Abu Dhabi's state-owned oil company and sovereign wealth fund have teamed with U.S. private equity firm Carlyle to make an $18.7 billion takeover bid for listed Australian energy company Santos. Why it matters: It would be one of the largest takeovers ever in Australia,

Santos, an Australian oil and gas producer, has announced the receipt of a non-binding indicative proposal from a consortium led by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) to acquire all the ordinary shares of Santos through an arrangement process.

Adelaide-based Santos said that XRG, comprised of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, Abu Dhabi Development Holding Company and US private equity fund Carlyle, had tabled an indicative cash offer of US$5.76 a share — equivalent to A$8.89 — which represented a 28 per cent premium to the company’s closing share price last week.