Gaz de France, Gazprom, and Ruhrgas jointly bid for Slovakia's gas company

By an OGJ Correspondent
PARIS, Mar. 25 -- A consortium of France's Gaz de France, Russia's OAO Gazprom, and Germany's Ruhrgas AG has jointly bid to acquire a 49% stake in Slovakia's state-owned gas company Slovensky Plynarensky Priepysel (SPP).

If it accepts the consortium's offer, the Slovak government would retain 51% interest of SPP. The consortium was the only bidder for a stake in SPP. A privatization committee has recommended that the government accept the bid.

SPP is integrated across the natural gas chain and owns a pipeline linking Russian gas producers with European gas distribution companies.

The three consortium partners have cooperated for years in Slovakia's gas industry. Gazprom supplies natural gas to SPP. GdF and Ruhrgas, together with Italian integrated company ENI SPA, are the main buyers of Russian gas and have collaborated with SPP on projects in Slovakia's gas sector.

GdF said the acquisition will bolster its presence in Slovakia, where the company already holds a 30% stake in Pozagas, a developer of underground gas storage facilities.