Resolute Natural Resources Co., a subsidiary of privately held, Tulsa, Okla.-based Resolute Holdings LLC and privately held, Cortez, Colo.-based Navajo Nation Oil and Gas Co., has acquired the assets of ExxonMobil, Irving, Texas, (NYSE: XOM) in the Greater Aneth Field in southeast Utah for an undisclosed amount. Resolute acquired 75% of the ExxonMobil assets, while Navajo Nation Oil and Gas acquired 25%. Combined with the assets the companies acquired in the same field in December 2004 from ChevronTexaco, the partners now have a total of 359 active producing wells and 289 active injection wells in the Aneth, McElmo Creek and Ratherford units in Utah, all operated by Resolute. Current daily production from the combined interests is approximately 7,260 net bbl. of oil. The acquired interests represent approximately 4,690 net bbl. per day of light, sweet crude oil. Navajo Nation Oil and Gas was formed by the Navajo Nation to develop and acquire energy resources on the tribe's lands. Resolute and Navajo Nation Oil and Gas plan to work with the Navajo Nation to develop the field. Whittier Energy Corp., Houston, (Nasdaq: WHIT) plans to purchase approximately 18.9 billion cu. ft. of gas equivalent of total proved reserves and an additional 6.8 billion equivalent of potential resources for $31.9 million. Whittier will acquire working interests in five operated fields in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, as well as some minor nonoperated interests. Net current production from the properties is approximately 3.8 million cu. ft. equivalent per day. In one deal, Whittier will gain a 75% working interest (59.5% average revenue interest) in Westhoff Ranch, a 2,300-acre property in Jackson County, Texas, for $19.9 million. Whittier will be operator. There are 18 active wells producing from the Frio and current net daily production is 171 bbl. of oil and 2.1 million cu. ft. of gas, or 3.1 million cu. ft. of gas equivalent. In another deal, Whittier will gain interests in four fields in Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi from Imperial Petroleum Inc., Evansville, Ind., (OTCBB: IPTM) for $12 million. Whittier is acquiring 12 operated producing wells, minor interests in 10 additional nonoperated producing wells, and 18 shut-in operated wells awaiting a workover rig. Fidelity Exploration & Production Co., a subsidiary of MDU Resources Group Inc., Bismark, N.D., (NYSE: MDU) has acquired properties in the Big Horn Basin of Wyoming for $88.5 million from an undisclosed seller. Proven reserves are 51 billion cu. ft. of gas equivalent (45% oil, 44% gas, 11% gas liquids), and more than 75 billion equivalent are estimated as probable and possible. Delta Petroleum Corp., Denver, (Nasdaq: DPTR) has merged with Castle Energy Corp., King of Prussia, Pa., (Nasdaq: CECX) for $17.4 million in stock. Castle held approximately $40 million of assets, including cash and producing oil and gas properties in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Castle will now be a subsidiary of Delta. Lehman Brothers Inc. was financial advisor to Delta. Contango Oil & Gas Co., Houston, (Amex: MCF) has sold all onshore producing Texas and Alabama interests to two undisclosed independents for $13.5 million. The properties have net reserves of approximately 203 million bbl. of oil and 1 billion cu. ft. of gas, for a total of 2.3 billion cu. ft. of gas equivalent. The pre-tax gain on these two sales combined is approximately $7 million. Contango chairman and chief executive Kenneth R. Peak says, "We will continue to focus on expanding our offshore drilling program and developing our Arkansas Fayetteville Shale play." Marathon Oil Corp., Houston, (NYSE: MRO) has acquired some 200,000 leasehold acres in the Bakken Shale play in North Dakota and eastern Montana from an undisclosed buyer at an undisclosed price. "The Bakken Shale acreage acquisition exposes Marathon to a significant resource play in North America," says Steven B. Hinchman, Marathon senior vice president of worldwide production. "We will draw upon our extensive experience in horizontal drilling, well stimulation, commercial and marketing expertise in the Rocky