據路透社4月8日消息，據咨詢公司Enverus稱，美國第一季油氣勘探和生產交易較上年同期增加了五倍，為近期頁巖氣行業的大規模并購埋下伏筆。

由于新冠疫情對燃料需求和石油市場“踩下了剎車”，去年第一季度達成了約6億美元的交易，而今年同期飆升至34億美元。與去年同期相比，隨著油價回升，本季度的并購交易速度有所加快，但與2020年第四季度的278億美元相比有所下降。

Enverus稱，第一季五大并購交易都涉及私營企業，預計這一趨勢今年還將持續，其中包括先鋒自然資源公司，本月早些時候斥資64億美元收購私營企業DoublePoint Energy LLC。

Enverus高級分析師安德魯 迪特馬爾表示：“我們將繼續看到活動呈上升趨勢。”

隨著上市公司剝離非核心資產和股價上漲，私營企業更愿意進行交易。

去年第二季度交易活動急劇放緩，僅有28億美元的資產出售和合并，因生產商努力應對歷史低位的油價，減少鉆井并關閉油井以避免損失。

上個季度的交易包括Equinor以9億美元的價格將巴肯頁巖資產出售給私募股權支持的Grayson Mill 能源，以及Ovintiv以8.8億美元的價格將頁巖資產出售給Validus 能源。

薩姆森資源公司也在3月份完成了將其粉末河盆地資產出售給大陸資源公司的交易。同月，Enerplus以4.65億美元現金收購了巴肯頁巖運營商Bruin勘探生產公司。

裘寅 編譯自 路透社

原文如下：

U.S. energy E&P deals jump to $3.4 billion in first-quarter as shale consolidates: Enervus

U.S. oil and gas exploration and production deals rose fivefold in the first quarter over a year-ago, according to consultancy Enverus, in a foreshadowing of recent blockbuster shale mergers.

Some $3.4 billion in deals were struck in the first quarter, compared with $600 million a year-ago, as the coronavirus pandemic slammed the brakes on fuel demand and the oil market. Deal-making has accelerated this quarter versus last year as oil prices recovered, but is down from $27.8 billion in the fourth quarter of 2020.

All top five first-quarter deals involved a private company, according to Enverus, a trend it expects to continue this year, including Pioneer Natural Resources Co’s purchase of privately-held DoublePoint Energy LLC for $6.4 billion earlier this month.

“We’re going to continue to see activity trend upwards,” said Andrew Dittmar, a senior analyst with Enverus.

Private companies are more willing to make deals as public companies divest non-core assets and stock prices rise, he said.

Deal activity slowed sharply in the second quarter of last year, with just $2.8 billion in asset sales and mergers, as producers grappled with historically low oil prices, pulled back on drilling and shut wells to avoid losses.

The deals last quarter include Equinor ASA’s $900 million sale of Bakken shale properties to private-equity backed Grayson Mill Energy, and Ovintiv’s $880 million sale of shale properties to Validus Energy.

Samson Resources also in March closed a sale of its Powder River Basin assets to Continental Resources. That same month Enerplus completed its $465 million cash acquisition of Bakken shale operator Bruin E&P.