The gas unit also includes five natural gas storage reservoirs.
In January, Duke spun off its natural gas unit, now trading as Spectra Energy, to its shareholders.
And these earlier deals for G.E.'s oil and gas unit, though hardly failures, have not been roaring successes.
The new combined oil and gas unit would have annual sales of about $2.5 billion and about 21,000 employees in 40 countries, Kvaerner said.
The LetterOne Group, which was founded by former TNK-BP directors Mikhail Fridman and German Khan, purchased the 12 fields from RWE's oil and gas unit DEA last month.
By setting up a separate unconventional gas unit at XTO's home base in Fort Worth, Tex., Exxon seems determined not to squeeze out talent.
TXU's new chief executive, C. John Wilder, signaled in April that the company wanted to sell the gas unit and focus on electric power.
Unocal is seeking full ownership of the company, which it helped create in May 2000 when it combined its West Texas oil and gas unit with Titan Exploration.
Since 2007, G.E.'s oil and gas unit has made $11 billion worth of acquisitions – not including Monday's announcement – to bolster its drilling services offerings.
The acquisition is the latest by G.E.'s oil and natural gas unit, one of the fastest-growing parts of the conglomerate.
It retains some original features, including a slate fireplace surround in one of the living rooms (though the fireplace is now a cast-iron gas unit).
