Blackstone Inc. has re-entered negotiations to acquire energy-data specialist Enverus and is now viewed as the leading bidder for the business, according to people familiar with the process. The private-equity firm is discussing a price of roughly $6 billion, the sources said, cautioning that talks are ongoing and a definitive agreement has not been reached. Enverus, based in Austin, provides data, analytics and software used by oil and gas producers and traders to guide drilling plans, manage leases and forecast commodity markets. Current owner Hellman & Friedman hired advisers earlier this year to explore a sale after purchasing a majority stake in 2021 at a valuation of about $4.25 billion, including debt. Blackstone briefly stepped away from the auction earlier in July but returned with renewed interest, outpacing rival suitor Veritas Capital, which owns energy research firm Wood Mackenzie. Other parties could still emerge, the sources added. Robust deal flow in software assets has persisted even as broader M&A activity slows, underscoring investors’ appetite for sector-specific data platforms such as Enverus.