US oil and gas mergers continue at furious pace in Q2, says Enverus
Big dollar deals like Conoco-Marathon Oil driving activity
Average price paid per undeveloped property up 68% this year
Exxon's deal for Pioneer kicked off latest wave of mergers
By Gary McWilliams
HOUSTON, July 30 (Reuters) -U.S. oil and gaspatch deals continued to run hot in the second quarter, topping $30 billion with big dollar tie-ups pushing values higher, according to data released on Tuesday by energy researcher Enverus.
Blockbuster mergers, such as ConocoPhillips' COP.N $22.5 billion offer for Marathon Oil MRO.N, remain a mainstay even as U.S. lawmakers call on regulators to "pump the brakes" on merger approvals.
The latest round of deals kicked off last autumn with Exxon Mobil XOM.N's $60 billion offer for Pioneer Natural and has spread through the U.S. energy industry, moving across Texas and North Dakota oil and gas producers to energy pipeline operators.
There were 18 oil and gas production tie-ups with disclosed prices totaling $30.29 billion, up from 25 deals valued at $24.4 billion in the same quarter a year ago, said Andrew Dittmar, Enverus' head of M&A research.
"Pressure built on companies like ConocoPhillips and Devon Energy, that has previously stayed out of the market, to keep pace with peers and grow in scale," said Dittmar.
The value of deals, however, slipped from a record $51 billion in thefirst quarter, according to Enverus data.
Conoco's proposed acquisition of Marathon Oil represented most of last quarter's deal total. Devon Energy this month has reinforced the pace with its $5 billion bid for shale oil producer Grayson Mills.
The average price per undeveloped drilling location in this year's oil production combinations climbed to $3.2 million, from an average of $1.9 million in 2023, Enverus data showed.
Oil and gas deals priced at less than $1 billion have been squeezed by a lack of capital and shifting investment goals by private-equity investors, according to M&A advisory firm Petrie Partners.
Among second-quarter deals: SM Energy SM.Nagreed to buy XCL Resources for $2.55 billion, Crescent Energy CRGY.Nbid $2.1 billion for SilverBow Resources SBOW.N, and Matador Resources MTDR.N offered $1.9 billion for Ameredev II.
The Federal Trade Commission has not stopped any recent oil mergers but is reviewing ConocoPhillips, Chevron CVX.N, Occidental Petroleum OXY.N, Chesapeake Energy CHK.O, and Diamondback Energy FANG.O deals.
Reporting by Gary McWilliams
Editing by Marguerita Choy
Mga Kaugnay na Asset
Pinakabagong Balita
Disclaimer: Ang mga kabilang sa XM Group ay nagbibigay lang ng serbisyo sa pagpapatupad at pag-access sa aming Online Trading Facility, kung saan pinapahintulutan nito ang pagtingin at/o paggamit sa nilalaman na makikita sa website o sa pamamagitan nito, at walang layuning palitan o palawigin ito, at hindi din ito papalitan o papalawigin. Ang naturang pag-access at paggamit ay palaging alinsunod sa: (i) Mga Tuntunin at Kundisyon; (ii) Mga Babala sa Risk; at (iii) Kabuuang Disclaimer. Kaya naman ang naturang nilalaman ay ituturing na pangkalahatang impormasyon lamang. Mangyaring isaalang-alang na ang mga nilalaman ng aming Online Trading Facility ay hindi paglikom, o alok, para magsagawa ng anumang transaksyon sa mga pinansyal na market. Ang pag-trade sa alinmang pinansyal na market ay nagtataglay ng mataas na lebel ng risk sa iyong kapital.
Lahat ng materyales na nakalathala sa aming Online Trading Facility ay nakalaan para sa layuning edukasyonal/pang-impormasyon lamang at hindi naglalaman – at hindi dapat ituring bilang naglalaman – ng payo at rekomendasyon na pangpinansyal, tungkol sa buwis sa pag-i-invest, o pang-trade, o tala ng aming presyo sa pag-trade, o alok para sa, o paglikom ng, transaksyon sa alinmang pinansyal na instrument o hindi ginustong pinansyal na promosyon.
Sa anumang nilalaman na galing sa ikatlong partido, pati na ang mga nilalaman na inihanda ng XM, ang mga naturang opinyon, balita, pananaliksik, pag-analisa, presyo, ibang impormasyon o link sa ibang mga site na makikita sa website na ito ay ibibigay tulad ng nandoon, bilang pangkalahatang komentaryo sa market at hindi ito nagtataglay ng payo sa pag-i-invest. Kung ang alinmang nilalaman nito ay itinuring bilang pananaliksik sa pag-i-invest, kailangan mong isaalang-alang at tanggapin na hindi ito inilaan at inihanda alinsunod sa mga legal na pangangailangan na idinisenyo para maisulong ang pagsasarili ng pananaliksik sa pag-i-invest, at dahil dito ituturing ito na komunikasyon sa marketing sa ilalim ng mga kaugnay na batas at regulasyon. Mangyaring siguruhin na nabasa at naintindihan mo ang aming Notipikasyon sa Hindi Independyenteng Pananaliksik sa Pag-i-invest at Babala sa Risk na may kinalaman sa impormasyong nakalagay sa itaas, na maa-access dito.
