Capital markets have started to return to US shale
IPO highlights investors’ US shale hesitancy
Vine Energy’s financing efforts reveal lingering public market doubts despite healthy prospects for gas
Last week’s initial public offering by US gas producer Vine Energy may have been the first of its kind in the shale patch for over four years. But it also served as an important litmus test for onshore investor confidence. The Haynesville pure-play producer, backed by private equity firm Blackstone, successfully raised $301mn through the sale of 21.5mn shares priced at $14 each. But the share price fell below the expected $16-19 range, forcing the company to offload another 2.8mn shares to break through the $300mn ceiling. “The somewhat muted interest shows investors are still cautious of the risks involved and focused on free cash flow (FCF), meaning other privates looking to an IPO, especi
Also in this section
9 January 2026
OPEC+ remains on track as output falls, with only Gabon failing to hit its output targets in December, although Kazakhstan’s compliance was involuntary
9 January 2026
The Latin American producer’s crude prospects rely on a multi-pronged approach where even the relatively easy wins will take considerable time, effort and cost
9 January 2026
While many forecasters are reasserting the importance of oil and gas, petrostates should be under no illusion things are changing, and faster than they might think
8 January 2026
Indonesia and Malaysia are at the dawn of breathtaking digital capabilities. Their energy infrastructure must keep up with their ambitions