Mountain basins to leverage our substantial position in the Bakken Shale." Marathon's acreage is in Billings, Divide, Dunn, McKenzie, Mountrail and Williams counties in North Dakota, and Richland County in Montana. Marathon anticipates drilling approximately 300 wells during the next four to five years. Exco Resources Inc., Dallas, (NYSE: XCO) subsidiary North Coast Energy Inc. has closed the acquisition of a privately held natural gas development and production company operating in the Appalachian Basin, with properties principally in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York and West Virginia. The aggregate cash purchase price was $115 million, including payment of the acquired company's debt and outstanding hedges. The acquisition was financed using Exco's revolving credit facility. The assets include 162 billion cu. ft. equivalent of proved reserves (96% gas; 25% proved developed producing). Probable and possible reserves are estimated to be an additional 51 billion equivalent. There are 1,187 wells producing approximately 5 million cu. ft. equivalent per day with an approximate 80% average working interest and 68% average net revenue interest. About 85% of the wells are operated. The assets include 178,000 acres held by production and more than 2,000 estimated drilling locations of which 68% are proved. In addition, Exco will gain 358 miles of gathering lines, two field shops and production equipment. Wachovia Securities represented the seller in this transaction. Melrose Resources Plc, London, (Pink Sheets: MRSJF) plans to acquire privately owned Merlon Petroleum Co., Houston, for US$265 million in cash. Merlon has interests in the Nile Delta region of northern Egypt and assets in the Texas Gulf Coast region. Proved-plus-probable reserves in Egypt are 132.8 billion cu. ft. of gas equivalent and average net daily production is 17.5 million equivalent. Average net daily production from Merlon's Texas properties is approximately 14.4 million equivalent, and net proved reserves are approximately 11.8 billion equivalent. The acquisition is expected to close in mid-June. Petrie Parkman & Co. is advising Merlon. Cano Petroleum Inc., Fort Worth, Texas, (Amex: CFW) has acquired producing properties in the Texas Panhandle Field for $24 million, adding about 400 net BOE to Cano's daily production and 7 million BOE to its proved reserves (2.1 million proved producing). The properties involve 9,700 acres and include two workover rigs and other equipment valued at about $1.25 million. Bill Barrett Corp., Denver, (NYSE: BBG) has acquired Forth Worth, Texas-based CH4 Corp. for $80 million, gaining approximately 85,500 gross undeveloped acres (51,900 net) in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming, producing 6 million cu. ft. of gas per day from 163 wells. An additional 128 wells are in progress or dewatering. Bill Barrett plans to fund the purchase through borrowings under its $400 million revolving credit facility. Unit Petroleum Co., a subsidiary of Unit Corp., Tulsa, Okla., (NYSE: UNT) has acquired certain oil and gas properties in Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico from four private entities for approximately $32.4 million in cash. Proved reserves total approximately 14.2 billion cu. ft. equivalent (45% in Oklahoma; 36%, Texas; 19%, New Mexico). Production is 3 million cu. ft. equivalent per day. Swift Energy Co., Houston, (NYSE: SFY) has entered a participation agreement with Aurora Gas LLC involving a large onshore acreage position in the Cook Inlet Basin of Alaska. Swift Energy will earn an average working interest of 37.5% in approximately 54,500 gross acres in seven areas of mutual interest, representing half of Aurora Gas' working interest in the areas. At least seven exploration prospects have been targeted on the acreage. There are two main hydrocarbon plays identified in this area: the Hemlock-Tyonek (oil) and the Beluga-Sterling (gas). Petrosearch Energy Corp., Houston, has extended an agreement with ExxonMobil Corp., Harding Co., Eagle Oil & Gas Co., PS Gas Partners LLC, and Gas Partners LP relating to a Barnett Shale project in northeast Texas. Petrosearch