Drilling & Completions | Quarterly / Earnings Reports | Fourth Quarter (4Q) Update | Financial Results | Capital Markets
Crescent Energy Fourth Quarter, Full Year 2021 Results
Crescent Energy Co. announced actual and pro forma financial and operational results for 2021.
Pro forma 2021 financial and operational results are related to the business combination (the "Contango Merger") between Independence Energy LLC ("Independence") and Contango Oil & Gas Company ("Contango") to form Crescent Energy Company ("Crescent" or "the Company"). Actual 2021 financial and operational results include legacy results of Independence, Crescent's financial reporting predecessor, from January 1 through December 6, 2021 and 25 days of Crescent results beginning December 7, 2021.
2021 Pro Forma Highlights:
- Successfully integrated Independence and Contango to form Crescent, a differentiated energy company
- Closed three transactions in the second half of 2021, including two asset acquisitions totaling approximately $140 million and the transformational Contango Merger
Uinta Basin Acquisition and 2022 Outlook:
- Pending $815 million acquisition of high-margin oil assets in the Uinta Basin, expected to close in 1H'22
- Deal consistent with strategy to acquire high-value and accretive cash flowing assets while maintaining financial strength
- Scales Crescent's production base in the Rockies region and adds multi-year inventory of proven, high-return development locations
- Increased Adj. EBITDAX(2) guidance to $1.1-$1.2 billion with $375-$475 million of Levered FCF(2)
- Expect to pay a $0.17 / share quarterly dividend(4), post close of Uinta transaction, based on 10% of 2022E Adjusted EBITDAX(2) guidance
- Transaction maintains strong balance sheet with expected post close net leverage ratio of 1.4x(5)
Crescent CEO David Rockecharlie said, "2021 was a transformational year for Crescent - we generated significant free cash flow, continued to scale our business, maintained our strong balance sheet and began trading in December as a public company. Although we have a new name and ticker symbol, our business strategy is well established and has been executed consistently over the last decade. The recently announced Uinta acquisition adds significant cash flow and resource upside from high return oil assets in a proven basin at a very attractive entry price. We enter 2022 with strong momentum and a differentiated strategy that is well positioned to create value for our shareholders."
Q4 Dividend
Crescent's Board of Directors approved a quarterly cash dividend of $0.12 per share for the fourth quarter of 2021, or $0.48 per share on an annualized basis. The quarterly dividend is payable on March 31, 2022 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on March 18, 2022.
Commitment to ESG
Crescent continues to advance its sustainability initiatives and has achieved the following milestones since closing the Contango Merger in December 2021:
- Issued its inaugural ESG report in December 2021, with updated disclosures planned for mid-2022
- Reported key ESG performance metrics according to the Value Reporting Foundation's SASB Standard for Oil & Gas - Exploration & Production
- Established Crescent's ESG priorities as climate change, environmental, health and safety, water management, community engagement and diversity, equity and inclusion
- Formed an ESG Advisory Council to advise management and the Board on ESG-related topics
- Joined the Oil & Gas Methane Partnership (OGMP) 2.0 initiative to enhance reporting of methane emissions
Operational Update
Crescent produced 116 net MBoe/d for the month of December 2021 on an actual basis. During 2021, Crescent invested approximately $230 million of pro forma development capital to bring online 95 gross (20 net) wells in the Eagle Ford, DJ and Permian basins. Total pro forma operating expense for the year totaled $17.47 per Boe, with pro forma operating expense, excluding production taxes, of $14.53 per Boe.
In 2022, Crescent expects to bring online 32-38 gross operated wells in the Eagle Ford with greater than 90% average working interest. Crescent plans to operate two rigs in the Uinta Basin for the remainder of the year, subject to closing of the transaction.
Financial Position
As of December 31, 2021, the Company had principal amount of indebtedness of $1.0 billion and net debt of approximately $915 million. In February 2022, Crescent issued an additional $200 million aggregate principal amount of its existing senior unsecured notes (the "Tack-On Offering") and used the net proceeds to repay amounts outstanding on its credit facility ("Crescent Credit Facility").
As of December 31, 2021, on a pro forma basis for the Tack-On Offering, Crescent had $700 million of senior unsecured notes and $345 million of outstanding borrowings on the Crescent Credit Facility. Pro forma for the Tack-On Offering, Crescent exited the year with a net debt to 2021 Pro Forma Adjusted EBITDAX(2) ratio of 1.3x and a net debt to 2021 Pro Forma Unhedged Adjusted EBITDAX(2) ratio of 0.9x.
Upon the closing of the Contango Merger in December, the Company's borrowing base increased to $1.3 billion with an elected commitment of $700 million. Total liquidity as of December 31, 2021 on a pro forma basis for the Tack-On Offering was $463 million, including outstanding letters of credit of $21 million and cash and cash equivalents of $129 million.
Crescent's lenders authorized an increase of the Company's elected commitment amount under the existing revolving credit facility to $1.3 billion from $700 million, contingent upon the closing of the Uinta transaction.
2022 Guidance: Standalone and Pro Forma for the Uinta Acquisition
Initial 2022E guidance is below, on both a standalone basis and combined basis for the pending Uinta Basin acquisition assuming nine months of contribution from the acquisition. Estimates are based on $75/Bbl NYMEX WTI and $3.75/MMBtu Henry Hub pricing:
More Fourth Quarter (4Q) Update News

