockholders that are, together with an equivalent number of OpCo Units, exchangeable at any time and from time to time for shares of Class A Common Stock on a one-for-one basis.
(3)Represents the number of shares being registered on behalf of the selling stockholder pursuant to this registration statement,
which may be less than the total number of shares held by the selling stockholder.
(4)Independence Energy Aggregator L.P. (“Aggregator”) is the direct beneficial owner of the securities reported and is the entity through which certain unaffiliated limited partners and affiliated entities hold their interests in the Company and OpCo. Independence Energy Aggregator GP LLC (“Aggregator GP”) is the general partner of Aggregator. KKR Upstream Associates LLC is the sole member of Aggregator GP. KKR Group Assets Holdings III L.P. and KKR Financial Holdings LLC are the controlling members of KKR Upstream Associates LLC. KKR Group Assets III GP LLC is the general partner of KKR Group Assets Holdings III L.P. KKR Group Partnership
9
L.P.
is the sole member of each of KKR Group Assets III GP LLC and KKR Financial Holdings LLC. KKR Group Holdings Corp. is the general partner of KKR Group Partnership L.P. KKR & Co. Inc. is the sole stockholder of KKR Group Holdings Corp. KKR Management LLP is the Series I preferred stockholder of KKR & Co. Inc. Henry R. Kravis and George R. Roberts are the founding partners of KKR Management LLP. Each of such beneficial owners disclaims beneficial ownership of such securities in excess of their pecuniary interest therein. Pursuant to our Amended & Restated Certificate of Incorporation, Aggregator, as the sole owner of our Non-Economic Series I Preferred Stock (as defined below) has the exclusive right to appoint our Board of Directors and holds approval rights over certain other actions prior to such actions being taken by us. See “Description of Capital Stock—Non-Economic
Series I Preferred Stock” for additional information.
(5)KKR Upstream Associates LLC is the direct beneficial owner of the 572,354 shares of Class A Common Stock reported and may be deemed to beneficially own the shares of Class B Common Stock held of record by Aggregator. KKR Group Assets Holdings III L.P. and KKR Financial Holdings LLC are the controlling members of KKR Upstream Associates LLC. KKR Group Assets III GP LLC is the general partner of KKR Group Assets Holdings III L.P. KKR Group Partnership L.P. is the sole member of each of KKR Group Assets III GP LLC and KKR Financial Holdings LLC. KKR Group Holdings Corp. is the general partner of KKR Group Partnership L.P. KKR & Co. Inc. is the sole stockholder of KKR Group Holdings Corp. KKR Management LLP is the Series I preferred stockholder of KKR & Co. Inc. Henry R. Kravis and George R. Roberts are the founding partners of KKR Management
LLP. Each of such beneficial owners disclaims beneficial ownership of such securities in excess of their pecuniary interest therein.
Material Relationships with Selling Stockholders
Our material relationships with certain of the selling stockholders and their affiliates are set forth in “Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence” of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, which is incorporated herein by reference.
Any applicable prospectus supplement, amendment or other permissible disclosure document will also disclose whether any of the selling stockholders has held any position or office with, has been employed by or otherwise has had a material relationship with us during
the three years prior to the date of the prospectus supplement.
10
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
The shares of Class A Common Stock are being registered to permit the selling stockholders to offer and sell such shares from time to time after the date of this prospectus. These dispositions may be at fixed prices, at prevailing market prices at the time of sale, at prices related to the prevailing market price, at varying prices determined at the time of sale, or at negotiated prices. We will not receive any of the proceeds from the offering by the selling stockholders of the shares of Class A Common Stock offered
under this prospectus. We will bear the fees and expenses incurred by us in connection with our obligation to register the shares of Class A Common Stock pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement. If the shares are sold through underwriters or broker-dealers, we will not be responsible for underwriting discounts or commissions or agents’ commissions.
