Permian M&A faces challenges
Expectations of a post-Anadarko flurry of merger and acquisition activity in the prolific shale basin may be wide of the mark
The hottest question in US energy M&A is whether the bidding war between Chevron and Occidental Petroleum for independent producer Anadarko Petroleum was a one-time event, specific to the assets and ambitions of the three players involved, or whether it will kickstart a flurry of Permian Basin-focused deal-making. US independent Occidental trumped Chevron, which had agreed to buy Anadarko for $65/share — a 39pc premium on Anadarko's last closing price prior to the announcement — laying out $33bn plus the assumption of $17bn of debt, for a total cost of $50bn. Occidental, with a little help from billionaire investor Warren Buffett, upped the price to $38bn, leading Chevron to abandon the

Also in this section
2 May 2025
Peru’s state-owned hydrocarbons agency has launched the search for new investors for Offshore Block Z-69, a high-potential asset in the prolific Talara Basin.
2 May 2025
The scars of the Russia crisis have accelerated Europe’s push to wean itself off gas dependence as the growing globalisation of LNG becomes a double-edged sword
1 May 2025
The NOC’s dire financial situation and maturing fields has left the authorities with little choice but to reduce crude expectations
30 April 2025
With a new board appointed to lead NNPC and moves by President Tinubu to exert control in the Delta region, there is renewed hope the country will be able to turn the corner and rebuild production to former peaks