Clifford Chance (CC) has advised a trio of private equity houses on the sale of oil mining equipment company Vetco Gray to GE's oil and gas division for $1.9bn (£977m).

CC corporate partners Adam Signy and Ian Bagshaw advised Candover, 3i and JPMorgan Partners as they sold Vetco Gray, part of an investment they made in July 2004. The buy-out syndicate will retain its investment in related oil and gas production facility company Vetco Aibel.
GE was advised by Weil Gotshal & Manges in the US, with corporate co-head Thomas Roberts and Dallas-based corporate partner Jay Tabor leading the team.

Travers Smith advised Vetco's management, led by corporate partner David Innes.

The syndicate acquired Vetco International – consisting of Vetco Gray and Vetco Aibel – in 2004 from ABB Oil and Gas. There have been a number of subsequent re-financings on which CC has also been instructed.

Signy commented: "This was the next step in the process and has given the equity club a good return. We have been involved in various transactions involving this company for several years now – it has been a bit of a marathon."