The selling stockholders may use any one or more of the following methods when disposing of the shares of Class A Common Stock pursuant to this prospectus or interests therein:
•on the NYSE or any national securities exchange or quotation service on which the Class A Common Stock may be listed or quoted at the time of sale;
•ordinary brokerage transactions
and transactions in which the broker-dealer solicits purchasers;
•block trades in which the broker-dealer will attempt to sell the shares of Class A Common Stock as agent, but may position and resell a portion of the block as principal to facilitate the transaction;
•purchases by a broker-dealer as principal and resale by the broker-dealer for its account;
•an exchange distribution in accordance with the rules of the applicable exchange;
•privately negotiated transactions;
•in underwritten transactions;
•distributions to members, general partners and limited partners;
•short
sales effected after the date the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part becomes effective;
•through the writing or settlement of options or other hedging transactions, whether through an options exchange or otherwise;
•broker-dealers may agree with the selling stockholders to sell a specified number of such shares of Class A Common Stock at a stipulated price per security; and
•a combination of any such methods of sale or by any other legally available means.
In addition, any shares of Class A Common Stock that qualify for sale pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act may be sold under Rule 144 rather than pursuant to this prospectus.
The selling stockholders
may, from time to time, pledge or grant a security interest in some or all of the shares of Class A Common Stock owned by them and, if the selling stockholders default in the performance of their secured obligations, the pledgees or secured parties may offer and sell the shares, from time to time, under this prospectus, or under an amendment or supplement to this prospectus amending the list of the selling stockholders to include the pledgee, transferee or other successors in interest as the selling stockholders under this prospectus. In connection with the sale of our Class A Common Stock or interests therein, the selling stockholders may enter into hedging transactions with broker-dealers or other financial institutions, which may in turn engage in short sales of our Class A Common Stock in the course of hedging the positions they assume.
The selling stockholders may also sell our Class A Common Stock short and deliver these
securities to close out their short positions, or loan or pledge our Class A Common Stock to broker-dealers that in turn may sell these securities. The selling stockholders may also enter into option or other transactions with broker-dealers or other
11
financial institutions or one or more derivative securities that require the delivery to such broker-dealer or other financial institution of shares offered by this prospectus, which shares such broker-dealer or other financial institution may resell pursuant to this prospectus (as supplemented or amended to reflect such transaction). The selling stockholders also may transfer the shares of Class A Common Stock in other circumstances, in which case the transferees, pledgees or other successors in interest will be
the selling stockholders for purposes of this prospectus. The number of shares of our Class A Common Stock beneficially owned by the selling stockholders will decrease as and when they transfer their securities or default in performing obligations secured by such shares. The plan of distribution for the shares of our Class A Common Stock offered and sold under this prospectus will otherwise remain unchanged, except that the transferees, distributees, pledgees, affiliates, other secured parties or other successors in interest will be selling stockholders for purposes of this prospectus.
The aggregate proceeds to the selling stockholders from the sale of the shares of Class A Common Stock will be the purchase price of the Class A Common Stock less discounts and commissions, if any.
In offering the Class A Common Stock covered by this prospectus, the selling stockholders and any broker-dealers
who execute sales for the selling stockholders may be deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act in connection with such sales. Any profits realized by the selling stockholders and the compensation of any broker-dealer may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions. If the selling stockholders are “underwriters” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act, the selling stockholders will be subject to the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act and may be subject to certain statutory and regulatory liabilities, including liabilities imposed pursuant to Sections 11, 12 and 17 of the Securities Act and Rule 10b-5 under the Exchange Act.
To the extent required, the shares of our Class A Common Stock to be sold, the names of the selling stockholders, the respective purchase prices and public offering prices, the names of any agents,
dealer or underwriter, any applicable commissions or discounts with respect to a particular offer will be set forth in an accompanying prospectus supplement or, if appropriate, a post-effective amendment to the registration statement that includes this prospectus.
Under the securities laws of some states, if applicable, the shares of Class A Common Stock registered hereby may be sold in those states only through registered or licensed brokers or dealers. In addition, in some states such shares of Class A Common Stock may not be sold unless they have been registered or qualified for sale or an exemption from registration or qualification requirements is available and is complied with.
The selling stockholders are subject to the applicable provisions of the Exchange Act, and the rules and regulations under the Exchange Act, including Regulation M. This regulation may limit the timing
of purchases and sales of any of the shares of Class A Common Stock offered in this prospectus by the selling stockholders. The anti-manipulation rules under the Exchange Act may apply to sales of securities in the market and to the activities of the selling stockholders and their affiliates. Furthermore, Regulation M may restrict the ability of any person engaged in the distribution of the shares to engage in market-making activities for the particular securities being distributed for a period of up to five business days before the distribution. The restrictions may affect the marketability of our Class A Common Stock and the ability of any person or entity to engage in market-making activities for the Class A Common Stock.
