Vantage Energy Acquisition Corp. priced its upsized IPO to raise $480 million, the blank-check company, led by Roger Biemans and backed by Natural Gas Partners, said April 10.

The Irving, Texas-based company priced the IPO of 48 million units, up from the original 40 million units, at $10 per unit. The offering comes roughly six months after Biemans sold the company's predecessor to Rice Energy Inc. (NYSE: RICE) for $2.7 billion.

In addition, the company has granted the underwriters, Citigroup, Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC and Goldman, Sachs & Co., a 45-day option to purchase up to an additional 7.2 million units at the IPO price to cover over-allotments, if any.

The units, which consist of one share of the company’s class A common stock and one-third of one warrant, are planned to list on the NASDAQ under the symbol "VEACU." Each whole warrant enables the holder to purchase one whole share of class A common stock at $11.50 per share.

The class A common stock will trade on the NASDAQ under "VEAC" and warrants will trade under "VEACW."

Biemans most recently served as chairman and CEO of Vantage Energy LLC, a private company founded in 2006 with investments from affiliates of Quantum Energy Partners, Riverstone Holdings LLC and Lime Rock Partners. The company had Marcellus acreage in the vaunted Greene County, Pa., core as well as rights to the Utica and Barnett shale plays.

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