Screen shot 2013-09-16 at 8.28.15 AMUS Oil Sands Inc. (TSXV:USO), which holds the largest commercial oil sands land position in the U.S., has announced a strategic 80 million dollar private placement today at .15 cents, representing a 49% premium to the 20 day volume weighted average trading price of the Company's common shares.

Blue Pacific Investments Group Ltd., Anchorage Capital Group LLC and Spitfire Ventures LLC. are the investors behind the private placement.

Energy tycoon and aviator Rod Lewis

Energy tycoon and aviator Rod Lewis

Blue Pacific is led by Serafino Iacono, co-chairman of the $6.5 billion Pacific Rubiales Energy (TSX:PRE). Resource mogul Frank Giustra is also a large shareholder in Blue Pacific, we learned back in March. Anchorage Capital, run by Kevin Ulrich, is a NYC based hedge fund said to manage approx. 8 billion. Spitfire Ventures is owned by Rod Lewis, a multi billionaire according to Forbes, whose Lewis Energy is the largest player in the Eagle Ford Shale in Texas.

Upon closing, the Company's board of directors will be reconstituted to include Serafino Iacono, Ronald Pantin (CEO of Pacific Rubiales), Rod Lewis, Kevin Ulrich, and Frank Giustra.

The financing fully funds Phase 1 of the company's PR Spring Project in Utah, said Cameron Todd, CEO of Us Oil Sands. He continued, "Partnering with these strategic investors has greatly enhanced and fast-tracked the future prospects of our Company and increased our potential to export our proprietary, environmentally-responsible method of oil sands extraction into other global jurisdictions, including Canada and Latin America."

We are adding USO to our watch list this morning. Read the press release: US Oil Sands Inc. Announces $80 Million Strategic Financing.