“Our view is in 2023 M&A picks up. There was some this 2022 year, but again, it was such a funky, weird macro world. We expect fewer surprises in 2023.” — Dan Pickering, Pickering Energy Partners. Modern companies in the world operate in a rapidly changing external environment, so the process of reorganization is one of the basic tools for solving the problem of adapting companies to new conditions. Recently, the number of Acquisitions and Divestitures in the oil and gas industry has been growing rapidly, i.e. it can be said that the market for these deals is dynamically developing.

More than 60% of all A&D deals by value are in US oil and gas companies. Despite their leading market position, U.S. fields are developing unevenly, and investors are quite cautious about investing in them at this stage. The top 5 oil & gas industry A&D deals in 2022 were concluded by Omega Acquisition, Tokyo Gas, Diamondback Energy, Suncor Energy, and IMM Private Equity. The main motives of oil and gas companies to carry out A&D transactions can be considered the achievement of the synergy effect, and the presence of fundamental shocks in the market.

Most companies have plans in place to identify and manage the normal operational risks of enterprise asset management (EAM). But, it is equally important to consider the potential emergence of ESG risks that a company may face. While predicting events such as hurricanes, pandemics, and regulatory violations is difficult, preparing for or mitigating the impact can avoid potentially devastating effects on an asset-rich organization, as well as its employees and shareholders. As a reminder, ESG investing looks at three elements: environmental (E), social (S), and governance (G) issues, with stakeholders looking not only at the financial parameters of a transaction but also the non-financial parameters. For example, oil and gas companies should develop plans to restore power lines or pipelines after an earthquake or other natural disaster. These plans should describe procedures for how employees will access remote sites, which assets will be prioritized, what additional equipment will be needed, and how it will be obtained.

Despite the circulating rumors concerning Colgate’s attempt to launch an IPO, on May 19 the company decided to combine with Centennial Resource Development Inc. This merger of equals is estimated at $7 billion and will found the biggest pure-play E&P company in the Delaware Basin of the Permian. The transformative combination essentially enlarges companies’ potential and hastens the growth across all financial and operating metrics. According to Centennial CEO Sean Smith, the combined company is anticipated to furnish shareholders with quickened capital return program due to a fixed dividend coupled with a share repurchase plan. Due to a recent report, the merger would increase production 7%, to 145,000 boe/d by the fourth quarter would further ratchet up next year. By third-quarter 2023, the company predicted 160,000 boe/d based on a drilling program of 140 wells per year. Colgate Energy was reported to be getting an IPO last December that sources said would value the company at approximately $4 billion. The combined company will have over 15-years of drilling inventory, assuming its current drilling pace, the companies will produce over $1 billion of free cash flow in 2023 at current strip prices.

In light of the conflict in Ukraine, buyout firms are currently scurrying to make cash from the U.S. crudeprices reaching their highest level since 2008. And one of the largest privately-owned US-based oilproducers may be up for sale. EnCap Investments looks to sell its portfolio company Ameredev II for over $4 billion including debt. It’s important to note, however, that both EnCap and Ameredev II alike are staying tight-lipped on the matter.

By purchasing the gathering and processing assets of Trace Midstream, Williams' existing footprint gains expanded capacity in one of the nation's largest growth basins, bringing its Haynesville gathering capacity to over 4 Bcf/d — increasing more than 200% from 1.8 Bcf/d. The deal also includes a long-term commitment from Trace and Quantum to support Williams' Louisiana Energy Gateway project (LEG), which is aimed to deliver responsibly sourced Haynesville’s naturalgas to markets along the Texas and Louisiana GulfCoast

Colgate Energy is planning to float its shale oil producer in the Permian's Delaware Basin on the stock market. If successful, this IPO would be the first major U.S. oil producer offering since Jagged Peak Energy's IPO in January 2017. Looks like investors’ confidence in the sector is returning as U.S. crude prices hit their highest in seven years late last year S&P energy index delivered roughly twice the return of the S&P 500 in 2021.

TC Energy splurged $0.8 billion on the project that targets emissions. Well, sorta. According to the idea, existing lines of the ANR Pipeline Company will be expanded to serve markets in the #Midwestern US and simultaneously updated to reduce discharge by 30,000 metric tons CO2e per year - equivalent to removing almost 7000 cars from the road annually. Remarkable goals. With the current timeline, the project will be fully operational by the end of 2025, thanks to long-term transportation agreements secured by ANR.