In December, domestic oil and gas deals started popping up like prairie dogs. Denbury Resources
After a quick holiday breather, the oil patch is percolating once again.
On Monday, Chesapeake Energy
The same day, and flying somewhat under the radar, was Anadarko Petroleum's
The following day, Noble Energy
Some observers took the XTO buyout as a signal that the other independents are all "in play," but I don't necessarily see things shaking out that way. I do, however, expect this steamy pace of asset acquisitions and divestitures to continue. That alone should do interesting things for sector valuations.