Repsol will contribute cash to support growth of the joint venture and Alliance Oil will contribute producing oil assets in the Russian Federation.

Repsol and Alliance Oil Company have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to form a joint venture that will serve as a growth platform for both companies in the Russian Federation, the world's largest oil and gas producer.

Alliance Oil will hold a 51% stake in the joint venture and contribute producing assets in the Volga-Urals Region while Repsol will own the remaining 49% and make an initial cash investment to finance future growth opportunities.

The agreement seeks to combine Alliance Oil's knowledge and privileged access to Russian exploration and production business opportunities with Repsol's know-how and technical capabilities to create a long-term exploration and production alliance.

In addition to the exploitation of the assets to be contributed by Alliance Oil, the agreement includes seeking opportunities for exploration and growth through producing assets in the Russian Federation.

'This cooperation with Alliance Oil enables Repsol to increase its producing assets and obtain privileged access to assets in the country, home to some of the largest hydrocarbon resources in the world, reinforcing this growth vector of our group", said Repsol Executive Chairman, Antonio Brufau.

'We are pleased to develop our partnership with Repsol and together create an additional important strategic upstream growth platform in Russia. I am convinced that the joint venture will create significant value for our shareholders and make a meaningful contribution to our reserves and production,' said Eric Forss, Chairman of Alliance Oil Company ltd.

Repsol already owns a 3.47% stake in Alliance Oil resulting from the merger between Alliance Oil and West Siberian Resources in 2008. Repsol also owns a 74.9% stake in Eurotek-Yugra, which holds exploration and production licenses in the Karabashsky-1 and -2 blocks in the prolific West-Siberia basin.

The transaction is subject to negotiation of final contractual terms, due diligence of the assets to be contributed by Alliance Oil and the procurement of the relevant regulatory and corporate approvals, which is expected to be completed during 2011.

Tags: Alliance Oil, Repsol