OMV Petrom wants to buy small gas station chain present in Romania

OMV Petrom, the leader of the Romanian car fuels distribution market, wants to purchase the Art Petrol network, which includes eight petrol stations in the southern part of the country (Muntenia).

The Competition Council is evaluating how this transaction will impact the company’s position on the market.

OMV Petrom Marketing was operating, at the end of 2018, a network of 794 fuel stations in the region, under two brands, OMV and Petrom. Its network covers Romania (564 stations), Republic of Moldova, Bulgaria and Serbia, offering a full range of products and services. OMV Petrom Marketing is also active in the fuel wholesale segment, serving a wide range of industrial customers.

Art Petrol owns eight distribution stations located in Bucharest and in Ilfov, Ialomița, Dâmbovița, Teleorman, Giurgiu and Argeș counties. Russian company Artoil entered the local market in 2012, when it opened a subsidiary in Bragadiru, near Bucharest, Art Petrol Service. At that time, the company was controlled by billionaire Rishat Safin, one of the richest Russian oligarchs, who acted as director of the giant Lukoil.

(Photo: Art Romania Facebook Page)