据路透社8月10日休斯敦独家报道，埃克森美孚已开始推销美国页岩气资产，该公司正加紧一项长期搁置的计划，旨在筹集数十亿美元，剥离多余资产，并减少去年背负的债务。
三年前，这家美国最大的石油生产商制定了一个目标，到2021年12月通过销售筹集150亿美元。最近，该公司承诺加快落后的销售，以削减创纪录的700亿美元债务。
公司发言人Julie King证实，该公司的XTO能源页岩部门正在为阿肯色州费耶特维尔页岩的近5000口天然气井寻找买家。
这些资产是埃克森美孚正在出售的产量和市值不断下降的天然气项目之一，该公司将重点放在圭亚那、巴西近海和德克萨斯州二叠纪盆地的新项目上。
埃克森美孚正在自己推销这些资产，计划在9月16日之前收到投标，并在年底前完成任何交易。
King表示："我们正在向可能对这些资产有兴趣的第三方提供信息。"她说，目前还没有确定买家，但拒绝确认投标截止日期或该公司对这些油井的预期价值。
产量下降
该公司已经完成了其三年150亿美元的销售目标的三分之一。今年截至6月，该公司已获得5.57亿美元的销售收入，待处理交易价值超过21.5亿美元。
2010年，在页岩气蓬勃发展的时期，埃克森美孚斥资6.5亿美元收购了费耶特维尔油田的资产，当时页岩热潮将改变美国能源格局，导致天然气供应过剩，推动价格在去年跌至历史最低水平。这导致埃克森美孚在美国的石油和天然气资产缩水171亿美元。
据路透社看到的埃克森美孚营销材料显示，自2016年以来，待售资产的产量下降了一半以上，去年约为1.6亿立方英尺/天。
阿肯色州的资产占地约41.6万英亩(1680平方公里)，是埃克森美孚去年在开发计划中削减的北美天然气资源的一部分。King表示，此次出售包括844口运营井和4104口非运营井。
一位知情人士称，总部位于达拉斯的Merit Energy正在评估这些资产。2018年，Merit公司以3亿美元从必和必拓公司手中收购了该地区约25.8万英亩的土地。
Merit没有回复记者通过电话、电子邮件和linkedIn发出的置评请求。埃克森美孚拒绝就潜在竞购者置评。
世界范围内的资产剥离
埃克森美孚在2020年遭受了224亿美元的历史性亏损，该公司正在出售亚洲、非洲、美国和欧洲的数十处资产。
有官员上月表示，该公司将优先考虑债务削减和股东分红。去年，埃克森美孚的总债务自2018年以来翻了一番，达到近700亿美元。今年，该公司偿还了70多亿美元，将债务负担降至606亿美元。
今年，该公司与英国萨凡纳能源公司就乍得和喀麦隆的资产进行了谈判，并将两个深水油田的股份出售给了西方石油公司和其他公司。
埃克森美孚高级副总裁Jack Williams 7月30日表示，随着今年石油和天然气价格的反弹，人们对其资产产生了新的兴趣。
Williams表示:“我们过去进行的整个资产剥离讨论仍在继续。”
裘寅 编译自 路透社
原文如下：
Exclusive: Exxon launches U.S. shale gas sale to kick-start stalled divestitures
Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N) has begun marketing U.S. shale gas properties as it ramps up a long-stalled program that aims to raise billions of dollars to shed unwanted assets and reduce debt taken on last year.
Three years ago, the top U.S. oil producer set a goal of raising $15 billion from sales by December 2021. More recently, it promised to accelerate lagging sales to whittle a record $70 billion debt pile.
The company's XTO Energy shale unit is seeking buyers for almost 5,000 natural gas wells in the Fayetteville Shale in Arkansas, spokeswoman Julie King /confirm/ied.
The assets are among gas projects with declining production and market value Exxon is selling as it focus on newer ventures in Guyana, offshore Brazil and Texas's Permian Basin.
Exxon is marketing the properties itself and aims to receive bids by Sept. 16 and close any sale by year-end.
"We are providing information to third parties that may have an interest in the assets," King said. No buyers have been identified, she said, declining to confirm the due date for bids or the company's anticipated value on the wells.
DECLINING PRODUCTION
The company has achieved about a third of its three-year, $15 billion sales target.This year, it has received sales proceeds of $557 million through June, and has deals pending valued at more than $2.15 billion.
Exxon acquired the Fayetteville assets in 2010 for $650 million during a shale boom that would change the U.S. energy landscape, leading to an oversupply of gas that pushed prices to record lows and last year. This led Exxon to reduce the value of its U.S. oil and gas holdings by $17.1 billion.
Output in the assets on offer fell by more than half since 2016 to about 160 million cubic feet per day last year, according to Exxon marketing materials seen by Reuters.
The Arkansas properties cover some 416,000 net acres (1,680 square kilometers) and are some of the North American natural gas resources cut last year from Exxon's development plan. The sale includes 844 operated and 4,104 non-operated wells, King said.
Dallas-based Merit Energy is evaluating the properties, one person familiar with the matter said. Merit in 2018 purchased about 258,000 acres in the same area from BHP for $300 million.
Merit did not reply to requests for comment by phone, e-mail and linkedIn. Exxon declined to comment on potential bidders.
WORLDWIDE DIVESTMENTS
Exxon, which suffered a historic $22.4 billion loss in 2020, is selling dozens of properties in Asia, Africa, the United States and Europe.
The company is prioritizing debt reduction and its shareholder dividend, officials said last month. After total debt last year doubled to almost $70 billion since 2018, Exxon paid off more than $7 billion this year, to reduce its burden to $60.6 billion.
This year, it has held talks with Britain's Savannah Energy (SAVES.L) over properties in Chad and Cameroon and sold stakes in two deep water oilfields to Occidental Petroleum (OXY.N) and others.
Exxon is seeing new interest in its properties with this year's rebound in oil and gas prices, said Exxon Senior Vice President Jack Williams on July 30.
"That whole divestment discussion that we've had in the past continues," Williams said.
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