Nufarm itself only barely avoided being acquired in 2007 in a joint bid by an American private-equity firm and a Chinese state-owned company.

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Bank recently launched private equity fund with British-Norwegian joint venture to invest in small and midsize companies.

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On Wednesday, Allied announced that it had received a preliminary joint offer from the two American companies, in conjunction with two private-equity groups, but said it was too early to tell whether this would develop into a full offer.

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AMCI-Bandanna, a joint venture between a coal exploration company and a private equity firm, is the closest in terms of clearances.

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The company also holds oil and natural gas properties through an equity investment in a joint venture with EXCO Resources, Inc. through the company's wholly-owned subsidiary, HGI Energy Holdings, LLC.

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