Russian oil giant Lukoïl sells its Italian refinery to a Cypriot fund

Italy places under supervision the Sicilian refinery of the Russian

The Russian colossus Lukoïl, which controls the ISAB oil refinery in Sicily, through its Swiss company Litasco, has announced that it has concluded a sales agreement with GOI Energy, the energy branch of Argus, a Cypriot investment fund. This is good news for Italy. Starting with the thousand Sicilian employees of the refinery, which is one of the largest in Europe, and for the indirect employees.

With our correspondent in Rome, Anne the Nir

This industrial site located in Priolo Gargallo, in the province of Syracuse, has an annual refining capacity of ten million tonnes of crude oil and supplies 20% of Italy’s needs.

But it risked having to stop its production soon because of the embargoes against Moscow decided by the European Union. This would have led to the layoff of more than 1,000 employees. The agreement between the Russian giant Lukoïl and the directors of Argus, a Cypriot investment fund, therefore comes at the right time.

This agreement will however have to obtain the green light from all the competent authorities, including the government of Giorgia Meloni.

The transaction should therefore be concluded at the end of March, according to the economic daily Il Sole 24 Ore.

According to the managing director of the energy branch of Argus, Michael Bobrov, the ISAB refinery has significant development potential and everything will be done to develop it.

Read also Italy places under guardianship the Sicilian refinery of the Russian oil giant Loukoil

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