10-Q

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20549

_________________________________

FORM 10-Q

_________________________________

xQUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the quarterly period ended June 30, 2018

¨TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from ____________ to____________

Commission File No. 001-33999

NORTHERN OIL AND GAS, INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

Delaware	95-3848122
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

601 Carlson Pkwy – Suite 990

Minnetonka, Minnesota 55305

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

(952) 476-9800

(Registrant’s Telephone Number)

N/A

(Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes x  No ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (Sec. 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).  Yes x  No ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company.  See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act:

Large Accelerated Filer  ¨	Accelerated Filer  x
Non-Accelerated Filer    ¨ (Do not check if a smaller reporting company) Emerging Growth Company  ¨	Smaller Reporting Company  ¨

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ¨  No x

As of July 31, 2018, there were 296,692,648 shares of our common stock, par value $0.001, outstanding.

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Unless otherwise indicated in this report, natural gas volumes are stated at the legal pressure base of the state or geographic area in which the reserves are located at 60 degrees Fahrenheit.  Crude oil and natural gas equivalents are determined using the ratio of six Mcf of natural gas to one barrel of crude oil, condensate or natural gas liquids.

The following definitions shall apply to the technical terms used in this report.

Terms used to describe quantities of crude oil and natural gas:

“Bbl.”  One stock tank barrel, of 42 U.S. gallons liquid volume, used herein in reference to crude oil, condensate or NGLs.

“Boe.”  A barrel of oil equivalent and is a standard convention used to express crude oil, NGL and natural gas volumes on a comparable crude oil equivalent basis. Gas equivalents are determined under the relative energy content method by using the ratio of 6.0 Mcf of natural gas to 1.0 Bbl of crude oil or NGL.

“Boepd.”Boe per day.

“Btu or British Thermal Unit.”  The quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit.

“MBbl.”  One thousand barrels of crude oil, condensate or NGLs.

“MBoe.”  One thousand Boe.

“Mcf.”  One thousand cubic feet of natural gas.

“MMBbl.”  One million barrels of crude oil, condensate or NGLs.

“MMBoe.”  One million Boe.

“MMBtu.”  One million British Thermal Units.

“MMcf.”  One million cubic feet of natural gas.

“NGLs.”  Natural gas liquids.  Hydrocarbons found in natural gas that may be extracted as liquefied petroleum gas and natural gasoline.

Terms used to describe our interests in wells and acreage:

“Basin.”  A large natural depression on the earth’s surface in which sediments generally brought by water accumulate.

“Completion.”  The process of treating a drilled well followed by the installation of permanent equipment for the production of crude oil, NGLs, and/or natural gas.

“Conventional play.”  An area that is believed to be capable of producing crude oil, NGLs, and natural gas occurring in discrete accumulations in structural and stratigraphic traps.

“Costless Collar.”An option position where the proceeds from the sale of a call option at its inception fund the purchase of a put option at its inception.

“Developed acreage.”  Acreage consisting of leased acres spaced or assignable to productive wells.  Acreage included in spacing units of infill wells is classified as developed acreage at the time production commences from the initial well in the spacing unit.  As such, the addition of an infill well does not have any impact on a company’s amount of developed acreage.

“Development well.”  A well drilled within the proved area of a crude oil, NGL, or natural gas reservoir to the depth of a stratigraphic horizon (rock layer or formation) known to be productive for the purpose of extracting proved crude oil, NGL, or natural gas reserves.

i

“Differential.” The difference between a benchmark price of crude oil and natural gas, such as the NYMEX crude oil spot price, and the wellhead price received.

“Dry hole.”  A well found to be incapable of producing hydrocarbons in sufficient quantities such that proceeds from the sale of such production exceed production expenses and taxes.

“Exploratory well.”  A well drilled to find and produce crude oil, NGLs, or natural gas in an unproved area, to find a new reservoir in a field previously found to be producing crude oil, NGLs, or natural gas in another reservoir, or to extend a known reservoir.

“Field.”  An area consisting of a single reservoir or multiple reservoirs all grouped on, or related to, the same individual geological structural feature or stratigraphic condition. The field name refers to the surface area, although it may refer to both the surface and the underground productive formations.

“Formation.”  A layer of rock which has distinct characteristics that differs from nearby rock.

“Gross acres or Gross wells.”  The total acres or wells, as the case may be, in which a working interest is owned.

“Held by operations.”  A provision in an oil and gas lease that extends the stated term of the lease as long as drilling operations are ongoing on the property.

“Held by production.”  A provision in an oil and gas lease that extends the stated term of the lease as long as the property produces a minimum quantity of crude oil, NGLs, and natural gas.

“Hydraulic fracturing.”  The technique of improving a well’s production by pumping a mixture of fluids into the formation and rupturing the rock, creating an artificial channel. As part of this technique, sand or other material may also be injected into the formation to keep the channel open, so that fluids or natural gases may more easily flow through the formation.

“Infill well.”  A subsequent well drilled in an established spacing unit of an already established productive well in the spacing unit.  Acreage on which infill wells are drilled is considered developed commencing with the initial productive well established in the spacing unit.  As such, the addition of an infill well does not have any impact on a company’s amount of developed acreage.

“Net acres.”  The percentage ownership of gross acres.  Net acres are deemed to exist when the sum of fractional ownership working interests in gross acres equals one (e.g., a 10% working interest in a lease covering 640 gross acres is equivalent to 64 net acres).

“Net well.”  A well that is deemed to exist when the sum of fractional ownership working interests in gross wells equals one.

“NYMEX.”  The New York Mercantile Exchange.

“OPEC.”  The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.

“Productive well.”  A well that is found to be capable of producing hydrocarbons in sufficient quantities such that proceeds from the sale of the production exceed production expenses and taxes.

“Recompletion.”  The process of treating a drilled well followed by the installation of permanent equipment for the production of crude oil, NGLs or natural gas or, in the case of a dry hole, the reporting of abandonment to the appropriate agency.

“Reservoir.”  A porous and permeable underground formation containing a natural accumulation of producible crude oil, NGLs and/or natural gas that is confined by impermeable rock or water barriers and is separate from other reservoirs.

“Spacing.”  The distance between wells producing from the same reservoir.  Spacing is often expressed in terms of acres, e.g., 40-acre spacing, and is often established by regulatory agencies.

ii

“Unconventional play.”  An area believed to be capable of producing crude oil, NGLs, and/or natural gas occurring in cumulations that are regionally extensive but require recently developed technologies to achieve profitability.  These areas tend to have low permeability and may be closely associated with source rock as this is the case with crude oil and natural gas shale, tight crude oil and natural gas sands and coal bed methane.

“Undeveloped acreage.”  Leased acreage on which wells have not been drilled or completed to a point that would permit the production of economic quantities of crude oil, NGLs, and natural gas, regardless of whether such acreage contains proved reserves.  Undeveloped acreage includes net acres held by operations until a productive well is established in the spacing unit.

“Unit.”  The joining of all or substantially all interests in a reservoir or field, rather than a single tract, to provide for development and operation without regard to separate property interests.  Also, the area covered by a unitization agreement.

“Wellbore.”  The hole drilled by the bit that is equipped for natural gas production on a completed well.  Also called well or borehole.

“West Texas Intermediate or WTI.”  A light, sweet blend of oil produced from the fields in West Texas.

“Working interest.”  The right granted to the lessee of a property to explore for and to produce and own crude oil, NGLs, natural gas or other minerals. The working interest owners bear the exploration, development, and operating costs on either a cash, penalty, or carried basis.

“Workover.” Operations on a producing well to restore or increase production.

Terms used to assign a present value to or to classify our reserves:

“Possible reserves.”  The additional reserves which analysis of geoscience and engineering data suggest are less likely to be recoverable than probable reserves.

“Pre-tax PV-10% or PV-10.”  The estimated future net revenue, discounted at a rate of 10% per annum, before income taxes and with no price or cost escalation or de-escalation in accordance with guidelines promulgated by the SEC.

“Probable reserves.”  The additional reserves which analysis of geoscience and engineering data indicate are less likely to be recovered than proved reserves but which together with proved reserves, are as likely as not to be recovered.

“Proved developed producing reserves (PDPs).”  Reserves that can be expected to be recovered through existing wells with existing equipment and operating methods.  Additional crude oil, NGLs, and natural gas expected to be obtained through the application of fluid injection or other improved recovery techniques for supplementing the natural forces and mechanisms of primary recovery are included in “proved developed reserves” only after testing by a pilot project or after the operation of an installed program has confirmed through production response that increased recovery will be achieved.

“Proved developed non-producing reserves (PDNPs).”Proved crude oil, NGLs, and natural gas reserves that are developed behind pipe, shut-in or that can be recovered through improved recovery only after the necessary equipment has been installed, or when the costs to do so are relatively minor.  Shut-in reserves are expected to be recovered from (1) completion intervals which are open at the time of the estimate but which have not started producing, (2) wells that were shut-in for market conditions or pipeline connections, or (3) wells not capable of production for mechanical reasons. Behind-pipe reserves are expected to be recovered from zones in existing wells that will require additional completion work or future recompletion prior to the start of production.

“Proved reserves.”  The quantities of crude oil, NGLs and natural gas, which, by analysis of geosciences and engineering data, can be estimated with reasonable certainty to be economically producible, from a given date forward, from known reservoirs, and under existing economic conditions, operating methods, and government regulations, prior to the time at which contracts providing the right to operate expire, unless evidence indicates that renewal is reasonably certain, regardless of whether deterministic or probabilistic methods are used for the estimation.  The project to extract the hydrocarbons must have commenced, or the operator must be reasonably certain that it will commence the project, within a reasonable time.

“Proved undeveloped drilling location.”  A site on which a development well can be drilled consistent with spacing rules for purposes of recovering proved undeveloped reserves.

iii

“Proved undeveloped reserves” or“PUDs.”  Reserves that are expected to be recovered from new wells on undrilled acreage, or from existing wells where a relatively major expenditure is required for development. Reserves on undrilled acreage are limited to those drilling units offsetting productive units that are reasonably certain of production when drilled. Proved reserves for other undrilled units are claimed only where it can be demonstrated with reasonable certainty that there is continuity of production from the existing productive formation.  Estimates for proved undeveloped reserves will not be attributable to any acreage for which an application of fluid injection or other improved recovery technique is contemplated, unless such techniques have been proved effective by actual tests in the area and in the same reservoir or an analogous reservoir.

(i)           The area of the reservoir considered as proved includes: (A) the area identified by drilling and limited by fluid contacts, if any, and (B) adjacent undrilled portions of the reservoir that can, with reasonable certainty, be judged to be continuous with it and to contain economically producible crude oil, NGLs or natural gas on the basis of available geoscience and engineering data.

(ii)           In the absence of data on fluid contacts, proved quantities in a reservoir are limited by the lowest known hydrocarbons (“LKH”) as seen in a well penetration unless geoscience, engineering, or performance data and reliable technology establishes a lower contact with reasonable certainty.

(iii)           Where direct observation from well penetrations has defined a highest known oil (“HKO”) elevation and the potential exists for an associated gas cap, proved oil reserves may be assigned in the structurally higher portions of the reservoir only if geoscience, engineering or performance data and reliable technology establish the higher contact with reasonable certainty.

(iv)           Reserves which can be produced economically through application of improved recovery techniques (including, but not limited to, fluid injection) are included in the proved classification when: (A) successful testing by a pilot project in an area of the reservoir with properties no more favorable than in the reservoir as a whole, the operation of an installed program in the reservoir or an analogous reservoir, or other evidence using reliable technology establishes the reasonable certainty of the engineering analysis on which the project or program was based; and (B) the project has been approved for development by all necessary parties and entities, including governmental entities.

(v)           Existing economic conditions include prices and costs at which economic producibility from a reservoir is to be determined. The price shall be the average during the twelve-month period prior to the ending date of the period covered by the report, determined as an unweighted arithmetic average of the first-day-of-the-month price for each month within such period, unless prices are defined by contractual arrangements, excluding escalations based on future conditions.

“Standardized measure.”  Discounted future net cash flows estimated by applying year-end prices to the estimated future production of year-end proved reserves. Future cash inflows are reduced by estimated future production and development costs based on period end costs to determine pre-tax cash inflows. Future income taxes, if applicable, are computed by applying the statutory tax rate to the excess of pre-tax cash inflows over our tax basis in the oil and natural gas properties. Future net cash inflows after income taxes are discounted using a 10% annual discount rate.

iv

NORTHERN OIL AND GAS, INC.

FORM 10-Q

June 30, 2018

C O N T E N T S

		Page
PART I – FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item 1.	Condensed Financial Statements (unaudited)	2
	Condensed Balance Sheets	2
	Condensed Statements of Operations	3
	Condensed Statements of Cash Flows	4
	Condensed Statements of Stockholders’ Deficit	5
	Notes to Condensed Financial Statements	6
Item 2.	Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations	30
Item 3.	Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk	49
Item 4.	Controls and Procedures	50
PART II – OTHER INFORMATION
Item 1.	Legal Proceedings	51
Item 1A.	Risk Factors	51
Item 2.	Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds	51
Item 6.	Exhibits	52
Signatures

1

PART I - FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. CondensedFinancial Statements.

NORTHERN OIL AND GAS, INC.

CONDENSED BALANCE SHEETS

JUNE 30, 2018 AND DECEMBER 31, 2017

(UNAUDITED)

	June 30, 2018			December 31, 2017
ASSETS
Current Assets:
Cash and Cash Equivalents	$	200,924,143		$	102,183,191
Accounts Receivable, Net	68,273,411			46,851,682
Advances to Operators	416,002			604,977
Prepaid and Other Expenses	5,584,787			2,333,288
Income Tax Receivable	785,016			785,016
Total Current Assets	275,983,359			152,758,154
Property and Equipment:
Oil and Natural Gas Properties, Full Cost Method of Accounting
Proved	2,754,032,103			2,585,490,133
Unproved	1,829,834			1,699,344
Other Property and Equipment	963,364			981,303
Total Property and Equipment	2,756,825,301			2,588,170,780
Less – Accumulated Depreciation, Depletion and Impairment	(2,155,812,722		)	(2,114,951,189		)
Total Property and Equipment, Net	601,012,579			473,219,591
Deferred Income Taxes (Note 9)	785,000			785,000
Other Noncurrent Assets, Net	5,301,565			5,490,934
Total Assets	$	883,082,503		$	632,253,679
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ DEFICIT
Current Liabilities:
Accounts Payable	$	92,176,052		$	93,152,297
Accrued Expenses	5,916,909			6,339,425
Accrued Interest	4,859,913			4,836,112
Debt Exchange Derivative	10,923,000			—
Derivative Instruments	43,644,644			18,681,891
Asset Retirement Obligations	483,365			565,521
Total Current Liabilities	158,003,883			123,575,246
Long-term Debt, Net	834,767,656			979,324,222
Derivative Instruments	28,611,421			11,496,929
Asset Retirement Obligations	9,399,503			8,562,607
Other Noncurrent Liabilities	120,298			135,225
Total Liabilities	$	1,030,902,761		$	1,123,094,229
Commitments and Contingencies (Note 8)
STOCKHOLDERS’ DEFICIT
Preferred Stock, Par Value $.001; 5,000,000 Authorized, No Shares Outstanding	—			—
Common Stock, Par Value $.001; 450,000,000 Authorized (6/30/2018 – 293,600,269    Shares Outstanding and 12/31/2017 – 66,791,633 Shares Outstanding)	293,600			66,792
Additional Paid-In Capital	886,041,475			449,666,390
Retained Deficit	(1,034,155,333		)	(940,573,732		)
Total Stockholders’ Deficit	(147,820,258		)	(490,840,550		)
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ DEFICIT	$	883,082,503		$	632,253,679

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed financial statements.

2

NORTHERN OIL AND GAS, INC.

CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

FOR THE THREE AND SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2018 AND 2017

(UNAUDITED)

	Three Months Ended June 30,						Six Months Ended June 30,
	2018			2017			2018			2017
REVENUES
Oil, Natural Gas, and NGL Sales	$	109,046,878		$	48,381,006		$	195,927,692		$	97,229,228
Gain (Loss) on Derivative Instruments, Net	(42,202,788		)	16,513,032			(62,474,239		)	33,473,915
Other Revenue	1,809			7,844			5,909			15,590
Total Revenues	66,845,899			64,901,882			133,459,362			130,718,733
OPERATING EXPENSES
Production Expenses	14,548,922			12,137,540			27,037,344			23,811,889
Production Taxes	10,131,843			4,439,774			18,054,157			8,901,040
General and Administrative Expenses	3,251,239			4,317,139			4,918,114			7,926,083
Depletion, Depreciation, Amortization and Accretion	22,596,028			13,682,452			41,226,657			26,510,595
Total Operating Expenses	50,528,032			34,576,905			91,236,272			67,149,607
INCOME FROM OPERATIONS	16,317,867			30,324,977			42,223,090			63,569,126
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE)
Interest Expense, Net of Capitalization	(22,403,373		)	(16,428,164		)	(45,510,134		)	(32,731,970		)
Write-off of Debt Issuance Costs	—			(95,135		)	—			(95,135		)
Loss on the Extinguishment of Debt	(90,832,975		)	—			(90,832,975		)	—
Other Income	371,783			181			538,418			361
Total Other Income (Expense)	(112,864,565		)	(16,523,118		)	(135,804,691		)	(32,826,744		)
INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAXES	(96,546,698		)	13,801,859			(93,581,601		)	30,742,382
INCOME TAX PROVISION (BENEFIT)	—			—			—			—
NET INCOME (LOSS)	$	(96,546,698	)	$	13,801,859		$	(93,581,601	)	$	30,742,382
Net Income (Loss) Per Common Share – Basic	$	(0.49	)	$	0.22		$	(0.71	)	$	0.50
Net Income (Loss) Per Common Share – Diluted	$	(0.49	)	$	0.22		$	(0.71	)	$	0.50
Weighted Average Shares Outstanding – Basic	196,140,610			61,643,862			131,039,552			61,545,555
Weighted Average Shares Outstanding – Diluted	196,140,610			61,885,952			131,039,552			61,928,799

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed financial statements.

3

NORTHERN OIL AND GAS, INC.

CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2018 AND 2017

(UNAUDITED)

	Six Months Ended June 30,
	2018			2017
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES
Net Income (Loss)	$	(93,581,601	)	$	30,742,382
Adjustments to Reconcile Net Income to Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities:
Depletion, Depreciation, Amortization and Accretion	41,226,657			26,510,595
Amortization of Debt Issuance Costs	2,634,689			1,910,243
Write-off of Debt Issuance Costs	—			95,135
Loss on Extinguishment of Debt	90,832,975			—
Amortization/Accretion of 8% Senior Notes Premium/Discount	172,792			239,798
Deferred Income Taxes	—			—
(Gain) Loss on the Mark-to-Market of Derivative Instruments	42,077,245			(31,228,544		)
Share-Based Compensation Expense	579,629			1,497,183
Other	(104,249		)	25,856
Changes in Working Capital and Other Items:
Accounts Receivable, Net	(21,232,360		)	(144,477		)
Prepaid and Other Expenses	(3,251,499		)	(1,321,846		)
Accounts Payable	4,605,679			1,682,518
Accrued Interest	26,414			(21,652		)
Accrued Expenses	(369,485		)	(243,356		)
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities	63,616,886			29,743,835
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Drilling and Development Capital Expenditures	(110,720,408		)	(40,360,663		)
Acquisition of Oil and Natural Gas Properties	(48,974,802		)	(2,387,511		)
Proceeds from Sale of Oil, Natural Gas, and Other Properties	21,689			171,451
Proceeds from Sale of Other Property and Equipment	46,000			—
Purchases of Other Property and Equipment	(51,954		)	—
Net Cash Used for Investing Activities	(159,679,475		)	(42,576,723		)
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Advances on Revolving Credit Facility	—			24,000,000
Repayments on Revolving Credit Facility	—			(13,000,000		)
Borrowings Under Term Loan Credit Agreement	60,000,000			—
Issuance of Common Stock	141,709,681			—
Debt Issuance Costs Paid	(6,557,191		)	(297,392		)
Repurchase of Common Stock – Tax Obligations	(348,949		)	(546,989		)
Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities	194,803,541			10,155,619
NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	98,740,952			(2,677,269		)
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS – BEGINNING OF PERIOD	102,183,191			6,486,098
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS – END OF PERIOD	$	200,924,143		$	3,808,829

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed financial statements.

4

NORTHERN OIL AND GAS, INC.

CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ DEFICIT

FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2018

(UNAUDITED)

	Common Stock					Additional Paid-In			Retained			Total Stockholders'
	Shares		Amount			Capital			Deficit			Deficit
December 31, 2017	66,791,633		$	66,792		$	449,666,390		$	(940,573,732	)	$	(490,840,550	)
Restricted Stock Awards	3,153,302		3,153			—			—			3,153
Equity Issuances, Net of Offering Costs	96,926,019		96,926			141,612,755			—			141,709,681
Debt Exchange Agreements	121,774,822		121,775			279,192,385			—			279,314,160
Acquisition of Oil and Natural Gas Properties	6,000,000		6,000			15,234,000			—			15,240,000
Restricted Stock Forfeitures	(892,086	)	(892		)	—			—			(892		)
Share Based Compensation	—		—			684,740			—			684,740
Restricted Stock Surrenders - Tax Obligations	(153,421	)	(154		)	(348,795		)	—			(348,949		)
Net Loss	—		—			—			(93,581,601		)	(93,581,601		)
June 30, 2018	293,600,269		$	293,600		$	886,041,475		$	(1,034,155,333	)	$	(147,820,258	)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed financial statements.

5

NOTES TO CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

JUNE 30, 2018

(UNAUDITED)

NOTE 1     ORGANIZATION AND NATURE OF BUSINESS

Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. (the “Company,” “Northern,” “our” and words of similar import), a Delaware corporation, is an independent energy company engaged in the acquisition, exploration, exploitation, development and production of crude oil and natural gas properties.  The Company’s common stock trades on the NYSE American market under the symbol “NOG”.

Northern’s principal business is crude oil and natural gas exploration, development, and production with operations in North Dakota and Montana that primarily target the Bakken and Three Forks formations in the Williston Basin of the United States.  The Company acquires leasehold interests that comprise of non-operated working interests in wells and in drilling projects within its area of operations.

NOTE 2     SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The financial information included herein is unaudited which has been derived from the Company’s audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2017.  However, such information includes all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments and change in accounting principles) that are, in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair presentation of financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods.  The results of operations for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for an entire year.

Certain information, accounting policies, and footnote disclosures normally included in the financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) have been condensed or omitted in this Form 10-Q pursuant to certain rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).  The condensed financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2017, which were included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements under GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period.  The most significant estimates relate to proved crude oil and natural gas reserve volumes, future development costs, estimates relating to certain crude oil and natural gas revenues and expenses, fair value of derivative instruments, impairment of oil and natural gas properties, and deferred income taxes.  Actual results may differ from those estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Northern considers highly liquid investments with insignificant interest rate risk and original maturities to the Company of three months or less to be cash equivalents.  Cash equivalents consist primarily of interest-bearing bank accounts.  The Company’s cash positions represent assets held in checking and money market accounts.  These assets are generally available on a daily or weekly basis and are highly liquid in nature.  Due to the balances being greater than $250,000, the Company does not have FDIC coverage on the entire amount of bank deposits.  The Company believes this risk is minimal.  In addition, the Company is subject to Security Investor Protection Corporation (“SIPC”) protection on a vast majority of its financial assets.

Accounts Receivable

Accounts receivable are carried on a gross basis, with no discounting. The Company regularly reviews all aged accounts receivable for collectability and establishes an allowance as necessary for individual balances. Accounts receivable not expected to be collected within the next twelve months are included within Other Noncurrent Assets, Net on the condensed balance sheets.

As of June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, the Company included accounts receivable of $5.3 million and $5.5 million, respectively, in Other Noncurrent Assets, Net due to their long-term nature.

The allowance for doubtful accounts at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 was $5.2 million and $5.6 million, respectively.

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Advances to Operators

The Company participates in the drilling of crude oil and natural gas wells with other working interest partners. Due to the capital intensive nature of crude oil and natural gas drilling activities, the working interest partner responsible for conducting the drilling operations may request advance payments from other working interest partners for their share of the costs. The Company expects such advances to be applied by working interest partners against joint interest billings for its share of drilling operations within 90 days from when the advance is paid.

Other Property and Equipment

Property and equipment that are not crude oil and natural gas properties are recorded at cost and depreciated using the straight-line method over their estimated useful lives of three to seven years. Expenditures for replacements, renewals, and betterments are capitalized. Maintenance and repairs are charged to operations as incurred. Long-lived assets, other than crude oil and natural gas properties, are evaluated for impairment to determine if current circumstances and market conditions indicate the carrying amount may not be recoverable. The Company has not recognized any impairment losses on non-crude oil and natural gas long-lived assets. Depreciation expense was $31,668 and $41,313 for the three months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Depreciation expense was $67,185 and $85,787 for the six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Oil and Gas Properties

Northern follows the full cost method of accounting for crude oil and natural gas operations whereby all costs related to the exploration and development of crude oil and natural gas properties are capitalized into a single cost center (“full cost pool”).  Such costs include land acquisition costs, geological and geophysical expenses, carrying charges on non-producing properties, costs of drilling directly related to acquisition, and exploration activities.  Internal costs that are capitalized are directly attributable to acquisition, exploration and development activities and do not include costs related to production, general corporate overhead or similar activities.  Costs associated with production and general corporate activities are expensed in the period incurred.  Capitalized costs are summarized as follows for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

	Three Months Ended June 30,				Six Months Ended June 30,
	2018		2017		2018		2017
Capitalized Certain Payroll and Other Internal Costs	$	182,081	$	240,771	$	352,931	$	445,644
Capitalized Interest Costs	38,170		33,000		73,235		71,768
Total	$	220,251	$	273,771	$	426,166	$	517,412

As of June 30, 2018, the Company held leasehold interests in the Williston Basin on acreage located in North Dakota and Montana targeting the Bakken and Three Forks formations.

Proceeds from property sales will generally be credited to the full cost pool, with no gain or loss recognized, unless such a sale would significantly alter the relationship between capitalized costs and the proved reserves attributable to these costs.  A significant alteration would typically involve a sale of 25% or more of the proved reserves related to a single full cost pool.  In the six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, there were no property sales that resulted in a significant alteration.

Under the full cost method of accounting, the Company is required to perform a ceiling test each quarter.  The test determines a limit, or ceiling, on the book value of the proved oil and gas properties.  Net capitalized costs are limited to the lower of unamortized cost net of deferred income taxes, or the cost center ceiling.  The cost center ceiling is defined as the sum of (a) estimated future net revenues, discounted at 10% per annum, from proved reserves, based on the trailing twelve-month unweighted average of the first-day-of-the-month price, adjusted for any contract provisions or financial derivatives designated as hedges for accounting purposes, if any, that hedge the Company’s oil and natural gas revenue, and excluding the estimated abandonment costs for properties with asset retirement obligations recorded on the balance sheet, (b) the cost of properties not being amortized, if any, and (c) the lower of cost or market value of unproved properties included in the cost being amortized, including related deferred taxes for differences between the book and tax basis of the oil and natural gas properties.  If the net book value, including related deferred taxes, exceeds the ceiling, an impairment or non-cash writedown is required.

The Company did not have any ceiling test impairment for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively.  Impairment charges affect the Company’s reported net income but do not reduce the Company’s cash flow. If a significantly lower pricing environment reoccurs, the Company expects it could be required to writedown the value of its oil and

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natural gas properties. In addition to commodity prices, the Company’s production rates, levels of proved reserves, future development costs, transfers of unevaluated properties and other factors will determine the Company’s actual ceiling test calculation and impairment analyses in future periods.

Capitalized costs associated with impaired unproved properties and capitalized costs related to properties having proved reserves, plus the estimated future development costs and asset retirement costs, are depleted and amortized on the unit-of-production method.   Under this method, depletion is calculated at the end of each period by multiplying total production for the period by a depletion rate.  The depletion rate is determined by dividing the total unamortized cost base plus future development costs by net equivalent proved reserves at the beginning of the period.  The costs of unproved properties are withheld from the depletion base until such time as they are either developed or abandoned.  When proved reserves are assigned or the property is considered to be impaired, the cost of the property or the amount of the impairment is added to costs subject to depletion and full cost ceiling calculations.  For the three months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, the Company expired leases of $1.2 million and $5.9 million, respectively. For the six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, the Company expired leases of $5.0 million and $9.6 million, respectively.

Asset Retirement Obligations

The Company accounts for its abandonment and restoration liabilities under Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) ASC Topic 410, “Asset Retirement and Environmental Obligations” (“FASB ASC 410”), which requires the Company to record a liability equal to the fair value of the estimated cost to retire an asset upon initial recognition.  The asset retirement liability is recorded in the period in which the obligation meets the definition of a liability, which is generally when the asset is placed into service.  When the liability is initially recorded, the Company increases the carrying amount of oil and natural gas properties by an amount equal to the original liability.  The liability is accreted to its present value each period, and the capitalized cost is depreciated consistent with depletion of reserves.  Upon settlement of the liability or the sale of the well, the liability is reversed.  These liability amounts may change because of changes in asset lives, estimated costs of abandonment or legal or statutory remediation requirements.

Business Combinations

The Company accounts for its acquisitions that qualify as a business using the acquisition method under FASB ASC Topic 805, “Business Combinations.” Under the acquisition method, assets acquired and liabilities assumed are recognized and measured at their fair values. The use of fair value accounting requires the use of significant judgment since some transaction components do not have fair values that are readily determinable. The excess, if any, of the purchase price over the net fair value amounts assigned to assets acquired and liabilities assumed is recognized as goodwill. Conversely, if the fair value of assets acquired exceeds the purchase price, including liabilities assumed, the excess is immediately recognized in earnings as a bargain purchase gain.

Debt Issuance Costs

Debt issuance costs include origination, legal and other fees to issue debt in connection with the Company’s term loan credit agreement, senior secured notes, senior unsecured notes and prior revolving credit facility.  These debt issuance costs are amortized over the term of the related financing using the straight-line method, which approximates the effective interest method (see Note 4). The amortization of debt issuance costs for the three months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017 was $1.3 million and $1.0 million, respectively. The amortization of debt issuance costs for the six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017 was $2.6 million and $1.9 million, respectively.

Bond Premium/Discount on Senior Notes

On May 13, 2013, the Company recorded a bond premium of $10.5 million in connection with the “8.000% Senior Notes Due 2020” (see Note 4).  This bond premium is being amortized over the term of the related financing using the straight-line method, which approximates the effective interest method.  The amortization of the bond premium for the three months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017 was $0.2 million and $0.4 million, respectively. The amortization of the bond premium for the six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017 was $0.5 million and $0.7 million, respectively.

On May 18, 2015, the Company recorded a bond discount of $10.0 million in connection with the “8.000% Senior Notes Due 2020” (see Note 4).  This bond discount is being amortized over the term of the related financing using the straight-line method, which approximates the effective interest method. The amortization of the bond discount for the three months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017 was $0.2 million and $0.5 million, respectively. The amortization of the bond discount for the six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017 was $0.7 million and $1.0 million, respectively.

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Revenue Recognition

The Company adopted ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) and the series of related accounting standard updates that followed, on January 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective method of adoption. Adoption of the ASU did not require an adjustment to the opening balance of equity and did not change the Company's amount and timing of revenues.

The Company’s revenues are primarily derived from its interests in the sale of oil and natural gas production. The Company recognizes revenue from its interests in the sales of oil and natural gas in the period that its performance obligations are satisfied. Performance obligations are satisfied when the customer obtains control of product, when the Company has no further obligations to perform related to the sale, when the transaction price has been determined and when collectability is probable. The sales of oil and natural gas are made under contracts which the third-party operators of the wells have negotiated with customers, which typically include variable consideration that is based on pricing tied to local indices and volumes delivered in the current month. The Company receives payment from the sale of oil and natural gas production from one to three months after delivery. At the end of each month when the performance obligation is satisfied, the variable consideration can be reasonably estimated and amounts due from customers are accrued in trade receivables, net in the balance sheets. Variances between the Company’s estimated revenue and actual payments are recorded in the month the payment is received, however, differences have been and are insignificant. Accordingly, the variable consideration is not constrained.

The Company does not disclose the value of unsatisfied performance obligations under its contracts with customers as it applies the practical exemption in accordance with ASC 606. The exemption, as described in ASC 606-10-50-14(a), applies to variable consideration that is recognized as control of the product is transferred to the customer. Since each unit of product represents a separate performance obligation, future volumes are wholly unsatisfied and disclosure of the transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations is not required.

The Company’s oil is typically sold at delivery points under contracts terms that are common in our industry. The Company's natural gas produced is delivered by the well operators to various purchasers at agreed upon delivery points under a limited number of contract types that are also common in our industry. However, under these contracts, the natural gas may be sold to a single purchaser or may be sold to separate purchasers. Regardless of the contract type, the terms of these contracts compensate the well operators for the value of the oil and natural gas at specified prices, and then the well operators will remit payment to the Company for its share in the value of the oil and natural gas sold.

A wellhead imbalance liability equal to the Company’s share is recorded to the extent that the Company’s well operators have sold volumes in excess of its share of remaining reserves in an underlying property. However, for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, the Company’s natural gas production was in balance, meaning its cumulative portion of natural gas production taken and sold from wells in which it has an interest equaled its entitled interest in natural gas production from those wells.

The Company’s disaggregated revenue has two revenue sources which are oil sales and natural gas and NGL sales and only operates in one geographic area, the Williston Basin in North Dakota and Montana. Oil sales for the three months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017 were $101.0 million and $43.5 million, respectively. Natural gas and NGL sales for the three months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017 were $8.0 million and $4.8 million, respectively.

Concentrations of Market and Credit Risk

The future results of the Company’s crude oil and natural gas operations will be affected by the market prices of crude oil and natural gas.  The availability of a ready market for crude oil and natural gas products in the future will depend on numerous factors beyond the control of the Company, including weather, imports, marketing of competitive fuels, proximity and capacity of crude oil and natural gas pipelines and other transportation facilities, any oversupply or undersupply of crude oil, natural gas and liquid products, the regulatory environment, the economic environment, and other regional and political events, none of which can be predicted with certainty.

The Company operates in the exploration, development and production sector of the crude oil and natural gas industry.  The Company’s receivables include amounts due from purchasers of its crude oil and natural gas production.  While certain of these customers are affected by periodic downturns in the economy in general or in their specific segment of the crude oil or natural gas industry, the Company believes that its level of credit-related losses due to such economic fluctuations have been immaterial.

The Company manages and controls market and counterparty credit risk.  In the normal course of business, collateral is not required for financial instruments with credit risk.  Financial instruments which potentially subject the Company to credit risk consist principally of temporary cash balances and derivative financial instruments.  The Company maintains cash and cash equivalents in bank deposit accounts which, at times, may exceed the federally insured limits.  The Company has not experienced any significant

9

losses from such investments.  The Company attempts to limit the amount of credit exposure to any one financial institution or company.  The Company believes the credit quality of its counterparties is generally high.  In the normal course of business, letters of credit or parent guarantees may be required for counterparties which management perceives to have a higher credit risk.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company records expense associated with the fair value of stock-based compensation.  For fully vested stock and restricted stock grants, the Company calculates the stock-based compensation expense based upon estimated fair value on the date of grant.  In determining the fair value of performance-based share awards subject to market conditions, the Company utilizes a Monte Carlo simulation prepared by an independent third party. For stock options, the Company uses the Black-Scholes option valuation model to calculate stock-based compensation at the date of grant.  Option pricing models require the input of highly subjective assumptions, including the expected price volatility.  Changes in these assumptions can materially affect the fair value estimate.

Stock Issuance

The Company records any stock-based compensation awards issued to non-employees and other external entities for goods and services at either the fair market value of the goods received or services rendered or the instruments issued in exchange for such services, whichever is more readily determinable.

Income Taxes

The Company’s income tax expense, deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities reflect management’s best assessment of estimated current and future taxes to be paid.  The Company estimates for each interim reporting period the effective tax rate expected for the full fiscal year and uses that estimated rate in providing for income taxes on a current year-to-date basis.  The Company’s only taxing jurisdiction is the United States (federal and state).

Deferred income taxes arise from temporary differences between the tax basis of assets and liabilities and their reported amounts in the financial statements, which will result in taxable or deductible amounts in the future.  In evaluating the Company’s ability to recover its deferred tax assets, the Company considers all available positive and negative evidence, including scheduled reversals of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income, tax-planning strategies, and results of recent operations.  In projecting future taxable income, the Company begins with historical results and incorporates assumptions about the amount of future state and federal pretax operating income adjusted for items that do not have tax consequences.  The assumptions about future taxable income require significant judgment and are consistent with the plans and estimates the Company is using to manage the underlying businesses.

Accounting standards require the consideration of a valuation allowance for deferred tax assets if it is “more likely than not” that some component or all of the benefits of deferred tax assets will not be realized.  In assessing the need for a valuation allowance for the Company’s deferred tax assets, a significant item of negative evidence considered was the cumulative book loss over the three-year period ended June 30, 2018, driven primarily by the full cost ceiling impairments over that period.  Additionally, the Company’s revenue, profitability and future growth are substantially dependent upon prevailing and future prices for oil and natural gas.  The markets for these commodities continue to be volatile.  Changes in oil and natural gas prices have a significant impact on the value of the Company’s reserves and on its cash flows.  Due to these factors, management has placed a lower weight on the prospect of future earnings in its overall analysis of the valuation allowance.

In determining whether to establish a valuation allowance on the Company’s deferred tax assets, management concluded that the objectively verifiable evidence of cumulative negative earnings for the three-year period ended June 30, 2018, is difficult to overcome with any forms of positive evidence that may exist.  Accordingly, the valuation allowance against the Company’s deferred tax asset at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 was $249.6 million and $227.0 million, respectively.

Net Income (Loss) Per Common Share

Basic earnings per share (“EPS”) are computed by dividing net income (loss) (the numerator) by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period (the denominator).  Diluted EPS is computed by dividing net income (loss) by the weighted average number of common shares and potential common shares outstanding (if dilutive) during each period.  Potential common shares include stock options and restricted stock.  The number of potential common shares outstanding relating to stock options and restricted stock is computed using the treasury stock method.

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The reconciliation of the denominators used to calculate basic EPS and diluted EPS for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017 are as follows:

	Three Months Ended June 30,		Six Months Ended June 30,
	2018	2017	2018	2017
Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding – Basic	196,140,610	61,643,862	131,039,552	61,545,555
Plus: Potentially Dilutive Common Shares Including Stock Options and Restricted Stock	—	242,090	—	383,244
Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding – Diluted	196,140,610	61,885,952	131,039,552	61,928,799
Restricted Stock and Stock Options Excluded From EPS Due To The Anti-Dilutive Effect	367,329	575,229	301,721	350,870

As of June 30, 2018 and 2017, potentially dilutive shares from stock option awards were 250,000 and 391,872, respectively. These options were all exercisable at June 30, 2018 and 2017. The Company also has potentially dilutive shares from restricted stock awards outstanding of 3,327,127 and 2,102,264 at June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Derivative Instruments and Price Risk Management

The Company uses derivative instruments to manage market risks resulting from fluctuations in the prices of crude oil.  The Company enters into derivative contracts, including price swaps, caps and floors, which require payments to (or receipts from) counterparties based on the differential between a fixed price and a variable price for a fixed quantity of crude oil without the exchange of underlying volumes.  The notional amounts of these financial instruments are based on expected production from existing wells.  The Company may also use exchange traded futures contracts and option contracts to hedge the delivery price of crude oil at a future date.

The Company follows the provisions of FASB ASC 815, “Derivatives and Hedging” as amended. It requires that all derivative instruments be recognized as assets or liabilities on the balance sheet, measured at fair value and marked-to-market at the end of each period.  Any realized gains and losses on settled derivatives, as well as mark-to-market gains or losses, are aggregated and recorded to gain (loss) on derivative instruments, net on the condensed statements of operations.  See Note 11 for a description of the derivative contracts into which the Company has entered.

Impairment

Long-lived assets to be held and used are required to be reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable.  Proved oil and natural gas properties accounted for using the full cost method of accounting are excluded from this requirement but continue to be subject to the full cost method’s impairment rules.  There was no impairment of other long-lived assets recorded for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017.

Supplemental Cash Flow Information

The following reflects the Company’s supplemental cash flow information:

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	Six Months Ended June 30,
	2018			2017
Supplemental Cash Items:
Cash Paid During the Period for Interest	$	35,063,530		$	30,634,506
Cash Paid During the Period for Income Taxes	—			—
Non-cash Investing Activities:
Oil and Natural Gas Properties Included in Accounts Payable	80,096,568			65,167,643
Capitalized Asset Retirement Obligations	593,381			862,911
Compensation Capitalized on Oil and Gas Properties	107,372			143,030
Issuance of Common Stock - Acquisitions of Oil and Natural Gas Properties	15,240,000			—
Non-cash Financing Activities:
Exchange transactions - non-cash securities issued:
Issuance of 8.50% Second Lien Notes due 2023	344,279,000			—
Issuance of Common Stock - fair value at issuance date	279,314,160			—
Exchange Transactions - non-cash securities exchanged:
8.00% Unsecured Senior Notes due 2020 - carrying value	(543,683,185		)	—

New Accounting Pronouncements

From time to time, new accounting pronouncements are issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) that are adopted by the Company as of the specified effective date.  If not discussed, management believes that the impact of recently issued standards, which are not yet effective, will not have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements upon adoption.

In May 2014, the FASB issued a comprehensive new revenue recognition standard that supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in Topic 605, Revenue Recognition, and industry-specific guidance in Subtopic 932-605, Extractive Activities-Oil and Gas-Revenue Recognition. The core principle of the new guidance is that a company should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for transferring those goods or services. The new standard also requires significantly expanded disclosure regarding the qualitative and quantitative information of an entity's nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. The standard creates a five-step model that requires companies to exercise judgment when considering the terms of a contract and all relevant facts and circumstances. The standard allows for several transition methods: (a) a full retrospective adoption in which the standard is applied to all of the periods presented, or (b) a modified retrospective adoption in which the standard is applied only to the most current period presented in the financial statements, including additional disclosures of the standard's application impact to individual financial statement line items. In March, April, May and December 2016, the FASB issued new guidance in Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, to address the following potential implementation issues of the new revenue standard: (a) to clarify the implementation guidance on principal versus agent considerations, (b) to clarify the identification of performance obligations and the licensing implementation guidance and (c) to address certain issues in the guidance on assessing collectability, presentation of sales taxes, noncash consideration, and completed contracts and contract modifications at transition. This standard is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within that reporting period. The Company previously followed the sales method of accounting for oil and natural gas production, which is generally consistent with the revenue recognition provision of the new standard. The majority of our revenue arrangements generally consist of a single performance obligation to transfer promised goods or services. Based on our evaluation process and review of our arrangements with operators who act as an intermediary and enter into contracts with purchasers who are the ultimate customers, the timing and amount of revenue recognized based on the standard is consistent with our revenue recognition policy under previous guidance. The Company adopted the new standard effective January 1, 2018, using the modified retrospective approach, and has expanded its financial statement disclosures in order tocomply with the standard. The Company has processes and controls to ensure we recognize revenue in accordance with the appropriate accounting treatment and to generate the disclosures required under the new standard in the first quarter of 2018.  We have determined the adoption of the standard did not have a material impact on our results of operations, cash flows, or financial position.

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In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842).  The standard requires lessees to recognize the assets and liabilities that arise from leases on the balance sheet.  A lessee should recognize in the statement of financial position a liability to make lease payments (the lease liability) and a right-of-use asset representing its right to use the underlying asset for the lease term.  The new guidance is effective for annual and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018.  The amendments should be applied at the beginning of the earliest period presented using a modified retrospective approach with earlier application permitted as of the beginning of an interim or annual reporting period.  The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the new guidance on its financial statements, however, based on its current operating leases, it is not expected to have a material impact.

In May 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-07, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting, which simplifies the accounting for share-based payments granted to nonemployees for goods and services.  This guidance will better align the treatment of share-based payments to nonemployees with the requirements for such share-based payments granted to employees.  This guidance is effective for all public entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within that year.  The Company is currently in the process of evaluating this new standard update.

NOTE 3     CRUDE OIL AND NATURAL GAS PROPERTIES

The value of the Company’s crude oil and natural gas properties consists of all acquisition costs (including cash expenditures and the value of stock consideration), drilling costs and other associated capitalized costs.  Acquisitions are accounted for as purchases and, accordingly, the results of operations are included in the accompanying condensed statements of operations from the closing date of the acquisition.  Purchase prices are allocated to acquired assets based on their estimated fair value at the time of the acquisition.  Acquisitions have been funded with internal cash flow, bank borrowings and the issuance of debt and equity securities.  Development capital expenditures and purchases of properties that were in accounts payable and not yet paid in cash at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 were approximately $80.1 million and $85.0 million, respectively.

Acquisitions

On April 25, 2018, the Company entered into a purchase and sale agreement with Salt Creek Oil and Gas, LLC, to acquire 64 gross, 5.5 net producing (PDP) wells, 31 gross, 1.5 net drilling and completing (PDNP) wells and 1,319 net acres located in McKenzie and Mountrail counties of North Dakota in the Company’s core development area. The acquisition expanded the Company’s footprint in the core of the Williston Basin.  On June 4, 2018, the Company closed the transaction for consideration of $60.0 million which is comprised of $44.7 million of cash consideration and $15.2 million of common stock consideration.  The results of operations from the June 4, 2018 closing date through June 30, 2018, represented approximately $1.7 million of revenue and $0.3 million of direct operating expenses.  No material transaction costs were incurred in connection with this purchase and there was no goodwill recorded from this acquisition. The following table reflects a preliminary estimate of the fair values of the net assets and liabilities as of the date of acquisition, which are subject to customary post-closing adjustments, during the period ended June 30, 2018:

	(in thousands)
Fair value of net assets:
Proved oil and natural gas properties	$	59,978
Asset retirement cost	154
Total assets acquired	60,132
Asset retirement obligations	(154		)
Net assets acquired	$	59,978
Fair value of consideration paid for net assets:
Cash consideration	$	44,738
Issuance of common stock (6 million shares at $2.54 per share)	15,240
Total fair value of consideration transferred	$	59,978

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Unproved Properties

All properties that are not classified as proved properties are considered unproved properties and, thus, the costs associated with such properties are not subject to depletion. Once a property is classified as proved, all associated acreage and drilling costs are subject to depletion.

The Company historically has acquired its properties by purchasing individual or small groups of leases directly from mineral owners, from landmen, or lease brokers, which leases historically have not been subject to specified drilling projects, and by purchasing lease packages in identified project areas controlled by specific operators.  The Company generally participates in drilling activities on a heads up basis by electing whether to participate in each well on a well-by-well basis at the time wells are proposed for drilling.

Unproved properties not being amortized comprise approximately 11,371 net acres and 14,377 net acres of undeveloped leasehold interests at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively.  The Company believes that the majority of its unproved costs will become subject to depletion within the next five years by proving up reserves relating to the acreage through exploration and development activities, by impairing the acreage that will expire before the Company can explore or develop it further or by determining that further exploration and development activity will not occur.  The timing by which all other properties will become subject to depletion will be dependent upon the timing of future drilling activities and delineation of its reserves.

The Company assesses all items classified as unproved property on an annual basis, or if certain circumstances exist, more frequently, for possible impairment or reduction in value.  The assessment includes consideration of the following factors, among others: intent to drill, remaining lease term, geological and geophysical evaluations, drilling results and activity, the assignment of proved reserves, and the economic viability of development if proved reserves are assigned.  During any period in which these factors indicate an impairment, the cumulative costs incurred to date for such property and all or a portion of the associated leasehold costs are transferred to the full cost pool and are then subject to depletion and amortization.  For the six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, the Company included $0.1 million and $0.1 million, respectively, related to expiring leases within costs subject to the depletion calculation.

NOTE 4     LONG-TERM DEBT

The Company’s long-term debt consists of the following:

	June 30, 2018
	Principal Balance		Unamortized Net Discount			Debt Issuance Costs, Net			Long-term Debt, Net
8% Senior Notes	$	149,560,000	$	(218,413	)	$	(1,159,378	)	148,182,209
Second Lien Notes	344,279,000		—			(4,810,488		)	339,468,512
Term Loan Credit Agreement	360,000,000		—			(12,883,065		)	347,116,935
Total	$	853,839,000	$	(218,413	)	$	(18,852,931	)	$	834,767,656
	December 31, 2017
	Principal Balance		Unamortized Net Discount			Debt Issuance Costs, Net			Long-term Debt, Net
8% Senior Notes	$	700,000,000	$	(1,197,954	)	$	(6,847,557	)	691,954,489
Term Loan Credit Agreement	300,000,000		—			(12,630,267		)	287,369,733
Total	$	1,000,000,000	$	(1,197,954	)	$	(19,477,824	)	$	979,324,222

Exchange Agreements

On January 31, 2018, Northern entered into an exchange agreement (as amended, the “Exchange Agreement”) with holders (the “Supporting Noteholders”) of approximately $496.7 million, or 71%, of the aggregate principal amount of the Company’s outstanding 8.000% Senior Notes due June 1, 2020 (the “Outstanding Notes”), pursuant to which the Supporting Noteholders agreed to exchange all of the Outstanding Notes held by each such Supporting Noteholder for approximately $155.0 million of the Company’s common stock and approximately $344.3 million in aggregate principal amount of new 8.500% Senior Secured Second Lien Notes due 2023 (the “Second Lien Notes”) (such exchange, the “Exchange Transaction”).

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On May 15, 2018 (the “Exchange Closing Date”), pursuant to the Exchange Agreement, the Company completed the Exchange Transaction and issued 103,249,915 shares of common stock and $344.3 million of Second Lien Notes in exchange for the Outstanding Notes. Separately, but in connection with the Exchange Transaction, the Company and certain investors had previously entered into subscription agreements (the “Subscription Agreements”) whereby such investors agreed to purchase up to $52.0 million of common stock at $1.50 per share. Pursuant to the Subscription Agreements, on the Exchange Closing Date, the Company issued 34,666,668 shares of common stock to such investors.

In June 2018, the Company entered into five independent, separately negotiated exchange agreements with holders of the Company’s 8.000% Senior Notes due June 1, 2020 (the “2020 Notes”). Pursuant to each such exchange agreement, the Company agreed to issue the holder shares of its common stock in exchange for certain 2020 Notes held by such holder. In total, during the three months ended June 30, 2018, the Company issued 18.5 million shares of common stock in exchange for $53.8 million in principal amount of the 2020 Notes pursuant to these five agreements. Pursuant to each of these exchange agreements, with the exception of one covering $3.0 million principal amount of 2020 Notes, the Company subjected the holders to a restricted sale period on the shares of common stock issued to them. These restricted sale periods are of varying lengths and subject to varying exceptions. Generally, if at the end of the applicable restricted sale period the Company’s common stock trades below specified levels, the Company may be required to pay the applicable holder additional consideration either in the form of cash or additional shares of common stock. The value of this liability is carried on the Company’s balance sheet as the derivative exchange liability, the value of which is based on Monte Carlo simulations which considered various inputs including (i) the Company’s common stock price, (ii) risk-free rates based on U.S. Treasury rates, (iii) volatility of the Company’s common stock, and (iv) expected average daily trading volumes. As of June 30, 2018, the Company’s debt exchange derivative liability related to these agreements was $10.9 million. However, these provisions in the exchange agreements are subject to exceptions and contingencies which can reduce or terminate this liability for the Company.

Term Loan Credit Agreement

On November 1, 2017 (the “Effective Date”), the Company entered into a term loan credit agreement with TPG Specialty Lending, Inc., as administrative agent and collateral agent (in such capacities, the “Agent”), and the lenders from time to time party thereto. The term loan credit agreement, as amended, provides for the issuance of an aggregate principal amount of up to $500,000,000 in term loans to the Company, consisting of (i) $300,000,000 in initial term loans that were made on the Effective Date (the “Initial Loans”), (ii) $100,000,000 in delayed draw term loans available to the Company, subject to satisfaction of certain conditions precedent described therein, for a period of 18 months after the Effective Date (the “Delayed Draw Loans”), and (iii) up to $100,000,000 in incremental term loans on an uncommitted basis and subject, among other things, to one or more lenders agreeing in the future to make such loans (the “Incremental Loans”) (the Initial Loans, Delayed Draw Loans and the Incremental Loans, collectively, the “Loans”). Amounts borrowed and repaid under the term loan credit agreement may not be reborrowed. All borrowings under the term loan credit agreement will mature on November 1, 2022. In addition to the $300.0 million in Initial Loans, the Company borrowed $60.0 million of Delayed Draw Loans on May 15, 2018. Pursuant to the terms of the 2L Indenture (described below), the Company cannot currently borrow in excess of $400.0 million under the term loan credit agreement.

Borrowings under the term loan credit agreement bear interest at a rate per annum equal to the “Adjusted LIBO Rate” (subject to a 1.00% floor) plus a 7.75% per annum margin. The “Adjusted LIBO Rate” is equal to the product of: (i) three-month LIBOR multiplied by (ii) the statutory reserve rate. Upon the occurrence and continuance of an event of default all outstanding Loans shall bear interest at a rate equal to 3.00% per annum plus the then-effective rate of interest. Interest is payable on the last business day of each March, June, September and December.

A commitment fee will be paid on the unused amount of the delayed draw commitments based on an annual rate of 2.00% (the “Commitment Fee”). The term loan credit agreement also requires the Company to prepay the loans with 100.00% of the net cash proceeds received from certain asset sales, swap terminations, incurrences of borrowed money indebtedness, equity issuances, casualty events and extraordinary receipts, subject to certain exceptions and specified reinvestment rights. Prepayments (including mandatory prepayments), terminations, refinancing, reductions and accelerations under the term loan credit agreement are subject to the payment of a yield maintenance amount for any such prepayment, termination, refinancing, reduction or acceleration occurring prior to May 15, 2020 (or, with respect to any Delayed Draw Loan, prior to the two-year anniversary of the funding of such Delayed Draw Loan) that allows the lenders to attain approximately the same yield as if such Loan remained outstanding for the entire two-year period, as applicable, plus a call protection amount equal to the product of the principal amount of Loans so prepaid, terminated, refinanced, reduced or accelerated multiplied by (i) 4.0% for any such prepayment, termination, refinancing, reduction or acceleration occurring, (A) with respect to the Initial Loans, on or prior to May 15, 2021, or (B) with respect to Delayed Draw Loans, on or prior to the 36-month anniversary of the funding of such Delayed Draw Loan, or (ii) 2.0% for any such prepayment, termination, refinancing, reduction or acceleration occurring, (A) with respect to the Initial Loans, after May 15, 2021 and on or prior to May 15, 2022, or (B) with respect to Delayed Draw Loans, after the 36-month anniversary but on or prior to the 48-month anniversary of the funding of such Delayed Draw Loan, in each case, as set forth in the term loan credit

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agreement. Additionally, to the extent that the Loans are refinanced in full or the delayed draw commitments are terminated or reduced prior to the date that is 18 months after the Effective Date, the Company will be required to pay a yield maintenance amount in respect of the Commitment Fee that would have accrued on the delayed draw commitments as set forth in the term loan credit agreement.

The term loan credit agreement contains negative covenants that limit the Company’s ability, among other things, to pay cash dividends, incur additional indebtedness, sell assets, enter into certain derivatives contracts, change the nature of our business or operations, merge, consolidate, or make certain types of investments and require the outstanding principal amount of the Company’s 8.00% senior unsecured notes due 2020 to be no more than $30.0 million by March 1, 2020. In addition, the term loan credit agreement requires that the Company comply with the following financial covenants: (i) as of any date of determination, the ratio of Total PDP PV-10 (as defined in the term loan credit agreement) plus the aggregate amount of all unrestricted cash and cash equivalents (in accounts subject to control agreements) to the amount of Senior Secured Debt (as defined in the term loan credit agreement) shall not be less than 1.30 to 1.00, (ii) as of the last day of any fiscal quarter, the ratio of Net Senior Secured Debt (as defined in the term loan credit agreement) to EBITDAX (as defined in the term loan credit agreement) for the period of four fiscal quarters then ending on such day will not be greater than 3.75 to 1.00 and (iii) as of any date of determination the Company’s unrestricted cash and cash equivalents (in accounts subject to control agreements) plus the aggregate undrawn delayed draw commitments available to the Company shall not be less than $20.0 million.

The obligations of the Company under the term loan credit agreement may be accelerated upon the occurrence of an Event of Default (as defined in the term loan credit agreement). Events of Default include customary events for a financing agreement of this type, including, without limitation, payment defaults, the inaccuracy of representations and warranties, defaults in the performance of affirmative or negative covenants, defaults on other indebtedness of the Company or its subsidiaries, bankruptcy or related defaults, defaults related to judgments and the occurrence of a Change in Control (as defined in the term loan credit agreement).

