According to media reports, Southwest Energy Company and Chesapeake Energy Company are close to reaching a merger agreement, possibly as early as this week. This will create a company worth nearly $17 billion and become the largest natural gas producer in the United States. As of the close of the US stock market last Friday, the stock prices of Southwest Energy and Chesapeake Energy have risen by 7% and 3% respectively. In the process of global new energy transformation, the traditional energy industry is facing enormous uncertainty, and the frequent mergers and acquisitions in the oil and gas industry are also aimed at resisting "unknown risks".