Noble Energy, Inc. and Rosetta Resources Inc. (Rosetta) announced a definitive merger agreement whereby Noble Energy will acquire all of the common stock of Rosetta in an all-stock transaction valued at $2.1 billion, plus the assumption of Rosetta's net debt of $1.8 billion as of March 31, 2015.

Dave Stover, Noble Energy's Chairman, CEO, and President stated, 'I am excited to announce this strategic transaction which adds two exceptional and material areas to our global portfolio. The Eagle Ford and the Permian are premier unconventional resource plays, two of the most economic in the U.S., which will expand our resource base and development inventory and further diversify our portfolio. The transaction will be immediately accretive to our per share production, reserves, earnings, and cash flow. Rosetta's team has a strong culture and track record of safe and efficient operations, and we look forward to adding their talents and capabilities to our company. The strengths of the combined assets and people will drive significant value creation for our existing and new shareholders.'

Jim Craddock, Rosetta's Chairman, CEO and President, stated, 'The combination with Noble Energy brings together two complementary companies with a deep and diverse portfolio of assets in key unconventional resource basins. The deal will accelerate value delivery from our strong asset base, and the all-stock nature of the transaction will allow our shareholders to continue to reap that value growth across commodity price cycles. I have long respected Noble Energy and its management team, which has a strong track record of delivering substantial value to shareholders, both from the U.S. onshore business as well as global offshore exploration and development. I am confident the combined team, strong balance sheet, and premier asset base is poised for further success and shareholder value creation.'

Tags: Noble Energy, Rosetta Resources Inc.