The majors have a history of selling what they believe are their “cast offs” to the small, independent oil and gas producers because they see little value in them. When they all left the US for global markets, writing the US off as “mature” back in the 1970s, the independents picked up the pieces and carried on.

Not only did many continue to make a profit over the years, but they came up with new technology and expertise that cracked the code to making shale gas and now shale oil economic. The US is now a virtual boom town for energy resources.

So it is interesting to see that the majors, now back in the US and rushing to pick up shale assets from the independents, are selling their conventional assets in both the US and Canada.