Oil and gas firm Diamondback Energy (FANG.O), opens new tab said on Monday it had received a second request from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in connection with the $26 billion deal to buy privately-held Endeavor.
The U.S. antitrust regulator has asked for additional information and documentary material as part of its review of the proposed merger.

Midland, Texas-based Diamondback had said in February it would buy privately held rival Endeavor Energy Partners in a cash-and-stock deal, which is expected to close in the fourth quarter.

The combined company would be the third-largest oil and gas producer in the Permian Basin of West Texas and New Mexico, behind Exxon Mobil (XOM.N), opens new tab and Chevron (CVX.N), opens new tab.

U.S. lawmakers have sought increased scrutiny of multi-billion dollar deals in the oil and gas industry from the FTC.

WHY IT IS IMPORTANT

This is the fifth oil and gas deal since December to get a second request from the FTC. Other deals to receive second notices include the Exxon (XOM.N), opens new tab - Pioneer (PXD.N), opens new tab, Chevron (CVX.N), opens new tab - Hess (HES.N), opens new tab and Occidental (OXY.N), opens new tab - Crownrock (CROWR.UL).

Earlier this month, Chesapeake Energy (CHK.O), opens new tab and Southwestern Energy (SWN.N), opens new tab said the closing date of their proposed $7.4 billion merger had been pushed back to the second half of the year after receiving a second request for information from the FTC.

BY THE NUMBERS

The combined Diamondback-Endeavor company would pump 816,000 barrels of oil and gas per day (boepd), behind the Exxon-Pioneer combination of about 1.3 million boepd and Chevron's 867,000 boepd in the basin.