MOL Romania: 26% higher sales in 2006

Fuel sales of the Hungarian petroleum group MOL saw a 26% rise last year on the domestic market compared with 2005. These figures were achieved as a result of the expansion of its network of petrol stations, after the takeover of the Shell business in Romania and of a 13% increase in the average volume of sales per station. This is what the MOL representatives said on Tuesday, when they announced preliminary results for the group as a whole. Sales of petrol station stores climbed 24.4% last year, an increase superior to that of the average increase in demand for consumer goods in Romania, of 10% in 2006 against the previous year, according to a MOL financial report. The market share of the Hungarian group reached 14% from the 13% seen in 2005, which makes the group the second biggest player on the Romanian market in terms of volume of fuel sold, according to its own estimates. For last year, the officials of the Romanian branch estimated a 600 million-euro turnover, four times as high as the level seen in 2004. The business of the Hungarian operator was approximately 50% higher against the figures for 2005, following the acquisition of the Shell petrol station network and the increase in the quote for crude oil on the international markets, which in turn led to an increase in the price of fuel on the local market.