At least this follows from the first officially announced position of the company's board, which considers the purchase of this oil refining asset inexpedient.

According to the chairman of the board, Ihor Palytsia, such a decision was made two months ago. But, apparently, it was carefully kept quiet. After all, just a week ago, the company's press service could not comment to "proUA" on the management's position regarding the upcoming auction. Moreover, many "energy officials" in the government and parliament were also unaware of the existence of such a decision.

And after today's shareholders' meeting, "Ukrnafta" management dared to announce its position. The main argument "against" is that purchasing 34% of shares does not guarantee the company the ability to manage the enterprise. And here "Ukrnafta" was guided most likely not by the absence of legislation on the protection of minority shareholders. After all, the State Property Fund had previously stated that if "Ukrnafta" purchased the package of the western Ukrainian plant, the state package – 25% of shares – could be transferred to the company's management.

But, as they say within the company itself, the proposal not to participate in the auction came from "Ukrnafta's" private shareholders. The same ones who are also selling the package in "Halychyna". In "PrivatBank" circles, they complain that they are tired after several years of struggle with the other shareholder of NPK – the "Continuum" group, owned by the head of the election headquarters of the Lytvyn bloc, MP Ihor Yeremeyev. It was precisely through "Continuum" that the enterprise's main financial operations passed. And "PrivatBank's" attempts to hold shareholders' meetings were successfully blocked.

Now the main shareholder of "PrivatBank", Ihor Kolomoisky, assures: to gain entry to the enterprise, one needs to have about 60% of shares. And he notes that the risk in purchasing the shares is the enormous sum of tax claims against "Halychyna" – about 400-500 million hryvnias. All of this will be taken into account in the value of the package put up for sale.

The auction for the sale of "Halychyna" shares itself will take place on January 25 on the PFTS. This is already the second attempt by the lead manager, IFG "Sokrat", to hold the trades. The first was scheduled for December 15, but a few days before it was to be held, the auction was decided to be postponed. The official reason – too little time was allocated for conducting the competition. Moreover, toward the end of the year, most potential buyers had already exhausted their budgets.

However, experts say that the main reason for postponing the auction was the activity of NPK "Halychyna" shareholders, who are linked to MP Ihor Yeremeyev. Earlier, Ihor Myronovych began an active campaign in the media, accusing "PrivatBank" of trying to buy shares from itself with state money. And he cited as an example a similar "operation" with gas stations that "Ukrnafta" purchased in the first half of 2005. Incidentally, Yeremeyev managed to push through the Verkhovna Rada's energy subcommittee a decision to conduct inspections of the aforementioned "Ukrnafta" operations. Deputy head of the VR subcommittee Oleksandr Hudyma told "proUA" that the deputies would very seriously address the "Ukrnafta" issue in the very near future.

Yeremeyev also criticized the very principle of the auction, pointing to the risks of price inflation of the package by "front" companies. The ability of the PFTS to conduct the trades was also criticized.

In turn, opponents of Yeremeyev's actions called the barrage of his comments in the press an attempt to reduce the attractiveness of "Halychyna" shares.

Moreover, representatives of "Sokrat" themselves say that they had received information about prepared court injunctions against holding the trades, and do not rule out that "Halychyna" shareholders, who are not ready to accept new neighbors in the enterprise's management, plan to use similar tactics on the eve of January 25 as well.

However, the very fact of "Ukrnafta's" refusal (if one believes the official statement) to participate in the auction for the sale of "Halychyna" shares forces the "Continuum" group to urgently change tactics on the eve of the trades. All the more so since several powerful Russian oil companies have already declared their desire to enter the western Ukrainian NPK. And it will be difficult to resist them.

In turn, the lead manager of the trades has already managed to inform the public that "PrivatBank" does not rule out the possibility of selling the shares at a closed tender. If a court bans the auction.