Prairie Operating Co S-3, filed Oct 18, 2024
Prairie Operating Co. (PROP)
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 18, 2024
Registration No. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM S-3
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
Under
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
| Prairie Operating Co. |
| (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) |
| Delaware | 1311 | 98-0357690 | ||
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(Primary Standard Industrial Classification Code Number) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) | ||
55 Waugh Drive, Suite 400 Houston, TX 77007 (713) 424-4247 |
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(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)
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Edward Kovalik Chief Executive Officer 55 Waugh Drive, Suite 400 Houston, Texas 77007 (713) 424-4247 |
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(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
Copies to:
T. Mark Kelly Joanna D. Enns Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. 845 Texas Avenue, Suite 4700 Houston, TX 77002 (713) 758-2222 |
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time after this registration statement becomes effective.
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 Exchange Act.
| 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. ☐
The Registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
EXPLANATORY NOTE
This registration statements contains three prospectuses:
| ● | a base prospectus which covers the offering, issuance and sale by us of up to $150,000,000 in the aggregate of our shares of common stock, par value $0.01, preferred stock, warrants, units and rights from time to time in one or more offerings; |
| ● | a resale prospectus which covers the resale by certain selling stockholders of an aggregate of 2,968,592 shares of common stock of Prairie Operating Co. (“the Company”); and |
| ● | a resale prospectus which covers the offer and sale, from time to time, of up to 4,198,343 shares of our common stock by YA II PN, LTD., a Cayman Islands exempt limited partnership (“YA”), issued pursuant to or in connection with the Standby Equity Purchase Agreement, dated September 30, 2024, between the Company and YA, or the convertible promissory note issued on September 30, 2024 in the original principal amount of $15 million. |
The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.
Subject to completion, dated October 18, 2024
PROSPECTUS
Prairie Operating Co.
$150,000,000
Common Stock
Preferred Stock
Warrants
Units
Rights
From time to time we may offer and sell shares of our common stock, par value $0.01 per share (“Common Stock”), preferred stock, warrants, units and rights. The aggregate initial offering price of all shares of Common Stock sold by us under this prospectus will not exceed $150,000,000.
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. 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. Any prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus.
Our Common Stock is traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market (the “Nasdaq”) under the symbol “PROP.” On October 17, 2024, the closing price of our Common Stock was $8.65.
You should read carefully this prospectus, the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement before you invest. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 5 of this prospectus for information on certain risks related to the purchase of our securities.
We may sell the securities directly or to or through underwriters or dealers, and also to other purchasers or through agents. The names of any underwriters or agents that are included in a sale of securities to you, and any applicable commissions or discounts, will be stated in any accompanying prospectus supplement. In addition, the underwriters, if any, may over-allot a portion of the securities.
Neither the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is , 2024.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| i |
This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we have filed with the SEC using a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration process, we may offer and sell from time to time the securities described in this prospectus in one or more offerings. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities that are registered hereunder that may be offered by us. Each time we offer the securities, we will provide you with a prospectus supplement that will describe, among other things, the specific amounts and prices of the securities being offered and the terms of the offering.
Any prospectus supplement may add, update, or change information contained in this prospectus. Any statement that we make in this prospectus will be modified or superseded by any inconsistent statement made by us in any prospectus supplement. The information in this prospectus is accurate as of its date. Additional information, including our financial statements and the notes thereto, is incorporated in this prospectus by reference to our reports filed with the SEC. Therefore, before you invest in our securities, you should carefully read this prospectus and any prospectus supplement relating to the securities offered to you together with the additional information incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement (including the documents described under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Documents Incorporated by Reference” in both this prospectus and any prospectus supplement).
You should rely only on the information contained in or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement. We have not authorized any other person to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. Neither we nor anyone acting on our behalf is making an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should not assume that the information incorporated by reference or provided in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front of those documents.
Unless the context otherwise requires, throughout this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement, the words “we,” “us,” the “registrant,” “the Company,” or “Prairie” refer to Prairie Operating Co.; and the term “securities” refers to the shares of our Common Stock registered hereunder.
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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We have filed a registration statement with the SEC under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), that registers the offer and sale of the securities covered by this prospectus. The registration statement, including the exhibits attached thereto and incorporated by reference therein, contains additional relevant information about us. In addition, we file annual, quarterly and other reports and other information with the SEC. The SEC maintains a website that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. Our SEC filings are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
We make available free of charge on or through our website, https://investors.prairieopco.com, our filings with the SEC pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC. We make our website content available for information purposes only. Information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus and does not constitute a part of this prospectus.
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DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” the information we have filed with the SEC. This means that we can disclose important information to you without actually including the specific information in this prospectus by referring you to other documents filed separately with the SEC. The information incorporated by reference is an important part of this prospectus. Information that we later provide to the SEC, and which is deemed to be “filed” with the SEC, will automatically update information previously filed with the SEC, and may update or replace information in this prospectus and information previously filed with the SEC.
We incorporate by reference 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 (excluding information deemed to be furnished and not filed with the SEC), after the date on which the registration statement was initially filed with the SEC (including all such documents that we may file with the SEC after the date the registration statement was initially filed and prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement) until all offerings under the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part are completed or terminated:
| ● | our Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the year ended December 31, 2023 filed on March 20, 2024, including those portions of our definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A, filed on April 24, 2024, incorporated by reference therein; |
| ● | our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2024 and June 30, 2024 filed on May 13, 2024 and August 9, 2024, respectively; |
| ● | our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed on January 12, 2024, January 24, 2024, February 5, 2024, February 12, 2024, March 20, 2024, April 9, 2024, April 12, 2024, June 10, 2024, August 20, 2024 and October 4, 2024, and our Current Reports on Form 8-K/A filed on January 29, 2024, February 9, 2024, March 19, 2024 and April 9, 2024; and |
| ● | the description of our Common Stock contained in our Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed on December 22, 2023, as amended by Exhibit 4.5 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, and any further amendments thereto or reports that we may file in the future for the purpose of updating such description. |
These reports contain important information about us, our financial condition and our results of operations.
You may obtain copies of any of the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus from the SEC through the SEC’s website at the address provided above. You also may request a copy of any document incorporated by reference in this prospectus (including exhibits to those documents specifically incorporated by reference in this prospectus), at no cost, by contacting us at:
Prairie Operating Co.
Attention: Investor Relations
55 Waugh Drive, Suite 400
Houston, Texas 77007
(713)
424-4247
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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus, any prospectus supplement and the documents incorporated by reference herein or therein contain, or may contain, statements that are forward-looking and as such are not historical facts. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding future financial performance, business strategies, expansion plans, future results of operations, estimated revenues, losses, projected costs, prospects, plans and objectives of management. These forward-looking statements are based on our management’s current expectations, estimates, projections and beliefs, as well as a number of assumptions concerning future events, and are not guarantees of performance. Such statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. When used in this prospectus or in the documents incorporated by reference, words such as “may,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “believe,” “estimate,” “continue,” “project” or the negative of such terms or other similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements in this prospectus and in any document incorporated by reference in this prospectus may include, for example, statements about:
| ● | estimates of oil and natural gas reserves of our oil and gas assets; | |
| ● | estimates of the future oil and natural gas production from our oil and gas assets, including estimates of any increases or decreases in production; | |
| ● | the availability and adequacy of cash flow to meet our requirements; | |
| ● | the availability of additional capital for our operations; | |
| ● | changes in our business and growth strategy, including our ability to successfully operate and expand our business; | |
| ● | changes or developments in applicable laws or regulations, including with respect to taxes; | |
| ● | actions taken or not taken by third-parties, including our contractors and competitors; | |
| ● | our ability to fund our development and drilling plan using generated free cash flow without utilizing leverage; | |
| ● | our operating costs, customer loss and business disruption may be greater than expected following the proposed transaction or the public announcement of the proposed transaction; | |
| ● | our ability to grow our operations, and to fund such operations, on the anticipated timeline or at all; | |
| ● | uncertainties inherent in estimating quantities of oil, natural gas and NGL reserves and projecting future rates of production and the amount and timing of development expenditures; | |
| ● | commodity price and cost volatility and inflation; | |
| ● | the ability to obtain and maintain necessary permits and approvals to develop our assets; | |
| ● | safety and environmental requirements that may subject us to unanticipated liabilities; | |
| ● | our success in retaining or recruiting, or changes required in, our officers, key employees or directors; | |
| ● | general economic, financial, legal, political, and business conditions and changes in domestic and foreign markets; | |
| ● | the risks related to the growth of the Company’s business; | |
| ● | the effects of competition on the Company’s future business; and | |
| ● | other factors detailed under the section entitled “Risk Factors” and in our periodic filings with the SEC. |
Our SEC filings are available publicly on the SEC website at www.sec.gov. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements. Accordingly, forward-looking statements in this prospectus and in any document incorporated herein by reference should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any subsequent date, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.
All forward-looking statements, expressed or implied, included in this prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein 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.
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Prairie Operating Co. is an independent oil and gas company focused on the acquisition and development of crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids. Our assets and operations are concentrated in the oil and liquids-rich regions of the Denver-Julesburg (DJ) Basin, with a primary focus on the Niobrara and Codell formations. We are committed to the responsible development of our oil and natural gas resources and are focused on maximizing returns through consistent growth, capital discipline, and sustainable cash flow generation.
Corporate Information
Our principal executive offices are located at 55 Waugh Drive, Suite 400, Houston, Texas 77007, and our telephone number at that location is (713) 424-4247. Our website can be found at https://investors.prairieopco.com. The information contained on our website or that can be accessed through our website is not part of this prospectus and you should not rely on that information when making a decision on whether to invest in our securities.
Implications of a Smaller Reporting Company
We are a “smaller reporting company” as defined under the Securities Act and Exchange Act. We may continue to be a smaller reporting company so long as either (i) the market value of shares of our Common Stock held by non-affiliates is less than $250 million or (ii) our annual revenue was less than $100 million during the most recently completed fiscal year and the market value of shares of our Common Stock held by non-affiliates is less than $700 million. As a smaller reporting company, we may choose to present only the two most recent fiscal years of audited financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and have reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation, and, if we are a smaller reporting company under the requirements of (ii) above, we would not be required to obtain an attestation report on internal control over financial reporting issued by our independent registered public accounting firm.
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An investment in our securities involves a significant degree of risk. Before you invest in our securities, you should carefully consider those risk factors included in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, any subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and any subsequently filed Current Reports on Form 8-K, each of which is incorporated herein by reference, 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. If any of these risks were actually to occur, our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially adversely affected. Additional risks not presently known to us or that we currently believe are immaterial may also significantly impair our business operations and financial condition. Please read “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”
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Unless otherwise specified in an accompanying prospectus supplement, we will use the net proceeds we receive from the sale of the securities covered by this prospectus for general corporate purposes, which may include, among other things, investments in our subsidiaries, investment in existing or future projects, repurchasing or redeeming our securities, paying or refinancing all or a portion of our indebtedness at the time, and funding acquisitions, capital expenditures, and working capital.
The actual application of the net proceeds from the sale of any particular offering of securities using this prospectus will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to such offering.
CERTAIN INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS
Information regarding material U.S. federal income tax consequences to persons investing in the securities offered by this prospectus will be set forth in an applicable prospectus supplement. You are urged to consult your own tax advisors prior to any acquisition of our securities.
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DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES
The following summary of the capital stock and our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws, copies of which are included as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. You should also be aware that the summary below does not give full effect to the provisions of statutory or common law that may affect your rights as a stockholder.
Our authorized capital stock consists of 500,000,000 shares of Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share, of which 22,918,763 shares were issued and outstanding as of October 9, 2024, and 50,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $0.01 par value per share, of which 14,456.68 shares of Series D convertible preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share (“Series D Preferred Stock”), were issued and outstanding as of October 9, 2024.
The number of authorized shares of Common Stock or preferred stock may be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding plus the number reserved for issuance upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of outstanding securities) by the affirmative vote of the majority of the voting power of the outstanding shares of stock of the Company entitled to vote generally on the election of directors, voting as a single class, irrespective of the provisions of Section 242(b)(2) of the DGCL (or any successor provision thereto), and no vote of the holders of either Common Stock or preferred stock voting separately as a class or series shall be required therefor.
Except as provided by law or in a preferred stock designation, holders of Common Stock are entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders, will have the exclusive right to vote for the election of directors and do not have cumulative voting rights. The Company does not have a classified board, as all directors are elected annually. Except as otherwise required by law, holders of Common Stock are not entitled to vote on any amendment to the second amended and restated certificate of incorporation (including any certificate of designations relating to any series of preferred stock) that relates solely to the terms of any outstanding series of preferred stock if the holders of such affected series are entitled, either separately or together with the holders of one or more other such series, to vote thereon pursuant to the second amended and restated certificate of incorporation (including any certificate of designations relating to any series of preferred stock) or pursuant to the Delaware General Corporation Law, which we refer to as the “DGCL.” Subject to prior rights and preferences that may be applicable to any outstanding shares or series of preferred stock, holders of Common Stock are entitled to receive ratably in proportion to the shares of Common Stock held by them such dividends (payable in cash, stock or otherwise), if any, as may be declared from time to time by our board of directors out of funds legally available for dividend payments. All outstanding shares of Common Stock are fully paid, and non-assessable, and all shares of Common Stock registered by this prospectus will be, when sold, validly issued, fully paid, and non-assessable. The holders of Common Stock have no preferences or rights of conversion, exchange, preemption, or other subscription rights. There are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to the Common Stock. In the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution, or winding-up of our affairs, holders of Common Stock will be entitled to share ratably in our assets in proportion to the shares of Common Stock held by them that are remaining after payment or provision for payment of all of our debts and obligations and after distribution in full of preferential amounts to be distributed to holders of outstanding shares of preferred stock, if any.
Registration Rights Agreements
In connection with the Standby Equity Purchase Agreement, the Company entered into a registration rights agreement with YA II PN, LTD., a Cayman Islands exempt limited partnership (“YA”) pursuant to which the Company agreed to file a registration statement registering the resale of the Common Stock issuable pursuant to the Standby Equity Purchase Agreement, the Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Yorkville Note, and the commitment fee of 100,000 shares of Common Stock issued to YA as consideration for its irrevocable commitment to purchase up to $40.0 million of Common Stock under the Standby Equity Purchase Agreement.
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On September 30, 2024, the Company entered into a registration rights agreement with investors pursuant to which the Company agreed to file a registration statement registering the resale of 1,827,040 shares of Common Stock and the shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of warrants to purchase up to 1,141,552 shares of Common Stock issued by the Company to the investors.
On August 14, 2023, the Company entered into a registration rights agreement with an investor, pursuant to which the Company agreed to submit to or file with the SEC a registration statement registering the resale of the shares of Common Stock underlying Series E Preferred Stock and warrants issued in connection therewith (the “Series E Registration Statement”), and the Company agreed to use its best efforts to have the Series E Registration Statement declared effective as promptly as possible after the filing thereof and within the timeframes specified in the Series E Registration Statement.
On May 3, 2023, the Company entered into a registration rights agreement with investors pursuant to which the Company agreed to submit to or file with the SEC a registration statement registering the resale of shares of Common Stock underlying Series D Preferred Stock and warrants issued in connection therewith (the “PIPE Resale Registration Statement” and together with the Series E Registration Statement, the “2023 Registration Statement”), and the Company agreed to use its best efforts to have the PIPE Resale Registration Statement declared effective as promptly as possible within the timeframes specified in the PIPE Resale Registration Statement. On December 6, 2023, the SEC declared the 2023 Registration Statement effective.
Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Restated Bylaws
Among other things, our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws:
| ● | establish advance notice procedures with regard to stockholder proposals relating to the nomination of candidates for election as directors or new business to be brought before meetings of our stockholders. These procedures provide that notice of stockholder proposals must be timely given in writing to our corporate secretary prior to the meeting at which the action is to be taken. Generally, to be timely, notice must be received at our principal executive offices not less than 90 days nor more than 120 days prior to the first anniversary date of the annual meeting for the preceding year. Our amended and restated bylaws specify the requirements as to form and content of all stockholders’ notices. These requirements may preclude stockholders from bringing matters before the stockholders at an annual or special meeting; |
| ● | provide our board of directors the ability to authorize undesignated preferred stock. This ability makes it possible for our board of directors to issue, without stockholder approval, preferred stock with voting or other rights or preferences that could impede the success of any attempt to change control of us. These and other provisions may have the effect of deferring hostile takeovers or delaying changes in control or management of our company; |
| ● | provide that the authorized number of directors may be changed only by resolution of the board of directors; |
| ● | provide that all vacancies, including newly created directorships, may, except as otherwise required by law or, if applicable, the rights of holders of a series of preferred stock, be filled by the affirmative vote of a majority of directors then in office, even if less than a quorum; and |
| ● | provide that our amended and restated bylaws can be amended or repealed by the board of directors without any action of the stockholders. Stockholders can amend or repeal our amended and restated bylaws with the vote of holders of not less than 66⅔% in voting power of the then-outstanding shares of stock entitled to vote generally on the election of directors, voting together as a single class. |
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Forum Selection
Our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, is the sole and exclusive forum for:
| ● | any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf; |
| ● | any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers, employees, or agents to us or our stockholders; |
| ● | any action asserting a claim against us arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL, our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation or our amended and restated bylaws; and |
| ● | any action asserting a claim against us that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine, in each such case subject to such Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable parties named as defendants therein. |
Our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation also provides that any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of our capital stock will be deemed to have notice of and to have consented to this forum selection provision. However, it is possible that a court could find our forum selection provision to be inapplicable or unenforceable.
Limitation of Liability and Indemnification Matters
Our second 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.
Our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws also provide that we will indemnify our directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law. Our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws also permit us to purchase insurance on behalf of any officer, director, employee, or other agent for any liability arising out of that person’s actions as our officer, director, employee, or agent, regardless of whether Delaware law would permit indemnification. We have obtained directors’ and officers’ insurance to cover our directors, officers, and some of our employees for certain liabilities. We have entered into indemnification agreements with each of our current directors and officers and intend to enter into indemnification agreements with each of our future directors and officers. 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 believe that the limitation of liability provision in our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation and the indemnification agreements facilitate our ability to continue to attract and retain qualified individuals to serve as directors and officers.
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Anti-Takeover Effects of Certain Provisions of our Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, Amended and Restated Bylaws and the DGCL
Certain provisions of our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws, which are summarized in the following paragraphs, may have the effect of discouraging potential acquisition proposals or making a tender offer or delaying or preventing a change in control, including changes a stockholder might consider favorable. Such provisions may also prevent or frustrate attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our management. In particular, our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our amended and restated bylaws and Delaware law, as applicable, among other things:
| ● | provide our board of directors with the ability to alter the Bylaws without stockholder approval (subject to rights of the holders of our preferred stock); | |
| ● | provide that, subject to the rights of the holders of preferred stock, special meetings of our stockholders may be called only by the Chairman (or any Co-Chairman) of the board of directors or the board of directors pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of the total number of directors then in office; and | |
| ● | provide that, subject to the rights of the holders of preferred stock and the terms of the Stockholders Agreement (as defined below), vacancies on our board of directors may be filled by a majority of directors in office, although less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director. |
These provisions are expected to discourage certain types of coercive takeover practices and inadequate takeover bids and to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of us to first negotiate with our board of directors. These provisions may delay or prevent someone from acquiring or merging with us, which may cause the market price of our Common Stock to decline.
