Petroceltic Share News (PCI)

Mon, 19th Dec 2011 10:25

Dec 19 (Reuters) - The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals involving European, U.S. and Asian companies were reported by 1000 GMT on Monday.



** U.S. oil major Exxon Mobil Corp is mulling a 7 billion pound ($10.9 billion) takeover of Kurdistan-focused explorer Gulf Keystone Petroleum, the Independent on Sunday reported.



** Private equity backed Cidron Delfi on Monday said it had launched a 2.0 billion Swedish crown ($292 million) bid for Orc Group, a provider of software and services for brokerages and traders.



** U.S. gas producer Apache Corp has agreed to buy a 65 percent stake in Burrup Holdings in a deal estimated at A$560 million ($560 million), looking to stabilise the fertiliser business that has been buying gas from its Australian operation.



** Irish oil and gas firm Petroceltic has won approval from the Algerian government to sell an 18.375 percent stake in its Algerian gas field to Italy's Enel in a deal that could be worth up to $180 million euros.



** Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal and his Kingdom Holding Company have bought a strategic stake in microblogging site Twitter for $300 million, they said in a statement on Monday.



** Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways agreed to spend about 73 million euros ($95 million) to raise its stake in Air Berlin to almost 30 percent, throwing a life-line to the debt-laden German airline. Etihad will buy about 31.5 million new shares in Germany's second-biggest airline until end-2016.



** Swiss drugmaker Acino Pharma Ltd will acquire the Latin American and Asian businesses of Mepha AG, owned by the Swiss arm of Israel-based Teva Pharmaceutical Industries . Acino will also acquire the Mepha site in Aesch, Switzerland, including production and research and development facilities.



** Finnish utility Fortum plans to sell two subsidiaries to a private equity fund for around 200 million euros ($260.9 million) including net debt, it said on Monday.



** France's Vivendi signed a deal with ITI Holdings, the owner of Polish broadcaster TVN, taking control of the group's joint pay-TV platform business in Poland and an option to control TVN, the Polish broadcaster said on Monday.



** European Goldfields Ltd said on Sunday that it had agreed to be bought by Eldorado Gold Corp for about C$2.5 billion ($2.4 billion).



(Compiled by Durba Ghosh in Bangalore) Keywords: MERGERS/DEALS

(durba.ghosh@thomsonreuters.com; within U.S. +1 646 223 8780; outside U.S. +91 80 4135 5800; Reuters Messaging: durba.ghosh.reuters.com@reuters.net)

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