Kimmeridge Energy Management Company, LLC (“Kimmeridge” or the “Adviser” or the “Firm”) a Delaware
limited liability company, is an alternative investment management firm, founded in 2012 by Benjamin Dell,
Henry Makansi and Dr. Neil McMahon (the “Founding Members”). The Adviser maintains its principal office
in New York, New York. Kimmeridge’s investment activities focus primarily on the energy space.
Kimmeridge invests in public and private companies, including through direct ownership of assets, and
employs an in-house operations team through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Kimmeridge Operations, LLC
(“Kimmeridge Operations”) based in Denver, Colorado. Funds managed in accordance with Kimmeridge’s
“flagship” exploration strategies are referred to herein as the “Flagship Funds” and all funds managed by
Kimmeridge, including the KEEP Funds (as defined below), Kimmeridge Mineral Fund, LP (“KMF”) and
Kimmeridge Carbon Solutions, L.P. (“KCS”), are referred to as the “Kimmeridge Funds” or the “Funds”.
Kimmeridge is led by the Founding Members along with Noam Lockshin, Alex Inkster, Denis Laloy, and
Neda Jafar. Each of the members of the leadership team are partners or members of the various limited
and general partnerships or limited liability company entities through which the Firm operates. While the
Firm does not provide individualized or tailored investment advisory services, in certain limited
circumstances, investors in Kimmeridge Funds may request application of certain broad Fund investment
guidelines via side letters.
Kimmeridge Engagement Management, L.P. (“KEM”) is an affiliate of Kimmeridge and an investment
adviser relying on Kimmeridge’s registration with the SEC. KEM serves as the investment manager for the
KEEP investment strategy utilized by Kimmeridge Energy Engagement Partners, L.P. a private fund
launched in 2020 (the “KEEP Fund”) and Kimmeridge Energy Engagement Partners II, L.P. launched in
2021 (the “KEEP II Fund”, and together with the KEEP Fund, the “KEEP Funds”). Mark Viviano serves as
the lead portfolio manager of the KEEP Funds. The KEEP Funds are focused on investing in publicly traded
energy companies where the team believes that investor engagement is warranted and the potential for
value creation exists. KEM utilizes a proprietary portfolio screening tool to identify the companies in which
it determines to invest.
The Kimmeridge Funds are privately offered pooled vehicles organized primarily as limited partnerships
with terms consistent with private equity or similar structures. Investors in these privately offered funds are
typically institutional investors, foundations and endowments, public plans and other sophisticated
investors.
Kimmeridge has been registered with the SEC as an investment adviser since 2012. As of December 31,
2023, the Firm manages approximately $4.8 billion in regulatory assets on a discretionary basis as reported
in its Form ADV Part 1.
Kimmeridge and the Kimmeridge Funds operate under exemptions from registration with the US
Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) as a commodity trading advisor or commodity pool
operator.
Kimmeridge Operations
Kimmeridge’s investment strategy is also predicated on direct ownership and operation of investments,
primarily through its team at Kimmeridge Operations. Kimmeridge Operations consists of a fully staffed
team of professionals with experience across all major exploration and production (“E&P”) functions
including land, geology, engineering, and finance. Kimmeridge Operations also has a dedicated team in
Casper, Wyoming that supports the Firm’s initiatives in the Powder River Basin in Wyoming. The costs of
Kimmeridge Operations, including salaries of employees, related travel and expenses and overhead, are
allocated to the Kimmeridge Funds in accordance with the Firm’s expense allocation policy which is
described in more detail below (the “Expense Policy”).
