Buy now
Transactions defied low oil prices, as investors bet on long-term economics
The pull of the Permian unleashed the big money in a burst of M&A action in 2017. Just three deals in the first quarter alone—ExxonMobil's acquisition of Bass Brothers' properties in the Delaware Basin for $5.6bn, Noble Energy's $3.2bn buy-out of Clayton Williams and Parsley Energy's $2.8bn grab of Double Eagle Energy's acreage, all in the Permian—accounted for the lion's share of asset-buying as the industry raced for promising acreage. During those three hectic months, M&A in the Permian accounted for $17bn by value, a record. "Buyers were clearly scrambling to get their hands on what they could in the best tight oil play in the world before all opportunities got taken up," wrote M
Also in this section
20 February 2026
The country is pushing to increase production and expand key projects despite challenges including OPEC+ discipline and the limitations of its export infrastructure
20 February 2026
Europe has transformed into a global LNG demand powerhouse over the last few years, with the fuel continuing to play a key role in safeguarding the continent’s energy security, Carsten Poppinga, chief commercial officer at Uniper, tells Petroleum Economist
20 February 2026
Sempra Infrastructure’s vice president for marketing and commercial development, Carlos de la Vega, outlines progress across the company’s US Gulf Coast and Mexico Pacific Coast LNG portfolio, including construction at Port Arthur LNG, continued strong performance at Cameron LNG and development of ECA LNG
19 February 2026
US LNG exporter Cheniere Energy has grown its business rapidly since exporting its first cargo a decade ago. But Chief Commercial Officer Anatol Feygin tells Petroleum Economist that, as in the past, the company’s future expansion plans are anchored by high levels of contracted offtake, supporting predictable returns on investment
