Tulsa-based oil and gas exploration and production company Samson Investment Co. could be in play, according to a Tuesday report by The Wall Street Journal, which cited unnamed sources who said the company is “considering strategic options.” A deal could be worth as much as $10 billion, the paper said.

The privately held company was founded in 1971. According to its website, its asset base is 85% natural gas and the company “continues to profit and expand. In the last three years, we have invested more than $4 billion in new drilling and oil and gas property acquisitions. Annually, we plan to spend in excess of $1 billion on capital expenditures. We continue to seek new drilling and acquisition opportunities.”

The company did not respond to a request for comment.

Key producing regions for Samson are in East Texas and the Texas Gulf Coast, as well as the Anadarko, Permian, San Juan, Green River and Williston basins, the website said. “Samson operates more than 4,000 wells and has interests in more than 11,000 wells,” it said. “Production operations are a core strength at Samson and the company operates more than 80% of its total production.”

The company also said it has “competitive advantages” in a number of resource plays and is active in the Granite Wash, Bakken, Haynesville, Deep Bossier, Woodford and Marcellus plays.

©Copyright 2011Intelligence Press Inc. All rights reserved. The preceding news reportmay not be republished or redistributed, in whole or in part, in anyform, without prior written consent of Intelligence Press, Inc.