Market Chatter — Corporate finance press digest

Wed Jan 4, 2012 8:51am GMT

Jan 4 (Reuters) – The following corporate
finance-related stories were reported by media on Wednesday:

* Indian energy major Reliance Industries Ltd is
among companies in talks to buy the exploration and
production(EP) unit of U.S. pipeline company El Paso Corp
, Bloomberg reported, citing unnamed people with knowledge
about the matter.

Private equity firm Apollo Global Management LLC
is among the other companies in talks for the unit, which is
estimated to be worth $8.1 billion by analysts at BNP Paribas,
it said.

* JD Sports is close to making an offer for parts of
the struggling outdoor goods retailer Blacks Leisure,
according to the Financial Times. The move would set it against
rival Sports Direct, which is trying to mount a rescue
for Blacks Leisure.

* The Indian government has approved Reliance Industries’
$1.53 billion investment plan for developing four
satellite fields in its D6 gas block off India’s east coast,
two newspapers reported on Wednesday.

For Deals of the day click on
(Compiled by Purwa Naveen Raman in Bangalore; Editing by
Hans-Juergen Peters)