American Energy Partners LP and private equity manager The Energy & Minerals Group have formed American Energy-Midstream LLC to focus on investing in and developing oil and gas infrastructure in basins across the country. The new company said it will focus on building a portfolio of gathering and processing systems and long-haul pipelines aimed at serving American Energy affiliates in the Appalachian Basin, the Permian Basin and the Midcontinent. The move comes after months of American Energy acreage acquisitions since it was founded by Aubrey McClendon in April 2013, including a buying spree earlier this month in which it spent $4.25 billion to expand its Utica Shale footprint and enter both the Permian Basin and southern Marcellus Shale in West Virginia (see Shale Daily, June 9). The deal also marks the latest in a series of investments, mergers and initial public offerings in the midstream sector (see Daily GPI, June 16; Feb. 14).