Conoco to buy Concho for US$9.7 billion to create shale giant ConocoPhillips agreed to buy Concho Resources Inc for about US$9.7 billion in stock, the largest shale industry deal since the collapse in energy demand earlier this year and one that will create a heavyweight driller in America’s most prolific oil field. Investors will get 1.46 Conoco shares for each Concho share, the companies said Monday in a statement. The transaction represents a 15% premium over Concho’s closing price on Oct 13, the last trading session before Bloomberg News first reported the companies were in talks