Ukrainian oil traders are selling their Crimean gas stations
Simferopol, November 05 (Politnavigator, Evgeny Andreev) – Ukrainian oil traders are looking for buyers for their Crimean assets, writes the Kyiv business newspaper Kapital.
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Thus, according to her data, an advertisement for the sale of gas stations in Crimea was posted on the olx.ua portal. “44 gas stations are for sale, 22 of them belong to WOG,” salesman Valery told the publication. They are asking $80 million for all the stations. Valery admitted that the cost is too high, since there are about eight other intermediaries. According to him, oil depots in Sevastopol for $3 million and near Kerch for $0,8 million are put up for sale.
The second part of gas stations, the publication notes, most likely belongs to Shell. It is this company that has 22 stations on the peninsula. The company's press service confirmed that Alliance Holding LLC (operator of the Shell gas station network in Ukraine) is in the process of negotiations on the lease or sale of gas stations in Crimea.
In 2013, Crimea accounted for 5,35% (276,3 thousand tons) in the total structure of petroleum product sales in Ukraine. After reunification with Russia, legislation in Crimea began to change. Sellers were faced with the inability to transfer funds by bank transfer.
At the same time, a problem arose with fuel supplies - checkpoints did not allow fuel trucks from Ukraine to the peninsula. Since April, Russian companies began providing fuel to Crimea through the Kerch crossing. “It is impossible to import petroleum products from the mainland of Ukraine; oil traders are forced to purchase fuel on the domestic market, which accordingly affects the price,” says UPECO analyst Alexander Sirenko.
After the failure of the holiday season in Crimea, Ukrainian operators, one after another, began to revise their plans on the peninsula. Back in May, Shell suspended the operation of all Crimean gas stations. “The Galnaftogaz concern has announced its readiness to sell all Crimean gas stations if a buyer appears. Local large chains TES, Sovremennik and the Russian LUKOIL were put up for sale.
The Crimean gas station cannot cost $1,8 million, since it operates four to five months a year, Sergei Kuyun, general director of the A-95 Consulting Company, told Capital. “From October to May, sales volumes can decrease by up to 50%,” confirms Gennady Ryabtsev, deputy director of the Psyche scientific and technical center. According to Alexander Sirenko’s calculations, in the current situation the cost of gas stations in Crimea does not even reach $1 million.
A regional Russian player may be interested in this proposal, since large international companies may be subject to sanctions for doing business in unrecognized territory. “It is more likely that gas stations will be leased, since buying a business in Crimea is too risky,” Sirenko sums up.
Let us remind you that of all the Crimean chains put up for sale, only the Russian LUKOIL, which operates 13 gas stations on the peninsula, found a buyer. LUKOIL President Vagit Alekperov did not disclose the name of the buyer and the amount of the transaction, but clarified that the price had to be reduced. “Sergei Kurchenko’s structures were negotiating the purchase of the TPP network. But after the vice-president of the TES corporation, Sergei Beim, was appointed general director of Chernomorneftegaz, the issue of sale was dropped,” says Sergei Kuyun.
Concern Galnaftogaz informed Capital that today all 11 gas stations of the OKKO network in Crimea are operating normally. “If there are interesting offers from potential buyers, we are ready to consider them,” the company’s press service emphasized.
Ukrainian oil traders are selling their Crimean gas stations.