Russia: Exxon-led Sakhalin Project 'one of our best'

There is no economic reason for U.S. energy major ExxonMobil to leave the Sakhalin-1 oil and gas project, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak told reporters on Wednesday.

Kommersant daily had reported that Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich planned to hold a meeting to discuss preliminary results of checks at offshore projects, including Exxon-led Sakhalin-1.

Igor Sechin, head of Russia's Rosneft, a shareholder in Sakhalin-1, said on Wednesday he saw no problems arising from the government's check on operations there.

"There is no such information," Novak said when asked if he saw any risks of Exxon leaving the project. "I think Sakhalin-1 is one of (our) best projects. We don't see an economic reason."

Reporting by Denis Pinchuk