Shareholders

A decision by Range Resources Corp. to sell its Barnett Shale portfolio last year to devote more resources to the Marcellus Shale appears to have paid off handsomely, with unconventional output jumping 42% in 2Q2012 from the year-ago period. Natural gas, which makes up 80% of the producer’s total output, rose 48%.

As had been expected, the acquisition of Australia’s Eureka Energy Ltd. by Aurora Oil & Gas Ltd. is to be completed, Aurora said in a letter to Eureka shareholders. Both companies have acreage in the Eagle Ford Shale of South Texas. Eureka has three core assets with a combined net acreage position of 6,742 acres, all focused on the Eagle Ford, according to the Australian company’s website. “The assets are at different levels of maturity throughout the value chain, from ongoing production and development, appraisal and development to initial technical development,” the company said. Aurora participates in multiple separate joint ventures that form a contiguous land position totaling 76,989 acres that sit at the heart of the Eagle Ford, according to the company (see Shale Daily, July 3; May 1).

For Apache Corp., whose drilling operations ramped up in 1955 in the Cushing field of Oklahoma, home is now the sweetest place to be, CEO Steve Farris said Thursday.

Directors of Australia-based Eureka Energy Ltd. have rejected a proposal from Fort Worth-based Lonestar Resources Inc. for Eureka to acquire Lonestar for scrip consideration. Eureka said it had expected to reject the proposal when it was received last week. “Nevertheless, over the weekend the company pursued discussions with Lonestar with the objective of securing a proposal on more favorable terms,” Eureka said. “The parties were unable to agree on terms, and consequently Lonestar has withdrawn the proposal.” An offer by Australia’s Aurora Oil & Gas Ltd. to acquire Eureka expires Friday (see Shale Daily, June 11). Both Aurora and Eureka have assets in the Eagle Ford Shale of South Texas, as does Lonestar. On Wednesday Eureka said “it is reasonable to accept” the Aurora offer after previously recommending that shareholders reject it.

Kinder Morgan Inc. and El Paso Corp. have received all regulatory approvals required to close their merger, which is scheduled for May 24. The deadline for El Paso shareholders and equity award holders to elect the form of consideration they wish to receive in the merger is 5 p.m. EDT May 23. The deal was announced last fall (see Daily GPI, Oct. 18, 2011) and received antitrust clearance with a condition that some assets be divested (see Daily GPI, April 20; March 19).

Chesapeake Energy Corp. CEO Aubrey McClendon has agreed to reimburse his company $12.1 million plus interest under a settlement agreement with shareholders that was filed in state court in Oklahoma City. McClendon in 2008 sold the company an antique map collection (see NGI, June 8, 2009). That year, in which he also received a $75 million bonus, McClendon had been forced by margin calls to sell 31.5 million shares in the company, or 94% of his holdings (see NGI, Oct. 13, 2008). Under a preliminary settlement agreement he is allowed to keep the bonus but has to reimburse the company for the maps. The company also agreed to several corporate governance and compensation changes, which include hiring an independent compensation consultant and forbidding executives from using Chesapeake stock to hedge or trade in puts or calls.

China’s largest producer, Sinopec International Petroleum Exploration and Production Corp., is grabbing access to Canada’s unconventional plays in northeastern British Columbia and the Deep Basin of Alberta through a C$2.2 billion cash deal with Calgary’s Daylight Energy Ltd.

Houston-based National Oilwell Varco Inc. and Pasadena, CA-based Ameron International Corp. said National Oilwell will acquire Ameron for $772 million cash. Ameron’s shareholders will receive $85/share. The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter. Ameron is a producer of fiberglass-composite pipe used to transport oil, chemicals and corrosive fluids. National Oilwell designs and manufactures oil/gas drilling and production equipment. It was not disclosed what is planned for Ameron’s California headquarters or its 2,900 employees worldwide.

Shareholders of AGL Resources and Nicor Inc. have approved a merger that would create the nation’s largest gas-only distributor with a rate base of $3.8 billion that encompasses seven regulated gas distribution companies serving 4.5 million customers in Illinois, Georgia, New Jersey, Virginia, Florida, Tennessee and Maryland. The merger was announced in December (see NGI, Dec. 13, 2010). Nicor would merge with an AGL subsidiary in a deal with an enterprise value of $3.1 billion, including equity of $2.4 billion. Corporate headquarters would be in Atlanta with gas distribution headquarters in Naperville, IL. The merger must still be approved by the Illinois Commerce Commission, which regulates Nicor and establishes rates. The deal is expected to close by the end of the year.