Stockholders Agreement
The Company, Bristol Capital Advisors, LLC (“Bristol Capital Advisors”), Paul L. Kessler, Gary C. Hanna and Edward Kovalik entered into a Stockholders Agreement, dated as of May 3, 2023 (the “Stockholders Agreement”), pursuant to which the parties agreed to use reasonable best efforts, including taking certain necessary actions, to cause the board of directors to cause certain nominees to be elected to serve as a director on the board of directors under the following conditions: (i) one nominee designated by Bristol Capital Advisors and Paul L. Kessler, collectively, so long as Bristol Capital Advisors, Paul L. Kessler and their respective affiliates collectively beneficially own at least 50% of the number of shares of Common Stock collectively beneficially owned by such parties on of May 3, 2023; (ii) four nominees designated by Gary C. Hanna and Edward Kovalik (the “Prairie Members”) so long as the Prairie Members and their affiliates collectively beneficially own at least 50% of the number of shares of Common Stock collectively beneficially owned by such parties on of May 3, 2023; (iii) three nominees designated by the Prairie Members so long as the Prairie Members and their affiliates collectively beneficially own at least 40% (but less than 50%) of the number of shares of Common Stock collectively beneficially owned by such parties on of May 3, 2023; (iv) two nominees designated by the Prairie Members so long as the Prairie Members and their affiliates collectively beneficially own at least 30% (but less than 40%) of the number of shares of Common Stock collectively beneficially owned by such parties on of May 3, 2023; (v) one nominee designated by the Prairie Members so long as the Prairie Members and their affiliates collectively beneficially own at least 20% (but less than 30%) of the number of shares of Common Stock collectively beneficially owned by such parties on of May 3, 2023; and (vi) in the event of a vacancy on the board of directors, a replacement director designated by the party that designated the vacating director, provided that such upon such replacement, the total number of directors designated by such party does not exceed the total number of directors such party is entitled to designate pursuant to the Stockholders Agreement.
Advance Notice Bylaws. Our Bylaws contain an advance notice procedure for stockholder proposals to be brought before any meeting of stockholders, including proposed nominations of persons for election to our board of directors. Stockholders at any meeting will only be able to consider proposals or nominations specified in the notice of meeting or brought before the meeting by or at the direction of our board of directors or by a stockholder who was a stockholder of record on the record date for the meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who has given our corporate secretary timely written notice, in proper form, of the stockholder’s intention to bring that business before the meeting. Although the Bylaws do not give our board of directors the power to approve or disapprove stockholder nominations of candidates or proposals regarding other business to be conducted at a special or annual meeting, the Bylaws may have the effect of precluding the conduct of certain business at a meeting if the proper procedures are not followed, or may discourage or deter a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect its own slate of directors or otherwise attempting to obtain control of us.
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Interested Stockholder Transactions. We may become subject to Section 203 of the DGCL, which, subject to certain exceptions, prohibits “business combinations” between a publicly-held Delaware corporation and an “interested stockholder,” which is generally defined as a stockholder who becomes a beneficial owner of 15% or more of a Delaware corporation’s voting stock for a three-year period following the date that such stockholder became an interested stockholder.
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for our Common Stock is Vstock Transfer, LLC. The transfer agent’s telephone number and address are (212) 828-8436 and 18 Lafayette Place, Woodmere, New York 11598.
Listing
Our Common Stock is listed on the Nasdaq under the symbol “PROP.”
Description of Preferred Stock
Our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation authorizes the board of directors, subject to any limitations prescribed by law, without further stockholder approval, to establish and to issue from time to time one or more series of preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share, covering up to an aggregate of 50,000,000 shares of preferred stock. The specific terms and conditions of the series of the preferred stock will be described in a supplement to this prospectus. Each series of preferred stock will cover the number of shares and will have the powers, preferences, privileges, rights, qualifications, limitations and restrictions determined by the board of directors, which may include, among others, dividend rights, liquidation preferences, voting rights, whether subject to retirement or sinking funds, conversion rights, preemptive rights and redemption rights. Except as provided by law or in a preferred stock designation, the holders of preferred stock are not entitled to vote at or receive notice of any meeting of stockholders.
Set forth below is a description of the general terms and conditions of the warrants that may be offered under this prospectus. The specific terms and conditions of the warrants will be described in a supplement to this prospectus. Any prospectus supplement may add, change, update, or supersede the terms and conditions of the warrants as described in this prospectus. To the extent the information contained in the prospectus supplement differs from the summary set forth below, you should rely on the information in the prospectus supplement. The summary below and in the prospectus supplement do not contain all of the information that you may find useful or that may be important to you. You should refer to the provisions of the warrant agreement and warrant certificate because those documents, and not the summaries, define your rights as a holder of the warrants.
General
We may issue warrants for the purchase of our Common Stock or preferred stock. Warrants may be issued independently or together with any of our Common Stock, preferred stock, or rights offered by a prospectus supplement, and may be attached to or separate from those offered securities. Any series of warrants may be issued under a separate warrant agreement to be entered into between us and a bank or trust company, as warrant agent, all as further set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to the particular issue of warrants. A copy of the form of any such warrant agreement, including the form of warrant certificate representing the warrants, will be filed with the SEC in connection with the offering of particular warrants.
Terms of Warrants
The prospectus supplement relating to a particular issue of warrants to purchase our Common Stock or preferred stock will describe the terms of those warrants, which may include, without limitation, one or more of the following:
| ● | the title or designation of the warrants; |
| ● | the aggregate number of the warrants; |
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| ● | the price or prices at which the warrants will be issued; |
| ● | the currency or currencies, including composite currencies or currency units, in which the exercise price of the warrants may be payable; |
| ● | the price at which the underlying securities purchasable upon exercise of the warrants may be purchased; |
| ● | the date on which the right to exercise the warrants shall commence and the date on which such right shall expire; |
| ● | whether the warrants will be issued in registered form or bearer form; |
| ● | if applicable, the minimum or maximum amount of the warrants that may be exercised at any one time; |
| ● | if applicable, the date on and after which the warrants and the related underlying securities will be separately transferable; |
| ● | information with respect to book-entry procedures, if any; and |
| ● | any other terms of the warrants, including terms, procedures, and limitations relating to the exercise of the warrants. |
Exercise of Warrants
Each warrant will entitle the holder of the warrant to purchase at the exercise price set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement the number of shares of Common Stock or preferred stock being offered. Holders may exercise warrants at any time up to the close of business on the expiration date set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. After the close of business on the expiration date, unexercised warrants will be void. Holders may exercise warrants as described in the prospectus supplement relating to the warrants being offered.
Until a holder exercises the warrants to purchase shares of our Common Stock or preferred stock, the holder will not have any rights as a holder of shares of our Common Stock or preferred stock, as the case may be, by virtue of ownership of the warrants.
Set forth below is a description of the general terms and conditions of the units that may be offered under this prospectus. The specific terms and conditions of the units will be described in a supplement to this prospectus. Any prospectus supplement may add, change, update, or supersede the terms and conditions of the units as described in this prospectus. To the extent the information contained in the prospectus supplement differs from the summary set forth below, you should rely on the information in the prospectus supplement. The summary below and in the prospectus supplement do not contain all of the information that you may find useful or that may be important to you. You should refer to the provisions of the unit agreement because that document, and not the summaries, define your rights as a holder of the units.
We may issue units consisting of one or more shares of Common Stock, shares of preferred stock, warrants, rights, or any combination of such securities under this prospectus. The specific terms and conditions of the units will be described in a supplement to this prospectus which may include, without limitation, one or more of the following:
| ● | the title of units; |
| ● | identification and description of the separate securities included in the units; |
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| ● | the price or prices at which the units will be issued; |
| ● | the date, if any, on and after which the securities included in the units will be separately transferrable; and |
| ● | any other material terms of the units and the securities included in such units. |
Set forth below is a description of the general terms and conditions of the rights that may be offered under this prospectus. The specific terms and conditions of the rights will be described in a supplement to this prospectus. Any prospectus supplement may add, change, update, or supersede the terms and conditions of the rights as described in this prospectus. To the extent the information contained in the prospectus supplement differs from the summary set forth below, you should rely on the information in the prospectus supplement. The summary below and in the prospectus supplement do not contain all of the information that you may find useful or that may be important to you. You should refer to the provisions of the rights agent or subscription agent agreement and rights certificate because those documents, and not the summaries, define your rights as a holder of the rights.
General
We may issue rights to purchase Common Stock, preferred stock, or warrants. The rights may or may not be transferable by the persons purchasing or receiving the rights. In connection with any rights issuance, we may enter into a standby underwriting or other arrangement with one or more underwriters or other persons pursuant to which such underwriters or other persons would purchase any offered securities remaining unsubscribed for after such rights issuance. Rights may be issued independently or together with any of our Common Stock, preferred stock, or warrants offered by a prospectus supplement, and may be attached to or separate from those offered securities. Each series of rights will be issued under a separate rights agent or subscription agent agreement to be entered into between us and a bank or trust company, as rights agent or subscription agent, as applicable, all as further set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to the particular issue of rights. The rights agent or subscription agent will act solely as our agent in connection with the rights and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency or trust for or with any holders of rights certificates or beneficial owners of rights. A copy of the form of rights agent or subscription agent agreement, including the form of rights certificate representing rights, will be filed with the SEC in connection with the offering of particular rights.
Terms of Rights
The prospectus supplement relating to a particular issue of rights to purchase our Common Stock, preferred stock, or warrants will describe the terms of those rights, which may include, without limitation, one or more of the following:
| ● | the date of determining the security holders entitled to the rights distribution; |
| ● | the aggregate number of rights issued and the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock or preferred stock or warrants purchasable upon exercise of the rights; |
| ● | the exercise price; |
| ● | the conditions to completion of the rights offering; |
| ● | the date on which the right to exercise the rights will commence and the date on which the rights will expire; and |
| ● | any applicable federal income tax considerations. |
Exercise of Rights
Each right would entitle the holder of the right to purchase at the exercise price set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement the number of shares of Common Stock or preferred stock or warrants being offered. Holders may exercise rights at any time up to the close of business on the expiration date set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. After the close of business on the expiration date, unexercised rights will be void. Holders may exercise rights as described in the prospectus supplement relating to the rights being issued. If less than all of the rights issued in any rights offering are exercised, we may offer any unsubscribed securities directly to persons other than our security holders, to or through agents, underwriters, or dealers, or through a combination of such methods, including pursuant to standby arrangements, as described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Until a holder exercises the rights to purchase shares of our Common Stock or preferred stock or warrants, the holder will not have any rights as a holder of shares of our Common Stock or preferred stock or warrants, as the case may be, by virtue of ownership of the rights.
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We may sell the securities offered by this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement pursuant to underwritten public offerings (whether on a firm commitment, “best efforts,” or other basis), at-the-market offerings, negotiated transactions, block trades, or a combination of these methods. We may sell the securities to or through agents, underwriters, or dealers, directly to one or more purchasers (including existing holders of our securities) without using underwriters or agents, any combination of the foregoing methods, or through any other method permitted by applicable law and described in the applicable prospectus supplement. We may distribute the securities from time to time in one or more transactions:
| ● | at a fixed price or prices, which may be changed; |
| ● | at market prices prevailing at the time of sale; |
| ● | at prices related to such prevailing market prices; or |
| ● | at negotiated prices. |
We may designate agents to solicit offers to purchase our securities. We will name any agent involved in offering or selling our securities, and any commissions that we will pay to the agent, in the applicable prospectus supplement. Unless we indicate otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, our agents will act on a “best efforts” basis for the period of their appointment.
Agents could make sales in privately negotiated transactions or any other method permitted by law, including sales deemed to be an “at the market” offering as defined in Rule 415 promulgated under the Securities Act, which includes sales made directly on or through an exchange or sales made to or through a market maker other than on an exchange.
If underwriters are used in the sale on a firm commitment basis, the securities will be acquired by the underwriters for their own account. The underwriters may resell the securities in one or more transactions (including block transactions), at negotiated prices, at a fixed public offering price, or at varying prices determined at the time of sale. We will include the names of the managing underwriter(s), as well as any other underwriters, and the terms of the transaction, including the compensation the underwriters and dealers will receive, in our prospectus supplement. If we use an underwriter, we will execute an underwriting agreement with the underwriter(s) at the time that we reach an agreement for the sale of our securities. The obligations of the underwriters to purchase the securities will be subject to certain conditions contained in the underwriting agreement. Unless otherwise provided in the prospectus supplement, the underwriters will be obligated to purchase all the securities offered if any of the securities are purchased. Any public offering price and any discounts or concessions allowed or re-allowed or paid to dealers may be changed from time to time. The underwriters will use a prospectus supplement to sell our securities.
To the extent that we make sales through one or more underwriters or agents in at-the-market offerings, we will do so pursuant to the terms of a sales agency financing agreement or other at-the-market offering arrangement between us and the underwriters or agents. If we engage in at-the-market sales pursuant to any such agreement, we will issue and sell securities through one or more underwriters or agents, which may act on an agency basis or on a principal basis. During the term of any such agreement, we may sell securities on a daily basis in exchange transactions or otherwise as we agree with the underwriters or agents. The agreement will provide that any securities sold will be sold at prices related to the then-prevailing market prices for our securities. Therefore, exact figures regarding proceeds that will be raised or commissions to be paid cannot be determined at this time.
If we use a dealer, we, as principal, will sell our securities to the dealer. The dealer will then sell our securities to the public at varying prices that the dealer will determine at the time it sells our securities. We will include the name of the dealer and the terms of our transactions with the dealer in the applicable prospectus supplement. We may directly solicit offers to purchase our securities, and we may directly sell our securities to institutional or other investors. In this case, no underwriters or dealer would be involved. We will describe the terms of our direct sales in the applicable prospectus supplement.
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We may authorize underwriters, dealers, or agents to solicit offers from certain types of institutions to purchase securities from us at the public offering price under delayed delivery contracts. These contracts would provide for payment and delivery on a specified date in the future. The applicable prospectus supplement will provide the details of any such arrangement, including the offering price and commissions payable on the solicitations.
Underwriters, dealers, and agents that participate in the distribution of the securities may be underwriters as defined in the Securities Act and any discounts or commissions received by them from us and any profit on their resale of the securities may be treated as underwriting discounts and commissions under the Securities Act. In connection with the sale of the securities offered by this prospectus, underwriters, dealers, and agents may receive compensation from us or from the purchasers of the securities, for whom they may act as agents, in the form of discounts, concessions, or commissions. Any underwriters, dealers, or agents will be identified and their compensation described in the applicable prospectus supplement. We may have agreements with the underwriters, dealers, and agents to indemnify them against certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribute with respect to payments which the underwriters, dealers, or agents may be required to make. Underwriters, dealers, and agents may engage in transactions with, or perform services for, us or our subsidiaries in the ordinary course of their business.
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, all securities offered under this prospectus will be a new issue of securities with no established trading market, other than the Common Stock, which is currently listed and traded on the Nasdaq. We may elect to list any other class or series of securities on a national securities exchange or a foreign securities exchange but are not obligated to do so. Any Common Stock sold by this prospectus will be listed for trading on the Nasdaq subject to official notice of issuance. We cannot give you any assurance as to the liquidity of the trading markets for any of the securities, including our Common Stock.
Any underwriter to whom securities are sold by us for public offering and sale may engage in over- allotment transactions, stabilizing transactions, syndicate covering transactions and penalty bids in accordance with Regulation M under the Exchange Act. Over-allotment transactions involve sales by the underwriters of the securities in excess of the offering size, which creates a syndicate short position. Stabilizing transactions permit bids to purchase the underlying security so long as the stabilizing bids do not exceed a specified maximum.
Syndicate covering transactions involve purchases of the securities in the open market after the distribution has been completed in order to cover syndicate short positions. Penalty bids permit the underwriters to reclaim a selling concession from a syndicate member when the securities originally sold by the syndicate member are purchased in a stabilizing or syndicate covering transaction to cover syndicate short positions. These activities may cause the price of the securities to be higher than it would otherwise be. The underwriters will not be obligated to engage in any of the aforementioned transactions and may discontinue such transactions at any time without notice.
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The validity of the issuance of the securities offered in this prospectus will be passed upon for us by Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., Houston, Texas. If certain legal matters in connection with an offering of the securities made by this prospectus and a related prospectus supplement are passed upon by counsel for the underwriters of such offering, that counsel will be named in the applicable prospectus supplement related to that offering.
Prairie Operating Co.
The financial statements of Prairie Operating Co. (formerly known as Prairie Operating Co., LLC) as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 and for the year ended December 31, 2023 and for the period from June 7, 2022 (inception) through December 31, 2022 incorporated by reference in this prospectus from the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the year ended December 31, 2023, have been audited by Ham, Langston & Brezina, LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report appearing thereon, and have been incorporated by reference in this prospectus and registration statement in reliance upon the report of such firm given their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
Estimates of the reserves of the Company as of December 31, 2023 incorporated by reference in this prospectus from the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the year ended December 31, 2023, the combined reserves of the Company as of June 30, 2024 and related information included in this prospectus have been prepared based on reports by Cawley, Gillespie & Associates, Inc., an independent Petroleum Reserve Evaluation Firm, and all such information has been so incorporated in reliance on the authority of such experts in such matters. Pursuant to Rule 412 under the Securities Act, the combined and individual reserve reports with respect to the Initial Genesis Assets, the Central Weld Assets and the Genesis Bolt-On Assets, in each case, as of January 31, 2024, incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference into this prospectus are deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus by the combined reserve report as of June 30, 2024. Any statement so modified or superseded will not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus.
Nickel Road Operating LLC
The consolidated financial statements of Nickel Road Operating LLC (“NRO”) as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 and for the years then ended incorporated in this prospectus by reference from the Company’s Amendment to its Current Report on Form 8-K/A, dated March 19, 2024, have been audited by Moss Adams LLP, independent auditors, as stated in their report, which is incorporated by reference. Such consolidated financial statements are incorporated by reference in reliance upon the report of such firm given their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
Estimates of NRO’s reserves as of December 31, 2023 and related information incorporated by reference in this prospectus by reference from the Company’s Amendment to its Current Report on Form 8-K/A, dated March 19, 2024 have been prepared based on reports by Cawley, Gillespie & Associates, Inc., an independent Petroleum Reserve Evaluation Firm, and all such information has been so incorporated in reliance on the authority of such experts in such matters.
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The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.
Subject to completion, dated October 18, 2024
PROSPECTUS
Prairie Operating Co.
Up to 2,968,592 Shares of Common Stock
This prospectus relates solely to the resale from time to time of up to an aggregate of 2,968,592 shares of our common stock, par value $0.01 per share (“Common Stock”), by the selling stockholders identified in this prospectus and any other selling stockholder that may be identified in any applicable prospectus supplement (the “Selling Stockholders”).
The Common Stock offered for resale under this prospectus include (i) up to 1,141,552 shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of warrants to purchase Common Stock issued to investors (the “Noteholders”), in accordance with the terms of a subordinated promissory note (the “Subordinated Note”) entered into on September 30, 2024 by and among the Company and the Noteholders and (ii) 1,827,040 shares of Common Stock issued to an investor (the “Purchaser”) in accordance with the terms of, and transactions contemplated by the Securities Purchase Agreement, dated as of September 30, 2024 (the “Purchase Agreement”), by and among the Company and the Purchaser. The registration rights afforded under the Subordinated Note and the Purchase Agreement are offered pursuant to that certain Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of September 30, 2024 (the “Registration Rights Agreement”) by and among the Company, and the Noteholders and the Purchaser (collectively, the “Selling Stockholders”).
Pursuant to this prospectus, the Selling Stockholders are permitted to offer the securities from time to time, if and to the extent as they may determine, through public or private transactions or through other means described in the section of this prospectus entitled “Plan of Distribution” at prevailing market prices, at prices different than prevailing market prices or at privately negotiated prices. The Selling Stockholders may sell shares through agents they select or through underwriters and dealers they select. The Selling Stockholders also may sell their securities directly to investors. If the Selling Stockholders use agents, underwriters or dealers to sell their shares, we will name such agents, underwriters or dealers and describe any applicable commissions or discounts in a supplement to this prospectus if required. This prospectus does not necessarily mean that the Selling Stockholders will offer or sell the shares. We cannot predict when or in what amounts the Selling Stockholders may sell any of the shares offered by this prospectus. We have agreed to bear all expenses incurred in connection with the registration of these securities. The Selling Stockholders will pay or assume underwriting fees, discounts and commissions or similar charges, if any, incurred in the sale of these securities. We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of these securities by the selling securityholders.
Our Common Stock and warrants are traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market (the “Nasdaq”) under the symbol “PROP.” On October 17, 2024, the closing price of our Common Stock was $8.65.
You should read carefully this prospectus, the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement before you invest. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 5 of this prospectus for information on certain risks related to the purchase of our securities.
Neither the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is , 2024.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we have filed with the SEC using a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration process, the Selling Stockholders may offer and sell from time to time the securities described in this prospectus in one or more offerings. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities that are registered hereunder that may be offered by the Selling Stockholders. In connection with an offering of securities hereunder, the Selling Stockholders may provide you with a prospectus supplement that describes, among other things, the specific amounts and prices of the securities being offered and the terms of the offering.
