The annual rankings of the top 10 largest private equity deals of 2012 was released by PrivCo, the leading private company financial data provider.

1. $7.2 Billion - EP ENERGY CORP (Headquarters: Houston, TX) Acquired By P.E. Buyers: Apollo, Riverstone, Access Industries, Korea National Oil Corporation

2. $6.6 Billion - CEQUEL COMMUNICATIONS (St. Louis, MO) Acquired By BC Partners, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board

3. $4.9 Billion - DUPONT PERFORMANCE COATINGS (Wilmington, DE) Acquired By Carlyle

4. $3.7 Billion - FOCUS MEDIA (Shanghai, China) Acquired By Carlyle, Fountainvest, China Everbright, CITIC Capital, Jason Nanchun Jiang

5. $3.5 Billion - HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND INDUSTRIAL (Windsor Locks, CT) Acquired By Carlyle, BC Partners

6. $3.3 Billion - GETTY IMAGES (Seattle, WA) Acquired By Carlyle, Getty Images management, the Getty Family

7. $3.2 Billion - TRANSUNION (Chicago, IL) Acquired By Goldman Sachs Capital Partners, Advent International

8. $2.7 Billion - PARTY CITY (Elmsford, NY) Acquired By Thomas H. Lee Partners

9. $2.5 Billion - MCGRAW-HILL EDUCATION (New York, NY) Acquired By Apollo

10. $2.3 Billion - USI INSURANCE (Briarcliff Manor, NY) Acquired By Onex Corporation

"Noticeable in last year's Top 10 Largest Private Equity Deals was the preponderance of secondary sales (sales by one private equity firm to another). In addition, in 2012 we saw the return of the use of high debt levels in Leveraged Buyouts by private equity firms, as leveraged financing and high yield debt markets for P.E. deals unfroze. 2012's Top 10 Largest Private-Equity Deals made it clear that -- after a several year lull during the recession -- multi-billion-dollar P.E. deals, as well as debt-heavy Leveraged Buyouts, are back," said Sam Hamadeh, CEO & Founder of PrivCo.