Acreage

EP Energy Corp. is tightening up its portfolio with a Texas-Louisiana two-stepper: buying in the Midland Basin and selling in the Ark-La-Tex Cotton Valley and South Louisiana Wilcox areas, the company said Thursday.

Analysts say American Energy Partners LP (AEP-LP) is the company buying 74,000 acres in the Utica Shale from Hess Corp., adding that such a move makes sense given AEP-LP’s appetite for assets in the shale play and a simultaneous decision to secure equity commitments.

EnerJex Resources Inc. has doubled its acreage position in its Mississippian Oil Project from 2,840 gross (2,556 net) acres to 6,370 gross (5,267 net) acres near the company’s operations in Woodson County, KS.

BreitBurn Energy Partners LP (BBEP) is buying oil and gas properties in the Permian Basin in Texas from CrownRock LP for approximately $282 million.

About 435 acres in northern Pennsylvania, some of which are currently paying royalties for Marcellus Shale drilling, are scheduled to be sold at a live auction at the end of the month.

EV Energy Partners LP (EVEP) is working on “several other opportunities” in the Utica Shale, where it is continuing a dual strategy of offering its wet gas acreage for sale while also looking for joint venture (JV) partners to help de-risk the play’s oil window.

ZaZa Energy Corp. and joint venture (JV) partner EOG Resources Corp. have revised their agreement in order to further develop and expand their Eaglebine/Eagle Ford Shale East assets

Mexco Energy Corp. and Concho Resources Inc. have struck an agreement to develop the Bone Spring formation with horizontal drilling and multistage hydraulic fracturing (fracking).

An acquisition of acreage and production in the Anadarko Basin last spring is paying off for Midstates Petroleum Co. Inc., according to the company’s operations update released Wednesday. The news cheered investors, who lifted Midstates shares more than 14% Wednesday.