Transaction Highlights
- Approximately 8,300 boe/d of operated production from light oil assets in Alberta’s Cardium fairway
- High-netback assets generating strong free cash flow with low sustaining capital requirements
- Deep inventory of high-return, repeatable Cardium drilling locations supported by near-term behind-pipe upside providing a clear runway for production growth
- Establishes Acerta as a growth-oriented Cardium operator with the scale, cash flow, and inventory from day one
- Backed by McIntyre Partners and leading global commodities trader Trafigura, and led by a proven management team with a track record of value creation
- Concurrent private placement of US$175 million of senior secured bonds (“the Bonds”) with strong uptake from leading institutional investors.
CALGARY, AB, April 14, 2026 /CNW/ – Acerta Energy Ltd. (“Acerta” or the “Company”) has acquired operated light oil and gas assets in central Alberta’s Cardium fairway from Hawthorne Energy (the “Acquisition”), delivering approximately 8,300 boe/d of production and immediately establishing Acerta as a scaled, growth-oriented operator in one of Canada’s most proven conventional oil plays. The assets offer strong netbacks, shallow base decline, and a substantial inventory of capital-efficient drilling and optimization opportunities. The Acquisition positions Acerta to capitalize on improving fundamentals for conventional light oil development in North America.
The transaction was backed by McIntyre Partners, the buy-out investor, and Trafigura, a market leader in the global commodities industry. In connection with Trafigura’s pivotal role in the transaction and investment in the Bonds, Acerta has entered into arrangements with Trafigura with respect to the marketing of all crude oil, condensate, and natural gas from the acquired assets. The Company concurrently closed a private placement of US$175 million aggregate principal amount of senior secured bonds due 2031 with leading institutional investors, reinforcing strong market support for the strategy. The bonds were placed by Nordic investment bank Pareto Securities. Closing occurred on 10 April, 2026, with customary post-closing regulatory approvals to establish Acerta as the operator of the assets expected to occur in Q2 2026.
Julian McIntyre, Founder of McIntyre Partners, stated:
“Acerta is ideally positioned to benefit from a market characterized by structural supply constraint through the development of low-risk conventional assets in a stable operating environment. This transaction gives Acerta a high-quality conventional oil position with immediate production, strong cash generation, and a clear runway for disciplined growth and reflects our strategy of partnering with proven management teams to unlock value through disciplined capital allocation and focused execution.”
Dr. Robert Brady, President & CEO of Acerta Energy, commented:
“This is a foundational acquisition for Acerta. It provides immediate scale, strong free cash flow, and a deep inventory of high-quality development opportunities. The Cardium offers a highly repeatable development framework, and we believe this position provides a compelling platform for sustainable growth.”
Gary Lifshits, Chief Operating Officer of Acerta Energy, said:
“This asset reflects exactly what we look for in a core position: stable base production and a shallow decline profile, providing a strong foundation for disciplined development. Our focus now is on execution. We have a clear, actionable plan to deploy capital across the highest-return opportunities, optimize existing production, and drive consistent, repeatable results.”
Mike Woodford, Chief Commercial Officer of Acerta Energy, stated:
“This is a strong inaugural transaction for Acerta. Partnering with McIntyre Partners and Trafigura, the company is well positioned to pursue further asset consolidation within the basin.”
Sean McGreal, Director, Trafigura Canada, commented:
“We are pleased to support Acerta Energy in this transaction alongside McIntyre Partners, which establishes a strong platform for conventional light oil development in the Alberta Cardium. Trafigura’s involvement reflects our long-standing commitment to the Canadian market and our ability to connect upstream production efficiently to global markets.”
About Acerta Energy Ltd.
Acerta Energy Ltd. is a Calgary-based oil and gas company focused on the acquisition, optimization, and development of producing assets in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin. Backed by McIntyre Partners, Acerta is led by a proven management team with deep technical and operational expertise and a track record of building and scaling successful oil and gas businesses organically and by mergers and acquisitions in western Canada and internationally.
About McIntyre Partners
McIntyre Partners is an investment company focused on special situations and mid-market buy-outs. McIntyre Partners holds a portfolio of investments in the upstream oil and gas, energy services, chemicals, and industrial sectors. Previous Canadian investments include financing the 2021 buy-out of Japan Canada Oil Sands Limited from JAPEX and its subsequent successful exit to Waterous Energy Fund in 2024.
About Trafigura
Trafigura is a leading commodities group, owned by its employees and founded over 30 years ago. Trafigura deploys infrastructure, market expertise and a worldwide logistics network to move oil and petroleum products, metals and minerals, gas and power, from where they are produced to where they are needed, forming strong relationships that make supply chains more efficient, secure and sustainable. The Group employs approximately 14,500 people, of whom over 1,400 are shareholders, and operates in over 150 countries.
About Pareto
Pareto was founded in 1988 and is the Nordic region’s leading investment bank, with more than 30% market share and a clear #1 position for 20 consecutive years. Pareto specializes in debt finance of oil and gas and related sectors such as offshore services, shipping and other asset heavy industries. In 2025, Pareto raised over US$ 15 billion in the Nordic high yield bond market across more than 100 transactions. Pareto has worked with both McIntyre Partners and Trafigura on several transactions in the past.
Advisors
Dentons is acting as legal counsel to Acerta in connection with the Acquisition. GLJ Ltd. provided an independent reserves opinion on the assets.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements regarding Acerta Energy Ltd.’s business and operations. Forward-looking statements typically include words such as “anticipate”, “deliver”, “plan”, “focus”, “will” or similar expressions.
These statements are based on a number of assumptions, including: the performance of the acquired assets consistent with expectations; commodity prices; operating and capital costs; availability of services, labour and equipment; and general economic and industry conditions.
Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied. These risks include, among others: integration risks; variability in production and reservoir performance; commodity price fluctuations; cost inflation; availability of services; regulatory changes; and other risks inherent in the oil and gas industry.
Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. These statements are made as of the date of this news release, and Acerta Energy Ltd. undertakes no obligation to update them except as required by applicable law.
SOURCE Acerta Energy Ltd.
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