The American energy company Chevron is seeking to sell its entire stake in Caltex Australia for about $3.6 billion, as falling oil prices and high costs have hurt profit margins.
Chevron is offering its 50 percent stake in Caltex, or 135 million shares, at a minimum price of 34.20 Australian dollars, or $26.80, apiece, a 9.7 percent discount to the Friday close, according to a term sheet of the deal. Caltex shares have risen 10.7 percent this year, outpacing a 9.4 percent rise in the benchmark index of Australian shares.
In a statement, Caltex said that Chevron had made clear that the sale was part of a broader portfolio review. “There will be no change to our ability to reliably and competitively deliver all our customers’ fuel requirements,” the statement said.
Goldman Sachs is the sole underwriter for the deal, the terms showed.
Global oil prices have fallen by half since mid-2014, adding to the pressures on Australian refiners, which are also grappling with aging equipment, cheaper imports and high costs. Many companies, including Caltex Australia, have closed refining operations, while others have restructured them.
Chevron is the latest global oil company to leave Australia’s refining industry. Last year, Royal Dutch Shell sold its Australian gas station and refinery operations for about $2.3 billion, and BP is selling its Australian bitumen business, after having shut down its Bulwer Island oil refinery in Queensland.