(Adds Kremlin comments, Rosneft's share price, detail)
MOSCOW, Sept 15 (Reuters) - Russia's energy ministry is due
to prepare a report in the coming days on the possibility of
Rosneft exporting gas to Europe via the new Nord
Stream 2 pipeline, Interfax cited Deputy Prime Minister
Alexander Novak as saying on Wednesday.
Separately, the Kremlin said the quick start of gas sales
thorough the route, subject to approval from Germany's
regulator, would help cap rising gas prices in Europe.
Currently, Kremlin-controlled Gazprom has
exclusive rights for Russian pipeline gas exports.
European regulations, the so-called third energy package,
require third-party access to pipelines.
Kirill Tachennikov from Moscow-based Sinara financial
corporation, said it was still not clear yet if Rosneft's
possible participation in gas exports via Nord Stream 2 would
help Russia raise gas supplies through the route.
"As far as the third energy package is concerned, there is
no clarity on EU's position on access for other Russian
companies to the new pipeline," he said.
The Energy Ministry did not immediately respond to requests
for comment. Rosneft declined to comment.
Oil-focused Rosneft and its shareholder, BP, have
long sought to export Russian natural gas to Europe as exports
are more lucrative than domestic sales. Rosneft shares in Moscow
jumped by more than 4% on the day in afternoon trade.
Igor Sechin, the powerful head of Rosneft and a
long-standing ally of President Vladimir Putin, has repeatedly
lobbied the Kremlin to curb Gazprom's export rights.
Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said the possibility of
Rosneft exporting gas to Europe had been raised repeatedly, but
that no decisions had been taken yet.
He also said that the a rapid startup of the Nord Stream 2
gas would help tackle high gas prices in Europe.
"Undoubtedly, the quickest launch of Nord Stream 2 would
significantly balance out the pricing parameters of natural gas
in Europe, including on the spot market. That's obvious. The
demand is high," he told a daily conference call.
Spot prices in the Dutch TTF gas hub reached a
record high 79 euros per megawatt hour, or more than $960 per
1,000 cubic metres, on Wednesday amid low levels of underground
gas storage in Europe.
A record run in energy prices that pushed European
electricity costs to multi-year highs is unlikely to ease before
the year-end, pointing to an expensive winter heating season for
consumers.
Russia announced last week that it had completed
construction of the $11 billion Nord Stream 2 to Germany,
doubling its gas exporting capacity via the Baltic Sea.
Germany's energy regulator said on Monday it had four months
to complete operating certification for the new pipeline.
(Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin, Dmitry Antonov, Olesya
Astakhova and Oksana Kobzeva; editing by Jason Neely and David
Evans)