Operators in the Haynesville are betting big on strong LNG prospects
Haynesville tempts gas operators
Bullish LNG export prospects on the Gulf Coast are driving M&A activity in the southern shale play
Appalachia may still dominate US gas production, but a wave of consolidation further south in the Haynesville has shown that operators see big opportunities in the Louisiana and east Texas shale play. Two major deals stand out over recent months. In early August, gas giant Chesapeake Energy shelled out $2.2bn on a merger with Haynesville peer Vine Energy. Two months before, Appalachian gas driller Southwestern Energy spent $2.7bn on its merger with Louisiana-based producer Indigo Natural Resources—the main rationale being diversified supply and access to the Gulf Coast. And for operators, the upstream and midstream incentives of switching to the Haynesville are clear. Consultancy Rystad Ener
Also in this section
16 April 2026
Demand for oil is falling because supply cannot meet it, not because it is no longer required
16 April 2026
The continent has an immediate opportunity to make the most of its energy resources by capturing gas that is currently slipping away
15 April 2026
The continent is seeing political pushback to climate plans, corporate reassessment of transition goals and rising supply risk in a fractured global order
15 April 2026
The Middle East energy crisis may turn out to be pivotal to the industry’s long-term expansion, but significant challenges still stand in its way
