据世界石油网站3月21日报道：知情人士表示，私募股权支持的天然气勘探公司Rockcliff能源正在与顾问评估来自竞争对手美国页岩钻探公司的收购意向。

知情人士称，这家总部位于休斯敦的公司可能会寻求40亿美元或更高的收购价格。据要求匿名的该消息人士称，商议仍处于早期阶段，Rockcliff不确定是否会达成任何交易，因为信息不公开。

Rockcliff及其休斯敦支持者Quantum能源合作伙伴公司的代表没有立即回复置评请求。

该公司成立于2015年，每日从得克萨斯州东部的海恩斯维尔页岩中开采超过10亿立方英尺的天然气。上周，Quantum子公司Trace Midstream同意将天然气收集和处理资产以9.5亿美元的价格出售给威廉姆斯公司。

虽然公开交易的页岩钻探公司遵守财政纪律，但在过去一年中，勘探公司一直在提高美国页岩油田的产量，以期吸引收购兴趣。

根据11月的一场投资者见面会上的信息，Rockcliff自成立以来已将产量提高了15倍，其投资组合中有1000多个尚未钻探的目标。

王磊 摘译自 世界石油

原文如下：

Shale driller Rockcliff Energy weighs $4 billion sale

Rockcliff Energy LLC, a private equity-backed natural gas explorer, has been speaking with advisers as it evaluates takeover interest from rival U.S. shale drillers, people with knowledge of the matter said.

The Houston-based company could seek $4 billion or more in a sale, the people said. Deliberations are at an early stage, and there’s no certainty Rockcliff will conclude any transaction, according to the people who requested anonymity because the information isn’t public.

Representatives for Rockcliff and its Houston-based backer Quantum Energy Partners didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. 

Founded in 2015, the company pumps the daily equivalent of more than 1 billion cubic feet of gas from the Haynesville Shale in East Texas. Last week, its Quantum affiliate Trace Midstream agreed to sell gas gathering and processing assets to Williams Cos. for $950 million.

While publicly traded shale drillers are adhering to fiscal discipline, closely held explorers have been ramping up output in U.S. shale fields over the past year in hopes of attracting takeover interest.

Rockcliff has boosted output 15-fold since its inception and has a portfolio of more than 1,000 yet-to-be-drilled targets, according to a November investor presentation.