Any prospectus supplement may add, update, or change information contained in this prospectus. Any statement that we make in this prospectus will be modified or superseded by any inconsistent statement made by us in any prospectus supplement. The information in this prospectus is accurate as of its date. Additional information, including our financial statements and the notes thereto, is incorporated in this prospectus by reference to our reports filed with the SEC. Therefore, before you invest in our securities, you should carefully read this prospectus and any prospectus supplement relating to the securities offered to you together with the additional information incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement (including the documents described under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Documents Incorporated by Reference” in both this prospectus and any prospectus supplement).
You should rely only on the information contained in or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement. Neither we nor the Selling Stockholders have authorized any other person to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. Neither we, the Selling Stockholders nor anyone acting on our behalf is making an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should not assume that the information incorporated by reference or provided in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front of those documents.
Unless the context otherwise requires, throughout this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement, the words “we,” “us,” the “registrant,” “the Company,” or “Prairie” refer to Prairie Operating Co. and the term “securities” refers to the shares of our Common Stock registered hereunder.
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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We have filed a registration statement with the SEC under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), that registers the offer and sale of the securities covered by this prospectus. The registration statement, including the exhibits attached thereto and incorporated by reference therein, contains additional relevant information about us. In addition, we file annual, quarterly and other reports and other information with the SEC. The SEC maintains a website that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. Our SEC filings are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
We make available free of charge on or through our website, https://investors.prairieopco.com, our filings with the SEC pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC. We make our website content available for information purposes only. Information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus and does not constitute a part of this prospectus.
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DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” the information we have filed with the SEC. This means that we can disclose important information to you without actually including the specific information in this prospectus by referring you to other documents filed separately with the SEC. The information incorporated by reference is an important part of this prospectus. Information that we later provide to the SEC, and which is deemed to be “filed” with the SEC, will automatically update information previously filed with the SEC, and may update or replace information in this prospectus and information previously filed with the SEC.
We incorporate by reference the documents listed below and any filings we make with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14, or 15(d) of Exchange Act (excluding information deemed to be furnished and not filed with the SEC), after the date on which the registration statement was initially filed with the SEC (including all such documents that we may file with the SEC after the date the registration statement was initially filed and prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement) until all offerings under the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part are completed or terminated:
| ● | our Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the year ended December 31, 2023 filed on March 20, 2024, including those portions of our definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A, filed on April 24, 2024, incorporated by reference therein; |
| ● | our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2024 and June 30, 2024 filed on May 13, 2024 and August 9, 2024, respectively; |
| ● | our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed on January 12, 2024, January 24, 2024, February 5, 2024, February 12, 2024, March 20, 2024, April 9, 2024, April 12, 2024, June 10, 2024, August 20, 2024 and October 4, 2024, and our Current Reports on Form 8-K/A filed on January 29, 2024, February 9, 2024, March 19, 2024 and April 9, 2024; and |
| ● | the description of our Common Stock contained in our Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed on December 22, 2023, as amended by Exhibit 4.5 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, and any further amendments thereto or reports that we may file in the future for the purpose of updating such description. |
These reports contain important information about us, our financial condition and our results of operations.
You may obtain copies of any of the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus from the SEC through the SEC’s website at the address provided above. You also may request a copy of any document incorporated by reference in this prospectus (including exhibits to those documents specifically incorporated by reference in this prospectus), at no cost, by contacting us at:
Prairie Operating Co.
Attention: Investor Relations
55 Waugh Drive, Suite 400
Houston, Texas 77007
(713)
424-4247
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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus, any prospectus supplement and the documents incorporated by reference herein or therein contain, or may contain, statements that are forward-looking and as such are not historical facts. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding future financial performance, business strategies, expansion plans, future results of operations, estimated revenues, losses, projected costs, prospects, plans and objectives of management. These forward-looking statements are based on our management’s current expectations, estimates, projections and beliefs, as well as a number of assumptions concerning future events, and are not guarantees of performance. Such statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. When used in this prospectus or in the documents incorporated by reference, words such as “may,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “believe,” “estimate,” “continue,” “project” or the negative of such terms or other similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements in this prospectus and in any document incorporated by reference in this prospectus may include, for example, statements about:
| ● | estimates of oil and natural gas reserves of our oil and gas assets; | |
| ● | estimates of the future oil and natural gas production from our oil and gas assets, including estimates of any increases or decreases in production; | |
| ● | the availability and adequacy of cash flow to meet our requirements; | |
| ● | the availability of additional capital for our operations; | |
| ● | changes in our business and growth strategy, including our ability to successfully operate and expand our business; | |
| ● | changes or developments in applicable laws or regulations, including with respect to taxes; | |
| ● | actions taken or not taken by third-parties, including our contractors and competitors; | |
| ● | our ability to fund our development and drilling plan using generated free cash flow without utilizing leverage; | |
| ● | our operating costs, customer loss and business disruption may be greater than expected following the proposed transaction or the public announcement of the proposed transaction; | |
| ● | our ability to grow our operations, and to fund such operations, on the anticipated timeline or at all; | |
| ● | uncertainties inherent in estimating quantities of oil, natural gas and NGL reserves and projecting future rates of production and the amount and timing of development expenditures; | |
| ● | commodity price and cost volatility and inflation; | |
| ● | the ability to obtain and maintain necessary permits and approvals to develop our assets; | |
| ● | safety and environmental requirements that may subject us to unanticipated liabilities; | |
| ● | our success in retaining or recruiting, or changes required in, our officers, key employees or directors; | |
| ● | general economic, financial, legal, political, and business conditions and changes in domestic and foreign markets; | |
| ● | the risks related to the growth of the Company’s business; | |
| ● | the effects of competition on the Company’s future business; and | |
| ● | other factors detailed under the section entitled “Risk Factors” and in our periodic filings with the SEC. |
Our SEC filings are available publicly on the SEC website at www.sec.gov. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements. Accordingly, forward-looking statements in this prospectus and in any document incorporated herein by reference should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any subsequent date, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.
All forward-looking statements, expressed or implied, included in this prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein 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.
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Prairie Operating Co. is an independent oil and gas company focused on the acquisition and development of crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids. Our assets and operations are concentrated in the oil and liquids-rich regions of the Denver-Julesburg (DJ) Basin, with a primary focus on the Niobrara and Codell formations. We are committed to the responsible development of our oil and natural gas resources and are focused on maximizing returns through consistent growth, capital discipline, and sustainable cash flow generation.
Corporate Information
Our principal executive offices are located at 55 Waugh Drive, Suite 400, Houston, Texas 77007, and our telephone number at that location is (713) 424-4247. Our website can be found at https://investors.prairieopco.com. The information contained on our website or that can be accessed through our website is not part of this prospectus and you should not rely on that information when making a decision on whether to invest in our securities.
Implications of a Smaller Reporting Company
We
are a “smaller reporting company” as defined under the Securities Act and Exchange Act. We may continue to be a smaller reporting
company so long as either (i) the market value of shares of our Common Stock held by non-affiliates is less than $250 million or (ii)
our annual revenue was less than $100 million during the most recently completed fiscal year and the market value of shares of our Common
Stock held by non-affiliates is less than $700 million. As a smaller reporting company, we may choose to present only the two most recent
fiscal years of audited financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and have reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive
compensation, and, if we are a smaller reporting company under the requirements of (ii) above, we would not be required to obtain an
attestation report on internal control over financial reporting issued by our independent registered public accounting firm.
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An investment in our securities involves a significant degree of risk. Before you invest in our securities, you should carefully consider those risk factors included in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, any subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and any subsequently filed Current Reports on Form 8-K, each of which is incorporated herein by reference, 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. If any of these risks were actually to occur, our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially adversely affected. Additional risks not presently known to us or that we currently believe are immaterial may also significantly impair our business operations and financial condition. Please read “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”
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All of the shares of Common Stock offered by the Selling Stockholders pursuant to this prospectus will be sold by the Selling Stockholders for their respective accounts. We will not receive any of the proceeds from these sales. We will receive proceeds from any exercise of the Warrants for cash.
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MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS FOR NON-U.S. HOLDERS
The following is a summary of the material U.S. federal income tax considerations related to the purchase, ownership and disposition of our Common Stock by a non-U.S. holder (as defined below) that holds our Common Stock as a “capital asset” within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Code (generally, property held for investment). This summary is based on the provisions of the Code, U.S. Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder, administrative rulings and judicial decisions, all as in effect on the date hereof, and all of which are subject to change or differing interpretations, possibly with retroactive effect. We cannot assure you that a change in law will not significantly alter the tax considerations that we describe in this summary. We have not sought any ruling from the IRS with respect to the statements made and the positions and conclusions described in the following summary, and there can be no assurance that the IRS or a court will agree with such statements, positions and conclusions.
This summary does not address all aspects of U.S. federal income taxation that may be relevant to non-U.S. holders in light of their personal circumstances. In addition, this summary does not address the impact of the Medicare surtax on certain net investment income, U.S. federal estate or gift tax laws, any U.S. state or local or non-U.S. tax laws or any tax treaties. This summary also does not address all U.S. federal income tax considerations that may be relevant to particular non-U.S. holders in light of their personal circumstances or that may be relevant to certain categories of investors that may be subject to special rules, such as:
| ● | banks, insurance companies or other financial institutions; |
| ● | tax-exempt or governmental organizations; |
| ● | tax-qualified retirement plans; |
| ● | “qualified foreign pension funds” as defined in Section 897(l)(2) of the Code (or any entities all of the interests of which are held by a qualified foreign pension fund); |
| ● | dealers in securities or foreign currencies; |
| ● | traders in securities that use the mark-to-market method of accounting for U.S. federal income tax purposes; |
| ● | “controlled foreign corporations,” “passive foreign investment companies,” and corporations that accumulate earnings to avoid U.S. federal income tax; |
| ● | entities or arrangements treated as partnerships or pass-through entities for U.S. federal income tax purposes or holders of interests therein; |
| ● | persons deemed to sell our Common Stock under the constructive sale provisions of the Code; |
| ● | persons that acquired our Common Stock through the exercise of employee stock options or otherwise as compensation or through a tax-qualified retirement plan; |
| ● | certain former citizens or long-term residents of the U.S.; and |
| ● | persons that hold our Common Stock as part of a straddle, appreciated financial position, synthetic security, hedge, conversion transaction or other integrated investment or risk reduction transaction. |
PROSPECTIVE INVESTORS SHOULD CONSULT WITH THEIR OWN TAX ADVISORS WITH RESPECT TO THE APPLICATION OF THE U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX LAWS (INCLUDING ANY POTENTIAL FUTURE CHANGES THERETO) TO THEIR PARTICULAR SITUATION, AS WELL AS ANY TAX CONSEQUENCES OF THE PURCHASE, OWNERSHIP AND DISPOSITION OF OUR COMMON STOCK ARISING UNDER ANY OTHER TAX LAWS, INCLUDING U.S. FEDERAL ESTATE OR GIFT TAX LAWS OR UNDER THE LAWS OF ANY U.S. STATE OR LOCAL OR NON-U.S. TAXING JURISDICTION, OR UNDER ANY APPLICABLE INCOME TAX TREATY.
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Non-U.S. Holder Defined
For purposes of this discussion, a “non-U.S. holder” is a beneficial owner of our Common Stock that is not for U.S. federal income tax purposes a partnership or any of the following:
| ● | an individual who is a citizen or resident of the U.S.; |
| ● | a corporation (or other entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) created or organized in or under the laws of the U.S., any state thereof or the District of Columbia; |
| ● | an estate the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income tax regardless of its source; or |
| ● | a trust (i) the administration of which is subject to the primary supervision of a U.S. court and which has one or more “United States persons” (within the meaning of Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code) who have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (ii) which has made a valid election under applicable U.S. Treasury regulations to be treated as a United States person. |
If a partnership (including an entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) holds our Common Stock, the tax treatment of a partner in the partnership generally will depend upon the status of the partner, the activities of the partnership and certain determinations made at the partner level. Accordingly, we urge partners in partnerships (including entities or arrangements treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes) considering the purchase of our Common Stock to consult with their own tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal income tax considerations of the purchase, ownership and disposition of our Common Stock by such partnership.
Distributions
We do not expect to pay any distributions on our Common Stock in the foreseeable future. However, in the event we do make distributions of cash or other property on our Common Stock, such distributions will constitute dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the extent paid from our current or accumulated earnings and profits, as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles. To the extent those distributions exceed our current and accumulated earnings and profits, the distributions will be treated as a non-taxable return of capital to the extent of the non-U.S. holder’s tax basis in our Common Stock and thereafter as capital gain from the sale or exchange of such Common Stock. See “—Gain on Sale or Other Taxable Disposition of Common Stock.” Subject to the withholding requirements under FATCA (as defined below) and with respect to effectively connected dividends, each of which is discussed below, any distribution made to a non-U.S. holder on our Common Stock generally will be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax at a rate of 30% of the gross amount of the distribution unless an applicable income tax treaty provides for a lower rate. To receive the benefit of a reduced treaty rate, a non-U.S. holder must generally provide the applicable withholding agent with an IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E, as applicable (or other applicable or successor form) certifying qualification for the reduced rate. A non-U.S. holder that does not timely furnish the required documentation, but that qualifies for a reduced treaty rate, may obtain a refund of any excess amounts withheld by timely filing an appropriate claim for refund with the IRS.
Any portion of a distribution that is treated as a dividend paid to a non-U.S. holder that is effectively connected with a trade or business conducted by the non-U.S. holder in the U.S. (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, are treated as attributable to a permanent establishment maintained by the non-U.S. holder in the U.S.) generally will be taxed on a net income basis at the rates and in the manner generally applicable to United States persons (as defined in the Code). Such effectively connected dividends will not be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax if the non-U.S. holder satisfies certain certification requirements by providing the applicable withholding agent with a properly executed IRS Form W-8ECI (or other applicable or successor form) certifying eligibility for exemption. If the non-U.S. holder is a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, it may also be subject to a branch profits tax (at a 30% rate or such lower rate as specified by an applicable income tax treaty) on its effectively connected earnings and profits (as adjusted for certain items), which will include effectively connected dividends.
Gain on Sale or Other Taxable Disposition of Common Stock
Subject to the discussion below under “—Backup Withholding and Information Reporting,” a non-U.S. holder generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income or withholding tax on any gain realized upon the sale or other taxable disposition of our Common Stock unless:
| ● | the non-U.S. holder is an individual who is present in the U.S. for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the calendar year in which the sale or disposition occurs and certain other conditions are met; |
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| ● | the gain is effectively connected with a trade or business conducted by the non-U.S. holder in the U.S. (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, is attributable to a permanent establishment maintained by the non-U.S. holder in the U.S.); or |
| ● | our Common Stock constitutes a United States real property interest by reason of our status as a U.S. real property holding corporation (“USRPHC”) for U.S. federal income tax purposes and as a result such gain is treated as effectively connected with a trade or business conducted by the non-U.S. holder in the U.S. |
A non-U.S. holder described in the first bullet point above will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% (or such lower rate as specified by an applicable income tax treaty) on the amount of such gain, which generally may be offset by U.S. source capital losses provided the non-U.S. holder has timely filed U.S. federal income tax returns with respect to such losses.
A non-U.S. holder whose gain is described in the second bullet point above or, subject to the exceptions described in the next paragraph, the third bullet point above, generally will be taxed on a net income basis at the rates and in the manner generally applicable to United States persons. If the non-U.S. holder is a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes whose gain is described in the second bullet point above, then such gain would also be included in its effectively connected earnings and profits (as adjusted for certain items), which may be subject to a branch profits tax (at a 30% rate or such lower rate as specified by an applicable income tax treaty).
Generally, a corporation is a USRPHC if the fair market value of its United States real property interests equals or exceeds 50% of the sum of the fair market value of its worldwide real property interests and its other assets used or held for use in a trade or business. We believe that we currently are, and expect to remain for the foreseeable future, a USRPHC for U.S. federal income tax purposes. However, as long as our Common Stock is and continues to be “regularly traded on an established securities market” (within the meaning of the U.S. Treasury regulations), only a non-U.S. holder that actually or constructively owns, or owned at any time during the shorter of the five-year period ending on the date of the disposition or the non-U.S. holder’s holding period for the Common Stock, more than 5% of our Common Stock will be treated as disposing of a United States real property interest and will be taxable on gain realized on the disposition of our Common Stock as a result of our status as a USRPHC. If our Common Stock were not considered to be regularly traded on an established securities market, each non-U.S. holder (regardless of the percentage of stock owned) would be treated as disposing of a United States real property interest and would be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a taxable disposition of our Common Stock (as described in the preceding paragraph), and a 15% withholding tax would apply to the gross proceeds from such disposition.
Non-U.S. holders should consult with their own tax advisors with respect to the application of the foregoing rules to their ownership and disposition of our Common Stock, including regarding potentially applicable income tax treaties that may provide for different rules.
Backup Withholding and Information Reporting
Any dividends paid to a non-U.S. holder must be reported annually to the IRS and to the non-U.S. holder. Copies of these information returns may be made available to the tax authorities in the country in which the non-U.S. holder resides or is established. Payments of dividends to a non-U.S. holder generally will not be subject to backup withholding if the non-U.S. holder establishes an exemption by properly certifying its non-U.S. status on an IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E (or other applicable or successor form).
Payments of the proceeds from a sale or other disposition by a non-U.S. holder of our Common Stock effected by or through a U.S. office of a broker generally will be subject to information reporting and backup withholding (at the applicable rate), which is currently 24% unless the non-U.S. holder establishes an exemption by properly certifying its non-U.S. status on an IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E, as applicable (or other applicable or successor form) and certain other conditions are met. Information reporting and backup withholding generally will not apply to any payment of the proceeds from a sale or other disposition of our Common Stock effected outside the U.S. by a non-U.S. office of a broker. However, unless such broker has documentary evidence in its records that the non-U.S. holder is not a United States person and certain other conditions are met, or the non-U.S. holder otherwise establishes an exemption, information reporting will apply to a payment of the proceeds of the disposition of our Common Stock effected outside the U.S. by such a broker if it has certain relationships within the U.S.
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Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Rather, the U.S. federal income tax liability (if any) of persons subject to backup withholding will be reduced by the amount of tax withheld. If backup withholding results in an overpayment of taxes, a refund may be obtained, provided that the required information is timely furnished to the IRS.
Additional Withholding Requirements under FATCA
Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Code, and the U.S. Treasury regulations and administrative guidance issued thereunder (“FATCA”), impose a 30% withholding tax on any dividends on our Common Stock and, subject to the proposed U.S. Treasury regulations discussed below, on proceeds from sales or other dispositions of shares of our Common Stock, if paid to a “foreign financial institution” or a “non-financial foreign entity” (each as defined in the Code) (including, in some cases, when such foreign financial institution or non-financial foreign entity is acting as an intermediary), unless (i) in the case of a foreign financial institution, such institution enters into an agreement with the U.S. government to withhold on certain payments, and to collect and provide to the U.S. tax authorities substantial information regarding U.S. account holders of such institution (which includes certain equity and debt holders of such institution, as well as certain account holders that are non-U.S. entities with U.S. owners), (ii) in the case of a non-financial foreign entity, such entity certifies that it does not have any “substantial United States owners” (as defined in the Code) or provides the applicable withholding agent with a certification identifying the direct and indirect substantial United States owners of the entity (in either case, generally on an IRS Form W-8BEN-E), or (iii) the foreign financial institution or non-financial foreign entity otherwise qualifies for an exemption from these rules and provides appropriate documentation (such as an IRS Form W-8BEN-E). Foreign financial institutions located in jurisdictions that have an intergovernmental agreement with the U.S. governing these rules may be subject to different rules. Under certain circumstances, a holder might be eligible for refunds or credits of such taxes. While gross proceeds from a sale or other disposition of our Common Stock paid after January 1, 2019, would have originally been subject to withholding under FATCA, proposed U.S. Treasury regulations provide that such payments of gross proceeds do not constitute withholdable payments. Taxpayers may generally rely on these proposed U.S. Treasury regulations until they are revoked or final U.S. Treasury regulations are issued. Non-U.S. holders are encouraged to consult with their own tax advisors regarding the effects of FATCA on an investment in our Common Stock. The proposed U.S. Treasury regulations, which may be relied upon pending the adoption of final U.S. Treasury regulations, have indefinitely suspended the withholding tax on gross proceeds. Consequently, FATCA withholding on gross proceeds paid from the sale or other disposition of our Common Stock is not expected to apply.
