Following the sanctions imposed by the United States on Lukoil's international activities, interest in its assets has surged worldwide, with companies and governments expressing interest, according to Reuters.
Regarding activities in Romania, Energy Minister Bogdan Ivan stated that three companies have shown interest in acquiring Lukoil’s assets. According to information published by HotNews, these companies are MOL Hungary, Hellenic Petroleum, and the American investment fund Carlyle.
The issue is that these companies are only interested in specific assets: MOL and Hellenic want to take over gas stations, while Carlyle is interested solely in Lukoil’s Black Sea offshore stake (87% of the Trident perimeter).
Romania has approximately 2,500 fuel stations.MOL already operates a network of over 230 gas stations in Romania, and Hellenic Petroleum owns gas stations throughout the Balkan region, except for Romania. Meanwhile, Carlyle manages gas production operations in the Black Sea through Black Sea Oil and Gas.
Lukoil has been attempting to sell the Petrotel Ploiești refinery for nearly ten years, but investors have not shown interest. One of the reasons is the outdated equipment at the refinery, which requires significant investments, explained a petroleum industry expert to HotNews.
Frimu Ghinea
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