Latest news with #E&P
The Herald Scotland
6 days ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Parkmead targets 'greener' deals after North Sea exit
The company sold subsidiary Parkmead (E&P), which included its North Sea oil licences, to Serica Energy in a deal worth up to £134 million that was first announced in December. It cited the ongoing challenges 'in the form of the current political environment towards UK oil and gas' – a reference to the windfall tax on North Sea profits that was increased by the Labour Government after coming to power – and the focus of the Starmer administration's net zero strategy as it explained the rationale for the sale. Parkmead has retained its 100% owned and operated Kempstone Hill wind farm in the north-east of Scotland, and four producing onshore gas fields in the Netherlands. And it signalled that it was actively seeking to expand its portfolio, telling the City that it is 'continuing to mature a range of high-impact investment and acquisition opportunities'. 'These initiatives are aligned with the group's strategy to grow and diversify its interests across international E&P (energy and production) and UK renewable energy projects,' the company added in a statement. Read more: 'Given that Parkmead will no longer be an offshore licence operator in the North Sea, with all the regulatory aspects and operational demands that entails, we have reduced staff positions and reduced our office space by over 40%. 'After more than four years of excellent service as a non-executive director, Robert Finlay has left the board with immediate effect to focus on his other activities. We would like to thank Robert for his important contribution to the group and wish him every success in the future. The company is well advanced in its process to bring a further independent NED (non-executive director) onboard and will provide an update in due course.' Parkmead said Kempstone Hill wind farm 'continued to perform strongly' in the first half of the year and had maintained an 'exceptionally high level of operational efficiency, in the range 96-99%'. Declaring that this performance had demonstrated the 'reliability of the asset', the group said that it was 'continuing to assess the potential to expand the electricity production capability of the Kempstone Hill site, to make use of its excess grid capacity'. In the Netherlands, the company reported average net production of 155 barrels of oil equivalent per day in the first half from its Dutch fields. It said its business had 'benefited from stronger commodity market conditions' over the period, with realised gas prices increasing to €41.86 per megawatt hour from €38.16/ MWh. It noted that it was evaluating new drilling targets to boost future production. Mr Cross, who is known for building and then selling Dana Petroleum to the Korea National Oil Corporation for £1.6 billion, said: 'Parkmead has made strong progress across all elements of the business in the first half of 2025. We have completed the sale of our UK offshore-focused subsidiary, delivered solid operational performance from our onshore producing assets, advanced our flagship renewable energy project at Glenskinnan [in the north-east of Scotland], and achieved a very healthy and robust financial position. 'Our continued focus on strategic growth and efficiency ensures Parkmead is well positioned for the future." Shares in Parkmead closed up 7.64%, or 1.10p, at 15.5p.
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Scotiabank Raises PT on Suncor Energy (SU) to C$60 From C$57, Keeps Sector Perform Rating
Suncor Energy Inc. (NYSE:SU) is one of the best . On July 11, Scotiabank raised the firm's price target on Suncor Energy Inc. (NYSE:SU) to C$60 from C$57, keeping a Sector Perform rating on the shares. An offshore oil rig at night, illuminated by floodlights, with its shape silhouetted against the dark sky. The analyst told investors that the firm is updating its price targets on the E&P stocks it has in coverage, stating that it anticipates weak global oil prices to affect Canadian oil benchmarks in 2025 and 2026. Suncor Energy Inc. (NYSE:SU) is an integrated energy company that develops petroleum resource basins. Its operations are divided into the following segments: Oil Sands, Exploration and Production, Refining and Marketing, and Corporate and Eliminations. While we acknowledge the potential of SU as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 30 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and 11 Hidden AI Stocks to Buy Right Now. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
US drillers add oil/gas rigs for first time in 12 weeks, Baker Hughes says
By Scott DiSavino (Reuters) -U.S. energy firms this week added oil and natural gas rigs for the first time in 12 weeks, energy services firm Baker Hughes said in its closely followed report on Friday. The oil and gas rig count, an early indicator of future output, rose by seven, its biggest weekly increase since December, to 544 in the week to July 18. Despite this week's rig increase, Baker Hughes said the total count was still down 42 rigs, or 7% below this time last year. Baker Hughes said oil rigs fell by two to 422 this week, their lowest since September 2021, while gas rigs rose by nine, the biggest weekly increase since July 2023, to 117, their most since March 2024. In Texas, the biggest oil and gas-producing state, the rig count fell by two to 253, the lowest since October 2021. In the Permian basin in West Texas and eastern New Mexico, the biggest U.S. oil-producing shale formation, the rig count fell by two to 263, also the lowest since October 2021. But in the Haynesville shale in Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas, one of the nation's biggest and fastest-growing gas-producing regions, the rig count rose by three to 41, the most since March 2024. The oil and gas rig count declined by about 5% in 2024 and 20% in 2023 as lower U.S. oil and gas prices over the past couple of years prompted energy firms to focus more on boosting shareholder returns and paying down debt rather than increasing output. The independent exploration and production (E&P) companies tracked by U.S. financial services firm TD Cowen said they planned to cut capital expenditures by around 3% in 2025 from levels seen in 2024. That compares with roughly flat year-over-year spending in 2024, and increases of 27% in 2023, 40% in 2022 and 4% in 2021. Even though analysts forecast U.S. spot crude prices would decline for a third year in a row in 2025, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) projected crude output would rise from a record 13.2 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2024 to around 13.4 million bpd in 2025. On the gas side, the EIA projected a 68% increase in spot gas prices in 2025 would prompt producers to boost drilling activity this year after a 14% price drop in 2024 caused several energy firms to cut output for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic reduced demand for the fuel in 2020. [NGAS/POLL] The EIA projected gas output would rise to 105.9 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) in 2025, up from 103.2 bcfd in 2024 and a record 103.6 bcfd in 2023.
