Centalion, the commodities trader formerly known as Gunvor, has bought a collection of natural-gas assets from Silver Hill Energy Partners in a deal valued at around $1.5 billion, according to people familiar with the matter.

The deal is a bet that demand for U.S. gas will keep growing at home and abroad, fueled by supply disruptions in the Middle East and the growing power needs of data centers. It will make Centalion a major player in the Haynesville basin, a prolific gas patch straddling Texas and Louisiana.