Corporate Valuation, Oil & Gas

August 28, 2020

Themes from Q2 2020 Earnings Calls

Part 1: Mineral Aggregators

As discussed in our quarterly overview, the oil & gas industry experienced a volatile path to price stability as COVID-19 and the Saudi-Russia price war took a toll on supply and demand.  The road to recovery was apparent late in the quarter and was driven by supply cuts from OPEC+, curtailments by U.S. producers, and an increase in demand.  Mercer Capital has aimed to focus on the mineral aggregator space, most recently with the release of the second quarter mineral aggregator valuation multiples analysis.  In this post, we capture the key takeaways from mineral aggregator second quarter 2020 earnings calls.

Theme 1: M&A Activity Is Momentarily Taking a Back Seat

Although mineral aggregators have the reputation to seek acquisitions through reinvesting strategies, they seem hesitant to pull the trigger as the current environment is providing many challenges.

  • The world’s greatest deal would have to present itself, and that’s always possible.  But the world’s greatest deal would have to present itself, given where we’re currently trading. – Daniel Herz, President & CEO, Falcon Minerals

  • I think it’s fair to say that it’s always more difficult to get deals done when the bid ask spread is just so severe.  I mean, the volatility in oil prices kills deals.  I mean, it just makes it really hard to get things done. – Davis Ravnaas, President, CFO & VP of Business Development, Kimbell Royalty Partners

  • The balance sheet is most important, holding us back from M&A.  I mean, if we saw the best deal in the history of minerals, we’d have to think hard about it, but unfortunately those deals just aren’t out there. – Kaes Van’t Hof, President, Viper Energy Partners

Theme 2: Consolidation and Operators’ Stability Is Affecting Aggregators

As the difficult environment plays out, a number of operators will be forced to liquidate or consolidate, leading to opportunities for aggregators to work with new, and often financially improved, partners.  In Brigham Minerals’ second quarter earnings call, Ben Brigham expressed his excitement to have their assets migrate into the hands of Chevron, subsequent to the closing of Chevron’s acquisition of Noble Energy (expected in the fourth quarter of 2020).  As times are tough, aggregators assess the stability of their operators, and may be fortunate, like Brigham, to land a major partner.

  • We expect financially challenged operators to liquidate or consolidate with larger entities and those surviving operators will focus on drilling our highest remaining rate of return wells.  So I think that’s going to continue to play out – where you have a weak operator with the weak balance sheet, they’re going to get taken out by a stronger operator with a better balance sheet, and that’s going to benefit our asset base. – Ben Brigham, Founder & Executive Chairman, Brigham Minerals

  • Dorchester Minerals states that during the challenging environment they are observing the "Financial stability of our operators and lessees and paying increased attention to operator credit risk and revenue recovery." – Dorchester Minerals Annual Meeting Presentation held May 18, 2020

  • What we have found to be very successful in times like this is that you need to be more of a partner with your operators now than maybe you do in really good times where capital is more available. – Jeff Wood, President and CFO, Black Stone Minerals

Theme 3: Natural Gas Optimism Is Increasing

It is pretty ironic that the industry is shifting its focus to natural gas, as it was viewed as a secondary asset not too long ago.  Although at a historically low price, it has shown consistency and resiliency during the first half of the year as opposed to greater volatility in oil prices.  Aggregators have not ignored this trend and seem optimistic about the future for natural gas.

  • We're seeing increased deal flow in gas. A lot of Marcellus stuff is coming to market. – Davis Ravnaas, President, CFO & VP of Business Development, Kimbell Royalty Partners

  • While it’s been challenging to find many silver linings lately, one of them is a more constructive outlook for natural gas prices with several of our major equity research firms calling for gas prices well above the strip for 2021. – Tom Carter, CEO & Chairman of the Board, Black Stone Minerals

  • Furthermore, combining this competitive advantage with our robust hedge book and significant natural gas production, which has an increasingly positive macro outlook, provides even more enhanced cash flow stability into the coming quarters, as we emerge from this volatile period.  And I think some of our gas positions have been remarkably resilient. – Davis Ravnaas, President, CFO & VP of Business Development, Kimbell Royalty Partners

Theme 4: Balance Sheet Priorities: Preparing for the Worst, Hoping for the Best

It is no surprise that aggregators are paying close attention to their balance sheet positions.  Participants on the calls gauged their company’s balance sheet flexibility.  The aggregators remained confident that their ability to pay down debt and appease investors continues to be a priority.  This may come at a cost to some companies such as Black Stone Minerals, as they sold two asset packages in the Permian in June to strengthen their liquidity position.

  • In early June, we announced the sale of two asset packages in the Permian. Both of those transactions closed in July and brought in net cash proceeds of $150 million. That cash, together with the retained free cash flow from our operations, enabled us to reduce total debt by over $230 million or 60% from the end of the first quarter of this year. – Tom Carter, CEO & Chairman of the Board, Black Stone Minerals

  • We purposely reduced our acquisition activity in the latter half of the first quarter and largely through the entirety of the second quarter in order to preserve liquidity and maintain optimal balance sheet flexibility and thus position ourselves to capitalize on more attractive opportunities we expected in the second half of the year, that's playing out well for us now. – Robert Roosa, Founder & CEO, Brigham Minerals

  • We will use the retained amount to strengthen the balance sheet by paying down debt of $2.5 million in the coming days. We continue to manage the Company in a conservative and prudent manner, especially given the risks and uncertainties in the energy sector and the broader economy so far this year. – Davis Ravnaas, President, CFO & VP of Business Development, Kimbell Royalty Partners

