GlobeNewswire Inc | Sep 2, 2020 09:00AM EDT

September 02, 2020

DENVER, Sept. 02, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PDC Energy, Inc. (PDC or the Company) (Nasdaq:PDCE) today announced publication of its 2020 Sustainability Report, highlighting the Companys efforts and commitments to responsibly develop oil and natural gas in 2019 and beyond. The report builds on PDCs core values of emphasizing integrity and respect for the environment and the health, safety, and well-being of our employees and communities.

Bart Brookman, President and CEO of PDC Energy, stated, I am proud of PDCs inaugural Sustainability Report. Publishing a more robust report helps us achieve our goal of ensuring we are a responsible, transparent corporate citizen. This report reflects the hard work, commitment and innovation of our employees and our impactful engagement in the communities in which we live and work. We plan to use the data gathered for the 2020 Sustainability Report to further our ESG initiatives.

Highlights and achievements from this report include:

-- Responsible Operations: Year-over-year improvements in both Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) and Reportable Spill Rate of 52% and 37%, respectively.

-- Environmental Stewardship: Use of emission control technology to reduce carbon dioxide and methane emissions per barrel of oil equivalent by more than 80% between 2016 and 2019.

-- Social Impact: Sustained emphasis on community engagement demonstrated through more than 2,000 employee volunteer hours and donations to approximately 90 organizations in 2019.

-- Corporate Governance: Continued efforts to establish best-in-class governance practices including board refreshment and changes to executive compensation to more closely align with key stakeholders.

In an effort to provide greater alignment with reporting standards, PDC has focused on reporting in accordance with the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) guidance. The full 2020 Sustainability Report can be found on the Companys website, www.pdce.com.

About PDC Energy, Inc.

PDC Energy, Inc. is a domestic independent exploration and production company that acquires, produces, develops, and explores for crude oil, natural gas, and NGLs, with operations in the Wattenberg Field in Colorado and in the Delaware Basin in West Texas. Its operations are focused on the liquid-rich horizontal Niobrara and Codell plays in the Wattenberg Field and the liquid-rich Wolfcamp zones in the Delaware Basin.

Contacts: Kyle Sourk Sr. Manager Corporate Finance & Investor Relations 303-318-6150 kyle.sourk@pdce.com Courtney Loper Sr. Manager Stakeholder Relations 303-831-3997 courtney.loper@pdce.com