Halliburton Co. (HAL) , the world’s second biggest provider of oilfield services, is in talks to buy No. 3 Baker Hughes Inc. in what would be one of the largest takeovers of a U.S. energy company in years, said people with knowledge of the matter. Baker Hughes rose 15 percent to close in New York at $58.75 a share, giving the company a market value of more than $25 billion. Halliburton rose 1.1 percent to $53.79, giving it a market value of about $46 billion. A combination of Halliburton with third-largest Baker Hughes would be a little more than half the size of larger rival Schlumberger Ltd. With Baker Hughes (BHI) , Halliburton fills a gap in its portfolio of oilfield services: technology to boost production in aging oilfields. Halliburton also gets Baker Hughes’ prized oil tools business, renowned especially for its array of best-in-class drill bits. A deal […]