Lori A. Lancaster - 15 Dec 2025 Form 4 Insider Report for Vital Energy, Inc. (VTLE)

Reporting relationship: Director
Issuer ticker: VTLE
Reported as of: 15 Dec 2025
Net transaction value: $0
SEC form: 4
Accepted by SEC: 15 Dec 2025, 16:59:09 UTC
Prior SEC filing: 12 Nov 2025
Next SEC filing: 14 May 2026
Source filing: View source filing
Reporting owner signature: /s/ Mark D. Denny as attorney-in-fact for Lori A. Lancaster

Key filing fact

Lori A. Lancaster filed Form 4 for Vital Energy, Inc. (VTLE) on 15 Dec 2025.

Key facts

This page summarizes Lori A. Lancaster's Form 4 filing for Vital Energy, Inc. (VTLE).
3 reported transactions and 1 derivative row are listed below.
Accepted by SEC: 15 Dec 2025, 16:59.

Change

Previous filing in this sequence was filed on 12 Nov 2025.
Current net transaction value: $0.

Research use

This tells you what this filing adds before you inspect full transaction and derivative tables.
You can trace every row back to the original SEC filing document.

Evidence

Filed on Form 4

Ownership activity is grounded in SEC Form 4 disclosures.

View source filing

Reporting Owners (1)

CIK 0001712781 Primary reporting owner

Lancaster Lori A

Relationship: Director
Address: 521 E. 2ND STREET, SUITE 1000, TULSA
Signature: /s/ Mark D. Denny as attorney-in-fact for Lori A. Lancaster
Signature date: 15 Dec 2025

Reported non-derivative transactions

Shares, units, or other non-derivative securities reported in this filing.

VTLE transaction

Common Stock

Options Exercise

Transaction value
Shares: +18,814
Change %: +1077%
Price
Shares after: 20,561
Date: 15 Dec 2025
Ownership: Direct
Footnotes: F1, F2

VTLE transaction

Common Stock

Disposed to Issuer

Transaction value
Shares: -20,561
Change %: -100%
Price
Shares after: 0
Date: 15 Dec 2025
Ownership: Direct
Footnotes: F1, F2

Reported derivative securities

Options, warrants, convertible securities, or similar derivative positions disclosed in the filing.

VTLE transaction Derivative

Deferred Stock Units

Options Exercise

Transaction value
Shares: -18,814
Change %: -100%
Price
Shares after: 0
Date: 15 Dec 2025
Ownership: Direct
Underlying class: Common Stock
Underlying amount: 18,814
Exercise price
Footnotes: F2

^* marks a reported price that did not pass the local price check.

Additional SEC filing notes

Filing notes and footnotes

Section 16 status

Lori A. Lancaster is no longer subject to Section 16 filing requirements. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may still apply in specific circumstances.

Explanation of responses 2 footnotes

Footnote F1

On December 15, 2025 (the "Closing Date"), the transactions contemplated by the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated August 24, 2025, (the "Merger Agreement"), by and among Crescent Energy Company, a Delaware corporation ("Crescent"), Venus Merger Sub I Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Crescent ("Merger Sub Inc."), Venus Merger Sub II LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and a wholly owned subsidiary of Crescent ("Merger Sub LLC"), and Vital Energy, Inc. (the "Issuer") were consummated. Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, (i) Merger Sub Inc. merged with and into the Issuer (the "First Company Merger"), with the Issuer continuing as the surviving entity (the "Surviving Corporation") and (ii) immediately following the First Company Merger, the Surviving Corporation merged with and into Merger Sub LLC, with Merger Sub LLC continuing as the surviving entity and a wholly owned subsidiary of Crescent.

Footnote F2

Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, the amounts in the Reporting Person's "Deferred Stock Account" (as such term is defined under the Issuer's Director Deferred Compensation Plan) (each, a "Vital Director Deferred Stock Award") became payable in a lump sum cash payment equal to (i) the total number of shares of the Issuer's common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the "Vital Common Stock"), subject to such Vital Director Deferred Stock Award and (ii) $17.92, the closing price of one share of Vital Common Stock on December 12, 2025 (the trading date immediately preceding the Closing Date).