Paris, le 25 novembre 2005. Gaz de France annonce sa décision de céder sa participation de 51 % dans Gaseba Uruguay à la société pétrolière nationale brésilienne Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. - PETROBRAS pour une contrepartie de 12,8 millions de dollars, comprenant un prêt d'actionnaires de 1,8 millions de dollars porté par Gaz de France.
Pour que la transaction puisse être réalisée, certaines conditions légales doivent être remplies notamment en ce qui concerne les actionnaires minoritaires de Gaseba Uruguay et l'approbation des autorités de l'Uruguay et du gouvernement français.
Press Contact:
Jérôme Chambin – Tel.: 33-1 47 54 24 35
Email: [email protected]
Investor Relations:
Charles L. Ranunkel – Tel.: 33-1 47 54 79 04
Email: [email protected]
Group profile:
. Listed on the Paris Stock Exchange, the Group joined the CAC 40 share index on September 1, 2005, and the Dow Jones Stoxx 600 on September 19, 2005.
. In 2004, Gaz de France recorded net sales of E18.3 billion. In the first half of 2005, Gaz de France generated net sales of E11.1 billion.
. The Group has more than 45,000 employees.
In Europe, at December 31, 2004, Gaz de France represented:
. The largest natural gas transmission network with more than 30,000 kilometres of gas mains in France,
. The 2nd largest supplier as far as its portfolio of end customers is concerned, boasting a total of approximately 12.3 million customers (industrial and residential customers), including nearly 10.9 million in France,
. The 2nd largest distribution network, with approximately 175,000 kilometres of transmission pipelines covering 76% of the French population,
- The 2nd largest operator of regasification terminals with total capacity in the region of 17 billion cubic metres,
- The 2nd largest operator of storage infrastructures with a capacity of some 9 billion cubic metres,
- The 3rd largest buyer of natural gas,
. A company doing business in more than 30 different countries.