June 27 (Reuters) - SM Energy said on Thursday it had agreed to buy some assets of shale-focused producer XCL Resources for about $2 billion from private-equity firm EnCap Investments, extending its footprint in the Uinta region in Utah.

Northern Oil and Gas will also buy 20% of the oil and gas assets of XCL for $510 million, resulting in a total deal value of $2.55 billion.

XCL, backed by EnCap and Rice Investment Group, is one of the largest energy producers in the Uinta shale formation of Utah. It produces around 55,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.

The deal extends a surge in merger and acquisition activity in the U.S. shale patch this year after a record 2023.

This wave of consolidation, fueled by oil and gas producers seeking to secure reserves, makes for a favorable environment for private equity firms such as EnCap to cash out.

The transaction is expected to close in September, after which SM Energy will serve as the operator of the assets.

SM Energy, which operates in the Eagle Ford and Midland Basins in Texas, plans to finance the acquisition through a combination of debt and cash on hand. (Reporting by Seher Dareen in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)