M&A

Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | M&A | Statewide WV | UGI Energy Services | West Virginia

PA’s UGI Still Trying to Buy WV’s Mountaineer Gas Company
July 8, 2021July 8, 2021

Back in January MDN told you that UGI Corporation, one of Pennsylvania’s largest natural gas utility companies, wants to buy Mountaineer Gas Company, one of West Virginia’s largest natural gas utility companies, for $540 million (see PA’s UGI Corp. Deal to Buy WV’s Mountaineer Gas Company). UGI serves 700,000 customers across PA (and one county in Maryland). Mountaineer serves 215,000 customers across WV. Both companies are big buyers of Marcellus/Utica shale gas.
Read More “PA’s UGI Still Trying to Buy WV’s Mountaineer Gas Company”
Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | M&A | Patterson-UTI

Patterson-UTI Energy Buying Pioneer Energy Services for $295M
July 7, 2021July 7, 2021

Patterson-UTI Energy, which operates 15 active rigs in the Marcellus/Utica (out of 45 active M-U rigs, or fully one-third of all active M-U rigs) announced yesterday it is buying a smaller competitor, Pioneer Energy Services Corp., for approximately $295 million. Patterson will add Pioneer’s fleet of 16 super-spec drilling rigs to Patterson’s own current fleet of 150 super-spec drilling rigs in the U.S. What are super-spec rigs?
Read More “Patterson-UTI Energy Buying Pioneer Energy Services for $295M”
Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | M&A

Cimarex CEO Reworks $32M Stock Deal – Cabot Merger Still On
July 6, 2021July 6, 2021

Thomas Jorden

In May MDN told you about one of the oddest combinations in recent memory–the merger of Permian driller Cimarex Energy with Marcellus driller Cabot Oil & Gas (see HUGE NEWS: Permian Driller Cimarex Buying Out Cabot Oil & Gas). Given the negative reaction by stock analysts and investors, we had hoped maybe the deal would fall apart. Given the recent development that Cimarex CEO Thomas Jorden is potentially turning down $32 million in payouts from the deal (he’s staying on as CEO of the combined company), it sure seems like this deal is likely to happen.
Read More “Cimarex CEO Reworks $32M Stock Deal – Cabot Merger Still On”
Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | M&A

Cabot & Cimarex Merger Explained: Love the One You’re With
July 1, 2021July 1, 2021

More details have emerged from what has to be one of the oddest combinations in recent memory–the merger of Permian driller Cimarex Energy with Marcellus driller Cabot Oil & Gas (see HUGE NEWS: Permian Driller Cimarex Buying Out Cabot Oil & Gas). As we told you in a follow-up to the big news, many stock analysts and investors are baffled by the combo (see Markets “Baffled” by “Unexpected” Cabot Merger with Cimarex). Due to recent Securities and Exchange Commission filings, we now have more insight into what led to the odd combination. Cabot considered a three-way merger last year, and Cimarex held talks and considered five different potential merger partners before settling on Cabot.
Read More “Cabot & Cimarex Merger Explained: Love the One You’re With”
Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | M&A | Rice Energy

Dan Rice Launches Another Energy-Focused SPAC – Rice-a-RONI
June 18, 2021June 18, 2021

Last December Dan Rice IV, former CEO of Rice Energy and member of the EQT board of directors, launched a “blank check” acquisition firm, called Rice Acquisition Corp., to invest in various energy ventures. Dan found that something-to-invest-in just a few months later in the form of acquiring and merging together Archaea Energy and Aria Energy into a single company focused on providing renewable natural gas (RNG) and “green” hydrogen (see Dan Rice Bets $1 Billion that Landfill Gas is the Next Big Thing). With that deal about to consummate in 3Q, Dan is on the prowl again. He’s formed and launched a second “blank check” company, called Rice Acquisition Corp. II, along with a cool stock ticker symbol: RONI. As in, Rice (a) RONI. Get it?
Read More “Dan Rice Launches Another Energy-Focused SPAC – Rice-a-RONI”
Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Keystone Clearwater Solutions | Lycoming County | M&A | Pennsylvania

Keystone Clearwater Buys ECM Energy’s PA Water Transport Biz
June 15, 2021June 15, 2021

