The absence of quality new merger opportunities will force oil companies to keep spending tight even though this year's oil price recovery has given them far more cash to work with, analysts said. Oil companies are now locked into the regime of tighter financial discipline they promised share investors during last year's crash, and will be unable to embark on the usual rush for production growth as the market recovers, they added. "The pendulum cannot swing quickly back and capital spending is not going to rebound," Fergus Macleod of Deutsche Bank said. "Oil companies have got to deliver on the agenda they set themselves. Fears of losing equity confidence mean oil companies will take around two years to raise spending in pursuit of market share left open by OPEC producers' supply cuts…
