UAE’s energy firm Taqa is in talks with the three largest shareholders of Spanish utility and LNG player Naturgy about a potential takeover of the latter.
Responding to recent media reports, Abu Dhabi National Energy Company, or Taqa, confirmed it is in “discussions with Criteria Caixa in relation to potential cooperation in relation to Naturgy.”
“Taqa also confirms that it is in discussions with CVC and GIP in relation to a possible acquisition of their shares in Naturgy,” it said on Wednesday.
If such an acquisition occurs, this would trigger an offer for all the shares of Naturgy, Taqa said.
According to Naturgy’s website, Criteria Caixa has a 26.7 percent stake in the firm while GIP owns 20.6 percent and a consortium formed by CVC has 20.7 percent in Naturgy.
Other shareholders include Global Infraco, managed by IFM, with a 15 percent share and Sonatrach with a 4.1 percent share.
Taqa said no agreement had been reached with Criteria Caixa, CVC, or GIP, and there can be no guarantee of any transaction nor any certainty as to the terms of any potential transaction.
The firm added that that it had not approached Naturgy directly.
Naturgy’s current market value is about $22 billion.
The company buys LNG from all over the globe and has a long-term deal for volumes from Novatek’s Yamal LNG plant in Russia and long-term deals for volumes from Cheniere’s Sabine Pass and Corpus Christi plants in the US.
Its website shows that it has a 21 bcm gas portfolio and its fleet includes seven LNG tankers.
