While the world’s oil and gas companies have been looking to buy assets on the cheap since oil prices plummeted, epitomized by Royal Dutch Shell Plc’s (RDSa.L) agreement earlier this month to buy BG Group Plc (BG.L) for $70 billion, they have been reluctant to sell assets in case oil prices recover and they can fetch more. ConocoPhillips has hired Wells Fargo (WFC.N) to sell some of its noncore U.S. assets, the people said on Monday. These assets include oil and gas properties in the Rockies, East Texas, South Texas and Northern Louisiana, according to one of the people.