The Company’s obligations under the term loan credit agreement are secured by mortgages on substantially all of the oil and gas properties of the Company subject to the limitations set forth in the term loan credit agreement. In connection with the term loan credit agreement, the Company entered into a guaranty and collateral agreement in favor of the Agent for the secured parties, pursuant to which the obligations of the Company under the term loan credit agreement and any swap agreements entered into with swap counterparties are secured by a first-priority security interest in substantially all of the assets of the Company.

On May 15, 2018, in connection with the Exchange Transaction, the Company entered into a second amendment to the term loan credit agreement (the “Second Amendment”) . The Second Amendment revised the call protection and yield maintenance provisions to provide as described above, and also revised certain covenants in the term loan credit agreement to reflect the covenants in the 2L Indenture (as defined below).

Second Lien Notes

On May 15, 2018 (the “2L Closing Date”), the Company issued Second Lien Notes with an aggregate principal amount of $344.3 million. The terms of the Second Lien Notes include those stated in the Indenture entered into by the Company and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as trustee (the “2L Indenture”), on the 2L Closing Date. The Second Lien Notes are the senior secured obligations of the Company and rank equal in right of payment to all existing and future senior indebtedness of the Company and its subsidiaries. The Second Lien Notes are secured by second priority security interests in substantially all assets of the Company, subject to the exceptions set forth in the Company’s existing term loan credit agreement and certain customary post-closing delivery periods. The Second Lien Notes will be guaranteed by all of the Company’s direct and indirect subsidiaries that guarantee indebtedness under any other indebtedness for borrowed money of the Company or any of the Company’s subsidiary guarantors. As of June 30, 2018, the Company does not have any subsidiaries. The Second Lien Notes will mature on May 15, 2023.

Interest on the Second Lien Notes will accrue at a rate of 8.500% per annum payable in cash quarterly in arrears on first day of each calendar quarter. Beginning on July 1, 2018, the interest rate will be increased by 1.000% per annum, which increase shall be payable in kind (the “PIK Component”). Commencing with the fiscal quarter ending June 30, 2018, if the Company’s total debt to EBITDAX ratio is (i) less than 3.00 to 1.00 as of the end of the fiscal quarter, the PIK Component shall cease accruing effective as of the next interest payment date, or (ii) greater than or equal to 3.00 to 1.00 as of the last day of such fiscal quarter or if the Company fails to deliver financial statements, the PIK Component shall continue to accrue (or, if then not accruing, automatically commence accruing as of the next interest payment date) and be payable quarterly. Additionally, if the Company incurs junior lien or unsecured debt with a cash interest rate in excess of 9.500%, the cash rate on the Second Lien Notes will be increased by such excess. Default interest will be payable in cash on demand at the then applicable interest rate plus 3.000% per annum.

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The Company may redeem all or a portion of any of the Second Lien Notes at the following redemption prices during the following time periods (plus accrued and unpaid interest on the Second Lien Notes redeemed): (i) from and after May 15, 2018 until May 15, 2021, 104%, (ii) on and after May 15, 2021 until May 15, 2022, 102%, and (iii) on and after May 15, 2022, 100%; provided that any redemption of Second Lien Notes (or the acceleration of Second Lien Notes) prior to May 15, 2020 shall also be accompanied by a make whole premium. Subject to the terms of an intercreditor agreement, the Company is also required to offer to prepay the Second Lien Notes with 100% of the net cash proceeds of asset sales, casualty events and condemnations in excess of $20.0 million not required to be used to pay down the loans under the term loan credit agreement, subject to customary exclusions and reinvestment provisions consistent with the term loan credit agreement. Mandatory prepayment offers will be subject to payment of the make whole premium and redemption price set forth above, as applicable.

If a change of control occurs, the Company will be required to offer to repurchase the Second Lien Notes at the repurchase price of 101% of the principal amount of repurchased Second Lien Notes (subject to the prepayment provisions of the term loan credit agreement). The Second Lien Notes contain negative covenants that are based upon the negative covenants set forth in the term loan credit agreement, taking into account differences to reflect the changed capital structure of the Company and the second lien nature of the Second Lien Notes, which negative covenants limit the Company’s ability, among other things, to pay cash dividends, incur additional indebtedness, sell assets, enter into certain derivatives contracts, change the nature of its business or operations, merge, consolidate, make certain types of investments, amend the term loan credit agreement and other debt documents, and incur any additional debt on a subordinated or junior basis to the term loan credit agreement and on a senior basis to the Second Lien Notes, and require the outstanding principal amount of the Company’s 8.00% senior unsecured notes due 2020 to be no more than $30.0 million by March 1, 2020. The Second Lien Notes do not include any financial maintenance covenants.

The obligations of the Company under the Second Lien Notes may be accelerated upon the occurrence of an Event of Default (as such term is defined in the 2L Indenture). Events of Default include customary events for a capital markets debt financing of this type, including, without limitation, payment defaults, the inaccuracy of representations and warranties, defaults in the performance of affirmative or negative covenants, defaults on other indebtedness of the Company or its subsidiaries (including an event of default under the term loan credit agreement), bankruptcy or related defaults, defaults related to judgments and the occurrence of a Change of Control (as such term is defined in the 2L Indenture).

8.000% Senior Notes Due 2020

On May 18, 2012, the Company issued at par value $300.0 million aggregate principal amount of 8.000% senior unsecured notes due June 1, 2020 (the “Original Notes”).  On May 13, 2013, the Company issued at a price of 105.25% of par an additional $200.0 million aggregate principal amount of 8.000% senior unsecured notes due June 1, 2020 (the “2013 Follow-on Notes”).  On May 18, 2015, the Company issued at a price of 95.000% of par an additional $200.0 million aggregate principal amount of 8.000% senior unsecured notes due June 1, 2020 (the “2015 Mirror Notes” and, together with the Original Notes and the 2013 Follow-on Notes, the “Notes”).  Interest is payable on the Notes semi-annually in arrears on each of June 1 and December 1.  The Company currently does not have any subsidiaries and, as a result, the Notes are not currently guaranteed.  Any subsidiaries the Company forms in the future may be required to unconditionally guarantee, jointly and severally, payment obligation under the Notes on a senior unsecured basis.  The issuance of the Original Notes resulted in net proceeds to the Company of approximately $291.2 million, the issuance of the 2013 Follow-on Notes resulted in net proceeds to the Company of approximately $200.1 million, and the issuance of the 2015 Mirror Notes resulted in net proceeds to the Company of approximately $184.9 million.  Collectively, the net proceeds are in use to fund the Company’s exploration, development and acquisition program and for general corporate purposes (including repayment of borrowings that were outstanding under the Revolving Credit Facility at the time the Notes were issued).

Since June 1, 2017, the Company has been authorized to redeem some or all of the Notes at redemption prices (expressed as percentages of principal amount) equal to 102% plus accrued and unpaid interest to the redemption date. Beginning on June 1, 2018, the applicable redemption price will equal the principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest to the redemption date.

The Original Notes and the 2013 Follow-on Notes are governed by an Indenture, dated as of May 18, 2012, by and among the Company and Wilmington Trust, National Association (the “Original Indenture”).  The 2015 Mirror Notes are governed by an Indenture, dated as of May 18, 2015, by and among the Company and Wilmington Trust, National Association (the “Mirror Indenture”).  The terms and conditions of the Mirror Indenture conform, in all material respects, to the terms and conditions set forth in the Original Indenture.  As such, the Mirror Indenture, together with the Original Indenture, are referred to herein as the “Indenture.”

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The Indenture restricts the Company’s ability to: (i) incur additional debt or enter into sale and leaseback transactions; (ii) pay distributions on, redeem or, repurchase equity interests; (iii) make certain investments; (iv) incur liens; (v) enter into transactions with affiliates; (vi) merge or consolidate with another company; and (vii) transfer and sell assets.  These covenants are subject to a number of exceptions and qualifications.  If at any time when the Notes are rated investment grade by both Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. and Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services and no Default (as defined in the Indenture) has occurred and is continuing, many of such covenants will terminate and the Company and its subsidiaries (if any) will cease to be subject to such covenants.

The Indenture contains customary events of default, including:

• default in any payment of interest on any Note when due, continued for 30 days;

• default in the payment of principal of or premium, if any, on any Note when due;

• failure by the Company to comply with its other obligations under the Indenture, in certain cases subject to notice and grace periods;

• payment defaults and accelerations with respect to other indebtedness of the Company and certain of its subsidiaries, if any, in the aggregate principal amount of $25.0 million or more;

• certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization of the Company or a significant subsidiary or group of restricted subsidiaries that, taken together, would constitute a significant subsidiary;

• failure by the Company or any significant subsidiary or group of restricted subsidiaries that, taken together, would constitute a significant subsidiary to pay certain final judgments aggregating in excess of $25.0 million within 60 days; and

• any guarantee of the Notes by a guarantor ceases to be in full force and effect, is declared null and void in a judicial proceeding or is denied or disaffirmed by its maker.

NOTE 5    COMMON AND PREFERRED STOCK

The Company’s Certificate of Incorporation authorizes the issuance of up to 455,000,000 shares.  The shares are classified in two classes, consisting of 450,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, and 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share.  The board of directors is authorized to establish one or more series of preferred stock, setting forth the designation of each such series, and fixing the relative rights and preferences of each such series.  The Company has neither designated nor issued any shares of preferred stock.

Common Stock

The following is a schedule of changes in the number of shares of common stock outstanding during the six months ended June 30, 2018 and the year ended December 31, 2017:

	Six Months Ended June 30, 2018		Year Ended December 31, 2017
Beginning Balance	66,791,633		63,259,781
Restricted Stock Grants	3,153,302		911,355
Debt Exchanges	121,774,822		—
Equity Offerings and Acquisitions	102,926,019		—
Legal Settlement	—		3,000,000
Other Surrenders - Tax Obligations	(153,421	)	(270,510	)
Other Forfeitures	(892,086	)	(108,993	)
Ending Balance	293,600,269		66,791,633

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2018 Activity

During the six months ended June 30, 2018, 0.2 million shares of common stock were surrendered by certain employees of the Company to cover tax obligations in connection with their restricted stock awards.  The total value of these shares was approximately $0.3 million, which is based on the market prices on the dates the shares were surrendered.

During January 2018, 0.9 million shares of common stock were forfeited in connection with the resignation of the Company’s former interim chief executive officer and chief financial officer. The total amount of share-based compensation expense that was reversed in connection with his resignation was approximately $1.2 million.

Exchange Transactions

On May 15, 2018, as a part of closing the Exchange Agreement (see Note 4), the Company issued 103.2 million shares of the Company’s common stock to the Supporting Noteholders as partial consideration for their exchange of the Outstanding Notes.

In June 2018, the Company issued 18.5 million shares of the Company’s common stock to various noteholders, through privately negotiated exchange transactions, as consideration for the exchange of the Outstanding Notes (See Note 4).

Equity Offerings

On April 10, 2018, the Company completed an underwritten public offering of common stock (the “Public Offering”) pursuant to which it issued 58.7 million shares of common stock and received net proceeds of $84.5 million after underwriting discounts, commissions, and offering expenses. On April 16, 2018, the underwriters exercised their option to purchase an additional 3.6 million shares and the Company received additional net proceeds of $5.2 million after underwriting discounts.

On May 15, 2018, in connection with the closing of the Exchange Agreement, the Company issued 34.7 million shares to various investors through subscription agreements for net proceeds of $52.0 million.

Acquisition Agreement

On June 4, 2018, the Company issued 6.0 million shares of common stock as a part of the purchase price for the purchase of oil and gas properties under the purchase and sale agreement with Salt Creek Oil and Gas, LLC (See Note 3).

Stock Repurchase Program

In May 2011, the Company’s board of directors approved a stock repurchase program to acquire up to $150.0 million of the Company’s outstanding common stock.  The stock repurchase program allows the Company to repurchase its shares from time to time in the open market, block transactions and in negotiated transactions.

During the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and June 30, 2017, the Company did not repurchase shares of its common stock under the stock repurchase program.  The Company’s accounting policy upon the repurchase of shares is to deduct its par value from Common Stock and to reflect any excess of cost over par value as a deduction from Additional Paid-in Capital.

NOTE 6     STOCK OPTIONS/STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION AND WARRANTS

The Company maintains its 2013 Incentive Plan (the “2013 Plan”) to provide a means whereby the Company may be able, by granting equity and other types of awards, to attract, retain and motivate capable and loyal employees, non-employee directors, consultants and advisors of the Company, for the benefit of the Company and its shareholders.  As of June 30, 2018, there were 780,552 shares available for future awards under the 2013 Plan.

Restricted Stock Awards

During the six months ended June 30, 2018, the Company issued 950,355 restricted shares of common stock subject only to time-based vesting under the 2013 Plan as compensation to officers, employees and directors of the Company.  Unvested restricted shares vest over various terms with all restricted shares vesting no later than June 2021.  As of June 30, 2018, there was approximately $2.6 million of total unrecognized compensation expense related to such unvested restricted stock that will be recognized over a weighted-average period of approximately 1.2 years.  The Company has historically assumed a zero percent

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forfeiture rate, thus recognizing forfeitures as they occur, for restricted stock due to the small number of officers, employees and directors that have received restricted stock awards.

The following table reflects the outstanding restricted stock awards subject only to time-based vesting and activity related thereto for the six months ended June 30, 2018:

	Six Months Ended June 30, 2018
	Number of Shares		Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value (per Award)
Restricted Stock Awards:
Restricted Shares Outstanding at Beginning of Period	1,721,533		$	3.65
Shares Granted	950,355		2.64
Lapse of Restrictions	(623,775	)	3.20
Shares Forfeited	(892,086	)	4.00
Restricted Shares Outstanding at End of Period	1,156,027		$	2.78

Stock Option Awards

The following table reflects the outstanding stock option awards and the activity related thereto for the six months ended June 30, 2018:

	Stock Option Awards (1)	Weighted-Average Exercise Price		Weighted Average Contractual Term
Outstanding as of 12/31/2017	250,000	$	2.79	1.0
Granted	—	—
Exercised	—	—
Expired or canceled	—	—
Forfeited	—	—
Outstanding as of 6/30/2018	250,000	$	2.79	0.4

____________

⁽¹⁾ All of the stock options outstanding were vested and exercisable at the end of the period.

Performance Stock Awards

On June 1, 2018, the Company granted performance stock awards as compensation to certain officers and employees of the Company. The performance stock awards are restricted and vest contingent on the continued service of the recipients through the vesting date, March 15, 2021. Additionally, the performance stock awards include awards that vest based on two separate defined performance criteria. Shares under the Performance-Based Restricted Share Grant I (“Performance Award I”) vest contingent on the Company’s fourth quarter annualized Adjusted EBITDA as compared to specified targets. Performance Award I contains both service and performance vesting conditions. The Company assessed the probability of achieving the performance condition as of June 30, 2018 using its internal financial forecasts. Shares under the Performance-Based Restricted Share Grant II (“Performance Award II”) vest contingent on the Company’s average closing stock price for the last twenty trading days of 2018 compared to specified targets. Performance Award II contains both service and market vesting conditions. A Monte Carlo simulation prepared by an independent third party is utilized to determine the grant date fair value of Performance Award II.

Shares under Performance Award I vest contingent on the Company’s fourth quarter annualized Adjusted EBITDA as compared to specified targets, as follows:

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Performance	Aggregate Shares Vested
Less than Target I	0 shares
Target I to Target II	327,500 shares
Target II to Target III	660,000 shares
Greater than or equal to Target III	997,500 shares

The following table summarizes the Performance Award I activity for the six months ended June 30, 2018:

	Six Months Ended June 30, 2018
	Number of Shares	Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value (per Award)
Outstanding as of 12/31/2017	—	$	—
Shares Granted	997,500	2.70
Lapse of Restrictions	—	—
Shares Forfeited	—	—
Outstanding as of 6/30/2018	997,500	$	2.70

The fair value of the Performance Award I is estimated using the fair value on the grant date. The Company records the expense of the Performance Award I on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period. Any Performance Award I awards that do not become earned will terminate, expire and otherwise be forfeited by the participants. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2018, the Company recorded compensation expense related to Performance Award I awards of $0.2 million. At June 30, 2018, there was $2.5 million of total unrecognized compensation expense related to these awards.

Shares under Performance Award II vest contingent on the Company’s average closing stock price for the last twenty trading days of 2018 compared to specified targets, as follows:

Performance	Aggregate Shares Vested
Less than Target I	0 shares
Target I to Target II	327,500 shares
Target II to Target III	660,000 shares
Greater than or equal to Target III	997,500 shares

The following table summarizes the Performance Award II activity for the six months ended June 30, 2018:

	Six Months Ended June 30, 2018
	Number of Shares	Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value (per Award)
Outstanding as of 12/31/2017	—	$	—
Shares Granted	997,500	1.67
Lapse of Restrictions	—	—
Shares Forfeited	—	—
Outstanding as of 6/30/2018	997,500	$	1.67

The fair value of the Performance Award II is estimated using a Monte Carlo simulation at the grant date. The Company records the expense of the Performance Award I on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period. Any Performance Award II awards that do not become earned will terminate, expire and otherwise be forfeited by the participants. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2018, the Company recorded compensation expense related to Performance Award II awards of $0.1 million. At June 30, 2018, there was $1.5 million of total unrecognized compensation expense related to these awards.

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The assumptions used to estimate the fair value of the Performance Award II granted as of the date presented are as follows:

	June 1, 2018
Risk-free interest rate	2.10		%
Dividend yield	—		%
Expected volatility	100.00		%
Company's closing stock price on grant date	$	2.70
Fair value per Performance Award II	$	1.67

On June 1, 2018, the Company granted performance stock awards consisting of an aggregate of 176,100 shares as compensation to certain directors of the Company. These performance stock awards are set up with the same specified targets as the Performance Award II for officers and employees described above. These performance stock awards are restricted and vest contingent on continued service of the recipient through the vesting date of March 15, 2019, and dependent on the performance relative to the stock price targets for the Performance Award II. At June 30, 2018, there was $0.3 million of total unrecognized compensation expense related to these awards.

NOTE 7     RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

Exchange Agreement

On January 31, 2018, the Company entered into an exchange agreement that was subsequently amended on each of March 20, 2018 and April 2, 2018 (as amended, the “Exchange Agreement”) with holders (the “Supporting Noteholders”) of approximately $497.0 million, or 71%, of the aggregate principal amount of its outstanding 8.000% Senior Notes due 2020 (the “Outstanding Notes”), pursuant to which the Supporting Noteholders agreed to exchange all of the Outstanding Notes held by each such Supporting Noteholder for approximately $155.0 million of its common stock and approximately $344.0 million in aggregate principal amount of new senior secured second lien notes due 2023 (the “Second Lien Notes”) (the “Exchange Transaction”). Closing under the Exchange Agreement occurred on May 15, 2018.

TRT Holdings, Inc. (“TRT”), Cresta Investments, LLC and Robert B. Rowling (together, the “TRT Noteholders”) are Supporting Noteholders and received, upon consummation of the Exchange Transaction, in the aggregate, approximately 54.6 million shares of the Company’s common stock and approximately $125.3 million aggregate principal amount of Second Lien Notes in exchange for the $204.7 million of Outstanding Notes that they exchanged. Two of the Company’s directors, Michael Frantz and Mike Popejoy, are employed by TRT, and each of the TRT Noteholders individually beneficially owned in excess of 5% of the Company’s outstanding common stock when the Exchange Agreement was entered into. The principal amounts of any Second Lien Notes held by the TRT Noteholders as of June 30, 2018 are included in the Company’s long-term debt balances, and the Company’s interest expense includes interest attributable to any Outstanding Notes and Second Lien Notes held by TRT during the applicable period.

The obligations of the Supporting Noteholders under the Exchange Agreement were subject to the conditions set forth in the Exchange Agreement, which were satisfied at or prior to closing, including: (a) the successful completion of an equity transaction (the “Equity Raise”) comprised of $140.0 million in gross proceeds from the sale of the Company’s common stock, including the funding of up to $52.0 million of commitments received under the Subscription Agreements (as defined below); (b) the Company’s reincorporation in the State of Delaware and approval of its Delaware certificate of incorporation; (c) the Company’s receipt of the requisite stockholder approvals required by the NYSE American for (i) the issuance of the common stock in the Exchange Transaction and Equity Raise to the extent required and (ii) the reincorporation; (d) the Company obtaining the requisite consent of the lenders under the Company’s first lien term loan credit agreement (the “Term Loan Credit Agreement”) (including pursuant to an amendment to the terms thereof) to permit the Exchange Transaction; and (e) entry into a customary intercreditor agreement between the administrative agent for the Term Loan Credit Agreement and the trustee for the Second Lien Notes.

Subscription Agreements and Equity Raise

On January 31, 2018, and in connection with the Exchange Transaction, the Company and Bahram Akradi (the Chairman of its board of directors), Michael Reger (who subsequently joined the Company as an executive officer in May 2018), TRT and certain other investors each entered into subscription agreements (the “Subscription Agreements”) whereby such investors agreed to purchase up to $40.0 million of the Company’s common stock at a price per share equal to the lowest price per share in the Equity Raise, and subject to the closing of the Exchange Transaction. Pursuant to their respective Subscription Agreements, Mr. Akradi purchased $12.0 million of the Company’s common stock, Mr. Reger purchased $10.0 million of the Company’s common stock,

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and TRT purchased $10.0 million of the Company’s common stock. Based on the pricing of the Equity Raise, the lowest price of which was $1.50 per share, Mr. Akradi purchased 8.0 million shares, Mr. Reger purchased 6.7 million shares and TRT purchased 6.7 million shares. Mr. Akradi and TRT each beneficially owned in excess of 5% of the Company’s outstanding common stock when their respective Subscription Agreements were entered into.

On April 10, 2018, to satisfy, in part, the Company’s obligation to complete the Equity Raise, the Company completed an underwritten public offering (the “Offering”), whereby it sold 58,666,667 shares of its common stock at a public offering price of $1.50 per share. As part of the Offering, Mr. Akradi purchased 1.0 million shares of the Company’s common stock from the underwriters of the Offering for an aggregate purchase price of $1.5 million. Mr. Akradi beneficially owned in excess of 5% of the Company’s outstanding common stock when he purchased such shares.

Registration Rights

In accordance with the terms of the Exchange Agreement, at the closing of the Exchange Transaction, the Company entered into registration rights agreements with (i) the Supporting Noteholders, including the TRT Noteholders, pursuant to which the Company agreed to file with the SEC a registration statement registering for resale the shares of common stock and the Second Lien Notes issued in the Exchange Transaction, and (ii) the TRT Noteholders and an affiliate of TRT, pursuant to which the Company agreed to file with the SEC a registration statement registering for resale all of the shares of common stock held by the TRT Noteholders and such affiliate, excluding shares of common stock that the TRT Noteholders received pursuant to the Exchange Transaction. The required registration statements were filed and declared effective by the SEC during the quarter ended June 30, 2018.

The Company’s Audit Committee is responsible for approving all transactions involving related parties, including each of the transactions identified above.

NOTE 8     COMMITMENTS & CONTINGENCIES

Litigation

The Company is engaged in various proceedings incidental to the normal course of business. Due to their nature, such legal proceedings involve inherent uncertainties, including but not limited to, court rulings, negotiations between affected parties and governmental intervention.  Based upon the information available to the Company and discussions with legal counsel, it is the Company’s opinion that the outcome of the various legal actions and claims that are incidental to its business will not have a material impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows.  Such matters, however, are subject to many uncertainties, and the outcome of any matter is not predictable with assurance.

The Company’s interests in certain crude oil and natural gas leases from the State of North Dakota are subject to an ongoing dispute over the ownership of minerals underlying the bed of the Missouri River within the boundaries of the Fort Berthold Reservation.  The ongoing dispute is between the State of North Dakota and three affiliated tribes, both of whom have purported to lease mineral rights in tracts of riverbed within the reservation boundaries. In the event the ongoing dispute results in a final judgment that is adverse to the Company’s interests, the Company would be required to reverse approximately $5.3 million in revenue (net of accrued taxes) that has been accrued since the first quarter of 2013 based on the Company’s purported interest in the crude oil and natural gas leases at issue. Due to the long-term nature of this title dispute, the $5.3 million in accounts receivable is included in “Other Noncurrent Assets, Net” on the condensed balance sheets. The Company fully maintains the validity of its interests in the crude oil and natural gas leases.

On August 18, 2016, plaintiff Jeffrey Fries, individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated, filed a class action complaint in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York against the Company, Michael Reger (the Company’s former chief executive officer), and Thomas Stoelk (the Company’s former chief financial officer and interim chief executive officer) as defendants.  An amended complaint was filed by plaintiffs in July 2017. Defendants (including the Company) filed a motion to dismiss the amended complaint in August 2017. The court granted the Company’s motion to dismiss in January 2018, but permitted plaintiff the opportunity to further amend the complaint. A second amended complaint was filed by plaintiffs in January 2018. Defendants (including the Company) filed a motion to dismiss the second amended complaint in March 2018, and the Company is awaiting the court’s decision on that motion to dismiss. The complaint purports to bring a federal securities class action on behalf of a class of persons who acquired the Company’s securities between March 1, 2013 and August 15, 2016, and seeks to recover damages caused by defendants’ alleged violations of the federal securities laws and to pursue remedies under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder. The Company intends to continue to vigorously defend itself in this matter.

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NOTE 9     INCOME TAXES

The Company utilizes the asset and liability approach to measuring deferred tax assets and liabilities based on temporary differences existing at each balance sheet date using currently enacted tax rates. A valuation allowance for the Company’s deferred tax assets is established if, in management’s opinion, it is more likely than not that a valuation allowance is needed, looking at both positive and negative factors.  Due to uncertainty surrounding the realization of its deferred tax assets, the Company has continued to record a valuation allowance against its net deferred tax assets.

The income tax provision (benefit) for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017 consists of the following:

	Three Months Ended June 30,						Six Months Ended June 30,
	2018			2017			2018			2017
Current Income Tax Provision (Benefit)	$	—		$	—		$	—		$	—
Deferred Income Tax Provision (Benefit)
Federal	(19,180,000		)	4,699,000			(18,560,000		)	10,649,000
State	(4,228,000		)	424,000			(4,091,000		)	960,000
Valuation Allowance	23,408,000			(5,123,000		)	22,651,000			(11,609,000		)
Total Income Tax Provision (Benefit)	$	—		$	—		$	—		$	—

Income tax provision (benefit) during interim periods is based on applying an estimated annual effective income tax rate to year-to-date income (loss), plus any unusual or infrequently occurring items that are recorded in the interim period.  The provision for the three and six-month periods ended June 30, 2018, differ from the amount that would be provided by applying the statutory U.S. federal income tax rate of 21% to income before income taxes.  The lower effective tax rate in 2018 and 2017 relates to the valuation allowance placed on the net deferred tax assets, in addition to state income taxes and estimated permanent differences.

The Company’s May 15, 2018 closing under the Exchange Agreement and related transactions triggered an ownership change within the meaning of Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code (“IRC”) due to the share issuances that resulted from the Exchange Agreement and related transactions.  In general, an ownership change, as defined in IRC Section 382, results from a transaction or series of transactions over a three-year period resulting in an ownership change of more than 50% of the outstanding stock of a company by certain stockholders or public groups. Since the Company has experienced an ownership change, utilization of net operating losses and other tax carryforward attributes are subject to an annual limitation, which is determined by first multiplying the value of the Company’s common stock at the time of the ownership change by the applicable long-term, tax-exempt rate, plus any built-in gains recognized within five years following the ownership change.  Any such limitation is still being evaluated and may result in the expiration of a significant portion of the Company’s tax attributes.  Any carryforward attributes that expire prior to utilization will be removed from deferred tax assets with a corresponding adjustment to the valuation allowance upon finalization of the limitation analysis, which will be completed prior to the end of the fiscal year. Due to the existence of the valuation allowance, it is not expected that any possible limitation will have an impact on the results of operations of the Company.  

On December 22, 2017, the United States enacted the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“the Act”) which made significant changes that affect the Company, resulting in significant modifications to existing law.  The Company’s financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2017 and for the quarter ended June 30, 2018 reflect certain effects of the Act which includes a reduction in the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% effective January 1, 2018, as well as other changes.

The Act also repeals the corporate alternative minimum tax for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017 and provides that prior alternative minimum tax credits will be refundable. The Company has credits that are expected to be refunded between 2018 and 2021 as a result of the Act and monetization opportunities under current tax laws.

The Act is a comprehensive tax reform bill containing a number of other provisions that either currently or in the future could impact the Company.  The Company has completed the analysis of the Act and does not expect a material change due to the transition impacts. Any changes that do arise due to changes in interpretations of the Act, legislative action to address questions that arise because of the Act, changes in accounting standards for income taxes or related interpretations in response to the Act, or any updates or changes to estimates the Company has utilized to calculate the transition impacts will be disclosed in future periods as they arise. The effect of certain limitations effective for the tax year 2018 and forward, specifically related to the deductibility of executive compensation and interest expense, have been evaluated.

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Tax benefits are recognized only for tax positions that are more likely than not to be sustained upon examination by tax authorities.  The amount recognized is measured as the largest amount of benefit that is greater than 50 percent likely to be realized upon ultimate settlement.  Unrecognized tax benefits are tax benefits claimed in the Company’s tax returns that do not meet these recognition and measurement standards.  The Company has no liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits.

The Company’s policy is to recognize potential interest and penalties accrued related to unrecognized tax benefits within income tax expense.  For the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, the Company did not recognize any interest or penalties in its condensed statements of operations, nor did it have any interest or penalties accrued in its condensed balance sheet at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 relating to unrecognized benefits.

The tax years 2017, 2016 and 2015 remain open to examination for federal and state income tax purposes.

NOTE 10     FAIR VALUE

Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date.  Valuation techniques used to measure fair value must maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs.  The Company uses a fair value hierarchy based on three levels of inputs, of which the first two are considered observable and the last unobservable, that may be used to measure fair value which are the following:

Level 1 - Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

Level 2 - Inputs other than Level 1 that are observable, either directly or indirectly, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities.

Level 3 - Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities.

Financial Assets and Liabilities

As required, financial assets and liabilities are classified in their entirety based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The Company’s assessment of the significance of a particular input requires judgment and may affect the valuation of fair value assets and liabilities and their placement within the fair value hierarchy levels.  The following tables set forth by level within the fair value hierarchy the Company’s financial assets and liabilities that were accounted for at fair value on a recurring basis:

	Fair Value Measurements at June 30, 2018 Using
	Quoted Prices In Active Markets for Identical Assets (Liabilities) (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)			Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Commodity Derivatives – Current Asset (crude oil swaps)	$	—	$	—		$	—
Commodity Derivatives – Noncurrent Asset (crude oil swaps)	—		—			—
Commodity Derivatives – Current Liabilities (crude oil swaps)	—		(43,644,644		)	—
Commodity Derivatives – Noncurrent Liabilities (crude oil swaps)	—		(28,611,421		)	—
Debt Exchange Derivatives – Current Liabilities	—		—			(10,923,000		)
Total	$	—	$	(72,256,065	)	$	(10,923,000	)

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	Fair Value Measurements at December 31, 2017 Using
	Quoted Prices In Active Markets for Identical Assets (Liabilities) (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)			Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Commodity Derivatives – Current Asset (crude oil swaps)	$	—	$	—		$	—
Commodity Derivatives – Noncurrent Asset (crude oil swaps)	—		—			—
Commodity Derivatives – Current Liabilities (crude oil swaps)	—		(18,681,891		)	—
Commodity Derivatives – Noncurrent Liabilities (crude oil swaps)	—		(11,496,929		)	—
Total	$	—	$	(30,178,820	)	$	—

The Level 2 instruments presented in the tables above consist of commodity derivative instruments (see Note 11).  The fair value of the Company’s derivative financial instruments is determined based upon future prices, volatility and time to maturity, among other things. Counterparty statements are utilized to determine the value of the commodity derivative instruments and are reviewed and corroborated using various methodologies and significant observable inputs.  The Company’s and the counterparties’ nonperformance risk is evaluated.  The fair value of all derivative contracts is reflected on the condensed balance sheet.  The current derivative asset and liability amounts represent the fair values expected to be settled in the subsequent twelve months.

The Company had embedded derivatives related to its separately negotiated exchange agreements with holders of the Company’s 2020 Notes. The exchange agreements contained provisions whereby if at the end of the applicable restricted sale period the Company’s common stock trades below specified levels, the Company may be required to pay additional consideration to the holder in the form of cash or additional shares of common stock. The Company determined these provisions were not clearly and closely related to the shares of common stock issued and therefore, bifurcated these embedded features and reflected them at fair value in the financial statements. Prior to their settlements, the fair values of these embedded derivatives were determined using a Monte Carlo simulation which considered various inputs including (i) the Company’s common stock price, (ii) risk-free rates based on U.S. Treasury rates, (iii) volatility of the Company’s common stock, and (iv) expected average daily trading volumes. The expected volatility and average daily trading volumes used in the valuation were unobservable in the marketplace and significant to the valuation methodology, and the embedded derivatives’ fair value was therefore designated as Level 3 in the valuation hierarchy. At June 30, 2018, the Company recorded a debt exchange derivative liability of $10.9 million.

Fair Value of Other Financial Instruments

The Company’s financial instruments, including certain cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable and accounts payable, are carried at cost, which approximates fair value due to the short-term maturity of these instruments.

The carrying amount of the Company’s long-term debt reported in the condensed balance sheet at June 30, 2018 is $834.8 million, which includes $148.2 million of senior unsecured notes, $339.5 million of second lien notes, and $347.1 million of borrowings under the Company’s term loan credit agreement (see Note 4).  The fair value of the Company’s senior unsecured notes and second lien notes, which are publicly traded, is $149.2 million and $364.1 million at June 30, 2018, respectively.  The Company’s term loan credit agreement approximates its fair value because of its floating rate structure.

Non-Financial Assets and Liabilities

The Company estimates asset retirement obligations pursuant to the provisions of FASB ASC 410.  The initial measurement of asset retirement obligations at fair value is calculated using discounted cash flow techniques and based on internal estimates of future retirement costs associated with oil and natural gas properties.  Given the unobservable nature of the inputs, including plugging costs and reserve lives, the initial measurement of the asset retirement obligations liability is deemed to use Level 3 inputs.  Asset retirement obligations incurred during the six months ended June 30, 2018 were approximately $0.6 million.

The Company accounts for acquisitions of oil and natural gas properties under the acquisition method of accounting. Accordingly, the Company conducts assessments of net assets acquired and recognizes amounts for identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the estimated acquisition date fair values, while transaction costs associated with the acquisitions are expensed as incurred. The Company makes various assumptions in estimating the fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed. The most significant assumptions relate to the estimated fair value of oil and natural gas properties. The fair value of these properties is measured using a discounted cash flow model that converts future cash flows to a single discounted amount. These assumptions

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represent Level 3 inputs under the fair value hierarchy. See Note 3 for additional discussion of the Company's acquisitions of oil and natural gas properties during the six months ended June 30, 2018 and discussion of the significant inputs to the valuations.

Though the Company believes the methods used to estimate fair value are consistent with those used by other market participants, the use of other methods or assumptions could result in a different estimate of fair value.  There were no transfers of financial assets or liabilities between Level 1, Level 2 or Level 3 inputs for the six months ended June 30, 2018.

NOTE 11     DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS AND PRICE RISK MANAGEMENT

The Company utilizes commodity swap contracts, basis swaps, swaptions and collars (purchased put options and written call options) to (i) reduce the effects of volatility in price changes on the crude oil commodities it produces and sells, (ii) reduce commodity price risk and (iii) provide a base level of cash flow in order to assure it can execute at least a portion of its capital spending.

All derivative instruments are recorded on the Company’s balance sheet as either assets or liabilities measured at their fair value (see Note 10).  The Company has not designated any derivative instruments as hedges for accounting purposes and does not enter into such instruments for speculative trading purposes.  If a derivative does not qualify as a hedge or is not designated as a hedge, the changes in the fair value are recognized in the revenues section of the Company’s condensed statements of operations as a gain or loss on derivative instruments.  Mark-to-market gains and losses represent changes in fair values of derivatives that have not been settled.  The Company’s cash flow is only impacted when the actual settlements under the derivative contracts result in making or receiving a payment to or from the counterparty.  These cash settlements represent the cumulative gains and losses on the Company’s derivative instruments for the periods presented and do not include a recovery of costs that were paid to acquire or modify the derivative instruments that were settled.

The following table presents cash settlements on matured or liquidated derivative instruments and non-cash gains and losses on open derivative instruments for the periods presented.  Cash receipts and payments below reflect proceeds received upon early liquidation of derivative positions and gains or losses on derivative contracts which matured during the period, calculated as the difference between the contract price and the market settlement price of matured contracts.  Non-cash gains and losses below represent the change in fair value of derivative instruments which continue to be held at period-end and the reversal of previously recognized non-cash gains or losses on derivative contracts that matured or were liquidated during the period.

	Three Months Ended June 30,					Six Months Ended June 30,
	2018			2017		2018			2017
Cash Received (Paid) on Settled Derivatives	$	(12,266,857	)	$	2,341,030	$	(20,396,994	)	$	2,245,371
Non-Cash Mark-to-Market Gain (Loss) on Derivatives	(29,935,931		)	14,172,002		(42,077,245		)	31,228,544
Gain (Loss) on Derivative Instruments, Net	$	(42,202,788	)	$	16,513,032	$	(62,474,239	)	$	33,473,915

The Company has master netting agreements on individual crude oil contracts with certain counterparties and therefore the current asset and liability are netted on the balance sheet and the non-current asset and liability are netted on the balance sheet for contracts with these counterparties.

As of June 30, 2018, the Company had a total volume on open commodity swaps of 7.5 million barrels at a weighted average price of approximately $55.60 per barrel. The following table reflects the weighted average price of open commodity swap derivative contracts as of June 30, 2018, by year with associated volumes.

Year	Volumes (Bbl)	Weighted Average Price ($)
2018	2,003,660	57.83
2019	3,160,000	55.85
2020	1,730,980	52.55
2021 and beyond	631,600	55.67

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The following table sets forth the amounts, on a gross basis, and classification of the Company’s outstanding derivative financial instruments at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively.  Certain amounts may be presented on a net basis on the condensed financial statements when such amounts are with the same counterparty and subject to a master netting arrangement.

Type of Crude Oil Contract	Balance Sheet Location	June 30, 2018 Estimated Fair Value			December 31, 2017 Estimated Fair Value
Derivative Liabilities:
Swap Contracts	Current Liabilities	$	(43,644,644	)	$	(18,681,891	)
Swap Contracts	Noncurrent Liabilities	(28,611,421		)	(11,496,929		)
Total Derivative Liabilities		$	(72,256,065	)	$	(30,178,820	)

The use of derivative transactions involves the risk that the counterparties will be unable to meet the financial terms of such transactions.  When the Company has netting arrangements with its counterparties that provide for offsetting payables against receivables from separate derivative instruments these assets and liabilities are netted on the balance sheet.  The tables presented below provide reconciliation between the gross assets and liabilities and the amounts reflected on the balance sheet.  The amounts presented exclude derivative settlement receivables and payables as of the balance sheet dates.

	Estimated Fair Value at June 30, 2018
	Gross Amounts of Recognized Assets (Liabilities)			Gross Amounts Offset in the Balance Sheet			Net Amounts of Assets (Liabilities) Presented in the Balance Sheet
Offsetting of Derivative Assets:
Current Assets	$	12,921		$	(12,921	)	$	—
Noncurrent Assets	13,659			(13,659		)	—
Total Derivative Assets	$	26,580		$	(26,580	)	$	—
Offsetting of Derivative Liabilities:
Current Liabilities	$	(43,657,565	)	$	12,921		$	(43,644,644	)
Noncurrent Liabilities	(28,625,080		)	13,659			(28,611,421		)
Total Derivative Liabilities	$	(72,282,645	)	$	26,580		$	(72,256,065	)

	Estimated Fair Value at December 31, 2017
	Gross Amounts of Recognized Assets (Liabilities)			Gross Amounts Offset in the Balance Sheet		Net Amounts of Assets (Liabilities) Presented in the Balance Sheet
Offsetting of Derivative Assets:
Current Assets	$	—		$	—	$	—
Non-Current Assets	—			—		—
Total Derivative Assets	$	—		$	—	$	—
Offsetting of Derivative Liabilities:
Current Liabilities	$	(18,681,891	)	$	—	$	(18,681,891	)
Non-Current Liabilities	(11,496,929		)	—		(11,496,929		)
Total Derivative Liabilities	$	(30,178,820	)	$	—	$	(30,178,820	)

All of the Company’s outstanding derivative instruments are covered by International Swap Dealers Association Master Agreements (“ISDAs”) entered into with BP Energy Company, Macquarie Bank Limited, and Fifth Third Bank.  The Company’s obligations under the derivative instruments are secured pursuant to the term loan credit agreement and related agreements, and no additional collateral had been posted by the Company as of June 30, 2018.  The ISDAs may provide that as a result of certain circumstances, such as cross-defaults, a counterparty may require all outstanding derivative instruments under an ISDA to be settled

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immediately.  See Note 10 for the aggregate fair value of all derivative instruments that were in a net liability position at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017.

In June 2018, the Company entered into five independent, separately negotiated exchange agreements with holders of the Company’s 2020 Notes. Pursuant to each such exchange agreement, the Company agreed to issue the holder shares of its common stock in exchange for certain 2020 Notes held by such holder. The Company subjected the holders to various restrictions on the sale of the shares of common stock issued to them. These restrictions are of varying lengths and subject to varying exceptions.  As compensation for the inability to sell shares during the restricted period, the exchange agreements contained provisions whereby, if at the end of the applicable restricted sale period the Company’s common stock trades below specified levels, the Company may be required to pay additional consideration to the holder in the form of cash or additional shares of common stock. In connection with these provisions, for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018, the Company recorded a debt exchange derivative liability of $10.9 million which was included in the loss on the extinguishment of debt on the condensed statement of operations.

NOTE 12     SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

Pivotal Acquisition

On July 17, 2018, the Company entered into two Purchase and Sale Agreements (the “Pivotal Purchase Agreements”) with affiliates of Pivotal Petroleum Partners, namelyPivotal Williston Basin, LP and Pivotal Williston Basin II, LP, pursuant to which the Company agreed to acquire, effective as of June 1, 2018, certain oil and gas properties and interests, subject to typical closing conditions. Upon closings under their respective Purchase Agreement, Pivotal Williston Basin, LP will receive initial consideration of $15.75 million and 5,930,100 shares of common stock and Pivotal Williston Basin II, LP will receive initial consideration of $52.65 million and 19,823,478 shares of common stock. In each case, the cash portion of the initial consideration is subject to adjustment resulting from pre- and post- effective date revenue and expense allocation and procedures relating to customary title and environmental matters.

The obligations of the parties to complete the transactions contemplated by each Pivotal Purchase Agreement is subject to the satisfaction or waiver of customary closing conditions set forth in the Pivotal Purchase Agreements.

Under the Pivotal Purchase Agreements, the Company has agreed to issue an aggregate of 25,753,578 shares of common stock at closing and may in the future issue up to a maximum of 16,046,421 additional shares of its common stock. The additional shares would be issued only if the Company elects to use shares of its common stock to satisfy certain monthly payment obligations that may arise based on the average daily volume weighted average price of a share of the Company’s common stock as measured against specified reference prices for 12 of the 13 calendar months following closing.

W Resources Acquisition

On July 27, 2018, the Company entered into a Purchase and Sale Agreement (the “WR Purchase Agreement”) with WR Operating LLC (“Seller”), pursuant to which the Company has agreed to acquire, effective as of July 1, 2018, certain oil and gas properties and interests. Upon closing under the WR Purchase Agreement, Seller will receive initial consideration of $100.0 million in cash and 56,371,899 shares of common stock. The cash portion of the initial consideration is subject to adjustment resulting from pre- and post-effective date revenue and expense allocation and procedures relating to customary title and environmental matters.

The obligations of the parties to complete the transactions contemplated by the WR Purchase Agreement are subject to the satisfaction or waiver of customary closing conditions set forth in the WR Purchase Agreement.

Under the WR Purchase Agreement, the Company has agreed to issue 56,371,899 shares of common stock at closing and may in the future issue up to a maximum of 2,669,937 additional shares of its common stock, representing a total number of shares not to exceed 19.9% of the number of shares of common stock issued and outstanding as of July 27, 2018. The additional shares would be issued only if the Company elects to use shares of its common stock to satisfy certain monthly payment obligations that may arise based on the average daily volume weighted average price of a share of the Company’s common stock as measured against specified reference prices for 12 of the 13 calendar months following closing. To the extent such monthly payment obligations arise and exceed the value of the maximum number of additional shares, the Company would be required to satisfy such obligations in cash.

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Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations contains forward-looking statements regarding future events and our future results that are subject to the safe harbors created under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”) and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”).  All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this report regarding our financial position, business strategy, plans and objectives of management for future operations, industry conditions, and indebtedness covenant compliance are forward-looking statements.  When used in this report, forward-looking statements are generally accompanied by terms or phrases such as “estimate,” “project,” “predict,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “target,” “plan,” “intend,” “seek,” “goal,” “will,” “should,” “may” or other words and similar expressions that convey the uncertainty of future events or outcomes.  Items contemplating or making assumptions about actual or potential future sales, market size, collaborations, and trends or operating results also constitute such forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, and important factors (many of which are beyond our company’s control) that could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements, including the following:  changes in crude oil and natural gas prices, the pace of drilling and completions activity on our current properties and properties pending acquisition, our ability to acquire additional development opportunities, changes in our reserves estimates or the value thereof, general economic or industry conditions, nationally and/or in the communities in which our company conducts business, changes in the interest rate environment, legislation or regulatory requirements, conditions of the securities markets, our ability to consummate any pending acquisition transactions, our ability to raise or access capital, changes in accounting principles, policies or guidelines, financial or political instability, acts of war or terrorism, and other economic, competitive, governmental, regulatory and technical factors affecting our company’s operations, products and prices.

We have based any forward-looking statements on our current expectations and assumptions about future events.  While our management considers these expectations and assumptions to be reasonable, they are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, regulatory and other risks, contingencies and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control.  Accordingly, results achieved may differ materially from expected results described in these statements. You should consider carefully the statements in the section entitled “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and other sections of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, as updated by subsequent reports we file with the SEC (including this report), which describe factors that could cause our actual results to differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Our Company does not undertake, and specifically disclaims, any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of such statements.

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the unaudited Condensed Financial Statements and accompanying Notes to condensed Financial Statements appearing elsewhere in this report.

Overview

We are an independent energy company engaged in the acquisition, exploration, development and production of oil and natural gas properties, primarily in the Bakken and Three Forks formations within the Williston Basin in North Dakota and Montana.  We believe the location, size and concentration of our acreage position in one of North America’s leading unconventional oil-resource plays will provide drilling and development opportunities that result in significant long-term value.  Our primary focus is oil exploration and production through non-operated working interests in wells drilled and completed in spacing units that include our acreage.  Using this strategy, we had participated in 3,510 gross (248.3 net) producing wells as of June 30, 2018.

Our average daily production in the second quarter of 2018 was approximately 21,046 Boe per day, of which approximately 84% was oil. Improving commodity prices in 2018 has increased activity levels in North Dakota as compared to 2017 with 67 active rigs in North Dakota as of July 19, 2018. The higher activity levels have boosted our development levels and resulted in production in the second quarter of 2018 increasing by approximately 53% over the same period a year ago. During the six months ended June 30, 2018, we added 248 gross (19.4 net) wells to production. As of June 30, 2018, we have leased approximately 142,248 net acres, of which approximately 90% were developed and 100% were located in the Williston Basin of North Dakota and Montana.

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Source of Our Revenues

We derive our revenues from the sale of oil, natural gas and NGLs produced from our properties.  Revenues are a function of the volume produced, the prevailing market price at the time of sale, oil quality, Btu content and transportation costs to market.  We use derivative instruments to hedge future sales prices on a substantial, but varying, portion of our oil production.  We expect our derivative activities will help us achieve more predictable cash flows and reduce our exposure to downward price fluctuations.  The use of derivative instruments has in the past, and may in the future, prevent us from realizing the full benefit of upward price movements but also mitigates the effects of declining price movements.

Principal Components of Our Cost Structure

• Oil price differentials.  The price differential between our Williston Basin well head price and the NYMEX WTI benchmark price is driven by the additional cost to transport oil from the Williston Basin via train, barge, pipeline or truck to refineries.

• Gain (loss) on derivative instruments, net.  We utilize commodity derivative financial instruments to reduce our exposure to fluctuations in the price of oil.  Gain (loss) on derivative instruments, net is comprised of (i) cash gains and losses we recognize on settled derivatives during the period, and (ii) non-cash market-to-market gains and losses we incur on derivative instruments outstanding at period end.

• Production expenses.  Production expenses are daily costs incurred to bring oil and natural gas out of the ground and to the market, together with the daily costs incurred to maintain our producing properties. Such costs also include field personnel compensation, salt water disposal, utilities, maintenance, repairs and servicing expenses related to our oil and natural gas properties.

• Production taxes.  Production taxes are paid on produced oil and natural gas based on a percentage of revenues from products sold at market prices (not hedged prices) or at fixed rates established by federal, state or local taxing authorities.  We seek to take full advantage of all credits and exemptions in our various taxing jurisdictions.  In general, the production taxes we pay correlate to the changes in oil and natural gas revenues.

• Depreciation, depletion, amortization and impairment.  Depreciation, depletion, amortization and impairment includes the systematic expensing of the capitalized costs incurred to acquire, explore and develop oil and natural gas properties. As a full cost company, we capitalize all costs associated with our development and acquisition efforts and allocate these costs to each unit of production using the units-of-production method.

• General and administrative expenses.  General and administrative expenses include overhead, including payroll and benefits for our corporate staff, costs of maintaining our headquarters, costs of managing our acquisition and development operations, franchise taxes, audit and other professional fees and legal compliance.

• Interest expense.  We finance a portion of our working capital requirements, capital expenditures and acquisitions with borrowings.  As a result, we incur interest expense that is affected by both fluctuations in interest rates and our financing decisions.  We capitalize a portion of the interest paid on applicable borrowings into our full cost pool.  We include interest expense that is not capitalized into the full cost pool, the amortization of deferred financing costs and bond premiums (including origination and amendment fees), commitment fees and annual agency fees as interest expense.

• Income tax expense.  Our provision for taxes includes both federal and state taxes. We record our federal income taxes in accordance with accounting for income taxes under GAAP, which results in the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of temporary differences between the book carrying amounts and the tax basis of assets and liabilities.  Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences and carryforwards are expected to be recovered or settled.  The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date.  A valuation allowance is established to reduce deferred tax assets if it is more likely than not that the related tax benefits will not be realized.

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Selected Factors That Affect Our Operating Results

Our revenues, cash flows from operations and future growth depend substantially upon:

• the timing and success of drilling and production activities by our operating partners;

• the prices and the supply and demand for oil, natural gas and NGLs;

• the quantity of oil and natural gas production from the wells in which we participate;

• changes in the fair value of the derivative instruments we use to reduce our exposure to fluctuations in the price of oil;

• our ability to continue to identify and acquire high-quality acreage and drilling opportunities; and

• the level of our operating expenses.

In addition to the factors that affect companies in our industry generally, the location of our acreage and wells in the Williston Basin subjects our operating results to factors specific to this region.  These factors include the potential adverse impact of weather on drilling, production and transportation activities, particularly during the winter and spring months, and the limitations of the developing infrastructure and transportation capacity in this region.

The price of oil in the Williston Basin can vary depending on the market in which it is sold and the means of transportation used to transport the oil to market.  Light sweet crude from the Williston Basin has a higher value at many major refining centers because of its higher quality relative to heavier and sour grades of oil; however, because of North Dakota’s location relative to traditional oil transport centers, this higher value is generally offset to some extent by higher transportation costs.  While rail transportation has historically been more expensive than pipeline transportation, Williston Basin prices have at times justified shipment by rail to markets on the gulf coast and east coast, which offer prices benchmarked to LLS/Brent.  Additional pipeline infrastructure has increased takeaway capacity in the Williston Basin which has improved wellhead values in the region.

The price at which our oil production is sold typically reflects a discount to the NYMEX benchmark price.  Thus, our operating results are also affected by changes in the oil price differentials between the NYMEX and the sales prices we receive for our oil production. Our oil price differential to the NYMEX benchmark price during the second quarter of 2018 was $5.77 per barrel, as compared to $6.86 per barrel in the second quarter of 2017. Fluctuations in our oil price differential are due to several factors such as takeaway capacity relative to production levels in the Williston Basin and seasonal refinery maintenance temporarily depressing crude demand.  

Another significant factor affecting our operating results is drilling costs.  The cost of drilling wells has varied significantly over the past few years as volatility in oil prices has substantially impacted the level of drilling activity in the Williston Basin.  Generally, higher oil prices have led to increased drilling activity, with the increased demand for drilling and completion services driving these costs higher.  Lower oil prices have generally had the opposite effect.  In addition, individual components of the cost can vary depending on numerous factors such as the length of the horizontal lateral, the number of fracture stimulation stages, and the choice of proppant (sand or ceramic).  

Higher commodity prices in late 2017 and 2018 have increased our drilling activity in the Williston Basin in the first six months of 2018.  Rig activity levels in 2018 increased from 2017 levels and a large percentage of our newer wells utilize higher intensity completion techniques. The higher intensity completions generally deliver the best returns in the current pricing environment but cost more due to increased materials and servicing costs. As a result, we expect our average costs from wells we elect to participate in to increase 5-10% during 2018. During the first six months of 2018, the weighted average authorization for expenditure (or AFE) cost for wells we elected to participate in was $8.1 million, compared to $7.5 million for the wells we elected to participate in during 2017.

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Market Conditions

The price that we receive for the oil and natural gas we produce is largely a function of market supply and demand.  Being primarily an oil producer, we are more significantly impacted by changes in oil prices than by changes in the price of natural gas.  World-wide supply in terms of output, especially the production quota set by OPEC, and the strength of the U.S. dollar can adversely impact oil prices.  Historically, commodity prices have been volatile and we expect the volatility to continue in the future.  Factors impacting the future oil supply balance are world-wide demand for oil, as well as the growth in domestic oil production.

Prices for various quantities of natural gas, natural gas liquids (“NGLs”) and oil that we produce significantly impact our revenues and cash flows. The following table lists average NYMEX prices for oil and natural gas for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017.

	Three Months Ended June 30,
	2018		2017
Average NYMEX Prices(a)
Natural Gas (per Mcf)	$	2.83	$	3.14
Oil (per Bbl)	$	67.97	$	48.15

	Six Months Ended June 30,
	2018		2017
Average NYMEX Prices(a)
Natural Gas (per Mcf)	$	2.96	$	3.10
Oil (per Bbl)	$	65.49	$	49.95

____________

(a) Based on average NYMEX closing prices.

For the three months ended June 30, 2018, the average NYMEX pricing was $67.97 per barrel of oil or 41% higher than the average NYMEX price per barrel for the comparable period in 2017.  Our realized oil price after reflecting settled derivatives was 26% higher in the second quarter of 2018 than in the second quarter of 2017 due to the higher NYMEX price per barrel and a lower oil price differential in 2018.

As of June 30, 2018, the Company had a total volume on open commodity swaps of 7.5 million barrels at a weighted average price of approximately $55.60 per barrel. The following table reflects the weighted average price of open commodity swap derivative contracts as of June 30, 2018, by year with associated volumes.

Year	Volumes (Bbl)	Weighted Average Price ($)
2018	2,003,660	57.83
2019	3,160,000	55.85
2020	1,730,980	52.55
2021 and beyond	631,600	55.67

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Results of Operations for the Three Months Ended June 30, 2018 and June 30, 2017

The following table sets forth selected operating data for the periods indicated.

