The Polish group KPN Orlen is said to have bid for the purchase of OMV gas stations in Germany, meanwhile making an offer to acquire the Austrians’ stake in Petrom, reported Ziarul Financiar. In April, OMV representatives denied rumors that the company would give up Petrom.

Last year, Orlen announced it was exploring new opportunities to expand into markets in Central and Eastern Europe, including Romania. The Polish company already tried to buy Petrom in 2004 when the Romanian state gave up its shares in Petrom; Orlen ended up withdrawing from the race.

Tensions among employees continue to rise, although the climate has improved considerably during the leadership of the new chairman of OMV, Alfred Stern. The company is expected to present its new strategy in the first quarter of 2022, writes Ziarul Financiar.

Analysts are currently expecting a possible split of OMV into two groups that will be relatively independent: one division could focus on the traditional oil and gas sector, the other would focus on the petrochemical industry, in particular Borealis AG, one of the most important petrochemical plants in Europe.

OMV controls 51% of OMV Petrom, which is the largest company listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange. OMV Petrom had a profit of 283.7 million euros in 2020, as we reported last week.