trading halt timetable speculation, page-2

matt

the Euro solution surely is X2

X2 able to raise 12-15 billion

Bloomberg News

Ex-Xstrata CEO Davis Said to Seek $3 Billion for Mine Purchases

By Firat Kayakiran January 22, 2014


Mick Davis, the former chief executive officer of Xstrata Plc, is seeking to raise at least $3 billion from investors before he starts buying mines for his X2 Resources, according to people with knowledge of his plans.

Davis, who has so far raised $1 billion, is targeting mines already in operation or close to producing, said the people, asking not to be identified because the plans aren’t public. Davis may initially limit the number of investors in X2 to six or seven, with each providing $500 million, they said.

The South African born 55-year-old is looking to repeat his success at Xstrata, where he led the management team that took the coal producer from a company with a $500 million market capitalization to one valued at $50 billion through a decade of mergers, acquisitions and expansion. Davis favors copper, coal or zinc assets for X2, the people said.

X2 could target deals valued at $12 billion to $15 billion after raising debt on top of the funds it gets directly from investors, the people said. Davis declined to comment.

Noble Group (NOBL), Asia’s largest raw-materials trader, and private-equity fund TPG last year agreed to invest a combined $1 billion in X2. Australian private equity fund IFM Investors plans to invest $500 million in X2, the people said. The Australian Financial Review first reported a possible investment by IFM earlier this month.

X2 is poised to bet on a resurgence in demand for key commodities, competing with other private-equity funds for first choice from assets put on the market by global mining companies. BHP Billiton Ltd. (BHP) and Rio Tinto Group (RIO) are among companies making or planning disposals that may total a combined $35 billion, Deutsche Bank AG has estimated.