SYDNEY, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Macquarie Group andGlencore Xstrata have joined forces to bid for Royal DutchShell's Australian refining and retail business, theAustralian Financial Review (AFR) reported on Wednesday.
The paper said the heavyweight pairing is up against aconsortium comprising oil trader Vitol and the AbuDhabi Investment Council for assets that include a refinery,import terminals and a network of 900 branded service stations.
A third grouping of private equity firm TPG, theOntario Teachers' Pension Plan (OTPP) and the Kuwait InvestmentAuthority has pulled out of the running, the paper reported,without citing sources.
The AFR described the process as being in the final stages.