Oil India Eagle Ford Position Coming Soon?

January 16, 2012 R.T. Dukes

Oil India is out wining and dining Eagle Ford operators. The company announced it is looking for a minority stake of 20-30% in U.S. shale acreage and is looking at the Eagle Ford. Gail and Carrizo Inked an Eagle Ford JV in September of 2011 and Reliance and Pioneer inked a shale deal in 2010, so it's no surprise to see Oil India might want to follow suit. Oil India has spoken with ConocoPhillips and word hit the news wire early Monday. While it is not out of the realm of possibility, a joint-venture between the two companies would likely include much more than the $200-300 million investment Oil India is looking to make. Oil India might have assets it is willing to trade, but if not the company is much more likely to find a suitable partner in a company with a smaller acreage position. Using the $25,000 per acre price paid in the Hunt Oil -Marubeni Partnership announced two weeks ago, Oil India is in the market to buy 10,000-15,000 acres of prime Eagle Ford acreage. That's much less than 20-30% of Conoco's 220,000+ acres in the play. If the two companies reach an agreement, it will include additional consideration or it will be limited to a much smaller area than Conoco's current footprint in South Texas.

India's state-run explorer Oil India is in talks with U.S.-based companies, including ConocoPhillips, to buy stake in shale gas assets in the U.S., its head of finance T.K. Ananth Kumar said on Monday.
"We are in talks with some of the US-based companies and ConocoPhillips is one of them. They have met us," Kumar told Reuters.

Exporting Eagle Ford Gas is One Step Closer

December 26, 2011 R.T. Dukes

Cheniere Energy announced the week before Christmas that it has plans for a Texas natural gas export facility near Corpus Christi and that it reached a supply agreement with an Indian company for gas exported from the Sabine Pass export terminal in Louisiana. Through its Corpus Christi Liquefaction subsidiary, the company began the regulatory process for getting approval to add a 2 Bcf/d export facility in the La Quinta Channel on the Northeast side of Corpus Christi Bay in San Patricio County, TX. An export facility where operators can lock in higher gas prices for extended periods would expand commercial development of the Eagle Ford further into the dry gas window.

Cheniere Energy also added a supply agreement at its Sabine Pass facility. The company and GAIL Limited have agreed to a 20 year deal where the Indian company will purchase 3.5 mtpa or close to 500 mmcfd of gas at a price indexed to Henry Hub. The contract begins with the first commercial delivery.

GAIL signed an Eagle Ford JV agreement with Carrizo in September of 2011 and the deal with Cheniere is a big step in ensuring the company realizes better natural gas prices.

The Eagle Ford is largely supported by liquids (condensate, oil, NGLs) production, but better gas prices could open up the dry gas window to higher levels of development.

(Development) at one of Cheniere's existing sites that was previously permitted for a regasification terminal. The LNG export terminal site is located in San Patricio County, Texas, and it is anticipated that the terminal would be primarily supplied by reserves from the Eagle Ford Shale, located approximately sixty miles northwest of Corpus Christi. The proposed liquefaction project ("Corpus Christi Project") is being designed for up to three trains capable of producing in aggregate up to 13.5 million tonnes per annum ("mtpa").

Carrizo Oil & Gas Production Slowed by Gathering and Service Delays

November 8, 2011 R.T. Dukes

Carrizo Oil & Gas wells in the Eagle Ford continue to meet or exceed expectations, but delays in bringing on the company's gathering system held gas production levels below their potential. Service company equipment problems also led to delays. Even with third quarter delays, Carrizo is poised for strong Eagle Ford growth in the fourth quarter. The company has a corporate wide objective of reaching 5,000 bbls/d of oil by year-end. That's roughly double the company's average in the third quarter. South Texas wells will play an integral part in the company reaching that target.

The Gas Authority of India, Limited (GAIL) is a 20% working interest partner with Carrizo across over 20,000 net acres in the Eagle Ford. The Carrizo - Gail JV was announced at the end of September, 2011.