Reuters
18-07-2025
- Business
- Reuters
US drillers add oil/gas rigs for first time in 12 weeks, Baker Hughes says
July 18 (Reuters) - U.S. energy firms this week added oil and natural gas rigs for the first time in 12 weeks, energy services firm Baker Hughes (BKR.O), opens new tab said in its closely followed report on Friday. The oil and gas rig count, an early indicator of future output, rose by seven, its biggest weekly increase since December, to 544 in the week to July 18. , , Despite this week's rig increase, Baker Hughes said the total count was still down 42 rigs, or 7% below this time last year. Baker Hughes said oil rigs fell by two to 422 this week, their lowest since September 2021, while gas rigs rose by nine, the biggest weekly increase since July 2023, to 117, their most since March 2024. In Texas, the biggest oil and gas-producing state, the rig count fell by two to 253, the lowest since October 2021. In the Permian basin in West Texas and eastern New Mexico, the biggest U.S. oil-producing shale formation, the rig count fell by two to 263, also the lowest since October 2021. But in the Haynesville shale in Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas, one of the nation's biggest and fastest-growing gas-producing regions, the rig count rose by three to 41, the most since March 2024. The oil and gas rig count declined by about 5% in 2024 and 20% in 2023 as lower U.S. oil and gas prices over the past couple of years prompted energy firms to focus more on boosting shareholder returns and paying down debt rather than increasing output. The independent exploration and production (E&P) companies tracked by U.S. financial services firm TD Cowen said they planned to cut capital expenditures by around 3% in 2025 from levels seen in 2024. That compares with roughly flat year-over-year spending in 2024, and increases of 27% in 2023, 40% in 2022 and 4% in 2021. Even though analysts forecast U.S. spot crude prices would decline for a third year in a row in 2025, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) projected crude output would rise from a record 13.2 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2024 to around 13.4 million bpd in 2025. On the gas side, the EIA projected a 68% increase in spot gas prices in 2025 would prompt producers to boost drilling activity this year after a 14% price drop in 2024 caused several energy firms to cut output for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic reduced demand for the fuel in 2020. The EIA projected gas output would rise to 105.9 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) in 2025, up from 103.2 bcfd in 2024 and a record 103.6 bcfd in 2023.
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Do Upstream Mergers Really Deliver Value for Shareholders?
