Daniel Rohling
About Daniel Rohling
Daniel P. Rohling is Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Battalion Oil Corporation, serving in this role since October 2019 after joining as Vice President, Operations in September 2019; he is 42 years old and holds a B.S. in Petroleum Engineering from Texas A&M University, with more than 18 years of oil and gas operations experience . Company performance during his tenure shows Total Shareholder Return (value of $100) of $20.72 (2024), $115.78 (2023), and $116.99 (2022), with net income of $(31,882,115), $(3,048,000), and $18,539,000 respectively . Battalion’s compensation program ties annual incentives to operating and financial metrics (safety, capital efficiency, costs, EBITDA/leverage, corporate targets), with target payouts at 100% of base salary and maximums at 200% .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battalion Oil Corporation | EVP & COO | Oct 2019–present | Leads operations; previously VP, Operations Sep–Oct 2019, overseeing field execution and cost control . |
| Ajax Resources, LLC | Asset Vice President | Jan 2018–Oct 2018 | Senior operating role through sale of assets to Diamondback Energy (transaction noted in bio) . |
| XRO Energy, LLC | EVP & GM – Rockies | Nov 2017–Jan 2018 | Led Rockies operations and asset development . |
| EP Energy (El Paso Corporation) | Permian Basin Asset Manager (culmination of various roles) | Jun 2013–Nov 2017 | Managed Permian Basin assets; experience across operations, business development, and management . |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Society of Petroleum Engineers | Active member | Not disclosed | Ongoing professional engagement and technical community participation . |
Fixed Compensation
| Metric | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Base Salary ($) | $350,000 | $356,562 (actual paid) |
| Bonus ($) | $350,000 | $367,500 |
| All Other Compensation ($) | $22,982 | $24,107 |
- Merit adjustment: Base salary set to $367,500 effective August 16, 2024 .
- Program design: Annual cash incentives target 100% of base salary; maximum 200% based on performance against pre-set metrics and committee discretion .
Performance Compensation
| Incentive Type | Metric(s) | Target | Actual Payout | Vesting/Timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Annual Cash Incentive | Safety, capital efficiency, costs, EBITDA/leverage, corporate targets (incl. change in control consideration) | 100% of base salary at target; 0–200% range | $367,500 (COO) | Paid following March 2025 committee review |
| Retention & Incentive Plan (adopted Mar 4, 2025) | Retention; Change-in-control IRR-based NIV Pool: 10%/15%/20% of Net Increase in Value at >10%/>15%/>20% IRR respectively | First $145,000; Second $145,000; 2025 bonus prepayment $183,750 | Allocated shares of Base Pool 25% and NIV Pool 25% (for COO) | First payment in early March 2025; second payable at Dec 31, 2026; 2025 bonus prepayment after Q2 2025; repayment required if employment ends without good reason or for cause before stated dates |
- No grants of plan-based equity awards to NEOs in 2024; committee retained discretion on incentive payouts .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership | 28,899 shares; <1% of outstanding |
| Options – grant 1 | 26,564 exercisable; $18.91 strike; expiring 2/20/2027 |
| Options – grant 2 | 26,564 exercisable; $28.23 strike; expiring 2/20/2027 |
| Options – grant 3 | 26,564 exercisable; $37.83 strike; expiring 2/20/2027 |
| Unvested RSUs (12/31/2024) | 26,564 units; market value $45,690 using $1.72 share price |
| RSU settlement | Base RSU shares settled and paid in cash at scheduled vest in March 2025 |
| Performance units | Did not vest on Feb 20, 2024; awards terminated |
| Hedging/Pledging | Company policy prohibits short sales, derivatives, margin accounts, and pledging of company stock |
- At $1.72 year-end share price, all outstanding options with strikes of $18.91/$28.23/$37.83 were deeply out-of-the-money, limiting near-term exercise-driven selling pressure .
- Board directive to explore repurchase from participants of RSU shares at $3.00 per share in two phases (near-term and around Dec 31, 2026); management has not taken substantive steps yet .
Employment Terms
| Term | Detail |
|---|---|
| Role/Start | EVP & COO since Oct 2019; previously VP, Operations (Sep–Oct 2019) |
| Agreement term | Employment agreements auto-renew annually unless either party gives 30 days’ notice |
| Non-compete | 6 months post-termination for COO |
| Non-solicit | 1 year post-termination |
| Severance (no CoC) | $500,000 for COO upon termination without cause/for good reason |
| Change-of-control economics (COO) | Severance $500,000; RSU vesting value $45,690 (based on $1.72); Retention $328,750; Discretionary CoC bonus $1,000,000; Total $1,874,440 |
| Clawback | Incentive Compensation Recoupment Policy adopted Nov 28, 2023 for accounting restatements |
| Insider trading policy | Prohibits hedging, short sales, options/derivatives, margin accounts, and pledging |
Investment Implications
- Alignment: Low direct ownership (<1%) and options far out-of-the-money suggest modest immediate equity-alignment; however, cash-settled RSUs and a structured retention plan through 2026 reduce forced selling pressure and reinforce retention .
- Sale incentive: Large change-of-control payout ($1.874M including a $1.0M CoC bonus) creates a strong incentive to support a strategic transaction that clears plan triggers, balancing retention considerations with potential monetization outcomes .
- Liquidity signal: The Board’s directive to explore repurchasing RSU shares from participants at $3.00 could add controlled liquidity and signal internal support for equity value, although no substantive implementation steps have been taken .
- Governance risk mitigants: Robust insider trading restrictions (no hedging/pledging) and a formal clawback policy reduce misalignment and restatement-related risk; pay structure in 2024 favored cash incentives over new equity grants, indicating a shift in risk profile for executives .