Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP
02/27/2026 | News release | Distributed by Public on 02/27/2026 09:36
Peoria Resources Completes 1 26 Billion Acquisition of Verdad Resources Portfolio
Peoria Resources Completes 1 26 Billion Acquisition of Verdad Resources Portfolio
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February 27, 2026
Willkie represented Peoria Resources, LLC, a subsidiary of JAPEX (U.S.) Corp., in its acquisition of the operated oil and gas business of Verdad Resources Holdings LLC. The transaction reflects a total enterprise value of approximately $1.26 billion.
On February 26, 2026, Verdad Resources announced that it completed the sale of its E&P operating assets in the Denver-Julesburg Basin to Peoria Resources. The portfolio comprises approximately 101,000 net acres across Colorado and Wyoming.
Willkie previously advised Peoria Resources on its partnership with Japan Petroleum Exploration Co., Ltd. (JAPEX), which included an equity commitment from JAPEX (U.S.) Corp., the overseas consolidated subsidiary of JAPEX. The investment established Peoria Resources to acquire and develop operated oil and natural gas assets in the U.S.
The Willkie team was led by partners Brad Honeycutt and Tan Lu with counsel Emerson W. Girardeau III and associate Braxton Smith. The team also included partners Robert Jacobson, Scott Thompson, Thomas McCaffrey, Andrew Thomison, Britt Mosman, Jeffrey Clancy, Robert Lepore and Stuart Lombardi; counsel William Thomas, Jonathan Konoff, Britton Davis, Emily Monk and Kenneth Sommer; associates Ahmad El-Gamal, Amanda Payne, David Mohl, Garry Canepa, Joshua Nelson, Jacob Bell, Michael Fabiyi and Katerina Ganasoulis; and law clerk Akshara Anirjita.
On February 26, 2026, Verdad Resources announced that it completed the sale of its E&P operating assets in the Denver-Julesburg Basin to Peoria Resources. The portfolio comprises approximately 101,000 net acres across Colorado and Wyoming.
Willkie previously advised Peoria Resources on its partnership with Japan Petroleum Exploration Co., Ltd. (JAPEX), which included an equity commitment from JAPEX (U.S.) Corp., the overseas consolidated subsidiary of JAPEX. The investment established Peoria Resources to acquire and develop operated oil and natural gas assets in the U.S.
The Willkie team was led by partners Brad Honeycutt and Tan Lu with counsel Emerson W. Girardeau III and associate Braxton Smith. The team also included partners Robert Jacobson, Scott Thompson, Thomas McCaffrey, Andrew Thomison, Britt Mosman, Jeffrey Clancy, Robert Lepore and Stuart Lombardi; counsel William Thomas, Jonathan Konoff, Britton Davis, Emily Monk and Kenneth Sommer; associates Ahmad El-Gamal, Amanda Payne, David Mohl, Garry Canepa, Joshua Nelson, Jacob Bell, Michael Fabiyi and Katerina Ganasoulis; and law clerk Akshara Anirjita.
Emerson W. Girardeau III Counsel Corporate & Financial Services
Houston [email protected] +1 713 510 1755
Scott D. Thompson Partner Executive Compensation & Employee Benefits
San Francisco [email protected] +1 415 858 7432
Thomas McCaffrey Senior Counsel Corporate & Financial Services
Houston [email protected] +1 713 510 1743
Jeffrey B. Clancy Partner Insurance - Transactional and Regulatory
New York [email protected] +1 212 728 8603
Jonathan J. Konoff Counsel Corporate & Financial Services
New York [email protected] +1 212 728 8627
David Mohl Associate Executive Compensation & Employee Benefits
Washington [email protected] +1 202 303 1230
Katerina Ganasoulis Associate Corporate & Financial Services
Houston [email protected] +1 713 510 1751
Akshara Anirjita Law Clerk Executive Compensation & Employee Benefits
New York [email protected] +1 212 728 3488
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2029 Century Park East
Los Angeles , CA 90067-2905
Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP published this content on February 27, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on February 27, 2026 at 15:36 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]