Appalachian pure-play operator Eclipse Resources Corp., which has been rumored since last year to be considering an initial public offering (IPO), has filed a Form S-1 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission indicating that it intends to raise $100 million on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in the coming months.
Blue Ridge Mountain Resources Inc. stockholders have approved the company’s merger with Eclipse Resources Corp., clearing one of the last hurdles for the combination. The deal has already been approved by boths boards and Eclipse’s stockholders. Once the transaction is completed, which is expected in the last week of February, the new company is to be renamed Montage Resources Corp. and trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “MR.” The new company would have a 227,000 net acre position in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, and produce about 560 MMcfe/d.
Federal Judge Deals Another Setback to Oil, Natural Gas Development in Ohio National Forest
A federal judge has halted oil and gas development in Ohio’s Wayne National Forest (WNF) after a ruling last year found the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) failed to adequately consider the impact of unconventional development when they opened the land for drilling.
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio ordered the agencies to further review their authorizations under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Pending review, this week’s order blocks new leases in the WNF, prohibits new drilling permits and surface disturbance on existing leases, and prohibits water withdrawals from the Little Muskingum River.