U.S. Upstream Mergers Hit $38B As M&A Rebounds | OilPrice.com Alex Kimani Alex Kimani is a veteran finance writer, investor, engineer and researcher for Safehaven.com.  More Info Premium Content By Alex Kimani – May 17, 2026, 4:00 PM CDT Dealmaking in the U.S. shale patch jumped to a two-year high in the first quarter as M&A activity rebounded from a slump. U.S. upstream mergers hit $38 billion in Q1 2026, marking the highest quarterly total in two years despite a sharp slowdown in March due to a spike in volatility tied to the Middle East conflict. According to Enverus Intelligence…