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MOSCOW, June 21 (Reuters) - Igor Sechin, the head ofRussia's top oil producer Rosneft, said on Tuesdaythat Saudi Arabia, the United States and Russia were the threemain players on global oil markets, dismissing again OPEC's roleas a regulator.
He told Rossiya-24 TV that Russia's role in hydrocarbonmarkets will strengthen.
Russia is the world's top oil and natural gas producer,pumping oil at around 10.8 million barrels per day. It plans toat least keep production of crude oil, its chief exportcommodity, at the current level.
Sechin has said the Organisation of the Petroleum ExportingCountries (OPEC) has lost its power in term of its ability toregulate the global oil market.
"We believe that the (function of) regulation has moved tothree main players, which are the United States, Saudi Arabiaand Russia," he said.
"The main reasons which led to this are quite simple: thevaluation of the resource base, the existence of technologiesand financial tools... All the participants which I named haveall the instruments," Sechin said, adding that the United Stateshas the upper hand on the markets due to its prominent role as abig consumer.
"Russia has all the Soviet infrastructure in place... and weare working on new markets."
Last month, Sechin told Reuters that internal differencesare killing OPEC and its ability to influence the markets hasall but evaporated.
Rosneft expects the oil price to be $50-$55 per barrel bythe year end, rising further to $65 by the end of 2017, Sechinadded on Tuesday.
Speaking about government plans to sell 19.5 percent ofRosneft, Sechin said he favoured selling to a strategic investorrather than place it on the stock market.
He said Rosneft has held not talks with Chinese or Indiancompanies about privatisation. (Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin; Editing by Susan Fenton/RuthPitchford)
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