Qatari investors interested in Lukoil's Italian refinery - paper

MOSCOW. Dec 9 (Interfax) - A group of investors led by Qatari businessman Ghanim Bin Saad Al-Saad has expressed interest in acquiring the oil refinery in Sicily owned by Russian oil company Lukoil , Italian newspaper La Repubblica reported.

The consortium also includes Italian companies, the paper said. The investors' proposal was presented to the Italian government by a group of consultants that includes former Italian Prime Minister Massimo D'Alema.

U.S. fund Crossbridge, with support from traders Vitol and Trafigura, is also looking to acquire the refinery.

The ISAB refinery in southeastern Sicily is the third largest in Europe, supplying 22% of the fuel on the Italian market. If the refinery is not acquired by a new owner, it could face closure, as it cannot receive Russian crude following the imposition of the European Union's embargo on seaborne oil shipments from Russia.