By Brett Foley – Feb 21, 2011 5:03 PM GMT+0000
Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Europes biggest oil company, received interest from companies including Essar Group, Afren Plc and Perenco SA for stakes in four Nigerian oil fields, according to two people with knowledge of the matter.
Indias Essar is bidding with Energy Equity Resources Ltd. of Nigeria while closely held Perenco of France is working with Swiss trading firm Addax & Oryx Group Ltd. and Oando Plc, said the people, who declined to be identified because the matter is private. Another bidding group includes Heritage Oil Plc of the U.K. and Nigerian contractor Shoreline Energy International, one of the people said.