Gulfport Energy Expands Core Utica Inventory Through Ohio Lease Sale Acquisitions
Gulfport Energy Corp. (NYSE: GPOR) ("Gulfport" or the "Company") today announced the successful acquisition of approximately 4,700 net undeveloped acres in the core of the Ohio Utica in Belmont County, Ohio, through the Ohio Oil and Gas Land Management Commission State Land Lease Sale for a total purchase price of approximately $83.0 million.
Key Highlights
- Large, contiguous acquisition of approximately 4,700 net undeveloped acres secured in a highly competitive lease sale environment, adjacent to existing operations and recently acquired discretionary acreage
- High-quality core acreage position expected to drive development efficiency, unlock operational synergies and maximize utilization of existing infrastructure and midstream capacity
- Located in the highly productive, liquids-rich Utica wet gas window and represents a core, top-tier area of Gulfport's acreage
- Adds approximately 16 net locations (normalized to 15,000' laterals), with locations concentrated in the highest-return tier of our development opportunities
- Development expected to commence in 2027, with forecasted returns at the top end of our portfolio, highlighting the strong economic profile and immediate actionability of the acquired acreage
- Total purchase price of approximately $83.0 million equates to approximately $17,500 per net acre or $5.1 million per net location (normalized to 15,000' laterals)
- Strong financial position supports the acquisition, funded through cash on hand and available capacity under Gulfport's revolving credit facility
Nick Dell'Osso, Gulfport's President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "The Ohio state land lease acquisition represents a highly strategic bolt-on to our core Utica position, adding a large, contiguous block of acreage adjacent to our existing best-in-class Utica gas inventory, further underscoring the strategic nature of this investment. The position lies in the fairway of the highly productive, liquids-rich Utica wet gas window and offers the highest-return opportunities in our portfolio, extending our liquids runway while enhancing the depth and flexibility of our development program across commodity cycles."
"As Gulfport has consistently demonstrated, we are focused on disciplined capital allocation and investing in opportunities that drive value creation. Our strong balance sheet enables us to execute this acquisition while maintaining financial strength and we are committed to continuing to build net asset value and delivering durable, long-term returns for our shareholders," Dell'Osso concluded.
About Gulfport
Gulfport is an independent natural gas-weighted exploration and production company focused on the exploration, acquisition and production of natural gas, crude oil and NGL in the United States with primary focus in the Appalachia and Anadarko basins. Our principal properties are located in eastern Ohio targeting the Utica and Marcellus formations and in central Oklahoma targeting the SCOOP Woodford and SCOOP Springer formations.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release includes "forward-looking statements" for purposes of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements are statements other than statements of historical fact. They include statements regarding Gulfport's current expectations, management's outlook guidance or forecasts of future events, projected cash flow and liquidity, inflation, share repurchases and other return of capital plans, its ability to enhance cash flow and financial flexibility, future production and commodity mix, plans and objectives for future operations, the ability of our employees, portfolio strength and operational leadership to create long-term value and the assumptions on which such statements are based. Gulfport believes the expectations and forecasts reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, Gulfport can give no assurance they will prove to have been correct. They can be affected by inaccurate or changed assumptions or by known or unknown risks and uncertainties. Important risks, assumptions and other important factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements are described under "Risk Factors" in Item 1A of Gulfport's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 and any updates to those factors set forth in Gulfport's subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q or current reports on Form 8-K (available at https://www.gulfportenergy.com/investors/sec-filings). Gulfport undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements, to report events or to report the occurrence of unanticipated events.
Investors should note that Gulfport announces financial information in SEC filings, press releases and public conference calls. Gulfport may use the Investors section of its website (www.gulfportenergy.com) to communicate with investors. It is possible that the financial and other information posted there could be deemed to be material information. The information on Gulfport's website is not part of this filing.
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Contact
Investor Contact:
Jessica Antle - Vice President, Investor Relations
jantle@gulfportenergy.com
405-252-4550