	Three Months Ended June 30,
	2018			2017		% Change
Net Production:
Oil (Bbl)	1,625,788			1,054,263		54	%
Natural Gas and NGLs (Mcf)	1,736,651			1,206,103		44	%
Total (Boe)	1,915,230			1,255,280		53	%
Net Sales:
Oil Sales	$	101,036,507		$	43,531,170	132	%
Natural Gas and NGL Sales	8,010,371			4,849,836		65	%
Gain (Loss) on Settled Derivatives	(12,266,857		)	2,341,030
Gain (Loss) on Mark-to-Market of Derivative Instruments	(29,935,931		)	14,172,002
Other Revenue	1,809			7,844
Total Revenues	66,845,899			64,901,882		3	%
Average Sales Prices:
Oil (per Bbl)	$	62.20		$	41.29	51	%
Effect of Gain (Loss) on Settled Derivatives on Average Price (per Bbl)	(7.55		)	2.22
Oil Net of Settled Derivatives (per Bbl)	54.65			43.51		26	%
Natural Gas and NGLs (per Mcf)	4.61			4.02		15	%
Realized Price on a Boe Basis Including all Realized Derivative Settlements	50.58			40.41		25	%
Operating Expenses:
Production Expenses	$	14,548,922		$	12,137,540	20	%
Production Taxes	10,131,843			4,439,774		128	%
General and Administrative Expense	3,251,239			4,317,139		(25	)%
Depletion, Depreciation, Amortization and Accretion	22,596,028			13,682,452		65	%
Costs and Expenses (per Boe):
Production Expenses	$	7.60		$	9.67	(21	)%
Production Taxes	5.29			3.54		49	%
General and Administrative Expense	1.70			3.44		(51	)%
Depletion, Depreciation, Amortization and Accretion	11.80			10.90		8	%
Net Producing Wells at Period End	248.3			218.8		13	%

Oil and Natural Gas Sales

In the second quarter of 2018, our oil, natural gas and NGL sales, excluding the effect of settled derivatives, increased 125% as compared to the second quarter of 2017, driven by a 48% increase in realized prices, excluding the effect of settled derivatives, and a 53% increase in production. The higher average realized price in the second quarter of 2018 as compared to the same period in 2017 was principally driven by higher average NYMEX oil and natural gas prices and a lower oil price differential. Oil price differential during the second quarter of 2018 was $5.77 per barrel, as compared to $6.86 per barrel in the second quarter of 2017.

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We add production through drilling success as we place new wells into production and through additions from acquisitions, which is offset by the natural decline of our oil and natural gas production from existing wells.  Increased development and acquisition activities combined with improved performance from enhanced completion techniques helped drive a 53% increase in production levels in the second quarter of 2018 compared to the same period in 2017.

Derivative Instruments

We enter into derivative instruments to manage the price risk attributable to future oil production. Our gain (loss) on derivative instruments, net, was a loss of $42.2 million in the second quarter of 2018, compared to a gain of $16.5 million in the second quarter of 2017. Gain (loss) on derivative instruments, net, is comprised of (i) cash gains and losses we recognize on settled derivatives during the period, and (ii) non-cash mark-to-market gains and losses we incur on derivative instruments outstanding at period end.

For the second quarter of 2018, we realized a loss on settled derivatives of $12.3 million, compared to a $2.3 million gain in the second quarter of 2017. The increase in the loss on settled derivatives was primarily due to an increase in the average NYMEX oil price in the second quarter of 2018 compared to the same period of 2017. During the second quarter of 2018, our derivative settlements included 0.8 million barrels of oil at an average settlement price of $53.09 per barrel, while during the second quarter of 2017 our derivative settlements included 0.6 million barrels of oil at an average settlement price of $51.75 per barrel. The average NYMEX oil price for the second quarter of 2018 was $67.97 compared to $48.15 for the second quarter of 2017. Our average realized price (including all cash derivative settlements) in the second quarter of 2018 was $50.58 per Boe compared to $40.41 per Boe in the second quarter of 2017. The gain (loss) on settled derivatives decreased our average realized price per Boe by $6.40 in the second quarter of 2018 and increased our average realized price per Boe by $1.86 in the second quarter of 2017.

Mark-to-market derivative gains and losses was a loss of $29.9 million in the second quarter of 2018, compared to a gain of $14.2 million in the second quarter of 2017. Our derivatives are not designated for hedge accounting and are accounted for using the mark-to-market accounting method whereby gains and losses from changes in the fair value of derivative instruments are recognized immediately into earnings. Mark-to-market accounting treatment creates volatility in our revenues as gains and losses from unsettled derivatives are included in total revenues and are not included in accumulated other comprehensive income in the accompanying balance sheets. As commodity prices increase or decrease, such changes will have an opposite effect on the mark-to-market value of our derivatives. Any gains on our derivatives are expected to be offset by lower wellhead revenues in the future, and any losses are expected to be offset by higher future wellhead revenues based on the value at the settlement date. At June 30, 2018, all of our derivative contracts were recorded at their fair value, which was a net liability of $72.3 million, an increase of $42.1 million from the $30.2 million net liability recorded as of December 31, 2017. The increase in the net liability at June 30, 2018 as compared to December 31, 2017 was primarily due to an increase in the forward oil price on our open oil derivative contracts relative to the contract price on our open oil derivative contracts since December 31, 2017.

Production Expenses

Production expenses were $14.5 million in the second quarter of 2018, compared to $12.1 million in the second quarter of 2017. On a per unit basis, production expenses decreased from $9.67 per Boe in the second quarter of 2017 to $7.60 per Boe in the second quarter of 2018. On an absolute dollar basis, the increase in our production expenses in the second quarter of 2018, as compared to the second quarter of 2017, was primarily due to a 53% increase in production, as well as a 13% increase in the total number of net producing wells, which was partially offset by lower processing and transportation costs.

Production Taxes

We pay production taxes based on realized oil and natural gas sales. Production taxes were $10.1 million in the second quarter of 2018 compared to $4.4 million in the second quarter of 2017. The increase is due to higher commodity prices and higher production levels, which increased our oil and natural gas sales in the second quarter of 2018 as compared to the second quarter of 2017. As a percentage of oil and natural gas sales, our production taxes were 9.3% and 9.2% in the second quarter of 2018 and 2017, respectively.

General and Administrative Expenses

General and administrative expenses were $3.3 million in the second quarter of 2018 compared to $4.3 million in the second quarter of 2017. The decrease was due to a $0.5 million reduction in compensation expense, primarily driven by reduced incentive compensation, and a $0.7 million decrease in legal and professional fees in the second quarter of 2018, compared to the second quarter of 2017, partially offset by a $0.1 million increase in office and other expenses.

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Depletion, Depreciation, Amortization and Accretion

Depletion, depreciation, amortization and accretion (“DD&A”) was $22.6 million in the second quarter of 2018, compared to $13.7 million in the second quarter of 2017. Depletion expense, the largest component of DD&A, increased by $8.9 million in the second quarter of 2018 compared to the second quarter of 2017. The aggregate increase in depletion expense was driven by a 53% increase in production levels and a 9% increase in the depletion rate per Boe. On a per unit basis, depletion expense was $11.70 per Boe in the second quarter of 2018 compared to $10.76 per Boe in the second quarter of 2017. The higher depletion rate per Boe was primarily driven by increased well costs from higher intensity completion techniques, which was partially offset by an increase in our oil and natural gas reserves. Depreciation, amortization and accretion was $0.2 million in both the second quarter of 2018 and 2017. The following table summarizes DD&A expense per Boe for the second quarter of 2018 and 2017:

	Three Months Ended June 30,
	2018		2017		$ Change			% Change
Depletion	$	11.70	$	10.76	$	0.94		9	%
Depreciation, Amortization and Accretion	0.10		0.14		(0.04		)	(29	)%
Total DD&A Expense	$	11.80	$	10.90	$	0.90		8	%

Interest Expense

Interest expense, net of capitalized interest, was $22.4 million for the second quarter of 2018 compared to $16.4 million in the second quarter of 2017. The increase in interest expense for the second quarter of 2018 compared to the second quarter of 2017 was primarily due to higher interest rates on the term loan credit agreement that was completed in November 2017, as compared to borrowings under our prior revolving credit facility.

Loss on the Extinguishment of Debt

As a result of the exchange agreements that were completed in the second quarter of 2018 (see Note 4 to our condensed financial statements), we recorded a non-cash loss on the extinguishment of debt of $90.8 million. The loss affected our reported net income but did not reduce our cash flow. There was no loss on the extinguishment of debt in the second quarter of 2017.

Income Tax Provision

During the second quarter of 2018 and 2017, no income tax expense (benefit) was recorded on the income (loss) before income taxes due to the valuation allowance placed on our net deferred tax asset because of the uncertainty regarding its realization. For further discussion of our valuation allowance, see Note 9 to our financial statements.

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Results of Operations for the Six Months Ended June 30, 2018 and June 30, 2017

The following table sets forth selected operating data for the periods indicated.

	Six Months Ended June 30,
	2018			2017		% Change
Net Production:
Oil (Bbl)	2,980,390			2,068,358		44	%
Natural Gas and NGLs (Mcf)	3,326,165			2,303,073		44	%
Total (Boe)	3,534,751			2,452,204		44	%
Net Sales:
Oil Sales	$	180,179,820		$	87,870,317	105	%
Natural Gas and NGL Sales	15,747,872			9,358,911		68	%
Gain (Loss) on Settled Derivatives	(20,396,994		)	2,245,371
Gain (Loss) on Mark-to-Market of Derivative Instruments	(42,077,245		)	31,228,544
Other Revenue	5,909			15,590
Total Revenues	133,459,362			130,718,733		2	%
Average Sales Prices:
Oil (per Bbl)	$	60.52		$	42.48	42	%
Effect of Gain (Loss) on Settled Derivatives on Average Price (per Bbl)	(6.84		)	1.09
Oil Net of Settled Derivatives (per Bbl)	53.68			43.57		23	%
Natural Gas and NGLs (per Mcf)	4.73			4.06		17	%
Realized Price on a Boe Basis Including all Realized Derivative Settlements	49.71			40.57		23	%
Operating Expenses:
Production Expenses	$	27,037,344		$	23,811,889	14	%
Production Taxes	18,054,157			8,901,040		103	%
General and Administrative Expense	4,918,114			7,926,083		(38	)%
Depletion, Depreciation, Amortization and Accretion	41,226,657			26,510,595		56	%
Costs and Expenses (per Boe):
Production Expenses	$	7.65		$	9.71	(21	)%
Production Taxes	5.11			3.63		41	%
General and Administrative Expense	1.39			3.23		(57	)%
Depletion, Depreciation, Amortization and Accretion	11.66			10.81		8	%
Net Producing Wells at Period End	248.3			218.8		13	%

Oil and Natural Gas Sales

In the first six months of2018, our oil, natural gas and NGL sales, excluding the effect of settled derivatives, increased 102% as compared to the first six months of2017, driven by a 40% increase in realized prices, excluding the effect of settled derivatives, and a 44% increase in production. The higher average realized price in the first six months of2018 as compared to the same period in 2017 was principally driven by higher average NYMEX oil and natural gas prices and a lower oil price differential. Oil price differential during the first six months of2018 was $4.97 per barrel, as compared to $7.47 per barrel in the first six months of2017.

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We add production through drilling success as we place new wells into production and through additions from acquisitions, which is offset by the natural decline of our oil and natural gas production from existing wells.  Increased development and acquisition activities combined with improved performance from enhanced completions helped drive a 44% increase in production levels in the first six months of2018 compared to the same period in 2017.

Derivative Instruments

We enter into derivative instruments to manage the price risk attributable to future oil production. Our gain (loss) on derivative instruments, net, was a loss of $62.5 million in the first six months of2018, compared to a gain of $33.5 million in the first six months of2017. Gain (loss) on derivative instruments, net, is comprised of (i) cash gains and losses we recognize on settled derivatives during the period, and (ii) non-cash mark-to-market gains and losses we incur on derivative instruments outstanding at period end.

For the first six months of2018, we realized a loss on settled derivatives of $20.4 million, compared to a $2.2 million gain for the first six months of2017. The increase in the loss on settled derivatives was primarily due to an increase in the average NYMEX oil price in the first six months of2018 compared to the same period of 2017. During the first six months of2018, our derivative settlements included 1.7 million barrels of oil at an average settlement price of $53.26 per barrel, while during the first six months of2017 our derivative settlements included 1.3 million barrels of oil at an average settlement price of $51.74 per barrel. The average NYMEX oil price for the first six months of2018 was $65.49 compared to $49.95 for the first six months of2017. Our average realized price (including all cash derivative settlements) in the first six months of2018 was $49.71 per Boe compared to $40.57 per Boe in the first six months of2017. The loss on settled derivatives decreased our average realized price per Boe by $5.77 in the first six months of2018 and the gain increased our average realized price per Boe by $0.92 in the first six months of2017.

Mark-to-market derivative gains and losses was a loss of $42.1 million in the first six months of2018, compared to a gain of $31.2 million in the first six months of2017. Our derivatives are not designated for hedge accounting and are accounted for using the mark-to-market accounting method whereby gains and losses from changes in the fair value of derivative instruments are recognized immediately into earnings. Mark-to-market accounting treatment creates volatility in our revenues as gains and losses from unsettled derivatives are included in total revenues and are not included in accumulated other comprehensive income in the accompanying balance sheets. As commodity prices increase or decrease, such changes will have an opposite effect on the mark-to-market value of our derivatives. Any gains on our derivatives are expected to be offset by lower wellhead revenues in the future, and any losses are expected to be offset by higher future wellhead revenues based on the value at the settlement date. At June 30, 2018, all of our derivative contracts were recorded at their fair value, which was a net liability of $72.3 million, an increase of $42.1 million from the $30.2 million net liability recorded as of December 31, 2017. The increase in the net liability at June 30, 2018 as compared to December 31, 2017 was primarily due to an increase in the forward oil price on our open oil derivative contracts relative to the contract price on our open oil derivative contracts since December 31, 2017.

Production Expenses

Production expenses were $27.0 million in the first six months of2018 compared to $23.8 million in the first six months of2017. On a per unit basis, production expenses decreased from $9.71 per Boe in the first six months of2017 to $7.65 per Boe in the first six months of2018. On an absolute dollar basis, the increase in our production expenses in the first six months of2018 as compared to the first six months of2017 was primarily due to a 44% increase in production, as well as a 13% increase in the total number of net producing wells, which was partially offset by lower processing and transportation costs.

Production Taxes

We pay production taxes based on realized oil and natural gas sales. Production taxes were $18.1 million in the first six months of2018 compared to $8.9 million in the first six months of2017. The increase is due to higher commodity prices and higher production levels, which increased our oil and natural gas sales in the first six months of2018 as compared to the first six months of2017. As a percentage of oil and natural gas sales, our production taxes were 9.2% in both periods.

General and Administrative Expenses

General and administrative expenses were $4.9 million in the first six months of2018 compared to $7.9 million in the first six months of2017. The decrease was due to a $2.1 million reduction in compensation expense, primarily driven by reduced incentive compensation and a $1.2 million reversal of non-cash share based compensation expense in connection with the resignation of our former interim chief executive officer and chief financial officer. Additionally, legal and professional fees were $1.0 million lower in first six months of2018 compared to the first six months of2017.

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Depletion, Depreciation, Amortization and Accretion

Depletion, depreciation, amortization and accretion (“DD&A”) was $41.2 million in the first six months of2018 compared to $26.5 million in the first six months of2017. Depletion expense, the largest component of DD&A, increased by $14.7 million in the first six months of2018 compared to the same period a year ago. The aggregate increase in depletion expense was driven by a 44% increase in production levels and an 8% increase in the depletion rate per Boe. On a per unit basis, depletion expense was $11.56 per Boe in the first six months of2018 compared to $10.67 per Boe in the first six months of2017. The higher depletion rate per Boe was primarily driven by increased well costs from higher intensity completion techniques, which was partially offset by an increase in our oil and natural gas reserves. Depreciation, amortization and accretion was $0.4 million and $0.3 million in the first six months of2018 and 2017, respectively. The following table summarizes DD&A expense per Boe for the first six months of2018 and 2017:

	Six Months Ended June 30,
	2018		2017		$ Change			% Change
Depletion	$	11.56	$	10.67	$	0.89		8	%
Depreciation, Amortization and Accretion	0.10		0.14		(0.04		)	(29	)%
Total DD&A Expense	$	11.66	$	10.81	$	0.85		8	%

Interest Expense

Interest expense, net of capitalized interest, was $45.5 million for the first six months of2018 compared to $32.7 million in the first six months of2017. The increase in interest expense for the first six months of2018 compared to the first six months of2017 was primarily due to a higher interest rate on the term loan credit agreement that was completed in November 2017 as compared to borrowings under our prior revolving credit facility.

Loss on the Extinguishment of Debt

As a result of the exchange agreements that were completed in the second quarter of 2018 (see Note 4 to our condensed financial statements), we recorded a non-cash loss on the extinguishment of debt of $90.8 million in the first six months of2018. The loss affected our reported net loss but did not reduce our cash flow. There was no loss on the extinguishment of debt in the first six months of2017.

Income Tax Provision

During the first six months of2018 and 2017, no income tax expense (benefit) was recorded on the income (loss) before income taxes due to the valuation allowance placed on our net deferred tax asset because of the uncertainty regarding its realization. For further discussion of our valuation allowance, see Note 9 to our financial statements.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

We define Adjusted Net Income as net income (loss) excluding (i) (gain) loss on the mark-to-market of derivative instruments, net of tax, (ii) write-off of debt issuance costs, net of tax, and (iii) loss on the extinguishment of debt, net of tax. Our Adjusted Net Income for the second quarter of 2018 was $18.0 million (representing approximately $0.09 per diluted share), compared to a loss of $0.2 million (representing approximately $0.00 per diluted share) for the second quarter of 2017. Our Adjusted Net Income for the first six months of 2018 was $29.4 million (representing approximately $0.22 per diluted share), compared to a loss of $0.2 million (representing approximately $0.00 per diluted share) for the first six months of 2017. In both periods, the increase in Adjusted Net Income is primarily due to higher commodity prices and significantly higher production levels, which were partially offset by higher production expenses.

We define Adjusted EBITDA as net income (loss) before (i) interest expense, (ii) income taxes, (iii) depreciation, depletion, amortization and accretion, (iv) (gain) loss on the mark-to-market of derivative instruments, (v) non-cash share based compensation expense, (vi) write-off of debt issuance costs, and (vii) loss on the extinguishment of debt. Adjusted EBITDA for the second quarter of 2018 was $70.5 million, compared to Adjusted EBITDA of $30.7 million for the second quarter of 2017. Adjusted EBITDA for the first six months of 2018 was $126.5 million, compared to Adjusted EBITDA of $60.4 million for the first six months of 2017. In both periods, the increase in Adjusted EBITDA is primarily due to significantly higher production levels and higher commodity prices, which were partially offset by higher production expenses.

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Management believes the use of these non-GAAP financial measures provides useful information to investors to gain an overall understanding of our current financial performance.  Specifically, management believes the non-GAAP financial measures included herein provide useful information to both management and investors by excluding certain expenses and unrealized commodity gains and losses that our management believes are not indicative of our core operating results.  In addition, these non-GAAP financial measures are used by management for budgeting and forecasting as well as subsequently measuring our performance, and we believe that we are providing investors with financial measures that most closely align to our internal measurement processes.  We consider these non-GAAP measures to be useful in evaluating our core operating results as they provide useful information regarding our essential revenue generating activities and direct operating expenses (resulting in cash expenditures) needed to perform these revenue generating activities.  Our management also believes, based on feedback provided by the investment community, that the non-GAAP financial measures are necessary to allow the investment community to construct its valuation models to better compare our results with our competitors and market sector.

These measures should be considered in addition to results prepared in accordance with GAAP.  In addition, these non-GAAP financial measures are not based on any comprehensive set of accounting rules or principles.  We believe that non-GAAP financial measures have limitations in that they do not reflect all of the amounts associated with our results of operations as determined in accordance with GAAP and that these measures should only be used to evaluate our results of operations in conjunction with the corresponding GAAP financial measures.

Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted EBITDA are non-GAAP measures.  A reconciliation of these measures to GAAP is included below:

Reconciliation of Adjusted Net Income

	Three Months Ended June 30,						Six Months Ended June 30,
	2018			2017			2018			2017
Net Income (Loss)	$	(96,546,698	)	$	13,801,859		$	(93,581,601	)	$	30,742,382
Add:
Impact of Selected Items:
(Gain) Loss on the Mark-to-Market of Derivative Instruments	29,935,931			(14,172,002		)	42,077,245			(31,228,544		)
Write-off of Debt Issuance Costs	—			95,135			—			95,135
Loss on the Extinguishment of Debt	90,832,975			—			90,832,975			—
Selected Items, Before Income Taxes	120,768,906			(14,076,867		)	132,910,220			(31,133,409		)
Income Tax of Selected Items(1)	(6,180,382		)	99,518			(9,912,004		)	159,429
Selected Items, Net of Income Taxes	114,588,524			(13,977,349		)	122,998,216			(30,973,980		)
Adjusted Net Income (Loss)	$	18,041,826		$	(175,490	)	$	29,416,615		$	(231,598	)
Weighted Average Shares Outstanding – Basic	196,140,610			61,643,862			131,039,552			61,545,555
Weighted Average Shares Outstanding – Diluted	196,413,013			61,885,952			131,248,726			61,928,799
Net Income (Loss) Per Common Share – Basic	$	(0.49	)	$	0.22		$	(0.71	)	$	0.50
Add:
Impact of Selected Items, Net of Income Taxes	0.58			(0.22		)	0.93			(0.50		)
Adjusted Net Income (Loss) Per Common Share – Basic	$	0.09		$	—		$	0.22		$	—
Net Income (Loss) Per Common Share – Diluted	$	(0.49	)	$	0.22		$	(0.71	)	$	0.50
Add:
Impact of Selected Items, Net of Income Taxes	0.58			(0.22		)	0.93			(0.50		)
Adjusted Net Income (Loss) Per Common Share – Diluted	$	0.09		$	—		$	0.22		$	—

______________

 For the 2018 columns, this represents a tax impact using an estimated tax rate of 24.5% for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018, which includes a $23.4 million and $22.7 million adjustment for an increase in the valuation allowance for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018, respectively. For the 2017 columns, this represents a tax impact using an estimated tax rate of

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37.1% and 37.8% for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017, respectively, which includes a $5.1 million and $11.6 million adjustment for a change in valuation allowance for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017, respectively.

Reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA

	Three Months Ended June 30,						Six Months Ended June 30,
	2018			2017			2018			2017
Net Income (Loss)	$	(96,546,698	)	$	13,801,859		$	(93,581,601	)	$	30,742,382
Add:
Interest Expense	22,403,373			16,428,164			45,510,134			32,731,970
Income Tax Benefit	—			—			—			—
Depreciation, Depletion, Amortization and Accretion	22,596,028			13,682,452			41,226,657			26,510,595
Non-Cash Share Based Compensation	1,324,038			910,737			438,193			1,533,359
Write-off of Debt Issuance Costs	—			95,135			—			95,135
Loss on the Extinguishment of Debt	90,832,975			—			90,832,975			—
(Gain) Loss on the Mark-to-Market of Derivative Instruments	29,935,931			(14,172,002		)	42,077,245			(31,228,544		)
Adjusted EBITDA	$	70,545,647		$	30,746,345		$	126,503,603		$	60,384,897

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Liquidity and Capital Resources

Overview

Our main sources of liquidity and capital resources as of the date of this report have been internally generated cash flow from operations, proceeds from equity and debt financings, credit facility borrowings, and cash settlements of derivative contracts.  Our primary uses of capital have been for the acquisition and development of our oil and natural gas properties.  We continually monitor potential capital sources for opportunities to enhance liquidity or otherwise improve our financial position.

One of the primary sources of variability in our cash flows from operating activities is commodity price volatility. Oil accounted for 85% and 84% of our total production volumes in the second quarter of 2018 and 2017, respectively.  As a result, our operating cash flows are more sensitive to fluctuations in oil prices than they are to fluctuations in natural gas and NGL prices.  We continue to maintain a robust hedging program as required under our term loan credit agreement to partially mitigate volatility in the price of crude oil with respect to a portion of our expected oil production. In 2017, we hedged approximately 62% of our crude oil production and for the three months ended June 30, 2018, we hedged approximately 51% of our crude oil production.

The low commodity price environment of the last several years adversely affected our business, financial position, results of operations and cash flow. During this time, we took steps to mitigate the effects of these lower prices, including: implementing cost savings initiatives, adjusting the Company’s capital expenditure budget, reviewing possible divestitures, and other actions. In November 2017, we entered into a new term loan credit agreement with TPG Specialty Lending, Inc. and the lenders party thereto (the “Term Loan Credit Facility”). We used the Term Loan Credit Facility to retire and replace our prior revolving credit facility, thereby addressing the near-term maturity of that prior facility and eliminating the potential degradation in liquidity caused by the prior facility’s borrowing base re-determination feature. The Term Loan Credit Facility provided us with additional liquidity and financial flexibility to explore investment in asset development, M&A opportunities, and meet our near- and medium-term financial obligations.

After the closing of the Term Loan Credit Facility, we continued to focus on reducing our outstanding debt and extending our maturities while maintaining liquidity. On January 31, 2018, we entered into an exchange agreement (that was subsequently amended on each of March 20, 2018 and April 2, 2018) with certain holders (the “Supporting Noteholders”) of approximately $497 million, or 71%, of the aggregate principal amount of our 8.000% senior unsecured notes due 2020 (the “Outstanding Notes”), pursuant to which the Supporting Noteholders agreed to exchange all of the Outstanding Notes held by each such Supporting Noteholder for approximately $155 million of our common stock and approximately $344 million in aggregate principal amount of new second lien notes, subject to various conditions (such exchange, the “Exchange Transaction”). One of the conditions to closing the Exchange Transaction, among others, was a requirement that we raise at least $140 million in gross cash proceeds from the sale of our common stock (the “Equity Raise”). We satisfied the Equity Raise requirement with the combined proceeds from our April 2018 underwritten public offering of common stock and additional proceeds from private subscription agreements for common stock that closed simultaneously with the closing of the Exchange Transaction. The Exchange Transaction closed on May 15, 2018.

After the closing of the Exchange Transaction (and related Equity Raise), we continued to focus on reducing our outstanding debt and addressing our nearest term maturity, which is our 8.000% senior unsecured notes due 2020 (the “2020 Notes”). In June 2018, we entered into five independent, separately negotiated exchange agreements with holders of our 2020 Notes. Pursuant to each such exchange agreement, we agreed to issue the holder shares of our common stock in exchange for 2020 Notes. In total, we have issued 18.5 million shares of common stock in exchange for $53.8 million in principal amount of the 2020 Notes pursuant to these five agreements. Pursuant to each of these exchange agreements, with the exception of one covering $3.0 million principal amount of 2020 Notes, we subjected the holders to a restricted sale period on the shares of common stock issued to them. These restricted sale periods are of varying lengths and subject to varying exceptions. Generally, if at the end of the applicable restricted sale period the Company’s common stock trades below specified levels, we may be required to pay the applicable holder additional consideration either in the form of cash or additional shares of common stock. However, these provisions in the exchange agreements are subject to exceptions and contingencies which can reduce or terminate this potential liability for the Company.

As of June 30, 2018, we had cash on hand of $200.9 million, and our outstanding long term debt consisted of (i) $360.0 million of borrowings under the Term Loan Credit Facility, leaving $40.0 million of additional committed borrowing availability under the facility, (ii) $344.3 million aggregate principal amount of 8.5%/9.5% senior secured second lien notes due 2023 (the “Second Lien Notes”), and (iii) $149.6 million aggregate principal amount of 2020 Notes.

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With our cash on hand, cash flow from operations, and borrowing capacity under our Term Loan Credit Facility, we believe that we will have sufficient cash flow and liquidity to fund our budgeted capital expenditures and operating expenses for at least the next twelve months. However, year-to-date we have closed or signed (pending closing) several significant acquisitions of additional properties and seen significant increase in drilling and completion activity, and as a result we may seek to amend the terms of the instruments governing our existing debt to allow us to seek additional access to capital and liquidity.  We cannot assure you, however, that any additional capital will be available to us on favorable terms or at all.

We continually seek to maintain a financial profile that provides operational flexibility. However, a decline in our realized commodity price could have a negative impact on our ability to maintain our desired levels of liquidity and/or raise additional capital. At June 30, 2018, we had $834.8 million of total debt outstanding, $147.8 million of stockholders’ deficit, and $200.9 million of cash on hand.  Additionally, at June 30, 2018, there was $40.0 million of committed borrowing availability under our term loan credit agreement. 

The increase in oil prices that we’ve experienced since late 2017 has increased our cash flows from operating activities, however, a return to sustained lower oil prices could significantly reduce or eliminate our planned capital expenditures.  If production is not replaced through the acquisition or drilling of new wells our production levels will lower due to the natural decline of production from existing wells.  Reduced production levels combined with low commodity prices would lower cash flow from operations and could adversely affect our ability to meet the covenant requirements under our Term Loan Credit Facility. While we are currently in compliance with our financial covenants under the Term Loan Credit Facility at June 30, 2018, there is no assurance we will be able to maintain compliance in the future.

In 2018, higher commodity prices have increased our development activities and caused our cash spend for drilling and development activities to exceed our cash flow from operations by $47.1 million for the six months ended June 30, 2018, excluding cash paid for the acquisition of oil and natural gas properties. Rig activity levels in 2018 have increased from 2017 levels and nearly all of the wells utilize higher intensity completions. The improvements in per well productivity resulting from these newer completion techniques has caused us to increase our 2018 development spending compared to 2017. We anticipate this cash flow deficit to moderate in future periods, based on higher production and the impact of pending acquisitions.

Our recent capital commitments have been to fund drilling in the Williston Basin and to fund acquisitions of acreage and oil and gas properties.   We expect to fund our near-term capital requirements and working capital needs with cash on hand, cash flows from operations and available borrowing capacity under our Term Loan Credit Facility.  Our capital expenditures could be curtailed if our cash flows decline from expected levels.  Because production from existing oil and natural gas wells declines over time, reductions of capital expenditures used to drill and complete new oil and natural gas wells would likely result in lower levels of oil and natural gas production in the future.

Working Capital

Our working capital balance fluctuates as a result of changes in commodity pricing and production volumes, collection of receivables, expenditures related to our development and production operations and the impact of our outstanding derivative instruments.

At June 30, 2018, we had a working capital surplus of $118.0 million, compared to a surplus of $29.2 million at December 31, 2017. Current assets increased by $123.2 million and current liabilities increased by $34.4 million at June 30, 2018, compared to December 31, 2017. The increase in current assets is primarily due to a higher cash balance as a result of our completed equity offerings of $141.7 million and additional borrowings under our term loan credit agreement of $60.0 million which was partially offset by our cash spend for development and acquisition activities, which exceeded our cash flow from operations by $96.1 million. In addition, a higher accounts receivables balance of $21.4 million due to higher commodity prices and production levels also contributed to an increase in our current assets. The increase in current liabilities is primarily due to a $25.0 million increase in derivative instruments due to forward oil price changes, and a $10.9 million increase in our debt exchange derivative liability due to our privately negotiated exchange transactions.

Cash Flows

Cash flows from operations are primarily affected by production volumes and commodity prices, net of the effects of settlements of our derivative contracts. Our cash flows from operations also are impacted by changes in working capital. Any payments due to counterparties under our derivative contracts are generally funded by proceeds received from the sale of our production. Production receipts, however, lag payments to the counterparties. Any interim cash needs are funded by cash on hand, cash flows from operations or borrowings under the term loan credit agreement. As of June 30, 2018, we had entered into derivative swap contracts hedging 2.0 million barrels of oil for the remainder of 2018 at an average price of $57.83 per barrel, 3.2

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million barrels of oil in 2019 at an average price of $55.85 per barrel, 1.7 million barrels of oil in 2020 at an average price of $52.55 per barrel, 0.6 million barrels of oil in 2021 at an average price of $55.67 per barrel.

Our cash flows for the six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017 are presented below:

	Six Months Ended June 30,
	2018			2017
	(in thousands, unaudited)
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities	$	63,617		$	29,744
Net Cash Used for Investing Activities	(159,679		)	(42,577		)
Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities	194,804			10,156
Net Change in Cash	$	98,741		$	(2,677	)

Cash Flows from Operating Activities

Net cash provided by operating activities for the six months ended June 30, 2018 was $63.6 million, compared to $29.7 million in the same period of the prior year. This increase was due to higher realized prices (including the effect of settled derivatives) and higher production levels, which was partially offset by higher interest costs. Net cash provided by operating activities is also affected by working capital changes or the timing of cash receipts and disbursements. Changes in working capital (as reflected in our statements of cash flows) in the six months ended June 30, 2018 was a decrease of $20.2 million compared to an increase of $0.0 million in the same period of the prior year.

Cash Flows from Investing Activities

Cash flows used in investing activities during the six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017 were $159.7 million and $42.6 million, respectively. The increase in cash used in investing activities for the first six months of 2018 as compared to the same period of 2017 was attributable to higher development spending and acquisitions, in particular our recently completed Salt Creek acquisition (see Note 3 to our financial statements). Additionally, the amount of capital expenditures included in accounts payable (and thus not included in cash flows from investing activities) was $80.1 million and $65.2 million at June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively, as a result of increased activity in the Williston Basin.

Our cash flows used in investing activities reflects actual cash spending, which can lag several months from when the related costs were incurred. As a result, our actual cash spending is not always reflective of current levels of development activity. For instance, during the six months ended June 30, 2018, our capitalized costs incurred for oil and natural gas properties (e.g., drilling and completion costs and other capital expenditures) amounted to $168.7 million, while the actual cash spend in this regard amounted to $159.7 million.

Development and acquisition activities are discretionary. We monitor our capital expenditures on a regular basis, adjusting the amount up or down, and between projects, depending on projected commodity prices, cash flows and returns. Our cash spend for development and acquisition activities for the six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017 are summarized in the following table:

	Six Months Ended June 30,
	2018		2017
	(in millions, unaudited)
Drilling and Development Capital Expenditures	$	110.4	$	40.0
Acquisition of Oil and Natural Gas Properties	49.0		2.4
Other Capital Expenditures	0.3		0.3
Total	$	159.7	$	42.7

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Cash Flows from Financing Activities

Net cash provided by financing activities was $194.8 million and $10.2 million during the six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively. For the six months ended June 30, 2018, cash provided by financing activities was primarily related to the completed equity offerings and additional borrowings on our term loan credit agreement. For the six months ended June 30, 2017, cash provided by financing activities was primarily related to advances under our prior revolving credit facility. Our long-term debt at June 30, 2018 was $834.8 million, which was comprised of $148.2 million in senior unsecured notes, $339.5 million of second lien notes and $347.1 million of borrowings under our term loan credit agreement. As of June 30, 2018, we had $40.0 million of available borrowing capacity under our term loan credit agreement.

Term Loan Credit Agreement

On November 1, 2017 (the “Effective Date”), we entered into a term loan credit agreement with TPG Specialty Lending, Inc., as administrative agent and collateral agent (in such capacities, the “Agent”), and the lenders from time to time party thereto. The term loan credit agreement, as amended, provides for the issuance of an aggregate principal amount of up to $500 million in term loans to us, consisting of (i) $300 million in initial term loans that were made on the Effective Date (the “Initial Loans”), (ii) $100 million in delayed draw term loans available to us, subject to satisfaction of certain conditions precedent described therein, for a period of 18 months after the Effective Date (the “Delayed Draw Loans”), and (iii) up to $100 million in incremental term loans on an uncommitted basis and subject, among other things, to one or more lenders agreeing in the future to make such loans (the “Incremental Loans”) (the Initial Loans, Delayed Draw Loans and the Incremental Loans, collectively, the “Loans”). Amounts borrowed and repaid under the term loan credit agreement may not be reborrowed. All borrowings under the term loan credit agreement will mature on November 1, 2022. In addition to the $300 million in Initial Loans, we borrowed $60 million of Delayed Draw Loans on May 15, 2018. Pursuant to the terms of the 2L Indenture (described below), we cannot currently borrow in excess of $400 million under the term loan credit agreement.

A portion of the proceeds from the Initial Loans were used on the Effective Date to repay in its entirety borrowings outstanding under our prior revolving credit facility.

Borrowings under the term loan credit agreement bear interest at a rate per annum equal to the “Adjusted LIBO Rate” (subject to a 1.00% floor) plus a 7.75% per annum margin. The “Adjusted LIBO Rate” is equal to the product of: (i) three-month LIBOR multiplied by (ii) the statutory reserve rate. Upon the occurrence and continuance of an event of default all outstanding Loans shall bear interest at a rate equal to 3.00% per annum plus the then-effective rate of interest. Interest is payable on the last business day of each March, June, September and December.

A commitment fee will be paid on the unused amount of the delayed draw commitments based on an annual rate of 2.00% (the “Commitment Fee”). The term loan credit agreement also requires us to prepay the loans with 100.00% of the net cash proceeds received from certain asset sales, swap terminations, incurrences of borrowed money indebtedness, equity issuances, casualty events and extraordinary receipts, subject to certain exceptions and specified reinvestment rights. Prepayments (including mandatory prepayments), terminations, refinancing, reductions and accelerations under the term loan credit agreement are subject to the payment of a yield maintenance amount for any such prepayment, termination, refinancing, reduction or acceleration occurring prior to May 15, 2020 (or, with respect to any Delayed Draw Loan, prior to the two-year anniversary of the funding of such Delayed Draw Loan) that allows the lenders to attain approximately the same yield as if such Loan remained outstanding for the entire two-year period, as applicable, plus a call protection amount equal to the product of the principal amount of Loans so prepaid, terminated, refinanced, reduced or accelerated multiplied by (i) 4.0% for any such prepayment, termination, refinancing, reduction or acceleration occurring, (A) with respect to the Initial Loans, on or prior to May 15, 2021, or (B) with respect to Delayed Draw Loans, on or prior to the 36-month anniversary of the funding of such Delayed Draw Loan, or (ii) 2.0% for any such prepayment, termination, refinancing, reduction or acceleration occurring, (A) with respect to the Initial Loans, after May 15, 2021 and on or prior to May 15, 2022, or (B) with respect to Delayed Draw Loans, after the 36-month anniversary but on or prior to the 48-month anniversary of the funding of such Delayed Draw Loan, in each case, as set forth in the term loan credit agreement. Additionally, to the extent that the Loans are refinanced in full or the delayed draw commitments are terminated or reduced prior to the date that is 18 months after the Effective Date, we will be required to pay a yield maintenance amount in respect of the Commitment Fee that would have accrued on the delayed draw commitments as set forth in the term loan credit agreement.

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The term loan credit agreement contains negative covenants that limit our ability, among other things, to pay cash dividends, incur additional indebtedness, sell assets, enter into certain derivatives contracts, change the nature of our business or operations, merge, consolidate, or make certain types of investments and require the outstanding principal amount of our 8.00% senior unsecured notes due 2020 to be no more than $30 million by March 1, 2020. In addition, the term loan credit agreement requires that we comply with the following financial covenants: (i) as of any date of determination, the ratio of Total PDP PV-10 (as defined in the term loan credit agreement) plus the aggregate amount of all unrestricted cash and cash equivalents (in accounts subject to control agreements) to the amount of Senior Secured Debt (as defined in the term loan credit agreement) shall not be less than 1.30 to 1.00, (ii) as of the last day of any fiscal quarter, the ratio of Net Senior Secured Debt (as defined in the term loan credit agreement) to EBITDAX (as defined in the term loan credit agreement) for the period of four fiscal quarters then ending on such day will not be greater than 3.75 to 1.00 and (iii) as of any date of determination our unrestricted cash and cash equivalents (in accounts subject to control agreements) plus the aggregate undrawn delayed draw commitments available to us shall not be less than $20.0 million.

Our obligations under the term loan credit agreement may be accelerated upon the occurrence of an Event of Default (as defined in the term loan credit agreement). Events of Default include customary events for a financing agreement of this type, including, without limitation, payment defaults, the inaccuracy of representations and warranties, defaults in the performance of affirmative or negative covenants, defaults on other indebtedness on us or our subsidiaries, bankruptcy or related defaults, defaults related to judgments and the occurrence of a Change in Control (as defined in the term loan credit agreement).

Our obligations under the term loan credit agreement are secured by mortgages on substantially all of our oil and gas properties subject to the limitations set forth in the term loan credit agreement. In connection with the term loan credit agreement, we entered into a guaranty and collateral agreement in favor of the Agent for the secured parties, pursuant to which our obligations under the term loan credit agreement and any swap agreements entered into with swap counterparties are secured by a first-priority security interest in substantially all of our assets.

On May 15, 2018, in connection with the Exchange Transaction, we entered into a second amendment to the term loan credit agreement (the “Second Amendment”) . The Second Amendment revised the call protection and yield maintenance provisions to provide as described above, and also revised certain covenants in the term loan credit agreement to reflect the covenants in the 2L Indenture (as defined below).

We were in compliance with our financial covenants under the term loan credit facility at June 30, 2018.

Second Lien Notes

On May 15, 2018 (the “2L Closing Date”), in connection with the closing of the Exchange Transaction, we issued Second Lien Notes with an aggregate principal amount of $344.3 million. The terms of the Second Lien Notes include those stated in the indenture entered into by the Company and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as trustee (the “2L Indenture”), on the 2L Closing Date. The Second Lien Notes are senior secured obligations and rank equal in right of payment to all of our existing and future senior indebtedness. The Second Lien Notes are secured by second priority security interests in substantially all of our assets, subject to the exceptions set forth in our term loan credit agreement and certain customary post-closing delivery periods. The Second Lien Notes will be guaranteed by all of our direct and indirect subsidiaries that guarantee indebtedness under any of our or such subsidiary guarantors’ other indebtedness for borrowed money. As of June 30, 2018, the Company does not have any subsidiaries. The Second Lien Notes will mature on May 15, 2023.

Interest on the Second Lien Notes accrues at a rate of 8.500% per annum payable in cash quarterly in arrears on first day of each calendar quarter. Beginning on July 1, 2018, the interest rate will be increased by 1.000% per annum, which increase shall be payable in kind (the “PIK Component”). Commencing with the fiscal quarter ending June 30, 2018, if our total debt to EBITDAX ratio is (i) less than 3.00 to 1.00 as of the end of the fiscal quarter, the PIK Component shall cease accruing effective as of the next interest payment date, or (ii) greater than or equal to 3.00 to 1.00 as of the last day of such fiscal quarter or we fail to deliver financial statements, the PIK Component shall continue to accrue (or, if then not accruing, automatically commence accruing as of the next interest payment date) and be payable quarterly. Additionally, if we incur junior lien or unsecured debt with a cash interest rate in excess of 9.500%, the cash rate on the Second Lien Notes will be increased by such excess. Default interest will be payable in cash on demand at the then applicable interest rate plus 3.000% per annum.

We may redeem all or a portion of any of the Second Lien Notes at the following redemption prices during the following time periods (plus accrued and unpaid interest on the Second Lien Notes redeemed): (i) from and after May 15, 2018 until May 15, 2021, 104%, (ii) on and after May 15, 2021 until May 15, 2022, 102%, and (iii) on and after May 15, 2022, 100%; provided that any redemption of Second Lien Notes (or the acceleration of Second Lien Notes) prior to May 15, 2020 shall also be accompanied by a make whole premium. Subject to the terms of an intercreditor agreement, we are also required to offer to prepay

46

the Second Lien Notes with 100% of the net cash proceeds of asset sales, casualty events and condemnations in excess of $20 million not required to be used to pay down the loans under the term loan credit agreement , subject to customary exclusions and reinvestment provisions consistent with the term loan credit agreement. Mandatory prepayment offers will be subject to payment of the make whole premium and redemption price set forth above, as applicable. See Note 4 to our financial statements for additional information regarding the Second Lien Notes.

8.000% Senior Notes due 2020

On May 18, 2012, we issued at par value $300 million aggregate principal amount of 8.000% senior unsecured notes due June 1, 2020 (the “Original Notes”).  On May 13, 2013, we issued at a price of 105.25% of par an additional $200 million aggregate principal amount of 8.000% senior unsecured notes due June 1, 2020 (the “2013 Follow-on Notes”).  On May 18, 2015, we issued at a price of 95.000% of par an additional $200 million aggregate principal amount of 8.000% senior unsecured notes due June 1, 2020 (the “2015 Mirror Notes” and, together with the Original Notes and the 2013 Follow-on Notes, the “Notes”).  Interest is payable on the Notes semi-annually in arrears on each of June 1 and December 1.  The issuance of the Original Notes resulted in net proceeds to us of approximately $291.2 million, the issuance of the 2013 Follow-on Notes resulted in net proceeds to us of approximately $200.1 million, and the issuance of the 2015 Mirror Notes resulted in net proceeds to us of approximately $185.0 million.  Collectively, the net proceeds are in use to fund our exploration, development and acquisition program and for general corporate purposes (including repayment of borrowings that were outstanding under our prior revolving credit facility at the time the Notes were issued).

Since June 1, 2018, we have been authorized to redeem some or all of the Notes at redemption prices (expressed as percentages of principal amount) equal to the principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest to the redemption date.

The Original Notes and the 2013 Follow-on Notes are governed by an Indenture, dated as of May 18, 2012, by and among the Company and Wilmington Trust, National Association (the “Original Indenture”).  The 2015 Mirror Notes are governed by an Indenture, dated as of May 18, 2015, by and among the Company and Wilmington Trust, National Association (the “Mirror Indenture”).  The terms and conditions of the Mirror Indenture conform, in all material respects, to the terms and conditions set forth in the Original Indenture.  As such, the Mirror Indenture, together with the Original Indenture, are referred to herein as the “Indenture.”

The Indenture restricts our ability to: (i) incur additional debt or enter into sale and leaseback transactions; (ii) pay distributions on, redeem or repurchase, equity interests; (iii) make certain investments; (iv) incur liens; (v) enter into transactions with affiliates; (vi) merge or consolidate with another company; and (vii) transfer and sell assets.  These covenants are subject to a number of important exceptions and qualifications.  If at any time when the Notes are rated investment grade by both Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. and Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services and no Default (as defined in the Indenture) has occurred and is continuing, many of such covenants will terminate and we and our subsidiaries (if any) will cease to be subject to such covenants.

The Indenture contains customary events of default, including:

• default in any payment of interest on any Note when due, continued for 30 days;

• default in the payment of principal of or premium, if any, on any Note when due;

• failure by us to comply with our other obligations under the Indenture, in certain cases subject to notice and grace periods;

• payment defaults and accelerations with respect to our other indebtedness and certain of our subsidiaries, if any, in the aggregate principal amount of $25 million or more;

• certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization of our company or a significant subsidiary or group of restricted subsidiaries that, taken together, would constitute a significant subsidiary;

• failure by us or any significant subsidiary or group of restricted subsidiaries that, taken together, would constitute a significant subsidiary to pay certain final judgments aggregating in excess of $25 million within 60 days; and

• any guarantee of the Notes by a guarantor ceases to be in full force and effect, is declared null and void in a judicial proceeding or is denied or disaffirmed by its maker.

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Effects of Inflation and Pricing

The oil and natural gas industry is very cyclical and the demand for goods and services of oil field companies, suppliers and others associated with the industry put extreme pressure on the economic stability and pricing structure within the industry.  Typically, as prices for oil and natural gas increase, so do all associated costs.  Conversely, in a period of declining prices, associated cost declines are likely to lag and may not adjust downward in proportion.  Material changes in prices also impact our current revenue stream, estimates of future reserves, borrowing base calculations of bank loans, impairment assessments of oil and natural gas properties, and values of properties in purchase and sale transactions.  Material changes in prices can impact the value of oil and natural gas companies and their ability to raise capital, borrow money and retain personnel.  While we do not currently expect business costs to materially increase, higher prices for oil and natural gas could result in increases in the costs of materials, services and personnel.   The recent improvement in the commodity price environment has increased development activities which has increased service costs.  If the Williston Basin development activities remain at the current levels, we expect business costs will increase 5-10% in 2018 due to increased demand for materials, services and personnel.

Contractual Obligations and Commitments

Our material long-term debt obligations, capital lease obligations and operating lease obligations or purchase obligations as of December 31, 2017 are included in Part II, Item 7 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017.

Significant Accounting Policies

Our critical accounting policies involving significant estimates include impairment testing of natural gas and crude oil production properties, asset retirement obligations, revenue recognition, derivative instruments and hedging activity, and income taxes.  There were no material changes in our critical accounting policies involving significant estimates from those reported in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017.

A description of our critical accounting policies was provided in Note 2 to our financial statements provided in Part II, Item 8 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017.

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Item 3.  Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

Our quantitative and qualitative disclosures about market risk for changes in commodity prices and interest rates are included in Item 7A of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017 and, except as set forth below, have not materially changed since that report was filed.

Commodity Price Risk

The price we receive for our oil and natural gas production heavily influences our revenue, profitability, access to capital and future rate of growth.  Oil and natural gas are commodities and, therefore, their prices are subject to wide fluctuations in response to relatively minor changes in supply and demand and other factors.  Historically, the markets for oil and natural gas have been volatile, and our management believes these markets will likely continue to be volatile in the future.  The prices we receive for our production depend on numerous factors beyond our control.  Our revenue generally would have increased or decreased along with any increases or decreases in oil or natural gas prices, but the exact impact on our income is indeterminable given the variety of expenses associated with producing and selling oil that also increase and decrease along with oil prices.

We enter into derivative contracts to achieve a more predictable cash flow by reducing our exposure to oil price volatility.  All derivative positions are carried at their fair value on the balance sheet and are marked-to-market at the end of each period.   Any realized gains and losses on settled derivatives, as well as mark-to-market gains or losses, are aggregated and recorded to gain (loss) on derivative instruments, net on the statements of operations rather than as a component of other comprehensive income or other income (expense).

We generally use derivatives to economically hedge a significant, but varying portion of our anticipated future production.  Any payments due to counterparties under our derivative contracts are funded by proceeds received from the sale of our production.  Production receipts, however, lag payments to the counterparties.  Any interim cash needs have been funded by cash from operations or borrowings under our term loan credit agreement.  As of June 30, 2018, we have entered into derivative swap agreements covering 2.0 million barrels of oil for the remainder of 2018 at an average price of $57.83 per barrel, 3.2 million barrels of oil in 2019 at an average price of $55.85 per barrel, 1.7 million in 2020 at an average price of $52.55 and 0.6 million in 2021 at an average price of $55.67 per barrel.

The following table reflects the weighted average price of open commodity swap derivative contracts as of June 30, 2018, by year with associated volumes.

Year	Volumes (Bbl)	Weighted Average Price ($)
2018	2,003,660	57.83
2019	3,160,000	55.85
2020	1,730,980	52.55
2021 and beyond	631,600	55.67

Interest Rate Risk

Our long-term debt is comprised of borrowings that contain fixed and floating interest rates.  The Notes bear interest at an annual fixed rate of 8%, while our term loan credit agreement interest rate is floating based on an Adjusted LIBO Rate (subject to a 1% floor) plus 7.75% per annum margin. During the quarter ended June 30, 2018, we had $330.3 million in average outstanding borrowings under our term loan credit agreement at a weighted average rate of 10.0%.  Interest payments are due under the term loan credit agreement in arrears on the last day of each March, June, September and December.  All outstanding principal is due and payable upon termination of the term loan credit agreement.

As a result, changes in interest rates can impact results of operations and cash flows.  A 1% increase in short-term interest rates on our floating-rate debt outstanding at June 30, 2018 would cost us approximately $3.6 million in additional annual interest expense.

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Item 4. Controls and Procedures.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

We maintain a system of disclosure controls and procedures that is designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in our Exchange Act reports is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the SEC, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosures.

As of June 30, 2018, our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, had evaluated the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) pursuant to Rule 13a-15(b) under the Exchange Act. Based upon and as of the date of the evaluation, our principal executive officer and principal financial officer concluded that information required to be disclosed is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the specified periods and is accumulated and communicated to management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, to allow for timely decisions regarding required disclosure of material information required to be included in our periodic SEC reports.  Based on the foregoing, our management determined that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of June 30, 2018.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) that occurred during the quarter ended June 30, 2018, that materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect our internal control over financial reporting.

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PART II - OTHER INFORMATION

Item 1.  Legal Proceedings.

Our company is subject from time to time to litigation claims and governmental and regulatory proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business.

On August 18, 2016, plaintiff Jeffrey Fries, individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated, filed a class action complaint in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York against the Company, Michael Reger (our founder and president), and Thomas Stoelk (our former chief financial officer and interim chief executive officer) as defendants.  An amended complaint was filed by plaintiffs in July 2017. Defendants (including the Company) filed a motion to dismiss the amended complaint in August 2017. The court granted the Company’s motion to dismiss in January 2018, but permitted plaintiff the opportunity to further amend the complaint. A second amended complaint was filed by plaintiffs in January 2018. Defendants (including the Company) filed a motion to dismiss the second amended complaint in March 2018, and we are awaiting the court’s decision on that motion to dismiss. The complaint purports to bring a federal securities class action on behalf of a class of persons who acquired the Company’s securities between March 1, 2013 and August 15, 2016, and seeks to recover damages caused by defendants’ alleged violations of the federal securities laws and to pursue remedies under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder. The Company intends to continue to vigorously defend itself in this matter.

Item 1A.  Risk Factors.

There have been no material changes to the risk factors disclosed in the “Risk Factors” section of our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC for the period ended December 31, 2017.

Item 2.  Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds.

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

The table below sets forth the information with respect to purchases made by or on behalf of the company, or any “affiliated purchaser” (as defined in Rule 10b-18(a)(3) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934), of our common stock during the quarter ended June 30, 2018.

Period	Total Number of Shares Purchased(1)	Average Price Paid Per Share		Total Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans or Programs	Approximate Dollar Value of Shares that May Yet be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs(2)
Month #1
April 1, 2018 to April 30, 2018	9,440	$	1.48	—	$        108.3 million
Month #2
May 1, 2018 to May 31, 2018	—	—		—	108.3 million
Month #3
June 1, 2018 to June 30, 2018	54,380	2.70		—	108.3 million
Total	63,820	$	2.52	—	$        108.3 million

(1) All shares purchased reflect shares surrendered in satisfaction of tax obligations in connection with the vesting of restricted stock awards.

(2) In May 2011, our board of directors approved a stock repurchase program to acquire up to $150 million shares of our outstanding common stock.  In total, we have repurchased 3,190,268 shares under this program through June 30, 2018 at a weighted average price of $13.06 per share.

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Item 6.  Exhibits.

Unless otherwise indicated, all documents incorporated by reference to a document filed with the SEC pursuant to the Exchange Act, are located under SEC file number 001-33999.

Exhibit No.	Description	Reference
2.1	Purchase and Sale Agreement, dated July 17, 2018, by and between Pivotal Williston Basin, LP and Northern Oil and Gas, Inc.	Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on July 20, 2018
2.2	Purchase and Sale Agreement, dated July 17, 2018, by and between Pivotal Williston Basin II, LP and Northern Oil and Gas, Inc.	Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.2 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on July 20, 2018
2.3	Purchase and Sale Agreement, dated July 27, 2018, by and between WR Operating LLC and Northern Oil and Gas, Inc.	Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on July 31, 2018
3.1	Certificate of Incorporation of Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. dated May 9, 2018	Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on May 15, 2018
3.2	By-Laws of Northern Oil and Gas, Inc.	Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on May 15, 2018
4.1	Indenture, dated May 18, 2012, between Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as trustee (including Form of 8.000% Senior Note due 2020)	Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on May 18, 2012
4.2	Indenture, dated May 18, 2015, between Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as trustee (including Form of 8.000% Senior Note due 2020)	Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on May 18, 2015
4.3	Indenture, dated May 15, 2018, between Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as trustee (including Form of 8.50% Senior Secured Second Lien Notes due 2023)	Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on May 18, 2018
10.1	Second Amendment to Exchange Agreement, dated April 2, 2018, by and among Northern Oil and Gas, Inc., and the Noteholders party thereto	Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on April 4, 2018
10.2	Second Amendment to Term Loan Credit Agreement, dated May 15, 2018, by and among Northern Oil and Gas, Inc., the lenders party thereto and TPG Specialty Lending, Inc., as administrative agent and collateral agent	Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on May 18, 2018
10.3	Third Amendment to Term Loan Credit Agreement, dated July 19, 2018, by and among Northern Oil and Gas, Inc., the lenders party thereto and TPG Specialty Lending, Inc., as administrative agent and collateral agent	Filed herewith
10.4	Amended and Restated Letter Agreement, dated as of May 15, 2018, by and among Robert B. Rowling, Cresta Investments, LLC, Cresta Greenwood, LLC and Northern Oil and Gas, Inc.	Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on May 18, 2018
10.5	Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of May 15, 2018, among Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. and the holders party thereto	Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on May 18, 2018
10.6	Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of May 15, 2018, among Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. and TRT Holdings, Inc., Cresta Investments, LLC and Cresta Greenwood, LLC	Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on May 18, 2018

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10.7	Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of May 15, 2018, among Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. and TPG Specialty Lending, Inc., TOP III Finance 1, LLC and TAO Finance 1, LLC	Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on May 18, 2018
10.8	Amended and Restated Employment Agreement, dated May 24, 2018, between Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. and Michael Reger	Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on May 31, 2018
10.9	Amended and Restated Employment Agreement, dated July 5, 2018, between Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. and Michael Reger	Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on July 6, 2018
10.10	Employment Agreement, dated May 24, 2018, between Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. and Nicholas O’Grady	Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on May 31, 2018
10.11	Amended and Restated Employment Agreement, dated June 1, 2018, between Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. and Erik Romslo	Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on June 7, 2018
10.12	Amended and Restated Employment Agreement, dated July 5, 2018, between Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. and Brandon Elliott	Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on July 6, 2018
10.13	Employment Agreement, dated June 1, 2018, between Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. and Chad Allen	Filed herewith
10.14	Employment Agreement, dated June 1, 2018, between Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. and Adam Dirlam	Filed herewith
10.15	Form of Performance-Based Restricted Stock Award Agreement under the Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. 2013 Incentive Plan	Filed herewith
12.1	Calculation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges	Filed herewith
31.1	Certification of the Principal Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) or 15d-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002	Filed herewith
31.2	Certification of the Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) or 15d-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002	Filed herewith
32.1	Certification of the Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C.  Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002	Filed herewith
101.INS	XBRL Instance Document	Filed herewith
101.SCH	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document	Filed herewith
101.CAL	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document	Filed herewith
101.DEF	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document	Filed herewith
101.LAB	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document	Filed herewith
101.PRE	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document	Filed herewith

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SIGNATURES

In accordance with the requirements of the Exchange Act, the Registrant has caused this Quarterly Report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

NORTHERN OIL AND GAS, INC.

