Gazprom in Talks Over Moves By Rival Qatar Gas - Deputy CEO

Gazprom is in talks about expanding in Russia and into rival gas exporter Qatar, deputy chief executive of Gazprom, Alexander Medvedev, said on Tuesday.

"We are discussing opportunities in Russia and in Qatar," Medvedev told reporters on the sidelines of a gas conference in the Qatari capital Doha.

Russia, the world's biggest energy producer, has seen its gas sales in key export market Europe fall in the last year, largely because of a surge in liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports from Qatar -- the world's largest LNG exporter.

The emir of Qatar met Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin at the start of November to discuss joint gas production projects.

Qatar is home to the headquarters of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), which has so far failed to co-ordinate production to support prices as the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) influences oil markets.

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