* Deal may give Rosneft greater control over Russian oil andgas - analysts
* Khudainatov to get operational control in joint venture
MOSCOW, April 28 (Reuters) - Russia's Alliance Group, whichowns the Khabarovsk oil refinery in Russia's Far East, hasagreed to merge its assets with a company controlled by EduardKhudainatov, a former senior executive at Rosneft, anAlliance spokesman said on Monday.
Khudainatov left state-run Rosneft last year to focus on hisown projects, Russian media reported, suggesting Alliance's oiland refining assets were a potential target for him.
Alliance Oil was valued at around $1.2 billion before itdelisted last year in Stockholm. Vedomosti business daily saidthe Independent Oil and Gas Company "should be valued" at $800million.
Some analysts have said that the deal would eventually leadto greater control over Russia's vast oil and gas sector byRosneft, headed by Igor Sechin, a long-standing ally of RussianPresident Vladimir Putin.
Officially, Rosneft and Khudainatov's Independent Oil andGas Company, which is merging its assets with Alliance, are notrelated parties, but Khudainatov is still seen as a closebusiness ally of Rosneft's Sechin.
The Alliance spokesman declined to comment on the possiblevalue of the deal.
"This would be a joint model of the management," thespokesman said, adding that Khudainatov would gain a day-to-dayoperational control with the title of director general, whileMusa Bazhaev, whose family has controlled Alliance, will be thepresident of the joint company.
Alliance would own 60 percent in the joint company, whilethe Independent Oil and Gas Company would control 40 percent.The deal is subject to cartel office approval in Russia andother countries where Alliance is operating.
Alliance's joint venture with Royal Dutch Shell operates filling stations in Ukraine's mainland as well as inthe Crimean peninsula, which was annexed by Russia last month.
The spokesman said Shell would remain in operating controlover this venture.
Alliance has also a joint company with Repsol.
Alliance produces more than 50,000 barrels of oil per dayon average, mainly from the Timan-Pechora and Volga-Uralsregions. It controls the Khabarovsk refinery which had a dailycapacity of 80,000 barrels last year.
Alliance said in a statement on Monday that the jointcompany's resource base is valued at more than 500 milliontonnes of oil equivalent and oil and gas production stands at3.5 million tonnes of oil equivalent per year. The company aimsto double that in the next three to five years. (Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin; Editing by Matt Driskill)
