Reliance Industries Ltd., one of the largest companies in India, and Apollo Global Management LLC, a New York-based private equity firm, are looking to buy El Paso Corporation’s (NYSE: EP) oil and gas exploration and production business unit. As ranked by assets, El Paso is the 11^th largest US oil and gas producer, according to the OGJ150 Quarterly Report.

Building on its existing relationship with French oil major Total, Chesapeake Energy Corp. completed yet another joint venture to continue its progress developing unconventional resources—this time in the Ohio portion of the Utica Shale play.

Northstar Offshore Energy Partners LLC (NOEP) – a portfolio company of Natural Gas Partners (NGP) – said Dec. 29 that it has sold substantially all of its asset holdings to ANKOR E&P Holdings Corporation, STX Energy E&P Offshore Management LLC, and SCL Resources LLC for $201 million.

Brazilian oil giant Petrobras reports that Bank of New York Mellon was chosen to represent the company’s American Depositary Receipt (ADR) program after bidding. ADRs are negotiable securities in the US that represent one or more shares of a foreign company.

Houston-based Flotek Industries Inc. (NYSE: FTK) announced Dec. 28 that it has entered into a repurchase agreement with the holders of the company’s 5.25% senior secured convertible notes due in 2028.

Former President George W. Bush has been announced as the keynote speaker at the NAPE Charities Industry Luncheon, Feb. 23, at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston.

Sanchez Energy Corp. has priced its initial public offering of 10,000,000 shares of its common stock at $22.00 per share for net proceeds, after underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses, of approximately $203 million.

Rosetta Resources Inc. has just announced the approval of its 2012 capital budget of $640 million which includes approximately $590 million allocated for activities in the liquids-rich window of the Eagle Ford shale in South Texas.

Magnum Hunter Resources Corp. has seen its borrowing base under its $350 million Senior Bank Facilities, which consist of a $250 million Senior Revolving Credit Facility and a $100 million Term Loan Facility, increased by $32.5 million from $167.5 million to $200 million.