We cannot assure you that the selling stockholders will sell all or any portion of the Class A Common Stock registered pursuant to this registration statement. The selling stockholders may have agreements
with underwriters, dealers and agents to indemnify them against certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, and to reimburse them for certain expenses.
12
DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK
The following summary of certain material provisions of Crescent Energy Company’s (“we,”“us” and “our”) capital stock does not purport to be complete and is subject to and qualified by reference to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (our “Amended and Restated
Charter”), and our amended and restated bylaws (our “Amended and Restated Bylaws”). The summary below is also qualified by reference to the provisions of the DGCL.
General
Our authorized capital stock consists of 2,000,000,000 shares, divided into the following classes:
•1,000,000,000 shares of Class A Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share (our “Class A Common Stock”);
•500,000,000 shares of Class B Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share (our “Class B Common Stock); and
•500,000,000
shares of preferred stock, of which (y) 1,000 shares are Non-Economic Series I Preferred Stock (our “Non-Economic Series I Preferred Stock”) and (z) the remaining 499,999,000 shares may be designated from time to time in accordance with our Amended and Restated Charter (together, with the Non-Economic Series I Preferred Stock, our “Preferred Stock”).
Class A Common Stock
Voting Rights. Prior to the Trigger Date (as defined in the section herein titled “Non-Economic Series I Preferred Stock”), holders of our Class A Common Stock will not be entitled to elect directors to our Board of Directors. On and after the Trigger Date (as defined below), the holders of our Class A Common Stock will be entitled to elect directors but will not have cumulative voting rights in the election of directors. Holders of our Class A Common Stock will otherwise
be entitled to one vote per share held of record on all matters to be voted upon by the stockholders. Holders of our Class A Common Stock and our Class B Common Stock will vote together as a single class on all matters presented to stockholders for their vote or approval, except with respect to the amendment of certain provisions of our Amended and Restated Charter that would alter or change the powers, preferences or special rights of our Non-Economic Series I Preferred Stock or our Class B Common Stock so as to affect them adversely, which amendments must be by a majority of the votes entitled to be cast by the holders of the class of stock affected by the amendment, voting as a separate class, or as otherwise required by applicable law.
Dividend Rights. Holders of our Class A Common Stock will be entitled to ratably receive dividends when and if declared by our Board of Directors out of funds legally
available for that purpose, subject to any statutory or contractual restrictions on the payment of dividends and to any prior rights and preferences that may be applicable to any outstanding Preferred Stock.
Liquidation Rights. Upon our liquidation, dissolution, distribution of assets or other winding up, the holders of our Class A Common Stock will be entitled to receive ratably the assets available for distribution to the stockholders after payment of liabilities and the liquidation preference of any of outstanding shares of our Preferred Stock.
Other Matters. Our Class A Common Stock will have no preemptive or conversion rights and there are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to our Class A Common Stock.
Class B Common Stock
Voting
Rights. Prior to the Trigger Date, holders of our Class B Common Stock will not be entitled to elect directors to our Board of Directors. On and after the Trigger Date, the holders of our Class B Common Stock will be entitled to elect directors but will not have cumulative voting rights in the election of directors. Holders of our Class B Common Stock will otherwise be entitled to one vote per share held of record on all matters to be voted upon by the stockholders. Holders of our Class A Common Stock and our Class B Common Stock will vote together as a single class on all matters presented to stockholders for their vote or approval, except with respect to the
13
amendment of certain provisions of our Amended and Restated Charter that would
alter or change the powers, preferences or special rights of our Non-Economic Series I Preferred Stock or our Class B Common Stock so as to affect them adversely, which amendments must be by a majority of the votes entitled to be cast by the holders of the class of stock affected by the amendment, voting as a separate class, or as otherwise required by applicable law.
