Chirag Sanghrajka is a partner in the Global Energy & Infrastructure group at Clifford Chance. Chirag maintains a broad corporate finance practice with a particular focus on clients active in the energy, infrastructure (including telecoms) and natural resources sectors.
Global Project Development & Finance
One team. Globally connected.
Project Development and Finance
- Export credit agencies (SACE, NEXI, and Sinosure) in relation to the US$1.6 billion financing of the FPSO Sepetiba to be deployed in the Mero field offshore Brazil.
- Export credit agencies (SACE, NEXI, Atradius, and Sinosure) and commercial banks in relation to the US$1.9 billion financing of the FPSO Almirante Tamandaré to be deployed offshore Brazil.
- Nakilat, Inc. on various matters relating to its US$5 billion debt programme.
- Nakilat Maritime Corporation in connection with the refinancing of its existing US$340 million facility.
- Export credit agencies (SACE and Euler Hermes) and commercial banks in connection with the financing of a 1,320 tpd ammonia plant brownfield expansion by Egypt Hydrocarbon Corporation S.A.E.
- Pearl Petroleum Company Limited in relation to a US$250 million financing to be provided by the United States International Development Finance Corporation to support the expansion of the Khor Mor gas treatment plant in the Kurdistan region of Iraq.
- Euler Hermes and commercial banks in relation to the financing of Canal Sugar’s US$1 billion beet sugar factory in Minya, Egypt.
- Export credit agencies (Atradius, K-EXIM, K-Sure, SACE, UKEF) and commercial lenders in relation to the ECA covered facilities for Kuwait National Petroleum Company’s US$13 billion Clean Fuels Project, to upgrade the Mina Abdulla and Mina Al Ahmadi refineries in Kuwait.
- Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) in relation to various ECA-covered facilities (Euler Hermes, Bpifrance, EDC, JBIC, NEXI,SERV) in connection with the US$3 billion Line 6 Expansion Project, consisting of construction of a sixth reduction pot line utilising a 1,792 MW power station, and various subsequent financings and refinancings.
- Commercial lenders and Islamic financiers in relation to the US$1.3 billion refinancing of the Al Dur I IWPP existing project financing – this transaction was named Middle East & Africa 2018 Refinancing Deal of the Year by Project, Finance International and IJ Global.
- The commercial banks on the SAR11.4 billion refinancing for Maaden Phospate Company in Saudi Arabia.
- Sohar Aluminium Company in relation to the US$600 million refinancing of its project financing facilities with a consortium of international and regional commercial banks.
- The sponsors, led by Total, in connection with the US$20 billion financing by several ECAs (AfDB, Atradius, ECIC, JBIC, NEXI, SACE, Thai-EXIM, UKEF, US-EXIM) of the development of an LNG Project in Mozambique.
- Commercial lenders and export credit agencies (Atradius, K-EXIM, K-SURE, SACE, UKEF) in relation to the commercial bank facilities and ECA facilities for Kuwait National Petroleum Company’s US$13 billion clean fuels (refinery upgrade) project.
- SABIC in the financing of a Nexlene PE joint venture with SK Global Chemical.
- Commercial lenders and export credit agencies (SACE, S.p.A., The Export-Import Bank of Korea, K-sure, UKEF) in relation to the ECA-covered and uncovered conventional and Islamic financing tranches for the US$7 billion Duqm refinery project.
- The sponsors in the US$1.4 billion project financing in connection with the Az-Zour North independent power (1500-MW) and water (107 MIGD) plant located in Kuwait - this transaction was named 2013 Middle East & Africa Power Deal of the Year by Project Finance International.
- Conventional and Islamic financiers in relation to the US$1.29 billion commercial financing for Kuwait Integrated Petroleum Industries Company’s Al Zour LNG Import Terminal.
- The sponsors, Kuwait's Petrochemical Industries Company K.S.C. and Canada’s Pembina Pipeline Corporation, in connection with the project development and financing 550 ktpa integrated propane dehydrogenation plant and polypropylene upgrading facility in Sturgeon County, Alberta, Canada.
