BP and Chevron top the list of bidders in Trump's first Gulf of Mexico Oil and Gas auction
BP, Chevron, and Shell were the top bidders at the first U.S. Government sale of oil and natural gas drilling rights for the Gulf of Mexico since 2023. The auction ended with a total of $279.4 millions in "high" bids. It was the first out of 30 required by President Donald Trump's tax cuts and spending bill that he signed in July. His administration's plans on offshore leasing represent a major departure from those of his predecessor President Joe Biden.
Kimmeridge, an activist investor, takes a stake in US energy company Devon
Kimmeridge Energy Management, an activist investment firm, has acquired a stake in Devon Energy of the United States. This was revealed by a stock exchange filing on Friday. Kimmeridge held 5.66 million Devon shares at the end of September according to the filing. According to calculations, this would equate an approximately 0.9% share in Devon. It is also the 14th largest shareholder of Devon according to data provider LSEG. Devon shares dropped 1% during the first 30 minutes of Friday's trading amid a wider market sell-off.
Occidental Petroleum predicts flat production and lower spending in 2026
Occidental Petroleum, an oil and gas company, said Tuesday that it expects a flat growth in production and lower spending than the current year levels by 2026 as crude prices fall. The U.S. shale oil producers are coping with a global oil crisis, as prices remain in the $60 per barrel range. This is due to OPEC+ production increases and a slowing of global demand. Benchmark Brent crude prices have fallen by about 12.7% this year. Sunil Mathew, Chief Financial officer of Occidental…
ConocoPhillips lifts dividend, raises output forecast after profit beat
ConocoPhillips increased its quarterly dividend on Thursday and raised its full-year production projection after posting earnings that were above expectations in the third quarter, thanks to lower costs and higher output which offset weaker oil price. In premarket trading, shares of the United States' largest independent oil and natural gas producer rose by 1.5%. The company's efforts to streamline operations, cut costs and save more than $1 billion…
Ovintiv expands its Montney shale business with NuVista $2.7 billion deal
Ovintiv announced on Tuesday that it will buy the remainder of NuVista in a cash and stock deal valued at $2.7 Billion, including debt. This move will strengthen the presence of the Canadian shale producers in the Montney basin. The North American firm acquired oil assets in the Montney Shale from Canadian company Paramount Resources for $2.38 Billion in cash last year. The company said that it also planned to start a divestiture for its Anadarko assets, which they expect to finish by the end 2026. The proceeds will be used to reduce debt.
Occidental reduces debt by selling Berkshire's chemicals unit for $9.7 billion
Occidental Petroleum announced on Thursday that it will sell OxyChem, its chemicals division, to Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, for $9.7 Billion. This is the largest divestment to date to reduce debt following years of expensive acquisitions. The deal would be Berkshire's largest since the $11.6 billion acquisition of Alleghany Corporation by Berkshire in 2022. It would also expand the chemical portfolio of Berkshire beyond Lubrizol. Berkshire, Occidental’s largest shareholder, began acquiring stakes in the U.S. producer of oil and gas in February 2022.
WSJ reports that Berkshire is in negotiations to purchase OxyChem from Occidental for around $10 billion.
The Wall Street Journal, citing sources familiar with the situation, reported Tuesday that Berkshire Hathaway was in discussions to purchase Occidental Petroleum’s petrochemical division for around $10 billion. The sale of OxyChem, which provides products for sectors like medical care, food safety and construction, will add to the series of divestitures that the U.S. Oil and Gas producer has made in recent years. Occidental, where Berkshire already holds the majority stake, is struggling with a heavy amount of debt.
TotalEnergies sells 50% of its North American solar portfolio and invests in U.S. Gas assets
TotalEnergies said it would sell half of its North American solar portfolio for $950 million in a deal announced on Monday. It also stated that it plans to invest in US gas-producing assets, which will help it secure future supplies. The sale of the stakes is in line with the strategy of the French oil giant to develop renewable energy projects, then sell them to raise cash to invest in its natural gas portfolio. The company announced that it would receive $950 millions from the sale of its assets to investment firm KKR, as well as a refinancing by a bank.
Coterra Energy's profit beats expectations in the second quarter due to higher gas prices and strong output
Coterra Energy beat Wall Street expectations for the second quarter profit on Monday as higher production volumes, a rebound of U.S. Natural Gas prices and lower oil prices were offset. Houston-based shale producers benefited from increased production across the Permian basin and Anadarko Basin. The total production increased to 783.900 barrels equivalent of oil per day (boepd), from 669.200 boepd, during the second quarter. The production gains helped boost results but were partly offset by lower crude prices.
Sources say that ConocoPhillips is close to selling Oklahoma assets to Stone Ridge Energy.
Three people with knowledge of the situation said on Tuesday that ConocoPhillips, a U.S. oil producer and gas company, is in advanced discussions to sell assets in Oklahoma for $1.3 billion to Stone Ridge Energy. One source said that Oklahoma City's Flywheel Energy will manage the assets for Stone Ridge Energy. Sources cautioned, however, that there is no guarantee of a deal and the talks could end without an agreement. The sources also spoke under condition of anonymity in order to discuss private discussions. ConocoPhillips refused to comment.
