Russ Oil-Gas

MOSCOW, April 24, 2009 (RIA Novosti) - Gazprom Neft has bought a minority stake in oil producer Sibir Energy, the oil arm of Russian energy giant Gazprom said on Friday. The acquisition places Gazprom Neft in control of some 16% of Sibir Energy, with a market value estimated at just 675.5 million British pounds ($992 million). It controls half of the Moscow Refinery and holds a 50% stake in Salym Petroleum Development (SPD), its JV with Shell. "Sibir Energy is a promising company with which we have been cooperating in oil processing at the Moscow Refinery," Alexander Dyukov, Gazprom Neft board chairman, was quoted as saying. Sibir Energy said on Thursday it had received an informal offer from an unnamed buyer. In addition, Credit Suisse Group announced on Wednesday it was starting to collect bids for the purchase of Sibir Energy shares on behalf of the Russian-British oil venture TNK-BP. Kommersant, a respected Russian business daily, reported TNK-BP was interested in buying Sibir Energy last week. However, the Russian-British JV rejected its plans on Thursday. Sibir Energy is owned by the Moscow government, which holds an 18% stake, developer Shalva Chigirinsky's business interests (23.5%) and Igor Kesayev, president of Mercury Development (23.5%). A stake of slightly less than 35% in the company is free floated.