SM Energy Company (SM): Eagle Ford Shale Update

By Andrea: http://oilshalegas.com

SM Energy Company (SM) recently released an update on its position in the Eagle Ford Shale located in LaSalle County and Dimmit County, TX.

SM Energy Company has entered into an agreement with a subsidiary of Mitsui & Co., Ltd. concerning a 12.5% working interest in its non-operated Eagle Ford shale position. The Company will be carried on 90% of its drilling and completion costs (excluding costs associated with construction of mid-stream gathering assets) in this acreage until $680 million has been expended for the benefit of SM Energy. The purchaser will also reimburse SM Energy for the purchaser's share of capital expenditures and other costs, net of revenues, related to the period between the effective date of March 1, 2011, and the closing date. These reimbursed costs (net of revenues), estimated to range between $20 and $40 million, will be payable to SM Energy at closing and the Company will apply these funds to the remaining 10% of SM Energy's drilling and completion costs in this acreage. As a result, the Company will effectively be 100% carried until this reimbursement amount is exhausted. Once the reimbursement dollars have been expended, the Company will remain 90% carried until the remaining portion of the $680 million carry has been spent. The purchaser will also reimburse SM Energy for 50% of the Company's total capital investment expenditures in the related mid-stream assets in which the purchaser is acquiring an interest. This reimbursement is estimated to range between $20 and $30 million. The use of the reimbursement proceeds related to the mid-stream assets is not restricted and the proceeds will be treated as proceeds from divestitures in the Company's consolidated financial statements. Closing is anticipated to occur during the third quarter of 2011 and is subject to customary closing conditions and transaction fees.

After the closing of this transaction, SM Energy will have approximately 46,000 net acres in the non-operated portion of its Eagle Ford shale position, down from roughly 85,000 net acres. The Company's average working interest in this acreage will be reduced from approximately 27% to 14.5%. Reported average daily production from the Company's total non-operated Eagle Ford shale position at the end of the first quarter was 43.5 MMCFE/D (42% oil, 36% natural gas, and 22% NGLs). Proved reserves associated with the Company's total non-operated Eagle Ford shale position as of December 31, 2010 were 52 BCFE (52% proved undeveloped).

SM Energy will have roughly 196,000 net acres in the Eagle Ford shale, of which approximately 75% will be operated by the Company, after this transaction and the previously announced divestiture of Eagle Ford assets in LaSalle and Dimmit Counties, Texas are consummated. The size and timing of these transactions vary from the assumptions made in the Company's issued guidance, as these transactions are expected to close later in the year than originally anticipated and SM Energy is retaining a larger position in the Eagle Ford than was originally assumed. As a result, reported production and capital expenditures for the year will exceed the Company's currently published guidance. The Company will provide full capital, production, and cost guidance updates for the remainder of 2011, as well as preliminary capital and production guidance for 2012 in its second quarter earnings release.

SM Energy was advised on the transaction by Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

Tony Best, President and CEO, remarked, "I am pleased to announce the final phase of our planned Eagle Ford sell down effort. Combined with our previously announced LaSalle and Dimmit Counties Eagle Ford divestiture, we are generating nearly $1 billion in funds that will allow us to further develop our Eagle Ford assets while locking in some solid returns and maintaining a strong balance sheet. This specific transaction allows us to continue participating in the development of high value Eagle Ford assets, while providing us more control over our capital investment decisions."

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La Salle County, TX: Eagle Ford Shale Update

By Andrea: http://oilshalegas.com


SM Energy Company (SM) recently released an operational update on the Eagle Ford Shale located in Webb and LaSalle County,TX:

SM Energy Company (SM) plans to begin 2011 operating two (2) drilling rigs on its high working interest 165,000 net acre position in Webb and La Salle counties in South Texas. Over the course of the year, the Company plans to ramp its operated rig count to four (4) drilling rigs, the vast majority of which will target portions of the acreage containing rich gas and condensate. Most of the wells planned for the year will be in the Briscoe and Galvan Ranch program areas where SM Energy has been active during 2010. A higher level of activity is also planned for La Salle County, Texas in order to de-risk and delineate that portion of the Company's acreage. In addition, a number of projects such as retained energy fracture stimulations and reduced spacing pilots are planned for next year across the play. Projects in the Eagle Ford shale program make up the largest portion of the Company's facilities budget of $65 million.

In the partner-operated portion of SM Energy's 84,500 net acre position prospective for the Eagle Ford shale, seven (7) rigs are currently being operated by the Company's partner, Anadarko Petroleum Company (APC). For 2011, SM Energy anticipates that Anadarko will operate an average of ten (10) rigs for the year.

