Houston-based Petrohawk Energy Corp. plans to sell its Gulf Coast division and will concentrate its efforts on developing and expanding its significant base of Mid-Continent natural gas resource-style activities, including tight-gas development in North Louisiana and East Texas and in the Fayetteville and Woodford shale formations. Petrohawk believes its recently announced plans to form a master limited partnership (MLP) will complement these initiatives, which reflect management's strategy to optimize its portfolio towards long-lived, low-cost, and repeatable natural gas drilling opportunities. The sale process for the Gulf Coast division is expected to begin during the third quarter of 2007. Merrill Lynch Petrie Divestiture Advisors has been retained to assist in the sales effort.