Submitted by Joao Peixe of OilPrice.com
American Energy Partners: McClendon’s Next Energy Empire?
Less than a month after being ejected from Chesapeake Energy, the charismatic, yet controversial, Aubrey McClendon, has launched his next venture in the form of the American Energy Partners.
Forbes were sent a copy of the email that Aubrey sent to his many contacts in the oil and gas industry in his search for potential acquisitions, or assets that his new company could get involved with:
Good day to you! I have started a new E&P company, American Energy Partners, LP, and I am interested in being contacted regarding onshore US assets. My goal is to build a substantial E&P company both through the drillbit and through acquisitions of producing properties.
In particular, I will be looking for deals with a lot of drilling left on them and will also consider undeveloped acreage deals – plus, I am not scared of natural gas.
Thanks, Aubrey
McClendon has also erected three billboards around Oklahoma City stating that American Energy Partners are hiring new staff; a genuinely great opportunity be part of something from the beginning. Whilst McClendon has had a rough time lately, there is no denying his genius at building business empires.
The terms of his exit agreement from Chesapeake mean that he cannot hire any current Chesapeake employees until after January 2014, but he can hire:
(a) employees that have been assigned to him to provide the accounting support set forth in his employment agreement, (b) any employee assigned to Mr. McClendon as an assistant, (c) any employee who has been terminated by the Company (but who has not voluntarily departed the Company), (d) any employee who elects (or has elected) to accept any voluntary severance or retirement program offered by the Company or (e) any employee for whom the Company consents in advance to the soliciting and hiring by Mr. McClendon.