Brookfield-led Group to Buy Petrobras Natgas Pipeline stake

A consortium including Brookfield Infrastructure said it agreed to buy a 90 percent stake in the operator of a natural gas transmission system in Brazil from Petróleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras) for about $5.2 billion.

Brookfield-managed entities will hold a controlling interest in the consortium, which also includes China's CIC Capital Corp and Singapore's GIC Private Ltd, which are clients of Brookfield Asset Management (BAM).

Brookfield Infrastructure's investment will be a minimum of about 20 percent of the deal, while Brookfield Asset Management has agreed to participate initially for a roughly 30 percent interest in the consortium.

Nova Transportadora do Sudeste SA (NTS) operates a pipeline system that transports natural gas in south-central Brazil, connecting Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Minas Gerais with natgas coming from Bolivia and Brazil's offshore oil and gas fields.

Reporting by Arathy S Nair