Earlier this month, Williams announced that it has reached an agreement to purchase the gathering and processing assets of Trace Midstream, a portfolio company of Quantum Energy Partners, in a $950 million deal.

By adding the Trace system to Williams' existing footprint, the company gains expanded capacity in one of the nation's largest growth basins, bringing its Haynesville gathering capacity to over 4 Bcf/d — more than 200% growth. Following this merge, It is anticipated that Williams will invest at around 6 times 2023 EBITDA, with minimal expansion capital required and significant growth forecasted, thus helping the company's credit metrics to stay afloat.

This deal highlights Williams's commitment to being the leader in providing infrastructure that safely delivers natural gas products to reliably fuel the clean energy economy.

The agreement also includes a long-term capacity commitment from Trace customer and Quantum affiliate Rockcliff Energy to support Williams' Louisiana Energy Gateway project (LEG). By connecting to premium Transco markets, the LEG project will gather the responsibly sourced natural gas produced in Haynesville. It will deliver it to industrial and LNG export markets along the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast

The LEG project was further strengthened with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Williams and Quantum to establish a joint venture that will enable Quantum to become a partner and equity investor in the project. Williams will bring its expertise as a leading developer and operator of clean energy infrastructure together with Quantum's capacity as a global provider of private capital for responsible sourcing of energy and the transition to a low carbon economy.

For Williams, the opportunity to support Rockcliff's success and enable them to access growing markets represents a unique way to demonstrate how natural gas plays an essential role in reducing emissions, lowering costs, and providing reliable, secure energy to the US and around the world.

This partnership is also welcomed by Quantum, since working with exceptional entrepreneurs such as those from Trace and Rockcliff, who developed a strategic infrastructure platform with high ESG standards, has been at the foundation of Quantum's success. This makes the Williams-Haynesville LEG partnership a crucial link between responsibly sourced Haynesville natural gas and the Gulf Coast's premium LNG markets.

If all regulatory approvals are received, the transaction should close by the end of the second quarter. RBC Capital Markets served as lead financial advisor to Williams; Citi served as lead financial advisor to Trace. Williams was represented by Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP; Trace was represented by Vinson & Elkins LLP.

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