July 2011

Calumet to buy Superior refinery from Murphy Oil 29 July 2011

Calumet Specialty Products Partners has agreed to buy a refinery in Superior, Wisconsin from Murphy Oil for $474 million

Pre-salt progress? 29 July 2011

Bond and BNDES financing has yet to dominate deals for Petrobras-chartered offshore assets. But Petrobras itself has access to both – for now. By Vincent Bevins.

Japanese agencies in Nigeria to assess Brass LNG 28 July 2011

JBIC and Nexi are in Nigeria to assess the country and project risk for the $15 billion Brass LNG scheme.

ERC waits for Egyptian elections 28 July 2011

As expected, financial close on the $3.7 billion Egyptian Refining Company (ERC) deal has been put back until after the Egyptian elections and will now be in October at the earliest

Origin takes APLNG FID 28 July 2011

Origin Energy has made the final investment decision for the first phase of its $20 billion two-train Australia Pacific LNG (APLNG) joint venture project with ConocoPhillips in Queensland

Afren mandates acquisition loan 28 July 2011

BNP Paribas and VTB Capital have been mandated by London-listed oil producer Afren for an acquisition loan of up to $200 million.

SEA Gas to refinance again 27 July 2011

South East Australia Gas (SEA Gas) - owner and operator of the 687km gas pipeline from the Otway and Bass Basins to South Australia and Victoria - is said to be taking commitments for a A$425 million five-year non-recourse refinancing

11 banks for AXA and F2i’s Eu2.2bn gas network deal 27 July 2011

A club of 11 banks is due to sign commitment letters within the next week for a Eu2.2 billion ($3.16 billion) seven-year debt package backing F2i and AXA Private Equity’s acquisition of the G6 gas network

ETE set to beat Williams for Southern Union 26 July 2011

Energy Transfer Equity looks set to beat Williams Companies with a $44.25 per share offer for US gas operator Southern Union

Essar syndicates revolver 26 July 2011

Essar Energy has launched its $1.5 billion three year revolver into senior syndication. The facility will finance Essar’s purchase of the stock inventory of the Stanlow refinery (estimated at $900 million) in the UK, and is a separate facility to the $400 million raised from JP Morgan and Credit Suisse to fund Essar's purchase of Stanlow for $350 million.

Barzan launched to banks 22 July 2011

The preliminary information memorandum (PIM) for the $5 billion financing backing the $8.6 billion Barzan gas development project offshore Qatar was circulated to the bank market earlier in the week.

Ichthys tests appetite 19 July 2011

Banks are being sounded out for appetite for $10 billion-plus of debt for Inpex Corp (76%) and Total’s (24%) Ichthys liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Western Australia

ENI agrees PDVSA loan 18 July 2011

Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA says Italian oil major Eni will provide it with $2 billion in financing for a heavy oil project and power plant

Billiton acquisition debt out to banks 18 July 2011

Syndication of the $7.5 billion acquisition facility backing BHP Billiton's takeover of Petrohawk Energy Corporation launched last week.

Euro turbulence hits F2i and AXA's Italian gas refinancing 15 July 2011

With the spread of the Eurozone debt crisis to Italy, Infrastructure fund F2i and AXA Private Equity are discussing possible changes to the debt margins on the bridge loan backing their Eu772 million ($676 million) acquisition of the G6 gas network distribution assets from GDF Suez and the Eu2.4 billion refinancing of their combined Italian gas network businesses.

SBM, Queiroz Galvao, NYKK and Itochu close on Petrobras FPSO 15 July 2011

An SBM Offshore-led consortium has closed a $1 billion financing for the Cidade de Paraty floating production, storage and offloading vessel

BPZ closes with two on Block Z-1 debt 08 July 2011

Peru-focused upstream oil and gas independent BPZ Energy has closed a $75 million loan with Credit Suisse and Standard Bank

Petroserv closes on Petrobras drill-ship 08 July 2011

Brazilian offshore services contractor Petroserv has closed the $720 million debt financing for its Catarina ultra-deepwater semi-submersible drill-ship.

Ecofin closes Texas shale gas loan 06 July 2011

Ecofin Energy Resources has closed a $100 million loan with BNP Paribas to fund the acquisition and exploitation of shale gas resources in the US.

Guara FPSO financed 06 July 2011

Guara MV23 B.V. - a Netherlands-based company set up by MODEC, Mitsui & Co. and Mitsubishi Corporation - has closed an $812 million 12 year (inclusive of two year construction period) facility via JBIC, BTMU and SMBC to back construction of an FPSO to service the Guara field offshore Brazil.

ERC deal still viable, but needs revising 05 July 2011

Sponsors and lenders are still lined up behind the financing package for the Egyp­tian Refining Company’s (ERC) $3.7 billion second-stage oil refinery

Project debt to fund less than half of Brass LNG 05 July 2011

The financing for the protracted $15 billion two-train Brass LNG project in the Niger Delta, Nigeria, is moving towards reality

Nord Stream may choose early refinancing 05 July 2011

Nord Stream and its financial advisers Commerzbank, RBS and SG are informally discussing the possibility of a bank refinancing

Essar Energy lines up banks on Stanlow refinery acquisition 04 July 2011

Essar Energy has signed a $400 million acquisition facility with Credit Suisse and JP Morgan in support of its agreement to buy Shell's Stanlow refinery