Azerbaijan's state oil company SOCAR on 4 November to acquire stakes in US natural gas production and infrastructure assets, marking a major expansion of its presence in the American energy market. The agreement was signed with US energy company Comstock and covers assets in the Haynesville shale region, one of the country's major natural gas-producing areas.

Under the deal, SOCAR will acquire a 20% stake in the upstream assets of the Legacy Haynesville project and 15% of the upstream assets of the Western Haynesville project. It will also obtain a 15% share of Comstock's 73% stake in Pinnacle Gas Services LLC, equivalent to approximately 10.95% of the infrastructure company's total ownership, without operational management rights. SOCAR's stake in the Western Haynesville assets is scheduled to decrease from 15% to 7.5% after five years, once the agreed 15% return on investment has been achieved.

The acquisition extends SOCAR's international expansion beyond its established European presence. In May 2026, the company completed the acquisition of a 99.82% stake in Italian energy company Italiana Petroli, while its natural gas supplies reached eight EU member states in 2025. The US agreement follows another Azerbaijani investment in the American oil and gas sector: in July 2026, privately owned GL Group acquired producing assets across four oil and gas fields in Texas's Permian Basin, comprising more than 200 active wells, becoming the first Azerbaijani company to acquire and operate such assets in the United States.

The transaction would establish SOCAR as a direct minority investor in US natural gas production and related infrastructure, further diversifying its international energy portfolio. Its completion remains dependent on the required regulatory approvals and legal procedures.