SOCAR takes interest in OMV's Turkish fuel business

Azerbaijan state energy company SOCAR is interested in buying OMV's Turkish subsidiary, a company official has said.

Last February OMV announced plans to put its fuel products distribution and lubricants company OMV Petrol Ofisi AS up for sale, reports Reuters.

"SOCAR has an interest in this deal. We are waiting for the company to submit information on these assets," Zaur Gakhramanov, the head of SOCAR Turkey Enerji, said.

The move from Austrlia group OMV is part of its strategy to offload non-core assets.

Other possible buyers for OMV Petrol Ofisi include Chinese and Japanese companies, according to the mentioned report.

OMV Petrol Ofisi is a leading player in the Turkish fuel distribution industry. With 1,785 fuel stations the company operates the largest retail station network in Turkey and it is a leading fuels supplier to commercial and industrial customers.