WPX Energy sells North Dakota gathering system

TULSA, Oklahoma -- WPX Energy has agreed to sell a North Dakota gathering system for approximately $185 million to a private equity fund managed by the Ares EIF Group, a subsidiary of Ares Management, L.P.

The parties expect to close the transaction in approximately 60 days. The sale is part of WPX’s delevering plan targeting $400-$500 million in divestitures by the end of 2015. WPX also is targeting another $400-$500 million in asset sales in 2016.

WPX is working to quickly reduce debt just two weeks after closing an acquisition that added decades of drilling inventory in the core of the Permian’s Delaware basin.

“We are aggressively moving on our delevering plan just as we said we would do,” stated Rick Muncrief, WPX's president and CEO.

The sale of the North Dakota asset consists of an oil, natural gas and water gathering system. WPX previously installed the infrastructure coinciding with its drilling program in the Williston basin.

Under the terms of the agreement, WPX will continue to operate the system, which currently gathers approximately 11,000 bopd, approximately 6,500 Mcfd of natural gas, approximately 5,000 bpd of water, and can be expanded. The system supports WPX's development in the Van Hook peninsula area.

WPX produced an average of 22,600 bopd in the Williston basin during second-quarter 2015, up 20% from the same period a year ago.

Other portfolio rationalization opportunities include the monetization of additional midstream infrastructure, non-operated properties or other asset sales, along with evaluating creative options to unlock Piceance basin value.