Disclaimer :

The Competition DG makes the information provided by the notifying parties in section 1.2 of Form CO available to the public in order to increase transparency. This information has been prepared by the notifying parties under their sole responsibility, and its content in no way prejudges the view the Commission may take of the planned operation. Nor can the Commission be held responsible for any incorrect or misleading information contained therein.

SECTION 1.2

Description of the concentration

The Commission received a notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of the EC Merger Regulation by which Air Liquide Global E&C Solutions France S.A., Champigny-Sur-Marne, France, ("Air Liquide E&C") and OMZ, Moscow, Russia n Federation ("OMZ"), notify their intention to establish a jointly controlled joint venture in the liquefied natural gas ("LNG") sector in Russia.

Air Liquide E&C is wholly-owned and controlled by Air Liquide S.A., Paris, France ("Air Liquide"). Air Liquide is a multinational producer of gases and offers gases, technologies and related services for different industries and the health care sector.

OMZ, a Russian public joint stock company, is an integrated and diversified engineering and production research holding engaged in the heavy machine building industry. It offers inter alia nuclear power equipment, petrochemical equipment, oil and gas drilling equipment, products made from special and regular steel, metallurgical equipment, mining equipment, cryogenic technology, pipeline valves, engineering, comprehensive solutions, and servicing.

Air Liquide E&C and OMZ intend to establish a jointly controlled joint venture company ("JV") which shall be active, inter alia, in the research and development, design and engineering of natural gas liquefaction technology. The core geographical market of the JV shall be in Russia.