ROPA – Lukoil môže predávať za ruble už v 2009

OAO Lukoil, Russia's largest independent oil producer, may start selling crude and gas in rubles within two years as the U.S. dollar weakens, a company official said.

``Selling for rubles is much more attractive,'' Deputy Chief Executive Officer Leonid Fedun said in an interview in New York today. ``Gazprom is considering introducing ruble- denominated contracts and I think that technically Russian companies can do it by 2009 if the banks are ready.''

Lukoil, which is based in Moscow, joins state-run OAO Gazprom, the world's largest natural-gas producer, in suggesting a move to ruble pricing. State-controlled OAO Rosneft is the country's biggest oil producer.

The dollar has dropped 10 percent this year against the euro, reducing the value of exports. OPEC members Iran and Venezuela have lobbied to abandon the dollar, a step Saudi Arabia rejected last month at a meeting of the group's ministers.

Russia is the world's second-biggest producer of crude oil. Crude has surged 54 percent this year, contributing to an increase in inflation that Russian President Vladimir Putin calls one of the biggest threats to a nine-year economic expansion. Lukoil has said the strengthening ruble eats into profits because costs are denominated in the local currency.

The ruble has gained about 8 percent this year to 24.43 per dollar, while it has lost 3 percent versus the euro. Russia's central bank manages the currency against a basket of the euro and the dollar. The dollar has dropped this year amid the worst U.S. housing slump in 16 years.

Zdroj:pravda.ru

17.12.2007