Australian Financial Review – Street Talk: Former Aurora Oil & Gas team to float Australis

It’s understood Australis has hired Euroz Securities and Bell Potter Securities to oversee the mooted initial public offering, while Max Billingham’s Blackpeak Capital is also involved.

The raising will be as much as $50 million for a market capitalisation of about $100 million. An ASX listing is slated for the second half.

Australis’ pitch is expected to centre around the experienced management team who together made a motza for Aurora Oil & Gas shareholders when the shale player was acquired by Baytex Energy Corp in June 2014. The deal valued Aurora’s equity at $1.9 billion.

The team is sticking to its knitting with Australis, and say their strategy is to build an oil and gas portfolio of exploration, appraisal and core proven assets.

At present, Australis is primarily focused in the United States, however, the company acquired two concessions in Portugal last year and has applied for a third.

Elsewhere, West African explorer Birimian Gold is seeking to raise $3 million to $4 million [although demand is understood to have exceeded $5 million], co-managed by Hartleys and Merchant Corporate Finance. The offer price is 24¢ a share.