Icahn Nominating Sandridge Board Slate to Seek Strategic Options

(Bloomberg) -- Carl Icahn plans to nominate a full slate to the board of Sandridge Energy Inc. that would commit to seeking strategic alternatives for the embattled oil and gas driller.

The billionaire investor, who said he has “grave concerns” about the current board's ability to run a review of its own, added he would be willing to put in an all-cash offer for the company that would allow shareholders the decision to monetize their investment or continue on as an investor, according to a regulatory filing Wednesday.

“Obviously if the new board were presented with a higher offer from another party, and the reporting persons did not top it, that offer would be presented to stockholders,” Icahn, which is the Oklahoma-based explorer's largest shareholder with a 13.5 percent stake, said in the filing.

The investor said he believes that if the new strategic review were run by the current board, it is “likely to be value destructive” because of its “history of making poor decisions on behalf of stockholders.”

A representative for Sandridge was not immediately available for comment.

Sandridge said last month it was entertaining offers from would-be suitors after rejecting an unsolicited $589 million takeover bid from Midstates Petroleum Co.

Icahn disclosed a stake in Sandridge in December and successfully fought against its proposed takeover of Bonanza Creek Energy Inc. He said at the time that he planned to nominate one director to the board at its annual general meeting.

To contact the reporter on this story: Scott Deveau in New York at sdeveau2@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Elizabeth Fournier at efournier5@bloomberg.net, Carlos Caminada, Steven Frank

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