• Devon Energy Corp., Oklahoma City, plans to sell properties in the U.S. and Canada for $953 million. According to sources, some of the assets were purchased by Merit Energy Co., Dallas. As of Dec. 31, the assets had total estimated proved reserves of approximately 126.7 million BOE. These sales include previously disclosed dispositions involving 43 million bbl. of proved reserves for proceeds of $366 million. • El Paso Corp., Houston, has sold properties totaling $525 million this year, with 527 billion cu. ft. of proved gas reserves, in east and south Texas. The price per thousand cu. ft. of gas equivalent is $1, according to El Paso. The United Co., Bristol, Va., subsidiary United Energy Corp. acquired south Texas assets from El Paso Production Co. for $110 million. The assets include 108 billion cu. ft. of proved gas reserves, with daily net production of approximately 30 million cu. ft.. The properties will be operated by United Oil & Minerals LP. • CMS Energy Corp., Dearborn, Mich., business unit CMS Oil & Gas Co. plans to sell its coalbed-methane holdings in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming and Montana to XTO Energy, Fort Worth, for $101 million. The assets include approximately 280,000 net leasehold acres, including interests in producing gas wells. XTO plans to exchange the Powder River Basin properties acquired from CMS with Marathon Oil Co., Houston, for properties in east Texas and Louisiana. Additionally, XTO will purchase producing properties in the San Juan Basin of New Mexico from Marathon for $43 million. XTO has also acquired properties in its east Texas Freestone trend from an undisclosed party for $20 million. XTO's daily production rates will increase by 37 million cu. ft. of gas, 1,050 bbl. of gas liquids and 120 bbl. of oil. • Progress Ventures, a unit of Progress Energy, has acquired Westchester Gas Co. for $148 million in cash and stock. The assets include approximately 215 producing gas wells, 52 miles of intrastate pipeline and 170 miles of gas-gathering systems. The assets add 140 billion cu. ft. of gas reserves to Progress Ventures. • Encore Acquisition Co., Fort Worth, Texas, plans to acquire properties in the Paradox Basin, Utah, from a private company for $23.4 million. The assets include a 19.3% working interest and 16.8% net revenue interest in the Ratherford unit operated by ExxonMobil and a 12% working interest and 10.3% net revenue interest in the Aneth unit operated by ChevronTexaco. Net production is 1,200 BOE per day. Reserves are estimated to be 4.7 million BOE. • The Williams Cos., Tulsa, Okla., sold for $73 million selected assets in the Wind River Basin, in central Wyoming, to Bill Barrett Corp., formed recently by the founder of the former Barrett Resources. • Legend Natural Gas LP, Houston, has acquired producing gas properties in south Texas and on the Texas Gulf Coast from Anadarko Petroleum Corp. and its subsidiary RME Petroleum Co. for $56.1 million. The principal producing field is the Roleta in Zapata County, which will be operated by Legend. Other fields include the Haynes/Comitas in Zapata County, the Weesatche NE in Goliad County and the Bobcat Run in Orange County. The assets include 54 producing wells, and a nonoperated position in 22 additional producing wells. Daily production is approximately 15 million cu. ft. of gas equivalent. • First Permian LP, Midland, Texas, sold its properties to Energen Resources Corp., Birmingham, Ala., a wholly owned subsidiary of Energen Corp., Birmingham, Ala., for $120 million in cash and stock. Acquired reserves are estimated at 43 million BOE. The price per BOE of reserves is $6.55, according to First Permian. • Harken Energy Corp., Houston, has acquired interests in properties onshore the Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana from Republic Resources Inc. for stock. Harken gains more than 2.7 billion cu. ft. of gas equivalent of proved reserves and 3-D seismic data covering 35,000 gross acres. • Mariner Energy Inc., Houston, sold a 25% working interest in its Falcon discovery and surrounding prospects in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico for $48.8 million to partner Pioneer Resources Co., Irving, Texas. Pioneer will become the operator of the Falcon project, in East Breaks 579, 580 and 623. Mariner retains a 25% working interest, while Pioneer now holds 75%. • Ocean Energy Inc., Houston, and Kerr-McGee Corp. will exchange 33% of their interests in 20 leases and 50% interest in two leases for 50% of BHP Billiton's interest in 32 leases and 25% of BHP's interest in two additional leases in the Gulf of Mexico. • Cal Dive International Inc., Houston, wholly owned subsidiary Energy Resource Technology Inc. plans to acquire a 100% interest in East Cameron Block 374, including existing wells, equipment and improvements, for an undisclosed cash payment and an overriding royalty interest in future production. The property is owned by Murphy Exploration & Production Co. and Callon Petroleum Operating Co. Cal Dive plans to complete the temporarily abandoned No. 1 well and perform a subsea tie-back. • Cambridge Energy Corp., Lafayette, La., acquired properties in west Texas from Southwin Financial Ltd. for $7.2 million worth of Cambridge shares.