Street Talk revealed Woodside was looking at raising debt to help boost its $11.6 billion all scrip offer, with straight bridge financing believed to be the preferred option.
A $3 billion cash sweetener would equate to an extra $1.97 per share, on top of the $7.65 a share scrip offer, taking the total bid to $9.62.
This would signal Woodside was serious in its pursuit of Oil Search, after analysts and investors suggested a bid nearing the $10 mark would be necessary to get a deal over the line.
