Essar Group is still in talks with Royal Dutch Shell PLC on buying three refineries in Europe, as it seeks to expand its refining capacity globally through acquisitions. “Negotiations are going on with Shell,” Shashi Ruia, chairman of the diversified Indian conglomerate, said. Essar Group, which controls Essar Oil Ltd., is in talks to acquire Shell’s Stanlow refinery in the U.K., Heide and Harburg plants in Germany. Shell plans to sell about 15% of its global refining capacity, or about 600,000 barrels a day, in the next few years as part of a restructuring program aimed at improving profitability and efficiency. Essar Oil, which currently operates a 210,000-barrel-a-day refinery on India’s west coast, has been looking at acquisitions as it aims to have a global refining capacity of 1 million barrels a day. (February 4, 2010)