Hurdles slow US energy deal-making
Market turmoil is making it difficult for buyers and sellers to come together
When oil prices started to crumple last year and signs of distress in the shale sector arrived in thickets, many saw a wave of mergers and acquisitions looming on the horizon. Private equity raised tens of billions of dollars to spend in the shale patch. Oil majors primed themselves to pick off the choice acreage they had missed in the early stages of shale’s rise. But across North America the biggest sound made by M&A in the shale sector has been a resounding fizzle. Only around $12bn in shale deals were done in 2015, the lowest number in six years. Early 2016 shows that things haven’t perked up yet this year, either. The volatile and low oil price has been a major hurdle. On one side o
Also in this section
24 December 2025
As activity in the US Gulf has stagnated at a lower level, the government is taking steps to encourage fresh exploration and bolster field development work
23 December 2025
The new government has brought stability and security to the country, with the door now open to international investment
23 December 2025
A third wave of LNG supply is coming, and with it a likely oversupply of the fuel by 2028
22 December 2025
Weakening climate resolve in the developed world and rapidly growing demand in developing countries means peak oil is still a long way away
