ISSUED ON BEHALF OF PRAIRIE OPERATING CO.

With AI-driven power demand forecast to jump 165%[1], tiny Prairie Operating Co. (NASDAQ: PROP) has already multiplied output ten-fold[2] and locked in $68 oil[3]—positioning itself as a low-cost lifeline for America’s looming energy crunch.

America’s emergency oil stockpile is already at a forty-year low, and Washington estimates it will take $20 billion and several years to refill.[4]

That gap between soaring energy demand and shrinking strategic reserves is creating a rare window for nimble, low-cost producers who can pump reliable barrels right now.

Enter Prairie Operating Co. (NASDAQ: PROP) — a Colorado driller that’s just come off a $602 million scale-up and secured a billion-dollar credit line from Wall Street’s top banks.

In the next few minutes you’ll discover why Prairie’s low-profile wells could become the high-octane answer to America’s looming power crunch — and why early investors stand to benefit most as the lights (and servers) stay on.

The Perfect Storm Nobody’s Pricing In

1 | AI’S INSATIABLE POWER HUNGER

Goldman Sachs says global data-center power use will rocket 165% by 2030[5]— the biggest grid shock in a century. Servers don’t run on wind; they run on hydrocarbons. Every new megawatt tightens crude supply — exactly the liquids Prairie pumps today.

2 | BLACKOUT RISK GOES EXPONENTIAL

A brand-new DOE reliability report warns that, without fast new firm capacity, U.S. blackout frequency could jump 100× by 2030[6]. Utilities are scrambling for fuel-sure supply; policymakers are begging for it. Prairie’s oily DJ-Basin barrels — delivered into existing takeaway lines — arrive exactly when the grid needs them most.

3 | THE STRATEGIC PETROLEUM RESERVE IS RUNNING ON FUMES

After record drawdowns, the SPR is stuck near 403 million barrels — its lowest level in forty years — and Congress just slashed refill funds by 87%.[7] With America’s safety valve drained, any supply hiccup can light a fuse under prices. That hands nimble, low-cost drillers like Prairie an outsized pricing tailwind.

4 | POLICY & OPEC KEEP THE MARKET TIGHT

Eight OPEC+ members have extended 3.7 million barrels per day of voluntary cuts all the way to 2026 [8]— and the new U.S. National Energy Dominance Council[9] is fast-tracking domestic oil permits to offset the shortfall. Prairie already holds 150+ DJ wells fully permitted, letting it sprint while slower peers wait in line.

Why This Matters for You

When massive, unavoidable demand meets structurally tight supply, prices don’t just drift — they gap higher. Prairie Operating Co. (NASDAQ: PROP) has:

Multiplied production 10× in one deal[10] — timing couldn’t be better.
Locked in $68-oil cash flow through 2027[11], insulating downside.
$1 billion in untapped credit to keep drilling while competitors tap out.[12]

That combination of timing, scale and financial certainty is rare in a small-cap — and it’s exactly what turns early-stage investors into headline success stories.

Top 8 Reasons Prairie Operating Co. (NASDAQ: PROP) Could Be Oil’s Next
Break-Out Winner

A Perfect Storm for Higher Prices.
AI data-center demand is set to rocket 165% by 2030[13] while the Strategic Petroleum Reserve sits at a 40-year low[14] and OPEC+ is still holding back ≈5% of global supply[15]. Bottom line: the world needs new, low-cost barrels—exactly what Prairie is pumping.
Production Just Leapt Ten-Fold.
A $602 million deal[16] with Bayswater boosted output by ~25,700 BOE/d and added 77.9 MMBOE of proved reserves—transforming Prairie from micro-producer to full-fledged operator overnight.
More Near-Term Growth Is Already Drilled.
Nine Opal Coalbank wells come online Aug 2025[17]; the 11-well Rusch Pad follows in Q4 2025[18]. A July bolt-on adds 40 ready-to-spud sites[19] — all without new shares.
Cash Flow Locked at $68 Oil.
Prairie hedged roughly 85% of 2025 volumes at $68.27 WTI (and similar gas prices) and extended price protection into 2028—securing margins while many peers float with the market.
Ultra-Low Cost Advantage.
DJ Basin wells run about $490 per lateral foot and operating costs average ≈$6.15/BOE. Management pegs the breakeven oil price below $38, giving Prairie cushion—and profit—no matter where crude trades next.
$1 Billion Credit Line, Minimal Leverage.
Citibank and a blue-chip syndicate reaffirmed a $475 MM borrowing base and a $1B facility through 2029[20]. Pro-forma net debt sits near 1× EBITDA, leaving plenty of firepower for the next pad.
Decade-Long Inventory, Permits in Hand.
~60,000 net acres, 550 + economic drilling locations[21], and 150 + wells already permitted in rural Weld County give Prairie a clear runway for double-digit growth through at least 2033.
A Team (and Valuation) Built for Upside.
CEO Ed Kovalik and President Gary Hanna have previously grown and exited billion-dollar E&Ps. Today investors can buy Prairie at < 0.7× its proved PV-10 value, with insiders holding significant stakes alongside shareholders.