- UniCredit, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Black Sea Trade and Development Bank, DenizBank, and Siemens Bank in connection with the €250 million limited recourse financing provided to an SPV set up by TAV Airports for the construction, operation and maintenance of the new domestic terminal at Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport.
- The commercial lenders in relation to a sale and leaseback financing for the transportation and storage of petrochemical products produced at the Sadara Petrochemical Project.
Project Acquisition and Development
- NEOM in relation to the development of its legislative framework and various projects.
National Resilience, Inc. in relation to its joint venture with Mubadala Investment Company in the biopharma sector. - A bidder in relation to the privatisation of the Ras Al Khair Water & Power Plant in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
- A significant integrated aluminium enterprise in relation to a potential merger of its upstream business lines.
- The majority shareholder in relation to the disposal of a significant shareholding in two power plant assets in Pakistan.
- A major mining and metals enterprise in relation to the partial divestment of its investments in West Africa and associated infrastructure sharing arrangements.
- A GCC sovereign wealth fund in relation to the acquisition of a minority interest in certain port infrastructure assets.
Capital Markets
- The underwriters in relation to the US$29.4 billion IPO and listing of Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) on Tadawul – the largest IPO of all time.
- The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in connection with its US$17.5 billion debut 144A sovereign bond issuance and subsequent US$9 billion debut sovereign Sukuk.
- The joint lead managers in connection with the US$825 million Shuweihat 2 independent power (1500-MW) and water (100 MIGD) plant located in Abu Dhabi.
- UAE - this transaction was named 2013 Middle East & Africa Bond Deal of the Year by Project Finance International.
- The underwriters in the establishment of a global medium term note programme by Saudi Aramco’ and the debut issuance of US$12 billion notes thereunder.
- The underwriters in Saudi Basic Industries Corporation’s US$2 billion notes offering.
- The Oil & Gas Holding Company BSC (“nogaholding”) on the establishment of a US$3 billion global medium term note programme and the issuance of US$1 billion of notes thereunder.
Reserve-Based Lending
- Tullow Oil plc, a UK-listed independent energy company, in relation to the restructuring of c. US$2.4 billion of its RBL and bonds.
- A UK-based E&P company in relation to the funding of its share of development costs for a major O&G development offshore West Africa.
- An E&P company with significant interest in Nigeria in relation to the refinancing of its existing RBL facilities and the incorporation of HY bonds.
- A UK-based E&P company in relation to RBL and bond financing for a proposed acquisition of assets in Malaysia.
Restructuring
- A syndicate of lenders in relation to the restructuring of the Shari’ah compliant debt advanced to finance the acquisition of Kudu Food & Catering Company in Saudi Arabia by funds originally associated with TPG Capital and Abraaj Capital.
- Etihad Etisalat Company (Mobily) in relation to the restructuring of SAR15 billion of Shari’ah compliant debt.
- ArcelorMittal in relation to the restructuring of Kalagadi Mining, a manganese mine and processing plant located in South Africa.
- Government of Dubai in relation to the restructuring of Drydocks World.
- Garanti Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Isbank, Vakifbank, TSKB, and Deniz Bank, in respect of senior term loans of US$650million, a junior term loan of US$50 million and a performance bond facility of US$108 million, to finance the privatisation of IDO, the world's largest municipal ferry operator, in Istanbul, Turkey – the original deal was named European Transport Privatisation Deal of the Year 2011 by Project Finance Magazine.
News and client work
Contact details
- Clifford Chance, Dubai
- +971 4503 2650
- Email me
- Practice area Global Financial Markets
Career and qualifications
- Oxford University (MA) 2005
Awards and citations
- "Chirag Sanghrajka's professional candid demeanour is assuring and he strikes one as being extremely competent, efficient and effective in his field of expertise and this is well reflected in the services received. When engaging with him protracted interactions are not needed as his depth of subject matter knowledge and prior relevant experience allow him to quickly grasp the issues and propose a feasible solution."
The Legal 500 UK 2023