The "Western Haynesville" is a quickly evolving play based on the deep Haynesville and Bossier geological formations. Comstock Resources was the early mover and Aethon has followed suit. Both companies have built large leasehold positions and drilled impressive wells. Other major unconventional O&G companies are joining them as the play area expands. Mitsui E&P USA has built a large position and Expand (Chesapeake) is heavily rumored to be leasing. There may be more major operators chasing this trend via the multiple brokerage firms that are active in the eastern expansion of the trend. The play area originally was comprised of Leon, Roberston and Freestone counties as the focus for early drilling. Leasing operations and "trend subsurface work" has seen the play expand to include Houston, Anderson, Cherokee and Nacogdoches counties. The eastward expansion to Nacogdoches County now almost connects the western trend to the original Haynesville Shale fairway. The prospective section in this trend ranges from 2000' to over 4000' thick, and the opportunity for multiple target intervals is highly probable based on some stacked lateral efforts by Comstock. The play is deep, hot and over pressured making it an expensive and challenging trend to drill, fracture stimulate and produce.
Japan’s Mitsubishi to acquire shale gas assets in U.S. for $7.5 billion
Published Fri, Jan 16 2026 cnbc.com
Key Points
The company will spend $5.2 billion in equity purchases, and take on $2.33 billion in Aethon’s debt.
Mitsubishi said that the investment will strengthen the earnings base of the company’s natural gas and LNG businesses.
Mitsubishi Corporation said on Friday that it will acquire shale gas assets in the U.S. in a $7.53 billion deal, including debt, as the Japanese trading house looks to build on its presence in the country’s energy market.
Mitsubishi is looking to capitalize on rising power needs from data centers, manufacturing, as well as LNG exports, by expanding in the the world’s largest gas market, citing domestic consumption, production, exports, and further demand growth.
It will acquire the assets from Aethon Energy Management in Texas and Louisiana in a transaction that includes $5.2 billion in equity purchases and $2.33 billion in Aethon’s debt.
Mitsubishi’s deal comes after Japan’s largest power generation company, JERA, announced a $1.5 billion investment in October in the Haynesville Shale basin on the Louisiana-Texas border, as part of Tokyo’s $550 billion investment pledge to the U.S.
Last month, Japanese media outlet Nikkei reported that projects in the energy sector were likely candidates for Japan’s investment pledge, although it was not immediately clear if Mitsubishi’s deal counts toward the proposed investment.
In a filing with the Tokyo Stock Exchange, Mitsubishi said that the investment will strengthen the earnings base of the company’s natural gas and LNG businesses.
It will also accelerate efforts to build an integrated value chain in the United States, “from upstream gas development to power generation, data center development, chemicals production, and related businesses,” the company said.
The company has multiple investments in natural gas, with projects in Alaska, Malaysia, Canada and Indonesia, among others.
Mitsubishi has a total LNG production capacity across projects of about 15 million metric tons per year currently, and Atheon assets are estimated to add a similar capacity, doubling overall output.
The company said it also plans to expand in the U.S. by engaging in power generation and manufacturing businesses that capitalize on competitive upstream gas projects.
Mitsubishi currently has partnerships in upstream shale gas development with U.S. energy company Ovintiv in British Columbia, Canada, midstream marketing and logistics through subsidiary CIMA Energy in Houston, and LNG exports via LNG Canada and Cameron LNG.
WESTERN HAYNESVILLE
12 members
Description
The "Western Haynesville" is a quickly evolving play based on the deep Haynesville and Bossier geological formations. Comstock Resources was the early mover and Aethon has followed suit. Both companies have built large leasehold positions and drilled impressive wells. Other major unconventional O&G companies are joining them as the play area expands. Mitsui E&P USA has built a large position and Expand (Chesapeake) is heavily rumored to be leasing. There may be more major operators chasing this trend via the multiple brokerage firms that are active in the eastern expansion of the trend. The play area originally was comprised of Leon, Roberston and Freestone counties as the focus for early drilling. Leasing operations and "trend subsurface work" has seen the play expand to include Houston, Anderson, Cherokee and Nacogdoches counties. The eastward expansion to Nacogdoches County now almost connects the western trend to the original Haynesville Shale fairway. The prospective section in this trend ranges from 2000' to over 4000' thick, and the opportunity for multiple target intervals is highly probable based on some stacked lateral efforts by Comstock. The play is deep, hot and over pressured making it an expensive and challenging trend to drill, fracture stimulate and produce.
Mitsubishi enters the Westerrn Haynesville Play
by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant
yesterday
Japan’s Mitsubishi to acquire shale gas assets in U.S. for $7.5 billion
Published Fri, Jan 16 2026 cnbc.com
Key Points
Mitsubishi Corporation said on Friday that it will acquire shale gas assets in the U.S. in a $7.53 billion deal, including debt, as the Japanese trading house looks to build on its presence in the country’s energy market.
Mitsubishi is looking to capitalize on rising power needs from data centers, manufacturing, as well as LNG exports, by expanding in the the world’s largest gas market, citing domestic consumption, production, exports, and further demand growth.
It will acquire the assets from Aethon Energy Management in Texas and Louisiana in a transaction that includes $5.2 billion in equity purchases and $2.33 billion in Aethon’s debt.
Mitsubishi’s deal comes after Japan’s largest power generation company, JERA, announced a $1.5 billion investment in October in the Haynesville Shale basin on the Louisiana-Texas border, as part of Tokyo’s $550 billion investment pledge to the U.S.
Last month, Japanese media outlet Nikkei reported that projects in the energy sector were likely candidates for Japan’s investment pledge, although it was not immediately clear if Mitsubishi’s deal counts toward the proposed investment.
In a filing with the Tokyo Stock Exchange, Mitsubishi said that the investment will strengthen the earnings base of the company’s natural gas and LNG businesses.
It will also accelerate efforts to build an integrated value chain in the United States, “from upstream gas development to power generation, data center development, chemicals production, and related businesses,” the company said.
The company has multiple investments in natural gas, with projects in Alaska, Malaysia, Canada and Indonesia, among others.
Mitsubishi has a total LNG production capacity across projects of about 15 million metric tons per year currently, and Atheon assets are estimated to add a similar capacity, doubling overall output.
The company said it also plans to expand in the U.S. by engaging in power generation and manufacturing businesses that capitalize on competitive upstream gas projects.
Mitsubishi currently has partnerships in upstream shale gas development with U.S. energy company Ovintiv in British Columbia, Canada, midstream marketing and logistics through subsidiary CIMA Energy in Houston, and LNG exports via LNG Canada and Cameron LNG.