Dividend and Liquidation Rights. Holders of our Class B Common Stock will not have any right to receive dividends, unless the dividend consists of shares of our Class B Common Stock or of rights, options, warrants or other securities convertible or exercisable into or exchangeable for our Class B Common Stock paid proportionally with respect to each outstanding share of our Class B Common Stock and a dividend consisting of shares of our Class A Common Stock or of rights, options, warrants or other securities convertible or exercisable into
or exchangeable for our Class A Common Stock on the same terms as simultaneously paid to the holders of our Class A Common Stock. Holders of our Class B Common Stock will not have any right to receive a distribution upon liquidation or winding up.
Preferred Stock
Our Board of Directors is authorized, subject to limitations prescribed by Delaware law, to issue our Preferred Stock in one or more series, to establish from time to time the number of shares to be included in each series, and to fix the designation, powers (including voting powers), preferences and rights of the shares of each series and any of its qualifications, limitations or restrictions, in each case without further vote or action by our stockholders (except as may be required by the terms of any preferred stock then outstanding). Our Board of Directors may (except where otherwise provided in the applicable preferred
stock designation) increase (but not above the total number of authorized shares of the class) or decrease (but not below the number of shares outstanding) the number of shares of any series of our Preferred Stock, without any further vote or action by our stockholders. Our Board of Directors may authorize the issuance of our Preferred Stock with voting or conversion rights that could adversely affect the proportion of voting power held by, or other relative rights of, the holders of our Class A Common Stock or our Class B Common Stock.
Non-Economic Series I Preferred Stock
Dividends and Liquidation Rights. Except for any distribution required by the DGCL to be made upon a dissolution event, the holder of the Non-Economic Series I Preferred Stock (the “Preferred Stockholder”) does not have any rights to receive dividends. Upon any voluntary or involuntary
liquidation, dissolution or winding up of us, the holder of our Non-Economic Series I Preferred Stock will be entitled to a payment equal to $0.01 per share of our Non-Economic Series I Preferred Stock.
Voting Rights. The holder of our Non-Economic Series I Preferred Stock are entitled to one vote per share on any matter that is submitted to a vote of stockholders. In addition, the holder of our Non-Economic Series I Preferred Stock will have the exclusive right to elect the members of our Board of Directors prior to the date (the “Trigger Date”) following the earlier of (i) the first date on which the Preferred Stockholder and its affiliates no longer collectively beneficially own the Minimum Retained Ownership (as defined in our Amended and Restated Charter) and (ii) the date the Preferred Stockholder elects, by delivering written notice to us, to cause the Trigger Date to occur. Upon occurrence
of the Trigger Date, all rights, powers, preferences and privileges associated with shares of our Non-Economic Series I Preferred Stock and associated with being the Preferred Stockholder in its capacity as the owner of the Non-Economic Series I Preferred Stock will automatically terminate in all respects and all shares of our Non-Economic Series I Preferred Stock will be automatically cancelled and forfeited for no consideration.
Actions Requiring Preferred Stockholder Approval. Prior to the Trigger Date, certain actions will require the prior approval of the Preferred Stockholder, including, without limitation:
•entry into a debt financing arrangement in an amount in excess of 10% of our then existing long-term indebtedness (other than with respect to intercompany debt financing arrangements);
14
•issuances
of securities that would (i) represent at least 5% of any class of equity securities or (ii) have designations, preferences, rights priorities or powers that are more favorable than our Class A Common Stock or Class B Common Stock;
•adoption of a stockholder rights plan;
•amendment of our Amended and Restated Charter and certain provisions of our Amended and Restated Bylaws relating to our Board of Directors, our officers, quorum, adjournment and the conduct of stockholder meetings, and provisions related to stock certificates, registrations of transfers, maintenance of books and records and amendments of our Amended and Restated Bylaws;
•the
appointment or removal of our Chief Executive Officer or a Co-Chief Executive Officer, provided that, a majority of our directors that are independent for purposes of the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors under the rules and regulations of The New York Stock Exchange, the Exchange Act and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended (the “Independent Directors”) may remove a Chief Executive Officer without the prior approval of the Preferred Stockholder solely for Cause (as defined in our Amended and Restated Charter);
•the termination of the employment of any of our officers without Cause;
•the merger, sale or other dispositions of all or substantially all of the assets, taken as a whole, of us and our subsidiaries; and
•the
liquidation or dissolution of us.
