Anadarko Petroleum Corp. is “preparing to endorse†Occidental Petroleum Corp.’s $38 billion takeover offer, the Financial Times reported, a move that threatens to scupper a previously agreed deal with Chevron Corp.
Anadarko’s board of directors determined that the cash and stock offer from Occidental is superior to Chevron’s, according to the FT report, which cited people it didn’t identify. Chevron’s offer was valued at $33 billion when the agreement was announced April 12. Reuters reported earlier Anadarko would pursue talks with Occidental, citing sources familiar with the matter who it didn’t identify.
The move unofficially opens a bidding war for Anadarko in what would be the largest deal in the oil and gas sector in at least four years. Should Anadarko’s board decide Occidental’s bid may be the better of the two, Chevron has four days to come back with a counter offer, according to Morgan Stanley. If Chevron ups its price, Occidental then has three days to respond with a new proposal.
Anadarko and Occidental could not be reached for comment outside normal business hours. Chevron referred questions to Anadarko.
Anadarko is one of the largest independent U.S. oil producers and has been the subject of merger speculation for some time. While its operations span three continents, the real prize for Chevron or Occidental would be its American assets — specifically those in the prolific Permian Basin of West Texas and New Mexico, the world’s largest oil patch and a prime candidate for consolidation among industry players.
Cash and Stock
Occidental’s offer valued Anadarko shares at $76 in a 50-50 cash and stock split. That compares with Chevron’s agreement to buy The Woodlands, Texas-based Anadarko for $65 a share, with 75 percent coming from shares and 25 percent cash.
Anadarko’s shares have traded above the value of Chevron’s offer almost every day since the deal was announced. The gap stood at $11.24 at the close on Friday. That’s creating pressure from investors. New York-based investment firm D.E. Shaw has urged the company to run an open sale process, people familiar with the matter said this week.
Source: Bloomberg
Check out our other current stories!
Join the largest oil and gas community on iOS and Android!
Download the app here!
Comments (0)