The merger is taking place amid what Ivanhoe called “sharply increasing interest by foreign investors in Mongolia’s petroleum sector” following recent oil discoveries and investment agreements

North Sea developer Xcite Energy (LON:XEL, CVE:XEL) will strengthen its already solid financial position with the sale of technical well data from the company’s Bentley Field for £10mln (US$15mln). Once the binding agreement with the unnamed buyer is completed the cash will be added to £20.4mln the group had on the balance sheet at the end of March.

Talisman Energy (TSE:TLM) (NYSE:TLM) said Wednesday it swung to a first quarter loss, hurt by lower benchmark oil prices and production as the company works to unlock more value and refocus its operations. 

Madalena Ventures (CVE:MVN) impressed analysts at Casimir Capital today, resulting in a sharp boost in the company's share price target on the back of "strong validation" of its Argentina assets and massive upside potential, as it released a resource report uncovering an estimated 34.8 billion oil equilvaent barrels of petroleum initially in place. 

In an attempt to please investors who've witnessed a sluggish stock out of the gate in 2013, Suncor Energy (TSE:SU) is boosting its dividend 54 per cent and buying back shares. 

Big Sky Petroleum (CVE:BSP)(OTC:BGKYF) provided late Monday an operational update, saying it plans to continue to expand its leasehold position in the west Texas Permian Basin to a potential 10,000 net acreas by later this year, after capping what it called a "highly active and successful" first quarter.