Silver Run Acquisition Corporation II (Silver Run II) announced that, subject to certain conditions, it has entered into definitive agreements to combine with Alta Mesa Holdings, LP (Alta Mesa) and Kingfisher Midstream, LLC (Kingfisher). Alta Mesa is an independent exploration and production company with assets located in the STACK play in Oklahoma. Kingfisher is a company engaged in the gathering, processing, and marketing of hydrocarbons in the STACK play (collectively, the "business combination").
Founded in 1987 by Michael E. Ellis and based in Houston, Texas, Alta Mesa is a leading pure-play exploration and production company focused on the prolific STACK play in the Anadarko Basin. With approximately 120,000 contiguous net acres and about 4,200 gross identified drilling locations, Alta Mesa is among the largest and most active operators in the STACK. Since 2012, Alta Mesa has drilled to total-depth 205 STACK horizontal wells, in order to further delineate and de-risk its approximate 300 square mile position in the up-dip oil window of the STACK. To date, Alta Mesa has completed 173 of these wells, with 167 on production. Based upon production through the second quarter of 2017, Alta Mesa expects EURs at year end to exceed 650 MBOE per well or approximately 140 BOE per foot of lateral.
Kingfisher Midstream is a private midstream company with a leading position in the STACK play, with Alta Mesa serving as its anchor producer. Kingfisher's assets include over 300 miles of pipeline, 50 thousand barrels of crude storage capacity, and 60 MMcf/d of gas processing capacity with an additional 200 MMcf/d cryogenic plant expansion expected to commence operations in the fourth quarter of 2017. With approximately 300,000 gross dedicated acres from Alta Mesa and five other third party customers, Kingfisher is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the increasing development activity in the STACK.
At consummation of the transaction, Silver Run II is expected to be renamed Alta Mesa Resources, Inc. and trade on the NASDAQ stock exchange under the ticker symbol "AMR". James T. Hackett, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Silver Run II, will serve as Executive Chairman following the consummation of the business combination, while Harlan H. Chappelle, Michael E. Ellis, andMichael A. McCabe will continue as Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Financial Officer of Alta Mesa Resources, Inc., respectively.
Mr. Hackett commented, "We formed Silver Run II with the objective of acquiring low-breakeven, stacked-pay, oil-weighted assets, preferably with an integrated related midstream platform. The combination of Alta Mesa and Kingfisher is a perfect strategic match for our desired integrated platform. Alta Mesa's highly contiguous core acreage position in Northeast Kingfisher County has among the lowest breakevens in the U.S. at around $25 per barrel. Kingfisher adds a highly strategic and synergistic midstream subsidiary with significant additional third party growth potential. We are excited about the possibilities for the combined company, including a potential future midstream IPO.
Importantly, the current owners of Alta Mesa and Kingfisher are investing alongside Silver Run II's stockholders by committing to hold significant amounts of equity in the combined company. I am very excited about the opportunity to work alongside Hal Chappelle, Mike Ellis, Mike McCabe and the Alta Mesa team in this pure-play STACK upstream and midstream company. It is the first of its kind in the public markets, and we believe it creates significant advantages for both organic and inorganic growth for our stockholders."
Mr. Chappelle stated, "We see this as a tremendous way to continue our evolution as a low-cost, high-value producer in the STACK. We have been fortunate to have strong financial partners in HPS Investment Partners and Bayou City Energy during a pivotal stage of growth, and we are well-positioned for this next stage. Mike Ellis and I are excited about the opportunity to work with Jim Hackett, Silver Run II, and Riverstone to continue building a great enterprise. Kingfisher Midstream is a creative addition, as it has been an important factor in our growth, providing effective gathering, efficient processing, and assurance that our production will continue to flow as the activity in the basin expands."
Zach Lee, Chief Executive Officer of ARM Energy Holdings, LLC (ARM), the operator of Kingfisher'sassets and an equity owner of Kingfisher, noted, "We are very pleased by the success that Kingfisherhas garnered. ARM's downstream intelligence and in-depth fundamentals analysis identified the STACK play early as a rapidly growing region in need of midstream infrastructure and proactively solved for a takeaway solution for its producer partners, chief among them Alta Mesa as one of the most active and successful drillers in the play. We have experienced firsthand the production growth Alta Mesa has been able to achieve and are pleased to be a shareholder and continue our partnership with our existing financial partner, HPS Investment Partners, as well as Silver Run II, Riverstone, and Alta Mesa."
Alta Mesa Resources will have an aggregate market capitalization of approximately $3.8 billion. At$10.00 per share, the combined company would represent a valuation of 7.1x FV/2018E EBITDA. Alta Mesa would represent 6.1x FV/2018E EBITDA, and Kingfisher would represent 7.3x FV/2018E EBITDA. Riverstone and Alta Mesa management will collectively own a significant portion of the combined company, representing approximately 34% of the pro-forma market capitalization.
The transaction is subject to the approval of Silver Run II stockholders and the satisfaction or waiver of other customary closing conditions, including the expiration or termination of applicable waiting periods under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2017.
The description of the business combination and related transactions contained herein is only a summary and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the related contribution agreements and other related agreements.
Advisors
Citigroup acted as capital markets advisor to Silver Run II, Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. acted as financial advisor to Silver Run II, and Latham & Watkins LLP acted as its legal counsel.
Citigroup acted as sole financial advisor and lead capital markets advisor to Alta Mesa. Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley also acted as capital markets advisors to Alta Mesa. Haynes & Boone LLP acted as legal advisor to Alta Mesa.
JP Morgan served as lead financial advisor and Barclays acted as co-financial advisor to Kingfisher. Bracewell LLP acted as legal advisor to HPS Investment Partners and Kingfisher, Durham, Jones & Pinegar acted as legal advisor to ARM and Kirkland & Ellis LLP represented Bayou City Energy.