SM Energy has allocated approximately $500 million for drilling investment in its total Eagle Ford shale position for 2011. Based on the activity levels contemplated above, capital expenditures net to the Company would be in excess of this amount next year. The Company is initiating a marketing process to sell down or joint venture a portion of its total position in the play, which will lead to a smaller amount of net investment in 2011. Bank of America Merrill Lynch has been engaged to market the Eagle Ford shale package on behalf of the Company. Although details of the composition of the sale package are still being determined, SM Energy currently estimates that it will sell roughly 20% to 30% of its total acreage position and that as a result the net spending for 2011 will be approximately $500 million after adjusting for capital expenditures associated with divested properties and possible drilling carries.

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Enterprise Product Partners (EPD) and Chesapeake Energy Corp (CHK): Eagle Ford Shale Update

By Andrea: http://oilshalegas.com

Enterprise Products Partners L.P. (EPD) recently announced that they recently entered into a 10-year agreement with Chesapeake Energy Corp. (CHK) to handle a large portion of their natural gas production in the Eagle Ford Shale:

Chesapeake's gross acreage position currently comprises more than 625,000 acres in and around the oil and natural gas liquids - rich areas of the Eagle Ford Shale across Dimmit, LaSalle, McMullen, Webb, and Zavala counties located in South Texas. The agreements provide Chesapeake with a comprehensive package of midstream natural gas and NGL services, including firm commitments for gas transportation, processing, and NGL transportation and fractionation services.

"We are extremely pleased with our new agreements with Chesapeake, which represent one of the largest single producer commitments to date for Enterprise in the Eagle Ford Shale," said Michael A. Creel, Enterprise's president and chief executive officer. "The deal with Chesapeake marks the fifth major midstream transaction Enterprise has executed with Eagle Ford Shale producers in the past year, reflecting the strategic importance of our integrated and expanding assets serving the various demands of producers in the prolific region."

Enterprise has previously announced long-term commitments with Petrohawk, EOG, Anadarko and Pioneer.

Chesapeake's NGL-rich natural gas will initially be gathered and compressed by Chesapeake affiliate, Chesapeake Midstream Development, LLC, for delivery to a central location. Enterprise will then transport and process the NGL-rich gas at its existing facilities while a previously announced natural gas processing plant that is currently under development in Texas is completed. This cryogenic processing facility, expected to be completed early in 2012, is designed for an initial capacity of 600 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) and with an initial capability to extract as many as 75,000 barrels per day (BPD) of NGLs.

The NGL production from Chesapeake's gas will ultimately be transported on Enterprise's previously announced 127-mile NGL pipeline that will extend from the new gas processing plant to Enterprise's NGL fractionation complex in Mont Belvieu, Texas. This new NGL pipeline, also scheduled for completion in early 2012, is expected to have an initial capacity of more than 85,000 BPD and would be readily expandable to over 120,000 BPD.

Activity in the Eagle Ford Shale continues to increase as approximately 115 rigs working in the play have drilled more than 330 wells completed to date. Total current production from the play is estimated at approximately 425 MMcf/d of natural gas and 35,000 BPD of crude oil and condensate.

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Carrizo Oil and Gas Inc. - Eagle Ford Shale Update

By Andrea: http://oilshalegas.com

Carrizo Oil and Gas Inc. (CRZO) recently released an operational update on the Eagle Ford Shale, located in La Salle County, Texas:

During the third quarter, the company drilled and cased three Eagle Ford Shale horizontal wells and is currently drilling the horizontal leg in a fourth. Following the completion of drilling and casing activities on this well, the drilling rig will be moved to a location in close proximity to the El Paso Hixon #1 to spud a fifth well. The first three wells are being prepared for hydraulic fracture stimulation, which is expected to begin in the third week of October. The fourth and fifth wells are expected to be stimulated and completed in succession following the completion of the first three. These Eagle Ford wells are all located in the condensate window in central La Salle County, Texas.

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Petrohawk Energy (HK): Eagle Ford Shale

By Andrea: http://oilshalegas.com

Petrohawk Energy (HK) announced that they foresee a positive future in their Eagle Ford Shale sector in their 2010 Earnings call:

"Also, we expect to see a meaningful oil production component grow, fueled from new areas of our portfolio. Our growing Black Hawk area in the Eagle Ford Shale and our Red Hawk project, also in Eagle Ford Shale, should provide for this growth. This could bring the oil component of production to approximately 5% by year end and possibly much higher in future years. We will look for these higher-margin oil areas to meaningfully support cash flow growth and organic reserve growth."

The growing company experienced their highest level of operating activity in the Eagle Ford Shale to date. Last quarter, they operated an average of 7.5 rigs and drilled 19 wells, 11 in Hawkville, seven in Black Hawk and one in Red Hawk.

Petroawk Energy (HK) announced their first Eagle Ford Shale play in late 2008. It was founded at a depth of approximately 11,000-12,000 feet. The counties where they currently operate Eagle Ford Shale include LaSalle County, TX, McMullen County, TX and DeWitt County, TX. Prospective counties include Redhawk and Zavala County, TX.

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