NEW YORK, Feb 11 (Reuters) - SM Energy ( SM ) has

launched the sales process for some of its natural gas-producing

assets in the Eagle Ford shale ​basin of South Texas as it ‌looks

to trim debt following its near $13 billion merger with Civitas,

three sources ⁠familiar with the matter said.

* SM Energy ( SM ) closed ⁠the merger last month and took ‌on around

$5

billion of ‌Civitas net debt as part of the all-stock deal.

* The company ​earlier announced plans to ‌raise at least $1

billion

from divestitures within the first year of the deal completion

to cut debt and ​shore up its balance ​sheet.

* ‌SM Energy has not previously disclosed which assets it

planned

to part with.

* The Eagle Ford assets that ⁠SM Energy is marketing would

likely

fetch more than $500 million, ⁠one of the sources said.

* The company has hired investment bank RBC Capital Markets

to manage the asset auction, the sources said, speaking

on condition of anonymity ⁠so ‌they could discuss confidential

information.

* The assets produce ‌around 250 million cubic feet

equivalent of

oil and gas ⁠per day, the sources added.

* SM Energy ( SM ) and RBC did not immediately respond to requests

for

comment.

* SM Energy ( SM ) has said its key assets going forward would be

production in the Permian Basin of Texas and New Mexico. The

company also has ​assets in the DJ Basin of Colorado and the

Uinta Basin of Utah.

* SM Energy ( SM ) reports fourth-quarter earnings ​on February 25.