Kimmeridge provides advisory services to the Funds in a number of ways. Employees of Kimmeridge
comprise the investment teams, investor relations, finance, operations, information technology, data
science, human resources and legal & compliance groups. The costs of these employees are generally
borne by Kimmeridge, aside from certain travel and other dedicated expenses, as outlined in the Expense
Policy. Kimmeridge may engage third party vendors and service providers to provide services to the Funds,
including but not limited to, consultants, external advisers, land brokers and data providers. These
expenses will also be allocated pursuant to the Expense Policy. The Expense Policy also sets out the
manner in which expenses and costs of Kimmeridge Operations are allocated to the Funds. The use of
affiliates such as Kimmeridge Operations professionals to perform activities for the Funds, and the
subsequent allocation of such costs and expenses to the Funds, as opposed to using unaffiliated third
parties, presents a potential conflict of interest. Kimmeridge believes these conflicts are mitigated
substantially in several ways, principally, through disclosure to investors of the Firm’s and the Funds’
structure, implementation and documentation of the Expense Policy, and certain other factors. In addition
to disclosure in this Brochure, the substantive provisions of the Expense Policy are disclosed to investors
in due diligence requests and described in each Fund’s limited partnership agreement and other documents
shared with investors. Kimmeridge Operations exists for the sole purpose of supporting the Funds and does
not perform services for any unaffiliated companies. Kimmeridge Operations does not take on debt and
does not retain or generate any profits. Rather, it is operated solely in support of the Kimmeridge Funds,
employing its personnel, managing payroll and staffing, retaining office space, and contracting with vendors
and service providers. As such, all costs and expenses, along with any profits, are borne by or allocated to,
the Funds and their investors, all in accordance with the Expense Policy.
The vast majority of Kimmeridge Operations’ costs are comprised of overhead including salary and benefits
paid to Kimmeridge Operations employees. As indicated in the Expense Policy, each Fund will bear those
expenses in a fair and equitable manner. For example, costs directly allocable to a particular project or
portfolio company will be borne in whole by the particular Funds sponsoring the project or portfolio
company. Costs shared by one or more Funds will be allocated on a pro rata basis, based on capital
commitments or partner’s capital (Fund balance sheet equity). Compensation and benefits costs are
allocated to the appropriate Funds based on time spent on a particular project or Fund, as recorded by
employees on a bi-weekly basis via the Time Star system. Kimmeridge Fund investors receive detailed
reporting on Fund investments and expenses including quarterly unaudited financial statements and annual
audited financial statements. These financial statements describe in detail the current liabilities of the Funds
as of the date of the financial statements, including accrued general and administrative expenses of
Kimmeridge Operations and Kimmeridge. Further, each Fund’s Limited Partner Advisory Committee
(“LPAC”) members receive detailed information on compensation paid to Kimmeridge Operations
personnel, and Kimmeridge discusses in detail with each LPAC any questions or comments they may have
in connection with each Fund’s annual meeting. As such, Kimmeridge Fund investors are given full
disclosure as to the nature and amount of costs allocated to each Fund.
Kimmeridge believes that its policies and procedures used in overseeing Kimmeridge Operations can help
address any concerns relating to potential conflicts of interest associated with the use of an affiliated
company in its operational structure, in lieu of outsourcing to third parties. As a fiduciary to its clients,
Kimmeridge must ensure that it acts in the best interests of the Funds. Kimmeridge exercises these
obligations in connection with its oversight of Kimmeridge Operations, including when engaging in hiring
practices, setting compensation policies, and other related activities. Specifically, Kimmeridge has
implemented policies designed to foster alignment of interests between the Funds and extends its fiduciary
obligations to all Kimmeridge Operations employees. The Adviser believes that this practice differentiates
Kimmeridge and serves as a mitigating factor to address potential conflicts associated with using an
affiliated service provider like Kimmeridge Operations. In hiring employees or setting annual compensation
rates, Kimmeridge may seek guidance from independent sources such as recruiting firms, consulting firms
and other industry intelligence such as available competitor data and public company information.
