Latham Advises Osaka Gas, Sumitomo Corporation and JOIN on Investment in AG&P LNG Marketing

Latham & Watkins has advised a Japanese consortium comprising Osaka Gas, the second-largest city gas distributor in Japan, Sumitomo Corporation, one of Japan’s largest trading houses, and Japan Overseas Infrastructure Investment Corporation for Transport & Urban Development (JOIN), a Japanese government-private sponsored infrastructure investment fund, on its primary investment into AG&P LNG Marketing Pte. Ltd (AG&P).

AG&P is an important energy player in India with a City Gas Distribution (CGD) network covering 28 districts across India and approximately 85 million people. CGD companies are granted exclusive authorizations for laying, building, operating or expanding the CGD network in given authorized areas (GAs) by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board of India. AG&P has investments in THINK Gas, which holds 7 GAs mainly in north-central India, and AG&P Pratham, which holds 12 GAs mainly in southern India. AG&P will continue to invest in developing CGD infrastructure (CNG stations, household connections, steel and MDPE pipelines) with a view to increase the sale of natural gas and help in the transition of India into a gas based economy.

The Latham team was led by Singapore partner Sidharth Bhasin and Tokyo partner Hiroki Kobayashi, with counsel Penelope Davey and Carolyn Wong, and associates Jonathan Wah, Nicholas Cavallo and Siana Bell.