OMV looks east.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)

Retail expansion in central and eastern Europe has helped boost OMV's nine-month profits by 100pc to 116mn [European Dollar] ($99mn). But it could take up to l0 years for the Austrian company to profit from its investments in Bulgaria and Romania.

Since 1990, OMV has poured capital into its retail network in central and eastern Europe, and now has a market share of 12pc in the region. In 2000 alone, the firm's capital expenditure in central and eastern Europe will be close to 740mn [European Dollar] ($636mn). This includes acquisition of 31 outlets in Bulgaria, which is a key area for expansion, along with Romania.

OMV bought 25 outlets from Bulgarian …