Specifically, Kimmeridge has engaged a third-party consulting firm, ECI, to conduct a compensation study
of Kimmeridge Operations employees. Kimmeridge worked with ECI to identify appropriate peer groups for
comparison purposes based on estimated annual revenues and capital expenditures of other oil and gas
E&P companies. The study compared base salary, bonus and total cash compensation for Kimmeridge
Operations employees by role versus similar roles for the identified E&P peer group. In the event that the
study showed total cash compensation for any particular role at Kimmeridge Operations was 120% or more
of the average amount in the comparison group, Kimmeridge would look to identify any particular reasons
for the difference and determine whether adjustments should be made. We will look to conduct a similar
study every three years going forward in an effort to continue to look to ensure that compensation and
benefits paid to employees of Kimmeridge Operations and borne by the Funds are consistent with market
ranges and not dissimilar from that of unaffiliated similarly situated employers, while still maintaining the
ability to attract and retain top notch talent.
Additionally, Kimmeridge engages a third party human resources services provider (Insperity, Inc.) that
provides a comprehensive benefits package for Kimmeridge employees at a bundled rate. Kimmeridge
believes that it would be difficult, for a number of reasons, to negotiate better rates for these services with
other providers. From time to time, the Chief Operating Officer (“COO”), along with the CFO and the Head
of Talent, will review the services and pricing from Insperity and compare this with other options, such as
insourcing or engaging with another provider, to determine whether to continue the service or make a
change. In doing so, they will also consult with other members of the leadership team and will consider all
relevant factors including but not limited to financial and implementation costs. Kimmeridge maintains
relationships with brokers and consultants with whom the Firm works when seeking to lease or update
office space. Such brokers and consultants work with Kimmeridge to help negotiate rental and other rates
that are consistent with market ranges, as well as terms that are consistent with market expectations. In
this way, Kimmeridge looks to ensure that overhead expenses of Kimmeridge Operations are fair and
equitable, further working to mitigate potential conflicts associated with affiliates. Kimmeridge believes that
the risks of any conflict of interest presented by virtue of allocating Kimmeridge Operations personnel
expenses to the Funds are outweighed by the benefits of this structure. Many Kimmeridge Operations
professionals have gathered institutional knowledge that helps the Funds operate in a more seamless and
efficient manner. They have developed relationships with vendors and other industry participants and
partners that help them understand and solve problems that are unique to Kimmeridge. The potential value
to be added from this type of cultivated talent and institutional knowledge base is, in our view, extremely
additive from a qualitative perspective, but difficult to quantify and test. Kimmeridge believes that it would
not be able to achieve the same levels of oversight, rapport, shared resources and knowledge in an
arrangement with a non-Kimmeridge vendor. Kimmeridge Operations team members report directly in many
cases to the members of the Adviser’s Investment Teams – who are Kimmeridge partners. Kimmeridge
Operations employees are able to be mentored by the very subject matter experts who conceive of the
Funds’ investment ideas and guide them through the lifecycle of the asset. In this way, the Adviser believes
that Kimmeridge Operations employees are motivated to outperform and aligned with the investment
objectives of the Funds as set by the Investment Team members. Kimmeridge believes that fostering this
type of connectivity and alignment would not be possible with third-party service providers.
Importantly, as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kimmeridge, Kimmeridge Operations employees are subject
to the same compliance policies and procedures as employees of the Adviser, including the Code of Ethics
and Personal Investment Policy (the “Code”). These professionals are also subject to the oversight of the
General Counsel (“GC”)/Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) and must operate within the Firm’s overall
compliance program. As such, Kimmeridge Operations team members are all fiduciaries to the Funds, and
must act in accordance with the best interests of the Funds. This framework ensures alignment from a legal
and regulatory standpoint, and further serves to support a culture of compliance embraced by the Firm as
a whole.
