Carlyle bets $500m on Magna Energy
The firm is investing in the newly created oil and gas company which aims to build in India
Private equity firm Carlyle Group is betting up to $500m on Magna Energy, a newly-created oil and gas company led by former Cairn Energy executives who left last year: Mike Watts, who was credited with the 2004 giant Rajasthan oil find, was the deputy CEO; and Jann Brown was the CFO. The two began developing a business plan last October and found Carlyle to be a good investor owing to its knowledge of not just petroleum but of the region, Brown told Petroleum Economist. Magna is aiming to build acreage positions in the Indian Subcontinent, which includes Myanmar and Bangladesh, to create a full-cycle oil and gas company through acquisitions and local licensing rounds. India's policy objectiv
Also in this section
20 February 2026
The country is pushing to increase production and expand key projects despite challenges including OPEC+ discipline and the limitations of its export infrastructure
20 February 2026
Europe has transformed into a global LNG demand powerhouse over the last few years, with the fuel continuing to play a key role in safeguarding the continent’s energy security, Carsten Poppinga, chief commercial officer at Uniper, tells Petroleum Economist
20 February 2026
Sempra Infrastructure’s vice president for marketing and commercial development, Carlos de la Vega, outlines progress across the company’s US Gulf Coast and Mexico Pacific Coast LNG portfolio, including construction at Port Arthur LNG, continued strong performance at Cameron LNG and development of ECA LNG
19 February 2026
US LNG exporter Cheniere Energy has grown its business rapidly since exporting its first cargo a decade ago. But Chief Commercial Officer Anatol Feygin tells Petroleum Economist that, as in the past, the company’s future expansion plans are anchored by high levels of contracted offtake, supporting predictable returns on investment






