OMV to Sell its Italian Filling Station Network
February 23, 2009 - 10:00 am (CET)
- OMV subsidiary - OMV Italia S.r.L with a total of 96 filling stations in the Triveneto region (North Italy) - is up for sale
- OMV to focus on filling station business in the Danube region, South-Eastern Europe and the Black Sea region
OMV, the leading energy group in the European growth belt, is to withdraw from the Italian market. Its subsidiary, OMV Italia S.r.L. with a network of 96 filling stations in the Northern-Italian region of Triveneto (Trentino, South Tirol, Fiuli-Venezia Giulia, Veneto) is to be sold by year-end 2009. OMV will be focusing on its filling station business in the growth markets of the Danube region, South-Eastern Europe and the Black Sea region.
OMV has been active In Italy since 1991, solely in the filling station business. OMV Italia S.r.L. currently employs a staff of 19 people at its Verona-based office.
Against the backdrop of rising competition in the European filling station market, OMV is continually working to enhance its filling station network. The company is increasingly focusing on markets that offer high growth potential and the best prospects of achieving high market shares such as the Danube region, South-Eastern Europe and the Black Sea region. Conversely, the Italian market is highly saturated and offers little opportunity for further development.
The sale of OMV Italia should be finalized by year-end 2009. Discussions with potential acquirers will be carried out in the coming months. OMV assumes that the acquirer will continue to operate the company on the same scale as to date.
The first Italian OMV filling station was opened in Nalles (South Tirol) in 1991. In the following years, the filling station network was expanded to a total of 96 stations. In 2008 OMV’s market share amounted to approximately 3% in Northern Italy and to 0.4% nationwide.
Background information:
OMV Aktiengesellschaft
With Group sales of EUR 20.04 bn and a workforce of 33,665 employees in 2007, OMV Aktiengesellschaft is one of Austria’s largest listed industrial companies. As the leading oil and gas group in Central Europe, OMV is active in Refining and Marketing (R&M) in 13 countries. In Exploration and Production (E&P) OMV is active in 20 countries on five continents. In Gas & Power (G&P) OMV sells more than 13 bcm gas per year. Via Baumgarten, one of the most important turntables for gas in Europe, approximately 64 bcm gas is transported annually. OMV’s Central European Gas Hub is amongst the three largest hubs in Continental Europe. OMV is the largest oil and gas group in Central Europe, with oil and gas reserves of approx. 1.22 bn boe, daily production of around 316,000 boe and an annual refining capacity of approx. 26 mn t. OMV now has 2,524 filling stations in 13 countries. The market share of the group in the R&M business segment in the Danube Region is now 20%.
OMV further strengthened its leading position in the European growth belt through the acquisition of 41.58% of Petrol Ofisi, Turkey’s leading company in the retail and commercial business.
In June 2006, OMV has established the OMV Future Energy Fund, a wholly owned subsidiary to support projects in renewable energy with more than EUR 100 mn to initiate the change from a pure oil and gas group to an energy group with renewable energy in its portfolio.
OMV: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
OMV is a member of the U.N. Global Compact and actively committed to the values enshrined in its Code of Conduct. These include a strong sense of responsibility towards the social and natural environment in economically weak regions. OMV works hard to address economic, environmental and social issues related to its operations. Its CSR activities are fully documented in biannual performance reports compiled according to Global Reporting Initiative guidelines.