Shell considers selling Finnish operations

HELSINKI: Royal Dutch Shell said on Tuesday it was planning to sell its operations in Finland, as it seeks to focus its operations on bigger markets. "We believe that the possible selling of our Finnish operations is an attractive opportunity to investors," Tony Patterson, the head of Shell's operations in the Nordic countries, said in a statement.

Shell is also selling its Swedish assets, aiming to cut its retail footprint. Rainer Winzenried, spokesman of Royal Dutch Shell in the Hague, told Reuters the firm would keep its operations in Denmark and Norway. Winzenried said the firm aimed to sell the Finnish assets as a whole, but could not give an estimate of the price or a schedule for the sales. "It will certainly take some time ... (But) we do see some strong interest from third parties -- it's a profitable business, and we are in a good position," he said. Shell has a subsidiary in Finland, which imports, produces, sells and markets fuels and lubricants in the Nordic country. It has some 290 retail sites and some 325 staff in Finland. It has no refineries in the Nordic country.