• Privately held Canaan Resources LLC, Oklahoma City, a long-life-gas asset-acquisition company, has been formed with a $150-million commitment from Canaan Natural Gas Partners Fund IX LP and associated entities. The company has also entered a $200-million revolving credit facility with JP Morgan Chase to fund acquisitions. The principals of Canaan, co-founders Leo E. Woodard and John K. Penton, are also the general partners of the partnerships that provided the company's equity capital. Penton is president; Woodard, chief executive; S. Mark Cain, vice president, engineering; Brent V. Beebe, vice president, land and business development; Michael S. Mewbourn, vice president and chief financial officer; and Scott M. Rayburn, vice president, legal and general counsel. • Riata Energy Inc., Amarillo, Texas, plans an initial public offering of its common stock. The number of shares and price range have not been determined yet. The underwriters of the offering will include Banc of America Securities LLC. Riata Energy is an E&P company that owns and operates drilling rigs and a related oil-field service business, Lariat Services Inc.; gas-gathering, -marketing and -processing facilities; and, through its subsidiary PetroSource Energy Co., CO2-treating and -transportation facilities and tertiary oil-recovery operations. Its E&P activities are in West Texas and it recently has expanded to the Piceance Basin located in northwestern Colorado. • Oklahoma City-based Chaparral Energy Inc. has filed for an IPO for proceeds of about $345 million. The number of shares to be offered and the price range have not been determined. J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. is the lead underwriter. Banc of America Securities LLC, Comerica Securities Inc., Fortis Securities LLC and Lehman Brothers Inc. are also underwriters. Proceeds will be used to pay outstanding debt and for general corporate purposes, including working capital. Chaparral is an independent producer focused on the Midcontinent and the Permian Basin. • Carpinteria, Calif.-based E&P Venoco Inc. has filed for an initial public offering of its common stock on The New York Stock Exchange for proceeds of $230 million. The number of shares and price range have not been determined. Lehman Brothers Inc. is lead underwriter; Harris Nesbitt Corp. is also an underwriter. Proceeds will be used for potential acquisitions, to supplement existing funding for its capital expenditure program and for general corporate purposes. Venoco's sole shareholder, a trust controlled by Timothy and Bernadette Marquez, is expected to divest its shares in the offering. Timothy Marquez, who founded Venoco in 1992, is Venoco chairman and chief executive. Venoco is an independent focused offshore and onshore California. • Linn Energy LLC, Pittsburgh, (Nasdaq: LINE) has priced its initial public offering of 11.8 million units at $21 each for proceeds of about US$222.8 million. The initial expected price range was $19 to $21 per unit. At press time, units were trading at $22.55 each. Lehman Brothers Inc. and RBC Capital Markets Corp. were lead underwriters; A.G. Edwards & Sons Inc., KeyBanc Capital Markets, Raymond James & Associates Inc. and UBS Securities LLC were also underwriters. Approximately $122 million will be used to reduce revolving-credit-facility debt and pay a subordinated term loan in full; $95.3 million will be used to redeem a portion of Linn Energy membership interests held by Quantum Energy Partners II LP; and $5.5 million will redeem a portion of other membership interests. Linn Energy is an independent focused on gas properties in the Appalachian Basin, primarily in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New York and Virginia. • Miller Petroleum Inc., Huntsville, Tenn., (OTCBB: MILL) through a joint venture with Wind City Oil & Gas LLC, has formed Wind Mill Oil & Gas LLC to drill and develop oil and gas wells in Tennessee and Texas. Miller will contribute certain prospects and Wind City has contributed $10 million in cash. • Grove Energy Ltd., Vancouver, (Toronto Venture: GRV) plans to merge its U.K. E&P assets with those of privately held, U.K.-based Virgo Energy Ltd. and Australia-based Nido Petroleum Ltd. The companies expect to list the combined company, Virgo Energy Plc, on the London Stock Exchange's Alternative Investment Market during this half. Virgo will hold interests in 24 exploration blocks in the North Sea on 3,344 gross square kilometers (1,482 net). Nine blocks will be contributed by Virgo, seven by Grove and eight by Nido. • C.K. Cooper & Co. will host its second Small-Cap Oil & Gas Conference Feb. 16-17 in Palm Springs, Calif. The title of this year's event is "Undiscovered Country." More information is available at CKCooper.com.