mergers and acquisitions

The latest deal bucks a trend that has been dominated by moves to consolidate assets within a single basin by creating a multibasin company that its leaders say is better prepared for the "commodity roller coaster."

The deal expands the largest gas producer's operations into the core of the northeast Marcellus Shale.

Oasis Petroleum announced this week that it is acquiring the position from Diamondback Energy.

The deal gives Houston-based Vencer Energy 44,000 acres and 40,000 BOE/D of baseline production.

The acquisition adds 2 or 3 years to Enerplus Corporation's development inventory, it said of the cash deal that follows its purchase of Bruin E&P earlier this year.

Pioneer Natural Resources is moving to complete its second major acquisition of another shale producer in less than 6 months.

The no-debt transaction will result in a combined company with 24 offshore drilling units.

The Energy Council, a London-based networking platform, has released a survey of its 100,000 members suggesting that the finance and investment community has money and an appetite to continue to fund E&P exploration, particularly in gas.

Added assets raise its Delaware Basin daily disposal capacity to more than half a million barrels.

The filing is part of a plan to restructure the DJ Basin operator while completing a previously signed merger agreement.