Wintershall-DEA: The anatomy of a merger
The Wintershall-DEA deal brings together businesses that in 2017 had combined sales of €4.7bn
At the end of September, almost a year on from the announcement that Wintershall and DEA had agreed in principle to merge, their respective owners—Germany chemicals company BASF and LetterOne, the Luxembourg-based investment fund co-founded by the Russian oligarch Mikhail Fridman in 2013—signed a "definitive transaction agreement". Assuming the merger is approved by the relevant authorities, the transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2019. It will bring together businesses that in 2017 had combined sales of €4.7bn, and oil and gas production of 575,000 boe/d. The merger is expected to generate synergies of at least €200m a year and create a regionally more balanced footprint.
Also in this section
1 April 2026
Golden Pass’s startup offers QatarEnergy a timely boost but may also force a difficult choice between honouring disrupted contracts and capitalising on soaring spot LNG prices
1 April 2026
It is not a case of if or when, but the length and magnitude of economic damage from elevated oil prices
1 April 2026
The US-Iran conflict demonstrates the need for diversification in several senses of the word. It also exposes the limits of Washington applying pressure on major oil and gas producers it considers geopolitical adversaries
31 March 2026
Disappointing results in its bidding round are a reality check for Libya, and global exploration generally
