Orlen takes over 68 gas stations in Czech Republic

Unipetrol, a subsidiary of state-owned Orlen, has signed an agreement to acquire 68 gas stations from Austria's OMV in the the Czech Republic, the company said. The deal will be finalized after a Czech anti-monopoly watchdog agrees. "The newly acquired facilities will operate under the Benzina brand. ... After the gas stations are incorporated into the chain, the company will have 400 facilities," a statement read. "The transaction allows us to bolster our position as a leader on the Czech market," said Marek Podstawa, member of the board. The Orlen group has 2,500 gas stations in Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany and Lithuania.