Three companies interested in buying the Romanian assets of Russia’s Lukoil are negotiating directly with the company, Romania’s Energy Minister Bogdan Ivan said on Tuesday.
Lukoil has 320 petrol stations in Romania, operates the country’s third largest refinery and holds offshore exploration rights in a section of the Black Sea.
"At the moment there are three companies which have shown intention to acquire Lukoil's Romanian assets, both the refinery and the petrol stations, and they are negotiating directly with the holding," Ivan was quoted as saying by online publication www.profit.ro.
"We've been notified a few weeks ago, we are in contact, a deal between private companies will be done and our interest is obviously that this transaction be concluded as soon as possible."
Romania is currently working on a draft bill which would enable it to temporarily take control over the assets if needed. The refinery is shut down for maintenance works and Romanian officials have said the European Union state has enough reserves to ensure fuel supply to the market is not affected.
Lukoil’s Petrotel refinery accounts for about a quarter of the Romanian fuels market.
(Reporting by Luiza Ilie; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)