is to acquire a working interest in an area of mutual interest in 1.6 million acres in five northeast Texas counties. Under ExxonMobil/Harding agreements, Harding is to be operator for a significant portion of the area and acquire and develop the leases. ExxonMobil is responsible for the operation and construction of the gathering and evacuation systems. EnDevCo Eureka LLC, a subsidiary of Energy Development Co. Inc., Houston, (EnDevCo) (OTCBB: ENDE) has acquired the Central Unit and 98.712% of the West Unit of Short Junction Field in Oklahoma City for $11.5 million. EnDevCo Eureka is owned 55% by EnDevCo and 45% by private investors who contributed $3 million to the transaction. EnDevCo Eureka will be the operator for the project. The 12,000-acre field includes 270 wellbores and a gas pipeline and gathering system. The field is currently producing 100 bbl. of oil per day from the Hunton limestone reservoir and 300 million cu. ft. of gas per day from the Red Fork Sand reservoir from 19 wells. EnDevCo will draw $9.5 million from its credit facility to fund the acquisition and operations on 13 additional wellbores. A well-recompletion project commenced in January and is being financed by Houston-based GasRock Capital LLC through a $30-million credit facility. Penn West Energy Trust, Calgary, (Toronto: PWT.UN) has purchased Petrofund Energy Trust for C$3.2 billion, forming the largest conventional oil and gas trust in North America. Its enterprise value is more than C$11 billion. The deal was for 0.6 Penn West unit and C$1 per Petrofund unit. Penn West unit-holders own 71% of the combined trust. Per share held, Penn West unit-holders also received 0.2 share in a new E&P company, while Petrofund unit-holders received 0.12 share. The combined company produces 135,000 BOE per day, and has additional growth opportunities in the Peace River oil-sands project, the farm-out of undeveloped land, and coalbed-methane development. The company operates in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and British Columbia. Proved reserves total 410 million BOE, and 515 million proved plus probable. CIBC World Markets Inc. was financial advisor to Petrofund. Scotia Capital Inc. was financial advisor to Penn West. Advantage Energy Income Fund, Calgary, (Toronto: AVN.UN; NYSE: AAV) and Ketch Resources Trust (Toronto: KER.UN) plan to merge, retaining the Advantage name and having an initial enterprise value of approximately C$2.7 billion. Advantage is offering 0.565 unit per Ketch share. Advantage unit-holders will own approximately 66% of the combined trust. Current production for the combined entity is 30,500 BOE per day (70% gas) with proved reserves estimated at 82.4 million BOE and proved-plus-probable reserves of more than 122 million BOE with a reserve-life index of approximately 11 years. Focus Energy Trust, Calgary, (Toronto: FET.UN, FTX) plans to acquire the Shackleton and southwest Saskatchewan properties of privately held Profico Energy Management Ltd., Calgary, for C$1.12 billion, including cash, 31 million trust units, 10 million exchangeable limited partnership units, and the assumption of some C$87.2 million of net debt. Profico shareholders will own approximately 51% of Focus units after closing. Profico's assets produce 14,500 BOE per day (98% gas), and include 33.1 million BOE of proved and 46.7 million BOE of proved-plus-probable reserves; more than 344,000 net acres of undeveloped land; and a drilling inventory of more than 1,000 locations. Total reserves for Focus pro forma will be 64.1 million BOE proved and 87 million proved-plus-probable, while production will be more than 23,750 BOE per day. CNOOC Ltd., Hong Kong, (NYSE: CEO) has acquired a 45% working interest in offshore oil-mining license 130 in Nigeria with South Atlantic Petroleum Ltd. for US$2.3 billion plus an adjustment of US$424 million for financial, operating and capital expenses. South Atlantic Petroleum held 100%. CNOOC acquired a 90% interest in the production-sharing contract, which gave it a 45% working interest in OML 130. Goldman Sachs (Asia) LLC was financial advisor to CNOOC.
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