US firm Harbour Energy ups bid for Australia’s Santos
SYDNEY: US private investment firm Harbour Energy yesterday boosted its bid for Australian energy giant Santos as oil prices soar, in a deal valuing the company at US$10.9 billion.
Santos, a major oil and natural gas firm with interests notably in Papua New Guinea, said it had received a new proposal of US$ 5.21 per share.
This is equivalent to A$ 6.95, and 4.6 per cent higher than the A$ 6.50 offered in early April.
The rev i s e d propo s a l is condit ional on Santos undertaking extra hedging of oillinked production in 2018 of about 30 per cent, and make changes to hedging the following year.
Harbour indicated the price would be further increased to a US dollar equivalent to A$ 7 a share if Santos agreed to hedge 30 per cent of oil-linked production in 2020.
“The independent directors of Santos will consider the revised Harbour proposal and will update shareholders accordingly,” Santos said.
The move sent the company’s shares 1.52 per cent higher to A$ 6.34 in early afternoon trade.
Harbour, an energy investment vehicle formed by private equity firm EIG to acquire high- quality upstream and midstream assets globally, has previously said it would fund the deal with US$ 7.75 billion of underwritten debt.
The move comes after Santos last year knocked back an unsolicited A$ 4.55 per share bid by the US investor, saying it undervalued the company.
While Santos has stakes in oil and gas production in several countries, including Indonesia and Vietnam, its main assets include 13.5 per cent of Exxon Mobil’s massive liquefied natural gas venture in Papua New Guinea.
It also has operations throughout Australia. — AFP