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EnCap Investments looks for sale of Utah oil manufacturer XCL Resources, sources state

EnCap Investments is looking for to offer XCL Resources, four individuals acquainted with the matter said, 2 years after the private equity firm's plan to combine the oil and gas manufacturer with a local competitor was prevented by U.S. antitrust regulators.

XCL, among the biggest energy producers in the Uinta shale formation of Utah, might be worth at least $2.8 billion consisting of financial obligation, and might accomplish a greater assessment when representing its undeveloped possessions, the sources said.

Investment lenders at Jefferies Financial Group are running the sale procedure for XCL, which started earlier this month, the sources added, requesting anonymity since the matter is personal.

An EnCap spokesperson decreased remark, as did a Jefferies representative. XCL and Rice Financial Investment Group, which owns a. minority position in XCL, did not respond to requests for. remark.

EnCap initially bought XCL in 2018 with a $400 million. capital dedication. XCL has around 45,000 net acres in the. Uinta, according to its site.

The company produces around 55,000 barrels of oil equivalent. daily, the sources stated. XCL also owns possessions used for. transporting water using in energy production. A sand mine the. company is developing to source the material used in the. fracking procedure to burst rock will be online later on this. year.

The kind of oil drawn out in the Uinta is unlike any other. unrefined grade found in the United States, with a waxy consistency. and a high paraffin material, according to Utah's Department of. Environmental Quality.

EnCap concurred in August 2021 to buy EP Energy, which had. properties in the Uinta and South Texas, for $1.5 billion, with the. objective of merging EP's Uinta possessions with XCL.

The Federal Trade Commission threatened to sue and. obstruct the deal over fears it would minimize competition and lead. to higher prices for Utah customers. Crescent Energy. gotten EP's Uinta possessions in 2022 rather.

A brand-new suitor for XCL may not face the same antitrust. obstacles. The FTC stated earlier this month the Uinta Basin's. competitive landscape had altered significantly considering that the. aborted EP deal, as more oil production and an increased number. of operators decreased the danger of manufacturers raising rates. unilaterally.

U.S. oil and gas manufacturers went on a $192 billion buying. spree in 2023, making the most of acquirers' high stock costs. to secure lower-cost reserves. The FTC is now scrutinizing numerous. of these deals.

(source: Reuters)