Thought you might be interested in this article dated today...

Thought you might be interested in this article dated today found in the Business Spectator breakfast Deals. I have cut & paste:

DP World, Citi Infrastructure Investments

It looks like the busy year for the local infrastructure sector could well be capped off with another heavyweight deal with Australia?s largest port operator, DP World (Australia) Holdings, reportedly on the block. DP World Australia, formerly known as P&O, is owned by the debt laden emirate of Dubai and speculation of a sale came to light last week when the emirate flagged it was looking to offload some of its top assets, as it moved to review some of its investments. The talk so far has revolved around DP World renewing confidential plans to spin out the Australian ports business, with Deutsche Bank and JPMorgan eyeing a dual track sale process in the first half of next year. Now, The Australian Financial Review reports that US-based Citi Infrastructure Investors, run by an Australian Felicity Gates, is circling the port operator and hoping to clinch a $1.5 billion deal before Christmas. That may be a stretch given that a formal announcement will no doubt attract interested private equity operators and Sydney-based Qube Logistics, backed by Chris Corrigan and Sam Kaplan, which has also been touted as a possible suitor. Deutsche Bank is advising DP World while UBS is working with Citi Infrastructure, the AFR said. Meanwhile, with Queensland hogging much of the limelight with the privatisation of its infrastructure assets investment bankers are now turning their attention to what Victoria and New South Wales could potentially do in the coming year. The Bligh government recently sold the Port of Brisbane for $2.3 billion and The Australian suggests that the NSW and Victorian governments could raise more than $4 billion if they choose to privatise their metropolitan container ports ? Sydney Ports Corporation (SPC), Port of Melbourne Corporation (PMC). It is interesting that talks of a potential sale have apparently come to light after the election of a Coalition government in Victoria and the expected trouncing of the Labor government in NSW. According to The Australian, SPC could fetch more than $2.1 billion and PMC could be sold for about $2.4 billion.