Companies@UA: База компаний Украины

Kyiv, July 27 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Five companies have applied for documents to bid in a tender for the sale of 99.567% of the stocks in OJSC Odesa portside chemical plant in Odesa region, the State Property Fund's press service has told Interfax-Ukraine.

At the same time, the source did not disclose the companies' names or geographical location.

Acting State Property Fund chief Dmytro Parfenenko said that among those interested in the tender were Russia's Sibur and Eurochem, Norway's Yara International, as well as Ukrainian businessmen Ihor Kolomoiskiy and Oleksandr Yaroslavsky.

The SPF tried to sell the plant in 2008, but the tender was cancelled. The Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine at that time received 12 applications for the right to buy the plant, including from Orascom (Egypt), Yara International (Norway), AO Nitrofert (Estonia, controlled by Dmitry Firtash's Group DF), Ninth Element LLC, Azot-Service LLC, OAO Eurochem, and OAO Acron (all Russia-based).

Moreover, applications were submitted by Ukrainian-based OJSC Azot and OJSC Ukrinvest, both controlled by Yaroslavsky, OJSC Dniproazot, controlled by PrivatBank's co-owners, NefteKhimImpeks Ltd., affiliated with Kostiantyn Zhevaho, and Nortima LLC.

The latest tender for the sale of 99.567% of the stocks in Odesa portside chemical plant was announced by the SPF on July 15, 2009. The starting price is set at UAH 4 billion. The tender will be held 75 days after the announcement.

In addition to producing chemicals, the plant, which is located at the Black Sea coastline at the end of an ammonia pipeline running from Russia, also holds the monopoly on the market of ammonia handling services.

Its net losses January through June 2009 under national financial reporting standards were UAH 38.26 million, whereas over the same period of 2008 the company was in the black with net profit estimated at UAH 348.89 million. Its net revenues fell by 43%, to UAH 945.06 million.