Explanatory Note
This Amendment No. 1 (this “Amendment”) amends and supplements the Schedule 13D filed on October 30, 2019 (the “Original Schedule 13D,” and, as amended by this Amendment, this “Schedule 13D”) by EnCap Energy Capital Fund IX, L.P., a Texas limited partnership (“EnCap Fund IX”), and EnCap Partners GP, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“EnCap Partners GP”), and relates to the beneficial ownership of the shares of common stock, $0.01 par value per share (the “Common Stock”), of SM Energy Company, a Delaware corporation (“SM Energy” or the “Issuer”).
For purposes of this Amendment, the term “Reporting Persons” collectively refers to EnCap Fund IX and EnCap Partners GP. As indicated below in Item 5(e), as a result of the transactions described in Item 3 below and the number of issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock on July 23, 2020, as reported in the Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on July 31, 2020, each of the Reporting Persons ceased to be a beneficial owner of more than five percent of the Common Stock on July 23, 2020. The filing of this Amendment represents the final amendment to the Original Schedule 13D and constitutes an exit filing for the Reporting Persons.
Except as otherwise specified in this Amendment, all items omitted or left blank remain unchanged in all material respects and any items that are reported are deemed to amend and restate the corresponding items in the Original Schedule 13D in their entirety unless otherwise indicated. Unless amended, restated or superseded by information contained in this Amendment, the information reported in the Original Schedule 13D remains in effect. Capitalized terms used in this Amendment and not otherwise defined shall have the same meanings ascribed to them in the Original Schedule 13D.
Item 3. | Source and Amount of Funds or Other Consideration. |
This Amendment amends Item 3 of the Original Schedule 13D to include the following after the final paragraph thereof:
On June 16, 2020, EnCap Fund IX sold 385,320 shares of the Common Stock on the open market at a weighted average price per share of $5.04 for total proceeds of $1,941,947.50.
Item 4. | Purpose of Transaction. |
Item 4 of the Original Schedule 13D is amended and restated in its entirety as follows:
The information set forth in Items 3 and 6 of this Schedule 13D is incorporated by reference in its entirety into this Item 4.
The Reporting Persons acquired the Common Stock reported herein for investment purposes and the Reporting Persons intend to review on a continuing basis the investments in the Issuer by the Reporting Persons. Depending upon market conditions and other factors that they may deem relevant, the Reporting Persons or their affiliates may seek to acquire additional securities of the Issuer or other financial instruments related to the Issuer or its securities (which may include debt securities or other rights or securities exercisable or convertible into securities of the Issuer) and/or sell or otherwise dispose of some or all of the Issuer securities or financial instruments owned from time to time, in each case, in open market or private transactions, block sales or otherwise, including in connection with extraordinary corporate transactions such as a tender offer, merger or consolidation.
Consistent with their investment purposes, the Reporting Persons may communicate with SM Energy’s management and board of directors about a broad range of operational and strategic matters and may communicate with other shareholders or third parties regarding the foregoing. The Reporting Persons may in the future formulate, consider, explore, develop or make plans or proposals regarding the Issuer or its securities, including related to operational or financial matters or any other potential strategic alternative intended to maximize shareholder value, including but not limited to a take private transaction. Such discussions and actions may be preliminary and exploratory in nature and not rise to the level of a plan or a proposal.
Except as set forth herein, the Reporting Persons have no present plans or proposals that would relate to or result in any of the matters set forth in clauses (a) through (j) of Item 4 of Schedule 13D. Although the foregoing reflects activities presently contemplated by such persons with respect to the Issuer, the foregoing is subject to change at any time.
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