RusEnergy

13 March 2007 - Upstream OnLine - Italian energy player Enel slipped up today in an advertisement published in Russia's official government gazette, saying it planned to bid for the assets of Russian gas giant Gazprom, instead of those belonging to bankrupt oil producer Yukos. Enel made the mistake in a full-page advert flagging up its plans to invest up to €4 billion ($5.27 billion) in Russia. "Together with Italian oil group Eni and our Moscow partner ESN, Enel will also take part in auctions for the right to buy some of the companies of Gazprom, such as Arcticgas and Urengoil, which control large methane deposits," Enel said in the advert published in Rossiiskaya Gazeta. A spokesman for PBN, which handles Enel's public relations in Russia, declined to comment on the error, Reuters said. Yukos' assets will be sold off from from this month as part of the bankruptcy procedure. ArcticGas and Urengoil will be sold along with Yukos' 20% stake in Gazprom's oil unit, Gazprom Neft, on 4 April. The starting price is set at $5.54 billion and Gazprom is widely seen as the most logical contender and buyer of the assets, but it has yet to win them.