Buyback

By nearly every financial measure, ConocoPhillips is in enviable shape with a debt-to-capital ratio at 19%, an ongoing share buyback program, dividend payouts and strong quarterly earnings. Even so, there’s likely to be few, if any, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) announced this year, CEO Jim Mulva said Wednesday.

Prompted by falling commodity prices and rising service costs, Anadarko Petroleum Corp. on Friday expanded its share repurchase program for 2005, calling it a better investment than its previous plan to accelerate development drilling.

Prompted by falling commodity prices and rising service costs, Anadarko Petroleum Corp. on Friday expanded its share repurchase program for 2005, calling it a better investment than its previous plan to accelerate development drilling.

Williams on Monday set the terms for a $1.1 billion tender offer as part of a long-range plan to trim $4 billion of its $11.3 billion debt by the end of 2005.

ChevronTexaco Corp. has approved a program to repurchase up to $5 billion of the company’s common stock. The repurchases were to begin Thursday and continue for up to three years.

Oklahoma City-based Chesapeake Energy Corp. last week revealed it has sold its Canadian subsidiary, with approximately 175 Bcfe of proved reserves, to an unnamed “large Canadian energy producer,” for $150 million. It expects to record a pre-tax gain of about $35 million in the fourth quarter as a result of the transaction.

Oklahoma City-based Chesapeake Energy Corp. on Tuesday revealed it has sold its Canadian subsidiary, with approximately 175 Bcfe of proved reserves, to an unnamed “large Canadian energy producer,” for $150 million. It expects to record a pre-tax gain of about $35 million in the fourth quarter as a result of the transaction.