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Defying the Cycle: Haynesville Production Strength in a Shifting Gas Market
Defying the Cycle: Haynesville Production Strength in a Shifting Gas Market
Haynesville shale production defied broader market softness in 2025, leading major U.S. basins with double-digit year-over-year growth despite heightened volatility and sub-cycle drilling activity. Efficiency gains, DUC drawdowns, and Gulf Coast demand dynamics allowed operators to sustain output even as natural gas prices fluctuated sharply.
Haynesville Shale M&A Update: 2025 in Review
Haynesville Shale M&A Update: 2025 in Review
Key TakeawaysHaynesville remains a strategic LNG-linked basin. 2025 transactions emphasized long-duration natural gas exposure and proximity to Gulf Coast export infrastructure, reinforcing the basin’s importance in meeting global LNG demand.International utilities drove much of the activity. Japanese power and gas companies pursued direct upstream ownership, signaling a shift from traditional offtake agreements toward greater control over U.S. gas supply.M&A was selective but meaningful in scale and intent. While overall deal volume was limited, announced transactions and reported negotiations reflected deliberate, long-term positioning rather than opportunistic shale consolidation.OverviewM&A activity in the Haynesville Shale during 2025 was marked by strategic, LNG-linked transactions and renewed international investor interest in U.S. natural gas assets. While investors remained selective relative to prior shale upcycles, transactions that did occur reflected a clear pattern: buyers focused on long-duration gas exposure, scale, and proximity to Gulf Coast export markets rather than short-term development upside.Producers and capital providers increasingly refocused efforts on the Haynesville basin during the year, including raising capital to acquire both operating assets and mineral positions. This renewed attention followed a period of subdued transaction activity and underscored the basin’s continued relevance within global natural gas portfolios.Although the Haynesville did not experience the breadth of consolidation seen in some oil-weighted plays, the size, counterparties, and strategic motivations behind 2025 transactions reinforced the basin’s role as a long-term supply source for LNG-linked demand.Announced Upstream TransactionsTokyo Gas (TG Natural Resources) / ChevronIn April 2025, Tokyo Gas Co., through its U.S. joint venture TG Natural Resources, entered into an agreement to acquire a 70% interest in Chevron’s East Texas natural gas assets for $525 million. The assets include significant Haynesville exposure and were acquired through a combination of cash consideration and capital commitments.The transaction was characterized as part of Tokyo Gas’s broader strategy to secure long-term U.S. natural gas supply and expand its upstream footprint. The deal reflects a growing trend among international utilities to obtain direct exposure to U.S. shale gas through ownership interests rather than relying solely on long-term offtake contracts or third-party supply arrangements.From an M&A perspective, the transaction highlights continued willingness among major operators to monetize non-core or minority positions while retaining operational involvement, and it underscores the Haynesville’s attractiveness to buyers with a long-term, strategic view of gas demand.JERA / Williams & GEP Haynesville IIIn October 2025, JERA Co., Japan’s largest power generator, announced an agreement to acquire Haynesville shale gas production assets from Williams Companies and GEP Haynesville II, a joint venture between GeoSouthern Energy and Blackstone. The transaction was valued at approximately $1.5 billion.This acquisition marked JERA’s first direct investment in U.S. shale gas production, representing a notable expansion of the company’s upstream exposure and reinforcing JERA’s interest in securing supply from regions with strong connectivity to U.S. LNG export infrastructure.This transaction further illustrates the appeal of the Haynesville to international buyers seeking stable, scalable gas assets and highlights the role of upstream M&A as a tool for portfolio diversification among global utilities and energy companies.Reported Negotiations (Not Announced)Mitsubishi / Aethon Energy ManagementIn June 2025, Reuters reported that Mitsubishi Corp. was in discussions to acquire Aethon Energy Management, a privately held operator with substantial Haynesville production and midstream assets. The potential transaction was reported to be valued at approximately $8 billion, though Reuters emphasized that talks were ongoing and that no deal had been finalized at the time.While the transaction was not announced during 2025, the reported discussions were notable for both their scale and the identity of the potential buyer. Aethon has long been viewed as one of the largest private platforms in the Haynesville, and any transaction involving the company would represent a significant consolidation event within the basin.The reported talks underscored the depth of international interest in Haynesville-oriented platforms and highlighted the potential for large-scale transactions even in an otherwise measured M&A environment.ConclusionWhile overall deal volume remained selective, the transactions and reported negotiations in 2025 reflected sustained global interest in U.S. natural gas assets with long-term relevance. Collectively, the transactions and negotiations discussed above point to a Haynesville M&A landscape driven less by opportunistic consolidation and more by deliberate, long-term positioning. As global energy portfolios continue to evolve, the Haynesville basin remains a focal point for strategic investment, particularly for buyers seeking exposure tied to U.S. natural gas supply and LNG export linkages.
Mineral Aggregator Valuation Multiples Study Released-Data as of 06-11-2025
Mineral Aggregator Valuation Multiples Study Released

With Market Data as of June 11, 2025

Mercer Capital has thoughtfully analyzed the corporate and capital structures of the publicly traded mineral aggregators to derive meaningful indications of enterprise value. We have also calculated valuation multiples based on a variety of metrics, including distributions and reserves, as well as earnings and production on both a historical and forward-looking basis.

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