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IKAV, VTTI buy bulk stake in Italy's most significant LNG terminal

Dutch infrastructure group VTTI and German possession supervisor IKAV have actually teamed up to purchase a. bulk stake in Italy's biggest melted natural gas. terminal, VTTI stated on Wednesday.

Under the deal, ExxonMobil will sell its 70.7% stake. in the Adriatic LNG terminal, the U.S. oil and gas group stated,. as part of a more comprehensive method to divest non strategic possessions and. focus efforts on doubling its LNG production by 2030 globally.

QatarEnergy is likewise divesting its 22% stake in the Italian. infrastructure, according to 3 sources familiar with the. matter. The group was not immediately offered to comment.

Europe has actually increased LNG imports after Russia's intrusion of. Ukraine in 2022 dramatically curtailed gas coming through. pipelines.

LNG terminals are needed to turn the liquefied fuel back. into gas before pumping it into the network.

Italian gas grid operator Snam, which currently. owns a 7.3% stake in the infrastructure, has 45 days to choose. whether to exercise its right of very first refusal to up its stake.

The state-controlled group might choose as soon as next week. to increase its stake up to 30%, improving its impact over an. property thought about tactical for the nation, two other sources. told .

GOLDEN POWER

Increased flows of LNG internationally have proven an advantage for. energy traders including Trafigura, Gunvor and Vitol, which is a. investor of VTTI together with Australia's IFM and Abu. Dhabi's ADNOC.

In an indication of the growing importance of LNG for energy. business, sources informed on Tuesday that energy trader. Mercuria would hire popular gas trader Steve Hill, formerly. head of LNG at Shell

VTTI and IKAV did not reveal monetary information of the offer. on the Italian terminal, with sources saying the deal may. worth Adriatic LNG at more than 800 million euros including. financial obligation.

The closing of the transaction for the terminal is expected. in the 2nd half of the year, VTTI said.

The Italian government will evaluate the deal under. golden power guidelines for markets deemed of tactical. value such as banking, energy, telecoms and health.

The Adriatic LNG terminal lies about 9 miles (15 km). off the Veneto shoreline and has a regasification capacity of 9. billion cubic metres of natural gas per year.

Rothschild recommended the 2 sellers in the deal, with. Mizuho Securities functioning as financial advisor for IKAV and. Natixis Partners Iberia supporting the consortium.

Natixis and Intesa Sanpaolo served as underwriters for the. acquisition financing facility. Herbert Smith Freehills was. legal advisor to the consortium.

(source: Reuters)