Date:	August 9, 2018	By:	/s/ Brandon Elliott
			Brandon Elliott, Chief Executive Officer and principal executive officer (on behalf of Registrant)
Date:	August 9, 2018	By:	/s/ Chad Allen
			Chad Allen, Chief Accounting Officer and principal accounting officer

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EX-10.3

Exhibit 10.3

Third Amendment to Term Loan Credit Agreement

This Third Amendment to Term Loan Credit Agreement (this “Third Amendment”), dated as of July 19, 2018 (the “Third Amendment Effective Date”), is among Northern Oil and Gas, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Borrower”); TPG Specialty Lending, Inc., as administrative agent (in such capacity, the “Administrative Agent”) and collateral agent (in such capacity, the “Collateral Agent”); and each of the Lenders party hereto.

R E C I T A L S:

A.The Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the Collateral Agent and the Lenders are parties to that certain Term Loan Credit Agreement dated as of November 1, 2017 (as amended by that certain (i) Limited Waiver and Amendment to Credit Agreement dated March 18, 2018 (as amended) and (ii) Second Amendment to Term Loan Credit Agreement dated as of May 15, 2018), between the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders party thereto and as further amended or otherwise modified from time to time prior to the date hereof, including the annexes, exhibits and schedules thereto, the “Credit Agreement”; and as amended by this Third Amendment, the “Amended Credit Agreement”), pursuant to which the Lenders have, subject to the terms and conditions set forth therein, made certain credit available to and on behalf of the Borrower.

B.Subject to and upon the terms and conditions set forth herein, the undersigned Lenders have agreed to enter into this Third Amendment to amend certain provisions of the Credit Agreement as more specifically provided for herein.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual covenants herein contained, for good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:

Section 1.Defined Terms. Each capitalized term which is defined in the Credit Agreement, but which is not defined in this Third Amendment, shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the Amended Credit Agreement.

Section 2.Amendments. In reliance on the representations, warranties, covenants and agreements contained in this Third Amendment, and subject to the satisfaction of the conditions precedent set forth in Section 3 hereof, the Credit Agreement shall be amended effective as of the Third Amendment Effective Date as follows:

2.1 of the Credit Agreement is hereby amended by adding the following defined term in proper alphabetical order:

“Third Amendment Effective Date” means July 19, 2018.

2.2    Section 9.18 of the Credit Agreement is hereby amended by adding the following language at the end of clause (a)(iv) thereof:

“provided, that, notwithstanding the foregoing to the contrary, with respect to (A) any date that any Swap Agreement is entered into on or after the Third Amendment Effective Date but prior to September 30, 2018 and (B) the last day of the fiscal quarter ending September 30, 2018, such notional volumes may exceed such 90% limitation for each month during the 12-calendar month period following such date of determination so long as (1) the notional volumes of all Swap Agreements (when aggregated with other commodity Swap Agreements then in effect other than basis differential swaps on volumes already hedged pursuant to other Swap Agreements) do not exceed, as of the date such Swap Agreement is entered into and as of September 30, 2018, 115% of Reasonably Anticipated Projected Production for each month during the 12-calendar month period following such date of determination, for each of crude oil, liquids and natural gas, calculated separately and (2) the Borrower and its Subsidiaries are in compliance with this Section 9.18 (without giving effect to this proviso) as of December 31, 2018 and every date of determination thereafter;”

Section 3.Conditions Precedent. The effectiveness of this Third Amendment is subject to the following:

3.1    The Administrative Agent shall have received counterparts (in such number as may be requested by the Administrative Agent) of this Third Amendment from the Borrower and Lenders constituting Majority Lenders.

3.2    No Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing as of the date hereof both immediately prior to and after giving effect to the terms of this Third Amendment.

3.3    The Administrative Agent and the Lenders shall have received all fees, expenses and amounts due and payable on or prior to the Third Amendment Effective Date, including, to the extent invoiced, reimbursement or payment of all out-of-pocket expenses required to be reimbursed or paid by the Borrower hereunder (including the fees and expenses of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., counsel to the Administrative Agent).

The Administrative Agent is hereby authorized and directed to declare this Third Amendment to be effective when it has received documents confirming or certifying, to the satisfaction of the Administrative Agent, compliance with the conditions set forth in this Section 3 or the waiver of such conditions as permitted hereby. Such declaration shall be final, conclusive and binding upon all parties to the Credit Agreement and Amended Credit Agreement for all purposes.

Section 4.Miscellaneous.

4.1    Confirmation and Effect. The provisions of the Credit Agreement shall remain in full force and effect in accordance with its terms following the Third Amendment Effective Date, and this Third Amendment shall not constitute a waiver of any provision of the Credit Agreement or any other Loan Document, except as expressly provided for herein. Each reference in the Amended Credit Agreement to “this Agreement”, “hereunder”, “hereof’, “herein”, or words of like import shall mean and be a reference to the Credit Agreement as amended hereby, and each reference to the Credit Agreement in any other document, instrument or agreement executed and/or delivered in connection with the Credit Agreement shall mean and be a reference to the Credit Agreement as amended hereby.

4.2    No Waiver.    Neither the execution by the Administrative Agent or the Lenders of this Third Amendment, nor any other act or omission by the Administrative Agent or the Lenders or their officers in connection herewith, shall be deemed a waiver by the Administrative Agent or the Lenders of any Defaults or Events of Default which may exist, which may have occurred prior to the date of the effectiveness of this Third Amendment or which may occur in the future under the Amended Credit Agreement and/or the other Loan Documents. Similarly, nothing contained in this Third Amendment shall directly or indirectly in any way whatsoever either: (a) impair, prejudice or otherwise adversely affect the Administrative Agent’s or the Lenders’ right at any time to exercise any right, privilege or remedy in connection with the Loan Documents with respect to any Default or Event of Default, (b) except as expressly provided herein, amend or alter any provision of the Credit Agreement, the other Loan Documents, or any other contract or instrument, or (c) constitute any course of dealing or other basis for altering any obligation of the Borrower or any right, privilege or remedy of the Administrative Agent or the Lenders under the Amended Credit Agreement, the other Loan Documents, or any other contract or instrument.

4.3    Ratification and Affirmation of Credit Parties. The Borrower hereby expressly (i) acknowledges the terms of this Third Amendment, (ii) ratifies and affirms its obligations under the Guaranty Agreement, the Swap Intercreditor Agreement and the other Security Instruments and Loan Documents to which it is a party, (iii) acknowledges, renews and extends its continued liability under the Guaranty Agreement, the Swap Intercreditor Agreement and the other Security Instruments and Loan Documents to which it is a party, (iv) agrees that its guarantee and pledge of collateral under the Guaranty Agreement and the other Security Instruments and Loan Documents to which it is a party remain in full force and effect with respect to the Indebtedness as amended hereby, (v) represents and warrants to the Lenders and the Administrative Agent that each representation and warranty of such Person contained in the Amended Credit Agreement and the other Loan Documents to which it is a party is true and correct in all material respects as of the date hereof and after giving effect to this Third Amendment except (A) to the extent any such representations and warranties are expressly limited to an earlier date, in which case, on and as of the date hereof, such representations and warranties shall continue to be true and correct as of such specified earlier date, and (B) to the extent that any such representation and warranty is expressly qualified by materiality, Material Adverse Effect or a similar qualification, such representations and warranties shall be true and correct in all respects, (vi) represents and warrants to the Lenders and the Administrative Agent that the execution, delivery and/or performance by such Person of this Third Amendment and each other Security Instrument and Loan Document being are within such Person’s corporate, limited partnership or limited liability company powers (as applicable), have been duly authorized by all necessary action and that this Third Amendment constitutes the valid and binding obligation of such Person enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and subject to general principles of equity, regardless of whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law, and (vii) represents and warrants to the Lenders and the Administrative Agent that, after giving effect to this Third Amendment, no Default or Event of Default exists.

4.4    Counterparts. This Third Amendment may be executed in counterparts (and by different parties hereto on different counterparts), each of which shall constitute an original, but all of which when taken together shall constitute a single contract. Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page of this Third Amendment by facsimile or other electronic

transmission (e.g., .pdf) shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Third Amendment.

4.5    No Oral Agreement. This written Third Amendment, the Amended Credit Agreement and the other Loan Documents executed in connection herewith and therewith represent the final agreement between the parties hereto and thereto and may not be contradicted by evidence of prior, contemporaneous, or subsequent oral agreements of the parties. There are no unwritten oral agreements between the parties.

4.6    Governing Law. This Third Amendment shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.

4.7    Payment of Expenses. The Borrower agrees to pay or reimburse the Administrative Agent for all of its reasonable and documented out-of-pocket costs and expenses incurred in connection with this Third Amendment in accordance with Section 12.03 of the Credit Agreement.

4.8    Severability. Any provision of this Third Amendment or any other Loan Document held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability without affecting the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions hereof or thereof; and the invalidity of a particular provision in a particular jurisdiction shall not invalidate such provision in any other jurisdiction.

4.9    Successors and Assigns. This Third Amendment shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns (in each case, as permitted by Section 12.04 of the Credit Agreement).

4.10    Loan Document. This Third Amendment shall constitute a “Loan Document” under and as defined in Section 1.02 of the Amended Credit Agreement.

[Signature Pages Follow]

The parties hereto have caused this Third Amendment to be duly executed as of the day and year first above written.

BORROWER: NORTHERN OIL AND GAS, INC., a Delaware corporation By: /s/ Erik Romslo Name: Erik Romslo Title: EVP, General Counsel and Secretary

Signature Page to Third Amendment to Term Loan Credit Agreement

Northern Oil and Gas, Inc.

TPG SPECIALTY LENDING, INC.

as Administrative Agent and a Lender

By: /s/ Joshua W Easterly

Name: Joshua W Easterly

Title: Chief Executive Officer

Signature Page to Third Amendment to Term Loan Credit Agreement

Northern Oil and Gas, Inc.

TAO TALENTS, LLC

as a Lender

By: /s/ Steven Pluss

Name: Steven Pluss

Title: Vice President

Signature Page to Third Amendment to Term Loan Credit Agreement

Northern Oil and Gas, Inc.

TOP III TALENTS, LLC

as a Lender

By: /s/ Steven Pluss

Name: Steven Pluss

Title: Vice President

Signature Page to Third Amendment to Term Loan Credit Agreement

Northern Oil and Gas, Inc.

EX-10.13

Exhibit 10.13

AMENDED AND RESTATED EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

This AMENDED AND RESTATED EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (this "Agreement"), is entered into as of June 1, 2018, by and between Northern Oil and Gas, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company") and Chad Allen, an individual currently residing in Minnesota (the "Executive").

WHEREAS, the Company currently employs the Executive pursuant to a prior employment agreement, dated as of August 5, 2013 (the "Prior Employment Agreement"); and

WHEREAS, theCompany and the Executive mutually desire to enter into this Agreement and mutually agree that the Prior Employment Agreement is null and void;

NOW THEREFORE, for and in consideration of the mutual promises, covenants and obligations contained herein, the Company and the Executive hereby agree as follows:

1.Employment and Duties.

(a)General. The Executive shall serve as "Chief Accounting Officer," reporting to the Company's CEO and CFO. The Executive shall have such duties and responsibilities, commensurate with the Executive's position, as may be reasonably assigned to the Executive from time to time by the CEO and CFO. The Executive's principal place of employment shall be 601 Carlson Parkway, Suite 990, Minnetonka, Minnesota 55305.

(b)Exclusive Services. For so long as the Executive is employed by the Company, the Executive shall devote his full attention to his duties hereunder, shall faithfully serve the Company, shall in all respects conform to and comply with the lawful and good faith directions and instructions given to him by the Company, and shall use his best efforts to promote and serve the interests of the Company. Further, unless the Company consents in writing, the Executive shall not, directly or indirectly, render services to any other person or organization or otherwise engage in activities that would interfere significantly with his faithful performance of his duties hereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Executive may (i) serve on corporate boards, provided he receives prior permission from the Board; (ii) serve on corporate, civic, children sports organization or charitable boards or engage in charitable activities without remuneration therefor; and (iii) manage personal investments, provided that such activity does not contravene the first sentence of this Section 1(b) or any other provision of this Agreement.

(c)Dodd-Frank Act, Sarbanes-Oxley and Other Applicable Law Requirements. The Executive agrees (i) to abide by any compensation recovery, recoupment, anti-hedging, or other policy applicable to executives of the Company and its affiliates that is hereafter adopted by the Board or a duly authorized committee thereof to comply with applicable law as required by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (the "Dodd-Frank Act"), the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 ("Sarbanes-Oxley"), or other applicable law; and (ii) that the terms and conditions of this Agreement shall be deemed automatically and unilaterally amended to the minimum extent required as may be necessary from time to time to ensure compliance by the Executive and this Agreement with such policies, the Dodd-Frank Act, Sarbanes-Oxley, or other applicable law.

2.Term of Employment. The Executive's employment shall be covered by the terms of this Agreement, effective as of June 1, 2018 (the "Effective Date"), and shall continue for a period of three (3) years ("Term"), unless this Agreement (and the Executive's employment hereunder) is otherwise terminated as set forth in this Agreement. This Agreement shall automatically renew thereafter for subsequent periods of one (1) year ("Renewal Term"), unless either party provides written notice at least thirty (30) days prior to the end of the Term (or any Renewal Term thereafter) or unless this Agreement (and the Executive's employment hereunder) is otherwise terminated as set forth in this Agreement.

3.Compensation and Other Benefits. Subject to the provisions of this Agreement, the Company shall pay and provide the following compensation and other benefits to the Executive during the Term as compensation for services rendered hereunder:

(a)Base Salary.The Company shall pay to the Executive an annual salary (the "Base Salary") at a rate of no less than $220,000 per year, payable in substantially equal installments at such intervals as may be determined by the Company in accordance with the Company's then current ordinary payroll practices as established from time to time. The Base Salary shall be reviewed in good faith by the Compensation Committee of the Board (the "Compensation Committee") not less often than annually.

(b)Performance-Based Restricted Share Grant. Executive shall receive an annual Performance-Based Restricted Share Grant, which shall be subject to performance-based vesting criteria. The parties shall negotiate the Performance-Based Restricted Share Grant in good faith on an annual basis, and the parties shall set forth the mutually agreed-upon terms of the annual Performance-Based Restricted Share Grant in an APPENDIX A to this Agreement on or before March 31^st of each year.

(c)Employee Benefits. The Executive shall be entitled to participate in all employee benefit arrangements that the Company may offer to its executives of a like status from time to time, and as may be amended from time to time. The Company shall contribute the maximum legally permitted amount, but not to exceed $25,000 per calendar year, on behalf of the Executive to the Company's 401(k) plan as an "employee" contribution, as well as any Company matching contribution to which the Executive is entitled under the 401(k) plan. In addition, the Company shall provide a $20,000 annual car allowance to the Executive for car payments and insurance, payable monthly in accordance with the Company’s standard payroll practices.

(d)Expenses. The Company shall reimburse the Executive for reasonable travel, legal and other business-related expenses incurred by the Executive in the fulfillment of his duties hereunder upon presentation of written documentation thereof, in accordance with the applicable expense reimbursement policies and procedures of the Company as in effect from time to time.

4.Rights Upon a Change in Control/Termination of Employment.

(a)Equity Treatment Generally. Upon consummation of a Change in Control during the Term, or any Renewal Term, the effect upon any unvested stock options, warrants, restricted stock and restricted stock units in the Company (including but not limited to any shares granted under this Agreement and any appendixes hereto) held in the name of the Executive (the “Securities”), or any portion thereof, shall (unless otherwise provided for herein) be as provided for under the applicable grant agreements and plan document(s) governing such Securities.

(b)Change in Control & Termination of Employment. In the event that the Executive's employment is terminated by the Company (or a successor to the Company) without Cause or by the Executive for Good Reason, either in connection with a Change in Control or within 12 months after the consummation of a Change in Control, the Executive shall be entitled to receive (A) a lump sum payment (collectively, the "Severance Benefit") equal to the sum of: (x) two times (2x) Base Salary as of the termination date, plus (y) one times (1x) the Executive’s annualized car allowance, plus (z) a lump sum amount equal to twelve (12) months’ worth of the monthly premium payment to continue the Executive’s (and his family’s) existing group health and dental coverage calculated under the applicable provisions of the COBRA Act of 1985, whether or not the Executive actually elects such continuation coverage, and (B) immediate vesting of any Securities granted to the Executive during the course of the Executive's employment (including, but not limited to, any Securities granted under this Agreement and any appendixes hereto), without regard to any other terms or conditions governing such vesting (including, but not limited to, any then-undetermined performance-based vesting criteria set forth in this Agreement and any appendixes hereto). The Severance Benefit shall be paid to the Executive no later than the forty-fifth (45^th) day immediately following the Executive's "separation from service" (as defined under the Code), provided the Executive first executes a release of any and all claims against the Company (set forth in Section 4(f), below) and the revocation period specified therein has expired without the Executive revoking such release. However, if such forty-five (45) day period straddles two (2) taxable years of the Executive, then the Company shall pay the Severance Benefit in the second of such taxable years, regardless of the taxable year in which the Executive actually delivers the executed release of claims. Notwithstanding the foregoing and for avoidance of doubt, if the Executive's employment is terminated (x) at any time by the Company for Cause, or (y) voluntarily by the Executive without Good Reason, then in each case, the Executive shall only be entitled to any unpaid annual Base Salary and unreimbursed business expenses through and including the date of termination and the Executive shall not receive any Severance Benefit.

(c)Termination of Employment without Cause or for Good Reason. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, this Agreement may be terminated by the Company or the Executive, at any time, with or without Cause or Good Reason. In the event that the Executive's employment is terminated by the Company without Cause or by the Executive for Good Reason, the Executive shall be entitled to receive (i) the Severance Benefit; and (ii) immediate vesting of any Securities granted to the Executive during the course of the Executive's employment (including, but not limited to, any Securities granted under this Agreement and any appendixes hereto), without regard to any other terms or conditions governing such vesting (including, but not limited to, any then-undetermined performance-based vesting criteria set forth in this Agreement and any appendixes hereto). The Severance Benefit shall be paid to the Executive no later than the forty-fifth (45^th) day immediately following the Executive's "separation from service" (as defined under the Code), provided the Executive first executes a release of any and all claims against the Company (set forth in Section 4(f), below) and the revocation period specified therein has expired without the Executive revoking such release. However, if such forty-five (45) day period straddles two (2) taxable years of the Executive, then the Company shall pay the Severance Benefit in the second of such taxable years, regardless of the taxable year in which the Executive actually delivers the executed release of claims.

(d)No Continued Benefits Following Termination. Unless otherwise specifically provided in this Agreement or otherwise required by law, all compensation, equity plans, and benefits payable to the Executive under this Agreement shall terminate on the date of termination of the Executive's employment with the Company under the terms of this Agreement.

(e)Resignation from Directorships and Officerships. The termination of the Executive's employment for any reason shall constitute the Executive's immediate resignation from (i) any officer or employee position the Executive has with the Company, unless mutually agreed upon by the Executive and the Board; and (ii) all fiduciary positions (including as a trustee) the Executive holds with respect to any employee benefit plans or trusts established by the Company. The termination of the Executive’s employment by the Company for Cause (as defined in Section 9(a)) shall constitute the Executive’s immediate and automatic resignation from any position on the Company’s Board of Directors; and the Executive agrees that this Agreement shall serve as written notice of resignation in this circumstance.

(f)Waiver and Release. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement to the contrary, unless expressly waived in writing by the Board in its sole discretion, the Executive shall not be entitled to any Severance Benefit, and the Company shall not pay such Severance Benefit (other than accrued Base Salary and unreimbursed business expenses as of the termination date), unless the Executive timely executes and delivers to the Company a general release (which shall be provided by the Company not later than five (5) days from the date on which the Executive's employment is terminated and be substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A), whereby the Executive (or his estate or legally appointed personal representative) releases the Company (and affiliates of the Company and other designated persons) from all employment based or related claims of the Executive and all obligations of the Company to the Executive other than with respect to (x) the Company's obligations to make and provide the Severance Benefit and (y) any vested benefits to which the Executive is entitled under the terms of any Company benefit or equity plan, and the Executive does not revoke such release within any applicable revocation period following the Executive's delivery of the executed release to the Company. If the requirements of this Section 4(f) are not satisfied by the Executive (or his estate or legally appointed personal representative), then no Severance Benefit (other than accrued Base Salary and unreimbursed business expenses as of the termination date) shall be due to the Executive (or his estate) pursuant to this Agreement.

(g)Notice of Termination. Any termination of employment by the Company or the Executive shall be communicated by a written "Notice of Termination" to the other party hereto given in accordance with Section 10(l) of this Agreement. In the event of a termination by the Company for Cause or by the Executive for Good Reason, the Notice of Termination shall (i) indicate the specific termination provision in this Agreement relied upon, (ii) set forth in reasonable detail the facts and circumstances claimed to provide a basis for termination of the Executive's employment under the provision so indicated, and (iii) specify the date of termination. The failure by the Executive or the Company to set forth in the Notice of Termination any fact or circumstance that contributes to a showing of Cause or Good Reason shall not waive any right of the Executive or the Company, respectively, hereunder or preclude the Executive or the Company, respectively, from asserting such fact or circumstance in enforcing the Executive's or the Company's rights hereunder.

5.Section 280G Payments.

(a)Net-Better After-Tax Provision. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, if the Executive is a "disqualified individual" (as defined in Section 280G(c) of the Code), and the payments and benefits provided for in this Agreement, together with any other payments and benefits which the Executive has the right to receive from the Company or any other person, would constitute a "parachute payment" (as defined in Section 280G(b)(2) of the Code), then the payments and benefits provided for in this Agreement shall be either (a) reduced (but not below zero) so that the present value of such total amounts and benefits received by the Executive from the Company and/or such person(s) will be $1.00 less than three (3) times the Executive's "base amount" (as defined in Section 280G(b)(3) of the Code) and so that no portion of such amounts and benefits received by the Executive shall be subject to the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code or (b) paid in full, whichever produces the better "net after-tax position" to the Executive (taking into account any applicable excise tax under Section 4999 of the Code and any other applicable taxes). The reduction of payments and benefits hereunder, if applicable, shall be made by reducing, first, payments or benefits to be paid in cash hereunder in the order in which such payment or benefit would be paid or provided (beginning with such payment or benefit that would be made last in time and continuing, to the extent necessary, through to such payment or benefit that would be made first in time) and, then, reducing any benefit to be provided in-kind hereunder in a similar order. The determination as to whether any such reduction in the amount of the payments and benefits provided hereunder is necessary shall be made by the Company in good faith. If a reduced payment or benefit is made or provided and through error or otherwise that payment or benefit, when aggregated with other payments and benefits from the Company (or its affiliates) used in determining if a parachute payment exists, exceeds $1.00 less than three (3) times the Executive's base amount, then the Executive shall immediately repay such excess to the Company upon notification that an overpayment has been made. Nothing in this paragraph shall require the Company to be responsible for, or have any liability or obligation with respect to, the Executive's excise tax liabilities under Section 4999 of the Code.

(b)No Parachute Payment to the Extent Concluded by Tax Opinion. For purposes of Section 5(a), the Company shall not treat any payment or portion thereof as a parachute payment or an "excess parachute payment" (as defined in Section 280G) to the extent the Company receives an opinion, addressed to the Company from a nationally recognized law firm (such as Andrews Kurth LLP) or certified public accounting firm (a "Tax Opinion"), to the effect that if such payment or portion thereof is made, then either (i) such payment or portion thereof would not be a parachute payment or (ii) such payment or portion thereof would not be an excess parachute payment. A Tax Opinion may be based upon reasonable assumptions, limitations and qualifications that such law firm or certified public account firm reasonably believes to be accurate (e.g., assumptions as to matters that can reasonably be expected to be provided or certified by the Executive and/or the Company). The Company and the Executive shall use their respective reasonable best efforts to cooperate with each other and such law firm or certified public accounting firm in connection with a Tax Opinion.

6.Section 409A of the Code. This Agreement is intended to either avoid the application of, or comply with, Section 409A of the Code. To that end this Agreement shall at all times be interpreted in a manner that is consistent with Section 409A of the Code. Notwithstanding any other provision in this Agreement to the contrary, the Company shall have the right, in its sole discretion, to adopt such amendments to this Agreement or take such other actions (including amendments and actions with retroactive effect) as it determines is necessary or appropriate for this Agreement to comply with Section 409A of the Code. Further:

(a)Any reimbursement of any costs and expenses by the Company to the Executive under this Agreement shall be made by the Company within thirty (30) days from the date of Executive’s written and documented reimbursement request. The expenses incurred by the Executive in any calendar year that are eligible for reimbursement under this Agreement shall not affect the expenses incurred by the Executive in any other calendar year that are eligible for reimbursement hereunder and the Executive's right to receive any reimbursement hereunder shall not be subject to liquidation or exchange for any other benefit.

(b)Any payment following a separation from service that would be subject to Section 409A(a)(2)(A)(i) of the Code as a distribution following a separation from service of a "specified employee" (as defined under Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code) shall be made on the first to occur of (i) ten (10) days after the expiration of the six month period following such separation from service, (ii) death or (iii) such earlier date that complies with Section 409A of the Code.

(c)Each payment that the Executive may receive under this Agreement shall be treated as a "separate payment" for purposes of Section 409A of the Code.

7.Confidential Information. During the Term, the Company may provide the Executive (i) with access to and the opportunity to become familiar with its Confidential Information and Trade Secrets; (ii) with continuing training, development and education regarding its procedures, products, services, methods, systems and operations; and (iii) with access to Confidential Information and Trade Secrets about the Company's employees, customers and customers’ employees and agents.

(a) The Executive acknowledges that all notes, data, forms, reference and training materials, leads, memoranda, computer programs, computer print-outs, disks and the information contained in any computer, whether stored locally at the Company or remotely by the Company or others on behalf of the Company, and any other records which contain, reflect or describe any Confidential Information and Trade Secrets, belong exclusively to the Company. Upon the termination of the Executive's employment with the Company, the Executive shall promptly return such materials and all copies thereof in the Executive's possession to the Company, regardless of the cause of the termination of the Executive's employment with the Company.

(b)During the Executive's employment with the Company and thereafter, the Executive will not copy, publish, convey, transfer, disclose or use, directly or indirectly, for the Executive's own benefit or for the benefit of any other person or entity (except the Company) any Confidential Information and Trade Secrets; provided, that any copying or other prohibited use of Confidential Information and Trade Secrets shall not include copying or otherwise using Confidential Information and Trade Secrets in connection with communications with current or potential customers or vendors that the Executive reasonably expects to have a direct benefit to the Company; provided, further, that the Executive shall take any steps reasonably necessary to ensure that Confidential Information and Trade Secrets are not disclosed, by the Executive or by any such potential customers or vendors, to an extent greater than that which is reasonably required to provide such benefit to the Company. The Executive will abide by all rules, guidelines, policies and procedures relating to Confidential Information and Trade Secrets implemented and/or amended from time to time by Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in this Agreement shall apply to limit the Executive’s ability to make statements or disclosures (i) as a witness in or party to a legal proceeding (as may be ordered by any regulatory agency or court), (ii) as otherwise required by law, or (iii) as may be necessary for the Executive to prosecute any claims relating to the enforcement of this Agreement.

(c)The Executive acknowledges that the Company is a public company registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act") and that this Agreement may be subject to the filing requirements of the Exchange Act.  The Executive acknowledges and agrees that the applicable insider trading rules and limitations on disclosure of non-public information set forth in the Exchange Act and rules and regulations promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") shall apply to this Agreement and the Executive's employment with the Company.  The Executive (on behalf of himself as well as his executors, heirs, administrators and assigns) absolutely and unconditionally agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company and all of its past, present and future affiliates, executors, heirs, administrators, shareholders, employees, officers, directors, attorneys, accountants, agents, representatives, predecessors, successors and assigns from any and all claims, debts, demands, accounts, judgments, causes of action, equitable relief, damages, costs, charges, complaints, obligations, controversies, actions, suits, proceedings, expenses, responsibilities and liabilities of every kind and character whatsoever (including, but not limited to, reasonable attorneys' fees and costs) in the event of the Executive's conviction of any violation of the Exchange Act or any rules or regulations promulgated by the SEC.

8.Non-Competition and Non-Solicitation of Customers, Clients and Employees.The Executive agrees that during the Term and the Restricted Period, the Executive will not directly or indirectly, as an employee, officer, director, shareholder, proprietor, agent, partner, recruiter, consultant, independent contractor or in any other individual or representative capacity engage in any of the Restricted Activities in any area within which the Company conducts or is pursuing Company Business, unless such has been previously been approved in writing by the Board after the Executive has provided the Board with full written disclosure of the relevant facts.

(a)"Restricted Period"means eighteen (18) months following termination of the Executive’s employment under this Agreement for any reason, regardless of which party terminates such employment and regardless of the reason for such termination.

(b)"Restricted Activities" means and includes the following:

(i)    Conducting, engaging or participating, directly or indirectly, as the employee, agent, independent contractor, consultant, advisor, partner, shareholder, investor, lender, underwriter or in any other similar capacity, in any business that directly competes with any part of the Company Business, provided, however, that for purposes of this Section 8(b)(i) only, the term Company Business shall be narrowly construed and geographically limited to the states of North Dakota and Montana;

(ii)    Recruiting, hiring, and/or attempting to recruit or hire, directly or by assisting others, any other employee, temporary or permanent contract, part time or full time of the Company or otherwise soliciting any other employee of the Company for any purposes that would directly or indirectly interfere or conflict with the other employee’s employment by the Company. For purposes of this covenant any "other employee" shall refer to employees who provide services to the Company and who are still actively employed by the Company at the time of the attempted recruiting or hiring, or were so employed at any time within six (6) months prior to the time of such attempted recruiting or hiring;

(iii)    Using, disclosing, publishing, copying, distributing or communicating any Confidential Information and Trade Secrets to, or for the use or benefit of the Executive or any other person or entity other than the Company; and

(iv)    Directly or indirectly interfering with any of the Company's relationships with any of its potential customers, clients, or vendors or affiliates thereof.

(c) The Company and the Executive acknowledge that the provisions contained in this Section 8 shall not prevent the Executive or the Executive's affiliates from owning solely as an investment, directly or indirectly, securities of any publicly traded corporation engaged in the Company's Business if the Executive and the Executive's affiliates do not, directly or indirectly, beneficially own in the aggregate more than five percent (5%) of all classes of outstanding equity securities of such entity.

(d)The Executive and the Company agree that the limitations as to time and scope of activity to be restrained are reasonable and do not impose a greater restraint on the Executive than is necessary to protect the property rights and other business interests of Company.

9.Definitions. For the purposes of this Agreement, the following definitions shall apply:

(a)"Affiliate" shall mean, with respect to any Person, any Person that, directly or through one or more intermediaries, is controlled by, controls, or is under common control with, such Person within the meaning of Sections 414(b) or (c) of the Code; provided that, in applying such provisions, the phrase "at least 50 percent" shall be used in place of "at least 80 percent" each place it appears therein.

(b)"Beneficial Owner" shall mean a Person who has beneficial ownership of any securities:

(i)which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates has the right to acquire (whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding, or upon the exercise of conversion rights, exchange rights, rights, warrants or options, or otherwise; provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to beneficially own, (A) securities tendered pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made by or on behalf of such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates until such tendered securities are accepted for purchase, or (B) securities issuable upon exercise of rights issued pursuant to the terms of any Rights Agreement of the Company, at any time before the issuance of such securities;

(ii)which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates, directly or indirectly, has the right to vote or dispose of or has "beneficial ownership" of (as determined pursuant to Rule 13d-3 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act), including pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding; provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to beneficially own, any security under this clause (ii) as a result of an agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote such security if the agreement, arrangement or understanding: (A) arises solely from a revocable proxy or consent given to such Person in response to a public proxy or consent solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with, the applicable rules and regulations under the Exchange Act and (B) is not also then reportable on a Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report); or

(iii)which are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by any other Person with which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates has any agreement, arrangement or understanding for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting (except pursuant to a revocable proxy as described in clause (ii) above) or disposing of any voting securities of the Company.

(c)"Cause" shall mean a termination of the Executive's employment because of: (1) any act or omission that constitutes a material breach by the Executive of any of his obligations under this Agreement, any equity plan or award document, or any other material agreement in writing between the Executive and the Company (other than as a result of Executive’s incapacity due to physical or mental illness); (2) the Executive's conviction of, or plea of nolo contendere to, (A) any felony or (B) another crime involving dishonesty or moral turpitude or which could reflect negatively upon the Company or otherwise impair or impede its operations; (3) the Executive’s conduct in performing under this Agreement that constitutes a material breach of a written policy of the Company or a material violation of the rules of any governmental or regulatory body applicable to the Company that is injurious to the financial condition or business reputation of the Company; (4) the Executive's refusal to follow the reasonable and lawful directions of the Board (other than as a result of Executive’s incapacity due to physical or mental illness); (5) Executive's engaging in fraud, embezzlement, or act of moral turpitude, or any other willful misconduct by the Executive that is materially injurious to the financial condition or business reputation of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates; or (6) a final order of the SEC that causes the Executive to become subject to any of the "bad actor" disqualifications described in Rule 506(d)(1)(i) through (viii), as modified by Rules 506(d)(2) and (d)(3), under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Notwithstanding anything in this Section 9(a) to the contrary, no event or condition described in Sections 9(a)(1), 9(a)(3), 9(a)(4) or 9(a)(5) shall constitute Cause unless (x) within ninety (90) days from the Board first acquiring actual knowledge of the existence of the Cause condition, the Board provides the Executive written notice of its intention to terminate his employment for Cause and the grounds for such termination; (y) such grounds for termination (if susceptible to correction) are not corrected by the Executive within thirty (30) days of his receipt of such notice (or, in the event that such grounds cannot be corrected within such thirty-day (30) period, the Executive has not taken all reasonable steps within such thirty-day (30) period to correct such grounds as promptly as practicable thereafter); and (z) the Board terminates the Executive’s employment with the Company immediately following expiration of such thirty-day (30) period. For purposes of this Section 9(a), any attempt by the Executive to correct a stated Cause shall not be deemed an admission by the Executive that the Board’s assertion of Cause is valid. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, if the Executive's employment with the Company is terminated without Cause, the Company shall have the sole discretion to later use after-acquired evidence to retroactively re-characterize the prior termination as a termination for Cause if such after-acquired evidence supports such an action.

(d)"Change in Control" shall mean the occurrence of any of the following:

(i)any Person (other than (A) the Company, (B) a trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under any employee benefit plan of the Company, (C) an underwriter temporarily holding securities pursuant to an offering of such securities or (D) a corporation owned, directly or indirectly, by the stockholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of stock in the Company ("Excluded Persons")) is or becomes the Beneficial Owner, directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company (not including in the securities beneficially owned by such Person any securities acquired directly from the Company after the Effective Date, pursuant to express authorization by the Board that refers to this exception) representing fifty percent (50%) or more of either the then outstanding shares of common stock of the Company or the combined Voting Power of the Company’s then outstanding voting securities; or

(ii)the following individuals cease for any reason to constitute a majority of the number of directors of the Company then serving: (A) individuals who, on the Effective Date, constituted the Board and (B) any new director (other than a director whose initial assumption of office is in connection with an actual or threatened election contest, including but not limited to a consent solicitation, relating to the election of directors of the Company) whose appointment or election by the Board or nomination for election by the Company’s stockholders was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds (2/3) of the directors then still in office who either were directors on the Effective Date, or whose appointment, election or nomination for election was previously so approved (collectively the "Continuing Directors"); provided, however, that individuals who are appointed to the Board pursuant to or in accordance with the terms of an agreement relating to a merger, consolidation, or share exchange involving the Company (or any direct or indirect subsidiary of the Company) shall not be Continuing Directors for purposes of this definition until after such individuals are first nominated for election by a vote of at least two-thirds (2/3) of the then Continuing Directors and are thereafter elected as directors by the stockholders of the Company at a meeting of stockholders held following consummation of such merger, consolidation, or share exchange; and, provided further, that in the event the failure of any such persons appointed to the Board to be Continuing Directors results in a Change in Control, the subsequent qualification of such persons as Continuing Directors shall not alter the fact that a Change in Control occurred; or

(iii)the consummation of a merger, consolidation or share exchange of the Company with any other entity or the issuance of voting securities of the Company in connection with a merger, consolidation or share exchange of the Company (or any direct or indirect subsidiary of the Company) pursuant to applicable stock exchange requirements, other than (A) a merger, consolidation or share exchange which would result in the voting securities of the Company outstanding immediately prior to such merger, consolidation or share exchange continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into voting securities of the surviving entity or any parent thereof) at least fifty percent (50%) of the combined Voting Power of the voting securities of the Company or such surviving entity or any parent thereof outstanding immediately after such merger, consolidation or share exchange, or (B) a merger, consolidation or share exchange effected to implement a recapitalization of the Company (or similar transaction) in which no Person (other than an Excluded Person) is or becomes the Beneficial Owner, directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company (not including in the securities beneficially owned by such Person any securities acquired directly from the Company after the Effective Date, pursuant to express authorization by the Board that refers to this exception) representing fifty percent (50%) or more of either the then outstanding shares of common stock of the Company or the combined Voting Power of the Company’s then outstanding voting securities; or

(iv)a complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company is effected or there is a sale or disposition by the Company of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets (in one transaction or a series of related transactions within any period of twenty-four (24) consecutive months), other than a sale or disposition by the Company of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets to an entity at least seventy-five percent (75%) of the combined Voting Power of the voting securities of which are owned by Persons in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of the Company immediately prior to such sale.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, (1) no "Change in Control" shall be deemed to have occurred if there is consummated any transaction or series of integrated transactions immediately following which the record holders of the outstanding shares immediately prior to such transaction or series of transactions continue to own, directly or indirectly, in the same proportions as their ownership in the Company, an entity that owns all or substantially all of the assets or voting securities of the Company immediately following such transaction or series of transactions and (2) to the extent necessary for any amounts considered to be deferred compensation subject to Section 409A of the Code to comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code, the definition of "Change in Control" herein shall be amended and interpreted in a manner that allows the definition to satisfy the requirements of a change of control under Section 409A of the Code solely for purposes of complying with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code.

(e)"Company Business" shall mean, except as otherwise provided in Section 8(b)(1), the acquisition, exploration, and development of properties containing oil and natural gas resources for purposes of oil and natural gas production.

(f)"Code" shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, as interpreted by rules and regulations issued pursuant thereto, all as amended and in effect from time to time. Any reference to a specific provision of the Code shall be deemed to include reference to any successor provision thereto.

(g)"Confidential Information and Trade Secrets" may be written, verbal or recorded by electronic, magnetic or other methods, whether or not expressly identified as "Confidential" by the Company, and includes, but is not limited to, the following information and materials:

(i)    Financial information of any kind pertaining to the Company, including, without limitation, information about the profit margins, profitability, pricing, income and expenses of the Company or any of its products or lines of business and also including, without limitation, any and all information and records relating to the Company's contracts or transactions with, or charges, prices or sales to, its customers, including invoices, proposals, confirmations, bills of ladings, statements, accounting records, bids, payment records or any other information or documents regarding amounts charged to or paid by customers, for any products or services which form any part of the Company Business;

(ii)    All information about and all communications received from, sent to or exchanged between the Company and any person or entity which has purchased, licensed, exchanged or otherwise entered into a transaction with the Company, or to which the Company has made a proposal with respect to the purchase, sale, license, exchange or other transaction involving any component, products or services which form any part of the Company Business;

(iii)    All of the Company's technical data and any information pertaining to the Company Business, including, by way of example, research and development, scientific studies or analyses, details or training methods, and oil and gas technology;

(iv)    All customer contact information, which includes information about the identity and location of individuals with decision-making authority at the customer and the particular preferences, needs or requirements of the customer, or such individual, with respect to any of the products, goods, services or equipment which comprise any part of the Company Business, and all information about the particular needs or requirements of a customer based on its geographical, economic or other factors; and

(v)    Employee lists, phone numbers and addresses, pay rates, benefits and compensation packages, training programs and manuals, and other confidential information regarding the Company's personnel.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, "Confidential Information," for purposes of this Agreement, shall not extend to any information:

(i)that is or becomes in the public domain through no wrongful act or fault of the Executive;

(ii)that was already known to the Executive prior to employment with the Company;

(iii)that is obtained by the Executive from a third party who is not under a duty of nondisclosure owed to the Company;

(iv)to which the Executive would not otherwise have access by virtue of his employment with the Company and was independently developed by the Executive without any use of or reliance on any information that, without giving effect to this clause, would be considered Confidential Information and Trade Secrets of the Company; or

(v)is required to be disclosed by law; provided, however, that prior to such disclosure the Executive shall deliver timely notice to the Company of such required disclosure and assist the Company in seeking protective relief thereof.

(h)"Good Reason"means any one of the following:

(i)a material diminution of the Executive's authority or duties (including, without limitation, (1) the continuous assignment to the Executive of any duties materially inconsistent with the Executive's position with the Company, or (2) a material diminution in the nature or status of the Executive's responsibilities) without the Executive's prior written consent;

(ii)the Company effects a material diminution of the Executive's base compensation;

(iii)the Executive is removed from his Chief Accounting Officer position with the Company;

(iv)any requirement that the Executive, without his/her prior written consent, move his/her regular office to a location more than one hundred (100) miles from the Company's current executive offices in Minnetonka, MN; or

(v)any material breach by the Company of this Agreement.

Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, no event or condition described in this Section 9(h) shall constitute Good Reason unless, (i) within ninety (90) days following the Executive's actual knowledge of the event which the Executive determines constitutes Good Reason, the Executive notifies the Company in writing that the Executive has determined a Good Reason exists and specifies the event creating Good Reason, (ii) following receipt of such notice, the Company fails to remedy such event within thirty (30) days, and (iii) the Executive terminates his employment with the Company immediately following the expiration of such thirty-day (30) period. The foregoing conditions must be met for the Executive to have a Good Reason to terminate the Executive's employment.

(i)"Parent" means a "parent corporation," as defined in Section 424(e) of the Code.

(j)"Person" means any individual, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, trust, incorporated or unincorporated organization or association or other legal entity of any kind.

(k)"Subsidiary" means a "subsidiary corporation," as defined in Section 424(f) of the Code, of the Company.

(l)"Voting Power" shall mean the voting power of the outstanding securities of the applicable entity having the right under ordinary circumstances to vote in an election of directors.

10.Miscellaneous.

(a)Defense of Claims. The Executive agrees that, during and following the Term, upon request from the Company, the Executive will cooperate with the Company in the defense of any claims or actions that may be made by or against the Company that affect the Executive's prior areas of responsibility, except if the Executive's reasonable interests are adverse to the Company in such claim or action. The Company agrees to promptly reimburse the Executive for all of the Executive's reasonable legal fees, travel and other direct expenses incurred, or to be reasonably incurred - and, if the Executive is no longer employed with the Company, to compensate the Executive (at a pro rata hourly rate calculated based on the Executive’s Base Salary at the time of the Executive’s separation) for the Executive's time - to comply with the Executive's obligations under this Section 10(a).

(b)Non-Disparagement. The Executive agrees that at no time during or after the termination of the Executive's employment shall the Executive make, or cause or assist any other person to make, any statement or other communication to any third party which impugns or attacks, or is otherwise critical of, the reputation, business or character of the Company or its affiliates or any of its respective directors, officers or employees. Similarly, the Company agrees that at no time following the termination of the Executive's employment shall the Board or the Company's executive officers (as defined in Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) make, cause or assist any other person to make, any statement or other communication to any third party which impugns or attacks, or is otherwise critical of, the reputation, performance or character of the Executive. However, the foregoing shall not apply to: (i) any person's statements as a witness in a legal proceeding (as may be ordered by any regulatory agency or court or as otherwise required by law), or (ii) as may be necessary for either party to prosecute any claims relating to the enforcement of this Agreement.

(c)Source of Payments. All payments provided under this Agreement, other than payments made pursuant to a plan or agreement which provides otherwise, shall be paid in cash from the general funds of the Company, and no special or separate fund shall be established, and no other segregation of assets shall be made, to assure payment. The Executive shall have no right, title or interest whatsoever in or to any investments which the Company may make to aid the Company in meeting its obligations hereunder. To the extent that any person acquires a right to receive payments from the Company hereunder, such right shall be no greater than the right of an unsecured creditor of the Company.

(d)Amendment, Waiver. This Agreement may not be modified, amended or waived in any manner, except by an instrument in writing signed by both parties hereto. The waiver by either party of compliance with any provision of this Agreement by the other party shall not operate or be construed as a waiver of any other provision of this Agreement, or of any subsequent breach by such party of a provision of this Agreement.

(e)Entire Agreement. This Agreement, the Exhibits attached hereto, and the agreements specifically incorporated herein are the entire agreement and understanding of the parties hereto with respect to the matters covered herein

and supersedes all prior or contemporaneous negotiations, commitments, agreements and writings with respect to the subject matter hereof, all such other negotiations, commitments, agreements and writings shall have no further force or effect, and the parties to any such other negotiation, commitment, agreement or writing shall have no further rights or obligations thereunder.

(f)Governing Law/Venue. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Minnesota, without regard to conflict of laws principles thereof. Each party to this Agreement hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts in Minnesota, for the purposes of any proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement.

(g)Severability. In the event that any one or more of the provisions of this Agreement shall be or become invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Agreement shall not be affected thereby.

(h)Reformation of Time, Geographical, and Occupational Limitations. In the event that any provision in this Agreement is held to be unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction because it exceeds the maximum time, geographical, or occupational limitations permitted by applicable law, then such provision(s) shall be and hereby are reformed to the maximum time, geographical, and occupational limitations as may be permitted by applicable law.

(i)Specific Performance/Injunctive Relief. In the event of the Executive's breach or violation of any provision of Section 7 ("Confidential Information"), Section 8 ("Non‑Competition and Non-Solicitation of Customers, Clients and Employees"), or Section 10(b) ("Non-Disparagement"), the parties agree that, in addition to any other remedies it may have, the Company shall be entitled to equitable relief for specific performance, and the Executive hereby agrees and acknowledges that the Company has no adequate remedy at law for the breach of the employment covenants contained herein.

(j)No Assignment. Neither this Agreement nor any of the Executive's rights and duties hereunder, shall be assignable or delegable by the Executive. Any purported assignment or delegation by the Executive in violation of the foregoing shall be null and void ab initio and of no force and effect. This Agreement may be assigned by the Company to a person or entity which is an affiliate or a successor in interest to substantially all of the business operations of the Company. Upon such assignment, the rights and obligations of the Company hereunder shall become the rights and obligations of such affiliate or successor person or entity.

(k)Successors; Binding Agreement. For purposes of Section 7, Section 8, and Section 10(b) only, upon the death of the Executive, this Agreement shall be binding upon personal or legal representatives, executors, administrators, successors, heirs, distributes, devisees and/or legatees.

(l)Notices. For the purpose of this Agreement, notices and all other communications provided for in this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given when delivered by hand or overnight courier or three (3) days after it has been mailed by United States registered mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, addressed to the respective addresses set forth below in this Agreement, or to such other address as either party may have furnished to the other in writing in accordance herewith, except that notice of change of address shall be effective only upon receipt.

If to the Company:        Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. 

Attn: General Counsel

601 Carlson Parkway - Suite 990

Minnetonka, Minnesota 55305

If to the Executive:        Chad Allen

To the address on record with the Company

(m)Withholding of Taxes. The Company may withhold from any amounts or benefits payable under this Agreement all taxes it may be required to withhold pursuant to any applicable law or regulation.

(n)Headings. The section headings in this Agreement are inserted only as a matter of convenience, and in no way define, limit or interpret the scope of this Agreement or of any particular section.

(o)Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed in counterparts, each of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument.

(p)Survival. This Agreement shall terminate upon the termination of employment of the Executive; however, the following shall survive the termination of the Executive's employment and/or the expiration or termination of this Agreement, regardless of the reasons for such expiration or termination: Section 4 ("Rights Upon a Change in Control/Termination of Employment") and the corresponding Exhibit A ("Waiver and Release"), Section 7 ("Confidential Information"), Section 8 ("Non-Competition and Non-Solicitation of Customers, Clients and Employees"), Section 10(a) ("Defense of Claims"), Section 10(b) ("Non-Disparagement"), Section 10(e) ("Entire Agreement"), Section 10(f) ("Governing Law/Venue"), Section 10(i) ("Specific Performance/Injunctive Relief"), Section 10(k) ("Successors/Binding Agreement"), and Section 10(1) ("Notices").

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have duly executed this Agreement effective as of the Effective Date.

EXECUTIVE:	NORTHERN OIL AND GAS, INC.
/s/ Chad Allen Chad Allen	By: /s/ Michael Reger Its: CEO
Date: June 1, 2018	Date: June 1, 2018

EXHIBIT A

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

WAIVER AND RELEASE

This Waiver and Release is entered into pursuant to Section 4(f) of the Employment Agreement (the "Agreement") by and between Northern Oil and Gas, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and Chad Allen, an individual, as follows:

1.Definitions. I intend all words used in this Waiver and Release to have their plain meanings in ordinary English. Specific terms that I use in this Waiver and Release have the following meanings:

(a)"I", "me", and "my" include both me (Chad Allen)and anyone who has or obtains any legal rights or claims through me.

(b)"NOG" means Northern Oil and Gas, Inc., any company or organization related to Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. in the present or past (including without limitation, its predecessors, parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, joint venture partners, and divisions), and any successors of Northern Oil and Gas, Inc.

(c)"Company" means NOG; the present and past officers, directors, managers, committees, members,and employees of NOG; any company providing insurance to NOG in the present or past; the present and past employee benefit plans sponsored or maintained by NOG (other than multiemployer plans) and the present and past fiduciaries of such plans; the attorneys for NOG; and anyone who has acted on behalf of NOG or on instructions from NOG.

(d)"Employment Agreement" means the Employment Agreement between me and NOG entered into as of June 1, 2018.

(e)"My Claims" mean all of my rights that I now have to any relief of any kind from the Company, including without limitation:

(i)All claims arising out of or relating to my employment with NOG or the termination of that employment;

(ii)All claims arising out of or relating to the statements, actions, or omissions of the Company;

(iii)All claims for any alleged unlawful discrimination, harassment, retaliation or reprisal, or other alleged unlawful practices arising under any federal, state, or local statute, ordinance, or regulation, including without limitation, claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Civil Rights Act of 1991, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. § 1981, the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act of 1990, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, the Equal Pay Act, the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, the Family Medical Leave Act, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Minnesota Human Rights Act, the Minnesota wage-hour and wage-payment laws, Minnesota's Worker's Compensation Act and non-retaliation statutes;

(iv)All claims for alleged wrongful discharge; breach of contract; breach of implied contract; failure to keep any promise; breach of a covenant of good faith and fair dealing; breach of fiduciary duty; estoppel; my activities, if any, as a "whistleblower"; defamation; infliction of emotional distress; fraud; misrepresentation; negligence; harassment; retaliation or reprisal; constructive discharge; assault; battery; false imprisonment; invasion of privacy; interference with contractual or business relationships; any other wrongful employment practices; and violation of any other principle of common law;

(v)All claims for compensation of any kind, including without limitation, bonuses, commissions, expense reimbursements, and vacation pay (other than my final payroll payment and any payment for accrued and unused vacation leave as of the day upon which my employment with NOG terminates (the "Termination Date") not yet paid to me as of the date I sign this Waiver and Release);

(vi)All claims for back pay, front pay, reinstatement, other equitable relief, compensatory damages, damages for alleged personal injury, liquidated damages, and punitive damages;

(vii)Any claim that a past unlawful decision has or has had a continuing effect on my compensation; and

(viii)All claims for attorneys' fees, costs, and interest.

However, My Claims do not include (i) any claims that the law does not allow to be waived, (ii) any claims that may arise after the date on which I sign this Waiver and Release, (iii) my rights to indemnification under applicable law, any indemnification agreement with the Company, or the charter documents of the Company (or any successor), (iv) my rights under any insurance policy maintained by the Company (or any successor), (v) my right to receive reimbursements for reasonable business expenses accrued prior to my Termination Date and not yet paid to me as of the date I sign this Waiver and Release, (vi) my right to receive my final payroll payment or payment for any accrued and unused vacation leave as of my Termination Date if not yet paid to me as of the date I sign this Waiver and Release, (vii) my rights to receive benefits to which I am entitled under the Employment Agreement, and (viii) any rights I have related to the any options, warrants, restricted stock, restricted stock units or other equity interests in the Company (the "Securities"), which shall continue to be governed by and subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable grant agreements, board resolutions, and plan documents governing the Securities (including, to the extent applicable, the Employment Agreement). Furthermore, I understand that nothing in this Waiver and Release prevents me from filing a claim against NOG with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ("EEOC") or any comparable state or local agency or participating in any such agency's investigation of NOG, but I acknowledge and agree that this Waiver and Release waives and releases, to the fullest extent legally permissible, my entitlement to any form of personal relief arising from any such claim that I or others may file. 

2.Consideration. I will receive consideration from NOG in accordance with Section 4 of the Employment Agreement provided I sign and do not rescind this Waiver and Release as provided below and otherwise satisfy all other conditions to such receipt under this Waiver and Release. I understand and acknowledge that the consideration I am receiving is in addition to anything of value that I would be entitled to receive from NOG if I did not sign this Waiver and Release or if I revoked this Waiver and Release

3.Agreement to Waive and Release My Claims.In exchange for the consideration from NOG, I give up and release all of My Claims and agree to the other terms of this Waiver and Release. I will not make any demands or claims against the Company for compensation or damages relating to My Claims. The consideration that I am receiving is a fair compromise for the release of My Claims and my agreement to the other terms of this Waiver and Release.

4.Additional Agreements and Understandings. Even though NOG will provide consideration for me to settle and release My Claims, the Company does not admit that it is responsible or legally obligated to me. In fact, the Company denies that it is responsible or legally obligated to me for My Claims, denies that it engaged in any unlawful or improper conduct toward me, and denies that it treated me unfairly.

5.Return of Property. I represent that I have returned to NOG all materials, documents, equipment, confidential information and other property of the Company in accordance with the Employment Agreement. I agree that if I later discover any additional Company property or in my possession or control, I will promptly return it to NOG.

6.Confidentiality. I understand that the terms of this Waiver and Release are confidential and that I may not disclose those terms to any person except my spouse, my legal counsel or tax advisor(s), or as may be required by law. If I disclose any such confidential information to any person identified above, I must simultaneously inform the person to whom the disclosure is being made that the person must keep such information strictly confidential and that the person may not disclose such confidential information to any other person without the advance written consent of me and an authorized representative of NOG. Notwithstanding any language above to the contrary, nothing in this Waiver and Release is intended to, and does not, interfere with my rights under federal, state or local civil rights or discrimination laws to file a charge of discrimination with the EEOC or any similar state or local administrative agency, to participate in any investigation or proceeding conducted by the EEOC or any similar state or local agency, or to provide truthful, non-trade secret information to the EEOC or any similar state or local agency or in response to any subpoena or other legal process.

7.Acknowledgment of Continuing Obligations Under My Employment Agreement. I hereby acknowledge and confirm that I remain bound by all terms of my Employment Agreement that survive the termination of my employment with NOG, including all such obligations identified in Sections 10(q) of the Employment Agreement.

8.Advice to Consult with an Attorney. I understand and acknowledge that I am hereby being advised by the Company to consult with an attorney prior to signing this Waiver and Release. My decision whether to sign this Waiver and Release is my own voluntary decision made with full knowledge that the Company has advised me to consult with an attorney.

9.Period to Consider this Waiver and Release. I understand that I have twenty-one (21) days from the date I receive this Waiver and Release or my Termination Date, whichever is later and not counting the day I receive this Waiver and

Release or my Termination Date (as applicable), to consider whether I wish to sign this Waiver and Release. I understand that I may not sign this Waiver and Release prior to my Termination Date. If I sign this Waiver and Release before the end of the 21-day period, it will be my voluntary decision to do so because I have decided that I do not need any additional time to decide whether to sign this Waiver and Release. I agree that any changes made to this Waiver and Release before I sign it, whether material or immaterial, will not restart the 21-day period.

