As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 15, 2016

Registration No. 333-

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT
under the Securities Act of 1933

CENTENNIAL RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT, INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

Delaware
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)

1401 Seventeenth Street, Suite 1000
Denver, Colorado 80202
(Address, Including Zip Code, of Registrant’s of
Principal Executive Offices)

47-5381253
(IRS Employer
Identification Number)

CENTENNIAL RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT, INC. 2016 LONG TERM INCENTIVE PLAN

(Full title of plan)

Davis O’Connor

1401 Seventeenth Street, Suite 1000

Denver, Colorado 80202
(720) 441-5515

(Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, including Area Code, of Agent for Service)

Copies to:

William N. Finnegan IV
Debbie P. Yee
Latham & Watkins LLP
811 Main Street, Suite 3700
Houston, Texas 77002
(713) 546-5400

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

	Large accelerated filer o		Accelerated filer o

	Non-accelerated filer x (Do not check if a smaller reporting company)		Smaller reporting company o

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

Title of Securities to be Registered	Amount to be Registered(1)	Proposed Maximum Offering Price per Share(3)		Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price(3)		Amount of Registration Fee(4)
Class A Common stock, par value $0.0001 per share	16,500,000(2)	$	18.44	$	304,177,500	$	35,254.17

(1) In accordance with Rule 416 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), this registration statement shall be deemed to cover any additional shares of Class A Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of the Registrant (“Common Stock”) that may from time to time be offered or issued to prevent dilution resulting from stock splits, stock dividends or similar transactions.

(2) Consists of 16,500,000 shares of Common Stock issuable under the Centennial Resource Development, Inc. 2016 Long Term Incentive Plan.

(3) Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee in accordance with Rules 457(c) and 457(h) of the Securities Act based on the average of the high and low prices of the Common Stock reported on the NASDAQ Capital Market on December 9, 2016.

(4) Determined in accordance with Section 6(b) of the Securities Act at a rate equal to $115.90 per $1,000,000 of the proposed maximum aggregate offering price.

Part I

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

The document(s) containing the plan information required by Item 1 of Form S-8 and the statement of availability of Centennial Resource Development, Inc. (the “Registrant,” “we,” “us” and “our”) information and any other information required by Item 2 of Form S-8 will be sent or given to participants as specified by Rule 428 under the Securities Act. In accordance with Rule 428 and the requirements of Part I of Form S-8, such documents are not being filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) either as part of this registration statement or as prospectuses or prospectus supplements pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act. The Registrant shall maintain a file of such documents in accordance with the provisions of Rule 428. Upon request, the Registrant shall furnish to the Commission or its staff a copy or copies of all of the documents included in such file.

Part II

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

The following documents filed with the Commission by the Registrant are incorporated by reference herein:

(a) The Registrant’s Prospectus dated November 21, 2016, filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act, relating to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-214355);

(b) The Registrant’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarters ended March 31, 2016, June 30, 2016 and September 30, 2016;

(c) The Registrant’s Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on February 29, 2016, March 4, 2016, April 14, 2016, July 22, 2016 (2), July 27, 2016, August 4, 2016, September 7, 2016, September 15, 2016, October 7, 2016, October 11, 2016 (other than with respect to Exhibit 99.1 thereto), October 14, 2016, October 31, 2016, November 10, 2016 November 25, 2016, November 28, 2016, December 1, 2016 and December 5, 2016 and Current Reports on Form 8-K/A filed with the Commission on September 23, 2016 and November 10, 2016; and

(d) The description of the Registrant’s Common Stock contained in its Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed with the Commission on February 17, 2016, including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description.

All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this registration statement and to be part hereof from the date of filing of such documents, except as to any portion of any Current Report furnished under Items 2.02 or 7.01 of Form 8-K that is not deemed filed under such provisions.

Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this registration statement to the extent that a statement contained herein, or in any subsequently filed document that also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein, modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute part of this registration statement.

Item 4. Description of Securities.

Not applicable.

Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

Not applicable.

Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

Reference is made to Section 102(b)(7) of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”), which enables a corporation in its original certificate of incorporation or an amendment thereto to eliminate or limit the personal liability of a director for violations of the director’s fiduciary duty, except (1) for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders; (2) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law; (3) pursuant to Section 174 of the DGCL, which provides for liability of directors for unlawful payments of dividends or unlawful stock purchases or redemptions or; (4) for any transaction from which a director derived an improper personal benefit.