INVESTORS CONSIDERING THE PURCHASE OF OUR COMMON STOCK SHOULD CONSULT WITH THEIR OWN TAX ADVISORS REGARDING THE APPLICATION OF THE U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX LAWS (INCLUDING ANY POTENTIAL FUTURE CHANGES THERETO) TO THEIR PARTICULAR SITUATIONS AND THE APPLICABILITY AND EFFECT OF ANY OTHER TAX LAWS, INCLUDING U.S. FEDERAL ESTATE AND GIFT TAX LAWS AND ANY U.S. STATE OR LOCAL OR NON-U.S. TAX LAWS, AND TAX TREATIES.
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The following summary of the capital stock and our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws, copies of which are included as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. You should also be aware that the summary below does not give full effect to the provisions of statutory or common law that may affect your rights as a stockholder.
Our authorized capital stock consists of 500,000,000 shares of Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share, of which 22,918,763 shares were issued and outstanding as of October 9, 2024, and 50,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $0.01 par value per share, of which 14,456.68 shares of Series D convertible preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share (“Series D Preferred Stock”), were issued and outstanding as of October 9, 2024.
The number of authorized shares of Common Stock or preferred stock may be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding plus the number reserved for issuance upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of outstanding securities) by the affirmative vote of the majority of the voting power of the outstanding shares of stock of the Company entitled to vote generally on the election of directors, voting as a single class, irrespective of the provisions of Section 242(b)(2) of the DGCL (or any successor provision thereto), and no vote of the holders of either Common Stock or preferred stock voting separately as a class or series shall be required therefor.
Description of Common Stock
Except as provided by law or in a preferred stock designation, holders of Common Stock are entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders, will have the exclusive right to vote for the election of directors and do not have cumulative voting rights. The Company does not have a classified board, as all directors are elected annually. Except as otherwise required by law, holders of Common Stock are not entitled to vote on any amendment to the second amended and restated certificate of incorporation (including any certificate of designations relating to any series of preferred stock) that relates solely to the terms of any outstanding series of preferred stock if the holders of such affected series are entitled, either separately or together with the holders of one or more other such series, to vote thereon pursuant to the second amended and restated certificate of incorporation (including any certificate of designations relating to any series of preferred stock) or pursuant to the Delaware General Corporation Law, which we refer to as the “DGCL.” Subject to prior rights and preferences that may be applicable to any outstanding shares or series of preferred stock, holders of Common Stock are entitled to receive ratably in proportion to the shares of Common Stock held by them such dividends (payable in cash, stock or otherwise), if any, as may be declared from time to time by our board of directors out of funds legally available for dividend payments. All outstanding shares of Common Stock are fully paid, and non-assessable, and all shares of Common Stock registered by this prospectus will be, when sold, validly issued, fully paid, and non-assessable. The holders of Common Stock have no preferences or rights of conversion, exchange, preemption, or other subscription rights. There are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to the Common Stock. In the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution, or winding-up of our affairs, holders of Common Stock will be entitled to share ratably in our assets in proportion to the shares of Common Stock held by them that are remaining after payment or provision for payment of all of our debts and obligations and after distribution in full of preferential amounts to be distributed to holders of outstanding shares of preferred stock, if any.
Registration Rights Agreements
In connection with the Standby Equity Purchase Agreement, the Company entered into a registration rights agreement with YA II PN, LTD., a Cayman Islands exempt limited partnership (“YA”), pursuant to which the Company agreed to file a registration statement registering the resale of the Common Stock issuable pursuant to the Standby Equity Purchase Agreement, the Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Yorkville Note, and the commitment fee of 100,000 shares of Common Stock issued to YA as consideration for its irrevocable commitment to purchase up to $40.0 million of Common Stock under the Standby Equity Purchase Agreement.
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On September 30, 2024, the Company entered into a registration rights agreement with the Purchaser and the Noteholders pursuant to which the Company agreed to file a registration statement registering the resale of 1,827,040 shares of Common Stock issued by the Company to the Purchaser and the shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of warrants to purchase up to 1,141,552 shares of Common Stock issued by the Company to the Noteholders.
On August 14, 2023, the Company entered into a registration rights agreement with an investor, pursuant to which the Company agreed to submit to or file with the SEC a registration statement registering the resale of the shares of Common Stock underlying Series E Preferred Stock and warrants issued in connection therewith (the “Series E Registration Statement”), and the Company agreed to use its best efforts to have the Series E Registration Statement declared effective as promptly as possible and within the timeframes specified in the Series E Registration Statement.
On May 3, 2023, the Company entered into a registration rights agreement with investors pursuant to which the Company agreed to submit to or file with the SEC a registration statement registering the resale of shares of Common Stock underlying Series D Preferred Stock and warrants issued in connection therewith (the “PIPE Resale Registration Statement” and together with the Series E Registration Statement, the “2023 Registration Statement”), and the Company agreed to use its best efforts to have the PIPE Resale Registration Statement declared effective as promptly as possible and within the timeframes specified in the PIPE Resale Registration Statement. On December 6, 2023, the SEC declared the 2023 Registration Statement effective.
Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Restated Bylaws
Among other things, our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws:
| ● | establish advance notice procedures with regard to stockholder proposals relating to the nomination of candidates for election as directors or new business to be brought before meetings of our stockholders. These procedures provide that notice of stockholder proposals must be timely given in writing to our corporate secretary prior to the meeting at which the action is to be taken. Generally, to be timely, notice must be received at our principal executive offices not less than 90 days nor more than 120 days prior to the first anniversary date of the annual meeting for the preceding year. Our amended and restated bylaws specify the requirements as to form and content of all stockholders’ notices. These requirements may preclude stockholders from bringing matters before the stockholders at an annual or special meeting; |
| ● | provide our board of directors the ability to authorize undesignated preferred stock. This ability makes it possible for our board of directors to issue, without stockholder approval, preferred stock with voting or other rights or preferences that could impede the success of any attempt to change control of us. These and other provisions may have the effect of deferring hostile takeovers or delaying changes in control or management of our company; |
| ● | provide that the authorized number of directors may be changed only by resolution of the board of directors; |
| ● | provide that all vacancies, including newly created directorships, may, except as otherwise required by law or, if applicable, the rights of holders of a series of preferred stock, be filled by the affirmative vote of a majority of directors then in office, even if less than a quorum; and |
| ● | provide that our amended and restated bylaws can be amended or repealed by the board of directors without any action of the stockholders. Stockholders can amend or repeal our amended and restated bylaws with the vote of holders of not less than 66⅔% in voting power of the then-outstanding shares of stock entitled to vote generally on the election of directors, voting together as a single class. |
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Forum Selection
Our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, is the sole and exclusive forum for:
| ● | any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf; |
| ● | any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers, employees, or agents to us or our stockholders; |
| ● | any action asserting a claim against us arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL, our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation or our amended and restated bylaws; and |
| ● | any action asserting a claim against us that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine, in each such case subject to such Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable parties named as defendants therein. |
Our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation also provides that any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of our capital stock will be deemed to have notice of and to have consented to this forum selection provision. However, it is possible that a court could find our forum selection provision to be inapplicable or unenforceable.
Limitation of Liability and Indemnification Matters
Our second 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.
Our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws also provide that we will indemnify our directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law. Our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws also permit us to purchase insurance on behalf of any officer, director, employee, or other agent for any liability arising out of that person’s actions as our officer, director, employee, or agent, regardless of whether Delaware law would permit indemnification. We have obtained directors’ and officers’ insurance to cover our directors, officers, and some of our employees for certain liabilities. We have entered into indemnification agreements with each of our current directors and officers and intend to enter into indemnification agreements with each of our future directors and officers. 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 believe that the limitation of liability provision in our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation and the indemnification agreements facilitate our ability to continue to attract and retain qualified individuals to serve as directors and officers.
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Anti-Takeover Effects of Certain Provisions of our Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, Amended and Restated Bylaws and the DGCL
Certain provisions of our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws, which are summarized in the following paragraphs, may have the effect of discouraging potential acquisition proposals or making a tender offer or delaying or preventing a change in control, including changes a stockholder might consider favorable. Such provisions may also prevent or frustrate attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our management. In particular, our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our amended and restated bylaws and Delaware law, as applicable, among other things:
| ● | provide our board of directors with the ability to alter the Bylaws without stockholder approval (subject to rights of the holders of our preferred stock); | |
| ● | provide that, subject to the rights of the holders of preferred stock, special meetings of our stockholders may be called only by the Chairman (or any Co-Chairman) of the board of directors or the board of directors pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of the total number of directors then in office; and | |
| ● | provide that, subject to the rights of the holders of preferred stock and the terms of the Stockholders Agreement (as defined below), vacancies on our board of directors may be filled by a majority of directors in office, although less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director. |
These provisions are expected to discourage certain types of coercive takeover practices and inadequate takeover bids and to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of us to first negotiate with our board of directors. These provisions may delay or prevent someone from acquiring or merging with us, which may cause the market price of our Common Stock to decline.
Stockholders Agreement
The Company, Bristol Capital Advisors, LLC (“Bristol Capital Advisors”), Paul L. Kessler, Gary C. Hanna and Edward Kovalik entered into a Stockholders Agreement, dated as of May 3, 2023 (the “Stockholders Agreement”), pursuant to which the parties agreed to use reasonable best efforts, including taking certain necessary actions, to cause the board of directors to cause certain nominees to be elected to serve as a director on the board of directors under the following conditions: (i) one nominee designated by Bristol Capital Advisors and Paul L. Kessler, collectively, so long as Bristol Capital Advisors, Paul L. Kessler and their respective affiliates collectively beneficially own at least 50% of the number of shares of Common Stock collectively beneficially owned by such parties on of May 3, 2023; (ii) four nominees designated by Gary C. Hanna and Edward Kovalik (the “Prairie Members”) so long as the Prairie Members and their affiliates collectively beneficially own at least 50% of the number of shares of Common Stock collectively beneficially owned by such parties on of May 3, 2023; (iii) three nominees designated by the Prairie Members so long as the Prairie Members and their affiliates collectively beneficially own at least 40% (but less than 50%) of the number of shares of Common Stock collectively beneficially owned by such parties on of May 3, 2023; (iv) two nominees designated by the Prairie Members so long as the Prairie Members and their affiliates collectively beneficially own at least 30% (but less than 40%) of the number of shares of Common Stock collectively beneficially owned by such parties on of May 3, 2023; (v) one nominee designated by the Prairie Members so long as the Prairie Members and their affiliates collectively beneficially own at least 20% (but less than 30%) of the number of shares of Common Stock collectively beneficially owned by such parties on of May 3, 2023; and (vi) in the event of a vacancy on the board of directors, a replacement director designated by the party that designated the vacating director, provided that such upon such replacement, the total number of directors designated by such party does not exceed the total number of directors such party is entitled to designate pursuant to the Stockholders Agreement.
Advance Notice Bylaws. Our Bylaws contain an advance notice procedure for stockholder proposals to be brought before any meeting of stockholders, including proposed nominations of persons for election to our board of directors. Stockholders at any meeting will only be able to consider proposals or nominations specified in the notice of meeting or brought before the meeting by or at the direction of our board of directors or by a stockholder who was a stockholder of record on the record date for the meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who has given our corporate secretary timely written notice, in proper form, of the stockholder’s intention to bring that business before the meeting. Although the Bylaws do not give our board of directors the power to approve or disapprove stockholder nominations of candidates or proposals regarding other business to be conducted at a special or annual meeting, the Bylaws may have the effect of precluding the conduct of certain business at a meeting if the proper procedures are not followed, or may discourage or deter a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect its own slate of directors or otherwise attempting to obtain control of us.
Interested Stockholder Transactions. We may become subject to Section 203 of the DGCL, which, subject to certain exceptions, prohibits “business combinations” between a publicly-held Delaware corporation and an “interested stockholder,” which is generally defined as a stockholder who becomes a beneficial owner of 15% or more of a Delaware corporation’s voting stock for a three-year period following the date that such stockholder became an interested stockholder.
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for our Common Stock is Vstock Transfer, LLC. The transfer agent’s telephone number and address are (212) 828-8436 and 18 Lafayette Place, Woodmere, New York 11598.
Listing
Our Common Stock is listed on the Nasdaq under the symbol “PROP.”
| 13 |
This prospectus relates to the offer and sale from time to time by the Selling Stockholders of up to 2,968,592 shares of Common Stock consisting of (i) shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of warrants to purchase up to 1,141,552 shares of Common Stock issued to the Noteholders in accordance with the terms of the Subordinated Note and (ii) up to 1,827,040 shares of Common Stock issued to the Purchaser in accordance with the Purchase Agreement.
The table below presents information regarding the Selling Stockholders and the shares of Common Stock that it may offer from time to time under this prospectus. This table is prepared based on information supplied to us by the Selling Stockholders. The number of shares in the column “Maximum Number of Shares of Common Stock to be Offered Pursuant to this Prospectus” represents all of the shares of Common Stock that the Selling Stockholders may offer under this prospectus. The Selling Stockholders may sell some, all or none of its shares in this offering. We do not know how long the Selling Stockholder will hold the shares before selling them, and we currently have no agreements, arrangements or understandings with the Selling Stockholders regarding the sale of any of the shares.
Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with Rule 13d-3(d) promulgated by the SEC under the Exchange Act, and includes shares of Common Stock with respect to which the Selling Stockholders have voting and investment power. The percentage of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by the Selling Stockholders prior to the offering shown in the table below is based on an aggregate of 22,918,763 shares of our Common Stock outstanding on October 9, 2024. The number of shares that may actually be sold by us under the Purchase Agreement may be fewer than the number of shares being offered by this prospectus. The fourth column assumes the sale of all of the shares offered by the Selling Stockholders pursuant to this prospectus.
Number of Shares of Common Stock Owned Prior to Offering | Shares Offered | Number of Shares of Common Stock Owned After Offering | ||||||||||||||||||
| Name of Selling Stockholder | Number | % | Hereby | Number | % | |||||||||||||||
| First Idea Ventures LLC(1) | 1,143,401 | 5.0 | % | 913,242 | 230,159 | 1.0 | % | |||||||||||||
| The Hideaway Entertainment LLC(2) | 228,310 | * | 228,310 | — | — | |||||||||||||||
| THRC Holdings, LP(3) | 1,827,040 | 8.0 | % | 1,827,040 | — | — | ||||||||||||||
| * | Less than 1%. |
| (1) | First Idea Ventures LLC is the direct owner of (i) 80,159 shares of Common Stock, (ii) Series D Preferred Stock convertible into 150,000 shares of Common Stock, (iii) Series D PIPE Warrants to purchase 300,000 shares of Common Stock and (iv) warrants representing 913,242 shares of Common Stock that are issuable upon the exercise of the warrant. The shares reported herein are subject to a 4.99% Beneficial Ownership Limitation. For purposes of the 4.99% Beneficial Ownership Limitation, the shares of First Idea Ventures LLC and The Hideaway Entertainment LLC are aggregated because of affiliation by common ownership. If, however, conversion or exercise of such shares are not subject to a 4.99% Beneficial Ownership Limitation, the combined shares of First Idea Ventures LLC and The Hideaway Entertainment LLC reported herein would be 1,671,711 shares of Common Stock and the percentage ownership would be approximately 7.29%. Jonathan H. Gray holds 50% and his spouse, Chloe Gray, holds 50% of the interests of First Idea Ventures LLC and each share voting and investment power over the securities held by First Idea Ventures LLC. The address of First Idea Ventures LLC is c/o Jade Fiducial, 223 S. Wacker Drive, 44th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606. First Idea Capital, LLC (“First Idea Capital”) is the managing entity of First Idea Ventures LLC. Mr. Gray holds 100% of the interests of First Idea Capital. The address of First Idea Capital is c/o Jade Fiducial, 223 S. Wacker Drive, 44th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606. Mr. Gray is a director of the Company. |
| (2) | The Hideaway Entertainment LLC is the direct owner of warrants representing 228,310 shares that are issuable upon the exercise of the warrant. The shares reported herein include the 228,310 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of the warrants. The shares reported herein are subject to a 4.99% Beneficial Ownership Limitation. For purposes of the 4.99% Beneficial Ownership Limitation, the shares of First Idea Ventures LLC and The Hideaway Entertainment LLC are aggregated because of affiliation by common ownership. If, however, conversion or exercise of such shares are not subject to a 4.99% Beneficial Ownership Limitation, the combined shares of First Idea Ventures LLC and The Hideaway Entertainment LLC reported herein would be 1,671,711 shares of Common Stock and the percentage ownership would be approximately 7.29%. Jonathan H. Gray is the managing member of The Hideaway Entertainment LLC. The address of The Hideaway Entertainment LLC is c/o Jade Fiducial, 223 S. Wacker Drive, 44th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606. Mr. Gray has voting or investment control over the shares held by The Hideaway Entertainment LLC. Mr. Gray is a director of the Company. |
| (3) | THRC Holdings, LP, a Texas limited partnership (“THRC Holdings”) directly owns 1,827,040 shares of Common Stock of the Company. THRC Management, LLC, a Texas limited liability company (“THRC Management”) is the general partner of THRC Holdings, and thereby exercises discretion with respect to the voting and investment decisions. Accordingly, although THRC Management does not directly own the shares of Common Stock, by virtue of the investment discretion exercised by THRC Management with respect to THRC Holdings, THRC Management may be deemed to have beneficial ownership over the shares of Common Stock directly owned by THRC Holdings. Additionally, Dan Wilks is the managing member of THRC Management, and through THRC Management is responsible for the voting and investment decisions relating to the Common Stock held by THRC Holdings. Accordingly, although Mr. Wilks does not directly own the shares of Common Stock, by virtue of Mr. Wilks’s capacity as the managing member of THRC Management, Mr. Wilks may be deemed to have beneficial ownership over the shares of Common Stock directly owned by THRC Holdings. The address of THRC Holdings is 17018 IH 20, Cisco, TX 76437. |
| 14 |
The Selling Securityholders may offer and sell, from time to time, the shares of Common Stock covered by this prospectus.
We are required to pay all fees and expenses incident to the registration of the shares of our Common Stock to be offered and sold pursuant to this prospectus. The Selling Securityholders will bear all discounts and commissions, if any, attributable to their sale of shares of our Common Stock.
We will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale of the securities by the Selling Securityholders. The aggregate proceeds to the Selling Securityholders will be the purchase price of the securities less any discounts and commissions borne by the Selling Securityholders. The term “Selling Securityholders” includes donees, pledgees, transferees or other successors in interest selling securities received after the date of this prospectus from a Selling Securityholder as a gift, pledge, partnership distribution or other transfer. The Selling Securityholders will act independently of us in making decisions with respect to the timing, manner and size of each sale. Such sales may be made on one or more exchanges or in the over-the-counter market or otherwise, at prices and under terms then prevailing or at prices related to the then current market price or in negotiated transactions. The Selling Securityholders may sell their shares of Common Stock by one or more of, or a combination of, the following methods:
| ● | purchases by a broker-dealer as principal and resale by such broker-dealer for its own account pursuant to this prospectus; |
| ● | ordinary brokerage transactions and transactions in which the broker solicits purchasers; |
| ● | block trades in which the broker-dealer so engaged will attempt to sell the shares as agent but may position and resell a portion of the block as principal to facilitate the transaction; |
| ● | an over-the-counter distribution in accordance with the rules of the applicable listing exchange; |
| ● | through trading plans entered into by a Selling Securityholder pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act, that are in place at the time of an offering pursuant to this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement hereto that provide for periodic sales of their securities on the basis of parameters described in such trading plans; |
| ● | to or through underwriters or broker-dealers; |
| ● | in “at the market” offerings, as defined in Rule 415 under the Securities Act, at negotiated prices, at prices prevailing at the time of sale or at prices related to such prevailing market prices, including sales made directly on a national securities exchange or sales made through a market maker other than on an exchange or other similar offerings through sales agents; |
| ● | in privately negotiated transactions; |
| ● | in options transactions; |
| ● | through a combination of any of the above methods of sale; or |
| ● | any other method permitted pursuant to applicable law. |
In addition, any shares that qualify for sale pursuant to Rule 144 may be sold under Rule 144 rather than pursuant to this prospectus.
| 15 |
To the extent required, this prospectus may be amended or supplemented from time to time to describe a specific plan of distribution. In connection with distributions of the shares or otherwise, the Selling Securityholders may enter into hedging transactions with broker-dealers or other financial institutions. In connection with such transactions, broker-dealers or other financial institutions may engage in short sales of shares of Common Stock in the course of hedging the positions they assume with Selling Securityholders. The Selling Securityholders may also sell shares of Common Stock short and redeliver the shares to close out such short positions. The Selling Securityholders may also enter into option or other transactions with broker-dealers or other financial institutions which 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 Securityholders may also pledge shares to a broker-dealer or other financial institution, and, upon a default, such broker-dealer or other financial institution, may effect sales of the pledged shares pursuant to this prospectus (as supplemented or amended to reflect such transaction).