10.My Right to Revoke this Waiver and Release. I understand that I may revoke this Waiver and Release at any time within fifteen (15) days after I sign it, not counting the day upon which I sign it. This Waiver and Release will not become effective or enforceable unless and until the fifteen (15) day revocation period has expired without my revoking it.

11.Procedure for Accepting and Revoking this Waiver and Release. To accept the terms of this Waiver and Release, I must deliver the Waiver and Release, after I have signed and dated it, to NOG by hand or by mail within the twenty-one (21) day period that I have to consider this Waiver and Release. To revoke my acceptance of this Waiver and Release, I must deliver a written, signed statement that I revoke my acceptance to NOG by hand or by mail within the fifteen (15) day revocation period. All deliveries must be made to NOG at the following address:

Attn: General Counsel

Northern Oil and Gas, Inc.

601 Carlson Parkway, Suite 990

Minnetonka, Minnesota 55305

If I choose to deliver my acceptance or the revocation of my acceptance by mail, it must be postmarked within the period stated above and properly addressed to NOG at the address stated above.

12.Interpretation of this Waiver and Release. This Waiver and Release should be interpreted as broadly as possible to achieve my intention to resolve all of My Claims against the Company. If this Waiver and Release is held by a court to be inadequate to release a particular claim encompassed within My Claims, this Waiver and Release will remain in full force and effect with respect to all the rest of My Claims.

13.Governing Law; Jurisdiction. This Waiver and Release shall be interpreted and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Minnesota. I consent to jurisdiction of the courts of the State of Minnesota and/or the federal district courts in Minnesota, for the purpose of resolving all issues of law, equity, or fact, arising out of or in connection with this Waiver and Release, and hereby waive any defense of lack of personal jurisdiction or inconvenient forum.

14.Entire Agreement. I agree that this Waiver and Release contains all the agreements between me and the Company with regard to the matters stated herein and supersedes all prior written or oral understandings or agreements, express or implied, with regard to the matters stated herein; provided, however that my Employment Agreement, any qualified employee benefit plans sponsored by the NOG in which I am a participant, and the applicable grant agreements, board resolutions, and plan documents governing the Securities each shall remain in effect in accordance with their terms. This Waiver and Release may be amended only in writing, signed by me and an authorized representative of NOG.

15.My Representations. I am legally able and entitled to receive the consideration being provided to me in settlement of My Claims. Other than the consideration, which I understand is payable only if I satisfy all conditions described herein, and my final payroll payment and payment for any accrued and unused vacation leave as of my Termination Date not yet paid to me as of the date I sign this Waiver and Release, I represent and confirm that I have been fully paid for all wages, overtime, vacation, commissions, bonuses, and other compensation that I earned during my employment with NOG. I have read this Waiver and Release carefully. I understand all of its terms. In signing this Waiver and Release, I have not relied on any statements or explanations made by the Company except as specifically set forth in this Waiver and Release. I am voluntarily releasing My Claims against the Company. I intend this Waiver and Release to be legally binding.

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My signature below indicates my agreement, understanding, and acceptance of this Waiver and Release and its terms and conditions.

Chad Allen:

Date:

EX-10.14

Exhibit 10.14

AMENDED AND RESTATED EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

This AMENDED AND RESTATED EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (this "Agreement"), is entered into as of June 1, 2018, by and between Northern Oil and Gas, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company") and Adam Dirlam, an individual currently residing in Minnesota (the "Executive").

WHEREAS, the Company currently employs the Executive pursuant to a prior amended and restated employment agreement, dated as of March 11, 2013 (the "Prior Employment Agreement"); and

WHEREAS, theCompany and the Executive mutually desire to enter into this Agreement and mutually agree that the Prior Employment Agreement is null and void;

NOW THEREFORE, for and in consideration of the mutual promises, covenants and obligations contained herein, the Company and the Executive hereby agree as follows:

1.Employment and Duties.

(a)General. The Executive shall serve as "Executive Vice President, Land," reporting to the Company's CEO. The Executive shall have such duties and responsibilities, commensurate with the Executive's position, as may be reasonably assigned to the Executive from time to time by the CEO. The Executive's principal place of employment shall be 601 Carlson Parkway, Suite 990, Minnetonka, Minnesota 55305.

(b)Exclusive Services. For so long as the Executive is employed by the Company, the Executive shall devote his full attention to his duties hereunder, shall faithfully serve the Company, shall in all respects conform to and comply with the lawful and good faith directions and instructions given to him by the Company, and shall use his best efforts to promote and serve the interests of the Company. Further, unless the Company consents in writing, the Executive shall not, directly or indirectly, render services to any other person or organization or otherwise engage in activities that would interfere significantly with his faithful performance of his duties hereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Executive may (i) serve on corporate boards, provided he receives prior permission from the Board; (ii) serve on corporate, civic, children sports organization or charitable boards or engage in charitable activities without remuneration therefor; and (iii) manage personal investments, provided that such activity does not contravene the first sentence of this Section 1(b) or any other provision of this Agreement.

(c)Dodd-Frank Act, Sarbanes-Oxley and Other Applicable Law Requirements. The Executive agrees (i) to abide by any compensation recovery, recoupment, anti-hedging, or other policy applicable to executives of the Company and its affiliates that is hereafter adopted by the Board or a duly authorized committee thereof to comply with applicable law as required by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (the "Dodd-Frank Act"), the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 ("Sarbanes-Oxley"), or other applicable law; and (ii) that the terms and conditions of this Agreement shall be deemed automatically and unilaterally amended to the minimum extent required as may be necessary from time to time to ensure compliance by the Executive and this Agreement with such policies, the Dodd-Frank Act, Sarbanes-Oxley, or other applicable law.

2.Term of Employment. The Executive's employment shall be covered by the terms of this Agreement, effective as of June 1, 2018 (the "Effective Date"), and shall continue for a period of three (3) years ("Term"), unless this Agreement (and the Executive's employment hereunder) is otherwise terminated as set forth in this Agreement. This Agreement shall automatically renew thereafter for subsequent periods of one (1) year ("Renewal Term"), unless either party provides written notice at least thirty (30) days prior to the end of the Term (or any Renewal Term thereafter) or unless this Agreement (and the Executive's employment hereunder) is otherwise terminated as set forth in this Agreement.

3.Compensation and Other Benefits. Subject to the provisions of this Agreement, the Company shall pay and provide the following compensation and other benefits to the Executive during the Term as compensation for services rendered hereunder:

(a)Base Salary.The Company shall pay to the Executive an annual salary (the "Base Salary") at a rate of no less than $250,000 per year, payable in substantially equal installments at such intervals as may be determined by the Company in accordance with the Company's then current ordinary payroll practices as established from time to time. The Base Salary shall be reviewed in good faith by the Compensation Committee of the Board (the "Compensation Committee") not less often than annually.

(b)Performance-Based Restricted Share Grant. Executive shall receive an annual Performance-Based Restricted Share Grant, which shall be subject to performance-based vesting criteria. The parties shall negotiate the Performance-Based Restricted Share Grant in good faith on an annual basis, and the parties shall set forth the mutually agreed-upon terms of the annual Performance-Based Restricted Share Grant in an APPENDIX A to this Agreement on or before March 31^st of each year.

(c)Employee Benefits. The Executive shall be entitled to participate in all employee benefit arrangements that the Company may offer to its executives of a like status from time to time, and as may be amended from time to time. The Company shall contribute the maximum legally permitted amount, but not to exceed $25,000 per calendar year, on behalf of the Executive to the Company's 401(k) plan as an "employee" contribution, as well as any Company matching contribution to which the Executive is entitled under the 401(k) plan. In addition, the Company shall provide a $20,000 annual car allowance to the Executive for car payments and insurance, payable monthly in accordance with the Company’s standard payroll practices.

(d)Expenses. The Company shall reimburse the Executive for reasonable travel, legal and other business-related expenses incurred by the Executive in the fulfillment of his duties hereunder upon presentation of written documentation thereof, in accordance with the applicable expense reimbursement policies and procedures of the Company as in effect from time to time.

4.Rights Upon a Change in Control/Termination of Employment.

(a)Equity Treatment Generally. Upon consummation of a Change in Control during the Term, or any Renewal Term, the effect upon any unvested stock options, warrants, restricted stock and restricted stock units in the Company (including but not limited to any shares granted under this Agreement and any appendixes hereto) held in the name of the Executive (the “Securities”), or any portion thereof, shall (unless otherwise provided for herein) be as provided for under the applicable grant agreements and plan document(s) governing such Securities.

(b)Change in Control & Termination of Employment. In the event that the Executive's employment is terminated by the Company (or a successor to the Company) without Cause or by the Executive for Good Reason, either in connection with a Change in Control or within 12 months after the consummation of a Change in Control, the Executive shall be entitled to receive (A) a lump sum payment (collectively, the "Severance Benefit") equal to the sum of: (x) two times (2x) Base Salary as of the termination date, plus (y) one times (1x) the Executive’s annualized car allowance, plus (z) a lump sum amount equal to twelve (12) months’ worth of the monthly premium payment to continue the Executive’s (and his family’s) existing group health and dental coverage calculated under the applicable provisions of the COBRA Act of 1985, whether or not the Executive actually elects such continuation coverage, and (B) immediate vesting of any Securities granted to the Executive during the course of the Executive's employment (including, but not limited to, any Securities granted under this Agreement and any appendixes hereto), without regard to any other terms or conditions governing such vesting (including, but not limited to, any then-undetermined performance-based vesting criteria set forth in this Agreement and any appendixes hereto). The Severance Benefit shall be paid to the Executive no later than the forty-fifth (45^th) day immediately following the Executive's "separation from service" (as defined under the Code), provided the Executive first executes a release of any and all claims against the Company (set forth in Section 4(f), below) and the revocation period specified therein has expired without the Executive revoking such release. However, if such forty-five (45) day period straddles two (2) taxable years of the Executive, then the Company shall pay the Severance Benefit in the second of such taxable years, regardless of the taxable year in which the Executive actually delivers the executed release of claims. Notwithstanding the foregoing and for avoidance of doubt, if the Executive's employment is terminated (x) at any time by the Company for Cause, or (y) voluntarily by the Executive without Good Reason, then in each case, the Executive shall only be entitled to any unpaid annual Base Salary and unreimbursed business expenses through and including the date of termination and the Executive shall not receive any Severance Benefit.

(c)Termination of Employment without Cause or for Good Reason. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, this Agreement may be terminated by the Company or the Executive, at any time, with or without Cause or Good Reason. In the event that the Executive's employment is terminated by the Company without Cause or by the Executive for Good Reason, the Executive shall be entitled to receive (i) the Severance Benefit; and (ii) immediate vesting of any Securities granted to the Executive during the course of the Executive's employment (including, but not limited to, any Securities granted under this Agreement and any appendixes hereto), without regard to any other terms or conditions governing such vesting (including, but not limited to, any then-undetermined performance-based vesting criteria set forth in this Agreement and any appendixes hereto). The Severance Benefit shall be paid to the Executive no later than the forty-fifth (45^th) day immediately following the Executive's "separation from service" (as defined under the Code), provided the Executive first executes a release of any and all claims against the Company (set forth in Section 4(f), below) and the revocation period specified therein has expired without the Executive revoking such release. However, if such forty-five (45) day period straddles two (2) taxable years of the Executive, then the Company shall pay

the Severance Benefit in the second of such taxable years, regardless of the taxable year in which the Executive actually delivers the executed release of claims.

(d)No Continued Benefits Following Termination. Unless otherwise specifically provided in this Agreement or otherwise required by law, all compensation, equity plans, and benefits payable to the Executive under this Agreement shall terminate on the date of termination of the Executive's employment with the Company under the terms of this Agreement.

(e)Resignation from Directorships and Officerships. The termination of the Executive's employment for any reason shall constitute the Executive's immediate resignation from (i) any officer or employee position the Executive has with the Company, unless mutually agreed upon by the Executive and the Board; and (ii) all fiduciary positions (including as a trustee) the Executive holds with respect to any employee benefit plans or trusts established by the Company. The termination of the Executive’s employment by the Company for Cause (as defined in Section 9(a)) shall constitute the Executive’s immediate and automatic resignation from any position on the Company’s Board of Directors; and the Executive agrees that this Agreement shall serve as written notice of resignation in this circumstance.

(f)Waiver and Release. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement to the contrary, unless expressly waived in writing by the Board in its sole discretion, the Executive shall not be entitled to any Severance Benefit, and the Company shall not pay such Severance Benefit (other than accrued Base Salary and unreimbursed business expenses as of the termination date), unless the Executive timely executes and delivers to the Company a general release (which shall be provided by the Company not later than five (5) days from the date on which the Executive's employment is terminated and be substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A), whereby the Executive (or his estate or legally appointed personal representative) releases the Company (and affiliates of the Company and other designated persons) from all employment based or related claims of the Executive and all obligations of the Company to the Executive other than with respect to (x) the Company's obligations to make and provide the Severance Benefit and (y) any vested benefits to which the Executive is entitled under the terms of any Company benefit or equity plan, and the Executive does not revoke such release within any applicable revocation period following the Executive's delivery of the executed release to the Company. If the requirements of this Section 4(f) are not satisfied by the Executive (or his estate or legally appointed personal representative), then no Severance Benefit (other than accrued Base Salary and unreimbursed business expenses as of the termination date) shall be due to the Executive (or his estate) pursuant to this Agreement.

(g)Notice of Termination. Any termination of employment by the Company or the Executive shall be communicated by a written "Notice of Termination" to the other party hereto given in accordance with Section 10(l) of this Agreement. In the event of a termination by the Company for Cause or by the Executive for Good Reason, the Notice of Termination shall (i) indicate the specific termination provision in this Agreement relied upon, (ii) set forth in reasonable detail the facts and circumstances claimed to provide a basis for termination of the Executive's employment under the provision so indicated, and (iii) specify the date of termination. The failure by the Executive or the Company to set forth in the Notice of Termination any fact or circumstance that contributes to a showing of Cause or Good Reason shall not waive any right of the Executive or the Company, respectively, hereunder or preclude the Executive or the Company, respectively, from asserting such fact or circumstance in enforcing the Executive's or the Company's rights hereunder.

5.Section 280G Payments.

(a)Net-Better After-Tax Provision. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, if the Executive is a "disqualified individual" (as defined in Section 280G(c) of the Code), and the payments and benefits provided for in this Agreement, together with any other payments and benefits which the Executive has the right to receive from the Company or any other person, would constitute a "parachute payment" (as defined in Section 280G(b)(2) of the Code), then the payments and benefits provided for in this Agreement shall be either (a) reduced (but not below zero) so that the present value of such total amounts and benefits received by the Executive from the Company and/or such person(s) will be $1.00 less than three (3) times the Executive's "base amount" (as defined in Section 280G(b)(3) of the Code) and so that no portion of such amounts and benefits received by the Executive shall be subject to the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code or (b) paid in full, whichever produces the better "net after-tax position" to the Executive (taking into account any applicable excise tax under Section 4999 of the Code and any other applicable taxes). The reduction of payments and benefits hereunder, if applicable, shall be made by reducing, first, payments or benefits to be paid in cash hereunder in the order in which such payment or benefit would be paid or provided (beginning with such payment or benefit that would be made last in time and continuing, to the extent necessary, through to such payment or benefit that would be made first in time) and, then, reducing any benefit to be provided in-kind hereunder in a similar order. The determination as to whether any such reduction in the amount of the payments and benefits provided hereunder is necessary shall be made by the Company in good faith. If a reduced payment or benefit is made or provided and through error or otherwise that payment or benefit, when aggregated with other payments and benefits from the Company (or its affiliates) used in determining if a parachute payment exists, exceeds $1.00 less than three (3) times the Executive's base amount, then the Executive

shall immediately repay such excess to the Company upon notification that an overpayment has been made. Nothing in this paragraph shall require the Company to be responsible for, or have any liability or obligation with respect to, the Executive's excise tax liabilities under Section 4999 of the Code.

(b)No Parachute Payment to the Extent Concluded by Tax Opinion. For purposes of Section 5(a), the Company shall not treat any payment or portion thereof as a parachute payment or an "excess parachute payment" (as defined in Section 280G) to the extent the Company receives an opinion, addressed to the Company from a nationally recognized law firm (such as Andrews Kurth LLP) or certified public accounting firm (a "Tax Opinion"), to the effect that if such payment or portion thereof is made, then either (i) such payment or portion thereof would not be a parachute payment or (ii) such payment or portion thereof would not be an excess parachute payment. A Tax Opinion may be based upon reasonable assumptions, limitations and qualifications that such law firm or certified public account firm reasonably believes to be accurate (e.g., assumptions as to matters that can reasonably be expected to be provided or certified by the Executive and/or the Company). The Company and the Executive shall use their respective reasonable best efforts to cooperate with each other and such law firm or certified public accounting firm in connection with a Tax Opinion.

6.Section 409A of the Code. This Agreement is intended to either avoid the application of, or comply with, Section 409A of the Code. To that end this Agreement shall at all times be interpreted in a manner that is consistent with Section 409A of the Code. Notwithstanding any other provision in this Agreement to the contrary, the Company shall have the right, in its sole discretion, to adopt such amendments to this Agreement or take such other actions (including amendments and actions with retroactive effect) as it determines is necessary or appropriate for this Agreement to comply with Section 409A of the Code. Further:

(a)Any reimbursement of any costs and expenses by the Company to the Executive under this Agreement shall be made by the Company within thirty (30) days from the date of Executive’s written and documented reimbursement request. The expenses incurred by the Executive in any calendar year that are eligible for reimbursement under this Agreement shall not affect the expenses incurred by the Executive in any other calendar year that are eligible for reimbursement hereunder and the Executive's right to receive any reimbursement hereunder shall not be subject to liquidation or exchange for any other benefit.

(b)Any payment following a separation from service that would be subject to Section 409A(a)(2)(A)(i) of the Code as a distribution following a separation from service of a "specified employee" (as defined under Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code) shall be made on the first to occur of (i) ten (10) days after the expiration of the six month period following such separation from service, (ii) death or (iii) such earlier date that complies with Section 409A of the Code.

(c)Each payment that the Executive may receive under this Agreement shall be treated as a "separate payment" for purposes of Section 409A of the Code.

7.Confidential Information. During the Term, the Company may provide the Executive (i) with access to and the opportunity to become familiar with its Confidential Information and Trade Secrets; (ii) with continuing training, development and education regarding its procedures, products, services, methods, systems and operations; and (iii) with access to Confidential Information and Trade Secrets about the Company's employees, customers and customers’ employees and agents.

(a) The Executive acknowledges that all notes, data, forms, reference and training materials, leads, memoranda, computer programs, computer print-outs, disks and the information contained in any computer, whether stored locally at the Company or remotely by the Company or others on behalf of the Company, and any other records which contain, reflect or describe any Confidential Information and Trade Secrets, belong exclusively to the Company. Upon the termination of the Executive's employment with the Company, the Executive shall promptly return such materials and all copies thereof in the Executive's possession to the Company, regardless of the cause of the termination of the Executive's employment with the Company.

(b)During the Executive's employment with the Company and thereafter, the Executive will not copy, publish, convey, transfer, disclose or use, directly or indirectly, for the Executive's own benefit or for the benefit of any other person or entity (except the Company) any Confidential Information and Trade Secrets; provided, that any copying or other prohibited use of Confidential Information and Trade Secrets shall not include copying or otherwise using Confidential Information and Trade Secrets in connection with communications with current or potential customers or vendors that the Executive reasonably expects to have a direct benefit to the Company; provided, further, that the Executive shall take any steps reasonably necessary to ensure that Confidential Information and Trade Secrets are not disclosed, by the Executive or by any such potential customers or vendors, to an extent greater than that which is reasonably required to provide such benefit to the Company. The Executive will abide by all rules, guidelines, policies and procedures relating to Confidential Information and Trade Secrets implemented and/or amended from time to time by Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in this Agreement shall apply to limit the Executive’s ability to make statements or disclosures (i) as a witness in or party to a legal proceeding (as may be ordered by

any regulatory agency or court), (ii) as otherwise required by law, or (iii) as may be necessary for the Executive to prosecute any claims relating to the enforcement of this Agreement.

(c)The Executive acknowledges that the Company is a public company registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act") and that this Agreement may be subject to the filing requirements of the Exchange Act.  The Executive acknowledges and agrees that the applicable insider trading rules and limitations on disclosure of non-public information set forth in the Exchange Act and rules and regulations promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") shall apply to this Agreement and the Executive's employment with the Company.  The Executive (on behalf of himself as well as his executors, heirs, administrators and assigns) absolutely and unconditionally agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company and all of its past, present and future affiliates, executors, heirs, administrators, shareholders, employees, officers, directors, attorneys, accountants, agents, representatives, predecessors, successors and assigns from any and all claims, debts, demands, accounts, judgments, causes of action, equitable relief, damages, costs, charges, complaints, obligations, controversies, actions, suits, proceedings, expenses, responsibilities and liabilities of every kind and character whatsoever (including, but not limited to, reasonable attorneys' fees and costs) in the event of the Executive's conviction of any violation of the Exchange Act or any rules or regulations promulgated by the SEC.

8.Non-Competition and Non-Solicitation of Customers, Clients and Employees.The Executive agrees that during the Term and the Restricted Period, the Executive will not directly or indirectly, as an employee, officer, director, shareholder, proprietor, agent, partner, recruiter, consultant, independent contractor or in any other individual or representative capacity engage in any of the Restricted Activities in any area within which the Company conducts or is pursuing Company Business, unless such has been previously been approved in writing by the Board after the Executive has provided the Board with full written disclosure of the relevant facts.

(a)"Restricted Period"means eighteen (18) months following termination of the Executive’s employment under this Agreement for any reason, regardless of which party terminates such employment and regardless of the reason for such termination.

(b)"Restricted Activities" means and includes the following:

(i)    Conducting, engaging or participating, directly or indirectly, as the employee, agent, independent contractor, consultant, advisor, partner, shareholder, investor, lender, underwriter or in any other similar capacity, in any business that directly competes with any part of the Company Business, provided, however, that for purposes of this Section 8(b)(i) only, the term Company Business shall be narrowly construed and geographically limited to the states of North Dakota and Montana;

(ii)    Recruiting, hiring, and/or attempting to recruit or hire, directly or by assisting others, any other employee, temporary or permanent contract, part time or full time of the Company or otherwise soliciting any other employee of the Company for any purposes that would directly or indirectly interfere or conflict with the other employee’s employment by the Company. For purposes of this covenant any "other employee" shall refer to employees who provide services to the Company and who are still actively employed by the Company at the time of the attempted recruiting or hiring, or were so employed at any time within six (6) months prior to the time of such attempted recruiting or hiring;

(iii)    Using, disclosing, publishing, copying, distributing or communicating any Confidential Information and Trade Secrets to, or for the use or benefit of the Executive or any other person or entity other than the Company; and

(iv)    Directly or indirectly interfering with any of the Company's relationships with any of its potential customers, clients, or vendors or affiliates thereof.

(c) The Company and the Executive acknowledge that the provisions contained in this Section 8 shall not prevent the Executive or the Executive's affiliates from owning solely as an investment, directly or indirectly, securities of any publicly traded corporation engaged in the Company's Business if the Executive and the Executive's affiliates do not, directly or indirectly, beneficially own in the aggregate more than five percent (5%) of all classes of outstanding equity securities of such entity.

(d)The Executive and the Company agree that the limitations as to time and scope of activity to be restrained are reasonable and do not impose a greater restraint on the Executive than is necessary to protect the property rights and other business interests of Company.

9.Definitions. For the purposes of this Agreement, the following definitions shall apply:

(a)"Affiliate" shall mean, with respect to any Person, any Person that, directly or through one or more intermediaries, is controlled by, controls, or is under common control with, such Person within the meaning of Sections 414(b) or (c) of the Code; provided that, in applying such provisions, the phrase "at least 50 percent" shall be used in place of "at least 80 percent" each place it appears therein.

(b)"Beneficial Owner" shall mean a Person who has beneficial ownership of any securities:

(i)which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates has the right to acquire (whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding, or upon the exercise of conversion rights, exchange rights, rights, warrants or options, or otherwise; provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to beneficially own, (A) securities tendered pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made by or on behalf of such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates until such tendered securities are accepted for purchase, or (B) securities issuable upon exercise of rights issued pursuant to the terms of any Rights Agreement of the Company, at any time before the issuance of such securities;

(ii)which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates, directly or indirectly, has the right to vote or dispose of or has "beneficial ownership" of (as determined pursuant to Rule 13d-3 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act), including pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding; provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the Beneficial Owner of, or to beneficially own, any security under this clause (ii) as a result of an agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote such security if the agreement, arrangement or understanding: (A) arises solely from a revocable proxy or consent given to such Person in response to a public proxy or consent solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with, the applicable rules and regulations under the Exchange Act and (B) is not also then reportable on a Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report); or

(iii)which are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by any other Person with which such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates has any agreement, arrangement or understanding for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting (except pursuant to a revocable proxy as described in clause (ii) above) or disposing of any voting securities of the Company.

(c)"Cause" shall mean a termination of the Executive's employment because of: (1) any act or omission that constitutes a material breach by the Executive of any of his obligations under this Agreement, any equity plan or award document, or any other material agreement in writing between the Executive and the Company (other than as a result of Executive’s incapacity due to physical or mental illness); (2) the Executive's conviction of, or plea of nolo contendere to, (A) any felony or (B) another crime involving dishonesty or moral turpitude or which could reflect negatively upon the Company or otherwise impair or impede its operations; (3) the Executive’s conduct in performing under this Agreement that constitutes a material breach of a written policy of the Company or a material violation of the rules of any governmental or regulatory body applicable to the Company that is injurious to the financial condition or business reputation of the Company; (4) the Executive's refusal to follow the reasonable and lawful directions of the Board (other than as a result of Executive’s incapacity due to physical or mental illness); (5) Executive's engaging in fraud, embezzlement, or act of moral turpitude, or any other willful misconduct by the Executive that is materially injurious to the financial condition or business reputation of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates; or (6) a final order of the SEC that causes the Executive to become subject to any of the "bad actor" disqualifications described in Rule 506(d)(1)(i) through (viii), as modified by Rules 506(d)(2) and (d)(3), under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Notwithstanding anything in this Section 9(a) to the contrary, no event or condition described in Sections 9(a)(1), 9(a)(3), 9(a)(4) or 9(a)(5) shall constitute Cause unless (x) within ninety (90) days from the Board first acquiring actual knowledge of the existence of the Cause condition, the Board provides the Executive written notice of its intention to terminate his employment for Cause and the grounds for such termination; (y) such grounds for termination (if susceptible to correction) are not corrected by the Executive within thirty (30) days of his receipt of such notice (or, in the event that such grounds cannot be corrected within such thirty-day (30) period, the Executive has not taken all reasonable steps within such thirty-day (30) period to correct such grounds as promptly as practicable thereafter); and (z) the Board terminates the Executive’s employment with the Company immediately following expiration of such thirty-day (30) period. For purposes of this Section 9(a), any attempt by the Executive to correct a stated Cause shall not be deemed an admission by the Executive that the Board’s assertion of Cause is valid. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, if the Executive's employment with the Company is terminated without Cause, the Company shall have the sole discretion to later use after-acquired evidence to retroactively re-characterize the prior termination as a termination for Cause if such after-acquired evidence supports such an action.

(d)"Change in Control" shall mean the occurrence of any of the following:

(i)any Person (other than (A) the Company, (B) a trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under any employee benefit plan of the Company, (C) an underwriter temporarily holding securities pursuant to an offering of such securities or (D) a corporation owned, directly or indirectly, by the stockholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of stock in the Company ("Excluded Persons")) is or becomes the Beneficial Owner, directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company (not including in the securities beneficially owned by such Person any securities acquired directly from the Company after the Effective Date, pursuant to express authorization by the Board that refers to this exception) representing fifty percent (50%) or more of either the then outstanding shares of common stock of the Company or the combined Voting Power of the Company’s then outstanding voting securities; or

(ii)the following individuals cease for any reason to constitute a majority of the number of directors of the Company then serving: (A) individuals who, on the Effective Date, constituted the Board and (B) any new director (other than a director whose initial assumption of office is in connection with an actual or threatened election contest, including but not limited to a consent solicitation, relating to the election of directors of the Company) whose appointment or election by the Board or nomination for election by the Company’s stockholders was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds (2/3) of the directors then still in office who either were directors on the Effective Date, or whose appointment, election or nomination for election was previously so approved (collectively the "Continuing Directors"); provided, however, that individuals who are appointed to the Board pursuant to or in accordance with the terms of an agreement relating to a merger, consolidation, or share exchange involving the Company (or any direct or indirect subsidiary of the Company) shall not be Continuing Directors for purposes of this definition until after such individuals are first nominated for election by a vote of at least two-thirds (2/3) of the then Continuing Directors and are thereafter elected as directors by the stockholders of the Company at a meeting of stockholders held following consummation of such merger, consolidation, or share exchange; and, provided further, that in the event the failure of any such persons appointed to the Board to be Continuing Directors results in a Change in Control, the subsequent qualification of such persons as Continuing Directors shall not alter the fact that a Change in Control occurred; or

(iii)the consummation of a merger, consolidation or share exchange of the Company with any other entity or the issuance of voting securities of the Company in connection with a merger, consolidation or share exchange of the Company (or any direct or indirect subsidiary of the Company) pursuant to applicable stock exchange requirements, other than (A) a merger, consolidation or share exchange which would result in the voting securities of the Company outstanding immediately prior to such merger, consolidation or share exchange continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into voting securities of the surviving entity or any parent thereof) at least fifty percent (50%) of the combined Voting Power of the voting securities of the Company or such surviving entity or any parent thereof outstanding immediately after such merger, consolidation or share exchange, or (B) a merger, consolidation or share exchange effected to implement a recapitalization of the Company (or similar transaction) in which no Person (other than an Excluded Person) is or becomes the Beneficial Owner, directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company (not including in the securities beneficially owned by such Person any securities acquired directly from the Company after the Effective Date, pursuant to express authorization by the Board that refers to this exception) representing fifty percent (50%) or more of either the then outstanding shares of common stock of the Company or the combined Voting Power of the Company’s then outstanding voting securities; or

(iv)a complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company is effected or there is a sale or disposition by the Company of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets (in one transaction or a series of related transactions within any period of twenty-four (24) consecutive months), other than a sale or disposition by the Company of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets to an entity at least seventy-five percent (75%) of the combined Voting Power of the voting securities of which are owned by Persons in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of the Company immediately prior to such sale.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, (1) no "Change in Control" shall be deemed to have occurred if there is consummated any transaction or series of integrated transactions immediately following which the record holders of the outstanding shares immediately prior to such transaction or series of transactions continue to own, directly or indirectly, in the same proportions as their ownership in the Company, an entity that owns all or substantially all of the assets or voting securities of the Company immediately following such transaction or series of transactions and (2) to the extent necessary for any amounts considered to be deferred compensation subject to Section 409A of the Code to comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code, the definition of "Change in Control" herein shall be amended and interpreted in a manner that allows the definition to satisfy the requirements of a change of control under Section 409A of the Code solely for purposes of complying with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code.

(e)"Company Business" shall mean, except as otherwise provided in Section 8(b)(1), the acquisition, exploration, and development of properties containing oil and natural gas resources for purposes of oil and natural gas production.

(f)"Code" shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, as interpreted by rules and regulations issued pursuant thereto, all as amended and in effect from time to time. Any reference to a specific provision of the Code shall be deemed to include reference to any successor provision thereto.

(g)"Confidential Information and Trade Secrets" may be written, verbal or recorded by electronic, magnetic or other methods, whether or not expressly identified as "Confidential" by the Company, and includes, but is not limited to, the following information and materials:

(i)    Financial information of any kind pertaining to the Company, including, without limitation, information about the profit margins, profitability, pricing, income and expenses of the Company or any of its products or lines of business and also including, without limitation, any and all information and records relating to the Company's contracts or transactions with, or charges, prices or sales to, its customers, including invoices, proposals, confirmations, bills of ladings, statements, accounting records, bids, payment records or any other information or documents regarding amounts charged to or paid by customers, for any products or services which form any part of the Company Business;

(ii)    All information about and all communications received from, sent to or exchanged between the Company and any person or entity which has purchased, licensed, exchanged or otherwise entered into a transaction with the Company, or to which the Company has made a proposal with respect to the purchase, sale, license, exchange or other transaction involving any component, products or services which form any part of the Company Business;

(iii)    All of the Company's technical data and any information pertaining to the Company Business, including, by way of example, research and development, scientific studies or analyses, details or training methods, and oil and gas technology;

(iv)    All customer contact information, which includes information about the identity and location of individuals with decision-making authority at the customer and the particular preferences, needs or requirements of the customer, or such individual, with respect to any of the products, goods, services or equipment which comprise any part of the Company Business, and all information about the particular needs or requirements of a customer based on its geographical, economic or other factors; and

(v)    Employee lists, phone numbers and addresses, pay rates, benefits and compensation packages, training programs and manuals, and other confidential information regarding the Company's personnel.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, "Confidential Information," for purposes of this Agreement, shall not extend to any information:

(i)that is or becomes in the public domain through no wrongful act or fault of the Executive;

(ii)that was already known to the Executive prior to employment with the Company;

(iii)that is obtained by the Executive from a third party who is not under a duty of nondisclosure owed to the Company;

(iv)to which the Executive would not otherwise have access by virtue of his employment with the Company and was independently developed by the Executive without any use of or reliance on any information that, without giving effect to this clause, would be considered Confidential Information and Trade Secrets of the Company; or

(v)is required to be disclosed by law; provided, however, that prior to such disclosure the Executive shall deliver timely notice to the Company of such required disclosure and assist the Company in seeking protective relief thereof.

(h)"Good Reason"means any one of the following:

(i)a material diminution of the Executive's authority or duties (including, without limitation, (1) the continuous assignment to the Executive of any duties materially inconsistent with the Executive's position with the Company, or (2) a material diminution in the nature or status of the Executive's responsibilities) without the Executive's prior written consent;

(ii)the Company effects a material diminution of the Executive's base compensation;

(iii)the Executive is removed from his Executive Vice President position with the Company;

(iv)any requirement that the Executive, without his/her prior written consent, move his/her regular office to a location more than one hundred (100) miles from the Company's current executive offices in Minnetonka, MN; or

(v)any material breach by the Company of this Agreement.

Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, no event or condition described in this Section 9(h) shall constitute Good Reason unless, (i) within ninety (90) days following the Executive's actual knowledge of the event which the Executive determines constitutes Good Reason, the Executive notifies the Company in writing that the Executive has determined a Good Reason exists and specifies the event creating Good Reason, (ii) following receipt of such notice, the Company fails to remedy such event within thirty (30) days, and (iii) the Executive terminates his employment with the Company immediately following the expiration of such thirty-day (30) period. The foregoing conditions must be met for the Executive to have a Good Reason to terminate the Executive's employment.

(i)"Parent" means a "parent corporation," as defined in Section 424(e) of the Code.

(j)"Person" means any individual, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, trust, incorporated or unincorporated organization or association or other legal entity of any kind.

(k)"Subsidiary" means a "subsidiary corporation," as defined in Section 424(f) of the Code, of the Company.

(l)"Voting Power" shall mean the voting power of the outstanding securities of the applicable entity having the right under ordinary circumstances to vote in an election of directors.

10.Miscellaneous.

(a)Defense of Claims. The Executive agrees that, during and following the Term, upon request from the Company, the Executive will cooperate with the Company in the defense of any claims or actions that may be made by or against the Company that affect the Executive's prior areas of responsibility, except if the Executive's reasonable interests are adverse to the Company in such claim or action. The Company agrees to promptly reimburse the Executive for all of the Executive's reasonable legal fees, travel and other direct expenses incurred, or to be reasonably incurred - and, if the Executive is no longer employed with the Company, to compensate the Executive (at a pro rata hourly rate calculated based on the Executive’s Base Salary at the time of the Executive’s separation) for the Executive's time - to comply with the Executive's obligations under this Section 10(a).

(b)Non-Disparagement. The Executive agrees that at no time during or after the termination of the Executive's employment shall the Executive make, or cause or assist any other person to make, any statement or other communication to any third party which impugns or attacks, or is otherwise critical of, the reputation, business or character of the Company or its affiliates or any of its respective directors, officers or employees. Similarly, the Company agrees that at no time following the termination of the Executive's employment shall the Board or the Company's executive officers (as defined in Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) make, cause or assist any other person to make, any statement or other communication to any third party which impugns or attacks, or is otherwise critical of, the reputation, performance or character of the Executive. However, the foregoing shall not apply to: (i) any person's statements as a witness in a legal proceeding (as may be ordered by any regulatory agency or court or as otherwise required by law), or (ii) as may be necessary for either party to prosecute any claims relating to the enforcement of this Agreement.

(c)Source of Payments. All payments provided under this Agreement, other than payments made pursuant to a plan or agreement which provides otherwise, shall be paid in cash from the general funds of the Company, and no special or separate fund shall be established, and no other segregation of assets shall be made, to assure payment. The Executive shall have no right, title or interest whatsoever in or to any investments which the Company may make to aid the Company in meeting its obligations hereunder. To the extent that any person acquires a right to receive payments from the Company hereunder, such right shall be no greater than the right of an unsecured creditor of the Company.

(d)Amendment, Waiver. This Agreement may not be modified, amended or waived in any manner, except by an instrument in writing signed by both parties hereto. The waiver by either party of compliance with any provision of this Agreement by the other party shall not operate or be construed as a waiver of any other provision of this Agreement, or of any subsequent breach by such party of a provision of this Agreement.

(e)Entire Agreement. This Agreement, the Exhibits attached hereto, and the agreements specifically incorporated herein are the entire agreement and understanding of the parties hereto with respect to the matters covered herein

and supersedes all prior or contemporaneous negotiations, commitments, agreements and writings with respect to the subject matter hereof, all such other negotiations, commitments, agreements and writings shall have no further force or effect, and the parties to any such other negotiation, commitment, agreement or writing shall have no further rights or obligations thereunder.

(f)Governing Law/Venue. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Minnesota, without regard to conflict of laws principles thereof. Each party to this Agreement hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts in Minnesota, for the purposes of any proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement.

(g)Severability. In the event that any one or more of the provisions of this Agreement shall be or become invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Agreement shall not be affected thereby.

(h)Reformation of Time, Geographical, and Occupational Limitations. In the event that any provision in this Agreement is held to be unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction because it exceeds the maximum time, geographical, or occupational limitations permitted by applicable law, then such provision(s) shall be and hereby are reformed to the maximum time, geographical, and occupational limitations as may be permitted by applicable law.

(i)Specific Performance/Injunctive Relief. In the event of the Executive's breach or violation of any provision of Section 7 ("Confidential Information"), Section 8 ("Non‑Competition and Non-Solicitation of Customers, Clients and Employees"), or Section 10(b) ("Non-Disparagement"), the parties agree that, in addition to any other remedies it may have, the Company shall be entitled to equitable relief for specific performance, and the Executive hereby agrees and acknowledges that the Company has no adequate remedy at law for the breach of the employment covenants contained herein.

(j)No Assignment. Neither this Agreement nor any of the Executive's rights and duties hereunder, shall be assignable or delegable by the Executive. Any purported assignment or delegation by the Executive in violation of the foregoing shall be null and void ab initio and of no force and effect. This Agreement may be assigned by the Company to a person or entity which is an affiliate or a successor in interest to substantially all of the business operations of the Company. Upon such assignment, the rights and obligations of the Company hereunder shall become the rights and obligations of such affiliate or successor person or entity.

(k)Successors; Binding Agreement. For purposes of Section 7, Section 8, and Section 10(b) only, upon the death of the Executive, this Agreement shall be binding upon personal or legal representatives, executors, administrators, successors, heirs, distributes, devisees and/or legatees.

(l)Notices. For the purpose of this Agreement, notices and all other communications provided for in this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given when delivered by hand or overnight courier or three (3) days after it has been mailed by United States registered mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, addressed to the respective addresses set forth below in this Agreement, or to such other address as either party may have furnished to the other in writing in accordance herewith, except that notice of change of address shall be effective only upon receipt.

If to the Company:        Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. 

Attn: General Counsel

601 Carlson Parkway - Suite 990

Minnetonka, Minnesota 55305

If to the Executive:        Adam Dirlam

To the address on record with the Company

With a Copy to:            Marilyn Clark, Partner

Dorsey & Whitney

50 South Sixth Street

Suite 1500

Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402

(m)Withholding of Taxes. The Company may withhold from any amounts or benefits payable under this Agreement all taxes it may be required to withhold pursuant to any applicable law or regulation.

(n)Headings. The section headings in this Agreement are inserted only as a matter of convenience, and in no way define, limit or interpret the scope of this Agreement or of any particular section.

(o)Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed in counterparts, each of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument.

(p)Survival. This Agreement shall terminate upon the termination of employment of the Executive; however, the following shall survive the termination of the Executive's employment and/or the expiration or termination of this Agreement, regardless of the reasons for such expiration or termination: Section 4 ("Rights Upon a Change in Control/Termination of Employment") and the corresponding Exhibit A ("Waiver and Release"), Section 7 ("Confidential Information"), Section 8 ("Non-Competition and Non-Solicitation of Customers, Clients and Employees"), Section 10(a) ("Defense of Claims"), Section 10(b) ("Non-Disparagement"), Section 10(e) ("Entire Agreement"), Section 10(f) ("Governing Law/Venue"), Section 10(i) ("Specific Performance/Injunctive Relief"), Section 10(k) ("Successors/Binding Agreement"), and Section 10(1) ("Notices").

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have duly executed this Agreement effective as of the Effective Date.

EXECUTIVE:	NORTHERN OIL AND GAS, INC.
/s/ Adam Dirlam Adam Dirlam	By: /s/ Michael Reger Its: CEO
Date: June 1, 2018	Date: June 1, 2018

EXHIBIT A

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

WAIVER AND RELEASE

This Waiver and Release is entered into pursuant to Section 4(f) of the Employment Agreement (the "Agreement") by and between Northern Oil and Gas, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and Adam Dirlam, an individual, as follows:

1.Definitions. I intend all words used in this Waiver and Release to have their plain meanings in ordinary English. Specific terms that I use in this Waiver and Release have the following meanings:

(a)"I", "me", and "my" include both me (Adam Dirlam)and anyone who has or obtains any legal rights or claims through me.

(b)"NOG" means Northern Oil and Gas, Inc., any company or organization related to Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. in the present or past (including without limitation, its predecessors, parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, joint venture partners, and divisions), and any successors of Northern Oil and Gas, Inc.

(c)"Company" means NOG; the present and past officers, directors, managers, committees, members,and employees of NOG; any company providing insurance to NOG in the present or past; the present and past employee benefit plans sponsored or maintained by NOG (other than multiemployer plans) and the present and past fiduciaries of such plans; the attorneys for NOG; and anyone who has acted on behalf of NOG or on instructions from NOG.

(d)"Employment Agreement" means the Employment Agreement between me and NOG entered into as of June 1, 2018.

(e)"My Claims" mean all of my rights that I now have to any relief of any kind from the Company, including without limitation:

(i)All claims arising out of or relating to my employment with NOG or the termination of that employment;

(ii)All claims arising out of or relating to the statements, actions, or omissions of the Company;

(iii)All claims for any alleged unlawful discrimination, harassment, retaliation or reprisal, or other alleged unlawful practices arising under any federal, state, or local statute, ordinance, or regulation, including without limitation, claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Civil Rights Act of 1991, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. § 1981, the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act of 1990, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, the Equal Pay Act, the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, the Family Medical Leave Act, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Minnesota Human Rights Act, the Minnesota wage-hour and wage-payment laws, Minnesota's Worker's Compensation Act and non-retaliation statutes;

(iv)All claims for alleged wrongful discharge; breach of contract; breach of implied contract; failure to keep any promise; breach of a covenant of good faith and fair dealing; breach of fiduciary duty; estoppel; my activities, if any, as a "whistleblower"; defamation; infliction of emotional distress; fraud; misrepresentation; negligence; harassment; retaliation or reprisal; constructive discharge; assault; battery; false imprisonment; invasion of privacy; interference with contractual or business relationships; any other wrongful employment practices; and violation of any other principle of common law;

(v)All claims for compensation of any kind, including without limitation, bonuses, commissions, expense reimbursements, and vacation pay (other than my final payroll payment and any payment for accrued and unused vacation leave as of the day upon which my employment with NOG terminates (the "Termination Date") not yet paid to me as of the date I sign this Waiver and Release);

(vi)All claims for back pay, front pay, reinstatement, other equitable relief, compensatory damages, damages for alleged personal injury, liquidated damages, and punitive damages;

(vii)Any claim that a past unlawful decision has or has had a continuing effect on my compensation; and

(viii)All claims for attorneys' fees, costs, and interest.

However, My Claims do not include (i) any claims that the law does not allow to be waived, (ii) any claims that may arise after the date on which I sign this Waiver and Release, (iii) my rights to indemnification under applicable law, any indemnification agreement with the Company, or the charter documents of the Company (or any successor), (iv) my rights under any insurance policy maintained by the Company (or any successor), (v) my right to receive reimbursements for reasonable business expenses accrued prior to my Termination Date and not yet paid to me as of the date I sign this Waiver and Release, (vi) my right to receive my final payroll payment or payment for any accrued and unused vacation leave as of my Termination Date if not yet paid to me as of the date I sign this Waiver and Release, (vii) my rights to receive benefits to which I am entitled under the Employment Agreement, and (viii) any rights I have related to the any options, warrants, restricted stock, restricted stock units or other equity interests in the Company (the "Securities"), which shall continue to be governed by and subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable grant agreements, board resolutions, and plan documents governing the Securities (including, to the extent applicable, the Employment Agreement). Furthermore, I understand that nothing in this Waiver and Release prevents me from filing a claim against NOG with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ("EEOC") or any comparable state or local agency or participating in any such agency's investigation of NOG, but I acknowledge and agree that this Waiver and Release waives and releases, to the fullest extent legally permissible, my entitlement to any form of personal relief arising from any such claim that I or others may file. 

2.Consideration. I will receive consideration from NOG in accordance with Section 4 of the Employment Agreement provided I sign and do not rescind this Waiver and Release as provided below and otherwise satisfy all other conditions to such receipt under this Waiver and Release. I understand and acknowledge that the consideration I am receiving is in addition to anything of value that I would be entitled to receive from NOG if I did not sign this Waiver and Release or if I revoked this Waiver and Release.

3.Agreement to Waive and Release My Claims.In exchange for the consideration from NOG, I give up and release all of My Claims and agree to the other terms of this Waiver and Release. I will not make any demands or claims against the Company for compensation or damages relating to My Claims. The consideration that I am receiving is a fair compromise for the release of My Claims and my agreement to the other terms of this Waiver and Release.

4.Additional Agreements and Understandings. Even though NOG will provide consideration for me to settle and release My Claims, the Company does not admit that it is responsible or legally obligated to me. In fact, the Company denies that it is responsible or legally obligated to me for My Claims, denies that it engaged in any unlawful or improper conduct toward me, and denies that it treated me unfairly.

5.Return of Property. I represent that I have returned to NOG all materials, documents, equipment, confidential information and other property of the Company in accordance with the Employment Agreement. I agree that if I later discover any additional Company property or in my possession or control, I will promptly return it to NOG.

6.Confidentiality. I understand that the terms of this Waiver and Release are confidential and that I may not disclose those terms to any person except my spouse, my legal counsel or tax advisor(s), or as may be required by law. If I disclose any such confidential information to any person identified above, I must simultaneously inform the person to whom the disclosure is being made that the person must keep such information strictly confidential and that the person may not disclose such confidential information to any other person without the advance written consent of me and an authorized representative of NOG. Notwithstanding any language above to the contrary, nothing in this Waiver and Release is intended to, and does not, interfere with my rights under federal, state or local civil rights or discrimination laws to file a charge of discrimination with the EEOC or any similar state or local administrative agency, to participate in any investigation or proceeding conducted by the EEOC or any similar state or local agency, or to provide truthful, non-trade secret information to the EEOC or any similar state or local agency or in response to any subpoena or other legal process.

7.Acknowledgment of Continuing Obligations Under My Employment Agreement. I hereby acknowledge and confirm that I remain bound by all terms of my Employment Agreement that survive the termination of my employment with NOG, including all such obligations identified in Sections 10(q) of the Employment Agreement.

8.Advice to Consult with an Attorney. I understand and acknowledge that I am hereby being advised by the Company to consult with an attorney prior to signing this Waiver and Release. My decision whether to sign this Waiver and Release is my own voluntary decision made with full knowledge that the Company has advised me to consult with an attorney.

9.Period to Consider this Waiver and Release. I understand that I have twenty-one (21) days from the date I receive this Waiver and Release or my Termination Date, whichever is later and not counting the day I receive this Waiver and

Release or my Termination Date (as applicable), to consider whether I wish to sign this Waiver and Release. I understand that I may not sign this Waiver and Release prior to my Termination Date. If I sign this Waiver and Release before the end of the 21-day period, it will be my voluntary decision to do so because I have decided that I do not need any additional time to decide whether to sign this Waiver and Release. I agree that any changes made to this Waiver and Release before I sign it, whether material or immaterial, will not restart the 21-day period.

10.My Right to Revoke this Waiver and Release. I understand that I may revoke this Waiver and Release at any time within fifteen (15) days after I sign it, not counting the day upon which I sign it. This Waiver and Release will not become effective or enforceable unless and until the fifteen (15) day revocation period has expired without my revoking it.

11.Procedure for Accepting and Revoking this Waiver and Release. To accept the terms of this Waiver and Release, I must deliver the Waiver and Release, after I have signed and dated it, to NOG by hand or by mail within the twenty-one (21) day period that I have to consider this Waiver and Release. To revoke my acceptance of this Waiver and Release, I must deliver a written, signed statement that I revoke my acceptance to NOG by hand or by mail within the fifteen (15) day revocation period. All deliveries must be made to NOG at the following address:

Attn: General Counsel

Northern Oil and Gas, Inc.

601 Carlson Parkway, Suite 990

Minnetonka, Minnesota 55305

If I choose to deliver my acceptance or the revocation of my acceptance by mail, it must be postmarked within the period stated above and properly addressed to NOG at the address stated above.

12.Interpretation of this Waiver and Release. This Waiver and Release should be interpreted as broadly as possible to achieve my intention to resolve all of My Claims against the Company. If this Waiver and Release is held by a court to be inadequate to release a particular claim encompassed within My Claims, this Waiver and Release will remain in full force and effect with respect to all the rest of My Claims.

13.Governing Law; Jurisdiction. This Waiver and Release shall be interpreted and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Minnesota. I consent to jurisdiction of the courts of the State of Minnesota and/or the federal district courts in Minnesota, for the purpose of resolving all issues of law, equity, or fact, arising out of or in connection with this Waiver and Release, and hereby waive any defense of lack of personal jurisdiction or inconvenient forum.

14.Entire Agreement. I agree that this Waiver and Release contains all the agreements between me and the Company with regard to the matters stated herein and supersedes all prior written or oral understandings or agreements, express or implied, with regard to the matters stated herein; provided, however that my Employment Agreement, any qualified employee benefit plans sponsored by the NOG in which I am a participant, and the applicable grant agreements, board resolutions, and plan documents governing the Securities each shall remain in effect in accordance with their terms. This Waiver and Release may be amended only in writing, signed by me and an authorized representative of NOG.

15.My Representations. I am legally able and entitled to receive the consideration being provided to me in settlement of My Claims. Other than the consideration, which I understand is payable only if I satisfy all conditions described herein, and my final payroll payment and payment for any accrued and unused vacation leave as of my Termination Date not yet paid to me as of the date I sign this Waiver and Release, I represent and confirm that I have been fully paid for all wages, overtime, vacation, commissions, bonuses, and other compensation that I earned during my employment with NOG. I have read this Waiver and Release carefully. I understand all of its terms. In signing this Waiver and Release, I have not relied on any statements or explanations made by the Company except as specifically set forth in this Waiver and Release. I am voluntarily releasing My Claims against the Company. I intend this Waiver and Release to be legally binding.

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My signature below indicates my agreement, understanding, and acceptance of this Waiver and Release and its terms and conditions.

Adam Dirlam:

Date:

EX-10.15

Exhibit 10.15

Performance-Based Award Agreement

Double Trigger

NORTHERN OIL AND GAS, INC.

2013 INCENTIVE PLAN

Restricted Stock Award Agreement

Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. (the “Company”), pursuant to its 2013 Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), hereby grants an award of Restricted Stock to you, the Participant named below. The Restricted Stock Award is governed by this Restricted Stock Award Agreement (this “Agreement”), consisting of this cover page and the Terms and Conditions and Exhibit A on the following pages, and the Plan document, a copy of which has been provided to you. Unless otherwise indicated herein, to the extent any capitalized term used in this Agreement is not defined, it shall have the meaning assigned to it in the Plan as it currently exists or as it is amended in the future.

Name of Participant:
Number of Shares of Restricted Stock:	Grant Date:

By signing below or otherwise evidencing your acceptance of this Agreement in a manner approved by the Company, you agree to all of the terms and conditions contained in this Agreement and in the Plan document. You acknowledge that you have reviewed these documents and that they set forth the entire agreement between you and the Company regarding your rights and obligations in connection with this Restricted Stock Award; provided, however, that to the extent any term of this Agreement is inconsistent with the terms of any then-effective written employment or severance agreement between you and the Company or any Affiliate, such written employment or severance agreement shall govern (so long as not in violation of the Plan). You acknowledge that you have had an opportunity to have this Agreement and the Plan reviewed by your legal and tax advisers, and hereby attest that you are relying solely on such advisors and not on any statements or representations of the Company or any of its agents or Affiliates. You hereby agree that all questions of interpretation and administration relating to this Agreement and the Plan shall be solely resolved by the Committee.

PARTICIPANT:	NORTHERN OIL AND GAS, INC.
	By: Name: Title:

Northern Oil and Gas, Inc.

2013 Incentive Plan

Restricted Stock Award Agreement

Terms and Conditions

1. Grant of Restricted Stock. The Company hereby grants to you, as of the Grant Date specified on the cover page of this Agreement and subject to the terms and conditions in this Agreement and the Plan, an Award of the number of Shares of Restricted Stock specified on the cover page of this Agreement. Unless and until these Shares vest as provided in Section 4 below, they are subject to the restrictions specified in Section 3 of this Agreement and are referred to as “Restricted Shares.”

2. Delivery of Restricted Shares. As soon as practicable after the Grant Date, the Company will issue one or more certificates for, or cause its transfer agent to maintain a book entry account reflecting the issuance of, the Restricted Shares in your name. The Secretary of the Company, or the Company's transfer agent, will hold the certificate(s) for the Restricted Shares, or cause such Restricted Shares to be maintained as restricted shares in a book entry account, until the Restricted Shares either vest as provided in Section 4 or are forfeited as provided in Section 6. Any certificate(s) issued for Restricted Shares will bear the legend specified in Section 10, and any book entry accounts that reflect the issuance of such Restricted Shares will be accompanied by comparable stop transfer instructions. Your right to receive this Restricted Stock Award is conditioned upon your execution and delivery to the Company of all stock powers or other instruments of assignment that may be necessary to permit transfer to the Company of all or a portion of the Restricted Shares if such Restricted Shares are forfeited in whole or in part.

3. Applicable Restrictions.

(a)    Beginning on the Grant Date, you shall have all rights and privileges of a stockholder of the Company with respect to the Restricted Shares except as follows (the “Restrictions”):

(i) dividends and other distributions declared and paid with respect to the Restricted Shares before they vest shall be subject to Section 3(c);

(ii) none of the Restricted Shares may be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged or otherwise encumbered, subjected to a levy or attachment or disposed of before they vest other than a transfer upon your death in accordance with your will, by the laws of descent and distribution or pursuant to a beneficiary designation submitted in accordance with Section 6(d) of the Plan; and

(iii) all or a portion of the Restricted Shares may be forfeited in accordance with Section 6.

(b)    Any attempt to transfer or dispose of any Restricted Shares in a manner contrary to the Restrictions shall be void and of no effect.

(c)    You will be entitled to receive regular cash dividends with respect to outstanding Restricted Shares, but any other dividends or distributions payable or distributable with respect to outstanding Restricted Shares, including any Shares or other property or securities distributable as the result of any equity restructuring or other change in corporate capitalization described in Section 12(a) of the Plan, shall be retained and held by the Company subject to the same Restrictions, performance and vesting conditions and any other terms of this Agreement to which the underlying Restricted Shares are subject. At the time the underlying Restricted Shares vest, the Company shall deliver to you (without interest) the portion of such retained dividends and distributions that relate to the Shares that have vested. In the event that the underlying Restricted Shares are forfeited, the portion of such retained dividends and distributions that relate to such Shares shall also be forfeited.

4. Vesting of Restricted Shares.

(a)Scheduled Vesting. If you remain a Service Provider continuously from the Grant Date specified on the cover page of this Agreement, then the Restricted Shares will vest in accordance with the performance criteria and vesting schedule set forth on Exhibit A.

