Lord Browne returns to market with $1bn energy vehicle float

Energy focused private equity firm Riverstone said it would list Riverstone Energy Limited (REL), on the main market of the London Stock Exchange in a move which will raise up to£550m.

The new company, whose shares are expected to start trading on October 29, will invest across the global energy industry, focusing on exploration and production, an intention to float announcement said yesterday.

It has received binding commitments from five cornerstone investors and Riverstone to invest up to £550m in the issue.

“REL presents a unique opportunity for public market investors to gain exposure to the energy sector via Riverstone’s highly experienced team,” REL’s chairman Robert Wilson said in a statement.

Riverstone has featured in the press in recent months as it is a part-owner of Cuadrilla, a company whose exploration for shale gas in the country has been the subject of protests.

Lord Browne has been a partner of Riverstone since leaving BP in 2007, which he ran for more than a decade.

Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan will co-ordinate the deal, while Deutsche Bank and Morgan Stanley will also act as joint book runners.