Serbia's NIS to operate over 50 Gazprom-branded filling stations in Romania by end-2013

NIS opened the first Gazprom-branded filling station in Romania on Monday, in the central city of Sibiu, some 300 kilometers from the capital Bucharest, Gazprom Neft said in a statement.

Romania is the second European country where Gazprom petrol stations have begun operating. The network's first outlet in the region opened in Belgrade on December 19.

The company plans to develop a retail network under the new premium brand in Bulgaria and in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well. By the end of 2013, the Gazprom petrol station network in the Balkans will consist of approximately 100 units.

"The development of the Gazprom petrol stations network in the Balkans is our strategic goal. We plan to expand presence in Serbia and Romania, and the next step is to enter the Bulgarian market. I am confident that in the nearest future the Gazprom retail network will become widely known in the Balkans and take leadership in the market," Alexander Dyukov, chairman of the Gazprom Neft managing board, said.

NIS (www.nis.rs), 56.5%-owned by Gazprom Neft, is one of the largest vertically integrated oil and gas companies in southeastern Europe, engaged in the exploration, production, and refining of oil and gas, as well as in the marketing of petroleum products. The company owns two oil refineries - in Pancevo and Novi Sad, with total refining capacity of 7.3 million tonnes per year, a network of 350 gas stations under the NIS Petrol budget brand, and oil depots.

NIS operates in several European countries, including Serbia, Hungary, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, Bulgaria, and Macedonia, and participates in mining projects in Angola.