FT: Private equity groups make $500m UK North Sea oil investment

Buyout groups Blackstone and Blue Water Energy are providing $500m to Siccar Point Energy, a new UK-focused oil company, in one of the largest ever private equity investments in North Sea oil.

The move highlights the continuing international appeal of Britain’s offshore oilfields, in spite of increasing competition from newer and more prolific basins in Africa and the US and uncertainty over the upcoming referendum on Scottish independence.

Investment in the UK North Sea reached a record level of £14.4bn last year, raising hopes that oil and gas production could start to pick up again after years of decline. “This is one of the most opportune times to buy assets in the North Sea,” said Jonathan Roger, chief executive of Siccar Point. “The market is very buoyant.”
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