Vanguard Natural Resources says now is "Great Time" to Buy Natural Gas Assets

Oil and natural gas company Vanguard Natural Resources

today that it would acquire natural gas and liquid assets from Antero Resources for $445 million. The resources would create an immediate cash flow, with enough reserves to last 15 years at current production rates. In this deal, Vanguard Natural Resources will acquire 66,000 net acres in the Woodford Shale and 5,300 net acres in the Fayetteville Shale. Vanguard says the acquisition contains 180 proved drilling locations that can generate “superior returns” at current natural gas prices and 1,100 proved drilling locations that can be developed at higher natural gas prices. Scott W. Smith, Vanguard's President and CEO explained that he believes now is an opportune time to purchase natural gas assets, implying that he believes the price of natural gas will increase. This prediction is in contrast to a greater than 30% decline in natural gas year to date, as measured by changes in US Natural Gas Fund

, a natural gas ETF. If Smith is correct, other natural gas producers, such as Chesapeake Energy

and Quicksilver Resources

, stand to benefit. Shares of Vanguard Natural Resources traded around 42 cents, or 1.8% higher this morning.