mergers and acquisitions

Oil industry acquisitions appear ready to increase in 2018 and shift from survival strategies toward growth objectives, according to key business observers at global professional services firm EY.

Two old school operators and a financial change agent embody a new era for the US onshore industry. Their CEOs convened at the NAPE Global Business Conference in Houston to explain why.

With portfolios that in some cases look dramatically different from a few years ago, the majors now have the ability to think about long-term upstream growth through deal making.

With their newly refined portfolios, operators are looking toward growth in the coming years but will remain cautious given ever-changing industry economics.

Emerson will increase its foothold in the oil and gas industry with the purchase of software maker Paradigm.

The demand for water and disposal services in the Permian Basin has piqued the interest—and investments—of companies eager to acquire existing pipeline infrastructure and saltwater disposal facilities to capitalize on the growing need.

Total’s acquisition of Maersk Oil includes holdings in the North Sea Johan Sverdrup and Culzean projects. Total will become the second-largest operator in the northwest Europe offshore region. Maersk’s strategy shifts to its transport and logistics division.

Peter Hays, a partner in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) at law firm King & Spalding, says that stabilization in the oil market has helped the industry M&A business to recover.

Avoiding debt problems and maintaining high-quality operations have kept Frank Lodzinski’s companies going through thick and thin.

The merger of industrial giant GE and oilfield services firm Baker Hughes closed on 3 July, creating the second-largest oil field services firm in the world.