Private Equity Warms Up To Oil Deals With $1Trillion War Chest

LONDON, June 21 (Reuters) - The world's private equity funds, with a cash pile of around $1 trillion, are stepping up their interest in the oil and gas industry, with almost a half expecting to buy assets in the sector over the next year, a survey showed on Tuesday.

Funds' appetite for investments in the sector fell sharply after the start of the oil price route two years ago. But recent signs of a rebound, coupled with abundant assets around the world, are turning the tide, advisory firm EY said in a survey of 100 private equity (PE) firms.

Around 43 percent of the firms said they were planning acquisitions by the first half of 2017 and 25 percent before the end of the year.

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