Accordingly, due to the nature and structure of the Funds’ carried interest provisions, there is little to no
incentive for Kimmeridge to overpay or over allocate expenses of Kimmeridge Operations in an unfair or
inequitable manner. Pursuant to the terms of the governing documents of the Funds, Kimmeridge Fund
investors must recoup all expenses, including operating, organizational and capital expenses, before
Kimmeridge or the relevant Fund general partner begins to accrue carried interest. As such, there is no
benefit to Kimmeridge in over allocating such expenses and therefore, potential conflicts associated with
transactions with an affiliate such as Kimmeridge Operations, are even further mitigated. For these reasons,
the Adviser believes that using a third party service provider in lieu of Kimmeridge Operations to provide
services to the Funds could be less accretive to the Firm’s operations and the Funds’ investors in that it
would be far more expensive, less efficient and less beneficial to the Funds and their investors. As noted
above, the Adviser believes that the Funds benefit from the use of its affiliated service provider, Kimmeridge
Operations. The benefits of this arrangement are difficult to quantify, and these policies do not easily lend
themselves to traditional methods of control setting, implementation and testing. As such, the Adviser
believes that the qualitative controls and principles outlined above serve to mitigate the potential conflicts
of interest associated with its use of affiliated personnel of Kimmeridge Operations in the day to day
operations of the Funds.
Third Party Service Providers:
The Firm utilizes a number of third party service providers in connection with its investment advisory
business. In addition to the service providers to the Kimmeridge Funds set out in the Firm’s Form ADV Part
1, Kimmeridge has also engaged third party firms that provide information technology and human resources
support services as well as certain compliance support services. Kimmeridge performs due diligence on its
key service providers as well as those of the Funds.
Allocation of Investment Opportunities
In exploring an investment opportunity, the Investment Team will consider whether such an investment is
appropriate for a particular Fund in light of the Funds’ investment strategy, guidelines, process, structure
and terms. If Kimmeridge believes it is appropriate to allocate an investment to more than one Kimmeridge
Fund, Kimmeridge will review and consider the relevant facts and circumstances surrounding the potential
allocation. One factor that is particularly determinative in this analysis is whether a Fund has undeployed
and available capital that can be allocated to a project or investment. Each Fund will generally have a
limited amount of capital to deploy and each Fund’s limited partnership agreement (“LPA”) will generally
contain restrictions on parameters (e.g. LPAC approval) on successor fund launches until a meaningful
amount of capital has been deployed in a Fund.
Additionally, the investment objectives of the Funds often differ substantially, and therefore situations in
which investments would need to be allocated among more than one Kimmeridge Fund, and therefore any
related conflicts, will generally be limited. The Funds generally allocate capital to investments indirectly,
through one or more wholly owned subsidiaries dedicated to a particular type of investment (i.e., public
equity, pipeline, exploration and production). For example, Kimmeridge manages different strategies that
may allocate capital to publicly traded energy companies. However, these strategies and their related Funds
are differentiated by their investment methodology and approach. For example, Kimmeridge manages the
KEEP strategy, an activist strategy that focuses on minority, non-controlling investments in publicly traded
energy companies where the Investment Team believes it can effect change with active engagement.
Kimmeridge also manages investment strategies utilized by its Flagship Funds where the Investment Team
may allocate capital to public equity and debt positions in these companies when it believes there is a path
to control. Therefore, overlap between the activist strategy and the flagship strategy is likely to be limited.
But Kimmeridge may also manage and operate one or more flagship or other funds at the same time where
investment opportunities arise that could be appropriate for one or more such Funds. Depending on the
particular facts and circumstances, including any relevant language in a Fund’s LPA, Kimmeridge may treat
allocations of investments among multiple Funds as potential conflicts of interest and require the approval
of each Fund’s LPAC.