A Selling Securityholder may enter into derivative transactions with third parties, or sell securities not covered by this prospectus to third parties in privately negotiated transactions. If an applicable prospectus supplement 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 any Selling Securityholder or borrowed from any Selling Securityholder or others to settle those sales or to close out any related open borrowings of stock, and may use securities received from any Selling Securityholder in settlement of those derivatives to close out any related open borrowings of stock. If applicable through securities laws, the third party in such sale transactions will be an underwriter and will be identified in the applicable prospectus supplement (or a post-effective amendment). In addition, any Selling Securityholder 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. 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.
In effecting sales, broker-dealers or agents engaged by the Selling Securityholders may arrange for other broker-dealers to participate. Broker-dealers or agents may receive commissions, discounts or concessions from the Selling Securityholders in amounts to be negotiated immediately prior to the sale.
In offering the securities covered by this prospectus, the Selling Securityholders and any broker-dealers who execute sales for the Selling Securityholders may be deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaning of the Securities Act in connection with such sales. Any profits realized by the Selling Securityholders and the compensation of any broker-dealer may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions.
In order to comply with the securities laws of certain states, if applicable, the securities must be sold in such jurisdictions only through registered or licensed brokers or dealers. In addition, in certain states the securities may not be sold unless they have been registered or qualified for sale in the applicable state or an exemption from the registration or qualification requirement is available and is complied with.
We have advised the Selling Securityholders that the anti-manipulation rules of Regulation M under the Exchange Act may apply to sales of securities in the market and to the activities of the Selling Securityholders and their affiliates. In addition, we will make copies of this prospectus available to the Selling Securityholders for the purpose of satisfying the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act. The Selling Securityholders may indemnify any broker-dealer that participates in transactions involving the sale of the shares against certain liabilities, including liabilities arising under the Securities Act.
At the time a particular offer of securities is made, if required, a prospectus supplement will be distributed that will set forth the number of securities being offered and the terms of the offering, including the name of any underwriter, dealer or agent, the purchase price paid by any underwriter, any discount, commission and other item constituting compensation, any discount, commission or concession allowed or reallowed or paid to any dealer, and the proposed selling price to the public.
| 16 |
The validity of the issuance of the securities offered in this prospectus will be passed upon for us by Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., Houston, Texas.
| 17 |
Prairie Operating Co.
The financial statements of Prairie Operating Co. (formerly known as Prairie Operating Co., LLC) as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 and for the year ended December 31, 2023 and for the period from June 7, 2022 (inception) through December 31, 2022 incorporated by reference in this prospectus from the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the year ended December 31, 2023, have been audited by Ham, Langston & Brezina, LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report appearing thereon, and have been incorporated by reference in this prospectus and registration statement in reliance upon the report of such firm given their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
Estimates of the reserves of the Company as of December 31, 2023 incorporated by reference in this prospectus from the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the year ended December 31, 2023, the combined reserves of the Company as of June 30, 2024 and related information included in this prospectus have been prepared based on reports by Cawley, Gillespie & Associates, Inc., an independent Petroleum Reserve Evaluation Firm, and all such information has been so incorporated in reliance on the authority of such experts in such matters. Pursuant to Rule 412 under the Securities Act, the combined and individual reserve reports with respect to the Initial Genesis Assets, the Central Weld Assets and the Genesis Bolt-On Assets, in each case, as of January 31, 2024, incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference into this prospectus are deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus by the combined reserve report as of June 30, 2024. Any statement so modified or superseded will not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus.
Nickel Road Operating LLC
The consolidated financial statements of Nickel Road Operating LLC (“NRO”) as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 and for the years then ended incorporated in this prospectus by reference from the Company’s Amendment to its Current Report on Form 8-K/A, dated March 19, 2024, have been audited by Moss Adams LLP, independent auditors, as stated in their report, which is incorporated by reference. Such consolidated financial statements are incorporated by reference in reliance upon the report of such firm given their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
Estimates of NRO’s reserves as of December 31, 2023 and related information incorporated by reference in this prospectus by reference from the Company’s Amendment to its Current Report on Form 8-K/A, dated March 19, 2024 have been prepared based on reports by Cawley, Gillespie & Associates, Inc., an independent Petroleum Reserve Evaluation Firm, and all such information has been so incorporated in reliance on the authority of such experts in such matters.
| 18 |
The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.
Subject to completion, dated October 18, 2024
PROSPECTUS
Prairie Operating Co.
Up to 4,198,343 Shares of Common Stock
This prospectus relates solely to the resale from time to time of up to an aggregate of 4,198,343 shares of our common stock, par value $0.01 per share (“Common Stock”), by YA II PN, LTD., a Cayman Islands exempt limited partnership (“YA” or the “Selling Stockholder”). YA is a fund managed by Yorkville Advisors Global, LP.
The Common Stock being offered by the Selling Stockholder have been and may be issued pursuant to the Standby Equity Purchase Agreement, dated September 30, 2024, that we entered into with YA (the “SEPA”), or the convertible promissory note (the “Yorkville Note”) issued on September 30, 2024 in the original principal amount of $15 million issued pursuant to the SEPA. We are not selling any securities under this prospectus and will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale of Common Stock by the Selling Stockholder. However, we have the right, not the obligation, to sell to the YA shares of Common Stock, for a value of up to $40.0 million of Common Stock (the “Advance Shares”), subject to certain limitations and the satisfaction of certain conditions at the Company’s request (an “Advance Notice”), during the Commitment Period (as defined herein) commencing on September 30, 2024 and terminating on September 30, 2026. Each issuance and sale by the Company under the SEPA is subject to a maximum limit equal to 100% of the aggregate volume traded of the Company’s Common Stock on the Nasdaq Stock Market during the five trading days immediately prior to the date of the Advance Notice. Pursuant to the SEPA, we will pay (i) a non-refundable structuring fee of $25,000 and (ii) a commitment fee of 100,000 shares of Common Stock (the “Commitment Fee”) to YA as consideration for its irrevocable commitment to purchase Advance Shares under the SEPA. The Advance Shares that may be offered pursuant to this prospectus would be purchased by YA pursuant to the SEPA at a purchase price equal to 97% of the lowest daily volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for three consecutive trading days commencing on the trading day immediately following YA’s receipt of an Advance Notice.
Additionally, on September 30, 2024, pursuant to the SEPA, YA advanced an initial $15.0 million (the “Pre-Paid Advance”) to the Company and the Company issued the Yorkville Note evidencing the Pre-Paid Advance, with an interest rate of 8.00% and a maturity date of September 30, 2025. The Company’s obligations with respect to the Yorkville Note are guaranteed by Prairie Operating Co., LLC (“Prairie LLC”), a subsidiary of the Company, and Prairie Operating Holding Co., LLC (“Prairie Holdco”), a subsidiary of the Company, pursuant to a global guaranty agreement (the “SEPA Guaranty”) entered into by Prairie LLC and Prairie Holdco in favor of YA on September 30, 2024. YA may convert the Yorkville Note into shares of Common Stock at any time at the Conversion Price (as defined in the Yorkville Note). The Company may, at any time, redeem all or a portion or the amounts outstanding under the Yorkville Note at 105% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest.
The Selling Stockholder may sell the Common Stock included in this prospectus in a number of different ways and at varying prices. We provide more information about how the Selling Stockholder may sell the Common Stock in the section entitled “Plan of Distribution.” The Selling Stockholder is an “underwriter” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).
The Selling Stockholder will pay all brokerage fees and commissions and similar expenses in connection with the offer and sale of the Common Stock by the Selling Stockholder pursuant to this prospectus. We will pay the expenses (except brokerage fees and commissions and similar expenses) incurred in registering under the Securities Act the offer and sale of the Common Stock included in this prospectus by the Selling Shareholder. See “Plan of Distribution.”
Our Common Stock and warrants are traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market (the “Nasdaq”) under the symbol “PROP.” On October 17, 2024, the closing price of our Common Stock was $8.65.
You should read carefully this prospectus, the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement before you invest. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 5 of this prospectus for information on certain risks related to the purchase of our securities.
The Selling Stockholder may sell the securities directly or to or through underwriters or dealers, and also to other purchasers or through agents. The names of any underwriters or agents that are included in a sale of securities to you, and any applicable commissions or discounts, will be stated in any accompanying prospectus supplement. In addition, the underwriters, if any, may over-allot a portion of the securities.
Neither the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is , 2024.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| i |
This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we have filed with the SEC using a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration process, the Selling Stockholder may offer and sell from time to time the securities described in this prospectus in one or more offerings. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities that are registered hereunder that may be offered by the Selling Stockholder. In connection with an offering of securities hereunder, the Selling Stockholder may provide you with a prospectus supplement that describes, among other things, the specific amounts and prices of the securities being offered and the terms of the offering.
Any prospectus supplement may add, update, or change information contained in this prospectus. Any statement that we make in this prospectus will be modified or superseded by any inconsistent statement made by us in any prospectus supplement. The information in this prospectus is accurate as of its date. Additional information, including our financial statements and the notes thereto, is incorporated in this prospectus by reference to our reports filed with the SEC. Therefore, before you invest in our securities, you should carefully read this prospectus and any prospectus supplement relating to the securities offered to you together with the additional information incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement (including the documents described under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Documents Incorporated by Reference” in both this prospectus and any prospectus supplement).
You should rely only on the information contained in or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement. Neither we nor the Selling Stockholder have authorized any other person to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. Neither we, the Selling Stockholder nor anyone acting on our behalf is making an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should not assume that the information incorporated by reference or provided in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front of those documents.
Unless the context otherwise requires, throughout this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement, the words “we,” “us,” the “registrant,” “the Company,” or “Prairie” refer to Prairie Operating Co. and the term “securities” refers to the shares of our Common Stock registered hereunder.
| ii |
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We have filed a registration statement with the SEC under the Securities Act that registers the offer and sale of the securities covered by this prospectus. The registration statement, including the exhibits attached thereto and incorporated by reference therein, contains additional relevant information about us. In addition, we file annual, quarterly and other reports and other information with the SEC. The SEC maintains a website that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. Our SEC filings are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
We make available free of charge on or through our website, https://investors.prairieopco.com, our filings with the SEC pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC. We make our website content available for information purposes only. Information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus and does not constitute a part of this prospectus.
| iii |
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” the information we have filed with the SEC. This means that we can disclose important information to you without actually including the specific information in this prospectus by referring you to other documents filed separately with the SEC. The information incorporated by reference is an important part of this prospectus. Information that we later provide to the SEC, and which is deemed to be “filed” with the SEC, will automatically update information previously filed with the SEC, and may update or replace information in this prospectus and information previously filed with the SEC.
We incorporate by reference the documents listed below and any filings we make with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14, or 15(d) of Exchange Act (excluding information deemed to be furnished and not filed with the SEC), after the date on which the registration statement was initially filed with the SEC (including all such documents that we may file with the SEC after the date the registration statement was initially filed and prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement) until all offerings under the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part are completed or terminated:
| ● | our Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the year ended December 31, 2023 filed on March 20, 2024, including those portions of our definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A, filed on April 24, 2024, incorporated by reference therein; |
| ● | our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2024 and June 30, 2024 filed on May 13, 2024 and August 9, 2024, respectively; |
| ● | our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2024 filed on May 13, 2024; |
| ● | our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed on January 12, 2024, January 24, 2024, February 5, 2024, February 12, 2024, March 20, 2024, April 9, 2024, April 12, 2024, June 10, 2024, August 20, 2024 and October 4, 2024, and our Current Reports on Form 8-K/A filed on January 29, 2024, February 9, 2024, March 19, 2024 and April 9, 2024; and |
| ● | the description of our Common Stock contained in our Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed on December 22, 2023, as amended by Exhibit 4.5 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, and any further amendments thereto or reports that we may file in the future for the purpose of updating such description. |
These reports contain important information about us, our financial condition and our results of operations.
You may obtain copies of any of the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus from the SEC through the SEC’s website at the address provided above. You also may request a copy of any document incorporated by reference in this prospectus (including exhibits to those documents specifically incorporated by reference in this prospectus), at no cost, by contacting us at:
Prairie Operating Co.
Attention: Investor Relations
55 Waugh Drive, Suite 400
Houston, Texas 77007
(713) 424-4247
| 1 |
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus, any prospectus supplement and the documents incorporated by reference herein or therein contain, or may contain, statements that are forward-looking and as such are not historical facts. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding future financial performance, business strategies, expansion plans, future results of operations, estimated revenues, losses, projected costs, prospects, plans and objectives of management. These forward-looking statements are based on our management’s current expectations, estimates, projections and beliefs, as well as a number of assumptions concerning future events, and are not guarantees of performance. Such statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. When used in this prospectus or in the documents incorporated by reference, words such as “may,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “believe,” “estimate,” “continue,” “project” or the negative of such terms or other similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements in this prospectus and in any document incorporated by reference in this prospectus may include, for example, statements about:
| ● | estimates of oil and natural gas reserves of our oil and gas assets; | |
| ● | estimates of the future oil and natural gas production from our oil and gas assets, including estimates of any increases or decreases in production; | |
| ● | the availability and adequacy of cash flow to meet our requirements; | |
| ● | the availability of additional capital for our operations; | |
| ● | changes in our business and growth strategy, including our ability to successfully operate and expand our business; | |
| ● | changes or developments in applicable laws or regulations, including with respect to taxes; | |
| ● | actions taken or not taken by third-parties, including our contractors and competitors; | |
| ● | our ability to fund our development and drilling plan using generated free cash flow without utilizing leverage; | |
| ● | our operating costs, customer loss and business disruption may be greater than expected following the proposed transaction or the public announcement of the proposed transaction; | |
| ● | our ability to grow our operations, and to fund such operations, on the anticipated timeline or at all; | |
| ● | uncertainties inherent in estimating quantities of oil, natural gas and NGL reserves and projecting future rates of production and the amount and timing of development expenditures; | |
| ● | commodity price and cost volatility and inflation; | |
| ● | the ability to obtain and maintain necessary permits and approvals to develop our assets; | |
| ● | safety and environmental requirements that may subject us to unanticipated liabilities; | |
| ● | our success in retaining or recruiting, or changes required in, our officers, key employees or directors; | |
| ● | general economic, financial, legal, political, and business conditions and changes in domestic and foreign markets; | |
| ● | the risks related to the growth of the Company’s business; | |
| ● | the effects of competition on the Company’s future business; and | |
| ● | other factors detailed under the section entitled “Risk Factors” and in our periodic filings with the SEC. |
Our SEC filings are available publicly on the SEC website at www.sec.gov. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements. Accordingly, forward-looking statements in this prospectus and in any document incorporated herein by reference should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any subsequent date, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.
All forward-looking statements, expressed or implied, included in this prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein 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.
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Prairie Operating Co. is an independent oil and gas company focused on the acquisition and development of crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids. Our assets and operations are concentrated in the oil and liquids-rich regions of the Denver-Julesburg (DJ) Basin, with a primary focus on the Niobrara and Codell formations. We are committed to the responsible development of our oil and natural gas resources and are focused on maximizing returns through consistent growth, capital discipline, and sustainable cash flow generation.
Corporate Information
Our principal executive offices are located at 55 Waugh Drive, Suite 400, Houston, Texas 77007, and our telephone number at that location is (713) 424-4247. Our website can be found at https://investors.prairieopco.com. The information contained on our website or that can be accessed through our website is not part of this prospectus and you should not rely on that information when making a decision on whether to invest in our securities.
Implications of a Smaller Reporting Company
We are a “smaller reporting company” as defined under the Securities Act and Exchange Act. We may continue to be a smaller reporting company so long as either (i) the market value of shares of our Common Stock held by non-affiliates is less than $250 million or (ii) our annual revenue was less than $100 million during the most recently completed fiscal year and the market value of shares of our Common Stock held by non-affiliates is less than $700 million. As a smaller reporting company, we may choose to present only the two most recent fiscal years of audited financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and have reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation, and, if we are a smaller reporting company under the requirements of (ii) above, we would not be required to obtain an attestation report on internal control over financial reporting issued by our independent registered public accounting firm.
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An investment in our securities involves a significant degree of risk. Before you invest in our securities, you should carefully consider those risk factors included in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, any subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and any subsequently filed Current Reports on Form 8-K, each of which is incorporated herein by reference, 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. If any of these risks were actually to occur, our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially adversely affected. Additional risks not presently known to us or that we currently believe are immaterial may also significantly impair our business operations and financial condition. Please read “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”
The issuance of large numbers of shares of our Common Stock pursuant to the SEPA may have a significant dilutive effect on existing stockholders and negatively impact the market price of our Common Stock.
The issuance of our Common Stock to YA in accordance with the SEPA will have a dilutive impact on our stockholders, and such impact may be significant. As a result, the market price of our Common Stock could decline. In addition, the lower our stock price is at each closing under the terms of the SEPA, the more shares of our Common Stock we will have to issue to YA. If our stock price decreases, then our existing stockholders will experience greater dilution for any given dollar amount received by us through the SEPA. The perceived risk of dilution may cause our stockholders to sell their shares, which may cause a decline in the price of our Common Stock.
Our commitment to issue shares of Common Stock pursuant to the SEPA could encourage short sales by third parties, including by YA, which could contribute to the future decline of our stock price.
Our commitment to issue shares of Common Stock pursuant to the SEPA has the potential to cause significant downward pressure on the price of our Common Stock. In such an environment, short sellers may exacerbate any decline of our stock price. If there are significant short sales of our Common Stock, the share price of our Common Stock may decline more than it would in an environment without such activity. This may cause other holders of our Common Stock to sell their shares. If there are many more shares of our Common Stock on the market for sale than the market will absorb, the price of our common shares will likely decline.
The Selling Stockholder, including YA, may not participate in short sales of our Common Stock directly or indirectly. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing contained in the SEPA prohibits YA during the Restricted Period (as defined therein) from: (1) selling “long” any Common Stock; or (2) selling a number of Common Stock equal to the number of Advance Shares that YA is unconditionally obligated to purchase under a pending Advance Notice but has not yet received from the Company or the transfer agent pursuant to the SEPA; or (3) selling a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the number of Common Stock that YA is entitled to receive, but has not yet received from the Company or the transfer agent, upon the completion of a pending conversion of the Yorkville Note (as defined below) for which a conversion notice has been submitted to the Company.
YA will pay less than the then-prevailing market price of our Common Stock which could cause the price of our Common Stock to decline.
Our Common Stock to be issued under the SEPA will be purchased at discount. The shares of Common Stock are issued at a purchase price per share equal to 97% of the dollar volume-weighted average price per share of Common Stock during the three consecutive trading days commencing on the date the Company is deemed to have delivered an advance notice to the investor.
YA has a financial incentive to sell our shares immediately upon receiving them to realize the profit between the discounted price and the market price. If YA sells our shares, the price of our Common Stock may decrease. If our stock price decreases, YA may have further incentive to sell such shares. Accordingly, the discounted sales price in the SEPA may cause the price of our Common Stock to decline.
We may not be able to access the full amounts available under the terms of the SEPA, which could prevent us from accessing the capital we need to continue our operations, which could have an adverse effect on our business.
