Tatneft in Largest Russian Pre-Export Financing of 2009

Cleary Gottlieb represented Tatneft as borrower in a $1.5 billion syndicated pre-export financing. The transaction was commemorated on November 24 by a signing ceremony held in Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan, at which the Prime Minister of Tatarstan, Rustam Minikhanov, and the General Director of Tatneft, Shafagat Takhautdinov, presided. The financing is the largest pre-export financing by a Russian borrower in 2009. The financing was syndicated among a broad 20-member syndicate that included not only major Western banks but also Russian banks that took up roughly one-third of total commitments, with Gazprombank and Bank of Moscow joining as lead arrangers. In addition, the international commodities trader Vitol provided funding while also acting as the offtaker in the transaction. The deal was well over-subscribed. WestLB and Bayerische Hypo-und Vereinsbank (UniCredit) acted as coordinating mandated lead arrangers, and Bank Zenit and Citibank acted as financial advisors to Tatneft.

Tatneft is Russia’s sixth largest oil company and has its headquarters and most of its fields located in Tatarstan, a republic of the Russian Federation. This financing will help fund the construction of the Taneco refinery, a new major petrochemical refinery in Nizhnekamsk, Tatarstan, a project of national importance supported by the Russian State. Since 1995, Cleary Gottlieb has represented Tatneft on a wide variety of matters including more than $4 billion of bank financings, capital market transactions, M&A matters and international arbitrations.