Chesapeake & Southwestern Very Close to Announcing $17B Merger

In mid-October, the rumor mill kicked into high gear with talk that Chesapeake Energy was sniffing around a merger with Southwestern Energy (see Chesapeake Energy Exploring a Merger with Southwestern Energy). Both Chesapeake and Southwestern have significant, long-time Marcellus assets (in Pennsylvania), and both have added new assets in the Louisiana Haynesville in recent years….

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24 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Dec 18 – 31

We are catching up on permits issued…for the last two weeks of December. Normally we cover permits issued for a single week. This report covers permits issued for the two weeks covering Dec. 18 – 31. Perhaps it’s a good thing we’re reporting on two weeks as Ohio’s ODNR seems to have taken the last…

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Stock Performance for Gas-Focused E&Ps (M-U Drillers) in 2023

How was 2023 with respect to the return on investment (ROI) in the stocks of gas-focused (largely Marcellus/Utica) drillers? Of the three classes of O&G companies — oil-focused, diversified, and gas-focused — it was the gas-focused drillers who had the best stock returns in 2023, according to an analysis by RBN Energy. Gas-weighted E&Ps posted…

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EQT Looks to Sell Non-Op Assets in Northeast PA for $3 Billion

Reuters is reporting a rumor, based on “people familiar with the matter,” that EQT Corporation, the largest natural gas driller in the United States (by production), is shopping its 25% non-operated interest in a number of producing gas wells in northeastern Pennsylvania for $3 billion. Chesapeake Energy is the majority owner and operator of the…

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25 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Nov 27 – Dec 3

New shale permits issued for Nov 27 – Dec 3 in the Marcellus/Utica were much improved over the previous few weeks. There were 25 new permits issued last week versus 14 issued two weeks ago and just one new permit three weeks ago. So the trend is our friend! Last week’s permit tally included 15…

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DUG Appalachia: Chesapeake Delighted with M-U and Haynesville

Chesapeake Energy is a stellar turnaround story. Years of mountainous debt pushed the company into bankruptcy in June 2020 (see Chesapeake Files for Bankruptcy – Debtors to Take Ownership). After Chessy exited bankruptcy, the new owners booted CEO Doug Lawler in April of 2021 (see Doug Lawler Out as CEO of Chesapeake Energy). Lawler tried…

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M-U Driller Profits Bounce Back into the Black for 3Q23

It’s been a financial roller coaster for oil and gas drillers over the past 15 years. Investors in shale oil and gas companies suffered for years with little or no returns for their invested money. Five of eight large Marcellus/Utica drillers saw their share prices decrease by an astonishing 85% or more from 2008 to…

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Corporate Raider Kimmeridge Likes a Chesapeake/Southwestern Merger

A month ago, MDN shared the rumor that Chesapeake Energy Corporation is sniffing around Southwestern Energy, looking to buy out and merge in its closest O&G peer (see Chesapeake Energy Exploring a Merger with Southwestern Energy). One of Chesapeake’s largest investors, Kimmeridge Energy Management Co. — what the financial industry calls an “activist investor” (which…

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22 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Nov 6 – 12

New shale permits issued for Nov 6 – 12 in the Marcellus/Utica slipped but still turned in a respectable number. There were 22 new permits issued last week, versus 37 issued the week before. Last week’s permit tally included 6 new permits in Pennsylvania, 16 new permits in Ohio, and no new permits in West…

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37 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Oct 30 – Nov 5

New shale permits issued for Oct 30 – Nov 5 in the Marcellus/Utica saw a significant increase. It almost felt like old times again! There were 37 new permits issued last week, versus 26 the week before. Last week’s permit tally included 24 new permits in Pennsylvania, 11 new permits in Ohio, and 2 new…

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26 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Oct 23 – 29

New shale permits issued for Oct 23 – 29 in the Marcellus/Utica increased again. There were 26 new permits issued last week, versus 22 the week before. Last week’s permit tally included 18 new permits in Pennsylvania, 7 new permits in Ohio, and 1 new permit in West Virginia. Coterra Energy was the top permittee…

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Chesapeake 3Q Production Down, Continued Focus on LNG Exports

Chesapeake Energy Corporation, the country’s third largest publicly-traded natural gas producer, issued its third quarter 2023 update yesterday. The company reports a profit of $70 million in net income during 3Q23, down from $883 million in 3Q22. The drop was due to lower gas prices and less production. Second quarter net production was 3,495 MMcfe…

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Chesapeake Energy Signs Vitol to LNG Contract for 15 Years

In March, Chesapeake Energy announced a 15-year deal to provide natural gas for LNG exports to Gunvor Singapore Pte (see Chesapeake Cuts Back on Marcellus, Signs Haynesville LNG Deal). In an interview with S&P Global Commodity Insights at the time, Chesapeake CEO Nick Dell’Osso expressed the view that over the next several years, as much…

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22 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Oct 16 – 22

New shale permits issued for Oct 16 – 22 in the Marcellus/Utica rebounded. There were 22 new permits issued last week, versus 14 the week before. Last week’s permit tally included 17 new permits in Pennsylvania, 5 new permits in Ohio, and no new permits in West Virginia. Chesapeake Energy was the top permittee for…

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Chesapeake Energy Exploring a Merger with Southwestern Energy

Oh boy, here we go again. The rumor mill is in overdrive. Reuters (which is pretty reliable with these kinds of reports) is reporting that Chesapeake Energy Corporation is sniffing around Southwestern Energy, looking to buy out and merge in its closest O&G peer. Both Chesapeake and Southwestern have significant, long-time Marcellus assets (in Pennsylvania),…

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