Production performance from new and recently completed wells in all our areas of operation continues to meet or exceed our expectations, as we brought on five gross Eagle Ford Shale, two Niobrara Formation and eight Barnett Shale wells in the third quarter. The largest contributor to our short-fall came from lower than forecasted production from our non-operated Barnett Shale properties and a steeper than anticipated decline in our approximately 10 Mmcfe per day of Gulf Coast production. Delays in the completion of gas gathering systems in the Eagle Ford and Marcellus Shales also negatively impacted our gas levels. Oil was within the range of our expectations despite delayed Eagle Ford Shale completions caused by a service company's equipment problems.
"Our expectation for the fourth quarter calls for a large increase in Eagle Ford Shale production as 13 gross new wells are scheduled to come on. Our first operated Marcellus production began from two gross wells in mid-October and gas production should benefit from the addition of three gross wells in December, all from Susquehanna County. Niobrara contribution should increase with the addition of two gross new wells that came on the last day of the third quarter and one additional gross well that should come on in December. The combined effect of these new wells, offset by the volumes associated with the interest in the Eagle Ford Shale properties transferred to GAIL (INDIA) LIMITED in our recently announced joint venture, leads to our guidance for in the quarter to range between 137 and 143 Mmcfe per day. We continue to believe that we will achieve our previous goal of 5,000 net barrels per day of oil production before the end of the quarter."

Read the full press release at crzo.net

GAIL - Carrizo Joint Venture Agreement in the Eagle Ford

September 29, 2011 Kenny DuBose

The Gas Authority of India Limiated (GAIL) becomes the latest international company to enter the Eagle Ford. On September 28, 2011, GAIL announced a joint venture agreement with Carrizo Oil & Gas on a portion of the company's Eagle Ford Shale assets. The Indian oil & gas company will gain a 20% interest in 20,200 net acres owned by Carrizo in South Texas. That's 4,040 net acres to the company for $95 million in total consideration. Almost $64 million will be paid upfront and more than $31 million will be paid over the next year in the form of a drilling carry. Carrizo is selling an interest in eight existing horizontal wells as part of the deal. Production from the wells is running at a rate of 1,700 barrels per day and 3.8 mmcfd. With consideration for production, the acreage traded for somewhere between $13,000 and $14,000 per acre. That's off previous acreage prices paid in the Talisman-SM Energy deal, as well as the record Marathon-Hilcorp deal, but don't forget oil prices are down almost $20 per barrel in that same period.

Carrizo Oil & Gas, Inc. (NASDAQ: CRZO) today announced the closing of an unincorporated joint venture with a wholly owned subsidiary of GAIL. Under the joint venture agreement, Carrizo sold 20% of Carrizo's interest in approximately 20,200 net mineral acres leased by the Company in the highly prospective condensate zone of the Eagle Ford Shale for total consideration of $95 million, comprised of $63.65 million in cash and the assumption of an additional $31.35 million of Carrizo's future drilling and development costs ("drilling carry"). The cash proceeds from the transaction were used to reduce the outstanding balance under Carrizo's revolving credit facility. The consideration payable to Carrizo is subject to customary post-closing adjustments and indemnities.
The Eagle Ford Shale assets conveyed to GAIL under the terms of the agreement include approximately 4,040 net acres located primarily in La Salle County, Texas and a 20% interest in eight horizontal wells currently producing approximately 1,700 net barrels of oil per day (340 barrels per day net to GAIL) and 3,800 net Mcf per day of rich gas (760 Mcfpd net to GAIL). Carrizo's internally estimated mid-year 2011 proved reserves allocated to these acres amount to 13.8 million boe (2.76 million boe net to GAIL), of which 2.5 million boe are classified as proved developed (0.5 million boe net to GAIL). A drilling rig is currently in the process of drilling a four well pad on the joint venture property which is expected to be completed and brought on production near the end of this year. Carrizo continues as operator of these properties, and currently expects the $31.35 million drilling carry to be fully realized in less than one year.

Read the full news release at crzo.net