Commitments and Contingencies
Included below is a discussion of the Company's various future commitments and contingencies as of December 31, 2024. The Company has provided accruals where necessary for contingent liabilities, based on ASC 450, Contingencies, when it has determined that a liability is probable and reasonably estimable. The Company continuously assesses the potential liability related to the Company's pending litigation and revises its estimates when additional information becomes available. Additionally, the Company currently expenses all legal costs as they are incurred. The commitments and contingencies under these arrangements are not recorded in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.
Legal Proceedings. As previously disclosed, on May 16, 2016, the Company and certain of its direct and indirect subsidiaries (collectively, the “Debtors”) filed voluntary petitions for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas (the “Bankruptcy Court”). The Bankruptcy Court confirmed the joint plan of organization (the “Plan”) of the Debtors on September 9, 2016, and the Debtors subsequently emerged from bankruptcy on October 4, 2016.
Pursuant to the Plan, claims against the Company were discharged without recovery in each of the following consolidated cases (the “Cases”):
• In re SandRidge Energy, Inc. Securities Litigation, Case No. 5:12-cv-01341-LRW, USDC, Western District of Oklahoma (“In re SandRidge Energy, Inc. Securities Litigation”); and
• Ivan Nibur, Lawrence Ross, Jase Luna, Matthew Willenbucher, and the Duane & Virginia Lanier Trust v. SandRidge Mississippian Trust I, et al., Case No. 5:15-cv-00634-SLP, USDC, Western District of Oklahoma (“Lanier Trust”)
Both cases were settled with all defendants except the SandRidge Mississippian Trust I (“the Trust”) in Lanier Trust, which is being sued by a class of purchasers of units under the remaining claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, based on allegations that the Trust, made misrepresentations or omissions concerning various topics including the performance of wells operated by the Company. The Company may be contractually obligated to indemnify the Trust for losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses, including reasonable costs of investigation and attorneys’ fees and expenses, which it is required to advance. Such indemnification may not be covered by insurance. Considering the status of the Lanier Trust matter, and the facts, circumstances and legal theories relating thereto, the Company is not able to determine the likelihood of an outcome or provide an estimate of any reasonably possible loss or range of possible loss related thereto. However, such losses, if incurred, could be material. The Company has not established any liabilities relating to the Lanier Trust matter and believes that the plaintiffs’ claims are without merit.
Separately, the Company had received a demand by two of the settling individual defendants to fund a proposed settlement of $17 million with those defendants. The Company refused and filed an action in Oklahoma state court seeking a declaratory judgment that the defendants were not entitled to indemnification. The insurance carriers funded the settlement of $17 million and filed a counterclaim, which seeks reimbursement of the $17 million settlement, with each carrier to receive their funded portion of the $17 million. The Company disputes any liability, as it believes it has meritorious defenses, and intends to continue to vigorously defend against this claim. Considering the status of this matter, and the facts, circumstances and legal theories thereto, the Company is not able to determine the likelihood of an outcome. The Company has not established any liabilities relating to this matter.
In addition to the matters described above, the Company is involved in various lawsuits, claims and proceedings, which are being handled and defended by the Company in the ordinary course of business.