Carrizo Oil & Gas, Inc. Sells Portion of Utica Shale

Carrizo Oil & Gas, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRZO) announced that it has sold the majority of its mineral lease position in the Utica Shale for net cash of $43 million.  Subsequently, Carrizo increased its ownership by 40 percent in the same property, by exercising a mineral lease from a subsidiary of its financial partner, Avista Capital Holdings, L.P.

As quoted in the press release:

The mineral leases are located in Mercer and Crawford Counties in Pennsylvania and Trumbull County in Ohio. The net cash proceeds realized by Carrizo from these transactions are subject to customary post-sale adjustments. Other assets included in the sale are an existing drilling pad and approved well drilling permits associated with the leases.

Carrizo will continue to own a 10% undivided interest, along with a similar option to increase its ownership to 50%, in nearly 26,000 additional gross acres located in the southern portion of the play, primarily in Guernsey County, Ohio, in proximity to recent encouraging industry drilling results.

Click here to read the Carrizo Oil and Gas (NASDAQ:CRZO press release.