We intend to rely on the SEPA for our near-term capital needs. Subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, including the condition that the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part is declared effective by the SEC, YA will purchase $40.0 million of shares of our Common Stock over a 24-month period.
Each Advance by the Company will be subject to certain limitations, including that YA cannot acquire (i) any shares that would result in YA, including its affiliates, beneficially owning more than 4.99% of the Company’s outstanding Common Stock at the time of an Advance or (ii) more than 19.99% of the Company’s issued and outstanding Common Stock as of September 30, 2024 (the “Exchange Cap”). The Exchange Cap will not apply in certain circumstances, including, where the Company obtains shareholder approval to issue in excess of the Exchange Cap, or otherwise in accordance with the listing rules of Nasdaq.
We may be unable to satisfy all of the conditions in the SEPA necessary for YA’s obligation to purchase shares of our Common Stock. If that occurs, we may be unable to access the full $40.0 million available under the SEPA, or a substantial portion thereof, or our access to such funds may be delayed. Our inability to access a portion or the full amount available under the SEPA, in the absence of any other financing sources, could prevent us from accessing the capital we need to continue our operations, which could have a material adverse effect on our business.
Under the Yorkville Note, we do not have the right to control the timing and amount of the issuance of our shares of Common Stock to YA and, accordingly, it is not possible to predict the actual number of shares we will issue pursuant to the Yorkville Note at any one time or in total.
We do not have the right to control the timing and amount of any issuances of our shares of Common Stock to YA under the Yorkville Note. Issuances of our Common Stock, if any, to YA under the Yorkville Note will depend upon market conditions and other factors, and the discretion of YA.
Because the Conversion Price for the Common Shares underlying the Yorkville Note will fluctuate based on the market prices of our Common Stock, it is not possible for us to predict, as of the date of this prospectus and prior to any such Conversion, the number of such Common Shares that we will issue to YA under the Yorkville Note and the number of shares could be significantly higher than the number of shares registered for resale by YA hereunder. In addition, unless we obtain stockholder approval, we will not be able to issue Common Shares in excess of the Exchange Cap in accordance with applicable Nasdaq rules. Further, the resale by YA of a significant amount of shares registered in this offering at any given time, or the perception that these sales may occur, could cause the market price of our Common Stock to decline and to be highly volatile.
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All of the shares of Common Stock offered by the Selling Stockholder pursuant to this prospectus will be sold by the Selling Stockholder for its respective accounts. We will not receive any of the proceeds from these sales. However, we may receive up to $40.0 million in gross proceeds under the SEPA from sales of Common Stock that we may elect to make to the Selling Stockholder pursuant to the SEPA, if any, from time to time in our sole discretion, during the period commencing on the effective date of the SEPA and expiring upon the termination of the SEPA (the “Commitment Period”). We will not receive any proceeds from our issuance of the Commitment Shares (as defined in the SEPA) to the Selling Stockholder.
The proceeds from the Selling Stockholder that we receive under the SEPA, if any, are currently expected to be used for general corporate purposes, which may include advancing our development and drilling program or financing other acquisitions. We may temporarily invest the net proceeds in short-term marketable securities until they are used for their stated purpose. Accordingly, we retain broad discretion over the use of the net proceeds from the sale of our Common Stock under the SEPA. The precise amount and timing of the application of such proceeds will depend upon our liquidity needs and the availability and cost of other capital over which we have little or no control. As of the date hereof, we cannot specify with certainty the particular uses for the net proceeds from the sales of Common Stock, if any, to YA under the SEPA.
We will incur all costs associated with this prospectus and the registration statement of which it is a part.
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MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS FOR NON-U.S. HOLDERS
The following is a summary of the material U.S. federal income tax considerations related to the purchase, ownership and disposition of our Common Stock by a non-U.S. holder (as defined below) that holds our Common Stock as a “capital asset” within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Code (generally, property held for investment). This summary is based on the provisions of the Code, U.S. Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder, administrative rulings and judicial decisions, all as in effect on the date hereof, and all of which are subject to change or differing interpretations, possibly with retroactive effect. We cannot assure you that a change in law will not significantly alter the tax considerations that we describe in this summary. We have not sought any ruling from the IRS with respect to the statements made and the positions and conclusions described in the following summary, and there can be no assurance that the IRS or a court will agree with such statements, positions and conclusions.
This summary does not address all aspects of U.S. federal income taxation that may be relevant to non-U.S. holders in light of their personal circumstances. In addition, this summary does not address the impact of the Medicare surtax on certain net investment income, U.S. federal estate or gift tax laws, any U.S. state or local or non-U.S. tax laws or any tax treaties. This summary also does not address all U.S. federal income tax considerations that may be relevant to particular non-U.S. holders in light of their personal circumstances or that may be relevant to certain categories of investors that may be subject to special rules, such as:
| ● | banks, insurance companies or other financial institutions; |
| ● | tax-exempt or governmental organizations; |
| ● | tax-qualified retirement plans; |
| ● | “qualified foreign pension funds” as defined in Section 897(l)(2) of the Code (or any entities all of the interests of which are held by a qualified foreign pension fund); |
| ● | dealers in securities or foreign currencies; |
| ● | traders in securities that use the mark-to-market method of accounting for U.S. federal income tax purposes; |
| ● | “controlled foreign corporations,” “passive foreign investment companies,” and corporations that accumulate earnings to avoid U.S. federal income tax; |
| ● | entities or arrangements treated as partnerships or pass-through entities for U.S. federal income tax purposes or holders of interests therein; |
| ● | persons deemed to sell our Common Stock under the constructive sale provisions of the Code; |
| ● | persons that acquired our Common Stock through the exercise of employee stock options or otherwise as compensation or through a tax-qualified retirement plan; |
| ● | certain former citizens or long-term residents of the U.S.; and |
| ● | persons that hold our Common Stock as part of a straddle, appreciated financial position, synthetic security, hedge, conversion transaction or other integrated investment or risk reduction transaction. |
PROSPECTIVE INVESTORS SHOULD CONSULT WITH THEIR OWN TAX ADVISORS WITH RESPECT TO THE APPLICATION OF THE U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX LAWS (INCLUDING ANY POTENTIAL FUTURE CHANGES THERETO) TO THEIR PARTICULAR SITUATION, AS WELL AS ANY TAX CONSEQUENCES OF THE PURCHASE, OWNERSHIP AND DISPOSITION OF OUR COMMON STOCK ARISING UNDER ANY OTHER TAX LAWS, INCLUDING U.S. FEDERAL ESTATE OR GIFT TAX LAWS OR UNDER THE LAWS OF ANY U.S. STATE OR LOCAL OR NON-U.S. TAXING JURISDICTION, OR UNDER ANY APPLICABLE INCOME TAX TREATY.
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Non-U.S. Holder Defined
For purposes of this discussion, a “non-U.S. holder” is a beneficial owner of our Common Stock that is not for U.S. federal income tax purposes a partnership or any of the following:
| ● | an individual who is a citizen or resident of the U.S.; |
| ● | a corporation (or other entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) created or organized in or under the laws of the U.S., any state thereof or the District of Columbia; |
| ● | an estate the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income tax regardless of its source; or |
| ● | a trust (i) the administration of which is subject to the primary supervision of a U.S. court and which has one or more “United States persons” (within the meaning of Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code) who have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (ii) which has made a valid election under applicable U.S. Treasury regulations to be treated as a United States person. |
If a partnership (including an entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) holds our Common Stock, the tax treatment of a partner in the partnership generally will depend upon the status of the partner, the activities of the partnership and certain determinations made at the partner level. Accordingly, we urge partners in partnerships (including entities or arrangements treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes) considering the purchase of our Common Stock to consult with their own tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal income tax considerations of the purchase, ownership and disposition of our Common Stock by such partnership.
Distributions
We do not expect to pay any distributions on our Common Stock in the foreseeable future. However, in the event we do make distributions of cash or other property on our Common Stock, such distributions will constitute dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the extent paid from our current or accumulated earnings and profits, as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles. To the extent those distributions exceed our current and accumulated earnings and profits, the distributions will be treated as a non-taxable return of capital to the extent of the non-U.S. holder’s tax basis in our Common Stock and thereafter as capital gain from the sale or exchange of such Common Stock. See “—Gain on Sale or Other Taxable Disposition of Common Stock.” Subject to the withholding requirements under FATCA (as defined below) and with respect to effectively connected dividends, each of which is discussed below, any distribution made to a non-U.S. holder on our Common Stock generally will be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax at a rate of 30% of the gross amount of the distribution unless an applicable income tax treaty provides for a lower rate. To receive the benefit of a reduced treaty rate, a non-U.S. holder must generally provide the applicable withholding agent with an IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E, as applicable (or other applicable or successor form) certifying qualification for the reduced rate. A non-U.S. holder that does not timely furnish the required documentation, but that qualifies for a reduced treaty rate, may obtain a refund of any excess amounts withheld by timely filing an appropriate claim for refund with the IRS.
Any portion of a distribution that is treated as a dividend paid to a non-U.S. holder that is effectively connected with a trade or business conducted by the non-U.S. holder in the U.S. (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, are treated as attributable to a permanent establishment maintained by the non-U.S. holder in the U.S.) generally will be taxed on a net income basis at the rates and in the manner generally applicable to United States persons (as defined in the Code). Such effectively connected dividends will not be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax if the non-U.S. holder satisfies certain certification requirements by providing the applicable withholding agent with a properly executed IRS Form W-8ECI (or other applicable or successor form) certifying eligibility for exemption. If the non-U.S. holder is a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, it may also be subject to a branch profits tax (at a 30% rate or such lower rate as specified by an applicable income tax treaty) on its effectively connected earnings and profits (as adjusted for certain items), which will include effectively connected dividends.
Gain on Sale or Other Taxable Disposition of Common Stock
Subject to the discussion below under “—Backup Withholding and Information Reporting,” a non-U.S. holder generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income or withholding tax on any gain realized upon the sale or other taxable disposition of our Common Stock unless:
| ● | the non-U.S. holder is an individual who is present in the U.S. for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the calendar year in which the sale or disposition occurs and certain other conditions are met; |
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| ● | the gain is effectively connected with a trade or business conducted by the non-U.S. holder in the U.S. (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, is attributable to a permanent establishment maintained by the non-U.S. holder in the U.S.); or |
| ● | our Common Stock constitutes a United States real property interest by reason of our status as a U.S. real property holding corporation (“USRPHC”) for U.S. federal income tax purposes and as a result such gain is treated as effectively connected with a trade or business conducted by the non-U.S. holder in the U.S. |
A non-U.S. holder described in the first bullet point above will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% (or such lower rate as specified by an applicable income tax treaty) on the amount of such gain, which generally may be offset by U.S. source capital losses provided the non-U.S. holder has timely filed U.S. federal income tax returns with respect to such losses.
A non-U.S. holder whose gain is described in the second bullet point above or, subject to the exceptions described in the next paragraph, the third bullet point above, generally will be taxed on a net income basis at the rates and in the manner generally applicable to United States persons. If the non-U.S. holder is a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes whose gain is described in the second bullet point above, then such gain would also be included in its effectively connected earnings and profits (as adjusted for certain items), which may be subject to a branch profits tax (at a 30% rate or such lower rate as specified by an applicable income tax treaty).
Generally, a corporation is a USRPHC if the fair market value of its United States real property interests equals or exceeds 50% of the sum of the fair market value of its worldwide real property interests and its other assets used or held for use in a trade or business. We believe that we currently are, and expect to remain for the foreseeable future, a USRPHC for U.S. federal income tax purposes. However, as long as our Common Stock is and continues to be “regularly traded on an established securities market” (within the meaning of the U.S. Treasury regulations), only a non-U.S. holder that actually or constructively owns, or owned at any time during the shorter of the five-year period ending on the date of the disposition or the non-U.S. holder’s holding period for the Common Stock, more than 5% of our Common Stock will be treated as disposing of a United States real property interest and will be taxable on gain realized on the disposition of our Common Stock as a result of our status as a USRPHC. If our Common Stock were not considered to be regularly traded on an established securities market, each non-U.S. holder (regardless of the percentage of stock owned) would be treated as disposing of a United States real property interest and would be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a taxable disposition of our Common Stock (as described in the preceding paragraph), and a 15% withholding tax would apply to the gross proceeds from such disposition.
Non-U.S. holders should consult with their own tax advisors with respect to the application of the foregoing rules to their ownership and disposition of our Common Stock, including regarding potentially applicable income tax treaties that may provide for different rules.
Backup Withholding and Information Reporting
Any dividends paid to a non-U.S. holder must be reported annually to the IRS and to the non-U.S. holder. Copies of these information returns may be made available to the tax authorities in the country in which the non-U.S. holder resides or is established. Payments of dividends to a non-U.S. holder generally will not be subject to backup withholding if the non-U.S. holder establishes an exemption by properly certifying its non-U.S. status on an IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E (or other applicable or successor form).
Payments of the proceeds from a sale or other disposition by a non-U.S. holder of our Common Stock effected by or through a U.S. office of a broker generally will be subject to information reporting and backup withholding (at the applicable rate), which is currently 24% unless the non-U.S. holder establishes an exemption by properly certifying its non-U.S. status on an IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E, as applicable (or other applicable or successor form) and certain other conditions are met. Information reporting and backup withholding generally will not apply to any payment of the proceeds from a sale or other disposition of our Common Stock effected outside the U.S. by a non-U.S. office of a broker. However, unless such broker has documentary evidence in its records that the non-U.S. holder is not a United States person and certain other conditions are met, or the non-U.S. holder otherwise establishes an exemption, information reporting will apply to a payment of the proceeds of the disposition of our Common Stock effected outside the U.S. by such a broker if it has certain relationships within the U.S.
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Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Rather, the U.S. federal income tax liability (if any) of persons subject to backup withholding will be reduced by the amount of tax withheld. If backup withholding results in an overpayment of taxes, a refund may be obtained, provided that the required information is timely furnished to the IRS.
Additional Withholding Requirements under FATCA
Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Code, and the U.S. Treasury regulations and administrative guidance issued thereunder (“FATCA”), impose a 30% withholding tax on any dividends on our Common Stock and, subject to the proposed U.S. Treasury regulations discussed below, on proceeds from sales or other dispositions of shares of our Common Stock, if paid to a “foreign financial institution” or a “non-financial foreign entity” (each as defined in the Code) (including, in some cases, when such foreign financial institution or non-financial foreign entity is acting as an intermediary), unless (i) in the case of a foreign financial institution, such institution enters into an agreement with the U.S. government to withhold on certain payments, and to collect and provide to the U.S. tax authorities substantial information regarding U.S. account holders of such institution (which includes certain equity and debt holders of such institution, as well as certain account holders that are non-U.S. entities with U.S. owners), (ii) in the case of a non-financial foreign entity, such entity certifies that it does not have any “substantial United States owners” (as defined in the Code) or provides the applicable withholding agent with a certification identifying the direct and indirect substantial United States owners of the entity (in either case, generally on an IRS Form W-8BEN-E), or (iii) the foreign financial institution or non-financial foreign entity otherwise qualifies for an exemption from these rules and provides appropriate documentation (such as an IRS Form W-8BEN-E). Foreign financial institutions located in jurisdictions that have an intergovernmental agreement with the U.S. governing these rules may be subject to different rules. Under certain circumstances, a holder might be eligible for refunds or credits of such taxes. While gross proceeds from a sale or other disposition of our Common Stock paid after January 1, 2019, would have originally been subject to withholding under FATCA, proposed U.S. Treasury regulations provide that such payments of gross proceeds do not constitute withholdable payments. Taxpayers may generally rely on these proposed U.S. Treasury regulations until they are revoked or final U.S. Treasury regulations are issued. Non-U.S. holders are encouraged to consult with their own tax advisors regarding the effects of FATCA on an investment in our Common Stock. The proposed U.S. Treasury regulations, which may be relied upon pending the adoption of final U.S. Treasury regulations, have indefinitely suspended the withholding tax on gross proceeds. Consequently, FATCA withholding on gross proceeds paid from the sale or other disposition of our Common Stock is not expected to apply.
INVESTORS CONSIDERING THE PURCHASE OF OUR COMMON STOCK SHOULD CONSULT WITH THEIR OWN TAX ADVISORS REGARDING THE APPLICATION OF THE U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX LAWS (INCLUDING ANY POTENTIAL FUTURE CHANGES THERETO) TO THEIR PARTICULAR SITUATIONS AND THE APPLICABILITY AND EFFECT OF ANY OTHER TAX LAWS, INCLUDING U.S. FEDERAL ESTATE AND GIFT TAX LAWS AND ANY U.S. STATE OR LOCAL OR NON-U.S. TAX LAWS, AND TAX TREATIES.
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The following summary of the capital stock and our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws, copies of which are included as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. You should also be aware that the summary below does not give full effect to the provisions of statutory or common law that may affect your rights as a stockholder.
Our authorized capital stock consists of 500,000,000 shares of Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share, of which 22,918,763 shares were issued and outstanding as of October 9, 2024, and 50,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $0.01 par value per share, of which 14,456.68 shares of Series D convertible preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share (“Series D Preferred Stock”) were issued and outstanding as of October 9, 2024.
The number of authorized shares of Common Stock or preferred stock may be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding plus the number reserved for issuance upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of outstanding securities) by the affirmative vote of the majority of the voting power of the outstanding shares of stock of the Company entitled to vote generally on the election of directors, voting as a single class, irrespective of the provisions of Section 242(b)(2) of the DGCL (or any successor provision thereto), and no vote of the holders of either Common Stock or preferred stock voting separately as a class or series shall be required therefor.
Description of Common Stock
Except as provided by law or in a preferred stock designation, holders of Common Stock are entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders, will have the exclusive right to vote for the election of directors and do not have cumulative voting rights. The Company does not have a classified board, as all directors are elected annually. Except as otherwise required by law, holders of Common Stock are not entitled to vote on any amendment to the second amended and restated certificate of incorporation (including any certificate of designations relating to any series of preferred stock) that relates solely to the terms of any outstanding series of preferred stock if the holders of such affected series are entitled, either separately or together with the holders of one or more other such series, to vote thereon pursuant to the second amended and restated certificate of incorporation (including any certificate of designations relating to any series of preferred stock) or pursuant to the Delaware General Corporation Law, which we refer to as the “DGCL.” Subject to prior rights and preferences that may be applicable to any outstanding shares or series of preferred stock, holders of Common Stock are entitled to receive ratably in proportion to the shares of Common Stock held by them such dividends (payable in cash, stock or otherwise), if any, as may be declared from time to time by our board of directors out of funds legally available for dividend payments. All outstanding shares of Common Stock are fully paid, and non-assessable, and all shares of Common Stock registered by this prospectus will be, when sold, validly issued, fully paid, and non-assessable. The holders of Common Stock have no preferences or rights of conversion, exchange, preemption, or other subscription rights. There are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to the Common Stock. In the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution, or winding-up of our affairs, holders of Common Stock will be entitled to share ratably in our assets in proportion to the shares of Common Stock held by them that are remaining after payment or provision for payment of all of our debts and obligations and after distribution in full of preferential amounts to be distributed to holders of outstanding shares of preferred stock, if any.
Registration Rights Agreements
In connection with the SEPA, the Company entered into a registration rights agreement with YA II PN, LTD., a Cayman Islands exempt limited partnership (“YA”) pursuant to which the Company agreed to file a registration statement registering the resale of the Common Stock issuable pursuant to the SEPA, the Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Yorkville Note, and the Commitment Fee issued to YA as consideration for its irrevocable commitment to purchase up to $40.0 million of Common Stock under the SEPA.
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On September 30, 2024, the Company entered into a registration rights agreement with investors pursuant to which the Company agreed to file a registration statement registering the resale of 1,827,040 shares of Common Stock and the shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of warrants to purchase up to 1,141,552 shares of Common Stock issued by the Company to the investors.
On August 14, 2023, the Company entered into a registration rights agreement with an investor, pursuant to which the Company agreed to submit to or file with the SEC a registration statement registering the resale of the shares of Common Stock underlying Series E Preferred Stock and warrants issued in connection therewith (the “Series E Registration Statement”), and the Company agreed to use its best efforts to have the Series E Registration Statement declared effective as promptly as possible and within the timeframes specified in the Series E Registration Statement.
