Richard G. Blunt

Richard focuses on the representation of clients in the resources and energy sectors throughout Europe , Africa, the CIS and the Middle East with a focus on M&A, joint ventures, private equity and project development.

• Acting for Turquoise Hill on the USD 300 million sale of its stake in Altynalmas Gold business by way of competitive auction.
• Acting for Rio Tinto on its sale of a 50% interest in the Hydrogen Energy International joint venture to BP (including Hydrogen's main asset, the Hydrogen Power Abu Dhabi joint venture with Masdar). Rio Tinto retained their direct stake in Hydrogen Energy California, another clean energy project jointly developed with BP.
• Acting for MOL in relation to their USD 1.28 billion share swap, under which listed shares in MOL were exchanged with Oman Oil Company in return for a package of international assets.
• Acting for PrivatBank on their disposal of a series of integrated mining and minerals businesses in the CIS for a price in excess of USD 3.25 billion, involving a share exchange in a number of CIS listed companies and the receipt of GDRs in Evraz listed on the LSE.
• Advising Anaklia Development Consortium LLC in relation to the development, construction and operation of the Anaklia Deep Water Sea Port in Tbilisi.
• Acting for Kazakhstan Petrochemical Industries JSC (KPI) on the USD 5 billion development of an integrated petrochemical project in Kazakhstan, using gas feedstock to produce polyethylene and polypropylene products, and comprising a gas separation unit, ethane cracker, propane dehydrogenation unit, HDPE/LLDPE unit, LDPE unit, PP unit, butene-1 unit, together with connecting pipelines, and all related utilities and offsite facilities.
• Advising Audley Capital Advisors LLP on the acquisition of Anglo American Norte S.A from Anglo American PLC. Anglo American Norte S.A. owns the Mantos Blancos and Mantoverde copper mines in Chile.
• Acting for Capital International Private Equity Fund V on its acquisition of a control stake in a gas focused upstream E&P company with assets in Canada and Nigeria.