The drilling rights the company sought in Liberia, however, appeared to be linked to former officials from the West African nation, according to internal Exxon documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal and people familiar with the negotiations. An Exxon presentation from the London meeting indicated the company had “concern over issues regarding U.S. anticorruption laws.” An idea took shape. A Canadian company would buy the rights from a Liberian oil operator whose ownership was murky. Then Exxon would buy a controlling stake in the project from the Canadian outfit, according to the London presentation, documents outlining the deal and people familiar with the matter. Exxon completed the deal for $120 million in 2013. Complicated Transaction How Exxon Mobil structured a deal to buy oil rights off the coast of Liberia. Sources: Loan agreement; sale and purchase agreement; asset purchase agreement; bank transfer receipts; company news releases; Nocal meeting […]