Baku, Azerbaijan, May 29
By Maksim Tsurkov, Azad Hasanli – Trend:
SOCAR Turkey Enerji head Zaur Gahramanov said that purchase of a network of filling stations in Turkey is still on the agenda of the company.
Gahramanov told reporters on May 29 that the company considers this issue from the standpoint of having a Star refinery.
"This will give the refinery additional integration. There is still time, the refinery construction will be completed in 2018 and the enterprise will reach full capacity in 2019. Accordingly, we will either create a new network or invest to purchase the existing one. Some instability can be seen in the Turkish market due to the lira rate, so we will act carefully," he said.
Gahramanov noted that SOCAR held negotiations with all companies operating in the market of filling stations in Turkey.
"As a result, we now have information on the current status, financial situation of all participants. There is understanding in who to invest. These cannot be small networks, because the volumes coming from the refinery will be big. However, the final decision has not been made yet. Presently, there are other projects, and we act according to the priorities. The purchase of a network of filling stations is not in the top 3 of the priority list," Gahramanov said.
The consolidated turnover of SOCAR Turkey Enerji is expected to reach $15 billion in 2018. The company will become the second largest industrial company in Turkey with 5,000 employees and $3 billion of export potential. It has set a goal to become the largest industrial company in Turkey by 2023.
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