Oct 7 (Reuters) - Norwegian oil firm Statoil ASA plans to sell up to 40 percent in its fuel and retail division in an initial public offering later this month.
Below are facts and figures about the spin-off:
* Statoil Fuel and Retail has some 2,300 filling stations across eight countries: Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Russia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. It is the market leader in Scandinavia and employs more than 17,000 people.
* Aside from its filling stations, the company supplies aviation fuel to 85 airports in 10 countries and 750 lubricant products in 20 countries.
* It also offers marine fuel and chemicals. In Europe, it operates 12 key terminals, around 400 road tankers and 50 depots.
* The company had revenue of 31.5 billion crowns ($5.5 billion) and an operating profit of 1.2 billion crowns for the six months ended June 30.
* It began by selling petrol to drivers in 1920 in Norway. In 1985 it expanded abroad for the first time by buying ExxonMobil's Esso stations in Sweden. It expanded to Russia and eastern Europe in the 1990s.
* Statoil Fuel and Retail was established as a separate entity from parent company Statoil on May 18, 2010. Its chief executive since 2006 is Jacob Schram.
(Source: Statoil Fuel and Retail website) (Reporting by Gwladys Fouche; Editing by David Holmes)