Azerbaijan, Baku, May 29 / Trend E.Ismayilov /
Provided oil supplies under the Euro-Asian oil transport corridor to Poland are established participation in the privatization of the Polish Lotos oil concern would be for the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) very interesting and profitable, oil and gas market expert believes.
He said that SOCAR hasn't shown so far a special interest in oil sales market in Poland.
"If SOCAR, for example, took part in the privatization of the Lotos, it would be, in my opinion, one of the most desirable investors, because for such concerns as the Lotos, the first problem is access to resources. In this case, of course, work on the Polish market for SOCAR would have been interesting and profitable, especially because concern a large base for the sale of petroleum products and a stable market," the source said.
He said that earlier the privatization process of the Lotos didn't take place because of the disadvantages for the participants of the conditions set by the Polish side, resulting in proposals submitted by interested parties, have been withdrawn. SOCAR has not participated in the privatization process of Lotos.
As a result, the Ministry of State Property of Poland announced that this issue will not be on the agenda in near future due to poor market conditions, resulting in the fact that the state can not get from the privatization those assets it expected to receive.
But, according to the source, the issue of privatization of the Lotos can arise in the coming year, as the receipt of funds from the privatization is a large feed for the Polish budget.
"If there are financial problems - and this can happen, because the crisis is not over yet - I think the question of privatization of the Lotos can arise," the source said.
The expert said that in case SOCAR joins oil products market of Poland Brody-Plotsk oil pipeline, designed to connect the oil transportation systems of Ukraine and Poland, ideally fits in the interests of its members, and in particular SOCAR.
The Brody-Plotsk oil pipeline project was named as a priority in the EU Infrastructure and Environment Operational Programme. About 495 million zlotys (about 177 million euro) were allocated to the project under the programme.
Sarmatia was created by Ukrtransnafta and the Polish PERN Przyjazn company on July 12, 2004 to attract investments to design and complete the Odessa-Brody oil pipeline to Plotsk.