‘Unknown company’ buys Yukos unit for €7bn

AN unknown company Baikal Finance Group has been declared winner of an auction for Russian oil firm YUKOS’s main production unit, after outbidding gas monopoly and favourite Gazprom.

Baikal, named after a freshwater lake in Siberia, bid €7 billion for Yuganskneftegaz yesterday.

Gazprom said it was not linked to Baikal but analysts said they suspected the gas giant might have had a hand in the winning bid.