Marathon Petroleum (NYSE: MPC) has spread its network of 3,900 "Speedway" gas stations and convenience stores across 36 states in the union. Now, Marathon is gearing up to sell the whole kit and caboodle -- and bidders are getting in line. As Reuters reported Wednesday, at least four potential buyers are preparing to submit bids to acquire Speedway from the oil refinery company: Image source: Getty Images. 7-Eleven owner Seven & I Holdings (OTC: SVNDY) already has America's biggest chain of gas stations-cum-convenience stores -- 11,800 of them. Acquiring Speedway would only increase its lead. Seven & I tried to buy Speedway in March for $20 billion, but now may get a chance to acquire it for as little as $15 billion to $17 billion. Canada's Alimentation Couche-Tard (OTC: ANCUF), which includes the Circle K brand of filling stations in its holdings, already operates a 9,400-strong chain across the continent. Couche-Tard seeks a private equity partner for its bid and aims to split up Speedway after acquisition to avoid raising antimonopoly concerns by growing too big, too fast. Private equity firm TDR Capital -- which originally intended to support Couche-Tard's bid -- is now preparing to make an all-cash offer on its own. Finally, Murphy USA (NYSE: MUSA) is pondering a bid that could theoretically quadruple its size by adding Speedway's 3,900 locations to its own 1,300. If these bidders fail to offer a price it likes, Marathon says it will spin off Speedway to its own shareholders as a separate company in a transaction to take place by the first quarter of 2021. 10 stocks we like better than Marathon PetroleumWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.* David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the ten best stocks for investors to buy right now... and Marathon Petroleum wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys. See the 10 stocks *Stock Advisor returns as of June 2, 2020 Rich Smith has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.Source