Reference is also made to Section 145 of the DGCL, which provides that a corporation may indemnify any person, including an officer or director, who was or is, or is threatened to be made, party to any threatened, pending or completed legal action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of such corporation) by reason of the fact that such person is or was an officer, director, employee or agent of such corporation or is or was serving at the request of such corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or enterprise. The indemnity may include expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding, provided such officer, director, employee or agent acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the corporation’s best interest and, for criminal proceedings, had no reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful. A Delaware corporation may indemnify any officer or director in an action by or in the right of the corporation under the same conditions, except that no indemnification is permitted without judicial approval if the officer or director is adjudged to be liable to the corporation. Where an officer or director is successful on the merits or otherwise in the defense of any action referred to above, the corporation must indemnify him against the expenses that such officer or director actually and reasonably incurred in connection therewith.

In accordance with Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL, our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation (our “Charter”) provides that no director shall be personally liable to us or any of our stockholders for monetary damages resulting from breaches of its fiduciary duty as a director, except to the extent such limitation on or exemption from liability is not permitted under the DGCL unless he or she violated their duty of loyalty to the Registrant or its stockholders, acted in bad faith, knowingly or intentionally violated the law, authorized unlawful payments of dividends, unlawful stock purchases or unlawful redemptions, or derived improper personal benefit from their actions as directors. The effect of this provision of Charter is to eliminate our rights and those of our stockholders (through stockholders’ derivative suits on our behalf) to recover monetary damages against a director for breach of the fiduciary duty of care as a director, including breaches resulting from negligent or grossly negligent behavior, except, as restricted by Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL. However, this provision does not limit or eliminate our rights or the rights of any stockholder to seek non-monetary relief, such as an injunction or rescission, in the event of a breach of a director’s duty of care.

If the DGCL is amended to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the liability of directors, then, in accordance with our Charter, the liability of our directors to us or our stockholders will be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent authorized by the DGCL, as so amended. Any repeal or amendment of provisions of our Charter limiting or eliminating the liability of directors, whether by our stockholders or by changes in law, or the adoption of any other provisions inconsistent therewith, will (unless otherwise required by law) be prospective only, except to the extent such amendment or change in law permits us to further limit or eliminate the liability of directors on a retroactive basis.

Our Charter also provides that we will, to the fullest extent authorized or permitted by applicable law, indemnify our current and former officers and directors, as well as those persons who, while directors or officers of

our corporation, are or were serving as directors, officers, employees or agents of another entity, trust or other enterprise, including service with respect to an employee benefit plan, in connection with any threatened, pending or completed proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, against all expense, liability and loss (including, without limitation, attorney’s fees, judgments, fines, ERISA excise taxes and penalties and amounts paid in settlement) reasonably incurred or suffered by any such person in connection with any such proceeding. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a person eligible for indemnification pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will be indemnified by us in connection with a proceeding initiated by such person only if such proceeding was authorized by our board of directors, except for proceedings to enforce rights to indemnification.

The right to indemnification conferred by our Charter is a contract right that includes the right to be paid by us the expenses incurred in defending or otherwise participating in any proceeding referenced above in advance of its final disposition, provided, however, that if the DGCL requires, an advancement of expenses incurred by our officer or director (solely in the capacity as an officer or director of our corporation) will be made only upon delivery to us of an undertaking, by or on behalf of such officer or director, to repay all amounts so advanced if it is ultimately determined that such person is not entitled to be indemnified for such expenses under our Charter or otherwise.

The rights to indemnification and advancement of expenses will not be deemed exclusive of any other rights which any person covered by our Charter may have or hereafter acquire under law, our Charter, our amended and restated bylaws (our “Bylaws”), an agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors, or otherwise.

Any repeal or amendment of provisions of our Charter affecting indemnification rights, whether by our stockholders or by changes in law, or the adoption of any other provisions inconsistent therewith, will (unless otherwise required by law) be prospective only, except to the extent such amendment or change in law permits us to provide broader indemnification rights on a retroactive basis, and will not in any way diminish or adversely affect any right or protection existing at the time of such repeal or amendment or adoption of such inconsistent provision with respect to any act or omission occurring prior to such repeal or amendment or adoption of such inconsistent provision. Our Charter will also permit us, to the extent and in the manner authorized or permitted by law, to indemnify and to advance expenses to persons other that those specifically covered by our Charter.

