• XTO Energy Inc., Fort Worth, (NYSE: XTO) plans to buy producing properties primarily in the Barnett Shale region of North Texas and in the Arkoma Basin from various parties for $200 million. Proved reserves are estimated at about 154 billion cu. ft. of gas equivalent of which approximately 52% are proved developed. Production is 25 million cu. ft. of gas equivalent per day, net (99% gas; 88% operated). Development costs for the proved undeveloped reserves are estimated at $0.64 per thousand cu. ft. The deal will be XTO's entry to the Barnett Shale region. In the Barnett Shale, XTO is acquiring 97.6 billion cu. ft. of gas equivalent of proved reserves (42% developed) for $120 million. Current daily production is approximately 15 million equivalent. Some 11,000 acres are involved. In the Arkoma Basin, XTO is buying 56.3 billion cu. ft. of gas equivalent of long-lived proved reserves (70% developed) for $80 million. The properties produce about 10 million equivalent per day. • Mariner Energy LLC, Houston, has been purchased by affiliates of private-equity funds Acon Investments LLC and Carlyle/Riverstone Global Energy and Power Fund II, ending the company's ownership by an affiliate of Enron Corp. The transaction was valued at $271.1 million and provided for the repayment of Mariner's existing debt. Carlyle/Riverstone affiliates own 67%, and Acon affiliates own the remaining 33%. Debt financing for the transaction was provided by a group of banks led by Union Bank of California and BNP Paribas. The transaction was approved by U.S. Bankruptcy Court. Mariner has operations in West Texas and the Gulf of Mexico. Its current management will continue to operate the company, headed by Scott Josey, chief executive officer. Before the sale of its remaining interest in Falcon Field and neighboring assets in the Gulf of Mexico to Pioneer Natural Resources Co., Dallas, in March 2003 for $113 million, Mariner had a 2002 reserve base of 202 billion cu. ft. equivalent (67% gas; 43% proved developed; 5.1-year reserve life) largely in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico (55%) and also in the Permian Basin. Mariner was scheduled to go public in the fall of 1999 but the offering was withdrawn when market interest proved to be lukewarm during the Spinnaker Exploration IPO in September 1999. The Mariner offering was expected to raise $200 million and be Enron's exit. • Unit Corp., Tulsa, Okla., (NYSE: UNT) has closed its $182-million cash purchase of independent producer PetroCorp Inc., gaining 56.7 billion cu. ft. of gas equivalent of reserves in Oklahoma, Texas, the Gulf of Mexico and the Rocky Mountains. Unit now has 342 billion cu. ft. of gas equivalent of reserves. When announced in July, Unit was to pay PetroCorp shareholders 2 million Unit shares and the balance in cash. But the purchase was paid entirely with cash. • Chesapeake Energy Corp., Okla., (NYSE: CHK) has acquired Midcontinent, Permian Basin, South Texas and onshore Gulf Coast gas assets from privately owned Concho Resources Inc. for $420 million. In addition, the company has completed the previously announced acquisition of two smaller producing property packages totaling $90 million. The purchases involve a total of 320 billion cu. ft. of gas equivalent of proved reserves, 195 billion of probable and possible reserves and current production of approximately 70 million cu. ft. equivalent per day. The acquisitions were funded 60% with equity and 40% from cash on hand and bank borrowings. • St. Mary Land & Exploration Co., Denver, (NYSE: SM) has bought out more than 3.38 million shares held by Flying J Oil & Gas Inc. and Big West Oil & Gas Inc. totaling $91 million in value. The restricted shares were issued in January 2003 upon St. Mary's purchase of oil and gas properties from the companies. The deal involved a loan to Flying J and Big West as well, totaling $71.6 million. Upon the share buyout, the loan was repaid. Accrued interest was forgiven. The net payment to Flying J and Big West totaled $19.4 million. • Gasco Energy Inc., Denver, (Bulletin Board: GASE) acquired working interests and gathering system assets from one of its partners in the Riverbend exploitation area in Utah for $3.175 million. The assets include net daily production of approximately 650,000 cu. ft. of gas equivalent. Proved reserves are estimated to be 6.5 billion cu. ft. of gas equivalent, of which 16% are developed and producing. • Privately held, Houston-based Buena Vista Oil & Gas LLC, the general partner of BV Production I LP, has acquired producing properties in Oklahoma's Anadarko Basin from an undisclosed seller. The package consists of more than 20 long-life gas wells producing primarily from Morrow and Springer. The purchase price was not disclosed.