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Potential Deal for $5 Billion: Tug Hill and Quantum Energy Seek Sale
07/25/2022
Undisclosed industry sources said that THQ Appalachia I LLC (Tug Hill and Quantum Energy) is seeking a sale of the U.S. natural gas producer for more than $5 billion, including debt.
To run the sale process, which kicked off earlier this month, an investment bank has been hired for the company backed by Tug Hill Operating and private equity firm Quantum Energy Partners.
Mainly operating in the Marshall and Wetzel counties in West Virginia, THQ Appalachia has net production of around 760 MMcf/d.
Despite volatility in commodity markets which has made the valuation of energy producers tougher, THQ Appalachia is anticipating more than $5 billion due to the worth of its existing production and the possible value of its undeveloped acreage, the sources said on June 17.
Tug Hill Operating is a privately held, independent oil & gas exploration company focused on drilling and producing oil and clean-burning natural gas in the continental United States.
Tug Hill Operating plans to continue to grow in these areas through select strategic acquisitions and leasing efforts. Moreover, the company maintains an extensive non-operated asset position in Northeast Pennsylvania in the tier 1 Marcellus where Tug Hill or its team have drilled and/or participated in over 850 wells since 2007.
The company focuses on operational and detailed analysis, with all decisions underpinned by deep technical and financial evaluation. The senior team has acquired, operated, developed, and managed E&P assets in nearly every major US Domestic basin and has a proven track record of managing large-scale assets.
Founded in 1998, Quantum Energy Partners is a leading global provider of private capital to the responsibly sourced energy and energy transition & decarbonization sectors, what we call the Sustainable Energy Ecosystem. Quantum Innovation Fund invests in transformative technology-based businesses focused on the energy and sustainability sectors. It can provide early-stage companies with differentiated strategic insights and access. The company has significant experience coaching and mentoring founders to “cross the chasm” and build businesses of significant scale.
Additionally to purchasing THQ Appalachia, possible bidders in the sale process also have the opportunity to buy XcL Midstream, the pipeline firm that moves the company’s gas to market and has the same CEO as in Tug Hill. If the same buyer chooses to purchase XcL, the deal consideration will increase further.
However, the anonymous sources admitted that the sale depends on the market conditions and is not guaranteed since Tug Hill and Quantum could ultimately decide to retain some or all of THQ Appalachia and XcL’s assets. Tug Hill and Quantum refused to comment on these statements and XcL did not respond to a comment request.
Meanwhile, in June U.S. natural gas futures traded at their highest level since 2008. The high commodity price levels are inspiring longstanding owners of privately-held gas producers to explore sales.
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Earthstone Expands Due to Acquisition of Titus’ Delaware
Earthstone Energy Inc., based in Texas, announced the transaction on June 28: the acquisition of Titus Oil&Gas which will raise production in the Delaware Basin by 26%. The $627 million acquisition fills the Permian Basin in Eddy and Lea counties, N.M. with 86 net locations on 7,900 net acres of leasehold, while it is not clear how much of the leasehold might be on federal acreage It is Earthstone’s seventh acquisition since 2021, a span that includes the closing of approximately $1.89 billion in acquisitions in the Permian Basin. The purchase of Titus Oil & Gas Production LLC and Titus Oil & Gas Production II LLC, privately held companies backed by NGP Energy Capital Management LLC, is estimated at $575 million in cash and it is the equivalent of $52 million in stock (3.9 million shares of its Class A common stock based on the June 24 closing price). Titus shared that its net production in June was 31,800 boe/d. The company had reserves of approximately 28.9 MMboe. Earthstone is sure its net production will increase, at the midpoint, by 20,500 boe/d (65% oil) in the fourth quarter.
DCP Midstream Expands Permian Basin Footprint with $160 Million Bolt-on Acquisition
A bolt-on acquisition of Woodland Midstream gathering and processing assets in the Permian Basin by DCP Midstream LP is under consideration and estimated at $160 million. According to a definitive agreement announced on June 14, DCP Midstream will get the James Lake System from Woodland Midstream II, a portfolio company of EIV Capital. DCP anticipates funding the bolt-on acquisition using cash on hand and borrowings under the company’s existing bank facilities. Since the James Lake System is situated within three miles of DCP’s Goldsmith processing facility in the Permian Basin, it provides the opportunity to maintain significant synergies and reduce the acquisition multiple over time. The System includes about 230 miles of gathering pipe and a 120 MMcf/d cryogenic processing facility, increasing DCP’s capacity and serving significant synergies with the company’s Goldsmith processing facility in Ector County, Texas. The James Lake System attends producers within the Permian’s Central Basin Platform in Ector, Andrews, and Winkler counties, Texas. It is expected that DCP also secures about 250,000 dedicated acres and the transaction itself is expected to be completed in the third quarter of the year. To ensure the fulfillment of this transaction: Holland & Hart LLP provides legal counsel to DCP; Intrepid Partners, LLC is a financial adviser and McDermott Will & Emery LLP is a legal advisor to Woodland Midstream II.
Kinetik Holdings recently announced a series of transactions in the energy sector. They struck a deal to buy Durango Permian infrastructure for $765 million. At the same time, they're selling their 16% share in the Gulf Coast Express Pipeline to ArcLight Capital Partners for $540 million. The total purchase cost includes $510 million in cash paid immediately and an additional $30 million that will be paid later, depending on whether they decide to expand further.
Recently, the Permian has seen significant acquisitions: Exxon Mobil purchased Pioneer Natural Resources for about $60 billion. Diamondback Energy's $26 billion deal to acquire Endeavor Energy Resources is currently on hold due to requests from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. Occidental’s acquisition of CrownRock for $12 billion in the Midland.
EOG Resources is pushing boundaries in Ohio's Utica oil play and now drilling on the Sable pad, also located in Noble County. This site features the 3.7-mile lateral currently under construction. The company's first multi-well pads in the area Timberwolf and Xavier have each produced over 200,000 barrels of oil since their inception—Timberwolf in August and Xavier in October. A third site, the four-well White Rhino pad in Noble County, is also showing promising early results, according to Keith Trasko, EOG’s Senior Vice President of Exploration and Production, who noted the wells are performing as expected in their initial weeks.