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* Gas prices in Europe at record high
* Rosneft vying for Russian pipeline gas exports rights
* Nord Stream 2 waits for approval from Germany's regulator
(Recasts, changes headline, adds Gazprom's comment, exports
data)
By Vladimir Soldatkin
MOSCOW, Sept 15 (Reuters) - A rapid startup of the Nord
Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany could help calm
record-high gas prices in Europe, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry
Peskov told reporters on Wednesday, as Moscow awaits for
regulatory clearance for gas flows to begin.
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. However
the start of gas flows via the route needs the approval of
Germany's regulator, which may take up to four months.
"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," Peskov told a daily conference call with
reporters.
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.
Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that
European customers of Kremlin-owned energy giant Gazprom
were "rubbing their hands with glee" over long-term
gas contracts which are tied to oil prices and are less
volatile.
Gazprom's head Alexei Miller said on Wednesday that gas will
not start flowing via Nord Stream 2 on Oct.1, as had been
reported by Bloomberg.
ROSNEFT'S GAS BUSINESS
Interfax cited Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak as
saying on Wednesday that 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 Nord Stream 2
pipeline.
Currently, Gazprom has exclusive rights for Russian pipeline
gas exports and 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.
Gazprom said its natural gas exports outside the former
Soviet Union year-to-date had increased by 17.4% year-on-year to
138.6 billion cubic metres.
Peskov said the possibility of Rosneft exporting gas to
Europe had been raised repeatedly, but that no decisions had
been taken yet.
(Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin, Dmitry Antonov, Olesya
Astakhova and Oksana Kobzeva; editing by David Evans, Elaine
Hardcastle)
