Chevron, the US energy giant, said Monday that it had agreed to acquire Hess, a medium-sized rival, in an all-stock deal valued at $53 billion.
The deal marks a further consolidation of the energy industry, especially in the United States, where smaller companies appear to be taking advantage of relatively high oil prices to join forces with bigger players. The transaction follows Exxon Mobil’s $60 billion purchase of shale driller Pioneer Natural Resources this month, another sign of confidence among large industry players in the future of fossil fuels even as policymakers promote cleaner energy sources.
