Filing of Certain Prospectuses and Communications in Connection With Business Combination Transactions (425)

Filed by: Callon Petroleum Company

Pursuant to Rule 425 under the

Securities Act of 1933

and deemed filed pursuant to 14a-12

under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Subject Company: Carrizo Oil & Gas, Inc.

Commission File No.: 000-29187-87

On August 22, 2019, Joseph C. Gatto, Jr., the President and Chief Executive Officer of Callon Petroleum Company ("Callon"), distributed the following communication to Callon employees:

Dear Callon Employees,

I’m pleased to report that we continue to progress the integration of the Callon and Carrizo organizations in preparation for a seamless transition to combined operations upon closing. The Integration Team has prepared detailed work plans for all key functions, and, earlier this week, we filed the preliminary proxy statement for the merger.

While important progress is being made, we certainly understand that each of you is interested in what the merger will mean for you. Over the coming weeks, we will be developing an organizational structure that will take Callon into the future. The larger operational base will create additional career opportunities and responsibilities, as well as increased exposure to new functional areas for the combined workforce. But we also recognize that times of change bring uncertainty. It is important to note that a large majority of Callon employees will have positions with the combined company. However, our board of directors and management team want to provide some assurances for the future by communicating our recently-adopted severance program for the Callon and Carrizo merger. Any full-time, regular Callon employee whose employment is severed as a direct result of the merger will receive the following:


•	A minimum of 26 weeks, up to a maximum of 52 weeks, of base salary depending on years of service and current salary level;


•	A full-year 2019 annual bonus payment reflecting a performance factor of 115% of target;


•	Callon payment of COBRA premiums for nine months;


•	Accelerated vesting of any outstanding equity awards; and


•	Outplacement assistance.

These benefits will be available to employees who are severed as a direct result of the merger between now and the one year anniversary of the closing date of the transaction following execution of a release. We have designed this program to provide transitional support to any affected employees and their families and will be providing additional information as the closing date of the transaction approaches and final organizational decisions are made.

I’m sure you have additional questions about the transaction and what are the key upcoming events. Next Monday morning, we will host a virtual town hall where we will discuss the pending combination with Carrizo and provide an update on our second quarter results, including our performance relative to our 2019 incentive metrics. Please send any questions you may have in advance of the meeting to Kandice Staudt (kstaudt@callon.com) by tomorrow at noon.

We are working hard to ensure a smooth combination of our companies and will continue to provide updates as they become available. Your focus and effort remain essential during this time of transition and I have no doubt that we will all continue to deliver results in a safe and responsible manner. Thank you for your continued support.

Joe

No Offer or Solicitation

Communications herein do not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a solicitation of any vote or approval with respect to the proposed transaction or otherwise, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. Communication herein do not constitute a notice of redemption with respect to or an offer to purchase or sell (or the solicitation of an offer to purchase or sell) any preferred stock of Carrizo Oil & Gas, Inc.

Additional Information and Where to Find It

In connection with the proposed transaction, Callon Petroleum Company (“Callon”) has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) a registration statement on Form S-4 (the “Registration Statement”), which contains a preliminary joint proxy statement of Callon and Carrizo that also constitutes a preliminary prospectus of Callon. The information in the preliminary joint proxy statement/prospectus is not complete and may be changed. After the Registration Statement is declared effective by the SEC, Callon and Carrizo intend to mail a definitive proxy statement/prospectus to shareholders of Callon and shareholders of Carrizo. This communication is not a substitute for the joint proxy statement/prospectus or the Registration Statement or for any other document that Callon or Carrizo may file with the SEC and send to Callon’s shareholders and/or Carrizo’s shareholders in connection with the proposed transaction. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF CALLON AND CARRIZO ARE URGED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS, AS EACH MAY BE AMENDED OR SUPPLEMENTED FROM TIME TO TIME, AND OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED BY CALLON AND CARRIZO WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT CALLON, CARRIZO AND THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION.

