Japanese companies become new players in Haynesville Shale, buy assets in Louisiana, Texas

BY LIZ SWAINE | Staff writer  Feb. 20, 2026 shreveportbossieradvocate.com/business

A couple of new names are popping up in Haynesville Shale drilling permits: Adamas Energy LLC and JERA Americas Inc. 

Adamas is an arm of Mitsubishi Corp., which is in the process of finalizing a roughly $7.5 billion purchase of Aethon's assets and debt. Aethon has been a player in the Shale since 2017.

"Aethon has probably done more refracking of old wells than any other major player in the Haynesville Shale," Shreveport mineral consultant Skip Peel told The Shreveport-Bossier City Advocate.

JERA is Japan's largest power-generating company. It produces one-third of Japan's electricity and is one of the largest Liquefied Natural Gas buyers in the world, according to its website.

JERA closed Feb. 12 on $1.5 billion of Western Haynesville assets of Williams and GEP Haynesville II, LLC that includes active wells and some 200 undeveloped locations.

The Houston-based company said it was drawn to the Haynesville Shale because of a list of positives: robust current production and proven reserves, gathering, treating and transport infrastructure, and proximity to both Gulf Coast LNG and data center hubs that will need its natural gas product for electricity.

"The U.S. energy sector is leading the way in the global LNG market and JERA's investments have lined up accordingly," said John O'Brien, JERA Americas' chief executive officer. 

Meanwhile, former Aethon drilling permits in Texas are being changed to reflect the new Adamas Energy name, so changes could be coming soon to permits in Louisiana.

The Tokyo-based company also owns a stake in the Cameron LNG export facility in Louisiana, and they, too, are predicting growth based on the power needs of artificial intelligence and data centers.

Japan's government has been encouraging firms in the country to invest more heavily in energy, believing that there will be higher AI-driven power demands over the next decade. The government is actively pushing renewables and nuclear power and has revised policies to include joint-venture LNG projects. 

Mitsubishi's deal with Aethon is expected to close within the next four months.