Buyer's market
Deal making recovered in 2017 and will continue to pick up in 2018 as investors look for new growth opportunities
Oil and gas mergers and acquisitions (M&A) had a strong 2017 and the momentum is set to carry into 2018. After spending much of the downturn optimising their portfolios, though, companies are now starting to shift their deal making to propel growth. This is supported by the latest EY Capital Confidence Barometer (CCB), which found that oil and gas companies have the highest acquisition appetite among all sectors surveyed, with 69% planning to acquire within the next 12 months. The Opec supply-cut deal in November 2016 helped stabilise the M&A market by fostering a consensus about where the market was heading. The value of oil and gas deals through 2017 was almost 60% higher than in 2
Also in this section
11 March 2026
De la Rey Venter, CEO of LNG player MidOcean Energy, discusses strategy, project developments and the prospects for the LNG market
10 March 2026
From Venezuela to Hormuz, the US—backed by the most powerful military force ever assembled—is redrawing not only oil and gas flows but also the global balance of energy power
10 March 2026
By shutting the Strait of Hormuz, Iran has cut exports of distillate-rich Middle Eastern crude, jet fuel and diesel, and is holding the energy market hostage
10 March 2026
Eni’s director for global gas and LNG portfolio, Cristian Signoretto, discusses how demand will respond to rising LNG supply, and how the company is expanding its own gas and LNG operations through disciplined, capital-efficient investments
