According to Politico’s sources, Lanza is helping a Russian oil company find a buyer for its overseas assets. He and his firm Mercury Public Affairs are coordinating the deal with the U.S. government. One of the sources notes that Brian Lanza was among those who helped secure an extension of the deadline for Lukoil to sell its assets – on December 10, the U.S. Treasury Department extended until January 17 of next year the license allowing the Russian oil giant to sell its assets abroad.
The publication also writes that Brian Lanza is working on a possible sale of assets to the U.S. investment bank Xtellus Partners. According to Reuters, he has emerged as a prime candidate to acquire the Russian oil company’s overseas assets. Lanza has started working on this project for Lukoil in recent weeks.
And two sources, who wished to remain anonymous, have already told Reuters that Lukoil favors the proposal of the U.S. bank Xtellus Partners. It involves an exchange of assets for shares in the Russian company owned by U.S. investors.
In this case, the parties to the transaction will need the consent of the U.S. Ministry of Finance.
Foreign assets of the Russian company have attracted attention not only of Xtellus Partners, as Reuters reminds. One of the largest private equity funds in the United States, Carlyle, as well as the U.S. energy corporation Chevron, oil producer ExxonMobil and the former owner of Pornhub Bernd Bergmayr have shown interest in their acquisition.
In October, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions against Lukoil, Rosneft and their subsidiaries. The restrictions include freezing all assets located in the U.S. and prohibiting American companies from doing business with them. Shortly thereafter, Lukoil announced that it was looking for a buyer for its foreign assets.
These assets include oil and gas production projects in the Middle East, Central Asia, Africa and Latin America, refineries in Bulgaria, Romania and the Netherlands, more than 2,000 gas stations in the United States, Finland, Romania and Moldova, and international trading operations. Their total value is estimated at $22 billion.