Transferability. The holder of our Non-Economic Series I Preferred Stock may transfer all or any part of our Non-Economic Series I Preferred Stock held by it without first obtaining approval of any other stockholder so long as (i) it obtains prior written approval of a majority of the Independent Directors of our Board of Directors and (ii) the transferee assumes the rights and duties of our Non-Economic Series I Preferred Stock under our Amended and Restated Charter and agrees to be bound by the provisions of our Amended and Restated Charter.
Corporate Opportunities
Delaware law permits corporations to adopt provisions renouncing any interest or expectancy in certain opportunities that are presented to the corporation or its officers, directors or stockholders. To the fullest extent
permitted by law, each of our directors and officers will have the right to engage in businesses of every type and description and other activities for profit and to engage in and possess an interest in other business ventures of any and every type or description, including business interests and activities in direct competition with the business and activities of us, and we will waive and renounce any interest or expectancy therein. In addition, the doctrine of corporate opportunity will not apply with respect to us, any of our officers or directors, the Preferred Stockholder or any of their respective affiliates in circumstances where the application of any such doctrine would conflict with any fiduciary duties or contractual obligations they may have, and we will renounce any expectancy that such persons will offer any such corporate opportunity of which he, she or it may become aware to us. Notwithstanding the foregoing, we will not renounce our interest in any corporate
opportunity offered to any of our directors or officers if such opportunity is expressly offered in writing to such person solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of us and is one that such director or officer has no duty (contractual or fiduciary) to offer to KKR & Co., Inc. or its affiliates.
Anti-Takeover Provisions
Our Amended and Restated Charter and our Amended and Restated Bylaws and the DGCL contain provisions that are intended to enhance the likelihood of continuity and stability in the composition of our Board of Directors and to discourage certain types of transactions that may involve an actual or threatened acquisition of us. These provisions are intended to avoid costly takeover battles, reduce our vulnerability to a hostile change in control or other unsolicited
acquisition proposal, and enhance the ability of our Board of Directors to maximize stockholder value in connection with any unsolicited offer to acquire us. However, these provisions may have the effect of
15
delaying, deterring or preventing a merger or acquisition of us by means of a tender offer, a proxy contest or other takeover attempt that a stockholder might consider in its best interest, including attempts that might result in a premium over the prevailing market price for the shares of our Class A Common Stock held by stockholders. The following is a summary of certain provisions that may be deemed to have such effects:
Election and Removal of Directors
Prior to the
Trigger Date, the Preferred Stockholder has the sole authority to elect directors. Prior to the Trigger Date, the Preferred Stockholder has the sole authority to remove and replace any director, with or without cause, at any time, subject to limited exceptions during the Protected Periods (as defined in the Amended and Restated Charter). In addition, our Amended and Restated Charter also provides that, any newly created directorship on our Board of Directors that results from an increase in the number of directors and any vacancies on our Board of Directors will be filled by the Preferred Stockholder.
Actions Requiring Preferred Stockholder Approval
Prior to the Trigger Date, certain actions will require the prior approval of the Preferred Stockholder. See the section titled “Non-Economic Series I Preferred Stock” above.
Amendments
to our Amended and Restated Charter
Except as otherwise expressly provided by applicable law, only the vote of the Preferred Stockholder, together with the approval of our Board of Directors, shall be required in order to amend our Amended and Restated Charter and certain provisions of our Amended and Restated Bylaws. See the section titled “Non-Economic Series I Preferred Stock” above.
Special Stockholder Meetings
Our Amended and Restated Charter provides that special meetings of the holders of our Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock may be called at any time by our Board of Directors, the Preferred Stockholder or, prior to the Trigger Date, a majority of our Independent Directors.
Stockholder
Action by Written Consent
Our Amended and Restated Charter provides that, if consented to by our Board of Directors and the Preferred Stockholder in writing, any action required to be taken at any annual or special meeting of the stockholders may be taken without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote if a consent or consents in writing, setting forth the action so taken, is signed by the holders of outstanding Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares of our stock entitled to vote thereon were present and voted and such consent or consents are delivered in accordance with Section 228 of the DGCL.
