The Globe and Mail reports in its Saturday, June 21, edition that China Oil and Gas Group is buying private Canadian energy company Baccalieu Energy for $236-million. The Globe's Jeffrey Jones writes this kind of deal has become a trend in Asian buyers launching takeovers for small firms since the Harper government imposed tougher rules on deals in late 2012. Baccalieu operates in west-central Alberta, concentrating on uncoventional oil and gas operations in a formation known as the Cardium. Its senior executives have agreed to stay on for at least two years. There have been only a handful of takeovers by foreign companies in the Canadian oil patch since Ottawa essentially closed the door on acquisitions of controlling interests in the oil sands by state-owned foreign firms when it approved the $15.1-billion takeover of Nexen by CNOOC 19 months ago. The more stringent investment regulations put no new limits on buying energy assets outside the Northern Alberta oil sands, the third-largest crude reserves in the world. However, some investment bankers have said that the restrictions have scared off potential investors in other energy plays as well.