High-grade debt issuance by the oil and gas sector was on track to set a new record of approximately $106 billion in 2012, surpassing the prior high of $104 billion set in 2009. Similarly attractive conditions may lie ahead for prospective oil and gas issuers in 2013.

“Energy is viewed as the asset class of choice in fixed income,” says Greg Hall, head of natural resources debt capital markets at Barclays.

He attributes record issuance to both industry-specific and technical factors.

With attractive expected drilling economics, integrated oil and E&P ...