CENQ CENAQ Energy Corporation

FORM 3	UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES	OMB APPROVAL OMB Number: 3235-0104 Estimated average burden hours per response... 0.5
	Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person * Diamondback Energy, Inc.	2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (MM/DD/YYYY) 2/15/2023	3. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol Verde Clean Fuels, Inc. [VGAS]
(Last)        (First)        (Middle) 500 WEST TEXAS AVENUE, SUITE 100	4. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) _____ Director                          ___X___ 10% Owner _____ Officer (give title below)        _____ Other (specify below)
(Street) MIDLAND, TX 79701       (City)              (State)              (Zip)	5. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(MM/DD/YYYY)	6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line) ___ Form filed by One Reporting Person _X_ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security (Instr. 4)	2. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned (Instr. 4)	3. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5)	4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)
Class A Common Stock	2000000	I	See Footnotes (1)(2)

Table II - Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivate Security (Instr. 4)	2. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (MM/DD/YYYY)		3. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 4)		4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	5. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5)	6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)
	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares

Explanation of Responses:
(1)	This Form 3 is being filed by Diamondback Energy, Inc. ("Diamondback"), Diamondback E&P LLC ("Diamondback E&P"), and Cottonmouth Ventures LLC ("Cottonmouth", and collectively with Diamondback and Diamondback E&P, the "Reporting Persons"). Cottonmouth is wholly owned by Diamondback E&P and Diamondback E&P is wholly owned by Diamondback. Diamondback E&P, as the sole owner of Cottonmouth, and Diamondback, as the sole owner of Diamondback E&P, may be deemed to have voting and investment control over the shares held by Cottonmouth. This statement relates to shares of Class A Common Stock of Verde Clean Fuels, Inc. held by Cottonmouth.
(2)	The filing of this statement shall not be deemed an admission that any of the Reporting Persons is the beneficial owner of any of the reported securities for purposes of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or otherwise. For purposes of this filing, each of the Reporting Persons disclaims beneficial ownership of the reported securities except to the extent of its pecuniary interest therein.

Reporting Owners
Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
Diamondback Energy, Inc. 500 WEST TEXAS AVENUE, SUITE 100 MIDLAND, TX 79701		X
Cottonmouth Ventures LLC 500 WEST TEXAS AVENUE, SUITE 100 MIDLAND, TX 79701		X
Diamondback Energy E&P LLC 500 WEST TEXAS AVENUE, SUITE 100 MIDLAND, TX 79701		X

Signatures
DIAMONDBACK ENERGY, INC., Name: /s/ Teresa L. Dick, Title: Executive Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer and Assistant Secretary of Diamondback Energy, Inc.		2/28/2023
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date
DIAMONDBACK E&P LLC, By: Diamondback Energy, Inc., its sole member, Name: /s/ Teresa L. Dick, Title: Executive Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer and Assistant Secretary of Diamondback Energy, Inc.		2/28/2023
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date
COTTONMOUTH VENTURES LLC, By: Diamondback E&P LLC, its sole member, Name: /s/ Teresa L. Dick, Title: Executive Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer and Assistant Secretary of Diamondback Energy, Inc.		2/28/2023
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 5(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note:	File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.
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