Investors will be able to obtain free copies of the Registration Statement and joint proxy statement/prospectus, as each may be amended from time to time, and other relevant documents filed by Callon and Carrizo with the SEC (when they become available) through the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov. Copies of documents filed with the SEC by Callon will be available free of charge from Callon’s website at www.callon.com under the “Investors” tab or by contacting Callon’s Investor Relations Department at (281) 589-5200 or IR@callon.com. Copies of documents filed with the SEC by Carrizo will be available free of charge from Carrizo’s website at www.carrizo.com under the “Investor Relations” tab or by contacting Carrizo’s Investor Relations Department at (713) 328-1055 or IR@carrizo.com.

Participants in the Proxy Solicitation

Callon, Carrizo and their respective directors and certain of their executive officers and other members of management and employees may be deemed, under SEC rules, to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from Callon’s shareholders and Carrizo’s shareholders in connection with the proposed transaction. Information regarding the executive officers and directors of Callon is included in its definitive proxy statement for its 2019 annual meeting filed with the SEC on March 27, 2019. Information regarding the executive officers and directors of Carrizo is included in its definitive proxy statement for its 2019 annual meeting filed with the SEC on April 2, 2019. Additional information regarding the persons who may be deemed participants and their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be set forth in the Registration Statement and joint proxy statement/prospectus and other materials when they are filed with the SEC in connection with the proposed transaction. Free copies of these documents may be obtained as described in the paragraphs above.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

Certain statements in this communication concerning the proposed transaction, including any statements regarding the expected timetable for completing the proposed Carrizo transaction, the results, effects, benefits and synergies of the proposed transaction, future opportunities for the combined company, future financial performance and condition, guidance and any other statements regarding Callon’s or Carrizo’s future expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, financial conditions, assumptions or future events or performance that are not historical facts are “forward-looking” statements based on assumptions currently believed to be valid. Forward-looking statements are all statements other than statements of historical facts. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “ensure,” “expect,” “if,” “intend,” “estimate,” “probable,” “project,” “forecasts,” “predict,” “outlook,” “aim,” “will,” “could,” “should,” “would,” “potential,” “may,” “might,” “anticipate,” “likely” “plan,” “positioned,” “strategy,” and similar expressions or other words of similar meaning, and the negatives thereof, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are intended to be subject to the safe harbor provided by Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

These forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated, including, but not limited to, failure to obtain the required votes of Callon’s shareholders or Carrizo’s

shareholders to approve the transaction and related matters; whether any redemption of Carrizo’s preferred stock will be necessary or will occur prior to the closing of the transaction; the risk that a condition to closing of the proposed transaction may not be satisfied, that either party may terminate the merger agreement or that the closing of the proposed transaction might be delayed or not occur at all; potential adverse reactions or changes to business or employee relationships, including those resulting from the announcement or completion of the transaction; the diversion of management time on transaction-related issues; the ultimate timing, outcome and results of integrating the operations of Callon and Carrizo; the effects of the business combination of Callon and Carrizo, including the combined company’s future financial condition, results of operations, strategy and plans; the ability of the combined company to realize anticipated synergies in the timeframe expected or at all; changes in capital markets and the ability of the combined company to finance operations in the manner expected; regulatory approval of the transaction; the effects of commodity prices; and the risks of oil and gas activities. Expectations regarding business outlook, including changes in revenue, pricing, capital expenditures, cash flow generation, strategies for our operations, oil and natural gas market conditions, legal, economic and regulatory conditions, and environmental matters are only forecasts regarding these matters.

Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described above can be found in Callon’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 and in its subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2019, and the quarter ended June 30, 2019, each of which is on file with the SEC and available from Callon’s website at www.callon.com under the “Investors” tab, and in other documents Callon files with the SEC, and in Carrizo’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 and in its subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2019, and the quarter ended June 30, 2019, each of which is on file with the SEC and available from Carrizo’s website at www.carrizo.com under the “Investor Relations” tab, and in other documents Carrizo files with the SEC.

All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and are based on information available at that time. Neither Callon nor Carrizo assumes any obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect circumstances or events that occur after the date the forward-looking statements were made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events except as required by federal securities laws. As forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties, caution should be exercised against placing undue reliance on such statements.

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