On May 3, 2023, the Company entered into a registration rights agreement with investors pursuant to which the Company agreed to submit to or file with the SEC a registration statement registering the resale of shares of Common Stock underlying Series D Preferred Stock and warrants issued in connection therewith (the “PIPE Resale Registration Statement” and together with the Series E Registration Statement, the “2023 Registration Statement”), and the Company agreed to use its best efforts to have the PIPE Resale Registration Statement declared effective as promptly as possible and within the timeframes specified in the PIPE Resale Registration Statement. On December 6, 2023, the SEC declared the 2023 Registration Statement effective.
Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Restated Bylaws
Among other things, our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws:
| ● | establish advance notice procedures with regard to stockholder proposals relating to the nomination of candidates for election as directors or new business to be brought before meetings of our stockholders. These procedures provide that notice of stockholder proposals must be timely given in writing to our corporate secretary prior to the meeting at which the action is to be taken. Generally, to be timely, notice must be received at our principal executive offices not less than 90 days nor more than 120 days prior to the first anniversary date of the annual meeting for the preceding year. Our amended and restated bylaws specify the requirements as to form and content of all stockholders’ notices. These requirements may preclude stockholders from bringing matters before the stockholders at an annual or special meeting; |
| ● | provide our board of directors the ability to authorize undesignated preferred stock. This ability makes it possible for our board of directors to issue, without stockholder approval, preferred stock with voting or other rights or preferences that could impede the success of any attempt to change control of us. These and other provisions may have the effect of deferring hostile takeovers or delaying changes in control or management of our company; |
| ● | provide that the authorized number of directors may be changed only by resolution of the board of directors; |
| ● | provide that all vacancies, including newly created directorships, may, except as otherwise required by law or, if applicable, the rights of holders of a series of preferred stock, be filled by the affirmative vote of a majority of directors then in office, even if less than a quorum; and |
| ● | provide that our amended and restated bylaws can be amended or repealed by the board of directors without any action of the stockholders. Stockholders can amend or repeal our amended and restated bylaws with the vote of holders of not less than 66⅔% in voting power of the then-outstanding shares of stock entitled to vote generally on the election of directors, voting together as a single class. |
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Forum Selection
Our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, is the sole and exclusive forum for:
| ● | any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf; |
| ● | any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers, employees, or agents to us or our stockholders; |
| ● | any action asserting a claim against us arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL, our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation or our amended and restated bylaws; and |
| ● | any action asserting a claim against us that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine, in each such case subject to such Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable parties named as defendants therein. |
Our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation also provides that any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of our capital stock will be deemed to have notice of and to have consented to this forum selection provision. However, it is possible that a court could find our forum selection provision to be inapplicable or unenforceable.
Limitation of Liability and Indemnification Matters
Our second 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.
Our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws also provide that we will indemnify our directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law. Our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws also permit us to purchase insurance on behalf of any officer, director, employee, or other agent for any liability arising out of that person’s actions as our officer, director, employee, or agent, regardless of whether Delaware law would permit indemnification. We have obtained directors’ and officers’ insurance to cover our directors, officers, and some of our employees for certain liabilities. We have entered into indemnification agreements with each of our current directors and officers and intend to enter into indemnification agreements with each of our future directors and officers. 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 believe that the limitation of liability provision in our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation and the indemnification agreements facilitate our ability to continue to attract and retain qualified individuals to serve as directors and officers.
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Anti-Takeover Effects of Certain Provisions of our Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, Amended and Restated Bylaws and the DGCL
Certain provisions of our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws, which are summarized in the following paragraphs, may have the effect of discouraging potential acquisition proposals or making a tender offer or delaying or preventing a change in control, including changes a stockholder might consider favorable. Such provisions may also prevent or frustrate attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our management. In particular, our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our amended and restated bylaws and Delaware law, as applicable, among other things:
| ● | provide our board of directors with the ability to alter the Bylaws without stockholder approval (subject to rights of the holders of our preferred stock); | |
| ● | provide that, subject to the rights of the holders of preferred stock, special meetings of our stockholders may be called only by the Chairman (or any Co-Chairman) of the board of directors or the board of directors pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of the total number of directors then in office; and | |
| ● | provide that, subject to the rights of the holders of preferred stock and the terms of the Stockholders Agreement (as defined below), vacancies on our board of directors may be filled by a majority of directors in office, although less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director. |
These provisions are expected to discourage certain types of coercive takeover practices and inadequate takeover bids and to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of us to first negotiate with our board of directors. These provisions may delay or prevent someone from acquiring or merging with us, which may cause the market price of our Common Stock to decline.
Stockholders Agreement
The Company, Bristol Capital Advisors, LLC (“Bristol Capital Advisors”), Paul L. Kessler, Gary C. Hanna and Edward Kovalik entered into a Stockholders Agreement, dated as of May 3, 2023 (the “Stockholders Agreement”), pursuant to which the parties agreed to use reasonable best efforts, including taking certain necessary actions, to cause the board of directors to cause certain nominees to be elected to serve as a director on the board of directors under the following conditions: (i) one nominee designated by Bristol Capital Advisors and Paul L. Kessler, collectively, so long as Bristol Capital Advisors, Paul L. Kessler and their respective affiliates collectively beneficially own at least 50% of the number of shares of Common Stock collectively beneficially owned by such parties on of May 3, 2023; (ii) four nominees designated by Gary C. Hanna and Edward Kovalik (the “Prairie Members”) so long as the Prairie Members and their affiliates collectively beneficially own at least 50% of the number of shares of Common Stock collectively beneficially owned by such parties on of May 3, 2023; (iii) three nominees designated by the Prairie Members so long as the Prairie Members and their affiliates collectively beneficially own at least 40% (but less than 50%) of the number of shares of Common Stock collectively beneficially owned by such parties on of May 3, 2023; (iv) two nominees designated by the Prairie Members so long as the Prairie Members and their affiliates collectively beneficially own at least 30% (but less than 40%) of the number of shares of Common Stock collectively beneficially owned by such parties on of May 3, 2023; (v) one nominee designated by the Prairie Members so long as the Prairie Members and their affiliates collectively beneficially own at least 20% (but less than 30%) of the number of shares of Common Stock collectively beneficially owned by such parties on of May 3, 2023; and (vi) in the event of a vacancy on the board of directors, a replacement director designated by the party that designated the vacating director, provided that such upon such replacement, the total number of directors designated by such party does not exceed the total number of directors such party is entitled to designate pursuant to the Stockholders Agreement.
Advance Notice Bylaws. Our Bylaws contain an advance notice procedure for stockholder proposals to be brought before any meeting of stockholders, including proposed nominations of persons for election to our board of directors. Stockholders at any meeting will only be able to consider proposals or nominations specified in the notice of meeting or brought before the meeting by or at the direction of our board of directors or by a stockholder who was a stockholder of record on the record date for the meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who has given our corporate secretary timely written notice, in proper form, of the stockholder’s intention to bring that business before the meeting. Although the Bylaws do not give our board of directors the power to approve or disapprove stockholder nominations of candidates or proposals regarding other business to be conducted at a special or annual meeting, the Bylaws may have the effect of precluding the conduct of certain business at a meeting if the proper procedures are not followed, or may discourage or deter a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect its own slate of directors or otherwise attempting to obtain control of us.
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Interested Stockholder Transactions. We may become subject to Section 203 of the DGCL, which, subject to certain exceptions, prohibits “business combinations” between a publicly-held Delaware corporation and an “interested stockholder,” which is generally defined as a stockholder who becomes a beneficial owner of 15% or more of a Delaware corporation’s voting stock for a three-year period following the date that such stockholder became an interested stockholder.
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for our Common Stock is Vstock Transfer, LLC. The transfer agent’s telephone number and address are (212) 828-8436 and 18 Lafayette Place, Woodmere, New York 11598.
Listing
Our Common Stock is listed on the Nasdaq under the symbol “PROP.”
This prospectus relates to the offer and sale from time to time by YA of up to 4,198,343 shares Common Stock, consisting of (i) up to 100,000 Commitment Shares that have been issued to YA for the Commitment Fee, and (ii) up to 4,098,343 shares of Common Stock (a) issuable to YA by the Company under the SEPA, subject to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in the SEPA, and (b) issuable to YA upon conversions of the Yorkville Note. For additional information regarding the issuance of Common Stock covered by this prospectus, see the section titled “The YA Transaction” below. Except for the transactions contemplated by the SEPA and the SEPA Registration Rights Agreement, YA does not, and has not had, any material relationship with us.
The table below presents information regarding the Selling Stockholder and the shares of Common Stock that it may offer from time to time under this prospectus. This table is prepared based on information supplied to us by the Selling Stockholder. The number of shares in the column “Maximum Number of Shares of Common Stock to be Offered Pursuant to this Prospectus” represents all of the shares of Common Stock that the Selling Stockholder may offer under this prospectus. The Selling Stockholder may sell some, all or none of its shares in this offering. We do not know how long the Selling Stockholder will hold the shares before selling them, and we currently have no agreements, arrangements or understandings with the Selling Stockholder regarding the sale of any of the shares.
Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with Rule 13d-3(d) promulgated by the SEC under the Exchange Act, and includes shares of Common Stock with respect to which the Selling Stockholder has voting and investment power. The percentage of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by the Selling Stockholder prior to the offering shown in the table below is based on an aggregate of 22,918,763 shares of our Common Stock outstanding on October 9, 2024. The number of shares that may actually be sold by us under the SEPA and the Yorkville Note may be different than the number of shares being offered by this prospectus. The fourth column assumes the sale of all of the shares offered by the Selling Stockholder pursuant to this prospectus.
Number of Shares of Common Stock Owned Prior to Offering | Shares Offered | Number of Shares of Common Stock Owned After Offering | ||||||||||||||||||
| Name of Selling Stockholder | Number | % | Hereby(1)(2) | Number | % | |||||||||||||||
| YA II PN, LTD(4) | 100,000 | * | 4,198,343 | (3) | — | — | ||||||||||||||
| * | Less than 1%. |
| (1) | Includes (i) the 100,000 Common Shares already issued, and (ii) up to an additional 4,098,343 shares of Common Stock (a) issuable to YA by the Company under the SEPA, subject to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in the SEPA, and (b) issuable to YA upon conversions of the Yorkville Note. |
| (2) | Each Advance pursuant to the SEPA or conversion by YA of the Yorkville Note will be subject to certain limitations, including that YA cannot acquire (i) any shares that would result in YA, including its affiliates, beneficially owning more than 4.99% of the Company’s outstanding Common Stock at any time or (ii) exceed the Exchange Cap. The Exchange Cap will not apply in certain circumstances, including, where the Company obtains shareholder approval to issue in excess of the Exchange Cap, or otherwise in accordance with the listing rules of Nasdaq. |
| (3) | Assumes the sale of all shares being offered pursuant to this prospectus. Depending on the price per share at which we sell our Common Stock to YA pursuant to the SEPA, or the price we issue our Common Stock to YA upon conversions of the Yorkville Note, we may need to register for resale under the Securities Act additional shares. |
| (4) | YA is a fund managed by Yorkville Advisors Global, LP (“Yorkville LP”). Yorkville Advisors Global II, LLC (“Yorkville LLC”) is the General Partner of Yorkville LP. All investment decisions for YA are made by Yorkville LLC’s President and Managing Member, Mr. Mark Angelo. The business address of YA is 1012 Springfield Avenue, Mountainside, NJ 07092. |
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On September 30, 2024, the Company entered into the SEPA with YA, whereby, subject to certain conditions, the Company has the right, not the obligation, to sell to YA shares of Common Stock, for a value of up to $40.0 million of Common Stock, at the Company’s request, during the commitment period commencing on September 30, 2024 (the “SEPA Effective Date”) and terminating on September 30, 2026. Each Advance by the Company is subject to a maximum limit equal to 100% of the aggregate volume traded of the Company’s Common Stock on the Nasdaq Stock Market during the five trading days immediately prior to the date of the Advance Notice. The shares will be issued and sold to YA at a per share price equal to 97% of the lowest daily volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for three consecutive trading days commencing on the trading day immediately following YA’s receipt of an Advance Notice. The Company paid YA a structuring fee of $25,000 and the Commitment Fee of 100,000 shares of Common Stock.
Any purchases under an Advance will be subject to certain limitations, including that YA cannot acquire (i) any shares that would result in YA, including its affiliates, beneficially owning more than 4.99% of the Company’s outstanding Common Stock at the time of an Advance or (ii) more than the Exchange Cap of 19.99% of the Company’s issued and outstanding Common Stock as of the SEPA Effective Date, subject to limited exceptions.
Additionally, on September 30, 2024, YA advanced the Pre-Paid Advance to the Company and the Company issued the Yorkville Note, with an interest rate of 8.00% and a maturity date of September 30, 2025. The Company’s obligations with respect to the Pre-Paid Advance and under the Yorkville Note are guaranteed by Prairie LLC and Prairie Holdco pursuant to the SEPA Guaranty in favor of YA on September 30, 2024. YA may convert the Yorkville Note into shares of Common Stock at any time at the Conversion Price (as defined in the SEPA). The Company may, at any time, redeem all or a portion or the amounts outstanding under the Yorkville Note at 105% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest.
In connection with the SEPA, the Company entered into a registration rights agreement (the “SEPA Registration Rights Agreement”) with YA pursuant to which the Company agreed to file a registration statement registering the resale of the Common Stock underlying the SEPA, the Yorkville Note and the Commitment Fee.
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We are registering the resale by the Selling Stockholder or its permitted transferees from time to time of up to 4,198,343 shares Common Stock of Common Stock. We will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale of the securities by the Selling Stockholder. The aggregate proceeds to the Selling Stockholder will be the purchase price of the securities less any discounts and commissions borne by the Selling Stockholder. We are required to pay all fees and expenses incident to the registration of the securities to be offered and sold pursuant to this prospectus. The Selling Stockholder will bear all commissions and discounts, if any, attributable to its sale of securities.
The shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by the Selling Stockholder covered by this prospectus may be offered and sold from time to time by the Selling Stockholder. The term “Selling Stockholder” includes donees, pledgees, transferees or other successors in interest selling securities received after the date of this prospectus from the Selling Stockholder as a gift, pledge, partnership distribution or other transfer. The Selling Stockholder will act independently of us in making decisions with respect to the timing, manner and size of each sale. Such sales may be made on one or more exchanges or in the over-the-counter market or otherwise, at prices and under terms then prevailing or at prices related to the then current market price or in negotiated transactions. The Selling Stockholder may sell its securities by one or more of, or a combination of, the following methods:
| ● | purchases by a broker-dealer as principal and resale by such broker-dealer for its own account pursuant to this prospectus; |
| ● | ordinary brokerage transactions and transactions in which the broker solicits purchasers; |
| ● | block trades in which the broker-dealer so engaged will attempt to sell the shares as agent but may position and resell a portion of the block as principal to facilitate the transaction; |
| ● | an over-the-counter distribution in accordance with the rules of Nasdaq; |
| ● | through trading plans entered into by the Selling Stockholder pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act, that are in place at the time of an offering pursuant to this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement hereto that provide for periodic sales of its securities on the basis of parameters described in such trading plans; |
| ● | distribution to employees, members, limited partners or stockholders of the Selling Stockholder; |
| ● | through the writing or settlement of options or other hedging transaction, whether through an options exchange or otherwise; |
| ● | by pledge to secured debts and other obligations; |
| ● | delayed delivery arrangements; |
| ● | to or through underwriters or broker-dealers; |
| ● | in “at the market” offerings, as defined in Rule 415 under the Securities Act, at negotiated prices, at prices prevailing at the time of sale or at prices related to such prevailing market prices, including sales made directly on a national securities exchange or sales made through a market maker other than on an exchange or other similar offerings through sales agents; |
| ● | in privately negotiated transactions; |
| ● | in options transactions; |
| ● | through a combination of any of the above methods of sale; or |
| ● | any other method permitted pursuant to applicable law. |
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In addition, any securities that qualify for sale pursuant to Rule 144 or another exemption from registration under the Securities Act or other such exemption may be sold under Rule 144 or such other exemption rather than pursuant to this prospectus.
To the extent required, this prospectus may be amended or supplemented from time to time to describe a specific plan of distribution. In connection with distributions of the securities or otherwise, the Selling Stockholder may enter into hedging transactions with broker-dealers or other financial institutions. In connection with such transactions, broker-dealers or other financial institutions may engage in short sales of the securities in the course of hedging the positions they assume with the Selling Stockholder. The Selling Stockholder may also sell the securities short and redeliver the securities to close out such short positions. The Selling Stockholder may also enter into option or other transactions with broker-dealers or other financial institutions which require the delivery to such broker-dealer or other financial institution of securities offered by this prospectus, which securities such broker-dealer or other financial institution may resell pursuant to this prospectus (as supplemented or amended to reflect such transaction). The Selling Stockholder may also pledge securities to a broker-dealer or other financial institution, and, upon a default, such broker-dealer or other financial institution, may effect sales of the pledged securities pursuant to this prospectus (as supplemented or amended to reflect such transaction).
In effecting sales, broker-dealers or agents engaged by the Selling Stockholder may arrange for other broker-dealers to participate. Broker-dealers or agents may receive commissions, discounts or concessions from the Selling Stockholder in amounts to be negotiated immediately prior to the sale.
In offering the securities covered by this prospectus, the Selling Stockholder and any broker-dealers who execute sales for the Selling Stockholder may be deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaning of the Securities Act in connection with such sales. Any profits realized by the Selling Stockholder and the compensation of any broker-dealer may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions.
In order to comply with the securities laws of certain states, if applicable, the securities must be sold in such jurisdictions only through registered or licensed brokers or dealers. In addition, in certain states the securities may not be sold unless they have been registered or qualified for sale in the applicable state or an exemption from the registration or qualification requirement is available and is complied with.
We also have agreed to indemnify the Selling Stockholder and certain other persons against certain liabilities in connection with the offering of shares of our Common Stock offered hereby, including liabilities arising under the Securities Act. The Selling Stockholder has agreed to indemnify us against liabilities under the Securities Act that may arise from certain written information furnished to us by the Selling Stockholder specifically for use in this prospectus. Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to our directors, officers, and controlling persons, we have been advised that in the opinion of the SEC this indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore, unenforceable.
We have advised the Selling Stockholder that the anti-manipulation rules of Regulation M under the Exchange Act may apply to sales of securities in the market and to the activities of the Selling Stockholder and its affiliates. In addition, we will make copies of this prospectus available to the Selling Stockholder for the purpose of satisfying the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act. The Selling Stockholder may indemnify any broker-dealer that participates in transactions involving the sale of the securities against certain liabilities, including liabilities arising under the Securities Act.
At the time a particular offer of securities is made, if required, a prospectus supplement will be distributed that will set forth the number of securities being offered and the terms of the offering, including the name of any underwriter, dealer or agent, the purchase price paid by any underwriter, any discount, commission and other item constituting compensation, any discount, commission or concession allowed or reallowed or paid to any dealer, and the proposed selling price to the public.
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The validity of the issuance of the securities offered in this prospectus will be passed upon for us by Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., Houston, Texas.
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Prairie Operating Co.
The financial statements of Prairie Operating Co. (formerly known as Prairie Operating Co., LLC) as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 and for the year ended December 31, 2023 and for the period from June 7, 2022 (inception) through December 31, 2022 incorporated by reference in this prospectus from the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the year ended December 31, 2023, have been audited by Ham, Langston & Brezina, LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report appearing thereon, and have been incorporated by reference in this prospectus and registration statement in reliance upon the report of such firm given their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
Estimates of the reserves of the Company as of December 31, 2023 incorporated by reference in this prospectus from the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the year ended December 31, 2023, the combined reserves of the Company as of June 30, 2024 and related information included in this prospectus have been prepared based on reports by Cawley, Gillespie & Associates, Inc., an independent Petroleum Reserve Evaluation Firm, and all such information has been so incorporated in reliance on the authority of such experts in such matters. Pursuant to Rule 412 under the Securities Act, the combined and individual reserve reports with respect to the Initial Genesis Assets, the Central Weld Assets and the Genesis Bolt-On Assets, in each case, as of January 31, 2024, incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference into this prospectus are deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus by the combined reserve report as of June 30, 2024. Any statement so modified or superseded will not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus.
