Saudi Aramco has reportedly hired a local unit of HSBC to help conduct a bond sale ahead of the company’s initial public offering.
Sources told Bloomberg that the oil giant has hired HSBC Saudi Arabia and Riyad Capital to help the company with a sale of riyal-denominated bonds known as sukuk.
The bonds could be on sale before the end of June, Bloomberg said.
Separate sources told Bloomberg that NCB Capital Co. and Alinma Investment Co. may be working on a deal that could offer dollar-denominated Saudi Aramco bonds.
Further details on the potential bond offerings have not been disclosed yet.
None of the firms reportedly involved in the matter have commented.
The bond sale would likely take place prior to Saudi Aramco’s highly anticipated initial public offering.
Saudi Aramco CEO Amin Nasser told Bloomberg in October that the IPO will sell shares in the company’s entire business.
The kingdom’s government will keep a controlling interest in the company after the IPO is listed.
Nasser said later that month that he feels “comfortable” that the company will list its IPO in 2018.
Saudi Arabian Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has said that he believes that Saudi Aramco is worth more $2 trillion.
Saudi Aramco has not yet disclosed where it will list the IPO.
Saudi Aramco had 261.1 billion barrels in recoverable crude oil and condensate reserves in 2014 and produced an average 9.5 million barrels of crude oil that year, according to company data published in 2014.
Sources told Reuters last week that Saudi Aramco has asked Gaffney, Cline and Associates, a unit of Baker Hughes, to perform an audit of its reserves.
Dallas-based DeGolyer and MacNaughton have also reportedly been asked to conduct some audit work for the company, Reuters added.