(b)Accelerated Vesting. Notwithstanding Section 4(a), any Restricted Shares that have not previously been vested or forfeited will vest in full upon the earliest to occur of:

(1) the termination of your Service because of your death or Disability;

(2) the involuntary termination of your Service for reasons other than Cause, or your voluntary termination of your Service for Good Reason, in either case occurring on or within 12 months after a Corporate Transaction under the circumstances described in Section 12(b)(1) of the Plan or on or within 12 months after a Change in Control that does not involve a Corporate Transaction;

(3) a Corporate Transaction that occurs while you continue to be a Service Provider and that does not entail the continuation, assumption or replacement of this Restricted Stock Award as contemplated by Section 12(b)(2) of the Plan; or

(4) any accelerated vesting provided for in any then-current written employment or severance agreement between the Company and you.

For the purposes of this Section 4(b), “Cause” and “Good Reason” shall have the meanings ascribed to them in any then-current written employment or severance agreement between the Company and you. If there is no such agreement, or such terms are not defined in any such agreement, then (i) “Cause” shall have the meaning ascribed to it under the Plan and (ii) “Good Reason” shall mean any of the following acts by the Company (or the Affiliate to which you provide Service) which occur without your written consent: (A) a material diminution of your authority or duties (including, without limitation, the continuous assignment to you of any duties materially inconsistent with your position with the Company, or a material diminution in the nature or status of your responsibilities); (B) a material diminution of your base compensation; (C) any requirement that you move your regular office to a location more than one hundred (100) miles from the Company's current headquarters as of the Grant Date; or (D) any material breach by the Company of any then-current written employment or severance agreement between the Company and you; provided that, if relying on the foregoing definition of “Good Reason,” Good Reason shall not exist unless you have first provided written notice to the Company of the occurrence of one or more of the conditions under clauses (A) through (D) of this paragraph within 90 days of the condition’s initial occurrence, and such condition is not fully remedied by the Company within 30 days after the Company’s receipt of written notice from you.

5. Release of Unrestricted Shares. Upon the vesting of Restricted Shares and the corresponding lapse of the Restrictions, and after the Company has determined that all conditions to the release of unrestricted Shares, including Section 8 of this Agreement, have been satisfied, it shall release to you the unrestricted Shares, as evidenced by issuance of a stock certificate without restrictive legend, by electronic delivery of such Shares to a brokerage account designated by you, or by an unrestricted book-entry registration of such Shares with the Company’s transfer agent.

6. Forfeiture of Restricted Shares. Subject to Section 4(b) and the terms of any then-effective written employment or severance agreement between you and the Company, if your Service terminates before all of the Restricted Shares have vested, or if you attempt to transfer Restricted Shares in a manner contrary to the Restrictions, you will immediately forfeit all unvested Restricted Shares, which shall be returned to the Company for cancellation. In addition, at such time as the Compensation Committee determines performance relative to the performance-based vesting conditions as described on Exhibit A hereto, any Restricted Shares that may no longer vest as a result of the level of performance that has been achieved shall be immediately forfeited and returned to the Company for cancellation.

7. 83(b) Election. You may make and file with the Internal Revenue Service an election under Section 83(b) of the Code with respect to the grant of the Restricted Shares hereunder, electing to include in your gross income as of the Grant Date the Fair Market Value of the Restricted Shares as of the Grant Date. You shall promptly provide a copy of such election to the Company. If you make and file such an election, you shall make such arrangements in accordance with Section 8 as are satisfactory to the Committee to provide for the timely payment of all applicable withholding taxes. You are strongly encouraged to seek the advice of your own tax consultants in connection with the Restricted Shares granted pursuant to the Plan and this Agreement, and the advisability of filing an election under Section 83(b) of the Code.

YOU ACKNOLWEDGE THAT IT IS YOUR SOLE RESPONSIBILITY AND NOT THE COMPANY'S OR ANY AFFILIATE TO TIMELY FILE AN ELECTION UNDER SECTION 83(b) OF THE CODE, EVEN IF YOU REQUEST THE COMPANY, AFFILIATE OR THEIR REPRESENTATIVE TO MAKE THIS FILING ON YOUR BEHALF.

8. Withholding Taxes. You hereby authorize the Company (or any Affiliate) to withhold from payroll or other amounts payable to you any sums required to satisfy any federal, state, local or foreign withholding taxes that may be due as a result of the receipt or vesting of Restricted Shares, and the Company may defer the release to you of any and all unrestricted Shares until you have made arrangements acceptable to the Company for payment of all such withholding taxes in accordance with the provisions of Section 14 of the Plan. You may satisfy some or all of such withholding tax obligations by delivering Shares you already own or by forfeiting and directing the Company to retain a portion of the unrestricted Shares that would otherwise be released to you.

9. Legality of Initial Issuance. No Restricted Shares shall be issued unless and until the Committee has determined that: (i) you and the Company have taken all actions required to register the Restricted Shares under the Securities Act of 1933 or to perfect an exemption from the registration requirements thereof, if applicable; (ii) all applicable listing requirements of any stock exchange or other securities market on which the Restricted Shares are listed have been satisfied; and (iii) any other applicable provision of state or U.S. federal law or other applicable law has been satisfied.

10. Restrictive Legend. Any certificate representing Restricted Shares shall bear the following legend:

THE SHARES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE ARE SUBJECT TO SUBSTANTIAL RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFER, AND THE POSSIBLE FORFEITURE OF SUCH SHARES TO NORTHERN OIL AND GAS, INC. WITHOUT CONSIDERATION, AS SET FORTH IN A RESTRICTED STOCK AWARD AGREEMENT BETWEEN NORTHERN OIL AND GAS, INC. AND THE REGISTERED OWNER OF THE SHARES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE. A COPY OF SUCH AGREEMENT IS ON FILE WITH THE SECRETARY OF THE COMPANY AND WILL BE FURNISHED UPON WRITTEN REQUEST TO THE SECRETARY OF THE COMPANY BY THE REGISTERED OWNER.

You agree that in order to ensure compliance with the restrictions referred to in this Agreement, the Company may issue appropriate “stop transfer” instructions to its transfer agent. The Company shall not be required (i) to transfer on its books any Shares that have purportedly been sold or otherwise transferred in violation of any of the provisions of this Agreement or (ii) to treat as owner of such Shares or to accord the right to vote or pay dividends to any transferee to whom such Shares shall have been purportedly sold or transferred in violation of any of the provisions of this Agreement.

11. Governing Plan Document. This Agreement and the Restricted Stock Award are subject to all the provisions of the Plan, and to all interpretations, rules and regulations which may, from time to time, be adopted and promulgated by the Committee pursuant to the Plan. If there is any conflict between the provisions of this Agreement and the Plan, the provisions of the Plan will govern. Any question or dispute regarding the interpretation of this Agreement or the receipt of the Restricted Shares or Shares hereunder shall be submitted by you to the Committee. The resolution of such dispute by the Committee shall be final and binding on all parties.

12. Governing Law/Venue. This Agreement will be interpreted and enforced under the laws of the state of Minnesota (without regard to its conflicts or choice of law principles). Each party to this Agreement hereby irrevocable submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts in Minnesota, for the purposes of any proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement.

13. Binding Effect. This Agreement will be binding in all respects on your heirs, representatives, successors and assigns, and on the successors and assigns of the Company.

14. Continued Service. This Agreement does not give you a right to continued Service with the Company or any Affiliate, and the Company or any such Affiliate may terminate your Service at any time and otherwise deal with you without regard to the effect it may have upon you under this Agreement.

15. Counterparts.This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, any of which may be executed and transmitted by facsimile or email of a PDF, and each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all of which together shall be deemed to be one and the same instrument.

16. Construction; Severability. The captions used in this Agreement are inserted for convenience and in no way define, limit or interpret the scope of this Agreement or of a particular section. Except where otherwise indicated by the context, the singular shall include the plural and the plural shall include the singular. Use of the term “or” is not intended to be exclusive, unless the context clearly requires otherwise. The validity, legality or enforceability of the remainder of this Agreement shall not be affected even if one or more of the provisions of this Agreement shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect.

17. Waiver. Failure to insist upon strict compliance with any of the terms, covenants, or conditions hereof will not be deemed to be a waiver of such term, covenant, or condition, nor will any waiver or relinquishment of, or failure to insist upon strict compliance with, any right or power hereunder at any one or more times be deemed to be a waiver or relinquishment of such right or power at any other time or times.

18. Notices. Every notice or other communication relating to this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be mailed to or delivered to the party for whom it is intended at such address as may from time to time be designated by it in a notice mailed or delivered to the other party as herein provided. Unless and until some other address is so designated, all notices or communications by you to the Company shall be mailed or delivered to the Company at its office at 601 Carlson Pkwy, Suite 990, Minnetonka, Minnesota 55305, fax 952-476-9801, and all notices or communications by the Company to you may be given to you personally or may be mailed or emailed to you at the applicable address indicated in the Company's records as your most recent mailing or email address.

By signing the cover page of this Agreement or otherwise accepting this Award in a manner approved by the Company, you agree to all the terms and conditions contained in this Agreement and in the Plan document.

EX-12.1

Exhibit 12.1

Calculation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges

Northern Oil and Gas, Inc.

	Year Ended December 31,													Six Months Ended June 30, 2018
	2013		2014		2015			2016			2017
Earnings (Deficit) Before Income Taxes	$	84,834,650	$	263,112,945	$	(1,177,778,745	)	$	(294,895,887	)	$	(10,763,788	)	$	(93,581,601	)
Add:
Fixed Charges	38,688,300		46,517,384		59,869,939			64,854,615			70,450,324			45,591,817
Subtract:
Capitalized Interest	5,976,981		4,409,544		1,506,172			356,196			147,775			73,235
Total Earnings (Deficit) Before Fixed Charges	117,545,969		305,220,785		(1,119,414,978		)	(230,397,468		)	59,538,761			(48,063,019		)
Fixed Charges
Interest Expense	32,709,056		42,105,676		58,360,387			64,485,623			70,286,341			45,510,134
Capitalized Interest	5,976,981		4,409,544		1,506,172			356,196			147,775			73,235
Estimated Interest Component of Rent	2,263		2,164		3,380			12,796			16,208			8,448
Total Fixed Charges	38,688,300		46,517,384		59,869,939			64,854,615			70,450,324			45,591,817
Ratio of Earnings (Deficit) to Fixed Charges(1)	3.0x		6.6x		(18.7)x(2)			(3.6)x(2)			0.9x(2)			(1.1)x(3)

_______________

(1) The Company had no preferred stock outstanding for any period presented, and accordingly, the ratio of earnings to combined fixed charges and preferred stock dividends is the same as the ratio of earnings to fixed charges.

(2) Earnings were insufficient to cover fix charges by approximately $10.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2017. Earnings were insufficient to cover fixed charges by approximately $295.3 million and $1,179.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively, due primarily to a non-cash impairment charge.

(3) Earnings were insufficient to cover fix charges by approximately $93.7 million for the six months ended June 30, 2018 due primarily to a non-cash loss on the extinguishment of debt.

EX-31.1

Exhibit 31.1

CERTIFICATION

I, Brandon Elliott certify that:

1. I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Northern Oil and Gas, Inc.;

2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4. The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared; and

b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles; and

c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting;

5. The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

a) All significant deficiencies and material weakness in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

Dated:  August 9, 2018	By:  /s/ Brandon Elliott
	Brandon Elliott Principal Executive Officer

EX-31.2

Exhibit 31.2

CERTIFICATION

I, Nick O'Grady certify that:

1. I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Northern Oil and Gas, Inc.;

2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4. The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared; and

b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles; and

c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting;

5. The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

a) All significant deficiencies and material weakness in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

Dated:  August 9, 2018	By:  /s/ Nick O'Grady
	Nick O'Grady Principal Financial Officer

EX-32.1

Exhibit 32.1

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO

18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350

AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO

SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

In connection with the Quarterly Report of Northern Oil and Gas, Inc., (the “Company”) on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended June 30, 2018, as filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof, (the “Report”), the undersigned officers of the Company hereby certifies, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that to the best of his knowledge:

(1) The Report fully complies with the requirements of section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

(2) The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.

Dated:  August 9, 2018	By:  /s/ Brandon Elliott
	Brandon Elliott Principal Executive Officer

Dated:  August 9, 2018	By:  /s/ Nick O'Grady
	Nick O'Grady Principal Financial Officer

A signed original of this written statement required by Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 has been provided to the Company and will be retained by the Company and furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff upon request.

XML

Document and Entity Information - shares	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018	Jul. 31, 2018
Document and Entity Information [Abstract]
Entity Registrant Name	NORTHERN OIL & GAS, INC.
Entity Central Index Key	0001104485
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Entity Filer Category	Accelerated Filer
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding (in shares)		296,692,648
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2018
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q2
Document Type	10-Q
Amendment Flag	false
Document Period End Date	Jun. 30, 2018

XML

CONDENSED BALANCE SHEETS - USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Current Assets:
Cash and Cash Equivalents	$ 200,924,143	$ 102,183,191
Accounts Receivable, Net	68,273,411	46,851,682
Advances to Operators	416,002	604,977
Prepaid and Other Expenses	5,584,787	2,333,288
Income Tax Receivable	785,016	785,016
Total Current Assets	275,983,359	152,758,154
Oil and Natural Gas Properties, Full Cost Method of Accounting
Proved	2,754,032,103	2,585,490,133
Unproved	1,829,834	1,699,344
Other Property and Equipment	963,364	981,303
Total Property and Equipment	2,756,825,301	2,588,170,780
Less – Accumulated Depreciation, Depletion and Impairment	(2,155,812,722)	(2,114,951,189)
Total Property and Equipment, Net	601,012,579	473,219,591
Deferred Income Taxes (Note 9)	785,000	785,000
Other Noncurrent Assets, Net	5,301,565	5,490,934
Total Assets	883,082,503	632,253,679
Current Liabilities:
Accounts Payable	92,176,052	93,152,297
Accrued Expenses	5,916,909	6,339,425
Accrued Interest	4,859,913	4,836,112
Debt Exchange Derivative	10,923,000	0
Derivative Instruments	43,644,644	18,681,891
Asset Retirement Obligations	483,365	565,521
Total Current Liabilities	158,003,883	123,575,246
Long-term Debt, Net	834,767,656	979,324,222
Derivative Instruments	28,611,421	11,496,929
Asset Retirement Obligations	9,399,503	8,562,607
Other Noncurrent Liabilities	120,298	135,225
Total Liabilities	1,030,902,761	1,123,094,229
Commitments and Contingencies (Note 8)
STOCKHOLDERS’ DEFICIT
Preferred Stock, Par Value $.001; 5,000,000 Authorized, No Shares Outstanding	0	0
Common Stock, Par Value $.001; 450,000,000 Authorized (6/30/2018 – 293,600,269 Shares Outstanding and 12/31/2017 – 66,791,633 Shares Outstanding)	293,600	66,792
Additional Paid-In Capital	886,041,475	449,666,390
Retained Deficit	(1,034,155,333)	(940,573,732)
Total Stockholders’ Deficit	(147,820,258)	(490,840,550)
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ DEFICIT	$ 883,082,503	$ 632,253,679

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CONDENSED BALANCE SHEETS (Parenthetical) - $ / shares	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]
Preferred stock, par value (dollars per share)	$ 0.001	$ 0.001
Preferred stock, shares authorized (shares)	5,000,000	5,000,000
Preferred stock, shares outstanding (in shares)	0	0
Common stock, par value (dollars per share)	$ 0.001	$ 0.001
Common stock, shares authorized (shares)	450,000,000	450,000,000
Common stock, shares outstanding (in shares)	293,600,269	66,791,633

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CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS - USD ($)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017
REVENUES
Gain (Loss) on Derivative Instruments, Net	$ (42,202,788)	$ 16,513,032	$ (62,474,239)	$ 33,473,915
Total Revenues	66,845,899	64,901,882	133,459,362	130,718,733
OPERATING EXPENSES
Production Expenses	14,548,922	12,137,540	27,037,344	23,811,889
Production Taxes	10,131,843	4,439,774	18,054,157	8,901,040
General and Administrative Expenses	3,251,239	4,317,139	4,918,114	7,926,083
Depletion, Depreciation, Amortization and Accretion	22,596,028	13,682,452	41,226,657	26,510,595
Total Operating Expenses	50,528,032	34,576,905	91,236,272	67,149,607
INCOME FROM OPERATIONS	16,317,867	30,324,977	42,223,090	63,569,126
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE)
Interest Expense, Net of Capitalization	(22,403,373)	(16,428,164)	(45,510,134)	(32,731,970)
Write-off of Debt Issuance Costs	0	(95,135)	0	(95,135)
Loss on the Extinguishment of Debt	(90,832,975)	0	(90,832,975)	0
Other Income	371,783	181	538,418	361
Total Other Income (Expense)	(112,864,565)	(16,523,118)	(135,804,691)	(32,826,744)
INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAXES	(96,546,698)	13,801,859	(93,581,601)	30,742,382
INCOME TAX PROVISION (BENEFIT)	0	0	0	0
NET INCOME (LOSS)	$ (96,546,698)	$ 13,801,859	$ (93,581,601)	$ 30,742,382
Net Income (Loss) Per Common Share - Basic (in dollars per share)	$ (0.49)	$ 0.22	$ (0.71)	$ 0.50
Net Income (Loss) Per Common Share - Diluted (in dollars per share)	$ (0.49)	$ 0.22	$ (0.71)	$ 0.50
Weighted Average Shares Outstanding - Basic (in shares)	196,140,610	61,643,862	131,039,552	61,545,555
Weighted Average Shares Outstanding - Diluted (in shares)	196,140,610	61,885,952	131,039,552	61,928,799
Oil, Natural Gas, and NGL Sales
REVENUES
Revenue from contract with customer, excluding assessed tax	$ 109,046,878	$ 48,381,006	$ 195,927,692	$ 97,229,228
Other Revenue
REVENUES
Revenue from contract with customer, excluding assessed tax	$ 1,809	$ 7,844	$ 5,909	$ 15,590

XML

CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS - USD ($)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES
Net Income (Loss)	$ (93,581,601)	$ 30,742,382
Adjustments to Reconcile Net Income to Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities:
Depletion, Depreciation, Amortization and Accretion	41,226,657	26,510,595
Amortization of Debt Issuance Costs	2,634,689	1,910,243
Write-off of Debt Issuance Costs	0	95,135
Loss on Extinguishment of Debt	90,832,975	0
Amortization/Accretion of 8% Senior Notes Premium/Discount	172,792	239,798
Deferred Income Taxes	0	0
(Gain) Loss on the Mark-to-Market of Derivative Instruments	42,077,245	(31,228,544)
Share-Based Compensation Expense	579,629	1,497,183
Other	(104,249)	25,856
Changes in Working Capital and Other Items:
Accounts Receivable, Net	(21,232,360)	(144,477)
Prepaid and Other Expenses	(3,251,499)	(1,321,846)
Accounts Payable	4,605,679	1,682,518
Accrued Interest	26,414	(21,652)
Accrued Expenses	(369,485)	(243,356)
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities	63,616,886	29,743,835
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Drilling and Development Capital Expenditures	(110,720,408)	(40,360,663)
Acquisition of Oil and Natural Gas Properties	(48,974,802)	(2,387,511)
Proceeds from Sale of Oil, Natural Gas, and Other Properties	21,689	171,451
Proceeds from Sale of Other Property and Equipment	46,000	0
Purchases of Other Property and Equipment	(51,954)	0
Net Cash Used for Investing Activities	(159,679,475)	(42,576,723)
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Advances on Revolving Credit Facility	0	24,000,000
Repayments on Revolving Credit Facility	0	(13,000,000)
Borrowings Under Term Loan Credit Agreement	60,000,000	0
Issuance of Common Stock	141,709,681	0
Debt Issuance Costs Paid	(6,557,191)	(297,392)
Repurchase of Common Stock – Tax Obligations	(348,949)	(546,989)
Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities	194,803,541	10,155,619
NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	98,740,952	(2,677,269)
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS – BEGINNING OF PERIOD	102,183,191	6,486,098
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS – END OF PERIOD	$ 200,924,143	$ 3,808,829

XML

CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Parenthetical)	Jun. 30, 2018
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
Interest rate (percent)	8.00%

XML

CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' DEFICIT - 6 months ended Jun. 30, 2018 - USD ($)	Total	Common Stock	Additional Paid-in Capital	Retained Deficit
Beginning balance (shares) at Dec. 31, 2017		66,791,633
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2017	$ (490,840,550)	$ 66,792	$ 449,666,390	$ (940,573,732)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Restricted Stock Awards (shares)		3,153,302
Restricted Stock Awards	$ 3,153	$ 3,153
Equity Issuances, Net of Offering Costs (shares)	102,926,019	96,926,019
Equity Issuances, Net of Offering Costs	$ 141,709,681	$ 96,926	141,612,755
Debt Exchange Agreements (shares)	121,774,822	121,774,822
Debt Exchange Agreements	$ 279,314,160	$ 121,775	279,192,385
Acquisition of Oil and Natural Gas Properties (See note 5) (shares)		6,000,000
Acquisition of Oil and Natural Gas Properties	15,240,000	$ 6,000	15,234,000
Restricted Stock Forfeitures (shares)		(892,086)
Restricted Stock Forfeitures	(892)	$ (892)
Share Based Compensation	684,740		684,740
Restricted Stock Surrenders - Tax Obligations (shares)		(153,421)
Restricted Stock Surrenders - Tax Obligations	(348,949)	$ (154)	(348,795)
Net Loss	(93,581,601)			(93,581,601)
Ending balance (shares) at Jun. 30, 2018		293,600,269
Ending balance at Jun. 30, 2018	$ (147,820,258)	$ 293,600	$ 886,041,475	$ (1,034,155,333)

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ORGANIZATION AND NATURE OF BUSINESS

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

ORGANIZATION AND NATURE OF BUSINESS

ORGANIZATION AND NATURE OF BUSINESS

Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. (the “Company,” “Northern,” “our” and words of similar import), a Delaware corporation, is an independent energy company engaged in the acquisition, exploration, exploitation, development and production of crude oil and natural gas properties.  The Company’s common stock trades on the NYSE American market under the symbol “NOG”.

Northern’s principal business is crude oil and natural gas exploration, development, and production with operations in North Dakota and Montana that primarily target the Bakken and Three Forks formations in the Williston Basin of the United States.  The Company acquires leasehold interests that comprise of non-operated working interests in wells and in drilling projects within its area of operations.

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SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The financial information included herein is unaudited which has been derived from the Company’s audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2017.  However, such information includes all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments and change in accounting principles) that are, in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair presentation of financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods.  The results of operations for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for an entire year.

Certain information, accounting policies, and footnote disclosures normally included in the financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) have been condensed or omitted in this Form 10-Q pursuant to certain rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).  The condensed financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2017, which were included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements under GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period.  The most significant estimates relate to proved crude oil and natural gas reserve volumes, future development costs, estimates relating to certain crude oil and natural gas revenues and expenses, fair value of derivative instruments, impairment of oil and natural gas properties, and deferred income taxes.  Actual results may differ from those estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Northern considers highly liquid investments with insignificant interest rate risk and original maturities to the Company of three months or less to be cash equivalents.  Cash equivalents consist primarily of interest-bearing bank accounts.  The Company’s cash positions represent assets held in checking and money market accounts.  These assets are generally available on a daily or weekly basis and are highly liquid in nature.  Due to the balances being greater than $250,000, the Company does not have FDIC coverage on the entire amount of bank deposits.  The Company believes this risk is minimal.  In addition, the Company is subject to Security Investor Protection Corporation (“SIPC”) protection on a vast majority of its financial assets.

Accounts Receivable

Accounts receivable are carried on a gross basis, with no discounting. The Company regularly reviews all aged accounts receivable for collectability and establishes an allowance as necessary for individual balances. Accounts receivable not expected to be collected within the next twelve months are included within Other Noncurrent Assets, Net on the condensed balance sheets.

As of June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, the Company included accounts receivable of $5.3 million and $5.5 million, respectively, in Other Noncurrent Assets, Net due to their long-term nature.

The allowance for doubtful accounts at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 was $5.2 million and $5.6 million, respectively.

Advances to Operators

The Company participates in the drilling of crude oil and natural gas wells with other working interest partners. Due to the capital intensive nature of crude oil and natural gas drilling activities, the working interest partner responsible for conducting the drilling operations may request advance payments from other working interest partners for their share of the costs. The Company expects such advances to be applied by working interest partners against joint interest billings for its share of drilling operations within 90 days from when the advance is paid.

Other Property and Equipment

Property and equipment that are not crude oil and natural gas properties are recorded at cost and depreciated using the straight-line method over their estimated useful lives of three to seven years. Expenditures for replacements, renewals, and betterments are capitalized. Maintenance and repairs are charged to operations as incurred. Long-lived assets, other than crude oil and natural gas properties, are evaluated for impairment to determine if current circumstances and market conditions indicate the carrying amount may not be recoverable. The Company has not recognized any impairment losses on non-crude oil and natural gas long-lived assets. Depreciation expense was $31,668 and $41,313 for the three months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Depreciation expense was $67,185 and $85,787 for the six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Oil and Gas Properties

Northern follows the full cost method of accounting for crude oil and natural gas operations whereby all costs related to the exploration and development of crude oil and natural gas properties are capitalized into a single cost center (“full cost pool”).  Such costs include land acquisition costs, geological and geophysical expenses, carrying charges on non-producing properties, costs of drilling directly related to acquisition, and exploration activities.  Internal costs that are capitalized are directly attributable to acquisition, exploration and development activities and do not include costs related to production, general corporate overhead or similar activities.  Costs associated with production and general corporate activities are expensed in the period incurred.  Capitalized costs are summarized as follows for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

	Three Months Ended June 30,				Six Months Ended June 30,
	2018		2017		2018		2017
Capitalized Certain Payroll and Other Internal Costs	$	182,081	$	240,771	$	352,931	$	445,644
Capitalized Interest Costs	38,170		33,000		73,235		71,768
Total	$	220,251	$	273,771	$	426,166	$	517,412

As of June 30, 2018, the Company held leasehold interests in the Williston Basin on acreage located in North Dakota and Montana targeting the Bakken and Three Forks formations.

Proceeds from property sales will generally be credited to the full cost pool, with no gain or loss recognized, unless such a sale would significantly alter the relationship between capitalized costs and the proved reserves attributable to these costs.  A significant alteration would typically involve a sale of 25% or more of the proved reserves related to a single full cost pool.  In the six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, there were no property sales that resulted in a significant alteration.

Under the full cost method of accounting, the Company is required to perform a ceiling test each quarter.  The test determines a limit, or ceiling, on the book value of the proved oil and gas properties.  Net capitalized costs are limited to the lower of unamortized cost net of deferred income taxes, or the cost center ceiling.  The cost center ceiling is defined as the sum of (a) estimated future net revenues, discounted at 10% per annum, from proved reserves, based on the trailing twelve-month unweighted average of the first-day-of-the-month price, adjusted for any contract provisions or financial derivatives designated as hedges for accounting purposes, if any, that hedge the Company’s oil and natural gas revenue, and excluding the estimated abandonment costs for properties with asset retirement obligations recorded on the balance sheet, (b) the cost of properties not being amortized, if any, and (c) the lower of cost or market value of unproved properties included in the cost being amortized, including related deferred taxes for differences between the book and tax basis of the oil and natural gas properties.  If the net book value, including related deferred taxes, exceeds the ceiling, an impairment or non-cash writedown is required.

The Company did not have any ceiling test impairment for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively.  Impairment charges affect the Company’s reported net income but do not reduce the Company’s cash flow. If a significantly lower pricing environment reoccurs, the Company expects it could be required to writedown the value of its oil and natural gas properties. In addition to commodity prices, the Company’s production rates, levels of proved reserves, future development costs, transfers of unevaluated properties and other factors will determine the Company’s actual ceiling test calculation and impairment analyses in future periods.

Capitalized costs associated with impaired unproved properties and capitalized costs related to properties having proved reserves, plus the estimated future development costs and asset retirement costs, are depleted and amortized on the unit-of-production method.   Under this method, depletion is calculated at the end of each period by multiplying total production for the period by a depletion rate.  The depletion rate is determined by dividing the total unamortized cost base plus future development costs by net equivalent proved reserves at the beginning of the period.  The costs of unproved properties are withheld from the depletion base until such time as they are either developed or abandoned.  When proved reserves are assigned or the property is considered to be impaired, the cost of the property or the amount of the impairment is added to costs subject to depletion and full cost ceiling calculations.  For the three months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, the Company expired leases of $1.2 million and $5.9 million, respectively. For the six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, the Company expired leases of $5.0 million and $9.6 million, respectively.

Asset Retirement Obligations

The Company accounts for its abandonment and restoration liabilities under Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) ASC Topic 410, “Asset Retirement and Environmental Obligations” (“FASB ASC 410”), which requires the Company to record a liability equal to the fair value of the estimated cost to retire an asset upon initial recognition.  The asset retirement liability is recorded in the period in which the obligation meets the definition of a liability, which is generally when the asset is placed into service.  When the liability is initially recorded, the Company increases the carrying amount of oil and natural gas properties by an amount equal to the original liability.  The liability is accreted to its present value each period, and the capitalized cost is depreciated consistent with depletion of reserves.  Upon settlement of the liability or the sale of the well, the liability is reversed.  These liability amounts may change because of changes in asset lives, estimated costs of abandonment or legal or statutory remediation requirements.

Business Combinations

The Company accounts for its acquisitions that qualify as a business using the acquisition method under FASB ASC Topic 805, “Business Combinations.” Under the acquisition method, assets acquired and liabilities assumed are recognized and measured at their fair values. The use of fair value accounting requires the use of significant judgment since some transaction components do not have fair values that are readily determinable. The excess, if any, of the purchase price over the net fair value amounts assigned to assets acquired and liabilities assumed is recognized as goodwill. Conversely, if the fair value of assets acquired exceeds the purchase price, including liabilities assumed, the excess is immediately recognized in earnings as a bargain purchase gain.

Debt Issuance Costs

Debt issuance costs include origination, legal and other fees to issue debt in connection with the Company’s term loan credit agreement, senior secured notes, senior unsecured notes and prior revolving credit facility.  These debt issuance costs are amortized over the term of the related financing using the straight-line method, which approximates the effective interest method (see Note 4). The amortization of debt issuance costs for the three months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017 was $1.3 million and $1.0 million, respectively. The amortization of debt issuance costs for the six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017 was $2.6 million and $1.9 million, respectively.

Bond Premium/Discount on Senior Notes

On May 13, 2013, the Company recorded a bond premium of $10.5 million in connection with the “8.000% Senior Notes Due 2020” (see Note 4).  This bond premium is being amortized over the term of the related financing using the straight-line method, which approximates the effective interest method.  The amortization of the bond premium for the three months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017 was $0.2 million and $0.4 million, respectively. The amortization of the bond premium for the six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017 was $0.5 million and $0.7 million, respectively.

On May 18, 2015, the Company recorded a bond discount of $10.0 million in connection with the “8.000% Senior Notes Due 2020” (see Note 4).  This bond discount is being amortized over the term of the related financing using the straight-line method, which approximates the effective interest method. The amortization of the bond discount for the three months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017 was $0.2 million and $0.5 million, respectively. The amortization of the bond discount for the six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017 was $0.7 million and $1.0 million, respectively.

Revenue Recognition

The Company adopted ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) and the series of related accounting standard updates that followed, on January 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective method of adoption. Adoption of the ASU did not require an adjustment to the opening balance of equity and did not change the Company's amount and timing of revenues.

The Company’s revenues are primarily derived from its interests in the sale of oil and natural gas production. The Company recognizes revenue from its interests in the sales of oil and natural gas in the period that its performance obligations are satisfied. Performance obligations are satisfied when the customer obtains control of product, when the Company has no further obligations to perform related to the sale, when the transaction price has been determined and when collectability is probable. The sales of oil and natural gas are made under contracts which the third-party operators of the wells have negotiated with customers, which typically include variable consideration that is based on pricing tied to local indices and volumes delivered in the current month. The Company receives payment from the sale of oil and natural gas production from one to three months after delivery. At the end of each month when the performance obligation is satisfied, the variable consideration can be reasonably estimated and amounts due from customers are accrued in trade receivables, net in the balance sheets. Variances between the Company’s estimated revenue and actual payments are recorded in the month the payment is received, however, differences have been and are insignificant. Accordingly, the variable consideration is not constrained.

The Company does not disclose the value of unsatisfied performance obligations under its contracts with customers as it applies the practical exemption in accordance with ASC 606. The exemption, as described in ASC 606-10-50-14(a), applies to variable consideration that is recognized as control of the product is transferred to the customer. Since each unit of product represents a separate performance obligation, future volumes are wholly unsatisfied and disclosure of the transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations is not required.

The Company’s oil is typically sold at delivery points under contracts terms that are common in our industry. The Company's natural gas produced is delivered by the well operators to various purchasers at agreed upon delivery points under a limited number of contract types that are also common in our industry. However, under these contracts, the natural gas may be sold to a single purchaser or may be sold to separate purchasers. Regardless of the contract type, the terms of these contracts compensate the well operators for the value of the oil and natural gas at specified prices, and then the well operators will remit payment to the Company for its share in the value of the oil and natural gas sold.

A wellhead imbalance liability equal to the Company’s share is recorded to the extent that the Company’s well operators have sold volumes in excess of its share of remaining reserves in an underlying property. However, for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, the Company’s natural gas production was in balance, meaning its cumulative portion of natural gas production taken and sold from wells in which it has an interest equaled its entitled interest in natural gas production from those wells.

The Company’s disaggregated revenue has two revenue sources which are oil sales and natural gas and NGL sales and only operates in one geographic area, the Williston Basin in North Dakota and Montana. Oil sales for the three months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017 were $101.0 million and $43.5 million, respectively. Natural gas and NGL sales for the three months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017 were $8.0 million and $4.8 million, respectively.

Concentrations of Market and Credit Risk

The future results of the Company’s crude oil and natural gas operations will be affected by the market prices of crude oil and natural gas.  The availability of a ready market for crude oil and natural gas products in the future will depend on numerous factors beyond the control of the Company, including weather, imports, marketing of competitive fuels, proximity and capacity of crude oil and natural gas pipelines and other transportation facilities, any oversupply or undersupply of crude oil, natural gas and liquid products, the regulatory environment, the economic environment, and other regional and political events, none of which can be predicted with certainty.

The Company operates in the exploration, development and production sector of the crude oil and natural gas industry.  The Company’s receivables include amounts due from purchasers of its crude oil and natural gas production.  While certain of these customers are affected by periodic downturns in the economy in general or in their specific segment of the crude oil or natural gas industry, the Company believes that its level of credit-related losses due to such economic fluctuations have been immaterial.

The Company manages and controls market and counterparty credit risk.  In the normal course of business, collateral is not required for financial instruments with credit risk.  Financial instruments which potentially subject the Company to credit risk consist principally of temporary cash balances and derivative financial instruments.  The Company maintains cash and cash equivalents in bank deposit accounts which, at times, may exceed the federally insured limits.  The Company has not experienced any significant losses from such investments.  The Company attempts to limit the amount of credit exposure to any one financial institution or company.  The Company believes the credit quality of its counterparties is generally high.  In the normal course of business, letters of credit or parent guarantees may be required for counterparties which management perceives to have a higher credit risk.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company records expense associated with the fair value of stock-based compensation.  For fully vested stock and restricted stock grants, the Company calculates the stock-based compensation expense based upon estimated fair value on the date of grant.  In determining the fair value of performance-based share awards subject to market conditions, the Company utilizes a Monte Carlo simulation prepared by an independent third party. For stock options, the Company uses the Black-Scholes option valuation model to calculate stock-based compensation at the date of grant.  Option pricing models require the input of highly subjective assumptions, including the expected price volatility.  Changes in these assumptions can materially affect the fair value estimate.

Stock Issuance

The Company records any stock-based compensation awards issued to non-employees and other external entities for goods and services at either the fair market value of the goods received or services rendered or the instruments issued in exchange for such services, whichever is more readily determinable.

Income Taxes

The Company’s income tax expense, deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities reflect management’s best assessment of estimated current and future taxes to be paid.  The Company estimates for each interim reporting period the effective tax rate expected for the full fiscal year and uses that estimated rate in providing for income taxes on a current year-to-date basis.  The Company’s only taxing jurisdiction is the United States (federal and state).

Deferred income taxes arise from temporary differences between the tax basis of assets and liabilities and their reported amounts in the financial statements, which will result in taxable or deductible amounts in the future.  In evaluating the Company’s ability to recover its deferred tax assets, the Company considers all available positive and negative evidence, including scheduled reversals of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income, tax-planning strategies, and results of recent operations.  In projecting future taxable income, the Company begins with historical results and incorporates assumptions about the amount of future state and federal pretax operating income adjusted for items that do not have tax consequences.  The assumptions about future taxable income require significant judgment and are consistent with the plans and estimates the Company is using to manage the underlying businesses.

Accounting standards require the consideration of a valuation allowance for deferred tax assets if it is “more likely than not” that some component or all of the benefits of deferred tax assets will not be realized.  In assessing the need for a valuation allowance for the Company’s deferred tax assets, a significant item of negative evidence considered was the cumulative book loss over the three-year period ended June 30, 2018, driven primarily by the full cost ceiling impairments over that period.  Additionally, the Company’s revenue, profitability and future growth are substantially dependent upon prevailing and future prices for oil and natural gas.  The markets for these commodities continue to be volatile.  Changes in oil and natural gas prices have a significant impact on the value of the Company’s reserves and on its cash flows.  Due to these factors, management has placed a lower weight on the prospect of future earnings in its overall analysis of the valuation allowance.

In determining whether to establish a valuation allowance on the Company’s deferred tax assets, management concluded that the objectively verifiable evidence of cumulative negative earnings for the three-year period ended June 30, 2018, is difficult to overcome with any forms of positive evidence that may exist.  Accordingly, the valuation allowance against the Company’s deferred tax asset at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 was $249.6 million and $227.0 million, respectively.

Net Income (Loss) Per Common Share

Basic earnings per share (“EPS”) are computed by dividing net income (loss) (the numerator) by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period (the denominator).  Diluted EPS is computed by dividing net income (loss) by the weighted average number of common shares and potential common shares outstanding (if dilutive) during each period.  Potential common shares include stock options and restricted stock.  The number of potential common shares outstanding relating to stock options and restricted stock is computed using the treasury stock method.

The reconciliation of the denominators used to calculate basic EPS and diluted EPS for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017 are as follows:

	Three Months Ended June 30,		Six Months Ended June 30,
	2018	2017	2018	2017
Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding – Basic	196,140,610	61,643,862	131,039,552	61,545,555
Plus: Potentially Dilutive Common Shares Including Stock Options and Restricted Stock	—	242,090	—	383,244
Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding – Diluted	196,140,610	61,885,952	131,039,552	61,928,799
Restricted Stock and Stock Options Excluded From EPS Due To The Anti-Dilutive Effect	367,329	575,229	301,721	350,870

As of June 30, 2018 and 2017, potentially dilutive shares from stock option awards were 250,000 and 391,872, respectively. These options were all exercisable at June 30, 2018 and 2017. The Company also has potentially dilutive shares from restricted stock awards outstanding of 3,327,127 and 2,102,264 at June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Derivative Instruments and Price Risk Management

The Company uses derivative instruments to manage market risks resulting from fluctuations in the prices of crude oil.  The Company enters into derivative contracts, including price swaps, caps and floors, which require payments to (or receipts from) counterparties based on the differential between a fixed price and a variable price for a fixed quantity of crude oil without the exchange of underlying volumes.  The notional amounts of these financial instruments are based on expected production from existing wells.  The Company may also use exchange traded futures contracts and option contracts to hedge the delivery price of crude oil at a future date.

The Company follows the provisions of FASB ASC 815, “Derivatives and Hedging” as amended. It requires that all derivative instruments be recognized as assets or liabilities on the balance sheet, measured at fair value and marked-to-market at the end of each period.  Any realized gains and losses on settled derivatives, as well as mark-to-market gains or losses, are aggregated and recorded to gain (loss) on derivative instruments, net on the condensed statements of operations.  See Note 11 for a description of the derivative contracts into which the Company has entered.

Impairment

Long-lived assets to be held and used are required to be reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable.  Proved oil and natural gas properties accounted for using the full cost method of accounting are excluded from this requirement but continue to be subject to the full cost method’s impairment rules.  There was no impairment of other long-lived assets recorded for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017.

Supplemental Cash Flow Information

The following reflects the Company’s supplemental cash flow information:

	Six Months Ended June 30,
	2018			2017
Supplemental Cash Items:
Cash Paid During the Period for Interest	$	35,063,530		$	30,634,506
Cash Paid During the Period for Income Taxes	—			—
Non-cash Investing Activities:
Oil and Natural Gas Properties Included in Accounts Payable	80,096,568			65,167,643
Capitalized Asset Retirement Obligations	593,381			862,911
Compensation Capitalized on Oil and Gas Properties	107,372			143,030
Issuance of Common Stock - Acquisitions of Oil and Natural Gas Properties	15,240,000			—
Non-cash Financing Activities:
Exchange transactions - non-cash securities issued:
Issuance of 8.50% Second Lien Notes due 2023	344,279,000			—
Issuance of Common Stock - fair value at issuance date	279,314,160			—
Exchange Transactions - non-cash securities exchanged:
8.00% Unsecured Senior Notes due 2020 - carrying value	(543,683,185		)	—

New Accounting Pronouncements

From time to time, new accounting pronouncements are issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) that are adopted by the Company as of the specified effective date.  If not discussed, management believes that the impact of recently issued standards, which are not yet effective, will not have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements upon adoption.

In May 2014, the FASB issued a comprehensive new revenue recognition standard that supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in Topic 605, Revenue Recognition, and industry-specific guidance in Subtopic 932-605, Extractive Activities-Oil and Gas-Revenue Recognition. The core principle of the new guidance is that a company should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for transferring those goods or services. The new standard also requires significantly expanded disclosure regarding the qualitative and quantitative information of an entity's nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. The standard creates a five-step model that requires companies to exercise judgment when considering the terms of a contract and all relevant facts and circumstances. The standard allows for several transition methods: (a) a full retrospective adoption in which the standard is applied to all of the periods presented, or (b) a modified retrospective adoption in which the standard is applied only to the most current period presented in the financial statements, including additional disclosures of the standard's application impact to individual financial statement line items. In March, April, May and December 2016, the FASB issued new guidance in Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, to address the following potential implementation issues of the new revenue standard: (a) to clarify the implementation guidance on principal versus agent considerations, (b) to clarify the identification of performance obligations and the licensing implementation guidance and (c) to address certain issues in the guidance on assessing collectability, presentation of sales taxes, noncash consideration, and completed contracts and contract modifications at transition. This standard is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within that reporting period. The Company previously followed the sales method of accounting for oil and natural gas production, which is generally consistent with the revenue recognition provision of the new standard. The majority of our revenue arrangements generally consist of a single performance obligation to transfer promised goods or services. Based on our evaluation process and review of our arrangements with operators who act as an intermediary and enter into contracts with purchasers who are the ultimate customers, the timing and amount of revenue recognized based on the standard is consistent with our revenue recognition policy under previous guidance. The Company adopted the new standard effective January 1, 2018, using the modified retrospective approach, and has expanded its financial statement disclosures in order tocomply with the standard. The Company has processes and controls to ensure we recognize revenue in accordance with the appropriate accounting treatment and to generate the disclosures required under the new standard in the first quarter of 2018.  We have determined the adoption of the standard did not have a material impact on our results of operations, cash flows, or financial position.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842).  The standard requires lessees to recognize the assets and liabilities that arise from leases on the balance sheet.  A lessee should recognize in the statement of financial position a liability to make lease payments (the lease liability) and a right-of-use asset representing its right to use the underlying asset for the lease term.  The new guidance is effective for annual and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018.  The amendments should be applied at the beginning of the earliest period presented using a modified retrospective approach with earlier application permitted as of the beginning of an interim or annual reporting period.  The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the new guidance on its financial statements, however, based on its current operating leases, it is not expected to have a material impact.

In May 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-07, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting, which simplifies the accounting for share-based payments granted to nonemployees for goods and services.  This guidance will better align the treatment of share-based payments to nonemployees with the requirements for such share-based payments granted to employees.  This guidance is effective for all public entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within that year.  The Company is currently in the process of evaluating this new standard update.

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CRUDE OIL AND NATURAL GAS PROPERTIES

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Industries Disclosures [Abstract]

CRUDE OIL AND NATURAL GAS PROPERTIES

CRUDE OIL AND NATURAL GAS PROPERTIES

The value of the Company’s crude oil and natural gas properties consists of all acquisition costs (including cash expenditures and the value of stock consideration), drilling costs and other associated capitalized costs.  Acquisitions are accounted for as purchases and, accordingly, the results of operations are included in the accompanying condensed statements of operations from the closing date of the acquisition.  Purchase prices are allocated to acquired assets based on their estimated fair value at the time of the acquisition.  Acquisitions have been funded with internal cash flow, bank borrowings and the issuance of debt and equity securities.  Development capital expenditures and purchases of properties that were in accounts payable and not yet paid in cash at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 were approximately $80.1 million and $85.0 million, respectively.

Acquisitions

On April 25, 2018, the Company entered into a purchase and sale agreement with Salt Creek Oil and Gas, LLC, to acquire 64 gross, 5.5 net producing (PDP) wells, 31 gross, 1.5 net drilling and completing (PDNP) wells and 1,319 net acres located in McKenzie and Mountrail counties of North Dakota in the Company’s core development area. The acquisition expanded the Company’s footprint in the core of the Williston Basin.  On June 4, 2018, the Company closed the transaction for consideration of $60.0 million which is comprised of $44.7 million of cash consideration and $15.2 million of common stock consideration.  The results of operations from the June 4, 2018 closing date through June 30, 2018, represented approximately $1.7 million of revenue and $0.3 million of direct operating expenses.  No material transaction costs were incurred in connection with this purchase and there was no goodwill recorded from this acquisition. The following table reflects a preliminary estimate of the fair values of the net assets and liabilities as of the date of acquisition, which are subject to customary post-closing adjustments, during the period ended June 30, 2018:

	(in thousands)
Fair value of net assets:
Proved oil and natural gas properties	$	59,978
Asset retirement cost	154
Total assets acquired	60,132
Asset retirement obligations	(154		)
Net assets acquired	$	59,978
Fair value of consideration paid for net assets:
Cash consideration	$	44,738
Issuance of common stock (6 million shares at $2.54 per share)	15,240
Total fair value of consideration transferred	$	59,978

Unproved Properties

All properties that are not classified as proved properties are considered unproved properties and, thus, the costs associated with such properties are not subject to depletion. Once a property is classified as proved, all associated acreage and drilling costs are subject to depletion.

The Company historically has acquired its properties by purchasing individual or small groups of leases directly from mineral owners, from landmen, or lease brokers, which leases historically have not been subject to specified drilling projects, and by purchasing lease packages in identified project areas controlled by specific operators.  The Company generally participates in drilling activities on a heads up basis by electing whether to participate in each well on a well-by-well basis at the time wells are proposed for drilling.

Unproved properties not being amortized comprise approximately 11,371 net acres and 14,377 net acres of undeveloped leasehold interests at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively.  The Company believes that the majority of its unproved costs will become subject to depletion within the next five years by proving up reserves relating to the acreage through exploration and development activities, by impairing the acreage that will expire before the Company can explore or develop it further or by determining that further exploration and development activity will not occur.  The timing by which all other properties will become subject to depletion will be dependent upon the timing of future drilling activities and delineation of its reserves.

The Company assesses all items classified as unproved property on an annual basis, or if certain circumstances exist, more frequently, for possible impairment or reduction in value.  The assessment includes consideration of the following factors, among others: intent to drill, remaining lease term, geological and geophysical evaluations, drilling results and activity, the assignment of proved reserves, and the economic viability of development if proved reserves are assigned.  During any period in which these factors indicate an impairment, the cumulative costs incurred to date for such property and all or a portion of the associated leasehold costs are transferred to the full cost pool and are then subject to depletion and amortization.  For the six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, the Company included $0.1 million and $0.1 million, respectively, related to expiring leases within costs subject to the depletion calculation.

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LONG-TERM DEBT

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

LONG-TERM DEBT

LONG-TERM DEBT

The Company’s long-term debt consists of the following:

	June 30, 2018
	Principal Balance		Unamortized Net Discount			Debt Issuance Costs, Net			Long-term Debt, Net
8% Senior Notes	$	149,560,000	$	(218,413	)	$	(1,159,378	)	148,182,209
Second Lien Notes	344,279,000		—			(4,810,488		)	339,468,512
Term Loan Credit Agreement	360,000,000		—			(12,883,065		)	347,116,935
Total	$	853,839,000	$	(218,413	)	$	(18,852,931	)	$	834,767,656
	December 31, 2017
	Principal Balance		Unamortized Net Discount			Debt Issuance Costs, Net			Long-term Debt, Net
8% Senior Notes	$	700,000,000	$	(1,197,954	)	$	(6,847,557	)	691,954,489
Term Loan Credit Agreement	300,000,000		—			(12,630,267		)	287,369,733
Total	$	1,000,000,000	$	(1,197,954	)	$	(19,477,824	)	$	979,324,222

Exchange Agreements

On January 31, 2018, Northern entered into an exchange agreement (as amended, the “Exchange Agreement”) with holders (the “Supporting Noteholders”) of approximately $496.7 million, or 71%, of the aggregate principal amount of the Company’s outstanding 8.000% Senior Notes due June 1, 2020 (the “Outstanding Notes”), pursuant to which the Supporting Noteholders agreed to exchange all of the Outstanding Notes held by each such Supporting Noteholder for approximately $155.0 million of the Company’s common stock and approximately $344.3 million in aggregate principal amount of new 8.500% Senior Secured Second Lien Notes due 2023 (the “Second Lien Notes”) (such exchange, the “Exchange Transaction”).

On May 15, 2018 (the “Exchange Closing Date”), pursuant to the Exchange Agreement, the Company completed the Exchange Transaction and issued 103,249,915 shares of common stock and $344.3 million of Second Lien Notes in exchange for the Outstanding Notes. Separately, but in connection with the Exchange Transaction, the Company and certain investors had previously entered into subscription agreements (the “Subscription Agreements”) whereby such investors agreed to purchase up to $52.0 million of common stock at $1.50 per share. Pursuant to the Subscription Agreements, on the Exchange Closing Date, the Company issued 34,666,668 shares of common stock to such investors.

In June 2018, the Company entered into five independent, separately negotiated exchange agreements with holders of the Company’s 8.000% Senior Notes due June 1, 2020 (the “2020 Notes”). Pursuant to each such exchange agreement, the Company agreed to issue the holder shares of its common stock in exchange for certain 2020 Notes held by such holder. In total, during the three months ended June 30, 2018, the Company issued 18.5 million shares of common stock in exchange for $53.8 million in principal amount of the 2020 Notes pursuant to these five agreements. Pursuant to each of these exchange agreements, with the exception of one covering $3.0 million principal amount of 2020 Notes, the Company subjected the holders to a restricted sale period on the shares of common stock issued to them. These restricted sale periods are of varying lengths and subject to varying exceptions. Generally, if at the end of the applicable restricted sale period the Company’s common stock trades below specified levels, the Company may be required to pay the applicable holder additional consideration either in the form of cash or additional shares of common stock. The value of this liability is carried on the Company’s balance sheet as the derivative exchange liability, the value of which is based on Monte Carlo simulations which considered various inputs including (i) the Company’s common stock price, (ii) risk-free rates based on U.S. Treasury rates, (iii) volatility of the Company’s common stock, and (iv) expected average daily trading volumes. As of June 30, 2018, the Company’s debt exchange derivative liability related to these agreements was $10.9 million. However, these provisions in the exchange agreements are subject to exceptions and contingencies which can reduce or terminate this liability for the Company.

Term Loan Credit Agreement

On November 1, 2017 (the “Effective Date”), the Company entered into a term loan credit agreement with TPG Specialty Lending, Inc., as administrative agent and collateral agent (in such capacities, the “Agent”), and the lenders from time to time party thereto. The term loan credit agreement, as amended, provides for the issuance of an aggregate principal amount of up to $500,000,000 in term loans to the Company, consisting of (i) $300,000,000 in initial term loans that were made on the Effective Date (the “Initial Loans”), (ii) $100,000,000 in delayed draw term loans available to the Company, subject to satisfaction of certain conditions precedent described therein, for a period of 18 months after the Effective Date (the “Delayed Draw Loans”), and (iii) up to $100,000,000 in incremental term loans on an uncommitted basis and subject, among other things, to one or more lenders agreeing in the future to make such loans (the “Incremental Loans”) (the Initial Loans, Delayed Draw Loans and the Incremental Loans, collectively, the “Loans”). Amounts borrowed and repaid under the term loan credit agreement may not be reborrowed. All borrowings under the term loan credit agreement will mature on November 1, 2022. In addition to the $300.0 million in Initial Loans, the Company borrowed $60.0 million of Delayed Draw Loans on May 15, 2018. Pursuant to the terms of the 2L Indenture (described below), the Company cannot currently borrow in excess of $400.0 million under the term loan credit agreement.

Borrowings under the term loan credit agreement bear interest at a rate per annum equal to the “Adjusted LIBO Rate” (subject to a 1.00% floor) plus a 7.75% per annum margin. The “Adjusted LIBO Rate” is equal to the product of: (i) three-month LIBOR multiplied by (ii) the statutory reserve rate. Upon the occurrence and continuance of an event of default all outstanding Loans shall bear interest at a rate equal to 3.00% per annum plus the then-effective rate of interest. Interest is payable on the last business day of each March, June, September and December.

A commitment fee will be paid on the unused amount of the delayed draw commitments based on an annual rate of 2.00% (the “Commitment Fee”). The term loan credit agreement also requires the Company to prepay the loans with 100.00% of the net cash proceeds received from certain asset sales, swap terminations, incurrences of borrowed money indebtedness, equity issuances, casualty events and extraordinary receipts, subject to certain exceptions and specified reinvestment rights. Prepayments (including mandatory prepayments), terminations, refinancing, reductions and accelerations under the term loan credit agreement are subject to the payment of a yield maintenance amount for any such prepayment, termination, refinancing, reduction or acceleration occurring prior to May 15, 2020 (or, with respect to any Delayed Draw Loan, prior to the two-year anniversary of the funding of such Delayed Draw Loan) that allows the lenders to attain approximately the same yield as if such Loan remained outstanding for the entire two-year period, as applicable, plus a call protection amount equal to the product of the principal amount of Loans so prepaid, terminated, refinanced, reduced or accelerated multiplied by (i) 4.0% for any such prepayment, termination, refinancing, reduction or acceleration occurring, (A) with respect to the Initial Loans, on or prior to May 15, 2021, or (B) with respect to Delayed Draw Loans, on or prior to the 36-month anniversary of the funding of such Delayed Draw Loan, or (ii) 2.0% for any such prepayment, termination, refinancing, reduction or acceleration occurring, (A) with respect to the Initial Loans, after May 15, 2021 and on or prior to May 15, 2022, or (B) with respect to Delayed Draw Loans, after the 36-month anniversary but on or prior to the 48-month anniversary of the funding of such Delayed Draw Loan, in each case, as set forth in the term loan credit agreement. Additionally, to the extent that the Loans are refinanced in full or the delayed draw commitments are terminated or reduced prior to the date that is 18 months after the Effective Date, the Company will be required to pay a yield maintenance amount in respect of the Commitment Fee that would have accrued on the delayed draw commitments as set forth in the term loan credit agreement.

The term loan credit agreement contains negative covenants that limit the Company’s ability, among other things, to pay cash dividends, incur additional indebtedness, sell assets, enter into certain derivatives contracts, change the nature of our business or operations, merge, consolidate, or make certain types of investments and require the outstanding principal amount of the Company’s 8.00% senior unsecured notes due 2020 to be no more than $30.0 million by March 1, 2020. In addition, the term loan credit agreement requires that the Company comply with the following financial covenants: (i) as of any date of determination, the ratio of Total PDP PV-10 (as defined in the term loan credit agreement) plus the aggregate amount of all unrestricted cash and cash equivalents (in accounts subject to control agreements) to the amount of Senior Secured Debt (as defined in the term loan credit agreement) shall not be less than 1.30 to 1.00, (ii) as of the last day of any fiscal quarter, the ratio of Net Senior Secured Debt (as defined in the term loan credit agreement) to EBITDAX (as defined in the term loan credit agreement) for the period of four fiscal quarters then ending on such day will not be greater than 3.75 to 1.00 and (iii) as of any date of determination the Company’s unrestricted cash and cash equivalents (in accounts subject to control agreements) plus the aggregate undrawn delayed draw commitments available to the Company shall not be less than $20.0 million.

