Devon Energy Drills Down On Growth: $5B Deal Expands Williston Basin Presence
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jul 08 2024
0mins
Source: Benzinga
- Acquisition Deal: Devon Energy Corporation is acquiring Grayson Mill Energy’s Williston Basin business for $5 billion, with $3.25 billion in cash and $1.75 billion in stock.
- Deal Details: The acquisition includes 500 gross locations, 300 refrac candidates, and is expected to close by the end of the third quarter of 2024.
- Financial Impact: The transaction is projected to be immediately accretive to Devon’s key financial metrics like earnings, cash flow, and net asset value.
- Production Outlook: Post-deal closure, Devon expects oil production to reach 375,000 barrels per day and total production to average 765,000 barrels of oil equivalent daily.
- Future Plans: Devon aims to reduce debt, increase share repurchase authorization, enhance dividends, and report second-quarter results on August 6, 2024.
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Analyst Views on DVN
Wall Street analysts forecast DVN stock price to fall
20 Analyst Rating
18 Buy
2 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 47.110
Low
41.00
Averages
45.53
High
55.00
Current: 47.110
Low
41.00
Averages
45.53
High
55.00
About DVN
Devon Energy Corporation is an oil and gas producer in the United States with a diversified multi-basin portfolio headlined by an acreage position in the Delaware Basin. The Company is primarily engaged in the exploration, development and production of oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGLs). It owns a portfolio of assets located in the Delaware Basin, Rockies, Eagle Ford and Anadarko Basin. The Delaware Basin operates in southeast New Mexico and across the state line into west Texas. It offers exploration and development opportunities from many geologic reservoirs and play types, including the oil-rich Wolfcamp, Bone Spring, Avalon and Delaware formations. Its Rockies development consists of its Williston Basin and Powder River Basin assets. The Eagle Ford operations are located in Texas' DeWitt and Karnes counties. The Anadarko Basin development is located in western Oklahoma. It has a joint venture with Dow to develop a portion of its Anadarko Basin acreage.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Supply Shortage Risks: Wirth emphasizes that even after the conflict ends, energy prices may not have peaked due to depleting reserve buffers, potentially resulting in gasoline shortages in certain markets.
- Diversification Advantage: Beyond oil and gas production, Chevron also engages in energy transportation and processing, and its strong balance sheet (with a debt-to-equity ratio of just 0.25x) allows it to support its business and dividends during industry downturns.
- Long-term Investment Strategy: Despite the current volatility in energy prices, long-term investors should focus on Chevron's ability to survive the full energy cycle and its consistent annual dividend increases, with a current yield of 3.7%, which is above market levels.
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- Devon Energy Cash Flow Outlook: Devon Energy indicates that if West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude reaches $90 per barrel, its free cash flow yield is projected at 15%, and if it rises to $100, the yield increases to 18%, highlighting the significant impact of high oil prices on its financial performance.
- Diamondback Energy Stability: Although Diamondback Energy did not provide detailed figures, it noted that at $90 WTI, its free cash flow yield could also reach 15%, demonstrating its profit potential during rising oil prices, and both companies being U.S.-based mitigates production risks from Middle Eastern conflicts.
- Long-Term Demand Outlook: The Middle East conflict may prompt countries to reassess energy security, potentially leading to a permanent increase in demand in stable regions like the U.S., providing a long-term catalyst for both Devon and Diamondback that extends beyond the current industry upheaval.
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- Supply Disruption Warning: ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods warns that the current supply disruptions due to geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East may last longer than expected, indicating that the market has not fully recognized this issue, which could affect investor confidence and market stability.
- Oil Price Impact Analysis: Devon Energy states that if West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude reaches $90, its free cash flow yield is projected at 15%, and if oil prices rise to $100, the yield increases to 18%, highlighting the significant impact of rising oil prices on its financial performance.
- Geopolitical Risk Avoidance: Both Devon and Diamondback Energy are U.S.-based companies, meaning their production is unaffected by geopolitical conflicts, allowing investors to benefit from rising oil and gas prices without the uncertainties of geopolitical risks, enhancing their investment appeal.
- Long-Term Demand Outlook: The conflict in the Middle East may prompt countries to reassess energy security, potentially leading to a permanent increase in demand in stable regions like the U.S., providing a long-term growth catalyst for both Devon and Diamondback, despite the likelihood of future oil price declines.
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- Devon Energy's Cash Flow Potential: Devon Energy indicates that with West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude at $90 per barrel, its free cash flow yield is projected at 15%, and if oil prices rise to $100, the yield could increase to 18%, highlighting the significant positive impact of rising oil prices on its financial performance.
- Diamondback Energy's Stability: While Diamondback Energy did not provide detailed figures, it noted that a $90 WTI price should yield a 15% free cash flow, indicating that it will similarly benefit from rising prices, enhancing its attractiveness to investors.
- Geopolitical Investment Advantage: Both Devon and Diamondback are based in the U.S., meaning geopolitical conflicts do not affect their production, allowing investors to benefit from rising oil and gas prices without uncertainty, and potentially gaining long-term growth momentum from increased energy security demand.
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- Merger Completion: Devon Energy has successfully completed its merger with Coterra Energy, with Coterra now operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Devon, which is expected to enhance Devon's competitiveness in the oil and gas market and improve overall operational efficiency.
- Bond Exchange Program: Devon has initiated exchange offers for existing Coterra bonds totaling over $2.5 billion in debt, aiming to optimize its capital structure through the issuance of new bonds and cash, thereby reducing financing costs.
- Compliance and Amendments: Concurrently, Devon is soliciting consent from bondholders to amend existing bond covenants to eliminate certain restrictive provisions, which will support future financial flexibility and enhance the company's appeal in capital markets.
- Investor Participation: Eligible holders must submit their existing bonds by the deadline to participate in the exchange, with Devon expecting to complete all transactions by June 23, 2026, ensuring effective utilization of liquidity and capital.
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