A Hellenic Petroleum ELPE plan for an imminent bond issue that will seek to raise a sum of at least 300 million euros at an interest rate of less than 2 percent in order to refinance an existing loan could be delayed by increased tension in the Middle East over the past few days as a result of drone attack on Saudi Arabia’s oil installations.

A firm US reaction against Iran would further escalate this tension in the wider area and could negatively impact ELPE’s planned bond issue as some investors would certainly hesitate to invest.

The petroleum group’s net debt is 1.4 billion euros, down by approximately 500 million euros compared to a year earlier, according to ELPE’s first half results, announced August 29.

Along with its first-half results, ELPE announced a bond issue plan for within 2019, the objective being to further decrease its financial costs.