Nickel Road Operating LLC
The consolidated financial statements of Nickel Road Operating LLC (“NRO”) as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 and for the years then ended incorporated in this prospectus by reference from the Company’s Amendment to its Current Report on Form 8-K/A, dated March 19, 2024, have been audited by Moss Adams LLP, independent auditors, as stated in their report, which is incorporated by reference. Such consolidated financial statements are incorporated by reference in reliance upon the report of such firm given their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
Estimates of NRO’s reserves as of December 31, 2023 and related information incorporated by reference in this prospectus by reference from the Company’s Amendment to its Current Report on Form 8-K/A, dated March 19, 2024 have been prepared based on reports by Cawley, Gillespie & Associates, Inc., an independent Petroleum Reserve Evaluation Firm, and all such information has been so incorporated in reliance on the authority of such experts in such matters.
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PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
| Item 14. | Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution. |
Set forth below are the expenses (other than underwriting discounts and commissions) expected to be incurred in connection with the offering of the securities registered hereby.
| SEC registration fee | $ | 17,443.91 | ||
| Printing and engraving expenses | * | |||
| Accounting fees and expenses | * | |||
| Legal fees and expenses | * | |||
| Transfer agent and registrar fees | * | |||
| Miscellaneous | * | |||
| Total | $ | * |
| * | The amount of securities and number of offerings are indeterminable and the expenses cannot be estimated at this time. |
| Item 15. | Indemnification of Directors and Officers. |
Section 145 of the DGCL provides that a corporation may indemnify directors and officers as well as other employees and individuals against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with any threatened, pending or completed actions, suits or proceedings in which such person is made a party by reason of such person being or having been a director, officer, employee or agent of the Company. The DGCL provides that Section 145 is not exclusive of other rights to which those seeking indemnification may be entitled under any bylaws, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise. The Charter and the Bylaws of the Company provide for indemnification by the Company of its directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL.
Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL permits a corporation to provide in its certificate of incorporation that a director of the corporation shall not be personally liable to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except for liability (i) for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) for unlawful payments of dividends or unlawful stock repurchases, redemptions or other distributions or (iv) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. The Charter provides for such limitation of liability to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL.
The Company has entered into indemnification agreements (the “Indemnification Agreements”) with each of its current directors and executive officers. These Indemnification Agreements require the Company to indemnify its directors and executive officers for certain expenses, including attorneys’ fees, retainers and travel expenses, incurred by a director or executive officer in any action, suit or proceeding arising out of their services as one of the Company’s directors or executive officers or out of any services they provide at the Company’s request to any other company or enterprise.
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| Item 16. | Exhibits. |
The following documents are filed as exhibits to this registration statement, including those exhibits incorporated herein by reference to a prior filing of Prairie Operating Co. under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act as indicated in parentheses:
| + | Certain schedules and similar attachments have been omitted pursuant to Item 601(a)(5) of Regulation S-K. Prairie agrees to furnish a supplemental copy of any omitted schedule or attachment to the SEC upon request. |
| * | To be filed, if necessary, by amendment or as an exhibit to a current report on Form 8-K of Prairie Operating Co. in connection with the issuance of the applicable securities. |
| ** | Filed herewith. |
| Item 17. | Undertakings. |
The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:
| (a) | 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 of 1933; |
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| (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 a prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) 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; |
| (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; |
provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(i), (a)(ii) and (a)(iii) 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 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) that is part of the registration statement.
| (b) | 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. |
| (c) | 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. |
| (d) | 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) 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 relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii) or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 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, 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. |
| (e) | 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; |
| (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; |
| II-3 |
| (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. |
The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, as amended, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 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 Securities Exchange Act of 1934) 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.
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, 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 it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that:
(1) For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b) (1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective.
(2) For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus 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.
| II-4 |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in Houston, Texas on October 18, 2024.
| PRAIRIE OPERATING CO. | ||
| By: | /s/ Edward Kovalik | |
| Edward Kovalik | ||
| Chief Executive Officer | ||
Each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Edward Kovalik and Craig Owen, as his attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, on his behalf, in any and all capacities, to sign this registration statement and any and all amendments (including post effective amendments) to this registration statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and to perform and do any and all acts and things whatsoever that any such attorney-in-fact or substitute may deem necessary or advisable to be performed or done in connection with any or all of the matters described in these resolutions, as fully as such officer or director might or could do if personally present and acting.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
| Name | Title | Date | ||
| /s/ Edward Kovalik | Chief Executive Officer and Chairman |
October 18, 2024 | ||
| Edward Kovalik | (Principal Executive Officer) | |||
| /s/ Craig Owen | Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer |
October 18, 2024 | ||
| Craig Owen | (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) | |||
| /s/ Gary C. Hanna | President and Director | October 18, 2024 | ||
| Gary C. Hanna | ||||
| /s/ Paul L. Kessler | Director | October 18, 2024 | ||
| Paul L. Kessler | ||||
| /s/ Gizman I. Abbas | Director | October 18, 2024 | ||
| Gizman I. Abbas | ||||
| /s/ Stephen Lee | Director | October 18, 2024 | ||
| Stephen Lee | ||||
| /s/ Jonathan Gray | Director | October 18, 2024 | ||
| Jonathan Gray | ||||
| /s/ Erik Thoresen | Director | October 18, 2024 | ||
| Erik Thoresen |
| II-5 |
Exhibit 5.1
October 18, 2024
Prairie
Operating Co.
602 Sawyer Street, Suite 710
Houston, Texas 77007
Re: Registration Statement on Form S-3
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel for Prairie Operating Co., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), with respect to certain legal matters in connection with the preparation and filing of a registration statement on Form S-3 to which this opinion is an exhibit (the “Registration Statement”) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”), relating to the offer and sale by the Company, from time to time, of:
(1) shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share (“Common Stock”);
(2) shares of the Company’s preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share (“Preferred Stock”);
(3) warrants for the purchase of shares of Common Stock or Preferred Stock (“Warrants”);
(4) rights to purchase shares of Common Stock, shares of Preferred Stock or Warrants (“Rights”); and
(5) units comprised of one or more shares of Common Stock, shares of Preferred Stock, Warrants, Rights, or any combination of the securities under the Registration Statement (“Units” and together with the Common Stock, Preferred Stock, Warrants, and Rights, the “Primary Securities”);
all of which may be issued and sold from time to time pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), at an aggregate initial offering price not to exceed $150,000,000.
The Registration Statement also registers the resale of an aggregate of 7,166,935 shares (the “Resale Shares”) of Common Stock by certain stockholders (the “Selling Stockholders”), consisting of:
| (1) | 1,827,040 shares of Common Stock issued in accordance with the terms of, and the transactions contemplated by, the Securities Purchase Agreement (the “SPA”), dated as of September 30, 2024, between the Company and the purchaser party thereto (the “SPA Shares”); |
| Vinson & Elkins LLP Attorneys at Law | 845 Texas Avenue, Suite 4700 |
| Austin Dallas Dubai Dublin Houston London Los Angeles | Houston, TX 77002 |
| New York Richmond San Francisco Tokyo Washington | Tel +1.713.758.2222 Fax +1.713.758.2346 velaw.com |
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October 18, 2024 Page 2 |
| (2) | 1,141,552 shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of warrants to purchase shares of Common Stock of the Company (the “Note Warrants”) issued to certain investors in accordance with the terms of a subordinated promissory note (the “Subordinated Note”) of the Company entered into on September 30, 2024 (the “Warrant Shares”); | |
| (3) | 100,000 shares of Common Stock issued to YA II PN, LTD. (“YA”) as a commitment fee, in accordance with the terms of the Standby Equity Purchase Agreement (the “SEPA”), dated September 30, 2024, between the Company and YA (the “Commitment Shares”); and | |
| (4) | 4,098,343 shares of Common Stock issuable in accordance with the terms of, and the transactions contemplated by, the SEPA (the “SEPA Shares”), or upon the conversion of the convertible promissory note (the “Convertible Note”), issued by the Company to YA on September 30, 2024 (the “Convertible Note Shares”). |
We have also participated in the preparation of the Prospectuses (each, a “Prospectus”) contained in the Registration Statement, including the Prospectus covering the Primary Securities (the “Primary Prospectus”), the Prospectus covering the resale of the Commitment Shares, the SEPA Shares and the Convertible Note Shares (the “SEPA Prospectus”) and the Prospectus covering the resale of the Warrant Shares and the SPA Shares (the “Resale Prospectus” and, together with the SEPA Prospectus, the “Secondary Prospectuses”). The Primary Securities will be offered in amounts, at prices and on terms to be determined in light of market conditions at the time of sale and to be set forth in supplements (each a “Prospectus Supplement”) to the Primary Prospectus contained in the Registration Statement. The Resale Shares may be offered by the Selling Stockholders as set forth in the Secondary Prospectuses.
In connection with this opinion, we have assumed that:
(i) all information contained in all documents reviewed by us is true and correct;
(ii) all signatures on all documents examined by us are genuine;
(iii) all documents submitted to us as originals are authentic and all documents submitted to us as copies conform to the originals of those documents;
(iv) the Registration Statement, and any amendments thereto (including post-effective amendments), will have become effective;
(v) with respect to any offering of Primary Securities, one or more Prospectus Supplements to the Primary Prospectus will have been prepared and filed with the Commission describing the Primary Securities offered thereby and will comply with applicable laws;
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October 18, 2024 Page 3 |
(vi) the Primary Securities will be issued and sold in compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws and in the manner described in the Registration Statement and the applicable Prospectus Supplement;
(vii) with respect to any offering of Warrants, a warrant agreement relating to the Warrants (the “Warrant Agreement”) will be duly authorized, executed and delivered by the parties thereto;
(viii) the form and terms of any Primary Securities, the issuance, sale and delivery thereof by the Company and the incurrence and performance of its obligations thereunder or in respect thereof in accordance with the terms thereof, will be in full compliance with, and will not violate, the formation documents and agreements of the Company or any applicable law, rule, regulation, order, judgment, decree, award or agreement binding upon it, or to which the issuance, sale and delivery of such Primary Securities, or the incurrence or performance of such obligations, may be subject, or violate any applicable public policy, or be subject to any defense in law or equity;
(ix) each person signing the documents we examined has the legal capacity and authority to do so;
(x) at the time of any offering or sale of any shares of Common Stock and/or Preferred Stock, that the Company shall have such number of shares of Common Stock and/or Preferred Stock, as set forth in such offering or sale, authorized or created and available for issuance;
(xi) a definitive purchase, underwriting or similar agreement with respect to any Primary Securities offered will have been duly authorized and validly executed and delivered by the Company and the other parties thereto;
(xii) any Primary Securities issuable upon conversion, exchange or exercise of any Preferred Stock, Warrants, Rights or Units being offered will have been duly authorized, created and, if appropriate, reserved for issuance upon such conversion, exchange or exercise;
(xiii) the Warrant Shares will have been issued in accordance with the terms of the Note Warrants and the Subordinated Note and in the manner described in the Registration Statement and the Resale Prospectus;
(xiv) the SEPA Shares will have been issued in accordance with the terms of the SEPA and in the manner described in the Registration Statement and the SEPA Prospectus;
(xv) the Convertible Note Shares will have been issued in accordance with the terms of the Convertible Note and in the manner described in the Registration Statement and the SEPA Prospectus;
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October 18, 2024 Page 4 |
(xvi) the Secondary Prospectuses identifying the applicable Selling Stockholders will be delivered to any purchaser of the Resale Shares as required in accordance with applicable federal and state securities laws; and
(xvii) all of the Resale Shares will be sold in compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws and in the manner specified in the applicable Secondary Prospectus and the Registration Statement.
In connection with this opinion, we have examined and relied upon (i) the Registration Statement, the Primary Prospectus and the Secondary Prospectuses, (ii) the Company’s Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, and Amended and Restated Bylaws, each as currently in effect, (iii) the SPA, (iv) the Note Warrants and the Subordinated Note; (v) the SEPA and the Convertible Note, and (vi) the originals, or copies identified to our satisfaction, of such corporate records of the Company, certificates of public officials, officers of the Company, and other persons, and such other documents, agreements and instruments as we have deemed relevant and necessary for the basis of our opinions hereinafter expressed.
We have also reviewed such questions of law as we have deemed necessary or appropriate. As to matters of fact relevant to the opinion expressed herein, and as to factual matters arising in connection with our examination of corporate documents, records and other documents and writings, we relied upon certificates and other communications of corporate officers of the Company, without further investigation as to the facts set forth therein.
Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the qualifications and limitations stated herein, we are of the opinion that:
1. With respect to any shares of Common Stock offered by the Company, when (i) the board of directors of the Company (the “Board”) has taken all necessary corporate action to approve the issuance and terms of the offering thereof and related matters, and (ii) certificates representing the shares of Common Stock have been duly executed, countersigned, registered and delivered (or non-certificated shares of Common Stock shall have been properly issued) either (a) in accordance with the applicable definitive purchase, underwriting or similar agreement approved by the Board, then upon payment of the consideration therefor (not less than the par value of the Common Stock) provided for therein or (b) upon conversion, exchange or exercise of any other Primary Security in accordance with the terms of such Primary Security or the instrument governing such Primary Security providing for the conversion, exchange or exercise as approved by the Board, for the consideration approved by the Board (not less than the par value of the Common Stock), such shares of Common Stock will be legally issued, fully paid and non-assessable;
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October 18, 2024 Page 5 |
2. With respect to shares of any series of Preferred Stock offered by the Company, when (i) the Board has taken all necessary corporate action to approve the issuance and terms of the shares of the series, the terms of the offering thereof and related matters, including the adoption of a resolution establishing and designating the series and fixing and determining the preferences, limitations and relative rights thereof and the filing of a certificate of designations, preferences and rights with respect to the series with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, and (ii) certificates representing the shares of the series of Preferred Stock have been duly executed, countersigned, registered and delivered (or non-certificated shares of Preferred Shares shall have been properly issued) either (a) in accordance with the applicable definitive purchase, underwriting or similar agreement approved by the Board, then upon payment of the consideration therefor (not less than the par value of the Preferred Stock) provided for therein or (b) upon conversion, exchange or exercise of any other Primary Security in accordance with the terms of such Primary Security or the instrument governing such Primary Security providing for the conversion, exchange or exercise as approved by the Board, for the consideration approved by the Board (not less than the par value of the Preferred Stock) the shares of the series of the Preferred Stock will be legally issued, fully paid and non-assessable;
3. With respect to any Warrants offered by the Company, when (i) the Board has taken all necessary corporate action to approve the issuance and terms of the Warrants, the terms of the offering thereof and related matters, (ii) the Warrant Agreement relating to the Warrants has been duly authorized and validly executed and delivered by the Company and the warrant agent appointed by the Company, and (iii) the terms of any of the Warrants and of their issuance and sale have been duly established in conformity with the applicable Warrant Agreement so as not to violate any applicable law or result in a default under or breach of any agreement or instrument binding upon the Company and so as to comply with any requirements or restrictions imposed by any court or governmental body having jurisdiction over the Company, and the Warrants have been duly executed and authenticated in accordance with the applicable Warrant Agreement and issued and sold as contemplated in the Registration Statement, the Warrants will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency (including, without limitation, all laws relating to fraudulent transfers), reorganization, moratorium and similar laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally and to general equitable principles (regardless of whether enforcement is sought in a proceeding in equity or at law);
4. With respect to any Rights offered by the Company, when (i) the Board has taken all necessary corporate action to approve the creation of and the terms of the Rights, the terms of the offering thereof, and related matters, (ii) the agreements relating to the Rights have been duly authorized and validly executed and delivered by the Company and the rights agent appointed by the Company, and (iii) the Rights or certificates representing the Rights have been duly executed, countersigned, registered, and delivered (or non-certificated Rights shall have been properly issued) in accordance with the appropriate agreements relating to the Rights and the applicable definitive purchase, underwriting, or similar agreement approved by the Board or such officers either (a) upon payment of the consideration therefor provided for therein or (b) upon conversion, exchange or exercise of any other Primary Security in accordance with the terms of the Primary Security or the instrument governing the Primary Security providing for the conversion, exchange or exercise as approved by the Board, for the consideration approved by the Board, the Rights will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except as such enforcement is subject to any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency (including, without limitation, all laws relating to fraudulent transfers), reorganization, moratorium and similar laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally and to general equitable principles (regardless of whether enforcement is sought in a proceeding in equity or at law);
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October 18, 2024 Page 6 |
5. With respect to any Units offered by the Company, when (i) the Board has taken all necessary corporate action to approve the creation of and terms of the Units, the terms of the offering thereof, and related matters, (ii) the agreements relating to the Units have been duly authorized and validly executed and delivered by the Company and the unit agent appointed by the Company, and (iii) the Units or certificates representing the Units have been duly executed, countersigned, registered, and delivered (or non-certificated Units shall have been properly issued) in accordance with the appropriate agreements relating to the Units and the applicable definitive purchase, underwriting, or similar agreement approved by the Board or such officers upon payment of the consideration therefor provided for therein, for the consideration approved by the Board, such Units will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except as such enforcement is subject to any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency (including, without limitation, all laws relating to fraudulent transfers), reorganization, moratorium and similar laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally and to general equitable principles (regardless of whether enforcement is sought in a proceeding in equity or at law);
6. The SPA Shares and the Commitment Shares have been duly authorized and are validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable;
7. The Warrant Shares issuable upon the exercise of the Note Warrants have been duly authorized for issuance and, when issued and paid for upon exercise of the Warrants in accordance with the terms of the Subordinated Note and the Note Warrants, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable;
8. The SEPA Shares have been duly authorized for issuance and, when issued and paid for in accordance with the terms of the SEPA, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable; and
9. The Convertible Note Shares have been duly authorized for issuance and, when issued upon conversion of the Convertible Note in accordance with the Convertible Note and the SEPA, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
The foregoing opinions are limited in all respects to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (including the applicable provisions of the Delaware Constitution and the reported judicial decisions interpreting these laws) and the federal laws of the United States of America, and we do not express any opinions as to the laws of any other jurisdiction.
The foregoing opinions are limited to the matters expressly stated herein, and no opinion is to be inferred or implied beyond the opinions expressly set forth herein. We undertake no, and hereby disclaim any, obligation to make any inquiry after the date hereof or to advise you of any changes in any matter set forth herein, whether based on a change in the law, a change in any fact relating to the Company or any other person or any other circumstance.
We hereby consent to the statements with respect to us under the headings “Legal Matters” in each Prospectus forming a part of the Registration Statement and to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. In giving this consent, we do not admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act.
| Very truly yours, | |
| /s/ Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. |
Exhibit 23.1
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT PETROLEUM ENGINEERS
As independent petroleum engineers, we hereby consent to the references to our firm, in the context in which they appear, and to the references to, and the inclusion or incorporation by reference of, in this Registration Statement (No. 333-______) on Form S-3 of Prairie Operating Co. (the “Company”), including any amendments thereto (the “Registration Statement”) of our reserve report dated October 2, 2024, with respect to the combined reserves of the Company, as of June 30, 2024. We also hereby consent to the references to our firm contained in the Registration Statement, including under the caption “Experts” in the Prospectus.
| CAWLEY, GILLESPIE & ASSOCIATES, INC. | |
| Texas Registered Engineering Firm F-693 |
| By: | /s/ W. Todd Brooker | |
| W. Todd Brooker, P.E. | ||
| President |
Austin, Texas
October 18, 2024
Exhibit 23.2
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-3 and related Prospectuses of Prairie Operating Co. (the “Company”) of our report dated March 18, 2024, relating to the financial statements of the Company, as of December 31, 2023, appearing in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 19, 2024.
We also consent to the reference to our firm under the heading “Experts” in such Prospectuses.
/s/ Ham, Langston & Brezina, L.L.P.
Houston, Texas
October 18, 2024
Exhibit 23.3
Consent of Independent Auditors
We consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statement on Form S-3 of Prairie Operating Co. of our report dated March 14, 2024, relating to the consolidated financial statements of Nickel Road Operating LLC and Subsidiaries as of and for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, appearing in the Current Report on Form 8-K dated March 19, 2024, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We also consent to the reference to us under the heading “Experts” in such Registration Statement.
/s/ Moss Adams LLP
Denver, Colorado
October 18, 2024