NGP Energy Capital Management, Irving, Texas, has closed three new funds with aggregate capital of $1.7 billion. These funds include Natural Gas Partners VIII LP, which closed with a total of $1.3 billion in investment commitments; NGP Income Co-Investment Opportunities Fund II LP, which closed with $250 million in investment commitments; and NGP Energy Technology Partners LP, which closed with total commitments of $148 million. Kenneth A. Hersh, chief executive of NGP Energy Capital Management and Managing Partner of NGP 8, says, "A series of transactions this fall exhausted the investment capacity of our prior fund months ahead of our anticipated schedule, leading us to form NGP 8 on an expedited basis. The fact that the closing for this fund occurred so quickly and seamlessly is a testament to our great relationship with our investors, for which we are very appreciative." Though the firm has a policy against disclosing the names of its investors, Hersh reported some $1.2 billion of the funds in NGP 8 came from investors already committed to prior NGP funds, while the remainder came from institutions or through consultants the fund has worked with in the past. NGP Income Co-Investment Opportunities Fund is the company's second co-investment fund, which will invest capital alongside NGP 8's portfolio companies to purchase various royalty, net profits and other interests in oil and gas properties as well as other energy-related assets.