mergers and acquisitions

The latest deal is set to make Southwestern Energy the third-largest producer in the gas-rich Appalachian Basin.

The all-cash deal bucks a recent trend of international oil companies divesting of Canadian assets and adds 15,000 B/D of production to the buyer’s total.

The combined company will target the renewables market. Aker Solutions intends to spin off its wind development and its carbon capture technology businesses into two new companies, which will be part of its renewable energy group, Aker Horizons.

As capital markets dry up and shale producers look for pathways to growth, oil and gas data analytics firm Enverus predicts the US sector will see a “surge” in mergers and acquisitions in 2020.

The latest move to consolidate the US shale sector will add 1,500 drilling locations to the buyer's portfolio. It also reflects that all-stock or mostly-stock deals are now the sector’s preferred acquisition vehicle.

Occidental Petroleum has closed on deals totaling $1.7 billion as part of its divestment program following its $38-billion takeover of Anadarko Petroleum.

The US major has had a stake in the field since it started production in 1997. It produced 584,000 B/D of oil last year.

The move will bolster Austin-based Parsley’s holdings in the Delaware Basin, giving it a contiguous 120,000 net acres opposite of its original Midland Basin focus area.

Heavy deal-making since 2015 by the two majors has resulted in very different upstream portfolios.

The current M&A market is characterized by an increase in private capital, geographical diversity, and a variety of transaction types, including joint ventures and royalty deals.