How a spree of oil and gas mergers are setting the stage for 2024

The Spree of Oil and Gas Topic. Last year was big for Texas oil companies as they jockeyed for access to petroleum-rich plots of the Permian Basin and branched into new territories.

Recent megadeals struck by Chevron and Exxon put pressure on others in the oil industry to catch the consolidation wave, potentially kicking off a new round of mergers and acquisitions that could have a profound impact on Houston for years to come. Additionally, milestone acquisitions made by Exxon and Occidental Petroleum in the carbon capture space also set the stage for Houston to be ground zero for the growing industry.

Exxon to buy Pioneer for $59.5 billion

Exxon said in October that it would buy Irving-based Pioneer Natural Resources for $59.5 billion in the oil giant’s largest deal since it merged with Mobil more than two decades ago. Expected to be settle in 2024, the deal would make Spring-based Exxon the largest operator in the Permian Basin of Texas and New Mexico and bring the company’s daily production to almost 4.5 million barrels of oil equivalent a day — 50% more than the next largest supermajor.