Carlyle bets $500m on Magna Energy
The firm is investing in the newly created oil and gas company which aims to build in India
Private equity firm Carlyle Group is betting up to $500m on Magna Energy, a newly-created oil and gas company led by former Cairn Energy executives who left last year: Mike Watts, who was credited with the 2004 giant Rajasthan oil find, was the deputy CEO; and Jann Brown was the CFO. The two began developing a business plan last October and found Carlyle to be a good investor owing to its knowledge of not just petroleum but of the region, Brown told Petroleum Economist. Magna is aiming to build acreage positions in the Indian Subcontinent, which includes Myanmar and Bangladesh, to create a full-cycle oil and gas company through acquisitions and local licensing rounds. India's policy objectiv
Also in this section
5 December 2025
Mistaken assumptions around an oil bull run that never happened are a warning over the talk of a supply glut
4 December 2025
Time is running out for Lukoil and Rosneft to divest international assets that will be mostly rendered useless to them when the US sanctions deadline arrives in mid-December
3 December 2025
Aramco’s pursuit of $30b in US gas partnerships marks a strategic pivot. The US gains capital and certainty; Saudi Arabia gains access, flexibility and a new export future
2 December 2025
The interplay between OPEC+, China and the US will define oil markets throughout 2026






