Interview: Neptune champions its diversity

With assets in Europe, North Africa and Asia-Pacific, the London-based firm sees value in its broad international portfolio

Neptune Energy, born out of an acquisition of the upstream assets of French utility Engie, is comfortably the most internationally diversified of the new North Sea entrants backed by private equity (PE). And its founder sees that as a key part of its value proposition. The firm, which is backed by the China Investment Corporation, US PE heavyweight Carlyle and Luxembourg-headquartered CVC Capital Partners, followed up the Engie deal by swooping for the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS) assets of German midstream from VNG. And, in August, it snapped up stakes owned by US independent Apache in the Seagull and Isabella projects on the UK continental shelf. Sam Laidlaw, who spent 20 years with U