Meanwhile, the investment bank Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, which is completing an independent evaluation of Yugansk, has leaked information about the unit's price as being $15.7-17.3 billion. Analysts regard the price as fair, but none of the Russian oil or gas companies has such funds - either public or private. Even a consortium created by these companies will not be able to raise enough money to purchase the asset. If the auction is not held, it may not be inconceivable that the state will collect the Yukos tax debt itself with Yugansk shares, which may then be contributed to Gazpromneft, a company now being set up. Another option is to sell Yugansk at a so-called Dutch auction, when the price is knocked down until there are bidders willing to acquire its stock.
MOSCOW, October 4 (RIA Novosti) - Last week, all the likeliest potential bidders for Yuganskneftegaz (the court bailiffs service is going to sell this asset at an auction to collect Yukos tax debts for 2000 and 2001) announced that they would take no part in the bidding, writes Vremya Novostei. "At the moment we are not even contemplating participating in the auction," said Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller. "The price seems to be enormous and our investment program and budget lack the resources," he said. Similar statements - with a varying degree of caution - have been made by representatives of TNK-BP, Surgutneftegaz and LUKoil.
