EQT will acquire Range Resources in an all-stock deal valued at $13 billion. Range shareholders will own about 27% of the combined company, and EQT holders will own 73%. The deal should close in the first quarter of 2027.
The artificial intelligence and data center boon to energy demand in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic could boost local gas demand and improve margins as the cost of local delivery is far lower.
Bears
Natural gas has historically been an unprofitable product that is sold at a loss by oil and natural gas liquids producers in the Permian Basin. Stronger activity by these players drives US gas prices down.
EQT is an independent natural gas production company. It focuses its operations in the cores of the Marcellus and Utica shales, located in the Appalachian Basin in the Eastern United States. Its main customers include marketers, utilities, and industrial operators in the Appalachian Basin. The company has three reportable segments: production, gathering, and transmission, which is now an operated joint venture with Blackstone. All the firm's operating revenue is generated in the US, with most revenue flowing from the Marcellus and through the sale of natural gas.