Following its rivals, Gazprom Oil (the former Sibneft) bought a retail network abroad - over 100 gas stations in Kyrgyzstan. The purchase cost it almost $100 million. Experts point out that the Russian company paid a lot for the ticket into a not particularly broad market.

Gazprom Oil top manager Alexander Ryazanov claims that the company is now in control of 30% of the fuel market of Kyrgyzstan and 70% of the market of the Bishkek region. "We are getting down to work now. It's a normal project and a normal market I think because Sibneft delivered a lot of fuel to Kyrgyzstan," Ryazanov said.

Alliance Oil, an element of Alliance group, is the only Russian company present in the retail market of oil products in Kyrgyzstan nowadays. Its subsidiary Munai Murza owns 41 gas station in Bishkek (55% of all gas stations) and 27 gas stations throughout the rest of the country. Its performance in Kyrgyzstan may be regarded as a guideline for evaluation of attractiveness of the market as such. On the average, gas stations in Bishkek sell 9,000 liters of oil products every twenty-four hours. Gas stations in the provinces sell 2,500 liters.

Vedomosti, June 21, 2006, p. B2

© Translated by Ferghana.Ru