Texas based U.S. Energy Development Corporation (USEDC) has announced a plan to deploy up to $1 billion in 2026.
In a release sent to Rigzone this week, the company said it will build on its momentum from 2025 to expand its portfolio of upstream assets across the lower 48, “capitalizing on a dynamic energy market while maintaining a focus on developing high-quality projects with trusted partners”.
USEDC revealed in its release that, in 2026, the company will “focus the bulk of its capital expanding its high-quality inventory in the Permian Basin”.
“The company will continue to apply selective, stress-tested analysis, prioritizing capital discipline, free cash flow visibility, and operational control where appropriate,” it added.
USEDC said its 2026 capital deployment plans “reflect the firm’s continued discipline in balancing market conditions and opportunity with financial diligence”.
In its release, USEDC highlighted that the company announced a $1 billion deployment in 2025 and a nearly $800 million deployment in 2024.
“In 2025, we deployed more than $1 billion on behalf of ourselves and our partners including the largest transaction in firm history,” USEDC Chairman and CEO Jordan Jayson said.
“Our 2026 strategy to build on that momentum is straightforward: stay disciplined, stay selective, and deploy capital where the fundamentals align,” he added.
“Our financial strength and technical depth enable us to evaluate hundreds of deals each year, identifying those with sound economics and manageable risk profiles,” he continued.
Matthew Iak, President of Capital Markets at USEDC, said in the release, “from the capital markets seat, our focus is repeatable, reliable asset selection and disciplined capital allocation”.
“With our strong financial foundation and longstanding industry relationships, we remain selective and deliberate – always prioritizing our investors and partners. Our 2026 plan is designed to perform across a range of market scenarios,” he added.
In a release posted on its site in February last year, USEDC announced plans to deploy up to $1 billion during 2025, “primarily in the Permian Basin”.
The company noted in that release that its announcement followed a “record breaking year during which USEDC deployed nearly $800 million into operated and non-operated projects”.
“In 2024, USEDC evaluated over 220 opportunities and completed 29 transactions both increases from 2023 totals,” the company said in the release.
“The company also improved cost efficiency, seeing reductions in cost per lateral foot while maintaining strong productivity,” it added.
“In 2023, USEDC closed 19 transactions and deployed nearly $600 million, most in the Permian Basin, with other projects in the Barnett, Haynesville, and Powder River basins,” it continued.
In a release posted on its site in September 2025, USEDC announced the appointment of Howard House as Senior Vice President and Chief Strategic Officer, along with the opening of a Houston office.
“Howard brings exceptional depth of experience and strategic insight to U.S. Energy,” Jayson said in that release.
“As we anticipate deploying $1 billion in capital over the next 12-18 months, M&A will be a central driver of our growth strategy. Howard’s track record in mergers and acquisitions is second to none – he understands Houston, he understands Texas, and he possesses extensive knowledge of the industry,” he added.
“Just as important, he’s built trusted, long-standing relationships across the energy community. That rare combination of deal-making expertise and industry credibility is exactly what we need as we strengthen our footprint in Houston,” he said.
USEDC describes itself as a privately held exploration and production firm that manages assets for itself and its partners. The company is headquartered in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area. It has invested in, operated, and/or drilled approximately 4,000 wells in 13 states and Canada and deployed more than $4 billion on behalf of itself and its partners, according to its latest release.
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