Petko Nikolov will be a special manager of "Lukoil" in our country. Frog News learned this from American diplomatic sources. He has already been approved by the US, which imposed sanctions on "Lukoil" and "Rosneft" on 23.10.2023. Envoys of the administration in Washington, as well as the economic team at the US embassy in Sofia, are already holding meetings with representatives of political parties in Bulgaria. A technology for complying with sanctions and ensuring the continuous operation of "Lukoil Neftochim" is being discussed.
A meeting with GERB leader Boyko Borisov is planned.
The Americans were greatly surprised when they learned that in some circles in Sofia the candidacy of Vladimir Malinov, head of "Bulgartransgaz" was being discussed. The same person became famous for the scandalous deal with the Turkish company "Botaş" for nearly 7 billion leva, which was signed by the office of Galab Donev, appointed by President Rumen Radev. The reaction was strongly negative, our sources report.
Washington and the EU are aware of the intentions of the Turkish corporation "Cengiz Holding" and the Azerbaijani state company "Sokar" to purchase the assets of "Lukoil". There is even an option for the two companies to apply through a joint project.
It is expected that American companies will also express interest.
According to experts, “Cengiz Holding“ has an advantage because oil supplies to the Burgas refinery will pass through the Bosphorus, where Ankara and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hold the key, which is crucial for the regularity of the courses.
It is also important that the Turkish company has the ability to provide raw material from several sources in the region.
Bulgaria also owns 20% of the liquefied gas terminal to Alexandroupolis in Greece. There is already a super modern American technology that allows the pipeline to be cleared of gas and for oil and oil products to be transited through it. This saves huge funds for the possible construction of a special new oil pipeline, experts are categorical.
Petko Nikolov was a member of Simeon II's NMSV party years ago. He was chairman of the Commission for Protection of Competition in the period 2003 - 2016, of the Patent Office and executive director of the National Company "Industrial Zones" (NKIZ). From April 9, 2024 to January 16, 2025, he was appointed Minister of Economy and Industry in the office of Dimitar Glavchev.
It is expected that Nikolov's deputies as special manager will be announced in the coming days. These are three people with proven expertise. Nikolov himself is a lawyer.
In "Lukoil Neftochim" there are many trained personnel who are Bulgarians and have been working at the refinery for years.
Russian sources from the Kremlin, for their part, announced a few days ago that a possible candidate for "Lukoil" in Bulgaria is the American multinational energy company Chevron Corporation.
According to our sources, all comments and rumors that Bulgaria may find itself in a fuel crisis are absolutely unfounded and malicious.