Around four or five companies are in talks with Russia’s TNK-BP on the acquisition of Lysychansk oil refinery (private joint-stock company LINIK, Luhansk region), and the winner has not yet been selected, Ukrainian businessman Dmytro Firtash told Interfax-Ukraine last week.
“We [Group DF] are participating [in talks]. No one has told us who
won. Among the bidders is not only the company you named [Gas Ukraine
2009], a Kazakh company [is participating] – four or five companies are
now participating in the process. None of the [bid] packages have been
disclosed – no one knows anything,” he said.
The businessman said that the change in the structure of owners of TNK-BP added to the vagueness of the negotiations.
“Yesterday an announcement was also made [that Rosneft had officially
submitted an application to buy a share in TNK-BP]. This could also
play a key role and change the whole situation. They could stop talks,
they could stop the sale, or maybe not. I hope that next week we’ll have
the explanation: we’re working or not. I even don’t say who won. The
issue is if there is an issue for discussion?” he said.
Firtash said that along with Lysychansk oil refinery, Group DF is eyeing other oil refining assets.
“As for us: we have other options, and we’re working with them – we
never create the situation of being dependent on one company. We
simultaneously, in at least two places, are holding talks. We don’t hide
this – both sides knew about this initially. We have our own
understanding of the price,” he said.
Firtash said that the general situation in the oil refining sector in
Ukraine is unfavorable, so the businessman will try to improve the
conditions of operation of oil refineries, in particular, via the
Federation of Employers of Ukraine headed by Firtash.
“Today oil refining is not a gift store. Why is LINIK idle? It will
lose at least $45-50 million per month today – only on the difference in
the price. We should speak with the state at another level – as we’re
doing via the Federation of Employers of Ukraine,” the businessman said.
Earlier Forbes Ukraine, referring to a market player, reported that
Gas Ukraine 2009 (Simferopol, Crimea) had won the rights for the
acquisition of Lysychansk oil refinery.
The press service of TNK-BP did not comment on the information.
The Lysychansk oil refinery announced the suspension of its petroleum
product output operations and the completion of preparatory work to
transfer to repair mode on March 15.
Previously, operations at the refinery were exclusively supported by
tolling and supplying petroleum products to Russia. Tolling began to
lose its economic appeal at the end of 2011, when Russia imposed new tax
norms and changes to the Russian petroleum products market.