In determining whether to recommend allocations of a particular investment among one or more Funds,
Kimmeridge will consider factors similar to those underlying a recommendation to engage in an affiliated
transaction. Such factors include but are not limited to: (i) whether a transaction is appropriate for a Fund
in light of its investment strategy and business focus, (ii) the timing and duration of a particular transaction
relative to the Fund’s position in its individual lifecycle, (iii) funding required for a transaction relative to
availability of capital in a particular Fund, (iv) concentration limitations or other investment guidelines of
each Fund, (v) macroeconomic factors, (vi) legal and regulatory considerations and (vii) other pertinent
factors. The GC/CCO or a delegate will review these factors along with the IC members in an effort to
ensure that all pertinent factors are presented to the members of any LPAC asked to authorize such an
allocation. Additionally, Kimmeridge will typically include in any such presentation materials information
explaining the potential benefits and risks of a particular transaction, reasoning of the Adviser in making its
recommendation and other pertinent points, along with the advice and recommendations of any third party
engaged to evaluate, or assign a valuation, price range or participation percentage to an investment. In all
cases, where the Investment Team believes a particular investment is appropriate for more than one Fund,
the allocation proposed will be one that is fair and equitable and consistent with the Compliance Manual,
the relevant Fund documents and Kimmeridge’s fiduciary obligations. Certain methodologies may include
cost of acquisition or valuation pro rata relative to capital commitments, third party comparable data
allocated on a pro forma combined basis with a dilution mechanism and certain other methodologies
commonly utilized in the private fund, finance or energy industry.
From time to time, Kimmeridge may determine to exit certain investments for a variety of different reasons.
For example, an investment may have reached its target valuation and the Adviser may determine to
dispose of the asset to capture unrealized value. Additionally, the Adviser may determine that, because of
timing, market opportunity or otherwise, an exit is appropriate in light of the realization potential of a
particular investment. Certain other facts and circumstances may be considered by the Adviser in
determining whether to exit an investment such as: (i) timing of the investment within the lifecycle of the
Fund, (ii) a determination to reallocate Fund capital in accordance with the Adviser’s investment discretion,
(iii) a change in metrics or assumptions underlying the Adviser’s investment thesis, (iv) occurrence of a risk
event relating to the investment, (v) macroeconomic factors, (vi) legal and regulatory considerations, and
(vi) other pertinent factors. In some cases, the Adviser may determine to exit an investment held by more
than one Kimmeridge Fund. In doing so, Kimmeridge will consider the above factors to ensure that a
determination is fair and equitable for all related Funds. While Kimmeridge will generally exit an investment
held by multiple Funds at the same time, in some cases, due to availability of capital, timing or otherwise,
the Adviser may determine that exiting an investment is in the best interests of one Fund but maintaining
the investment is in the best interests of another Fund. This can happen for example, in cases where two
Funds have overlapping assets, but one Fund reaches the end of its stated term and investors expect a
liquidation event, while another Fund may benefit from continuing to allocate capital to and/or manage the
investment in furtherance of the Adviser’s investment thesis. The Adviser will take all material factors into
consideration when exiting an investment that is held by more than one Kimmeridge Fund.
Allocation of Co-Investment and Limited Investment Opportunities.
Typically, when Kimmeridge believes that there is a compelling co-investment opportunity, Kimmeridge will
notify all investors in a particular Fund of the availability of such co-investment opportunity and request that
such investors submit indications of interest to participate in such investment vehicle. In certain cases,
Kimmeridge may also rely on side letter provisions where certain investors have specifically requested that
they be notified of co-investment opportunities. Kimmeridge may also offer such opportunities to investors
in other Kimmeridge Funds, or prospective investors, to the extent that sufficient indications of interest are
not received in order to fund the target capital commitment for such investment. In these ways, through
disclosure in the Fund’s offering documents and Firm practices, potential conflicts associated with allocation
of co-investment vehicles are substantially mitigated.
