** Shares of U.S. oil and gas company Coterra Energy CTRA.N rise ~3% to $26.10
** Reuters reports, citing sources, that Coterra is exploring a potential merger with Devon Energy DVN.N, which could create one of the largest independent U.S. shale producers
** The two cos are said to be in early-stage talks for a combination
** DVN shares down 2.4% at $37.02
** Brent futures LCOc1 down 4.68% at $63.41 a barrel and U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude CLc1 fall 4.9% to $58.98 a barrel
** In 2025, CTRA rose 3.05% and DVN gained 11.9%
(Reporting by Pooja Menon in Bengaluru)
((Pooja.Menon@thomsonreuters.com))