Question about investing in energy (private equity asset class)

Hey Monkeys:

I'm interested in learning more about energy investing (and possibly pursuing a career in energy private equity) and was hoping someone could guide me to some resources (as a starting point) or provide input from their own experiences.

I have a particular interest in the private equity asset class and am agnostic towards the value chain (except for the power side, in which case I’d prefer upstream).

One question I have: What type of strategy do energy-focused PE firms employ when investing in energy assets or companies?

Any other comment or feedback would be appreciated.

Many thanks.

6 Comments
 
gulfcoastbankerThat's a very tough question to answer.

Indeed it is. I'm going to take samoan's advice and try to follow the investments made by major energy-focused PE firms. Maybe an idea will spark.

Interesting handle btw. Do you focus on energy?

samoanboyResearch Riverstone and First Reserve.

Thanks man.

 
Best Response

That's a very broad question. Each PE firm will be different and likely follow different strategies depending on the sector being considered, the market environment etc. Some firms look to buy existing energy companies for instance, while others might back a management team to buy up some assets and form a new company.

Generally a PE firm will be buying an asset with a view to selling it on approximately 5 years later. Target IRR is usually around 25%. Those are the two keys factors to keep in mind: the exit plan kicks in the day you buy and return expectations are punchy. Usually that means there is a fair chunk of debt attached to the deal.

I don't have any particular texts to recommend but you should try to read up on the PE and energy industries generally as you might be hard to find books or sites specifically devoted to PE Energy investment.

 

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