The U.S. shale patch is on the verge of a new boom in mergers and acquisitions, in which companies that have expanded with recent deals are expected to continue growing via acquisitions of scale to build acreage and take advantage of the high oil prices, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing interviews with a dozen sources in the industry. Industry analysts and sources expect companies like Continental Resources, Pioneer Natural Resources, Diamondback Energy, Devon Energy, and EQT Corporation to continue making deals, emerging as the “mini-majors”…
