Acquisitions

Apache Corp. is picking up 254,000 net acres in the Granite Wash, Tonkawa, Cleveland and Marmaton plays in Oklahoma and Texas with estimated proved reserves of 71.5 million boe through a $2.85 billion deal to acquire privately held Cordillera Energy Partners III LLC, the Houston-based company said Monday.

Recent acquisitions have put Australia’s BHP Billiton Ltd. in the “shale of the shales” and positioned it to be a low-cost provider in the development-friendly United States, the company’s petroleum unit chief, J. Michael Yeager, told financial analysts, noting that plans to export liquefied U.S. gas to the rest of the world are racing ahead and BHP is ready.

Recent acquisitions have put Australia’s BHP Billiton Ltd. in the “shale of the shales” and positioned it to be a low-cost provider in the development-friendly United States, the company’s petroleum unit chief, J. Michael Yeager, told financial analysts, noting that plans to export liquefied U.S. gas to the rest of the world are racing ahead and BHP is ready.

U.S. oil and natural gas mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the third quarter jumped 135% from the same period a year ago, with nearly half of the transactions related to shale plays, according to the latest survey by consultancy PwC US.

U.S. oil and natural gas mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the third quarter jumped 135% from the same period a year ago, with nearly half of the transactions related to shale plays, according to the latest survey by consultancy PwC US.

Encore Energy Partners LP(ENP) closed on an acquisition of producing oil and natural gas assets in the Permian Basin of West Texas for a net price of $14.8 million from a private seller. The properties have estimated total net proved reserves of 1.03 million boe, of which 87% are oil and natural gas liquids (NGL). They are 51% proved developed, and current production is about 115 Boe/d. The effective date of the acquisition was May 1, 2011. ENP also said it agreed to acquire certain nonoperated working interests in producing oil and natural gas assets in Sweetwater County, WY, from an undisclosed seller for $28.5 million. The assets have estimated total proved reserves of 4.175 million boe, of which 65% are natural gas and 35% are oil and NGLs. They are 90% proved developed, and net production attributable to the acquisition is 880 boe/d. Closing is expected in September with an effective date of June 1, 2011. ENP said it made new oil and gas hedges covering a substantial portion of the estimated production related to proved developed reserves from both acquisitions for the next several years.

The desire to acquire shale acreage and midstream assets in the United States continues to be strong, with domestic natural gas and oil mergers and acquisitions (M&A) values reaching $39 billion in the second quarter, according to an analysis by PwC US.

Interest in acquiring shale acreage, midstream transactions and foreign investments in the United States drove domestic natural gas and oil mergers and acquisitions (M&A) value to $39 billion in the second quarter, according to an analysis by PwC US.

The desire to acquire shale acreage and midstream assets in the United States continues to be strong, with domestic natural gas and oil mergers and acquisitions (M&A) values reaching $39 billion in the second quarter, according to an analysis by PwC US.