(Adds Shell paring exposure to U.S. shale, deal details,background)
May 21 (Reuters) - Sanchez Energy Corp said it wouldbuy oil and gas properties in the Eagle Ford region of southTexas from Royal Dutch Shell Plc for about $639 millioncash as the Dutch oil company looks to pare its exposure to U.S.shale.
Shell and other big peers including BP Plc have had less success than smaller companies tapping NorthAmerica's vast shale formations. Shell, which is selling morethan 700,000 acres of U.S. shale assets, said in March it alsocutting workers in North American onshore exploration.
The properties comprise proved reserves of 60 millionbarrels of oil equivalent and produced 24,000 barrels of oilequivalent per day on an average in the first quarter.
The oil and gas properties, located in Dimmit, LaSalle andWebb counties, brings Sanchez' total acreage in the Eagle Fordshale to 226,000 acres that have an estimated 3,000 possiblelocations for drilling, it said. (Reporting By Sneha Banerjee in Bangalore and Anna Driver inHouston; Editing by Joyjeet Das and Grant McCool)