I've been noodling around with an idea for a while now. The thing on my mind is when do investors actually gain from the big gobs of money E&P companies spend on M&A? A lot of promises are made in the early days. But as time wears on, I rarely see any effort made to reconcile results with these promises. So bear with me as I go through this little exercise. Now I am not saying that M&A isn't necessary as strong companies buy out smaller, weaker companies to get their premium assets. That part of the transaction is easily understood, and I will review that thought in the ExxonMobil/Pioneer Natural Resources case as we go through this exercise. My point here is investors are still waiting for these results to show up in their mail box. In fairness, not a lot time has elapsed, but I think trends are instructive. Let's dive in. Upstream M&A: Shell game? The upstream industry has been on a buying binge the last several years with hundreds of billions worth of transactions on the books. One of the most notable thus far has been ExxonMobil's (NYSE:XOM) acquisition of Pioneer Natural Resources, for approximately $253 per share or a substantial $64.5 billion, including debt, in an all-stock transaction. As noted in the deal slide from the announcement, this was an 18% premium to recent pricing for Pioneer. In exchange for XOM diluting current holders of its stock by about 255 mm shares or ~6%, the company made some firm promises in regard to the future upside for the combined company. Among other things XOM holders were told the transaction would be 'immediately accretive to EPS.' Hold that thought. Some time has gone by since the deal closed in May of 2024 and it seemed appropriate to peek under the hood to see how the company was delivering on these commitments. It's also worth reviewing just what drove Exxon's interest in paying a premium to Pioneer to obtain their Midland acreage. The Industrial Logic of ExxonMobil and Pioneer Industrial logic is the term applied to these mega deals. It's one of the terms, along with synergy and accretive, that are bandied about on announcement day. As you can see below, Pioneer's Midland basin acreage was like a missing puzzle piece to Exxon's prior footprint in the play. Exxon is a technology company with a track record of pushing the envelope to drive down costs and increase production, but to fully deploy their technical expertise, they needed more room. When you snap the two pieces together, you get a blocky, connected plot of land that runs for 50-75 miles east and west, and the better part of a couple of hundred miles north and south. 1.4 million acres is a sizeable chunk of dirt. That's significant and opens the door to huge numbers of 4-5 mile laterals, with centralized logistics, sand, water, the stuff of fracking, and helping lock-in low cost of supply. The easy stuff put in place, XOM engineers are free to work their magic wringing maximum barrels out of each foot of completed interval. That's all great for the company, but does this add to the value of the company in a way that benefits shareholders? Something real, and tangible that they can spend. Today. Like the stock price going up. Or special dividends. It seems like it should, and that's where we will look next for any sign the company is about to embark on an enhanced shareholder rewards package. Capitalization is one metric by which we might judge the impact of a transaction. Suppose company A, worth X, buys company Z, worth Y. In that case, logic suggests that company AZ should match the value of the two merger partners, or X + Y. Referring back to our ExxonMobil example, on May 2nd, the day before the merger closed the share price of XOM was $116.21 per share. With 3,998,000,000 shares outstanding that works out to a capitalization of $462 bn. At the agreed price of $253 per share for Pioneer their capitalization was $59.5 bn. The two together should have created an entity worth $521 bn, a point from which the merger driven success of the company should have been a value accretion launching pad. By the end of 2024 XOM stock was trading at $107.27. With 4,424 bn shares outstanding the company's capitalization stood at $474 bn. In about six months, some $47 bn in capitalization had vanished into thin air. Investors were promised the transaction would be immediately accretive to earnings per share. In June, 2024 reporting for the second quarter showed EPS to be $2.14 per share. For the fourth quarter EPS was $1.67 per share. So no immediate accretion. Perhaps patience will pay off. For the first quarter of 2025 EPS was $1.76 per share and the forecast for Q-2 is $1.55 share. One step forward and another back. What matters is that, thus far the combined company has not equaled its standalone performance. This is a sobering thought in light of the dilution visited upon shareholders, and the expense the company is going to repurchase shares.I may be piling on a bit here as the time elapsed since the merger is minimal. ROCE or Return on Capital Employed, shows little sign of being moved significantly higher in the merger. For a Twelve-Trailing Month-TTM period, Exxon's ROCE was 0.10882, a slight improvement from Full Year-2024's 0.1082. Moving in the right direction, but after spending $64.5 bn in stock dilution, one might hope for a teensy bit more. Like I said, perhaps not enough time has gone by to attach much weight to the change in ROCE. Summing up So, where does that leave us as we eagerly anticipate another mega merger? I refer, of course, to the one that now hangs in the balance for Chevron (NYSE:CVX) and Hess (NYSE:HES), with an arbitrator set to rule on XOM's claim of primacy in the pre-emptive right to buy HESS' share in the Stabroek field, offshore Guyana. If we buy into CVX today it will cost us $150 per share. If the arbitrator rules in their favor and the assets of Hess are merged into CVX, will the price of CVX then become X+Y-dilution? Or the CVX price plus the Hess price of $171 per share, less the amount of stock CVX will print~$351 mm shares to meet the deal price of $60 bn? Will the combined company have a capitalization of $327 bn? If history is any guide this outcome is unlikely. It is certainly food for thought as another serial acquirer comes to mind. I refer here to Occidental Petroleum, (NYSE: OXY), which after the Anadarko deal of 2019 for $57 bn, and then the CrownRock deal of 2024 for $12 bn- a combined cash and stock outlay of $69 bn for a company with a present day capitalization of $42 bn. Warren Buffett with a 26.92% stake in OXY, for which he's paid an average of $51.92 per share, is down 21% on his investment. I wonder what his response would be today if the OXY plane landed in Omaha with a deal in management's pocket. I have a pretty good idea actually. I will reiterate-the Industrial logic of upstream M&A is abundantly clear. As an industry matures size and scale matter, and perhaps (likely) this is where value shows up for shareholders who remain long for an extended period. The company can continue to develop oil and gas deposits long after the standalone company would have drilled itself out of existence. But over the short run, it looks like a shell game to me. By David Messler for More Top Reads From this article on Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
