Magnum Hunter Triples Production Year Over Year - Q1 2012 Update

Magnum Hunter Resources tripled production year over year in the first quarter and the Eagle Ford is helping drive the company's strong growth.  In the first three months of the year, the company drilled four operated wells that all came on line at more than 1,325 boe/d, with the best well testing 2,250 boe/d. All production rates were reported from one day tests.  All four wells were fracture completed with 21-25 stages in 6,100 to 6,700 ft horizontal laterals.  With the new wells most of the company's acreage in Gonzales and Lavaca counties is now held by production.

In the company's non-operated position, Hunt Oil completed four additional wells that came on line with initial production rates between 167-920 boe/d.

Oil India Eagle Ford Position Coming Soon?

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.

Read more at reuters.com

Hunt Oil - Marubeni $1.3 Billion Eagle Ford Shale JV

Marubeni Corporation and Hunt Oil have reached a joint venture (JV) agreement whereby the Japanese company is acquiring 52,000 net acres for $1.3 billion. Hunt Oil is just the latest of many Eagle Ford Shale operators to sell a non-operated interest in their acreage. The $1.3 billion for 52,000 acres equates to a ~$25,000 per acre valuation undiscounted. The deal value will be split between an upfront payment and a carried interset in development of the play until the $1.3 billion is spent.

Hunt and Marubeni have combined interest in almost 150,000 acres and will jointly acquire additional acreage across the play. Hunt Oil operates wells or has operated a rig in Gonzales County, Karnes County, La Salle County, McMullen County, and Wilson County in our coverage area. We assume this deal covers much if not all of this area. Neither Hunt nor Marubeni disclosed the location of the JV's acreage.

Marubeni has positioned its energy and mineral resources business, including oil and gas exploration and development, as a strategically important business area, and has already been involved in projects in the Gulf of Mexico, the North Sea (U.K.), India, Qatar and the Niobrara Shale Oil (U.S.), which started its initial oil production in October, 2011. As the result of this Project, Marubeni’s total acreage for shale oil play is approximately 72,000 net acres, which makes Marubeni the largest acreage holder among Japanese firms.

Read the full press release at maurbeni.com