Requirements for Advance Notification of Stockholder Proposals
Our Amended and Restated
Bylaws will establish advance notice procedures with respect to stockholder proposals relating to the limited matters on which our Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock may be entitled to vote. Generally, to be timely, a stockholder’s notice must be received at our principal executive offices not less than 90 days or more than 120 days prior to the first anniversary date of the immediately preceding annual meeting of stockholders. Our Amended and Restated Bylaws will also specify requirements as to the form and content of a stockholder’s notice. Our Amended and Restated Bylaws will allow the chairman of the meeting at a meeting of the stockholders to adopt rules and regulations for the conduct
of meetings, which may have the effect of precluding the conduct of certain business at a meeting if the rules and regulations are not followed. These provisions may deter, delay or discourage a potential acquirer from attempting to influence or obtain control of us.
16
Merger, Sale or Other Disposition of Assets
Our Amended and Restated Charter provides that we may not sell, exchange, lease or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets in a single transaction or a series of related transactions, or consummate any merger, sale or other similar combination without the prior approval of the Preferred Stockholder.
Choice of Forum
Unless
we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, (a) the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (or, solely to the extent that the Court of Chancery lacks subject matter jurisdiction, the federal district court located in the State of Delaware) is the exclusive forum for resolving (i) any derivative action, suit or proceeding brought on behalf of the corporation, (ii) any action, suit or proceeding asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any current or former director, officer, employee or stockholder of the corporation to the corporation or the corporation’s stockholders, (iii) any action, suit or proceeding asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL, our Amended and Restated Charter or our Amended and Restated Bylaws or as to which the DGCL confers jurisdiction on the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or (iv) any
action, suit or proceeding asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine, and (b) the federal district courts of the United States shall be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any action, suit or proceeding asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act, in each case except as otherwise provided in our Amended and Restated Charter for any series of our Preferred Stock.
Business Combinations
We have elected to opt out of Section 203 of the DGCL, which provides that an “interested stockholder” (a person other than the corporation or any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary who, together with affiliates and associates, owns, or, if such person is an affiliate or associate of the corporation, within three years did own, 15% or more of the outstanding voting stock of a corporation) may not engage in “business combinations” (which
is broadly defined to include a number of transactions, such as mergers, consolidations, asset sales and other transactions in which an interested stockholder receives or could receive a financial benefit on other than a pro rata basis with other stockholders) with the corporation for a period of three years after the date on which the person became an interested stockholder without certain statutorily mandated approvals.
Limitation of Liability and Indemnification Matters
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation limits the liability of our directors for monetary damages for breach of their fiduciary duty as directors, except for liability that cannot be eliminated under the DGCL. Delaware law provides that directors of a company will not be personally liable for monetary damages
for breach of their fiduciary duty as directors, except for liabilities:
•for any breach of their duty of loyalty to us or our stockholders;
•for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law;
•for unlawful payment of dividend or unlawful stock repurchase or redemption, as provided under Section 174 of the DGCL; or
•for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit.
Any amendment, repeal or modification of these provisions will be prospective only and would not affect any limitation on liability of a director for acts or omissions that occurred prior to any such amendment,
repeal or modification. If the DGCL is amended to provide for further limitations on the personal liability of directors or officers of corporations, then the personal liability of our directors and officers will be further limited to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL.
We have entered into indemnification agreements with each of our current and future directors and officers. These agreements require us to indemnify these individuals to the fullest extent permitted under Delaware law
17
against liability that may arise by reason of their service to us, and to advance expenses incurred as a result of any proceeding against them as to which they could be indemnified. We believe that the limitation of liability provision
that is in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and the indemnification agreements will facilitate our ability to continue to attract and retain qualified individuals to serve as directors and officers.
Transfer Agent
The transfer agent for our Class A Common Stock is Equiniti Trust Company, LLC. We have agreed to indemnify Equiniti Trust Company, LLC in its role as transfer agent, its agents and each of its stockholders, directors, officers and employees against all liabilities, including judgments, costs and reasonable counsel fees that may arise out of acts performed or omitted for its activities in that capacity, except for any liability due to any gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith of the indemnified person or entity.
