Bank of China, BNP Paribas, Calyon, HSBC,
ICBC and
Standard Chartered have been mandated with a $1.5 billion club-style deal to back China Oilfield Services' Nkr12.7 billion ($2.5 billion) acquisition of Norwegian oil and gas drilling rig operator Awilco Offshore.
China Oilfield is paying Nkr85 a share in cash for the operator of oil and gas drilling rigs, which is 19% more than the closing price of Awilco's shares on July 4. Lehman Brothers and JP Morgan are international financial advisers for China Oilfield, with China International Capital Corp also advising. The proposed takeover is still subject to regulatory approval.