The obligations of the Company under the term loan credit agreement may be accelerated upon the occurrence of an Event of Default (as defined in the term loan credit agreement). Events of Default include customary events for a financing agreement of this type, including, without limitation, payment defaults, the inaccuracy of representations and warranties, defaults in the performance of affirmative or negative covenants, defaults on other indebtedness of the Company or its subsidiaries, bankruptcy or related defaults, defaults related to judgments and the occurrence of a Change in Control (as defined in the term loan credit agreement).

The Company’s obligations under the term loan credit agreement are secured by mortgages on substantially all of the oil and gas properties of the Company subject to the limitations set forth in the term loan credit agreement. In connection with the term loan credit agreement, the Company entered into a guaranty and collateral agreement in favor of the Agent for the secured parties, pursuant to which the obligations of the Company under the term loan credit agreement and any swap agreements entered into with swap counterparties are secured by a first-priority security interest in substantially all of the assets of the Company.

On May 15, 2018, in connection with the Exchange Transaction, the Company entered into a second amendment to the term loan credit agreement (the “Second Amendment”) . The Second Amendment revised the call protection and yield maintenance provisions to provide as described above, and also revised certain covenants in the term loan credit agreement to reflect the covenants in the 2L Indenture (as defined below).

Second Lien Notes

On May 15, 2018 (the “2L Closing Date”), the Company issued Second Lien Notes with an aggregate principal amount of $344.3 million. The terms of the Second Lien Notes include those stated in the Indenture entered into by the Company and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as trustee (the “2L Indenture”), on the 2L Closing Date. The Second Lien Notes are the senior secured obligations of the Company and rank equal in right of payment to all existing and future senior indebtedness of the Company and its subsidiaries. The Second Lien Notes are secured by second priority security interests in substantially all assets of the Company, subject to the exceptions set forth in the Company’s existing term loan credit agreement and certain customary post-closing delivery periods. The Second Lien Notes will be guaranteed by all of the Company’s direct and indirect subsidiaries that guarantee indebtedness under any other indebtedness for borrowed money of the Company or any of the Company’s subsidiary guarantors. As of June 30, 2018, the Company does not have any subsidiaries. The Second Lien Notes will mature on May 15, 2023.

Interest on the Second Lien Notes will accrue at a rate of 8.500% per annum payable in cash quarterly in arrears on first day of each calendar quarter. Beginning on July 1, 2018, the interest rate will be increased by 1.000% per annum, which increase shall be payable in kind (the “PIK Component”). Commencing with the fiscal quarter ending June 30, 2018, if the Company’s total debt to EBITDAX ratio is (i) less than 3.00 to 1.00 as of the end of the fiscal quarter, the PIK Component shall cease accruing effective as of the next interest payment date, or (ii) greater than or equal to 3.00 to 1.00 as of the last day of such fiscal quarter or if the Company fails to deliver financial statements, the PIK Component shall continue to accrue (or, if then not accruing, automatically commence accruing as of the next interest payment date) and be payable quarterly. Additionally, if the Company incurs junior lien or unsecured debt with a cash interest rate in excess of 9.500%, the cash rate on the Second Lien Notes will be increased by such excess. Default interest will be payable in cash on demand at the then applicable interest rate plus 3.000% per annum.

The Company may redeem all or a portion of any of the Second Lien Notes at the following redemption prices during the following time periods (plus accrued and unpaid interest on the Second Lien Notes redeemed): (i) from and after May 15, 2018 until May 15, 2021, 104%, (ii) on and after May 15, 2021 until May 15, 2022, 102%, and (iii) on and after May 15, 2022, 100%; provided that any redemption of Second Lien Notes (or the acceleration of Second Lien Notes) prior to May 15, 2020 shall also be accompanied by a make whole premium. Subject to the terms of an intercreditor agreement, the Company is also required to offer to prepay the Second Lien Notes with 100% of the net cash proceeds of asset sales, casualty events and condemnations in excess of $20.0 million not required to be used to pay down the loans under the term loan credit agreement, subject to customary exclusions and reinvestment provisions consistent with the term loan credit agreement. Mandatory prepayment offers will be subject to payment of the make whole premium and redemption price set forth above, as applicable.

If a change of control occurs, the Company will be required to offer to repurchase the Second Lien Notes at the repurchase price of 101% of the principal amount of repurchased Second Lien Notes (subject to the prepayment provisions of the term loan credit agreement). The Second Lien Notes contain negative covenants that are based upon the negative covenants set forth in the term loan credit agreement, taking into account differences to reflect the changed capital structure of the Company and the second lien nature of the Second Lien Notes, which negative covenants limit the Company’s ability, among other things, to pay cash dividends, incur additional indebtedness, sell assets, enter into certain derivatives contracts, change the nature of its business or operations, merge, consolidate, make certain types of investments, amend the term loan credit agreement and other debt documents, and incur any additional debt on a subordinated or junior basis to the term loan credit agreement and on a senior basis to the Second Lien Notes, and require the outstanding principal amount of the Company’s 8.00% senior unsecured notes due 2020 to be no more than $30.0 million by March 1, 2020. The Second Lien Notes do not include any financial maintenance covenants.

The obligations of the Company under the Second Lien Notes may be accelerated upon the occurrence of an Event of Default (as such term is defined in the 2L Indenture). Events of Default include customary events for a capital markets debt financing of this type, including, without limitation, payment defaults, the inaccuracy of representations and warranties, defaults in the performance of affirmative or negative covenants, defaults on other indebtedness of the Company or its subsidiaries (including an event of default under the term loan credit agreement), bankruptcy or related defaults, defaults related to judgments and the occurrence of a Change of Control (as such term is defined in the 2L Indenture).

8.000% Senior Notes Due 2020

On May 18, 2012, the Company issued at par value $300.0 million aggregate principal amount of 8.000% senior unsecured notes due June 1, 2020 (the “Original Notes”).  On May 13, 2013, the Company issued at a price of 105.25% of par an additional $200.0 million aggregate principal amount of 8.000% senior unsecured notes due June 1, 2020 (the “2013 Follow-on Notes”).  On May 18, 2015, the Company issued at a price of 95.000% of par an additional $200.0 million aggregate principal amount of 8.000% senior unsecured notes due June 1, 2020 (the “2015 Mirror Notes” and, together with the Original Notes and the 2013 Follow-on Notes, the “Notes”).  Interest is payable on the Notes semi-annually in arrears on each of June 1 and December 1.  The Company currently does not have any subsidiaries and, as a result, the Notes are not currently guaranteed.  Any subsidiaries the Company forms in the future may be required to unconditionally guarantee, jointly and severally, payment obligation under the Notes on a senior unsecured basis.  The issuance of the Original Notes resulted in net proceeds to the Company of approximately $291.2 million, the issuance of the 2013 Follow-on Notes resulted in net proceeds to the Company of approximately $200.1 million, and the issuance of the 2015 Mirror Notes resulted in net proceeds to the Company of approximately $184.9 million.  Collectively, the net proceeds are in use to fund the Company’s exploration, development and acquisition program and for general corporate purposes (including repayment of borrowings that were outstanding under the Revolving Credit Facility at the time the Notes were issued).

Since June 1, 2017, the Company has been authorized to redeem some or all of the Notes at redemption prices (expressed as percentages of principal amount) equal to 102% plus accrued and unpaid interest to the redemption date. Beginning on June 1, 2018, the applicable redemption price will equal the principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest to the redemption date.

The Original Notes and the 2013 Follow-on Notes are governed by an Indenture, dated as of May 18, 2012, by and among the Company and Wilmington Trust, National Association (the “Original Indenture”).  The 2015 Mirror Notes are governed by an Indenture, dated as of May 18, 2015, by and among the Company and Wilmington Trust, National Association (the “Mirror Indenture”).  The terms and conditions of the Mirror Indenture conform, in all material respects, to the terms and conditions set forth in the Original Indenture.  As such, the Mirror Indenture, together with the Original Indenture, are referred to herein as the “Indenture.”

The Indenture restricts the Company’s ability to: (i) incur additional debt or enter into sale and leaseback transactions; (ii) pay distributions on, redeem or, repurchase equity interests; (iii) make certain investments; (iv) incur liens; (v) enter into transactions with affiliates; (vi) merge or consolidate with another company; and (vii) transfer and sell assets.  These covenants are subject to a number of exceptions and qualifications.  If at any time when the Notes are rated investment grade by both Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. and Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services and no Default (as defined in the Indenture) has occurred and is continuing, many of such covenants will terminate and the Company and its subsidiaries (if any) will cease to be subject to such covenants.

The Indenture contains customary events of default, including:

• default in any payment of interest on any Note when due, continued for 30 days;

• default in the payment of principal of or premium, if any, on any Note when due;

• failure by the Company to comply with its other obligations under the Indenture, in certain cases subject to notice and grace periods;

• payment defaults and accelerations with respect to other indebtedness of the Company and certain of its subsidiaries, if any, in the aggregate principal amount of $25.0 million or more;

• certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization of the Company or a significant subsidiary or group of restricted subsidiaries that, taken together, would constitute a significant subsidiary;

• failure by the Company or any significant subsidiary or group of restricted subsidiaries that, taken together, would constitute a significant subsidiary to pay certain final judgments aggregating in excess of $25.0 million within 60 days; and

• any guarantee of the Notes by a guarantor ceases to be in full force and effect, is declared null and void in a judicial proceeding or is denied or disaffirmed by its maker.

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COMMON AND PREFERRED STOCK

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Equity [Abstract]

COMMON AND PREFERRED STOCK

COMMON AND PREFERRED STOCK

The Company’s Certificate of Incorporation authorizes the issuance of up to 455,000,000 shares.  The shares are classified in two classes, consisting of 450,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, and 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share.  The board of directors is authorized to establish one or more series of preferred stock, setting forth the designation of each such series, and fixing the relative rights and preferences of each such series.  The Company has neither designated nor issued any shares of preferred stock.

Common Stock

The following is a schedule of changes in the number of shares of common stock outstanding during the six months ended June 30, 2018 and the year ended December 31, 2017:

	Six Months Ended June 30, 2018		Year Ended December 31, 2017
Beginning Balance	66,791,633		63,259,781
Restricted Stock Grants	3,153,302		911,355
Debt Exchanges	121,774,822		—
Equity Offerings and Acquisitions	102,926,019		—
Legal Settlement	—		3,000,000
Other Surrenders - Tax Obligations	(153,421	)	(270,510	)
Other Forfeitures	(892,086	)	(108,993	)
Ending Balance	293,600,269		66,791,633

2018 Activity

During the six months ended June 30, 2018, 0.2 million shares of common stock were surrendered by certain employees of the Company to cover tax obligations in connection with their restricted stock awards.  The total value of these shares was approximately $0.3 million, which is based on the market prices on the dates the shares were surrendered.

During January 2018, 0.9 million shares of common stock were forfeited in connection with the resignation of the Company’s former interim chief executive officer and chief financial officer. The total amount of share-based compensation expense that was reversed in connection with his resignation was approximately $1.2 million.

Exchange Transactions

On May 15, 2018, as a part of closing the Exchange Agreement (see Note 4), the Company issued 103.2 million shares of the Company’s common stock to the Supporting Noteholders as partial consideration for their exchange of the Outstanding Notes.

In June 2018, the Company issued 18.5 million shares of the Company’s common stock to various noteholders, through privately negotiated exchange transactions, as consideration for the exchange of the Outstanding Notes (See Note 4).

Equity Offerings

On April 10, 2018, the Company completed an underwritten public offering of common stock (the “Public Offering”) pursuant to which it issued 58.7 million shares of common stock and received net proceeds of $84.5 million after underwriting discounts, commissions, and offering expenses. On April 16, 2018, the underwriters exercised their option to purchase an additional 3.6 million shares and the Company received additional net proceeds of $5.2 million after underwriting discounts.

On May 15, 2018, in connection with the closing of the Exchange Agreement, the Company issued 34.7 million shares to various investors through subscription agreements for net proceeds of $52.0 million.

Acquisition Agreement

On June 4, 2018, the Company issued 6.0 million shares of common stock as a part of the purchase price for the purchase of oil and gas properties under the purchase and sale agreement with Salt Creek Oil and Gas, LLC (See Note 3).

Stock Repurchase Program

In May 2011, the Company’s board of directors approved a stock repurchase program to acquire up to $150.0 million of the Company’s outstanding common stock.  The stock repurchase program allows the Company to repurchase its shares from time to time in the open market, block transactions and in negotiated transactions.

During the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and June 30, 2017, the Company did not repurchase shares of its common stock under the stock repurchase program.  The Company’s accounting policy upon the repurchase of shares is to deduct its par value from Common Stock and to reflect any excess of cost over par value as a deduction from Additional Paid-in Capital.

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STOCK OPTIONS/STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION AND WARRANTS

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]

STOCK OPTIONS/STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION AND WARRANTS

STOCK OPTIONS/STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION AND WARRANTS

The Company maintains its 2013 Incentive Plan (the “2013 Plan”) to provide a means whereby the Company may be able, by granting equity and other types of awards, to attract, retain and motivate capable and loyal employees, non-employee directors, consultants and advisors of the Company, for the benefit of the Company and its shareholders.  As of June 30, 2018, there were 780,552 shares available for future awards under the 2013 Plan.

Restricted Stock Awards

During the six months ended June 30, 2018, the Company issued 950,355 restricted shares of common stock subject only to time-based vesting under the 2013 Plan as compensation to officers, employees and directors of the Company.  Unvested restricted shares vest over various terms with all restricted shares vesting no later than June 2021.  As of June 30, 2018, there was approximately $2.6 million of total unrecognized compensation expense related to such unvested restricted stock that will be recognized over a weighted-average period of approximately 1.2 years.  The Company has historically assumed a zero percent forfeiture rate, thus recognizing forfeitures as they occur, for restricted stock due to the small number of officers, employees and directors that have received restricted stock awards.

The following table reflects the outstanding restricted stock awards subject only to time-based vesting and activity related thereto for the six months ended June 30, 2018:

	Six Months Ended June 30, 2018
	Number of Shares		Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value (per Award)
Restricted Stock Awards:
Restricted Shares Outstanding at Beginning of Period	1,721,533		$	3.65
Shares Granted	950,355		2.64
Lapse of Restrictions	(623,775	)	3.20
Shares Forfeited	(892,086	)	4.00
Restricted Shares Outstanding at End of Period	1,156,027		$	2.78

Stock Option Awards

The following table reflects the outstanding stock option awards and the activity related thereto for the six months ended June 30, 2018:

	Stock Option Awards (1)	Weighted-Average Exercise Price		Weighted Average Contractual Term
Outstanding as of 12/31/2017	250,000	$	2.79	1.0
Granted	—	—
Exercised	—	—
Expired or canceled	—	—
Forfeited	—	—
Outstanding as of 6/30/2018	250,000	$	2.79	0.4

____________

⁽¹⁾ All of the stock options outstanding were vested and exercisable at the end of the period.

Performance Stock Awards

On June 1, 2018, the Company granted performance stock awards as compensation to certain officers and employees of the Company. The performance stock awards are restricted and vest contingent on the continued service of the recipients through the vesting date, March 15, 2021. Additionally, the performance stock awards include awards that vest based on two separate defined performance criteria. Shares under the Performance-Based Restricted Share Grant I (“Performance Award I”) vest contingent on the Company’s fourth quarter annualized Adjusted EBITDA as compared to specified targets. Performance Award I contains both service and performance vesting conditions. The Company assessed the probability of achieving the performance condition as of June 30, 2018 using its internal financial forecasts. Shares under the Performance-Based Restricted Share Grant II (“Performance Award II”) vest contingent on the Company’s average closing stock price for the last twenty trading days of 2018 compared to specified targets. Performance Award II contains both service and market vesting conditions. A Monte Carlo simulation prepared by an independent third party is utilized to determine the grant date fair value of Performance Award II.

Shares under Performance Award I vest contingent on the Company’s fourth quarter annualized Adjusted EBITDA as compared to specified targets, as follows:

Performance	Aggregate Shares Vested
Less than Target I	0 shares
Target I to Target II	327,500 shares
Target II to Target III	660,000 shares
Greater than or equal to Target III	997,500 shares

The following table summarizes the Performance Award I activity for the six months ended June 30, 2018:

	Six Months Ended June 30, 2018
	Number of Shares	Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value (per Award)
Outstanding as of 12/31/2017	—	$	—
Shares Granted	997,500	2.70
Lapse of Restrictions	—	—
Shares Forfeited	—	—
Outstanding as of 6/30/2018	997,500	$	2.70

The fair value of the Performance Award I is estimated using the fair value on the grant date. The Company records the expense of the Performance Award I on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period. Any Performance Award I awards that do not become earned will terminate, expire and otherwise be forfeited by the participants. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2018, the Company recorded compensation expense related to Performance Award I awards of $0.2 million. At June 30, 2018, there was $2.5 million of total unrecognized compensation expense related to these awards.

Shares under Performance Award II vest contingent on the Company’s average closing stock price for the last twenty trading days of 2018 compared to specified targets, as follows:

Performance	Aggregate Shares Vested
Less than Target I	0 shares
Target I to Target II	327,500 shares
Target II to Target III	660,000 shares
Greater than or equal to Target III	997,500 shares

The following table summarizes the Performance Award II activity for the six months ended June 30, 2018:

	Six Months Ended June 30, 2018
	Number of Shares	Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value (per Award)
Outstanding as of 12/31/2017	—	$	—
Shares Granted	997,500	1.67
Lapse of Restrictions	—	—
Shares Forfeited	—	—
Outstanding as of 6/30/2018	997,500	$	1.67

The fair value of the Performance Award II is estimated using a Monte Carlo simulation at the grant date. The Company records the expense of the Performance Award I on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period. Any Performance Award II awards that do not become earned will terminate, expire and otherwise be forfeited by the participants. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2018, the Company recorded compensation expense related to Performance Award II awards of $0.1 million. At June 30, 2018, there was $1.5 million of total unrecognized compensation expense related to these awards.

The assumptions used to estimate the fair value of the Performance Award II granted as of the date presented are as follows:

	June 1, 2018
Risk-free interest rate	2.10		%
Dividend yield	—		%
Expected volatility	100.00		%
Company's closing stock price on grant date	$	2.70
Fair value per Performance Award II	$	1.67

On June 1, 2018, the Company granted performance stock awards consisting of an aggregate of 176,100 shares as compensation to certain directors of the Company. These performance stock awards are set up with the same specified targets as the Performance Award II for officers and employees described above. These performance stock awards are restricted and vest contingent on continued service of the recipient through the vesting date of March 15, 2019, and dependent on the performance relative to the stock price targets for the Performance Award II. At June 30, 2018, there was $0.3 million of total unrecognized compensation expense related to these awards.

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RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Related Party Transactions [Abstract]

RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

Exchange Agreement

On January 31, 2018, the Company entered into an exchange agreement that was subsequently amended on each of March 20, 2018 and April 2, 2018 (as amended, the “Exchange Agreement”) with holders (the “Supporting Noteholders”) of approximately $497.0 million, or 71%, of the aggregate principal amount of its outstanding 8.000% Senior Notes due 2020 (the “Outstanding Notes”), pursuant to which the Supporting Noteholders agreed to exchange all of the Outstanding Notes held by each such Supporting Noteholder for approximately $155.0 million of its common stock and approximately $344.0 million in aggregate principal amount of new senior secured second lien notes due 2023 (the “Second Lien Notes”) (the “Exchange Transaction”). Closing under the Exchange Agreement occurred on May 15, 2018.

TRT Holdings, Inc. (“TRT”), Cresta Investments, LLC and Robert B. Rowling (together, the “TRT Noteholders”) are Supporting Noteholders and received, upon consummation of the Exchange Transaction, in the aggregate, approximately 54.6 million shares of the Company’s common stock and approximately $125.3 million aggregate principal amount of Second Lien Notes in exchange for the $204.7 million of Outstanding Notes that they exchanged. Two of the Company’s directors, Michael Frantz and Mike Popejoy, are employed by TRT, and each of the TRT Noteholders individually beneficially owned in excess of 5% of the Company’s outstanding common stock when the Exchange Agreement was entered into. The principal amounts of any Second Lien Notes held by the TRT Noteholders as of June 30, 2018 are included in the Company’s long-term debt balances, and the Company’s interest expense includes interest attributable to any Outstanding Notes and Second Lien Notes held by TRT during the applicable period.

The obligations of the Supporting Noteholders under the Exchange Agreement were subject to the conditions set forth in the Exchange Agreement, which were satisfied at or prior to closing, including: (a) the successful completion of an equity transaction (the “Equity Raise”) comprised of $140.0 million in gross proceeds from the sale of the Company’s common stock, including the funding of up to $52.0 million of commitments received under the Subscription Agreements (as defined below); (b) the Company’s reincorporation in the State of Delaware and approval of its Delaware certificate of incorporation; (c) the Company’s receipt of the requisite stockholder approvals required by the NYSE American for (i) the issuance of the common stock in the Exchange Transaction and Equity Raise to the extent required and (ii) the reincorporation; (d) the Company obtaining the requisite consent of the lenders under the Company’s first lien term loan credit agreement (the “Term Loan Credit Agreement”) (including pursuant to an amendment to the terms thereof) to permit the Exchange Transaction; and (e) entry into a customary intercreditor agreement between the administrative agent for the Term Loan Credit Agreement and the trustee for the Second Lien Notes.

Subscription Agreements and Equity Raise

On January 31, 2018, and in connection with the Exchange Transaction, the Company and Bahram Akradi (the Chairman of its board of directors), Michael Reger (who subsequently joined the Company as an executive officer in May 2018), TRT and certain other investors each entered into subscription agreements (the “Subscription Agreements”) whereby such investors agreed to purchase up to $40.0 million of the Company’s common stock at a price per share equal to the lowest price per share in the Equity Raise, and subject to the closing of the Exchange Transaction. Pursuant to their respective Subscription Agreements, Mr. Akradi purchased $12.0 million of the Company’s common stock, Mr. Reger purchased $10.0 million of the Company’s common stock, and TRT purchased $10.0 million of the Company’s common stock. Based on the pricing of the Equity Raise, the lowest price of which was $1.50 per share, Mr. Akradi purchased 8.0 million shares, Mr. Reger purchased 6.7 million shares and TRT purchased 6.7 million shares. Mr. Akradi and TRT each beneficially owned in excess of 5% of the Company’s outstanding common stock when their respective Subscription Agreements were entered into.

On April 10, 2018, to satisfy, in part, the Company’s obligation to complete the Equity Raise, the Company completed an underwritten public offering (the “Offering”), whereby it sold 58,666,667 shares of its common stock at a public offering price of $1.50 per share. As part of the Offering, Mr. Akradi purchased 1.0 million shares of the Company’s common stock from the underwriters of the Offering for an aggregate purchase price of $1.5 million. Mr. Akradi beneficially owned in excess of 5% of the Company’s outstanding common stock when he purchased such shares.

Registration Rights

In accordance with the terms of the Exchange Agreement, at the closing of the Exchange Transaction, the Company entered into registration rights agreements with (i) the Supporting Noteholders, including the TRT Noteholders, pursuant to which the Company agreed to file with the SEC a registration statement registering for resale the shares of common stock and the Second Lien Notes issued in the Exchange Transaction, and (ii) the TRT Noteholders and an affiliate of TRT, pursuant to which the Company agreed to file with the SEC a registration statement registering for resale all of the shares of common stock held by the TRT Noteholders and such affiliate, excluding shares of common stock that the TRT Noteholders received pursuant to the Exchange Transaction. The required registration statements were filed and declared effective by the SEC during the quarter ended June 30, 2018.

The Company’s Audit Committee is responsible for approving all transactions involving related parties, including each of the transactions identified above.

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COMMITMENTS & CONTINGENCIES

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

COMMITMENTS & CONTINGENCIES

COMMITMENTS & CONTINGENCIES

Litigation

The Company is engaged in various proceedings incidental to the normal course of business. Due to their nature, such legal proceedings involve inherent uncertainties, including but not limited to, court rulings, negotiations between affected parties and governmental intervention.  Based upon the information available to the Company and discussions with legal counsel, it is the Company’s opinion that the outcome of the various legal actions and claims that are incidental to its business will not have a material impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows.  Such matters, however, are subject to many uncertainties, and the outcome of any matter is not predictable with assurance.

The Company’s interests in certain crude oil and natural gas leases from the State of North Dakota are subject to an ongoing dispute over the ownership of minerals underlying the bed of the Missouri River within the boundaries of the Fort Berthold Reservation.  The ongoing dispute is between the State of North Dakota and three affiliated tribes, both of whom have purported to lease mineral rights in tracts of riverbed within the reservation boundaries. In the event the ongoing dispute results in a final judgment that is adverse to the Company’s interests, the Company would be required to reverse approximately $5.3 million in revenue (net of accrued taxes) that has been accrued since the first quarter of 2013 based on the Company’s purported interest in the crude oil and natural gas leases at issue. Due to the long-term nature of this title dispute, the $5.3 million in accounts receivable is included in “Other Noncurrent Assets, Net” on the condensed balance sheets. The Company fully maintains the validity of its interests in the crude oil and natural gas leases.

On August 18, 2016, plaintiff Jeffrey Fries, individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated, filed a class action complaint in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York against the Company, Michael Reger (the Company’s former chief executive officer), and Thomas Stoelk (the Company’s former chief financial officer and interim chief executive officer) as defendants.  An amended complaint was filed by plaintiffs in July 2017. Defendants (including the Company) filed a motion to dismiss the amended complaint in August 2017. The court granted the Company’s motion to dismiss in January 2018, but permitted plaintiff the opportunity to further amend the complaint. A second amended complaint was filed by plaintiffs in January 2018. Defendants (including the Company) filed a motion to dismiss the second amended complaint in March 2018, and the Company is awaiting the court’s decision on that motion to dismiss. The complaint purports to bring a federal securities class action on behalf of a class of persons who acquired the Company’s securities between March 1, 2013 and August 15, 2016, and seeks to recover damages caused by defendants’ alleged violations of the federal securities laws and to pursue remedies under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder. The Company intends to continue to vigorously defend itself in this matter.

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INCOME TAXES

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

INCOME TAXES

INCOME TAXES

The Company utilizes the asset and liability approach to measuring deferred tax assets and liabilities based on temporary differences existing at each balance sheet date using currently enacted tax rates. A valuation allowance for the Company’s deferred tax assets is established if, in management’s opinion, it is more likely than not that a valuation allowance is needed, looking at both positive and negative factors.  Due to uncertainty surrounding the realization of its deferred tax assets, the Company has continued to record a valuation allowance against its net deferred tax assets.

The income tax provision (benefit) for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017 consists of the following:

	Three Months Ended June 30,						Six Months Ended June 30,
	2018			2017			2018			2017
Current Income Tax Provision (Benefit)	$	—		$	—		$	—		$	—
Deferred Income Tax Provision (Benefit)
Federal	(19,180,000		)	4,699,000			(18,560,000		)	10,649,000
State	(4,228,000		)	424,000			(4,091,000		)	960,000
Valuation Allowance	23,408,000			(5,123,000		)	22,651,000			(11,609,000		)
Total Income Tax Provision (Benefit)	$	—		$	—		$	—		$	—

Income tax provision (benefit) during interim periods is based on applying an estimated annual effective income tax rate to year-to-date income (loss), plus any unusual or infrequently occurring items that are recorded in the interim period.  The provision for the three and six-month periods ended June 30, 2018, differ from the amount that would be provided by applying the statutory U.S. federal income tax rate of 21% to income before income taxes.  The lower effective tax rate in 2018 and 2017 relates to the valuation allowance placed on the net deferred tax assets, in addition to state income taxes and estimated permanent differences.

The Company’s May 15, 2018 closing under the Exchange Agreement and related transactions triggered an ownership change within the meaning of Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code (“IRC”) due to the share issuances that resulted from the Exchange Agreement and related transactions.  In general, an ownership change, as defined in IRC Section 382, results from a transaction or series of transactions over a three-year period resulting in an ownership change of more than 50% of the outstanding stock of a company by certain stockholders or public groups. Since the Company has experienced an ownership change, utilization of net operating losses and other tax carryforward attributes are subject to an annual limitation, which is determined by first multiplying the value of the Company’s common stock at the time of the ownership change by the applicable long-term, tax-exempt rate, plus any built-in gains recognized within five years following the ownership change.  Any such limitation is still being evaluated and may result in the expiration of a significant portion of the Company’s tax attributes.  Any carryforward attributes that expire prior to utilization will be removed from deferred tax assets with a corresponding adjustment to the valuation allowance upon finalization of the limitation analysis, which will be completed prior to the end of the fiscal year. Due to the existence of the valuation allowance, it is not expected that any possible limitation will have an impact on the results of operations of the Company.  

On December 22, 2017, the United States enacted the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“the Act”) which made significant changes that affect the Company, resulting in significant modifications to existing law.  The Company’s financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2017 and for the quarter ended June 30, 2018 reflect certain effects of the Act which includes a reduction in the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% effective January 1, 2018, as well as other changes.

The Act also repeals the corporate alternative minimum tax for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017 and provides that prior alternative minimum tax credits will be refundable. The Company has credits that are expected to be refunded between 2018 and 2021 as a result of the Act and monetization opportunities under current tax laws.

The Act is a comprehensive tax reform bill containing a number of other provisions that either currently or in the future could impact the Company.  The Company has completed the analysis of the Act and does not expect a material change due to the transition impacts. Any changes that do arise due to changes in interpretations of the Act, legislative action to address questions that arise because of the Act, changes in accounting standards for income taxes or related interpretations in response to the Act, or any updates or changes to estimates the Company has utilized to calculate the transition impacts will be disclosed in future periods as they arise. The effect of certain limitations effective for the tax year 2018 and forward, specifically related to the deductibility of executive compensation and interest expense, have been evaluated.

Tax benefits are recognized only for tax positions that are more likely than not to be sustained upon examination by tax authorities.  The amount recognized is measured as the largest amount of benefit that is greater than 50 percent likely to be realized upon ultimate settlement.  Unrecognized tax benefits are tax benefits claimed in the Company’s tax returns that do not meet these recognition and measurement standards.  The Company has no liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits.

The Company’s policy is to recognize potential interest and penalties accrued related to unrecognized tax benefits within income tax expense.  For the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, the Company did not recognize any interest or penalties in its condensed statements of operations, nor did it have any interest or penalties accrued in its condensed balance sheet at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 relating to unrecognized benefits.

The tax years 2017, 2016 and 2015 remain open to examination for federal and state income tax purposes.

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FAIR VALUE

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]

FAIR VALUE

FAIR VALUE

Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date.  Valuation techniques used to measure fair value must maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs.  The Company uses a fair value hierarchy based on three levels of inputs, of which the first two are considered observable and the last unobservable, that may be used to measure fair value which are the following:

Level 1 - Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

Level 2 - Inputs other than Level 1 that are observable, either directly or indirectly, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities.

Level 3 - Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities.

Financial Assets and Liabilities

As required, financial assets and liabilities are classified in their entirety based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The Company’s assessment of the significance of a particular input requires judgment and may affect the valuation of fair value assets and liabilities and their placement within the fair value hierarchy levels.  The following tables set forth by level within the fair value hierarchy the Company’s financial assets and liabilities that were accounted for at fair value on a recurring basis:

	Fair Value Measurements at June 30, 2018 Using
	Quoted Prices In Active Markets for Identical Assets (Liabilities) (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)			Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Commodity Derivatives – Current Asset (crude oil swaps)	$	—	$	—		$	—
Commodity Derivatives – Noncurrent Asset (crude oil swaps)	—		—			—
Commodity Derivatives – Current Liabilities (crude oil swaps)	—		(43,644,644		)	—
Commodity Derivatives – Noncurrent Liabilities (crude oil swaps)	—		(28,611,421		)	—
Debt Exchange Derivatives – Current Liabilities	—		—			(10,923,000		)
Total	$	—	$	(72,256,065	)	$	(10,923,000	)

	Fair Value Measurements at December 31, 2017 Using
	Quoted Prices In Active Markets for Identical Assets (Liabilities) (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)			Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Commodity Derivatives – Current Asset (crude oil swaps)	$	—	$	—		$	—
Commodity Derivatives – Noncurrent Asset (crude oil swaps)	—		—			—
Commodity Derivatives – Current Liabilities (crude oil swaps)	—		(18,681,891		)	—
Commodity Derivatives – Noncurrent Liabilities (crude oil swaps)	—		(11,496,929		)	—
Total	$	—	$	(30,178,820	)	$	—

The Level 2 instruments presented in the tables above consist of commodity derivative instruments (see Note 11).  The fair value of the Company’s derivative financial instruments is determined based upon future prices, volatility and time to maturity, among other things. Counterparty statements are utilized to determine the value of the commodity derivative instruments and are reviewed and corroborated using various methodologies and significant observable inputs.  The Company’s and the counterparties’ nonperformance risk is evaluated.  The fair value of all derivative contracts is reflected on the condensed balance sheet.  The current derivative asset and liability amounts represent the fair values expected to be settled in the subsequent twelve months.

The Company had embedded derivatives related to its separately negotiated exchange agreements with holders of the Company’s 2020 Notes. The exchange agreements contained provisions whereby if at the end of the applicable restricted sale period the Company’s common stock trades below specified levels, the Company may be required to pay additional consideration to the holder in the form of cash or additional shares of common stock. The Company determined these provisions were not clearly and closely related to the shares of common stock issued and therefore, bifurcated these embedded features and reflected them at fair value in the financial statements. Prior to their settlements, the fair values of these embedded derivatives were determined using a Monte Carlo simulation which considered various inputs including (i) the Company’s common stock price, (ii) risk-free rates based on U.S. Treasury rates, (iii) volatility of the Company’s common stock, and (iv) expected average daily trading volumes. The expected volatility and average daily trading volumes used in the valuation were unobservable in the marketplace and significant to the valuation methodology, and the embedded derivatives’ fair value was therefore designated as Level 3 in the valuation hierarchy. At June 30, 2018, the Company recorded a debt exchange derivative liability of $10.9 million.

Fair Value of Other Financial Instruments

The Company’s financial instruments, including certain cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable and accounts payable, are carried at cost, which approximates fair value due to the short-term maturity of these instruments.

The carrying amount of the Company’s long-term debt reported in the condensed balance sheet at June 30, 2018 is $834.8 million, which includes $148.2 million of senior unsecured notes, $339.5 million of second lien notes, and $347.1 million of borrowings under the Company’s term loan credit agreement (see Note 4).  The fair value of the Company’s senior unsecured notes and second lien notes, which are publicly traded, is $149.2 million and $364.1 million at June 30, 2018, respectively.  The Company’s term loan credit agreement approximates its fair value because of its floating rate structure.

Non-Financial Assets and Liabilities

The Company estimates asset retirement obligations pursuant to the provisions of FASB ASC 410.  The initial measurement of asset retirement obligations at fair value is calculated using discounted cash flow techniques and based on internal estimates of future retirement costs associated with oil and natural gas properties.  Given the unobservable nature of the inputs, including plugging costs and reserve lives, the initial measurement of the asset retirement obligations liability is deemed to use Level 3 inputs.  Asset retirement obligations incurred during the six months ended June 30, 2018 were approximately $0.6 million.

The Company accounts for acquisitions of oil and natural gas properties under the acquisition method of accounting. Accordingly, the Company conducts assessments of net assets acquired and recognizes amounts for identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the estimated acquisition date fair values, while transaction costs associated with the acquisitions are expensed as incurred. The Company makes various assumptions in estimating the fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed. The most significant assumptions relate to the estimated fair value of oil and natural gas properties. The fair value of these properties is measured using a discounted cash flow model that converts future cash flows to a single discounted amount. These assumptions represent Level 3 inputs under the fair value hierarchy. See Note 3 for additional discussion of the Company's acquisitions of oil and natural gas properties during the six months ended June 30, 2018 and discussion of the significant inputs to the valuations.

Though the Company believes the methods used to estimate fair value are consistent with those used by other market participants, the use of other methods or assumptions could result in a different estimate of fair value.  There were no transfers of financial assets or liabilities between Level 1, Level 2 or Level 3 inputs for the six months ended June 30, 2018.

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DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS AND PRICE RISK MANAGEMENT

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS AND PRICE RISK MANAGEMENT

DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS AND PRICE RISK MANAGEMENT

The Company utilizes commodity swap contracts, basis swaps, swaptions and collars (purchased put options and written call options) to (i) reduce the effects of volatility in price changes on the crude oil commodities it produces and sells, (ii) reduce commodity price risk and (iii) provide a base level of cash flow in order to assure it can execute at least a portion of its capital spending.

All derivative instruments are recorded on the Company’s balance sheet as either assets or liabilities measured at their fair value (see Note 10).  The Company has not designated any derivative instruments as hedges for accounting purposes and does not enter into such instruments for speculative trading purposes.  If a derivative does not qualify as a hedge or is not designated as a hedge, the changes in the fair value are recognized in the revenues section of the Company’s condensed statements of operations as a gain or loss on derivative instruments.  Mark-to-market gains and losses represent changes in fair values of derivatives that have not been settled.  The Company’s cash flow is only impacted when the actual settlements under the derivative contracts result in making or receiving a payment to or from the counterparty.  These cash settlements represent the cumulative gains and losses on the Company’s derivative instruments for the periods presented and do not include a recovery of costs that were paid to acquire or modify the derivative instruments that were settled.

The following table presents cash settlements on matured or liquidated derivative instruments and non-cash gains and losses on open derivative instruments for the periods presented.  Cash receipts and payments below reflect proceeds received upon early liquidation of derivative positions and gains or losses on derivative contracts which matured during the period, calculated as the difference between the contract price and the market settlement price of matured contracts.  Non-cash gains and losses below represent the change in fair value of derivative instruments which continue to be held at period-end and the reversal of previously recognized non-cash gains or losses on derivative contracts that matured or were liquidated during the period.

	Three Months Ended June 30,					Six Months Ended June 30,
	2018			2017		2018			2017
Cash Received (Paid) on Settled Derivatives	$	(12,266,857	)	$	2,341,030	$	(20,396,994	)	$	2,245,371
Non-Cash Mark-to-Market Gain (Loss) on Derivatives	(29,935,931		)	14,172,002		(42,077,245		)	31,228,544
Gain (Loss) on Derivative Instruments, Net	$	(42,202,788	)	$	16,513,032	$	(62,474,239	)	$	33,473,915

The Company has master netting agreements on individual crude oil contracts with certain counterparties and therefore the current asset and liability are netted on the balance sheet and the non-current asset and liability are netted on the balance sheet for contracts with these counterparties.

As of June 30, 2018, the Company had a total volume on open commodity swaps of 7.5 million barrels at a weighted average price of approximately $55.60 per barrel. The following table reflects the weighted average price of open commodity swap derivative contracts as of June 30, 2018, by year with associated volumes.

Year	Volumes (Bbl)	Weighted Average Price ($)
2018	2,003,660	57.83
2019	3,160,000	55.85
2020	1,730,980	52.55
2021 and beyond	631,600	55.67

The following table sets forth the amounts, on a gross basis, and classification of the Company’s outstanding derivative financial instruments at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively.  Certain amounts may be presented on a net basis on the condensed financial statements when such amounts are with the same counterparty and subject to a master netting arrangement.

Type of Crude Oil Contract	Balance Sheet Location	June 30, 2018 Estimated Fair Value			December 31, 2017 Estimated Fair Value
Derivative Liabilities:
Swap Contracts	Current Liabilities	$	(43,644,644	)	$	(18,681,891	)
Swap Contracts	Noncurrent Liabilities	(28,611,421		)	(11,496,929		)
Total Derivative Liabilities		$	(72,256,065	)	$	(30,178,820	)

The use of derivative transactions involves the risk that the counterparties will be unable to meet the financial terms of such transactions.  When the Company has netting arrangements with its counterparties that provide for offsetting payables against receivables from separate derivative instruments these assets and liabilities are netted on the balance sheet.  The tables presented below provide reconciliation between the gross assets and liabilities and the amounts reflected on the balance sheet.  The amounts presented exclude derivative settlement receivables and payables as of the balance sheet dates.

	Estimated Fair Value at June 30, 2018
	Gross Amounts of Recognized Assets (Liabilities)			Gross Amounts Offset in the Balance Sheet			Net Amounts of Assets (Liabilities) Presented in the Balance Sheet
Offsetting of Derivative Assets:
Current Assets	$	12,921		$	(12,921	)	$	—
Noncurrent Assets	13,659			(13,659		)	—
Total Derivative Assets	$	26,580		$	(26,580	)	$	—
Offsetting of Derivative Liabilities:
Current Liabilities	$	(43,657,565	)	$	12,921		$	(43,644,644	)
Noncurrent Liabilities	(28,625,080		)	13,659			(28,611,421		)
Total Derivative Liabilities	$	(72,282,645	)	$	26,580		$	(72,256,065	)

	Estimated Fair Value at December 31, 2017
	Gross Amounts of Recognized Assets (Liabilities)			Gross Amounts Offset in the Balance Sheet		Net Amounts of Assets (Liabilities) Presented in the Balance Sheet
Offsetting of Derivative Assets:
Current Assets	$	—		$	—	$	—
Non-Current Assets	—			—		—
Total Derivative Assets	$	—		$	—	$	—
Offsetting of Derivative Liabilities:
Current Liabilities	$	(18,681,891	)	$	—	$	(18,681,891	)
Non-Current Liabilities	(11,496,929		)	—		(11,496,929		)
Total Derivative Liabilities	$	(30,178,820	)	$	—	$	(30,178,820	)

All of the Company’s outstanding derivative instruments are covered by International Swap Dealers Association Master Agreements (“ISDAs”) entered into with BP Energy Company, Macquarie Bank Limited, and Fifth Third Bank.  The Company’s obligations under the derivative instruments are secured pursuant to the term loan credit agreement and related agreements, and no additional collateral had been posted by the Company as of June 30, 2018.  The ISDAs may provide that as a result of certain circumstances, such as cross-defaults, a counterparty may require all outstanding derivative instruments under an ISDA to be settled immediately.  See Note 10 for the aggregate fair value of all derivative instruments that were in a net liability position at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017.

In June 2018, the Company entered into five independent, separately negotiated exchange agreements with holders of the Company’s 2020 Notes. Pursuant to each such exchange agreement, the Company agreed to issue the holder shares of its common stock in exchange for certain 2020 Notes held by such holder. The Company subjected the holders to various restrictions on the sale of the shares of common stock issued to them. These restrictions are of varying lengths and subject to varying exceptions.  As compensation for the inability to sell shares during the restricted period, the exchange agreements contained provisions whereby, if at the end of the applicable restricted sale period the Company’s common stock trades below specified levels, the Company may be required to pay additional consideration to the holder in the form of cash or additional shares of common stock. In connection with these provisions, for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018, the Company recorded a debt exchange derivative liability of $10.9 million which was included in the loss on the extinguishment of debt on the condensed statement of operations.

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SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Subsequent Events [Abstract]

SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

Pivotal Acquisition

On July 17, 2018, the Company entered into two Purchase and Sale Agreements (the “Pivotal Purchase Agreements”) with affiliates of Pivotal Petroleum Partners, namelyPivotal Williston Basin, LP and Pivotal Williston Basin II, LP, pursuant to which the Company agreed to acquire, effective as of June 1, 2018, certain oil and gas properties and interests, subject to typical closing conditions. Upon closings under their respective Purchase Agreement, Pivotal Williston Basin, LP will receive initial consideration of $15.75 million and 5,930,100 shares of common stock and Pivotal Williston Basin II, LP will receive initial consideration of $52.65 million and 19,823,478 shares of common stock. In each case, the cash portion of the initial consideration is subject to adjustment resulting from pre- and post- effective date revenue and expense allocation and procedures relating to customary title and environmental matters.

The obligations of the parties to complete the transactions contemplated by each Pivotal Purchase Agreement is subject to the satisfaction or waiver of customary closing conditions set forth in the Pivotal Purchase Agreements.

Under the Pivotal Purchase Agreements, the Company has agreed to issue an aggregate of 25,753,578 shares of common stock at closing and may in the future issue up to a maximum of 16,046,421 additional shares of its common stock. The additional shares would be issued only if the Company elects to use shares of its common stock to satisfy certain monthly payment obligations that may arise based on the average daily volume weighted average price of a share of the Company’s common stock as measured against specified reference prices for 12 of the 13 calendar months following closing.

W Resources Acquisition

On July 27, 2018, the Company entered into a Purchase and Sale Agreement (the “WR Purchase Agreement”) with WR Operating LLC (“Seller”), pursuant to which the Company has agreed to acquire, effective as of July 1, 2018, certain oil and gas properties and interests. Upon closing under the WR Purchase Agreement, Seller will receive initial consideration of $100.0 million in cash and 56,371,899 shares of common stock. The cash portion of the initial consideration is subject to adjustment resulting from pre- and post-effective date revenue and expense allocation and procedures relating to customary title and environmental matters.

The obligations of the parties to complete the transactions contemplated by the WR Purchase Agreement are subject to the satisfaction or waiver of customary closing conditions set forth in the WR Purchase Agreement.

Under the WR Purchase Agreement, the Company has agreed to issue 56,371,899 shares of common stock at closing and may in the future issue up to a maximum of 2,669,937 additional shares of its common stock, representing a total number of shares not to exceed 19.9% of the number of shares of common stock issued and outstanding as of July 27, 2018. The additional shares would be issued only if the Company elects to use shares of its common stock to satisfy certain monthly payment obligations that may arise based on the average daily volume weighted average price of a share of the Company’s common stock as measured against specified reference prices for 12 of the 13 calendar months following closing. To the extent such monthly payment obligations arise and exceed the value of the maximum number of additional shares, the Company would be required to satisfy such obligations in cash.

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SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Use of Estimates

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements under GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period.  The most significant estimates relate to proved crude oil and natural gas reserve volumes, future development costs, estimates relating to certain crude oil and natural gas revenues and expenses, fair value of derivative instruments, impairment of oil and natural gas properties, and deferred income taxes.  Actual results may differ from those estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Northern considers highly liquid investments with insignificant interest rate risk and original maturities to the Company of three months or less to be cash equivalents.  Cash equivalents consist primarily of interest-bearing bank accounts.  The Company’s cash positions represent assets held in checking and money market accounts.  These assets are generally available on a daily or weekly basis and are highly liquid in nature.  Due to the balances being greater than $250,000, the Company does not have FDIC coverage on the entire amount of bank deposits.  The Company believes this risk is minimal.  In addition, the Company is subject to Security Investor Protection Corporation (“SIPC”) protection on a vast majority of its financial assets.

Accounts Receivable

Accounts Receivable

Accounts receivable are carried on a gross basis, with no discounting. The Company regularly reviews all aged accounts receivable for collectability and establishes an allowance as necessary for individual balances. Accounts receivable not expected to be collected within the next twelve months are included within Other Noncurrent Assets, Net on the condensed balance sheets.

Advances to Operators

Advances to Operators

The Company participates in the drilling of crude oil and natural gas wells with other working interest partners. Due to the capital intensive nature of crude oil and natural gas drilling activities, the working interest partner responsible for conducting the drilling operations may request advance payments from other working interest partners for their share of the costs. The Company expects such advances to be applied by working interest partners against joint interest billings for its share of drilling operations within 90 days from when the advance is paid.

Other Property and Equipment

Other Property and Equipment

Property and equipment that are not crude oil and natural gas properties are recorded at cost and depreciated using the straight-line method over their estimated useful lives of three to seven years. Expenditures for replacements, renewals, and betterments are capitalized. Maintenance and repairs are charged to operations as incurred. Long-lived assets, other than crude oil and natural gas properties, are evaluated for impairment to determine if current circumstances and market conditions indicate the carrying amount may not be recoverable. The Company has not recognized any impairment losses on non-crude oil and natural gas long-lived assets.

Oil and Gas Properties

Oil and Gas Properties

Northern follows the full cost method of accounting for crude oil and natural gas operations whereby all costs related to the exploration and development of crude oil and natural gas properties are capitalized into a single cost center (“full cost pool”).  Such costs include land acquisition costs, geological and geophysical expenses, carrying charges on non-producing properties, costs of drilling directly related to acquisition, and exploration activities.  Internal costs that are capitalized are directly attributable to acquisition, exploration and development activities and do not include costs related to production, general corporate overhead or similar activities.  Costs associated with production and general corporate activities are expensed in the period incurred.  Capitalized costs are summarized as follows for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

	Three Months Ended June 30,				Six Months Ended June 30,
	2018		2017		2018		2017
Capitalized Certain Payroll and Other Internal Costs	$	182,081	$	240,771	$	352,931	$	445,644
Capitalized Interest Costs	38,170		33,000		73,235		71,768
Total	$	220,251	$	273,771	$	426,166	$	517,412

As of June 30, 2018, the Company held leasehold interests in the Williston Basin on acreage located in North Dakota and Montana targeting the Bakken and Three Forks formations.

Proceeds from property sales will generally be credited to the full cost pool, with no gain or loss recognized, unless such a sale would significantly alter the relationship between capitalized costs and the proved reserves attributable to these costs.  A significant alteration would typically involve a sale of 25% or more of the proved reserves related to a single full cost pool.  In the six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, there were no property sales that resulted in a significant alteration.

Under the full cost method of accounting, the Company is required to perform a ceiling test each quarter.  The test determines a limit, or ceiling, on the book value of the proved oil and gas properties.  Net capitalized costs are limited to the lower of unamortized cost net of deferred income taxes, or the cost center ceiling.  The cost center ceiling is defined as the sum of (a) estimated future net revenues, discounted at 10% per annum, from proved reserves, based on the trailing twelve-month unweighted average of the first-day-of-the-month price, adjusted for any contract provisions or financial derivatives designated as hedges for accounting purposes, if any, that hedge the Company’s oil and natural gas revenue, and excluding the estimated abandonment costs for properties with asset retirement obligations recorded on the balance sheet, (b) the cost of properties not being amortized, if any, and (c) the lower of cost or market value of unproved properties included in the cost being amortized, including related deferred taxes for differences between the book and tax basis of the oil and natural gas properties.  If the net book value, including related deferred taxes, exceeds the ceiling, an impairment or non-cash writedown is required.

The Company did not have any ceiling test impairment for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively.  Impairment charges affect the Company’s reported net income but do not reduce the Company’s cash flow. If a significantly lower pricing environment reoccurs, the Company expects it could be required to writedown the value of its oil and natural gas properties. In addition to commodity prices, the Company’s production rates, levels of proved reserves, future development costs, transfers of unevaluated properties and other factors will determine the Company’s actual ceiling test calculation and impairment analyses in future periods.

Capitalized costs associated with impaired unproved properties and capitalized costs related to properties having proved reserves, plus the estimated future development costs and asset retirement costs, are depleted and amortized on the unit-of-production method.   Under this method, depletion is calculated at the end of each period by multiplying total production for the period by a depletion rate.  The depletion rate is determined by dividing the total unamortized cost base plus future development costs by net equivalent proved reserves at the beginning of the period.  The costs of unproved properties are withheld from the depletion base until such time as they are either developed or abandoned.  When proved reserves are assigned or the property is considered to be impaired, the cost of the property or the amount of the impairment is added to costs subject to depletion and full cost ceiling calculations. 

Asset Retirement Obligations

Asset Retirement Obligations

The Company accounts for its abandonment and restoration liabilities under Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) ASC Topic 410, “Asset Retirement and Environmental Obligations” (“FASB ASC 410”), which requires the Company to record a liability equal to the fair value of the estimated cost to retire an asset upon initial recognition.  The asset retirement liability is recorded in the period in which the obligation meets the definition of a liability, which is generally when the asset is placed into service.  When the liability is initially recorded, the Company increases the carrying amount of oil and natural gas properties by an amount equal to the original liability.  The liability is accreted to its present value each period, and the capitalized cost is depreciated consistent with depletion of reserves.  Upon settlement of the liability or the sale of the well, the liability is reversed.  These liability amounts may change because of changes in asset lives, estimated costs of abandonment or legal or statutory remediation requirements.

Business Combinations

Business Combinations

The Company accounts for its acquisitions that qualify as a business using the acquisition method under FASB ASC Topic 805, “Business Combinations.” Under the acquisition method, assets acquired and liabilities assumed are recognized and measured at their fair values. The use of fair value accounting requires the use of significant judgment since some transaction components do not have fair values that are readily determinable. The excess, if any, of the purchase price over the net fair value amounts assigned to assets acquired and liabilities assumed is recognized as goodwill. Conversely, if the fair value of assets acquired exceeds the purchase price, including liabilities assumed, the excess is immediately recognized in earnings as a bargain purchase gain.

Debt Issuance Costs

Debt Issuance Costs

Debt issuance costs include origination, legal and other fees to issue debt in connection with the Company’s term loan credit agreement, senior secured notes, senior unsecured notes and prior revolving credit facility.  These debt issuance costs are amortized over the term of the related financing using the straight-line method, which approximates the effective interest method (see Note 4).

Bond Premium/Discount on Senior Notes

Bond Premium/Discount on Senior Notes

On May 13, 2013, the Company recorded a bond premium of $10.5 million in connection with the “8.000% Senior Notes Due 2020” (see Note 4).  This bond premium is being amortized over the term of the related financing using the straight-line method, which approximates the effective interest method.  The amortization of the bond premium for the three months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017 was $0.2 million and $0.4 million, respectively. The amortization of the bond premium for the six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017 was $0.5 million and $0.7 million, respectively.

On May 18, 2015, the Company recorded a bond discount of $10.0 million in connection with the “8.000% Senior Notes Due 2020” (see Note 4).  This bond discount is being amortized over the term of the related financing using the straight-line method, which approximates the effective interest method. The amortization of the bond discount for the three months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017 was $0.2 million and $0.5 million, respectively.

Revenue Recognition

Revenue Recognition

The Company adopted ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) and the series of related accounting standard updates that followed, on January 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective method of adoption. Adoption of the ASU did not require an adjustment to the opening balance of equity and did not change the Company's amount and timing of revenues.

The Company’s revenues are primarily derived from its interests in the sale of oil and natural gas production. The Company recognizes revenue from its interests in the sales of oil and natural gas in the period that its performance obligations are satisfied. Performance obligations are satisfied when the customer obtains control of product, when the Company has no further obligations to perform related to the sale, when the transaction price has been determined and when collectability is probable. The sales of oil and natural gas are made under contracts which the third-party operators of the wells have negotiated with customers, which typically include variable consideration that is based on pricing tied to local indices and volumes delivered in the current month. The Company receives payment from the sale of oil and natural gas production from one to three months after delivery. At the end of each month when the performance obligation is satisfied, the variable consideration can be reasonably estimated and amounts due from customers are accrued in trade receivables, net in the balance sheets. Variances between the Company’s estimated revenue and actual payments are recorded in the month the payment is received, however, differences have been and are insignificant. Accordingly, the variable consideration is not constrained.

The Company does not disclose the value of unsatisfied performance obligations under its contracts with customers as it applies the practical exemption in accordance with ASC 606. The exemption, as described in ASC 606-10-50-14(a), applies to variable consideration that is recognized as control of the product is transferred to the customer. Since each unit of product represents a separate performance obligation, future volumes are wholly unsatisfied and disclosure of the transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations is not required.

The Company’s oil is typically sold at delivery points under contracts terms that are common in our industry. The Company's natural gas produced is delivered by the well operators to various purchasers at agreed upon delivery points under a limited number of contract types that are also common in our industry. However, under these contracts, the natural gas may be sold to a single purchaser or may be sold to separate purchasers. Regardless of the contract type, the terms of these contracts compensate the well operators for the value of the oil and natural gas at specified prices, and then the well operators will remit payment to the Company for its share in the value of the oil and natural gas sold.

A wellhead imbalance liability equal to the Company’s share is recorded to the extent that the Company’s well operators have sold volumes in excess of its share of remaining reserves in an underlying property. However, for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, the Company’s natural gas production was in balance, meaning its cumulative portion of natural gas production taken and sold from wells in which it has an interest equaled its entitled interest in natural gas production from those wells.

Concentrations of Market and Credit Risk

Concentrations of Market and Credit Risk

The future results of the Company’s crude oil and natural gas operations will be affected by the market prices of crude oil and natural gas.  The availability of a ready market for crude oil and natural gas products in the future will depend on numerous factors beyond the control of the Company, including weather, imports, marketing of competitive fuels, proximity and capacity of crude oil and natural gas pipelines and other transportation facilities, any oversupply or undersupply of crude oil, natural gas and liquid products, the regulatory environment, the economic environment, and other regional and political events, none of which can be predicted with certainty.

The Company operates in the exploration, development and production sector of the crude oil and natural gas industry.  The Company’s receivables include amounts due from purchasers of its crude oil and natural gas production.  While certain of these customers are affected by periodic downturns in the economy in general or in their specific segment of the crude oil or natural gas industry, the Company believes that its level of credit-related losses due to such economic fluctuations have been immaterial.