Affiliated Transactions: Cross Trades and Principal Trades
Kimmeridge does not anticipate routinely engaging in principal trades between the Funds (i.e., Kimmeridge
selling any security to a client or purchasing any security from a client) or agency cross transactions (i.e.,
Kimmeridge, directly or indirectly, effecting a transaction for a client where Kimmeridge is acting as a broker
on both sides of the transaction). Any such trade or transaction would be discussed with the COO and
GC/CCO or a delegate who would consider, among other things, whether the transaction was structured in
accordance with (i) relevant Advisers Act provisions, including Section 206(3) thereof, (ii) Kimmeridge’s
fiduciary obligations and (iii) each Fund’s LPA. From time to time, Kimmeridge may recommend certain
transactions, such as a merger, combination of assets, coordinated investment, purchase or sale or similar
arrangement, between two or more Kimmeridge Funds or co-investment vehicles. Each Fund’s LPA, or
regulatory considerations, may require the approval of a Fund’s LPAC in advance of conducting any
transaction between two or more Funds, including affiliated transactions like cross trades. In addition, prior
to requesting LPAC approval, Kimmeridge team members will consult with the GC/CCO or a delegate to
identify any pertinent considerations, potential or actual conflicts of interest and potential ways to mitigate
or manage any such conflicts of interest. Potential or actual conflicts of interest could arise in a number of
situations, including because Kimmeridge or an affiliate may be incentivized to favor one Fund over another
in connection with a particular transaction. Certain other factors will also inform the analysis of whether a
transaction presents a conflict of interest, such as the amount of deployable capital available in a Fund,
Fund concentration limits, timing of a transaction, financing considerations, whether a transaction is
expected to occur within a Fund’s commitment period and/or term, independent analysis of transaction
valuation and/or participation percentage, etc. Approval of a Fund’s LPAC, an independent committee
where Kimmeridge has no representation, prior to engaging in an affiliated transaction, mitigates potential
or actual conflicts of interest. Other methods of further assisting the LPAC to evaluate transactions could
include obtaining an independent third party valuation of a transaction or independent analysis and
determination of Funds’ relative participation percentages. In certain cases, Kimmeridge may determine to
allocate capital to one or more investments prior to incorporating such investment into a Fund’s portfolio.
The Adviser may “warehouse” or “incubate” such investment. This will typically occur when Kimmeridge is
preparing to launch a new product, but would like to begin investing to take advantage of a particular market
or business opportunity that would not fit within the investment strategy of a currently existing Fund, whether
due to limitations on available capital or otherwise. In these situations, Kimmeridge will disclose to
prospective investors, typically in a supplement to the private placement memorandum of a fund, its plans
to contribute warehoused investments to the new fund. Pricing of such a transaction will typically include
the Adviser’s cost basis plus an agreed cost of capital in acquiring and managing the warehoused
investment. If Kimmeridge looks to contribute a warehoused investment to a Fund after its launch, the LPAC
of that Fund will need to provide prior authorization.
In recommending a transaction among two or more Funds, Kimmeridge will consider a number of factors,
including but not limited to: (i) whether a transaction is appropriate for a Fund in light of its investment
strategy and business focus, (ii) the timing and duration of a particular transaction relative to a Fund’s
position within its individual lifecycle, (iii) funding required for a transaction relative to availability of capital
in a particular Fund, (iv) concentration limitations or other investment guidelines of each Fund; (v)
macroeconomic factors, and (vi) legal and regulatory considerations. The Adviser will consider these factors
in connection with any proposal to consolidate or otherwise recommend a transaction between two or more
Kimmeridge Funds, or a principal transaction between the Adviser or an Affiliate and one or more Funds.
In all cases, the GC/CCO or a delegate will review these factors along with the relevant members of senior
leadership and ensure that necessary information is presented to the members of any LPAC who would be
asked to approve such affiliated transactions. Additionally, Kimmeridge will typically include in presentation
materials to the LPAC information explaining the potential benefits and risks of a particular transaction,
reasoning of the Adviser in making its recommendation and other pertinent points, along with the advice
and recommendations of any third party engaged to evaluate, or assign a value or participation percentage
to, the transaction.
Best Execution and Trading
Kimmeridge Funds may invest in publicly traded equity or debt securities in connection with its Flagship
strategies as well as in the KEEP strategy. Kimmeridge does not maintain an in-house equity trading desk
and utilizes a number of broker dealer counterparties approved by its Brokerage Committee, as described
below, to effect transactions on behalf of the Funds. In all cases, Kimmeridge will seek best execution when
effecting these transactions.
Kimmeridge does not participate in Wrap Fee Programs.