18
LEGAL
MATTERS
Vinson & Elkins, L.L.P., Houston, Texas, will pass upon the validity of the Class A Common Stock covered by this prospectus. Any underwriters or agents will be advised about other issues relating to the offering by counsel to be named in the applicable prospectus supplement.
EXPERTS
The financial statements of Crescent Energy Company as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, and for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2023, incorporated by reference in this prospectus, and the effectiveness of Crescent
Energy Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023, have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their reports. Such financial statements are incorporated by reference in reliance upon the reports of such firm given their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
The statement of revenues and direct operating expenses for the Oil and Natural Gas Assets of SN EF Maverick, LLC (“SN Maverick”) and Mesquite Comanche Holdings, LLC (“MCOM”) (the Statement), for the year ended December 31, 2022, have been incorporated by reference herein in reliance upon the report of KPMG LLP, independent registered public accounting
firm, incorporated by reference herein, and upon the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing. The audit report covering the Statement contains an emphasis of matter paragraph that states the accompanying Statements were prepared for the purpose of complying with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and are not intended to be a complete presentation of the operations of the properties and an other matters paragraph describing limited procedures performed on the accompanying supplemental information related to oil and natural gas producing activities.
Estimates of our oil and natural gas reserves and related future net cash flows and present values thereof related to our properties as of December 31, 2023 included and incorporated
by reference herein were based primarily on the proved reserves estimates prepared by Ryder Scott, our independent reserve engineer, a summary letter of which is incorporated by reference into this prospectus. We have incorporated these estimates in reliance on the authority of such firm as stated in its report.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-3 (including the exhibits, schedules and amendments thereto) under the Securities Act, with respect to the shares of our Class A Common Stock offered hereby. This prospectus does not contain all of the information set forth in the registration statement and the exhibits and schedules thereto. For further
information with respect to us and the Class A Common Stock offered hereby, we refer you to the registration statement and the exhibits and schedules filed therewith. Statements contained in this prospectus as to the contents of any contract, agreement or any other document are summaries of the material terms of such contract, agreement or other document and are not necessarily complete. With respect to each of these contracts, agreements or other documents filed as an exhibit to the registration statement, reference is made to the exhibits for a more complete description of the matter involved.
The SEC maintains a website
at www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding registrants that file electronically with the SEC. Our registration statement, of which this prospectus constitutes a part, and the exhibits and schedules thereto can be downloaded from the SEC’s website. We file with or furnish to the SEC periodic reports and other information. These reports and other information may be obtained from the SEC’s website as provided above. Our website is located at www.crescentenergyco.com.
We make our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, amendments to those reports and other information filed with or furnished to the SEC available, free of charge, through our website, as soon as reasonably practicable after those reports and other information are electronically filed with or furnished to the SEC. Information on our website or any other website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus and does not constitute a part of this prospectus, and investors should not rely on such information in making
a decision to purchase our Class A Common Stock.
19
INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE
We “incorporate by reference” into this prospectus documents we file with the SEC, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is an important part of this prospectus. Some information contained in this prospectus updates the information incorporated by reference,
and information that we file subsequently with the SEC will automatically update this prospectus. In other words, in the case of a conflict or inconsistency between information set forth in this prospectus and information that we file later and incorporate by reference into this prospectus, you should rely on the information contained in the document that was filed later.
In particular, we incorporate by reference into this prospectus the documents listed below and any filings we make with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the initial filing and prior to effectiveness of the registration statement that contains this prospectus and prior to the time that all the Class A Common Stock offered by this prospectus have been sold by the selling stockholders as described in this prospectus (other
than, in each case, documents or information deemed to have been “furnished” and not “filed” in accordance with SEC rules) or such registration statement has been withdrawn:
•the description of our Class A Common Stock contained in our Registration Statement on Form 8-A, filed on December 7, 2021 including any amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating the description.
Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus will be deemed to be modified or superseded to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed document which also is or is deemed to be incorporated
by reference in this prospectus modifies or supersedes that statement. Any statement so modified or superseded will not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus.
You may request a copy of the registration statement, the above filings and any future filings that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus, other than an exhibit to a filing unless that exhibit is specifically incorporated by reference into that filing, at no cost, by writing or calling us at the following address:
Item 14. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.
