1Q2012

Chesapeake Energy Corp. on Friday agreed to sell an estimated 99,000 net acres in southwestern Pennsylvania, including 10 wells, to EQT Corp. for $113 million, which puts the sale price at roughly $876/acre.

ConocoPhillips has entered into an agreement with China Petrochemical Corp., a state-owned company also known as Sinopec Group, to perform a study of unconventional oil and natural gas resources in China’s Sichuan Basin.

Because of the timing of the decrease in natural gas prices, and a “timely hedge book,” exploration and production (E&P) companies mostly have “coasted” through 1Q2012’s borrowing base season, but there may come a point when commercial banks may not continue to use a lending gas price deck well above strip prices, the energy team at Raymond James & Associates Inc. said last week.

A warmer-than-normal winter colored Southern Company’s 1Q2012 financial results, but natural gas issues, and particularly coal-to-gas trends, dominate the current landscape for the Atlanta-based operator, which recently received the first construction/operating licenses for two nuclear units in more than 30 years.

Natural gas bulls already have seen the writing on the wall for exploration and production (E&P) companies’ earnings reports for 1Q2012. Minus those with gas hedging programs or an already solid turn to liquids and oil basins, it’s not going to be a pretty picture.

Because of the timing of the decrease in natural gas prices, and a “timely hedge book,” exploration and production (E&P) companies mostly have “coasted” through 1Q2012’s borrowing base season, according to energy analysts with Raymond James & Associates Inc. However, commercial banks may not continue to use a lending gas price deck well above strip prices, wrote Kevin Smith, John Freeman and Justin Albert in a note to clients.

Kodiak Oil & Gas Corp. said Wednesday it has agreed to purchase 13,500 net acres in the Bakken Shale play from an undisclosed private oil and gas company for about $235 million in cash. It also agreed to assume the terms of a contract for its sixth drilling rig.