据油价网8月2日消息称，澳大利亚两大能源巨头将合并，成立一家价值160亿美元的公司，并将跻身全球20大能源公司之列。
据路透社报道，石油搜索公司今天建议桑托斯提高收购报价，使该公司的估值约为62亿美元。彭博社指出，这笔交易将为伍德赛德在液化天然气领域创造竞争对手。
根据交易条款，石油搜索公司股东每持有一股该公司股票，就可以获得0.6275股桑托斯股票。这是早先向石油搜索公司股东提供0.589股桑托斯股票的报价的改进版。
这笔交易将使桑托斯通过石油搜索公司参与埃克森美孚领导的巴布亚新几内亚的PNG液化天然气公司，获得一些全球成本最低的液化天然气产能。
桑托斯在一份声明中说，此次合并将成为"规模和规模上的地区冠军"，"在澳大利亚、东帝汶、巴布亚新几内亚和北美拥有多元化的高质量、长寿命、低成本资产组合，具有显著的增长可选性"。
桑托斯还表示，新公司今年的产量将达到约1.16亿桶石油当量。
据该公司称，石油搜索公司持有巴布亚液化天然气公司29%的股份，以及巴布亚液化天然气公司22.8%的股权，这是一个棕地增长机会。该公司还拥有阿拉斯加Pikka石油项目的多数股权，该项目是该国最近发现的最大陆上石油项目。
石油搜索公司与桑托斯的合作是行业整合不仅仅限于美国及其页岩地带的最新迹象。不断变化的能源环境正促使更多公司通过并购寻找长期的业务可持续性选择。
曹海斌 摘译自 油价网
原文如下：
Santos, Oil Search Merger Creates $16 Billion Giant
Two Australian energy heavyweights are set to merge in a move that will create a company worth $16 billion that will rank among the 20 biggest in the industry globally.
Oil Search today recommended an improved takeover offer by Santos that would value the company at some $6.2 billion, according to Reuters. Bloomberg noted that the deal would create a rival for Woodside in the liquefied natural gas space.
Per the terms of the deal, Oil Search shareholders would get 0.6275 new Santos shares for every Oil Search share they hold. This was the sweetened version of an earlier offer that gave Oil Search shareholders 0.589 Santos shares.
The deal would give Santos access to some of the world’s lowest-cost LNG production capacity via Oil Search’s participation in Exxon-led PNG LNG in Papua New Guinea.
In a statement, Santos said the merger would be “a regional champion of size and scale” with “a diversified portfolio of high quality, long-life, low-cost assets across Australia, Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea and North America with significant growth optionality.”
The new company’s production this year would come in at some 116 million barrels of oil equivalent, Santos also said.
Oil Search holds a 29-percent stake in PNG LNG as well as a 22.8-percent interest in Papua LNG—a brownfield growth opportunity, according to the company. It also has a majority stake in the Pikka oil project in Alaska, which is the largest recent align="justify"> The tie-up between Oil Search and Santos is the latest sign that the industry consolidation is not only limited to the United States and its shale patch. The changing environment in energy is prompting more companies to look for long-term business sustainability options through mergers and acquisitions.