Permian Basin

Two big Permian Basin players, WPX Energy Inc. and Howard Energy Partners, are joining forces to develop natural gas and crude oil gathering and processing infrastructure in the Stateline area of the Delaware sub-basin in West Texas.

Halcon Resources Corp. said it will exercise an option to acquire more than 6,000 net acres in West Texas within the Permian Basin’s Delaware sub-basin and drill at least two wells in the near future, after determining that its first operated well in the play was a success.

Texas oil and natural gas activity rallied again in April, marking the fifth straight month of improvement as the industry continues to put the bust behind it, according to the Texas Petro Index (TPI), a barometer of upstream health.

As it pulls money from other areas to fund the ballyhooed Alpine High formation of West Texas, Apache Corp. is working in tandem with outside experts and Texas officials to quell concerns about potential drilling pitfalls.

Rig counts are up handsomely from year-ago levels, and the Permian Basin has been no slouch in contributing to gains. But the Eagle Ford Shale has made a comeback, too.

DCP Midstream LP is mounting another expansion of its Sand Hills natural gas liquids (NGL) pipeline to serve production from the Permian Basin.

Targa Resources Corp. said it plans to build a $1.3 billion natural gas liquids (NGL) pipeline to connect the Permian Basin and the company’s North Texas gathering system to its fractionation and storage complex at the NGL market hub at Mont Belvieu, TX.

Rising proppant demand in the Permian Basin has led Twin Eagle Sand Logistics LLC to launch yet another expansion of its West Texas rail facility near Big Spring.

Abraxas Petroleum Corp. has signed an agreement to purchase more than 2,000 net acres in West Texas with existing production for $22.2 million, bolting on to its adjacent acreage in the Delaware sub-basin and increasing its position in the play by more than one-third.