BHP Focused on Liquids Production in Black Hawk Region for Remainder of 2014

Petrohawk Eagle Ford Shale Map

BHP Billiton's Eagle Ford production accelerated at the end of the first quarter of 2014. The company expects continued growth in U.S. onshore liquids production of approximately 75% for the year, with a priority focus on the Black Hawk region of the Eagle Ford in Karnes and Dewitt counties.

A the end of March 2014, BHP completed scheduled well remediation activities in its Hawkville acreage. That contributed in part to a 71% increase in liquids production for the company's U.S. onshore production over a nine-month time period, ending March 2014. Across the company's portfolio, liquids production increased 16% to ~210,958 boe/d or 77 MMboe/d over the same time frame.

In February 2014, the company was forced to close portions of its Eagle Ford gathering line system due to corrosion. According to BHP officials, production continued in the play, despite the interruption from the line closure, as trucking escalated to deliver the company's product to market.

Read more: Portions of BHP's Eagle Ford Gathering Line System Closed Due to Corrosion

Across BHP's portfolio, production guidance decreased 2% to ~671,233 boe/d or 245 MMboe. Company officials say the reduction is due partially to lower gas and natural gas liquids production in the Hawkville area of the Eagle Ford. BHP's total U.S. Natural gas production for a nine-month period, ending in March 2014, declined by 5% to 624 bcf across the company's portfolio. Onshore production is expected to be ~293,151 boe/d or 107 MMboe.

BHP Eagle Ford Operations at a Glance

• BHP Billiton has a priority focus on its Black Hawk acreage in Karnes and DeWitt counties
• Hawkville well remediation activities completed in March 2014 - contributes to a 71% increase in liquids production across company portfolio for 9-month time period
• Lower gas and natural gas liquids production in Hawkville acreage contributed to an overall production guidance decrease of 2% to ~671,233 boe/d for 2014
• Onshore U.S production is expected to be ~293,151 boe/d or 107 MMboe for 2014

BHP - Petrohawk Deal Brings Australia to the Eagle Ford

Petrohawk's Eagle Ford position is paying off in a big way.  The company has received a bid to be acquired by BHP Billiton for a 65% premium over the prior days stock price. Petrohawk's leading position in the Eagle Ford is likely a primary driver behind the acquisition. The company is strategically positioned in two of the hottest areas of the Eagle Ford with its Black Hawk and Hawkville field positions. The company also has a sizeable oil position at the Red Hawk Field in the Eagle Ford Shale Oil window that has not provided the economic results needed to compete for capital with Petrohawks other assets. Expect the Red Hawk Field to get more attention now that the operator has much deeper pockets. Overall, drilling rates across Petrohawks asset base will likely increase as BHP looks to accelerate value from its newly acquired assets.

That's a hefty price but BHP needs the people and the assets. After several failed bids to consolidate in the mining industry, the company turned to investing in oil & gas exploration and production.

The Petrohawk acquisition follows BHP's $4.75 billion acquisition of Chesapeake's Fayetteville Shale assets. BHP only got the assets in the Chesapeake deal, so over the next year the company was tasked with building a large US E&P business. The Petrohawk acquisition gives them the human capital and just happens to be a company that was a leader in the Fayetteville Shale before divesting assets to focus in the Haynesville Shale and Eagle Ford Shale.

BHP gets Petrohawk with its three core positions which include 225,000 acres in the Haynesville Shale, 120,000 net acres in the Lower Bossier Shale, 332,000 acres in the Eagle Ford Shale, and 325,000 acres in the Midland/Delaware basins, which is prospective for the Avalon Shale, Bone Springs, and Wolfcampian formation.

Combined with the Chesapeake deal, BHP will become one of the top ten natural gas producers in the US. The company's onshore US operations will include almost 1,500,000 net acres that produce over 1.3 Bcf per day.

BHP Billiton [ASX: BHP, NYSE: BHP, LSE: BLT, JSE: BIL] and Petrohawk Energy Corporation (“Petrohawk”) [NYSE: HK] announced today that the companies have entered into a definitive agreement for BHP Billiton to acquire Petrohawk for US$38.75 per share by means of an all-cash tender offer for all of the issued and outstanding shares of Petrohawk, representing a total equity value of approximately US$12.1 billion and a total enterprise value of approximately US$15.1 billion, including the assumption of net debt. The Petrohawk board of directors has unanimously recommended to Petrohawk shareholders that they accept the offer.

The transaction would provide BHP Billiton with operated positions in the three world class resource plays of the Eagle Ford and Haynesville shales, and the Permian Basin. Petrohawk’s assets cover approximately 1,000,000 net acres in Texas and Louisiana, with estimated 2011 net production of approximately 950 million cubic feet equivalent per day (MMcfe/d), or 158 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day (Mboe/d). At year-end 2010, Petrohawk reported proved reserves of 3.4 trillion cubic feet of natural gas equivalent (Tcfe). The company has a current non-proved resources base of 32 Tcfe for a total risked resource base of 35 Tcfe. Petrohawk reported gross assets of US$8.2 billion as at 31 March 2011 and US$390 million of profit before tax for the year ended 31 December 2010.