Norwegian oil company Statoil ASA (STL.OS) said Thursday it has filed an application with the Oslo Stock Exchange for admission of trading of the newly constituted company Statoil Fuel & Retail ASA.

The application is a necessary regulatory step ahead of the planned initial public offering of the energy and retail business, Statoil said.

The IPO is planned for the fourth quarter if market conditions allow, it added.

Shares in Statoil closed Wednesday at NOK121.70.

-By Gustav Sandstrom, Dow Jones Newswires; +46-8-5451-3099; gustav.sandstrom@dowjones.com