UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): November 15, 2017

SANDRIDGE ENERGY, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code: (405) 429-5500

Not Applicable

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instructions A.2. below):

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§ 230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§ 240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company  ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  ☐

On November 15, 2017, SandRidge Energy, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“SandRidge”), and Bonanza Creek Energy, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Bonanza”), announced that they had entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger by and among SandRidge, Bonanza and Brook Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly owned subsidiary of SandRidge (“Merger Sub), pursuant to which, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions, Merger Sub will merge with and into Bonanza, with Bonanza continuing as the surviving entity and a wholly owned subsidiary of SandRidge. A copy of the joint press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1.

Item 7.01 above is incorporated by reference in this Item 8.01.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This communication may contain certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These include statements regarding the effects of the proposed merger, estimates, expectations, projections, goals, forecasts, assumptions, risks and uncertainties and are typically identified by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “could,” “should,” “predict,” “potential,” “pursue,” “outlook,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “target,” “forecast,” and other words and terms of similar meaning. For example, statements regarding future financial performance, future competitive positioning and business synergies, future acquisition cost savings, future market demand, future benefits to shareholders, future economic and industry conditions, the proposed merger (including its benefits, results, effects and timing) and whether and when the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement will be consummated, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws.

These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the companies’ control, which could cause actual benefits, results, effects and timing to differ materially from the results predicted or implied by the statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the failure of the shareholders of Bonanza to approve the proposed merger or the shareholders of SandRidge to approve the stock issuance; the risk that the conditions to the closing of the proposed merger are not satisfied; the risk that regulatory approvals required for the proposed merger are not obtained or are obtained subject to conditions that are not anticipated; potential adverse reactions or changes to business relationships resulting from the announcement or completion of the proposed merger; uncertainties as to the timing of the proposed merger; competitive responses to the proposed merger; costs and difficulties related to the integration of Bonanza’s business and operations with SandRidge’s business and operations; the inability to obtain or delay in obtaining cost savings and synergies from the proposed merger; unexpected costs, charges or expenses resulting from the proposed merger; the outcome of pending or potential litigation; the inability to retain key personnel; uncertainty of the expected financial performance of SandRidge following completion of the proposed merger; and any changes in general economic and/or industry specific conditions.

SandRidge and Bonanza caution that the foregoing list of factors is not exclusive. Additional information concerning these and other risk factors is contained in SandRidge’s and Bonanza’s most recently filed Annual Reports on Form 10-K, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, recent Current Reports on Form 8-K, and other SEC filings, which are available at the SEC’s website, http://www.sec.gov. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements concerning SandRidge, Bonanza, the proposed transaction or other matters attributable to SandRidge and Bonanza or any person acting on their behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements above. Each forward looking statement speaks only as of the date of the particular statement, and neither SandRidge nor Bonanza undertakes any obligation to publicly update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date hereof.

Important Additional Information

This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a solicitation of any vote or approval.

In connection with the proposed merger, SandRidge will file with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-4, which will include a prospectus of SandRidge and a joint proxy statement of Bonanza and SandRidge. SandRidge and Bonanza also plan to file other documents with the SEC regarding the proposed merger. After the registration statement has been declared effective by the SEC, a definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus will be mailed to the shareholders of Bonanza and the shareholders of SandRidge. SHAREHOLDERS OF BONANZA AND SANDRIDGE ARE URGED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS (INCLUDING ALL AMENDMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTS THERETO) AND OTHER DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE PROPOSED MERGER THAT WILL BE FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED MERGER. Investors will be able to obtain free copies of the joint proxy statement/prospectus and other documents containing important information about SandRidge and Bonanza, once such documents are filed with the SEC, through the website maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by SandRidge will be available free of charge, on SandRidge’s internet website at www.sandridgeenergy.com under the tab “Investor Relations” and then under the tab “SEC Filings” or by contacting SandRidge’s Investor Relations Department at (405) 429-5515. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by Bonanza will be available free of charge on Bonanza’s internet website at www.bonanzacrk.com under the tab “For Investors” and then under the tab “SEC Filings” or by contacting Bonanza’s Investor Relations Department at (720) 440-6136.

Participants in the Solicitation

Bonanza, SandRidge, their respective directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of the proposed transaction. Information about the directors and executive officers of Bonanza is set forth in Bonanza’s public filings with the SEC, including its Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on April 28, 2017, June 12, 2017 and August 4, 2017 and its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ending September 30, 2017, filed with the SEC on November 9, 2017. Information about the directors and executive officers of SandRidge is set forth in SandRidge’s public filings with the SEC, including its definitive proxy statement on Form DEF 14A filed with the SEC on April 28, 2017 and its Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on June 28, 2017 and August 1, 2017. Other information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be contained in the joint proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant materials filed with the SEC. Free copies of these documents can be obtained as described in the preceding paragraph.

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

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