The Company manages and controls market and counterparty credit risk.  In the normal course of business, collateral is not required for financial instruments with credit risk.  Financial instruments which potentially subject the Company to credit risk consist principally of temporary cash balances and derivative financial instruments.  The Company maintains cash and cash equivalents in bank deposit accounts which, at times, may exceed the federally insured limits.  The Company has not experienced any significant losses from such investments.  The Company attempts to limit the amount of credit exposure to any one financial institution or company.  The Company believes the credit quality of its counterparties is generally high.  In the normal course of business, letters of credit or parent guarantees may be required for counterparties which management perceives to have a higher credit risk.

Stock-Based Compensation

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company records expense associated with the fair value of stock-based compensation.  For fully vested stock and restricted stock grants, the Company calculates the stock-based compensation expense based upon estimated fair value on the date of grant.  In determining the fair value of performance-based share awards subject to market conditions, the Company utilizes a Monte Carlo simulation prepared by an independent third party. For stock options, the Company uses the Black-Scholes option valuation model to calculate stock-based compensation at the date of grant.  Option pricing models require the input of highly subjective assumptions, including the expected price volatility.  Changes in these assumptions can materially affect the fair value estimate.

Stock Issuance

Stock Issuance

The Company records any stock-based compensation awards issued to non-employees and other external entities for goods and services at either the fair market value of the goods received or services rendered or the instruments issued in exchange for such services, whichever is more readily determinable.

Income Taxes

Income Taxes

The Company’s income tax expense, deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities reflect management’s best assessment of estimated current and future taxes to be paid.  The Company estimates for each interim reporting period the effective tax rate expected for the full fiscal year and uses that estimated rate in providing for income taxes on a current year-to-date basis.  The Company’s only taxing jurisdiction is the United States (federal and state).

Deferred income taxes arise from temporary differences between the tax basis of assets and liabilities and their reported amounts in the financial statements, which will result in taxable or deductible amounts in the future.  In evaluating the Company’s ability to recover its deferred tax assets, the Company considers all available positive and negative evidence, including scheduled reversals of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income, tax-planning strategies, and results of recent operations.  In projecting future taxable income, the Company begins with historical results and incorporates assumptions about the amount of future state and federal pretax operating income adjusted for items that do not have tax consequences.  The assumptions about future taxable income require significant judgment and are consistent with the plans and estimates the Company is using to manage the underlying businesses.

Accounting standards require the consideration of a valuation allowance for deferred tax assets if it is “more likely than not” that some component or all of the benefits of deferred tax assets will not be realized.  In assessing the need for a valuation allowance for the Company’s deferred tax assets, a significant item of negative evidence considered was the cumulative book loss over the three-year period ended June 30, 2018, driven primarily by the full cost ceiling impairments over that period.  Additionally, the Company’s revenue, profitability and future growth are substantially dependent upon prevailing and future prices for oil and natural gas.  The markets for these commodities continue to be volatile.  Changes in oil and natural gas prices have a significant impact on the value of the Company’s reserves and on its cash flows.  Due to these factors, management has placed a lower weight on the prospect of future earnings in its overall analysis of the valuation allowance.

Net Income (Loss) Per Common Share

Net Income (Loss) Per Common Share

Basic earnings per share (“EPS”) are computed by dividing net income (loss) (the numerator) by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period (the denominator).  Diluted EPS is computed by dividing net income (loss) by the weighted average number of common shares and potential common shares outstanding (if dilutive) during each period.  Potential common shares include stock options and restricted stock.  The number of potential common shares outstanding relating to stock options and restricted stock is computed using the treasury stock method.

Derivative Instruments and Price Risk Management

Derivative Instruments and Price Risk Management

The Company uses derivative instruments to manage market risks resulting from fluctuations in the prices of crude oil.  The Company enters into derivative contracts, including price swaps, caps and floors, which require payments to (or receipts from) counterparties based on the differential between a fixed price and a variable price for a fixed quantity of crude oil without the exchange of underlying volumes.  The notional amounts of these financial instruments are based on expected production from existing wells.  The Company may also use exchange traded futures contracts and option contracts to hedge the delivery price of crude oil at a future date.

The Company follows the provisions of FASB ASC 815, “Derivatives and Hedging” as amended. It requires that all derivative instruments be recognized as assets or liabilities on the balance sheet, measured at fair value and marked-to-market at the end of each period.  Any realized gains and losses on settled derivatives, as well as mark-to-market gains or losses, are aggregated and recorded to gain (loss) on derivative instruments, net on the condensed statements of operations.  See Note 11 for a description of the derivative contracts into which the Company has entered.

The Company utilizes commodity swap contracts, basis swaps, swaptions and collars (purchased put options and written call options) to (i) reduce the effects of volatility in price changes on the crude oil commodities it produces and sells, (ii) reduce commodity price risk and (iii) provide a base level of cash flow in order to assure it can execute at least a portion of its capital spending.

All derivative instruments are recorded on the Company’s balance sheet as either assets or liabilities measured at their fair value (see Note 10).  The Company has not designated any derivative instruments as hedges for accounting purposes and does not enter into such instruments for speculative trading purposes.  If a derivative does not qualify as a hedge or is not designated as a hedge, the changes in the fair value are recognized in the revenues section of the Company’s condensed statements of operations as a gain or loss on derivative instruments.  Mark-to-market gains and losses represent changes in fair values of derivatives that have not been settled.  The Company’s cash flow is only impacted when the actual settlements under the derivative contracts result in making or receiving a payment to or from the counterparty.  These cash settlements represent the cumulative gains and losses on the Company’s derivative instruments for the periods presented and do not include a recovery of costs that were paid to acquire or modify the derivative instruments that were settled.

Impairment

Impairment

Long-lived assets to be held and used are required to be reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable.  Proved oil and natural gas properties accounted for using the full cost method of accounting are excluded from this requirement but continue to be subject to the full cost method’s impairment rules.

New Accounting Pronouncements

New Accounting Pronouncements

From time to time, new accounting pronouncements are issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) that are adopted by the Company as of the specified effective date.  If not discussed, management believes that the impact of recently issued standards, which are not yet effective, will not have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements upon adoption.

In May 2014, the FASB issued a comprehensive new revenue recognition standard that supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in Topic 605, Revenue Recognition, and industry-specific guidance in Subtopic 932-605, Extractive Activities-Oil and Gas-Revenue Recognition. The core principle of the new guidance is that a company should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for transferring those goods or services. The new standard also requires significantly expanded disclosure regarding the qualitative and quantitative information of an entity's nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. The standard creates a five-step model that requires companies to exercise judgment when considering the terms of a contract and all relevant facts and circumstances. The standard allows for several transition methods: (a) a full retrospective adoption in which the standard is applied to all of the periods presented, or (b) a modified retrospective adoption in which the standard is applied only to the most current period presented in the financial statements, including additional disclosures of the standard's application impact to individual financial statement line items. In March, April, May and December 2016, the FASB issued new guidance in Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, to address the following potential implementation issues of the new revenue standard: (a) to clarify the implementation guidance on principal versus agent considerations, (b) to clarify the identification of performance obligations and the licensing implementation guidance and (c) to address certain issues in the guidance on assessing collectability, presentation of sales taxes, noncash consideration, and completed contracts and contract modifications at transition. This standard is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within that reporting period. The Company previously followed the sales method of accounting for oil and natural gas production, which is generally consistent with the revenue recognition provision of the new standard. The majority of our revenue arrangements generally consist of a single performance obligation to transfer promised goods or services. Based on our evaluation process and review of our arrangements with operators who act as an intermediary and enter into contracts with purchasers who are the ultimate customers, the timing and amount of revenue recognized based on the standard is consistent with our revenue recognition policy under previous guidance. The Company adopted the new standard effective January 1, 2018, using the modified retrospective approach, and has expanded its financial statement disclosures in order tocomply with the standard. The Company has processes and controls to ensure we recognize revenue in accordance with the appropriate accounting treatment and to generate the disclosures required under the new standard in the first quarter of 2018.  We have determined the adoption of the standard did not have a material impact on our results of operations, cash flows, or financial position.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842).  The standard requires lessees to recognize the assets and liabilities that arise from leases on the balance sheet.  A lessee should recognize in the statement of financial position a liability to make lease payments (the lease liability) and a right-of-use asset representing its right to use the underlying asset for the lease term.  The new guidance is effective for annual and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018.  The amendments should be applied at the beginning of the earliest period presented using a modified retrospective approach with earlier application permitted as of the beginning of an interim or annual reporting period.  The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the new guidance on its financial statements, however, based on its current operating leases, it is not expected to have a material impact.

In May 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-07, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting, which simplifies the accounting for share-based payments granted to nonemployees for goods and services.  This guidance will better align the treatment of share-based payments to nonemployees with the requirements for such share-based payments granted to employees.  This guidance is effective for all public entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within that year.  The Company is currently in the process of evaluating this new standard update.

Fair Value

Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date.  Valuation techniques used to measure fair value must maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs.  The Company uses a fair value hierarchy based on three levels of inputs, of which the first two are considered observable and the last unobservable, that may be used to measure fair value which are the following:

Level 1 - Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

Level 2 - Inputs other than Level 1 that are observable, either directly or indirectly, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities.

Level 3 - Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities.

Financial Assets and Liabilities

As required, financial assets and liabilities are classified in their entirety based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The Company’s assessment of the significance of a particular input requires judgment and may affect the valuation of fair value assets and liabilities and their placement within the fair value hierarchy levels. 

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SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Tables)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Capitalized costs related to the exploration and development of crude oil and natural gas properties

Capitalized costs are summarized as follows for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

	Three Months Ended June 30,				Six Months Ended June 30,
	2018		2017		2018		2017
Capitalized Certain Payroll and Other Internal Costs	$	182,081	$	240,771	$	352,931	$	445,644
Capitalized Interest Costs	38,170		33,000		73,235		71,768
Total	$	220,251	$	273,771	$	426,166	$	517,412

Reconciliation of denominators used to calculate basic and diluted EPS

The reconciliation of the denominators used to calculate basic EPS and diluted EPS for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017 are as follows:

	Three Months Ended June 30,		Six Months Ended June 30,
	2018	2017	2018	2017
Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding – Basic	196,140,610	61,643,862	131,039,552	61,545,555
Plus: Potentially Dilutive Common Shares Including Stock Options and Restricted Stock	—	242,090	—	383,244
Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding – Diluted	196,140,610	61,885,952	131,039,552	61,928,799
Restricted Stock and Stock Options Excluded From EPS Due To The Anti-Dilutive Effect	367,329	575,229	301,721	350,870

Supplemental cash flow activity

The following reflects the Company’s supplemental cash flow information:

	Six Months Ended June 30,
	2018			2017
Supplemental Cash Items:
Cash Paid During the Period for Interest	$	35,063,530		$	30,634,506
Cash Paid During the Period for Income Taxes	—			—
Non-cash Investing Activities:
Oil and Natural Gas Properties Included in Accounts Payable	80,096,568			65,167,643
Capitalized Asset Retirement Obligations	593,381			862,911
Compensation Capitalized on Oil and Gas Properties	107,372			143,030
Issuance of Common Stock - Acquisitions of Oil and Natural Gas Properties	15,240,000			—
Non-cash Financing Activities:
Exchange transactions - non-cash securities issued:
Issuance of 8.50% Second Lien Notes due 2023	344,279,000			—
Issuance of Common Stock - fair value at issuance date	279,314,160			—
Exchange Transactions - non-cash securities exchanged:
8.00% Unsecured Senior Notes due 2020 - carrying value	(543,683,185		)	—

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CRUDE OIL AND NATURAL GAS PROPERTIES (Tables)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Industries Disclosures [Abstract]

Preliminary estimate of the fair values of the assets and liabilities

The following table reflects a preliminary estimate of the fair values of the net assets and liabilities as of the date of acquisition, which are subject to customary post-closing adjustments, during the period ended June 30, 2018:

	(in thousands)
Fair value of net assets:
Proved oil and natural gas properties	$	59,978
Asset retirement cost	154
Total assets acquired	60,132
Asset retirement obligations	(154		)
Net assets acquired	$	59,978
Fair value of consideration paid for net assets:
Cash consideration	$	44,738
Issuance of common stock (6 million shares at $2.54 per share)	15,240
Total fair value of consideration transferred	$	59,978

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LONG-TERM DEBT (Tables)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of long-term debt instruments

The Company’s long-term debt consists of the following:

	June 30, 2018
	Principal Balance		Unamortized Net Discount			Debt Issuance Costs, Net			Long-term Debt, Net
8% Senior Notes	$	149,560,000	$	(218,413	)	$	(1,159,378	)	148,182,209
Second Lien Notes	344,279,000		—			(4,810,488		)	339,468,512
Term Loan Credit Agreement	360,000,000		—			(12,883,065		)	347,116,935
Total	$	853,839,000	$	(218,413	)	$	(18,852,931	)	$	834,767,656
	December 31, 2017
	Principal Balance		Unamortized Net Discount			Debt Issuance Costs, Net			Long-term Debt, Net
8% Senior Notes	$	700,000,000	$	(1,197,954	)	$	(6,847,557	)	691,954,489
Term Loan Credit Agreement	300,000,000		—			(12,630,267		)	287,369,733
Total	$	1,000,000,000	$	(1,197,954	)	$	(19,477,824	)	$	979,324,222

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COMMON AND PREFERRED STOCK (Tables)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Equity [Abstract]

Schedule of changes in the number of shares of common stock outstanding

The following is a schedule of changes in the number of shares of common stock outstanding during the six months ended June 30, 2018 and the year ended December 31, 2017:

	Six Months Ended June 30, 2018		Year Ended December 31, 2017
Beginning Balance	66,791,633		63,259,781
Restricted Stock Grants	3,153,302		911,355
Debt Exchanges	121,774,822		—
Equity Offerings and Acquisitions	102,926,019		—
Legal Settlement	—		3,000,000
Other Surrenders - Tax Obligations	(153,421	)	(270,510	)
Other Forfeitures	(892,086	)	(108,993	)
Ending Balance	293,600,269		66,791,633

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STOCK OPTIONS/STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION AND WARRANTS (Tables)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]

Outstanding restricted stock awards and activity

The following table reflects the outstanding restricted stock awards subject only to time-based vesting and activity related thereto for the six months ended June 30, 2018:

	Six Months Ended June 30, 2018
	Number of Shares		Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value (per Award)
Restricted Stock Awards:
Restricted Shares Outstanding at Beginning of Period	1,721,533		$	3.65
Shares Granted	950,355		2.64
Lapse of Restrictions	(623,775	)	3.20
Shares Forfeited	(892,086	)	4.00
Restricted Shares Outstanding at End of Period	1,156,027		$	2.78

Outstanding stock option activity

The following table reflects the outstanding stock option awards and the activity related thereto for the six months ended June 30, 2018:

	Stock Option Awards (1)	Weighted-Average Exercise Price		Weighted Average Contractual Term
Outstanding as of 12/31/2017	250,000	$	2.79	1.0
Granted	—	—
Exercised	—	—
Expired or canceled	—	—
Forfeited	—	—
Outstanding as of 6/30/2018	250,000	$	2.79	0.4

____________

⁽¹⁾ All of the stock options outstanding were vested and exercisable at the end of the period.

Stock awards

Shares under Performance Award II vest contingent on the Company’s average closing stock price for the last twenty trading days of 2018 compared to specified targets, as follows:

Performance	Aggregate Shares Vested
Less than Target I	0 shares
Target I to Target II	327,500 shares
Target II to Target III	660,000 shares
Greater than or equal to Target III	997,500 shares

The assumptions used to estimate the fair value of the Performance Award II granted as of the date presented are as follows:

	June 1, 2018
Risk-free interest rate	2.10		%
Dividend yield	—		%
Expected volatility	100.00		%
Company's closing stock price on grant date	$	2.70
Fair value per Performance Award II	$	1.67

Shares under Performance Award I vest contingent on the Company’s fourth quarter annualized Adjusted EBITDA as compared to specified targets, as follows:

Performance	Aggregate Shares Vested
Less than Target I	0 shares
Target I to Target II	327,500 shares
Target II to Target III	660,000 shares
Greater than or equal to Target III	997,500 shares

Performance awards

The following table summarizes the Performance Award II activity for the six months ended June 30, 2018:

	Six Months Ended June 30, 2018
	Number of Shares	Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value (per Award)
Outstanding as of 12/31/2017	—	$	—
Shares Granted	997,500	1.67
Lapse of Restrictions	—	—
Shares Forfeited	—	—
Outstanding as of 6/30/2018	997,500	$	1.67

The following table summarizes the Performance Award I activity for the six months ended June 30, 2018:

	Six Months Ended June 30, 2018
	Number of Shares	Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value (per Award)
Outstanding as of 12/31/2017	—	$	—
Shares Granted	997,500	2.70
Lapse of Restrictions	—	—
Shares Forfeited	—	—
Outstanding as of 6/30/2018	997,500	$	2.70

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INCOME TAXES (Tables)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Income tax provision (benefit)

The income tax provision (benefit) for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017 consists of the following:

	Three Months Ended June 30,						Six Months Ended June 30,
	2018			2017			2018			2017
Current Income Tax Provision (Benefit)	$	—		$	—		$	—		$	—
Deferred Income Tax Provision (Benefit)
Federal	(19,180,000		)	4,699,000			(18,560,000		)	10,649,000
State	(4,228,000		)	424,000			(4,091,000		)	960,000
Valuation Allowance	23,408,000			(5,123,000		)	22,651,000			(11,609,000		)
Total Income Tax Provision (Benefit)	$	—		$	—		$	—		$	—

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FAIR VALUE (Tables)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]

Financial instruments measured at fair value on recurring basis

The following tables set forth by level within the fair value hierarchy the Company’s financial assets and liabilities that were accounted for at fair value on a recurring basis:

	Fair Value Measurements at June 30, 2018 Using
	Quoted Prices In Active Markets for Identical Assets (Liabilities) (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)			Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Commodity Derivatives – Current Asset (crude oil swaps)	$	—	$	—		$	—
Commodity Derivatives – Noncurrent Asset (crude oil swaps)	—		—			—
Commodity Derivatives – Current Liabilities (crude oil swaps)	—		(43,644,644		)	—
Commodity Derivatives – Noncurrent Liabilities (crude oil swaps)	—		(28,611,421		)	—
Debt Exchange Derivatives – Current Liabilities	—		—			(10,923,000		)
Total	$	—	$	(72,256,065	)	$	(10,923,000	)

	Fair Value Measurements at December 31, 2017 Using
	Quoted Prices In Active Markets for Identical Assets (Liabilities) (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)			Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Commodity Derivatives – Current Asset (crude oil swaps)	$	—	$	—		$	—
Commodity Derivatives – Noncurrent Asset (crude oil swaps)	—		—			—
Commodity Derivatives – Current Liabilities (crude oil swaps)	—		(18,681,891		)	—
Commodity Derivatives – Noncurrent Liabilities (crude oil swaps)	—		(11,496,929		)	—
Total	$	—	$	(30,178,820	)	$	—

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DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS AND PRICE RISK MANAGEMENT (Tables)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of non-cash gains or losses on derivative contracts

The following table presents cash settlements on matured or liquidated derivative instruments and non-cash gains and losses on open derivative instruments for the periods presented.  Cash receipts and payments below reflect proceeds received upon early liquidation of derivative positions and gains or losses on derivative contracts which matured during the period, calculated as the difference between the contract price and the market settlement price of matured contracts.  Non-cash gains and losses below represent the change in fair value of derivative instruments which continue to be held at period-end and the reversal of previously recognized non-cash gains or losses on derivative contracts that matured or were liquidated during the period.

	Three Months Ended June 30,					Six Months Ended June 30,
	2018			2017		2018			2017
Cash Received (Paid) on Settled Derivatives	$	(12,266,857	)	$	2,341,030	$	(20,396,994	)	$	2,245,371
Non-Cash Mark-to-Market Gain (Loss) on Derivatives	(29,935,931		)	14,172,002		(42,077,245		)	31,228,544
Gain (Loss) on Derivative Instruments, Net	$	(42,202,788	)	$	16,513,032	$	(62,474,239	)	$	33,473,915

Schedule of weighted average price of open commodity derivative contracts

The following table reflects the weighted average price of open commodity swap derivative contracts as of June 30, 2018, by year with associated volumes.

Year	Volumes (Bbl)	Weighted Average Price ($)
2018	2,003,660	57.83
2019	3,160,000	55.85
2020	1,730,980	52.55
2021 and beyond	631,600	55.67

Derivatives instruments balance sheet location

The following table sets forth the amounts, on a gross basis, and classification of the Company’s outstanding derivative financial instruments at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively.  Certain amounts may be presented on a net basis on the condensed financial statements when such amounts are with the same counterparty and subject to a master netting arrangement.

Type of Crude Oil Contract	Balance Sheet Location	June 30, 2018 Estimated Fair Value			December 31, 2017 Estimated Fair Value
Derivative Liabilities:
Swap Contracts	Current Liabilities	$	(43,644,644	)	$	(18,681,891	)
Swap Contracts	Noncurrent Liabilities	(28,611,421		)	(11,496,929		)
Total Derivative Liabilities		$	(72,256,065	)	$	(30,178,820	)

Reconciliation between gross assets and liabilities and the amounts reflected on balance sheet

The tables presented below provide reconciliation between the gross assets and liabilities and the amounts reflected on the balance sheet.  The amounts presented exclude derivative settlement receivables and payables as of the balance sheet dates.

	Estimated Fair Value at June 30, 2018
	Gross Amounts of Recognized Assets (Liabilities)			Gross Amounts Offset in the Balance Sheet			Net Amounts of Assets (Liabilities) Presented in the Balance Sheet
Offsetting of Derivative Assets:
Current Assets	$	12,921		$	(12,921	)	$	—
Noncurrent Assets	13,659			(13,659		)	—
Total Derivative Assets	$	26,580		$	(26,580	)	$	—
Offsetting of Derivative Liabilities:
Current Liabilities	$	(43,657,565	)	$	12,921		$	(43,644,644	)
Noncurrent Liabilities	(28,625,080		)	13,659			(28,611,421		)
Total Derivative Liabilities	$	(72,282,645	)	$	26,580		$	(72,256,065	)

	Estimated Fair Value at December 31, 2017
	Gross Amounts of Recognized Assets (Liabilities)			Gross Amounts Offset in the Balance Sheet		Net Amounts of Assets (Liabilities) Presented in the Balance Sheet
Offsetting of Derivative Assets:
Current Assets	$	—		$	—	$	—
Non-Current Assets	—			—		—
Total Derivative Assets	$	—		$	—	$	—
Offsetting of Derivative Liabilities:
Current Liabilities	$	(18,681,891	)	$	—	$	(18,681,891	)
Non-Current Liabilities	(11,496,929		)	—		(11,496,929		)
Total Derivative Liabilities	$	(30,178,820	)	$	—	$	(30,178,820	)

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SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES - Narrative (Details)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018 USD ($) revenue_source geographic_area shares	Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($) shares	Jun. 30, 2018 USD ($) revenue_source geographic_area shares	Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($) shares	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	May 18, 2015 USD ($)	May 13, 2013 USD ($)
Accounts Receivable, Net [Abstract]
Allowance for doubtful accounts	$ 5,200,000		$ 5,200,000		$ 5,600,000
Advance to Operators [Abstract]
Period for advance payments to be applied against joint interest billings			90 days
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]
Depreciation expense	31,668	$ 41,313	$ 67,185	$ 85,787
Debt Issuance Costs [Abstract]
Amortization of debt issuance costs	1,300,000	1,000,000	2,634,689	1,910,243
Write-off of debt issuance costs	$ 0	$ 95,135	$ 0	$ 95,135
Bond Premium/Discount on Senior Notes [Abstract]
Interest rate (percent)	8.00%		8.00%
Revenue Recognition
Revenue from contract with customer, number of revenue sources | revenue_source	2		2
Number of geographic areas in which entity operates | geographic_area	1		1
Income Taxes [Abstract]
Valuation allowance	$ 249,600,000		$ 249,600,000		227,000,000
Potentially dilutive shares (in shares) | shares	0	242,090	0	383,244
Impairment of other long-lived assets	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Senior Notes Due 2020
Bond Premium/Discount on Senior Notes [Abstract]
Amortization of bond premium	200,000	400,000	500,000	700,000
Amortization of bond discount	200,000	500,000	$ 700,000	$ 1,000,000
Senior Unsecured Notes | Senior Notes Due 2020
Bond Premium/Discount on Senior Notes [Abstract]
Bond premium						$ 10,000,000	$ 10,500,000
Capitalized costs associated with bond premium/discount						$ 10,000,000	$ 10,500,000
Interest rate (percent)						8.00%	8.00%
Minimum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]
Property and equipment, estimated useful lives			3 years
Maximum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]
Property and equipment, estimated useful lives			7 years
Other Noncurrent Assets, Net
Accounts Receivable, Net [Abstract]
Loss contingency accounts receivable	5,300,000		$ 5,300,000
Accounts receivable					$ 5,500,000
Stock Options
Income Taxes [Abstract]
Potentially dilutive shares (in shares) | shares			250,000	391,872
Restricted Stock Awards
Income Taxes [Abstract]
Potentially dilutive shares (in shares) | shares			3,327,127	2,102,264
Oil
Revenue Recognition
Revenue from contract with customer, excluding assessed tax	101,000,000	43,500,000
Natural Gas and NGL
Revenue Recognition
Revenue from contract with customer, excluding assessed tax	$ 8,000,000	$ 4,800,000

XML

SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES - Capitalized Costs (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017
Full Cost Method [Abstract]
Capitalized Certain Payroll and Other Internal Costs	$ 182,081	$ 240,771	$ 352,931	$ 445,644
Capitalized Interest Costs	38,170	33,000	73,235	71,768
Total	220,251	273,771	$ 426,166	517,412
Minimum percentage of proved reserves sold to be considered a significant alteration			25.00%
Discount rate			10.00%
Capitalized costs related to expired leases subject to depletion	$ 1,200,000	$ 5,900,000	$ 5,000,000	$ 9,600,000

XML

SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES - Reconciliation of EPS (Details) - shares	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding - Basic (in shares)	196,140,610	61,643,862	131,039,552	61,545,555
Plus: Potentially Dilutive Common Shares Including Stock Options and Restricted Stock (in shares)	0	242,090	0	383,244
Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding - Diluted (in shares)	196,140,610	61,885,952	131,039,552	61,928,799
Restricted Stock and Stock Options Excluded From EPS Due To The Anti-Dilutive Effect (in shares)	367,329	575,229	301,721	350,870

XML

SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES - Supplemental Cash Flow Information (Details) - USD ($)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017
Supplemental Cash Items:
Cash Paid During the Period for Interest	$ 35,063,530	$ 30,634,506
Cash Paid During the Period for Income Taxes	0	0
Noncash Investing and Financing Items [Abstract]
Oil and Natural Gas Properties Included in Accounts Payable	80,096,568	65,167,643
Capitalized Asset Retirement Obligations	593,381	862,911
Compensation Capitalized on Oil and Gas Properties	107,372	143,030
Issuance of Common Stock	279,314,160	0
Second Lien Notes due 2023
Noncash Investing and Financing Items [Abstract]
Issuance of 8.50% Second Lien Notes due 2023	344,279,000	0
Unsecured Senior Notes due 2020
Noncash Investing and Financing Items [Abstract]
8.00% Unsecured Senior Notes due 2020 - carrying value	(543,683,185)	0
Oil and Gas Properties
Noncash Investing and Financing Items [Abstract]
Issuance of Common Stock	$ 15,240,000	$ 0

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CRUDE OIL AND NATURAL GAS PROPERTIES - Narrative (Details) $ in Millions	6 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018 USD ($) a	Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) a
Acquisitions [Abstract]
Capital expenditures and property purchases	$ 80.1		$ 85.0
Unproved Properties [Abstract]
Unproven leasehold interests (in acres) | a	11,371		14,377
Anticipated future period over which excluded costs will become subject to depletion	5 years
Impairment costs related to expired leases subject to depletion	$ 0.1	$ 0.1

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CRUDE OIL AND NATURAL GAS PROPERTIES - Acquisitions (Details) $ / shares in Units, shares in Millions		1 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 04, 2018 USD ($) a $ / shares shares	Jun. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Apr. 25, 2018 well	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)
Asset Acquisition [Line Items]
Proved oil and natural gas properties		$ 2,754,032,103	$ 2,754,032,103			$ 2,585,490,133
Total Assets		883,082,503	883,082,503			632,253,679
Asset retirement obligations		(600,000)	(600,000)
Net assets acquired		(147,820,258)	(147,820,258)			$ (490,840,550)
Cash consideration			$ 48,974,802	$ 2,387,511
Number of shares issued (shares) | shares	6
Share price (dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 2.54
Salt Creek Oil and Gas, LLC
Asset Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of gross PDP wells acquired (wells) | well					64
Number of net PDP wells acquired (wells) | well					5.5
Number of gross PDNP wells acquired (wells) | well					31
Number of net PDNP wells acquired (wells) | well					1.5
Mineral acres acquired, net (in acres) | a	1,319
Revenue		1,700,000
Direct operating expenses		$ 300,000
Goodwill	$ 0
Proved oil and natural gas properties	59,978,000
Asset retirement cost	154,000
Total Assets	60,132,000
Asset retirement obligations	(154,000)
Net assets acquired	59,978,000
Cash consideration	44,738,000
Issuance of common stock (6 million shares at $2.54 per share)	15,240,000
Total fair value of consideration transferred	$ 59,978,000

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LONG-TERM DEBT - Schedule of Debt (Details) - USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Nov. 01, 2017
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal Balance	$ 853,839,000	$ 1,000,000,000
Unamortized Net Discount	(218,413)	(1,197,954)
Debt Issuance Costs, Net	(18,852,931)	(19,477,824)
Long-term Debt, Net	$ 834,767,656	979,324,222
Interest rate (percent)	8.00%
Term Loan Credit Agreement
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate (percent)			3.00%
Senior Notes | 8% Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal Balance	$ 149,560,000	700,000,000
Unamortized Net Discount	(218,413)	(1,197,954)
Debt Issuance Costs, Net	(1,159,378)	(6,847,557)
Long-term Debt, Net	$ 148,182,209	691,954,489
Interest rate (percent)	8.00%
Second Lien Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal Balance	$ 344,279,000
Unamortized Net Discount	0
Debt Issuance Costs, Net	(4,810,488)
Long-term Debt, Net	339,468,512
Line of Credit | Term Loan Credit Agreement
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal Balance	360,000,000	300,000,000
Unamortized Net Discount	0	0
Debt Issuance Costs, Net	(12,883,065)	(12,630,267)
Long-term Debt, Net	$ 347,116,935	$ 287,369,733

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LONG-TERM DEBT - Narrative (Details)										1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
	Jul. 01, 2018	May 15, 2018 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Apr. 16, 2018 shares	Apr. 10, 2018 $ / shares shares	Jan. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Nov. 01, 2017 USD ($)	May 18, 2015 USD ($)	May 13, 2013 USD ($)	May 18, 2012 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2018 USD ($) agreement shares	Jun. 30, 2018 USD ($) shares	Jun. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Interest rate (percent)										8.00%	8.00%	8.00%
Sale of stock, number of shares issued in transaction (shares) | shares			3,600,000	58,666,667
Sale of stock, subscription arrangement amount, maximum		$ 52,000,000			$ 40,000,000
Sale of stock, price per share (dollars per share) | $ / shares		$ 1.5		$ 1.5
Number of exchange agreements | agreement										5
Derivative liability										$ 72,256,065	$ 72,256,065	$ 72,256,065	$ 30,178,820
Revolving credit facility, maximum borrowing						$ 400,000,000.0
Long-term debt, gross										853,839,000	853,839,000	853,839,000	$ 1,000,000,000
Term Loan Credit Agreement
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Interest rate (percent)						3.00%
Revolving credit facility, maximum borrowing						$ 500,000,000
Prepayment rate requirement (percent)						100.00%
Outstanding balance period used for yield maintenance rate (percent)						2 years
Term Loan Credit Agreement | Minimum
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of credit facility, covenant compliance, cash to debt ratio						1.3
Line of credit facility, covenant compliance, cash and cash equivalents including undrawn credit commitments threshold						$ 20,000,000
Term Loan Credit Agreement | Maximum
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Covenant compliance, debt to EBITDAX ratio						3.75
Term Loan Credit Agreement | LIBOR Loans
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Interest rate (percent)						1.00%
Debt instrument, basis spread on variable rate (percent)						7.75%
Term Loan, Initial Loans
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Revolving credit facility, maximum borrowing						$ 300,000,000
Line of credit outstanding						$ 300,000,000
Call protection, multiplier interest rate (percent)						4.00%
Call protection, multiplier interest rate if occurring in the second term (percent)						2.00%
Term Loan, Delayed Draw Loans
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Revolving credit facility, maximum borrowing						$ 100,000,000
Debt term						18 months
Line of credit outstanding		$ 60,000,000
Unused capacity commitment fee (percent)						2.00%
Line of credit facility, call protection, multiplier interest rate, first term						36 months
Term Loan, Delayed Draw Loans | Minimum
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of credit facility, call protection, multiplier interest rate, second term						36 months
Term Loan, Delayed Draw Loans | Maximum
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of credit facility, call protection, multiplier interest rate, second term						48 months
Term Loan, Incremental Loans
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Revolving credit facility, maximum borrowing						$ 100,000,000
Exchangeable Debt | Extinguishment of Debt
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Derivative liability										$ 10,900,000	$ 10,900,000	$ 10,900,000
Various investors
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Sale of stock, number of shares issued in transaction (shares) | shares		34,666,668
8% Senior Notes Due 2020
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Percentage of notes at redemption price (percent)										102.00%	102.00%	102.00%
Number of days in default payment of interest												30 days
Payment of certain final judgments										$ 25,000,000	$ 25,000,000	$ 25,000,000
Number of days related to payment certain final judgments												60 days
Second Lien Notes
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross										$ 344,279,000	$ 344,279,000	$ 344,279,000
8.00% Senior Notes Due 2020 | 8% Senior Notes Due 2020
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Interest rate (percent)									8.00%
8.00% Senior Notes Due 2020 | Senior Notes
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Interest rate (percent)										8.00%	8.00%	8.00%
8.00% Senior Notes Due 2020 | Senior Notes | Maximum
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross										$ 30,000,000	$ 30,000,000	$ 30,000,000
Senior Second Lien Notes Due 2023
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Maximum outstanding principal amount of senior notes under debt covenant		$ 30,000,000
Senior Second Lien Notes Due 2023 | Second Lien Notes
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Interest rate (percent)		8.50%
Debt instrument, basis spread on variable rate (percent)		3.00%
Covenant compliance, debt to EBITDAX ratio		3.0
Maximum rate of increase in interest rate		3.0
Cash interest rate threshold (percent)		9.50%
Percent of net cash proceeds of asset sales for debt prepayment (percent)		100.00%
Threshold amount of casualty events and condemnations		$ 20,000,000
Redemption price, percentage of principal amount repurchased (percent)		101.00%
Senior Second Lien Notes Due 2023 | Second Lien Notes | From and after May 15, 2018 until May 15, 2021
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Redemption price (percent)		104.00%
Senior Second Lien Notes Due 2023 | Second Lien Notes | On and after May 15, 2021 until May 15, 2022
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Redemption price (percent)		102.00%
Senior Second Lien Notes Due 2023 | Second Lien Notes | On and after May 15, 2022
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Redemption price (percent)		100.00%
Senior Second Lien Notes Due 2023 | Second Lien Notes | Subsequent Event
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Interest rate increase (percent)	1.00%
The Original Notes | 8% Senior Notes Due 2020
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Principal amount of senior unsecured notes									$ 300,000,000
Net proceeds from issuance of senior unsecured notes									$ 291,200,000
The 2013 Follow-on Notes | 8% Senior Notes Due 2020
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Interest rate (percent)								8.00%
Price of senior unsecured notes (percent)								105.25%
Additional amount of senior unsecured notes								$ 200,000,000
Net proceeds from issuance of senior unsecured notes								$ 200,100,000
The 2015 Mirror Notes | 8% Senior Notes Due 2020
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Interest rate (percent)							8.00%
Price of senior unsecured notes (percent)							95.00%
Additional amount of senior unsecured notes							$ 200,000,000
Net proceeds from issuance of senior unsecured notes							$ 184,900,000
Exchange Agreement
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Sale of stock, subscription arrangement amount, maximum					52,000,000
Repayments of senior note											$ 53,800,000
Exchange Agreement | Plan
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Repayments of senior note										$ 3,000,000
Exchange Agreement | Common Stock
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Debt conversion, converted instrument, amount					155,000,000
Exchange Agreement | Other Supporting Noteholders
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Sale of stock, number of shares issued in transaction (shares) | shares		103,249,915								18,500,000	18,524,907
Exchange Agreement | Various investors
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Sale of stock, number of shares issued in transaction (shares) | shares		34,700,000
Exchange Agreement | 8.00% Senior Notes Due 2020 | 8% Senior Notes Due 2020
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Debt conversion, original debt, amount					$ 496,700,000
Debt conversion, original debt, percent of outstanding debt (percent)					71.00%
Exchange Agreement | Senior Second Lien Notes Due 2023
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Second lien notes		$ 344,300,000

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COMMON AND PREFERRED STOCK - Narrative (Details)						1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Jun. 04, 2018 shares	May 15, 2018 USD ($) shares	Apr. 16, 2018 USD ($) shares	Apr. 10, 2018 USD ($) shares	Jan. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2018 class $ / shares shares	Jan. 31, 2018 USD ($) shares	Jun. 30, 2018 class $ / shares shares	Jun. 30, 2017 shares	Jun. 30, 2018 USD ($) class $ / shares shares	Jun. 30, 2017 shares	Dec. 31, 2017 $ / shares shares	May 31, 2011 USD ($)
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Total shares of preferred and common stock authorized for issuance (shares)						455,000,000		455,000,000		455,000,000
Number of classes of shares (classes) | class						2		2		2
Common stock, shares authorized (shares)						450,000,000		450,000,000		450,000,000		450,000,000
Common stock, par value (dollars per share) | $ / shares						$ 0.001		$ 0.001		$ 0.001		$ 0.001
Preferred stock, shares authorized (shares)						5,000,000		5,000,000		5,000,000		5,000,000
Preferred stock, par value (dollars per share) | $ / shares						$ 0.001		$ 0.001		$ 0.001		$ 0.001
Stock Activity [Abstract]
Fair value of common stock surrendered by certain employees to cover tax obligations | $										$ 892
Shares forfeited (shares)										153,421		270,510
Exchange Transaction [Abstract]
Sale of stock, number of shares issued in transaction (shares)			3,600,000	58,666,667
Proceeds from issuance of common stock | $			$ 5,200,000	$ 84,500,000
Sale of stock, subscription arrangement amount, maximum | $		$ 52,000,000			$ 40,000,000
Stock Repurchase Program [Abstract]
Stock repurchase program, amount approved | $													$ 150,000,000
Stock repurchased during period (in shares)								0	0	0	0
Salt Creek Oil and Gas, LLC
Acquisition Agreement [Abstract]
Business acquisition, equity interest issued or issuable, number of shares (in shares)	6,000,000
Various investors
Exchange Transaction [Abstract]
Sale of stock, number of shares issued in transaction (shares)		34,666,668
Exchange Agreement
Exchange Transaction [Abstract]
Sale of stock, subscription arrangement amount, maximum | $					$ 52,000,000
Exchange Agreement | Other Supporting Noteholders
Exchange Transaction [Abstract]
Sale of stock, number of shares issued in transaction (shares)		103,249,915				18,500,000		18,524,907
Exchange Agreement | Various investors
Exchange Transaction [Abstract]
Sale of stock, number of shares issued in transaction (shares)		34,700,000
Proceeds from issuance of common stock | $		$ 52,000,000
Certain employees
Stock Activity [Abstract]
Common stock surrendered by certain employees to cover tax obligations (shares)										200,000
Fair value of common stock surrendered by certain employees to cover tax obligations | $										$ 300,000
Chief Executive Officer
Stock Activity [Abstract]
Shares forfeited (shares)							900,000
Total amount of share-based compensation expense that was reversed in connection with the termination | $							$ 1,200,000

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COMMON AND PREFERRED STOCK - Changes in Equity (Details) - shares	6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Changes in the number of shares of common stock outstanding [Roll forward]
Beginning Balance	66,791,633	63,259,781
Restricted Stock Grants	3,153,302	911,355
Debt Exchanges	121,774,822	0
Equity Offerings and Acquisitions	102,926,019	0
Legal Settlement	0	3,000,000
Other Surrenders - Tax Obligations	(153,421)	(270,510)
Other Forfeitures	(892,086)	(108,993)
Ending Balance	293,600,269	66,791,633

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STOCK OPTIONS/STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION AND WARRANTS - Narrative (Details) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018 USD ($) shares	Jun. 30, 2018 USD ($) day shares
Restricted Stock Awards
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares granted (shares) | shares		950,355
Unrecognized compensation expense | $	$ 2.6	$ 2.6
Unrecognized compensation expense, recognized period		1 year 2 months 12 days
Percent of forfeiture rate assumed for restricted stock (percent)	0.00%	0.00%
Shares granted (shares) | shares		950,355
Performance Award I
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Unrecognized compensation expense | $	$ 2.5	$ 2.5
Compensation expense | $	0.2	$ 0.2
Threshold trading days | day		20
Shares granted (shares) | shares		997,500
Performance Award II
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Unrecognized compensation expense | $	1.5	$ 1.5
Compensation expense | $	0.1	$ 0.1
Threshold trading days | day		20
Shares granted (shares) | shares		997,500
Performance Award II | Director
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Unrecognized compensation expense | $	$ 0.3	$ 0.3
Shares granted (shares) | shares		176,100
2013 Equity Incentive Plan
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares available for future awards (shares) | shares	780,552	780,552

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STOCK OPTIONS/STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION AND WARRANTS - Awards (Details)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018 $ / shares shares
Restricted Stock Awards
Number of Shares
Outstanding, beginning (shares) | shares	1,721,533
Shares Granted (shares) | shares	950,355
Lapse of Restrictions (shares) | shares	(623,775)
Shares Forfeited (shares) | shares	(892,086)
Outstanding, ending (shares) | shares	1,156,027
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value (per Award)
Outstanding, beginning (dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 3.65
Shares Granted (dollars per share) | $ / shares	2.64
Lapse of Restrictions (dollars per share) | $ / shares	3.20
Shares Forfeited (dollars per share) | $ / shares	4.00
Outstanding, ending (dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 2.78
Performance Award I
Number of Shares
Outstanding, beginning (shares) | shares	0
Shares Granted (shares) | shares	997,500
Lapse of Restrictions (shares) | shares	0
Shares Forfeited (shares) | shares	0
Outstanding, ending (shares) | shares	997,500
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value (per Award)
Outstanding, beginning (dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 0.00
Shares Granted (dollars per share) | $ / shares	2.70
Lapse of Restrictions (dollars per share) | $ / shares	0.00
Shares Forfeited (dollars per share) | $ / shares	0.00
Outstanding, ending (dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 2.70
Performance Award II
Number of Shares
Outstanding, beginning (shares) | shares	0
Shares Granted (shares) | shares	997,500
Lapse of Restrictions (shares) | shares	0
Shares Forfeited (shares) | shares	0
Outstanding, ending (shares) | shares	997,500
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value (per Award)
Outstanding, beginning (dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 0.00
Shares Granted (dollars per share) | $ / shares	1.67
Lapse of Restrictions (dollars per share) | $ / shares	0.00
Shares Forfeited (dollars per share) | $ / shares	0.00
Outstanding, ending (dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 1.67

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STOCK OPTIONS/STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION AND WARRANTS - Stock Options Outstanding (Details) - $ / shares	6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Stock Option Awards
Outstanding, beginning (shares)	250,000
Granted (shares)	0
Exercised (shares)	0
Expired or canceled (shares)	0
Forfeited (shares)	0
Outstanding, ending (shares)	250,000	250,000
Weighted-Average Exercise Price
Outstanding, beginning (dollars per share)	$ 2.79
Granted (dollars per share)	0.00
Exercised (dollars per share)	0.00
Expired or canceled (dollars per share)	0.00
Forfeited (dollars per share)	0.00
Outstanding, ending (dollars per share)	$ 2.79	$ 2.79
Weighted Average Contractual Term	4 months 12 days	1 year

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STOCK OPTIONS/STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION AND WARRANTS - Targets (Details)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018 shares
Performance Award I | Less than Target I
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Aggregate shares vested (shares)	0
Performance Award I | Target I to Target II
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Aggregate shares vested (shares)	327,500
Performance Award I | Target II to Target III
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Aggregate shares vested (shares)	660,000
Performance Award I | Greater than or equal to Target III
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Aggregate shares vested (shares)	997,500
Performance Award II | Less than Target I
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Aggregate shares vested (shares)	0
Performance Award II | Target I to Target II
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Aggregate shares vested (shares)	327,500
Performance Award II | Target II to Target III
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Aggregate shares vested (shares)	660,000
Performance Award II | Greater than or equal to Target III
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Aggregate shares vested (shares)	997,500

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STOCK OPTIONS/STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION AND WARRANTS - Assumptions (Details) - Performance Award II	Jun. 01, 2018 $ / shares
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Risk-free interest rate	2.10%
Dividend yield	0.00%
Expected volatility	100.00%
Company's closing stock price on grant date (dollars per share)	$ 2.70
Fair value per Performance Award II (dollars per share)	$ 1.67

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RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS (Details) - USD ($)					6 Months Ended
	May 15, 2018	Apr. 16, 2018	Apr. 10, 2018	Jan. 31, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2017
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Interest rate (percent)					8.00%
Long-term debt					$ 834,767,656		$ 979,324,222
Proceeds from issuance of common stock					$ 141,709,681	$ 0
Sale of stock, subscription arrangement amount, maximum	$ 52,000,000			$ 40,000,000
Sale of stock, subscription arrangement, equity raise, lowest price per shareSale of stock, subscription arrangement, equity raise, lowest price per share (in dollars per share)				$ 1.50
Sale of stock, number of shares issued in transaction (shares)		3,600,000	58,666,667
Sale of stock, price per share (dollars per share)	$ 1.5		$ 1.5
Mr. Akradi
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Sale of stock, percentage of ownership before transaction (in excess) (percent)				5.00%
Sale of stock, subscription arrangement amount, maximum				$ 12,000,000
Sale of stock, number of shares issued in transaction (shares)			1,000,000	8,000,000
Consideration received from transaction		$ 1,500,000
Mr. Reger
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Sale of stock, subscription arrangement amount, maximum				$ 10,000,000
Sale of stock, number of shares issued in transaction (shares)				6,700,000
TRT Holdings, Inc.
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Sale of stock, subscription arrangement amount, maximum				$ 10,000,000
Sale of stock, number of shares issued in transaction (shares)				6,700,000
Exchange Agreement
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Proceeds from issuance of common stock				$ 140,000,000
Sale of stock, subscription arrangement amount, maximum				$ 52,000,000
Exchange Agreement | Robert B. Rowling
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Sale of stock, percentage of ownership before transaction (in excess) (percent)				5.00%
Exchange Agreement | Common Stock
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Debt conversion, converted instrument, amount				$ 155,000,000
Exchange Transaction | Common Stock
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Debt conversion, converted instrument, shares issued (shares)				54,600,000
Subscription Arrangement
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Sale of stock, percentage of ownership before transaction (in excess) (percent)				5.00%
TRT Holdings, Inc. | Exchange Agreement
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Sale of stock, percentage of ownership before transaction (in excess) (percent)				71.00%
Cresta Investments, LLC | Exchange Agreement
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Sale of stock, percentage of ownership before transaction (in excess) (percent)				5.00%
Senior Second Lien Notes Due 2023 | Exchange Agreement | Secured Debt
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Long-term debt				$ 344,000,000
Senior Second Lien Notes Due 2023 | Exchange Transaction | Secured Debt
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Long-term debt				125,300,000
TRT and Affiliates | 8% Senior Unsecured Notes Due 2020
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Notes payable to related parties				$ 497,000,000
Interest rate (percent)				8.00%
Long-term debt				$ 204,700,000

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COMMITMENTS & CONTINGENCIES (Details) $ in Millions	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018 USD ($) plaintiff
Other Noncurrent Assets, Net
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency accounts receivable | $	$ 5.3
Quiet title action in North Dakota
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss contingency, number of plaintiffs | plaintiff	4

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INCOME TAXES (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2017
Income tax provision [Abstract]
Current Income Tax Provision (Benefit)	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Deferred Income Tax Provision (Benefit)
Federal	(19,180,000)	4,699,000	(18,560,000)	10,649,000
State	(4,228,000)	424,000	(4,091,000)	960,000
State	23,408,000	(5,123,000)	22,651,000	(11,609,000)
Total Income Tax Provision (Benefit)	0	0	0	0
Unrecognized tax benefits	0		0		$ 0
Unrecognized tax benefits, income tax penalties and interest expense	0	$ 0	0	$ 0
Unrecognized tax benefits, income tax penalties and interest accrued	$ 0		$ 0		$ 0

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FAIR VALUE - Assets and Liabilities Accounted For At Fair Value On A Recurring Basis (Details) - USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Debt Exchange Derivatives – Current Liabilities	$ (10,923,000)	$ 0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring | Quoted Prices In Active Markets for Identical Assets (Liabilities) (Level 1)
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Commodity Derivatives – Current Asset (crude oil swaps)	0	0
Commodity Derivatives – Noncurrent Asset (crude oil swaps)	0	0
Commodity Derivatives – Current Liabilities (crude oil swaps)	0	0
Commodity Derivatives – Noncurrent Liabilities (crude oil swaps)	0	0
Debt Exchange Derivatives – Current Liabilities	0
Total	0	0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Commodity Derivatives – Current Asset (crude oil swaps)	0	0
Commodity Derivatives – Noncurrent Asset (crude oil swaps)	0	0
Commodity Derivatives – Current Liabilities (crude oil swaps)	(43,644,644)	(18,681,891)
Commodity Derivatives – Noncurrent Liabilities (crude oil swaps)	(28,611,421)	(11,496,929)
Debt Exchange Derivatives – Current Liabilities	0
Total	(72,256,065)	(30,178,820)
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Commodity Derivatives – Current Asset (crude oil swaps)	0	0
Commodity Derivatives – Noncurrent Asset (crude oil swaps)	0	0
Commodity Derivatives – Current Liabilities (crude oil swaps)	0	0
Commodity Derivatives – Noncurrent Liabilities (crude oil swaps)	0	0
Debt Exchange Derivatives – Current Liabilities	(10,923,000)
Total	$ (10,923,000)	$ 0

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FAIR VALUE - Narrative (Details) - USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Derivative liability	$ 72,256,065	$ 30,178,820
Long-term debt	834,767,656	979,324,222
Asset retirement obligations	600,000
Second Lien Notes
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Long-term debt	339,468,512
8% Senior Notes | Estimated Fair Value
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Fair value of senior unsecured notes	149,200,000
8% Senior Notes | Senior Notes
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Long-term debt	148,182,209	691,954,489
Senior Second Lien Notes Due 2023 | Estimated Fair Value
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Fair value of senior unsecured notes	364,100,000
Term Loan Credit Agreement | Line of Credit
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Long-term debt	$ 347,116,935	$ 287,369,733

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DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS AND PRICE RISK MANAGEMENT - Gain (Loss) on Derivative Instruments and Commodity Swap Contracts (Details)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018 USD ($) $ / bbl	Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2018 USD ($) $ / bbl bbl	Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($)
Non-cash gains or losses on derivative contracts [Abstract]
Cash Received (Paid) on Settled Derivatives | $	$ (12,266,857)	$ 2,341,030	$ (20,396,994)	$ 2,245,371
Non-Cash Mark-to-Market Gain (Loss) on Derivatives | $	(29,935,931)	14,172,002	(42,077,245)	31,228,544
Gain (Loss) on Derivative Instruments, Net | $	$ (42,202,788)	$ 16,513,032	$ (62,474,239)	$ 33,473,915
Total Open Commodity Swaps
Non-cash gains or losses on derivative contracts [Abstract]
Oil (in barrels) | bbl			7,500,000
Weighted average price (in dollars per barrel) | $ / bbl	55.60		55.60
2018
Non-cash gains or losses on derivative contracts [Abstract]
Oil (in barrels) | bbl			2,003,660
Weighted average price (in dollars per barrel) | $ / bbl	57.83		57.83
2019
Non-cash gains or losses on derivative contracts [Abstract]
Oil (in barrels) | bbl			3,160,000
Weighted average price (in dollars per barrel) | $ / bbl	55.85		55.85
2020
Non-cash gains or losses on derivative contracts [Abstract]
Oil (in barrels) | bbl			1,730,980
Weighted average price (in dollars per barrel) | $ / bbl	52.55		52.55
2021 and beyond
Non-cash gains or losses on derivative contracts [Abstract]
Oil (in barrels) | bbl			631,600
Weighted average price (in dollars per barrel) | $ / bbl	55.67		55.67

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DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS AND PRICE RISK MANAGEMENT - Reconciliation between the gross assets and liabilities and the amounts reflected on the balance sheet (Details) - USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Offsetting Assets [Line Items]
Current liabilities	$ (43,644,644)	$ (18,681,891)
Noncurrent liabilities	(28,611,421)	(11,496,929)
Total derivative liabilities	(72,256,065)	(30,178,820)
Gross Amounts of Recognized Assets, Offsetting of Derivative Assets	26,580	0
Gross Amounts Offset in the Balance Sheet, Offsetting of Derivative Assets	(26,580)	0
Net Amounts of Assets Presented in the Balance Sheet, Offsetting of Derivative Assets	0	0
Gross Amounts of Recognized Assets, Offsetting of Derivative Liabilities	(72,282,645)	(30,178,820)
Gross Amounts Offset in the Balance Sheet, Offsetting of Derivative Liabilities	26,580	0
Net Amounts of Assets Presented in the Balance Sheet, Offsetting of Derivative Liabilities	(72,256,065)	(30,178,820)
Current Assets
Offsetting Assets [Line Items]
Gross Amounts of Recognized Assets, Offsetting of Derivative Assets	12,921	0
Gross Amounts Offset in the Balance Sheet, Offsetting of Derivative Assets	(12,921)	0
Net Amounts of Assets Presented in the Balance Sheet, Offsetting of Derivative Assets	0	0
Noncurrent Assets
Offsetting Assets [Line Items]
Gross Amounts of Recognized Assets, Offsetting of Derivative Assets	13,659	0
Gross Amounts Offset in the Balance Sheet, Offsetting of Derivative Assets	(13,659)	0
Net Amounts of Assets Presented in the Balance Sheet, Offsetting of Derivative Assets	0	0
Current Liabilities
Offsetting Assets [Line Items]
Gross Amounts of Recognized Assets, Offsetting of Derivative Liabilities	(43,657,565)	(18,681,891)
Gross Amounts Offset in the Balance Sheet, Offsetting of Derivative Liabilities	12,921	0
Net Amounts of Assets Presented in the Balance Sheet, Offsetting of Derivative Liabilities	(43,644,644)	(18,681,891)
Noncurrent Liabilities
Offsetting Assets [Line Items]
Gross Amounts of Recognized Assets, Offsetting of Derivative Liabilities	(28,625,080)	(11,496,929)
Gross Amounts Offset in the Balance Sheet, Offsetting of Derivative Liabilities	13,659	0
Net Amounts of Assets Presented in the Balance Sheet, Offsetting of Derivative Liabilities	(28,611,421)	(11,496,929)
Swap Contracts | Current Liabilities
Offsetting Assets [Line Items]
Current liabilities	(43,644,644)	(18,681,891)
Swap Contracts | Noncurrent Liabilities
Offsetting Assets [Line Items]
Noncurrent liabilities	$ (28,611,421)	$ (11,496,929)

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DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS AND PRICE RISK MANAGEMENT - Narrative (Details)	1 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018 USD ($) agreement	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)
Derivative [Line Items]
Number of exchange agreements | agreement	5
Derivative liability	$ 72,256,065	$ 30,178,820
Extinguishment of Debt | Exchangeable Debt
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative liability	$ 10,900,000

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SUBSEQUENT EVENTS (Details) - Subsequent Event $ in Thousands	Jul. 27, 2018 USD ($) shares	Jul. 17, 2018 USD ($) agreement shares
Pivotal Entities
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Number of purchase and sale agreements | agreement		2
Business acquisition, equity interest issued or issuable, number of shares (in shares)		25,753,578
Pivotal Entities | Maximum
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Business acquisition, equity interest issued or issuable, number of shares (in shares)		16,046,421
Pivotal Williston Basin, LP
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Consideration transferred | $		$ 15,750
Business acquisition, equity interest issued or issuable, number of shares (in shares)		5,930,100
Pivotal Williston Basin II, LP
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Consideration transferred | $		$ 52,650
Business acquisition, equity interest issued or issuable, number of shares (in shares)		19,823,478
WR Operating LLC
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Consideration transferred | $	$ 100,000
Business acquisition, equity interest issued or issuable, number of shares (in shares)	56,371,899
Contingent shares threshold percentage	19.90%
WR Operating LLC | Maximum
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Business acquisition, equity interest issued or issuable, number of shares (in shares)	2,669,937