Romanian OMV branch attempts to take over several of Russian oligarch's gas stations

Romania’s Competition Council is analysing a deal by which a local branch of OMV Petrom, OMV Petrom Marketing SRL, takes over Art-branded gas stations controlled by a company called Art Petrol SRL. The company is controlled by Russian oligarch Rishat Safin, who years ago served as top executive at Lukoil and headed the Lukoil Europe Holdings.

Artoil entered Romanian fuel market in 2013, through Art Petrol, which is controlled by Art Holding BV, where shareholders are Rishat Safin, Aleksei Kuznetsov and Yuliia Latysheva.

According to the Competition Council, OMV Petrol marketing was operating 794 fuel distribution points by the end of 2018, under both the OMV and Petrom brands, in Romania, Moldova, Bulgaria and Serbia.

Art Petrol SRL controls 8 stations in Bucharest and nearby counties.