Buyout firms Apollo Management, BC Partners, Carlyle Group, Cinven, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and Vestar Capital Partners are all planning to submit offers for Infineum, a petroleum additives business.
The company's co-owners, Shell and ExxonMobil are thought to be seeking offers between €2 billion and €2.5 billion, according to UK newspaper the Sunday Telegraph.
Infineum manufactures and markets petroleum additives for the fuels and lubricants industry. The Oxfordshire-based company employs 1,600 people, and had net annual revenue of $1.53 billion in 2006, up 20 percent, according to its latest available report.