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DMEA                                         NEWS IN BRIEF                                             DMEA
































       government’s efforts to convert a large portion   and ammonia plant.     a handful of local and regional banks to take
       of the country’s commercial fleet to CNG and   Last December, Abu Qir Fertilizers selected  part in the initial public offering (IPO), the
       suggested that Nigeria adopt a similar policy.   Al Ahli Capital, the investment banking arm   sources said, declining to be named as the
       If Nigeria uses more CNG, it will not need   of National Bank of Egypt, to act as financial   matter is not public.
       to import so much gasoline and diesel, he   advisor for the International Company   ADNOC, which supplies nearly 3% of
       declared.                           for Methanol and Derivatives, with equity   global oil demand, declined to comment.
         “[We] can learn a little bit from Egypt,   participation from Helwan Fertilizers and Al   Borealis, which is owned by Austrian refiner
       where its commercial vehicles, particularly the   Ahli Capital Holding.   OMV and Abu Dhabi state fund Mubadala
       taxis, are powered by gas,” he was quoted as   The paid-in-capital project financing is   Investment Company, did not immediately
       saying by the Daily Trust.          expected to be split 30:70 between auto-  respond to a request for comment.
         “These are the old Peugeot and Renault   financing and bank loans.       Global coordinator roles were mandated
       cars that are no longer in use in Nigeria and   The new methanol plant is to be located   to Citi, HSBC, Morgan Stanley and First Abu
       other parts of the world, but which have   in El Sokhna Port, as part of the Suez Canal   Dhabi Bank earlier this year, the sources said.
       been converted to use gas and are still being   Economic Zone. The company expects that   US investment bank Goldman Sachs is also
       used because they are well maintained. It is   the first phase of the project will involve   seeking a role in the syndicate, they added.
       high time we borrowed from this. If all our   production of 1mn tonnes per year of   HSBC and FAB did not immediately
       commercial vehicles run on gas, a large chunk   methanol and 400,000 tpy of ammonia, all of   respond to a request for comment. Goldman
       of the demand for petrol and diesel will drop.”   which will be destined for export.   Sachs, Citi and Morgan Stanley declined to
         He went on to say that he did not expect a   The company has already obtained initial   comment.
       switch to CNG to be particularly disruptive to   approval from the General Authority for the   Borouge is a manufacturer of plastics
       the Nigerian economy.               Suez Canal Economic Zone to allocate 1.6mn   used in cars and food packaging, among
         “The mechanics will take less than a week   square metres of land for the implementation   many things. It employs 3,000 people and has
       to learn how to do the conversion and in   of the project. It also got the nod from the   customers in more than 100 countries across
       six months, all commercial vehicles would   Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources   the Middle East, Asia and Africa, according
       have gone through the transition,” he said,   to obtain the volumes of natural gas necessary   to its website. Its main plant is in Abu Dhabi,
       according to the Daily Trust. “This will reduce   for production.        with a marketing and sales office in Singapore.
       the cost of transportation, especially for   The company is exploring the option of   ADNOC and Borealis said last month they
       the masses that patronise public transport   making the project a Free Zone because all   were considering a potential IPO of Borouge.
       systems.”                           its production will be destined for export,   Abu Dhabi’s main equity index has risen
       NEWSBASE                            enabling it to benefit from the customs and   about 13% this year amid an IPO boom.
                                           local tax exemptions deriving from Free Zone   ADNOC CEO Sultan al-Jaber has overseen
                                           status.                              a transformation strategy the company
       PETROCHEMICALS                      NEWSBASE                             embarked on more than four years ago,
                                                                                building an investment team to monetise
       Abu Qir talks to                    ADNOC, Borealis seek                 assets and raise funds from international
                                                                                private equity groups.
       TotalEnergies about                 banks for plastics JV IPO            business in Abu Dhabi’s largest IPO to date.
                                                                                  Last year ADNOC listed its drilling
       hydrogen and ammonia                Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC)   Fertiglobe, a joint venture between ADNOC
                                           and its Austrian chemicals partner Borealis
                                                                                and chemical producer OCI, also made its
       plant                               have invited banks to pitch for bookrunner   market debut last year, and ADNOC floated
                                           roles in the listing of their plastics joint
                                                                                shares in its distribution business in 2017.
       Abu Qir Fertilizers is in talks with France’s   venture Borouge, two sources with knowledge   REUTERS
       TotalEnergies with a view to co-operating on   of the matter told Reuters.
       the development of a $2.6bn green hydrogen   State-owned ADNOC and Borealis invited


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