Romania's anti-trust regulator said on Tuesday it is looking into a deal between Romania's top oil and gas group OMV Petrom [BSE: SNP] and Mazarine Energy Romania for 19 oil fields and three rig.
The transaction is expected to be completed at the end of 2016, when Mazarine Energy Romania will assume operatorship of the fields and employment of over 200 staff currently employed by OMV Petrom, the oil and gas group said at the time.
The capital for the transaction will come from the $500 million equity line provided by Carlyle International Energy Partners, a $2.5 billion fund that invests in global oil and gas exploration and production, mid- and downstream, oil field services and refining and marketing in Europe, Africa, Latin America and Asia.
Carlyle's first investment in Romanian oil and gas came in 2015, courtesy of financially strapped Sterling Resources.
Supplying Europe energy is critical for the U.S. as it wants to decrease Russia's influence. Carlyle may soon be in a better spot to make that a reality.
Update 11-30-17: European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) said on
Wednesday it has acquired an equity stake in Romania’s Black Sea Oil
& Gas (BSOG). Backed by the global alternative asset manager Carlyle Group, BSOG’s
current portfolio consists of the XV Midia Shallow Block and XIII
Pelican Block concession in the Romanian Black Sea.
Update 9-1-21: Romania-Insider.com reported:
Black Sea Oil and Gas (BSOG), a Romanian company backed by US investment fund Carlyle, could start gas deliveries from Romania’s Black Sea section at the end of this year when work on the Midia Gas Development project will be finalized.
The Carlyle Group purchased Sterling’s Romanian business in 2015 and set up a new company Black Sea Oil & Gas SRL.
Update 2-22-23: Carlyle may be shopping its energy stake in the Black Sea:
...plans by BSOG's investor Carlyle to potentially sell the company were "normal" for an equity firm after it has finished building the project.It doesn't want to pay increased energy taxes like any good PEU.
