(Reuters) -EOG Resources ( EOG ) said on Friday it is acquiring U.S. oil and gas producer Encino Acquisition Partners for $5.6 billion, including debt, to strengthen its Utica shale footprint.

The deal signed with Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and Encino Energy will give EOG access to additional 675,000 net core acres and expand its multi-basin portfolio to more than 12 billion barrels of oil equivalent net resource.

Encino operates in the Utica shale basin of Ohio and is one of the largest privately owned oil and gas exploration and production companies in the United States.

EOG currently expects to fund the acquisition through $3.5 billion of debt and $2.1 billion of cash on hand.