US oil and gas explorer Anadarko Petroleum Corp and India’s Videocon Industries’ chairman Venugopal Dhoot have launched the auction of a 20% stake in a Mozambique gas field that could fetch $4.5 billion (Rs.24,705 cr), sources told Reuters.
The Rovuma offshore field is a hot
property after recent discoveries boosted Mozambique’s gas reserves to around 150 trillion cubic feet, enough to supply world number one importer Japan for 35 years.
The east African country is expected to eventually compete with Australia and Qatar as a major provider of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Asia.
Last year, Thai state oil company PTT Exploration and Production PCL trumped Royal Dutch Shell Plc in a hotly contested battle for Cove Energy Plc and its 8.5% of the field.
The $1.9 billion price tag for Cove implies the stake now on offer could fetch about $4.5 billion.
Dhoot, who controls consumer electronics to mobile-phone services conglomerate Videocon Group, is leading the process and has hired Standard Chartered and UBS to handle the sale, the sources added.
Both banks declined to comment. First round bids are due on March 14, one of the sources said.