Contenders for Next YUKOS Lot Set
Yesterday was the deadline for applying to participate in the second auction of YUKOS assets, which will take place on Wednesday. Seven companies signed agreements to pay the $1.1-billion deposit for the auction to the Russian Federal Property Fund (Russian abbreviation RFFI), but only four have paid so far, including Kyoto Risk Management Consulting, a Gazprombank affiliate. The final list of participants will be drawn up tonight. The lot on auction will consist of a 20-percent share in Gazprom Neft and 100-percent shares in Artikgaz and Urengoil.
Although the RFFI is not releasing information on the participants in the auction, Kommersant has learned that agreements were signed by ZAO Trans Nafta, ZAO RMC Kyoto, OOO Nefttreidgrupp (a Rosneft affiliate), OOO EniNeftegaz (a subsidiary of the Italian Eni), OOO Yunitex, OOO Grupp Invest and OOO Sever-Zapad Invest. Only the first four companies have paid the deposit.
After Rosneft applied to participate in the auction (through Nefttreidgrupp, which is owned by Rosneft-owned RN-Razvitie), Gazprom advanced RMC Kyoto for participation. A Gazprom spokesman stated yesterday that that company is not affiliated with the monopoly, and “The Gazprom Group has not filed an application nor paid the deposit.” Kommersant was able to trace RMC Kyoto's ownership to Gazprombank, however. Gazprom sources unofficially say that the company is not very interested in the lot, since it has a majority in Gazprom Neft already, and the gas companies have no access to the national gas system. The company is not willing to pay more than the starting price for the lot.
Rosneft does not deny its interest in the lot. “We are not only an oil company, but a gas company too,” the Rosneft press service stated. Analysts say that Rosneft may have two motivations – to gain bargaining power with Gazprom for the next lot, which will include Tomskneft, or to raise the price of the lot for the Italian company. A source close to the Rosneft board of directors said that the company would not buy the lot.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Apr. 03, 2007
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