Denver, Colo.-based Petroleum Development Corp. today announced it has executed a definitive agreement to acquire Core Wattenberg assets that contain significant liquid-rich horizontal drilling opportunities from a private party for a purchase price of approximately $330.6 million. The effective date of the transaction is April 1, 2012 with closing scheduled for June 29, 2012.

Hong Kong-based CNOOC Limited today announced that its parent company, China National Offshore Oil Corp., has signed a production sharing contract (PSC) with Roc Oil (Bohai) Company for Block 09/05 in Bohai.

The Malaysia External Trade Development Corp. and the Malaysia Petroleum Resources Corp. made their presence known last week in Houston at OTC 2012. From Booth 11909, dubbed the “Malaysia Pavilion,” representatives of Malaysian oil and gas companies, related agencies and associations reported $7.2 billion in total generated sales during the conference.

Memorial Production Partners LP has closed its previously announced acquisition of oil and natural gas properties in East Texas and North Louisiana, from an undisclosed seller, for $37.3 million, subject to customary post-closing adjustments. The acquisition was funded with borrowings under MEMP's existing credit facility. The effective date for this transaction was January 1, 2012.

Effective today, WEST Engineering Services, predominantly experts in subsea systems, will join the Lloyd's Register Group, a global organisation  that provides independent assurance and advice to companies operating high-risk, capital-intensive assets in the energy and transportation sectors.

Houston, Texas-based Apache Corp. today announced it has completed its acquisition of Cordillera Energy Partners III, LLC, a privately held company with operations and acreage across the Granite Wash, Tonkawa, Cleveland and Marmaton plays in western Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle.

Halcón Resources Corp. and GeoResources, Inc. announced April 25 that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement in which GeoResources will merge into a wholly-owned subsidiary of Halcón Resources in a cash and stock transaction that values GeoResources at approximately $1 billion, based on the closing price of Halcón Resources common stock on April 24.

Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, LP, announced April 25 that it has signed a definitive agreement with an investment vehicle affiliated with Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. LP, whereby KMP will purchase from KKR its 50 percent interest in the joint venture that owns the Altamont gathering, processing and treating assets (Uinta Basin in Utah) and the Camino Real Gathering System (Eagle Ford shale in Texas) for $300 million in KMP common units.

Element Partners, an energy and industrial technology-focused private equity fund, and CSL Capital Management, an energy-services private equity firm, announced April 23 that, along with North Sky Capital and key members of management, they have acquired Environmental Drilling Solutions.