Oil and gas merger and acquisitions will accelerate sharply this year whatever happens to oil prices, according to new reports from both Wood Mackenzie and IHS. "Whether oil prices move up, down or nowhere at all, pressure to act will build, on either buyers or sellers. The longer prices remain depressed, the more companies will become financially stretched. Sellers will become less able to hold out for higher prices. The ameliorating effect of cost deflation will come too late for many. In the event of a pricing recovery, buyers may return quickly, seeking to capture deals before competition increases, driving inflation," said Edinburgh based analysts Wood Mac.
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