UPDATE: Antitrust sends Halliburton Novomet purchase request to govt

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SEVASTOPOL, Jun 9 (PRIME) -- The Federal Antimonopoly Service has sent a request of U.S. company Halliburton to buy 100% in Russian oil-submersible pump producer Novomet to the government’s commission for foreign investment control, the service’s Director Igor Artemyev told reporters on Friday.

In July 2016, state nanotechnology company Rusnano planned to sell its 30.76% in Novomet, but it has repeatedly delayed the auction and increased the stake’s minimum price to 9.9 billion rubles from 7.5 billion rubles. In January 2017, the service received the request to buy Novomet from Halliburton.

“The deal has been transferred to the government commission, it is listed on the agenda. The commission will decide whether the strategic asset can be sold during discussion,” Artemyev said.

He also said that the commission may meet in a month.

The commission will also study a purchase by a consortium of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), Mubadala Development Company, several Middle Eastern and Asian co-investors, and Baring Vostok Private Equity Fund V and several affiliate funds of 25% in St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo Airport from VTB Bank.

Thalita is a holding company of Northern Capital Gateway, the airport’s management company. As a result of the deal, VTB Capital will cut its stake in Thalita to 25.01%, while Germany’s Fraport and the Qatar Investment Authority will keep their stakes of 25% and 24.99%, respectively. Fraport will remain the operator of the St. Petersburg airport.

(56.9857 rubles – U.S. $1)

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