BP Sees Potential for Gas Purchases from Rosneft

Global oil major BP may receive gas supplies of between 7 billion and 20 billion cubic metres per year under an agreement last year with Russia's largest producer Rosneft, a BP official told Reuters on Wednesday.

Vladimir Drebentsov, chief economist for BP in Russia and the former Soviet Union, said these were hypothetical supplies because Kremlin-controlled gas giant Gazprom currently holds exclusive rights for pipeline gas exports for Russia.

"This is only an intention, there are no concrete plans," he said on the sidelines of European Gas conference in Vienna. BP owns a 19.75 percent stake in Rosneft.

On Tuesday, daily RBC said Rosneft and BP were in talks over a long-term gas supply contract that could deliver BP 160 bcm in total over 16 years.

It said Rosneft's chief executive officer Igor Sechin has asked President Vladimir Putin to break Gazprom's monopoly rights.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov and Rosneft declined to comment.

(Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin)