Last checked at 
(Adds background on tax, bond deal)
NEW YORK/SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, Nov 24 (Reuters) - PuertoRico's planned bond deal of up to $2.9 billion will not happenbefore early 2015, two finance industry sources briefed on thematter said on Monday.
The delay comes as Puerto Rico Governor Alejandro GarciaPadilla has so far been unable to muster the support of his ownparty for a tax hike needed to back the bond deal.
Barclays has been selected as lead underwriter forthe deal with Morgan Stanley and Royal Bank of Canada selected as co-managers, the sources said.
The banks did not immediately return requests for comment.
Puerto Rico needs the deal to boost its liquidity and keepit out of capital markets for up to two years. Ratings agencyMoody's Investors Service has said the island's government couldrun into financial difficulties as early as next year if it isunable to complete the transaction.
Officials at Puerto Rico's Government Development Bank(GDB), the U.S. commonwealth's financing arm, had previouslysaid they wanted to complete the deal this year, possibly asearly as November.
A spokesman for the GDB did not immediately return a requestfor comment.
Puerto Rico needs to increase a tax on crude oil by $6.25 to$15.50 per barrel in order to raise $178 million a year to backthe bonds. The tax hike was meant to be passed last week, butsome members of Padilla's Popular Democratic Party (PDP) did notsupport the move. (Reporting by Reuters in San Juan and Edward Krudy in New York;editing by G Crosse and Bernadette Baum)
