Local Swiss govt, Swiss banks spoken on Petroplus

Neuchatel Switzerland Dec 30 (Reuters) - Swiss cantonal government officials have been in contact with the two Swiss banks responsible for debt-laden oil refiner Petroplus , the economy minister of the canton of Neuchatel said at a press conference on Friday.

Petroplus has refineries in Coryton in the United Kingdom, Antwerp in Belgium, Ingolstadt in Germany, Petit Couronne in France and Cressier in the Swiss canton of Neuchatel.

"I called yesterday to both Swiss banks, UBS and Credit Suisse, to insist on the local and strategical importance of the Cressier plant," Thierry Grosjean, Economy Minister at the Swiss canton of Neuchatel said.

Cressier, which employs some 250 people and has a capacity of 68,000 bpd, was Petroplus' least profitable refinery in the third quarter. The plant accounts for 25 percent, by volume, of all refined products sold in Switzerland.

Petroplus's future has been thrown into doubt since it said on Tuesday lenders had frozen a $1 billion credit facility the company relies on to buy crude oil.

Earlier on Friday sources close to the matter said Petroplus had obtained provisional financing from its lenders as it prepared to shut down its French refinery due to dwindling crude oil supplies.

(Reporting by Caroline Copley and Pascal Schmuck)