Royal Dutch Shell (ticker: RDS.A) is shifting around its U.S. onshore assets.
Yesterday, the company announced it will acquire 155,000 net acres in the Pennsylvania Marcellus and Utica from Ultra Petroleum (ticker: UPL). Ultra agreed to pay Shell $925 million for 100% of Shell’s Pinedale asset in Wyoming.
In separate agreement, Shell has agreed to sell 100% of its Haynesville asset in Louisiana for $1.2 billion to Vine Oil & Gas LP and Blackstone.
“We continue to restructure and focus our North America shale oil and gas portfolio to deliver the most value in the longer term. With this announcement we are adding highly attractive exploration acreage, where we have impressive well results in the Utica, and divesting our more mature, Pinedale and Haynesville dry gas positions,” said Marvin Odum, Shell’s Upstream Americas Director in a company news release.
During the first half of 2014, Ultra’s net production from its divested Pennsylvania assets Shell averaged 109 MMcf/d (19 MBOEPD). The Shell net production from Pinedale in the second quarter 2014 was 190 MMcf/d of dry gas (32 MBOEPD).
Shell’s Pinedale asset (which includes 19,000 net acres of leasehold interest, 1,108 gross wells and associated facilities, and an average of 0.7 percent overriding royalty interest in 11,500 acres) will be exchanged for cash and Ultra’s 100 % interest in the Marshlands area (63,000 net acres) as well as its entire interest (92,000 net acres) in the Tioga Area of Mutual Interest (AMI), an unincorporated joint venture with Shell. After completion of this transaction, Shell will have a 100 percent interest in the Tioga AMI. The agreement is effective April 1, 2014, and is expected to close this year.
Shell’s Haynesville asset includes 107,000 net acres in in north Louisiana. The transaction includes 418 producing wells, 193 of them operated by Shell. As of 1 July 2014, the gross production from the Haynesville asset was approximately 700 MMcf/d of dry gas, with Shell’s net working interest share at approximately 250 MMcf/d (43 MBOEPD). The agreement is effective July 1, 2014, and is expected to close in Q4’14.
The sales are part of Shell’s larger plan to shed $15 billion in assets around the world, according to PetroGlobal News.
[sam_ad id=”32″ codes=”true”]
Important disclosures: The information provided herein is believed to be reliable; however, EnerCom, Inc. makes no representation or warranty as to its completeness or accuracy. EnerCom’s conclusions are based upon information gathered from sources deemed to be reliable. This note is not intended as an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any security or financial instrument of any company mentioned in this note. This note was prepared for general circulation and does not provide investment recommendations specific to individual investors. All readers of the note must make their own investment decisions based upon their specific investment objectives and financial situation utilizing their own financial advisors as they deem necessary. Investors should consider a company’s entire financial and operational structure in making any investment decisions. Past performance of any company discussed in this note should not be taken as an indication or guarantee of future results. EnerCom is a multi-disciplined management consulting services firm that regularly intends to seek business, or currently may be undertaking business, with companies covered on Oil & Gas 360®, and thereby seeks to receive compensation from these companies for its services. In addition, EnerCom, or its principals or employees, may have an economic interest in any of these companies. As a result, readers of EnerCom’s Oil & Gas 360® should be aware that the firm may have a conflict of interest that could affect the objectivity of this note. The company or companies covered in this note did not review the note prior to publication. EnerCom, or its principals or employees, may have an economic interest in any of the companies covered in this report or on Oil & Gas 360®. As a result, readers of EnerCom’s reports or Oil & Gas 360® should be aware that the firm may have a conflict of interest that could affect the objectivity of this report. A member of EnerCom, Inc. has a long only position in Shell.
