• Los Angeles-based The TCW Group Inc. has closed its acquisition of West Texas midstream assets from Sand– Ridge Energy Inc., Oklahoma City, (NYSE: SD) for $200 million.

TCW purchased Pinon Gathering Co. LLC, a subsidiary of SandRidge, which owns and operates approximately 370 miles of gas-gathering lines in the West Texas Overthrust in Pecos and Terrell counties, Texas. The system primarily serves Pinon Field and currently has throughput capacity in excess of 400 million cu. ft. per day accommodating both sweet and high CO2 gas. Plans are to expand the system to more than 1 billion cu. ft. per day of throughput capacity over the next several years.

The purchase is an entity formed and financed by TCW Asset Management Co. on behalf of its institutional clients. SandRidge will continue as operator of these assets.

• Bill Barrett Corp., Denver, (NYSE: BBG) has acquired a 90% working interest in approximately 40,300 undeveloped acres in Cottonwood Gulch, the former Naval Oil Shale Reserve #1, in the Piceance Basin of western Colorado from an undisclosed seller for $60 million.

The properties are adjacent to Rulison and Parachute fields on federal lands with an 87.5% net revenue interest and 10-year leases issued in 2008. The company estimates the acquisition adds more than 2 trillion cu. ft. equivalent of probable and possible resources.

The company expects the acquisition to more than triple the company’s current 3P (proved, probable and possible) resource estimates in the Piceance to more than 3 trillion equivalent.

Development of the acreage position is being coordinated with the Department of Interior and Bureau of Land Management and is expected to begin as early as next year.

Bill Barrett financed the acquisition with its bank line of credit. Following this acquisition, availability under the company’s credit facility was $294 million.

Valuing the package at $1,489 per acre, Stifel, Nicolaus & Co. Inc. analyst Michael Hall says the purchase price “compares nicely to the August 2008 Roan Plateau lease sale which went for $2,383 per acre, assuming an equal net revenue interest of 87.5%.”

• The MLP Encore Energy Partners LP, Fort Worth, Texas, (NYSE: ENP) has closed its acquisition of producing properties in the Williston Basin in Montana and North Dakota from parent company Encore Acquisition Co., (NYSE: EAC) for $25.8 million in cash.

The properties produce from 13 different fields and include more than 100 producing wells. The properties have estimated total proved reserves of approximately 2 million bbl. of oil equivalent (93% proved developed producing, 80% oil). The properties currently produce approximately 419 bbl. equivalent per day.

Jon S. Brumley, chief executive and president of Encore Energy Partners GP LLC, says, “The Williston properties are long-life and oily. Because the Williston assets are in 13 different fields, it greatly increases ENP’s footprint in the Williston. This will allow the partnership to take advantage of yet-to-be discovered zones and future technological enhancements.”

Brumley adds, “Having high-margin, long-life properties and a large parent makes us unique and has created a resilient MLP that is able to take advantage of this uncertain market. We are fortunate to have this relationship with EAC.”

The effective date is April 1.

Simmons & Co. International and Griffis & Associates LLC were financial advisors to Encore Energy’s conflicts committee, and Simmons delivered a fairness opinion. Barclays Capital was financial advisor and rendered a fairness opinion to Energy Acquisition’s board.

• St. Mary Land & Exploration Co. , Denver, (NYSE: SM) has retained Tristone Capital to sell certain interests in the Powder River and Green River basins, mostly in Wyo­ming. The package includes interest in 930 producing wells and leasehold in approximately 383,000 gross acres (246,000 net). From January through February 2009, the properties produced at an average net rate of 19.5 million cu. ft. per day (99% gas). Total proved reserves as of July 1, 2009, are 52.2 billion cu. ft. equivalent (287 billion proved, probable and possible). Estimated operating cash flow is $6.1 million.

• Houston-based private equity fund Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors LP closed its fifth energy private-equity fund with total commitments of $820 million.

Since 1998, Kayne Anderson has made investments in more than 50 energy companies. As with prior funds, the new fund will focus on making private equity investments in early to mid-stage North American oil and gas companies with typical investments ranging from $20- to $150 million.

Kayne Anderson has more than $6 billion in assets under the firm’s management.

• NuVista Energy Ltd., Calgary, (Toronto: NVA) plans to acquire properties in the Martin Creek area of northeastern British Columbia and in northwestern Alberta from an undisclosed seller for C$176 million in cash. NuVista values the deal at C$15.42 per proved barrel, C$10.90 per proved plus probable barrel and C$29,800 per flowing barrel.

The acquired properties will form a new core area for NuVista characterized by longer-life reserves. NuVista has identified more than 30 drilling opportunities.

Current production is approximately 5,900 bbl. of oil per day (82% gas; 96% operated) with an average working interest of 77%. The majority of the liquids production is light oil production from Keg River pools in northwestern Alberta. Proved plus probable reserves were estimated by Sproule Associates Ltd. to be 18.8 million bbl. of oil equivalent as of March 31. Included in the acquisition is approximately 140,000 net acres of undeveloped land with an average working interest of 71%.

The Martin Creek property in northeastern British Columbia represents approximately 75% of the total value and 55% of the total production.

