Ecopetrol S.A. EC, a Colombian state-owned energy firm, has announced an extension of the development plan of Rodeo Midland Basin LLC with its joint-venture partner Occidental Petroleum OXY. Per Reuters, the two companies have agreed to renew their joint venture (JV), which was first established in July 2019.
The JV’s future seemed uncertain when Ecopetrol stepped out of a different deal to acquire certain assets owned by Occidental for $3.6 billion, in August 2024. The assets were located within the Permian Basin, one of the largest oil-producing basins in the United States. Ecopetrol withdrew from the deal following the orders of Colombia's president Gustavo Petro.
Details of the New Drilling Plan
Ecopetrol’s U.S.-based subsidiary Ecopetrol Permian and Occidental Petroleum have decided to continue exploration and production activities in the Permian Basin. The agreement between the companies outlines a plan that includes the drilling of 34 wells between April 2025 and June 2026. Additionally, the drilling activity outlined in the current development plan should take place within the first few months of 2025.
Independent Contract for Delaware Sub-Basin
The agreement for the Midland subbasin includes a potential extension of the development plan, contingent upon the partners' interests, the macroeconomic scenario and industry conditions in the future. In addition to the joint venture, the two companies have also announced that they plan to work on an independent contract for the Delaware subbasin. This independent contract will remain active until 2027.
Investment and Drilling Plans for 2025
EC’s operations in the Permian Basin have yielded significant results, increasing its production levels. Per Ecopetrol’s third-quarter report, its Permian production has risen slightly under 62% to 95,200 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d). However, the company has faced a decline in production in other regions.
Ecopetrol Permian has mentioned that its 2025 Plan for the Delaware and Midland subbasins will include an estimated investment of $885 million. Furthermore, the plan involves drilling approximately 91 development wells in the subbasins, allowing the company to take the average annual production close to 90,000 boe/d net to Ecopetrol Permian.
Zacks Rank and Key Picks
Currently, both EC and OXY carry a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Some better-ranked stocks from the energy sector are Sunoco LP SUN and Archrock Inc. AROC. Sunoco currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), while Archrock carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Sunoco LP is one of the largest distributors of motor fuel in the United States. The partnership distributes fuel to independent dealers, commercial customers, convenience stores and distributors. Its current distribution yield is greater than that of the industry's composite stocks, providing unitholders with consistent returns.
Archrock is an energy infrastructure company based in the United States, with a focus on midstream natural gas compression. It provides natural gas contract compression services and generates stable fee-based revenues.
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