Keystone Clearwater Solutions, a company that provides water services for shale drillers in the Marcellus/Utica, is buying the Pennsylvania operations of competitor ECM Energy Services. Keystone, which operates primarily in Pennsylvania, is picking up ECM’s Williamsport, PA operation and rebranding it under the Keystone name. ECM says the sale frees them up to concentrate on their operations in Ohio and West Virginia.
Read More “Keystone Clearwater Buys ECM Energy’s PA Water Transport Biz”
Alta Resources | Energy Companies | EQT Corp | Industrywide Issues | M&A

EQT Shareholders Vote July 16 on $2.9B Deal to Buy Alta Resources
June 14, 2021June 14, 2021

Toby Rice, CEO of EQT

A little over a month ago MDN brought you the big news that the voraciously hungry EQT is gobbling up the Marcellus assets of yet another driller, Alta Resources, for $2.9 billion (see EQT Buys Alta Res. PA Assets for $2.9B in “Transformative” Deal). We later told you the company is floating $1 billion in new notes to help fund the deal (see Why Did EQT Buy Alta for $2.9B? Floats $1B in IOUs to Finance Deal). Where will the other $1.925 billion come from? By floating 105,306,346 new shares of EQT common stock. Shareholders will meet on July 16 to vote on the deal to buy Alta’s Marcellus assets, including the plan to float new stock.
Read More “EQT Shareholders Vote July 16 on $2.9B Deal to Buy Alta Resources”
Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | M&A | Southwestern Energy

Southwestern No Longer M-U Pure-Play, Buys Haynesville Driller $2.7B
June 3, 2021June 3, 2021

click for larger version

The trend is disturbing–at least for us. Increasingly companies that were formerly focused 100% on the Marcellus/Utica region are now expanding beyond–often in the Haynesville Shale of Louisiana. Let’s face it: Louisiana (and eastern Texas) where the gassy Haynesville is found has several advantages over the M-U, including closeness to Gulf Coast petrochemical plants, better (lower) taxes, and far more favorable (less burdensome) regulations than M-U states. Southwestern Energy (SWN), which recently bought out and merged in Montage Resources (another M-U driller) is now buying out and merging in Indigo Natural Resources–in the Haynesville Shale.
Read More “Southwestern No Longer M-U Pure-Play, Buys Haynesville Driller $2.7B”
Crestwood Midstream | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Kinder Morgan | M&A | Pipelines

Crestwood/Con Ed Sell Stagecoach Gas to Kinder Morgan for $1.2B
June 2, 2021June 2, 2021

Crestwood Equity Partners and Consolidated Edison, Inc. (Con Edison) yesterday announced they are selling their 50/50 joint venture in Stagecoach Gas Services to pipeline giant Kinder Morgan for $1.225 billion in cash. Stagecoach consists of four natural gas storage facilities and 185 miles of natural gas pipelines located in the Marcellus/Utica with multiple interconnects to major interstate natural gas pipelines, including Tennessee Gas Pipeline, a Kinder Morgan subsidiary.
Read More “Crestwood/Con Ed Sell Stagecoach Gas to Kinder Morgan for $1.2B”
Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | M&A

What Does Cimarex Purchase of Cabot Mean for the Marcellus?
June 2, 2021June 2, 2021

Last week we shared the bombshell news that Cabot Oil & Gas, one of the premier drillers in the Marcellus, is merging with (being acquired by) Permian driller Cimarex Energy (see HUGE NEWS: Permian Driller Cimarex Buying Out Cabot Oil & Gas). We followed that story up with reaction by the markets, which (at the time) was one of bafflement (see Markets “Baffled” by “Unexpected” Cabot Merger with Cimarex). Now that analysts have had a week or so to digest the news, some are speculating on what this news may mean for the larger Marcellus region. The broader implications.
Read More “What Does Cimarex Purchase of Cabot Mean for the Marcellus?”
Diversified Energy | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | M&A

Diversified Expands Outside M-U Again, Buys Blackbeard in Barnett
May 27, 2021June 3, 2021

Diversified Gas & Oil recently changed its name to Diversified Energy. Along with the name change came a strategy change. Until last month Diversified had concentrated on building the company by buying older (mature) oil and gas wells in the Appalachian Basin. In April the company announced it is branching out beyond Appalachia for the first time with a purchase of ~780 net operated wells and leases in the Cotton Valley/Haynesville region of Lousiana for $135 million (see Diversified Expands Beyond Appalachia First Time, Buys La. Assets). Barely a month later and they’ve done it again, this time buying assets in the Barnett Shale.
Read More “Diversified Expands Outside M-U Again, Buys Blackbeard in Barnett”
Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | M&A

