Devon Energy (DVN) Risk Analysis

Our operations are subject to extensive federal, state, tribal and local laws and regulations, including with respect to environmental matters, worker health and safety, land and wildlife conservation, the gathering and transportation of oil, gas and NGLs, resource management and conservation policies, reporting obligations, royalty payments, unclaimed property and the imposition of taxes. Such regulations include requirements for permits to drill and to conduct other operations and for provision of financial assurances (such as surety bonds) covering drilling, completion and well operations and decommissioning obligations. If permits are delayed or not issued, or if unfavorable restrictions or conditions are imposed on our drilling or completion activities, we may not be able to conduct our operations as planned. Moreover, certain regulations require the plugging and abandonment of wells, removal of production facilities and other restorative actions by current and former operators, including corporate successors of former operators, which means that we are exposed to the risk that owners or operators of assets acquired from us (or our predecessors) become unable to satisfy plugging or abandonment and other restorative obligations that attach to those assets. In that event, due to operation of law, we may be required to assume such obligations, which could be material. We have incurred and will continue to incur substantial capital, operating and remediation costs as a result of these and other laws, regulations, permits and orders to which we are subject. Changes in public policy have affected, and in the future could further affect, our operations. For example, various policy makers have expressed support for, and have taken steps to implement, efforts to transition the economy away from fossil fuels and to promote stricter environmental regulations, and such proposals could impose new and more onerous burdens on our industry and business. The IRA, for instance, contains hundreds of billions of dollars in incentives for the development of renewable energy, clean fuels and carbon capture and sequestration, among other provisions, potentially further accelerating the transition toward lower-or zero-carbon emissions alternatives to fossil fuels. These and other regulatory and public policy developments could, among other things, restrict production levels, delay necessary permitting, impose price controls, change environmental protection requirements, impose restrictions on pipelines or other necessary infrastructure, raise taxes, royalties and other amounts payable to governments or governmental agencies and otherwise increase our operating costs. In addition, changes in public policy may indirectly impact our operations by, among other things, increasing the cost of supplies and equipment and fostering general economic uncertainty. Although we are unable to predict changes to existing laws and regulations, such changes could significantly impact our profitability, financial condition and liquidity, particularly changes related to the matters discussed in more detail below. Federal Lands – Federal policy makers have from time to time expressed support for, and have taken steps to implement, additional regulation of oil and gas leasing, permitting and development on federal lands. For example, the Department of the Interior adopted a final rule in April 2024 revising various terms for future federal leases and wells, including by enhancing bonding requirements and increasing royalty rates, rental rates and minimum bids. Moreover, non-governmental organizations, trade groups and other private parties have filed lawsuits challenging leasing, permitting and other regulatory decisions relating to our and other industry participants' oil and gas development on federal lands, which, if successful, could further hinder development activities or otherwise adversely impact operations. While it is not possible at this time to predict the ultimate impact of these actions or any other future regulatory changes, including any potential actions by the Trump Administration, any additional restrictions or burdens on our ability to operate on federal lands could adversely impact our business in the Delaware and Powder River Basins, as well as other areas where we operate under federal leases. Hydraulic Fracturing – Various federal agencies have asserted regulatory authority over certain aspects of the hydraulic fracturing process. For example, the EPA has issued regulations under the federal Clean Air Act establishing performance standards for oil and gas activities, including standards for the capture of air emissions released during hydraulic fracturing, and it previously finalized regulations that prohibit the discharge of wastewater from hydraulic fracturing operations to publicly owned wastewater treatment plants. Moreover, several state and local governments in areas in which we operate have adopted, or stated intentions to adopt, laws or regulations that mandate further restrictions on hydraulic fracturing, such as requiring disclosure of chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing, imposing more stringent permitting, disclosure and well-construction requirements on hydraulic fracturing operations and establishing standards for the capture of air emissions released during hydraulic fracturing. Beyond these regulatory efforts, various policy makers, regulatory agencies and political leaders at the federal, state and local levels have proposed implementing even further restrictions on hydraulic fracturing, including prohibiting the technology outright. Although it is not possible at this time to predict the outcome of these or other proposals, any new restrictions on hydraulic fracturing that may be imposed in areas in which we conduct business could potentially result in increased compliance costs, delays or cessation in development or other restrictions on our operations. Environmental Laws Generally – In addition to regulatory efforts focused on hydraulic fracturing, we are subject to various other federal, state, tribal and local laws and regulations relating to discharge of materials into, and protection of, the environment. These laws and regulations may, among other things, impose liability on us for the cost of remediating pollution that results from our operations or prior operations on assets we have acquired. Environmental laws may impose strict, joint and several liability, and failure to comply with environmental laws and regulations can result in the imposition of administrative, civil or criminal fines and penalties, as well as injunctions limiting operations in affected areas. Any future environmental costs of fulfilling our commitments to the environment are uncertain and will be governed by several factors, including future changes to regulatory requirements. Any such changes could have a significant impact on our operations and profitability. Water Disposal – Earthquakes in southeastern New Mexico, western Texas and elsewhere have prompted concerns about seismic activity and possible relationships with the oil and gas industry, particularly the disposal of wastewater in salt-water disposal wells. In addition, similar concerns have been raised about the potential connection between water disposal activities and certain surface uplift, subsidence and other ground movement in western Texas and other areas of industry activity. Increased regulation and attention given to water disposal activities could lead to greater efforts, including through litigation, to limit or prohibit oil and gas activities relying on injection wells for produced water disposal. For example, New Mexico implemented protocols requiring operators to take various actions with respect to salt-water disposal wells within a specified proximity of certain seismic activity, including a requirement to limit injection rates if the seismic event is of a certain magnitude. Separately, the Railroad Commission of Texas has shown increasing regulatory focus on seismicity and the oil and gas industry in recent years, including by suspending all disposal well permits that inject into deep strata within the Northern Culberson-Reeves area due to increasing seismicity concerns. These or similar actions directed at our operating areas could limit the takeaway capacity for produced water in the impacted area, which could increase our operating expenses, require us to curtail our development plans or otherwise adversely impact our operations. Tax Matters – We are subject to U.S. federal income tax as well as income, capital and other taxes in various U.S. state and foreign jurisdictions, and our operating cash flow is sensitive to the amount of taxes we must pay. In the jurisdictions in which we or any of our subsidiaries operate or previously operated, income taxes are assessed on our earnings after consideration of all allowable deductions and credits. Changes in the types of earnings that are subject to income tax, the types of costs that are considered allowable deductions and the timing of such deductions, or the rates assessed on our taxable earnings could significantly increase our tax obligations, adversely impacting our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Additionally, more generally, a change in any U.S. federal, state or local or foreign tax law, treaty, policy, statute, rule, regulation or ordinance, or in the interpretation thereof, in any jurisdiction in which we or any of our subsidiaries operate, or in which we or any of our subsidiaries are organized, could result in us incurring a materially higher tax expense, which would also adversely impact our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. For example, the IRA included a 15% CAMT on certain financial statement income, and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development has adopted a set of model international tax rules known as the "Pillar Two" framework, a central component of which is the imposition of a global minimum corporate tax rate of 15% on certain multinational enterprises. While we are still assessing the potential impacts of the CAMT and the Pillar Two rules to our business, any incremental taxes attributable to CAMT, Pillar Two or any other tax law changes, or a change in our current interpretation thereof, could be significant and adversely impact our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Moreover, we are regularly audited by tax authorities. Although we believe our tax positions are reasonable and properly supported, if one or more of our tax positions are challenged by the IRS or other tax authorities (in a tax audit or otherwise), material cash payments or adjustments to tax expense may occur, which could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