Who’s Running the Show?
The Repeat-Exit Team Behind PROP

Ed Kovalik, CEO & Chairman – Former investment-banker-turned-operator. Built KLR Energy’s SPAC into Rosehill Resources, then steered multiple shale roll-ups worth hundreds of millions.

Gary Hanna, President – Forty-year E&P veteran who took EPL Oil & Gas from rehab to a $2.4 billion cash sale in 2014.

Greg Patton, CFO – Ex-Great Western Petroleum finance lead; knows DJ-Basin balance sheets inside-out.

Bryan Freeman, EVP Operations – Ran SM Energy’s Eagle Ford team and pioneered electric-rig drilling that cuts fuel use and costs.

Insider alignment: management and directors hold a meaningful personal stake—they win only when shareholders do.

Balance-Sheet Muscle & Firepower

$1 billion reserve-based credit facility led by Citibank, joined by BofA and five other majors. Borrowing base reaffirmed at $475 million (matures 2029).
Net debt ≈ 1× EBITDA after the Bayswater acquisition—among the lowest in the small-cap peer set.
Hedge book = cash machine: 85% of 2025 barrels locked at $68.27 WTI / $4.28 gas; 2026-Q1’28 volumes fixed near $64 / $4.
Translation: operating cash funds the rigs, the bank line funds opportunistic deals—no dilution required.

Near-Term Catalyst Timeline

Date	What Happens	Why It Matters
Aug 2025	First oil from 9 Opal Coalbank DUC wells	Adds ≈2,500 BOE/d of cash-flowing production.
Sep 2025	Edge Energy “Simpson” pad spuds (fully permitted)	Begins converting July bolt-on acreage into revenue—no new equity needed.
Q4 2025	11-well Rusch Pad hits peak rates	Management targets +8-10 k BOE/d step-up; drives 2025 exit-rate guidance.
2026	Hedged cash + scale drop UNIT costs	Breakeven oil price projected below $38, widening margin vs peers.

Proof It Happens Here – DJ-Basin Success Stories

Case Study #1: PDC Energy: $6 Stock to $72 Chevron Take-Out (2023)

Back in 2016, PDC Energy still traded in the single digits and pumped a modest 55k BOE/d out of Weld County. Management kept its head down, drilling long laterals, tightening costs, and scooping up bolt-on acreage while Wall Street ignored the DJ.

By 2020 cash flow was surging, and the company used that firepower to pay down debt and repurchase stock. The snowball kept rolling until June 2023, when Chevron wrote a $7.6 billion[22] all-stock check to fold PDC into its Rockies portfolio—paying shareholders a 630% return from those early DJ days.

Case Study #2: SRC Energy: Quiet Roll-Up → $1.7 B Merger with Civitas (2020)

SRC Energy began as a tiny Niobrara explorer with barely 10,000 barrels a day, but it amassed rural drill spacing units at bargain prices during the 2015 downturn. By standardizing pad designs and slashing operating costs, SRC doubled volumes without breaking the bank.

When investors finally noticed, its valuation rerated, giving the company equity currency to pursue larger deals.

The payoff arrived in January 2020: Civitas (then named Bonanza Creek) agreed to a $1.7 billion[23], all-stock merger, instantly turning SRC’s low-profile acreage into a cornerstone asset inside Colorado’s new DJ super-independent.

Case Study #3: Extraction Oil & Gas: From Chapter 11 to 4× Share Price and a Premium Exit (2021)

Extraction hit the wall in 2020’s price crash and entered Chapter 11. But its DJ inventory was so economic that, once restructured, new management restarted drilling, shrinking well costs to the $5-6/BOE range and hedging production at lucrative strip prices—sound familiar?

Within twelve months the post-reorg shares had quadrupled as cash flow roared back. The rebound culminated in October 2021, when Civitas swooped again, paying a healthy premium[24] to roll Extraction into its expanding DJ empire. Investors who bought the “distressed” DJ story walked away with multi-bagger gains.

What it means for Prairie Operating Co. (NASDAQ: PROP):

Each of these companies began as a lightly followed DJ operator, mastered low-cost drilling, and leveraged timing to sell at eye-watering multiples. Prairie now controls comparable geology, but at an even earlier valuation—and with its production and hedge book already in place.