Markets “Baffled” by “Unexpected” Cabot Merger with Cimarex
May 25, 2021May 25, 2021

Yesterday we shared the devastating (for us) news that Cabot Oil & Gas, one of the premier drillers in the Marcellus, is merging with (being acquired by) Permian driller Cimarex (see HUGE NEWS: Permian Driller Cimarex Buying Out Cabot Oil & Gas). Now that the bombshell news has had time to sink in, it appears we were not the only ones baffled by this merger. Investors were baffled too. Cimarex shares fell 7.2% to $66.07, while Cabot’s stock fell 6.9% to $16.59. Below we have reactions to the surprise announcement.
Read More “Markets “Baffled” by “Unexpected” Cabot Merger with Cimarex”
Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | M&A | Pennsylvania | Susquehanna County

HUGE NEWS: Permian Driller Cimarex Buying Out Cabot Oil & Gas
May 24, 2021May 24, 2021

We’re devastated. We know you’re not supposed to have favorites, but we do. Our favorite Marcellus/Utica driller for years has been Cabot Oil & Gas. We know some great folks who work for Cabot. It has been a peerless operator in the northeast Marcellus–making money when nobody else could. Cabot treats its landowners well, cares about the environment, gives big money to local nonprofit causes, and in general is the best kind of corporate citizen anybody could wish for. We suppose it was only a matter of time before Cabot became a target in this merger mania we’re currently going through. This morning Cabot announced a “merger of equals” with Cimarex, a big driller in the Permian and Midcontinent. The truth is Cimarex is buying out Cabot.
Read More “HUGE NEWS: Permian Driller Cimarex Buying Out Cabot Oil & Gas”
Chief Oil & Gas | CNX Resources | Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Energy Companies | EQT Corp | HG Energy | Industrywide Issues | M&A | Range Resources Corp | Seneca Resources | Southwestern Energy | Tug Hill Operating

Which M-U Drillers are Likely Next Targets for Acquisition?
May 21, 2021May 21, 2021

M&A, or mergers & acquisitions, is on everyone’s mind in the oil and gas industry. Particularly in the Marcellus/Utica region. EQT, under the leadership of Toby Rice, already the largest natural gas producer in the country, has been on the prowl. In the past eight months EQT has picked up all of Chevron’s M-U assets (see EQT Buys Chevron M-U Assets for $735M, Floats $350M in New Stock) and most recently, EQT picked up all of Alta Resources’ M-U assets (see EQT Buys Alta Res. PA Assets for $2.9B in “Transformative” Deal). EQT is still in the hunt (see Even After Chevron, EQT Still in Hunt to Buy CNX, Other Producers). Who’s next on the list to get acquired? We have some possibilities.
Read More “Which M-U Drillers are Likely Next Targets for Acquisition?”
Alta Resources | Energy Companies | EQT Corp | Industrywide Issues | M&A

EQT Buys Alta Res. PA Assets for $2.9B in “Transformative” Deal
May 10, 2021May 10, 2021

Of course, there was big news to report on Friday, the day MDN took off as a brief vacation day (the graduation ceremony was great!). The big news from last Thursday afternoon and Friday was (a) EQT’s first quarter update, and (b) EQT announced it has cut a deal to buy the northeastern Pennsylvania Marcellus assets of Alta Resources for a whopping $2.9 billion–pretty close to the asking price (see Alta Resources Shopping 547K Marcellus Acres, Asking $3B). EQT’s 1Q21 update kind of got swallowed up in all the chatter about the Alta deal. We break it all down below.
Read More “EQT Buys Alta Res. PA Assets for $2.9B in “Transformative” Deal”
Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | M&A | Williams

Williams Buys Energy Trader Sequent for $50M; M-U Volume/Profits Up
May 5, 2021May 5, 2021

Pipeline giant Williams released its 1Q21 update on Monday, but it wasn’t until a conference call with analysts yesterday that CEO Alan Armstrong shared the big news that Williams has purchased Southern Company’s natural gas energy trading unit Sequent Energy Management for $50 million. The deal vastly expands Williams’ capability to market natural gas (i.e. find new customers).
Read More “Williams Buys Energy Trader Sequent for $50M; M-U Volume/Profits Up”