Novatek: Urengoyskoye to Return to Full Capacity Next Year

Russia's Novatek (NVTK.ME), Russia's second biggest gas producer, said on Thursday its Urengoyskoye field should reach full capacity next year after a fire in April.

"Most of the damaged equipment has been replaced and testing at the facility has commenced," Novatek's Chief Financial Officer Mark Gyetvay told a conference call.

"The second stage production line will be launched right after the facility's put back in operation by the year-end. Therefore we should see full production capacity in 2015."

No one was injured in the fire at the Urengoyskoye gas field at its Severenergia unit. Novatek had earlier cut its gas output growth forecast this year to between 2 to 3 percent, down from previous forecasts of a 7 to 8 percent rise, due to the fire.

(Reporting by Katya Golubkova and Vladimir Soldatkin, editing by Elizabeth Piper)