Apa Corp : Doing More With Less
APA's 2025 narrative was one of operational surprise. The company came in beating production guidance every single quarter while spending below plan, capturing over $300MM in cost savings…

Permian Resources to Grow Production 6% in 2026
Permian Resources exited 2025 as the largest pure-play Delaware Basin operator with ~480,000 net acres and >105,000 net royalty acres. The company averaged 392.6 MBoe/d in 2025, including…

Endeavor Talks 2023 Development Program; Rigs, Frac Crews
Endeavor Energy Resources, announces financial and operating results for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2022, and provides full-year 2023 outlook. Fourth Quarter 2022 (“4Q22”) Highlights…

Crescent Energy 4Q, Full Year 2022 Results; Maintenance Capital for 2023
Crescent Energy Company announced its financial and operating results for the fourth quarter and full year 2022 as well as its 2023 guidance. 2023 Outlook Crescent's 2023 outlook…

W&T Offshore Fourth Quarter, Full Year 2022 Results; 2023 Guidance
W&T Offshore, Inc. reported operational and financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2022, including the Company's year-end 2022 reserve report. Guidance for 2023 was also…
Gulf Coast News

Why $90 Oil Isn’t Bringing Back the Rigs
Higher oil prices are not translating cleanly into a drilling response across U.S. shale, and company disclosures are starting to show why. The issue is not simply capital…

These Three Companies Will Increase Drilling & Completion Over The Next 3 Year
In the span of fifteen months, three Japanese energy companies committed more than $10.3 billion to U.S. natural gas production assets — a buying spree that has transferred…

Q1 A&D Transactions Jump to $30B , While Deal Flow Was Down 40%
The first quarter of 2026 has officially defined the "Barbell Era" of American oil and gas. While the total number of deals plummeted by 46% YoY (dropping to…

Wright to U.S. Oil Industry: The Price Signal Is Telling You to Drill
Energy Secretary Chris Wright stood in front of the largest gathering of oil executives in the world this morning and delivered a message that was equal parts market…

Apa Corp : Doing More With Less
APA's 2025 narrative was one of operational surprise. The company came in beating production guidance every single quarter while spending below plan, capturing over $300MM in cost savings…
Mid-Continent News

Permian Resources to Grow Production 6% in 2026
Permian Resources exited 2025 as the largest pure-play Delaware Basin operator with ~480,000 net acres and >105,000 net royalty acres. The company averaged 392.6 MBoe/d in 2025, including…

Battalion Oil Closes ~$60M West Quito Draw Asset Sale
Battalion Oil Corporation has closed the sale of its West Quito Draw assets in the Southern Delaware Basin to MCM Delaware Resources LLC, a subsidiary of MCM Energy…

Deal Rumor: ConocoPhillips Exploring $2B Permian Asset Sale
ConocoPhillips is reportedly exploring the potential sale of certain Permian Basin assets in a transaction valued at approximately $2 billion, according to Reuters, citing sources familiar with the…

An Eagle Ford Team That Cashed Out Is Back for Another Cycle
Houston — January 15, 2026 — Lime Rock Partners, a Houston-based private investment firm specializing in upstream oil and gas, has completed an equity commitment to Athena Energy…

Silver Hill Expands South Texas Footprint with Acquisition of 1776 Energy Assets
Silver Hill Energy Partners has acquired 100 percent of 1776 Energy’s South Texas oil and gas assets, significantly expanding its operated footprint across the Eagle Ford and Austin…