Rockies-focused producer Caerus Oil and Gas sold to Quantum Capital Group through two transactions valued at $1.8 billion.

The transactions include Caerus’ footprint of upstream and midstream assets spanning across the Piceance Basin in western Colorado and the Uinta Basin in eastern Utah. The deals also include the assumption of Caerus’ asset-backed securities and other liabilities.

Caerus is owned by a private investor group including Oaktree Capital Management, The Anschutz Corporation and Old Ironsides Energy.

Piceance Basin

A newly formed Quantum portfolio company, QB Energy, will acquire and manage Caerus’ asset base in the Piceance Basin, where the company held approximately 600,000 acres.

QB Energy will be led by industry veteran Roger Biemans, who will serve as president and CEO.

Caerus
Caerus Oil and Gas has assets in the Piceance Basin of western Colorado and the Uinta Basin of eastern Utah. (Displayed: Horizontal oil (green) and gas (red) wells operated by Caerus, according to Rextag data). (Source: Rextag).

“The Piceance assets represent the largest single asset base atop the second largest gas resource in the continental U.S.,” Biemans said. “QB Energy is acquiring a shallow-decline production base with several decades of repeatable drilling inventory and intends to employ a number of Caerus’ existing capable workforce to ensure continuity in both the field and local communities.”


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Uinta Basin

KODA Resources, an existing Quantum portfolio company, will acquire Caerus’ portfolio of approximately 160,000 acres in the Uinta Basin, the companies announced Aug. 19. KODA will also pick up Caerus’ gathering and compression midstream assets in the Uinta.

“KODA has spent years decoding subsurface intricacies of the Uinta gas window, and we believe we are uniquely qualified to assume operatorship and further develop this high-quality production base adjacent to our existing acreage,” said Osman Apaydin, CEO of KODA Resources.

The Uinta Basin has seen increased drilling and consolidation activity this year. In June, SM Energy and Northern Oil & Gas (NOG) teamed up to acquire leading private Uinta producer XCL Resources for $2.55 billion.

NOG will own a 20% undivided stake in XCL valued at $510 million; SM will own the remaining 80% and operate the XCL assets.


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