Exploration

Barrett Resources Corp.’s move to provide “strategic alternatives” to its shareholders, and thus, increase the value if it is taken over, appears to have paid off. This week, the Denver-based independent apparently received at least two more bids to compete with Royal Dutch/Shell Group’s offer of $60 a share. Barrett had set a deadline of Wednesday for other companies to make an offer.

As exploration and production companies scurry to extract higher volumes of natural gas from the ground to meet the nation’s voracious demand, coalbed methane production in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming and southern Montana continues to increase as conservative estimates of the basin’s reserves from the late 1980s through the mid-1990s continue to fall by the wayside, according to Energy and Environmental Analysis (EEA).

The rapid expansion of North American exploration and production led to substantially improved oilfield services results during the first quarter. Schlumberger’s income, for example, rose 92% from 2000, while other providers, including Nabors Industries and Patterson Energy, also showed rapid growth.

More exploration and production led to more oilfield services, and first quarter results from service companies continue to show spectacular earnings. The world’s second-largest operator, Schlumberger Ltd., said its earnings rose 92% from 2000, boosted by heavy E&P activity, especially in North America. Other providers, including Nabors Industries and Patterson Energy, also report high earnings, with North American E&P activity boosting the bottom line.

Even with natural gas and crude oil prices posting slight gains earlier this month, exploration and production (E&P) shares continued their decline as they got caught in the overall down-draft of the market, according to Robert Morris of Salomon Smith Barney (SSB). E&P shares ended the first week of April down 3.5%, on average, while WTI spot crude oil prices gained nearly 3%, and composite spot natural gas prices rose more than 1%.

Even with natural gas and crude oil prices posting slight gains last week, exploration and production (E&P) shares continued their decline as they got caught in the overall down-draft of the market, according to Robert Morris of Salomon Smith Barney (SSB). E&P shares ended last week down 3.5%, on average, while WTI spot crude oil prices gained nearly 3%, and composite spot natural gas prices rose more than 1%.

Independent Vintage Petroleum Inc., based in Tulsa, has entered into an agreement to acquire Canadian-based Genesis Exploration Ltd., offering C$18.25 per share in cash. The boards of both companies have unanimously agreed to the offer, which puts total consideration, including assumption of Genesis’ estimated debt, at C$898 million (US$572 million).

Independent Vintage Petroleum Inc., based in Tulsa, has enteredinto an agreement to acquire Canadian-based Genesis ExplorationLtd., offering C$18.25 per share in cash. The boards of bothcompanies have unanimously agreed to the offer, which puts totalconsideration, including assumption of Genesis’ estimated debt, atC$898 million (US$572 million).

Admitting that this month may not be the same “March Madness” byexploration and production companies that was experienced a yearago, the sector is expected to advance “strongly” again this yearbecause of the “mounting confidence” in relatively firm natural gasprices and under-appreciated crude oil prices in the near term,according to a Salomon Smith Barney E&P report released thisweek.