ExxonMobil to sell conventional Permian oil assets for $1 billion amid shale production focus

(Bloomberg) – Exxon Mobil Corp. is looking to sell a package of conventional oil assets in the Permian basin as the company focuses on growing shale production after buying Pioneer Natural Resources Co. earlier this year.

The package includes older wells in the Permian’s Central basin that produce small but stable amounts of oil, according to people familiar with the matter who declined to be named because sale negotiations are private.

It could fetch about $1 billion but is highly dependent on oil prices, they said. The value of deals in the oil and gas sector has doubled to $210 billion this year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Exxon is “exploring market interest for select conventional assets in West Texas and South East New Mexico,” the company said in a statement responding to questions from Bloomberg News. “This decision is consistent with our strategy to continually evaluate our portfolio.”

Operations will continue “as normal throughout the marketing process,” Exxon said. The oil giant’s global production is expected to reach 4.3 MMbpd this year, the highest in more than a decade, after completing the $60 billion purchase of Pioneer in May.