Before You Go

What to Remember About
Prairie Operating Co. (NASDAQ: PROP)

10× production leap from the Bayswater acquisition.• 85% of 2025 barrels hedged at $68 WTI, cash-flow locked.• $1 billion credit line, borrowing base $475 million.
• Breakeven oil price projected below $38 thanks to DJ-Basin costs.

• ~60 k net acres, 550 + drilling locations, 150 + permits in hand.

• Veteran team with prior multi-billion-dollar exits.

Take the Next Step Before the Rigs Hit Peak Rate

A rare alignment is unfolding: run-away power demand, tight global supply, and one low-cost driller that is already cranking out oil at scale. Prairie Operating Co. (NASDAQ: PROP) is moving fast, and the first new wells from its growth program come online within weeks.

If you want to follow each production bump, hedge update, and asset deal as it happens, do what serious investors do—go straight to the source.

Sign up on Prairie’s investor list today and you’ll:

Receive real-time alerts when new wells start flowing.
See quarterly cash-flow numbers the moment they drop.
Learn about fresh acreage or financing moves before they hit the mainstream press.

Knowledge is optional. Timing is not. Click now, add your email, and stay in front of the story while the market is still catching up.

Visit Prairie’s Investor Hub and Subscribe for Updates

USA News Group
Editorial Staff

DISCLAIMER: Nothing in this publication should be considered as personalized financial advice. We are not licensed under securities laws to address your particular financial situation. No communication by our employees to you should be deemed as personalized financial advice. Please consult a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decision. This is a paid advertisement and is neither an offer nor recommendation to buy or sell any security. We hold no investment licenses and are thus neither licensed nor qualified to provide investment advice. The content in this report or email is not provided to any individual with a view toward their individual circumstances. USA News Group is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Market IQ Media Group, Inc. (“MIQ”). MIQ has been paid a fee for Prairie Operating Co. advertising and digital media from the company directly. There may be 3rd parties who may have shares of Prairie Operating Co., and may liquidate their shares which could have a negative effect on the price of the stock. This compensation constitutes a conflict of interest as to our ability to remain objective in our communication regarding the profiled company. Because of this conflict, individuals are strongly encouraged to not use this publication as the basis for any investment decision. The owner/operator of MIQ own shares of Prairie Operating Co. which were purchased in the open market, and reserve the right to buy and sell, and will buy and sell shares of Prairie Operating Co. at any time without any further notice. We also expect further compensation as an ongoing digital media effort to increase visibility for the company, no further notice will be given, but let this disclaimer serve as notice that all material disseminated by MIQ has been approved by the above mentioned company; this is a paid advertisement, we currently own shares of Prairie Operating Co. and will buy and sell shares of the company in the open market, or through private placements, and/or other investment vehicles.

While all information is believed to be reliable, it is not guaranteed by us to be accurate. Individuals should assume that all information contained in our newsletter is not trustworthy unless verified by their own independent research. Also, because events and circumstances frequently do not occur as expected, there will likely be differences between the any predictions and actual results. Always consult a licensed investment professional before making any investment decision. Be extremely careful, investing in securities carries a high degree of risk; you may likely lose some or all of the investment.

SOURCES CITED:

[1] https://www.goldmansachs.com/insights/articles/ai-to-drive-165-increase-in-data-center-power-demand-by-2030

[2] https://www.prairieopco.com/pr/prairie-operating-co-completes-transformative-acquisition-from-bayswater

[3] https://www.prairieopco.com/pr/prairie-operating-co-secures-strong-cash-flow-with-strategic-hedging-program-ahead-of-market-downturn

[4] https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-energy-chief-seek-20-billion-refill-oil-reserve-bloomberg-news-reports-2025-03-07/

[5] https://www.goldmansachs.com/insights/articles/ai-to-drive-165-increase-in-data-center-power-demand-by-2030

[6] https://www.energy.gov/articles/department-energy-releases-report-evaluating-us-grid-reliability-and-security

[7] https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-senate-budget-bill-slashes-money-fill-oil-reserve-2025-07-01/

[8] https://energynow.com/2025/05/what-opec-oil-output-cuts-are-in-place/

[9] https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/establishing-the-national-energy-dominance-council/

[10] https://www.prairieopco.com/pr/prairie-operating-co-completes-transformative-acquisition-from-bayswater

[11] https://www.prairieopco.com/pr/prairie-operating-co-secures-strong-cash-flow-with-strategic-hedging-program-ahead-of-market-downturn