CALGARY, Alberta, June 18 (Reuters) - Royal Dutch Shell Plc is still talking to a potential buyer for its Montreal East oil refinery, the head of the special committee formed to sell the facility said on Friday.
Michael Fortier, who led a committee formed in February to find a buyer for the 130,000 barrel per day refinery after Shell failed to attract any offers, said one of two bidders rejected at the beginning of the month has raised its bid.
'There is a (potential) buyer that is right now talking to Shell,' Fortier said in an interview.
A spokesman for Shell declined comment.
Radio-Canada and other media in Quebec reported on Wednesday that Delek U.S. Holdings, an arm of Israeli energy, automotive and real estate conglomerate Delek Group, had doubled a previous offer for the refinery to C$150 million ($147 million) but no source for the information was given and both companies declined comment.
Fortier, who said on Friday that the special committee has been disbanded, also declined to confirm the identity of the bidder.
Shell put the 76-year-old Montreal East refinery up for sale last year but decided to convert the refinery into a fuel terminal after coming up dry on its hunt for a buyer.
($1=$1.02 Canadian)
(Reporting by Scott Haggett; editing by Rob Wilson) Keywords: SHELL MONTREAL/ (scott.haggett@thomsonreuters.com; Reuters Messaging: scott.haggett.reuters.com@reuters.net; +1 403 531-1622) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
Michael Fortier, who led a committee formed in February to find a buyer for the 130,000 barrel per day refinery after Shell failed to attract any offers, said one of two bidders rejected at the beginning of the month has raised its bid.
'There is a (potential) buyer that is right now talking to Shell,' Fortier said in an interview.
A spokesman for Shell declined comment.
Radio-Canada and other media in Quebec reported on Wednesday that Delek U.S. Holdings, an arm of Israeli energy, automotive and real estate conglomerate Delek Group, had doubled a previous offer for the refinery to C$150 million ($147 million) but no source for the information was given and both companies declined comment.
Fortier, who said on Friday that the special committee has been disbanded, also declined to confirm the identity of the bidder.
Shell put the 76-year-old Montreal East refinery up for sale last year but decided to convert the refinery into a fuel terminal after coming up dry on its hunt for a buyer.
($1=$1.02 Canadian)
(Reporting by Scott Haggett; editing by Rob Wilson) Keywords: SHELL MONTREAL/ (scott.haggett@thomsonreuters.com; Reuters Messaging: scott.haggett.reuters.com@reuters.net; +1 403 531-1622) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.