Merger and acquisitions (M&A) activity in the oil and gas sector is starting to gain momentum as the industry's near-term price expectations start to coalesce in a range around $50 per barrel. More than 340 deals worth over $40 billion have been announced so far this year, including 150 worth $17.1 billion in the US, according to energy M&A research firm Derrick. But the value of upstream assets still up for grabs dwarfs those figures. In the US alone, 76 packages of assets worth $40 billion are still looking for buyers. Bankers and lawyers report an uptick in serious talks between would-be buyers and sellers about the big backlog of assets that has built up, suggesting the pace of dealmaking could accelerate in coming months.
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