As discussed above, our business is hazardous and is subject to all of the operating risks normally associated with the exploration, development and production of oil, gas and NGLs. To mitigate financial losses resulting from these operational hazards, we maintain comprehensive general liability insurance, as well as insurance coverage against certain losses resulting from physical damages, loss of well control, business interruption and pollution events that are considered sudden and accidental. We also maintain workers' compensation and employer's liability insurance. However, our insurance coverage does not provide 100% reimbursement of potential losses resulting from these operational hazards and, in the future, we may not be able to maintain or obtain insurance of the type and amount we desire at reasonable rates. Additionally, we have limited or no insurance coverage for a variety of other risks, including pollution events that are considered gradual, war and political risks and fines or penalties assessed by governmental authorities. The occurrence of a significant event against which we are not fully insured could have an adverse effect on our profitability, financial condition and liquidity.

We rely on midstream facilities and systems owned and operated by others to process our gas production and to gather and transport our oil, gas and NGL production to downstream markets. All or a portion of our production in one or more regions may be interrupted or shut in from time to time due to losing access to plants, pipelines or gathering systems. Such access could be lost due to a number of factors, including, but not limited to, weather conditions and natural disasters, terrorism or sabotage, cybersecurity incidents, accidents, field labor issues or strikes. Additionally, midstream operators have in the past been, and in the future may be, subject to constraints that limit their ability to construct, maintain or repair the facilities needed to gather, process and transport our production. Such interruptions or constraints could adversely impact our operations, including by requiring us to curtail our production or obtain alternative takeaway capacity on less favorable terms.