Exclusive-Energy trader Vitol eyes $3 billion sale of US shale producer, sources say
Global commodities trader Vitol is exploring a sale of its VTX Energy Partners business, in a deal that could value the U.S. shale oil and gas producer at as much as $3 billion, including debt, people familiar with the matter said. The move aims to capitalize on the fact that the VTX oil and gas business is one of the few remaining privately-owned operators of scale in the Permian basin after the last two years' run of dealmaking in the top U.S. oilfield resulted in many unlisted energy producers being scooped up by listed peers seeking to boost their scale. This scarcity value may help Vitol secure a bumper payout on its bet on VTX, having pledged $1 billion in 2022 to establish the company and fund its management team, which had previously built and sold a number of privately-owned oil and gas producers, according to the company's website.