Mergers and acquisitions in the global upstream oil and gas sector clocked in at just over $80 billion in the first half of 2025, good for a 34% year-over-year decline amid volatile oil prices and tariff concerns by the Trump administration. According to Rystad Energy, M&A was particularly weak in the first quarter, with deal value totalling just $28 billion compared to $66 billion in the first quarter of 2024. This was largely as a result of lackluster activity in North America, with the region’s share of global deal value dropping to…