Gazprom Postpones Bid for Czech Refinery

Russia's Gazprom is postponing a bid to acquire Eni's stake in the largest Czech refinery as it concentrates on the South Stream gas pipeline, Czech newspaper E15 reported on Monday without citing its sources.

Shareholders in refinery Ceska Rafinerska were informed last month that Italy's Eni was in talks on the sale of its nearly 33% stake to Gazprom. Czech downstream oil group Unipetrol has a 51.2% stake in Ceska Rafinerska and Royal Dutch Shell rounds out the shareholding with a 16.3% share.

Unipetrol has said it was prepared to raise its stake in Ceska Rafinerska if one of the refinery's two other shareholders were to exit.

A Unipetrol spokesman said on Monday the group had no new information about the sale.