The Klesch Group would have been selected from a total of 8 interested parties, of which only the Rotterdam group HES International has made its interest public. However, HES International would have not received any response to their offer and assumes they are no longer in the race.

Klesch acquired the refinery near the north German city Heide five years ago. Klesch attempted to take over the Murco oil refinery at Milford Haven, UK, last autumn but this transaction failed for unknown reasons. Klesch Petroleum SA, based in Geneva, is engaged in the marketing, sales, and physical trading of crude oil, petroleum products and related financial derivatives.

The KPE refinery has a capacity of 80,000 bpd and a substantial part of the on site storage capacity is, from time to time, made commercially available to third parties.