Marathon Oil signage on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on December 29, 2023. (Photo: ... [+] Michael Nagle)© 2023 Bloomberg Finance LPThe energy sector is taking in the news of yet another potential oil and gas merger and acquisition (M&A) play, as reports suggest ConocoPhillips ConocoPhillips may be lining up all-stock bid for Marathon Oil Marathon Oil . But quite like many other traditional energy deals before it, this too appears to be about consolidation and not growth.According to the Financi ...