Sierra Leone is West Africa's new oil and gas frontier
A senior government official announced on Thursday that Sierra Leone would wait to see the results of its recently launched offshore 3D seismic study, its first for over a decade. This will allow it to open its next round of oil and gas licenses later this year. GeoPartners, in partnership with the petroleum directorate of the government, began the six-week survey last month to reduce the risk associated with exploration in the offshore basin of Sierra Leone. Foday Mansaray is the director general of the Sierra Leone Petroleum Directorate.
ConocoPhillips is looking to sell assets in Oklahoma worth more than $1 billion, according to sources
People familiar with the situation said that ConocoPhillips has begun exploring the possibility of selling oil and gas assets it acquired from Marathon Oil when it bought the company for $22.5 billion last year. Sources said that the energy producer hired Moelis & Co as an investment bank to manage the sale of the assets. However, they added that talks were at a very early stage, and a deal was not guaranteed. Sources, who requested anonymity because the discussions are confidential…
Sources: Validus Energy will buy natural gas producer, 89 Energy III, for $850 Million.
Sources familiar with the deal said that Validus Energy, a privately owned U.S. gas and oil producer, has agreed to purchase 89 Energy III, a rival company, for $850 million including debt. According to sources, the deal will add more than 25,000 barrels equivalent to oil per day to Validus’s growing footprint in Oklahoma's Anadarko Shale Basin, making it one of the biggest private players in U.S. Mid-Continent region oil. According to its website, 89 Energy III produces 70% gas.
Coterra Energy misses its profit forecast as oil and gas prices fall
Coterra Energy, a U.S. oil-and-gas producer, missed Wall Street's expectations for the third quarter profit on Thursday because of lower commodity prices. The benchmark natural gas price remained low for most of the third quarter due to high storage levels and weak demand. Energy Information Administration (EIA) expects U.S. Gas Production to Decline in 2024 for the First Time Since 2020 as Producers like Coterra reduced their output following prices that reached multi-decade Lows.
Sources say that the owner of energy producer Maverick is interested in selling it for $3 billion.
According to sources familiar with the situation, the private equity owner of Maverick Natural Resources has been exploring the possibility of selling the U.S. oil-and-gas producer for a price that would be around $3 billion including debt. Sources said that the Houston-based exploration company, owned by the energy-focused investment group EIG, was working with Jefferies investment bankers on the sale process. They requested anonymity because the discussions were confidential.
Occidental Petroleum Jumps into Acquisition Mode
Occidental Petroleum said on Monday it would buy energy producer CrownRock in a cash-and-stock deal valued at $12 billion including debt, expanding in the lucrative Permian basin.Investors are pressing oil and gas producers to expand their inventories following Exxon Mobil's $60 billion deal for Pioneer Natural Resources and Chevron's $53 billion agreement for Hess in October.Occidental will finance the purchase of privately-held oil and gas producer CrownRock with $9.1 billion of new debt…
Total Secures $14.4 Bln Funding for Mozambique LNG
French energy major Total has secured $14.4 billion funding for its Mozambique liquefied natural gas project in Mozambique, two sources said on Wednesday.A source with knowledge of the matter said Total has reached a financing agreement with a group that includes around 20 lenders for the first phase of senior debt funding of $14.4 billion. The source did not specify the name of the banks involved in the financial arrangement.Total declined to comment.
EXIM Bank Amends Mozambique LNG Loan. Earmarks $1.8B for Offshore Work
The U.S. EXIM Bank has amended its previously approved September 2019 direct loan supporting U.S. exports for the development and construction of the Total-operated LNG project located on the Afungi Peninsula in northern Mozambique.The original scope of the $4.7 billion loan for the project has been amended from exclusively the onshore portion of the LNG plant and related facilities to also allocate an estimated $1.8 billion to support the project’s offshore production.
Occidental Posts $2.2B Loss, Deepens Spending Cuts
Occidental Petroleum Corp on Tuesday swung to a first-quarter loss on writedowns and charges, and the troubled U.S. oil producer cut its budget for the third time since March in response to a historic oil-price crash.The company has been struggling with debt taken on in last year's $38 billion acquisition of Anadarko Petroleum, an ill-timed bet on rising shale oil prices ahead of a market dive.Global energy demand has tumbled amid coronavirus-related travel and business restrictions and a glut of oil from a price war. U.S.
Upstream Sector Leads O&A M&A in 2019
A latest research revealed that the upstream sector accounted for the bulk of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the global oil and gas industry in 2019, generating some high-value transactions during the process.According to GlobalData's theme report, ‘M&A in Oil and Gas – 2020’, the acquisition of Anadarko Petroleum by Occidental Petroleum in April 2019 for a purchase consideration of US$57bn was the highlight of oil and gas M&A activity last year…