Pioneer shares jump on merger talks with Exxon

Oct 6 (Reuters) – Shares of Pioneer Natural Resources (PXD.N) rose 10% in premarket trading on Friday following reports that top U.S. oil and gas producer Exxon Mobil (XOM.N) was in advanced talks to buy the shale producer in a deal valued at about $60 billion.

A deal would be Exxon’s biggest acquisition since its $81 billion deal for Mobil in 1998 and could solidify the oil major’s position in the lucrative Permian basin.

Exxon’s shares were down 3% at $105.74.

If the negotiations conclude successfully, an agreement between Exxon and Pioneer could be reached in the coming days, Reuters reported, citing three sources.

Pioneer has a market value of $50 billion and is one of the biggest producers in the Permian basin, which stretches across parts of Texas and New Mexico and is known for its relatively low cost to extract oil and gas.

“Any deal for Pioneer will be closely scrutinized by investors looking for a substantial premium, a reality that has not existed most recently in explorer and producer M&A,” said TD Cowen analysts in a note.

However, any deal could attract political and regulatory scrutiny.

“Pioneer is the Permian’s largest operator at 9% of gross production while Exxon is No. 5 at 6%. Combined amounts to 15% of operated Permian production, but only 6% of total US production. These datapoints are relevant given FTC scrutiny around consolidation,” RBC Capital Markets analyst Scott Hanold said in a note.

Record high oil and gas prices helped producers reap record profits last year.

Exxon, which earned a record $55.7 billion in profit in 2022, had nearly $30 billion cash at the end of June 30.

“We suspect Exxon will fund the deal with mostly equity given the elevated cost of debt, which appears to be above Exxon’s dividend yield,” TD Cowen analysts said.

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