D–J Basin

Private Equity: Seeking ‘Scottie Pippen’ Plays, If Not Another Michael Jordan

The Permian’s Tier 1 acreage opportunities for startup E&Ps are dwindling. Investors are beginning to look elsewhere.

January 24, 2024

Prairie Operating Acquires More D-J Basin Assets for $94.5MM

Houston-based Prairie Operating Co. is scaling its D-J Basin footprint with a $94.5 million acquisition of Nickel Road Operating LLC.

January 15, 2024

PE-backed Ellipsis Acquires Interests in Permian, Other US Basins

Ellipsis U.S. Onshore, backed by private equity firm Westlawn Group, bolted on more assets in the Permian Basin and expanded its reach into Colorado and Louisiana.

January 3, 2024

Shale Outlook: Scarce Inventory to Drive Upstream M&A in ‘24

Permian Basin well productivity has trended down. Top-tier drilling locations are scarce. Capital is at a premium. E&Ps need low-cost inventory and scale, and they’re willing to pay big bucks to get them.

December 26, 2023

Analysts: Will Occidental Sell in GoM, Rockies After $12B Permian Deal?

As Occidental spends $12 billion to add scale in the Midland Basin, analysts wonder if the E&P will divest assets in the Gulf of Mexico, the Rockies or other parts of its portfolio.

December 18, 2023

Chevron Plans $6.5 Billion US Shale Capex, Permian Growth in ‘24

California major Chevron Corp. is setting aside $6.5 billion to develop its U.S. shale portfolio next year, with the bulk of the spend allocated in the Permian Basin.

December 8, 2023

Chevron CEO: Upstream Returns to be ‘Structurally Higher’ than Downstream

Chevron’s $53 billion acquisition of Hess Corp. will concentrate the California major even further in upstream oil and gas production—the part of its portfolio where Chevron sees the most future upside.

November 1, 2023

Which Assets Will Chevron Shop After $53B Hess Deal?

Chevron is entering the Bakken Shale play in a big way through its $53 billion acquisition of Hess Corp. After closing, will the supermajor be in North Dakota to stay?

October 26, 2023

Silencing the Doubters: Occidental CEO Vicki Hollub Lauded for Anadarko Deal

Four years after acquiring Anadarko Petroleum, Occidental CEO Vicki Hollub has proved her critics wrong, and she credits the deal with carrying the company through the depths of the pandemic.

October 20, 2023

Civitas Resources $1B Senior Notes Offering to Fund Vencer Acquisition

The unsecured notes offering will finance Civitas Resources’ Vencer Energy acquisition, another funding step in the company’s multibillion dollar expansion into the Permian Basin.

October 11, 2023