(Adds deal background)
Feb 6 (Reuters) - Gina Rinehart-owned Hancock Energy
said on Monday that its updated A$0.36 per share offer for
Australia's Warrego Energy , which valued the oil and
gas explorer at A$440 million ($304 million) has received the
minimum required 40% approval from Warrego shareholders.
As a result, all Warrego shareholders who accepted Hancock's
offer will now receive A$0.36 cash per share, regardless of when
they accepted the offer, said Hancock.
Warrego, which holds the West Erregulla gas fields in North
Perth Basin in Western Australia, has been at the center of M&A
battles, attracting offers from players such as Beach Energy , Strike Energy and Hancock Energy.
Hancock said that it is now the controlling shareholder of
Warrego, holding more than 50% of all Warrego shares.
Hancock kicked off the year by updating its offer to
A$0.36 a piece from A$0.28 per share of Warrego and attached a
condition that the updated bid would be applicable if it got 40%
acceptance from Warrego shareholders.
Recently, Mineral Resources Ltd , which owns a
19.17% stake in Warrego, said that it would not make a takeover
offer for Warrego on account of over-inflation of gas asset
prices in the Perth Basin.
($1 = 1.4470 Australian dollars)
(Reporting by Jaskiran Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Diane
Craft and Lisa Shumaker)
