Upstream M&A Spending in Fourth Quarter Dominated by US Buyouts

摘要

The upstream oil and gas merger and acquisition market stayed strong into the fourth quarter of 2011 with some 163 upstream deals worth a combined $52 billion announced in the last three months of the year, according to the latest M&A review from Derrick Petroleum Services. Big-money deals in the fourth quarter included the $7.2 billion acquisition of privately held US independent Samson Investment by a consortium of US private equity funds and Japanese trading house Itochu (IOD Nov.24’11), and Statoil’s $4.7 billion purchase of Bakken Shalefocused Brigham Exploration (IOD Dec.9’11).