BP sells North Sea fields
Oil giant BP said it had struck a deal to sell interests in two North Sea oil fields to Japanese firm Mitsui.
Oil giant BP said it had struck a deal to sell interests in two North Sea oil fields to Japanese firm Mitsui.
BP said the sale was part of a strategy to focus on core activities and future growth in the UK and Norway.
The company is off-loading its minority interests in the Alba and Britannia fields for $280m in cash.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE

Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
The sale comprises BP's non-operating 13.3% stake in Alba and 8.97% stake in Britannia.
The deal is expected to complete by the end of September 2012, subject to regulatory and other licensee approvals.
Trevor Garlick, regional president for BP North Sea, said: "BP has a multi-billion pound investment programme currently underway in the region, with four major field development projects in the UK and a further two in Norway."
After the sale BP will still have a major interest in the North Sea with current production around 200,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.
The company also has over 3bn barrels of proven and contingent resource available, it said.
It expects to invest $10bn net over the next five years in the North Sea.
BP is in the middle of a much wider asset sale, with a $38bn asset disposal programme underway to pay for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill in 2010.
On Monday it said it had agreed to sell some of its Wyoming gas operations to US firm Linn Energy for $1bn.
The agreement to sell the 'Jonah' assets brings the total value of divestments that BP has agreed since the start of 2010 to around $24bn.
Sign up for MoneyWeek's newsletters
Get the latest financial news, insights and expert analysis from our award-winning MoneyWeek team, to help you understand what really matters when it comes to your finances.
-
Cash in on the growth prospects of Europe's companies
Opinion Marcel Stötzel, co-portfolio manager of the Fidelity European Trust, selects three stocks
By Marcel Stotzel Published
-
Is the AI boom another dotcom bubble?
25 years on from the dotcom bubble bursting, is it time for investors to consider the sustainability of the AI boom in the stock market?
By Dan McEvoy Published