As Australia’s second largest independent gas producer continues to recover from years of financial doldrums, posting an impressive 433 percent surge in underlying profit in 2017 over the previous year. And now, it’s back in the spotlight as a potential takeover target. On Tuesday, Adelaide-based Santos, which produces about 163,000 barrels of oil and gas equivalent per day (boe), said that it opened its books to U.S.-based Harbour Energy Ltd., (which is backed by private equity group EIG Global Energy Partners). This comes after an August meeting where Santos rejected an A$4.55 billion offer from Harbour, stating at the time that the price was “inadequate and the sources of funds were uncertain.” Harbour Energy CEO Linda Cook said yesterday she would seek to expand Santos in Asia and Africa. Harbour would also look to grow Santos’ gas assets in South Australia’s Cooper Basin, the ConocoPhillips-operated Darwin liquefied natural gas […]