Viper Energy Closes $337M Riverbend Mineral Rights Deal
Viper Energy finalized its acquisition of Riverbend Oil & Gas IX, paying $337M in cash plus 3.7M shares of Class A stock.
Viper Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: VNOM), a subsidiary of Diamondback Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: FANG), closed its acquisition of all equity interests in Riverbend Oil & Gas IX, L.L.C. on July 1, 2026, the Midland, Texas-based company announced. The deal transfers a portfolio of mineral and royalty interests to Viper in exchange for $337 million in cash and roughly 3.7 million shares of Viper's Class A common stock, subject to customary post-closing adjustments.
Viper funded the cash component through a mix of existing cash reserves and borrowings drawn from its revolving credit facility. The sellers were Riverbend Oil & Gas IX (AIV), L.L.C. and ROG IX, L.L.C., both of which surrendered their stakes in the mineral-and-royalty holding entity as part of the transaction.
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The deal expands Viper's mineral and royalty footprint, a business model that generates revenue from oil and gas production on owned acreage without bearing direct drilling or operating costs. As a royalty aggregator closely tied to Diamondback's Permian Basin operations, Viper has pursued bolt-on acquisitions to grow its production base and cash distributions to unitholders.
The use of both equity and debt to fund the purchase reflects a capital structure approach common among royalty companies seeking to preserve liquidity while still executing sizable transactions. Analysts will likely watch post-closing adjustment figures and any updated production guidance to gauge the immediate financial impact on Viper's per-share metrics.
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