Conventional

  • July 26, 2016 – TORC Oil & Gas Ltd. entered into an agreement with Zargon Oil & Gas Ltd. to acquire light oil assets in southeast Saskatchewan. The acquisition includes 1,120 boe per day (roughly 95 per cent light oil and liquids) of producing assets for total cash consideration of $89.5 million, subject to customary closing adjustments.
  • July 13, 2016 – In response to industry requests, the Alberta government announced that oil and gas producers can apply to opt in to Alberta' new Modernized Royalty Framework for wells that otherwise would not have been drilled. This represents a change to the previously announced schedule, which had the Modernized Royalty Framework slated to take effect January 1, 2017. The stated intent of this change is to allow producers to make new investments, or decide to keep investments in Alberta. Further discussion of the Modernized Royalty Framework can be found in previous Dentons articles, available here and here.
  • July 6, 2016 – Seven Generations Energy Ltd. (7G) reached an agreement to acquire approximately 30,000 bbls of oil equivalent of daily production, 155 net sections in the Montney play having 199 million boe in proved reserves from Paramount Resources Ltd. for approximately CAD$1.9 billion in total consideration consisting of cash, 7G shares and the assumption of a portion of Paramount's debt. This acquisition will significantly expand 7G's ownership in the Montney Nest liquids-rich natural gas play.

Midstream

  • July 18, 2016 – Husky Energy Inc. closed a transaction to create a new entity, Husky Midstream Limited Partnership, which will assume ownership of certain midstream assets in the Lloydminster region of Alberta and Saskatchewan. Husky received $1.7 billion in cash proceeds from the transaction, which will be applied to strengthening the company's balance sheet.
  • July 15, 2016 – TransCanada Corporation announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding with four major unions and the Pipe Line Contractors Association of Canada for work on the Energy East pipeline project. The MOU provides that thousands of the skilled pipeline trade jobs required to build the project will be awarded to members of the PLCAC and the four union partners, including the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry of the United States and Canada, Labourers International Union of North America, International Union of Operating Engineers and Teamsters Canada.
  • July 15, 2016 – Reuters, citing sources familiar with the situation, reported that Williams Cos. Inc. attracted at least seven bidders for the sale of its Canadian business unit, which could pay up to $2 billion for the acquisition.
  • July 14, 2016 – Devon Energy Corporation announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement to sell its 50 per cent interest in Access Pipeline to Wolf Midstream Inc., a portfolio company of Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, for consideration of CAD$1.4 billion

Alternative / Green

  • July 18, 2016 – Canada's Energy minister, Catherine McKenna, announced that the Canada will implement a national price on carbon emissions by the end of this year. The federal government will publish an emissions reduction plan this fall that could include expanded, standardized emissions disclosure requirements for companies. Currently, the provinces are working on an agreement that could see the provinces implementing a mandatory carbon price. Not all provinces support this initiative, and the effect of the proposed federal provincial carbon price on existing provincial measures has yet to be determined.

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