Upstream M&A rises to $44 billion in Q3 2021

Evaluate Energy’s latest report shows that upstream M&A spending reached $44 billion around the world during Q3 based on deals announced between July and September.

This total is:

• 23% higher than $36 billion in Q2; and
• 25% higher than average quarterly spending over the past five years.

Spending was supported by strong prices for oil and gas.

“Oil demand increases reflected a resurgent global economy and a relative lack of supply from either the free market or OPEC+,” said Eoin Coyne, report author and Senior Oil & Gas Analyst at Evaluate Energy. “This led to an average WTI price in Q3 of $70.23, the highest quarterly average price since 2014. Natural gas saw an even more acute imbalance. Parts of Europe saw record natural gas prices and Henry Hub price averages in the U.S. hit $4.19, an increase of 47% on the average price in Q2.”

Despite the increase in deal value on previous quarters, the overall activity level was unchanged.

“What we refer to as ‘significant deal counts’ were identical in Q3 and Q2,” Coyne said. “Thirty-five deals were valued at greater than $50 million in both quarters. Larger corporate deals and higher valuations for asset deals due to increased oil and gas prices accounted for the overall higher deal value in Q3.”

Evaluate Energy’s M&A report for Q3 2021 includes analysis on the following:

• Permian Basin deals involving Shell, ConocoPhillips, Callon Petroleum and more
• Spartan Delta’s continued growth in Canada and a recent spike in royalty interest acquisitions involving Topaz Energy and PrairieSky
• Multibillion-dollar deals affecting the natural gas industry in Australia and Brazil’s ultra-deepwater oilfields
• Green energy sector deals involving Shell, BP, Eni and Galp