Twelve companies had expressed interest in the government’s privatization of Unipetrol by Monday, the Czech Press Agency reported yesterday. Among the reported bidders are MOL, PKN Orlen (which has teamed-up with Czech Agrofert), Agip/ENI, Conoco-Philips, KazMunaiGaz of the Kazakh Republic, and the Czech-Slovak financial group Penta. Participation in the tender sale is also reportedly being considered by Yukos and TNK of Russia, and by several smaller Polish chemical companies. The deadline for indicative bids is January 12; Unipetrol privatization is expected to be completed by the end of March 2004.
Jan Hájek