Anadarko Takes on Mitsui as Partner in Marcellus Drilling
Anadarko Press Release (Feb 16)
Anadarko Announces Joint Venture with Mitsui in the Marcellus Shale
The full text of the press release from Anadarko is below. It announces they have taken on a partner for their Marcellus drilling interests, mostly in north-central Pennsylvania.
Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:APC) today announced a joint-venture agreement with Mitsui E&P USA LLC, an affiliate of Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (NSDQ: MITSY), whereby Mitsui will participate with Anadarko as a 32.5-percent partner in Anadarko’s Marcellus Shale assets, primarily located in north-central Pennsylvania, for approximately $1.4 billion. Mitsui will earn approximately 100,000 net acres in exchange for funding 100 percent of Anadarko’s share of development costs in 2010, and 90 percent of these costs thereafter, with an estimated completion of all obligations by 2013. In addition, Mitsui will have the opportunity to purchase a 32.5-percent share of Anadarko’s existing wells and additional acreage acquisitions by reimbursing a proportionate share of Anadarko’s prior expenditures, currently estimated to be approximately $100 million.
"We are very pleased to have Mitsui as a partner in the Marcellus Shale," Anadarko Chairman and CEO Jim Hackett said. "This transaction reflects the significant value of Anadarko’s fairway position in the Marcellus Shale, which has a gross unrisked resource potential of more than 30 Tcf (trillion cubic feet) of natural gas and spans more than 715,000 gross acres. We continue to ramp up our activities in the Marcellus and anticipate drilling more than 4,500 wells over the coming years. We have successfully partnered with Mitsui in other parts of the world and look forward to working with them and our other partners in the Marcellus, as we continue to develop and deliver these domestically produced, clean-burning natural gas resources to American consumers."
The joint-venture agreement is effective Jan. 1, 2010. Closing of the transaction is subject to applicable regulatory approvals and other contractual conditions, and is anticipated on March 15, 2010.
A map of Anadarko’s Marcellus Shale acreage, primarily located in north-central Pennsylvania, will be available under the "Media Center/Anadarko News" tab at //www.anadarko.com.
Anadarko Petroleum Corporation’s mission is to deliver a competitive and sustainable rate of return to shareholders by exploring for, acquiring and developing oil and natural gas resources vital to the world’s health and welfare. As of year-end 2009, the company had approximately 2.3 billion barrels-equivalent of proved reserves, making it one of the world’s largest independent exploration and production companies. For more information about Anadarko, please visit //www.anadarko.com.