The northwestern Alberta properties include gas production primarily from the Bluesky and Debolt formations at Sousa, Rainbow and Fontas, and Keg River light oil production at Rainbow and Sousa.

The deal will be funded through debt and two equity offerings. NuVista has an existing credit facility of C$450 million under which approximately C$350 million is currently drawn. Following completion of the acquisition of the acquired properties, NuVista anticipates its credit facility will be increased to more than C$500 million.

The effective date is April 1. Closing is expected by the end of July.

• Canadian Superior Energy Inc., Calgary, (Toronto, Amex: SNG) plans to acquire Challenger Energy Corp., Calgary, (Toronto Venture: CHQ) in a deal valued at C$77.8 million.

Canadian Superior will issue 0.51 Canadian Superior share per Challenger share, valuing Challenger shares at C$0.4345 each, a 36% premium to Challenger’s closing price on June 18 and a 15% premium to the 20-day volume weighted average. Challenger will issue approximately C$23.4 million in stock and assume C$54.4 million in net debt.

Pro forma, the combined company will have Western Canadian production of approximately 3,050 bbl. of oil equivalent per day (85% gas); with an additional 300 bbl. equivalent per day behind pipe and more than 146,000 net undeveloped acres in Alberta and British Columbia.

The assets also included a diversified suite of oil and natural gas exploration and development assets located in Canada, Trinidad and Tobago, and North Africa and an LNG project on the east coast of the U.S. The company will have a market capitalization of more than C$160.6 million.

Canadian Superior previously announced that as part of its restructuring pursuant to the companies’ creditors arrangement act, it has reached an agreement with Centrica Plc where Centrica will acquire from Canadian Superior a 45% interest in Block 5(c), located offshore Trinidad, for US$142.5 million in cash. The Centrica agreement is subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions including pre-emption rights from existing field partners and to approval by the Alberta court, and by the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries of the government of Trinidad and Tobago.

Jennings Capital Inc. is financial advisor to Canadian Superior. Peters & Co. Ltd. is financial advisor to Challenger.

The deal is expected to close in later this month.

• Epsilon Energy Ltd., Concord, Ontario, (Toronto: EPS) has closed its divestiture of its Amber Bank and Blue Jacket properties in West Virginia to an undisclosed buyer for US$14 million.

The company initially acquired a nonoperating interest in these properties, known as the Legacy assets, during 2006, prior to its initial public offering in 2007. Epsilon intends to redeploy proceeds into its Marcellus shale projects in Pennsylvania and New York, where it is the operator.

• NAL Oil & Gas Trust, Calgary, (Toronto: NAE.UN) and The Manufacturers Life Insurance Co. have closed their acquisitions of Alberta Clipper Energy Inc., Calgary, (Toronto: ACN) for C$37 million in units and C$78 million in debt for a total deal value of approximately C$115 million.

NAL issued 5.7 million units at C$6.45 per unit. Based on an exchange ratio of 0.078875 NAL units per Alberta Clipper share, the offer represents C$0.51 per share, a 34% premium over the preceding 20-day volume weighted average price. Concurrently, Manufacturers Life paid C$52.5 million in cash at closing for a 50% interest.

Alberta Clipper assets are in Alberta and northeastern Saskatchewan. Production in March was 3,100 bbl. of oil equivalent per day (65% gas), with 1,550 net following the Manufacturers Life acquisition. Proved reserves are 5.6 million bbl. equivalent (2.8 million net) with 3 million bbl. probable and 8.6 million bbl. proved plus probable (4.3 million net). Upside potential includes 220,000 acres (110,000 net) of undeveloped land.

After adjusting for undeveloped land valued at C$10 million, NAL values the deal at C$33,500 per flowing barrel, C$18.57 per proved barrel, and C$12.09 per proved plus probable barrel.

• Questerre Energy Corp., Calgary, (Toronto: QEC; Oslo: QEC) has acquired exploration licenses covering more than 17,900 gross acres (12,800 net) prospective for the Devonian Horn River shales from an undisclosed seller for an undisclosed price.

The acreage is on trend with recent and planned shale wells by several majors in the Horn River Basin in northeastern British Columbia. It also lies adjacent to several deeper Keg River and Slave Point discoveries in the area as well as the company’s acreage in the Greater Sierra region.

• Bonavista Energy Trust Ltd., Calgary, announced plans to acquire approximately 409,000 net acres of producing properties in west-central Alberta from EnCana Corp., Calgary, (TSX, NYSE: ECA) for approximately US$632 million.

The transaction includes properties known as the Hoadley trend west of Red Deer, running from Caroline north to the Pigeon Lake area just south of Edmonton. Current production is approximately 60 million cu. ft. of gas equivalent per day after royalties (approximately 68 million before royalties). Production is about 80% gas. EnCana will retain a lessor royalty on the majority of the lands.

Randy Eresman, EnCana president and chief executive, says, “This sale reflects our ongoing efforts to high-grade our portfolio of producing assets and it represents a substantial portion of our 2009 divestiture target of between US$500 million and US$1 billion. We continue to look for other opportunities for divestitures and acquisitions to improve the long-term value creation capacity of our extensive North American unconventional resource portfolio.”

The effective date is April 1. Closing is expected in the third quarter. Tristone Capital is advisor to EnCana.