Bar rises for shale takeovers as Chevron bows out of Anadarko fight

Chevron Chief Executive Michael Wirth’s decision to opt out of a bidding war for Anadarko Petroleum Corp has raised the bar for deals, and dampened expectations that oil majors will drive a new wave of consolidation in U.S. shale. Wirth last week ruled out increasing his $33 billion offer for Anadarko after being outbid by Occidental Petroleum Corp , walking away from a company he had described as a perfect match. Chevron received a $1 billion breakup fee that it will use toward share buybacks.