Grupa Lotos may confront Lukoil over Jet petrol stations

This would pit Lotos against Lukoil, the Russian oil giant, which earlier this week said it was in talks with Conoco about buying the entire Jet network, which has 376 petrol stations across Europe. Lotos representatives denied it was involved in the Jet auction. But analysts point out that the company had also refused to comment on speculation that it was about to acquire ExxonMobil's Esso network or Slovnaft's 12 petrol stations in Poland, only to complete both deals shortly afterwards, in December last year and in March this year, respectively. On the other hand, neither was a major success. The acquisition of the Jet network would boost Lotos' network of petrol stations to 480 from the present 398. (Puls Biznesu, p. 10) R.M.