The following table sets forth the fees and expenses, other than underwriting discounts and commissions, payable by us in connection with the resale of the Class A Common Stock being registered hereby.
SEC registration fee
$
85,184
FINRA filing
fee
$
225,500
Accounting fees and expenses
*
Legal fees and expenses
*
Printing and engraving expenses
*
Transfer agent and registrar fee
*
Miscellaneous
*
Total
$ *
__________________
* Estimates
not presently known.
We will bear all costs, expenses and fees in connection with the registration of the Class A Common Stock, including with regard to compliance with state securities or “blue sky” laws. The selling stockholders, however, will bear all commissions and discounts, if any, attributable to their sale of the Class A Common Stock.
Item 15. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
Section 145 of the DGCL provides that a corporation may indemnify any person who was or is a party, or is threatened to be made a party, to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action
by or in the right of the corporation by reason of the fact that he or she is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise), against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him or her in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if he or she acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful. A similar standard is applicable in the case of derivative actions (i.e., actions by or in the right of the corporation), except that indemnification extends only to expenses, including attorneys’ fees,
incurred in connection with the defense or settlement of such action and the statute requires court approval before there can be any indemnification where the person seeking indemnification has been found liable to the corporation.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation contains provisions that limit the liability of our directors and officers for monetary damages to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL. Consequently, our directors will not be personally liable to us or our stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except liability:
•for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to our company or our stockholders;
•for
any act or omission not in good faith or that involve intentional misconduct or knowing violation of law;
•under Section 174 of the DGCL regarding unlawful dividends and stock purchases; or
•for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit.
II-1
Any amendment to, or repeal of, these provisions will not eliminate or reduce the effect of these provisions in respect of any act, omission or claim that occurred or arose prior to that amendment or repeal. If the DGCL is amended to provide for further limitations on the personal liability of directors or officers of corporations, then the personal liability
of our directors and officers will be further limited to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL.
In addition, we have entered into indemnification agreements with our current directors and officers containing provisions that are in some respects broader than the specific indemnification provisions contained in the DGCL. These agreements require us to indemnify these individuals to the fullest extent permitted under Delaware law against liability that may arise by reason of their service to us, and to advance expenses incurred as a result of any proceeding against them as to which they could be indemnified. We also intend to enter into indemnification agreements with our future directors and officers.
We maintain liability insurance policies that indemnify our directors and officers against various liabilities, including certain liabilities under arising under the Securities Act
and the Exchange Act, that may be incurred by them in their capacity as such.
The proposed form of Underwriting Agreement to be filed as Exhibit 1.1 to this registration statement provides for indemnification by the underwriters of us, our directors and officers and the selling stockholders, and by us and the selling stockholders of the underwriters, for certain liabilities arising under the Securities Act or otherwise in connection with this offering.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling us pursuant to the foregoing provisions, we have been informed that in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.
†Management contract or compensatory plan or agreement.
Item 17. Undertakings.
A.The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:
(1)To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:
(i)to include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities
Act;
(ii)to reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement;
and
(iii)to include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;
II-4
provided, however, that paragraphs (A)(l)(i), (A)(l)(ii) and (A)(1)(iii) above do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the SEC by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference
in the registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act that is part of the registration statement.
(2)That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(3)To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.
(4)That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act to any purchaser:
(i)Each
prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) of the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and
(ii)Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B of the Securities Act relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) of the Securities Act for the purpose of providing the information required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract
of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B of the Securities Act, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof, provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract
of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date.
(5)That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to
offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:
(i)Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424 of the Securities Act;
(ii)Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;
(iii)The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and
(iv)Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.
II-5
B.The
undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
C.Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the
registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions described under Item 15, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the
registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by the registrant is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
II-6
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the registrant has duly caused
this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Houston, State of Texas, on March 6, 2024.
KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints Bo Shi and Todd Falk his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, each with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her
name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments, including post-effective amendments, to this registration statement, and any registration statement relating to the offering covered by this registration statement and filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, and to file the same, with exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done, as fully for all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that each of said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or his or her substitute or substitutes may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this
registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities indicated below on March 6, 2024.
