Azernews.Az

By Aynur Jafarova

The number of gas-filling stations operating in Switzerland under the brand of Azerbaijan's state oil company SOCAR will reach to about 150 till early 2014, Trend news agency reported with reference to SOCAR Energy Switzerland.

In late June, 2012 the U.S. Exxon Mobil Company transferred the assets of the Esso Switzerland to the SOCAR's control. The total value of assets acquired by SOCAR in Switzerland is $330 million.

With the acquisition of Esso Switzerland, SOCAR obtained a retail network, the company's division, engaged in fuel marketing for industrial and wholesale customers (the division sells household fuel and gas in cylinders to independent distributors throughout Switzerland).

SOCAR also obtained the Wangen Olten gas filling plant, gas stations and joint enterprises engaged in re-fuelling of aircraft at Geneva and Zurich airports as well as the Swiss company for promotion and distribution, which controls joint ventures engaged in operation of terminals and pipelines.

Thanks to the SOCAR's large investments, over 160 gas filling stations under the SOCAR brand operate in Switzerland today.

SOCAR, which is keen on expanding operations in the retail oil products market abroad, owns gas stations in Azerbaijan, Switzerland, Georgia and Ukraine. It has representative offices in Georgia, Turkey, Romania, Austria, Switzerland, Kazakhstan, Britain, Iran, Germany and Ukraine, and trading companies in Switzerland, Singapore, Vietnam, Nigeria, and other countries.