Two Drillers Selling Off Appalachian Assets
Noble Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NBL) ("Noble Energy" or "the Company") today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to divest all of its upstream assets in northern West Virginia and southern Pennsylvania to an undisclosed buyer for a total amount of $1.225 billion. The amount includes upfront cash of $1.125 billion and an additional contingent amount of $100 million, structured as three separate payments of $33.3 million. The contingent payments to the Company are in effect should the average annual price realization at Dominion South exceed $3.30 per million Btu in the individual annual periods from 2018 through 2020.
David L. Stover, Noble Energy's Chairman, President and CEO, commented "The Marcellus has been a strong performer for Noble Energy over the last few years, which is a direct result of the success of our employees' efforts. During the same time period, we have also significantly expanded the inventory of investment opportunities in our liquids-rich, higher-margin onshore assets, which has led us to now divest our Marcellus position. This enables us to further focus our organization on our highest-return areas that will deliver industry-leading U.S. onshore volume and cash flow growth. This transaction also provides proceeds already exceeding our target for 2017, with several opportunities for additional proceeds ahead of us this year."From PDC Energy's 1st quarter results press release:
The Company anticipates 2017 production to be within the top-third of its previously disclosed guidance range of 30 to 33 MMBoe with 2017 capital investments expected to be in the top half of its $725 to $775 million range. Additionally, the Company plans to pursue the 2017 divestiture of it Utica Shale asset in order to provide additional focus to its premier Core Wattenberg and Delaware Basin assets.
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