BP is considering selling up to USD 12 billion of its assets, including a big stake in a giant Alaskan oil field, to the Texas-based Apache energy Corporation.
The beleaguered oil giant entered into talks with the rival American company about the possible sale in order to raise the USD 20 billion compensation fund to cover its liability for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, The Sunday Times reported.
Apache proposed the purchase to the London-based oil company several weeks ago. The proposal includes buying a large stake in Alaska’s Prudhoe Bay — the largest oil field in North America.
Apache, which is one of America’s largest oil groups, has made smaller deals with BP in the past.
The report also added that BP’s 60 percent share in Argentinean oil producer Pan American Energy is also up for grabs.
CNOOC, the Chinese oil group, and Bridas, a rival Argentinean firm, are considering buying parts or all of the 60 percent holding.
US-based ExxonMobil, the world’s largest oil company, is said to pondering a takeover bid given BP’s depressed stock price, The Sunday Times reported.
The sale plan comes as BP has started work this weekend on installing a tighter cap on the leaking underwater Deepwater Horizon well.
The company says the new cap will be able to collect more than 50,000 barrels of oil a day and improve the efficiency of the operation during the hurricane season.
However, the oil leak is not expected to fully stop until mid-August.
The Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded on April 20 killing 11 workers and pouring millions of gallons of oil into Gulf of Mexico.
MN/MMN – Press TV
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