Our Bylaws include the provisions relating to advancement of expenses and indemnification rights consistent with those set forth in our Charter. In addition, our Bylaws provide for a right of indemnity to bring a suit in the event a claim for indemnification or advancement of expenses is not paid in full by us within a specified period of time. Our Bylaws also permit us to purchase and maintain insurance, at our expense, to protect us and/or any director, officer, employee or agent of our corporation or another entity, trust or other enterprise against any expense, liability or loss, whether or not we would have the power to indemnify such person against such expense, liability or loss under the DGCL.

Any repeal or amendment of provisions of our Bylaws affecting indemnification rights, whether by our board of directors, stockholders or by changes in applicable law, or the adoption of any other provisions inconsistent therewith, will (unless otherwise required by law) be prospective only, except to the extent such amendment or change in law permits us to provide broader indemnification rights on a retroactive basis, and will not in any way diminish or adversely affect any right or protection existing thereunder with respect to any act or omission occurring prior to such repeal or amendment or adoption of such inconsistent provision.

We have entered into indemnity agreements with each of our officers and directors. These agreements will require us to indemnify these individuals to the fullest extent permitted under Delaware law and to advance expenses incurred as a result of any proceeding against them to which they could be indemnified.

Item 7. Exemption From Registration Claimed.

Not applicable.

Item 9. Undertakings.

(a) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement,

(i) to include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

(ii) to reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; and

(iii) to include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;

provided, however, that: paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) of this section do not apply if the registration statement is on Form S-8 and the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement.

(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

(b) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the Registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered herein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Denver, State of Colorado, on December 15, 2016.

CENTENNIAL RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT, INC.

	By:	/s/ George S. Glyphis
		George S. Glyphis Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Assistant Secretary

POWER OF ATTORNEY

Each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints George Glyphis and Davis O’Connor, and each of them, with full power to act without the other, as attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this registration statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and all other documents in connection therewith, with the Commission, granting unto each said attorney-in-fact and agent full power and authority to do and perform each and every act in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents or either of them or their or his substitute or substitutes may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

SIGNATURE	TITLE	DATE

/s/ Mark G. Papa	Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer	December 15, 2016
Mark G. Papa	(Principal Executive Officer)

/s/ George S. Glyphis	Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Assistant Secretary	December 15, 2016
George S. Glyphis	(Principal Financial Officer)

/s/ Jamie L. Wheat	Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer	December 15, 2016
Jamie L. Wheat	(Principal Accounting Officer)

/s/ Maire A. Baldwin	Director	December 15, 2016
Maire A. Baldwin

/s/ Karl E. Bandtel	Director	December 15, 2016
Karl E. Bandtel

/s/ Pierre F. Lapeyre Jr.	Director	December 15, 2016
Pierre F. Lapeyre Jr.

/s/ David M. Leuschen	Director	December 15, 2016
David M. Leuschen

/s/ Jeffrey H. Tepper	Director	December 15, 2016
Jeffrey H. Tepper

/s/ Robert M. Tichio	Director	December 15, 2016
Robert M. Tichio

/s/ Tony Weber	Director	December 15, 2016
Tony Weber

EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit Number		Exhibit Description

3.1		Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Centennial Resource Development, Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on October 11, 2016).
3.2		Amended and Restated Bylaws of Centennial Resource Development, Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on October 7, 2016).
5.1*		Opinion of Latham & Watkins LLP.
10.1		Centennial Resource Development, Inc. 2016 Long Term Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.6 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on October 11, 2016).
10.2		Form of Stock Option Agreement under the Centennial Resource Development, Inc. 2016 Long Term Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.7 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on October 11, 2016).
10.3		Form of Restricted Stock Unit Agreement under the Centennial Resource Development, Inc. 2016 Long Term Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.8 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on October 11, 2016).
10.4		Form of Restricted Stock Agreement under the Centennial Resource Development, Inc. 2016 Long Term Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.9 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on October 11, 2016).
23.1*		Consent of KPMG LLP.
23.2*		Consent of Latham & Watkins LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1).
24.1*		Power of Attorney (included on the signature page of this Registration Statement).

* Filed herewith.