PO
Prairie Operating Co. (PROP)·Q2 2025 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Q2 2025 delivered rapid scaling post-Bayswater integration: revenue $68.1M, adjusted EBITDA $38.6M (company record), and production 21,052 Boe/d (~50% oil); management emphasized cost discipline (AFE ~$5.6M) and operational efficiency .
- FY25 guidance was materially raised: average production 24–26k Boe/d, capex $260–$280M, adjusted EBITDA $240–$260M (vs prior 7–8k Boe/d, $120–$130M capex, $100–$140M EBITDA), underpinned by hedging (85% of production) and a $475M borrowing base .
- Versus S&P Global consensus, Q2 missed on revenue ($68.1M vs $122.5M*) and EPS ($0.18 diluted vs $0.96*), driven by timing of the Bayswater close, fewer wells turned in line, offset shut-ins, and a weighted-average NGL pricing methodology that depressed reported realizations; management expects a significant H2 ramp with 35 TILs in 2025 .
- Liquidity stood at ~$98.7M (revolver availability $88.0M + cash $10.7M); leverage ~1x on adjusted 12-month basis; hedge book secures oil at ~$68.04/bbl and gas at ~$4.30/MMBtu through YE25, supporting cash flow visibility .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
What Went Well
- Record adjusted EBITDA ($38.6M) and strong production scaling (21,052 Boe/d), reflecting successful integration and execution; “We delivered record production [and] achieved new highs in adjusted EBITDA” .
- Cost leadership and drilling efficiency: AFEs ~$5.6M, spud-to-TD 5.3 days; “We see a clear line of sight to getting [AFE] down to $5,000,000 for two-mile” .
- Strategic M&A and hedging: closing Bayswater and executing hedges covering ~85% of production; reaffirmed $475M borrowing base and expanded syndicate (Citi, BofA, WTXNB) .
What Went Wrong
- Consensus misses: revenue and EPS below S&P Global estimates; diluted EPS reported at $0.18 versus consensus ~$0.96*; revenue $68.1M versus ~$122.5M* .
- Realization pressure in NGLs (weighted-average price $8.70/bbl), below broader industry averages; management attributed gap to accounting methodology .
- Production below some external expectations due to timing of Bayswater closing, fewer TILs in H1, and offset shut-ins (e.g., Chevron activity), with ramp pushed into H2 .
Financial Results
P&L vs Prior Periods and Prior Year
- Values retrieved from S&P Global.
Notes:
- Management also disclosed adjusted EBITDA of $38.56M for Q2 2025 (non-GAAP) .
- Net income attributable to common stockholders was $48.50M in Q2 2025; the divergence from continuing ops net income reflects preferred stock items and fair value adjustments per the 8-K reconciliation .
Commodity Mix and Production (Q2 2025)
Realized Prices and Operating Cost KPIs (Q2 2025)
Actuals vs S&P Global Consensus (Q2 2025)
- Values retrieved from S&P Global.
Drivers of variance (company commentary): timing of Bayswater close and ramp (nine fewer wells turned in line in H1), offset shut-ins from neighboring completions, and NGL pricing methodology that reduced reported realizations .
Guidance Changes
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Note: No prior-quarter transcripts or 8-K 2.02 earnings releases were found in our search window for Q1 2025 or Q4 2024; trend baselines are derived from Q2 commentary [ListDocuments outputs above].
Management Commentary
- “We delivered record production, achieved new highs in adjusted EBITDA, and closed our third strategic acquisition in under a year — further solidifying our position as an oil-weighted consolidator in the DJ Basin.”
- “We see a clear line of sight to getting [two-mile] AFE down to $5,000,000… running a full one rig program… and making [an] RFP process national.”
- “We’re updating our full year production guidance… to 24,000 to 26,000 Boe/d… capex… $260 to $280 million… adjusted EBITDA… $240 to $260 million.”
- “Hedges secure pricing of $68.04 per barrel of oil, $4.3 per MMBtu… through the remainder of 2025.”
- “There are some really low hanging fruit… fewer than 10 wells that probably amount to 500 or more barrels per day of optimization.”
Q&A Highlights
- M&A valuation discipline: Management cited off-market deals at 2–2.5x EBITDA and cautioned against chasing ≥4x multiples; reiterated robust pipeline and accretive focus .
- Cost-down roadmap: Detailed path to ~$5.0M AFEs via utilization, competitive national RFPs, and out-of-basin vendors .
- Production bridge: Ramp pushed by ~60-day delay in Bayswater close and nine fewer TILs in H1; offset shut-ins from Chevron completions; significant H2 ramp expected .
- Rush pad timing: Completions on schedule with near-term first production; positive pressure indications .
- NGL pricing: Weighted-average barrel basis methodology yielded $8.70/bbl; acknowledged broader market averages are higher .
- Optimization: Workovers and gas lift/plunger lift delivering rapid paybacks; cited 400–500 bbl/day uplift from initial workovers .
Estimates Context
- Q2 2025 S&P Global consensus vs actual: revenue $122.5M* vs $68.1M (miss), diluted EPS $0.96* vs $0.18 (miss). Coverage depth: 3 revenue estimates, 4 EPS estimates*.
- Implications: Street likely needs to recalibrate for ramp timing (H2-weighted TILs), NGL realization methodology, and offset shut-ins; FY25 raised guidance and hedging should improve forward visibility .
- Values retrieved from S&P Global.
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Execution remains strong with record adjusted EBITDA and accelerating development; operating KPIs (AFE, spud-to-TD, electric frac) point to sustained cost advantages .
- Despite Q2 consensus misses, management’s bridge (delayed close, fewer H1 TILs, offset shut-ins) and 35 TILs in 2025 support a materially higher H2 exit rate .
- Hedging (~85% coverage, oil ~$68.04, gas ~$4.30) and reaffirmed $475M borrowing base de-risk cash flows and fund the ramp, with liquidity ~$98.7M and ~1x leverage .
- Raised FY25 guidance (production, capex, adjusted EBITDA) is a potential catalyst for estimate revisions and narrative shift toward scale and free cash flow .
- M&A discipline (2–2.5x EBITDA, off-market) and operational optimization (workovers/gas lift) can add incremental barrels at attractive IRRs, reinforcing returns focus .
- Monitor realizations (especially NGLs) and service/cost markets; continued AFE compression toward $5.0M would expand returns and capital efficiency .
- Near-term trading: Watch for H2 production updates (Rush pad results, TIL cadence), and any additional acquisition closings; hedge book reduces commodity beta while ramp drives volume upside .
Additional Reference Data
- Liquidity: ~$98.7M (Revolver availability $88.0M + cash $10.7M) .
- Credit facility: $475M borrowing base; aggregate elected commitments $475M; maturity 3/26/2029 .
- Hedge detail (selected): Oil swaps weighted average $68.04 (H2’25), $64.42 (2026); Gas swaps $4.30 (H2’25), $4.08 (2026) .
- Q2 operating cash flow: $9.7M; capex: $56.6M .
Disclosures: Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure; see company’s reconciliation and cautionary statements .