Pure-play Montney producer Advantage Energy is growing its core footprint with a CAD$450 million (USD$326.77 million) acquisition, the company said on June 10.

The transaction, with a private seller, is expected to add around 14,100 boe/d of incremental production, including 6,685 bbl/d oil, 810 bbl/d NGL and 39.7 MMcf/d natural gas.

The acquired acreage features multiple benches of gas and liquids resource across stacked Montney and Charlie Lake rights, Advantage said.

The deal adds more than 100 Tier 1 Charlie Lake drilling locations, representing more than 10 years of incremental inventory.

Advantage Energy Acquisition Map
Advantage Energy’s CAD$450 million acquisition adds over 100 undeveloped locations and 14,100 boe/d of production in Alberta and northeast British Columbia. (Source: Advantage Energy investor presentation)

The acquisition will be financed through a combination of common equity, convertible debt and an upsized credit facility.

Advantage is working with a syndicate of underwriters to raise gross proceeds of CA$65 million of subscription receipts and CA$125 million of convertible unsecured subordinated debentures; TD Securities Inc. and Scotiabank are serving as joint bookrunners.

The company also received commitments for an upsized CA$650 million revolving credit facility led by Scotiabank and jointly underwritten with National Bank of Canada and RBC Capital Markets.

Advantage expects the acquisition to be immediately accretive for most core metrics, including free cash flow, production per share and adjusted funds flow per share.

“Over the next 18 months, Advantage plans to maximize FCF by eliminating redundant infrastructure spending, integrating synergies, rerouting production, and reducing drilling capital,” the company said in a news release.

Advantage’s production averaged 66,020 boe/d (357.4 MMcf/d natural gas, 6,452 bbl/d liquids) during the first quarter, up 14% quarter-over-quarter.

Following the acquisition, the company anticipates annual production to grow by roughly 20% in 2024 and by 14% in 2025.

Advantage plans to keep production from the acquired Charlie Lake assets at current levels “for the foreseeable future” while prioritizing drilling projects for the highest return wells.

The acquisition is expected to close by the end of the month, pending closing conditions and the receipt of necessary regulatory approvals.

Liquids-rich shale inventory is being consolidated in oily basins across the U.S. Lower 48—particularly in the prolific Permian Basin.

As high-quality U.S. shale inventory becomes scarce and pricier, operators and experts are keeping a close eye on Canadian plays like the Montney and Duvernay shales.

The Montney and Duvernay are primarily natural gas and NGL plays with relatively small oil production.

Condensate production is also key to the value of Canadian shale production: Condensate is used as a diluent to blend Western Canadian Select, or WCS, one of North America’s largest heavy crude oil streams.

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