CITIZEN POWER ALLIANCE

Companies and investors are increasingly scouring the country for shales rich in oil and natural gas liquids rather than the gas-rich shales that had been the focus of a series of recent deals.

Two of the largest independents -- Chesapeake Energy (CHK.N) and Anadarko Petroleum Corp (APC.N) -- are near the front of the pack of companies in the land grab.

Companies are looking for acreage in these shales as their positions in previous hot spots like the Marcellus Shale -- which spans parts of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and New York -- have started to pay off.

Indeed, Chesapeake Energy -- one of the nation's largest natural gas producers -- said last month that it is aggressively putting together acreage in six new oil plays [ID:nN18220467].

(Click to read the entire article)