RIL in deal with LyondellBasell for super-voting power: reports
22 Feb 2010
India's Reliance Industries Ltd, which again sweetened its offer to take control of LyondellBasell Industries when it exits bankruptcy, (See: Reliance hikes offer for LyondellBasell: report) would give Reliance a minority stake in Lyondell, but would give the Indian company super-voting power to control Lyondell's board, Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal, reported, both quoting unnamed sources.
The revised bid will allow Lyondell's creditors to opt for cash or equity as part of the deal.
Lyondell had rejected a previous sweetened bid that valued the company at around $13.5 billion. That offer had been increased from an initial November bid valuing Lyondell around $12 billion.
Lyondell recently settled a dispute with creditors that paved the way for an exit from bankruptcy, leading analysts to suggest that Reliance may be forced to raise its offer or abandon it.
A deal between Reliance and Lyondell would create a mammoth energy and chemicals conglomerate with nearly $80 billion in combined revenue. Lyondell is the world's third-largest chemical maker and both companies have oil-refining operations.
But Reliance could still face an uphill battle in its overtures as creditors are already engaged in a separate restructuring plan to take Lyondell out of bankruptcy protection.
